Gremio senis abdita sancti Of Abraham, the Jew Philo write left this mortality, he was adjoined to joying immortality, and made equal as our Saviour speaketh of the ch rection'. So where Job saith: " my mother's womb, and naked sh the Greek schools expound it thu unto God, unto that blessed end a that is free from sorrow;" which mentaries upon Job ascribed to C at large: "Thither" will I go, sa tabernacles of the righteous, wh saints are, where is the rest of th consolation of the godly, where is merciful, where is the bliss of the joy and consolation of such as low will I go, where is light and life, cundness, where is joy and exulta MTstament. For w, that Christ ved the bosom limbus is now as de common recep s to remain until time they admit sion of the kingGregory Nyssen, they had a desire to left seeking that heayet are they notwithcy of this favour, God for us, according to bout us should not appeareth to every Elysian fields, that ich is called Abraf sons, even of the nations that were , and of the same Gal, under no yoke of sin. That region Man, although not shall give rest in the teous, until the consurrection of all, with And we have heard St. Hilary aithful, when they are gone out rved by the Lord's custody for ly kingdom; being in the mean of Abraham, whither the wicked by the gulf interposed betwixt ntering again into the kingdom of again: "The rich and the poor rve us for witnesses: one of whom the seats of the blessed and in other the region of punishment "Ford the day of judgment is the either of bliss or pain: but the ry one under his laws, while either nt reserveth every one unto judg ixt the doctors in their judgment of Abraham, and the resting of the in, we find noted in part in those Gospel, which go under the name of f Antioch, and Eucherius bishop of rich man," say they, "did in hell by some is thought to be the reason: before the coming of our Lord Jesus introitum illum regni cœlestis per custodiam Doatur: in sinu scilicet interim Abrahæ collocati, quo aos inhibet, quousque introeundi rursum in regnum Hil. in Psal. 120. op. pag. 383. us dives et pauper: quorum unum angeli in sedibus au locaverunt, alium statim pœnæ regio suscepit. Id. under the state of the New as of the Old Testament. For they did not hold, as our Romanists do now, that Christ by his descension emptied limbus, and removed the bosom of Abraham from hell into heaven: their limbus is now as full of fathers as ever it was, and is the common receptacle wherein they suppose all good souls to remain until the general resurrection; before which time they admit neither the fathers nor us unto the possession of the kingdom of heaven. "For Abraham," saith Gregory Nyssen, " and the other patriarchs, although they had a desire to see those good things, and never left seeking that heavenly country, as the apostle saith, yet are they notwithstanding that, even yet in expectancy of this favour, God having provided some better thing for us, according to the saying of St. Paul, that they without us should not be made perfect." So Tertullian: "It appeareth to every wise man that hath ever heard of the Elysian fields, that there is some local determination, which is called Abraham's bosom, to receive the souls of his sons, even of the Gentiles; he being the father of many nations that were to be accounted of Abraham's family, and of the same faith wherewith Abraham believed God, under no yoke of the law, nor in the sign of circumcision. That region therefore do I call the bosom of Abraham, although not heavenly yet higher than hell, which shall give rest in the mean season to the souls of the righteous, until the consummation of things do finish the resurrection of all, with * Καὶ γὰρ οἱ περὶ τὸν ̓Αβραάμ πατριάρχαι, τοῦ μὲν ἰδεῖν τὰ ἀγαθὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἔσχον, καὶ οὐκ ἀνῆκαν ἐπιζητοῦντες τὴν ἐπουράνιον πατρίδα, καθώς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος· ἀλλ ̓ ὅμως ἐν τῷ ἐλπίζειν ἔτι τὴν χάριν εἰσὶ, τοῦ Θεοῦ κρεῖττον τι περὶ ἡμῶν προβλεψαμένου, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Παύλου φωνὴν, ἵνα μή, φησι, χωρὶς ἡμων τελειωθῶσι. Greg. Nyssen. de Hominis opificio, cap. 22. op. tom, 1. pag. 103. a Unde apparet sapienti cuique qui aliquando Elysios audierit, esse aliquam localem determinationem, quæ sinus dicta sit Abrahæ, ad recipiendas animas filiorum ejus etiam ex nationibus, patris scilicet multarum nationum in Abrahæ censum deputandarum, et eadem fide qua et Abraham Deo credidit, nullo sub jugo legis, nec in signo circumcisionis. Eam itaque regionem sinum dico Abrahæ, etsi non cœlestem, sublimiorem tamen inferis, interim refrigerium præbituram animabus justorum, donec consummatio rerum resurrectionem omnium plenitudine mercedis expungat. Tert. lib. 4. contr. Marcion. cap. 34. the fulness of reward." And we have heard St. Hilary say before, that "all the faithful, when they are gone out of the body, shall be reserved by the Lord's custody for that entry into the heavenly kingdom; being in the mean time placed in the bosom of Abraham, whither the wicked are hindered from coming by the gulf interposed betwixt them, until the time of entering again into the kingdom of heaven do come;" and again: "The rich and the poor man in the Gospel do serve us for witnesses: one of whom the angels did place in the seats of the blessed and in Abraham's bosom; the other the region of punishment did presently receive." "Ford the day of judgment is the everlasting retribution either of bliss or pain: but the time of death hath every one under his laws, while either Abraham or punishment reserveth every one unto judgment." The difference betwixt the doctors in their judgment concerning the bosom of Abraham, and the resting of the ancient fathers therein, we find noted in part in those expositions upon the Gospel, which go under the name of Theophilus bishop of Antioch, and Eucherius bishop of Lyons. "In that the rich man," say they, "did in hell behold Abraham, this by some is thought to be the reason: because all the saints before the coming of our Lord Jesus Exeuntes de corpore ad introitum illum regni cœlestis per custodiam Domini fideles omnes reservabuntur: in sinu scilicet interim Abrahæ collocati, quo adire impios interjectum chaos inhibet, quousque introeundi rursum in regnum cœlorum tempus adveniat. Hil. in Psal. 120. op. pag. 383. c Testes nobis evangelicus dives et pauper: quorum unum angeli in sedibus beatorum et in Abrahæ sinu locaverunt, alium statim pœnæ regio suscepit. Id. in Psalm. 2. pag. 52. d Judicii enim dies, vel beatudinis retributio est æterna vel pœnæ. Tempus vero mortis habet unumquemque suis legibus, dum ad judicium unumquemque aut Abraham reservat aut pœna. Id. ibid. e In hoc quod apud infernum Abrahamum vidit, hæc subesse a quibusdam ratio putatur; quod omnes sancti ante adventum Domini nostri Jesu Christi etiam ad inferna, licet in refrigerii locum, descendisse dicuntur. Alii opinantur locum illum in quo Abraham erat, ab illis inferni locis seorsim in superioribus fuisse constitutum: propter quod dicat Dominus de illo divite, quod elevans oculos suos cum esset in tormentis, vidit Abraham de longe. Theophil. Antioch. allegor. in Johan. lib. 4. Eucher. Lugd. de quæstionib. novi Testam. in Luca. Christ, are said to have descended into hell, although into a place of refreshment. Others think that the place wherein Abraham was, did lie apart from those places of hell, situated in places above, for which the Lord should say of that rich man, that lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off." The former of these opinions is delivered by some of the doctors doubtfully, by others more resolutely. Primasius setteth it down with St. [Augustine's qualifications: "It seemeth that without absurdity it may be believed." The author of the imperfect work upon St. Matthew saith, that "peradventures the just did ascend into heaven before the coming of Christ; yet that he doth think, that no soul before Christ did ascend into heaven, since Adam sinned, and the heavens were shut against him, but all were detained in hell;" and, "ash I do think," saith the Greek expositor of Zachary's hymn likewise, "even our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the whole choir of the holy prophets and just men, did enjoy the coming of Christ." Of which coming to visit the fathers in hell, St. Hierome', Ruffinusk, Venantius Fortunatus', Gregorym, Julianus Toletanus", and Eusebius Emissenus" (as he is commonly called) interpret that question propounded by Si non absurde credi videtur. Primasius, lib. 5. in Apocalyps. cap. 20. secutus Augustinum, lib. 20. de civit. Dei, cap. 15. g Vis autem manifeste scire, quoniam ante Christum cœli si aperiebantur, iterum claudebantur. Nam justi quidem forsitan ascendebant in cœlum: peccatores autem nequaquam. Ideo autem dixi, forsitan, ne quibusdam placeat etiam ante Christi adventum justorum animas ascendere potuisse in cœlum. Alioqui nullam animam ante Christum arbitror ascendisse in cœlum, ex quo peccavit Adam, et clausi sunt ei cœli: sed omnes in inferno detentas. Op. imperf. in Matth. homil. 4. inter opera Chrysostomi. h Ut enim arbitror, etiam patres nostri, Abraham, Isaac, et Jacob, et totus chorus sanctorum vatum et justorum, Christi adventu perfruiti sunt. Catena Græca in cantica utriusque Testamenti, ab Ant. Carafa convers. tom. 1. operum Theodoreti, pag. 729. edit. Colon. 1573. i Hieron. epist. ad Algas. quæst. 1. et lib. 2. commentar. in Matth. cap. 11. k Ruffin. in exposit. Symboli. Ven. Fortunat. in exposit. Symboli. Gregor. lib. 1. in Ezech. hom. 1. et in evang. hom. 6. op. tom. 1. pag. 1176. et 1453. n Julian. Tolet. lib. 2. contra Judæos. • Euseb. homil. in evangel. Dominic. 3. adventus. |