Chapter 21.—Examples of the Various Styles, Drawn from the Teachers of the Church, Especially Ambrose and Cyprian.

45.  But these writings of the apostles, though clear, are yet profound, and are so written that one who is not content with a superficial acquaintance, but desires to know them thoroughly, must not only read and hear them, but must have an expositor.  Let us, then, study these various modes of speech as they are exemplified in the writings of men who, by reading the Scriptures, have attained to the knowledge of divine and saving truth, and have ministered it to the Church.  Cyprian of blessed memory writes in the subdued style in his treatise on the sacrament of the cup.  In this book he resolves the question, whether the cup of the Lord ought to contain water only, or water mingled with wine.  But we must quote a passage by way of illustration.  After the customary introduction, he proceeds to the discussion of the point in question.  “Observe” he says, “that we are instructed, in presenting the cup, to maintain the custom handed down to us from the Lord, and to do nothing that our Lord has not first done for us:  so that the cup which is offered in remembrance of Him should be mixed with wine.  For, as Christ says, ‘I am the true vine,’282    John xv. 1. it follows that the blood of Christ is wine, not water; and the cup cannot appear to contain His blood by which we are redeemed and quickened, if the wine be absent; for by the wine is the blood of Christ typified, that blood which is foreshadowed and proclaimed in all the types and declarations of Scripture.  For we find that in the book of Genesis this very circumstance in regard to the sacrament is foreshadowed, and our Lord’s sufferings typically set forth, in the case of Noah, when he drank wine, and was drunken, and was uncovered within his tent, and his nakedness was exposed by his second son, and was carefully hidden by his elder and his younger sons.283    Gen. ix. 20–24.  It is not necessary to mention the other circumstances in detail, as it is only necessary to observe this point, that Noah, foreshadowing the future reality, drank, not water, but wine, and thus showed forth our Lord’s passion.  In the same way we see the sacrament of the Lord’s supper prefigured in the case of Melchizedek the priest, according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, where it says:  ‘And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine:  and he was the priest of the most high God.  And he blessed Abraham.’284    Gen. xiv. 18, 19.  Now, that Melchizedek was a type of Christ, the Holy Spirit declares in the Psalms, where the Father addressing the Son says, ‘Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’285    Ps. cx. 4.”286    Ad. Cæcilium, Ep. 63, 1, 2.  In this passage, and in all of the letter that follows, the subdued style is maintained, as the reader may easily satisfy himself.

46.  St. Ambrose also, though dealing with a question of very great importance, the equality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son, employs the subdued style, because the object he has in view demands, not beauty of diction, nor the swaying of the mind by the stir of emotion, but facts and proofs.  Accordingly, in the introduction to his work, we find the following passage among others:  “When Gideon was startled by the message he had heard from God, that, though thousands of the people failed, yet through one man God would deliver His people from their enemies, he brought forth a kid of the goats, and by direction of the angel laid it with unleavened cakes upon a rock, and poured the broth over it; and as soon as the angel of God touched it with the end of the staff that was in his hand, there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed the offering.287    Judges vi. 14–21.  Now this sign seems to indicate that the rock was a type of the body of Christ, for it is written, ‘They drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ;’288    1 Cor. x. 4. this, of course, referring not to Christ’s divine nature but to His flesh, whose ever-flowing fountain of blood has ever satisfied the hearts of His thirsting people.  And so it was at that time declared in a mystery that the Lord Jesus, when crucified, should abolish in His flesh the sins of the whole world, and not their guilty acts merely, but the evil lusts of their hearts.  For the kid’s flesh refers to the guilt of the outward act, the broth to the allurement of lust within, as it is written, ‘And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept again and again and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?’289    Num. xi. 4.  When the angel, then, stretched out his staff and touched the rock, and fire rose out of it, this was a sign that our Lord’s flesh, filled with the Spirit of God, should burn up all the sins of the human race.  Whence also the Lord says ‘I am come to send fire on the earth.’”290    Luke xii. 49.  And in the same style he pursues the subject, devoting himself chiefly to proving and enforcing his point.291    De Spiritu Sancto, lib. i. Prol.

47.  An example of the temperate style is the celebrated encomium on virginity from Cyprian:  “Now our discourse addresses itself to the virgins, who, as they are the objects of higher honor, are also the objects of greater care.  These are the flowers on the tree of the Church, the glory and ornament of spiritual grace, the joy of honor and praise, a work unbroken and unblemished, the image of God answering to the holiness of the Lord, the brighter portion of the flock of Christ.  The glorious fruitfulness of their mother the Church rejoices in them, and in them flourishes more abundantly; and in proportion as bright virginity adds to her numbers, in the same proportion does the mother’s joy increase.292    De habitu Virginum, chap. vii.  And at another place in the end of the epistle, ‘As we have borne,’ he says, ‘the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.’293    1 Cor. xv. 49.  Virginity bears this image, integrity bears it, holiness and truth bear it; they bear it who are mindful of the chastening of the Lord, who observe justice and piety, who are strong in faith, humble in fear, steadfast in the endurance of suffering, meek in the endurance of injury, ready to pity, of one mind and of one heart in brotherly peace.  And every one of these things ought ye, holy virgins, to observe, to cherish, and fulfill, who having hearts at leisure for God and for Christ, and having chosen the greater and better part, lead and point the way to the Lord, to whom you have pledged your vows.  Ye who are advanced in age, exercise control over the younger.  Ye who are younger, wait upon the elders, and encourage your equals; stir up one another by mutual exhortations; provoke one another to glory by emulous examples of virtue; endure bravely, advance in spirituality, finish your course with joy; only be mindful of us when your virginity shall begin to reap its reward of honor.”294    De habitu Virginum, chap. xviii.

48.  Ambrose also uses the temperate and ornamented style when he is holding up before virgins who have made their profession a model for their imitation, and says:  “She was a virgin not in body only, but also in mind; not mingling the purity of her affection with any dross of hypocrisy; serious in speech; prudent in disposition; sparing of words; delighting in study; not placing her confidence in uncertain riches, but in the prayer of the poor; diligent in labor; reverent in word; accustomed to look to God, not man, as the guide of her conscience; injuring no one, wishing well to all; dutiful to her elders, not envious of her equals; avoiding boastfulness, following reason, loving virtue.  When did she wound her parents even by a look?  When did she quarrel with her neighbors?  When did she spurn the humble, laugh at the weak, or shun the indigent?  She is accustomed to visit only those haunts of men that pity would not blush for, nor modesty pass by.  There is nothing haughty in her eyes, nothing bold in her words, nothing wanton in her gestures:  her bearing is not voluptuous, nor her gait too free, nor her voice petulant; so that her outward appearance is an image of her mind, and a picture of purity.  For a good house ought to be known for such at the very thres hold, and show at the very entrance that there is no dark recess within, as the light of a lamp set inside sheds its radiance on the outside.  Why need I detail her sparingness in food, her superabundance in duty,—the one falling beneath the demands of nature, the other rising above its powers?  The latter has no intervals of intermission, the former doubles the days by fasting; and when the desire for refreshment does arise, it is satisfied with food such as will support life, but not minister to appetite.”295    De Virginibus, lib. ii. chap. i.  Now I have cited these latter passages as examples of the temperate style, because their purpose is not to induce those who have not yet devoted themselves to take the vows of virginity, but to show of what character those who have taken vows ought to be.  To prevail on any one to take a step of such a nature and of so great importance, requires that the mind should be excited and set on fire by the majestic style.  Cyprian the martyr, however, did not write about the duty of taking up the profession of virginity, but about the dress and deportment of virgins.  Yet that great bishop urges them to their duty even in these respects by the power of a majestic eloquence.

49.  But I shall select examples of the majestic style from their treatment of a subject which both of them have touched.  Both have denounced the women who color, or rather discolor, their faces with paint.  And the first, in dealing with this topic, says:  “Suppose a painter should depict in colors that rival nature’s the features and form and complexion of some man, and that, when the portrait had been finished with consummate art, another painter should put his hand over it, as if to improve by his superior skill the painting already completed; surely the first artist would feel deeply insulted, and his indignation would be justly roused.  Dost thou, then, think that thou wilt carry off with impunity so audacious an act of wickedness, such an insult to God the great artificer?  For, granting that thou art not immodest in thy behavior towards men, and that thou art not polluted in mind by these meretricious deceits, yet, in corrupting and violating what is God’s, thou provest thyself worse than an adulteress.  The fact that thou considerest thyself adorned and beautified by such arts is an impeachment of God’s handiwork, and a violation of truth.  Listen to the warning voice of the apostle:  ‘Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.  For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:  therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.’296    1 Cor. v. 7, 8.  Now can sincerity and truth continue to exist when what is sincere is polluted, and what is true is changed by meretricious coloring and the deceptions of quackery into a lie?  Thy Lord says, ‘Thou canst not make one hair white or black;’297    Matt. v. 36. and dost thou wish to have greater power so as to bring to nought the words of thy Lord?  With rash and sacrilegious hand thou wouldst fain change the color of thy hair:  I would that, with a prophetic look to the future, thou shouldst dye it the color of flame.”298    Cyprian, de habitu Virginum, chap. xii.  It would be too long to quote all that follows.

50.  Ambrose again, inveighing against such practices, says:  “Hence arise these incentives to vice, that women, in their fear that they may not prove attractive to men, paint their faces with carefully-chosen colors, and then from stains on their features go on to stains on their chastity.  What folly it is to change the features of nature into those of painting, and from fear of incurring their husband’s disapproval, to proclaim openly that they have incurred their own!  For the woman who desires to alter her natural appearance pronounces condemnation on herself; and her eager endeavors to please another prove that she has first been displeasing to herself.  And what testimony to thine ugliness can we find, O woman, that is more unquestionable than thine own, when thou art afraid to show thyself?  If thou art comely why dost thou hide thy comeliness?  If thou art plain, why dost thou lyingly pretend to be beautiful, when thou canst not enjoy the pleasure of the lie either in thine own consciousness or in that of another?  For he loves another woman, thou desirest to please another man; and thou art angry if he love another, though he is taught adultery in thee.  Thou art the evil promptress of thine own injury.  For even the woman who has been the victim of a pander shrinks from acting the pander’s part, and though she be vile, it is herself she sins against and not another.  The crime of adultery is almost more tolerable than thine; for adultery tampers with modesty, but thou with nature.”299    Ambrose, de Virginibus, lib. ii.  It is sufficiently clear, I think, that this eloquence calls passionately upon women to avoid tampering with their appearance by deceitful arts, and to cultivate modesty and fear.  Accordingly, we notice that the style is neither subdued nor temperate, but majestic throughout.  Now in these two authors whom I have selected as specimens of the rest, and in other ecclesiastical writers who both speak the truth and speak it well,—speak it, that is, judiciously, pointedly, and with beauty and power of expression,—many examples may be found of the three styles of speech, scattered through their various writings and discourses; and the diligent student may by assiduous reading, intermingled with practice on his own part, become thoroughly imbued with them all.

CAPUT XXI. Exempla triplicis hujus generis dictionis ex doctoribus ecclesiasticis, nempe Cypriano et Ambrosio desumuntur.

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45. Sed apostolica ista sic clara sunt, ut et profunda sint; atque ita conscripta memoriaeque mandata, ut non solum lectore vel auditore, verum etiam expositore opus habeant, si quis in eis non superficie contentus altitudinem quaerat. Quapropter videamus ista genera dicendi in eis qui istorum lectione ad rerum divinarum atque salubrium scientiam profecerunt, eamque Ecclesiae ministrarunt. Beatus Cyprianus submisso dicendi genere utitur in eo libro ubi de Sacramento calicis disputat. Solvitur quippe ibi quaestio, in qua quaeritur utrum calix dominicus aquam solam, an eam vino mixtam debeat habere. Sed exempli gratia aliquid inde ponendum est. Post principium ergo epistolae, jam solvere incipiens propositam quaestionem: Admonitos autem nos scias, inquit, ut in calice offerendo dominica traditio servetur, neque aliud fiat a nobis, quam quod pro nobis Dominus prior fecit, ut calix qui in commemorationem ejus offertur, vino mixtus offeratur. Nam cum dicat Christus, «Ego sum vitis vera» (Joan. XV, 5); sanguis Christi, non aqua est utique, sed vinum; nec potest videri sanguis ejus, quo redempti et vivificati sumus, esse in calice, quando vinum desit calici, quo Christi sanguis ostenditur; qui Scripturarum omnium sacramento ac testimonio praedicatur. Invenimus enim in Genesi circa sacramentum Noc hoc idem praecucurrisse, et figuram dominicae passionis illic exstitisse, quod vinum bibit, quod inebriatus est, quod in domo sua nudatus est, quod fuit recubans nudis et patentibus femoribus; quod nuditas illa patris a medio filio denotata est; a majore vero et minore contecta (Gen. IX, 20-23), et caetera quae necesse non est exsequi, cum satis sit hoc solum complecti, quod Noe typum futurae veritatis ostendens, non aquam sed vinum biberit; et sic imaginem dominicae passionis expresserit. Item in sacerdote Melchisedech dominicum Sacramentum praefiguratum videmus , secundum quod Scriptura divina testatur, et dicit: «Et Melchisedech rex Salem protulit panem et vinum. Fuit autem sacerdos Dei summi, et benedixit Abraham» (Id. XIV, 18). Quod autem Melchisedech typum Christi portaret, declarat in Psalmis Spiritus sanctus, ex persona Patris ad Filium dicens: «Ante Luciferum genui te. Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech» (Psal. CIX, 4). Haec et alia quae sequuntur hujus epistolae (Cypr. Epist. 63, ad Caecilium, de Sacramento calicis), submissae dictionis modum servant, quod facile est explorare legentibus.

46. Sanctus quoque Ambrosius cum agat rem magnam de Spiritu sancto, ut eum Patri et Filio demonstret aequalem, submisso tamen dicendi genere utitur; quoniam res suscepta non ornamenta verborum, aut ad flectendos animos commotionis affectum, sed rerum documenta desiderat. Ergo inter caetera, 0112 in principio hujus operis ait: Commotus oraculo Gedeon, cum audisset quod deficientibus licet populorum millibus, in uno viro Dominus plebem suam ab hostibus liberaret, obtulit haedum caprarum, cujus carnem secundum praeceptum angeli, et azyma supra petram posuit, et ea jure perfudit: quae simul ut virgae cacumine, quam gerebat, angelus Dei contigit, de petra ignis erupit, atque ita sacrificium quod offerebatur absumptum est (Jud. VI, 11-21). Quo indicio declaratum videtur, quod petra illa typum habuerit corporis Christi; quia scriptum est, «Bibebant de consequenti petra, petra autem erat Christus» (I Cor. X, 4). Quod utique non ad divinitatem ejus, sed ad carnem relatum est, quae sitientium corda populorum perenni rivo sui sanguinis inundavit. Jam tunc igitur in mysterio declaratum est, quia Dominus Jesus in carne sua, totius mundi peccata crucifixus aboleret, nec solum delicta factorum, sed etiam cupiditates animorum. Caro enim haedi ad culpam facti refertur; jus ad illecebras cupiditatum, sicut scriptum est, «Quia concupivit populus cupiditatem pessimam, et dixerunt, Quis nos cibabit carne» (Num. XI, 4)? Quod igitur extendit angelus virgam, et tetigit petram, de qua ignis exiit, ostendit quod caro Domini Spiritu repleta divino, peccata omnia humanae conditionis exureret. Unde et Dominus ait, «Ignem veni mittere in terram» (Luc. XII, 49); et caetera, in quibus rei docendae ac probandae maxime incumbit (Ambros. lib. 1 de Spiritu sancto, in prologo).

47. De genere temperato est apud Cyprianum virginitatis illa laudatio: Nunc nobis ad virgines sermo est, quarum quo sublimior gloria est, major et cura. Flos est ille ecclesiastici germinis, decus atque ornamentum gratiae spiritualis, laeta indoles laudis et honoris, opus integrum atque incorruptum, Dei imago respondens ad sanctimoniam Domini, illustrior portio gregis Christi. Gaudet per ipsas, atque in illis largiter floret Ecclesiae matris gloriosa fecunditas: quantoque plus gloriosavirginitas numero suo addit, tanto plus gaudium matris augescit. Et alio loco in fine epistolae: Quomodo portavimus, inquit, imaginem ejus qui de limo est, sic portemus et imaginem ejus qui de coelo est (I Cor. XV, 49). Hanc imaginem virginitas portat, portat integritas, sanctitas portat et veritas; portant disciplinae Dei memores, justitiam cum religione retinentes, stabiles in fide, humiles in timore, ad omnem tolerantiam fortes, ad sustinendas injurias mites, ad faciendam misericordiam faciles, fraterna pace unanimes atque concordes. Quae vos singula, o bonae virgines, observare, diligere, implere debetis, quae Deo et Christo vacantes, ad Dominum cui vos dicastis, majore et meliore parte praeceditis. Provectae annis, junioribus facite magisterium; minores natu, praebete majoribus ministerium, comparibus incitamentum; hortamentis vos mutuis excitate, aemulis de virtute documentis ad gloriam provocate; durate fortiter, spiritualiter pergite, pervenite feliciter; tantum mementote tunc nostri, cum incipiet in vobis virginitas honorari (Cypr. Tract. de disciplina et habitu Virginum).

48. Ambrosius etiam genere dicendi temperato ei 0113 ornato professis virginibus proponit, tanquam sub exempli forma, quod moribus imitentur, et dicit: Virgo erat, non solum corpore, sed etiam mente, quae nullo doli ambitu sincerum adulteraret affectum: corde humilis, verbis gravis, animi prudens, loquendi parcior, legendi studiosior; non in incerto divitiarum, sed in prece pauperis spem reponens; intenta operi, verecunda sermoni; arbitrum mentis solita non hominem, sed Deum quaerere; nullum laedere, bene velle omnibus; assurgere majoribus natu, aequalibus non invidere; fugere jactantiam, rationem sequi, amare virtutem. Quando ista vel vultu laesit parentes? quando dissensit a propinquis? quando fastidivit humilem? quando risit debilem? quando vitavit inopem? Eos solos solita coetus virorum invisere, quos misericordia non erubesceret, neque praeteriret verecundia. Nihil torvum in oculis, nihil in verbis procax, nihil in actu inverecundum; non gestus fractior, non incessus solutior, non vox petulantior, ut ipsa corporis species simulacrum fuerit mentis, et figura probitatis. Bona quippe domus in ipso vestibulo debet agnosci, ac primo praetendat ingressu nihil intus latere tenebrarum, tanquam lucernae lux intus posita, foris luceat. Quid ego exsequar ciborum parcimoniam, officiorum redundantiam; alterum ultra naturam superfuisse, alterum ipsi naturae pene defuisse? Illic nulla intermissa tempora, hic congeminati jejunio dies; et si quando reficiendi successisset voluntas, cibus plerumque obvius qui mortem arceret, non delicias ministraret (Ambros. de Virginibus, lib. 2, in princip.), etc. Haec autem propterea in exemplo hujus temperati generis posui, quia non hic agit ut virginitatem voveant quae nondum voverunt; sed quales esse debeant quae jam votae sunt. Nam ut aggrediatur animus tantum ac tale propositum, grandi utique dicendi genere debet excitari et accendi. Sed martyr Cyprianus de habitu virginum, non de suscipiendo virginitatis proposito scripsit. Iste vero episcopus etiam ad hoc eas magno accendit eloquio.

49. Verum ex eo quod ambo egerunt, dictionis grandis exempla memorabo. Ambo quippe invecti sunt in eas quae formam pigmentis colorant, vel potius decolorant: quorum prior ille cum hoc ageret, ait inter caetera: Si quis pingendi artifex vultum alicujus et speciem, et corporis qualitatem aemulo colore signasset; et signato jam consummatoque simulacro, manus alius inferret, ut jam formata, jam picta quasi peritior reformaret, gravis prioris artificis injuria et justa indignatio videretur. Tu te existimas impune laturam tam improbae temeritatis audaciam, Dei artificis offensam? Ut enim impudica circa homines, et incesta lucis lenocinantibus non sis, corruptis violatisque quae Dei sunt, pejor adultera detineris. Quod ornari te putas, quod putas comi, impugnatio est ista divini operis, praevaricatio est veritatis. Monentis Apostoli vox est: «Expurgate vetus fermentum, ut sitis nova conspersio, sicut estis azymi. Etenim Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus. Itaque festa celebremus, non in fermento veteri, neque in fermento malitiae et nequitiae, sed in azymis sinceritatis et veritatis» (I Cor. V, 7, 8). Num sinceritas perseverat et veritas, quando quae sincera sunt polluuntur, 0114et colorum adulteriis, et medicaminumfucis in mendacium vera mutantur? Dominus tuus dicit, «Non potes facere capillum unum album aut nigrum» (Matth. V, 36); et tu ad vincendam Domini tui vocem vis te esse potiorem. Audaci conatu et sacrilego contemptu crines tuos inficis; malo praesagio futurorum capillos jam tibi flammeos auspicaris (Cypr. Tract. de disciplina et habitu Virginum). Longum est inserere omnia quae sequuntur.

50. Ille vero posterior ut in tales diceret: Hinc illa, inquit, nascuntur incentiva vitiorum, ut quaesitis coloribus ora depingant, dum viris displicere formidant, et de adulterio vultus meditentur adulterium castitatis. Quanta haec amentia, effigiem mutare naturae, picturam quaerere; et dum verentur maritale judicium, proderesuum? Prior enim de se pronuntiat, quae cupit mutare quod nata est: ita dum alii studet placere, prius ipsa sibi displicet. Quem judicem, mulier, veriorem requiremus deformitatis tuae, quam teipsam, quae videri times? Si pulchra es, cur absconderis? si deformis, cur te formosam esse mentiris, nec tuae conscientiae, nec alieni gratiam erroris habitura? Ille enim alteram diligit, tu alteri vis placere: et irasceris si amet alteram, qui adulterare in te docetur. Mala magistra es injuriae tuae. Lenocinari enim refugit, etiam quae est passa lenonem; ac licet vilis mulier, non alteri tamen, sed sibi peccat. Tolerabiliora propemodum in adulterio crimina sunt: ibi enim pudicitia, hic natura adulteratur (Ambros. de Virginibus, lib. 1). Satis, ut existimo, apparet feminas ne suam fucis adulterent formam, et ad pudorem et ad timorem hac facundia vehementer impelli. Proinde neque submissum neque temperatum, sed grande omnino genus hoc elocutionis agnoscimus. Et in his autem quos duos ex omnibus proponere volui, et in aliis ecclesiasticis viris et bona, et bene, id est sicut res postulat, acute, ornate, ardenterque dicentibus, per multa eorum scripta vel dicta possunt haec tria genera reperiri, et assidua lectione vel auditione, admixta etiam exercitatione, studentibus inolescere.