Jesus, having gathered his disciples together, commanded them that they depart not from Jerusalem, but that they wait for the promise of the Father, “Which,” he said, “you have heard from me, that John indeed baptized with water, but you will be baptized by the Holy Spirit from here in a short time.” — <440104>
ACTS 1:4-5 WE HAVE discussed before the obedience of the Apostles, in that they waited patiently for this promise which was given to them by the mouth of Jesus Christ, and that, although already they had been constituted in the office as Apostles, yet they did not presume to meddle with preaching, until after they had been confirmed by the Holy Spirit. That, then, is obedience with humility, in which they knew that they must be led by God. Now we have to discuss what is added, that when Jesus Christ speaks to them of the promise of God His Father, He says, “You have heard from Me before.” As if He said to them that they must not expect from God what seemed good to them, but what He has promised. In sum, here we must receive a doctrine, that our faith ought not to be founded in what we shall have thought by ourselves, but in what has been promised to us by God. As St. Paul says,
“Faith comes by hearing,” (<451017>
Romans 10:17)
not by hearing the propositions that men can bring forward by themselves, but by hearing the Word of God only. In fact, because we are inclined to diverse temptations, it is very needful that we be founded upon God and that He even should have spoken to us. But indeed He will not descend from heaven to speak to us. It is true. But we must be certain that the doctrine which is preached to us is from Him, as also Jesus constituted Himself a witness by speaking to the Apostles. “What I announce to you,” says He, “is what I have learned from My Father. And you must not distrust Me at all, for I am a faithful witness.” As, in fact, we see that Jesus Christ did not at all exceed His office. So, in all that we expect, let us
look neither here nor there, but let us content ourselves with His Word.
Besides, since the Name of God is often abused, let us consider carefully whether it is He Who will have spoken to us. Now we have not Jesus Christ to speak to us in person, yet He ratifies what is contained in the Law and the Prophets. The doctrine, then, must not be doubted at all.
Why not? For it is proved. That is why, in following this doctrine, we cannot fail. On the contrary, it is in vain for us to say “We are Christians,”
when we have only a frivolous opinion. Now let us consider what is the faith of the Papacy. They will say well, “I believe this and that.” But if they are asked, “Why do you believe it?” they will say it is because someone has told them so. “But who has told you?” “They were our predecessors.” That is why there is no certainty in their faith, but only a frivolous opinion. Yet we have to consider the grace that God has exercised to draw us out of the Papacy. For we are not maintained upon a
supposition, but we have this infallible truth which He has given us, upon which we must be founded. It is true that this cannot be unless it be ratified by the Holy Spirit in our hearts. For otherwise it would be in vain to say, “God has spoken; this doctrine comes from Him.” Until the Spirit of God has worked in us, to show us that the promises of God are
authentic, we shall only be unsettled. But as Jesus Christ is the faithful witness of His Father, also He confirms us by the Holy Spirit, and we ought to pray that He may do it more and more.
This is what we have to discuss now. For Jesus Christ had promised the Apostles that He would send them the Holy Spirit, as we can see in St.
John 14 and 15, where the promise is declared that Jesus Christ said to them, “When I shall ascend into heaven, I shall send you the Holy Spirit.”
(<431416>John 14:16, 26, 28, <431526>John 15:26) f231 Now, then, He confirms this statement, in order that they may wait for Him constantly.
He adds, John baptized with water but you will be baptized by the Holy Spirit. It is a confirmation of the promise that He gives them here. As if He said. “It is My office to baptize, not with water but by the Holy Spirit.
This office was not given Me in vain by God My Father. You must, then, feel the experience and the fruit of it.” For this is a point we must know, that nothing was given in vain to Jesus Christ. Now He does not need it for His own use. But it is for His members, in order that all of us may draw upon His fullness and grace for grace. So let us conclude that, since this office is attributed to Jesus Christ, to baptize by the Holy Spirit, we
must have the experience of Him in us and we must be sharers of such a benefit. Otherwise He would have an unsteady title, and it would not have the truth in it at all. And it would be blasphemy to say that. We must, then, recognize that Jesus Christ performs such a baptism in us. That is what He here proposed to His Apostles. Now Saint John the Baptist had already remonstrated against the Jews that baptized only with water. And the reason he had to say so was that they attributed too much to him by taking away from Jesus Christ. He rejects that, then, and says that what he is doing is only to administer the visible signs of water, and that to confer grace upon Baptism does not belong to him, but is the office of Jesus Christ. “Behold,” he says, “I administer water to you; but He Whom you do not yet recognize, that is, He Who has this power to wash spiritually, I am not worthy to loosen the strap of His sandal. For although I have come before, I must decrease and we must fix our attention upon Him to
magnify Him.” This is the word of John the Baptist; and now Jesus Christ uses it, as saying, “This should not be to you anything new, for you have heard long ago that the privilege of baptizing into the Holy Spirit is reserved for Me alone.”
One might here ask a question: namely, why does Jesus Christ mention John the Baptist rather than someone else? The reason is plain, since the greatness of John the Baptist, if men had abused it, would have hindered Jesus Christ from being duly magnified. And if He had spoken of someone else, it might still have seemed that John compared very favorably with Jesus Christ. He chose, then, the most excellent, in order to show that we must not stop at the creature, but that it is to Him that we must give all our attention. Also we see that whereas men try to build themselves a reputation among men, John the Baptist instead took great pains to abase himself, in order that people would not attribute to him more than what belonged to him. And after having said many words, be concludes that he must be decreased, and that Jesus Christ must be exalted. He does not say that in hypocrisy, but he says it in truth. Would to God that this teaching had been better retained by the world. But why? We tend always to this wicked superstition that we look to creatures, and these are to us so many veils to hinder us from looking to Jesus Christ. That is why so many idols have been made in the world, as there is an infinite number of them. As many holy persons as there were in the world, that many idols have we prepared, indeed, although the graces of God which have transcended them
are to us arguments to address ourselves to Him, and not to stop at them.
When the Papists wish to magnify their saints, they say that it is written,
“Praise God in His saints. (<19F001>Psalm 150:1) f232
I permit myself to say they are beasts, in taking this passage thus, seeing that the Prophet, saying “Praise God in His holy place, or in His
sanctuary,” means heaven, as if he said, “Praise this Divine Majesty ruling in His celestial throne, over all creatures.” But still they magnify the saints among them, so that (as they say) you would not be able to tell God from the Apostles, or perhaps, He is there put, as it were, in a class with others.
Now this diabolical proverb which is held among them, “One would not know God apart from the Apostles,” will be a testimony against them that they have torn up the glory of God like dogs and have given a piece of it here and another piece there, and have thus distributed it to whomever it seemed good to them. Whereas Jesus Christ alone ought to be exalted, and the Prophets and Martyrs annihilated in comparison with Him, they have done entirely the opposite.
So then, seeing that we are inclined to the vice of exalting creatures and robbing Jesus Christ of His glory, let us hold all the more firmly the saying that “John baptized with water” to show that, if we have to do with any grace, we must come neither to Peter nor to John, but to Jesus Christ, of Whom it is said that He received the grace of God, not at all in part, but in fullness, to show that we must address ourselves to Him alone. Besides, some have taken this as an occasion to say that the Baptism of John was not perfect. But this is an abuse. For the intention of John, when he spoke thus, was not to declare the truth of the Sacrament which he administered, but only the difference between his person and that of Jesus Christ.
Although, then, the Sacrament of Baptism administered by John, and that which Jesus Christ administered, are the same Sacrament, and tending to the same end, yet John declares that he has not power to give worth to Baptism, but this belongs to Jesus Christ. There is, then, no doubt at all that it is the true Baptism which he administers, for we do not look at the sign but at the truth, and yet the sign is conformable to that of Jesus Christ. But the principal thing that we have with respect to Baptism consists in two points: it is that we are stripped f233 of the old Adam, renewed and united to Jesus Christ, and that we are purged of all our spots when God pardons us of our sins. That is the sum of Baptism. Now let us
see if John did all that. It is certain. For he came preaching the remission of sins, and administering Baptism to this end. Further, in baptizing he preached repentance, which implies what we have said, that we be put to death with respect to our selves, and that this corruption that we have from Adam be abolished, in order that the justice of God rule in us. So when we shall have examined this quite well, we shall find nothing else here. But why? It is very necessary to distinguish between the person of the minister and the person of Jesus Christ. True it is that when one speaks of Baptism in itself, it is the washing away of our sins. Why so?
Because by this we are confirmed that we have entered into Jesus Christ, in order that we may be purified and that we may live by His power.
Scripture speaks thus. As we see that when Ananias baptizes St. Paul, he says to him, “Come and wash away your sins.” (<440918>Acts 9:18,
<442216>
Acts 22:16.) But also it is not only a matter of the sign when one speaks of Baptism, but of the truth there signified: namely, of being acceptable to God through the remission of sins, of being renewed by His Holy Spirit, in order that we may live no longer to ourselves. And why do we say that all that is comprehended in Baptism? Because the commission of Jesus Christ is without doubt and certain; and He accomplishes
inwardly what it signifies outwardly. Otherwise it would be playing a farce upon a stage, if reality were not joined with the sign. This, then, is how God joins reality with the sign, in order that we may know that, just as the visible sign signifies, so we receive the graces there signified. So it could be said of the Supper. When we receive the Supper, as the minister distributes to us the bread and the wine, Jesus Christ makes us partakers of His body and His blood, in order that we may be truly His members;
and by this means it is said that the Supper is the communication of the body and blood of our Lord. But when it comes to treating the part that mortal man does, then we must consider what power he has. When I baptize, is that to say I have the Holy Spirit up my sleeve to give it? Or the body and blood of the Lord to give it to whomever it seems good to me? It would be climbing too high to wish to attribute to mortal creatures what belongs to Jesus Christ. Let us not, at all, then, take away from the office of Jesus Christ, which is to baptize by the Holy Spirit. Just as I take water to baptize, Jesus Christ accomplishes what I signify, and He accomplishes it by His own power.
This, then, is what John says, “I baptize with water, but Jesus Christ baptizes by the Holy Spirit.” This is what is here treated, and will be again in the eleventh chapter. f234 Besides, now we must speak in like language:
namely it is not up to us to perfect the things which we signify. Yet nevertheless we must be certain that God accomplished what is signified by the sign, and that, just as the washing away of sins is signified by water, so He accomplishes it by His blood. This is how we must distinguish the person of Jesus Christ and the person of the minister, in order that each may be in his degree and in his measure, and that it may be known that all perfection comes from this Fountain. Besides, it is certain that, when John said that Jesus Christ baptized in spirit and in fire, it is not restricted to a single appearance of the Holy Spirit in this form. For this promise is still fulfilled now, and it will take place until the end of the world. Let us note, then. that when the Holy Spirit was sent visibly to the Apostles, it signifies to us that the Church will always be ruled by the Holy Spirit, and that He will fill us with His graces to the extent that He dwells in us. It is true, that we shall not have Him in perfection, since we need to be kept in humility. And if we had Him in perfection, what would happen? We would no longer care to call upon God, and we would not think we needed Him at all. We must, then, always want His benefits, in order to be solicitous to ask Him to bestow more upon us. However, let us recognize that we are all baptized in the Holy Spirit and in fire; and that Jesus Christ does not permit His sacraments to be in vain, that is, to believers. It is true that although a man may be baptized into the name of God, yet, if when he comes of age he is seen to be inclined to every evil, it could be said that he is not renewed at all, since he is of such brutish nature. But that is not to say that the Sacrament has not its property and nature. For Baptism of itself implies that we are renewed. And if we are not, the fault is in us: namely, since we will not allow that Jesus Christ accomplish in us His grace; and being unbelievers, we close our hearts against Him, so that there is no entrance at all for the grace which He wishes to bestow upon us. So then, the Sacrament will always have its power, but we do not receive the fruit in us, because it has no entrance except by faith.
Now we have to note that the reality of Baptism is not in the water but by the Holy Spirit. Further, that the Holy Spirit is given us through Jesus Christ. This is what we must surely note: that, if we wish that Baptism
may be profitable to us, we must not stop at the water, as if our salvation were enclosed in it, but let us recognize that the Holy Spirit must do the whole thing. Besides, as we see, this doctrine has been poorly received in the world. For it seems to the Papists that the grace of God is attached to it, and they make it a charm like sorcerers, and attribute to the water the power of the Sacrament. And that is why they condemn the infant who has not been baptized. And to prevent this danger, they are not satisfied to confer the power to baptize upon all men irrespective of condition, but also upon women, for fear, they say, that infants may die without being baptized. So they think that the reality of Baptism is in the water, and by this means the blood of Jesus Christ is rejected. As for us, let us learn that the reality of Baptism is not in the water, but in the Holy Spirit. Yet the sign is not useless. For it testifies to us that our souls are washed. But to have the reality we must come to the Spirit, as we have shown. Further, the Holy Spirit is given through Jesus Christ, in order that we may not come to seek the Spirit in the water or in men, but that we may look on high. And this is still a point which the world has abased. For who looks at Jesus Christ, when it is a matter of having something for our salvation? No one. For it seems to us that men have full mastery, as if Jesus Christ had resigned His office and He were no longer in heaven at all. That is how dull-witted men are. However, Scripture raises our heads (by a manner of speaking), to raise us on high. For there we hear Jesus Christ admonishing us. “Consider that it is I Who baptize you.” It is true that it is said that God sends the Holy Spirit, but Jesus Christ also sends Him. For when the Father sends Him it is in the name of Jesus Christ and at His request.
Further, Jesus Christ, speaking of Himself, declares that He will send Him.
And in fact He is the same God as the Father. And then, since having been made man He is our Mediator, all power has been given to Him in heaven and on earth; so that He is, as it were, the arm and the hand to distribute to us the graces of God. Let us note also why it is that John speaks of
Baptism by Spirit and by fire, and uses these two words. For it is the same thing. When he says “by fire,” it is as if He refines us to take away our impurities, as when they melt gold and silver, it is to purge it; indeed, we see that places full of impurities are purged by fire. The Holy Spirit has not, then, this title in vain, seeing it belongs to Him to purge us of all our pollution’s. But it is also to signify to us that, when we come into this world, we bring only pollution, and that the longer we live, the more we amass pollution’s and impurities. As Jeremiah speaks of it,