4.75.1 That Fate exists, they say, for others, the foretold results show; and a clear 4.75.2 proof is the theory of astrology. For example, the Magi not only "saw the star" of the Lord, but they also knew the truth that "a King was born," and of whom He was King, that it was of the god-fearing. At that time only the Jews 4.75.3 were famous for their piety. For this reason, the Savior, descending to the god-fearing, came first to those who at that time had the reputation for piety. 4.76.1 As, therefore, the birth of the Savior cast us out from genesis and Fate, so also his baptism delivered us from fire and his passion from passion, 4.76.2 that in all things we might follow him. For he who is baptized into God has gone into God and has received "authority to walk upon scorpions and serpents," 4.76.3 the evil Powers. And to the Apostles he commands: "Go about and preach, and baptize those who believe in the Name of the Father and of the Son and 4.76.4 of the Holy Spirit," into whom we are reborn, becoming superior to all the other Powers. 4.77.1 In this way baptism is called the death and end of the old life, when we renounce the evil Principalities, and a life according to Christ, over which he alone 4.77.2 is lord. But the power of the change for the one baptized is not in the body (for the same person comes up), but 4.77.3 in the soul. For example, upon coming up from the baptism he is called a servant of God and Lord of the unclean Spirits; and he at whom they recently worked, they now "shudder at."

4.78.1 Up to baptism, then, they say, Fate is true; but after this the astrologers 4.78.2 no longer speak truth. And it is not only the washing that liberates, but also the knowledge of who we were, what we have become; where we were, or where we were cast; where we are hastening, from where we are being redeemed; what is birth, what is rebirth. 4.79.1 So long as the seed is still unformed, they say, it is the child of the Female; but when formed it has been transferred into a man and becomes a son of the Bridegroom; no longer weak and subject to the cosmic things, both visible and invisible, but having been made a man, becomes a male fruit. The one whom the Mother bears is led to death and into the world; but the one whom Christ regenerates is transferred to life, 4.80.2 into the Ogdoad. And they die to the world, but live to God, that death might be destroyed by death, and corruption 4.80.3 by resurrection. For having been sealed through the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, he is unassailable by every other power, and through the three Names he has been freed from the entire triad in corruption; "having worn the image of the earthy, then he wears the image of the heavenly."

4.81.1 The corporeal aspect of fire touches all bodies; but the pure and incorporeal aspect, they say, touches incorporeal things, such as Demons, Angels of wickedness, the Devil himself. Thus the heavenly fire is twofold in nature, the one intelligible, the other sensible. 4.81.2 And so baptism is accordingly twofold; the one sensible, through water, an extinguisher of the sensible fire; the other intelligible, through the Spirit, a defense against the intelligible fire. 4.81.3 And the corporeal spirit becomes food and kindling for the sensible fire, when it is small; but having become greater, it is by nature an extinguisher. But the Spirit given to us from above, being incorporeal, rules not only over elements, but also over Powers and evil Principalities. 4.82.1 And the bread and the oil are sanctified by the power of the Name of God, being the same in appearance as they were received; but by a power they have been changed into a spiritual 4.82.2 power. Thus also the water, both when exorcised and when it becomes baptism, not only separates the worse, but also acquires sanctification. 4.83.1 It is fitting to come to baptism rejoicing but since often unclean Spirits also descend with some, which, following along and receiving the seal with the person, become incurable thereafter, fear is intertwined with joy, so that one may descend pure by himself. For this reason there are fasts, supplications, prayers, layings on of hands, kneelings, because a soul "out of the world" and "out of the mouth

4.75.1 Ὅτι δέ ἐστι, φασίν, Εἱμαρμένη τοῖς ἄλλοις, τὰ ἀποτελέσματα προλεγόμενα δείκνυσιν· ἐναργὴς δὲ 4.75.2 ἀπόδειξις καὶ ἡ τῶν μαθημάτων θεωρία. Αὐτίκα οἱ Μάγοι, οὐ μόνον "εἶδον τὸν ἀστέρα" τοῦ Κυρίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἀληθὲς ἔγνωσαν ὅτι "Βασιλεὺς ἐτέχθη", καὶ ὧν Βασιλεύς, ὅτι θεοσεβῶν. Τότε Ἰουδαῖοι μόνοι 4.75.3 διαβόητοι ἦσαν ἐπὶ θεοσεβείᾳ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ Σωτήρ, πρὸς θεοσεβεῖς κατιών, ἐπὶ τούτους ἦλθεν πρώτους τοὺς τότε ἐπὶ θεοσεβείᾳ δόξαν ἀποφερομέ νους. 4.76.1 Ὡς οὖν ἡ γέννησις τοῦ Σωτῆρος γενέσεως ἡμᾶς καὶ Εἱμαρμένης ἐξέβαλεν, οὕτως καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα αὐτοῦ πυρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξείλετο καὶ τὸ πάθος πάθους, 4.76.2 ἵνα κατὰ πάντα ἀκολουθήσωμεν αὐτῷ. Ὁ γὰρ εἰς Θεὸν βαπτισθεὶς εἰς Θεὸν ἐχώρησεν καὶ εἴληφεν "ἐξουσίαν ἐπάνω σκορπίων καὶ ὄφεων περιπατεῖν", 4.76.3 τῶν ∆υνάμεων τῶν πονηρῶν. Καὶ τοῖς Ἀποστόλοις ἐντέλλεται· "Περιιόντες κηρύσσετε, καὶ τοὺς πισ τεύοντας βαπτίζετε εἰς Ὄνομα Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ 4.76.4 ἁγίου Πνεύματος", εἰς οὓς ἀναγεννώμεθα, τῶν λοιπῶν ∆υνάμεων ἁπασῶν ὑπεράνω γινόμενοι. 4.77.1 Ταύτῃ θάνατος καὶ τέλος λέγεται τοῦ παλαιοῦ βίου τὸ βάπτισμα, ἀποτασσομένων ἡμῶν ταῖς πονηραῖς Ἀρχαῖς, ζωὴ δὲ κατὰ Χριστόν, ἧς μόνος αὐτὸς 4.77.2 κυριεύει. Ἡ δύναμις δὲ τῆς μεταβολῆς τοῦ βαπτισθέν τος οὐ περὶ τὸ σῶμα (ὁ αὐτὸς γὰρ ἀναβαίνει), ἀλλὰ 4.77.3 περὶ ψυχήν. Αὐτίκα δοῦλος Θεοῦ ἅμα τῷ ἀνελθεῖν τοῦ βαπτίσματος καὶ Κύριος τῶν ἀκαθάρτων λέγεται Πνευμάτων· καὶ εἰς ὃν πρὸ ὀλίγου ἐνήργουν, τοῦτον ἤδη "φρίσσουσιν".

4.78.1 Μέχρι τοῦ βαπτίσματος οὖν ἡ Εἱμαρμένη, φασίν, ἀληθής· μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο οὐκέτι ἀληθεύουσιν οἱ ἀστρο 4.78.2 λόγοι. Ἔστιν δὲ οὐ τὸ λουτρὸν μόνον τὸ ἐλευθεροῦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ γνῶσις, τίνες ἦμεν, τί γεγόναμεν· ποῦ ἦμεν, ἢ ποῦ ἐνεβλήθημεν· ποῦ σπεύδομεν, πόθεν λυτρούμεθα· τί γέννησις, τί ἀναγέννησις. 4.79.1 Ἕως οὖν ἀμόρφωτον, φασίν, ἔτι τὸ σπέρμα, Θηλείας ἐστὶ τέκνον· μορφωθὲν δὲ μετετέθη εἰς ἄνδρα καὶ υἱὸς Νυμφίου γίνεται· οὐκέτι ἀσθενὴς καὶ τοῖς κοσμικοῖς ὑποκείμενος ὁρατοῖς τε καὶ ἀοράτοις, ἀλλ' ἀνδρωθεὶς ἄρρην γίνεται καρπός. Ὃν γεννᾷ ἡ Μήτηρ εἰς θάνατον ἄγεται καὶ εἰς κόσμον· ὃν δὲ ἀναγεννᾷ Χριστὸς εἰς ζωὴν μετατίθεται, 4.80.2 εἰς Ὀγδόαδα. Καὶ ἀποθνῄσκουσιν μὲν τῷ κόσμῳ, ζῶσι δὲ τῷ Θεῷ, ἵνα θάνατος θανάτῳ λυθῇ, ἀναστάσει 4.80.3 δὲ ἡ φθορά. ∆ιὰ γὰρ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος σφραγισθεὶς ἀνεπίληπτός ἐστι πάσῃ τῇ ἄλλῃ δυνάμει, καὶ διὰ τριῶν Ὀνομάτων πάσης τῆς ἐν φθορᾷ τριάδος ἀπηλλάγη· "φορέσας τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ, τότε φορεῖ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου".

4.81.1 Τοῦ πυρὸς τὸ μὲν σωματικὸν σωμάτων ἅπτεται πάντων· τὸ δὲ καθαρὸν καὶ ἀσώματον ἀσωμάτων φασὶν ἅπτεσθαι, οἷον ∆αιμόνων, Ἀγγέλων τῆς πονηρίας, αὐτοῦ τοῦ ∆ιαβόλου. Οὕτως ἐστὶ τὸ ἐπουράνιον πῦρ δισσὸν τὴν φύσιν, τὸ μὲν νοητόν, τὸ δὲ αἰσθητόν. 4.81.2 Καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα οὖν διπλοῦν ἀναλόγως· τὸ μὲν αἰσθητὸν δι' ὕδατος, τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ πυρὸς σβεστήριον· τὸ δὲ νοητὸν διὰ Πνεύματος, τοῦ νοητοῦ πυρὸς ἀλεξητήριον. 4.81.3 Καὶ τὸ σωματικὸν πνεῦμα τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ πυρὸς τροφὴ καὶ ὑπέκκαυμα γίνεται, ὀλίγον ὄν· πλεῖον δὲ γενόμενον σβεστήριον πέφυκεν. Τὸ δὲ ἄνωθεν δοθὲν ἡμῖν Πνεῦμα, ἀσώματον ὄν, οὐ στοιχείων μόνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ∆υνάμεων κρατεῖ καὶ Ἀρχῶν πονηρῶν. 4.82.1 Καὶ ὁ ἄρτος καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον ἁγιάζεται τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Ὀνόματος Θεοῦ, τὰ αὐτὰ ὄντα κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον οἷα ἐλήφθη· ἀλλὰ δυνάμει εἰς δύναμιν πνευματικὴν 4.82.2 μεταβέβληται. Οὕτως καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ τὸ ἐξορκιζόμενον καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα γινόμενον, οὐ μόνον χωρίζει τὸ χεῖρον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁγιασμὸν προσλαμβάνει. 4.83.1 Ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα χαίροντας ἔρχεσθαι προσῆκεν ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ πολλάκις συγκαταβαίνει τισὶ καὶ ἀκάθαρτα Πνεύματα, ἅ, παρακολουθοῦντα καὶ τυχόντα μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τῆς σφραγῖδος, ἀνίατα τοῦ λοιποῦ γίνεται, ἃ τῇ χαρᾷ συμπλέκεται φόβος, ἵνα τις μόνος καθαρὸς αὐτὸς κατέλθῃ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο νηστεῖαι, δεήσεις, εὐχαί, θέσεις χειρῶν, γονυκλισίαι, ὅτι ψυχὴ "ἐκ κόσμου" καὶ "ἐκ στόματος