From Martin Luther, in 1916, found in The Gospel of God’s Love, page 241.
“I desire to write a messaage on the subject of the ceremonies which my church uses in its worship. I will not detain you long, and will try to express myself as succinctly as possible.
“Well, as you may know, the church of which I am the founder believes and teaches the necessity of infant baptism and the observance of the “lord’s supper.” It considers these as essential parts of its doctrine, and of such great importance that without them it is difficult to become an accepted member of the “invisible church of Christ.”
“Nothing is further from the truth than these doctrines regarding the baptism of infants, for they have no virtue to save one from their sins, or to make them in at-Onement with the Father. The mere fact that water is sprinkled on an infants head and some blessings pronounced by the preacher does not in any way bring that infant in unison with the Father. Baptism is of man’s creation, and to God it means nothing more than an outward ceremony that affects the infant merely as regards its connection with the established earthly church. It is not possible for this baptism to have any effect upon the soul of the infant, and neither does it open up the soul faculties to the inflowing of the divine love.
“God cares not for these ceremonies, for their tendency is to make mortals neglectful of the great truths that ‘will’ bring them into harmony with God’s laws of love and redemption. The same thing may be said of any and all kinds of baptism, whether the subject thereof be an infant or a grown person.
“As to the sacrament of the lords supper, it has no part in God’s plan for the redemption of humankind, and is merely a reminder of the association of Jesus with his disciples. It cannot affect the condition or development of the soul, and as now understood and practiced, is of no value or improtance. Jesus does not want to be remembered in the way of recalling the tragedy on the cross, and the boold spilt is not an element that enters into the plan of salvation of mortals. And besides, with this sacrament there is always more or less a worshipping of Jesus as God, which he (Jesus) abhors.” To be continued…