_In Bapt. Hist., page 582_, from _Cent. Magd. XI., cap. 4_, of baptism, Anselm teaches on Matt. 3, that baptism is necessary, and says: “Baptism is a fulfilling of all righteousness; a man may be never so righteous, pious, benevolent, abstemious, and chaste, yet, it avails him nothing, if he lacks the grace of holy baptism.”
It is evident that Anselm has regard here to what Jesus Christ our Savior said to John, when the latter refused to baptize him with water. “Suffer it to be so now,” the Lord said, “for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness,” Matt. 3:15; which took place, according to Luke 3:23, when Jesus began to be about thirty years of age, and the people, who came from Jerusalem, were baptized by John in Jordan.
It having been observed then that Anselm has regard to the baptism of Christ, and that Christ calls it the fulfilling of all righteousness, it is manifest, that he does not speak of infant baptism here, since in the same no righteousness at all, much less, all righteousness, can be fulfilled; which is the more obvious, when he says, in the same place, that however righteous, pious, benevolent, abstemious and chaste one might be, it would avail him nothing, if he lacked the grace of holy baptism: for, righteousness, piety, etc., are not exercises or works of infants, but only of intelligent, yea, of devout persons.
_On the same page_, Anselm, on Ephes. 5, says: “The baptism of Christ is a washing of water in the word; if you take away the water, it is no baptism; if you take away the word, it is likewise no baptism.”
What else is indicated thereby, than that the word of God cannot be separated from baptism? which word of God, in baptism, does not consist simply in this, that a few words of holy Scripture are pronounced in or over baptism, or over those who are baptized; but that the word of faith is preached to the candidates, before and at baptism. Mark 16:15,16; Rom. 10:8.
_On page 583, num. 6_, Anselm (_Enarrat. in Evang._) says: “That the Father was heard in a voice; that the Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove; and that the Son, in his humanity, was baptized; this clearly indicates the Holy Trinity, in whose name and in the belief of which, every one of us is baptized.”
Here he again has reference to the baptism of Christ, concerning which the holy evangelists state, that, when he, being about thirty years of age, was baptized, the heavens were opened above him; that the Holy Ghost descended like a dove upon him; and that a voice came from heaven (or, from God, his heavenly Father) saying: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt. 3:16,17; Mark 1:10,11; Luke 3:22.
All this, as has been stated above, can serve only as a type of the baptism of the adult, intelligent, and believing followers of Christ; which Anselm plainly indicates, when he says: “In whose name and in the belief of which, every one of us is baptized.” Notice, when he says, “Every one of us,” etc., he indicates each severally and all in general, namely, all who belodged as members to the church of Christ; so that, according to the language employed by him, each and all among them were baptized, not only in the name of the Holy Trinity, but also in or upon the belief of the same.
_On page 585_, Anselm, on Rom. 6, says: “We are baptized into the death of Christ, that we, believing in his death, and following it, may live as those who are dead; but since we, through baptism, are dead to sin, we must not again live unto sin, so that it is necessary again to die unto it; for, we are baptized into the death, that is, in the likeness of the death, of Christ; that, as he once died, and ever lives, even so we, having once died to evil, should ever live to the good; and, as a dead person can sin no more; thus also we, if we have died with Christ, shall not let ourselves be entangled again in mortal sins.”