Какое содействие оказывает ей Божественное крещение

That sacred life is formed by sacred sacraments is shown in the previous one, but now look at how each of the sacraments introduces this life. For life in Christ is the very union with Christ, and how each sacrament unites those who receive it with Christ, we will talk about this. To unite with Christ, for which the Savior came, is in every possible way possible for those who come to Him, for the sake of which they endure everything and become like Himself. He united with flesh and blood, pure from all sin and from the beginning being God by nature, He deified what He became later, that is, human nature, and when dying, He died both in the flesh and was resurrected. And so, whoever wants to unite with Him must also accept His flesh and participate in deification and partake of the tomb and resurrection. And then we are baptized in order to die by His death and rise again by His resurrection; Let us be anointed in order to become partners with Him in the royal anointing of deification. When we feed on the most sacred Bread and drink the divine Cup, we communicate with that very flesh and that very blood that was received by the Savior and thus unite with Him who became Incarnate for us and who was Deified and Who Died and Resurrected. Why do we not maintain the same order as He did, but begin from where He left off and end where He began? Because He came down so that we could ascend, and although the same path lay ahead, His business was to descend, and we ascend, just as on a ladder what was last for Him when He descended becomes first for us when we ascend. It cannot be otherwise because of the case itself. For baptism is birth, myrrh is the cause of action and movement in us, and the bread of life and the cup of thanksgiving are food and true drink. Before birth you cannot move or eat. In addition, Baptism reconciles a person with God, the ointment honors gifts from Him, and the power of the meal imparts the Flesh of Christ and Blood to the recipient of the sacrament. Before reconciliation, it is impossible to stand together with others and receive the gifts that are appropriate for them, and it is impossible for those who are subject to the evil one and sins to drink the Blood without sin and eat the Flesh. That’s why we first wash ourselves, then we anoint ourselves, and thus, when we are already clean and fragrant, we eat the meal. Enough about this. Let's look at each of the sacraments, what assistance they provide to sacred life and, firstly, at Baptism - what it can bring into our lives. To be baptized means to be born in Christ and to receive the very being and existence of those who do not yet exist. This can be understood in many ways. And firstly, from order, because we approach this sacrament before other sacraments and before others it introduces Christians into a new life, secondly - from the names by which we call it, and thirdly - from what is performed and sung in it. From the very beginning, the order was established to first wash, then, anointed with myrrh, proceed to the sacred meal, which serves as strong proof that the font is the beginning of life, the foundation of life, and similar preparations. Therefore, Christ Himself, since with everything else that He accepted for us, it was necessary for Him to be baptized, accepts Baptism before anything else. And the names of this sacrament can lead to anything else? We call it birth (gennesis), and rebirth (anagennesis), and re-creation (anaplasis), and seal (sphragis), in addition, baptism is a vestment (endymi), and anointing (chrisma), and a gift (charisma), and enlightenment (photisma), and a font (loytron) - yet this has the same meaning, that this sacrament for those who exist and live according to God is the beginning their existence. For birth, apart from this concept, of course, cannot mean anything else, and rebirth and re-creation mean one thing: that those who have already been born and those created are born another time, and those who have lost the image are now returned to their former form by a second birth, just as an artist, having given the form to the substance of a broken statue, revives the image and recreates it. Because the very work of Baptism in us is a form and an image, for it draws a form and imprints an image on our souls, revealing them to be consistent with the death and resurrection of the Savior, which is why it is called a seal, since it forms in the likeness of a royal image and a blessed form, since this appearance clothes the substance and hides ugliness, therefore we call this sacrament clothing and immersion (Baptisma). And Paul, explaining that clothing and the seal indicate this sacrament, sometimes says that Christ is written and imagined in Christians, sometimes that he clothes them like clothing. It is also said about the one who receives the sacrament that he is clothed and immersed. The first is in the letter to the Galatians: “My children, even though I am sick, until Christ is imagined in you” (Gal.4:19), and “Jesus Christ was predestined to be crucified in you” (Gal.3:1); another in the same letter: “As many as were baptized into Christ, put on Christ” (Gal.3:27). For gold and silver and copper, until they flow, melting from the fire, present only substance to the eye, which is why they are called gold or copper, which serves as a name for the substance. When it is compressed into a certain form by educational forms, then, first of all, it is no longer a substance that appears to the eye, but a certain form, like clothing on the body, which is why it receives some special name, for it is already called a statue or a ring, or something similar, which no longer means a substance, but only a form and an image. That is why, perhaps, the saving day of Baptism is called among Christians the day of naming (onomasterios), because then we are formed and imprinted, and our life, which does not have an image and a specific form, receives both a form and a limit. Otherwise, being then known by the One who knows his own and, as Paul says, “having known God, and having been known more than by God” (Gal. 4:9), we hear on that day the signifying word - naming, since then we are truly known, for to be known (gnosthenai) by God means to be truly famous (gnorimos). Why did David say about those who have nothing to do with this life: “I will not remember their names in my mouth” (Ps. 15:4), for those who have placed themselves far from this light are unknown and unseen. For neither to the eyes, without light, is anything clear that can be seen, nor to God is anyone aware who does not happen to receive a ray from there. And the reason is that in fact, that which does not exist clearly for this light does not exist at all, as in this word: “The Lord knows His own” (2 Tim. 2:19), and in another place He says that “He does not know foolish virgins” (Matthew 25:12). Baptism is enlightenment (photisma) because, delivering true being, it makes us known to God and leads us to that light, removing us from dark evil. That is why it is a font, because it is enlightenment, because it allows the light to communicate directly, when the Divine Ray destroys all impurity that obscures our souls as a kind of mediastinum. And it is a gift (charisma) because it is birth, for who can pay anything for his birth? Therefore, if anyone wants to judge and see how it happens with natural birth, we cannot bring in the very desire for the benefits of Baptism. For we desire what we can think about, but this does not even enter a person’s heart and it is impossible to reason about it until we know it through experience. For hearing about the promised freedom and kingdom, we think about some kind of prosperous life that can be embraced by human thought, but in fact this is something completely different, higher than our thoughts and desires. It is anointing (chrima) because it writes Christ, anointed for us, into us who receive the sacrament; it is also a seal (sphragis), imprinting the Savior himself. For the anointing from everywhere, in its own image, penetrating into the body of the recipient and being assimilated by it, makes the anointed one marked and shows his appearance and truly constitutes a seal. From what has been said, it is clear that from birth it can be called a seal, as well as from the seal - clothing and immersion, since the gift of grace, enlightenment, and the font refer to the same thing, like creation and birth, it is clear that every name of baptism means one thing: that the font is the birth and beginning of our new life in Christ. And that what is performed and pronounced in the sacrament has the same meaning, this will be obvious to those who examine the sacrament in detail. It is clear that he who approaches the sacrament before receiving the sacrament has not yet been reconciled with God, has not yet been freed from ancient reproach. For when he begins, he who performs the sacrament, before doing anything mysterious, prays for his release from the possessing demon and not only talks with God about him, but also slanders the devil and, scourging him, drives him out. And the scourge for him is “a name greater than any name” (Phil. 2:9). It is impossible for him to be a living son and heir who is still a slave to the tormentor, for whoever is with the evil one is, of course, completely removed from God, and this means to be completely dead. Therefore, since life has not yet been received at all, the performer of the sacrament approaches and blows on the face, for breathing from the beginning is a sign of life. And everything else is in accordance with this, for everything is characteristic of those who, as it were, have recently rebelled and turn away from the present and what is at hand, and turn to something else. For they must, in relation to the worlds, despise one, and honor the other, and in relation to life, abandon one, begin to live by the other, and in relation to the leaders of life, avoid one in every possible way, and strive for the other with all zeal. And so, from the fact that the present is rejected, it is clearly seen what the unchanged is still denying, and by the fact that through this sacrament he receives what seems best to him and what he preferred to the present, he shows that through Baptism he begins a praiseworthy life. For when he enters a sacred house, he puts aside his clothes and unties his sandals, with clothes and sandals that will help him in life, signifying the former life. Then, looking to the west, he blows breath from his lips, a sign of life in darkness, stretches out his hands and pushes away the evil one, as if he were here and advancing, and spits on him as unclean and disgusting, and denies all enemy and infidel alliances and to all destruction of guilty alliances, and dissolves the completely bitter commonwealth and declares enmity to him. And then he runs from the darkness and runs to the day, and turning to the east, seeks the sun and, freed from the hands of the tormentor, bows to the king and, rejecting the alien, recognizes his master and prays to submit to him and serve him with all his soul, and first of all to believe in him as God, to know about him what is necessary. For the beginning of a blessed life is true knowledge of God: “for you know...,” says Solomon, “the root is immortality” (Wis. 15:3), since, on the contrary, ignorance of God brought death in the beginning. For since Adam, not knowing Divine love for mankind, thought that the Good One was envious, and, forgetting about wisdom, thought to hide from the Wise One, and, despising the Master, clung to the runaway slave and for this he was expelled from paradise and lost his life and was subjected to sorrows and died, therefore he who hastens to life and to God must in every possible way be brought to the knowledge of God. And by completely exposing and laying down the last tunic, we show that we are touching the path leading to paradise and to the life of paradise. For Adam, having reached nakedness from that blessed garment, came from it to that wretched garment, and we, moving from those leather garments to nakedness and going out to the very middle, openly set out to return to the same path and hasten to the royal garment; and from where and for what purpose Adam descended into this world, through the same thing we come out of here. Perhaps the nakedness also serves as a sign that we are now purely approaching the true light, without being covered by anything that gives rise to the darkness of death and everything that obscures that blessed ray from human souls, just as clothes form a certain barrier between that light and bodies. Equally, anointing with oil can be a sign of something else, it can refer to the following. Let us remember Jacob's stone, which he anointed with oil and brought to God; let us also remember the kings and priests who were sanctified by him for society and God and who lived not at all for themselves, but for God and society, for which they were appointed. And we surrender our own lives and ourselves to God, and this means, having rejected the ancient form, we become like it. And besides this, this symbol is quite characteristic and befitting of the name of a Christian, for we are anointed and wish to become like Christ, who anointed humanity with Divinity, therefore by this anointing we are communicated to his anointing; and that this anointing is a sign of this anointing is shown by the one performing the sacrament in the words that he sings when anointing the one approaching the sacrament. For these are the words with which David indicates this anointing and the Kingdom. For the priest says: This one, meaning the one receiving the sacrament, will be anointed with the oil of joy, and David said about the Savior: “O God, your God has anointed you with the oil of joy more than your partakers” (Ps. 45:8), calling us partakers, whom out of love for mankind he makes partakers of the Kingdom. To this day we are not yet alive, for for the one who receives the sacrament, all this serves as a sign and some preliminary and preparation for life. After the one who receives the sacrament, having hidden himself in the water, rises from it three times with the invocation of the Trinity, he immediately receives everything he desires: he is born and created by the birth of the day and creation, as David said, and receives a beautiful seal and has every desired well-being and becomes light, having previously been darkness, and what was previously nothing begins to exist and is adopted and given sonship to God, from bonds and extreme slavery being elevated to the royal throne. For this water destroys one life and creates another, and kills the old man and restores the new. For those who have experienced this, it is clear from the deeds themselves, then what is visible during the sacrament in everything represents the expression of this. For when a person immerses himself in water and hides himself, he apparently flees life in the air, and to flee life means to die; when it rises again, it apparently strives for life in contact with air and light and immediately receives it. That is why we invoke the Creator here, because what is happening is the beginning of life, the second creation, much better than the first. For the image is painted more carefully than before, and the statue is formed into the clearest Divine form. Therefore, it must be that the Prototype, it was indicated, is now more perfect. For those who baptize, calling on God at the font, do not proclaim the commonality of the Trinity in the name of God, which is not entirely clear and separate for those who theologize, but carefully and accurately indicate the properties of each of the hypostases. Also for the following reason, for although the Trinity, out of a single love for mankind, saved the human race, at the same time they say that each of the Blessed hypostases brought to this some kind of their own assistance. For the Father was reconciled, the Son reconciled, and the Holy Spirit became a gift to those who had already become different. One has liberated, the other is the price for which we are liberated, and the Spirit is freedom: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17), says Paul. And One created, by the Other we were created, and the Spirit gives life, therefore in the first creation the Trinity was depicted as if in the canopy. One created, Another was a hand for the Creator, and the Comforter was the spirit for the One who breathes life. And why am I saying this? Is God distinguished in one of the Divine actions? Of the many things with which God has blessed creation from time immemorial, you will not find anything that relates only to the Father or the Son or the Spirit, but everything is common to the Trinity, since everything is accomplished by one power and providence and creativity. In the economy and restoration of our race, this was new, which both the whole Trinity desired our salvation and provided for how this should happen, but not all of it acts. For the Finisher is neither the Father nor the Spirit, but one Word and One Only Begotten partook of flesh and blood and suffered beatings, and mourned, and died, and was resurrected, by which nature was quickened and Baptism was established, this new birth and re-creation. And so those who receive the sacred recreation, which alone showed God divided, must call on God at the Divine font, dividing the Hypostases (in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit). And at baptism, what do we remember if not the economy and especially this? Truly, but not by what we say, but by what we do. For when a person, having immersed himself three times, emerges from the water, who does not see that this indicates the three-day death of the Savior and resurrection, which constitutes the end of the entire economy? It is not in vain, I think, that we proclaim the doctrine of God, but show the economy in silence by deeds. For one was from the beginning and comes into the knowledge of people through the voice, and the other was accomplished and was visible to the eyes of people and even tangible with their hands. Why did blessed John, knowing that both are one and the same in relation to the twofold Savior, saying: “from the first we heard,” he added, “with our eyes we saw, and with our hands we touched the words of animals” (1 John 1:1). In addition, one must only believe in the teaching about God, and faith is revealed in words, for it is said: “with the heart... we believe in righteousness, but with our lips we confess for salvation” (Rom. 10:10), and the economy must be imitated and demonstrated in deeds. For we must, as it is said, “follow the steps” (1 Peter 2:21) of Him who died and rose again for us. Therefore, we depict the Trinity with a voice, and we write passion and death on the body with water, transforming ourselves into that blessed form and image. It is not implicit from what has been said that in everything concerning Baptism: both in its order and in the names by which we call it, and in what is performed and sung during it, we recognize that life in Christ receives the beginning of being from the font. It remains to consider what the very existence of life means. For since we lose one thing and become another, we reject one and preserve another, then when it becomes clear what both consist of, it will also be clear what it means to exist in Christ. So, one is sin, the other is truth, one is the old man, the other is the new. Let's think about this more carefully. Since sin is twofold and manifests itself in both, it occurs in actions and consists of a habit, and the action itself does not remain for a long time and does not remain, but as soon as it is committed, it no longer exists; just as an arrow flies along with the blow itself, it leaves a wound on those subject to its action: images of evil and shame, and guilt in judgment. And the habit of bad actions, like a disease that sticks to souls from a bad life, is constant and binds the soul with insoluble bonds and enslaves thought and produces all the worst things, drawing those captive by it to the worst actions, from which it itself is born and which constantly gives birth, being born and, giving birth at the same time, as if in a circle. From this it happens that sin is endless when habit gives rise to actions, and from the multiplication of actions habit increases. And thus, with the constant mutual success of both evils, “sin lived and I died” (Rom. 7:9-10), since evil did not begin yesterday and now, but since we have existed. For since Adam, believing the evil one, despised the Good Master and perverted his will, since then the soul has destroyed his health and well-being, which is why the body came into harmony and conformity with the soul and was transformed like an organ by the hand of an artist. For the soul communicates with the body through the closest union of passions, and the sign of this is that the body blushes when the soul is ashamed, and the body grows dull when the soul is preoccupied. Since our nature comes and the human race multiplies, originating from that first body, then evil is transmitted to the bodies that come from it, like anything else natural, since the body does not only receive harm in passing from the passions of the soul, but and participates in them (for the soul both rejoices and grieves, and some are chaste and free, judging by one or another disposition of the body), it follows that the soul of everyone inherits the evil of the first Adam, from his soul transferred to the body, from his body to the bodies that came from him, and from these bodies passing on to the souls. And this is the old man; Having received it, this seed of evil, from our ancestors along with existence itself, we do not know even one day pure from sin, we will not even breathe a single breath free from evil, but as the prophet says, “we are alienated... from falsehood, we went astray from the womb” (Ps. 57:4), we did not stop at this unfortunate inheritance, the sin of our ancestors, and were not satisfied with the disasters that we inherited, but we added so much evil and multiplied the evil wealth that the latter covers up the first and the imitators are much worse than the models. And, most importantly, no one receives rest from evil, but the disease continues constantly and, perhaps for this reason, it is impossible for the human race to be sufficient to heal itself, because it has never tasted freedom, and without experiencing it, it cannot even come to desire it and receive a disposition towards it and resist torment. From these gravest bonds, from this condemnation from illness, from death, the font frees you so easily that it does not require time, so completely and completely that it leaves no trace, and not only frees you from evil, but also provides the opposite disposition. For by the very fact that the Master Himself died, he gave us the power to put to death sin, and since he rose again, he made us heirs of a new life. For this death, since it was death, kills the evil life, since it is execution, frees from punishment for sins of which everyone is guilty according to their evil actions. And thus the font shows us clean from every sinful disposition and action, since it makes us partakers of this life-giving death. Insofar as we partake of the resurrection through the font, Christ gives us another life and forms our members and imparts the strength that is needed for those striving for the future life. For through this I am completely freed from crimes and immediately receive health, especially because this is the work of God alone, who does not apply to time and who not only now does good to the human race, so that it does not have enough time for this, but has already done good to it. For the Lord does not now bear punishment for what we have sinned, not now does he prepare healing and form members and invest strength, but he has already formed, and invested, and prepared. For since he ascended the cross, and died, and was resurrected, the freedom of people has been restored, appearance and beauty have been established, a new image and new members have been prepared, now you only need to come and begin to grace. And this can provide us with a font: for the dead - life, for the bound - freedom, for the damaged - a blessed image. The price has been paid, now you just need to go free, the myrrh has been poured out, and its fragrance fills everything, all that remains is to inhale, you don’t even need to breathe, for the opportunity to breathe has been prepared by the Savior, as well as the opportunity to be destroyed and to be enlightened. For he not only shone light when he came into the world, but he also prepared the eye, not only poured out myrrh, but also bestowed feelings. Now this sacred font assimilates these feelings and powers to those being washed. For, like a substance that is formless and has no image, we are immersed in water and in it we suddenly receive this beautiful appearance. Therefore, all blessings are suddenly communicated to us. For everything is prepared: “My dinner,” it is said, “is prepared, my young men and the well-fed are worn out and all are ready: come to the marriages” (Matthew 22:4). All that remains is to come when invited to the holiday, and those who come, what else do they need for well-being? Absolutely nothing. For we will enter the next age with Christ already prepared, but now we enter to be prepared. Then you need to come already having everything, but in the present century even the insane are called to a feast and supper. Then it is impossible for the dead to rise, for the blind to see, for the damaged to be corrected, and in this life all that is needed is desire and will, and everything will follow; for it is said: “I came into the world, that they may have life” (John 10:10), and: “I came into the world as light” (John 12:46). And this is indescribable love for mankind, that he, having accomplished everything with which he freed us, left something for us with which we can come to freedom, namely, to believe in salvation through Baptism and desire to come to him, so that for this everything would be imputed to us, both that with which he himself benefited us, and that for which he paid the debt for us. And when the washed ones then happen to quickly depart from life, taking nothing with them except the seal, he calls them to crowns, as if they had labored for the sake of this Kingdom. Why Baptism liberates and how it changes souls, this is what is said. Since He also bestows some life for the sake of the Risen One, let us see what kind of life it is. It is fitting for it not to be the same as we lived before, but better than the former, characteristic of nature. For if we have the former even now, why should we die? If different, but having the same power, this would not mean resurrection. If angelic, what does it have to do with them? For man fell, and for a fallen man to become an angel after his rebellion is not the same as being recreated as a man. Just as if a statue is crushed and a non-human image is superimposed on the copper, but of a different type, this means producing something different, and not recreating the statue. From this it follows that this life is human and new and better than the former; and all this corresponds to the one life of the Savior. It is new, since it has nothing in common with the old, it is the best as far as one can imagine, for it is God’s; it is also characteristic of nature, for it was the life of man, and he who lived this life was both God and true man; and by human nature he was clean from all sin. Therefore, when we are reborn, it is absolutely necessary for us to receive the life of Christ, and therefore we come out of this water sinless. This also becomes clear from the following: birth in Baptism is the beginning of a future life and the acquisition of new members and feelings is preparation for life there. And one can prepare for the future in no other way than by having already received Christ here, who became the Father of the future age, just as Adam was of the present, for he brought people to life in corruption. For just as no one can live a human life if he does not receive the feelings of Adam and human strength for life, in the same way it is impossible for a living person to move into this blessed world unless he is prepared by life in Christ, and is not formed according to his form and in his image. Otherwise, the font is birth. He gives birth, we are born, and everyone who is born knows that the one who gives birth invests his life. There is something surprising in this, for not only those who have been washed, but also those who have not happened through the power of the sacraments to prepare for immortal life, and in general all people, will be adorned with ageless bodies and will rise incorruptible. For it is surprising that in the resurrection, which was introduced into the world by the death of Christ alone, those who have not received Baptism, through which we communicate with life-giving death, will participate. For if they ran away from the doctor and did not accept benefits and rejected the only healing, what remains for them, what remains for them sufficient for immortality? And it seems more fitting to be one of the two: either that everyone without exception should receive everything that the deceased Christ was the cause of for us, and that they should rise with him and cohabit with him and reign with him and have any other well-being, if he has no need of ours; or, if we also need to bring something, it would seem more appropriate that those who did not bring faith in the Savior would not be resurrected. The following needs to be said about this. Resurrection is the restoration of nature, this God grants to tuna. For just as he creates us, although we did not desire it, so he recreates us, although we did not bring anything in before. This kingdom and the contemplation of God and union with Christ is the pleasure of desire. Therefore, it is available only to those who have desired and loved and desired. For it is proper for them to enjoy when what they desire comes, but it is impossible for those who do not want it. For how can he enjoy and be comforted by receiving something for which he had no desire in his absence, since he can then neither desire nor seek, because he does not see this beauty and, as the Lord says, “cannot accept, for he does not see him, but knows him” (John 14:17), since he passed into this life blind and deprived of all feeling and power with which it is possible to know the Savior and love and desire to be with him and have the strength to do so. Therefore, one should not be surprised if everyone lives immortally, but not everyone is blessed, because everyone enjoys God’s providence about nature equally, and only those who are pious in relation to God enjoy the gifts that steal desire. And the reason is that God desires every good for everyone and equally distributes his gifts to everyone: both those with whom he benefits, and those with whom he corrects nature; and we all, even without wanting to, receive the blessings of God concerning our nature, because we cannot avoid them. For he does good to those who do not want to, and compels philanthropically, and even if we wanted to refuse the benefit, we cannot. Such is the gift of resurrection, for it is not in our will not to be born and after death whether to rise again or not to rise again. And what depends on human will, that is, the choice of good, remission of sins, correction of character, purity of soul, love - the reward for this is the final bliss. But it is in our power to receive it or to move away from it; why is it possible for those who want it, but how is it possible for those who do not want to enjoy it? For you cannot want against your will and be forced to desire, especially for the following reason. For inasmuch as one Lord freed our nature from corruption, our soul from sin, one by becoming the firstborn from the dead, the other by the fact that as a forerunner for us he entered into the Holy of Holies, since he killed sin and reconciled God with us and destroyed the mediastinum and dedicated himself for us, so that we too will be sacred indeed. It is clear that some are rightfully freed from corruption and sin, which communicate with him by desire and nature in one respect as people, in another as those who loved his appearance and passion, obeying his commands and desiring the same thing as him. And those who have one thing and did not receive the other - they happened to be people, but they did not happen to believe in the Savior for salvation and communicate with the Good will, these, because they have retreated in mind, naturally should be deprived of the remission of sins and crowns of righteousness, and there is no longer an obstacle for them to receive this freedom and rise again, since they have the same nature as man - Christ. For Baptism is the cause only of the divine life in Christ, and not of mere life. For simply immortal life is imparted to all equally by Christ’s death and resurrection. Therefore, resurrection is a gift common to all people, and remission of sins and crowns in heaven and the Kingdom are received only by those who provide auxiliary assistance, who here position themselves as they need to be for this life and the bridal chamber. They are born again because from the new Adam they shine with kindness and retain the beauty that the font gave them, because he is “more beautiful in kindness than all the sons of men” (Ps. 45:3), and they hold their heads straight, like the Olympic wrestlers, because he is a crown; they have hearing because he is the Word; have eyes because he is the sun; have a sense of smell, because the Bridegroom is the ointment and the ointment poured out; They are also honest in their dress for the sake of marriage. Yes it will! This also leads to another question that is unfair to ignore. For if it is necessary to desire and believe and come to the gifts of baptism, and this alone makes one capable of receiving birth, and to move away from this means to move away from all this bliss, then those who renounced after acceptance and lied in the previous mind and turned away from Christ, but, having learned what they sinned in, resort to the church, it would seem that one should again bring them to the font and again perform the sacrament over them, as over who have lost everything, and yet, according to the sacred law, having anointed their bodies with divine myrrh and adding nothing more, they are included in the number of the faithful - what can we say about this? Since we need two things for piety according to God: first to receive the eyes through the sacraments, then to use them and look at that ray, then those who betray Christianity lose the second, but the first remains, that is, the ability to look and the means to this. And the reason is that those who wish can conveniently refuse this, for our business is either to turn to the sun or close our eyes from its ray, but it is impossible for us to tear out the eye itself and completely spoil its structure. For if we cannot destroy any of the powers of the soul with which nature gave us birth, much less can we destroy that which God directly put into us when regenerating us. Inasmuch as the most powerful thing in us, whatever it is, forms and puts in a font, whether it be the self-law of reason and will, or otherwise what should be called that to which every power of the soul submits and that controls its movement, but which nothing can subjugate and change: not even itself, for there is nothing better than it, and even God cannot change it. For not one of these gifts is taken away from us, “for it is unrepentant,” it is said, “the gifts... of God” (Rom. 11:29), and in a word, being infinite in goodness, he desires and bestows upon us every good, without violating the most essential advantage—our free will. Such is the benefit of Baptism, For it does not constrain the will and does not hold back; but although it is power, nothing prevents those who use it from remaining wicked, just as the possession of a healthy eye does not prevent those who desire it from living in darkness, and this is self-evident, for the clear witnesses are those who, after they had already washed themselves and received everything from Baptism, fell into extreme wickedness and malice. Therefore, since the forces invested during the second creation are not taken away, the priest does not wash them, as they do not need it, but by anointing them, imparts to them the spiritual grace of piety and fear of God and love, and the like, which can revive in them the former will. For such gifts are imparted by the myrrh to those who receive it. Enough about this, let’s move on to what’s next. From what has been said, it is obvious that those reborn through Baptism live the life of Christ. What is the life of Christ, that is, what is the disposition of the soul that is obtained in Baptism and by which those washed are communicated with the life of Christ, this is not yet clear; most of this is beyond human understanding. For these are “the powers of the age to come,” as Paul says (Heb. 6:5), and preparation for that life. Without going out into the light, one cannot know the virtues of the eyes and the pleasantness of flowers; and those who sleep, while they sleep, cannot know about the affairs of those who are awake: in the same way, and regarding new members and powers, which can be fully used only in a future life, it is impossible in this life to find out what they are like and what beauty there is in them. For for this it is necessary that the light should correspond to beauty. And the fact that we are members of Christ is the work of Baptism, and the lordship of the members and their beauty lies in the head; It is clear that members are not good if they are not connected to the head. The head of these members is hidden in the present, and will appear only in the future life, then the members will shine and open, since they will shine together with the head. Pointing to this, Paul says: “You died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God; When Christ appears to you, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:3-4). And blessed John: “It did not appear that we would; When he appears, we will be like him” (1 John 3:2). Therefore, it is impossible even for the most blessed to know the power of this life perfectly, but for the most part they also admit that they do not know it, but know it only in fortune telling, in the mirror, in part, and what they can know, they cannot explain in any word. But the feeling and knowledge of this, although possible for the pure in heart, is impossible to find such a word or speech that would correspond to what is known, and for those who do not know it would be a sign of a blissful disposition of the soul. For this is what the apostle heard when he was caught up into paradise and into the third heaven, “unspeakable,” he says, “the words of which a man may speak not to fly” (2 Cor. 12:4). And what is known and can be said in words and serves as a revelation of life and the hidden, these are the successes of those who accepted the sacrament, the new character of those washed, who retained their degree; Their virtue is supernatural and superior to human laws, which neither wisdom, nor exploits, nor nature, nor anything else human can produce. For sometimes the soul strives for something that is impossible for people to imagine, and the body does not absorb its desires, but undertakes such labors as the soul desires; but since the strength of the soul and body is limited, neither the soul nor the body can endure all the labor, and it happens, where it could be won, the soul renounces and the body becomes exhausted. But nothing holds back these blessed souls and bodies, but no matter what labors they see, no matter what thoughts the free mind invents, they endure everything and are courageous in everything, and shall we not say the strangest? They cannot bear it and there is no need for courage for them. For it is not out of hope for higher rewards and a better life that they despise the present life, that is, it is not by the decision of anyone or reasoning that they have reached this boldness and do not endure against their will, as sick people endure fire or a doctor’s knife, but the most amazing thing is that they love their wounds, love their labors, they consider death itself desirable, even if nothing was promised ahead. Some desired swords, torment and death and, having experienced them, received an even greater desire; others wanted to lead a sorrowful life, to work and live without any indulgence and consider dying daily as their food, and the body contributed to this and helped those who struggle against the laws of the body. And these are not two, not three, or a hundred, and not just men, and not just men of age, but thousands and multitudes, exceeding the number, and, moreover, people of all ages. This is especially clear in the martyrs. For from among them, both those who were believers before the persecution, and those to whom Christ gave true life during the very persecution, unanimously revealed their faith in Christ before the persecutors and confessed it to them and wished for death and unanimously called on the tormentors, and as if for something good, women, and virgins, and men, and children, and people of every class and kind of life alike aspired. For this must be added, because there are many differences between people, for the one who leads a working life does not endure the same deeds and labors, and the one who leads a luxurious life, and the warrior and the courtier do not look at the sword and death with the same eyes. But none of this could prevent this wondrous attraction and did not prevent everyone from equally reaching the heights of wisdom, but since there was one power that gives birth and creates everyone, then everyone reached the final limit of virtue, they honored the good and loved it above the laws of nature, while others, for its sake, despised their very soul. For theatrical women, and depraved men, and similar people accepted the word of our common salvation and changed “and were transformed, coming into beautiful harmony and just as quietly and just as easily, as if changing a mask. It happened that many in this community who had not yet been washed received perfection, whom, when they had not yet been baptized with water, were baptized by the Bridegroom of the church Himself. To many he sent a cloud from heaven and water from the earth beyond expectation and thus baptized them, and recreated most of them in secret. For just as the deprivation of Christ is filled by the members of the church (Col. 1:24), Paul or someone else like him, so there is nothing strange if the deprivation of the Church is filled by the head of the church. For if there is something in which the members seem to help the head, how much more fair is it for the head herself to supply what the members lack? This is how it happens. But we need to turn the word back to what it was before. That power that is bold in boldness, ardent in desire and can finally achieve what they desired cannot be found in human nature and cannot be explained by reason, and since it exists, then of necessity it is necessary to honor the grace of Baptism as the reason for this, therefore let us see in what way the font carries this out in them. It is clear that only those who love undertake these labors and exploits, and that the arrows of Christ and love lead them to this new law. And what is the cause of love and where the fire came from, we will discuss this now. For knowledge is the cause of love and it gives birth to it, and no one can receive love for a good unless he knows what beauty it has. Since it sometimes happens to cognize it completely and completely, sometimes imperfectly, then it is natural for love to be the same. And from the beautiful and good, what is perfectly cognized is loved completely and in accordance with such beauty; and what is not entirely clear to those who love, love is weak. So, it becomes obvious that the font imparted to them some knowledge of God and a feeling of him, and that they clearly knew goodness and felt goodness and experienced his beauty. I say that those who are taught can learn more completely from experience than from teaching. For since our knowledge of objects is twofold: one that a person acquires through hearing, the other when he knows it by himself, in the first way we do not embrace the object itself, but see it in words, as if in some image and, moreover, not in the image of its own kind. For in what exists it is impossible to find in everything an image similar to it, which would be sufficient for those who use it to know it. And to experience oneself means to encounter the object itself, which is why here the very sight enters the soul and arouses desire, like a trace commensurate with beauty. Just as the distinctive feature of an object is lost, which is why it is generalized with others, we receive an unclear and vague image of it and with it we commensurate the desire for the object; therefore, we do not love it as much as it should be loved and do not tolerate as much as it can act on us (because we have not tried its kind). For just as the different type of existence of each object puts a different thought into the soul, so the same thing happens with desire. Doesn’t the same thing happen in us with love for the Savior? When nothing new and higher is discovered, it is clear that we will be left with only the sounds that we have received about him, from which is it possible to know him well, when nothing like him can be found, there is nothing in common between him and others, no example with which he could be compared, nor the one to whom he serves as an example - how can we know his beauty and love him worthy of this beauty? And those who have such a desire, so that they transgress the limits of nature, desire and can do more than what is typical for people to desire, these were wounded by the Bridegroom Himself (Song. 2:5, 5:8); He himself showed their eyes a certain ray of beauty. For the size of the wound indicates the arrow, and the arrow indicates the one who wounded. And in this way the New Testament differs from the Old and in this it has an advantage, for then the word was taught, but now Christ Himself, who has come, in some indescribable way arranges and forms the souls of people. For through words and doctrine and laws it is impossible for people to achieve the desired end. If it were possible to achieve through the word, there would be no need for works and, moreover, supernatural ones - in the incarnation of God, in his crucifixion and death. This is obvious, first of all, in the very fathers of our piety - the apostles. For although every teaching was taught to them, and, moreover, the teaching of the Savior Himself, and they were eyewitnesses of everything: what gifts he imparted to nature, and what he endured for people, and how he was resurrected after death, and how he ascended into heaven, and, knowing all this, they did not show anything new, or courageous, or spiritual, or better than before, until they were baptized. When they received Baptism and the Comforter descended into their souls, they became new and received new life and began to lead others and attracted themselves and others to the love of Christ. For although they were with the Sun and shared both life and teaching, they still did not have the sensation of the ray until they received the spiritual font: in a similar way God subsequently performed all the saints. And they knew him and loved him not only with words, being convinced, but being disposed to this by the power of the font, when the Beloved Himself recreated and transformed them, who creates, pouring out the heart of flesh, insensible, and writes, but, as Paul says, “not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of the heart of flesh” (2 Cor. 3:3), and not only the law, but Himself Legislator, Himself. This was most clearly revealed to many of the saints, who, when they could not know the truth from words, nor did they understand the power of what was proclaimed from miracles, were suddenly shown to zealous Christians by the font they had accepted. Thus, blessed Porfiry, who was in those days when the law of Christ ruled the entire Universe and the voice of the preachers was heard by all people, and the trophies of martyrdom were erected everywhere, testifying more clearly than words to the true Divinity of Christ, and having heard the teaching a thousand times, and having been a witness of such ascetics and miracles, remained in error and revered lies instead of the truth. When he was baptized, and moreover, as a joke, in a game, he not only suddenly became a Christian, but also became a martyr. For he was a comedian and, while doing this business, he dared to take this bold step in order to arouse laughter and present Baptism at the spectacle and baptized himself, descending into the water at the theater and proclaiming the Trinity. Some laughed, to whom it seemed like a theatrical performance, but for him what happened was not laughter or a shadow, but a true birth and re-creation and that very thing that constitutes a sacrament. For instead of a comedian he came out with a martyr's soul, a courageous body, as if accustomed to philosophy and exploits, a tongue that had extracted anger from the tyrant instead of laughter. And he, who spent his life in the game, became so jealous, and he so desired Christ that, having endured many torments, he died with joy, not even changing his love with his tongue. In the same way, Gelasius loved Christ and came to know him in the same way, and it seems the same, both one and the other came with hostility, but when the persecuted one opened the eyes of his soul and showed his own beauty, he was immediately amazed at the beauty and showed a completely opposite direction and became an admirer instead of an enemy. For this love was a delight, because it carried those captives beyond human limits; and showing this, the Prophet says; many will be terrified of you, when, speaking to Christ about the cross and death, he said: “As many will be terrified of you, so will your appearance be dishonored by men and your beauty by the sons of men” (Is. 52:14). The courageous Ardalion crossed himself, wanting to please the audience instead of any other game; for he was ridiculous and gave those present other pleasures of the same kind. And he was baptized, not in symbols and images imitating the passion of the Savior, but in action itself. He pretended to make a kind and martyr's confession, and for the sake of a joke he was lifted up naked into a tree while playing. When he pronounced the name of Christ and felt the blows, he suddenly changed and the soul moved into agreement with the voice, and the will into conformity with the fictitious idea. And truly he became what he jokingly called himself - a Christian, and this was a matter of comic blows and feigned words, and having said that he loved Christ, he immediately loved him, when love, like fire, he breathed from his lips into his very heart. And for others, good comes from a good treasure - the heart comes to the lips - for Ardalion, the treasure of the heavenly rivers (John 7:38) passed into the heart from the lips. Oh, the ineffable power of Christ! For he did not attract him to himself with good deeds, nor with the distribution of crowns, nor with good hopes, but by making him an accomplice in blows and dishonor, he chose and exalted him so that he convinced him of what he had previously not tolerated and heard. Suddenly he changed the habits that a long time had ingrained in him, he directed his will in a completely opposite direction, turning it from the worst and most evil to the best of all, for nothing can be more depraved than a comedian and nothing more philosophical than a martyr. What do they have in common? And for natural reason, what is the consonance that wounds and dishonor give birth to love and that through the very reason for which even a believer should avoid Christianity - to catch the enemy and subdue him to the very thing to which he himself was the enemy? Who, by inflicting illness, hopes by this to convince someone who is trying to hate to love, and instead of an enemy and persecutor, by this means to prepare for himself a friend and zealot? Therefore, the word of teaching seems to have no power, but everything is accomplished by the power of Baptism. For Ardalion also heard the word of our common salvation and was an eyewitness of many miracles of the martyrs who boldly fought with him, but nevertheless he was blind and was an enemy of the light until he was baptized, receiving the signs of Christ and confessing a good confession. For the purpose of baptism is to imitate the confession of Christ before Pilate and firmness in it even to the cross and death, and this can be imitated in images and in these sacred symbols, it can be done by deeds themselves, showing service among dangers when circumstances call for it. Of the many healings invented in all ages for the sick human race, the death of Christ alone can bring true life and health and therefore be reborn by a new birth and live a blessed life, and achieving health is nothing other than to drink this medicine and, as far as is possible for people, confess the confession and endure passion and die the death. Such is the power of the new law, this is how a Christian is born, in this way he achieves a wonderful wisdom, clinging to wonderful works, having unshakable faith, not believing out of necessity of obedience, not arranging his morals according to the requirements of the laws, but receiving both from the power of God and through both of them being transformed into the blessed form of Christ. “The kingdom of God is not in words,” it is said, “but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20), and “the word... of the cross... is the power of God to those who are saved” (1 Cor. 1:18), therefore this law is spiritual, because everything is done by the spirit, and it is written because it stops at the writing and sounds, because of which it is both the shadow and the image, and the deed and the truth are in the present. For words and writing had the meaning of an image until the deeds were realized. Before they came to fruition, God, through the mouth of the prophets, proclaimed them for a long time. “I bequeath,” he says, “a new covenant, not according to the covenant, but it was bequeathed by their father,” but what kind is it? This,” he says, “is a covenant, I bequeath it to the house of Israel and the house of Judah, giving my laws in their thoughts, and I will write them on their hearts, not by proclaiming it with my voice, but I will write it directly by I, the Lawgiver Himself. And he will not teach, - it is also said, - every man his brother and every man his neighbor: “Know the Lord, for thou shalt know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest of them” (Jer. 31:34). About this, perhaps, the law and David let out this blessed voice: “I have known that the Lord is great” (Ps. 134:5), - I knew, he says, by experience, and not by listening to the teaching of others: why, in addition, attracting others, he says: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 33:9). Although the blessed one sings of the goodness of God in many and all kinds of words, but since words cannot show the essence, he calls on the listeners themselves to experience what is being sung. This experience of the font puts into the souls of those being baptized and makes the Creator’s creatures known, the truth known to the mind, and the desire known to the only Desired One. Therefore, the disposition is great, and the desire is inexpressible, and love is supernatural, because there is no lack of anything and communicates everything, refuses nothing and, besides this, provides every excess. Let's consider this. God has placed desire in souls, so that if they need to receive good, then they also need to think about the truth; However, we desire both in their perfect form: good without evil, truth without lies. For he who is deceived cannot rejoice, and he who is mistaken and receives evil instead of good cannot rejoice. Those who desire this do not always happen to receive it in perfect form, but with us good and truth are not the very thing that is called so, but often even the opposite of this. Why is it not clear to us here what the power of love and joy is, since there is nothing before us that needs to be loved and with which we can be consoled, neither the bonds of desire nor what fire is known to us. For nothing was coveted, but for those who tasted the Savior, coveted is that very thing to which, as if to some rule and limit, human love was adapted from the beginning, like a treasury so great and so vast that it can receive God into itself. But those who own all the blessings of life do not receive any satiation from them, nothing stops desire, but we will thirst for more, as if we had received nothing of what we desired. For the thirst of human souls needs some kind of boundless water, but how can this limited world be sufficient for it? And the Lord points to this, saying to the Samaritan wife: “He who drinks from this water becomes thirsty again. And whoever drinks of the water I will give him will never thirst again” (John 4:13–14). This water calms the desire of human souls. “I will be satisfied,” it is said, “to never be revealed to Your glory” (Ps. 16:15). For the eye is constructed in such a way that it is suitable for light, and the ear is suitable for voice, and what corresponds to what, but the desire of the soul strives for Christ alone. And this serves as reassurance for her, because he alone is the good and the truth and everything desired. Therefore, nothing prevents those who have achieved it from loving, as much as love has been put into the soul from the beginning, and rejoicing, as far as nature can rejoice, and if virtue and the water of rebirth have brought them anything. In relation to the blessings of life, neither love nor joy can be effective, since they are deceived by their name. Even if something seems beautiful, it is a false image of the truth. Here, since there is nothing preventing, amazing and inexpressible love and such joy are revealed that cannot be explained. Especially because God invested each of these dispositions of the soul for Himself, so that we would love it and rejoice in it alone. And we should, I think, maintain some respect for this infinite good and maintain proportionality in words about it. Let us see what his greatness is, and then what is the sign of his abundance. For for all the benefits that he has given us, he considers love to be the only reward and, if he receives it from us, he forgives the debt. And the very thing that God the Judge has is equivalent to countless benefits, how can we not call it supernatural? It is clear that the excess of love is completely equal to joy and the desire corresponds to satisfaction in everything and the most corresponds to the most. It is obvious that in human souls there is a great and amazing predisposition to love and joy, which then becomes completely effective when the truly joyful and beloved appears. And this very thing the Savior calls filled with joy (John 16:24). Therefore, when the Spirit descends on someone and imparts to him the fruits he has promised, the first place among them is taken by love and joy. “The fruit of the Spirit,” it is said, “is love, joy” (Gal. 5:22). The reason for this is that God gives such a first feeling of himself to the soul when he comes into it. The one who feels the good needs to love it and rejoice over it; why, having appeared physically to people, first of all, he demanded from us to know ourselves. And he taught this and brought this immediately, even more, for the sake of this feeling he came and for the sake of this he did everything. For he says: “For this purpose I was born, and for this purpose I came into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). And since he himself was the truth, he said almost like this: let me show me myself. He does this even now, coming to those who are baptized, and testifying to the truth, rejecting imaginary good, introducing and revealing what is true, and, as He Himself said, He Himself reveals Himself to them (John 14:21). And that this is true and that those who are washed in this font come to know God experimentally, this is revealed, as it is said, by their works. If evidence is needed, then although there are many who love God and they have great power in what they testify about, of all, John, whose soul is brighter than a ray and whose voice is more brilliant than gold, will suffice to answer for all. It is necessary to bring the sayings of a good language. “What does it mean: beholding the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into the same image? This was clearer when the gifts of miracles were in effect. However, it is not difficult for anyone who has eyes of faith to understand this even now. As soon as we are baptized, our soul, purified by the spirit, becomes brighter than the sun. And we not only look at the glory of God, but we ourselves receive radiance from it. Just as pure silver, lying against the rays of the sun, itself emits rays not only from its own nature, but also from the brilliance of the sun, so the soul, purified and made more brilliant than silver, receives a ray of glory from the Spirit into the glory available to us, which is due from the Lord’s Spirit.” And a little further: “Do you want me to show you this more clearly and closer to your feelings on the apostles? Think about Paul, whose clothing has effect, and about Peter, whose shadow has power. For if they did not wear the image of the King and the shine was inaccessible to them, how could their clothes and shadow have so much effect? For the royal robe is also terrible for robbers. Do you want to see how he shone through the body? “Looking up,” it says, “on the face of Stephen, he saw like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). But this still meant nothing in comparison with the glory that shone within him. What Moses once had on his face is the same, and they carried even more in their souls. For what happened to Moses is more accessible to the senses, but this is incorporeal. For just as bodies, when the fire from bright bodies illuminates them, cast their own reflection on the nearest bodies and transmit their own light to them, so it happens with the faithful. And when they achieve this, they leave everything earthly and care only about heavenly things. Alas for me! It is good now to groan bitterly, because, having received such nobility, we do not even understand what they say, since they soon ruined their deeds and fell into the sensual. “For this ineffable and terrible glory remains in us only for one or two days, and then we extinguish it, overwhelmed by the storm of everyday affairs and obscuring the rays with the density of clouds” (Chrysostom, Conversation 7, on 2 Cor. 3). So, not only by thought and meditation and faith is it possible for those who are baptized to know God, but it is possible to find in these waters something better and closer to action. For to think that this ray imparts the knowledge of God into thought and constitutes some kind of teaching of the mind will not be a saving word, for it happens to be lost in a day or two, if those who have received the sacrament are seized by excitement and confusion, and there is no one who does not know the faith, even if he cared about it for the shortest time; but it is possible to have business and be able to do theology well and, what is even more, to be subject to the attack of evil passions and not be ignorant of the word of salvation and true wisdom. From this it is clear that there is some direct sensation of God when a ray from him invisibly touches the soul itself. The symbol of this ray is that it accompanies baptism. For everything is filled with lightness: lamps, songs, faces, hymns; there is nothing that does not shine, all the clothing is light and adapted to the spectacle of light, and the head garment both depicts the Spirit itself and has an appearance that marks his coming. For it was made like a tongue, so that it would be more convenient for the head to have a robe, and to retain the appearance in which the Spirit first appeared when baptizing the apostles. Then he touched this part of their body and it was possible to see fire on the head of each of them in the form of a tongue, so that, I think, by the appearance of the tongue he could explain the reason for the descent, because he descended in order to explain the Word akin to Himself and to enlighten the ignorant about it. For such is the work of the tongue, which wears out the innermost from within, being the herald of the secret movements of the soul. For the Word speaks of Him who begat him, and the Spirit speaks of Himself. For, I glorified You, - said the Savior, speaking to the Father, - and He will glorify Me (John 16:14), speaking about the Comforter. That is why he appeared to them in this image. The symbol turns our thoughts to this miracle and to this beautiful day, which saw the first sending of Baptism, so that we know how those on whom the Spirit came first passed it on to those who followed them, and these - to those who followed them, and thus it has even reached us, passing on, and the gift will not become impoverished while the Author of it is effectively inherent in us. So, then the Lord grants the blessed a pure sense of himself when the covering is taken away, and now, as far as possible, then for those covered with coarse flesh. And the fruit of this feeling is inexpressible joy and supernatural love, as well as the greatness of exploits and the amazing discovery of deeds and what all those who are victorious and crowned achieve. For those armed with these weapons cannot be defeated either by fear or by pleasure. For joy moderates sad things, but pleasant things can neither carry away nor weaken those who are strengthened and bound by so much power of love. This is the purpose of Baptism to remove sins, to reconcile God with man, to adopt man to God, to open the eyes of the soul to the Divine ray, in a word, to prepare for the future life. So, we are doing the right thing in giving it the names of rebirth and others that have the same meaning, and others, because it brings the knowledge of God to the souls of those who receive the sacrament. It is life, and the foundation, and the root of life, since the Savior Himself defines eternal life by the knowledge of the one true God and Jesus Christ sent by Him (John 17:3); and Solomon says to God: “You know... the source of immortality” (Wis. 15:3). If proof must be added, who does not know that the true existence and superiority of people lies in thinking and knowing! If human existence consists in thinking and knowledge, of course, it must also consist in knowledge that is the best of all and free from lies. And when God Himself opens the eyes of the soul and turns it to Himself, what knowledge could be better and purer from any error than the knowledge of God? And it is the fruit of Baptism. So, from all that has been said, it is clear that the beginning of life in Christ and the reason that people exist, and live, and prosper in true life and existence, is a sacrament. If this does not happen to all those who are baptized, one should not recognize in it the weakness of the sacrament, but should attribute this either to the passion of those who received the sacrament, or to the fact that they were not well prepared for grace, or that they betrayed the treasure. For it is much more correct to attribute such a difference to those who receive the sacrament themselves, who use Baptism in different ways, than to accuse the sacrament, which is the same for everyone, of opposite actions. It is clear that the totality of the benefits mentioned is not a matter of nature, nor of achievement, but of Baptism. If the opposite of this happens, how could one not consider it incongruous that the same thing could and could not make it heavenly and not at all elevate it above the earthly. We do not blame the sun and do not recognize it as dark, because not everyone sees its ray, but we pronounce judgment on those who look. And regarding enlightenment, we will act illegally by thinking that it can produce anything other than what it says it is. You might be interested in: