eckon that you are dead to
sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Hence it is clear
that by Baptism man dies unto the oldness of sin, and begins to live
unto the newness of grace. But every sin belongs to the primitive
oldness. Consequently every sin is taken away by Baptism.

Reply Obj. 1: As the Apostle says (Rom. 5:15, 16), the sin of Adam
was not so far-reaching as the gift of Christ, which is bestowed in
Baptism: "for judgment was by one unto condemnation; but grace is of
many offenses, unto justification." Wherefore Augustine says in his
book on Infant Baptism (De Pecc. Merit. et Remiss. i), that "in
carnal generation, original sin alone is contracted; but when we are
born again of the Spirit, not only original sin but also wilful sin
is forgiven."

Reply Obj. 2: No sin can be forgiven save by the power of Christ's
Passion: hence the Apostle says (Heb. 9:22) that "without shedding of
blood there is no remission." Consequently no movement of the human
will suffices for the remission of sin, unless there be faith in
Christ's Passion, and the purpose of participating in it, either by
receiving Baptism, or by submitting to the keys of the Church.
Therefore when an adult approaches Baptism, he does indeed receive
the forgiveness of all his sins through his purpose of being
baptized, but more perfectly through the actual reception of Baptism.

Reply Obj. 3: This argument is true of special remedies. But Baptism
operates by the power of Christ's Passion, which is the universal
remedy for all sins; and so by Baptism all sins are loosed.
_______________________

SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 69, Art. 2]

Whether Man Is Freed by Baptism from All Debt of Punishment Due to
Sin?

Objection 1: It seems that man is not freed by Baptism from all debt
of punishment due to sin. For the Apostle says (Rom. 13:1): "Those
things that are of God are well ordered [Vulg.: 'Those that are, are
ordained of God']." But guilt is not set in order save by punishment,
as Augustine says (Ep. cxl). Therefore Baptism does not take away the
debt of punishment due to sins already committed.

Obj. 2: Further, the effect of a sacrament has a certain likeness to
the sacrament itself; since the sacraments of the New Law "effect
what they signify," as stated above (Q. 62, A. 1, ad 1). But the
washing of Baptism has indeed a certain likeness with the cleansing
from the stain of sin, but none, seemingly, with the remission of the
debt of pun