Chapter IX.—Concerning Faith and Baptism.

We confess one baptism for the remission of sins and for life eternal. For baptism declares the Lord’s death. We are indeed “buried with the Lord through baptism882    Col. ii. 12.,” as saith the divine Apostle. So then, as our Lord died once for all, we also must be baptized once for all, and baptized according to the Word of the Lord, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit883    St. Matt. xxviii. 19., being taught the confession in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those884    See Clem. Alex., Strom., bk. i; Basil, Ep. Ad Amphiloch. 2; Irenæus, i. 8; Theodor., Hær. fab. c. 12; Euseb., Hist. Eccles., vii. 9; Trullan Canon 95; Tertull., De Bapt., c. 1, &c., then, who, after having been baptized into Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and having been taught that there is one divine nature in three subsistences, are rebaptized, these, as the divine Apostle says, crucify the Christ afresh. For it is impossible, he saith, for those who were once enlightened, &c., to renew them again unto repentance: seeing they crucify to themselves the Christ afresh, and put Him to an open shame885    Heb. vi. 4.. But those who were not baptized into the Holy Trinity, these must be baptized again. For although the divine Apostle says: Into Christ and into His death were we baptized886    Rom. vi. 3., he does not mean that the invocation of baptism must be in these words, but that baptism is an image of the death of Christ. For by the three immersions887    See Basil, De Spir. Sanct., c. 28, and Ep. 39; Jerome, Contr. Lucif.; Theodor., Hær. III. 4; Socrates, Hist. c. 23; Sozomen, Hist. VI. 26., baptism signifies the three days of our Lord’s entombment888    Auct., Quæst. ad. Antioch.. The baptism then into Christ means that believers are baptized into Him. We could not believe in Christ if we were not taught confession in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit889    Basil., De Bapt., bk. i. ch. 12.. For Christ is the Son of the Living God890    St. Matt. xvi. 16., Whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit891    Acts x. 38.: in the words of the divine David, Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows892    Ps. xlv. 7.. And Isaiah also speaking in the person of the Lord says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He hath anointed me893    Is. lxi. 1.. Christ, however, taught His own disciples the invocation and said, Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit894    St. Matt. xxviii. 19.. For since Christ made us for incorruption895    Text, ἐπ᾽ ἀφθαρσίαν. Variant, ἐπ᾽ ἀφθαρσί& 139·; old interpretation, ‘in incorruption.’896    Method., De Resurr., and we transgressed His saving command, He condemned us to the corruption of death in order that that which is evil should not be immortal, and when in His compassion He stooped to His servants and became like us, He redeemed us from corruption through His own passion. He caused the fountain of remission to well forth for us out of His holy and immaculate side897    St. John xix. 34., water for our regeneration, and the washing away of sin and corruption; and blood to drink as the hostage of life eternal. And He laid on us the command to be born again of water and of the Spirit898    Ibid. iii. 5., through prayer and invocation, the Holy Spirit drawing nigh unto the water899    Greg., Orat. 48.. For since man’s nature is twofold, consisting of soul and body, He bestowed on us a twofold purification, of water and of the Spirit: the Spirit renewing that part in us which is after His image and likeness, and the water by the grace of the Spirit cleansing the body from sin and delivering it from corruption, the water indeed expressing the image of death, but the Spirit affording the earnest of life.

For from the beginning the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters900    Gen. i. 2., and anew the Scripture witnesseth that water has the power of purification901    Lev. xv. 10.. In the time of Noah God washed away the sin of the world by water902    Gen. vi. 17.. By water every impure person is purified903    Text, καθαίρεται. Variant in many Codices is ἐκάθαίρετο. On one margin is, ἠ ἐκεκάθαρτο., according to the law, even the very garments being washed with water. Elias shewed forth the grace of the Spirit mingled with the water when he burned the holocaust by pouring on water904    III. Reg. xviii. 32.. And almost everything is purified by water according to the law: for the things of sight are symbols of the things of thought. The regeneration, however, takes place in the spirit: for faith has the power of making us sons (of God905    πίστις γὰρ υἱοθετεῖν οἶδε.), creatures as we are, by the Spirit, and of leading us into our original blessedness.

The remission of sins, therefore, is granted alike to all through baptism: but the grace of the Spirit is proportional to the faith and previous purification. Now, indeed, we receive the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit through baptism, and the second birth is for us the beginning and seal and security and illumination906    Text, φωτισμός, illumination. In R. 2626 is added, καὶ ἁγιασμός, which Faber translates, “et illuminatio et sanctificatio.” In R. 2924, ἁγιασμός is read instead of φωτισμός. of another life.

It behoves us, then, with all our strength to steadfastly keep ourselves pure from filthy works, that we may not, like the dog returning to his vomit907    2 Pet. ii. 22., make ourselves again the slaves of sin. For faith apart from works is dead, and so likewise are works apart from faith908    James ii. 26.. For the true faith is attested by works.

Now we are baptized909    Greg. Naz., Orat. 40; Athan. ad Serap. De Spir. Sancto. into the Holy Trinity because those things which are baptized have need of the Holy Trinity for their maintenance and continuance, and the three subsistences cannot be otherwise than present, the one with the other. For the Holy Trinity is indivisible.

The first baptism910    Greg. Theol., Orat. 39. was that of the flood for the eradication of sin. The second911    Gen. vii. 17. was through the sea and the cloud: for the cloud is the symbol of the Spirit and the sea of the water912    1 Cor. x. 1.. The third baptism was that of the Law: for every impure person washed himself with water, and even washed his garments, and so entered into the camp913    Lev. xiv. 8.. The fourth914    Greg., Orat. 40; Basil, Hom. de Bapt.; Chrys. in Matt. Hom. 10, and others. was that of John915    Cf. Basil, De Bapt., I. 2., being preliminary and leading those who were baptized to repentance, that they might believe in Christ: I, indeed, he said, baptize you with water; but He that cometh after me, He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.916    St. Matt. iii. 11. Thus John’s purification with water was preliminary to receiving the Spirit. The fifth was the baptism of our Lord, whereby He Himself was baptized. Now He is baptized not as Himself requiring purification but as making my purification His own, that He may break the heads of the dragons on the water,917    Ps . lxxiv. 13. that He may wash away sin and bury all the old Adam in water, that He may sanctify the Baptist, that He may fulfil the Law, that He may reveal the mystery of the Trinity, that He may become the type and ensample to us of baptism. But we, too, are baptized in the perfect baptism of our Lord, the baptism by water and the Spirit. Moreover,918    Greg. Naz., Orat. 40. Christ is said to baptize with fire: because in the form of flaming tongues He poured forth on His holy disciples the grace of the Spirit: as the Lord Himself says, John truly baptized with water: but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire, not many days hence:919    Acts i. 5. or else it is because of the baptism of future fire wherewith we are to be chastized.920    Greg. Naz., Orat. 40. The sixth is that by repentance and tears, which baptism is truly grievous. The seventh is baptism by blood and martyrdom,921    Id. ibid. which baptism Christ Himself underwent in our behalf,922    St. Luke xii. 50. He Who was too august and blessed to be defiled with any later stains.923    Text, ὡςλίαν...ὅσον. Variants, ὅσων and ὃ καί. The eighth924    Greg. Naz., Orat. 40. is the last, which is not saving, but which destroys evil:925    See Basil, De Spir. Sanct., c. 13. for evil and sin no longer have sway: yet it punishes without end.926    οὐ σωτήριον, ἀλλὰ τῆς μὲν κακίας ἀναιρετικόν οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ κακία καὶ ἁμαρτία πολιτεύεται· κόλαζον δὲ ἀτελεύτητα.

Further, the Holy Spirit927    Greg. Naz., Orat. 39. descended in bodily form as a dove, indicating the firstfruits of our baptism and honouring the body: since even this, that is the body, was God by the deification; and besides the dove was wont formerly to announce the cessation of the flood. But to the holy Apostles He came down in the form of fire:928    Greg. Naz., Orat. 44: Acts ii. 3. for He is God, and God is a consuming fire.929    Deut. iv. 24.

Olive oil930    Cf., Allab., De Cousens, bk. iii., c. 16; Cyril of Jerus., Catech. Myst. 2. is employed in baptism as a significant of our anointing,931    Reading, χρίσιν. Variant, χάριν. and as making us anointed, and as announcing to us through the Holy Spirit God’s pity: for it was the fruit of the olive that the dove brought to those who were saved from the flood.932    Gen. viii. 11.

John was baptized, putting his hand upon the divine head of his Master, and with his own blood.

It does not behove933    Greg. Naz., Orat. 40. us to delay baptism when the faith of those coming forward is testified to by their works. For he that cometh forward deceitfully to baptism will receive condemnation rather than benefit.

Περὶ πίστεως καὶ βαπτίσματος

Ὁμολογοῦμεν δὲ ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον: τὸ γὰρ βάπτισμα τὸν τοῦ κυρίου θάνατον δηλοῖ. Συνθαπτόμεθα γοῦν τῷ κυρίῳ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ὥς φησιν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἅπαξ ἐτελέσθη ὁ τοῦ κυρίου θάνατος, οὕτω καὶ ἅπαξ δεῖ βαπτίζεσθαι, βαπτίζεσθαι δὲ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ κυρίου λόγον εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος διδασκομένους τὴν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ὁμολογίαν. Ὅσοι τοίνυν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα βαπτισθέντες μίαν φύσιν ἐν τρισὶν ὑποστάσεσι τῆς θεότητος διδαχθέντες αὖθις ἀναβαπτίζονται, οὗτοι ἀνασταυροῦσι τὸν Χριστόν, ὥς φησιν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος: «Ἀδύνατον γὰρ τοὺς ἅπαξ φωτισθέντας» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, «αὖθις ἀνακαινίζειν εἰς μετάνοιαν ἀνασταυροῦντας ἑαυτοῖς τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ παραδειγματίζοντας». Ὅσοι δὲ μὴ εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα ἐβαπτίσθησαν, τούτους δεῖ ἀναβαπτίζεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ καί φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, ὅτι «εἰς Χριστὸν» καὶ «εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν», οὐχ οὕτω δεῖν γίνεσθαί φησι τὴν ἐπίκλησιν τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ἀλλ' ὅτι τύπος τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐστι τὸ βάπτισμα: διὰ γὰρ τῶν τριῶν καταδύσεων τὰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας τῆς τοῦ κυρίου ταφῆς σημαίνει τὸ βάπτισμα. Τὸ οὖν εἰς Χριστὸν βαπτισθῆναι δηλοῖ τὸ πιστεύοντας εἰς αὐτὸν βαπτίζεσθαι. Ἀδύνατον δὲ εἰς Χριστὸν πιστεῦσαι μὴ διδαχθέντας τὴν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ὁμολογίαν. Χριστὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ὃν ἔχρισεν ὁ πατὴρ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, ὥς φησιν ὁ θεῖος Δαυίδ: «Διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου», καὶ Ἡσαΐας ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου: «Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπ' ἐμέ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέ με». Τὴν μέντοι ἐπίκλησιν τοὺς οἰκείους μαθητὰς ὁ κύριος διδάσκων ἔλεγε: «Βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος». Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀφθαρσίᾳ πεποίηκεν ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, παραβάντας δὲ τὴν σωτήριον αὐτοῦ ἐντολὴν φθορᾷ θανάτου κατεδίκασεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀθάνατον ᾖ τὸ κακόν, συγκαταβὰς τοῖς δούλοις ὡς εὔσπλαγχνος καὶ καθ' ἡμᾶς γενόμενος τῆς φθορᾶς διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου πάθους ἐλυτρώσατο, ἐπήγασεν ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ ἀχράντου αὐτοῦ πλευρᾶς πηγὴν 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. Δι' 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. Δεύτερον 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 ὡσεὶ περιστερὰ κατεφοίτησε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ ἡμετέρου ὑποδεικνύον βαπτίσματος καὶ τιμῶν τὸ σῶμα, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦτο ἤγουν τὸ σῶμα τῇ θεώσει θεὸς καὶ ἅμα που ἄνωθεν εἴθισται περιστερὰ λύσιν κατακλυσμοῦ εὐαγγελίζεσθαι. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους πυροειδῶς κάτεισι: θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν, «ὁ δὲ θεὸς πῦρ καταναλίσκον ἐστί».

Τὸ ἔλαιον ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι παραλαμβάνεται τὴν χρίσιν μηνύον καὶ χριστοὺς ἡμᾶς ἐργαζόμενον καὶ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῖν ἐπαγγελλόμενον διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἔλεον, ἐπεὶ καὶ κάρφος ἐλαίας τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ περισωθεῖσιν ἡ περιστερὰ κεκόμικεν.

Ἐβαπτίσθη Ἰωάννης τὴν χεῖρα ἐπιθεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν τοῦ δεσπότου κορυφὴν καὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι.

Οὐ χρὴ ὑπερτίθεσθαι τὸ βάπτισμα, ὅτε δι' ἔργων ἡ πίστις τῶν προσιόντων μαρτυρηθῇ. Ὁ ἐν δόλῳ προσιὼν τῷ βαπτίσματι κατακριθήσεται μᾶλλον ἢ ὠφεληθήσεται.