Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacrament of Baptism
Chapter 8: On the Baptism of Infants, against the Anabaptists
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. III, De Sacramento Baptismi, the second general controversy on the sacraments. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
There follows the sixth controversy, on those who receive Baptism; and the whole question is about the Baptism of infants. For although we have already proved against Calvin that Baptism is necessary for infants if they are to be saved, yet two questions still remain. One, with the Anabaptists: whether infants are capable of Baptism, or whether it is lawful to baptize infants. The other, with the Lutherans and Calvinists: what faith is necessary in the Baptism of little ones.
As to the first question, there was a heresy in the time of St. Bernard which taught that it is not lawful to baptize infants. St. Bernard relates and refutes it, sermon 66 on the Song of Songs and letter 250. The same is the heresy of the Anabaptists of this time, that it is not lawful to give Baptism except to adults who ask for Baptism by themselves. That all the Anabaptists agree in this error, though otherwise they disagree among themselves in many things, Calvin testifies in the instruction against the Anabaptists. Calvin also testifies, book 4 of the Institutes, chapter 16, section 29, that Michael Servetus and certain other masters of the Anabaptists contend that Baptism ought not to be received except at the thirtieth year, at which age Christ received Baptism. This heresy arose in the year of Christ 1522, as John Cochlaeus relates in the Acts of Luther. Its leader seems to have been Balthasar Pacimontanus [Hubmaier], who was afterwards burned at Vienna. For so Cochlaeus calls him in the Acts of Luther, at the year 1528, where he says that Luther wrote against him in that same year; although Balthasar admits that he gathered this error from Luther's writings, which we will show in the following question to be most true.
The ministers of Transylvania, who in the year 1567 published two books against the Trinity and the Incarnation of the Lord, added at the end of those books thirty-six arguments against the Baptism of little ones; in which appears the greatest rage of Satan against the human race, who, not content to have destroyed countless souls of adult men through the Lutherans and Sacramentarians, willed also to destroy the souls of infants through the Anabaptists.
Besides these heretics, two authors of note seem to have taught the same. Erasmus, in the preface to the paraphrase on Matthew, taught that men baptized in infancy should, when they have grown up, be asked whether they hold as ratified what was promised in their name in Baptism; and if they do not hold it ratified, they should be left free. Luis Vives, in the notes on book 1 of the City of God, chapter 27, says that of old no one used to be baptized except at adult age, and when he asked for Baptism by himself and understood what it is to be baptized.
But the Catholic Church has always taught that infants are to be baptized; which the Council of Trent too, session 7, canons 12, 13 and 14 on Baptism, defined again with the pronouncing of anathemas. This truth is proved by three kinds of arguments. The first is taken from the Scriptures; and we have in the Scriptures three arguments. The first is taken from the figure of the Old Testament. For circumcision was a figure of Baptism, so manifest that Baptism is called circumcision by Paul, Colossians 2. But circumcision was given to infants, Genesis 17. Why then not Baptism too? The Anabaptists can easily evade this argument when it is put forward by the Lutherans and Calvinists. For the Lutherans and Calvinists will have the form of Baptism to be a sermon, as we showed in the preceding book; which they cannot say of circumcision. And from this it follows that infants could be circumcised but not baptized. But when it is put forward by us, who do not require for the essence of Baptism words of preaching but words of consecration, surely the argument cannot be evaded.
The second argument is gathered from two places of the Gospel joined together. John 3: “Unless a man be born again of water,” and so on. This place proves that infants perish eternally without Baptism; for it is a general warning of the Lord. But we do not yet have it that infants can be baptized: for the Anabaptists will say that little ones perish because they are not capable of the one remedy. But that little ones do not perish the Lord teaches, Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18: “Suffer the little children to come unto me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such.” Where Mark also says that the Lord embraced the little ones and blessed them. But how is the kingdom of heaven the little ones', how does the Lord embrace them and bless them, if they cannot be saved?
To this place two answers can be given. One, of the Anabaptists: that the Lord in the persons of the little ones blessed the innocence and humility of little ones, not their age; for he did not say, “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” but, “Of such.” Hence Augustine too, book 1 of the Confessions, chapter 19: “The sign of humility,” he says, “in the stature of a child, is what you approved, our King, when you said, Of such is the kingdom of heaven.” The other, that the Gospels do not speak of infants but of boys who already have the use of reason. For Tertullian notes, in the book On Baptism, near the end, that the Lord says, “Suffer the little children to come to me,” because only the bigger ones come; infants can be carried, they cannot come.
But neither answer is solid. For even if the Lord willed to commend humility and innocence in the stature of a child, as Augustine rightly teaches, yet at the same time he also showed that infant age itself is not foreign to the kingdom and to salvation. For when the Lord says, “Suffer the little children to come to me,” he speaks to the letter and as history of true little ones, whom, as the three evangelists testify, many were bringing that the Lord might bless them; and the apostles were trying to prevent them from coming. Wherefore that reason too, “For the kingdom of heaven is for such,” must fit true little ones. And besides, that embrace and blessing given to true little ones signifies openly that they can belong to the fellowship and kingdom of Christ. And so, as Isaac and Ishmael are allegorically the two Testaments in Paul, Galatians 4, and yet historically were two true men, so too infant age is a type of humility, and yet is in fact fit for the kingdom of heaven.
The other solution is not solid either. For the words of the evangelists signify little ones and infants. Matthew and Mark have paidia, that is, little children; Luke has brephē, that is, infants. And in the same place Luke says that they were carried, not that they came on their own feet: “And they brought unto him also infants.” Therefore that word, to come, is taken broadly for to approach and draw near. Now this argument, which is of itself and in truth solid, is yet weak when it is brought forward by the Calvinists. For the Calvinists will not have that place of John 3, “Unless a man be born again,” understood of Baptism. And with that place taken away, the latter place, which alone Calvin uses, does not prove it; for the Anabaptists could answer, according to Calvin's principles, that the little ones belong to Christ because they are born holy, or because they are predestined. Let Calvin see, then, how solidly he can withstand the Anabaptists.
The third argument is gathered from those places where whole households are said to have been baptized: as in Acts 16 Lydia is said to have been baptized, and her household. And in the same place, of the keeper of the prison: “He was baptized, and all his house immediately.” 1 Corinthians 1: “I baptized,” says Paul, “the household of Stephanas.” But surely in whole households it is rare that there are not some infants. Calvin too uses this argument; but the argument is probable only, not openly convincing. These, then, from the divine letters.
The second class of arguments contains the testimonies of the Church, which has always both taught and kept this as a tradition of the apostles. Philip [Melanchthon] too uses this argument, in the Commonplaces, the title on the Baptism of little ones, and put it in the front line as though the firmest; but he is deservedly laughed at by the Anabaptists. For if in this matter tradition and the testimony of the ancient Church should be of force, why not in other articles too, as in asserting purgatory, the invocation of the saints, and so on? This argument, then, is ours, not the adversaries'.
And first we have the testimony of Dionysius the Areopagite, who, in the book of the Church Hierarchy, the last chapter, the last part, affirms that it was handed down by the apostles that infants should be baptized. Justin teaches the same, or whoever is the author of those questions, question 56, where it is said that little ones who are baptized are saved, others not so. Irenaeus, book 2, chapter 39, says that all are saved who are reborn in Christ, infants, children, youths and old men. Origen, book 5, on Romans 6: “The Church,” he says, “received from the apostles the tradition to give Baptism even to little ones.” Cyprian, book 3, letter 8, to Fidus, writes that it seemed good not only to him but to a whole council that little ones can be baptized, even before the eighth day. Jerome, book 3 against the Pelagians, at the end, says that infants are baptized and are then without all sin. Nazianzen, the oration on holy Baptism; Basil, the oration exhorting to Baptism; Chrysostom, homily 1 to the newly baptized. Augustine, book 10 On Genesis to the Letter, chapter 23: “The custom of mother Church,” he says, “in baptizing little ones, is by no means to be despised, nor in any way to be thought superfluous, nor at all to be believed, were it not an apostolic tradition.” The same Augustine, book 4 On Baptism, chapter 24, repeats again that it is an apostolic tradition that little ones are to be baptized; and in book 1 On the Merits and Remission of Sins, chapter 26, he says that the Pelagians did not dare to deny the Baptism of little ones, because they saw that they would have to fight too openly with the whole Church if they denied it. See also Prosper, book 2 On the Call of the Gentiles, chapter 8; who (as Jerome and Augustine also do) prove against the Pelagians chiefly by this argument that there is original sin, that infants are baptized when they have no actual sin.
Further, the Council of Milevis among other canons put out the second in these words: “It is resolved that whoever denies that little ones fresh from their mothers' wombs are to be baptized, let him be anathema.” Likewise the Council of Gerona, celebrated more than a thousand years ago, canon 5, laid down that infants can be baptized even on the very day they are born, if danger of death seems to threaten. The Second Council of Braga, canon 7, also approves the Baptism of infants; as does the general Council of Vienne too, as we have in the Clementine 1, on the Supreme Trinity and the Catholic Faith.
To these let there be added the express decrees of holy popes on the same matter: of Clement I, book 6 of the Apostolic Constitutions, chapter 15; of Siricius, letter 1 to Himerius, chapter 2; of Innocent I, letter 26 to the Council of Milevis; of Leo I, the letter to the bishop of Aquileia, 81, otherwise 86; of Gregory I, book 3, letter 9, to John of Cagliari; of Innocent III, in the letter to the bishop of Arles, which is had in the chapter Majores, on Baptism and its effect. From these it is gathered how false is what Luis Vives says, that of old no one was admitted to holy Baptism except at adult age.
The third class of arguments consists of reasons. The first reason: Little ones can be saved; but outside the Church there is no salvation; therefore they must enter the Church. The first proposition is proved both from the Scripture cited, Matthew 19, “For the kingdom of heaven is for such”; and by the example of the Holy Innocents, whom the Church has always taught to be saved, as was proved above, chapter 6; and also because, if little ones can be partakers of the sin of Adam, why not also of the grace of Christ? Otherwise fault would be more powerful than grace, the contrary of which the Apostle teaches, Romans 5. The second proposition is most certain. For in Matthew 12 it is said, “He that is not with me, is against me”; and therefore in the Creed we join the remission of sins with the Church: “I believe the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the remission of sins.” Therefore also the Church is compared with Noah's ark: because as, when the flood reigned, he perished who was not in the ark, so too now they perish who are not in the Church, as Jerome says in the letter to Damasus on the word hypostasis. That famous saying of Cyprian, in the book On the Unity of the Church, testifies the same: “He has not God for his father who has not the Church for his mother.” See also Augustine, book 4 On Baptism, chapter 1. Lastly the Lateran Council under Innocent III, chapter 1: “There is one universal Church of the faithful,” it says, “outside which no one is saved.”
We have it, then, that infants must enter the Church. But they cannot do this except through Baptism; therefore they must be baptized. The minor can be proved, first, from that of Paul to the Romans, 8: “Whom he predestinated, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified.” For from this we have that every one predestined is called, justified, glorified; and on the contrary that no one is glorified unless first justified, no one justified unless first called, no one called according to the purpose unless first predestined. But in little ones no calling can be imagined except through Baptism. For then they are rightly said to be called, when they are enrolled in the number of the called. Besides, in Acts 2 it is said: “They that received his word, were baptized; and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.” Where we see that to be baptized is nothing else than to enter the Church. Hence the Fathers by common consent distinguish catechumens from the faithful, and teach that the former, because they lack Baptism, are not yet within the Church, nor can be called faithful. See Nazianzen, the oration on holy Baptism; Chrysostom, homily 24 on John; Cyril, book 12 on John, chapter 50; Augustine, tractate 4 on John; and the Council of Florence in the instruction of the Armenians. Lastly a man cannot be joined to the Church and to Christ except by faith only, or by the sacrament only, or by both. But little ones, as the Anabaptists agree, cannot be joined to Christ and the Church by faith; therefore they must be joined by the sacrament.
The second reason. If infants could not be baptized, the hindrance would be either on the part of some divine prohibition, or on the part of the sacrament, or on the part of the minister, or on the part of the one receiving it, or lastly on the part of the Church, which through Baptism acquires a right over men, which does not seem able to be done without their own will. But none of these can be said. For there is no divine prohibition. And the sacrament depends on nothing but the divine institution; otherwise it would not be certain, nor would it bring solid comfort; and so of itself it is always effective, and works the same whether it is given to an adult or to an infant. And the minister can pour water on an infant equally, and utter the sacred words over it, as over an adult. On the part of the receiver there is required indeed in adults a certain disposition, through actual faith and conversion to God; but this is not required in an infant. For in adults that disposition is required for a twofold cause. First, because of the actual sins which they have added to the original one. For the sin which is committed by the actual turning of one's own will away from God requires, if it is to be forgiven, an actual conversion of one's own will to God. Second, because God deals with things according to their natures, and so he who has the use of free choice is not justified by God unless he himself also concurs by the assent of his free choice. But neither cause is found in little ones. For they neither have the use of free choice, nor have they sinned by an actual turning of their own will away from God; for they have only a habitual turning away, which can be taken away by the infused habit of charity; and they sinned by another's will. Hence it is fair that another's will should profit them too.
Lastly the obligation which arises from Baptism is no obstacle. For in the first place one is not bound except to those things to which one was otherwise bound, or was to be bound. For to keeping the divine law, and to renouncing the devil and his pomps, all are bound even without Baptism. Again, all are bound to receive Baptism, and this by divine command, and so all are bound to subject themselves to the Church and her precepts. This alone is the difference between adults and infants: that the former, because they are their own masters, must subject themselves to the Church by their own will, and if they do not do it they sin; the latter, because they are not their own but their parents', can be subjected to the Church by their parents' will. And so for them another's will stands in the place of the right reason which they ought to have if they were adults; and so no wrong is done them, but a great benefit, when they are baptized, even though an obligation of obeying the Church follows from it. Nor can those infants who lack parents and guardians, and are baptized by some stranger, complain afterwards. For those who baptize them act on their behalf: as if someone came upon a man mortally wounded, who lacked the use of tongue and reason, and ordered him to be carried into some house and cared for by physicians, surely that man could not afterwards complain of him because he had bound him to pay the physicians their fee; and if he complained and would not pay, he would be condemned by every just judge.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT VIII.
De /?ap(ism.o infantium, contra
Anabu^itistas.
Scquitur conlrovcrsia sexta dc suscipicnlibus
Baplisinura: tola autcm quaestio est de J5ai)tismo
infanlium.Tametsi eniin jam j^robaverimus conli-a
Calvinum.Baptismum inlantibus ncccssarium essc,
si salvari debcanl, supcrsunt lamen adliuc duac
quaeslioncs. Una. cuiii Anabaptistis, ulrum inraii-
tes capaccs siut Baptismi, siv(!, an liceal iufantes
baptizarc. Altcra, cum Lntheranis ct Calvinistis,
quae lides necessaria in Baptismo parvnlornm.
Quantum ad primam quaestionem haere.sis luil
lemporc s. Beinardi, qnac doc(;bal non licerc in-
fanlcs baplizare. Hefert eam, ct refellil s. Bernar-
dus scrnion. (>(».. in Cant. el cpistol. 250. Eadem
csl hujus lemporis Anabaplislarum, non liceic
Baplismnm Iradere, nisi adnltis, qui Baplismnm
per se llagitant. In hoc errorc convenire omiies
Anabaptisias, liccl alioqui in mullis rebus intcr sc
dissidcaiit,lestalur Calvinus in instructione conlra
Anabaplistas, Idcm cliam Calvinus lib. 4. Institul.
cap. 1(5. § 21). testatur Micha("lcin Serveium, el
cpiosdam alios Aiiaba|)tistarum magistros conten-
(lerc Baptismnm suscipi non debcre, nisi anno 'M).
(|ua aclalc Christus BapUsmum suscepit. Exorla
esl haec haenvsis aniiu (]lirisli \'ill. ut Joanncs
Cochlaous referl in actis Lutheri.Priiiceps videlur
Dli SACIIAMMNTO nAPTlS."\ll
fulsso iS.iillinsar Piu-iinonl.imis.qni poslon VijMuiac
r.rLMHiitus ruil. Sic tMiim omu vociil Oorlilacus iii
jictis Lullu-ri. amii l."J2S. iilii (liril coMlra ••mn I.u-
tlioruiu scri|>sisso eoilciii ;iiuio. iiuaiiuiu.uu o\ Lu-
Ihcri scriplis liuiic orroreiu r.allliasar sc colje^jissi;
falolurujuoil ol Yorissiiuuiii cssc,iu sciiuculi iiuac-
stioiio iliMiuiiislriiliiuuis.
.Miiiislri trausylvaiii. qui amio I.SOT.iluos liliros
eiliiieruut contra" Triuilatoiu ol lucarualiouoiu Do-
miiii. iul finoiu cormii liltrormn aililiiloruul .'?<>. ;ir-
i,'mueiila coulra ll.iplisiiimu parvolormu, iii quo
app.ircl nuixiiua S;ilauac rabics, coiilra gcnus lui-
inanmu, qui nou couiculus por Lulliorauos ol Sa-
t r.unciUiirios pcnliilisso iiiiiuinor;il)ilos ;miiu;is lio-
iiiiiiiiin atlullormu. voliiil oliam auiuias iiilanlimu
pcrtlerc pcr Auiibaplislas.
Praolor lios liaorolicos iliio ;iiiclorcs obliiiuc idip-
scm ilocuissc viilcnlur. l]r;isiiuis pracrulionc par;i-
pluasis iu .Alallliaoum. docuil. boiuincs in infanlia
bapiizalus, ubi ailolovorinl. inloirogandos esse,an
Ii;ilio.inl ralum. quiHl ipsormn iiomine in i):ipIismo
promissmu osl: ol si ralum non liabo;inl, ossc li-
biTos iliiniltcndos.LmloviiMis Vivesannotal.in cap.
27. Iib. I. dc Civil. Doi. dicil. olini nominoni oon-
siicvissc b;iptizari, nisi adiilia actalc, olipii i^er sc
pelercl IJaplisirum, ct inlclligerct quid sil bapli-
zuri.
rorro cnlhelica Ecdosia semper docuil inf;inles
baptiz;indus: (piod oliaiu cuncilimn Iridcnliiimn
sess. 7. can. 12. 13. el 14. de Daplismo. itcruin
cum analhomalis denuncialionc dclinivil. i^robalur
b;irc veritas Iribus arimmonlorum genoribus. Pri-
nuim sumitur a scripluris. babemus autcin in Scri-
pluris Iria argmncnta. Primum, sumitur a figura
Tpslamenti votcris. N;im circumcisio ligura crat
Baplisuii. adeo nuinircsla.ut Ikiplisnius a Piuilo di-
calur circmncisio, Colosscns. 2.At circumcisio da-
b.ilur infanlilms, Gcncs. 17. Cur igiliir iioii olinm
IJaplismus? IIoc artrumcnlum Anal);iplisl:ic lacile
pussunl cludoro, cum a Lulberanis cl Calvinislis
pruponitur. Lulborani cniin et Ciilviiiistac lormain
hai-.lisnii cssc voliint concionem, ul bbro superio-
rc usleiidimus. (juod dc circuincisionc diccrc non
possunt. Inde aulem sequilur. iil inlanles circmu-
cidi polucrint, non auhMn b;iplizari. Al cum a no-
bis proponilur, qui ad Baplisini csserili;im non re-
quirimus verba concioiuilia, sed consecniloria.ccr-
le eludi argumenlum non potesl.
Secundmn arfiumentmn colligilur e.\ duobuslo-
cis ev;ingelii, simul junclis. Joun, 3. JSisiquisre-
nalus fuoril ex aqua etc. Ilic locus probat infan-
les sinc Baplisnio in aclcriium perire:est enim liC-
ncralis Domini tomminalio.Scd nondum babemus,
possc inlanlos baplizari: dicent enira Anabaptistac
parvulos perire, quia unici remcdii capaces non
sinl. At fjuod pnrvuli non perennl,Dominus docet,
Mattli. 10. Marc. 10. el Luc. i^. Sinile parvulos
renire ad me:lalium est enini regnuni coelurum.
Ubi etiam Marcus dicit, Dominmu complcxum fii-
issc parvulos, eisque bencdixisse. At quomodo
parvulorum esl rcgnum coelorum,quomodo Domi-
nus eos complectilur.cisque bencdicit,si salvi esse
non possunl?
Ad bunc locum duac dari possunt responsiones.
rna. Anab;iplislarum, qiiod Dominus in porsonis
p.irviiloru II lionodixorit parvulos innocenlia.ol liu-
iiiililiilo. '1011 ;iol;ilo: iioii eniiii di\il:IIorum csl rc-
giiiiiu coclorcin. scd: 'i\iliuiii. l'iido rli;im Aiigii-
sliiuis lib. I. Cimfo.ss.cap. \\). }luiiUlilalis.\u{]\u\,
siiinu.iii ///. slalura pu.eri (•AiDiinr.ailiisli ro.vno-
ali-r. cum aisli: Taliiiiu cxt eiiinirrnuum coida-
rum. AlbMM, ipiod cv;ing(di;i noii liKpuinliir dc in-
f.iiilibus, S(mI dc pucris,(pii jam usu r;iliouis utiin-
lur. ri oiiiin T(M-lulIi;iniis iu)t;il.libro dc Baplisino.
propo liiuMU, id(M) Domiiuis ;iil: Sinitc parrulo>i
vcnire ad me; i\on cuim viMiiunt iiisi ifrandiorcs:
inr.uiles cuiin porlari possuiit, vcniri! nou pos-
sunU
Scd iieulra solida rcsponsio esl.IVam eliaitisi Do-
:ninus iu slalur:i pucri commcnd;irc volucril Iiuiiii-
lil;ilcm ol imiocciili;iiii. ut Auguslinus rcclc do-
col,l;micii siiiml (;li;iiri in(iic;ivil inlanlilcm acbiUMii
uon cssc alicmim a regno etsalule. N;im cum Do-
minus ail: Sinite parvulos venire ad me, ad liie-
r;iiu ct bislorice loipiilur dc vcris p;irviilis , quos.
ul Ircs cvangclisUic lcslimlur, iiuilli oncrebant, ul
eis Dominus bciicdiccret;cl aposloli proliibcrc co-
luibantur. nc illi acccdcrcnl.Qinirc cliam illa ralio:
Talium csi enim rciinum coelorum, dcbct convc-
nire veris purvulis. Kl praetereu ille complcxus,et
bcncdiclio vcris p;irvulis dal;i,apcrlc significal cos
perlincrc posse ad Cliristi socicl;ilcin et rcgnum.
Iliiquc sicul Isaac cl Ismacl sunl ;ilIegoricc duo
Tcslainenla apud Paulum, Galal. 4.ct tamen bislo-
ricc duo veri homiucs fucrunl: sic cliam ;iclas iii-
fanlilis lypus cst luimililalis, cL lumcn rcipsa ido-
nca est ad rcgnum coclorum.
Ailcra solulio non esl eliam solida. Nam verba
cvangelislarum parvulos el infanlcs signilicanL.
Mattliaeus, cL Marcus bubciil -aioia, idesl, parvu-
los. Lucas habet ^pi''-?"/], idest, infantes. El ibidcm
Lucas dicit. cos iiorlalos fuissc. non suis pedibus
vcnissc -j;oG3'J3j;ov oi duTviov u/.al -a pjic^v] , idest,
Alferchanl autem ad ipsum et inl'antes. Igilur illa
vox, venire, accipilur l;irgo modo pro eo,quod cst
accederc cl appropiiiqu;ii"C. Porro Iioc argumcn-
tum, quod pcr sc, cL rcvcra solidmn csl, iiilirimim
lamen est, cum a C;ilvinislis producitur. i\am Cal-
vinistac nolunl intelligi debcrc dc Baplismo locum
illum Joun. 3. iMsi quis renatus fuerit. Sublalo
uuLcin illo loco, posLerior locus, quo solo Calvinus
utitur, non convincit, nam posseL responderi ab
Anabaplislis, scciindum Calvini principia,parvulos
ad Clirislum pcrlincre, quia nascunlur sancli, vel
quia prucdcslin;ili sunt. Yidcrit igitur Culvinus,
qnam solide rcsislerc possiL Anabaplistis.
Terlium argumcnliim colligiLur c.x locis illis,ubi
dicunlur baplizuLae inlegrae fumiliae, uL Aclor.iG.
dicilur Lydia baptizala, et domus ejus. Et ibidem
dc custodc carccris: Baplizalus esl ipse.el omnis
domus ejus continiio, i. Corinth. 1. Itaplizavil,
inquit Paulus, StephanaG domum. Al cerlc in in-
tcgris domibus rarum csl, ul non sint infantcs ali-
qui. lloc argumcnlo ulitur cliam Calvinus, scd ar-
gumcnlmn esL probabilc tanluni. non aulcm apcr-
te convincens. Haec igitur ex divinis lileris.
Sccunda chissis argumeriLorum conlinet lesti-
monia Ecclcsiae, quac !amq;ia traditioncm apo-
i.ii!i:ii PiUMLs
ilS
slolorum id somper ot docuit ot scrvnvil. U(ilni'
lioc iirirump.iilo elinm Philipiius in locis. lilul. do
lJ;iplisiiio p;irvuloiU!n.idqu(i tiniiquum llrinissinium
m prinui ;icie posuil: scti morito ridi.-lur iih Ana-
l)ii|)lislis. Niim si in hiic rc viilcrc dchcl Iriidiiio.cl
aiitiquiic Lcclcsiiic lcslimoniuni; cur non cliiini vii-
l(Mil in <iliis iirlicutis? ul in iisscrendo purgiitorio,
invocationc sanclorum etc. Noslrum igilur esl hoc
aiguincnlum, iion iidversariornin.
Ac piimuni luihi^mus lcslinioiiium Dionysii arco-
pngilae, qui lib. ccclesiast. hierar. cap. idl. parl.
ull, ab apostolis Iraditum arTirmiil.ul inriiiili^s hap-
tizenlur. Idem doccl Juslinus. scu quicunupic est
auctor earum quaeslionum. qu.oO. uhi dicilur.par-
vulos haplizalos salvari. alios non item. Ircnacus
lih. 2. rap. 39. dicil, sahviri omncs, qni riMV.iscnn-
tur in Chrislo. inranlfes. pucros. juvciics ci sciies.
Origenes lih. o, in cap. (i. ad Koinanos: Ecclcsia,
inquit, ab apostoUs tradllionem accojnt. clia,m
parvulis dare Ikiptismum. Cypriiinus iih.3.e[)ist.
8. ad Fidum scrihil, non sohun sihi,sed clinm in-
lcgro concilio Yisum esse, parvulos haptizari pos-
se, cliain antc dicm o(;l;ivum. Ilicronyimis iib. 3.
conlrii Pciagianos cxlrcmo.infiinlcs h;ipliz;iri dicit.
et tum omiii peccato carere. jViiziiiiizciius or;il. in
sanclum lavacruni, Easilius oriilione cxliorlaloria
ad Baplismuni, Clirysoslonius liom. !. ad neophy-
tos. Augusliniis lih. 10. de Gcnos. Ciip. 23. Con-
sueludo, imiuil. viatris Ecclcsiae in baptizctndis
parvulis nequaq^Lam spernenda, esl, ncc ullo
modo superfhia deputanda, nec omnino creden-
da, nisi aposlolica essel Iradilio. Idcni Augusli-
nus lib. 4. do Biiplismo. cap. 24. itcrum repclit,
iipostoliciini cssc triidilioncm, piirvulos hiiplizan-
dos, ct lib. I. dc peccatorum iiicrilis, cl remiss.
cap. 2G. dicil: Pclagianos nusos non 1'uisse negare
Baptismum parvuiorum. quod vidcrcnt niniis apcr-
le pugnanduin 1'uissc cum lota Ecclesia.si id nega-
renl. Vidc etiam Prospcrum lih. 2. dc vocalione
Genlium cap. 8. qui (ut etiam Hieronymus el Au-
gnslinus) hoc polissimuin argumcnlo coiilra Pela-
gianos prohanl, dari pcccalum originalc. quod in-
fautes baptizentur, cum nullum habeant acluale
peccalum.
Jam vero concilium milevilanuin inlcr alios ca-
nones sccundum edidil his xdvhi^-.Placuit.tU qui-
cumque parvulos recenles ab uleris matrum bap-
iizandos ncgat, anatlicma sit. Conciiiuin item gc-
rundcnse, aiile annos 1000. cclcliriitum ciin.^o.
staluil, eliam ipso die,quo nascuntur.posso infan-
tes baplizar(,si periculum mortis imminerc vidca-
lur. Conciliiim If. bracarense canon. 7. probat el-
iam infiinliiiii) i> iplismum. llt etiam concilium vi-
cnnense gcncrah;, ul hahcmus in Clemenlina I. dc
summa Trinil. cl fide catholica.
Ilis acccdant cxprcsso ctiiim sanclorum pontifi-
cum decrcta de re eadcm. Clcmcnlis I. lib.C». con-
slil. Apostol. cap. 1i">.- Syricii epist. 1. ad Tlinicri-
um, ciip. 2. Iniioccntii I. cpistol.2r». ad coiiciliiim
mlleviliinunr, Lconis I. cpisl. ad cpisco|)iiin :i(iui-
lejcnsem 81. alias 8G. Gregorii I. lib. 3. epist. 9.
ad Joiin. Cariilitiiimm; Innoccnlii III. in opisl. ad
e|)iscopuin ar(dalcnscni, ct hahclur c:ip. Ma.jorcs,
dc I5,iplisiiio,ct cjiis clTccln.Kx his colligiliir (piain
l;i l.l unjlVI. Vnl III.
falsnm sit quod ait Ludovicus Vivcs,ncminem olim
admolnm sacro Hiiptismo, nisi in aetiile adulta.
Terliii chissis ;irgumenlorum,constal ex riitioni-
bos. Prima r;itio.PiirvuIi salvi esse possunt:scd ex-
Iia Ecch^siiim non esl salus: igilur inlrcnl Ecclc-
siiirii ncccssc csl. Prima proposilio probalur luiii
ex Scriplura cilala.i^Iatlh. 19. Taliiim est enim re-
(jnum coclorum;[wm exemplo s;inctorum Innoccn-
tium, quDS salvos csse scmpcr Ecclesia docuil, ul
supra probiilum cst, cai).(). luin eliain qui;i si pos-
sunl parvuli participi-s e,ssc pcccati Adami.cur non
eliam graliae Chrisli? AliiKpii plus possel culpa
qiuim gratia, <--ujus conlr;irium docet Aposlolus
lioin. (). Secund;i proposilio certissima est. l\;im
M;illh, 12. dicilur: Quinon est mecum. conlra
me est; el ideo in symholo conjungimus cum Ec*
clcsiii, rcmissioncm pcccaloruni: Credo sanctam
Ecclesiam calholicam, sanctorum communio*
nem, rcmissionem peccatonim. Idco ctiam com-
paralur Eccicsiii cuin arca iVdc: quia sicut regnan-
te diluvio pcriil. qui in arcii non fuit; ita ct niinc
pcrcunt. qiii in Ecclesia non sunt, ut ail Ilierony-
miis in cpisl. ;id Damasum de nominc hypostasis.
Idcm lcslalur cehdire illud Cypriani dicluin,iih.dc
iiniiale Ecclesiac: Non habcX Deum patrcm, qiii
non hahct Ecclcsiam matrem. Vide eliam Augu-
stiiuim lih. 4. de Boplismo, cap. 1. Dcniquc con-
ciliiim liitcrancnse sub Innocenlio III. cap. l.Una.
inquil, c.st ftdelium universalis Ecclesia, extra
quam ncmo salvatur.
Hahemus igitiir,oportcre infantcs inlrare Ecclc-
siam.Al id faccro non possuntnisi pcr B;iptismum;
igilur biiptizcntur necessc est. Assumplio probari
potcsl. Primum ex illo Pauii ad Rom. 8. Quosprae-
dcsti^iavit, lios et vocaml; qiios vocavit. hos et
justificavit; quos juslijicavil, hos et maqnillcavit.
Hinc cnim hah(5miis,omncin praedcstiuiilum voca-
ri. justidcari. glorificari, ct ccontrario nulluni glo-
rificari, nisi anle justificiilum; nullum juslificavi,
nisi anle vocatum; nullum vocari, secundum pro-
posiliim, nisi anle pracdcslinatum. At in parvulis
non polcsl ihigi ulla vocalio, nisi per Baplismuin.
Tunc enim rcclo dicunlur vocati,camin numerum
vocalorum adscribanlur. Priicterca Aclor. 2. dici-
tur: Qui rr-ccpcrunt verbum,baptizali sunt.et ap-
posilac sitnt iii die illa animac circilcr tria mil-
lia. Ubi videmus, baptizari nihil cssc aliud, quam
Ecclesiam intrare.Undc Palrcs commiini conscnsu
distingnunt catechumcnos a lidclihus, ac doccnt
illos, quod Baplismo carcant, iiondum essc inlra
Ecclcsiam, ncc dici possc fidclcs. Vide N;izian/.e-
num or;it. iu s;inclum lavacrum.Chrysostomum lio-
mil. 2i. in Joan. Cyrilium lih. 12. in Joan.cap..''>0.
Angustinum tract. 4. in Joan. el concilium Iloren-
tinmn in inslrucliono Arm('norum.D(M)i(|uc non po-
tesl hoino Ecclcsiao. et Chrislo conjungi, ni.^i iide
tanliim, aut sacramiMilo tantum, aut ulroqiic. Scd
parvuli consenlicnlihns Anabaplislis, non possunl
lidc ad Chrisliim cl Ecclosiam adjungi; crgo pcr
sacr;imcnlum iidjungi dcbcnt.
Sccundii ratio. Si non posscut infantcs baptiza-
ri, aut impedimentum csscl cx [larlc pro!ii!)ilionis
alicujns divinae, aut ox parh; .sacramcnli, iiul cx
parlo minislri, aut ex parle ipsius susripiiMitis, aut
lU
P!.: S\Cll\MF..\TO nAPilSMl
iK'ni(iijc cx parlc F.cclcsiap. qiiao pcr IJiiplismum
Bi-tpiirit jtis iii liomines. (pioil iidii viililnr posso
fuTi sinc propria ipsormn vohnil;ilo. .Niliil aiilcin
horuin dici poio^l. N.iin iiiilla oxslal ili\iiia prolii-
l)ilio. SacramtMiluin anliMii lu.ii pcndel nisi a divi-
11.1 inslihihono: aliocpii iion ossrl fcrhiin. noo ail-
IVrrel sohilani i-oiisolalioiuMii;ilaipio c\ sc scinpiM'
esl cllicax, cl idcin opcrahir. sivc adullo. sivc iii-
l.mli liclur. .Miiiislcr auhMii acipie polcsl iiiranicm
iispcriicrc. cl viMlia sat r;i sii|)im' cuiii pridiMrc, ac
siipiM- ;uliilUiiii.I-l\ parh' siiscii>i(Mihsrc(piiritiir (pii-
ilcm in aduilis disposilio quacdam pcr acluidiMii li-
d(Mii cl coiivcrsioncm in I)(Mim: .\t liacc iioii rc-
(piirihir in iiifiintc.Nam iu ;idultis duplici dc ciius;i
rc(inirilur illa disposilio. Priino, proplcr pcccala
achnilia. ciuae illi oritiin;ili addidcrunt. iVM'c;iliim
cnim, (piod comniitlitiir pcr aclu:ilcm ;ivcrsioiUMii
propriac \(tiunlalis a Dco, rctpiiril, si nMiiilli dc-
hcal.achiaicm convorsioncm propriac voiunliilis in
Dctim. Scoiindo. (piia Dcns ■,\<j.i\ cum rclnis scciiii-
dum carum naturas. cl ideo, (pii liabcl usuiu lihc-
ri arbitrii, non justilicalur a l)co, nisi cliain ipsc
concurral pcr assensum libcri sui.arbitrii. .M ncu-
tra caussa in parvulis rcpcritur. Illi ciiiin ii(;c lia-
bciit usum libcri arbilrii.ncc pcccavcrunt per avcr-
sioncm aclualcni propriac volunlalis a Deo: soliim
cni;n iiabcnl avcrsionem iiaiiitualcm, qiiac potesl
tolli pcr ii;ibiluin ch;irilatis inrusum.et pecciivcrunl
alicna voluntatc. Uiule ac(|uum cst, ul eis etiam
prosil alicna voliiiilns.
Dcnique non obstat obiigalio. quac nascihir cx
Baplismo. ^am in primis iioii obligatur nisi ad Cii,
ad quae aiioqui obligalus,vcl obligandus eral.Nam
;id lej^cm divinam scrv;inclam, ;id abrcnunci;iiidiiin
dial)olo et pompis cjus. omnos lcnentur eliiiin .sinc
l>,iplisrao. Rnrsus omncs lencntur susciperc li;ip-
tisinum. idque divino mandato, cl proinde omnes
tenenh.ir sc siibjiccrc Ecclesiae , cl cjiis praece-
ptis. Hoc solum inler ;idultAjs el infanles iiitcrest,
quod illi, qiiia sui juris sunl, debcnt propria vo-
lunl;ite se Ecdesia siibjicere: et nisi Hiciaiit, pec-
c;ml: isli, quia non siiiil juris sui, sed parenlum,
possunt corum voliiiihilc Ecclesiae subjici. Ihique
cst illis aliena volunlas loco rectae ralionis. quam
liabcre debercnt si ossenl adiilli: proindc luillii eis
lil injuria, scd iiigens bcncricium, cum biiplizan-
lur, licel inde conseipialur obligatio obedicndi Ec-
clesiac. Sed neque infantcs illi. qui carenl ]i;ircii-
libus el tuloribus, cl ab aliquo cxtraneo baptizan-
lur, queri postea possunl.^';im cpii illos b;iplizant,
iigunt eorum caussam: sicut si quis incideret in
iiuminem lacthaliler vulncratum, qiii usii liiiguae
et rationis carerel, eumque in domum iiliquam
porlari, el a medicis curiiri jiilieret. certe iion pos-
sei iile poslca queri dc islo iiomine.quod eum obli-
fasset ad soivcndiim rnedicis merce(iem:cl si que-
rcrchir ac soivere nullel , ab omni justojudice
diimnnrelur.