repentance and remission of sin.[32]

Had our Saviour ordained water baptism to the end of the world the four
evangelists would certainly have all known it and would have testified
to it as they and Peter all bear testimony to Christ's own baptism of
the Holy Spirit. Paul would have known it and would not have denied it.
Peter would not have said "Christ commanded us to preach to the people"
without making any allusion to water baptism.[33]

That Peter should say Christ commanded his apostles to preach to the
people and never at any time intimated that he commanded them to baptize
with water, certainly suggests that no such command was given and that
the present popular conception of the apostolic commission has
originated since Peter's time and is a human invention and has no divine
authority.

Neither the apostles nor first Christians could have understood that
Christ commanded them to baptize with water nor that he prescribed any
formula therefor, otherwise they would have used this formula and have
referred to this command as authority for their subsequent water
baptism. But so far as Scripture informs, no one in those early days
ever did baptize with water in the name of "The Father, Son and Holy
Spirit," nor ever heard of such formula.

Sometimes they baptized in the name Jesus, Lord or Christ, but never one
word about the Father nor the Holy Spirit.[34]

Some baptized without formula, or if they did use formula it was not
considered of sufficient importance to mention.[35]

They baptized with water before Christ gave them their commission, and
continued to baptize in the same way after, which is another proof that
their authority for water baptism did not originate in Christ's
command.[36] Nearly thirty years after Christ, some believers who were
fervent in Spirit and instructed in the ways of the Lord, continued to
baptize with John's baptism and we don't know how much longer it
continued.[37]

When was Christ's command first quoted as authority for water baptism?

Not in apostolic times, not until long after.

When did man first presume to baptize with water, in the name of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

Some of our oldest writings[38] indicate the use of this formula in some
places, probably in the early part or middle of the second century. Yet,
Schaff, who was familiar with all these old records, says this formula
is not traceable in its present shape earlier than the fourth century.

Evident