The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 2 : § 2. 1

Chapter 2: The First Star or Splendour of the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

§ 2. That our Lord Jesus Christ is, by His eternal predestination, the First-born of every creature

 1   The Apostle Paul says this explicitly in the first chapter of his epistle to the Colossians.[1] Several Doctors understand by these words the Eternal Word as God. Our interpretation of them as applying to God made man by temporal generation is, however, supported by all the Fathers of the Holy Council of Serdica[2], by St Athanasius[3], St Anselm[4] and by the writer[5] who under the name of St Jerome made a commentary on this passage of St Paul. The Saviour applies this title of honour to Himself in chapter viii of the Proverbs where, according to the Septuagint, generally followed by all the ancient Fathers, He is called the Beginning of the ways of God.[6] Pope St Clement[7], St Gregory of Nazianzus[8], St Athanasius[9], St Basil[10], St Augustine[11], St Cyril[12], St Jerome[13] and many other of the most highly qualified of the Doctors all acknowledge that this title belongs to Wisdom Incarnate.

Not that I want to say He should be called the Firstborn of every creature or (what is equivalent) the Beginning of the ways of God, forasmuch as He was the first in God’s plan when He formed the resolution to create the world. I am already committed to showing, at the start of the next Treatise, that God did not think of Him until after foreseeing the general ruin of our race resulting from sin. Much less do I want to say that this title applies to Him through having been created the the first among men according to the order of time. All the ancient writings would contradict me for He was promised only in the middle of history, that is to say after several centuries had elapsed. This information would prove me to be in error.

 

Footnotes

[1] Coloss. i. 15.

[2] Epist. ad omnes fideles.

[3] Serm.3 contra Arianos.

[4] In hunc locum.

[5] In hunc locum.

[6] The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works. Prov. Viii. 22..

[7] Lib.V Const. Apost., c. 19.

[8] Orat.4 de Theologia.

[9] Serm.2, 3, 4 contra Arianos.

[10] Lib. IV contra Eunomium.

[11] Lib. I de Trinit., c. 12.

[12] Lib. V Thesauri, c. 4, 7 et 8.

[13] In c.4 Micheæ, lib. II.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024