Letter 265: Augustine explains Peter's baptism and distinguishes baptism from several forms of repentance.

To Seleuciana, most religious servant of God, honored in Christ's love: Bishop Augustine sends greetings in the Lord. After reading your letter, I rejoiced over your health and did not delay answering what you wrote. First, I wondered how that Novatian says Peter was not baptized, when a little earlier, as you wrote, he said that the apostles were baptized. I do not know why he thinks Peter was not baptized among the baptized apostles. So I have sent you a copy of your own letter, in case perhaps you do not have it, so that you may consider more carefully that I am answering what I found in your letter. If the secretary did not take it down or copy it wrongly, I do not know what kind of heart a person has who says the apostles were baptized and denies that Peter was baptized. As for the statement that Peter did penance, we must be careful not to think he did so in the way people do in the Church who are properly called penitents. Who could bear to think that the first of the apostles should be counted among such penitents? He did repent of having denied Christ, as his tears show, for it is written that he wept bitterly. The apostles had not yet been strengthened by the Lord's resurrection and by that coming of the Holy Spirit which appeared on the day of Pentecost, or by that breathing which the Lord showed after rising from the dead, when he breathed in their faces and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." For this reason it can rightly be said that when Peter denied the Lord, the apostles had not yet been baptized, not by water, but by the Holy Spirit. After he rose and spent time with them, he said, "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, whom you will receive not many days from now," up to Pentecost. Some copies have, "You will begin to be baptized with the Holy Spirit"; but whether it says "you will be baptized" or "you will begin to be baptized," it makes no difference for the point at issue. In whatever copies one finds "you will baptize" or "you will begin to baptize," they are faulty and are very easily refuted from the Greek. But if we say they were not baptized with water, we must be afraid of making a serious mistake about them, lest we give people authority to despise baptism. Apostolic discipline commends baptism so strongly that Cornelius the centurion and those with him were baptized even after they had already received the Holy Spirit. If the ancient righteous had not been circumcised before God commanded circumcision, that was not sin for them. But after God commanded Abraham and his descendants to be circumcised, it became a grave sin if it was not done. In the same way, before the Lord Christ gave in his Church the sacrament of the New Testament, holy baptism in place of circumcision of the flesh, and said most plainly, "Unless someone is reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, he will not enter the kingdom of heaven," we should no longer ask when someone was baptized. Rather, whenever we read that people belong to the body of Christ, which is the Church, and to the kingdom of heaven, we must understand that they were baptized, except perhaps those whom the crisis of suffering found before they could be baptized and who were killed because they refused to deny Christ; for them the suffering itself was counted as baptism. But can we say this about the apostles, who had such ample time to be baptized that they even baptized others? Not everything that was done is found written down, but that it was done can be proved from other evidence. It is written when the apostle Paul was baptized; it is not written when the other apostles were baptized. Nevertheless we must understand that they too were baptized, just as it is written when the church communities in Jerusalem and Samaria were baptized, while it is not written when other Gentile communities to whom the apostles sent letters were baptized. Yet we certainly do not doubt that they too were baptized, because of the Lord's statement, "Unless someone is reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, he will not enter the kingdom of heaven." Both things are written about the Lord: that he baptized more people than John, and that he himself did not baptize, but his disciples did. This was so that we would understand that he indeed baptized by the presence of his majesty, yet did not baptize with his own hands. The sacrament of baptism belonged to him; the ministry of baptizing belonged to the disciples. So when John the evangelist says in his Gospel, "After this Jesus and his disciples went out into the land of Judea, and there he stayed with them and baptized," and then a little later says of him, "When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, although Jesus himself was not baptizing but his disciples were, he left Judea and went again into Galilee," we understand that when he went from Jerusalem with his disciples into Judea and stayed there with them, he baptized not by himself but through his disciples. We understand that those disciples had already been baptized, whether by John's baptism, as some think, or, more credibly, by Christ's baptism. The one who did not refuse the memorable ministry of humility when he washed their feet would surely not have avoided the ministry of baptizing, so that he might have baptized servants through whom he would baptize others. And when Peter asked him not only to wash his feet but also his hands and head, he answered, "The one who has been washed needs only to wash his feet, but is wholly clean." There we understand that Peter had already been baptized. It is not clearly expressed how this man says, as you put in your letter, that the apostles gave penance in place of baptism. If he says "in place of baptism" because sins are forgiven through penance, there is some reason in what he says. But such penance can be useful after baptism if someone has sinned. Since he denies that room for penance is given after baptism, and says, as you wrote, that penance exists only before baptism, he seems to have said that the apostles gave penance in place of baptism in this sense: they gave it before baptism, and those to whom it was given were not afterwards baptized, because that penance served as baptism for them. I have never heard Novatians say this. So inquire carefully, in case this belongs to some other error and the person either pretends to be a Novatian or thinks he is one. Or if Novatians also say this, I do not know. What I do know is that whoever says this is entirely alien from the rule of the catholic faith and from the teaching of Christ and the apostles. People do penance before baptism for their previous sins, yet in such a way that they are also baptized, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles when Peter speaks to the Jews and says, "Do penance, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and your sins will be forgiven." People also do penance if after baptism they have sinned in such a way that they deserve to be excommunicated and later reconciled, as those people do in all the churches who are properly called penitents. The apostle Paul spoke of such penance when he said, "When I come again, may my God not humble me before you, and may I not mourn many of those who sinned before and did not do penance for the impurity, lust, and fornication they committed." He would not have written this except to people who had already been baptized. We also have in the Acts of the Apostles that Simon, already baptized, when he wanted to buy with money the power that the Holy Spirit might be given through the laying on of his hand, was warned by Peter to do penance for that grave sin. There is also the almost daily penance of good and humble believers, in which we beat our breasts and say, "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors." We do not want forgiven to us the sins we do not doubt were forgiven in baptism, but those that creep in on human frailty, though small, yet frequent. If gathered up against us, they will weigh us down and crush us like one great sin. For what difference does it make for shipwreck whether a ship is covered and overwhelmed by one huge wave, or whether water gradually seeps into the bilge and, left and neglected, fills the ship and sinks it? Because of these sins, fasts, alms, and prayers keep watch. When we say in them, "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive," we show that we have something to be forgiven; and by humbling our souls in those words, we do not cease to do a kind of daily penance. I think I have answered what you wrote briefly but sufficiently. It remains for the man on whose account you thought such a letter should be sent to me not to be contentious.

EPISTOLA 265 Scripta post a. 395. A. Seleucianae, contra Novatianum quemdam affirmans Petrum quidem baptizatum esse ut ceteri Apostoli, sed numerandum non esse inter poenitentes qui proprie appellantur (nn. 14), catholicam doctrinam de baptismo ac poenitentia breviter explicans (nn. 5-8). RELIGIOSISSIMAE ET IN CHRISTI DILECTIONE HONORANDAE FAMULAE DEI SELEUCIANAE, AUGUSTINUS EPISCOPUS, IN DOMINO SALUTEM. Cur Novatianus dicit Petrum non esse baptizatum. 1. Lectis litteris tuis de salute vestra laetatus, ad ea quae scripsisti, respondere non distuli. Et primum miratus sum quomodo dicat novatianus iste Petrum baptizatum non fuisse, cum paulo superius scripseris eum dixisse quod Apostoli fuerint baptizati. Unde illi videatur quod inter Apostolos baptizatos Petrus non fuerit baptizatus, ignoro: et ideo exemplum epistolae tuae, ne forsitan tu non habeas, misi tibi, in quo diligentius consideres ad ea me respondere quae inveni in litteris tuis; si enim notarius non mendose excepit aut scripsit, nescio quale cor habeat qui cum Apostolos baptizatos dicat, Petrum baptizatum negat. Petrus egit quidem poenitentiam at non ut poenitentes. 2. Quod autem Petrus dicitur egisse poenitentiam, cavendum est ne ita putetur egisse, quomodo agunt in Ecclesia qui proprio paenitentes vocantur. Et quis hoc ferat, ut primum Apostolorum, inter tales poenitentes numerandum putemus? Poenituit enim eum negasse Christum, quod eius indicant lacrymae: sic enim scriptum est, quia flevit amare 1. Nondum enim fuerant resurrectione Domini confirmati, et illo adventu Spiritus sancti qui apparuit die Pentecostes, vel illa inspiratione quam demonstravit Dominus posteaquam resurrexit a mortuis, cum insufflavit in eorum faciem, dicens: Accipite Spiritum sanctum 2. Quomodo Apostoli baptizati fuerint. 3. Unde recte dici potest, quia cum Petrus negavit Dominum, nondum fuerant Apostoli baptizati; non tamen aqua, sed Spiritu sancto. Hoc enim eis dixit postquam resurrexit, et conversatus est cum eis: Ioannes quidem baptizavit aqua, vos autem Spiritu sancto baptizabimini, quem et accepturi estis non post multos hos dies usque ad Pentecosten 3. Aliqui autem codices habent: Vos autem Spiritu sancto incipietis baptizari: sed sive dicatur, baptizabimini, sive dicatur, incipietis baptizari, ad rem nihil interest. Nam in quibuscumque codicibus invenitur, baptizabitis, aut, incipietis baptizare, mendosi sunt; qui ex graecis facillime convincuntur. Si autem dicimus aqua non fuisse baptizatos, metuendum est ne graviter in eis erremus, ne demus hominibus auctoritatem contemnendi Baptismum; quem usque adeo non contemnendum ipsa apostolica disciplina commendat, ut Cornelius centurio et ii qui cum illo erant, etiam iam accepto Spiritu sancto, fuerint baptizati 4. Baptisma ordinarium et baptisma sanguinis. 4. Sicut antiqui iusti si non circumciderentur, non erat eis peccatum; postea vero quam iussit Deus ut circumcideretur Abraham eiusque posteritas 5, iam si non fieret, grave peccatum fuit: sic etiam antequam Dominus Christus in Ecclesia sua Sacramentum Novi Testamenti... pro circumcisione carnis sanctum baptismum dedit, et apertissime dixit: Si quis non renatus fuerit ex aqua et Spiritu sancto, non intrabit in regnum coelorum 6, iam non debemus quaerere quando quisque fuerit baptizatus; sed quoscumque legimus in corpore Christi, quod est Ecclesia 7, pertinere ad regnum coelorum, nonnisi baptizatos intellegere debemus: nisi forte quos angustia passionis invenit, et nolentes negare Christum, antequam baptizarentur occisi sunt, quibus ipsa passio pro Baptismo. deputata est. Sed numquid hoc possumus de Apostolis dicere, qui usque adeo largum tempus habuerunt quo baptizarentur, ut alios etiam baptizaverint? Sed non omnia quae facta sunt, etiam scripta inveniuntur; verumtamen facta esse ex caeteris documentis probantur. Scriptum est quando baptizatus sit apostolus Paulus 8, et scriptum non est quando baptizati sint alii Apostoli; verumtamen etiam ipsos baptizatos intellegere debemus: quemadmodum scriptum est quando baptizatae sint plebes Ecclesiarum in Ierusalem 9 et Samaria 10; quando autem baptizatae sint aliae plebes gentium, quibus Apostoli Epistolas miserunt, non est utique scriptum, et tamen etiam ipsas baptizatas utique minime dubitamus propter illam Domini sententiam: Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et Spiritu sancto, non intrabit in regnum coelorum 11. Christum baptizasse per Apostolos. 5. Utrumque autem de Domino scriptum est, et quia baptizabat plures quam Ioannes, et quia ipse non baptizabat, sed discipuli eius 12; ut intellegeremus et ipsum quidem baptizasse praesentia maiestatis, non tamen ipsum baptizasse manibus suis. Ipsius enim erat Baptismi sacramentum; ad Discipulos autem baptizandi ministerium pertinebat. Tunc ergo quando dicit Ioannes evangelista in Evangelio suo: Post haec exiit Iesus et discipuli eius in Iudaeam terram, et illic morabatur cum eis, et baptizabat 13: tunc paulo post de illo loquens ait: Ut ergo cognovit Iesus quia audierunt Pharisaei quod Iesus plures discipulos faceret, et baptizaret plures quam Ioannes (quamquam Iesus ipse non baptizaret, sed discipuli eius), reliquit Iudaeam, et abiit iterum in Galilaeam 14. Tunc ergo quando ab Ierosolymis exiit cum discipulis suis in Iudaeam terram, et illic morabatur cum eis, baptizabat non per seipsum, sed per discipulos suos; quos intellegimus iam fuisse baptizatos, sive baptismo Ioannis, sicut nonnulli arbitrantur, sive quod magis credibile est, baptismo Christi. Neque enim ministerium baptizandi defugeret, ut haberet baptizatos servos, per quos caeteros baptizaret, qui non defugit memorabilis illius humilitatis ministerium, quando eis lavit pedes; et petenti Petro ut non tantum pedes, verum etiam manus et caput ei lavaret, respondit: Qui lotus est non indiget nisi ut pedes lavet, sed est mundus totus 15: ubi intellegitur quod iam Petrus baptizatus fuerat. Paenitentiam pro baptismo Apostolos minime dedisse. 6. Quomodo autem iste dicat, quod in epistola tua posuisti, quod Apostoli dederint poenitentiam pro Baptismo, non evidenter expressum est. Si enim pro Baptismo ideo dicit, quia per poenitentiam remittuntur peccata, habet aliquid rationis quod dicit. Sed talis poenitentia post Baptismum potest utilis esse, si quis peccaverit. Iste autem quoniam negat post Baptismum dari poenitentiae locum, cum dicit, sicut scripsisti, poenitentiam solam ante Baptismum esse; datur intellegi sic eum dixisse quod Apostoli dederint poenitentiam pro Baptismo, ut ante Baptismum eam dederint, atque ii quibus data sit, postea non fuerint baptizati, quia eis illa pro Baptismo fuit: quod Novatianos dicere numquam audivi. Unde quaere diligenter, ne forte alicuius alterius erroris sit, et novatianum se esse confingat, vel putet. Aut si et hoc Novatiani dicunt, nescio: illud tamen scio, quoniam quisquis hoc dicit, a regula fidei catholicae, et a doctrina Christi et Apostolorum prorsus alienus est. Paenitentiam non fungi baptismi vice. 7. Agunt enim homines ante Baptismum poenitentiam de suis prioribus peccatis, ita tamen ut etiam baptizentur, sicut scriptum est in Actibus Apostolorum, loquente Petro ad Iudaeos et dicente: Agite poenitentiam, et baptizetur unusquisque vestrum in nomine Domini Iesu Christi; et dimittentur vobis peccata vestra 16. Agunt etiam homines poenitentiam, si post Baptismum ita peccaverint, ut excommunicari et postea reconciliari mereatur; sicut agunt mereantur: sicut in omnibus Ecclesiis illi qui proprie poenitentes appellantur. De tali enim poenitentia locutus est apostolus Paulus, ubi ait: Ne iterum cum venero humiliet me Deus apud vos; et lugeam multos ex iis qui ante peccaverunt, et non egerunt poenitentiam super immunditia, et luxuria, et fornicatione quam egerunt 17: neque enim scribebat ista, nisi eis qui iam baptizati fuerant. Habemus etiam in Actibus Apostolorum, Simonem iam baptizatum, cum pecunia vellet emere ut per impositionem manus eius daretur Spiritus sanctus, admonitum a Petro ut de hoc gravi peccato ageret poenitentiam 18. Paenitentia pene quotidiana pro peccatis venialibus. 8. Est etiam poenitentia bonorum et humilium fidelium pene quotidiana, in qua pectora tundimus dicentes: Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris 19. Neque enim ea nobis dimitti volumus, quae dimissa non dubitamus in Baptismo; sed illa utique quae humanae fragilitati, quamvis parva, tamen crebra subrepunt: quae si collecta contra nos fuerint, ita nos gravabunt et oppriment, sicut unum aliquod grande peccatum. Quid enim interest ad naufragium, utrum uno grandi fluctu navis operiatur et obruatur, an paulatim subrepens aqua in sentinam, et per neglegentiam derelicta atque contempta, impleat navem atque submergat? Propter haec ieiunia et eleemosynae et orationes invigilant: in quibus cum dicimus: Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus, manifestamus habere nos quod nobis dimittatur; atque in iis verbis humiliantes animas nostras, quotidianam quodammodo agere poenitentiam non cessamus. Ad ea quae scripsisti, puto me breviter sed sufficienter respondisse: superest ut ille non sit contentiosus, propter quem lucrandum ad me tales litteras destinandas putasti.