From Martin Luther’s Commentary on Galatians

“Today the Anabaptists and others, finding it difficult to condemn us, accuse us Lutherans of timidity in professing the whole truth.  They grant that we have laid the foundation in Christ, but claim that we have failed to go through with the building.  In this way these perverse fanatics parade their cursed doctrine as the Word of God, and, flying their flag of God’s name, they deceive many.”

From Martin Luther’s Table Talk

“Carlstadt opposed me merely out of ambition, for he flattered himself that on earth was not a more learned man than he. And although in his writings he imitated me, yet he played strange tricks with my manner. He wanted to be the great man, and truly I would willingly have left the honor to him, so far as it had not been against God. For, I praise my God, I was never so presumptuous as to think myself wiser than another man. When at first I wrote against indulgences, I designed simply to have opposed them, thinking that, afterwards, others would come and accomplish what I had begun.”

From The Schleitheim Confession of Faith, prepared at a conference of Anabaptists Swiss Brethren in 1527

“Baptism shall be given to all those who have learned repentance and amendment of life, and who believe truly that their sins are taken away by Christ, and to all those who walk in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and wish to be buried with Him in death, so that they may be resurrected with Him, and to all those who with this significance request it [baptism] of us and demand it for themselves.  This excludes all infant baptism, the highest and chief abomination of the pope.  In this you have the foundation and testimony of the apostles Matthew 28, Mark 16, Acts 2, 8, 16, 19.  This we wish to hold simply, yet firmly and with assurance.”

“We are agreed as follows concerning the sword: The sword is ordained of God outside the perfection of Christ.  It punishes and puts to death the wicked, and guards and protects the good.  In the Law the sword was ordained for the punishment of the wicked and for their death, and the same [sword] is [now] ordained to be used by the worldly magistrates.”

“In the perfection of Christ, however, only the ban is used for a warning and for the excommunication of the one who has sinned, without putting the flesh to death – simply the warning and the command to sin no more.”

 From the writings of Menno Simmons

“We are not regenerated because we have been baptized, . . . but we are baptized because we have been regenerated by faith and the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23).  Regeneration is not the result of baptism, but baptism the result of regeneration.  This can indeed not be controverted by any man, or disproved by the Scriptures.”

“The Scriptures know of only one remedy, which is Christ with His merits, death and blood.  Hence, he who seeks the remission of his sins through baptism, rejects the blood of the Lord and makes water his idol.  Therefore let every one have a care, lest he ascribe the honor and glory die to Christ to the outward ceremonies and visible elements.”

“Since, then, we do not find in all Scripture a single word by which Christ has ordained the baptism of infants, or that His apostles taught and practiced it, we say and confess rightly that infant baptism is but a human invention, an opinion of men, a perversion in the ordinance of Christ . . .”

“To baptize before that which is required for baptism, namely faith, is found is as if one would place the cart before the horse, to sow before plowing, to build before the lumber is at hand, or to seal the letter before it is written . . .”

“Again, if the infant baptists assert that infant baptism is not forbidden and that therefore it is right, I reply that it is not expressly forbidden in the Holy Scriptures to bless, as they call it, holy water, candles, palms, goblets, and robes, to hold mass and other ceremonies, yet we say rightfully that it is wrong, first because it is done without the commandments of God, for He has commanded us not a word thereof, and never should any commandment be observed which is not contained or implied in His holy Word, either in letter or spirit . . .”

“I know that Luther teaches that faith is present in infants, just as in a believing, sleeping man.  To this I reply, first, that if there were such a sleeping faith in little unconscious infants (which however is nothing but human sophistry), it would nothwithstanding be improper to baptize such children so long as they would not verbally confess it and show the required fruits.  For the holy apostles did not baptize any believers while they were asleep, as we have shown in our former writings . . .”

“The regenerated do not go to war nor fight.  They are the children of peace who have beaten their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and know of no war.  They give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.  Their sword is the word of the Spirit which they wield with a good conscience through the Holy Ghost . . .”

“Again, our fortress is Christ, our defence is patience, our sword is the Word of God, and our victory is the sincere, firm, unfeigned faith in Jesus Christ.  Spears and swords of iron we leave to those who, alas, consider human blood and swine’s blood of well nigh equal value.  He that is wise, let him judge what I mean . . .”

“Now if our persecutors are Christians, as they think, and accept the word of God, why do they not heed and follow the word and the commandment of Christ?  Why do they root up the tares before the time?  Why do they not fear, lest they root up the good wheat, and not the tares?  Why do they undertake the duty of angels who, at the proper time, shall bind the tares in bundles and cast them into the furnace of everlasting fire? . . .”

“However lamentably we may here be persecuted, oppressed, smitten, robbed, burned at the stake, drowned in the water by the hellish Pharaoh and his cruel, unmerciful servants, yet soon shall come the day of our refreshing and all the tears shall be wiped from our eyes and we shall be arrayed in the white silken robes of righteousness, follow the Lamb, and with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sit down in the kingdom of God and possess the precious, pleasant land of eternal, imperishable joy.  Praise God and lift up your heads, ye who suffer for Jesus’ sake; the time is near when ye shall hear, ‘Come ye blessed’ and ye shall rejoice with Him for ever more.”