Article — Merkelbach, Summa Theologiae Moralis
Article I: On the Institution of Baptism
St. Thomas, III, q. 66, a. 1 and 2.
115. State of the question. - The Reformers admitted that Baptism had been instituted by Christ, but they denied the power of the sacrament, since they said that it availed only for exciting faith, and consequently that the baptism of John had the same force as the Baptism of Christ. Liberal Protestants and Modernists, however, deny that Christ instituted Baptism.
For they contend that Christ founded a merely spiritual religion without external rites, and that Christians borrowed the rite of Baptism from the Jews or Greeks; - or they assert that Christ retained the baptism of John as a symbol of purification and penance, but that the primitive Christian community joined to baptism the nature and necessity of a sacrament. Hence proposition 42 of the Modernists was condemned: "The Christian community introduced the necessity of baptism, adopting it as a necessary rite and attaching to it the obligations of Christian profession."
Against these, all Catholics hold as a dogma that the sacrament of Baptism was instituted by Christ Himself, although they think differently concerning the time of its institution.
It is proved: 1. From the words of Christ, who indicated all the elements of a sacrament: a) He attributed to Baptism the power of regenerating man and of opening the kingdom of God (John III, 5); b) He determined the matter, namely washing, and the form, the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity (Mt. XXVIII, 19); c) He instituted it in perpetuity (ibid., 20), and established a universal law necessarily to be observed for obtaining salvation (John III, 5; Mk. XVI, 16).
- From the practice of the universal Church from the beginning: from the very day of Pentecost the rite of Baptism is used by the apostles for the remission of sins (Acts II, 38, 41; VIII, 12, 38; XVI, 14-15, 33), which they minister in the name or authority of Jesus (II, 38; VIII, 16; XIX, 1-5), and which is imposed upon all as a condition of aggregation to the Christian community, even upon Paul, who had received a mission from Christ (IX, 18), upon Cornelius, who visibly received the Holy Spirit (X, 44-48), and upon those who had received the baptism of John (XIX, 1-5). This rite the Church always retained as necessary, as is already witnessed by the Didache VII; Ep. Barn. XI; Hermas, sim. IX, 16; Justin, Ap. I, 61. These things cannot be explained unless Baptism had been instituted by Christ Himself; which besides the Evangelists openly testify (Mt. XXVIII, 19; Mk. XVI, 16; John III, 5).
117. Baptism seems to have been instituted when Christ was baptized by John (Mt. III, 16 sq.).
For then, according to St. Thomas, a. 2, by the contact of His flesh, in the presence of the manifestation of the Most Holy Trinity, He conferred upon water its sacramental signification and power of sanctifying; yet its definitive efficacy He conferred by His death and Passion, in whose power the sacraments operate; finally, by a preceptive command He imposed Baptism upon all before the Ascension (Mt. XXVIII, 19).
There are, however, those who think otherwise:
a) Some, such as Alexander of Hales, say that Baptism was instituted only after Christ's resurrection; but this does not seem to be admitted, both because Christ and the apostles baptized while Christ was living (John III, 22; IV, 1-2), which would be less well understood of the baptism of John; and because the apostles would have received the Eucharist and Order before Baptism, which does not seem fitting.
b) Others, such as St. Bernard and Estius, say that Christ instituted Baptism by saying to Nicodemus: Unless someone has been born again of water... (John III, 5); but He does not seem to have instituted the sacrament in a private conversation.
c) Finally others, such as many Scotists, Suarez, the Wirceburgenses, and Pesch, indicate the time at which Christ sent the apostles to preach (Mt. X, 1-10; Luke IX, 1 sq.; Mk. III, 15; VI, 7); but no positive foundation is assigned for this assertion.
118. Observation. - "In the sacrament of Baptism three things are to be considered: namely, something which is sacrament only; something which is reality and sacrament; and something which is reality only. Sacrament only is something visible existing exteriorly, which, namely, is the sign of an interior effect: for this pertains to the notion of a sacrament; but the exterior thing set before the sense is the water itself, and its use, which is washing... done under the prescribed form of words. But the reality and sacrament is the baptismal character, which is the reality signified by the exterior washing; and it is the sacramental sign of the interior justification which is the reality only of this sacrament, namely, signified and not signifying" (a. 1).