Anonymous Treatise on Re-baptism.

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 A Treatise on Re-Baptism by an Anonymous Writer. That They Who Have Once Been Washed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Ought Not to Be Re-Baptized

 1. I observe that it has been asked among the brethren what course ought specially to be adopted towards the persons of those who, although baptized i

 2. To such, then, as approach to a discussion of saving and modern, that is, of spiritual and evangelical baptism, there occurs first of all the annou

 3. And to these things thou perchance, who art bringing in some novelty, mayest immediately and impatiently reply, as thou art wont, that the Lord sai

 4. And this being found to be so, what thinkest thou, my brother? If a man be not baptized by a bishop, so as even at once to have the imposition of h

 5. And if this be so, and the occurrence of any of these things cannot deprive a man who believes, of salvation, thou thyself also affirmest that the

 6. And this also,—looking at it from the opposite side of this discussion,—those disciples of our Lord themselves attained, upon whom, being previousl

 7. Neither must you esteem what our Lord said as being contrary to this treatment: “Go ye, teach the nations baptize them in the name of the Father,

 8. But these things thou wilt, as thou art wont, contradict, by objecting to us, that when they baptized, the disciples were baptized perfectly, and r

 9. By which things, and by many deeds of this kind tending to His glory, it appeared to follow as a consequence, that in whatever manner the Jews thin

 10. Besides, what wilt thou say of those who are in many cases baptized by bishops of very bad character, who yet at length, when God so wills it, con

 11. And what wilt thou determine against the person of him who hears the word, and haply taken up in the name of Christ, has at once confessed, and ha

 12. Wherefore the whole of this discussion must be considered, that it may be made clearer. For the invocation of the name of Jesus can only be an adv

 13. For any one of us will hold it necessary, that whatever is the last thing to be found in a man in this respect, is that whereby he must be judged,

 14. And even to this point the whole of that heretical baptism may be amended, after the intervention of some space of time, if a man should survive a

 15. And since we seem to have divided all spiritual baptism in a threefold manner, let us come also to the proof of the statement proposed, that we ma

 16. But since the first part of this argument seems to be unfolded, we ought to touch on its subsequent part, on account of the heretics because it i

 17. Moreover, if a man of this sort should again return to thee, thou wilt assuredly hesitate whether he may have baptism or no and yet it will behov

 18. And the Spirit, indeed, continues to this day invisible to men, as the Lord says, “The Spirit breathes where He will and thou knowest not whence

 19. I think that we have fully followed out the announcement of John the Baptist, whence we began our discourse, when he said to the Jews, “I indeed b

7. Neither must you esteem what our Lord said as being contrary to this treatment: “Go ye, teach the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”20    Matt. xxviii. 19. Because, although this is true and right, and to be observed by all means in the Church, and moreover has been used to be observed, yet it behoves us to consider that invocation of the name of Jesus ought not to be thought futile by us on account of the veneration and power of that very name, in which name all kinds of power are accustomed to be exercised, and occasionally some even by men outside the Church. But to what effect are those words of Christ, who said that He would deny, and not know, those who should say to Him in the day of judgment, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name cast out demons, and in Thy name done many wonderful works,” when He answered them, even with emphasis,21    “Jurejurando.” “I never knew you; depart from me, ye who work iniquity,”22    Mark xiv. 27. unless that it should be shown to us, that even by those who work iniquity might these good works also be done, by the superfluous23    [Query, superabounding?] energy of the name of Christ?  Therefore ought this invocation of the name of Jesus to be received as a certain beginning of the mystery of the Lord common to us and to all others, which may afterwards be filled up with the remaining things. Otherwise such an invocation would not avail if it should remain alone, because after the death of a man in this position there cannot be added to him anything at all, nor supplemented, nor can, in anything, avail him in the day of judgment, when they shall begin to be reproached by our Lord with those things which we have above mentioned, none of whom notwithstanding in this present time may by any man be so hardly and cruelly prohibited from aiding themselves in those ways which we have above shown.

VII. Nec aestimes huic tractatui contrarium esse quod dixit Dominus: Ite, docete Gentes, tinguite eos in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti. (Matt. XXVIII, 19). Quia cum hoc verum et rectum et omnibus modis in Ecclesia observandum sit, et observari quoque solitum sit, tamen considerare oportet quod invocatio nominis Jesu non debet a nobis futilis videri propter venerationem et virtutem ipsius nominis: in quo nomine virtutes omnes solent fieri, et nonnumquam aliquae etiam ab hominibus extraneis. Caeterum quo pertinent illa verba Christi, 1191D qui negaturum se esse dixit, nec nosse eos qui sibi in die judicii dicturi essent: Domine, Domine, nonne in tuo nomine prophetavimus, et in nomine tuo daemonia ejecimus, et in nomine tuo virtutes magnas fecimus, respondendo eis etiam cum jurejurando quia numquam cognovi vos; discedite a me qui operamini iniquitatem (Marc. XIV, 27); nisi ostenderetur nobis nonnumquam etiam ab his qui operarentur iniquitatem, posse per nimiam virtutem nominis Jesu etiam haec fieri? idcircoque debet invocatio 1192A haec nominis Jesu quasi initium quoddam mysterii Dominici commune nobis et caeteris omnibus accipi, quod possit postmodum residuis rebus impleri; alias non profutura talis invocatio cum sola permanserit, quia post mortem ejusmodi hominis non potest ei quidquam omnino adjici, vel suppleri aut in aliquo prodesse die judicii, cum illi a Domino nostro quae supra memoravimus coeperint exprobrari qui tamen universi hodie ut sibi his modis subveniant quibus supra ostendimus, non possunt ab ullo hominum tam dure tamque crudeliter prohiberi.