16. But since the first part of this argument seems to be unfolded, we ought to touch on its subsequent part, on account of the heretics; because it is very necessary not to pass over that discussion which once falls into our hands, lest perchance some heretic should dare, of his subtlety, to assail those of our brethren who are more simple. For because John said that we must be baptized in the Holy Ghost and in fire, from the fact that he went on to say and fire, some desperate men have dared to such an extent to carry their depravity, and therefore very crafty men seek how they can thus corrupt and violate, and even neutralize the baptism of holiness. Who derive the origin of their notion from Simon Magus, practising it with manifold perversity through various errors; to whom Simon Peter, in the Acts of the Apostles, said, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the grace of God could be possessed by money; thou hast neither part nor lot in this work; for thy heart is not right with God." [5478] And such men as these do all these things in the desire to deceive those who are more simple or more inquisitive. And some of them try to argue that they only administer a sound and perfect, not as we, a mutilated and curtailed baptism, which they are in such wise said to designate, that immediately they have descended into the water, fire at once appears upon the water. Which if it can be effected by any trick, as several tricks of this kind are affirmed to be--of Anaxilaus--whether it is anything natural, by means of which this may happen, or whether they think that they behold this, or whether the work and magical poison of some malignant being can force fire from the water; still they declare such a deceit and artifice to be a perfect baptism, which if faithful men have been forced to receive, there will assuredly be no doubt but that they have lost that which they had. Just as, if a soldier after taking an oath should desert his camp, and in the very different camp of the enemy should wish to take an oath of a far other kind, it is plain that in this way he is discharged from his old oath.
17. Moreover, if a man of this sort should again return to thee, thou wilt assuredly hesitate whether he may have baptism or no; and yet it will behove thee, in whatever way thou canst, to aid even this man if he repent. For of this adulterous, yea, murderous baptism, if there is any other author, it is then certainly a book devised by these same heretics on behalf of this same error, which is inscribed The Preaching of Paul; [5479] in which book, contrary to all Scriptures, thou wilt find both Christ confessing His own sin--although He alone did no sin at all--and almost compelled by His mother Mary unwillingly to receive John's baptism. Also, that when He was baptized, fire was seen to be upon the water, which is written in neither of the Gospels. And that after such long time, Peter and Paul, after the collation of the Gospel in Jerusalem, and the mutual consideration and altercation and arrangement of things to be done finally, were known to one another, as if then for the first time; and certain other things devised of this kind disgracefully and absurdly;--all which things thou wilt find gathered together into that book. But they who are not ignorant of the nature of the Holy Spirit, understand that what is said of fire is said of the Spirit Himself. For in the Acts of the Apostles, according to that same promise of our Lord, on the very day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit had descended upon the disciples, that they might be baptized in Him, there were seen sitting upon each one tongues as if of fire, that it might be manifest that they were baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire--that is, with that Spirit which was, whether fire, or as fire, such as was the fire which burned in the bush, and did not consume the bush; and such as is that fire which is the Spirit of the Angel, as saith the Scripture, "Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a burning fire;" [5480] whom if thou shouldst resemble, or be a companion or sharer with, thou shalt be able to dread no fire, not even that which, going before the Lord in the day of judgment, shall burn up the whole world, save those who are baptized in the Holy Spirit and in fire.
18. And the Spirit, indeed, continues to this day invisible to men, as the Lord says, "The Spirit breathes where He will; and thou knowest not whence He cometh, or whither He goeth." [5481] But in the beginning of the mystery of the faith and of spiritual baptism, the same Spirit was manifestly seen to have sat upon the disciples as it had been fire. Moreover, the heavens being opened, to have descended upon the Lord like a dove; because many things, yea, almost all things which were to be, are manifest--which, however, were only invisible nevertheless,--now also are shown to the eyes and to the incredulity of men, either partially, or at times, or in figure, for the strengthening and confirming of our faith. But neither should I omit that which the Gospel well announces. For our Lord says to the paralytic man, "Be of good cheer, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee," [5482] that He might show that hearts were purified by faith for the forgiveness of sins that should follow. And this remission of sins that woman also which was a sinner in the city obtained, to whom the Lord said, "Thy sins are forgiven thee." [5483] And when they who were reclining around began to say among themselves, "Who is this that forgiveth sins?" [5484] --because concerning the paralytic the scribes and Pharisees had murmured crossly--the Lord says to the woman, "Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." [5485] From all which things it is shown that hearts are purified by faith, but that souls are washed by the Spirit; further, also, that bodies are washed by water, and moreover that by blood we may more readily attain at once to the rewards of salvation.
19. I think that we have fully followed out the announcement of John the Baptist, whence we began our discourse, when he said to the Jews, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but He who cometh after me is greater than I, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." [5486] Moreover, I think also that we have not unsuitably set in order the teaching of the Apostle John, who says that "three bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three are one." [5487] And, unless I am mistaken, we have also explained what our Lord says: "John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." [5488] Moreover, I think that we have given no weak reason as the cause of the custom. Let us have a care, although we do that in a subsequent place, that none may think that we are stirring up the present debate on a single article; although this custom even alone ought, among men who have the fear of God, and are lowly, to maintain a chief place.
[5427] ["In the name," etc., implies as Jesus Christ commanded, St. Matt. xxviii. 19.]
[5428] [This was assumed by the Westerns to be the general rule, whereas it was only local. See p. 408, note 7, supra.]
[5429] 1 Cor. i. 10.
[5430] [The bitterness with which Vincent follows up the assumption, that there was a general custom of all the churches, shows how sadly this controversy became envenomed in the West. Cap. vi. is a blemish on his Commonitory.]
[5431] Matt. iii. 11.
[5432] Acts i. 4, 5.
[5433] Acts xi. 15-17.
[5434] Acts xv. 7, 8.
[5435] There is something needed to make the connection of this passage complete.
[5436] John iii. 3, 5.
[5437] John xx. 22.
[5438] Acts x. 44-48.
[5439] Acts xv. 9.
[5440] [It was a notable compliance with the example of Christ, Matt. iii. 15. "They had received," etc., yet that was no reason why the ordinance of Christ should be slighted.]
[5441] Acts iv. 12.
[5442] Mark xiv. 27.
[5443] Matt. xxviii. 19.
[5444] "Jurejurando."
[5445] Mark xiv. 27.
[5446] [Query, superabounding?]
[5447] Mark ix. 30.
[5448] John xii. 34.
[5449] Matt. xvi. 22.
[5450] [Isa. xiv. 12. The sin of Lucifer had, very possibly, been this of rebelling against the Incarnation and the introduction thereby of an order of beings higher than himself. Hence our Lord recognised in Peter's words the voice of the old adversary, and called him "Satan." A premonition of his lapse.]
[5451] Matt. xxvi. 70.
[5452] [It has been profoundly felt, that, as the Church of Rome in her early rectitude (Rom. i. 8) reflected Peter's confession, so in her lapse (Rom. xi. 20, 21) she reflects this terrible rebuke. If she was once identified with Peter's Rock, so now, alas! with Peter's Satan.]
[5453] Luke xxiv. 20, 21.
[5454] Scil. the bishop. [The plural of "solidarity." See p. 128, note 5, supra, and Elucidation XI. p. 159.]
[5455] Eph. iv. 5.
[5456] By him who hears the word is meant a catechumen (Rigaltius). [Bunsen, vol. ii. p. 317. He quotes the Apostolical Constitutions (Alexandria), "Let the catechumens be three years hearing the word," etc.]
[5457] Matt. x. 32.
[5458] The original interpolates "non."
[5459] [Scil. baptisms (?) i.e., of water and of blood.]
[5460] Acts xv. 13-17.
[5461] Matt. xxiv. 4, etc.
[5462] Matt. xxiv. 23, 24.
[5463] [Ezek. xxxiii. 12. On the principle that what is deepest in man's heart proves, finally, the character; Phil. ii. 12. A very solemn consideration in human accountability (1 Pet. i. 17), but not to be disjoined from 2 Cor. vi. 10.]
[5464] [Vol. i. p. 505, note 12, this series.]
[5465] 1 Cor. xiii. 3.
[5466] Matt. xxii. 37.
[5467] John iv. 7, 8.
[5468] John iii. 16.
[5469] Luke xii. 50.
[5470] Mark x. 38.
[5471] John vii. 38.
[5472] John vii. 39.
[5473] Unius atque ejusdem species.
[5474] 1 John v. 6.
[5475] Acts ii. 17, 18.
[5476] Num. xi. 17.
[5477] John iii. 5. [Greek, pneuma. Syriac as here rendered.]
[5478] Acts viii. 20, 21.
[5479] Rigaltius says that Jerome mentions this document, and regards it as apocryphal. And Eusebius refers to the Periodoi Petrou, which, according to the common reading of Peter for Paul in the text, may point to the same document. [Vol. ii. 341, note 10; and vol. iv. p. 246.]
[5480] Ps. civ. 4.
[5481] John iii. 8.
[5482] Matt. ix. 2.
[5483] Luke vii. 48.
[5484] Luke vii. 50.
[5485] Luke vii. 50.
[5486] Luke iii. 16.
[5487] 1 John v. 8. [It is noteworthy that he quotes the Latin formula, and not that (eis to hen eisin) of the Greek. Now, the Latin, repeating (in verse 8) the formula (hi tres unum sunt) which belongs to the dubious protasis, is so far evidence that such a verse existed in the old Greek. It is important that the Latin is not conformed to the received formula of the apodosis, "the three agree in one."]
[5488] Acts i. 5.
Note by the Edinburgh Translator.
------------------------
Letters of Cyprian to Quintus, to Jubaianus, to Pompey, on "the baptism of heretics;" and to Magnus on "baptizing the Novatians, and those who obtain grace on a sick-bed," may be found translated in Ep. lxx. (p. 377, supra), Ep. lxxii. (p. 379, supra), Ep. lxxiii. (p. 386, supra), and Ep. lxxv. (p. 397, supra), respectively; and the Letter of Firmilian to Cyprian against the Letter of Stephen, at p. 390, supra, Ep. lxxiv. All these letters are repeated, in extenso, in the Monumenta Veterum.
Eusebius says, by way of introduction to the fragment of a letter written to Stephen by Dionysius of Alexandria, as follows: "Dionysius indited to Stephen the first of those letters which were written on the subject of baptism, when no small controversy had arisen whether they who are converted from any kind of heresy ought to be purged by baptism (because an ancient custom had prevailed, that in receiving such there should only be hands laid upon them, with prayers). Cyprian, who then ruled the Church of Carthage, was the first who judged that they must not be admitted to communion unless they were first purified from error by baptism. But Stephen, thinking that nothing should be innovated contrary to the tradition which had already obtained in that matter from the beginning, was indignant at this. And as Dionysius had already written many letters to him on this argument, he intimates to him finally, that all the churches everywhere, now that the fury of persecution was abated, detesting the turbulent novelty of Novatian, [5489] had established peace with one another." [5490]