What do I say? He likewise appoints a supreme pontiff to marriages [unius nuptus]; he has his virgins, also his chaste ones. The meaning of the passage is-Satan in all these observances imitates Christian rites. He has a highpriest to preside at the marriages of his children. Hence, as in this, he is imitative of Catholic usage-the Christian Church had a high-priest to preside at the marriage of Christians. And if the marriages of Christians were blessed, as he said before, the blessing was no doubt imparted by the presiding priest.

The Christian marriage of the third century was, then, undoubtedly a sacred ceremony. As, however, every sacred ceremony and public function of the Church is not a sacrament, it must be admitted that Tertullian does not give us "data" enough to decide the important question as to the immediate, the invisible, and the spiritual effect of this most important contract. The difficulty, then, still remains, so far as he is concerned-did the marriage contract infuse the grace of God into the souls of those who received it worthily? For the more satisfactory answer to this question we are thrown back upon the sacred Scripture in the first instance; and then we are naturally led to look into the period when traditionary writings become more abundant and more clear. There is light on both sides, which enables us to read the meaning of Tertullian. According to Scripture, marriage imposes the obligation of unchanging love and eternal fidelity. According to the belief of the eastern and western Churches from their separation, marriage is one of the sacraments. Tertullian is thrown in between both, and he tells us that marriage is a religious rite. We do not go beyond the limits of rational inference when we conclude that Tertullian and his contemporaries, in overtly proclaiming the religious nature of the ceremony, tacitly admitted its efficacy in maintaining religious practice and promoting it, which it did, by enabling the contracting parties to fulfil their most

1 Tertul. Liber de Præscr., c. xl. p. 55A. Curs. Compl. Patrol. Paris, 1844.

onerous obligations, and which, again, is most effectually done by helping and enlightening them and sanctifying their souls by the infusion of sacramental grace.

DIVISION VI.

THE MARTYRS.

We are not without occasional references to the various branches of secondary worship, or the "cultus duliæ," as it is called, in the documents of the third age. We must not expect to find a complete picture; but hints and passing allusions will have much significance for us, if we keep in mind what we have gathered from the Scripture in the first part of this work, as illustrative of the primitive practice of venerating the saints and praying to them and reverencing their mementos and remains.

§ 1. Respect rendered to their bodies.-The martyrs, they who had died for the faith, were the saints of the third age. The reverence given to what remained of them upon earth, after their souls had passed to a blessed immortality, was respect to the relics of the saints. If they were venerated, the saints were venerated. Prayers addressed to them were prayers addressed to the saints. That the martyrs were regarded as crowned immediately after their demise is clear from many passages in the writings of Tertullian and St. Cyprian. 1st. All sins were remitted and all grace obtained by martyrdom. "For who when he has inquired does not draw near; who when he has approached does not wish to suffer, that he may acquire the full grace of God [ut totam Dei gratiam redimat], that from him he may obtain all pardon in exchange

3rd.

"But when

for blood [compensatione sanguinis]? For to this work [martrydom] all sins are remitted."1 2nd. Through martyrdom the society of angels was attained. "Wherefore from your letters have we seen those glorious triumphs of the martyrs, and with our eyes have in a manner beheld them arriving in heaven, and looked at them arrayed among the angels and heavenly powers and dominations." Martrydom is the gate to eternal happiness. one comes to the test of felicity, to the occurrence of the second baptism [martyrdom], to the very ascent of the divine abode, nothing is [more necessary] than patience.” 3 4th. Martyrdom leads at once to the vision of God. “Who will not labour with all his powers to attain to such glory, that he become the friend of God and immediately rejoice with Christ, and after the torments and punishments of this earth be put in possession of the rewards of heaven?" These and innumerable passages which might be culled from the writings of this age, leave room for no doubt as to the effects attributed to the martyr's confession. Justification, perfect sanctification, and the rewards of eternal life, were all conferred on him together. He became at once a saint in the sense in which that term is now commonly used. It is consequently within the limits of strict truth to say that the respect shown to his body was illustrative of the devotion of the Church of the third century to the relics of the saints, while the honour rendered to his glorified soul may be taken as an evident proof that the faithful of these early times, as those of the present day, believed in the communion of the Churches triumphant and militant.

Any one acquainted with Catholic countries must be aware of the great respect and devotion of the faithful to

1 Tertul. Apologet., p. 536A, tom. i. Curs. Compl. Patrol. Paris,

1844.

2 S. Cypr., ep. xxvi. No. 11, p. 291â, tom. iv. ibid. 3 Tertul. Liber de Patien., p. 1270A, tom. i. ibid.

4 Cypr. Ep. ad Fortuna., p. 675, tom. iv. ibid.

dry bones and mutilated limbs and fragments of various sorts, which have fallen off the temples in which the now glorified soul dwelled while it was in this life. The old house is in ruins, but every joint and joining are preserved with religious care. The materials have crumbled into rubbish; and they would probably be allowed to remain in a state of utter confusion and neglect, but that Catholic faith remembers the saying of the Apostle, that they shall be built into a new and shining and imperishable edifice on the last day, to which the soul shall again return, never again to go forth. The relics of the saints are preserved and reverenced now. Those of the martyrs were reverenced and preserved in the Church of the third century. To allow the bodies of the martyrs to remain unburied was a crime in the opinion of St. Cyprian; to bury them religiously and carefully was an act of virtue that will be entitled to a supernatural reward. "And what is of the greatest importance, if the bodies of the martyrs and others be not buried, great danger threatens those on whom this work is incumbent. Wherefore, I am certain, that whichever of you shall have performed this work, on any occasion that may occur, will be regarded as a faithful servant, in such way, that having been faithful in small things, he shall be placed over ten cities.'" 1 If these words of St. Cyprian were written at the present day, would they be understood to inculcate more than decent and ordinary care for the obsequies of the Christian dead? Possibly, not much more; though the threat of Divine punishment and the hope of supernatural reward, might be justly regarded as rather strong inducements to hold out to the performance of such a duty; but spoken, as they were, during the reign of Roman paganism, when the practice of burning the bodies of the dead was in full force, they had a peculiar meaning. They were equivalent to this:-The bodies of the martyrs are not to remain in the hands of the executioners, lest they be profaned, left

1 Cypr. ep. ii. p. 228, tom. iv. Curs. Compl. Patrol. Paris,

1844.

unburied, or burned. But if they be valueless, why not allow the pagans to dispose of them as they wish? Cyprian does not answer this question explicitly; but, impliedly, he affirms, that they must be of much value in the Divine estimation, when he says, that they who bury them shall be rewarded by God, and they who, charged with their burial, neglect that duty, shall be exposed to the danger of being punished. But the expression of St. Cyprian's devotion to the bodies of the martyrs is not limited to this sentence. There is an epistle of his addressed to certain confessors detained in prison, which is full of the most feeling expressions of love and reverence towards their members, which, for Christ's sake, had suffered, or been the instruments through which their constant souls had affirmed their self-sacrificing fidelity. "What could happen to me more desirable or agreeable than to be with you, that you might embrace me with those hands which, pure, innocent, and adhering to the faith of the Lord, refused sacrilegious obsequiousness? What more pleasant and sublime than to kiss your mouth, which with glorious voice confessed the Lord; and present, to be looked upon by those eyes, which, despising the world, have been worthy to behold God. Oh! happy prison, which your presence renders illustrious! Oh! happy prison, which sendeth men unto heaven! Oh! darkness brighter than the sun, and clearer than the light of this world, in which now are located your members-the temples of God, and to be sanctified by a Divine confession." These are truly the words of a man that venerated the relics of the saints. The men to whom they are addressed had not yet suffered, it is true. They were confessors, and not yet martyrs; but if Cyprian entertained such tender and respectful sentiments towards their members, which had confessed Christ, what would be his reverence for these same members, when they had sealed this confession by their blood? He desired to look upon them, to touch them, to kiss them

1 Div. Cypr. ep. lxxxi. No. 1, p. 424c, 425A, B, Curs. Compl. Patrol.: Paris, 1844.