262 Dimensions of Baptism
- Basil and Augustine: Baptizing and Rebaptizing
However, it might seem that this move would involve an unacceptable
sacrifice on the part of baptist Christians, as it would involve our giving up
of the practice of 'rebaptism' so-called, of offering Christian baptism to
those who were brought to infant baptism by their parents but who have
since come to baptistic convictions. Even the World Council of Churches
Lima text, Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, which is everywhere so
careful to view charitably the differing convictions and practices of the
churches, seems to lose patience with this aspect of baptist witness: '[a]s
the churches come to fuller understanding.. .they will want to refrain from
any practice which might call into question the sacramental integrity of
other churches or which might diminish the unrepeatability of the sacra-
ment of baptism'.^10
The question of rebaptism was a live one in the early Church as well.
Various heretical and schismatic groups baptized their followers, and so
the question naturally arose of what to do when someone who had under-
gone such a baptism sought membership of the Church. Basil of Caesarea
outlines one approach in a letter to Amphilochius, dated to 374 CE.^11 'The
old authorities', asserts Basil, 'decided to accept that baptism which in
nowise errs from the faith'. Irregular baptizers, then, should be assigned to
one of three groups: heretics, who differ from the Church on matters of
faith; schismatics, who differ on matters of church order; and those who
meet in irregular assemblies, as when a bishop who has been removed
from his see nonetheless continues to celebrate the eucharist. Baptism
administered by the latter two groups was, according to Basil, to be con-
sidered valid, whereas heretical baptism was invalid, and so those coming
to the Church from heresy would need to be (re)baptized. The heretics,
after all, differed 'concerning the actual faith in God' and so were baptized
in a different name to that of the triune Lord.
This all seems simple enough. The problem was in discerning to which
group a sect belonged. Amphilocius asked Basil about Montanists (here
called Pepuzeni), pointing out that they appeared to be heretics, but that
Dionysius of Alexandria had apparently accepted their baptism, and about
- Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (F&O Paper, 111; Geneva: WCC, 1982),
'Commentary' on section B13. - Basil of Caesarea, Ep. 188. All quotations are from St Basil: Letters and
Selected Works, NPNF 2.8.