Translation Hide
Du baptême contre les Donatistes

25.

Quand donc « s’appuyant sur l’ancienne coutume » nos évêques accueillaient les hérétiques comme l’Eglise les accueille aujourd’hui, c’est-à-dire avec le seul baptême qu’ils avaient reçu dans le schisme, personne n’était en droit de les blâmer et de leur dire : « Dans le principe tous les anciens hérétiques et schismatiques avaient d’abord appartenu à l’Eglise et y avaient reçu le baptême avant de se jeter dans le schisme; voilà pourquoi il n’était nullement nécessaire de les rebaptiser quand ils rentraient dans l’unité».Dès qu’une hérésie existait, dès qu’elle se séparait de la communion catholique, elle pouvait, je ne dis pas le lendemain, mais le jour même conférer le baptême à ceux qui demandaient à entrer dans son sein. Or, selon l’ancienne coutume que personne ne peut révoquer en doute, on recevait les hérétiques sans leur réitérer le baptême; n’est-il donc pas évident que dans le nombre il s’en trouvait qui n’avaient été baptisés que dans le schisme ou l’hérésie?

Translation Hide
The Seven Books of Augustin, Bishop of Hippo On Baptism, Against the Donatists

25.

Wherefore, as regards those who received the persons who came from heresy in the same baptism of Christ with which they had been baptized outside the Church, and said "that they followed ancient custom," as indeed the Church now receives such, it is in vain urged against them "that among the ancients there were as yet only the first beginning of heresy and schisms, ¹ so that those were involved in them who were seceders from the Church, and had originally been baptized within the Church, so that it was not necessary that they should be baptized again when they returned and did penance." For so soon as each several heresy existed, and departed from the communion of the Catholic Church, it was possible that, I will not even say the next day, but even on that very day, its votaries might have baptized some who flocked to them. And therefore if this was the old custom, that they should be so received into the Church (as could not be denied even by those who maintained the contrary part in the discussion), there can be no doubt in the mind of any one who pays careful attention to the matter, that those also were so received who had been baptized without in heresy.