Hippolytus of Rome, The Discourse on the Holy Theophany

The Discourse on the Holy Theophany.

1. Good, yea, very good, are all the works of our God and Saviour—all of them that eye seeth and mind perceiveth, all that reason interprets and hand

2. Nor is this the only thing that proves the dignity of the water. But there is also that which is more honourable than all—the fact that Christ, the

3. But we, who know the economy, adore His mercy, because He hath come to save and not to judge the world. Wherefore John, the forerunner of the Lord

4. As John says these things to the multitude, and as the people watch in eager expectation of seeing some strange spectacle with their bodily eyes, a

5. And what saith the Lord to him? “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” “Suffer it to be so now,” John tho

6. Do you see, beloved, how many and how great blessings we would have lost, if the Lord had yielded to the exhortation of John, and declined baptism?

7. The beloved generates love, and the light immaterial the light inaccessible. “This is my beloved Son,” He who, being manifested on earth and yet un

8. But give me now your best attention, I pray you, for I wish to go back to the fountain of life, and to view the fountain that gushes with healing.

9. This is the Spirit that at the beginning “moved upon the face of the waters ” by whom the world moves by whom creation consists, and all things ha

10. Come then, be begotten again, O man, into the adoption of God. And how? says one. If thou practisest adultery no more, and committest not murder,

1. Good, yea, very good, are all the works of our God and Saviour—all of them that eye seeth and mind perceiveth, all that reason interprets and hand handles, all that intellect comprehends and human nature understands. For what richer beauty can there be than that of the circle1 δίσκου. of heaven? And what form of more blooming fairness than that of earth’s surface? And what is there swifter in the course than the chariot of the sun? And what more graceful car than the lunar orb?2 σεληνιακοῦ στοιχείου. And what work more wonderful than the compact mosaic of the stars?3 πολυπηγήτου τῶν ἄστρων μουσίου. And what more productive of supplies than the seasonable winds? And what more spotless mirror than the light of day? And what creature more excellent than man? Very good, then, are all the works of our God and Saviour. And what more requisite gift, again, is there than the element4 φύσεως. of water? For with water all things are washed and nourished, and cleansed and bedewed. Water bears the earth, water produces the dew, water exhilarates the vine; water matures the corn in the ear, water ripens the grapecluster, water softens the olive, water sweetens the palm-date, water reddens the rose and decks the violet, water makes the lily bloom with its brilliant cups. And why should I speak at length? Without the element of water, none of the present order of things can subsist. So necessary is the element of water; for the other elements5 στοιχεῖα. took their places beneath the highest vault of the heavens, but the nature of water obtained a seat also above the heavens. And to this the prophet himself is a witness, when he exclaims, “Praise the Lord, ye heavens of heavens, and the water that is above the heavens.”6 Ps. cxlviii. 4. [Pindar (῞Αριστον μὲν ὕδωρ, Olymp., i. 1), is expounded and then transcended.]

[1] Πάντα μὲν καλά, καὶ καλὰ λίαν τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν δημιουργήματα, ὅσα τε ὀφθαλμὸς ὁρᾷ καὶ ὅσα ψυχὴ διανοεῖται, ὅσα τε λόγος ἑρμηνεύει καὶ ὅσα χεὶρ περιστρέφει, ὅσα ἡ διάνοια περιέχει καὶ ὅσα ἡ ἀνθρωπότης καταλαμβάνει. τί γὰρ τοῦ οὐρανίου δίσκου πολυμορφώτερον κάλλος; τί δὲ τοῦ ἐπιγείου χωρίου πολυανθέστερον εἶδος; τί δὲ τοῦ ἡλιακοῦ ἅρματος ὀξυτικώτερον εἰς δρόμον; τί δὲ τοῦ σεληνιακοῦ στοιχείου χαριέστερον ζεῦγος; τί δὲ τοῦ πολυπηγήτου τῶν ἄστρων μουσείου ἀξιαγαστότερον ἔργον; τί δὲ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀνέμων πλουσιώτερον εἰς πρόσοδον; τί δὲ τοῦ ἡμερινοῦ φωτὸς ἀκηλιδωτότερον ἔσοπτρον; τί δὲ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐντιμότερον ζῷον; πάντα μὲν οὖν καλὰ λίαν τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν δημιουργήματα. τί δὲ καὶ τῆς τοῦ ὕδατος φύσεως ἀναγκαιότερον χάρισμα; πάντα γὰρ τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ λούεται καὶ τρέφεται καὶ καθαίρεται καὶ ἀρδεύεται. ὕδωρ τὴν γῆν βαστάζει, ὕδωρ τὴν δρόσον τίκτει, τὴν ἄμπελον ἱλαρύνει. ὕδωρ τὸν στάχυν τελεσφορεῖ, ὕδωρ τὸν βότρυν ἀπομφακίζει, ὕδωρ ἔλαιον ἁπαλύνει, ὕδωρ τὸν φοίνικα γλυκαίνει, ὕδωρ τὸ ῥόδον ἐρυθραίνει καὶ τὸ ἴον ἀνθίζει, ὕδωρ τὸ κρίνον λαμπροῖς τοῖς κάλυξι τρέφει. καὶ τί μακρολογῶ; ἄνευ τῆς τῶν ὑδάτων φύσεως οὐδὲν τῶν παρόντων συνίσταται. οὕτως ἡ τῶν ὑδάτων φύσις ἀναγκαία, ὅτι τὰ μὲν ἄλλα στοιχεῖα ὑπὸ τῶν καμαρωδεστάτων οὐρανῶν τὴν οἴκησιν ἔλαβεν, ἡ δὲ τῶν ὑδάτων φύσις καὶ ἐπάνω τῶν οὐρανῶν τὴν μονὴν ἐδέξατο. καὶ τούτου μάρτυς αὐτὸς ὁ προφήτης βοῶν ”αἰνεῖτε τὸν κύριον, οἱ οὐρανοὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ τὰ ὕδατα τὰ ἐπάνω τῶν οὐρανῶν αἰνεσάτωσαν τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου”.