l rise again, and they that are
in their graves shall awake: and they that have kept the commandments
of Christ, and have departed this life in the true faith shall inherit
eternal life, and they, that have died in their sins, and have turned
aside from the right faith, shall go away into eternal punishment.
Believe not that there is any true being or kingdom of evil, nor
suppose that it is without beginning, or self-originate, or born of
God: out on such an absurdity! but believe rather that it is 'the work
of us and the devil, come upon us through our heedlessness, because we
were endowed with free-will, and we make our choice, of deliberate
purpose, whether it be good or evil. Beside this, acknowledge one
Baptism, by water and the Spirit, for the remission of sins.
"Receive also the Communion of the spotless Mysteries of Christ,
believing in truth that they are the Body and Blood of Christ our God,
which he hath given unto the faithful for the remission of sins. For
in the same night in which he was betrayed he ordained a new testament
with his holy disciples and Apostles, and through them for all that
should believe on him, saying, 'Take, eat: this is my Body, which is
broken for you, for the remission of sins.' After the same manner also
he took the cup, and gave unto them saying, 'Drink ye all of this: this
is my Blood, of the new testament, which is shed for you for the
remission of sins: this do in remembrance of me.' He then, the Word of
God, being quick and powerful, and, working all things by his might,
maketh and transformeth, through his divine operation, the bread and
wine of the oblation into his own Body and Blood, by the visitation of
the Holy Ghost, for the sanctification and enlightenment of them that
with desire partake thereof.
"Faithfully worship, with honour and reverence, the venerable likeness
of the features of the Lord, the Word of God, who for our sake was made
man, thinking to behold in the Image thy Creator himself. 'For the
honour of the Image, saith one of the Saints, passeth over to the
original.' The original is the thing imaged, and from it cometh the
derivation. For when we see the drawing in the Image, in our mind's
eye we pass over to the true form of which it is an Image, and devoutly
worship the form of him who for our sake was made flesh, not making a
god of it, but saluting it as an image of God made flesh, with desire
and love of him who for us men emptied himself, an
|