Chapter 10 [IX.]—Another Error of Victor’s, that Infants Dying Unbaptized May Attain to the Kingdom of Heaven. Another, that the Sacrifice of the Body of Christ Must Be Offered for Infants Who Die Before They are Baptized.

But when he wished to answer with respect, however, to those infants who are prevented by death from being first baptized in Christ, he was so bold as to promise them not only paradise, but also the kingdom of heaven,—finding no way else of avoiding the necessity of saying that God condemns to eternal death innocent souls which, without any previous desert of sin, He introduces into sinful flesh. He saw, however, to some extent what evil he was giving utterance to, in implying that without any grace of Christ the souls of infants are redeemed to everlasting life and the kingdom of heaven, and that in their case original sin may be cancelled without Christ’s baptism, in which is effected the forgiveness of sins: observing all this, and into what a depth he had plunged in his sea of shipwreck, he says, “I am of opinion that for them, indeed, constant oblations and sacrifices must be continually offered up by holy priests.” You may here behold another danger, out of which he will never escape except by regret and a recall of his words. For who can offer up the body of Christ for any except for those who are members of Christ? Moreover, from the time when He said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven;”4    John iii. 5. and again, “He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it;”5    Matt. x. 39. no one becomes a member of Christ except it be either by baptism in Christ, or death for Christ.6    [Augustin here confesses the validity of the “baptism of blood,” that is, martyrdom, which may take the place of baptism. See the next chapter, and also Book ii. 17.—W.]

CAPUT IX.

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10. De illis autem parvulis qui morte praeveniuntur priusquam baptizentur in Christo, cum respondere voluisset, ausus est eis promittere, non solum paradisum, verum etiam regnum coelorum: non inveniens qua exiret, ne Deum animas innocentes dicere cogeretur aeterna morte damnare, quas nullo merito praecedente peccati, carni inserit peccatrici. Sed utcumque sentiens quid mali dixerit, sine ulla Christi gratia animas redimi parvulorum in aeternam vitam regnumque coelorum, et in eis posse solvi originale peccatum sine Baptismo Christi, in quo fit remissio peccatorum: videns ergo, in quam se profunditatem naufragosi gurgitis jecerit, «Sane,» inquit, «pro eis oblationes assiduas, et offerenda jugiter sanctorum censeo sacrificia sacerdotum.» Ecce aliud unde nunquam exiturus est, nisi eum dixisse poeniteat. Quis enim offerat corpus Christi, nisi pro eis qui membra sunt Christi? Ex quo autem ab illo dictum est, Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et Spiritu , non potest intrare in regnum Dei (Joan. III, 5); et alio loco, Qui perdiderit animam suam propter me, inveniet eam (Matth. X, 39): nemo fit membrum Christi, nisi aut Baptismate in Christo, aut morte pro Christo.