Chap. 4. — 6. And so it is clear that no good ground is shown herein why the bad man, who has baptism, may not also confer it; and as he has it to destruction, so he may also confer it to destruction, — not because this is the character of the thing conferred, nor of the person conferring, but because it is the character of him on whom it is conferred. For when a bad man confers it on a good man, that is, on one in the bond of unity, converted with a true conversion, the wickedness of him who confers it makes no severance between the good sacrament which is conferred, and the good member of the Church on whom it is conferred. And when his sins are forgiven him on his true conversion to God, they are forgiven by those to whom he is united by his true conversion. For the same Spirit forgives them, which is given to all the saints that cling to one another in love, whether they know one another in the body or not. Similarly when a man's sins are retained, they are assuredly retained by those from whom he, in whom they are retained, separates himself by dissimilarity of life, and by the turning away of a corrupt heart, whether they know him in the body or not.
Chap. 5. — 7. Wherefore all bad men are separated in the spirit from the good; but if they are separated in the body also by a manifest dissension, they are made yet worse. But, as it has been said, it makes no difference to the holiness of baptism how much worse the man may be that has it, or how much worse he that confers it: yet he that is separated may confer it, as he that is separated may have it; but as he has it to destruction, so he may confer it to destruction. But he on whom he confers it may receive it to his soul's health, if he, on his part, receive it not in separation; as it has happened to many that, in a catholic spirit, and with heart not alienated from the unity of peace, they have, under some pressure of impending death, turned hastily to some heretic and received from him the baotism of Christ ■ John xx. 23.
■ John xx. 23.
without any share in his per\'ersity, so that, whether dying or restored to life, they by no means remain in communion with those to whom they never passed in heart. But if the recipient himself has received the baptism in separation, he receives it so much the more to his destruction, in proportion to the greatness of the good which he has not received well; and it tends the more to his destruction in his separation, as it would avail the more to the salvation of one in unity. And so, if, reforming himself from his perverseness and turning from his separation, he should come to the Catholic peace, his sins are remitted through the bond of peace and the same baptism under which his sins were retained through the sacrilege of separation, because that is always holy both in the just and the unjust, which is neither increased by the righteousness nur diminished by the unrighteousness of any man.
8. This being the case, what bearing has it on so clear a truth, that many of his fellowbishops agreed with C3'prian in that opinion, and advanced their own several opinions on the same side, except that his charity towards the unity of Christ might become more and more conspicuous? For if he had been the only one to hold that opinion, with no one to agree with him, he might have been thought, in remaining, to have shrunk from the sin of schism, because he found no companions in his error; but when so many agreed with him, he showed, by remaining in unity with the rest who thought differently from him, that he preserved the m.05t sacred bond of universal catholicity, not from any fear of isolation, but from the love of peace. Wherefore it might indeed seem now to be superfluous to consider the several opinions of the other bishops also in that Council; but since those who are slow in heart think that no answer has been made at all, if to any passage in any discourse the answer which might be brought to bear on the spot be given not there br.t somewhere else, it is better that by reading much they should be polished into sharpness, than that by understanding little they should have room left for complaining that the argument has not been fairly conducted.
Chap. 6. — 9. First, then, let us record for further consideration the case proposed for decision by Cyprian himself, with which he initiates the proceedings of the Council, and by which he shows a peaceful spirit, abounding in the fruitfulness of Christian charity. "Ye have head," he says, "most beloved colleagues, what Jubaianus, our fellow-bishop, has written to me, consulting my [Book VI.
[Book VI.
poor ability about tlie unlawful and profane baptism of heretics, and what I have written back to him, expressing to him the same opinion tliat I have expressed once and again and often, that heretics coming to the Church ought to be baptized, and sanctified with the baptism of the Church. Another letter also of Jubaianus has been read to you, in which, agreeably to his sincere and religious devotion, in answer to our epistle, he not only expressed his assent to it, but also gratefully acknowledged that he had received instruction. It remains that we should individually express our opinions on this same subject, judging no one, and removing no one from the right of communion if he should entertain a different opinion. For neither does any one of us set himself up as a bishop of bishops, or by tyrannical terror force his colleagues to the necessity of obeying, since every bishop, in the free use of his liberty and power, has the right of free judgment, and can no more be judged by another than he can himself judge another. But we are all awaiting the judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ, who alone has the power both of preferring us in the government of His Church, and of judging of our actions. '' ' Chap. 7. — 10. I have already, I think, argued to the best of my power, in the preceding books, in the interests of Catholic unanimity and counsel, in whose unity these continued as pious members, in reply not only to the letter which Cyprian wrote to Jubaianus, but also to that which he sent to Quintus, and that which, in conjunction with certain of his colleagues, he sent to certain other colleagues, and that which he sent to Pompeius. Wherefore it seems now to be fitting to consider also what the others severally thought, and that with the liberty of which he himself would not deprive us, as he says, " Judging no one, nor removing any from the right of communion if he entertain different opinions. " And that he did not say this with the object of arriving at the hidden thoughts of his colleagues, extracted as it were from their secret lurking-places, but because he really loved peace and unity, is very easily to be seen from other passages of the same sort, where he wrote to individuals as to Jubaianus himself. "These things," he says, "we have written very shortly in answer to you, most beloved brother, according to our poor ability, not preventing any one of the bishops by our writing or judgment, from acting as he I Cone. Carth., the seventh under Cyprian, a.d. 256. Intro ducti^n.
thinks right, having a free exercise of his own judgment."^ And that it might not seem that any one, because of his entertaining different opinions in this same free exercise of his judgment, should be driven from the society of his brethren, he goes on to say, "We, so far as lies in us, do not strive on behalf of heretics against our colleagues and fellow-bishops, with whom we maintain godly unity and the peace of our Lord; " - and a little later he says, "Charity of spirit, respect for our fraternity, the bond of faith, the harmony of the priesthood, are by us maintained with patience and gentleness."- And so also in the epistle which he wrote to Magnus, when he was asked whether there was any difference in the efficacy of baptism by sprinkling or by immersion, " Li this matter," he says, " I am too modest and diffident to prevent any one by my judgment from thinking as he deems right, and acting as he thinks." ' By which discourses he clearly shows that these subjects were being handled by them at a time when they were not )'et received as decided beyond all question, but were being investigated with great care as being yet unrevealed. We, therefore, maintaining on the subject of the identity of all baptisms what must be acknowledged everywhere to be the custom '^ of the universal Church, and what is confirmed by the decision of general Councils,= and taking greater confidence also from the words of Cyprian, ^yhich allowed me even then to hold opinions differing from his own without forfeiting the right of communion, seeing that greater importance and praise were attached to unity, such as the blessed Cyprian and his colleagues, with whom he held that Council, maintained with those of different opinions, disturbing and overthrowing thereby the seditious calumnies of heretics and schismatics in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, speaking by His apostle, says, " Forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;"* and again, by the mouth of the same apostle, " If in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you," ' — we, I say, propose for consideration and discussion the opinions of the holy bishops, without violating the bond of unity and peace with them, in maintaining which we imitate them so far as we can by the aid of the Lord Llimself.
;i 4 De baptismi sitnplicitate nbigtie m^nosretidain consuet^idineiii. The Benedictines give the reading of some mss.: '''■ De baptismi simplicitatc iibigtie agnoscetuiu,'^ etc., " maintaining the custom of the universal Church to acknowledge everywhere the identity of baptism."
5 Conciliis universalibus, ^ Eph. iv. 2, 3, 7 Phil. iii. IS. I Chap. IX.]
Chap. viii. — u. C^ecilius of Bilta' said: " I know of one baptism in the one Church, and of none outside the Church. The one will be where there is true hope and sure faith. For so it is written, 'One faith, one hope, one baptism.'^ Not among heretics, where there is no hope and a false faith; where all things are done by a lie; where one possessed of a devil exorcises; the question of the sacrament is asked by one from whose mouth and words proceeds a cancer; the faithless gives faith; the guilty gives pardon for sins; and Antichrist baptizes in the name of Christ; one accursed of God blesses; the dead promises life; the unpeaceful gives peace; the blasphemer calls on God; the profane administers the priesthood; the sacrilegious sets up the altar. To all this is added this further evil, that the servant of the devil dares to celebrate the eucharist. If this be not so, let those who stand by them prove that all of it is false concerning heretics. See the kind of things to which the Church is compelled to assent, being forced to communicate without baptism or the remission of sins. This, brethren, we ought to shun and avoid, separating ourselves from so great a sin, and holding to the one baptism which is granted to the Church alone." ^ 12. To this I answer, that all who even within the Church profess that they know God, but deny Him in their deeds, such as are the covetous and envious, and those who, because they hate their brethren, are pronounced to be murderers, not on my testimony, but on that of the holy Apostle John,'* — all these are both devoid of hope, because they have a bad conscience; and are faithless, because they do not do what they have vowed to God; and liars, because they make false professions; and possessed of devils, because they give place in their heart to the devil and ins angels; and their words work corruption, since they corrupt good manners by evil comnumications; and they are infidels, because tiey laugh at the threats which God utters a-ainst such men; and accursed, because tiiey live wickedly; and antichrists, because i-iieir lives are opposed to Christ; and cursed if God, since holy Scripture everywhere calls 'wn curses on such men; and dead, because ' -cy are witliout the life of righteousness; and unpeaceful, because by their contrary j deeds they are at variance with God's behests; :d blasphemous, because by their abandoned Ixx ' Bilta (Hiltha, Vilta) was in Africa Proconsularis. This Caecil-- is probably the same as the one addressed by Cyprian in Ep.
1.; and who unites with Cyprian and other bishops in let-!,■- addressed tu others. Epp. iv. (to Pomponiusl, Ivii., Ixvli., acts despite is done to the name of Christian; and profane, because they are spiritually shut out from that inner sanctuary of God; and sacrilegious, because by their evil life they defile the temple of God within themselves; and servants of the devil, because they do service to fraud and covetousness, which is idolatry. That of such a kind are some, nay very many, even within the Church, is testified both by Paul the apostle and by Cyprian the bishop. Why, then, do they baptize? Why also are some, who " renounce the world in words and not in deeds," baptized without being converted from a life like this, and not rebaptized when they are converted? And as to what he says with such indignation, " See the kind of things to which the Church is compelled to assent, being forced to communicate without baptism or the remission of sms," he could never have used such expressions had there not been the other bishops who elsewhere forced men to such things. Whence also it is shown that at that time those men held the truer views who did not depart from the primitive custom, which is since confirmed by the consent of a general Council. 5 But what does he mean by adding, " This, brethren, we ought to shun and avoid, separating ourselves from so great a sin? '' For if he means that he is not to do nor to approve of this, that is another matter; but if he means to condemn and sever from him those that hold the contrary opinion, he is setting himself against the earlier words of Cyprian, "Judging no man, nor depriving any of the right of communion if he differ from us."
Chap. 9. — 13. The elder Felix* of Migirpa said: "I think that every one coming from heresy should be baptized. For in vain does any one suppose that he has been baptized there, seeing that there is no baptism save the one true baptism in the Church; for there is one Lord, and one faith, and one Church, in which rests the one baptism, and holiness, and the rest. For the things that are practised without have no ])ower to work salvation."
14. To what Felix of Migirpa said we answer as follows. If the one true baptism did not exist except in the Church, it surely would not exist in those who depart from unity. But it does exist in them, since they do not 6 This section is wanting in the Mss. and in the edition of Amerbach, so that it has been supposed to have been added by Erasmus from Cyprian (Cone. Carth. sec. a), — the name of Eelix (really Primus), which is not found in Cyprian, bein.i; derived from the followin.ir section of Autrustin. So Hartel: I'yiiniis a Misgir/ia iiixit. IMiv'irpaor Misi;irpa, was in ZeuKitana. This Primus is seemincfly identical with the Primus of Cypr. Epp. 67 (following Ca;ciliHjs/, and 70 (preceding Cacilius).
THE AVORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Book VI.
receive it when they return, simply because they had not lost it when they departed. But as regards his statement, that "the things that are practised without have no power to work salvation," I agree with him, and think that it is quite true; for it is one thing that baptism should not be there, and another that it should have no power to work salvation. For when men come to the peace of the Catholic Church, then what was in them before they joined it, but did not profit them, begins at once to profit them.
Chap. io. — 15. To the declaration of Polycarp of Adrumetum,' that " those who declare the baptism of heretics to be valid, make ours of none effect," we answer, if that is the baptism of heretics which is given by heretics, then that is the baptism of the covetous and murderers which is given by them within the Church. But if this be not their baptism, neither is the other the baptism of heretics; and so it is Christ's, by whomsoever it be given.
Chap. ii. — 16. Novatus of Thamugadis^ said: "Though we know that all Scripture gives its testimony respecting saving baptism, yet we ought to express our belief that heretics and schismatics, coming to the Church with the semblance of having been baptized, ought to be baptized in the unfailing fountain; and that therefore, according to the testimony of the Scriptures, and according to the decree of those most holy men, our colleagues, ^ all schismatics and heretics who are converted to the Church ought to be baptized; and that, moreover, all that seemed to have received ordination should be admitted as simple laymen.''
17. Novatus of Thamugadis has stated what he has done, but he has brought forward no proofs by which to show that he ought to have acted as he did. For he has made mention of the testimony of the Scriptures, and the decree of his colleagues, but he has not adduced out of them anything which we could consider.
Chap. 12. — 18. Nemesianus of Tubunse'' I Adrumetum (Hadrumetum) was an ancient Phoenician settlement, made a Roman colony by Trajan, on the coast of the Sinus Neapolitanus. some ninety miles south-east of Carthage, capital of Byzacium. Cyprian writes to I!p. Cornelius, Ep. xlviii., vindicating Polycarp: his name occurs also in the titles of Cypr. Epp. Ivii., Ixvii. (after Primus), and Ixx. (after Ca;cilius).
= Thamugadis (Thamogade), a town in Numidia, on the east side of Mount Aurasius. The whole opinion of Novatus (Cone. Garth, sec. 4), is omitted in the mss.
3 The words in Cyprian are, " secundum decretum coUegai-tim iiostroriiiu safictissiinte incinorice ■s'irorum.'''' The decree referred to is one of the Council held by Agrippinus.
4 Tubuna;, a town in Mauritania Csesariensis. Nemesianus probably same with one of that name in Cypr. Epp. Ixii., Ixx., Ixxvi., Ixxvii.
said: hv That the baptism which is given heretics and schismatics is not true is everywhere declared in the holy Scriptures, inasmuch as their very prelates are false Christs and false prophets, as the Lord declares l)y the mouth of Solomon, ' Whoso trusteth in lies, the same feedeth the winds; he also followeth flying birds. For he deserteth the ways of his own vineyard, and hath strayed from the paths of his own field. For he walketh through pathless and dry places, and a land destined to thirst; and he gathereth fruitless weeds in his hands. 's And again, 'Abstain from strange water, and drink not of a strange fountain, that thou mayest live lorn,', and that years may be added to thy life.'^ And in the gospel our Lord Jesus Christ spake with His own voice, saying, ' Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.'' This is the Spirit which from the beginning 'moved upon the face of the waters. '° For neither can the Spirit act without the water, nor the water without the Spirit. Ill, therefore, for themselves do some interpret, saying that by imposition of hands they receive the Holy Ghost, and are received into the Church, when it is manifest that they ought to be born again by both sacraments in the Catholic Church. For then indeed will they be able to become the sons of God, as the apostle says, ' Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God.' ^ All this the Catholic Church asserts. And again he says in the gospel, ' That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit; for the Spirit is God, and is born of God.''° Therefore all things whatsoever all heretics and schismatics do are carnal, as the apostle says, ' Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, 5 Prov. ix. 12, LXX., the passage being altogether absent in the Hebrew, and consequently in the English version. Probably in N. Afr. version. The text in Erasmus is somewhat different, and was revised by the Louvain editors to bring it into harmony with the ansvi^er of Augustin and the text of Cyprian (Cone. Carth. sec. 5).
6 Prov. ix. 18, LXX., possibly N. Afr. version also.
10 Qzioniatn Sjiin'tus Deus est,et de Deo natus est. These words are found at the end of John iii. 6, in the oldest Latin ms. (in the Bodleian Library), and their meaning appears to be. as given in the text, that whatsoever is born of the Spirit is spirit, since the Holy Ghost, being God, and born of, or proceeding from God, in virtue of His supreme power makes those to be spirits whom He regenerates. If the meaning had been (as Bishop Fell takes it), that " he who is born of the Spirit is born of God.'' the neuter " de Deo tiatum est" would have been required. To refer " Spiritus Dens est" with the Benedictines, to John iv. 24, " God is a Spirit," reverses the grammar and destroys the sense of the passage. The ab(n e explanation is taken from the preface to Cyprian by the monk of St. Maur (Maranus), p. xxxvi., quoted by Routh, Rel. Sac. iii. 193.
i Chap. XII.]
i Chap. XII.]
hatred, variance, emulations, wratli, seditions, heresies, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.'' The apostle condemns, equally with all the wicked, those also who cause divisions, that is, schismatics and heretics. Unless therefore they receive that saving baptism which is one, and found only in the Catholic Church, they cannot be saved, but will be condemned with the carnal in the judgment of the Lord."
19. Nemesianus of Tubunae has advanced many passages of Scripture to prove his point; but he has in fact said much on behalf of the view of the Catholic Church, which we have undertaken to set forth and maintain. Unless, indeed, we must suppose that he does not " trust in what is false " who trusts in the hope of things temporal, as do all covetous men and robbers, and those "who renounce the world in words but not in deeds," of whom Cyprian yet bears witness that such men not only baptize, but even are baptized within the Church.'' For they themselves also " follow flying birds," ^ since they do not attain to what they desire. But not only the heretic, but everyone who leads an evil life, " deserteth the ways of his own vineyard, and hath strayed from the paths of his own field. And he walketh through pathless and dry places, and a land destined to thirst; and he gathereth fruitless weeds in his hands;" because all justice is fruitful, and all iniquity is barren. Those, again, who "drink strange water out of a strange fountain," are found not only among heretics, but among all who do not live according to the teaching of God, and do live according to the teaching of the devil. For if he were speaking of baptism, he would not say, " Do not drink of a strange fountain," but, do not wash thyself in a strange fountain. Again, I do not see at all what aid he gets towards proving his point from the words of our Lord, " Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."" For it is one thing to say that every one who shall enter into the kingdom of heaven is first born again of water and the Spirit, because except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, which is the Lord's saying, and is true; another 'ng to say that every one who is born of [water and the Spirit shall enter into the king- Irlom of heaven, which is assuredly false. For > mon Magus also was born of water and of jtiie Spirit,^ and yet he did not enter into the ' Oal. V. 19-21.
3 Prov. i.\. 12, cp. LXX.
5 Acts viii. 13.
kingdom of heaven; and this may possibly be the case with heretics as well. Or if only those are born of the Spirit who are changed with a true conversion, all " who renounce the world in word and not in deed " are assuredly not born of the Spirit, but of water only, and yet they are within the Church, according to the testimony of Cyprian. For we must perforce grant one of two things, — either those who renounce the world deceitfully are born of the Spirit, though it is to their destruction, not to salvation, and therefore heretics may be so born; or if what is written, that "the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee deceit,"^ extends to proving as much as this, that those who renounce the world deceitfully are not born of the Spirit, then a man may be baptized with water, and not born of the Spirit, and Nemesianus says in vain that neither the Spirit can work without the water, nor the water without the Spirit. Indeed it has been already often shown how it is possible that men should have one baptism in common who have not one Church, as it is possible that in the body of the Church herself those who are sanctified by their righteousness, and those who are polluted through their covetousness, may not have the same one Spirit, and yet have the same one baptism. For it is said " one body," that is, the Church, just as it is said " one Spirit " and " one baptism." The other arguments which he has adduced rather favor our position. For he has brought forward a proof from the gospel, in the words, " That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit; for the Spirit is God, and born of God; " ^ and he has advanced the argument that therefore all things that are done by any heretic or schismatic are carnal, as the apostle says, '^The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness; " and so he goes through the list which the apostle there enumerates, amongst which he has reckoned heresies, since "they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." ^ Then he goes on to add, that '* therefore the apostle condemns with all wicked men those also who cause division, that is, schismatics and heretics." And in this he does well, that when he enumerates the works of the flesh, among which are also heresies, he found and declared that the apostle condemns them all alike. Let him therefore question the holy Cyprian himself, and learn from him how many even within the Church live according to the evil works of the flesh, which the apostle condemns in common with the heresies, 6 Wisd.
7 John iii. 6.
8 Gal.
V. 19-21.
[Book VI.
and yet these both baptize and are baptized. Why then are heretics alone said to be incapable of possessing baptism, which is possessed by the very partners in their condemnation?
Chap. 13. — 20. Januarius of Lambaese ' said: "Following the authority of the holy Scriptures, I pronounce that all heretics should be baptized, and so admitted into the holy Church." = 21. To him we answer, that, following the authority of the holy Scriptures, a universal Council of the whole world decreed that the baptism of Christ was not to be disavowed, even when found among heretics. But if he had brought forward any proof from the Scriptures, we should have shown either that they were not against us, or even that they were for us, as we proceed to do with him who follows.
Chap. 14. — 21. Lucius of Castra Galbae^ said: " Since the Lord hath said in His gospel, 'Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, that which is salted from it shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men;'* and seeing that again, after His resurrection, when sending forth His apostles. He commanded them, saying, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth: go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,' ^ — since then it is plain that heretics, that is, the enemies of Christ, have not the full confession of the sacrament, also that schismatics cannot reason with spiritual wisdom, since they themselves, by withdrawing when they have lost their savor from the Church, which is one, have become contrary to it,^ let that be done which is written, ' The houses of those that are opposed to the law must needs be cleansed; '^ and it therefore follows that those who have been polluted by being baptized by men opposed to Christ should first be cleansed, and only then baptized."® I Lambaese (Lambese) was one of the chief cities in southern Numidia. This Januarius is not unlikely identical with the first of that name in Cypr. Ep. Ixvii., and with the one of Epp. Ixii. and Ixx. For an opponent of Cyprian in Lambese. see Cypr. Epp. XXXVI. and lix.
' Cone. Carth. sec. 6.