Question Three: On the Necessity of Baptism

St. Thomas, III, q. 68, a. 1 and 2; q. 66, a. 11 and 12.

133. Principle I. After the Gospel has been promulgated, by the positive ordination of God the sacrament of Baptism is necessary for all men per se and ordinarily, by necessity of means for salvation; but for adults it is also necessary by necessity of natural and divine precept, since that means must be received by them voluntarily. - It is of faith.

It is proved: For adults from the words of Christ, Mt. XXVIII, 19 and Mk. XVI, 16; for all, even children, from John III, 5-6: Unless someone shall have been born again of water and the Holy Spirit..., which words affirm that Baptism is the condition without which there is no spiritual life; and the Church has understood that this is so, even for children. As is established from perpetual tradition; and from the Council of Florence, decree for the Armenians and for the Jacobites; and from the definition of Trent, sess. 7, can. 5, sess. 5, can. 5, and sess. 6, c. 4 (can. 737, § 1).

The necessity of Baptism as a means is denied by the Pelagians, who reject original sin, and by Protestants, who hold that faith alone suffices; for children, Lutherans say that it is necessary; Calvinists, on the contrary, although they hold it as a rite of introduction into the Church; Baptists deny the validity of Baptism in infants. Several Modernists say that the necessity of Baptism arose from ecclesiastical law (prop. 42).

134. Principle II. The sacrament of Baptism can extraordinarily or per accidens be supplied by Baptism of blood, or martyrdom, or by Baptism of the Spirit, or an act of charity or perfect contrition with at least an implicit desire of the sacrament itself. - It is certain from the tradition of the Church.

It is proved: A. Baptism of blood is martyrdom, or death inflicted and endured for Christ, for the true faith, or for another Christian virtue.

It takes the place of the sacrament, as is established from the words of Christ, Mt. X, 32, 39; Luke IX, 24; even in children, which is clear from the fact that the Church has always honored as martyrs the innocents killed by Herod, "who confessed not by speaking but by dying." This is altogether most fitting: for since the sacraments have efficacy from the Passion of Christ and His merits, it is necessary that a real imitation of the Passion of Christ, by which man is most greatly configured to Christ, obtain the application of the merits of the Passion and the effect of the sacrament (q. 66, a. 11).

B. Baptism of the Spirit¹ or of desire is not so called because the desire of Baptism is present, since this is also present in the other baptisms of adults, but because only the desire of Baptism is present: it is an act of charity or of contrition perfected by charity, which includes at least implicitly the desire or vow of Baptism, in the will of doing all things which God commands under grave obligation and of applying all means necessary for salvation, among which the first is Baptism; "insofar," says St. Thomas, q. 66, a. 11, "as someone's heart is moved by the Holy Spirit to believing and loving God, and to repenting of sins."

¹ This denomination is in use from the beginning of the thirteenth century.

It takes the place of the sacrament in adults, because, since the sacraments have power from the Holy Spirit as from the first cause, someone can through the power of the Holy Spirit obtain the effect, not only without Baptism of water, but even without Baptism of blood. As is established from the altogether general assertions concerning the love of God (John XIV, 23) and concerning penance (Ez. XVIII, 21), which are confirmed by the fact of Cornelius, upon whom, before he had been baptized, the Holy Spirit visibly descended (Acts X, 33, 44); likewise from the Council of Trent, sess. 6, c. 4, and from the doctrine concerning justification ex opere operantis, i.e., by an act of charity and perfect contrition, which is demonstrated in the treatise on grace, and is drawn from the condemnation of proposition 30 of Baius.

But since the vow of the sacrament is required, it follows that those who have been justified by Baptism of the Spirit or of blood remain obliged, given the opportunity, to receive the sacrament of Baptism; whence one already lethally wounded in hatred of the faith would be to be baptized if he should continue to live for a few further instants.

135. Corollary. - Baptism is threefold: of water, of the Spirit, and of blood.

1. Baptism of water, namely, the sacrament of Baptism, is an external ceremonial sign: a sacred rite instituted by Christ and ministered in His name, so that it may be His instrument unto the remission of sins and insertion into the Church. It justifies ex opere operato with attrition alone, imprints a character, and remits all punishments due to sins, as was explained above, n. 130.

2. Baptism of the Spirit, or of desire, is an act of charity or of contrition perfected by charity. It is not a sacrament, because it is not an external sign, and consequently does not imprint a character; whence after such a baptism there remains the obligation of receiving the sacrament of Baptism. It justifies ex opere operantis, and ordinarily does not remit all punishments.

3. Baptism of blood, or martyrdom. It is not a sacrament, because it is not a sacred ceremonial sign or a rite instituted by Christ, which is ministered in His name so that it may be His instrument for sanctification; whence it does not imprint a character. It justifies quasi ex opere operato, namely not actively, but passively, with attrition alone, and in it all punishments due to sins are remitted. It excels the others on account of greater and more perfect conformity with Christ, and therefore God bestows greater grace in it (q. 66, a. 12).

Do not think that attrition does not suffice for Baptism of blood, but that the disposition of charity is required according to that text, I Cor. XIII, 3. - For a) by martyrdom received in due disposition without an obstacle, charity is obtained by that very fact; b) charity is required for this, that martyrdom be not only a means of justification, but also a meritorious work; and in this sense the Apostle seems to speak.