Concerning the Sacraments · Part 6

3 Is. xi. 2, Cf. de My st. vii. 42 (note).

4 The words principales virtutes recall Ambrose, de Off. i. 24. U5- The term cardinales virtutes is found in Ambrose, Exp. in Luc. v. 49.

What is so principal, as the fear of God? As the fear of the world is weakness, so the fear of God is great power.

10. These are the seven virtues, when thou art sealed; x for, as the holy Apostle saith, The wisdom of our God is manifold.2 And, as the wisdom of God is manifold, so is the Holy Ghost manifold, who hath divers and various virtues. Whence also we speak of the God of hosts; 3 which can be applied to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. But that belongs to another discourse, another time.

ii. After this what follows? Thou hast to come to the altar,4 whither thou hast not come before; thou hast to see the things which thou didst not see before, that is, the mystery which thou hast read in the Gospel; 5 if, however, thou hast not read it, thou hast certainly heard it. A blind man presented himself to the Saviour to be healed. And he, who healed others merely by a word and utterance, and brought back the light of the eyes by a command, yet in the book of the Gospel which is entitled "according to John," — who truly beyond the others saw great mysteries, and described, and de- clared them: — he wished to prefigure this mystery 6 in that miracle. All the Evangelists, indeed, were holy, all the Apostles, except the traitor — all were holy; yet Saint John, who wrote his Gospel last, having been sought and chosen by Christ to be in a sense his kins- man,7 uttered eternal mysteries with a louder trumpet. Whatever he spoke is a mystery. Another Evangelist told of the cure of a blind man; Matthew did, Luke

1 consignaris. x Eph. iii. io.

3 Deus virtutum, as often in the Latin Psalter.

4 Cf. de My st. 43 {init.).. * Jn. ix. I f.

6 The word mysttriiim in this passage, as elsewhere, is used in various senses. It is a "sacrament," "a passage of Scripture with an inner meaning," and "a divine purpose" (T.).

7 Possibly a reference to Jn. xix. 26, 27.

did, Mark did. What does John alone say? — He took clay, and anointed his eyes, and said unto him, "Go to Siloam" And rising he went, and washed, and came seeing.1

12. Consider thou also the eyes of thine heart. Formerly thou sawest only the things that are bodily, with bodily eyes; but the things which pertain to the sacraments thou wast not yet able to see with the eyes of the heart. Therefore, when thou gaves't thy name,2 he took clay, and anointed thine eyes. What does it mean? It means that thou shouldst confess thy sin, recognize thy guilt, repent of thy trespasses, that is, acknowledge the lot of human birth. For although he who comes to baptism does not confess his sin,3 yet he makes a complete confession of all sins by the very fact that he asks to be baptized, that he may be justified, that is, pass from guilt to grace.

13. Do not think it superfluous. There are some 4 — I know for certain there was one who said so; when we said to him, " At thy time of life thou shouldest certainly be baptized," he objected, "Why should I be baptized? I have no sin. Have I contracted sin? " He had no

1 Jn. ix. 6. This particular incident is not found in the other Evangelists, but similar cures of blind men are recorded in Mt. ix. 27 f.; xii. 22; xx. 30 f.; Mk. viii. 22 f.; x. 46 f.; Lk. xviii.

35f-

2 z. e. as a candidate for baptism (T.). See Introd. p. xi.

3 Ambrose, Exp. in Luc. vi. 3, speaks of a "confession of sin" in connexion with baptism, and some commentators see in the present passage a further indication that de Sacra?ne?itis is not the work of Ambrose, as the writer suggests that this confession may be omitted, and that the very fact of seeking baptism is in itself a " confession" of sin. But the language of Ambrose, in the passage cited above, is too vague and general to warrant the deduction drawn from it.

4 In this passage it has been thought that the writer has in view the Pelagian denial of original sin. If so, the passage is a further indication that the work is later than Ambrose. See Cabrol, Diet, d"> archeologie et de lit. chrtt. I. 1386, art. " Ambrosien (rit)."

clay, because Christ had not washed,1 that is, had not opened, his eyes; for no man is without sin.

14. Therefore, he who takes refuge in the baptism of Christ acknowledges himself a man. So on thee also he has put clay, that is, modesty, prudence, reflection upon thy weakness, and he has said to thee, "Go to Siloam." What is Siloam? Winch is, it says, by inter- pretation, Sent. That is, Go to that fount 2 wherein the Cross of the Lord is proclaimed; 3 go to that fount wherein Christ redeemed the faults of all men.

15. Thou didst go, thou didst wash, thou earnest to the altar. Thou didst begin to see what thou hadst not seen before; that is, through the font of the Lord and the preaching of the Lord's passion thine eyes were then opened. Thou who seemedst before to be blinded in heart, didst begin to see the light of the sacraments. Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, we have arrived at the altar, to a richer theme. And for the reason that the time is advanced, we cannot begin a fresh subject; since it is a lengthier theme, let what has been said to-day suffice; and to-morrow, if it please the Lord, we will treat of those sacraments.

1 laverat. The Rom. edition and one MS. read liniverat. Pos- sibly leverat, the reading of several MSS. is correct: i.e. "had not anointed."

2 The word here, font em, can mean either a "spring" or a baptismal font; the writer plays on the double meaning (T. ),

3 Cf. de My st. iii, 14 (note).

BOOK IV CHAPTER I

The symbolism of the Tabernacle applied to Christian baptism.

i. Under the old covenant the priests used to enter continually into the first tabernacle; into the second tabernacle the high priest entered once in the year. Which the Apostle Paul x clearly recalling in the Epistle to the Hebrews, explains the tenor of the Old Testament. Now there was in the second tabernacle the manna; there was also the rod of Aaron which withered and afterwards blossomed again; there was likewise the censer.2

2. What is the purpose of this? It is that you may understand what is the second tabernacle, into which the priest introduced you, into which the high priest was accustomed to enter once in the year, that is, to the baptistery,3 where the rod of Aaron blossomed; it was withered before, afterwards it blossomed again. Thou too wast withered, and dost begin to blossom again in the streaming font. Thou hadst withered through sins, thou hadst withered through faults and trespasses; but

1 For the ascription of the Ep. to the Hebrews to St. Paul see de Myst. viii. 45 (note).

a In the above passage the author has in mind Heb. ix. 4-7. The word thymiaterium (rendered "censer") is a transliteration of the Greek, which has been variously rendered "censer" or "altar of incense." The Vulgate has turibidnm. That the writer means "censer" is shown by iv. 1. 4.

2 On the baptistery as "the holy of holies" see de Myst. ii. 3. The parallel to "once in the year," in the author's mind, is to be found in the fact that Easter was the normal time for baptism.

now thou beginnest to bear fruit, planted by the rivers of water.1

3. But perhaps thou sayest, "What has this to do with the people, if the priest's rod had withered and blossomed again? " What is the people itself but priestly? To whom it was said, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,2 as saith the Apostle Peter. Every one is anointed to the priest- hood, is anointed to the kingdom also; but it is a spiritual kingdom and a spiritual priesthood.

4. In the second tabernacle is the censer also, which is wont to diffuse a sweet savour. So you also are now a sweet savour of Christ; 3 no longer is there in you any share of sins,4 any savour of ranker error.

CHAPTER II

The grace of innocence and "renewal of youth" resulting from

baptism.

5. It follows that you come to the altar. You began to come; the angels watched, they saw you approaching, and that human nature, which before was stained with the murky filth of sin, suddenly shone bright in their sight. And accordingly they said, Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness made white? 5 The angels then also wonder. Wilt thou know that they wonder? Hear then the Apostle Paul saying that those things have been bestowed on us which even angels long to

1 Ps. i. 3. 2 I Pet. ii. 9. 3 2 Cor. ii. 15.

4 sors delictorum. Some MSS. read sorties, "defilement."