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Becomes an Anabaptist
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tism, and concludes that Christian baptism, in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is an open confession and testimony of inward faith and obedience, in which a man testifies that he is a sinful man and believes that Christ through his death has removed his sins. The next two chapters discuss the baptism of John, and contend against Zwingli's idea that it is the same as Christian baptism. If this were so, Hübmaier argues, infant baptism would be excluded, for all accounts agree that the order of John was: hearing of the word, repentance or conviction of sin, baptism, works. John baptised only those to whom he had first preached, who had therefore believed, confessed their sins, and promised amendment of life. Those who received the baptism of John were rebaptised by the apostle, and that is the true Anabaptism. Infant baptism, hitherto reckoned the true baptism, is no baptism, and it is a groundless complaint against us that we practice rebaptism. Baptism as practiced by the apostles was the remission of sins. Those who think children should be baptised as future believers make a mock of Christ's command, to teach all peoples and to baptise them then, not before. No one can tell what a child's will may be later; to baptise a child as a future believer is like hanging out a hoop as a sign of future wine. But now, says Hübmaier, they take a fresh hold and call infant baptism "a sign of beginning." Beginning of what? Of faith? that cannot be, for they have not heard the word, from which alone faith comes. Of a new life? That cannot well be, for the child knows not right from wrong. Let us say, then, it is a ceremony, as if the child had been received into an order. But as the monk's gown alone does not make the monk, so infant baptism makes
