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as many and of such kind as you might wish, if only we seek spiritual things, to ask for grace also on our behalf, so that he might not demand an account for our sins, but granting us forgiveness, might deem us worthy of his support for the future. But that you will do this, being affectionate towards your teachers, I do not doubt. 2.20 Come then, let us keep to the sequence of the discourse. Then, therefore, the priest prepares you to say: "I renounce you, Satan, and your pomp and your worship and your works." The words are few but their power is great. For both the angels who are present and the invisible powers, rejoicing at your conversion, receive these words from your tongue and carry them up to the common Master of all, and these are inscribed in the heavenly books. 2.21 Have you seen what kind of documents of covenant these are? For after the renunciation of the evil one and of all things belonging to the evil one, he again prepares you to say: "And I attach myself to you, O Christ." Have you seen the excess of goodness? Receiving only these words from you, he entrusts to you such a great treasure of things, forgetting all your former ingratitude and reminding you of none of your former deeds, but is content with these few words. 2.22 Then after this covenant, both the renunciation and the attachment, since you have confessed the lordship and through the words of your tongue attached yourself to Christ, then, as a soldier and one enrolled in the spiritual arena, he anoints you on the forehead with the spiritual myrrh, placing the seal and saying: "So-and-so is anointed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." 2.23 For he knows, then, that the enemy is raging and sharpening his teeth and goes about as a roaring lion, and seeing those who were formerly under his tyranny suddenly rising up against him and having renounced him, but having changed allegiance and demonstrated their attachment to Christ, for this reason he anoints the forehead and places the seal, so that that one might turn away his eyes. For he does not dare to look upon it, seeing the lightning flashing forth from there and blinding his eyes. For from that moment there is battle and resistance against him, and for this reason, just like certain athletes of Christ, so through the anointing he brings them into the spiritual arena. 2.24 Then after this, at the time of night, having stripped off your entire garment, and just as if he were about to lead you into heaven itself through the rites being performed, so he prepares the whole body to be anointed with that spiritual oil, so that all your members might be fortified by the anointing and become invincible to the darts sent by the adversary. 2.25 Then after this anointing, he lowers you into the sacred streams, at the same time both burying the old man and raising up the new, the one being renewed according to the image of the one who created him. Then, therefore, through the words of the priest and his hand, the coming of the Holy Spirit hovers over, and a different person comes up in place of the other, having wiped away all the filth of his sins and having stripped off the old garment of sin and having put on the royal robe. 2.26 And that you may learn from this also that the substance of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one, so also the tradition of baptism takes place. For as the priest exclaims, "So-and-so is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," he lowers and raises the head three times, through this mystical rite preparing it to receive the coming of the Spirit. For it is not the priest alone who touches the head, but also the right hand of Christ. And this is shown also from the very words of the one baptizing; for he does not say, "I baptize so-and-so," but, "So-and-so is baptized," showing that he himself is only a minister of grace and offers his own hand, because he has been appointed for this by the Spirit. But He who accomplishes all things is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity

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ὅσας καὶ οἵας ἂν βούλησθε, μόνον ἐὰν πνευματικὰ ζητήσωμεν, αἰτῆσαι χάριν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὥστε τῶν ἡμαρτημένων ἡμῖν μὴ ἀπαιτῆσαι εὐθύνας ἀλλὰ συγγνώμην δόντα εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀξιῶσαι ῥοπῆς. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ὅτι ποιήσετε, φιλόστοργοί τινες ὄντες περὶ τοὺς ὑμετέρους διδασκάλους, οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλω. 2.20 Φέρε δὴ λοιπὸν τῆς ἀκολουθίας ἐχώμεθα τοῦ λόγου. Τότε τοίνυν παρασκευάζει ὑμᾶς ὁ ἱερεὺς λέγειν· «Ἀποτάσσομαί σοι, Σατανᾶ, καὶ τῇ πομπῇ σου καὶ τῇ λατρείᾳ σου καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις σου.» Ὀλίγα τὰ ῥήματα ἀλλὰ μεγάλη τούτων ἡ δύναμις. Καὶ γὰρ ἄγγελοι παρεστηκότες καὶ αἱ ἀόρατοι δυνάμεις ἡδόμεναι ἐπὶ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἐπιστροφῇ δέχονται παρὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας γλώττης τὰς φωνὰς καὶ ἀναφέρουσι τῷ κοινῷ πάντων δεσπότῃ καὶ ἐν ταῖς βίβλοις ταῖς οὐρανίοις αὗται ἐγγράφονται. 2.21 Εἴδετε οἷα τῶν συνθηκῶν τὰ γραμματεῖα; Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀποταγὴν τοῦ πονηροῦ καὶ πάντων τῶν τῷ πονηρῷ διαφερόντων πραγμάτων πάλιν λέγειν παρασκευάζει· «Καὶ συντάσσομαί σοι, Χριστέ.» Εἶδες ἀγαθότητος ὑπερβολήν; Τὰ ῥήματα δεχόμενος παρὰ σοῦ μόνον, τοσοῦτον ἐμπιστεύει σοι πραγμάτων θησαυρόν, πάσης τῆς προτέρας ἀγνωμοσύνης ἐπιλαθόμενος καὶ οὐδὲν ὑπομιμνῄσκων σε τῶν προτέρων ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖται τοῖς βραχέσι τούτοις ῥήμασιν. 2.22 Εἶτα μετὰ τὴν συνθήκην ταύτην καὶ τὴν ἀποταγὴν καὶ τὴν συνταγήν, ἐπειδὴ ὡμολόγησας τὴν δεσποτείαν καὶ διὰ τῶν τῆς γλώττης ῥημάτων συνετάξω τῷ Χριστῷ, λοιπὸν ὡς στρατιώτην καὶ εἰς τὸ στάδιον καταλεγέντα τὸ πνευματικόν, ἀλείφει ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου τῷ μύρῳ τῷ πνευματικῷ, τὴν σφραγῖδα ἐπιτιθεὶς καὶ λέγων· «Χρίεται ὁ δεῖνα εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος.» 2.23 Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἶδε λοιπὸν ὅτι μέμηνεν ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ θήγει τοὺς ὀδόντας καὶ περιέρχεται ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος καὶ ὁρῶν τοὺς πρότερον ὑπὸ τὴν αὐτοῦ τυραννίδα τυγχάνοντας ἀθρόον κατεξανισταμένους αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτῷ μὲν ἀποταξαμένους, μεταταξαμένους δὲ καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν συνταγὴν ἐπιδειξαμένους, διὰ τοῦτο ἀλείφει ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου καὶ τὴν σφραγῖδα ἐπιτίθησιν ἵνα ἀποστρέψῃ τὰς ὄψεις ἐκεῖνος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀντιβλέψαι τολμᾷ ὁρῶν τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἀστραπὴν ἐκπηδῶσαν καὶ ἀποτυφλοῦσαν αὐτοῦ τὰς ὄψεις. Λοιπὸν γὰρ μάχη καὶ ἀντίστασις ἐξ ἐκείνου πρὸς αὐτὸν γίνεται καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καθάπερ ἀθλητάς τινας Χριστοῦ οὕτω διὰ τῆς ἀλοιφῆς εἰς τὸ στάδιον τὸ πνευματικὸν εἰσάγει. 2.24 Εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο κατὰ τὸν τῆς νυκτὸς καιρὸν ὁλόκληρον ἀποδύσας τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ καθάπερ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰσάγειν μέλλων διὰ τῶν τελουμένων οὕτως ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα ἀλείφεσθαι παρασκευάζει τῷ ἐλαίῳ ἐκείνῳ τῷ πνευματικῷ ὥστε πάντα τὰ μέλη διὰ τῆς ἀλοιφῆς τειχισθῆναι καὶ ἀχείρωτα γενέσθαι τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου πεμπομένοις βέλεσι. 2.25 Μετὰ τὴν ἀλοιφὴν τοίνυν ταύτην εἰς τὰ ἱερὰ νάματα καθίησιν, ὁμοῦ καὶ θάπτων τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ ἀνιστὰς τὸν νέον τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν. Τότε λοιπὸν διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων τοῦ ἱερέως καὶ τῆς τούτου χειρὸς ἡ ἐπιφοίτησις ἐφίπταται τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ ἄλλος ἀντ' ἄλλου ἄνεισι, πάντα τὸν ῥύπον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀποσμηξάμενος καὶ ἀποδυσάμενος τὸ παλαιὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἱμάτιον καὶ ἐνδυσάμενος τὴν ἐσθῆτα τὴν βασιλικήν. 2.26 Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ὡς μία ἡ οὐσία Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, οὕτω καὶ ἡ τοῦ βαπτίσματος γίνεται παράδοσις. Ἐπιφωνοῦντος γὰρ τοῦ ἱερέως· «Βαπτίζεται ὁ δεῖνα εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος», τρίτον τὴν κεφαλὴν καθίησι καὶ ἀνίησι, διὰ τῆς μυστικῆς ταύτης τελετῆς τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος παρασκευάζων ἐπιφοίτησιν δέξασθαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ ἱερεύς ἐστι μόνος ὁ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἐφαπτόμενος ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δεξιά. Καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ῥημάτων τοῦ βαπτίζοντος δείκνυται· οὐδὲ γὰρ λέγει· «Βαπτίζω ἐγὼ τὸν δεῖνα» ἀλλά· «Βαπτίζεται ὁ δεῖνα», δεικνὺς ὅτι αὐτὸς μόνον διάκονος γίνεται τῆς χάριτος καὶ τὴν χεῖρα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρέχει, ἐπειδὴ εἰς τοῦτο παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τέτακται. Ὁ δὲ πάντα πληρῶν ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ἡ Τριὰς