er the sacrament of Baptism;
while the other, however great his right to baptize, if he presume to
utter the words, would be liable to be punished as a rebaptizer. If,
however, they were to pronounce the words absolutely at the same
time, and dipped or sprinkled the man together, they should be
punished for baptizing in an improper manner, but not for
rebaptizing: because each would intend to baptize an unbaptized
person, and each, so far as he is concerned, would baptize. Nor would
they confer several sacraments: but the one Christ baptizing inwardly
would confer one sacrament by means of both together.

Reply Obj. 1: This argument avails in those agents that act by their
own power. But men do not baptize by their own, but by Christ's
power, Who, since He is one, perfects His work by means of one
minister.

Reply Obj. 2: In a case of necessity one could baptize several at the
same time under this form: "I baptize ye": for instance, if they were
threatened by a falling house, or by the sword or something of the
kind, so as not to allow of the delay involved by baptizing them
singly. Nor would this cause a change in the Church's form, since the
plural is nothing but the singular doubled: especially as we find the
plural expressed in Matt. 28:19: "Baptizing them," etc. Nor is there
parity between the baptizer and the baptized; since Christ, the
baptizer in chief, is one: while many are made one in Christ by
Baptism.

Reply Obj. 3: As stated above (Q. 66, A. 1), the integrity of Baptism
consists in the form of words and the use of the matter.
Consequently, neither he who only pronounces the words, baptizes, nor
he who dips. Wherefore if one pronounces the words and the other
dips, no form of words can be fitting. For neither could he say: "I
baptize thee": since he dips not, and therefore baptizes not. Nor
could they say: "We baptize thee": since neither baptizes. For if of
two men, one write one part of a book, and the other write the other,
it would not be a proper form of speech to say: "We wrote this book,"
but the figure of synecdoche in which the whole is put for the part.
_______________________

SEVENTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 67, Art. 7]

Whether in Baptism It Is Necessary for Someone to Raise the Baptized
from the Sacred Font?

Objection 1: It seems that in Baptism it is not necessary for someone
to raise the baptized from the sacred font. For our Baptism is
consecrated by Christ's Baptism and is conformed ther