XXII.  But then, you say, is not God merciful, and since He knows our thoughts and searches out our desires, will He not take the desire of Baptism instead of Baptism?  You are speaking in riddles, if what you mean is that because of God’s mercy the unenlightened is enlightened in His sight; and he is within the kingdom of heaven who merely desires to attain to it, but refrains from doing that which pertains to the kingdom.  I will, however, speak out boldly my opinion on these matters; and I think that all other sensible men will range themselves on my side.  Of those who have received the gift, some were altogether alien from God and from salvation, both addicted to all manner of sin, and desirous to be bad; others were semivicious, and in a kind of mean state between good and bad; others again, while they did that which was evil, yet did not approve their own action, just as men in a fever are not pleased with their own sickness.  And others even before they were illuminated were worthy of praise; partly by nature, and partly by the care with which they prepared themselves for Baptism.  These after their initiation became evidently better, and less liable to fall; in the one case with a view to procuring good, and in the other in order to preserve it.  And amongst these, those who gave in to some evil are better than those who were altogether bad; and better still than those who yielded a little, are those who were more zealous, and broke up their fallow ground before Baptism; they have the advantage over the others of having already laboured; for the font does not do away with good deeds as it does with sins.  But better even than these are they who are also cultivating the Gift, and are polishing themselves to the utmost possible beauty.