Paulinus, have I been thy Holiness's debtor wont to supplicate for the departed: so that
ON CARE TO BE HAD FOR THE DEAD.
[DE CURA PRO MORTUIS.]
From the Retractations, Book ii. Chap. 64.
The book, Ox care to be had for the dead, I wrote, having been asked by letter whether it profits any person after death that his body shall be buried at the memorial of any Saint. The book begins thus: Long time unto your Holiness, my venerable fellow-bishop Paulinus.
not be void of effect 3 that the whole Church is wont to supplicate for the departed: so that hence it may be further conjectured that it doth profit a person after death, if by the faith of his friends for the interment of his body such a spot be provided wherein may be apparent the aid, likewise in this way sought, of the Saints.
1. Lone time, my venerable fellow-bishop Paulinus, have I been thy Holiness's debtor for an answer; even since thou wrotest to me by them of the household? of our most religious daughter Flora, asking of me whether it profit any man after death that his body is buried at the memorial of some Saint. This, namely, had the said widow begged of thee for her son deceased in those parts, and thou hadst written her an answer, consoling her, and announcing to her concerning the body of the faithful young man Cynegius, that the thing which she with motherly and pious affection desired was done, to wit, by placing it in the basilica of most blessed Felix the Confessor. Upon which occasion it came to pass, that by the same bearers of thy letter thou didst write also to me, raising the like question, and craving that I would answer what I thought of this matter, at the same time not forbearing to say what are thine own sentiments. For thou sayest that to thy thinking these be no empty motions of religious and faithful minds, which take this care for their deceased
2. But this being the case, how to this opinion that should not be contrary which the Apostle says, ** For we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, that each may receive according to the things he hath done by the body,* whether good or bad;''5 this, thou signifiest, thou dost not well see. For this apostolic sentence doth before death admonish to be done, that which may profit after death; not then, first, when there is to be now a receiving of that which a person shall have done before death. True, but this question is thus solved, namely, that there is a certain kind of life by which is acquired, while one lives in this body, that it should be possible for these things to be of some help to the departed; and, consequently, it is 'according to the things done by the body," that they are aided by the things which shall, after they have left the body, be religiously done on their behalf. For there are whom these things aid nothing at all, namely, when friends. Thou addest, moreover, that it can-
1 The date may be conjectured from the order of the Retractatzoms, where this book is mentioned next after the Euchiridion aa Laurentium, which was not finished earlier than A. D. 421. The first two paragraphs of this treatise will be fouad quoted by Augustin in his Book On Ezght Questions af Dulcitius, Quest. 11, 2, 3. Ben. ed. Paulinus, to whom it was addressed,was Bishop of Nolz, and took great pains to honor the memory of St. Felix, who is mentioned in the beginning of it. Several poems of his on the subject are extant,
3 Vacare. 4 Per corpus. 5 2 Cor. v. 10.
2 Homines.