Summa de Ecclesia

¹

Moreover the Church is read as named a Ship, and this for three reasons. First, because she is laden with the wares of virtues and with the amplest and most precious treasures of merits, by which her children can purchase the kingdom of heaven. For she alone is the one through whom the Lord will willingly accept the sacrifice; she alone is the one who intercedes trustingly for sinners, as blessed Gregory says, and as is held in the chapter Quia, 24 q. 1. Furthermore, in her alone are the true virtues by which the happiness of eternal life is attained, according to the chapter Omnes, § Ex his, 28 q. 1. For this reason it is said of the Church in the last chapter of Proverbs: She has become as a merchant's ship. Second, the Church is rightly called a ship because she is the vessel by which, across the sea of this age, however much it be wearied by frequent blasts of winds and waves of waters, that is, by the blows and lashes of temptations, the faithful contained in her are brought to the harbor of secure blessedness. Assigning the reason for this, blessed Ambrose, treating the words of Prov. 30: Three things are hard for me, and so on, says in a certain sermon: By the ship we ought to understand the Church, set upon the ground of this world, which, though she be often vexed by the waves of billows or by storms, can nevertheless never suffer shipwreck, because upon her mast, namely upon the cross, Christ is raised; in the stern the Father sits as pilot; the Holy Spirit the Paraclete guards the prow; twelve oarsmen lead her through the narrow straits of this world, that is, the twelve apostles, and a like number of prophets. Likewise the same Ambrose, in the chapter Non turbatur, 24 q. 1: The ship which has Peter is not troubled; the one which has Judas is troubled. Third, the Church is rightly named a ship because, just as outside the ship or ark of Noah, when the flood reigned, no one was saved, so no one at all is saved outside the Church, as in the Extra, On the supreme Trinity and the catholic faith, ch. 1. Likewise Jerome, in the chapter Quoniam verus, 24 q. 1, says: If anyone shall not have been in the ark of Noah, he will perish when the flood reigns. And blessed Gregory in the Morals, and as is held in the chapter Quia ea causa, with the same question: The Church alone is the one which guards those set within her with the strong bond of charity. Hence the water of the flood lifted the ark to higher things, but extinguished all those whom it found outside the ark. And blessed Augustine in the treatise On catholic truth says: The little bark, that is, the Church of Christ, has long been tossed by waves in the midst of the sea, namely in the world, but bound, not broken up or sunk, because he commanded the winds and the sea who promised to be with that same Church even unto the end of the age. Whoever therefore desires to be saved from the waves of this sea and fears to be sunk into the depth of the abyss, namely eternal perdition, let him hold the firmness of the faith whole and inviolate.

Moreover Holy Church is read as named a House, and this by reason of the divine indwelling in her, according to Ps. 25: Lord, I have loved the beauty of your house and the place where your glory dwells, where Augustine's gloss says: The house of God is the Church; the beauty of this house are the saints. Likewise Ps. 117: We have blessed you from the house of the Lord; the gloss: that is, from the catholic Church, from which are baptism and every blessing. Concerning the dignity of this house blessed Ambrose speaks, as it were, thus, in the chapter Quae dignior, 24 q. 1: What house is more worthy of the entry of apostolic preaching than Holy Church, or who is seen to be preferred before all more than Christ, who was wont to wash the feet of his guests, and suffers not those whom he has received into his house to dwell there with polluted steps. Likewise concerning this house blessed Jerome, in the chapter Quoniam vetus, same cause and question, says: Whoever shall have eaten the lamb outside this house is profane. And to the same effect blessed Gregory, in the chapter Quia ex sola, same cause and question, says: Hence concerning the victim of the lamb the Lord commanded, namely Exod. 12: It shall be eaten in one house, nor shall you carry its flesh outside the doors. For it shall be eaten in one house because in the one catholic Church the true victim of redemption is sacrificed.

Where it is to be considered that the holy and the faithful sinners are said to be in this house of God in different ways. The first are indeed so in the house of the Lord that they themselves are the very house of the Lord and the place of his habitation. The second, though they are in the house of the Lord, are nevertheless not said to be the very house of the Lord. This difference is noted by blessed Jerome, or rather Augustine, in the chapter Omnibus, 24 q. 1, saying: All things considered, I think I say not rashly that some are so in the house of the Lord that they themselves are that same house of the Lord, which is said to be built upon the rock, which is called the one dove, the bride beautiful without spot, and so on. Likewise blessed Augustine, assigning the same difference among those existing in the house of the Lord, says upon Ps. 25: There are some who have the house of God and wish to boast; but some have in themselves the house of God, yet do not pertain to the beauty of the house of God. Those in whom the glory of God dwells are themselves the place where your glory dwells. And the master's gloss says: The saints, who are the beauty of the Church, are the place where your glory dwells.

Concerning this house of habitation the prophet speaks in Ps. 126: Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it. Upon these words Augustine says: The Lord therefore builds his house; many labor in building, but unless he build, they who build it labor in vain. Who are these who labor in building? All who in the Church preach the word of God, the ministers of God's sacraments; we all run, we all labor, we all build now, and before us they ran, labored, built; but unless the Lord build the house, they who build it labor in vain. What house of God is this? It is itself also a city. For the house of God is the people of God, not only those who now are, but also those who were before us and have already fallen asleep, and those who are to be after us even unto the end of the age, gathered into one—faithful innumerable, but numbered by God—of whom the Apostle says: The Lord knows who are his. And below: The whole number of holy faithful, from all to be changed so as to become equal to the angels, who now are pilgrims but await us; when we return from pilgrimage, we all together make one house of God, and one city: it is Jerusalem itself.

²

Likewise Holy Church is often read as named a City, and this on account of the unity by which the faithful live together under the same king Christ and the same law of faith. For a city is so called as the unity of citizens. Hence, as Augustine says in the book On the City of God: A city is so called as a concordant multitude of men. And Gregory says in the 16th book of the Morals: A city is named from peoples dwelling together, of which it is said, Ps. 47: Great is the Lord and exceedingly to be praised in the city of our God, on his holy mountain; the gloss: that is, the Church, which is set upon his holy mountain. This is the city of which it is said in Matt. 5, set upon a mountain; the gloss: Christ, whom the prophet, commending him for the richness and fullness of graces, beautifully calls a mountain: A curdled mountain, a rich mountain, Ps. 57; curdled, as the gloss says, on account of the little ones, whom he nourishes with the milk of tenderer doctrine; and a rich mountain by his richness on account of the mature, whom he feeds with the bread of stronger doctrine. Likewise concerning this city there follows in the psalm adduced: In the city of our God, God has founded it forever; the gloss: he says in the catholic Church of our God, lest the combination of heretics usurp this name for itself. Lest this city be thought temporal, he adds: God has founded it forever—not for an hour, like the tabernacle of Moses. And Augustine says upon the same passage: If perchance that city which once held the world were overthrown—far be it. God has founded it forever; if therefore God has founded it forever, why do you fear lest the firmament fall?

Moreover concerning the praise of this city the prophet says, Ps. 85: Its foundations are upon the holy mountains; the gloss: upon the prophets, the apostles, and Christ Jesus himself the chief cornerstone, who alone is the foundation which no one can change. Behold, the first praise is from the foundations, that the solidity of the whole city may be noted. There follows praise of its renown: Glorious things are said of you, city of God—which, as the gloss says, is not to be taken of that figurative city which fell, but of this one which was figured by it. To the glory of this city it contributes not a little that to this city pertain not only faithful men but also angels, as we adduced a little above from Augustine upon Ps. 126; for the same Augustine says in book 10 On the City of God: We and the blessed are one city of God, part of which pilgrimages in us, part of which aids in them. Hence the Apostle, writing to the Ephesians, says: Now—that is, according to the gloss, from the time of faith received—you are not guests and strangers, that is, foreigners to God, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, that is, in one house with the saints, members of God's household, that is, God's familiars to whom he reveals secrets, where the gloss adds: as if translated from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Where it is to be noted that there are two cities in this world, joined in body but divided in mind; one is called Jerusalem, the other Babylon. One is the city of God, the other of the devil; which cities, as Augustine says, two loves constitute: the love of God makes Jerusalem, the love of the age makes Babylon. The city of God is so called as the unity of citizens, in which the king is truth, the law charity, its judgments equity, the conduct of the citizens honesty, the assembling of the people concord and unity, the morals of the inhabitants goodness, benignity, mercy, piety, sobriety, chastity, patience, humility, and the beauty and sincerity of the other virtues. The city of the devil is that of which the prophet says: For I saw iniquity and contradiction in the city day and night; iniquity shall compass it upon its walls, and labor is in its midst and injustice, and usury and deceit have not departed from its streets. I saw iniquity toward God, contradiction toward the prelate, labor in its midst in acquiring earthly things, injustice toward the neighbor, usury in seeking revenge and vengeance for injuries, deceit in defrauding the circumvented. This city of God is said to be set in a square, Apoc. 21, since, as the gloss says, the four sides of this city are faith, hope, charity, and work, which are equal: because as much as one believes, so much he hopes; as much as he hopes, so much he loves; as much as he loves, so much he works; she is therefore said to be set in a square because she is strong in faith, long-suffering in hope, ample in charity, effective in work.

³

Furthermore, God's Holy Church is found to be named, by mystical signification, an ordered battle-line of camps, by which name she is called because she is most strong and invincible in power, of which Cant. 6: Terrible as an ordered battle-line of camps. The camps of God, God's saints, are ordered by charity, by whom as soldiers of Christ and champions of the faith the Church is fortified, protected, and defended, of whom it is said, Zech. 9: I will compass my house, that is, the Church, with those who fight for me, namely the doctors, prelates, and princes of the Church, who by defending her are acknowledged to fight for Christ. Hence the Apostle, writing to Timothy, says: Labor as a good soldier in preaching the gospel against enemies, 2 Tim. 2. The enemies of this Church are many and various, against whom charity, the mother of all virtues, orders this soldiery of Christ or multitude of camps into one battle-line, whose office it is to direct the exercise of the other virtues to the best end. The Jews attack Christ's incarnation, the heretics the truth of the Scriptures; both the former and the latter attack Christ's faith. The schismatics attack obedience and the unity of the Church. The Saracens and pagans attack ecclesiastical peace. Tyrants and evil princes attack the Church's liberty. False brethren attack charity. Against Jews and heretics she sets the holy doctors, opening their understanding that they may understand the Scriptures, to whom he says, Luke 21: I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay. Against schismatics she sets the communion of saints, the rule of prelates, and the obedience of subjects. Hence of the children of Israel going out to battle it is said, Judg. 20: All the children of Israel went out and were gathered together as one man, because they had one heart and one soul, for the overthrow of their enemies. Against the violence of pagans and Saracens the material sword, as Augustine says in the chapter Quando, 23 q. 4. Against tyrants and false brethren she sets the spiritual sword, which is also wielded against heretics and schismatics, that they may be compelled to enter, according to the chapter Quod facit ecclesiae medicina, 23 q. 4. Since the Church has two swords, of which the Lord says in the Gospel: One suffices, namely the spiritual, which is to be wielded by prelates; the other by Christian princes and soldiers. Concerning these two swords it is held in the chapter Auctoritatem, 25 q. 6, and 23 q. 8 § 1, one of which is drawn by the office of prelates, the other at their nod. Hence Bernard to Pope Eugene says concerning the material sword: The Lord to Peter: Put up your sword into the scabbard; yours therefore is that sword too, perhaps to be unsheathed at your nod, though not by your hand; both swords are yours: but the one is to be wielded by the Church, the other for the Church; the one by the priest's hand, the other by the soldier's, but at the priest's nod, yet at the emperor's command. Hence it is said in the chapter Ab imperatoribus, 23 q. 4: It is just to seek aid from all emperors on account of the affliction of the poor, by whose troubles the Church is wearied without ceasing, that defenders for her against the power of the rich be delegated with the provision of bishops.

The invincible power and insuperable strength of this ecclesiastical line of camps or soldiers is also beautifully expressed in Cant. 3, where it is said: Behold the bed of Solomon, sixty valiant men surround it, of the most valiant of Israel, all holding swords and most skilled in wars. The bed of Solomon, that is, of Christ, who is our peace, Eph. 2, is Holy Church herself, which is the place where his glory dwells, Ps. 26. The sixty valiant men are all the holy doctors and perfect men; for six is a perfect number. Most valiant for manfully storming enemies. They surround, I say, the bed, that is, Holy Church, to restrain the incursions of enemies, so that the bridegroom and the bride may sleep quietly in the bed of contemplation, according to Cant. 3: I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, neither to rouse nor to wake my beloved bride from the sleep and quiet of contemplation. Of the most valiant of Israel, that is, of the patriarchs and prophets and apostles and the other just who behold God with true faith and clear contemplation. Holding swords, one of which is the word of divine Scripture, of which Eph. 6: The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. The second is the sword of judicial power, of which Rom. 13: He bears not the sword without cause; the gloss: he has judicial power, for he is God's minister. And most skilled in wars; and so it must be, since, as the Apostle says, Eph. 6: Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.