Anonymous Treatise on Re-baptism.

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 A Treatise on Re-Baptism by an Anonymous Writer. That They Who Have Once Been Washed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Ought Not to Be Re-Baptized

 1. I observe that it has been asked among the brethren what course ought specially to be adopted towards the persons of those who, although baptized i

 2. To such, then, as approach to a discussion of saving and modern, that is, of spiritual and evangelical baptism, there occurs first of all the annou

 3. And to these things thou perchance, who art bringing in some novelty, mayest immediately and impatiently reply, as thou art wont, that the Lord sai

 4. And this being found to be so, what thinkest thou, my brother? If a man be not baptized by a bishop, so as even at once to have the imposition of h

 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

 6. And this also,—looking at it from the opposite side of this discussion,—those disciples of our Lord themselves attained, upon whom, being previousl

 7. Neither must you esteem what our Lord said as being contrary to this treatment: “Go ye, teach the nations baptize them in the name of the Father,

 8. But these things thou wilt, as thou art wont, contradict, by objecting to us, that when they baptized, the disciples were baptized perfectly, and r

 9. By which things, and by many deeds of this kind tending to His glory, it appeared to follow as a consequence, that in whatever manner the Jews thin

 10. Besides, what wilt thou say of those who are in many cases baptized by bishops of very bad character, who yet at length, when God so wills it, con

 11. And what wilt thou determine against the person of him who hears the word, and haply taken up in the name of Christ, has at once confessed, and ha

 12. Wherefore the whole of this discussion must be considered, that it may be made clearer. For the invocation of the name of Jesus can only be an adv

 13. For any one of us will hold it necessary, that whatever is the last thing to be found in a man in this respect, is that whereby he must be judged,

 14. And even to this point the whole of that heretical baptism may be amended, after the intervention of some space of time, if a man should survive a

 15. And since we seem to have divided all spiritual baptism in a threefold manner, let us come also to the proof of the statement proposed, that we ma

 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 i

 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 behov

 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

 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 b

8. But these things thou wilt, as thou art wont, contradict, by objecting to us, that when they baptized, the disciples were baptized perfectly, and rightly, and not as these heretics; and this thou must needs assume from their condition, and His who baptized them. And therefore we reply to this proposition of thine, not as accusers of the Lord’s disciples, but as we are constrained, because it is necessary that we should investigate by reasons where and when, and in what measure, salvation has been bestowed on each of us. For that our Lord was born, and that He was the Christ, appeared by many reasons to be believed, not unjustly, by His disciples, because He had been born of the tribe of Judah, of the family of David, and in the city of Bethlehem; and because He had been announced to the shepherds by the angels at the same moment that there was born to them a Saviour; because His star being seen in the east, He had been most anxiously sought for and adored by the Magi, and honoured with illustrious presents and distinguished offerings; because while still a youth, sitting in the temple with the doctors of the law, He wisely, and with the admiration of all, had disputed; because when He was baptized He had been glorified, as had happened to none others, by the descent of the Holy Spirit from the opened heavens, and by its abode upon Him; and moreover by the testimony of His Father, and also of John the Baptist; because, beyond the inferior capacity of man, He understood the hearts and thoughts of all men; because He cured and healed weaknesses, and vices, and diseases, with very great power; because He bestowed remissions of sins, with manifest attestation; because He expelled demons at His bidding; because He purified lepers with a word; because, by converting water into wine, He enlarged the nuptial festivity with marvellous joyfulness; because He restored or granted sight to the blind; because He maintained the doctrine of the Father with all confidence; because in a desert place He satisfied five thousand men with five loaves; because the remains and the fragments filled more than twelve baskets; because He everywhere raised up the dead, according to His mercy; because He commanded the winds and the sea to be still; because He walked with His feet upon the sea; because He absolutely performed all miracles.

VIII. Sed ad haec, ut soles, contradices, opponendo nobis tunc cum baptizarentur integre ac recte discipulos ac non ut hos haereticos esse baptizatos: quod ex persona ipsorum et ejus qui baptizavit 1192B illos, sumas necesse est. Et ideo nos ad propositionem hanc tuam non ut accusatores discipulorum Domini respondemus, sed sicuti compellimur; quia necesse est ubi et quando et quemadmodum unicuique nostrum salus sit praestita, rationibus investigemus. Namque natum esse Dominum nostrum et Christum esse eum multis rationibus a discipulis ejus non immerito credi videbatur, quod ex tribu Juda, quod ex genere David, quodque in civitate Bethleem fuisset natus; et quod pastoribus ab Angelis, quoniam Salvator illis natus esset eodem momento fuisset annuntiatus; quod in oriente visa ejus stella sollicitissime fuisset a magis requisitus et adoratus, et illustribus donis et insignibus muneribus honoratus; quod puer admodum in templo 1192C sedens cum legis doctoribus, prudenter et cum admiratione omnium disputasset; quod cum baptizaretur, ita ut nulli alii contigerat, coelis apertis descensione Spiritus sancti et super eum mansione, testimonio etiam Patris sui itemque Joannis Baptistae fuisset clarificatus; quod supra humanam mediocritatem corda et cogitationes universorum intelligeret, quod languores et vitia et valetudines cum potestate maxima curaret atque sanaret, quod remissiones peccatorum cum evidenti probatione praestaret, quod daemonia jussu expelleret, quod leprosos verbo mundaret, quod aquam in vinum convertendo convivium nuptiale admirabili laetitia amplificaret, quod caecis visionem restitueret aut indulgeret, quod doctrinam Patris cum omni fiducia assereret, quod 1192D in loco deserto de quinque panibus quinque millia hominum saturaret, quod reliquiae atque buccellae plusquam duodecim cophinos impleret, quod mortuos pro sua pietate passim suscitaret, quod ventis et mari ut quiescerent imperaret, quod super mare pedibus ambularet, quod virtutes omnes omnino perficeret.