CHAPTER XVII.
HAIL, GLADSOME LIGHT!
Before the day began to break, from various quarters came men and women, in twos and threes to the house of Flavia Domitilla.
The visitor to Rome may see the very spot where stood her house and garden. For this good woman converted the latter into a place of sepulture for the Christians, and the catacomb that bears her name is one of the most interesting of those about Rome. Not only so, but the ruins of her villa remain, on the farm of Tor Marancia, or the Ardeatine Way. Here lived the widow of the martyr Clemens, with her sister-in-law, Plautilla, and her niece, of the same name as herself, all three holy women, serving God and ministering to the necessities of the poor.
The Collect, or assembly of the Faithful, was to take place in the atrium or hall of the villa. Domitilla had only Christian slaves with her in her country residence, and could trust them.
In the large mansions of the Roman nobility there were grand reception halls, called basilicas, with rows of pillars down the sides dividing them into a nave and aisles, with an apse, or bema as it was termed, at the end, in which the master of the house sat to receive his visitors. Here he and his clients, his parasites and friends walked, talked, declaimed, listened to readings, when the weather was wet or cold. At a later period, when the nobility became Christian, many of them gave up their basilicas to be converted into churches, and such is the origin of several churches of Rome. They never were, as some have erroneously supposed, halls of justice – they were, as described, the halls attached to the great Roman palaces.
But at the time I am speaking of, no such surrenders had been made. The great families had not been converted, only here and there, at rare intervals, some of their members had embraced the Gospel. But smaller people had become Christian, and these did temporarily give up the more public portion of the house, the atrium and tablinum for Christian worship. It was dangerous to thus assemble, and it would have been infinitely more dangerous had the assemblies taken place always at the same house. Accordingly it was contrived to vary the place of meeting and to give secret notice to the faithful where the gathering would be on the ensuing Lord’s day.
The danger of these Collects was further reduced by their being held sometimes in the churches underground in the catacombs, or in the cellæ near the tombs; and these gatherings passed uncommented on, as it was customary for the pagans to meet for a solemn banquet in the decorated chambers attached to their places of interment on the anniversaries of the death of their friends.
The various guilds also had their meeting for the transaction of business, a sacred meal, and a sacrifice to the gods, and the early Christians were able so to copy the customs of the guilds or sodalities, as to carry on their worship undetected by the authorities, who supposed their assemblies were mere guild gatherings.
The hour was so early that lights were necessary, and lamps were suspended in the tablinum, which was raised a couple of steps above the floor of the hall.
Round the arc of the chamber, which was semi-circular, seats had been arranged, and in the centre against the wall one of more dignity than the rest, covered with white linen. In the midst of the tablinum at the top of the two steps was a table, and on one side a desk on legs.
Great care was taken at the door to admit none but such as could give the sign that they were Christians. The ostiarius or porter in the early Church held a very important office, on his discretion much of the safety of the Church depended. He had to use the utmost caution lest a spy should slip in.
The hall rapidly filled.
Before the steps into the apse lay Glyceria on a sort of bier, her hands folded, and her earnest eyes upraised! She had been gently, carefully conveyed thither, to be for the last time united in worship with the Church on earth, before she passed into the Church beyond.
On each side of the tablinum were curtains, that could be easily and rapidly drawn along a rod and so close the apse.
In the atrium itself there were few lights. They were not needed, day would soon break.
In the tablinum, against the wall, sat the presbyters with Clement, the bishop, in the centre. He was an old man, with a gentle face, full of love. He had been a freedman of the Flavians, and it was out of respect to them that he had taken the name of Clement, which was one of those in use in their family.
At his side, on the right hand, was one far more aged than he – one we have seen before, Luke the Physician and Evangelist.
Now one with a pair of clappers gave a signal and all rose who had been seated.
A deacon standing at the top of the step said: – “Let us pray for the Emperor.”
Whereupon all the congregation responded as with a single voice: “Lord, have mercy.”
Then Clement, the Bishop, prayed: – “We beseech Thee, O Father, to look down upon the Emperor and to strengthen him against his foes, and to illumine his mind that he may rule in Justice, and be Thou his defence and strong tower.”
Thereupon the deacon called again: – “Let us pray for the magistrates.” To which the people responded in the same manner, and the Bishop prayed in few terse words for the magistrates. In precisely similar manner was prayer made for the bishops and clergy, for all the faithful, for those in chains, working in mines, for the sick and the sorrowful, for the widows and orphans; it was as though a flood of all-embracing charity flowed forth.
Then the intercessions ended, Luke came to the desk, and a deacon brought the roll of the Law and unfolded it before him, and another held aloft a torch.
He read as follows: – “This commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee neither is it far off… But the word is very nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth, that thou mayest do it. See, I have set before thee life and good, and death and evil… I call heaven and earth to record this day that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life … that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him.”
Then the Evangelist closed the roll and returned it to the deacon, and he spake some words of exhortation thereon.
Next came another deacon and unfolded the roll of the Prophets; and Luke read: – “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn… To give to them that mourn beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called Trees of Righteousness, the Planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.”
Then again Luke spoke a few simple words and declared how that the prophecy of old was fulfilled in Christ who was the healer of all sick souls, and the strengthener of all who were feeble, the restorer of the halt, the comforter of all that mourn, and the planter in the field of the Church of such as would grow up plants of righteousness to bear their fruit in due season.
And when he ceased, the congregation sang a psalm: “Praise the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me praise His holy name.”
In the first age of the Church the liturgical service grew out of that of the synagogue. As in the latter there were the two lessons from Law and Prophet, so was there in the Church, but after the Psalm there were added to these, two more lessons, one from an Epistle by an Apostle and one from a Gospel.
At the time of our narrative the service was in process of formation and was not yet formed; and the sequence of Epistle and Gospel had not as yet been established. However, now Luke stood forward and said: —
“Beloved, we have a letter written by the Blessed John – the Disciple that Jesus loved, and therefrom I will read a few words.”
Then he unfolded a short roll and read as follows: —
“Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
He ceased, for a strange sound reached the ears of all – a sound that swelled and rose and then fell away and became all but inaudible.
Once again he began to read – and again this sound was heard.
“This is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”
Again he ceased, and looked round, and listened. For once more this strange wailing sound arose.
But as it declined, he resumed his reading.
“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.”
He was constrained to cease.
Then at a signal, two deacons went in the direction of the sound. And the whole congregation was hushed. But Glyceria, on her bed, lifted her hands and her eyes shone with expectation.
Presently the deacons returned: – “A woman – a weeping woman in a dark room.”
Then Luke descended from the bema, and attended by them went in the direction of the voice, and came, where crouching, concealed, Domitia lay on the ground, sobbing as if her heart would break – they could not stay her – they did not try – they waited.
And presently she raised her face, streaming with tears, and said – “The light! the glorious light!”
And the sun rose over the roof, and shone down into the atrium, on the face of Glyceria.
Then Flavia Domitilla stooped over her, laid her hand on her eyes and said: – “In the Joy of thy Lord, Face to Face!”