703.) "Why does Christ say, not 'ye are clean on account of the Baptism wherewith ye are washed,' but 'on account of the word which I have spoken unto you,' except that the word cleanseth also in the water? Take away the word, and what is water but water? The word is added to the element, and it becomes a Sacrament; itself, as it were, a visible word." St. Augustine indeed, like the other Fathers, considers the words of Baptism as not confined to that single act, but to be influential through life. "In the word itself," he says, "the passing sound is one thing, the abiding power another:" but he expressly adds, "the cleansing, therefore, would not be ascribed to the unstable and fluid element, unless there were added 'by the word.' This word of faith is of so much avail in the Church of God, that through her, believing, offering, blessing, baptizing, it cleanseth the merest infant, although not as yet able to believe with the heart unto righteousness, and to confess with the mouth unto salvation." The passage of St. Augustine is fully considered by Vazquez in Part. 3. Disp. 129. n. 52–64. Indeed it would have created no difficulty, but for the altered frame of mind, which no longer felt the same reverence for the words, through which water was sanctified to be "the bath of regeneration." (See citations from Basil. &c. p. 185, sqq.) St. Augustine, elsewhere, incidentally defines "the Baptism of Christ" to be "Baptism consecrated with the words of the Gospel;" (de Bapt. c. Donat. L. vi. § 47.) and again ibid. "God is present with His own Gospel words, without which the Baptism of Christ cannot be consecrated, and Himself hallows His own Sacrament." See also c. Crescon. iv. 15.
St. Augustine, then, makes no exception to what is admitted to be the opinion of "all the later Latins," as well as of all the Greek Fathers. St. Ambrose is quoted to the same purpose by Tirinus. In like manner St. Jerome (ad loc. quoted by Estius) is manifestly not explaining the literal meaning, but applying the whole in a secondary sense: wherein the husband represents the soul, the wife the body, which is to be cleansed from sin by the word. Such consent of antiquity one can hardly doubt to have originated in a genuine tradition. Of moderns, Bucer says, "In what way could the Holy Spirit have expressed more plainly, that Baptism administered by the word and at the command of Christ, was an instrument of purifying His elect from sin?" (De vi Bapt. p. 597.) And Zanchius, who is again quoted for the reverse, says, on the passage, that "the three parts of Baptism, the element of water, the word of consecration, and the blood of Christ, are mentioned in this passage," p. 209. col. 2. add p. 222. § 24. Bullinger, "For the element cannot purify by itself, unless the word of God be added, i.e. the sanctifying Divine power and certain promise, which is obtained by faith. Whence Augustine learnedly and piously saith, The word is added to the element and
