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On the Sacraments
St Ambrose of Milan, tr. Thompson, 1919
Book 2, The Threefold Confession of Faith and the Threefold Immersion in Baptism…
Thou wast asked,1 “Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty?” Thou saidst, “I believe,” and didst dip, that is, thou wast buried. Again thou wast asked, “Dost thou believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in his Cross?” Thou saidst, “I believe,” and didst dip; therefore, thou wast also buried with Christ;2 for he who is buried with Christ, rises again with Christ. A third time thou was asked, “Dost thou believe also in the Holy Ghost?” Thou saidst, “I believe,” and didst dip a third time, that the triple confession might absolve the manifold fall of thy former life.
Thus (that we may give you an example), after the holy Apostle Peter seemed to have fallen during the Lord’s passion by the weakness of human nature, he who had previously denied was afterwards thrice asked by Christ if he loved Christ, that he might cancel and annul that fall. Then he said, “Thou knowest, Lord, that I love Thee.”3 He said it thrice, that he might be thrice absolved.4
Therefore, the Father forgives sin, just as the Son forgives; likewise also the Holy Ghost. But he bade us be baptized in one name, that is, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Wonder not that he spoke of one name, when there is one Substance, one Divinity, one Majesty. This is the name of which it was said, Wherein all must be saved.5 In this name ye have all been saved, ye have been restored to the grace of life.6
Therefore the Apostle cries, as you have heard in the lesson just read, that whosoever is baptized, is baptized in the death of Jesus.7 What is in the death? It is that, as Christ died, so thou also shouldst taste of death; that, as Christ died unto sin, and liveth unto God,8 so thou also shouldst be dead unto the former allurements of sins through the sacrament of baptism, and shouldst rise again through the grace of Christ. It is a death, therefore; but not a death in the reality of bodily death, but in the likeness. For when thou dippest thou takest on the likeness of death and burial, thou receivest the sacrament of that cross, because Christ hung on the cross, and his body was pierced with nails. Therefore, when thou art crucified, thou cleavest to Christ; thou cleavest to the nails of our Lord Jesus Christ; let not the devil be able to tear thee away. Let the nail of Christ hold thee fast, seeing that the weakness of human nature is seeking to call thee back.
Therefore thou didst dip, thou camest to the priest.9 What did he say to thee? “God the Father Almighty,” he saith, “who hath regenerated thee by water and the Holy Ghost, and hath forgiven thee thy sins, himself anoint thee unto eternal life.”10 See whereunto thou art anointed; “unto eternal life,” he saith. Do not set this life before that life. For example, if any foe arise, if he wishes to take away thy faith, if he threatens death to make some one transgress, see what thou choosest. Do not choose that wherein thou wast not anointed, but choose that wherein thou wast anointed, so as to prefer eternal life to temporal life, through Christ our Lord. — Amen.
Notes
- With this section cf. de Myst. v. 21, 28.
- Rom. vi. 4; Col. ii. 12.
- Jn. xxi. 15 f.
- There is a similar application in Ambrose, de Spir. sancto, ii. 10. 105.
- Cf. Acts iv. 12.
- An allusion to 1 Pet. iii. 7.
- Rom. vi. 3, freely quoted.
- Rom. vi. 10.
- On the word “priest” (sacerdos), used here to denote the bishop see note on i. 1. 2. Cf. the parallel passage in de Myst. vi. 29.
- This prayer, with slight variations, is found in the two Roman Sacramentaries, the Gregorian (Muratori, Lit. Rom. Vet. ii. 65; Wilson, H.B.S., p. 57), and the Gelasian (Wilson, p. 86); also in the Missale Gallicanum vetus (Muratori, ii. 741), and in the Bobbio Missal (Muratori, ii. 851).