A Letter From Jan Gerrits To The Lutheran Preacher.

In the fourth place, I come to your unreasonable or willful stupidity, that you want to maintain your infant baptism by the circumcision of the law, or Israel’s sign of the covenant. For Paul says that circumcision (which you understand to be a figure of baptism), is made without hands, in the spirit, for the putting off of the sinful flesh; whose praise is not of men,—as was done with the hand on Israel—but of God. Col. 2:11; Rom. 2:29. Now, is your infant baptism in the spirit, without hands, and this for the putting off of the sinful flesh, and for sin which they have not yet committed? For to put off the sinful is this, as Paul says: “Mortify your members which are upon the earth; fornication, adultery, uncleanness, lasciviousness, evil concupiscence;” see, whether this can be understood as having reference to your children.

And through your infant baptism you cause it that we are called Anabaptists, though we do not baptize, nor are baptized, twice, but once, and this according to the truth, and pursuant to the command and practice of the apostles; and with this we are well satisfied.

In the fifth place, I will tell you our confession and practice, to show you that our baptism originates not in an opinion, but in the command of the most high God. After this, I hope to write against or dispute with neither you nor any one else, as said before; for great, presumptuous wisdom, I have not, but an assured heart and a firm faith in my ground. Listen to this brief statement: Touching circumcision, I confess that it was a token of Abraham’s covenant, to him and to all his seed (Gen. 17:9): and also the entering into Israel, the church of God. The external circumcision of Israel was a figure of the future, inward circumcision of Christ, as may clearly be understood from the spirit of the New Testament, even as Paul says that that is not circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, or law; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Rom. 2:28,29. Nor are you those who are circumcised in Christ, with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the sinful flesh. Col. 2:11. Further, what people are they who are buried with him through baptism? Listen, I pray you: Are you risen? through what? Through faith. What faith? What faith have the sponsors, through which God works, as you people understand it? Mark here, no infants; but such as believe and understand. And this you put forth as your strongest argument. O friend, do not willfully kick against the goad; or it will be hard for you to speak against God, and to drive his word and truth from you so stoutly. For, if you claim outward circumcision to be a figure of baptism, well, then, who makes you pedobaptists so presumptuous that you baptize infants before the eighth day? And why do you baptize female children? for, under the law, these were not circumcised; from which it would follow that female children are not to be baptized; for truth is consistent.

You are at an end with your figures of baptism; but we have a better explanation concerning the figures of baptism, and Paul and Peter shall help us keep it by their spirit and testimony. Peter says that the entrance through the water into Noah’s ark signifies to us baptism. Gen. 7:7; 1 Pet. 3:20,21. He who dares deny this, may also contradict us, who are little and unlearned in their estimation, yet are taught of God. Matt. 11:25.

Our second witness with regard to the figures of baptism is the great apostle Paul, who declared the counsel of God. Acts 20:27. He says that the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, their passage through the Red Sea, and that they were baptized under the pillar of cloud, through Moses, was a figure, and for our instruction. Ex. 14:22; 1 Cor. 10:1. But we, who are of the substance in the spirit and the New Testament, confess a clear ordinance, doctrine and command of God, and then the rule, practice and the clear examples of the 657 apostles, regarding baptism; this is explanation enough for us.

The command of Christ is: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature; teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:15,16; Matt. 28:19,20. [Baptism is,] in the first place, a grave of sin, an entering in the church of God, a putting on of Christ, a fleeing from the wrath of God, a washing of regeneration, and the seal of a good conscience or assurance toward God; and he that rejects this rejects the counsel of God. The practice of the apostles was this: “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” Romans 6:4; Gal. 3:27; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 3:21; Luke 7:30; Acts 8:37.