Extract from Luther and Lutheranism’s Anti-rebaptistic Anti-Anabaptism – To read the full work, click “Download” below.
In his own work Concerning Rebaptism (1528), Luther thrashes the Anabaptists. They had over-emphasized the subjective and downgraded the objective side of baptism. Yet, Luther retorted, important as faith is — it is the Word, and not faith, which is the basis of baptism. Any would-be baptizer who regards faith on the part of the baptizee as essential for the validity of the baptism — can never consistently administer baptism. For he can never be certain that faith in Christ really is present.
