Tertullian, On Baptism 17
We finish by addressing who may give and receive Baptism. The bishop, as the highest priest, holds that right. Presbyters and deacons come next, but only with the bishop's authority, for the honor of the Church. Keep that order, and you keep the peace. Abandon it, and even laypeople claim the right. Since Baptism is received equally by all, it can be given equally by all — provided no bishop, presbyter, or deacon is already on hand. Learners must not be kept from the Lord's word. Therefore Baptism, equally God's judgment, may be exercised by everyone; yet laypeople bear a heavier obligation to modesty and reverence, since those virtues belong to the greater orders, lest they usurp the bishop's consecrated office. Rivalry breeds schism. "All things are permitted," the most holy Apostle said, "but not all things are expedient" (1 Corinthians 6:12). It suffices to act in necessity, when place, time, or the person's condition compels. Then the constancy of the one who helps is credited, because the peril of the one in danger demands it. Otherwise he bears guilt for a lost soul if he withholds what he was free to give. The petulance of the woman who usurped teaching will not win her the right to baptize either — unless some new beast like the first arises, so that just as she took Baptism away, another woman might confer it on her own. If some writings falsely ascribed to Paul are used to defend Thecla's example as license for women to teach and baptize, let them know: in Asia the presbyter who forged that scripture, padding it with Paul's name, was convicted and confessed he did it out of love for Paul, and was deposed. What could be nearer to faith than this — that the man who would not even let a woman learn steadily would grant her power to teach and baptize? "Let them be silent, and at home consult their husbands."
Latin
Superest ad concludendam materiolam de observatione quoque dandi et accipiendi Baptismum commonefacere. Dandi quidem habet jus summus sacerdos, qui est episcopus. Dehinc presbyteri et diaconi, non tamen sine episcopi auctoritate, propter Ecclesiae honorem. Quo salvo, salva pax est. Alioquin etiam laicis jus est. Quod enim ex aequo accipitur, ex aequo dari potest, nisi episcopi jam aut presbyteri, aut diaconi vocantur, discentes, Domini sermo non debet abscondi ab ullo. Proinde et Baptismus aeque Dei census ab omnibus exerceri potest: sed quanto magis laicis disciplina verecundiae et modestiae incumbit, cum ea majoribus competat, ne sibi assumant dicatum episcopi officium episcopatus. Aemulatio schismatum mater est. Omnia licere, dixit sanctissimus Apostolus, sed non omnia expedire. Sufficiat scilicet in necessitatibus ut utaris, sicubi aut loci, aut temporis, aut personae conditio compellit. Tunc enim constantia succurrentis excipitur, cum urget circumstantia periclitantis. Quoniam reus erit perditi hominis, si supersederit praestare, quod libere potuit. Petulantia autem mulieris quae usurpavit docere, utique non etiam tinguendi jus sibi pariet, nisi si quae nova bestia evenerit similis pristinae: ut quemadmodum illa Baptismum auferebat, ita aliqua per se eum conferat. Quod si quae Paulo perperam adscripta sunt, exemplum Theclae ad licentiam mulierum docendi tinguendique defendunt; sciant in Asia presbyterum, qui eam scripturam construxit, quasi titulo Pauli de suo cumulans, convictum atque confessum id se amore Pauli fecisse, loco decessisse. Quam enim fidei proximum videretur, ut is docendi et tinguendi daret foeminae potestatem, qui ne discere quidem constanter mulieri permisit: Taceant, et domi maritos suos consulant.