I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread, &c.

[On Thursday in Easter Week.]

LECTURE XXIII.

(ON THE MYSTERIES. V.)

Page 273.

ON THE COMMUNION SERVICE.

1 Pet. ii. 1.

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and evil speakings, &c.

[On Friday in Easter Week.]

CREED OF THE CHURCH OF JERUSALEM,

[Collected from St. Cyril's Lectures.]

We believe in One God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things, visible and invisible:

And in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God; begotten of the Father Very God, before all worlds; by whom all things were made; who came in the flesh, and was made man of the Virgin and the Holy Ghost; He was crucified and buried; He rose again the third day; and ascended into heaven, and sat on the right hand of the Father; and He cometh in glory to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end:

And in One Holy Ghost, the Comforter, who spake in the Prophets and in one Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins: and in one Holy Catholic Church: and in the Resurrection of the dead: and in the Life everlasting.

LECT.

2 Baptism is offered to all, but to the unprepared is a curse.

INTROD. His body went down and came up; but his soul was not buried together with Christ, nor with Him raised. I mention (2.) such instances of falls, that thou mayest not fail; for these 1 Cor. things happened to them for ensamples, and they are written 10, 11. for the admonition of those, who up to this day are ever coming. Let no one of you be found tempting grace: let no Heb.12, root of bitterness spring up, and trouble you: let not any of you enter, saying, Come, let us see what the faithful do: I will go in and see, that I may learn what is done. Expectest thou to see, and not to be seen: and thinkest thou to busy thee with what is doing, and God not be busy with thine heart the while?

15.

Mat. 22,

12.

3. A certain man in the Gospels busily pried into the marriage feast: he took an unbecoming garment, came in, sat down, and ate; for the bridegroom permitted thus far; whereas, when he saw the white robes of all, he ought himself likewise to have taken such another; yet he shared like meats with them, being unlike them in fashion and in purpose. But the bridegroom, though bountiful, was not undiscerning; and, as he went round to each of the guests and viewed them, (not that he was careful how they feasted, but how they behaved,) seeing a stranger, not having a wedding-garment on, he said to him, Friend, how camest thou in hither? With what stained raiments? with what a conscience? What, though the porter stopped thee not, because of the bountifulness of the entertainer? what, though thou wert ignorant in what fashion thou shouldest enter into the banquet? yet thou camest in, thou didst see the glistering fashion of the guests. Shouldest thou , not have learned at least from what thou sawest? Shouldest sions, thou not have made a seasonable retreat, that thou mightest according to have a seasonable return? but now hast thou turned in unseaCasaubon's sonably, that unseasonably thou mightest be thrust out. So emenda- he commands his servants, Bind his feet, which have daringly intruded,—bind his hands, which were not skilled to robe him in the bright garment; and cast him into the outer darkness; for he is unworthy of the wedding torches. Thou hast seen how he fared then; take heed to thyself.

tion.

(3.)

4. For we, the ministers of Christ, have admitted every man, and holding as it were the place of door-keepers, have left the door unfastened. Thou hast been free then to enter with a

Those who come lightly, must not go back, but become serious. 3

Depart in

παρου

soul bemired with sins, and a defiled purpose. Entered thou hast thou hast passed, thou hast been enrolled. Seest thou these venerable arrangements of the Church? Viewest thou her order and discipline, the reading of the Scriptures, the xavov presence of the religious, the course of teaching? Let then σίαν. the place affect thee, let the sight sober thee. good time now, and enter to-morrow in better. If avarice has been the fashion of thy soul, put on another, and then come in: put off what thou hadst, cloke it not over: put off, I pray thee, fornication and uncleannesss, and put on the most bright robe of soberness. This charge I give thee, before Jesus the spouse of souls come in, and see their fashion. Thou art allowed a distant day; thou hast a penitence of forty'; thou hast full time to put off, and to wash thee, to put on, and to enter in. But if thou abide in thy evil purpose, he who speaks is blameless, but thou must not look for grace: for though the water shall receive thee, the Spirit will not accept thee. Whoso is conscious of a wound, let him take the salve whoso has fallen, let him rise: let there be no Simon among you, no hypocrisy, no idle curiosity about the

matter.

5. Perhaps thou comest on another ground. A man may (4.) be wishing to pay court to a woman, and on that account come hither: and the same applies to women likewise: again, a slave often wishes thus to please his master, or one friend another. I avail myself of this angler's bait, and receive thee, as one who has come indeed with an unsound purpose, but art to be saved by a good hope. Thou knewest not perchance whither thou wast coming, nor what net was taking thee. Thou art within the Church's nets, submit to be taken; flee not, for Jesus would secure thee, not to make thee die, but by death to make thee live. For thou must die and rise again; thou hast heard the Apostle saying, Dead indeed to Rom. 6, sin, but alive unto righteousness. Die then to thy sins, and live to righteousness: yea, from this day forth, live.

6. Look, I beseech thee, how great dignity Jesus presents to thee. Thou wert called a Catechumen, which means, hearing with the ears, hearing hope, and not perceiving; Churches of Italy it seems to have been more than forty.

Insome Churches this period was of thirty days; in other twenty; in the

11.

1 Pet. 2,

24.

δίκαιος,

4

Baptism cannot be administered more than once.

INTROD. hearing mysteries, yet not understanding: hearing Scriptures, LECT. yet not knowing their depth. Thou no longer hearest with the ears, but thou hearest within; for the indwelling Spirit henceforth fashions thy mind into a house of God. When thou shalt hear what is written concerning mysteries, then thou shalt understand, what hitherto thou knewest not. And think not it is a trifle thou receivest. Thou, a wretched man, Tíoros, a receivest the Name of God; for hear the words of Paul, God is believer; faithful; and another Scripture, God is faithful and just. justified. This the Psalmist foreseeing, since men were to receive the 1 Cor.1, Name ascribed to God, said in the person of God, I have said, ye are Gods, and are all the children of the Most High. But beware lest with the name of believer thou have the purpose of an unbeliever. Thou hast entered into the struggle; labour therefore in the race, for season thou hast none other such. If thou hadst thy wedding day before thee, wouldest thou not make light of aught besides, and be full of preparations for the feast? And wilt thou not then, when on the eve of consecrating thy soul to a heavenly spouse, let go carnal things that thou mayest take hold of spiritual?

9.1 John

1, 9.

Ps. 82,

6.

(5.)

7. The bath of Baptism we may not receive twice or thrice; else, it might be said, Though I fail once, I shall go right next time whereas if thou failest once, there is no setting things right, for there is One Lord, and One Faith, and One Baptism: none but heretics are re-baptized, since their former baptism was not baptism.

8. For God seeks nothing else from us, save a good purpose. Say not, How are my sins blotted out? I tell thee, from willing, from believing; what is shorter than this? But if thy lips declare thy willing, but thy heart is silent, He knows the heart who judgeth thee. Cease then henceforth from every wicked thing refrain thy tongue from light words, thine from sin, thy mind from roving after useless matters. 9. Let thy feet hasten to the Catechisings, receive with earnestness the Exorcisms; for whether thou art breathed

e The Marcionites allowed of Baptism three times. Epiph. Hær. xlii. 3. Valentinus twice. Hieron. in Eph. iv. 5. What Cyril says about heretical baptism should be observed. The Roman Church considered it invalid only when (the offi

eye

ciator being ordained) the words or water was not duly used. S. Cyprian, and the African Church of his day, considered it invalid in all cases; so did the Churches of Asia Minor at the same date.S. Dionysius of Alexandria is claimed on both sides.