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| Of the Power of Conferring Baptism.
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Chapter
XVII.—Of the Power of Conferring Baptism.
For concluding our brief subject,8706
it remains to put you in mind also of the
due observance of giving and receiving baptism. Of giving it, the chief
priest8707
| 8707 Summus sacerdos.
Compare de Orat. xxviii., “nos…veri
sacerdotes,” etc.: and de Ex. Cast. c. vii.,
“nonne et laici sacerdotes sumus?” | (who is the bishop)
has the right: in the next place, the presbyters and deacons, yet not
without the bishop’s authority, on account of the honour of the
Church, which being preserved, peace is preserved. Beside these, even
laymen have the right; for what is equally received can be equally
given. Unless bishops, or priests, or deacons, be on the spot,
other disciples are called i.e. to the work. The word of
the Lord ought not to be hidden by any: in like manner, too, baptism,
which is equally God’s property,8708
can be administered by all. But how much more is the rule8709
of reverence and modesty incumbent on
laymen—seeing that these powers8710
| 8710 i.e. the powers of
administering baptism and “sowing the word.” [i.e.
“The Keys.” Scorpiace, p. 643.] |
belong to their superiors—lest they assume to themselves the
specific8711
function of the
bishop! Emulation of the episcopal office is the mother of
schisms. The most holy apostle has said, that “all things
are lawful, but not all expedient.”8712
| 8712 1 Cor. x. 23, where μοι in the received text seems
interpolated. | Let it suffice assuredly, in cases of
necessity, to avail yourself (of that rule8713
, if at any time circumstance either of
place, or of time, or of person compels you (so to do); for then
the stedfast courage of the succourer, when the situation of the
endangered one is urgent, is exceptionally admissible; inasmuch as he
will be guilty of a human creature’s loss if he shall refrain
from bestowing what he had free liberty to bestow. But the woman of
pertness,8714
| 8714 Quintilla. See c.
i. | who has usurped the
power to teach, will of course not give birth for herself likewise to a
right of baptizing, unless some new beast shall arise8715
| 8715 Evenerit. Perhaps
Tertullian means literally—though that sense of the word is very
rare—“shall issue out of her,” alluding to his
“pariet” above. | like the former; so that, just as the one
abolished baptism,8716
so some other
should in her own right confer it! But if the writings which wrongly go
under Paul’s name, claim Thecla’s example as a licence for
women’s teaching and baptizing, let them know that, in Asia, the
presbyter who composed that writing,8717
| 8717 The allusion is to a
spurious work entitled Acta Pauli et Theclæ. [Of
which afterwards. But see Jones, on the Canon, II. p. 353, and
Lardner, Credibility, II. p. 305.] | as if he were
augmenting Paul’s fame from his own store, after being convicted,
and confessing that he had done it from love of Paul, was
removed8718
from his office.
For how credible would it seem, that he who has not permitted a
woman8719
even to
learn with over-boldness, should give a female8720
the power of teaching and of
baptizing! “Let them be silent,” he says, “and
at home consult their own husbands.”8721
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