GREGORY THE GREAT. Expos. 2. in Septem Psalm. pœnit. (Benedictine edit. Parisiis, 1705.) Tu qui solus parcis, qui solus peccata dimittis. Quis enim potest peccata dimittere, nisi solus Deus? OPTATUS. Lib. v. Est ergo in universis servientibus non dominium, sed ministerium. In the primitive Church notorious offenders only confessed and did penance. They first privately confessed to the bishop, and then made a public confession and did public penance, and were finally absolved by the ministers and lay members of the congregation. When morals became more lax, and offences multiplied, to avoid the scandal of public confessions, the offenders were advised to confess privately to a priest. This was a part of the discipline only of the Church. TERTULLIAN, speaking of the penitents, says, De Pœnitentiâ. (Parisiis, 1675.) Plerumque verò jejuniis preces alere, ingemiscere, lacrymari, mugire dies noctesque ad Dominum Deum suum, presbyteris advolvi, et caris Dei adgeniculari, omnibus fratribus legationes deprecationis suæ injungere. omnia exomologesis. Hæc Plerosque tamen hoc opus, ut publicationem sui, aut suffugere, aut de die in diem deferre præsumunt, pudoris magis memores quam salutis. Ecclesia verò Christus.* Ergo cùm te ad fratrum genua protendis, Christum contrectas, Christum exoras. Æquè illi cùm super te lacrymas agunt, Christus patitur, Christus patrem deprecatur. An melius est damnatum latere, quàm palam absolvi? Christ, who is the head, and true believers, who are the body, form one mystical Christ, i. e. one Church, of which Christ is the head. Some divines, who are characterised by much human learning and great scriptural ignorance, speak of this union as effected by the incarnation, or human nature of Christ, as if his body were omnipresent in the eucharist. This opinion is the offspring of priestly pride. The union of believers with Christ is spiritual; Christ is ever-present by the Spirit in the hearts of his people: "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his." πως CHRYSOSTOM. God only can forgive sins. Chrys. in 1 Epist. ad Cor. c. xv, Hom. xl. tom xi. p. 45. (Bened. edit. Parisis, 1836.) τουτο Τότε λέγει τω παραλυτικώ, εγερθεις αρον την κλίνην σου, και υπαγε εις τον οικον σου" Και δυσκολον, φησιν, οταν και βασιλευσι και αρχουσι δυνατον η; και γαρ μοιχους και ανδροφόνους αφιάσιν εκείνοι. Παίζεις, ανθρωπε, ταυτα λεγων, αμαρτηματα γαρ αφείναι μονω Θεω δυνατον. Αρχοντες δε και βασιλεις, και μοιχους και ανδροφονους αφωσι, της μεν κολασεως της παρούσης απαλλαττουσι, την δε αμαρτίαν αυτων ουκ εκκαθαίρουσι. Καν εις αρχας αγάγωσι τους αφεθέντας, καν αυτοις περιβαλώσι την αλουργίδα, καν το διάδημα επιθώσιν, αλλα βασιλεας μεν δε εποίησαν αν ουτω, της αμαρτίας ουκ αν ηλευθερωσαν. Θεος γαρ μονος τούτο ποιεί, ο δη και εν τω λουτρω της παλιγ. εργάσεται. Αυτης γαρ απτεται της ψυχης η χαρις, κακείθεν προρριζον ανασπα την αμαρτίαν. γενεσίας Then he says to the paralytic, " Arise, take up thy bed and go to thine house.” And what difficulty is there in this, some one says, since it is possible for kings and rulers to do this? For they absolve adulterers and murderers. You trife, Ο man, when you say these things. For it belongs to God only to forgive sins. But rulers and kings, although they may absolve adulterers and murderers, release them from the present punishment, but they do not purge their sins. And if they were to bring those who are absolved to the magistrates, and if they were to put round them a purple robe, and to place a diadem upon them, even though they might thus make them kings, from the sin. For God only they would not free them does this, and effects it in the washing of regeneration. For its grace touches the soul, and thence eradicates the sin. In his work, de Sacerdotio, Chrysostom makes the priest not only declare the absolution of the sinner, but really absolve him. His language shews how priestly power and influence are enhanced by the exaggeration of the virtue of the sacraments. VOL. II. S. J. Chrys. Arch. Const. de Sacerdotio. Lib. ii. tom. i. p. 468.-(Editio ut supra.) Ει γαρ τις εννοήσειεν οσον εστιν ανθρωπον οντα, και ετι σαρκι και αιματι περιπεπλεγμενον, της μακαρίας και ακηρατου φύσεως εκείνης εγγυς δυνηθηναι γενεσθαι, τοτε οψεται καλως ύσης τους ιερους τιμης η του Πνεύματος ηξίωσε χαρις. Δια γαρ εκείνων και ταυτα τελεῖται, και έτερα τούτων ουδεν αποδεοντα, και εις αξιώματος και εις σωτηρίας της ημετερας λογον. Οι γαρ την γην οι κουντες, και εν ταυτη ποι ούμενοι την διατριβην, τα εν ουρανοις διοικείν επετράπησαν, και εξουσιαν ελαβον ην ουτε αγγελοις ούτε αρχαγγελοις εδωκεν ο Θεός. Ου γαρ προς εκείνους ειρηται· Οσα αν δησητε επι της γης, εσται δεδεμενα και εν τω ουρανω, και οσα αν λυσητε επι της γης, εσται λελυμένα εν τω ουρανω. Εχουσι μεν γαρ και οι κρατούντες επι της γης την του δεσμειν εξουσίαν, αλλα σωματων μονον. Ουτος δε ο δεσμος αυτής απτεται της ψυχης, και διαβαίνει τους ουρανους. Και απερ αν εργάσωνται κατω οι ιερείς, ταυτα ο Θεος ανω κυροι, και την των δουλων γνωμην ο δεσποτης βεβαιοι. Και τι γαρ αλλ' η πασαν αυτοις την ουράνιον εδωκεν εξουσίαν; Ων γαρ αν, φησιν, αφήτε τας αμαρτιας, αφέωνται, και ων αν κρατητε, κεκράτηνται. Τις αν γενοιτο ταύτης εξουσία μείζων; Πασαν την κρισιν έδωκεν ο Πατης τω Υιω. Ορω δε πασαν man nature For if any one will reflect how great a privilege it is for 2 encompassed with fesh and blood to be able to draw near to that blessed and uncorrupted (Christ's), then he will clearly discern of what honour the grace of the Spirit has deemed the priests to be worthy. For through them these things are performed, and other things not inferior to these, and which regard our dignity and salvation. For those who inhabit and sojourn upon earth have obtained permission to administer heavenly things, and have received an authority which God did not give to angels or archangels. For it was not said to them, “Whatsoever things ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever things ye shall loosen on earth shall be loosened in heaven.” For those who rule on earth have the power of binding the bodies only; but this chain lays hold of the soul itself, and passes through the heavens. And whatsoever things the priests perform below, these God ratifies above, and the Lord confirms the will of his servants. And what was given to them but all heavenly power? For "whose sins, he says, ye remit, they are remitted, and την αυτην τούτους εγχειρισθεντας υπο του Υιου. Ωσπερ γαρ εις ουρανους ηδη μετατεθέντες, και ανθρωπειαν υπερβαντες φυσιν, και των ημετερων απαλ. λαγέντες παθων, ούτως εις ταυτην ηχθησαν την αρχην. Ειτα, αν μεν βασιλευς τινι των υπ' αυτον οντων ταυτης μεταδω της τιμης, ώστε εμβάλλειν εις δεσμωτηριον ους αν εθέλη, και αφιέναι παλιν, ζηλωτος και περιβλεπτος παρα πασιν ουτος. Ο δε παρα Θεου τοσαυτω μειζονα εξουσιαν λαβων, οσω γης τιμιώτερος ο ουρανος και σωματ των ψυχαι, ουτω μικραν τισιν έδοξεν είληφεναι τιμην, ως δυνηθηναι και εννοήσαι οτι των ταυτα τις πιστευθεντων υπερφρονήσει της δωρεας. Απαγε της μανίας. Μανια γαρ περιφανης υπεροραν της τοσαύτης αρχης, ης ανευ ούτε σωτηριας ημιν, ούτε των επηγγελμένων τυχειν εστιν αγαθων. Ει γαρ ου δύναται τις εισελθειν εις την βασιλειαν των ουρανων, εαν μη δι' ύδατος και πνευματος αναγεννηθη, και ο μη τρωγων την σαρκα του Κυρίου, και το αιμα αυτου πινων, εκβεβληται της αιωνιου ζωης, παντα δε ταυτα δι' ετερου μεν ουδενος, μονον δε δια των αγιων εκείνων επιτελείται χειρων, των του 195 whose sins ye retain they are Priestly pride always endeavours to make the ministers the sole instruments, through the sacraments, of spiritual life and grace to the laity ; it is well when, like St. Peter, the ministers of Christ are “ clothed with humility," and have most at heart the glory of Christ, and the improvement of his people, and their spiritual union with their glorified Head, as a chaste bride; instead of being vainly puffed up with the notion that they are co-priests with Christ, &c. &c. τίσματος επιτραπέντες τόκον. Δια τουτων ενδυομεθα τον Χριστον, και συνθαπτόμεθα τω Υιω του Θεου, και μελη γινόμεθα της μακαρίας εκείνης κεφαλης. Ωστε ημιν ουκ αρχόντων μονον, ουδε βασιλεων φοβερώτεροι, αλλα και πατέρων τιμιωτεροι δικαίως αν ειεν. Οι μεν γαρ εξ αιμάτων και εκ θελήματος σαρκος εγεννησαν, οι δε της εκ του Θεου γεννησεως ημιν εισιν αιτιοι, της μακαριας παλιγγενε σιας εκείνης, της ελευθερίας της αληθους και της κατα χαριν υιοθεσίας. Λεπραν σώματος απαλλάττειν, μαλλον απαλλαττειν μεν ουδαμως, τους απαλλαγεντας δοκιμάζειν μόνον είχον εξουσίαν οι των Ιουδαίων ιερείς, και οισθα πως περιμαχητον ην το των ιερέων τότε. Ουτοι δε ου λεπραν σωματος, αλλ' ακαθαρσίαν ψυχης, ουκ απαλλαγεισαν δοκιμάζειν, αλλ' απαλ. λαττειν παντελως ελαβον εξουσιαν. Ωστε οι τούτων υπερορωντες πολλω και περι Δαθαν ειεν εναγέστεροι, και μείζονος αξιοι τιμωρίας. For if no one can enter the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again of water and of the Spirit; and if he who does not eat the flesh of the Lord and drink his blood is excluded from eternal life, and all these things are performed by no one else, but only by those holy hands, those, I mean, of the priests, how can any one without these either escape the fire of hell, or obtain the crowns laid up for them? For these are those to whom have been entrusted for us the spiritual pangs of childbirth, and who have had committed to them the baptismal birth. By these* we put on Christ, and are buried together with the Son of God, and become the members of that blessed Head. So that they are not only and kings, but they ought more to be feared than princes justly to be more honoured than fathers. have begotten us of flesh, and of the will of the flesh, but the former have occasioned our generation which is from God, that blessed regeneration, the true freedom, and the adoption which is according to grace. The Jewish priests had authority to release from the leprosy of the body, or rather not to release, For the latter * This language favours what is said by Socrates, lib. vi. c. iii., that Chrysostom composed this work, when he was a deacon. If so, these high flown sentiments may be regarded as the offspring of youthful enthusiasm. |