Chapter 4 [III.]—Misrepresentation Concerning the Effect of Baptism.

“They assert,” say they, “that baptism, moreover, does not make men new—that is, does not give complete remission of sins; but they contend that they are partly made children of God and partly remain children of the world, that is, of the devil.” They deceive; they lay traps; they shuffle; we do not say this. For we say that all men who are children of the devil are also children of the world; but not that all children of the world are also children of the devil. Far be it from us to say that the holy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and others of this kind, were children of the devil when they were begetting in marriage, and those believers who until now and still hereafter continue to beget. And yet we cannot contradict the Lord when He says, “The children of this world marry and give in marriage.”163    Luke xx. 34. Some, therefore, are children of this world, and yet are not children of the devil. For although the devil is the author and source of all sins, yet it is not every sin that makes children of the devil; for the children of God also sin, since if they say they have no sins they deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them.164    1 John i. 8. But they sin in virtue of that condition by which they are still children of this world; but by that grace wherewith they are the children of God they certainly sin not, because every one that is born of God sinneth not.165    1 John iii. 9. But unbelief makes children of the devil; and unbelief is specially called sin, as if it were the only one, if it is not expressed what is the nature of the sin. As when the “apostle” is spoken of, if it be not expressed what apostle, none is understood but Paul; because he is better known by his many epistles, and he laboured more than they all. For which reason, in what the Lord said of the Holy Spirit, “He shall convict the world of sin,”166    John xvi. 8. He meant unbelief to be understood; for He said this when He was explaining, “Of sin because they believed not on me,”167    John xvi. 9. and when He says, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they should not have sin.”168    John xv. 22. For He meant not that before they had no sin, but He wished to indicate that very want of faith by which they did not believe Him even when He was present to them and speaking to them; since they belonged to him of whom the apostle says, “According to the prince of the power of the air, who now worketh in the children of unbelief.”169    Eph. ii. 2. Therefore they in whom there is not faith are the children of the devil, because they have not in the inner man any reason why there should be forgiven them whatever is committed either by human infirmity, or by ignorance, or by any evil will whatever. But those are the children of God who certainly, if they should “say that they have no sin, deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them, but immediately” (as it continues) “when they confess their sins” (which the children of the devil do not do, or do not do according to the faith which is peculiar to the children of God), “He is faithful and just to forgive them their sins, and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness.”170    1 John i. 8. And in order that what we say may be more fully understood, let Jesus Himself be heard, who certainly was speaking to the children of God when He said: “And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him.”171    Matt. vii. 11. For if these were not the children of God, He would not say to them, “Your Father which is in heaven.” And yet He says that they are evil, and that they know how to give good gifts to their children. Are they, then, evil in that they are the children of God? Away with the thought! But they are thence evil because they are still the children of this world, although now made children of God by the pledge of the Holy Spirit.

CAPUT III.

4. Calumnia de effectu Baptismi. «Baptisma quoque,» inquiunt, «non vere homines novos facere asserunt, id est, non plenam dare remissionem peccatorum; sed ex parte filios Dei fieri, ex parte autem filios saeculi, id est, diaboli, remanere contendunt.» Mentiuntur, insidiantur, tergiversantur: non hoc dicimus. Omnes enim homines qui sunt filii diaboli, etiam filios saeculi; non autem omnes filios saeculi etiam filios diaboli dicimus. Absit enim ut filios diaboli dicamus fuisse sanctos patres, Abraham, Isaac, et Jacob, et alios hujusmodi, quando per nuptias generabant, et eos fideles qui usque nunc et deinceps adhuc generant. Nec tamen possumus Domino contradicere dicenti, Filii saeculi hujus nubunt, et tradunt ad nuptias (Luc. XX, 34). Quidam ergo filii saeculi hujus sunt, et tamen filii diaboli non sunt. Quamvis enim diabolus sit auctor et princeps omnium peccatorum; non tamen filios diaboli faciunt quaecumque peccata. Peccant enim et filii Dei, quoniam si dixerint se non habere peccatum, se ipsos seducunt, et veritas in eis non est (I Joan. I, 8). Sed ea conditione peccant, qua sunt filii adhuc hujus saeculi: qua vero gratia sunt filii Dei, non utique peccant; quia omnis qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat (Id. III, 9). Filios autem diaboli infidelitas facit, quod peccatum proprie vocatur, quasi solum sit, si non exprimatur quale peccatum sit. Sicut Apostolus cum dicitur, si non exprimatur quis apostolus, non intelligitur nisi Paulus: quia pluribus est Epistolis 0590 notior, et plus omnibus illis laboravit (I Cor. XV, 10). Unde quod ait Dominus de Spiritu sancto, Ipse arguet mundum de peccato; infidelitatem intelligi voluit. Hoc enim cum exponeret, ait, De peccato quidem, quod non crediderunt in me (Joan. XVI, 8, 9). Et ubi ait, Si non venissem, et locutus eis fuissem, peccatum non haberent (Id. XV, 22). Non enim peccatum antea non habebant: sed ipsam voluit intelligi diffidentiam, qua nec praesenti et loquenti crediderunt, pertinentes ad eum de quo dicit Apostolus, Secundum principem potestatis aeris, qui nunc operatur in filiis diffidentiae (Ephes. II, 2). Ergo in quibus non est fides, filii sunt diaboli; quia non habent in interiore homine cur eis dimittatur quidquid hominis vel infirmitate, vel ignorantia , vel omnino aliqua mala voluntate committitur. Illi autem filii Dei, qui utique si dixerint se non habere peccatum, se ipsos decipiunt, et veritas in eis non est, profecto, quod sequitur, cum confitentur peccata sua (quod filii diaboli non faciunt, vel non secundum fidem quae filiorum Dei propria est faciunt), fidelis est et justus qui dimittat eis peccata, et mundet eos ab omni iniquitate (I Joan. I, 8, 9). Ut autem plenius intelligatur quod dicimus, audiatur ipse Jesus, qui filiis Dei utique loquebatur, dicens: Si autem vos cum sitis mali, nostis bona data dare filiis vestris, quanto magis Pater vester, qui in coelis est, dabit bona petentibus se (Matth. VII, 11)? Si enim filii Dei non essent, non eis diceret, Pater vester qui in coelis est. Et tamen eos malos esse dicit, et nosse bona dare filiis suis. Numquid inde mali, unde filii Dei? Absit: sed inde mali, unde adhuc filii saeculi, jam tamen filii Dei facti pignore Spiritus sancti.