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The next earliest mention of infant baptism is A.D. 200 in [[Tertullian]], in his [[treatise]] ''On Baptism''. The very first words of ''On Baptism'' show the doctrine of "regenerative baptism"  

The next earliest mention of infant baptism is A.D. 200 in [[Tertullian]], in his [[treatise]] ''On Baptism''. The very first words of ''On Baptism'' show the doctrine of "regenerative baptism"  

:{{cquote|Happy is our sacrament of water, in that, by washing away the sins of our early blindness, we are set free and admitted into eternal life! … [''And further on he says''] All waters, therefore, in virtue of the pristine privilege of their origin, do, after invocation of God, attain the sacramental power of sanctification; for the Spirit immediately supervenes from the heavens, and rests over the waters, sanctifying them from Himself; and being thus sanctified, they imbibe at the same time the power of sanctifying.<ref>See the article [http://shamelesspopery.com/does-tertullian-reject-infant-baptism/ Does Tertullian Reject Infant Baptism? Joe Heschmeyer - Shameless Popery (shamelesspopery.com)] —''a critical clarification of the context of Tertullian's treatise.''<br>See the text: [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0321.htm Tertullian: On Baptism (newadvent.org)]</ref>}}  

:{{cquote|Happy is our sacrament of water, in that, by washing away the sins of our early blindness, we are set free and admitted into eternal life! … [''And further on he says''] All waters, therefore, in virtue of the pristine privilege of their origin, do, after invocation of God, attain the sacramental power of sanctification; for the Spirit immediately supervenes from the heavens, and rests over the waters, sanctifying them from Himself; and being thus sanctified, they imbibe at the same time the power of sanctifying.<ref>See the article [http://shamelesspopery.com/does-tertullian-reject-infant-baptism/ Does Tertullian Reject Infant Baptism? Joe Heschmeyer - Shameless Popery (shamelesspopery.com)] —''a critical clarification of the context of Tertullian's treatise.''<br>See the text: [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0321.htm Tertullian: On Baptism (newadvent.org)]</ref>}}  

Tertullian became convinced that the willingness of the Catholic Orthodox Church to absolve all sins was proof that it had become [[Heresy|heretical]] and committed [[Great Apostasy|apostasy]] from the purity of the Gospel. He and his followers [[Schism|departed]] and joined the Montanists for a while; then afterward the Tertullianists formed their own group. In his own time, [[Augustine]] (354 – 430) records that the Tertullianist group had dwindled to almost nothing and was finally reconciled to the church and handed over its basilica.<ref>"dwindled to almost nothing"—see [http://biblehub.com/john/15-6.htm John 15:6]</ref> <ref>[http://www.tertullian.org/tertullianistae/de_haeresibus.htm ''De haeresibus ad Quodvultdeus'' chapter 86 (To Quodvultdeus, On Heresies) (by St. Augustine)].</ref>  It is not certain whether these Tertullianists were in all respects "Montanist" or not. In the 6th century, on the orders of the Emperor [[Justinian]], John of Ephesus led an expedition to Pepuza to destroy the Montanist shrine there, which was based on the tombs of the self-proclaimed prophets of the New Prophesy, Montanus, Priscilla and Maximilla.

Tertullian became convinced that the willingness of the Catholic Orthodox Church to absolve all sins was proof that it had become [[Heresy|heretical]] and committed [[Great Apostasy|apostasy]] from the purity of the Gospel. He and his followers [[Schism|departed]] and joined the Montanists for a while; then afterward the Tertullianists formed their own group. In his own time, [[Augustine]] (354 – 430) records that the Tertullianist group had dwindled to almost nothing and was finally reconciled to the church and handed over its basilica.<ref>"dwindled to almost nothing"—see [http://biblehub.com/john/15-6.htm John 15:6]</ref> <ref>[http://www.tertullian.org/tertullianistae/de_haeresibus.htm ''De haeresibus ad Quodvultdeus'' chapter 86 (To Quodvultdeus, On Heresies) (by St. Augustine)].</ref>  It is not certain whether these Tertullianists were in all respects "Montanist" or not. In the 6th century, on the orders of the Emperor [[Justinian]], John of Ephesus led an expedition to Pepuza to destroy the Montanist shrine there, which was based on the tombs of the self-proclaimed prophets of the New Prophesy, Montanus, Priscilla and Maximilla.