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Letters concerning the Establishment of the Holy Synod (1723)
Eastern Patriarchs, tr. King, 1865
16. Article 16
We believe that the Holy Baptism, ordained by the Lord and performed in the name of the Holy Trinity, is most necessary; for without this no one can be saved, as the Lord has said: “Whosoever is not born of water and of the Spirit, cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (John 3: 5.) For this reason it is essentially necessary also for infants, because they also are subject to original sin; and without baptism it is not possible to obtain remission, which, indeed, our Lord showing did not say partially, but simply and absolutely, “Whoever is not born again,” which is the same with this, it is necessary for all, after the coming of the Saviour Christ, who are to enter into the kingdom of heaven, to be born again.
And if infants are men, and if they need salvation, they need also baptism. And those not born again, as not having received remission of original sin, are subject to everlasting punishment, and in consequence cannot be saved without baptism. So that it is absolutely necessary that infants should be baptized. Besides, infants are saved, as is said by Matthew. “But he who is not baptized is not saved.” Therefore it is necessary that infants should be baptized. And in the Acts it is said that “whole houses were baptized,” (Acts 16: 33,) therefore also infants must have been baptized. This also the Fathers of old clearly testify to, among whom also Dionysius, in his work concerning ecclesiastical hierarchy, and Justin, in his fifty-sixth inquiry, says expressly, “Those, who in faith bring infants to baptism, are deemed worthy of the benefits arising through baptism,” and Augustin says that it is an apostolic tradition that children are saved by baptism, and elsewhere it is said the Church gives to children the feet of others so that they may come, the hearts of others so that they may believe, the tongues of others so that they may profess,” and in another place: “The mother Church gives unto them a motherly heart.” But baptism is administered by pure water, and by no other liquid, and is performed by the priest alone, and in case of necessity, it may without hesitation be performed by another person besides an orthodox, and who has an intention suitable to divine baptism.
The consequences of baptism, to say in a word, are: first, the remission of original sin and of other sins, as many as the one baptized has committed; second, He is delivered from the eternal punishment to which he was subjected, either for original sin or for those things which he personally has done worthy of death; third, It gives unto them a blessed immortality, acquitting them of sins previously committed, renders them temples of God. It is not to be said that all sins are not remitted by baptism, but that they remain but have no force: for this would be full of the greatest impiety, and rather a denial than a profession of piety, but that every sin committed before baptism is done away, and is accounted as not having taken place. For the types of baptism and all the passages which refer to it, intimate that this very same baptism signifies entire purification; and those very names of baptism present the same thing. For if baptism is by the Spirit and by fire, it is manifest that it is a perfect purification for all. For the Spirit completely purifies: if it is a light, it has dissipated darkness; if it is regeneration, old things have passed away, and what are those except sin; if the baptized puts off the old man, therefore he puts off sin; if he puts on Christ, therefore he becomes sinless by the operation of baptism. For God is far from sinners. This also Paul teaches more clearly, saying, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous,” (Rom. 5: 19,) and if righteous, therefore free from sin. For it is not possible that life and death should be in the same thing; if Christ truly died, therefore also truly is remission through the Spirit. Hence also is this manifest, that all infants that are baptized and die, are, without doubt, saved, being foreordained by the death of Christ. For since they were without any common sin, because they were redeemed by divine baptism, and of special, (sin,) because children, having no free will in operation, do not sin, they are therefore saved. For baptism gives an indelible character. For it is impossible that one who has once been rightly baptized should be re-baptized, though he should fall into ten thousand sins: or should abjure his faith. For wishing to return unto the Lord, he, by the mystery of repentance, resumes the adoption which he lost.