The Smalcald Articles: Tertia Pars - Articulus Quintus

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V. Articulus Quintus
De Baptismo

Baptismus nihil est aliud quam verbum Dei cum mersione in aquam, secundum ipsius institutionem et mandatum, sive, ut Paulus inquit Eph. 5, 26, lavacrum in verbo; sicut et Augustinus ait: Accedat verbum ad elementum, et fit sacramentum. Quare non sentimus^[1] cum Thoma^[2] et monachis praedicatoribus seu Dominicanis, qui verbi et institutionis Dei obliti dicunt, Deum spiritualem virtutem aquae contulisse et indidisse, quae peccatum per aquam abluat. Non etiam facimus cum Scoto^[3] et Minoritis^[4] seu monachis Franciscanis, qui docent, baptismo ablui peccatum ex assistentia divinae voluntatis, et hanc ablutionem fieri tantum per Dei voluntatem, et minime per verbum et aquam.

De paedobaptismo docemus^[5] infantes esse baptizandos. Pertinent enim ad promissam redemptionem per Christum factam. Et ecclesia debet illis baptismum et promissionis illius annuntiationem.

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[1] Introduces an indirect statement

[2] Thomas Aquinas

[3] Scotus

[4] The Minorites or Barefooted Monks

[5] Introduces an indirect statement with the passive periphrastic as its infinitive main verb

Vocabulary

Abluo, ere, ablui, ablutus- to wash away, blot out, purify

Ablutio, ablutionis, f.- washing, ablution

Aqua, ae, f.- water

Assistentia, ae, f.- assistance, help; attendance

Baptismus, ī, m.- baptism

Baptizō, āre, āvī, ātus- to baptize

Dominicanus, i, m.- Dominican

Elementum, i, n.- element, origin; rudiments; first principle

Franciscanus, i, m.- Franciscan

Indido, ere, indidi, indiditus- to distribute, deal out; spread

Infans, infantis, c.- baby, infant

Lavacrum, i, n.- bath, baptism, washing

Mersio, mersionis, f.- immersion, dipping; drowning

Paedobaptismus, i, m.- infant baptism

Praedicator, praedicatoris, m.- preacher; publisher

Promitto, ere, promisi, promissus- to promise