Baptism And Faith

Tali igitur Joannes habitu praedicans, venientes Phariseos et Sadduceos ad baptismum, progenies nuncupat viperarum: fructum ut dignum poenitentiae faciant monet, neve Abraham patrem habere se glorienter, quia ex lapidibus Deus potens est Abrahae filios excitare. Non enim successio carnis quaeritur, sed fidei haereditas. Dignitas igitur originis in operum consistit exemplis: et prosapie gloria fidei imitatione retinetur. Diabolus infidelis, Abraham fidelis. Nam ille in hominis transgressione fuit perfidus, hic vero justificatus ex fide est. Igitur uniuscujusque mores atque vita propinquitatem cognationis acquirit: ut qui fideles sunt, Abrahae propago per fidem sint; qui autem infideles sunt, in diaboli progeniam infidelitate mutentur: quando et Parisaei viperarum natio nuncupantur, et gloriatio sanctificati parentis eis inhibentur, et ex saxis et rupibus Abrahae filii excitantur, et ut operantes dignos fructus poenitentiae sint admonentur; ut qui diabolum patrem habere coeperant, cum eis, qui de lapidibus excitarentur, rursum Abrahae filii per fidem fiant. Sanctus Hilarius Pictaviensis, In Evangelium Matthaei Commentarius, Cap II Source: Migne PL 9.944c-945a

It is in such clothing that John preaches, openly declaring that the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were coming for baptism, were a brood of vipers. He admonishes them to bear fruit that is worthy of repentance and not to boast about having Abraham as a father, because God is able to raise up sons of Abraham out of stones. 1 He does not seek carnal succession but the heredity of faith. Worthiness of origin consists in the examples of deeds, and the glory of lineage is preserved by the imitation of faith. The devil is faithless, Abraham faithful. For the former betrayed man into transgression, the latter was justified by faith. 2 Therefore the behaviour of each one is acquired by nearness of resemblance, so that those who are faithful are descendants of Abraham through faith but those who are faithless are changed by faithlessness into the offspring of the devil. When the Pharisees are openly declared to be a race of vipers and their boast of holy parentage is curbed, it is out of stones and rocks that the sons of Abraham are raised up. And they are admonished to produce fruit worthy of repentance so that they who began with the devil for a father, along with those who are raised up from stones, can again become sons of Abraham through faith. Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 2 1 Mt 3.7-9 2 Rom 4.1-5