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| A Farther Notice of the Churches at Bethlehem.
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Chapter
XLIII.—A Farther Notice of the
Churches at Bethlehem.
For without delay she dedicated two churches to the God whom she
adored, one at the grotto which had been the scene of the
Saviour’s birth; the other on the mount of his ascension.
For he who
was “God with us” had submitted to be born even in a cave3276
| 3276 [Literally, beneath the earth. It seems to have been
characteristic of the age of Eusebius to invest the more prominent
circumstances connected with the Lord’s life on earth with a
degree of romance and mystery equally inconsistent with Scripture and
with probability. It is obvious that Scripture furnishes no authority
for the caves either of the nativity or ascension. See ch. 41,
supra.—Bag.] Compare discussion by Andrews, Cave
of the Nativity in his Life of our Lord (N.Y.),
77–83. | of the earth, and the place of his
nativity was called Bethlehem by the Hebrews. Accordingly the pious
empress honored with rare memorials the scene of her travail who bore
this heavenly child, and beautified the sacred cave with all possible
splendor. The emperor himself soon after testified his reverence for
the spot by princely offerings, and added to his mother’s
magnificence by costly presents of silver and gold, and embroidered
hangings. And farther, the mother of the emperor raised a stately
structure on the Mount of Olives also, in memory of his ascent to
heaven who is the Saviour of mankind, erecting a sacred church and
temple on the very summit of the mount. And indeed authentic history
informs us that in this very cave the Saviour imparted his secret
revelations to his disciples.3277
And here
also the emperor testified his reverence for the King of kings, by
diverse and costly offerings. Thus did Helena Augusta, the pious mother
of a pious emperor, erect over the two mystic caverns these two noble
and beautiful monuments of devotion, worthy of everlasting remembrance,
to the honor of God her Saviour, and as proofs of her holy zeal,
receiving from her son the aid of his imperial power. Nor was it long
ere this aged woman reaped the due reward of her labors. After passing
the whole period of her life, even to declining age, in the greatest
prosperity, and exhibiting both in word and deed abundant fruits of
obedience to the divine precepts, and having enjoyed in consequence an
easy and tranquil existence, with unimpaired powers of body and mind,
at length she obtained from God an end befitting her pious course, and
a recompense of her good deeds even in this present life.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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