{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p>56. For the apostle, in confuting those who denied that\r\nthere was any resurrection of the dead, corrects their view by\r\nshowing the absurdity which follows those who entertain this\r\nview, however loth they may be to admit the consequence, in\r\norder that, while they shrink in abhorrence from what is impious\r\nto say, they may correct what they have ventured to\r\nbelieve. His argument continues thus: \"But if there be\r\nno resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if\r\nChrist be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith\r\nis also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God:\r\nbecause we have testified of God that He raised up Christ;\r\nwhom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not,\"<a id=\"FNanchor_1125_1125\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_1125_1125\">[1125]</a>\r\nin order that, while they fear to say that Christ had not\r\nrisen, with the other wicked and accursed conclusions which\r\nfollow from such a statement, they may correct what they\r\nsaid in a spirit of folly and infidelity, that there is no resurrection\r\nof the dead. If, therefore, you take away what stands\r\nat the head of this argument, \"<i>If</i> there be no resurrection\r\nof the dead,\" the rest is spoken amiss, and yet must be\r\nascribed to the apostle. But if you restore the supposition\r\non which the rest depends, and place as the hypothesis from\r\nwhich you start, \"There is no resurrection of the dead,\" then\r\nthe conclusion will follow rightly, \"Then is Christ not risen,\r\nand our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain,\" with\r\nall the rest that is appended to it. And all these statements\r\nof the apostle are wise and good, since whatever evil they\r\nhave in them is to be imputed to those who denied the resur<span class=\"pagenum\"><a id=\"Page_459\">[Pg 459]</a></span>rection\r\nof the dead. In the same manner also, in my epistle,\r\ntake away my supposition, If every one is born again in\r\nspiritual grace of the same character as he by whom he is\r\nbaptized, and if, when the man who baptizes is genuinely and\r\nmanifestly good, he does of himself give faith, he is the origin\r\nand root and head of him who is being born again; but when\r\nthe baptizer is a wicked man, and undetected in his wickedness,\r\nthen each man who is baptized receives his faith from\r\nChrist, derives his origin from Christ, is rooted in Christ,\r\nmakes his boast in Christ as his Head:—take away, I say,\r\nthis hypothesis, on which all that follows depends, and there\r\nremains a saying of the worst description which must fairly\r\nbe ascribed to me, viz., that all who are baptized should desire\r\nthat they should have faithless men to baptize them, and be\r\nignorant of their faithlessness. For however good men they\r\nmay have to baptize them, Christ is incomparably better, who\r\nwill then be the Head of the baptized, if the baptizer be a\r\nfaithless man, but undetected.<a id=\"FNanchor_1126_1126\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_1126_1126\">[1126]</a> But let the statements that\r\nyou make be restored, and then it will forthwith be found\r\nthat this which depends upon it and follows in close connection\r\nfrom it is not my sentiment, and that any evil which\r\nit contains is retorted on the opinion which you maintain.\r\nIn like manner, take away the supposition, If the good baptizer\r\nis the good tree, so that he whom he has baptized is his\r\ngood fruit, and if, when the character of an evil tree is concealed,\r\nthen any one that has been baptized by it is born, not\r\nof it, but of Christ,—take away this hypothesis, which you\r\nwere compelled to confess had its origin in your sect and in\r\nthe letter of Petilianus, and the mad conclusion which follows\r\nfrom it will be mine, to be ascribed to me alone, Then they are\r\njustified with greater holiness who are baptized by undetected\r\nevil men, than they who are baptized by men that are genuinely\r\nand manifestly good.<a id=\"FNanchor_1127_1127\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_1127_1127\">[1127]</a> But restore the hypothesis on which\r\nthis depends, and you will at once see both that I have been\r\nright in making this statement for your correction, and that\r\nall that with good reason displeases you in this opinion has\r\nrecoiled upon your own head.</p>","headings":["WRITINGS IN CONNECTION WITH THE DONATIST CONTROVERSY.","BOOK THIRD."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg45843-paragraph-735"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"2891eb1e7e7111ca5f6dc3f5dc796905152e69ad8822c7152a65f22d2bb38aca","edition_title":"Writings in Connection with the Donatist Controversy","edition_translators":["John Richard King"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg45843-Footnote_1127_1127","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_1127_1127","source_ebook":45843,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\">\n<p><a id=\"Footnote_1127_1127\"></a><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#FNanchor_1127_1127\"><span class=\"label\">[1127]</span></a> See Book <span class=\"smcap\">I.</span> c. viii. sec. 9.</p></div>","source_sha256":"a7a04003f4d3c49eb73db6c5936713979fcecadd86884373a9914ac54373ac5b","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/45843/pg45843-images.html#Footnote_1127_1127","text_sha256":"6214952d9c5991d1adce811f2a705f77760e585b2b9bf94a298a65d3d562b480","verified":false,"work_id":null}