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A Treatise on Re-Baptism by an Anonymous Writer

Anonymous

Section 12

About this work

Author: Anonymous

12. Wherefore the whole of this discussion must be

‹ Section 11 Section 13 ›

considered

,

that

it

may

be

made

clearer

.

For

the

invocation

of

the

name

of

Jesus

can

only

be

an

advantage

if

it

shall

be

subsequently

properly

supplemented

,

because

both

prophets

and

apostles

have

so

declared

.

For

James

says

in

the

Acts

of

the

Apostles

:

“

Men

and

brethren

,

hearken

:

Simon

hath

declared

how

God

at

the

first

visited

the

Gentiles

,

to

take

out

of

them

a

people

for

His

name

.

And

to

this

agree

the

words

of

the

prophets

;

as

it

is

written

,

After

this

I

will

return

,

and

will

build

again

the

tabernacle

of

David

,

which

has

fallen

down

;

and

I

will

build

again

the

ruins

thereof

,

and

I

will

raise

it

up

anew

;

that

the

residue

of

men

may

seek

the

Lord

,

and

all

the

Gentiles

,

upon

whom

my

name

is

called

upon

them

,

saith

the

Lord

,

who

doeth

these

things

.

”

Therefore

also

the

residue

of

men

,

that

is

,

some

of

the

Jews

and

all

the

Gentiles

upon

whom

the

name

of

the

Lord

is

called

,

may

and

of

necessity

must

seek

the

Lord

,

because

that

very

invocation

of

the

name

affords

them

the

opportunity

,

or

even

imposes

on

them

the

necessity

,

of

seeking

the

Lord

.

And

with

these

they

prescribe

the

Holy

Scriptures

—

whether

all

or

only

some

of

them

—

to

discuss

still

more

boldly

concerning

the

truth

than

with

the

Gentiles

upon

whom

the

name

of

the

Lord

Jesus

,

the

Son

of

the

living

God

,

has

not

been

invoked

,

as

it

likewise

has

not

upon

the

Jews

who

only

receive

the

Old

Testament

Scriptures

.

And

thus

men

of

both

of

these

kinds

,

that

is

,

Jews

and

Gentiles

,

fully

believing

as

they

ought

,

are

in

like

manner

baptized

.

But

heretics

who

are

already

baptized

in

water

in

the

name

of

Jesus

Christ

must

only

be

baptized

with

the

Holy

Spirit

;

and

in

Jesus

,

which

is

“

the

only

name

given

under

heaven

whereby

we

must

be

saved

,

”

death

is

reasonably

despised

,

although

,

if

they

continue

as

they

are

,

they

cannot

be

saved

,

because

they

have

not

sought

the

Lord

after

the

invocation

of

His

name

upon

them

,

—

even

as

those

who

,

on

account

of

false

Christs

,

perchance

have

refused

to

believe

,

of

whom

the

Lord

says

,

“

Take

heed

that

no

man

lead

you

into

error

.

For

many

shall

come

in

my

name

,

saying

,

I

am

Christ

,

and

shall

lead

many

into

error

.

”

And

again

He

says

:

“

Then

if

any

man

shall

say

unto

you

,

Lo

here

is

Christ

,

or

lo

there

;

believe

it

not

.

For

there

shall

arise

false

Christs

,

and

false

prophets

,

and

shall

show

great

signs

and

wonders

;

so

that

,

if

it

were

possible

,

even

the

very

elect

shall

be

deceived

.

”

And

these

miracles

,

without

doubt

,

they

shall

then

do

under

the

name

of

Christ

;

in

which

name

some

even

now

appear

to

do

certain

miracles

,

and

to

prophesy

falsely

.

But

it

is

certain

that

those

,

because

they

are

themselves

not

of

Christ

,

therefore

do

not

belong

to

Christ

,

in

like

manner

as

if

one

should

depart

from

Christ

,

abiding

only

in

His

name

,

he

would

not

be

much

advantaged

;

nay

,

rather

,

he

is

even

burdened

by

that

name

,

although

he

may

have

been

previously

very

faithful

,

or

very

righteous

,

or

honoured

with

some

clerical

office

,

or

endowed

with

the

dignity

of

confession

.

For

all

those

,

by

denying

the

true

Christ

,

and

by

introducing

or

following

another

—

although

there

is

no

other

at

all

—

leave

themselves

no

hope

or

salvation

;

not

otherwise

than

they

who

have

denied

Christ

before

men

,

who

must

needs

be

denied

by

Christ

;

no

consideration

for

them

being

made

from

their

previous

conversation

,

or

feeling

,

or

dignity

,

equally

as

they

themselves

have

dared

to

do

away

with

Christ

,

that

is

,

their

own

salvation

,

they

are

condemned

by

the

short

sentence

of

this

kind

,

because

it

was

manifestly

said

by

the

Lord

,

“

Whosoever

shall

deny

me

before

men

,

I

also

will

deny

him

before

my

Father

which

is

in

heaven

.

”

As

this

word

“

whosoever

,

”

also

in

the

sentence

of

confession

,

most

fully

shows

us

that

no

condition

of

the

confessor

himself

can

stand

in

the

way

,

although

he

may

have

been

before

a

denier

,

or

a

heretic

,

or

a

hearer

,

or

one

who

is

beginning

to

hear

,

who

has

not

yet

been

baptized

or

converted

from

heresy

to

the

truth

of

the

faith

,

or

one

who

has

departed

from

the

Church

and

has

afterwards

returned

,

and

then

when

he

returned

,

before

the

bishop’s

hands

could

be

laid

upon

him

,

being

apprehended

,

should

be

compelled

to

confess

Christ

before

men

;

even

as

to

one

who

again

denies

Christ

,

no

special

ancient

dignity

can

be

effectual

to

him

for

salvation

.

Notes

34
Acts xv. 13–17.
35
Matt. xxiv. 4, etc.
36
Matt. xxiv. 23, 24.