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On Baptism

Tertullian

Chapter 3

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 III.—Water Chosen as a Vehicle of Divine Operation and Wherefore. Its Prominence First of All in Creation.

Mindful of this declaration as of a conclusive prescript,

‹ Chapter 2 Chapter 4 ›

we

nevertheless

proceed

to

treat

the

question

,

“

How

foolish

and

impossible

it

is

to

be

formed

anew

by

water

.

In

what

respect

,

pray

,

has

this

material

substance

merited

an

office

of

so

high

dignity

?

”

The

authority

,

I

suppose

,

of

the

liquid

element

has

to

be

examined

.

This

however

,

is

found

in

abundance

,

and

that

from

the

very

beginning

.

For

water

is

one

of

those

things

which

,

before

all

the

furnishing

of

the

world

,

were

quiescent

with

God

in

a

yet

unshapen

state

.

“

In

the

first

beginning

,

”

saith

Scripture

,

“

God

made

the

heaven

and

the

earth

.

But

the

earth

was

invisible

,

and

unorganized

,

and

darkness

was

over

the

abyss

;

and

the

Spirit

of

the

Lord

was

hovering

over

the

waters

.

”

The

first

thing

,

O

man

,

which

you

have

to

venerate

,

is

the

age

of

the

waters

in

that

their

substance

is

ancient

;

the

second

,

their

dignity

,

in

that

they

were

the

seat

of

the

Divine

Spirit

,

more

pleasing

to

Him

,

no

doubt

,

than

all

the

other

then

existing

elements

.

For

the

darkness

was

total

thus

far

,

shapeless

,

without

the

ornament

of

stars

;

and

the

abyss

gloomy

;

and

the

earth

unfurnished

;

and

the

heaven

unwrought

:

water

alone

—

always

a

perfect

,

gladsome

,

simple

material

substance

,

pure

in

itself

—

supplied

a

worthy

vehicle

to

God

.

What

of

the

fact

that

waters

were

in

some

way

the

regulating

powers

by

which

the

disposition

of

the

world

thenceforward

was

constituted

by

God

?

For

the

suspension

of

the

celestial

firmament

in

the

midst

He

caused

by

“

dividing

the

waters

;

”

the

suspension

of

“

the

dry

land

”

He

accomplished

by

“

separating

the

waters

.

”

After

the

world

had

been

hereupon

set

in

order

through

its

elements

,

when

inhabitants

were

given

it

,

“

the

waters

”

were

the

first

to

receive

the

precept

“

to

bring

forth

living

creatures

.

”

Water

was

the

first

to

produce

that

which

had

life

,

that

it

might

be

no

wonder

in

baptism

if

waters

know

how

to

give

life

.

For

was

not

the

work

of

fashioning

man

himself

also

achieved

with

the

aid

of

waters

?

Suitable

material

is

found

in

the

earth

,

yet

not

apt

for

the

purpose

unless

it

be

moist

and

juicy

;

which

(

earth

)

“

the

waters

,

”

separated

the

fourth

day

before

into

their

own

place

,

temper

with

their

remaining

moisture

to

a

clayey

consistency

.

If

,

from

that

time

onward

,

I

go

forward

in

recounting

universally

,

or

at

more

length

,

the

evidences

of

the

“

authority

”

of

this

element

which

I

can

adduce

to

show

how

great

is

its

power

or

its

grace

;

how

many

ingenious

devices

,

how

many

functions

,

how

useful

an

instrumentality

,

it

affords

the

world

,

I

fear

I

may

seem

to

have

collected

rather

the

praises

of

water

than

the

reasons

of

baptism

;

although

I

should

thereby

teach

all

the

more

fully

,

that

it

is

not

to

be

doubted

that

God

has

made

the

material

substance

which

He

has

disposed

throughout

all

His

products

and

works

,

obey

Him

also

in

His

own

peculiar

sacraments

;

that

the

material

substance

which

governs

terrestrial

life

acts

as

agent

likewise

in

the

celestial

.

Notes

1
Compare the Jews’ question, Matt. xxi. 23.
2
Its authority.
3
Impolita.
4
Incomposita.
5
Ferebatur.
6
Gen. i. 1, 2, and comp. the LXX.
7
Liquor.
8
Gen. i. 6, 7, 8.
9
Animas.
10
Animare.
11
Rebus.