st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul
st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul
st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul
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"<br />
On<br />
"<br />
On<br />
"<br />
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"<br />
80 ST. JOHN OF DAMASCUS.<br />
rection <strong>of</strong> Chri<strong>st</strong>; the meaning <strong>of</strong> His eating and<br />
drinking with the disciples, namely, to show the truth<br />
and reality <strong>of</strong> His resurrection in the body ;<br />
His<br />
sitting, but not in any literal or local sense,<br />
at<br />
the<br />
right hand <strong>of</strong> the Father." Then follows a series <strong>of</strong><br />
chapters (lxxvi.-lxxxi.) <strong>of</strong> a retrospective character,<br />
referring again to the double nature <strong>of</strong> Chri<strong>st</strong> and his<br />
single personality. An answer is<br />
given to the ob<br />
jections <strong>of</strong> those who reason that, if there are two<br />
natures in the Chri<strong>st</strong> whom we worship, one <strong>of</strong> which<br />
is human, we mu<strong>st</strong> be worshipping what is human<br />
that is, a creature (c. Ixxvi.).<br />
As has been before<br />
noticed, the remaining chapters are <strong>of</strong> a miscel<br />
laneous description, and cannot well be reduced to<br />
any sy<strong>st</strong>ematic order. The eighty-second<br />
is headed<br />
Faith and Baptism,"<br />
but should more properly<br />
be entitled On Baptism alone ;<br />
the following one<br />
Faith."<br />
being<br />
The threefold immersion is con<br />
sidered to be a symbol <strong>of</strong> the three days during<br />
which Chri<strong>st</strong> lay in the grave. Remission <strong>of</strong> sins is<br />
given to all alike by means <strong>of</strong> baptism but the<br />
;<br />
grace<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Holy Spirit is given in proportion to their<br />
faith and previous purification."<br />
Oil is<br />
employed at<br />
baptism, as signifying our anointing, and rendering<br />
us Chrisfs (<br />
anointed ones ),<br />
and promising us God s<br />
mercy through the Holy Spirit ;<br />
even as it was a<br />
branch <strong>of</strong> olive-tree that the dove brought to those<br />
who were saved from the deluge."<br />
l<br />
It is charac-<br />
According to the usage <strong>of</strong> the Greek Church, the candi<br />
1<br />
date for baptism is anointed with simple oil, and then after<br />
baptism he is anointed again, this time with a chrism com<br />
pounded <strong>of</strong> various unguents, as a token <strong>of</strong> the grace <strong>of</strong> con-