Sunday, December 17, 2023

Johann Gerhard (Lutheran [1625]) on the Calvinists Being Inconsistent By Affirming the Perspicuity of Scripture yet Reject Baptismal Regeneration

  

Second, the Calvinists

§ 431. (1) In their words, the Calvinists confess along with us the perspicuity of Scripture. Indeed, they battle for it against the Papists with entire chapters and books. Yet if they keep their suppositions, they cannot keep from accusing Scripture of obscurity in the most important articles of faith. The article on Baptism and its efficacy is, as evident, one of the chief ones. Concerning it, the Calvinists teach: “Baptism is not an effectual means of regeneration, forgiveness of sins, and salvation, but is only a sign.” Nowhere in all Scripture, however, is Baptism taught in proper, clear, and perspicuous words as merely a sign of regeneration, that Baptism only signifies a washing away of sins. Rather Scripture often speaks about the end and fruit of Baptism: “By Baptism we are cleaned of our sins”; “We are generated of water”; “Baptism is the washing of regeneration and renewal” (John 3:5; Eph. 5:27; Titus 3:5, etc.). Therefore, they are compelled to claim that Scripture nowhere speaks about the efficacy and fruit of Baptism in proper, clear, and perspicuous words, but only in figurative, improper, and metonymic words Sohnius says in Method. Theolog., vol. 1, Oper., p. 262: “All propositions concerning the efficacy of Baptism that occur in Scripture are figurative, improper, and metonymic except this one: ‘Baptism is a type of the removal of dirt,’” which he says is in 1 Pet. 3:21. An inspection of the text, however, clearly reveals the opposite. Ursinus, Comp., p. 503: “These are improper or figurative forms of speaking: ‘Baptism is the washing of regeneration,’ ‘”Baptism saves us.’ The proper form of speaking is that it is a sign of washing.” (But where does Scripture use this form of speaking?) (Johann Gerhard, On the Nature of Theology and on Scripture [trans. Richard J. Dinda; Saint Louis, Miss.: Concordia Publishing House, 2009], 388)