Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p><span class=\"smcap\">Chap. xxii.</span>—29. That the place of baptism is sometimes\r\nsupplied by martyrdom is supported by an argument by no\r\nmeans trivial, which the blessed Cyprian adduces<a id=\"FNanchor_295_295\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_295_295\">[295]</a> from the\r\nthief, to whom, though he was not baptized, it was yet said,\r\n\"To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.\"<a id=\"FNanchor_296_296\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_296_296\">[296]</a> On considering\r\nwhich again and again, I find that not only martyrdom for the\r\nsake of Christ may supply what was wanting of baptism, but\r\nalso faith and conversion of heart, if recourse may not be had\r\nto the celebration of the mystery of baptism for want of time.<a id=\"FNanchor_297_297\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_297_297\">[297]</a>\r\nFor neither was that thief crucified for the name of Christ,\r\nbut as the reward of his own deeds; nor did he suffer because\r\nhe believed, but he believed while suffering. It was shown,\r\ntherefore, in the case of that thief, how great is the power,\r\neven without the visible sacrament of baptism, of what the\r\napostle says, \"With the heart man believes unto righteousness,\r\nand with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.\"<a id=\"FNanchor_298_298\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_298_298\">[298]</a> But\r\nthe want is supplied invisibly only when the administration\r\nof baptism is prevented, not by contempt for religion, but by\r\nthe necessity of the moment. For much more in the case of\r\nCornelius and his friends, than in the case of that robber,\r\nmight it seem superfluous that they should also be baptized\r\nwith water, seeing that in them the gift of the Holy Spirit,<span class=\"pagenum\"><a id=\"Page_111\">[Pg 111]</a></span>\r\nwhich, according to the testimony of holy Scripture, was\r\nreceived by other men only after baptism, had made itself\r\nmanifest by every unmistakeable sign appropriate to those\r\ntimes when they spoke with tongues. Yet they were baptized,\r\nand for this action we have the authority of an apostle as\r\nthe warrant. So far ought all of us to be from being induced\r\nby any perfection in the inner man, if it so happen that before\r\nbaptism a person has advanced, through the workings of a\r\npious heart, to spiritual understanding, to despise a sacrament\r\nwhich is applied to the body by the hands of the minister,\r\nbut which is God's own means for working spiritually a man's\r\ndedication to Himself. Nor do I conceive that the function\r\nof baptizing was assigned to John, so that it should be called\r\nJohn's baptism, for any other reason except that the Lord\r\nHimself, who had appointed it, in not disdaining to receive\r\nthe baptism of His servant,<a id=\"FNanchor_299_299\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_299_299\">[299]</a> might consecrate the path of\r\nhumility, and show most plainly by such an action how high\r\na value was to be placed on His own baptism, with which He\r\nHimself was afterwards to baptize. For He saw, like an\r\nexcellent physician of eternal salvation, that overweening\r\npride would be found in some, who, having made such progress\r\nin the understanding of the truth and in uprightness of\r\ncharacter that they would not hesitate to place themselves,\r\nboth in life and knowledge, above many that were baptized,\r\nwould think it was unnecessary for them to be baptized, since\r\nthey felt that they had attained a frame of mind to which\r\nmany that were baptized were still only endeavouring to raise\r\nthemselves.</p>","headings":["WRITINGS IN CONNECTION WITH THE DONATIST CONTROVERSY.","BOOK FOURTH."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg45843-paragraph-154"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"a0374be32476806a5e345329d50b62495a3522dbc112f869f5f316c27f46cd95","edition_title":"Writings in Connection with the Donatist Controversy","edition_translators":["John Richard King"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg45843-Footnote_297_297","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Provider catalog reports public domain in the USA. Title leaves identify J. R. King, T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1872; catalog identifies translator John Richard King (1835-1907). Gutenberg credits Internet Archive/American Libraries without an exact scan identifier. Full provider license preserved with acquired original; republication and per-work metadata remain unreviewed.","source_anchor":"Footnote_297_297","source_ebook":45843,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\">\n<p><a id=\"Footnote_297_297\"></a><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#FNanchor_297_297\"><span class=\"label\">[297]</span></a> In <i>Retract.</i> ii. 18, Augustine expresses a doubt whether the thief may not\r\nhave been baptized.</p></div>","source_sha256":"a7a04003f4d3c49eb73db6c5936713979fcecadd86884373a9914ac54373ac5b","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/45843/pg45843-images.html#Footnote_297_297","text_sha256":"328568ef6fc825ca069cea190da0527b96baa9e0d3b22857d13c3df7bcc93209","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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