Origen, Hippolytus on Infant Baptism
- samshmn
- Nov 23
- 7 min read
I quote what prolific church writer Origen and prominent Christian theologian Hippolytus of Rome wrote in respect to the baptism of infants and little children.
Origen
(11) Therefore our body is the body of sin, for it is not written that Adam knew his wife Eve and became the father of Cain until after the sin.504 After all, even in the law it is commanded that sacrifices be offered for the child who was born: a pair of turtledoves or two young doves; one of which was offered for sin and the other as a burnt offering.505 For which sin is this one dove offered?
Was a newly born child able to sin? And yet it has a sin for which sacrifices are commanded to be offered, and from which it is denied that anyone is pure, even if his life should be one day long.506 It has to be believed, therefore, that concerning this David also said what we recorded above, “in sins my mother conceived me.”507
For according to the historical narrative no sin of his mother is declared. It is on this account as well that the Church has received the tradition from the apostles to give baptism even to little children.508
For they to whom the secrets of the divine mysteries were committed509 were aware that in everyone was sin’s innate defilement, which needed to be washed away through water and the Spirit.510
Because of this defilement as well, the body itself is called the body of sin; it is not because of sins the soul committed when it was in another body, as they who introduce the doctrine of metensomatosis imagine.511
But because the soul was fashioned into the body of sin, and the body of death and lowliness,512 and just as he said, “You have lowered our soul to the dust.”513
For the present these are the things which could come to us concerning “the body of sin.” But which explanation of the two may agree with the apostolic meaning, or if it be neither, let the reader examine.
504. Cf. Gn 4.1.
505. Cf. Lv 12.8.
506. Cf. Jb 14.4–5 LXX. See also Cels 7.50.
507. Ps 51.5.
508. Cf. Hom in Lv 8.3; Hom in Lk 14.5. Origen’s statement here is “our earliest witness to the belief that the Apostles themselves commanded the baptism of infants”; G. Beasley-Murray, Baptism in the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1962), p. 306.
509. Cf. 1 Cor 4.1. 510. Cf. Jn 3.5. 511. Cf. 5.1.27.
512. Rom 7.24; Phil 3.21.
513. Ps 44.25. (Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Books 1-5 (Fathers of the Church Patristic Series), translated by Thomas P. Scheck [The Catholic University of America Press Publication, 2009], pp. 366-367; emphasis mine)
Hippolytus
21 At the hour in which the cock crows, they shall first pray over the water. 2When they come to the water, the water shall be pure and flowing, that is, the water of a spring or a flowing body of water. 3Then they shall take off all their clothes.
4The children shall be baptized first. All of the children who can answer for themselves, let them answer. If there are any children who cannot answer for themselves, let their parents answer for them, or someone else from their family. 5After this, the men will be baptized. Finally, the women, after they have unbound their hair, and removed their jewelry. No one shall take any foreign object with themselves down into the water.
6At the time determined for baptism, the bishop shall give thanks over some oil, which he puts in a vessel. It is called the Oil of Thanksgiving. 7He shall take some more oil and exorcise it. It is called the Oil of Exorcism. 8A deacon shall hold the Oil of Exorcism and stand on the left. Another deacon shall hold the Oil of Thanksgiving and stand on the right.
9When the elder takes hold of each of them who are to receive baptism, he shall tell each of them to renounce, saying, “I renounce you Satan, all your servicea, and all your works.” 10After he has said this, he shall anoint each with the Oil of Exorcism, saying, “Let every evil spirit depart from you.” 11Then, after these things, the bishop passes each of them on nude to the elder who stands at the water. They shall stand in the water naked. A deacon, likewise, will go down with them into the water.
12When each of them to be baptized has gone down into the water, the one baptizing shall lay hands on each of them, asking, “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?” 13And the one being baptized shall answer, “I believe.” 14He shall then baptize each of them once, laying his hand upon each of their heads.
15Then he shall ask, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died, and rose on the third day living from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, the one coming to judge the living and the dead?” 16When each has answered, “I believe,” he shall baptize a second time.
17Then he shall ask, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit and the Holy Church and the resurrection of the flesh?” 18Then each being baptized shall answer, “I believe.” And thus let him baptize the third time.
19Afterward, when they have come up out of the water, they shall be anointed by the elder with the Oil of Thanksgiving, saying, “I anoint you with holy oil in the name of Jesus Christ.” 20Then, drying themselves, they shall dress and afterwards gather in the church.
21The bishop will then lay his hand upon them, invoking, saying, “Lord God, you who have made these worthy of the removal of sins through the bath of regeneration, make them worthy to be filled with your Holy Spirit, grant to them your grace, that they might serve you according to your will, for to you is the glory, Father and Son with the Holy Spirit, in the Holy Church, now and throughout the ages of the ages. Amen.
22After this he pours the oil into his hand, and laying his hand on each of their heads, says, “I anoint you with holy oil in God the Father Almighty, and Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.”
23Then, after sealingb each of them on the forehead, he shall give them the kiss of peace and say, “The Lord be with you.” And the one who has been baptized shall say, “And with your spirit.”
24So shall he do to each one.
25From then on they will pray together will all the people. Prior to this they may not pray with the faithful until they have completed all. 26After they pray, let them give the kiss of peace.
27Then the deacons shall immediately bring the oblation. The bishop shall bless the bread, which is the symbol of the Body of Christ; and the bowl of mixed winec, which is the symbol of the Blood which has been shed for all who believe in him;
28and the milk and honey mixed together, in fulfillment of the promise made to the fathers, in which he said, “a land flowing with milk and honey,” which Christ indeed gave, his Flesh, through which those who believe are nourished like little children, by the sweetness of his Word, softening the bitter heart;
29and water also for an oblation, as a sign of the baptism, so that the inner person, which is psychic, may also receive the same as the body. 30The bishop shall give an explanation of all these things to those who are receiving.
31Breaking the bread, distributing a piece to each, he shall say, “The Bread of Heaven in Jesus Christ.”
32And the one who receives shall answer, “Amen.”
33The elders, and the deacons if there are not enough, shall hold the cups and stand together in good order and with reverence: first the one who holds the water, second the one who holds the milk, and third the one who holds the wine.
34They who partake shall taste of each three times. And he who gives shall say, “In God the Father Almighty.” The one who receives shall respond, “Amen.”
35The one giving shall say, “And in the Lord Jesus Christ.” The one who receives shall respond,”Amen.”
36The one giving shall say, “And in the Holy Spirit, and in the Holy Church.” And the one who receives shall respond, “Amen.”
37It shall be done so for each.
38When these things are done, they shall be zealous to do good works, and to please God, living honorably, devoting themselves to the church, doing the things which they were taught, and advancing in piety.
39We have delivered these things to you only briefly concerning baptism and the oblation because you have already been instructed concerning the resurrection of the flesh and the rest according to what is written.
40If there is anything else which needs to be told, the bishop shall tell it privatelyd to those who receive baptism. None but the faithful may know, and even them only after receiving baptism. This is the white stone about which John said, “A new name is written on it, which no one knows except the one who received the stone.” (The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus of Rome, pp. 9-11; emphasis mine)
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