[Footnote 116: Vol. viii. p. 281. Le Quien, who published them
in 1712, refers to earlier homilies on the Dormitio Virginis.
Jo. Damas. Paris, 1712. vol. ii. p. 857.] {310}
The following are among the expressions in which the preacher, in the
passage under consideration, addresses the Virgin's tomb: "Thou, O Tomb,
of holy things most holy (for I will address thee as a living being),
where is the much desired and much beloved body of the mother of God?"
[Vol. ii. p. 875.] The answer of the tomb begins thus, "Why seek ye her
in a tomb, who has been taken up on high to the heavenly tabernacles?"
In reply to this, the preacher first deliberating with his hearers what
answer he should make, thus addresses the tomb: "Thy grace indeed is
never-failing and eternal," &c. [P. 881.] By the maintainers of the
invocation of saints, many a passage far less unequivocal and less
cogent than this has been adduced to show, that saints and martyrs were
invoked by primitive worshippers.
We find John Damascenus thus introducing the passage of Euthymius, "Ye
see, beloved fathers and brethren, what answer the all-glorious tomb
makes to us; and that these things are so, in the EUTHYMIAC HISTORY, the
third book and fortieth chapter, is thus written word for word." [P.
877.]
Lambecius maintains, that the history here quoted by John Damascenus was
not an ecclesiastical history, written by Euthymius, who died in A.
Pages:
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366