In addition to that, there are several verses (previously given) which categorically state that baptism is for the remission of sins, implying that without complying with the requirement, that "remission" would not be given.
Well, let's see if that's true, shall we?
Matt. 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins.
According to this, it is Christ's shed blood, not "baptism", that brings "remission of sins".
No mention of "water baptism"... Hmmm...
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
It is "repentance" that brings "remission of sins".
No mention of "water baptism"... Hmmm...
Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive
remission of sins.
Remission of sins by " believing".
No mention of "water baptism"... Hmmm...
Rom. 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Through faith in Christ's blood.
No mention of "water baptism"... Hmmm...
This, coupled with the fact that there is overwhelming evidence that baptism in the early Church was a requirement, and that all converts without exception were baptized, leaves no room for doubt that it was regarded as an essential gospel requirement by the early church.
Well, there are a number of problems with this "presentation" of yours.
Let's look at them, shall we?:
1) We based our theology on the BIBLE, not on what "the early Church" allegedly taught.
And the BIBLE teaches that salvation is "NOT by works", such as "baptism".
Eph. 2:8-9, 2 Tim. 1:9, Tit. 3:5, Rom. 4:1-6, Rom. 11:5-6, etc. etc.
This is a tactic Mormons frequently engage in, by IGNORING any passages which don't fit their theology. And another tactic Mormons engage in is to appeal to the ECF's, even though (1) they are not authoritative, (2) Mormons claim their teachings were corrupted in an "apostasy", and (3) they ignore the ECF's when they teach against Mormon doctrines, such as "baptism is necessary for salvation".
2) Just because "all converts without exception were baptized", doesn't make it a "requirement". Most Christians today are baptized. Not because we believe it's "required", but because we are commanded to, and it is a proclamation of Christ that we love to do. It's absolutely amazing to me that Mormons such as yourself always come to Scripture with the attitude of, "What is the LEAST we have to do in order to be saved", and so you ASSUME that if Christians did something, that meant that they thought it a "requirement" for salvation. Sorry, that's not how it works. True Christians (of which Mormons aren't) do things and obey commandments because we WANT to, not because we "have to".
3) You haven't demonstrated that the Early church actually taught "baptism is a requirement", you have only CLAIMED they do. And this is another tactic Mormons engage in, simply making self-serving claims that they never substantiate.
4) If you would bother to actually READ the ECF's, you would find that they did NOT teach that "water baptism was required", and in fact taught the OPPOSITE. Of course, Mormons don't know this, because most Mormons have never read the ECF's. They've simply found others who have sifted through their writings to find self-serving quotes.
Here is what the ECF's and later Christians taught:
“Whosoever will candidly consider each particular, will recognize the greatness of the gifts which were given by him. For from him have sprung the priests and all the Levites who minister at the altar of God. From him also [was descended] our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. From him [arose] kings, princes, and rulers of the race of Judah. Nor are his other tribes in small glory, inasmuch as God had promised, ‘Thy seed shall be as the stars of heaven.’ All these, therefore, were highly honored, and made great,
not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for the righteousness which they wrought, but through the operation of His will. And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works we have have wrought in holiness of heart, but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
- Clement, First Epistle to the Corinthians, Ch. 32 (AD 99)
“Every mystery which is enacted by our Lord Jesus Christ
asks only for faith. The mystery was enacted at that time for our sake and aimed at our resurrection and liberation, should we have faith in the mystery of Christ and in Christ.”
- Marius Victorinus Epistle to the Galatians,1.3.7 (AD 356)
“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord, that Christ has been made by God for us in righteousness, wisdom, justification, redemption. This is perfect and pure boasting in God, when one is not proud on account of his own righteousness but knows that
he is indeed unworthy of the true righteousness and is (or has been) justified solely by faith in Christ.”
- Basil of Caesarea, Homilia XX, Homilia De Humilitate (AD 379)
“God has decreed that
a person who believes in Christ can be saved without works. By faith alone he receives the forgiveness of sins.”
- Ambrosiaster, on 1 Cor 1:14b (AD 384)
“They are justified freely because they have not done anything nor given anything in return,
but by faith alone they have been made holy by the gift of God.”
- Ambrosiaster, on Rom. 3:24 (AD 384)
“The patriarch Abraham himself before receiving circumcision had been
declared righteous on the score of faith alone; before circumcision, the text says, Abraham believed God, and credit for it brought him to righteousness.”
- Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis, 27.7 (AD 407)
“See he calls the faith also a law delighting to keep to the names, and so allay the seeming novelty. But what is the ‘law of faith’? It is, being saved by grace. Here he shows God’s power, in that He has not only saved, but has even justified, and led them to boasting,
and this too without needing works, but looking for faith only.”
- Chrysostom, Homilies on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, Homily 7, vs. 27 (AD 407)
“
For a person who had no works, to be justified by faith, was nothing unlikely. But for a person richly adorned with good deeds, not to be made just from hence, but from faith, this is the thing to cause wonder, and to set the power of faith in a strong light.”
- Chrysostom, Homilies on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, Homily 8, Rom. 4:1-2 (AD 407)
“God justifies
by faith alone” (“Deus ex sola fide justificat”)
- Jerome, Epestolam Ad Romanos, Caput X, v.3 (AD 420)
“What Paul meant was that no one obtains the gift of justification on the basis of merits derived from works performed beforehand,
but they gift of justification comes only from faith.”
- Bede, Cited from the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (ed. Gerald Bray), NT, vol. 11, p. 31.(AD 735)
"But in addition that you might believe also this, that sins are given to you individually, this is the testimony, which the Holy Spirit bestows in your heart, saying, Your sins are forgiven by you.
For the Apostle thinks thus, that man is gratuitously justified through faith."
- Bernard of Clairvaux , First Sermon on the Annunciation (AD 1153)
“Therefore the hope of justification is not found in them [the moral and ceremonial requirements of the law],
but in faith alone.”
- Thomas Aquinas, Expositio in Ep. I ad Timotheum cap. 1, lect. 3 (AD 1274)
