ld be withdrawn from sinners. But
sinners who have been baptized derive spiritual assistance from the
very character of Baptism, since it is a disposition to grace.
Therefore it seems that the sacrament of Baptism should be offered to
sinners.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (Serm. clxix): "He Who created thee
without thee, will not justify thee without thee." But since a
sinner's will is ill-disposed, he does not co-operate with God.
Therefore it is useless to employ Baptism as a means of justification.

_I answer that,_ A man may be said to be a sinner in two ways. First,
on account of the stain and the debt of punishment incurred in the
past: and on sinners in this sense the sacrament of Baptism should be
conferred, since it is instituted specially for this purpose, that by
it the uncleanness of sin may be washed away, according to Eph. 5:26:
"Cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life."

Secondly, a man may be called a sinner because he wills to sin and
purposes to remain in sin: and on sinners in this sense the sacrament
of Baptism should not be conferred. First, indeed, because by Baptism
men are incorporated in Christ, according to Gal. 3:27: "As many of
you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ." Now so long
as a man wills to sin, he cannot be united to Christ, according to 2
Cor. 6:14: "What participation hath justice with injustice?"
Wherefore Augustine says in his book on Penance (Serm. cccli) that
"no man who has the use of free-will can begin the new life, except
he repent of his former life." Secondly, because there should be
nothing useless in the works of Christ and of the Church. Now that is
useless which does not reach the end to which it is ordained; and, on
the other hand, no one having the will to sin can, at the same time,
be cleansed from sin, which is the purpose of Baptism; for this would
be to combine two contradictory things. Thirdly, because there should
be no falsehood in the sacramental signs. Now a sign is false if it
does not correspond with the thing signified. But the very fact that
a man presents himself to be cleansed by Baptism, signifies that he
prepares himself for the inward cleansing: while this cannot be the
case with one who purposes to remain in sin. Therefore it is manifest
that on such a man the sacrament of Baptism is not to be conferred.

Reply Obj. 1: The words quoted are to be understood of those sinners
whose will is set on renouncing si