# The Faith of Catholics/Section 2

SECTION II.
OTHER POINTS OF CATHOLIC FAITH.
THE SACRAMENTS.
PROPOSITION I.
Catholics believe that there are seven Sacraments, or Sacred Ceremonies, instituted by our Saviour Jesus Christ, whereby the merits of his passion are applied to the soul of the worthy receiver. These Sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme-Unction, Order, and Matrimony.
BAPTISM.
SCRIPTURE.
Matt. xxviii. 19. “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations; baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”—John iii. 5. “Except a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”—Acts ii. 37, 38. “When they had heard these things they had compunction in their heart, and they said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles : What shall we do? But Peter said to them, Do penance, and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins.—Ibid. viii. 38. And (Philip) commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down into the water, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he ​baptised him.--Ibid. ix. 18. And rising up, he (Saul) was baptised.---Ibid. x. 47, 48. Then Peter answered: can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptised, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
FATHERS.
As the necessity of Baptism is generally admitted by all Christian societies, one alone excepted, I shall observe only, that the obligation of complying with the precept is strongly inculcated by all the ancient Fathers, while they describe the various modes in which it was primitively administered, and specify the ceremonies that were used. These ceremonies, let me add, are precisely the same that are, at this time, practised in the Catholic Church. Their antiquity, therefore, commands the highest respect; and the Fathers often produce them as a proof, even in their days, of many things being observed, which no written 'word, but the Tradition from the Apostles had taught. “Of these and similar rites,” says Tertullian,“if you demand the written law, you will not find it: Tradition is your authority !” De Cor. Mil. p. 289.
CONFIRMATION.
SCRIPTURE.
Acts viii. 14, 15, 16, 17. “Now when the Apostles that were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John.---Who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.---- For he was not as yet come upon any of ​them; but they were only baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.----Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”---Ibid. xix. 5, 6. Having heard these things, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.----And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied.”—2 Cor. i. 21, 22. “Now he that confirmeth us with you in Christ, and he that hath anointed us, is God: who also hath sealed us, and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.”—Ephes. i. 13. “In whom you also, after you
had heard the word of truth (the Gospel of your salvation); in whom also believing, you were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance."
FATHERS.
TERTULLIAN, L. C.-" Then coming out from the font, we are anointed with the holy unction,P) agreeably to the ancient discipline, when priests were anointed. Thus was Aaron anointed by Moses; and the name of Christ was from chrism, which is unction. Next follows the imposition of hands, with the invocation of the Holy Ghost." De Bapt. c. 7, p. 389.—“Let us now, from the form of the Christian character, consider, what advantages the soul derives from the body. The flesh is washed, that the soul may be purified: it is anointed, that the soul may be consecrated. The flesh is sealed," that the soul may be strengthened; and that the soul may be enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the body is overshadowed by the imposition of hands.” De Resurrect. Carnis, c. viii. p. 569.
CENT. III.
St. CYPRIAN, L. C.-“ It is moreover necessary, that he, who has been baptised, should be anointed, in order that, having received the chrism, that is, the unction, he may be the anointed of God, and possess the grace of Christ.” Ep. lxx. ad Januarium, p. 125.—“ They who had believed in Samaria, (Acts viii.) had believed with a true faith; and were baptised in the one Church by Philip, whom the Apostles had sent. And therefore, because their baptism was legitimate, it was not to be repeated. That alone which was wanting, was supplied by Peter and John ; that, by prayer and the imposition of hands, they might receive the Holy Ghost. The same thing is now done by us, when they, who have been baptised in the Church, are presented to the Bishops, that by our prayer and the imposition of hands, they may receive the Divine Spirit, and be perfected by the seal of the Lord.” Ep. lxxiii. p. 132.
CENT IV.
ST. CORNELIUS, L. C.-The historian Eusebius, speaking of the schismatic Novatus, gives an extract from a letter of the Roman Bishop Cornelius, the contemporary of St. Cyprian, which says, “Novatus was not sealed by the Bishop, as the Canon of the Church required : how then could he have received the Holy Ghost ?” Hist. Eccles. L. vi. c. 43, p. 313.
​ST. HILARY, L.C.—“These, the Lord says, should not be kept from him, because the kingdom of Heaven is of such; and besides, the operation of the law ceasing, the gift of the Holy Ghost was to be bestowed on the Gentiles by the imposition of hands and prayer.” Comment. in c. xix. Matt. p. 703.
Sr. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G.C.—“To you, when you came out from the font, was given the chrism, which is the image of that with which Christ was anointed, that is, the Holy Spirit. Take care, that you think it not mere ointment, —with which the forehead and your bodily senses are symbolically anointed: the body, indeed, is anointed with that visible chrism, but the soul is sanctified by the Holy Spirit.' 1967 Cat. Myst. iii. n. 1, 111, p. 316, 317. “As Christ, after his baptism and the coming of the divine Spirit, went out to battle and conquered the enemy; so you, after baptism and the mystical chrism, clothed in the arms of the same Spirit, are opposed to him and surmount his attacks.” Ibid. n. iv. p. 317.
ST. OPTATUS OF MILEVIS, L. C. Christ went down into the water, not that in him there was any thing to be cleansed: but water was to precede oil, in order to form and accomplish the mysteries of baptism.—The spiritual oil, in the form of a dove, descended on him, and rested on his head; whence he was called Christ. And that the imposition of hands might not be wanting, the voice of God was heard from a cloud, saying : (Matt. iii. 17.) This is my beloved Son." Schism. Donat. L. iv. adv. Parm. p. 75.
St. EPHREM, G.C. “ Here (in the Church) you may hear the names of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: here you find the sacraments of chrism and baptism, the breaking of bread, and the cup of salvation; the Holy Scriptures also, ​which wicked men have corrupted.” Serm. xxvii. adv. Hær. p. 500.-T. v. Edit. Quirini.
St. PACIANUS, L. C. “Do you say that this (the power of remitting sins) was granted only to the Apostles? Then I say, that they alone could baptise, and give the Holy Spirit, and pardon the sins of the Gentiles; for to them alone was the command of doing it given.—If, therefore, the right of conferring baptism, and of anointing, descended to the episcopal order, to them has likewise come the power of binding and loosing. Ep. 1. ad Symp. Bibl. Max. T. iv. p. 307.
St. AMBROSE, L.C. “Because thou hast received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety, the spirit of holy fear, keep what thou hast received. God the Father has sealed thee; Christ the Lord has confirmed thee; and has given the pledge of the Spirit in thy heart, (2 Cor.i. 22.) as thou hast learned from the Apostle.” De Mysteriis, c. vii. T. ii. p. 336.
St. SIRICIUS, L.C. “As it has been decreed in our Synod, we admit these, with the Novatians and other heretics, to the communion of the faithful, by invoking the Holy Spirit, and by the imposition of the hand of the Bishops, as it is practised in all the Churches of the East and West.” Ep. ad Himer. c. 1. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1018.
St. JEROM, L.C. The schismatic, against whose party he writes, is introduced, saying: “You cannot be ignorant that it is the practice in the Church to impose hands on those that have been baptised, and to invoke the Holy Spirit. ​Where, you ask, is it written? In the Acts of the Apostles ; and although there were no authority of Scripture, the consent of the whole world on this point must be received as a law.” To this St. Jerom thus assents : “I admit this to be the practice of the Church, that when, in remote places, any have been baptised by the Priests or Deacons, the Bishop goes to them, and having invoked the Holy Spirit, lays his hand on them.” Dial. adv. Lucif. T. iv. Pars ii. p. 294, 295.
COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE, G. C. “ We admit Arians, Novatians, &c. when they have given security, and anathematized all errors—but signed, or anointed first with the Holy Chrisme) on the forehead, the eyes, the mouth, the nose, and the ears. And signing them, we say : The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Can. vii. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 952.
COUNCIL OF LAODICEA, G.C. “Whoever are converted from heresy, be they baptised or be they catechumens, they may not be admitted till they shall have anathematised all heresy; and then being instructed, and anointed with the Holy Chrism, they may be admitted to the sacred mysteries.” Can. vii. Conc. Gen. T. i. p. 1497.—“They who have been instructed must, after baptism, be anointed with the celestial Chrism, and be made partakers of the kingdom of Christ." Can. xlviii. Ibid. p. 1505.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G. C. “Why had not they who were baptised, (Acts viii.) received the Holy Ghost? Perhaps, in this, Philip meant to honour those Apostles who were soon to come; or because he could not himself bestow the gift. He was, probably, one of the seven Deacons; for which reason he baptised, but he could not confer the Holy Spirit. This belonged to the Apostles.” Hom. xviii. in Acta Apost. T. ix. p. 146.
CENT. V.
St. AUGUSTIN, L. C. “Not that any of the disciples themselves gave the Holy Ghost: they prayed that he would come down on those on whom they laid their hands; they gave him not. Such, at this time, is the practice of the Prelates of the Church.” De Trin. L. xv. c. 26. T. viii. p. 999. “Does any one now expect that they who receive the imposition of our hands, should speak with various tongues; and when this does not happen, is so perverse as to say that they have not received the Holy Ghost? But if this miraculous testimony of the presence of the Divine Spirit is not given, how does any person know that the Holy Ghost has come down upon him? Let him ask his heart: If he loves his brother, the Spirit of God abideth in him. Ask thy heart: Thou mayest have received the Sacrament, and not the virtue of the Sacrament. If the love of thy brother be in thee, rest secure. Where charity is, there is the spirit of God.” Tract. vi. in 1 Ep. Joan. Pars. 2, T. iii. p. 868.
St. INNOCENT I. L.C.-To Decentius, Bishop of Eugubium in Italy, who had consulted him on various points, he first observes, that if all Churches had followed the rules which they received from the Apostles, the differences in discipline, which now prevail, would not have been known; and then adds, on the subject of Confirmation : “It is manifest, that Bishops only can confirm infants, because they, and not priests, possess the plenitude of the priesthood. And this follows, not from the practice of the Church only, but from the authority of Scripture; where it is said, that Peter and John were sent to give the Holy Ghost to those who had been previously baptised. Priests may baptise, in ​the presence of the Bishop, and anoint the baptised with the oil that has been consecrated by the Bishop; but not lay it on their foreheads; because this is allowed to none but the Bishops, when they confer the Holy Ghost.” The following words are remarkable : “But I cannot recite the words, lest I should reveal more than your enquiries demand.” Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1245.
St. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, G. C.—Commenting on the words of Joel, (ii. 24.) the vats shall overflow with wine and oil, he says: “As in rain has been given to us the living water of baptism; as in corn the living bread; and in wine his blood : so to these has been added the use of oil, which may perfect those, who have been justified through Baptism in Christ.” Com in Joel T. iii. p. 224.
COUNCIL OF ORANGE, L. C.—“No Minister, who has received the office of baptising, must go out without the chrism; because we have judged proper, that all shall be once anointed. The Priest, in confirmation, must be warned of it, when any one in Baptism, has not been anointed." Can. 11. Conc. Gen. T. iii. p. 1147.
THEODORET, G. C.—“ Thy name is as ointment poured forth. (Cant. i. 3) If you would understand this mystically, look to the sacrament of Baptism ; in which, they who are initiated, receive the spiritual unction, as a royal seal, and with it the invisible grace of the Holy Spirit.” In v. 3. c. 1. Cant. Cant. T. 1. p. 1002.-" They who are baptised by ​the Novatians, receive not the holy chrism : wherefore, the Holy Fathers ordained, that such be anointed, as from them come over to the Church.” L. iii. Hær. Fabul. c. v. T. iv. p. 229.
St. LEO, L. C.-“Having been regenerated by water and the Holy Ghost, you have received the chrism of salvation, and the seal of eternal life.” Serm. iv. de Nativ. T. 1. p. 156. Lutetiæ Paris. 1675.
THE SECOND COUNCIL OF ARLES, L. C. —“As to Arians and such Heretics, as are baptised in the name of the blessed Trinity; if, when interrogated, they sincerely profess our Faith, they may be received into the Church, by chrism and the imposition of hands." Can. xvi. xvii. Conc. Gen. T. iv. p. 1013.
The THIRD COUNCIL OF ARLES, L. C. - It decrees, “That clerks and ministers of the Altar, shall be ordained by no one but the Bishop of the place, or one appointed by him; and that the chrism shall be blessed by him only, and Neophytes, (new converts) be confirmed only by him.” Ibid. p. 1024.
THE EUCHARIST.
PROPOSITION II.
It is an Article of Catholic belief, that in the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, there is truly and really contained the Body of Christ, which was delivered for us, and his Blood, which was shed for the remission of sins; the substance of the ​bread and wine, being, by the power of God, changed into the substance of his blessed Body and Blood, the species and appearances of bread and wine, by the will of the same God, remaining as they were. This change has been properly called Transubstantiation.
SCRIPTURE.
John vi. 51, 52. “ I am the living bread, which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give, is my Flesh, for the life of the world.”—54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59. "Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his Blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. For my Flesh is meat indeed, and my Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood, abideth in me and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. This is the bread that came down from Heaven. Not as your Fathers did eat Manua, and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever.”—Matt. xxvi. 26, 27, 28. “And while they were at supper Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke, and gave it to his Disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat: This is my Body. And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. For this is my Blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed for many for the remission of sins.”—Mark xiv. 22, 23, 24. “And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessing, broke, and gave it to them, and said : Take ye, This is my Body. And having taken the chalice; giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them : This is my Blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed for many." - Luke xxii. 19, 20. “ And taking bread, he gave thanks, and ​broke, and gave it to them, saying: This is my Body, which is given for you: Do this for a commemoration of me. In like manner, the chalice also, after he had supped, saying: This is the chalice, the New Testament in my Blood, which shall be shed for you.”—1 Cor. x. 16. “ The chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? and the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the Body of the Lord ?- Ibid. xi. 23, 24, 25, 26. “For I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered to you; That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and giving thanks, broke it, and said : Take ye, and eat : this is my Body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for a commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the New Testament of my Blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink it, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink this chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord until he come.
GENERAL PROOF.
The secrecy, with which the early Christians celebrated the divine mysteries, is a most remarkable feature in the discipline of the Primitive Church; and, in connection with the Liturgies and the Catecheses, affords a general and irrefragable proof of the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist. "It was customary,” says Fleury,“ to keep the Sacraments concealed, not only from the unbelievers, but also from the Catechumens; and they not only did not celebrate them in their presence, but they dared not even to relate to them what passed in them, nor speak even of the nature of the Sacrament. They wrote still less about them; and if, in a public discourse, or in a writing, which might fall into profane hands, they were obliged ​to speak of the Eucharist, or of some other mystery, they did it in obscure and enigmatical terms." Manners of the Christians, c. XV.-Abundant proofs of this discipline are found in the works of the Holy Fathers. Of these I will select two or three from each of the five first centuries, beginning with the fifth, which will shew, that the Discipline of the Secret was observed in the Church, from the epoch of the Council of Ephesus up to the days of the Apostles.
CENT. V.
S. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, G. C.-In answer to the objections of Julian the Apostate, he contents himself with saying, that“ these mysteries are so profound, and so exalted, that they are intelligible to those only who have faith; and that therefore he shall not undertake to speak of what is most admirable in them, lest by discovering the mysteries to the uninitiated, he shall offend Jesus Christ, who forbids us to give what is holy to dogs, and to cast pearls before swine." T. 111. p. 173. Basileæ, 1566. .
S. AUGUSTIN, L. C.-In his discourses before Catechumens, and in such writings as might fall into their hands, he cautiously conceals from them the mystery of the Eucharist. His ordinary expression is, the faithful know it; calls it, “ the Sacrament known to the faithful, made from corn and wine," Sermon iv.on Jacob and Esau;—and tells the Catechumen Honoratus, that “when once he has been baptized, he will know where, when, and how the great Sacrament, the sacrifice of the new law is offered.”—“Ask a Catechumen," he says, “ if he eats the flesh of the Son of Man, and drinks his blood ? he knows not what you mean,—the Catechumens know not what the Christians receive,-the manner in which the flesh of our Lord is received, is a thing concealed from them.” Tract. xi. in Joan. T. ix. p.41. Paris. 1586.
THEODORET, G.C.-See the passage hereafter, among the Fathers of Cent. V. on the Eucharist.
​S. CHRYSOSTOM, G.C.-I wish to speak openly, (of the mysteries) but I dare not, on account of those who are not initiated. These persons render explanation more difficult for us, by obliging us either to speak in obscure terms, or to unveil the things which are secret; yet, I shall endeavour, as far as possible, to explain myself in disguised terms." Hom. xl. in 1 Cor. T. x. p. 451. Paris. 1636.
S. GAUDENTIUS, L. C.-Speaking to the Neophytes, on their return from baptism, he says, “ In the lesson, which you have just heard from Exodus, I shall choose such parts, as cannot be explained in the presence of Catechumens, but which it is necessary to disclose to Neophytes.”—“The splendid night of Easter,” he says, “requires him to conform less to the order of the text, than to the wants of the occasion; so that the Neophytes may learn the established rule for eating the Paschal sacrifice, and the faithful, who are instructed, may recognise it.” Tract. v. in Exod. Bibl. PP. T. v. p. 946.
CENT. IV.
S. AMBROSE, L. C.-" Every mystery should remain concealed, and covered by faithful silence, lest it should be rashly divulged to profane ears.” De Abraham. L. 1.c v. T. 1, p. 110. Coloniæ, 1616.—“The time admonishes us to treat of the mysteries, and to explain the meaning of the sacraments. If before your baptism and initiation we had thought of speaking to you on these subjects, we should have appeared rather to betray, than explain them.” De Mystr. T. iv. c. i. p. 162. Ibid.
​S. Zeno, L.C.O.-In a discourse on Continence, he exhorts the Christian woman not to marry an infidel,“ lest she betray to him the law of secrecy. Know you not,” he adds, that the sacrifice of the unbeliever is public, but yours secret? That any one may freely approach to his, while even for Christians, if they are not consecrated, it would be a sacrilege to contemplate yours !"
S. Basil, G. C.-We receive the dogmas transmitted to us by writing, and those which have descended to us from the Apostles, beneath the veil and mystery of oral tradition. The words of invocation in the consecration of the bread, and of the Eucharistic chalice, which of the Saints have left us them in writing? The Apostles and Fathers, who prescribed from the beginning certain rites to the Church, knew how to preserve the dignity of the mysteries, by the secrecy and silence in which they enveloped them: for what is open to the ear and the eye, can no longer be mysteries. For this reason, several things have been handed down to us without writing, lest the vulgar, too familiar with our dogmas, should pass from being accustomed to them, to the contempt of them. A dogma is very different from a sermon.-Beautiful and admirable discipline! For how could it be proper to write or circulate among the public, what the uninitiated are forbidden to contemplate ?” De Spir. Sancto, c. xxvii. T. ill. p. 55.
S. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G. C.-“We do not speak clearly before the Catechumens on the mysteries ; but are obliged often to use obscure expressions, in order, that while we are understood by the faithful, who are instructed, those, who are not so, may not suffer injury.” Cat. vi. n. xxix. p.60. Paris. 1631.-“ Give these Catecheses, (the last five of which ​are on Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist, made for their instruction, to be read by those who approach to Baptism, and by the faithful, who have already received it;but, as for the Catechumens, and those, who are not Christians, take care not to communicate them to such. Otherwise, take notice, you will be accountable to God. If you transcribe a copy of them, do it, I conjure you, as in the presence of the Lord.” Pref. in Catech.
SYNOD OF ALEXANDRIA, G. C.-In their Synodical letter to the Orthodox, they say: “ They (the Eusebians) are not ashamed to celebrate the mysteries before the Catechumens, and, perhaps, even before the Pagars; forgetting, that it is written, that we should hide the mystery of the King; and in contempt of the precept of our Lord, that we must not place holy things before dogs, nor pearls before swine. For it is not lawful to shew the mysteries openly to the uninitiated ; lest, through ignorance, they scoff at them, and the Catechumens be scandalized through indiscreet curiosity.” Conc. Gen. T. ii.p. 547.
CENT. III.
ST. CYPRIAN, L. C. Writing to the Proconsul of Africa, he says: “Till now I had despised the impieties and sacrileges which thy mouth discharged incessantly against the only true God.”—He adds, that if he had been silent, it was not without the command of his Divine Master," who forbids us to give that which is holy to dogs, and to cast pearls before swine.” He then establishes the Unity of God, but says nothing of the Trinity, or of the Sacraments of the Church. Ep. ad Demetrianum, p. 185. Oxonii, 1682.
ORIGEN, G. C. Stop not at the blood of the flesh (that ​is of the sheep and oxen spoken of by Moses); but learn rather to discern the blood of the Word, and hear him saying: For this is my blood which shall be shed for you. Whosoever is instructed in the mysteries, knows the flesh and blood of the Word of God. Let us not, therefore, dwell on a subject, known to the initiated, and which the uninitiated ought not to know."-Hom. ix. in Levit. n. 10. T. ii. p. 236.
TERTULLIAN, L. C. “ Above all, they (certain heretics) make no distinction between the Catechumens and the Faithful; for they are both equally admitted to hear and pray together. Even the Pagans are not excluded, should they happen to be present; and thus no difficulty is made in casting bread before dogs, and pearls, though false ones, to swine.” De Præsc. p. 88. Paris, 1580.-In his work addressed to his wife, he says: “You would, by marrying an infidel, (after his death) thereby fall into this fault, that the Pagans would come to the knowledge of our mysteries. Will not your husband know what you taste in secret, before any other food; and if he perceives bread, will he not imagine that it is what is so much spoken of?” Ad Uxorem, L. ii. c. 5. p. 430. Ibid.
CENT. II. & I.
The secrecy of the primitive Christians on the doctrine of the Eucharist is demonstrated from the nature of the atrocious calumnies spread abroad against them,-from the punishments employed to extort from them what they practised in their assemblies,—and from these calumnies and cruelties being coeval with the first preaching of Christianity.
MINUTIUS FELIX, L. C. Cecilius says: “This evil sect, (the Christians) increases every day. Lust forms a ​part of their religion : they commonly call themselves brothers and sisters, to make simple fornication become incest, by this sacred name. Certainly, if there were not such crimes among them, there would not be so loud a cry against them. The ceremony which they observe when they admit any one to their mysteries, is not less horrible because it is public. They place before the new comer an infant covered with paste, in order to conceal the murder which they will have him commit. At their bidding he gives it several stabs with a knife: the blood runs on all sides; they eagerly suck it up, and the common crime is the common pledge of silence and secrecy. I pass over many things designedly, and indeed here are already too many : and truly the darkness which they seek for their mysteries, is sufficient proof of all we say, or, at least, of the greater part of it. For why conceal all that they adore ? We are not afraid to publish what is proper: crimes only demand secrecy and silence.” In his reply, Octavius, instead of disclosing what is believed or practised in the Christian assemblies, simply repels the infamous calumnies. “I would now,” he says, “ address myself to those who say, or who believe, that the murder of an infant is the ceremony of introduction to our mysteries. Do you, then, think it possible, that a poor infant-a little body so tender, is destined to die beneath our violence; and that we shed the blood of a being newly born-as yet of improper form, and scarcely a human being ? Let those believe it who would be cruel enough to perpetrate it. You, indeed, expose your children to savage beasts and birds: as soon as they are born, you strangle and suffocate them. As to us, we are not allowed to see murders, nor to hear them: and blood so fills us with horror, that we do not even eat that of animals.” St. Justin and Athenagoras are equally silent, and barely deny the charges.
​TERTULLIAN, L. C. “ Who are those who have made known to the world these pretended crimes? are they those who are accused? But how could it be so, since it is the common law of all mysteries to keep them secret? If they themselves made no discoveries, it must have been made by strangers : but how could they have had any knowledge of them, since the profane are excluded from the sight of the most holy mysteries, and those carefully selected, who are permitted to be spectators.” Apol. c. vii. p. 674. Paris, 1580.
Such was the secrecy observed in the first ages, that the Pagans found it necessary to employ punishments, in order to extort from the Christians the secret of what passed in their assemblies. “The reports,” says Pliny the younger to the Emperor Trajan,“ which were spread abroad against them, made me consider it the more necessary to extort the truth, by the force of torments, from two female slaves, who were said to belong to the ministry of their worship; but I discovered nothing, except a bad superstition carried to excess.” L. x. Ep. cxvii.—The same is recorded in the admirable letter of the Churches of Lyons and Vienne to those of Asia and Phrygia, preserved by Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. L. v. c. 1.); and also in St. Justin's Apology.
These calumnies and cruelties, and therefore this discipline of the secret, are as ancient as the name of Christian. Celsus, who was born within fifty years after the death of Christ, though he wrote soon after the close of the first century, often reproaches the Christians with their secret practices. In his reply, Origen acknowledges that “there are certain points not communicated to every one; but this is so far from being peculiar to the Christians, that it was observed among the philosophers, as well as ourselves. Celsus, therefore, attempts in vain to deny the secret kept by the Christians, since he does not know in what it consists.” ​Adv. Celsum, Lib. 1, n.7.T.1.-“One would think that Celsus sought to imitate the Jews, who, when the Gospel began to be preached, disseminated false reports against those who had embraced it: that the Christians sacrificed a little child, and eat its flesh together; that to do works of darkness, they extinguished the lights, and then abandoned themselves to impurity indiscriminately.” Ibid. Lib. vi. n. 28. “ We are traduced," said Tertullian, “as the most wicked of men; bound to each other by an oath of infanticide ; guilty of regaling ourselves from the flesh of the infant, which we have just slain. The imputation of these works is dated, as I have said, from the reign of Tiberius. Hatred of the truth began with Christianity ; it was detested as soon as produced to the world.” Apol. c. vii. p. 674. Paris, 1580.
The above passages fully establish these facts--1st; that during the five first Centuries an inviolable secrecy was observed in the Assemblies of the Christians.—2dly: that from this secrecy, and a hatred of the Christian name, arose the calumnies spread abroad against them; - and 3dly: that the origin of these calumnies, and of this discipline of the secret is to be dated from the first preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles.
What then, let me now ask, was concealed beneath this secrecy, relative to the mysteries of the Eucharist? mysteries of a nature so awful, that the Fathers did not hesitate to declare, that it was better to shed their blood than to publish them; and for which in fact, several did shed their blood, rather than reveal them! Evidently, it could be nothing less, than the Catholic Doctrine on this subject. In any other supposition, there could be no reasonable motive for this discipline.-" The Assemblies of the Christians were calumniated: they were charged with unheard-of crimes; the faithful were put to the torture to force from them the avowal of what passed clandestinely among them. Why not then throw open every door? Why not expose to the light the in​nocence of their religious rites? And why did they not invite the Pagans to come, and be convinced with their own eyes, that they took nothing but a little bread and wine, as a sign of mutual fellowship, and a memorial of their Saviour?—Reason, charity, and self-interest would have obliged them to do this.-In the belief of the Catholic, on the contrary, who does not see the propriety, and even necessity of this discipline? The exalted dogmas of our Faith are so far above human understanding, that, at the first mention of them, the Pagans would have derided them as foolish and extravagant, and uttered against them a thousand insults and blasphemies. Their prejudices would have been strengthened against that Religion, to which, nevertheless, they were by degrees to be enticed. Thus, on the one hand, the respect due to the mysteries of our Lord, and on the other, the regard which charity would suggest for the weakness of the Pagans, sufficed to command, in the Catholic belief, a careful silence on such doctrines, and not to make them known till after a lengthened course of instructions preparatory to Baptism. The Fathers even go so far as to name among the mysteries concealed from the profane, the Eucharist, the Christian Passover, the Sacrifice of bread and wine prefigured by that of Melchisedec. And in fact, what could be the object of the infamous calumnies spread against our brethren, but the Eucharistic mysteries? To what could they allude by their tales of infants murdered—their flesh served up as meat, and their blood as drink—of banquets of Thyestes, &c.—if not to the dogma of the Real Presence, to the manducation of the body of Jesus Christ."
This reasoning is supported by facts which render it incontestible. This secrecy was adopted to conceal from the ​Pagan, the Catechumen, the uninitiated, what was said and done in the celebration of the divine mysteries. The Liturgies unfold to us what was there said and done. Till the middle of the fifth Century these were carefully concealed, and were confided to the memory of the Bishops and Priests, lest, being committed to writing, the secret should be betrayed. About the time of the Council of Ephesus, held in 431, Christianity being then firmly established, the Pastors of the Church felt they had nothing to fear from the disclosure of the mysteries, and the Liturgies of the Churches were committed to writing. Now, all these, as will be shewn hereafter, present to our view, the altar, the oblation of sacrifice, the Real Presence, by the change of the substance, and the adoration. Nestorians, Eutychians, Jacobites, are here agreed, both among themselves, and with Catholics—all, notwithstanding schism and heresy; in spite of distance and separation; in spite of the difference of rites, prayers, and solemnities : all in Italy, Africa, Spain, Gaul, and Great Britain; as well as in Greece and its Islands, in Asia Minor, the Indies, Egypt and Abyssinia : all describe to us the same mysteries, the same dogmas; all profess the same Faith, and proclaim the same doctrine. An agreement so wonderful, an uniformity so admirable, could only proceed from one and the same cause; and that cause would be sought for in vain elsewhere, but in the teaching of the Apostles.” In a word, the secrecy of the Christians concealed the mysteries of the Altar. The Liturgies disclose them, and display to us, the Real Presence, Transubstantiation, and the Adoration. Therefore these mysteries were really enveloped in the secret.
​To this must be added another fact. That which was performed in secret in the Assemblies, and was carefully concealed from the uninitiated, was laid open to the Neophytes after their baptism, and before they partook of the holy mysteries. They were then not only allowed, as before, to assist at the instructions given to the Catechumens, but were, moreover, detained, that what had hitherto been withheld, and what they were soon to receive, might be explained to them. This explanation we find in the Catechistical Discourses, which have come down to us.—Now, “all these so plainly exhibit our mysteries, that it would be impossible, at the present day, to express in terms more clear, precise, and energetic, the oblation of Sacrifice, Transubstantiation, and the Real Presence, with the adoration which it demands.” This will be clearly proved hereafter by the Extracts from the Catecheses of St. Cyril, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Ambrose, St. Gaudentius, and others.
THE LITURGIES.
All the Holy Fathers, who, during the first ages of the Church, make mention of the Liturgies before they were committed to writing; and all those who had occasion afterwards to speak of them, agree that “the substance of them was derived from the Apostles, and communicated by them to the Churches where they preached and established the Religion of Christ. The first Liturgy was that which was formed and used by the Apostles in the Church of Jerusalem. -Then other Liturgies were introduced into the other Patriarchate Churches in the East, viz. of Alexandria, Antioch, and Constantinople.
​“ The names or titles affixed to the Liturgies are of little signification. Some of them, indeed, refer to the Apostles who introduced the form of Christian worship in the Churches where these Liturgies were used. But what is of the highest consequence is, that the Liturgies contain the common form and order of public worship observed in those Churches; and, consequently, that they contain a public profession of the Faith of all the Clergy and People attached to them, in the ages in which these Liturgies were in use.
“ The most sacred part of the form of divine worship, the Canon (called the Anaphora in the Oriental Liturgies,) during the first two or three centuries, was only committed to memory, and retained by the Bishops and Priests, as the Apostles' Creed was learnt and retained by the faithful. ​The Canon was not written till about the beginning of the fifth age, when the danger of exposing all that was most sacred in the mysteries of Religion to the derision and blasphemy of infidels, was not so great, as it was in the first two or three centuries : but when the Canon was generally committed to writing, it was found to be the same, in substance, in all Christian countries. This shewed the unity of its origin, in the unity of that faith, which was every where taught by the Apostles, and which was the spirit of the body, and language of the Liturgies.”
LITURGY OF JERUSALEM. - " Have mercy on us, O God! the Father Almighty, and send thy Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, equal in dominion to Thee and to thy Son—who descended in the likeness of a dove on our Lord Jesus Christ—who descended on the holy Apostles in the likeness of tongues of fire;—that coming, he may make this bread, the life-giving body—the saving body—the heavenly body--the body giving health to souls and bodies—the body of our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and eternal life to those who receive it: Amen.And may make what is mixed in this chalice, the blood of the new Testament—the saving blood—the life-giving blood—the heavenly blood-the blood giving health to souls and bodies - the blood of our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, &c. Amen. Wherefore, we offer to thee, O Lord, this tremendous and unbloody sacrifice, for thy holy places which thou hast enlightened by the manifestation of Christ, thy Son, &c." ​Renaudot, Liturgiarum Orientalium Collectio, T. ii. p. 33, 34. Paris. 1716. “Grant thy blessing, O Lord, again and again, through this holy oblation and propitiatory sacrifice which is offered to God the Father; is sanctified, completed, and perfected by the descent of the Holy Ghost.-We earnestly pray,” &c. Ibid. p. 39. The Priest, from the larger part of the Eucharistic bread, breaks off a smaller part, which he dips in the chalice, and with it signs the rest in the form of a cross, saying: “The blood of our Lord is sprinkled on his body, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”—He then takes the body of Christ, saying: “ Grant, O Lord, that our bodies may be sanctified by thy holy body, and that our souls may be purified by thy propitiatory blood, &c.;" and distributing the Eucharist to the Priests, Deacons, and Laity, he says—“ The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is given to thee, for the pardon of offences, and the remission of sins, in this world and the next.” Ibid. p. 41, 42.
LITURGY OF ALEXANDRIA. - “ We offer to thee, o Lord, this rational and unbloody worship---which all nations, from the rising to the setting-sun,—from the north to the south, offer to thee, because thy name is great in all nations; and in every place, incense is offered to thy holy name, and sacrifice, and oblation.” Renaudot. T. i. p. 145.—“ Holy, holy, holy Lord! Truly heaven and earth are full of thy glory, by the manifestation of our Lord and God, and Sa​viour Jesus Christ. Grant, O God! that this sacrifice may be also full of thy blessing, by the coming of the most Holy Spirit: because our Lord, and God, and Sovereign King, Jesus Christ, in the night in which he delivered himself for our sins, and underwent death in his flesh for all,-sitting at table with his holy Disciples and Apostles, took bread in his holy and immaculate and innocent hands, looking up to heaven, to thee, his Father, and our God, and the God of all, he gave thanks, blessed it, sanctified it, broke it,and gave it to his holy and blessed Disciples and Apostles, saying, take, eat; for this is my body, which is broken for you, and distributed for the remission of sins. Amen.-In like manner also, taking the chalice, after he had supped, and mixing wine and water, looking up to thee his Father, and our God, and the God of all, he gave thanks—he blessed it-he sanctified it --he filled it with the Holy Ghost, and delivered it to his holy and blessed Disciples and Apostles, saying,-drink ye all of it: for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is poured forth for you and many, and is distributed for the remission of sins. Amen.-Do this in commemoration of me: for as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall announce my death, and confess my ascension, till I come,” &c. Ibid. p. 154-5-6.-" To thee, O Lord, our God, from thy own gifts we have offered thee what is thine. Send down upon us, and upon this bread, and this chalice, thy Holy Spirit; that he may sanctify and consecrate them, as God Almighty; and may make the bread indeed the body, and the chalice the blood of the New Testament of the very Lord, and God, and Saviour, and our Sovereign King, Jesus Christ,” &c. P. 157.--"Supreme Lord, God Almighty!-we beseech thee to expel the darkness of sin from our minds, and to exhilarate them with the splendour of thy Holy Spi​rit; that, filled with a lively sense of thee, we may worthily partake of the good things that are given to us,-the immaculate body, and precious blood of thy only begotten Son, our Lord, and God, and Saviour,” &c. Ibid. p. 160.-Giving communion to the Clergy, he says “ The holy body; the precious blood of our Lord, and God, and Saviour.” P. 162.“ We give thanks to Thee, O Sovereign Lord, our God, for the participation of thy holy, pure, immortal, and celestial mysteries, which thou hast given us : we pray and beseech Thee, O good Lord ! lover of mankind, that the communion of the holy body and precious blood of thy only begotten Son, may be to us—a viaticum of eternal life; an acceptable defence before the awful tribunal of thy Christ, by whom, and with whom, to thee be glory, and empire; with the most holy, and good, and vivifying Spirit,” &c. P. 163.—“ Thou hast given us, O Lord, sanctification, in the participation of the most holy body and precious blood of thine only begotten Son. Give us grace, and the gift of thy most holy Spirit; and preserve us irreprehensible in life, and lead us to the full effects of redemption and adoption, and to the future enjoyment of eternal blessings, &c. Amen.” P. 165.
LITURGY OF CONSTANTINOPLE. - " O Lord, God Almighty-make us worthy to offer thee gifts and spiritual sacrifices,—and grant, that we may find grace before thee, and that our sacrifice may be acceptable to thee,” &c. Goar Evyooyoy, sive Rituale Græcorum, Paris. 1647, p. 74.“ Bless, O Lord, the holy bread-Make indeed this bread the precious body of thy Christ-Bless, O Lord, the holy chalice; and what is in this chalice, the precious blood of thy Christ-changing by the Holy Spirit. Amen, Amen, ​Amen! That it may be to those who receive it, available to sobriety of soul; to the remission of sins; to the communication of the Holy Spirit; to the plenitude of the kingdom of heaven ; to confidence in Thee, not to sin or damnation.” P. 77.-“ Look down on us, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God —who sittest with the Father in the highest heavens, and art here invisibly present with us; and vouchsafe with thy powerful hand, to impart to us thy immaculate body and thy precious blood; and by us, to all the people.” Then dividing the holy bread into four parts, the Priest says: “ The Lamb of God is broken and divided; the Son of the Father ;' he is broken, but is not diminished; he is always eaten, but is not consumed; but he sanctifies those who are made partakers.” P. 81.–“Give me, O Lord, (says the Deacon) the precious and holy body of our Lord God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I give to thee (replies the Priest,) the precious, and holy, and pure body of our Lord and God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the remission of sin unto life everlasting.”Then receiving himself the holy bread, he says: “I believe, O Lord, and I confess, that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, &c. P. 82. Deacon, approach. Behold, I come (replies the Deacon) to the Immortal King! I believe, O Lord, and I confess, that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” &c. Then the Priest says: “Servant of God, Deacon N., thou dost communicate of the precious and holy body and blood of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the remission of thy sins, and everlasting life.” Ibid. p. 83.
APOSTOLIC LITURGY. - “We offer to thee, who art ​King and God, this bread and this chalice, according to the order of our Saviour.--We beseech thee to look down favourably upon these gifts in honour of Jesus Christ, and to send down upon this sacrifice thy Holy Spirit, the witness of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he may make this bread become the body of thy Christ, and this chalice his blood.”—At the communion, the people exclaim: “Hosanna to the Son of David! blessed be the Lord God, who cometh in the name of the Lord, and has shewn himself to us.” The rubric adds, “ The Bishop gives the Eucharist with these words :—It is the body of Jesus Christ! The receiver answers, Amen.—The Deacon gives the chalice, saying: It is the blood of Jesus Christ, the cup of life! The receiver answers, Amen.--And, after the Communion, the Deacon begins the thanksgiving, saying, “ after having received the precious body, and the precious blood of Jesus Christ, let us give thanks to Him, who has made us partake of his mysteries. The benediction is followed by the Sacrifice, (Lib. ii.) --and after it is offered, each one in order should receive the body and blood of the Lord, and approach to it with the fear and reverence due to the body of the King."
ROMAN LITURGY. - “ We beseech thee, O God! to cause that this oblation may be in all things blessed, admitted, ratified, reasonable, and acceptable ; that it may become for us the body and blood of thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.” After the consecration, the Priest says: "we offer to thy supreme Majesty, of thy gifts and benefits, a pure host, a holy host, an unspotted host, the holy bread of eternal life, and the chalice of everlasting salvation.” At the Communion, bowing down in sentiments of profound adoration ​and humility, and addressing himself to Jesus Christ, then present in his hand, he says thrice :-“ Lord, I am not worthy, that thou shouldst enter under my roof; but say only the word, and my soul shall be healed.” And giving the Communion, as in receiving it himself, he declares again, that it is the body of our Jesus Christ.
AMBROSIAN LITURGY. - “Receive, O most merciful Father, this holy bread; that it may be made the body of thy only begotten Son, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Receive, O Holy Trinity, this chalice, wine mixed with water, that it may be made the blood of thy only begotten Son. In the name of the Father, &c.”—When the Priest puts the particle of the divided host into the chalice, he says: “ May the mixture of the consecrated body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ avail us, who eat and receive it, to life and everlasting joy.”-Before he takes the sacrament into his hand, the Priest says: “ Holy Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God, grant to us so to receive this body of Jesus Christ, thy Son, and my Lord, that it may not turn to my judgment, but to the remission of my sins.” Dr. Poynter's Christianity, p. 148.
Syriac LITURGY. — “O Lord, make us worthy to stand before Thee with a pure heart; and to administer and offer this venerable and unbloody sacrifice, for the destruction of our sins, &c.” Renaudot, T. ii. p. 549.—“May thy Holy Spirit come down upon us, and upon these gifts, which we have presented, and may he sanctify them and make this ​bread, the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly body; the life-giving body; the precious body; for the expiation of faults, and the remission of sins, and eternal life, to those who receive it. Amen.--And this chalice, the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Lord God, who has dominion over all things; the redeeming blood; the life-giving blood; the expiating blood; which was poured forth, for the redemption and life of the world; for the expiation of faults, and the remission of sins, and eternal life to those who receive it.” P. 554.-“ O Holy of Holies ! O Lord God of armies! we offer to Thee this venerable and unbloody sacrifice, for the holy Churches which exist from one end of the earth to the other." P. 555.
LITURGY OF THE NESTORIANS. - “ O Lord, our God, by thy inexpressible grace, sanctify this sacrifice.” Renaudot, T. ii. p. 587.-“ Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, pray for me to thy only Son—that he would vouchsafe to forgive me my offences and sins, and receive this sacrifice from my weak and sinful hands, &c.”-p. 588.—Then dipping one part of the host into the chalice, and, with it, signing the other part, he says: “ The precious blood is signed with the holy body of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the name of the Father, &c.”—And the holy body is signed with the propitiatory blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the name of the Father, &c.-p.594.-"Christ our God, Lord, King, Saviour and Giver of life, has graciously made us worthy to receive his body and his precious and sanctifying blood, &c.” p. 596. -“We confess, O Lord, and our God, the abundant riches of thy grace upon us; although sinners, and of low condition, thou hast made us, through thy manifold clemency, worthy to administer the holy mysteries of the body and blood of thy Christ." p. 598.
​LITURGY OF THEODORUS. - “O Lord God, grant by thy grace and thy abundant mercies, that while we stand before thee with pure consciences, and offer to thee this living, holy, acceptable, glorious, rational, excellent, and unbloody sacrifice, we may find grace and mercy with thee.” Renaudot, T. ii. p. 616.—“ We offer before thy glorious Trinity, with a contrite heart, and in the spirit of humility, this living and holy sacrifice, which is the mystery of the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.” p. 619.
May the grace of the Holy Ghost come down upon us, and upon this oblation : may he dwell and infuse himself on this bread and on this chalice : may he bless and sanctify and sign them, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: and may the bread, by the virtue of thy name, this bread, I say, be made the holy body of our Lord Jesus Christ; and this chalice, the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; that whoever, with true faith, shall eat of this bread, and drink of this chalice, to him they may be, O Lord, the pardon of faults, and remission of sins, &c.” p. 621.
LITURGY OF NESTORIUS. - “The living and rational oblation of our first fruits, and the unbloody and acceptable victim of the Son, of our race --which Apostles have openly preached—which Martyrs have testified by their blood which Doctors have explained in the Church-which Priests have offered and immolated on the holy Altar—which the People have received for the expiation of their sins, is now being offered to God, the Lord of all, for all creatures." Ibid, p. 626.—“ We offer to thee this living, holy, acceptable, excellent, and unbloody sacrifice, for all creatures." p. 630.-—“ May the grace of the Holy Ghost come, and dwell, and rest on this oblation, which we are offering ​before thee; may he sanctify it, and make it, i.e. this bread and chalice, the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ ; thou transmuting them, and sanctifying them, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, that the receiving of these holy mysteries may avail all who receive them, unto eternal lifemay we be worthy, with a pure conscience, to partake of the body and blood of thy Christ, &c.—since we have externally received thy body, may thy virtue internally dwell in us–Grant that thy living body, O Lord, which we have eaten, and thy pure blood, which we have drunk, may not turn to our detriment, but to the expiation of our crimes, and the remission of our sins, O Lord of all.” p. 633-4.
COPTIC LITURGY. - “Do thou, O Lord, make us worthy, by the power of thy Holy Spirit, to perform this ministry—and offer to thee this sacrifice of blessing—Grant that our sacrifice may be accepted by thee, for our sins, and for the follies of thy people, &c.” Renaudot, T. i. p. 2–“O Lord Jesus Christ, we beg and intreat thy goodness, O Lover of Mankind, look down on this bread and on this chalice, which we have placed on this thy sacerdotal table: bless them, sanctify them, and consecrate them: change them, so that indeed this bread may become thy holy body; and that which is mixed in this chalice, thy precious blood; that they may be to us a safe-guard, &c.” p. 3.-" The riches of thy blessings, O Lord, surpass all power of speech, and all conception of the mind—Thou hast manifested to us the dispensation of thy Son, and the sacred rite of this unbloody sacrifice; for this is not a sacrifice of blood, according to the ancient law; or of justification, according to the flesh; but the lamb is the spiritual victim, slain by a spiritual and incorporeal sword, in this sacrifice, which we offer to thee." p. 12.-“ We beseech thee, O Christ our God ​that thy Holy Spirit may come down upon us, and upon these gifts and offerings, and may sanctify them, and may make them thy holy of holies—And may He make this bread, the holy body of the same Lord our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, which is given for the remission of sins, and eternal life to him who shall partake of it. And this chalice, the precious blood of thy New Testament, of the same Lord, our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, which is given for the remission of sins, &c." p. 16.-“ We pray (God the Father) to make us worthy of the communion and participation of his divine and immortal mysteries, the holy body and precious blood of his Christ.” p. 19.-Holding his hand elevated, with three parts of the consecrated host in it, the Priest says: “ The holy body, and precious, pure, true blood of Jesus Christ, the Son, our God. Amen. The body and blood of Emmanuel, our God, this is in real truth. Amen. I believe, I believe, I believe and confess, to the last breath of my life, that this is the life-giving body of thine only begotten Son, our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. He received it from the Lady of us all, the Mother of God, the sacred and holy Mary-Make us all worthy, O Lord, to receive thy holy body and thy precious blood, for the cleansing of our bodies, souls, and spirits, and the remission of our sins.” p. 23, 24.
ALEXANDRIAN LITURGY. - " Do not reject us sinners, who are offering to Thee this tremendous and unbloody sacrifice.” Renaudot, T. i. p. 57.-“ Grant that with all fear, and a pure conscience, we may offer to thee this spiritual and unbloody sacrifice on this holy altar.” p. 61.-Elevating the larger part of the consecrated host, he says: “ Τα αγια τοις αγιους—The holy body and precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Amen. The holy, precious body, and true blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Amen.-The body ​and blood of Emmanuel, our God, this is truly. Amen.-I believe, I believe, I believe and confess, till my last breath, that it is the very life-giving flesh of thy only begotten Son, our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. He took it of our Holy Lady, Mother of God, and ever Virgin Mary.” p. 83.
COPTIC LITURGY.-“ O Lord-make me worthy to assist at thy altar; let it not turn to my judgment, but may I offer to thee this rational and unbloody sacrifice with a pure conscience, &c.” Ibid. p. 26.—“Do thou, O Lord, by thy voice alone change these things, which are offered-send down upon us the grace of thy Holy Spirit, who may sanctify and change these gifts, that have been offered, into the body and blood of our salvation. And mayest thou make this bread thy holy body, O Lord our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, which is given for the remission of sins, and life eternal to those, who communicate of it. And again, this chalice, the precious blood of thy New Testament, O Lord our God, and Saviour Jesus Christ, which was given, &c. Amen." Ibid, p. 31.-In the confession of Faith, the Priest and People say:
“ The holy body and precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of our God. Amen.—The holy and precious body and the true blood of Jesus Christ, the son of our God. Amen. The body and blood of Emmanuel, our God, this is reality and truth: Amen.-I believe, I believe, I believe and confess, to the last breath of my life, that this is the life-giving body, which thou didst receive, O Christ our God, from our Lady, the Mother of God, the pure and holy Mary.” p. 36.-“We give thanks to thee, O Christ-because thou hast loved us in such a manner, as to deliver thyself to be immolated for our salvation, and hast communicated life to us, by thy holy body and thy precious blood, ​with the participation of which thou hast just now been pleased to bless us.” p. 37.
ALEXANDRIAN LITURGY. “O King of Glory—Thou hast committed to us the celebration of this liturgical and unbloody sacrifice-make me worthy to stand at thy Holy Table, and to consecrate thy immaculate body and thy precious blood.” Renaudot, T. i. p. 94.—“Do thou, O Lord, by thy voice, change these offerings : do thou, who art here present, complete this mystical Liturgy-Do thou send down thy Holy Spirit, that coming-He may sanctify and transmute these precious offerings and holy gifts into the very body and blood of our redemption--and may he make indeed this bread to be thy body, O Lord, God and Saviour, and Sovereign King of us all, Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and life eternal to those who communicate of it. Amen. And this chalice, thy precious blood of the New Testament, &c. Amen.” p. 105-6.—“ The holy body, and precious true blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Amen. I believe, I believe, I believe,” &c. (as above) p. 122.
COPTIC LITURGY. “Make us all worthy, O Lord, to stand before thee with a pure heart, and a soul full of thy grace, and to offer to thee this holy, rational, spiritual, and unbloody sacrifice.” Renaudot, T.i. p. 39.—“And send down from thy high sanctuary--the Paraclete, thy Holy Spirit upon us, thy servants, and upon these venerable gifts laid before thee, upon this bread and upon this chalice, that they may be purified, and may be changed—and may he make this bread the body of Christ. Amen-and may he make this chalice the precious blood of the New Testament - Amen-of the same Lord, God, Saviour and King of us all, Jesus Christ, Amen. That they may be to us all, who shall ​receive them, available to faith, without disputing,-to charity, without hypocrisy," &c. Ivid, p. 48, 49.
The greatest part of the preceding extracts, relating to the Sacrifice of the Mass, the Real Presence, and the change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, is taken from the Anaphora or Canon of the Liturgies referred to, which comprises the most sacred part of the public service,- the oblation, consecration, and distribution of the Holy Mysteries.“ In other parts of the ancient Liturgies we see mention made of the ornaments or vestments of the Priests and Deacons of the preparation of the altar—and of the bread and wine for the sacrifice of the use of incense at the altar, in all the Liturgical functions—of prayers for the forgiveness of sins—of the Epistle and Gospel-of the Creed, or Profession of Faith-of the offering of the bread and wine-of the Preface and Sanctus--not to speak, at present, of the invocation of the Saints in heaven, and of supplications for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed.
“Some of these extracts are taken from the Liturgies, or form of public worship, used from the beginning, in the Oriental Patriarchal Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Constantinople, and in Churches under their respective jurisdictions. Other extracts are taken from the Liturgies used by the different divisions of the Nestorian and Eutychian sects in the East, which retain the full substance of the ancient orthodox Liturgies of the Churches, in which these sects made their appearance, with the addition of a very few particular sentences, expressive of the Nestorian and Eutychian doctrines. But on the nature of the sacrifice of the Mass—on the oblation of the true body and blood of Christ, really present under the appearances of bread and wine--on the reception of the same by the faithful in the Holy Communion,-and on the miraculous change of bread and wine into the body and blood of our ​Divine Saviour,--these Liturgies of the Nestorians and Eutychians are as clear and expressive as any of the ancient Liturgies of the orthodox Churches. This language of the Nestorians and Eutychians was not borrowed from the Catholic Churches of Jerusalem, or Alexandria, or Constantinople, after the years 431 or 451, when these heretics were separated from the communion of the Church : but it was the Liturgical language of the orthodox Churches, with which Nestorius and Eutyches were in communion before their separation, and which had used the substance of the same form of public prayer and worship, from the first establishment of Christianity in them.
“ Besides the Liturgies cited above, Renaudot produces thirty-six other Liturgies used by the Syrian Jacobites, or Eutychians. They are taken from books used in their Churches. They vary in the form of words; but all express the substance of the same doctrines of Faith, relating to the sacrifice of the Mass, the Real Presence, and Transubstantiation, as well as to the invocation of Saints in heaven, and prayers for the dead.
“It is impossible to read these oriental Liturgies, these forms of public worship, embodying the doctrines of Faith professed by the Churches, in which they were used, and to notice the ancient and universal doctrinal uniformity which they present, in the simplicity of their language; without candidly acknowledging that the true body and blood of Christ were believed to be really present under the appearances of bread and wine ; and were offered as the Christian sacrifice, and received as the Holy Sacrament of the New Law, in those Churches in the East, in which Christianity was first established by the Apostles."
I will now proceed to shew, that the languge of the Holy Fathers, when they were allowed to speak their sentiments ​openly, corresponds exactly with the language of the Liturgies. I must, however, premise that “the Fathers lived under the discipline of the secret ; and observed it so strictly, that they were ready to shed their blood, rather than violate it by betraying the mysteries; and, among others, that of the Eucharist. They could speak openly of it, without fear, to the Faithful, either in their family circles, or in the Church, in discourses delivered to them exclusively. They were obliged to expose them with all possible clearness to the Neophytes, previous to admitting them to communion, and on the following days. On the contrary, in the presence of the unbaptized, the secret was scrupulously kept and if it were prohibited to confide the least portion to a single individual, uninitiated, it must have been much more so to speak openly of the mysteries in writings intended for public circulation. “How could it be proper,' says St. Basil, 'to write or circulate among the public, what the uninitiated are forbidden to contemplate?' It would, therefore, be the height of folly to seek their belief in writings, where they were not permitted to divulge it, as in those, which they published against the Pagans and heretics of their times; or in discourses pronounced with open doors, before Catechumens and Gentiles. Any sensible man, wishing to learn in the school of the Fathers, what has been revealed on the subject of the Eucharist, will open those instructions, which they gave to the newly baptised-and before all others, the Catecheses.” of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, of St. Ambrose, St. Gre​gory of Nyssa, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Gaudentius, St. Chrysostom, and St. Augustin, which will be found below, in their proper places.
FATHERS.
CENT. I.
ST. IGNATIUS, G. C. These Gnostic heretics "abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not acknowledge the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father by his goodness resuscitated. Rejecting therefore this gift of God they die in their disputes.” Ep. ad Smyrn. p. 36. T. ii. PP. Apost. Amstelædami, 1724.—“I take no delight in food that perishes, nor in the pleasures of this life. What I desire is the bread of God, the heavenly bread, the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ the Son of God, who was born of the seed of David; and I desire the drink of God, his blood, which is charity incorruptible, and eternal life.” Ep. ad Rom. p. 29. Ibid.
CENT II.
ST. JUSTIN, L. C. “Our prayers being finished, we ​embrace one another with the kiss of peace. Then to him who presides over the brethren, is presented bread, and wine tempered with water; having received which, he gives glory to the Father of all things in the name of the Son and the Holy Ghost, and returns thanks, in many prayers, that he has been deemed worthy of these gifts. These offices being duly performed, the whole assembly, in acclamation, answers Amen; when the ministers, whom we call deacons, distribute to each one present a portion of the blessed bread, and the wine and water: some is also taken to the absent. This food we call the Eucharist, of which they alone are allowed to partake, who believe the doctrines taught by us, and have been regenerated by water for the remission of sin, and who live as Christ ordained. Nor do we take these gifts, as common bread and common drink ; but as Jesus Christ, our Saviour, made man by the word of God, took flesh and blood for our salvation : in the same manner, we have been taught, that the food which has been blessed by the prayer of the words which he spoke, and by which our blood and flesh, in the change, are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus incarnate.co) The Apostles, in the commentaries written by them, which are called Gospels, have delivered, that Jesus so commanded, when taking bread, having given thanks, he said: Do this in remembrance of me; This is my body. In like manner, taking the cup, and giving thanks, he said : This is my blood : and that he distributed both to them only.” Apol. i. Hagæ Comitum, 1742, p. 82, 83.
St. IRENÆUS, L.C. “It is our duty to make an offering to God, and with a pure heart, a sincere faith, a firm hope, and a fervent charity, to present to the maker of all things, the first fruits of his creatures. But this pure oblation, the Church alone makes. The Jews make it not, for their hands ​are stained with blood; and they received not the Word that is offered to God. Nor do the assemblies of heretics make it; for how can these prove, that the bread, over which the words of thanksgiving have been pronounced, is the body of their Lord, and the cup his blood, while they do not admit that he is the Son, that is, the Word, of the Creator of the world ?-Or how again do they maintain, that the flesh turns to corruption, and partakes not of life, which is nourished with the body and blood of the Lord? Wherefore, let them either give up their opinion, or cease from making that offering. But our sentiment accords with the nature of the Eucharist, and, the Eucharist again confirms our sentiment. The bread that we receive is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two things, terrestrial and celestial.” Adv. Hær. Lib.iv. c. xviii. p. 251.—“They are truly vain, (these heretics) who contemn the whole divine system, and denying the salvation and regeneration of the flesh, maintain that it is not susceptible of incorruption. According to this then, the Lord did not redeem us by his blood; nor is the cup of the Eucharist the participation of his blood, nor the bread, which we break, the participation of his body. When, therefore, the mingled chalice and the broken bread receive the word of God, they become the Eucharist of the body and blood of Christ, by which the substance of our flesh is increased and strengthened : how then can they pretend, that this flesh is not susceptible of eternal ​life, which is nourished by the body and blood of the Lord, and is his member? And as a section of the vine laid in the earth, produces fruit in due season, and in like manner the grain of corn is multiplied, by the blessing of God, which afterwards are used for the benefit of man, and receiving on them the word of God, become the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ: so our bodies, nourished by that Eucharist, and then laid in the earth, and dissolved in it, shall, in due time, rise again.” Ibid. L. v. c. 11. p. 293, 294.
CENT. III.
ORIGEN, G. C. Though this great man be very fond of allegorising, that is, of not confining himself to the literal meaning of the Scriptures; yet, on this subject of the Eucharist, he seems sometimes to speak sufficiently plain : thus in his great work against Celsus, he says: “We who study to please the Creator of all things, with prayers and giving of thanks for benefits received, eat of the breads that are offered, which by prayer are made a certain holy body. By this, they who partake of it with a pure spirit, are rendered more holy.” Lib. viii. T. 1. p.766.–Again: “You that have been accustomed to be present at the divine mysteries, know, when you receive the body of the Lord, with what care and veneration you preserve it, lest any particle of it fall to the ground, or be lost: and you think yourselves guilty, and with reason, if it should so happen through your negligence. Hom. xiii. in Exod. T. ii. p. 176.—“In former times baptism was obscurely represented in the cloud and in ​the sea: but now regeneration is in kind, in water, and in the Holy Ghost. Then, obscurely, manna was the food; but now in kind the flesh of the Word of God is the true food; even as he said: my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. Hom. vii. in Num. T. ii. p. 290.
St. HIPPOLYTUS, G. C. Commenting on the words of Proverbs ix.-Wisdom hath built herself a house; he says, “He (Christ) prepared his table, that is, the promised knowledge of the Holy Trinity, and moreover his venerable and sacred body and blood, which are every day offered up") in remembrance of that divine and mysterious supper.Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you, that is, his divine body and his venerable blood, which he gave us to eat and drink”) for the remission of sins." In Prov. c. ix. p. 282.
FERMILIAN, G. C. “What a crime is committed by those who admit, and those who are admitted, when they have the presumption to receive the holy communion, before they have declared their sins, and washed away their stains in the bath of the Church, impiously touching the body and the blood of the Lord; since it is written: 'He that shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord!” ” Ep. ad Cyprian. Conc. Gen. T.i. p. 757.
​St. CYPRIAN, L. C. Speaking of those who, in time of persecution, had, through weakness, denied their faith, he relates instances of signal judgments that had fallen on many, who, after that, dared to profane the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. The facts may, perhaps, by some, be disputed, but the belief of the narrator, on the point of the real presence in the elements, cannot be questioned. “A woman having brought home with her-which then was usual-part of the consecrated bread, when she attempted to open the box which contained the Holy Thing of the Lord, was alarmed by a rising flame. And a man, in similar circumstances, opening his hand, discovered nothing but ashes.” De Lapsis, p. 189.-Of the same weak Christians he had before said: “ Returning from the altar of the devil, they approach, with filthy and sordid hands, to the holy of the Lord. In this state of contamination, they invade his body. Regardless of the menaces of God, they dare to offer violence to the body and blood of the Lord; thus sinning more against him, than when they denied him.” Ibid, p. 186.—“ Christ is the bread of life, and this is not the bread of all, but it is ours : and as we say, Our Father, because he is the Father of the intelligent and the believing; so we say our bread, because Christ is the bread of those who approach his body. This bread we daily pray for, lest, belonging to Christ, and receiving the Eucharist daily for the food of salvation, we be withheld, by some grievous crime, from that heavenly bread, and be separated from the body of Christ. He has said: I am the bread of life who came down from heaven. If any one eat of my bread, he shall live for ever. But the bread, which I shall give, is my flesh for the life of the world. Hence it is manifest, that ​they have this life, who approach his body, and receive the Eucharist." De Orat. Dom. p. 209.
He elsewhere laments, that some ministers of the altar dared, before the forms of repentance and confession were fulfilled, to distribute the Eucharist, and thus“ profane the holy body of the Lord.” Ep. x. p. 20.—“ At this time, peace is necessary not to the weak, but to the strong; that while we excite and exhort them to battle, we leave them not naked and unarmed, but fortified by the body and blood of Christ. N-For how can we urge them to shed their own blood, if we refuse them the blood of Christ? Or how do we fit them for the cup of martyrdom, unless we first admit them in the Church to partake of the chalice of the Lord ?” Ep. liv. p. 77, 78.-“ When the Lord called the bread his body, which bread is formed of many grains, he indicated the union of his people; and calling the wine his blood, which is pressed from many grapes, he signified the conjunction of his flock.” Ep. lxxvi. p. 153.
CENT. IV.
COUNCIL OF NICE, G. C. Condemning an abuse, which had crept in, that deacons, in some places, administered the Eucharist to priests, the Council says: “That neither canon nor custom has taught, that they (deacons), who have themselves no power to offer, should give the body of Christ to them that possess that power.” Can. xviii. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 38.
​JUVENCUS, L. C. Speaking of the institution of the Eucharist, he says: “Christ taught his disciples, that he delivered to them his own body;" and when he gave them the chalice," he taught them, that he had distributed to them his blood: and said, this blood will remit the sins of the people : drink this, it is mine." Bibl. Max. PP.T.iv. p. 74,
EUSEBIUS OF CÆSAREA, G. C. “ Since then, as the New Testament establishes, we have been instructed to celebrate the memory of this sacrifice of his body and of his saving blood, again we are taught by the prophet David to say: Thou hast prepared a table before me. (Ps. 22.) In these things he openly signifies a mystical unction, and the august offerings of the table of Christ, by which we have learnt to offer to our supreme Lord, through the hand of this great high-priest, unbloody, rational, and benignant sacrifices.“ Dem. Evang. L. 1. c. x. p. 39.—“He shall have delight in the Lord, whose mind being purged from all defilement, shall eat the living bread, the life-giving flesh of the Lord, and drink his saving blood." Com. in Psal. xxxvi. T. i. p. 149. Collect. Nova Montfaucon. Paris. 1706. 6 We, who by faith are called to sanctification, possess the bread from heaven, that is, Christ, or his body.n) Should it be asked, what the power of that body is, we answer: It is ​vivifying, because it gives life to the world.” Ibid. Com. in c. iii. Isaiæ, T. ii. p. 368.
ST. ATHANASIUS, G. C. “Our Sanctuaries are now pure, as they always were; having been rendered venerable by the blood alone of Christ, and embellished by his worship.” Apol. adv. Arian. T. 1. p. 127.—“ Take care then, O Deacon, not to give to the unworthy the blood of the immaculate body, lest you incur the guilt of giving holy things to dogs.” Serm. de Incontam. Myst. T. ii. p. 35. Collect. Nova. Montfaucon.—Parisiis, 1706.
St. Hilary, L. C. “ If the Word, truly, was made flesh, and we, truly, receive this Word for our food: how can he be thought not to dwell naturally in us, who assumed the nature of our flesh inseparably united to him, and communicates, in the sacrament, that nature to us? For thus, we are all one : because the Father is in Christ, and Christ in us. We are not to speak of heavenly things as we do of human."—Of the natural verity of Christ in us, whatever we speak, we speak foolishly and wickedly, unless we learn of him; for it is he that said: my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (Jo. 6. 56.) There is no place to doubt of the truth of Christ's flesh and blood; for now, by the profession of the Lord himself, and according to our belief, it is truly flesh, and truly blood. But he himself attests how we are in him by the sacramental communication of his body and blood : And the world, says he, sees me not, but you see me, because I live and you shall live ; for I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John xiv. 19, 20). If he wished the unity of will alone to be ​progression in the formation of it; but that he should be in the Father, by the nature of the divinity; we in him, by his corporal birth; and he in us by the sacramental mystery." De Trin. L. viii. p. 954, 955, 956.
ST. JAMES OF NISIBIS,G.C.—“Listen now, my friend, to what I shall say concerning this Passover, the mystery and figure of which were given to that first people, but of which the truth is now proclaimed among the Gentiles. Our Lord ate the Passover with his disciples, on that fourteenth night on which he was taken; delivering to them the sacrament of the true Passover. For after Judas had gone out from them, he took bread, blessed it, and gave it to them, saying: This is my body, &c. He blessed the wine also, saying, This is my blood, &c. But our Lord did this before he was apprehended; and leaving the place, where he made the Passover, and gave his body to be eaten, and his blood to be drunk, he went thither with his disciples, where he was seized. As, therefore, his body had been now eaten, and his blood drunk, he was reckoned to be among the dead. For our Lord gave his body with his own hands, for food; and his blood for drink, before he was crucified.” Serm. xiv. 340.—“ Truly, O man, it is unbecoming and impious, that filth should pass through that door, by which the Lord enters. Abstain from all uncleanness, and then receive the body and blood of Christ. Cautiously guard your mouth, through which the Lord has entered, and be it no longer the passage to words of uncleanness.” Serm. iii. p. 46.-Speaking of the expiation of sin, (Isaiah, i. 15.) your hands are full ​of blood; wash yourselves, &c.) he says: “ But sinners shall not be cleansed, unless they be washed in the waters of baptism, and receive the body and blood of Christ. Blood is expiated by blood; and the body is cleansed by the body; and sins are washed away by water.” Serm. iv. p. 77.--" Our Saviour washed the feet of his disciples, giving them thereby a noble example of humility. Having washed the feet of his disciples, he sat down again to table, and then gave them his body and blood.” Serm. xiv. p. 347.
ST. EPHREM OF EDESSA, G. C.-“ His body, by a new method, is mixed with our bodies, and his most pure blood is transfused into our veins. He is wholly incorpora with us. And because he loved his Church - he was made the bread of life, that he might give himself to be eaten.” Hymn. xxxvii. de Virginitate, Bibl. Orient. Assemani, T. 1. p. 97.—“ Consider, my beloved, with what fear those stand before the throne, who wait on a mortal king. How much more does it behove us to appear before the heavenly king with fear and trembling, and with awful gravity? Hence it becomes us not, boldly to look on the mysteries, that lie before us, of the body and blood of our Lord.” Paræn. xix. T. 11. p. 95. Edit. Quirini.-“ Sedulously consider all these things, and believe that they are true, as they are related. For if you view them not with the eyes of faith, you cannot rise from the earth to heaven, nor in spirit behold what Christ suffered. When the eye of faith is clearly open, it contemplates, in a pure light, the lamb of God, who was immolated for us, and who gave us his body for our food to the remission of our sins. This same eye of faith manifestly beholds the Lord, eating his body and drinking his blood, and ​indulges no curious enquiry.—You believe that Christ, the Son of God, for you was born in the flesh. Then why do you search into what is inscrutable? Doing this you prove your curiosity, not your faith. Believe then, and with a firm faith receive the body and blood of our Lord.—Abraham placed earthly food before the celestial spirits,(Gen.xviii.) of which they ate. This was wonderful. But what Christ has done for us greatly exceeds this, and transcends all speech, and all conception. To us, that are in the flesh, he has given to eat his body and blood. Myself incapable of comprehending the mysteries of God, I dare not proceed; and should I attempt it, I should only shew my own rashness.” De Nat. Dei, minime scrutanda. T. iii. p. 423-4.
St. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G.C. -In his instructions addressed to those who had been newly baptized, he says : “ The bread and wine, which, before the invocation of the adorable Trinity, were nothing but bread and wine, become, after this invocation, the body and blood of Christ." Catech. Mystag. 1. n. vii. p. 308. -“The Eucharistic bread, after the invocation of the Holy Spirit, is no longer common bread, but the body of Christ.” Ibid. Catech. 111. n.iii. p.316.— The doctrine of the blessed Paul alone is sufficient to give certain proofs of the truth of the divine mysteries; and you being deemed worthy of them, are become one body and one blood with Christ. For this great Apostle says : That our Lord, in the same night wherein he was ​delivered, having taken bread and given thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying to them, Take and eat, this is my body. Afterwards he took the cup, and said, Take and drink, this is my blood. As then Christ, speaking of the bread, declared, and said, this is my body, who shall dare to doubt it? And, as speaking of the wine, he positively assured us, and said, this is my blood, who shall doubt it and say, that it is not his blood? Catech. Myst. iv. n. 1. p. 319.
“ Jesus Christ, in Cana of Galilee, once changed water into wine by his will only; and shall we think him less worthy of credit, when he changes wine into blood Invited to an earthly marriage, he wrought this miracle ; and shall we hesitate to confess, that he has given to his children his body to eat, and his blood to drink ? Wherefore, with all confidence, let us take the body and blood of Christ. For in the type or figure of bread, his body is given to thee, and in the type or figure of wine, his blood is given; that so being made partakers of the body and blood of Christ, you may become one body and one blood with him. Thus, the body and blood of Christ being distributed in our members, we become Christofori, that is, we carry Christ with us; and thus, as S. Peter says, “ we are made partakers of the divine nature.” Ibid. n. ii. iii. p. 320.–At another time, speaking to the Jews, Jesus Christ says: Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you shall have no life in you. (John, vi.) But they not understanding the words spiritually, were offended with them, and withdrew from him, because they ​fancied, that he would make them eat human flesh. In the old dispensation there were loaves of bread which were offered before God, and because they pertained to that old dispensation, they have ceased with it: but now in the new dispensation, there is bread from heaven, and a cup of salvation, which sanctify soul and body. For as the bread is the nourishment which is proper to the body; so the Word is the nourishment which is proper to the soul. Wherefore I conjure you, my brethren, not to consider them any more as common bread and wine, since they are the body and blood of Jesus Christ according to his words; and although your sense might suggest that to you, let faith confirm you. Judge not of the thing by your taste, but by faith assure yourself, without the least doubt, that you are honoured with the body and blood of Christ. This knowing, and of this being assured, that what appears to be bread, is not bread, though it be taken for the bread by the taste, but is the body of Christ; and that which appears to be wine, is not the wine, though the taste will have it so, but is the blood of Christ.” Ibid. n. iv. v. vi. ix. p. 320, 321, 322.
Addressing the Neophytes, he thus explains the Liturgy: “You have seen the Deacon present to the officiating Priest, and to the attendant priests, water to wash their hands.After that, the officiating Priest says aloud, Raise up your hearts: for it is at this awful moment particularly, that you should raise up your hearts to God, and have them disengaged from all that is earthly–At these words of the Priest, you answer: We have our hearts raised up to the Lord; and by this you profess to do what he requires. The Priest continues : Let us give thanks to the Lord.—You answer: It is ​right and just to give thanks to the Lord.-We then recite that sacred hymn, which the seraphim chant in heaven in honour of the three Divine Persons, that by this celestial psalmody, we may communicate with the angelic host, and that being more and more sanctified by these spiritual canticles, we may with greater purity entreat so good and kind a God to send down the Holy Spirit on the things, that are offered, and to make the bread become the body of Jesus Christ, and the wine his blood. For all that receives the impression of the Holy Spirit is sanctified and changed into another substance, Now, when the spiritual sacrifice ended, and this unbloody worship rendered to God by means of the host of expiation, is completed, we pray for the peace of all the Churches ; for the tranquillity of the world; for kings and their armies; and for their allies; for the afflicted; in a word, for all who stand in need of the divine assistance. (Here comes the prayer for the dead, which will be found under Proposition XII.) You say afterwards : Our Father, who art in heaven. After this, you hear the voice of the chanter, who by a melodious and divine canticle, invites you to the communion of the sacred mysteries, saying these words : Taste and see how sweet is the Lord. Do you think that you are commanded to make this discovery by the mere taste of the palate? In no wise; but by the testimony of faith, which is certain and leaves no room for doubt. For, when you communicate, you are not commanded to taste the bread and wine, but to take the sacrament of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Now, when you approach to communicate, you must not come with your hands stretched out, or your fingers open; ​but with your left hand supporting your right hand, which is to hold so great a king, receive the body of Jesus Christ in the hollow of that hand, saying, Amen.-Be very careful that nothing falls, considering the loss of the smallest particle, as if you should lose a member of your body.—After having thus communicated of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, approach to the chalice of the blood, not stretching out your hands, but bowing down in the attitude of homage and adoration, and saying, Amen. Cat. Myst. v. p. 239, 244. Parisiis. 1631.
ST. OPTATUS OF MILEVIS, L. C.—“ What is so sacrile gious as to break, to erase, and to remove the altars of God, on which you yourselves once made offerings ? On them the vows of the people, and the members of Christ were borne. For what is the altar, but the seat of the body and blood of Christ? What offence had Christ given, whose body and blood, at certain times, do there dwell? —This huge 'impiety is doubled, whilst you broke also the chalices, the bearers of the blood of Christ.” Adv. Parmen. L. vi. p. 91, 92, 93.-Among other excesses with which he charges the Donatists, he had before mentioned, that they ordered the consecrated elements to be poured out to dogs; which, seized with madness, turned against their masters, as against strangers, " guilty of the body of the Lord.” Ibid. L. ii. p. 39.
St. BASIL, G. C.-“About the things that God has spoken, there should be no hesitation, nor doubt, but a firm persuasion, that all is true and possible, though Nature be against it. Herein lies the struggle of Faith—The Jews, therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man ​give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them : Amen, amen, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. (Jo. vi. 53, 54.)— Regula viii. Moral. T. ii. p. 240.-With what fear, with what conviction, with what affection of mind, should we partake of the body and blood of Christ? The Apostle teaches us to fear, when he says: He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgement to himself. (1 Cor. xi. 29.) While the words of the Lord: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you (Ibid. 24.) create a firm conviction.” Ibid. in Reg. brev. Interrog. clxxii. p. 472.-" The Christian must be without spot or stain-and thus prepared to eat the body of Christ, and drink his blood.” Ibid. In Moral Reg. lxxx. c. 22. p. 318.—“ It is very profitable, every day, to partake of the body and blood of Christ; since he himself says: He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life. (Jo. vi. 55) We communicate four times in the week, on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and on other days, if there be a commemoration of any Saint.—At Alexandria, and in Egypt, the people, generally have the communion in their houses, and they receive it as they judge proper, having received it from the priest.” Ep. xcii. T. iii. p. 186.-“What can be said of that person, who dares idly, and uselessly, to eat the body, and drink the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ," and thus sometimes more afflicts the divine Spirit, while he eats without charity? Let us therefore judge, and not live to ourselves, but eat and drink to him, who died and rose again for us. It is the duty of him who approaches to the body ​and blood of Christ, and to the memory of his passion, not only to be pure from all defilement, but likewise to shew forth and express the remembrance of the death of Christ, lest he eat and drink to his own judgement." L. 1. De Bap. c. III. T. ii. p. 651.—“If he who was unclean, under the old law, might not touch what was holy, how much more criminal is he, who, in the impurity of his soul, rashly approaches to the body of our Lord. Let us therefore cleanse ourselves from all defilement.” Ibid. L. ii. Interrog. III. p. 654.
St. GREGORY OF NYSSA, G. C.-“As that which is pernicious is admitted into our bodies, so should that which is salutary; in order that the virtue of this latter may bring aid to us. When this salutary medicine is within us, it repels, by its contrary quality, the poison we had received. But what is this medicine? No other than that body, which was shewn to be more powerful than death,y) and was the beginning of our life; and which could not otherwise enter into our bodies, than by eating and drinking:--Now we must consider, how it can be, that one body, which so constantly, through the whole world, is distributed to so many thou. sands of the faithful, can be whole in each receiver, and itself remain whole. :) The body of Christ, by the inhabitation of the Word of God, was transmuted into a divine dignity : and so I now believe, that the bread, sanctified by the Word ​of God is transmuted into the body of the Word of God. This bread, as the Apostle says, is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer, not that, as food, it passes into his body, but that it is instantly changed into the body of Christ, agreeably to what he said, This is my body. And therefore does the divine Word commix itself with the weak nature of man, that, by partaking of the divinity, our humanity may be exalted. By the dispensation of his grace, he enters, by his flesh, into the breasts of the faithful, commixed and contempered with their bodies," that, by being united to that which is immortal, man may partake of incorruption.” Orat. Catech. c. xxxvii. T. ii. p. 534-7.—He concludes this chapter by observing, that, “it is by virtue of the benediction that the nature of the visible species is changed into his body.” “ The bread also is, at first, common bread; but, when it has been sanctified, it is called and is made the body of Christ.” Orat. in Bapt. Christi, T. ii. p. 802.
St. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUM, G. C.-He says of his sister, labouring under a grievous disorder: “Despairing of all other help, she has recourse to the universal physician - She falls down in faith before the altar, and calls upon him who is there adored.” Orat. 1. T. i. p. 186.-“ The law puts a staff in your hand, that you may not stagger in your souls, when you hear of the blood, passion and death of God. But rather without shame and doubting, eat the body, and ​drink the blood, if you sigh after life, never doubting of what you hear concerning his flesh, nor scandalized at his passion. Keep firm, and resolved not to be shaken by the discourse of your adversaries, nor carried away by their efforts. With your foot upon the rock, and your body resting on the column of the temple, remain immoveable on the pinnacle which you occupy.” Ibid. Orat. xlii. p. 690.
ST. AMBROSE, L. C.-" The manna in the desert was given in figure. You have known things more excellent. For light is preferable to the shadow; truth to figure; the body of Christ to the manna of heaven. But you may say: I see somewhat else; how do you assert, that I shall receive the body of Christ? This remains to be proved.—How many examples may we not make use of to shew, that we have not here what nature formed, but what the divine blessing has consecrated, and that the virtue of this blessing is more powerful than that of nature ; because by it nature itself is changed? Moses held the rod; he cast it on the ground; and it became a serpent. Again he took it by the tail, and again it became a rod. See you not that, by the prophetic power, the nature of the rod and the serpent was twice changed?” He proceeds to instance many other miraculous changes, as recorded in Scripture, and then adds: “If now the blessing of men was powerful enough to change nature, what must we not say of the divine consecration, when the very words of our Lord operate? For that sacrament which you receive, is accomplished by the word of Christ. If the word of Elias could call down fire from heaven; shall not the word of Christ be able to change the form of the elements? You have read concerning the creation of the world : He spoke, and it was done ; he commanded, and it was formed. Therefore the word of Christ, which could draw out of nothing ​what was not, shall it not be able to change the things that are, into that which they were not? For it is not a less effect of power, to give new existence to things, than to change the natures that were. We will now establish the truth of the mystery, from the example itself of the Incarnation. Was the order of nature followed, when Jesus was born of a Virgin ? Plainly, not.—Then why is that order to be looked for here? It was the true flesh of Christ, which was crucified, which was buried; and this is truly the sacrament of his flesh.--Our Lord himself proclaims : This is my body. Before the benediction of the celestial words, the bread (species) is named; after the consecration the body of Christ is signified. He himself calls it his blood. Before consecration it has another name ; afterwards it is denominated blood. And you answer Amen, that is, it is true. What the mouth speaks, let the internal sense confess; what the words intimate, let the affection feel. By the sacraments Christ feeds his Church, and by them is the soul strengthened.” De Mysteriis, c. viii. T. 11. p. 337-8-9.- In the same chapter he afterwards adds: “ Taste and see how sweet the Lord is : blessed is the man who hopeth in him. (Ps. xxxiii. 9) Christ is in that Sacrament, because it is the body of ​Christ: wherefore the food is not corporeal, but spiritual. Hence the Apostle, speaking of the type (or figure) says: Our Fathers did eat the spiritual food, and did drink the spiritual drink. (1 Cor. x.) For the body of God is a spiritual body. The body of Christ is the body of a divine spirit because Christ is a spirit, as we read, The Lord Christ is a spirit before our eyes.” Ibid. p. 341.—“This bread he gave to the Apostles, that they might divide it to those, who be lieved, and at the present day, he gives us the same, and the priest daily consecrates it in his words. This bread then, is the food of the saints. We are enabled to receive the Lord himself, who gave us his flesh, as he himself says: “I am the bread of life, &c.” De Bened. Patr. c. ix. T. 1. p. 524. -“Many adored Jesus Christ; the Apostles also adored him, and even the Angels adored him, as it is written, let all the Angels of God adore him. Now they adore not only his divinity, but also the footstool under his feet, because it is holy. And if heretics deny that adoration should be paid to the mysteries of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ....they may read in the Scripture, that the Apostles also adored him, after he had risen again in a glorified body. For we must not consider this footstool according to the ordinary custom of man: and again we are to adore only God.... We must therefore say, that the footstool is the earth, and by this earth we must understand the very flesh of Jesus Christ, which to this day we adore in our sacred mysteries, and which the Apostles formerly adored in his person, as we have already said. For Jesus Christ is not divided, but is indivisible; and whilst they adored him as the Son of God, ​they did not disown him for the Son of Mary.” T. iv. p. 123. . Coloniæ, 1616.
St. Paulinus, who wrote the life of St. Ambrose, thus relates the manner in which that Saint received communion when at the point of death. “Honoratus, Bishop of Vercelli, (who attended him at his death) having retired to the top of the house for a little sleep and repose, heard a voice, which for a third time, said to him: Arise and make haste, for he will soon give up the ghost. Then, coming down, he presented to the Saint the body of the Lord. He received it, and no sooner had he swallowed it, then he gave up the ghost; taking with him a good viaticum, that his soul, being fortified with this food, might go to enjoy the company of the Angels.” T. 1. Op. Ambrosii, p. 44. Coloniæ, 1616.
St. EPIPHANIUS, G.C.-" The Church is the tranquil port of peace, and daily distributes to us that drink which disperses care, the true blood of Jesus Christ.” In Ana cephalæos. T. ii. p. 152.
ST. JEROM, L. C. A lady, named Hedibia, had consulted the Saint on the meaning of the passage in St. Matthew : (xxvi. 29.) I say to you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father. He tells her, that the passage by some had been interpreted very sillily, and then adds: “ But not to trouble ourselves about such fables, let us acknowledge, that the bread which our Saviour broke, and gave to his disciples, is the body of our Lord, he saying to them: Take and eat, this is my body, and of the cup; Drink ye all of this: this is my blood of the New Testament, ​which shall be shed for many.-If then the bread that came down from heaven is the Lord's body, and if the wine, which he gave to his disciples, is his blood, which was shed for many for the remission of sins, let us reject those Jewish fables, and receive at his hand the cup of the new covenant. Moses gave us not the true bread, but our Lord Jesus did. He invites us to the feast, and is himself our meat: he eats with us, and we eat him. We drink his blood, and without him we cannot drink: we daily tread in the sacrifices the grapes that are red with his blood,' and of these is the new wine in the kingdom of the Father.” Ep.cl. ad Hedib. T.iv. Pars i. p. 171—“ The fatted calf, which is offered to obtain the salvation of repentance, is the Saviour himself, whose flesh we daily eat, and whose blood we daily drink. The reader, who is one of the faithful, understands as well as I do, what this nourishment is, which, filling us with abundance, makes us put forth outwardly praises and holy thanksgivings.—The sacred feast is daily celebrated ; the Father receiveth his Son every day; Jesus Christ is continually offered upon the altars." Ep. cxlvi. ad Damas. T. iv. Pars i. p. 155.-" There is as much difference between the loaves offered to God in the old law, and the body of Jesus Christ, as betwixt the shadow and the body, betwixt the image and the truth, and betwixt the types and the things they represent.-So let the mind, which prepares to form the body of Christ, be free from not only every unclean action, but from every indecent glance, every wandering of the mind." Comment. in ep. ad Tit. c. 1. T. iv. ​Pars i. p. 418.—“God forbid, that I should say any thing amiss of these men (priests) who, succeeding the Apostles in their ministry, make the body of Jesus Christ with their sacred mouth.” Ep. 1. ad Heliod. Ibid. p. 10.—“After the typical passover was accomplished, and Christ had eaten the lamb with his Apostles, he takes the bread, which comforteth the heart of man, and passes to the true sacrament of the passover ; that as Melchisedec, priest of the high God, in prefiguring him, had done, offering bread and wine, Christ also should make present the truth of his body and blood.” Comment. in Matt. c. 26. Ibid, p. 128.
St. GAUDENTIUS OF BRESCIA. L. C. Speaking of the paschal lamb among the Jews, and the manner in which it was distributed, he says: “ Of all the things pointed out in the book of Exodus, we shall at present treat of those only which cannot be explained before the Catechumens, but which, nevertheless, it is necessary to discover and explain to the newly-baptized. In the shadows and figures of the ancient pasch, not one lamb, but many were slain; for each house had its sacrifice; because one victim could not suffice for all the people; and also because the mystery was a mere figure, and not the reality of the passion of the Lord. For ​the figure of a thing is not the reality, but only the image and representation of the thing signified. But now, when the figure has ceased, the one that died for all, immolated in the mystery of bread and wine, gives life through all the churches, and, being consecrated, sanctifies those that consecrate. This is the flesh of the lamb, this is his blood: for the bread that came down from heaven said : The bread, which I shall give you, is my flesh for the life of the world. His blood is rightly expressed by the species of wine ; because, when he says in the gospel, I am the true vine, he sufficiently declares all wine, which is offered in the figure of his passion, to be his blood." —And he who is the Creator and Lord of all natures, who produces bread from the earth; of the bread makes his own proper body, (for he is able, and he promised to do it) and who of water made wine, and of wine his blood. O the depth of the riches of the knowledge and wisdom of God! (Rom. xi. 33.) It is the pasch, he says, that is, the passover of the Lord: think not that earthly which is made heavenly by him, who passes into it, and has made it his body and blood. Believe what is announced to thee; because what thou receivest, is the body of that celestial bread, and the blood of that sacred vine; for when he delivered consecrated bread and wine to his disciples, thus he said: This is my body; This is my blood. Let us believe him, whose faith we profess; for truth cannot lie. -Let us not break ​this solid and firm bone: This is my body; This is my blood. Now what remains in the sense of any one, which he does not conceive by this exposition, let it be consumed by the ardour of his faith." Tract. 11. De Pasch. Bibl. PP. T. v. p. 946, 947. Edit. Lugduni, 1677.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G. C. “ Elias left his garment to his disciple: but the Son of God left us his own flesh. The prophet indeed threw off his covering ; but Christ ascending took with him his body and left it also for us. Let us not therefore repine, nor fear any difficulties: for he who refused not to shed his blood for all, and communicated to us his body and blood, what will he not do for our salvation?” Homil. ii-ad Pop. Antioch. T. u. p. 34.—“ Let us then touch the hem of his garment, rather let us, if we be so disposed, possess him entire. For his body now lies before us, not to be touched only, but to be eaten and to satiate us. —And if they who touched his garment, drew so much virtue from it, how much more shall we draw, who possess him whole ? —Believe, therefore, that the supper, at which he sat, is now celebrated; for there is no difference between the two. This is not performed by a man, and that by Christ. Both are by him. When, therefore, thou seest the Priest presenting the body to thee, think not that it is his hand, but the hand of Christ that is stretched towards thee." Homil. 1. in cap. xiv. Matt. T. vii. p. 516, 517.—“Let us believe God in every thing, and not gainsay him, although what is said may seem contrary to our reason and our sight. Let his word overpower both.' Thus let us do in mysteries, not looking only on the things ​that lie before us, but holding fast his words; for his word cannot deceive; but our sense is very easily deceived. That never failed: this often. Since then his word says: This is my body; let us assent, and believe, and view it with the eyes of our understanding. Christ left to us nothing sensible (no object of the senses) but things intellectual under sensible forms. Thus the blessing of Baptism is given by water, which is corporeal; but what is done by it, namely, the regeneration and renovation, is incorporeal or intellectual. If you were incorporeal, he would have bequeathed to you gifts purely incorporeal; but as your soul is united to a body, those gifts are to be comprehended under corporeal signs.” Homil. lxxxii. in Matt. T. vii. p. 787.-“How many persons are heard to say: I would willingly behold his figure, his shape, his attire! But thou seest him, thou touchest him, thou receivest him into thy breast. Yet thou desirest to see his garments. He gives himself to thee, not to be looked on only, but to be touched, to be eaten, to be admitted into thy breast.” Ibid.—“These are not the works of human power. He, who in that supper, made these things himself, now also does them for you. We hold the order of ministers; but the sanctifier and changer of them is himself.' Ibid. p. 788.-—“Who will give us of his flesh that we may be filled ? (Job. xxxi. 31.) This, Christ has done-not only allowing himself to be seen, but to be touched too, and to be eaten, and teeth to pierce his flesh, and all to be filled with the love of him. Parents often give their children to be nourished by others : not so, I, says Christ; but I ​nourish you with my flesh," and I place myself before you. I was willing to become your brother : for the sake of you, I took flesh and blood : and again I deliver to you that flesh and blood, by which I become so related.” Homil. xlvi. alias xlv. in Ioan. T. viii. p. 272-3. “What sayest thou, O blessed Paul? Willing to impress awe on the hearer, and making mention of the tremendous mysteries, thou callest them the cup of benediction, (1 Cor. x. 16.) that terrible and tremendous cup. That which is in the cup, is that which flowed from his side and we partake of it. It is not of the altar, but of Christ himself that we partake; let us, therefore, approach to him with all reverence and purity; and when thou beholdest the body lying before thee, say to thyself: By this body, I am no longer earth and ashes—This is that very body which bled, which was pierced by the lance. Homil. xxiv. in 1 Ep. ad Cor. T. x. p. 212, 213, 214, 217.—“ He that was present at the last supper, is the same that is now present and consecrates our feast. For it is not man who makes the things lying on the altar become the body and blood of Christ; but that Christ who was crucified for us. The Priest stands performing his office, and pronouncing these words,--but the power and grace are the power and grace of God. He says, this is my body, and these words effect the change of the things offered. Hom. i. de Prodit. Judæ, T. ii. p. 384.—“As many as partake of this body, as many as taste of this blood, think ye it nothing different from that which sits above, and is adored by ​angels.” Homil. iii. in c. 1. ad Ephes. T. xi. p. 21. “This table supplies the place of the manger; for even here shall lie the body of our Lord, not wrapped in swaddling clothes, as then, but surrounded on all sides by the Holy Spirit. They that are initiated understand these things. The Magi, or wise men did nothing but adore ; but thou, if thou comest with a pure conscience, wilt be permitted to take him to thyself.” Orat. de B. Philogonio, T. 1. p. 498.—“The servants of Job, to shew their love of him, said : Who will give us of his flesh, that we may be filled ? (xxxi. 31.) In like manner, Christ gave us his flesh, that with it we may be filled, and inflamed with the love of him. This body, lying in the manger, the wise men reverenced, --seeing no such thing as thou seest : thou dost not see him in the manger, but on the altar--nor dost thou only see him, but moreover thou touchest him, nay, thou eatest him, and receiving, carriest home. Cleanse then thy soul from all defilement, and prepare thyself to receive these mysteries.” Hom. xxiv. in 1 Cor. T.x. p. 218, 219.—“Wonderful! The table is spread with mysteries; the Lamb of God is slain for thee; and the spiritual blood flows from the sacred table. The spiritual fire comes down from heaven; the blood in the chalice is drawn from the spotless side for thy purification. Thinkest thou, that thou seest bread that thou seest wine? that these things pass off as other foods do? Far be it from thee to think so.But as wax brought near to the fire loses its former substance, which no longer ​remains; so do thou thus conclude, that the mysteries (the bread and wine) are consumed by the substance of the body. Wherefore, approaching to them, think not that you receive the divine body from a man, but fire from the hand of the Seraphim.” Hom. ix de Pænit. T. ii. p. 349, 350.
There is a letter, written to the monk Cæsarius, and ascribed to this Prelate, wherein he says, refuting the monk's opinion, that the divinity and humanity in Christ were so mixed, as to form but one nature : “ Jesus Christ is God and man; God as impassible, man as having suffered. Yet is there one only Son and one Lord : one and the same, who by the union of the natures are not consubstantial; for each one retains, without mixture, the characters which distinguish it. The natures are united without being confounded. For as in the Eucharist before it is sanctified, the bread is called bread; but when the divine grace, by means of the priest, has consecrated it, it is freed from the appellation of bread, and is esteemed worthy to be called the Lord's body, although the nature of bread remains in it, and we do not say, there are two bodies, but one body of the Son: so here, the divine nature being joined to the human, they both together form but one Son, one person : yet it must be acknowledged, according to an unconfused and indivisible manner, not in one nature, but in two perfect natures." Ep. ad Cæsarium, T. iii. p. 744.
​S. MARUTHAS, G. C.-“ Do this in remembrance of me. This was necessary and very proper : for if the perpetual participation of the Sacraments had not been delivered, whence could we have learnt salvation through Christ; or by whose persuasion have been led to the knowledge of so great a mystery? To the bulk of mankind it would have been most difficult to be believed; and thus they would have been deprived of the communion of the body and blood of Christ. But now, as often as we approach, and receive on our hands the body and blood, we believe, that we embrace his body, and become, as it is written, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones. For Christ did not call it the figure or species of his body, but he said : This, truly, is my body; and this is my blood.”(e) Com. in Matt. Apud Assemani, Bibl. Orient. T.i. p. 180. Romæ, 1719.
CENT. V.
ST. AUGUSTIN, L.C. - “As you know, the sacrifice of ​the Jews, according to the rite of Aaron, consisted in the offerings of beasts, and this in mystery : as yet the sacrifice of the body and blood of the Lord was not, which the faithful understand, and they who have read the Gospel; which sacrifice is now diffused through the whole world.” Enarrat. i. in Psal. xxxiii. T. iv. p. 210.-“ Wherefore the sacrifice of Aaron was taken away; and that, according to the order of Melchisedec, commenced.--Our Lord was willing that our salvation should be in his body and blood. And this was an effect of his humility. For had he not been humble, he would not have been to us meat and drink." Ibid. p. 211.—“When, committing to us his body, he said : This is my body, Christ was held in his own hands. He bore that body in his hands." Ibid. p. 214.--" How was he borne in his hands ?” he asks in the next sermon on the same Psalm,-because when he gave his own body and blood, he took into his hands what the faithful know; and he bore himself in a certain manner, when he said, This is my body.” - "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, said the Psalmist to God. For the ancients, when as yet the true sacrifice was foretold in figures, celebrated the type of what was to come. Those sacrifices, therefore, signifying promises, were annulled: and what was given to complete those promises ? That body, which you know : which all ​do not know; and which, it were to be wished, some did not know to their condemnation. This was promised by certain signs: but when the promised truth came, the signs were taken away. In this body we subsist; of this body we are made partakers; we know what we receive.” In Psal. xxxix. Ibid. p. 334.—“ Christ took upon him earth from the earth; because flesh is from the earth, and this flesh he took from the flesh of Mary: and because he here walked in this flesh, even this same flesh he gave to us to eat for our salvation; but no one eateth this flesh, without having first adored it; and not only we do not sin by adoring, but we even sin by not adoring it. But is it the flesh that quickeneth? The Lord even, in exalting this earth to us, informs us, that it is the spirit that quickeneth, and that the flesh profiteth nothing. Wherefore in abasing yourself and in casting yourself down before any matter whatever, (he means, whatever part you receive of this sacred body,) consider it not as matter, but consider in it that holy one, of whom the body, which you adore, is the footstool. For it is for his sake that you adore it.” In Psal. xcviii. Ibid. p. 1065. - “ The man Christ Jesus, though in the form of God, he receive sacrifice with his Father, with whom he is one God, yet in the form of a servant he chose rather to be himself the sacrifice than to receive it; lest, even on this occasion, any one should imagine, that sacrifice might be offered to a creature. Thus is he the priest, himself offering, and himself the victim. It was his will that the Church's sacri​fice should be the daily sacrament of this oblation; which Church, as it is the body united to its head, learns to offer herself through him. The ancient sacrifices of the Saints were the manifold and various signs of this true sacrifice.-And to this high and true sacrifice all others gave way.” De Civit. Dei, L. x. c. 20. T. vii. p. 256.-Speaking of the Jews converted by St. Peter, he says: “ They were converted; they were baptised; they approached to the table of the Lord; and now believing, they drank that blood, which in their rage they had shed.” Serm. lxxvii. De Verb Ev. Matt. T. v. p. 420.-“You ought to understand what you have received; what you are about to receive; and what you ought every day to receive. The bread that you behold on the altar, sanctified by the word of God, is the body of Christ. That cup-that which the cup contains, sanctified by the word of God, is the blood of Christ. By these the Lord was willing to set forth his body, and that blood, which he shed for us for the remission of sins." Serm. ccxxvii. In die Pasch. ad Infantes. T. v. p. 973.—“ We receive with a faithful heart and mouth the mediator of God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus, who has given us his body to eat, and his blood to drink; although it may appear more horrible to eat the flesh of a man, than to destroy it, and to drink human blood, than to spill it." Contra Adv. Legis. et Proph. L. ii. c. ix. T. viii. p. 599.—“ We have heard our master, our divine Redeemer, recommending to us the price of our redemption-his own blood. For he spoke to us of his body and ​blood : his body, he said, was food; his blood was drink. They who believe, acknowledge here the sacrament of believers. But some were scandalised, saying, This is hard ; who can hear it? Jesus answered : Doth this scandalise you? If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? (Jo, vi.) What does this mean, doth this scandalise you? Did you think that I was going to divide into parts this body that you see; to cut these members, and give them to you? What then, if you shall see the Son of man ascending where he was before? Truly, he that could ascend entire, could not be consumed. Wherefore of this body and blood, he gave us a salutary banquet, and, in a few words, solved the question concerning the entireness of his body:Eat then what is life; drink what is life, and thou shalt have life. And this will be, that is, the body and blood of Christ will be life to each one, if what is visibly taken in the Sacrament, be truly eaten spiritually, and drunken spiritually. For we have heard the Lord himself declare: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life. (Jo.vi. 64.) But some say, this is hard; who can hear it? It is hard to the hard, that is, it is incredible to the incredulous.”' De Verb. Evang. Joan. Serm. cxxxi. T. v. p. 640-1.-—“In what sense do we understand the words of Christ: He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him ? (Jo.vi. 57.) Can we extend this to those, of whom the Apostle says, that they eat and drink judgment to themselves, although they eat the very flesh, and drink the very blood, of Jesus Christ ? Shall we likewise say that Judas, who be​trayed his Master, abode in Christ, and Christ in him, because, with the other Disciples, he partook of the first sacrament made by the hands of Christ himself? Shall we say, that they who eat and drink, with an hypocritical heart, or who afterward apostatise, abide in Christ, and he in them? There is a way of eating this flesh, and drinking this blood, of which it is true to say, that he who thus eats and drinks, abideth in Jesus Christ, and he in him.-To this way our Saviour directed his view.” Serm. lxxi. De Verbis Evang. Matt. c. xi. T. v. p. 391.-—“To abide in Christ, and to have him abiding in us, this is to eat that food, and drink that drink. Wherefore, he that abideth not in Christ, and has not Christ abiding in him, plainly eats not spiritually his flesh, nor drinks his blood; although carnally and visibly he press with his teeth the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ: he rather eats and drinks judgment to himself.” Tract. xxvi. in Evang. Joan. Pars 2. T. iii. p. 501.—“Our Saviour taught us this in mystic words--but many who were present, not understanding this, were scandalised; for hearing him, they thought of nothing but their own flesh. He therefore said: The flesh profiteth nothing, that is, it profiteth nothing, as they understood it; for they understood it to mean flesh as it is in a dead body, or as it is sold in the market, not as animated by life.” Tract. xxvii. Ib. p.503. -Speaking of his mother's death, he says: “She desired, that remembrance of her should be made at the altar: a service which, on no day, she had omitted; knowing that thence was dispensed the holy victim, by which the hand-writing against us had been blotted out.” L. ix. Confess. c. 13. T. 1. p. 170.
St. ISIDORE OF PELUSIUM, G. C.-Writing against Macedonius, he expresses himself as follows: “ Since in the in​vocation of the sacred baptism, together with the Father and the Son, the Holy Ghost is invoked as delivering from sins; since on the mysterious table, it is he who from the common bread, produces the very body of Jesus Christ incarnate; whence comes it, О foolish man—that thou teachest, that the Holy Spirit was made or created, and that he is not of an independent nature, operating by himself, and consubstantial with the kingly and divine essence of the Father and the Son?" Lib. 1. Ep. cix. ad Marathonium Monachum, p. 34. Parisiis, 1638.
Sr. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, G.C.—“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. (Jo. vi. 54.) The manna, he says, was the type, was the shadow, and the image. Hear again how openly and plainly he speaks: I am the living bread ; if any one shall eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. They that ate of the manna, are dead; because it gave not life: he that eats this bread, that is, me, or my flesh, shall live for ever." Comment. in Joan. L. iv. c. 10. T. iv. p. 352.4 -“ Our Lord Jesus, by his own flesh, gives life to us, and inserts, as it were, in us, the seed of immortality, destroying all the corruption that is in us.—And his blood is not that of any common man, but that of his own natural life. Wherefore, receiving the Son within us, we are called the body and members of Christ.” Ibid. c. 16. p. 363.4.-“ For he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him. (Jo. vi. 57.) For as, if any one join two pieces of wax together, he will find one piece entirely incorporated with the other; so, in my opinion, he who receives the flesh of our Saviour Christ, and drinks his precious blood, by the ​participation, becomes one body, incorporated and commixed with him, so that he is found in Christ, and Christ in him.” Ibid. c. 17. p. 365.—“ And what is the meaning and the efficacy of this mystic Eucharist? Is it not that Christ may corporally dwell in us, by the participation and communion of his holy flesh ?— It is here proper to observe that Christ does not say, that He will be in us only by a certain regard of affection, but by a natural participation. For as he that shall melt wax upon wax, forms one body of two; so by partaking of the body and blood of Christ, he is united to us, and we, in return are united to him.” Ibid. L. x. p. 862-3.—“The Son therefore is in us, corporally as man, commixed and united to us by the mystic Eucharist but spiritually, as God, by the virtue and grace of his spirit, renovating our own spirit in us, and making us partakers of his life and divine nature.—By the mediation of Christ, therefore, we enter into an union with God and the Father, receiving him within us, corporally and spiritually, who by nature, and truly, is the Son, and consubstantial with him; and thus are we glorified, being made partakers of, and associated to the supreme divine nature.” Ibid. L. xi. p. 1001-2.-“Let these verbose and absurd men tell us, with whose body the sheep of the Church are fed, or from what ​springs her children are refreshed? For if the body of God is delivered, this God is the true God, Christ the Lord, not a mere man, nor an angel, as some pretend. And if it be the blood of God, the cup of God, this God is not purely God, one of the adorable Trinity, the Son of God—but the Word of God made man. But if the body of Christ be our food, and the blood of Christ be our drink,' and this Christ be a mere man, how is eternal life promised to those who approach to the holy table? And how again shall this body be divided here, and in many places, and not be diminished ? A mere body cannot impart life to those who receive it.Wherefore, let us receive the body of life itself; that life, which for us has dwelt in our body; and let us drink his sacred blood, for the remission of our sins, and to partake of that immortality, which is in him; believing Christ to be the priest and the victim, him that offers and is offered." Hom. in Mysticam Cænam, T. v. parte ii. p. 378.
“ The Jews strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat !—This How is a Jewish exclamation, and a cause of the severest punishment.--For will they not be worthy of the greatest torments who so contemn God, the creator of all things, as to dare to put the question How respecting his operations ?—The ill-disposed, indocile man, immediately with arrogance rejects as frivolous and false, whatsoever he does not understand; yielding to no one, and thinking that there is nothing which is above his comprehension. And of this cast, we shall discover, were the Jews: for whereas they ought readily to have received the words of our Saviour, whose divine virtue and power had been evinced to them by the evidence of his miracles; and had any things appeared difficult, they should have asked a ​solution of them; they are seen to act quite contrariwise.-With one voice they address to God, with great impiety, the language: How can this man give us his flesh to eat ? and they reflected not that nothing is impossible with God.-But if thou, O Jew, continuest yet to urge this How, I will in like manner ask thee how the rod of Moses was changed into a serpent; how the waters were changed into the nature of blood ?—Wherefore, it would have much more become you to believe Christ, and humbly to ask of him whatever seemed difficult, than sottishly to exclaim: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Do you not see that when such language is uttered, great arrogance is manifested For our parts, let us derive great instruction from the iniquity of others; and cherishing a firm faith on these mysteries, let us never, on so sublime a point, in words express, or in thoughts entertain this How.—Com. in Joan. Lib. iv. c.13. p. 199. Basil. 1566.
COUNCIL OF EPHESUS, G.C.-The following extracts are from an epistle of St. Cyril, and an Egyptian Synod, read in the general Council of Ephesus, in 431, and approved by the Council, as conveying the belief of the universal Church. They write to the heresiarch Nestorius.—“On this occasion it is our duty to add, that while we announce the death of Jesus, the only Son of God, and his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension into heaven, we likewise celebrate the unbloody sacrifice in the churches, approach to the mystic thanksgivings, and are thus sanctified, being made partakers of the sacred flesh and precious blood of Christ, the Saviour of us all. For we receive it not as common flesh: far be this thought from us : nor as the flesh of a sanctified man, and united to the Word by an equality of honour, or as having obtained a divine inhabitation; but we ​receive it as the truly vivifying and own flesh of the Word made man. For as the Word, as God, is essentially life, the moment it became one with its flesh, it imparted to this flesh a vivifying virtue. Wherefore, although Christ said: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you, (Jo. vi. 54.) we are not to imagine that it is the flesh of a man like to ourselves, but truly the flesh of him, who for us was made and was called the Son of man. For how could the flesh of man, according to its own nature, give life?” Ep. ad Nest. Conc. Gen. T. iii. p. 404.-In confirmation of this doctrine, they then add the following anathema : “He that does not confess the flesh of the Lord to be vivifying, and the proper flesh of the Word of God made man; but to be the flesh of some other, united in dignity to the Word, or that has obtained only a divine inhabitation; and shall not acknowledge that flesh to give life, as we have said, because it is the flesh of the Word, that gives life to all things, let him be anathema.” Ibid. p. 409.
THEODOTUS, G. C.-In his sermon on the birth of Christ, which was read in the same Council of Ephesus, he says: “He, who at that time, by his ineffable power, drew the Magi to godliness, has also, this day, called us together ; not now lying in a manger, but placed before us on this saving table, for that manger was the parent of this table. For this reason was he laid there, that on this table, he might be eaten, and become to the faithful the food of salvation. And that manger indeed represented this glorious table.” Ibid. p. 1004.
​Gelasius Of Cyzicum, G. C.-In his history of the Council of Nice,' he says:“We must not confine our attention to the bread and the chalice offered on the sacred table, but elevating our mind, let us discover by faith this Lamb of God lying on this sacred table, taking away the sins of the world, and immolated by the priests in an unbloody manner; and when we truly receive his precious body and blood, let us consider them as the pledges of our resurrection.” Conc. Gen. T. 11. p. 234.
St. ISAAC, G.C.—“I saw the vessel mingled, and, for wine, full of blood; and the body, in lieu of bread, placed on the table." I saw the blood and shuddered : I saw the body, and was awed with fear. Faith whispered to me; eat, and be silent: drink, child, and enquire not.—She shewed me the body slain, of which placing a portion on my lips, she said gently: Reflect, what thou eatest. She held out to me a reed, directing me to write. I took the reed; I wrote; I pronounced: This is the body of my God. Taking then the cup, I drank.And what I had said of the body, that I now said of the cup: This is the blood of my Saviour." Serm. de Fide. Bibl. Orient. T. 1. p. 220. Romæ, 1719.
ST. PETER CHRYSOLOGUS, L.C.-“Let Christians un​derstand, who every day touch the body of Christ what helps they may draw from that body, when the woman was perfectly cured by only touching the hem of his garment.But it is indeed deplorable, that, whereas she found in this hem, the cure of her complaint, we find, on the contrary, - fresh disorders in the remedy itself. Of this, the Apostle warns those who touch the body of the Lord unworthily, telling them that they receive their own damnation.” Serm. xxxiv. Max. Bibl. PP. p. 872.-“ I am the bread that came down from heaven : (Jo. vi. 51.) He is the bread, which, sown in the womb of the Virgin, and finally brought on our altars, affords daily celestial food to the faithful.” Serm. lxvii. p. 899.-—“In what manner the body of Christ should be eaten, and his blood drunken, they understand, who are instructed in the heavenly sacraments.” Serm. xcv. p. 920.
St. Proclus, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE, G.C.By these prayers (of the Liturgy) the descent of the Holy Spirit was expected, that, by his sacred presence, he would make the bread that is presented for the offering, the body of Christ, and the wine, mingled with water, his blood.” In Bibl. PP. Max. T. vi. p. 618.—“The solemn day of the sacred mysteries arrived: the evening came, more bright than any day. For in this evening, all is full of dread and admiration. The Lord sat down with his disciples, and laid open before them the scene of mysteries. He gave to them, for food, his pure body; and drink for the remission of sins.” ​Orat. x. in S. Feriam v. T. 1. p. 406. In Novo Auct. Cambefis, Paris. 1648.
St. LEO, L. C.-“To the end that the shadow might give way to the reality, and, in the presence of truth, that representations might cease, the ancient observances are now annulled (at the passion of Christ) by a new Sacrament, the victim passes into another victim, blood excludes blood, and the legal festival, by being changed, is fulfilled.--The Disciples, being seated with their Master to eat the mystic supper, while the Jews held council how they might kill him, Jesus ordained the Sacrament of his body and blood, teaching what victim was to be offered to God; nor did he refuse the mysterious banquet to the traitor Judas.” Serm. vii. de Passione Dom. p. 259.-" The participation of the body and blood of Christ causes us to pass into that which we receive; whence being dead, and buried, and rising again in him, we carry him about with us in spirit and in our flesh.” Ibid. Serm. xiv. p. 284.—“The Lord having said : Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you ; you ought so to partake of the holy table, that you entertain no doubt whatever as to the truth of the body and blood of Jesus Christ; for we there receive by the mouth, what is believed by faith; and vainly do we reply- Amen, if any doubt be entertained as to what is received.” T. 1. Serm. xci. De Jejunio 7mi mensis, p. 355. Edit. Venetiis, 1753.—“ Denying in Christ the reality of a human body, these men make void the truth of his passion and resurrection. And so immersed are they in the shades of ignorance, as not to have learned either by hearing or by ​reading, what, in the Church of God, is so universally acknowledged, that even the tongues of infants, in the sacrament of our common faith, proclaim the truth of the body and blood of Christ. For in the mystic distribution of this spiritual food, we receive the virtue of the celestial aliment, and are transformed into his flesh, who took our flesh upon him." Ep. xlvi. Al. xxiii. ad Clerum et Plebem Constan. p. 518.
THEODORET, G. C.-He wrote four books against the Eutychians, who denied the reality of the human nature in Christ; in which he introduces two persons, under the names of Orthodoxus and Eranistes, who discuss the subject. The first, it is plain, is the Catholic believer. In the first dialogue, the reality of Christ's presence in the Eucharist had been established; but, in the second, the subject is resumed, and the change of the bread and wine more distinctly pointed out.—“ Orth. Tell me now; the mystical symbols, which are offered to God by the priests, of what are they the symbols? —Eran. Of the body and blood of the Lord.—Orth. Of his true body or not?—Eran. Of his true body. --Orth. Very well, for every image must have its original.--Eran. I am happy, you have mentioned the divine mysteries. Tell me, therefore, what do you call the gift that is offered before the Priest's invocation ?-Orth. This must not be said openly; for some may be present who are not initiated.- Eran. Answer then in hidden terms.—Orth. We call it an aliment made of certain grains.-Eran. And how do you call the other symbol?—Orth. We give it a name that denotes a certain beverage.- Eran. And after the consecration what are they called ?-Orth. The body of Christ, and the blood of ​Christ. -- Eran. And you believe, that you partake of the body and blood of Christ?--Orth. So I believe.-Eran. As the symbols then of the body and blood of Christ were different before the consecration of the Priest, and after that consecration are changed, and become something else, in the same manner we (Eutychians) say, the body of Christ, after his ascension, was changed into the divine essence.Orth. Thou art taken in thy own snare; for after the consecration, the mystical symbols lose not their proper nature: they remain both in the figure and appearance of their former substance, to be seen, and to be felt, as before; but they are understood to be what they have been made; this they are believed to be; and as such they are adored.” Dial. ii. T. iv. p. 84. Edit. Lutetiæ Paris. 1642.—“The Emperor Theodosius being arrived at Milan, after the slaughter at Thessalonica, and wishing to enter the Church, as usual, St. Ambrose went to prevent him; and meeting him at the outside of the great porch, he forbad him to enter, using nearly these words : With what eyes, O Emperor, can you behold the temple of him, who is our common master? With what feet will you dare to tread upon ground so holy? How will you presume to stretch forth your hands towards God, while they are yet reeking with blood unjustly shed ? How will you dare to receive the most holy body of the Lord with these hands, that have been stained with the carnage at Thessalonica? And how will you dare to receive that precious blood into your mouth, after it has, in the fury of ​your passion, pronounced the unjust and cruel words which have caused the blood of so many innocent persons to be spilt? Retire then, and beware how you attempt to add crime to crime. Permit yourself rather to be bound in the manner, which God, the Lord of all, ratifies above ; for it is able to heal your soul, and restore it to health.” Eccles. Hist. L. v. c. 18. p. 220. Parisiis, 1673.
St. PROSPER, L. C.-“ He receives the food of life, and drinks the cup of eternity, who dwells in Christ, and Christ in him. For he that departs from Christ, eats not his flesh, nor drinks his blood, though he daily take, to his oron condemnation, that august Sacrament." In Sententiis, p. 596. Ed. Paris. 1711.
SALVIANUS, L.C.-" If any one ask, why God requires more from Christians by the Gospels than he did of old from the Jews, by the old law, the reason is easily given. For if we now pay more homage and service to God, it is because we are more indebted to him. The Jews had but the shadow; we enjoy the reality. They were slaves; we are adopted children. They were covered with maledictions; are loaded with graces. They received the letter, which gave death, we have received the spirit which giveth life. To them was sent a servant for a master; and to instruct us, the Son of God himself has been sent. They passed through the Red Sea, to enter into a desert; and we ​have only to pass through the water of baptism to enter a kingdom. They ate manna; we Christ. They the flesh of birds; we the body of a God. They the dew of heaven ; we the God of heaven." Adv. Avaritiam, L. ii. p. 246. Edit. Paris. 1684.
St. NILUS, G. C.—“ Before the prayer of the Priest, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the things laid on the table are common bread and wine; but, after the solemn invocations, and the descent of the adorable Spirit, it is no longer bread, and no longer wine, but is the body, and pure and precious blood, of Christ, the God of all." Ep. xliv. L. 1. T. 11. p. 21.-“ Let us not approach to the mystic bread as to mere bread; for it is the flesh of God, the venerable, adorable, and life-giving flesh.” Ep. xxxix. L. iii. p. 322.
GELASIUS, L. C.-Having quoted Theodoret, I shall give a similar passage from Gelasius, who is also writing against the same Eutychians : “ Certain Sacraments of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which we receive, are something divine, and render us partakers of the divine nature; but the substance or nature of the bread and wine ceases not to be. In the holy mysteries are celebrated the image and resemblance of the body and blood. Hence we are sufficiently informed, that what we believe, and celebrate, and receive, under that image, we must believe to be in Christ himself. And as, by the operation of the divine Spirit, the things pass into the divine substance, though their nature retains its properties; so are we thus taught, that the mystery of the Incarnation consists in this, that the two natures remaining, ​there is but one Christ, who is one, because he is entire and whole.” Libel. contra Nest. et Eutych. ap. Baron. an. 496. T. vi. p. 665. Edit. Moguntiæ, 1601.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ As Christ our Redeemer truly declared that to be his body, which he offered under the appearance of bread: therefore was it always firmly believed in the Church of God, and the same this holy Synod again announces—that, by the consecration of the bread and wine, a change is made of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord, and of the whole substance of the ​wine into the substance of his blood. This change has been properly called, by the holy Catholic Church, Transubstantiation.” Sess. xiii. c. iv. p. 89.—“ If any one shall deny, that the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore the whole Christ, be contained truly, really, and substantially, in the Sacrament of the most Holy Sacrament, let him be anathema.—Ibid. can. I, p. 94.
THE MANNER OF CHRIST'S PRESENCE.
PROPOSITION III.
Christ is not present in this Sacrament, according to his natural way of existence; that is, as bodies naturally exist; but in a manner proper to the character of his exalted and glorified body. His presence then is real and substantial, but sacramental; not exposed to the external senses, nor obnoxious to corporal contingencies.
The truth of this Proposition evidently follows from that of the foregoing, which the plain words of Scripture announced, and the unbroken series of the writings of the early Fathers attested; for if the body of Christ, when the words of consecration—This is my body : This is my blood—are pronounced by the Priest, becomes present, as we believe; this presence must be such as is now stated, real and substantial, but sacramental and ineffable. On this mysterious subject thus again speaks the
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“The holy Synod openly and plainly professes, that, in ​the Sacrament of the Eucharist, after the consecration of the bread and wine, our Lord Jesus Christ, true God, and man, is truly, really, and substantially, present under the appearances of those sensible objects. Nor in this is there any repugnance; that Christ, according to his natural manner of existence, should always remain in heaven at the right hand of his Father; and that, at the same time, he should be present with us, in many places, really, but sacramentally, in that way of existence, which, though in words we can hardly express it, the mind, illumined by faith, can conceive to be possible to God, and which we are bound firmly to believe. For so all our Ancestors—as many as were members of the true Church of Christ-who wrote on the subject of this holy Sacrament, openly professed.”—Sess. xii.c.l. p. 86.
CHRIST IS WHOLE UNDER EACH SPECIES.
PROPOSITION IV.
The body of Christ, in this holy Sacrament, is not separated from his blood, nor his blood from his body, nor is either of them disjoined from his soul and his divinity: but all and the whole living Christ is entirely contained under each species : so that whoever receives under one kind, becomes truly partaker of the whole Sacrament: he is not deprived either of the body or of the blood of Christ.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“At all times it has been the belief of the Church of God, that, immediately after consecration, the true body of our Lord, and his true blood, together with his soul and divinity, are present under the species of bread and wine; but ​that the body is there under the species of bread, and the blood under that of wine, by virtue of the words of consecration : moreover, that the body is there under the species of wine, and the blood under that of bread, and the soul under both, in virtue of that connection and concomitance, whereby the whole Jesus, who, being now risen from the dead, can die no more, is united in all his parts; and the divinity, by that admirable union with the body and soul, which is called hypostatical. It is, therefore, most true, that as much is contained under either species, as under both: for Christ, whole and entire, exists under the species of bread, and under each (divided) particle of that species; and whole under the species of wine, and under its (separated) parts.” Sess. xiii. c. iii. p.88. [ocr errors]
COMMUNION IN ONE KIND.
The above doctrine, contained in the Proposition, and more fully detailed by the Council, having, at all times, been professed in the Catholic Church, the introduction of lay-communion in one kind is easily accounted for, and seems not liable to any serious objection. It is admitted, that, from the earliest time, down to the twelfth century, the faithful of both sexes, laity as well as clergy, when they assisted at the public and solemn celebration of the Christian service, and were admitted to communion, generally received under both kinds. But, during the same period, there seems never to have been any positive ecclesiastical precept so to do: for to infants, we often read, the communion was given, sometimes under one kind, sometimes under another: in times of persecution, or under difficulties, or when long journeys were undertaken, the consecrated bread was permitted to be carried away—the same was taken to the sick ​--where there was a repugnance to the taste of wine, the bread also was alone given. It may then, it seems, be said, that, unless on public and solemn occasions, the faithful, in the times of which we are speaking, communicated under one kind alone; while the priesthood, to whom the command of Christ-Do this for a commemoration of me, (Luke xxii.)--we believe, solely applies, and when employed in the duty of their sacred function, received under both. The completion of the mysterious institution demanded this.
But many abuses and accidents, through carelessness or incaution happening in the distribution of the consecrated wine; and the use of the bread alone, on so many occasions, being permitted; and the belief, that Christ was wholly present under each species, authorising the practice; the primitive rite gradually subsided, and communion in one kind very generally prevailed. The rulers of the Church, meanwhile, promoted rather than obstructed the change. And so things continued-no ecclesiastical law intervening -till the followers of John Huss in Bohemia tumultuously contending, that the use of the cup was absolutely necessary, the Council of Constance, which opened in 1414, finally decreed, that, “ as the body and blood
as the body and blood of Christ were wholly contained under each species, the custom, introduced on rational grounds, and long observed in the Church of communicating in one kind, should be received as a law, which no one, without the authority of the Church, might reject or alter.” Sess. xiii. Conc. Gen. T. xii. p. 100.-So just is the observation, that, as circumstances and the manners of men change, where change, under due authority, as in discipline, may be permitted-practices, once good and laudable, should change with them.
In the Greek Church, the ancient practice of receiving in both kinds has been retained, unless in such circumstances, or under such impediments, as I have mentioned ; which, among the Latins, allowed a departure from the established ​rite. But what is peculiar among the modern Greeks is, that they distribute the sacred bread, not separately, but dipped in the wine, and placed in a spoon. From its being allowed by them, that the bread, unless at the times, principally, of solemn communion, may be given separately, it is plain, if any proof were wanted, that their belief of the real presence of the whole Christ under each species, is the same as that of the western Church. And another proof of the same is, that, neither at the time of the schism, in the ninth century, when minds were most exasperated, nor since, has it been made a subject of complaint against the Latins, that, in the administration of the Eucharist, they had departed from the precept of Christ, or violated any established rule of general discipline. Some of their charges against us were sufficiently frivolous; and as, among these, one was, that we celebrated the Eucharist in unleavened bread, contrary to the practice of their Church, they, certainly, could not have overlooked the more important point of communion in one kind, had they judged it reprehensible; or, in other words, had not their own practice, on certain occasions, been the same, and their general faith the same.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ The holy Synod, following the judgment of the Church as pronounced at Constance) and its usage, declares ad teaches, that neither Laity nor unofficiating Clergy are bound, by any divine command, to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist under both species ; and that it cannot be doubted, without a breach of faith, that communion in either kind suffices for them. For though Christ, at his last supper, instituted this venerable Sacrament under the forms of bread and wine, and thus delivered it to his Apostles, yet that institution, and that delivering, do not shew, that all the faithful, by the command of Christ, are bound to receive ​both kinds. Nor can it be fairly collected from the discourse of our Saviour, (John vi.) that communion in both kinds was commanded by him, however, according to the various interpretations of the holy Fathers and other learned men, that discourse be understood. For he who there said: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you—54;—also said: If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever-52. And he who said : He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life~55;—likewise said: The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world—52. He in fine who said : He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him—57 ;-said notwithstanding ; He that eateth this bread shall live for ever, 59." Sess. xxi. c. 1. p. 174.-“Therefore, though, in the early ages, the use of both kinds was not unfrequent, yet the practice, in process of time, being widely changed, the Church, for weighty and just reasons, approved the change, and pronounced it to be a law, which no one, without the authority of that Church, is allowed to reject or to alter.” Ibid. c.ii. p. 175.-“ It must be acknowledged, that the whole and entire Christ, and the true Sacrament, are taken under either kind; and, therefore, as to the fruit, that they who thus receive are deprived of no necessary grace.” Ibid. c. iii. p. 176.
THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS.
PROPOSITION V.
Our Saviour, in leaving to us his body and blood, under two distinct species or kinds, instituted not only a Sacrament, but also a Sacrifice; a commemorative Sacrifice, distinctly shewing his passion and death until he come. For as the Sacrifice of the cross was performed by a distinct effusion of his blood, so ​is that Sacrifice commemorated in this of the altar by a distinction of the symbols. Jesus, therefore, is here given not only to us, but for us; and the Church is thereby enriched with a true, proper, and propitiatory Sacrifice, usually termed the Mass : propitiatory, we say, because representing, in a lively manner, the passion and death of our Lord, it is peculiarly pleasing to our eternal Father, and thus more effectually applies to us the all-sufficient merits of the Sacrifice of the cross.
SCRIPTURE.
As the bloody Sacrifices, ordained by the Jewish law, are understood to have prefigured the Sacrifice, which the Redeemer of mankind was once to offer on the cross, by the effusion of his blood; so do we believe, that the unbloody offerings of the same law, but much more than these, the bread and wine, which Melchisedec, “the Priest of the most high God," presented to Abraham, (Gen. xiv.) were a type or figure of that unbloody Sacrifice, which Christ, the Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec, (Ps. cix) would continue to offer, through all ages, under the symbols or species of bread and wine.
Malach. i. 10, 11, “I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.- For from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered to my name, and a clean offering.”—Matt. xxvi. 28. “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”—Mark xiv. 24. “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many."- Luke xxii. 19. “ This is my body that is given for you: Do this for commemoration of me:"-20. “This is the chalice, the New ​Testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”—1 Cor. xi. 24. “ This is my body which is broken for you: this do for the commemoration of me:"-25. “This chalice is the New Testament in my blood: do ye this, as often as you shall drink it, for the commemoration of me.”—26. “For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink this chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord until he come.
According to the translation of these passages, which is conformable to the Greek, our Saviour speaks in the present tense, (or time) of the actual immolation of his body, and the actual effusion of his blood, for the remission of sins; because at that moment, he really, but mystically, offered up his body and blood for the salvation of the Apostles and of all men: while the words, do this for a commemoration, or in remembrance of me, plainly denote the institution of a Sacrifice, to be celebrated to the end of time. Thus Christ seems to say: As I now immolate my body, and shed my blood, for the remission of sins; so do you offer up this same body, and this same blood, in remembrance of me. What I now do, do you and your successors. In this sense, as we have seen, and shall see, have the words of Christ been always understood in the Catholic Church.
Ibid. x. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. “ Wherefore, my dearly beloved, fly from the service of idols.- I speak as to wise men; judge ye yourselves what I say.-The chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord ?—For we, being many, are one bread, one body all that partake of one bread. -Behold Israel according to the flesh: are not they, that eat of the Sacrifice, partakers of the altar?—What then? Do I say that what is offered in sacrifice to idols, is any thing? Or, that the idol is any thing ?—But the things which the ​Heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God. And I would not, that you should be made partakers with devils.-You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord, and the chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of devils.
As the Apostle speaks of the participation of the victims, among the Jews, which were offered on their altars, and of a similar participation among the Gentiles; so, instituting a comparison, he plainly speaks of Christians partaking of the body and blood of our Lord from the Eucharistic altar.
Heb. xiii. 10, 11, 12. “ We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat, who serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high Priest, for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.”
The meaning of this passage is not plain, but it seems to intimate the superiority of the Christian worshippers. The Jews-not even their priests—were not allowed to taste of the victims which were solemnly offered for sin: but we have an altar and a victim, typified by those of the Jews, of which we may, at all times, partake ; a victim, once offered for sin, and represented by the daily oblation of his body and blood.
Acts xiii. 2. “And as they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Ghost said to them.”—The breaking of bread is often mentioned in the same Acts; and in the two quotations just given from St. Paul, the altar and table are mentioned, which must refer to Sacrifice.(Rev. v. 6.) “And I saw: and behold in the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a lamb standing as it were slain.”-8.—“And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures, and the four and ​twenty ancients, fell down before the lamb."-9.-“ And they sung a new canticle, saying: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof : because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation :”— 10.—“And hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.”
FATHERS.
CENT. I.
ST. CLEMENT OF ROME, L. C. “Whatever God has commanded to be done at stated times, that we must perform in regular order : thus must our offerings be made, and other public functions exercised; not inconsiderately, and without order, but, as it was ordained, at stated times and hours. - They, therefore, who in this manner, present their offerings, are acceptable to the Lord, and blessed; for, following his commandments, they do not go astray.” Ep. 1 ad Cor. n. 40. T. 1. PP. Apost. p. 170.
CENT. II.
St. JUSTIN, L. C. “ Inflamed by the word of his calling, as it were, by fire, truly we are the sacerdotal offspring of God; as he himself attests, saying that in every place among the nations, we offer to him well pleasing and clean victims. These victims he accepts from his own Priests alone. Wherefore, shewing preference to all those, who, through his name offer the sacrifices which God ordained to be offered, ​that is, in the Eucharist of bread and the chalice, which in all places of the earth are celebrated by the Christian people, God declares, that they are well pleasing to him. But the sacrifices of you Jews, and of your priests, he rejects, saying: I will accept no offering from your hands ; because from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same; my name is great among the Gentiles, but ye have profaned it. Malach. 1. But I myself say, that those prayers and thanksgivings are alone perfect, and the victims pleasing to God, which are offered by good men. These, Christians alone have learned to offer, in the commemoration of their dry and liquid food, (bread and wine) in which commemoration they are reminded of the passion which Christ suffered.” Dial. cum Tryphon. Judæo, p. 209.
ST. IRENÆUS, L. C. Giving advice to his disciples, to offer their first fruits to God, not as if he stood in need of them, but that they might not seem ungrateful, he took bread into his hands, and giving thanks, said: This is my body. Likewise he declared the cup to be his blood, and taught the new oblation of the New Testament, which oblation the Church receiving from the Apostles, offers it to God, over all the earth—to him who grants us food—the first fruits of his gifts in the New Testament, of which the Prophet Malachias spoke : I will not accept offerings from your hands. For from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a clean Sacrifice. (1.) Manifestly hereby signifying, that the first people (the Jews) will cease to offer to God; and that in every place, a Sacri​fice, and that clean, will be offered to him, and that his name is glorified among the Gentiles." Adv. Här. L. iv. c. xvii. p. 249.—“ Therefore the offering of the Church, which the Lord directed to be made over all the world, was deemed a pure Sacrifice before God, and received by him; not that he stands in need of a Sacrifice from us, but because he that makes the offering, if his gift be accepted, is thereby rendered worthy of praise.—As then in simplicity the Church offers, her offering is accepted by God as a pure Sacrifice. It is our duty to make an offering,” &c. See p. 209. Ibid. c. xviii. p. 250, 251.
TERTULLIAN, L.C. “ It was ordained in the old law, that no sacrifices should be offered to God, but in the land of promise, which the Lord was to give to the children of Israel; and that, when they entered, Sacrifices and holocausts should there be celebrated. Why then does the Spirit declare by his prophets, that, in all the earth, and in every place, Sacrifices shall be offered ? In every place incense shall be offered to my name, and a clean offering. (Malach. 1.)—As then it is plain, that a temporary Sabbath was appointed, and an eternal Sabbath predicted; a carnal and spiritual circumcision ; a law that would pass away, and a law to endure for ever; carnal sacrifices likewise, and ​spiritual sacrifices promised :—from this it follows, that, all these things being commanded to the Jewish people, the time would come, when they would cease, and the promise of a new law, with spiritual Sacrifices, and a new Testament, would take their place.” Adversus Judæos, c. 1, p. 138, 139.—The same he repeats against Marcion, L. ii. p. 679.–But it seems, rather, that he alludes principally to the pure sacrifices of the heart, and not to the establishment of a real sacrificial offering. In other parts of his works, however, I meet with expressions which evidently pertain to a Sacrifice,-such as altars, offerings for the dead, the duty of Priests to offer, and annual oblation of husbands and wives for their departed consorts.
CENT. III.
St. CYPRIAN, L. C. Writing to the clergy and people of a certain district in Africa, he laments that, contrary to an established rule, a brother clergyman had been appointed, by will, an executor or guardian, when it was the sole duty of the ministers of the gospel “ to attend to the altar and Sacrifices,®) and to prayers and supplications.” Such likewise, he observes, was the view of the Almighty in the establishment by Moses of the Levitical order, and then adds : “ The same disposition holds good now, that they who are promoted by clerical ordination, be not called away from the service of God, nor perplexed by worldly business; but, receiving aliment from their brethren, they withdraw not from the altar and from Sacrifices,") day and night intent on heavenly things.”—He next remarks, that, in a case like this, it had been decreed, that for no brother, who by will had made such a disposition," any offering should be made, ​or Sacrifice celebrated for his repose; because he merits not to be named at the altar in the prayer of the Priests, whose wish it was to withdraw them from the altar.” He, therefore, forbids prayers and oblations to be made for him. Ep. lxvi. p. 114.—“ Although I am sensible, that most Bishops, set over the Churches of God, hold to the maxims of evangelical truth and divine tradition, and depart not, by any human and innovating discovery, from that which Christ our Master taught and did; yet as some, through ignorance or simplicity, in the sanctification of the cup of the Lord, and in delivering it to the people, do not that, which Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, the teacher and founder of this Sacrifice, himself did and taught; therefore, I judge it necessary to write to you, in order that, if there be any one still in that error, when he sees the light of truth, he may return to the root and fountain of Christian tradition. Then proceeding to the point, he says: then advised, that, in offering the cup, the rule, ordained by Christ, be followed; that is, that the cup, which is offered in commemoration of him, be wine mixed with water. For, as he said: I am the true vine; not water, but wine, is the blood of Christ. And what is in the chalice cannot be thought the blood, by which we obtained redemption and life, if wine be wanting, whereby that blood is shewn, which, as all the Scriptures attest, was shed.” Ep. lxiii. Ad Cecilium, p. 104.--“In the Priest Melchisedec we see prefigured the sacrament of the Christian Sacrifice, the holy Scriptures declaring : Melchisedec, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God, and he blessed Abraham. (Gen. xiv.) And that he bore the resemblance of Christ, the Psalmist announces : Thou art a ​priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedec. (Ps. cix.) This order thus comes and descends from that Sacrifice; that Melchisedec was the Priest of the Most High; that he offered bread and wine; and that he blessed Abraham. And who was so much a Priest of the most high God, our Lord Jesus Christ ? He offered Sacrifice to God the Father; he offered the same as did Melchisedec,—that is, bread and wine, his own body and blood : and the blessing given to Abraham, now applies to our people..... But, in the book of Genesis, that the blessing given to Abraham might be properly celebrated, the representation of the Sacrifice of Christ, appointed in bread and wine, precedes it; which our Lord, perfecting and fulfilling it, himself offered in bread and wine; and thus he, who is the plenitude, fulfilled the truth of the prefigured image.” Ibid. p. 105.—He afterwards adds: “If Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, be himself the high Priest of his Father; and if he first offered himself a Sacrifice to him, and commanded the same to be done in remembrance of him; then that Priest truly stands in the place of Christ, who imitates that which Christ did, and then offers in the Church a true and complete Sacrifice to God the Father, doing what he ordained. For the whole discipline of religion and of truth is subverted, if that which was commanded be not faithfully complied with.” Ibid. p. 109.
I could quote many other passages from the letters of St. Cyprian, and from his other tracts, in which he speaks of the Christian Sacrifice of the New law, in terms the most plain and obvious, such as: “ We are mindful of you day and night, and when we offer up prayer in the Sacrifices.” Ep. xv. p. 25.-“ As often as we celebrate the anniversary days of the martyrs, we offer Sacrifices for them, (the relatives ​of the teacher Celerinus.)" Ep. xxxiv.—“To God and his Christ, whom I serve, and to whom, with a pure and undefiled countenance, in persecution and in peace, I unceasingly offer Sacrifices." Ep. lxix. p. 124.—“ Whilst we were offering Sacrifice, the girl was brought in by her mother." De Lapsis, p. 189.
CENT. IV.
EUSEBIUS OF CÆSAREA, G. C. “ And as he (speaking of Melchisedec) who was the Priest of the Gentiles, seems never to have offered animal Sacrifices, but wine alone and bread, while he blessed Abraham; so our Saviour and Lord first, and then the Priests who are descended from him, performing, in all nations, according to ecclesiastical ordinances, the sacerdotal function, represent, in bread and wine, the mysteries of his body and salutary blood, which mysteries Melchisedec had so long before, by the divine Spirit, foreknown, and used in figure. The Scripture of Moses says: And Melchisedec, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine : and he was the Priest of the most high God: and he blessed Abraham.” (Gen. xiv.) Demonst. Evang. L. v. c. iii. p. 223. Coloniæ. 1688.—“ Since then, as the New Testament,” &c. See the passage, p. 215.
St. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G. C.--He mentions the various prayers and ceremonies which accompany our Sacrifice of the altar, and adds: “When this spiritual Sacrifice is ended, and this unbloody worship over the victim of propitiation, we supplicate God, for the common peace of the Churches, for the tranquillity of the world, for kings, for ​their armies, and their allies, for the sick and the afflicted, and in a word, for all who want assistance. Again, when we offer this Sacrifice, we commemorate those who have departed this world before us. We offer up that Christ who was sacrificed for our sins, propitiating him, who is so merciful, for them and for us."—He proceeds to the Lord's prayer, which is recited in the Mass, and dwells on its several clauses; and then prescribes the reverential manner, in which the body and blood of Christ are to be taken. Catech. Mystag. v. n. viii, ix, x. p. 327-8.-See page 221.
St. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUM, G. C.—“And where, and by whom, could God be worshipped in those mystic and elevating sacred rites, than which nothing, among us, is greater nor more excellent, if there were no Priesthood, nor Sacrifice —Knowing this, and knowing besides, that no one was worthy of this great God, this Sacrifice, and this Priesthood, who had not first offered himself a victim to the Lord -how should I dare to offer to him that external Sacrifice, that antitype of great mysteries, or to take up the name and habit of a Priest?” Orat. 1. T. 1. p. 3, 38.—“Julian, in impure and wicked blood, washes away his baptismal rite, opposing initiation to initiation-he defiles his hands, in order to purify them from that unbloody Sacrifice," through which we communicate with Christ, with his divine nature, and his sufferings.” Orat. iii. in Julian. T. 1. p. 70.
ST. OPTATUS OF MILEVIS, L. C.-See the quotation from him, p. 223.—“What is so sacrilegious,” &c.
St. AMBROSE, L. C.-Commenting on the appearance of the Angel to Zacharias, (Luke 1.) he says: “It were to be wished that, while we burn incense on our altars, and offer Sacrifice, the angel would assist, and become visible to us. ​That he does assist, cannot be doubted, while Christ is there, while Christ is immolated ; For Christ, our pasch, is sacrificed.” (1 Cor. v. 7.) L. 1. in Evang. Luc. c. 1. T. i. p. 1275. _“ We have beheld the Prince of Priests coming to us; we have beheld and heard him offering his blood for us : We Priests, then, follow him, as we can, and offer Sacrifice for the people, weak as we are in merit, but rendered honourable by this Sacrifice : for although Christ is not now seen to offer, yet is he offered on earth, when his body is the victim. Indeed, he manifestly offers in us, since it is his word that sanctifies the Sacrifice that is offered.” Enarr. in Psal. xxxviii. T. 1. p. 853.
In a letter to his sister Marcellina, giving an account of some disturbances at Milan, when an attempt was made to seize the Church, he relates : “ The next day, which was Sunday, after the reading and Sermon, when I was explaining the creed, word was brought, that officers were sent to seize the Portian-church, and that part of the people were flocking thither. I continued to discharge my duty, and began Mass: but as I was offering, I was informed that the people had laid hands on an Arian Priest. This made me weep, and I prayed to God in the midst of the offering, that no blood might be shed in this quarrel.” Ep. xiv. Classis i. T. 11. p. 853.—Having heard from the Emperor Theodosius of the victory which he had gained over the tyrant Eugenius, Ambrose writes to him: “I took your letter with me to the church: I laid it on the altar, and, whilst I offered Sacrifice, y) I held it in my hand, that by my voice you might speak, and your august letter perform with me the sacerdotal office.” Ibid. p. 1021.
​As the Mass has just been mentioned in a quotation from St. Ambrose, I will here subjoin a passage, on the subject, from the learned and pious Cardinal Bona, who flourished in the seventeenth century.--" There is an epistle of Pius I, acknowledged to be genuine, written about the year 166 to the bishop of Vienne, in the opening of which he thus speaks: 'Our sister Euprepia, as you well recollect, made over her house to the poor, where we dwell and celebrate Mass.'" Conc. Gen. T. 1. p. 576.—A letter also from Pope Cornelius to another Bishop of the same city, written about the year 254, remarks that, on account of the persecutions, the Christians could not publicly “ celebrate Mass.” Ibid. p. 681.-In the fourth century, S. Ambrose, writing to his sister, mentions the Mass, as likewise in his thirty-fourth discourse: “I exhort you, you that are near the Church, and can do it without great inconvenience, to hear Mass daily.” T. 11, in Append. p. 425.—In his preparatory prayer before Mass, he says: “Grant me thy grace, on this day and on every other, with a pure mind and clean heart, to celebrate the solemn service of Mass.” Ibid. p. 335.-“ St. Augustin and other ancient Fathers use the same expression, and they use it as if it were common and generally received at the time.” L. 1. Rerum Liturg. c. iii. p. 17. Edit. Paris. 1678.
In this fourth century various Councils were held, which in plain terms speak of the Christian Sacrifice.
COUNCIL OF ANCYRA, G. C. Against such Priests who, in the times of persecution, had shewn great weakness, it enacts : “That they be not deprived of their stations ; ​but that they be not allowed to offer, nor to address the people, nor to perform any priestly function.” Can. 1. Conc. Gen. T. 1. p. 1455.
COUNCIL OF NEOCÆSAREA, G. C. “ Country-priests, in the presence of the Bishop or the Priests of the city, cannot offer, (a) nor give the sanctified bread, nor present the chalice.” Ibid. Can. xiii. p. 1483.
COUNCIL OF NICE, G. C. “ The holy Synod has been informed, that, in some places and cities, the deacons present the Eucharist to the Priests; a thing which no canon nor custom has taught—that they, who have themselves no power to offer,) should present the body of Christ to those who possess that power.” Can. xviii. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 38.
COUNCIL OF LAODICEA, G. C. Having established certain rules to be observed in the service of the Church, it adds: “And after the Priests have given the kiss of peace to the Bishop, the laity must do the same one to the other, and thus the holy offering be completed: but the ministers alone may approach the altar, and there communicate. Ibid. Can. xix. T. i. p. 1499.
SECOND COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE, L. C.-It enacts, that, if any Priest, having been reprimanded by his Bishop, withdraw from his communion, and “offer Sacrifice pri​vately," erecting altar against altar, contrary to established discipline-he be deprived of his office.” Ibid. Can. viii. T. ii. p. 1161.
THEOPHILUS OF ALEXANDRIA, G. C. — “ Let the Priests, after certain portions have been consumed in the use of the mysteries, divide the remainder of what was offered in the way of Sacrifice;m) but of them the catechumen may not eat nor drink, but clerks only, and the believing brethren with them.” In Commonit. Can. vii. Apud. Bevereg. T.ii. p. 172. Edit. O.xunü, 1672.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G.C.--On the words of the prophet Malachy; And in every place incense shall be offered to God and a clean offering; he says, addressing the Jews : “ When did this happen? When was incense thus offered ? When this clean Sacrifice? You can produce no other time than the present, the period since the coming of Christ.m) And if of this time the Prophet had not spoken; had he prophesied not of our Sacrifice, but of that of the Jews, his prophecy would have been contrary to the law: for Moses forbids sacrifices to be offered in any other place than that, which God had chosen; to this he confines them. But Malachy declares, that, in every place incense shall be offered, and a clean Sacrifice. In truth, however, there is no discordance between them. They speak of different sacrifices. In the first place, the Prophet foretels that, not in one city, as among the Jews, but from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, offerings shall be made. Then, ​by calling the Sacrifice clean, he plainly denotes of what victim he spoke. And finally, the offerings will be made, not in Israel, but in all nations. In every place he says, evidently shewing, that wherever the sun sheds its light, there the Gospel shall be preached. He speaks of a clean offering, not as if, by its own nature, that of the Jews had been unclean, unless through the will of the offerers. Wherefore God said: their incense is an abomination to me. Nevertheless, if our present Sacrifice be compared with the former, so vast will the difference be found, that ours alone can merit the name of clean." Adv. Judæos, Orat. v. T. 1. p. 647. “ The office of Priesthood is, indeed, performed on earth, but it should itself be referred to the class and order of things celestial. Wherefore it is necessary, that the Priest be pure, as if, placed in heaven, he stood among the celestial spirits.-For when you behold the Lord immolated, and the Priest presiding over the Sacrifice, and pouring out prayers, and then the surrounding multitude partaking of the sacred blood, (n) can you, at that moment, fancy, you are among mortals, and dwelling on the earth ? Rather, are you not transported to the heavens ? De Sacerd. L. iii. c. iv. T. 1. p. 382.–“But when the Priest shall have invoked the holy Spirit, and shall have completed this tremendous and awful Sacrifice, the common Lord of all being handled by him:(0) I ask you, in what rank shall we place him? And what integrity of life, and what sense of religion shall we not demand from him? Reflect, what those hands should be; what the tongue that utters those words; how pure and holy the soul that has been so honoured. Meanwhile, the angels stand by the Priest, the army of heavenly powers cry out, and the space around the altar is filled by them in ho​nour of him who lies there.” Ibid. L. vi. c. iv, p. 424. These sentiments he often repeats.—“He has ordained a sacred rite, changing the victim, and, in the place of animals, commanding himself to be immolated.”(P) Hom. xxiv, in 1 Cor. T. x. p. 213.--" It was not in vain that the Apostles ordained, that, in the celebration of the tremendous mysteries, mention should be made of the dead. They knew, that great advantage would thence be derived to them. For all the people being present, and raising their hands to heaven, and the sacred victim lying there,) shall not God be rendered propitious to them?” Hom. iii. in c. 1. Ep. ad Philip, T. xi. p. 217.-—“ But do we not, (it may be asked) offer Sacrifice daily? We do; but in remembrance of his death. And the victim is one, not many. But how is this? Because it was once offered, and brought into the sanctuary. This Sacrifice is a copy of that; the offering is the same. Not one on one day, and on the next another ; but always the same.'") Thus then the Sacrifice is one. But are there many Christs, as the offering is made in many places ? By no means: it is the same Christ every where; here entire, and there entire; one body. As then, though offered in many places, there is one body, and not many bodies; so is there one Sacrifice. He is our high Priest, who offered the victim of our expiation: that same victim we now offer that was then offered; which cannot be consumed. This is done in remembrance of what was done. Do this, he said, in remembrance of me." Hom, xvii. in c. ix. Ep. ad Hebr. T. xii. p. 168.
ST. INNOCENT I. L. C.He writes to the Bishop of Eugubium : “You say, that the kiss of peace is sometimes given before the sacred mysteries are completed, which ​should not be done till after those parts which I must not reveal; for that kiss denotes, that the faithful present have assented to all that was performed.” He gives other directions, speaking of“ the sacred mysteries and the victim that is offered." Ep. ad Decentium: Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1246.
ST. JEROM, L.C. “I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun, &c. (Malach. 1.) It is a fixed rule, when a prophecy manifestly refers to future events, not to weaken it by uncertain allegories. The present prophecy regards the Jewish priests, who brought improper victims to be offered, to signify to them, that spiritual victims would succeed to carnal, and that not the blood of bulls and goats, but perfumes, that is, the prayers of the Saints, should be offered to God; and that, not in one province, nor in one city: but a clean oblation in every place, such as is offered in the Christian ceremonies : For from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, great is my name among the Gentiles.” In cap. 1. Malach. T. iii. 1813.
Having stated what were the opinions of many learned men on the character and offering of Melchisedec, (Gen xiv.) he says: “The Apostle affirms, that the Priesthood of Aaron, that is, the Jewish priesthood, had a beginning and an end (Heb. vii.); but that the Priesthood of Melchisedech, that is, of Christ and his Church, should be eternal, and had no author; and that the Priesthood being translated, it is necessary that a translation also be made of the law.” Ep.cxxvi. ad Evangelium, T. ii. p. 572.-I find him, on many occasions, expressing the same sentiment, that the offering of bread and wine by Melchisedech, was a type of the Sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ in the elements of bread and wine. “In the figure of Christ he offered bread and wine, and thus dedicated the Christian mystery in the blood and body of our Saviour. Ep. xliv. T. iv. Pars. 2. ​p. 547.-" According to thee, the Roman Bishop does wrong, who offers Sacrifices to the Lord, over the bodies of Peter and Paul, which bodies we call venerable remains, but you, vile dust. To him their tombs are altars.” Adv. Vigilantium, Ibid. p. 284.-Having treated, at great length, of the superior virtues of the state of celibacy, he says: “And if the layman, or any one of the faithful, is not able to pray, unless he be continent; it is the duty of the Priest, who is constantly to offer Sacrifices for the people, always to pray : but if always to pray, then to be continent.” L. 1. Adv. Jovinianum, T. iv. Pars. ii. p. 175.--He gives the same advice to Bishops: “What must be our opinion concerning the Bishop, who daily, for his own and the sins of the people, is to offer to God pure Sacrifices ?” In c. 1. Ep. ad Titum, T. iv. Pars. 1. p. 418.
CENT. V.
ST. AUGUSTIN, L. C. “Then Abraham (Gen. xiv.) was blessed by Melchisedec, the Priest of the most high God, of whom many and great things are said in the epistle to the Hebrews, (vii.) which epistle most people ascribe to the Apostle Paul, and some deny it. Then first appeared that Sacrifice which now is offered to God, by Christians in all the earth ;(u) and that is fulfilled which long after the fact of Melchisedec, was said by the Prophet of Christ: Thou art a Priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedec. (Ps. cix.) Not according to the order of Aaron : for this order was to be annulled, when the things which those shadows prefigured, should come to pass.” De Civ. Dei. L. xvi. ​c. xxii. T. vii. p. 435.-“This eating and drinking, of which the wise man speaks, (Eccles. ïïi.) relate to the participation of this table, which the Mediator of the new covenant, the Priest according to the order of Melchisedec, offers of his body and blood. This Sacrifice has succeeded to all those of the ancient covenant, which were offered, as the shadows of this that was to come.” Ibid. L. xvii. c. xx. p. 484.-" The Prophet Malachy foretelling the Church, which we now behold propagated by Christ, in the person of God, thus manifestly speaks to the Jews: I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles ; and in every place incense shall be offered to my name, and a clean offering. (Malach 1.) Since then we behold this Sacrifice, in every place, offered to God by the Priesthood of Christ, according to the order of Melchisedec; and the Jews cannot deny, that their Sacrifices have ceased, why do they still look for another Christ? Ibid. L. xviii. c. xxxv. p. 517.
Speaking afterwards in reply to those who asked, why miracles were not then wrought: he recounts many to most of which he was himself a witness, and among them relates that the property of a great man, whom he names, having been much troubled by wicked spirits, he requested, that,“ in my absence, some of the Priests would go, and by their prayers, remove the evil. One of them went; offered there the Sacrifice of the body of Christ, praying that the mischief might cease: and, by the mercy of God, it instantly ceased.” Ibid. p.666.—“The Hebrews, in the victims which they offered to God, in many and various ways, as became so great a subject, prefigured the future victim, which Christ has ​offered. Hence Christians, by the holy oblation, and partici. pation of the body and blood of Christ, celebrate the remembrance of that Sacrifice. But the Manicheans understand not what they should believe, or what observe in this Sacrifice of the Christians.” Contra Faustum, Lib. xx, c. xviii. T. viii. p. 345.—Then, to the objection of his adversary, that the Catholics had substituted the martyrs in the place of the Idols of the Gentiles, he replies: “The Christian people celebrate the memories of the Martyrs with a religious solemnity, in order to excite themselves to an imitation of their constancy, to be united to their merits, and to be aided by their prayers: but to no Martyr, to the God alon of Martyrs, in memory of them, do we raise altars. For what Prelate, assisting at the altar where the bodies of the Martyrs lie, was ever heard to say: To thee Peter; to thee Paul; or to thee Cyprian do we make this offering ? To God alone, who crowned these Martyrs, is Sacrifice offered.-We frequently sacrifice to God in the Churches of the Martyrs, by that rite, according to which, as the Scriptures of the New Testament declare, he commanded Sacrifice to be offered to him. This pertains to that worship which the Greeks call Latria, and which can be offered to God alone.” Ibid. c. xxi. p. 347-8.—“It cannot be doubted, that, by the prayers of the holy Church, and by the salutary Sacrifice, and by alms, which are given for the repose of their souls, the dead are helped; so that God may treat them more mercifully than their sins deserved. This the whole Church observes, which it received from the tradition of the Fathers, to pray for those who died in the communion of the body and blood of Christ, when, in their turn, they are commemo​rated at the Sacrifice, and it is then announced, that the sacrifice is offered for them.” De verbis Apostoli, Serm. clxxii. T. v. p. 827.-See other passages p. 239.
St. ISIDORE OF PELUSIUM, G. C.-" I exhort you to desist from doing these things, or not to approach the venerable altar.” Ep. xii. L. v. p. 556.—“Crimes acquire a deeper guilt from the place and time. For example; murder is always detestable; but it is more so, when committed in a sacred place; and still more wicked, if in the time of Sacrifice.” Ep. ccccxcii. p. 705.—“Either cease to be guilty of such crimes, or withdraw from the sacred table, that the children of the Church may safely approach to the sacred mysteries, without which they cannot be saved.” Ep. DLXIX. p. 723.
St. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, G. C.-“ We offer in the Church a holy, vivifying, and unbloody Sacrifice; not believing it to be the common body and blood of man, but the real body and the real blood of the life-giving word. For common flesh cannot give life, which our Saviour himself attested, saying: It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.” (John vi. 64.) Declar. Anathem. xi. T. vi. p. 156.—“God said plainly to the Jews, that they were not pleasing to him, or rather, that he would not accept their sacrifices in shadows and figures : but foretels, that his name shall be great among all nations, and that, in every place and nation, pure and unbloody Sacrifices shall be offered.” ​Comm. in c. 1. Malach. T. iii. p. 830.--See also the Epistle read at Ephesus, p. 248.--"On this occasion,” &c.
COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON, G. C.-In this Council the following complaint was read against Dioscorus, the Bishop of Alexandria: “So great was his audacity against all-not as became a Bishop, and a Bishop of so great a city, and of this evangelical Seewas not to permit the corn to be received, which our kind Emperors had granted to the Churches of Lybia, on account of the sterility of the province, and because no corn is grown in it. It was granted, in the first place, that, of it the unbloody Sacrifice might be offered ; and then that travellers and the poor inhabitants might be aided.–From this oppressive act it has happened, that the tremendous and unbloody Sacrifice has not been celebrated. Libellus Ischyrionis, &c. Conc. Gen. T. iv. p. 400.
THEODORET, G. C.-“Melchisedec was the Priest, not of the Jews, but of the Gentiles : and so Christ offered himself to God, not for the Jews only, but for all men. He opens his Priesthood in the night, when he took bread ; and blessing, broke, and gave it to them, and said: Take ye, this is my body, &c. (Matt. xxvi.) We read, that Melchisedec was a Priest and a King—the figure of the true Priest and Kingand that he offered to God, not animals, but bread and wine. For these he presented to Abraham, whilst in spirit he contemplated in the loins of the patriarch the true image of his Priesthood.--Christ is now the Priest, according to the flesh born of Judah, not himself offering, but being the Head of those that offer. For he calls the Church his body, and by this Church, as man, he exercises the priestly office, while, as God, he accepts the offerings that are made. The Church offers his body and blood.” In Psal. cix. v. 4. T. 1. p. 852.
​St. LEO, L. C.-He remarks, speaking of the Passion of our Saviour, that “the variety of carnal Sacrifices ceasing, the single oblation of the body and blood takes place of all other victims." But this properly is referred to the bloody Sacrifice on the cross. Serm. viii. de Pass. Dom. p. 265.Afterwards he thus writes to Dioscorus, the same Bishop of Alexandria, whose reprehensible conduct we have just seen: “That the discipline of our Churches may in all things agree, this should be observed: that when a more solemn feast calls the people together, and more meet than the Church can contain, the offering of the Sacrifice be repeated, lest any be deprived of it; for religion and reason demand, that the Sacrifice should be as often offered, as there are people to partake. Otherwise, if the custom of one Mass be followed, they, who cannot find place, must be deprived of the Sacrifice. We therefore anxiously exhort you, that you do not neglect, but join with us, as in faith so in practice, to observe a rule that by Tradition is come down to us.” Ep. xi, al. lxxxi. ad Diosc. Alex. p. 437.
St. EUCHERIUS, L. C.-“ Let all unbelief be gone, ​since He is the witness of the truth, who is the Author of the gift; for the invisible Priest does, by his word and secret power, change the visible creatures into the substance of his body and blood, saying thus: Take, and eat, this is my body, &c. And therefore, as, at the command of the Lord, the highest heavens, the deep waves, and the vast earth, suddenly rose out of nothing : so by the like power in the spiritual Sacraments, the virtue of the Word commands, and the effect obeys. Let no one doubt, that these creatures, by the nod of his power, by the presence of his majesty, pass into the substance of the Lord's body. When the creatures to be blessed by the heavenly words are placed on the altar, before they are consecrated by the invocation of the name of the Most High, the substance of bread and wine is there; but after the words of Christ, it is the body and blood of Christ. And what wonder is it, that He who could create these things by his word, should change them when created Nay, it seems matter of less wonder, if that which is acknowledged to have been created of nothing, be now changed into better. Search what is hard for him to do, to whom it was easy to raise things visible and invisible, by the power of his will; to whom it was easy, to clothe man made of the matter of clay, with the image of his own divinity," &c. Hom. v. de Pasch. sub nomine Eusebii. Bibl. PP. T. vi. p. 636, 637.
LITURGY OF JERUSALEM, G. C.-See the passage p. 192.
LITURGY OF ALEXANDRIA, G.C.-See p. 193.
​LITURGY OF CONSTANTINOPLE, G. C. see p. 195.
APOSTOLIC LITURGY, L. C. see p. 196.
ROMAN LITURGY, L. C. see p. 197.
SYRIAC LITURGY, G. C. see p. 198.
LITURGY OF THE NESTORIANS, G. C. see p. 199.
LITURGY OF THEODORUS, G. C. see p. 200.
LITURGY OF NESTORIUS, G. C. see p. 200.
COPTIC LITURGY OF ST. BASIL, G. C. see p. 201.
ALEXANDRIAN LITURGY OF ST. BASIL, G. C. see p. 202.
COPTIC LITURGY OF ST. GREGORY, G. C. see p. 203.
ALEXANDRIAN LITURGY OF ST. GREGORY, G. C. see p. 204.
COPTIC LITURGY OF ST. CYRIL, G. C. see p. 204.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ Because under the former testament, as the Apostle Paul witnesses, (Heb. vii. ix. x.) on account of the weakness of the Levitical priesthood, there was no consummation, it became necessary-God so ordaining it—that another Priest according to the order of Melchisedec, should arise, our Lord Jesus Christ, who might be able to consummate all that were to be sanctified, and perfect them. Wherefore, this our Lord and God, although he was about to offer himself once, on the altar of the cross, to his Father, that on it he might operate our eternal redemption; yet, because, by death, his Priesthood was not to cease, he, at his last supper, the same night in which he was betrayed, (1 Cor. xi.) that he might leave to his Church a visible Sacrifice, such as the nature of man requires, by which the bloody Sacrifice, once to be completed on the cross, might be represented; and its memory might continue to the end of time; and its salutary virtue be applied to the remission of those sins which we daily commit—declaring himself to be the appointed Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec : he offered ​to his Father his body and blood, under the appearances of bread and wine; and, under those appearances, delivered the same to his Apostles, whom, at the time, he appointed the Priests of the New Testament. To them, and to their successors in the Priesthood, he gave command to offer the same, saying: Do this for a commemoration of me. (Luke xxii.) So the Catholic Church has always understood and taught. This is the clean offering which the prophet Malachy foretold should be offered in every place. This the offering which was prefigured by the various typical sacrifices of the law and of nature, comprising whatever good things they signified, consummating and perfecting all.” Sess. xxii. c. 1, p. 189.-“And because in this divine Sacrifice, which is performed in the Mass, the same Christ is contained, and offered in an unbloody manner, who, on the altar of the cross, offered himself in a bloody manner—the holy Synod teaches, that this Sacrifice is truly propitiatory, and that, by it, to the sincerely penitent, the sins we commit, however enormous they be, are remitted. For it is one and the same victim; the same Christ now offering himself by the ministry of the Priest, who offered himself on the cross; the difference being only in the manner of offering. By this offering, then, the fruits of that bloody offering are most plentifully received: so far is it from truth, that hereby the least part is derogated from it. Wherefore, according ​to Apostolical Tradition, the Mass is duly offered not only for the benefit of the living, but also for those, who, though dead in Christ, are not fully cleansed from all defilement,” Ibid. c.ii. p. 191.
PENANCE OR REPENTANCE.
PROPOSITION VI.
Sincere repentance, that is, sorrow of mind, joined to a firm resolution of amendment, was, at all times, so necessary, that without it there could be no remission of sin.
SCRIPTURE.
Deut. iv. 29. “And if thou shalt there seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him; yet so, if thou seek him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.”—1 Kings, vii. 3. “ If you turn to the Lord with all your heartsmand prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only, he will deliver you.”—2 Paralip. vii. 14. “If my people shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin.”—Job, xxii. 23. “If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, and shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle.”—Prov.xxviii. 13. “He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper; but he that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall obtain mercy.”—Psal. xxxi. 5.“I said, I will confess against myself my transgressions to the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of the sin.”
Many similar passages occur in other parts of the old Testament, as likewise in the new.
Matt.iv. 17. “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
​Luke, iii. 3. “ John came preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins.”—7, 8.—“He said to the multitudes,Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance." Ibid. x. 13. If in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the mighty works that have been wrought in you, they would have done penance long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.”-xiii. 3. -“Except you be penitent, you shall all likewise perish.”— Acts iii. 19. “Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out."--Ibid. xxvi. 20. “I shewed -to the Jews and to the Gentiles, that they should do penance, and turn to God, doing works worthy of penance.”— 2 Cor. vii. 10. “For the sorrow that is according to God worketh penance steadfast into salvation."
FATHERS.
On this head the Fathers are unanimous.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ Penance (repentance) was, at all times, necessary for all men, who had defiled themselves with any grievous sin, in order to their obtaining grace and justification-so that, their perverse ways being laid aside and amended, they might, with sorrow of mind, and hatred of sin, detest their offences against God."-Sess. xiv.c. 1. p. 107.
INSTITUTION OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
PROPOSITION VII.
Catholics believe, that when a sinner repents of his sins, from his heart, and acknowledges his transgressions to God and his ​ministers--the dispensers of the mysteries of Christ-resolving to turn from his evil ways, and to bring forth fruit worthy of penance—there is then, and not otherwise, an authority left by Christ to absolve such a penitential sinner from his sins : which authority, we believe, Christ gave to his Apostles and their Successors, the Bishops and Priests of his Church, in those words, when he said: Receive ye the Holy Ghost, &c. John xx. 22, 23.
SCRIPTURE.
Matt. xvi. 19. “ And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.” -Ibid. xviii. 18. “Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.”—John, xx. 21, 22, 23. “ As the Father hath sent me, I also send you."-When he had said this, he breathed on them, and he said to them: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
FATHERS.
CENT. II.
TERTULLIAN, L. C.—“ If thou thinkest heaven is still closed, recollect, that the Lord left the keys thereof to Peter, and, through him, to the Church.” Scorpiaci c. x. p. 830. .
CENT. III.
St. CYPRIAN, L. C.-“ It was not consistent with justice, ​nor did the divine clemency allow, that the Church should be closed against those who knocked, and assistance denied to those, who with tears implored it; for dying thus they would be dismissed to the Lord, without communion and without peace ; when he, who gave the law, had himself permitted, that what is bound on earth should be bound also in heaven, and that should be there loosed, which had before been here loosed in the Church. Matt. xviii.” Ep. L. iv. p. 77.
CENT. IV.
ST. ATHANASIUS, G. C.-“ Let us examine ourselves, whether our bonds are unloosed, that we may make some progress. Should they be still tied, give thyself up to the Disciples of Jesus. They stand ready to unloose thee, by the virtue of that power which they received from Christ. Whatever you shall bind on earth, he said, shall be bound in heaven; and what things you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. And who are the sinners, that must have recourse to their ministry? They are those whose vices were concealed, and whose sins were not subjected to public penance. One is enchained by avarice, another by fornication, this by drunkenness, the other by a vain ambition. There are some who injure their neighbours, and the poor, by taking or withholding from them what belongs to them; others accumulate usury on usury; in fine, we all labour under our respective vices; we all stand in need of being healed by our Saviour, and of the assistance of his ministers, that we may be freed from the captivity of the devil.” Hom. in illud Profecti in Pagum. T. ii. p. 79.
​St. Hilary, L. C.—“To impress the greatest fear, by which all men should now be withheld, Christ established this fixed and severe decision, that whom his Apostles should bind on earth, that is, whom they should leave bound in their sins, and whom they should loose, by receiving them, on their confession, into the grace of forgiveness, these should be bound or loosed in heaven, according to the Apostolical judgment.” Comm. in c. xviii. Matt. p. 700.
St. EPHREM OF EDESSA, G. C.—“ The exalted dignity of the Priesthood is far above our understanding, and the power of speech. The remission of sins is not granted to mortals, but through the ministry of the Priest.” De Sacerdotio, T. 111. p. 2.
St. AMBROSE, L. C.-Writing against the Novatians, who denied to the Church the power of pardoning sins, he says: “ They pretend, that, by reserving to him alone the power of remitting sins, they shew respect to Jesus Christ; and in this very thing they dishonour him, by violating his commands, and rejecting his proferred office. For as Christ in his Gospel said: What things you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and what you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven; who is it that honours him most-he that obeys, or he that rejects his commands?—The Church, by binding and loosing sins, obeys in both. The Novatians content themselves with binding only, and will not loose sinners, though the power of doing both was given: whence it follows, that one cannot be permitted without the other. Both are allowed to the Church: neither is allowed to heretics; because it is a right conceded only to Priests. This right the Church justly claims to herself, since she alone possesses true Priests.” De Pænit. L. 1. c. i. 1.11. p. 391. .
St. PACIANUS, L. C.-Refuting the same Novatians, he ​says: “But God alone, you Novatians will say, can gran. the pardon of sins. That is true : but what he does by his ministers, is done by his own power. What did he say to his Apostles? What you shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and what you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. And why this, if sinners might be bound only, and not loosed ? But, perhaps, the Apostles alone had this power? Then they alone, it must be said, had power to baptise ; to confer the holy Spirit; and to purify the gentiles from their sins: for, in the same place, where he gives them power to administer the sacrament of Baptism, he also gives them the power to loose sinners. Either then these two powers were peculiarly reserved to the Apostles, or they are both continued to their Successors; and, therefore, since it is certain, that the power of giving Baptism and Unction is descended to the Bishops, to them has likewise come the power of binding and of loosing." Ep. 1. ad Sympron. Bibl. PP. Max. T. iv. p. 306, 307.
In another letter, having stated, that the doctrine of the Novatians is contained in this proposition that, after Baptism, penance is not allowed, because the Church cannot forgive mortal sin; and that by receiving sinners, she destroys herself—he asks: “ Who is it that proposes this doctrine? Is it Moses; or Paul; or Christ ?-No: it is Novatian. And who is this Novatian? Is he a man pure and blameless, who has never forsaken the Church; who was lawfully ordained Bishop, and, in the ordinary course, succeeded in the place of a Bishop deceased? What do you mean, you will tell me? It suffices, that he has thus taught. But when did he thus teach? Was it immediately after the Passion of Christ? No; it was nearly three hundred years ​after that event. But did this man follow the prophets ? Was he a prophet? Did he raise the dead? Did he work miracles? Did he speak various tongues? For to establish a new Gospel, he should have done some of these things;(a) and though he had, yet the Apostle assures us; That should an angel from heaven preach another gospel, let him be anathema. (Gal. 1. 8.)—Has no one, since the coming of Christ to Novatian, understood the Christian doctrine? And since that time, is he alone in the way of salvation? - But you add: We do not acquiesce in authority; we make use of As to me then, who hitherto have been satisfied with the authority and tradition of the Church, I will not now dissent from it; I will not seek after disputes; and you who have separated from this body, and divided from your Mother, search in books for what is most hidden, that you may disturb those that are at rest. It is not we, but you, who have raised this dispuse." Ep. iii. Ibid. p. 309.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G. C.—“To mortals has been committed the dispensation of heavenly things, a dispensation which God would not give to angels nor archangels : for to these was not said—What you shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. (Matt. xviii. 18) Temporal Princes have a power to bind, but the body only; whereas the power of the Priesthood binds the soul, and reaches to heaven. In this sense, that God ratifies above what the Priests do here below; and the Master confirms the sentence of his servants. And what is this, but that all power over the concerns of heaven has been entrusted to them? Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. What power, I ask, can be ​greater than this? The Father gave all power to his Son but this very power Christ has communicated to his Ministers.”-“ As much as heaven is more noble than the earth, and the soul than the body, so is this power as much above the temporal.-It were madness then to despise a power, without which we cannot obtain salvation, nor the possession of the promised goods. For if none can enter heaven, unless he be first regenerated by water and the Holy Ghost; and if he that eateth not the flesh of our Lord, and drinketh not his blood, is deprived of eternal life; and if it be by these holy hands—I mean the hands of the Priest—that all these things are effected: how can either the fire of hell be avoided, or the crowns prepared for us hereafter, be obtained without their help? They, and only they, are entrusted with these spiritual births, and that regeneration which is wrought by Baptism. By them we put on Christ; we are united to the Son of God; and we become members of his sacred flesh.” De Sacerd. L. iii.c.v. T. 1. p. 383.-—“ Priests do not judge of the leprosy of the body, as the priests did under the old law: they judge of that of the soul; and they do not enquire only whether souls be purified, but they have also power to purify them. Wherefore, they who despise them commit a greater crime, and deserve a more severe chastisement, than Datban and his companions.” Ibid. c. vi. p.384.
ST. JEROM, LC.-Commenting on the words: Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven, (Matt. xvi.) he says: “ Some Bishops and Priests of the new law, understanding not the sense of these words, do imitate the pride of the Pharisees, by taking to themselves a power to condemn the innocent, and to absolve the guilty. ​But God does not so much consider the sentence of the Priest, as the life of the penitent; and as the Levites did not cleanse the lepers, but only separated those that were cleansed from such as were not, by the knowledge which they had of the malady: even so the Bishop or the Priest does not bind those that are innocent, and loose the guilty ; but having heard the difference of sins, he knows whom he should bind, and whom loose, in the discharge of his ministry.” Comm. in cap. xvi. Matt. T. iv. Pars. 1. p. 75.
CENT. V.
ST. AUGUSTIN, L. C.-“ Man bound in the chains of so many grievous crimes still draws back, and hesitates to have recourse to the keys of the Church, by which he may be loosed on earth, to the end that he be loosed in heaven.Let him then now willingly judge himself, whilst he has it in his power, and reform his manners, lest, when he shall not be able, he be judged by the Lord. And when he shall have passed on himself a severe, but medicinal, sentence, let him come to the Priests, by whom, in the Church, the power of the keys is administered.” Serm. cccli. T. v. p. 1358-9.—“ Whatever is loosed by the keys of the Church, is promised to be loosed in heaven.” Ibid. p. 1363.
St. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, G.C.—“Christ, dispensing the holy Spirit, said: Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained; (John xx.) though he alone be God by nature, and have power of releasing the guilty from their sin.-How then, or why did he impart to his Disciples a power which belongs ​to the divinity alone—It seemed good to him, that they who had within themselves his divine Spirit, should likewise possess the power of forgiving sins, and of retaining such as they judged proper; that holy Spirit himself, according to his good pleasure, forgiving and retaining, through the ministry of men. This is done in two ways; they call those to Baptism who are found worthy, and they reject the unworthy; or by other means, they forgive or retain sins, as when they correct those who have sinned, or forgive those who repent.” In Joan. Lib. xii. c. 1. T. iv. p. 1101.
St. LEO, L. C.—“The manifold mercy of God has been so indulgent to human failings, as not only by the grace of Baptism, but also by the medicine of penance, to restore him to the hope of eternal life. Thus they who have violated the blessings of regeneration, when they voluntarily condemn themselves, may obtain the remission of their crimes. But so has the divine goodness provided, that this cannot be done without the aid of his Ministers. The mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (1 Tim. ii. 5.) conferred this power on the Rulers of the Church, to impart the action of penance to those, that confess their sins, and to admit them, when purified by a wholesome satisfaction, through the gate of reconciliation, to the participation of the Sacraments. Our Saviour is himself ever present to this work, the ministration of which he committed to his Disciples, saying: And I am ​with you all days even to the end of the world. (Matt. xxviii 20.) Whatever, therefore, is duly and with a happy effect performed by us, is the gift, we cannot doubt, of the holy Spirit.” Ep. lxxxiii. al. sci. p. 605.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
They, who by sin have fallen from the grace of justification, are enabled again to be justified, when God, exciting them through the Sacrament of penance, they recover that lost grace by the merit of Christ. This mode of justification is reparation to the fallen; and which the holy Fathers have aptly styled the second plank after shipwreck. For for those who fall after baptism, Christ instituted the Sacrament of penance, when he said: Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” &c. Sess. vi. c. 14. p. 37.—“Our Lord then principally instituted this Sacrament, when, after his resurrection, breathing on his Disciples, he said: Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven ; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. (John xx.) By which signal action, and by words so plain, the Catholic Church, agreeably to the unanimous sense of the Fathers, has always understood, that the power of forgiving and of retaining sins, was given to the Apostles and to their legitimate Successors. And, with just reason, she therefore rejected and condemned as heretics, the Novatians, who obstinately, in former times, denied that power.” Sess. xiv. c. 1. p. 108.
THE PARTS OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
PROPOSITION VIII.
The essential parts of Penance are three; Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction; without which, in the case of grievous ​sin, unless when the two last, Confession and Satisfaction, from unavoidable obstacles, cannot be complied with-we believe that the sinner cannot obtain forgiveness from God.
CONTRITION OR SORROW OF MIND.
What is required in this contrition or sorrow, is, that it be interior, that is, that it spring from the heart, penetrated by the consciousness of guilt—that it be supernatural, that is, that it arise from grace or the influence of the divine Spirit on the soul, and not from considerations merely humanthat it be supreme, that is, above all other grief—that it be universal, that is, that it include every grievous sin, of which the sinner has been guilty—and that it contain a firm purpose of amendment, without which no sorrow can be real.
SCRIPTURE.
The passages cited p. 291, directly apply to this point, and to them, among many others, may be added the following:
Psal. 1. 19. “A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” -Ezech. xviii. 31. “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit.”--Isai. xlvi. 8. “Return, ye transgressors, to your heart.”—Joel ii. 12, 13. “ Be converted to me, says the Lord, with all your heart, in fasting, and weeping and mourning. Rend your hearts, and not your garments; and turn to the Lord, your God.”—Matt. xxvi. 75. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus: and going forth, he wept bitterly.”—Luke vii. 38. “And the woman that was a sinner-standing behind at his feet, began to ​ wash his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.”—Ibid. xv. 18, 19. “I will arise, and will go to my Father, and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven, and against thee—I am not now worthy to be called thy son.”—Ibid. xviii. 13. “And the publican standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: 0 God, be merciful to me a sinner.”—Acts ii. 37. “Now when they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart, and they said to Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles : What shall we do, men and brethren?
FATHERS.
On a point, where all Christians, it should seem, think, and express themselves alike, a few passages shall suffice.
CENT. III.
St. CYPRIAN, L. C.-"Let us turn to the Lord with our whole mind, and expressing our repentance with real grief, implore the mercy of God. Before him be the soul prostrate; to him be satisfaction made by tears; on him let our hope rest. Himself tells us how this must be done : Be converted to me, he says, with all your heart, in fasting, weeping, and mourning: rend your hearts, and not your garments. (Joel ii. 12.) To him we must turn: his anger must be appeased by fasting and by tears; for so he admonishes.” De Lapsis, p. 191.-“If the sinner pray with his whole heart; if he lament his fault with the tears of sincere repentance; if, by continued good works, he incline the Lord to mercy, the Lord will shew mercy, who offered it, saying: If in lamentations thou return to me, thou shalt be saved. (Isai. xxx. 15.) And again, (Joel. ii. 13.) Be converted to the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and rich to mercy. ​He can grant forgiveness; he can turn aside his sentence.” Ibid. p. 193.
CENT. IV.
St. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G. C.--Having given from the old Testament many examples of sincere repentance, he says: “ Of these God reversed the sentence: and shall not Christ grant the pardon of sins? Be converted; groan in spirit; shut the door ; and pray for forgiveness.-Peter, the supreme head of the Apostles, thrice denied his Master, but he repented, and wept bitterly.—Tears denote true and hearty repentance: on which account, he not only obtained pardon, but received an Apostolic dignity not to be taken from him." Cat. 11. n. xix. p. 37.
St. AMBROSE, L. C.-“ Let those who do penance, hear, in what manner they should proceed; with what earnestness and affection of mind, with what interior agitation, with what change of the heart: Behold, O Lord, says the prophet, (Lament. i. 20.) for I am in distress; my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled.” De Pænit. L. ii. c. vi. T. 11. p. 427. “ Should any one, being guilty of secret sins, in obedience to the command of Christ, heartily do penance for them, how shall he receive the reward, unless he be restored to communion? I would have the guilty hope for the pardon of his sins; yet he should beg it with tears; yet he should beg it with sighs; yet he should beg it with the lamentations of all the people. I would have him pray for absolution.” Ib. P. 414.
St. PACIANUS, L. C.—“I am sensible, that the pardon of sins is not to be granted indifferently to sinners, and that they are not to be loosed, before there be signs of the will of God, ​that it should be done; that absolution is not to be granted, but with much precaution and discretion, after sinners have wept and sighed long; and when the whole Church has prayed for them, that so no man may prevent the judgement of Jesus Christ." Ep. 1. ad Sympron. Bibl. PP. Max. T. iv P. 307.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G.C.-“When the heart is to be afflicted, is bodily strength required? Or to offer prayers to God; to recollect offences; to put on humility; or to eradicate pride? By these actions God is pleased. In them where is the labour? where the pain? And yet, as if it were so, they are omitted to be done. The severity of haircloth, the narrow retirement of a cell, the gloomy solitude of caves, God does not require: what he demands, is, that we keep ever in our minds the remembrance of our failings; that we hold the consciousness of these before our eyes, and that for them we implore forgiveness.” De Compunct. Cordis, L. 1. T. i. p. 139.—“The soul that desires to compound and to preserve that precious unguent, by which I understand compunction of heart, must draw within herself all corporeal sensations, and thus suppressing their natural indolence, be actively awake to, and intent solely on the object that is before her.—This was the case with the blessed Apostle, who, living amongst men, seemed to converse with them as we do with the absent dead. The world, he said, is crucified to me, and I to the world ; (Gal. vi. 14.) signifying, that the impression of external objects had ceased to affect him.” Ibid. L. ij. p. 142.—“ When you shall have done all things that are commanded you, say: we are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do. (Luke xvii. 10.) In this sense spoke the publican ; (Ibid. xviii. 13.) who, laden with many evils, could not lift up his eyes towards heaven, nor dared he pour out a long prayer, nor approach the Pharisee. This man had insultingly said: I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican. But he, as ​if he heard it not, is not offended: he takes the reproach to himself, acknowledges his unworthiness, and, striking on his breast, exclaims : 0 God, be merciful to me a sinner. It is no great thing for the sinner to do this; whom, whether he will or not, the weight of guilt weighs down and humbles : but when the just man, conscious of many good deeds, utters the sentiments of a sinner, he excites surprise, indicating the true symptoms of a contrite and humble heart." Ibid. p.146.--" It is this compunction of heart, which, like a fire, burns and destroys every vice of the soul: whatever evil it finds, it utterly consumes.” Ibid. p. 145.
CENT. V.
St. AUGUSTIN, L. C.-“In the act of penance, it is not the length of time that must be considered, but the intensity of sorrow; for God despises not the contrite and humbled heart.” Enchirid. c. lxv. T. vi. p. 220.—“A troubled spirit is a sacrifice to God. Not only did David make this offering; but he thus shewed us, what should be done. It is not enough, to correct our evil manners, and to abstain from sin; unless moreover satisfaction be made to God for our passed offences, by penitential sorrow, by the tears of an humble spirit, by the sacrifice of a contrite heart, joined to almsgiving. The merciful shall find mercy.” Serm. cccli. T. v. p. 1362.—“He that has been baptised, and has violated this sacrament, if he do penance with all his heart; if he do it where God sees, who saw the heart of David, when grievously menaced by the prophet, he exclaimed: I have sinned! With him the sinner will hear: The Lord hath taken away thy sin. (2 Kings xii, 13.) In the words--I have sinned-are but four syllables ; but those four syllables are powerful: by them the flame of the sacrifice of the heart was wafted up to heaven.” Serm. cccxcii. Ibid. p. 1507.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“Contrition, which holds the first place among the acts of the penitent, is a sorrow of mind and detestation of sin, joined to a resolution of sinning no more. To obtain the pardon of sin, this sorrow was at all times necessary; and now, to him that has forfeited his baptismal innocence, it prepares the way to forgiveness, if it be joined to a reliance on the divine mercy, and a desire of complying with the other conditions of this Sacrament. Wherefore the holy Synod declares, that this Contrition contains not a dereliction of sin only, and the beginning of a new life, but likewise a detestation of that which is passed, according to what was said: Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit. (Ezech. xviii. 31.) And if we consider the following sentiments: To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: (Ps. 1.) I will water my couch each night with my tears: (Ps. . vi.) I will recall all my days in the bitterness of my soul. (Isai. xxxviii. 15.) Considering these and such like passages we shall readily understand, that they flowed from a strong detestation of past conduct, and a hatred of sin.” Sess. xiv. c. iv. p. 111.
CONFESSION.
By Confession is understood the declaration which the penitent sinner makes of his sins to a Priest; the obligation of which evidently follows from the words of Christ; when instituting, as we believe, the sacrament of Penance, he breathed on his Disciples, and said: Receive ye the holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. (John xx. ​22, 23.) For to what purpose, we say, was this power given, if it imposed not on the sinner the obligation of making known his sins? Or how could the power be exercised, if no sins were communicated?
FATHERS.
CENT. II.
ST. IRENÆUS, L. C.--He mentions some women, who repenting of a secret crime, came to the Church, and "accused themselves of it." Of the wife of a certain deacon he also says, that, being converted with much difficulty, “she spent her life, confessing her crime, in sorrow and in tears.”— And of other women he adds: “ Some, touched in conscience, publicly confessed their sins; while others, in despair, renounced their faith.” Adv. Hær. c. xiii. p. 63, 65.
TERTULLIAN, L. C.-" The Confession of a fault lessens, as much as concealment aggravates it. One intimates a wish to make satisfaction, as the other indicates contumacy. Of this penitential disposition the proof is more laborious, as the business is more pressing, in order that some public act," not the voice of conscience alone, may shew it. This act, which the Greeks express by the word exomologesis, consists in the Confession of our sin to the Lord ; not as if he knew it not; but in as much as Confession leads to satisfaction; whence also penitence flows, and by penitence God is mollified. Wherefore, this exomologesis (Confession) is the discipline of prostration and humiliation, enjoining such conduct as may draw down mercy. It regulates dress and diet; and teaches, among other penitential acts, to fast, to ​pray, to weep, day and night before the Lord, to fall down before the Priests, to kneel at the altars, and to invoke the intercession of the brethren.” De Pænitent. c. ix. p. 169.He proceeds to state the happy effects of this exomologesis or Confession, and adds: “But most people, affected more by shame, than attentive to salvation, decline this work, as a publishing of their own failings, or put it off from day to day: just as men who, having some malady which they are ashamed to exhibit to the eye of a physician, prefer to perish rather than make it known.”-He dwells on the absurdity of this false shame, particularly before brethren, “in whom is a common hope, fear, joy, grief, and suffering, in the presence of one common Lord and Father. Why should such men seem other than yourself? Why do you fear these companions in distress?"--Nothing, he observes, can be concealed from the eye of God. “I admit,” he says, “it is hard to make this Confession; but suffering is the consequence of sin. This suffering ends, and spiritual health begins, when penance has been performed. But it may be, that besides the shame of Confession, the severe discipline of penace - some acts of which he enumerates-is likewise feared. Would it become us then to supplicate pardon in the midst of luxuries and effeminate indulgences?"-Of these he gives some fashionable instances, and with his accustomed sarcasticity, adds: “Should any one enquire why you are thus engaged? say: I have sinned against God, and am in danger of perishing everlastingly: wherefore, that I may obtain forgiveness, I thus punish myself.” Ibid. c. x. xi.
He next mentions the many abasing self-denials, to which the candidates for office voluntarily submit, and returns to the point of Confession. “If still you draw back, let your mind turn to that eternal fire, which Confession will extin​guish; and that you may not hesitate to adopt the remedy, ponderate the greatness of future punishment.-And as you are not ignorant, that, against that fire, after the baptismal institution, the aid of Confession has been appointed," why are you an enemy to your own salvation ?-Knowing that, for his recovery, it was instituted by the Lord, shall the sinner neglect that, whereby the king of Babylon reascended his throne?” Ibid. c. xii. p. 170.
It is plain that, through the whole of this passage, Tertullian speaks of secret sins, for the expiation of which, he deems the exomologesis or Confession absolutely necessary; but it must be allowed to be equally plain, that the Confession, on which he insists, is a public declaration to be made in the face of the Church, which was to be followed by a series of penitential acts, proportioned to the crimes, and equally public as the exomologesis.
On this head I must further add, that as, in these early ages, the zeal of Christians to maintain the purity of their calling was great, and their horror of whatever might defile that purity was not less signal, it will readily be understood ​-though no positive law either did or could compel the practice—why the public disclosure of secret sins was so strongly urged; and why many voluntarily submitted to the humiliation.-From what are called the penitential Canons --which, at this time, began to be formed-we learn that, to every sin was annexed some penal act, of more or less duration, and of more or less severity, without the discharge of which, it was believed, in the ordinary course of man's life, there was not a complete remission before God. But, before this penance could be enjoined, it is plain, that the sin, unless when publicly committed, must have been made known. The enforcement, then, of the Canons, and the enforcement or duty of Confession, or Exomologesis, public or private, went together. In the long list of sins, which the Canons detail, and to which specific penances were en. joined, some are such as could have been known only by Confession. The Priest, on these occasions, was directed to weigh all circumstances, and to remit some portion of the penance, as it might seem just. In the Churches of the East, a Penitentiary was appointed, whose office it was particularly to superintend those who were properly called the public penitents, and to see that all their duties were strictly discharged; while other ministers, approved by their respective Bishops, attended to the more private concerns of sinners, received their confessions, and apportioned the due ​degree of penitential works. But of these, in the fervour of compunction, many voluntarily joined the band of public penitents. At Rome, and in the Churches of the West, there was, at this time, no penitentiary; but the Bishop reserved the rite to himself, and superintended the public penances. Cardinal Bona, Rerum Liturgic. L. 1. c. 17.
CENT. III.
FERMILIAN, G. C.-“What a crime, &c." See page 212.
St. CYPRIAN, L. C.-“ God sees into the hearts and breasts of all men, and he will judge not their actions only, but their words and thoughts, viewing the most hidden conceptions of the mind. Hence, though some of these persons be remarked for their faith and the fear of God, and have not been guilty of the crime of sacrificing (to idols), nor of surrendering the holy Scriptures; yet if the thought of doing it have ever entered their mind, this they confess, with grief and without disguise, before the Priests of God, unburdening the conscience, "and seeking a salutary remedy, however small and pardonable their failing may have been. God, they know, will not be mocked.” De Lapsis, p. 190.Having mentioned other such sins, not greatly criminal, he adds: “The fault is less, but the conscience is not clear. Pardon may more easily be obtained; still there is guilt: and let not the sioner cease from doing penance, lest, what before was small, be aggravated by neglect. I entreat you, my brethren, let all confess their faults, while he that has offended enjoys life; while his Confession can be received, and while the satisfaction and pardon imparted by the Priests are acceptable before God.” Ibid.
​Speaking of the culpable indulgence shewn to some, who had fallen in the time of persecution, he observes : “ The miserable men are thus deceived; and when, by doing sincere penance, by prayer and good works, they might satisfy God, they are seduced into greater danger, and fall lower when they might rise. In the case of smaller failings, it is required, that sinners do penance for a stated time; that, according to the rule of established discipline, they come to confession (exomologesis), and that, by the imposition of the hand of the Bishop and Clergy, they be admitted to communion. But now, in the time of persecution, while the Church is troubled, these sinners are admitted ; their names are read (at the altar), and, no penance performed-no exomologesis madera)—no hand imposed—they are admitted to the Eucharist, though it be written: Whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” (1 Cor. xi. 27.) Ep. ix. ad Clerum. p. 18.-In another letter, addressed to his flock, he makes the same complaint, and delivers the same instructions. Ep. x. ad Plebem. p. 21.
ORIGEN, G. C.—“There is yet a more severe and arduous pardon of sins by penance, when the sinner washes his couch with his tears, and when he blushes not to disclose his sin to the Priest of the Lord, and seek a remedy. Thus is fulfilled what the Apostle says: Is any man sick among you, let him bring in the Priests of the Church. (James v. 14.)” Homil. ii. in Levit. T. ii. p. 191.-At the last day, “ all things will be revealed whatever we shall have committed; what we have done in private, what in word only, or even in thought: all will be laid open.—But if, while we are alive, we prevent this, and become our own accusers, ​we shall escape the designs of the accusing devil; for thus the prophet says: Let us be our own accusers.” Homil. iii. in Levit. T. ii. p. 196.—“ We have all power to pardon the faults committed against ourselves—but he, on whom Jesus breathed, as he did on the Apostles—he forgives, provided God forgive; and retains those, of which the sinner repents not ;) being his minister, who alone possesses the power of remitting. So the prophets uttered things not their own; but what it pleased God to communicate.” L. de Orat. T. i. p. 255.—“Observe what the divine Scripture teaches, that we must not inwardly conceal our sins. For as those, whose stomach is overloaded with indigestible food, and humours, if they vomit, are instantly relieved; so they who have sinned, if they hide and retain their sin within their breasts, are grievously tormented : but if the sinner becomes his own accuser, while he does this, he discharges the cause of all his malady. Only let him carefully consider, to whom he should confess his sin; what is the character of the physician ;(8) if he be one who will be weak with the weak, who will weep with the sorrowful, and who understands the discipline of condolence and fellow feeling. So that, when his skill shall be known and his pity felt, you may follow what he shall advise. Should he think your disease to be such, that it should be declared in the assembly of the faithful, whereby others may be edified, and yourself easily reformed - this must be done with much deliberation and the skilful advice of the physician.” Homil. ii. in Psal. xxxvii. T. ii. p. 688.—“ They who are not holy, die in their sins: the holy do penance; they feel their wounds; are sensible of their failings; look for the Priest; implore health ; and through ​him seek to be purified.” Homil. x. in Num. T. ii. p. 302. _“If we discover our sins, not only to God, but to those, who may apply a remedy to our wounds and iniquities, our sins will be effaced by him, who said: I have blotted out thy iniquities, as a cloud, and thy sins, as a mist. Isa. xliv. 22." Hom. xvii. in Lucam.
CENT. IV.
LACTANTIUS, L. C.-Speaking of legal circumcision, by which the Christian confession and penance, he says, were prefigured, he observes: “ This is the circumcision of the heart, of which the prophets speak, which God transferred from man's body to his soul. For being willing-such was his eternal mercy—to provide for our life and our salvation, in that circumcision he proposed penance to us; in order that, if we cleanse our heart, that is, if, confessing our sins, we make satisfaction to God, we may obtain pardon. This pardon, he, who looks into the secret recesses of the heart, withholds from the refractory, and from those who conceal their crimes." Institut. L. iv. c. 17. p. 319. Ed. Parisiis, 1748. - “ Now as all heretical sects deem themselves particularly Christians, and think theirs is the Catholic Church, it should be known, that where is confession and penance, by which the sins, to which weak men are subject, are cancelled, there is the true Church.” Ibid. c. xxx. p. 354.
EUSEBIUS OF CÆSAREA, G. C.-"God hates not sinners, nor does he permit them to be corrupted by their sins; but has more care of them, than of those, who are sound; giv​ing them the law, and pointing to the way of penance, whereby they may be saved. This law or way is that of conversion, repentance, and confession.” Com. in Psal. xxiv. T. 1. p. 93. Montfaucon, Nova Collectio. Paris. 1706.“The mention of formersins declared in confession is good.” Ibid. Com. in c. xliii. Isaia, T. 11. p. 526.
St. HILARY OF POITIERS, L.C.-“No one, when he has confessed a sin, must afterwards give it place; because such confession imports a purpose of ceasing from it. - Confession, as the prophet teaches, must be made with all the heart, and nothing remain behind of the acknowledged sins. What if a sinner, accusing himself of theft, continue to increase his store by unlawful and base gains ? He may not, indeed, be a thief; but he will be covetous, and an extortioner.” Comm. in Psal. cxxxvii. p. 498.
St. Basil, G.C.-“ In the Confession of sins, the same method must be observed, as in laying open the infirmities of the body. For as these are not rashly communicated to every one, but to those only who understand by what method they may be cured : so the Confession of sins must be made to such persons as have the power to apply a remedy.” In Regul. Brev. quæst. ccxxix. T. ii. p. 492.—He afterwards states who those persons are: “ Necessarily, our sins must be confessed to those, to whom has been committed the dispensation of the mysteries of God.”(0) Ibid. quæst. cclxxxviii. p. 516.
Among his Canons, which may be considered as the laws ​of the Eastern Church in the time of St. Basil, are many regulations on the subject of penance; among others: “ That women, guilty of adultery, and who had confessed it, should not be made public, agreeable to what the Fathers had appointed.” Ep.cxcix. ad Amphiloch. Can. xxxiv. T. iii. P. 295.
ST. JAMES OF NISIBIS, G. C.-“He that has been wounded in war, blushes not to put himself into the hands of a skilful physician: and the king, when he is cured, rejects him not, but places him on the list of his veteran troops. So must the man, whom the devil has wounded, not blush to confess his failings, to fly from him, and to implore the medicine of penance. For he that is ashamed to lay open his wounds to a physician, exposes his body to a total infection; while medicine restores him to health. He that is overcome in our warfare, may hope for a cure, if he say: I have sinned, begging penance: but he that is ashamed, cannot be cured, because he will not reveal his wounds to the physician. And you, who are the disciples of our physician, as you are endowed with the power of healing, take care not to be an obstacle to the cure of those, who are in want of medicine; but apply it to those, who lay their wounds before you. Admonish him, who is ashamed, not to conceal his sin; and when he has declared it, proclaim it not in public, lest, on his account, they who are innocent, be deemed guilty by men, who profess themselves our enemies. The military legion, in which many fall, incurs most the contempt of the enemy.” Serm. vii. p. 235.—He dwells farther on the subject, comparing together the states of the wounded soldier, and the sinner, who conceal, or reveal, their wounds.
“ And do you hear-you, who have the keys of the gates of heaven; open the gate to the repentant, following the advice ​of the Apostle: If a man be overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness. (Gal. vi. 1.) Penitents, to you I again say, do not reject the remedy, which is offered for your salvation : for so says the Scripture: if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us. (1 Jo.i. 9.)” Ibid. p: 241.—This he illustrates by many facts recorded in the Scriptures.
St. EPHREM OF EDESSA, G. C.-“ If any one shall make known his thoughts to thee, or make known his errors despise him not for what he has committed; but rather rejoice in the conversion of a brother. For the voluntary declaration of sin to spiritual men, is an indication of amendment, while silence is a proof of a mind ill-affected.Wherefore, it becomes a duty humbly to comfort him, who discloses himself, considering thyself, as the Apostle says, (Gal. vi. 1.) lest thou also be tempted.” Serm. in illud; Attende tibi ipsi, c. ix. T. 1. p. 248. Ed Quirini.
St. GREGORY OF Nyssa, G.C.-“You, whose soul is sick, why do you not run to a physician? Why do you not confess and discover your malady to him by Confession: Why do you suffer your disease to increase till it be inflamed, and deeply rooted in you? Re-enter into your own breasts ; reflect upon your own ways. You have offended God, you have provoked your Creator, who is the Lord and judge, not only of this life, but of the life to come.—Enquire into the disease wherewith you are seized; be sorry; afflict yourselves, and communicate your affliction to your brethren, that they may be afflicted with you; that so you may obtain the pardon of your sins. Shew me bitter tears, that I may mingle mine with yours. Impart your trouble to the Priest, as to ​your Father; he will be touched with a sense of your misery. Shew to him what is concealed without blushing ; open the secrets of your soul, as if you were shewing to a physician a hidden disorder; he will take care of your honour and of your cure." Serm. de Pænit. p. 175, 176. in append. ad Op. St. Basilii, Paris. 1618.--" Whoever secretly steals another man's goods, if he afterwards discovers, by Confession, his sin to the Priest, his heart being changed, he shall cure his wound: but then he must give to the poor, and thereby clearly shew, that he is free from the sin of avarice?" Ep. Canon. ad Letoium, Can. vi. T.i. p. 954.
St. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G. C.-“ Put off the old man, who is corrupted according to your lusts ; (Epb.iv.) put him off by Confession, that you may put on the new man.The present time is the time of Confession. Confess the things that you have done, in word or in deed, by night or by day. Confess in an acceptable time,) and in the day of salvation." Catech. i. n.ii.v. p. 17, 18.
St. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUM, G.C.-Speaking of the penitential works that must be gone through, lest the sinner be surprised by death, he says: “But, perhaps, supplicantly thou wilt pray the Lord, that he will yet spare the vine, and not cut it down, accused as it is of sterility, but permit thee to manure round it; that is, to employ tears, and groans, and prayers, and watchings, and the maceration of ​soul and body, and, in fine, that correction which consists in the Confession of sin, and the lowly humiliation of life.” Orat. xl. T. 1. p. 642.—“Think it not hard to confess(s) thy sin, reflecting on the baptism of John, in order that, by present shame, thou mayest escape the shame of the next life. Thus will it be made manifest, that thou really hatest sin, having deemed it deserving of contumely, and having triumphed over it.” Ibid. p. 657.
St. AMBROSE, L. C.-“If thou wouldst be made just, acknowledge thy fault; for the modest confession of sins, looses the bonds of crimes.” De Pænit. L. ii. c. vi. T. 11. p. 426.—“There are some who ask for penance, that they may at once be restored to communion. These do not so much desire to be loosed, as to bind the Priest; for they do not unburden their own conscience, but they burden his, who is commanded not to give holy things to dogs; that is, not easily to admit impure souls to the holy communion.” Ibid. c. ix. p. 434.
When the Emperor Theodosius, excluded from the Church during eight months, on account of the massacre committed by his order at Thessalonica, presented himself before St. Ambrose, and begged to be absolved :“What penance,” said the Saint," have you done for so great a crime?"_“It belongs to you,” humbly replied Theodosius,“ to prescribe and to mix the remedy, and to treat my difficult case: it is my part to take the medicine prescribed." He then directed ​him to do public penance. Theodoret, Hist. Eccl. L. v. c. 18. p. 217.
Paulinus, the secretary of St. Ambrose, relates in the history of his life; “ That as often as any one, in doing penance, confessed his faults to him, he wept so as to draw tears from the sinner. He seemed to take part in every act of sorrow. But as to the occasions or causes of the crimes which they confessed, these he revealed to no one but God, with whom he interceded; leaving this good example to his successors in the Priesthood, that they should be intercessors with God, not accusers before men.” In Vita Ambrosii, n. 39, p. 10. in Append. T. ii. Operum. Ed. Paris. 1686.
ST. PACIANUS, L. C.-He writes to Sympronianus, a No vatian : “ May it please God, that none of the faithful ever stand in need of penance; that no man after baptism ever fall into the precipice of sin; that so the Ministers of Christ may never be obliged to preach, and apply long and tedious remedies, for fear of patronising the liberty of sinning by flattering sinners with their remedies.” Ep. 1. ad Sympron. Bibl. PP. Max. T. iv. p. 306.—“But you object, that I forgive sin, whereas this can be done alone in baptism. To myself I take not this power : it belongs alone to God, who in baptism pardons sin, and rejects not the tears of penitents. And what I do, I do not by my own right, but by that of the Lord. We are God's coadjutors, says the Apostle; it is his building. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase : so then neither he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. (1 Cor. iii. 6, 7, 9.) Therefore, whether we baptise, or cause sinners to do penance, or we pardon their sins, we do it by the power of Christ. I leave it to you to consider, what the power of Christ is, and whether he can pardon, or has par​doned sins." Ibid. Ep. iii. p. 310.-“ I address myself to you, who, having committed crimes, refuse to do penance; you, who are so timid, after you have been so impudent; you, who are ashamed to confess, after you have sinned without shame.—The Apostle says to the Priest : Impose not hands lightly on any one ; neither be partakers of other men's sins. (1 Tim. v. 22.) What then wilt thou do, who deceivest the Minister? Who either leavest him in ignorance, or confoundest his judgment by half communications. I entreat you, brethren, by that Lord whom no concealments can deceive, to cease from disguising a wounded conscience. A diseased man, if possessed of sense, hides not his wounds, however secret they may be, though the knife or fire should be applied.—And shall a sinner be afraid to purchase, by present shame, eternal life? Shall he dread to discover his sins to God, which are ill hidden from him, and at the time he holds out assistance to him?" Paræn. ad Panit. Ibid. p. 316.
SUPPRESSION OF THE PENITENTIARY.
Towards the close of the fourth century, an event took place at Constantinople, on which a stress has been laid, which, surely, it merits not. Nectarius was then Bishop of that See, who, in 381, succeeded to St. Gregory of Nazianzum, and who was followed, in 397, by St. John Chrysostom. The event, to which I allude, was the suppression of ​the office of Penitentiary, which has been mentioned (p.311); the history of which suppression is thus introduced by the historian Sozomenus. As to avoid all sin, is more than human nature can do; and God has commanded pardon to be granted to those that repent, though they have often sinned: and as, in begging pardon, it is necessary that sin should at the same time be confessed it, from the beginning, deservedly seemed to the priests a heavy burthen, that sinners should proclaim their sins, as in a theatre, in the presence of all the multitude. For this reason, they chose a Priest, most remarkable for integrity, silence, and prudent conduct, to whom sinners went and confessed their sins. He, according to each one's sin, having pointed out what should be done, or what undergone, by way of punishment; absolved them, leaving them to accomplish their penance.' He then states--observing first, that the Novatians, regardless of penance, had here no concern-what was practised in the western Churches, and particularly in that of Rome, of which he describes the order and acts of the public penances. “This form,” he adds, “the Bishops of Rome, from ancient times, down to our own days, observe; whereas, in Constantinople, a Priest was appointed over the penitents.”
Such was the state of things, says the historian, when a certain noble lady, having confessed her sins to the Penitentiary, was directed by him to fast, and to supplicate pardon from God: but while she remained in the Church, intent, as it seemed, on these holy exercises, a criminal connexion, after some time, was formed betwixt her and one ​of the deacons. This crime also she confessed; but, when the report of it reached the ears of the people, the public indignation was strongly expressed against the deacon, and against the whole ecclesiastical order, as thereby, they said, the whole Church was disgraced.—Nectarius was at a loss what to do; when he was advised, having deposed the deacon, to suppress the office of Penitentiary, “and to leave each one to approach the holy mysteries, as his conscience and his resolution might incline him.” By no other means, it seems, the public disgrace could be cancelled. The office, therefore, was suppressed; and the example of Constantinople, adds the historian, was followed by almost all other Bishops. He goes on to observe: “The regulation, from this time, remained unaltered; and now, I think, lax and dissolute manners began to take place of antiquity, with its concomitant gravity and studious care. For then, as it seems to me, on account of the shame that attended the public disclosure of crimes, and the severity of those who were appointed Judges, the guilt of those crimes was less frequent.” Hist. Eccles. L. vii. c. xvi. p. 299.
On the same event, the historian Socrates, who relates it in the same manner, observes: “I said to the Priest Eudæmon, (who had advised Nectarius to suppress the Penitentiary)— God knows, whether your advice has been advantageous to the Church. For I see that, now, men will no longer rebuke one another for their crimes, and therefore will neglect the command of the Apostle, which says: Have no fellowship with the fruitless works of darkness; but rather reprove them. Ephes. vii.”—Hist. Eccles. L. v. c. xix. p. 288.
On this suppression of the public Penitentiary at Constantinople by Nectarius, I said, an undue stress had been laid; for from it men have argued, that the whole practice of Confession was then annulled in the Churches of the East, and also of the West; and therefore that, in its origin, it could be nothing more than an ecclesiastical institution, subject to ​the controul of the Bishops. What was suppressed, the historian has distinctly related: but that, besides the public disclosure of sins, private or auricular Confession was practised, has appeared from the Greek Fathers, whose authorities have been given ; which practice, notwithstanding the suppression in question, continued, without any change that is recorded, at Constantinople, and in the Churches of the East. Indeed, the historian, writing after the event, seems to lay it down as a principle, that, “in begging pardon, it is necessary, that sin should be confessed.”(0) And what he adds about each one being left to himself “to approach the holy mysteries,” could refer only to the controul of the Penitentiary and public Confession, which Nectarius had suppressed. The observation of Socrates, that after that event, men would no longer rebuke one another for their crimes,” manifestly regarded the same public disclosure.
But whatever be thought of this incident, which had only a partial effect, it is known, even on the state of public penances, in the East, and none on private Confession in what could it have affected Rome and the Western Churches? Having stated what, in these Churches, was the practice: “This form,” the historian says, “the Bishops of Rome, from ancient times, down to our own days, observe.”(D) Then nothing was here changed: the whole system of penitential discipline remained, as it had been established.-Was I not then authorised to say, that a stress had been laid upon this event which it did not merit?
I will, however, add, on this point, the observations of the learned Henry Valois. —Having premised, that the event, ​as related by the historians, has been variously explained, he proceeds to say, that three points in it should be noticed: first, in regard to the Penitentiary, why, and when he was instituted: second, what was the confession made by the woman, private or public; and what was the penance enjoined her, public also or private : third, what office it was that Nectarius abrogated.
First: The Penitentiary, he says, was appointed in the third Century, about the time of the Decian persecution and the Novatian schism, when the number of those who fell from the faith was great, and their return to the Church, was, however, frequent. His office, therefore, was to attend principally to these sinners; to take care that they were not re-admitted till after due probation and due penance; and thus to ease the Bishop in the discharge of his duties. Other sinners fell under the same cognizance. The Penitentiary, therefore, was a censor morum; to whom belonged the inspection of general conduct, but particularly that of the public penitents.-Second: To this minister, the woman in question, first made the general confession of her sins, and, afterwards, the particular confession of the crime of fornication with the deacon, both which confessions, made at different times, he maintains, were private. Private also, he says, was the penance enjoined her, on both occasions, to perform. But the crime of the deacon transpired; the indignation of the people was excited; and the Bishop was advised to exercise his authority, as some imprudence of the Penitentiary, he thinks, had helped to make the crime public.—Third : Nectarius, on this deposed the minister: but this deposition or removal, he insists, was a temporary act, not a regulation meant to be permanent, which should affect the office itself, much less the practice of private and public confession, and of public and private penances. All these, he says, continued in full vigour as they were before. “The Bishop enacted no fixed Canon; but merely to satisfy the public ​cry, removed the Penitentiary from his office.” He allows, however, after the positive declaration of the historians, that from this time, in the East,“ No one was compelled publicly to confess his crimes, nor to undergo public penance; but was permitted to confess his sins, before communion, to a Priest, as his own judgment might direct him." Annot. in c. xix. L. v. Socrat. and in c. xvi. L. vii. Sozomen.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G. C.-The event of which I have spoken, was recent, when this great man succeeded to Nectarius in the See of Constantinople: but in looking over the sermons which he preached, or what he wrote, either in letters or otherwise, during the nine years he held the Seethe three last of which were passed in exile-I find little on the subject of penance, or on that of private Confession. The reader, therefore, will look back to the signal passage, (p. 297,) on the power of the keys, or the power of binding and loosing, so fully stated by him, in a work written during his residence at Antioch, or in its neighbourhood. Here in retirement, and afterwards in the active service of the Church of Antioch, were composed most of the voluminous works ascribed to him. He thus speaks also in a passage prior to that to which I have referred the reader.—“Wherefore it is very necessary, that Christians who are oppressed by crimes, should persuade themselves of the necessity of submitting to the medical cure of the Priesthood. - I could, indeed, men​tion many, who have been driven into desperate ways, merely because such punishment was exacted from them as the nature of their crimes demanded. This punishment should not be inconsiderately exacted; but the conscience of the sinner be carefully examined, lest, while a cure is intended, the wound be made worse." De Sacerd. L. ii. T. 1. p. 374.—“If, on the cross, Christ so honoured the thief, much more, by his natural benevolence, will he honour us, if we be willing to make the confession of our sins. Then, that we may partake of that benevolence, let us not be ashamed to confess our sins; for great is the strength and power of Confession. The thief became his own accuser, and declared the secrets of his heart." Homil. de Cruce et Latrone, T. 11. p. 417.-“ Let us imitate the Samaritan woman, and not be ashamed to declare our sins. For he that is ashamed to reveal them to a man, and is not ashamed to commit them in the sight of God, nor willing to confess them, and to do penance; he, at the last day, shall be publicly exposed, not before one or two, but before the whole world.” Orat. de Samarit. T. viii. p. 60. (Inter spuria.)—“ Have you been guilty of some crime; or has the thought of doing it occupied your mind? You may conceal it from man, but not from God. Yet this you disregard, and the eyes of men alarm you.-I exhort you, though there be no witness, that you severally enter into your consciences; appoint reason your judge; and declare your sins, unless you prefer that at the last day they be publicly proclaimed. Let the medicine of penance be applied, and the wounds be healed.” Homil. xxxiv. in Joan. T. viii. p. 199. ​“Christ bestowed on us the medicine of penance, by which all our sins may be cancelled and extirpated.—Then what is this medicine, and how is it formed? By condemning our own sins, and by confession. It is written: I have not hidden mine iniquity: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my heart : (Psalm xxxi. 5.)-Again : Declare thine iniquities, that thou mayest be justified : (Isai. xliii. 26.) And again: The just man is his first accuser :"-(Prov. xviii. 17.)-Homil. ix. in Ep.ad Hebr. T. xii. p. 98.—“ This time of fasting is helpful to us : let us all hasten to the Confession of our sins, and abstaining from all wickedness, practise virtue." Homil. ix. in Gen. T. iv. p. 71.—“Sin is the cause of great shame; if we allow this--we ought to hasten to Confession and to satisfaction. For the Lord, when we have sinned, requires only, that we confess our failings, and return no more to them.” Ib. p. 73, 74.-“At this time, we must fast and pray more fervently, and make a full and exact Confession of our sins. - For the enemy knows, that we can now treat of those things which belong to our salvation, and obtain much by confessing our sins, and shewing our wounds to the physician.” Ibid. Homil. xxx. p. 294, 301.-“ The fornicator, or adulterer, who has been guilty of any such crime, though he may be concealed from all, yet never lives in peace.--If such a one, as becomes him, use the aid of his conscience, and hasten to confess his crimes, and disclose his ulcer to the physician, who may heal, and not reproach, and receive remedies from him: would he speak to him alone, without the privity ​of any one, and with care lay all before him, easily will he amend his failings. The Confession of sins is the abolition of crimes.” Ibid. p. 175.—“We have it in our power, to obtain forgiveness and the remission of our faults. You shall hear in what manner. Enter the Church-grieve for your sins; confess your crimes; give alms; pray ferventlyweep over your offences. These are the remedies of sin." Homil. vi. T. xii. p. 355. Edit. Paris. 1735.
It must be admitted that, in many incidental passages in the works of this Saint, it is affirmed by him, that it is nowise necessary, that Confession of our sins be made to men, but to God alone, who knows the secrets of the heart. Thus he says: “ If thou art ashamed to declare thy sins to any one, daily repeat them in thy mind: I tell thee not to confess them to thy equal, who may reproach thee : tell them to God, whom it concerns.” Homil. ii. in Psal. 1. T. v. p. 589. —“ Have no witnesses of your faults: within your conscience reform your failings, in the presence of God alone who sees all things.” Homil. vi. de Poenit. p. 326. --“I lead thee not before the public theatre of thy brethren: I force thee not to discover thy sins to men.' Homil. v. de Incomprehen. Natura Dei. T. i. p. 490.-" I tell thee not to appear in public, nor to accuse thyself before others. Repeat thy sins before God: declare them with prayer; if not with the tongue, at least in the recollection ​of thy conscience, in the presence of him, who is the true judge.” Homil. xxxi. in Ep. ad Hebr. T. xii. p. 289.—But of these and similar passages, some are addressed to Catechumens, who had no concern with Confession ; others refer to a public disclosure of sin to be followed by a public penance. Others, which regard auricular Confession, are to be explained either of the preliminary preparation, which is made with God in prayer, or of the Confession itself, which, in this sense, must be made to God alone ; inasmuch as it is made through the medium of his Minister, who, as man, possesses no penal controul, or practical knowledge of the sins confessed. Finally, in many passages he speaks of such light offences, as the just man often commits, and for the remission of which no confession was required. On these he gives this excellent advice: “You have a tablet on which you set down your daily expences: be your conscience also a tablet, on which mark your daily sins. When you retire to rest, and when no one intrudes, open this tablet, before sleep comes on, and call to mind your sins; all that you have done amiss, in thought, word, or deed. So says the prophet : Stand in awe, and sin not: be sorry on your beds for the designs which you have in your hearts. (Psal. iv.) In the day time you have been employed; its thousand cares have engaged your thoughts. Now when these have subsided, and all is tranquil, thus address your heart: The day is passed : What good have I done? What evil have I done ?-If good; give thanks to God: if evil; do it no
But recollecting your sins, weep; and lying on your couch, you may efface them. Heaven will be propitious; and thus calling yourself to account, and acknowledging your failings, compose yourself to rest. In this practice, what is there arduous or troublesome? Call in the thought of hell; a thought now void of pain. Pass a severe judgment on yourself: make that confession now, that may rouse you to a more active enquiry into your failings hereafter." ​Homil. ii. in Psal. I. T. v. p. 589.-Add to this, that the passages first quoted from St. Chrysostom, on the subject of Confession, are very clear and decisive; nor can it be presumed, that a Prelate, so universally admired in all the Churches, could, on a point of general belief and practice, have thought differently from his contemporaries and predecessors.
St. INNOCENT I. L. C.-In his canonical epistle to Decentius, before quoted, on the subject of penance, he thus speaks : “ As to penitents, whether they are doing penance for great or for smaller faults, if no sickness intervene, they must be absolved on the Thursday before Easter, according to the practice of Rome. But in estimating the grievousness of sins, it is the duty of the Priest to judge, attending to the Confession of the penitent, and the signs of his repentance, and then to order him to be loosed, when he shall see due satisfaction made. But if there be danger of death, he must be absolved before Easter, lest he die without communion.” Can. vii. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1247.—This epistle was written in 416, not many years after the suppression, as has been related, of the Penitentiary at Constantinople.
ST. JEROM, L. C.-—“If the serpent, the devil, secretly bite a man, and thus infect him with the poison of sin, and this man shall remain silent, and not do penance, nor be willing to make known his wound to his brother and maste; the master, who has a tongue that can heal, will not be able easily to be of service to him. For if the ailing man be ashamed to open his case to the physician, no cure ​can be expected.” Comment. in c. X. Ecclesiast. T. ii. p. 774. “ We read in the book of Leviticus concerning the lepers, where they are commanded to shew themselves to the Priests; and if they be still infected, then they be pronounced to be unclean: not that the Priests make them so, but that they have cognizance of the disorder, and form their judgment. In like manner with us, the Bishop or Priest binds or looses; not them, who are merely innocent or guilty; but having heard, as his duty requires, the various qualities of sins, he understands, who should be bound, and who loosed.” Comment. in c. xvi. Matt. T. iv. Pars. 11. p. 75.
CENT. V.
ST. AUGUSTIN, L. C.-" When the sinner shall have passed a severe, but medicinal, judgment on himself, let him come to the Priests, by whom the keys are ministered. Beginning now to be an obedient son, by observing the commands of his mother, he may receive from the Ministers of the sacraments the due measure of satisfaction; so that offering up, with devotion and supplication, the sacrifice of a contrite heart, he will not only promote his own salvation, but benefit others by his example. Should his crime be of that nature, as to cause scandal to others, as well as to be grievous to himself, and the Minister judge it to be expedient for the good of the Church, that he should do penance in the presence of many, or of the whole assembly, let him not refuse; let him not resist, and thus, through shame, aggravate a distemper already mortal.” Serm. cccli. T. v. p. 1359.—“ Ye that have been guilty of this sin (adultery)-do ​such penance, as is done in the Church, that the Church may pray for you. Let no one say: I do it secretly ; I do it before God: he knows my heart, and will pardon me. it then said without reason, what you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed in heaven? Were the keys then given to the Church for no purpose Job said, If I have blushed to confess my sins (xxxi. 33.): but you blush to bend your knees. Emperors and Senators have not blushed to do it. Therefore was it the will of heaven, that Theodosius should publicly do penance before the people, chiefly because his crime could not be kept secret ; and shall a senator be ashamed to imitate his example? Not a senator only; but a plebeian, or a tradesman? What pride is this !” Ibid. Serm. cccxcii. p. 1504.—“Some one may say, good Priest, you can give us no security; you tell us, that he will be saved, who, having been impenitent while he was in health, was reconciled at death. Instruct us, how we should live after penance. I tell you—abstain from all crimes. And I add: not only, after having done penance, should a man keep himself from crimes; but likewise before, whilst he is in health ; because he knows not, when death approaches, that he shall be admitted to penance, and be able to confess his sins to God and the Priest. Therefore I said, that you should live well before penance, and better after it.-Would you then remove all doubt, and escape all uncertainty? Do penance while you enjoy health. For if you do this sincerely, and your last day find you so doing; run to be reconciled, and you will be secure. And why so? Because, at the time you could have sinned, you did penance. But ​if, when you can sin no longer, then you wish to do penance; sins, it is plain, have left you, not you them.” Serm. cccxciii. Ibid. p. 1507.—“Dear brethren, we are admonished throughout the Scriptures, humbly to confess our sins, not only to God, but to holy men, fearing God. Thus the Holy Spirit exhorts us by the Apostle James : Confess your sins one to another; and pray one for another, that you may be saved. (v. 16.) As we are never free from the wounds of sins; so should the remedies of confession be never wanting. God does not demand from us the Confession of our sins, because he does not know them ; but the devil, that he may accuse us before the tribunal of our judge, urges us rather to defend than to acknowledge our faults. While God, who is good and merciful, desires that we confess our sins in this life, that we may not be confounded for them hereafter.” Serm. ccliii. in Append. T. v. p. 415.—“ Sing to God a new canticle. This song is a confession, the confession of your sins and of the power of God. Confess your iniquity; confess the grace of God. Accuse thyself; glorify him: reprehend thyself; praise him, that, when he comes, he may find thee thy own punisher, and be a Saviour to thee. For why do you fear to confess, you who find this the practice in all nations? Let all people, he says, confess to thee. (Psal, lxvi.) Why do you fear to confess, and in your confession to sing a new song with all the earth? In all the earth, in Catholic peace, do you fear to confess to God, lest he condemn you when you have done it? If not having confessed you lie concealed, not having done it you shall be condemned. You fear to confess, who cannot be concealed, if you confess not: you shall be condemned for silence, who might be freed by confession.” Then marking the difference between the confession which the sinner makes to God, and that which is forced by torture from a criminal, he adds : " Let us then ​rejoice in Confession. And why? Because he is good, to whom we confess. He demands it from us, that he may free the humble man: to punish the proud, he condemns him that confesses not. Be sorrowful, therefore, before confession : after it, be glad; for now thou shalt be healed. Thy conscience had collected matter; the imposthume had swelled; it pained thee; it allowed thee no rest. The physician applies the fomentation of advice; he has recourse, when the evil requires it, to the knife. Do thou embrace the hand: confess; and in this confession may all that is foul be cleared away. Now rejoice, and be glad : what remains will with ease be cured.” Enarrat. in Psal. lxvi. T. iv. p. 660, 661.
St. Leo, L. C. Writing to the Bishops of Campania, who had introduced some practices, not authorised by Apostolical Tradition, he ordains as follows: “Having lately understood, that some of you, by an unlawful usurpation, have adopted a practice which Tradition does not allow, I am determined by all means to suppress it. I speak of penance, when applied for by the faithful. There shall be no declaration of all kinds of sins, given in writing, and publicly read: for it is enough, that the guilt of conscience be made known to the Priests alone by a private confession. That confidence, indeed, may be thought deserving of praise, which, on account of the fear of God, hesitates not to blush before men; but there are sins, the public disclosure of which must excite fear; therefore, let this improper practice be put an end to, lest many be kept from the remedies of penance, being ashamed, or dreading, to make known to their enemies such actions, as may expose them to legal punishment. That confession suffices, which is first made to God, and then to the Minister, who will offer up prayers ​for the sins of penitents. And then will more be induced to apply to this remedy, when the secrets of the confessing sinner shall not be divulged in the hearing of the people.” Ep. cxxxvi. al. lxxx. ad Episc. Campaniæ. p. 719.—“ It is extremely useful and necessary, that the guilt of sins be remitted by the supplication of the Priest" before the last hour comes.
But neither satisfaction nor reconciliation must be refused to those, who, in cases of great urgency, implore their aid; because it is not for us to set bounds to the mercy of God, before whom a true conversion suffers no delay of pardon. Therefore, in dispensing the gifts of God, we must not be difficult, nor disregard the tears of those who accuse themselves, as we believe, that the sentiment of repentance is inspired by God.—Let every Christian judge his own conscience, and not defer his conversion from day to day, and put it off to the uncertainty of a few hours; and thus, while by a fuller satisfaction he might obtain forgiveness, chose rather that anxious moment, when there may not be time for the Confession of the penitent, nor the reconciliation of the Priest." Ep. lxxxiii. al. xci. p. 605, 606.
St. PROSPER, L. C. “The confession of sin is profitable, if amendment follow. For, where is the use of shewing the wound,'") if medicine be not applied ?” In Sent. ex Aug. p. 557.-“ The Confession of the penitent is very efficacious before the mercy of God; thus rendering him propitious by confessing, whom he does not blind by denying, his sin. 9) Ibid. p. 577.
ST. NILUS, G. C. “So, (like God) do thou, O Priest, not ​despise, but rather embrace and cherish the contrite and humbled heart ; not demanding from the sinner only the fruits of good actions, but receiving the words of compunction for his sins, and the humble confession of his bad deeds.” L. iii. Ep. ccxliii. T. ii. p. 417. “The way to Christ is through prayer, and fasting, and tears, and confession, and watching, and other acts of penance.” Ibid. Ep. 171. p. 381.
SALVIANUS, L. C. “ Few men, who are wealthy, though conscious of their crimes, are disposed to redeem them, I do not say, by Confession and Satisfaction, a) but not even, which is most easy, by donations and acts of mercy.” Ep. ad Salon. p. 212.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ From the institution of the Sacrament of Penance, as before explained, the whole Church has always understood, that the entire Confession of sins was also instituted by our Lord; and that this Confession, by divine right, is necessary for all who fall after Baptism; because our Lord Jesus Christ, about to ascend into heaven, left the Priests his Vicars, with the authority of judges, to whom all grievous crimes, into which men may fall, must be referred, in order that they pronounce sentence on them, by the power of the keys, that is, the power of binding and loosing. For, it is plain that, if the cause be unknown, such sentence cannot be pronounced; nor equity, in the enjoining of punishment, be preserved, if sins generally, and not each one particularly, be declared.” Sess. xiv. c. v. p. 113.—“ If any one shall deny, that sacramental Confession was instituted, or is necessary, by divine right, to salvation; or shall say, that ​the practice of private Confession to a Priest-which practice the Catholic Church, at all times observed, and now observes—is foreign from the institution and command of Christ, and is only a human invention ; let him be anathema.” Ibid. Can. vi. p. 127.
SATISFACTION.
PROPOSITION IX.
Though no creature can make condign satisfaction, either for the guilt of sin, or for the pain eternal due to it—this satisfaction being proper to Christ our Saviour only-yet, penitent sinners, as members of Christ, may, in some measure, satisfy by prayer, fasting, alms-deeds, and other works of piety, for the temporal pain, which, in the order of the divine justice, sometimes remains due, after the guilt of sin and pain eternal have been remitted. Such penitential works, notwithstanding, are no otherwise satisfactory, than as joined and applied to that satisfaction, which Jesus made upon the cross, in virtue of which alone all our good works find a grateful acceptance in the sight of God.
SCRIPTURE.
Our first parents sinned; their sin was remitted ; but a grievous train of temporal chastisements remained to be undergone. Gen. iii.-In the desert, the people of Israel sinned, as did Aaron and Moses, and we behold the same order of divine justice pursued. Numb. xii. xiv. xx.The same may be observed in David: The Lord hath taken away thy sin ; thou shalt not die. But because by this deed thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the ​child that is born to thee shall surely die. 2 Kings, xii. 13, 14. -So also when he sinned by numbering the people. 1 Chron. xxi.—These sufferings, it may be said, were inflicted; but not voluntarily chosen. Look then into the psalms of the royal prophet: I am wearied with groaning : every night will I wash my bed : I will water my couch with my tears. Psal. vi. 7.—The same penitential sentiments are unceasingly repeated.–At the preaching of Jonah, (c. iii.) the Ninivites proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least; the beasts also were made to fast. To this fact our Saviour refers : Matt. xii. 41. The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they did penance at the preaching of Jonah. Similar examples of voluntary chastisement may be read in other parts of the Scriptures—in the history of Manasseh, 2 Chron. xxxiii. and in that of the Jews with Judith in Bethulia, Judith iv.
In conformity with the order of divine justice, in these examples manifestly established, the Catholic Church has ever taught, that, after sin has been remitted, in the Sacrament of penance, by a hearty contrition and a sincere confession, penitential works must still be performed; and under this impression it was, that, in the primitive Church, the penitential canons, of which I have spoken, were established. These subsist no longer; but the ways of God are unchangeable, and, agreeably to those ways, the essential spirit of Christian discipline remains the same. In all this the object was, and is, that penitential exercises, while they served as a castigation for passed sins, might, at the same time, be a check to the repetition of the same, and strengthen the resolutions of amendment. The practice of virtues more directly opposed to the failings of the penitent, is enjoined, and the flight of dangerous occasions.
FATHERS.
CENT. II.
TERTULLIAN, L. C. See the passages quoted from this father, p. 308, et seq.
CENT. III.
St. CYPRIAN, L. C. “The Lord must be invoked; he must be appeased by our satisfaction." De Lapsis, p. 187. —“Some are punished, that others may be reformed. The chastisements of a few are an example to all.” Ibid. p. 189. _“Let us turn with our whole mind to the Lord, and, expressing our repentance with true sorrow, implore his mercy. Before him let the soul bow down : to him let our sorrow make satisfaction : on him let all our hope rest.--By fasting, by tears, and by moaning, let us appease, as he himself admonishes, his indignation.-By the contrary conduct, more mortal wounds, greater crimes are incurred: you have sinned, and make no satisfaction; have sinned, and weep not.” Ibid. p. 191.—“Do entire penance; evince the contrition of a sorrowing and grieving mind. That penance, which may satisfy, remains alone to be done; but they shut the door to satisfaction, who deny the necessity of penance. -Let our sorrow be proportioned to our crimes. To a deep wound must be applied a long and searching medicine.You must pray most earnestly : pass the day in tears, and thus consume the hours of night, stretched on the ground in sackcloth and ashes : purge away your sins by works of justice, and by alms-deeds which may save the soul.-God ​can pardon: he can turn away his judgment. He can pardon the penitent who implores forgiveness; he can accept for him the supplications of others; or, should he move him more by his own works of satisfaction, and thus disarm his anger, the Lord will restore to him his arms, and repair his strength, whereby he shall be invigorated anew. The soldier will return to battle, challenge the enemy, and draw courage from his past grief. Who shall thus have made satisfaction to God, and, by penance for his sin, have acquired more courage and confidence from the very circumstance of his fall, he, whom the Lord has heard and aided, shall give joy to the Church : he shall deserve not pardon only, but a crown.” Ibid. p. 192, 193.
CENT. IV.
COUNCIL OF NICE, G. C. In this first General Council, held in 325, Canons were enacted, which speak of the Confession of sins, and state the time during which, in certain cases, they, who have given signs of true repentance, must undergo a course of penitential works.
“ But in all cases," it is observed, “ the disposition and character of repentance must be considered. For they who by fear, by tears, by patience, and by good works, manifest a sincere conversion, when they shall have passed over a certain time, and begun to communicate in prayer with the faithful, to these the Bishop may shew more indulgence; but not to those who manifest indifference, and think it enough that they are allowed to enter the Church. These must complete the whole period of penance.” Can. xii. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 35.
Sr. BASIL, G. C. In certain letters of this Saint to Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, is a collection of Canons, which shew what, at this time, were the laws of the Church on the principal points of its penitential discipline. He says: "These things we write, in order that the fruit of ​their penitential works be proved. For we do not pass judgment on these matters according to length of time, but according to the degree of their penitence. If there be any, who are not easily torn from their vicious habits, and who chuse rather to indulge their carnal lusts, than serve God, and who decline the ways of the Gospel—with these we hold no communion. For we have been taught, in cases of disobedience and contradiction, to follow the advice of the angels to Lot: Escape for thy life, lest thou be consumed. Gen. xix. 17.” Ep. ccxvii. ad. Amphil. Can. lxxxiv. T. iii. p 330.
These Canons are eighty-five in number; and to us they bear the character of great severity ; but they were understood to apply to those only who were willing to do penance, and by these works of satisfaction, to amend their lives. The obstinate were left to themselves, after suitable admonitions. “ What communication,” he says, “can we have with these? Night and day, publicly and privately, we must urge them; but, wishing to reclaim them, and draw them from evil, we must not permit ourselves to be dragged by them into their crimes. If we prevail not, let us, however save our own souls from eternal condemnation.” Ibid. Can. lxxxv.
St. Gregory of Nyssa, G. C. In his canonical epistle to Letoius, this Father also, the brother of St. Basil, states the rules or laws of penance, specifying the various sorts of sins, and the duration of their appropriate punishment. For simple fornication, the penance lasted nine years, and double that time for adultery. But the Bishop, he says, has the liberty to moderate the penance according to the disposition of the penitent; and he would have those treated more gently,“ who freely confessed their sins.” T. i. p. 950.
St. Pacianus, L. C. “Brethren, I most earnestly entreat you, by all that is sacred, to give way to no shame in this concern; be not slow in having recourse to the means ​of salvation: lower the mind by grief; clothe the body in sackcloth; strew ashes on the head; fast; implore the prayers of the faithful. As you spare not yourselves, God will spare you. He is gentle, and patient, and full of mercy, and will reverse his sentence. I promise; I am surety for you; if you return by true satisfaction to your Father, going astray no more, adding nothing to your former sins, uttering the humble and plaintive words: Father, we have sinned before thee, we are not worthy to be called thy sons, (Luke, xv. 21,) he will again receive you, who says, I will not the death of the sinner,” &c. (Ezech. xviii. 32.) Paræn. ad Pænit. Bibl. PP. T. iv. p. 317.
St. Ambrose, L, C. “ There are some who ask for penance, that they may be at once restored to communion. These do not so much desire to be loosed, as to bind the Priest: for they do not unburden their own conscience, but they burden his; Christ having said: Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine; (Matt. vii. 6.) that is, the participation of the holy communion is not to be granted to the impure. Thus you may see persons walking about in white garments, who ought to be in tears, for having defiled that colour of grace and innocence.—Others there are, who, provided they abstain from the holy Sacraments, fancy they are doing penance.—Others, while they have this in view, conclude they are licensed to sin; not aware, that penance is the remedy, not the provocative, of sin.” De Pænit. L. ii. c. ix. T. ii. p. 434-5.—“Let the Church weep for thee, and by her tears wash away thy sin : may Christ see thee weeping, that he may say: Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matt. v. 5.)-Therefore did he immediately pardon Peter, because he wept bitterly. And if thou weep in like manner, Christ will look on thee, and thy sin will be cancelled. Sorrow extinguishes the propensities to evil, the gratifications of sin. Thus, whilst we grieve for what is passed, we oppose an obstacle ​to its return; and in the accusation of our faults is formed the discipline of innocence. Let no consideration then withhold thee from doing penance. In this imitate the Saints; and let their tears be the measure of thy own.” Ibid. c. X. p. 436.
ST. JEROM, L. C. “ Gird yourselves and lament, said the Prophet (Joel, i. 13). He that is a sinner, and whom his own conscience reproaches, be he girded with sackcloth, and let him lament his own sins, and those of the people; let him enter the Church, from which his crimes had expelled him; and lie down on haircloth, in order that, by present austerity, he may make compensation for those indulgences, whereby he had offended God.” In Cap. 1. Joel, T. iii. p. 1345.--In a letter to Eustochium, he introduces her mother Paula thus speaking : “ That face must be disfigured, which I often, contrary to the divine precept, painted with deceitful colours; the body be afflicted, that was indulged in softness; laughter be redeemed by tears; and sackcloth take the place of smooth linens and expensive silks.” Ep. xxvii. ad Eustoch, T. iv. Pars. ii. p. 678.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G.C. “Do works,” said the Baptist, (Matt. iii. 8.) “ worthy of penance. But, in what manner is this to be done? By doing such works as are contrary to our vices. Thus, have you laid hands on the property of others? Begin to give away your own. Have you been long a fornicator? Abstain even from the lawful use of the marriage bed. Have you injured any one in discourse, or by deed ? Return words of blessing; and strive to soften those by kindnesses who may strike you. It is not enough to draw the dart from the body of the wounded man, healing remedies must also be applied. Have you indulged in delicacies and drunkenness? Fast, and drink water.” Homil. x. in Matt. T. vii. p. 146.
CENT. V.
INNOCENT I. L. C.-" In estimating the grievousness of sins, it is the duty of the Priest to judge, attending to the Confession of the Penitent, and the signs of his repentance, and then to order him to be loosed when he shall see due satisfaction made.” Ep. ad Decent. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1247.
ST. AUGUSTIN, L. C.-“ Let no one fancy, that such grievous crimes, as exclude from the kingdom of heaven, may be every day committed, and as often be redeemed by alms. For the life must be reformed, and God be propitiated by alms for what we have done amiss; he is not to be purchased, that we may sin again with impunity. To no one has he granted the liberty of sinning, although in mercy he may forgive past sins, if due satisfaction be not neglected. But for those daily failings, without which human life does not pass, daily prayer may satisfy. The believing man may repeat, Our Father who art in heaven: this will suffice.” Enchirid. c. lxx. T. iii. p. 77.-“ Let therefore a man voluntarily judge himself whilst he can, and reform his manners, lest, when he shall not be able, he be judged by the Lord. And when he shall have passed a severe, but medicinal, judgment on himself, let him come to the Priests,” &c. as at p. 333.—“ It is not enough that the sinner change his ways, and depart from his evil works, unless by penitential sorrow, by humble tears, by the sacrifice of a contrite heart, and by alms-deeds, he make satisfaction to God for what he has committed.” Homil. I. T. x. p. 208.—“ Wash me from my sin, said David, (Psal. 1.)Implore mercy, but lose not sight of justice. In his mercy God pardons sin: he punishes it in his justice. But what? dost thou seek for mercy, and shall sin remain unpunished? Let David, let other sinners answer; let them answer with ​David, that with him they may find mercy, and say: Lord, my sin shall not remain unpunished : I know his justice, whose mercy I seek. It shall not remain unpunished: but that thou mayest not punish it, I myself will.” Enarrat. in Psal.1. T. viii. p. 197.
St. LEO, L. C.-“ As for those Christians, who are said to have polluted themselves by food offered to idols, my answer is, that they be purified by penitential satisfaction, which should be measured rather by the sorrow of the heart, than by the length of the time.” Ep.cxxix, al. lxxix. ad Nicet. Ep. Aquil. p. 688.—“It is foreign from the practice of the Church, that when a Priest or a Deacon has been guilty of a crime, he should be restored by the imposition of hands. And this, I doubt not, has come down by Apostolical Tradition, as it is written: If the Priest sin, who shall pray for him? (1 Kings, ii. 25.) Wherefore, that such may deserve the pardon of God, it is well, they should retire apart, where their satisfaction, if it be adequate, may be profitable to them.” Ep. iial. xcii. ad Rustic. Ep. Narbon. p. 405.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ In regard to Satisfaction—the Holy Synod declares, that it is false and wholly foreign from the word of God, that the guilt of sin is never remitted by God, without the whole punishment due to it being also remitted. It is an error manifestly refuted-to say nothing of Tradition-by sundry illustrious examples in the holy Scriptures. And truly the nature of the divine justice seems to demand, that they who, through ignorance, have sinned before Baptism, should be taken into favour in a manner different from those who, having been once freed from the servitude of sin and the devil, and having received the Holy Ghost, have not feared, knowingly, to violate the temple of God, and grieve the divine Spirit. Besides it is becoming the mercy of God, not to ​pardon our sins without any satisfactory punishment; lest, taking occasion from thence to think lightly of sinning, we fall into more grievous crimes. Doubtless, these satisfactory chastisements greatly withdraw from sin, and checking the sinner, cause him to be more vigilant and cautious: they likewise serve to cure the evil effects of sin, and to extirpate, by the exercise of the contrary virtues, the bad habits that have been contracted.-To this must be added, that, while we thus, by making satisfaction, suffer for our sins, we are made to conform to him, who satisfied for us, and from whom all our sufficiency is derived; we thence having a most sure pledge, that if we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him : (Rom. viii. 17.) But the Satisfaction, which we make for sin, is not so ours, as if it were not through Jesus Christ: for we, who can do nothing of ourselves, as of ourselves, (2 Cor. iii. 5.) can do all things with him that strengthens us. Man then has nothing wherein to glory : but all our glory is in Christ; in whom we live; in whom we merit; in whom we make satisfaction, bringing forth fruit worthy of penance. (Luke, iii. 8.) These fruits have efficacy from him; by him they are offered to the Father; and through him they are accepted by the Father.-It is, therefore, the duty of the Ministers of the Church, as far as prudence shall suggest, weighing the character of sins and the dispositions of the sinner, to enjoin salutary and proper penitential satisfactions; lest, by conniving at sins, and, by a criminal indulgence, imposing the performance of the slightest penances for great crimes, they be made partakers of others' sins. Let them ever consider, that what they enjoin, must tend, not only to the maintenance of better conduct, and the cure of past infirmity, but also to the punishment of the sins that have been confessed.” Sess. xiv. c. viii. p. 119.
INDULGENCES.
PROPOSITION X.
The guilt of sin, or pain eternal due to it, is not remitted by that dispensation of mercy which in the Catholic Church is called an Indulgence; but such temporal punishment only as, in the order of divine justice, may remain due after the guilt has been remitted.
SCRIPTURE.
Matt. xvi. 19. “Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.”—Ibid. xviii. 18.—The same power is given to the rest of the Apostles, which, in chap. xvi. had been given to Peter alone.1 Cor. v. 3, 4, 5.—St. Paul excommunicated the man guilty of incest in the following words: “I, indeed, absent in body, but present in spirit, have already judged, as though I were present, him that has so done ; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—But in his second epistle (ii. 4, 5, and seqq.) he thus addresses them concerning the same person: “Out of much affliction, and anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears; not that you should be made sorrowful, but that you might know the charity I have more abundantly towards you. And if any one have caused grief, he hath not grieved me; but in part, that I may not burden you all. To him that is such a one, this rebuke is sufficient, that is given by many: so that con​trariwise you should rather forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up by over much sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you, that you would confirm our charity towards him. And to whom you have forgiven any thing, I also. For, what I forgive, if I have forgiven any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ.”
FATHERS.
At the request of the Martyrs detained in prison, during the times of persecution, Indulgences were granted by the Bishops to those, who had fallen from their faith, and then repented; by which Indulgences some part of that Satisfaction, called canonical penances, (that is, the temporal punishment due after sin) was remitted, to which otherwise, they must have submitted before they could be received into the communion of the faithful.—This practice is attested by Tertullian, in the second century, (Lib. de Pudicit. c. 21, 22, p. 1014.) but more fully by St. Cyprian in the third.
CENT. III.
ST. CYPRIAN, L. C.-“I lament indeed the case of those our brethren, who, in the time of persecution, fell. The divine mercy is able to heal their wounds; but caution is necessary, lest, by too hasty a reconciliation, the anger of God be more incensed. The Martyrs have applied to us concerning some, requesting that their desires be considered. When we shall be returned to our Church, all these things shall be maturely weighed in your presence. Then, agreeably to established discipline, these letters of the Martyrs and their wishes shall be examined.” Ep. xi. p. 21.-“As I have not yet in my power to return, aid, I think, should not be withheld from our brethren; so that they who ​have received letters of recommendation from the Martyrs, and can thereby be benefited before God, should any danger from sickness threaten, may, in our absence, confess their crime to some Priest who is at hand, in order that, by the imposition of his hand in penance, they may appear in the presence of God in that peace, which the Martyrs in their letters requested should be imparted to them.” Ep. xii.ad Clerum. p. 22.—“I sufficiently signified to you, that they who had received letters from the Martyrs, and could be aided by them before God, might, in case of danger, having confessed their crime, and received absolution, be dismissed to the Lord with that peace, which the Martyrs had promised to them. But as to those who have received no such letters, this being the cause not of a few, nor of one Church, nor of one province, but of the Christian world, let them wait for the return of general peace to the Church. For this is a common duty, that all the Ministers of the Church assembled with the people, should dispose of all things by a joint deliberation.” Ep. xiii. ad Clerum, p. 23.-See also Ep. ix., X. p. 18, 19.
While the penitential Canons (which signified how severe was the temporal punishment due after sin) were in full vigour, as in the time of St. Cyprian, the Bishops were empowered to abridge the period of penance, in favour of those who shewed the greatest fervour, or who, by infirmity, were unable to complete the task imposed.
CENT. IV.
COUNCIL OF ANCYRA, IN 314, G. C.-“ We decree that the Bishops, having considered the conduct of their lives, ​be empowered to shew mercy, or to lengthen the time of penance.(6) But chiefly let their former and subsequent life be examined, and thus lenity be shewn them.” Conc. Gen. T. 1. can. V. p. 1458.
COUNCIL OF NICE, IN 325, G.C.—“ They, who have been called by grace, and have shewn their former ardour, but afterwards returned to their former ways, let them be subjected to a more severe, and longer period of penance. But in all cases, &c.” See the passage, p. 342.-Conc. Gen. T. ii. can. xii. p. 34.
COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE, IN 398, L. C.-" When a sinner implores to be admitted to penance, let the Priest, without any distinction of persons, enjoin what the Canons enact.—They who shew negligence, must be less readily admitted. If any one, after having, by the testimony of others, implored forgiveness, be in imminent danger of death, let him be reconciled by the imposition of hands, and receive the Eucharist. If he survive, let him be informed, that his petition has been complied with, and then be subject to the appointed rules of penance so long as it shall seem good to the Priest who prescribed the penance.” Conc. Gen. T. ii. can. lxxiv. lxxv. lxxvi. p. 1205.
St. BASIL AND ST. GREGORY OF Nyssa, G.C.-They lay down the same rules, and after them the Roman Bishop
INNOCENT I.-—“ In estimating the grievousness of sins, it is the duty of the Priest to judge; attending to the Confession of the penitent, and the signs of his repentance; and then to order him to be loosed, when he shall see due satis​faction made. But if there be danger of death, he must be absolved before Easter, lest he die without communion.” Ep. ad Decent. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1247.
ST. CYPRIAN, L. C. On other occasions, particularly when persecution threatened, the period of penance was shortened, as we again learn from St. Cyprian, who fully explains and insists on the expediency of this indulgence. “ He that gave the law, has promised, that what we bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and what we loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.—But now, not to those that are infirm, but to the healthy, the peace of reconciliation is necessary; not to the dying, but to the living, it must be extended; in order that those whom we incite to battle, be not left without arms, but be fortified by the body and blood of Christ. For since the design of the holy Eucharist is, to give strength to those that receive it, they must not be deprived of its support, whom we would guard against the enemy." Ep. liv. ad Cornelium, p. 77.
The Indulgences which, in these primitive times, were thus granted, referred to the canonical penances then in use, and of which they were a relaxation. Rigidly severe, they attested the opinion, entertained by the Church, of the enormity of sin, and of the temporal punishment due to it after the remission of its guilt; for which punishment, the penances in question, were considered, as far as human judgment could calculate, to be a compensation. They may also he said to have been substituted, in part, at least, in lieu of that punishment. But when, in process of time, those penances ceased to be enforced, and the temporal punishment, in the order of divine justice, resuming, if it may be so said, its natural course, remained to be undergone by sinners; the Church, empowered by the promises of Christ, continued to exercise the same merciful dispensation in the grant of Indulgences; not now by releasing canonical penances, which were no longer in force; but by remitting, agreeably to the ​good dispositions of the penitent, some portion of that temporal punishment, which he would otherwise have to undergo.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ As the power of granting Indulgences was given by Christ to the Church, (Matt. xvi. 19. xviii. 18. Joan. xx. 22, 23.) and she has exercised it in the most ancient times : this holy Synod teaches and commands that the use of them, as being greatly salutary to the Christian people, and approved by the authority of Councils, shall be retained; and she anathematises those, who say they are useless, or deny to the Church the power of granting them: but in this grant, the Synod wishes, that moderation, agreeably to the ancient and approved practice of the Church, be exercised; lest, by too great facility, ecclesiastical discipline be weakened.”—It then proceeds to decree the suppression of such abuses, as had crept into the practice of granting or using Indulgences, whether arising from sordid motives, or from any other source. Sess. xxv, De Indulg. p. 340.
PURGATORY.
PROPOSITION XI.
Catholics hold there is a Purgatory, that is to say, a place or state, where souls departing this life, with remission of their sins, as to the guilt or eternal pain, but yet liable to some temporal punishment, (of which we have just spoken) still remaining due; or not perfectly freed from the blemish of some defects which we call venial sins--are purged before their admittance into heaven, where nothing that is defiled can enter.
PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD.
PROPOSITION XII.
We also believe, that such souls so detained in purgatory, being the living members of Christ Jesus, are relieved by the prayers and suffrages of their fellow members here on earth. – But where this place be—of what nature or quality the pains be-how long souls may be there detained-in what manner the suffrages, made in their behalf, be applied—whether by way of satisfaction or intercession, &c. are questions superfluous and impertinent as to faith.
SCRIPTURE.
2 Machab. xii. 43, 44, 45, 46. “ Judas, the valiant commander, having made a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem, for Sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection. For if he had not hoped, that they that were slain, should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead.—And because he considered, that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a wholesome and holy thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”
Matt. xii. 32, 36. “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him : but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment.”—Ibid, xvi. 27. “ For the Son of man shall come ​in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then will he render to every man according to his works."
1 Cor. iii. 8, 11, 12, &c.—“And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble ; every man's work shall be manifest ; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire : and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built upon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's works burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."
1 Pet. iii. 18, 19, 20.—“Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh ; but brought to life by the spirit. In which also he came and preached to those spirits that were in prison ; which had been sometime incredulous, when they waited for the patience of God in the days of Noah.”
Rev. xxi. 27.—“There shall not enter into it any thing defiled, or that worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they that are written in the book of the life of the Lamb."
FATHERS.
CENT. II.
TERTULLIAN, L. C. Among the Apostolical Traditions, received from their Fathers, and not enforced by the positive words of Scripture, he reckons “ oblations for the dead on the anniversary day." De Cor. Milit. p. 289.—In his trea​tise on single marriages, he advises the widow" to pray for the soul of her departed husband, entreating repose to him, and participation in the first resurrection, and making oblation for him on the anniversary days of his death; which, if she neglect, it may truly be said of her, that, as far as in her lies, she has repudiated her husband.” De Monogamia, c. x. p. 955.—“ Reflect,” he says to widowers, “for whose soul you pray, for whom you make annual oblations.” Exhort. ad castit. c. xi. p. 942.
CENT. III.
ST. CYPRIAN, L. C. “Our predecessors prudently advised, that no brother, departing this life, should nominate any churchman his executor; and should he do it, that no oblation should be made for him, nor Sacrifice offered for his repose ; of which we have had a late example, when no oblation was made, nor prayer, in his name, offered in the Church.” Ep. lxvi. p. 114.-In other letters he speaks of the same offerings. Ep. xxviii. p. 32, & Ep. xxxvii. p. 50.“ It is one thing, to be a petitioner for pardon; and another, to arrive at glory; one, to be cast into prison, and not go out from thence till the last farthing be paid; and another, to receive at once the reward of faith and virtue; one, in punishment of sin, to be purified by long suffering, and purged by long fire; and another, to have expiated all sins by (previous) suffering; one, in fine, at the day of judgment, to wait the sentence of the Lord; another, to receive an immediate crown from him.” Ep. lii. p. 72.
ORIGEN, G. C. “He that is saved, is saved by fire; so ​that if he has in him any thing of the nature of lead, that the fire may purge and reduce, till the mass become pure gold. For the gold of that land which the saints are to inhabit, is said to be pure, and as the furnace trieth gold, so doth temptation try the just (Eccles. xxvii. 6). We must then all come to this proof: for the Lord sits as a refiner, (Malach. ii. 3.) and he shall purify the sons of Levi. But when we arrive at that place, who shall bring many good works, and little that is evil, this evil the fire shall purify as it does lead, and the whole shall become pure gold. He that takes with him more of lead, suffers the fire more, that he may be refined, and what little there is of gold, after the purification, remains. But should the whole mass be of lead, that man must experience what is written: The sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters.” (Exod. xv. 10.) Homil. vi. in Exod. T. ii. p. 148.-“ Sin in its nature is like to that matter, which fire consumes, and which the Apostle says is built up by sinners, who upon the foundation of Christ build wood, hay, and stubble. (1 Cor. iii. 12.) Which words manifestly shew, that there are some sins so light, as to be compared to stubble, in which, when fire is set, it cannot dwell long; that there are others like to hay, which the fire easily consumes, but a little more slowly than it does stubble; and others resemble wood, in which, according to the degree of criminality, the fire finds an abundant substance on which to feed. Thus each crime, in proportion to its character, experiences a just degree of punishment." Homil. xiv. in Levit. T. 11. p. 259. “When we depart this life, if we take with us virtues or vices, shall we receive rewards for our virtues, and those trespasses be forgiven to us which we knowingly committed; or shall we be punished ​for our faults, and not receive the rewards of our virtues ? Neither is true: because we shall suffer for our sins, and receive the rewards of our good actions. For if on the foundation of Christ you shall have built not only gold and silver and precious stones, but also wood, and hay, and stubble, what do you expect, when the soul shall be separated from the body? Would you enter into heaven, with your wood, and hay, and stubble, to defile the kingdom of God: or, on account of those encumbrances, remain without, and receive no reward for your gold and silver and precious stones! Neither is this just. It remains then, that you be committed to the fire, which shall consume the light materials; for our God, to those who can comprehend heavenly things, is called a consuming fire. But this fire consumes not the creature, but what the creature has himself built, wood, and hay, and stubble. It is manifest that, in the first place, the fire destroys the wood of our transgressions, and then returns to us the reward of our good works.” Homil. xvi. al. xii. in Jerem. T. lll. p. 231, 232.
CENT. IV.
EUSEBIUS OF CÆSAREA, G. C. Describing the funeral of the Emperor Constantine, he thus writes :-“ In this manner did Constantius perform the last duties in honour of his Father.-But when he had departed with his guards, the ministers of God, surrounded by the multitude of the faithful, advanced into the middle space, and with prayers performed the ceremonies of divine worship. The blessed Prince, reposing in his coffin, was extolled with many praises : when the people, in concert with the Priests, not without sighs and tears, offered prayers to heaven for his ​soul; in this, manifesting the most acceptable service to a religious Prince. God, besides, thus continued to shew his kindness to his servant. He had bestowed the succession of the empire on his sons; and now, in compliance with his ardent wishes, he gives him a place near the bodies of the holy Apostles ; in order that he may enjoy their blessed fellowship, and in their temple be associated with the people of God. He would thus also be admitted to a participation in the religious rites, the mystic Sacrifice, and holy suffrages of the faithful.” De Vita Constant. L. iv. c. lxx. lxxi. p. 667.
Arnobius, L.C. “Why were the oratories (of the Christians) destined to savage destruction, wherein prayers are offered up to the sovereign God; peace and pardon are implored for all men, magistrates, soldiers, kings, friends, and enemies, for those who are alive, and for those who have quitted their bodies?” L. iv. adv. Gentes. p. 152. Edit. Lugduni Batavorum, 1651.
St. BASIL, G.C. “ The words of Isaiah, (ix. 19.) Through the wrath of the Lord is the land burned-declare, that things that are earthly shall be made the food of a punishing fire; to the end that the soul may receive favour and be benefitted. And the people shall be as the fuel of the fire (Ibid.): This is not a threat of extermination ; but it denotes expurgation, according to the expression of the Apostle : ​If any man's works burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. (1 Cor. iii. 15.)” Com. in c. ix. Isai. T. 1. p. 554.— And the light of Israel shall be for a fire. (Isai. x. 17.) The operative powers of fire are chiefly two; it enlightens, and it burns. The first is cheerful and pleasant: the second bitter and afflicting. The prophet adds: And he shall sanctify him in a holy fire, and consume the glory of his forest as grass. He here shews the nature of fire. It enlightens and purifies. But how does this fire purify, if it consumes ? Truly, since our God is called a consuming fire, he will consume the wood, and what vices arise from matter, which adhere to the soul, in the flesh, not in the spirit. And when the fire shall have consumed all the wood of sin, as it does grass, then that matter being destroyed which was fuel to the chastising fire, the Prophet says: The burnt mountains shall repose, and the hills, and the thick forests, and the consuming fire shall cease, that fed upon them.” Ibid. in c. x. p.563, 564.
St. EPHREM OF EDESSA, G.C. In a work entitled his Testament, this pious and learned Deacon thus speaks: My brethren, come to me, and prepare me for my departure, for my strength is wholly gone. Go along with me in psalms and in your prayers; and please constantly to make oblations for me. When the thirtieth day shall be completed, then remember me: for the dead are helped by the offerings of the living. —Now listen with patience to what I shall mention from the Scriptures. Moses bestowed blessings on Reuben after the third generation. (Deut. xxxij. 6.) But if the dead are not aided; why was he blessed? Again, if they be insensible; hear what the Apos​tle says: If the dead rise not again at all, why are they then baptised for them? (1 Cor. 15, 29.) If also the sons of Mathathias (2 Machab. xii.), who celebrated their feasts in figure only, could cleanse those from guilt by their offerings, who fell in battle; how much more shall the Priests of Christ aid the dead by their oblations and prayers?" In Testament. T. ii. p. 234. p. 371. Edit. Oxon.
St. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G. C. “ Then (in the Liturgy of the Church) we pray for the holy Fathers and the Bishops that are dead; and, in short, for all those who are departed this life in our communion; believing that the souls of those, for whom the prayers are offered, receive very great relief, while this holy and tremendous victim lies upon the altar. This we will shew you by an example: for I know there are many who say-What good can it do to a soul which is departed out of this life, whether with sins or without them, to be remembered in this Sacrifice? But tell me, I pray you; if a King had sent into banishment some persons that had offended him, and their friends should present him with a crown of great price to appease his anger, might not the King, on that account, shew some favour to the guilty persons? So do we address our prayers to God for those that are dead, though they were sinners; not by presenting to him a crown, but by offering up to him Christ, who was sacrificed for our sins, propitiating him, who is so merciful, for them and for us." Catech. Mystag. v. n. ix. x. p. 328.
FOURTH COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE, L. C. “ Penitents, who have carefully submitted to the laws of the Church, ​should they accidentally die on the road, or by sea, where no assistance could be given; shall be remembered in the prayers and offerings of the faithful.” Can. lxxix. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1206. See also the 29th Canon of the preceding Council of Carthage. Ibid. p. 1171.
St. Gregory of Nyssa, G.C. “In order that to man might be left the dignity of free-will, and evil, at the same time, might be taken from him, divine wisdom thus devised. He allows him to remain subject to what himself has chosen; that, having tasted of the evil which he desired, and learned by experience how bad an exchange has been made, he might again feel an ardent wish to lay down the load of those vices and inclinations, which are contrary to reason; and thus, in this life, being renovated by prayers and the pursuit of wisdom, or, in the next, being expiated by the purging fire, he might recover the state of happiness which he had lost.—Man otherwise must incline to that side, to which his passions tend.—But when he has quitted his body, and the difference between virtue and vice is known, he cannot be admitted to approach the Divinity till the purging fire shall have expiated the stains, with which his soul was infected.—That same fire, in others, will cancel the corruption of matter and the propensity to evil.” Orat. de Defunctis. T. ii. p. 1066, 1067, 1068.
St. Ambrose, L.C. Having, in a preceding part of the chapter, spoken of the effect of penal fire on what the Apostle calls silver and gold, and hay and stubble, in our actions, he concludes: “We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or ​evil. (2 Cor. v. 10.) Take care, that you carry not with you to the judgment of God wood nor stubble, which the fire may consume. Take care, lest, having one or two things that may be approved, you, at the same time, have much that may give offence. If any man's works burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. (1 Cor. iii. 15.) Whence it may be collected, that the same man is saved in part, and is condemned in part. Conscious therefore that there are many judgments, let us examine all our actions. In a man that is just, loss is suffered; grievous is the burning of some work; in the wicked man wretched is the punishment." Serm. xx. in Psal. cxviii. T. i. p. 1238. — “If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss. False doctrine, which shall perish, is the work that is said to burn; for all bad things must perish. To suffer loss, is to suffer pain. And who, that is in pain, does not suffer loss? But he shall be saved, yet so as by fire. He will be saved, the Apostle said, because his substance shall remain, while his bad doctrine shall perish. Therefore he said, yet so as by fire; in order that his salvation be not understood to be without pain. He shews, that he shall be saved indeed, but that he shall undergo the pain of fire, and be thus purified; not like the unbelieving and wicked man who shall be punished in everlasting fire.” Comment. in 1 Ep. ad. Cor. T. ii. in App.p. 122. See note, p. 44.—In his funeral oration on the two Emperors, Valentinians, he says: “Blessed shall you both be, if my prayers can avail any thing. No day shall pass, in which I will not make honourable mention of you; no night, in which you shall not partake of my prayers. In all my oblations I will remember you.” In obitu Va​kent. T. 11. p. 1194.-Of the Emperor Theodosius he likewise says: “Lately we deplored together his death, and now, while Prince Honorius is present before our altars, we celebrate the fortieth day.--Some observe the third and the thirtieth, others the seventh and the fortieth.-Give, O Lord, rest to thy servant Theodosius, that rest, which thou hast prepared for thy Saints. May his soul thither tend, whence it came, where it cannot feel the sting of death, where it will learn, that death is the termination, not of nature, but of sin.-I loved him, therefore will I follow him to the land of the living; I will not leave him, till, by my prayers and lamentation, he shall be admitted to the holy mount of the Lord, to which his deserts call him." De obitu Theodosii. Ibid. p. 1197-8. 1207-8.-On the death of his brother Satyrus, he expresses the like sentiments, and utters the like prayers: he also mentions, that to the celebration of the birth-day, succeeded the annual celebration of the day of the death. De obitu Satyri fratris sui. T. 11. p. 1135-6.—“Wherefore I am of opinion, that she (the sister of Faustinus) ought not so much to be a subject of our grief, as of our prayers. I think, that her soul should not be lamented by your tears, but rather recommended by oblations to the Lord.” Ep. xxxix. ad Faustinum. T. 11. p. 944.
St. EPIPHANIUS, G.C. “There is nothing more opportune, nothing more to be admired, than the rite which directs the names of the dead to be mentioned. --They are aided by the prayer that is offered for them;" though it ​may not cancel all their faults. We mention both the just and sinners, in order that for the latter we may obtain mercy.” Hær. lv. sive lxxv. T. i. p. 911.
St. John Chrysotom, G.C. “It is not in vain that oblations and prayers are offered, and alms given, for the dead. So has the divine Spirit ordained things, that we might mutually assist one another.—The Deacon in the Greek Liturgy proclaims: For them who are dead in Christ, and for them who make a memorial of them.—The victim is in the hands (of the minister); all things are ready; the angels and the archangels assist; the Son of God is present; a holy horror seizes the minds of the people, while the sacred rite is celebrated. And do you think, that this is done without effect?—Consider well: the awful mystery is then announced, that God gave himself a sacrifice for the world: and then it is that he remembers those who have sinned. For as when the trophies of war are exhibited, not they only, who aided the victory, partake of the triumph, but also, on the occasion, prisoners are released from their bonds: so is it here. It is the moment of victory and trophies: As often as you shall eat this bread, shew forth the death of the Lord. (1 Cor. xi. 26.)” Homil. xxi. in Acta. Apost. T. ix. p. 175-6.—"Is the sinner dead? It is proper to rejoice, that an end is put to his sins, that they can no longer be accumulated. And now it becomes a duty, as far as we may be able, to aid him, not by tears, but by prayer, and supplication, and alms, and offerings. Nor were these means lightly devised; nor is it in vain that, in the sacred mysteries, we mention the dead, imploring, for them, the Lamb, that there ​lieth and that taketh away the sins of the world, begging that he will impart some consolation to them.-Let us then aid these our brethren. For if the offering of Job could benefit his sons; why should you not believe, if you make offerings for the dead, that they may receive some consolation from them? God grants favours to the prayers of others, as St. Paul teaches: You helping withal in prayer for us; that for this gift obtained for us, by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many in our behalf. (2 Cor. i. 11.) Let us not tire in affording aid to the dead, in offering prayers for them: prayer is the common victim of the world.” Homil. xli. in Ep. 1. ad Cor. T. x. p. 392-3.—“Let us pity them; let us aid them as we may be able; let us obtain some comfort for them; small indeed, yet still some comfort. But how; by what means? Ourselves praying, and entreating others to do the same, and for them unceasingly giving alms to the poor. Hence comfort will be derived. God has said: I will defend this city to save it for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake. (4 Kings, xix. 34.) If the remembrance alone of a just man was so prevalent; what may not works effect? Not without reason was it ordained by the Apostles, that, in celebrating the sacred mysteries, the dead would be remembered; for they well knew, what advantage would thence be derived to them. Will not God be propitious, when he looks down on the whole assembly of the people, raising their hands up to him; when he beholds the venerable choir of the Priests, and the sacred victim lying on the altar?” Homil. iii. in Ep. ad Philip. T. xi. p. 217.
​St. Jerom, L. C. “If he, whose work has burned and suffered loss, (as the Apostle says) shall lose the reward of his labour, yet shall he be saved by the trial of fire; so he whose work shall abide which he built upon, shall be saved without fire. Thus there will be some difference in the degrees of salvation.” Adv. Jovinan. L. ii. T. iv. Pars. 11. p. 215.—“As we believe the torments of the devil and of those wicked men, who said in their hearts, there is no God, to be eternal; so, in regard to those sinners, who have not denied their faith, and whose works will be proved and purged by fire, we conclude, that the sentence of the judge will be tempered by mercy.” Comment. in c. lxv. Isai. T. ii. p. 492.He establishes the same doctrine against the Pelagians, L. i. T. iv. Pars. 11. p. 501, &c.—In a letter of consolation to Pammachius on the death of his wife Paulina, he says: “Other husbands strew various flowers on the graves of their departed wives; but you bedew the venerable remains of Paulina with the sweet essences of charity; knowing, that as water quenches fire, so do alms extinguish sin. (Eccles. iii. 33.)” Ep. liv, ad Pammach. T. iv. p. 584.
CENT. V.
St. Augustin, L. C.—“Before the most severe and last judgment, some undergo temporal punishments in this life; some after death; and others both now and then. But not all that suffer after death, are condemned to eternal flames. What is not expiated in this life, to some is remitted in the life to come, so that they may escape eternal punishment.” De Civit. Dei, L. xxi. c. 13. T. vii. p. 634.—“The prayers of the Church and of some good persons are heard in favour of those Christians, who departed this life, not so bad as to ​be deemed unworthy of mercy, nor so good as to be entitled to immediate happiness. So also, at the resurrection of the dead, there will some be found, to whom mercy will be imparted, having gone through those pains, to which the spirits of the dead are liable. Otherwise it would not have been said of some with truth, that their sin shall not be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to come (Matt. xii. 32.) unless some sins were remitted in the next world.” Ibid. c. xxiv. p. 642.—“It cannot be denied, that the souls of the dead are relieved by the piety of the living, when the sacrifice of our Mediator is offered for them, or alms are distributed in the Church. They are benefited, who so lived, as to have deserved such favours. For there is a mode of life, not so perfect as not to require this assistance, nor so bad as to be incapable of receiving aid.—The practice of the Church in recommending the souls of the departed, is not contrary to the declaration of the Apostle, which says: We must all appear before the judgement-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil: (2 Cor. v. 10.) For this merit each one, in his life, has acquired, to be aided by the good works of the living. But all are not aided: and why so?—Because all have not lived alike. When therefore the sacrifice of the altar or alms are offered for the dead; in regard to those whose lives were very good, such offices may be deemed acts of thanksgiving ; acts of propitiation for the imperfect; and though to the wicked they bring no aid, they may give some comfort to the living.” Enchirid. c. cx. T. vi. p. 238.—“Lord chastise me not in thy anger: May I not be numbered with those, to whom thou wilt say: Go into eternal fire, which hath been prepared for the devil and his angels. Cleanse me so in this life, make me such, that I may not ​stand in need of that purifying fire, designed for those who shall be saved, yet so as by fire. And why, but because, (as the Apostle says) they have built upon the foundation wood, hay, and stubble? If they had built gold and silver and precious stones, they would be secured from both fires; not only from that in which the wicked shall be punished for ever; but likewise from that fire which will purify those who shall be saved by fire. But because it is said, he shall be saved, that fire is thought lightly of; though the suffering will be more grievous than any thing man can undergo in this life.” Enarrat. in Psal. xxxvii. T. iv. p. 295.—“ It cannot be doubted,” &c. See the passage, p. 284.—“We read in the second book of Maccabees, (xii. 43.) that sacrifice was offered for the dead; but though, in the Old Testament, no such words had been found, the authority of the universal Church must suffice, whose practice is incontrovertible. When the Priest at the altar offers up prayers to God, he recommends in them the souls of the departed.—When the mind, sometimes recollects that the body of his friend has been deposited near the tomb of some Martyr, he fails not, in prayer, to recommend the soul to that blessed Saint; not doubting, that succour may thence be derived. Such suffrages must not be neglected, which the Church performs in general words, that they may be benefited, who have no parents, nor children, nor relations, nor friends.” De cura pro Mortuis, c. i, iv. T. vi. p. 516, 519.—The same sentiment is repeated through the whole Treatise.
St. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, the contemporary and correspondent of St. Austin, establishes the same doctrine ​in various passages of his writings. See Bibl. PP. T. vi. p. 163, &c.
Theodoret, G. C.—“In the day of the coming of the Lord, a strict enquiry will be made; and them, who shall have lived well, like gold and silver, the fire will render more shining; but it will burn, like stubble and chaff, such as shall have wrought iniquity.” In c. iii. Ep. 1. ad Cor. T. iii. p. 134.—The same Theodoret represents the Emperor Theodosius the younger, kneeling before the tomb of St. Chrysostom, and praying for his parents, Arcadius and Eudoxia,“ that God would pardon the sins, which they had, through imprudence, committed. For they had been long dead.” Hist. Eccles. Lib. v. c. xxxvi. p. 236.
St. Nilus, G. C.—“To be grieved, to weep, and fast immoderately, for the death of a relation, indicates unbelief and the want of hope. He, who believes that he will rise again from the grave, will feel comfort; will return thanks to God; will change his tears into joy; will pray that he may obtain eternal mercy, and will himself turn to the correction of his own failings.” L. i. Ep. cccxi. T. 11. p. 115.
{{sc|Arnobius the Younger, L. C.-" They who offer money or gifts to the Churches, and die in their sins, do it, in order that they may be raised to eternal life by our prayers.” Bibl. PP. Max. T. viii. p. 298.
Liturgy of Jerusalem, G. C.—“Again and again, we commemorate all the faithful departed, those who are departed in the true faith, from this holy altar, and from this town, and from every country; those, who in the true faith ​have slept and are come to thee, the God and Lord of Spirits, and of all flesh.-Be mindful also, O Lord, of the orthodox Priests, already departed, of the Deacons, and secular persons, &c. who are departed in the true faith, and of those whom each one specifies in his mind. O Lord, God of Spirits and of all flesh; be mindful of all whom we commemorate, who are gone out of this life in the orthodox faith; grant rest to their souls, bodies and spirits ; deliver them from the infinite damnation to come, and make them worthy of that joy which is found in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.— Impute not to them their sins. Enter not into judgement with thy servants. Grant them rest, and be propitious, and forgive, O God, the follies and defects of us all, whether done knowingly or through ignorance, &c. Renaud. T. 11. p. 38.
LITURGY OF ALEXANDRIA, G.C.—“Be mindful, O Lord, of our forefathers from the beginning; of every spirit of those who have departed in the faith of Christ, whom we commemorate this day. To the souls of all these, O Sovereign Lord our God, grant repose in thy holy tabernacles-Give rest to their souls, and render them worthy of the kingdom of heaven.” Ibid. p. 150.
LITURGY OF CONSTANTINOPLE, G. C.-“Be mindful of all, O God, who have slept before us, in the hope of the resurrection to eternal life. We pray for the repose and the remission of the soul of thy servant N., in a place of rest, from which grief and lamentation are far removed; and make him to rest where he may see around him the light of thy countenance,” &c. Goar. p. 78.
LITURGY OF Rome, L.C. “Be mindful, also, O Lord, ​of thy servants N. and N. who are gone before us, with the sign of faith, and rest in the sleep of peace. To whom, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech thee, a place of refreshment, of light, and of peace.”
LITURGY OF THE NESTORIANS, G.C.—“O Lord, powerful God, receive this oblation, for all the departed, who being separated from us, have quitted this world.” Renaudot. T. ii. p. 590.
LITURGY OF THEODORUS, G. C.-“O Lord our God, graciously receive from us this sacrifice of thanksgivingthat it may be in thy sight a good memorial of all the children of the Holy Catholic Church, of those who have passed out of this world in the true faith: that thou mayest, O God, graciously grant them pardon of all the sins and offences, by which, in this world, in a mortal body, and in a soul subject to inconstancy, they have sinned or offended before thee, because there is no one who does not sin.” Ibid. p. 620.
LITURGY OF NESTORIUS, G. C.-“We pray and entreat thee, O Lord, be mindful of all our brethren in Christ, who are departed out of this life in the true faith, whose names are known to thee, loosing and remitting to them the sins and offences, which, as men liable to error and passions, they have committed before thee, through the prayer and intercession of those, who have been pleasing in thy sight.” Ibid.
COPTIC LITURGY OF ST. BASIL, G. C.-“ Be mindful, also, O Lord, of all who have slept and reposed in the Priesthood, and in every rank of the secular state. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to grant rest to the souls of them all in the bosom of the Saints, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Command those, O Lord, whose souls thou hast received, to repose in this place, and preserve us,” &c. Renaudot. T. 1. p. 19.
ALEXANDRIAN LITURGY OF St. Basil, G. C.-"Be mindful, also, O Lord, of all the Sacerdotal order, who are now departed, and of those who were in a secular state. ​Grant that the souls of them all may rest in the bosoms of our Fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.-To those, O Lord, whose souls thou has received, grant repose in that place, and vouchsafe to transfer them to the kingdom of heaven.” Ibid. p. 73.
COPTIC LITURGY OF ST. GREGORY, G. C.-“ Be mindful, O Lord, of our Fathers and brethren, who have already slept in the orthodox faith ; grant rest to them all with thy Saints, and with those whose names have been commemorated.” Ibid. p. 34.
ALEXANDRIAN LITURGY OF ST. GREGORY, G.C.-"Be mindful, O Lord, of our Holy Fathers, who are gone before us—and of every just Spirit, consummated in the faith of Christ :-also of those, who are commemorated this day, and of all the choirs of Saints, by whose prayers and intercessions, have mercy on us.” Ibid. p. 112.
COPTIC LITURGY OF ST. CYRIL, G. C.-“ Have mercy, O Lord. To our Fathers and brethren, who have slept, and whose souls thou hast received, give rest.” Ibid. p. 41.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ As the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Spirit, has taught in her Councils, from the sacred writings, and the ancient tradition of the Fathers, and this Synod has now recently declared, that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls there detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar, therefore this holy Synod gives her commands to the Bishops, to be particularly careful, that the sound doctrine concerning Purgatory, which has been delivered by the holy Fathers and sacred Councils, be taught, and held, and believed, and be every where preached: that all abstruse and subtle questions, which tend not to edification, and from which piety seldom draws any advantage, be avoided in public discourses ​before the people: that uncertain things, and such as have the appearance of falsehood, be not allowed to be made public, nor be discussed: and that whatever may tend to encourage idle curiosity, and superstition; or may savour of filthy lucre, be prohibited as scandalous impediments to virtue." Sess. xxv. Decretum de Purgat. p. 286.
THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION.
PROPOSITION XIII.
The Sacrament which is administered to dying persons, to strengthen them in their passage out of this life into a better, from the oil that is used on the occasion, Catholics call Extreme Unction, and they believe it to be divinely instituted.
SCRIPTURE.
Mark vi. 12, 13.—“And going forth, they preached that men should do penance: and they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.”
This may be understood to refer to that institution which St. James afterwards promulgated in his epistle, v. 14, 15. ​“Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the Priests of the Church, and let them pray over him; anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man; and the Lord shall raise him up : and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
FATHERS.
CENT. III.
ORIGEN, G. C.-I quoted a passage from this Father on the Sacrament of penance, (p. 313.) in which are introduced the words of St. James; but he seems to refer them to those who are infirm or sick from sin, not from bodily illness; and therefore they do not clearly establish the sacrament of Extreme Unction.
CENT. IV.
VICTOR OF Antioch, G. C.—“Only Mark mentions what is here added (vi. 13.) of the mystical unction and the use of oil; with whom St. James agrees when he says: Is any one sick among you ? &c. (v. 14.) Oil relieves lassitude, and is the source of light and gladness: the anointing with oil, therefore, denotes mercy from God, the cure of sickness, and the illumination of the heart.” Bibl. PP. Max. T. iv. p. 383.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G. C.-" To our parents we are indebted for the present life; to the Ministers of God for the life to come. But they cannot ward off death from their children, nor even sickness; while the latter, not unfre​quently, save the soul labouring at the point of death, inflicting on some a lighter punishment, and preventing others from being lost; not by instruction only and admonition, but by the defence of prayer.
For they have obtained a power, not in Baptism only, but of forgiving the sins which we afterwards commit. h) Is any man sick among you? says St. James; Let him bring in the Priests of the Church," &c. L. iii. de Sacerdot. c. 6. T. i. p. 384.
CENT V.
INNOCENT I. L.C.-In reply to certain questions, which had been proposed to him by Decentius, an Italian Bishop, Innocent having remarked, that the traditions of the Apostles should be every where observed, and particularly those of Rome derived from St. Peter; in the eighth place says as follows: “ You cite the words of St. James, Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the Priests of the Church, &c. This passage, doubtless, is to be understood of the sick among the faithful, who may be anointed with the holy Chrism, which, when consecrated by the Bishop, not only Priests, but all Christians, may use, in anointing themselves and others in cases of necessity. It is idle to make any question about Bishops, since the practice is allowed to Priests. For therefore are Priests mentioned, on account of the many occupations in which Bishops are engaged, which may hinder them from attending the sick. When the Bishop can, or is inclined to attend, he may give his blessing, and anoint with that Chrism, which it was his office to consecrate.” Ep. ad Decent. Conc. Gen. T. p. 1247.
ST. AUGUSTIN, L. C. “As often as sickness happens, the sick man should receive the body and blood of Christ, and ​then anoint his body, in order to comply with the words of the Apostle; Is any man sick among you ? &c. Consider, brethren, that he who, in his sickness, has recourse to the Church, will deserve to obtain the restoration of his health, and the forgiveness of his sins. Serm. cclxv. in Append. T.v. p. 437.-He elsewhere cites the passage of St. James. Speculum ex Ep. Jacob. Pars 1, T. iii. p. 813.
St. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, G. C.-Speaking against charms and incantations, he says: “But do you, if you feel pain in your body, and have faith, that the name of God can dispel it, pronounce that name, calling on him by prayer: for thus you will act better than others do, and thereby give glory, not to the impure spirits, but to God. I will likewise mention that divinely-inspired passage of St. James : Is any man sick among you ?" &c. L. vi. de Adorat. in spiritu et verit. T.i.p.211.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ The Synod declares and teaches, that our merciful Saviour, who was willing, that his servants should, at all times, be provided with salutary remedies against all the attacks of their enemies; as, in the other Sacraments, he prepared means, whereby, during life, they might be preserved from every grievous evil; so would he guard the close of life, by the sacrament of Extreme Unction, as by a strong barrier.” Sess. xiv. De Extrema Unct. p. 122. It then observes, that this Sacrament, instituted by Christ, was first intimated by St. Mark, and afterwards recommended and promulgated by the Apostle St. James.
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDER.
PROPOSITION XIV.
We believe Order to be a Sacrament, by which the Ministers of the Church are consecrated, and power given to them to perform such public offices as regard the service of God and the salvation of souls.
SCRIPTURE.
Acts, vi. 6. “These they set before the Apostles; and they, praying, imposed hands upon them.”-Ibid. xiii. 2. 3. “Separate me Saul and Barnabas, for the work whereunto I have taken them. Then they fasting, and praying, and imposing their hands upon them, sent them away.”—1 Tim. iv. 14.
Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the imposition of the hands of the Priesthood.”—Ibid. v. 22. “Impose not hands lightly upon any man, neither be partaker of other men's sins.”—2 Tim. i. 6. "For which cause I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God, which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands.
FATHERS.
As in various passages of the New Testament, so in the most ancient monuments of Church-history, mention is made of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and of their respective offices; and these are considered as divinely instituted. To them, with a view to promote the dignity of the worship of God, other inferior degrees of order, beginning with that of Subdeacon, were superadded also, in the earliest times, by ​the Church, as we read in the letters of St. Cyprian, and in more ancient authors. In the fourth Council of Carthage, held in 398, rules are prescribed, according to which, the superior and minor degrees of order were to be conferred, from the rank of Bishop to that of door-keeper, the lowest office in the Church. The imposition of hands, so often practised and recorded by the Apostles, was carefully observed in the three first degrees, and in them only.
CENT. IV.
FOURTH COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE, L.C. “When a Bishop is ordained, let two Bishops place and hold the book of the Gospels over his head and neck, and whilst one pronounces a blessing over him, all the other Bishops, who may be present, shall touch his head with their hands.” Can. ï. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1199.-“When a Priest is ordained, while the Bishop blesses him, and holds his hand over his head, the other Priests present shall hold their hands near to that of the Bishop, over his head.” Ibid. can. iii.—“When a deacon is ordained, the Bishop alone, who blesses him, shall place his hand over his head; because he is not ordained to the Priesthood, but to the ministry.” Ibid. Can. iv.
St. EPHREM, G. C.-" The clerks shall then be separated from one another; the Bishops from their co-bishops; the Deacons from other Deacons, and the subdeacons, singers, and readers, from each other.” Serm. de secundo adv. Dom. T. iii. p. 157.
CENT. V.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G. C. “And when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them. This is the Xelpotovia, the laying on of hands, that is, ordination. The hand is laid on, but God operates: it is his hand, when the ordination ​is duly performed, that touches the head.” Homil. xiv. in Act. Apost. T. ix. p. 114.—“Separate me Saul and Barnabas. What mean these words, separate them for the work? For the work of the Apostleship. And consider, by whom they are ordained. By Lucius of Cyrene and Manahen, says the Scripture, (Acts, xii. rather by the Spirit. The less honourable these persons are, the more signal is the grace of God.” Ibid. Homil. xxvii. p. 216.-“ I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God, which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands; that is, the grace of the divine Spirit, which thou hast received, to establish the Church, to work miracles, to execute all the offices of religion.” Homil. i. in ii. Tim. T. xi. p. 661.—“Though the Priesthood be exercised upon earth, yet it ought to be reckoned among the superior goods of heaven. And, justly; for neither man, nor angel nor archangel, nor any created power, but the Holy Ghost himself, established that sacred Order, and instructed men to think, that they exercised a ministry of angels in a mortal body. Wherefore,whoever is raised up to the Priesthood, ought to be as pure as if he were already in heaven among those blessed spirits.—When you see our Lord placed upon the altar, and there offered up, the Bishop celebrating the Sacrifice, and praying; and all purpled, as it were, with that precious blood, do you think, that you are amongst men, and still upon earth ?—Living as yet upon earth, Priests dispose of the things of heaven; and they have received a power which God would give neither to angels, nor archangels. He said to them, and not to angels : whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. (Mat. xviii. 18.) Temporal Princes have a power to bind, but that is the body: Episcopal power binds the soul, and reaches unto heaven; God ratifying above what the Bishop does below; the Master confirming the sentence of his servant.” De Sacerdotio. L. iii. T. i. p.382-3.
​St. Epiphanius, G. C. “He that has married a second time, is not admitted to the Priesthood, though he remain continent, or be a widower. Such a one, I say, is not admitted to the degree of Bishop, Priest, Deacon, and Subdeacon. But, as to the degree of lector, he may be taken from any rank-because the lector is no Priest, but the scribe, as it were, of the divine word.” In Exposit. Fidei Cath. T. i. p. 1104.
CENT. V.
Innocent I. L.C. He then writes to Alexander, Bishop of the Patriarchal See of Antioch, who had consulted him ; remarking, that, by the authority of the Nicene Council, his Church had received an extensive jurisdiction, founded as it had been by St. Peter. “ We deem it right, that, as by a special power you ordain Metropolitans, you ought not to suffer other Bishops to be ordained without your knowledge and consent, by writing to those that are afar off, and causing those that are near to come to you for ordination." Ep. xviii. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1269.
St. Augustin, L.C. “Both are Sacraments, (Baptism and Order), and both are, by a certain consecration, given to man; the first when he is baptised, the second when he is ordained: and therefore, in the Catholic Church, neither of them is ever repeated. Thus, if any of the Donatist Prelates, renouncing their Schism, come over to us, and it seem proper that they should continue to exercise the same functions, we re-ordain them not; for as their Baptism, so their Ordination, remains entire. The evil was in their Schism, which conciliation has corrected; not in the Sacraments, of which the character is unchangeable. And when it is deemed expedient, that Prelates, so returning, should not be employed, they are not, for that, deprived of their Orders, which continue in them. Wherefore, lest the Sacrament, ​and not the man, should seem to be injured, the right of Ordination is not repeated before the people.” Contra. Ep. Parmen. L. ii. c. xiii. T. ix. p. 44.—“Let the Donatists explain, how the baptismal Sacrament is not lost, and that of Order is. For if both be Sacraments, as is not doubted, the same must be the case of both. Wrong must be done to neither.” Ibid. p.45.-The same sentiment, that Order is a Sacrament, whereby grace is conferred, is repeated in many other works of the same learned Saint.
St. Leo, L. C. “Besides the authority of general practice, which we know to have come down from the teaching of the Apostles, the Scripture declares, that when Paul and Barnabas, by the command of the Holy Spirit, were sent to preach the Gospel to the gentiles, they (Simon, Lucius, and Manahen,) fasting and praying, laid their hands upon them. And this, that we might know, how great should be the caution of them that give and of them that receive, that the Sacrament of so high a grace be not performed negligently." Ep. xi. al. lxxxi. ad Dioscor. Alex. p. 436.—“ It is our duty to follow the Apostolic rule, and to admit no one, however excellent be his qualifications, and his conduct holy, to the degree of Deacon, or the honour of the Priesthood, or the sublime dignity of Episcopacy, if it shall appear, that he has been the husband of more than one wife, or that his wife had had another husband.”—He proceeds to lay down many excellent rules on this head, and to enforce the laws of ancient discipline, in order, that such as are to be promoted to clerical offices in the Church, be free from every stain, and endowed with every Christian virtue. Ep. i. al. lxxxvii. ad Ep. Afric. p. 401.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ Since it is evident, from the testimony of Scripture, Apostolical Tradition, and the unanimous consent of the ​Fathers, that by sacred Ordination, which is performed by words and external signs,grace is conferred: hence let no one doubt, that Order is truly and properly one of the seven Sacraments of the Church. The Apostle says to Timothy: I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God, which is in thee by the imposition of my hands,” (2 Tim. i. 6.) Sess.xxiii. c. iii. p. 212.-The Synod also defines, that, besides the Priesthood, there are other major and minor Orders, by which, as it were by steps, the candidate rises to the Priesthood. The major Orders are those of Deacon and Subdeacon: the minor are those of acolyte, exorcist, lector, and door-keeper (ostiarius.) Ibid.
CELIBACY OF THE CLERGY.
The discipline of our Church on this point, has not always been, it is plain, precisely what it is at present; but because it is discipline, therefore may it be changed, as, in the alteration of times and circumstances, it has seemed, or shall seem, good to our ecclesiastical rulers. In the Greek and Latin Churches the discipline is not the same: but in both, the advice of St. Paul, founded on the justest views, if it did not always enforce the practice, served to establish the principle of the expediency of clerical celibacy. With the Greeks, no one, after ordination to the higher orders, is now allowed to marry; but they that have wives may be promoted to them, that of Bishops excepted, who must always be single men.
SCRIPTURE.
I would that all men were even as myself: but every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that. - But I say to the ​unmarried, and to the widows: it is good for them, if they so continue, even as I.-But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry.”—Ibid. 25. “Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give counsel, as having obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful.”26. I think therefore that this is good for the present necessity, that it is good for a man so to be.”—27. “ Art thou bound to a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife." --28. “ But if thou take a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned ; nevertheless, such shall have tribulation of the flesh. But I spare you.”—32. “ But I would have you be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how it may please God.”—33. “But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife; and he is divided."-35. “And this I speak for your profit: not to cast a snare upon you, but for that which is decent, and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.” 1 Cor. vii. 7, 8, 9.
{{c|FATHERS.
To quote their sentiments on the subject, is unnecessary ; for they unanimously, in all their writings, inculcate a compliance with the counsel of St. Paul; and, when the discipline of the Church permitted marriage, themselves chose a life of voluntary celibacy. They saw, how true was the observation, that the married man was divided, and that solicitude for the things of the world was inseparable from the state. And where the fewer of these cares should be, there, they again saw, would the mind be more at liberty to attend upon the Lord, that is, to fulfil the duties of the ecclesiastical calling.
THE RELIGIOUS OR MONASTIC STATE.
SCRIPTURE.
Matt. xix. 10, 11. “His disciples say unto Jesus: if the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not good to marry. he said to them; all men receive not this word, but they to whom it is given.” - Ibid. 20. “ The young man saith to Jesus: All these (the commandments) have I kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me?-Jesus saith to him : if thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and come, follow me.” 1 Cor. vii. 7. “I would that all men were even as myself: but every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that.”—8. “ But I say to the unmarried, and to the widows: it is good for them if they so continue, even as I.”—38. “ Both he that giveth his virgin in marriage doth well; and he that giveth her not, doth better.”—40.“ But more blessed shall she (the widow) be, if she so remain, according to my counsel; and I think that I also have the spirit of God.”
On the advice given by Christ, and by the Apostle, in these passages, is founded the opinion, which Catholics entertain, of the expediency of what are called the evangelical counsels, that is, of voluntary poverty, perpetual chastity, and entire obedience. “ When a counsel is given,” says St. Jerom, “ the will is left free: when a command, strict compliance is required.” To live up to these counsels constitutes the character of the monastic profession; the vows or solemn promises, which are freely made, induce the obligation; and from this arises the perfection of the state. The ​Fathers are unanimous in their praises; and it was early in the Christian Church that the state was embraced by many. It was not, however, before the fourth century, that the eremitical life took a regular form in Egypt and other parts of the east; in the west, St. Benedict, towards the close of the fifth, gave that rule to his followers, which is most admired, and which has been very generally adopted by the various founders of religious Orders, male and female, in the western Church.
THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY.
PROPOSITION XV.
We believe Matrimony to be a sacrament of the new law, instituted by Christ; whereby a new dignity is added to the lawful contract of marriage, and grace given to those who worthily receive it.
SCRIPTURE.
Matt. xix. 6. “ What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”—1 Cor. vii.-In the whole chapter, the Apostle gives advice on the conduct of married persons, and on the respective states of celibacy and marriage; clearly considering it as a subject, in which the great duties of religion were involved.—39. “A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth ; but if her husband die, she is at liberty: let her marry to whom she will; only in the Lord.”—40.“ But more blessed shall she be, if she so remain, according to my counsel; and I think that I also have the spirit of God.”—Ephes. v.-In this chapter the Apostle inculcates the mutual duties of man and wife, from ​the example of Christ and the Church; of his union with which he states matrimony to be a sign or figure. He therefore contemplates matrimony, not as a mere civil contract, whereby a man is bound to a woman, but as something mysterious or sacramental : “ For this cause," he says, (v. 31.) “ shall a man leave his father and mother : and shall stick to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is a great sacrament (or mystery): but I speak in Christ and in the Church.”—It may, however, be granted, that there is not any passage in Scripture, in which any express mention is made of the institution of this Sacrament. But the doctrine, that Christian matrimony is a Sacrament, which confers grace on the parties, who worthily receive it, is the common doctrine of the Latin and Greek Church; even of all the heretical and schismatical Churches in the east, as is evident from the Rituals and books of the administration of Sacraments, used by the Greek Church, and the Churches of the Copths, the Jacobites, the Nestorians, and others.
FATHERS.
CENT. I.
St. IGNATIUS, G.C. “That the marriage may be in the Lord, and not the flesh, the man and woman should consult the judgement of the Bishop." Ep. ad Polycarp, PP. Apost. T. 11. p.41.
CENT. II.
TERTULLIAN, L. C. “ How can I describe the happiness of that marriage, which the Church approves, the oblation confirms, the angels proclaim when sealed, and the Father ratifies?” Lib. ii. ad uxorem, c. ix. p. 282.
CENT. IV.
St. BASIL, G.C. “Let this bond of nature, this yoke, accompanied by a blessing," unite together those who before were separated.—The wife must bear with her husband, though he be harsh, and savage in his manners, nor, on any account, seek for a separation. Does he strike? Still he is your husband. Is he drunken? He is united by nature. Is he rude, and hard to be pleased? Still, he is a part of yourself, and the most noble part.” Hom. vii. in Hexaëm. T.i. p. 68.
St. GREGORY OF Nyssa, G. C. “From what I have said, let no one imagine, that I disapprove of the institution of marriage; for I well know, that the blessing of God is upon it.” L. de Virg. c. viii. T. ii. p. 568.
St. EPIPHANIUS, G.C. “ The Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church believes, that those may be saved, who are bound together in lawful marriage; for, that marriage is honourable, (Heb. xiii. 4.) may be concluded, because Christ, when invited, assisted himself, to give his blessing to it. Had he refused, he might have been deemed an enemy to marriage, and not willing to receive others with kindness and indulgence. Marriage, therefore, is honourable, which he himself approved; and he was present, in order to silence those who argue against truth. Even it was on that occasion, that he wrought his first miracle, changing water into wine. —And this he did, by signs and wonders, to give a lustre to honourable marriage.” Adversus Hæreses Hær. xlvii. sive lxvii. T.i. p. 714.
St. AMBROSE, L. C. “ We know, that God is the Lord and the Guardian of marriage, who may not suffer another's bed to be defiled. He that commits this crime, sins against God, whose law he violates; whose favour he renounces : ​and therefore, because he sins against him, he loses the participation of this heavenly Sacrament.” L. i. de Abraham, c. vii. T. i. p 302.—“ As the marriage must be rendered holy by the sacerdotal blessing; how can that be termed a marriage, where there is no agreement of faith ? Ep. xix. T. 11. p. 844.
St. SIRICIUS, L.C. “ That blessing, which the Priest imparts, may be considered as a kind of sacrilege, if it be attended by any transgression.” Ep. ad Himer. c.iv. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1019.
COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE, IN 398. L.C. “When the parties are to receive the Priest's blessing, let them be presented by their parents.” Can. xiii. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1201.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G.C. “ Whenever you are about to take a wife, read not only the laws of the land, but more than these, consider those of the Church ; for by these, and not by those of the state, will God judge you in that day.” Hom. iii. Quales ducendæ sint uxores. T. iii. p. 212. Edit. Bened.-" Christians should banish from their weddings all devilish pomps, and the like; and introduce the servants of God and his Priests; to have Jesus Christ in person amongst them, as he was at the marriage of Cana. To what purpose do you bring in a Priest to crave a blessing; and the next day, yourselves commit base actions?". Serm. xviii. T. 111. p. 195-6.—“With truth did the Apostle say, that this was a great mystery, that father and mother should be left, and that the man shall stick to her, who before was a stranger to him, and prefer her to all. This is indeed a mystery; and even parents, when this is done, take no offence.” Hom. xx. in ep. ad Eph. T. xi. p. 148.
CENT. V.
INNOCENT I. L.C. Speaking of a man who had married another woman, while his wife was in captivity, he says:
Knowing this, we decreed, agreeably to Catholic belief, that that marriage was valid, which, by the divine grace, was first established; and that the second, the first wife being living, and not repudiated by a divorce, could not be legitimate.” Ep. ix. ad Probum. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1263.“ The blessing which the Priest gives in marriage-must be considered as conformable to the law anciently appointed by God.” Ep. ii. ad Victricium. Ibid. p. 1251.
St. AUGUSTIN, L. C. In various parts of his works he speaks of marriage as a Sacrament.—“ In the marriages of our women, the sanctity of the Sacrament is of the greatest weight.” De Bono conjug. c. xviii. T. vi. p. 332.—“ In all nations, the great good of marriage consists in the propagation of children, and the fidelity of the parties: but among Christians, there is, besides, the holiness of the Sacrament.” Ibid. c. xxiv. p. 337.-"In the City of God, in his holy mountain, that is, in the Church, not the bond only, but the Sacrament of marriage, commands our respect.” De fide et oper. c. vii. Ibid. p. 170.-He exhorts the man to be continent before marriage, “ because if he be not, he will not deserve to receive the benediction with his wife.” Serm. cclxxxix. T. v. p. 482.
St. Leo, L. C. “As then the nuptial union has, from the beginning, been so appointed, that, besides the conjunction of sexes, there should also be the Sacrament of Christ ​and his Church ; it is plain, that the woman, who has no part in the nuptial mystery, can have no claim to matrimony." Ep. ii. al. xcii. ad Rusticum Narbon. p.408.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, G.C. “ Christ was born of a woman; not that such a birth arose from any necessity of his nature; but because it was his wish to entail his blessing on the origin of man, and reverse the curse that had been pronounced against him.-- For the same reason also he would be present with his disciples at the marriage of Cana; that his blessing might give honour to it. This we have learned from the divine Scriptures, from the holy Apostles, and the testimony of our Fathers.” Ep.ad Nest. Conc. Gen. T. iii. p. 408.—“ When the marriage was celebrated, and the Mother of Jesus was there, he himself came with his disciples, not to feast, but to work a miracle; and moreover to give a blessing to the principle of human life, as far as the body is concerned. For it was expedient, that he who came to renovate the nature of man, and to restore all things, should bestow a blessing, not alone on those who were then born, but should prepare a grace for those who were to come, and sanctify their origin.-By his presence, as he was the subject of joy to all, he gave a dignity to the nuptial bond, and diminished the pain of child-birth.” Com. in Joan. L. ii. c. i. T. iv. p. 134-5.
ST. MAXIMUS OF TURIN, L. C. “ The Son of God goes to the marriage, that what, by his power, he, long before, appointed, he might now sanctify by his presence.” Hom. i. de Epiph. Bibl. PP. Max. T. vi. p. 9.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
“ The Father of the human race, under the instinct of the holy Spirit pronounced the bond of marriage to be perpetual ​and indissoluble, when he said: This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh : therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh. (Gen. ii. 23, 24.) Our Saviour Christ, repeating these last words, as coming from God, added: wherefore, they are no more two, but one flesh. (Matt. xix. 6.) And straightway confirmed that bond of union, which Adam had declared, saying: what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Ibid.)--He, the Author and perfecter of all the Sacraments, by his Passion merited for us that grace, which should give perfection to natural love; should strengthen the indissoluble union; and should sanctify the married couple. And St. Paul intimated the same, when he said: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered himself up for it; subjoining: This is a great Sacrament: but I speak in Christ, and in the Church. (Ephes. v.)-Wherefore, as Matrimony, in the evangelical law, excels, through Christ, the primitive contracts, it is justly to be numbered among the Sacraments of that law; and so have the Fathers, the Councils, and universal Tradition always taught.” Sess. xxiv. de Sacram. Matrim. p. 238.
CEREMONIES.
In the administration of the Sacraments, and in other parts of her religious offices, the Catholic Church uses many rites and ceremonies, which have been derived from the most ancient times. This alone would be a sufficient motive for their retention, were there no other; as from that circumstance arises an additional proof of the Antiquity of her Faith and Discipline. But these ceremonies, as they had in their primitive introduction, so in their retention they have, ​besides, other advantages. They excite attention; they impress the mind with a certain awe; to the unlearned they convey instruction; and, on all occasions, departing from the usages of common life, they give a peculiar dignity and character to whatever action is connected with the service of the Almighty. Nor does this ceremonial part of our Religion, enforced by what God himself commanded in the old Law, any more than the rich dresses of our Ministers, the decorations of our Churches, and the general pomp of service, set off by the incense, lights, and music, where circumstances will allow it,-all this does not affect that Christian simplicity, which the gospel inculcates, the seat of which is in the heart; nor that adoration of the Father in spirit and in truth, (Jo.iv. 23.) which Christ demands from his followers.
For each particular practice, in the Catholic Church, which comes under the head of ceremonies, I could adduce the authority, were it necessary, of primitive times, as each is recorded in the writings of the Fathers. Of Antiquity, as just observed, the badge and glory of their Church, even in things seemingly of little value, or not always agreeable to modern notions, Catholics are solicitously retentive. On one point I will be more particular.
THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.
This sign is prescribed in our Rituals to be frequently used, particularly in the administration of Baptism, and in the Sacrifice of the altar, to signify, that all grace is derived from the Passion of Christ.- The Cross, besides, is marked on all parts of the dress of our ministers, and on the vessels appropriated to the service, to denote their destination.On the altars is raised a Cross with the figure of a dead ​Christ on it, to bring to our minds, that it was He who died for the sins of the world, and that there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved. Finally, we often sign ourselves with the sign of the Cross, pronouncing the words : In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; thereby attesting our belief in the blessed Trinity, and in the Incarnation and death of our Saviour.
SCRIPTURE.
1 Cor. i. 18.-“ For the word of the Cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness; but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God.—23. But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Gentiles foolishness."-Ibid. ii. 2.-“For I judged not myself to know any thing among you, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” -Gal. vi. 14.—“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.”--Phil. i. 8,9.-"He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above every name.
FATHERS.
CENT. II.
TERTULLIAN, L. C.-"At every step and motion, when we come in, and when we go out, whether we put on our clothes, or dress to walk abroad, in the bath, at table, at the lamp, lying or sitting, whatever be our occupation, we draw on our foreheads the sign of the Cross.-Should you ask for the Scripture authority for this and such-like practices : I ​answer there is none; but there is Tradition that authorises it, custom that confirms it, submission that observes it.” De Corona mil. c. iii. iv. P. 289.
CENT. IV.
LACTANTIUS, L. C.-"As Christ whilst He lived amongst men, put the devils to flight by his word, and restored those to their senses whom these evil spirits had possessed; so now his followers, in the name of their Master, and by the sign of his passion, exercise the same dominion over them. The proof is easy. When the idolaters sacrifice to their Gods, they cannot proceed, if, a Christian being present, he sign his forehead with the Cross; nor can the diviner give his responses. This has often been the cause of the persecutions we have undergone. And, in like manner, when some masters were on the point of sacrificing in the presence of their Christian servants, the latter, by making the sign of the Cross on the forehead, so frightened away the Gods, that nothing could be collected from the bowels of the victims." Divin. Institut. L. 4. c. xxvii. p. 345.
EUSEBIUS OF CÆSAREA, G. C.—He relates, speaking of the first Christian Emperor Constantine, that he placed, in the most conspicuous parts of the city, images, representing our Saviour; and in his palace a magnificent Cross, “ the sign of our Lord's passion.” “And to me it seems,” adds the historian,“ that the religious Prince viewed that sign as the defence and bulwark of his empire.” De Vita Constant. L. iii. c. xlix. p. 605.
ST. ATHANASIUS, G.C.-" In the midst of the incanta​tions of the devils, only let the sign of the Cross, which they ridicule, be used ; let Christ be merely named: the devils will be instantly put to flight: the oracles be silent: and all the arts of magic reduced to nothing.” De Incar. T.i. p. 89.
St. Basil, G. C.-“ If we attempt to reject those practices, as things of little moment, which rest on no written authority, we shall, by our imprudence, materially injure the Gospel itself; even we shall reduce the very preaching of our faith to a mere name. Such (to mention that in the first place which is the most common) is the practice of making the sign of the Cross, by those who put their hope in Christ. In what writing has this been taught?”—Lib. de Spiritu. S. c. xxvii. T. iii. p. 54.
St. EPHREM, G. C.-“Let us paint and imprint on our doors, on our foreheads, on our eyes, mouth, and breast, and on all our members, this life-giving Cross. Let us arm ourselves with this invincible armour of Christians—the vanquisher of death-the hope of the faithful—the downfall of heresies-the bulwark of the orthodox faith. Without this let us undertake nothing; but in going to bed and rising up, and working, and eating, and drinking, and travelling, by sea and by land, let us adorn all our members with this lifegiving sign.—Thus defended, no evil will hurt you.—By this sign have all nations been united in one Church ; in one faith ; in one Baptism; and knit together in charity.”— Serm. de cruce Domini, T. ii. p. 248.
St. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G. C.-“ Let us then not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ; and if any one so be, do thou at least openly mark it on thy forehead, that the devils, beholding the royal ensign, may retire trembling. ​And use that sign, eating and drinking, sitting and lying, rising from bed, conversing and walking; in one word, use it on all occasions.”—Catech. iv. n. xiv. p. 58. Again, Catech. xiii. n. xxii. xxxvi. p. 194, 200.
St. AMBROSE, L. C.-“The Christian people no longer undergo the pain of circumcision; but carrying with them the death of Christ, they imprint it every moment on the forehead,(5) knowing that, without the Cross of our Lord, they cannot be saved.”—Ep. lxxii. T. ii. p. 1073.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, G. C.-“Let no one then be ashamed of these symbols of our salvation, of these signs. The Passion of our Lord is the origin, is the fountain of that happiness by which we live and are. With a joyous heart, as if it were a crown, let us carry about with us the Cross of Christ. For by it is consummated whatever pertains to our salvation. When we are baptised, the Cross of Christ is there; so also, when we partake of the most holy food of the Eucharist, and in every other sacred exercise. Wherefore, let us, with much earnestness, impress this Cross on our houses and our walls, and our windows, on our foreheads also and on our breasts.(a) It is the sign of our salvation, of our common liberty, of the meekness and humility of our Lord. As often then as you sign yourself, pass over in your mind the general concern of the Cross, suppress all the workings of anger and the other passions, and fortify your breast with firmness. It should be made not only on the body, but with great confidence on the mind. If it be done in this manner, not one of the wicked spirits when he sees the spear that inflicted the deadly wound, will dare to assail you.' Homil. lv. in Mat. c. xvi. T. vii. p. 551.
St. JEROM, L. C.-" Before every action, at every step, ​let your hand form the sign of the Cross. – Ep. xviii. ad Eustach. T. iv. p. 46.—“Keep the door of your heart shut: frequently make on your forehead the sign of the Cross, that the exterminator of Egypt may have no hold upon you.”— Ep.ad Demetriadem, T. i. p. 64, Paris, 1643.-The same advice he often repeats.
CENT. V.
ST. AUGUSTIN, L. C.-“What is the sign with which all are acquainted, but the Cross of Christ? which sign, if it be not applied to the foreheads of believers, to the water with which they are regenerated, to the chrism with which they are anointed, and to the holy bread with which they are nourished, no rite is duly performed.” Tract. cxviii. in Joan. Pars 2. T. iii. p. 801.—“It is not without cause, that Christ would have his sign impressed on our foreheads, as the seat of shame, that the Christian should not blush at the indignities offered to his Master.” Enar. iv. in Ps. xxx. T. iv. p. 165.—“ The Cross is now honoured; and from the places of punishment has passed to the foreheads of Kings.” Serm. ii. in Psal. xxxvi. Ibid. p. 267.
St. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, G. C. The Emperor Julian is introduced, saying; “ You Christians adore the wood of the Cross; you make the signs of it on your foreheads; you engrave it on the porches of your houses.”—St. Cyril answers : “We hold nothing in more estimation than to mark this sign on our foreheads and on our houses. For the Saviour of mankind, despising ignominy, suffered on the Cross, to deaden the force of natural corruption; to free man from the snares of death; to overturn the tyranny of sin; to still the raging law of the flesh in our members, and to make us his adorers in spirit-of all these favours the wood of the Cross excites the remembrance, and presses upon us this ​thought of the Apostle, that one died for all.” Lib. vi. Contra Julian. T. vi. p. 194, 195.—“ By the pillar here mentioned (Is. xix. 19.) is understood, either the holy temple, that is the Church, or the sign of the Cross, with which the faithful are surrounded and fortified. With this we turn aside every attack, and guard against the onsets of the devils; for the Cross is to us as a wall not to be broken down. In that we glory, as it brings salvation to us. Wherefore, the Apostle says: God forbid, that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Gal. vi.) Com. in Isaiam. Lib. 11. T. iv. p. 294.
THEODORET, G. C. “The objects before us confirm what we say: the world reclaimed from its former ignorance : Greeks, Romans, barbarians, pronouncing the name of a crucified God, giving honour to the sign of the Cross, and, in place of many lying deities, adoring a Trinity of persons: the temples of those idols levelled with the ground: illustrious Christian Churches every where raised !” De Provid. Dei Serm. vi. T. iv. p. 580.—He relates in his history the incident of the apostate Julian being terrified by the appearance of some devils whom he had evocated; when, in his fear, he made the sign of the Cross on his forehead, to which, when a Christian, he had been accustomed: the devils fled; and Julian acknowledged the power of the Cross. Hist. Eccles. L. iii. c. iii. T. iii. p. 124.
St. Nilus, G.C. “If you often imprint on your forehead and on your heart the sign of our Lord's Cross, the evil spirits will fly from you; for they tremble at that blessed sign.” L. ii. Ep. ccciv. p. 270.-He repeats the same, L.iii. Ep. cclxxviii. p. 435.
HOLY OR BLESSED WATER.
From the history of the earliest ages of the Church, we are informed, that it was the practice to bless all inanimate things destined for the use of man, and particularly such as were used in the services of Religion. Thus a blessing was pronounced over the water and oil used in the administration of the Sacraments. Besides this, water mixed with salt, that had been blessed, was placed at the porch of Churches, with which the faithful washed their hands and signed their foreheads as they entered, and with the same water they and other things were often sprinkled by the minister. Of this ancient practice much still remains in the Catholic Church, influenced as she is by the religious motives, which, in this and other concerns, actuated the Founders of her Discipline; and laudably tenacious, as I before observed, as She ever must be of Antiquity.--Salt, mingled with the water, is deemed the emblem of prudence and incorruption; and the water denotes purity and innocence of heart; while he that enters the place of worship, and applies it, with the sign of the Cross, to his forehead, is admonished by the action, with what cleanliness of heart and hand, he should appear in the presence of his Maker.
THE USE OF THE LATIN TONGUE IN THE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH.
That the Apostles and the first Founders of the Christian Faith, preached the Gospel, and celebrated the holy mysteries, ​in the language of the several people, whom they converted, seems to be a point generally admitted. The languages, at that time, most dominant, were the Greek, Latin, and Syriac, in which, consequently, the Liturgies, or the forms of public prayer, would be principally compiled ; while the Armenians, Copts or Egyptians, Ethiopians, and other less distinguished people, enjoyed also their particular Liturgies. But when, in process of time, from various causes, changes took place, and new tongues were spoken, the old still retained the place of honour; and the Church, ever tenacious of antiquity, judged it proper not to depart from the forms which she had received. The Deposite of her Faith was intimately interwoven with the primitive expressions of her Liturgies. Thus, when Greek ceased to be spoken in the many nations that formerly constituted what was called, the Greek Church, and even, as now, was not understood, the language of the Liturgy remained; as was, and is, the case, among the Syrians, Copts, Armenians, and Ethiopians. The Service is everywhere celebrated in a tongue, no longer intelligible to the people. On what grounds then is it required, that the Western Church, of which we are a part, should have followed another rule; particularly as, in this Church, in all the countries within its pale, the Latin language, in the early ages, was everywhere sufficiently understood, if not spoken? And when the northern nations were reclaimed to the Christian Faith, the established rule was not altered for this additional reason, that the use of the same tongue in the service might help to unite them more closely to the old Church, and tend, in some degree, by this approximation, to soften and civilise their manners.
The general accord among all nations, professing the Catholic Faith, not to admit any change in the language of their Liturgies,—though, in many other respects, they were much divided—is a curious and important fact. And it must have rested on some general motives equally obvious ​to all.—They saw-what the experience of every day confirmed—that modern languages were liable to change; while those that had ceased to be spoken--from this very circumstance, and because, from the valuable works written in them, they were cultivated by the learned—were become permanently stable.—They saw, that the majesty and decorum of religious worship would be best maintained, when no vulgar phraseology debased its expression; that the use of the same language, which a Chrysostom spoke at Constantinople, and a Jerom at Rome, would unite, in a suitable recollection, modern with ancient times; and that the mere fact of the identity of language would be a convincing proof of the antiquity of the Catholic Faith.—They saw, that as this Faith was every where one, so should there be, as far as might be, one common language, whereby the members professing it, might communicate with one another, and with their ecclesiastical superiors, whether in Council, or in any other form of intercourse. And they saw-though some inconvenience would arise to the people, from their inability to comprehend the words of the Liturgy—that this inconvenience would be greatly alleviated, if not almost entirely removed, should all instruction, in sermons and catechism, be delivered to them in their own tongue; all parts of the service be constantly expounded; and not a shade of darkness be permitted to remain. If, with all this caution, ignorance should still be found as it will be found in many, every ingenuous mind would ascribe it to the usual causes of ignorance, and not to any want of knowledge in the Greek or Latin tongues.
It is, certainly, gratifying, and highly profitable, from this uniformity of language, when a Catholic travels into distant countries, that he should every where find a Service celebrated, to the language and ceremonies of which his ears and eyes had always been habituated. He can join in it; ​and though removed, perhaps, a thousand miles from home, the moment he enters a Church, in the principal offices of Religion he ceases to be a stranger. The Western Church has been particularly attentive, that her people might not suffer from this concealment of her mysteries; and the Council of Trent thus ordains: “ Though the Sacrifice of the Mass contain great instruction for the faithful, the Fathers judged it not expedient, that it should be every where celebrated in the vulgar tongue. Each Church, therefore, will retain its ancient and approved rites. But that the sheep of Christ may not hunger for want of food, and that little ones may not ask for bread, and there be no one to break it to them, the holy Synod orders all Pastors and them that have the cure of souls, frequently, and especially on Sundays and Feasts, to expound some portion of what is read, and some mystery of the holy Sacrifice.” Sess. xxii. c. viii. p. 194.-Beside this and the other instructions, which have been mentioned, the whole of the Church service is translated into the language of each country, and, together with a variety of prayers for all occasions and all states of life, placed in the hands of the people.
Thus is our Western Church, one in Faith and one in language, united, in the same bond of communion, with all the Faithful of modern and of ancient times.
PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH.
PROPOSITION XVI.
We believe, that Christ has given to the Pastors of his Church a power to make laws, which all the faithful are bound to obey.
SCRIPTURE.
Matt. xviii. 17.“ And if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican.”—Luke, x. 16. “ He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me.”—The Apostles, in the Council of Jerusalem, decreed, as follows, (Acts, xv, 28, 29.) “ For it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay no further burden upon you than these necessary things: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication ; from which things keeping yourselves, you shall do well.”-Ibid. xx. 28. “Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops, to rule the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”. Heb. xii. 17. “ Obey your Prelates, and be subject to them. For they watch, as being to render an account for your souls.
FATHERS.
This power of making laws, and the consequent obligation of submitting to them, are too evident to require any proof from the Fathers : I shall, therefore, only observe, that when the Church enacted her laws, it was not so much her design to lay further burdens on the faithful, as to prescribe the means whereby the commands of God might be more exactly fulfilled. Thus God commands, that the seventh day be kept holy: the Church directs, that, on this day, the faithful shall assist at the Sacrifice of the altar, as being the act of religion most grateful to heaven.-God commands all sinners to repent, and he commands them, if they would have life in them, to eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood: the Church directs, that we confess our sins, at least once a year; and that, at Easter, we receive the holy ​Communion.—God commands, that we mortify the deeds of the flesh, that we chastise the body, and bring it into subjection : the Church, that we may comply with this, appoints certain times and days to be devoted to abstinence and fasting.
THE FAST OF LENT.
Catholics observe the Fast of Lent, as a primitive institution, coming down to them, by an uninterrupted Tradition from the Apostolic Ages.
FATHERS.
CENT. II.
TERTULLIAN, L. C. When a Monatist, writing against the Catholics, he says: “They, indeed, fancy, that those days in the Gospel are appointed for fasting, in which the bridegroom was taken away (Matt. ix. 15.) and that these are the only legitimate fasts of Christians, the legal observances of the Jews being abolished.” L. de Jejuniis. c. ii. p. 982.
CENT. III.
Origen, G.C. “We have the days of Lent consecrated to fasting. Also the fourth and sixth days of the week, on which we solemnly fast” Homil. x. in Levit. T. ii. p. 246.
CENT. IV.
Council of Laodicea, G.C.—This Council, which was held in Asia Minor about 364, among its various Canons, enacts : “ That all the days of Lent must be observed in fasting, and not Thursday in the last week be excepted.” Can. 1. Conc. Gen. T. i. p. 1506.
St. Athanasisus, G. C.—“These things were transacted (by Gregory the Arian) in the holy time of Lent itself, about the Feast of Easter, when the brethren fasted.” In Encycl. T. i. p. 114.
St. Basil, G. C.—" To them who willingly undertake it, fasting is at all times profitable; but chiefly now, when a solemn fast is every where published. There is no island, no continent, no city, no nation, no corner of the earth, where it is not heard.—Let no one then exclude himself from the number of fasters; in which number, every age, all ranks, take their place.” Homil. ii. de Jejun. T. ii. p. 11.
St. EPHREM OF EDESSA, G. C.-.“ Observe the fast of forty days, and give your bread to the hungry man.” In Cant. Spirit. T. iii. p. 570.
St. GREGORY OF Nyssa, G. C.-" The body may enjoy its ten months, and something more. Let me have Lent, and the whole of it, in order to free myself from the mire." Serm. in Princip. Jejunii. In append. T. iii. op. St. Basil. p. 253. Edit. Paris. 1618.
St. AMBROSE, L. C.-“Except Saturday and Sunday, we ​fast on every day in Lent.” L. de Elia et Jejunio, c. 10. T. i. 545.
St. EPIPHANIUS, G.C.—“The Catholic Church is used to observe the Lent before the seven last days of Easter, and to persevere in fasting, the Sundays excepted.” In exposit. Fidei, n. xxii. T. i. p. 1105.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G. C.-“ Lent, and the holy exercises conjoined with it, are undertaken, that by them those crimes being wiped away, which, in the course of the year, we have committed, we may, with a holy confidence, be made partakers of the unbloody Sacrifice.”
Homil. xx. De ira. T. ii. p. 199.-—“ It is a common practice in Lent to enquire how many weeks any one has fasted? And some answer, that they have fasted two, or three, or the whole six weeks. But where is the gain, if without good deeds we have fasted? If any one says he has fasted the whole: be you able to say ; I had an enemy, but we are reconciled.—If we barely abstain from certain meats, with the forty days the fast also passes ; but, in abstaining from sin, we keep a continual fast.” Homil. xvi. ad Pop. Antioch. Ibid. p. 168-9.
ST. JEROM, L. C.-“ According to Apostolical Tradition, at the proper season of the year, we observe Lent." Ep. xxvii. ad Marcellum, T. iv. Pars 11. p. 64.—“The fast of the whole year is alike, Lent excepted; during which more severity must be used.” Ep. xviii. ad Eustoch. Ibid. p. 46.
CENT. V.
St. AUGUSTIN, L. C.-“From the fasts of Moses and Elias in the old law, and from that of Christ in the Gospel, Lent rests on their authority. Christ fasted forty days to shew, that the Gospel differed not from the law and the prophets.” L. ii. ad Inquisit. Januarii, Ep. lv. c. xv. T. 11. p. 139.-“ Before Easter we fast forty days.” Tract. xvii. in Evang. Joan. Pars ii. T. iii. p. 424.—“ These are the forty ​days most holy over the earth, which all Christians, whom God reconciles to himself in Christ, observe with singular devotion, as Easter approaches.” Serm. ccix. T. v. p. 926. .
Sr. LEO, L. C.-“Let the Apostolical institution of forty days be spent in fasting; not by abstaining from food merely, but by abstaining from vice.” Serm. vi. de Quadrag. p. 222.
“ The present days demand our particular devotion, days approaching to that awful mystery of divine mercy. In them, with reason, were the greater fasts ordained by the Apostles, whom the holy Spirit instructed, that we, uniting ourselves to the Cross of Christ, may take a part in the sufferings which he underwent for us.” Ibid. Serm. ix. p. 230.-It appears from the passage which I have quoted from St. Chrysostom, (and others might be adduced) that, though Lent, at this time, was observed by all, the number of days was not every where the same.
EMBER DAYS AND THE VIGILS OF FEASTS.
These days, observed by us as fasts, are very ancient; and St. Leo, in the fifth Century, speaks of the first as equally venerable with the institution of Lent.
FATHERS.
CENT. V.
St. LEO, L. C.-" This observance of temperance is strongly prescribed in the ecclesiastical fasts, which, by the guidance of the holy Spirit, are so distributed through the course of the year, that each season shall have its allotted abstinence. We keep the vernal fast in Lent; that of summer ​ in the week of Pentecost; that of autumn in the seventh month; and in the tenth that of winter. Thus we learn, that the divine precepts apply to all seasons; and that, for our edification, all things are subservient to God.” Serm. viii. de Jejunio Decimi Mensis, p. 138.—“ It cannot be doubted, that every Christian observance is founded on the will of heaven; and that what the Church has received for the promotion of piety, is derived from Apostolical Tradition and the teaching of the divine Spirit. This Spirit, at this time in the hearts of the faithful, presides over his own institutions, that all may understand them, and all obey them.” Serm. ii. de Jejun. Pent. p. 331.-He, in other places, observes why these fasts were instituted; that, in each season of the year, some days be particularly devoted to the service of God in Penitential exercises; and, at the same time, that his blessing be implored on the fruits of the earth.
The Vigil-fasts, before the more solemn feasts, are equally ancient.
ABSTINENCE ON CERTAIN DAYS.
As the fast of Lent, and of the other days just mentioned, consists in abstaining from flesh-meat, and in taking only one meal; so have we other days, such as Friday and Saturday in each week, and a few others, on which the above abstinence is alone commanded.
This observance is also very ancient, though, primitively, fasting was joined to the abstinence, and in the Church of Africa, St. Augustin observes, Wednesday, not Saturday was kept.--Ep. xxxvi. ad Casulanum, T. ii. p. 80.-Friday was chosen, and distinguished by mortification, to keep alive in us the memory of Christ's Passion on that day; and Sa​turday, that we may always reflect, that preparation is necessary for the due celebration of the following feast.
Whatever God has made, is good; and that, which goeth into the mouth, defileth not a man (Matt. xv. 11.); but by abstaining from what is most grateful to the appetite, we learn temperance and self-command, while not to obey the ordinances of God and his Church, must cause defilement. So did Adam sin. From the practice of all nations in the day of distress, it may be said, that the universal voice of conscience tells man to fast, as a means of propitiating heaven; but if, in public or private fasting, good works and the spirit of sincere repentance accompany not the act, it is no better than the fast of the beasts of Nineveh. They fed not, nor did they drink water.—Jonah iii. 7.
RELICS, PICTURES AND IMAGES.
PROPOSITION XVII.
God alone is the object of our worship and adoration ; but Catholics shew honour to the relics of Saints ; and they place Images and Pictures in their Churches, to reduce their wandering thoughts, and to enliven their memories towards heavenly things. They shew, besides, a respect to the representations of Christ, of the mysterious facts of their religion, and of the Saints of God, beyond what is due to every profane figure, not that they can believe any virtue to reside in them, for which they ought to be honoured; but because the honour given to Pictures is referred to the Prototype, or the thing represented.
PROPOSITION XVIII.
They maintain also, that honour and respect are due to the Bible, to the Cross, to the name of Jesus, to Churches, &c. ​as things peculiarly appertaining to God; and to Kings, Magistrates, and Superiors : to whom honour is due, honour may be given, without any derogation from the majesty of God, or that divine worship which is appropriate to him.
RELICS OF SAINTS.
SCRIPTURE.
We read in the fourth Book of Kings, (ii. 14.)“ that when Eliseus smote the waters of Jordan with the mantle of Elias, they parted, and the prophet passed over.”—Again, (xiii. 21.) “When a dead man was let down into the sepulchre of Eliseus, no sooner did he touch the bones of the prophet, than he revived, and stood up on his feet.”—Matt. ix. 20, 21, 22. “ And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself: if I can but touch his garment, I shall be healed. But Jesus turning about, and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”-Acts v. 14, 15, 16. “And the multitude of men and women that believed in the Lord was more increased: insomuch, that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that when Peter came, his shadow at the least might overshadow any of them, and they might be delivered from their infirmities : who were all healed."-Ibid. xix. 11, 12. “And God wrought by the hand of Paul more than common miracles : so that even there were brought from his body to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the wicked spirits went out of them.
FATHERS.
The veneration of which I here speak, was first, in the early ages, exhibited to the remains or Relics of the Martyrs ; and afterwards to those of other holy and eminent men, whose sanctity was solemnly acknowledged by the Church.
CENT. II.
THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA.—In the history of Eusebius, is a letter from this Church, in which, after giving an account of the martyrdom of St. Polycarp, their Bishop, they say: “Our subtle enemy, the devil, did his utmost that we should not take away the body, as many of us anxiously wished. It was suggested, that we should desert our crucified master, and begin to worship Polycarp. Foolish men ! who know not that we can never desert Christ, who died for the salvation of all men; nor worship any other. Him we adore as the Son of God; but we shew deserved respect to the Martyrs, as his disciples and followers. The centurion, therefore, caused the body to be burnt. We then gathered his bones, more precious than pearls, and more tried than gold, and buried them. In this place, God willing, we will meet, and celebrate with joy and gladness the birth-day of his Martyr, as well in memory of those who have been crowned before, as, by his example, to prepare and strengthen others for the combat.” Hist. Eccl. L. iv. c. xv. p. 170, 171.
THE CHURCH OF JERUSALEM.—Eusebius speaks, in other places, of the honours that were shewn to the Relics of Martyrs, and also relates, that the Chair in which St. James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem, sat, had been preserved with great reverence down to his own time, that is to the ​fourth century. “Thus," he observes, “the Christians of ancient and of the present times sufficiently evinced, the servants of God should be honoured."(K) Ibid. L. vii. c. xix. p. 344.
The Church of ANTIOCH, &c.-Early in the same second Century, by the command of the Emperor Trajan, St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, suffered martyrdom at Rome; when his bones, as “an inestimable treasure,” were carried back into the East.—Similar honours, we read, were, at this time, paid to the remains of other Martyrs. Acta sincera Martyrum apud Ruinart passim.
CENT. IV.
St. HILARY, L. C.-“The holy blood of the Martyrs is every where received, and their venerable bones) daily bear witness; while before them the devils tremble; maladies are expelled; and wonders wrought.” L. contra Constant. p. 1243.
St. Basil, G.C.-“ Affection to our departed brethren is referred to the Lord, whom they served; and he who honours them, that died for the Faith, shews, that he is inspired by the same ardour; so that one and the same action is a proof of many virtues.”—He is writing to St. Ambrose of Milan, who had requested from him the body of St. Denys. He then relates, that, much against the will of those who possessed them, the Relics had been taken up and sent; and that of their being genuine there was not the smallest doubt. Ad Ambros. Mediol. Ep. cxcvii. T. iii. p. 288.—“If any one suffer for the name of Christ, his remains are deemed precious. And if any one touch the bones of a Martyr, he ​becomes partaker, in some degree, of his holiness, on account of the grace residing in them. Wherefore, precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints.” Serm. in hæc verba Psal. cxv. in append. T. i. p. 375.-"I am greatly pleased that you
have raised an edifice to the name of Christ.-And I am desirous, should I be able to procure some Relics of Martyrs, to join you in your solicitude and labour.” Ep. xlix. al. ccccviii. Arcadio Episc. T. iii. p. 142.
ST. EPHREM, G.C.-" The dead operate as the living: they heal the sick, expel devils, and by the power of Christ, put to flight all their malicious designs. The grace of the divine spirit, which works miracles in them, ever resides in the Relics of the Saints." In Encom. omnium Mart. T. ii. p. 308.—" See how the Relics of the Martyrs still breathe ! Who can doubt of these Martyrs being still alive? Who can believe that they have perished?” He then extols the virtues of Relics, and exhorts the faithful, in every distress, to have recourse, with confidence, to them: “For the deity dwells in the bones of the Martyrs, and by his power and presence, miracles are wrought.” T. v. p. 349.
St. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G. C.-“ From the fact of a dead man being restored to life, by touching the body of Eliseus, we learn, that, when the soul is departed, a certain virtue remains in the bodies of Saints; and that, on account of the merit of the souls which resided in them. Of this we cannot doubt: for if the handkerchiefs and aprons, mere external appendages, (of which we read Acts xix.) cured the sick that touched them; how much more efficacious was the body of the Prophet in raising the dead ? Catech. xviii. n. xvi. p. 293.
​St. AMBROSE, L. C.-“If you say to me: what is it that you honour in a body, now dissolved and consumed, of which God has no longer any care? I ask you : What is it that the Prophet means, when he says: Precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints? And when he again says: To me O God, thy friends are exceedingly honourable? It is our duty to honour the servants of God, and much more his Friends, of whom it is elsewhere written : The Lord keepeth all their bones; not one of them shall be broken. I honour, therefore, in the body of the Martyr, the wounds that he received in the name of Christ; I honour the memory of that virtue, which shall never die; I honour those ashes, which the confession of Faith has consecrated; I honour in them the seeds of eternity ; I honour that body which has taught me to love the Lord, and not to fear death for his sake. And why should not the faithful honour the body, which even the devils venerate: which they tormented indeed in death, but to which they shew respect in the sepulchre? I honour then the body, which Christ himself honoured in the sword, and which with him will reign in heaven." Serm. lv. in natali SS. Martyr. Nazarii et Celsi. T. ii. in append. p. 467.
Sr. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUM, G.C.-Speaking of miraculous cures, he says: “The mere dust of Cyprian, if approached with faith, is able to effect them; as those know, who have made the experiment, and have related to us, and who will transmit the remembrance of it to posterity.” T. i. Serm. xlii. De St. Cypriano, p. 285.
St. GREGORY OF NYSSA, G. C.-"Let us consider, how eminent, how glorious is the present state of the Saints. The soul, indeed, having left this earth, rests in its proper place, and freed from the body, lives with its equals; while ​the body, its venerable instrument, and by whose bad affections it was not defiled, occupies an august and sacred station, arranged with honour, and decorated with due care. Thus preserved, as a thing of inestimable value, it waits for the day of renovation. From the admiration produced by the sight of so many wonders, we pass eagerly to the tomb; we approach it with the hope, that by touching it we may receive some benediction. He who obtains as a favour, permission to carry away some little dust of the sepulchre, receives and preserves it as a treasure of great value. But if, fortunately, he be allowed to touch the Relics themselves, he has attained the height of his wishes. These know it well, who have been admitted to this favour, and whose desires were accomplished. The body of the Martyr appears to them in a state of freshness, as if it was still breathing; they kiss it, and successively apply it to their eyes, mouth, ears, and all their senses.' Orat, de St. Theodoro Mart. T. ii. p. 1011.
St. ASTERIUS, G. C. “ Wherefore, decently disposing of the bodies of the Martyrs, let us preserve them for ages to come, as gifts of high value. By them we are fortified ; and the Church is protected, as a city is guarded by an armed force.” Homil. in SS. Martyres. T.i. p. 186: In N. Auctario Combefis. Paris. 1648.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, G.C. .“ That which neither riches nor gold can effect, the Relics of Martyrs can. Gold never dispelled diseases, nor warded off death: but the bones of Martyrs have done both. In the days of our Forefathers the former happened; the latter in our own.” Homil. lxvii. de St. Droside Mart. T. 11. p. 694.-“God has divided the Martyrs amongst us, taking to himself their souls, and ​leaving to us their bodies, that, in their holy bones, we may continually have a monument of this virtue. For if a coward, when he beholds the bloody arms of a warrior, his shield, his spear, his helmet, is roused to action, and burns to emulate his prowess; shall not we, though of all the most dastardly, when we look on, not the weapons, but the body itself of the Saint, which was deemed worthy to bleed in the cause of Christ, shall not we feel a promptitude of mind to engage in the same warfare?-For this reason it is, that God, until the day of the resurrection, has entrusted to us the bodies of his Saints.” Homil. xlvii. de St. Juliano. Ibid. p. 676.—“ Next to the power of speech, the monuments of Saints are best adapted, when we look on them, to excite us to the imitation of their virtues. Here when any one stands, he feels himself seized by a certain force : the view of the shrine strikes on his heart; he is affected, as if he that there lies were present, and offered up prayers for him. Thus does a certain alacrity come over him, and changed almost to another man, he quits the place. For this reason then, has God left us the remains of Saints.” Lib. contra Gentiles. Ibid. p. 555.-See Hom. de St. Pelagia, Ibid. p. 585.—Hom. de St. Ignatio, M. p. 592.-Hom. de SS. Bérénice, &c. p. 634.- Hom. de Martyr. Ægypt. p. 699.
ST. JEROM, L. C. Writing against Vigilantius, who denied that veneration was due to the sepulchres of Martyrs, he says: “ Are we then guilty of sacrilege; when we enter the Basilics (Churches) of the Apostles? Was the Emperor Constantius guilty, who translated to Constantinople the holy remains of Andrew, Luke, and Timothy, before which the devils tremble, and confess the presence of those Saints ? ​Is Arcadius, at this time, guilty ; who has brought into Thrace the bones of the ancient prophet Samuel ? Are all the Bishops not guilty only, but to be deemed fools, who carried those sacred Relics, enveloped in silk, and reposed in golden vessels? Finally, are the people of all the Churches fools, who met them; who, in exultation, received them, as if they had seen the holy Prophet present before them? From Palestine to Chalcedon, as from a hive, the multitude flocked together, and in one voice poured out praises to God.” Lib. Adversus Vigilant. T.iv. Pars. 11. p. 282.-“ We worship not, we adore not the Relics of the Martyrs ;-- but we honour the Relics of the Martyrs, that our minds may be raised to him, whose Martyrs they are.
We honour the servants, that the honour of the servants 'may redound to the Lord, who says: He that receiveth you, receiveth me.And if the remains of Martyrs deserve not this honour, what mean the words: Precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints ? If he that touches them is defiled, how could the body of Eliseus restore life to the dead man?” Ep. xxxvii. ad Riparium. Ibid. p. 279.
CENT. V.
St. CHRYSOSTOM, G.C. “ I admire this City (Rome), not for its abundant gold, nor for its columns, or any other vain display ; but for those pillars of the Church (SS. Peter and Paul). Oh! who will give me to embrace the body of Paul—to cling to his sepulchre—to contemplate even the dust of his body! The dust, I say, of that mouth by which Jesus Christ has spoken to us, and from which came forth a light more resplendent than lightning:-Yes, I could wish to see the tomb, which incloses those weapons of justice and ​truth, those members still living.–This body, with that of Peter, shall always be for Rome a more secure defence than walls and towers.” Hom. xxxii. in Ep. ad Rom. T. ix. p. 402. Paris. 1636.
ST. AUGUSTIN, L. C. He relates a miracle that was wrought at Milan, while he resided there with St. Ambrose, in the presence of the bodies of certain Martyrs lately discovered; as likewise another extraordinary cure, effected by similar means, in his own country: but he dwells chiefly, as more immediately under his own eye, on a variety of wonderful facts, attested by the whole country, and verified by himself, produced by the Relics of the Protomartyr St. Stephen. De Civit. Dei, L. xxii. c. vii. T. vii. p. 663. and seqq.-Speaking, on another occasion, of these miracles, he observes :“ A small portion of dust called together so great a multitude: the dust lay hidden, but its beneficial effects were made public. Consider, my brethren, what God reserves for us in the land of the living, who, from the ashes of the dead, confers these signal benefits. The body of St. Stephen may be deemed of little value; the merit of his faith commands our praise. But let us so hope to receive temporal blessings, that, by imitating him, we may deserve those that are eternal.”— Serm. cccxvii. de St. Stephano, T. v. p. 1269.-“Divine Providence, by the wonders which he works by the Relics of Martyrs, gives to these Relics a more abundant honour; while that which to the eye is void of beauty, attests more strongly the presence of the Author of life.” Serm. cclxxvi. in Natal, St. Vincent. T.v. p. 1111.-On the general subject of miracles, he says: “ Some men ask-why are not such miracles, at this time, wrought, as formerly, you declare, were?-I could answer, that then they were necessary for the conversion of the world. But he who now requires prodigies, is himself the greatest; not believing when the world believes. Their pretended difficulty, however, shews, that they do not admit even those ancient miracles." He pur​sues this subject with his usual acuteness, and then observes, that miracles are now wrought, but not with the celebrity of former times, and not being often committed to writing, they are not read to the people as are those recorded in the Scriptures. He then proceeds to detail the facts, which I have mentioned, to some of which he was an eye-witness. De Civit. Dei, ut supra. T. vii. p. 663. and seqq.-The three Greek historians, Socrates, Sozomenus, and Theodoret, who lived in this century, have recorded a singular fact, in which the Emperor Julian, who had renounced the Christian Faith, was, in the preceding century, concerned. Being at Antioch, near which was a celebrated grove sacred to Apollo, he consulted the oracle, anxious to learn something that imported him to know. No response was given; and the Priests assured him, that none could be given, till some bodies were removed that were buried near the grove.
These were the bodies of St. Babylas, once Bishop of Antioch, and of his companions, Martyrs. Julian ordered the Relics to be removed, which was done with great pomp. But fire, as it was believed, from heaven, not long after this, fell on the temple, of which the walls only remained, as attested by St. John Chrysostom, who himself relates the same his tory. Lib. contra Gentiles. T.i. p. 647.
COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE, L. C. “ Let those altars be overturned by the Bishop of the place, which are erected about the fields and the roads, as in memory of the Martyrs, in which is no body, nor any Relics. —Care also must be ​taken, to ascertain genuine facts. For altars, which are raised from dreams and the idle fancies of men, must not be supported." Can. xiv. Conc. Gen. T. ii. p. 1217.
St. ISIDORE OF PELUSIUM, G. C.-“If it cause offence, that we honour the remains of the Martyrs, on account of their love of God, and their constancy in suffering; enquire of those who have received cures from them, and learn, what the relief has been. Thus, ceasing from ridiculing what we do, you will rather imitate what is right and praiseworthy." Ep. lv. L.i. p. 17.
THEODORET, G. C.-" The souls of these triumphant Martyrs dwell above, associated with the choirs of angels; while their bodies are not confined each in its monument, but cities and villages dividing them among them, call them (the Martyrs) the preservers and physicians of their souls and bodies. They venerate these Saints as the presidents and guardians of their cities, and through their intervention with the Lord of all, obtain many blessings. Their kindness is not divided, as the body may be ; and the smallest portion has the same power as the undivided Martyr. Favours are distributed, as the faith of the suppliant is strong:- That this is so, those (votive) offerings, which have been presented for the recovery of health, publicly attest. They represent eyes, or feet, or hands.—But while the power of the dead is thus proclaimed, this power also proclaims, that their God is the true God.” Serm. viii. adv. Gentes, T. iv. p. 593. 606.
St. CÆLESTIN, L. C. - In his letter to the General Council of Ephesus, he says: “I entreat you, my brethren, let that brotherly love alone be considered, in which we ought to remain united, according to the advice of John the ​Apostle, whose Relics being present, you venerate.” Conc. Gen. T. iii. p. 615.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
The Synod decrees : “ That the bodies of holy Martyrs and of others now living with Christ, which were the members of Christ, and the temple of the holy Spirit, and which shall be raised by him to eternal life, and be glorified, are to be venerated by the faithful. Through them many benefits are bestowed on men by God; so that they, who affirm, that no veneration and honour are due to the Relics of Saints, or that to honour them and other sacred monuments is useless, as likewise to celebrate the memories of Saints in order to obtain their aid—are absolutely to be condemned, as the Church has condemned, and does condemn them.” Sess. xxv. de Invocat. SS. p. 288.
PICTURES AND IMAGES.
SCRIPTURE.
Exod. xxv. 18. “ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, on both sides of the mercy-seat.”—Numb. xxi. 8, 9. “ And the Lord said unto Moses : Make a brazen serpent, and set it for a sign: every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a brazen serpent, and set it for a sign, which when they that were bitten, beheld, they were healed.”—4 Kings, xviii. 4. “ Ezechiah removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the groves, and broke in pieces the brazen ser​pent that Moses had made : for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it.”—3 Kings, vi. 29. “ And Solomon carved all the walls of the Temple round about with carved figures of Cherubim and palm-trees, and open flowers within and without."-32. “The two doors also were of olive-tree; and he carved upon them the figures of Cherubim and palm-trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold.”—Ibid. vii. 23. “ And he made a molten sea.”—25.“ And it stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three toward the west, and three toward the south, and three toward the east."-29. “ And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and Cherubim."
These various figures were made by the express command or sanction of God, given to Moses and Solomon, and dedicated to religious purposes, after the prohibition so distinctly marked in the first Commandment. (Exod. xx. 4, 5.)“ Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth : thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them.”
FATHERS.
It cannot be necessary, that, on this subject, I should adduce any authorities from the Fathers, which would prove that, in the early ages, particularly from the time of Constantine, painted representations of mysterious facts, of the lives of the Saints, were exhibited in the places of public worship. They were designed for ornament, but more for instruction, that the unlearned particularly might read in them the mysteries of man's redemption, and while they contemplated, as painted on the walls, the sufferings and deaths of the Martyrs, they might be excited to an imitation of their constancy in the cause of truth.
​St. GREGORY OF NYSSA, G.C.-Thus speaks to his audience, when celebrating the Feast of the Martyr Theodorus: "When any one enters such a place as this, where the memory of this just man and his relics are preserved, his mind is first struck-while he views the structure and all its ornaments—with the general magnificence that breaks upon him. The artist has here shewn his skill in the figures of animals, and the airy sculpture of the stone; while the painter's hand is most conspicuous in delineating the high achievements of the Martyr; his torments; the savage forms of his executioners; their furious efforts; the burning furnace; and the happy consummation of the laborious contest. The figure of Christ is also beheld, looking down upon the scene. Thus, as in a book the letters convey the history, so do the colours describe the conflict of the Martyr, and give the beauty of a flowery mead to the walls of our temple. The picture, though silent, speaks, and gives instruction to the beholder nor is the mosaic pavement, which we tread on, less instructive.” Orat. de Theod. Martyr. T. ii. p. 1011.
St. ASTERIUS OF AMASEA, G. C.-“ I retired into the temple of God to pray (the great church at Chalcedon). I saw a picture, with which I was much struck—A holy woman, a spotless virgin, had consecrated her chastity to God: her name was Euphemia. Her fellow-citizens, in admiration of her great sanctity, and of the heroic fortitude she displayed in herdeath, raised a sepulchre, and in it deposited her remains. They paid her public honours, and celebrated the anniversary day of her martyrdom with great solemnity. The painter expressed the whole history of her martyrdom, in the most lively colours on canvas; and the picture was exhibited to public view, near her tomb. You there saw the judge, on an elevated seat, casting a ferocious look on the virgin, and ​a number of guards and soldiers surrounding her. There was the virgin dressed in her black garment, but shewing a joyful countenance. Her look was a mixture of modesty and firmness; she stood undaunted. I admired the expression of her soul, more than the exquisite colours of the picture. The executioners are seen coming to their work of cruelty; whilst one soldier pulls her head back, another, with a mallet, bruises her mouth; so that her tender face, her hair, and her clothes, were covered with blood. You would say you saw the blood actually flowing from her lips, and would be moved to tears, at the sight of the picture. You then saw, in another part, the chaste virgin alone, seated, raising both her hands to heaven, and invoking her God, her helper in her combat. Whilst she is in prayer, that sign, which Christians are accustomed to adore, and to represent in colours, appears above her head, the symbol, I think, of her ardent desire of suffering. You then see fire set to the pile, which soon rises to a scorching blaze. You see the virgin placed in the midst of the flame; her hands are raised towards heaven, the cheerfulness of her countenance bespeaks the exultation of her soul, going to the joys of eternal life.” In S. Euphemiam. N. Auct. Combefis. T. 1. p. 207.
St. Nilus, G. C.-He gives the following instructions concerning the figures and representations that should be exhibited in a Christian Church.-" In the chancel of the most sacred Temple, towards the east let there be one, and only one, cross. For by one saving cross, all mankind was delivered from slavery; and from one cross, hope beamed on sinners in every nation of the earth. Let the sacred temple be filled with pictures, well executed by the most celebrated artists, representing the most remarkable events of the Old and New Testaments; that the unlettered, and those who are incapable of reading the divine Scrip​tures, may, by the sight of the picture, be instructed in the virtuous deeds of those who have served the true God, according to his own will and command; and may be excited to imitate the glorious and meritorious lives of those, who have sacrificed earth to heaven, and the enjoyment of visible and perishable things, to the spiritual and pure delights of an eternal kingdom.” Lib. iv. Ep. 61. ad Olympiadorum Eparchum.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
The Synod decrees: “ That Images of Christ, of the Blessed Virgin, and of other Saints, are to be exposed and retained particularly in churches, and that due honour and veneration are to be shewn to them; not as believing that any divinity or virtue is in them, for which they should be honoured; or that any thing is to be asked of them, or any trust be placed in them, as the Gentiles once did in their idols : but because the honour given to pictures is referred to the Prototypes, which they represent; so that through the Images, which we kiss, and before which we uncover our heads, and kneel, we may learn to adore Christ, and to venerate his Saints.” Sess. XXV. de Invocat. SS. p. 289.
THE INVOCATION OF ANGELS AND SAINTS.
PROPOSITION XIX.
Catholics are persuaded, that the Angels and the Saints in heaven, replenished with charity, pray for us, the fellow members of the latter here on earth ; that they rejoice in our conversion; that seeing God, they see and know in him all things suitable to their happy state; and that God may be inclined to hear their requests made in our behalf, and for their sakes may grant us many favours-therefore, we believe, that it is good and profitable to invoke their intercession.-Can this manner of invocation be more injurious to Christ our Mediator, than it is for one Christian to beg the prayers of another here on earth? However, Catholics are not taught so to rely on the prayers of others, as to neglect their own duty to God -in imploring his divine mercy and goodness ; in mortifying the deeds of the flesh; in despising the world; in loving and serving God and their neighbours; in following the footsteps of Christ our Lord, who is the way, the truth, and the life: to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
SCRIPTURE.
Tobias, xii. 12. “The angel Raphael says to Tobias : When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the deadI offered thy prayer to the Lord.”--2 Machab. xv. 12, 13, 14. Judas relates a vision, in which he saw the late High-Priest Oniah,—whom he describes as he appeared to him - stretching out his arms, and praying for the whole of the Jews. He then mentions another personage, whom he saw, of whom Oniah says: “ This is the lover of the brethren and of the people of Israel : This is Jeremiah the prophet of God, who prays much for the people, and for the holy city.” Luke, xv. 7, 10. “I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.-So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance.”—Apocal. v. 8. “And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures, and the four and twenty ancients, fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of Saints.
FATHERS.
CENT. II.
St. IRENÆUS, L. C.-“ And as Eve was seduced to fly from God, so was the Virgin Mary induced to obey him, that She might become the advocate of her that had fallen.” Adver. Hæres. L. v. c. xix. p. 316.
CENT. III.
ORIGEN, G. C.--" Who can doubt, that our holy Fathers aid us by their prayers, and strengthen and excite us by the example of their actions, as also by the writings, they have left us; herein teaching and instructing us how to fight against the adverse powers, and in what manner these contests are to be maintained ? Thus they fight for us, and advance armed before us.” Homil. xxvi. in Num. T. ii. p. 373. - “ And of all the holy men who have quitted this life, retaining their charity towards those whom they left behind, we may be allowed to say, that they are anxious for their salvation, and that they assist them by their prayers and their mediation with God. For it is written in the books of the Maccabees: This is Jeremiah the prophet of God, who always prays for the people.” Lib. iii. in Cant. Cantic. T. iii. p. 75.—“The Angels are every where present: come then, thou Angel, receive him that is changed from his former error; from the doctrine of demons; from loud-speaking iniquity; and having received him, sooth him as a kind physician, and instruct him, for he is yet young.–And call to ​thee the associates of thy ministry, that together you may train to the Faith all those that have been deceived. For there is greater joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, than upon ninety-nine just. Every creature exults, and rejoices with those that shall be saved. For the expectation of the creature waiteth for the revelation of the sons of God.” (Rom. viii. 19.) Homil. i. in Ezechiel, T. iii. p. 358.In his book on the Lamentations, he says: “I will fall down on my knees, and not presuming, on account of my crimes, to present my prayer to God, I will invoke all the Saints to my assistance. O ye Saints of heaven, I beseech you with a sorrow full of sighs and tears; fall at the feet of the Lord of mercies for me, a miserable sinner.”—Addressing himself to holy Job, he says: Pray for us unfortunate creatures - that the mercies of the terrible God may deign to protect us in all our tribulations, and in the midst of the snares spread by our enemy.” Lib. 11. de Job.
St. CYPRIAN, L. C.-“ Let us be mindful of one another in our prayers; with one mind and with one heart, in this world and in the next, let us always pray, with mutual charity relieving our sufferings and afflictions. And may the charity of him, who, by the divine favour, shall first depart hence, still persevere before the Lord; may his prayer, for our brethren and sisters, not cease."(0) Ep. lvii. p. 96. - Boldly endure, advance in spirit, arrive happily : then remember us, when the single state, which you have embraced, shall begin to be rewarded." De Habitu. Virg. p. 181.
CENT. IV.
EUSEBIUS OF CÆSAREA, G. C.-“ Plato observes, that they who nobly die in battle, shall be venerated as heroes, and their monuments he renowned. How well does this apply to the deaths of those friends of God, who are justly called the soldiers of genuine piety! For it is our practice to honour their sepulchres, there to utter our prayers and our vows, and to venerate their blessed souls; and this we say is justly done.” Præpar. Evang. L. xiii.c. xi. p. 663. Coloniæ, 1688.—“ We, indeed, have not been deemed worthy to fight to the last, and to spill our blood for the Lord; but because we are the children of those who thus died, clothed, as it were, with their virtue, we pray to find mercy through them, saying: Be propitious, O God, to the children of the slain.” Comment. in Psal. lxxviii. T.1. p. 487. N. Collect. Montfaucon. Ed. Paris. 1706.—“ May we be found worthy 110 by the prayers and intercession of all the Saints.” Com. in Isai. T. 11. p. 593.-In many parts of his history, Eusebius speaks of the honour shewn to the Relics and memories of the Martyrs, and in recounting the death of Basilides, he mentions, that the virgin Potamiæna, had thus addressed him, when she was near her end: “Be of good heart, Basilides; for, when I am dead, I will obtain thy salvation from the Lord, and thus soon repay the favours which I have received from thee.” Hist. Eccles. L. vi. c. v. p. 263.
St. ATHANASIUS, G. C.-“ Hear now, daughter of David; incline thine ear to our prayers.—We raise our cry to thee. Remember us, O most holy virgin, and for the feeble
​eulogiums we give thee, grant us great gifts from the treasures of thy graces, thou who art full of grace.- Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Queen and mother of God, intercede for us."-Serm. in Annunt. T. ii. p. 401.
ST. HILARY OF POITIERS, L. C.-" To them that wish to stand there is not wanting the custody of Saints, nor the guardianship of Angels. -And lest we might think lightly of the protection of Apostles, Patriarchs, and Prophets, or rather of Angels, who surround, with a certain ward, the Church, it is added in the psalm, the Lord is round about his people.—He is with us."--Comment. in Psal. cxxiv.p. 404.“ We recollect, that there are many spiritual powers, who are called Angels, or who preside over Churches—and as the Lord teaches, the Angels of the little ones always see God. According to Raphael speaking to Tobias, there are Angels that serve before the face of God, and who convey to him the prayers of the suppliant.”—It is not the character of the Deity that stands in need of this intercession, but our infirmity does. They are sent for the sake of those who shall inherit salvation : God is not ignorant of any thing which we do; but the weakness of man, to supplicate and to obtain, calls for the ministry of spiritual intercession.” -In Psal. cxxix. p. 439, 440.
St. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, G. C.- Having stated the doctrine of the Church on the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, as already quoted, and the form of the holy Sacrifice, the Saint proceeds :-“ Now when this spiritual sacrifice is ended, and this unbloody worship over the victim of propitiation, we supplicate God for the common peace of the Churches, for the tranquillity of the world, for kings, for their ​armies and their allies, for the sick and the afflicted; and, in a word, we pray, and offer this Sacrifice for all who want assistance. We next commemorate those who are gone before us; the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs; begging that, through their prayers, God would receive our supplications. We then pray for the holy Fathers and Bishops that are dead, and for all the faithful departed, believing that their souls receive very great relief by the prayers that are offered for them while this holy and tremendous victim lies upon the altar."-Catech. Mystag. v. n. viii. ix. p. 327, 328.
St. Basil, G. C.-In celebrating the Feast of the forty Martyrs, he thus addressed his hearers:—“These are they, who, having taken possession of our country, stand as towers against the incursions of the enemy.—Here is a ready aid to Christians. Often have you endeavoured, often have you toiled, to gain one intercessor. You have now forty, all emitting one common prayer. —Who is oppressed by care, Alies to their aid, as does he that prospers: the first to seek deliverance; the second, that his good fortune may continue. The pious mother is found praying for her children; and the wife for the return and the health of her husband.—O ye common guardians of the human race, co-operators in our prayers, most powerful messengers, stars of the world, and flowers of Churches, let us join our prayers with yours.”(Hom. xix. in 40 Martyres, T. ii. p. 155, 156.
ST. JAMES OF NISIBIS, G.C.-On the words of Christ (Matt. v. 23.): Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, says : “Let not then the hatred, which thou hast against any one, re-enter thy mind. For be assured, that ​thy prayer will be left before the altar, and that he (the Angel of God) will neither receive, nor raise it from the earth, whose office it is : for he examines, whether thy gift be polluted. If thy prayer be pure, he raises and offers it in the sight of God. Should he find thee saying in thy prayer, Forgive me, for I forgive: thus will he say, First forgive thy debtor, and then I will raise thy prayer to God, whose debtor thou art.”—Serm. iv. p. 72.
St. EPHREM OF EDESSA, G.C.-" I entreat you, O holy Martyrs, who have suffered so much for the Lord, that you would intercede for us with him, that he bestow his grace on us." — Encom. in SS. Mart. T. iii. p. 251.—“We fly to thy patronage, Holy Mother of God; protect and guard us under the wings of thy mercy and kindness.—Most merciful God, through the intercession of the most blessed Virgin Mary, and of all the Angels, and of all the Saints, show pity to thy creature.”
--Serm. de Laud. B. Mar. Virg. T. iii. p. 576. “ I pray to the Saints; but that their prayers for me will be heard, I doubt. For the Prophet Ezechiel has said, (xiv. 20.) that neither Noah, nor Job, nor Daniel, though they pray, shall obtain. I implore all the Prophets: but I may be rejected, I fear, like those impious Israelites, of whom the Lord said to Jeremiah, (vii. 16.) pray not for this people."--In Repreh. et Confess. sui ipsius. T. i. p. 129.
St. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUM, G. C.-In his funeral Oration on his friend St. Basil, he says: “And now he, in​deed, is in heaven; there, if I mistake not, offering up sacrifices for us, pouring out prayers for the people: for he has not left us so, as to have deserted us.--And do thou, sacred and holy Spirit, look down, I beseech thee, on us :(I) arrest by thy prayers that sting of the flesh which was given to us for our correction, or teach us how to bear it with fortitude: guide all our ways to that which is best: and, when we shall depart hence, receive us then into thy society ; that with thee, beholding more clearly that blessed and adorable Trinity, which now we see in a dark manner, we may put a final close to all our wishes, and receive the reward of the labours which we have borne.”-Orat. xx. de Laud. S. Basil. T.i.p.372, 373. In the same strain he addresses St. Cyprian, p. 286, and St. Athanasius, p. 397; and p. 425, he adds : “He, in a good old age, dying after many conflicts, now regards, I doubt not, our concerns, and being himself freed from the flesh, stretches out his hand to those, who are labouring in the path of virtue.” Orat. xxiv. p. 425.— From these orations, and from many others delivered on the like occasions, it is plain, what was then believed—that the Martyrs and Saints enjoyed eternal happiness in the vision of God; that they had care of men upon earth ; that they interceded for them : and that it was profitable to invoke their prayers for the obtaining of spiritual and temporal blessings.
St. GREGORY OF Nyssa, G. C.-Addressing himself to the Martyr Theodorus, on whose Feast he delivered an oration, this brother of St. Basil speaks in the same strain : “ Invisible though thou art, come as a friend to them that honour thee; come and behold this solemn Feast. We stand in need of many favours : be our envoy for thy country ​before our common King and Lord. The country of the Martyr is the place of his suffering : his citizens, his brothers, his relations are they, who possess, who guard, who honour him. We are in fear of afflictions: we look for dangers : the Scythians approach us with dreadful war. Thou, indeed, hast overcome the world; but thou knowest the feelings and the wants of our nature. Beg for us the continuance of peace, that these our public meetings be not dissolved; that the wicked and raging barbarian overthrow not our temples and our altars; that he tread not underfoot thy holy places. That hitherto we have lived in safety, we owe to thy favour : we implore thy protection for the days that are to come; and if a host of prayers be necessary, assemble the choirs of your brother martyrs, and supplicate all together for us. The united services of so many just will cover the sins of the people. Admonish Peter, solicit Paul, call John, the beloved disciple, and let them intercede for the Churches, which they themselves have founded.” Orat. in Theod. Martyr. T. ii. p. 1017. In the life of St. Ephrem, he thus addresses that holy Deacon: “ Do thou now, being present at God's altar, and with his angels offering sacrifice to the Prince of life, and to the most holy Trinity, remember us; begging for us the pardon of our sins.” T. ii. p. 1048.
ST. AMBROSE, L. C.- The Fathers of the Western Church speak the same language: “ Thou hast friends who may intercede for thee. These are the Apostles and the Martyrs. - It is not nearness of blood, but the relationship of virtue that forms this friendship.--Associate thyself, therefore, ​with Peter and Andrew, that they may pray for thee, and thy bad desires may cease.-Peter and Andrew interceded for the widow. (Luke iv. 38.) It were well if we could obtain so speedy an Intercessor : but surely they who implored the Lord for their relation, can do the same for us. You see, that she who was a sinner, was little fitting to pray for herself, or at least to obtain what she asked. Other Intercessors to the Physician were therefore necessary.-The Angels, who are appointed to be our guardians, must be invoked; and the martyrs likewise, whose bodies seem to be a pledge for their patronage. They, who in their blood washed away every stain of sin, can implore forgiveness for us: they are our guides, and the beholders of our lives and actions: to them, therefore, we should not blush to have recourse." Lib. de Viduis, T. ii. p. 200.—“ They are not dead, whose Feast we this day celebrate ; but, being renewed, they live; for they are made partakers of Christ, who is the life of all. Their bodies indeed perished; but the
progress of life was not broken. Without intermission, they return thanks to God, and repeat the praises of their Saviour.” Serm. liii. de SS. Petro et Paulo, T. ii. in Append. p. 464.—“As often as we celebrate the memories of the Martyrs, we should meet together, casting behind us all the cares of life.-- The Lord hath said, (Luke x. 16.) he that honoureth you, honoureth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. He, therefore, who honours the Martyrs, honours Christ; while he that despises the Saints, despises the Lord." Serm. ii. Ibid. p. 465.
Sr. EPIPHANIUS, G.C.-Having censured the practices of certain heretics, who paid an undue honour to the Virgin Mary, he says: “Her body, I own, was holy, but she was ​no God. She continued a Virgin ; but she is not proposed for our adoration ; she herself adoring him, who, having descended from heaven and the bosom of his Father, was horn of her flesh. Against this error the Gospel itself has guarded us, Christ saying (John ii. 4.) Woman, what is it to me and to thee? My hour is not yet come. He calls her woman, lest any one should imagine, that she was of some superior nature.—Though, therefore, she was a chosen vessel, and endowed with eminent sanctity, still she is a woman, partaking of our common nature, but deserving of the highest honours shewn to the Saints of God. She stands before them all, on account of the heavenly mystery accomplished in her.—But we adore no Saint :-and as this worship is not given to angels; much less can it be allowed to the daughter of Ann.-Let Mary therefore be honoured ; but the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost alone be adored : let no one adore Mary.” Adv. Collyridianos Hær. lix. sive lxxix. T.i. p. 1061, 1062, 1064.
St. John CHRYSOSTOM, G.C.-In his Sermons to the people of Antioch, on the Feasts of various Martyrs, he exhibits in glowing colours, the honours that were paid to their remains; the miracles wrought by their prayers; and the splendid examples of many virtues produced by the fervour of imitation. “We, on this day, celebrate their feast. -But, on all days, let us pray and beseech, that they become our patrons :(P) for not only when alive, but much more when dead, they can inspire confidence. Now they carry about them the marks of Christ; and when they shew these, nothing will be refused to them. Since they are become thus powerful, thus admitted into the friendship of God; if, by constant endeavours, we associate ourselves with ​them, we cannot fail of obtaining the mercy of heaven.”Homil. li. de SS. Bernice, &c. T. ii. p. 645.—“The prayers and supplications of the Saints are highly powerful in our regard: but then most, when our own penitential works, and the serious reformation of our lives, are joined to them. - And this we say, not intimating that the Saints should not be invoked ; but that we should not give ourselves up to idleness, and rely on the exertions of others.” Hom. v. in Matt. T. vii. p. 79, 81. “It is good to partake of the prayers of the Saints ; but when we ourselves are careful and vigilant. You may say: when such are my dispositions what need have I of others prayers ?—But truly, we are, at all times, in want. Paul did not say, what need have I of others prayers? though they who prayed for him deserved not to be heard: and you dare to say this. Nor did Peter say it, when prayer was made without ceasing by the Church to God for him. (Acts xii. 5.)- Indeed, the very circumstance of your confidence proves, that you are in want of prayers. Were you holy as Paul' himself, your want would be the same. Exalt not yourself, lest you be humbled. But, as I observed, the prayers of others will avail us most, if we be earnest ourselves in the practice of virtue. St. Paul says: For I know that this shall turn to my salvation, through your prayer, and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ. (Phil. i. 19.) And again : You helping in prayer for us; that for this gift obtained for us, by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many in our behalf. (2 Cor. i. 11.) And you say, what need have I of others prayers ? — Prayers, then, are efficacious; but it is when we, on our side, do our duty. This being so, let us not contemn the prayers of the Saints, nor rely solely on them. By the latter, we should ​rashly deceive ourselves; by the former, deprive ourselves of what is good and profitable. Let us, then, invoke their Intercession, and beg that they extend to us a helping hand," while we ourselves remain constant in the pursuit of virtue.” Homil. i. in i. Thess. T. xi. p. 429, 432. See Homil. xlv. de St. Meletio, T. ii. p. 518. Homil. de SS. Bernice, Prosdoce et Domnina. Ibid. p. 634.
St. ASTERIUS OF AMASEA, G. C.-“ The Saints, in virtue of their power with God, are the Intercessors of the world. We adore not the Martyrs, but we shew honour to them as the true adorers of God. We worship not men, but we admire those, who, in time of persecution, nobly died in his service. We deposit their remains in monuments of curious workmanship, and we raise magnificent temples to their memories, that we ourselves may learn to emulate their deeds.—Though dead, the Saints can still do much: they can impart favours to us. — Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. (Ps. cxv.) wherefore, let us offer up our prayers to God, and entreat the Martyrs, that our common Lord would communicate the spirit of compunction to those who err ; and that, all doubt, as a wall of separation, being removed, we may all meet together, in fraternal union.” Encom. in SS. Martyres, T. i. p. 191, 198, 207. In N. Auctario Combefis. Paris, 1648.
St. JEROM, L. C.-“We worship not, we adore not the relics of Martyrs-nor Angels, nor Archangels, nor Cheru​bim, nor Seraphim, lest we serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for evermore. But we honour the relics of the Martyrs, that our minds may be raised to him, whose Martyrs they are. We honour them, that this honour may be referred to him, who says: He that receiveth you, receiveth me.” (Matt. x. 40.)- Ep. xxxvii. Adv. Vigil. ad Riparium, T. iv. Pars. 11. p. 279.—“ Thou dolt! who, at any time, adored the Martyrs ? who could fancy that a mortal was God? If the Apostles and Martyrs, while upon earth, and while they must be anxious for themselves, can pray for others; much more will they do it, when victory has crowned their triumphs. — Moses obtained forgiveness for six hundred thousand men in arms; and Stephen, the true Disciple of Christ, and the first Martyr, begs forgiveness for his persecutors: and shall their power be less when they are with Christ? The Apostle Paul declares, that two hundred three score and sixteen souls, sailing with him, were saved by his prayers (Acts xxvii. 37.) but, when dissolved and with Christ, shall he be silent and not utter a single word for that world, which believed at his preaching ?” Adv. Vigilant. Ibid. p. 282, 283.
CENT. V.
ST. AUGUSTIN, L.C.—“The Christian people celebrate the memories of the Martyrs with a religious solemnity, in order that they may learn to imitate them, and may be associated to their merits, and be aided by their prayers: butto no Martyrto the God alone of Martyrs, in memory of them, do we raise ​altars. For what Bishop, among the repositories of holy bodies, assisting at the altar, was ever heard to say: To thee, Peter, to thee, Paul, or to thee, Cyprian, do we make this offering? To God, alone, who crowned the Martyrs, is Sacrifice offered in the places where their Relics rest; that the sight of these places may excite a warmer sentiment towards those whom we should imitate ; and towards him, by whose aid it can be accomplished. We venerate, therefore, the Martyrs, with that veneration of regard, with which holy men are here treated upon earth, who are disposed, we know, to suffer for the truth of the gospel. When they have suffered, and have conquered, our veneration is more devoted and more firm, as they are translated from a state of conflict to a state of permanent happiness. But with that worship, which the Greeks call larpeia, and which in Latin cannot be expressed by one word—as it is a worship properly due only to the Divinity-with that worship we worship God alone. To this belongs the offering of Sacrifice; whence they are idolaters, who sacrifice to idols. We offer no Sacrifice to any Martyr, nor to any Saint, nor to any Angel; and should any one fall into the error, sound doctrine will so raise its voice, that he be corrected, or condemned, or avoided. The Saints themselves, whether men or angels, reject that worship, which is due, they know, to God alone. Thus, Paul and Barnabas (Acts xiv.)--when, moved by their miracles, the Lycaonians would sacrifice to them as Gods-rending their garments, and confessing that they were mortal men, like to them, forbad it to be done. The same was seen in Angels, as we read in the Apocalypse (xxii. 9.) where the Angel refused adoration, saying, I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren: adore God.” L. xx. c. xxi. contra Faustum. T. viii. p. 347.-—“If any one say to you, do you worship Peter ? Return him for answer what Eulogius said of Fructuosus: I worship not Peter, but worship him, ​whom even Peter worships." Serm. cclxxiii. De Diversis, T. x. p. 1108.—The same doctrine is repeated still more fully in the celebrated work Of the City of God. L. viii. c. xxvii. L. xxii. c. x. T. vii. p. 217, 673.—“We pray for the other faithful departed, but not for Martyrs; for they departed this life in a state of such perfection, as rather to be our Advocates. But they are Advocates, not by their own merits, but as members united to their Head. He is truly the only Advocate, who, sitting at the right hand of the Father, intercedes for us. There is one Advocate as there is one Pastor." Serm. cclxxxv. in Natal. Mart. Casti et Emilii, T. v. p. 1147. Ed. Bened. Paris. 1683.-—“Jesus Christ the just is our Advocate with the Father: he is the propitiation for our sins.—Therefore, some one will say; do not the saints pray for us? do not Bishops and Pastors pray for the people? Listen to the Scriptures, and learn, that Pastors recommend themselves to the prayers of the people. The Apostle says: Praying withal for us. (Colos. iv. 3.) He prays for the people, and the people for him. We pray, brethren, for you; and do you pray for us. Let all true members pray for one another; and the Head intercede for all.” Tract. i. in i. Joan, Pars. 2. T. iii. p. 831.-" It is a proof of kind regard towards the dead, when their bodies are deposited near the monuments of Saints. But hereby in what are they aided, unless in this, that, recollecting the place where they lie, we be induced to recommend them to the patronage of those Saints for their prayers with God? --Calling therefore to mind the grave of a departed friend, and the near monument of the venerable Martyr, we naturally commend the soul to his prayers. And that the ​souls of those will be thereby benefitted, who so lived as to deserve it, there can be no doubt." De curâ pro mortuis gerenda, c. iv. T. vi. p. 519.—“But, by what means the Martyrs assist those, whom we believe to be assisted by them, is a question surpassing the powers of my understandingwhether they be personally present in many places remotely distant, or whether praying, in general, for the wants of all who invoke their intercession, as we pray for the dead, from whom we are absent, and of whom we know nothing) God Almighty, every where present, hearing the supplications of his Martyrs, may, by the ministry of his Angels, grant the succours that are requested.---This, I say, is a question too deep for me to reach, too abstruse for my penetration.” Ibid. xvi. p. 528.—“Holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, deign to intercede in my behalf before him, whose temple thou hast deserved to be. Celestial choirs of Angels, Archangels, Prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, Martyrs, Confessors, Priests, Levites, Monks, Virgins, and all the Just!-by him, who has elected you, and the contemplation of whom forms your felicity, I presume to beg of you, that you would deign to supplicate God, for me, a sinner, that I may deserve to be freed from the jaws of the devil, and eternal death.” Medit. c. xl. T. ix. p. 350.-Paris, 1586.
St. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, G. C.-In the prayer, which Catholics daily address to the Virgin Mary, are the words: “ Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” The words Mother of God-in Greek Okorokos, in Latin Deipara—to persons not fully acquainted with the doctrine of the Incarnation, nor with the necessity there often has been of opposing error by the introduction of terms not strictly scriptural, cause some difficulty. Against the errors of Arius the word consubstantial was ​adopted; and the Council of Nice, which in 325, condemned those errors, defined in its Creed, that Jesus Christ, “ consubstantial to the Father, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and became incarnate, and was made man.” The Virgin Mary was Mother of him thus made man; but this man was God; whence arose the propriety of the expression, Mother of God.—The expression had been very generally used, when, in the following century, one Anastasius, a Priest-the confidential friend of Nestorius, then Bishop of Constantinople—in a sermon to the people, publicly taught, “ that the Virgin Mary ought not to be called the Mother of God; that she was a mortal, and that of such God could not be born.”These words, says the historian, who might himself have been present, gave great offence both to the Clergy and Laity ; " and a tumult arose within the Church.”—I mention this incident, because nothing so clearly marks the commencement of error, as the reclamation of the people, when new expressions assail their ears, or when those, to which they have been habituated, are either censured or omitted.--Nestorius espoused the language of his friend; and, in a short time, not Constantinople only, but the whole Christian Church, took the alarm; the doctrine of man's redemption being manifestly involved in the question. At the head of the orthodox party stood St. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, whose reasoning on the subject was comprehensive and profound. But he observed, that it would be well, would men abstain from such enquiries—in which the most learned see obscurely, and the ignorant are perplexed—and embrace, without wavering, the Faith, that, through the Apostles, has been delivered to the Church. However, as the pride of man will not follow this rule, he proceeds to say, on the question before him, that as the Lord Jesus Christ is God, surely, She that bore ​him must be called the Mother of God. “ This Faith,” he adds, “the disciples of Christ delivered, though they used not the expression.” But, since the Council of Nice, he observes, it has been used by many Fathers, whose names he mentions. Ep. ad Monachos Ægypti. Conc. Gen. T. iii. p. 19, &c.—St. Cyril in this epistle, and in many more which he wrote on the subject, strongly insists, that if the nature of the hypostatic union be considered—that union, whereby the Divine Nature was so united to the nature of man as to form but one Person-it must necessarily follow, that it is true to say, that God was born; and therefore that Mary was the Mother of God; that God suffered ; and that God died for us. Whatever doctrine teaches not this, manifestly overturns the belief in the Divinity of Jesus Christ; and with this error Nestorius was charged. Cælestin, the Roman Bishop, supported the cause of St. Cyril; and finally, in 431, the Council of Ephesus anathematised the errors of Nestorius, and deposed him from the See of Constantinople. From this time, the words of our prayer Mother of God have been universally used; and they may be considered as a profession of our belief in the Divinity of her Son.-In the Apostles Creed we say : Born of the Virgin Mary.
THEODORET, G. C.-" The temples of the victorious Martyrs rise, conspicuous for their magnitude and the richness of their embellishments. It is not once, or twice, or five times, that we, yearly approach them; but we frequently there assemble; and there, not unfrequently sing praises to their God. They who are in health, pray for its continuance: while they pray to be freed, who are oppressed by illness.But it is not as Gods, that they address the Martyrs, but as celestial men, entreating them to become their Intercessors." Serm. viii. adv. Gentes. T. iv. p. 605.
​COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON, G. C.–After hearing read the letter of Flavian, the Fathers, with one voice exclaimed: “ That is the truth ; we all say the same: may Flavian's memory be immortal.-Flavian, though dead, still lives; the Martyr will pray for us.” Act. xi. Conc. Gen. T. iv. p. 697.Certain Bishops of the province of Europa, write to the Emperor: “We place the blessed Proterius in the rank of holy Martyrs, and, through his intercession, we beg that God may be merciful to us." Ep. ad Leo. Aug. P. iii. Conc. Chalced. Conc. Gen. T. iv. p. 907.
St. Nilus, G. C.-“ Learn then, that the holy Angels excite us to pray, and are present with us, rejoicing, and praying for us.” Tract. de Orat. c. lxxxi. T. i. p. 496.
St. LEO, L. C.-Omitting many other authorities, which I could adduce from other Fathers and the ecclesiastical historians of this century, I shall here close the list with St. Leo the Great.—“ Strengthen your connections with the holy Angels; enter into the city of God, of which the dwelling is promised to us; unite yourselves to the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs. Rejoice, where they rejoice. Let these wishes be the objects of your desires; and by a holy emulation sue for their suffrages. For with whom you shall communicate in prayer, with them shall you enjoy honour.” Serm. v. in Epiphan. T.i. p. 195.-—“As we ourselves have experienced, and our Ancestors have evinced, we believe and trust, that amidst the troubles of this life, the prayers of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul will ever be ready to obtain for us the mercy of God. As we are depressed by our own ​sins, so may we be raised by their merits, through Jesus Christ.” Serm. in Natal. Apost. Petri et Pauli, p. 338.“ May the Blessed Peter and all the Saints, who have aided us in many tribulations, vouchsafe to assist our prayers for you with our merciful God.” Serm. in Octava Apost. Pet. et Pauli, p. 340.—“Let us rejoice in the Lord for the happy end of this glorious man. God is wonderful in his Saints, in whom he has given to us defence and example. Rome is illustrated by Lawrence, as Jerusalem was by Stephen. By his prayer and patronage we confidently trust to meet with support; that as all men, says the Apostle (2 Tim. iii. 12.) that will live godly in Christ, shall suffer persecution, we may be strengthened in the spirit of charity, and be fortified in the continuance of a firm faith, to surmount all temptations, through the Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth for ever.” Serm. in Festo S. Laurentii, p. 346.
LITURGY OF JERUSALEM, G. C.-“O Lord, who hast power of life and death, and art the God of mercies and of love to men, do thou vouchsafe to make us worthy to celebrate the memory of all those who have pleased thee from the beginning of the world; of the holy Fathers and Patriarchs ; of the Prophets and Apostles, of John the Precursor and Baptist; of St. Stephen, the first of Deacons and first of Martyrs; and of the holy Mother of God, and ever Virgin, Blessed Mary, and of all the Saints. We celebrate their memory, that whilst they are standing before thy throne, they may be mindful of our poverty and weakness, and may, together with us, offer to thee this tremendous and unbloody Sacrifice, for the protection of the living, for the consolation ​of the weak and unworthy, such as we are, for the repose and good name of those, who have already departed in the true faith, our Fathers, our Brothers, and our Masters, through the grace and mercy, &c.” Renaudot. T. ii. p. 36.
LITURGY OF ALEXANDRIA, G. C.--" We pray and beseech thee, O God, kind lover of mankind, protect this city for the sake of thy Martyr and Evangelist Mark, who shewed us the way of Salvation, and by the grace, and mercies, and goodness of thy only begotten Son, &c.” Ibid. p. 139.—“Be mindful, O Lord, of our Forefathers from the beginning, of the Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors,— and of our holy Father Mark, Apostle and Evangelist.-Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, because thou hast brought forth the Saviour of our souls. In particular, be mindful of the most holy, most immaculate, and our blessed Lady, the Mother of God, and ever Virgin Mary.” Ibid. p. 149.
LITURGY OF CONSTANTINOPLE, G. C.—“By the intercession of the most holy, immaculate, blessed above all, our glorious Lady, Mother of God, and ever Virgin Mary, by the virtue of the glorious and vivifying Cross, and of all the Saints, may Christ, our true God, have mercy on us, as a God of goodness and clemency, Amen.” Goar. p. 63.—“We also offer to thee, this rational service, for the sake of those who repose in Christ.—The Prophets, Apostles, Martyrsparticularly the most holy, pure, blessed above all, our glorious Queen, the Mother of God, and ever Virgin Mary. It is truly meet to praise thee, Mother of God, who art always to be blessed, and art free from all sin, who art the Mother of our God, to be venerated above the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim, who, in all purity didst bring forth God the Word : we magnify thee who art truly the Mother of God.- Perfect us, O God, by the prayers of St. John, the Prophet, Precursor and Baptist-of Saint N. whose memory we celebrate, and of all the Saints; and ​be mindful of all who have slept before us, in the hope of the resurrection to eternal life.” Ibid.
LITURGY OF ROME, L. C.-—“ Communicating with, and honouring the memory, in the first place, of the ever glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ; as also of the blessed Apostles and Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, &c. and of all thy Saints ; by whose merits and prayers, grant that we may, in all things be defended by the help of thy protection. Deliver us, O Lord, we beseech thee, from all evils; past, present, and to come; and by the intercession of the blessed and ever glorious Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and of the holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, and of Andrew, and of all the Saints, mercifully grant us peace in our days.” Roman Missal.
LITURGY OF THE NESTORIANS, G.C.-“Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, pray for me to the only-begotten Son, who was born of thee, that he may forgive me my offences and my sins, and may receive from my weak and sinful hands, this Sacrifice, which, in my weakness I offer on this Altar, through thy intercession, O holy Mother.” Renaudot. T. ii. p. 588.
LITURGY OF NESTORIUS, G. C.-“May he (the King of Kings and Lord of Lords) bless this Congregation, and preserve us; may he heal our wounds and cleanse our consciences : may we be sealed up and guarded by the living sign of the Cross, against all evils, by the prayer of our Lady, the blessed Virgin, and by the prayer of all the Saints of our Lord, who have pleased him, and who please him now and for ever.” Ibid. p. 635.
COPTIC LITURGY OF ST. BASIL, G. C.-“Now, O Lord, by the command of thy only begotten Son, we commemorate and communicate with thy Saints, who have pleased thee from the beginning, and our holy Fathers, the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Preachers, Evangelists, and all spirits of the just, who have ended life in the faith. But ​particularly and chiefly the holy and glorious, ever Virgin, Mother of God, the most holy Mary; St. John, Baptist, Precursor, and Martyr; St. Stephen, &c. and St. N., whose memory we celebrate this day, and the whole choir of thy Saints, through whose prayers and supplications, have mercy on us all, and save us for the sake of thy holy name, which is invoked upon us.” Renaudot. T. i. p. 18.—A similar prayer, and in the same words, is found in the following:
ALEXANDRIAN LITURGY OF St. Basil, G.C.-1b. p. 72.
COPTIC LITURGY OF ST. GREGORY, G.C.--Ib. p. 33.
ALEXANDRIAN LITURGY OF ST. GREGORY, G. C.-Ib. p. 111.
Coptic LITURGY OF ST. CYRIL, G. C.- 1b. p.41.
COUNCIL OF TRENT.
The holy Synod commands all Bishops, and others, to whom is entrusted the office of teaching, that—according to the practice of the Catholic and Apostolic Church, received from the earliest ages of the Christian religion, and according to the united opinions of the Fathers, and the decrees of holy Councils—they, in the first place, diligently instruct the faithful on the intercession and invocation of Saints; the honour due to Relics, and the lawful use of images; teaching them, that the Saints, reigning with Christ, offer up their prayers to God for men; that it is good and profitable suppliantly to invoke them, and to have recourse to their supplications and assistance; in order to obtain favours from God, through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who is our only Redeemer and Saviour.” Sessio xxv. de Invocat. SS. p. 287.
​The following Creed or Profession of Faith, containing the principal points of Catholic Belief, was promulgated by Pope Pius IV. in 1564, the year after the close of the Council of Trent, and agreeably to what the Council had suggested. It goes under the name of Pius, and is subscribed by Catholics on several occasions.
CREED OF PIUS IV.
I, N. N. with a firm faith believe and profess all and every one of those things, which are contained in that Creed, which the holy Roman Church maketh use of. To wit: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, of all things visible and invisible: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages: God of God; Light of Light; true God of the true God; begotten, not made ; consubstantial to the Father by whom all things were made. Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. Was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate: he suffered and was buried. And the third day he arose again, according to the Scriptures: sits at the right hand of the Father, and is to come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, and Life-giver, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who, together with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified, who spoke by the Prophets. And (I believe) One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins: and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
​I most stedfastly admit and embrace Apostolical and ecclesiastical Traditions, and all other observances and constitutions of the same Church.
I also admit the Holy Scriptures, according to that sense which our holy Mother the Church, has held, and does hold; to which it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Scriptures: neither will I ever take and interpret them otherwise, than according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers.
I also profess that there are truly and properly seven Sacraments of the New Law, instituted by Jesus Christ, our Lord; and necessary for the salvation of mankind, though not all for every one: to wit, Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Order, and Matrimony: and that they confer Grace: and that of these, Baptism, Confirmation and Order cannot be reiterated without sacrilege. I also receive and admit the received and approved Ceremonies of the Catholic Church, used in the solemn administration of the aforesaid Sacraments.
I embrace and receive all and every one of the things which have been defined and declared in the holy Council of Trent, concerning Original Sin, and Justification.
I profess likewise, that in the Mass there is offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead. And that in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, there is truly, really, and substantially, the Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ : and that there is made a conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood; which conversion the Catholic Church calls Transubstantiation. I also confess, that under either kind alone, Christ is received whole and entire, and a true Sacrament.
​I constantly hold that there is a Purgatory; and that the souls therein detained are helped by the suffrages of the Faithful.
Likewise that the Saints reigning together with Christ, are to be honoured and invocated, and that they offer prayers to God for us, and that their Relics are to be had in veneration.
I most firmly assert, that the Images of Christ, of the Mother of God, ever Virgin, and also of other Saints, ought to be had and retained, and that due honour and veneration is to be given them.
I also affirm, that the power of Indulgences was left by Christ in the Church; and that the use of them is most wholesome to Christian people.
I acknowledge the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Roman Church, for the Mother and Mistress of all Churches; and I promise true obedience to the Bishop of Rome-Successor to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ.
I likewise undoubtedly receive and profess all other things delivered, defined, and declared by the sacred Canons and General Councils, and particularly by the holy Council of Trent. And I condemn, reject, and anathematize all things contrary thereto, and all heresies, which the Church has condemned, rejected, and anathematized.
I, N. N. do at this present freely profess, and sincerely hold this true Catholic faith, without which no one can be saved : and I promise most constantly to retain and confess the same entire and unviolated, with God's assistance, to the end of my Life.
THE END.
* ↑ He succeeded St. Fabian in the Chair of Rome, in 251, and died about two years after.
* ↑ He succeeded Damasus in 385, and sat on the Chair of Peter till 398.-We have several very interesting epistles of this Pope, which may be seen in Dom. Coustant, and Labbe's Councils.
* ↑ This Council was called in 441, and enacted thirty Canons for the regulation of discipline. Seventeen Bishops assisted at it; having St. Hilary of Arles at their head.
* ↑ Fifty-six Canons were published by this Council, which was also assembled by St. Hilary, about the year 442.
* ↑ his Council assembled about the year 455.
* ↑ "Is there any one,” says the Protestant Casaubon, so much a stranger to the reading of the Fathers, as to be ignorant of the usual form of expression which they adopt, when speaking of the Sacraments, the initiated know what I mean? It occurs, at least, fifty times in the writings of Chrysostom alone, and as often in those of Augustin.”
* ↑ Was made Bishop of Verona, in Italy, about 362: was contemporary with St. Ambrose, who extols his eminent sanctity, and died in 380. He has left us many Sermons, or Treatises, which were published by P. and J. Ballerini, at Verona, in folio, an. 1739.
* ↑ Held in 340. One hundred Bishops from the Thebais, Lybia and Pentopolis, assisted at it, and vindicated St. Athanasius from the charges brought against him by the Eusebians.
* ↑ He lived in the beginning of the third century, and has left us A Dialogue, between Cecilius, a Pagan, and Octavius, a Christian.Rigault gave an excellent edition of it in 1643.
* ↑ He addressed an Apology for the Christians to M. Aurelius and Commodus; and wrote a treatise on the Resurrection. Both are in the Bibl. Patrum.
* ↑ Dr. Travern's “ Answer to the Difficulties of Romanism,” translated by the Rev. F. C. Husenbeth. He same subject is most ably discussed, and at great length, in his “ Amicable Discussion,” translated by the Rev. W. Richmond.
* ↑ “I find," says Grotius, " in all the Liturgies, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Syriac, and others, prayers to God, that he would consecrate, by his Holy Spirit , the gifts offered, and make them the Body and Blood of his Son. I was right, therefore, in saying, that a custom, so ancient and universal, that it must be considered to have come down from the primitive times, ought not to have been changed."--Votum pro pace.
* ↑ I quote the words of the late Ven. Dr. Poynter, in his “ Christianity, or the Evidences and Characters of the Christian Religion."
* ↑ “As for the Liturgies ascribed to St. Peter, St. Mark, and St. James," says Archbishop Wake, “there is not, I suppose, any learned man who believes them written by those holy men, and set forth in the manner they are now published. They were, indeed, the ancient Liturgies of the three, if not of the four Patriarchal Churches, viz. the Roman, (perhaps that of Antioch, too) the Alexandrian, and Jerusalem Churches, first founded, or at least governed, by St. Peter, St. Mark, and St. James. However, since it can hardly be doubted, but that these holy Apostles and Evangelists did give some directions for the administration of the blessed Eucharist in those Churches, it may reasonably be presumed, that some of those orders are still remaining in those Liturgies, which have been brought down to us under their names; and that those prayers wherein they all agree, in sense, at least, if not in words, were first prescribed in the same or like terms, by those Apostles and Evangelists. Nor would it be difficult to make a further proof of this conjecture from the writings of the ancient Fathers, if it were needful in this place to insist upon it."Apostolic Fathers, p. 102.—"I add to what has been already observed," says Bishop Bull, the consent of all the Christian Churches in the world, however distant from each other, in the holy Eucharist, or Sacrament of the Lord's supper ; which consent is indeed wonderful. All the ancient Liturgies agree in this form of prayer, almost in the same words, but fully and exactly in the same sense, order, and method; which, whoever attentively considers, must be convinced, that this order of prayer was delivered to the several Churches in the very first plantation and settlement of them."-Sermons on Common Prayer, Vol. I. Serm. XIII.
* ↑ “The symbol of our faith and hope comes to us from the Apostles, and is not written." St. Jerom ad Pam.-“ No one writes the Creed; it cannot be read ; repeat it to yourselves every day, when you lie down, and when you rise. Let your memory be your book." St. Aug. ad Catech. T. vi. p. 548, Paris, 1586.
* ↑ It is also called the Liturgy of St. James, the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and the substance of it can be traced to that Apostle. It is the most ancient of all the Liturgies, and has been commonly used in the Churches of Syria. In the judgment of able critics, it is the Liturgy, which St. Cyril of Jerusalem explained in his Catecheses.
* ↑ Not having Renaudot's Collection at hand, I am unable to give the original of the above and following quotations. I quote them from Dr. Poynter's Christianity, and can have no doubt of the accuracy of the translation, or of the references.
* ↑ Called also the Liturgy of St. Mark, who first planted the faith at Alexandria, and who, no doubt, gave a form of prayer, or Liturgy, to his Church. St. Cyril, one of his successors, added to it; whence it is also called the Liturgy of St. Cyril. It contains the ancient rite of that Church, and Patriarchate, and was constantly in use among the orthodox Christians in Egypt, till compelled to adopt that of Constantinople.
* ↑ The words of the Institution occur in every Liturgy; and having given them once, I shall omit them in the following extracts.
* ↑ Called also the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom. It is followed by all the Greek Christians in the east and west ; by the Russians and nations converted by the Greeks.
* ↑ I call it so, because taken from the eighth Book of the “ Apostolic constitutions;”—a work written in the fourth century ; several passages from which are found in St. Epiphanius, Adr. Hereses.
* ↑ It was the principal Liturgy used in the West; and was considered to come originally, and in substance, from St. Peter. It was inserted by St. Gelasius in his Sacramentary, which was a collection of the prayers said in the course of the Mass, in the Church of Rome, from the first ages, to which he added some new prayers and prefaces.
* ↑ It was in use at Milan, when St. Ambrose was made Bishop of that See in 374 ; to which he made some additions. The Church of Milan has, to this day, preserved its ancient Ambrosian right, only with a few changes and additions.
* ↑ Called the Liturgy of St. Basil. We learn from St. Gregory of Nazianzum, that St. Basil composed prayers for the altar; and in his letter to the Clergy of Neocesarea, St. Basil speaks of the prayers he had made for the Mass. This Liturgy is one of the most ancient in use among the Syrians, and in other parts of the East.
* ↑ Called also the Liturgy of the Apostles. It is the ancient Liturgy of the Churches of Syria, before Nestorius; and though used by the Nestorians, as is also the following Liturgy of Theodorus, neither of them express the error of Nestorius.
* ↑ He was Bishop of Mopsuestia, in Cilicia ; the friend and master of Nestorius. He died in 428.
* ↑ This was the old Liturgy of the Church of Constantinople, before Nestorius; but in the preface he denies the unity of person in Christ.
* ↑ Called also the Liturgy of St. Basil, and in use among the Eutychians, and Jacobites, in Egypt,-so called from James the Syrian, one of the Eutychian leaders.
* ↑ Called also the Liturgy of St. Basil, taken from the Græco-Arabic.
* ↑ Called also the Liturgy of St. Gregory, the Illuminator. He was consecrated Bishop of Armenia, in the beginning of the fourth century, by St. Leontius. Another is called the Liturgy of St. Cyril. Both are used by the Jacobites and Eutychians.
* ↑ Like the preceding, called the Liturgy of St. Gregory. It is taken from the Græco-Arabic.
* ↑ Called the Liturgy of St. Cyril. It is used by the Jacobites and Eutychians.
* ↑ “On the eve of the great day of Easter, and of your regeneration,” says St. Cyril of Jerusalem, shall teach you with what devotion you must come forth from baptism, approach the altar, and partake of the spiritual and heavenly mysteries, which are there offered ; that your souls being enlightened by our instructions and discourses, each of you may know the greatness of the presents which God gives him.”—Cat. xviii. n. 32, p. 224. Paris, 1631. See the passage from St. Gaudentius, p. 181. Dr. Trevern's Answer to Faber, p.
* ↑ A Christian Philosopher, by birth a Greek, who suffered martyrdom at Rome, about the year 166, having, a few years before, addressed two apologies, in favour of the Christians, to the Emperor Antoninus Pius and to the Roman senate. In these is contained much curious matter on the doctrine, and manners, and religious ceremonies of the early Christians. Justin is also author of other works, particularly of a Dialogue with the Jew, named Tryphon.
* ↑ ουκετι κοινος άρτος έστιν, αλλ' ευχαριστια, εκ δυο πραγματων συνεστηκυια, επιγεια τε και ουρανια. The heretics, against whom he writes, maintaining, that Christ was not the Word, in the language of St. John, by whom the world was made, and that the material things of the world were adverse to Christ—was it consistent in them, he asks, to say, that Christ, by his ordinance, changed the bread and wine into his body and blood, hostile as they were to his nature, which, however, they professed to believe, and that the Eucharist thus formed was the offering most acceptable to God?
* ↑ These homilies, which are not extant in Greek, are thought to have been rather loosely translated by Rufinus of Aquileia ; but, as Rufinus lived in the filth century, the contemporary and antagonist of St. Jerom, his testimony alone serves to prove the faith of the age.
* ↑ Bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia, the friend of Origen, and correspondent of St. Cyprian. He died at Tarsus, at an advanced age, in 269.
* ↑ He was a native of Spain, and a priest; and has left us the Life of Christ in hexameter verse. He flourished about the year 329, under Constantine the Great.
* ↑ He assisted at the Council of Nice, in 325, and seems to have died about 350; leaving behind him a great name among the Churches of the East. His works, as they come down to us, are few, consisting of 18 Discourses, on various religious subjects, addressed to a friend. They were published, with learned notes, a preface, and dissertation, at Rome, in 1756, in the Armenian language, with a Latin translation, by Nicholas Antonelli, a Roman prelate.
* ↑ Of his twenty-three Catechetical Discourses, eighteen were addressed to the uninitiated, or catechumens, and five to the initiated, or newly baptized. I here quote from the latter.
* ↑ The Benedictin editors of St. Basil's works are of opinion, that these books on Baptism are not his; though of some ancient author. Combefis ascribes them to Eustathius of Sebaste—the contemporary of St. Basil.
* ↑ His Catechesis for the instruction of the Neophytes consists of forty chapters.
* ↑ The expressions of this passage are repeated, and more emphatically stated, in a succeeding treatise on the Sacraments, often quoted under the name of St. Ambrose; but as its authenticity is doubted by the most able critics; though it is admitted by them, if not to be coeval with him, to be very ancient; I shall make no use of an uncertain authority. Still the authority proves what was the faith of the times in which the work was written.
* ↑ This passage shews the ancient practice of the Church, of giving to the dying communicant under one kind alone.
* ↑ Christi corpus sacro ore conficunt
* ↑ Ut quomodo in praefiguratione ejus Melchisdec, summi Dei sacerdos, panem et vinum offerens fecerat, ipse quoque veritatem sui corporis et anguinus repraesentaret. See Perpétuiteé del la Foi, T. ii. L. c. v.
* ↑ He was ordained Bishop of Brescia, in Italy, by St. Ambrose, towards the close of the fourth century; but the time of his death is not known. His works are comprised in nineteen discourses or sermons, from the second of which the above extract is taken, written in a plain and easy style.
* ↑ Here is a direct proof that the famous Secret, kept by the Christians, as well from the Catechumens, as from the unbelievers, positively concealed the mysteries, revealed to the newly-baptized; viz. the real presence and the change of substance in the Eucharist. The same is also proved from the passages quoted above from St. Cyril, St.Gregory, and St. Ambrose.
* ↑ Sicut enim antequam sanctificetur panis, panem nominamus; divina autem illum sanctificante gratia, mediante sacerdote, liberatus est quidem appellatione panis, dignus autem habitus est Dominici corporis appellatione, etiamsi natura panis in eo permansit, et non duo corpora, sed unum corpus filii prædicatur. Sic et hic divina insidente corporis natura, unum filium, unam personam, utraque hæc fecerunt: agnoscendum, tamen inconfusam et indivisibilem rationem, non in una solum natura, in duabus perfectis.— The Greek original of this letter is not extant, and the Latin translation seems imperfect : but what difficulty there may be in the word nature, applied to the bread after consecration, should be explained by the other passages from the same Father, which clearly express the real change of substance. Fromother ancient writers, such as Gelasius of Rome,and Theodoret of Cyrus, in Syria, both of the fifth century, passages, similar to that above, are adduced, wherein the word natura, and the Greek equivalents, qvois and ovola, are used, in comparisons from the Eucharist, to denote the external qualities of bread and wine, which before and after consecration remain the same. See Perpétuité de la Foi, T. iii. and on the authenticity of the Letter to Cæsarius, Dupin Bibliot. T. iii. Care Hist. Lit. p. 267, and Montfaucon, T. iii. Op. S. Chrysostomi, p. 736. To my own apprehension, the Letter is manifestly spurious.
* ↑ St. Maruthas was Bishop of Tagrit, in Mesopotamia, and began to flourish about the end of the fourth century. He compiled the Acts of the Martyrs, who suffered in the persecution of Sapor from 340 to 380, and wrote some commentaries on St. Matthew, and other works, in Syriac. He was the friend of St. Chrysostom, but survived him many years. He died before the middle of the fifth century.
* ↑ This Father, more perhaps than any other, was surrounded by Pagans, which frequently obliged him, in pursuance of the discipline of secrecy, to speak with caution, and a studied obscurity, on the Eucharist, in the treatises and popular discourses, to which all sorts of persons were led from curiosity to hear him. Yet, did not express himself less clearly than the other Fathers, when he found himself emancipated from the fear of compromising the secrecy of the mysteries.
* ↑ He was Bishop of Ancyra, in Galatia, and assisted at the Council of Ephesus, in 431.
* ↑ St. Isaac was a priest of Antioch, and flourished under Theodosius the younger, about the middle of the fifth century. Some account of him and his works may be seen in the first volume of the Bibliotheca Orientalis of Jos. Assemani. The above sermon is mentioned by Gennadius, who died about 493.
* ↑ He was placed on the archiepiscopal chair of Ravenna about the year 430, and governed that Church about 20 years. We have 176 of his discourses, which were so much esteemed in those days as to procure him the surname of Chrysologus.
* ↑ A learned layman of Aquitain, and contemporary with St. Augustin, in whose defence he wrote several works, which are extant. He died about the year 463.
* ↑ A learned priest of Marseilles, who flourished from about the middle, to the end, of the fifth century, and of whom we have eight books, On the Government of God; and four books, Against Avarice ; addressed to the Catholic Church, under the name of Timotheus; besides some epistles. Baluze published them together with the Commonitorium of Vincent of Lerins, at Paris, in 1684.
* ↑ The anthenticity of this piece has been strongly contested; but let the decision be what it may, it is plain, that the words nature and substance applied to the bread and wine after consecration by Gelasius,'and the equivalent Greek words puous and ovora, used by Theodoret in the preceding quotation, mean not what, in their present acceptation, is understood by them. They both assert, that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ; therefore, when they add, that the nature and substance of both still remain, they must mean the external or sensible qualities. They may be seen and felt, says Theodoret, as before. The authors of the learned work Perpétuité de la Foi, Vol. III. prove this by many examples drawn from ecclesiastical and profane writers, as from the obvious context of the passages themselves. Should it, however, be conceded, that there is ambiguity in the expressions, or even that the authors of them meant to convey a sense, in our estimation, heterodox, how light must their authority be, when balanced against the massive evidence of so many writers of their own age, and of the preceding centuries ! “Since the ancients," says Erasmus, “ to whom the Church, not without reason, gives so much authority, are all agreed in the opinion, that the true substance of the body and blood of Jesus is in the Eucharist; since, in addition to all this, has been added the constant authority of the Synods, and so perfect an agreement of the Christian world, let us also agree with them in this heavenly mystery, and let us receive here below the bread and the chalice of the Lord, under the veil of the species, until we eat and drink him without veil in the kingdom of God. And would that those who have followed Berengarius in his error, would follow him in his repentance.”—Preface to the Treatise on the Eucharist, by B. Alger, published by Erasmus.
* ↑ On this passage, the learned editor of Irenæus, Dr. Grabe, observes: “ It is certain that Irenæus and all the Fathers—either contemporary with the Apostles, or their immediate successors, whose writings are still extant-considered the blessed Eucharist to be the sacrifice of the new law, and offered bread and wine on the altar, sacred oblations to God the Father; and that this was not the private opinion of any particular church or teacher, but the public doctrine and practice of the Universal Church, which she received from the Apostles, and they from Christ, is expressly shewn in this place, by Irenæus, and, before him, by Justin M. and Clement of Rome.” Nota in Irenæum. p.323.
* ↑ The two works quoted by Cardinal Bona, as the works of St. Ambrose, are not allowed, by the learned, to be his, though of some ancient author.
* ↑ This Council, held about the year 314, consisted of Bishops from all the principal Sees of the East, to the number of, at least, 118. - They enacted twenty-five Canons for the establishment of discipline.
* ↑ This Council was called soon after that of Ancyra, and consisted of nearly the same Bishops.
* ↑ This Council met about the end of the fourth century, in (396 or 399) and has left us sixty Canons, which have ever been held in the greatest estimation.
* ↑ This Council was called by Genethlius, Bishop of Carthage, who presided at it, in 390.-It enacted thirteen canons, respecting the celibacy of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and other points of discipline.
* ↑ He succeeded Timotheus, and sat on the patriarchal Chair of Alexandria from 385 to 412. Some letters remain among those of St. Jerom, and in Beveredge's Canons of the Greek Church.
* ↑ This letter of Paula and Eustochium to Marcella, written to induce her to repair to Bethlem, is generally supposed to have been penned by St. Jerom.
* ↑ He was Bishop of Lyons, and had been a monk in the convent of Lerins. Some works, very elegantly written, are ascribed to him ; but I would not say, that the Sermon, from which I quote this passage, is from him, though I find it under his name. It is admitted, however, to be ancient; and as it delivers explicitly the doctrine, which, in this and in the preceding centuries, had been taught, its authority may fairly be added to the general mass of evidence. He probably was contemporary with Vincent of Lerins, of whom we have made great use; and died about the year 454. See Dupin and Cave.
* ↑ I subjoin, on this important point, the Exposition of our great Bossuet: “ The Church is so far from believing, that any thing is wanting to the sacrifice of the cross, that she deems it, on the contrary, so perfectly and so fully sufficient, that whatever is afterwards added, has been instituted to celebrate its memory, and to apply its virtue. We acknowledge, that all the merit of the redemption of mankind is derived from the death of the son of God: when, therefore, in the celebration of the divine mysteries, we say: “We offer to thee this holy victim ; we pretend not, by this oblation, to make or to present to God a new payment of the price of our salvation; but to offer to him, in our behalf, the merits of Jesus Christ present, and that infinite price which he once paid for us upon the cross. Exposition de la Doctrine Cathol. Sect. xiv. p. 168, Edit. Bruxelles, 1751.
* ↑ The Benedictin editors think this homily is not of Athanasius. It is certainly of some ancient, if not contemporary, author.
* ↑ St. Isidore, the learned Bishop of Seville, in the seventh century, in a work on Etymologies, has the following observations: “Exomologesis means in Greek what confession does in Latin; and of this the signification is two-fold. It is used to denote praise; as when Christ said, (Matt. xi. 25) I praise thee, O Father, (confiteor, étouodoyoupai) Lord of Heaven and earth: or when a person declares his sins, and receives pardon from him, whose mercies fail not. Hence Exomologesis is derived ; and this confession is a declaration of what was before hidden. In sinning was pleasure or interest; but when the sinner reflects, that thereby he has deserved hell, he confesses his error. The confession of error precedes amendment; he, therefore, must amend, who confesses. Confession comes first: pardon follows. But he excludes himself from pardon, who, conscious of sin, confesses it not. Exomologesis, therefore, (in the words of Tertullian) imports the whole discipline of Penance."-Etymolog. L. vi. c. 19, p. 976. Geneve, 1672.
* ↑ “The Bishops of the Churches,” says Socrates, “ added to the Canon, that in each Church a Priest should preside over the administration of penance; and that all those who fell after baptism, should deposit with him the confession of their sins.”—Eccles. Hist. L. v, c. 19. When this discipline was established, “ Sacramental confession, instituted by Christ, always went first; public confession, established by the Church, sometimes followed, but never preceded. The one always indispensably regulated the other, which was but auxiliary. The former, of divine right, has subsisted, and will subsist, in all times : the latter, of ecclesiastical origin, after having obtained for some ages, has been discontinued by the same canonical authority, by which it had been instituted.”—Dr. Trevern, Vol. 11. p. 145.
* ↑ This Greek historian, as also his contemporary Socrates, lived in the following century; whose joint works form a continuation of events from the period, where Eusebius closes, to their own times, the middle of the fifth century.
* ↑ He died at Paris, in 1676, having edited various works; partiticularly the Greek ecclesiastical historians, whom he translated into Latin, and enriched with valuable notes.
* ↑ The Greeks, at this time, distinguished the ordinary Priests, who received secret confessions, from the Penitentiary; by calling the first the ministers of exomologesis, (itouo oyngeus) and the second, the minister of penance, (nipeo Butepos Étte petavolas); the first being of divine, (éĘ åpxns) the second of 'ecclesiastical institution. &ravok, says the historian Sozomenus, ToV ÉTL METAVOLac tpeoputepov., he suspended or abrogated the penitentiary.
* ↑ This observation seems not quite accurate : for his Homilies on Genesis, from which I shall quote passages, are thought by Sir H. Savil and Du Pin, to have been preached at Constantinople; and therefore after the suppression of the Penitentiary.
* ↑ àv doloywpev ta njuapanueva.—This, with ten other Homilies, was published, for the first time, by Montfaucon ; who adds, that they were certainly preached by St. Chrysostom at Constantinople, and in the years 398 and 399.
* ↑ This Homily is placed by the Benedictin editors among the spurious works of St. Chrysostom.
* ↑ To this Pope St. John Chrysostom wrote from his place of banishment, begging, that he would reverse what had been done against him; and allow him to enjoy his Communion.”—Ep. 1 ad Innocent. T. iv. p. 597,598.
* ↑ One hundred and four canons, of which the greater part regards the ordination and duties of Bishops and Priests, are attributed to the fourth Council of Carthage. It assembled in 398, and 214 bishops assisted at it, among whom was the great St. Augustin. St. Aurelius of Carthage presided.
* ↑ He was the master of Lactantius, and taught rhetoric at Sicca in Numidia, the beginning of the fourth, or end of the third century. He has left us seven books against Paganism.
* ↑ Memoria corum et orationibus et oblationbus commenetur.
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* ↑ He alludes to the Apostolical Constitutions, so called; but which, though very ancient, were certainly not compiled by the Apostles.
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* ↑ Quod in isto non remittitur, remitti in futuro seculo, jam supra diximus.
* ↑ Pro defunctis quibsdam, vel ipsius Eclessiæ, vel quorundam piorum exauditur oratio.
* ↑ Neque negandum est, defunctorum anima pietate suorum viventium relvari cum pro illis sacrificium mediatoris offertur, vel eleemosynæ in Ecclesia fiunt.
* ↑ Sed etiam de illo qui emendabit eos qui per ignem salvi erunt.
* ↑ Locum suum habet etiam commendatio mortuorum.
* ↑ Eum prodesse non dubium est.
* ↑ Non sent prætermittendæ supplicationes pro spiritibus mortuorum.
* ↑ (Greek characters)
* ↑ (Greek characters)
* ↑ He lived towards the close of the fifth century, and has left us a commentary on the Psalms.
* ↑ Ut nostris precibus reviviscant.
* ↑ This is the same Liturgy as the “ Sacramentary” of St. Gregory, wha put that of Gelasius into a new form. But before Gelasius, the Church of Rome had a written Liturgy, as appears from the letters of St. Innocent I., St. Celestine, and St. Leo ; which, doubtless, was the basis of the “Sacramentary” of Gelasius, and had been used there, from the first ages of Christianity.
* ↑ “It has been used, as a Sacrament, both by the Latin and Greek Churches, from the earliest times. In the Sacramentary of St. Gregory the Great, are found the ancient rite of blessing the holy oil, with which the sick are to be anointed, and the form of administering this Sacrament, by prayer, and the unction of the senses of the sick person with the blessed oil. It is there prescribed, that he should be anointed in the form of a cross. The Priest says, “I anoint thee with the holy oil, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, &c......and may this sacred unction of oil be to thee an expulsion of disease and weakness, and the wished-for remission of all thy sins.” Then he communicates him, with the body and the blood of the Lord.” - Dr. Poynter's Christianity, p. 172.
* ↑ He was a Priest of that city, and flourished about the close of the fourth, or the beginning of the fifth century. He has left us a commentary on St. Mark's gospel.
* ↑ He was Bishop of that city under Honorius, and was alive in 165. He has left some Homilies.
* ↑ Many are the precepts of the Church, which all the faithful are bound to obey, (Prop. XVI.) besides the three above mentioned, which define the time and manner. But how many, or whatever they be, they all seem to have a direct reference to some previously enjoined law of God, the observance of which they are designed to enforce, or to facilitate, or to perfect. Such is the law of celibacy, which in the language of the Apostle, (1 Cor. vii.) takes away from the ministers of religion much solicitude, and enables them to attend upon the Lord without impediment. And such likewise are the laws relating to certain impediments of matrimony, or irregularities in the qualifications for holy orders; the design of which is to enforce the purity and decorum of the sacramental institutions. In this view, the precepts of the Church are no burdens, nor meant to be; but are means, devised in wisdom and kindness, for our greater sanctification.
* ↑ Seventy-three Bishops assisted at this Council, which was called for the purpose of re-establishing the ancient discipline of the African Church, and of reforming abuses. It was held in 398, and is commonly called the fifth of Carthage; though in the order of time it is only the third.
* ↑ She suffered about the year 307.
* ↑ He that believeth, and is baptised, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be damned.–Mark xvi. 16, Protestant translation.