Works, Book 4 · Letter 68
EPISTLE LXVIII.
Mr. Mede's Third Letter to Mr. Estwick, more fully treating of the Gothick Liturgy and a Clause therein of Praying for the Dead to have part in the First Resurrection; with a Passage in Methodius touching the Millennium.
Mr. Estwick,
—THE body of the Gothish Nation, or of one part thereof, had received the Christian Faith before they plundered the Roman Empire; as appeared by Alaricus himself, who with his Army solemnly observed the Christian Rites. Yet seems this to have been between the days of Constantine and Iulian, and not elder. Howsoever, there is no question but there were many Churches among them before, as was in other Nations long before the Faith was publickly received by them. If so, then without doubt when the Nation publickly received the Faith, they received likewise that Form of Liturgy which had formerly been used in their Countrey by those of the Christian Rite amongst them: And thence might remain those passages of Praying for the Dead to have part in Resurrectione Prima. Irenaeus Lib. 1. cap. 3. edit. Fevardent. foreign, &c. Tertullian Lib. adv. Iudaeos, where he tells us that Brittannorum inaccessa Romanis loca were Christo subdita, says moreover, that In Sarmatarum & Dacorum & Germanorum & Scytharum & abditarum multarum Gentium & Insularum nobis ignotraum locis, Christi Nomen, qui jam venit, regnat, &c. Why may not the Goths be comprehended under some of these? As for the Vandals and the rest of those Northern Nations, I find not that they brought any Signs of Christianity with them when they first invaded and seated in the Empire, but were altogether Pagans.
As for that Form of Prayer for the Dead, Vt partem haberent in Resurrectione Prima, I believe it was usual in those Formulae for the Dead till Chiliasm was cried down, and then expunged: namely, that it followed those words (which appear yet in most of those Forms) Vt collocet e…orum animas Deus in sinu …brahae, unde abest doler & suspirium, as it does in this Gothish Missal. Whence it is that now in those Forms there appears no Prayer at all for their Resurrection or Consummation then; notwithstanding that in the Protasis they compellate God with Qui hominem mundi civem mortalem in constitutione sua fecisti, & promisisti ei Resurrectionem. Who can believe that in such Prayers they should not at all pray for the Resurrection? But that passage being it seems anciently specificated to Resurrectio Prima, they thought it sufficient in after-times to omit it, without substitution of any other for it: And hence comes that silence of the Resurrection.
But that you may yet see my thoughts still now and then reflect upon that Speculation, (which you thought I had forgotten) I will give you a passage of Methodius Olympi Lyciae, deinde Tyri Episcopus, and a Martyr sub Decio, (alii sub Valeriano;) which passage, with a good part of his Dialogue de Resurrectione contra Originem, is preserved by Epiphanius Haeres. 74. There Proclus (cui tribuit lonquendi partes) speaks in this manner.
Et verò*foreign. conturbatam iri Creaturam, velut in conflagratione ista morituram, ut restauretur; non tamen extinctum iri exspectandum: Vt in instaurato Mundo ipsimet instaurati ac doloris expertes habitemus; juxta illud Psal. 103. Emittes spiritum tuum & creabuntur, & renovabis faciem terrae. Quòd nimirum ambientem Aerem temperatissimum deinceps facturus sit Deus. Cum enim foreign Terra adhuc perseveratura sit; habitatores in ea futuros omnino necesse est, qui nec morituri sunt ampliùs, ne que copulandi nuptiis, aut procreandae soboli operam deturi; sed Angelorum more foreign in immortalitatis statu*foreign. optima facturi. Proindéque stultum est, Quanam vitae ratione usura sunt corpora (in Resurrectione) quaerere, si nec Aer, neque Terra, neque quicquam caeterorum sit ampliùs futurum.
Whether do you not think this man to have been a Chiliast? But no man desires to be acquainted with Notions that way; wherefore then should I go about to cram them? I think scarce any of you of my acquaintance knows the tenth part of my adventures that way. I can be content to satisfie my self without troubling others, unless I see them seriously desirous to be informed. But no man I find loves any Speculations but such as he thinks will advance his profitable ends, or advantage his Side or Faction. Mundus amat decipi. But there will be a time one day, when God thinks fit.
Christ's Coll. Nov. 15. I. M.