Writings in Connection with the Donatist ControversyAugustine, of Hippo, Saint
ReligionChristian
Writings in Connection with the Donatist Controversy
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint
Donatists; Donatists -- Controversial literature
CHAP. XIV.--19. Nor is it material, when we are considering the
question of the genuineness and holiness of the sacrament, "what
the recipient of the sacrament believes, and with what, faith he is
imbued." It is of the very highest consequence as regards the entrance
into salvation, but is wholly immaterial as regards the question of
the sacrament. For it is quite possible that a man may be possessed of
the genuine sacrament and a corrupted faith, as it is possible that he
may hold the words of the creed in their integrity, and yet entertain
an erroneous belief about the Trinity, or the resurrection, or any
other point. For it is no slight matter, even within the Catholic
Church, to hold faith entirely consistent with the truth about even
God Himself, to say nothing of any of His creatures. Is it then to be
maintained, that if any one who has been baptized within the Catholic
Church itself should afterwards, in the course of reading, or by
listening to instruction, or by quiet argument, find out, through God's
own revelation, that he had before believed otherwise than he ought,
it is requisite that he should therefore be baptized afresh? But what
carnal and natural man is there who does not stray through the vain
conceits[134] of his own heart, and picture God's nature to himself to
be such as he has imagined out of his carnal sense, and differ from the
true conception of God as far as vanity from truth? Most truly, indeed,
speaks the apostle, filled with the light of truth: "The natural man,"
says he, "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God."[135] And
yet herein he was speaking of men whom he himself shows to have been
baptized. For he says to them, "Was Paul crucified for you? or were
ye baptized in the name of Paul?"[136] These men had therefore the
sacrament of baptism; and yet, inasmuch as their wisdom was of the
flesh, what could they believe about God otherwise than according to
the perception of their flesh, according to which "the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God?" To such he says: "I
could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even
as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat:
for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
For ye are yet carnal."[137] For such are carried about with every
wind of doctrine, of which kind he says, "That we be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine."[138]
Is it then true that, if these men shall have advanced even to the
spiritual age of the inner man, and in the integrity of understanding
shall have learned how far different from the requirements of the
truth has been the belief which they have been led by the fallacious
character of their conceits to entertain of God, they are therefore to
be baptized again? For, on this principle, it would be possible for a
Catholic catechumen to light upon the writings of some heretic, and,
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