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ON PRAYER

FOR

THE DEAD.

PRAYER for the dead, as it is used in the Church of Rome, doth necessarily suppose purgatory: and therefore whatsoever hath been alleged out of the Scriptures and fathers against the one, doth stand in full force against the other: so that here we need not actum agere, and make a new work of overthrowing that which hath been sufficiently beaten down already. But on the other side, the admittal of purgatory doth not necessarily infer prayer for the dead: nay, if we shall suppose with our adversaries that purgatory is the prison", from whence none "shall come out until they have paid the utmost farthing;" their own paying, and not other men's praying, must be the thing they are to trust unto, if ever they look to be delivered out of that jail. Our Romanists indeed do commonly take it for granted, that "Purgatory and prayer for the dead be so closely linked together, that the one doth necessarily follow the other": but in so doing, they reckon without their host, and greatly mistake the matter. For howsoever they may deal with their own devices as they please, and link their prayers with their purgatory as closely as they list: yet shall they never be able to shew, that the commemoration and prayers for the dead, used by the ancient Church, had any relation

a Matt. chap. 5. ver. 26.

b Bishop against Perkins reform. catholic. part. 2. pag. 149.

unto their purgatory; and therefore, whatsoever they were, popish prayers we are sure they were not. I easily foresee, that the full opening of the judgment of the fathers, in this point, will hardly stand with that brevity which I intend to use in treating of these questions: the particulars be so many, that necessarily do incur into the handling of this argument. But I suppose the reader will be content rather to dispense with me in that behalf, than be sent away unsatisfied in a matter, wherein the adversary beareth himself confident beyond measure, that the whole stream of antiquity runneth clearly upon his side.

That the truth then of things may the better appear: we are here prudently to distinguish the original institution of the Church, from the private opinions of particular doctors, which waded further herein than the general intendment of the Church did give them warrant; and diligently to consider, that the memorials, oblations and prayers, made for the dead at the beginning, had reference to such as rested from their labours, and not unto any souls which were thought to be tormented in that Utopian purgatory, whereof there was no news stirring in those days. This may be gathered, first, by the practice of the ancient Christians, laid down by the author of the commentaries upon Job, which are wrongly ascribed unto Origen, in this manner. "We observe the memorials of the saints, and devoutly keep the remembrance of our parents or friends which die in the faith; as well rejoicing for their refreshing, as requesting also for ourselves a godly consummation in the faith. Thus therefore do we celebrate the death, not the day of the birth: because they which die shall live for ever: and we cele

c Propterea et memorias sanctorum facimus, et parentum nostrorum vel amicorum, in fide morientium, devote memoriam agimus ; tam illorum refrigerio gaudentes, quam etiam nobis piam consummationem in fide postulantes. Celebramus nimirum, religiosos cum sacerdotibus convocantes, fideles una cum clero ; invitantes adhuc egenos et pauperes, pupillos et viduas saturantes: ut fiat festivitas nostra in memoriam requiei defunctis animabus, nobis autem efficiatur in odorem suavitatis in conspectu æterni Dei. Lib. 3. commentar. in Job, inter opera Origenis, tom. 2. pag. 902.

brate it, calling together religious persons with the priests, the faithful with the clergy; inviting moreover the needy and the poor, feeding the orphans and widows: that our festivity may be for a memorial of rest to the souls departed, whose remembrance we celebrate, and to us may become a sweet savour in the sight of the eternal God." Secondly, by that which St. Cyprian writeth of Laurentinus and Ignatius: whom he acknowledgeth to have received of the Lord palms and crowns for their famous martyrdom; and yet presently addeth, "We offer sacrifices always for them, when we celebrate the passions and days of the martyrs with an anniversary commemoration." Thirdly, by that which we read in the author of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, set out under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite. For where the party deceased is described by him to have departed out of this life "replenished with divine joy, as now not fearing any change to worse," being come unto the end of all his labours; and to have been both privately acknowledged by his friends, and publicly pronounced by the ministers of the Church, to be a happy man, and to be verily admitted into the "society of the saints that have been from the beginning of the world:" yet doth he declare, that the bishop made prayer for him, (upon what ground we shall afterward hear), that "Gods would forgive him all the sins that he had committed through human iufirmity, and bring him into the light and the land of the living, into the bosoms of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, into the place from whence pain and sorrow and sighing flieth." Fourthly, by the funeral ordinances of the Church, related by St. Chrysos

d Sacrificia pro eis semper, ut meministis, offerimus; quoties martyrum passiones et dies anniversaria commemoratione celebramus. Cyprian. epist. 34. op. pag. 47.

e Vid. supr. pag. 180, et 181,

1 ὡς κοινωνὸν ὄντως ὄντα τῶν ἀπ' αἰῶνος ἁγίων, ἱερῶς ἀνακηρυττόμεvov. Dionys. Ecclesiast. hierarch. cap. 7.Op. tom. 1. pag. 266.

6 'Η μὲν οὖν εὐχὴ, τῆς θεαρχικῆς ἀγαθότητος δεῖται πάντα μὲν ἀφεῖναι τὰ δι' ἀνθρωπίνην ἀσθένειαν ἡμαρτημένα τῷ κεκοιμημένῳ, κατατάξαι δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν φωτὶ καὶ χώρα ζώντων, εἰς κόλπους ̓Αβραὰμ, καὶ Ισαάκ, καὶ Ιακώβ, ἐν τόπῳ οὗ ἀπέδρα οδύνη καὶ λύπη καὶ στεναγμός. Ibid. pag. 267.

tom: which were appointed to admonish the living, that the parties deceased were in a state of joy, and not of grief. "For" tell me," saith he, "what do the bright lamps mean? do we not accompany them therewith as champions? What mean the hymns?" "Consider what thou dost sing at that time. Return my soul unto thy rest; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. And again, I will fear no evil, because thou art with me. And again, Thou art my refuge from the affliction that compasseth me. Consider what these psalms mean."

Fifthly, by the forms of the prayers, that are found in the ancient liturgies: as in that of the Churches of Syria, attributed unto St. Basil: "Be mindful, O Lord, of them which are dead, and are departed out of this life; and of the orthodox bishops which, from Peter and James the apostles until this day, have clearly professed the right word of faith; and, namely, of Ignatius, Dionysius, Julius, and the rest of the saints of worthy memory. mindful, O Lord, of them also which have stood unto blood for religion, and by righteousness and holiness have fed thy holy flock:" and, in the liturgy fathered upon the apostles, "We offer unto thee for all the saints which have pleased thee from the beginning of the world, patri

Be

* Ειπὲ γάρ μοι τὶ βούλονται αἱ λαμπάδες αἱ φαιδραί; οὐχ ̓ ὡς ἀθλητὰς αὐτοὺς προπέμπομεν; τι δὲ οἱ ὕμνοι; Chrysost. in epist. ad Ηebr. hom. 4. op. tom. 12. pag. 46.

· Εννόησον τὶ ψάλλεις κατα τὸν καιρὸν ἐκείνον. Επίστρεψον, ψυχή μου εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου, ὅτι Κύριος εὐηργέτησέ σε. καὶ πάλιν, Οὐ φοβηθήσομαι κακὰ, ὅτι σὺ μετ ̓ ἐμοῦ εἰ. καὶ πάλιν, Συ' μοῦ εἰ καταφυγὴ ἀπὸ θλίψεως τῆς περιεχούσης με. ἐννόησον τι βούλονται οὗτοι οἱ ψαλpoi. Id. ibid. pag. 47.

k Memento etiam, Domine, eorum qui decesserunt migraruntque ex hac vita, et episcoporum orthodoxorum qui inde a Petro et Jacobo apostolis, ad hunc usque diem, rectum fidei verbum clare sunt professi; et nominatim Ignatii, Dionysii, Julii, ac reliquorum divorum laudabilis memoriæ. Memento, Domine, eorum quoque qui usque ad sanguinem pro religione steterunt, et gregem tuum sacrum per justitiam et sanctitatem paverunt, &c. Basilii anaphora, ab Andr. Masio, ex Syriaco conversa.

1 *Ετι προσφέρομέν σοι καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν ἀπ' αἰῶνος εὐαρηστησάντων σοι ἁγίων, πατριαρχῶν, προφητῶν, δικαίων, ἀποστόλων, μαρτύρων, ὁμολογητῶν, ἐπισκόπων, πρεσβυτέρων, διακόνων, &c. Constitut. apostolic. lib. 8. cap. 12.

archs, prophets, just men, apostles, martyrs, confessors, bishops, priests, deacons, &c." And in the liturgies of the Churches of Egypt, which carry the title of St. Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, and Cyril of Alexandria; "Bem mindful, O Lord, of thy saints: vouchsafe to remember all thy saints, which have pleased thee from the beginning, our holy fathers, the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, preachers, evangelists, and all the souls of the just, which have died in the faith and especially the holy, glorious, the evermorevirgin Mary, the mother of God; and St. John the forerunner, the baptist and martyr; St. Stephen the first deacon and martyr; St. Mark the apostle, evangelist and martyr, &c." and, in the liturgy of the Church of Constantinople, ascribed to St. Chrysostom; "We" offer unto thee this reasonable service, for those who are at rest in the faith, our forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets and apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, religious persons, and every spirit perfected in the faith: but especially for our most holy, immaculate, most blessed lady, the mother of God and aye-virgin Mary": which kind of oblation for the saints sounding somewhat harshly in the ears of the Latins, Leo Thuscus in his translation thought best to express it to their better liking after this manner; "We offer unto thee this reasonable service

m Memento, Domine, sanctorum tuorum: dignare ut recorderis omnium sanctorum tuorum, qui tibi placuerunt ab initio, patrum nostrorum sanctorum, patriarcharum, prophetarum, apostolorum, martyrum, confessorum, evangelizantium, evangelistarum, et omnium spirituum justorum, qui obierunt in fide: et imprimis sanctæ, gloriosa, semperque virginis Dei genitricis, Mariæ; et sancti Johannis præcursoris, baptistæ et martyris; sancti Stephani protodiaconi et protomartyris ; sancti Marci apostoli, evangelistä et martyris ; &c. Liturg. Ægyptiac. Basil. Greg. et Cyrilli, a Victorio Scialach ex Arabico convers. pag. 22, 47, et 60. edit. August. ann. 1604.

η "Ετι προσφέρομέν σοι τὴν λογικὴν ταύτην λατρείαν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν πίσω τει ἀναπαυσαμένων, προπατέρων, πατέρων, πατριαρχῶν, προφητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων, κηρύκων, εὐαγγελιστῶν, μαρτύρων, ὁμολογητῶν, ἐγκρατευτῶν, καὶ παντὸς πνεύματος ἐν πίστει τετελειωμένου. ἐξαιρέτως τῆς παναγίας, ἀχράντου, ὑπερευλογημένης δεσποίνης ἡμῶν, θεοτόκου, καὶ ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας. Chrysost. liturg. Graec.

• Adhuc offerimus tibi rationabile hoc obsequium, pro fideliter dormientibus

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