Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 2.djvu/435

Rh

Baptism is the immersion in and the washing with water, and of this there are five kinds: 1. The washing off of the filth of the body, as is commonly done by all men. 2. The legal washings, whereby it was believed that purity towards from all carnal uncleanness was attained. 3. Those of the traditions of the elders, such as "the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and tables," and as "when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not." 4. The baptism of John, whereby he preached only repentance and the forgiveness of sins. 5. The baptism of our, which is received, through the , for the gift of adoption, for the resurrection from the dead, and for everlasting life; which is "the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of ." For as the circumcision of the flesh was given for a sign denoting those who were of the family of Israel of old according to the flesh; so the baptism of is a sign of spiritual relationship to the new Israel, viz., those who are the called, and the children of. "Those who received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of ."

The matter of Baptism is pure water. "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of ." The form, baptism "in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," according to the words of the Saviour.

There is also a Sixth Baptism, that of blood, as our has noticed: "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened until it is accomplished." Also a Seventh Baptism, of tears, after the saying of the Fathers. These two are allied to the Fifth, which is an emblem of death and the resurrection.

The Oil of Unction is an apostolical tradition, and there is