on. And this was condemned in the
early Church. Wherefore in the Apostolic Canons (xlix) we read: "If
any priest or bishop confer baptism not with the trine immersion in
the one administration, but with one immersion, which baptism is said
to be conferred by some in the death of the Lord, let him be
deposed": for our Lord did not say, "Baptize ye in My death," but "In
the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

Later on, however, there arose the error of certain schismatics and
heretics who rebaptized: as Augustine (Super. Joan., cf. De Haeres.
lxix) relates of the Donatists. Wherefore, in detestation of their
error, only one immersion was ordered to be made, by the (fourth)
council of Toledo, in the acts of which we read: "In order to avoid
the scandal of schism or the practice of heretical teaching let us
hold to the single baptismal immersion."

But now that this motive has ceased, trine immersion is universally
observed in Baptism: and consequently anyone baptizing otherwise
would sin gravely, through not following the ritual of the Church. It
would, however, be valid Baptism.

Reply Obj. 1: The Trinity acts as principal agent in Baptism. Now the
likeness of the agent enters into the effect, in regard to the form
and not in regard to the matter. Wherefore the Trinity is signified
in Baptism by the words of the form. Nor is it essential for the
Trinity to be signified by the manner in which the matter is used;
although this is done to make the signification clearer.

In like manner Christ's death is sufficiently represented in the one
immersion. And the three days of His burial were not necessary for
our salvation, because even if He had been buried or dead for one
day, this would have been enough to consummate our redemption: yet
those three days were ordained unto the manifestation of the reality
of His death, as stated above (Q. 53, A. 2). It is therefore clear
that neither on the part of the Trinity, nor on the part of Christ's
Passion, is the trine immersion essential to the sacrament.

Reply Obj. 2: Pope Pelagius understood the trine immersion to be
ordained by Christ in its equivalent; in the sense that Christ
commanded Baptism to be conferred "in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Nor can we argue from the form to
the use of the matter, as stated above (ad 1).

Reply Obj. 3: As stated above (Q. 64, A. 8), the intention is
essential to Baptism. Consequent