36 - Book X, Part 2

CHURCH HISTORY by EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA translated by ARTHUR CUSHMAN MCGUIRFORD This, our new and excellent Zerubbabel, having heard the word which announced beforehand that she who had been made a desert on account of God should enjoy these things, after the bitter captivity and the abomination of desolation, did not overlook the dead body, but first of all with prayers and supplications propitiated the Father with the common consent of all of you, and invoking the only one that giveth life to the dead as his ally and fellow-worker, raised her that was fallen, after purifying and freeing her from her ills. And he clothed her not with the ancient garment, but with such an one as he had again learned from the sacred oracles, which say clearly, and the latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former. Thus, enclosing a much larger space, he fortified the outer court with a wall surrounding the whole, which should serve as a most secure bulwark for the entire edifice. And he raised and spread out a great and lofty vestibule toward the rays of the rising sun, and furnished those standing far without the sacred enclosure a full view of those within, almost turning the eyes of those who were strangers to the faith to the entrances, so that no one could pass by without being impressed by the memory of the former desolation and of the present incredible transformation. His hope was that such an one being impressed by this might be attracted and be induced to enter by the very sight. But when one comes within the gates, he does not permit him to enter the sanctuary immediately, with impure and unwashed feet, but leaving as large a space as possible between the temple and the outer entrance, he has surrounded and adorned it with four transverse cloisters, making a quadrangular space with pillars rising on every side, which he has joined with latticework screens of wood, rising to a suitable height, and he has left an open space in the middle, so that the sky can be seen and the free air bright in the rays of the sun. Here he has placed symbols of sacred purifications, setting up fountains opposite the temple which furnish an abundance of water wherewith those who come within the sanctuary may purify themselves. This is the first halting place of those who enter, and it furnishes at the same time a beautiful and splendid scene to every one, and to those who still need elementary instruction a fitting station. But passing by this spectacle he has made open entrances to the temple with many other vestibules within, placing three doors on one side, likewise facing the rays of the sun. The one in the middle, adorned with plates of bronze, iron-bound and beautifully embossed, he has made much higher and broader than the others, as if he were making them guards for it as for a queen. In the same way, arranging the number of vestibules for the corridors on each side of the whole temple, he has made above them various openings into the building, for the purpose of admitting more light, adorning them with very fine wood carving. But the royal house he has furnished with more beautiful and splendid materials, using unstinted liberality in his disbursements. It seems to me superfluous to describe here in detail the length and breadth of the building, its splendour and its majesty surpassing description, and the brilliant appearance of the work, its lofty pinnacles reaching to the heavens, and the costly cedars of Lebanon above them, which the divine oracle has not omitted to mention, saying, The trees of the Lord shall rejoice, and the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted. Why need I now describe the skillful architectural arrangement and the surpassing beauty of each part, when the testimony of the eye renders instruction through the ear superfluous? For when he had thus completed the temple, he provided it with lofty thrones in honour of those who preside, and in addition with seats arranged in proper order throughout the whole building, and finally placed in the middle the holy of holies, the altar, and that it might be inaccessible to the multitude, enclosed it with wooden lattice-work, accurately wrought with artistic carving, presenting a wonderful sight to the beholders. And not even the pavement was neglected by him, for this too he adorned with beautiful marble of every variety. Then finally he passed on to the parts without the temple, providing spacious exedrae and buildings on each side, which were joined to the basilica, and communicated with the entrances to the interior of the structure. These were erected by our most peaceful Solomon, the maker of the temple of God, for those who still needed purification and sprinkling by water and the Holy Spirit, so that the prophecy quoted above is no longer a word merely, but a fact, for now it has also come to pass that in truth the latter glory of this house is greater than the former. For it was necessary and fitting that as her shepherd and lord had once tasted death for her, and after his suffering had changed that vile body which he assumed in her behalf into a splendid and glorious body, leaving the very flesh which had been delivered from corruption to incorruption, she too should enjoy the dispensations of the Saviour. For having received from him the promise of much greater things than these, she desires to share uninterruptedly throughout eternity with the choir of the angels of light, in the far greater glory of regeneration, in the resurrection of an incorruptible body, in the palace of God beyond the heavens, with Christ Jesus himself, the universal benefactor and Saviour. But for the present, she that was formerly widowed and desolate is clothed by the grace of God with these flowers, and is become truly like a lily, as the prophecy says, and having received the bridal garment and the crown of beauty, she is taught by Isaiah to dance, and to present her thank-offerings unto God the King in reverent words. Let us hear her saying, My soul shall rejoice in the Lord, for he hath clothed me with a garment of salvation and with a robe of gladness. He hath bedecked me like a bridegroom with a garland, and he hath adorned me like a bride with jewels, and like the earth which bringeth forth her bud, and like a garden which causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth, thus the Lord God hath caused righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. In these words she exults, and in similar words the heavenly bridegroom, the word Jesus Christ himself answers her. Hear the Lord saying, Fear not because thou hast been put to shame, neither be thou confounded because thou hast been rebuked, for thou shalt forget the former shame, and the reproach of thy widowhood shalt thou remember no more. Not as a woman deserted and faint-hearted hath the Lord called thee, nor as a woman hated from her youth, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercy will I have mercy upon thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, but with everlasting mercy will I have mercy upon thee, saith the Lord that hath redeemed thee. Awake, awake, thou who hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury, for thou hast drunk the cup of ruin, the vessel of my wrath, and hast drained it, and there was none to console thee of all thy sons whom thou didst bring forth, and there was none to take thee by the hand. Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of ruin, the vessel of my fury, and thou shalt no longer drink it, and I will put it into the hands of them that have treated thee unjustly and have humbled thee. Awake, awake, put on thy strength, put on thy glory, shake off the dust and arise, sit thee down, loose the bands of thy neck, lift up thine eyes round about, and behold thy children gathered together, behold they are gathered together and are come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them as with the ornaments of a bride. For thy waste and corrupted and ruined places shall now be too narrow by reason of those that inhabit thee, and they that swallow thee up shall be far from thee. For thy sons whom thou hast lost shall say in thine ears, The place is too narrow for me, give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these? I am childless and a widow, and who hath brought up these for me? I was left alone, and these, where were they for me? These are the things which Isaiah foretold, and which were anciently recorded concerning us in sacred books, and it was necessary that we should sometime learn their truthfulness by their fulfillment. For when the bridegroom, the Word, addressed such language to his own bride, the sacred and holy Church, this bridesman, when she was desolate and lying like a corpse, bereft of hope in the eyes of men, in accordance with the united prayers of all of you, as was proper, stretched out your hands and aroused and raised her up at the command of God, the universal King, and at the manifestation of the power of Jesus Christ, and having raised her, he established her as he had learned from the description given in the sacred oracles. This is, indeed, a very great wonder, passing all admiration, especially to those who attend only to the outward appearance, but more wonderful than wonders are the archetypes and their mental prototypes and divine models, I mean the reproductions of the inspired and rational building in our souls. This the divine Son Himself created after His own image, imparting to it everywhere and in all respects the likeness of God, an incorruptible nature, incorporeal, rational, free from all earthly matter, a being endowed with its own intelligence, and when He had once called her forth from nonexistence into existence, He made her a holy spouse, an all-sacred temple for Himself and for the Father. This also He clearly declares and confesses in the following words, I will dwell in them and will walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Such is the perfect and purified soul, so made from the beginning as to bear the image of the Celestial Word. But when by the envy and zeal of the malignant demon she became, of her own voluntary choice, sensual and a lover of evil, the Deity left her, and as if bereft of a protector, she became an easy prey and readily accessible to those who had long envied her, and being assailed by the batteries and machines of her invisible enemies and spiritual foes, she suffered a terrible fall, so that not one stone of virtue remained upon another in her, but she lay completely dead upon the ground, entirely divested of her natural ideas of God. But as she, who had been made in the image of God, thus lay prostrate, it was not that wild boar from the forest which we see that despoiled her, but a certain destroying demon and spiritual wild beasts who deceived her with their passions, as with the fiery darts of their own wickedness, and burned the truly divine sanctuary of God with fire, and profaned to the ground the tabernacle of His name, then, burying the miserable one with heaps of earth, they destroyed every hope of deliverance. But that divinely bright and saving Word, her protector, after she had suffered the merited punishment for her sins, again restored her, securing the favor of the all-merciful Father. Having won over first the souls of the highest rulers, He purified, through the agency of those most divinely favored princes, the whole earth from all the impious destroyers, and from the terrible and God-hating tyrants themselves. Then bringing out into the light those who were His friends, who had long before been consecrated to Him for life, but in the midst, as it were, of a storm of evils, had been concealed under His shelter, He honored them worthily with the great gifts of the Spirit. And again by means of them He cleared out and cleaned with spades and mattocks the admonitory words of doctrine, the souls which a little while before had been covered with filth and burdened with every kind of matter and rubbish of impious ordinances. And when He had made the ground of all your minds clean and clear, He finally committed it to this all-wise and God-beloved Ruler, who, being endowed with judgment and prudence, as well as with other gifts, and being able to examine and discriminate accurately the minds of those committed to His charge, from the first day, so to speak, down to the present, has not ceased to build. Now He has supplied the brilliant gold, again the refined and unalloyed silver, and the precious and costly stones in all of you, so that again is fulfilled for you in facts a sacred and mystic prophecy, which says, Behold, I make thy stone a carbuncle, and thy foundations of sapphire, and thy battlements of jasper, and thy gates of crystals, and thy wall of chosen stones, and all thy sons shall be taught of God, and thy children shall enjoy complete peace, and in righteousness shalt thou be built. Building therefore in righteousness, He divided the whole people according to their strength. With some He fortified only the outer enclosure, walling it up with unfeigned faith. Such were the great mass of the people who were incapable of bearing a greater structure. Others He permitted to enter the building, commanding them to stand at the door and act as guides for those who should come in. These may be not unfitly compared to the vestibules of the temple. Others He supported by the first pillars, which are placed without about the quadrangular hall, initiating them into the first elements of the letter of the four Gospels. Still others He joined together about the basilica on both sides. These are the catechumens who are still advancing and progressing, and are not far separated from the inmost view of divine things granted to the faithful. Taking from among these the pure souls that have been cleansed like gold by divine washing, He then supports them by pillars, much better than those without, made from the inner and mystic teachings of the Scripture, and illumines them by windows. Adorning the whole temple with a great vestibule of the glory of the one universal King and only God, and placing on either side of the authority of the Father Christ and the Holy Spirit as second lights, He exhibits abundantly and gloriously throughout the entire building the clearness and splendor of the truth of the rest in all its details. And having selected from every quarter the living and moving and well-prepared stones of the souls, He constructs out of them all the great and royal house, splendid and full of light both within and without, for not only soul and understanding, but their body also is made glorious by the blooming ornament of purity and modesty. And in this temple there are also thrones, and a great number of seats and benches in all those souls in which sit the Holy Spirit's gifts, such as were anciently seen by the sacred apostles and those who were with them, when there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder like as of fire, and sat upon each one of them. But in the leader of all it is reasonable to suppose that Christ Himself dwells in His fullness, and in those that occupy the second rank after Him, in proportion as each is able to contain the power of Christ and of the Holy Spirit. And the souls of some of these, namely, who are committed to each of them for instruction and care, may be seats for angels. But the great and august and unique altar, what else could this be than the pure holy of holies of the soul of the common priest of all? Standing at the right of it, Jesus Himself, the great High Priest of the universe, the only begotten of God, receives with bright eye and extended hand the sweet incense from all, and the bloodless and immaterial sacrifices offered in their prayers, and bears them to the Heavenly Father and God of the universe. And He Himself first worships Him, and alone gives to the Father the reverence which is His due, beseeching Him also to continue always kind and propitious to us all. Such is the great temple which the great Creator of the universe, the Word, has built throughout the entire world, making it an intellectual image upon earth of those things which lie above the vault of heaven, so that throughout the whole creation, including rational beings on earth, His Father might be honored and adored. But the region above the heavens, with the models of earthly things which are there, and the so-called Jerusalem above, and the heavenly mount of Zion, and the supramundane city of the living God, in which innumerable choirs of angels and the church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, praise their Maker and the Supreme Ruler of the universe with hymns of praise unutterable and incomprehensible to us, who that is mortal is able worthily to celebrate this? For eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of men those things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. Since we, men, children, and women, small and great, are already in part partakers of these things, let us not cease altogether, with one spirit and one soul, to confess and praise the Author of such great benefits to us, who forgiveth all our iniquities, who healeth all our diseases, who redeemeth our life from destruction, who crowneth us with mercy and compassion, who satisfieth our desires with good things. For He hath not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our iniquities from us. Like as a father pitieth his own children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. Rekindling these thoughts in our memories, both now and during all time to come, and contemplating in our mind night and day, in every hour and with every breath, so to speak, the Author and Ruler of the present festival, and of this bright and most splendid day, let us love and adore Him with every power of the soul, and now rising, let us beseech Him with loud voice to shelter and preserve us to the end in His fold, granting His unbroken and unshaken peace for ever, in Christ Jesus our Saviour, through whom be the glory unto Him for ever and ever. Amen. CHAPTER V. COPIES OF IMPERIAL LAWS Let us finally subjoin the translations from the Roman tongue of the Imperial Decrees of Constantine and Licinius. Copy of Imperial Decrees Translated from the Roman Tongue Perceiving long ago that religious liberty ought not to be denied, but that it ought to be granted to the judgment and desire of each individual to perform his religious duties according to his own choice, we had given orders that every man, Christians as well as others, should preserve the faith of his own sect and religion. But since in that rescript, in which such liberty was granted them, many and various conditions seemed clearly added, some of them it may be, after a little retired from such observance. When I, Constantine Augustus, and I, Licinius Augustus, came under favorable auspices to Milan and took under consideration every thing which pertained to the common will and prosperity, we resolved among other things, or rather first of all, to make such decrees as seemed in many respects for the benefit of every one, namely, such as should preserve reverence and piety toward the Deity. We resolved, that is, to grant both to the Christians and to all men freedom to follow the religion which they choose, that whatever heavenly divinity exists may be propitious to us and to all that live under our government. We have, therefore, determined, with sound and upright purpose, that liberty is to be denied to no one, to choose and to follow the religious observances of the Christians, but that to each one freedom is to be given to devote his mind to that religion which he may think adapted to himself, in order that the Deity may exhibit to us in all things his accustomed care and favor. It was fitting that we should write that this is our pleasure, that those conditions being entirely left out which were contained in our former letter concerning the Christians, which was sent to your devotedness, every thing that seemed very severe and foreign to our mildness, may be annulled, and that now every one who has the same desire to observe the religion of the Christians may do so without molestation. We have resolved to communicate this most fully to thy care, in order that thou mayest know that we have granted to these same Christians freedom and full liberty to observe their own religion. Since this has been granted freely by us to them, thy devotedness perceives that liberty is granted to others also who may wish to follow their own religious observances, it being clearly in accordance with the tranquility of our times that each one should have the liberty of choosing and worshipping whatever Deity he pleases. This has been done by us in order that we might not seem in any way to discriminate against any rank or religion. And we decree still further in regard to the Christians that their places, in which they were formerly accustomed to assemble, and concerning which in the former letter sent to thy devotedness a different command was given, if it appear that any have bought them either from our treasury or from any other person, shall be restored to the said Christians, without demanding money or any other equivalent, with no delay or hesitation. If any happen to have received the said places as a gift, they shall restore them as quickly as possible to these same Christians, with the understanding that if those who have bought these places, or those who have received them as a gift, demand anything from our bounty, they may go to the judge of the district that provision may be made for them by our clemency. All these things are to be granted to the society of Christians by your care immediately and without any delay. And since the said Christians are known to have possessed not only those places in which they were accustomed to assemble, but also other places, belonging not to individuals among them, but to the society as a whole, that is, to the society of Christians, you will command that all these, in virtue of the law which we have above stated, be restored, without any hesitation, to these same Christians, that is, to their society and congregation, the above-mentioned provision being of course observed, that those who restore them without price, as we have before said, may expect indemnification from our bounty. In all these things, for the behoof of the aforesaid society of Christians, you are to use the utmost diligence, to the end that our command may be speedily fulfilled, and that in this also, by our clemency, provision may be made for the common and public tranquillity. For by this means, as we have said before, the divine favour toward us which we have already experienced in many matters, will continue sure through all time. And that the terms of this our gracious ordinance may be known to all, it is expected that this which we have written will be published everywhere by you and brought to the knowledge of all, in order that this gracious ordinance of ours may remain unknown to no one. Copy of another imperial decree which they issued, indicating that the grant was made to the Catholic Church alone. Greeting to thee, our most esteemed Annulinus, it is the custom of our benevolence, most esteemed Annulinus, to will that those things which belong of right to another, should not only be left unmolested, but should also be restored. Wherefore it is our will that when thou receivest this letter, if any such things belong to the Catholic Church of the Christians, in any city or other place, but are now held by citizens or by any others, thou shalt cause them to be restored immediately to the said churches. For we have already determined that those things which these same churches formerly possessed shall be restored to them. Since therefore thy devotedness perceives that this command of ours is most explicit, do thou make haste to restore to them, as quickly as possible, everything which formerly belonged to the said churches, whether gardens or buildings or whatever they may be, that we may learn that thou hast obeyed this decree of ours most carefully. Farewell, our most esteemed and beloved Annulinus. Copy of an Epistle in which the Emperor commands that a Synod of Bishops be held at Rome in behalf of the unity and concord of the Churches. Constantine Augustus to Miltiades, Bishop of Rome, and to Marcus. Since many such communications have been sent to me by Annulinus, the most illustrious proconsul of Africa, in which it is said that Caecilianus, Bishop of the city of Carthage, has been accused by some of his colleagues in Africa in many matters, and since it seems to me a very serious thing that in those provinces which Divine Providence has freely entrusted to my devotedness, and in which there is a great population, the multitude are found following the baser course and dividing, as it were, into two parties, and the bishops are at variance. It has seemed good to me that Caecilianus himself, with ten of the bishops that appear to accuse him, and with ten others whom he may consider necessary for his defense, should sail to Rome, that there, in the presence of yourselves and of Rhetisius and Maternus and Morinus, your colleagues, whom I have commanded to hasten to Rome for this purpose, he may be heard, as you may understand to be in accordance with the most holy law. But, in order that you may be enabled to have most perfect knowledge of all these things, I have subjoined to my letter copies of the documents sent to me by Annulinus, and have sent them to your above-mentioned colleagues. When your firmness has read these, you will consider in what way the above-mentioned case may be most accurately investigated and justly decided. For it does not escape your diligence that I have such reverence for the legitimate Catholic Church that I do not wish you to leave schism or division in any place. May the divinity of the great God preserve you, most honored sirs, for many years. Copy of an Epistle in which the Emperor commands another Synod to be held for the purpose of removing all dissensions among the bishops. Constantine Augustus II Crestus, Bishop of Syracuse, when some began wickedly and perversely to disagree among themselves in regard to the holy worship and celestial power and Catholic doctrine, wishing to put an end to such disputes among them, I formerly gave command that certain bishops should be sent from Gaul, and that the opposing parties, who were contending persistently and incessantly with each other, should be summoned from Africa, that in their presence, and in the presence of the Bishop of Rome, the matter which appeared to be causing the disturbance might be examined and decided with all care. But since as it happens, some, forgetful both of their own salvation and of the reverence due to the most holy religion, do not even yet bring hostilities to an end, and are unwilling to conform to the judgment already passed, and assert that those who expressed their opinions and decisions were few, or that they had been too hasty and precipitate in giving judgment, before all the things which ought to have been accurately investigated had been examined, on account of all this it has happened that those very ones who ought to hold brotherly and harmonious relations toward each other, are shamefully, or rather abominably, divided among themselves, and give occasion for ridicule to those men whose souls are aliens to this most holy religion. Wherefore, it has seemed necessary to me to provide that this dissension, which ought to have ceased, after the judgment had been already given by their own voluntary agreement, should now, if possible, be brought to an end by the presence of many. Since, therefore, we have commanded a number of bishops from a great many different places to assemble in the city of Arles, before the calends of August, we have thought proper to write to thee also that thou should secure from the most illustrious Latronianus, Corrector of Sicily, a public vehicle, and that thou shouldst take with thee two others of the second rank, whom thou thyself shalt choose, together with three servants who may serve you on the way, and betake thyself to the above-mentioned place before the appointed day, that by thy firmness, and by the wise unanimity and harmony of the others present, this dispute, which has disgracefully continued until the present time, in consequence of shameful strifes, after all has been heard which those have to say who are now at variance with one another, and whom we have likewise commanded to be present, may be settled in accordance with the proper faith, and that brotherly harmony, though it be but gradually, may be restored. May the Almighty God preserve thee in health for many years.