And now, to cheer you up a bit, we will call as witnesses to the truth of the testimony-prophecy two or three witnesses – Elders who believed and became Christ’s before us. We will speak through the mouths of the witnesses of the Truth about cases when, despite the performance of the rite of baptism-marriage, the sacrament itself did not take place, and thus this baptism should be regarded not as second, that is, rebaptism, but as the first and only (that such cases can and were in principle is testified by the history of the church and the Holy Fathers).
Thus, St. Gregory of Nyssa writes: “…it is necessary, I think, to pay attention also to what is neglected and disregarded by many who come to the grace of Baptism, who consider themselves, deceiving themselves, to be reborn, although in fact they do not become such… If the baptismal font served the body, and the soul did not shed its passionate impurities, on the contrary, the life after the sacrament is similar to the life before the sacrament, then although it will be bold (boldly) to say, nevertheless I will say and will not refuse, that for such people the water remains water, because in the born there is not at all the gift of the Holy Spirit, when not only abominable irritability, the passion of avarice, lascivious and indecent thoughts-reflections, arrogance, envy, pride mock the image of God, but he also has profits of falsehood, and an adulterous wife acquired even after this continues to serve his lustful lust… What was said about him before baptism, the same is said now, he is called by the same names – a profiteer, greedy for others, one who rejoices at human misfortune!” (St. Gregory of Nyssa. Great Catechism, 40: “Without which Baptism is useless”).
About the same danger warned the catechumens (those who are preparing for Marriage with Christ – Baptism-Chrismation) and St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “If you are hypocritical (including acting according to tradition – like everyone else…), then: The Water will accept you, but the Spirit will not accept you (= People will baptize you, but the Holy Spirit will not baptize)” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical and Mystagogic Lectures. M.: 1991. p. 5).
Cases of “second baptism” are known in the history of the church. During the time of the Constantinople Patriarch Luke Chrysoberges (1156-1169) the following happened. “It was customary to enlighten with holy baptism boys-Muslims, captured during wars with infidels. But during the reign of Patriarch Luke, a question arose in this regard: whether to baptize them when, according to the words of people of the Muhammadan religion, they were already baptized in their homeland? The council conducted an investigation: what kind of baptism do Muslims sometimes accept? It turned out that indeed in some places Muslims baptized their children in Orthodox priests – in the superstitious belief that in this way their children would be spared from demonic attacks and would not smell like dogs. Conducting this investigation-examination, the council decided: the baptism performed by Muslims over their children, to consider not a sacrament, but a charm and a kind of treatment, and determined to baptize again the captured Muhammadan boys” (Lebedev A. P. Historical Sketches of the Condition of the Byzantine-Eastern Church from the End of the 11th to the Middle of the 15th Century. SPb.: Aleteya, 1998. p. 145).
A notable comment on this event is given by the famous canonist Prof. Protopresbyter Nikolai Afanasiev: “If canonical validity coincided with grace, then the correctness of the form of baptism would always entail the recognition of the validity of the sacrament of baptism. Meanwhile, the Church can recognize not only incorrectly performed sacraments of baptism as grace-valid, but can declare grace-invalid correctly performed baptism (= the rite of baptism)” (Protopresbyter Nikolai Afanasiev. Introduction to the Church. M.: Pilgrim, 1993. p. 126).
St. Symeon the New Theologian says: “Baptized in childhood (as infants), but then not living in a Christian way (marital life with Christ in the Parish-Eucharist – marital faithfulness to Christ – V. A.), are subject to much greater condemnation than the unbaptized, as those who have defiled your holy garment, Lord.”
The Apostle Paul says: “It would have been better not to have known the Lord, than having known Him, to fall away!”
What is the difference between a divorced and unmarried (one who has never been married, never betrayed-committed adultery)?! – Great! The first is an adulterer – already crippled!!! So also consider the so-called formal “Christians” and pagans: the first fell away from the Church, betrayed Christ-Giver of Happiness-Giver of Life (and with whom did they betray?! Just think – with demons, Satan, Antichrist-murderer), and unbaptized pagans did not betray Christ (although they also commit fornication (commit fornication) with demons)! Adultery – a sin heavier than the sin-disability of fornication! So, unbaptized pagans are in better conditions than baptized pagans (divorced from Christ-Church adulterers); “Christians” are worse than pagans! And what a temptation-evil “Christians” commit against Christ-Church: not only do they not glorify Christ, but on the contrary, they are a great temptation for those pagans who seek the Truth-Christ, and a reason for blasphemy of the Lord’s name (that is, of God Himself)! “For as it is written, ‘Because of you (formal Christians – adulterers with demons and idols of this age – V. A.) the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles.’ Circumcision (baptism – entering into Marriage with Christ – V. A.) is useful if you keep the law (live for-Husband, fulfill the will of the Man, Husband-Christ, love Christ, that is, fulfill the commandments of God: love (try with all your might – with all your being) God and neighbor, as Christ – V. A.); but if you are a lawbreaker (commit adultery, betray Christ – V. A.), then your circumcision has become uncircumcision (that is: Your Marriage is not valid, but in judgment and condemnation – V. A.). So, if an uncircumcised person keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And the uncircumcised by nature, who keeps the law, will not he judge you, the lawbreaker with the Scripture and circumcision? For he is not a Jew (Christ’s, Christian), who is one outwardly (pretends to be a Christian, performing, according to tradition or selfishly lustful need, religious rites-rites: to be baptized, to be wedded, to confess, to receive communion, to consecrate, to bless, etc. – V. A.), and not that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh (on whom the rite of water baptism was performed – V. A.); but he is a Jew (Christian – V. A.), who is one inwardly, and circumcision (baptism-chrismation – V. A.), which is in the heart, by the spirit (in the Holy Spirit – V. A.), not by the letter (by the form-rite of the sacrament without the gift-participation of the Holy Spirit – V. A.): his praise is not from men, but from God” (Rom. 2: 24-29).