The Manual of the Holy Catholic Church 2

Original and Actual Sin
CHAPTER XVI THE COMMITTING OF SIN EXPLAINED. Q. What is repentance? A. Repentance, which is also called penance, is the sincere conversion of the heart from sin to God. To understand this, we must observe, that in sin there are two great evils, which Almighty God himself describes with astonishment in these words, "Be astonished, O ye havens! at this - for my people have done two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have digged to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water," Jerem ii. 12. In every mortal sin, then, there are these two enormous evils, to wit, the turning away from God, infinitely good, and the very fountain of goodness and life, and the embracing, in his stead, the monster sin, by the allurement of some deceitful appearance of an imaginary happiness, justly compared to a broken cistern that can hold no water, but only filth. Wherefore repentance, which is the opposite of sin, and the destroyer of sin, must have these two opposite conditions, the turning away from sin with horror, detestation, and sorrow, for having offended so great a God, and the returning back to God, to embrace him by love, and faithfully to obey his holy law.

Return to Table of Contents MORTAL SIN EXPLAINED. Q. What is mortal sin? A. Mortal sin is a grievous transgression of the law, whether this grievousness arises from the nature of the thing done, or from the circumstances in which it is done, or from the will of the law given who strictly requires the observance of what is commanded as was the sin of our first parents in eating the forbidden fruit. Q. What are the effects of mortal sin? A. It banishes the grace of God from our souls, renders us hateful and abominable in the sight of God, and worthy of eternal punishment. For th is reason it is called mortal, because it kills the soul in this life, by depriving it of the sanctifying grace of God, which is the spiritual life of the soul, and condemns us to eternal death in the life to come.

Q. Is mortal sin a great evil? A. It is the greatest of all evils, because infinitely opposed to the infinite goodness of God. It is a bottomless pit, which o created understanding can fathom; for as none but God himself can fully comprehend his own infinite goodness, so none but God himself can perfectly comprehend the infinite malice and enormity that is found in th is opposite evil. It is the parent both of the devil and of hell; for hell was only made for mortal sin, and Lucifer was an angel of light till he was transformed into a devil by mortal sin.

Return to Table of Contents THE MALICE OF MORTAL SIN. Q. From what does the malice of mortal sin chiefly appear? A. From several important considerations; 1. From the greatness of the injury done to God;

2. From the hatred with which God adhors it;

3. From the severity with which he punishes it, even in this world;

4. From the ingratitude it contains against Jesus Christ;

5. From the sad effects it produces in our souls in this life; and,

6. From the loss of heaven, of which it deprives us, and the torments of hell to which it condemns us, in the life to come.

Q. How does the malignity of sin appear from the injury done to God? A. Because it strikes directly at God himself; it is a rebellion and high treason against him, and involves in its bosom a most injurious contempt of all his divine perfections. The greatness of its malignity in this view will appear from the following considerations:

First, God is a being of infinite perfection, of infinite goodness, of infinite dignity, of infinite majesty, infinite worthy in himself of all possible honor, love and obedience; in comparison with whom all created beings are but a mere nothing. When, therefore, such wretched worms of the earth as we are presume to offend and insult this God of infinite dignity, by transgressing his command, and preferring ourselves or any creature to him, the malice of such an action is in a manner infinite; for we find among ourselves, that the grievousness of any injury always rises in proportion to the dignity of the person offended about the one that injures him. Seeing, therefore, that the dignity and majesty of God is sufficiently above all creatures, an injury done to him must rise in proportion to his dignity, and, in this respect, be of an infinite malice.

Return to Table of Contents GOD IS OUR CREATOR, WHO GAVE US OUR VERY BEING; OUR SOULS AND BODIES, AND ALL OUR POWERS AND FACULTIES. Second, God is our Creator, who gave us our very being; our souls and bodies, and all our powers and faculties, are the work of his hands; consequently, he has an indisputable and unalienable title to all our service. He is our first beginning and last end, who made us from himself, and for his own glory. He is our father to whom we own infinitely more than to our natural parents. He is the sovereign Lord of us and of all creatures, the king of the whole universe, who has the most absolute domain over us, and can do with us whatsoever he pleases. We can depend totally upon him for our continual preservation, and for every thing else that we possess and enjoy; when we had lost ourselves by sin, he redeemed us and bought us with a great price, even his own most precious blood. Each of these ties gives God a most supreme right to all honor, love, and obedience from us, which it were the height of injustice to deprive him of; but sin, at once, breaks through all these ties together, and most sacrilegiously alienates from God, what, on so many titles, is so strictly his. Parents, what do you feel in your own breasts, when your children insult you, and despise your will? Masters, what is the indignation of your hearts, when your servants disregard your orders and reproach you? Rulers, what feeling have you of the injury you receive when your subjects rebel against you? Judge then, what and how great must be the injury done to God by sin, in whom all these titles are reunited, in manner infinitely stronger than is possible for them to be between man and man! Hear how he complains of it himself," The son honoureth the Father, and the servant his master; if, then, I be a Father, where is my honour? and if I be a Master where is my fear? said the Lord of hosts." Mal. i. 6. Moses also says of his people, "They have sinned against him, and are none of his children in their filth; they are a wicked and perverse generation. Is this the return thou makest to the Lord, O foolish and senseless people? Is not he thy Father, that hath possessed thee, and made thee, and created thee!? Deut. xxxii. 5.

Return to Table of Contents THE SINNER'S WITHDRAWAL FROM GOD. Third, God is our only true friend, our best and kindest benefactor, who has loved us with an eternal love, and every hour is bestowing the greatest favors on us; all we have, all we are, all we expect, is the pure effect of his goodness and love. To injure, then, so loving a friend, to insult and outrage him by sin, contains the malice of the blackest ingratitude; of which God thus complains: "For even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, hath greatly supplanted me," Ps. xl. 10. Fourth, To all the above ties of justice and gratitude, by which we are bound to love and serve God, is superadded that of the sacred vow we made in baptism, by which we are solemnly dedicated to him, and engaged to his service, and become heirs of his kingdom; which vow also is broken by sin, and augments its malice by the basest perfidy.

Fifth, Consider now the nature of sin itself, in opposition to all these sacred ties, and we shall clearly see how inconceivable a malice it must contain. For by sin we withdraw ourselves from this sovereign good; we condemn and despise him in the highest degree, by preferring our own will and our passions, to his Divine will; we insult his supreme dominion over us; we are guilty of the highest injustice, ingratitude, and perfidy towards him; we undervalue all his promises, laugh at his threats; we esteem the perishable riches, vain honours, and filthy pleasures of this world, more than him our supreme good; and we prefer the devil himself, and the pleasing him, before the God of infinite goodness who made us!

Q. How does the malice of sin appear from the hatred with which God adhors it? A. From a very simple reason: For, as God is a God of infinite goodness, he must necessarily love every thing that is good, and cannot possibly hate any thing but what justly deserves to be hated; now, the hatred which God has to sin is inconceivable, and expressed in the strongest terms in his holy scripture; consequently sin must be a monstrous evil, which a God of infinite goodness so violently hates and detests. "Thou art not a God," says David, "that willest iniquity; neither shall the wicked dwell near thee, nor shall the unjust abide before thy eyes; thou hatest all the workers of iniquity," Ps. v. 5. "To God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike," Wisd. xiv. 9. "The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord," Prov. xv. 9. "Thy eyes are too pure to behold evil, thou canst not look upon iniquity, Habbac. i. 13. "Evil thoughts are an abomination to the Lord," Prov. xv. 26. "Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord," Prov. xvi. 5. And the prophets, especially Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, are full of the like expressions.

Return to Table of Contents PUNISHMENT OF MORTAL SIN IN THIS WORLD. Q. How does the malice of sin appear from the severity with which God punishes it in this world? A. Because, as God is a God of infinite justice, it is impossible he should punish sin more than it deserves; may, as in this life his infinite mercy, is above his justice, he generally punishes it in the present time less than it deserves. Nothing, therefore, can show us more clearly the enormity of sin, than the severity with which he pursues it, even in this world, of which there are several very remarkable instances in Holy scripture. And First, One sin, in a moment, stripped our first parents, and all their posterity, of that original justice, innocence and happiness, in which they were created, and of all the gifts of divine grace with which they were adorned; it wounded them in all the powers of the soul, it gave them up to the tyranny of Satan, it cast them out of Paradise, condemned them both to a temporal and eternal death, and in the meantime, let loose upon them that innumerable army of all manners of evils, both of soul and body, under which their posterity groan to this day.

Second, "God, seeing that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and that all the thoughts of their heart was bent upon evil at all times, it repented him that he had made man upon the earth. Being inwardly touched with sorrow of heart, he said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth," Gen. vi. 5; and, accordingly, he destroyed the whole world, in punishment of sin, by the waters of the deluge.

Third, When the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was multiplied and became exceeding grievous, the Lord could not bear it longer, because it cried to heaven for vengeance; "And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven, and he destroyed these cities, and all the country about, all the inhabitants of the cities, and all things that spring from the earth," Gen. xix. 24.

Fourth, When Core and his companions rebelled against the authority of Moses and Aaron, and claimed to themselves the priesthood, Almighty God was so displeased with them, for this crime, that he punished them in a most dreadful manner. For "the earth broke asunder beneath their feet, and opening her mouth devoured them with their tents, and all their substance; and they went down alive into hell," Num. xvi. 31. Many other such examples are found in scripture, both regarding the whole nation of the Israelites, and also many particular persons, which show to a demonstration the great and inconceivable malignity of sin, from the server punishments with which a just and merciful God pursues it, even in th is world. But, above all others, the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ clearly manifest this truth; for there we see the divine justice of God the Father inflicting the most dreadful torments upon his own innocent son, for sins not his own, but ours, for which he has taken upon him to satisfy our offended Creator. What then must the enormous malignity of the monster sin be, which a just and merciful God punishes in so unheard of a manner in his own innocent Son?

Return to Table of Contents INGRATITUDE OF THE SINNER. Q. How does the malice of sin appear from the ingratitude it contains against Jesus Christ? A. The obligations we lie under to Jesus Christ are immense, and beyond conception. We must have been eternally miserable without him; he could in all justice have left us to our unhappy fate; he had no need of us, he was perfectly happy in himself; he could have created thousands of worlds, to serve him, though we had never been; he had no force obliging him to do any thing for us; he was perfectly master to do as he pleased. Out of pure mercy, th en, and compassion for our miseries, he undertook to save us; and who can conceive what this undertaking cost him? Count one by one his dreadful torments, from his agony in the garden, till he expires upon the cross; see the God of heaven, made man, agonizing in the garden, buffetted, blindfold, spit upon, and the most ignominious, insulting and blasphemous things done against him; see him scourged at a pillar, tormented with a crown of thorns, and nailed to a disgraceful cross; consider the humility, the meekness, the patience, and above all, the infinite love for our souls with which he bears all these severe afflictions; behold to what an excess his love for us goes, when he bows down his head and expires upon the cross of our salvation.

Return to Table of Contents TO PROCURE FOR US EVERLASTING JOY AND HAPPINESS. Does not such immense love, shown in so endearing a manner, and tending not only to free us from eternal damnation, but to procure for us everlasting joy and happiness, demand from us, in the strictest manner, every possible return of gratitude and love we can make to such a kind benefactor? What shall we say, then, of the monstrous ingratitude of sin, which not only refuses to make him any return of gratitude and love, but takes a most hellish pleasure in wantonly reviewing all his sufferings, and, as his holy word expresses it, "crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making a mockery of him," Heb. vi. 6. Hear how he complains of this by his prophet David: "If my enemy had reviled me, I verily would have borne with it; and if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hid myself from him; but thou, a man of one mind, my guide and my familiar, who didst take sweetmeats together with me, in the house of God, we walked with consent!" Ps. liv. 13. How aptly do all these expressions refer to Christians, who are the familiar friends of Jesus Christ, feast at his table, and attend him in the house of God? What a monster of ingratitude, then, is sin in a Christian!

Return to Table of Contents EFFECTS OF SIN ON THE SOUL DURING THIS LIFE. Q. How does the malice of sin appear from its effects on our souls in this life? A. The effects which sin produces in our souls are many, and most miserable indeed, and how to a demonstration the horrid malignancy of that fatal poison which is the cause of them. To understand them properly, we must consider, First, That a soul in grace is beautiful, like an angel, and a delightful object in the eyes of God, and of his saints. Such a soul, in the language of the scripture is a Queen, the daughter of a King, the spouse of the Lamb, and her beauty is thus described: "The Queen stood on thy right hand in gilded clothing, surrounded with variety. Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear - and the King shall greatly desire thy beauty; for he is the Lord thy God - all the glory of the King's daughter is within in golden borders, clothed round with varieties," Ps. xliv. 11. See also the beauty of the spouse of Christ described throughout the whole fourth chapter of the son of Solomon: and, among the rest, he says, "How beautiful art thou, my love, how beautiful art thou! - thou art all fair, I my love, and there is not a spot in thee," ver. 1. 7. And in the Revelations it is said of the Spouse of the Lamb," Rev. xix. 8. What a noble idea does all this give her of the heavenly beauty of a soul in grace! What an esteem and high value, ought we to put on that happy state! But no sooner does mortal sin enter into such a soul than immediately all the heavenly beauty is lost, the race of God is banished from her, and she becomes an object of horror and detestation in the sight of God, and of his saints, ugly and filthy like the devils: "He that doth these things is abominable before God," Deut. xxii. 5. "How much more abominable and unprofitable is man that drinketh iniquity like water?" Job xv. 16. "They are corrupted, and become abominable in iniquities," Ps. lii. 2. "A perverse heart is abominable to the Lord," Prov. xi. 20. "They are become abominable, as thos things were which they loved," Hos. ix. 10. What a malignant monster then must sin be?

Second, In consequence of this beauty, and of the love which God has for a soul in the state of grace, he raises her up to the most exalted dignity of being a child of God, a spouse of Jesus Christ, a temple of the Holy Ghost; so that by grace she is intimately united with God, who dwells in her, in a most especial manner. "know yet not," says St. Paul, "that you are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? - the temple of God is holy, which ye are," 1 Cor. iii. 16. "If any one loves me," says Jesus Christ, "he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him," John xiiv. 23. What an exalted dignity is this? what a happiness, to have God himself dwelling in us as our father, our friend, our spouse, our protector? "If God be for us, who is against us?" Roman. viii. 31. But, alas! the moment such a soul consents to mortal sin, she loses at once all this dignity and happiness; the grace of God is banished from her; God himself forsakes her, and she becomes a slave to Satan, a vessel of filth and corruption, the habitation of unclean spirits. What a dismal change! what a sad misfortune to be deprived of her God. "Woe to them," says Almighty God," when I shall depart from them," Hos. ix. 12. What a malignant monster is sin, to cause such a direful calamity.

Third, the grace of God in the soul is "a living water, springing up to eternal life," John iv. 14. It is an inexhaustible source of heavenly riches, which sanctifies all the good works of the just man, and makes them meritorious of eternal life. It is that bond of union by which we abide in Jesus, and he in us. "He that abideth in me, and I in Him, the same beareth much fruit," says our Blessed Redeemer, John xv. 5. When, therefore, a soul continues for a space of time in this happy state, what immense treasures may she not lay up for eternity! But if, after she has long exercised herself in holy works, and laid up stores of riches in heaven by their means, she should at last fall into one mortal sin, such is the venomous poison of that monster, that in an instant it consumes all the treasures of her past virtuous life, and reduces her to a most deplorable state of the most abject poverty. This God himself declares in these strong terms: "If the just man turns himself away from his justice, and do iniquity, according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? All his justices which he had done, shall not be remembered. In the prevarication by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin which he hath committed, in them he shall die," Ezech. xviii. 24. To such as these our Savior says, "Thou sayest I am rich, I am made wealthy, and I have need of nothing; and thou knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," Rev. iii. 17.

Fourth, The grace of God is the spiritual life of the soul, and is preserved by innocence and a good life; according to that, "Keep the law and counsel, and there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth," Prov. iii. 21.; and the wisdom of God says, "He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord," Prov. viii. 35.; and as the human person is beautiful and comely while in life; so a soul that is alive by the grace of God is beautiful and comely in his sight. But the moment sin enters the soul, the life of the soul is destroyed. It wounds, hurts, and kills the soul, and renders it more hideous and loathsome in the eyes of God, than a dead carcass is in the eyes of man. "He that shall sin against me," says the wisdom of God, "shall hurt his own soul; and that hate me love death," Prov. viii. 36. "When concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; but sin, when it is completed, begetteth death," James i. 15.; wherefore, "flee from sin as from the face of a serpent; for if thou comest near them, they will take hold of thee; the teeth thereof are the teeth of a lion, in particular, the scripture says, "They lie in wait for their own blood; they practice deceits against their own souls; so the ways of every covetous man destroy the souls of their possessors," Prov. i. 18. "He that is an adulterer for the folly of his heart, shall destroy his own soul," Prov. vi. 32. "Refrain your tongue from detraction, for an obscure speech shall not go for naught: and the mouth that belieth, killeth the soul;" Wisd. i. 11. Behold the fatal venom of the monster sin.

Return to Table of Contents THE LOSS OF HEAVEN. Q. How does the malice of sin appear from the loss of heaven, and the condemnation of the sinner to hell? A. From this plain reason, that, as heaven is a place of infinite happiness and never-ending bliss, great must the malignity of sin be, which alone can deprive us of that kingdom, and banish us forever from all good. As hell is a place of infinite misery, and never-ending woe, dreadful must the malice of sin be, which alone condemns a soul to that never-ending torment. Sin is the only thing that can do either of these things. All the malice of man, though joined with all the rage of devils, can never deprive us of heaven, nor bring us to hell, if we be free from the guilt of sin. But the malice of sin is so dreadful, that one mortal sin alone is sufficient for that purpose. First, That sin for ever banishes us out of heaven, is thus declared in holy writ, "Know ye not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor liars with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God," 1 Cor. vi. 9. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcraft, enmities, contentious, emulations, wrath, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envy, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like, of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold unto you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God," gal. v. 19. "Know this and understand, that no fornicators, nor unclear, nor covetous person, which is a serving of idols, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God," Eph. v. 5. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God," Heb. xii. 14.

Second, That sin condemns those who are guilty of it to the eternal torments of hell, is no less manifestly declared in these divine oracles. Thus the portion of sinners is described by the Prophet, "Their land shall be soaked with blood, and their ground with the fat of fat ones - that streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the ground thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch; night and day is shall bet be quenched, and the smoke thereof shall go up for ever and ever," Is. xxxiv. 7. Christ himself thus assures us, "At the end of the world, the Son of Many shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth," Matth. xiii. 41. "For they shall be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire, where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not extinguished - for every one shall be salted with fire, and every victim shall be salted with salt," Mark. ix. 44, 48. On the last day the Judge will say to the wicked, "Depart from ye, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," Matth. xxv. 41. But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable and murderers, and unchaste men, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool, burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death," Rev. xxi. 8.

Q. These truths are dreadful indeed, and show beyond reply what a monster sin must be; but is it not amazing that Christians who believe these truths, should ever dare to sin? A. Amazing it certainly is to the highest degree; but the reason is given us in the holy scripture, to wit, that they never think seriously upon these things; bewitched by the pleasures, and vanities, and amusements of this world, they spend their lives in a continual round of unprofitable and hurtful dissipations, and never find a moment's time seriously to consider the great truths which their holy faith teaches them. on this account, these truths make no impression upon them; they easily forget them, and, therefore, lead the lives of heathens, as if they believed no such thing.

Thus the scripture says, "With the desolation in all the land made desolate; because there is none that considereth in the heart," Jerem. xii. 11. Again, "The harp and the lure, and the timbrel, and the pipe, and the wine are in your feasts; and the work of the Lord you regard not, nor do you consider the work of his hands - therefore hath hell enlarged her soul, and opened her mouth without any bounds, and their strong ones, and their people, and their high and glorious ones, shall go down into it," Is. v. 12. That is, as Job expresses it, "They take the timbrel and the harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ; they spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to hell," Job. xxi. 13. Oh that men would be wise and think of these things!

Return to Table of Contents EXPLANATION OF VENIAL SIN. Q. What is venial sin? A. It is a small transgression of the law, a more pardonable offence which, though it does not kill the soul as mortal sin does, not deserve eternal punishment; yet it obscures the beauty of the soul before God, and displeases him, and deserves a temporal chastisement. Q. How is this explained? A. The grace of God, which beautifies the soul, may be in the soul in a greater or less degree; and of course, the soul may be more or less beautiful in the eyes of God, more or less pure, more or less holy. The malignity of mortal sin is such, that it banishes the grace of God entirely from the soul, and makes it positively ugly and loathsome in his sight; whereas venial sin does not banish the grace of God away from the soul; but it obscures its lustre, diminishes its splendor, and stains its brightness. It does not make the soul positively hateful to God; but it makes her less pure, less holy, less beautiful, and consequently less agreeable in his sight. It does not destroy friendship between God and the soul, so as to make them enemies; but it cools the fervor of that charity and love which subsisted between them, and begets a degree of indifference on each side; and, as even the smallest venial sin is in some degree against the will of God, therefore it displeases him, and is disagreeable to him, and deserves to be punished by him.

Q. How does it appear from scripture that there are such venial sins, which do not break our peace with God? A. That is p lain from many places of scripture.

First, It is said, "the just man shall fall seven times, and shall rise again," Prov. xxiv. 16. By these falls cannot be meant mortal sins, otherwise he would be no longer the just man; but only small imperfections, such as even good people are apt to fall into, but which do not break their peace with God. To the same purpose St. James says, "In many things we all offend," Jam. iii. 3.; and St. John, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," 1 John i. 8; where both these apostles put themselves among the number of those who sin; yet no body will say that they committed mortal sins, and were separated from Christ, or in a state of damnation; on the contrary, St. Paul assures us of himself and brethren, that "nothing should ever be able to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord," Rom. viii. 38; nay, he declares, that "there is now no condemnation (That is, nothing worthy of damnation) to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh," Rom. viii. 1. The apostles were the friends of Jesus Christ; and, therefore, any sins of imperfection in them were by no means mortal, or such as deserved damnation. The same truth we learn from our Lord's prayer; for, in it he requires of his apostles, as well as of his followers, to pray, "forgive us our sins;" now, we cannot suppose the apostles, and all the great saints of God, had mortal sins of which to ask forgiveness; yet they were not free from smaller imperfection, which being sins, stood also in need of forgiveness."

Return to Table of Contents DISTINCTION BETWEEN MORTAL AND VENIAL SIN. Second, The scripture makes the distinction between mortal and venial sins in very plain terms. Our Savior says, "Whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of judgment, and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (a word expressing contempt,) shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire," Matth. v. 22; where he expressly distinguishes the different degrees of guilt in sin, and declares, that the smaller degree deserves not hell fire, but the greater do. Again, he says, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it at the day of judgment," Matth. xii. 36; but an idle word does not deserve hell fire; for even a word of anger does not deserve it, as he told in the former text; yet, an idle word is sinful, because we must give an account of it in judgment. Some sins are compared by Jesus Christ to beams in the eye, and others to small motes, Matt. vii. 3, which shows the great difference between mortal and venial sins; for a beam in ones's eye must destroy the sight entirely, whereas a mote only weakens it. To the same purpose, he says, "You pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have let along the weightier things of the law - blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel," Matth. xxiii. 23; yet, at the same time, he tell=s them, that even these small things ought to be done, and, therefore, it was a sin to neglect them, though only like a gnat in comparison of a camel, when compared to greater crimes. Q. Are there different kinds of venial sins? A. Venial sins, in general, are divided into two kinds;

1. Such as arise from human frailty, surprise, or inadvertency, and from objects to which the person has no inordinate attachment.

2. Such as a person commits willingly and deliberately, or out of a bad habit, which he is at no pains to amend, or with affection to the sinful object.

Q. Is venial sin a great evil? A. Venial sins of the first kind, to which all men are more or less subject, and which, rise from human frailty, without an inordinate attachment to them, show, indeed, the corruption of our heart, and our great weakness, and, on that account, ought to be the matter of our daily humilation before God; but they are less evil in proportion as they are deliberate, and less voluntary. But venial sins of the second kind, which a person commits deliberately and with affection, or out of an unresisted custom, though, even these be but small sins in comparison of mortal sins, yet are very great and pernicious evils.

Return to Table of Contents DELIBERATE VENIAL SIN. Q. How can the evil of deliberate venial sin be shown? A. From the following considerations: First, It is an offense voluntarily committed against a God of infinite goodness and infinite majesty, and on that account alone, is a greater evil than all the miseries any creature can endure in this side of time, insomuch, that no man living can be allowed, by any power in heaven or earth, to commit any one venial sin, though to save a kingdom, or even to save the whole world; because an evil done to the Creator, is, in itself, a greater evil than the destruction or annihilation of the whole creation.

Second, Deliberate venial sins, especially if often repeated, show that the person who commits them has but a weak and languid love for God, when he makes so lightly of offending him. True love has this constant property, that it makes the lover exceedingly attentive to please the beloved object, even on the most minute occasion, and studiously to avoid even the smallest thing that can displease him; and nothing more plainly proves the weakness of one's regard and affection for his friend, then when he shows an indifference about pleasing him, even in little manners. What kind of love, then must those have for God, who, provided, they can but escape his avenging justice, care not how much they displease him?

Third, They not only show the weakness of our love to God, but the oftener they are repeated, the more they cool and weaken it: for our love of God is always in proportion to the grace of God in our souls; the more the grace of God abounds in our souls, the more we love him, and the greater our love is for him, the more his grace abounds in us. Now, as every deliberate venial sin weakens and obscures the grace of God in the soul, of course it also weakens and cools the fervor of our love for him. As a little dust or smoke, though it dos not blind, yet it prejudices the sight of the eye; so the least deliberate venial sin obscures the spiritual sight of the soul, and abates the fervor of heavenly desires. The more we gratify our affection to those creatures which are the objects of our venial sins, the more our love for them must increase; and the more our love increase towards any creature, the most it must of necessity diminish towards God; for "no man can serve two masters."

Fourth, In consequence of this weakening and cooling of our love of God, the love of God diminishes and cools towards us; our indifference about pleasing him makes him the more indifferent toward us; the oftener we deliberately offend him, the more he is displeased with us; and to show how dangerous this is for a soul who, by venial sins, falls away from its first fervor, hear what Jesus Christ says to one in this state: "I know thy works, and thy labour, and they patience - and thou hast endured for my name, and hast not fainted. But I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first charity. Be mindful, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, unless thou do penance." Rev. ii. 2 &c.

Fifth, The more a person goes on repeating such sins, the more indisposed he becomes for receiving new graces from God; and God being the more displeased with him, withdraws his more abundant graces from him, in just punishment of his repeated infidelity, as he himself declares, in very affecting terms, to one in this state: "Thus saith the faithful and true witness, who is the beginning of the creation of God: I know thy works, that thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest I am rich and made wealthy, and I have need of nothing; and thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," Rev. iii. 14. Such souls are nauseous and loathsome to God, and though he does not throw them all off at once, yet he begins to vomit them out of his mouth, by withdrawing his graces from them, of which they have rendered themselves unworthy; and thus leaving them more and more to themselves, at last, if they do not alter their conduct, he rejects them entirely. Because they are not guilty of any gross mortal sin, and perform some outward duties of devotion, they fancy themselves in a good way; but Almighty God forms a very different judgment of them.

Sixth, The great evil of venial sin also appears from the severe punishments of divine justice has often inflicted, in this life, upon sins which appear to us to be of a venial nature. Witness Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt, for indulging a natural curiosity; Moses deprived of going to the Holy Land, for a small diffidence in striking the rock; Oza struck dead for touching the ark, to support it, when in danger of falling; David losing seventy thousand of his people by the plague, for his vain curiosity in numbering them; Agrippa consumed alive with worms, for taking pleasure in hearing himself praised, with many others. Now, if a God of infinite justice punished such sins so severely, they must certainly have deserved such punishment, and, therefore, are far from being small evils.

Seventh, This is further shown from the way those are treated after death who die guilty of such sins; for so displeasing in the sight of God is the guilty of the least venial sin, that no soul stained with it can ever be admitted to his presence till his guilt be purged away. God is a being of infinite purity himself, and none but the pure, "the clean of heart, shall see him," Matth. v. 8; and, therefore, into the heavenly Jerusalem "There shall not enter any thing defiled," Rev. xxi. 27; when, therefore, a soul leaves this world stained with the guilt only of venial sins, she is condemned to all the torments of purgatory, till she be perfectly cleansed by them from all stain, and rendered fit to be admitted to the divine presence; and how dreadful this cleansing shall be, appears from what the prophet declares concerning it, "Every one that shall be left in Sion, and shall remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy, every one that is written in life in Jerusalem; the Lord shall wash away the filth of the daughter of Sion - by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning," Is. iv. 3. How dreadful that purgation by the very "spirit of judgment and burning!" How great an evil that stain which requires such a purgation?"

Eight, The great and fatal evil of venial sin consists in this, that it disposes and leads on the poor soul to the gulf of mortal sin, according to the express declaration of the word of God, "He that condemneth small things, shall fall by little and little," Ecclus. xix. 1.; and "he that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is greater; and he that is unjust in that which is little, is unjust also in that which is great," Luke xvi. 10. And for this several reasons are assigned:

Return to Table of Contents VENIAL SINS LEAD STEP BY STEP TOWARDS MORTAL SIN. 1. Experience teaches, that the greatest things we know, both in the order of nature, and in the order of grace, commonly take their rise from small beginnings; rivers from springs, trees from small seeds. "Behold how great a fire a small spark kindleth," James iii. Our bodies begin from a point; a drop of water neglected, cause the fall of a house; a slight ailment disregarded, brings on great diseases and death; the most learned man begins by the alphabet; the greatest saints were not born so, but arrived at sanctity by degrees; so also the greatest sinners begin by smaller sins, which neglected, draw onto greater. A little motion of anger indulged, led Cain to murder his own brother; an impure glance of the eye encouraged, dragged on a David to adultery and murder; and an inordinate attachment to riches, uncorrected, brought Judas to betray his master. 2. All the foregoing reasons show the same thing; for, by venial sins indulged, we become more disagreeable to God, our love to him is weakened, and his to us; we are rendered more unfit for receiving his graces, and they are given more sparingly; our passions become stronger, and we grow weaker, and then what is to be the consequence when the time of temptation comes, but that we fall into mortal sin.

3. Venial sins lead on step by step towards mortal sin, and take off by degrees our horror of it. It would be impossible for one to step from the ground to the top of a high stair all at once; taking one step after another, he goes up with the greatest ease. A modest person would be shocked at the proposal of any of the greatest crimes of impurity; but, if he gives ear to words of a double meaning, and takes pleasure in them, this will easily pave the way to bad thoughts; from this it is but a step to desires; and if these be encouraged, they will lead on to undue liberties in actions, and so step by step he will be carried on to every excess.

4. By committing small sins without remorse, or with affection, we contract a custom of transgressing the law, which, the more it is indulged, the stronger it will become.

5. It is certain that our nature, if left to itself, would lead us into all crimes; and we have no other way to hinder this, but by curbing its desires. Now, experiences teaches us, that the more we yield to these desires, the stronger they become; the more liberty we give nature, the more unruly she grows.

6. Many venial sins are of such a nature, that they become mortal, if often repeated: such are all sins of injustice, working upon forbidden days, and the like. It is often very difficult to distinguish where the limits are, between mortal and venial sins; and therefore a person who indulges himself in these last, exposes himself to the continual danger of falling into the former. Now, "he that loveth the danger shall perish in it," Ecclus. iii. 27. A thing that is in itself only venial, very often, from the circumstances, becomes mortal.

Return to Table of Contents DISPOSITION TO MORTAL SIN. Q. How can a thing, it itself venial, become mortal, from the circumstances? A. From different causes: First, If his affection who commits it be so great towards the object of a sin in itself venial, that he would be ready to offend God mortally, rather than not do it, his doing it with such a disposition is a mortal sin.

Second, If one commits a venial sin for an end mortally sinful; for example, if one should steal a little poison of small value, in order to poison his neighbour, this intention makes the stealing the poison itself a mortal sin, though he should be prevented from using it as he intended.

Third, If one commits a sin in itself venial, but which, by mistake, he believes to be mortal, it becomes a mortal sin to him.

Fourth, If a sin, in itself venial, be the occasion of great scandal, it becomes mortal to the person who commits it, on account of its scandal.

Fifth, If a venial sin be committed out of a contempt of the divine law, this contempt makes it mortal.

Return to Table of Contents WHAT ARE THE PROPER REMEDIES OF SIN?. Q. What are the proper remedies of sin? A. There are two principal remedies for the great evil of sin; one on the part of man, which is a sincere repentance; the other on the part of God, which is the grace of Jesus Christ. These two remedies are both of absolute necessity; for it is impossible that we should be delivered from the guilt of our actual sins, without a sincere repentance; and it is impossible for us to repent as we ought, without the assistance of Divine grace; and, though we have a sincere repentance, that alone cannot deliver us from our sins, without the infusion of sanctifying grace into our souls. So that the grace of our Savior is the great remedy which alone can heal the wounds which the soul receives from sin, and wash away its guilt; and repentance on our part is a condition absolutely required, to dispose the soul for receiving that grace, and without which it is impossible that this grace should be bestowed upon us.

The Conversion of the Heart to God
CHAPTER XVII EXPLANATION OF REPENTANCE. Q. What is repentance? A. Repentance, which is also called penance, is the sincere conversion of the heart from sin to God. To understand this, we must observe, that in sin there are two great evils, which Almighty God himself describes with astonishment in these words, "Be astonished, O ye heavens! at this - for my people have done two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have digged to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water," Jerem. ii. 12. In every mortal sin, there are two enormous evils, to wit, the turning away from God, infinitely good, and the very fountain of goodness and life, and the embracing, in his stead, the monster sin, by the allurement of some deceitful appearance of an imaginary happiness, justly compared to a broken cistern that can hold no water, but only filth. Wherefore repentance, which is the opposite of sin, and the destroyer of sin, must have these two opposite conditions, the turning away from sin with horror, detestation, and sorrow, for having offended so great a God, and the returning back to God, to embrace him by love, and faithfully to obey his holy law.

Return to Table of Contents THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF TRUE REPENTANCE. Q. What are the principal parts of which true repentance is composed? A. The principal parts of true repentance are these three: First, A sincere regret and sorrow of heart for our having offended so good a God by sin.

Second, A firm and determined resolution of never offending him again, followed by an effectual change of life and manners.

Third, Voluntarily punishing ourselves for the sins we have committed, in order to repair the injury done to God by sin, and satisfy, in some measure, his offended justice.

Return to Table of Contents EXPLANATION OF THE SORROW OF REPENTANCE. Q. What is meant by sorrow for having offended God by sin? A. Sorrow is a painful feeling of the mind, when any evil comes upon ourselves, or upon those we love; and, if we ourselves have been the occasion of bringing evil upon those we love, our displeasure and pain at their suffering is still the greater. hen therefore we have a sincere love of God, and consider our sins as a grievous outrage and injury, by which we have offended him; and, on that account, feel a regret in our heart, a pain and displeasure in our mind; that pain, that regret, and displeasure, is the sorrow which constitutes true repentance. hence this sorrow is founded in a sincere love of God, a hatred and a detestation of sin, as being an offence and injury to God. Q. What are the qualities which this true sorrow of repentance ought to have? A. Chiefly these following:

First, It ought to be internal, that is, seated in the heart and mind; not a more outward sorrow of words or other external signs, nor even a more sensible sorrow, which some tender affectionate people are very apt to have, and which shows itself in sobs and tears, but without any real change of the heart; but it ought to be in the mind and heart;in the mind, by a full conviction of the evil of sin, and the injury it is to so good a God; and in the heart, which, having a sincere love of God, feels a real pain and regret for having ever displeased him. Where this is, there true sorrow is, though there be neither sighs nor tears; but where this is not, the sighs and tears will be of no avail.

Return to Table of Contents SUPERNATURAL MOTIVES WHICH OUR FAITH TEACHES. Second, It ought to be supernatural, that is, rising from supernatural motives, through the grace of God. A person may be sorry for his sins; because by them he has brought disease, or loss, or disgrace upon himself. A sorrow of this kind will never find mercy with God. This is a mere sorrow of the world; but not a sorrow according to God. Now the scripture tells us, that it is only the sorrow that is according to God, which worketh penance steadfast unto salvation; but the sorrow of the world worketh death," 2 Cor. vii. 10. The sorrow of true repentance must arise from our having offended so good a God, from our ingratitude to Jesus Christ, from the danger our sins have put us in, of being eternally separated from God whom we love, and of being eternally condemned among his enemies in hell fire, from the fear of God's judgments, and from the horror of sin, on account of its opposition to God. These are supernatural motives which our faith teaches us, and which, by the help of God's grace, excite the true sorrow of repentance in our soul. Third, It ought to be exceeding great; that is, our sorrow for having lost our God and his grace by sin, ought to be greater than if we had lost all that we love in this world; because, as our sorrow for the loss of any good is always in proportion to the love and esteem we bear towards that good, seeing we are obliged to love god above all things; consequently our sorrow and regret for having lost him by sin, ought to be greater than if we had lost all things else.

Fourth, It ought to be universal; that is, we ought to have this sorrow for all and every one of our sins, without exception; for, if we love any one mortal sin, though we should perfectly hate all others, we can never be said to have true repentance.

Fifth, It ought to be accompanied with a firm resolution of sinning no more, and a willingness to satisfy for past sins; of which afterwards,

Sixth, It ought also to be accompanied with a firm hope, in the mercy of God, of obtaining pardon.

Return to Table of Contents THE ESSENCE OF TRUE REPENTANCE. Q. Is this sorrow absolutely necessary for true repentance? A. It is the very essence of true repentance, as appears from innumerable testimonies of scripture. Thus David says to God, "If thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; with burnt-offerings thou wilt not be delighted; a sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise," Ps. 1. 18.; where we see that no outward means of appeasing the wrath of God, even by sacrifices appointed by himself for this purpose, will find acceptance with him, unless they be accompanied with a true sincere sorrow of the heart, which humbles it, and breaks it, as it were, to pieces, and with affliction of the spirit, or regret of the mind, for having offended so good a God; but that an afflicted spirit, and contrite heart, will never be despised by him. So also the scripture says, "When thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him; yet so if thou seek him with all thy heart, and with all the afflictions of thy soul," deut. iv. 29. Again, the prophet Moses says to his people, "Now, when thou shalt be touched with the repentance of thy heart - and return to him - the Lord thy God will have mercy on thee," Deut. xxx. 1, 2, 3. So likewise Jeremiah exhorts sinners in these words to true repentance; "Gird thee with sackcloths, O daughter of my people, and sprinkle thee with ashes, make thee mourning as for an only son, a bitter lamentation," Jer. vi. 26. And God himself, by his prophet Joel, "Now, therefore," saith the Lord, "be converted to me with all your heart in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning, and rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, patient, and rich in mercy," Joel ii. 12.

Such was the true sorrow of David, which he describes in these words: There is no "health in my flesh, because of thy wrath; there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins; for my iniquities are gone over my head, and as a heavy burden are become heavy upon me - I am become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end; I walked sorrowful all the day long," Ps. xxxvii. 4. Such was the repentance of King Ezekias, when he said to God, "I will recount to thee all my years in the bitterness of my soul," Is. xxxviii. 15. Such, in fine, was the repentance of all true penitents, who found mercy with God, the Ninivites, the humble publican, St. Mary Magdalen, St. Peter, &c.

Return to Table of Contents TWO KINDS OF SORROW. Q. How many kinds of this sorrow are there? A. It is considered as divided into two kinds, which agree in all the above-mentioned qualities, and differ only in the motives from which they arise, and in the effects they produce. Of the supernatural motives mentioned above, some are most perfect and excellence, because founded in charity, or the pure love of God for himself alone; as when we are sorry for our sins; purely because by them we have offended so good a God, whom we love above all things, without any attention to the evils sin brings upon ourselves.

Such was the sorrow of St. Mary Magdalen, of whom our Savior says, "Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved much." A sorrow that arises from this motive is a perfect sorrow, and is called perfect contrition. Others of the supernatural motives above-mentioned, are less perfect, because they include an attention to our own interest, accompanied with an initial, and less perfect love of God, considering him more as being good to us, than as infinitely good in himself. Of this kind are our fear of losing heaven, or of being condemned to hell; our fear of the judgments of God, and the like. A sorrow for sin, which arises from these motives, is therefore called imperfect contrition or attrition.

Q. How does contrition and attrition differ in their effects? A. Perfect contrition, as it arises from a perfect love of God for himself alone, is so pleasing in his sight, that the moment a person has it, God is reconciled to him, and forgives his sins; for, as the scripture says, "charity," or the perfect love of God, "covereth a multitude of sins," 1 Pet. iv. 8.; and such was the effect it had in St. Mary magdalen. This however, is to be so understood that such contrition does not free a person from having recourse to the sacrament of penance, where it can be had; the command of receiving that sacrament being laid upon all without exception. Attrition, on the other hand, in no case obtains of itself the remission of sin, but only disposes the soul for receiving that grace by means of the sacrament of penance.

Q. is this sorrow for sin, which arises from the fear of hell, or of God's judgments, or of losing heaven, a virtuous and laudable sorrow? A. Most certainly: It is a gift of God, and therefore David prays for it: "Pierce thou my flesh," says he, "with thy fear: for I am afraid of thy judgments," Ps. cxviii. 120.; and Christ himself commands us to have this fear of God: "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do; but I will show you whom you shall fear; fear ye him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say to you, fear him.: Luke xii.4.

Return to Table of Contents EXPLANATION OF THE PURPOSE OF NOT SINNING MORE. Q. What is meant by purpose of sinning no more? A. It is a firm and resolute determination of the will, of carefully avoiding all sin for the time to come, and all the dangerous occasions of sin, arising from the same supernatural motives on which our sorrow for sin is grounded. In fact, this purpose and resolution is a necessary consequence of our sorrow, and an essential part of true repentance; for it is impossible sincerely to hate sin, as the greatest of all evils, and to be heartily sorry for having offended God, by being guilty of it, without being also firmly resolved to fly from that monster for the future, and to use every necessary means for avoiding it.

Return to Table of Contents THE RENEWAL OF GOD'S FRIENDSHIP. Q. What are the effects of this sincere purpose of amendment? A. A total change of our whole behavior; "a putting off, according to our former conversation, the old man; and a being renewed," not only "in the spirit of our mind," but also "putting on the new man, who, according to God, is created in justice, and holiness, and truth," Ephes. iv. 22.; or as the same Apostle expresses it more particularly, "Now, put you also all away, anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech out of your mouth; lie not one to another, stripping yourselves of the old man with his deeds - Put ye on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy and benignity, humility, modesty, patience - but above all things have charity, which is the bond of perfection," Coloss. iii. 8. So that true repentance changes the whole man, his sentiments, his affections, his behavior; makes him love what he did not love before, to wit, God and his holy law; and makes him hate what he loved before, to wit, his sinful pleasures and employments. And this is the great favor, which Almighty God promises to bestow upon his people by the prophet Ezekiel, saying, "I will give them on heart, and will put a new spirit in their bowels; and I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my commandments, and keep my judgments, and do them; and that they may be my people, and I may be their God," Ezek. xi. 19. Q. Is this conversion and change of life strictly required of true penitents? A. Nothing is more strictly inculcated throughout the whole scripture, as a necessary condition of being reconciled with God. Thus, "As I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; and why will you die, O house of Israel?" Ezek. xxxiii. 11. And to show wherein this turning consists, he says, "Cast away from you all transgressions, by which you have transgressed and make to yourselves a new heart and a new spirit, and why will you die, I house of Israel?" Ezek. xviii. 31. "When you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away my eyes from you," says God to sinners, "and when you multiply prayer, I will not hear, for your hands are full of blood;" that is, you are hateful to me by reason of your sins.

Return to Table of Contents THE POWER OF GRACE. But what must be done to find favor? He immediately adds, "Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from my eyes; cease to do perversely, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow, and then come and accuse me, saith the Lord. If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow; and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool," Is. i. 15. "Seek the Lord," says the same holy prophet, "while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he is bountiful to forgive," Is. lv. 6. And no wonder that this conversion should be so strictly enjoined; for how can we expect that God should be reconciled with us, if we still go on to offend him? That is what we would not do ourselves to one that injures us. Hence we find, that all true penitents were remarkable for the great change of their lives; David, St. Paul, St. Mary Magdalen, Zachaeus, and others. Q. But, considering the weakness of human nature, the strength of evil habits, and the violence of temptation, how is it possible for one to be thus thoroughly changed all at once? Such a perfect change is the work of years? A. This perfect conversion to God is no doubt the effect of the grace of God, more than the work of man; and Almighty God has not been wanting to give the world examples of the power of his grace, in giving some sinners all at once a perfect conversion of the whole man, as in those last mentioned. A change of the heart, a firm and determined resolution of the will never more to offend God, is absolutely and essentially required in true repentance. This resolution, though it greatly fortifies the superior will against all passions, evil habits and temptations, yet it does not entirely, and at once, destroy them, and, therefore, does not give the sinner an absolute security against all relapses into sin, which, indeed, we can never have in this life; but this resolution of amendment, if it be sinners, must work an effectual change, at least in the following particulars:

First, In avoiding, with the utmost care, all dangerous occasions of sin; for, if he expose himself to the danger, that clearly shows he has no sincere resolution to avoid the sin, seeing the word of God assures us, that "he that loves the danger shall perish in it."

Second, In being most attentive to resist all temptations, especially at the beginning; for, if he willingly entertain, and daily with the temptation, it is evident that his horror for the sin is not what it should be.

Third, In using the proper remedies, especially such as are prescribed by his spiritual director, for breaking his passions, and destroying his bad habits; because, if he be sincere in desiring the end, he must be assiduous in using the means.

Fourth, In being most earnest in the duties of prayer, spiritual reading, assisting at Mass, frequently worthily the sacraments, and the like; as there are the most assured help to avoid sin, and fortify the soul against it. Whereas a penitent sinner is assiduous in these particulars his conversion is real, and there is no fear, if he persevere, but he will avoid falling back to his sins, and, in time, get the perfect victory over them; but, if he be negligent in these things, and take little or no more care to avoid sin than he did before, his conversion is but a pretence, and by no means such as will find favor with God.

Return to Table of Contents EXPLANATION ON DOING PENANCE FOR SIN. Q. What is meant by doing penance for sin? A. Voluntarily punishing ourselves, in order to satisfy the justice of God for the offences committed against him. Q. Does sin of its own nature require to be punished, or its punishment inflicted only as a warning to others, and for the correction of the guilty themselves? A. Some people, of free-thinking principles, in these modern times, seem much inclined to suppose, that sin requires little or no punishment in itself, and that the principal, if not the only design of punishing, is to correct the guilty, and be a warning to others. But the whole conduct the Divine Providence, as well as the feelings of our own heart, manifestly show, that sin, of its own nature, essentially requires to be punished, and that wherever the guilt of sin is found, the justice of God acquires a full and perfect right to punish the offender.

First, When great numbers of the angels fell into sin, the justice of God pursued them with immediate punishment, and condemned them to hell-fire which was prepared for that purpose. This was not for their correction, but for their eternal destruction; neither was it a warning to others, for there were no others to be warned by it, the good angels, by their allegiance being then confirmed in eternal happiness. So severe a punishment, from a God of infinite goodness clearly shows that the guilt of their crime most justly and necessarily required it.

Second, The punishment inflicted on mankind for the sin of our first parents, in being deprived of original justice, shows the same truth beyond reply; this punishment was not for the correction, but for the destruction of the whole race of Adam, which would have effectually followed, if the goodness of God had not provided a remedy; neither was it for warning, for there were no others to be warned by it, all were already involved.

Third, The eternal torments of hell inflicted upon all impenitent sinners, no less clearly show the same thing.

Fourth, The holy scripture every where speaks of the punishment inflicted by God on sinners, as being what their sins necessarily deserve from God's justice, without the smallest hint of its being sent for correction or warning, though this no doubt, is also commonly intended in the punishments of this life. Nay, in some places, it is said, that certain more enormous sins cry to heaven for vengeance, and that justice absolutely demands they should be punished. Correction and warning, therefore are but necessary causes of punishment, but the essential source of punishment is the malignity and guilt of sin, which necessarily deserves and demands it; and justice absolutely requires this satisfaction by the punishment of the guilty.

Fifth, As God is a being of infinite justice, it is impossible He should always, and on every occasion, punish sin wherever he finds it, even with temporal punishments, and much more with eternal torments, if sin, of its own nature did not justly require it, because in numberless instances, especially in the eternal punishment, his doing so could neither serve for correction nor warning; and, as he is a being of infinite goodness, it is impossible he should take pleasure in the torments and sufferings of his creatures, if the order of justice did not absolutely require it. Yet we find it frequently declared in scripture, that it is the fixed rule of his justice to render to every one according to his works, reward for doing good, and punishment for sin; sin is every where held forth as the primary cause of all our sufferings, both in this life and in the next.

Return to Table of Contents SIN GOES UNPUNISHED. Q. Is it a rule of God's justice never to let sin go unpunished? A. It is, as appears from the following declarations of holy writ: "I feared all my works," said Job, "knowing that thou didst not spare the offender," Job. ix. 28. And again, "Far from God be wickedness, and iniquity from the Almighty; for he will render to a man his work, and according to the ways of every one he will reward him," Job xxxiv. 10. "God hath spoken once; these two things have I heard, that power belongeth to God, and mercy to thee O Lord! for thou wilt render to every man according to works," Psal. lxi. 12. "I am the Lord," says the great God himself "that search the heart and prove the reins; who give to every one according to his way, and according to the fruit of his devices," Jer. xvii. 10. "For God is great in counsel, and incomprehensible in thought, whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the children of Adam, to render unto every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his devices," Jer. xxxii. 19. Christ himself assures us, that the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels and then he will render to every man according to his works," Matth. xvi. 27. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil, 2 Cor. v. 10. And St. Paul, addressing himself, in particular to sinners, on this subject, says, "According to thy hardness, and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his works. To them, indeed, who according to patience in good works, seek glory and honors, and incorruption, (he will render) eternal life; but to them that are contentious, and who obey not the truth but give credit to iniquity, wrath and indignation. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil - but glory, honor, and peace, to every one that worketh good," Rom. ii. 5.

Return to Table of Contents PUNISHMENT OF SIN IN THIS LIFE. Q. How does it appear that the suffering of this life are in punishment of sin? A. This also is every where taught throughout the holy scripture; thus "justice exalteth a nation, but sin maketh nations miserable," Prov. xiv. 34; and when our Savior cured the sick man at the pool of Bethsaida, he said to him, "Behold thou are made whole; sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee," John v. 14. So also the wise man, speaking of the miseries of this life, says "Such things happen to all flesh, from man even to beast, and upon sinners are sevenfold more. Moreover, death and bloodshed, strife and sword, oppressions, famine, and affliction, and scourges, all these things are created for the wicked," Ecclus. xl. 8. Besides, we find that all the dreadful instances of God's justice in sending extraordinary sufferings upon men, are declared in scripture to be the just fruits of their sins: Such as the deluge, the destruction of Sodom, the plague, famine and war so often sent upon his people, untimely death of particulars, loss of children, and the like; and, lastly, that God often threatens sinners with all these, and other such temporal miseries, in punishment of their sins. Not that the punishing of sin is the only reason why God sends these temporal miseries upon his creatures; in this life, mercy is always mixed with justice; and, for the most part, has in view the correction, improvement and warning of our souls, along with the punishment of the sin; but that sin is the radical source from which all these miseries flow. Q. What do we learn from these truths? A. We learn,

First, That it is a fixed rule of God's justice, that every sin must be punished.

Second, That the final punishment of sin will be in the next world.

Third, That the punishments sent on sin in this life are always mixed with the views of mercy, either for a warning to others, or to move the sinner himself to repentance, that by means of true repentance he may be delivered from the eternal punishment due to his sins.

Q. When arises the obligation of our punishing ourselves for our sins? and how comes this to be a part of true repentance? A. By the appointment and express command of God, who has laid down our doing penance for our sins, as a necessary part of true repentance, and requires at least the sincere will to do it, as a condition of obtaining pardon.

Q. How does this appear from holy scripture? A. From the following testimonies:

First, "Gird yourselves with hair-cloth, lament and howl, for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned away from us - wash thy heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem! that thou mayest be saved," Jer. iv. 8. 14. "Gird thyself with sackcloth, O daughter of my people! and sprinkle thee with ashes: make thee mourning as for an only son a bitter lamentation," Jer. vi. 26. "Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities, and iniquity shall not be your ruin," Ezek. xviii. 30. "Now therefore, saith the Lord, be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning," Joel ii. 12. In all which texts, we see that the doing penitential works is joined with the other conditions of true repentance, as necessary to avert the anger of God, and find mercy with him.

Second, When all the people went out to St. John Baptist, to be baptised by him, he said, "Ye offspring of vipers who hath shown you to flee from the wrath to come?" And immediately teaching them the means to avoid the wrath, he adds, "Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of penance," Luke iii. 8. St. Paul also declares, that the great subject of his preaching to the Jews was, "that they should do penance, and turn to God, doing works worthy of penance," Acts xxvi. 20.

Return to Table of Contents WORKS OR FRUITS WORTHY OF PENANCE. Now, by doing works worthy of penance, cannot be meant the "not committing sin;" for this is not doing any work at all, but only the abstinence from evil work; neither can it mean the doing "works of virtue and piety," as such; for to this we are obliged, whether we have even been sinners or not. By "works or fruits worthy of penance," then, can only be understood the doing works of virtue and piety out of a penitential spirit, and with a view of punishing ourselves for past sins; and the doing such good works, especially as are most contrary to our self-love, with the same intention. And hence, when the people asked the Baptist, "What then shall we do?" he recommended to them one of the principal penitential works, to wit, almsgiving, and mercy to others: "He that hath two coats (says he) let him give to him that hath none, and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner," Luke iii. 11. Third, Our blessed Savior, when he entered upon his public life, began to "preach and to say, "Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," Matth. iv. 17. And to show the necessity of doing so, he says in another place, "Except ye do penance, you shall all likewise perish," Luke xiii. 5. in like manner, when the Jews, who were converted at St. Peter's first sermon, asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Though the scripture expressly observes, that "they had compunction in their hearts;" yet St. Peter answered, "Do penance, and be baptized for the remission of your sins," Acts ii. 37, 38. Which shows that the compunction of sorrow of the heart alone, is not sufficient, and that doing penance is also required.

St. Paul, also, in his famous sermon at the great council of Athens, says, "God now declareth to men, that all should everywhere do penance," Acts xvii. 30. It is true, that in all these texts different translators, instead of do penance translate it repent, meaning by that, the sorrow of the heart alone, without any outward penitential works. But we must observe, that the Christian world, in all former ages, understood these passages as commanding the doing penance; so that this translation is a novelty; besides, it is manifest, from other parts of scripture, that the repentance which Christ requires, is a sorrow of the heart, accompanied with the penitential works painful to self- love.

Thus Christ himself condemns the people of Corozaim and Bethsaida, for not "doing penance, sitting in sackcloth and ashes," after the works he had done among them, as the people of Tyre and Sidon would have done, if they had received the like favors, Luke x. 13. And he lays it down as an essential condition of our belonging to him, that we "deny ourselves, and take up our cross and follow him," Matth. xvi. 24. Finally, that the doing penance is the true sense of the above texts, appears beyond all contradiction, from the examples both of saints and sinners, who are recorded in the scripture to be most assiduous in performing that duty.

Return to Table of Contents "GOD NOW DECLARETH TO MEN, THAT ALL SHOULD EVERYWHERE DO PENANCE." Q. What examples have we of this in scripture? A. St. Paul, as we have just seen, affirmed, in his sermon at Athens, that "God now declareth to men, that all should everywhere do penance;" where, by saying all and everywhere, he shows, that none are excepted; the just as well as the sinners being obliged to it; sinners, as a necessary part of that repentance, by which they move God to mercy, and avert his just anger; and the just, as a satisfaction to God for their former sins, which his mercy has pardoned; those that have sinned, in punishment of their past sins; and those who have lived in innocence, as the best preservative of that treasure, and the most effectual means to obtain great favor from God.

Hence we find the most striking examples of each in scripture: and,

First, Of Sinners. Of Achab king of Israel it is said, "There was not such another as Achab, who was sold to do evil in the sight of the Lord," 3 Kings xxi. 25.; therefore God, at last, sent the prophet Elias to him, to denounce the most dreadful punishments which he had decreed to send upon him: "And when Achab had heard these words, he rent his garments, and put hair cloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and slept in sackcloth, and walked with his head cast down." See here the penitential life he led, which so moved the compassion and mercy of the Almighty, that he said to Elias with a kind of surprise and pleasure, "Hast thou not seen Achab humbled before me? therefore because he has humbled himself for my sake, I will not bring the evil in his days," 3 Kings xxi. 27.

Return to Table of Contents CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN THIS LIFE DUE TO SIN. King Manasses, in punishment of his sins, was overcome by the Babylonians, and they took him and carried him bound with fetters and chains to Babylon. "And after that he was in distress, he prayed to the Lord his God, and did penance exceedingly before the God of his Fathers; and he entreated him and besought him earnestly; and he heard his prayer, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom," 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12. The wickedness of the people of Ninive was so great, that God was resolved to destroy it; and he sent his prophet Jonas to preach, "Yet forty days, and Ninive shall be destroyed." "And the men of Ninive proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least and the king cast away his robe from him, and was clothed in sackcloth, and sat in ashes - and God saw their works, that they were turned from their evil way; and God had mercy with regard to the evil which he had said that he would do them, and he did it not," Jonas iii. 4. From this example of the Ninites our Savior takes occasion to inculcate the necessity of doing penance in the strongest terms, "The men of Ninive," says he, "shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here," Matth. xii. 41.

Second, Of saints and holy people who had been sinners. David, after his repentance for his unhappy fall, even though he knew his sin was pardoned, yet led a most penitential life, which he thus describes, "I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled within me. I am taken away like the shadow when it declineth; and I am shaken off as locusts: My knees, are weakened through fasting," Psal. cviii. 22. My bones are grown dry like fuel for the fire; I am smitten as grass, and my heart is withered, because I forgot to eat my bread; through the voice of my groaning, my bone hath cleaved to my flesh - I have watched and am become as a sparrow, all alone upon the house top - for I did eat ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping; because of thy anger and indignation," Psal. ci. 4

St. Paul had been a persecutor of the Church of Christ; but when he was perfectly reconciled to Christ, and made an Apostle, his constant preaching to the Jews was the necessity of doing penance; now, to understand that the penance he preached was not a mere sorrow of the heart alone, but such a sorrow as manifested itself by doing works worthy of penance, see his own example; though he was a chosen vessel, an Apostle, a friend of Christ, that had been taken up to the third heaven, yet he says, "I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection; lest, perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway," 1 Cor. ix. 27. St. Paul! the chosen vessel! is afraid of losing his soul! and, as a necessary means to prevent that, "chastises his body, and brings it into subjection!" Can any thing more incontestably show the necessity of doing penance? and that a repentance which brought forth such fruits of penance was the repentance so constantly inculcated by this apostle?

Third, Of those who had preserved their innocence, at least from mortal sin, Job, an upright man, and one who feared God, and avoided evil, yet says of himself to God, "I have spoken unwisely - therefore I reprehend myself, and do penance in dust and ashes," Job xlii. 3, 6.

Judith, a most holy woman who was "greatly renowned among all, because she feared the Lord very much, neither was there any one that spoke an ill word of her," Judith viii. 3.; yet, after her husband's death, led a most penitential life, for "she made herself a private chamber in the upper part of her house, in which she abode, shut up with her maids; and she wore hair-cloth upon her loins, and fasted all the days of her life, except the Sabbaths and new moons, and the feasts of the house of Israel," verse 5.

Daniel, a most holy young man, and a prophet, describes his penitential works thus: "I set my face to the Lord my God, to pray and make supplication, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes," Dan. ix. 3.; and again, "In those days I Daniel mourned the days of three weeks, I ate no pleasant bread, and neither flesh nor wine entered into my mouth, neither was I anointed with ointment till the days of three weeks were accomplished," Dan. x. 2. St. John Baptist, though sanctified in his mother's womb, led a most austere and penitential life in the wilderness. And anne, the prophetess, is praised in scripture, because she "departed not from the temple by fasting and prayers serving night and day," Luke ii. 37.

Finally, we frequently read in the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles, of their fastings and watchings. Now, what could induce so many, both saints and sinners, to employ themselves so much in doing a thing so contrary to flesh and blood, so disagreeable to our natural inclinations, so destructive to self-love, as all the penitential works here recited most certainly are, but the full conviction that all sins, great and small, must be punished, that the justice of God would let none go unpunished, and that he required of all, as a part of true repentance, that we should co- operate with his divine justice in punishing ourselves?

Return to Table of Contents SUFFERINGS OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE SINS OF MEN. Q. But is it not injurious to the infinite satisfaction paid by Jesus Christ to the divine justice for our sins, to say that we are still obliged to do penance for them? Are not his sufferings more than sufficient to satisfy for the whole world? A. The reply to this is, First, That Jesus Christ and his holy Apostle St. Paul, did not think it injurious to the satisfaction paid by him for our sins, when they so strongly inculcated the necessity of our doing penance in their preachings, and when St. Paul confirmed it by his example.

Second, Jesus Christ not only suffered in the flesh for our sins, but he was also oppressed in the garden with the most dreadful sorrow that ever entered into the heart of man, on seeing the sins of the whole world laid upon himself, and from the clear knowledge he had of their enormity, and the greatness of the offence done to God by them: He also shed streams of tears on our account, and poured forth most fervent prayers to obtain mercy for us. Now, this sorrow, these tears, and these prayers of Jesus Christ, were of no less infinite value than his bodily sufferings, and sufficient to cancel the sins of ten thousand worlds. Shall we, therefore, say that no more sorrow, tears, nor prayers are required from us? or that it is injurious to the infinite merits of his sorrow and tears, and of the prayers which he offered up for our sins, to say that we are still obliged to be sorrowful, to weep, or to pray for them?

Third, The sorrow, tears, prayers and sufferings of Christ are, doubtless, of infinite merit before his eternal Father, and the most super-abundant satisfaction to the divine justice for the sins of men; but, to operate their effect in us, they must be applied to our souls, and this is only done efficaciously when we perform the conditions Christ demands for this end; for Christ "is become the cause of eternal salvation to all that obey him," Heb. v. 9, and to none else; for those "who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, shall suffer eternal punishment in destruction," 2 Thess. i. 8. As all agree that notwithstanding the sorrow, tears, and prayers of Christ, we are strictly obliged to be sorrowful, and to pray for our sins, as a condition required for applying the merits of the sorrow and prayers of Christ to ours souls, and that we do so, without the least injury to his sorrow and prayers; so all the above testimonies and examples of holy writ clearly prove, that notwithstanding all his sufferings for our sins, we are still strictly obliged, by his command, to suffer for them, by punishing ourselves, as a condition required for getting the merits of his sufferings applied to us, and that without the least prejudice to the infinite satisfaction paid by his sufferings.

Fourth, If we consider the matter properly, we shall see that, instead of injuring the satisfaction of Christ, we highly honor it by doing penance for our sins. For, suppose a man to be owing a sum of money which he was utterly unable to pay, and that, therefore, his surety being pursued by the creditor, was obliged to pay the whole, would it not be most ungrateful, if the debtor should leave his surety in the lurch entirely, and refuse to pay him, at least as far as he could? And would it not be highly becoming, as well as strict justice in the debtor, and, at the same time, show the grateful sense he had of his obligation to his surety, that he be careful to repay him, at least, as far as he is able?

This is just our case, and the application is obvious; especially as we have seen, that our Divine Surety expressly requires this of us. If Jesus Christ, the innocent, the holy Lamb of God, suffered so much for the sins of others, does not every motive of decency, gratitude, and justice demand that the guilty sinners should suffer something themselves? Hence we find, that eternal life is promised only on condition that we suffer with our innocent Surety; we are "heirs, indeed, of God, and joint heirs with Christ; yet so if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him," Rom. viii. 17: " a faithful saying: for, if we be dead with him that we shall live also with him; if we suffer we shall also reign with him," 2 Tim. 11. And St. Peter assures us, that "Christ also suffered for us, leaving an example that we should follow his steps," 1 Pet. ii. 21.; which manifestly shows, that among the many other views Christ had in suffering, one expressly was, to encourage us, by his example, to follow his steps, by voluntary sufferings for our sins. So that by doing penance for our sins, we truly honor the sufferings of Christ in the way in which he requires we should honor them; and hence the scripture says, "The dead that are in hell, whose spirit is taken away from their bowels, shall not give glory and justice to the Lord; but the soul which is sorrowful, for the greatness of the evil she hath done, and goeth bowed down and feeble; and the eyes that fail, and the hungry soul, giveth glory and justice to thee, O Lord," Baruch ii. 17.

Return to Table of Contents "MANY ARE CALLED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN." Q. If it be so absolutely necessary to do penance for our sins, and to imitate the sufferings of Jesus Christ, who shall be saved? for do we not see wickedness and vice everywhere reign, and penitential works in a manner banished from among us? Does not self-love every where prevail, and every one study nothing but their own interest, ease, pleasure, and convenience? Nay, have not the generality of mankind even a settled aversion to penance? And do not even those who acknowledge and believe the obligation of it in theory, commonly strive all they can to avoid it in practice? A. In answer to all this, it can only be said, that these too true observations are the most convincing proof of that dreadful sentence of Jesus Christ, that "many are called but few are chosen;" and that "many walk in the broad road that leads to destruction, and few in the narrow path that leads to eternal life." Q. What advantage, then, have we from the infinite satisfaction paid by Jesus Christ for our sins, if we be still obliged to do penance for them? A. Immense and admirable are the advantages we receive from the satisfaction of Christ: for,

First, It is through the merits of his sufferings alone that any penitential works we do can be acceptable to God; for if our penitential works were separated from the merits of Christ, they would be good for nothing, neither of value before God, nor of any profit to our souls; but being united to the merits of Christ, they acquire a supernatural value and dignity, which makes them available to our salvation; so that the satisfaction paid by Christ, sanctifies our sufferings, gives them a supernatural lustre, and raises them to a great value before God, through which they are accepted by the Divine justice as a satisfaction on our part for our sins; just as the sorrow, tears, and prayers of Christ sanctify these actions in us, and make them agreeable to God; but, without his sufferings, this could never possibly have been the case, nor could we have found any acceptance with God, though we had suffered all the torments of hell for all eternity.

Second, It is the satisfaction of Christ alone that delivers us from the eternal punishment due to our sins, changing it into the small temporal punishment which he demands from us; for, without him, nothing we ever could do, or suffer, could possibly have delivered us from these never-ending torments.

Third, In the sacrament of baptism, Almighty God, with the most unbounded mercy, applies the merits of Christ to our souls without all restriction, and accepts of his satisfaction in its full extent so as to deliver us at once from all our sins, both original and actual, and from all the punishment due to them; makes us his adopted children, and gives us a full right and title to his eternal kingdom. So that, though a person has been guilty of every so many sins before baptism, yet if, after receiving this sacrament worthily, he should immediately die, nothing could hinder him from the immediate possession of eternal bliss. Here the divine justice gives up all its claim against the offender himself; being perfectly satisfied with the satisfaction of Christ, so fully applied for that purpose; here the infinite merits of Christ have their full effect; and here the mercy of God appears in all its lustre.

Q. Why does not God treat sinners in the same manner when they repent of the sins committed after baptism? A. It does not belong to us to inquire into the reasons of the divine conduct; our great care should be to be satisfied with, and above what he has done; and all the testimonies which we have seen above prove, beyond reply, that it is his will to trust us in a different manner for the sins we commit after baptism, than for those before it. Yet a little reflection will show us, that his conduct in this is most reasonable, and that both justice and mercy concur to require it. With regard to justice, we must observe, that, when we are first received into his favor by baptism, for the sake and in honor of the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, he treats us with unlimited mercy. Justice with regard to the offender, seems to forget its own rights entirely; for all that he requires of us, to entitle us to such amazing mercy, is to believe in Jesus Christ, and be sorry for having offended him, with a solemn promise of being faithful to him for the future; and even this faith, repentance, and promise, he does not actually require from us when we are baptized in our infancy, but is constant with the promise made in our name.

If, notwithstanding all this goodness, we should afterwards return to sin, and break this solemn vow we made, this contains such a contempt of God, after having experienced so much favor, such a horrid malice, after having full knowledge of the evil and such unparalleled ingratitude, after having received such inestimable benefits from his bounteous mercy, that in all justice, the sinner deserves the most rigorous punishment; and it would be unreasonable, and, in some degree, even unjust, to receive him again into the possession of the same glorious privileges, upon the same easy terms as before; and, therefore, the divine justice here resumes all its rights against the sinner, and absolutely requires he should now suffer in his own person. Even among ourselves, we see this is what common sense dictates to us.

If, on receiving any great injury, we should cheerfully forgive our enemy, be heartily reconciled to him, and do him good offices, without requiring any other satisfaction than his asking pardon, and promising amendment; yet, if this person should repeat the same, or other greater injuries, would we receive him into our friendship on the same easy terms? Hence the Council of Trent says, "The fruits of the sacrament of penance are different from those of baptism; for by baptism we put on Christ, and become in him altogether a new creature, receiving the full and entire remission of all our sins; but (if we lose this happy state by sin) we can by no means acquire the same newness and integrity by the sacrament of penance, without great weeping and labors upon our part, the divine justice so requiring it." Sess.xiv. cap. 2.

Return to Table of Contents THE MERCY OF GOD IN ITS STRONGEST LIGHT. Q. But does not this seem to exclude mercy entirely? A. By no means; the mercy of God, even here, appears in the strongest light. For, considering the dreadful evil of sin, when committed after baptism, a sinner, by committing it, forfeits all title to mercy, and God could, without the least injustice, condemn him to the eternal punishment his sins deserve, treating him with the same rigor of justice with which he treated the fallen angels. It is therefore the effect of infinite mercy in God to be willing to receive us again into favor on any terms; and it is through the infinite merits of Christ alone that he is moved to do so. In baptism he forgets his justice with respect to the sinner, and applies to us the infinite effects of mercy alone; but when, after so much goodness from Him, we return to our sin, and by so doing render ourselves altogether unworthy of any mercy, he alters his conduct towards us; He is still willing, through the merits of Christ, to receive us into mercy, but it is upon condition that we endeavor to satisfy his justice also. He treated the fallen angels with the most rigorous justice, without mercy, without regard to the interests of his justice; but, in being reconciled to us for sins committed after baptism, he positively requires that justice and mercy should go together, and be no more separated.

Through the merits of Christ, on our sincere repentance, he grants us mercy, he forgives us our sins, and the eternal punishment due to them; but he absolutely demands, that, by penitential works, we punish ourselves for our shocking ingratitude, and satisfy the divine justice for the abuse of her mercy. So that the effect of mercy here is not to free us entirely from the punishment, as in baptism, but to change the eternal punishment which we deserve, and which we cannot undergo but to our utter destruction, into a temporal punishment which we can perform, and the performance of which is attended with the greatest advantages to the soul.

What still further shows how much it is the effect of the greatest mercy itself to require the doing penance from us, is this, that, "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," Heb. x. 31, even in regard to temporal punishments; as appears from the many examples of scripture of the severity with which his justice punishes sinners in this life, even for sins which to us would seme but small. Almighty God, in commanding us to do penance, remits, in a manner, his own right to punish us, and puts it in our own hands, accepting of small things done willingly of ourselves, in place of much more severe chastisements which we would have to suffer, if afflicted by his divine justice.

What were all the penances done by Achab and the Ninivites in comparison to what God had decreed to inflict upon them himself? and yet, because they punished themselves by these small afflictions, he remitted the greater. Besides all this, the great design of the divine mercy, in pardoning sinners, is doubtless to procure their salvation. Pardoning past sins would not effectually procure this, if proper care were not taken to prevent the sinner from falling back to sin again.

Seeing, therefore, that all the unmerited mercies bestowed on him in baptism were not sufficient for this purpose, there is a necessity of taking a more severe method after this, in order to secure his perseverance; and this is done by laying him under the necessity of doing penance for his past sins, which, on many accounts, is the most powerful means to fortify him against relapsing!

Return to Table of Contents ADVANTAGE OF DOING PENANCE. Q. What are the advantages that doing penance brings to the soul? A. It makes us sensible of the grievousness of ours sins. Our great misfortune is, that we have not a just notion of sin; we all think too lightly of it; and, if we had nothing to suffer for it in this world, we would be apt to lose all horror of it entirely, and consequently would take no care to avoid it; but, when we see that Almighty God absolutely requires that we should do penance for sin, and that there is no remission of the guilt of sin without a sincere and efficacious resolution to do penance for it, this opens our eyes, lets us see there is something more dreadful in sin that we imagined, puts us in mind experimentally of what we have to expect in the next life, since a good and just God requires sin to be strictly punished here, and consequently makes us more cautious and careful to avoid it. The very pain of doing penitential works is a great check to our proneness to sin, and experience teaches, that those who diligently punish themselves for the faults they commit, find in this a great and powerful help to amendment.

A great number of the penitential works strike directly at the very roots of our sins, and weaken and extirpate those inordinate affections, and vicious inclinations from which our sins chiefly proceed.

Many of them also tend to destroy the bad habits of sin which we have contracted, by obliging us to the practice of the contrary virtues.

They powerfully oppose the wrath of God enkindled by ours sins and by showing the fervor and sincerity of our repentance, more perhaps than any other thing we can do; they move him to be liberal in his graces to us, to enable us effectually to preserve our innocence, and make progress in solid virtue.

Q. What is the conclusion to be drawl from all these truths? A. It is comprehended in these following particulars:

First, That the doing penance for our sins is a necessary part of true repentance.

Second, That by sin we contract a heavy debt of punishment due to the divine justice, both temporal and eternal.

Third, That our repentance for our sins is not sincere, neither will it obtain the remission of the guilt of sin, nor of the eternal punishment due to it, unless it be accompanied with a sincere will and resolution to discharge the debt of temporal punishment by doing penance.

Fourth, That, therefore, this debt of temporal punishment remains due, even though the guilt of sin and its eternal punishment, be remitted.

Fifth, That, as justice absolutely demands this debt from sinners, it must be paid, either by voluntary penance inflicted on ourselves, or by more severe sufferings sent by God, and received by us in a penitential spirit.

Sixth, That, if a person should die in the grace of God, but before his debt be discharged, he will be sentenced to purgatory, where he shall remain till he has paid the full penalty.

Seventh, That, as no man can known the full amount of this debt, and is perhaps daily increasing it by his daily venial sins and imperfections, it is therefore the greatest Christian wisdom to endeavor constantly to discharge some part of it, by leading a daily penitential life of self-denial and mortification, according to what our Savior enjoins us, saying, "Be at agreement with thy adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him, lest, perhaps, the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge, deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Amen, I say to thee, thou shalt not go from thence till thou pay the last farthing," Matt. v. 25. The present life is the way, the divine justice our adversary, God the judge, purgatory the prison. And to the same purpose the Church of Christ, in one of her greatest and most important general councils, declares, that, "The whole life of a Christian ought to be a perpetual penance.' Council of Trent, Sess. xiv.

Return to Table of Contents INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SPIRIT OF PENANCE. Q. What is meant by the spirit of penance? A. The spirit of penance is nothing else but that sincere sorrow and contrition for our sins, the necessity of which we have seen above; it is that "sorrow, according to God, which worketh penance, steadfast unto salvation," 2 Cor. vii. 10. The effects which this sorrow worketh in the soul, arise from the various lights which it brings to the soul, in the view of which it excites the sinner to the exercise of those penitential works which contribute most powerfully to secure his eternal salvation. First, The true spirit of penance shows the sinner, in their true colors, the multitude and grievousness of his sins, excites a horror and detestation of them, and makes him willing to undergo any sufferings as a just punishment for them. In this view the spirit of penance is a spirit of justice, condemning the criminal to condign punishment.

Second, It shows the sinner the greatness of the injury done to the great God of heaven by sin, fills him with grief and sorrow for having so often and so grievously offended and dishonored so good a God, excites in him a sincere desire of repairing the honor of God to the best of his power, and for this purpose makes him cheerfully condemn himself to works of humiliation and penance. in this light, the spirit of penance is a spirit of restitution and satisfaction, by which the honor of God injured by sin is repaired.

Third, It convinces the sinner that his own flesh, that is, his unmortified passions and affections, are his greatest enemies, as well as the declared enemies of God having so often dragged him into sin, and put him in danger of eternal damnation; it therefore excites in his soul a just hatred against these his mortal enemies, by which he rigorously chastises his body, and brings it into subjection, both as a just punishment for past offenses, and to prevent its betraying him again, lest he should at last become a cast-away. So the spirit of penance is a spirit of hatred and revenge against our self-love in all its branches.

Fourth, It gives the sinner a just sense of all the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and of the infinite obligations we have toward him; shows him the horrid ingratitude of renewing these sufferings by sin, and excites in his soul a tender compassion and ardent love of Jesus Christ, a sincere sorrow for having been the guilty cause of so much torment to him, and an earnest desire of resembling him and bearing the cross along with him; in consequence of this, it makes him cheerfully condemn himself to works of penance, that he may honor the sufferings and follow the example of his beloved Master. In this view the spirit of penance is a spirit of compassion and love of Jesus Christ, and of conformity to his holy example.

Return to Table of Contents BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM." Q. What are the signs by which we may know if we have the true spirit of penance? A. "By their fruits ye shall know them." The surest signs that this holy spirit resides in the soul, are the effects it produces, but they are minutely enumerated by St. Paul, in these words: "Behold this self-same thing, that you were made sorrowful according to God, how great carefulness doth it work in you; yea defence, yea indignation, yea fear, yea desire, yea zeal, yea revenge," 2 Cor. vii. 11. First, Carefulness; to wit, about the great concerns of salvation, convincing the sinner of the supreme importance of that great affair, and of the vanity of all other pursuits; and, therefore, makes him careful and diligent to secure it.

Second, Defence; this carefulness is not an idle anxiety of mind, but an active principle, which makes us use all necessary means for defending our soul against all its enemies, by prayer, spiritual reading, frequently the holy sacraments, and other such helps to salvation.

Third, Indignation, and hatred against sin, and all the dangerous occasions of sin, which the spirit of penance makes us fly from and avoid, though otherwise as useful or dear to us as a hand or an eye.

Fourth, Fear of the judgment of God, and of hell fire, and especially the fear of ever offending again so good a God, which is the beginning of true wisdom, and makes us "work out our salvation with fear and trembling.:

Fifth, Desire, to wit, of flying as far from sin as possible, and of daily advancing our soul in the union and love of God, giving "us a hunger and thirst after justice."

Sixth, Zeal for the glory of God, and for destroying all his and our real enemies, to wit, our own unmortified passions, by self-denial and mortification; and for promoting his honor to the utmost of our power, considering the infinite obligations we have to his goodness.

Seventh, Revenge, vindicating the rights of the divine justice, by cheerfully punishing ourselves for our past sins. Happy those in whom all these blessed fruits of the true spirit of penance are found!

Return to Table of Contents MEANS BY WHICH TRUE REPENTANCE IS ACQUIRED. Q. What are the means by which we may obtain the spirit of penance? A. First, The spirit of penance is the gift of God, as our holy faith teaches; for when St. Peter gave an account to the brethren of the conversion of the Gentiles, in the person of Cornelius and his friends, "they glorified God, saying, God then hath also to the Gentiles given repentance unto life," Acts xi. 18. And St. Paul exhorts Timothy, "with modesty to admonish them that resist the truth, if peradventure God may give them repentance to know the truth," 2 Tim. ii. 25. It is one of the most necessary gifts we can receive from God, for without it there is no salvation for sinners. The scripture assures us, that "our heavenly Father will readily give his holy spirit to them that ask it," Luke xi. 13. Hence the first and principal means to obtain the holy spirit of penance, is humble and fervent prayer. This the holy servants of God well knowing, were assiduous in their prayers for this purpose, "Convert me, O Lord, and I shall be converted," saith Jeremiah, "for thou art my God," Jer. xxxi. 18; and David, "Convert us, O Lord! and we shall be converted, show thy face, and we shall be saved," Ps. lxxix where this prayer is frequently repeated. Second, We must avoid and fly from all those things which would hinder the spirit of penance from coming to our souls; such as idle company, dissipating diversions, plays, dancing, jesting, profane reading, and vain apparel, &c. All these things dissipate the heart, fill the mind with a world of idle ideas, carry off the thoughts from every thing serious, and are quite opposite to, and destructive of, the spirit of penance; and, therefore, are particularly unbecoming, and unworthy to be thought of in penitential times.

Third, We must apply ourselves seriously to the consideration and practices of those things which promote and excite the true penitential dispositions in the soul; such as serious meditation on the last things, and the great truths of eternity, the practice of self-denial and mortification, with works of charity and mercy; for experience shows, that as those who live pleasant lives, and pamper the body, never acquire the true spirit of penance whilst they live in that manner; so those who practise the works of penance, soon obtain the true spirit of it.

Fourth, Serious and frequent meditation on the great evils of sin, which contribute in a particular manner to excite the true spirit of penance in the soul, by giving us a just sense of the heinous evil of sin, of the greatness of the injury done by it to God, and of the dreadful consequences it has with regard to ourselves, and the want of this knowledge, or the not reflecting upon it, is one of the principal causes why we fall so easily into the misery of sin.

Return to Table of Contents INSTRUCTIONS ON THE WORKS OF PENANCE. Q. What is understood by works of penance? A. By works of penance is understood any kind of punishment which the sinner willingly undergoes in order to satisfy for his sins, and, as the nature of punishment requires that it be painful and afflicting to self-love; so any thing whatsoever that is naturally painful and afflicting to us, and which we willingly undergo with the view of doing penance for our sins is a penitential work. Q. Why do you say that is naturally painful and afflicting to us? A. Penance or punishment is what naturally gives pain; if it gave no pain it would be no punishment. Now, it may sometimes happen, that a penitential work which naturally gives pain, yet in certain circumstances may give a person no pain at the time he uses it; but it does not cease on that account to be a penitential work even to that person. Thus some find no difficulty in abstaining from flesh; others find little or no pain in fasting; yet, if these people, when obedience requires it, perform these works out of a penitential spirit, they are truly penitential works to them. In like manner, a person may be so far advanced in the love of God, and in the virtue of holy mortification, as to have, in a great measure, conquered the natural inclinations of flesh and blood, and even to find pleasure in those things which are naturally painful to us; yet this is so far from lessening the value of the penitential works of that person, that is greatly increases it, and shows the ardor of his love to God, from which they proceed.

Q. Why do you say, with a view of doing penance? A. Because, thought he work be ever so painful, yet, if we undergo it without the view and intention of doing penance, it will be no penance at all; and, if done with any bad view, will even be displeasing to God: as our Savior expressly declares, of all the three great penitential works of fasting, alms-giving, and prayer, if they be done with the view of gaining "praise from men," Matth. vi. The reason is, because, in ordre to be a penitential work, it must proceed from the spirit of penance. This is the root, this is the principal part of penance, without which the exterior works signify nothing. And God Almighty puts such a value upon this internal disposition, that though the external work be but very small, yet, if it proceed from, and be accompanied with, a true penitential spirit, it becomes of great value before him.

What can be of less value than to give a cup of cold water to a thirsty person? yet Christ himself declares, that, if done for his sake, it shall not want its reward. In like manner, what can be a smaller penitential work, than to deprive one's self of a drink of water? Yet it is recorded in sacred writ, as a very great action of David, that when three of his valiant men, at the risk of their lives, brought him water out of a cistern, which he had taken a longing for, "he would not drink, but offered it to the Lord," 2 Kings (Sam.) xxiii. 16. This ought to be a great comfort to those who are not able to do great things: let them do the little they can, with a true penitential spirit, and it will be accepted.

Return to Table of Contents PENITENTIAL WORKS. Q. Into how many classes are penitential works divided? A. Into three classes: First, Those which we are commanded to undergo, under pain of sin.

Second, Those which are left to our own free choice, according to our particular wants, without any other command but the general one of doing penance for our sins.

Third, Those which we are forced to undergo by the order of Providence, but it is left to ourselves to make the proper penitential use of them.

Q. What are the penitential works which we are commanded to undergo, under pain of sin? A. The following:

First, The confession of our sins in the sacrament of penance. This is a great penance and humiliation to our corrupt nature, and to self-love; but it is imposed upon us by Almighty God, in place of that shame and confusion which will begin with sinners of the last day, and last for all eternity, and which is one of the greatest punishments of sin in the next life. As the penitential works of this life are laid upon us by the justice and mercy of God, in exchange for those of eternity. He has been pleased to appoint the momentary shame and confusion of confessing our sins here to one man like ourselves, in exchange for that eternal confusion which we must otherwise undergo in the next life. Hence, this is a penance laid by God himself upon all, without exception of persons, who have offended God by mortal sin; and it is commanded with such strictness, that the guilt itself of the sin will not be washed away from our souls, unless it be properly complied with.

Second, All those penitential works which our confessor enjoins us in the sacrament of penance: This also is a penance which we are obliged to perform, by the express command of God; and it is, without doubt, one of the most profitable for our souls; because, being a part of the sacrament, it is sanctified by the grace annexed to the sacrament; raised up to a much higher value in the sight of God, than other penitential works, though perhaps more painful, which we might do of our own choice; and it has also the merit of obedience annexed to it, which gives it still a greater value before God. The obligation we lie under of performing this sacramental penance, is shown from the words of our Savior, to the pastors of his Church, in the persons of the Apostles, when he said, "Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven," Matth. xviii. 18. For as by the latter words, he assures us, that when our confessor looses us from our sins here on earth, we are loosed from them in heaven; so by the former part of this text, he equally declares, that when we are bound on earth by them to do our penance, this obligation is ratified in heaven; for the general term whatsoever, includes all.

But we must not imagine, that, when we have faithfully performed our sacramental penance, we have by it discharged all we owe to the divine justice. Alas! what proportion is there between the penances commonly enjoined in the sacrament, and the sins by which we have offended God? In ancient times, the penances imposed on sinners were exceedingly severe, and often continued for years together; but, as charity waxed cold among Christians, the Church was obliged to moderate this discipline, lest the weakness and tepidity of Christians should neglect to perform them at all. At present, then, the penances imposed in the Sacrament are but small; the rest is left to the penitent's own devotion, and, if they are deficient, it must be made up by God himself, either here or hereafter, to their cost.

Third, The public fasts commanded by the Church: These also we are obliged, by the command of God, faithfully to observe; and, if we do it with a true penitential spirit, they will prove exceedingly useful to discharge what we owe to Divine Justice; especially as by them we also partake of what the whole Church is doing at the same time.

Return to Table of Contents PUNISHMENT DUE TO SINS CLASSIFIED. Q. What are those works of penance which are left to our own choice? A. They are divided into three classes, and consist in punishing ourselves either in our external senses, or in the passions and affections of the mind and heart, or in the flesh. The two first are seldom attended with any danger from excess, and in them consists the exercise of that self-denial and mortification of the will, so much recommended in the gospel, and so strictly required by Jesus Christ from his followers; and, therefore, in practicing them, we are sure of doing what is most agreeable to God. The third class contains bodily mortifications, by which with St. Paul, we "chastise the body and bring it into subjection; "but, as the indiscreet use of these may be attended with consequences dangerous to the health, proper caution and advice ought to be taken in practicing them. The practice of each class is as follows:

First, As to the external senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, etc., by them we offend God many ways; and the doing penance in them consists in depriving them of what is agreeable to them, even though the object be innocent, but especially if it be sinful or dangerous. Thus, Job "made a covenant with his eyes, that he should not so much as think upon a virgin," Job xxxi. 1. And David would not hear another speak ill of his neighbour in his presence. "The man that in private detracted his neighbour, him did I persecute," Psal. c. 5. Daniel also says of himself, "Desirable bread I did not eat, and wine and flesh did not enter my mouth." It also consists in forcing the senses to undergo what is disagreeable to them, but not hurtful; as David did when "he mingled ashes with his bread." Tot his class also belongs the doing penance in the tongue, by silence, speaking ill of none, defending the absent, and the like.

Second, As to the passions and affections of the soul, as they are the principal springs of all our sins, the doing penance in them is of a very wide extent, and of the greatest necessity for the amendment of our life, as well as for the punishment of past offences. The chief way of doing penance here, is to force ourselves to the practice of these virtues which are contrary to our vicious affections; to mortify avarice by alms-deeds; hatred by speaking well of, doing good to, and praying for our enemies; pride by acts of humility and obedience; gluttony by eating things disagreeable to the taste, drunkenness by a total abstinence from strong drinks, and the like. Under this class comes also the mortifying all idle curiosity of seeing or hearing new things which do not belong to, nor concern us; and all vanity in dress, and the like.

Third, As to bodily penances, they are all included under the three general heads of prayer, fasting, and alms-deeds, which are all most profitable, in many respects, to those who properly practice them. Under this head are included some particular kinds of bodily penances taken notice of in scripture; such as hair- cloth, of which it is recorded, that Judith "wore a hair-cloth next her loins all the days of her life," Judith viii. 6. And David says of himself, "I was clothed with hair-cloth, I humbled my soul with fasting," Psal. xxxiv. 13. "I covered my soul with fasting - I made hair-cloth my garment," Psal. lxviii. 11, 12.; and when he saw the destroying angel causing the plague among his people, in punishment of his sins, "both he and the ancients, clothed in hair-cloth, fell down flat on the ground," 1 Chron. xxi. 16. So also, in the famous siege of Samaria, the king "rent his garments and passed by upon the wall, and all the people saw the hair-cloth, which he wore next his flesh," 4 Kings vi. 30. This was the way these holy people took to do penance for their sins, and appease the wrath of God. St. John the Baptist, also, though a most innocent soul, is a great model of this kind of penance, being clothed with a garment made of hair. Watching is another work of penance much recommended by examples in scripture: "Oh God, my God," says David, "to thee I watch by break of day," Psalm. lxii.; and, "I rose at midnight to give praise to God," Psal. cxviii. 62. Of the truly wise man, also, it is said, "He will give his heart to resort, by day-break, to the Lord, and will pray in the sight of the Most High," Ecclus. xxxix. 6.; and the manna, "which could not be destroyed by fire, being warmed with a little sun-beam, presently melted away, that it might be known to all that we must prevent the sun to bless thee, and adore thee as the dawning of the light," Wisd. xvi. 27. Our Savior himself watched whole nights in prayer; St. Paul exhorts us to approve ourselves as servants of Christ, "in fasting, in watching;" 2 Cor. vi. 5., and tells us that it was his own practice to chastise his body "in labour, in toil, in many watchings," 2 Cor. xi. 27. In all which we see that this holy penitential work of watching consists in moderating the quantity of our sleep, in interrupting it, and getting up early in the morning to praise God and pray to him. Another penitential work is pointed out to us strongly in the word of God. When David's child was sick, he "fasted and lay upon the ground," seven days to move God to mercy, and to obtain the life of the child. Among the penitential works by which Achab found mercy with God, one was, that he "slept in sackcloth;" and Joel exhorts the people to have recourse to the same means of finding mercy, "Gird yourselves and lament, O ye priests - go in and lie in sackcloth, ye servants of my God," Joel i. 13.

Return to Table of Contents GOD REMINDS US IN THIS LIFE OF PENANCE DUE TO SIN. Q. What are the penitential works we must undergo whether we will or not? A. All the miseries and troubles to which we are daily exposed in this life, and which we cannot avoid. were we diligent in performing the penitential works contained in the two former classes, we might easily discharge a great part of the debt we owe to the Divine Justice; but, alas! our backwardness in that is most deplorable, and therefore Almighty God, out of his infinite goodness sends us many trials, and afflictions of different kinds, to force us to become good. What sufferings he sends are surely the most proper for us; and, as we must unavoidably undergo whatever he sends us, it is an easy matter to discharge our debt by their means; all that is required, is to bear them with a penitential spirit, receiving them with patience and submission from the hand of God, and taking them as a penance sent by him for our sins. Penitential works of this class are innumerable.

First, The toils and labors of our state of life, are a penance laid upon us by God from the very fall of Adam, in punishment of which, God said to Adam, "cursed is the earth in thy work; with labor and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life; in the sweat of thy brow thou shalt ear thy bread," Gen. iii. What a field of penitential works does this give to all Christians?

Second, The inclemencies of the weather, heat, and cold, rain, frost, snow, &c. afford to all an abundant matter for the same purpose.

Third, Distractions, aridites, and desolations in time of prayer, are a just punishment for the many times we have been deaf to the calls of God, resisted his graces, and filled our heads with idle, unprofitable or sinful thoughts; but, if borne with a penitential spirit, will be an effectual discharge of the debt we have contracted by these faults.

Fourth, Your children are obstinate, and a torment to you; remember how you behaved towards your parents, and your negligence in bringing up your own children well, and take the pain they give you as a penance sent from God for these sins.

Fifth, Servants, yours masters and mistresses are harsh and ill-natured: Masters, your servants are disobedient and careless; what noble opportunities doth this give to each, of offering up a daily penance most acceptable to God? Sickness and pain attack you; here also is a large and excellent field for making up your accounts with God to your great advantage. And so of all the other crosses, which God sends upon us in this life, and which there is no avoiding, but which may easily be turned to the best account in the way of doing penance for our sins. But, how contrary is our conduct in all these cases to what it ought to be? How often do we abuse these occasions which God sends us of making up our peace with Him; and turn them into occasions of increasing our guilt and our debt, by our impatience and murmuring under them! How unreasonable is our conduct in this respect! How great our folly!

Return to Table of Contents THE REMISSION OF SIN EXPLAINED. Q. Does true repentance remit sin, or wash it away from the soul? A. By no means; the remission of sin is solely the work of God, and nothing but his grace can wash away the stains of sin from the soul. Q. What part then has repentance in the pardon of sin? A. First, It disposes the soul for receiving from God the pardon of our sins; for without repentance the soul is utterly incapable of being restored to the favor and mercy of God, seeing that, as long as the soul loves sin, God will infallibly hate her.

Second, It efficaciously moves God to grant us pardon, because, as Jesus Christ has merited for us that pardon of our sins, on condition of a sincere repentance on our part, and, as God has repeatedly promised pardon to the repenting sinner, consequently, true repentance can never fail to obtain from God the pardon of sin; he is bound in justice to Jesus Christ, and in fidelity to his own promises, to grant it. Besides, true repentance is itself a gift of God; it is his holy grace that first moves the sinner to it, it is his holy grace which enables the sinner to complete it, insomuch that, without the grace of God, it is impossible for us to have true repentance; consequently, when God gives to a sinner the grace of true repentance; undoubtedly he will also give the pardon of his sins, with a view to which the grace of repentance was given him.

Return to Table of Contents FORGIVENESS OF SIN. Q. What is meant by the pardon or remission of sin; in what does it consist? A. We have seen above, that sin defiles, pollutes, and stains the soul in a most miserable manner, and renders her ugly and hateful in the sight of God, like to the very devils themselves; and loathsome to him and his holy angels, as a dead carcase is in the eyes of man. As long as these pollutions and defilements of sin remain in the soul, it is impossible God should be reconciled with her. When, upon the sinner's sincere repentance, Almighty God, through the merits of Christ, pardons his sins, he washes away, and cleanses the soul from all these pollutions of sin by his justifying grace; this renders her beautiful and agreeable to God, and restores her to his friendship and favor. So that the pardon or remission of sin, properly speaking, consists in being delivered from the guilt of sin, adorned with the grace of God, and restored to his favor. Q. How does it appear that Almighty God takes away and destroys all the stains and guilt of sin from the soul when he pardons sin? A. From many clear testimonies of scripture.

First, From those which expressly affirm it: thus God promises by his prophet, "I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness," Ezek. xxxvi. 25. God "will turn again and have mercy on us; he will put away our iniquities, and he will cast all our sins into the bottom of the sea," Mich. vii. 19. Before David fell, he said to God, "Thou hast tried me by fire, and iniquity hath not been found in me," Psal. xvi. 3. But after his unhappy fall he prayed, "Wash me, yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sins - and blot out all mine iniquities," Psal. 1. 4, 11. Describing the pardon he had got, he said, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us," Psal. cii. 12. The angel also touched Isaiah's lips with a coal, and said, "Behold this hath touched thy lips, and they iniquity shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be cleansed," Is. vi. 7. St. Peter also, in his sermon to the Jews, says, "Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out," Acts iii. 19.

Second, From those texts where this is expressly declared to be the benefit ordained for us by Jesus Christ; thus, he is "the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world," John i. 19. "The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John i. 7.; for "he hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood," Rev. i. 4.; "for if the blood of goats and of oxen, &c sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ cleanse our conscience from dead works?" Heb. ix. 14.

Third, From those texts which declare this to be done by the sacrament of baptism; thus, "Arise and be baptised, and wash away your sins," Acts xxii. 16.; and St. Paul, speaking of different grievous sins, says, "And such some of you were, but you are washed, but you are sanctified, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God," 1 Cor. vi. 11.

Q. By what means does Almighty God wash our souls from the guilt of sins, when he grants us pardon for them? A. By his holy grace, or divine charity, which he pours down into the soul, by his Holy Spirit, and which both washes away all the stains and pollutions of sin, and also beautifies the soul, and makes her just and holy in her sight; "Because the charity of God is poured abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us," Rom. v.

True Grace the Gift of God
CHAPTER XVIII EXPLANATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD. Q. What is the grace of God? A. It is a supernatural gift of God, not at all due to us; a divine quality communicated by God to the soul, which cleanses her from all the stains of sin, and renders her beautiful and agreeable in the eyes of God: It is also a divine help, which excites us and enables us to do good and avoid evil.

Return to Table of Contents DIFFERENT KINDS OF GRACE. Q. How many kinds of grace are there? A. It is principally divided into two kinds, actual grace and sanctifying grace. Q. What dos actual grace do to us? A. It fortifies and strengthens the soul.

Q. What good does sanctifying grace do to us? A. It washes and beautifies the soul.

Return to Table of Contents EXPLANATION OF ACTUAL GRACE. Q. What is actual grace? A. Actual grace is an internal supernatural help, which God communicates to the soul, to enable us to do good and avoid evil. Q. How does this actual grace operate in the soul? A. First, By enlightening the understanding, to see what ought to be done or avoided, and inclining the will towards what is good, or averting it from evil; and, on this account, it is called exciting grace, and preventing grace. It is called exciting grace, because it excites and invites us, as it were, to do good and avoid evil; and it is called preventing grace because it is wholly the work of God in our souls, and precedes every deliberate or voluntary act of our own, as experience itself teaches us; for we feel those holy inspirations arise in our souls, without any thing done by us to procure them, or having it in our power to hinder them; though, when they come, we have it always in our power either to comply with them or to resist them.

Second, When we freely comply with this first motion of actual grace, it continues to fortify and strengthen us to go on and perfect the good work we have begun; and on this account it is called concomitant grace; because it accompanies us during the whole good action; and strengthening or helping grace, because it helps our salvation, and enable us to perform it.

Q. What does the scripture say of this actual grace? A. Our Savior says himself, "Behold I stand at the door and knock." See here the exciting grace; and he immediately adds, "If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me," Rev. iii. 20. Behold the helping grace, or the continuation of his actual grace, when we comply with the first motions it works in our souls. To the same purpose St. Paul says, "It is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good pleasure," Phil. ii. 3. God worketh in us to will, by his exciting grace, without which we could never of ourselves have a good thought: and to accomplish by his helping grace, without which we can do nothing. David was very sensible of this when he said, "My God, his mercy shall prevent me," Ps. lviii. 11. And again, "Thou hast held me by thy right hand, and by thy will thou hast conducted me," Ps. lxxii. 24. "And they mercy shall follow me all the days of my life," Ps. xxxi. 6. On this subject St. Paul also says, "He who hath begun the good work in you shall perfect it," Phil. i. 6. To show that it is God who first begins, and then enables us by his help to perfect it.

Return to Table of Contents NO SALVATION WITHOUT THE HELP OF GOD'S GRACE. Q. Can we, by our own natural strength, without the help of God's grace, do any thing towards our salvation? A. No; we cannot by ourselves, and without the grace of God, do the least thing towards our salvation, neither in thought, words, nor deed; nor so much as have a good notion in our heart towards God, but which must first be excited in us by him. As this is the point of the greatest importance, the foundation of true Christian humility, and the source of all good to our souls, it is necessary to establish it in the strongest manner; the more so, because our pride, the deepest and most dangerous wound our nature has received from sin, recoils at this truth, and endeavors to hide it entirely from our eyes. From this unhappy blindness towards ourselves, and towards our own weakness and misery, innumerable evils flow to our poor souls; wherefore we must consider fully what the word of God teaches us concerning this great Christian truth.

First, No man can take the smallest step to come to Jesus Christ, unless he be moved and assisted thereto to God. This our Savior declares in express terms, "No man can come to me," says he, except the Father who hath sent me draw him," John vi. 44.; and not by compulsion, not by laying the free will of man under any necessity, but by the strong and sweet motions of his heavenly grace;and, a little after repeating the same truth, he says, "No man can come to me, unless it be given him of my Father," verse 66. To show that this grace is not a force or constraint put upon us, but a gift of God, an effect of his mercy, enlightening our minds to see, and inclining our wills to do what is good, and when we consent to and comply with that inclination, assisting us to complete the good work. To the same purpose St. Paul says, "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy," Rom. ix. 16. Because no natural will nor endeavor off our own can ever lead us towards Christ, unless we be excited thereto by the mercy of God.

Second, We cannot have true faith in Jesus Christ, nor believe the sacred truths of eternity with divine faith, without the help of his grace. Thus St. Paul declares, "To you it is given for Christ to believe in him," Philip. i. 29. And again, "By grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God," Ephes. ii. 8. Hence the Church of Christ, by the mouth of her General Councils, pronounces Anathema upon those who teach, that "without the preventing inspiration and help of the Holy Ghost, a man can believe as he ought," Conc. Trid. Sees. 6. can. 3.

Third, A sinner cannot, by his own strength, repent of his sins as he ought, unless he receive the grace of repentance from the mercy of God. This we have seen above; to which add what St. Paul writes to the Ephesians, attributing this favor entirely to the mercy, grace, and love of God; "God," says he, who is rich in mercy, for the exceeding great charity, wherewith he loves us, even when we were dead by sin, hath quickened us together in Christ, by whose grace ye are saved," Eph. ii.4

Fourth, We can neither think a good thought, nor speak a good word, which can be useful towards our salvation, without the assistance of God; for we are not sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God," 2 Cor. iii. 5. "Wherefore I give you to understand - that no man can say the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost," 1 Cor. xii. 3. And hence the wise man says, "It is the part of the Lord to govern the tongue, Prov. xvi. 1.; to show that we can never speak what is good and conducive to our salvation, unless the Lord guide and assist us in what we say.

Fifth, We cannot do a good action, nor produce any good fruit conducive to eternal happiness, without the help of God. "I am the vine," says Jesus Christ, "you the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing," John xv. 5. He does not say, without me you can do little; because this would suppose we could do something of ourselves; but he absolutely says, "Without me you can do nothing," to show that, whether little or much, we cannot do it without his assistance.

Return to Table of Contents THE GRACE OF GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. In a word, whatever we do towards our salvation, whatever progress we make in virtue or Christian perfection, all flows from the mercy and grace of God through Jesus Christ. It is he "who worketh in us both to will and to accomplish, according to his good pleasure," Phil. ii. 13. "It is he who begins the good work in us, and who also perfects it," Phil. i. 6. Hence St. Paul acknowledges, that all the good that is in him, and all the good works he had wrought, flowed from this divine grace and mercy; "By the grace of God," says he, "I am what I am, and his grace in me hath not been void; but I have labored more abundantly than all they; yet not I, but the race of God with me," 1 Cor. xv. 10. Q. Why does the Apostle say the grace of God with me? A. By these words he shows, that, although Almighty God is always the first to begin the good work in us, by his exciting and preventing grace; and, although it is God who carries on the good work in us to its perfection, by his assisting grace; yet it is not the grace alone that does it, but that we also co-operate with this grace, freely consenting to its motions in our soul, and willingly performing the good work to which it inclines and assists us. Almighty God will cure your infirmities, says St. Augustine; but "you must be willing yourself; he heals all that are infirm, but he heals none but those who are willing to be cured," in Ps. 102, n. 6. He stands at the door of our heart and knocks, by his preventing grace; but we must yield to his call, and open the door of our heart to him, if we want him to come in and sup with us;" that is, without any co-operation on your part, "will not justify you without you;" that is, without your will and co- operation.

Q. Is it in our power to resit the grace of God, and not consent to it? A. Yes. The grace of God does not force us, nor take away our free will; but it helps our weakness, and enables us to will and do what we could neither will nor do without it; consequently, whether we consent to the motions of his grace, or resist them, in either case we act with the full freedom of our will; when we consent, we have it in our power not to consent, and when we resist, we have it in our power to consent. Free will is an essential part of our nature with which we were created; for "God made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his own counsel." He added his commandments and precepts: "If thou wilt keep the commandments and perform acceptable fidelity for ever, they shall preserve thee. He hath set water and fire before thee; stretch forth thy hand to which thou wilt. Before man is life and death, good and evil; that which he shall choose, shall be given him," Ecclus. xv. 14. This liberty and free will with which God created man, was greatly diminished by original sin, and our power of doing good exceedingly weakened, from the violence of concupiscence let loose in our souls by that sin. Now, the grace of Jesus Christ cures this infirmity, fortifies and perfects our liberty, excites us to do good, and enables us to perform it: but by no means forces us. Fatal experience itself teaches us, that we too often resist the motions of grace; which is the source of all our woe.

Q. Why do you say, that without the help of God's grace we can do nothing towards our salvation? A. That is to say, that whatever good actions we may do by the mere strength of nature, and without the aid of the grace of Jesus Christ, it can never, in any manner, conduce to our eternal salvation; because "there is no other name given to men under heaven, by which we can be saved, but the name of Jesus only, neither is there salvation in any other," Acts iv. 12. Hence whatever we do independent of him, however laudable it may be in itself, or in the eyes of men, can in no way contribute, neither mediately nor immediately, towards our salvation. Nothing can conduce, in any degree, towards our salvation, but through the merits of Christ.

The merits of Jesus Christ are applied to our souls only by his grace; whatever, then, we do in union with his grace, partakes of his merits; and, whatever we do without his grace, and by the force of nature alone, partakes not of his merits, and, therefore, can be of no use towards our salvation; hence he himself says, "Without me you can do nothing;" namely, nothing conducive to salvation; and St. Paul says, "No man can say, Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Spirit;" to wit, no man can say it, so as to conduce to his salvation.

Q. But can man do any thing good at all without the grace of God? A. Observe, although our nature was greatly vitiated by sin; yet it was not totally corrupted and lost to all good. There still remain in us some sparks of that original rectitude in which we were created; and hence, among the numberless vicious dispositions of the heart of man, there are few or none to be found who have not some good natural inclinations, some to one moral virtue, some to another. Thus some are naturally inclined to compassion, some to generosity, some to honesty in their dealings, and so of others.

Now, though these good natural dispositions will not be able to support a man, when they are occasionally opposed by other violent passions; yet in ordinary cases he can act according to them, and, when he does so, he performs a good moral action; and this he certainly may do by the strength of nature only; and though such actions can in no respect conduce to salvation, which is a supernatural reward, yet they do not fail to receive from God some temporal recompense; for the divine justice "will render to every one according to his works."

Return to Table of Contents GOD BESTOWS HIS GRACE UPON ALL MEN. Q. As we cannot possibly do any thing conducive to our eternal salvation, without the actual grace of God exciting us, and aiding us thereto, does God bestow his grace upon all men without exception? A. It would certainly be the height of impiety to suppose that God would lay his commands upon his creatures, and oblige us to obey them, under pain of eternal damnation, the most dreadful of evils, and at the same time refuse to give us those helps without which it is impossible for us to observe them. Nothing can be more contrary to every idea we have of the wisdom, goodness, and justice of God, than such a supposition. Seeing, then, that God commands all men, without exception, to do good, and avoid evil, he certainly gives to all such helps of his grace, as he sees necessary to enable them to do so, and by doing so to save their souls. This truth is laid down to us in the scripture as follows: "Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets; at the head of the multitudes she cries out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying, O children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things which are hurtful to themselves, and the unwise hate knowledge? Turn ye at my reproof; behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will show you my words," Prov. i. 20. So speaks the wisdom of God in all places, and to all men, reproving them for their evil ways, inviting them to good, and promising the Divine Spirit to those that give ear to this invitations. Again, "Thou hast mercy upon all, because thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because of repentance. For thou lovest all things that are, and hatest nothing of the things that thou hast made - but thou sparest all because they are thine, O Lord, who lovest souls," Wisd. xi. 24. Here we see that God loveth all that he has made, consequently all men without exception; that he spares them, and has mercy upon them; consequently, he gives to all, without exception, such helps of his grace, at least, as are necessary for enabling them to repent, and do good, and save their souls, if they co-operate with them: otherwise his loving them, having mercy on them, and sparing them, would be nugatory, and to no purpose.

To the same purpose Jesus Christ says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man shall hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and be with me. TO him that shall overcome I will give to sit with me on my throne," Rev. iii. 20. Christ then knocks at the hearts of all; there is no exception; and if any man opens, be he what he will if he gives Christ entrance, and co-operating with him, shall overcome, eternal glory shall be his reward. On this account, it is said of Christ, that he is "the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world," Jo. i. 9.; consequently, every man, without exception, is enlightened by Christ; for, "to every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the giving of Christ," Eph. iv. 7. That is, he gives to some more, to some less, as he thinks proper, but to all what is sufficient for their needs, if they comply with what he gives. He is master of his own gifts, and may give more abundantly to whom he pleases, as he did to the Jews of old, of whom it is said, "He hath not done in like manner to every nation," Ps. cxlvii. 20.; and he gives give talents to one, two to another, and only one to a third; but that one was sufficient for him who received it, and therefore he was justly condemned for not improving it.

Aside from these general proofs, which show that God gives to all men the graces absolutely necessary for their salvation, there are also several plain testimonies of scripture which prove the same, in particular, of each of the three classes into which mankind are divided, to wit, true believers who are in the state of grace, true believers who are in the state of sin and unbelievers.

Return to Table of Contents GOD DOES NOT COMMAND IMPOSSIBILITIES. Q. How is this shown with regard to those who are in the state of grace? A. That the just who are in the state of grace, and in friendship with God, are never deprived of such helps of the actual grace of God as enable them, if they themselves be willing to co-operate with them, to keep all the commandments of God, and persevere in the state of grace, is an article of divine faith, which assure us, First, That "God is able to make all grace abound in you, that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good word," 2 Cor. ix. 8.; for "I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me," Phil. iv: 13.

Second, That the stronger the temptation is, the greater grace is given to enable the just man to overcome it, for "to envy doth the spirit covet that dwelleth in you; but he giveth greater grace," Ja. iv. 5.

Third, That God hath pledged his sacred promise to give them this grace; for "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will make also with temptation issue (that is, a way to escape,) that you may be able to hear it," 1 Cor. x. 13., and the church, in the council of Trent, defines this: "If any one shall say that the commands of God are impossible to be observed by a just man, who is in the state of grace, let him be anathema," Sess. vi. can. 18.; and hence assures, that "God does not forsake those that are justified by his grace, unless he be first forsaken by them," Sess vi. ch. 11.; for anything, "he admonishes us to do what we can, to pray for what help we need, and then he helps us to make us able," Ibid.

Q. Why does the council say, to pray for what help we need? A. It is to show us, that the grace enabling us to pray is never wanting, and this grace, if well used, will never fail to obtain all other necessary helps, according to our Savior's ample promise, "Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you;" and, consequently, that it is always in our power to keep the commandments of God, and overcome all temptations of breaking them, seeing we always have either the actual assistance of God's grace enabling us to do so, or the grace of prayer, by the proper use of which that actual assistance will certainly be obtained.

Return to Table of Contents THE INVITATION TO REPENT OF PAST SINS. Q. How does it appear that Almighty God gives the necessary assistance of his grace to true believers who are in the state of sin? A. Two things God requires of people in this state: first, to repent of their past sins, and return to his friendship; and, secondly, not to go on in a sinful course, but to keep his commandments. Now, as God expressly requires both these things from them, the proofs of the preceding case evince in this also, that he gives such sinners the necessary helps to enable them to do both; to which the following proofs are added: "As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his evil ways and live. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; and why will you die, O house of Israel?" Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Now, if God so earnestly wills the life of the sinner, and so pressingly invites him to turn and live, he must necessarily give him grace to enable him to do so. The same reason holds from what St. Peter says, "The Lord dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance," 2 Pet. iii. 3.; and our Savior warmly invites all such to come to him, and, consequently, gives them the necessary graces to enable them to follow his invitation,"Come to me," says he, "all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you," Matth. xi.; besides, all the above general proofs have particular place here. Q. But what if the sinner be blinded and hardened in his sin? A. Nothing, to be sure, is more deplorable than the state of a blinded and hardened sinner. A blinded sinner is one who has taken up some false and dangerous opinions, and is so positive and fixed in them, that he shuts his eyes to every thing that can undeceive him. A hardened sinner, is one whose passions and affections towards some bad objects are so strong, that he condemns and resists all the admonitions which God sends him, whether by the interior motions of the grace, or the exterior call from his holy word, good works, exhortations of pastors, or the like.

This most unhappy state is in itself a sinful state; for it is a sin to have our mind or heart tied to any false or sinful object; it is also a consequence and punishment of former sins; and, what is no less deplorable, it is the cause and source of other sins. Though this is a great evil, God Almighty, through the riches of his mercy does not entirely abandon such sinners, but visits them from time to time with his holy calls, both by exterior occasions, and the internal motions of his holy spirit, with which if they could concur, they might work out their conversion. This appears from what St. Stephen said to the blind and obdurate Jews, "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and in ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost," Acts vii. 51. which shows that the Holy Ghost did not entirely withdraw the offers of his grace from them, but that they obstinately resisted and rejected them.

St. Paul also, speaking to such sinners, says, "Knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to repentance; but according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the just judgment of God," Rom. ii. 4.; where we see that the goodness of God does not give over entirely moving such sinners to repentance; but their hard heart, rejecting all his calls, justly increases the measure of their guilt and punishment.

Return to Table of Contents THE GREAT PUNISHMENT IN THIS LIFE. Q. Why do you say that he does not entirely abandon them? A. Because though God, out of his infinite goodness, does not wholly leave such sinners while they are in his life; yet in just punishment of their repeated abuses of mercy, he withdraws his more powerful grace from them, visits them seldomer, and sometimes leaves them for a while entirely. On this account, their blindness towards spiritual things becomes greater, and the hardness of their heart more confirmed. And in this sense it is said in scripture, that God sometimes hardens sinners, blinds them, leaves them to their own inventions, gives them upon their lusts, or to a reprobate sense, and the like; which is certainly the greatest of all punishments which he inflicts upon sinners in this life, but what such sinners most justly deserve for their repeated abuses of mercy. Q. How comes this to be so dreadful a punishment? A. Because, as we can do no good of ourselves without the grace of God, so, left to ourselves, without the aid of his holy grace, there is no manner of crimes into which we would not plunge ourselves headlong. Hear how the scripture shows us what we are of ourselves, "God saw that the wickedness of men was great upon the earth, and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all times," Gen. vi. 5.; "And the Lord said, the imagination and thought of moan's heart are prone to evil from their youth," Gen. viii. 21. "The heart is perverse above all things, and unsearchable, who can know it?" Jer. xvii. 9, "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies," Matth. xv. 19. She also the description which St. Paul gives, Rom i. and iii. of the abominations which the heathens fell into, "in times past, when" as he tells us, "God suffered all nations to walk in their own way," Acts xiv. 15. Therefore, to be left to ourselves, and deprived of the grace of God, is to be left in the hands of our greatest enemy, so as to be hurried on by him to certain damnation.

Q. How does it appear that God gives to unbelievers such helps of his actual grace as are sufficient to enable them to arrive at salvation? A. Besides the general proofs given above, which show that he does this to all men, without exception, there are also these two following:

First, "God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the ruth," 1 Tim. ii. 4. He wills all to be saved, as the great end for which he created them; and to come to the knowledge of the truth, as a necessary condition of salvation, because, "without faith it is impossible to please God," Hebrews xi. 6. Now, infidels, or unbelievers have not this knowledge of the truth. Seeing, therefore, that God expressly wills they should get it and be saved, consequently he gives them such graces as are sufficient, if they co-operate with them, to bring them to it." Second, Jesus Christ "gave himself a redemption for all," 1 Tim. ii. 6.; and "he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, "but also for those of the whole world," 1 John ii. 2.; for "he is the Savior of all men, especially of the faithful," 1 Tim. iv. 10.: hence all must receive, in some manner or other, the fruits of his redemption; with a view to their salvation, by means of his grace; therefore, all infidels, Jews, Turks, and Heathens, received from God, in such measure and manner as he sees proper, such graces as are sufficient, if they cooperate with them, to bring them to the knowledge of the truth, and to salvation.

Return to Table of Contents THE TENDENCY OF GRACE. Q. What is the tendency of all those actual graces which God bestows upon all mankind? A. The ultimate tendency of them all is to procure the salvation of souls; but their immediate tendency is different, according to the different people who receive them. In unbelievers the immediate end of these graces is to enable them to observe the law of nature, by avoiding evil and doing good; which if they comply with faithfully, greater and greater graces of the same kind would be given them, till at last the Divine Wisdom would bring them, in such manner as he sees proper, to the knowledge of the truth and to the faith of Jesus Christ. In the faithful who are in the state of sin, these graces tend immediately to excite them to repentance, and bring them to the grace of justification. In those who are justified and in the state of grace, the actual graces they receive, enable them to persevere in that happy state, by obeying the commands of God, and to secure their salvation. Q. When comes it that these noble effects are so seldom produced in the greatest part of mankind? A. Not from any deficiency in the graces we receive, which are all fully sufficient for producing these effects in our souls; but from the perverse will of man, which resists these motions of the grace of God, refuses to comply with them, and renders them of no effect.

Q. But cannot Almighty God give us such graces as would effectually overcome that perverseness of our will? A. Yes: Almighty God has an absolute power over the heart of man, and in the treasures of his infinite wisdom and mercy, has such superabundant and suitable helps and graces to give him, as would infallibly procure his free and willing consent to whatever God requires from him. This power he exercised in a most miraculous manner in the conversion of St. Paul, St. Mary Magdalen, and others. Hence the scripture affirms "that God works in us both to will and to do, according to his good pleasure;" and God himself says, "I will give you a new heart and a new spirit - and I will put my spirit in the midst of you, and I will cause you to walk in my commandments," Ezek. xxxvi. 26.; also the Wise Man says, "The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord, whithersoever he will put he shall turn it," Prov. xxi. 1. This supreme dominion which God has over the heart and will of man, as our sovereign Lord, he exercises not by forcing our will or infringing on our liberty, but by giving us such abundant and suitable graces as he infallibly knows will procure our ready consent, and effectually enable us to do what he pleases, and cheerfully to walk in his commandments. Thus David says, "I have run in the way of thy commandments, when thou didst dilate my heart," Psal. cxviii. 32.

The Holy Ghost pronounces that man "blessed, that could have transgressed, and could do evil things, and hath not done them; therefore are his goods established in the Lord," Ecclus. xxxi. 10.; where it is manifest, and expressly affirmed, that when, through the grace of God, we observe his commands, we have it in our power to transgress them, and when we abstain from evil we have it in our power to do it; and therefore, that the grace by which we do good and avoid evil, and by which God causes us to walk in his commandments, and turns our heart whithersoever he pleases, does by no means force us, or hurt our free will, but strengthens and rectifies and perfects it.

On this account, these graces of God which man resists, and to which he refuses his consent, are called, in the language of divine sufficient graces because they are always sufficient to enable us to do what God requires we should do when he gives them, though by our resistance we do it not; but those graces to which we consent, and with which we cooperate, are called efficacious graces, because the happy effects for which they are given are actually produced in our consent and co-operation with them.

Return to Table of Contents GOD'S GOODNESS TO MEN. Q. Is Almighty God obliged to give us these superabundant and efficacious graces? A. Observe: man of himself has no manner of right, claim or title to any grace from God at all; being by nature born in sin, and a child of wrath, he is the just object of God's justice, but has nothing in himself which can give him the smallest claim to favor. So that God has no obligation, on the part of man to give him any grace at all. As God has a sincere will for the salvation of all men, and as Jesus Christ died for the salvation of all, and through the merits of his death, obtained for them all such graces as are necessary for enabling them to procure their salvation; therefore, God Almighty becomes obliged to his own goodness, which thus wills all to be saved, and to Jesus Christ, which has bought for us the necessary helps to salvation, to bestow on all mankind such graces as are necessary and sufficient for enabling them to work out their salvation, if they consent to, and co-operate with them; and these, as we have seen at large, he actually gives to all, without exception; so that, whoever is lost, is lost through his own fault, for not making the use that he might make of the graces which God bestows upon him.

Return to Table of Contents THE EFFECTS OF PURE MERCY. As for those other super-abundant graces, God is, properly speaking, obliged to give them to none; they are the effects of his pure mercy, and he gives them to whom he pleases; he is sole master of his own gifts, and distributes them according to his own pleasure; and, as it is impossible for men to comprehend his unsearchable judgment in the distribution of his graces, so none can find fault with what he does, or say to him, "Why dost thou so?" This we know for certain, and this is fully sufficient for us to know, that God gives to all what is necessary; that we have it in our power to be saved, if we will ourselves; that the grace of prayer is never wanting to us, and that, if we make a good use of the graces God gives us, and pray as we ought for more, we shall undoubtedly obtain whatever we stand in need of; that, therefore, if we be lost, it is wholly our own fault, and if we be saved, we owe this to his infinite goodness only, through the merits of Jesus; according to what he says by his prophet, "Destruction is thy won, O Israel, they help is only in me," Hosea xiii. 9. Q. On what occasions does God commonly bestow his grace upon men? A. Times and moments are in the hands of the Almighty, who bestows his gifts when and how he pleases and is not tied to occasions; but of this we are sure, that the necessary helps of his grace are always ready when our wants require them. We may also be assured, that he will never refuse them when we pray in a proper manner for them. We know from experience, that our merciful God frequently sends us pious thoughts and holy inspirations, from time to time, without any other rule than his own good pleasure; and did we attend as we ought, to our own interior, and keep our heart free from all inordinate attachments to creatures, unbiased by depraved affections, and undisturbed by passions, we would receive these holy inspirations oftener, and be much more sensible of them. But the most ordinary occasions on which God sends us, the more sensible touches of his grace are to accompany his external graces.

Return to Table of Contents EXTERNAL HELPS TO SALVATION. Q. What do you mean by external graces? A. All those external helps to salvation which God has appointed; such as the great mysteries of our redemption, a Christian education, the good examples of others, miracles, the preaching of his word, the exhortations of our spiritual directors, reading good books, and the like; all which are intended as helps to our salvation; and, when we either read, see, hear, or mediate upon them, are generally accompanied by the proper interior graces, in order to render them profitable to our souls. Thus David was brought to a sense of his sin, and to repentance, on the reproof he received from Nathan, by the internal grace accompanying that reprehension. The Ninevites did penance at the preaching of Jonas; the good thief was converted at seeing the wonderful patience of Jesus. Q. Can these external helps be of any use without internal graces? A. No, they cannot; "It is the Holy Ghost," says St. Augustine, "that operates internally, in order to make the external help of service," Civ. Dei, 1. 15. c. 6. We read of a sermon of St. Paul, at which only one woman was converted, of whom it was said, "whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things that were said by Paul," Acts xvi. 14.

Q. What consequences flow from this? A. Two very important sequences:

1`. That as these external graces are the most ordinary occasions on which Almighty God speaks to the heart, we ought to be extremely zealous in the daily use of them, meditating often on the great truths of religion, reading pious books, hearing the word of God, and the like.

2. That, as none of these helps can be of benefit to ourselves, nor can any of these means used by us to others, be of any service to them, except God be pleased to accompany them with his actual grace, we ought, therefore, to be extremely careful upon all such occasions, to pray earnestly to God beforehand for his benediction; for "Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but it is God alone that gives the increases," 1 Cor. iii. 6.

Return to Table of Contents GRACE, JUSTICE AND CHARITY. Q. What is sanctifying grace? A. St. Peter calls it a "participation of the Divine Nature," 2 Pet. i. 4. And St. Paul calls it in one place "the charity of God which is poured abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost," Rom. v. 5.; and in another, "justice of God by faith of Jesus Christ upon all them that believe in him," Rom. iii. 22. The wise men calls it "a vapor of the power of God, and a certain pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; and that no defiled thing can come near it," Wisd. vii. 25. From all this, it appears that the sanctifying grace of God is a communication which God makes to our souls of himself; and it is called Grace, because it is a free gift of his mercy through the merits of Christ; it is called Justice, because by it our sins are washed away from us, the disorders of our souls are rectified, and our souls rendered just and holy in his sight; and it is called Charity, because it enables us to love God above all things, and our neighbors as ourselves.

Q. Can this be explained by an example? A. Yes. That of iron and fire: Iron of its own nature is of a blackish ugly color, is very cold, and very hard; but, when it is heated in a strong fire it loses all its ugly appearance, and becomes bright and shining like the fire itself. It also becomes burning hot, and at the same time soft and ductile, so as easily to be formed into any shape the workman pleases. In like manner, a soul in the state of sin is ugly and hateful in the sight of God, cold and tepid towards all that is good, and of itself hard and obdurate in its evil ways; but, when the great God communicates himself to such a soul, by his justifying race all her defilements are washed away, and she becomes just and beautiful before him. She is also warmed with his holy love and true devotion, and becomes pliable to his blessed will in obedience to his commandments. And this explains what St. Paul means when he says, "As many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ," Gal. iii. 27.; because by the grace of justification received in baptism, the justice and sanctify of Christ is poured forth into our souls, which makes us resemble him, as the iron inflamed with the fire, resembles the fire itself. There is the example of the soul and the body of man: A dead body, without the soul, is a loathsome spectacle, incapable of doing any vital action, and tending of itself to nothing but rottenness and corruption; but, when the soul is united to the body, it becomes alive, and has all the beauty of the human form, easily performs all the actions of life, and is preserved from corruption.

In like manner a soul in the state of sin is a dead soul, and loathsome to behold in the eyes of God and of his holy angels. She is incapable, by any strength of her own, of performing any vital action of the spiritual life conducive to her eternal salvation, and of herself, tends only to run farther and farther into the corruption of sin; but, when the grace of God is poured down into such a soul, the becomes alive, and beautiful in his sight, can easily perform the duties of the spiritual life, meritorious of eternal salvation, and is strongly fortified against all the corruption of sin.

Hence this grace of God is called habitual grace, because it remains constantly in the soul, unless it be destroyed by mortal sin; "because his spirit dwelleth in you," Rom. viii. 11. It is also called sanctifying grace, because it sanctifies the soul, that is, makes it holy and pure, before God; and it is called justifying grace, because it justifies, that is, cures the disorders of the soul, and renders us just and upright in the eyes of God.

Return to Table of Contents PASSING FROM THE STATE OF SIN TO THE STATE OF GRACE. Q. What is meant by justification? A. It is when the soul passes from the state of sin to the state of grace. Q. What is meant by being in a state of sin? A. To be in the state of sin is to be deprived of the grace of God, and at enmity with God.

Q. What is it to be in the state of grace? A. It is to be cleansed from the guilt of sin, adorned with the grace of God, and in friendship with God.

Q. What are the effects which sanctifying grace produces in the soul? A. They are many and most excellent.

First, IT WASHES AWAY ALL THE STAINS AND GUILT OF SIN FROM THE SOUL, through the merit of the blood of Christ, which is applies to the soul, according to that, "the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John i. 7.

Return to Table of Contents THE SOUL BEAUTIFUL. Second, IT CURES ALL THE DEADLY INFIRMITIES OF THE SOUL, as the Prophet declares in these words: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all he has done for thee; who forgiveth all thy iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases," Psal. cii. 2. And hence our Savior calls himself the physician of souls, when he says, "They that are in health need not a physical; but they that are ill - for I am not come to call the just, but sinners," Matth. ix. 12. not that grace takes away all the effects of sin from the soul; concupiscence, or that proclivity to sin which followed upon the loss of original justice, still remains, neither does it destroy those bad habits which we have contracted by actual sin; but it strengthens the soul against both, and enables us to fight against them, and overcome them: for these effects of sin are not sin in themselves, except in as far as we consent to them; but when we faithfully resist them they cannot hurt us, but are the field of our victory, and the increase of our crown. Third, IT BEAUTIFIES THE SOUL, and renders us agreeable and delightful in the eyes of our Creator; resembling Jesus Christ by the union we have with him through grace; just as the fire when it thoroughly penetrates a piece of iron, not only takes away all its natural blackness, but makes it shining and bright, and glowing like the fire itself. Hence the scripture says, "he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight, in charity," Eph. i. 4. And on this account the Lord loveth the just, Psal. cxlv. 8; "for his soul pleased God," Wisd. iv. 14.; and why? "How beautiful is the chaste generation with glory!" Wisdom iv. 1.

Fourth, IT MAKES US TEMPLES OF THE HOLY GHOST, who dwells in a particular manner in the soul of the just. "Know you not," says the Apostle, "that you are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? - for the temple of God is holy, which you are," 1 Cor. iii. 16. "Know you not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God!" 1 Cor. vi.19.

Fifth, IT MAKES US THE ADOPTED CHILDREN OF GOD; "for whoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God; - you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry (Abba) Father; for the spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God," Rom. viii. 14. because by the inward motions of Divine love, and the peace of conscience which the children of God experience, they have a kind of testimony of God's favor, which strengthens their hope of salvation, and their confidence in God as their loving Father. St. John speaks of this dignity with amazement, "Behold," says he, "what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God!" 1 John iii. 1.

Sixth, IT MAKES US HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, giving us a right and title, as sons, to that eternal inheritance; for, "if sons, heirs also, heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ," Rom. viii. 17. "And because you are sons, God hath sent the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore he is now no more a servant, but a son; and if a Son, an heir also, through God," Gal. iv.

Seventh, IT ADORNS THE SOUL WITH THE HABIT OF ALL CHRISTIAN VIRTUES, "according to the riches of his grace, which hath super- abounded in us in all wisdom and prudence," Eph. i. 7.; and particularly in these divine virtues of faith, hope, and charity: for thus the word of God describes the admirable virtues which accompany the spirit of wisdom, and which he communicates to the soul in whom he dwells, by sanctifying grace: "I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me - Now, all good things came to me together, with her, and innumerable riches through her hands - she is an infinite treasurer to men, which they that use become the friends of God - for in her is the spirit of understanding - for she is a vapor of the power of God, and a certain pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty God; and, therefore, no defiled thing cometh near her - she conveyeth herself into holy souls, and maketh friends of God and prophets; for God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom; for she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of the stars; being compared with light, she is found before it. - It is she that teacheth the knowledge of God - And if a man love justice, her labors have great virtues; for she teacheth temperance, and prudence, and justice, and fortitude, which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in life - her conversation hath no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness, but joy and gladness; and there is a great delight in her friendship, and inexhaustible riches is the works of her hands," Wisd. vii. viii.; through the whole. Behold what an amiable description of the admirable benefits which the Divine wisdom communicates to the soul in whom she dwells, by sanctifying race, and which she never fails effectually to produce in those who faithfully co-operate with her holy inspirations, and study in all their doings to act by her light and direction.

Eight, IT GIVES A DIGNITY, VALUE AND MERIT, TO ALL OUR GOOD WORKS, which makes them most acceptable in the sight of God, and worthy of an ample reward from him both of an increase of grace in this life, and of eternal glory in the life to come. For, when a soul is united to Jesus Christ by his grace, the good works which that soul performs, in obedience to his holy will, and from a pure intention of pleasing him, are now no longer the works of corrupted sinful man, but are the works of the friends of God, fruits produced from the branch untied to the vine, which in Christ, receiving all their nourishment from the vine, and dignified by his merits communicated to them by grace. Thus he himself says "I am the vine, you the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit," John xv. 5. And to show that these good works obtain an increase of grace, hear he says, "Every branch in me that beareth fruit, he (my Father) will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit," John xv. 2; and that they procure both an increase of sanctification here, and at our last eternal life, St. Paul assures us in these words, "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and in the end everlasting life; for the wages of sin is death; but the grace of God everlasting life; in Christ Jesus our Lord," Rom. vi. 23.

Hence the holy scripture every where proposes the kingdom of heaven as a reward and recompense given by a just God the good works done in the state of grace. Thus God said to Abraham, when he was ready to sacrifice his son, "By my own self have I sworn, because thou hast done this thing - I will bless thee," Gen. xxii. 16. "I myself will be your reward," said he upon another occasion, "exceeding great," Gen. xv. 1. "Be glad," says Jesus Christ, "and rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven," Matth. v.12. So he promises an open reward from our heavenly Father, to "prayer, fasting, and alms," Matth. vi. And at the last day he will say to the good, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you; for I was hungry, and ye gave me meat," &c. Matth. xxv. "A cup of water given in his name shall not lose its reward," Matth. x. 42. "Our present tribulation worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory," 2 Cor. iv. 17.

Hence St. Paul says, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; for the rest there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the Just Judge, will render to me at that day," 2 Tim. iv. 7. Now, all this is the effect of the sanctifying grace of God, who crows his own gifts in us; and, therefore,

Ninth, IT BRINGS US AT LAST TO ETERNAL HAPPINESS, if we persevere in the state of grace to the end; for being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him," Rom. v. 9. And "they who receive abundance of grace, and of the gift, and of justice, shall reign in life through one Jesus Christ," Ibid. ver. 17. For, "according to his mercy he saved us by the laver of regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he poured forth upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we may be heirs according to hope of life everlasting," Tit. iii. 5.

Return to Table of Contents AN IMMENSE TREASURE OF SPIRITUAL RICHES. We can now see what an immense treasure of spiritual riches the grace of God brings to the soul; and consequently, what a great value we ought to put upon it, how diligent we should be to preserve and increase it, and how careful not to lose it. The grace of God is the great instrument of our salvation; because by it we are delivered from our past sins, and preserved from sin for the time to come. With great reason, then, the wise man put so great a value upon the Divine wisdom, by whom this sanctifying grace is poured down upon our souls, when he said, "I preferred her before kingdoms and thrones, and esteemed riches as nothing, in comparison of her; neither did I compare unto her any previous stone; for all gold, in comparison of her, is a little sand; and silver, in respect to her, shall be accounted as clay. I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light, for her light cannot be put out," Wisd. vii. 8. Such is the esteem every Christian ought to have of the grace of God, so as to be ready to part with every thing this world can afford, rather than lose their heavenly treasure, and be separated from the charity of God, which is in Christ Jesus, by consenting to mortal sin. Such was the high esteem that St. Paul and all the saints of God had of it, who all could say with that holy Apostle, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation? shall distress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or prosecution? or the sword? - for I am sure that neither death nor life, nor principalities, nor power, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is Christ Jesus," Rom. viii. 35. And why so? because he esteemed the happiness of being united to Jesus Christ, by justifying grace, before every thing else, and utterly despised every thing in this world, in comparison with that heavenly treasure. "I count all things to be but loss," says he, "for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having my justice, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Christ Jesus, which is of God, justice in faith," Philip. iii. 8.

Q. Can the sanctifying grace of God be augmented in our souls? A. Yes; and the more it is increased in a soul, the more pure, the more holy, the more beautiful a soul is, the more inflamed also, and the more fervent her love to God becomes; which is explained by the example of iron and fire, mentioned above, in which we see that the more the fire is heated about the iron, the more splendid, the more glowing, and the brighter does the iron become. Thus the scripture says, "The path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards, and increaseth even to perfect day," Prov. iv. 18. Hence the frequent exhortations to "be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus," 2 Tim. ii. 1; and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. iii. 18. And hence the angel in the Revelations cried out. "He that is Just, let him be justified still; and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still; Rev. xxii. 11. Which shows how careful we ought to be, not only to preserve, but also to increase this precious grace in our souls, by fervent prayer, and frequent goods works, which obtain from God an increase of grace, and by worthy frequenting the Holy Sacraments, which are the sacred channels by which he pours it down upon our souls.

Return to Table of Contents CAN JUSTIFYING GRACE BE DIMINISHED AND LOST FROM THE SOUL. Q. Can justifying grace be diminished and lost from the soul? A. No doubt the fervor of our charity may be weakened, the brightness of the soul may be obscured, and her beauty diminished; and this is the effect of venial sin, and tepidity in the service of God; which, though it does not of itself destroy the habit of charity, yet by diminishing its fervor, disposes and leads on the soul, by little and little to mortal sin, by which the grace of justification is entirely banished from the soul and lost. Thus we see that a piece of iron, though inflamed to the highest degree by the force of fire, and glowing and shining with brightens; yet, when taken out of the fire and exposed to the air, gradually loses its splendor, becomes less and less clear and glowing, and at last loses the appearance of fire entirely, and returns to its own blackish color it had before. Q. How does it appear, that a person once justified, and in the grace of God, can lose that justification? A. This is evident from numberless texts of scripture. Thus God said to Moses, "He that hath sinned against me, him will I strike out of my book," Exod. xxxii. 33. He must have been in his books before he sinned, and therefore justified; yet he loses his grace by his sin. "If any one abide not in me" says our Blessed Savior, "he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up and cast him into the fire, and be burneth," John xv. 6. "When the just shall depart from his justice, and commit iniquities, he shall die in them," Ezek. xxxiii. 18. Hence the frequent exhortations in scripture to "serve the Lord in fear," Ps. ii. 11. "Let him that thinketh himself to stand, take heed lest he fall," 1 Cor. x. 12. "With fear and trembling work out our salvation," Phil. ii. 12. "Take heed, lest being led aside by the error of the unwise, you fall from your own steadfastness," 2 Pet. iii. 17. And St. Paul, though a chosen vessel, yet chastised his body and brought it into subjection, lest perhaps he should become a cast-away" 1 Cor. ix. 27.

Q. By what means can we recover the grace of justification, when we have lost it by sin? A. The grace of justification is a free gift of the mercy of God, through the merits of Christ; and therefore, no good works whatsoever, which a sinner performs before justification, can ever merit or deserve that grace from God. Before justification, we are in the state of sin, separated from Jesus Christ; branches cut off from the vine, rotten members of his body in whom there is no life; and, therefore, incapable of bearing fruit, as he himself assures us; for, "as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself," says he, "unless it abide in the vine; so neither can you, unless you abide in me," John xv. 4. hence the scripture assures us, that we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Rom. iii. 24.; to show that justification is by no means due to any preceding goods works of ours; for, "If by grace it is not now by works, otherwise grace is no more grace," Rom. xi. 6.

Though no good works done in the state of sin, can of themselves merit, or deserve the grace of justification; yet Almighty God expressly requires certain good works to be done by the sinner, as necessary dispositions for receiving that grace, and without which it will never be granted.

These dispositions, however, are his own gifts, produced in the soul of the sinner, by the help of actual grace, which God freely bestows upon him for the sake of Christ, and with which the sinner co-operating, disposes his soul for the grace of justification; and, when these dispositions are in the soul, the grace of justification is never refused; not as due to the sinner, but as due to Jesus Christ, and to God's own fidelity, who has promised, that, when the sinner is so disposed, he will receive him into his favor, and pardon his sins. So that the justification of a sinner is wholly the gift of God, both because the dispositions necessary to prepare the sinner for receiving it, are wholly his gifts, and justification itself is given to these dispositions, not as in justice due to them, but as the gift of God's mercy, through the merits of Jesus, and for his sake.

Return to Table of Contents TRUE REPENTANCE NEEDED. Q. What are the dispositions for the justification of a sinner? A. The holy scripture clearly points out to us the following virtues, as necessary for this end: First, Faith in Jesus Christ; for, "without faith it is impossible to please God," Heb. ix. 6. And, therefore, "The justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all that believe in him," Rom. iii. 22.

Second, The fear of God; for, "the fear of the Lord driveth out sin; for he that is without fear cannot be justified," Ecclus. i. 27.

Third, Hope and confide in the mercy of God: for, "he that trusteth in the Lord shall be healed," Prov. xxviii. 25. And therefore, "we are saved by hope," Rom. viii. 24.

Fourth, A sincere love of God; for, "he that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is charity," 1 John iv. 8.; and, "he that loveth not, abideth in death," 1 John iii. 14. Hence, "many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much," Luke vii. 46.

Fifth, A sincere repentance for our sin; for, "except you repent, you shall all likewise perish," Luke xiii. 3. And, "repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out," acts iii. 19. These are the dispositions pre-required by Almighty God, as necessary for preparing the soul, and making her capable of receiving the grace of justification; and when we are thus prepared, we must,

Sixth, have recourse to the sacrament of baptism, if we have not as yet been baptised, or to the sacrament of penance, if we have lost the grace received already in baptism. Not as if these Sacraments were another disposition to prepare us for our justification, but as the sacred instruments, ordained by Jesus Christ, by which the grace of justification is poured down into the soul, when disposed by the above mentioned virtues.

Return to Table of Contents OTHER CONDITIONS AS WELL AS FAITH REQUIRED TO DELIVER THE SOUL FROM DEATH. Q. Will not faith alone serve to dispose a soul for justification? A. No; all other conditions are required to drive away sin, to heal us, and to deliver us from death as well as faith; besides, St. Paul expressly says, although "I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountain and have not charity, I am nothing," 1 Cor. xiii. 2. And St. James decides this point in express terms, saying, after a long reasoning, to prove what he says, "Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only," James ii. 24. And St. Paul further declares, that "in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by charity," gal. v. 6. Q. What kind of works do these Apostles speak off? A. Not any works done by the mere light of nature, nor even the works of the law of Moses; for all these were incapable of bringing us to the grace of justification; for "the law brought nothing to perfection," Heb. vii. 19. And "the gifts and sacrifices of the law cannot as to the conscience, make him perfect that serveth," Heb. ix. 9.; "for it is impossible, that with the blood of oxen and goats, sins should be taken away," Heb. x. 4. Therefore, the words spoken by these Apostles, are faith in Jesus Christ, which is the root and foundation of all Christian works, and those other virtues of fear, hope, love, and repentance, which naturally flow from that faith, as the branches of a tree from the root; and, therefore, St. Paul, after showing the inability of the law, and all its sacrifices, to purify our consciences, concludes, "Let us draw near with a true heart, in fulness of faith - let us hold fast the confession of our hope, without wavering - let us consider one another to provoke unto charity, and good works," Heb. x. 22. And, writing to the Romans on this subject, he gives this reason; "For we account a man to be justified, by that faith which, as he told us above, "worketh by charity," gal. v. 6.; but not by the works of the law of Moses.

Return to Table of Contents THE FIRM FAITH OF ALL THOSE SACRED TRUTHS WHICH CHRIST HAS REVEALED AND HIS HOLY CHURCH TEACHES. Q. In what manner do these other virtues above mentioned flow from Faith as from their root? A. As the beginning of all good must come from God to our souls, for "no man can come to me," says Jesus Christ, "except the Father, who sent me, draw him," John vi. 44. So, when God, of his infinite goodness, touches the sinner's heart, and moves him to return to him by repentance, the first step which the sinner takes to this great work, is to believe, with a firm Faith, all those sacred truths which Christ has revealed, and his holy Church teaches. This Faith informing him of the severity of God's justice against sin, fills his heart with that wholesome "fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom," Prov. i. 7.; and the same Faith teaching him the infinite goodness and mercy of God, and his readiness to forgive repenting sinners, raises him up to a great confidence in god, through the merits of Jesus Christ. Then learning, from the same Faith, how infinitely good God is in himself, and how infinity good to him, in the numberless favors he has done him, especially in the great work of our redemption, conceives, in his heart, a sincere love and affection towards so amiable a benefactor. Then reflecting on his manifold sins, the enormity of which his faith also discovers to him, he is filled with a hearty sorrow for having so ungratefully offended so good a God; he hates and detests his sins, which are displeasing and offensive to God, and firmly purposes thoroughly to amend his life, and keep the law of his God, and thus he turns to the Lord his God by a sincere repentance, and applies to the holy sacraments as the happy and effectual means to be restored to his friendship and favor.

Return to Table of Contents THE MEANS BY WHICH JUSTIFICATION IS COMMUNICATED TO THE SOUL. Q. But why did St. Peter say on to the Jews, "Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out," Acts iii. 19.; without saying a word of these other virtues? A. Because repentance is the last in order, and, when sincere, includes all the others in it. For, it is impossible to repent as we ought, without believing in God, fearing him, hoping for pardon, and loving God; all which, though not always positively expressed, are virtually, at least, contained in true repentance. Q. How can children be justified by baptism, since they are incapable of having any of these dispositions? A. If children, in their infancy, are incapable of having these dispositions, they are also incapable of committing any actual sin themselves, which may stand in need of an actual retraction by repentance; they were never turned away from God by any positive act of their own will, and, therefore, he does not require from them any positive act of their will to return to him again, but, out of his infinite mercy, admits them to the grace of justification, by the sacrament of baptism when presented to it, without any further disposition on their part; and the same way, he is pleased to deal with them, who, though grown up, have never had the use of reason. But in all others, who are capable of committing sin themselves, and of having the above dispositions, he absolutely requires they should have these dispositions, without which the grace of justification will not be given them, neither in the sacrament of baptism for sins committed before baptism, nor in the sacrament of penance, for those committed after baptism.

Q. Will not a perfect repentance serve to justify a sinner alone without any sacrament? A. A perfect repentance, founded in a perfect love of God, is very seldom to be met with in sinners, much less can a sinner be certain that he possess so great a happiness; yet, if so great a grace should be granted by God to any sinner, there is no doubt, but that God will, at the same time, grant him the grace of justification; for, our Savior says, "If any man love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him," John xiv. 23.; but, as the proof which Christ here requires of the sincerity of his love, is to obey his commands, He will keep my words; and, as the express command of Christ is, that we receive his sacraments, for the sanctification of our souls; such a one will not be justified, even by his perfect repentance: nor will his repentance be perfect, from which nothing can exempt him but the impossibility of getting them. The reason is, because the sacraments are expressly ordained by Jesus Christ, as the only ordinary means by which the grace of justification is communicated to our souls.

The Sacraments as Sacred Signs and as a Means of Grace
INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. Q. What is a Sacrament? A. A sacrament is an outward sensible action, or sacred sign, ordained by Jesus Christ, as a sure and certain means to bring grace to our souls. Q. How many things are required to make a true sacrament? A. Three things;

First, that there be some outward sensible action performed;

Second, That this be a certain means to bring grace to the soul; and,

Third, That Jesus Christ be the author of it.

Q. What does this outward action consist in? A. In something said and something done; the thing done is called the matter of the sacrament, and the words spoken are called the form of it.

Q. To whom does it belong to perform the outward sensible action? A. The outward action which is properly meant by the word sacrament, is the work of men; and it belongs to those to perform it who are authorized and commissioned by Jesus Christ to do so.

Q. To whom does it belong to bestow the inward grace? A. The pouring down grace to the soul, which, properly speaking is the effect of the sacrament, is the work of God, as none but God himself can communicate his grace to the soul.

Return to Table of Contents WHEN GRACE ENTERS THE SOUL. Q. At what time does God pour down his grace to the soul? A. The very same instant that the outward action of any sacrament is completely performed. Q. Does God ever fail on his part to bestow the grace, when the outward action is duly performed? A. On his part he never fails in this; the connection between the outward sign performed and the inward grace received, is, on the part of God, infallible, being founded upon his fidelity and immutability. For, having been pleased to ordain these outward forms, to be the instruments, channels or means by which his grace should be brought to our souls, and having instituted them as an essential part of the Christian religion for this purpose; by so doing, he has evidently engaged himself always to produce the effect whenever the sacrament is performed according to his appointment; therefore, as he is unchangeable and faithful to his engagements, he never will fail on his part to do so.

Q. Is grace always bestowed when the sacrament is duly performed? A. It but too often happens, that the grace of the sacrament is not bestowed, on account of the disposition of the person who receives it. For, though Almighty God is always ready, upon his part, to bestow the grace, yet if the receiver is indisposed, and his soul incapable of receiving it, the grace will not be given to him, though the outward form be duly administered; not from any failure on the part of God, but form the indisposition of the receiver.

Q. Can you explain this by an example? A. There is a clear example which explains it exactly: namely, that of writing upon paper. In order to write, there is required a pen full of ink, a hand to apply it to the paper, and paper to receive it. Now, when the pen full of ink is applied to the paper by a proper hand, and there is no impediment on the paper itself, the writing never fails to be performed; but if the paper should be oiled, and by that means rendered indisposed for receiving the ink, though the pen be full of ink, and applied by the most skilful hand to the paper, yet one single letter will not be formed by it; not from any failure on the part of the pen, or of the hand applying it, but because the paper itself is perfectly incapable of receiving the ink upon it. The sacraments are like the pen full of ink, for, being ordained by Jesus Christ as the sacred channels through which his Divine grace flows from his blessed wounds to our souls, they contain that grace in great abundance; the person who administers the sacrament is like the hand who applies the pen to the paper, and the soul of the receiver is like the paper itself. If then this paper be a proper condition, that is, if the soul be well disposed, these heavenly channels will never fail to communicate to her such a portion of the grace they contain as she is capable of receiving; but, if the paper be oiled, if the soul be indisposed and incapable of receiving the grace, then the grace cannot be bestowed, because the soul cannot receive it.

Return to Table of Contents THE DISPOSITIONS NEEDED. Q. Is it necessary to be well disposed when one approaches a sacrament? A. Most assuredly; if any one presumes to receive a sacrament and has not the proper disposition, he not only deprives his soul of the grace of that sacrament, but he also commits a grievous sin of sacrilege. On the other hand, the more perfectly one is disposed, by frequent and fervent acts of faith, hope and charity, and other holy virtues, the more abundant grace he will receive; both because these good dispositions move Almighty God to be more liberal with his graces, and they also dilate the capacity of the soul, so as to enable it to receive a more abundant portion of grace from the sacrament. Q. Can this be explained by an example? A. As the sacraments are ordained by Jesus Christ to be the never failing means of communicating his grace to our souls; they, therefore, contain in themselves an inexhaustible treasure of heavenly grace, from which the soul of every one that approaches them worthily, receives as much as it is capable of containing. Now, the capacity of the soul depends upon its dispositions; the more perfect they are, the more the capacity of the soul is dilated, and, therefore, the greater portion of grace it receives from these heavenly fountains. So that the sacraments may be compared to a fountain of water, and the soul to a vessel which one carries to the fountain for water. The fountain, abounding with water, fills every vessel that is applied to it, so far as it can hold; but the larger the vessel is, the greater quantity of water it will carry away.

Q. Has this comparison any foundation in scripture? A. It is entirely taken from the scripture; for there the grace of God is compared to water, and the sacraments to the fountain of Jesus Christ, from which that heavenly water flows; thus, "I will pour clean water upon you," says Almighty God," and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness," Ezek. xxxvi. 25.; and our Savior, speaking to the woman of Samaria, says, "He that shall drink of the water that I shall give him, shall not thirst for ever; but the water that I shall give him, shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto everlasting life," John. iv. 13. isaiah, foreseeing the inexhaustible sources of this heavenly water which were to be ordained by Christ in his holy sacraments, cries out with rapture, "You shall draw water with joy out of the Savior's fountains!" Is. xii. 3. And the prophet Zacharias, on the same subject, says, "In those days there shall be a fountain open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for the washing of the sinner and the unclean woman." Zach. xiii. 1.

Q. Why do you say that a sacrament is a sacred sign? A. Because the outward sensible action which is used in the sacrament, is not only the instrument or means by which the grace of God is actually communicated to our souls; but at the same time, it represents to us the nature of that grace which we receive, as the principal thing of which it is a sign; it also puts us in mind of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, through the merits of which, his grace is bestowed upon us, and the eternal salvation of our souls, which is the great end for which he bestows it. Thus, St. Paul says of baptism, "We who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death."

See here how baptism is the sign of the death of Christ; and to put us more effectually in mind of this, the Church makes frequent use of the sign of the cross in administering the sacraments, especially in the most essential part of their administration; which teaches us that the whole virtue of the sacraments flows from the death of Christ upon the cross. The Apostle goes on, "For we are buried together with him by baptism unto death; that, as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life;" which shows that the sacrament of baptism is a sign of the grace we receive in it, by which we die to sin, and rise to a newness of life, after the example of the resurrection of Jesus. The Apostle adds, "But if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection," Rom. vi. 3. to put us in mind that this holy sacrament is also a sign of our rising again at the last day, by a glorious resurrection as the end for obtaining which it was instituted.

In like manner, of the holy communion, it is said, "As often as you shall eat this bread and drink this chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord until he come," 1 Cor. xi. 26. See how it is a memorial of the death of Christ. Also, "He hath eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth in me and I in him," John vi. 57.; and "He that eateth me, the same shall live by me," verse 58. See how the action of receiving, under the form of bread and wine, is a sign of the inward grace.

Lastly, "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath life everlasting, and I will raise him up in the last day," verse 55. See how it is a pledge of eternal happiness.

Return to Table of Contents THE EXTERNAL SENSIBLE SIGNS. Q. Why did God ordain these external signs as the means of communicating his grace to our souls? A. For several very important reasons; First, In condescension to our weakness. For, had man been a being purely spiritual, without any body, Almighty God would, doubtless, have bestowed his gifts in a manner suitable to such a being, and, therefore, in a manner purely spiritual. But with us the case is very different: We are composed of a body along with a soul; and, in our present state of weakness and corruption, this last is in such subjection in the former, that things purely spiritual seldom make a proper impression upon us; nay, by far the greatest part of mankind are such slaves to their senses, that they seem incapable of comprehending any thing but what falls under these organs; so that even the great truths of religion, which they are bound to know, must be suited to their capacity, and made easy and familiar to them by similitudes taken from sensible objets. On this account Almighty God, out of the most endearing condescension to our weakness, has been pleased to ordain the sensible signs, which we call sacraments, as the means of bestowing his grace upon us, that, by this means, we might the more easily understand the wonderful things he works in our souls to them.

Return to Table of Contents TO CONFIRM OUR FAITH IN HIS PROMISES. Second, To confirm our faith in his promises, and be a comfort to our souls. The grace of God, by which we are restored to his friendship, and cleansed from our sins, and, at the same time, strengthened to persevere in his service, is doubtless, the most important benefit we can receive from him in this life; and when we are so unhappy as to have lost his friendship by sin, nothing, surely, can be a greater comfort to us than to have a well grounded confidence, that we are reconciled to him again. Now, as he has instituted the sacraments with this express promise, that, when they are received by a person properly disposed, he will never fail, on his part, to communicate his grace to the soul, this make the sacraments a great source of consolation to us. For, though we have not an absolute certainty of receiving the grace, because we can never have an absolute certainty that our own dispositions are such as they ought to be; yet, as we are absolutely certain of the effects of the sacraments, on the part of God, and can have a very high probability of our own dispositions; this is fully sufficient for well grounded hope and confidence in God, through the merits of our Blessed Redeemer. Which, being all the certainty God allows in this life, serves, on the one hand, to keep us humble, and to make us work out salvation with fear and trembling: and on the other, gives us a sufficient ground of hope for mercy, and fills us with consolation.

Return to Table of Contents TO UNITE ALL THE MEMBERS OF HIS CHURCH IN ONE BODY. Third, To unite all the members of his church in one body; for no society of men can be united together, unless they be joined by some sensible ties or bonds, which keep them in one. Now, in the Church of Christ, the sacraments are the bonds which keep all her members conjoined in one body, and distinguish them from all others who do not belong to her, and are, at the same time, an open profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, by whom they were ordained: "We are all baptized," says St. Paul, "into one body," 1 Cor. xii. 13; and we being many, are one body, who partake of that one bread," 1 Cor. x. 17.

Return to Table of Contents TO HUMBLE OUR PRIDE AND TEACH US OUR OWN MISERY AND UNWORTHINESS. Fourth, To humble our pride, and teach us our own misery and unworthiness; when we see that all the dispositions we can have, and all the means we can use, are unworthy of the great and inestimable benefit of the grace of justification, and that we are forced, after all, to submit ourselves to the use of the sensible elements for obtaining this favor, and thereby constrained to acknowledge, that it is the effect of the pure mercy and goodness of God, alone, through the merits of Jesus Christ, and not given as due to any deservings or merits in us. Q. Why do you say that the sacraments are sacred signs, ordained by Jesus Christ? A. Because the sacraments do not of their own nature, signify the grace they contain; neither do they do so from the institution of men; much less can any outward action of itself confer the grace of God on our souls. All this is wholly owing to the good will and pleasure of Almighty God; for he alone can bestow his grace upon us, and he alone can ordain what means he pleases to do so; and seeing he has ordained these determined actions, which we call sacraments, and no other, as the means of bestowing his grace on man; by these alone, and no other can we obtain it. Hence it follows, that no power on earth can change what was ordained by Jesus Christ in the outward forms of the sacraments, without destroying them entirely; for, if any change be made in what he ordained to be done, it is no more the same form to which his grace was annexed; and consequently ceases to be a sacrament at all.

Return to Table of Contents MINISTERS OF CHRIST AND DISPENSES OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD. Q. Who are those whom Jesus Christ has authorized and commissioned to administer his sacraments? A. The administration of the sacraments is one of those sacred powers of the priesthood, which Jesus Christ gave to his apostles, and their successors the bishops and priests of the church; who are, therefore, called the "Ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God," 1 Cor. iv. 1; because they are authorized by Christ, as his substitution, to perform in his name, and in his person, the outward sensible actions, or sacred signs, in which the sacraments consist. In the administration of any sacrament, two persons always concur, the minister of the sacrament, who, true representative of Christ, performs the outward part in a visible manner; and Christ himself, who, as the principal but invisible agent, pours down the inward grace to the soul of the worthy receiver, the very moment that the outward action is performed by his minister.

Q. What things are required in the minister of the sacraments to administer it validly? A. These three third,

First, That he be authorized by Jesus Christ to perform it. Thus the bishops or first pastors of the church, to whom the plenitude of the priestly powers belong, are authorized by Christ to administer all the sacraments. The priests, who are called the pastors of the second order, are authorized by their office to administer all the sacraments, except confirmation and holy orders. The deacons receive power, by their ordination, to administer baptism in all its solemnities, by commission from the two former; and the inferior orders, and all laics, both men and women, are authorized, in case of necessity, to administer baptism privately.

Second, That he have the intention of doing at least what the Church does.

Return to Table of Contents EXACTNESS IN ADMINISTERING THE SACRAMENTS. Third, That he perform the sacred sign exactly. Q. Is it not necessary that the person, who administers any sacrament, be in the state of grace? A. A person who knows himself to be in the state of sin, and in disgrace with God, and who in that state should presume to administer any sacrament, would be guilty of a very great sin by doing so; but this would make no difference as to the fruit of the sacrament in the worthy receiver; for the effects of the sacraments do not annexed to the sanctity of the person who administers them, but to the exact performance of the external rite, by a person properly authorized. in this we see the infinite goodness of God, who, for our greater comfort, would not let the efficacy of his sacrament depend on the sanctity of the minister; because this being a circumstance of which we can have no certain knowledge, nor even probably assurance, had this been required, we should have been deprived of all solid ground of hope, and been in perpetual doubts and fears, whether we had received the grace of the sacrament or not.

Q. What kind of grace do the sacraments communicate to the worthy receiver? A. Two kinds, justifying grace, and sacramental grace.

Q. How do they confer justifying grace? A. If the receiver be in the state of sin, by the sacraments of baptism and penance he receives the first grace of justification, by which he is cleansed from the guilt of his sins, and restored to the friendship of God. For these two sacraments are instituted for this very end; to-wit, baptism, to cleanse us from original sin, and also from all actual sins which an adult person may have committed before baptism; and penance, to cleanse us from all the sins we may have committed after baptism; and on this account, baptism and penance are death of sin to the life of grace. On the other hand, if the person be already in the state of grace, and receive any of the other sacraments, he receives by them an increase of justifying grace, by which his soul is rendered more pure and holy, and more beautiful in the sight of God: and therefore, these other sacraments are called the sacraments of the living, because they cannot be received worthily unless the soul of the receiver be alive to God, by being in the state of grace. The sacrament of penance also, is sometimes of this number: namely, when the penitent is already in the state of grace, and has only venial sins, by the sacrament of penance, he receives an increase of justifying grace also.

Return to Table of Contents WHAT IS MEANT BY SACRAMENTAL GRACE. Q. What is meant by sacramental grace? A. Sacramental grace is that particular actual grace which is peculiar to each sacrament, and which strengthens the worthy receiver, and enables him to perform these duties, and accomplish those ends, for which each particular sacrament was intended. THUS IN BAPTISM, WE RECEIVE STRENGTHENING GRACE TO ENABLE US TO LEAD A CHRISTIAN LIFE; IN CONFIRMATION, TO PROFESS OUR FAITH IN THE MIDST OF ALL THE ENEMIES OF OUR SOULS; IN THE HOLY COMMUNION, TO PRESERVE AND AUGMENT THE LIFE OF THE SOUL, AND THE LOVE OF GOD; IN PENANCE, TO PRESERVE US FROM FALLING BACK TO OUR SINS; IN EXTREME UNCTION, TO OVERCOME OUR SPIRITUAL ENEMIES IN THE HOUR OF DEATH; AND IN HOLY ORDERS AND MATRIMONY, TO DISCHARGE PROPERLY ALL THE DUTIES OF THESE TWO STATES OF LIFE. Q. Have the sacraments any other effect besides the bringing these graces to the soul? A. Three of them; to wit, baptism, confirmation, and holy orders, produce also another effect, which isto imprint a character or seal in the soul by the operation of the Holy Ghost; of which the scripture says, in Christ, "Also, believe you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise," Ephes. i. 13. And again, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption," Eph. iv. 30. And of your confirmation in particular, it is said, "Now he that confirmeth us with you in Christ and he that hath anointed us, is God, who hath also sealed us," 2 Cor. i. 21.

Return to Table of Contents THE IMPRINT OF THE SOUL. Q. What is understood by a character? A. It is a spiritual mark or sign imprinted in the soul similar to the impression of a seal upon soft wax; which denotes that the person who receives it, is thereby consecrated and dedicated to the service of God, according to the intention for which the sacrament was instituted. Thus the character of baptism denotes, that the person who has it is consecrated to God as a Christian, is a member of the Church of Christ, and entitled to all the other sacraments of the Church, as helps to enable him to serve God, in that quality. The character of that confirmation denotes, that the person who has it, was dedicated to the service of God, as his soldier, and engaged for ever to serve him in that quality; to do which, the grace of that sacrament enables him. The character of priesthood denotes, that the person who has it, is consecrated to God, to serve at his altar, and that he has received all the sacred powers annexed to that high office. Q. Does this character remain for ever in his soul? A. Yes; and on that account, the three sacraments which give it, can never be received more than once by the same person; for, if a person be once baptized, or a confirmed Christian, or a priest, he remains so for ever: and in the next life, these sacred characters will be a great increase of glory to those who go to heaven, and of misery to those who go to hell.

Return to Table of Contents THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS. Q. How many sacraments are there in the Church of Christ? A. There are seven; to wit, BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, HOLY EUCHARIST, PENANCE, EXTREME UNCTION, HOLY ORDERS, AND MATRIMONY. Q. How can it be proved that there are seven sacraments? Is there any text of scripture that says so? A. There is not one text of scripture which explicitly declares the nature of the sacraments, or determines their precise number. And in this we see the inconsistency of those who pretend to follow no other rule but scripture, and to believe nothing but what is to be found in plain scripture; while yet they admit of two sacraments, and reject the rest, though they cannot bring one text of scripture to authorize their doing so. But that there are seven true and real sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ, and left by him in his church, for the benefit of his followers, is proved by two unanswerable arguments.

First, Because we find in scripture that there are seven outward sensible actions laid down there, as certain means of god's appointment, to bring grace to our souls, as shall be shown, when explaining each sacrament in particular. And,

Second, Because the Church of Christ, in all ages, from the very beginning, has believed and acknowledged the seven sacraments above mentioned, and has administered them as means of grace to her children.

Return to Table of Contents THE COMMON NEEDS OF ALL CHRISTIANS. Q. Are all obliged to receive the sacraments according to the need we may have of them? A. Some of the sacraments are only intended for particular purposes and states of life; and those only are obliged to receive them, who embrace those states, such as holy orders and matrimony; but the others are intended for the common wants of all Christians, and, therefore, all are obliged to receive them, otherwise the grace to remedy their wants will not be granted. For, as they are ordained by Jesus Christ as the means by which he bestows his grace upon our souls, and as the ultimate condition for this purpose, presupposing all the other conditions required as dispositions on our side; and as he is free master of his own gifts, and may require what conditions he pleases from his creatures, in order to receive them, it is not enough that we perform some of these conditions, we must perform them all; and the sacraments being the last required, and which serve as the very instruments for bestowing upon us the grace intended by them, it is plain that the other conditions, without this, will not be sufficient, and, therefore, that it si absolutely necessary to receive the sacraments, where they can be had, in order to receive the grace annexed to them.

A Child of God or the Regeneration of the Soul
. INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM. Q. What is the design or end for which the sacrament of baptism was instituted? A. The design of this sacrament is to make us Christians, to deliver us from the slavery of Satan, under which we were born, to unite us to Jesus Christ, as members of his body; and to give us a title and right to receive all the other sacraments, and helps of religion in this life, and eternal happiness in the life to come. Q. How is all this done? A. By the new birth which we receive in baptism, by which we become the children of God, being spiritually born again by the grace which is here bestowed upon us. in our natural birth from our earthly parents, we are born carnal minded, sullied with sin, subject to eternal death, and aliens from God. In this new birth, which is the work of the Holy Ghost by the Sacrament of baptism, our souls are newly formed, we become spiritual partakers of the divine nature, heavenly minded, and fit for the kingdom of God, as his children and heirs of the kingdom. Thus Jesus Christ explains this when he says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit," John iii. 6

Return to Table of Contents IS BAPTISM A TRUE SACRAMENT? Q. Is baptism a true sacrament? A. It is; because it has all the things requisite in a sacrament. Q. What is the outward sensible sign used in baptism? A. Pouring water upon the person baptized, and saying a the same time, these words, "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

Q. How is this action performed? A. By pouring, or dipping in water, either of which is necessary; and it is the order and custom of the Catholic Church, to pour or dip three times at the names of the three Divine persons; though the dipping three times is not so essential that the omission of it would render the baptism null and void.

Q. What about all of those who administer baptism so slightly, that it is doubtful whether it can in any sense be called an ablution or washing? A. Such as these run a risk of not baptizing at all.

Q. What is the inward grace which baptism brings to the soul? A. The sanctifying grace of God, by which the soul is regenerated, cleansed from all the stains of original sin, and of actual sin, if there be any; and is made a child of God, a member of his church, and an heir of heaven.

Q. Where do we find that Jesus Christ is the institutor of the sacrament? A. From the commission he gave to the pastors of the church, in the persons of the apostles, when he said, "Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," Matth. xxviii. 19.

Q. How is the outward action a sign of the inward grace received? A. The word baptize is a Greek word, which signifies to wash with water, when, therefore, water is poured upon the body outwardly, and these words pronounced, "I baptize thee," that is, I wash thee with water, "in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," this represents the inward washing of the soul, by the sanctifying grace of God which is poured down upon it.

Q. What kind of water must be used in baptism? A. Natural elementary water only, such as is produced by nature, and not by the art of man; and it is all one whether taken from the sea, or a spring, or a river, or a well, or be rain water, or the like. And in this we see the infinite goodness of God, who was pleased, to ordain, for the matter of this sacrament, a thing so common in every place, that none might be in danger of being deprived of it.

Q. When are the words to be pronounced? A. At the very same time that the water is poured on the one baptized, and by the same person.

Q. And must all the words be pronounced? A. If either the words "I baptize," or "thee," or "in the name," or any of the Divine Persons were omitted, it would be no baptism.

Q. Who are authorized to give the sacrament of baptism? A. The bishops and priests of the church are authorized, in virtue of the priesthood, to administer baptism, and deacons, by commission from them, can do the same, with all its solemnities; but in cases of necessity, where these cannot be had, any lay person, man or woman, is authorized to do it, which also shows the infinite goodness of Jesus Christ, lest any should be deprived of a sacrament which is so absolutely necessary for salvation, if the administration of it had been wholly confined to the ministers of the Church only.

Return to Table of Contents INSTRUCTIONS ON EFFECTS OF BAPTISM. Q. What are the effects of baptism? A. The effects of baptism are these: First, It cleanses the soul from the guilt of all preceding sins, whether original or actual.

Second, It frees us from the eternal punishment due to sin, all the temporal punishments, also, which the Justice of God could command for the sins one may have committed before baptism.

Third, It adorns the soul with the grace of Justification, and with all those other graces and virtues which accompany it.

Fourth, It makes us Christians, imprinting the sacred character of a Christian in the soul; and, as a consequence of all this.

Fifth, It regenerates us by a new spiritual birth, making us children of God, members of his Church, and heirs of Heaven, and makes us capable of receiving all the other sacraments, and spiritual benefits which Christ has left in his Church, and gives us a right and title to receive them as our needs may require, as also to receive the necessary helps of actual grace to enable us to live a good Christian life, and preserve the sanctity we have received in baptism.

Sixth, It gives us a right and title to the kingdom of heaven.

Return to Table of Contents CLEANSED FROM ALL SIN.. Q. How can it be shown that baptism washes away our sins, and justifies us in the sight of God? A. From several strong and plain testimonies of scripture. First, St. Paul, writing to Titus on this subject, says: "We ourselves, also, were some time unwise, incredulous, erring slaves to divers desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But, when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior appeared, not by the works of justice which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the laver of regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured forth upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our savior; that being justified by his grace, we may be heirs according to hope, of life everlasting," Tit. iii. 3. In this beautiful passage, the Apostle first acknowledges his former sins, then declares, that the kindness he received from God in delivering him from them, was not owing to his own merits, but to the free mercy of God; that the means by which he was saved from them was the "laver, or washing of regeneration," the sacrament of baptism, by which he was renewed, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, through the merits of Christ, and that by the grace received in this laver of regeneration, he was "justified," and made an heir to life everlasting.

Second, "Christ loved his Church," says the same Apostle, "and delivered himself for it, that he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life," Eph. v. 25. So here we are assured that Christ died for his Church, on purpose that he might cleanse and sanctify her by means of the sacrament of baptism, which consists in the washing of water, accompanied with the word of life, to wit, the invocation of the adorable Trinity.

Third, At St. Peter's first sermon, when the Jews asked him what they must do, he made answer, "Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins," Acts ii. 38.

Fourth, When Ananias came to St. Paul after his conversion, he said to him, "Rise up and be baptized and wash away thy sins," Acts, xxii. 16.

Fifth, St. Peter compares baptism to the ark of Noah, and observes, that as the ark saved all those who were in it from the water of the deluge, so "baptism being of like form, saveth you also: not putting away the fifth of the flesh, but the examination of a good conscience towards God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ," 1 Pet. iii. 21; where it is expressly declared that we are saved by baptism, through the merits of Christ, by washing our conscience towards God.

Return to Table of Contents BAPTISM THE FIRST DOOR BY WHICH WE ENTER THE FOLD OF JESUS CHRIST. Q. In what manner does baptism free us from the punishment of sin? A. As baptism is the first door by which we enter into the field of Jesus Christ, the first means by which we receive the grace of reconciliation with God, therefore, the merits of his death are, by baptism, applied to our souls in so superabundant a manner, as fully to satisfy the Divine justice for all demands against us, whether for original or actual sin; and therefore God grants us in it a full and perfect remission of all our past sins, and of all the most enormous sins, yet if, upon his sincere repentance, he receives the grace of baptism and should die in that happy state, his soul would go straight to heaven, having nothing to hinder its entrance into that seat of bliss and happiness. And this is the reason why, when adults are baptized, no penitential works are imposed on them; which is one great difference between this sacrament and that of Penance, in which last, though the guilt and eternal punishment be remitted, yet a debt of temporal punishment still remains to be paid. Q. Does baptism free us from the infirmities and wounds of our nature occasioned by original sin, to wit, concupiscence, ignorance, and the like? A. No, There are more the necessary effects of original sin, than a punishment inflicted for it; and God is pleased not to take them away by the grace of baptism but leaves them.

First, To humble our pride, by the daily experience of our own weakness.

Second, To detach our hearts from this world, and consider it as a place of banishment, in which we are exposed to so many afflictions from these infirmities of nature.

Third, To make us long for Heaven, where alone we shall be delivered from all our miseries.

Fourth, To try our fidelity, and exercise our virtue in fighting against these internal enemies, that by gaining the victory we may increase our crown. But Baptism is of great advantage to us in this battle; because, by the sacramental grace peculiar to baptism, the violence of these enemies is greatly restrained, the ardor of our passions is moderated, and copious help is given us to enable us to overcome them.

Return to Table of Contents INSTRUCTIONS ON NECESSITY OF BAPTISM. Q. Is Baptism necessary for our salvation? A. It is doubtless the most necessary of all the sacraments, because without it we are incapable of receiving any other sacrament, and because it is ordained by Jesus Christ as the only means for receiving the first grace of justification, by which alone we can be delivered from original sin, and partake of the benefits of Christ's sufferings, so as to become members of his body. Q. How does this appear from scripture? A. From the following testimonies:

First, Our Savior, in his conversation with Nicodemus, declares, that "except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God;" and a little after, he shows how this new birth is bestowed upon us; "Verily, verily, I say to thee, except a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God," John iii. 3, 5. Here we see that this new birth, absolutely necessary for salvation, is bestowed upon us by water; that by the use of this outward rite, the spirit of God comes to our souls, to operate in us that spiritual birth; and that these two, the outward rite, and the inward regeneration, are, by the appointment of God, so connected, that if the rite be not used, the new birth will not be bestowed, and that, therefore, without that sacred rite of baptism, we can never see the kingdom of God.

Return to Table of Contents THE COMMISSION TO TEACH AND BAPTIZE. Second, When our Savior gave his Apostles their commission to teach and baptize all nations, he immediately adds, "He that believeth, and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned," Mark xvi. In which words, we must observe that our Savior here, with the same breath, commands the Apostles to teach and baptize all nations; consequently, he requires that all nations should believe the truths taught by the Apostles, and be baptized. And, in fact, he promises salvation not to faith alone, but to faith and baptism together, which evidently shows the necessity of one as well as of the other. It is true in what he adds, "he that believeth not shall be damned," he mentions Faith alone; but the reason is, he is here speaking only of adults, or those who are of an age capable of being instructed, in whom actual faith, or the positive belief of the truths taught by the Apostles, is commanded as a disposition absolutely necessary for baptism. The need of baptism, then, is necessary included in their not believing; and these words, in their full sense, run thus: He that believeth not, and of consequence is not baptized, shall be damned. Third, The Jews who were converted at St. Peter's first sermon, believed what he had delivered to them concerning Jesus Christ, and consequently, had true faith; they had also compunction in their hearts, that is, at least a beginning of repentance; but when they asked, "Men and brethren, what must we do?" St. Peter answered, "Do penance, and be baptized every one of you, for the remission of your sins," Acts ii. 37. He saw they believed in Jesus Christ, therefore he made no mention of faith; but he declared they must give proof of the sincerity of their repentance, by doing penance for their sins, and then apply to baptism as the means ordained by God for giving them the grace of justification for the remission of their sins, insomuch that, where it can be had, neither faith nor repentance will do without it.

Fourth, St. Paul, on his conversion, had true faith in Jesus Christ, was thoroughly converted, and gave himself up wholly to Jesus Christ, saying, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" he continued three days doing penance in praying and fasting and yet, after all this, when Ananias came to him, he said "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away they sin," Acts xxii. 16. In which words is evidently shown the absolute necessity of baptism for our justification, and that neither faith, nor repentance, nor prayer, nor fasting, will do without it, where it can be had.

Return to Table of Contents JUSTIFICATION WITHOUT BAPTISM. Q. Why do you say where it can be had? Is it possible in any case to be justified without baptism? A. Properly speaking, it is impossible to be justified without baptism, as all the above clear texts evince; for where it cannot be had actually, it must, at least, be in desire. Now there are two cases in which a man may be justified and saved, without actually receiving the sacrament of baptism: First, if an infidel should become acquainted with the true faith of Christ, and embrace it, but be in such circumstances that it was not in his power to get himself baptized, notwithstanding his earnest desire of that Sacrament; if this desire be accompanied with a perfect repentance for his sins, founded in the love of God above all things, this would supply the want of actual baptism and a person dying in such dispositions would surely be saved.

Second, If any person should suffer martyrdom for the faith of Christ, before he had been able to receive baptism, this would also supply the want of actually receiving the Sacrament. In this case the person is baptized in his own blood; in the other case, he is said to be baptized in desire.

Q. What become of young children who die without baptism? A. If a young child were put to death for the sake of Christ, this would be to it the baptism of blood, and carry it to heaven; but, except in this case, as such infants are incapable of having the desire of baptism, with the other necessary dispositions, if they are not actually baptized with water, they cannot go to heaven; our Savior's words being perfectly clear and express, "Except a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," John iii. 5. As for what becomes of such unbaptized children, divines are divided in their opinions about it; some say one thing, some another; but as God Almighty has not been pleased to reveal it to his Church, we know nothing for certain about it.

Q. As baptism is of such absolute necessity for salvation, can a person receive it more than once? A. By no means; and it would be a great sacrilege to attempt it; for the great end of baptism is to free us from original sin, and make us Christians, imprinting the sacred character of a Christian in our souls. Now, once we are freed from original sin, we are freed from it for ever; once that sacred character of a Christian is imprinted on the soul, it remains there for ever, and can never be blotted out. Therefore, the effects of the sacrament of baptism can never be produced in our soul a second time.

Q. What dispositions are required for receiving this Sacrament? A. From all we have seen, it is plain, that in young children no dispositions are required at all, because they are incapable of any; but in adults the dispositions required for receiving the grace of baptism, are.

First, That the subject be willing to receive it.

Second, Faith in Jesus Christ.

Third, True repentance of sins.

The Confirmation of Our Faith
INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION. Q. What is the end or design for which confirmation was ordained? A. The design of the Sacrament of confirmation is to complete and perfect the sanctification our souls received in baptism, by bringing down the Holy Ghost in a more particular manner to dwell in them, and to fortify and confirm them in faith, and enable them more effectually to resist all the enemies of their souls. Q. Can this be explained by example? A. It is most fitly explained by the example of the holy Apostles, for, though they had been for three years in the school of Jesus Christ, had enjoyed his blessed company, seen his holy example, and been witness of his miracles; and, although he had been particularly attentive, during all that time, to instruct them in the most ample manner, both in public and private, in all the truths of his gospel; yet it is surprising to see how imperfect they were after all, how little they understood the great truths he revealed to them, and how much less they practised the lessons he had given them.

At the last supper, "there was a strife amongst them, which of them should seem to be the greater," Luke xxii, 24; notwithstanding all the lessons of humility he had given them; and so far were they from profiting by his instructions about suffering for his sake, that when he was taken in the garden, "they all forsook him and fled away," Matth. xxvi. 56. Peter denied him, and cursed and swore he knew nothing about him. All this shows how imperfect they still were; and the reason is, because the Holy Ghost had not yet come down upon them.

No sooner had they received this Divine Spirit than immediately they became new men; their minds were enlightened to understand all the things that their blessed master had taught them; their hearts were inflamed with a most ardent love for him, and a great seal for his honor and for propagating his glory; the grace of his holy Spirit "endowed them with a power from on high," Luke xxiv, 49. Which confirmed them in all good, and enabled them, in a most wonderful manner, cheerfully to undergo all dangers, to overcome all difficulties, and to suffer all torments, for the sake of their Lord and Master, so as even to "rejoice that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus," Acts v. 41.

By all which we see, that, by the decrees of heaven, the sanctification of our souls is, in a special manner, the work of the Holy Ghost. Now, as we are called, by our very vocation as Christians, to be saints, and to be perfect, according to that of our Savior, "Be ye perfect as also your heavenly Father is perfect, " Matth. v, 48.

Q. Is confirmation a true sacrament? A. It is; because it has all the three things necessary to constitute a sacrament.

Return to Table of Contents THE OUTWARD SENSIBLE SIGN USED IN CONFIRMATION. Q. What is the outward sensible sign used in confirmation? A. Taking the whole of it as laid down in the holy scripture, it consists of three things: First, The Bishop, to whom alone, it belongs to give confirmation, stretching out his hand over those that are to be confirmed, prays for them all in general, that the Holy Ghost may come down upon them with his sevenfold graces.

Second, Coming to each one in particular, he lays his hands upon the head.

Third, At the same time he anoints the forehead with the holy chrism in the form of the cross, saying these words, "I sign thee with the sign of the cross, I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

Q. Where do we find in scripture that this outward action is instituted by Jesus Christ, to be the means of bringing the Holy Ghost to our souls? A. In the Acts of the Apostles, we are told, that when St. Philip the deacon had, by his preachings, and miracles, converted the Samaritans, "they were baptized with men and women," Acts viii. 12. Which, when the Apostles who were at Jerusalem had heard, "they sent to them Peter and John; who, when they were come, they

First, Prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.

Second, They laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost," ver. 14. In which passage we evidently see, that prayer, and the laying of the hands, were the outward means used by these Apostles, by which the Holy Ghost was communicated to their souls; prayer, as a preparation, and laying of the hands, as the immediate means appointed for that purpose.

Q. Where do we find the anointing and confirming? A. The scripture, speaking upon any subject, does not always mention every circumstances relating to it in one place, but sometimes mentions one circumstance, sometimes another; and it is by collecting these different passages together, that we have the whole. St. Paul speaking of this sacrament, in his epistle to the Corinthians, describes it thus: "Now he that confirmeth us with you in Christ, and he that hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us; and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts," 2 Cor. i. 21. In which words he both mentions the confirming us, and the anointing us, and also the sealing us, or the sacred character which this sacrament imprints on our souls; and, at the same time declares, that all this is the work of God; that is, that God is the author of it. From these two passages we have the whole of this sacrament explained to us, both as to the outward action, as above described, and the inward grace, or the sacred effects which it produces in the soul.

Return to Table of Contents THE EFFECTS OF THIS SACRAMENT. Q. What are the effects of the sacrament of confirmation? A. First, It brings down the Holy Ghost in a particular manner to our souls, with all his gifts and graces, increasing the justification of our souls, and making us more pure and holy in the eyes of God. Second, It confirms and strengthens us in our holy faith, and enables us to profess it before tyrants and persecutors, and to fight manfully against all the enemies of our souls, so as to bear all the crosses and trials of this life with Christian meekness and humility after the humility of Jesus.

Third, It imprints a sacred character or seal in the soul, which shows that we have been confirmed, and as it were, enlisted in the service of Jesus Christ, to fight under his banners, against all his and our enemies. For this reason, as in baptism, this sacrament can never be received more than once, because this character, once received, can never be blotted out or lost.

Q. As confirmation brings down the Holy Ghost to sanctify our souls, do all that receive confirmation become saints? A. Happy would it be, for the world, if this were the case; but this happens but too seldom; and the reason is, that, in order to become a saint, two things are required, the assistance of the Holy Ghost, and our co-operation. Both these are absolutely necessary. Without the Divine assistance we can do nothing towards our salvation; and though Almighty God should bestow his chosen graces upon us, if we resit them, and do not co- operate with them, we shall never advance one step towards Christian perfection. Hence St. Paul declares, that in all the great things he had done, it was "not I" says he, "but the grace of God with me," 1 Cor. xv. 10; not I alone, not the grace of God alone, but "the grace of God with me," the grace of God assisting, and I co-operating. now, in the sacrament of confirmation, God Almighty does his part; he gives us his Holy Spirit, and with him all those graces necessary to enable us to become saints, if we co- operate with them, and even after receiving these graces, the fault is entirely our own, because we do not improve them as we might.

Q. How is the outward sign of confirmation a sign of the grace received? A. The imposition of the hands represents the communication of the Holy Ghost to the soul, and the anointing the forehead with holy chrism, represents the nature and plenitude of the grace received by the internal unction of the Holy Ghost.

Q. How so? A. The chrism is a sacred ointment, composed of oil of olives and balm of Gilead, solemnly blessed by the bishop on holy Thursday. The oil represents the fulness of the grace received; both because, as oil, when dropped upon any thing, spreads itself upon it, and insinuates itself into all its parts, sot he grace of this holy Sacrament penetrates into the soul, and diffuses itself throughout all her powers; and also, because oil being a smooth mild substance, it represents that spirit of mildness and patience under the cross, which is one principal effect of confirmation. At the same time, as the balm has the particular property of preserving bodies, after death, from putrefaction, it fitly represents the fortifying grace received in confirmation, by which our souls are preserved from the corruption of sin, after our sins have been destroyed by the sacrament of baptism.

Return to Table of Contents THE SACRED CHARACTER IMPRINTED ON THE SOUL BY THE SACRAMENT.. Q. Do all receive an equal share in the sacrament of confirmation? A. The sacred character imprinted in the soul by confirmation is the same in all; but the other graces communicated to the soul are given in proportion to the designs which God has in view for the person who receives this sacrament, and to the dispositions with which he comes to receive it. Q. What are the dispositions necessary to receive the sacrament of confirmation worthily? A. First, that the Candidate be sufficiently instructed, according to age and capacity, in the necessary knowledge of his Christian doctrine.

Second That he be in the state of grace.

Q. Why must they be instructed in Christian doctrine? A. Because without instruction there cannot be proper knowledge of the sacrament, nor those devout affections of the soul towards God which enlarge the soul for receiving the grace of the sacrament; besides, the duty which faith imposes upon all, requires that we should be instructed in those parts of Christian doctrine which each one ought to know, according to age and capacity.

Q. Why must the candidate be in the state of grace? A. Because the scripture assures us, that "the holy Spirit of wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins," Wisd. i. 4; and, therefore, it would be a grievous sacrilege for a person, who knows himself to be in the state of sin, to presume to receive this sacrament, without taken the necessary measures to put his soul in the state of grace, and be reconciled with God.

Return to Table of Contents THE TWO CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR CONFIRMATION. Q. Is anything else required? A. Yes; the candidate should earnestly engage in prayer. First, From the examples of the apostles, who, during the ten days between the ascension of our lord, and the coming of the Holy Ghost, on Pentecost, "continued with one accord in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren," Acts. i. 14. Now if the apostles, by the particular inspiration of God, employed themselves in prayer, to prepare themselves for the coming of the holy Ghost, how much more ought we?

Second, Because our Savior has assured us, that our "Father from heaven will give his good Spirit to them that ask it," Luke xi. 13.

Q. What are the best prayers for this purpose? A. The hymns and prayers appointed by the church for invoking the Holy Ghost, and for begging his grace; as contained in the books of prayer.

Q. is confirmation necessary for salvation? A. It is not necessary, yet it would certainly be a sin to neglect to receive it when one can receive it; especially, if by neglecting the opportunity, one runs the danger of not having it again; and still more, if he be exposed to temptations and persecutions on account of his holy religion. It would be a very grievous sin if one should neglect it out of contempt or disregard.

The Fountain and Source of All Grace
INSTRUCTIONS ON THE HOLY EUCHARIST. Q. What was the end or design for which Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist? A. It was that it might be the spiritual food and nourishment of our souls, to preserve and augment that life of grace which we receive in the sacrament of baptism, and which is completed and perfected in the sacrament of confirmation; according to the words of our Savior, "I am the living bread which come down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever." And, a little after, "he that eateth me, the same shall live by me," John vi. 51, 58. Q. How is this explained? A. From the similitude of the natural life of our bodies; for we see, however lively, vigorous, and strong we be as to our natural life, yet our strength will soon diminish, our vigor fail, and our life become weaker, and weaker, and at last be destroyed entirely, unless it be preserved by proper food which feeds, nourishes, and strengthens the body; so, in like manner, however lively and strong the soul be in the life of grace, which we receive in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation; yet, by reason of the corruption of our nature, and the many temptations to which we are continually exposed, from the malice of our spiritual enemies, this spiritual life would soon fail and decay, and at last be extinguished entirely by mortal sin, if we had not a proper food to support and nourish it in the soul. For this reason, our blessed Savior was pleased to institute the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, in which, under the outward appearances of bread and wine, he gives us his own precious body and blood, to feed and nourish our souls, and to preserve and augment in them the life of grace, by which we live in him.

Return to Table of Contents MOST EXCELLENT OF ALL THE SACRAMENTS. Q. In what does the Holy Eucharist, differ from the other sacraments? A. In several things, First, In dignity; for the Eucharist is the most excellent of all the sacraments, and supereminently shines above them all, as the sun above the stars.

Second, In the grace if contains; for the other sacraments contain only particular graces, adapted to the ends of which they are instituted; but the Holy Eucharist contains Jesus Christ himself, the fountain and source of all grace.

Third, In its permanency; for the other sacraments are sacraments only at the very time in which they are administered to the person who receives them; but the Holy Eucharist is a true and perfect sacrament, both at the time we receive it, and when it is not administered to any one, but kept in our churches.

Q. What is the outward sensible sign in the sacrament of the Eucharist? A. The appearances of bread and wine, which remain after consecration, and under which our blessed Savior is received into our souls, when the priest puts it into our mouths.

Q. What is the inward grace it contains? A. The body and blood of Jesus Christ, the fountain and author of all grace.

Q. Where does it appear that Jesus Christ is the author of this sacrament? A. From the history of its institution, related in the gospel, where we are told, that at the last supper, Jesus Christ, "taking bread, gave thanks, and brake, and gave to them, saying, This is my body. Do this for a commemoration of me. In like manner, the chalice also, after he had supped, saying, This is the chalice, the New Testament in my blood which shall be shed for you," Luke xxii. 19.

Return to Table of Contents A SIGN OF GRACE. Q. How is the sacrament a sign of the grace we receive? A. Because as bread and wine is the food and nourishment of the body, and preserves and augments our natural life and strength; so the outward appearances of bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist, represent the spiritual food and nourishment which our souls receive from the body and blood of Christ, communicated to us under these appearances. Q. What is the matter made use of in consecrating the Holy Eucharist? A. Bread made of wheat, and wine of the grape; and no other thing can be used for this purpose, because this is what Christ used himself, and he commanded his apostles and their successors to do what he had done.

Q. What becomes of the bread and wine by the consecration? A. The substance of the bread and wine is changed, by the Almighty power of God, into the body and blood of Christ; but all the outward appearances of the bread and wine, and all their sensible qualities remain the same.

Q. At what time is this change made? A. About the middle of the mass, when the priest, taking into his hand, first the bread and then the wine, pronounces over each separately, the sacred words of consecration. For it is the office of the priest, taking into his hand, first the bread and then the wine, pronounces over each separately, the sacred words of consecration. For it is the office of the priest in this, as in all the other sacraments, only to perform the outward sensible part; but the inward invisible effect is the work of the great God, who accordingly changes the substance of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, the very instant that the sacred words of consecration are pronounced by the priest over them.

Q. To whom has Jesus Christ left power to consecrate the Holy Eucharist? A. To the bishops and priests of his church only; and this is one of the most excellent and distinguishing powers annexed to the sacred character of the priesthood, and in which that sacred character properly consists.

Q. Is the receiving this sacrament necessary for salvation? A. The necessity of receiving it is so great, for those who are come to an age capable of discerning our Lord's body, that Jesus Christ himself says, "except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you." And on the other hand, "he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life, and I will raise him up in the last day," John vi. 54, 55.

Q. What are the principal things to be established and explained concerning the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist? A. These five things, the real presence, transubstantiation, the communion, the communion in one kind, and the sacrifice of the Mass.

Return to Table of Contents THE REAL PRESENCE A DIVINE TRUTH REVEALED BY GOD. INSTRUCTIONS ON THE REAL PRESENCE. Q. What does our holy faith teach us concerning the real presence? A. It teaches us, First, That after the consecration, our Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is truly, really, and substantially contained under the outward appearances of the bread and wine;

Second, That under each kind is contained Jesus Christ, whole and entire, his body and blood, his soul and divinity.

Q. How can it be proved that Christ is truly and really present in the Holy Eucharist? A. The first proof is taken from what is related in the sixth chapter of St. John's gospel, where we are told, that after the great miracle of feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, our Savior went over to the other side of the lake, and that the next morning the multitude missing him, went over after him: and, when they found him, he took occasion, from the impression which that miracle had made on their minds, to bring on the discourse about the heavenly food which he was to give the world in the Holy Eucharist, and said, "labor not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you." Here he declares, that the meat he was to give was such as would bring eternal life.

Their curiosity being, by these words, raised to know more about this heavenly food, they asked a sign by which they might believe him, and wished to know if the food he spoke of was better than the manna which God gave their fathers from heaven in the desert. "Then Jesus said unto them, Amen, amen, I say to you, Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven; for the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world." In which words he shows the supereminent excellency of his bread above the manna, saying it is the "true bread from heaven," and such as produces the most wonderful effects, so as to "give life to the world."

The Jews hearing of such wonderful bread, said to him, "Lord give us always this bread." Upon which He replied, "I am the bread of life;" and then goes on to declare, that those who come to him, and believe in him, should be fed with this bread, and obtain everlasting life. The Jews hearing this, instead of believing his words, "murmured at Him, because he said, I am the living bread which came down from heaven," verse 41. Jesus, instead of explaining away the literal meaning of what he had said, and in which they had understood him, showed no surprise at their unbelief; but added, that to believe in Him was a gift of God; for "no man can come to me," says he, "except my Father, who hath sent me, draw him." And then He goes on to repeat what he had said before, and shows what this bread is in the plainest terms: "I am the bread of life," says he; "your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that if any man eat of it, he may not die. I am the living bread which came down from Heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall life for ever, and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world."

Here He repeats again the excellency of his heavenly bread, declares that he himself is that living bread; and concludes, by assuring us, that the bread which he promises to give, is his flesh; that very flesh which he gave "for the life of the world." Which assertion, in its plain and obvious sense, so clearly establishes his real presence in the heavenly bread he speaks of, that it seems impossible to find words to express it more strongly. In fact, the Jews naturally understood him in this sense, that he meant to give them his real flesh to eat; but as they could not understand how this should be done, and would not, in the simplicity of faith, believe it upon his word, "they strove among themselves, saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

Return to Table of Contents THE LITERAL, PLAIN, AND OBVIOUS SENSE OF CHRIST'S WORDS. From this text and what follows, we have the most convincing proof of the real presence; and that the literal, plain, and obvious sense of Christ's words which the Jews understood him, was the very sense and meaning which he intended by them; for it is evident from what the Jews here say, that they understood him in the literal sense, as promising to give them his real flesh to eat; and that it was from his own words that they were induced to understand him so. If the literal sense, signifying the real presence, had not been his meaning, if he meant the above expression only in a figurative sense, then the Jews were in a mistake as to the true meaning, and he himself had led them into that mistake, by the way he expressed himself. Seeing, therefore, that his mistaken sense of his words scandalized them, he was certainly bound, by the most sacred ties, to undeceive them, and to take away the scandal he had given, by explaining his figurative meaning to them.

Instead of this, and to show beyond reply, that the literal sense in which they had understood him, was the very thing that he himself meant, and that it was his real flesh he promised to give in this heavenly bread, and not a figure only. He immediately replies, with his usual asseveration - "Amen, amen, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you." By which words he manifestly confirmed them in the idea they had of his meaning; and assures all mankind, that his very flesh and blood is the life-giving food contained in this heavenly bread. Now, would the eternal wisdom of God have trifled with his poor creatures, in so egregious as a manner, if the literal sense had not been his true meaning? Would He who came to seek and to save those that were lost, and to enlighten them who sat in darkness, and in the shadow of death, have so positively led poor sinners into so gross a mistake, and in a matter of so much importance for their salvation, if he had not meant what his words implied? It would certainly be the height of blasphemy to suppose it.

Our Savior, not content with the above strong asseveration of the Real presence, and foreseeing the great opposition which the pride of man would make against it in after ages, goes on in the following verses to repeat it again and again, and to inculcate it in different lights, every one more strongly affirming it than another; "he that eateth my flesh," says he, "and drinketh my blood, hath life everlasting, and I will raise him up at the last day." The body and blood of Christ, is alone the true life of our souls, the source of all grace, life, and benediction to us in the world, and of everlasting life in the world to come; consequently, the possessing this life everlasting, by eating his flesh, and drinking his blood, necessarily implies our eating and drinking his real flesh and his real blood; for how could we possess Christ as the everlasting life of our soul, if we eat and drink nothing but a figure; and, therefore, he goes on to give this as the reason of what he last said: "for my flesh," says he, "is meant and my blood is drink indeed;" how could this be so, if what he gives be nothing but a bit of bread? Again, "he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood," says he, "abideth in me and I in him." How strongly does this also confirm his real presence? By giving us his real flesh and blood, he is himself received within us, and abides in us, and we, living by this food the spiritual life of grace, abide in him, and are guided and directed by him.

The text would be evidently false, did he give nothing but a figure instead of the reality; how could he be said to abide in us, and we in him, by means of this heavenly food, if he be not there? he then goes on to show again the excellency of this food, saying, "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father so he that eateth me, the same shall live by me. This is the bread that came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and area dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever." Can a piece of common bread be said to be "the bread that came down from heaven?" Can a bare figure be more excellent than the manna, which was a most admirable figure of Christ in many of its properties? or can a bit of plain bread, merely taken in remembrance of Christ, be supposed to be a food by which we shall live for ever?

It is manifest, then, that every one of these texts enforce and inculcate the reality of Christ's flesh and blood in the plainest and strongest terms; and it is most certain they were understood in the real sense by all who were then present. Many of his own disciples hearing him speak in such a plain and strong manner, and not being able to understand how this could be, fut following the example of the unbelieving Jews, were scandalized at it, and said, "this saying is hard, and who can bear it?"

Return to Table of Contents OUR LORD DESERTED BY MANY DISCIPLES. Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, "Doth this scandalize you?" Observe, he does not say, you are in a mistake, you misunderstand me, which he certainly was bound to do, and would have done, had he not meant the reality of his presence as they understood him; but well knowing they were under no mistake on that point, he endeavored to convince them of the truth of what scandalized them, by proposing another miracle: "If then," says he "you shall see the Son of Man ascend upon where he was before?" and seeing the hardness of their hearts, and their carnal mind, which hindered them from receiving the light of faith which he offered them, he adds, "It is the spirit that quickeneth the mind, by the gift of faith; but your carnal minds hinder you from profiting by him. Just as he said above to the Jews, when they refused to believe him, and which he adds here also, "therefore did I say to you, that no man can come to me unless it be given him by my Father." Immediately upon this, "many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him." Would Jesus Christ ever have let his own disciples leave him, and run headlong to their own perdition, had they been under a mistake about his meaning, and a mistake which he himself had occasioned, without ever offering to undeceive them? It would be impious to imagine it; on the contrary, their fault only lay in their refusing to believe his word, which they understood in his true meaning; and, therefore, as "Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe," he let them go without saying a word more to retain them.

When they were gone, Jesus said to the twelve, "Will you also go away?" Here again we have another beautiful proof of the real presence. The twelve had been present all this time, had heard all that passed, had seen the Jews strive, and the disciples murmur and leave their master; they understood what their master said in the same literal sense the others had done; it could, indeed, bear no other meaning; but, when Jesus put the above question to them, "Simon Peter," in the name of the whole, answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed, and have known that thou art the Christ the Son of God."

Behold the noble simplicity of their faith, they believe the words of their master without the least hesitation; they look upon them as the words of eternal life; they believe them in that very meaning in which the others had refused to believe them; they believe them as containing a promise of giving them his real flesh to eat, and his real blood to drink: and they believe him with a most firm and sincere faith, for this plain but noble reason, because "he is Christ, the Son of God," who cannot possibly be deceived himself, and who is absolutely incapable of deceiving his creatures, and whose almighty power is perfectly able to make good his word, and perform most exactly the promise he made them.

The second proof of the real presence, is taken from the words of the institution of the Holy Eucharist, as related by the three evangelists in their gospels, and by St. Paul, in the epistle to the Corinthians, 1. Cor. xi. here we must observe, that the conversation held by our Savior with the Jews and his disciples, as related above from St. John, happened some time before the institution of the blessed sacrament; in it we have seen that the apostles believed the words of their master, and were persuaded that he then promised to give them a heavenly life-giving bread, and that this divine bread was his very "flesh for the life of the world;" consequently, from that day forward, they lived in expectation of his fulfilling that promise, and of his giving them this heavenly food.

Return to Table of Contents THE LAST SUPPER "JESUS TOOK BREAD AND BLESSED, AND BROKE, AND GAVE TO HIS DISCIPLES. In the mean time, they saw him perform numbers of miracles of all kinds, and that nature was, in every thing, obedient to his word. At length, when the days of unleavened bread was come, Jesus sat down with his twelve disciples to eat the Pasch, "and whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread and blessed, and broke, and gave to his disciples, and said, Take ye and eat, this is my body. And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of this; for this is my blood of the New testament, which shall be shed for many, for the remission of sins," Matt. xxvi. 26. What impression must this have made on the minds of the apostles? In what other light could they possibly consider what our blessed Savior here did and said, but as a fulfilling of the promise he had made some time before? He had promised to give them a heavenly bread: he had, in the strongest terms, assured them again and again, that this divine bread was his very flesh and blood; they then firmly believed that it was so, because he, whom they knew to be the Son of God, declared it was so; when, therefore, at the last supper, he fulfilled that promise, they were prepared to receive this heavenly food as his body and blood; they expected it, an as such, from his sacred hands, they received it. And, though their reason or senses might have started difficulties, yet all these were obviated by their belief of his being God, and the numberless miracles they had seen him perform, which must have convinced them by experience, that he was able to do whatever he pleased, and to make good whatever he said.

Q. What reasons are there to think that Christ meant the words of the instituion, This is my body, This is my blood, in the literal and real sense, and not in the figurative sense? A. There are many reasons for this of the strongest kind:

First, When he promised to give this heavenly bread, he certainly meant, and promised to give in it his real flesh and blood, that flesh which he gave for the life of the world, as we have clearly seen; when he therefore performed his promise at the last supper, he actually did so, and spoke these words, This is my body, as declaring that what he gave was his real body, his real flesh and blood.

Second, Because his apostles could not possibly understand his words in any other sense, considering what had been said, and the belief they had of his being God. He would have egregiously deceived them, if he had meant them in any other sense than what he knew they must understand them.

Third, Because his words would have been false, if what he gave his apostles was not his body, but only a bit of bread, as a figure of his body.

Fourth, Because, if what he gave his apostles was not his body, but only a bit of bread, then, when he held it out to them, and said, Take eat, this is my Body, he called a bit of bread his body, though he meant it only as a figure of his boyd; now, if this was so, he was guilty of a most gross and shameful contradiction; for nothing can be more absurd than to hold a bit of bread in one's hand, and say, this is the living body of a man;it being contrary to the common practice of mankind, and the common laws of speech, to call one thing by the name of another, with which it has no manner of resemblance nor connection, and that too, without giving the person to whom it is said to the least intimation of one's meaning, to serve as a means for understanding each an extraordinary way of speaking.

Fifth, A sober man would be ashamed, on any serious occasion, to use a deceitful way of speaking, so as to call a thing by a name by which it was never known before, especially before people who he knew would undoubtedly be deceived by him, and who believed in his sincere integrity.

It is impious to suppose that the Son of God would have acted in such a manner with his Apostles, to whom he always explained what he spoke to the multitude in parable, and that upon one of the most solemn occasions of his whole life, when he was making a covenant that as to last to the end of time, instituting a sacrament that was to be accepted by all his followers, till his second coming; making his last will and testament, and in it bequeathing to them an admirable legacy, the last pledge of his love! Is it not impeaching him of the greatest folly and insincerity, to suppose he would, on so solemn an occasion, use deceitful language, and what would necessarily lead men into error?

Return to Table of Contents THE TRUTH OF THE REAL PRESENCE. Sixth, Because the figurative sense destroys the belief of the passion and death of our blessed Savior, which all Christians are led to believe. For Jesus Christ said, in John vi., "the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world," and, at the institution, he declares; "this is my body, which is given for you," Luke xxii, 19; or, "which shall be delivered for you," 1 Cor. xi. "This is my blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed for many for the remission of sins," Matth. xxvi. 28. It was his real flesh which was given for the life of the world, his real blood which was shed for the remission of sins; consequently it was the real flesh and blood which he gave in the Blessed Eucharist; and if it be said, that he Blessed Eucharist is only a figure of his flesh and blood, then we must also say that it was only a figure of his flesh which was crucified for us, and a figure of his blood which was shed for the remission of sins, since he expressly declares it was the same in both. Besides, these reasons, which evidently show that it is impossible Christ could intend the figurative sense, when he spoke the words of the institution, there are others also, of a different kind, which no less clearly show the same thing; and, at the same time, prove directly the truth of the Real Presence.

First, As it is an uncontested fact that the whole Christian church, for many ages, believed in the real presence, and rendered divine worship to Jesus Christ in the holy Eucharist; if this doctrine be false, then the whole Church of Christ was for many ages, guilty of superstition and idolatry; and, indeed, this is the very reason alleged by the first reformers, for their breaking off from the whole Christian world then existing. Now, if we believe the scriptures, it is absolutely impossible that the church of Christ should fall into idolatry; for they repeatedly declare, that among the followers of Christ, "idols should be utterly destroyed," Is. ii. 18; that God would "cleanse them from their idols," Ezek. xxxvi. 25. "Nor shall they be defiled any more with their idols," says God himself, "nor with their abominations, nor with all their iniquities; and I will save them out of all the places in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; and my servant David shall be king over them, and they shall have one shepherd, they shall walk in my judgments, and shall keep my commandments, and shall do them," Ezek. xxxvii. 23. "And I will destroy," says he again "thy graven things, and thy statutes out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt NO MORE adore the work of thy hands," Mich. v. 12. "And I will destroy the names of idols out of the earth, and they shall be remembered no more," Zach. xiii. 2. How can all this stand, if the whole Church of Christ had been, for many ages, guilty of idolatry, by the belief in the Real Presence? therefore, the doctrine of the Real Presence is not a false and idolatrous doctrine, but the true, heavenly doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Second, Let us suppose, contrary to all these strong promises of God, that it is otherwise, and that the doctrine of the Real Presence is false; Jesus Christ must have foreseen that his whole church would, for many ages embrace this doctrine, and fall into idolatrous worship in consequence of it. He must have foreseen that his very words would give them a natural handle to do so, and be reasonable ground for their doing it; can we suppose, without the height of blasphemy, that he would industriously have used such language, as he knew would have such dreadful effects, and that, from the very respect men must have for his words, when a single word to explain would have effectually prevented it.

Third, If we suppose the figurative sense was intended by Jesus Christ, and taught by his Apostles, then it is simply impossible the belief of the Real Presence could ever have taken place in the world; for, had the Christian world, in the first ages, believed only the figurative presence, then, when the Real Presence was first broached, it must have appeared a new doctrine, as having never been heard of before; on this account, it must have been considered as false and heretical, being diametrically opposite to what all the Christian world are supposed to have then believed as a revealed truth; it must even have appeared as a most dangerous heresy, because leading directly to idolatry, and teaching that they ought to adore as God, what they and all their predecessors, from the time of the Apostles, believed to be nothing but bread and wine; and it must have been looked upon as altogether incredible, because contrary to the testimony of the senses, irreconcilable to the lights of natural reason, and directly opposite to the faith, then, as we suppose, believed by all Christians. The proposal of such a doctrine must have been shocking to all people of piety and understanding, on account of its novelty and dangerous tendency; it must have been no less so to the more worldly minded people, from its opposition to sense and reason, without any prospect of the smallest advantage by it. It must be observed, that human nature is the same in all ages, and the same reasons that make the doctrine of the Real Presence appeared incredible to those who do not believe it at present, must have made it appear no less so in any former age, when, in the above supposition, it first appeared. From all which we must justly conclude, that a doctrine, lying under so many disadvantages, could never possibly have been embraced by any reasonable creature, except from the full conviction that it was revealed by God himself, whose divine authority alone takes away all difficulties in the belief of it; and this conviction could never possibly have taken place in the world, if it had not been from the beginning, and if the doctrine itself had not been revealed by Jesus Christ, and delivered by him, with the rest of revealed truths, to his Apostles.

Q. What are the other proofs of the Real Presence from scripture? A. The Third, proof from scripture is taken from St. Paul, who warmly exhorting the Corinthians to fly from all communication with idolatry, and by no means to partake of things offered to idols, uses this argument to persuade them: "The chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? and the bread which we break, is it not partaking of the body of the Lord?" 1 Cor. x. 16. Here he expressly affirms, that, in the Holy Eucharist, we communicate and partake of the body and blood of Christ; and he affirms it as a truth perfectly well known to them, and which none can deny; and therefore, after showing that "the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God," ver. 20, he immediately concludes, "you cannot drink the chalice of the Lord and the chalice of devils; you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and the table of the devils," ver. 21; to show how shocking a crime it must be for those who communicate in the body and blood of Christ, to go and communicate also with devils. All which would have been a ridiculous argument, if the Real Presence be not true.

The fourth proof from scripture is taken from the same Holy Apostle, who, "1 Cor. xi., reproving some abuses that had crept in among the Corinthians at their religious meetings, puts them in mind of the Holy Mysteries there celebrated; and, first, gives a history of the institution of the Blessed Eucharist, which he declares to have received by immediate revelation from our Lord, and he gives it in the same terms in which it is described in the gospels, and then adds, "wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the boyd and blood of the Lord," ver. 27. To receive the Holy Eucharist unworthily, is to receive it when one is in the state of mortal sin; which the apostle here declares to be a crime of the deepest dye, equal to that of the Jews, who put our Savior to death in a cruel and barbarous manner. Now, in the belief of the Real Presence, we see, all at once, the grievous injury done to Jesus Christ, by receiving him into a soul sullied with the guilt of sin, which is an object of horror and abomination in his eyes; but how a person should contract such a guilt by eating a bit of bread as a figure of Christ's body, is inconceivable. Common sense even revolts at the thought of it; especially if we reflect that the manna and the paschal lamb were much more livery figures of Jesus Christ than a bit of bread, and yet it was never supposed, that those who eat the manna or the paschal lamb,, when they were in the state of sin, were guilty of such a crime, or indeed, of any crime at all, by doing so. This decision, therefore, of the Holy Ghost, manifestly implies, that our blessed Savior's body and blood are truly and really present, even to the unworthy communicant, and grievously abused by him who receives it in such an unworthy manner.

What follows still further confirms this; for the Apostle adds, "he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord," ver. 29. Here we see a most dreadful punishment annexed to the crime of receiving unworthily, and the point in which its guilt consists immediately adjoined. Is not our natural reason shocked to suppose that a God of infinite justice and mercy would, in a manner, incorporate damnation to a soul for eating, while in the state of sin, a bit of bread as a figure of Christ? But, we are no longer surprised at such severity, if we believe Jesus Christ to be really present in the Holy Sacrament, because we see, all at once, that the crime of receiving him into a soul sullied with mortal sin, must be of the most enormous guilty. But why is such a punishment annexed to such a crime? The Apostle immediately adds, "not discerning the body of the Lord;" now, how can he discern if, if it be not there? This then is their crime, this the source of their guilt, because they do not consider how great, how holy a Being is present in his Holy mystery, and treat him in so unworthy and so injurious a manner.

Return to Table of Contents "DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME." Q. But does not our Savior, at the very institution of this sacrament, immediately say, "Do this in remembrance of me?" and does not this expression imply that he is not present? for how can we be desired to remember one that is present with us? A. Whatever this expression may imply, yet it certainly does not affirm in plain terms, that he is not present; consequently it can never invalidate the plain meaning of so many other texts expressly affirming his Real Presence; for, though we cannot mistake the plain obvious meaning of these other texts, yet we may easily be mistaken in supposing what an obscure text may imply. But to show that these words, "Do this in remembrance of me," by no means imply his absence, let us only consider another expression of the holy scripture, The wise man says, "Remember thy Creator in the day of thy youth," Eccles. xii. 1. Shall we conclude from this, that our Creator is not present with us in the days of our youth? this would be a very false and impious conclusion. The meaning of this text is plainly this, that our Creator, though always present with us, "for in him we live, and move, and have our being," Acts xvii. 28; yet he is not present with us is a visible or sensible manner; and in our youth, when the mind is so apt to be carried away with the dangerous objects about us, we are but too ready to forget his presence, and to do things that are offensive to him; therefore, the Holy Ghost cautions us against this danger, and exhorts us never to forget the divine presence; but always to conduct ourselves as remembering that we are exposed and open to his sight. In the same manner, though Jesus Christ be truly present in the Holy Eucharist, yet he is not present in a sensible manner, but hidden from our bodily eyes under the sacramental veils; and, as we might be in danger of forgetting his presence, and, "of not discerning his body" there present, so as to receive him unworthily to our damnation, or fail in the respect and veneration we owe to him; therefore, we are commanded, when we celebrate these Holy Mysteries, not to forget his presence; but remember that he is there, though not visible to our eyes, and consequently to behave ourselves in such a manner as his Divine Presence requires. So that this text, if explained by a similar passage of the scripture itself, instead of implying his absence, is a very strong proof of his presence. But St. Paul gives us the precise sense of that expression, as directly intended by our Savior; for, in the account he gives of the institution of the Holy Eucharist, which he received from Christ himself, after these words, "Do this in remembrance of me," he immediately adds, as the true sense and meaning of them; "For as often as ye shall eat this bread and drink this chalice, ye shall show the death of our Lord until he come," 1 Cor. xi. 26; thereby declaring that the remembrance which our Savior here requires from us, is a remembrance of his passion and death, of which these holy mysteries are a mystical representation, and were instituted by him, to be a continual memorial of them till his second coming.

Q. Does not our Savior also say, "It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life?" John vi. 64. And does not this imply, that what he had been saying before, ought to be taken in a spiritual sense? A. Certainly these words to not say, in plain terms, that what he had been saying before about his flesh and blood, ought to be taken in any such sense as can exclude his real presence in the Holy Eucharist; and certain it is, that they were not understood in such a sense by his disciples; for their difficulty was solely about the reality of his presence; and after these words were spoken by him, "many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him," verse 67; which they certainly never would have done, if these words of our Savior had bene intended to explain the meaning of all he had said in the figurative sense, and as intending only a figure of his presence in the Holy Eucharist. It is also evident, that these words are very obscure, when considered by themselves, and without their connection with the context; and, therefore, can never be of any weight against the plain meaning of so many clear and express texts as go before.

It is no less manifest that our Savior does not speak here of his own flesh; for who will dare to say, that the flesh of Christ profiteth us nothing? since it was for us he took flesh, and in his flesh suffered and died for our salvation, and that he gave his flesh "for the life of the world;" therefore we must conclude, that the text is far from making any thing against the real presence, and is not even spoken in relation to the Holy Sacrament at all; but that the proper meaning of it is, what we have seen above, that it is God's Holy Spirit which quickeneth our souls, and enables us to believe the mysteries revealed by God; but the fleshly carnal minds of these disciples hindered them from profiting by the graces which that Holy Spirit gave them, for believing the words of Christ, which are, indeed, spirit and life to those who believe them.

Return to Table of Contents "I AM THE VINE, I AM THE DOOR.. Q. Does not our Savior say, in another text, "I am the vine, I am the door;" which must be taken in a figurative sense; and why not the words of the institution also? A. The reason is very obvious. In these expressions, "I am the vine," or the like, there is a manifest opposition between the terms of the assertion, which makes it absolutely impossible they should be true in the literal sense. The word I, signifies a human person; the word vine signifies a tree: now, it is evidently impossible that a human person, and a tree, should be literally the same thing. But in the words of the institution, "This is my body," the word this signifies nothing of itself; but is equally applicable to any thing whatsoever; and in the words of the institution, it is applied to nothing till the whole sentence be finished, and then it is applied to Christ's body, which was then really present in his hand, and given to his Apostles; so that in this expression there is not the smallest shadow of contradiction. Besides, in these other expressions, "I am the vine, I am the door," there is no manner of reason, either from the circumstances in which they were spoken, or from the context, to suppose them meant in the literal sense. On the contrary, every thing about them shows that they are parables. But, as we have seen above, there is the most incontestable reason to prove, that the words of the institution could not be meant, in any other sense, than the plain, obvious, literal sense of the words. Q. Is not the Holy Eucharist often called bread and wine in the scripture, even after consecration? and may not this imply that it is nothing else? A. By no means; because we find it a very common way of speaking in scripture, to call one thing by the name of the thing which it is not, on two different accounts; both which take place in the Blessed Eucharist. First, When it has the external appearance of the thing, by the name of which it is called. Thus angels, appearing like men, are on that account called men in scripture; so also it is said, that "parted tongues, as it were of fire, appeared, and sat upon the apostles on Pentecost;" yet it was not fiery tongues, but the Holy Ghost under that appearance.

Second, When it is made from that thing which it is called. Thus God said to Adam, "dust thou art;" because he was made of dust. So after Aaron's rod devoured their rods," Exod. vii. 12. So also in our case, the Holy Eucharist is called bread after consecration; for both these reasons, because it retains all the outward appearances of bread, and because it was bread before consecration: and we may also add, because this divine spiritual bread produces all the same effects in the soul, which natural bread does in the body.

Return to Table of Contents OUR SAVIOUR TRULY PRESENT. Q. Why did you say above, that our Savior is truly present, whole and entire under each kind, both under the appearance of bread, and under the appearance of wine? A. Because though his body be only mentioned at the consecration of the bread; yet his body is not present there alone, as separated from his blood, nor without his soul and divinity; but Christ is present under the form of bread, whole and entire; and the same under the form of wine. Q. How is this explained? A. To understand this, we must observe, that death precisely consists in the separation of the soul from the body. But as the blood is so necessary for life, that without it the soul cannot remain to enliven the body; so when the blood is separated from the body, death necessarily ensures, and the soul can be no longer there. Our Savior, to show the greatness of his love for us, was pleased to suffer death for our salvation, in the most perfect manner; so that not only was his soul separated from his body on the cross, but he also shed to the last drop of his precious blood for us. And at his resurrection, his blood and his soul were again reunited to his body, and he restored to life. Now, the scripture positively declares, "that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more; death shall no more have dominion over him," Rom. vi. 9. Consequently his body, his blood, and his soul, shall never more be separated from one another; and, as the union of his divine and human nature can never more be broken, so neither can these his two natures, united in his divine person, be ever separated: from this it necessarily follows, that, wherever the body of Christ is, there also his blood, his soul, and his divinity, must of necessity be; and, wherever his blood is, there also his body and soul and divinity must be in like manner. Hence, though by the words of consecration, his body only is mentioned at present, under the form of wine; yet, by reason of the indissoluble connection by which his body and blood, his soul and divinity, are united together, Jesus Christ, whole and entire, is truly, really and substantially present, both under the form of bread, and under the form of wine.

Q. What difference then is there between the one kind and the other? A. Not the smallest difference as to what is contained under each kind, which is perfectly the same in both. The only difference is in the outward appearance, which is the one kind is that of bread, in the other of wine.

Q. But how can the same identical thing appear under two different forms? is there any other example to illustrate this? A. There is a very striking and apposite example in the different forms under which the Holy Ghost was pleased to appear to men; for, at our Savior's baptism, "the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him," Luke iii. 22. But when he came down upon the Apostles on Pentecost, "there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them," Acts ii. 3. now the appearance of a dove, and of a tongue of fire, are exceedingly different; and yet it was the same Holy Ghost that was under both these forms and appearances. In like manner, though the appearance of bread and that of wine be very different, yet it is the self same Jesus Christ who is contained under each in the Holy Eucharist.

Q. Was this doctrine of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, the constant belief of the Christian world from the beginning? A. It most certainly way, as can easily be shown by the plainest and most express testimonies of the writers of Christianity in every age, from the times of the Apostles; and besides, it is proved to be the true doctrine of Jesus Christ, by the infallible authority of the Holy Catholic Church, which has again and again decidedly declared it to be a truth revealed by God, and to have been handed down from the beginning as such, all preceding generations.

Return to Table of Contents THE CONSECRATION OF THE BREAD AND THE WINE. Instruction on Transubstantiation. Q. What is meant by transubstantiation? A. To understand this, we must observe, that in all the bodily objects about us, there are two things carefully to be distinguished; the outward appearances which they exhibit to our senses, when applied to them, such as their color, shape, taste, smell, and other such sensible qualities; and the inward matter or substance in which all these sensible qualities reside. These sensible qualities of bodies are the proper objects of our knowledge, of which we are absolutely certain, from the testimony of our senses; but, with regard to the inward matter or substance of bodies, or to its nature or structure, this is altogether imperceptible to us, and hidden from our eyes. Nay, we cannot so much as have any idea, or conceive any notion of it. Now, what our holy faith teaches us concerning transubstantiation is, "that this inward imperceptible substance of the bread and wine, is, at the consecration, entirely taken away by the almighty power of God, and changed into the substance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which is substituted in its place; but that all the outward sensible qualities of the bread and wine remain entirely the same as before consecration. So that Jesus Christ now present, instead of the bread and wine, exhibits himself to us under those very same outward forms or appearances, which the bread and wine had before the change."

Q. How is this shown to be true? A. From the very words of our Savior, of which it is a natural consequence; for, when he took bread into his hand, it was then bread; but when he gave it to his Apostles, he expressly declared, that what he gave them to eat was his body: "Take, eat," said he, "this is my body;" and, as we have seen above, by thus declaring it to be his body, he made it his body, seeing it is simply impossible that his words should be false. Consequently, since that which, before consecration, was bread, did, after consecration, become his body, the bread must undoubtedly be changed into his body; and, as it is manifest to our senses that there is no change in the outward sensible qualities, therefore, this change must be in the inward substance.

Q. Is there any other example of the like effects of the words of Christ in the holy scripture? A. There is a very striking one in the cure of the ruler's son of Capernaum; for, when the ruler pressed our Savior to go down with him to cure his son, saying, "Sir come down before that my son die," John iv. 49, "Jesus saith to him, Go thy way, thy son liveth," verse 50. He did not command the son to be cured, as he expressed himself on other such occasions; but he affirmed he was cured, and immediately the young man was restored to his health; for, "it was the same hour that Jesus said to the ruler, thy son liveth, that the fever left him," verse 53. Which shows the almighty power of the words of Christ, that, when he affirms a thing to be what it was not before, it immediately becomes what he affirms it to be. So, in our case, when Jesus took bread in his hand, and then affirmed, that what he gave his Apostles was his body, what was before bread, immediately became his body.

Return to Table of Contents THE MIRACLE OF THE MARRIAGE OF CANA. Q. How is such a change possible? A. It ill becomes us, weak mortals, to ask how any thing is possible to the Almighty God. Surely he who created all things out of nothing by his word alone, can, with the same ease, annihilate them again, or change one thing into another as he pleases. However, he has not been wanting to dispose the world for the belief of this mystery, by doing, on different occasions, in a visible manner, what he here does in a manner imperceptible to our senses. he turned the waters of Egypt into blood by the hand of Moses; he changed Moses's dry rod into a living serpent; he changed the water into wine at the marriage of Cana; all this he did in a visible manner, so as to be evident to the senses of the beholders, which shows that it is perfectly easy for him to change one thing into another when he pleases. And that it is no less easy for his almighty power to make one thing appear to us under the outward form of another thing, is manifest from several such instances where he has done so. Thus the angels often appeared to his holy servants of old under the appearance of young men, and spoke, and walked, and ate and touched those they appeared to, as young men would have done. So also, the Holy Ghost appeared to men, "under the bodily shape of a dove," Luke iii. 22, at our Savior's baptism, and as "parted tongues of fire," when he came down upon the Apostles, Acts ii. 3; and, indeed the art of man itself, on many occasions, does in like manner; for how often do we see cooks, apothecaries, and makers of wine create dishes, drugs, and various wines, representing so exactly what they are not, that the nicest judge, upon the strictest examination, could not distinguish them from what they represent? and shall we deny to the Almighty a power which we find in men? Now, in the Blessed Eucharist, he both changes the substance of the bread and wine into the substance of the body and blood of Christ; and Christ, now really present in the Blessed Eucharist, is pleased to appear to us under the same outward forms which the bread and wine had before. Q. But how is it possible that the body of Christ should be in so many different places at one and the same time, as he must be according to this doctrine? A. From what we have seen, it is evident, that the real presence is a divine truth revealed by God, and, therefore, that our Savior is actually present in many different places at once; therefore, it is certainly possible for him to be so, though we cannot comprehend how it is so. However, even in this, his infinite goodness has condescended to show us, by an example, that this is nowise impossible for him; for, in the miracle of feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two small fishes, it is declared, that the men "sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties," and that after "blessing the loaves, he gave to his disciples to set before them, and the two fishes he divided among them all; and they all did eat, and had their fill," Mark vi. 40. "And when they were filled he said to his disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost. So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten," John vi. 12.

The same miracle was repeated a second time, when he fed four thousand men with seven loaves and a few small fishes, and gathered up seven baskets of the fragments, after all were filled, Mark viii. 6. From these two miracles, it is at least highly probable, that it is easy for the power of God to make bodies, even in their natural state, be in many different places at one and the same time. For, if we suppose, for example's sake, these five loaves, were so large, as naturally to be sufficient to serve one company of fifty men; as there were a hundred such companies in all the five thousand, the loaves must have been in a hundred different places at one and the same time, while all these hundred companies were eating of them; and the same it to be observed of the two fishes; and what is still more, no less than twelve baskets were filled with the broken pieces, after all had eater to their fill, which in appearance was a greater quantity than the five loaves were at the beginning. If Almighty God could so multiply these loaves, even in their natural state, as to be in so many places at one and the same time, there can be no difficulty in believing that the body of Christ, now in a glorified state, may be in as many places at the same time as he pleases.

Q. But may it not be supposed, that on these occasions Christ formed new loaves in the hands of the Apostles, as they were distributing them to the multitude, or that angels invisibly put other loaves into their hands? A. I know this is the evasion that some use to avoid the force of this miracle; but it must be observed, that there are not the smallest grounds from scripture to say so: but it is directly contrary to the express words of the scripture; for, there it is affirmed, that "the two fishes be divided among them all," which would be false, if he had either formed new fishes, or the angels had supplied others invisibly; for it is also said, that "they filled twelve baskets of the fragments of the five barley loaves that remained over and above to them that had eater," which also must be false, if other loaves had been administered. Besides, Christ himself, speaking of these very miracles, said to his apostles, "When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say to him, Twelve. And when the seven loaves among four thousand, how many baskets of fragments took ye up? and they said, Seven," Mark viii. 19. Where he affirms, that he broke the five loaves among the five thousand, and the seven loaves among the four thousand! which would not have been true, if the whole five thousand and four thousand men had not partaken of the individual five and seven loaves, but the greatest number of them had been fed with other new formed, or newly provided loaves.

Return to Table of Contents THE MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES. Q. There is yet another difficulty; how can the entire body of Christ be contained in the small compass of a consecrated host? A. The answer to this is the same as in the former case; we know from revelation that it is so; but how it should be so is the mystery that causes to have true Faith in the Real Presence. However, we must remember what our Savior says in the gospel, that, at the resurrection, even our bodies shall become like the angels of God, putting on the properties and qualities of spirits. But spirits are not confined to any magnitude, and, if they should appear to men in a visible form, may do it either in a large or small size as they please. The body of Christ is a glorified boyd, not existing in the same gross mortal manner that our are in at present, and, therefore, not confined to shape or size at all. Besides, Christ himself expressly affirms, that it is possible with God to make a camel pass through the eye of a needle. Q. Are not our senses, at least, deceived in this Mystery? A. No. Were the senses of the saints of old deceived when the angels appeared to them as young men? Were the senses of those deceived who saw the Holy Ghost descend upon our Savior like a dove? or upon the Apostles like fiery tongues? Certainly not; for the senses saw what was really there; the appearances and forms of young men in the first case; and the appearance of a dove and a fiery tongues in the latter. So, in the Holy Eucharist, our senses perceive the appearances of bread and wine, and these appearances are really there; consequently they are by no means deceived.

The Soul More Beautiful in the Eyes of God
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOLY COMMUNION. Q. What is the Holy Communion? A. It is the receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist for the food and nourishment of our souls. Q. Is it a great happiness to receive this Holy Sacrament worthily? A. It certainly is a very great happiness, as appears from the admirable effects which it produces in the soul of the worthy receiver.

Q. What are these effects? A. They are chiefly these following:

1. It increases the sanctification of the soul by an increase of justifying grace; rendering the soul of the worthy receiver more pure, more holy, more beautiful, more agreeable in the eyes of God.

2. It bestows on the soul a copious supply of actual grace, for preserving, strengthening, and perfecting her in her spiritual life, by which she advances in the love of God, and is strengthened in his service, according to the words of our Savior, "he that eateth me, the same shall live by me," John vi. 58.<[> 3. It is a wholesome and powerful remedy against all the spiritual maladies of the soul, by which the infirmities of our corrupt natures are cured, our evil inclinations rectified, our affections for created objects moderated, and our passions extirpated.

4. It cleanses the soul from all those venial sins and imperfections of which we repent, and gives great strength to preserve us from falling into mortal sin.

5. It unites us in a most intimate manner with Jesus Christ, who comes to us in the Holy Sacrament, on purpose to dwell in our souls and abide in us. "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth in me and I in him," John vi. 57.

6. It gives us a pledge and earnest of a glorious immortality, and brings us to the enjoyment of it at last, if we persevere in the grace of God to the end: "he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day," John. vi.55. "If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever," John vi. 52.

Q. Is it a great evil to receive the Holy Communion unworthily? A. It is one of the greatest, both in regard to the guilt which the unworthy communicant incurs, and also on account of the punishment annexed.

Q. How does the greatness of the guilt appear? A. It appears,

First, From the nature of the crime committed. To receive the Holy Communion unworthily, is to receive it when a person knows himself to be in a state of sin, that is, in disgrace with God, and at enmity with him; for a soul in sin is loathsome and hideous in the sight of God, as a dead carcass is in the sight of men. As this holy sacrament was designed to unite us with Jesus Christ, and that by it he might come and dwell in our souls, for he says, "he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, abides in me and I in him;" hence to receive this sacrament in the state of sin, is to unite Jesus Christ to a soul which is loathsome and hideous to him; an object of his horror and detestation; it is to bring the author of life into a dead carcass of a soul; to force, in a manner, the Holy of Holies to take up his abode in a place of filth and corruption. What a grievous injury must this be to Jesus Christ? what an affront put upon him? Nothing will serve so well to give us some distant notion of it, as a torment inflicted upon some of the martyrs by the heathen persecutors when they stripped the martyr naked, and tied him to a dead carcass face to face, body to body, arms to arms, and legs to legs, and then threw him into the fields to die by the stench and corruption of the dead carcass.

Second, The great guilt of an unworthy communion also appears from the decision passed upon it by the Holy Ghost in the scripture; for there St. Paul says, "whosoever shall eat this bread or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord," 1 Cor. xi. 27. To be guilty of a man's blood is to murder him; and to be guilty of the body seems capable of no other sense than to murder him in a cruel and barbarous manner, tormenting his body by a painful and lingering death; this was the crime of the Jews, in what they did to Jesus Christ; and this also, says the apostle, is the crime of the unworthy communicant; a hideous crime indeed! a dreadful guilt! The unworthy communicant, like Judas, betrays Jesus Christ into the hands of his enemies, which he brings him into a soul, where Satan reigns as master; and he betrays him, too, with a kiss, whilst in appearance,he pretends to honor him. The Jews scourged him, crowned him with thorns, and crucified him; and the unworthy communicant does him an injury more grievous and more afflicting to him than all these sufferings: for, if the scripture assures us that those who return to commit any mortal sin after baptism, "crucify again to themselves the Son of God, and make a mockery of Him," Heb. vi. 6.; how much more do they do so who make an unworthy communion, which is one of the most grievous and atrocious of all sins? nay in some respects, they are vastly more guilty than the Jews, who treated him in the way they did through ignorance, For, if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory," 1 Cor. ii. 8. But the unworthy communicant knows him to be the Lord of glory, believes him to be the Son of God, and yet injures him in so atrocious a manner!

Q. How does the evil of an unworthy communion appear from the punishment annexed to it? A. From different considerations:

First, We find throughout the whole scripture, that Almighty God, jealous of his honor, and of the respect due to holy things, never fails to punish sacrilege, which is the profanation of holy things, with a particular severity. Witness the Bethsamites for looking into the ark, 1 Kings, vi; Oza for touching it with profane hands, 2 Kings vi.; Balthasar for profaning the holy vessels, daniel v.; and others. now, if God so severely punishes the profanation of inanimate creatures which are only deputed for his service, what punishment is to be expected for the unworthy communicant, who profanes the Holy of Holies, in so injurious a manner.

Second, St. Paul assure us, that this sin is one principal cause of many severe temporal punishments; for, after mentioning the greatness of the sin, and the dreadful punishment inflicted for it on the soul, he immediately adds, "therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep,: 1 Cor. xi. 30; to show that sickness and infirmities and untimely deaths, are the fatal consequences of this sin.

Third, He declares the punishment of it, with regard to the next life in these alarming words: "he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment (or damnation) to himself," 1 Cor. xi. 29.

Fourth, The example of Judas, the first that ever made an unworthy communion, is a striking instance of the truth of this; for immediately on his receiving the morsel from the hand of Christ, "Satan entered into him," that is, got full possession of him; and "he immediately went out," and agreed with the chief priests to betray his master into their hands that night, which he accordingly did, and got the thirty pieces of silver for which he had bargained to do it; soon after this he was tormented with his guilty conscience, and continued to be so all that night, and the next morning went to the chief priests and threw back the money, acknowledging his guilt; but finding no relief in his own mind, he fell into despair, "and went and hanged himself with a halter," Matth. xxvii. 5; "and being hanged, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out," Acts i. 18. Such was the unhappy fate of him who made the first unworthy communion!

Return to Table of Contents TO COMMEMORATE THE PASSION AND DEATH OF CHRIST. Q. What dispositions are required in holy communion to receive with fruit the body and blood of Christ? A. The are several things required for this end, and particularly these following: First, That we have a pure intention, not going about that sacred action merely out of custom, or because we see others go, or to be thought pious or devout by men, or the like; but,

1. For the glory of God, and to give supreme honor to Jesus Christ, opening our hearts to him, and receiving him into our souls as our Sovereign Lord and Master, to whom alone we wholly belong.

2. To obtain for our souls all those excellent fruits which Jesus Christ bestows upon the worthy receiver.

3. To commemorate the passion and death of Christ, according to his express command, "Do this in remembrance of me;" for, says St. Paul, "as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink this chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord until he come," 1 Cor. xi. 26. Such are the intentions we ought to have in receiving this Holy Sacrament.

Second, That we be fasting from midnight, so as to have eaten nothing, from twelve o'clock at night, that is we must not take either food, drink, or medicine. This is required by an express command of the church, out of respect and reverence to this Blessed Sacrament, that this spiritual food of the soul may be the first food we receive, on the day we receive it. This command, however, is dispensed with, in those who being in danger of death from sickness, receive the Holy Communion, by way of Viaticum, or as a preparation for their last passage; for, in this case, they may receive it whether fasting or not, on any day, and at any hour.

Third, That we be in the state of grace and in friendship with God; and this is an indispensable necessity, as the receiving this holy communion, when one is conscious of himself of being in the state of sin, is the very thing in which an unworthy communion consists.

Fourth, That our soul be adorned with those holy virtues which are necessary to make it an agreeable habitation to Jesus Christ; particularly these following:

1. "A lively faith of his Divine Presence;" this is the foundation of all the rest, and the more the soul exercises himself in it, the more profitable her communion will be. It is acquired by humble prayer, and frequent acts of faith, considering who he is, our God, our Savior, and our Judge, etc.

2. "A profound humility," respect and reverential awe and fear, considering the infinite dignity, and our own unworthiness. Consider what humility Moses showed at the burning bush, and Joshua when the angel appeared to him. Now Jesus Christ is the king of angels; the four and twenty ancients, and other blessed spirits, show the most profound respect for him in Heaven: How much more ought we, worms upon earth, to humble ourselves before him? this is acquired by considering who he is, and who we are. St. Elizabeth, when the blessed Virgin came to see her, cried out in amazement, "whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to see me?" Luke i. 43. our Lord himself comes to us in the Holy Eucharist!

3. "A great confidence and trust in him;" he is able to do us all good, he is willing and ready on his part, he invites us to come, "Come to me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you," Matt. xi. And if God spared not even "his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how hath he not also with him given us all things?" Rom. viii. 32. The example of the woman with the issue of blood, shows the wonderful effects which a great confidence in him will have! For she touched but the hem of his garment, and was cured; but we receive him whole and entire in the Holy Communion, what may we not expect? Humility and confidence joined together, may obtain anything from him; witness the good centurion.

4. A sincere love of Jesus Christ; this is the crown of all the rest, which includes all good, and, of all things else, renders us most acceptable to Jesus Christ. It is acquired by a fervent prayer, often meditating upon his infinite goodness, and his infinite love to us, and by frequent and fervent acts of holy love to him. And this love ought to show itself in an ardent desire of being united to him, and of receiving him frequently in this holy sacrament, as the constant effect of love is to unite us to the beloved object; and particularly in making us careful to lead innocent lives, and obey his holy commandments, that we may have nothing to hinder us from this frequent union with him in the holy communion.

Fifth, That after receiving him in the Blessed Eucharist, we show our respect and gratitude to him in a becoming manner.

1. By spending some time in his blessed company, and entertaining him with our most profound homage, by acts of faith and adoration, thanksgiving and praise, oblations of ourselves wholly to him, who gives himself wholly to us, laying before him all our necessities, and begging such graces for ourselves and others, as we and they stand in need of.

2. By keeping ourselves more than ordinarily recollected during that day, often calling to mind whom we have been receiving, and rendering him the homage of some holy act of virtue.

3. Striving to live by him; "for he that eats this bread," says he, "the same shall live by me," which is done by a continual endeavor to imitate his example and to do his will.

Return to Table of Contents THE HEAVENLY GRACES COMMUNICATED TO OUR SOULS. Instructions on Communion in One King. Q. In what does the Sacrament of the Holy Communion, properly speaking, consist? A. In receiving Jesus Christ, WHOLE AND ENTIRE, HIS SACRED BODY, HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD, HIS BLESSED SOUL, AND HIS ADORABLE DIVINITY, INTO OUT SOULS; who by this Blessed Presence within us, communicates to our souls all those heavenly graces which are the effects of the Holy Communion. Q. Do we receive the full and perfect Sacrament under one kind only? A. Yes; for, as we have seen above, Jesus Christ, God made man, his body and blood, his soul and divinity are contained whole and entire, both under the form of bread, and under the form of wine, and is the self same in the one kind as in the other. So that when we receive the Holy Communion under the form of bread, we receive Jesus Christ into our souls, whole and entire, a full and perfect Sacrament; when we receive it under the form of wine, we receive the same Jesus Christ whole and entire, the same full and perfect Sacrament; and, though we should receive the Communion under both kinds, at the same time, we would not receive two Christs, nor two different Sacraments, but the same Jesus Christ, as in the former cases, only under two different forms instead of one, and the same Sacrament.

Q. Can this be illustrated by any example? A. The example of the Holy Ghost coming down upon the Apostles, will clearly explain this; for, when he came down upon them in the form of fiery tongues, they received the plenitude of that Divine Spirit with all his gifts and graces; and, if he had come down upon them in the form of a dove, instead of fiery tongues, it is clear they would have received the self same Holy Ghost as they did under the form of tongues; for whatever outward appearance he had been pleased to take, it could make no difference in what was contained under it. Let us suppose he had come down upon them in the form of both a dove and of fiery tongues at the same time, would they have received more than they did under the form of tongues alone? or would they have received two Holy Ghosts? It is clear they would not; for, though this Divine Spirit had taken ever so many different forms when he came down upon them, they would have been no more replenished with his gift and graces, as it was not the appearance he took but his Divine Presence which replenished them. The application is perfectly obvious to the Holy Communion.

Q. Did not Jesus Christ command all to receive in both kinds? A. Jesus Christ command all to receive his body and blood; because this is what the sacrament of Communion essentially requires, and this is perfectly accomplished by receiving in one kind only; but there is not command to be found in the whole scripture for all to receive it in both kinds.

Q. But does not our Savior say, "Except you eat of the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you?" And does not this expressly command both eating and drinking; and, therefore, receiving in both kinds, otherwise there is no life for us? A. This, indeed, expressly commands the receiving both his body and blood; but the stress of the command by no means lies upon the manner of receiving it by the separate actions of eating and drinking; and this is manifestly explained by himself a little after, when he says, "He that eateth me, the same also shall live by me," John vi. 58.; and "he that eateth this bread, shall live for ever," verse 59. Where we see that eternal life is promised to the eating alone: which evidently shows, that, by eating only, we perfectly fulfil the command given in the former text, where both eating and drinking are mentioned, and obtain that same life to our souls which is there spoken of; because, by eating alone, we receive both body and blood.

Q. When he gave the chalice to his Apostles, did he not say, "Drink ye all of this?" Matt. xxvi. 27. A. He did: but who were the all here spoken to? Surely the Apostles who were present with him, and to whom he was speaking; and accordingly St. Mark tells us, that "they all drank of it," Mark xiv. 23. This, indeed, may imply a command to the priests who actually celebrate the Holy Mysteries, to receive at that time under both kinds, but by no means contains a command for all the people, nor even for the priests, who are not actually celebrating, to do so.

Q. Are there any grounds from scripture to authorize the giving Communion in one kind? A. There are most manifest grounds in scripture for it;

First, Because our Savior himself assures us, as we have just seen, that communion in one kind is a full and perfect sacrament, by which eternal life is procured to the soul; "he that eats this brad shall live for ever."

Second, Because it is evident from the scripture, that, under either kind, we receive Jesus Christ whole and entire, both his body and blood, in which the essence of the sacrament consists.

Third, Because St. Paul says, "whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of our Lord," 1 Cor. xi. 27. Where, by saying, "eat or drink," he manifestly shows, that it was the practice in his time to do the one or the other, to receive either by eating or drinking. And the force of this text is so strong in favor of Communion in one kind only, that in all ages of the Church it had been accepted as such and practiced.

Fourth, Because our Savior himself, when he discovered himself to the two disciples going to Emmaus, communicated to them in one kind only; for, on receiving that divine bread from his hands, "their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight," Luke xxiv. 31. Now, that this was the Holy Communion which he gave them, is clear from the manner in which he gave it to them, which was the same as at the last supper, "he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave it to them," verse 30. And still more from the effect it produced in them, of opening their eyes, that they knew him, which surely common bread could not do.

Fifth, Because the Apostles themselves followed the same practice, as occasion required, which appears both from the text just now cited from St. Paul, and also of the account given of the first Christians, in the Acts: "And they were persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers," Acts ii. 42.

Q. How does the Church look upon this? A. She considers the giving communion in one kind only, or in both, merely as a point of discipline, which may be varied according as circumstances may require; and, in consequence of this, she has, on various occasions, sometimes given it in one kind, sometimes in both, as is evident from all monuments of antiquity, even from the earliest ages.

Q. But if one kind alone was sufficient for a full and perfect Sacrament, and if our Savior did not intend that all should receive it in both kinds, why did he institute it in both kinds? A. Because this Holy Mystery was ordained not only as a Sacrament, but also as a Sacrifice. Now, though one kind alone be sufficient for a true and perfect Sacrament, yet both kinds are required to make it a Sacrifice; for this reason, because the nature of this holy Sacrifice consists in representing the death of Jesus Christ, and offering him up to his Eternal Father under the appearance of death, which could not be done but by both kinds, as we shall now see.

The Most Sublime Mystery of Our Holy Religion
THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS EXPLAINED. Q. What do you understand by a Sacrifice? A. Sacrifice is an external act of religious worship, which can be given to none but to God alone. Q. In what does Sacrifice properly consist? A. In the oblation or offering of some sensible thing made to God, by a Priest, or lawful Minister, to acknowledge, by the destruction, or other change of the thing offered, the sovereign power of God, and his absolute dominion over all creatures, and to render to him the homage due to his supreme majesty.

Q. Why is it an offering of some sensible thing? A. To distinguish it from the inward sacrifice of the heart, which is performed by the proper acts of all Christian virtues, such as praise, prayer, faith, and the like, and to be an external profession of these inward dispositions of the soul

Q. Why is it called an offering made to God? A. Because, as the nature of sacrifice is to acknowledge the supreme dominion of God over us and all creatures, and to worship him as God, it therefore can be offered to none but God; for to offer sacrifice to any creature would be the dreadful crime of idolatry, and the acknowledging that creature to be God. Hence the scripture says, "He that sacrificeth to gods shall be put to death, save only to the Lord," Exod. xxii. 20.

Q. Why is it an offering made by a lawful minister? A. Because none can make this offering to God but those who are properly authorised, in the manner appointed by God himself, according to that of St. Paul, "Neither doth any man take the honor upon himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was," Heb. v. 4. Such as these are called Priests, and are the lawful ministers "appointed to offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins," Heb. v. 1.

Q. Why must the thing offered be destroyed, or otherwise changed? A. Because by this destruction or change of the offering, we acknowledge the supreme dominion of Almighty God over all creatures, who, as he made us out of nothing, can again destroy or change us as he pleases. By it we also confess him to be sovereign master of life and death, and, at the same time, we profess our total subjection to him, and our readiness to be treated by him in whatever manner he pleases.

Q. Is external sacrifice a necessary part of true Religion? A. It is, as appears from several reasons:

First, We observe that all other outward actions, by which we testify our respect for one another, such as uncovering the head, bowing, kneeling, or the like, are daily used towards men, as well as towards God. Now, nothing is more agreeable to right reason than that, in the exterior worship of God, there should be some particular form or rite used, expressing that sovereign homage which we owe to the Deity, and which, therefore, can be given to none but to him alone; and such is Sacrifice.

Second, We find that all nations, however barbarous and savage, that ever acknowledged a Supreme Being, whether true or false, have always looked upon sacrifice as the essential worship due to him; which shows it to be pointed out, by the light of nature itself, as a necessary part of Religion.

Third, From the very beginning of the world, sacrifice has always been used by the holy servants of God, as an essential part of Religion, and accepted by him as a agreement homage from their hands; witness the sacrifice of Abel, Gen. xv.; of Noah, Gen. viii.; of Melchisedech, Gen. xiv.; of Abraham, Gen. xv. and xxii.; and the sacrifice of Job, chap. i. and chap. xlii.

Fourth, When Almighty God was pleased to reveal this chosen people the manner in which he would be worshipped by them, he expressly instituted several kinds of sacrifices, as the most holy part of their Religion; which he so strictly claimed as the Worship due to himself alone, that he commanded the person to be utterly destroyed who should dare to give it to any other.

Q. What are the ends for which sacrifice is offered to God? A. Chiefly these four:

First, To render supreme honor and glory to Almighty God, and to pay him that homage which justly belongs to him.

Second, To give him thanks for the numberless benefits we are continually receiving from him.

Third, To render him propitious to us, and to appease his wrath, justly enkindled against us by our sins.

Fourth, To obtain from him those graces and blessings which we stand of need of.

Return to Table of Contents THE SUPREME DOMINION OF GOD OVER ALL CREATURES. Instructions of the Sacrifice of the Old Law. Q. Who instituted the sacrifice of the Old Law? A. God himself, by his own express command. Q. How many kinds of sacrifices did he there ordain? A. Four:

First, the holocaust, or whole burnt offering.

Second, The thanksgiving offering.

Third, The sin offering. Fourth, The peace offering, which four kinds answer to the four great ends of sacrifice.

Q. Why was such variety of sacrifices commanded in the old law? A. Because, as these sacrifices had no intrinsic value of themselves they were incapable of answering all the ends of sacrifices singly; therefore it was necessary to have different kinds of sacrifices, corresponding to these different ends.

Q. To whom did it belong to offer up these sacrifices? A. To Aaron and his sons alone, who were, in a special manner, called by Almighty God to be his priests, and were solemnly consecrated by him to that office.

Return to Table of Contents BLOODY AND UNBLOODY SACRIFICES. Q. What were the things offered in these sacrifices? A. There were two different classes of things used in them: First, Living creatures, such as sheep, lambs, oxen, pigeons, &c.; and these were bloody sacrifices, because the victims were killed, and sometimes entirely burnt upon the altar.

Second, Things without life, such as fine flour, with oil and frankincense, Levit. ii. 1.; unleavened cakes, or wafers, Levit. ii. 4, and the like; and these were either burnt or otherwise destroyed, upon the altar, To these we may add,

Third, The famous sacrifice of bread and wine offered by Melchisedech, priest of the Most High God; these two last kinds were unbloody sacrifices.

Q. Was the thing offered always destroyed entirely? A. In the holocaust, or whole burnt offering, the victim was entirely consumed by fire; because this kind being principally intended as an act of supreme homage to God, the total destruction of the victim was necessary to represent, in the most perfect manner, the supreme dominion of God over all creatures, by which he can totally change or destroy them whenever he pleases, and with the same ease with which he created them. But, in the other three kinds of sacrifice, the victim was only consumed in part, and of the rest was made a spiritual banquet, or communion for the priest and people. See the book of Leviticus, especially the first seven chapters.

Q. Were these sacrifices agreeable to Almighty God, for any virtue they possessed in themselves? A. No, they were not; for as God himself says, "Shall I eat the flesh of bullocks? or shall I drink the blood of goats?" Ps. xlix. 13.; and the Royal Prophet, addressing himself to God, says, "if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted," Ps. 1, 18.

Q. On what account, then, were they agreeable to God? A. On a twofold account:

1. As being all types and figures of Jesus Christ, and of his Sacrifice in the New Law; and,

2. In as much as they were accompanied with the proper dispositions of heart in the offers.

Q. What were these dispositions? A. Humility, repentance, confidence in God, and the like holy virtues, and especially faith in the Redeemer who was then to come, and of whom these sacrifices were figures. Hence David says, "A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise," Ps. 1. 19.

Q. In what manner were these ancient sacrifices figures of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ? A. In two respects,

First, With regard to the thing offered; for, when living creatures were sacrificed and slain upon the altar, this was a type and figure of the bloody Sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross; and when things without life were used in these sacrifices, they were figures of the unbloody Sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the Mass.

Second, With regard to the manner of offering; for, when the sacrifice was a holocaust, and the victim entirely consumed, this represented the perfect and complete oblation which Jesus Christ made of himself upon the Cross, on which he was entirely, as it were, consumed, by death, for the glory of his Eternal Father. And in the other sacrifices, where the victims were not wholly consumed, but part of them reserved as a spiritual banquet for the priests and people was represented the Holy Sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the Mass, in which both priest and people feed their souls on the adorable victim there offered, to wit, the body and blood of their Redeemer.

Return to Table of Contents THE PERFECT SACRIFICE AND PRIESTHOOD OF JESUS CHRIST. Q. Were these sacrifices intended by Almighty God to last always? A. No, All these sacrifices of the old law, together with the priesthood of Aaron, which was ordained by God for offering them, being only types and figures of the Sacrifices and Priesthood of the Redeemer, were to last only till his coming, and then to cease, and give way to the perfect Sacrifice and Priesthood of Jesus Christ, both which being according to the order of Melchisedech, were to last for ever; according to that, "the Lord hath sworn, and will not repent: thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech," Ps. cix. 4. Q. How does this appear from scripture? A. It is expressly taught by St. Paul, from the testimony of David, from whom he cites these words, spoken in the person of Christ at his first entrance into the world: "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldst not, but a body thou hast fitted to me; holocaust for sin did not please thee. Then said I, Behold I come, in the head of the book it is written of me, that I should do thy will, O God," Heb. x. 5.; then the Apostle goes on to explain these words of Christ thus: "In saying before, Sacrifice and oblation, and holocausts for sin thou wouldst not, neither are they pleasing to thee which are offered according to the law: then said I, Behold, I come to do thy will, O God; he taketh away the first, that he may establish that which followeth; by the which will we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Christ once," verse 8.

Q. What do you mean by saying, that the Priesthood of Christ is according to the order of Melchisedech? A. Melchisedech was "priest of the most high God, the king of Salem," which was afterwards called Jerusalem, and his sacrifice was "bread and wine," by interpretation of his name, king of justice, and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace," Heb. vii. 2.; and his order of priesthood was to offer up bread and wine; according to which order, Christ is declared in scripture to be "made a high priest for ever," Heb. vi. 20.

Q. Was christ also a priest according to the order of Aaron? A. He was, and he exercised that order when he offered up himself in a bloody manner upon the Cross, by which he fulfilled and abolished that order of priesthood, which then gave place to the order of Melchisedech; according to which Christ continues a priest forever, offering up himself in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, under the forms of bread and wine.

Return to Table of Contents The Sacrifice of the Cross and the Sacrifice of the Altar. Instructions on the Sacrifice of the New Law. Q. What is the great sacrifice of the New Law? A. Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who is both our High priest and victim who in order to perfect the work of our redemption, and reconcile man with his offended Creator, offered himself once in a bloody manner upon the cross; and, in order to communicate and apply the fruits of his death to our souls, continues to offer himself daily upon the altar in the unbloody manner, by the ministry of his priest, in the Mass. Q. Is then the sacrifice of the cross, and that of the Mass, the same Sacrifice, or two distinct Sacrifices? A. They are both one and the same Sacrifice; because the victim is the same, Jesus Christ; and the High Priest, or principal offerer, is the same in both, Jesus Christ. It was he, that offered himself upon the cross; it is he that offers himself upon the altar. The only difference is the manner of offering; because on the Cross he offered himself in a bloody manner, and actually died; in the Mass he offers himself in an unbloody manner, and only dies mystically, that is, his death is here represented by the separate consecration of the bread and wine, which denotes the separation, or shedding of his sacred blood from his body.

Q. How does the separate consecration of the bread and wine represent the death of Christ? A. Although our holy faith teaches us, in the blessed Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ are truly and really present under each kind, which are perfectly the same as to what is contained under them, and differ only in the outward appearances, yet, as the outward appearance of bread more naturally represents his body, and the outward appearance of wine more naturally represents his blood, these being separately consecrated, and lying separate upon the altar, represent the real separation of his blood from his body, when he actually died upon the Cross. By this means our Holy Victim is offered up to God, not actually dead, but under the appearance of death, according to what was shown to St. John, when he says, "I saw, and behold, in the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a lamb standing as it were slain," Rev. v. 6.; not actually slain but as it were slain, under the appearance of being slain. And hence we see the necessity of instituting the blessed Eucharist in both kinds, in order to be a sacrifice, though one kind alone constitutes a perfect sacrament.

Return to Table of Contents THE NEED OF THE SACRIFICE OF THE ALTAR. Q. What need was there for the Sacrifice of the altar, since we were fully redeemed by the Sacrifice of the cross? A. First, That we might have, in the Sacrifice of the altar, a standing memorial of the death of Christ. Second, That the memory of our Savior's passion being thus daily renewed, and presented to Almighty God, might be a continual means to draw down his blessing upon us and to thank him for his daily favors in a manner worthy of him, and to obtain pardon for the sins we are daily committing against him.

Third, That the Christian people might have an efficacious means of approaching daily to God through our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the victim here offered.

Fourth, That they might have, to the end of the world, an external Sacrifice, in which they might join together in offering supreme homage to God, as the servants of God had always done from the beginning of the world.

Fifth, That all the figures and sacrifices of the old law, and of Melchisedech, might be perfectly fulfilled, according to that of our Savior: "Amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one title shall not pass from the law, till all be fulfilled," Matt. v. 18.

Sixth, That by the Sacrifice of the altar, the fruits of his death might daily be applied to our souls.

Q. How are the fruits of our Savior's death applied to our souls by the Mass? A. Jesus Christ died upon the Cross for all mankind in general; that is, he offered to God a full and ample satisfaction for the injury done him by the sins of the whole world. in the Mass, by mystically renewing, and presenting to his Father the death he suffered on the Cross, he obtains his acceptance of the same for the actual benefit of those in particular for whom the Mass is offered; and, by this means, those graces which he merited for mankind in general by his death, are actually applied to, and bestowed upon our souls in such abundant manner, as our wants require, and as our dispositions are capable of receiving.

Return to Table of Contents THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS NOT DISTINCT FROM THE SACRIFICE OF THE CROSS. Q. But is not the Sacrifice of the Mass injurious or derogatory to the Sacrifice of the cross? A. If the Mass were a distinct Sacrifice from that of the cross, and designed, as it were, to supply any supposed deficiency in the value or efficacy of his death, then it would justly be said to be injurious to it; but as it is the self same Sacrifice, and offered only to apply the merits of his death to our souls in particular, and for the other sacred ends above mentioned, it is evident to the weakest capacity, that it is not in the smallest degree injurious or derogatory to the Sacrifice of the cross. Q. How does the Sacrifice of the Mass fulfill the four great ends of sacrifice? A. In the most perfect manner;

First, In it the most perfect homage and sovereign adoration is given to Almighty God; because Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, made man for the salvation of mankind, humbles himself in this Holy Sacrifice in the most profound manner, taking upon him the forms of bread and wine, and offers himself up, by the hands of the priest, under the appearance of death, on purpose, by this humiliation of his humanity, which receives an infinite value from the divinity of his person, to render the most perfect worship and adoration to his Eternal Father for us, and with us. When, therefore, we join our intention with that of our High Priest and Victims, and offer this holy sacrifice to God in acknowledgement of his sovereign dominion over us, and in protestation of our total subjection to him, we do him sovereign homage, and give him the most perfect honor and glory, which it is possible for a creature to render to his Creator.

Second, Though it is our duly, as Christians, in all things to give thanks to God, both in words and affection, for the numberless benefits we are continually receiving from him; yet it must be owned that all the thanks we can give him, are of no value in themselves, as proceeding from us, nor in any degree adequate to what we owe him. But if we had any thing of real values in the sight of God, which we could give to him in return for is many favors, this would, doubtless, make our thanksgiving most acceptable to him. Now, this is what we have in the sacrifice of the Mass; for, in it Jesus Christ gives himself to us, on purpose that we may have in him a gift of infinite value to offer to his eternal Father, in thanksgiving for all we have received from him; and for this purpose, also, he offers himself in the Holy Mystery, with us and for us; so that here we make to God a return for all his benefits, not only adequate, but even superior to every other favor we can receive from him.

Third, The most essential disposition required in us for obtaining pardon of our sins, is ,i>true repentance, "or an humble and contrite heart, which God will not despise;" yet, it is most certain, that no repentance on our part, could ever have found mercy with God, had not Jesus Christ, by his death upon the Cross, blotted out the hand-writing that was against us, and made up our peace with his offended Father. hence all the merit of our repentance flows from the death of Jesus Christ, and the more intimately it is united with his death, the more acceptable it must be in the sight of God. In the sacrifice of the Mass, Jesus Christ offers himself up under the mystical appearanceactual death upon the Cross, on purpose to move Almighty God to have mercy upon us, and to receive us into favor, and "mystically sheds his blood there for the remission of our sins," as he himself assures us, Matt. xxvi. 28, when he first instituted this holy mystery. Hence, in this Divine Sacrifice, by offering up his victim of reconciliation, we have a most powerful means to move God to grant us mercy and pardon, which he never will fail to do, when we accompany this offering with the inward sacrifice of "an humble and contrite heart," and true repentance for our sins.

Fourth, Prayer is undoubtedly a most powerful mans to obtain from God every good thing we need; but it is no less certain that all the efficacy of our prayers, flows from the merits of the blood of Jesus, shed for us upon the Cross; hence all prayers which the Church makes to God, end with this conclusion, "through Jesus Christ our Lord;" because though him alone she expects to be heard. In the sacrifice of the Mass, Jesus Christ offers himself up to his Eternal Father with us and for us, on purpose, through the merits of his passion and death there mystically represented and renewed, to obtain for us all good things whether for our soul or body. When, therefore, we offer up this Holy Sacrifice in union with this intention of Jesus Christ, this must be, of all others, the most efficacious means to sanctify our prayers, and to obtain from God a favorable hearing to our requests.

Return to Table of Contents WHAT IS THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS?. Q. What then, properly speaking is the sacrifice of the Mass? A. It is an offering made to God of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. First, Under the sensible appearances of bread and wine, by Jesus Christ himself our invisible High Priest.

Second, Through the ministry of the priests of his church, lawfully consecrated and empowered by him for that office; in which offering the bread and wine are.

Third, By the Almighty power of God, really and substantially changed into the body and blood of Christ, and by the separate consecration of the two different species of bread and wine, the death of Jesus Christ is mystical represented. By which it is plain, that this is a true and Real Sacrifice, according to the definition of sacrifice given above.

Q. What is the proper office of the priest in celebrating the Mass? A. St. Paul tells us, that "every high priest, taken from among man, is appointed for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins," Heb. v. 1. Hence the priest is a person separated from among men, and deputed, by the special appointment of God, to treat with God for the rest of mankind, in things appertaining to God, and, in particular to officiate at the altar of God, as the lawful minister, in offering up gifts and sacrifices for sins.

Q. Is not Jesus Christ the only high Priest that offers this Sacrifice? A. Jesus Christ is our invisible High Priest, and the principal agent in those Holy Mysteries; because it is he who, by his Almighty power, changes the bread and wine into his own body and blood; it is he who, out of his own infinite goodness, comes to be present upon our altars, and there offer himself up to his Eternal Father. But, as the celebration of this Sacrifice is an outward act of Religion, first performed by Jesus Christ himself, when he instituted it at the last supper; and, as he then commanded, that what he did there should be done in his Church to the end of the world, in order "to show forth his death till his second coming," as St. Paul assures us, 1 Cor. xi. 26; it was therefore necessary, that besides Jesus Christ, our invisible High Priest, other men should be chosen and ordained to act under him as his visible substitutes, to perform the outward and visible part of these sacred mysteries. These also are justly called Priests, because they are ministers of Jesus Christ, ordained and empowered by him to perform, in his name and authority, and as representing his person, all the exterior part of this Holy Sacrifice.

Q. Can this be more fully explained? A. It can, thus; as in the administration of the Sacraments we are carefully to distinguish two things, the outward sensible action, and the inward grace received; so, in the celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass, we must distinguish the outward visible action performed, and the invisible change made of the bread and wine in to the body and blood of Christ. In both cases the outward action is performed by men, authorized by Jesus Christ for that purpose; but the inward effect produced, both by the Sacraments and in the Sacrifice, is wholly and solely the work of God.

Q. How great is the dignity of this Holy Sacrifice? A. We observed above that the sacrifices of the old law being only types and figures of the good things then to come, had no merit nor value in themselves, and were acceptable to God only in as much as they proceeded from, and were accompanied with the interior sacrifice of the hearts of the offerers, and were types of Jesus Christ, and offered through faith in a Redeemer then to come. But the case is quite different with the Sacrifice of the Mass; or this is of such infinite value in itself, that it is always most acceptable to Almighty God, independent of the disposition of the offerers. It is true, it will not be agreeable to him as coming from our hands, except we offer it with the proper interior dispositions; nay, if we be ill-disposed at that time, or offer it without due devotion and attention, it will even be a means of provoking his indignation against us, for profaning, by our ill dispositions, so sacred a Mystery: but, in itself, and as offered by Jesus Christ our Chief Priest it is always agreeable to him. Hence, without all doubt, it is the most sublime and the most august Mystery in the Christian Religion, and the most divine action that can possibly be done by man. This will easily appear, if we consider the infinite dignity of the Victim offered, the infinite sanctity of the High Priest who offers it, the admirable effects produced by it in giving infinite honor to Almighty God, incredible joy to all the angels and saints in heaven, obtaining innumerable blessings for man, and bringing help and consolation to the souls of the faithful departed; and, lastly, if we reflect on the Sacred Mystery which is there celebrated, the passion and death of Jesus Christ, there represented, continued, and renewed.

Return to Table of Contents OUR OBLIGATIONS AND DUTIES. Q. What obligations ought to arise from all this? A. First, That we ought to have the highest esteem and veneration for this Adorable Sacrifice. Second, That we ought to be present at it; and to let no consideration less than real necessity hinder us from assisting at it upon those days in which we are commanded to render this homage to God.

Third, That, when present at it, we should behave ourselves with the most profound reverence, devotion and attention.

Fourth, That we should have the greatest confidence of obtaining every good grace from God, through the merits of this Holy Mystery.

Fifth, that we ourselves ought to be well instructed in everything that belongs to it, and particularly in the way of assisting at it with most profit to our souls.

Q. To whom is the Sacrifice of the Mass offered? A. From what has been said above, it is plain, that it can be offered to none but God alone; and, therefore, when we speak of the Mass of the Blessed Virgin, of St. Peter, or other saints, we do not mean that the Mass is offered to the Blessed Virgin, or to St. Peter, but to God, in honor of them; that is, in thanksgiving for all the graces bestowed upon them in this life, and for the glory they now enjoy in his kingdom.

Q. By whom is the Mass offered? A. First, Chiefly and principally by Jesus Christ, who, properly speaking, is alone both our High Priest and Victim.

Second, By the bishops and priests of his Church, who are his ministers, whom he makes use of for performing the outward and visible celebration of the Sacrifice here upon earth.

Third, By the faithful who are present, who also offer it up with the priest, and by his hands, as their common Sacrifice.

Fourth, By the whole Church upon earth, who offers it up also every time it is celebrated; for the priest is the public minister of the Church, and offers up this Holy Sacrifice in her name, and for her benefit. hence, at every Mass, there is a real spiritual communion of all the Faithful upon earth.

Return to Table of Contents WHO ARE BENEFITTED BY THE SACRIFICE OF THE ALTAR. Q. For whom is the Mass offered? A. The Mass is the Common Sacrifice of the whole Church, both triumphant, militant, and suffering, and is offered up by Jesus Christ our head, for his whole body in all these three different parts. We, therefore, joining with Christ our head, offer it up also for the whole Church, in Heaven, upon Earth, and in Purgatory. For those in heaven, in thanksgiving to God for all their happiness; and for the church on earth,according to the four great ends of sacrifice; and for the souls in purgatory, to obtain relief to their sufferings, and a speedy admittance to eternal glory.

Return to Table of Contents Sacred Proofs From The Epistles And Gospel. Instructions on the Institution of the Sacrifice of the Mass. Q. Can it be proved from scripture that our Savior actually instituted the unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass? A. Nothing is more clearly laid down, both in the Old and New Testament; for in the Old testament it is frequently foretold, that in the Church of Christ there shall never be wanting priests and Levites to offer up sacrifice continually, that the converted nations should worship God by sacrifices, and that priests should be taken out of all nations for this purpose, and a pure offering made to God throughout the whole world among the Gentiles. And in the New Testament, we find that Jesus Christ instituted and offered up this sacrifice himself, and commanded it to be done by his followers till his second coming. Q. What are the proofs from the Old Testament? A. the first is taken from Jeremiah, who says, "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform the good word that I have spoken to the house of Israel, and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, I will make the bud of justice to spring forth unto David; and he shall do judgment and justice in the earth. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell securely; and this is the name that they shall call him, The Lord, our just one. For thus saith the Lord, There shall not be cut off from David a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel: neither shall there be cut off from the priests and Levites a man before my face, to offer holocausts, and to burn sacrifice, and to kill victims continually," Jerem. xxxiii. 14.

On this passage, we must observe,

First, That it evidently relates to the Messiah and his kingdom; for he is the good thing promised to the house of Israel and to Judah, from the beginning, and to him alone these titles apply, "the bud of justice," and "the Lord, our just one."

Second, That God here promises, that David shall never want a man to sit upon his throne. This is evidently applied to Christ by the angel Gabriel, when he told the Blessed Virgin that her Son should "be great, and be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God, shall give unto him the throne of David his father, and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end," Luke i. 32.

Third, That God promises, that in this spiritual kingdom of Christ, the priesthood shall never fail, and that the office of these priests shall be to offer sacrifice continually; and of what kind these sacrifices are, we know from the nature of Christ's priesthood, "Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech."

Then the prophet goes on to show the firmness of this promise, "Thus saith the Lord, if my covenant with the day can be made void and my covenant with the night, that there should not be day and night in their season: then may also my covenant with David my servant be made void, that he should not have a Son to reign upon his throne, and with the priest and Levites his ministers," Jer. 33. Nothing could be said stronger than these words, to show the firmness and perpetuity of this promise made to the Church and to the Priesthood. The day and night shall end before it be broken; besides, it is an absolute promise without any condition annexed to it; everything in it is certain, fixed and irrevocable. The prophet then adds, "as the stars of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sands of the sea be measured, so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites my ministers," verse 22. Here we see foretold the vast multitudes of the spiritual children of David, the followers of Christ, and of the priests and Levites of the Christian Church, both of which we see verified in fact.

The second proof is from Isaiah, who says, "In that day there shall be an altar of the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a monument of the Lord at the borders thereof, and it shall be for a testimony to the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt. For they shall cry to the Lord because of the oppressor, and he shall send them a Savior and a defender to deliver them. And the Lord shall be known by Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall worship him with sacrifices and offerings, and they shall make vows to the Lord and perform them," Isaiah xix. 19. Here we see a positive declaration, that the Egyptians, on their conversion to Christ, shall worship the Lord, "with sacrifice and offerings," and have his altar in the midst of them.

The third proof is taken from the same holy prophet, chapter lxvi. In this chapter he predicts God's benefits to his Church, "Thus saith the Lord behold I will bring upon her, as it were, a river of peace, and as an overflowing torrent, the glory of the Gentiles," verse 12; then verse 16 and 17; foretelling how he would destroy the wicked Jews, and call the Gentiles in their room, he says, verse 18, "I come that I may gather them together with all nations and tongues, and they shall come and shall see my glory; and I will set a sign among them, and I will send of them that shall be saved to the Gentiles unto the sea, into Africa and Lydia, them that draw the bow; into Italy and Greece, to the islands afar off, to them that have not heard of me, and have not seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory to the Gentiles. And hey shall bring all your brethren out of all nations, an offering to the Lord - to my holy mountain Jerusalem." Here God predicts, that when he shall destroy the wicked Jews, he will save those among them who were faithful to him, and will send of those that are saved to all nations, to declare his glory to them, and bring them to his Church, "his holy mountain Jerusalem." This is more like a history, than a prophecy of what was actually done, when the Apostles and converted Jews were sent by our Savior to preach the gospel to all nations, and unite them to his Holy Church. Then, in the following verses, the prophet adds, "and I will take from them (the converted Gentiles) to be priests and Levites, saith the Lord; for as the new heavens and the new earth which I make to stand before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed stand and your name," verse 21. by which we see, that in the Church of Christ, there shall always be priests and Levites taken out of all nations, whose office, as we have seen above out of Jeremiah, shall be to offer sacrifice to God continually, as long as the Heaven and the Earth shall stand. St. Paul also assures us, that the office of priest is, "to offer up gifts and sacrifices," Heb. v. 1.

The fourth proof is from Malachy, where Almighty God, after reproaching the Jewish priests for their impiety, says, "I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts: and I will not receive a gift of your hand; for, from the rising of the sun, even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean offering; for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of Hosts," Malachy i. 10.

In this glorious prophecy, three things are to be remarked:

First, That the sacrifice of the Jews were rejects, "I will not receive a gift of your hand."

Second, That in their place a pure offering was to be instituted; and

Third, That this clean offering and sacrifice should be offered among the Gentiles in every place, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, throughout the whole world. All which points outs to us the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the strongest light.

Return to Table of Contents OUR BLESSED SAVIOR OFFERED UP THIS HOLY SACRIFICE WITH HIS OWN HANDS. Q. What are the proofs for the Mass in the New Testament? A. First, From its Institution, at the Last Supper, where our blessed Savior offered up this holy Sacrifice with his own hands; for, 1. As we have seen above, the Sacrifice of the Mass, properly speaking consists in the separate consecration of the bread and wine, under the forms of which our Savior offers himself up to his Eternal Father. now, at the Last Supper, our Savoir actually performed this separate consecration; therefore he actually offered up the Sacrifice of the Mass at that time.

2. In the original Greek, St. Matthew and St. Mark, speaking of the cup, use this expression, "This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many," and St. Luke and St. Paul use this expression, speaking of the host, "This is my body which is given for you," Luke xxii. "This is my body which is broken for you," 1 Cor. xi. From these expressions, it evidently follows, that our Savior, at that very time, "shed his blood," and "gave his body for the remission of sin," Matth. xxvi. 28. This, however, he did not then do actually by the real effusion of his blood, which was only done in his passion and death; therefore he did it here only mystically, that is, offered himself up in the sacramental forms, under the appearance of death, to his Eternal Father, for the remission of sins; which is the very thing we mean by the Sacrifice of the Mass. Now, he had no sooner done this, than he immediately commanded the pastors of his Church to do the same: "Do this in remembrance of me;" that is, as St. Paul explains it, to "show forth his death till he come." Thus he both celebrated this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and gave power and command to the pastors of his church, to continue to do the same till his Second Coming.

Second, The second proof from the New Testament is taken from the seventh chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, where St. Paul, citing this prophecy of David, "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech," urges it to show the excellency of the Priesthood of Christ above that of Aaron, and to prove that His Priesthood shall never end; whereas, that of Aaron, being only a figure of his, was of necessity abolished when His came. Now, the same Apostle assures us, that every high priest "is appointed to offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins," Heb. v. 1; and he repeats it, Heb. viii. 3; and adds, as a consequence of this essential office of a priest, "wherefore it is necessary, that he also should have something to offer." Seeing, therefore, that the order of Melchisedech consisted in offering bread and wine, and that the great victim offered by Christ, is his own precious body and blood, it is only by offering this under the appearance of bread and wine, by the external ministry of his priests, that he continues a priest for ever of this order.

Third, From the expressions of the table of the Lord, altar, and priests, used in different places by st. Paul, as proper to the Christian Religion, is also proved the existence of the Christian Sacrifice, with which these things have an essential connection. See 1 Cor. x.; and Heb. xiii. 10; in which last place the Apostle says, "we have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle;" where the altar necessarily implies the sacrifice offered upon it; and the eating of the altar shows the participation of that sacrifice by communion.

To these plain proofs from scripture, we may add, that the constant tradition of the Christians world, all the most ancient liturgies, the universal testimony of the holy fathers, and the continual use of the names altar, sacrifice, oblation, priest, and the like, in all antiquity, show, in the most convincing manner, that this Holy Sacrifice has been always used as the public solemn worship of God in the Christian Church.

The Soul Restored to the Friendship of God
INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE. Q. What is the end or design of the Sacrament of Penance? A. If we were always so happy as never to lose the grace received in baptism by committing actual sins ourselves, there would be no need of the Sacrament of Penance; but as we but too commonly lose that great treasure by the sins we commit ourselves, and cannot possibly get free of their guilt but by the grace of Jesus Christ; therefore, out of his infinite mercy, in condescension to our weakness and misery, he was pleased to institute the Sacrament of Penance, as the means of bestowing his sanctifying grace upon us, to cleanse us from the guilt of those sins which we commit after baptism.

Return to Table of Contents THREE THINGS REQUIRED FOR THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE. Q. Is penance a True Sacrament? A. It is; because it has all the three tings required to make it a Sacrament. Q. What is the outward sensible sign used in the Sacrament of Penance? A. It is the sentence of absolution pronounced by a priest.

Q. What is the inward grace which this brings to the soul? A. The sanctifying grace of God, by which our sins are forgiven and washed away from our souls.

Q. Where do we find the institution of this Sacrament by Jesus Christ? A. In those parts of the gospel where Jesus Christ gave to the Pastors of his church, in the persons of his Apostles, the power of forgiving and retaining sins, and passed his sacred word, that, when they forgive a penitent's sins, by pronouncing the sentence of absolution upon him, they are actually forgiven, that is, are washed away from his soul by the grace of God then poured down into it.

Q. How does it appear that Jesus Christ gave the power of forgiving sins to the Pastors of His Church? A. From these following testimonies:

First, "And behold they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy, Son, be of good heart, thy sins are forgiven thee. And behold some of the Scribes said within themselves, He blasphemeth. And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said, Why do you think evil in your hearts? whether is it easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say, Arise, and walk? But, that you may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, then saith he to the man sick of the palsy, Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house; and he arose and went into his house; and the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God, who had given such power to men," Matth. ix. 2. here we see that our blessed Savior wrought an evident miracle, with the expressed intention of proving, that "he as MAN, hath power on earth to forgive sins;" and it had the desired effect on the multitude, who were convinced by the miracle, that he had this power, and "glorified God, who had given such power to men." Jesus Christ, therefore, even as man, was sent by his Father, with this power. Now, on the very day of His Resurrection, when he appeared to his Apostles, he said to them, "as my Father hath sent me, I also send you," John xx. 21; consequently, with the same powers that I, as man, am sent by my Father, I also send you as my substitutes, as Pastors of my Church. And that there might be no doubt, that in these words he included the power of forgiving sins, yea, to show that this was particularly included in them, he immediately "breathed upon them, and said, Receive ye the holy Ghost; whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins ye shall retain they are retained," John xx. 22. Where we see, that, in the clearest and most express terms, he gives them the power of forgiving sins, in such a manner, that when they, here on earth, exercise this power, by passing sentence of forgiveness upon a penitent sinner, their sentence is ratified in Heaven, and the sins of the penitent are actually forgiven.

Second, Upon another occasion, he gives them the same power, in the most ample manner, in these words: "Amen, I say to you, whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven," Matth. xviii. 18. Upon which, St. Chrysostom, one of the greatest lights of the Christian world, and who lived in the fifth century, writes thus: "To the priests is given a power, which God would not give, neither to the angels nor archangels, for to these it was not said, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever, ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven: Earthly princes have indeed, their power of binding, but it is only for the body; but the binding of the priests reaches even to the soul, and ascends to the heavens; insomuch that what the priests do below, God ratifies above; and the Master confirms the sentence of the servants," On the Priesthood, B. 3. The same is the language of the holy Fathers in all ages confirmed by the constant and uninterrupted belief and practice of the Christian world.

Return to Table of Contents THE PASTORS OF THE CHURCH TO ACT IN THE NAME AND AUTHORITY OF CHRIST. Q. Why does our Savior add in these texts, "whose sins ye shall retain, they are retained;" and "whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven?" A. To show that the power here given to the Pastors of the Church is a judicial power, by which they are constituted judges of our souls in regard to our sins, and authorized both to forgive and not to forgive, to loose and not to loose the bonds of sin, according to the merits of the cause, and the disposition of the penitents: so that they are to take full cognizance of the cause before they pronounce sentence, that they may act with justice and prudence. Q. May not a priest use this power as he pleases, and either forgive or retain a penitent's sins as he chooses? A. By no means; in this commission Jesus Christ puts the Pastors of His Church in His own place, and authorizes them to do, what He would do were he visibly present upon the earth; hence they act here in his name and authority, and in his person; as St. Paul did when he granted pardon to the incestuous Corinthian, for he declares that "he did it in the person of Christ," 2 Cor. ii. 10. The priests, therefore, cannot pronounce sentence at their own pleasure, but must do it according to the rules prescribed to them by Jesus Christ, and which they learn from his Holy Church.

Q. But is it not blasphemous to say that man can forgive sins? Who can forgive sins committed against God, but God himself? A. Jesus Christ did not think it so when he wrought the miracle above mentioned, to prove that "the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins." But the mistake lies in not considering what part belongs to oman, and what part belongs to God in this matter. To wash away the guilt of sin from the soul in which the forgiveness of sins, on the part of God, precisely consists, undoubtedly belongs to God alone, and is wholly his work; and this being the case, where is the least appearances of blasphemy, or even of impropriety, to say that Jesus Christ authorizes the Pastors of his Church, in his name and in his person, to pronounce sentence of forgiveness upon a penitent sinner, and that to the pronouncing of this sentence, he attaches the infusing of his grace to the penitent's soul? Is not this the very thing which is done in baptism, where the one who baptizes forgives the sins of the person baptized, by performing upon him the outward action of baptizing, to which the infusion of justifying grace is annexed in that Sacrament, as it is to the pronouncing the sentence of absolution in the Sacrament of Penance? In both cases, it is God who washes the soul by his grace, and in both, man performs the outward action appointed by Christ for that purpose.

Q. How is the outward sensible action of the Sacrament of penance a sign of the inward grace received? A. The words of the sentence which the priest pronounces, I absolve thee from thy sins express in formal terms the nature of the grace received, by which these sins are then actually washed away from the soul.

Q. To whom has Christ left the power of administering this Sacrament? A. To the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops and Priests of His Church; and this is one of the principal powers of the priesthood.

Return to Table of Contents THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE NECESSARY FOR SALVATION. Q. Is this Sacrament necessary for salvation? A. As it is impossible to obtain salvation while we are in a state of sin, and at enmity with God, and as this Sacrament of Penance is appointed by Jesus Christ, to be the means of restoring us to the friendship of God, by cleansing us from the guilt of actual sins committed after baptism, in the same way as baptism itself is the means of cleansing us from original sin, and from actual sins committed before baptism; therefore the Sacrament of Penance is absolutely necessary for salvation to those who have lost the grace of God by mortal sin after baptism, as baptism itself is to those who have not yet received it. And though it be rue, that a perfect contrition, arising from a perfect love of God above all things, will always find mercy with God, and obtain pardon for sins both before and after baptism; yet, as before baptism, this perfect contrition does not free the person who has it from the necessity of being baptized, where baptism can be had, and, where baptism cannot be had will not find mercy with God, unless it be accompanied with the desire of baptism; so likewise with regard to mortal sins committed after baptism, the most perfect contrition does not free the one who has it from the obligation of applying tot he Sacrament of Penance where he can have it, and, where that cannot be had, his contrition will not find mercy, unless it include the desire of, and the resolution to apply, the Sacrament of Penance whenever it is in his power to do so. Q. Why do you speak of this necessity as regarding only mortal sins? Is not the Sacrament of Penance equally necessary for obtaining the forgiveness of venial sins? A. No: and the reason is this; the effect of mortal sin is to kill the soul entirely, by depriving it of the grace of God, which is the life of the soul; hence mortal sin makes the sinner an enemy to God, and object of his hatred and indignation. On the other hand, venial sin does not kill the soul, nor banish the grace of God from it, but only diminishes the splendour of its beauty and weakens the fervor of its charity, but still the person continues a friend to God. Hence, to restore a soul in mortal sin to the state of grace and to the friendship of God, it is required that there be an infusion of justifying grace into the soul where it was not before; now, this is the pure effect of the mercy of God through the merits of Christ, which no act of the sinner can possibly deserve of itself; and this justifying grace can only be obtained by the Sacrament of penance, which Christ has been pleased to institute for this very purpose. But to increase the fervor of charity, to augment the grace from God, and, consequently, to wash away the stains of venial sin, is the proper effect of every good action which a soul, already in the state of grace, performs, when accompanied with a sorrow for having offended God by these venial sins, or even by a sincere repentance in general for all her past sins. So that, though venial sins are most perfectly and securely remitted by the Sacrament of Penance, yet they are also remitted by other means, such as, by devoutly receiving the other Sacraments, by fervent prayer, by holy acts of the love of God, and other such pious actions; whereas, mortal sin can no otherwise be remitted but by the Sacrament of Penance only.

Return to Table of Contents THREE PARTS OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE. Q. What are the effects of the Sacrament of Penance? A. First, If the penitent be under the guilt of mortal sin, by this Sacrament of grace of justification is poured down into his soul, by which the guilt of his sins is washed away, and he is restored to the friendship of God. Second, If he be already in the state of grace by the Sacrament of Penance, he receives an increase of sanctifying grace, by which his soul is rendered more holy and beautiful in the sight of God.

Third, He also receives such helps of actual grace as enable him the more effectually to avoid sin, and to persevere in the friendship of God.

Fourth, By cleansing the soul from the guilt of sin, this Sacrament also delivers the soul from the eternal punishment due to that guilt; because it restores the sinner to the grace and friendship of God, and reunites him with Jesus Christ; now, "there is nothing of damnation in those who are in Christ Jesus," Rom. viii. 1.

Fifth, It also delivers, in part, from the temporal punishment due to his sins, in proportion to the fervor of the repentance with which he receives it.

Q. What are the parts of the Sacrament of Penance? A. There are three parts of the Sacrament of Penance: CONTRITION, CONFESSION, and SATISFACTION. By contrition is understood the disposition required in the penitent, with which he must be prepared for receiving this sacrament. By confession is understood actually applying to receive it; and by satisfaction is meant the performance of the penance which the priest imposes on the sinner when he administers this Sacrament to him.

Return to Table of Contents The Disposition of the Soul to Receive Grace. INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING CONTRITION AS PART OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE. Q. What are the dispositions required in the penitent for receiving the Sacrament of Penance? A. They are all contained in a sincere repentance, or contrition for his sins which consists of these three things: First, A sincere sorrow for having offended our good God, with a detestation of our sins, by which we have offended him.

Second, A firm purpose and resolution to avoid sin, and all the dangerous occasions of it, for the time to come.

Third, A readiness to do penance for past sins in order to satisfy the Divine Justice for them.

Q. Are these three conditions absolutely necessary for receiving the grace of justification in this Sacrament? A. They are all absolutely necessary for disposing the soul to receive that grace; inasmuch, that if any one of them be lacking, though the sentence of absolution be pronounced upon the sinner by the priest, yet the grace of forgiveness will not be granted by Jesus Christ.

Return to Table of Contents THE RECONCILIATION OF SINNERS TO GOD. Instructions on Sacramental Confession as Part of the Sacrament of Penance. Q. What is Sacramental Confession? A. It is expressing the state of our souls to a priest, by humbly accusing ourselves to him of all our sins, in order to obtain the grace of absolution. Q. Is this confession of our sins necessary for obtaining absolution? A. It is ordained by Jesus Christ as a condition absolutely necessary for this purpose; insomuch, that without it, the grace of the Sacrament of Penance, by which our sins are pardoned, and we restored to the friendship of God, will not be bestowed upon us.

Q. How does this necessity appear from scripture? A. It is included in the very power which Jesus Christ gave to the Pastors of the Church, of binding and loosing, or remitting and retaining sins. By giving them this power he constituted them, judges of our souls in his own stead, the minsters of reconciliation between God and the sinner; consequently, it is his will that they should exercise this power with justice and discretion, according to the merits of the cause, and the dispositions of the penitent; for we cannot suppose he intended they should exercise it at random; it would be impiety to suppose it. As this tribunal is not a tribunal of strict vindictive justice, for punishing the offender to extent of what he deserves, who only sees that hell fire is the proper punishment of mortal sin, but is a tribunal of mercy, where, by the sentence of absolution, the sinner is delivered both from the guilt of his sins, and from the eternal punishment due to them; and this eternal punishment is exchanged for a temporal punishment, which, through the merits of Christ applied to our souls in this Sacrament, both contributes to satisfy the Divine Justice, and is most wholesome and salutary to the penitent; it is doubtless the will of Jesus Christ, that the priest, when he exercises the power of binding, and lays his penance on the penitent, should do it with a just proportion to his guilt and dispositions.

Now, it is self-evident, that the priest can neither act with justice or prudence in forgiving or retaining sins, nor observe the just proportion in imposing the proper punishment suitable to the guilt and dispositions of the sinner, unless he knows the real state of his soul, but as to his guilt and dispositions; and, as none can possibly discover this to him but the sinner himself, hence it manifestly follows, that the very power of binding and loosing, of forgiving and retaining sins, given by Jesus Christ to the priests of His Church, necessarily includes a strict obligation on sinners to lay open the state of their souls, by an humble confession of all their sins to a Priest, in order to receive the effect of that power, and to be absolved from their sins by him.

Moreover, the Sacrament of Penance is intended not only to be the means of freeing us from the guilt of our past sins, but also, and in a particular manner, to be a preservative against sin for the time to come, by applying proper remedies for curing all the distempers of the soul. These remedies are of two sorts, the grace of God, and our cooperation. The grace of God is applied to our souls by the Sacrament itself, and our Pastors are appointed, as the spiritual physicians of our souls, to prescribe to us the necessary cooperation required on our part; and this they do, by pointing out to us what we ought to do for avoiding or overcoming temptations, for conquering our passions, and for breaking our bad habits: by discovering to us the delusions of Satan; by instructing us in our duty where we may be ignorant of it; by rectifyingencouraging us, if faint hearted in the concerns of our souls; by comforting us, if afflicted with trouble of mind; and by giving us every other necessary assistance which the wants of our souls may require. Here, again, it is self-evident that they could apply none of those remedies to us, unless they were thoroughly acquainted with the real state of our souls; and as none but ourselves can lay the state of our souls before them; from this also the necessity of our doing so, by an humble and sincere exposition, of our interior to them is manifest.

Return to Table of Contents NO FORGIVENESS WITHOUT CONFESSION. Q. Are there any other proof from scripture of the necessity of confessing our sins? A. There are these following: First, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity," 1 John i. 8. Here we see, in the most express terms the confession of our sins declared to be the condition for our obtaining forgiveness for them: "If we confess them, God will forgive them;" and on the contrary, if we do not confess them,but conceal them, and "say we have no sin, we only deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." This testimony is so strong and clear for the necessity of confessing our sins, that they who try to deny the truth have no other way to escape the force of it except that they contend that the Apostle means only the confessing our sins privately to God alone. But that this cannot be the Apostle's meaning, is evident for two strong reasons: first, because the confessing our sins is here in opposite to the saying we have no sins; these two are opposite to one another, and therefore must certainly relate to the same object.

Who is there in his senses that would seriously dare to say to God in private that he has no sin? in this part of the sentence, then, the Apostle certainly means saying, we have no sin before men; and, consequently, in the opposite part of it, when he says, "If we confess our sins," he necessarily means the doing so so before men also. The Apostle here declares, that if "we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." How comes the fidelity and justice of God to be engaged here? Has he anywhere engaged his promise to pardon those who confess their sins to him alone in private? David indeed says, "I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord; and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin," Ps. xxxi. 5; which shows, that, in the Old Law, when a sinner, "with a broken and contrite heart, that is with perfect repentance of this sins, returned to God, and acknowledged his guilty with sorrow, God, of his infinite goodness, would show mercy to such a repentant sinner.

But we do not read any where that God ever pledged his fidelity or justice to forgive the sins of any who confessed them in private to him alone; consequently, in the above text, the Apostle cannot mean the confessing to God alone; but, from what we have seen above it is manifest, that God has solemnly engaged his fidelity and justice to forgive the sins of those who confess them to the Pastors of his Church in the Sacrament of Penance, when he declares to these Pastors, "whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The effects of this promise cannot be obtained, as we have clearly seen, unless the sinner confess his sins to his Pastor; and when he does that with the proper dispositions, then this sacred promise of Jesus Christ engages him in fidelity and justice to grant the wished for pardon. - We must therefore conclude, that, when the Apostle says, "if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins," his meaning most certainly is, if we confess them sacramentally.

Second, St. James says, "Confess your sins one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be saved," Ja. v. 16. here we see, in express terms, the confessing our sins to man laid down as a condition of salvation. The only difficulty in this text is in the meaning of the words one another which seem to imply the necessity of every one's confessing publicly to other men, whether priests or not. But this difficulty will easily disappear, if we reflect, that SACRAMENTAL CONFESSION does not necessarily require that it should be done in private; for, in the primitives ages, and even in the Apostle's time confessions were sometimes made in public before the whole people. Thus we read, that "many of them that believed came confessing and declaring their deeds," Acts xix. 18. But, whether in public or private, it was always considered as a necessary obligation, in order to obtain forgiveness by the absolution of the priest. As both ways were then practiced, St. James used the above expression, of "confessing one to another," to include both; but declares, that this confession made to a priest, whether to him alone in private, or presence of others who did the same, and confessed in public before one another, is a necessary condition of salvation.

Third, St. Paul, speaking of the reconciliation of sinners to God, says, "God hath reconciled us to himself by Christ; and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. For, God, indeed, was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself - and he hath placed in us the word of reconciliation; we are therefore ambassadors for Christ," 2 Cor. v. 18. In these words, the Apostle declares, that whereas God through the merits of Jesus Christ, reconciled the world to himself, he was pleased to appoint the Apostles, and their successors in office, to be the ministers of this reconciliation; that is, to be his substitutes upon earth for applying to the souls of the people the means ordained by him for communicating the grace of reconciliation; and for this purpose, says the Apostle, "he placed in us the word 'of reconciliation,' by which means we are made the ambassadors of Christ." Hence, then, it manifestly follows, that if the Pastors of the Church be the ministers of our reconciliation with God, if the word of reconciliation, the power of pronouncing sentence of absolution upon us, he placed in them, it is, of course, by their ministry alone that we can obtain this reconciliation. Christ instituted no other way, therefore it is our strict obligation to have recourse to them for this benefit, by laying open the state of our souls before them in the Sacrament of Penance, that they may apply to us the means of our reconciliation in the way that Christ requires of them to do.

Return to Table of Contents CONFESSION TO AUTHORISED PRIESTS OF THE CHURCH. Q. Was confession of sins to a priest introduced into the Church in later ages? A. This is a charge made against the Church but there certainly cannot be a more gross and palpable misrepresentation. The confession of sins, so far from being a novelty invented in later gages, is more ancient than Christianity itself, was commanded by God in the Law, is highly commended in the books of Wisdom, and was practiced by the jews, when our savior came among them. It was not then, indeed a sacramental action as it is under the Gospel, where it is the last condition required on our part, for receiving the forgiveness of our sins, by the infusion of justifying grace. But it was among the Jews a profitable penitential work, a proof of the sincerity of their repentance, a help to restrain them from sin, and act of obedience to the command of God; and, on all these accounts, a powerful means to move God to mercy, and to obtain from him THE GRACE OF A PERFECT CONTRITION AND REPENTANCE. It was also among the Jews, like all the rest of their religion, type and figure of the Sacrament of Penance, and of the sacramental confession, which Jesus Christ was to institute in his Church. Q. Where does it appear that confession was commanded in the old law, and practised among the Jews? A. From the following testimonies:

First, "When a man or woman shall have committed any of all the sins that men are wont to commit, and by negligence shall have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, they shall confess their sin, and restore the principle, and a fifth part over and above," Numb. v. 6.

Second, "He that hideth his sins shall not prosper; but he that shall confess and forsake them, shall obtain mercy," Prov. xxviii. 13. "Be not ashamed to say the truth for the sake of thy soul; for there is a shame that bringeth sin, and a shame that bringeth glory and grace - Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but submit not thyself to every man for sin," Ecclus. iv. 24, 31.

Third, As for the practice of the Jews when St. John the Baptist appeared "in the desert baptising and preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins: there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all they of Jerusalem, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, CONFESSING THEIR SINS," Mark. i. 5. The same is also attested by St. Matthew, chap. iii., where we learn from the word of God itself, that this holy practice of confessing our sins, is an old as Revealed Religion, and has no other author than God himself. Jesus Christ, therefore, knowing that this was already established among the people of God, thought it nowise necessary to make any new formal express command of it among his followers, especially as the very institution of the Sacrament of Penance, by giving the power of forgiving and retaining sins to the pastors of his church, naturally and necessarily pre-supposed the necessity of confessing our sins to them for obtaining pardon and forgiveness; and by this means, this holy action of confessing was raised up to the dignity of being an essential part of the Sacrament, and an effectual means of obtaining pardon for our sins; whereas before, it was only a legal observance, useful indeed, and conducive to the reconciliation of the penitent sinner with God, but not the efficacious and certain means, as it now is, of obtaining that favor.

Q. Is there any other reason to show that the duty of confessing our sins is ordained by Jesus Christ? A. The very nature of this duty itself proves it to a demonstration; for, as it is a duty exceedingly contrary to flesh and blood, most humbling to our pride, and most afflicting to self-love, it is plainly impossible that mankind could ever have been induced to practice it as a necessary duty, by any human authority, or indeed by any other means whatsoever, than the full conviction that God himself required it from them; and this conviction they never could have got, if it had not been introduced into the world with Christianity itself, and flowed from the same divine source with it

Let us suppose, for example, that the Christians of the first ages had no knowledge of this practice, nor believed it necessary to confess their sins; who would every have dared, in after ages, to introduce so heavy a yoke, or impose such a burden upon the faithful? What opposition must such an attempt have met with? What clamors would have been raised against it? What divisions and dissensions must it not have occasioned? And, how would everybody have cried out against it as a novelty, an imposition, a heresy, and what not? It is, therefore, plainly impossible that it could ever have been established in the Christian world, but by the command of Almighty God himself. Besides, all monuments of antiquity clearly show, that it has been universally received and practiced through the whole Christian Church, in all countries and since the times of the Apostles; nor is it possible to assign any other beginning to it than that of Christianity itself. Add to all this, the infallible authority of the Church of Christ, which always did, and to this day does, hold and teach as a truth revealed by Jesus Christ to his Apostles, and by them delivered to their followers, that the duty of confessing our sins in the Sacrament of Penance, is commanded by God himself, and is his express law to all Christians.

Return to Table of Contents SACRAMENTAL CONFESSION. Q. Is sacramental confession of any other advantage besides its being a necessary means of getting our sins pardoned? A. It is, both to the penitent himself and to society; First, With regard to the penitent, it serves to discharge part of the debt of temporal punishment due to his sins, it delivers him from that dreadful confusion which he would have to undergo at the day of judgment, and which beginning then would last for all eternity, as one of the greatest torments of hell. It procures him many useful instructions, counsels, directions, and exhortations, for advancement of his soul in a life of virtue and piety. It is also a source of immense comfort and consolation to the poor soul in all its afflictions, especially in such as rise about its spiritual concerns. It affords an incredible case and peace to the soul, when oppressed with the stings of a guilty conscience; for it is much to be observed, that, although confession may be a very heavy burden upon the flesh and blood, and perfectly inimical to self-love, yet, when a soul is once touched with a sense of th3e evil of sin, and conscience is awakened on that account, it is the only resource that nature itself points out for ease and comfort; that numbers of examples are seen, of those who, being troubled in conscience, but not being members of the Catholic church, do not consider confession as a duty required by God; yet fly to some friend in whom they can confide, and sometimes even to Catholic priests themselves, on whose secrecy they can better depend, and lay open their souls to them for advice and consolation.

Second, With regard to the State and Society, how many evils are remedied in confession, which the laws of man could never rectify? LOSSES ARE MADE UP; INJURIES RECEIVED ARE PARDONED, AND REPARATION MADE FOR SUCH AS ARE DONE; ILL-GOTTEN GOODS ARE RESTORED; THOSE AT ENMITY RECONCILED; PEACE MADE UP AND RESTORED; UNJUST CONTRACTS DISSOLVED; SCANDALS REMOVED, AND MANY OTHER SUCH BENEFITS PROCURED, WHICH ARE OF THE HIGHEST ADVANTAGE TO SOCIETY.

Q. What are the qualities for making a good confession? A. There are several things required for making a good confession; but they may be all reduced to these following:

First, It ought to be humble. This is so necessary an ingredient in a good confession, that without it we can never expect to find favor with God. The proud Pharisee was one who led a good moral life in the eye of the world, free from any gross crime, and adorned with several virtuous and good actions; yet he was condemned in the sight of God on account of his pride; whereas the poor publican, though loaded with sins, yet approaching to God by an humble repentance, was justified in the sight of God and found mercy. Every sin we commit is accompanied with an act of pride; because in every sin, we prefer our own will to the will of our Creator; as therefore repentance is the returning to God from sin, it must necessarily be accompanied with great humility. The scripture says, "an humble and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise," Psal. i. 19. "The Lord is night to them that are of a contrite heart, and he will save the humble of spirit, Psal. xxxiii. 19. "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble," James iv. 6. Hence we find, that all those true penitents who found mercy from God, were remarkable for their great humility; such as St. Mary Magdalen, the prodigal Son, the humble publican, David, and they showed their humility, both in the outward actions of the bodies in what they did, and in every word they said. To excite this humility in our souls, we need only consider what we are as sinners; what we deserve for our sins; the majesty of that great God before whom we are going to appear; and the important affair we are going about, in order to be restored again to his favor.

Second, Our confession ought to be sincere; that is, we must declare our sins sincerely, such as they really are; we must not exaggerate them, neither must we disguise them; we must not seek to excuse them, nor blame others for them; nor soften and diminish the real malice of them, by equivocal and captious expressions, which may make our confessor think less of them than they really deserve. Our great interest here is to lay open the true state of our souls, as far as we can, such as it really is in the sight of God. It is easy to deceive the confessor; but we would deceive ourselves infinitely worse if we did so, for we cannot deceive God; and his holy word assures us, that "the deceitful man God will abhor, Ps. v. 7, that "the Holy Ghost will fly from the deceitful," Wisd. i. 5, and, therefore, "come not to the Lord with a double heart," Ecclus. i. 36; for "WOE TO THEM THAT ARE A DOUBLE HEART, AND TO WICKED LIPS - AND TO THE SINNER THAT GOETH ON THE EARTH TWO WAYS," Ecclus. ii. 14."

Third, It ought to be simple; that is, we must, with all simplicity, declare the sins we have been guilty of, without mixing any other subject along with them, which does not concern the state of our conscience. In doing this, we must declare,

1. The different sins we have been guilty of;

2. The number of times we have been guilty of each sin;

3. Such circumstance as either notably aggravate the guilt of the sin, or change it into another kind of sin; for example, there is a great difference between cheating our neighbor out of one cent and cheating from one to a thousand or hundreds of thousands of dollars; between stealing a sum of money from a neighbor, and stealing any sacred vessel, though of equal value to that sum, but dedicated to the service of God. in the former case, the greatness of the sum aggravates the injury done, and consequently the guilt of the sin; in the latter case, the circumstances of stealing a sacred vessel changes the nature of the sin, from a simple act of injustice, to an impious sacrilege. Now, the simplicity of our confession requires, that, having fully declared these three classes, we should rest there, without accusing others, or making complaints of our miseries and troubles, or speaking about our temporal affairs; and this is what is meant by the simplicity of confession.

Return to Table of Contents BE NOT ASHAMED TO SAY THE TRUTH FOR THY SOUL. Fourth, It ought to be entire; that is, we must declare all that we have upon our conscience, without concealing, to our knowledge, one single mortal sin. e must not only tell the truth, but we must tell the whole truth, without concealing any thing; according to that of the wise man, "BE NOT ASHAMED TO SAY THE TRUTH FOR THY SOUL; FOR THERE IS A SHAME THAT BRINGETH SIN, AND THERE IS A SHAME THAT BRINGETH GLORY AND GRACE," Ecclus. iv. 25. To be ashamed to do an evil action, is a shame that bringeth glory and grace; but to be ashamed to confess the sin we have done, is a shame that bringeth a new sin upon the soul. Q. Is it a great evil knowingly to conceal any mortal sin in confession? A. Yes, it is a very great evil;

First, To reconcile our souls with God, is, of all other things, the work of God, the end to which all that Christ did, said and suffered, tended; this is done in the Sacrament of Penance, and the confession of our sins is the part of that work which belongs to us; now, the scripture says, "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully," Jer. xlviii. 10.

Second, It is telling a lie to the Holy Ghost, the dreadful guilty of which we see both in Cain, and in the punishment of Annanias and Sapphira, Acts. ix.

Third, It is a grievous sacrilege, by profaning the sacrament, a mockery of God, a profanation of the blood of Christ, and opens the door to a still greater sacrilege by making an unworthy communion.

Fourth, It renders the whole confession of no avail, prevents the sinner getting pardon of his sin, sullies his soul with another more grievous sin than those he had before.

Fifth, It puts him in danger of never making a good confession, and consequently of dying in his sins, as it shuts the door to all possibility of a cure from faith, and renders him totally unworthy of any extraordinary help from God.

Sixth, It makes the sinner most miserable in his own conscience, and raises a hell upon earth in his soul, as experience itself teaches.

Q. When one has unhappily fallen into disgrace with God by mortal sin, is he obliged to return immediately to God by a speedy repentance, and get his sins washed away by the Sacrament of Confession? A. There is not a MORE DANGEROUS DELUSION than to defer repentance after sin, and live on from day to day in disgrace with God; as will manifestly appear by the following considerations:

First, It is the highest folly, and contrary to all that wisdom and prudence by which we regular ourselves in temporal affairs; for, if we fall into the mire, we immediately endeavor to get out of it and clean ourselves; if we perceive a spot upon our clothes, we immediately endeavor to take it out; if we be seized with any bodily disease, we make no delay in applying the proper remedies; if we lose a piece of money, we speedily seek to find it. Now, a soul in mortal sin is in a most dismal mire, sullied in the most detestable manner, sick to death itself, and deprived of the greatest of all treasures, the grace of God; what folly then to choose to continue in such a state!

Second, It is a grievous injury done to God, to live in disgrace with him, because it involves,

1. A contempt of his commands and earnest invitations to return to his friendship, and a preferring the slavery of satan to the favor of the Most high.

2. A contempt of his threats, by which he endeavors to frighten sinners out of their evil ways, and make them return to him.

3. An undervaluing of all his gracious promises of pardon and favor; by preferring the husks of swine to the happiness of our Father's house, and all the good things he has there prepared for us.

Third, The great danger of contracting the habit of sin, and of going on from bad to worse; for this is the fatal prerogative of sin, that if not speedily remedied by repentance, it gives the devil such power over us, that he easily hurries us on to greater sins, till at last they become habitual to us; being deprived of the grace of God, there is no defence against the allurements of sin, the violence of passion, the corruption of our own heart, and the repeated temptations we are daily exposed to: witness Cain, David, St. Peter, and Judas.

Fourth, The great danger of a bad habit when contracted, and the great difficulty of ever overcoming it. Of this the scripture says, "his bones shall be filled with the vices of his youth, and they shall sleep with him in the dust," Job xx. 11. "A young man according to his way, even when he is old he will not depart from it," Prov. xxii. 6. "If the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the leopard change his sports; ye also may do well when ye have learned evil," Jer. xiii. 23. A new planted tree is easily pulled up; a tender twig is easily bended; a new ailment is easily cured; but by delay the case is very different.

Fifth, The declaration of the scripture, "Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and put not off from day to day; for his wrath will come on a sudden, and in the day of vengeance he will destroy thee," Ecclus. v. 8. "Dost thou despise the riches of his goodness and patience, and long suffering? Knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance? but according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath against they day of wrath, and the revelation of the just judgment of God," Rom. ii. 4. "Today, if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me, they proved me and saw my works - so I swear in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my rest," Psal. xciv. 8. "Because I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded; ye have despised all my counsels, and have neglected my reprehensions, I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come on you which ye feared; when sudden calamity shall fall on you, and destruction, as a tempest, shall be at hand; when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear, they shall rise in the morning and shall not find me," Prov. i. 24. See also, Is. lxv. 12, lxvi. 4, Jer. vii. 12.

Sixth, The danger of dying in that state; which appears,

1. From all these threats from scripture just mentioned.

2. From the state the sinner is in; for, the moment one commits a mortal sin, the sentence is passed against him; the flames of hell are already kindled to receive him: "a fire is kindled in my rage, it shall burn upon you," Jer. xv. 14; the executioners are all ready, only waiting the command, and nothing is wanting to plunge him into the bottomless pit, but the cutting the slender thread of life, by which he is hanging over the mouth of hell.

3. From the uncertainty of time, place and manner when that thread shall be broken: our Savior assures us, that death will come like a thief in the night, when we least expect it, and therefore commands us to be always ready. Remember the foolish virgins.

4. Sin hastens on death, and cuts off the sinner before his time. "Do not commit iniquity, lest thou die in a time not thy own," Eccles. vii. 18. "The wicked man shall perish before his days be completed," Job xv. 32. "The wicked are taken away before their time," Job xxii. 16. "The years of the wicked shall be shortened," Prov. x. 27. "Men of blood and deceitful men shall not live out half their days," Psal. liv. 24. "How are they brought to desolation? they have suddenly ceased to be; they have perished by reason of their iniquity," Psal. lxxii. 19. They lead their lives in good things, and in a moment drop down into hell," Job xxi. 13.

Return to Table of Contents LIVING IN MORTAL SIN ENDANGERS THE SOUL. Q. What shall we say of those who defer their repentance till the approaches of death itself? A. All the above reasons militate with double force against those who put off their conversion till their death-bed; for such, without all doubt, expose themselves to the utmost danger, if not to a moral certainty of being lost for ever; which will easily appear if we consider, First, The difficultly of a real and sincere repentance and change of heart, even in health.

Second, The violence and force of bad habits, now come to their height by long indulgence.

Third, The opposition the devil will certainly make to hinder those who have been always his during their life, from escaping out of his hands at their last moments.

Fourth, The state, both of body and mind, of a dying person, and how little able he is then to apply himself to any serious thought.

Fifth, The being justly deprived of the more abundant race of God, to enable him to overcome all those obstacles, in just punishment for his past abuses of mercy.

Sixth, Experience of those who having recovered after being in a dangerous way, and having given the strongest signs of sincere repentance, yet immediately on their recovery, become the same as before; which clearly shows how false their repentance was, and consequently how little it would have been regarded by God, had they then died.

Seventh, The common sentiments of all the saints of God, who have ever paid very little regard to death-bed conversions.

Return to Table of Contents FIRST STEPS IN MAKING CONFESSION. Q. In what manner must one prepare himself to acquire the Sacrament of Penance? A. There are chiefly two things to be done; First, We must come to a full knowledge of our sins, and call them all to mind; for if we do not know them, we can neither repent of them, nor confess them.

Second, we must stir ourselves up to a true and sincere repentance for them. In both which our principal dependence must be upon God, without whose light and help we can neither see our sins, nor be truly sorry for them; wherefore, when we set about preparing for our confession we must,

First, Begin by prayer, earnestly begging Almighty God to enlighten our souls with his holy grace, that we may not be blinded by our passions, nor deluded by our self-love, but that we may call to mind, in their true colors, all the sins we have been guilty of, whether in thought, word, or deed, since our last confession.

Second, We must then examine our conscience; that is, call ourselves to a strict account of all the evil we have done against God's Holy Law, according to the methods laid down in books of devotion, for helping to make that examination. When, by this means, we have called to mind all the sins we have been guilty of, we must then use our best endeavors to stir ourselves up to a sincere contrition or repentance for them. Now, this is done,

1. By fervent and earnest prayer, begging the grace of a true repentance from Almighty God, who alone can bestow it upon us.

2. By serious meditation on some of the great evils of sin, in order to excite in our souls a just horror of sin.

3. By making frequent and serious acts of sorrow and repentance for having offended God, with firm resolutions, through his grace, never to offend him more.

Return to Table of Contents God's Justice Demands Reparation. INSTRUCTIONS ON SATISFACTION, AS PART OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE. Q. What is Sacramental Satisfaction? A. It is the faithful performance of the penance imposed on the penitent. Q. Why is the priest obliged to impose this penance on the penitent? A. For these reasons,

First, Because in administering the Sacrament of Penance, the priest acts as judge, commissioned by Almighty God, so to reconcile sinners with him, that, while he dispenses to the penitent sinner the fruits of the divine mercy, he does not neglect the interest of his Divine Justice. Now, the order of justice requires, that the guilty criminal be punished in a just proportion to his guilt, and that this punishment be inflicted by the judge.

Return to Table of Contents ETERNAL PUNISHMENT CHANGED TO TEMPORAL PUNISHMENT. Second, Because as the pardon granted in the Sacrament of Penance, delivers the sinner not only from the guilt of his crimes, but also from the eternal punishment due to them, which, through the mercy of God, and merits of Christ, is changed into a temporal punishment, that the Divine Justice may be in some measure satisfied; therefore, it belongs to the priest, by whose ministry this change is made, to inflict some temporal punishment on the penitent, to serve, at least in part, for what the divine justice requires. Because Jesus Christ, when he gave the Pastors of his church power of loosing the sinner from his sins, with the same breath gave him power to bind him with his penance; whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;" which also shows that the penitent is obliged, in the sight of God, to perform the penance so laid upon him. Q. Is Satisfaction an essential part of the Sacrament of Penance? A. We must distinguish between the desire of doing penance in satisfaction to the Divine justice for our sins, and the actual performance of that satisfaction. The desire of satisfying the Divine Justice for our sins, and repairing as far as we can, the injury done to God by sin, is an essential part of true repentance, and therefore, and essential disposition required for receiving the grace of the Sacrament of Penance, as we have seen above at large in the chapter on repentance. But the actual performance of our penance is not an essential part of the Sacrament, nor necessary for receiving the grace of the Sacrament, but only for its integrity; it is therefore a part of the Sacrament, which would be incomplete without it, but not required for the validity of it. Hence, in administering this Sacrament, the penance is enjoined by the priest and accepted by the penitent, before absolution is given him, but the actual performance of the penance is deferred till afterwards. And hence, also, in a dying person, absolution may be given WITHOUT ENJOINING ANY PENANCE AT ALL; because, when a penitent is incapable of actually performing the penance, God accepts of his sincere desire of accomplishing it, and looks upon that as done, which we sincerely desire to do, but have not the power of doing. Finally, from the same grounds it follows, that the actual performance of our penance is not required for obtaining the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, for this is remitted along with the sin itself, by the grace of the Sacrament but only for discharging the debt of temporal punishment, into which the eternal punishment is changed by the grace of the Sacrament, and which remains due to the divine justice, after the guilt and eternal punishment are forgiven.

Return to Table of Contents IT IS A FIXED RULE OF GOD'S JUSTICE NEVER TO LET SIN GO UNPUNISHED. Q. How does it appear that when Almighty God forgives the sin, and the eternal punishment due to it, his justice still demands from the sinner a proportionable debt of temporal punishment? A. This is manifest from several very strong proofs of scripture. First, From the repeated declarations of holy scripture, that it is a fixed rule of God's justice never to let sin go unpunished, but that he will render unto every one according to his works. Justice itself demands, that who ever injures or offends his neighbor should make full reparation to him as far as he is able. How much more, when we injure and offend God by sin, must justice demand that we should repair his honor to the utmost of our power by penance? Seeing then, that God has decreed to render to every one according to his works, as justice demands, and that, when the eternal punishment of sin is forgiven, the sinner can, not only without hurt to himself, but with great utility, make some proportionable reparation of God's honor, and give some satisfaction to his justice by temporal punishments; therefore, God most justly demands this of him.

Second, All the proofs from scripture of the necessity of doing penance for committed sins, show how strictly Almighty God demands this debt of temporal punishment from us.

Return to Table of Contents THE EXAMPLES OF THE HOLY SERVANTS OF GOD. Third, All the examples in scripture of the holy servants who had been sinners, and after their repentance and reconciliation with him, did most severe penance for their former sins, show beyond reply, the same truth: since nothing but the full conviction that God required this satisfaction from them, could engage them to a course of life so contrary to all the inclinations and desires of human nature. Fourth, Moses and Aaron had offended God by their diffidence, in striking the rock twice, for which they certainly were forgiven as to the sin, and continued afterwards to be the great friends of God; yet they were both punished by death for this sin, and deprived of entering into the holy land, which they so earnestly desired. "And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, because ye have not believed me, to sanctify me before the children of Israel, ye shall not bring these people into the land which I shall give them," Numb. xx. 12. "And Aaron shall go to his people; for he shall not go into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because he was incredulous to my words at the waters of Contradiction," ibid. verse 24; and he died accordingly in the wilderness. "And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, Go up into this mountain - and see the land - and when thou art gone up, thou shalt be gathered to thy people - because you trespassed against me at the waters of Contradiction, and did not sanctify me before the children of Israel. Thou shalt see the land - but thou shalt not enter it," Deut. xxxii. 49; and he went up and died also in the wilderness.

Fifth, When the children of Israel fell into that grievous sin of worshipping the golden calf, the Lord said to Moses, "Let me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them," Exod. xxxii. 10. But, at the earnest prayer of Moses, "the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people," verse 14; yet notwithstanding "there were slain that day about three and twenty thousand men," verse 28, in punishment of this sin. After this, Moses again had recourse to prayer, that God might forgive them this trespass," verse 31; and Almighty God was appeased, and bade Moses "go on, and lead the people," says he, "whither I have told thee, and my angel shall go before thee;" but immediately adds, "and in the day of revenge I will visit this sin also of theirs," verse 34; where we see that the divine justice was inflexible in demanding satisfaction by taking vengeance of them, even after he was reconciled with them for the sin.

Return to Table of Contents FORTY YEARS OF PENANCE DEMANDED ON THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL BY DIVINE JUSTICE. Sixth, When the people of Israel murmured against God in the return of the spies, and provoked him to such a degree that he threatened to consume them entirely, at the prayer of Moses he was appeased, and said to him, "I have forgiven according to thy word," Numb. xiv. 20. Here we see an express declaration from the mouth of God that he had forgiven the people this sin; but, as for the temporal punishment, in satisfaction to his offended justice, he immediately adds, "but yet all the men that have seen my majesty, and the signs that I have done in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now ten times, and have not obeyed my voice, shall not see the land for which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of them that hath detracted me behold it - Say, therefore, to them, As I live, saith the Lord, according as ye have spoken in my hearing, so will I do to you; in the wilderness shall our carcass lie - Your children shall wander in the desert forty years, and shall bear your fornication, until the carcases of their fathers be consumed in the desert," Numb. xiv. 22, 28, 33. Behold what a dreadful and long penance the divine justice demanded from them, even after their sin was forgiven. Seventh, When David unhappily fell into the grievous crimes of adultery and murder, God sent the prophet Nathan to him to reprove him for his sin; who, after declaring to him the grievousness of his crime, thus pronounced the temporal punishment which God had resolved to inflict upon him, "Thou hast killed Urias the Hethite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife - therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me - Thus saith the Lord, Behold I will raise up evil against thee out of they own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes, and give them to thy neighbor; and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of the sun," 2 Kings (Samuel) xii. 9. David, upon this entering into himself by a sincere and perfect repentance, acknowledged his crime: then the prophet, by inspiration of God, declared to him, that his sin was forgiven: "The Lord hath also taken away thy sin: thou shalt not die," verse 13. But he immediately adds, "nevertheless because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing the child that is born to thee shall surely die," verse 14. Here we see a most severe sentence of temporal punishment passed upon David, which was executed upon him with the utmost rigor, even though the guilt of his sin was forgiven; for soon after, the child that was born to him died; one of his sons abused his own sister; he again was murdered by a brother; this brother afterwards rose up in rebellion against his father, forced him to fly to the wilderness for his safety, and taking his father's wives, abused them before the whole people, as is related at large in the following chapters.

Return to Table of Contents THE EXTENT OF PUNISHMENT KNOWN ONLY TO GOD. Q. Can we know what extent of temporal punishment the divine justice demands from any sinner, after his sins are forgiven? A. No; that can be known to none but God alone, and depends upon several circumstances, of which we can form no judgment; but this we are certain of, that it will always be according to justice, and such as our sins most justly deserve. Yet our ignorance of this is of great service to us, and ought to excite us to use every means in our power to discharge this debt as far as possible, by all the various penitential works, as it is infinitely easier for us to discharge it ourselves, by doing penance, than to have it exacted from us by God himself. Q. Is not the penance enjoined in the sacrament sufficient for this purpose?

A. The sacramental penance undoubtedly contributes very much to this end, more in proportion than any other penance we can do in an equal degree. Where also we are told the strict obligation of performing sacramental penance; this is so far from being sufficient, entirely to cancel this whole debt, that the Church of Christ, in a General Council, declares, that "the whole life of a Christian ought to be a continual penance, "Council of Trent, sess. xiv. chap. 9. on extreme unction.

Q. Has Christ appointed any other means of freeing us from this debt of temporal punishment, but by actually doing penance?

A. He has, by means of indulgences; the power of granting which he has left in his Church.

The Holy Way of the Cross
WITH MEDITATIONS ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST. "Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps." - 1 Peter 8, 21. LET us consider the passion of our Savior as the great object of our faith and adoration and also as the secure rule of our morals and behavior. What a scene do we behold, what a mystery and lesson are represented to us, in a God nailed to a cross! This scene is continually before our eyes; have we ever duly considered and meditated upon it? Let us do it now. There is nothing in religion more worthy of consideration, or more capable of inflaming our love.

Being animated with the sentiment of faith, contemplate the Holy of Holies in a state, to which his own love has reduced him. He does not present himself in a state of grandeur, power, and majesty, which dazzles and strikes us with awe; by such a representation he would have commanded our respect, but would he have gained your heart? To engage our affections, he chooses to appear to us in the midst of humiliation, ignominies (means disgrace), and torments; the more deformed and disgraced, he is the more amiable and deserving of our love, since he has not become such, but for having loved us so much. Hence that saying of a certain holy father: The more he is disfigured, the more dear he is to me. Each of his wounds announces his tenderness to us and calls for ours. Behold that innocent body fastened to a disgraceful cross, hung up between heaven and earth, torn with deep gashes, and streaming with blood. Behold that head crowned with thorns, sinking under the weight of anguish which oppresses it; those eyes grow dim and drowned in tears, which yet cast a tender look toward us; that mouth drenched with vinegar and gall, which is only opened to utter a few pathetic words in a dying strain; those hands, which he still spreads in death to a people that believeth not, and contradicteth him (Rom. x. 21); above all, contemplate that tender heart of our loving Redeemer, racked with pain and anguish, and plunged in an ocean of distress.

But in contemplating this object, we are able by such tokens to discover the King of Glory, the God of Armies, the Son of the Most High, the tender object of his eternal complacency, now become a worm of the earth, the reproach of men, the contempt and outcast of the people. (Ps. xxi. 7.) Ah! the Holy of Holies himself charged with the sins of the world, and sacrificed for sinners! He who reigns in the heavens, who has ll power on earth and in hell, abandoned by his friends, besaken by his Father, becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross. (Phil. ii. 8.) He who holds in his hands the treasures of heaven, stript of all, and reduced to extreme want! He, who gave being and life to men, crucified and put to death, even by those on whom he bestowed life! and though he is thus given over to excessive affliction and humiliation, he suffers with the meekness of a lamb; he suffers, as if he were criminal; he suffers in silence, which he only interrupts to pray for his enemies, and excuse the crime of Deicide, which they are committing against him. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. = Luke xxiii. 34.

A Christian, penetrated with a livery faith, and with a sense of sufferings of Jesus, at the sight of his innumerable offenses, should rise up in arms against himself; turn all his hatred against his crimes; and take vengeance on himself for the outrages he has offered to his Savior. My love, says he, is crucified (St. Ign. M.), and I myself am the person who nailed him to the cross, who shed his blood, who brought him to death, and still I do not die with sorrow! But if I yet live, can I live for anything but to weep and suffer for him? Happy thus in sharing the sufferings of its divine Redeemer, this afflicted soul takes a particular satisfaction in uniting its exercises of penance to the penance of Jesus Christ, its tears to the tears of Jesus Christ.

Ah! far then be from us all worldly pleasures, the amusements of life, the criminal satisfaction of the senses; they were heretofore our enjoyments, now they would become our punishment. Faith and grace working in us, we give ourselves up to unrelenting sorrow; sorrow is made our chastisement and martyrdom, which we love and relish in preference to all the sweets of life; My chalice, which inebriateth me, how goodly is it! (Psalm xxii. 5.) hence arise in true penitents that generous attention continually to deaden nature, and subdue the suggestions of the senses; that hunger and ardent thirst of sufferings.

Return to Table of Contents First Station. Jesus is condemned to death. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER how Pilate condemned the innocent Jesus to death, and how thy Redeemer submitted to this sentence, to free thee from the sentence of everlasting death.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! I thank Thee for this Thy great love, and I beseech Thee to take back the sentence of everlasting death which I have deserved by my sins, so that I may be made worthy to attain to everlasting life. OUR FATHER, in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in Heaven, Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.

HAIL MARY! Full of grace, The Lord is with thee; Blessed are thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

GLORY BE to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Second Station. Jesus is made to bear his cross. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER how Jesus took upon His shoulders the cross, which thy many sins made so heavy.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! grant me the grace not to make Thy cross heavier by new sins, and cheerfully to carry mine in a true spirit of penance. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Third Station. Jesus falls the first time. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER how Jesus, overcome by weariness and pain, fell to the ground under the weight of the cross.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! my falls into sin caused Thee this fall. Grant that I may never renew Thy pain by a relapse into sin. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Fourth Station. Jesus is met by his blessed mother. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER the anguish which filled the hearts of Jesus and Mary at this sorrowful meeting. It was thy sins that caused the Son and the Mother this affliction.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! excite in me, through the intercession of Thy holy Mother, a lively sorrow for my sins, that I may bewail them my whole life long, and in the hour of my death find favor with Thee. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Fifth Station. The cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER how the Jews, seeing that Jesus was no longer able to drag His cross along, compelled Simon of Cyrene to carry it after Him.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! I ought to carry the cross, because I have sinned. Give me the grace at least to accompany Thee on the way to Calvary, and for the love of Thee cheerfully to bear the cross of adversities. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Sixth Station. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER how this woman tried to alleviate the sufferings of Jesus, and how He rewarded her by leaving the print of His sacred face on the towel she had in her hands.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! grant me the grace to cleanse my soul from all its defilements, and imprint deep in my heart and mind the image of Thy holy sufferings. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Seventh Station. Jesus falls the second time. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER the sufferings Jesus endures in this second fall. Thou hast been the cause of them, by thy frequent relapses into sin.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! I stand before Thee full of shame. Give me the grace so to arise from my sins, as never again to fall back into them. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Eight Station. Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER how Jesus exhorts these women to weep, not for Him, but for themselves; to teach thee to weep more for thy sins than for His sufferings.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! give me tears of true contrition, that the sorrow I feel for Thy sufferings may be profitable to me. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Ninth Station. Jesus falls the third time. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER how Jesus falls the third time, enduring excruciating pain, to atone for thy obstinacy in continually committing new sins.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! now I am firmly resolved to give up sin forever, so as not to cause Thee new suffering. Strengthen me in this my resolution, and by Thy grace make it efficacious. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Tenth Station. Jesus is stripped and receives gall to drink. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER The shame Jesus endured in being stripped of His garments, and the bitterness of the wine mixed with myrrh and gall, which they caused Him to drink. Thus He atoned for thy immodesty, and thy intemperance of eating and drinking.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! I am sorry for all the sins I have committed by sensuality. I promise, with Thy assistance, not to renew Thy shame and suffering, and to live henceforward in modesty and temperance. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Eleventh Station. Jesus is nailed to the cross. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER the dreadful sufferings Jesus endured, when the Jews stretched his bleeding body on the cross, and fastened it thereon with nails through His sacred hands and feet.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! Thou didst suffer all this for me; and should I suffer nothing for Thee? Fasten my obstinate will to Thy cross. I firmly resolve never more to offend Thee, and for the love of Thee to suffer everything. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Twelfth Station. Jesus dies on the cross. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER how Jesus, after three hours' agony, dies on the cross for thy salvation.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! Since thou hast sacrificed Thy life for me, it is but just that I should spend the rest of my life for Thee. And this I firmly propose to do. Only grant me, by the merits of Thy death, the grace to put my resolution in practice. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Thirteenth Station. Jesus is taken down from the cross. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER the grief of the Mother of God when she received in her arms the body of her divine Son, all pale, covered with blood, and void of life.

THE PRAYER.

O most holy Virgin! obtain for me the grace never more to crucify Jesus afresh by new sins, but by the practice of virtue to keep Him ever alive in me. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Return to Table of Contents Fourteenth Station. Jesus is laid in the sepulcher. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

THE MYSTERY.

CONSIDER how the most sacred body of Jesus was laid, with the greatest reverence, in the new grave prepared for it.

THE PRAYER.

O Jesus! I thank Thee for all Thou hast suffered in order to redeem me; and I beseech Thee, grant that I may prepare myself to receive worthily, in holy Communion, the body which Thou hast given for me. Take up Thy abode forever in my soul. Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Jesus Christ Crucified, have mercy on us!

Conclude by saying five times Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, etc., to gain the Indulgences.

The Remission of Temporal Punishment
INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING INDULGENCES. Q. What is understood by an Indulgence? A. An indulgence is a relaxation or remission of debt of the temporal punishment, which remains due to the Divine justice for sin, after the sin itself, and the eternal punishment have been remitted by the Sacrament of Penance. Q. Has Jesus Christ given to his Church the power of granting indulgences? A. He has, as appears evidently from holy scriptures; for,

First, He says to St. Peter, "Thou art Peter - and I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven," Matth. xvi. 18. in which words our Savior gives to St. Peter, as the chief pastor of his Church, whose authority as such extends over all her members, an ample and universal power of conducting the faithful to heaven, by loosing them from every thing that might hinder them from going there, provided always they be properly disposed, and perform the conditions required upon their part. Now, there are only two things that can hinder a soul from going to heaven, to wit, the guilt of sin, and the debt of temporal punishment; for till that debt be paid, none can enter there; consequently our Savior says, "whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, shall be loosed in heaven," manifestly includes both, and assures us, when the Chief Pastor looses the faithful from their sins in the Sacrament of Penance, or from the debt of temporal punishment, by granting an indulgence, this sentence is ratified in heaven, and stands good in the sight of God himself.

Second, On another occasion, declaring, "that he that will not hear the Church," that is, the bishops and pastors of the Church, is to be considered "as a heathen and a publican," he immediately says to these pastors, in the persons of all the Apostles, "Amen, I say to you, whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven," Matth. xviii. 18. In which words, by the same reasoning as in the former case, we see the power of granting indulgences conferred on the first pastors or Bishops of the Church, as successors of the Apostles. It is given to the head of the Church, with regard to all the faithful, and to the bishops of the Church with regard to that portion of the faithful committed to their charge, to be exercised by them under such regulations as the Church herself, in her sacred councils, has judged proper to appoint.

Third, St. Paul, though not one of the twelve Apostles then present with our Savior, when this power was given them, both exercised it himself towards the incestuous Corinthian, and recommended to the pastors of that church to do the same; for, having first condemned and bound him to public penance, and "delivered him over to Satan for the destruction oft he flesh, that his spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord," 1 Cor. v. 5; yet afterwards, being informed of his great repentance and vehement sorrows, he writes to that church, "To him who is such a one, this rebuke is sufficient that is given by many; so that contrariwise, ye should rather forgive him - and to whom ye have forgiven any thing, I also. For what I forgive, if I have forgiven any thing, for your sakes that I done it, in the person of Christ," 2 Cor. ii. 6. 10.

Q. When the Church grants an indulgence, by remitting the debt of temporal punishment due to the Divine Justice, does she offer any compensation to the justice of God in place of it? A. Yes she does; to understand which, we must observe,

First, That God Almighty has given to his Church the infinite merits and superabundant satisfaction of his son Jesus, to be applied and dispensed to her children for the good of their souls, according to their wants. Thus St. Paul says, "Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present wicked world," Gal. i. 4; and God "hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ," Ephes. i. 3; "that he might show in the ages to come, the abundant riches of his grace, in his bounty towards us in Christ Jesus," Eph. ii. 7; for "he that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how hath he not also, with him, given us all things!" Rom. viii. 32. Now, the Pastors of the Church are "the dispensers of the mysteries of God," 1 Cor. iv. 1; to wit, of all these "spiritual blessings, abundant riches and graces of Christ," which are the fruits of all his infinite merits and satisfactions. These are dispensed to the people and applied to their souls by the Pastors of the Church, when they administer to us the Holy Sacraments, and they are offered up to God as a compensation to his Divine Justice, for the debt of temporal punishment, when they grant us a relaxation from that debt by an indulgence.

Second, In the Creed, we are taught to believe that in the Church there is "the communion of saints;" that is, that all the members of the Church have a spiritual communication with one another in holy things, that the prayers, sacrifices, penances, and good works, which are performed by any of the faithful are accepted by Almighty God in such measure and manner as he sees fitting for all the others who put no impediment; and the reason is, because all the members of the Church compose but one spiritual body to Christ, of which he is the head; and therefore, all the faithful, as members of one another, mutually partake of one another's prayers and good works, especially when they are expressly intended and applied for one another.

Return to Table of Contents PRAYER AND GOOD WORKS AS A MEANS OF GRACE. As nothing is more agreeable to God, than that all his followers should live together in unity, charity, and brotherly love, as members of one body, mutually helping one another, especially in spiritual things; so we find many examples of his readiness to bestow great favors upon his people, in reward of this mutual charity. Thus, when Job's friends could find no acceptance with God of themselves, they found it immediately when Job offered up his prayers and sacrifices for them, Job. xlii. How often did the prayers and sacrifices of Moses and Aaron obtain forgiveness for their sinful people, both as to the sin and the temporal punishment, even when God was so provoked by their crimes, that he seemed determined to consumer and destroy them? How often does God declare in scripture, that he bears with the people of Israel, that he deals mercifully with them, that he bestows favors upon them, and the like, for the sake of his faithful servants, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, even long after they were out of this world? So also speaking of his care for Jerusalem, he says, "I will protect this city, and will save it for my own sake, and for David my servant's sake," 4 Kings xix. 34. Where observe, that he joins "his own sake" and "David's sake" together, in the same sentence, as the joint motive of his protecting Jerusalem. From the same principles, St. Paul so often recommends himself to the prayers of the Faithful, and when, on a certain occasion, he had met with some great afflictions, he says to the Philippians, "I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers," Phil. i. 19. Seeing then that the prayers, penances, and good works of the faithful, and especially of the Holy Saints of God, who are of all others the most in favor with him, are, through the merits of Jesus Christ, on whom they all depend, most readily accepted by Almighty God for the benefit of all the members of his Church, especially when, by a spirit of charity, they are offered up and applied for that purpose; therefore, when the Church grants an indulgence to her children, for relieving the debt of temporal punishment due to the Divine Justice, she also offers up with the infinite satisfaction of Christ, all the prayers, penances, and good works of his Holy Saints, as a most acceptable oblation to the justice of God, in satisfaction or compensation for the indulgence she grants, both in imitation of what God himself did, when he joined his own sake and David's sake, as the joint motive for protecting Jerusalem, and as an exercise of that holy communion of Saints, which she professes in the Creed; so that "out of their abundance, our wants are supplied," and our debt paid, 2 Cor. viii. 14.

Return to Table of Contents THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF INDULGENCES. Q. How many kinds of Indulgences are there? A. Two kinds, a Plenary Indulgence, which is obtained, would deliver us from all the debt of temporal punishment that we owe for our past sins; and a Partial Indulgence, which delivers us from it only in part, and is commonly expressed as given for a certain time, as of forty days, a year, or the like. The meaning of which is, that an indulgence is granted for such a proportion of the debt of temporal punishment we owe to God, as would have been remitted to him, had the sinner undergone, for that space of time, the severe penitential works prescribed by the primitive church for his sins. Q. What things are required for gaining the benefit of indulgence? A. Two things:

First, That a person be in the state of grace, and in friendship with God; for while one continues in the state of sin, and at enmity with God, and of course worthy of eternal punishment in the sight of the Divine Justice, he is not in a state capable of receiving an indulgence. And on this account it is, that in all grants of Plenary Indulgences, it is generally required as a condition for gaining them that the person apply first to the sacrament of confession, in order to put his soul in the state of grace, without which he is incapable of receiving that benefit.

Return to Table of Contents INDULGENCES ALWAYS GRANTED ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS. Second, That the conditions required in the grant of the indulgence be exactly performed; for, as indulgences are always granted on certain conditions, to be performed on our part, such as approaching to the Holy Sacraments, works of charity and mercy, exercises of piety and religion, prayers for the necessities of the Church, and the like; if these conditions required, are not exactly performed as required, we have no title to the favor of the indulgence. Third, In order to gain the full effect of a Plenary Indulgence, it is also necessary to have a perfect repentance, and sincere detestation of all our sins, even the least venial sin; because, as the punishment of sin will never be forgiven, while the guilt of it remains in the soul, and as a sincere repentance is absolutely required for the remission of the guilty; therefore, this sincere repentance must precede the remission of the punishment. Hence we may see how few there are who gain the full effect of a Plenary Indulgence, as there are few who have a sincere and efficacious repentance of every venial sin, and a sincere and firm resolution of avoiding every sin, great or small, with all the occasions of sin. Yet this ought not to hinder us from using our beset endeavors for gaining a Plenary Indulgence when occasion offers; because, though we should not gain the whole effect of it, the more endeavors we use, and the better we be disposed, the more ample benefit we will reap from it; and whereas, we can never be certain how far we gain this benefit, and have but too much reason, from our own imperfect dispositions, to fear, that we may have yet a great debt remaining unpaid; therefore, our endeavoring to gain an indulgence ought not to make us remiss in leading a truly penitential life, but rather encourage us to do so the more exactly; because, the more we endeavor by works, worthy of penance, to satisfy the Divine Justice, the better we will be disposed, when the opportunity comes, for gaining the more abundant effects of indulgences; for, when we have done our best, it is perhaps little to what we ought to have done; and what we gain by indulgences makes up for the deficiencies of human infirmity, but can never be supposed to patronize negligence and sloth.

Q. When a person dies in the grace and friendship of God, but before he has discharged the debt of temporal punishment which he owes to the Divine justice, what becomes of him? A. The soul is sentenced to purgatory, "out of which he shall not come till he pays to the last farthing," Matth. v. 26.

The Soul in Perfect Charity with God
INSTRUCTIONS ON PURGATORY. Q. What does our Holy Faith teach us concerning Purgatory? A. That, after this life, there is a middle state of suffering, to which the souls of those are condemned for a time, who though dying in the state of grace, and in friendship with God, yet have not fully satisfied the Divine Justice for the debt of temporal punishment due for their smaller sins; or for their more grievous sins, whose guilt has been pardoned in the Sacrament of penance; or who die under the guilty of smaller sins or imperfections. Q. Upon what grounds is this doctrine of Purgatory founded? A. Upon these following:

First, As the justice of God absolutely demands from sinners a reparation of the injury done to him by sin, by means of temporal punishments to be undergone by them after the guilty of their mortal sins, and the eternal punishment has been remitted and forgiven them; and, as this debt of temporal punishment is increased by the venial sins they commit, which also being offensive to God, must be punished by the Divine Justice; for "God will render to every man according to his works," and of every idle word we speak, an account will be demanded; hence it necessarily follows, that there must be a state of temporal punishment after death, where all those must go, who, dying in the state of grace, have not paid this debt before they die, and where they must remain in suffering till such time as they have fully paid it. This place cannot be Heaven; for in Heaven there can be no suffering. It cannot be Hell; for out of Hell there can be no redemption, and those who die in the state of grace, cannot be condemned for ever; therefore it must be a middle place distinct from both.

On these grounds our Savior describes the nature of this state as follows, making use of it as a powerful motive to engage us to live a truly penitential life here, that we may clear that debt before we die; "Be at agreement with thy adversary quickly," says he, "whilst thou art in the way with him, lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cause into prison; amen, I say to thee, thou shall not go out from thence till thou pay the last farthing," Matth. v. 25. Here we see the doctrine of Purgatory described to us in the plainest terms.

This present life is everywhere represented in the holy scriptures as a way in which we are traveling towards Eternity. our adversary is the Divine Justice to whom we owe the debt of temporal punishment. God himself is the judge. If therefore, we do not satisfy our adversary during this life, while we are in the way, when we come to die, and be presented before the Judge, we shall be condemned to purgatory, where we must remain, till by our sufferings we have fully satisfied the Divine Justice for the debt we owe, even to the last farthing.

Return to Table of Contents VENIAL SINS GREATLY DEFILE AND OBSCURE THE PURITY OF THE SOUL. Second, We have seen that though venial sins do not banish the grace of God from the soul, nor break our friendship with God, nor condemn us to eternal punishments, yet they greatly defile and obscure the purity of the soul, and render it less agreeable in the eyes of God; now, the word of God assures us, that "there shall not enter into Heaven any thing defiled," Rev. xxi. 27; and that none "but the clean of heart shall see God," Matth. v. 8. When, therefore, a soul leaves this world in perfect charity with God, clean and undefiled by even the smallest stains of sin, doubtless that soul will immediately be admitted into the presence and enjoyment of God. If, on the contrary, the soul leaves this world in disgrace with God, and dead to him by the guilt of mortal sin, that soul will undoubtedly be condemned to the eternal torments of hell. But when a soul leaves this world in the friendship of God, but sullied with the stains of smaller venial sins, it is plain such a soul cannot in that state go to heaven, where "nothing defiled can enter;" neither can it be condemned to hell, because it is in friendship with God, and a living member of Jesus Christ; therefore there must be some middle state, where such a soul is confined for a time, till by suffering it be cleansed and purged from all these defilements of venial sins, and rendered fit to be admitted to the presence and enjoyment of God. In this view, our blessed Savior says, "he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come," Matth. xii. 32. In which words he plainly insinuates, that some sins shall be forgiven in the world to come, otherwise it would be superfluous and trifling to say of the sin of the Holy Ghost in particular, that it shall never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the next. To the same purpose the prophet Isaiah says, "The voice of the Lord of hosts was revealed in my ear, surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts," Is. xxii, 14; which plainly implies that, after death, it should be forgiven them.

This truth necessarily establishes a middle state, where some sins shall be forgiven; this place cannot be heaven, for no sin can enter there to be forgiven; it cannot be hell, for in hell there is no forgiveness; therefore, it must be a middle place, distinct from both. Neither can these sins which are forgiven in the next life be mortal sins; for a soul that dies in mortal sin is immediately condemned to hell, like the rich glutton in the gospel; therefore, they are only venial sins which are purged from the soul in purgatory, as here explained.

Third, From what has been said, it appears,

1. That the souls who go to Purgatory are only such as die in the state of grace, united to Jesus Christ.

2. That it is their imperfect works for which they are condemned to that place of suffering, and which must all be there consumed, and their stains purged away from them, before they can go to heaven.

3. That, however, they shall at last be saved, and received into eternal bliss, to wit, when they have paid the utmost farthing, and when all their imperfections are purged away. This is the precise doctrine of the Church concerning purgatory. This doctrine is laid down by St. Paul in the plainest terms as follows: "For other foundations no many can lay, but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus;" that is, none can be saved but such as are united to Jesus Christ by faith, that worketh by charity: "Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's works, of what sort it is." The building upon this foundation, as here explained, signifies the works that a man performs while united to Jesus Christ; such works as are good and perfect, are compared to gold, silver, and precious stones; such as are imperfect and venially sinful, are compared to wood, hay, stubble.

At the day of the Lord, at the particular judgement after death, all these works shall be tried and examined by him, for then, the fire of Gods judgment shall "try every man's works of what sort it is." If any man's works abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward, and be immediately admitted into the joy of his Lord; "if any man's works burn, he shall suffer loss," these works being found of no value, he must suffer for them; yet, having built upon the right foundation, by living and dying in the state of grace, and united to Jesus Christ, though with much imperfection, "he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire," being liable to this punishment on account of his many imperfections, 1 Cor. iii. 11. On this text of scripture, St. Ambrose says as follows: "Whereas St. Paul saith yet so as by fire, he showeth indeed, that he shall be saved, but yet shall suffer the punishment of fire; that being purged by fire, he may be saved, and not tormented forever," Serv. 20., in Psal. 118.

Return to Table of Contents THE PRACTICE OF PRAYING FOR THE SOULS OF THE DEAD MORE ANCIENT THAN CHRISTIANITY. Fourth, The belief of a Purgatory, and the practice of praying for the souls detained there, is far from being a novelty, introduced in latter ages, as the enemies of the Catholic Church pretend. It is much more ancient than Christianity itself; and we have a most decisive proof of it from scripture, among the people of God under the old law, in the time of Judas Machabeus, about two hundred years before Christ. For, upon a great victory gained by that valiant general over the enemies of their religion, after the battle, in which many of his people had been slain, Judas, making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for a sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection - and because he considered that they who had fallen asleep, with godliness, had great grace laid up for them.

Return to Table of Contents A HOLY AND WHOLESOME THOUGHT TO PRAY FOR THE DEAD. "It is therefore, a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins," 2 Macc. xii. 46. In this passage of holy writ, we have the following particulars established: First, That the whole people of God, long before Christ, did hold it holy and laudable to pray for the dead.

Second, That they believed this to be a means of benefitting the souls departed, by freeing them from their sins.

Third, That the word of God declares this to be holy and wholesome. If therefore the souls of the faithful departed are benefitted by the prayers of those upon earth, this establishes a Purgatory beyond all contradiction, since those in Heaven are in need of no help, and those in Hell can receive none. We do not find that our Savior ever reprehended the Jews for this practice, though upon all occasions, he censured the Pharisees for the observances they had introduced, some of which were even of much less consequence than this.

Q. Are the sufferings of the souls in Purgatory very severe? A. They are certainly most dreadful; much more so than any thing we can conceive in this world.

First, Because the scripture says they shall "be saved, yet so as by fire," 1 Cor. iii.

Second, Because they are wholly in the hands of the Divine Justice, and the scripture says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," Heb. x. 31. And, indeed, even in this life, where his justice is always mixed with mercy, how dreadful are his punishments upon sinners! Witness the many examples in scripture, even for sins, which to us would seem but small.

Third, Some of the Saints of God have not hesitated to think, that the torments of Purgatory are not inferior to those of Hell, only that those of Hell have no end, whereas those of Purgatory are but for a time.

Fourth, The following passages from the prophets, though addressed directly to the Jews, are applied, in their spiritual sense, to show the greatness of the torments of Purgatory, "If the Lord shall wash away the filth of the daughters of Sion, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning," Is. iv. 4. "And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the Sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, Mal. iii. 3.

Return to Table of Contents "WHEN THE NIGHT COMETH NO MAN CAN WORK". Q. Are the prayers, sacrifices, and other good works of the faithful upon earth of benefit to the souls in Purgatory, when offered to God for them? A. Most undoubtedly they are of great service to them, both by easing their sufferings and shortening the time of their being there. The scripture expressly says, that 'It is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they be loosed from sins," 2 Macca. ii. In their situation they can do nothing for themselves but suffer till they have paid the last farthing. For, as our Savior assures us, when "the night of death cometh, no man can work," John ix. 4, and the Holy Ghost exhorts us to diligent in doing all the good we can at present, for the same reason "whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly; for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening," Eccles. ix. 10, that is, in the regions below, in the state of the dead. But, though the souls in Purgatory can do nothing of themselves to ease or shorten their sufferings, yet such is the goodness of God, that in consideration of the union and charity which he so strictly requires among all the members of His Church, the body of Christ and of that Communion of Saints which he himself has established among them he is pleased to accept of the prayers, sacrifices, and good works of the faithful upon earth, when offered up by them for the souls departed; and, on that account, relieves their pains, and grants them a more speedy deliverance from them. Q. Is it then a great charity to pray for the souls in Purgatory? A. It is certainly so; whether we consider who they are, what they suffer, or how easily relieved by us, though they can do nothing for themselves.

Return to Table of Contents BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL FOR THEY SHALL FIND MERCY. Q. Is it very profitable to ourselves to pray for the souls in Purgatory? A. It is one of the most profitable acts of mercy we can perform; for, First, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy;" and, with the same measure that we mete to others, it shall be measured to us again." This is an established rule of the Divine Justice, consequently in being diligent in procuring relief to those who are gone before us, and are now in a state of purgation and suffering in the next life, is the most effectual means to move Almighty God to stir up others to bring the same relief to us, if we ever be so happy as to go to the same place; on the contrary, "judgment without mercy to him that shows no mercy," Jas. ii. 13.

Second, The souls in Purgatory are the beloved spouses of Jesus Christ, united to him by grace, and secure of their eternal salvation. Now, if Christ assures us that a cup of cold water given for his sake in this life, shall not want its reward, though the one to whom we give it may, perhaps, be one at enmity with Jesus Christ, or who will be lost for ever, and for ever separated from him; what reward will he give to those who, for his sake, contribute to do such a benefit to his beloved spouses in Purgatory, as to ease their dreadful torments, and procure them a more speedy admission to his Divine Presence?

Third, These holy souls themselves will sooner or later be admitted to the possession of God, to the clear and full enjoyment of the Divine Presence; what a happiness for us, if by our prayers, alms, sacrifices, and other good works, we have been instrumental in procuring them ease while they were in their state of purgation, and a more speedy admission to eternal bliss? May we not justly expect that their grateful hearts will not forget our services? will they not be so many steadfast friends to us in Heaven, and by their powerful prayers, obtain a blessing from God to our souls? Hence our Blessed Savior says, in the Gospel, "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when ye shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings," Luke xvi. 9. And in this consists the communion we have with these blessed souls in Purgatory, included in that article of the Creed the communion of saints; which extends to all the members of the Church of Christ, whether they be as yet in the present life, or departed out of it to another; for we communicate to the souls in Purgatory the fruits of our prayers and good works offered up for them; and, in return, we receive, through the mercy of God, these precious rewards of our charity.

Return to Table of Contents THE SOULS IN PURGATORY SHALL AT LAST BE SAVED. Q. What instructions do we learn from this doctrine of Purgatory? A. Chiefly the following: First, The strictness and severity of God's justice, which appears, in some respect, more formidable from Purgatory than even from Hell itself; for, in Hell, whom does he punish? His enemies, His rebellious creatures, obstinate, ungrateful, impenitent sinners, just objects of his aversion, wrath, and indignation; but in Purgatory, He punishes his beloved friends, the chaste spouses of His Son, the living members of Jesus Christ, the objects of His complacency and love. In Hell how does he punish? with torments the most dreadful, yea, more dreadful than can enter into the heart of man to conceive. In Purgatory he punishes with torments much of the same nature; for the souls there shall, indeed, at last, be saved, yet so as by fire; and, perhaps, little inferior in its intenseness, and differing from that of Hell only in its duration. In Hell for what does he punish? for mortal sin, the greatest and most atrocious outrage that can be done to his Divine Majesty; in Purgatory, he punishes only smaller sins, venial imperfections, human frailties. If, therefore, he punishes these venial imperfections in his own beloved friends in so severe a manner, how dreadful are his judgments: how severe his justice, how much to be dread and feared?

Second, Purgatory shows us, in the strongest colors, the great evil of venial sin; for God is a God of infinite justice, and therefore, can never punish any sin more than it deserves; he is also a God of infinite mercy, which inclines him to punish sin rather less than it deserves. if, therefore, a God of infinite justice punishes venial sin in so dreadful a manner in Purgatory, we must, of necessity, acknowledge, that venial sin most justly deserves that punishment; and if so, how great an evil must it be? how pernicious to those who are guilty of it?

Return to Table of Contents WE MUST DISCHARGE THE DEBT WE OWE TO DIVINE JUSTICE. Third, It also shows us the great advantage we may draw from the sufferings of this life, if borne in a penitential spirit; and from endeavoring by a truly penitential life of self-denial and mortification, to discharge the debt we owe to the Divine Justice, and by that means, "make agreement with our adversary while we are in the way." One great reason why souls go to Purgatory, is, because they have not satisfied the justice of God by their sufferings before they die; for this reason they must suffer in Purgatory till they have paid the last farthing. But such is the goodness of God, that he accepts the penitential works we do in this world, and the sufferings we bear in a penitential spirit here, as payment of that debt; and, as our sufferings here scarce deserve the name of sufferings, in comparison with the torments of Purgatory, this shows what a vast advantage we may draw from the afflictions of the present life, and how unreasonably we act by neglecting to make the proper use of them. Fourth, We learn also from the same truth, how great esteem we ought to have for the indulgences which the Church grants us from time to time, and who careful and diligent we ought to be to use every opportunity of gaining them; if we are always properly disposed, and faithful in performing the conditions prescribed, they will undoubtedly be of the greatest benefit to our souls in discharging our heavy debt, either in whole, for what is past, if we be so happy as to gain a Plenary Indulgence, or at least to a considerable degree in proportion to our dispositions and diligence in doing our part.

The Soul Endowed at the Last Hour with Strength from on High.
INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION. Q. What is the end and design of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction? A. The council of Trent declares it in these words: "Our most merciful Redeemer, who desired that His servants should all time be provided with wholesome remedies against the darts of their enemies, as in the other Sacraments he gives Christian manner, and free from any grievous spiritual detriment, so he hath fortified the latter end of our life with the most powerful protection of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. For, though our adversary seeks, and seizes, during our whole life, every possible occasion of ruining our souls, yet there is no time wherein he more vehemently exerts all his strength and art to ruin us entirely, and destroy, if possible, our confidence in the mercy of God, than when he sees the last moment of life approaching," Sess. xiv. in doct. Extr. Unct. By this we see, that the intention of our Blessed Savior in instituting this Sacrament, is to be the means of fortifying our souls against all the violent attacks and snares of our spiritual enemies at our last moments, and to enable us to make a holy death, and secure a happy eternity. Q. Does the devil attack souls with more than ordinary violence in their last moments? A. He certainly does, as this General Council declares, and as experience itself assures us: For though at all times, he goeth about "as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour," 1 Pet. v. 8; yet he redoubles all his force and all his art, when he comes to our last moments, knowing that, if he can gain us then, we will be his forever, but, if he loses us then, he loses us forever; according to that of the Revelations, when St. John heard a loud voice, saying, "woe to the earth, and to the sea, because the devil is come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time," Rev. xii. 12.

When the soul is in its last agony, hovering between time and eternity, and upon the point of leaving the body, the devil then knows there is but a short time to stay, and therefore, he then redoubles all his assaults against it; for, as another text says, "there are spirits that are created for vengeance - and in the time of destruction they shall pour out their force," Ecclus. xxxix. 33; like a king, who being at war with his enemies, when he comes to a decisive battle, on the event of which his crown depends, calls out all his army on that day, and exerts the utmost of his power in order to ensure the victory. Now, when the poor soul comes to this last and dreadful battle, what can it do? If left to itself it will surely perish. This our Blessed Savior well knowing, was pleased, out of his infinite goodness, to institute the Holy Sacrament of Extreme Unction, by which He both purifies the soul still more and more from all the remains of sin that may be on it, and which would give the devil more power and advantage over it; and He also raises it up above its own strength, endowing it with power from on high, to enable it to fight manfully against all the assaults of Satan, and come off with victory.

Return to Table of Contents EXTREME UNCTION A TRUE AND REAL SACRAMENT OF THE NEW LAW. Q. Is Extreme Unction a true and Real Sacrament of the New Law? A. It is, and has all the three things necessary for that purpose. Q. What is the outward sensible sign used in Extreme Unction? A. It is the anointing oil, accompanied by prayer.

Q. What is the inward grace this brings to the soul? A. Both the sanctifying grace of God, by which any stain or sin that may be in the soul, is washed away and forgiven; and also the actual grace of God, by which the soul is fortified and strengthened to resist the assaults of Satan, in its last moments. It also sometimes brings health to the body, when Almighty God sees that it is expedient for the good of the soul.

Q. How is this outward action a sign of the inward grace? A. The oil with which the sick person is anointed represents the grace of God, which is poured down into the soul, and the prayer used at the time of anointing, expresses the remission of sins thereby granted to the sick person; for the prayer is this, "By this Holy Unction, and His own most pious mercy, may the Almighty God forgive you whatever sins thou hadst committed by the sight," when the eyes are anointed; by the hearing, when the ears are anointed; and so of the other senses.

Q. Where is this Sacrament laid down in the holy scriptures? A. It is explained at large, in all its parts, and commanded to be used by the holy Apostle St. James, in these clear and express terms, "Is nay one sick among you? let him bring in the Priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." See here the outward action of the Sacrament, anointing with oil, accompanied with prayer; the inward grace immediately follows, "and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him," James x. 15. Our Lord shall raise him up above his own strength, fortifying his soul with his assisting grace; "if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him," by the sanctifying grace of God, which will wash and purify his soul from all the stains of sins that may remain in it, so that he may appear with joy before his Lord.

Q. What are the effects of this Sacrament of Extreme Unction? A. There will easily appear from what has been said;

First, It cleanses the soul from all the remains of sin; that is, from that anxiety and disturbance of mind, that fear and disquiet, that tepidity and sloth of soul, which in some degree or other, sin always leaves in the soul, and which, when a person is in the danger of death, have often very bad consequences.

Second, It calms the mind, and renders the sick composed and resigned to the will of God, giving them great courage and confidence in the divine mercy.

Third, It washes away the guilt of venial sins which may lurk in the soul, as the proper and direct effect which is designed by it.

Fourth, It also cleanses the soul even from the guilty of mortal sin, in certain circumstances, where the sick person cannot have recourse to the Sacrament of Penance; for, where this Sacrament of Penance can be had, it must always be applied to, for the remission of mortal sin; but in dying persons, it may sometimes happen that this cannot be done. As, for example, if their mortal sins were not forgiven in confession, for lack of proper dispositions, though unknown to the person himself; or were committed after being at the Sacrament of Penance, but had quite escaped his memory; or, if being suddenly deprived of his senses, he could not confess them, but had a sincere sorrow for them. In these, or such like cases, even the guilt of mortal sins will be cleansed from the soul, by the grace of Extreme Unction.

Fifth, It strengthens him to bear with other Christian patience, all the pains and sufferings of his sickness.

Sixth, It fortifies the soul against all the assaults of Satan in its last moments; and

Seventh, It contributes to restore health to the body, if expedient to the soul.

Return to Table of Contents EFFECTS PRODUCED BY THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION. Q. Are all these effects certainly produced by the grace of this Sacrament? A. All those which regard the soul never fail to be produced by the grace of this Sacrament, unless the sick put a hindrance to them by their indisposition; for the scripture expressly affirms, that, when it is administered, "The lord shall raise him up and his sins shall be forgiven him." So that God, who is faithful to his word, will never fail on his part to bestow these graces on the sick, if they be properly disposed to receive them; and the more perfectly they are disposed, the more abundant portion they will receive of them. But what regards the health of the body is not always granted, being only an accidental effect, and not essential to the sacrament, and is only given when the good the soul requires it. Q. What are the dispositions required for receiving Extreme Unction? A. To receive this Sacrament with the full and proper fruit of it to the soul,

First, That the person be free from the known guilty of mortal sin, by a previous use of the Sacrament of Penance, where that can be done.

Second, If he be conscious of being in the state of sin, but cannot confess, being deprived of his speech, for example, though otherwise in his sense, he must have a sincere internal sorrow and repentance for these sins.

Third, As repentance is absolutely required for the remission of every sin, great or small, he ought also to have a sincere repentance for all his sins in general, whether great or small, known or unknown.

Fourth, He ought also to have a great and firm confidence in the mercy of God, and the merits of Christ, that by means of this Sacrament he will be enabled to die the death of the just, and find favor with his God.

Fifth, To join his earnest prayers with those of the Church, while the Sacrament is administered to him; for this is a SACRAMENT OF PRAYER, and "the prayer of faith shall save the sick man."

Return to Table of Contents PRIESTS OF THE CHURCH TO ADMINISTER THE SACRAMENT. Q. To whom does it belong to give Extreme Unction? A. The scripture has determined it in express terms; "let them call for the priests of the Church;" this being a branch of the priestly office. Q. To whom can this Sacrament be given? A. Only to the members of the Church who are in danger of death by sickness, "Is any one sick among you?" says the scripture; and among those, only to such as are capable of sinning; because the design of this Sacrament is chiefly to purify the soul from the remains of past sins, and strengthen it against falling into sin again. Hence it cannot be given,

First, To such as are in danger of death, but not by sickness; as to people going to battle, or to sea, in a dangerous voyage, or to be put to death by order of justice.

Second, To such as are incapable of having ever sinned; such as infants, and those who have been deprived of their judgment from their infancy.

Third, To those who die impenitent, or in the actual commission of some mortal sin; as a drunken man wounded to death, and dying before he becomes sober again.

Return to Table of Contents THE GREAT HAPPINESS OF BEING A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. Q. What instructions do we receive from this Sacrament? A. The infinite love of Jesus Christ to our souls, and His earnest desire of our salvation. At our first entrance into the world, he has provided the Holy Sacrament of Baptism, to unite us to himself as members of his body. During the course of our life he has given us the powerful helps of his other Sacraments, to enable us to persevere in that happy state; and at our death what an admirable means has he provided in the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, to make us his forever! Second, The great happiness of being a member of the Church of Christ, where alone this great help is to be found for our souls. Consider the importance of dying well; the dangers we will then be exposed to? the help here afforded to us for that end, and this will clearly show the greatness of that happiness.

Third, How careful we should be while in health, to discharge well all our Christian duties, as that will most powerfully engage Almighty God to bestow this last help upon us at our death; whereas a negligent and sinful life provokes him to deprive us of that benefit when death approaches, of which there is daily experience.

Fourth, That, when sickness comes, we be extremely careful to receive this Sacrament in due time, and not to put it off to the very last, when perhaps we may be deprived of the facilities of preparing ourselves for receiving it with that devotion of which the greater abundance of its blessed effects so much depends.