The Catholic Magazine. FRAGMENTS FROM THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE EASTERN CHURCH. ST. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. THE PURPOSES OF PUNISHMENT. If we are punished on account of voluntary sin, we are so, not that sin, once perpetrated, is thus to be obliterated, but only because it has been perpetrated. Punishment, therefore, does not assist him who has sinned in undoing that which is done, but is for this purpose, that he may not sin any longer, and that no other may fall into the like offences. The gracious GOD, therefore, inflicts chastisement for three causes ;first, that he who is chastened may be rendered better; second, that those who may be saved, thus admonished, profit by example; third, that he who is afflicted may be held up to deserved reproof, and become deservedly a sufferer. We are to understand that they are to be subject to chastisement who, after the laver of baptism, have fallen into sin; that the offences committed before are then pardoned; but those committed after, are to be purged away. THE FREEDOM OF THE WILL. The Father Himself either attracts to Himself whomsoever has lived purely, and has advanced to the knowledge of His hallowed nature, and in whom death has no dominion; or that free will with which we are endowed, attaining to the knowledge of the good, leaps over the enclosures, as it is said in the gymnastic schools, within which we are imprisoned; but not without especial grace is the soul thus permitted to exalt itself, laying aside whatever weight may oppress its flight, and returning to that nature, of which it has attained the apprehension. THE DESCENT INTO HELL. To those in Hades also the Lord preached the Gospel, as the ScripNO. VIII. VOL. II.-AUG. 1843. 5 tures say: Hell saith unto death, We have not known his form, but have heard his voice. Not indeed that the place could ever have heard a voice, as thus is affirmed in what we have quoted; but those who had descended into Hades, and delivered themselves up to death, as if wilfully throwing themselves from a ship into the sea; these were they who then heard of the divine power, and listened to the voice. For who of sound mind can conceive to be subjected to one judgment the souls both of just and unjust, imputing unrighteousness to Providence? Do not these things signify evidently that the Lord preached the Gospel to those who had been lost in the deluge, or rather to those in chains, and to those held under bondage and durance? We have shewn that the Apostles, imitating the Lord, preached the Gospel also to those in Hades; for it must needs be that there, as here also, those noblest disciples should follow the example of their Master; that the one might lead the Hebrews,-others, the Gentiles, to conversion ;that is, all who lived righteously, according to the law, and according to philosophy;-not indeed in perfect righteousness, which could not be, as all had led a life of sinfulness. Thus was made manifest the divine counsel and providence, that those who had most of the dignity of virtue, and had lived distinguished thereby above others, and who had become obedient to repentance for the sins into which they had fallen, even if they had been placed in another region (since without controversy they belong to the number of those who are sons of the Most High) should be amongst the redeemed through the knowledge (of Truth) being imparted individually to each; for, as I consider, the Saviour himself operates when it is his will to bestow salvation on any, and effects this by the preaching of the truth to whomsoever may desire to receive faith in him, in whatsoever place they may be, thus drawing them to himself. If, therefore, the Lord descended into Hades for no other cause than that he might announce the Gospel, it was thus certainly that he descended; and ascended, either that he might announce it to all, or to the Jews alone. If to all, without doubt all shall be saved who have believed in him, whether they be of the Gentiles (since these also have made confession of him) or not. The very chastisements of GOD are lifegiving and imparting instruction, leading to conversion, and rather conferring repentance than death upon the sinner; and that especially, because the soul can look upon purer things when it is set free from the body, even if its vision may be obscured by the perturbations (of mortality) on that account, that the fleshly nature opposes and shackles it no more. Now we read in the preaching of St. Peter, that the Lord said to his disciples, after the resurrection, "I have chosen ye twelve, deeming ye worthy of me;" whom he desired to raise to the apostolic office, judging them faithful, and sending them into the world to announce the Gospel to all mankind in every part of the earth, that they might know the one true GOD, and that they who heard and believed might be saved; and that they who would not believe when they had heard, might give testimony, as not being able to excuse themselves by saying, "We have not heard." What then? Was not the same economy observed in the lower regions, that all the souls there, the announcement of the Gospel being once heard, might either manifest repentance, or, continuing in unbelief, might confess that their punishment was just? For it would be of no small injustice, if those who departed before the advent of the Lord (since the Gospel was not published to them, and there could be, on their part, no sin in regard to belief) were to be saved or condemned. The cause of such being unheard, legality would not permit that they should be sentenced; and to those alone who were after his advent would it be lawful to partake of the joy of divine righteousness. Moreover, it is declared to all souls endowed with reason, "Whatsoever any of ye have committed in ignorance, not knowing the Lord, these sins, if being repented of when knowledge is given, shall all be remitted." If, therefore, he announced the Gospel to those in the flesh, that they might not be condemned unjustly, how could he not announce it also to those who had departed before his advent, for the very same purpose? THE SCRIPTURES. I deem that to the lover of truth, energy of soul is necessary; for it must needs be, that those err greatly who undertake great things, unless they possess the canon of truth received from the Truth itself. But these, forasmuch as they have fallen from the right way, are plunged into many fallacies and errors, because they are in want of a criterion, for the true and false, thoroughly fitted for determining the choice of such things as are right. If they possessed this, they would obey the Divine Scriptures: for, like to some one turned from man into a brute, as those intoxicated by Circe; so he has ceased being a man of GOD, and faithful to the Lord, who has rebelled against ecclesiastical tradition, and plunged amid the opinions of human heresies. But he who has been converted from this error, and obeyed the Scriptures, and given up his life to the truth, is perfected to become, as it were, a god, from having been a man. For we have, as chief of all doctrine, the Lord himself, through the Prophets, the Gospel, and the blessed Apostles; in many places and diverse ways, carrying forward the Gnosis from the commencement to the completion. If any deem that he has need of other than the chief, that chief cannot be truly preserved by him (as object of allegiance); for he who, of himself, is faithful, is worthily devoted, as reasonable, to the Lord's Scripture, and the voice mighty to bring into effect the mercies of the Lord towards all mankind. This it is which we use as a criterion for the clearing of things. MYSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HIGH PRIEST'S VEStments. The vestment of the High Priest which flowed down to the feet, was a symbol of the sensible world; the five gems and two carbuncles, of the seven planets wandering round Saturn and the Moon. The breast is the dwelling-place of the heart and soul; and there were besides also gems of various significance toward salvation; some placed in the higher, some in the lower, parts of the same body, through which was to be obtained (for the worshippers according to the Mosaic Law) salvation. The three hundred and sixty bells which depended from the flowing vestment, signified the time of years-the acceptable year of the Lord being, I say, therein typified, announcing, and with loud sound heralding, the advent of the Saviour. They say also that the robe, the flowing vestment I mean, presignified the dispensation of the assumed flesh, through which the Logos was manifested, and brought immediately near to the world. * * In what manner the Lord is above the universe of our world, and thus removed beyond the world, yet to be perceived and known through the understanding; thus the name inscribed on the mitre of the High Priest, was deemed worthy to be exalted above all principality and power. It was inscribed, in order to signify the precepts committed to letters, and the Presence that is made sensible; it was called, the Name of the Lord, as, since the Son beholds the goodness of the Father and thus operates as GOD the Saviour, He is called the chief over the universe, because made the image of God, who is indeed invisible, from the first, before all ages. For He created all things, which were formed after Himself. 69 CHURCH MUSIC-A SERMON.* THIS sermon is from the pen of a Dissenter, and as such may be considered a tolerably fair production. The author produces a long array of authorities from Scripture, in favour of Church music, and he remarks: "That Church music was cultivated throughout that series of ages, during which all the Western Christians, at least, acknowledged the supremacy of the See of Rome. And I would by no means conceal the fact that, at various periods, it was greatly vitiated under Romish dictation and guidance. But it would be unjust not to remember that Rome, in this particular, repeatedly reformed herself; especially in the seventh century under the pontificate of Gregory, surnamed the Great, and in the sixteenth after the holding of the Council of Trent. Worthy it is of observation that these reforms were, to a great extent, restorations of the simpler and graver melodies adopted for worship by the primitive Christian Churches; as that those melodies themselves, there is reason to believe were derived from the Hebrew temple services ;— the latter conclusion being the result of the considerations that the first Christians were Hebrews, and that to the Temple we must look as the only probable source of that sacred music of theirs, which was so effective an aid to the conversion of Pagan idolators."-p. 11. The leading Protestant Reformers, we are told, evinced a high appreciation of Church-music, and bent all their efforts to the renewal of its appropriate character. We doubt if they really could appreciate Church-music. Luther had, we believe, some knowledge of music; but what composition has he, or any of his brethren, left behind to show that they had any idea of the higher beauties of harmony, if we except the tune of the Hundredth Psalm, Their successors were, in general, a reckless band, who inspired their deluded followers with a hatred of Church-music, particularly the instrumental portion of it. The author of the sermon deplores this feeling, which, he observes, "to a height of extravagance," in England and Scotland, of which the world "affords no parallel example." The "Reformation in our island," he admits, was the great origin of this extravagance; for rose "With a spirit in many things that entitles them to immortal (?) honour, both the English and Scotch Reformers, with some bright exceptions, were possessed by a furor of indignation against whatever was truly venerable, as well as old, *Church Music. A Sermon. London: Whittaker and Co. 1843. |