The passages are these:—

He was thirty years old when he came up to be baptized. Then, when he had the mature age of a teacher, he came to Jerusalem, so that all would reasonably accept him as a teacher. For he did not appear to be one thing while he was another, as those say who introduce him as a man only in appearance. He actually was what he appeared to be. So, when he was teacher, he also had the age of a teacher. He did not reject human nature or exalt himself above it, nor did he abrogate in himself his own law [given in behalf] of the human race; but he sanctified every age by a likeness to himself. Surely, he came to save all people through himself; I say all who would again be born to God—infants, children, youth, young adults, elderly. Therefore, he passed through every age. Becoming an infant among infants, he sanctified infants; becoming a child among children, he sanctified those having this age and at the same time became for them an example of piety and righteousness and obedience; becoming a young adult among young adults, he was an example for young adults and sanctified them to the Lord. In the same way, he became also an elderly person among the elderly, so that he might be a mature teacher for all, not merely by explaining the truth but also by his age, that is, by at the same time sanctifying the elderly and being an example for them. Lastly, he came even to death so that he might be the Firstborn from the dead, himself holding the primacy in all things, the Author of life, prior to all and going before all.¹

[Book. 1. ch. 21. sect. 1]:

The tradition about their redemption turns out to be invisible and incomprehensible, inasmuch as this is the mother of the incomprehensible and invisible beings.1 And so it is unstable and cannot be told simply or in one word, because each one of them hands it down just as he wishes. For there are as many redemptions as there are mystery-teachers of this doctrine. When in the proper place we shall expose them, we shall tell how this false picture was injected by Satan in order to deny the baptism of rebirth unto God, and to destroy the entire faith.²

Mr Tombs tells us,

“This proves not infant baptism, because though it be granted that in Justin Martyr, and others of the ancients, to be regenerated is to be baptized, yet it doth not appear that Irenæus meant it so in this place, unless it were proved it is so only meant by him and the ancients. Nor doth Irenæus, lib. i. cap. xviii., term baptism ‘regeneration;’ but saith thus, ‘To the denying of baptism of that regeneration which is unto God.’ But that indeed the word ‘renascuntur,’ ‘are born again,’ is not meant of baptism is proved from the words and the scope of them; for,—

“1. The words are, ‘Per eum renascuntur,’ ‘By him,’ that is, Christ, ‘are born again.’ And it is clear, from the scope of the speech about the fulness of his age, as a perfect master, that ‘By him’ notes his person according to his human nature. Now, if then, ‘By him are born again,’ be as much as ‘By him are baptized,’ this should be Irenæus assertion, that by Christ himself, in his human body, infants, and little ones, and boys, and young men, and elder men, are baptized unto God. But this speech is most manifestly false; for neither did Christ baptize any at all in his own person, (John 4:1, 2, ‘Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,’) nor did the disciples baptize any infant at all, as may be gathered from the whole New Testament.

“2. The word which Irenæus expresseth whereby persons are born again to God by Christ is applied to the example of his age, as the words and scope show. But he was not in his age an example of every age by his baptism, as if he did by it sanctify every age, for then he should have been baptized in every age; but in respect of the holiness of his human nature, which did remain in each age, and so exemplarily sanctify each age to God, so as that there was no age but was capable of holiness by conformity to his example.

“3. Irenæus’ words are, ‘Omnes enim venit per semetipsum salvare, omnes, inquam, qui per eum renascuntur in Deum, infantes, et parvulos,’ etc. Now, if the meaning were, that Christ came to save all that were baptized by him or by his appointment, then he came to save Simon Magus, or whoever are or have been baptized rightly. But in that sense the proposition is most palpably false; and therefore that sense is not to be attributed to his words.

“4. Christ is by Irenæus said to sanctify as ‘a perfect master,—not only according to the exposition of truth, but also as an example to them of piety, justice, and subjection.’ But this is to be understood not in respect of his baptism only, but his whole life, in which he was an example; even as an infant, for then he did willingly empty himself,—‘Took upon him the form of a servant,’ etc., Phil. 2:7, 8.
“By all which reasons,” saith Mr Tombs, “I presume the readers who are willing to see truth will perceive this passage of Irenæus to be wrested by Pedobaptists against its meaning, to prove a use of pedobaptism in his time.”

Ans. 1. The phrase of “Renascuntur in Deum” is so constantly I used by the ancients for baptism that it may be referred to the conscience of Mr Tombs or any one who hath been conversant in their writings, whether they would not have judged and granted that it was here intended, if mention had not been made of infants and little ones. The ensuing exceptions, therefore, are an endeavour to stifle light in favour of an opinion;—which is not unusual with some.

Ans. 2. “Per eum” is the same with “Per semetipsum,” in the words immediately foregoing; that is, “By himself,” in his mediation, grace, and ordinances. And to suppose that if baptism be intended, he must baptize them in his own person, is a mere cavil; for all that are born to God by baptism to this day are so by him.

Ans. 3. The words, Εἰς ἐξάρνησιν τοῦ βαπτίσματος τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀναγεννήσεως, “Unto the denial of the baptism of regeneration unto God,” do plainly declare that by “renascuntur” he intends the baptism of regeneration, as being the means and pledge of it, in allusion to that of the apostle, Λούτρον παλιγγενεσίας, Tit. 3:5.

Ans. 4. It is remarkable in the words of Irenæus, that in expressing the way and means of the renascency of infants, he mentions nothing of the example of Christ, which he adds unto that of all other ages.

Ans. 5. The example of Christ is mentioned as one outward means of the regeneration of them who were capable of its use and improvement. Of his being an example of baptism nothing is spoken. Nor was Christ in his own person an example of regeneration unto any; for as he was not baptized in all ages, so he was never regenerated in any, for he needed no regeneration.

Ans. 6. It is well that it is so positively granted that Christ doth sanctify infants; which, seeing he doth not do so to all universally, must be those of believing parents; which is enough to end this controversy.

Ans. 7. The meaning of Irenæus is no more but that Christ, passing through all ages, evidenced his design to exclude no age, to communicate his grace unto all sorts and ages; and he mentioneth old men, because his judgment was that Christ was fifty years old when he died.

Ans. 8. It was the constant opinion of the ancients that Christ came to save all that were baptized; not intending his purpose and intention with respect unto individuals, but his approbation of the state of baptism, and his grant of the means of grace.

John Owen, The Works of John Owen, ed. William H. Goold, vol. 16 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, n.d.), 263–65.

notes

1. St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. Irenaeus of Lyons: Against the Heresies, Book 2, ed. John J. Dillon, trans. Dominic J. Unger, vol. 65, Ancient Christian Writers (Mahwah, NJ; New York: The Newman Press, 2012), 73–74. For the convenience of the reader where Owen supplied Latin and Greek texts we have supplied modern English translations.

Owen quoted: Adversus Hæreses, lib. ii. cap. xxii. sect. 4: “Magister ergo existens, magistri quoque habebat ætatem, non reprobans nec supergrediens hominem, neque solvens suam legem in se humani generis, sed omnem ætatem sanctificans per illam quæ ad ipsum erat similitudinem. Omnes enim venit per semetipsum salvare, omnes, inquam, qui per cum renascuntur in Deum, infantes, et parvulos, et pueros, et juvenes, et seniores. Ideo per omnem venit ætatem; et infantibus infans factus, sanctificans infantes; in parvulis, parvulus, sanctificans hanc ipsam habentes ætatem, simul et exemplum illis pietatis effectus, et justitiæ et subjectionis; in juvenibus juvenis, exemplum juvenibus fiens, et sanctificans Domino; sic et senior in senioribus, ut sit perfectus magister in omnibus, non solum secundum expositionem veritatis, sed et secundum ætatem sanctificans simul et seniores, exemplum ipsis quoque fiens; deinde et usque ad mortem pervenit, ut sit primogenitus ex mortuis, ipse primatum tenens in omnibus, princeps vitæ, prior omnium, et præcedens omnes.”

2. St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. Irenaeus of Lyons: Against the Heresies, Book 1, ed. Walter J. Burghardt, John J. Dillon, and Thomas Comerford Lawler, trans. Dominic J. Unger, 55th ed., vol. I, Ancient Christian Writers (Mahwah, NJ; New York: The Newman Press, 1992), 1.21.1 (p. 77)_.

Owen quoted: Ὅσοι γάρ εἰσι ταύτης τῆς γνώμης μυσταγωγοὶ, τοσαῦται καὶ ἀπολυτρώσεις. Ὅτι μὲν εἰς ἐξάρνησιν τοῦ βαπτίσματος τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀναγεννήσεως, καὶ πάσης τῆς πίστεως ἀπόθεσιν ὑποζέζληται τὸ εἶδος τοῦ ὑπὸ τοῦ σατανᾶ, ἐλέγχοντες αὐτοὺς ἀπαγγελοῦμεν ἐν τῷ προσήκοντι τόπῳ. He cited, “Lib. 1. cap. xviii” which is incorrect.

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