men were
incorporated in Christ by faith in His future coming: of which faith
circumcision was the "seal," as the Apostle calls it (Rom. 4:11):
whereas before circumcision was instituted, men were incorporated in
Christ by "faith alone," as Gregory says (Moral. iv), together with
the offering of sacrifices, by means of which the Fathers of old made
profession of their faith. Again, since Christ's coming, men are
incorporated in Christ by faith; according to Eph. 3:17: "That Christ
may dwell by faith in your hearts." But faith in a thing already
present is manifested by a sign different from that by which it was
manifested when that thing was yet in the future: just as we use
other parts of the verb, to signify the present, the past, and the
future. Consequently although the sacrament itself of Baptism was not
always necessary for salvation, yet faith, of which Baptism is the
sacrament, was always necessary.

Reply Obj. 2: As we have stated in the I-II, Q. 81, A. 3, ad 2, those
who are baptized are renewed in spirit by Baptism, while their body
remains subject to the oldness of sin, according to Rom. 8:10: "The
body, indeed, is dead because of sin, but the spirit liveth because
of justification." Wherefore Augustine (Contra Julian. vi) proves
that "not everything that is in man is baptized." Now it is manifest
that in carnal generation man does not beget in respect of his soul,
but in respect of his body. Consequently the children of those who
are baptized are born with original sin; wherefore they need to be
baptized.

Reply Obj. 3: Those who are sanctified in the womb, receive indeed
grace which cleanses them from original sin, but they do not
therefore receive the character, by which they are conformed to
Christ. Consequently, if any were to be sanctified in the womb now,
they would need to be baptized, in order to be conformed to Christ's
other members by receiving the character.
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SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 68, Art. 2]

Whether a Man Can Be Saved Without Baptism?

Objection 1: It seems that no man can be saved without Baptism. For
our Lord said (John 3:5): "Unless a man be born again of water and
the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." But those alone
are saved who enter God's kingdom. Therefore none can be saved
without Baptism, by which a man is born again of water and the Holy
Ghost.

Obj. 2: Further, in the book De Eccl. Dogm. xli, it is written: "We
believe that no ca