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Orthodox Confession
St Peter Mogila, tr. Lodvel, 1762
Part 2, 5. Questions 41–50
Question 41
What are those Offices of Humanity which respect the Body?
Answer.
They are seven. First, To give Food unto the Hungry, according to the Saying of Christ (Matth. xxv. 35), I was an hungered, and ye gave me Meat. To those, namely, who are in Necessity, and who could not supply their Needs by their own Labour. And for the Discharge of this Duty we must use what we have earned by our Labour, or otherwise gotten with Honesty: As the Scripture teaches us (Prov. iii. 9), Honour the Lord with thy Substance, and with the first Fruits of all thine Increase. But we are not to confine our Alms to those only who apply to us for them publicly in the Streets, nor yet to those only who lie sick in the public Hospital, but we must also extend them to those who, through Modesty, or any other Impediment, cannot ask our Alms. And we must be cautious, to the utmost, that these our good Deeds may be as secret as possible, lest we receive our Reward in the Praises of Men: According to the Words of our Lord Christ (Matth. vi. 2), When thou doest thine Alms, do not sound a Trumpet before thee, as the Hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the Streets, that they may have Glory of Man. Verily I say unto you, They have their Reward.
Question 42
What is the second Act of Mercy?
Answer.
The second Act of Mercy is to give Drink to the Thirsty; namely, to those who, through Poverty or Disability of Body, cannot produce wherewithal to quench their Thirst. And hereby is meant and intended all Sorts of Drink, insomuch that whoso giveth only a Cup of cold Water to him that hath need of Water, the same shall be a Partaker of this Beatitude: According to what our Saviour himself said in the Scripture (Mark ix. 41), Whosoever shall give you a Cup of Water to drink in my Name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his Reward. In this Duty are included all those Services and good Offices of any Kind that are done unto the Poor and Needy: Those, namely, who cannot by their own Labour and Care provide for the Necessities of Hunger and Thirst.
Question 43
What is the third Work of Mercy?
Answer.
The third Work of Mercy is to clothe the Naked. Those obtain this Beatitude who, with a benevolent Mind toward their Fellow-Creatures, relieve them in their Distress and clothe those who are Destitute of Garments. Unto such will Christ, at the Day of Judgment, render a Reward, and say unto them (Matth. xxv. 34), Come, ye Blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Beginning of the World. And hereby, not only those are meant who are destitute of all Clothing, but also they whose Clothing is not sufficient to defend them from Cold. And they, likewise, who, through hard Fortune, scarcely can support themselves through the Want of proper Clothes, to whom the Merciful Man will render the Offices of Humanity, and supply their Necessities with suitable Necessaries, to protect them from the Injuries of Weather.
Question 44
What is the fourth Work of Mercy?
Answer.
To visit those who are in Prison. In the Discharge of which Duty let him not be anxious whether the Person deserved or not to be cast into Prison, or who he be: For whosoever he be, or whatever his Crime, nevertheless we owe this Duty to him for the Sake of Christ our Lord; and we must visit and comfort him, lest he fall into Despair.
Question 45
What is the fifth Work of Mercy?
Answer.
That we should Visit the Sick. And we must discharge this Duty without inquiring whether the sick Person be our Neighbour, or Friend, or Kindred, or Acquaintance; for it is incumbent on us to visit those who are sick, although utterly unknown to us, especially those who are ill in the public Hospital. First, We should comfort the Sick, by expressing our Concern for his Distress. Secondly, By exhorting the Sick to bear his Afflictions patiently, and that he should receive his Visitation of the Lord without Murmuring or Discontent; but rather that he should with his Heart and Voice give Thanks unto God, who thus expresseth his Favour and Kindness towards him, and firmly repose his Trust on God’s Mercy for being restored to Health. Moreover, we should induce the sick Person to confess his Sins with a broken and contrite Heart, and to receive the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, and the Holy Oil, as the Church directs. For these Mysteries not only many Ways promote the Salvation of the Soul, but also contribute to the Healing of the Body. Furthermore, we should offer up our Prayers to God for them, and also recommend them to the public Prayers of the Church. And if the sick Person be so poor that he cannot apply unto the Church, then it is the Duty of the Pious and Well-disposed to call upon his own Ghostly Father, that he may supply his spiritual Necessities. Above all, let him be sure to admonish the Sick earnestly, that he do not use any unlawful and superstitious Means for his Recovery, such as the Church hath forbidden; such as magical Charms and Incantations, and Contracts with the Devil; for from these he will receive infinitely more Hurt than Advantage or Benefits to his Health: But, on the contrary, that he should place all his Trust and Confidence in God’s Mercy only, and make Use of such Medicines as the skilful Physician prepares or directs for him. Whoso after this Manner shall visit the Sick shall, according to this Beatitude, be blessed both in this World and that which is to come. However, when the Sick Person is ill of any contagious Disease, or of the Plague itself, then the devout Christian may take such Measures in the Discharge of this Duty as may best conduce to the Safety of his Life, and do that which himself cannot in Person, by the Administration of others who can.
Question 46
What is the sixth Work of Mercy?
Answer.
To receive the Stranger into one’s House, with Cheerfulness and Hospitality; especially those who, being on their Way to visit holy Places, that they may there pay their Vows and Worship, turn in unto us. Such are all religious Mendicants and Travellers, whose Necessities he must relieve according to his Abilities that desires to be an Inheritor of this Beatitude; and more especially those who are sick and destitute in the public Streets, and are forced to beg by the Wayside.
Question 47
What is the seventh Work of Mercy?
Answer.
To bury the Dead. And this Duty we should perform with Promptitude and Readiness, especially to those who die in extreme Poverty, on whom we should bestow such Things as are requisite for their Sepulchre, according to the Manner of pious Christians: as Tobias did (Tob. ii.). When we perform this Duty to our Friends and Relations, we must take care to have orthodox and pious Men, who may accompany the Deceased to its Sepulchre, and make due Offerings of Worship and Prayer unto God for the Salvation of the departed Soul.
Question 48
What and how many are the Works of Mercy that respect the Soul?
Answer.
Seven. The first is to exhort a Sinner, and convert him from his Sins, that he may be brought to amend his Life; as witnesseth the Scripture (James v. 19), Brethren, if any of you do err from the Truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth a Sinner from the Error of his Way shall save a Soul from Death, and shall hide a Multitude of Sins.
This is the chiefest and most exalted Office of Humanity that can move a good Man with Compassion for his Neighbour; for this containeth not temporary and changeable Rewards only, but such as are permanent and eternal. But in the Discharge of this Duty the utmost Care and Caution must be used that the Sinner be not imprudently cast into Despair, or led into an ill-grounded or presumptuous Confidence of God’s Mercy. By either of these we should do more Harm than Good unto the Person we undertook to convert; wherefore we should discreetly preserve a middle Course: And where we ourselves are not equal to such an Undertaking, it is our Duty to seek out some more fit and able Person for the Office, and endeavour to engage their Assistance. The same is also to be regarded in the Conversion of Heretics and Schismatics.
Question 49
What is the second spiritual Work of Mercy?
Answer.
To instruct the Ignorant and Unlearned. And he rightly dischargeth this Duty who teacheth the Ignorant how to believe in God, three Persons, but only one Godhead. That is, supposing a Person to be properly qualified for instructing; which if he be not, let him then seek some other who is so, lest, as the Scripture saith, the Blind leading the Blind, they should both fall into the Ditch. We are, also, hereby directed to inform the Unskilful how they should worship God in a proper Manner, and in what Method they should pray unto him, and also how they should the most easily know the Commands of God, and the readiest Means of obeying them. And this especially with Regard to Orphans and Children destitute of Friends and Parents, whom we should take care to have instructed in good and Religious Knowledge: whereby afterwards they may happily become useful to the Church and the public Weal; and God be thanked and glorified by them. This Duty if we neglect, we shall surely be condemned in the same Sentence which was pronounced against the unprofitable Servant, who having received the Talent, returned it unto his Master without any Profit or Improvement (Matth. xxv. 30).
Question 50
What is the third spiritual Work of Mercy?
Answer.
That we should give good Counsel to him that standeth in need thereof; as when, by our pious and Christian Exhortations and good Advice, we reclaim a wicked and sinful Liver from his Evil Courses to a regular and holy Life. Likewise when any, by Misfortunes and other Afflictions, are so distressed and entangled that they know not how to help themselves and get out of their Troubles; then should we freely, and with a liberal Hand, give unto them this healing Balsam of good Counsel, and advise them how they best may secure their Lives and Credit. This Duty also requires that we should disclose unto our Neighbour any ill Designs that we know to be laid against his Life or good Name, whereof he is ignorant: But herein we must proceed warily and prudently, and take care that we do not stir up Hatred between any, nor become the Causes of bloodshed.