EUSTRATIUS Priest of Constantinople.
WE shall conclude this Age with some Greek Authors, mention'd by Photius, who may be thought to have liv'd at the same time, altho Photius does not distinctly set it down. * 1.1
The first is Eustratius a Priest of the Church of Constantinople, who wrote a Treatise of the Souls of the Dead, of which Photius gives the following Judgment, in Code 171 of his Biblio∣theque.
His style, says he, is not much to be valued, but his Thoughts are not altogether to be blam'd: He is clear in what he says. He proposes to himself three things. First to prove that Souls are Active after their separation from the Body, not only the Souls of the blessed, but generally of all Men, and that they act differently, according to the difference of their Merits: That those who appear in diffe∣rent Forms discover themselves in their Nature, and that 'tis not only the Divine Power which makes them appear invisible shapes, since it is not necessary to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the Figures and Representations which are fram'd by this Power, for the Souls done can by themselves do what pleases God. After he has endeavour'd to prove these two Points by passages of holy Scripture and the Fathers, he lab••••••'s to show that the Sacrifices and Oblations which the Priests make for those who die in the faith of the Church, as well as the Prayers and Alms which are made for them, are profitable to the Sal∣vation and Pardon of their Sins, for whom they are offer'd: That the Custom is to offer them at the end of three days after Death, in memory of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, at the end of nine days, because Jesus Christ discover'd himself to his Disciples on the ninth day after his Resurrection; and lastly, at the end of forty days, because after this number of days Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven. This Work was publish'd by Allatius in his Treatise of Purgatory.