§ 114. BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION. 709
regenerated by water and the Holy Spirit is certain evidence that the heart is already regenerated. For the necessity of baptism, Thomas Aquinas and the other Schoolmen rely upon John 3:3, " Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Of all the sacraments the most necessary, baptism effects regeneration, nay, it is regen eration itself.1 It removes the guilt and the punishment due original sin and all sins actually committed.2 The ablution of water signifies the ablution from guilt, and the freezing of water, to use the strange figure of Thomas Aquinas, the sub traction of all punishment. Baptism also has the positive effect of conferring grace, an effect which is symbolized by the clearness of water.
The validity of the sacrament requires the full use of the threefold name of the Trinity. Hugo of St. Victor differs from the later Schoolmen on this point, although in doubt whether the use of the name of Christ alone or the name of God alone be not sufficient. Bernard had allowed the use of the formula " I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the true and holy cross." These men wrote before the Fourth Lateran Council. Bonaventura and Thomas acknowledged that, in early times, the Church had often been satisfied with baptism into the name of Christ, the Trinity being, in such cases, understood. But since the deliver ance of the Fourth Lateran, the omission of a single sylla ble from the trine formula invalidated baptism.3 Exorcism, unction with oil, and the giving of salt were prescribed to be used in the solemnization of the rite. Exorcism expelled demons and prevented them from impeding the recipient's salvation. Salt, put into the ears, signified the reception of the new doctrine, into the nostrils, its approbation, and into
1 Baptlsmus quiest regeneratio hominis in vitam spiritualem. Th. Aq., III. 66. 9; 67. 3; 68. 9; 72. 1, Migne, IV. 617, 626, 646, 678.
20mne peccatum per baptismum tollitur. Th. Aq., 69. 1, Migne, p. 652. Baptismus institutus est contra vulnus originalispeccati. Alarms ab Insulis, cont. hcer., I. 39, 43, Migne, 210. 345, 347.
s£revil VI., Peltier's ed. , p. 318 ; Th. Aq., III. 66. 6, Migne, p. 611, quicquid desit ad plenam invocationem trinitatis tollit integritatem baptismi.
710 THE MIDDLE AGES. A.D. 1049-1294.
the mouth, confession. Oil signified the fitting of the recip ient to fight demons.
The proper administrator of baptism is the priest, but, in cases of necessity, laymen may baptize, male or female, and parents may baptize their own children.1 For in the king dom of heaven there is neither male nor female. But a woman must administer the rite privately, even as she is not allowed to speak in public. Yea, Thomas Aquinas went so far as to say that an unbaptized man may, in case of necessity, lawfully administer baptism, for Christ is free to use the agent he pleases, and it is he who baptizes inwardly, John 1 : 33. The main reason for allowing such baptism is to extend the limits of salvation as far as possible.2
Children are proper subjects of baptism because they are under the curse of Adam. As the mother nourishes her offspring in the womb before it can nourish itself, so in the bosom of mother Church infants are nourished, and they receive salvation through the act of the Church.3 A child cannot be baptized before it is born; it is of the essence of baptism that water be applied to the body.4 It was the view of Thomas Aquinas and most of the School men that it is unlawful to baptize the children of Jews and pagans without the consent of the parents. Duns Scotus was an exception and permitted the forcible baptism of the children of Jews, yea of adult Jews.5
1 They were allowed to use the vernacular in the ceremony. Synods of Treves, 1227, Mainz, 1233. And priests were instructed to teach laymen the baptismal ceremony in the vulgar tongue that they might use it if the exi gency arose. Fritzlar, 1243, Hefele, V. 1099. A child taken from its mother after her death, and itself dead, was to be buried unbaptized in unconsecrated ground. Treves, 1310. «Th. Aq., III. 07. 4 sq., Migiie, IV. 628 sq.
3 Pueri non se ipsos sed per actum eccl. salutcm suscipiunt. Th. Aq. , III. G8. 9, Migne, 640 ; Bonavent., Breml. VII. Peltier's ed., VII. 320 ; Duns Scotus, see Seeberg, p. 360.
* P. Lomb., IV. 6. 2, Migne, IT. 853. Th. Aq., Migne, IV. 649, and Duns Scotus (Seeberg, p. 360) agree that if the head of the infant protrude from the womb, it may be baptized, for the head is the seat of the immortal agent.
6 Th. Aq., Migne, IV. 648. One reason Duns gives is that the children of such Jews, if they are well educated, turn out to be good Christians (cere fideles) in the third and fourth generations. Seeberg, p. 3:j4.