Sacred Texts  Christianity  Early Church Fathers  Index  Previous  Next 

Chapter 14.—26.  Aymnius 1798 of Ausuaga 1799 said:  "We have received one baptism, which same also we administer; but he who says that authority is given to heretics also to baptize, the same makes two baptisms." 1800

p. 504

27.  To him we answer:  Why does not he also make two baptisms who maintains that the unrighteous also can baptize?  For although the righteous and unrighteous are in themselves opposed to one another, yet the baptism which the righteous give, such as was Paul, or such as was also Cyprian, is not contrary to the baptism which those unrighteous men were wont to give who hated Paul, whom Cyprian understands to have been not heretics, but bad Catholics; and although the moderation which was found in Cyprian, and the covetousness which was found in his colleagues, are in themselves opposed to one another, yet the baptism which Cyprian used to give was not contrary to the baptism which his colleagues who opposed him used to give, but one and the same with it, because in both cases it is He that baptizes of whom it is said, "The same is He which baptizeth." 1801


Footnotes

503:1798

Ahymmus.  See Cypr. Ep. lvi.

503:1799

Ausuaga was in ecclesiastical province of Zeugitana.

503:1800

Conc. Carth. sec. 50.

504:1801

John i. 33.


Next: Chapter 15