Baptism.. 76
Lord and Emperor; Concerning this character did He command soldiers (or rather companions) that they should imprint this in all those whom they gathered into His tents, saying, 'Go baptize all nations in The name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." Paul did fear because he knew that this character was commanded by God to be infixed upon all men." And a little before, "What mean I when I say, the apostate has not sealed with his own character? Donatus has not baptized in Donatus's name." And in his second book against Parmenian, cap. 13, he says, "The character is in the body." And cap.
108, he calls baptism itself the character (lib. 2, contra lit. Petilian).
3. The character or seal of baptism in the fathers oftentimes signifies the gift and grace of the Holy Spirit. "We are signed with the Spirit," says Ambrose (de spi. Sanct., lib. 1, cap. 6), "that we may keep His splendor, and image, and grace, which is still the spiritual seal." And of this opinion is Theodoret, Haymo, Primasius, Anselm, and Theophylact, upon 2 Corinthians 1, verse 21. "We as his sons," says
Chrysostom (hom. 2, in Eph.), "are signed with the Holy Spirit."
Baptism 1. The fathers held baptism to be absolutely necessary in those that are of years of discretion.
Testimonies: "The catechumenist," says Ambrose (lib. de his qui initiantur, cap. 4), "believes, but unless he be baptized, he cannot obtain forgiveness of sins, nor partake of the gift of spiritual grace."
"To obtain the kingdom of heaven," says Augustine (lib. 4, de Bap., c.
21), "the catechumenist wants baptism, even as the wicked that is baptized wants the true conversion." And tract. 13, in Joan.: "How
well soever the catechumenist profits, yet he bears the burden of his sins; nor can he lay it off, until he attains unto baptism." The same likewise he avers in his 1st book, de anim., cap. 9. "From that moment," says the author (de fide ad Pet., cap. 3), "wherein our
Savior said, unless a man be born again,, without the sacrament of baptism no man can obtain heaven, or everlasting life, saving those that being without baptism, shed their blood for Christ in the church." "We believe," says the author of the book (de eccle dogm., c.
74, in August.), "that the way of salvation is open only unto the baptized. We believe that no catechumenist, though dying in good works, can be capable of everlasting life, except by martyrdom, wherein all the sacred things of baptism are fulfilled." Nazianzene
(Orat. 40, de Bap.) says that "The catechumenists are upon the threshold of piety, unto which they enter by baptism." And again, that "Some are deprived of baptism, either by infancy, or some other sudden chance whereby they are all debarred from the enjoying of grace, though they desire it." Thus these fathers hold, so that they deny that contrition is sufficient to obtain the first grace, though there be in it a desire of baptism.
2. Concerning infants, Augustine (de orig. anima, lib. 2, c. 12 and lib. 3, cap. 9) teaches us this: "Believe not, neither teach that infants dying before baptism can be capable of the remission of their original sin. Teach not this if you will be a Christian." And this he teaches, viz. epist. 28, ad Hierom. & de natura & grat., cap. 8. So does Fulgentius
(de fide ad Pet., cap. 30); Chrysostom (hom. 40, in 1 Cor.); Ambrose (de Abraham, lib. 2, cap. ult.); Isydore (lib. 2, de offic., cap. 24);
Gregory (lib. 7, epist. 53); and Innocentius III (in cap. Maje. de Bap.). "We are not ignorant," says the author of the calling of the Gentiles (lib. 2, cap. 8, or rather 24), "how great a cause of slothfulness it would be unto the heart of the faithful, if in the baptism of infants there were nothing to be feared of others'
negligence, and of their mortality." This hold they. But some of these, and chiefly Augustine and Ambrose, being out of their fervent disputations with the Pelagians, who denied original sin, and many others, do sometimes abate much from the strictness of that their assertion. For so does Ambrose in his oration upon the death of Valentinian the younger, speaking unto the sisters of Valentinian:
"But I perceive you lament," says he, "because Valentinian did not enjoy the sacrament of baptism. Tell me, what is there in you besides a will and a desire? But this desire he had long since to be made a member of our head, Christ, and signified that he would forthwith be baptized of me. Hath not he therefore that grace which he desired?
Hath not he what he required?" And a little after: "Doth this move you, that these mysteries were not celebrated with solemnity? Then are not the martyrs crowned that suffered being catechumenists. For they should not be crowned, unless they be entered into our mysteries. But if they be washed in their own blood, then did his
(Valentinian's) piety and good desire purify him." And above, in the same oration: "I did lose him whom I hoped to have regenerated in the Gospel, but he did not lose that grace he so desired."
"That suffering sometimes fulfills the place of baptism, Saint Cyprian gathered no small proof," says Augustine, de Bap. Contra Donatist, lib. 4, cap. 22 (de Baptismo contra Donatistas, lib. 4, cap. 22), "from the unbaptized thief, to whom our Savior said, 'Today shall you be with me in paradise,' which thing I, myself, oftentimes considering, do find that the defect of baptism is supplied not only by suffering for the name of Christ, but also by faith and contrition of heart, if that peradventure the strictness of the times do not allow convenience for the celebration of this mystery of baptism. Therefore, how greatly available that of the apostle is (with the heart we believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth we confess unto salvation), even without the visible sacrament of baptism, was declared in that thief,
and is then invisibly fulfilled when the mystery of baptism is wanting by reason of instant necessity, and not of contempt of religion." And in the 23rd chapter, thus: "Even as in the thief that through necessity lacked the corporal baptism, his salvation was perfected, because through his godly faith he had that baptism spiritually. So when we have this piety ready, though we want that which the thief wanted by reason of necessity, yet is our salvation established unto us." And in his questions upon Leviticus, lib. 3, cap. 84 (Quaestionum in Heptateuchum libri VII, lib. 3, cap. 84), he affirms that hereby it is gathered that some have been invisibly sanctified without the visible sacraments.
Bernard, Epist. 77 (Epistola 77), having alleged these foresaid testimonies out of Ambrose and Augustine, joins this: "Believe me, from these two pillars (Ambrose and Augustine) I am very hardly withdrawn. I say that with these I confess myself either to know aright or to err, believing that a man may be saved only by faith, and a desire to receive this sacrament, though death afterwards, or any other invincible power, do prevent and anticipate the fulfilling of this godly desire. And it is worthy observation, whether it was for this that our Savior when He said, 'whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved,' out of His head and vigilancy did not repeat,
'whosoever is not baptized,' but only 'whosoever believes not shall be condemned,' hereby intimating unto us that only faith is sometimes sufficient unto salvation, and that without it nothing is sufficient."
Innocentius III, in his Decretals, in the chapter Apostolicam de presbytero non baptizato (Decretales Gregorii IX, lib. 3, tit. 42, cap.
3), writes thus unto the bishop of Cremona: "I answer thus unto your demand, that the priest whom you wrote unto me to have died without the water of baptism, because he continued in the faith of our holy mother the Church, and in the confession of the name of
Christ, is absolved from his original sin, and has attained the joys of his celestial country. This we do undoubtedly affirm." Look also in the chapter Debitum de Baptismo (Decretales Gregorii IX, lib. 3, tit.
42, cap. 2), etc.
In like manner Gerson, in the third part of his sermon upon the nativity of the virgin Mary (Sermo de Nativitate Virginis Mariae, pars
3), says, "It is evident that God does not tie the mercy of His salvation unto the common laws of Christian doctrine, or unto the sacraments themselves, in such manner, but that without prejudice of the said law, He can sanctify the children that are not yet come forth of the womb with the baptism of His grace and the virtue of the Holy Ghost. Wherefore it is the duty of women with child diligently to pour forth their prayers unto God, that if the child yet unborn do perchance die before it can be partaker of the grace of baptism, that Jesus Christ that most high Priest would vouchsafe to consecrate and bless it with His mercy by preventing all inconveniences with the baptism of His holy and blessed Spirit."
"The church," says Biel, in 4 distinct., q. 2, "has not yet set down any general help for the infants that are as yet in the womb. But unto whom is the thought of the Lord revealed?, He therefore thought good to institute remedies against the malady of sin in the church by ministering the sacraments unto such as may be known by the church. But the remedies for those that are not yet come into the world, those has He reserved in His own only power, whom at His own pleasure He can both bless and sanctify without other exterior remedy, as we read in the Scriptures He has already dealt with some.
Moreover, that which is but a privilege unto few, can He impute unto whosoever He will, who has not bound His own power unto the sacraments."
Cajetane, upon the third part of Thomas's Summe, quaest. 68, art. 1 and 2, avers that in the case of necessity, the desire of baptism by the parents is sufficient for the salvation of the children. And this he there confirms by sundry reasons. And upon the same question, art.
11, he proves that the child being in danger in the womb may be saved by baptism, not done in deed, but in the desire of the parents, with some blessing of the child, and offering of it unto the Deity, with invocation of the Trinity. And this is very earnestly defended by some of the later writers, as Tilmannus Segebergensis, lib. de 7 Sacram., cap. 1; Thomas Elisius Neopolitanus, in clipeo advers. haeres., cap. de Bap., art. 3; and George Cassander, lib. de bap. infantium.
3. The fathers after the same manner held the supper of the Lord to be necessary for infants unto salvation, by an apostolic tradition.
Dionysius Areopagita, De Eccles. Hierarchi., cap. 2, part. 3, after the rehearsal of some rites of baptism, adjoins: "Lastly, the priest brings him being thus made perfect, unto the most blessed Eucharist, and gives him the deifying communion of the consummating sacraments." And likewise, cap. 7, part. 3: "This also (if the bishops do teach Divinity unto unfit auditors) seems rightly ridiculous, that infants not yet being able to understand any divine thing should be made partakers of sacred baptism and of the highest signs of the most blessed communion."
Will not those (infants) say at the judgment, "We have done no evil, nor have we contemned God's sacraments to run unto profane corruption. It is another's faithlessness that has destroyed us; our parents to us have proved patricides?"
"That which your brotherhood says, that they (Pelagians) do teach of infants," says Innocentius I unto Augustine, apud August., epist. 93,
"that they may be dignified with the reward of blessedness without
baptism is most foolish. For unless they eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, they shall not have life in them." This is also Ambrose's opinion, Libr. De ijs qui sacris mysterijs initiantur, cap. 7 and 8, and Augustine's, lib. 1, de peccat. merit. & remis., cap.
20, as these words of his do testify: "Dare any man affirm that this sentence belongs not unto infants? And that they may have life in them without the participation of this body and blood? Because He does not say, whosoever eats not, as He says of baptism,"
Whosoever is not born again, but, unless you eat, speaking as it were unto them who can hear and understand Him, which infants cannot do? But he that holds this does not observe that if this saying does not bind all, it is needless for the elder age to observe it." And in the same book and 24th chapter: "From whence but from an ancient and apostolic tradition (as I think) by which they hold it as a doctrine grounded in the church of Christ, that no man can attain either to the kingdom of God or to everlasting life without baptism or participation of the Lord's Supper. If therefore so many and so great testimonies of Divinity do all consent that neither salvation nor life eternal is to be hoped for of any man without baptism and the body and blood of Christ, in vain do we promise salvation unto infants without these." This Augustine almost everywhere affirms (vid. epist.
23 and 107; and contr. 2 epist. Pelag., lib. 1, c. 22; and cont. Jul., lib.
1, cap. 2, and lib. 3, cap. 12). And so does the Council of Toledo (can.
11); Ordo Romanus; Alcuinus (de divi. offic., cap. de sa. Pasc.); and Rabanus Maurus (in his first book de Justit. Cleric., cap. 29).
4. The fathers used some rites and ceremonies in baptism, which are now omitted in all places universally, as kissing of the child which was to be baptized. In Cyprian (l. 3, ep. 8), use of milk and honey. In Tertullian (lib. 1, cont. Marcion), use of milk and wine. In Jerome (in Isa., cap. 55), washing of the feet, which Cyprian says was instituted
of Christ to be observed forever (lib. de uncti. Chrism.). Augustine reckons a great company of rites now quite neglected, in his Symbol. ad Catecum., lib. 4, cap. 1.
5. It was a use for the baptizer to blow in the face of the baptized, and also the party baptized used to exufflate the devil whom he renounced. This testifies Cyprian, or rather the author of the book De duplici martyrio: "You have denounced perpetual enmity (with the devil), you have renounced all his pomps and pleasures, you have blown them away, you have hissed them out, and sworn unto the doctrine of your Redeemer." And Rabanus Maurus (lib. 1, cap. 27, de instit Cler.) says that the wicked powers are exufflated, and blown away by the baptized. "Then when he has placed him (being attentive and reaching him his hands) towards the west," says the author of the Hierarchy, "he commands him to exufflate Satan thrice, and withal, to rehearse the words of his abrenunciation." But the Romish
Church has already long ago abolished this custom and ceremony.
6. In ancient times the water of baptism was consecrated and blessed with prayers and ceremonies of oil and the cross before the use and administration of it. And this they (erroneously) held necessary, because the water hereby might receive the virtue of regenerating.
This is mentioned by Cyprian in his 70th epistle, by Ambrose in his first book de sacramentis ca. 5 & de ijs qui mysterijs initiantur, c. 3, and by other authors (Apud Aug., Tom. 9).
7. In the beginning of the church (the purest times) they used to baptize out of the church in wells and rivers. Walfrid Strabo (de rebus eccles., c. 26) testifies this in these words: "We must know that at the first the believers were baptized simply in floods and fountains. So was the eunuch in the Acts of the Apostles. But in process of time they ordained vessels for baptism, called fonts, but