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| Introduction. Origin of the Treatise.
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II.
On Baptism.
[Translated by the Rev. S.
Thelwall.]
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Chapter I.—Introduction. Origin
of the Treatise.
Happy is our8542
sacrament of water, in that, by washing away
the sins of our early blindness, we are set free and admitted
into eternal life! A treatise on this matter will not be superfluous;
instructing not only such as are just becoming formed (in the faith),
but them who, content with having simply believed, without full
examination of the grounds8543
of the traditions,
carry (in mind), through ignorance, an untried though probable
faith. The consequence is, that a viper of the Cainite heresy, lately
conversant in this quarter, has carried away a great number with her
most venomous doctrine, making it her first aim to destroy baptism.
Which is quite in accordance with nature; for vipers and asps and
basilisks themselves generally do affect arid and waterless places. But
we, little fishes, after the example of our ΙΧΘΥΣ8544
| 8544 This curious allusion
it is impossible, perhaps, to render in our language. The word
ΙΧΘΥΣ
(ikhthus) in Greek means “a
fish;” and it was used as a name for our Lord Jesus, because the
initials of the words ᾽Ιησοῦς
Χριστὸς Θεοῦ
Υἰὸς Σωτήρ
(i.e. Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior), make up that
word. Oehler with these remarks, gives abundant
references on that point. [Dr. Allix suspects Montanism here, but see
Kaye, p. 43, and Lardner, Credib. II. p. 335. We may date it
circa a.d. 193.] | Jesus Christ, are born in water, nor
have we safety in any other way than by permanently abiding in water;
so that most monstrous creature, who had no right to teach even sound
doctrine,8545
knew full well how
to kill the little fishes, by taking them away from the
water!E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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