前述した煉獄の由来について。 Of the nature of the purgatory aforesaid.
偉大なるパトリック師、アイルランドにて神の業を説き給い、顕されし奇跡もて甚だ評判勝ち得し時。師が試みは、地獄の苦しみを恐れ、天国の幸福を望むことにて、その国の獣のごとき民草を、悪魔の所業から取り戻さんと。しかし皆の明言に、話に聞けしを先ず、おのが目に見ずしてキリスト教に改宗はせじと。
かくて聖パトリック、断食と監視と祈りもて、その民の救いを神に願い給えり。そこに現れし神の御子、師を砂漠に導き、お示しの洞窟は丸く暗く、之に仰せられき、
「真の悔悛と堅忍不抜の信仰をもって、この洞窟に一昼夜入る者は何人たりとも、その生涯の間に神が前に犯せる罪の全てから浄められるであろう、
また、そこで悪人の苦しみを見るだけでなく、神の愛のうちに堅く忍耐するならば、祝福された者の喜びの証人ともなるであろう。」
そして主はお隠れに。聖パトリック師は救い主拝見の喜び、洞窟発見の喜び双方を味わえり、アイルランドの悲惨な民衆を、真の信仰に目覚めさせたらん事と確信せり。即ちパトリック師、その場に礼拝堂建て、教会の前の埋葬地なる洞窟囲み、誰も勝手に入れぬよう扉付け。次に、正教会の修道士をそこに任命し、鍵を司教に渡した上で、各地区に司教の許可を得て来たる者は誰でも、煉獄に入ることができるようにとお命じに。聖パトリックご生存の間、この特権の利用者数多あり、出てきたときには、悪人の苦悩と善人の言いようのない大きな幸福を見たと証せり。
Whilst the great Patrick was preaching the work of God in Ireland, and gaining much reputation by the miracles which he there performed, he sought to reclaim from the works of the devil the bestial people of that country, by fear of the torments of hell and desire of the happiness of heaven; but they told him plainly that they would not be converted to Christ, unless they first saw with their eyes the things which he told them. Whilst therefore St. Patrick, with fasting, watching, and prayer, entreated God for the salvation of that people, the Son of God appearing to him led him into a desert-place, where he showed him a cave round and dark within, and said to him, “Whosoever in true penitence and constancy of faith shall enter this cave for the space of a day and a night, shall be purified therein from all the sins which he has committed against God during all his life, and shall also there not only behold the torments of the wicked, but, if he shall persevere steadfastly in the love of God, be a witness also of the joys of the blessed.” The Lord then disappeared, and St. Patrick, joyful both at having seen Christ and at the discovery of the cave, trusted at last that he should be able to convert the wretched people of Ireland to the true faith of Christ. He immediately, therefore, constructed an oratory on that spot, and, enclosing the cave which is in the burial-ground in front of the church, placed a door there, that no one might enter it without his leave. He next appointed there a society of regular canons, and gave the key to the prior, with orders that whoever came to the prior with a licence from the bishop of that district, should be allowed to enter the purgatory. Many persons availed themselves of this privilege whilst St. Patrick was still alive, and when they came out, they testified that they had seen the torments of the wicked, as well as the great and unspeakable happiness of the good.
