The seal of the Chapter of the Cathedral Church of St Patrick, Dublin proved an interesting hare to pursue on Google one day. There are copies of it on ancient gates at the Cathedral. They caught my eye on the way in for the service on St Patrick’s Day.
The first source, the Dublin Penny Journal of 1833, suggested that the tree “appears to be the barren fig tree”. That seemed unlikely, but perhaps it was a warning to all Churches that have ceased to bare good fruit? The scroll surrounding the head of the figure reads Noli Altum Sapere, “Be not high minded”, and was equally puzzling. Should we not have our minds on higher things as we go to worship?
Thankfully another site had more reliable information. The device is an olive tree and the seal dates from 1574 and also includes the badges of the House of Tudor – the rose and the portcullis, and the royal arms of both France and England on the quarters of the shield. Noli Altum Sapere is a quotation from St Paul and he is the figure unfurling the scroll. A modern translation of Romans 11:20 makes more sense to us today. Paul urges the Gentile Church in Rome “Do not be arrogant”. The particular context was a plea to Gentile Christians to cherish their brothers and sisters who came from a Jewish background and who still practiced their Judaism alongside their Christian faith.
A closer look at the seal shows branches that have been broken off. A larger excerpt expands Paul argument. “If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. Romans 11:17-20.
This is a warning not to take our connection to God through faith in Christ for granted. Gentiles are like a wild olive grafted into the ancient Jewish rootstock.
We are not alone in learning valuable lessons from trees. If we arrogantly mistreat nature, it will come back to bite us. “Be not high minded’ teaches us to be humble towards nature, towards each other, and before God.