1. Now concerning baptism, thus baptize ye: having spoken beforehand all
these things, baptize into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, in living water.
2. But if thou hast not living water, baptize into other water; if thou
canst not in cold, in warm.
3. But if thou hast not either, pour water upon the head thrice, in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
4. Now before the baptism, let him that is baptizing and him that is being
baptized fast, and any others who can; but thou biddest him who is being
baptized to fast one or two days before.
The "things spoken beforehand" are the moral precepts known as the two
ways, the one of life and the other of death, with which the tract begins.
This body of moral teaching is older than the rest of the tract, and may go
back to the year A.D. 80.
Justin thus describes the rite in ch. lxi. of his first _Apology_, (c.
140):--
"I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when
we had been made new through Christ. As many as are persuaded and believe
that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live
accordingly, are instructed to pray and entreat God with fasting, for the
remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them.
Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in
the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For in the name of
God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ
and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water."