he hath killed casteth into hell," but "hath power to cast into hell. For the sinners which die," saith he," are not always cast into hell: but it remaineth in the power of God to pardon them also. And this I say for the oblations and doles which are made for the dead, which do not a little avail even them that die in grievous sins. He doth not therefore generally, after he hath killed, cast into hell, but hath power to cast. Wherefore let us not cease by alms and intercession to appease him who hath power to cast, but doth not always use this power, but is able to pardon also." Thus far Theophylact: whom our adversaries do blindly bring in for the countenancing of their use of praying and offering for the dead; not considering that the prayers and oblations, which he would uphold, do reach even unto such as die in grievous sins, which the Romanists acknowledge to receive no relief at all by any thing that they can do; and are intended for the keeping of souls from being cast into hell, and not for fetching them out when they have been cast into purgatory: a place that never came within the compass of Theophylact's belief. His testimony will fit a great deal better the prayer of St. Dunstan; who", as the tale goeth, having understood that the soul of king Edwin was to be carried into hell, never gave over praying until he had gotten him rid of that danger, and transferred unto the coast of penitent souls; where he well deserved, doubtless, to undergo that penance which Hugh' bishop of Coventry and Chester on his death-bed imposed upon him κεκοιμημένοις γενομένας προσφορὰς καὶ τὰς διαδόσεις, αἱ οὐ μικρὰ συντε λοῦσι τοῖς καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις βαρείαις ἀποθανοῦσιν. οὐ πάντως οὖν μετὰ τὸ ἀποκτεῖναι βάλλει εἰς τὴν γέενναν, ἀλλ ̓ ἐξουσίαν ἔχει βαλεῖν. Μή τοίνυν ἐλλείψωμεν ἡμεῖς σπουδάζοντες δι' ἐλεημοσυνῶν καὶ πρεσβειῶν ἐξιλεοῦσθαι τὸν ἐξουσίαν μὲν ἔχοντα βαλεῖν, οὐ πάντως δὲ τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ταύτῃ χρώμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγχωρεῖν δυνάμενον. Theoph. in Luc. cap. 12. ■ Osbern, et Eadmer. (et ex eis, Capgrav. et Surius) in vita Dunstani. Vid. Guilielm. Malmesburiens. de gestis regum Anglor. lib. 2. fol. 30. b. et lib. 1. de gestis pontific. Anglor. fol. 115. b. edit. Londin. • Injungatis mihi, ut secundum voluntatem Dei sim in pœnis purgatorii usque in diem judicii. Roger. Wendover. et Matt. Paris. hist. Angl. ann. self; even to lie in the dungeon of purgatory, without bail or mainprise, until the general jail delivery of the last day. Another private conceit, entertained by divers, as well of the elder as of middle times, in their devotions for the dead, was, that an augmentation of glory might thereby be procured for the saints; and either a total deliverance, or a diminution of torment at least-wise, obtained for the wicked." If the barbarians," saith St. Chrysostom, "do bury with their dead the things that belong unto them: it is much more reason that thou shouldest send with the deceased the things that are his; not that they may be made ashes, as they were, but that they may add greater glory unto him: and, if he be departed hence a sinner, that they may loose his sins; but if righteous, that an addition may be made to his reward and retribution." Yea, in the very latter days, Ivo Carnotensis, writing unto Maud queen of England, concerning the prayers that were to be made for the king her brother his soul, saith, that "it doth not seem idle if we make intercessions for those who already enjoy rest, that their rest may be encreased." Whereupon pope Innocent the third doth bring this for one of the answers, wherewith he laboureth to salve the prayers which were used in the Church of Rome, "that such or such an oblation might profit such or such a saint unto glory: that many repute it no indignity, that the glory of the saints should be augmented until the day of judgment; and therefore that in the mean time the Church may wish the increase of their • Εἰ γὰρ βάρβαροι συγκατακαίουσι τοῖς ἀπελθοῦσι τὰ ὄντα, πολλῷ μαλλόν σε συναποστεῖλαι τῷ τελευτηκότι δίκαιον τὰ αὐτοῦ. οὐχ ̓ ἵνα τέφρα γένηται, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνα, ἀλλ ̓ ἵνα πλείονα τούτω περιβάλη δόξα αν· καὶ εἰ μὲν ἁμαρτωλὸς ἀπῆλθεν ἵνα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα λύσῃ· εἰ δὲ δίκαιος, ἵνα προσθήκη γένηται μισθοῦ καὶ ἀντιδόσεως. Chrysost. in Matt. homil. 31. Op. tom. 7. pag. 362. ¶ Non videtur otiosum, si pro his intercedimus, qui jam requie perfruuntur, ut eorum requies augeatur. Ivo. epist. 174. Licet plerique reputent non indignum, sanctorum gloriam usque ad judicium augmentari: et ideo Ecclesiam interim sane posse augmentum glorificationis eorum optare. Innoc. III. epist. ad archiep. Lugdun. cap. Cum Marthæ. Extra. de celebr. missar. glorification." So likewise for the mitigation of the pains of them, whose souls were doubted to be in torment, this form of prayer was of old used in the same Church, as in Grimoldus his sacramentary may be seen; and retained in the Roman missal itself, until in the late reformation thereof it was removed. "O Almighty and merciful God, incline, we beseech thee, thy holy ears unto our poor prayers, which we do humbly pour forth before the sight of thy Majesty, for the soul of thy servant N. that, forasmuch as we are distrustful of the quality of his life, by the abundance of thy pity we may be comforted; and if his soul cannot obtain full pardon, yet at least in the midst of the torments themselves, which peradventure it suffereth, out of the abundance of thy compassion it may feel refreshment;" which prayer whither it tended, may appear partly by that which Prudentius writeth of the playdays, which he supposeth the souls in hell sometimes do obtain: Sunt et spiritibus sæpe nocentibus Umbrarum populus, liber ab ignibus; Nec fervent solito flumina sulphure: partly by the doubtful conceits of God's merciful dealing with the wicked in the world to come, which are found in others", but especially by these passages that we meet withal in the sermons of St. Chrysostom. • Omnipotens et misericors Deus, inclina, quæsumus, venerabiles aures tuas ad exiguas preces nostras, quas ante conspectum majestatis tuæ pro anima famuli tui N. humiliter fundimus: ut, quia de qualitate vitæ ejus diffidimus, de abundantia pietatis tuæ consolemur; et si plenam veniam anima ipsius obtinere non potest, saltem vel inter ipsa tormenta, quæ forsitan patitur, refrigerium de abundantia miserationum tuarum sentiat. Orat. pro defunct. in missali Romano, edit. Paris. ann. 1529. Grimold. sacramentar. tom. 2. liturgic. Pamelii, pag. 457. 'Prudent. lib. cathemerinon, hymn. 5. " Augustin. enchirid. ad Laurent. cap. 110, 112, 113. Hieronym. lib. 1. contra Pelag. et in fine commentarior. in Esai. Gregor. Nazianz. orat. 40. de baptismo. εἰ μὴ τῷ φίλον κἀνταῦθα νοεῖν τοῦτο φιλανθρωπότερον, καὶ τοῦ “ This" man hath spent his whole life in vain, neither hath lived one day to himself, but to voluptuousness, to luxury, to covetousness, to sin, to the devil. Tell me therefore, shall we not mourn for him ? shall we not endeavour to pull him out of these dangers? For there be means, if we will, whereby his punishment may be made light unto him. If then we do make continual prayers for him, if we bestow alms; although he be unworthy, God will respect us." For "many have received benefit by the alms that have been given by others for them; and found thereby, although not a perfect, yet some consolation.” "This therefore is done, that, although we ourselves be not virtuous, we may be careful to get virtuous companions and friends, and wife and son; as looking to reap some fruit even by them also: reaping indeed but little, yet reaping some fruit notwithstanding." "Let us not therefore simply weep for the dead, but for such as are dead in their sins: these be worthy of lamentations and κολάζοντος ἐπαξίως. Vide etiam Johannis Metropolitani vota ad Christum, pro salute Platonis et Plutarchi: pag. 32. edit. Anglican. * Καὶ οὗτος πᾶσαν τὴν ζωὴν εἰκῆ κατεκόπη, οὐδὲ μίαν ἡμέραν ἔζησεν ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλὰ τῷ τρυφῷ, τῷ ἀσελγείᾳ, τῷ πλεονεξίᾳ, τῇ ἁμαρτία, τῷ διαβόλῳ. Τοῦτον οὖν οὐ θρηνήσομεν, εἰπέ μοι; οὐ πειρασόμεθα τῶν κινδύνων ἐξαρπάσαι; (the Latin edition rendereth this, not very faithfully, Hoc igitur non plorabimus, dic, oro ? non tentabimus nos ab his periculis eripere ?) ἔστι γὰρ, ἔστιν, ἔαν θέλωμεν, κούφην αὐτῷ γενέσθαι τὴν κόλασιν, ἂν οὖν εὐχὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν συνεχεῖς, ἂν ἐλεημοσύνην διδῶμεν. κἂν ἐκεῖνος ἀνάξιος ψ,ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς δυσωπήσεται. Chrysost. in Act. hom. 21. tom. 9. pag. 174. * Πολλοὶ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὑφ ̓ ἀπώναντο. εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ Ibid. ἑτέρων δι' αὐτοὺς γεγενημένων ἐλεημοσυνῶν τελεὸν, ἀλλ ̓ ὅμως παραμυθίαν εὑρόν τινα. * Τοῦτο οὖν γίνεται, ἵνα κἂν αὐτοὶ μὴ ὦμεν ἐνάρετοι, σπουδάζωμεν ἑταίρους καὶ φίλους ἐναρέτους ἔχειν, καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ υἱὸν, ὡς καρπούμενοι τι καὶ δι' αὐτῶν. μικρὸν μὲν καρπούμενοι, καρπούμενοι δὲ ὅμως. Ibid. Μὴ τοίνυν ἁπλῶς κλαίωμεν τοὺς ἀποθανόντας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐν ἁμαρτ τίαις. οὗτοι θρηνῶν ἄξιοι, οὗτοι κοπετῶν καὶ δακρύων. ποία γὰρ ἐλπὶς, εἰπέ μοι, μετὰ ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπελθεῖν, ἔνθα οὐκ ἐστιν ἁμαρτήματα ἀποδύσασθαι· εὥς μὲν γὰρ ἦσαν ἐνταῦθα, ἴσως ἦν προσδοκία πολλὴ, ὅτι μεταβαλοῦνται, ὅτι βελτίους ἔσονται. ἂν δὲ ἀπέλθωσιν εἰς τὸν ᾄδην, ἔνθα οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπὸ μετανοίας κερδᾶναί τι (Εν γὰρ τῷ ᾅδῃ, φησὶ, τὶς ἐξομο λογήσεται σοι ;) πῶς οὐ θρήνων ἄξιοι; Id. in epist. ad Philipp. hom. 3. op. tom. 11. pag. 216. bewailings and tears. For what hope is there, tell me, for men to depart with their sins, where they cannot put off their sins? for as long as they were here, there was peradventure great expectation that they would be altered, that they would be bettered; but, "being gone unto hell, where there is no gaining of any thing by repentance, for in hell, saith he, who shall confess unto thee? how are they not worthy of lamentations?" Let us therefore weep for such, let us succour them to our power, let us find out some help for them, little indeed, but yet such as may relieve them. How and after what manner? both praying ourselves, and entreating others to make prayers for them, and giving continually unto the poor for them; for this thing bringeth some consolation." The like doctrine is delivered by Andrew, archbishop of Crete, in his sermon Of the life of man, and of the dead; and by John Damascene, or whosoever else was author of the book ascribed unto him, concerning them that are departed in the faith: where three notable tales are told, of the benefit that even infidels and idolaters themselves should receive by such prayers as these. One, touching the soul of the emperor Trajan, delivered from hell by the prayers of pope Gregory: of the truth whereof lest any man should make question, he affirmeth very roundly, that no less than "the whole east and west will witness that this is true and uncontrolable." And indeed in the east this fable seemeth first to have risen; where it obtained such credit, that the Grecians to this day do still use this form of prayer: "Asd thou didst loose Trajan from pun • Κλαίωμεν οὖν τούτους, βοηθῶμεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ δύναμιν, ἐπινοήσωμεν αὐτοῖς τινα βοήθειαν, μικρὰν μὲν, βοηθεῖν δὲ ὅμως δυναμένην. πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπω; αὐτοί τε εὐχόμενοι, καὶ ἑτέρους παρακαλοῦντες εὐχὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ποιεῖσθαι, πένησιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν διδόντες συνεχῶς· ἔχει τινὰ τὸ πραγμα παραμυθίαν. Ibid. b Andr. Hierosolymitan. εἰς τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον, καὶ εἰς κοιμηθέντας pag. 69, 70. edit. Meursii. • Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο γνήσιον πέλει καὶ ἀδιάβλητον, μάρτυς ἑῷα πᾶσα καὶ ionipios. Damascen. serm. de defunctis. 4 Ως ἔλυσας τῆς μάστιγος Τραιανὸν δι' ἐκτενοῦς ἐντεύξεως τοῦ δούλου σου Γρηγορίου τοῦ Διαλόγου, ἐπάκουσον καὶ ἡμῶν δεομένων σου. Eucholog. Græc. cap. 19. ut citat Meursius: vel 96. ut Baronius, ann. 604. sec. 44. |