In the church of Corinth (1 Cor.
xii. 9) gifts of healing (χαρισματα ιαματων) are mentioned along with the
other manifestations of the Spirit, but again nothing is said as to their mode
of working. So too Irenaeus (ii. 32. 4) asserts that miraculous powers might
still be witnessed in his day, αλλοι τους καμωοντας δια της των χειρων επιθεσεως ιωνται, but is silent as to the use of oil:
Augustine in his long list of contemporary miracles (Civ. D. xxii. 8)
only once mentions the use of oil. On the other hand Tertullian (ad Scap.
5) says Septimius Severus was cured with oil by the Christian Proculus; and in
the Gospel of Nicodemus (c. 19) Seth, having asked for oil from the tree of
life to heal his father Adam, is told that this is impossible, but that
hereafter the Christ would come και αλειψει αυτον τω τοιουτω ελαιω και αναστησεται . . . και τοτε απο πασης νοσου ιαθησεται. We learn from Irenaeus (i. 31. 5,
cf. August. Haeres. 16, Epiphan. Haeres. xxx. 2) that the Gnostic
sects of the Heracleonites and Marcosians anointed the dying with the oil of
water to protect them from hostile spirits in the other world. Chrysostom, Hom.
3 in Matt. (Migne Patrol. Gr. vol. 57, col. 384) magnifying the
sanctity of the Church vessels generally, says those know how far our lamps
surpass all others οιοι μετα πιστεως και ευκαιρως ελαιω χρισαμενοι νοσηματα ελυσαν, from which it is inferred that
the oil for anointing the sick was taken from the lamps used in church, as is
still the custom in the Greek Church . . .(Joseph B. Mayor, The Epistle of
St. James [3d ed.; 1910; repr., Alpha Editions, 2019], 170-71)
