What is it? None other than that Body which triumphed over death, became the beginning of a new life. For just as "the little leaven, as the Apostle says, makes all confusion like itself," so this Body, given over by God to death, having entered into us, completely transforms and transforms it, according to its nature" (169). Further establishing that our body has power from the substances introduced into it through the organs of nourishment, and consequently by its nature has something in common with these substances, St. Gregory tries to explain the image of the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Saviour. "I rightly believe that even now the bread, sanctified by the word of God, is transformed into the Body of God the Word, because that body was bread in essence, but was sanctified by the abiding of the Word that dwelt. And just as the bread transformed in that body received God's majesty, so the same thing happens now. For even there the grace of the Word made the body (whose essence was made of bread) holy, and was itself in some respects bread, and here also the bread, as the Apostle says, "is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer" (1 Timothy 4:5), not by eating and drinking, passing into the body of the Word, but is directly changed into the body of the Word, as the Word says. But all flesh is also nourished by moisture, because without union with it our earthly part cannot continue to live. Just as with solid and coarse food we support the hard part of the body, so we make an increment to the moist part of a homogeneous important nature, which moisture, having been in us, is transformed into blood, and especially if, with the help of wine, it is able to be transformed into heat." "Inasmuch as it (the flesh) has received this part into its essence, and since the Word which appeared was united to the temporal nature of man, so that through communion with the Divinity mankind might be deified, therefore to all who believe in the economy of grace it communicates itself through that flesh, the essence of which consists of bread and wine, uniting itself with the bodies of those who believe for this purpose, so that, through union with the immortal, man also may become a partaker of incorruption; these gifts it communicates, transforming by the power of blessing the nature of the visible parts into it (the body)" (ch. 37).

With regard to this teaching on the Eucharist, it must be said that it all boils down to a philosophical explanation of the possibility of communion of the Body and Blood of Christ through the partaking of bread and wine. From the philosophical point of view of St. Nyssa, this possibility is conditioned by the unity of the essence of bread and wine, on the one hand, and of body and blood, on the other. The inner meaning of the Eucharist for those who partake of Communion is explained somehow in passing, obviously, it seemed quite understandable and obvious. It seems to us that St. Gregory points with particular insistence to bodily union with Christ, having in mind the publicity and the general availability of the idea of spiritual union with the Word. It should also be borne in mind that the "Great Catechetical Discourse" has in mind readers who are somewhat distrustful of Christian rites. The sacred author of the Word tries to bring their thought to the realization that the content of the most important sacred rites is quite understandable even to the mind, if only it is not clouded by prejudice and ignorance. But the Holy Father says nothing about the necessity of these sacred actions and about the degree of their salvific power. Their necessity is self-evident; it can be proved historically that no one has ever entered the Church except through baptism, and that in fulfillment of the word of the Divine Word, the Eucharist has always been an invariable sign of Church life. The extent to which these rites are necessary is out of the question: to renounce them means to break communion with the Church. Nor does the Great Teacher of Faith say anything about the celebrants of the sacraments, also for reasons that are quite understandable. In the Church of Christ (this is also historically true), the celebrants of the sacraments and the chairmen of prayer meetings were the canonical successors of the apostles, bishops and presbyters. If any layman wished to be a celebrant of the sacrament, this would be a manifestation of the greatest pride and would make him unworthy of the Divine Head of Christianity. Why does St. Gregory speak only about baptism and the Eucharist? Probably, taking into account the exceptional importance of these sacred actions in the spiritual life of a Christian. It can also be thought that the saint had in mind some particular reasons. Who among the philosophically educated Christians could ask a highly learned archpastor to give an explanation of these sacred rites, which can cause difficulties and bewilderment in minds that have not yet fully become accustomed to the inner spirit of church life?

Bl. Theodoret touches upon certain aspects of the external Christian life. In denouncing those who reject the Old Testament, he dwells in detail on the divine origin of the Old Testament and here speaks of the great benefit of reading the Scriptures. From his reasoning it is clear that he considers the reading of the word of God to be one of the most important signs of Christians. He speaks of the Scriptures even before he speaks of baptism. Chapter XVI is devoted to the latter, where the discussion is conducted partly in comparison with the Old Testament institutions, and partly polemically. In the general spirit, the view of baptism is the same as in the "Great Catechetical Discourse" of St. Gregory. Instead of these ancient sprinklings, the gift of holy baptism is sufficient for the faithful at the present time. For it not only grants us the remission of ancient sins, but also instills in us hope for the promised blessings, makes us partakers of the Lord's death and resurrection, communicates the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He makes them sons of God, and not only sons, but also heirs to God and joint-heirs with Christ. For baptism is not like a razor, as the mad Messalians think, since by means of it only the preceding sins were taken away: of course, even this happens through the abundance of grace. But this is not the only thing that gives us this sacrament, but also much greater and more perfect blessings, for it is the pledge of future blessings, the image of our resurrection, the communion of the Lord's sufferings and resurrection, the robe of salvation, the garment of gladness, the radiant garment, or better the light itself. "For if we were baptized into Christ, we put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27) and "if we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into His death, that as Christ rose from the dead by the glory of the Father, so shall we also begin to walk in the newness of life. For if ye be conformed to the likeness of His death, we shall also be resurrected" (Romans 6:3-5). This is how the Apostle taught us to think about holy baptism, namely, that "having been buried with the baptism of Christ, we become partakers of His resurrection." Bl. Theodoret, in expounding the divine dogmas, had in mind the numerous heretics who had deviated from the path of Christian love and established a discipline filled with unbearable demands on human weakness and merciless to deviations from the strict way of life. The demand for unconditional virginity and the denial of repentance forced Bliss. Theodoret to add to the purely dogmatic part of his system chapters on virginity, marriage, fornication, repentance, and abstinence. "Since," he writes at the end of Chapter XXIII, "those evildoers also damaged the moral teaching, and invented completely contrary paths (when some called marriage adultery, and others indulged in all kinds of impermissible and shameful carnal pleasure), then we will show how the Church thinks about moral subjects as well." Without rejecting marriage, Bl. The teacher gives preference to virginity. He discusses this question on the basis of the Apostle's words (1 Corinthians, ch. 7). On Marriage (Chapter XXX) bl. Theodoret argues in a strictly polemical spirit: "I consider it necessary also to examine the laws concerning marriage, in order to tame through the insolence of those who condemn it." Further, he says that the wife was created by God, that God in the Old Testament promised childbearing as a gift, and allowed polygamy, that the chief Peter was one of the married, and the Lord did not forbid marriage, that marriage was tolerated in the Apostolic Church, as a condescension to the weakness of the flesh and in order to avoid worse manifestations (1 Corinthians 7:1-2). Then the laws of married life of Christians are set forth on the basis of the words of St. Paul. Paul. All reasoning boils down to proving that marriage cannot be considered a lawless phenomenon. It is noteworthy that Bl. Theodoret does not cite the well-known words of the Apostle (Ephesians 5:32), recognizing marriage as permissible in the Church, as a phenomenon caused by the natural functions of the body, does not speak of the significance of marriage as a sacrament. - Reasoning of Bl. Theodoret on repentance are distinguished by the same polemical character. Having condemned in Chapter XXVII the heretics who committed sin, and having recognized fornication as incompatible with being in the bosom of the Church, Bl. Theodoret, in chapter XXVIII, condemns the opposite extreme of other false teachers. "The Divine Scripture not only forbids such iniquities, but also gives healing to those who have become infected with them. It curses the cruelty of Novatus and rebukes the shepherds who did not take such care of the sheep." Having clarified the Divine will regarding repentance and citing numerous examples of those who repented in the Old and New Testaments even after receiving grace, Bl. Theodoret points out that the petition for the forgiveness of sins is also contained in the Lord's Prayer. The conditions for repentance are very strict, but the meaning of penitential labors is recognized as exclusively preparatory and corrective: "The wounds that occur even after baptism are healable: but they are healable not for faith alone, as it was of old, but for many tears, weeping, contrition, fasting, prayer and work, corresponding to the importance of sin. In those who by means of all this have prepared themselves for repentance, they cannot be doubted and forbidden to receive the sacraments, but they must not give holy things to dogs, and cast pearls before swine" (Matt. 7:6). Such are the laws on repentance that the Church has.

In the fourth book of the "Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith" by St. John of Damascus, among other things, he speaks of the external manifestations of church life, in particular of the cult and the most pure sacraments. Under the name of "sacraments" in Chapter XIII of St. John is referring to the Eucharist; he speaks of baptism in Chapter IX, where he also discusses faith. The Holy Father speaks of baptism as an image of Christ's death. Baptism is one, i.e. it is not repeatable, if only it is performed in accordance with the command of the Lord. Baptism is regeneration by water and the Spirit. Water is generally recognized by the Scriptures as a symbol of purification: "From ancient times the Scriptures testify in favor of water that it possesses the power of purification. In Noah's time, God drowned the world's sin with water. According to the law, every unclean person is cleansed with water, when even the most garments are washed with water." But in order not to give rise to a view of baptism as an external form, St. John adds: "Regeneration, of course, takes place in the soul, for faith with the help of the Spirit knows how to adopt, although we are creatures, and lead to the original blessedness." In baptism we are given the forgiveness of sins, and the grace of the Spirit is given according to the measure of each person's faith. After baptism, a thorough God-pleasing life is necessary. Also says St. John also about the necessity of faith in the consubstantial, uncreated Trinity, but not as clearly and easily understandable as St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. John of Nyssa. John leaves without explanation the inner necessity of this faith. The rebirth by water and the spirit of Sts. the Fathers consider it a natural phenomenon, like bodily birth, or the radiance of the sun, as St. Gregory of Nyssa compares it in Chapter XXXIV of the Great Catechetical Discourse. Prep. John of Damascus dwells in detail on the phenomena analogous to baptism both in the biblical life and in the subsequent development of the Christian. "The first baptism was a flood to destroy sin. The second baptism of the sea and the cloud; for the cloud is a symbol of the Spirit, and the sea is a symbol of water. The third was lawful, for every unclean person washed himself with water and washed his clothes, and thus entered the camp. The Fourth of John, which was the introductory letter and led those who were baptized to repentance, so that they would believe in Christ, "For I baptize you," he says, "with water; but he who comes after me, He baptizes you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." And so John purifies through water to receive the Spirit. The fifth baptism of the Lord, with which He Himself was baptized. But He was baptized not because He Himself was in need of purification, but because He appropriated my cleansing to Himself, in order to erase the head of the serpent in water, in order to wash away sin and bury all the old Adam in water, in order to sanctify the Baptist, in order to fulfill the law, in order to reveal the mystery of the Trinity, in order to become an image and example for us to be baptized. We also are baptized with the perfect baptism of the Lord, both with water and with the Spirit. Further, He says that Christ baptized with fire, for He poured out upon the Holy Apostles the grace of the Spirit in the form of tongues of fire, just as the Lord Himself says, that John "baptized with water, but ye were baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire, not after many of these days," or because of baptism, which punishes with future fire. The sixth baptism is through repentance and tears, and it is truly difficult. The seventh baptism is by blood and martyrdom, with which Christ Himself was baptized for our sake, as very holy and blessed, which is not defiled by later impurities. The eighth is the last, not saving, but destroying vice, for vice and sin will no longer live, but punishing is indefinite." Prep. John also speaks of anointing at baptism. Those who approach baptism insidiously not only do not benefit from it, but will rather be condemned. On the Holy and Most Pure Mysteries of the Lord (ch. XII) John speaks as the spiritual food of man. The goodness of God did not tolerate that human nature should not be partaker of the divine nature, therefore the incarnate Son of God gave the human race not only a second birth, but also the closest communion with Him through the partaking of His flesh and blood. Having spoken about the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, St. John assures us that the bread and wine are made the true body and true blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is accomplished by the same Almighty Word that created the world and is as incomprehensible to the human mind as the seedless conception of the Word of God. The incomprehensible to the powerless mind is contained by the power of faith: "The action of the spirit accomplishes that which exceeds nature, which nothing can contain except faith alone. Bread and wine are the usual natural food of man, from which human weakness does not turn away; God, Who was pleased to regenerate mankind through washing in water, was pleased to give His Divine Flesh and Holy Blood in the same way in the usual way accessible to all. It is not the flesh and blood of Christ that descend from heaven, but the bread and wine that are changed into flesh and blood, united with the Divinity. How this is done is not comprehended by the human mind, and it is quite enough to know that this is done by the power of the Spirit. Just as the bread and wine that we take in food turn into our body and blood, without at the same time becoming a second body, "so the bread of the show, and the wine, and the water, through the invocation and coming of the Holy Spirit, are naturally changed into the body of Christ and the blood, and are not two, but one and the same." For those who partake of Communion with faith, the Eucharist is the source of eternal life, but for those who approach unworthily it serves as condemnation, just as the death of the Lord, which saves the faithful, leads to punishment and eternal punishment for unbelievers. The bread and wine in the Eucharist are not only images of the Body and Blood of Christ, but also the Body itself and the Blood itself. Therefore, those who approach the Eucharist must be especially careful. By communing of the body, united with the Divinity, Christians partake of two natures. In the Old Testament, the bread and wine with which Melchizedek greeted Abraham and the showbread were a kind of Eucharist. The Body and Blood of the Savior pass into both the soul and our body. It should be noted, however, that they do not submit to the usual fate of any other food, but pass into the very essence of the body. "This bread is the firstfruits of the bread to come, which is the daily bread of O Episios. For the word "that epision" denotes either the future, i.e. the bread of the future age, or the bread taken for the preservation of our being. Therefore, in one way or another (we will understand their daily bread), the Body of the Lord will be properly named; for the flesh of the Lord is the Life-Giving Spirit, because it is conceived of the Life-Giving Spirit; for that which is born of the Spirit is the Spirit. I say this, not debasing the nature of the body, but wishing to show the life-giving and salvific nature of it." The words of spiritual men, calling the Eucharistic bread and wine images of the Body and Blood of Christ, must be attributed to the bread and wine before their consecration. Since in the Eucharist we are united with one another, therefore we should not commune together with excommunicated heretics: "And they are called images of the loaves and wine to come, not because they are not truly the Body and Blood of Christ, but because now, of course, through them we become partakers of the Divinity of Christ, and then spiritually through one sight."

This teaching on the Eucharist, placed with the teaching on other external manifestations of church life, is the same interpretation of the most important Christian rite that we saw in the "Great Catechetical Discourse" of St. Gregory. Only St. Gregory explains in more detail and precisely the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Saviour; but St. John also presented a teaching that is sublime and full of spiritual wisdom. However, it can be noted that St. Gregory, as a thinker and having in mind those who are not firm in the faith, tries more to clarify the human mind, and St. John, expounding the teaching of the Church for the Orthodox, affirms it on faith, not as a blind trust in external authority, but as an inner agreement with the truth.

From the above-mentioned teaching of the patristic theological systems on Christian sacraments, it is evident, first, that Sts. The Fathers attached much greater importance to the internal psychological side of the sacrament than to its external, perfective form, and, secondly, that Sts. it was completely alien to the Fathers to single out any of the sacraments from a number of others with the assimilation of the special significance of the unchanging heritage of the Church; even the most important sacraments, baptism and the Eucharist, are spoken of on a par with the veneration of holy icons and the reading of the Bible, for everything contained by the Church has great power for the faithful, and the teaching about the sevenfold number of sacraments is alien to the Holy Fathers.

II. The Doctrine of Piety of the Moscow Theologians

Fully expressing the basic principles of Eastern patristic theology regarding the metaphysical side of Christianity, the "Enlightener" of St. In our opinion, St. Joseph's theological systems surpass the Greek theological systems in the definiteness and completeness of the teaching on Christian piety. 7 the word "Enlightener" contains an exposition of true, Christian worship of God, i.e. it determines what a person must do in order to be a true Christian and heir to the Kingdom of God. Prep. Joseph had to thoroughly investigate this question, since the Judaizers, against whom the "Enlightener" was directed, rejected not only certain dogmas of the faith, but also mocked all Christian piety. - First of all, St. Joseph justifies the Christian cult and mainly the veneration of icons. He expounds in detail the teaching on this subject, then speaks in detail about the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos, about the veneration of Her icons, about the veneration of the cross and liturgical objects. Here is also set forth the teaching about the Eucharist as an object of reverent veneration. "In the same way, it is fitting to venerate and worship the holy mysteries of God, the most pure body and precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, for this reason, Who in the beginning created man autonomously, and commanded him to abide ever in obedience, having created him, and he transgressed the commandment and gave himself over to death and corruption. And the Creator and Creator of our race, having become like His mercy, having been man, apart from sin, was mixed with our poor and feeble nature, and in the flesh cleansed our flesh and sanctified our soul with His soul, as the Lord Himself said: "Behold is My flesh, and behold is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you, eat and drink for the forgiveness of sin." Moreover, the word of God is alive and active, and everything that wills and creates, for the word of the Lord will be light, and there will be light, and by the word of the Lord the heavens are established, and by the spirit of His mouth is all their power: let the earth bring forth the grass of hay, and so to this day it has brought forth its vegetation, by the Divine command it is overcome. For if God desires the Word from the Most Pure and Ever-Virgin Mary's blood, Thou didst make Thy flesh without seed, and crucified Him on the Cross, and poured out blood and water from Thy most pure side: Canst thou not create bread into Thy flesh, and wine and water into Thy blood? As the Holy Mother of God spoke: "How shall this be, since I know no man?" the Archangel answered: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon Thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow Thee." Thus also in Communion the Holy Spirit does this. For the Lord is the tidings of man's weakness: for he who is not by nature turns away and grieves, and for the sake of such a person by nature and by ordinary descent He creates sanctification above nature. As it is the custom at baptism for a person to be washed with water and anointed with myrrh, add to the world the gift of the Holy Spirit. For since man is made of soul and flesh, He hath given us purification from water and the Spirit, for he cleanses the body visibly with visible water, and cleanses the invisible soul with the invisible Spirit: so also do here: for it is the custom for man to eat bread, and drink wine and water, and to harness thy Divinity to them and create them, that we may be ordinary to nature above nature. And as flesh was received from the Ever-Virgin, and not this flesh that ascended into heaven descends from heaven, but the bread and wine and the water are changed into the flesh and blood of God by the Holy Spirit, as the Lord Himself says: "My flesh is truly brush, and My blood is truly beer," and he who eats Me will live for Me's sake: and so He takes that flesh and blood, As he who drinks to the side of the Lord, who with faith and worthily accepts the remission of sins and eternal life, and in the observance of soul and body: for he will burn up our sins and sanctify our hearts. And whoever through unbelief and unworthiness receives, into anguish and torment, as the Lord's death is for those who believe in eternal life, and for those who do not believe in anguish and eternal torment." Further, the thoughts of St. John of Damascus, that the bread and wine are not images of the body and blood, but the real body and blood, that Holy Communion is not subject to the usual fate of food. Repeating the thought of this Church Father about the need to turn away from the heretical Eucharist, St. Joseph emphasizes with particular force the independence of the celebration of the Eucharist from the personal merits of Orthodox priests. Without condemning their pastors, Christians, however, can be admitted to communion of the Mysteries of Christ after a strict correction of their lives. "If anyone has an unclean life from the faithful, or from gluttony, or from pianism, or from anger and the memory of the wicked, let him not dare to approach this all-pure fire, until he is cleansed from all defilement of the flesh and spirit by worthy repentance. But if anyone is unworthy, he is found by killing Christ Himself. As the Jews then crucified His body, so now also defile the body and partake of it with an unclean soul" (Homily 7).

As can be seen from the note made, St. Joseph repeats the teaching about the Eucharist of St. John of Damascus. The very place for the exposition of this teaching, together with the teaching on the Orthodox cult, was also chosen under the undoubted influence of St. John, so that with regard to the teaching on the Eucharist, St. Joseph only repeated the teaching of the previous fathers. But his positive merit is the introduction into the section on the worship of God of precisely and definitely expressed rules of ascetic Christian life. What is implied and seen between the lines of the Greek dogmatists found a definite place in the dogmatics of the great theologian of the Russian Church, written under the strong influence of the universal ascetic creations. Having set forth the rules of prayer in church and at home, coupled with constant and vigilant vigilance over one's mood, St. Joseph points out the peculiarities of the Christian life, in which Christians differ from other people, how the spirit differs from the flesh and how the living differ from the dead: "Be righteous, wise, comforter to the sorrowful, feeder to the poor, successor to the strange, etc." In a word, all the rules of life are repeated, once outlined by Basil the Great for monastics and apply to all Christians. The exposition of these canons in the same discourse as the sacraments is very characteristic; It definitely points to the ascetic, deeply spiritual view of St. Joseph to the sacraments and determines his understanding of asceticism as the essence of Christian teaching.

In view of the fact that Bl. Maximus the Greek did not present the Christian doctrine in a complete form of a system, we find it difficult to indicate the place that he would have determined in the general composition of theological questions for Christian rites. On the other hand, his views on the Christian life are so definite and distinguished by such completeness that there is no difficulty in defining them; it is enough to recall the biography of Hieronymus Savonarola written by him to understand that Bl. the monk of the Vatopedi monastery wished to see in Christian life the triumph of the exclusively ecclesiastical principle. In this respect, Bl. Maximus is very similar to Joseph. However, enough has been said about this when we considered the general character of the worldview of the Holy Fathers. Fathers and Bl. teachers of the Moscow Church of the XVI century. In individual works and on completely different occasions, bliss. St. Maximus mentions the Eucharist: most often this is done in rebuke of the Western custom of using unleavened bread during the celebration of the Divine service. Both in disputes with the Latins and in other cases, bliss. St. Maximus asserts that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of the Saviour: "Inasmuch as the Lord's side has been pierced, the blood and the water have come forth, and we partake of it, we believe in His very blood according to His Divine commandment. And this is the very bread of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, we believe, speaking animately and intelligently, and not soullessly, as in unleavened bread" (1:524). "But we are imams, instead of the tabernacle, the Church to the glory of God, and instead of the tablets of the Holy Scriptures. The Scriptures of new grace, instead of the sewn cherubim, the image of Christ and His saints, instead of the pen that possesses manna, the holy bread and the cup, which is in the body and blood of Christ" (489). This opinion is important in that here, although in comparison with Jewish institutions, the Eucharist is indicated as a sign of church life on a par with the veneration of icons and the reading of the Divine Scriptures. In this passage Bl. Maximus is a worthy disciple and faithful follower of the great fathers of Eastern piety, who did not know the difference in the degree of importance of various aspects of church life and demanded from Christians the fullness of piety.

Turning to the theological system of Bl. According to St. Zinov, we encounter the same phenomenon that we have already noted more than once in our review of the patristic systems of the East: it includes the interpretation and explanation of only those aspects of the Christian cult which in a given epoch required exclusive attention, either because of the attacks of heretics or because of the spiritual needs of the faithful. Thus, when discussing with the Kryloshans who came to him about the rules of Basil the Great, Bl. Zinovius speaks of penances, although the main subject of dispute was to find out what the Great Basil meant by "depraved human tradition" (656). Even about the most important Christian rite, about the Divine Eucharist, Bl. Zinovy speaks on an accidental occasion, namely, "in consideration of the chanting of the Lord's prayer in the holy mysteries." Bl. Zinovy insists on the need to observe the ancient customs in the celebration of the Liturgy precisely and strictly, as having great power and meaning: "In the Divine Mysteries, however, everything is not simple, whether there is prayer, or singing, or song. For when in the sacraments, it is appropriate for singing at the Liturgy, then first the saint prays, saying: "Grant us with one mouth to glorify and sing and with one heart Thy glorious name." And when it is proper for prayer to become, then the saint prays, first of all he asks God to pray to all, saying: "Vouchsafe us to call upon Thee God the Father, and to speak" and thus with the Lord's prayer they pray and say: "Our Father" (971). The interpretation of the very image of the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ in Bl. Zinovius does not exist, and in general regarding the content of his system, one can repeat everything that has been said about the "Enlightener" of St. Joseph: the teaching on the Eucharist is also adjacent to the teaching on the cult, and there is no teaching on the sacraments as an independent department. In this there is a remarkable similarity of all patristic theologies, both Eastern and Russian.

III. The Doctrine of the Sacraments in Latin and Kievan Theology

The striving for completeness and definiteness has compelled Western theologians to pay unequal attention to the external Christian rites, to select the most important of them and to single them out from a number of others on the basis of their special importance. In a religious community, where life flows on the basis of the principle of legal legality, where there is no place for the triumph of the regenerated spirit, where all internal impulses have been replaced by the rule of strict discipline, such a phenomenon was inevitable. Regardless of the tendency of scholastic theology to define everything by an exact number, the teaching of the Roman Catholic community about the seven sacraments of the Church as the exclusive sources of Divine grace is in full harmony with the general spirit of this Local Church, which has separated itself from universal unity.

In addition to this practical significance in the life of the Roman Church, the teaching on the seven church sacraments naturally follows the teaching on the three ministries of the Lord and on the satisfaction of Divine truth: juridical truth, which triumphs in the life of the Author of life Himself, cannot be alien to church life; this is how the Catholics themselves look at this matter: "Sacraments are sensual, sacred forms established by Jesus Christ to signify and communicate grace to us. The Old Testament, with so many rites, did not have a single sacrament that communicated grace, which sacraments belong only to the New Testament. They were established by Jesus Christ Himself, so that His blood and endless merits, which are abundantly sufficient for the salvation of all people, would be assimilated to all His followers." Such is the idea of the sacraments according to the teaching of the Roman Catholic catechism.