What the Doctors of the next succeeding ages taught herein, may appear by the writings of S. Cyril, Gennadius, Olympiodorus, and others. S. Cyril from those last words of our Saviour upon the Cross, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, cdelivereth this as the certain ground and foundation of our hope. We ought to believe that the souls of the Saints, when they are departed out of their bodies, are commended unto Gods goodness, as unto the hands of a most dear Father; and do not remain in the earth (as some of the unbelievers have imagined) until they have had the honour of burial; neither are carried, as the souls of the wicked be, unto a place of unmeasurable torment, that is, unto Hell: but rather fly to the hands of the Father, this way being first prepared for us by Christ. For he delivered up his soul into the hands of his Father, that from it, and by it a beginning being made, we might have certain hope of this thing: firmly believing, that after death we shall be in the hands of God, and shall live a far better life for ever with Christ. for therefore Paul desired to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Gennadius, in a book wherein he purposely taketh upon him to reckon up the particular points of doctrine received by the Church in his time, when he cometh to treat of the state of souls separated from the body, maketh no mention at all of Purgatory; but layeth down this for one of his positions. ⟨p. 175⟩dAfter the ascension of our Lord into heaven, the souls of all the Saints are with Christ, and departing out of the body go unto Christ, expecting the resurrection of their body, that together with it they may be changed unto perfect and perpetual blessedness: as the souls of the sinners also being placed in Hell under fear, expect the resurrection of their body, that with it they may be thrust unto everlasting pain. In like manner Olympiodorus, expounding that place of Ecclesiastes,e If the tree fall toward the South or toward the North, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be; maketh this inference thereupon. fIn whatsoever place therefore, either lightsome or dark, that is, either in the foul station of sins or in the honest of virtues, a man is taken when he dyeth, in that degree and order he remaineth for ever.
What the Doctors of the next succeeding ages taught herein, may appeare by the writings of S. Cyrill, Gennadius, Olympiodorus, and o•hers. S. Cyrill from those last words of our Saviour upon the Crosse, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, cdelivereth this as the certaine ground and foundation of our hope. Wee ought to beleeve that the soules of the Saints, when they are departed out of their bodies, are commended unto Gods goodnesse, as unto the hands of a most deare Father; and doe not remaine in the earth (as some of the unbeleevers have imagined) untill they have had the honour of buriall; neyther are carried, as the soules of the wicked be, unto a place of unmeasurable torment, that is, unto Hell: but rather flye to the hands of the Father, this way being first prepared for us by Christ. For hee delivered up his soule into the hands of his Father, that from it, and by it a beginning being made, we might have certaine hope of this thing: firmely beleeving, that after death we shall be in the hands of God, and shall live a farre better life for ever with Christ. for therefore Paul desired to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Gennadius, in a booke wherein hee purposely taketh upon him to reckon up the particular points of doctrine received by the Church in his time, when he commeth to treat of the state of soules separated from the body, maketh no mention at all of Purgatorie; but layeth down this for one of his positions. ⟨p. 175⟩dAfter the ascension of our Lord into heaven, the soules of all the Saints are with Christ, and departing out of the bodie goe unto Christ, expecting the resurrection of their bodie, that together with it they may be changed unto perfect and perpetuall blessednesse: as the soules of the sinners also being placed in Hell under feare, expect the resurrection of their body, that with it they may be thrust unto everlasting paine. In like maner Olympiodorus, expounding that place of Ecclesiastes,e If the tree fall toward the South or toward the North, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be; maketh this inference thereupon. fIn whatsoever place therefore, either lightsome or darke, that is, either in the foule station of sinnes or in the honest of vertues, a man is taken when he dyeth, in that degree and order he remaineth for ever.
- cQuod nobis magnae spei fundamentum a•que originē praebet. Credere namque deb•mus, quū á corporibus sanctorum animae abierint, tanquam in manus charissimi patris, bonitati divinae commendari; nec, ut quidam infidelium crediderunt, in terris conversari, quousque sepulturae honoribus affectae sint; nec, ut peccatorum animae, ad immensi cruciatus locum, id est ad Inferos, deferri: itinere hoc nobis á Christo primùm praeparato, sed in manus potiùs patris evolare. Tradidit enim animam suam manibus genitoris, ut ab illâ & per illam facto initio, certam huius rei spem habeamus: firmiter credentes, in manibus Dei nos post morlem futuros, vitamque multo meliorem ac perpetuò cum Christo victuros. ideò enim Pau•us desideravit resolvi, & esse cum Christo. Cyrill. Alexandr. in Johann. lib. 12. cap. 36.Quod nobis magnae spei fundamentum a•que originē praebet. Credere namque deb•mus, quū á corporibus sanctorum animae abierint, tanquam in manus charissimi patris, bonitati divinae cōmendari; nec, ut quidam infidelium crediderunt, in terris conversari, quousque sepulturae honoribus affectae sint; nec, ut peccatorum animae, ad immensi cruciatus locum, id est ad Inferos, deferri: itinere hoc nobis á Christo primùm praeparato, sed in manus potiùs patris evolare. Tradidit enim animam suam manibus genitoris, ut ab illâ & per illam facto initio, certam huius rei spem habeamus: firmiter credentes, in manibus Dei nos post morlem futuros, vitamque multo meliorem ac perpetuò cum Christo victuros. ideò enim Pau•us desideravit resolvi, & esse cum Christo. Cyrill. Alexandr. in Iohann. lib. 12. cap. 36.
- dPost ascensionem Domini ad coelos, omnium sanctorū animae cum Christo sunt, & exeuntes de corpore ad Christum vadunt, expectantes resurrectionem corporis sui, ut ad integram & perpetuam beatitudinem cum ipso pariter immutentur: sicut & peccatorum animae in inferno sub timore positae, expectant resurrectionem sui corporis, ut cum ipso ad poenam detrudantur aeternam. Gennad. de Ecclesiastic. dogmatib. cap. 79.Post ascensionem Domini ad coelos, omnium sanctorū animae cum Christo sunt, & exeuntes de corpore ad Christum vadunt, expectantes resurrectionem corporis sui, ut ad integram & perpetuam beatitudinem cum ipso pariter immutentur: sicut & peccatorum animae in inferno sub timore positae, expectant resurrectionem sui corporis, ut cum ipso ad poenam detrudantur aeternam. Gennad. de Ecclesiastic. dogmatib. cap. 79.
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