funeral action was performed, and the sepulture completed: so that it was not lawful by the custom of the Jews any more to open the sepulchre, or disturb the interred body'. Thirdly, Two eminent persons did concur unto the burial 222 of our Saviour, a ruler and a counsellor2, men of those orders λαξευτὸν μνημεῖον ἐν πέτρα. [Cont. Cels. 1. ii. § 69. Vol. 1. p. 439 в.]), and that, when it speaks of a Jewish custom, must be taken in that sense which is most congruous to their custom, and as they used the word. Now they rendered the word yn by Aатоμеiv, as 1 Kings v. 15. 2 y λατόμων ἐν τῷ ὄρει. Isa. li. 1. 1027 Ο έμβλέψατε εἰς τὴν στερεὰν πέτραν ἣν ἐλατομήσατε, unde excisi. As therefore Deut. vi. 11. λákκους λελατομημένους οὓς οὐκ ἐξελατό μησας. So Isa. xxii. 16. "OT λarbμησας σεαυτῷ ὧδε μνημεῖον,—καὶ ἔγραψας σεαυτῷ ἐν πέτρᾳ σκηνήν· in both places Xaroμeî is nothing else but arm, and there μνημεῖον λελατομημένον, in the language of the Jews, is to be taken in the same sense with λáκкos Meλaroμnuevos, that is, digged or hewn out of the ground. This is well expressed by Origen: Η ταφὴ ἔχει τὴν καθαρότητα διὰ τοῦ συμβολικοῦ δηλουμένην ἐν τῷ ἀποτεθεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα ἐν μνημείῳ καινῷ ὑφεστῶτι· οὐκ ἐκ λογάδων λίθων οἰκοδομηθέντι, καὶ τὴν ἕνωσιν οὐ φυσικὴν ἔχοντι, ἀλλ ̓ ἐν μιᾷ καὶ δι ̓ ὅλων ἡνωμένῃ πέτρα λατομητ Kai λažeυT. Cont. Celsum. 1. ii. [$ 69. p. 439 D.] And this cutting the sepulchre out of the rock, rather than building of it in the earth, is very material, in the opinion of St Jerome, who makes this observation on Matt. xxvii. 64. [Vol. VII. p. 239 D.] In monumento novo, quod excisum fuerat in petra, conditus est: ne si ex multis lapidibus ædificatum esset, suffossis tumuli fundamentis, ablatus furto diceretur:' and gives this interpretation of the prophet Isaiah: "Quod autem in sepulcro ponendus esset, prophetæ testimonium est, dicentis, Hic habitabit in excisa spelunca petræ fortissimæ, statimque post duos versiculos sequitur, Regem cum gloria videbitis.' Ibid. [p. 240 c.] Another use of the same supposition is made likewise by St Ambrose: 'Domini corpus tamquam per Apostolorum doctrinam infertur in vacuam et in novam requiem lapidis excisi; scilicet in pectus duritiæ gentilis quodam doctrinæ opere excisum Christus infertur, rude scilicet ac novum, et nullo antea ingressu timoris Dei pervium.' In Matt. c. xxvii. Thus was the sepulchre prepared for the body: and when Joseph had laid it there, προσεκύλισε λίθον μέγαν πρὸς τὴν θύραν, he rolled a great stone to the door, the last part of that solemnity. [Matt. xxvii. 60.] For this great stone was said to be rolled, by reason of the bigness, as being not portable, (from whence arose the women's doubt, Mark xvi. 3. Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?) and that very properly, for it had its name from that rolling, being called ,גוללא or גולל,constantly by the Jews הגולל אבן גדולה ורחבה .volvere גלל from שסותמים בה פי הקבר מלמעלה מלשון וגללו 128 Obadias de Bartenora. 1 This hath been observed by the אסור לפתוח הקבר אחר,Jews themselves It is prohibited for any שנסתם הגולל man to open the sepulchre, after it is shut with the rolled stone. 2 So they are styled in the Scriptures, Joseph Bovλeurns, and Nicodemus apxw, and these two powers ruled all then at Jerusalem under the Romans. As appeared when Agrippa prevented a war by the sudden raising of a tax: Eis δὲ τὰς κώμας οἵ τε ἄρτ χοντες καὶ οἱ βουλευταὶ μερισθέντες τοὺς φόρους συνέλεγον. Joseph. de Bell. Jud. 1. ii. c. 17. § 1. * This passage occurs in St Hilary (Comm. in Matth. c. 33, § 8, p. 751 a). among the Jews as were of greatest authority with the people; Joseph of Arimathæa, rich and honourable, and yet inferior to Nicodemus, one of the great Council of the Sanhedrim: these two, though fearful while he lived to acknowledge him, are brought by the hand of Providence to inter him; that so the prediction might be fulfilled which was delivered by Isaiah to this purpose. The counsel of his enemies, the design of the Jews, made his grave with the wicked, that he might be buried Isai. lii. 9. with them which were crucified with him: but because he had Isai. liii. 9. done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth; because he was no way guilty of those crimes for which they justly suffered; that there might be a difference after their death, though there appeared little distinction in it; the counsel of his Father, the design of heaven, put him with the rich in his Isai. liii. 9. death, and caused a counsellor and a ruler of the Jews to bury him. 45. The necessity of this part of the Article appeareth, first, in that it gives a testimony and assurance of the truth both of Christ's death preceding, and of his resurrection following. Men are not put into the earth before they die: Pilate was very inquisitive whether our Saviour had been any while dead, and Mark xv. 44, was fully satisfied by the centurion, before he would give the body to Joseph to be interred. Men cannot be said to rise who never died; nor can there be a true resurrection, where there hath not been a true dissolution. That therefore we might believe Christ truly rose from the dead, we must be first assured that he died; and a greater assurance of his death than this we cannot have, that his body was delivered by his enemies from the cross, and laid by his disciples in the grave. Secondly, A profession to believe that Christ was buried is necessary, to work within us a correspondence and similitude of his burial: for we are buried with him in baptism, even col. ii. 12. buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was Rom. vi. 4. raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life. That nothing may be done or suffered by our Saviour in these great transactions of the Mediator, but may be acted in our souls, and represented in our sprits'. 1 Quidquid gestum est in cruce Christi, in epultura, in resurrectione tertio die, ir adscensione in cælum, in sede ad dexteram Patris; ita gestum Acts v. 6. Thirdly, It was most convenient that those pious solem- 223 nities should be performed on the body of our Saviour, that his disciples might for ever learn what honour was fit to be received and given at their funerals. When Ananias died, though for his sin, yet they wound him up, and carried him Acts viii. 2. out, and buried him: when Stephen was stoned, devout men carried him to his burial, and made great lamentation over him: and when Dorcas died, they washed her, and laid her in an upper chamber: so careful were the primitive Christians of the rites of burial. Before, and at our Saviour's time, the Greeks did much, the Romans more, use the burning of the bodies of the dead, and reserved only their ashes in their urns; but when Christianity began to increase, the funeral flames did cease, and after a few emperors had received baptism, there was not a body burnt in all the Roman empire'. For Acts ix. 37. vita Christiana quæ hic geritur. Nam τὸ λέγειν, Συμμορφούμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ· καὶ τό, Εἰ συναπεθάνομεν καὶ συζήσομεν. οὕτω καὶ ἡ ταφὴ αὐτοῦ φθάνει ἐπὶ τοὺς συμμόρφους τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς συσταυρωθέντας αὐτῷ καὶ συναποθανόντας, καθὸ καὶ τῷ Παύλῳ λέλεκται τό, Συνετάφημεν γὰρ αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, καὶ συναιέστημεν αὐτῷ. 1 This appeareth by Microbius, who lived in the time of Theodosius junior, and testifieth thus much: 'Licet urendi corpora defunctorum usus nostro sæculo nullus sit, lectio tamen docet, eo tempore quo igni lari honor mortuis habebatur,' &c. Saturnal. 1. vii. c. 7. That this was done by the Christians is certain, lecause the heathens anciently did ooject it to the Christians: 'Inde viddicet et execrantur rogos, et damnat ignium sepulturas.' And the answer given to this objection was: Nec, ut creditis, ullum damnum sepultura timemus, sed veterem et meliorem consuetudinem humandi frequentamis.' Minuc. Felix, in Octavio, c. 11 and 34. And Tertullian: Et hoc enim in opinione quorundam est; proptereanec ignibus funerandum aiunt, parcentes superfluo animæ. Alia est autem ratio pietatis istius, non reliquiis animæ adulatrix, sed crudelitatis etiam corporis nomine aversatrit, quod et the first Christians wholly abstained from consuming of the dead bodies with fire, and followed the example of our Saviour's funeral', making use of precious ointments for the dead, which they refused while they lived, and spending the spices of Arabia in their graves. The description of the persons which interred Christ, and the enumeration of their virtues, and the everlasting commendation of her who brake the box of precious ointment for his burial, have been thought sufficient grounds and encouragements for the careful and decent sepulture of Christians. For as natural reason will teach us to give some kind of respect unto the bodies of men though dead, in reference to the souls which formerly inhabited them; so, and much more, the followers of our Saviour, while they looked upon our bodies as living temples 1 Cor. vi. 19. of the Holy Ghost, and bought by Christ, to be made one 2 Pet. ii. 1. ipsum homo non utique mereatur pœnali exitu impendi.' De Anima, c. 51. At ego magis ridebo vulgus, tunc quoque, cum ipsos defunctos atrocissime exurit, quos postmodum gulosissime nutrit, iisdem ignibus et promerens et offendens. O pietatem de crudelitate ludentem! sacrificat, an insultat, quum crematis cremat?' Idem de Resur. Carn. c. 1. 1 The heathens objected it to the primitive Christians: 'Reservatis unguenta funeribus.' Minucius Fel. c. 12. And Tertullian confesseth it: 'Thura plane non emimus. Si Arabiæ queruntur, scient Sabai pluris et carioris suas merces Christianis sepeliendis profligari, quam deis fumigandis.' Apol. c. 42. And speaking of spices, lib. de Idololat. c. 11. Etiam hominibus ad pigmenta medicinalia, nobis quoque insuper ad solatia sepulturæ usui sunt.' So Clemens Alexandrinus, Μυρίζονται γὰρ οἱ νεκροί· and again: Αἱ γὰρ ὑπέρμετροι χρίσεις τῶν μύρων κηδείας, οὐ συμβιώσεως, ἀποπνέουσιν. Pædag. 1. ii. c. 8. [pp. 205, 208.] 2 Ipse Dominus die tertio resurrecturus religiosa mulieris bonum opus prædicat, prædicandumque commendat, quod unguentum pretiosum super membra ejus effuderit, atque hoc ad eum sepeliendum fecerit. Et laudabiliter commemoranturin Evan- 8 Οὐδὲν δὲ—λυπεῖ ἡμᾶς, οὐδὲ τὸ -Νεμεσσομαί γε μὲν οὐδὲν παρειών. in Phil. ii. 21. day like unto his glorious body, they thought them no ways to be neglected after death', but carefully to be laid up the wardrobe of the grave, with such due respect as might become the honour of the dead, and comfort of the living. And this decent custom of the primitive Christians was so acceptable unto God, that by his providence it proved most effectual in the conversion of the heathens and propagation of the Gospel. Thus I believe the only-begotten and eternal Son of God, 224 for the confirmation of the truth of his death already past, and the verity of his resurrection from the dead suddenly to 1 'Nec ideo tamen contemnenda et abjicienda sunt corpora defunctorum, maximeque justorum atque fidelium, quibus tamquam organis et vasis ad omnia bona opera sanctus usus est Spiritus. Si enim paterna vestis et annulus, ac si quid hujusmodi tanto carius est posteris, quanto erga parentes major affectus; nullo modo ipsa spernenda sunt corpora, quæ utique multo familiarius atque conjunctius quam quælibet indumenta gestamus. Hæc enim non ad ornamentum vel adjutorium, quod adhibetur extrinsecus, sed ad ipsam naturam hominis, pertinent.' S. August, de Civit. Dei, 1. i. c. 13. [Vol. vi. p. 13 F.] Ταῦτα τελέσας ὁ ἱεράρχης, ἀποτίθησιν ἐν οἴκῳ τιμίῳ τὸ σῶμα μεθ ̓ ἑτέρων ὁμοταγῶν ἱερῶν σωμάτων. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν ψυχῇ καὶ σώματι τὴν θεοφιλῆ ζωὴν ὁ κεκοιμημένος ἐβίω, τίμιον ἔσται μετὰ τῆς ὁσίας ψυχῆς καὶ τὸ συναθλῆσαν αὐτῇ σῶμα κατὰ τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἱδρῶτας. Ἔνθεν ἡ θεία δικαιοσύνη μετὰ τοῦ σφετέρου σώματος αὐτῇ δωρεῖται τὰς ἀμοιβαίας λήξεις, ὡς ὁμοπορεύτῳ καὶ συμμετόχῳ τῆς ὁσίας ἢ τῆς ἐναντίας ζωῆς. Dionys. Areopagita. Eccl. Hierarch. c. 7. [$ 9.] 'Propter patrem militiam Christi deseram, cui sepulturam Christi causa non debeo, quam etiam omnibus ejus causa debeo?' S. Hieron. Epist. ad Heliodorum. [Ep. 14. § 3. Vol. 1. p. 30 D.] 2 This was observed by Julian the apostate, who, writing to an idolatrous high-priest, puts him in mind of those things by which he thought the Chris tians gained upon the world, and recommends them to the practice of the heathen priests. Of these he reckons three; the gravity of their carriage, their kindness to strangers, and their care for the burial of the dead. Τί οὖν ἡμεῖς οἰόμεθα ταῦτα ἀρκεῖν, οὐδὲ ἀποβλέπομεν ὡς μάλιστα τὴν ἀθεότητα (50 he calls Christianity, because they rejected all the heathen gods) συνηύξησεν, ἡ περὶ τοὺς ξένους φιλανθρωπία, καὶ ἡ περὶ τὰς ταφὰς τῶν νεκρῶν προμή θεια, καὶ ἡ πεπλασμένη σεμνότης κατὰ τὸν βίον; ὧν ἕκαστον οἴομαι χρῆναι παρ' ἡμῶν ἀληθῶς ἐπιτηδεύεσθαι. Epist. 49. ad Arsacium. And as Julian observed the care of burial as a great encouragement to the heathens to turn Christians, so Gregory Nazianzen did observe the same to the great dishonour of the apostate, comparing his funeral with his predecessors. Ο μέν γε (that is Constantius) παραπέμπεται πανδήμοις εὐφημίαις τε καὶ πομπαῖς, καὶ τούτοις δὴ τοῖς ἡμετέ ροις σεμνοῖς, ᾠδαῖς παννύχοις καὶ δᾳδουχίαις, αἷς Χριστιανοὶ τιμὴν μετάστασιν εὐσεβῆ νομίζομεν· καὶ γίνεται πανήγυρις μετὰ πάθους ἡ ἐκκομιδὴ τοῦ σώματος. In Jul. [Orat. 5. § 16. Vol. I. p. 157 D.] But as for Julian: Μίμοι γελοίων ἦγον αὐτόν, καὶ τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς σκηνῆς αἴσχεσιν ἐπομπεύετο ἕως ἡ Ταρσέων αὐτὸν ὑποδέχεται πόλις ἔνθα δέ οἱ τέμενος ἄτιμον, καὶ τάφος ἐξάγιστος, καὶ ναὸς ἀπόπτυστος, καὶ οὐδὲ θεατὸς εὐσεβῶν ὄψεσι. Ibid. [§ 18. p. 159 B.] |