The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-23
ECCLESIASTICAL SYMBOLISM.


symbols having subtle illusions and references
known clearly to the initiated: and what
seems to us only fitting ornament or sense
less pageantry, according as our proclivities
are towards the pomp of ritualism or the sim
plicity of nonconformity to those who have
the key is sacred secret full of grave inten-
ton, as setting forth precious truth, or sym
bolizing divine attribute. 1t will not do us
any harm to remember this when criticsing
things eccesiastical for though we may not
90 with the symboizers, and though we may
hold that the time for all this has passed, yet
it will keep US from an ignorant contempt, of
all states of mind the most dangerous and the
most inimical to true progress.
To begin with what is generally the begin
ming of all things human-dress the gar
ments of the priest q am speaking now of the
Catholic prests), have each a certain meaning
besides that original one ofclothing the human
body decently; as the alb of the acolyte that
long white linen robe girded round the waist
and falling nearly to the feet, with which we
are familiar in the younger Romanist priests,
and which we in our church have discarded
for the surplice. That alb, the first garment
of initiation, is meant to symbolic and remind
the wearer of the modesty and purity which
ought to be the first essentials of the priestly
old Adam, and the initial investiture of the
holy life. Again, the chasuble, that short
embroidered cape which officiating Catholic
priests wear, was once long flowing garment
made like ponchO, with hole in
the middle. and falling quite to the
ground, but lifted up by attendant
priests to prevent the wearer's feet from be-
coming entangled, which is the reason, and
not to show off the embl oidery, as one might
imagine swhy the attendant priests still hold
it out at the edges though the length has been
curtailed to the dimensions of lady's tippet.
Well, the chasula, or casula, this "lttle
house, " was originally meant to indicate the
vide extent of charity by its extreme breadth,
for charity, like the casula, should be as a
house or cover, and protect all human naked
ness and shame. The chasube is white at
Easter time, because the angels appeared in
white and red at Pentecost because Of the
tongues, which were of red fire, sitting on
each mans head. But the main idea is done
away with now in the curtailment of the
garment, and the chasuble is only a
mutilated symbol doing duty for an ornament.
Poor Pugin, himself such an earnest and
thorough-going symbolist, was much tor
mented by the unftness of things in modern
ecclesasticism, both in his own church and in
ours and lamented the impossibility of bring
ing over Catholics to the perfectness Of medi-
sbVdl LlIl6S. - DuL, dlLer all, WlldJ Cne use
of decent vestments with such priests as we
have got?' he says in pet, GA lot of blessed
fellows Why, sir, when they wear my
Chasubles they don't look like priests, and
what's worse, the chasubles don't look like
Chasubles." .
Then what is the dalmatic-the deacons
robe of white with purple stripes, with the
right sleeve plum and very full, but the left
fringed or tasselled: the robe still worn by our
,,,,, hos
its name from Dalmata-but the image of
bountifulness towards the poor? 1t is the
robe given to deacons and sub. deacons,
because they were chosen by the Apostles to
serve the tables; and deacon should have
dalmatic with broader sleeves than a sub
deacon, because he should have larger
generosity; while bishop should have one
with sleeves much broader and wider than
the deacOn's because of the same reason in an
ascending ratio. A dalmatic signifies an inn
maculate life as well as hospitality, and it
has two stripes before and behind to show
that bishop should exercise his charity to
all, both in prosperity and adversely. The
transverse line, which forms cross behind,
is of course in allusion to the cross which
the Great Bishop Of our souls bore when on
his way to Calvary The gloves worn by a
bishop mean that his hands should be clean
and free from all suspicion of impurity and
the episcopal ring is the wedding ring which
marries him to the church, emblematic of
the sacrament of faith by which Christ
pledges himself to his bride 1t is of gold
and round, to signify perfection, and itS
jewels show forths the splendor of the spiri-
tual gifts, which It is to be supposed wer,
received at the episcopal conservation. Al
this is catholic, not protestant.
The Pope's tiara with its three crowns is
composite emblem meaning, as the ground
work, the original mitre of linen, which, i
its turn, signifies purity and chastity, Will
, the first band of gold denotes the supremac
of the Pope over all other mitred Bishops til
second, added by Boniface VIII, means til
prerogative of the spiritual and temporal pow,
combined in the Papacy; and the third, adde
by Urban V, has reference to the sacrt
Trinity, to which so much in the Church Ii
reference. :
The amice is a white linen cloth worn on Il
head, with an apparel or movable strip
embroidery round the brow, like philacter
of which no trace remains in our own vest
(amicia was a cap made of goats or lamt
skim the chrisome is the linen cloth flung ov
the newly baptized, and signifying innocence
in old-time witchcrafts one of the most il
portant articles in the witches reectory;
stole is the colored silk scarf worn round t
neck, denoting the yoke of Christ, and t
cord that bound him and the cape is, or W
originally, cloak with hood or cappa, ma
to protect the wearer against wind and raj
and sometimes called pluviale. Thus it W
be seen that in all the garments, which SEE
TO us Just so much senseless ecclesiast
millinery, is a rational meaning and intenti
useful in its day and that when we thi
ourselves wise in scofing, we only sh
ourselves unlearned and without und