240 AFRICAN CHURCH HELD HYPOCRITICAL BAPTISM REPARABLE.

ing again into it; and to any person, who, having thus sinned, is concerned about his salvation, that very concern is a proof that GOD, in his case, has not withdrawn His Spirit. Or again, since those tempted to commit it, are either heathen, or members of a sect, which grievously disparages the Sacrament of Baptism, one may hope that they in some measure have done it" ignorantly, in "unbelief," through ignorance, not altogether their own sin, but in part the sin of those who have taken upon themselves the care of their souls. Otherwise it seems sinning with so high a hand, and so to cut off the very means of pardon and pledge of grace, that one should be horribly afraid for any one who thought of, or had committed it.

2

1

One portion, however, of the ancient Church (the African) seems to have held decisively, not only that this sin of receiving Baptism unworthily would be forgiven upon repentance, but that it did not hinder repentance. St. Augustine namely uses this case as an argument against the Donatists, why the Church did not re-baptize those who sought to be restored to her out of a schismatic communion, although she held the Baptism administered in that communion to be useless while men remained in it. "If they say that sins are not forgiven to one who comes hypo"critically to Baptism, I ask, if he afterwards confess his 'hypocrisy with a contrite heart and true grief, is he to be "baptized again? If it be most insane to affirm this, let them "confess that a man may be baptized with the Baptism of "CHRIST, and yet his heart, persevering in malice and sacrilege, "would not allow his sins to be done away: and thus let them "understand that in communions separated from the Church "men may be baptized, (when the Baptism of CHRIST is given " and received, the Sacrament being administered in the same way); which yet is then first of avail to the remission of sins, "when the person being reconciled to the unity of the Church, "is freed from the sacrilege of dissent, whereby his sins were

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1 De Baptismo c. Donatist. L. 1. § 18.

2 This hypocrisy St. Augustine explains ib. L. 5. c. 18, 19. to be renounc"ing the world in words not in deeds, and coming so to baptism."

ST. CYRIL-HYPOCRITICAL BAPTISM IRREPARABLE.

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"retained, and precluded from being forgiven. For as he who had "come hypocritically, is not baptized again; but what without baptism could not be cleansed, is cleansed by that pious cor"rection (of life) and true confession, so that what was before "given, then begins to avail to salvation, when that hypocrisy is " removed by a true confession; so also the enemy of the love "and peace of CHRIST," &c. St. Augustine frequently repeats this illustration, and speaks confidently as if it were a known fact; as does also another writer' of the African Church. It is a little remarkable that the Schoolmen and their commentators, although deeply read in the Fathers, or at least with a considerable traditional knowledge of them, when treating expressly on this subject' produce only those two authors, and that out of this same Church. St. Cyril of Jerusalem, on the other hand, speaks of the loss as absolutely irreparable. "If thou feignest," he addresses the Catechumen 3, 3 66 now do men baptize thee, but "the Spirit will not baptize thee. Thou art come to a great "examination, and enlisting, in this single hour; which if thou "losest, the evil is irreparable, but if thou art thought worthy of “ the grace, thy soul is enlightened; thou receivest a power which "thou hadst not; thou receivest weapons at which the demons "tremble; and if thou castest not away thy armour, but

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keepest the seal upon thy soul, the demon approacheth not; "for he is afraid for by the SPIRIT of GOD are devils cast "out." It may be that St. Cyril may have meant, as is said also of all impairing of baptismal purity, that it cannot be wholly repaired, since there is no second Baptism, as he says 4, "The "bath cannot be received twice or thrice; else might a man say, though I fail once, I shall succeed a second time:' but if "thou failest the once,' it cannot be repaired.

"One LORD, and one Faith, and one Baptism.'"

For there is

The question

1 The author of the sermon on the Passion of CHRIST in the appendix to Cyprian, quoted by Vazquez in 3 Part. Disp. 159. c. 1.

2 "Whether Baptism, which on account of the hypocrisy of the Catechu"men had not the effect of justifying, have that effect on the removal of that "hypocrisy?" Comp. Vazquez, l. c.

3 Catech. 17. n. 36.

VOL. II. P. II.-NO. 67.

4 Procateches. n. 7.

R

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INFERIORITY OF JOHN'S BAPTISM ALLEGED BY HIM

is very awful; as, what is not, which concerns our souls? It may suffice to have said thus much upon it, if by any means persons might see that subjects of which they speak lightly, are indeed very fearful.

And thus the case of Simon Magus, so far from lowering the sacrament of Baptism, does, while it points out one case in which men may shut out its grace from themselves, cast a very awful dignity around it, showing how reverentially it must be approached and received, and carefully guarded, else might "that "which should be for their welfare, become a snare 2" and that which was ordained as 66 a savour 3 of life unto life, in them that 66 are saved," be, "in them that perish, a savour of death unto "death."

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iii. 4. The baptism of John.

The inferiority of the baptism of John to Christian Baptism is declared by the holy Baptist himself. "I indeed baptize you "with water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me is mightier than I; Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He "shall baptize you with the HOLY GHOST and with fire." And this difference of the two baptisms he alleges as the proof of his own inferiority to his LORD, and as resulting from that inferiority. It was when "the people were in expectation, and all 66 men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the "CHRIST or no "," that he so "answered." The difference of their Baptisms is the very proof that "He Who was coming" was "mightier than" John, and One to Whom the holy John was unworthy to perform the very lowest service; their Baptisms were their own; and such as they were, such was the might and

1 Hence our Church kindly requires in adult Baptism that "timely notice "be given to the Bishop, or whom he shall appoint for that purpose, a week "before at the least, that so due care may be taken for their examination, "whether they be sufficiently instructed in the principles of the Christian "religion; and that they be duly exhorted to prepare themselves with prayers "and fasting for the receiving of the Holy Sacrament."-Rubric prefixed to office of Baptism of those of riper years.

2 Ps. Ixix. 22.

4 Matt. iii. 11.

3 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16.

5 Luke iii. 15.

IN PROOF OF HIS INFERIORITY TO OUR LORD.

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efficacy of their Baptisms. The baptism of John instructive, and significant, and preparatory, as from a holy man, a preacher of repentance, and the forerunner of the LORD; the Baptism of CHRIST Sin-remitting, sanctifying, and life-giving, as being from the LORD, the REDEEMER, to Whom, as man, the SPIRIT was without measure given; Who, as GoD, shed forth abundantly that SPIRIT, Which had again in His sacred person resumed His dwelling in man. "I baptize you with water.' Soon," says St. Ambrose', "has he proved that he is not the CHRIST, in that he "hath only a visible office. For man, consisting of two natures, "soul and body, the visible is consecrated by things visible, the "invisible by the invisible mystery. For the body is washed "with water, the sins of the soul are cleansed by the SPIRIT. "It is one thing we do, another we pray for; although in the very font the hallowing of the Divinity be at hand. For not "all water cleanses, but these cannot be separated; and there"fore the baptism of repentance was one thing, that of grace "another. This consists of both, that of one only; for since -"the sins of mind and body are common, so ought also to be the purification. And well did the holy John, signifying that he "understood what they thought in their hearts,' not by word, "but by deed, declare that he was not the CHRIST.' For it is "the work of men to bear repentance of sins; it is the gift of "God to fulfil the grace of the mystery." And so St. Chrysostome 2, "Having first laid down the lowliness of his own baptism, "and shown that it hath no more power than to lead man to repentance, for he saith not' with water of remission,' but 'of repentance;' then he sets forth His, full of the unspeakable 'gift. For lest when you hear that He 'cometh after me,' you "should despise Him, learn the might of His gift, and you will "know clearly, that I have said nothing worthy or great when I 'say that I am not worthy to unloose the latchet of His shoe.' "So when you hear that He is 'mightier than I,' think not that "I say this by comparison. For I am not even worthy to be "ranked among His slaves, nay not His meanest slaves, nor to

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1 In Luc. L. 2. § 79.

2 Hom. xi. in Matt. § 4. p. 154. ed. Ben.

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THOSE BAPTIZED BY JOHN BAPTIZED ANEW BY ST. PAUL.

"obtain the lowest office of ministry; wherefore he says not "simply 'shoes,' but not even the 'latchet,' which is the meanest "of all. Then lest you should think his words the mere words "of humility, he adds the proof from the facts; for He, saith "he, shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."

This difference our LORD also inculcated, at the same time that He instituted His own Baptism, " John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the HOLY GHOST not many days hence 1."

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Having thus our LORD's own words, no further proof can be necessary; but here again the teaching of Holy Scripture in its plain meaning is attested by one remarkable history in the Acts, that of the twelve disciples at Ephesus, who had been "baptized into John's "baptism"." The fact that St. Paul required Christian Baptism to be given, as necessary to them, who had already received the baptism of John, at once separates altogether the two Baptisms, and shows incontrovertibly their essential difference, and the imperfection of that of John. There is but "one Baptism," any more than " one GoD," and " one LORD." Had then these men before received Christian Baptism, or had the baptism of John been the same with the Baptism of CHRIST, St. Paul had not had them baptized. And this, which is contained in the very fact of St. Paul's causing them to be baptized, appears also in the terms employed. As the authors of the Baptisms were different, so also were the objects. The baptism of John was "into John's

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baptism," though with the belief in Him Who should come after; the Baptism of CHRIST is into the Holy Trinity. These men had been baptized unto John, as Israel was "baptized unto "Moses 3." John Baptist and Moses both pointed on "to Him "Who was to come;" Moses to the "Prophet like unto himself, "to Whom they were to hearken," John to Him "Who was among

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3

them, Whom they knew not." Both appealed to this Prophet as higher than themselves ("to Him" were they to "hearken," and to Moses no longer, except as "speaking of Him"); yet both kept those baptized unto them for the while detained with themselves, their belief in suspense, as it were, and undefined, 2 Acts xix. 1. 3 1 Cor. x. 2.

1 Acts i. 11.