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Δε των εν όλη τη κτίσει πολλω βελτιον και υπεροχον εστιν εν τω Σωτηρι ημων, τω λεγοντι, “ Ο Πατηρ εν εμοι.” Και εν εκαστω δε των κατα δυναμιν

εκείνον και εν τουτω μιμησαμε.

νων εστιν αγαλμα το κατ'

εικόνα του κτισαντος, οπερ κατασκευάζουσι τω ενοραν Θεω καθαρα καρδια, μιμηται γενομενοι του Θεού, και απαξ απλως παντες Χριστιανοι οποιους ειπομεν βωμους, και οποια παρεστη σαμεν αγαλματα, πειρώνται ιδρυσθαι, ουκ αψυχα και αναισθητα, ουδε δαιμονων λιχνων εφεδρευόντων τοις αψύχοις δεκτικα, αλλα πνευματος Θεου τοις ειρημένοις αγαλμασι της αρετης, και τω κατ' εικόνα του κτίσαντος, ως οικείοις επιδημουντος· Ουτω δε και το πνευ μα του Χριστου τοις (ιν' ουτως ονομασω) συμμορφοις εφιζάνει.

Συνεξετάζετω γουν ο βουλομενος βωμους, ους διηγησαμεν, βωμοις οις ο Κελσος λεγει, και αγαλματα εν τη των ευσε βούντων εις Τον των ολων Θεον ψυχῃ, αγαλμασι Φειδιου και Πολυκλείτου και των παραπλησιων. Και σαφως εισεται εκείνα μεν και αψυχα ειναι και χρόνω φθειρομενα, ταυτα δε εν

But in the whole creation this was much the best and the most pre-eminent in our Saviour, who said “The Father is in me: there is also an image after the likeness of the Creator in each of those who imitate him as far as they can in these things, which they furnish by be holding God with a pure heart, being heart, being imitators of God. In fine, let all Christians endeavour to set up altars such as we describe, and images such as we have represented, not lifeless and insensible (images), nor the receptacles of greedy demons whoreside in lifeless (images), but (the receptacles*) of the Spirit of God who sojourns in the aforesaid images of virtue, and in that which is after the likeness of the Creator, as if they were his own: and thus also the Spirit of Christ rests upon those, who are, so to speak, fashioned like him.

Let him, therefore, who desires altars, examine together these which we have set forth with the altars which Celsus speaks of, and the images in the souls of those who reverence the universal God, with the images of Phidias and Polyclitus and such like (artists): and he

* Δεκτικα seems to be here understood.

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At the second Nicene Council a pious fraud supported the use and veneration of images by the authority of Athanasius, but Dupin shews that the writing was falsely attributed to Athanasius,

Nouvelle Bibliothéque des auteurs Ecclesiastiques, par M. L. E. Dupin. Tom. vi. p. 140. (Utrecht. 1731.)

On apporte ensuite une piéce supposée et faussement attribuée a St. Athanase, qui contient que les Juifs de Beryte ayant fait a un image de Jesus Christ tout ce qui est dit dans l'évangile que leurs Péres firent à Jesus Christ même, qu'ayant enfin percè son coté d'une lance il en sortit du sang et de l'eau, et qu'il s'y fit tant de miracles, qu'une infinité de Juifs en etant convaincus se convertirent et se firent baptiser. (II. Concile de Nice.)

Many quotations from other Fathers were cited at the same Council, of which very few were to the purpose, and among the rest two were made from Chrysostom, on which Dupin makes the following comments.

Ibidem.

Ils citente ensuite un passage de S. Chrysostom, tiré du panegyrique du S. Melece, qui prouve seulement que les fidéles, affectionés a ce Saint, ne se contentoient pas de repeter souvent son nom; mais qu'ils representoient aussi son

portrait sur des anneaux, sur des tasses, sur des phioles, sur les rideaux de leur lit, et en plusieurs autres endroits; mais il ne parle nullement du culte publie des images de Melece.

L'autre passage qu'ils alleguent sous le nom de S. Chrysostome, est tirè de l'homelie pour montrer qu'il n'y a qu'un seul legislateur dans l'ancien et dans le nouveau testament, qui n'est point de ce Saint, comme nous avons fait voir dans la critique de ses œuvres. (II. Concile de Nice.)

POPE GREGORY THE GREAT.

Convocandi enim sunt dispersi ecclesiæ filii, eisque Scripturæ sacræ est testimoniis ostendendum, quia omne manufactum adorari non licet; quoniam scriptum est, Dominum Deum tuum adorabis, et illi soli servies. Ac deinde subjungendum quia picturas imaginum, quæ ad ædificationem imperiti populi fuerint factæ, ut nescientes litteras ipsam historiam intendentes, quid actum sit discerent, quia transisse in adorationem videras, idcircò commotus es, ut eas imagines frangi præciperes. Atque eis dicendum, si ad hanc instructionem, ad quam imagines antiquitùs factæ sunt, habere vultis in ecclesiâ, eas modis omnibus et fieri et haberi permitto. Atque indica quod non tibi ipsa visio historiæ, quæ pictura teste pendebatur, displicuerit, sed illa adoratio quæ picturis fuerat incompetenter exhibita. Atque in his verbis eorum mentes demulcens, eos ad concordiam tuam revoca. Et si quis imagines facere voluerit, minimé prohibe; adorari verò imagines, omnibus modis veta.

Registri Epist. lib. ii. indict. iv. Epist. 13. ad Serenum Massiliensem Episcopum. (Benedict. edit. Parisiis, 1705.)

Concilium Eliberitanum XIX. Episcoporum. Æra 362.

Capitula xxxvi.

Placuit picturas in ecclesiâ esse non debere; ne quod colitur et adoratur in parietibus depingatur.

Sacros. Concil. studio P. Labbæi et G. Cossartii, Soc. Jes. Presb. Tom. i. p. 974. (Lutetiæ Paris. 1671.)

Among other evidences to favour image worship, Romanists translate the passage in Genesis "Jacob worshipped the top of his staff;" and they imply that he had an image on the top of his staff. But Chrysostom gives the right translation::

Tom.

Δια τουτο, φησι και προσεκύνησεν επι το ακρον του ραβδου αυτου. - (Chrys. in Epist. ad Heb. c. xi. Hom. xxvi. xii. Bened. edit. Paris.)

INVOCATION, VENERATION, AND WORSHIP OF SAINTS AND ANGELS.

ATHANASIUS flourished about An. Chr. 335 or 340.

ΤΟ

Πετρος μεν ουν ο Αποστολος προσκυνησαι θελοντα τον Κορνελιον, κωλεύει, λεγων, οτι καγω ανθρωπος ειμι. Αγγελος δε Θελοντα προσκυνησαι τον Ιωαννην εν τη Αποκαλυψει, κωλευει, λεγων. Ορα μη, συνδουλος σου ειμι και των αδελφων σου των προφητων και των τηρουντων τους λογους του βιβλιου τούτου, τω Θεω προσκυνησον. Ούκουν Θεου εστι μόνον προσκυνείσθαι, και τουτο ισασι αυτοί οι αγγελοι, οτι καν αλληλοις δόξαν υπερέχωσιν, αλλα κτίσματα παντα εισι. Και ουκ εισι των προσκυνουμενων, αλλα των προσκυνούντων την δεσπότην. Τον γουν πατέρα του Σαμψών τον Μάνος θελοντα Ουσιαν προσενεγκείν τω γελω, εκώλυσεν ο αγγελος, λεγων, Μη εμοι, αλλα τω Θεω (Oratio iii. προσενεγκον. Parisiis. 1627.)

και

αγ

Peter the Apostle prevented Cornelius, who desired to worship him, saying, “I also am a man. The angel in the Apocalypse admonished John, who desired to worship him, saying, "See thou do it not; I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the words of this book : worship God.” Therefore it appertains to God only to be worshipped, and the angels themselves are aware of this; for although they surpass others in glory, they are all creatures, and are not worshipped, but are worshippers of the Lord. The angel, therefore, admonished Manoah, the father of Samson, who wished to sacrifice to him, saying, “ offer not to me, but to God."

ORIGEN.

τω

Μονω γαρ προσευκτέον επι πασι Θεω, και προσευκτέον πρωτοτοκω γε μονογενει και πασης κτίσεως λογω Θεου, και αξιωτεον αυτόν ως αρχιερέα την επι αυτον φθασασαν ημων ευχην αναφερειν επι τον Θεον αυτου και Θεον ημων, και πατέρα αυτ

We must pray to Him only who is God over all, and we must pray to the only begotten Word of God, the firstborn of every creature; and we must entreat him, as our High-priest, to present our prayers, when they come

του, και πατερα των βιοντων κατα τον λογον του Θεου.— (Origen. cont. Cels. lib. viii.)

to Him, to his God and our God, and to his Father, and the Father of them who live according to the word of God.

THEODORET, bishop of Cyrus in Syria, An. Dom. 451. Επειδη* γαρ εκείνοι τους αγγελους σεβειν εκελευον, αυτος το εναντιον παρεγγυα, ώστε και τους λογους και τα εργα κοσμησαι τη μνήμη του δεσποτου Χριστου. Και τω Θεω δε και Πατρι την ευχαριστίαν δι' αυτου, φησιν, αναπέμπετε, μη δια των αγγέλων. Τουτω επομενη τω νόμω και εν Δαοδικεια συνοδος, και το παλαιον εκείνο παθος θεραπευσαι βουλομενη, ενομοθέτησε μη ευχεσθαι αγγελοις, μηδε καταλιμπάνειν τον κύριον ημων Ιησουν Χριστον.-(Theod. in Coloss. iii. citante Usher, verified in Latin edit Parisiis. 1608.)

Εμεινε δε τουτο το παθος εν τη Φρυγία και Πισιδια μεχρι πολλου. Ου δη χαριν και η συνελθουσα συνοδος εν Λαοδικεια της Φρυγίας νομω κεκωλυκε το τοις αγγελοις προσευχεσθαι. (Ibidem.)

This disposition continued in Phrygia and Pisidia for a long time; for which cause the Council assembled at Laodicea in Phrygia, forbade them by a law to pray to angels.

The conciliar decree to which Theodoret refers is the following :

Concilium Laodicenum, An. Chr. 320, alii sub Liberio circ. ann. 364.

Κανωνες των εν Λαοδικεια της Φρυγίας συνελθόντων αγιων και μακαρίων πατέρων.

Can. 35.—Οτι ου δει Χριστιανους εγκαταλείπειν την εκ λησιαν του Θεου και απιεναι, και αγγελοις ονομάζειν, κα. συνάξεις ποιειν ; απερ απηγορεύται. Ει τις ουν ευρηθη ταυτη τη κεκρυμμενη ειδωλολα

The Council of Laodicea.

The canons of the holy and blessed Fathers who assembled at Laodicea in Phrygia.

That it does not become Christians to leave the Church of God and to depart, and to call part, and to call upon angels, and to make meetings, which are forbidden. If any one shall be found attending

* « For since they enjoined the worship of angels, he exhorts the contrary, so that they should adorn their words and works by the remembrance of the Lord Jesus, and send up, he says, thanksgiving to God and the Father, through Him and not through angels. And the Council at Laodicea, following this rule, and wishing to obey that ancient feeling, ordained that (men) should not pray to angels, nor desert our Lord Jesus Christ.” VOL. II.

M

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