n the mass of their adherents, as long as possible, in the
condition of catechumens. Hence Tertullian here asserts that "they who
know the weight of baptism will rather _dread its attainment_ than its
postponement." [477:3] But neither the apostles, nor the early Church,
had any sympathy with such a sentiment. They represent baptism as a
privilege--as a sign and seal of God's favour--which all should
thankfully embrace. On the very day on which Peter denounced the Jews as
having with wicked hands crucified his Master, he assisted in the
baptism of three thousand of these transgressors. "Repent," says he,
"and _be baptized every one of you_ in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, _for
the promise is unto you and to your children_." [478:1] Tertullian would
have given them no such encouragement. But the Montanists believed that
their Phrygian Paraclete was commissioned to supersede the apostolic
discipline. When the African father attacked infant baptism he obviously
acted under this conviction; and whilst seeking to set aside the
arrangements of the Church of his own age, he felt no scruple in
venturing at the same time to subvert an institute of primitive
Christianity.

We have the clearest evidence that, little more than twenty years after
the death of Tertullian, the whole Church of Africa recognised the
propriety of this practice. About the middle of the third century a
bishop of that country, named Fidus, appears to have taken up the idea
that, when administering the ordinance, he was bound to adhere to the
very letter of the law relative to circumcision, [478:2] and that
therefore he was not at liberty to baptize the child before the eighth
day after its birth. When the case was submitted to Cyprian and an
African Synod, consisting of sixty-six bishops, they _unanimously_
decided that these scruples were groundless; and, in an epistle
addressed to the pastor who entertained them, the Assembly thus
communicated the result of its deliberations--"As regards the case of
infants who, you say, should not be baptized within the second or third
day after their birth, and that respect should be had to the law of the
ancient circumcision, whence you think that one newly born should not be
baptized and sanctified within the eighth day, we all in our council
thought very differently.... If even to the most grievous offenders, ...
when they afterwards believe, remi