pared for Baptism by a sincere self-humiliation, and by an A. D. 387. extraordinary resolution in bringing his body under subjection, to such a degree as to go barefoot during the winter in that part of Italy, a country peculiarly cold to natives of Africa. LIV. St. Am treatise on 9. c. 6. de Myst. At length St. Augustine was baptized' by St. Ambrose, with his friend Alypius and his son Adeodatus, who was then brose's about fifteen years of age. They were baptized on Easter Mysteries. eve, which in this year, 387, fell on the seventh of the calends ' Confess. of May, i. e. on the twenty-fifth of April, as was determined Ambr.Ep. by St. Ambrose, when consulted by the Bishops of the pro- 23. § 15. vince of Emilia. It is thought that upon this occasion P. 884. St. Ambrose composed his book On Mysteries, or those who are initiated into them, for the instruction of those who were newly baptized. It had been preceded during Lent with the s. Ambr. moral instructions which he daily gave them, upon the lives c. 1. of the patriarchs and on the Proverbs. This shews that the Book of Genesis and the Proverbs of Solomon were then read in Milan at the Evening Service, as it is still the custom Triod. of the Greeks. Several works of St. Ambrose were taken [sheet F. from these sermons upon Genesis: the Hexaëmeron and the F. 1111.] following books, particularly those on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, monit. in and Joseph, which with great probability are referred to this Joseph. year, 387, though it is not to be doubted but that during the course of his office, he might have treated of the same subjects every year, as the same passages happened to be read. Græc. Vid. Ad Lib. de 3 St. Mark In the book On Mysteries St. Ambrose explains to those who were newly baptized, the nature and ceremonies of the three Sacraments which they had just received, viz. Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. Which he could not do before; "Because," says he, "that would be betraying the De Myst. "secret of the mysteries, rather than explaining them." He c. 1. then takes notice of the chief ceremonies of Baptism; first, vii. 34. the opening the ears of the Catechumen, with the words [St. AmEphphatha3, i.e. be opened; then of their being brought into the plains holy of holies', i. e. the Baptistery; then of the presence of the Sanctorum Deacon, Priest, and Bishop', and of the renunciation of the by Regenedevil and all his works, the world and its luxury and pleasures. sacrarium.] [Noli conIn renouncing the devil, the Catechumen was to turn towards siderare 4 brose ex Sancta rationis mysterio rum gra sentibus angelis lo cutus es, A. D. 387. the West, as it were to oppose him to his face; then he corporum turned towards the East, as it were to behold Christ'. St. Amfiguras sed brose afterwards explains the benediction of the font, magnitiam. Pra- fying the mysteries of water taken notice of in the Lessons of the Old and New Testament, which had been read during Lent, particularly on Holy Saturday, namely, the Creation, the Deluge, the Passing over the Red Sea, the Cloud, the c. 2. § 7. waters of Marah, Naaman, and the paralytic at Bethesda. When the baptized persons came out of the font, they were anointed on the head'; then their feet were washed, and they c. 7. were clothed in white garments. Afterwards they received * [signacu- the seal' and pledge of the Holy Spirit, the seven gifts being lum.] pronounced, that is, they received the Sacrament of Con sicut scriptum est, Mal. 2. 7.] [consecrantem.] 3 c. 6. 8. firmation. Then they walked towards the altar, saying, as is [Ps. 43.(42. still the custom when we approach it, "I will go unto the altar Vulg.) 4.] of the Lord, to God who rejoiceth my youth." They find the altar prepared, and are present at the Holy Sacrifice for the first time. c. 8. Here St. Ambrose explains to them the ancient types of the Eucharist; viz. the offerings of Melchisedec, the manna, c. 9. and the water flowing out of the rock. He then adds: "You will say, perhaps, 'I see something else, how can I "be sure that I receive the body of Christ?' Let us prove "then that it is not what nature formed it, but what the "benediction hath consecrated it; and that the benediction "is more powerful than nature, because by the benediction "even nature itself is changed." He urges the example of the rod of Moses changed into a serpent, and several other § 52. miracles, and adds, "If a human benediction availed so much "as to change the nature of things, what do we say of the "Divine consecration, where the very words of our Saviour "Himself operate? The word of Christ, which could make "that which was not out of nothing, can it not change things "which are, into that which they were not?" He says that [1 Cor. 14. the people answered Amen to the words of consecration, which 16.] shews that it was pronounced aloud. He recommends to the new believers to keep the mysteries secret. LV. $ 55. St. Cyril's The five Mystagogical Catecheses of St. Cyril of Jerusalem catecheti agree entirely with this work of St. Ambrose, and shew that the tradition is the same both in the East and West, for the cal discourses. prob. A.D. c. 11. celebration of the Sacraments; St. Cyril's are indeed some A. D. 387. years older'. He speaks thus in the first of these instructions ['written which are called Mystagogical, i. e. introductory to mysteries: 348.] "You first," says he, "enter into the porch of the Baptistery, p. 306. c. 2. [278.] "and being in a standing posture, and turned towards the "West, you are ordered to extend your hand, and you "renounce Satan as though he were present." And afterwards; "Why do you look towards the West? because it is p. 307. c. 4. [279.] "the symbol of the darkness of which he is the prince." He explains the renouncing the works of Satan, which are our c. 5. sins; his pomps, which are the shows of the theatre, the c. 6. circus, and the like; his worship, that is, not only idolatry, but all manner of superstition, such as enchantments, charms, and divinations. He takes notice of the confession of faith; and adds : "All this is done without; you afterwards entered p.310.[283] "into the holy of holies, i. e. the Baptistery.-Immediately Catech. 2. p.311.[284.] you put off your tunic, an image of the putting off of the "old man. Afterwards you were anointed with the oil, which c. 3. "had been consecrated by exorcism, from the top of your "head to your feet." This is the oil of the Catechumens with which the Greeks still anoint the whole body. St. Cyril con- Eucholog. tinues : "You were led to the sacred bath' of Baptism.- [286.] "Every one of you was asked whether he believes in the [Koλvμẞhθραν] "Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy "Ghost; you made the confession of salvation3; you were την σωτής dipped three times in the water, signifying the three days pov duoλoγίαν] "of Christ's being in the grave." In the third Catechetical yia] discourse he explains the unction after Baptism and Confirmation. "Christ," he says, "having sanctified the waters "of Jordan by his Baptism, came out of them, and the Holy "Ghost lighted upon Him after a sensible manner; you, in [ovσions like manner, having come out of the sacred bath, received "the unction, the image of that of Christ.-You were first [àTÍTU"anointed upon the forehead,-then on your ears,-your "nostrils, and your breast." He then explains the mean- [290.] ing of all those anointings, which are still observed by the Eucholog Greeks. 2 c. 4. p. 312. * [eis] p. 316. ἐπιφοίτη σις] πον] p. 317. c. 4. ξδ. St. Cyril in his fourth Catechetical Discourse, explains the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He first gives an account of the p. 320 institution of it from the words of St. Paul; then he adds: · [οἰκείῳ νεύματι, fors.legend. οἰκεῖον αἱ 3 [ἐν τύπῳ ἄρτου A. D. 387. "He Himself having declared, speaking of the bread, 'This 1 Cor. xi. 24. "is My Body,' who will dare any longer doubt thereof? He "Himself having said, 'This is My Blood,' who will ever "doubt and say that it is not His Blood? He once changed "the water into wine, at Cana of Galilee, by His will only'; "and shall we refuse to believe Him, that He hath changed "wine into Blood? Let us therefore partake, with all full мать, sc. τὸν οἶνον] assurance of faith', as of the Body and Blood of Christ. * [πληροφο [Anpopo. "For under the figure of bread, the Body is given thee, and ρίας] "the Blood under the figure of wine; to the end that "partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ thou mayest "become of one body and of one blood with Him." And - σύναιμος ] afterwards, "If sense suggest doubt, let faith confirm thee; c. 6. p. 321. do not judge by the taste, but by faith, and out of a full "assurance undoubtingly believe, that thou art so far "honoured as to receive the Body and Blood of Christ." c. 8. p. 322. And again, "Be fully assured, that what appears to be "bread, is not bread, although it seems so to the taste, "but the Body of Christ. And that what appears to be "wine, is not wine, although the taste will have it so, "but the Blood of Christ." At the beginning of his fifth Catechetical Discourse, he distinctly takes notice of the three Sacraments, when he says, "We have said enough of Baptism, of Unction, and of partaking of the Body and "Blood of Christ." He afterwards explains all the ceremonies of the Holy Sacrifice. The Deacon gave water to the Bishop and the Priests who surrounded the altar to wash, and to it are applied, by St. Cyril, the words of the twentysixth Psalm, "I will wash mine hands among the innocent, [Vulg. 25.] "and will encircle Thy Altar, O Lord." The Deacon cried, 'Embrace ye each other,' and they then gave each other the kiss of peace. The Priest' then said, "Lift up your hearts," 3 {¿ iepeús] and the rest of the preface is repeated, as it is still used. He [TY TYEV- then beseeches God that it may please Him to send down the Holy Spirit upon those His gifts, that He may make the bread, the Body of Christ, and the wine, the Blood of Christ. "After having finished this spiritual and unbloody sacrifice"," says St. Cyril, "we pray over that sacrifice of the propitiation', "for the common peace of the Churches, the quietness of the world, for Kings, for soldiers, and for all that have need of Ps. 26. 6. 6 ματικὴν θυσίαν καὶ The ȧval τὴν μακτον λατρείαν] * [ θυσίας τοῦ ἱλαστ μοῦ] στα 4 1 [ταῖς εὐ βείαις] [φρικω "assistance. We commemorate those that are departed', A. D. 387. "first the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, that' [μvnuo"by their prayers God may receive ours; then we pray νεύομεν] 2 8 [τῶν προ"for the holy Fathers and Bishops and all the rest of the Kekoκεκοιμημέ 'departed, believing that prayer together with the holy and w] "most tremendous sacrifice will be of the greatest advantage xaîs autŵv "to their souls." Then was said the Lord's Prayer, the Kal peapeople answering, Amen. Afterwards the Priest said, "Holy[piko"things are for the holy:" then they proceeded to the Com- deσrárns} munion: “When you approach it," says St. Cyril," do not c. 19. "stretch out your hands, and do not spread your fingers; but c. 21. "put your left hand under your right that it may serve for a "throne, since it is to receive this great King, and then "receive the Body of Christ in the hollow of your hand, 'saying, Amen. Sanctify your eyes by touching them with "this sacred body; then partake, and take heed that ye lose "not any of it. If you had gold-dust in your hands, how "cautiously would you hold it! this is much more valuable "than gold or precious stones; take great care therefore not "to let fall the least crumb. After having communicated of "the Body of Christ, approach likewise to the cup of the "Blood without extending your hands; bend yourself in a posture of adoration, saying, Amen; and sanctify yourself [KTWOV by partaking also of the Blood of Christ. Whilst your (quod male "lips are still moist, touch them with your hands in order to larm. genu sanctify your forehead, your eyes, and the other organs of popoσ"your senses.-Hold fast these traditions inviolate, and Unews "never deprive yourself of these holy mysteries by your Maros] "sins." 66 his son, e fero) καὶ καὶ σεβάστ 1 c. 23. Death of Confess. 9. St. Augustine after his baptism, having seriously con- LVI. sidered upon a place where he might serve God more St. Monusefully, resolved to return into Africa with his mother, nica. his brother, and a young man named Evodius. Evo- c. 8. dius also, was of Thagaste; he was an agent of the Emperor, and having been converted, was baptized before St. Augustine, and laid down his employment in order to devote himself to the service of God. On arriving at Ostia, they there refreshed themselves for some time, after their long journey from Milan, and made preparations for embarking. One day, St. Augustine and St. Monnica his mother, leaning c. 10. |