Editing Tertullian (section)

==== Baptism ====
Tertullian advises the postponement of baptism of little children and the unmarried, he mentions that it was customary to baptise infants, with sponsors speaking on their behalf.<ref>"The delay of baptism is preferable; principally, however, in the case of little children. For why is it necessary&nbsp;... that the sponsors likewise should be thrust into danger?&nbsp;... For no less cause must the unwedded also be deferred—in whom the ground of temptation is prepared, alike in such as never were wedded by means of their maturity, and in the widowed by means of their freedom—until they either marry, or else be more fully strengthened for continence." {{cite book |title=[[Ante-Nicene Fathers (book)|The Ante-Nicene Fathers: The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325]] |volume=3 |at=Part III, Chapter 18 |year=1885 |publisher=Christian Literature Company |editor-first1=Alexander |editor-last1=Roberts |editor-first2=James |editor-last2=Donaldson |editor-first3=Arthur Cleveland |editor-last3=Coxe |editor-first4=Philip |editor-last4=Schaff |display-authors=etal}} For the text, see [[s:Ante-Nicene_Fathers/Volume_III/Ethical/On_Baptism/XVIII|Wikisource]].</ref> He argued that an infant ran the risk of growing up and then falling into sin, which could cause them to lose their salvation, if they were baptized as infants.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Esler |first=Philip F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6fyCAgAAQBAJ&dq=Tertullian+ex+opere+operato&pg=PA570 |title=The Early Christian World |date=2002-09-11 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-54919-1 |language=en}}</ref>

Contrary to early Syrian baptismal doctrine and practice, Tertullian describes baptism as a cleansing and preparation process which precedes the reception of the Holy Spirit in post-baptismal anointing ({{lang|la|De Baptismo}} 6). {{lang|la|De Baptismo}} includes the earliest known mention of a prayer for the consecration of the waters of baptism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Maxwell E. |title=The rites of Christian initiation: their evolution and interpretation |date=2007 |publisher=Liturgical Press |isbn=978-0-8146-6215-1 |edition=revised and expanded |location=Collegeville, Minnesota |oclc=123485489}}</ref>

Tertullian had an {{lang|la|[[ex opere operato]]}} view of the baptism, thus the efficiency of baptism was not dependent upon the faith of the receiver.<ref name=":2" /> He also believed that in an emergency, the laity can give the baptism.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Still |first1=Todd D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7GLm2X6BRdEC&dq=Tertullian+outside+the+church+no+salvation&pg=PA176 |title=Tertullian and Paul |last2=Wilhite |first2=David |date=2012-12-20 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-0-567-00803-9 |language=en}}</ref>