Christ, then, was born as it were a few days ago—He Whose generation was before all things, sensible and intellectual. To-day He is baptized by John that He might cleanse him who was defiled, that He might bring the Spirit from above, and exalt man to heaven, that he who had fallen might be raised up and he who had cast him down might be put to shame. And marvel not if God showed so great earnestness in our cause: for it was with care on the part of him who did us wrong that the plot was laid against us; it is with forethought on the part of our Maker that we are saved. And he, that evil charmer, framing his new device of sin against our race, drew along his serpent train, a disguise worthy of his own intent, entering in his impurity into what was like himself,—dwelling, earthly and mundane as he was in will, in that creeping thing. But Christ, the repairer of his evil-doing, assumes manhood in its fulness, and saves man, and becomes the type and figure of us all, to sanctify the first-fruits of every action, and leave to His servants no doubt in their zeal for the tradition. Baptism, then, is a purification from sins, a remission of trespasses, a cause of renovation and regeneration. By regeneration, understand regeneration conceived in thought, not discerned by bodily sight. For we shall not, according to the Jew Nicodemus and his somewhat dull intelligence, change the old man into a child, nor shall we form anew him who is wrinkled and gray-headed to tenderness and youth, if we bring back the man again into his mother’s womb: but we do bring back, by royal grace, him who bears the scars of sin, and has grown old in evil habits, to the innocence of the babe. For as the child new-born is free from accusations and from penalties, so too the child of regeneration has nothing for which to answer, being released by royal bounty from accountability4    The language of this passage, if strictly taken, seems to imply a denial of original sin; but it is perhaps not intended to be so understood.. And this gift it is not the water that bestows (for in that case it were a thing more exalted than all creation), but the command of God, and the visitation of the Spirit that comes sacramentally to set us free. But water serves to express the cleansing. For since we are wont by washing in water to render our body clean when it is soiled by dirt or mud, we therefore apply it also in the sacramental action, and display the spiritual brightness by that which is subject to our senses. Let us however, if it seems well, persevere in enquiring more fully and more minutely concerning Baptism, starting, as from the fountain-head, from the Scriptural declaration, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God5    S. John iii. 3.” Why are both named, and why is not the Spirit alone accounted sufficient for the completion of Baptism? Man, as we know full well, is compound, not simple: and therefore the cognate and similar medicines are assigned for healing to him who is twofold and conglomerate:—for his visible body, water, the sensible element,—for his soul, which we cannot see, the Spirit invisible, invoked by faith, present unspeakably. For “the Spirit breathes where He wills, and thou hearest His voice, but canst not tell whence He cometh or whither He goeth6    S. John iii. 8.” He blesses the body that is baptized, and the water that baptizes. Despise not, therefore, the Divine laver, nor think lightly of it, as a common thing, on account of the use of water. For the power that operates is mighty, and wonderful are the things that are wrought thereby. For this holy altar, too, by which I stand, is stone, ordinary in its nature, nowise different from the other slabs of stone that build our houses and adorn our pavements; but seeing that it was consecrated to the service of God, and received the benediction, it is a holy table, an altar undefiled, no longer touched by the hands of all, but of the priests alone, and that with reverence. The bread again is at first7    Or “up to a certain point of time.” common bread, but when the sacramental action consecrates it, it is called, and becomes, the Body of Christ. So with the sacramental oil; so with the wine: though before the benediction they are of little value, each of them, after the sanctification bestowed by the Spirit, has its several operation. The same power of the word, again, also makes the priest venerable and honourable, separated, by the new blessing bestowed upon him, from his community with the mass of men. While but yesterday he was one of the mass, one of the people, he is suddenly rendered a guide, a president, a teacher of righteousness, an instructor in hidden mysteries; and this he does8    That is, “these functions he fulfils.” without being at all changed in body or in form; but, while continuing to be in all appearance the man he was before, being, by some unseen power and grace, transformed in respect of his unseen soul to the higher condition. And so there are many things, which if you consider you will see that their appearance is contemptible, but the things they accomplish are mighty: and this is especially the case when you collect from the ancient history9    i.e.from the Old Testament Scriptures. instances cognate and similar to the subject of our inquiry. The rod of Moses was a hazel wand. And what is that, but common wood that every hand cuts and carries, and fashions to what use it chooses, and casts as it will into the fire? But when God was pleased to accomplish by that rod those wonders, lofty, and passing the power of language to express, the wood was changed into a serpent. And again, at another time, he smote the waters, and now made the water blood, now made to issue forth a countless brood of frogs: and again he divided the sea, severed to its depths without flowing together again. Likewise the mantle of one of the prophets, though it was but a goat’s skin, made Elisha renowned in the whole world. And the wood of the Cross is of saving efficacy10    The reference appears to be not to the Cross as the instrument of that Death which was of saving efficacy, but to miraculous cures, real or reputed, effected by means of the actual wood of the Cross. The argument seems to require that we should understand the Cross itself, and not only the sacrifice offered upon it, to be the means of producing wondrous effects: and the grammatical construction favours this view. S. Cyril of Jerusalem mentions the extensive distribution of fragments of the Cross (Cat. x. 19), but this is probably one of the earliest references to miracles worked by their means. for all men, though it is, as I am informed, a piece of a poor tree, less valuable than most trees are. So a bramble bush showed to Moses the manifestation of the presence of God: so the remains of Elisha raised a dead man to life; so clay gave sight to him that was blind from the womb. And all these things, though they were matter without soul or sense, were made the means for the performance of the great marvels wrought by them, when they received the power of God. Now by a similar train of reasoning, water also, though it is nothing else than water, renews the man to spiritual regeneration11    i.e.regeneration perceived by the mind (νοητὴν) as distinct from any regeneration of which the senses could take cognizance., when the grace from above hallows it. And if any one answers me again by raising a difficulty, with his questions and doubts, continually asking and inquiring how water and the sacramental act that is performed therein regenerate, I most justly reply to him, “Show me the mode of that generation which is after the flesh, and I will explain to you the power of regeneration in the soul.” You will say perhaps, by way of giving an account of the matter, “It is the cause of the seed which makes the man.” Learn then from us in return, that hallowed water cleanses and illuminates the man. And if you again object to me your “How?” I shall more vehemently cry in answer, “How does the fluid and formless substance become a man?” and so the argument as it advances will be exercised on everything through all creation. How does heaven exist? how earth? how sea? how every single thing? For everywhere men’s reasoning, perplexed in the attempt at discovery, falls back upon this syllable “how,” as those who cannot walk fall back upon a seat. To speak concisely, everywhere the power of God and His operation are incomprehensible and incapable of being reduced to rule, easily producing whatever He wills, while concealing from us the minute knowledge of His operation. Hence also the blessed David, applying his mind to the magnificence of creation, and filled with perplexed wonder in his soul, spake that verse which is sung by all, “O Lord, how manifold are Thy works: in wisdom hast Thou made them all12    Ps. civ. 24. The Psalm is the prefatory Psalm at Vespers in the present service of the Eastern Church. S. Gregory seems to indicate some such daily use in his own time..” The wisdom he perceived: but the art of the wisdom he could not discover.

Ἐγεννήθη τοίνυν Χριστὸς πρὸ ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν ὁ πρὸ πάσης οὐσίας αἰσθητῆς τε καὶ νοηθῆς γεννηθείς, βαπτίζεται σήμερον παρὰ Ἰωάννου, ἵνα τὸν ἐρρυπωμένον ἀποκαθάρῃ, πνεῦμα δὲ ἄνωθεν ἀγάγῃ καὶ ἄνθρωπον εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνυψώσῃ, ἵνα ὁ πεσὼν διεγερθῇ καὶ ὁ ῥίψας καταισχυνθῇ (καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ τοσοῦτον ἐγένετο τῷ θεῷ τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς περισπούδαστον) ἵνα καὶ αὐτουργήσῃ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὴν σωτηρίαν: μετὰ μερίμνης γὰρ τῆς τοῦ κακουργοῦντος ἐπεβουλεύθημεν, μετὰ φροντίδος δὲ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ σῳζόμεθα. καὶ ὁ μὲν μοχθηρὸς καὶ βάσκανος κατὰ τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καινοτομῶν ἄξιον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γνώμης προκάλυμμα τὸν ὄφιν εὕρατο ὁ ἀκάθαρτος τῷ ὁμοίῳ ἐπεισελθών, ὁ γήινος καὶ χθόνιος τὴν προαίρεσιν ἐνοικήσας τῷ ἑρπετῷ, Χριστὸς δὲ ὁ τὴν ἐκείνου πονηρίαν ἐπανορθῶν τέλειον ἀναλαμβάνει τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ σῴζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ γίνεται πάντων ἡμῶν τύπος καὶ χαρακτήρ, ἵν' ἑκάστης πράξεως ἁγιάσῃ τὴν ἀπαρχὴν καὶ τὸν ζῆλον τῆς παραδόσεως ἀναμφίβολον καταλίπῃ τοῖς δούλοις. βάπτισμα τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἁμαρτιῶν κάθαρσις, ἄφεσις πλημμελημάτων, ἀνακαινισμοῦ καὶ ἀναγεννήσεως αἰτία, ἀναγέννησιν δὲ νόησον ἐννοίᾳ θεωρουμένην, ὀφθαλμοῖς οὐ βλεπομένην: οὐ γὰρ ὄντως κατὰ τὸν Ἑβραῖον Νικόδημον καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου παχυτέραν διάνοιαν τὸν πρεσβύτην ἐναλλάξομεν εἰς παιδίον οὔτε τὸν ῥυσὸν πεπολιωμένον εἰς ἁπαλὸν καὶ νέον μετασκευάσομεν ἢ πάλιν εἰς τὴν γαστέρα τῆς μητρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐπανάξομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν κατεστιγμένον ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις καὶ κακοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν ἐμπαλαιωθέντα χάριτι βασιλικῇ ἐπανάγομεν εἰς τὸ τοῦ βρέφους ἀνεύθυνον. ὡς γὰρ τὸ εὐθύτοκον παιδίον ἐλεύθερόν ἐστιν ἐγκλημάτων καὶ τιμωριῶν, οὕτως καὶ ὁ τῆς ἀναγεννήσεως παῖς οὐκ ἔχει περὶ τίνος ἀπολογήσεται βασιλικῇ δωρεᾷ τῶν εὐθυνῶν ἀφεθείς. ταύτην δὲ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν οὐ τὸ ὕδωρ χαρίζεται (ἦν γὰρ ἂν πάσης τῆς κτίσεως ὑψηλότερον), ἀλλὰ θεοῦ πρόσταγμα καὶ ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπιφοίτησις μυστικῶς ἐρχομένη πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐλευθερίαν, ὕδωρ δὲ ὑπηρετεῖ πρὸς ἔνδειξιν τῆς καθάρσεως. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰώθαμεν ῥύπῳ καὶ βορβόρῳ τὸ σῶμα καθυβρισθὲν ὕδατι νίπτοντες καθαρὸν ἀποφαίνειν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς μυστικῆς πράξεως αὐτὸ προσλαμβάνομεν τῷ αἰσθητῷ πράγματι τὴν ἀσώματον δηλοῦντες λαμπρότητα. μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ δοκεῖ, καὶ λεπτότερον προσκαρτερήσωμεν τῇ περὶ τοῦ λουτροῦ ζητήσει οἷον ἐκ πηγῆς τινος ἀρξάμενοι τοῦ γραφικοῦ παραγγέλματος: Ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ, φησίν, ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ. διὰ τί τὰ δύο καὶ οὐχὶ μόνον τὸ πνεῦμα αὔταρκες ἐνομίσθη πρὸς τὴν συμπλήρωσιν τοῦ βαπτίσματος; σύνθετος ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐχ ἁπλοῦς, ὡς ἀκριβῶς ἐπιστάμεθα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῷ διπλῷ καὶ συνεζευγμένῳ τὰ συγγενῆ καὶ ὅμοια φάρμακα πρὸς θεραπείαν ἀπεκληρώθη, σώματι μὲν τῷ φαινομένῳ ὕδωρ τὸ αἰσθητόν, ψυχῇ δὲ τῇ ἀοράτῳ πνεῦμα τὸ ἀφανὲς πίστει καλούμενον, ἀρρήτως παραγινόμενον. Τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκούεις, ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδας πόθεν ἔρχεται καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγει. εὐλογεῖ τὸ σῶμα τὸ βαπτιζόμενον καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ βαπτίζον. διὸ μὴ καταφρονήσῃς τοῦ θείου λουτροῦ μηδὲ ὡς κοινὸν αὐτὸ ἐξευτελίσῃς διὰ τὴν χρῆσιν τοῦ ὕδατος: τὸ γὰρ ἐνεργοῦν μέγα καὶ ἀπ' ἐκείνου θαυμαστὰ γίνεται τὰ τελούμενα. ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦτο τὸ ἅγιον, ᾧ παρεστήκαμεν, λίθος ἐστὶ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν κοινὸς οὐδὲν διαφέρων τῶν ἄλλων πλακῶν, αἳ τοὺς τοίχους ἡμῶν ἐπικοσμοῦσι καὶ καλλωπίζουσι τὰ ἐδάφη, ἐπειδὴ δὲ καθιερώθη τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ θεραπείᾳ καὶ τὴν εὐλογίαν ἐδέξατο, ἔστι τράπεξα ἁγία, θυσιαστήριον ἄχραντον οὐκέτι παρὰ πάντων ψηλαφώμενον ἀλλὰ μόνων τῶν ἱερέων καὶ τούτων εὐλαβουμένων. ὁ ἄρτος πάλιν ἄρτος ἐστὶ τέως κοινός, ἀλλ' ὅταν αὐτὸν τὸ μυστήριον ἱερουργήσῃ, σῶμα Χριστοῦ λέγεταί τε καὶ γίνεται. οὕτως τὸ μυστικὸν ἔλαιον, οὕτως ὁ οἶνος, ὀλίγου τινὸς ἄξια ὄντα πρὸ τῆς εὐλογίας μετὰ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν τὸν παρὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἑκάτερον αὐτῶν ἐνεργεῖ διαφόρως. ἡ αὐτὴ δὲ τοῦ λόγου δύναμις καὶ τὸν ἱερέα ποιεῖ σεμνὸν καὶ τίμιον τῇ καινότητι τῆς εὐλογίας τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς κοινότητος χωριζόμενον: χθὲς γὰρ καὶ πρώην εἷς ὑπάρχων τῶν πολλῶν καὶ τοῦ δήμου ἀθρόον ἀποδείκνυται καθηγεμών, πρόεδρος, διδάσκαλος εὐσεβείας, μυστηρίων λανθανόντων μυσταγωγός: καὶ ταῦτα ποιεῖ μηδὲν τοῦ σώματος ἢ τῆς μορφῆς ἀμειφθείς, ἀλλ' ὑπάρχων κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον ἐκεῖνος ὃς ἦν, ἀοράτῳ δέ τινι δυνάμει καὶ χάριτι τὴν ἀόρατον ψυχὴν μεταμορφωθεὶς πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον. καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ πολλὰ τῶν πραγμάτων φέρων τὸν νοῦν εὐκαταφρόνητα μὲν ὄψει τὰ φαινόμενα, μεγάλα δὲ τὰ ἀπ' ἐκείνων τελούμενα, μάλισθ' ὅταν ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς ἱστορίας ἀναλέζῃ τὰ συγγενῆ τοῦ ζητουμένου καὶ ὅμοια. τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἡ ῥάβδος ῥάβδος ἦν καρυΐνη, καὶ τί γὰρ ἄλλο ἢ ξύλον κοινόν, ὃ πᾶσα χεὶρ κόπτει καὶ φέρει ῥυθμίζει τε πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν καὶ τῷ πυρὶ κατ' ἐξουσίαν δίδωσιν; ἡνίκα δὲ ὁ θεὸς ἠθέλησεν ἐπιτελέσαι δι' ἐκείνης τὰ ὑψηλὰ καὶ λόγου κρείττονα θαύματα, μετεβάλλετο τὸ ξύλον εἰς ὄφιν: καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρωθι τύπτον τὰ ὕδατα ποτὲ μὲν αἷμα τὸ ὕδωρ ἐποίει, ποτὲ δὲ βατράχων γονὴν ἀνέβλυζεν: καὶ πάλιν τὴν θάλατταν ἔτεμνε μέχρι βυθῶν διακοπτομένην καὶ μὴ συρρέουσαν. ὁμοίως ἑνὸς τῶν προφητῶν μηλωτὴ αἰγὸς οὖσα δέρμα λόγον τῆς οἰκουμένης τὸν Ἐλισαῖον εἰργάσατο. τὸ δὲ τοῦ σταυροῦ ξύλον πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐστὶ σωτήριον μέρος ὄν, ὡς ἀκούω, συκομορέας εὐκαταφρονήτου φυτοῦ καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ἀτιμοτέρου. καὶ θαμνὸς βάτου τῷ Μωϋσεῖ τὰ θεοφάνια ἔδειξε, καὶ τοῦ Ἐλισαίου τὰ λείψανα νεκρὸν ἀνέστησε, καὶ πηλὸς τὸν τυφλὸν τὸν ἐκ κοιλίας ἐφώτισε: καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ὕλαι τυγχάνοντα ἄψυχοι καὶ ἀναίσθητοι τοῖς μεγάλοις θαύμασιν ἐμεσίτευσαν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δεξάμενα δύναμιν. κατὰ δὲ τὴν ὁμοίαν ἀκολουθίαν τῶν λογισμῶν καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ οὐδὲν ἄλλο τυγχάνον ἢ ὕδωρ ἀνακαινίζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὴν νοητὴν ἀναγέννησιν τῆς ἄνωθεν χάριτος εὐλογούσης αὐτό. ἐὰν δέ μοι πάλιν διστάζων τις καὶ ἀμφιβάλλων πράγματα παρέχῃ συνεχῶς ἐρωτῶν καὶ διαπυνθανόμενος, πῶς ὕδωρ ἀναγεννᾷ καὶ ἡ ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ τελουμένη μυσταγωγία, λέξω πρὸς αὐτὸν δικαιότατα: στῆσόν μοι τὸν τρόπον τῆς γεννήσεως τῆς κατὰ σάρκα κἀγώ σοι διηγήσομαι τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν παλιγγενεσίας τὴν δύναμιν. ἐρεῖς τυχὸν ὥς τινα λόγον ἀποδιδούς: σπέρματος αἰτία ποιεῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον. ἀντάκουε τοίνυν καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν, ὡς ὕδωρ εὐλογούμενον καθαίρει καὶ φωτίζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. ἂν δέ μοι πάλιν ἀνθυποκρούσῃς τὸ πῶς, ἀντιβοήσομαί σοι σφοδρότερον: πῶς ἡ ὑγρὰ καὶ ἄμορφος οὐσία ἄνθρωπος γίνεται; καὶ κατὰ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως οὕτως ὁ λόγος προβαίνων ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ πράγματι γυμνασθήσεται: πῶς οὐρανός; πῶς γῆ; πῶς θάλασσα; πῶς τὰ καθέκαστον; πανταχοῦ γὰρ ὁ λογισμὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπορῶν πρὸς τὴν εὕρεσιν πρὸς ταύτην καταφεύγει τὴν συλλαβὴν ὡς πρὸς καθέδραν οἱ τῷ βαδίζειν ἀδύνατοι. καὶ ἵνα συνελὼν εἴπω, πανταχοῦ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ ἐνέργεια ἀκατάληπτός ἐστι καὶ ἀτεχνολόγητος ὑφιστῶσα μὲν εὐκόλως ἅπερ ἂν ἐθέλῃ, τὴν δὲ λεπτομερῆ γνῶσιν τῆς ἐνεργείας ἡμῖν ἀποκρύψασα. διὸ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Δαβὶδ ἐπιστήσας ποτὲ τὸν νοῦν τῇ μεγαλοπρεπείᾳ τῆς κτίσεως καὶ θαύματος ἀπόρου πληρωθεὶς τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκεῖνο τὸ παρὰ πάντων ᾀδόμενον ἀπεφθέγξατο. Ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθη τὰ ἔργα σου κύριε, πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας. τὴν μὲν γὰρ σοφίαν ἐνενόησε, τὴν δὲ τέχνην τῆς σοφίας οὐχ εὗρεν.