CHAPTER I

OF A CHURCH
The material church in which the people cometh to- gether 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.' 2 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 Corner- stone. 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. Whence saith the bridegroom unto his spouse in the Song of
-Psalm Ixxx {Futidamenta ejiis)^ I.
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Songs : 'Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury.' ^ The cock which is placed thereon repre- senteth 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 mystic- ally : 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.* 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.'^ In that this rod is placed above the cross, it is shown that the words of Scripture be con- summated and confirmed by the cross : whence our Lord said in His Passion, * It is finished.' ^ And His title was indelibly written over Him. The ball {tJiolus) upon which the cross is placed doth signify perfection by its roundness : since the Catholic faith is to be preached and
^ C.mt. iv, 4. ' I Corinthians ix, 27. ^ i S. Peter iv, 2.
^ S. John xix.
1 66 The Symbolism of Churches
held perfectry 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 neces- sary 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' ^ 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.' ^ 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 hurt- ful 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.' ^ Also by the windows the
^ Galatians vi, 14. ^ 2 Corinthians v, 13. Vulgate. " Isaiah Ix, 8.
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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.' ^'^ 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.' ^^ The stalls do denote the con- templative : 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.' ^^ The beams be such as spiritually sustain the Church : the ceilings such as adorn it and strengthen it ; of the w^hich (because they be not cor- rupted by vices) the bride glorieth in the same Canticles, saying, ' The beams of our house are cedar and our rafters of fir.' ^^ 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 ; ^^ 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 ^^ 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.' ^^ The
'" S. John X. " Cant, iii, lo. '- Cam. iii, 10. ^^ Cant, i, 17. '* Cant, iii, 9. '^ Eccles. iii, iS. '" Isaiah xlix, 18.
1 68 The Symbolisin of Churches
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.' ^^ 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 dis- posed as steps or degrees in his heart.^^ 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,^^ ' 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.' ^^ In that the church is adorned joyfully within but not without, is shown morally that its ' Glory is all from within.' ^i 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.' 22 And again, ' Yea, I have a goodly heritage.' ^^ Which the Prophet considering, saith, ' Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house : and the place where Thine honour dwelleth,' ^^ which place also Faith, Hope, and Charity do spiritually adorn. The cross of triumph is placed in the middle of the church, because the Church
•^ Cant, iii, lo. Vulg^ate. 1*^ The fifteen Psalms, cxx-cxxxiv of our version, are called Songs of Degrees.
i« S. Matthew V. 20 jbid.
-1 Here is an allusion to Psalm xlv (^Eructavit cor meuni)^ 14. " Cant, i, 5. ^^ Psalm xvi {Conserva me Domine)^ 7. ^^ Psalm xxvi [fudica me Domhie)^ 8.
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loveth her Redeemer in the middle of her heart, and ' the midst thereof is paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem.' ^^ 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 be- fore 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.'^" ' How dreadful is this place : this is none other but the house of God.' -^ And the Hymn saith, ' The banners of the King come forth : the Cross unfolds its mystery.' "^ 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.' ^^
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.' ^^ How glorious is her kingdom, ' glorious things
-^ Cant, iii, 10. '^ Cant, vi, 10. -^ Genesis xxviii, 17.
-"* The hymn, Vexilla Regis, occurs in the office for Passion Sunda)-. ■-"•• Apoc. xxi, 2. ^ See note 4 on the Rationale, I. i, p. 13.
I/O The SymholisuL of ChurcJies
are spoken of thee, thou city of God.' ^^ 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, com- passed 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 continu- ally 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 beauti- ful 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.' ^^ For whom ' He came forth as a bridegroom out of His chamber, and rejoiced as a giant to run his course ' ; ^^ when He went forth from His Father, and returned unto His Father — went forth indeed even unto Hades, returned unto the
^' Psalm Ixxxvii {Fund amenta ejus)^ 2. ^ Cant, iv, 6. ^ Psalm xix {Cceli enarrant^^ 5.
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Throne of God — to make all His elect, from the beerin- ning 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.'
CHAPTER H
OF TPIE DEDICATION OF A CHURCH
With what carefulness and love Christ doth adorn the bride for Himself and prepare her for her heavenly dedi- cation, is in part signified by the consecration of the material church. The bishop compasseth the church to be dedicated three times, sprinkling it with holy water, the clergy and people following him.
239 A. In the meanwhile without and within there be burning twelve lamps. So often as he cometh to the door (which for a mystical reason is shut), the bishop smiteth the lintel with his pastoral staff, saying ' Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.' ^ The deacon answereth, ' Who is the King of Glory?' To whom the bishop, ' The Lord of Hosts : He is the King of Glory.' At the third time, the door being thrown open, he entereth with the clergy and people, saying, ' Peace be to this house.' Then he performeth the other ceremonies which pertain to dedication. But whatever things be here done visibly, the same doth God work by His invisible power in the soul, which is the true Temple of God : wherein Faith layeth the founda- tion, Hope raiseth the buildings, and Charity finisheth it. Also the Church Catholic herself, being made one out
' Psalm xxiv {^Domini est terra).
1/2 The Syinbolisin of Churches
of many stones, is the temple of God ; because many- temples make one temple, of which there is one Lord and one Faith. Wherefore the house must be dedicated ; the soul sanctified. Water is penitence : salt, wisdom ; the threefold aspersion, the threefold immersion in bap- tism ; the twelve lights, the twelve apostles, preaching the mystery of the Cross ; the bishop, Christ ; his staff, Christ's power ; the three strokes on the door, Christ's dominion over all things in heaven, earth, and hell : ' that all the threefold frame of things may bow the knee to Him, their Lord.' Again, the question of the deacon within is the ignorance of the people ; the opening of the door, the ejection of sin. The bishop entering, prayeth for peace on the house, and Christ entering the world maketh peace between God and men. Then prostrate he prayeth unto the Lord for its sanctification : and so Christ, humbled in His Passion, prayed for His disciples and them that should believe, saying, ' Father, sanctify them in Thy truth.' ^ Arising he does not give the salutation but only prayeth : because they who be not yet sanctified must not be blessed but only prayed for. The writing the alphabet upon the pavement is the simple teaching of faith in the heart of man. The line drawn from the left corner of the east unto the right corner of the west, and the other line from the right of the east unto the left of the west, do express the Cross, and also the gathering in of both peoples : according as Jacob blessed the chil- dren of Joseph with his hands crossed.^ For although Christ passing from the east did leave the Jews, because they would not believe, on His left hand, and did come unto the Gentiles ; to whom, though they had been in the west. He granteth to be on the right hand : yet will he again, passing from the Gentiles who be placed in the
2 S. John xvii. ^ Genesis xxviii
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right of the east, visit the Jews in the left hand corner : who, it is evident, be worse than He first found the Gentiles. The staff with which the alphabet is described typifieth the ministry of teachers, by which the conver- sion of the Gentiles is effected and that of Jews perfected. In that afterwards the bishop standing before the altar saith, ' O God, make speed to save us ' ; he doth signify those who having received the faith are preparing them- selves to fight And because they be still in conflict, and as it were amongst sighs, the Alleluia is not yet added. After this the water is blessed with salt and ashes ; wine mixed with water being also added. The water is the people ; the salt, doctrine ; the ashes, the remembrance of the Passion of Christ. The wine mixed with water is Christ, God and Man ; the wdne His Godhead, the water His Manhood. Thus the people is sanctified by the doctrines of faith and remembrance of the Passion, being united wnth its Head both God and Man. Whence the altar and the church be sprinkled within ; to show that within, as without, the spiritual Church must be sancti- fied. The aspersory, made of hyssop, denoteth humility ; with which grace the Catholic Church being sprinkled is purified. The bishop compasseth the church in lustration and as if bestowing his care upon all. In the meanw^hile is chanted the Psalm, ' Let God arise and his enemies be scattered,' with its proper response and antiphon, which is followed by another, ' Whoso dwelleth under the de- fence of the most high.' Then the bishop chanteth, ' My House shall be called an House of Prayer,' and also, ' I will tell out thy name among my brethren.' And be- cause no work can prosper w^ithout God, he prayeth in conclusion that they may be heard who shall enter therein to pray for blessings. After this he approacheth unto the altar, saying, ' I will go up unto the altar of the Lord,' with the whole Psalm : and what remains of the water
U
174 The Symbolism of Chiwches
he poureth away at the base of the altar, committing unto God that which surpasseth human abiHties in so great a sacrament. After this the altar is wiped with a linen cloth. The altar is Christ, the cloth is his flesh, brought by the beating of His Passion unto the whiteness and glory of immortality. Next the bishop offereth upon the altar frankincense, which is burnt in the shape of a cross in the middle thereof ; and at its four corners he maketh crosses with sanctified oil. Then upon each of the four walls of the church there be made three crosses with the same oil : and the consecration being thus finished, the altar is covered with a white veil. Incense, prayers, and oil do denote the grace of the Holy Ghost. Whose fulness — ' like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down unto the beard : even unto Aaron's beard,' ^ — came down upon the apostles and their disciples : who preached the mystery of the Cross through the four quarters of the world, the Lord work- ing with them. The white covering doth typify the joy of immortality : concerning which the Son exulteth, saying unto the Father, ' Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.' ^
■• Psalm cxxxiii (^Ecce qiiam botiuni), 2. ^ Psalm XXX {Exalfaho te Domine)^ 12.
APPENDIX A
CHANCELS
' The temple of old was divided into two parts by a veil hung in the middle thereof. The first part was called the Holy Place, but the inner part the Holy of Holies. Whatever part then of the office of the Mass cometh before the secret ^ is performed as it were in the outer place : but the secret itself within the Holy of Holies. There were in the Holy of Holies the altar of incense, the ark of the testimony, the mercy-seat above the ark, and over this two cherubims of glory with their faces looking towards ^z^'^ nfher. Herein the high priest entered alone once in the year, having the names of the patriarchs written upon the breastplate of judgment and the shoulderplates, and bearing a censer of burning coals and blood, and incense, which with prayer he placed in the thurible until the cloud of incense covered him.-
' After the Sancius, which, as we shall find, was performed with the full choir and the accompaniment of organs, came the secret^ which embraced the whole Canon of the .Uass, performed by the celebrant alone, and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. ' It is called the secret because these things be hidden from us, since the nature of man can in no wise fully com- prehend so great a mystery : for the denoting of which it is rightly per- formed secretly. To signify the same also, the priest when entering upon the secret is veiled as it were with the side curtains.' See other mystical reasons adduced in the remainder of this passage, Book IV, Chapter 35, and in Chapter 39 an account of the side curtains. Upon the use of these see also the Dublm Review^ vol. x, p. 339.
- See Leviticus xvi ; Exodus xxviii, xxxix, and xl.
176 The Symbolisin of Churches
Afterwards he sprinkled the mercy-seat and the altar with blood, and then he went out to the people, and washed his vestments in the evening. These were types of old, but they have ceased since the things signified thereby have come. But thus the former temple doth denote the present church ; the Holy of Holies, heaven ; the high priest, Christ ; the blood, His Passion ; the coals, His love ; the thurible. His flesh ; the burning incense, prayers of sweet savour ; the altar, the hosts of heaven ; the ark, Christ in His humanity ; the mercy- seat, God the Father ; the two cherubims, the twain Testaments, the which do look towards each other because the two do agree ; the vestments which be washed, mankind. Wherefore consider what things were done of old, and what things Christ hath done, and then see how the minister of the Church doth represent the same in the office of the Mass. By the ark also is signified the humility of Christ, from which through his mercy all good hath come unto us ' (Durandus, Book IV, Preface
In the next section the same subject is further illus- trated, though without reference to the immediate subject of this appendix, the necessity of the division of every church into a chancel and nave.
The reader may consult a most interesting series of chapters in Hugo de Sancto Victore (Tituli ii-viii, Ex. Misc. II, Lib. IV) upon this subject : the passages are far too long for insertion here.
The absolute necessity of this twofold division is a point which it is more than painful at this time to have to prove. It is only within the last two centuries that our own or any branch of the Church Catholic has dared to depart from an usage which, if any, has universality, antiquity, and consent on its side, and of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church. For some of the
Appendix 177
arguments which have been adduced in the present con- troversy we must refer to the publications of the Cam- bridge Camden Society, and particularly the Ecclesiolo- gist. There is nothing more wanted than a careful treatise on the subject which shall in a compendious form put this and several points depending upon it, such as orientation itself, and praying towards the east, in a clear light.
APPENDIX B
ORIENTATION
' Furthermore albeit God is everywhere, yet ought the priest at the altar and in the offices to pray towards the east : according to the constitutions of Vigilius, Pope. Whence in churches which have the doors at the west, he that celebrateth turneth in the salutations to the people : but in churches which have the entrance at the east,^ as at Rome, there is no need in the salutations for turning round, because the priest always turneth to the people. The temple also of Solomon, and the tabernacle of Moses had their entrance from the east. Pray we therefore towards the east, being mindful, firstly, that He, Who is the splendour of eternal light, hath illuminated ' them ^ that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, rising with healing in his wings ' : ^ of whom it is said, ' Behold the man, whose name is the East.' ^ For the which cause he saith in the book of Wisdom,^ ' We
' S. John Lateran is an instance. We may observe that the reascms for the orientation of churches must have been very strong to have caused an universal disregard of an example thus set at the centre of Western Chris- tendom.
- S. Luke i, 79. ' Malachi iv, 2. ' Zechariah vi, 12. ^ Wisdom xvi, 28
178 TJie Syvibolisin of Churches
ought to pray eastward, where the hght ariseth.' Not because the Divine Majesty is locally in the east : which is potentially and essentially in all places ; as it is written, ' Do not I fill ^ heaven and earth ' ; and in like manner speaketh the Prophet, " ' If I ascend into heaven. Thou art there : if I go down to hell, Thou art there also ' : but because to those ' who fear His name shall ^ the sun of righteousness arise,' ' which lighteth every man that Cometh into the world.' ^
Secondly, that our souls be thereby taught to turn themselves to the things that are more desirable.
Thirdly, because they who praise God ought not to turn their backs on Him.
Fourthly, according to Joannes Damascenus (who giveth also the three following reasons),^^ to show that we seek our country.
Fifthly, that we may look upon Christ crucified, who is the True East.
Sixthly, that we may prove that we expect Him to come to be our Judge. For Damascenus saith in that place, 'God planted a garden eastward ';" whence man's sin made him an exile, and instead of Paradise made him to dwell in the west : therefore, looking to our ancient home, we pray towards the east.
Seventhly, because our Lord, at His Crucifixion, looked towards the east: and also when he ascended into heaven. He ascended towards the east : and thus the apostles adored Him : and thus ' He shall come again in like manner as they saw Him go into heaven.' ^^
Eighthly, Daniel likewise in the Jewish captivity prayed towards the temple.
Yet Augustine saith that 'no Scripture hath taught us
^ Jeremiah xxiii, 24. "^ Psalm cxxxix (^Domine probastt)^ 7. ^ Malachi iv, 2. ® S. John i, 9. '" Quatuor orationes. We should probably read, rationes. " Genesis ii, 8. ^' Acts i, 11.
Appendix 179
to pray towards the east' [He, however, says also, ' Though I find not a thing on record in Scripture, yet I receive it as proceeding from the apostles if the Universal Church embrace it '] ^^ (Durandus V, ii, 57).
S. Isidore has a curious passage about orientation. A place, he says, designed so as to face the east was called templuni, from contemplating. Of which there were four parts ; the front facing the east, the back the west, the right hand the south, and the left hand the north : whence also when they builded temples, they took their east at the equinox, so that lines drawn from east to west would make the sections of the sky on the right and left hands equal, in order that he who prayed might look at the direct east (Orig. XV, iv).
APPENDIX C
ON THE DESIGN OF THE ANALOGIUM, AMBO OR ROOD LOFT, AND THE READING OF THE GOSPEL FROM IT