Chapter VI.
When the sentence of death had been pronounced against men on account of sin, baptism is found to be established for the purpose of their resurrection.
Now let us discuss what is called baptism. You came to the font, you descended into it, you observed the high priest, the deacon, and the presbyter at the font. What is baptism?
In the beginning, our God created man so that if he did not taste sin, he would not die. He contracted sin, became subject to death, and was expelled from paradise. But the Lord, who wanted his benefits to remain and to abolish all the snares of the serpent, and to annul everything that harmed; first, indeed, pronounced a sentence against man: You are dust, and to dust you shall return (Gen. III, 19); and made man subject to death. It was a divine decree that could not be fulfilled by human condition. The remedy given was for man to die and rise again. Why? So that what had yielded its place to condemnation may yield its place to the benefit. What is that if not death? You ask how? Because death, intervening, puts an end to sin. For when we die, we certainly cease to sin. Therefore, it seemed that the sentence was satisfied, because the man who was made to live, if he did not sin, began to die. But in order for man to persevere in the perpetual grace of God, he died; but Christ found resurrection, that is, to restore the heavenly blessing that was lost by the deceit of the serpent. Therefore, both are for us; because death is the end of sins, and resurrection is the reforming of nature.
However, in order to prevent the fraud and deceit of the devil from prevailing in this world, baptism was instituted. Concerning this baptism, listen to what the Scripture says, or rather, the Son of God, because the Pharisees who refused to be baptized with John's baptism rejected the counsel of God (Luke 7:30). Therefore, baptism is the counsel of God. How great is the grace where the counsel of God is!
Therefore, listen: so that in this age also the bond of the devil may be dissolved, it was discovered how a living man would die, and rise again while still alive. What is a living man? It is the life of the living body, when it comes to the fountain, and is immersed in the fountain. What is water, if not from the earth? Therefore, the heavenly sentence is satisfied without the stupor of death. That sentence is dissolved by immersion: You are dust, and to dust you shall return (Gen. III, 19); the sentence is fulfilled, and there is a place for heavenly blessing and remedy. Therefore, water from the earth, but the possibility of our life did not allow us to be covered by the earth and to rise from the earth. Then, it is not the earth that cleanses, but water cleanses; therefore, the fountain is like a burial place.