thiness of the ministers, but by the truth of God who did institute them. To him be glory, power and dominion, for ever and evr. Amen. Holy Baptism; What It Is; by Whom, and Was Instituted, and That There but of Water. Of the Baptism of Fire. Rite or Ceremony of Baptism; How, of to Whom It Must Be Ministered. Of Tism by Midwives; and of Infants Dying Without Baptism. Of the Baptism of Infants. Against Anabaptism or Re-baptizing; and of the Power or Efficacy of Baptism. The Eighth Sermon
Now I have to entreat particularly of holy baptism, holy supper of the Lord; which may be done so more briefly, as we have largely spoken already of in general. Christ our Lord open your minds, my tongue unto the glory and praise of his for ever!
[titas pollui non potest, et sacramento suo divina virtus assistit, sive]
[ad salutem bene utentium, sive ad perniciem male utentium. An]
[vero solis vel etiam lucernse lux, cum per ceenosa diffunditur, nihil inde]
[sordium contrahit, et baptismus Christi potest cujusquam sceleribus]
[inquinari? Si enim ad ipsas res visibiles, quibus sacramenta tractantur,]
[animum conferamus, quis nesciat eas esse corruptibiles? Si autem ad]
[id quod per illas agitur, quis non videat non posse corrumpi; quamvyis]
[homines per quos agitur pro suis moribus vel preemia percipiant vel]
[peenas luant 7—August. contra Donatist. Lib. mr. cap. 10. Opp. Tom.]
[vir. fol. 83. col. 1.]]
Baptism is a word fetched from the Greeks, who use both these words baptismus and baptisma, (both which signify baptism), as the Latins also do; and baptism is a dipping, which word Tertullian willingly useth!. For βάπτω signifieth to dip or dip in; and βαπτίζω, to plunge or put far in. Whereupon also, to baptize, is used for to plunge in, to wash away, or to cleanse; and baptizings in the scriptures are put for washings and purifyings, as it appeareth in St Mark, the seventh chapter, and in Paul to the Hebrews, the ninth chapter. To be baptized with the same baptism, is proverbially spoken of him that is partaker of the self-same danger or misfortune; and to be baptized with blood, is to be imbued with blood.
They define baptism, for the most part, to be a token or recognizance of our cleansing, yea, of our enrolling3, whereby we are received into the church to be of the number of God’s children. But we, describing the nature of baptism more at large, do say; that it is an holy action instituted of God, and consisting of the word of God and the holy rite or ceremony whereby the people of God are dipped in the water in the name of the Lord: to be short, whereby the Lord himself doth represent and seal unto us our purifying or cleansing, gathereth us into one body, and putteth the baptized in mind of their duty.
In this description of baptism these things seem chiefly to be considered: Who did institute baptism: of what things it consisteth: whether it be simple, but one and the self-same?, or drawn into many parts: what rite or ceremony of bap- ἡ tizing is delivered (to the church): what the end and force of baptism is.
It was no man that did institute the sacrament of baptism, but God himself; though by man it took the name?, that is to say, by John it was ministered, who of it was called the Baptist. That we might understand this, the evangelists in many places have confirmed that the calling of John was
[[! intinctio. Tertull. de Peenitentia, capp. 2. 6. Tom. 1v. pp. 38, 47.]
[ed. Semler. Hal. Mag. 1824.] [2 Erasmi. Adag. Chiliad. p. 478. mali retaliatio. Han. 1617.] [3 initiationis, Lat.] [1 but—self-same, Translator’s paraphrase and addition. [5 it took the name, not in Lat. ]]
from heaven; for thereby we may gather, that his ministry was from heaven. Doth not he say himself in express words: “He which sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Holy Ghost,” &c.? Also our Lord in the gospel, arguing that the baptism of John was not from men but from God, he demandeth of the Pharisees: “The baptism of John, whence was it, from heaven, or of men?” Wherefore the godly, yea even at this day, do receive baptism as it were at the hands of God himself, though they be baptized through the ministry of men. For the Lord, establishing? his institutions by his Spirit, worketh salvation in the elect. So that it must needs follow, that the virtue or eflicacy of baptism is not hindered by an evil minister: whereof hath been already elsewhere, and hereafter shall be spoken.