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On Baptism

Tertullian

Chapter 5

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 V.—Use Made of Water by the Heathen. Type of the Angel at the Pool of Bethsaida.

“Well, but the nations, who are strangers to

‹ Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ›

all

understanding

of

spiritual

powers

,

ascribe

to

their

idols

the

imbuing

of

waters

with

the

self

-

same

efficacy

.

”

(

So

they

do

)

but

they

cheat

themselves

with

waters

which

are

widowed

.

For

washing

is

the

channel

through

which

they

are

initiated

into

some

sacred

rites

—

of

some

notorious

Isis

or

Mithras

.

The

gods

themselves

likewise

they

honour

by

washings

.

Moreover

,

by

carrying

water

around

,

and

sprinkling

it

,

they

everywhere

expiate

country

-

seats

,

houses

,

temples

,

and

whole

cities

:

at

all

events

,

at

the

Apollinarian

and

Eleusinian

games

they

are

baptized

;

and

they

presume

that

the

effect

of

their

doing

that

is

their

regeneration

and

the

remission

of

the

penalties

due

to

their

perjuries

.

Among

the

ancients

,

again

,

whoever

had

defiled

himself

with

murder

,

was

wont

to

go

in

quest

of

purifying

waters

.

Therefore

,

if

the

mere

nature

of

water

,

in

that

it

is

the

appropriate

material

for

washing

away

,

leads

men

to

flatter

themselves

with

a

belief

in

omens

of

purification

,

how

much

more

truly

will

waters

render

that

service

through

the

authority

of

God

,

by

whom

all

their

nature

has

been

constituted

!

If

men

think

that

water

is

endued

with

a

medicinal

virtue

by

religion

,

what

religion

is

more

effectual

than

that

of

the

living

God

?

Which

fact

being

acknowledged

,

we

recognise

here

also

the

zeal

of

the

devil

rivalling

the

things

of

God

,

while

we

find

him

,

too

,

practising

baptism

in

his

subjects

.

What

similarity

is

there

?

The

unclean

cleanses

!

the

ruiner

sets

free

!

the

damned

absolves

!

He

will

,

forsooth

,

destroy

his

own

work

,

by

washing

away

the

sins

which

himself

inspires

!

These

(

remarks

)

have

been

set

down

by

way

of

testimony

against

such

as

reject

the

faith

;

if

they

put

no

trust

in

the

things

of

God

,

the

spurious

imitations

of

which

,

in

the

case

of

God’s

rival

,

they

do

trust

in

.

Are

there

not

other

cases

too

,

in

which

,

without

any

sacrament

,

unclean

spirits

brood

on

waters

,

in

spurious

imitation

of

that

brooding

of

the

Divine

Spirit

in

the

very

beginning

?

Witness

all

shady

founts

,

and

all

unfrequented

brooks

,

and

the

ponds

in

the

baths

,

and

the

conduits

in

private

houses

,

or

the

cisterns

and

wells

which

are

said

to

have

the

property

of

“

spiriting

away

,

”

through

the

power

,

that

is

,

of

a

hurtful

spirit

.

Men

whom

waters

have

drowned

or

affected

with

madness

or

with

fear

,

they

call

nymph

-

caught

,

or

“

lymphatic

,

”

or

“

hydro

-

phobic

.

”

Why

have

we

adduced

these

instances

?

Lest

any

think

it

too

hard

for

belief

that

a

holy

angel

of

God

should

grant

his

presence

to

waters

,

to

temper

them

to

man’s

salvation

;

while

the

evil

angel

holds

frequent

profane

commerce

with

the

selfsame

element

to

man’s

ruin

.

If

it

seems

a

novelty

for

an

angel

to

be

present

in

waters

,

an

example

of

what

was

to

come

to

pass

has

forerun

.

An

angel

,

by

his

intervention

,

was

wont

to

stir

the

pool

at

Bethsaida

.

They

who

were

complaining

of

ill

-

health

used

to

watch

for

him

;

for

whoever

had

been

the

first

to

descend

into

them

,

after

his

washing

,

ceased

to

complain

.

This

figure

of

corporeal

healing

sang

of

a

spiritual

healing

,

according

to

the

rule

by

which

things

carnal

are

always

antecedent

as

figurative

of

things

spiritual

.

And

thus

,

when

the

grace

of

God

advanced

to

higher

degrees

among

men

,

an

accession

of

efficacy

was

granted

to

the

waters

and

to

the

angel

.

They

who

were

wont

to

remedy

bodily

defects

,

now

heal

the

spirit

;

they

who

used

to

work

temporal

salvation

now

renew

eternal

;

they

who

did

set

free

but

once

in

the

year

,

now

save

peoples

in

a

body

daily

,

death

being

done

away

through

ablution

of

sins

.

The

guilt

being

removed

,

of

course

the

penalty

is

removed

too

.

Thus

man

will

be

restored

for

God

to

His

“

likeness

,

”

who

in

days

bygone

had

been

conformed

to

“

the

image

”

of

God

;

(

the

“

image

”

is

counted

(

to

be

)

in

his

form

:

the

“

likeness

”

in

his

eternity

:

)

for

he

receives

again

that

Spirit

of

God

which

he

had

then

first

received

from

His

afflatus

,

but

had

afterward

lost

through

sin

.

Notes

2
i.e., as Oehler rightly explains, “lacking the Holy Spirit’s presence and virtue.”
3
Or, “purify.”
4
[Diabolus Dei Simius.]
5
Gestationem.
6
Euripi.
7
Rapere.
8
Necaverunt.
9
“Nympholeptos,” restored by Oehler, = νυμφολήπτους.
10
So Tertullian reads, and some copies, but not the best, of the New Testament in the place referred to, John v. 1–9. [And note Tertullian’s textual testimony as to this Scripture.]
11
Compare 1 Cor. xv. 46.
12
John i. 16, 17.
13
Qui: i.e. probably “angeli qui.”
14
Vitia.
15
Or, “health”—salutem.
16
Conservant populos.