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On Baptism

Tertullian

Chapter 15

About this work

An early Latin treatise defending Christian baptism, interpreting its biblical patterns, discussing preparation and administration, and warning against a teacher who rejected water baptism in the church.

Author: Tertullian
Date: c. AD 198–203
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Theological Treatise

Chapter XV.—Unity of Baptism. Remarks on Heretical And Jewish Baptism.

I know not whether any further point is mooted to

‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›

bring

baptism

into

controversy

.

Permit

me

to

call

to

mind

what

I

have

omitted

above

,

lest

I

seem

to

break

off

the

train

of

impending

thoughts

in

the

middle

.

There

is

to

us

one

,

and

but

one

,

baptism

;

as

well

according

to

the

Lord’s

gospel

as

according

to

the

apostle’s

letters

,

inasmuch

as

he

says

,

“

One

God

,

and

one

baptism

,

and

one

church

in

the

heavens

.

”

But

it

must

be

admitted

that

the

question

,

“

What

rules

are

to

be

observed

with

regard

to

heretics

?

”

is

worthy

of

being

treated

.

For

it

is

to

us

that

assertion

refers

.

Heretics

,

however

,

have

no

fellowship

in

our

discipline

,

whom

the

mere

fact

of

their

excommunication

testifies

to

be

outsiders

.

I

am

not

bound

to

recognize

in

them

a

thing

which

is

enjoined

on

me

,

because

they

and

we

have

not

the

same

God

,

nor

one

—

that

is

,

the

same

—

Christ

.

And

therefore

their

baptism

is

not

one

with

ours

either

,

because

it

is

not

the

same

;

a

baptism

which

,

since

they

have

it

not

duly

,

doubtless

they

have

not

at

all

;

nor

is

that

capable

of

being

counted

which

is

not

had

.

Thus

they

cannot

receive

it

either

,

because

they

have

it

not

.

But

this

point

has

already

received

a

fuller

discussion

from

us

in

Greek

.

We

enter

,

then

,

the

font

once

:

once

are

sins

washed

away

,

because

they

ought

never

to

be

repeated

.

But

the

Jewish

Israel

bathes

daily

,

because

he

is

daily

being

defiled

:

and

,

for

fear

that

defilement

should

be

practised

among

us

also

,

therefore

was

the

definition

touching

the

one

bathing

made

.

Happy

water

,

which

once

washes

away

;

which

does

not

mock

sinners

(

with

vain

hopes

)

;

which

does

not

,

by

being

infected

with

the

repetition

of

impurities

,

again

defile

them

whom

it

has

washed

!

Notes

1
Oehler refers us to c. xii. above, “He who hath once bathed.”
2
i.e. the Epistle to the Ephesians especially.
3
Eph. iv. 4, 5, 6, but very inexactly quoted.
4
i.e. us Christians; of “Catholics,” as Oehler explains it.
5
i.e. touching the “one baptism.”
6
Ademptio communicationis. [See Bunsen, Hippol. III. p. 114, Canon 46.]
7
Comp. Eccles. i. 15.
8
Lavacrum.
9
Compare de Orat. c. xiv.
10
In John xiii. 10, and Eph. iv. 5.