Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A27340
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The belief of praying for the dead
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Belhaven, John Hamilton, Baron, 1656-1708.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing B1787; ESTC R16794
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35,862
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72
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the starrs of Heaven and our Lord repented was pacified of the evil which he thought to do unto his People Thus Moses pray'd to God by the Mediation of the holy Patriarchs A Form of Prayer so pleasing to Heaven that God having declar'd a little before how He would consume the Israelites for their Sin of Idolatry the Memories of His holy Servants though not yet in Heaven being but laid before Him He presently pardon'd them And how much more easily will he yield himself to be overcome by the Intercession of those who sing His perpetual Praises in eternal Felicity This is just the * Con. Trid. Sess 22 Cap. 3. Roman Catholicks praying to Saints How agreeable to the practice of the Primitive Church How conformable to Scripture In the Liturgy of Constantinople S. Chrys Lit. edit Goar in Euchol p. 78. Par. 1647. continues the Discourser said to be Saint Chrysostom's we find the very same We offer unto Thee this reasonable service for those who are at Rest in the Faith our Fore-Fathers Fathers Patriarks Prophets and Apostles Preachers Evangelists Martyrs Confessors Religious Persons and for every Spirit perfected in the Faith especially for our most Holy Immaculate and most Blessed Lady the Mother of God the ever Virgin Mary Here the Discourser wisely ended the Prayer before he came to Amen Or rather found his Mistake and so made a Pause The Liturgy goes on raising the Praises of Our B. Lady beyond those of Seraphims Then adds the Saint whose Memory we celebrate and all the Saints Ibidem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whose Intercession we beseech Thee O GOD to protect us This is the Reason which the Liturgy gives of the Primitive Church praying GOD to be mindful of his Saints If you now ask but why did She pray for Souls departed the following Words of the same Liturgy will satisfy you He the Priest says for the Dead For the Rest and Remission of the soul of thy servant N O GOD instate it in a lightsome place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where there is no more any Grief or Weeping seat it where it may see the splendour of Thy Face The Priest prays for Rest the Departed therefore is in Pain the Priest prays for his Remission which shews him to be in Sin. This is so plain of its self That Nicholaus Cabasila admir'd how any one of ordinary Capacity could so grosly mistake the sence of the Liturgy as the Discourser has done Some here are deceiv'd says this Author taking the Commemoration of Saints as a Prayer made to GOD for them In Exposit Liturg c. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not as a Thanksgiving What gave occasion to this Thought I cannot imagin For neither the things themselves nor the Words of the Sacrifice afford any the like Conception But what do we pray for in reference to them who sleep For Remission of their sins for their Inheritance of the Kingdome of GOD for their Rest in the Bosome of Abraham with the consummated Saints Thus the Greek Church pray'd S. Aug. Serm. de Verb. Aplic 1. Ideoque habet Ecclesiastica disciplina quod fideles noverunt cum Martyres eo loco recitantur ad Altare Dei ubi non pro ipsis oratur pro caeteris autem Defunctis oratur injuria est enim pro Martyre orare cujus nos debemus orationibus commendare And this is what St. Austin affirms of the Latin Church's pious Custome though not well understood by Strangers The Faithful says this Father know what means this Ecclesiastical Duty when the Martyrs are repeated in their place at the Altar of GOD where Prayers are not offer'd for them but for other Commemorated Souls they are offer'd For it is an Injury to pray for a Martyr to whose Intercession we ought to recommend our selves And elsewhere he tells us how Prayers benefit other Commemorated Souls * Enchir. cap. 110 Pro non valdè bonis Propitiationes sunt They are Expiations says He for those who are not very bad CHAP. III. Of the Greek Church Praying for the Dead THE Discourser offers Three Reasons to prove That the Greek Church never pray'd for the Dead with intent to free them from Purgatory or a Middle State where they suffer Pain and Anguish for the Remainder of their Offences I. Discourse p. 7. Their Apology penn'd by Marcus Eugenicus Archbishop of Ephesus and presented to Cardinal Cusan declares as much II. The Deputies of the Council of Basil the Year before positively declare That they neither had received any such Doctrine from their Ancestors and therefore they would never accept it III. The Proceedings of the same Marcus and of the Greek Church after neither of which would be drawn to consent to this Vnion If what is related by the Discourser may be supposed to have been transacted which is much to be suspected the Three Reasons alledged must of necessity be understood of some other Controversy than what is under Debate for this was never contradicted by the Greek Church Indeed some single Persons may unfortunately have fallen into Errour and so share in the forgoing Reasons And in this sence the First Reason evidences of what mind Marcus was before the Council of Florence but the Greek Church alwaies profess'd the contrary Doctrine The Second Reason foretells how Marcus with his Deputy would not own in the Council to have received any such Tradition from his Ancestors and therefore would never accept it but the Subscription of the Greek Church is there extant and Recorded against him The Last Reason concludes Marcus continued firm in his former erroneous Resolution but the Greek Church carried home what She had publickly consented to and sign'd in the Synod But Marcus never consented to the Council's Determination nor did Arius to the Nicean And Macedonius was averse to that of Constantinople and Nestorius never approv'd of the Third oecumenical Council O strange Proceeding The Discourser's Cause is so desperate that he 's forc'd to rely on an Apostate from Faith to support it The Greek Church before the Council of Florence Against the First Reason Perform'd this Christian Duty to Souls departed in the sence already set down This is not an Opinion pick'd out of some single Writer or warranted without any Tradition It is the general Practice of their Church Authorized in their Liturgies and acknowledg'd in their publick Offices and Devotions The Liturgy which is Ascrib'd to St. Chrysostom prays That the Souls departed may change their Sins into Pardon their Pain into Rest their Griefs and Weepings into Joys and Jubilees of never ending Satisfaction The Words are already mention'd in the foregoing Chapter S. Basil's Liturgy on Whit-sunday Feast S. Bas Precat tertia in Pentacosten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uses the same Language O GOD Who vouchsafest on this perfect and all-saving Feast to receive the Suffrages and Supplications made for the Detained in Hell or place of Purgation
intent these Obblations were made Tertullian teaches us elsewhere for lesser Faults for which the dead are imprison'd he GOD will cast thee into the infernal Goal Tertull. de Anima c. 35. Ille te in Carcerem mandet infernum unde non dimitteris nisi modico quoque delicto mora Resurrectionis expenso whence thou shalt not go forth until the smallest Fault be expiated in the delay of Resurrection And finally Tertullian affirms this middle state or prison where smaller Faults are to be expiated before the detained go to Heaven into the delay of Resurrection to be part of what the Church believ'd in these Words If you ask a Command for this in Scripture there is none to be found Lib. de Coron Mil. c. 4. Traditio tibi pretendetur auctrix consuetudo confirmatrix fides observator Tradition from the Apostles has increas'd this into a Precept Custom confirms it Faith observes it Dionysius Areopagita Makes mention of Three States of Men after death De Hierar Eccles. tom 1. c. 7. Edit Paris 1644. Pag 352. 357. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The First are the Wicked who die miserably and go straightway to Hell and for whom the Priest never prays at the Altar For the Wicked deceased he never prays The Second State is of the Just who go straightway to Heaven and of these he recounts two degrees Some liv'd a divine Life upon earth others not so fervent in Charity a holy Life both after death enjoy the sight of God. The Prelate prays for neither They want not his Prayers For both of them he gives Thanks to God Ib. pag. 352. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who leads here a divine says S. Denis and most holy Life as much as 't is possible for man to imitate God shall in the next World enjoy divine and happy Rest And whose Life is inferiour to this divine one yet likewise holy he will receive equal recompence for his Merits The blessed Prelate giving Thanks for this divine Justice goes on with the holy Sacrifice Thus the Roman Catholick Church holds prayers offer'd with reference to the Saints a Thanks-giving to GOD. Besides these Two States we find mention of a Third This cannot be Hell the place admits of Mercy It cannot be Heaven the detained are not yet fully purg'd from sin or lesser Faults And it is for the remission of these that the Prelate prays The Prayer of the Holy Prelate implores the Divine Goodness to pardon the deceased of all his sins committed by humane frailty Ib. Parag. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to transfer him into the light and region of the Living and to seat him in the Bosom of Abraham Isaac and Jacob in a place where there is no more any pain sorrow or sighing S. Maximus in his exposition of this passage S. Max. in Dionys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calls these Faults of human frailty little Sins and these are those venial Offences which accompanyed the dead to Purgatory there to be expiated before the detained change sorrow grief or weeping into joy and eternal felicity and of which the Church of ROME begs pardon in her Prayers for Souls departed And lest succeeding Ages should be forgetful of the dead or oppose this pious Devotion of the Faithful for them S. Denis guided with a Prophetick Spirit left in few words Three strong Motives which are of themselves proper to remind the Forgetful of this duty and able to convince any unbyas'd Understanding of it First he says That this Doctrine is divinely reveal'd Secondly That it is grateful to Heaven Thirdly That these Prayers will prove effectual to relieve the Dead Ib. Pag. 357 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy Bishop concludes this ancient FATHER asks what is divinely promis'd what is acceptable to God and what will certainly be granted And after this can any one pretend to be exempted from praying with intent to help Souls departed in a middle state of pain sorrow and sighing or of Purgatory where lesser Faults are expiated This is the sense the Greeks gave of Dionysius Areopagite and they understood his Language Mich. in Ep. ad Nilum Mona 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You have says Michael Glyca chiefly Dionysius the Great banishing the Opinion of no middle State and openly teaching what sins may and what may not be pardon'd For discoursing of those who died in Sin he adds this if they be small they receive help from Good Works which are done for them if they be notorious Faults GOD has concluded against them And Gabriel Severus a Greek Schismatick writing against the Latins about the being of real Fire in Purgatory which is no matter of Faith declares the Greeks agree with the Latins In as much as we the Greeks likewise affirm That the Souls of those who piously departed are help'd in those places in which they are kept Gab. Tract de Purgat adu Lat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and set free by Alms-deeds and Prayers which are offer'd for them as Dionysius Areopagite says The Discourser apprehended very much the pressing of this ancient Father's Authority and therefore would have us doubt of his Works and calls him the pretended Dionysius But the two Greeks above-mentined call him the true Areopagite so does S. Gregory the Great S. Greg. hom 34. Evang. Conc. 6. Gen. Act. 5. Relatio est aliud Testimonium è Codicillo S. Dionysij Episcopi Atheniensis Martyris Apud Niceph. l. 15. c 14. S. Greg. Naz. orat 42. in Pascha so does the sixth OEcumenical Council Juvenalis Bishop of Jerusalem who Liv'd at the Time of the fourth OEcumenical Synod affirms the same S. Gregory Nazianzen makes use of this Authority Dionysius Alexandrinus Commented upon him in the Third Age as S. Maximus assures us And the Monotholite Hereticks citing his Authority 't was explicated by the Fathers of the Church as that of Dionysius And I think these grave and weighty Authorities will easily sink down the light Pretension of a Discourser CHAP. VIII Of Scriptures recommending Prayers for the DEAD HOly Scriptures have in many places recommended this pious Office to the Faithful I 'le content my self with three or four Instances The First shall be what we read in the Second Book and Twelth Chapter of The Maccabees And the day following Judas came with his Company to take away the bodies of them that were overthrown and with their Kins-men to lay them in the Sepulchres of their Fathers And they found under the Coats of the slain some of the Donaries of the Idols that were in Jamnia from which the Law forbideth the Jews therefore it was made plain to all that for that cause they were slain All therefore Blessed the just Judgment of our Lord who had made manifest the hidden things And turn'd to Prayers they beg'd of him that the Sin committed might be perfectly blotted out Then Judas exhorted the People to keep themselves from