CONCERNING THE BAPTISM OF HERETICS. 207 not obey truth,much more truthdoesnot consent to error; and thereforewe stand by the church in which we preside, that,claimingher baptismforherselfalone,we shouldbaptize those whom the church has not baptized. Another Secundinus of Carpi1 said: Are hereticsChris tians or not? If they are Christians,why are they not in the church of God? If they are not Christians,how come they to make Christians? Or whitherwilltend the Lord's discourse,when He says," He thatisnot with me isagainst me, and he who gatherethnotwith me scattereth?" 2 Whence it appears plain that upon strangechildren,and on the off spring of Antichrist,the Holy Ghost cannot descendonly by impositionof hands,sinceit is manifestthat hereticshave not baptism. Victoricusof Thabraca 8 said: If hereticsare allowedto baptizeand to giveremissionof sins,whereforedo we brand them with infamy and callthem heretics? Another Felixof Uthina4 said: Nobody doubts,most holy fellow-priests,that human presumption is not able to do so much as the adorableand venerablemajesty of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore,remembering the danger,we ought not only to observe thisalso,but moreover to confirmitby the voiceof allof us,thatallhereticswho come to the bosom of Mother Church shouldbe baptized,thatthus the heretical mind thathas been pollutedby a long decay,purged by the sanctificationof the laver,may be reformed forthe better. Quietus of Baruch5 said: We who liveby faithought to obey with carefulobservancethosethingswhich beforehave been foretoldforour instruction.For itiswrittenin Solo mon: " He thatisbaptizedfrom thedead,[and againtoucheth the dead,6]what availethhis washing?"7 which certainly speaks of those who are washed by heretics,and of those 1InZeugitana,on thebordersofTunis. 2Matt.xii.80. * A colonyvariouslycalledTabracaorTabathra. * OBtnxinZcugitana. *Or Buruch,probablyBourkainNumidia. *Thisclauseisomittedinthelargernumberofeditions. »Ecclus.xrxiv.25.