Tractates on the Gospel of John (continued)
TRACTATE 6 135 the other confers it,'^ this he learned there. And how do we prove that John already also knew that the Lord would baptize with the Holy Spirit, so that it may be understood that he learned this in the dove, namely, that the Lord would baptize with the Holy Spirit in such a way that the power would pass over to no other man? How do we prove it?
(2) The dove descended when the Lord was already baptized; but before the Lord came to be baptized by John in the Jordan, we said that he knew him because of those words where he says, "Do you come to me to be baptized? I ought to be baptized by you."'^ But look, he did know [him as] the Lord, he did know [him as] the Son of God. How do we prove he already knew that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit? Before he came to the river, when many were flocking to John to be baptized, he said to them, 'T indeed baptize you in water. But he who is coming after me is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire."'^ He already knew this too.
(3) What then has he learned through the dove so that he may not afterwards be found a liar (God forbid that we should think such a thing!) except that there would be a certain peculiar characteristic in Christ, such that, although many ministers would baptize, whether [they were] just or unjust, the holiness of baptism would be ascribed only to him upon whom the dove descended, about whom it was said, "He it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." Let Peter baptize; he it is who baptizes. Let Paul baptize; he it is who baptizes. Let Judas baptize; he it is who baptizes.^^ 8. For if baptism is holy in proportion to the diversity of merits, because merits are diverse, baptisms will be diverse;
17. This either means "even though the minister confers baptism," as I take it, in agreement with Berrouard, or "even though he, that is, the Lord, confers the ministry," as Gibb and Browne take it. 18. Cf. Mt3.i4.
19. Augustine's quotation is a conflation of Mt 3.1 1 and Jn 1.27. 20. Cf. Tractate Pf.iS.