rated by the priest, was not able to eat and carry in his and the Holy of the Lord." 1

Such is St. Cyprian's teaching: such are his views of the sacrifice of the last supper, and of the sacrifice of the Church of Africa in the third century. His doctrine is precisely that of the Catholic Church to-day. We are content with his testimony, though we might corroborate it by citing the words and sentiments of at least one other writer of great repute, who was almost a contemporary of his. But on a question of faith and discipline we need not go beyond the consistent and often-expressed' dicta' of a great and good bishop, who, having lived a model of Christian zeal and orthodoxy, laid down his life in testimony of the sincerity with which he adhered to the tradition of the universal Church. Such was Thascius Cyprian; and whoever will call in question his authority as a witness of the practice and belief of his age, will find it difficult to discover among the great and learned ones of the ancient Church a name that he may follow, or a teacher to whom he may commit his case, in the great controversy as to the apostolicity of Catholic doctrine.

1 Liber de Lapsis, p. 486 ▲ B. Curs. Compl. Patrol.: Paris,

1844.

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§ 1. Baptism. Various controversies touching the sacrament of Baptism arose in the third age, and were maintained with spirit and even passion, as well between Catholic bishops as between the heretical leaders and the champions of orthodoxy. One point, however, appeared to be generally agreed upon, namely, that Baptism is necessary for salvation. Heretics admitted it-Catholics maintained it. If there was a voice of opposition raised from time to time, its murmurings were greeted with a storm of fierce and angry invective. Though," says Tertullian, "it be laid down eminently in the words of the Lord, who said, 'Unless one be born of water, he hath not life' (Joan. iii.), that without Baptism no one obtains salvation; there arise scrupulous, I should rather say, rash cavillings of individuals; how, according to that rule, did the Apostles attain salvation, whom, with the exception of Paul, we find not to have been baptized [tinctos] in the Lord." This objection, or, as he designates it, cavilling, excites the ire of Tertullian. The general doctrine of the absolute necessity of baptism is so clearly taught by the Redeemer, that he cannot hear a difficulty against it with patience. He therefore designates such difficulty a cavil, and those who raised it inconsiderate and rash. After all, it was only a difficulty, and not a positive objection to the doctrine. If his language in speaking of its movers is strong, it becomes positively abusive, when he comes to argue with outspoken and positive opponents. "Wherefore here," he says, "these most infamous men call forth questions. So,

1

Tertul. Lib. de Bap., cap. xii. F. p. 1213, Curs. Compl. Patrol., series 1ma, tom. i.: Paris, 1844.

say they, for whom faith is sufficient baptism is not necessary, for, by no sacrament of water, but of faith, Abraham pleased God (Gen. xv.)."1 Having thus stamped them with a character of insincerity and profanity, he proceeds to reply to their objection: "In times past salvation may have been attainable by faith merely, before the passion and resurrection of the Lord. But when faith received an augmentation by (the necessity of) believing in the nativity, passion, and resurrection of Him, there was adjoined to the symbol [sacramento] an amplification, the sealing of baptism, the garb, as it were, of faith, which before was nude and powerless without its law. For the law of baptizing [tingendi] was imposed, and the form prescribed. Go, said he, teach nations, baptizing [tingentes] them in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost (Matt. xxviii. 19). The decree appended to this law, unless one be born again of water and the spirit, he shall not enter the kingdom of heaven (Joan. iii. 5), united faith to the necessity of baptism. Wherefore, henceforth all believers were baptized." It is worth while to observe that Tertullian here uses the same passages of Scripture to evince the necessity of baptism which have been employed in the first part of this work, and which are commonly cited at the present day in the schools of Catholic divinity.

So far his teaching has been speculative. In theory baptism was essential; in practice it was administered as a matter of course to all who were aggregated to the body of the faithful. There are several passages in his writings in which he refers to the baptismal rite as one he had received in common with all who professed the Christian faith. Thus, in his "Liber de Spectaculis," he argues against Christíans frequenting the public games, as follows:-We are baptized. In baptism we renounced the works of the devil. These games are the works of the

1 Tertul. Lib. de Bap., cap. xiii. p. 1214, Curs. Compl. Patrol., series 1ma, tom. i.: Paris, 1844.

2 Ibid.

evil one. We must not frequent them. His words are: "Lest any one may think I am merely arguing, I will turn to the principal authority-that of our signing. When entering the water, we profess the Christian faith unto the words of its law; we protest vocally that we have renounced the devil and his pomps and his angels." Here we may notice an adjunct of the baptismal rite, which is in use at the present day. The Christians of Africa in the third century, when about to be baptized, made a formal renunciation of the devil. The little child in our own time, to the thrice-repeated question of the officiating minister, "Dost thou renounce the devil, and all his works, and all his pomps?" replies through the mouth of his sponsors, "I renounce him; I renounce them." Again, in his "Liber de Corona,” Tertullian adverts to baptism, as a universally-received rite; where, too, he gives us another characteristic of it; scil. the triple immersion of its recipients. "Finally, that I may begin with baptism, about to go to the water,-in the same place, and also a little previously in the church, under the bishop's hand we affirm that we renounce 'the devil and his pomps and his angels; then we are thrice immersed, answering somewhat more than the Lord determined in the Gospel." The triple application of water is still enjoined in the Catholic ritual. So another point of similarity occurs in the non-essential parts of the rite, as administered in modern and primitive times.

If baptism was so necessary in the judgment of the early Church, we would naturally expect that every precaution was taken that no one within the sphere of her influence should leave this world without receiving it. We are therefore prepared to hear from St. Cyprian, that it was in certain circumstances administered to infants and to the sick. In the third council of Carthage, held under the presidency of Cyprian, the subject of infant baptism was

1 Liber de Spectac., cap. iv. p. 635 в. tom. i. Curs. Compl. Patrol. Paris, 1844.

• Liber de Corona, cap. iii. p. 79 a. tom. ii. ibid.

discussed, and a strong letter of remonstrance addressed to one Fidus, who was opposed to the practice of baptizing within eight days after birth. The fathers of the council say, "As to the case of infants, whom you said it is not meet to baptize within the second or third day after their birth, and that the law of ancient circumcision is to be taken into account in such way that you are of opinion that the recently-born ought not to be baptized and sanctified within eight days, all in our council totally disagree with you. For no one agreed in your opinion, but we all judged that to no man born are the mercy and grace of God to be denied." It would appear from the tenor of these words, and from other passages that occur in the same epistle, that infant baptism was generally practised in the days of Cyprian. It is at least apparent from them that the necessity of the sacrament involved its application to infants in many cases, and that there was no case occurring in which it might not be applied without fault on the part of its minister, or censure on the part of the Church.

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The subject of clinical baptism, as it is called, is still more interesting, as it illustrates the administration of that sacrament by infusion. Cyprian alludes to clinical baptism, or the baptism of the sick in their beds, where immersion could not take place. The allusion-it is more than an allusion it is a brief treatise on this subject, occurs in his epistle to Magnus. "You have also asked me," he says, my dear son, what I think of those who in infirmity and sickness acquire the grace of God; are they to be had as genuine Christians who have not been washed, but on whom water has been poured [perfusi]." 2 Such is the question raised by Magnus, and it is evidently founded on a general practice. Cyprian answers it as follows: "I believe, as far as my weak ability allows me to judge, that the benefits of God cannot be impaired in any case, or enfeebled, and that no less happens in these cir

1 Concil. Carthag. 3ium, No. 11, p. 1015, tom. iii. Curs. Compl. Patrol. Paris, 1844.

2 Ep. ad Mag. No. 12, p. 1147, ibid.