By Water & Blood

On baptism

Concerning baptism.

In place of those ancient sprinklings, the gift of all-holy baptism is enough for those who believe. For it does not only grant remission of former sins, but also implants the hope of the goods that have been promised; it makes them sharers of the Master’s death and resurrection; it bestows participation in the gift of the Spirit; and it shows them sons of God—and not only sons, but also heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ.

For baptism does not, as the deranged Messalians suppose, merely imitate a razor, stripping away sins that have already been committed. That it grants in abundance. But if this alone were the work of baptism, why do we baptize infants who have not yet tasted sin? For this mystery does not promise this alone, but things greater and more perfect than these: it is a pledge of the goods to come, and a type of the resurrection that will be, and communion in the Master’s sufferings, and participation in the Master’s resurrection, and a garment of salvation, and a tunic of gladness, and a light-bearing robe—or rather light itself. For “as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” “As many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death, so that just as Christ was raised through the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with the likeness of his death, we shall also be of the resurrection.”

These things concerning all-holy baptism the divine Apostle taught us to hold: that being buried together with Christ, we shall share in the resurrection. But more mystical words are needed here; and since we have already written twelve mystical discourses, we refer lovers of learning to those, while we ourselves will examine the remaining chapters.