KEARSLEY Baptism Then and Now 241
Tertullian bundles together grace and sacrament, divine omnipotence and
the goodness of nature.^12 Creation and re-creation are not in conflict. This
is not to deny the presence of a doctrine of sin in Tertullian: human nature
still needs purifying—and sexual immorality remains a major threat to that
purity. But against this threat, human nature may emerge new from water
and the Holy Spirit {Depudic. 6). There is, however, less stress on sexual
purity in baptism than we expect from an ascetic like Tertullian—probably
because in his scheme a lengthy period of confession and repentance in
preparation for baptism has already done the business. In fact, Tertullian
goes out of his way to broaden the scope of purification beyond merely the
body. When God is invoked, yes, ordinary water acquires a sacred signifi-
cance, making pure: 'At once the Spirit comes down from heaven and
stays upon the waters, purifying them.' But does that word merely point to
sexual purity? Tertullian leaves us in little doubt:
as sins are in the flesh, yet are hidden from view (since no one carries in
their appearance the stain of idolatry, adultery or embezzlement), so they
are (really) impure in their spirit, which is where sin begins, for the spirit is
the master and the body a servant... Thus...the spirit is in those waters
corporally washed, while the flesh is in those same waters spiritually
cleansed (De bapt. 4; italics mine).Although one of this trilogy of villainies is religious, the other two infringe
truth and loyalty in the world of relationships. What is more, the problem
is one of the accountable free human spirit. Baptism marks a dramatic
departure through the grace of the Holy Spirit.^13 The act of baptism does
not merely call to a life of asceticism. It calls to new public loyalties for all
the world to see.
Baptism and the Christian's Public Calling
If baptism is closely tied in with an intense period of confession and
repentance, the rite itself carries much ethical freight. We have already
been led to the conclusion that the ethical freight goes well beyond sexual
purity. W. Telfer's penetrating analysis of second repentance carries that
further. Whether or not he is right in believing that the Shepherd ofHermas
has influenced Tertullian,^14 he is probably correct in detecting a common,- Kearsley, Tertullian's Theology, p. 84.
- Tertullian is ambiguous—sometimes it is the descent of an angel that makes the
difference to the water (De bapt 5.6, and even inDe bapt. 4). But it is clear from the
quotation that the Holy Spirit is the one whose power makes pure. - W. Telfer, The Forgiveness of Sins: An Essay in the History of Christian
Doctrine and Practice (London: SCM Press, 1959), p. 45.