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for he did not come at his first coming to punish and take vengeance on the unbelievers, but he willed through long-suffering and patience to lead those who had gone astray to the truth. And learn of the Lord's goodness and great 50.822 kindness. The Jews blasphemed him, and said to him: You have a demon; but the Lord, being long-suffering, drove out the demons from men. The Jews spat in the face of the Savior, but he healed their blind; the Jews stoned Christ, but Christ granted to their lame the ability to run; and altogether he continued doing good to those who insulted him, and in return for evil deeds bestowing good things upon those ungrateful and defiled men; and bearing reproaches without malice, perhaps he was even considered weak, he who is attended by a guard of angels. And so that we may not seem to prolong the discourse by saying many things, let us come to the main points of the matters. At last, then, the king of glory was led to the cross and death, and he who is glorified by the Cherubim and Seraphim, and worshipped by all powers and angels, is nailed to the wood; and these things he both endured and suffered meekly, providing an example for us, and becoming a teacher of forbearance. Therefore, we also ought to bear nobly the threats of evil men. But indeed, even when hung on the cross, he showed greater works and more wonders, so that even in this way he might stop the madness of the god-hated ones, so that they might not have an excuse for their unbelief, nor say that they crucified a mere man. First, then, Christ endured being crucified and being lifted into the air, in order to put to flight the demons in the air; he was hung on a tree, so that he might heal the sin which long ago came to men through a tree; and he was pierced in the side with a spear, because of the woman taken from the side of Adam. For since the serpent deceived Eve, and Eve caused Adam to transgress (and a sentence went out against them both, and death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned), for this reason the side is wounded, so that we may learn that the passion of Christ brought salvation not only to men, but also to women. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, fell into transgression; but she will be saved through childbearing. Through what childbearing, if not through the childbearing of Mary? for she bore Christ the Savior, not having come together with a man, as Isaiah testifies, but by the Holy Spirit overshadowing her, as Gabriel the archangel announced the good news. For this reason, therefore, the side of Christ is also struck, so that the things previously mentioned might be arranged, and the mystery of baptism might be proclaimed, and the grace to come might shine forth. For blood and water flow from the side of Christ, so that he might both blot out the record of sin against us, and we might be cleansed by his blood, and we might receive back paradise. O great mystery! The thief repented, there was need of water, that he might be baptized; he was hanging on the cross, there was no other place for baptism, no spring, no lake, no rain, no one to perform the initiation; for all the disciples had fled because of fear of the Jews; but Jesus was not at a loss for streams, but even while hanging on the cross he became a creator of waters.

For since it was not possible for the thief to enter into the kingdom without baptism, and it was necessary for the one who repented not to be deprived of baptism, the Savior sent forth water and blood from his pierced side, in order both to free the thief from the evils hanging over him, and to show that his blood had become 50.823 a ransom for those who have their hopes in him. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling, sanctifies the defiled for the purification of the flesh; how much more has the blood of Christ our Savior become a purification for all Christians together? If therefore one of the unbelievers says to you, Why was he crucified

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γὰρ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ παρουσίᾳ κολάσαι καὶ τιμωρήσασθαι τοὺς ἀπίστους, ἀλλ ἠθέλησε διὰ μακροθυμίας καὶ ὑπομονῆς ὁδηγῆσαι τοὺς πεπλανημένους ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Καὶ μάθε τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν ἀγαθότητα καὶ τὴν χρηστό 50.822 τητα τὴν μεγάλην. Ἐβλασφήμουν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς αὐτόν· ∆αιμόνιον ἔχεις· ὁ δὲ Κύριος μακρόθυμος ὢν, τοὺς δαίμονας ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἤλαυνεν. Ἰουδαῖοι εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον ἐνέπτυον τοῦ Σωτῆρος, αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς τυφλοὺς αὐτῶν ἐθεράπευεν· Ἰουδαῖοι τὸν Χριστὸν ἐλίθαζον, ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς τοῖς χωλοῖς αὐτῶν τὸ τρέχειν ἐχαρίζετο· καὶ διόλου διετέλεσεν εὐεργετῶν τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας, καὶ ἀντὶ κακῶν ἀγαθὰ δωρούμενος τοῖς ἀχαρίστοις ἐκείνοις καὶ μιαροῖς ἀνθρώποις· ἀνεξικάκως δὲ φέρων λοιδορίας, ἴσως καὶ ἀσθενὴς ἐνομίζετο ὁ ὑπ ἀγγέλων δορυφορούμενος. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ πολλὰ λέγοντες δόξωμεν μηκύνειν τὸν λόγον, ἔλθωμεν εἰς αὐτὰ τὰ κεφάλαια τῶν πραγμάτων. Τέλος γοῦν ἤγετο ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν καὶ θάνατον ὁ τῆς δόξης βασιλεὺς, καὶ προσηλοῦται τῷ ξύλῳ ὁ ὑπὸ τῶν Χερουβὶμ καὶ Σεραφὶμ δοξολογούμενος, καὶ ὑπὸ πασῶν δυνάμεών τε καὶ ἀγγέλων προσκυνούμενος· ταῦτα δὲ πραέως ὑπέμεινέ τε καὶ ἔπασχεν, ἡμῖν ὑπογραμμὸν παρέχων, καὶ διδάσκαλος ἐπιεικείας γενόμενος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν γενναίως φέρειν τὰς τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπειλάς. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ κρεμασθεὶς μείζονα ἔργα καὶ πλείονα θαύματα ἐπεδείξατο, ἵνα κἂν οὕτως παύσῃ τῶν θεοστυγῶν τὴν μανίαν, ὥστε μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς πρόφασιν τῆς ἀπιστίας, μήτε λέγειν, ὅτι ψιλὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐσταύρωσαν. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ἠνέσχετο ὁ Χριστὸς σταυρωθῆναι καὶ εἰς τὸν ἀέρα ἐπαρθῆναι, ἵνα τοὺς ἐν τῷ ἀέρι δαίμονας φυγαδεύσῃ· ἐκρεμάσθη ἐπὶ ξύλου, ἵνα τὴν πάλαι διὰ ξύλου προσγενομένην τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἁμαρτίαν ἰάσηται· ἐνύγη δὲ καὶ τῇ λόγχῃ τὴν πλευρὰν, διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς πλευρᾶς τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ληφθεῖσαν γυναῖκα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ ὄφις τὴν Εὔαν ἠπάτησεν, ἡ δὲ Εὔα τὸν Ἀδὰμ παραβῆναι παρεσκεύασεν (ἐξῆλθε δὲ ἀπόφασις κατ αὐτῶν ἀμφοτέρων, καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ θάνατος ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι Μωϋσέως καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντας), διὰ τοῦτο τιτρώσκεται ἡ πλευρὰ, ἵνα μάθωμεν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἀνδράσιν ἤνεγκε σωτηρίαν τὸ πάθος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναιξίν. Ἀδὰμ γὰρ πρῶτος ἐπλάσθη, εἶτα Εὔα. Καὶ Ἀδὰμ οὐκ ἠπατήθη, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἐξαπατηθεῖσα ἐν παραβάσει γέγονε· σωθήσεται δὲ διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας. Ποίας τεκνογονίας, εἰ μὴ διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας Μαρίας; αὕτη γὰρ τὸν Σωτῆρα Χριστὸν ἐτεκνώσατο, οὐκ ἀνδρὶ συνελθοῦσα, ὡς Ἡσαΐας μαρτυρεῖ, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου ἐπισκιάσαντος αὐτῇ, καθὼς Γαβριὴλ ὁ ἀρχάγγελος εὐηγγελίσατο ∆ιὰ ταύτην οὖν τὴν πρόφασιν καὶ ἡ πλευρὰ πλήσσεται τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα καὶ τὰ προειρημένα οἰκονομηθῇ, καὶ τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ βαπτίσματος κηρυχθῇ, καὶ ἡ χάρις ἡ μέλλουσα λάμψῃ. Πηγάζει γὰρ αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς πλευρᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα καὶ τὸ καθ ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπαλείψῃ, καὶ τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ καθαρισθῶμεν, καὶ τὸν παράδεισον ἀπολάβωμεν. Ὢ μυστηρίου μεγάλου! μετενόησεν ὁ λῃστὴς, χρεία ἦν ὕδατος, ἵνα βαπτισθῇ· ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἐκρέματο, οὐκ ἦν ἕτερος τόπος βαπτίσματος, οὐ πηγὴ, οὐ λίμνη, οὐκ ὄμβρος, οὐχ ὁ τὴν μυσταγωγίαν ἐκτελῶν· πάντες γὰρ διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔφυγον οἱ μαθηταί· ἀλλ οὐκ ἠπόρησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ναμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ σταυροῦ κρεμάμενος δημιουργὸς ὑδάτων γέγονεν.

Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τὸν λῃστὴν δίχα βαπτίσματος, ἐχρῆν δὲ τὸν μετανοήσαντα μὴ ἀμοιρῆσαι τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ὕδωρ καὶ αἷμα προήκατο τῆς νυγείσης αὐτοῦ πλευρᾶς ὁ Σωτὴρ, ἵνα καὶ τὸν λῃστὴν ἐλευθερώσῃ τῶν ἐπηρτημένων κακῶν, καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀποδείξῃ 50.823 γενόμενον τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν τὰς ἐλπίδας ἐχόντων. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ αἷμα ταύρων, καὶ τράγων, καὶ σποδὸς δαμάλεως ῥαντίζουσα, τοὺς κεκοινωμένους ἁγιάζει πρὸς τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς κάθαρσιν· πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν καθάρσιον γέγονε πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν Χριστιανῶν; Ἐὰν οὖν εἴπῃ σοί τις τῶν ἀπίστων, ∆ιὰ τί ἐσταυρώθη