Augustine on Infant Baptism

Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants (412)

Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Sturdy, and wading to the ankle.

Catch rate: 125 / 255
Base research: 140
Stat total: 238

Base stats

Every stat is a checkable fact about the actual book, not a designer's mood. Bars are drawn against the highest value any book reaches.

Stamina70

Contend60

Defend58

Popularity50

Total238

Why these numbers

The game's own explanation, as a reader sees it in the backpack.

Stamina 70

STAMINA — High. It is three books.

Contend 60

CONTEND — Moderate. It answers one error and does not go further.

Defend 58

DEFEND — Moderate. It leaves open what happens to infants who are not baptised.

Popularity 50

POPULARITY — Moderate. It is rarely read apart from the Pelagian controversy.

Cited for this book

Augustine wrote this in 412 at the request of a friend, Marcellinus. Pelagius had said infants carry no sin and that Adam harmed his children only by example. Augustine answered from the church’s practice: infants are baptised, so there is a sin to be forgiven in them. He also says baptism does not finish the matter. A baptised child still has to believe when he is old enough.

Moves learned

By levelling up. A book that develops keeps what it knew and learns the rest on its new schedule.

Lv	Move	Type	Cat.	Pwr	Acc	PP
1	Random Verse	Bible	Argument	10	100%	30
1	He Engrafts Even Baptized Infants	Soteriology	Argument	66	100%	20
9	With Most Pious and Maternal Care	Ecclesiology	Argument	64	100%	15
17	Fails To Be Benefited	Soteriology	Argument	60	100%	25
30	Chapter…	Bible	Scripture	—	—	12

The quotes behind its moves

How to read these. In Scholar’s Dream, books argue with each other. Each thing a book can do in a debate is a move, and most moves carry a real quotation — the words the book puts on the table when it uses that move.

Strong against lists the opposing books and arguments a move was written to answer. Used against one of them, it hits much harder than usual: ×2 means twice the normal force, ×4 four times. It is the game’s way of saying: this is the sentence that answers that argument. Open an entry to read why.

“For by this grace He engrafts into His body even baptized infants, who certainly have not yet become able to imitate any one.”
Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants, Book 1, ch. 9 (trans. Peter Holmes, NPNF¹ 5, public domain), as hosted by New Advent.public domain

He Engrafts Even Baptized Infants

SoteriologyArgument · power 66 · 100% accurate

In the gameAugustine’s argument from infants. A baby cannot imitate anyone, so if it is joined to Christ it must be by grace and not by example. He sets that against Pelagius, who taught that Adam harmed his children only by example.

“the baptism of infants, which the universal Church, with most pious and maternal care, maintains in constant celebration”
Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants, Book 3, ch. 1 (trans. Peter Holmes, NPNF¹ 5, public domain), as hosted by New Advent.public domain

With Most Pious and Maternal Care

EcclesiologyArgument · power 64 · 100% accurate

In the gameAugustine on the practice of baptising infants. He writes in 415 that the whole church holds it, and that it is kept up with pious and motherly care. He is arguing against Pelagius, who denied that infants carried any sin.

“But yet who knows not that the baptized infant fails to be benefited from what he received as a little child, if on coming to years of reason he fails to believe and to abstain from unlawful desires?”
Augustine, On Merit and the Forgiveness of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants, Book 1, ch. 24 (trans. Peter Holmes, NPNF¹ 5, public domain), as hosted by New Advent.public domain

Fails To Be Benefited

SoteriologyArgument · power 60 · 100% accurate

In the gameThe honest edge of Augustine’s case. Baptism does not finish the matter. A baptised infant who grows up and does not believe, he says, gains nothing from what he received as a child.

What answers it

The specific move or chapter of Scripture that cuts through this one, and why. The number is how much harder it hits than usual — ×4 is four times the normal force.

Not To Be Refused To Any One Born of Man×2.5

Augustine copies out long parts of Cyprian’s letter to Fidus in this book and uses it to show what the church has always held.

God Does Not Accept the Age×2.5

Augustine copies out long parts of Cyprian’s letter to Fidus in this book and uses it to show what the church has always held.

The Still Recent Hands of God×2

Augustine copies out long parts of Cyprian’s letter to Fidus in this book and uses it to show what the church has always held.