Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 5.djvu/604

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ESCHENBACH


534


ESCORIAL


speculation , but in the case of the damned we can only affirm that their bodies will be incorruptible.

(8) Regarding the general judgment there is nothing of importance to be added here to the graphic descrip- tion of the event given by Christ Himself, who is to be Judge (Matt., xxv;etc.). (See Judgment, General.)

(9) There is mention also of the physical universe sharing in the general consummation (11 Pet., iii, 13; Rom., viii, 19 sqq.; Apoc, x.xi, 1 sqq.). The present heaven and earth will be destroyed, and a new heaven and earth take their place. But what, precisely, this process will involve, or what purpose the renovated world will serve is not revealed. It may possibly be part of the glorious Kingdom of Christ of which " there shall be no end". Christ's militant reign is to cease with the accomplishment of His office as Judge ( I Cor., XV, 24 sqq.), but as King of the elect whom He has saved He will reign with them in glory for ever.

A good bibliography of older works i.s given in .\lger. A Critical History of tke Doctrine of the Future Life with complete Biblioqraphy by Ezra Abbott (New York, 1871). S.^lmond, Christian Doctrine of Immortality (5th ed., Edinburgh, 1903) — very complete; Oesterlt, The Doctrine of the Last Things (Lon- don, 1908). For ethnic eschatologies the reader is referred for a fuller bibliography to the special articles on the various religions mentioned; it is enough to refer here, for the lower races, to per- tinent sections in Lubbock, On the Origin of Civilisation and the Primitive Condition of Man (5th ed., London, 1890); Tylor, Primitive Culture (3rd ed., London, 1891); Reville, Les reli- gions des peuples non-civilises (Paris. 1883); for higher races, to Jastrow, Religion of Babylonia and Assyria (Boston, 1898); Jeremias, Die babylonisch-assyrischen Vorstellungen vom Zu- at/ind nach dem Tode (Leipzig, 1887); Budge, Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life (London, 1901); Petrie, Religion and Con- science in Anient Egypt (London, 1S9S); Satce, The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia {Gifford Lectures, 1001); Rhys- Davids, Buddhism (London, 1882); Jackson, Zoroaster, the Prophet of Ancient Iran (New York, 1898); Rohde. Psyche, See- lencult und Unsterblichkeitsglaube der Griechen (2nd ed., Frei- burg, 1898); besides general works on ancient religions like those of TiELE, De la Saussaye, etc. For biblical eschatol- ogy, see Davidson-Charles-Salmond in Hast., Diet, of the Bible, s. v.; Charles. Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life in Israel, in Judaism and in Christianity (London, 1899): Idem in Encyclopaedia Biblica, s. v. (this author is to be read with caution; he is extremely arbitran' in dating and interpre- ting documents); Atzberger, Die christliche Eschatologie in den Stadien ihrer Offenbarung im Allen und Neuen Testamenfe (Frei- burg im Br., 1890); Mangenot, Fin du Monde in ViG., Diet, de la Bible. For the history of Catholic eschatology see Atzber- ger, Geschichte der christlichen Eschatologie innerhalb der vomi- ciinischen Zeit (Freiburg im Br., 1896); and for modern escha- tological problems and controversies see bibliography of the several articles referred to in the last section of this article. P. J. Toner.

Eschenbach, Wolfram von. See Wolfr,vm.

Escobar, Marina de, Venerable, mystic and fountlress of a modified branch of the Brigittine Order b. at Valladolid, Spain, 8 Feb., 1554; d. there 9 June, 1633. Her father, lago de Escobar, was professor of civil and canon law and for a time governor of Osuna, a man noted for his learning and his saintly life; her mother was Margaret Montana, daughter of Charles V's physician. She was an apt scholar and even in youth showed powers of reflection beyond her age. Until her forty-fifth year her attention was given mainly to her own perfection, then she devoted herself more to promoting the piety of others. At fifty her continual bodily afflictions became so severe that she was confined to her bed for the remainder of her life. Providence provided her with an admirable spiritual guide, in the Venerable Luis de Ponte (1554-1624). The special external work entrusted to her was to establish a branch of the Order of the Holy Saviour or Brigittines but with the rules greatly modified to suit the times and the country. With the revelation of the work came the knowledge that she would not live to see its accomplishment. By divine command, as she believed, she wrote her revelations, and when too feeble she dictated them. Luis de Ponte arranged them and left them for publication after her death. In his preface he declares his belief in their genuine- ness because she advanced in virtue and was preserved free from tempt;itions against purity, showed no pride, and had peace in prayer, feared deception, desired no


extraordinary favours, loved suffering, was zealous for souls and, lastly, was obedient to her confessor. The writings were published in one large volume and are divided into sbi books containing his remarks and her own, interspersed between the visions themselves. Book I treats of the extraordinary means by which God had led her; II contains revelations about the mysteries of redemption; III about God and the Blessed Trinity; IV about Guardian Angels and the B. V. Mary's prerogatives; V gives means to help souls in purgatory and to save souls on earth; and VI re- veals her perfection as shown under terrible sufferings. The style of the work is free and flowing and she speaks with simplicity and naive frankness. The vis- ions, always picturestiue, and pleasing or alarming according to their subject, are all instructive and at times distinctly curious; but the descriptions are mere outlines, leaving much to the imagination, and never going into details. Their variety is great. For some the following would have special interest: Daily communion anil Satan's objection to it; mystic espousals; how the bodies of saints can appear in visions; internal stigmata; some saints with whom modern hagiographers have dealt harshly, as St. Christopher. 'Their brevity of detail may account in part for the oblivion into which they have fallen. Her life, so far as de Ponte had prepared it, was publisheii at Madrid in 1664; the second part appeared there iu 1673. It was translated into Latin by M. Hanel, S. J., and published again at Prague in 1672-1688, and in an enlarged edition at Naples 1690. All these editions are now very rare. A German translation, in fcur volumes, appeared in 1861. (See Brigittines.)

Edward P. Graham.

Escobar y Mendoza, Antonio, b. at Valladolid in 1589 ; d. there 4 July, 1669. In his sixteenth year he entered the Society of Jesus. Talent and untiring labour won him distinction for scholarship among the leaders of ecclesiastical science in his age. His writ- ings are recognized as classical and challenge criticism as far as their orthodoxy is concerned. For this rea- son Pascal's efforts (fifth and sixth Provincial Letters) to fasten the charge of laxism on Escobar's "Manual of Cases of Conscience", together with his unscrupulous insinuations of adroit hypocrisy on Escobar's part, are too base and cowardly to merit serious considera- tion. At the same time, it is only fair to add that Escobar's writings are not entirely beyond the pale of criticism. Unprejudiced critics find him inexact in quotations, subtle in discussion, obscure and loose in reasoning. Besides the "Manual", Escobar's chief works are: "Summula casuum conscientise " (Pamp- lona, 1626); " Examen et praxis confessariorum " (Lyons, 1647); "Theologia Morahs" (Lyons, 1650; Venice, 1652) ; " UniversaB Theologicse Moralis recepta sententiaj " (Lyons, 1663) ; " De Triplici Statu Eccle- siastico" (Lyons, 1663); "De Justitia et de legibus" (Lyons, 1663).

Escobar was also a preacher of note. For fifty consecutive years he delivered a series of Lenten ser- mons with signal success.

HuRTER, Nomenclator, II, 264 sqq.; Bauer in Kirchenlex., IV, 1892; BuCHBERGER, Kirchliches Handlex., s. v.; Cat in La Grande Encyc, s.v.

J. D. O'Neill.

Escorial, The, a remarkable building in Spain situated on the south-eastern slope of the Sierra Gua- darrama about twenty-seven miles north-west of Ma- drid. Its proper title is El real Monasterio de San Lorenzo del Escorial, Escorial being the name of a small town in the vicinity. The structure comprises a monastery, church, pantheon or royal mausoleum, a palace inten<led as summer and autumn residence of the court, college, library, art-galleries, etc., and is calknl by Spaniards the eighth wonder of the world. It was begun in 1563, at the order of Philip II, by the