John William Baier's _Compendium of Positive Theology_ Edited by C. F. W. Walther Published by: St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1877 [Translator's Preface. These are the major loci or topics of John William Baier's _Compendium of Positive Theology_ as edited by Dr. C. F. W. Walther. These should be seen as the broad outline of Baier-Walther's dogmatics, but please don't assume that this is all. Each locus usually includes copious explanatory notes and citations from patristics and other Lutheran dogmaticians. Chapter Ten On baptism. 1. Among the two New Testament sacraments baptism holds the prior place. 2. The principal efficient cause of baptism is Christ, who not alone but one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, determined what pertains to the founding of baptism, and truly also ordered that the rite was to be done frequently, and it leads back to the efficient fruit for the conferring of salvation. 3. The impulsive internal cause is the divine goodness; the external cause is the merit of Christ the mediator. 4. The lesser principal efficient cause ordinarily is the minister of the church; extraordinarily in cases of necessity also a layman or woman. 5. The material of baptism is true and natural water, and the act of washing, which either by immersing or by sprinkling, is able once or by three persons. 6. The form of baptism is the word of institution or that he is washed in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 7. The end to which, which is also the subject of baptism, are humans carnally born and brought forth into the light; and these all, males equally and females; not only adults, but truly also infants. 8. Meanwhile we believe the infants of believing parents, as it happened by private baptism, by an extraordinary grace of God to be reborn and saved; however we do not commit the infants of the unbelieving to baptism by divine judgement, and not indeed do we dare to snatch away those from unwilling parents through force and thus to baptize. 9. The end of which, which is also the effect of baptism, the nearer is the regeneration or renewal of those being baptized; the farther is their eternal salvation. 10. However, this, which touches the nearer end, occurs in diversity, in respect to diverse subjects. For to all infants indeed equally through baptism faith is first conferred and sealed, through which the merit of Christ is applied to them. Truly to those adults , who received faith from the word before the undertaking of baptism, baptism seals and confirms them. Not only now, when it has been undertaken, but also after, and through all life, by faith efficiently it brings forth the confirming of faith and the further renewal. 11. To the signifying efficiencey of baptism, by which infants are transferred from the power of satan into spiritual liberty, the ancient rite of exorcism, with the sign of the cross and by the vowed renouncing of satan, while indeed indifferent, yet, rightly it is observed, how it is also for the designated covenant of grace, because the baptized enter into it with God, the sponsors or godparents are joined to the pious rite. 12. Baptism once having been conferred according to the institution of God ought not to be repeated to the same subject. 13. Baptism is able to be defined, that it is a sacred action instituted by God, in which humans without discrimination of sex or age are washed with water in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, so that they they are regenerated and renewed, which is the cause of the following eternal salvation. -------------------------------------------------------------- This text was translated by Rev. Theodore Mayes and is copy- righted material, (c)1996, but is free for non-commercial use or distribution, and especially for use on Project Wittenberg. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary. E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu Surface Mail: 66000 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (260) 452-3149 Fax: (260) 452-2126 --------------------------------------------------------------