13. And was it needful for the Lord to be baptized? I instantly reply to any one who asks this question: Was it needful for the Lord to be born? Was it needful for the Lord to be crucified? Was it needful for the Lord to die? Was it needful for the Lord to be buried? If He undertook for us so great humiliation, might He not also receive bap- tism? And what profit was there that he re- ceived the baptism of a servant? That thou mightest not disdain to receive the baptism of the Lord. Give heed, beloved brethren. Certain catechumens were to arise in the Church of higher grace. It sometimes comes to pass that you see a catechumen who prac- tises continence, bids farewell to the world, renounces all his possessions, distributing them to the poor; and although but a cate- chumen, instructed in the saving doctrine better, perhaps, than many of the faithful. It is to be feared regarding such an one that he may say to himself about holy baptism, whereby sins are remitted, What more shall I receive? Behold, I am better than this faith- ful man, and this, — having in his mind those among the faithful who are either married, or who are perhaps ignorant, or who keep pos- session of their property, while he has given his to the poor, — and considering himself bet- ter than those who have been already baptized, he deigns not to come to baptism, saying, Am I to receive what this man has, and this? thinking of persons whom he despises, and, as it were, considers it an indignity to receive that which inferiors have received, because he appears to himself to be already better than they; and, nevertheless, all his sins are upon him, and without coming to saving bap- tism, wherein all sins are remitted, he cannot, witli all his excellence, enter into the king- dom of heaven. But the Lord, in order to invite such excellence to his baptism, that sins might be remitted, Himself came to the bap- tism of His servant; and althougli He liad no sin to be remitted, nor was there anything in Him that needed to be washed, He received baptism from a servant; and by so doing, ad- dressed Himself to the son carrying himself proudly, and exalting himself, and disdaining, perhaps, to receive along with the ignorant 30 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate IV.
that from which salvation comes to him, and said to him: How dost thou extend thyself? How dost thou exalt thyself? How great is thy excellence? How great is thy grace? Can it be greater than mine? If I come to the servant, dost thou disdain to come to the Lord? If I have received the baptism of the servant, dost thou disdain to be baptized by the Lord?
14. But that you may know, my brethren, that not from a necessity of any chain of sin did the Lord come to this John, as the other evangelists say when the Lord came to him to be baptized, John himself said, " Comest Thou to me? I have need to be baptized of Thee." ' What did He reply to him? " Suf- fer it to be so now: let all righteousness be ful- filled? " What meaneth this, " let all righte- ousness be fulfilled "? I came to die for men, have I not to be baptized for men? What mean- eth " let all righteousness be fulfilled '*? Let all humility be fulfilled. What then? Was not He to accept baptism from a good servant who accepted suffering at the hands of evil servants? Give heed then. The Lord being baptized, if John for this end baptized, that by means of his baptism the Lord might manifest His humility, should no one else have been baptized with the baptism of John? But many were baptized with the baptism of John. When the Lord was baptized with the baptism of John, the baptism of John ceased. John was forthwith cast into prison. After- wards we do not find that any one is baptized with that baptism. If, then, John came bap- tizing for this end, that the humility of the Lord might be made manifest to us, in order that we might not disdain to receive from the Lord that which the Lord had received from a servant, should John have baptized the Lord alone? But if John had baptized the Lord alone, some would have thought that the bap- tism of John was more holy than that of Christ: as if Christ alone had been found worthy to be baptized with the baptism of John, but the human race with that of Christ. Give heed, beloved brethren. With the bap- tism of Christ we have been baptized, and not only we, but the whole world, and this will continue to the end. Which of us can in any respect be compared with Christ, whose shoe's latchet John declared himself unworthy to unloose? If, then, the Christ, a man of such excellence, a man who is God, had been alone baptized with the baptism of John, what were men likely to say? What a baptism was that of John! His was a great baptism, an ineffable sacrament; behold, Christ alone deserved to be baptized with the baptism of John. And thus the baptism of the servant would appear greater than the baptism of the Lord. Others were also baptized with the baptism of John, that the baptism of John might not appear better than the baptism of Christ; but baptized also was the Lord, that through the Lord receiving the baptism of the servant, other servants might not disdain to receive the baptism of the Lord: for this end, then, was John sent.
15. But did he know Christ, or did he not know Him? If he did not know Him, where- fore did He say, when Christ came to the river, " I have need to be baptized of Thee "? that is to say, I know who Thou art. If, then, he already knew Him, assuredly he knew Him when he saw the dove descending. It is evident that the dove did not descend upon the Lord until after He went up out of the water of baptism. "The Lord having been baptized, went up out of the water, and the heavens were opened, and he saw a dove descending on Him.'' If, then, the dove descended after the baptism, and if, before the Lord was baptized, John said to Him, *' Comest Thou tome? I have need to be baptized of Thee;" that is to say, before he knew Him to whom he said, "Comest Thou to me? I have need to be baptized of Thee; " — how then said he, "And I knevv' Him not: but He who sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, Upon whom thou seest the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost?" It is not an insig- nificant question, my brethren. If you have seen the question, you have seen not a little; it remains that the Lord give the solution of it. This, however, I say, if you have seen the question, it is no small matter. Behold, John is placed before your eyes, standing beside the river. Behold John the Baptist. Behold, the Lord comes, as yet to be baptiz- ed, not yet baptized. Hear the voice of John, "Comest Thou to me? I have need to be baptized of Thee." Behold, already he knew the Lord, by whom He wishes to be baptized. The Lord, having been baptized, goes up out of the water; the heavens are opened, the Spirit descends; then John knows Him. If then for the first time he knew Him, why did he say before, " I have need to be baptized of Thee "? But if he did not then recognize Him for the first time, because he knew Him already, what is the meaning of what he said, " I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me. Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descend- ing, and abiding upon Him, as a dove, the Tractate v.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost"?
i6. My brethren, this question if solved to- day would oppress you, I do not doubt, for already have I spoken many words. But know that the question is of such a character that alone it is able to extinguish the party of Donatus. I have said thus much, my belov- ed, in order to gain your attention, as is my wont; and also in order that you mny pray for us, that the Lord may grant to us to speak what is suitable, and that you may be found worthy to receive what is suitable. In the meantime, be pleased to defer the ques- tion for to day. But in the meantime, I say this briefly, until I give a fuller solution: Inquire peacefully, without quarreling, with- out contention, without altercations, without enmities; both seek by yourselves, and inquire of others, and say, " This question our bishop proposed to us to-day, and he will resolve it at a future time, if the Lord will." But whether it be resolved or not, reckon that I have propounded what appears to me of im- portance; for it does seem of considerable importance. John says, " I have need to be baptized of Thee," as if he knew Christ, For if he did not know Him by whom he wished to be baptized, he spoke rashly when he said, "I have need to be baptized of Thee."
Therefore he knew Him. If he knew Him, what is the meaning of the saying, " I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon Him, as a dove, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost"? What shall we say? That we do not know when the dove came? Lest perchance they ' take refuge in this, let the other evangelists be read, who have spoken of this matter more plainly, and we find most evidently that the dove then descended when the Lord came up out of the water. Upon Him baptized the heavens opened, and He saw the Spirit de- scending, - If it was when He was already baptized that John knew Him, how saith he to Him, coming to baptism, " I have need to be baptized of Thee "? Ponder this in the meantime with yourselves, confer upon it, treat of it, one with another. The Lord our God grant that before you hear it from me, the explanation may be revealed to some of you first. Nevertheless, brethren, know this, that by means of the solution of this ques- tion, the allegation of the party of Donatus, if the)'' have any sense of shame, will be silenced, and their mouths will be shut regard- ing the grace of baptism, a matter about which they raise mists to confuse the uninstructed, and spread nets for flying birds.
I The Donatists. ^ Matt. iii. i6; Mark i. lo; Luke iii. 21, 22.
TRACTATE V.
Chapter I.
We have arrived, as the Lord hath willed it, to the day of our promise. He will grant this also, that we may arrive at the fulfillment of the promise. For then those things which we say, if they are useful to us and to you, are from Him; but those things which pro- ceed from man are false, as our Lord Jesus Christ Himself has said, " He that speaketh a lie speaketh of his own." ' No one has any- thing of his own except falsehood and sin. But if man has any truth and justice, it is from that fountain after which we ought to thirst in this desert, so that being, as it were, bedewed by some drops from it, and com- forted in the meantime in this pilgrimage, we may not fail by the way, but reach His rest ■and satisfying fullness. If then "he that ' John viii. 44.
' John viii. 44.
speaketh a lie speaketh of his own," he who speaketh the truth speaketh of God. John is true, Christ is the Truth; John is true, but every true man is true from the Truth. If, then, John is true, and a man cannot be true except from the Truth, from whom was he true, unless from Him who said, " I am the truth "?- The Truth, then, could not speak contrary to the true man, or the true man con- trary to the Truth. The Truth sent the true man, and he was true because sent by the Truth. If it was the Truth that sent John, then it was Christ that sent him. But that which Christ does with the Father, the Father does; and what the Father does with Christ, Christ does. The Father does notliing ajiart from the Son, nor the Son anything apart from the - John xiv. 6.
32 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN [Tractate V.
Father: inseparable love, inseparable unity, inseparable majesty, inseparable power, ac- cording to these words which He Himself pro- pounded," I and my Father are one.'' ' Who then sent John? If we say the Father, we speak truly; if we say the Son, we speak truly; but to speak more plainly, we say the Father and the Son. But whom the Father and the Son sent, one God sent; because the Son said, "land the Father are one." How, then, did he not know Him by whom he was sent? For he said, " I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me." I interrogate John: "Who sent thee to baptize with water? what did He say to thee? ' " Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abidmg upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." Is it this, O John, that He said to thee who sent thee? It is manifest that it was this; who, then, sent ttiee? Perhaps the Father. True God is the Father, and the Truth is God the Son: if the Father without the Son sent thee, God without the Truth sent thee; but if thou art true, because thou dost speak the truth, and dost speak of the Truth, the Father did not send thee with- out the Son, but the Father and the Son together sent thee. If, then, the Son sent thee with the Father, how didst thou not know Him by whom thou wast sent? He whom thou hadst seen in the Truth, Himself sent thee that He might be recognized in the flesh, and said, " Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.'
2. Did John hear this that he might know Him whom he had not known, or that he might more fully know Him whom he had already known? For if he had been entirely ignorant of Him, he would not have said to Him when He came to the river to be baptiz- ed, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? " = He knew Him there- fore. But when did the dove descend? When the Lord had been baptized, and was ascending from the water. But if He who sent Him said, " Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost," and he knew Him not, but when the dove descended he learned to know Him, and the time at which the dove descended was when the Lord was goin^ up from the water; but John had known the Lord, when the Lord came to him to the water: it is made plain to us that John after a ' John X. 30.
2 Matt. iii. 14.
manner knew, and after a manner did not at first know the Lord. And unless we under- stand it so, he was a liar. How was he true acknowledging the Lord and saying, "Comest Thou to me to be baptized," and, "I have need to be baptized of Thee "? Is he true when he said this? And how is he again true when he saith, " I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost ''? The Lord was made known by a dove, not to him who knew Him not, but to him who in a manner knew Him, and in a manner knew Him not. It is for us to discover what, in Him, John did not know, and learned by the dove.
3. Why was John sent baptizing? Already, I recollect, I have explained that to you, beloved, according to my ability. For if the baptism of John was necessary for our salva- tion, it ought even now to be used. For we cannot think that men are not saved now, or that more are not saved now, or that there was one salvation then, another now. If Christ has been changed, the salvation has also been changed; if salvation is in Christ, and Christ Himself is the same, there is the same salvation to us. But why was John sent baptizing? Because it behoved Christ to be baptized. Wherefore did it behove Christ to be baptized? Wherefore did it behove Christ to be born? Wherefore did it behove Christ to be crucified? For if He had come to point out the way of humility, and to make Himself the way of humility; in all things had humility to be fulfilled by Him. He deigned from this to give authority to His own bap- tism, that His servants might know with what alacrity they ought to run to the baptism of the Lord, when He Himself did not refuse to receive the baptism of a servant. This favor was bestowed upon John that it should be called his baptism. ' 4. Give heed to this, exercise your discrim- ination, and know it, beloved. The baptism which John received is called the baptism of John: alone he received such a gift. No one of the just before him and no one after him so received a baptism that it should be called his baptism. He received it indeed, for of himself he could do nothing: for if any one speaketh of his own, he speaketh of his own a lie. And whence did he receive it ex- cept from the Lord Jesus Christ? From Him he received power to baptize whom he after- wards baptized. Do not marvel; for Christ acted in the same manner in respect to John as in respect to His mother. For concerning Tractate V.]
ON THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN.
Christ it was said, '* All things were made by Him."' If all things \vere made by him, Mary also was made by Him, of whom Christ was afterwards born. Give heed, beloved; in the same manner that He did create Mary, and was created by Mary, so did He give the baptism of John, and was baptized by John.
5. For this purpose therefore did He re- ceive baptism from John, in order that, re- ceiving what was inferior from an inferior. He might exhort inferiors to receive that which was superior. But wherefore was not He alone baptized by John, if John, by whom Christ was baptized, was sent for this end, to prepare a way for the Lord, that is, for Christ Himself? This we have already explained, but we recur to it, because it is necessary for the present question. If our Lord Jesus Christ had been alone baptized with the bap- tism of John; — hold fast what we say; let not the world have such power as to efface from youi hearts what the Spirit of God has written there; let not the thorns of care have such power as to choke the seed which is being sown in you: for why are we compelled to re- peat the same things, but because we are not sure of the memory of your hearts? — and if then the Lord alone had been baptized with the baptism of John, there would be persons who would so reckon it, that the baptism of John was greater than is the baptism of Christ. For they would say, that baptism is so much the greater, that Christ alone deserved to be baptized with it. Therefore, that an example of humility might be given us by the Lord, that the salvation of baptism might be obtained by us, Christ accepted what for Him was not necessary, but on our account was necessary. And again, lest that which Clirist received from John should be preferred to the bap- tism of Christ, others also were permitted to be baptized by John. But for those who were baptized by John that baptism did not suffice: for they were baptized with the baptism of Christ; because the baptism of John was not tie baptism of Christ. Those who receive t le b;iptism of Christ do not seek the bap- tism of John; those who received the baptism of John sought the baptism of Christ, There- fore was the baptism of John sufficient for Christ. How should it not be sufficient, when not even it was necessary? For to Him was no baptism necessary; but in order to exhort us to receive His baptism, He received the baptism of His servant. And lest the baptism of the servant should be preferred to the baptism of the Lord, other fellow-servants were baptized with the baptism of the ser- ' John i. 3.
vant. But it behoved those fellow-servants who were baptized with that baptism to be likewise baptized with the baptism of the Lord: but those who were baptized with the baptism of the Lord do not require the baptism of the fellow- servant.
6. Since, then, John had accepted a bap- tism which may be properly called the baptism of John, but the Lord Jesus Christ would not give His baptism to any, not that no one should be baptized with the baptism of the Lord, but that the Lord Himself should always baptize: that was done, that the Lord should baptize by means of servants; tliat is to say, those whom the servants of the Lord were to baptize, the Lord baptized, not they. For it is one thing to baptize in the capacity of a servant, another thing to baptize with power. For baptism derives its character from Him through whose power it is given; not from him through whose ministry it is given. A.S was John, so was his baptism: the righteous baptism of a righteous man; but of a man who had received from the Lord that grace, and so great grace, that he was worthy to be the forerunner of the Judge, and to point Him out with the finger, and to fulfill the saying of that prophecy: " The voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way for the Lord." ' As was the Lord, such was His baptism: the baptism of the Lord, then, was divine, because the Lord was God.
7. But the Lord Jesus Christ could, if He washed, have given power to one of His ser- vants to give a baptism of his own, as it were, in His stead, and have transferred from Him- self the power of baptizing, and assigned it to one of His servants, and have given the same power to the baptism transferred to the ser- vant as it had when bestowed by the Lord. This He would not do, in order that the hope of the baptized might be in him by whom they acknowledged themselves to have been baptized. He would not, therefore, that the servant sliould place his hope in the servant. And therefore the apostle exclaimed, when he saw men wishing to place their hope in him- self, "Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name ofPaul?"^ Paul then baptized as a servant, not as the power itself; but the Lord baptized as the power. Give heed. He was both able to give this power to His servants, and unwilling. For if He had given this power to His servants — that is to say, that what belonged to the Lord should be theirs — there would have been as many baptisms as servants; so that, as we speak of the baptism of John, we should also ' Isa. xl. 3.
3 I Cor. i. 13.
34 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Tractate V.
have spoken of the baptism of Peter, the baptism of Paul, the baptism of James, the baptism of Thomas, of Matthew, of Bartholo- mew: for we spoke of that baptism as that of John. But perliaps some one objects, and says, Prove to us that that baptism was called the baptism of John. I will prove it from the very words of the Truth Himself, when He asked the Jews, "The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? " ' Therefore, lest as many baptisms should be spoken of as there are servants who received power from the Lord to baptize, the Lord kept to Himself the power of baptizing, and gave to His servants the ministry. The ser- vant says that he baptizes; he says so rightly, as the apostle says, " And I baptized also the household of Stephanas; " - but as a servant. Therefore, if even he be bad, and he happen to have the ministration of baptism, and if men do not know him, but God knows him, God, who has kept the power to Himself, per- mits baptism to be administered through him. 8. But this John did not know in the Lord. That He was the Lord he knew, and that he ought to be baptized by Him he knew;- and he confessed that He was the Truth, and that he, the true man, was sent by the Truth: this he knew. But what was in Him which he knew not? That he was about to retain to Himself the power of His baptism, and was not to transmit or transfer it to any servant; but that, whether a good servant baptized in a ministerial manner, or whether an evil ser- vant baptized, the person baptized should not know that he was baptized, unless by Him who kept to Himself the power of baptizing. And that you may know, brethren, what John did not know in Him, he learned it by means of the dove: for he knew the Lord; but that He was to retain to Himself the power of baptizing, and not to give it to any servant, he did not yet know. Regarding this he said, " I knew Him not." And that you may know that he there learnt this, give heed to what follows: "But He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me. Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He." What same is He? The Lord? But he already knew the Lord. Suppose, then, that John had said thus far, "I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me — " We ask, what He said? It follows: "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him." I do not say what follows. In the meantime give heed: "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He." But what same is He f" What did He who sent me mean to teach me by means of a dove? That He was Himself the Lord. Already I knew by whom I was sent; already I knew Him to whom I said, " Comest Thou to me to be baptized? I have need to be baptized of Thee." So far, then, did I know the Lord, that I wished to be baptized by Llim, not that He should be baptized by me; and then He said to me, " Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.'' I came to suffer; do I not come to be baptized? "Let ail righteous- ness be fulfilled," says my God to me. Let all righteousness be fulfilled; let me teach entire humility. I know that there will be proud ones in my future people; I know that some men then will be eminent in some grace, so that when they see ordinary persons bap- tized, they, because they consider themselves better, whether in continence, or in alms- giving, or in doctrine, will perhaps not deign to receive what has been received by their in- feriors. It was needful that I should heal them, so that they should not disdain to come to the baptism of the Lord, because I came to the baptism of the servant.