The Church Fathers
Triune Baptism
Didache,(.A.D. 70)
"And concerning baptism, thus baptize ye: Having first said all these things, BAPTIZE INTO THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, in living water. But if thou have not living water, baptize into other water; and if thou canst not in cold, in warm. But if thou have not either, pour out water thrice upon the head into THE NAME OF FATHER AND SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whatever others can; but thou shalt order the baptized to fast one or two days before."(7in ANF,VII:379)
Justin Martyr (A.D. 155)
" I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. 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 to 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. For Christ also said, 'Except ye be born again, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' Now, that it is impossible for those who have once been born to enter into their mothers' wombs, is manifest to all. And how those who have sinned and repent shall escape their sins, is declared by Esaias the prophet, as I wrote above; he thus speaks: 'Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from your souls; learn to do well; judge the fatherless, and plead for the widow: and come and let us reason together, saith the Lord. And though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white like wool; and though they be as crimson, I will make them white as snow. But if ye refuse and rebel, the sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.' And for this [rite] we have learned from the apostles this reason. Since at our birth we were born without our own knowledge or choice, by our parents coming together, and were brought up in bad habits and wicked training; in order that we may not remain the children of necessity and of ignorance, but may become the children of choice and knowledge, and may obtain in the water the remission of sins formerly committed, there is pronounced over him who chooses to be born again, and has repented of his sins, the name of God the Father and Lord of the universe; he who leads to the layer the person that is to be washed calling him by this name alone. For no one can utter the name of the ineffable God; and if any one dare to say that there is a name, he raves with a hopeless madness. And this washing is called illumination, because they who learn these things are illuminated in their understandings. And in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and in the name of the Holy Ghost, who through the prophets foretold all things about Jesus, he who is illuminated is washed."(First Apology,61(A.D. 155),in ANF,I:183
Tatian the Syrian (A.D. 170)
"Go now into all the world, and preach my gospel in all the creation; and teach all the peoples, and baptize them in the NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT; and teach them to keep all whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you all the days, unto the end of the world. For whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but whosoever believeth not shall be rejected."(The Diatessaron,55,in ANF,X:128)
Irenaeus (A.D. 190)
"We have received baptism...for the remission of sins in the NAME OF GOD THE FATHER, AND IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD, WHO WAS INCARNATE AND DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, AND IN THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD."(Presentation of the Apostolic Preaching,41,in ECD,195)
Tertullian (A.D. 200)
"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.' The comparison with this law of that definition, 'Unless a man have been reborn of water and Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens,' has tied faith to the necessity of baptism."(On Baptism,13,in ANF,III:676)
Tertullian (A.D. 211)
"To deal with this matter briefly, I shall begin with baptism. When we are going to enter the water, but a little before, in the presence of the congregation and under the hand of the president, we solemnly profess that we disown the devil, and his pomp, and his angels. Hereupon WE ARE THRICE IMMERSED, making a somewhat ampler pledge than the Lord has appointed in the Gospel. "The Crown,3,in ANF,III:94)
Tertullian (A.D. 216)
"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, not into a unipersonal God. And indeed it is not once only, but three times, that we are immersed into the Three Persons, at each several mention of Their names."(Against Praxeas(Modalist/Oneness heretic),26,in ANF,III:623)
Hippolytus (A.D. 215)
"And when he who is to be baptised goes down to the water, let him who baptised lay hand on him saying thus: Dost thou believe in GOD ALMIGHTY? AND HE WHO IS BEING BAPTISED SHALL SAY: I BELIEVE. LET HIM FORTHWITH BAPTISE HIM ONCE ... DOST THOU BELIEVE IN CHRIST JESUS, THE SON OF GOD ... AND WHEN HE SAYS: I BELIEVE, LET HIM BAPTISE HIM THE SECOND TIME ... DOST THOU BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE HOLY CHURCH ... AND HE WHO IS BEING BAPTISED SHALL SAY: I BELIEVE. AND SO LET HIM BAPTISE HIM THE THIRD TIME."(Apostolic Tradition,21,in AT,36-37)
Origen (A.D. 244)
"[W]hy, when the Lord Himself told His disciples that they should baptize all peoples in the name of the FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, does this Apostle employ the name of Christ alone in Baptism, saying, 'We who have been baptized in Christ;' for indeed, LEGITIMATE BAPTISM IS HAD ONLY IN THE NAME OF THE TRINITY."(Commentary on Romans,5:8,in JUR,I:209)
Xanthippe and Polyxena (A.D. 250)
"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."(The Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena,21 25,in ANF,X:211)
Eusebius of Caesarea (A.D. 323)
"We believe . . . each of these to be and to exist: the Father, truly Father, and the Son, truly Son, and the Holy Ghost, truly Holy Ghost, as also our Lord, sending forth His disciples for the preaching, said, "Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST ." Concerning Whom we confidently affirm that so we hold, and so we think, and so we have held aforetime, and we maintain this faith unto the death, anathematizing every godless heresy" (Letter to the People of His Diocese 3 ).