Trinity. St. Ambrose is most particular in the description of this rite: "Thou wast asked," says he," dost thou believe in God, the Father Almighty? And thou repliedst, I believe, and wast dipped, that is, buried. A second demand was made, dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and in his cross? Thou answeredst again, I believe, and wast dipped. Therefore thou wast buried with Christ. For he that is buried with Christ rises again with Christ. A third time the question was repeated, dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost? And thy answer was, I believe. Then thou wast dipped a third time, that thy triple confession might absolve thee from the various offences of thy former life." Two reasons are commonly assigned for this practice. First, that it might represent Christ's three day's burial, and his resurrection on the third day. We cover ourselves in the water, says Gregory Nyssen, as Christ did in the earth, and this we do three times to represent the grace of his resurrection performed after three days. In like manner Cyril of Jerusalem, and the author of the Questions upon the Scripture under the name of Athanasius.* Thus likewise Pope Leo, among the Latins," The trine immersion is an imitation of the three days burial; and the rising again out of the water, is an image of Christ rising from the grave." Secondly, another reason was, that it might represent their profession of faith in the holy Trinity, in whose name they were baptised. "St. Austin joins both 8 1 Ambros. de Sacram. lib. ii. cap. vii. Interrogatus es, 'Credis in Deum Patrem Omnipotentem?' dixisti, 'Credo,' et mersisti, hoc est, sepultus es. Iterum interrogatus es, Credis in Dominum nostrum, Iesum Christum?' dixisti, Credo,' et mirsisti. Ideò et Christo es consepultus. Qui enim Christo consepelitur, cum Christo resurgit. Tertiò interrogatus es,' Credis et in Spiritum Sanctum ?' dixisti, 'Credo?' Tertiò mersisti, ut multiplicem lapsum superioris ætatis absolveret trina confessio. 2 Nyssen. de Bapt. Christi, tom. iii. 372. Cyril Catech. Myst. ii. n. 4. Athan. de Parabolis Script. q. 94. 5 Leo. Ep. iv. ad Episc. Siculos, cap. iii. Sepulturam triduanam imitatur trina demersio, et ab aquis elevatio resurgentis adinstar est de sepulcro. 6 Aug. Hom. iii. ap Gratian. de Consecrat. Dist. iv. cap. lxxviii. Postquàm vos credere promisistis, tertiò capita vestra in sacro fonte demersimus. Qui ordo baptismatis duplici mysterii significatione celebratur. Rectè enim tertiò mersi estis, qui accepistis baptismum in nomine Trinitatis. Rectè tertiò mersi estis, qui accepistis baptismum in nomine Jesu Christi, qui die tertiâ re reasons together, telling us there was a two-fold mystery signified in this way of baptising. The trine immersion was both a symbol of the holy Trinity, in whose name we are baptised, and also a type of the Lord's burial, and of his resurrection on the third day from the dead. For we are buried with Christ by baptism, and rise again with him by faith. St. Jerom makes this ceremony to be a symbol of the Unity, as well as the Trinity. For, says he, "we are thrice dipped in the water, that the mystery of the Trinity may appear to be but one: we are not baptised in the names of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but in one name, which is God." And therefore he adds, " that though we be thrice put under water to represent the mystery of the Trinity, yet it is reputed but one baptism,' 1 SECT. 7.-The Original of this Practice. The original of this custom is not exactly agreed upon by the Ancients. Some derive it from apostolical tradition; others from the first institution of baptism by our Saviour; whilst others esteem it only an indifferent circumstance or ceremony, that may be used, or omitted, without any detriment to the sacrament itself, or breach of any divine appointment. Tertullian, St. Basil, and St. Jerom, put it among those rites of the Church, which they reckon to be handed down from apostolical tradition. St. Chrysostom seems rather to make it part of the first institution. For he says, Christ delivered to his disciples one baptism in three immersions of the body, when he said to them, "Go teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." And Theodoret was surrexit à mortuis. Illa enim tertiò repetita demersio typum Dominica exprimit sepulturæ, &c. 1 Hieron. lib. ii. in Ephes. iv. p. 222. Ter mergimur, ut Trinitatis unum appareat sacramentum, et non baptizamur in nominibus Patris et Filii et Spiritûs Sancti, sed in uno nomine, quod intelligitur Deus.--Potest et unum baptisma ita dici, quod licet ter baptizemur propter mysterium Trinitatis, tamen unum baptisma reputetur. 2 Tertul. de Coron. Mil. c. iii. Basil. de Spir. Sanct. c. xxvii. Hieron. Cont. Lucif. cap. iv. It. Sozomen. lib. vi. c. xxvi. 5 Chrys. Hom. de Fide. tom. vii. p. 290. Edit. Savil. Εν τρισὶ καταδύσεσι τῇ σώματος ἓν βάπτισμα τοῖς ἑαυτῆ μαθη ταῖς παραδέδωκε, &c. Theod. Hæret. Fab. lib. iv. c. iii. p. 236. of the same opinion: for he charges Eunomius as making an innovation upon the original institution of baptism, delivered by Christ and his Apostles, in that he made a contrary law, that men should not be baptised with three immersions, nor with invocation of the Trinity, but only with one immersion into the death of Christ. Pope Pelagius brought the same charge against some others in his time,' who baptised in the name of Christ only with one immersion, which he condemns as contrary to the Gospel command given by Christ, who appointed every one to be baptised in the name of the Trinity, and that with three immersions, saying to his disciples, "Go, baptise all nations, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." And this was so far esteemed a divine obligation by the authors of the Apostolical Canons, that they order every bishop or presbyter to be deposed, who should administer baptism not by three immersions, but only one in the name of Christ; because Christ said not, baptise into my death, but, go, baptise all nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It is plain, all these writers thought this a necessary circumstance from our Saviour's institution. And the Eunomians, who first rejected this, are condemned by Theodoret and Sozomen, as making a new law of baptising, not only against the general practice, but against the general rule and tradition of the Church. SECT. 8.-When first the Church allowed of any Alteration in it. Yet there happened a circumstance in the Spanish Churches in after ages, which gave a little turn to this affair. For Αὐτὸς καὶ τῇ ἁγίε βαπτίσματος ἀνέτρεψε ἀνέκαθεν παρὰ τῷ Κυρίε και ̓Αποστό λων παραδοθέντα θεσμὸν, κι ἄντικρυς ἐνομοθέτησε, μὴ χρῆναι λέγων τρὶς καταδύειν τὸν βαπτιζόμενον, &c. 1 Pelag. Ep. ad Gaudentium, ap Gratian. de Consecrat. Dist. iv. c. lxxxii. Multi sunt, qui in nomine solummodò Christi, unâ etiam mersione se asserunt baptizare. Evangelicum verò præceptum, ipso Deo et Domino salvatore nostro Iesu Christo tradente, nos admonet, in nomine Trinitatis, trinâ etiam mersione sanctum baptisma unicuique tribuere, dicente Domino discipulis suis; Ite, baptizate omnes gentes in nomine Patris, Filii, et Spiritûs Sancti.' Canon. Apost. can. xlix. al. 1. the Arians in Spain, not being of the sect of the Eunomians, continued for many years to baptise with three immersions: but then they abused this ceremony to a very perverse end, to patronize their error about the Son and Holy Ghost's being of a different nature or essence from the Father. For they made the three immersions to denote a difference, or degrees of divinity in the three divine persons. To oppose whose wicked doctrine, and that they might not seem to symbolize with them in any practice that might give encouragement to it, some catholics began to leave off the trine immersion, as savouring of Arianism, and took up the single immersion in opposition to them. But this was like to prove matter of scandal and schism among the catholics themselves. And therefore in the time of Gregory the Great, Leander, bishop of Sevil, wrote to him for his advice and resolution in this case. To which he returned this answer,1 Concerning the three immersions in baptism, you have judged very truly already, that different rites and customs do not prejudice the holy Church, whilst the unity of faith remains entire. The reason why we use three immersions at Rome is to signify the mystery of Christ's three days burial, that whilst an infant is thrice lifted up out of the water the resurrection on the third day may be expressed thereby. But if any one thinks this is rather done in regard to the Holy Trinity, a single immersion in baptism does no way prejudice that: for so long as the unity of substance is preserved in three persons, it is no harm whether a child be baptised with one immersion or three; because three immersions 66 1 Gregor. lib. i. Ep. xli. ad Leand. De trinâ mersione baptismatis nil responderi verius potest, quàm quod ipsi sensistis, quòd in unâ fide nil officit sanctæ Ecclesiæ consuetudo diversa. Nos autem quod tertiò mergimus triduanæ sepulturæ sacramenta signamus, ut dum tertiò infans ab aquis educitur, resurrectio triduani temporis exprimatur. Quod si quis fortè etiam pro summæ Trinitatis veratione existimet fieri; neque ad hoc aliquid obsestit baptizando semel in aquis mergere: quia dum in tribus personis una substantia est, reprehensibile esse nullatenùs potest, infantem in baptismate vel ter, vel semel immergere; quando et in tribus mersionibus Personarum Trinitas, et in unâ potest Divinitatis singulari designari. Sed quia nunc hujusque ab hæreticis infans in baptismo tertiò mergebatur, fiendum apud vos esse non censeo: ne dum mersiones numerant, Divinitatem divident; dum que quod faciebant faciunt, se morem vestrm vicisse glorientur. may represent the Trinity of persons, and one immersion the Unity of the Godhead. But forasmuch as heretics use to baptise their infants with three immersions, I think you ought not to do so; lest this multiplication of immersions be interpreted a division of the Godhead, and give them occasion to glory, that their custom has prevailed." Yet this judgment of Pope Gregory did not satisfy all men in the Spanish Church: for still many kept to the old way of baptising by three immersions, notwithstanding this fear of symbolising with the Arians. Therefore some time after, about the year 633, the fourth Council of Toledo, which was a general council of all Spain, was forced to make another decree to determine this matter, and settle the peace of the Church. For whilst some priests baptised with three immersions, and the others but with one, a schism was raised,' endangering the unity of the faith. For the contending parties carried the matter so high, as to pretend, that they, who were baptised in a way contrary to their own, were not baptised at all. To remedy which evil the fathers of this Council first repeat the judgment of Pope Gregory, and then immediately conclude upon it, that though both these ways of baptism were just and unblameable in themselves, according to the opinion of that great man; yet as well to avoid the scandal of schism, as the usage of heretics, they decree, that only one immersion should be used in baptism, lest if any used three immersions, they Con. Tolet. iv. can. v. De baptismi autem sacramento, propter quod in Hispaniis quidam sacerdotes trinam, simplam quidam mersionem faciunt, à nonnullis schisma esse conspicitur, et unitas fidei scindi videtur. Nam dum partes diversæ in baptizandis aliquo contrario modo agunt, ab aliis non baptizatos esse contendunt.—Quapropter, qui de utroque sacramento, quod fit in sancto baptismo, à tanto viro reddita est ratio, quod utrumque rectum, utrumque irreprehensibile in sanctâ Dei Eccleșiâ habeatur: propter vitandum autem schismatis scandalum, vel hæretici dogmatis usum, simplicem teneamùs baptismi mersionem; ne videantur apud nos, qui tertiò mergunt, hæreticorum approbare assertionem, dum sequuntur et morem. Et ne fortè cuiquam sit dubium hujus simpli mysterium sacramenti, videat in eo mortem et resurrectionem Christi significari. Nam in aquis mersio, quasi ad infernum descensio est: et rursus ab aquis emersio, resurrectio est. Item videat in eo Unitatem Divinitatis, dum semel mergimus: Trinitatem, dum in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti baptizamus. |