14. Cf. 1 Cor 1.13. 15. Cf. Mt 21.25.
114 ST. AUGUSTINE
Apostle cried out when he saw men who wanted to put hope in him, "Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"'^ Therefore Paul baptized as a minister, not as power itself, but the Lord baptized as power.
(2) Pay attention. He could have given this power to servants, and he was not willing [to do so]. For if he gave this power to servants, that is, in such a way that what belonged to the Lord would belong to them, there would be as many baptisms as there were servants, so that as men said, "John's baptism," they would say "Peter's baptism," so "Paul's baptism," so "James' baptism," "Thomas' baptism," "Matthew's," "Bartholomew's"; for that one was called "John's baptism." But perhaps someone balks and says, "Prove to us that that baptism was called John's." I shall prove it from the words of the truth himself when he asked the Jews, "The baptism of John, from where is it? From heaven or from men?"'^ (3) Therefore, to prevent as many baptisms from being called after as many servants as there wen who baptized by power received from the Lord, the Lord kept for himself the power of baptizing and gave administration [of baptism] to the servants. The servant says that he baptizes; he does speak correctly, as the Apostle says, "Oh, and I baptized also the household of Stephanas,""' but as a minister. So, even if a man should be evil and happen to have the ministry, even if men do not know him and God knows him, God who has kept the power for himself allows baptism to be performed through him.
8. But John did not know this in the Lord. That he was the Lord, he knew; that he ought to be baptized by him, he knew. And he admitted that he was the truth and that he, the truthful, was sent by the truth; this he knew. But what did he not know in him? That he was going to retain for himself the power of his baptism and was not going to transmit or transfer it to any servant, but that, whether a good servant were to baptize as a minister or a bad servant were to baptize as a min-
14. Cf. 1 Cor 1.13. 16. Cf. 1 Cor 1.16. 15. Cf. Mt 21.25.