from the twenty-first and twenty-second chapters.

16. “And the city is placed in a square.”] The city which he says is squared, he says also is resplendent with gold and precious stones, and has a sacred street, and a river through the midst of it, and the tree of life on either side, bearing twelve manner of fruits throughout the twelve months; and that the light of the sun is not there, because the Lamb is the light of it; and that its gates were of single pearls; and that there were three gates on each of the four sides, and that they could not be shut. I say, in respect of the square city, he shows forth the united multitude of the saints, in whom the faith could by no means waver. As Noah is commanded to make the ark of squared beams,72    Gen. vi. 14, LXX.   that it might resist the force of the deluge, by the precious stones he sets forth the holy men who cannot waver in persecution, who could not be moved either by the tempest of persecutors, or be dissolved from the true faith by the force of the rain, because they are associated of pure gold, of whom the city of the great King is adorned. Moreover, the streets set forth their hearts purified from all uncleanness, transparent with glowing light, that the Lord may justly walk up and down in them. The river of life sets forth that the grace of spiritual doctrine flowed through the minds of the faithful, and that manifold flourishing forms of odours germinated therein. The tree of life on either bank sets forth the Advent of Christ, according to the flesh, who satisfied the peoples wasted with famine, that received life from One by the wood of the Cross, with the announcement of God’s word. And in that he says that the sun is not necessary in the city, he shows, evidently, that the Creator as the immaculate light shines in the midst of it, whose brightness no mind has been able to conceive, nor tongue to tell.  

In that he says there are three gates placed on each of the four sides, of single pearls, I think that these are the four virtues,73    [Called the philosophical virtues. Vol. ii. note 7, p. 502.]   to wit, prudence, fortitude, justice, temperance, which are associated with one another. And, being involved together, they make the number twelve. But the twelve gates we believe to be the number of the apostles, who, shining in the four virtues as precious stones, manifesting the light of their doctrine among the saints, cause it to enter the celestial city, that by intercourse with them the choir of angels may be gladdened. And that the gates cannot be shut, it is evidently shown that the doctrine of the apostles can be separated from rectitude by no tempest of contradiction. Even though the floods of the nations and the vain superstitions of heretics should revolt against their true faith, they are overcome, and shall be dissolved as the foam, because Christ is the Rock74    [From a Western theologian of the date of our author. This is emphatic.]   by which, and on which, the Church is founded.75    [Compare vol. v. p. 561, Elucidation VII.]   And thus it is overcome by no traces of maddened men. Therefore they are not to be heard who assure themselves that there is to be an earthly reign of a thousand years; who think, that is to say, with the heretic Cerinthus.76    [Here is evidence that Cerinthus (see vol. i. 351, 352) and other heretics had disgusted the Church even with the less carnal views of the Millenium entertained by the better “Chiliasts,” such as Commodian. See vol. iv. pp. 212 and 218.]   For the kingdom of Christ is now eternal in the saints, although the glory of the saints shall be manifested after the resurrection.  

EX CAPITE XXI ET XXII.

16. Et civitas in quadro posita est. Civitatem quam dicit quadratam, auro et pretiosis resplendere lapidibus, et plateam sanctam, et flumen per medium, et lignum vitae ex utraque parte faciens fructus duodecim per duodecim menses, et solis lumen ibi non esse, quia Agnus est lux ejus; et 0343C portas ejus de singulis margaritis, ternas portas ex quatuor partibus, et claudi non posse. Civitatem inquam quadratam sanctorum adunatam turbam ostendit, in quibus nullo modo fides fluctuare potuit. Sicut Noe praecipitur (Gen. VI, 14), ut ex quadratis lignis faceret arcam, quae diluvii posset impetus ferre, pretiosos lapides qui fluctuare non possunt in persecutione sanctos viros ostendit, qui nec tempestate persecutorum moveri, nec impetu pluviae 0344A a vera fide dissolvi potuerunt; propterea auro mundo sociantur, ex quibus regis magni civitas decoratur. Plateae vero eorum ostendunt corda ab omnibus mundata sordibus, perspicua luce fulgida, ut merito in iis deambulet Dominus. Flumen vitae, spiritualis doctrinae per mentes fidelium currere gratiam, et multiplicia odorum germinasse virentia ostendit. Lignum vitae ex utraque ripa, Christi secundum carnem ostendit adventum; qui ab uno ligno crucis vitam suscipientes, populos fame consumptos verbi Dei praedicatione satiavit. Et quia dicit in civitate solem non esse necessarium, evidenter ostendit creatorem lumen immaculatum fulgere in medio ejus, cujus splendorem nullus potuerit 0344B sensus cogitare nec lingua proloqui. Quod ex quatuor partibus portas dicit ternas esse positas ex singulis margaritis, quatuor arbitror esse virtutes, videlicet prudentiam, fortitudinem, justitiam, temperantiam, quae invicem sibi haerent. Et dum mutuo miscentur, duodenarium efficiunt numerum. Portas vero duodecim, Apostolorum esse credimus numerum, qui in quatuor virtutibus ut pretiosae margaritae fulgentibus, inter sanctos lumen doctrinae suae manifestantes civitatem coelestem ingredi faciunt; ut de conversatione eorum, angelorum laetetur chorus. Non posse autem claudi portas, evidenter ostenditur nulla contradicentium tempestate apostolorum doctrinam separari a rectitudine, etiamsi fluctus gentium, et haereticorum vanae superstitiones 0344C contra fidem eorum veram insurrexerint: superati, ut spumae dissolventur, quia petra Christus est, a quo et per quem Ecclesia fundatur. Ideoque nullis fluctibus insanientium hominum superatur. Ergo audiendi non sunt qui mille annorum regnum terrenum esse confirmant, qui cum Cerintho haeretico sentiunt. Nam regnum Christi nunc est sempiternum in sanctis, cum fuerit gloria post resurrectionem manifestata sanctorum.