“That is the Spirit of whom the Lord declares, ‘For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you.’ And again, giving to the disciples the power of regeneration into God, He said to them, ‘Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’” – Irenaeus, “Against Heresies,” Book III, Chapter XVII
“The Father’s Word, therefore, knowing the economy (disposition) and the will of the Father, to wit, that the Father seeks to be worshipped in none other way than this, gave this charge to the disciples after He rose from the dead: ‘Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’” – Hippolytus, “Against the Heresy of One Noetus”
"For the law of baptizing has been imposed, and the formula prescribed: ‘Go,’ He saith, ‘Teach the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’" – Tertullian, “On Baptism,” Chapter XIII
”After His resurrection He promises in a pledge to His disciples that He will send them the promise of His Father, and lastly, He commands them to baptize into the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.” – Tertullian, “Against Praxeas,” Chapter XXVI
“Accordingly, after one of these had been struck off, He commanded the eleven others, on His departure to the Father, to go and teach all nations, who were to be baptized into the Father, and into the Son, and into the Holy Ghost. Immediately, therefore, so did the apostles, whom this designation indicates as the sent.” – Tertullian, “Prescription Against Heretics,” Chapter XX
“The Lord, when, after His resurrection, He sent forth His apostles, charges them, saying, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.’” – Cyprian, Epistle XXIV:2
“For the Lord, after His resurrection, sending His disciples, instructed and taught them in what manner they ought to baptize, saying, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’” – Cyprian, Epistle LXXII:5
“Finally, when, after the resurrection, the apostles are sent by the Lord to the heathens, they are bidden to baptize the Gentiles in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. How, then, do some say, that a Gentile baptized without, outside the Church, yea, and in opposition to the Church, so that it be only in the name of Jesus Christ, everywhere, and in whatever manner, can obtain remission of sin, when Christ Himself commands the heathen to be baptized in the full and united Trinity?” – Cyprian, Epistle LXXII:18
“And He laid His right hand upon me, and said, ‘Fear not; I am the First and the Last, and He that liveth and was dead; and, lo, I am living for evermore and I have the keys of death and of hell.’ Likewise in the Gospel, the Lord after His resurrection says to His disciples: ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.’" – Cyprian, “Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews,” Chapter II:26
“This is the sure and immovable teaching and tradition, begun by our Lord after his resurrection from the dead, when he gave his apostles the command: ‘Go ye, make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’This then was preserved and fulfilled by his successors, the blessed apostles, and by all the bishops prior to ourselves who have died in the holy church and shared in its life; and it has lasted down to us, because it is firmer than the whole world. For, he said, ‘heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’” – Dionysius of Alexandria, “First Letter to Xystus”
“And His voice as it were the voice of many waters. The many waters are understood to be many peoples, or the gift of baptism that He sent forth by the apostles, saying: ‘Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’” – Victorinus of Rome, Commentary on the Apocalypse, Chapter I
“Seest thou that all through Scripture the Spirit is preached, and yet nowhere named a creature? And what can the impious have to say if the Lord sends forth His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit?" – Gregory Thaumaturgus, “A Sectional Confession of Faith,” Section XIII
”You may perhaps also be asking this: Since the Lord himself told the disciples to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit , why does the Apostle employ here the name of Christ alone in baptism? For he says, ‘We have been baptized into Christ,’ although surely it should not be deemed a legitimate baptism unless it is in the name of the Trinity. But look at Paul’s good sense since, indeed, in the present passage he is not interested in discussing the subject of baptism as much as the death of Christ, in whose likeness he argues that we should die to sin and be buried with Christ.” – Origen, Commentary on Romans V:8
“Moreover, three times sent forth from the ark, flying about through the air over the water, it already signified the sacraments of our Church. Whence also the Lord Christ charges upon Peter, and moreover also upon the rest of His disciples, ‘Go and preach the Gospel to the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ That is, that that same Trinity which operated figuratively in Noah's days through the dove, now operates in the Church spiritually through the disciples.” – Anonymous, c. 255, “Against Novation”
“Neither must you esteem what our Lord said as being contrary to this treatment: ‘Go, teach the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ Because, although this is true and right, and to be observed by all means in the Church, and moreover has been used to be observed, yet it behooves us to consider that invocation of the name of Jesus ought not to be thought futile by us on account of the veneration and power of that very name, in which name all kinds of power are accustomed to be exercised, and occasionally some even by men outside the Church.” – Anonymous, c. 250, “On Re-Baptism”
”Then Probus arising from the ground fell again upon the couch, and arising early he came to Paul, and finding him baptising many in the name of the life-giving Trinity, he said, ‘My lord Paul, if only I were worthy to receive baptism, behold the hour.’ Paul said to him, ‘Son, behold the water is ready for the cleansing of those that come to Christ.’ Therefore immediately taking off his garments, and Paul laying hold of him, he leapt into the water, saying, ‘Jesus Christ, son of God, and everlasting God, let all my sins be taken away by this water.’ And Paul said, ‘We baptise thee in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost.’ After this he made him to receive the Eucharist of Christ." – The Acts of Xantippe and Polyxena, Section XXI
“The blessed Andrew weeping said, ‘What shall I say or what shall I speak concerning thy mercy, O God, that thus thou at all times cleavest to the lowly, and takest care for those in ignorance, being without arrogance and full of mercy?’ And having completed the prayer he baptised the maidens in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” –The Acts of Xantippe and Polyxena, Section XXX
“Therefore the great Paul straightway taking her hand, went into the house of Philotheus, and baptised her in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Ghost. Then taking bread also he gave her the Eucharist saying, Let this be to thee for a remission of sins and for a renewing of thy soul.” – The Acts of Xantippe and Polyxena, Section XIV
“Since the Lord in His Gospel said, ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt should have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out of doors, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ And again, after His resurrection, sending His apostles, He gave them charge, saying, ‘All power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth. Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’” – Lucius of Castra Galbae, c. 257, Seventh Council of Carthage: The Judgment of Eighty-Seven Bishops on the Baptism of Heretics
“The truth of our Mother the Catholic Church, brethren, hath always remained and still remains with us, and even especially in the Trinity of baptism, as our Lord says, ‘Go ye and baptize the nations, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ Since, then, we manifestly know that heretics have not either Father, or Son, or Holy Spirit, they ought, when they come to the Church our Mother, truly to be born again and to be baptized; that the cancer which they had, and the anger of damnation, and the witchery of error, may be sanctified by the holy and heavenly laver.” – Munnulus of Girba, c. 257, Seventh Council of Carthage: The Judgment of Eighty-Seven Bishops on the Baptism of Heretics
“God and our Lord Jesus Christ, teaching the apostles with His own mouth, has entirely completed our faith, and the grace of baptism, and the rule of the ecclesiastical law, saying: ‘Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ Thus the false and wicked baptism of heretics must be rejected by us, and refuted with all detestation, from whose mouth is expressed poison, not life, not celestial grace, but blasphemy of the Trinity.” – Euchratius of Thenae, c. 257, Seventh Council of Carthage: The Judgment of Eighty-Seven Bishops on the Baptism of Heretics
“We know that heretics are worse than Gentiles. If, therefore, being converted, they should wish to come to the Lord, we have assuredly the rule of truth which the Lord by His divine precept commanded to His apostles, saying, ‘Go ye, lay on hands in my name, expel demons.’ And in another place: ‘Go ye and teach the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’” – Vincentius of Thibaris, c. 257, Seventh Council of Carthage: The Judgment of Eighty-Seven Bishops on the Baptism of Heretics
