39. The material temple also, which as Pope Gregory doth testify, is the church, is sometimes polluted, as we do read in Leviticus. [Footnote 406] Whence saith the Prophet, 'Thy holy temple have they defiled and made Jerusalem an heap of stones.' [Footnote 407] And the material temple is also washed with water in order to be reconciled. [Footnote 408] Reconciliation is also effected by the celebration of a Mass, and the aspersion of water duly consecrated with salt, wine, and ashes. For by the salt, is signified discretion; by the water, the people; by the wine, the Divinity; by the ashes, the remembrance of the Passion of Christ; by the wine mixed with water, the union of Godhead and Manhood. [Footnote 406: Levit. xv, 31.] [Footnote 407: Psalm lxxix (_Deus, venerunt_), I. ] [Footnote 408: Some of our readers may not know that reconciliation is the technical term for the restoring a desecrated church to a state fit for the performance of the divine offices.] {108} These things, therefore, be put together to denote that the people, being cleansed by a discerning remembrance of the Passion of Christ, are made one with Him. Also if the church hath once been consecrated, the reconciliation can be made by a bishop only. And albeit he might devolve upon a fellow-bishop the whole office, namely, both the blessing of the water and the reconciliation; or the benediction of the water only; or even the reconciliation alone with water blessed beforehand by himself; yet can neither be devolved upon a mere priest, unless perchance this be competent to him by a special privilege. But if the church hath not been consecrated, it ought, according to the Constitution of Gregory, to be washed forthwith with exorcised water: the which washing some do affirm may be done by a mere priest, though at the bidding of the bishop: since it hath to be done by exorcised water, which every priest may use. Yet some skilful men of the highest authority have written that it is safer for this also to be done by none but a bishop, and that this may not be devolved by him to a priest; for certain canons do call exorcised water that which is solemnly blessed with wine and ashes:--and this is true indeed in regard of a church which although not consecrated hath been dedicated unto God. For it is otherwise with a mere oratory, which is neither a holy nor a religious place, inasmuch as any man doth order it at his will--at least for prayers, albeit perchance not for celebration without the license of the diocesan--and at his will assigneth the same place to another use. 40. A church then is to be reconsecrated in the aforesaid case: and also if any uncleanness be committed therein, whether by clerk, layman, heretic, or paynim. But albeit some wise men have thought otherwise, we opine that the case is different in regard of unintentional pollution. [Footnote 409]