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a gift, as given even to those who have contributed nothing beforehand 36.364; a grace, as also to debtors; a baptism, as sin is buried with it in the water; an anointing, as something priestly and royal (for these were the things that were anointed); an illumination, as brightness; a garment, as a covering of shame; a washing, as a cleansing; a seal, as a preservation, and a mark of lordship. In this the heavens rejoice; this angels glorify, because of its kinship with their own brightness; this is an image of the blessedness of that place; this we wish to celebrate, but are unable to do so as it deserves.

5. God is Light, the highest, unapproachable, and ineffable, neither comprehensible by the mind nor expressible in word, illuminating every rational nature. This is to the intelligible world what the sun is to the perceptible; imagined to the extent that we are purified; and loved to the extent that we imagine it; and conceived again to the extent that we have loved it; it is contemplated and comprehended by itself, pouring out but a little to those outside. And I speak of Light as that which is contemplated in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; whose richness is their co-essential nature, and the one outpouring of brightness. A second light is an angel, an emanation or participation of the first light, having its illumination through its inclination towards and service to it; I know not whether it is portioned out its illumination according to its rank, or receives its rank according to the measure of its illumination. A third light is man, which is also evident to those outside. For they call man light because of the power of reason in us; and among us, again, those who are more godlike, and draw nearer to God. I know also another light, by which the primeval darkness was driven away, or broken up, the first substance of the visible creation, both the cyclical course of the stars and the beacon from above, illuminating the whole cosmos.

6. A light also was the firstborn commandment given to the firstborn (since, a commandment is a lamp, and a law is a light; and because, Your commandments are a light upon the earth), even though the envious darkness, coming in, wrought wickedness; a typical light also, and one commensurate with those who received it, was the written law, foreshadowing the truth, and the mystery of the great light; since indeed Moses' face is glorified by it. And that we may give more lights to the 36.365 discourse, a light was that which appeared to Moses from a fire, when it was burning the bush, but not consuming it, that it might both show its nature, and make known its power; a light, that in the pillar of fire that guided Israel, and tamed the desert; a light, that which snatched up Elijah in the chariot of fire, and did not burn up him who was snatched away; a light, that which shone round the shepherds, when the timeless Light was mingled with the temporal; a light, the beauty of the star that ran before to Bethlehem, to both guide the Magi and to attend as a bodyguard the Light that is above us, having become with us; light, the Godhead that was shown on the mount to the disciples, a little too strong for sight; a light, the vision that shone round Paul, and by a blow to his eyes, healed the darkness of his soul; a light, also the brightness from there for those purified here, when the righteous shall shine forth as the sun, in the midst of whom God stands, they being gods and kings, distinguishing and dividing the dignities of the blessedness there; a light beyond these in a special way is the illumination of baptism, about which is our present discourse, containing the great and wonderful mystery of our salvation.

7. For since to sin in no way belongs to God, and to the first and uncompounded nature; for simplicity is peaceful and without strife; and I dare say also of the angelic nature, or that which is nearest to this, on account of its nearness to God. But to sin is human, and belongs to the lower composition; for composition is the beginning of dissension; the Master did not think it right to leave his own creation without help, nor to overlook its being endangered by its separation from him. But just as he created them when they were not, so

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δῶρον μὲν, ὡς καὶ μηδὲν προεισενεγκοῦσι 36.364 διδόμενον· χάρισμα δὲ, ὡς καὶ ὀφείλουσι· βά πτισμα δὲ, ὡς συνθαπτομένης τῷ ὕδατι τῆς ἁμαρτίας· χρίσμα δὲ, ὡς ἱερὸν καὶ βασιλικὸν (ταῦ τα γὰρ ἦν τὰ χριόμενα)· φώτισμα δὲ, ὡς λαμπρότητα· ἔνδυμα δὲ, ὡς αἰσχύνης κάλυμμα· λουτρὸν δὲ, ὡς ἔκπλυσιν· σφραγῖδα δὲ, ὡς συντήρη σιν, καὶ τῆς δεσποτείας σημείωσιν. Τούτῳ συγχαί ρουσιν οὐρανοί· τοῦτο δοξάζουσιν ἄγγελοι, διὰ τὸ συγγενὲς τῆς λαμπρότητος· τοῦτο εἰκὼν τῆς ἐκεῖθεν μακαριότητος· τοῦτο ἡμεῖς ἐξυμνεῖν βουλόμεθα μὲν, οὐ δυνάμεθα δὲ ὅσον ἄξιον.

Εʹ. Θεὸς μέν ἐστι φῶς τὸ ἀκρότατον, καὶ ἀπρόσι τον, καὶ ἄῤῥητον, οὔτε νῷ καταληπτὸν, οὔτε λόγῳ ῥητὸν, πάσης φωτιστικὸν λογικῆς φύσεως. Τοῦτο ἐν νοητοῖς, ὅπερ ἐν αἰσθητοῖς ἥλιος· ὅσον ἂν καθαιρώμεθα, φανταζόμενον· καὶ ὅσον ἂν φαντασθῶμεν, ἀγαπώμενον· καὶ ὅσον ἂν ἀγαπήσωμεν, αὖθις νοούμενον· αὐτὸ ἑαυτοῦ θεωρητικόν τε καὶ κα ταληπτικὸν, ὀλίγα τοῖς ἔξω χεόμενον. Φῶς δὲ λέγω, τὸ ἐν Πατρὶ, καὶ Υἱῷ, καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι θεωρούμενον· ὧν πλοῦτός ἐστιν ἡ συμφυΐα, καὶ τὸ ἓν ἔξαλμα τῆς λαμπρότητος. ∆εύτερον δὲ φῶς ἄγγελος, τοῦ πρώτου φωτὸς ἀποῤῥοή τις, ἢ μετουσία, τῇ πρὸς αὐτὸ νεύσει καὶ ὑπουργίᾳ τὸν φωτισμὸν ἔχουσα· οὐκ οἶδα, εἴτε τῇ τάξει τῆς στάσεως μεριζομένη τὸν φωτισμὸν, εἴτε τοῖς μέτροις τοῦ φωτισμοῦ τὴν τάξιν λαμβάνουσα. Τρίτον φῶς ἄνθρωπος, ὃ καὶ τοῖς ἔξω δῆλόν ἐστι. Φῶς γὰρ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὀνομάζουσι, διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν λόγου δύναμιν· καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν πάλιν οἱ θεοειδέστεροι, καὶ μᾶλλον Θεῷ πλησιάζοντες. Οἶδα καὶ ἄλλο φῶς, ᾧ τὸ ἀρχέγονον ἠλάθη σκότος, ἢ διεκόπη, πρῶτον ὑποστὰν τῆς ὁρατῆς κτίσεως, τήν τε κυκλικὴν τῶν ἀστέρων περίοδον, καὶ τὴν ἄνωθεν φρυκτωρίαν, κόσμον ὅλον αὐγάζουσαν.

ςʹ. Φῶς μὲν ἦν καὶ ἡ τῷ πρωτογόνῳ δοθεῖσα πρω τόγονος ἐντολὴ (ἐπειδὴ, Λύχνος ἐντολὴ νόμου καὶ φῶς· καὶ διότι, Φῶς τὰ προστάγματά σου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς), εἰ καὶ τὸ φθονερὸν σκότος ἐπεισελθὸν τὴν κακίαν ἐδημιούργησεν· φῶς δὲ τυπικὸν καὶ σύμμετρον τοῖς ὑποδεχομένοις, ὁ γραπτὸς νόμος, σκιαγραφῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ τὸ τοῦ μεγάλου φωτὸς μυστήριον· εἴπερ καὶ τὸ Μωϋσέως πρόσωπον τούτῳ δοξάζεται. Καὶ ἵνα πλείονα φῶτα δῶμεν τῷ 36.365 λόγῳ, φῶς μὲν ἦν ἐκ πυρὸς τῷ Μωϋσεῖ φαντα ζόμενον, ἡνίκα τὴν βάτον ἔκαιε μὲν, οὐ κατέκαιε δὲ, ἵνα καὶ τὴν φύσιν παραδείξῃ, καὶ γνωρίσῃ τὴν δύ ναμιν· φῶς δὲ, τὸ ἐν στύλῳ πυρὸς ὁδηγῆσαν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἡμερῶσαν τὴν ἔρημον· φῶς, τὸ Ἡλίαν ἁρπάσαν ἐν τῷ τοῦ πυρὸς ἅρματι, καὶ μὴ συμφλέξαν τὸν ἁρπαζόμενον· φῶς, τὸ τοὺς ποιμένας περιαστρά ψαν, ἡνίκα τὸ ἄχρονον φῶς τῷ χρονικῷ ἐμίγνυτο· φῶς, τὸ τοῦ προδραμόντος ἀστέρος ἐπὶ Βηθλεὲμ κάλλος, ἵνα καὶ Μάγους ὁδηγήσῃ, καὶ δορυφο ρήσῃ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς φῶς, μεθ' ἡμῶν γενόμενον φῶς, ἡ παραδειχθεῖσα θεότης ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους τοῖς μαθη ταῖς, μικροῦ στεῤῥοτέρα δὲ ὄψεως· φῶς, ἡ Παῦ λον περιαστράψασα φαντασία, καὶ πληγῇ τῶν ὄψεων, τὸν σκότον τῆς ψυχῆς θεραπεύσασα· φῶς, καὶ ἡ ἐκεῖθεν λαμπρότης, τοῖς ἐνταῦθα κεκα θαρμένοις, ἡνίκα ἐκλάμψουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, ὧν ἵσταται ὁ Θεὸς ἐν μέσῳ, θεῶν ὄντων καὶ βασι λέων, διαστέλλων καὶ διαιρῶν τὰς ἀξίας τῆς ἐκεῖθεν μακαριότητος· φῶς παρὰ ταῦτα ἰδιοτρόπως, ὁ τοῦ βαπτίσματος φωτισμὸς, περὶ οὗ νῦν ἡμῖν ὁ λό γος, μέγα καὶ θαυμαστὸν τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν περιέχων μυστήριον.

Ζʹ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ μὲν μηδὲν ἁμαρτεῖν ἐστι Θεοῦ, καὶ τῆς πρώτης καὶ ἀσυνθέτου φύσεως· ἁπλότης γὰρ εἰρηναία καὶ ἀστασίαστος· θαῤῥῶ δὲ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ τῆς ἀγγελικῆς, ἢ ὅτι ἐγγυτάτω τούτου, διὰ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν ἐγγύτητα. Τὸ δὲ ἁμαρτάνειν, ἀνθρώ πινον, καὶ τῆς κάτω συνθέσεως· σύνθεσις γὰρ ἀρχὴ διαστάσεως· οὐκ ᾤετο δεῖν ἀβοήθητον τὸ ἑαυτοῦ πλάσμα καταλιπεῖν ὁ ∆εσπότης, οὐδὲ περιϊδεῖν κινδυνεῦον τὴν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ διάστασιν. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οὐκ ὄν τας ὑπέστησεν, οὕτως