Chapter 36.—42. But after this, when Petilianus came to that objection of ours, that they allowed the baptism of the followers of Maximianus,
whom they had condemned,24002400
—although in the statement of this question he thought it right to use his own words rather than mine; for neither do we assert
that the baptism of sinners is of profit to us, seeing that we maintain it to belong not only to no sinners, but to no men
whatsoever, in that we are satisfied that it is Christ’s alone,—having put the question in this form, he says, "Yet you obstinately
aver that it is right that 614the baptism of sinners should be of profit
to you, because we too, according to your statement, maintained the baptism of criminals whom we justly condemned." When
he came to this question, as I said before, even all the show of fight which he had made deserted him. He could not find
any way to go, any means of escape, any path by which, either through subtle watching or bold enterprise, he could either
secretly steal away, or sally forth by force. "Although this," he says, "I will demonstrate in my second book, how great
the
difference is between those of our party and those of yours whom you call innocent, yet, in the meantime, first extricate
yourselves from the offenses with which you are acquainted in your colleagues, and then seek out the mode of dealing with
those whom we cast out." Would any one, any man upon the earth, give an answer like this, save one who is setting himself
against the truth, against which he cannot find any answer that can be made? Accordingly, if we too were to use the same
words: In
the meantime, first extricate yourselves from the offenses with which you are acquainted in your colleagues, and then bring
up against us any charge connected with those whom you hold to be wicked amongst us,—what is the result? Have we both won
the victory, or are we both defeated? Nay, rather He has gained the victory for His Church and in His Church, who has taught
us in His Scriptures that no man should glory in men, and that he that glorieth should glory in the Lord.
24012401
For behold in our case who assert with the eloquence of truth that the man who believes is not justified by him by whom
he is baptized, but by Him of whom it is written, "To him that believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is
counted for righteousness,"24022402
since we do not glory in men, and strive, when we glory, to glory in the Lord in virtue of His own gift, how wholly safe
are we, whatever fault or charge Petilianus may have been able to prove concerning certain men of our communion! For among
us, whatever wicked men are either wholly undetected, or, being known to certain persons, are yet tolerated for the sake of
the bond of unity and peace, in consideration of other good men to whom their wickedness is unknown, and
before whom they could not be convicted, in order that the wheat may not be rooted up together with the tares, yet they so
bear the burden of their own wickedness, that no one shares it with them except those who are pleased with their unrighteousness.
Nor indeed have we any apprehension that those whom they baptize cannot be justified, since they believe in Him that justifieth
the ungodly that their faith may be counted for righteousness.24032403