On Baptism 18
Summary: Baptism should not be given rashly; Tertullian advises delaying it according to each person's condition, especially for little children and for the unmarried, until they can ask for it knowingly or are settled in life.
Textual problem in this passage: the printed text is uncertain or disputed here. See the notes.
Latin text · CSEL 20:215–217
Ceterum baptismum non temere credendum esse sciunt quorum officium est. omni petenti te dato suum habet titulum perinde ad eleemosynam pertinentem. immo illud potius perspiciendum: nolite dare sanctum canibus et porcis proicere margaritam uestram, et: manus ne facile imposueris, ne participes aliena delicta. si Philippus tam facile tinxit eunuchum, recogitemus manifestam et exertam dignationem domini intercessisse. spiritus Philippo praeceperat in eam uiam pertendere; spado et ipse inuentus est non otiosus, nec qui subito tingui concupisceret, sed ad templum orandi gratia profectus scripturae diuinae impressus sic oportebat deprendi, cui ultro deus apostolum miserat, quem rursus spiritus ut se curriculo eunuchi adiungeret iussit: scriptura ipsius fidei occurrit in tempore, exhortatus adsumitur, dominus ostenditur, fides non moratur, aqua non expectatur, apostolus perfecto negotio eripitur. sed et Paulus reuera cito tinctus est. cito enim cognouerat Simon hospes uas eum esse electionis constitutum. dei dignatio suas praemittit praerogatiuas; omnis petitio et decipere et decipi potest. itaque pro cuiusque personae condicione ac dispositione, etiam aetate, cunctatio baptismi utilior est, praecipue tamen circa paruulos. quid enim necesse, si non tam necesse est, sponsores etiam periculo ingeri, qui et ipsi per mortalitatem destituere promissiones suas possunt et prouentu malae indolis falli? ait quidem dominus: nolite illos prohibere ad me uenire. ueniant ergo, dum adolescunt; ueniant, dum discunt, dum quo ueniant docentur; fiant Christiani, cum Christum nosse potuerint. quid festinat innocens aetas ad remissionem peccatorum? cautius agetur in saecularibus, ut cui substantia terrena non creditur, diuina credatur? norint petere salutem, ut petenti dedisse uidearis. non minore de causa innupti quoque procrastinandi, in quibus temptatio praeparata est tam uirginibus per maturitatem quam uiduis per uacationem, donec aut nubant aut continentiae corroborentur. si qui pondus intellegant baptismi, magis timebunt consecutionem quam dilationem; fides integra secura est de salute.
English · Claude translation
But those whose office it is know that baptism is not to be entrusted rashly. “Give to everyone who asks you” has its own heading, belonging properly to almsgiving. Rather, this is to be considered: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine”; and, “Do not lay hands on anyone quickly, lest you share in another's sins.” If Philip so readily dipped the eunuch, let us reflect that a manifest and express approval of the Lord intervened. The Spirit had commanded Philip to go on that road; the eunuch himself was found not idle, nor one who suddenly desired to be dipped, but having gone to the temple to pray, intent on the divine Scripture: so it was fitting that he be found, to whom God of his own accord had sent an apostle, whom the Spirit again ordered to join himself to the eunuch's chariot. The Scripture meets his faith at the right moment; he is exhorted and taken up; the Lord is shown; faith does not delay; water is not waited for; the apostle, his business done, is snatched away. And Paul too was in fact dipped quickly; for Simon his host had quickly learned that he was appointed a vessel of election. God's approval sends its own credentials ahead; every request can both deceive and be deceived. And so, according to each person's condition and disposition, and also age, delay of baptism is more profitable, especially, however, in the case of little children. For what need is there, if it is not so necessary, for the sponsors too to be thrust into danger, since they themselves may fail of their promises through death, or be deceived by the growth of a bad disposition? The Lord does indeed say, “Do not forbid them to come to me.” Let them come, then, while they are growing up; let them come while they are learning, while they are being taught where they are coming; let them become Christians when they have become able to know Christ. Why does the age of innocence hurry to the remission of sins? Shall we act more cautiously in worldly matters, so that divine substance is entrusted to one to whom earthly substance is not? Let them know how to ask for salvation, so that you may seem to have given to one who asks. For no lesser reason the unmarried too should be put off, in whom temptation lies in wait, for virgins through their maturity as for widows through their freedom, until they either marry or are strengthened for continence. If any understand the weight of baptism, they will fear its obtaining more than its delay: sound faith is secure of salvation.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Matt 5:42, Matt 7:6, 1 Tim 5:22, and Matt 19:14; the allusions are to Acts 8:26–39 and Acts 9:15 (“vessel of election”). Tertullian says Simon was Paul's host; in Acts 9:11–17 it is Judas who hosts Paul and Ananias who baptizes him (Simon the tanner hosts Peter, Acts 9:43); the confusion is Tertullian's, or the text is corrupt. This passage is the earliest explicit discussion of infant baptism, which Tertullian presupposes as practiced but advises delaying; “sponsors” are those who answered for the children.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray punctuation in the digital text): reuera. cito → reuera cito.
Cite this passage
Tertullian, Bapt. 18 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-baptismo/18/).
Plain text
Tertullian, Bapt. 18 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/tertullian-baptismo/18/).
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