Martin of Braga: De trina mersione

To the most blessed and most reverend Lord, venerated in the perfection of apostolic charity, the Lord and in Christ, Father Boniface, Bishop — Martin, Bishop.

[1] Gemino me sanctae illustrationis munere optabilis vestri apostolatus pagina cumulavit, dum et pontificalis gratiae ritu abiectissimam humilitatis nostrae visitas parvitatem, et ardenti purae caritatis flagrantia benignissimum nobis conserendi aditum sermonis accomodas. Siquidem et haec optatae rei series congruebat, ut exinde a nobis inchoandae collocutionis sumeretur initium, a quibus consummatae caritatis perfectio iam tenetur. Et idcirco debitum sacratissimo apostolatui vestro litterariae officiositatis obsequium reddens, quaeso humilitatis nostrae memoriam in vestris semper Deo acceptabilibus precibus adnectatis.

[1] Geminus, by the gift of sacred illumination, has bestowed upon me the desirable page of your apostolate, while both in the pontifical rite of grace you adapt to the very lowliness of our visits, and, with the ardor of pure charity, graciously afford us access to preserve discourse. Since indeed the sequence of this wished-for matter was fitting, so that from it the beginning of a conversation to be undertaken by us might be taken up, from which the consummation of perfected charity is already held. And therefore, rendering the due service of literary diligence to your most sacred apostolate, I beg that you join the remembrance of our humility to your prayers, always acceptable to God.

[2] Illud autem quod per vestram nobis significastis epistolam, quosdam ex nobis in illis partibus commeantes vestris auribus intulisse, ut a sacerdotibus huius provinciae sacrum baptisma non in uno Trinitatis nomine, sed in nominibus ageretur, falsissimum hoc omnimodis agnoscatis. Nam, ut ego arbitror, qui hoc vobis voluit intimare, aut numquam vidisse baptizantes episcopos aut certe voluisse aliquid referre quod hic antea gestum fuerat. Sed nam et ego manifestius hic cognovi quod de institutione baptismatis metropolitanus huius provinciae ante hos aliquos annos ab ipsa beatissimi Petri cathedra certissimae auctoritatis formulam postulavit.

[2] But that which you signified to us by your letter, that certain men of ours sojourning in those parts had brought to your ears that the sacred baptism in this province was being performed not in the one name of the Trinity but in separate names, acknowledge this in every way to be most false. For, as I judge, he who wished to intimate this to you had either never seen bishops baptizing or certainly wished to report something that had been done here formerly. Moreover I have here learned more plainly that concerning the institution of baptism the metropolitan of this province, some years before these men, sought a formula from the very chair of the most blessed Peter, of most certain authority.

Cuius etiam exemplar curiosius legens, ita reperii scriptum, ut in uno Trinitatis nomine is qui baptizandus est aut tertio perfundatur aut mergatur.

And reading a rather curious exemplar of which, I found it written thus: that in the one name of the Trinity he who is to be baptized is either for the third time poured over or immersed.

[3] Nunc ais: tertio nomen invocari et tertio tingi certissime Arianum est. Audi ergo. In uno autem Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti nomine tertio tingi antiqua et apostolica est traditio, quam ex Romani antistitis auctoritate sacerdotes huius provinciae retinent scriptam, et a Constantinopolitanae urbis praesule, praesentibus huius regni legatis qui ad Imperium fuerant destinati, in ipsa Paschali festivitate pervisa est.

[3] Now you say: that to invoke the name thrice and to be dipped thrice is most certainly Arian. Hear then. But to be dipped thrice in the one name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is an ancient and apostolic tradition, which the priests of this province retain in writing by the authority of the bishop of Rome, and was reviewed by the prelate of the city of Constantinople, the legates of this kingdom who had been sent to the Empire being present, in the very Paschal festival.

Nam et nos epistolam beati Pauli Apostoli, in qua scriptum est: Unus, Deus, una fides, unum baptisma, legimus, et expositionem beati Hieronimi, in qua sub unius nominis invocatione tertio tingendos esse confirmat. Et ipsum librum iam vetustissimum chartaceum apud virum venerabilem sanctumque fratrem nostrum Ausentium presbyterum, si requiras, invenies: similiter et apud Acta S. Silvestri Constantinus admonitus in visione ter mergi iubetur. Multi, vel audientes in Apostolo dici: Unum baptisma, non pro unitate Catholicae, eo quod ubique uno modo baptisma celebretur, sed pro una tinctione intellegere voluerunt, et dum vicinitatem refugiunt Arianam, qui et ipsi tertio tingunt, sed in uno nomine sicut nos, antiquae traditionis formulam permutarunt, ut sub uno nomine una etiam fieret tinctio, nescientes quia in uno nomine unitas substantiae, trina vero mersione distinctio trium ostenditur personarum: ut, sicut verissime credimus, unam demonstremus Deitatis substantiam, tres vero personas.

For we also read the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul, in which is written: Unus, Deus, una fides, unum baptisma, and the exposition of blessed Jerome, in which he confirms that they are to be dipped three times under the invocation of one name. And that very ancient paper book itself you will find with the venerable and holy man our brother Ausentius the presbyter, if you seek it: likewise in the Acts of St. Silvester Constantine, admonished in a vision, is ordered to be plunged three times. Many, when hearing the Apostle say: One baptism, wished to understand it not for the unity of the Catholic (church), because everywhere baptism is celebrated in one way, but for one dipping; and while they flee the Arian vicinity — who themselves also dip three times, but in one name as we do — they have altered the formula of the ancient tradition, so that under one name there would be also one dipping, not knowing that in one name the unity of substance is shown, and by a threefold immersion the distinction of three persons is shown: so that, as we very truly believe, we demonstrate one substance of Deity, yet three persons.

Nam si sub uno nomine etiam una sit tinctio, unitas tantum Deitatis in Patre et Filio et Spiritu Sancto demonstrata est, personarum vero nulla differentia est ostensa.

For if under one name there is also one dipping, only the unity of the Deity in Father and Son and Holy Spirit is demonstrated, while no difference of the persons is shown.

[4] Ac per hoc dum quasi vicinitas fugitur Ariana, Sabelliana ignorantibus subrepet pestis, quae, dum sub uno nomine unam solummodo retinet tinctionem, eundem Patrem dicit esse quem Filium et Spiritum Sanctum dicit esse, et eundem Spiritum Sanctum quem Patrem; et dum nullam distinctionem trium personarum in sacramento baptismi monstrat, trium vocabulorum unam sacrilegus confingit esse personam.Nescientes ergo quidam ex Hispanis, sicut scriptum est, neque quae loquuntur, neque de quibus adfirmant, dum vicinitatem, ut diximus, tinctionis fugiunt Arianae, in aliam incauti incidunt pravitatem. Numquid quia Ariani Psalmum, Apostolum, Evangelia, et alia multa ita ut Catholici celebrant, nos errorum vicinitatem fugiendo haec sumus omnia reiecturi?

[4] And therefore, while as if the Arian neighborhood is fled, a Sabellian pestilence stealthily creeps in upon the ignorant, which, while under one name it retains only one dipping, says that the same Father is he whom it calls the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the same Holy Spirit whom it (calls) Father; and while it shows no distinction of the three persons in the sacrament of baptism, sacrilegiously it fabricates that the three appellations are one person.Not knowing, then, some of the Spaniards, as it is written, neither what they speak, nor of whom they affirm, while they flee the neighbourhood, as we said, of Arian dipping, unwary fall into another perversity. Is it that because the Arians celebrate the Psalter, the Apostle, the Gospels, and many other things just as the Catholics do, we therefore, fleeing the neighbourhood of errors, must reject all these things?

Absit, quia illi, ex nobis ut scriptum est exeuntes, praeter minorationem Deitatis Filii Dei et Spiritus Sancti, cetera ita penes se retinent sicut nos.

Far be it; for they, departing from us as is written, except for the diminution of the deity of the Son of God and of the Holy Spirit, retain the rest in their possession just as we do.

[5] Hanc ergo rationem quidam, ut diximus, minime praevidentes unam tinctionem fieri voluerunt. Et ut suae praesumptioni auctoritatem aliquam darent, dixerunt hoc pro refugienda Arianorum similitudine ab aliquibus synodis institutum: quod omnino confictum est. Nam neque generalis neque localis ulla synodus de una tinctione aliquando legitur tulisse sententiam.

[5] Therefore some, as we said, not at all foreseeing this, wished that one tinction should be made. And that they might give some authority to their presumption, they said that this had been instituted by certain synods to avoid the similarity of the Arians; which is altogether fabricated. For neither any general nor any local synod is read to have ever adopted a sentence about one tinction.

Quod si quis hoc affirmat, ostendat scriptum, vel quibus in locis et a quibus vel quantis patribus hoc decretum sit. Quod si hoc nequeunt demonstrare, teneant a nobis fiducialiter quod et per auctoritatem Romanae sedis est traditum, et Orientalium provinciarum institutio prisca demonstrat, et antiquorum patrum expositionibus, quin etiam officialium sacramentorum documentis, scribitur: ut sicut in uno Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti nomine, quod est unus Deus, unam trium dicimus esse substantiam, ita etiam trium personarum distinctionem per tres proculdubio credentium tinctiones signamus. Haec pro vestrae iussionis impulsu paginali brevitate perstrinxi, postulans ut nostrae apud Dominum fragilitatis memor esse digneris.

But if anyone affirms this, let him show it written, or in what places and by which or how many Fathers this was decreed. And if they cannot demonstrate this, let them hold from us with confidence that it has been handed down by the authority of the Roman See, and the ancient custom of the Eastern provinces bears witness, and it is written in the expositions of the ancient Fathers, nay even in the documents of the official sacraments: that just as in the one name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which is one God, we say there is one substance of the three, so likewise we mark the distinction of three persons through three anointings of believers without doubt. I have skimmed over these things at the urging of your command with the briefness of the page, asking that you deem worthy to remember the frailty of our pleading before the Lord.