Sacred Texts  Christianity  Early Church Fathers  Index  Previous  Next 

Chapter 28.—53.  Hortensianus of Lares 1691 said:  "How many baptisms there are, let those who uphold or favor heretics determine.  We assert one baptism of the Church, which we only know in the Church.  Or how can those baptize any one in the name of Christ whom Christ Himself declares to be His enemies?" 1692

54.  Giving answer to this man in a like tenor of words, we say:  Let those who uphold or favor the unrighteous see to it:  we recall to the Church when we can the one baptism which we know to be of the Church alone, wherever it be found.  Or how can they baptize any one in the name of Christ whom Christ Himself declares to be His enemies?  For He says to all the unrighteous, "I never knew you:  depart from me, ye that work iniquity;"  1693 and yet, when they baptize, it is not themselves that baptize, but He of whom John says, "The same is He which baptizeth." 1694


Footnotes

492:1691

Lares, in ecclesiastical province of Numidia.  Hortensianus is very likely the same as the one in Cypr. Epp. lvii., lxx.

492:1692

Conc. Carth. sec. 21.

492:1693

Matt. vii. 23.

492:1694

John i. 33.


Next: Chapter 29