5. And if this be so, and the occurrence of any of these things cannot deprive a man who believes, of salvation, thou thyself also affirmest that the fact of the mystery of the faith being divided in a manner, and its not being, as thou contendest, consummated, where necessity intervenes, cannot take away salvation from a believing and penitent man. Or if thou sayest that a man of this kind cannot be saved, we deprive all bishops of salvation, whom thou thus engagest, under risks as assured as possible, to be bound themselves to afford help to all those who live under their care, and are in weak health, in their districts, scattered up and down, because other men of less degree among the clerics who venture cannot confer the same benefit; so that the blood of those who shall appear to have departed from this life without the benefit would have, of necessity, to be required at the hands of the bishops. And further, as you are not ignorant, the Holy Spirit is found to have been given to men who believe, by the Lord without baptism of water, as is contained in the Acts of the Apostles after this manner: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell upon all them who heard the word. And they who were of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with their tongues, and they magnified God.  Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.”15    Acts x. 44–48. Even as Peter also subsequently most abundantly taught us about the same Gentiles, saying: “And He put no difference between us and them, their hearts being purified by faith.”16    Acts xv. 9. And there will be no doubt that men may be baptized with the Holy Ghost without water,—as thou observest that these were baptized before they were baptized with water; that the announcements of both John and of our Lord Himself were satisfied,—forasmuch as they received the grace of the promise both without the imposition of the apostle’s hands and without the laver, which they attained afterwards. And their hearts being purified, God bestowed upon them at the same time, in virtue of their faith, remission of sins; so that the subsequent baptism conferred upon them this benefit alone, that they received also the invocation of the name of Jesus Christ, that nothing might appear to be wanting to the integrity of their service and faith.17    [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.]

1189A V. Quod si ita est, et potest aliquid horum eveniens salutem homini credenti non praeripere, tu quoque ipse annuis quoniam modo dimidiatum et non ut contendis, consummatum mysterium fidei, qua necessitas intervenit, salutem adimere non posse credenti et poenitenti homini. Aut si dicis hujusmodi hominem salvum non posse fieri, omnibus episcopis salutem adimimus, quos ita periculis quam certissimis astringis ut omnibus hominibus qui sub cura eorum agunt, et hac atque illac dispersis regionibus ipsorum infirmantur, per semetipsos subvenire debeant; quia caeteri homines minores clericis qui periclitantur, hoc idem praestare non possint: ne sanguis eorum qui vacui de saeculo exisse videbuntur, de manu episcoporum necesse habeat requiri. Porro autem, ut non ignoratis, credentibus hominibus 1189B invenitur Spiritus sanctus a Domino datus sine Baptismate aquae, sicut Actis Apostolorum continetur in hunc modum: Adhuc loquente Petro verba haec, irruit Spiritus sanctus super omnes qui audiebant verbum: et obstupefacti sunt qui erant ex circumcisione fideles quotquot simul venerant cum Petro, quia et super Gentes donum Spiritus sancti effusum est. Audiebant enim eos loquentes linguis suis, et magnificabant Deum. Tunc respondit Petrus: Numquid aliquis aquam prohibere potest ut non baptizentur isti qui Spiritum sanctum acceperunt sicut et nos? Et praecepit eos baptizari in nomine Jesu Christi (Act. X, 44-48). Sicut etiam idem Petrus postmodum de eisdem Gentibus plenissime docuit nos dicens: Et nihil discrevit inter nos et ipsos, fide emundatis cordibus eorum (Act. XV, 9). Atque hoc 1189C non erit dubium in Spiritu sancto homines posse sine aqua baptizari, sicut animadversis baptizatos hos prius quam aqua baptizarentur, ut satisfieret et Joannis et ipsius Domini praedicationibus: quandoquidem et sine manus impositione Apostolorum et sine lavacro, quod postea adepti sunt, gratiam repromissionis acceperint: et sic paulo ante emundatis cordibus eorum, Deus per fidem ipsorum etiam remissionem peccatorum simul eis largitus sit, ut hoc solum eis Baptisma subsequens praestiterit, ut invocationem quoque nominis Jesu Christi acciperent, ne quid eis deesse videretur ad integritatem ministerii et fidei.