Sword & Trowel 2018: Issue 1
This later sixteenth- century Latin edition of Luther’s Small Catechism for students includes an illustrated title page with a woodcut of a preacher leading a class.
Photo courtesy: Bridwell Library Special Collections, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
ideal into practice, and to baptise by immersion. Perhaps they had been reading their Prayer Books as well as their New Testaments more carefully than others.
FAITH NECESSARY TO THE EFFICACY OF THE SACRAMENTS
Another aspect of baptismal theology among the Magisterial Re- formers that pointed ahead to a later harvest was the whole idea of the efficacy of the sacraments. Reacting against a perceived deficiency in the later medieval Catholic understand- ing of how the sacraments convey blessing, the Reformers insisted that faith – true, lively, saving faith – was the necessary precondition for a blessed reception of the sacraments. In other words, they tied their view of sacramental efficacy to the faith of the participant. Without faith in Christ, the sacraments could convey no benefit. In the Lord’s Supper, for example, Luther held that every partaker received the true body and
blood of Christ, but that this would convey blessing only if the partaker had saving faith. The unbeliever would still receive the Lord’s body and blood, but not as a blessing: eating and drinking in unbelief, to him it would convey judgement and con- demnation. But how did this robust view of faith’s role in sacramental efficacy apply to infant baptism? In Luther’s Large Catechism, we find the following:
‘since we have learned the great benefit and power of Baptism, let us see further who is the person that receives what Baptism gives and profits. This is again most beauti- fully and clearly expressed in the words: He that believeth and is bap- tised shall be saved. That is, faith alone makes the person worthy to receive profitably the saving, divine water. For, since these blessings are here presented and promised in the words in and with the water, they cannot be received in any other way than by believing them with the heart. Without faith it profits noth- ing, notwithstanding it is in itself a divine superabundant treasure.’
Great Advances Sown by the Reformation page 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
