OF THE DEDICATION OF A CHURCH Rise of the Dedication of Churches--By whom Performed--Particulars of Consecration--The Twelve Crosses--Banners--Dedication--Re-consecration Considered--Reconciliation--In what Cases--Of Scandals --Reconciliation of Cemeteries. 1. Twice in the former part of this treatise we have described the material church and the altar; it followeth that we must add something about their dedication: stating, I. Whence the consecration of churches hath its origin. II. At whose hands a church is consecrated. III. For what reason. IV. In what form; and what is signified, as well by the dedication itself, as by each of the ceremonies observed therein. Of the offices for the festival of the dedication of a church we shall speak in the seventh book. [Footnote 374] [Footnote 374: Appendix H.] 2. We have first to state whence the dedication of churches hath had its rise. Upon which, note that under the teaching of the Lord, Moses made the tabernacle, and consecrated it together with its table of show-bread, and altar, and brazen vessels, and utensils for performing the divine worship. {89} And these he not only consecrated with prayers to God, but also anointed, at the command of the Lord, with sacred oil. For [Footnote 375] we read that the Lord taught Moses to prepare a chrism, with which to anoint the tabernacle and the ark of the testimony at the time of their dedication. Solomon also the son of David, at the command of the Lord, completed the temple and its altar, and consecrated what was still necessary for the performance of the divine worship; as it is written in the third book of Kings. [Footnote 376] Nebuchadnezzar the king also summoned all his satraps, chief men, and governors to the dedication of the golden image which he had made. [Footnote 377] The Jews therefore, as we read in Burchardus, [Footnote 378] used to have the places in which they sacrificed to the Lord consecrated by divine petitions, nor used they to offer gifts to God in any places but such as were dedicated unto Him. If then they who were in bondage to the shadow of the Law used to do this, how much the more ought we, to whom the truth hath been made manifest--'grace and truth came by Jesus Christ' [Footnote 379]--to build temples to the Lord, and adorn them as best we may, and devoutly and solemnly consecrate (according to the institution of Pope Felix III) [Footnote 380] by divine prayers and holy unctions both them and their altars and vessels, and vestments also, and other utensils for fulfilling the divine service? [Footnote 375: Exodus xxx, 23-34.] [Footnote 376: I Kings iii, 6.] [Footnote 377: Daniel iii, 2.] [Footnote 378: Book iii, ch. I. ] [Footnote 379: S. John i, 17.]