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A Treatise on Re-Baptism by an Anonymous Writer

Anonymous

Section 5

About this work

Author: Anonymous

5. And if this be so, and the occurrence

‹ Section 4 Section 6 ›

of

any

of

these

things

cannot

deprive

a

man

who

believes

,

of

salvation

,

thou

thyself

also

affirmest

that

the

fact

of

the

mystery

of

the

faith

being

divided

in

a

manner

,

and

its

not

being

,

as

thou

contendest

,

consummated

,

where

necessity

intervenes

,

cannot

take

away

salvation

from

a

believing

and

penitent

man

.

Or

if

thou

sayest

that

a

man

of

this

kind

cannot

be

saved

,

we

deprive

all

bishops

of

salvation

,

whom

thou

thus

engagest

,

under

risks

as

assured

as

possible

,

to

be

bound

themselves

to

afford

help

to

all

those

who

live

under

their

care

,

and

are

in

weak

health

,

in

their

districts

,

scattered

up

and

down

,

because

other

men

of

less

degree

among

the

clerics

who

venture

cannot

confer

the

same

benefit

;

so

that

the

blood

of

those

who

shall

appear

to

have

departed

from

this

life

without

the

benefit

would

have

,

of

necessity

,

to

be

required

at

the

hands

of

the

bishops

.

And

further

,

as

you

are

not

ignorant

,

the

Holy

Spirit

is

found

to

have

been

given

to

men

who

believe

,

by

the

Lord

without

baptism

of

water

,

as

is

contained

in

the

Acts

of

the

Apostles

after

this

manner

:

“

While

Peter

was

still

speaking

these

words

,

the

Holy

Ghost

fell

upon

all

them

who

heard

the

word

.

And

they

who

were

of

the

circumcision

which

believed

were

astonished

,

as

many

as

came

with

Peter

,

because

that

on

the

Gentiles

also

was

poured

out

the

gift

of

the

Holy

Spirit

.

For

they

heard

them

speak

with

their

tongues

,

and

they

magnified

God

.

Then

answered

Peter

,

Can

any

man

forbid

water

,

that

these

should

not

be

baptized

,

who

have

received

the

Holy

Ghost

as

well

as

we

?

And

he

commanded

them

to

be

baptized

in

the

name

of

Jesus

Christ

.

”

Even

as

Peter

also

subsequently

most

abundantly

taught

us

about

the

same

Gentiles

,

saying

:

“

And

He

put

no

difference

between

us

and

them

,

their

hearts

being

purified

by

faith

.

”

And

there

will

be

no

doubt

that

men

may

be

baptized

with

the

Holy

Ghost

without

water

,

—

as

thou

observest

that

these

were

baptized

before

they

were

baptized

with

water

;

that

the

announcements

of

both

John

and

of

our

Lord

Himself

were

satisfied

,

—

forasmuch

as

they

received

the

grace

of

the

promise

both

without

the

imposition

of

the

apostle’s

hands

and

without

the

laver

,

which

they

attained

afterwards

.

And

their

hearts

being

purified

,

God

bestowed

upon

them

at

the

same

time

,

in

virtue

of

their

faith

,

remission

of

sins

;

so

that

the

subsequent

baptism

conferred

upon

them

this

benefit

alone

,

that

they

received

also

the

invocation

of

the

name

of

Jesus

Christ

,

that

nothing

might

appear

to

be

wanting

to

the

integrity

of

their

service

and

faith

.

Notes

12
Acts x. 44–48.
13
Acts xv. 9.
14
[It was a notable compliance with the example of Christ, Matt. iii. 15. “They had received,” etc., yet that was no reason why the ordinance of Christ should be slighted.]