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of remission, water for regeneration and the washing away of both sin and corruption, and blood as a drink that brings about eternal life, and he gave us commandments to be born again through water and the Spirit, through prayer and invocation, with the Spirit coming upon the water. For since man is twofold, of soul and body, He also gave us a twofold purification, through water and the Spirit; the Spirit renewing in us that which is "in His image and likeness," and the water, through the grace of the Spirit, cleansing the body from sin and freeing it from corruption, the water fulfilling the image of death, and the Spirit providing the pledge of life. For from the beginning "the Spirit of God moved upon the waters." And from old, scripture testifies to the water that it is purifying. In the time of Noah, through water God washed away the sin of the world. Through water, every unclean person according to the law is purified, even his very garments being washed with water. Elijah showed the grace of the Spirit mingled with the water, by setting the burnt offering on fire with water. And almost all things according to the law are purified by water (for visible things are symbols of intelligible things), but regeneration takes place according to the soul; for faith knows how to adopt as sons, though we are creatures, through the Spirit and to lead us back to the ancient blessedness. The remission of sins, therefore, is given equally to all through baptism, but the grace of the Spirit is in proportion to faith and previous purification. Now therefore, through baptism we receive the first-fruits of the Holy Spirit, and regeneration becomes for us the beginning of another life and a seal and a protection and an illumination. But we must with all our power safely keep ourselves pure from defiling works, so that we do not, having returned again like a dog to its own vomit, make ourselves slaves of sin again. "For faith without works is dead," likewise also works without faith; for true faith is tested through works. But we are baptized into the Holy Trinity, because the baptized themselves need the Holy Trinity for their own constitution and perseverance, and it is impossible for the three hypostases not to be present with one another; for the Holy Trinity is inseparable. The first baptism was that of the flood for the cutting off of sin. The second was that through the sea and the cloud; for the cloud is a symbol of the Spirit, and the sea of the water. The third was the baptism of the Law; for every unclean person washed with water and washed his garments, and thus entered into the camp. The fourth was the baptism of John, which was introductory and led those who were baptized to repentance, that they might believe in Christ; "For I," he says, "baptize you with water; but He who comes after me, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." John, therefore, purifies beforehand with water for the Spirit. The fifth was the baptism of the Lord, with which He Himself was baptized. But He is baptized not as needing purification Himself, but making my purification His own, that He might crush the heads of the dragons upon the water, that He might wash away sin and bury the whole of the old Adam in the water, that He might sanctify the Baptist, that He might fulfill the Law, that He might reveal the mystery of the Trinity, that He might become a type and model for us to be baptized. But we are baptized with the perfect baptism of the Lord, which is through water and the Spirit. But Christ is said to baptize with fire; for in the form of fiery tongues He poured out the grace of the Spirit upon the holy apostles, as the Lord Himself says: "For John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire not many days from now," or through the punishing baptism of the future fire. The sixth is that through repentance and tears, which is truly laborious. The seventh is that through blood and martyrdom, with which Christ Himself also was baptized for our sake, as most venerable and blessed, inasmuch as it is not defiled by second stains. The eighth is the last, not saving, but destructive of wickedness (for wickedness and sin will no longer be active), and punishing without end. In a bodily form

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ἀφέσεως, ὕδωρ μὲν εἰς ἀναγέννησιν καὶ ἔκπλυσιν τῆς τε ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῆς φθορᾶς, αἷμα δὲ ποτὸν ζωῆς ἀιδίου πρόξενον, ἐντολάς τε ἡμῖν δέδωκε δι' ὕδατος ἀναγεννᾶσθαι καὶ πνεύματος δι' ἐντεύξεως καὶ ἐπικλήσεως τῷ ὕδατι ἐπιφοιτῶντος τοῦ πνεύματος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ διπλοῦς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος, διπλῆν ἡμῖν ἔδωκε καὶ τὴν κάθαρσιν, δι' ὕδατός τε καὶ πνεύματος· τοῦ μὲν πνεύματος τὸ «κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν» ἐν ἡμῖν ἀνακαινίζοντος, τοῦ δὲ ὕδατος διὰ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος χάριτος τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας καθαίροντος καὶ τῆς φθορᾶς ἀπαλλάττοντος, καὶ τὴν μὲν τοῦ θανάτου εἰκόνα ἐκπληροῦντος τοῦ ὕδατος, τὸν δὲ τῆς ζωῆς ἀρραβῶνα παρεχομένου τοῦ πνεύματος. Ἀπ' ἀρχῆς γὰρ «πνεῦμα θεοῦ τοῖς ὕδασιν ἐπεφέρετο». Καὶ ἄνωθεν ἡ γραφὴ μαρτυρεῖ τῷ ὕδατι, ὡς ἔστι καθαρτήριον. Ἐπὶ Νῶε δι' ὕδατος ὁ θεὸς τὴν κοσμικὴν ἁμαρτίαν κατέκλυσε. ∆ι' ὕδατος πᾶς ἀκάθαρτος κατὰ τὸν νόμον καθαίρεται, καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἱματίων πλυνομένων τῷ ὕδατι. Ἔδειξεν Ἡλίας τὴν χάριν τοῦ πνεύματος συμμεμιγμένην τῷ ὕδατι, ὕδατι φλέξας τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν. Καὶ σχεδὸν ἅπαντα κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὕδατι καθαρίζονται (τὰ γὰρ ὁρατὰ σύμβολα τῶν νοουμένων εἰσίν), ἡ μέντοι ἀναγέννησις κατὰ ψυχὴν γίνεται· πίστις γὰρ υἱοθετεῖν οἶδε καίτοι ὄντας κτίσματα διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἀνάγειν μακαριότητα. Ἡ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἄφεσις πᾶσιν ὁμοίως διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος δίδοται, ἡ δὲ χάρις τοῦ πνεύματος κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς προκαθάρσεως. Νῦν μὲν οὖν διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος λαμβάνομεν, καὶ ἀρχὴ ἑτέρου βίου γίνεται ἡμῖν ἡ παλιγγενεσία καὶ σφραγὶς καὶ φυλακτήριον καὶ φωτισμός. Χρὴ δὲ πάσῃ δυνάμει ἀσφαλῶς τηρεῖν ἑαυτοὺς καθαροὺς ἀπὸ ῥυπαρῶν ἔργων, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν ὥσπερ κύων ἐπὶ τὸν ἴδιον ἔμετον ἐπιστρέψαντες δούλους πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς ἁμαρτίας ποιήσωμεν. «Πίστις γὰρ χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν», ὁμοίως καὶ ἔργα χωρὶς πίστεως· ἡ γὰρ ἀληθὴς πίστις διὰ τῶν ἔργων δοκιμάζεται. Βαπτιζόμεθα δὲ εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα, ὅτι αὐτὰ τὰ βαπτιζόμενα χρῄζει τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν σύστασίν τε καὶ διαμονήν, καὶ ἀδύνατον μὴ συμπαρεῖναι ἀλλήλαις τὰς τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις· ἀχώριστος γὰρ ἡ ἁγία τριάς. Πρῶτον βάπτισμα τὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ εἰς ἐκκοπὴν ἁμαρτίας. ∆εύτερον τὸ διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ τῆς νεφέλης· σύμβολον γὰρ ἡ μὲν νεφέλη τοῦ πνεύματος, ἡ θάλασσα δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος. Τρίτον τὸ νομικόν· πᾶς γὰρ ἀκάθαρτος ἀπελούετο ὕδατι ἔπλυνέ τε τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ οὕτως εἰσῄει εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν. Τέταρτον τὸ Ἰωάννου εἰσαγωγικὸν ὑπάρχον καὶ εἰς μετάνοιαν ἄγον τοὺς βαπτιζομένους, ἵνα εἰς Χριστὸν πιστεύσωσιν· «ἐγὼ γὰρ ὑμᾶς», φησί, «βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι· ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος, αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί». Προκαθαίρει οὖν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐπὶ τὸ πνεῦμα διὰ τοῦ ὕδατος. Πέμπτον τὸ τοῦ κυρίου βάπτισμα, ὃ αὐτὸς ἐβαπτίσατο. Βαπτίζεται δὲ οὐχ ὡς αὐτὸς χρῄζων καθάρσεως, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐμὴν οἰκειούμενος κάθαρσιν, ἵνα συντρίψῃ τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν δρακόντων ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος, ἵνα κλύσῃ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ πάντα τὸν παλαιὸν Ἀδὰμ ἐνθάψῃ τῷ ὕδατι, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ τὸν βαπτιστήν, ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὸν νόμον, ἵνα τὸ τῆς τριάδος ἀποκαλύψῃ μυστήριον, ἵνα τύπος καὶ ὑπογραμμὸς ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸ βαπτίζεσθαι γένηται. Βαπτιζόμεθα δὲ ἡμεῖς τὸ τέλειον τοῦ κυρίου βάπτισμα τὸ δι' ὕδατός τε καὶ πνεύματος. Πυρὶ δὲ λέγεται βαπτίζειν Χριστός· ἐν εἴδει γὰρ πυρίνων γλωσσῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος χάριν ἐξέχεεν, ὥς φησιν αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος· «Ὅτι Ἰωάννης μὲν ἐβάπτισεν ὕδατι, ὑμεῖς δὲ βαπτισθήσεσθε ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρὶ οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ταύτας ἡμέρας», ἢ διὰ τὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος πυρὸς κολαστικὸν βάπτισμα. Ἕκτον τὸ διὰ μετανοίας καὶ δακρύων ὄντως ἐπίπονον. Ἕβδομον τὸ δι' αἵματος καὶ μαρτυρίου, ὃ καὶ αὐτὸς Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐβαπτίσατο ὡς λίαν αἰδέσιμον καὶ μακάριον, ὅσῳ δευτέροις οὐ μολύνεται ῥύποις. Ὄγδοον τὸ τελευταῖον οὐ σωτήριον, ἀλλὰ τῆς μὲν κακίας ἀναιρετικόν (οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ κακία καὶ ἁμαρτία πολιτεύεται), κολάζον δὲ ἀτελεύτητα. Σωματικῷ εἴδει