# Jerome’S Views Touching Several Other Matters Of Faith, According To P. J. Twisck’S Chronijk, Etc., Page 129, Col. 1, 2. · Page 2 of 2

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164

Jacob Mehrning and H. Montanus thus relate
this, namely, that Monica, Augustine’s mother,
who, though born of Christian parents, was not baptized
until she had reached adult years, likewise did
not have her son Augustine baptized in his infancy;
but that he was baptized when he was already thirty-three,
others say, thirty, years old. It is true,
we read, say they, that, having become a youth,
and fallen very sick, he desired to be baptized; and
also, that his mother was engaged then in preparing
him for baptism. But when he suddenly recovered
from his sickness, his baptism was deferred. Augustine
was at that time of such an age, that if he had
been baptized, it would really not have been infant
baptism, but a baptism which might have been
counted with the baptism of adults, had it sprung
from a voluntary resolution, for it should have been
connected, as Augustine himself declares with his
faith and the confession of the name of Christ,
which cannot be the case in the baptism of infants.

Augustine there also relates why his mother at
that time deferred his baptism, namely, because she,
foreseeing the many and great billows of temptation
which would roll over his head in his youthful
years, feared that the guilt of his sins, after the
washing of baptism, would be the greater and more
dangerous, which he himself and the whole family,
with the exception of his father, then believed. He
also tells us, that there were others, too, at that
time, who put off or omitted the baptism of their
children, from such considerations. Bapt. Hist.,
pages 363, 364. H. Montan. Nietigh., pages 71, 72.

It appears, moreover, that on that occasion not
only Augustine was baptized upon the confession of
his faith, but also his son Adeodatus, and his friend
Alipius, concerning which we find this notice. Bapt.
Hist., page 444, Augustine, bishop of Hippon, in
Africa, when he was thirty-three years old, was baptized
at Milan, by bishop Ambrose, together with
Alipius, and Adeodatus, his natural son, who was
fifteen years old at the time. Of this, Augustine,
in the 9th book, 6th chap., of his Confessions, says:
“When the time had come, that I was to have my
name entered on the register of the candidates for
baptism, I left the country, and again journeyed to
Milan. My dear friend Alipius desired to be baptized
with me. Alipius, who was qualified for it, on
account of his humility, and the dominion he had
over his body, so that in case of emergency, he
would have traveled barefoot in winter through the
snow in Italy, accompanied me. We took with us
the child (that is, the youth) Adeodatus, begotten
by me in sin. Thou, O Lord, didst form him well,
according to both soul and body. He was now
about fifteen years old, and excelled many worthy
and learned men.” A little further on, he says:
“We have made him our equal, O Lord, in the
reception of thy grace, in order to be further trained
up in thy law and school; we are baptized, and the
care of our old life has been taken away from us. I
could not be satisfied in those days, with the wonderful
sweetness which I experienced in the contemplation
of the mysteriousness of thy counsel, O
Lord, with regard to the salvation of the human
race. O how I wept, amidst songs of praise. The
tears ran down my cheeks.” Thus far, Augustine.

NOTE. A. D. 392.—The Apollinarians, who derived
their origin from Apollinaris, denied that
Christ adopted his humanity from the virgin Mary,
saying that the word became flesh. P. J. Twisck,
Chron., 4th book, page 130, from Tripart., lib. 9.
Vincent. Hist., cap. 44. Zeg., fol. 189.

A. D. 393.—Valentinian, or Valens, the son of
Christian parents (Valentinian and Justina), was
induced to journey to Milan, to be baptized by Ambrose,
but was treacherously murdered on the way
by one Arbogastes. H. Montan., page 70, from
Socrat., lib. 4, cap. 9, 26. H. Montanus, however,
erroneously, fixes the date of this occurrence about
A. D. 380.

My dear friends, is it not a sad thing, that this
man, namely Augustine, who thus defended baptism
upon faith, yea confirmed it with his own
example, and the example of his son Adeodatus,
and his friend Alipius, whom he had admonished
thereto, should ultimately fall so far as to admit,
yea to become a defender of infant baptism! Surely,
it is a lamentable matter. For, no one can deny,
that in the beginning right after his baptism, he was
exceedingly zealous in defense of the true baptism,
which is received with a penitent heart; but, that in
the course of time he apostatized to infant baptism,
can likewise not be denied by any lover of truth.
Still, the example of Augustine, his son Adeodatus,
and his friend Alipius, serves to confirm our faith,
inasmuch as we see that in Augustine’s time the
principal Christians allowed their children to remain
unbaptized, until they were grown up and, of their
own accord desired baptism; for, thus did Monica
with her son Augustine, and Augustine with his
son Adeodatus, and his friend Alipius, which is a
clear proof of the matter in question, namely, that
not infant baptism, but baptism upon faith, was
practiced among the chief Christians.



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