254. How God’s grace is not confined to His physical sacraments
254. HOW GOD’S GRACE IS NOT CONFINED TO HIS PHYSICAL SACRAMENTS
Protestants often criticize Catholic sacraments as magical “salvation pills”, since they work ex opere operato, not ex opere operantis, i.e., “from the work of the one who is working” rather than “from the work of the one who is being worked on”. They are God’s work, not ours. They work from themselves, objectively, not just subjectively, from our own personal faith and piety. Most Protestants say this is magic, superstition, materialistic, externalistic, and “unspiritual”. Why is that a mistake? Can we be saved without them? Without Baptism?
Three kinds of Baptism are fittingly described. viz. Baptism of water, of blood, and of the Spirit. . . . (1) Baptism of water has its efficacy from Christ’s passion. . . . (2) Now although the effect depends on the first cause, the cause far surpasses the effect, nor does it (the cause) depend on it (the effect). Consequently a man may, without Baptism of water, receive the sacramental effect from Christ’s Passion in so far as he is conformed to Christ by suffering for Him. Hence it is written (Rev 7:14): These are they who are come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (3) In like manner a man receives the effect of Baptism by the power of the Holy Ghost not only without Baptism of water but also without Baptism of blood, forasmuch as his heart is moved by the Holy Ghost to believe in and love God and to repent of his sins; wherefore this is also called Baptism of repentance. . . . (2) Wherefore Augustine says: The Blessed Cyprian argues with considerable reason from the thief to whom, though not baptized, it was said: “Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise” that suffering can take the place of Baptism. (3) Having weighed this in my mind again and again, I perceive that not only can suffering for the name of Christ supply for what was lacking in Baptism, but even faith and conversion of heart, if perchance on account of the stress of the times the celebration of the mystery of Baptism is not practicable.
The other two Baptisms are included in the Baptism of water. . . . Consequently . . . the unity of Baptism is not destroyed (III,66,11).
The shedding of blood for Christ’s sake, and the inward operation of the Holy Ghost, are called Baptisms in so far as they produce the effect of the Baptism of water (III,66,12).
Whether a man can be saved without Baptism?. . . Augustine says that Some have received the invisible sanctification without visible sacraments, and to their profit. . . . Since, therefore, the sacrament of Baptism pertains to the visible sanctification, it seems that a man can obtain salvation without the sacrament of Baptism, by means of the invisible sanctification . . . whereby God, Whose power is not tied to visible sacraments, sanctifies man inwardly (III,68,2).
St. Thomas, and the Church, affirms everything positive that Protestants say about Baptism, all that is not simply a denial of the positive points the Church teaches. (1) Baptism’s whole power derives from Christ and His passion. (2) The cause vastly exceeds the effect. God can and does work outside His sacraments. You can’t keep God in a box, whether a church building or a sacrament. (3) One can be saved without water Baptism. The Baptism of the Spirit, by “faith and conversion of heart”, also saves us. (4) It is the inner Spirit, not the external material water, that is the first cause that saves us even in water Baptism. (5) Baptism and the other sacraments without inner faith and conversion are unprofitable and worthless.
The Church negates only the negative things Protestants say about Baptism: (1) that it does not save us, (2) that it is not the Christ-instituted normal initiation to salvation, the front door of Heaven’s mansion, (3) that it works from our poor subjective faith and goodwill, not from God’s infinite power (ex opere operato), (4) that it is only a symbol, not a sign that also effects what it signifies.
Not only the Church but also the Bible teaches a more positive doctrine than that. Look up “Baptism” in a complete concordance. Read all the verses. See why the Church has always taught what she teaches about it.