Chapter I: Of a Church

The material church in which the people cometh together to praise God, signifieth the Holy Catholic Church, which is builded in the heavens of living stones. This is the Lord's house which is firmly builded. The 'chief corner-stone is Christ.' _Upon_ this, not _besides_ this, is the 'foundation of the apostles and prophets'; as it is written, 'Her foundations are upon the holy hills.' [Footnote 565] The walls builded thereon, be the Jews and Gentiles coming from the four quarters of the world unto Christ. All the stones be polished and squared; that is, all the saints be pure and firm: the which also be placed so as to last for ever by the hands of the Chief Workman. Of these some be borne and do not bear, as the more simple folk in the Church; some be borne and do also bear, as the middling sort; others do only bear, and be not borne, save by Christ alone. Who is the single Cornerstone. And in this house by how much anyone doth differ from and excel others, by so much being the more humble doth he hold up more of the building. One charity doth join all together after the fashion of cement: and the living stones be bound together by the bond of peace. The towers be the preachers and the prelates of the Church: who are her wards and defence.

[Footnote 565: Psalm lxxx (_Fundamenta ejus_), I.]

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Whence saith the bridegroom unto his spouse in the Song of Songs: 'Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury.' [Footnote 566] The cock which is placed thereon representeth preachers. For the cock in the deep watches of the night divideth the hours thereof with his song: he arouseth the sleepers; he foretelleth the approach of day; but first he stirreth up himself to crow by the striking of his wings. Behold ye these things mystically: for not one is there without meaning. The sleepers be the children of this world, lying in sins. The cock is the company of preachers, which do preach sharply, do stir up the sleepers to cast away the works of darkness, crying, 'Woe to the sleepers: awake thou that sleepest'; which also do foretell the coming of the light, when they preach of the day of judgment and future glory. But wisely before they preach unto others do they rouse themselves by virtues from the sleep of sin, and do chasten their bodies. Whence saith the Apostle, 'I keep under my body and bring it into subjection. [Footnote 567] The same also do turn themselves to meet the wind when they bravely do contend against and resist the rebellious by admonition and argument, lest they should seem to flee when the wolf cometh. The iron rod upon which the cock sitteth, showeth the straightforward speech of the preacher; that he doth not speak from the spirit of man, but according to the scriptures of God: as it is said, 'If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.' [Footnote 568] In that this rod is placed above the cross, it is shown that the words of Scripture be consummated and confirmed by the cross: whence our Lord said in His Passion, 'It is finished.' [Footnote 569] And His title was indelibly written over Him.

[Footnote 566: Cant. iv, 4. ]

[Footnote 567: I Corinthians ix, 27.]

[Footnote 568: I S. Peter iv, 2.]

[Footnote 569: S. John xix.]

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The ball (_tholus_) upon which the cross is placed doth signify perfection by its roundness: since the Catholic faith is to be preached and held perfectly and inviolably: 'Which faith, except a man do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.' Or else the ball doth signify the world redeemed by the price of the Cross: on which account the cross is placed over it. The cock being set over the cross signifieth that the preacher ought to make sure this point, that Christ redeemed the world by His Cross. The pinnacle and turret show the mind or life of a prelate who tendeth unto things above. The bells, by the voice of which the people are called together unto the church, typify also preachers: the which being necessary for many uses, are called by many names. The clapper, which causeth the sound from the two sides of the bell, is the tongue of the preacher which causeth both Testaments to resound. The wooden frame, whence the bell hangeth, signifieth the Cross; the cramps, charity; by which charity the preacher, being fast bound to the Cross, boasteth, saying, 'God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' [Footnote 570] The rope is the life and humility of the preacher. Whence the Apostle saith, 'He condescendeth towards others. Whether we exalt ourselves it is for God; whether we abase ourselves it is for you.' [Footnote 571] The rings on the rope are perseverance and the crown of reward. The glazed windows of the church be the Holy Scriptures, which do ward off the wind and the rain, that is, do repel all hurtful things; and when they do transmit the brightness of the True Sun by day into the church, they do give light to them that be therein. These be wider within than without, because the sense mystical is more ample and more pre-eminent than the sense literal. These be frequented of preachers, 'who do fly as a cloud and as the doves to the windows.' [Footnote 572]

[Footnote 570: Galatians vi, 14.]

[Footnote 571: 2 Corinthians v, 13. Vulgate.]

[Footnote 572: Isaiah lx, 8.]

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Also by the windows the five senses of the body be signified: which ought to be narrow without, lest they should take in vanities, but should be wide within to receive spiritual good. The door is Christ: whence the Lord saith in the Evangele, 'I am the door.' [Footnote 573] The pillars be doctors; who do hold up spiritually the temple of God by their doctrine, as do the evangelists also the throne of God. These, for the harmony of divine eloquence, be called silver columns: according to that of the Song of Songs, 'He made the pillars thereof of silver.' [Footnote 574] The stalls do denote the contemplative: in whom God doth rest without offence. These, for that they do contemplate the highest divinity and glory of the eternal life, be compared unto gold: whence in the aforesaid Song of Songs it is said, 'He made a golden bed.' [Footnote 575] The beams be such as spiritually sustain the Church: the ceilings such as adorn it and strengthen it; of the which (because they be not corrupted by vices) the bride glorieth in the same Canticles, saying, 'The beams of our house are cedar and our rafters of fir.' [Footnote 576] For God hath built His Church of living stones and imperishable wood: according to that, 'Solomon made himself a litter of the wood of Lebanon; [Footnote 577] that is Christ of His saints made white by chastity. The chancel, when lower than the body of the church, showeth mystically how great humility ought to be in the clergy: according to the saying, 'The greater thou art the more humble thyself.' [Footnote 578] The altar signifieth Christ, without Whom no acceptable gift is offered unto the Father. Whence the Church uttereth her prayers unto the Father _through_ Christ. The vestments with which the altar is adorned be the saints of whom the Prophet speaketh unto God, saying, 'Thou shalt surely clothe Thee with them all as with an ornament.' [Footnote 579]

[Footnote 573: S. John x.]

[Footnote 574: Cant, iii, 10.]

[Footnote 575: Cant, iii, 10.]

[Footnote 576: Cant, i, 17.]

[Footnote 577: Cant, iii, 9.]

[Footnote 578: Eccles. iii, 18.]

[Footnote 579: Isaiah xlix, 18.]

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The steps by which we ascend unto the altar do spiritually denote the apostles and martyrs of Christ who have shed their blood for the love of Him. The bride in the Canticles saith, 'The ascent unto it is purple, the midst thereof being paved with love.' [Footnote 580] Furthermore, the fifteen virtues be expressed by the fifteen steps with which they went up unto the temple of Solomon: and the same be shown by the prophet in the fifteen continuous Psalms, which the righteous man hath disposed as steps or degrees in his heart. [Footnote 581] This is the ladder which Jacob saw, the top of which touched the heavens. The lights of the church be they by whose doctrine the Church shineth as the sun and the moon; unto whom it is said by our Lord's voice, [Footnote 582] 'Ye are the light of the world.' They be also the examples of good works: whence He saith in His admonitions, 'Let your light so shine before men.' [Footnote 583] In that the church is adorned joyfully within but not without, is shown morally that its 'Glory is all from within.' [Footnote 584] For although it be contemptible externally, yet doth it shine within in the soul, which is the abode of God: whence the Church saith, 'I am black but comely.' [Footnote 585] And again, 'Yea, I have a goodly heritage.' [Footnote 586] Which the Prophet considering, saith, 'Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house: and the place where Thine honour dwelleth,' [Footnote 587] which place also Faith, Hope, and Charity do spiritually adorn.

[Footnote 580: Cant, iii, 10. Vulgate.]

[Footnote 581: The fifteen Psalms, cxx-cxxxiv of our version, are
called Songs of Degrees.]

[Footnote 582: S. Matthew v.]

[Footnote 583: Ibid.]

[Footnote 584: Here is an allusion to Psalm xlv (_Eructavit cor
meum_), 14. ]

[Footnote 585: Cant, i, 5.]

[Footnote 586: Psalm xvi (_Conserva me Domine_), 7.]

[Footnote 587: Psalm xxvi (_Judica me Domine_), 8. ]

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The cross of triumph is placed in the middle of the church, because the Church loveth her Redeemer in the middle of her heart, and 'the midst thereof is paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem.' [Footnote 588] The which as a sign of victory, let all who see say one and all, 'Hail, salvation of the whole world: hail, life-giving Tree!' Wherefore, lest we should ever forget the love of God for us, 'Who gave his only-begotten Son' to redeem us His servants, the Church armeth herself in her bosom and forehead with this sign, signifying that the mystery of the cross must always be believed by us in our heart, and confessed openly with our mouth. The figure of which went before her in Egypt. But when we cross ourselves from the forehead downwards, and then from the left to the right, we do set forth this mystery, that God 'bowed the heavens and came down,' to teach us to prefer things eternal unto things temporal. But by this sign the army of the devil is overthrown; the Church triumpheth, 'terrible as an army with banners.' [Footnote 589] 'How dreadful is this place: this is none other but the house of God.' [Footnote 590] And the Hymn saith, 'The banners of the King come forth: the Cross unfolds its mystery.' [Footnote 591] Round this do the heavenly legions rally. Of this it is written, 'I saw the holy city. New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.' [Footnote 592]

[Footnote 588: Cant. iii, 10.]

[Footnote 589: Cant, vi, 10.]

[Footnote 590: Genesis xxviii, 17.]

[Footnote 591: The hymn, _Vexilla Regis_, occurs in the office for
Passion Sunday.]

[Footnote 592: Apoc. xxi, 2.]

For the Church is militant here; in her home she doth reign: a part is in pilgrimage, a part in glory. That which is in pilgrimage coming up from her exile through the desert, doth sigh for her home, from the 'waters of Babylon for the heavenly Jerusalem;' while the other part, continually seeing peace, doth hold perpetual festival. Thus the heavenly city of Jerusalem is called the 'vision of peace.' [Footnote 593]

[Footnote 593: See note 4 on the _Rationale_, I. i, p. 13.]

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How glorious is her kingdom, 'glorious things are spoken of thee, thou city of God.' [Footnote 594] Her guardians be the citizens of heaven, the legions of angels with the glorious company of the apostles, the prophets, and the patriarchs, the armies of martyrs robed in purple, the flowers of virgins, the verdant choir of confessors, compassed about with the universal assembly of all the saints, chaste and glorified! And this wondrous court of heaven is yet more wondrously adorned by that one incomparable jewel, the Virgin Mother, 'whose like there ne'er hath been, whose like there ne'er shall be.' But how great is the admiration of all in beholding the King Himself, and how harmonious be the songs in praise of Him; this is known to those alone, who have deserved to stand amongst the happy throng, and to behold the mystery of the Trinity and the glory of Christ: Who is encircled by the angelic choirs; upon Whom the angels desire continually to gaze. To behold this the Immortal King face to face, the Church below is preparing herself: and while she keepeth here her feasts of time, she is remembering the festivals of her home and of eternity; in which the bridegroom is hymned by angelical instruments. And all the saints continually celebrating the day of great festivity 'which the Lord hath made,' cease not in their nuptial songs to laud the eternal bridegroom, the beautiful in form above the sons of men; Him who hath chosen the Church for Himself of His free mercy. Of whom, as He had seen her from eternity, He saith, 'I will get Me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense and will speak unto my spouse.' [Footnote 595] For whom 'He came forth as a bridegroom out of His chamber, and rejoiced as a giant to run his course'; [Footnote 596] when He went forth from His Father, and returned unto His Father--went forth indeed even unto Hades, returned unto the Throne of God--to make all His elect, from the beginning even unto the end of the world, one kingdom in the vision of the Supreme Trinity: in which is glorified 'one God world without end.'

[Footnote 594: Psalm lxxxvii (_Fundamenta ejus_), 2.]

[Footnote 595: Cant, iv, 6.]

[Footnote 596: Psalm xix (_Caeli enarrant_), 5.]

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