_Jac._ Paul writes to the Corinthians, in his first epistle, in the fifteenth chapter (v. 22): “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Again, to the Romans, in the fifth chapter (verses 12,15); “As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so grace hath abounded by Jesus Christ.”
_Fr. Corn._ Tush, tush, tush, much talk and little information, these are all things that do not concern unbaptized and uncircumcised children. Hence I tell you plainly, that all the children that in the Old Testament died without circumcision, and now in the New Testament without baptism, and will yet die, are damned; and he that says otherwise is a heretic. But now, since you Anabaptists so little esteem baptism, that you allow children to die unbaptized, thinking that they will be saved nevertheless, why then do you who have been baptized once have yourselves rebaptized, and teach others, that they must also suffer themselves to be rebaptized, if they would be saved. Ah, bah, is this not a hellish, devilish madness; frenzy, demonianism, and fascination? * * *
_Jac._ We, according to the command of Christ, baptize the believing, but you, contrary to his commands, baptize the unbelieving.
_Fr. Corn._ Indeed, Anabaptist? Bah, though the children are not believing, they must nevertheless be baptized, if they are to be saved; for in the third chapter of St. John’s gospel we read that Christ said to Nicodemus: Verily, verily, except every man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Bah, is this not saying plainly enough, that children must be baptized, though they are yet unbelieving? why then would you Anabaptists upbraid us by saying that we baptize the unbelieving, and that you baptize the believing? Ha! accursed Anabaptist that you are! Bah, answer me now in regard to this. * * *
_Jac._ Water baptism signifies the washing of regeneration in which Christ baptizes with the Spirit, as John the Baptist said, Mark 1: “I have baptized you with water; but one that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.” Also in Matthew 3, and Luke 3, we read: “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” Again, John 1:33. “But he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” From this we can hear and understand, that water baptism does not give an entrance into the kingdom of God, but only the baptism by the Holy Ghost with which Christ baptizes.
_Fr. Corn._ Bah, in this you lie, you Anabaptist, with your accursed mouth, for Christ says: “Of water and of the Spirit;” hence the baptism of the Holy Ghost does not alone make the entrance into the kingdom of God, but the water and of the Spirit, see.
_Jac._ Then I must ask you, whether none were ever baptized by God and by Christ in the Holy Ghost, without water?
_Fr. Corn._ What a devilish question this is; bah, who is there that could answer to such an accursed question? Bah, see once, with what this * * * bishop, Jacob the weaver, does now come to vex and torment us. Bah, answer yourself.
_Jac._ Well then, when Christ saw and heard, that Nicodemus was so greatly astonished at the words which he spake to him, and that Nicodemus could not understand his words, and asked, how these things were possible, Christ answered him and said: “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” From these words of Christ we can understand, that Christ did not speak of baptism, but that he spoke to him of things that were comprehended in the law of the Israelites, namely, the regeneration by the Holy Ghost, in which all the holy fathers and elect of God, before the coming of Christ, were regenerated or baptized. For if Christ had spoken of water baptism, as you papists think, Nicodemus might have said to Christ: I have never read of a water baptism in the whole law. But now Christ spoke to him of things that were written in the law, or in the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament, though he called them by another name, namely, a regeneration of the water and of the Spirit, though the Holy Ghost is therein called a water. But Christ thereby wanted to prove to Nicodemus, in order to astonish him in regard to a matter which he ought to have known and understood very well, since he was a master of Israel. Behold, for this reason the regeneration in which Christ baptizes with the Holy Ghost is only signified by the outward baptism of water.