Agonizants (Confraternity of the), a society of Roman Catholic penitents at Rome (and elsewhere, as at Lima in South America), whose chief duty is that of prayer for persons condemned to death by the law. On the eve of an execution the}' give notice of it to several nunneries, and on the day on which the crim- inal is to suffer they cause a great number of masses to be said for him. Another confraternity under the same name assist at death-beds generally.
Agony (aywvia), a word generally denoting con- test, and especially the contests by wrestling, etc., in the public games ; whence it is applied metaphorically to a severe struggle or conflict with pain and suffering (Robinson's Lex. of the N. T. s. v.). Agony is the actual struggle with present evil, and is thus distin- guished from anguish, which arises from the reflection on evil that is past (Crabb's Eng. Sgnonym.es, s. v.). In the New Testament the word is only used by Luke (xx, 44) to describe the fearful struggle which our Lord sustained in the garden of Gethsemane (q. v.). The circumstances of this mysterious transaction are recorded in Matt, xxvi, 36-46; Mark xiv, 32-42; Luke xx, 39-48 ; Heb. v, 7, 8. Luke alone notices the agony, the bloody sweat, and the appearance of an angel from heaven strengthening him. Matthew and Mark alone record the change which appeared in his countenance and manner, the complaint which he ut- tered of the overpowering sorrows of his soul, and his repetition of the same prayer. See Bloody Sweat. All agree that he prayed for the removal of what he called " this cup," and are careful to note that he quali- fied this earnest petition by a preference of his Father's will to his own ; the question is, what does he mean by "this cup?" Doddridge and others think that he means the instant agony, the trouble that he then act- ually endured. But Dr. Mayer (of York, Pa.) argues (in the Am. Bill. Repos. April 1841, p. 294-317), from John xviii, 11, that the cup respecting which he prayed was one that was then before him, which he had not yet taken up to drink, and which he desired, if possi- ble, that the Father should remove. It could, there- fore, be no other than the death which the Father had appointed for him — the death of the cross — with all the attending circumstances which aggravated its horror ; that scene of woe which began with his arrest in the garden, and was consummated by his death on Cal- vary. Jesus had long been familiar with this pros- pect, and had looked to it as the appointed termination of his ministry (Matt, xvi, 21 ; xvii, 9-12 ; xx, 17, 19, 28; Mark x, 32-34; John x, 18; xii, 32, 33). But when he looked forward to this destination, as the hour approached, a chill of horror sometimes came over him, and found expression in external signs of distress (John xii, 27 ; comp. Luke xii, 49, 50). But on no occasion did he exhibit any very striking evidence of perplexity or anguish. He was usually calm and col- lected ; and if at any time he gave utterance to feel- ings of distress and horror, ha still preserved his self- possession, and quickly checked the desire which na- ture put forth to be spared so dreadful a death. It is, therefore, hardly to be supposed that the near approach of his sufferings, awful as they were, apart from every thing else, could alone have wrought so great a change in the mind of Jesus and in his whole demeanor, as soon as lie had entered the garden. It is manifest that something more than the cross was now before him, and that lie was now placed in a new and hither- to untried situation. Dr. Mayer says: "I have no hesitation in believing that he was here put upon the
trial of his obedience. It was the purpose of God tc subject the obedience of Jesus to a severe ordeal, in order that, like gold tried in the furnace, it might be an act of more perfect and illustrious virtue ; and for this end he permitted him to be assailed by the fiercest temptation to disobey his will and to refuse the ap- pointed cup. In pursuance of this purpose, the mind of Jesus was left to pass under a dark cloud, his views lost their clearness, the Father's will was shrouded in obscurity, the cross appeared in tenfold horror, and nature was left to indulge her feelings, and to put forth her reluctance." See Jesus (Christ).
Dr. Mayer admits that the sacred writers have not explained what that was, connected in the mind of Jesus with the death of the cross, which at this time excited in him so distressing a fear. " Pious and holy men have looked calmly upon death in its most terrific forms. But the pious and holy man has not had a world's salvation laid upon him ; he has not been re- quired to be absolutely perfect before God ; he has known that, if he sinned, there was an advocate and a ransom for him. But nothing of this consolation could be presented to the mind of Jesus. He knew that he must die, as he had lived, without sin ; but if the extremity of suffering should so far prevail as to provoke him into impatience or murmuring, or into a desire for revenge, this would be sin ; and if he sin- ned, all would be lost, for there was no other Saviour. In such considerations may probably be found the re- mote source of the agonies and fears which deepened the gloom of that dreadful night." — Kitto, s. v.