Faith & the Word

Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church Triumphant, Book III: On Churches, Vows, Pilgrimages and Feasts

Chapter 1: Preface; On the Errors concerning Churches

Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Ecclesia quae Triumphat in Coelis, the fourth general controversy. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).

Preface to Book III

Although the following questions, on churches, vows, pilgrimages, feasts and vigils, which are kept in honour of God and of the saints, can belong not only to this place but also to many others, it has yet seemed good to dispute them wholly in this place; both because the disputations are so joined that they cannot easily be separated from one another, and also because what is not proper to this place can be sought from here when an opportunity of disputing that matter is given elsewhere. I except, however, vows, of which there is only a very brief discussion in this place, because the matter has been treated elsewhere.

To begin, then, with churches, there will be seven parts of this disputation. First we will explain what heresies there have been on this matter; second, whether churches are to be built; third, in what form; fourth, for what ends; fifth, on the consecration and dedication of churches; sixth, on their adornment; seventh, on the things which are blessed in churches, as water, oil, candles, palms and so on.

Chapter 1. On the Errors concerning Churches

The enemies of the churches of God have been of two kinds. One of those who overthrew the churches themselves, not out of hatred of churches, but out of hatred of a nation or a religion. The other of those who hated the churches themselves, or something of theirs, as an evil. Of the first kind were Nabuchodonosor, Antiochus, Pompey, Cassius and Titus, who either burned or profaned the temple of Solomon, not out of hatred of the temple, but of the nation. See 4 Kings, the last chapter; 1 Machabees 1; Josephus, book 14 of the Antiquities, and book 7 of the Jewish War; Cornelius Tacitus, book [21?]; and Augustine, book 18 of the City of God, chapter 45.

Diocletian ordered all the churches of the Christians to be levelled to the ground, not out of hatred of churches, but of the Christian religion; Eusebius, book 8 of the History, chapter 2. Jerome writes, in the letter to Riparius, that Julian wished to do the same.

The Arians too and the Donatists profaned and despoiled the churches of the Catholics, not out of hatred of the church, but of religion. See Athanasius in the Apology for his Flight, Theodoret, book 4 of the History, chapters 19 and 20, and Optatus, book 6 against Parmenian.

To the other kind belong in the first place the Manichees. For Faustus, in Augustine, book 20, chapters 3 and 4, objects to the Catholics that they had churches and altars after the manner of the Gentiles and Jews. Following the Manichees, the Messalians cursed all churches and altars, and would pray to God only in their own houses, as Damascene reports in the book On a Hundred Heresies. At almost the same time Eustathius detested all churches, and especially those of the martyrs, on the witness of Socrates, book 2 of the History, chapter 33, and would have meetings held in private houses.

The Petrobrusians destroyed churches and laughed at the new buildings of churches; the author is Peter of Cluny, in the letter against the Petrobrusians, and the author of the Life of blessed Bernard, book 3, chapter 5. The Albigensians afterwards taught the same, as Bernard of Luxemburg reports in the Catalogue. The Waldenses taught the same, in Claude de Seyssel, in the book against the Waldenses, chapter [?]; the same the Wycliffites, in Thomas Waldensis, volume 3, titles [11?] and 22; the same the Taborites, in Aeneas Sylvius, On the Origin of the Bohemians, chapter 35; the same the Transylvanian Anabaptists, in the Antitheses of the True Christ and the False, published at Alba Julia in the year [1568?].

Further, the Lutherans and Calvinists admit churches, but only for preaching and administering the sacraments. But they find fault that churches are made for praying, that they are made in honour of the saints, that they are consecrated with a fixed rite, that they are adorned at great cost. For the Magdeburgers, Century 4, chapter 6, column 407 and following, say many things against the rites of consecrating churches; and in the preface to Century 6 they find fault with the Catholics, who build churches at huge cost, and those in honour of the martyrs.

John Calvin, in the preface to the Institutes, finds fault with the adornment of churches with gold, silver, silk, precious stones and so on; and in book 1, chapter 11, section 13, he would have the only adornments of churches be preaching and the sacraments; and in book 3, chapter 20, section 30, he says that churches indeed ought to be built for pouring out common prayers, but that it is not to be thought that there is any holiness in a church. Where he shows openly that private prayers are in no way made better in a church than elsewhere.

Chapter 2. Whether Churches Are to Be Built

Those who will not have churches built at all can bring nothing for themselves but those Scriptures which say that God does not dwell in places made by hands; as Matthew 5, “Heaven is the throne of God, and earth his footstool”; and Acts 7, “But the most High dwelleth not in houses made by hands”; and Acts 17, “Neither is he served with men's hands,” nor dwells in temples made with hands. For from here the Manichees (as Augustine testifies, in the book against Adimantus, chapter [10?]) proved that the God of the Old Testament, who had ordered a tabernacle and a temple to be built for him, was not the true God but an evil principle, and fought with the God of the New Testament. But they are most elegantly refuted by Augustine in the same place. For the Manichees said that the God of the Old Testament wished for temples and the God of the New Testament did not.

But on the contrary we read in the Old Testament, Isaias 66, God saying, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool: what is this house which you will build to me?” And on the contrary in the New Testament, John 2, Christ saying of the temple made with hands: “Take these things hence, and make not the house of my Father a house of traffic.” And Matthew 21: “My house shall be called the house of prayer.” One and the same God, then, in both Testaments, approves churches in which he is adored, and does not approve temples in which he is thought to be shut up, as the idols, that is, the gods of the heathens, were truly held in the temples, and could not go out from there unless those who had fixed them to the walls wished to take them down and carry them off. But more of this in chapter 4.

Chapter 3. On the Form

Of the form of the churches of the Christians there is no reason for us to say much, since very ancient churches are still to be seen. Yet two things are to be noted. One, that after the likeness of the temple of Solomon, in which there was the court, the holy place and the holy of holies, almost all churches had three parts. First, the porch before the entrance into the church, which place the Greeks call pronaos, and ours the vestibule, where the penitents stayed. Then there was the naos, that is, the church, or nave. Lastly the bēma, or hierateion, that is, the sacristy, or sanctuary, or adyta, which was the inner part of the church, where the altar was, and which was divided from the rest of the church by steps, rails and veils or hangings; and none went in there but the priests with their ministering clerics.

Besides these parts of the church there was also a little house joined to the church, which was called the salutatory, where the bishop sat when he was preparing himself to celebrate. See Eusebius, book 3 of the Life of Constantine, where he describes the church which Constantine built at Jerusalem at the holy sepulchre; likewise Theodoret, book 4 of the History, chapter 20, where he mentions the sanctuary, separated from the rest of the church by hangings, into which Basil brought the Emperor Valens; and in book 5, chapter 17, where he mentions both the sanctuary and the salutatory. See also Jerome in the letter on the death of Nepotian, Augustine, book 22 of the City of God, chapter 8, at the end, and Walafrid Strabo in the book On Church Matters, chapters 4 and 6.

The other thing is that the churches of the Christians were for the most part turned to the east, and had four sides, by which they looked to the four parts of the world; except some which were placed otherwise for the convenience of the site. This is certain partly from experience, partly also from the testimonies of the ancients. For Tertullian, in the book against the Valentinians, not far from the beginning, says that the churches of the Christians were wont to love the east. Walafrid Strabo, in the book On Church Matters, chapter 4, says that the greater part of churches are built so that those who pray in them look to the east; Paulinus the same, letter 12.

The same is testified by Justin, question 118; Epiphanius, heresy 19, which is of the Essenes; Origen, homily 5 on Numbers; Basil in the book On the Holy Spirit, chapter 27; Gregory of Nyssa, oration 5 on the Lord's Prayer; Augustine, book 2 On the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, chapter 5; Germanus in the book On the Contemplation of Sacred Things; John Damascene, book 4 On the Faith, chapter 13; and all those ancients who write that it is an apostolic tradition that we pray turned to the east. For this is fitting to be kept especially in the solemn prayers which are poured out in churches.

And the reasons of this ceremony are five. The first, because paradise was in the east, Genesis 2, according to the version of the Seventy. For where the Vulgate edition has, “The Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning,” the Greek has ephyteusen paradeison en Edem kata anatolas; and surely the Hebrew word miqqedem could rightly be turned in either way, for it signifies both “before” and “the east,” which is the front part of the world. Hence too our Interpreter in Genesis 4 turns the same word “at the east side.” We pray, then, turned to the east, because we profess that we are pilgrims, and sigh for our fatherland, from which we were cast out; so Gregory of Nyssa.

The second reason is that from the east the heaven rises and begins to move, and so that part of the whole bodily world is the most excellent. And we turn our bodily face, when praying, to the most excellent body, both because, as Justin says, the better things are always to be given to God, and also that we may be warned to turn the spiritual face of the soul to the most excellent spirit, who is God; so blessed Augustine.

The third reason is that Christ, to whom we pray, is the light of the world, John 8, and “the Orient is his name,” Zacharias 6. That we may signify, then, that in prayer we are enlightened by Christ the sun of justice, as those are lit by the bodily sun who look to the east, therefore we use this ceremony; so Walafrid.

The fourth reason is that the Lord himself, dying on the cross, looked to the west; we pray to the east, that we may as it were look into the face of the Crucified. And because he ascended into the heaven of heavens to the east, Psalm 67, we turn to the east, that we may as it were escort him ascending with vows and prayers. And lastly because he is believed to be coming to judgement from the east, Matthew 24, “For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west: so shall the coming of the Son of man be,” we pray to the east, as it were awaiting the Judge who is to come; so Damascene.

We can add a fifth reason: that the Jews prayed, and pray, to the west, as is plain from Exodus [26?], where it is said that the door of the tabernacle was turned to the east; and Ezechiel 8, where it is said: “Behold at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men having their backs towards the temple of the Lord, and their faces to the east: and they adored towards the rising of the sun.” Scripture rebukes certain men who, against the rite of their time, adored toward the east. We then look to the east, while the Jews look to the west, to signify that the letter which kills is theirs, but ours the spirit which gives life; and that the veil lies over their heart, while we, turned to the Lord, have put the veil away. [The top of page 517 is merged across columns in the scan; this paragraph is rendered from what reads.]

Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
Elsi  seqiicnlcs  quacslioiics  dc  lcmpliis,  volis  , 
pcregrinalionibns,  fcslis  cl  vigiliis,  quac  (lunt  in 
honorcm  Doi  cl  saiiclornm,  non  solum  ad  hunc  lo- 
oum,  sed  cJiam  ad  mulla  alia  pcrlinero  possunl , 
visum  cst  tamen  lioc  loco  cas  inlcgre  dispularo  ; 
lum  quia  dispulalioncs  ila  coDJunclac  sunt,  ut  non 
facile  inter  sc  disjungi  possint ;  tum  cliara,  quia 
id,  quod  non  cst  proprium  hujus  loci  ,  hinc  pcli 
polcrit,  cum  alibi  opporlunitas  de  ca  re  dispulandi 
dabitur.  Excipio  tamcn  Tota.  de  quibus  hoc  loco 
non  nisi  brcvisslme  disscrilur,  quia  jam  alilii  rcs 
Iraolala  csl. 
Ut  igilur  a  tcmplis  ordiamur,  scptcni  crunl  par- 
les  hujus  disj)ulalionis.  Primum  enim  cxplicabi- 
mus,  (,uac  fuermt  haeres  de  hac  re.  11.  An  sinl 
templa  erigcnda.  III.  Qua  forma.  IV.Quosob  fines. 
V.  Dc  consccratione  tcmplorum  ct  dedicaliono.  VI. 
De  ornatu  eorundem.  Vll.  Dc  iis,  quae  in  lcmpli.s 
benedicuntur,  ul  aqua,  oleo.  ccreis,  palmis  etc. 
i 
I.IIIKIt  TIMtTIIS 
C  A  I»  r  T    I»  I!  I  M  r  M 
l)i!  crvoi  i/nts  circd  lcinpln. 
Ouo  piMKM";!  Iiosliiini  linhtKM-iinl  Doi  I(mii|)I;i.  l- 
mim  (Miruiii,  (lui  \k\  ips;»  lciiipl;i  ovoilol);iiil;  iioii  o- 
(lio  loniploniin^scd  odio  j:;onlis,nul  reli^iouis.Aliucl 
^oriiin,  (iiii  liMiiphi  i|)s;i.  vol  ooruiii  oli(]ui(l  0(lcr;int 
l;ini(|u;nn  tn;iluni.  rriini  ^^'cncris  rticrunt  i^^ilniolio- 
(lonosor,  Anlioolius,  l'oinpojiis,  C;issius.  'riliis,  (iin 
teinpluin  S;ilotnonis  vol  inooiKlcrunl,  vcl  prol'iin;i- 
ruiil.  noii  odio  tonipli,  scd  t}:onlis.  \idc  K.  Ilo^'.  iilt. 
1.  3I;ioliiil);K;or.  10.  .losopliiiin  iih.  14.  ;uUi(iuit;ilis, 
ollib.  7.  d(i  bello  judaioo.  (lornolium  Tacittiin  lib. 
21.  ol  Auimslinuin  lib.  18.  do  €ivit.  Dei  cnp.  4.'». 
Clnisli;inortitn  ccolcsias  Dioclcliantis  jussil  o- 
mncs  solo  ao(|uari,  non  odio  lomploruin,  scd  rcli- 
{iionis  cbrisli;in;ie.  Euscbius  lib.  8.  bist.  cap.  2.1- 
doni  facero  voluissc  .kilianuin  scribit  llierouymus 
cpistola  ad  Ripariuin. 
Ariani  qnotiue  et  Donalislae  lempla  catholico- 
ruin  profanabanl  et  spoliabant  ,  non  odio  teinpli , 
sed  rcligionis.  Vido  Albanasiuin  in  apologia  pro 
iuga  sua;  el  Tbcodoretum  lib.  4.  bisl.  cap.  19.  et 
20.  et  Optalum  lib.  (».  conlra  Parinen. 
Ad  aliud  gcnus  pertinent  in  primis  Manichaei; 
nam  Faustus  apud  Augustinum  lib.  20.  cap.  3.  et 
4.  objicit  catholicis,  quod  haberent  templa,  et  alta- 
ria  more  Gentium  et  Judaeorum,  Manichaeos  sc- 
quuli  Messali;ini  lempla  omnia  el  altaria  execraban- 
tur,et  solum  in  suis  doraibus  orare  volebantDeum, 
iit  Damascenus  rolert  lib.  de  centuin  haercsibus. 
Eodcm  fcre  tempore  Eustatbius  templa  omnia.  et 
praecipue  martyrum  delestabatur,tcste  Socrate  lib. 
2.  bislor.  cap.  3.3.  ct  in  privalis  doraibus  conventi- 
cula  lieri  volebat. 
Petrobrusiani  templa  dcstruebant.novasque  tem- 
plorum  fabricas  irri(Jebant.  Auctor  Cluniacensis  in 
epistola  contra  Pctrobrusianos.  cl  auclor  vitae  bea- 
ti  Bernardi  lib.  3.  cap.  o.  Idem  docuerunt  postea 
Albigenses,  ut  nernardus  Lutzemburgensis  in  ca- 
talogo  refcrl.  Idcm   docuerunt  Waldenscs   apud 
llELlAnillA!   V'j1.    U. 
Clau.lium  Canssordinm  lib.cnnlra  Waldenscs,  cnp. 
(Kidoiii  Wiclefistac  ;ipud  Tliomam  \Valdcn.scm,loni. 
3,  tit.  n.  et  22.  idoin  Taborilac  ;ipiid  Acneam  Syl- 
vium  do  origiiie  lldiMnortini.  cap.  3.'>.  Idom  Ana- 
b.iptislac  Transylv;ini  in  aiililhcsibus  Clinsli  vcri  , 
ct<;iirisli  falsi,  cdilis  Albae  Juliac  aiino  lotiS. 
Porro  i-ulberani  el  Calvinislae  admillunt  tcmpla, 
sod  soliim  ad  concioiKKidum  et  saoramcn(;i  iiiini- 
slrauda.Uoi^rcbcuduiit  autcm  quod  liaut  tcmj^la  ad 
orandum,  quod  in  honorem  sanctorum,  qiiod  con- 
socrcnlur  cerlo  ritii.  quod  magnis  sumplibus  or- 
nenlur.  rSam  Magdeburgenses  Cent.  4.  cap.  0.  col. 
407.  etscquenlibus,  multa  dicunt  contra  riluscon- 
secrandi  Ecclesias,  et  in  praefatione  Ccnt.  6.  re- 
prehendunt  catholicos,  qui  ingentibus  sumplibus 
fabriccnt  ccclcsias,  easque  in  martyrum  honorcra. 
Joanncs  Calvinus  praefat.  Instil.  reprehendit 
ornattim  tcmplorum  cx  auro.  argento,  serico,  lapi- 
dibus  prctiosis  elc.  et  lib.  1.  cap.  11.  §  13.  orna- 
mcnta  templorum  solum  esse  vellet  concionem,  et 
sacramenta.  et  lib.  3.  cap.  20.  §  30.  dicit,  templa 
quidem  erigi  debere  ad  communes  preccs  fundcn- 
das,  sed  non  esse  putandura  ullam  inesse  templo 
sanctitalem.  L'bi  aperte  indicat.privatas  preces  non 
iicri  ullo  modo  melius  in  templo,  quam  alibi. 
CAPUT  II. 
An  templa  sint  erigenda. 
Qui  tcmpla  simpliciter  erigi  nolunt,  nihil  pro 
se  aflerre  possunt.nisi  Scripturas  illa3,quae  Deura 
dicunt  non  habitare  in  locis  manufactis,  ut  Mal- 
thaei  5.  Coelum  Deiscdes  cst.terra  autem  scabel- 
htmpedum  ejus.  Et  .4ctor.  7.  Sed  excelsus  non 
in  manufactis  templis  liabitat.  Et  Actor.  17.  .Tec 
in  manufactis  tGmplis  habitat,  aut  manibus  hu' 
6(» 
51S 
DE  CULiU     SANCTOUUM 
manis  colilur.  Ilinc  eniin  Miinicliaei  (  nl  lcslalnr 
Augusliiius  lib.  conlra  Aiiiniantuni  cap.  10. )  pio- 
babanl  Denni  Tcslaincnli  vclcrls,  qm  jusseral  sibi 
aedilicari  tabcrnaculuni  cl  lcinphiin,  non  cssc  vc- 
ruin  Deuni,  sed  maluin  principium,  cl  pugnare 
oiuu  Dco  Teslaincnli  novi,  Scd  rcrellunlur  elcgan- 
lissime  ibidcm  ab  Auguslino;  nam  Manicbaci  dice- 
banl,  Deum  Teslamenli  vclcris  voluisse  lcmpia: 
Deum  Icslamenli  novi  non  voluisse. 
Al  e  contrario  legimus  in  Tcslamcnlo  vcleri,  I- 
saiae  (»0.  diccnlem  Dcum,  CocJum  7nilii  sedes  est, 
lerra  aulem  scabeUwn  pedum  meorum,  et  quam 
domum  acdificabiiis  milii?Ei  conlra  in  lcslamen- 
lo  novo,  Joan.  2.  (licentcm  Cln'istum  dc  lcniplo 
mannlaclo:  Auferte  isla  hinc,  el  nolite  facere  do- 
mum  Patris  mei  dumum  negotialionis.  Et  Maltli. 
21.  Domus  mea,domus  oralionis  vocabilur.  Deus 
igilur  unns,  el  idem  in  nlroque  Teslainenlo  ap- 
probat  lcmpla,  in  quibus  adorclur,  ct  non  appro- 
bal  tcmpla,  quibns  pulclur  includi:  quomodo  ido- 
la,  »dcbl,  Dii  gcnlium  verc  in  lemplis  conlincban- 
lur,  nec  iudc  polerant  exire,  nisi  qni  eos  allixc- 
ranl  pariclibus,  inde  detraherc,  et  asporlare  vel- 
lcnl.  Sed  dc  lioc  plura  in  cap.  4. 
C  A  P  U  T    III. 
De  forma. 
De  forma  ecclesiarum  Chrislianorum  non  csl 
quod  mnlla  dicamus,  cum  adliucanliquissimae  cc- 
clesiae  visanlur.  Duo  tainen  nolanda  sunt.  Unum 
ad  simihludincm  templi  Salomonis,  in  quo  erat  a- 
Irium,  sancla,  ct  sancla  sanclorum,  ccclesias  ferc 
omnes  babuisse  ircs  parlcs.  Priino  porticns  anle 
ingressuin  in  tcm.plutn  ,  qucm  locum  Gracci  -p4- 
vaov,  noslri  vesiibulum  dicunl:  ubi  mancbanlpoe- 
nilenles.  Dcinde  erat  vdi?,  idcst,  tcmplnm,  sive 
navis.  Uitiino  ^v^ixa,  sive  icpd-sicv,  hoc  est,  sacra- 
riuin,  sive  sanctuarium,  sive  adyta,  quae  eratpars 
interior  lempli,  ubi  eral  altare,  quacquc  divisa 
erat  a  rehquo  templo  gradibus,  cancellis  ct  vclis. 
sive  aulacis:  neciue  eo  penclrabanl  alii,  (juam  sa- 
ccrdoles  cum  suis  miiuslris  clcricis. 
Praclcr  has  lempli  partcs  crat  cliani  domuncula 
annexa  lemplo,quac  dicebaluraedicula  sahitatoiia, 
ubi  sedebat  episcopus,  cnm  se  pararet  ad  sacra 
facienda.  Yide  Eusebium  lib.  .3.  (le  vila  Constanli- 
ni,  ubi  describit  tcmplum,  quod  llicrosolymis  ad 
sanctuu^  sepulchrum  Constantinus  exslruxit:  ilera 
Theodoretum  hb.  i.  histor.  cap.  20.  nbi  mcminit 
sacrarii,  aulacis  scparati  a  rchquo  templo,  quo  in- 
Iroduxit  Basilius  Vaicntem  imi)cralorcni:  ila  lib.i"». 
cap.  17.  ubi  mcminil  lain  sacrarii,quam  aediculae 
sahilaloriac.  Vide  cliaui  Ilicroiiymum  in  epislola 
de  obitu  Ncpoliani,  Augustinum  lib.  22.  de  Civil. 
Dei  cap.  8.  in  hne,  ct  Walfridum  Strabonem  lib. 
de  rcbus  ccclesiaslicis  cap.  4.  et  0. 
Altcrum  csl  ecclcsias  Cliristiauorum,  ul  plnri- 
mum  ad  orientem  convcrsas  fuisse,  cl  quatuor  la- 
tera  habuisse,  ciuibus  quatuor  mundi  parlcs  aspi- 
ccrcnt,    exccptis   (piibusdam,    quae  propter  loci 
commodilalem  aliter  couslilulae  snnt.  Id  parliin 
cxpericnlia  conslat:  parlim  eliam  lestimoniis  vclc- 
rum.  Nain  Tcrtulliaiius  lib,  conlra  Valcnliniaiios 
non  procul  ab  initio,dicit.  ecclcsias  Cliristianorum 
oricnlein  amare  solitas.  Walfridns  Strabo  lib.  de 
rcbus  ccclcsiaslicis  cap.  4.  dicit.  majorem  parlcm 
ecclcsiarum  ila  fabricari.  ul  qui  iii  cis  orant,  ori- 
enlem  respiciant:  idcm  Pauliniis  epist.  12. 
Idem  teslantur  Justiuns  quacst.  118.  Epiphaui- 
us  iiacrcsi  19.  qnae  est  Esscnorum;  Origcncs  ho- 
mil, ,),  in  Numer.  Basilius  lib.  dc  Spiritu  sancto 
cap.  27.  Grcgorins  nysscnns  orat.  5,  de  oratione 
dominica;  Augnslinus  lib,  2.  dc  scrin,  Dnmini  in 
monte  c.  o,  Gcrmanus  in  iib,  dc  thcoria  rcruni  sa- 
crarum,  Joannes  damascenus  lib.  4.  de  fide  cap. 
13.  ct  oraucs  illi  vclcres,  qui  scribunt  apostolicam 
csse  traditionera,  nt  orenms  convcrsi  ad  orica- 
tcnuid  cnim  praecipue  servari  par  csl  insolemni- 
bus  precibus,  quae  fundunlur  in  tcmplis. 
liationes  autcin  hujus  caeremoniae  sunt  quin- 
que.  Prima,  quia  ad  oricntcm  erat  paradisus,  Gc- 
ncs.  2.  sccundum  versionem  LXX.  nbi  cnim  habet 
vulgata  editio:  Plantaverat  Deus  paradisnm  a 
principio,  gracca  liabet  ,  E^cuisucsv  rapdoiicrsv 
ivosv  xaia  dvaioXdc,  ct  certe  vcrbum  hcbiacum 
n*li?Q  utroque  modo  recte  vcrti  potuit:  signifi- 
caiil  cnim  anle  cl  o?'icn/e?n, quac  esl  pars  mundi 
antcrior.  Unde  cliam  nostcr  Interprcs,  Gcncs.  4. 
verlit  idem  nomen,ad  oricnlalem  plagam.  Oramus 
igitur  convcrsi  ad  oricnlcm,  quia  profitcmur  nos 
pcregrinos,  et  ad  patriam  nostram,  unde  ejccti 
sumus,  suspiramus:  ita  Gregorius  nyssenus. 
Secundu  ratio  csl,quia  ab  oriente  coclum  surgc- 
rc  el  movcri  incipit,  cslque  proplerca  pars  illa  to- 
tius  mnndi  corporalis  excellentissima,  Ideo  autem 
orantcs  converlimus  facicm  corporalcm  ad  corpus 
exccllcntissimum,  tum,  ul  ail  Juslinns,  quia  Deo 
sunt  danda  scmper  meliora,  tum  eliara,  ut  admo- 
neamur  convci  tere  facicm  spirilualcm  animae  ad 
spirilnm  excellentissimum,qul  csl  Deus:  ila  b,  Au- 
guslinus. 
Tertia  ratio  est,  quia  Christus,  quem  oramiis, 
cst  lux  mundi,  Joan,  8,  El  vir  oriens  nomen  ejus, 
Zachar.  G.  Ul  igitur  significemus.  nos  in  oratione 
illustrari  a  Christo  sole  jusliliae,  sicut  illuslrantur 
a  sole  corporeo,  qiii  ad  oricnlem  respiciunt,  ideo 
hac  caercmonia  ntimur:  ita  Walfridtis. 
Quarta  ratio  esl:  quia  Dominus  ipse  moriens  in 
cruce,  occidenlera  respiciebal,  nos  ad  orientem  o- 
ramus,  ut  quasi  in  faciera  crucifixi  inlueamur:  ct 
quia  ipse  ascendil  in  coelum  coelorum  ad  orien- 
iem,  psalm.  07.  nos  ad  orientem  converlimur,  ut 
quasi  eum  ascendentem  volis,  ac  precibus  dcdu- 
carans.  Ac  demum  quia  ipse  ab  orieule  vcnturus 
crcditur  ad  jndicium,  Matlh.  24.  Sicul  fulgur  exit 
ab  oriente,  et  paret  usque  in  occidentem,  ita  e- 
rit  advenlus  filii  liominis:  nos  ad  orientcm  preca- 
mur,  quasi  venturum  judicera  exspcctantcs:  ita 
Daniascenus. 
Possuraus  addere  quinlam  rationcm,qiiia  Judae 
orabanl,  el  orant  ad  occidcnlem,  iit  patcl  Exod 
20,  ubi  dicilur:  Ostium  tabernaculi  ad  orienlem 
rcrsMTO /wisse,  cl  Ezcchiclis  8.  ubi  dicitiir:  Ecce 
in  oslio  templi  Domini  inler  vestibulum  et  altare 
i.ii:i;ii  ii;iriitN 
.tifi 
iiuiisi  viiiinli  (luiinnti'  iin,  liitrmi  linln-ntfn  coH' 
Ira  lciiipliiin  liiniiiiti,  «•/ /imics  itil  tirtrnlfin,  <'/<«• 
iliiiiiliiinl  iid  iirliiiii  xnlis,  llc|in'linnlil  cumi  Sfn- 
|iliir.i  t|ii(iMlaiii,  <|iii  «-(iiilrii  riliiiii  i'|(is  li*iii|tiiriH  ii- 
iliiniliiiiil  .1(1  iiritMiliMii.  i\os  i^iliir  inl  orn  iilnin  n;- 
s|)irjiiiii-.  tliiiii  .linliMM  ri<s|)l('iiiiii  iiil  (iciMtliMili  111.  iil 
M^iiilirriiiiiN,  ('(Hiiiii  rs><i'  lilri.itii  (it't'ii|riili'iii,  ini- 
slniiii  iiiilciii  s|)inliiiii  viviilciiiiUMii:  rl  vt^liiiiicn  ihI 
liiic  iiiiiiitMi'  Mipcr  cor  cuniiii,  tnis  iiiilciii  coiivcr- 
Mis  iiil  l>iiiiiiiiiiiii  (h^poMiisso  vi3l.iiiicn. 
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