Chapter VIII.—The
Faithful in Baptism Males, Configured to Christ; The Saints Themselves
Christs.
Let us then go over the ground again from the
beginning, until we come in course to the end, explaining what we have
said. Consider if the passage seems to you to be explained to
your mind. For I think that the Church is here said to give birth
to a male; since the enlightened
2725
receive the features, and the image, and
the manliness of Christ, the likeness of the form of the Word being
stamped upon them, and begotten in them by a true knowledge and faith,
so that in each one Christ is spiritually born. And, therefore,
the Church swells and travails in birth until Christ is formed in
us,
2726
so that each
of the saints, by partaking of Christ, has been born a Christ.
According to which meaning it is said in a certain scripture,
2727
“Touch
not mine anointed,
2728
and do my prophets no harm,” as
though those who were baptized into Christ had been made
Christs
2729
by
communication of the Spirit, the Church contributing here their
clearness and transformation into the image of the Word. And Paul
confirms this, teaching it plainly, where he says:
2730
“For this cause I bow my
knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole
family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according
to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit
in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith.” For it is necessary that the word of truth should
be imprinted and stamped upon the souls of the
regenerate.
2725
The
baptized.
2726
Gal. iv. 19
.
2727
Ps. cv. 15
.
2728
χριστῶν
.
2729
Anointed.
2730
Eph. iii.
14–17
.