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| Unity of Baptism. Remarks on Heretical And Jewish Baptism. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter
XV.—Unity of Baptism. Remarks on Heretical And Jewish
Baptism.
I know not whether any further point is mooted to
bring baptism into controversy. Permit me to call to mind what I have
omitted above, lest I seem to break off the train of impending thoughts
in the middle. There is to us one, and but one, baptism; as well
according to the Lord’s gospel8689
8689 Oehler refers us to c.
xii. above, “He who hath once bathed.” | as according
to the apostle’s letters,8690
8690 i.e. the Epistle to
the Ephesians especially. | inasmuch as
he says, “One God, and one baptism, and one church in the
heavens.”8691 But it must be
admitted that the question, “What rules are to be observed with
regard to heretics?” is worthy of being treated. For it is to
us8692
8692 i.e. us Christians; of
“Catholics,” as Oehler explains it. | that that
assertion8693
8693 i.e. touching the
“one baptism.” | refers. Heretics,
however, have no fellowship in our discipline, whom the mere fact of
their excommunication8694
8694 Ademptio
communicationis. [See Bunsen, Hippol. III. p. 114, Canon
46.] | testifies to be
outsiders. I am not bound to recognize in them a thing which is
enjoined on me, because they and we have not the same God, nor
one—that is, the same—Christ. And therefore their
baptism is not one with ours either, because it is not the
same; a baptism which, since they have it not duly, doubtless they
have not at all; nor is that capable of being counted
which is not had.8695 Thus they cannot
receive it either, because they have it not. But this
point has already received a fuller discussion from us in Greek.
We enter, then, the font8696 once:
once are sins washed away, because they ought never to be repeated.
But the Jewish Israel bathes daily,8697
8697 Compare de
Orat. c. xiv. | because he is
daily being defiled: and, for fear that defilement should be
practised among us also, therefore was the definition touching
the one bathing8698 made. Happy water,
which once washes away; which does not mock sinners (with vain
hopes); which does not, by being infected with the repetition of
impurities, again defile them whom it has washed!E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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