Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

23 L TDIA.
God, and of the same nature with the Father and the Holy Ghost.
Are you acquainted with the doctrine of the unity of God in the
Trinity?" Metella replied, "I know the Platonic doctrine of
ii existence; and I know also that Plato commanded us to
swear by God, the disposer of all present and future things. I
am ;i\vare also, that the Christians consider that the statue of
Jupiter at Elis, with its three heads, has some signification. But
allow me to say what I think of such doctrines. I think that no
mortal is capable of comprehending the existence of the Divin-
ity. Is not that a beautiful inscription that the Egyptians have
written over the statue of the God at Sais,"* " I ani the All that
has been, that is, and that is to be, and no mortal has yet raised
my veil.'
' You ask me if I know the Christian doctrine of the Triune
Deity. It could not have been explained to me in fewer words,
than I heard it not long since, by a comparison from my Chris-
tian slave,
' '
God
said she,
'
is one in His nature just like
the tree; the roots, stem and branches of which are penetrated
with the same existence. As the stem proceeds from the roots,
so is the Son generated by the Father, and as the branches of the
enjoys undoubted peace and feels himself supremely happy."
" But what does this mean? " said she, "I saw him raise his
hand and beckon to me so earnestly as if he would say .
' Come
to me.' Durst then a heathen entor where those blessed beings
1 '
owdmg round their King? When he beckoned, he thereby
expressed his happiness and a wish for you to participate. To
aiiiiin the height on which Christ had His throne, two thintrs
deter you; and it appears to me that now I come nearer to the
meaning of the vision. By the dragon that you perceived on one
side, and the owl on the other, the first signified, according to
Plutarch Is. 9.
our books of revelation, no other than the origin of all evil, from the
beginning of the world, whom we call Satan.* He tries to hold
man down to the earth, leads him to sin, and tempts him to it,
and those who give themselves to his service, he brings at last
altogether in one place, where they are perpetually tormented
like your Tantalus, f He also seeks to deter you, he does not
wish that you gain Christ and the happiness of Heaven. The
Redeemer has weakened the power of Satan, but has not
entirely destroyed it; and therefore Satan resembles a wounded
dragon, as you describe. But it is not he alone that separates
you from Christ, there is also another hinderance which makes
your union with Him difficult, and this is signified by the owl.
Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, and the guardian of this our
city, which is acknowledged to be the asylum of the intellectual,
is represented by the owl. It signifies human wisdom, which is
folly before God. Philosophy endeavors to acknowledge this
contest, and would like to attain through its own strength, the
altitude of truth. But for this its wings are too weak. Ol how
modestly Plato expresses himself when he says: 'One must
tree proceed from the stem and roots, so does the Holy Spirit
proceed alike from the Father and the Son.' Bui Athenagoras
how ; many things can be made clear to us by comparisons.
Allow me to expatiate a little longer on my comprehension of
the Divinity. Man is the world in miniature, his body is the
picture of the earth, and his soul the reflection of the Divinity.
Whoever has formed the human body has taken the earth for his
model. We have a proof of this in our own members our
bones and flesh are of earth, our veins are the streams, the waters
of which are called blood. The air is converted into breath,
and in order that the sun and moon may enlighten all this, and
be reflected in the human body, he has given us eyes. But one
remark more, Athenagoras, and then I conclude. Of this magnificent
body, this masterpiece of visible nature, an invisible
spirit takes possession; governs it and penetrates it in all its
parts, and this spirit is one. And so it may be one, and only
one, who created this visible world, and this one we call Jupiter
Jupiter with his divine spirit and divine understanding. So
you have another comparsion. or if I may say so, more than a
comparison a proof of the unity of God."
" You "
are right," said Athenagorns, and I participate in your
views. We Christians, say also there is only one God, as the soul
of man is one; but have you forgotten that this soul of man is a
three in one? " " How so? " asked the
"
heathen. One" replied
Athenagoras, ''
is the memory, another the understanding, and
the third the will of man ; and yet our thinking, understanding
and willing though three, are only one."
Helena reflected "Oyes, I remember Plutarch also defended
the three powers m man If the soul be created after the image
of God, so also can the Trinity be already in the Soul, an ordering,
willing and loving God. Possible also that our own hearts are a
reflection of the heart of that loving Son, who out of pity for
sinful man, as you say, took our nature upon Him, and became
the Shepherd of the people. But let us return to this shepherd
whom I saw m my dream. O lie looked so mild upon those
who stood round Him! and so lovingly on my son. who clung to
His feet! Tell me how did my Lucius obtain admittance into this
divine company? "
" "
Perhaps,' replied Athenagoras, that your son, during this
campaign, has made himself bring together
acquainted with Christianity, and
has united himself with confidence to its Founder by which he
the best of human proofs, and then venture upon
them as on a raft through the tide of life, but still he thinks one
can sail more securely, and with less danger in a stronger ship-on
a Divine Word' \ This divine word, Christ has spoken, and this
firm ship is the Church."
" You must pardon me, Athenagoras, if just like an ignorant
child, I ask you many things about your system. What did you
mean when you spoke of a bad principle and of a Tantalus, torment
prepared for the wicked?"
"As the good," answered he, "will be one with God, the
source of good, for all eternity, so must the wicked be with the
father of wickedness, for all eternity, and for ever separated
from God. As the reward of the good will be without end, so
will punishment of the wicked be everlasting; and this is one of
the most important dogmas of Christianity."
"In this respect," replied Metella, "Christ and Plato quite
agree; both teach, that the good will be happy, and the wicked
unhappy. Plato says :
'
Those who have led a pure and wellordered
life, receive the gods as friends and guides, and dwell
with them-, while those, who on account of their greatness of
crimes remain impenitent, sink their fate in the well merited
Tartarus, whence they never more return.' But Plato mentions
another place, Acheron, whither all the imperfect were sent.
' Those who are there' said he, '
will do penance for their faults,
and when they are purified will be liberated' If then there
are those different places, do you not believe that according to
mv dream, my son will one day be counted among the blessed?
for you know I saw him near your God."
" No doubt," replied
" "
Athenagoras. And I," said Metella, if I attend to the advice
of Plato where he wills that no one shall change the religion of
his ancestors, and remain a heathen, do you believe that I shall
one day be received iulo tliu Kingdom ot Ligiil where my sou feels
himself so happy?"
" When you have once learned what Christianity is, and by
the means of grace have acknowledged it as the one truth, then
Metella, the Divinity and your own understanding will require
from you to proclaim this truth openly, and not till this happens
can you hope to attain this heavenly enjoyment; but if
after this, you persevere in error through a vain fear of man,
you will never be one of that company, in which your
you beheld
son."
"What, Athenagoras, do you think it possible, that a son
could feel himself happy, if he thought that his mother were in
eternal misery? Oh what a sorrowful happiness would that
be for my Lucius, to know that his mother was in a place of
torment! "
"As the rain falling into the ocean, partakes of the quality of
* Apocalypse, c. K- 28,2.
t Tantalus tormented with a pnrching thirst bends to the wave which each
time recedes from his lipe
5SS.
and returns as he removes his head. Odyssey, XI,
J Semmias to Socrates in Plato's Phsedon.
5 All these three states are taken out or Plato's Pheedon.