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but to prove those who were quit of it; and you know how the office of the priests was then contended for. But these have received authority not to prove whether it is gotten rid of, but altogether to release, not from the leprosy of the body, but from the impurity of the soul; so that those who despise their authority are much more wicked than those who were with Dathan, and are worthy of a greater punishment.

PURGATORY.

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA.

In Joan. Evang. Lib. xii. tom. iv. p. 1069. (Lutetiæ,

1638.)

Δειν γαρ οιμαι διακείσθαι, και μαλα εικοτως, ότι των απο της γης σωματων αι των αγιων αποδημούσαι ψυχαι, καθαπερ εις χειρας φιλοστοργότατου πατρος, τη του Θεου χρηστοτητι και φιλανθρωπια μονον ουχι παρατιθενται, και ου κατα τινες των απιστων υπειλήφασι τας επιτύμβιους περιμενουσαι χους εμφιλοχωρούσι τοις μνημασιν, αλλ' ουδε καθαπερ αι των φιλαμαρτημονων εις τον του αμετρου κολασεως κατακομι ζονται τόπον, τουτ' εστιν, εις αδου. Τρεχουσι δε μαλλον εις χειρας του παντων Πατρος, και

For I think that we ought to decide that it is highly probable that the souls of the saints, when they are separated from their bodies, are commended into God's goodness as into the hands of a most dear Father, and are not, as some unbelievers have imagined, waiting for funeral libations, fond of hovering about the tombs, neither are carried, as the souls of the wicked are, into a place of immeasurable punishment, that is, unto hell; but rather fy to the hands of the Father of all; our Saviour Christ οδον του Σωτηρος ημων Χριστου. having frst prepared this way Παρέδωκε γαρ εις χειρας του for us. For he delivered up ιδιου γεννητόρος την ψυχην, his soul to the Father, that ινα και ημεις αρχην λαβοντες, from it and by it we receiving ως εν εκείνη και δι εκείνης, a beginning, might have

ταυτην ημιν εγκαινισαντος τον

λαμπρας εχωμεν τας ελπίδας, αραρότως διακειμενοι και πεπιστευκότες, ότι τον του σαρκος υπομείναντες θανατον εν χερσιν εσόμεθα του Θεου, και πολυ δηλον εν αμεινοσιν ηπερ ημεν

μετα σαρκος.

Δι' ο και ο σο

φος ημιν επιτελλει Παυλος, οτι κρειττον το αναλύσαι, η συν Χριστω ειναι.

splendid hopes, firmly persuaded and believing that after waiting for the death of this flesh, we shall be in the hands of God, and very manifestly in a better state than we were in the flesh. Wherefore, also, the wise Paul instructs us, that "it is better to be dissolved, and to be with Christ."

The idea of the purification of the soul by fire is absurd. B. Cyrilli Alex. de Ador. in Spir. et Ver. Lib. vi. p. 2. tom. i. p. 194.-(Editio ut supra.)

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σθαίνουσι, πυρι και υδατι νεμον. τες το απαλλαττειν δυνασθαι των αιτιαμάτων αυτους. Απαγε της δυσβουλίας, ανθρωπε, προσιθι μονω τω κατα φυσιν Θεω, και ακουση λεγοντος ευθυς, εγω ειμι ο εξαλείφων τας

ανομίας σου ενεκα εμον, και ου

μη μνησθήσομαι. Αυτη καθαρσις αληθης. Τουτο λαμπρότης η πνευματική. Διεσμηγμεθα γαρ ημεις, πιστει τη εις Χριστον κεκερδακότες της αμαρτιας την άφεσιν, ηγιασμενοι δε τω λουτρω της παλιγγενεσίας και την θειαν εαυτους καταπλουτισαντες χαριν, την του Θείου πνευματος, ο δε πυρος δικην, οια τινα συρφετον τον ταις ημετεραις διανοιαις εγκατασκηψαντα δαπανα μολυσμον. Εν πνευματι γαρ αγιω και πυρι βεβαπο τισθαι ημας, φησι, ταυτη του δικαιως η θεοπνευστος γραφη.

those, therefore, who overlook Him who is Lord both to punish and to pardon fall into anile imaginations, when they ascribe to fire and water the power of releasing them from their sins. Away from this evil counsel, O man; approach Him, who alone is by his nature God, and you will directly hear him say, “ I am He, who blot out your iniquities for my own sake, and will not remember them." This is the true purification ; this is spiritual splendour.

are

For we cleansed when we obtain rein Christ, being sanctified by mission of our sins by faith the washing of regeneration, and enriched within ourselves by the divine grace, namely, the grace of the divine Spirit, which, like fire, consumes the pollution which invades our minds as if it were dross. And for this reason the holy Scripture truly says that we are baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

The fire of tribulation.

B. Cyrilli Arch. Alex. Glaphyr. in Gen. Lib. iv. p. 109. Διελθειν γαρ εφασαν δια For they said that they πυρος. Ωσπερ γαρ οιμαι τα δοκιμώτατα των θυμιαμάτων πυρι προσωμίληκοτα, της

ενουσης αυτοις ενοσμίας τότε

ποιούνται την ενδειξεν. Ουτω και οσια ψυχή πυρούμενη τροπον τινα δια του πειραζασ

passed through the fire. For as the most approved perfumes, I conceive, then manifest the sweet odours which they contain when they are brought into contact with the fire, so also the holy soul,

θαι και πονειν, εναργεστατην ποιείται της ενδυσης αυτη πολυειδους αρετης την εκφασιν

burnt after a certain fashion by trials and labours, makes a clearer display of the much varied virtue which resides in it.

CYRIL OF JERUSALEM.

Ο πιστευων εις τον υιον ου κρίνεται, αλλα καταβέβηκεν εκ του θανατου εις την ζωην. Ω μεγάλης Θεον φιλανθρωπίας. Οι δικαιοι μεν γαρ εν πολλοις ετεσιν ευηρεστησαν. Οπερ δε εκείνοι δι' ερευνησεως πολλων ετων κατορθώσαντες εκτησαντο, τοσουτο νυν Ιησους δια μιας ωρας χαρίζεται. Εαν γαρ πιστευσης οτι Κυριος Ιησούς Χριστος, και οτι ο Θεος ηγειρεν αυτόν εκ νεκρών σωθηση και μετατεθηση εις Παράδεισον, υπο του την ληστην εις Παραδεισον εισαγαγοντος.—Cat. 5. (Oxonia, 1503.)

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He who believes in the Son is not judged, but is translated from death to life. How great is the mercy of God! For the just indeed, after many years were satisfed. But what they obtained walking uprightly by means of a trial of many years, this now Jesus freely bestows in one hour. For it you believe that Jesus is the Christ and that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved and transferred* to paradise by Him who introduced the thief into paradise.

MARTYR.

But in holding that the souls of the unjust are in existence after death and are sensibly tortured, but that the souls of the good are happy being released from punishment, we think that we say the same as the poets philosophers have done.

The work of an ancient Father, whose name is unknown, which is generally bound up with Justin Martyr's works.

* Cyril afterwards declares that the Christian sacrifice benefits the dead, and Romanists adduce this opinion in favour of purgatory. Jerome says, that this work of his was composed in his youth. "Extant ejus κατηχήσεις, quas adolescentia composuit. Hier. Catal. Scrip. Eccles. tom. i. p. 380.-(Parisiis, 1602.)

Μετα δε την εκ του σώματος εξοδον, ευθυς γινεται των δικαιων τε και αδίκων η διαστολη. Αγονται γαρ υπο των αγγελων εις αξίους αυτών τοπους. A μεν των δικαιων ψυχαι εις τον Παράδεισον, εν συντυχία τε και θεα αγγελων τε και αρχαγγελων κατ' οπτασιαν δε και του Σωτήρος Χριστου, κατα το ειρημενον, “ εκδημοντες εκ του σωματος, και ενδημοντες προς τον Κυριον.” Αι δε των αδικών ψυχαι εις τους εν τω αδη τοπους.

Και εισιν εν τοις αξιοις αυτών τοποις φυλαττομεναι έως της ημέρας της αναστάσεως και αν ταποδόσεως.-(Quaest. et resp. ad Orthod. p. 437.)

ii.

But after the departure from the body, a separation of the just from the unjust immediately takes place. For they are conducted by angels into places worthy of them. The souls of the just are conducted to paradise in the company and sight of angels into the vision of the Saviour Christ, according to what is said, "being absent from the body, and present

with the Lord." But the souls of the wicked are conducted to the regions of hell and are kept in places worthy of them till the day of resurrection and retribution.

GREGORY NYSSEN.

Dial. de Anima et Resurrectione (Parisiis. civicoxv.) tom.

Ρ. 651.

Ώσπερ ουν την ποιαν του πελαγου περιγραφην εκ καταχρήσεως τινος ονομαζόμεν κολπον, ουτω δοκει των αμετρητων εκείνων αγαθων την ενδειξιν ο λογος τω του κολπου διασημαινειν ονόματι, ο παντες δι' οι αρετης τον παροντα διαπλεοντες βιον, οταν εντευθεν απειρωσιν, ωσπερ εν ακατακλειστο λιμενι, τω αγαθω κολπω τας ψυχας ενορμίζονται.

As, by a certain abuse of speech, we call a bay of the sea an arm or bosom, so it seemeth to me that the word signifies by the name of a bosom the exhibition of those immeasurable good things, so that all men that sail by a virtuous course through this present life, when they loose from hence put their souls into a good bosom, or as it were into an haven free from danger.

TERTULLIAN.

De Patientiâ, c. ix. (Parisiis, 1675.)

Christum lædimus, cum evocatos quosque ab illo, quasi

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