On the One Baptism

Augustine. Sancti Aureli Augustini Opera, Sectio VII, Pars III (Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, Volume 53). Petschenig, Michael, editor. Prague; Vienna; Leipzig: F. Tempsky; G. Freytag, 1910.

Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0

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This work is a theological treatise in which Augustine refutes the book 'On the One Baptism' written by the Donatist Petilian. Addressing the Donatist controversy, which denied the validity of orthodox sacraments and demanded rebaptism, Augustine argues for the uniqueness of baptism and its enduring efficacy derived from Christ Himself. Throughout the text, he meticulously examines Petilian's arguments, demonstrating that the validity of the sacrament does not depend on the moral character of the human minister but on Christ's authority. Furthermore, Augustine corrects historical inaccuracies in his opponent's narrative, such as chronological errors regarding Emperor Constantine, thereby exposing the weakness of the Donatist position. Ultimately, the work stands as a defense of the unity of the Church and the universality of divine grace against schismatic divisions.