Tertullian, On Baptism 1
Our water's sacrament is a blessed thing: washed in it, we are set free from the sins of our former blindness into eternal life. This digest will not be wasted effort. It instructs both those who are being most thoroughly formed and those who are merely content to have believed simply, without exploring the reasons behind the traditions, who carry an untested, probable faith through sheer ignorance. And so, recently a certain viper of the Caian heresy seized many with its most poisonous doctrine, destroying Baptism above all. Naturally enough: for vipers, asps, and even king snakes all seek out dry and waterless places. But we are little fish, born in our ΙΧΘΥΣ, Jesus Christ; we are saved only by remaining in water. Thus that most monstrous Quintilla, who did not even have the right to teach properly, knew perfectly well how to kill little fish: by dragging them out of the water.
Latin
Felix sacramentum aquae nostrae qua abluti delictis pristinae caecitatis, in vitam aeternam liberamur. Non erit otiosum digestum istud, instruens tam eos qui cum maxime formantur, quam et illos qui simpliciter credidisse contenti, non exploratis rationibus traditionum, intentatam probabilem fidem per imperitiam portant: atque adeo nuper conversata istic quaedam de Caiana haeresi vipera venenatissima doctrina sua plerosque rapuit, imprimis Baptismum destruens. Plane secundum naturam: nam fere viperae, et aspides, ipsique reguli serpentes arida et inaquosa sectantur. Sed nos pisciculi secundum ΙΧΘΥΝ nostrum Jesum Christum in qua nascimur, nec aliter quam in aqua permanendo salvi sumus. Ita Quintillia monstrosissima, cui nec integre quidem docendi jus erat, optime norat pisciculos necare, de aqua auferens.