ВАРТ. v. 48. 272 Faith sufficed before Death of Christ; since, with Baptism. DE Baptism, seeing that they, as I think, followed Him Who VIII. 13. promised salvation to every believer. Thy faith, said He, Luke 7, hath saved thee, and thy sins be forgiven thee: and this 50. to one believing, yet not baptized. If this were wanting to the Apostles, I know not to whom belongeth faith! Matt. 9, Stirred up by a single word of the Lord, a man left the receipt of custom, abandoned father and ship, and the trade Mark 1, by which he supported life; disregarded the burial of a father; fulfilled, even before he heard, the chief com22. mandment of that' Lord, He that preferreth father or mother restored. to Me, is not worthy of Me. 9. 20. Matt. 8, Lillius Mat. 10, 37. XIII. Here then these most wicked men provoke questions. Indeed they say,' Baptism is not necessary for those for whom Faith is sufficient: for Abraham also pleased God by a sacrament wherein was no water, but only faith.' But in all cases, the things which come last determine the question, and the things which follow overrule those which go before. Be it that salvation was once through bare faith, before the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord: but when faith grew up to a belief in His Birth, Passion, and Resurrection, an enlargement was added to the sacrament, the sealing of Baptism", the clothing, in a manner, of that Faith which before was naked. Nor doth it now avail without its own condition: for the condition of Baptism was imposed, Mat. 28, and the form prescribed. Go, saith He, teach the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. When with this law is compared John 3, that limitation, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven, this hath bound down faith to the necessity of Baptism". Wherefore from that time all believers were baptized. Then also was Paul, as soon as he believed, baptized: and this it was which the Lord had commanded during that afflicting Acts 22, bereavement, saying, Arise, and go into Damascus: there it 19. 5. 10. • Id si Apostolis defuit, nescio quorum fides. Uno verbo Domini suscitatus teloneum dereliquit, &c. Rig. adopts Ursini's conjecture, suscitata, and points, nescio; quorum fides uno verbo Domini suscitata," an easier reading, and the irony is like T., but without authority; "Whether this were wanting to Apostles, I know not; whose faith stirred up, &c." P De Pœnit. c. 6. 9 On the universality of this interpretation, see Scrip. Views, p. 28-53. ed. 2. Baptism not disparaged by, ' Christ sent me not to baptize.' 273 shall be shewn thee what thou oughtest to do, to wit, to be baptized, which was the only thing wanting to him. For the rest, he had learned enough, and had believed that He of Nazareth was the Lord, the Son of God. niam XIV. But they turn back upon us the case of the Apostle himself, in that he said, for Christ sent me not to baptize, as Cor. 1, 17. if Baptism were overthrown by this argument"! For why did he baptize Gaius and Crispus, and the household of Stephanas? Besides, although Christ had not sent him to baptize, yet He had commanded the other Apostles to baptize. But these words were written to the Corinthians according to the circumstances of that time, because' that' quodivisions and dissensions were stirred up among them, when restored one called himself of Paul, another of Apollos. Wherefore 1 Cor. 3, the peace-making Apostle, that he might not seem to claim 4. every thing to himself, saith that he was not sent to baptize but to preach. For preaching moreover cometh first, Baptism afterwards. But be it that he first preached, I suppose that he, who was permitted to preach, was permitted also to baptize. ab.c. 12. XV. I know not whether any farther show be made of calling Baptism into question. For my own part, I shall go through what I have hitherto omitted, lest I should seem to break off the train of thoughts immediately pressing. To us, in any case, there is one Baptism, as well according to the John 13. Gospel of the Lord, as the letters of the Apostle: seeing Eph. 4, that there is one God, and one Baptism2, one Church in the 5. Heavens. But certainly one may well enquire what ought omitted to be maintained about heretics; for this saying was directed to ourselves. Now heretics have no fellowship in our discipline, of whom indeed the very privation of Communion testifieth that they are aliens. I am not bound to admit in their case that which hath been taught to me, because we in Baptism are a fixed form:" and See S. Chrys. ad loc. Hom. 3. P 28. same, "because the words pronounced Oxf. Tr. Theodoret says also, "But He commanded both, [Mat. 28, 19.] but to preach is more honourable than to baptize. For to baptize is easy to all who have been counted worthy of the priesthood; but to preach belongs to few, who have received this gift of God," ad loc. Ambrosiaster alleges the T 2 et VIII. 16. 274 Heretical baptism null; Baptism one; Martyrdom second; DE and they have not the same God, nor One, that is the same, ВАРТ. Christ. And therefore neither have we one, because not the same, Baptism with them, which, since they have it not rightly, without doubt they have not at all, nor can that be counted, which is not there: and so also they cannot receive it, since they have it not'. But this hath been already more fully discussed by me in Greek. We enter then the laver but once: our sins are washed away once, because these ought not to be repeated. But Jewish" Israel washeth daily, because he is daily defiled: and that this may not be practised amongst us also, on this very account is the rule laid down about the one washing. Happy the water which washeth once for all, which is not a mockery unto sinners, which doth not, being stained by continual filth, defile again those whom it hath washed! 50. Mat. 20, XVI. We have indeed, besides, a second washing, itself Luke 12, also one, to wit that of blood, whereof the Lord saith, I have a Baptism to be baptized with, when He had been already 1 John baptized. For He had come by water and Blood, as John 5, 6. hath written, that He might be washed by water, glorified 31. 32. by Blood. Wherefore that He might' make us to be called by water, chosen by blood, He sent forth these two Baptisms from the wound of His pierced Side; so far as that those who believed in His Blood might be washed with water, and that those who had been washed with water, might also drink His Blood'. This is that Baptism which both standeth in the place of the laver, when not received, and restoreth it when lost". 16. XVII. To conclude my little work, it remaineth that I give an admonition also concerning the right rule of giving and receiving Baptism. The right of giving it indeed hath the chief Priest, which is the Bishop: then the Presbyters See note G. at the end of this book. * see de Orat. c. 11. Constt. Ap. vi. y Proinde ut nos faceret aqua vocatos, sanguine electos, hos &c. U. Rig. omits "ut," joins the clause with the pre Lay- not female-Baptism allowed in cases of necessity. 275 and Deacons, yet not without the authority of the Bishops, for the honour of the Church, which being preserved, peace is preserved. Otherwise laymen have also the right, for that which is equally received may equally be given", unless the name disciplese denote at once Bishops or Priests or John 4, Deacons. The word of God ought not to be hidden from 2. any: wherefore also Baptism, which is equally derived from God, may be administered by all. But how much more incumbent on laymen is the duty of reverence and modesty! Seeing that these things belong to those of higher estate, let them not take upon themselves the office of the Bishoprick set apart for the Bishops. Emulation is the mother of divisions. A most holy Apostle hath said that all things are 1 Cor. 6, lawful, but all things are not expedient. Let it in truth suffice thee to use such things in thy necessities, whensoever the circumstances of place, or time, or person compel thee. For then is a boldness, in him that aideth, admissible, when the case of him that is in danger is urgent. For he will be guilty of destroying a man, if he shall forbear to do that for him which he had free power to do. wantonness of woman1 which hath taken upon teach, will not surely bring forth for itself the right of baptizing also, unless some new monster shall arise like unto the former', so that, as one hath taken away Baptism, in like manner some other may of her own self confer its. But if they claim those writings, which have been wrongly ascribed to Paul, the writing of Tecla", as giving licence b On the power of Deacons to baptize, see Bingham, 2. 20. 9. see S. Cypr. ad Fortunat. Pref. p. 280. Oxf. Tr. and not. d S. Jerome (adv. Lucif. §. 9. ed. Vall.) repeats this whole statement, in nearly the words, and even the maxim, "Ut enim accipit quis, ita et dare potest." The extract from the Ep. ad Fortunat. given to S. Aug. by Gratian, Pars 3. de Consecr. Dist. 4. c. 21. also retains it, "etiam laicos solere dare sacramentum, quod acceperunt, solemus audire." S. Augustine himself speaks more doubtingly, "it is either no, or a venial fault." c. ep. Parm. ii. 13. Gelasius (Ep. ad Episc. per Lucan. c. 9. 10.) as being "generally allowed" when extreme necessity compels." add Constt. Ap. viii. 46. 12. But the itself to 'muli e "discentes" for "dicentes," is a conjecture of Latinius, adopted by Rig. but required. f Quintilla. see ab. on c. 1. Constt. Ap. iii. 9. Epiph. Hær. 42. c. 4. H. 79. c. 3. 7. Chrys. Hom. de Bernic. &c. [§. 6. t. 2. p.643. ed. Ben.] quoted by Cot. 1. c. This is now allowed by both the Roman (Ritual. Rom. jussu Pauli v. edit. ap. Ass. ii. 11.) and Greek Churches. (Confession of Faith, printed 1662, ap. Smith Account of Greek Church, p. 110.) It was prohibited by Statutt. Eccl. Ant. quoted as Conc. Carth. iv. ap. Gratian. 1. c. c. 20. to which Gratian added of his own "nisi necessitate cogente." hscriptum Tecla," Ga. U. ex erum ВАРТ. VIII. 18. 276 Baptism not to be given hastily. DE to women to teach and to baptize, let them know that VIT the Presbyter in Asia, who framed that writing, heaping up, as it were, from his own store unto the name of Paul', having been convicted, and having confessed that he did this out of love for Paul, yielded up his place; for how near would it seem to approach to a thing credible, that he should give to a woman the power of teaching and of baptizing, who suffered not a woman to be bold even in learning? 1 Cor. Let them, saith he, keep silence, and ask their husbands at 14, 35. home. 1 sciunt Luke 6, XVIII. But they, to whom the office belongeth, know' restored that Baptism must not be rashly entrusted. Give to every 30. man that asketh of thee, cometh under its own proper head, which in truth pertaineth to almsgiving. Nay rather we Mat. 7, should consider this saying, Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine: and, Lay 5, 22. hands suddenly on no man, lest thou be partaker of other Acts 8, men's sins. If Philip so suddenly baptized the eunuch, let 25. &c. us remember that the sanction of the Lord, clear and dis 6. 1 Tim. tinctly put forward, had intervened. The Spirit had commanded Philip to turn his course that way: the eunuch himself also was not found in a state of listlessness, nor one desirous on a sudden of being baptized, but he had gone up to the Temple for to worship, was intent upon the Divine Scriptures: so ought he to be found, to whom God had of His own will sent an Apostle, whom the Spirit a second time commanded to join himself to the chariot of the eunuch a Scripture falleth in with the man's own faith: being in due season exhorted, he is received as a disciple: the Lord is shewn to him: Faith delayeth not: water is not to seek: the Apostle having fulfilled his task is caught away. emplum T." Ge. Pa. Rig. omits it as Grabe Spicileg. t. i. p. 91. 2. 114-166. quasi de suo cumulans. "sarcastic; in order to enhance the Apostle's reputation, he must, forsooth, give him some of his own." [Tr.] T. by choosing the word "cumulans," probably also meant to convey that it was a load upon the Apostle. k" before John," S. Jerome, 1. c. |