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De baptismo

VII

[1] Exinde egressi de lavacro perungimur beriedicta unctione de pristina disciplina qua ungui oleo de cornu in sacerdotium solebant, ex quo Aaron a Moyse unctus est. unde christus dicitur a chrismate quod est unctio, quae domino nomen accommodavit, facta spiritalis quia spiritu unctus est a deo patre: sicut in Actis, Collecti sunt enim vero in ista civitate adversus sanctum filium tuum quem unxisti. [2] sic et in nobis carnaliter currit unctio sed spiritaliter proficit, quomodo et ipsius baptismi carnalis actus quod in aqua mergimur, spiritalis effectus quod delictis liberamur.

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On Baptism

Chapter VII.--Of the Unction.

After this, when we have issued from the font, ¹ we are thoroughly anointed with a blessed unction,--(a practice derived) from the old discipline, wherein on entering the priesthood, men were wont to be anointed with oil from a horn, ever since Aaron was anointed by Moses. ² Whence Aaron is called "Christ," ³ from the "chrism," which is "the unction;" which, when made spiritual, furnished an appropriate name to the Lord, because He was "anointed" with the Spirit by God the Father; as written in the Acts: "For truly they were gathered together in this city ⁴ against Thy Holy Son whom Thou hast anointed." ⁵ Thus, too, in our case, the unction runs carnally, (i.e. on the body,) but profits spiritually; in the same way as the act of baptism itself too is carnal, in that we are plunged in water, but the effect spiritual, in that we are freed from sins.