# CHRYSOSTOM’S VIEWS RESPECTING SEVERAL OTHER ARTICLES OF FAITH, ACCORDING TO THE ACCOUNT OF P. J. TWISCK, IN HIS CHRONIJK VAN DEN ONDERGANK DER TYRANNEN, 5th BOOK, PP. 136 AND 137. · Page 3 of 4

[Previous page: CHRYSOSTOM’S VIEWS RESPECTING SEVERAL OTHER ARTICLES OF FAITH, ACCORDING TO THE ACCOUNT OF P. J. TWISCK, IN HIS CHRONIJK VAN DEN ONDERGANK DER TYRANNEN, 5th BOOK, PP. 136 AND 137.](/en/stories/mm-chrysostoms-views-respecting-several-other-articles-of-faith-according-to-the-account-of-p-j-twisck-in-his-chronijk-van/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: CHRYSOSTOM’S VIEWS RESPECTING SEVERAL OTHER ARTICLES OF FAITH, ACCORDING TO THE ACCOUNT OF P. J. TWISCK, IN HIS CHRONIJK VAN DEN ONDERGANK DER TYRANNEN, 5th BOOK, PP. 136 AND 137.](/en/stories/mm-chrysostoms-views-respecting-several-other-articles-of-faith-according-to-the-account-of-p-j-twisck-in-his-chronijk-van/part-4/)

D. Vicecomes finally shows, page 375, chap. 41
and 44, that Jerome wrote, that in his time they
gave those who were baptized, milk and honey to
eat, which, the annotator remarks, is no food for
new-born infants. Moreover, he shows what is required
for true baptism; namely, regeneration, consisting
in the mortifying of the old, and resurrection
of the new man. This he expresses in the following
two passages:

Jerome further writes, page 323, lib. 12, Comment.
in Ezechiel.: “We need not only the first
birth, but also the second, in order that we, who
are born in the flesh, may be born again after the
Spirit.”

Again, page 328, Apol. Contr. Ruffin.: “We
say that the old man entirely dies in baptism, and
that the new man is raised with Christ in baptism;
that the earthly perishes, and the heavenly is born.”

Then he admonishes the candidates for baptism,
how they should conduct themselves before and at
baptism; as well as how those who had already
been baptized before many witnesses, and had made
a good confession, ought to manifest themselves.

Again, page 374, Epist. 83, ad Ocean, he writes:
“The catechumens who are learning the Christian
faith must observe not to have carnal intercourse
with women before baptism.”

Again the words of Paul, 1 Tim. 6:12, he expounds
as follows: “Thou hast professed a good
profession before many witnesses; which was done
through thy baptism, when thou didst renounce the
world and its pomp, before the elders[110](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-10/#Footnote_110) or teachers,
before the ministers, and before the heavenly hosts.”

In the tract called, Klare en Grondige Bewijsing
van den Doop, printed 1581, it is stated, letter A,
Jerome on Matthew: “The Lord commanded his
apostles, that they should first instruct and teach
all nations, and then baptize those instructed, in
the sacrament of faith; for it is not possible for the
body to receive the sacrament of baptism, unless the
soul have previously received the true faith.”

Who could ever believe that this man at any
time defended, or at least, not opposed but admitted
infant baptism, seeing he opposes it in the
places mentioned with such abundant clearness and
explicitness? We note only the last mentioned passage,
where he certainly says, without the least dissimulation
or exception, that it is not possible for
the body to receive the sacrament of baptism, unless
the soul have previously received the true faith.
How can, may, or shall this be explained otherwise
than that there cannot be or consist any other baptism
than that which is received with true faith?
for this is the very idea expressed by his words.

Nevertheless, there are men who ascribe to Jerome
a certain dialogue against Pelagius, in which one
Critobulus interrogates, and one Atticus answers,
in this wise: Critobulus asks: “Why are children
baptized?” Atticus replies: “That their sins may
be forgiven them in baptism.” “Why, what sins
have they committed?” asks Critobulus. Atticus
answers: “Dost thou ask me this? let the evangelic
trumpet answer thee.”

But, in order to prove that Jerome defended
infant baptism, it would first have to be shown incontrovertibly,
that this dialogue is Jerome’s own
production, which we have great reason to doubt,
since the style as well as the matter of the same do
not accord with his other writings, especially those
in which he treats of baptism; moreover, there have
of old been forgers, who, in order to gain greater
renown for their own productions, have ascribed
them to celebrated men, or have interpolated their
own opinions into their writings; thus, it has been
proven that the writings of Justin have been interpolated.
Bapt. Hist., page 170. H. Montan.,
pages 7, 8, 9. Also, the writings of Origen. Bapt.
Hist., pages 283 and 291. H. Mont., pages 29–34,
42, 43.

Yea, in this manner, a whole book, also touching
on infant baptism, has been falsely ascribed to
Dionysius, the Areopagite, who, it is testified, lived
in the time of the apostles; this the Magdeburg
pedobaptists themselves show. Centur. 1, cap. 2.
Also, Jac. Mehrning, Bapt. Hist., 177, 293, 341.

Again, even if it could be shown, which is by no
means certain, that this dialogue is Jerome’s own
production, it could nevertheless not be proven
thereby, that Jerome himself held the views maintained
by one party in the dialogue, namely, that
infants may be baptized. For, why should we not,
with equal justice, ascribe to him the views of the
other party, which demands reasons and proof why
163they may be baptized? For one would certainly be
his work as much as the other.

Moreover, every intelligent person knows that
books that are written in the form of dialogues, do
not always express the author’s individual views,
but that frequently the views and debates of others
are handled in them, either to censure them, expose
their errors, or correct them.



## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#FNanchor_110)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

[Previous page: CHRYSOSTOM’S VIEWS RESPECTING SEVERAL OTHER ARTICLES OF FAITH, ACCORDING TO THE ACCOUNT OF P. J. TWISCK, IN HIS CHRONIJK VAN DEN ONDERGANK DER TYRANNEN, 5th BOOK, PP. 136 AND 137.](/en/stories/mm-chrysostoms-views-respecting-several-other-articles-of-faith-according-to-the-account-of-p-j-twisck-in-his-chronijk-van/part-2/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: CHRYSOSTOM’S VIEWS RESPECTING SEVERAL OTHER ARTICLES OF FAITH, ACCORDING TO THE ACCOUNT OF P. J. TWISCK, IN HIS CHRONIJK VAN DEN ONDERGANK DER TYRANNEN, 5th BOOK, PP. 136 AND 137.](/en/stories/mm-chrysostoms-views-respecting-several-other-articles-of-faith-according-to-the-account-of-p-j-twisck-in-his-chronijk-van/part-4/)

---

Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-chrysostoms-views-respecting-several-other-articles-of-faith-according-to-the-account-of-p-j-twisck-in-his-chronijk-van/part-3/

[Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+CHRYSOSTOM%E2%80%99S+VIEWS+RESPECTING+SEVERAL+OTHER+ARTICLES+OF+FAITH%2C+ACCORDING+TO+THE+ACCOUNT+OF+P.+J.+TWISCK%2C+IN+HIS+CHRONIJK+VAN+DEN+ONDERGANK+DER+TYRANNEN%2C+5th+BOOK%2C+PP.+136+AND+137.+%C2%B7+Page+3+of+4&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0ACHRYSOSTOM%E2%80%99S+VIEWS+RESPECTING+SEVERAL+OTHER+ARTICLES+OF+FAITH%2C+ACCORDING+TO+THE+ACCOUNT+OF+P.+J.+TWISCK%2C+IN+HIS+CHRONIJK+VAN+DEN+ONDERGANK+DER+TYRANNEN%2C+5th+BOOK%2C+PP.+136+AND+137.+%C2%B7+Page+3+of+4%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-chrysostoms-views-respecting-several-other-articles-of-faith-according-to-the-account-of-p-j-twisck-in-his-chronijk-van%2Fpart-3%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-chrysostoms-views-respecting-several-other-articles-of-faith-according-to-the-account-of-p-j-twisck-in-his-chronijk-van--b00047-o000000%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+4th+century+%28source+section%29%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)
