FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   730   731   732   733   734   735   736   737   738   739   740   741   742   743   744   745   746   747   748   749   750   751   752   753   754  
755   756   757   758   759   760   761   762   763   764   765   766   767   768   769   770   771   772   773   774   775   776   777   778   779   >>   >|  
hesitation baptize them again in the name of the Blessed Trinity, when they come in quest of the Catholic Faith." Didymus, too, says (De Spir. Sanct.): "If indeed there be such a one with a mind so foreign to faith as to baptize while omitting one of the aforesaid names," viz. of the three Persons, "he baptizes invalidly." _I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 64, A. 3), the sacraments derive their efficacy from Christ's institution. Consequently, if any of those things be omitted which Christ instituted in regard to a sacrament, it is invalid; save by special dispensation of Him Who did not bind His power to the sacraments. Now Christ commanded the sacrament of Baptism to be given with the invocation of the Trinity. And consequently whatever is lacking to the full invocation of the Trinity, destroys the integrity of Baptism. Nor does it matter that in the name of one Person another is implied, as the name of the Son is implied in that of the Father, or that he who mentions the name of only one Person may believe aright in the Three; because just as a sacrament requires sensible matter, so does it require a sensible form. Hence, for the validity of the sacrament it is not enough to imply or to believe in the Trinity, unless the Trinity be expressed in sensible words. For this reason at Christ's Baptism, wherein was the source of the sanctification of our Baptism, the Trinity was present in sensible signs: viz. the Father in the voice, the Son in the human nature, the Holy Ghost in the dove. Reply Obj. 1: It was by a special revelation from Christ that in the primitive Church the apostles baptized in the name of Christ; in order that the name of Christ, which was hateful to Jews and Gentiles, might become an object of veneration, in that the Holy Ghost was given in Baptism at the invocation of that Name. Reply Obj. 2: Ambrose here gives this reason why exception could, without inconsistency, be allowed in the primitive Church; namely, because the whole Trinity is implied in the name of Christ, and therefore the form prescribed by Christ in the Gospel was observed in its integrity, at least implicitly. Reply Obj. 3: Pope Nicolas confirms his words by quoting the two authorities given in the preceding objections: wherefore the answer to this is clear from the two solutions given above. _______________________ SEVENTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 66, Art. 7] Whether Immersion in Water Is Necessary for Baptism? Objectio
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   730   731   732   733   734   735   736   737   738   739   740   741   742   743   744   745   746   747   748   749   750   751   752   753   754  
755   756   757   758   759   760   761   762   763   764   765   766   767   768   769   770   771   772   773   774   775   776   777   778   779   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Christ
 

Trinity

 

Baptism

 

sacrament

 

invocation

 

implied

 
sacraments
 

special

 

Father

 

reason


primitive
 

Church

 

matter

 
integrity
 
Person
 
baptize
 

answer

 
Gentiles
 

hateful

 

baptized


Ambrose

 

veneration

 

apostles

 

object

 

present

 
source
 

sanctification

 
nature
 

revelation

 

Blessed


solutions

 

SEVENTH

 

ARTICLE

 

wherefore

 
authorities
 

preceding

 
objections
 

Necessary

 

Objectio

 

Immersion


Whether

 

hesitation

 

quoting

 
allowed
 

inconsistency

 
exception
 
prescribed
 

Gospel

 
Nicolas
 
confirms