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On Baptism

Tertullian

Chapter 2

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 II.—The Very Simplicity of God’s Means of Working, a Stumbling-Block to the Carnal Mind.

Well, but how great is the force of perversity

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for

so

shaking

the

faith

or

entirely

preventing

its

reception

,

that

it

impugns

it

on

the

very

principles

of

which

the

faith

consists

!

There

is

absolutely

nothing

which

makes

men’s

minds

more

obdurate

than

the

simplicity

of

the

divine

works

which

are

visible

in

the

act

,

when

compared

with

the

grandeur

which

is

promised

thereto

in

the

effect

;

so

that

from

the

very

fact

,

that

with

so

great

simplicity

,

without

pomp

,

without

any

considerable

novelty

of

preparation

,

finally

,

without

expense

,

a

man

is

dipped

in

water

,

and

amid

the

utterance

of

some

few

words

,

is

sprinkled

,

and

then

rises

again

,

not

much

(

or

not

at

all

)

the

cleaner

,

the

consequent

attainment

of

eternity

is

esteemed

the

more

incredible

.

I

am

a

deceiver

if

,

on

the

contrary

,

it

is

not

from

their

circumstance

,

and

preparation

,

and

expense

,

that

idols

’

solemnities

or

mysteries

get

their

credit

and

authority

built

up

.

Oh

,

miserable

incredulity

,

which

quite

deniest

to

God

His

own

properties

,

simplicity

and

power

!

What

then

?

Is

it

not

wonderful

,

too

,

that

death

should

be

washed

away

by

bathing

?

But

it

is

the

more

to

be

believed

if

the

wonderfulness

be

the

reason

why

it

is

not

believed

.

For

what

does

it

behove

divine

works

to

be

in

their

quality

,

except

that

they

be

above

all

wonder

?

We

also

ourselves

wonder

,

but

it

is

because

we

believe

.

Incredulity

,

on

the

other

hand

,

wonders

,

but

does

not

believe

:

for

the

simple

acts

it

wonders

at

,

as

if

they

were

vain

;

the

grand

results

,

as

if

they

were

impossible

.

And

grant

that

it

be

just

as

you

think

sufficient

to

meet

each

point

is

the

divine

declaration

which

has

forerun

:

“

The

foolish

things

of

the

world

hath

God

elected

to

confound

its

wisdom

;

”

and

,

“

The

things

very

difficult

with

men

are

easy

with

God

.

”

For

if

God

is

wise

and

powerful

(

which

even

they

who

pass

Him

by

do

not

deny

)

,

it

is

with

good

reason

that

He

lays

the

material

causes

of

His

own

operation

in

the

contraries

of

wisdom

and

of

power

,

that

is

,

in

foolishness

and

impossibility

;

since

every

virtue

receives

its

cause

from

those

things

by

which

it

is

called

forth

.

Notes

1
Consecutio æternitatis.
2
Admirationem.
3
i.e. that the simple be vain, and the grand impossible.
4
1 Cor. i. 27, not quite exactly quoted.
5
Luke xviii. 27, again inexact.