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symbolism, 2colesiastical THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
halves of a coin or other like object which any two contracting parties broke between them; hence the derived sense of a token or ticket, and
r. Defini- consequently a distinctive mark or tion. formula, in which sense the creeds of religious bodies are known as symbols (see SnmBomcs). Symbolism is, within obvious limits, the science of the relations which unite God and his creation, the natural and the supernatural worlds; the science of the harmonies which exist be tween the different parts of the universe, consti tuting a marvelous whole, each part of which presupposes the other and throws light on the other. The belief of Plato that this world was nothing but the image of a divine exemplar recalls the words of Ecclesiasticus: " Look upon all the works of the most High; and there are two and two, one against another " (xxxiii. 15), or again, " All things are double, one against another; and he hath made nothing imperfect " (xlii. 24). In the words of Hugo of St. Victor (q.v.), one of the greatest of medieval symbolists, " a symbol is the comparison of the visible forms for the showing forth of the in visible " (In hierarchiam calestem, II., i. 941).The history of symbolism in a broad sense is coextensive with that of humanity; the creation of man in God's image and likeness out of the clay of the earth, and of woman from a rib of man, are given their symbolic meaning. Cain's
z. Sym- sacrifice of animal life by the side of bolism Abel's offering of the fruits of the earth
Rooted in contained a symbolic reference to their Human respective callings. The worship of
Nature. all races, as well as the idols of many pagan religions, remained 204 ~ Elisha's command .to Joash to smite upon the ~ ground with the arrows (II Kings xiii. 18); Jere miah breaking the earthen bottle in the presence of the elders of Israel (Jer. xix. 1-11); and Ezekiel removing his household goods as a type of the cap tivity of Zedekiah (Ezek. xii. 3-16). There is, how ever, a great difference between such things as the two fundamental symbols, the Sabbath (q.v.) and the rite of Circumcision (q.v.), both representing the covenant of God with his people, and the ex tremely minute and fanciful interpretations put by the later students of the Law upon every detail of the temple worship-interpretations not sur passed in elaborate ingenuity by the most imagina tive of medieval symbolists. Thus the Temple was interpreted as symbolic of human nature, and the two cherubim, the only images in it, of the con centration of all natural life; although Philo, at tributing a cosmic meaning to the entire edifice, takes them as denoting the two hemispheres. The table with the ahowbread set forth the dependence of the people upon God for their sustenance The seven-branched candlestick meant in Philo's scheme the seven planets, for later interpreters the congre gation of the people of God. According to Josephus (Ant., III., vii. 7), every detail of the high priest's official vestments had its own special meaning. Thus the coat symbolized the earth and the upper garment heaven; the bells and pomegranates, thunder and lightning; the ephod, the four ele ments; and the interwoven gold, the glory of God. The breastplate in the center of the ephod set forth the relation of the earth to the universe;' the girdle was the ocean, the stones on his shoulders the sun symbolic and moon, and the twelve jewels in the breastplate until the grossest materialism prevailed; and in the signs of the zodiac, while the miter once more the family and social life of primitive peoples there represented heaven. was scarcely any important act but had its tinge It is impossible within the limits of this article to of symbolism. " The truth is," says W. R. Inge give any extended account of the world-wide prac (Christian Mysticism, p. 259, London, 1899), "that tise of attaching an inner meaning to the simplest the need of symbols to express or represent our religious acts, as it is likewise to de aighest emotions is inwoven with human nature, 4. Compre- scribe in detail the far-reaching nature and indifference to them is not, as many have sup- hensiveness symbolism of the Middle Ages, which posed, a sign of enlightenment or of spirituality. of Symbol- provided an emblematic meaning for It is, in fact, an unhealthy symptom. We do not ism. everything in the visible world, re credit a man with a warm heart who does not care garding it as " full of sacred crypto to show his love in word or act; nor should we grams." A salient instance of this kind of labored commend the common sense of a soldier who saw in search for analogical reference is the Physiologus or his regimental colors only a rag at the end of a pole." Bestiary (probably a product of the allegorizing The most richly developed symbolism of ancient school of Alexandria, but popular and influential times, especially important by reason of its abun- down to late medieval times), in which various ani dant influence on that of the Christian Church, was male are supposed to typify moral or spiritual qual found in the Mosaic system, in which, ities. A complete survey of this kind of analogical 3. In the consonantly with the whole character teaching would lead far afield, out of the domain of Old Tests- of the old covenant, scarcely any re- theological learning into that of poetry-at least went. ligious action took place without at such poetry as Wordsworth's, who reproaches his least the accompaniment of a symbolic Peter Bell for blindness to it: meaning. To many of the prescribed rites and the A primrose by the rivers brim objects to be used in them the signification was ex- A yellow primrose was to him pressly attached at the time of their institution by And it was nothing more; divine command; but throughout the Old-Tests- who also says of himself, on the other hand, went history there are numerous examples of action To me the meanest flower that blows can bring instinctively symbolic, after the manner of eastern Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears. peoples. Typical examples are the rending of Jero- If this is true, in a greater or less degree, of boam's garment by the prophet Ahijah, to signify all poets, it is not surprising to find it pointed the separation of Israel and Judah (I Kings xi. 29); out as a special method of the greatest of the medi-
