1 Ep. 22. al.64. [tom. 2. p. 27.] A. D. 392. help of his prayers and his advice. St. Augustine' in his answer, thanks him in the name of Alypius and the rest of those who lived with him in common, for the friendship he professed towards them. He then comes to the matter in hand, and exhorts him to correct the abuses which had been introduced in Africa, at the revels held in honour of the Martyrs, and that, not on the festivals alone, but every day, and even in the Churches2. 2 § 3. $4. He brings forward3 the example of Italy and the greater part of the Churches across the sea where these disorders did not exist, whether it was that they never had, or that the care of the Bishops had removed them. "The abuse," adds St. Augustine, "is so great that the authority of a Council "only can cure it; if however, one Church should take the "lead, it is that of Carthage. But let every thing be done "with moderation; harshness and haughtiness are unavail"ing; success must be sought from teaching rather than from commanding, from warning rather than from threatening'. "It is thus a multitude must be treated, severity is to be "used against the sins of individuals. If menaces are em"ployed, let it be with grief, and by setting forth by the Scriptures the wrath to come, so that not ourselves nor our "power, but God be the object of fear in our expostulations. "Thus those under the influence of the Holy Spirit' will be "the first touched, and by their influence the rest will be "gained. But since these revellings and intemperate feasts "are looked upon by the rude and ignorant, not only as "honours paid to martyrs but as contributing to the relief of "the dead, I think that they will more easily be persuaded, "if, while the authority of the Scriptures is urged, care be "also taken at the same time to avoid all excessive expense "in the offerings made for the spirits of those who are b Prayer for the Dead, in the early Church was peculiarly connected with the Holy Sacrifice (S. Aug.Confess.9.13. 4. Supra, bk. 18. ch. 56.) but not by any means exclusively. The anniversary of the departed brother's death was considered the most appropriate time (Tertul. de Exhort. Cast. c. 11. de Monog. c. 10. de Coron. Mil. c. 3.), especially in the case of the Martyrs (S. Cypr. Ep. 37. [36.], 34. [33.]); and for the place, the Martyrs were commemorated at their 66 graves, (Euseb. Præp. Evang. 13. 11.) "fallen asleep, (which, we must believe, do really somewhat A. D. 392. "help them,) and that they be distributed with alacrity to all "who apply for them." These offerings on the graves are spoken of in the book of Tobit'. The rest of St. Augustine's 'Tob. 17.4. letter to Aurelius consists of wise and modest advice with in Eus. 9. 2.) after the persecution under Dioclesian; and churches, moreover, were enriched with their relics. (See p. 103. note q, and Cf. Ep. Eccles. Smyrn. de Martyr. Polyc. ap. Euseb. 4. 15.) In these places, then, Martyrs were commemorated, and others from a pious feeling would be deposited in a Martyr's Basilica (S. Aug. De Cura pro Mort. gerend. c. 5. (7.) tom. 6.), a practice which St. Augustine approves, on the ground that the living would be thereby better reminded to pray for the departed. In the Apostolical Constitutions the Oblation is made for all who had lived well-pleasing to GOD from the beginning of the world. (lib. 8. c. 12.) Prayer for the Martyrs, at least in the time of St. Austin, took the form of thanksgiving; he declares it to be "an injury" to pray in any other sense for those, "to whose prayers we ought to be commended," Serm. 159. (17 de Verb. Apostol.) tom. 5. p. 765. c. 1; for the other faithful dead, intercession was made. However, St. Austin declares that Rom. 14. 10. is by no means contradicted by this custom, for "unless a man so lived here, as to "have obtained this merit, viz. that 66 prayers offered for him may profit "him, they are useless." Enchirid. 109, 110. (29.) tom. 6. p. 238. quoted by Rabanus Mogunt. A. D. 871. (Cf. S. Cyril. Hieros. Catech. Mystag. 5. c. 9.) Penitents, who had met with sudden death, were commemorated with prayers and oblations. Conc. Carth. 4. can. 79. Mans. 3. p. 957. Alms too were offered for the repose of the dead (Ibid.), fasting observed (Theodor. Cantuar. capit. 7. A.D. 688.), Psalms sung (Conc. Bracar. 1. A.D. 561. c. 16.), and above all, the "sacrifice of the propitiation" offered. Supra, c. 33. S. Aug. De Cura Mort. c. 4. tom. 6. quoted Conc. Cabilon. 2. A. D. 813. c. 39. Mans. 14. p. 101. There were cases in which it was thought sacrilege to celebrate the mass for the dead, e. g. for suicides (Theod. ubi Supr. c. 63. See too c. 56. and Greg. 3. Pap. Epist. A. D. 720. ad Bonif. c. 3. Vid. first rubric for Burial of the Dead); the oblation of prayer and alms alone was allowed. In the case of Martyrs, since their Natalitia were celebrated from the first in times of persecution, hence arose the custom of celebrating them by the light of tapers at their Konτhpia during the night. Customs, which had originated through necessity, were afterwards retained as figurative and on pious grounds. Two canons (34, 35.) of Conc. Eliber. A.D.305. refer to the present subject, the first forbidding the use of lighted tapers for an assigned reason (vid. not.) during the day, the other forbidding women to be present at the Vigils. Another principle, namely, the desire to convert the heathen, led St. Gregory Thaumaturgus to institute feastings on the Natalitia of the Martyrs, A.D. 254. at Neocæsarea in Cappadocia (Vit. per S. Greg. Nyss. tom. 3. p. 573, 574.) These were connected with the Agapæ of Holy Scripture, but, as was probable, became grossly abused, and were put down by St. Ambrose (Confess. 6. 2. see Supra, bk. 18. ch. 51.) partly for the same reason which led St. Gregory, under different circumstances, to allow it. They were most common in Africa (where too we find it had become necessary for Conc. Carth. 3. c. 6. Mans. 3. p. 881. to forbid administering the Eucharist to the dead) and were discouraged by St. Ambrose's hearer, St. Augustine. One of the points of the heresy of Aerius was his condemnation of Prayer for the Dead. Supra, ch. 36. 66 66 66 The Church of England retains this pious practice in her Burial Service (Wheatley, ch. 12. Sect. 4. § 2.), "for we pray that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of GOD'S holy Name, may have our perfect con"summation and bliss; which is not 'barely a supposition that all those, "who are so departed, will have their "perfect consummation and bliss; but a prayer also that they may have it, "viz. that we with them and they with us, may be made perfect together, "both in body and soul, in the eternal "and everlasting glory of God." See the rest of the Section. 66 A. D. 392. respect to the preservation of humility in the midst of honours and praises, without the compromise of authority. [ plena Africæ.] In consequence of St. Augustine's advice, Aurelius as'Conc.tom. sembled at Hippo' a general' Council of the whole of Africa, 2. p. 1149. [Mans. 3. and several canons were passed, which became a model to p. 849.] succeeding Councils. There are enumerated as many as rium totius forty-one3, of which the thirty-first forbids a Bishop and Conc.tom. Clerks to eat in the church, unless through necessity on a [Mans. 3. journey, and requires them to prevent the people from doing so as much as possible'. A decree also was made, in reference Vid.p.1050, 1165, 1216. to the re-union of Donatists, in these words"; "Former [Mans.699, "Councils have forbidden the admission of Donatist Clergy p.885.c.30.] "to the same rank in the Church, allowing them only lay p.1181.D. « communion, with a view to their salvation, which we must [Mans. 2. p. 1180. p. 894.] 875, 969.] [ Mans. 896.] "refuse none. But whereas the lack of Clergy in the African "Church is such, that some places are totally destitute, it is "decreed, that those shall be excepted of whom it can be "ascertained that they have not rebaptized, as well as those "who shall desire to be admitted with their flocks to the "communion of the Church Catholic. For we ought not to "doubt but that the good of peace and the sacrifice of charity "effaces the evil which these last, misled by the authority of "their forefathers, have committed by rebaptizing. This deI cree, however, shall not be confirmed until the Church across the sea has been consulted." This Council of Hippo was held in the Council Hall of the Basilica of Conc. Afr. Peace, on the eighth of October, in the year of the Emperor [Mans. 4. Theodosius' Consulship with Abundantius, A. D. 393. At p. 481.] secretario. this Council, St. Augustine by order of the Bishops, delivered tom. 2. in their presence a discourse On Faith and the Creed. From post. c. 33. this, at the request of his friends he afterwards composed a book, which is an epitome of Christian doctrine. About the same time, his intimate friend Alypius went to Jerusalem and, becoming acquainted with St. Jerome, spoke to him of St. Augustine, and the seeds of that friendship were now sown, which was afterwards cemented between the two Saints. 6 tom. 2. p. 1641. $ Cod. Can. p. 1066. [p. 732. Mans.] 9 S. Aug. Retract. 1. 17. XLII. St. Jerome was constantly employed in his retreat at Writings of St. Jerome Bethlehem, in defending the doctrine of the Church. In the against Jo- fourteenth year of Theodosius A.D. 392, he composed, at the vinian. 2 pars 2. p. 97.] 19. pars 2. request of the Prætorian Præfect Dexter, his Catalogue of A. D. 392. Ecclesiastical Writers'. He remarks that no one had before [' tom. 4. him undertaken a similar work, acknowledging at the same time the use he made of the History of Eusebius. He shews the utility of it as an answer to the calumnies of Celsus, Porphyry and Julian, by proving how many learned and eloquent men had taught and defended the Christian Religion. He begins with St. Peter, and placing himself at the end enumerates the works he had written up to this date; the last which he mentions are the two Books against Jovinian, and the Apology to Pammachiuse. He wrote against Jovinian' at the request Supr. ch. of certain believers at Rome, who sent him the works of this heretic for that purpose. He refuted him in two books. [3 tom. 4. The first is mainly occupied in proving the excellence of p. 144.] celibacy. Carried away by his natural warmth', he so ex-lib. 1. c.4. [p.145-6.] alts virginity above wedlock, and widowhood above second c. 22. [P. marriage, that he seems to regard marriage as an evil, rather 189.] tolerated than expressly permitted. This startled many, Apol. 1. and his friend Pammachius informed him of it, and withdrew [p. 229.] as many copies of this work against Jovinian as he could. St. Jerome thanked him, but told him that the trouble he Ep.52. [31. took was to no purpose, for many copies had gone abroad in A.D. 394-5. the East, and some had been brought back even from Rome. p. 243.] ad "As soon," said he, "as I write any thing, either those who love "me or those who envy me lose no time in publishing it; all “then that I can do is to send you an Apology for the work;" which he did with this letter. Bened. Pamm. 230.] In this Apology he repeats and explains all the places where he seemed to speak slightingly of marriage'. As InJov.c.3. Jovinian accused the Catholics of Manicheeism", he shewed [Apol. p. 229.] that, first, he condemned the Marcionites, Manichees, and [ Supr. 18. 9. n. p.] Encratites, who abhorred marriage", that he allowed that [ p. 145, marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled, according to the Scripture', and that he had preferred continence1 Heb. 13. only as being a greater good; that he acknowledged wed- 14. lock to be the source of virginity, that he had not condemned second and third marriages', that finally the appar- [p.232-3.] ently harsh passages ought to be judged by the rest of the e These are omitted in the Benedictine Edition. They were written after the publication of the Catalogue, c. Jovin. İ. [p. 175.] c. 6. [P. 239.] c. 4. [p. 235-6.] A. D. 392. book. He notices, as he had already done in his work ['p. 242.] against Jovinian', that Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, held the converse of marriage to be incompatible with the service of the Altar. He remarks that at Rome the faithful, even the married, communicated daily, and that when they did not think themselves in a condition to enter the Church, still they did not fail to receive the Body of CHRIST at home. He bids his censurers bear in mind the difference between writing to refute an error and for simple instruction. In the first an author is apt to take more scope, and does not always declare his intention. He is obliged sometimes to speak not as he really feels, but with reference to the prejudices of his opponent. He cites the examples of the most eloquent among Pagans and Christians, and appeals to St. Paul himself, at whose eloquence and consummate skill, though clad in simple and rude expressions, he expresses his admiration. St. Jerome wrote on the same subject to his friend Domnio' against the A.D. 395.] declamations of a certain work, for whom he expresses considerable contempt. Ep. 51. [32. Scr. XLIII. Ordination anus, ad Joan. ap. 60. [110. p. 822.] Meanwhile there rose against him more considerable adof Paulini versaries in the East, for this is the time of his great dispute with John, Bishop of Jerusalem, which originated in the following way. Paulinianus, St. Jerome's brother, lived with 'S. Epiph. him in the Monastery of Bethlehem. There were two Priests' S.Hier. Ep. in this community, St. Jerome and Vincentius, both of whom were so humble, that they were unwilling to offer the sacrifice. Paulinianus was judged worthy of the priesthood, but feeling himself unworthy, and fearing compulsory Ordination, he carefully avoided meeting any Bishops. Their friend, St. Epiphanius, had founded a monastery at his birth-place", S. Hier. in the diocese of Eleutheropolis, in Palestine'. While he was ad Theoph. there, Paulinianus went with several Monks to see him, that Ep.62. [39.] c.3. [p.337.] they might give him satisfaction for some cause of displeasure bk. 13. ch. 41. he had against them. St. Epiphanius believed that Providence had sent him; and as divine service was being performed in the church of a village near his monastery, he caused Paulinian (who was wholly unconscious of his intention) to be seized by several Deacons, and ordered them to stop his mouth, lest to deliver himself he should conjure them in St. Jerome intimates his disapprobation of the practice. |