Quick quiz for those who believe baptismal regeneration is a gross theological error (if not a formal heresy). Who said the following?
. . . every Christian has enough
in Baptism to learn and to practise all his life; for he has always enough to
do to believe firmly what it promises and brings: victory over death and the
devil, forgiveness of sin, the grace of God, the entire Christ, and the Holy
Ghost with His gifts. In short, it is so transcendent that if timid nature
could realize it, it might well doubt whether it could be true. For consider,
if there were somewhere a physician who understood the art of saving men from
dying, or, even though they died, of restoring them speedily to life, so that
they would thereafter live forever, how the world would pour in money like snow
and rain, so that because of the throng of the rich no one could find access!
But here in Baptism there is brought free to every one’s door such a treasure
and medicine as utterly destroys death and preserves all men alive.
Thus we must regard Baptism and
make it profitable to ourselves, that when our sins and conscience oppress us,
we strengthen ourselves and take comfort and say: Nevertheless I am baptized;
but if I am baptized, it is promised me that I shall be saved and have eternal
life, both in soul and body.
A Catholic theologian such as Robert Bellarmine? An Eastern
Orthodox priest such as Laurent Cleenewerck? A Latter-day Saint apologist such
as that Irish guy who the
simp for Paul Gee is obsessed with? No, it was Martin Luther in his Large
Catechism (April 1529).
