Opening the library…

Search the Bible

On Baptism

Tertullian

Chapter 8

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 VIII.—Of the Imposition of Hands. Types of the Deluge and the Dove.

In the next place the hand is laid on us

‹ Chapter 7 Chapter 9 ›

,

invoking

and

inviting

the

Holy

Spirit

through

benediction

.

Shall

it

be

granted

possible

for

human

ingenuity

to

summon

a

spirit

into

water

,

and

,

by

the

application

of

hands

from

above

,

to

animate

their

union

into

one

body

with

another

spirit

of

so

clear

sound

;

and

shall

it

not

be

possible

for

God

,

in

the

case

of

His

own

organ

,

to

produce

,

by

means

of

“

holy

hands

,

”

a

sublime

spiritual

modulation

?

But

this

,

as

well

as

the

former

,

is

derived

from

the

old

sacramental

rite

in

which

Jacob

blessed

his

grandsons

,

born

of

Joseph

,

Ephrem

and

Manasses

;

with

his

hands

laid

on

them

and

interchanged

,

and

indeed

so

transversely

slanted

one

over

the

other

,

that

,

by

delineating

Christ

,

they

even

portended

the

future

benediction

into

Christ

.

Then

,

over

our

cleansed

and

blessed

bodies

willingly

descends

from

the

Father

that

Holiest

Spirit

.

Over

the

waters

of

baptism

,

recognising

as

it

were

His

primeval

seat

,

He

reposes

:

(

He

who

)

glided

down

on

the

Lord

“

in

the

shape

of

a

dove

,

”

in

order

that

the

nature

of

the

Holy

Spirit

might

be

declared

by

means

of

the

creature

(

the

emblem

)

of

simplicity

and

innocence

,

because

even

in

her

bodily

structure

the

dove

is

without

literal

gall

.

And

accordingly

He

says

,

“

Be

ye

simple

as

doves

.

”

Even

this

is

not

without

the

supporting

evidence

of

a

preceding

figure

.

For

just

as

,

after

the

waters

of

the

deluge

,

by

which

the

old

iniquity

was

purged

—

after

the

baptism

,

so

to

say

,

of

the

world

—

a

dove

was

the

herald

which

announced

to

the

earth

the

assuagement

of

celestial

wrath

,

when

she

had

been

sent

her

way

out

of

the

ark

,

and

had

returned

with

the

olive

-

branch

,

a

sign

which

even

among

the

nations

is

the

fore

-

token

of

peace

;

so

by

the

self

-

same

law

of

heavenly

effect

,

to

earth

—

that

is

,

to

our

flesh

—

as

it

emerges

from

the

font

,

after

its

old

sins

flies

the

dove

of

the

Holy

Spirit

,

bringing

us

the

peace

of

God

,

sent

out

from

the

heavens

where

is

the

Church

,

the

typified

ark

.

But

the

world

returned

unto

sin

;

in

which

point

baptism

would

ill

be

compared

to

the

deluge

.

And

so

it

is

destined

to

fire

;

just

as

the

man

too

is

,

who

after

baptism

renews

his

sins

:

so

that

this

also

ought

to

be

accepted

as

a

sign

for

our

admonition

.

Notes

1
[See Bunsen, Hippol. Vol. III. Sec. xiii. p. 22.]
2
Concorporationem.
3
The reference is to certain hydraulic organs, which the editors tell us are described by Vitruvius, ix. 9 and x. 13, and Pliny, H. N. vii. 37.
4
i.e. Man. There may be an allusion to Eph. ii. 10, “We are His worksmanship,” and to Ps. cl. 4.
5
Compare 1 Tim. ii. 8.
6
i.e. Ephraim.
7
In Christum.
8
See c. iv. p. 668.
9
Matt. iii. 16; Luke iii. 22.
10
Ipso. The ancients held this.
11
Matt. x. 16. Tertullian has rendered ἀκέραιοι (unmixed) by “simplices,” i.e. without fold.
12
Argumento.
13
Pacem.
14
Paci.
15
Dispositione.
16
See de Orat. iv. ad init.
17
Lavacro.
18
Compare de Idol. xxiv. ad fin.
19
[2 Pet. i. 9; Heb. x. 26, 27, 29. These awful texts are too little felt by modern Christians. They are too often explained away.]