Dei est baptismus, hoc est, salutaris aqua gratiae et vitse, et lava- crum regenerationis in Spiritu Sancto, sicut Paulus ait ad Tit. iii. 5." 1 These ideas are expanded in the Larger Catechism. Among other things it is there said, " Ad nunc modum ita dis- cerne, longe aliam rem esse baptismum, atque omnes alias aquas : non naturalis essentiae gratia, sed quod huic aliquid praestantioris rei adjungitur. Ipse enim Deus baptismum suo honestat nomine, suaque virtute confirmat. Earn ob rem non tantum naturalis aqua, sed etiam divina, coelestis, sancta et salutifera aqua, quo- cunque alio laudis titulo nobilitari potest, habenda et dicenda est ; hocque non nisi verbi gratia, quod coeleste ac sanctum verbum est, neque a quoquam satis ampliter, digne et cumulate laudari potest, siquidem omnem Dei virtutem et potentiam in se habet compre- hensam. Inde quoque baptismus suam accipit essentiam, ut sac- ramenti appellationem mereatur, quemadmodum sanctus etiam docet Augustinus : Accedit, inquit, verbum ad elementum, et fit sacramentum, hoc est, res sancta et divina." 2 If the "Word com- prehends in itself, " all the virtue and power of God," and if that Word is united with the water of baptism, it is easy to understand how the ordinance has all the potency attributed to it.
The Condition on which the Efficacy of Baptism is suspended.
That condition is faith. It is the clearly pronounced doctrine of the Lutheran Church that baptism is altogether useless or void of any saving effect, unless the recipient be a believer. And by faith is not meant mere speculative assent, such as Simon Magus had, but true, living, and saving faith. On these points the Lutheran standards are explicit. In the Larger Catechism, it is said : " Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit, salvus erit. Hoc est : sola fides personam dignam facit, ut hanc salutarem et divinam aquam utiliter suscipiat. Cum enim hoc in verbis una cum aqua nobis offeratur et proponatur, non alia ratione potest suscipi, quam ut hoc ex animo credamus. Citra fidem nihil prodest baptismus, tametsi per sese coelestis et inaestimabilis thesaurus esse negari non possit." And again it is said, " Absente fide, nudum et in- efficax signum tantummodo permanet." 8
From this it follows that in the case of adults, faith and there- fore regeneration, must precede baptism. And consequently in their case the design and effect of baptism cannot be to convey the remission of sin and renovation of the heart, but simply to con-
1 Catechismus Minor, iv. 9, 10; Hase, "p. 377.
2 Catechismus Major, iv. 17, 18 ; Ibid. pp. 537, 538. 8 iv. 33, 34, and 73; Hase, pp. 541, 549.
608 PART III. Ch. XX. — THE MEANS OF GRACE.
firm and strengthen a faith already possessed. Thus Gerhard and Baier as quoted above, say : x " Adultis credentibus principaliter prasstat usum obsignationis ac testificationis de gratia Dei," and u Infantibus quidem asque omnibus per baptismum primum con- fertur et obsignatur fides, per quam meiitum Christi applicatur. Adultis vero illis tantum, qui fidem ex verbo conceperunt ante baptismi susceptionem, baptismus earn obsignat et confirmat."
With regard to infants Lutherans teach that they have true faith. Gerhard says : " Nos non de modo fidei sumus solliciti, sed in ilia simplicitate acquiescimus, quod infantes vere credant."2 Chemnitz says : " Nequaquam concedendum est, infantes, qui bap-
tizantur, vel sine fide esse, vel in aiiena fide baptizari
Aliena quidem vel parentum vel offerentium fides, parvulos ad Christum in baptismo adducit Marc. x. 13, et orat, ut propria fide donentur. Sed per lavacrum aquae in verbo, Christum Spiritu suo infantibus qui baptizantur, operari et efficacem esse, ut reg- num Dei accipiant, non est dubium : licet, quomodo illud fiat, non intelligamus." Again, " Sicut enim circumcisio etiam par- vulorum in V. T. fuit signaculum justitiae fidei, ita, quia in N. T. infantes baptizati Deo placent, et salvi sunt, non possunt, nee debent inter infideles rejici, sed recte annumerantur fidelibus." 8
As the word produces faith in those who hear it, provided they do not resist its influence, so baptism in which the word is em- bodied (so that it is verbum visibile), produces faith in infants who are incapable of resistance. On this subject Dr. Krauth says : " That this grace is offered whenever baptism is adminis- tered, and is actually conferred by the Holy Spirit, whenever the individual receiving it does not present in himself a conscious vol- untary barrier to its efficacy. This barrier, in the case of an individual personally responsible, is unbelief. In the case of an infant, there is no conscious voluntary barrier, and there is a divinely wrought receptivity of grace. The objector says, the infant cannot voluntarily receive the grace, therefore grace is not given. We reverse the proposition and reply, the infant cannot voluntarily reject grace, therefore the grace is given. When we speak of a divinely wrought receptivity of grace, we imply that whatever God offers in the Word or element bears with the offer the power of being received. When He says to the man with a withered arm, c Reach forth thine arm ! ' that which was impos- sible by nature is made possible by the very word of command.
i Pages 518, 519.
2 Loci Theologici, xxi. yiii. § 230 ; edit. Tubingen, 1769, vol. ix. pp. 275, 276.
8 Loc. Theol. in. De Baptismo, edit. Frankfort and Wittenberg, 1653, p. 147, b. of third set.