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A

MANUAL

CATHOLIC RELIGION

CATECHIbTS, TEACHERS

SELF-INSTEnCTinN.

BY THE
REV. FATHER F. X. WENINGER, D »>,
1I193IONART OP THE SOCIETY OF JEStlS.
ForaxEjaNTH edition.
NEW YORK :
P. O'SHEA, PUBLISHER,
'37 BARCLAY STREET,

I hare read and examined the ' Manual of tne Catholic Doctrine," hj
Rev. F. X. Wenninger, S. J., with a great deal of pleasure, and delight, T
hnow of no work more clear and explicit, or that better meets the exigen-
cidg of the times than this ; hence, I would exceedingly like to see it trani-
Uted into English, and freely circulated within the diocese.
t JOHN HENRY LUEES,
Bishop of Fort Wayttt.

Entered according to Act of Congress, m the year 1361
By D. k J. SADLIEB & CO.,
Id the Clerk's Office ot t>e Dis'nct Court of tne united States, for ttvt
South dm District of New York.

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
Is the following work, I offer to the Catholic public a book
which contains in brief a complete exposition of the whole of
the Christian doctrine, so that, whoever has mastered its
contents, may be called, and truly is, a perfectly instructed
Christian. But why do I write a new book for this purpose 1
Have we not already a multitude of good Catechisms and
very solid catechetical works 1 Doubtless we have. But
doubtless, also, something remains to be done. I thought
that a Manual as complete, brief, clear, and systematical as
possible, adapted equally for teachers and for self-instructioij,
vas a desideratum.
I felt, especially in all the catechetical books with which I
am acquainted, the absence of a regular system, that is, a
system in which the development follows throughout the
nature of the subject, and connects the several parts into one
complete whole. I hope it will be difficult to detect in the
present w^ork a defect in this regard. I have also' remarked
in this kind of books, that proofs drawn from tradition are
almost totally neglected, or at least, much less attended to
than proofs taken from scripture. I have endeavored in the
present Manual to place theni on an equal footing.
How far, in other respects, I have succeeded in giving to the
book the perfection of completeness, united with brevity and
clearness, others will judge.
For myself, it is encouraging to know that I place my

4 PREFACE.
readers on a safe and well-tried road. For in preparing thi«
Manual, I Hiade use of a work entitled, " Summa Doctrinaj
Christianse," written by me about thirteen years ago. I had
the consolation of receiving a letter for it from his Holiness
Pope Gregory XVI., in which the Holy Father deigned to
express himself thus : " Purissimis fidei catholicse principiis
juventutem erudire satagis." The Holy F-ather, therefore
is pleased to call the principles of religion set forth therein,
the purest principles of Catholic faith, and 1 am confident,
that in preparing this Manual, 1 have not deviated in the leas*
&om the principles of faith contained in the Latin edition.
Instruction in religious matter is the great want of our
time, particularly among the otherwise better educated classes
of the laity. The present work is intended to supply this
want, to enable every one who is willing to study, and is
fit for self-instruction, to render an account of his faith on
all occasions, and, in fine, to make people understand what
influence faith is to exert on their conduct.
As the book was printed in the absence of the author.
some additions were overlooked, and consequently have been
added at the end of the work.
Should the Manual obtain a favorable reception from the
public, especially the reverend clergy, it will be followed,
God willing, by other instructive books which I have written
in German for popular instruction, and which are intimately
connected with the present work.
May Mary, who is the seat of Divine wisdom, oestow her
benign and maternal benediction upon this book and its
readers !

CONTENTS,

NTEODUCriOM ..,  i

PART I.
ON THE WAY OF SALVATION.

CHAPTER I.
On Fafth.
Definition and Necessity of Faith  14
Sources of Faith  16
Holj- Scripture  Ifi
Tradition  lii
The A.postle^' Creed  24
FiKST Article of Faith.
Of the Attributes of God  23
Of the Trinity of God  ,  3\
Of the Creation  35
Of the Angels  'S;i
Of Man in tlie State of Original Justice  4.!
Of Man's Fall, and of Original Sin  41
Of the Exemption of Mary from Original Sin  4.5
Second Article of Faith.
Jesus Christ the promised Redeemer as to His Mission  60
Jesus Christ the Son of God as to His Person . . ;  6^7
Third Article of Faith.
Jesus Christ both God and Man as to His Nature  63
Fourth Article of Faith.
J«sus Christ the Redeemer of Man, by His Life, Passion and
Death  ,  68
Fifth Article of Faith.
Jesus Christ the Vanquisher of Hell, the Deliverer of the
Just from Limbo, and the glorious Conqueror of Death.. 71
Sixth Atltiolk of Faith.
Jesi ? Christ the King of Glory ascending into Heaven. ..... fd
SkVENTB IRTICLE OF FaITH.
JesUi. Iirist the Judge of the Living and the Dead  77
Eighth A ¦ ole of Fafth.
The L V Ghost the Thii'd Person of the Blessed. Trinity .. . . 81

• contents.
Ninth Article of Faith.
The Clmrch of Christ  8^
MABIca OF THE ChUECH.
The Catholic Church the only true Church  87
The Catholic Church the only Immutable and Infallible
Church  ^.  101
UOViaVNMENT OF THE CbDECB.
The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy.  102
The Roman Pontiff the Head of tVe Catholic Church  108
His Infallibility in Deciding on Matters of Faith  106
His Supreme Jurisdiction in Governing the Church  106
The Communion of the Members of the Church  109
Purgatory  110
The Veneration of Mary and of the Saints  113
" " Holy Pictures and Relies  115
The Catholie Church the only Sanntifying Church  122
Tenth Article of Faith.
The Remission of Sin to the Supernatural and Spiritual Life
of the Soal  126
Eletxnth Aeticus of Faith, •
The Resuri'ection of the Body to the Supernatural, Incorrup
tible Life of the Body  128
Twelfth Ajbticle or Faith.
Everlasting Life of the Blessed in HeaTen as regards both
soul and body  , 
The Eternal Pains of the Damned in Hell In regard to soul
and body  ISl
CHAPTER II.
Hope.
Definition and Necessity of Hope.  ,  141
Prayer the most sublime Aet of Hope  142
the Lord's Prayer.  146
Explanation of its Seven Petitions,  148
Invocation of Mary  163
The Hail Mary  166
Explanation of the Solutions and Petitions contained therein. 16A
CHAPTER III.
CiuBTrr. Definition and Necessity of Charity  171
The Two Principal Commandments of Charity  173
The Ten Commandments  178
The First Comman-lment  177
" Second " ,  181
" Third "   186
" Fottrth "  \^

CONTENTS, 7
ff
The Fifth Comnianament  199
" Sixth "  202
" Seventh "  204
" Eighth "  208
" Ninth "  208
" Tenth "  ..,216
The Commandments of the Church  217
The First Commandment  218
" Second "  221
" Third •'  224
" Fourth "  22"
" Fifth "  230

PART II.
ON THE MEANS OF SALVATION.
CHAPTER I.
Qbace.
Of Grace in general. 231
Of Actual Grace  ,  233
Of Sanctifying Grace  238
CHAPTER II.
Tbi Holt Sacraments.
^ Of the Sacraments in general  243
" Sacrament of Baptism  246
" " Confirmation  256
" " the Altar or the Holy Eucharist  259
" Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament  260
Of Transubstantion  261-
Of the Offering it up in the Holy Sacrifice in the Mass.  263
Of Communion  ,  .-  267
Of Adoration  275
Of the Sacrament of Penance in general.., , . ,  276
Of Contrition,.  ,   278
Of Confession  282
Of Satisfaction.,  297
Of Indulgences  303
Of Extreme Unction  807
Of Holy Orders  810
CHAPTER III.
0» Matrimony.
Of the Sacramei t of Matrimony  316
Of Celibacy  324

8 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV.
The Sacraments.
Of the Sacraments in general  32T
Of Benedictions.  827
Of Blessings.  828
Of Ceremonies  330
Of the Solemn Usages of the Church  831

PART III.
ON THE CARE OP SALVATION.
CHAPTER I.
The Avoiding of Evn. -
Of Sin in general  346
Of the Seven CapiUl Sinfl  350
" Sins of Participation  365
" " against the Holy Ghost  367
" that cry to Heaven... 8  370
" Atonement for Sin  872
CHAPTER II.
Soon Works.
Of Good Works in general  373
Of Virtue  .,376
Of the Divine Virtues  376
" Moral Virtues  377
" Four Cardinal Virtues  377
" Seven Principal Virtues  381
" Eight Beatitudes  , . 581
• CHAPTER III.
The State of Christian Perfction.
Of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost,  389
" Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghost  392
" Three Evangelical Counsels  392
" Practice of exciting Fervor  401
ADDITIONS.
The Jubilee  405
Of the Sacramentals  406
The Ecclesiastical Year and its Festivals  406
Missions  40S

MANUAL

THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.

INTRODUCTION
Question. What is Christian doctrine 1
Answer. Christian doctrine is a short, clear, and methodicaj
summary of those truths of faith and 'morality which every
Christian should know, in order to be able to live according
to faith ; and to answer the questions proposed to him con
cerning it.
Q. Who is called a Christian; and is so in the true sense
of the word 1
A. He who, after the reception of the sacrament of Bap
tism, believes in Jesus Christ and his doctrine, and professes
the same in the true Church,
Q. Whence is it that we are called Christians 1
A. From Christ, the founder of the faith, and the author
of our salvation.
Q. To what does the name of Christian oblige us 1
A. It obliges us to render thanks to God for the inestimable
favor of being called to the true faith.
It obliges us to know all that the law of Christ commands
us to believe and to do.
It obliges us, moreover, to lead a life corresponding to this
name; for if any one should pride in the name of Christian,
1*

10 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
and, nevertheless, live the life of a heathen, such a one would
only bear that name for his greater responsibility and con
demnation. And finally, it obliges us to suffer every thing, and to be
ready to lay down even our lives for Christ, and for the
truth of our holy faith, just as Christ suffered and laid down
his life for us.
Q,. By what sign, in particular, may we know a Christian 1
A. By the sign of the holy cross, with which he is wont to
sign himself, and the use of which dates by constant practice
and tradition, from the time of the Apostles.
Q. How do you make the sign of the cross 1
A. Whjls^ signing ourselves, with the right hand, with the
sign of the cross, we say : In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. The signing with
the sign of the cross is twofold ; namely : If we sign our
selves with the greater sign of the cross, we place our left
hand extended upon the breast, and touch, with the extremi
ties of the fingers of our right, likewise extended, first our
forehead, saying : In the name of the Father ; then with the
same hand the middle of the breast, saying : and of the
Son ; and finally, we pass th'e hand in a right line from our
left shoulder to the right, saying : and of the Holy Ghost ;
and joining our hands, and inclining the head, we say : Amen.
When we make the lesser sign of the cross, we also place the
left hand upon the breast, as said above, but with the thumb
of the right hand we make a small sign of the (>J<) cross
upon our forehead, saying : In the name of the Father ; next',
in the same manner, a (>J<) cross upon our mouth, saying :
and of the Son ; and finally, a (>J<) cross on the middle of
our breast, saying : and of the Holy Ghost ; and conclude by
joining our hands and saying : Amen.
Q. Why is it that we thus make the sign of the cross ?
A. Signing our forehead, we say : In the name of the
Father, because the Father is the first person of the most
Holy Trinity. We sign our mouth, while calling upon the
Son ; because he is the eternal Word of the Father. . Finally,
we. sign our breast, while calling upon the Holy Ghost, be
cause he is the eternal Love of the Father and the Son, whose
salutary unction is poured forth into our hearts by means of
'•sanotiCying grace. The signing ourselves with the sign of the
oioss also remlnd.s us, to offer up all our thoughts, words,

INTRODUCTION. 1 I
actions, and desires, for the honor and glory of the most
Holy Trinity. But signing ourselves with the greater or so
called " Latin" sign of the cross, we pronounce the words :
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, whilst signing our
selves over the breast ; because the Son, coming down from
heaven, became man in the womb of the ever blessed Virgin
Mary, through the cooperation of the Holy Ghost. We
pass the hand across the breast, from the left side to the right,
because the left signifies the state of sin — the right, that of
grace. But Christ brought us from the state of sin to that
of grace by means of his redemption on the cross.
Q. Has the signing with the sign of the cross any other
significations ?
A. Yes ; for we say. In the " name" and not " ift the
names" in order .to express, by means of the singular num
ber, the unity^f God : and the expression " In the name" is
significant of the divine power and majesty, -which, in all the
three divine persons, is one and the same. Whereas the
words : of the Fatherland of the Son,and of the Holy Ghost,
mark the distinction of the three divine persons in the one
iUid undivided Trinity,
Moreover, because the signing itself is made in the form
of a cross, we are put in mind of the Passion, and, conse^
quently, of the Incarnation of the Son of God, And the
making of the sign of the cross, from the left to the right,
reminds us, as already stated above, that by the Passion of
our Lord, we were restored to life again, from the death of
sin, and are now called upon to abandon perishable goods for
the possession of goods eternal.
Q. Why do we sign ourselves with the sign of the cross ?
A. In the first place, to make an open profession of our
being Christians, and, indeed, soldiers of Christ, who is our
chief and leader, and whose victorious banner is the sign oi
the cross.
2d, We sign ourselves with this sign, in order to call, by
means of it, for divine assistance. For the signing with the
holy sign of the cross is a short, but at the same time, a
powerful invocation of the most Holy Trinity, through the
merits of the precious passion of Christ ; on which account
pious Christians are wont to arm themselves with this holy
sign on all occasions, as in rising from bed, in leaving tho
house, in sitting down at table, and particularly in any affai/

12 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
of importance ; and this is the very same practice, to which
already in the earliest times of Christianity, St. Cyril (first
catechist, afterwards archbishop of Jerusalem,) invited the
faithful ; for he says in his thirteenth catechesis : " Let no
one be ashamed of professing Christ crucified, but let him,
full of confidence, make with his fingers the sign of the cross
upon his forehead, and let the sign of the cross bi, made
before every thing we do, as : when food or drink la taken,
going out or coming in, lying down and rising, takir.;^ a walk
or sitting still ;" i. e., use the sign of the cross often, ^nd with
confidence to obtain God's blessing for all your actions.
Finally, make use of the sign of the cross as k weapon
against all temptations of the evil spirit ; since, through the
cross, Christ has vanquished hell, and accomplished hip victory. ,
For, " when the evil spirits," says the same St, Cyril, ii his
fourth catechesis, " perceive this sign of the ^preme King,
they are terrified, and take to flight," By this holy si?n,
therefore, man may be freed from many dangers of body ai'd
soul, if he use it with faith and confidence in the meicy of
God manifested thereby, and in the merits of Chritjt who
died upon it.
Practice — Rejoice, in thy vocation to the kingdom of God,
and honor the holy sign of the cross, that triumphant banner
of faith, hope, and holy love, which waves from Sion of the
holy Church. Excite, too, in thy breast the greatest desire,
not only to show thyself every where by ths use of this
s'^n, as a Christian, but also as one who is perfectly versed in
the science of salvation, that, living a true foUov^ er of Jesus
Christ crucified, thou may est be saved through Him,
Q. Into how many principal parts may the Christian doc
trine be divided 1
A. Into three general parts. For in matters of religion
a three-fold question is chiefly to be answered ; and only the
Christian doctrine answers it satisfactorily. The first ques-
ti(;u is : Which is the way that leads us to eternal life and
happiness, our last end 1
2d. WKioh are the necessary means, and
3J. In what raanri.or, and with what perfection are we to
proceed for reaching this end ?
Ilenoe the whole of tUt; Christian doctrine divides itselJ
naturally into three principal parts. The first part defines
and expounds tho way of salvation, and treats of Christiai!

INTRODUCTION. 13
wisdom and justice in general, declaring what and how we are
to believe, to hope, and to love, in order to work out our sal
vation. This part contains, therefore, three chapters, namely :
that on Faith, on Hope, and on Christian Charity.
The second part treats of the means of salvation, by t.i6
right use of which, we truly walk in the path of faith, hope,
and charity, and consequently work out our eternal salvation.
This second part is also subdivided into three chapters ; the
first, treating of Grace ; the second, of the divinely instituted
means of Grace, or of the holy Sacraments ; and the third,
of the Sacramentals ; i. e., different practices instituted by
the church for the sanctification of the faithful.
The third part treats of the care and solicitude we ought to
nave concerning our eternal salvation, proposing the manner
in which we may be guided in the practice and acquisition of
Christian wisdom and justice, and thus arrive at the height of
Christian perfection. The third part is likewise subdivided
into three chapters, the first of which lays before us the man
ner of avoiding evil, the second that of doing good, and the
third the virtues of Christian perfection.
In conclusion, we are reminded of those things which should
be especially considered, in order that we may carry on the
work of salvation with vigilance, and under the guidance of
Christian zeal and prudence.
These are the principal parts and divisions of the Christian
doctrine which every well-instructed Christian ought to know,
in order to show himself worthy of his name, and to be able
to give an account of his faith and his practice.
We have chosen to take and to lay- down this plan of the
Christian doctrine, rather than any other, because it seemed
to us to correspond best with man's destiny, and the relation
regarding his end. For we are, as the Apostle so earnestly
reminds us, and as the whole order of divine providence in
the work of our salvation clearly evinces, we are, I say, essen
tially travellers and pilgrims on the road to our country, to
our home, which is heaven. Now, since the order, by which
salvation is obtained, points out the way of eternal happiness,
.ind he who journeys in it can only be interested in the three
questions mentioned above, to wit ; Which is the true way
to sa,lvation 1 Which are the means necessary for obtaining itl
and. With what care are they to be employed 1 it is plain that
the whole Christian doctrine of sahatiou follows naturally
and readily this division.

14 MANUAL OF TUB CATHOLIC RELIGION.

FIRST PART.
THE WAY OF SALVATION.

CHAPTER I.
ON FAITH.

Q. What is Christian faith 1
A. Christian faith is a gift of God, and a supernatural
light, by which man, enlightened, professes and firmly believes,
all that God has revealed, be it written or not, because God
teaches us so by his Church.
Faith does not rest on the experience of the senses, nor on
human power and intelligence, but on the authority of God
revealing himself; because the eternal truth, which is God,
can neither deceive, nor be deceived. And hence it is the
property of faith, to subject the understanding, in obedience
•lo Christ, to the teaching of the Church, not admitting even
a shadow of doubt,
Q. Is faith necessary for salvation ?
A. Yes ; for St. Paul says : " Without faith it is impos
sible to please God." Heb. xi. 6. The foundation of our
salvation is faith, without which we can neither know, nor
invoke and serve God as we ought. " If you will not believe,
you shall not continue." Isaiah vii. 9.
" For he that cometh to God, must believe," says St. Paul,
xi. 6. '' He that believeth not, shall be condemned," and
"is already judged." Mark $vi. IG; John iji. 18,
Q. But does man know nothing at all about God and the
affair of his salvation, without faith?
A. He knows indeed something, but by no means all, and

ON FAITH. IF.
that which, by the light of reason and the voice of conscience,
he does know about God and his holy will, for doing good
and avoiding evil, and which is called natural religion, even
this he does not know sufliciently well, as to be by himself
capable of doing always what is right, particularly in strong
temptations. For by the mere light of reason he cannot dis
cover the source, whence, the perversions of our inclinations
and passions, the wickedness of the world, the corruption of
human nature, derived their origin. Of himself, man is
likewise unable to find means of reconciliation after falling
into sin ; and he knows nothing of his condition after death,
in the world eternal. All these questions, our holy faith can
alone answer with certainty. The best proof of this is the
nations of the world, that lived before Chi^t, and walked in
the night of heathenism during a period of four thousand
years. Even the wisest of their philosophers could not resolve
those vital questions, either for themselves, or for the people.
Another p."oof we have even at the present day, in the na
tions that have not as yet opened their eyes to the light of
the Gospel. The same darkness of heathenism is yet brood
ing over them, over the learned as well as the unlearned,
They are abiding not only in ignorance, but in the mists of
their own inventions — for, deciding on matters of religion
without faith, will necessarily produce a mixture of the most
absurd assertions and fables. Another proof of this is finally
furnished by those learned men, who, despising the blessed
inheritance of faith, reject the truths of revelation ; and, as
soon as they have done so, fall back into the night of igno
rance^ as regards those essential questions which relate to
salvation. Q. Is faith alone sufficient for salvation %
A. By no means ; in order to enter eternal life, it is neces
sary, besides, that we keep the Commandments of God and
those of the Church, or, in other words, we must also do
good works and diligently practise all those virtues, which,
by the duties of religion and those of our state of life, we are
bound to fulfill. For it is this which faith teaches and
obliges- us to do.
" If thou wilt enter into life," says our Lord, " keep the
Commandments." Matt. -xbi. \T . And again: "Note-very
one that saith to me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the king
dom of heaven, but he that docth the will of niv Father who

16 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,'
Matt. ii. 7--21. And, speaking of the last day, Jesus Christ
says expressly : " Then will he render to every man accord
ing to his works." Matt. xvi. 27. St. James, in his epistle,
lays down the same doctrine : " Even so," says he, " faith,
if it have not works, is dead in itself; for, as the body with
out the spirit is dead, so also faith without good works."
James ii, 17-26,
Q. What, then, must the qualities of faith be, in order that
we may be saved by it ?
A. It must be a living faith, namely, practical and produc
tive of good works. It must be a full faith, or our faith must
also be entire — th*t is to say, we must believe all that God
proposes to us by the Church ; for this the authority of God
demands of us — that authority which, with regard to every
article of faith revealed to us, is always the self-same supreme,
divine authority,
Q. How many sources are there from which we derive
our knowledge in matters of faith ?
A. In general, there are two sources, namely : The Holy
Scripture and Tradition.
Q. What do you understand by Holy Scripture 1
A. By Holy Scripture, I understand all those books or
sacred writings, the contents of which have been written under
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, from the beginning, through
Moses and the Prophets, down to the times of the Apostles,
and which have been acknowledged and accepted as such by
the Church,
Q. How many books of this kind are there ?
A. Seventy-three,
Q. How are they divided 1
A. They are divided into the Old and New Testaments.
Q. Which books belong to the Old, and which to the New
Testaments 1
A. To the Old Testament belong those which were written
by Moses, David, Solomon and the Prophets, and bv other
holy men, under divine insr-iration, before the coming of Christ.
Q. How many of them are there, and how are they divided 1
A. The Old Testament is made up of forty-six books,
and they are divided into historical, prophetic, and moral or
instructive books.

ON FAITH. 17
Q. W hich are the historical books of the Old Testament 1
A. The historical books are :
The Book, of Genesis, or the Creation,
" " Exodus, or the departure fiom Egypt.
" " Leviticus,
" " Numbers,
" " Deuteronomy, or the Book of Laws.
« « Josue,
" « Judges,
« " Ruth,
The 1st book of Kings alias I. of Samuel.

2d 3d
4th "

Kings.Kings.
Kings.

1st
2d 1st

Paralipomenon, alias I. of Chronicles.
Paralipomenon. Esdras.

2d

Esdras, alias Nehemias.

book of Tobias.

u

Judith,

£C

Esther.

((

Job,

1st

Machabees.

2d

Machabees,

Of these historical books, those from- Genesis to the first
book of Esdras, contains the history of the world, and that
cf the people, of God, till the Babylonian captivity.
The books of Esdras, and those of the Machabees, contain
the history of the people of God after the Babylonian cap
tivity. The books of Job, Ruth, Tobias, Judith, and Esther,
contain each the history of an individual, written by a special
disposition of divine providence, under the inspiration of the
Holy Ghost, because all the events relating to those persons
are calculated to excite, to strengthen, and to animate our
confidence in the providence of God ; that confidence stood,
especially in the Old Testament, in need of a particular sup
port, because all hope of salvation rested on the Redeemer
that was to come,
Q. Which are the prophetical books t
A. They are the following :
Isaias,

18 manual OF the catholic religioh.
Jeremiah, together with The Lamentation, and the bonk
of Baruch,
Ezechiel, Daniel,
These four, because their prophecies are more extensive,
are styled the four greater Prophets.
Next follow the books of the twelve minor or lesser
Prophets, who are so called, because their prophecies are not
so extensive as those of the first. They are Osee, Joel,
Amos, Abdias, Jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuo, Sophonias,
Aggeus, Zacharias, and Malachias.
Q. Which are the books of moral instruction ?
A. The books of moral instruction are these :
The book of the Psalms of David,
" " Proverbs of Solomon.
" " Ecclesiastes,
" " Canticle of Canticles.
" " Wisdom.
" '' Ecclesiasticus.
Q. What books constitute the sacred writings of the New
Testament, and how are they divided 1
A. The New Testament is made up of twenty-seven books :
their order is as follows :
1, The four Gospels, bearing respectively the names of
St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John.
2, The Acts of the Apostles, written by St, Luke.
3, The Epistles of St. Paul, which are fourteen in number
namely : The Epistle to the Romans.

1st

(1

u

Corinthians.

2d

<(

u

Corinthians.

t(

ct

Galatians,

(tu
u

Ephesians. Philippians,
Colossians.

1st

(C

u

Thessalonians.

2d

ti

n

Thessalonians.

1st
2d

((11 u

Timothy.Timothy, Titus,
(C
"
Philemon.
«
((
Hebrews.
ON FAITH. 19
4. The remaining canonical Epistles of th<} Apostlea
namely : — The Epistle of St. James.
1st " St. Peter,
2d " St, Peter. •
1st " St. John.
2d " St, John,
3d " St, John.
" the Apostle St. Jude.
5. The Apocalypse, or Revelations of St. John.
Q. Who has guaranteed all those books of the Old and
New Testament as divinely inspired ?
A. The Church, from the earliest times of Christianity, as
the Holy Council of Trent has declared ; which Council, in its
Fourth Session, pronounces the sentence of excommunication
on those who refuse to accept as divine and canonical those
books, with all their parts, just as the Catholic Church rO-
ceives them, and as they are contained in the Latin edition
of the Vulgate,
Q. Where, then, do we find the Holy Scriptures ?
A. In the ^Catholic Church, which, after receiving them
directly from the Apostles, has, by the assistance of the Holy
Ghost, preserved them inviolate. All the sects which sprung
lip afterwards took the Bible with them from {he Catholic
Church. Suppose the Church not to be true, whence would
they know that they themselves had the true Bible 1
- Q. Are the Holy Scriptures the only source and rule of
faith 1
A. By no means ; for first : they do not contain all tiiat
God has revealed, as they themselves bear witness, by refer
ring to oral tradition.
In the Epistle to the Thessaloniuis, St. Paul writes thus :
" Stand firm ; and hold the traditions which you have learned,
whether by word or by our Epistle." I Thess. ii. 14. And fox
.^ this reason he praised the Corinthians in these words : " Now
I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of
me, and keep my ordinances as I delivered them to you." 1
Cor. xi. 2,
Moreover, he exhorts the Thessalonians "to withdraw
themselves from every brother, walking disorderly, and not
according to the tradition which they had received from the
Apostles," 1 The^s. iii. 6.

20 MANUAL or THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
in the same manner does St. John make mention- of th«
tradition of the Apostles, and gives us to understand that
more is contained in it thai", in the Holy Scriptures. For in
one of his Epistles, he writes thus : " Having more things to
write to you, I would not by paper and ink, for I hope that I
shall be with you, and speak face to face." 2 John, 12. In
his third Epistle, he repeats the very same ; 3 John, 13.
And he concludes his Gospel with these memorable words :
" Rut there are also many other things which Jesus did ; which,
if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would
not be able to contain the books that should be written." St.
John, xxi. 25. From this it is plain that all that the Apos
tles delivered to the Church is not contained in the Holy
Scriptures. Christ, our Lord, himself wrote nothing at all. And many
of the Apostles likewise did not write ; whereas, all of them
preached to the nations, as St. Paul assures us: ''Verily,"
says he, " their sound went over all the earth, and their words
unto the ends of the whole world." Rom. x. 18. Their
spoken word the Church received, and keeps with infinite
respect, teaching her ministers, to whom she has intrusted
the office of promulgating the divine word ; and to teachers
sent by the Church is applicable now, and to the end of time,
the command of our Lord Jesus Christ : " He that hieareth
you, heareth me ; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me."
Luke X. 16, " By this," writes St. John, " we know the Spirit
of truth, and the spirit of error." 1 John, iv, 6. That :is,
by this submission to the lawful ministry of the Church, we
may know the believer and the unbeliever, and discern be
tween them.
Secondly, The Holy Scripture is not written .sufficiently
plain for all to understand it. Every one that reads the
Scripture must be aware of this, and the Holy Scripture it
self testifies it. When the Apostle Philip, approaching tho
chariot in which the courtier of the queen of Candace was sitting,
in the act of reading the prophet Isaias asked whether he
understood what he was reading, the courtier answered thus :
•'How can I, unless some one show mef Acts, viii. 31.
Now, if a man of such high standing as he, who lived eighteen
centuries ago, and was, moreover, an inhabitant of .the East,
did n )t understand the Scriptures of the Old Testament, how
is it possible that, at the present day, every man should be

ON FAITH. 21
able to understand if? And the Apostle St. Peter, himself,
says of the Epistles of St. Paul, .that in them "there are
some things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and
unstable wrest, as also the other Scriptures, to their own
perdition." 2 Pet. iii. 16. "Whence else spring all heresies,
than because the Holy Scripture, in itself good, is badly
understood." Thus St, Augustine.
Thirdly, The Holy Scripture is written in a language which
is not now spoken, and he who does not know this language
is not competent to judge whether a translation is correct.
Fourthly, In point of controversy, the Holy Scripture
cannot interpret itself, since it is but a book, the meaning of
which any one may wrest as he pleases. For, of what use
would it be to place a book of laws in the judgment-hall, and
say : Let every one who has a lawsuit, decide his case from
the law-book. Certainly there would be no end to litigation,
and every one might contend that the right was on his side.
St. Jerome has already said : " There has never been a heretic
¦ffho did not quilt a pillow for his errors from the te.xt of Holy
Scripture." Fifthly. The Holy Scriptures were not known or circu
lated before the fourth century.
Sixthly. The Holy Scripture was an exceedingly rave book
till the invention of printing in the fifteenth century, and cost
such a price, that it was only the rich who were able to pro
cure it. And yet the Gospel was, according to Christ, io be
preached, in a special manner, to the poor.
Seventhly, The greater part of mankind were unable. \/\
read then, as they are even now. What benefit, therefore,
could those people derive from the Bible alone ?
Q. Is it right, then, that any one may choose for himsell
from Scripture alone, whatsoever he wishes to believe, and
interpret the same as he pleases "l
A. No, every one is bound to submit to the interpretation
of the Chiirch, to whom God entrusted the Holy Scriptures —
that Church which is " the pillar and the ground of truth."
1 Tim. iii. 15. " Our mother, the holy Catholic Church,
preserves, and always will preserve, the truth in its purity ;
for she is governed and taught by God, and she is the only
teacher of salvation.". Thus St. Cyprian to the bishops a.*
semblcd at Carthage.
Q. Is every one allowed to read the Scriptures at the pr*
uent day ?

J2 manual of the CATHOLIC RELIGION,
A. The Church wishes that the Christian people snoulo
read the Holy Scripture, for their instruction and edification ;
but in order that they may understand what they read, she
wills that the people should read the Scripture with explanar
tions authorized by herself, in order that they may really
read it with profit, and not run the risk of receiving harm
from reading inconsiderately what they do not understand,
and may misinterpret to their own destruction,
Q. How do we come to know that portion of God's reve*
lation, which is not contained or found recorded in Holj
Scripture ]
A. Bj' means of oral transmission or tradition.
Q. What is the opinion of the holy Fathers, concerning
tradition ]
A. Irenffius, one of the earliest Fathers of the Church,
writes thus in his book against the Heretics : " All those
who wish to see the truth, see in every Church the Tradition of
the Apostles which is spread throughout the whole world ;
for it has come down to us, through the uninterrupted suc
cession of the bishops ordained by the Apostles." And
again : " Those bishops and priests are the guardians of our
faith, and the interpreters of the Sacred Writings to us, with
out any danger of error." It was through the succession of
the bishops, to whom the Apostles gave in charge the Churches
established in every place that the true and genuine interpre
tation of Holy Writ was propagated without addition or
diminution, and so delivered to us. And thus the reading of
the Scripture is now safe and secure, and its text free from
distortion. Tertullian writes in the same manner in his book, entitled,
" De Prsescriptione." He says : " Jesus Christ sent his
Apostles to preach ; no other preachers than those whom
Christ invested and commissioned to preach, are to be re
ceived, for what he revealed is sufficient. But that which
those preached, and which Christ revealed, needs, in my
opinion, no other proof than that of the very Churches which
the. Apostles established, partly by the livins; word, partly
by subsequent Epistles," And again : "We do believe what
those apostolic Churches believe ; for we are in communion
with them, and this our doctrine is true."
Origen, in his first book, styled : " Periarchon," writes
thus : " We must not believe heretics, because they quote the

ON FAITH. 23,
Holy Scriptures; nor are we allowed to swerve from the
ecclesiastical tradition, or to believe it otherwise than the
Church of God delivered it to us through the succession."
St, Basil, in his book of the Holy Ghost, chap. ii. 27,
writes : " We have some articles of faith from the Holy
Scripture, others we received by the Tradition of the Apostles
. . , which the Apostles preached, the Fathers believed ar.d
the martyrs confirmed with their blood."
In support of our article of faith, regarding the unwritten
doctrine of the Catholic Church, St, John Chrysostom ex
presses himself briefly and forcibly thus : " It is the Tradi
tion — do not ask, therefore, any further." Hom. iv. on 2 Epist.
to the Thess.
Justly, then, did the first General Council of Nice already
declare : " The ecclesiastical Traditions are to be kept unan
imously and inviolably, whether they be written or not,"
And all the Councils and Fathers of our holy Church givtf the
same unanimous decision in this regard ; and this truth, as
shown by the above cited definition of the Council of Trent,
is an article of faith.
Q. Where are the Traditions of the Church to be found ?
A. In the living ministry of the Church, in the writings of
the holy Fathers and in the approved ecclesiastical writers of
the first centuries of Christianity, The best known are the
following : St. Hermas, St. Clement of Rome, St. Ignatius
the Martyr, St, Polycarp, St. Justin the Martyr, Athena-
goras, St, Irenaeus, St. Cyprian, TertuUiap, St. Athanasius,
St, Hilary, St. Basil, St. Ephrem, St. Cyril of Jerusalem,
St. Gregory Nazianzen, St, Ambrose, St, John Chrysostom,
St, Jerome, St. Augustine and a host of others down to the
time of St. Bernard, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure.
Of all these, St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome and
St. Gregory the Great, are called, by way of distinction, the
four Doctors of the Church.
Q. But might not the holy Fathers err 1
A. Individually they might, but if all of them agree, they
could not; for then they stand forth as witnesses of the
universal doctrine of the holy Church, whtch is infallible, and
hence it is that no man is allowed to interpret the Holy
Scripture in opposition to the unanimous doctrine of the holy
Fathers, as the Council of Trent, in the decree of the Fourth
Session, expressly teaches and decrees, »

£4 manual of the catholic religion.
Q. Is there a short summary of the chief things that we
ure bound to believe ?
A. Certainly there is, viz. : the Apostles' Creed, of which
the Church has made use ever since the time of the Apostles ;
because it contains, in brief, all the most necessary truths ot
the Christian doctrine,
Q. What is the Apostles' Creed ?
^, 1. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth.
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord ;
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the
Virgin Mary ;
4, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and
buried ;
5, He descended into hell ; the third day He rose again
from^ the dead ;
6. 'He ascended into heaven; sitteth at the right hand of
God the Father Almighty ;
7. From thence He shall come to judge the living and
the dead,
8, I believe in the Holy Ghost ;
9, The Holy Catholic Church ; the Communion of Saints ;
10. The forgiveness of sins ;
11. The Resurrection of the body;
12. And live everlasting. Amen,
Q. For what is the Apostles' Creed intended 1
A. To place before our eyes a short summary of all those '
facts which give us a knowledge of God and His works, and
which we must necessarily know, in order to lead a truly
Christian life, and thereby work out our salvation. But to
effect this, it is necessary to know the most Holy Trinity, and
confess our belief in it ; and the division of the Apostles'
Creed into its three principal parts correspond wonderfully
well with this knowledge of the most Holy, undivided
Trinity : the first part acknowledging the Creation ; the
second, the Redemption ; the third, the Sanctification of man
"ihrough the operations of the Three Persons of the one and
undivided Trinity. The whole is concluded by professingour
belief in that life everlasting, which we shall commence to
live, when we shall see the Triune God in His glory, face to
face, as He is. 1 John, iii. 2.
Practice. — Thank our Lord, from the depths of your heart,

ON faith. 25
foi the gift of faith, and endeavor to animate it within you,
in order that you may live the life of faith. Think, thereby,
of St. Peter, the martyr, who gave his life foi the faith, and
whf*. ill the hour of combat, whilst reciting the Creed, fell
bleeding to the ground, and wrote thereon at the moment cf
his death, with his own blood, the words : " I Believe."
1.
Jhb First Article of Faith.
Q, Why do we say in this article : " I believe ?"
A. Because t • believe is the first act of the Christian life,
and the foundation of our salvation ; hence when the courtic:
of the queen of Candace desired to be baptized, St. Philip
answered him first of all : " If thou believest , , , thou
mayest," And the eunuch said : " I believe," and he was
immediately baptized by Philip, Acti, viii. 37-38,
Q. What is it to believe 1
A. To believe is to assent firmly, with heart and mind, to
all that God has revealed, as soon as the holy Catholic Church
proposes it to us as an article of faith. The reason of this
belief is : Because God, who is the truth, has given the
Church to us as a mother and instructor,
Q. What is God?
A. God is the self-existing, eternal, infinitely perfect being,
who gave existence to all other things, " Yet tO us there is
but one God, the Father, of whom are all things," St. Paul,
I Cor. iii. 8-6.
Q. How do we obtain a clearer and more distinct knowl
edge of Godl
A. By considering the infinite perfections or attributes of
the divine nature in three persons.
Q. Which are the attributes of God ?
A. They are the following :
God is eternal. That is to say : God had never any be
ginning, but always was, is, and ever shall be. In the divine
nature there is no succession of time, God is ! ! Adinirablj
does St, Augustine express himself on this subject : " God is;
as He was, and thus He shall be for ever ; or rather, there is--
no past or future in Him, the undivided eternal being," " Be
fore tho mountains were made, or the earth and the world

26 manual of the catholic religion.
were formed from etei uty and to eternity thou art Go^."
Psalm, Ixxxix. 2.
Gjd is immense and omnipresent. That is to say : Even
as God has no limits as to time, and is infinite, neither is He
confined within the, bounds of space, God is, and is on that
account, everywhere present with his essence and His power,
" Do not I fill hea-v*6n and earth, saith the Lord." Jere
miah, xxiii, 24. " Whither shall I go from Thy spirit 1
or whither shall I flee from Thy face? If I ascend into
heaven. Thou art there: If I descend into hell. Thou art
present." Psalm, cxxxviii. 7-8.
God is a pure spirit. That is to say : God is a being abso.
lutely indivisible, having an infinitely perfect' understanding
and will, but no body and. no parts. " God is a spirit," says
Jesus Christ himself. John, iv. 24.
God is omniscient. That is to say : He knows; all things,
the past, the present, and the future. He knows the most
secret things. He knows every thought and every desire of
our heart. He knows even all things that are merely pos
sible, and all the conditions under which they are, or are not
possible. God' knows every thing. " Neither is there any
creature mvisible in His sight ; but all things are naked and
and open to His eyes." Thus St. Paul, Hebrews, iv. 13
" The Lord searcheth all hearts, and uiiderstandeth all th*-
thoughts of minds." 1 Paralip. xxviii. 9,
God is Almighty. That is to say: He can do all things,
by the mere power of His will, without instruments, without
labor, without loss of time ;. the very moment He wills any-
thinjr, it is, " Whatsoever the Lord pleased He hath done,
in heaven, in earth, in, the sea, and in all the deeps," Psalm,
cxxxiv. 6.' " He spoke, and they were made ; He commanded,
and they were created," Psajlm, cxlviii, 5,^, " I am tlie
\lmighty God." Genesis, xvii, 1.
God is all-wise. That is to say : Pie wills only what is
best, and to that end. He always chooses the best means.
" How great are Thy works, O Lord ! Thou hast made all
things in wisdom," Psalm, oiii, 24. " O the depth of the
riches, of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God."
Romans, ii. 33. '
God is infinitely holy. That is to say : God is himself tht
law of all good ; so that, whatever accords with His will, is
good and holy, and whatever does not accord is bad. He i«

ON FAITH. 27
the essential holiness ; and for that reason, He abhors the
least evil, and is pleased with the least good, in any of His
creatures. " I am the Lord your God : be holy, because I am h jly."
Leviticus, ii. 44, " Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of ho^ts ; all
the earth is full of his glory," Isaias, vi. 3,
God is infinitely good. That is to say : He is the essentia]
as He is the infinite and the supreme good. He is not only
infinitely perfect himself, but He wills also of himself nothing
but what is good for His creatures. All good comes to them
only from Him, " None is good but God alone." St. Luke,
xviii, 19. " Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised : and'
of His greatness there is no end." Psalm, cxliv. 3. " Every,
best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming dowri
from the Father of lights." James, i. 17,
God is infinitely true and faithful : God is truth it»elf ;
i. e., in God there can be no falsehood ; in him there can be
no deceit or no delusion, but whatever He says is true, and
whatever He promises he fulfils.
"God is not as a man that He should lie, nor as the son of
man that He should be changed. Hath He said, then, and wiU
He not do ? Hath He spoken and will He not fulfil ?"
God is infinitely merciful. That is to say : He pardons
the sinner all the guilt contracted by sin, if he be willing,
by the aid ^ divine grace, to quit his evil ways, to do pen
ance, and atone for his sins.
" 0 the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient
and of much compassion, and true." Exod. xxxiv, 6.
"And His mercy is from generation to generation, to them>
that fear Him," Luke, i. 50. " As I live, saith the Lord God,
I desire not the death of the Wicked,, but that the wicked re
turn from his way, and live. Turn ye, turn ye from youi
evil ways." Ezech. xxxiii, 11.
God is infinitely just. That is to say : He rewards and
punishes every one according to his merits without regard to
persons, "Who, without respect of persons, judgeth according to
every one's- works." 1 Peter, i. 17. " His justice continueth
for ever and ever." Psalm, ex. 3.
God is infinitely free. That is to say : All that God does,
He does not by n-ecessity or by chance, but according to the
counsel of His most perfect will.

?*¦ MANUJL OF THE CATHOLIC REI-IGION.
•' Whatsoever the Lord pleaseth He hath done." Psalm,
xxxiv. 6. " Who worketh all things according to the counsel
of His will." Ephes. i. 11,
God is life and supreme happiness. That is to say : God
possesses with the most perfect consciousness the essence of
His infinite perfections ; He is also the source of the life and
the happiness of His creatures. " As the Father hath life in
himself, so He hath given to the Son also to have life in him
self." John, V. 26. Thus Christ himself, " Who giveth to
all life, and breath, and all things." Acts, xvii. 25.
God is infinite Majesty. That is, by saying, God is infinite
Majesty, we mean to express the most glorious state of Hia
nature, emanating directly from the infinite perfections of the
Deity, This majesty of God is called by the theologians the
internal glory of God, But from this must be distinguished
the external glory, by which we understand the majesty of
God, as it shines forth in the creatures of the universe
which are created by Him, and which He rules and preserves
by His Fatherly care and providence; on account of this
greatness God is to be acknowledged, adored, praised, and
glorified by all rational creatures. Holy Scripture every
where praises this majesty of God, Thus it was that Isaias
saw, in a vision, the Lord in this His Majesty as seated on a
throne of glory, and at the same time heard the canticle of
praise of the heavenly Seraphim : " Holy, ho]^, holy, the
Lord God of hosts ; all the earth is full of His glory." Isaias,
vi. 3. And the prophet Baruch says : " God will bring Israel
Cvith joy in the light of His Majesty .... that cometh from
him." Baruch, v, 9, And St, Paul in his epistle to Timo
thy : " Which in his time he shall show, who is the Blessed
and only Mighty, the King of kings, the Lord of lords,"
Tim. vi. 15. And again : " For of Him, and by Him, and in
Him, are all things : to Him be glory for ever. Amen."
Rom. xi. 36,
God is immutable. That is : He can never change, because
«s He is infinitely perfect, there can never be change or al
teration in Him.
" With whom there is no change, nor shadow of vicissi
wide." ,5'/. Ja'^es, i. 17.
Q. B It does it not raise a difficulty, that we cannot con
ceive those attributes of the Divine nature, as clearly as the
sttributes of creatures?

ON FAITH. 29
A. By no means ; for how oould the infinite, — atid God is
infinite, — be perfectly conceived or comprehended by the
finite, namely, by limited human intelligence? On the con
trary, reason requires that the attributes of God should be
above our comprehension, because they are infinite. The at
tributes of God are incomprehensible, and they must be so,
because they are infinite ; but to reason it is equally plain,
that attempting to deny or to limit those attributes in God,
involves such a contradiction that it would subvert the very
notion or idea of God. For instance, that God is eternal, is
inconceivable to reason, and it must be so ; for the idea of
eternity denotes the infinite. But asserting that God is not
from eternity, but had a beginning, reason recognizes as
thorough absurdity ; for, who would have created God, ol
how could God, from nothing and through nothing, possibly
pass into existence 1 ! The same holds good with regard to
all the other attributes of God : all of them are unfathomable
to reason, and necessarily are so; but to doubt or to deny
them, reason perceives to be a direct contradiction. Al
though, therefore, reason does not fully comprehend the Di
vine attributes in their nature, yet it perceives, with certain
sonviction, their reality and their unavoidable necessity ; and
hence, in silent adoration, subjecting the limited understand
ing of the creature, rejoices in acknowledging and praising a
God whose greatness is beyond our comprehension. More
over, you should not be surprised that here on earth, you
do not Clearly comprehend the nature of God, since you do
not even understand yourself, in regard to your soul, not
knowing, namely, how, in union with the body, it can exercise
its powers ; because, generally, the essence of things, and tho
manner of their actions, is to us a secret. Or, do you under
stand how the grass grows and creatures are formed, etc. ?
All this we shall know hereafter, when we shall see God
himself in that knowledge in which we ourselves are known
to him. As for the rest, it should be the aim of our whole life,
and of all our actions, as children of God, to imitate and show
forth in our conduct the excellence of the Divine attributes,
by the practice of virtue, according to what we read in tne
Book of Wisdom : " To know Thee, is perfect justice ; and to
know Thy justice and Thy power, is the root of immortality,"
Wisd. XV, 3. And to this we are also exhorted by the worda
of the Lord : " I am the Lord : be holy, because I am h^ly."

so MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Lev. xi, 44, And again : " Be you, therefore, perfect, as als«
your heavenly Father is perfect," St. Matt. v. 48,
For tUs purpose, consider the following points and exhor
tations : God is eternal. He is of himself the most perfect of
beings ; you come from nothing, and you were from all eter
nity nothing ; humble yourself accordingly, God is immense,
He is everywhere ; walk in His presence, God is a spirit, you
are a spirit, His image, rejoice in this excellent likeness, which
He stamped upon you, and endeavor to render yourself more
and more like unto God, by a most faithful observance of His
commandments, and a diligent practice of virtue. God is
All-knowing ; try, before ^11 other things, to increase in the
knowledge of Him ; for only this knowledge can serve for
sahation, and as a means of perfection. God is Almighty ;
tiust in Him. He is infinitely wise ; — throw yourself confi
dently into the arms of His divine providence. God is in
finitely holy ; strive alwa\ s to attain to greater sanctity.
God is good, He is the essential goodness : give, then, as much
as vou can to those who want, and be good and beneficent to
all. God is infinitely true and faithfiil : be a lover of
truth, and keep your word with God and man. God is in
finitely merciful ; be you merciful to others. God is infinite
ly just ; think often of the judgment to come, and take cars
that you may be able to stand before His judgment-seat;
especially try to have a holy and pure intention in all that
you do. God is infinitely free ; see that no inordinate pas
sion or inclination keeps you captive. God is life and su
preme felicity ; seek your joy and happiness in communion
with Him by prayer and an interior life, God is immutable ;
be unshaken and resolute, especially in temptations. God is
the supreme majesty and the infinite glory : All for the
GREATER GLORY OF GoD, Ict this be the motto of your life.
Q. Can man attain to the knowledge of God by the light
of reason alone, and without revelation ?
A. Certainly he can, by the contemplation of the universe
No rational being could imagine that this g^eat world como
have come from nothing, and by nothing, into existence, o.
jiive existed without a beginning from -all eternity. From
nothing, and by nothing, nothing can ever come. Further.
where a number does exist, there can exist no infinity ; where
no infinity exists, there can be no eternity ; and where no
etem'ty is, there is a beginnii^ But in the world every

ON FAITH. 31
ihmg exists in a certain number. Every new day increases
the number of days, therefore, as true as time is time, so true
is ii that the world is not eternal, but had a beginning, and.
consequently, a Creator, The harmony and order in the
duration of the world proves the same thing. Hence it is
with reason that the Psalmist says : " The fool hath said in
Ills heart : There is no God." Psalm, xiii. 1, And St, Paul
truly says of the pagans, that they have no ex;cuse if they do
not believe in God ; " for the invisible things of Him, from
the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made." Ro»i. i. 20, In a similar
language does the Book of Wisdom speak, chap, vii., and
the Acts of the Apostles, xiv, 16, where mention is made of
the sermon of St. Paul at Lystra. But, besides all this, thif
voice of conscience clearly admonishes us of a most just
Judge, who placed this voidi within us, and Who is — ^God !
But this knowledge of God is obscure and very imperfect,
and is brought into full light only by the word of revelation,
which assists us to penetrate deeper into the nature and char
acter of God. A special proof of this is the mystery of thfe
most Holy Trinity, which we can perceive only by the eyes
of faith.
Q. Is there more than one God 1
A. There is but one God in the divine nature. " Hear, O
Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord." Beut. vi. 4, "iThott
art great, and dost wonderful things : Thou art God alone,"
Psalm, Ixxxv. 10. "This is life everlasting; that they may
know Thee, the only true God." Si. John, xvU. 3. " But
God is one." Gal. iii. 20.
Q. Why do we say, God is one in His nature and essence ?
A. Because we distinguish, in the one divine nature, thre«
Divine persons.
Q. Which are the three Divine persons ?
A. They are : the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Q. Whence do we know that there are -three persons ic
God? A. From the revealed word of God, which teaches us that
in one essense there subsist three, to whom the one divine
nature undividedly belongs. They are called : the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost, For our Lord himself says :
" Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
(*nd of the Holy Ghost." Matt, xxviii, 19, And St. Johitt

32 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
writes : "There are three that give testimony in heaven ; the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost : and these three are
one," 1 John, v, 7.
We confess the most Holy Trinity generally in the Apos-
ties' Creed, and particularly in the Athanasian Creed, thus •
" The Catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in the
Trinity, and the Trinity in the Unity,"
Q. Since, then, there are three persons in the divinity, is
each of them God ?
A. Yes, each
Q. Why, then, is it not allowed to say : There are three
Gods ?
A. Because all three of them have but one and tke same
undivided nature,
Q. Are the three Divine persons distinguished in regard to
their perfection ?
A. No, they are equal in perfection.
Q. Was any one of the Divine persons prior to the other 1
A. No ; but all three are, simultaneous, from eternity, as
the nature of God, This mystery of the most Holy Trinity
we have to acknowledge and to adore as such, in the fiillness
of faith, because God himself revealed it to us ; but we should
not seek, curiously, to fathom its nature, for such an attempt
on the part of St, Augustine was rebuked by an angel him
self, which happened in this way : When Augustine, as the
legend goes, being one day on the sea-shore, was searching
into the mystery of the most Holy Trinity, because he was
then writing his books on the Trinity, he saw a beautiful lit-
. tie child pouring the water of the sea into a hole by means
of a ladle. Augustine said, smiling : " My child, what is that
you are doing ? The sea is great, and your ladle and the hole
into which you pour the water are very small !" " But,'' re.
plied the child, "it is easier to do, than that which you have
in your mind. For you study to compress into a little book
an inexhaustible mystery ; but before you have succeeded in
that, I shall have put the water of the sea into this hole,'
Thus the child spake and disappeared. Bvt Augustine praised
God, and understood how truly the angel, under the form of
a child, had spoken. Gansip. ii. Book, Apum c. 48.
In truth, God would not be infinite, if it were possible fo'
us to comprehend him. Reason itself clearlv understands
that the nature of God must remain * veiled mystery to man.

ON FAITH. 33
till we shall see Him as He is, surrounded by the light of His
glory. " We see now through a glass in an obscure manner,"
says St. Paul, " but then face to face. Now I know in part ;
but then I shall know, even as 1 am known." 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
[f, however, we "wish for some image or similitude of this
most sublime mystery of God, we find one in our soul itself;
which, being created according to the likeness of God, its
Maker, possesses three principal powers : the will, the memory,
and the understanding, which three constitute the one undivided
soul. Other images of the Trinity may be found in innumer-
able objects of nature.
Q. How do you distinguish the three Divine persons, one
from the other ?
A. By the procession of the one from the other. Namely :
The Son proceeds from the Father by generation, and is from
eternity perfectly equal to him, but the Holy Ghost proceeds
from the Father and the Son simultaneously, and is the re
ciprocal Divine Love essential to both.
§. What do we mean by saying, the one Divine person
proceeds from the other from all eternity ?
A. We mean by it the everlasting subsistence of the one
person through the other in the entity of God. This, in
structed by the word of God, we believe, but dare not rashly
scrutinize : and he who attempts it, exposes hirnself to the
censure of folly, and deserves to be rebuked in the words of
St. Gregory Nazianzen ; in his third book on tne Divinity,
he says : " You who are not even able to understand your
own generation, how could you possibly undemtand that of
Goc" ?" St. Augustine, speaking of the Procession of tha
Holy Ghost, in his third book against Maximiu, testifies the
same thing. He writes : " Not evel-y thing that proceeds is
born, though all that is born proceeds. This I know ; but
how to discern between the generation of the Son, and the
Procession of the Holy Ghost, I know not ; i can not d-> it,
for the plain reasjn that both are incompieher (liljs."
Q. What do we ascribe to each of thf £*'t* Diviiw
pcj-sons ?
A. 1. The Divine Nature,
/ 2, The Divine Attributes,
3. The N.ame of T on,
4. The Divine Operations,

34 MANUAL 01 THE CATHOLIC BELlOIOK.
Q. Which are the outward operations of God, and to which
persons are they specially ascribed ?
A. The outward works of God are : the Creation, the Pre
servation, and the Government of the world. As these works
have reference to the operations of the Divine nature, which
belongs undividedly to each person, we necessarily as.'OriDe
them equally to ill the three persons m common. If, there
fore, the works of Might are referred to the Father, those of
Wisdom to the Son, and those of Love to the Holy Ghost, it
is done only nominally ; namely, in as far as that has refer
ence to the relation of the Divine persons. But, since the
Incarnation, immediately regards the person, namely, the
the Second Person of the Trinity, it is, therefore, in this vie
ascribed to the Son of God. Neitner ttie Father, nor the
Holy Ghost, but the Son of God, assumed our human nature
hi Christ in an inseparable union. But, on that account, the
second Divine Person did not receive an increase of glory,
in preference to the other persons ; for not the Divine, but
the human, nature was elevated by this union ; the eternal
nature of God remained and remains immutable, as well in
as after the Incarnation.
Q. What rules are to be observed, in order to avoid any
offeniie against the definitions of faith regarding the mystery
of the Most Holy Trinity ?
A. First : In speaking of this most sublime mystery of
faith, always employ the expressions of the Church.
Second : Do not use the titles of God in the plural ; for
instance, do not say : Three Creators, &c.
Third : Verbs may be used either in the singular or plural
number. For instance, we say correctly : The Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost governs or govern the world.
Fourthly. Neither is it allowed to say : God is threefold,
but triune.
Fifthly. In general we must avoid any expression which
would destroy the distinction of persons or the equality of
their nature.
Q. How are the Three Divine Persons called, when taken
together ?
A- They are called " one most Holy Trinity."
Q. Does human reason, naturally, know nothing about
llus mystery ?
4 Tluman reason enlip-htened bv faith, finds arguments

ON FAITH. 3S
for professing the mystery of the Trinity, but without reve
lation it could never have attained to a sure and distinct know
ledge of this mystery. Reason infers from the idea of an
eterna-l and infinite act of understanding and will, a triune
principle in the nature of God. It finds also that singleness
does not include in itself the idea of the most perfect hap
piness, as the Trinity does in the unity of God, by a full,
reciprocal communication of Divine perfection, knowledge
and love. Reason, moreover, finds in the very powers and
actions of the soul, the image of God, an Indication of this
relation of the divine essence. For the understanding, tlie
will and the memory, have, as it were, a threefold and dis
tinct subsistence in the soul, and they are but one soul. In
like manner, the inquiring mind of man finds in light, in
sound and in innumerable other objects of the outward world,
images of that Trinity ; but, without revelation, man would
never have arrived at the certain knowledge of the existence of
the most Holy Trinity. This our reason understands clearly,
that in what faith teaches us of this mystery, there is not, or
never can be, contradiction; because nothing is thereby
asserted contrary to one and the same subject in the same
relation, Q. Why do we add to - the first article of the Apostles'
Creed the word " Father ?"
A. Because the Father, as already mentioned, is the First
Person of the Deity, and is really the Father of his only-
begotten divine Son — uf whom we have to speak in the
Second Article at greater length. Further, because He is the
Father of all the good by adopition ; and finally, because He
is, by creation, the author of all^ things, which He preserves
and rules with the highest wisdom, bounty and goodness.
Q. Why is Almighty added ?
A. God has as many divine names as He has attributes ; to
wit : Eternal, Immense, Omniscient, &c. . . . nevertheless,
God is here' called Almighty, because we are disposed by
this acknowledgment, to receive, without hesitation, all that
s proposed to us in the First Article of faith,- respecting
creation, Q. What do we mean to profess by the term " Creator ?"
A. That God has called into existence all things out of
nothing, by His word only : " He spoke, and they were made ;
He commanded, and they were created," Psalm, xxxii. 9. God

3t) MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
also made all things that are ; and they depend, incomparably,
more on Him than on the light of the sun ; for, if God should
withdraw, but for a moment, His power, by which the worlJ
is preserved, it would fall that instant into nothing. Angels
may make something and destroy ir again ; the evil spirits even
can do so ; but none of them are capable of producing any
thing, without using pre-existing matter. They may use it,
to form something else of it ; but to annihilate that matter
is not in .their power. Thus an architect may build a house
of stone, of wood or of any other material ; but hfe cannot
call anything into existence from nothing, by his will only,
without instruments, and m an instant ; nor can he entirely
destroy the matter of which he built the house ; all he can
do is, to reduce it again to its component parts. It is, there
fore, God alone who can be called the Creator, because He
alone is capable of producing things by his mere will, and of
destroying and annihilating them again if He pleases.
Q. What do we understand by the expression, " heaven
and earth ?"
A. We understand by it all the works of God, which He
called into existence by His mere will, out of nothing, without
help, without labor, without tools, without any waste of time.
But we s,<ty : " of heaven and earth," because heaven and
earth are the two principal parts of the universe, in regard to
rational beings. The angels and the blessed inhabit keaven.
The earth is inhabited by men ; it is a place of proba|ion foi
them during the time of this transitory life. All other beings
vhatsoever have been created only in reference to this twofold .
species of rational creatures — namely, the angels and men.
Q. When and in what order did God create the world ?
A. God, who stands in need of nothing, because He is, of
His own nature, infinitely happy, by a most free act of
His will, created the world in the beginning of time — about
six thousand years ago, in the order recorded in the Book of
Creation, (Genesis).
Namely : " In the beginning God created heaven and earth,
and God said: ' Be light made,' and light was made. Gen. i.
1-3. Then, within six days, God created all the other things
according to their kind and species — namely, the firmament,
the earth, the sea, the rivers, the trees, and all beings in the
animal kingd'jrn. Finally, on the sixth day, God created Adam,
She first man, whose body le framed of the slim^ o'' the earth!

ON FAITH, 37
ireathing nito it the breath of life — a spirit created of nothing,
according io His own image and likeness. Then God sent a
deep sleep over Adam, took a rib from his side, and made
of it the body of Eve, endowing it with a rational soul. Thus
he made man a living, rational being, the most noble of all
that live upon earth. " And God created man to His own
image; tr the image of GoO He created him, male and female
He created them," Gen. i. 27.
Q. Did God create anything else besides this visible world ?
A. Besides this visible world, God also created the spiritual
and invisible world, to wit : the heavenly spirits, or angels,
anterior to the visible creation. For we read in Job thus :
" All the sons of God," i. e., the heavenly spirits, " made a
joyful melody " (Job, xxxviii. 7) when they saw the wonders
of God's omnipotence so gloriously manifesting itself at the
creation of the visible world. " And on the seventh day God
ended His work which He had made ; and He blessed the seventh
dayk" " These are the generations of the heaven and the
earth, when they were created in the day that the Lord God
made the heaven and the earth." Gen. ii. 2, 3, 4,
• Q. Why did God create the world ?
A. For the sake of manifesting His internal glory, and in
order to bestow happiness on ail those of His rational creatures,
who do faithfully keep His commandments.
Q. Who governs and preserves the world — that is, all
creation ?
A. God, by His Almighty power and wisdom : " Thy proT-
idence, O Father, governs it." Wisd. viii. 1. " He hath
equally care of all." iVisd. vi. 8, " Cast all your solicitude
upon Him ; for He hath pare of you," 1 Pet. v, 7, Christ
himself assures us that, though " five sparrows are sold for
two farthings," yet " not one of them is forgotten before God,"
That " the very hairs of our head are numbered," and that
none of them falls to the ground without His knowledge.
That it is He who makes the lilies grow and clothes the
grass, and who, therefore, knows and gc v^erns all things."
St. Luke, xii.
Q. What do we call this tender care of God for the prop
agation and preservation of his creatures ?
A. The Divine Providence.
1^. In what appears, in a special manner, the providence- of
Gvd for man ?

38 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
A. In the work of Redemption. In the Old Testament by
those noble works done on behalf of his chosen people for
the welfare of the whole human race, and in the New Testfv-
ment by the protection of His holy Church.
Q. Why does the providence of God permit so much evil
in the world ?
A. In order that the sinner may know the justice of God
and be converted ; and the virtuous may have opportunity of
practising the most sublime and meritorious virtues, especi
ally by an entire abandonment of themselves to the will of
God, who ordains and permits such trials. " Gold and silver
are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of trib
ulation." Eccles. ii. 5. " My brethren, count it all joy,
when you shall fall into divers temptations, knowing that the
trying of faith worketh patience : And patience hath a perfect
work." James, i. 2-4.
^ Q. Why is it that the providence of God often suffers the
wicked to live in abundance and wealth ?
A. 1 , God rewards the natural virtue which they exercise
whilst living in sin, by means of temporal goods; in
eternity they have to expect nothing, save the consequences
of sin and-their eternal punishment,
"The Lord patiently expecteth, that when the time of
judgment shall come, He may punish them in the fulnesstif
their sins." 2 Mach. vi. 14.
2. But God also desires by His exceeding mildness to bring
them to repentance, and make them return to Him. "Know
est thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to pen
ance?" Rom. ii. 4.
Q. Why does the providence of God sometimes permit
that the good also enjoy riches and temporal prosperity ?
A. St. Augustine answers ; " In order to remind us that
He is the Lord who guides every one on His wav through
life, and who as the Lord and Ruler of the world, d'istribut«s
His gifts as He pleases. But also, in order that they may
succor the poor by means of their wealth, and perform vthei
good works for His honor and glory."
Q. How is God's providence manifested to each indi
vidual ?
A. By the experience of each one's life. He who does no!
acKnowledge this, has nev^r examined his life ; and he whf

ON FAITH. 89
does not thank the Lord for this watchful caie, has no grati
Lude in his heart.
Practice. — Praise the astonishing works of God in the cre
ation, and use all creatures to the honor and service *of God,
alter the example of the saints. All creatures proclaim His
power, wisdom and goodness. Love particularly to look
often up to the spangled heavens, and think what a kingdom
of glory God has prepared for you beyond that starry ocean
You serve the Almighty who calls them all by name ; con
sider, therefore, how all nature strictly fulfilling His word,
faithfully operates according to its innate powers, agreeably
to the will of God, Endeavor to do the same of your own
free will. Yes, thank God often in union with all creatures,
for the decree of His eternal love and mercy, according to
which. He created you to His own image and likeness, and the
whole world for you as a means to aid you in serving Him,
in order that you might be happy with Him for ever in
heaven. Return thanks to God, moreover for all that His divine
providence ever did, since the days of creation, for the pres
ervation and welfare of all creatures, but especially for His
paternal solicitude for- mankind and for yourself in particular.
Never complain of His divine dispensations ; never be troub
led or fearful. God knows what is best for us ; His ever
benign providence directs all to the greater good for those
who areof goo^ will and walk before Him in humility and trust,
Q. Which are the most excellent beings that God created ?
A. The Angels and men.
Q. What are the Angels ?
A. The Angels are pure spirits, that is to say, they are
beings created after the image and likeness of God, endowed
with understanding and free will, but having no body. They
are, therefore, by their nature, more elevated than man :
" Who makest Thy Angels spirits," says the Psalmist.
Psalm, ciii. 4. St. Paul writes in similar terms : Heb. i. 7.
The same Apostle mentions also their superiority over man,
according to the Psalmist : " Thou hast made him (man) a
little lower than the angels," Heb. ii. 7. And St. Peter
writes : " Though they," the angels, " are greater than man,
in stiength and power." 2 Peter, ii. 11. " The nature of the
angels," writes St. Augustine, " is superior in dignity to all
that God created besides." Book 11., on The City of God.

10 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q How many angels are there, and how are they Sis
tinguished among'themselves ?
A. There is an innumerable multitude of angels. " Thou.
sands of' thousands ministered before Him : and ten thousand
times a hundred thousand stood before Him." Daniel, vii, 10 ;
Apoc. V, 11. There are distinctions amongst them, however,
because some of them have been adorned with greater gifts
and graces in their creation than the others. The holy
Fathers following the Holy Scripture, distinguish nine de
grees of dignity among the angels, and hence as many choirs
of angels, constituting together three great divisions, each of
which comprises three choirs. Beginning with the highest
division, we have :
In the first order : The Seraphim, the Cherubim, and the
Thrones, In the second order : The Dominations, the heavenly
Powers, and Dominions.
In the third order : The Principalities, the Archangels, and
the Angels,
Q. What is the condition and the destiny of the Angels 1
A. The Angels are destined to know and to love God, and
to enjoy e'-ernal happiness in His sight. Besides, God makes
use of them in the guidance of the visible world, and many
of them are the guardian angels of men upon earth, to assist
and protect them in dangers of soul and body. " He hath
given his Angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy
ways," says the Psalmist. Psalms, xc. 11. And St. Paul
writes : " Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister
for those who shall receive the inheritance of salvation ?"
Hebrews,!. 14. And Christ himself says: "For I say to
you, that their Angels in heaven always see the face of my
Father who is in heaven." Matthew, xviii. 10.
" It is, in truth, a great honor for the souls of men," says
St. Jerome, " that for each of them, from the very instant
of creation, there is appointed a protecting Angel," In Com.
Matthew, xviii. 10. And Origen : '• At the side of every
one of us, even of him that is the least in the Church ot
God, stands a good Angel, an Angel of the Lord, who directs,
admonishes, and guides him, and who sees daily the face ol
the Father who is in heaven, f(.)r the direction of his acts, and
the attainment of special favors in his regard." Homil. xx
in Matthew, iii. B.

ON lAITH, 41
Q. Is the lot of ail the Angels a happy one ?
A. All of them were created by God in a state of sanotitj
and justice, that is in the state of sanctifying grace ; but all
of them did not remain faithful to God ; many of them suf
fered themselves to be puffed up with pride, and sinned,
following the seductive example of Lucifer, the prince of the
angels. On account of which they were, on the instant,
hurled down from heaven by the good angels, with the Arch
angel St. Michael at their head, into the woful abyss of hell,
where they are now suffering the well-merited punishment of
their rebellion against God. _
" I saw," says Jesus Christ, " Satan as lightning falling
from heaven." St. Luke, x. J.S. And St. John writes in the
Apocalypse : " Michael and his angels fought with the dragon ;
and the dragon fought, and his angels ; and they prevailed
not ; neither was their place found any more in heaven,"
Apoc. xii, 7-8. And St. Peter in his Second Epistle says :
" God spared not the angels that sinned, but, having cast
them down into the place of torments, delivered them into
the chains of hell to be tormented," 2 Peter, ii. 4,
Now the devil and his angels constitute the kingdom ol
evil which wages war continually against God and his faith
ful. Matt. xii. 26. They, therefore, tempt men upon earth,
and seek to injure them in every way, as far as God permits
them, in order that after a sufficient trial, they may one day
be fit to occupy the, places in heaven forfeited by the rebel
angels. However, the common enemy of God and man has
no power to injure any one, either in his body or his temporal
goods, nor to hurt any one's soul by temptation, except in as
far as God permits him ; unless man, of his own free will,
yields to his evil suggestions, " Be sober, and watch," says
St, Peter, " because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour; whom
resist ye, strong in faith," St. Peter, v. 8. And St. James :
" Be subject, therefore, to God ; but resist the devil, and he
will fly from you," James, iv. 7.
St. Augustine, speaking of this, expresses himself very
strongly : " The devil can bark, says he, as a dog in chains ;
he can tempt ; but he can bite only those who are willing to
be bitcen ; for he does not harm by forcing, but by persuading
as to evil ; he cannot force us to consent to evil, but ha
entices us to do so." Now, as Satan excdtes man to sin.

42 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
chiefly by means of the goods and pleasures of this world,
Christ and His Apostles call him: "The prince of this
world ;" John xii. 31 ; Ephes. ii. 2, " to whom, therefore
all those belong, who thirst after worldly enjoyments, and
transgress the commandments of God, For, " He that com -
miteth sin is of the devil." 1 St. John, iii. 8.
Practice. — Praise the Lord who created by His omnipotence
such a multitude of heavenly spirits, in whose nature and
powers His image shines forth so brilliantly. Rejoice that
you are called to be a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem,
enjoying for ever their happy company, and that your human
nature has been exalted by Jesus Christ above the greatness
and dignity of the holy angels. But walk also in a manner
worthy of this your calling, and follow the example of those
blessed spirits in the struggle of life, exciting and encouraging
yourself by the war-cry of victory : " Who is as God ?"
Follow their example ; imitate their purity of heart, walking
constantly in the presence of God, united to Him by prayer ;
ardently desiring to do His will, and full of zeal for His glory :
be always ready to assist your neighbor in his wants, tem
poral as well as spiritual. But let^the remembrance of the
fall of so many angels be to you a powerful warning to
humble yourself, and to inspire you with a salutary horror
of even the shadow of sin. He who found guilt in the angels,
and spared none of them, will one day be your judge. Re
sist the tempter, therefore, in the beginning, manfully and
entirely ; then let all hell raise against you, it can do you no
harm. Honor, in a special manner, the Archangel St.
Michael as the patron of the Church militant ; the Archangel
Gabriel as the messenger sent by God to announce the joyous
tidings of our Redemption ; the guardian angels of the
places where you are living, and those of the souls with
whom you converse ; but show partici'lar respect to your
own guardian angel,
Q. What is man ?
A. Man is the most noble being in the visible world, com
posed of a body by nature morta), and of a soul by nature
immortal, and created after the image and likeness of God.
Q. What were the privileges that God gave to man when
He first created him ?
A. Man came forth from the hand of God endowed with
the most magnificent gifts of nature and grace ; and w^ odl

ON FAITH, 48
this first state of man the state of exalicd nature or that of
primitive justice.
But there are seven gifts which particularly characterise
that state of man before his fall, namely :
1st, Grace itself, by means of which our first parents, in
the state of primitive justice, were in the friendship of God,
and children of God by adoption,
2d. A clear knowledge of all things that could contribute
to their temporal welfare and their eternal salvation, in order
to do good and avoid evil.
3d. The harmony of the powers of both soul and body, in
consequence of which they were free from the rebellion of
concupiscence ; the flesh being subject to the spirit.
4th. A great willingness to-do good, and a facility in doing
good and avoiding evil,
5th. The immunity from all cares, troubles, and fears; for
their wants were abundantly supplied, and there was no dan
ger which threatened them from without.
6th. Immortality — even of their body — if they should not
sin. 7th. The eternal happiness promised them, on which they
were to enter, not by death, but by transition, enjoying the
blissful sight of God, in the company of the heavenly spirits.
Q. Did human nature always remain m this happy state of
primitive justice,
A. No, for our first parents, Adam and Eve transgressed
the commandment which God had given to them, in order to
try what use they would make of their free-will. Satan, un
der the form of a serpent, seduced Eve, She ate first of the
forbidden fruit, and offered it to Adam, who, seduced by Eve,
also ate of it. Thus both of them committed a sin of ingrati
tude and disobedience of the blackest dye, believing the devil
rather than God ; and they thus forfeited both for themselves
and for us their descendants, all those promised gifts and
graces, together with the inheritance of heaven. And, besides,
they plunged themselves and us into the greatest temporal
misery, and, at the same time, into eternal perdition, had we
not been redeemed therefrom.
Q. What is this sin of our first parents called?
A. This sin is called original sin, because by the fallen n»
ture of man it passed to all the descendants of Adam,
Q. Are all men born with this sin ?

44 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
A. Yes.
" By one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death
and so death passed unto all men — by Adam — in whom all
have sinned." Rom. v. 12. This fact is an article of faith,
as St. Augustine expressly remarks, when he upbraids the
heretics of his time, saying : " It is not I who invented original
sin, which was always a point of the Catholic faith, but you
who deny it, are without doubt a new heretic." Lib. de Nupt.
Moreover, the Council of Trent declares and decides : " If
any man say that the sin of Adam harmed only himself,but
not his posterity, and that the original sanctity and justice
bestowed upon him by God, was lost for himself only and not
for us ; or that Adam, defiled by the sin of disobedience, drew
bodily death and punishment" upon the entire human race,
but not the sin itself which is the death of the soul, let him be
cut off from the communion of the Church, since he contra
dicts the Apostle who says : ' By one man,' " etc. Sess. v. Cdn.
9: And again : " If any man deny, that the first man Adam,
after having transgressed the commandment of God in para
dise, lost that very instant the oi'iginal sanctity and justice in
which he was constituted, and drew upon him by this crime
the anger and aversion of God, and, on that account, became
subject to death, and with death fell into captivity under the
power of him who then held the dominion of death, i. e., of
the devil ; and that the whole Adam was brought by the
guilt of this crime to a worse condition both in regard to
body and soul : let him be cut off from the communion of the
Church.'* Can. i.
Q. What is original sin in our regard?
A. Original sin in our regard is a state in which we are de-
Drived of sanctifying grace ; and this state we inherit from
^dam and Eve by propagation. Original sin, therefore, sub
sists in us as our own, until we have been regenerated in the
salutary waters of Baptism.
Q. What are the effects of original sin.
A. The effects of this deplorable state in us are : In re^
pect to the soul, regarding the intellect, ignorance, and dark
ness spread over the light of the understanding ; and with re
gard to the will, a certain weakness connected with the evil
concupiscence, which, according to the apostle, is a law within
us, "fighting against the law of the mind." Ram. iii. 23,
But the effects with regard to the body, are a 'Multitude of

ON FAITH. 45
tne bodily infirmities and hardships of this life, and finally
death itself. And with regard to eternity, the loss r-f heaven,
which, for a being originally created for heaven, is the pun
ishment of eternal reprobation.
Besides, concupiscence as a consequence of original sin is a
powerful incentive to, and a fruitful source of innumerable.
grievous, and personal sins in the adult.
Q. Can we fully understand the mystery of original sin ?
A. No, for all that we call sin or consequence of sin is, in
its ultimate relation, no object of our understanding, since sin
in reference to God takes the proportion of something infinite,
which is no longer subject to the judgment of reason alone.
Q. Why, therefore, do we believe in original sin ?
A. Because the Word of God expressly teaches it, and be
cause the state of man in his spiritual and bodily miseries
here below, sufficiently indicates such a fall on the part of
our first parents,
Q. Does not the mystery of original sin involve' contra
diction ?
A. No. For, since Adam revolted against God, it was a
just punishment, that the exterior world and the body itself
should not any longer obey tho spirit of man, and that hence
man should lapse into a state in which God did not unite
himself to him, any further, by means of sanctifying grace.
Now, the want of this in a being originally destined for a
supernatural end, is what we call the essence of sin. For sin
is the turning away from God to creatures, and this is what
happens in man in consequence of his corrupt nature, robbed
of sanctifying grace through the guilt of Adam : in it concu
piscence wars against the law of the spirit, and prompts man
to turn away from God to creatures, in an inordinate manner.
But Adam could give no other nature to his posterity than
^his very degraded and revolted nature, which, after the fall,
was his own and Eve's, and through which we enter into this
world, in a state of separation and aversion from God. This
state, therefore, is the state of sin, inherent by nature itself,
from and through Adam, in every one that is a desce.idant
of him.
Q. Have none of the descendants of Adam and Eve beer
preserved from the stain of original sin ?
A. Yes, one ; Mary, the Mother of our Redeemer.
Q. Whence do we know Ihis'i

46 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
A. From the whole economy of salvation, but jiarticul&.-ly
from the express word of revelation — to wit : from Holy
Scripture, from the testimony of the holy Fathers, and finally
from the solemn declaration and decision by the head of our
holy Church.
Q. How do we conclude this from the entire order of
salvation ?
A. Christ was to be the new heavenly Adam, and Mary, Hia
blessed Mother, as it were, a second Eve in the order of grace.
When Christ was about expiring on the Cross, he gave us to
her as a Mother, in the person of St. John. Now, from this,
reason, enlightened by faith, rightly concludes : What was
becoming for Christ and His Mother, God did in her regard ;
but it became Christ and Mary, that she should, from the
very instant of her conception, be preserved, immaculate, and
free from the curse of sin ; therefore, God did so. This was
the Sylogism of the celebrated Duns Scotus, at the university
of Paris, for maintaining that prerogative of Mary.
How, indeed, could it be that Jesus Christ should take His
flesh and blood of a soil which at any time bore the curse of
sin? This was not becoming for Him. The body of the first
Adam was taken from a pure soil. It was not, therefore,.
proper that the body of the heavenly Adam, Jesus Christ,
should be taken from a soil stained by sin, and that His
Mother should have been, even for a moment, under the
sway of Satan. The disgrace of the Mother sullies the honor
of the Son, who took from her His body and first nourish
ment. This most intimate union of the Holiest ' and the
Purest demanded, too, the most perfect purity in the Mother
that gave Him birth. This immaculate purity was also due
to her dignity. She, indeed, the Eve of the new covenant,
the Mother of the Sen of God incarnate, she, the chosen bride
of God, and destined to be the Queen of Heaven, and of all
the angels, should not be wanting in any prerogative, gift, or
grace, bestowed upon any other creature by the Almighty;
But the whole of this visible universe came into existence
without a spot of guilt : also fallen Eve was created without
a stain of sin ; she came forth from the hand of God pure and
immaculate. Even there is no devil in hell who was -not,
when he first passed into existence, a pure and spotless angel.
Now, is it probable tjiat Mai-y, the most noble of all God's
creatures— Marv who was " full of otrace " that she shouW

ON FAITH. 47
have been deprived of that privilege, and boon at tho moment
of her entering existence an object of divine displeasure, and
a captive of the devil? This is contrary to reason enlight
ened by faith, and contrary to the dignity to which God the
Creator called Mary from all eternity. And reason will
more easily assent to this truth in that the Church ajjplies
those places of Holy Scripture which speak of the wisdom and
goodness of the Creator, particularly to Mary, as to the most
perfect creature next to the humanity of Christ our Lord and
Redeemer. Q. How is this conclusion of reason confirmed by the Holy
Scriptures ?
A. In the very beginning, when God's mercy promised to
the fallen race of man a Redeemer, we find also the glorious
promise which announces the full victory of Mary over sin
and hell : " I will put enmities between thee and the woman,
and thy seed and her seed : she shall crush thy head." Gen.
iii. 15. Now, if Mary had been conceived in sin, it would
have been Satan that crushed her head, and not she that
crushed his. This crushing imports an entire destruction of
the Satanic power.
In unison with this promise, other ,texts of Holy Writ have
also a special application to Mary, and to her exemption from
the curse of sin. And thence she is called the " lily among
thorns," the only one chosen, who is all fair and without
spot ; a sealed fountain of life ; a tower which is built with bul
warks, and terrible (to Satan) as an army set in array. Cant.
of Cant. ii. 4-6, ¦ But more particulafly yet does the saluta
tion of the Angels prove this prerogative of Mary : " Hail !
full of grace." Luke, i. 28. Now, how could Mary be called
full of grace if the first and most excellent of graces had been
wanting to her, namely : that of being immaculate in the sight
of God, and pleasing' to Him ; of having never been separated
from Him, but always united with Him in charity and grace?
Certainly, had Mary been permitted to choose, she would
hive preferred the grace; of being immaculate even to the
dignity of Mother of God.
Q. How does tradition confirm this prerogative cf Mary?
A. Relying on those arguments of reason, the tradition of
the Church, arid those texts from Holy Scripture cited above,
the holy Fathers, too, have asserted this prerogative of Mary
ever since the davs of the Apostles.

48 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
Thus we read in the Epistle of the clergy of Patros on Iha
martyrdom of St, Andrew, that that Apostle, when in the
presence of the proconsul and the faithful of Patros, making
a profession of his faith, and a comparison between the Re
demption and the Creation, said : " In the same manner as the
first Adam was made of earth immaculate and not cursed, so
was also the new Adam formed of earth new and pure, of the
body of a virgin, pure and immaculate," Martyr S. And.
AposL apud Moricelti. St. Ambrose in his treatise on Ps,
118, calls the Blessed Virgin Mary, "free from every stain
of sin." St. Jerome calls her, " light without any spot of
darkness." St. Augustine says : " We do not concede to Satan any
part in Mary on account of her birth ; its common law was
suspended in her regard by the grace of regeneration." Con
tra Tul. iv.
" In Mary, Christ found an abode worthy of him, not on
account of the body, but on account of original grace which
was in her." Thus St. Maximus of Turin. Op. S. Maximi
Taurinensis ed. Rom. 1784.
St. Peter Chrysologus says in one of his sermons : " The
V irgin was wedded to Christ even in her mother's womb, at
the instant of her creation." De Annunt. B. V. M. Serm. 140,
St. John Damuscene gives the reason why Mary was born
of parents barren and old ; he says : " Nature thereby ceded
to the operation of grace ; a virgin Mother of God was to be
born of Ann ; therefore nature is not permitted to prevent
grace; it waits till the fruit of grace ripens." In Mat. B. V.
M., Hom. 1.
" If Mary had not been always holy and pure," writes the
learned Saint Paschasius Radbert, " her flesh would have
been a flesh of sin ; and if her flesh was of the mass corrupted
by original sin, how then was it possible that Christ, the
Word made flesh, could remain immaculate, since he would
have been made of flesh infected by sin ?"
In the following century, John, the Geometrician, sings to
the honor of Mary, thus :
Had heaven allied ! nail best of human kind 1
Untouched by aught of sin ! hail Virgin blessed I
God thee from all eternity designed
Tobea- His Son within thy hallowed breast.
R^oi'— , .iear Mother, from every stain mos^ free.
ffo*- Ad»ia's uuiit ha* never sullied tli«e.

ON FAITH. 49
•' Mary, being entirely immaculate and free from every sin,
gave birth to the Holy of Holies," Thus the venerable
Hildebert of Tours, in the tenth centurv, Ven. Hildebert
Tour, p. 537.
The strictly orthodox St, Peter Damian teaches, in the
eleventh century : " The flesh of the Virgin, though derived
frr m Adam, yet remained "free from the stain through Adam.'"
tVrm. in Assumpt. B, V. S. ii.
The liturgical books of divine service, of the eastern as
well as of the western church, bear witness to the same thing .
introducing by means of the prayers and hymns in honor of
the Immaculate Conception, this profession of holy fiiith in
divine service. And more than this, we find since the ninth
century, that a proper feast of Mary's conception was cele
brated in many places in the Greek and Latin Church. Now,
a conception in sin can certainly be no subject for a proper
festival ; and do you think the Church would have remained
silent if that festival had not accorded with her own belief?
After the eleventh century, the profession of this article of
fiiith appeared gradually in a fuller light in the holy Church
of God : which believing always the same, yet, by the par
ticular guidance of the Holy Ghost, under particular circum
stances, proclaims and professes this or that article of faith
more or less openly and solemnly.
It was then that entire universities arose, who made the de
fence of this mystery of faith a condition of their charter,
and conferred no degrees in theology unless the promise was
made to defend this prerogative of Mary, Moreover, special
confraternities, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
of Mary, were established, until finally, in the plenitude of
time, the holy Father, Pius the IXth, felt himself particularly
impelled by the power of the Divine Spirit, to decide and tu
define, that this prerogative of Mary, was, henceforth, to be
"•egarded as an article of faith, and to be acknowledged at.
such by the whole Christian world. He sent a circular letter
to all the bishops of the Catholic world, and in the answers
ol six hundred and fifty bishops there was not found even a
single one against this mystery of faith, nay, six hundi ed of
the bishops besought the holy Father to give his decision anii
define it as an article of faith, which he did accordingly, aftyr
invokins; tne Holy Ghost, on the 8th of December, 1854, i-i
the ca^h%dral of St. Peter at Rcmie. surrounded by two huu
3

50 MANUAL OF THE dATHOLIC RELIGION,
dred bishops. The eKtirie Catholic world rejoiced in this ex
altation of Mary, the Immaculate Mother of Jesus,
Q. Was Mary not redeemed, then, through Jesus, because
she was conceived without sin?
A. Yes, she was; for she owed this exemption from
sin alone to the fedem;ption which came to the human race
through JesUs, as St. Anselm remarks in some of his
writings, saying : " The redeeming power Of Christ did em
brace not only those that lived after Him, bnt reache*! also
those that were before Him, so that, hence, He could free her
m whose womb He was to assume flesh and blood, from all
sin, by way of anticipation. The purity of His divine natilra
demanded that a mother equally pure should conceive Him.
Q. Who was it that freed us children of Adam, born iii
sin, from this stain, and from the pernicious consequences of
original sin ?
A. The same incarnate Son of God, as we solemnly pro
fess in the second article of faith.
Practice, — ^Thank God', that He cleansed you from the stain
of original sin by baptism, and for making you the restored
image of Grod : preserve now with the utmost solicitude that
sanctifying grace, and endeavor to become more and more
like unto God by the constant practise of virtue. But be
sure you also keep up that lasting struggle against the con
cupiscence of the flesh ; and the temporal adversities and
sufferings of life you will turn to your advantage for an in-^
crease of merit and your eternal joy. Do not give the devil
the pleasure of depriving you a second time of heaven, and
hurrying you into eternal perdition.

The Sbcond Article of Faith,
Q What Is it that the second article of faith teaches us ?
A. It teaches us concerning the Second Person of the most
Holy Trinity, the^on of God and our Redeemer.
Q. Why do we say : and in Jesus Christ?
A. Because that is the name of the Son of God, made mail.
Q. What does the name, "Jesus," signify?
A. It signifies Saviour : " For," said the angel to Joseph,
"He shall save his people from their sins." Matt. i. 21.
Q. Why do we incline our head, or bend our knee, when

ON FAITH, 51
we pronounce the narrie, " Jesus," when w. do uot do so on
hearing or speaking the other divine names ?
A. Because it is this very name that reminds us of the
greatest of the blessings of God, our Creator and Redeemer ;
for, as the Church says : " To have been born would have
availed us nothing, if we had not been also redeemed,"
Then, because this nam 3 puts us particularly in mind of
ihe humiliation of the Son of God, whom the Father, on that
account, exalted, in orde^r that, at the name of Jesus; every
knee should bend in heaven, upon earth, and under the earth.
We bend our knees adoring with the holy angels, and also
the evil spirits do it, because they are vanquished and pros
trated by the power of this heavenly name,
_ Q. How great is the power of the most holy name of Jesus ?
A. By means of the most holy name of Jesus we are ena
bled to obtain all heavenly graces and to defend ourselves
against all evil, as far as it is conducive to our salvation,
Q. When should we pronounce this holy name?
A. 1. Whenever we wish to address God in prayer, and
to strengthen our confidence in God;
2. Whenever the evil spirit assails us ; especially, by temp
tations against purity, which are effectually repelled by vir
tue of this most holy name.
, 3. Whenever we are in any other danger of body or soul,
to the end that we may be preserved by the power of this
name from all misfortune.
4. In the evening, when we go to bed, let the most holy
names.of Jesus and Mary be our last words, and in the morn
ing our first thought be of them. Only beware lest you do
it out of mere habit or with levity.
5. And finally, at the hour of death, let this name of salva
tion be in our hearts and on our dying lips, to the last
breath we draw — remembering the words of the prince or
the Apostles : " For there is no other name under heaven
given to men whereby we must be saved," Acts, iv, 12.
To this particular veneration of the most holy name of
Jesus we are also induced, by the treasures of grace, or in
dulgences, which the Popes have granted to those who honor
devoutly this holy name in life, and by the plenary indul
gence granted, to them at the hour of death.
Wherefore, let us also, very often and confidently, sa^" and
Bigh : " O Jesus ! 0 most amiable Jesus ! O most sweet Jesus

52 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
O most ardently desired Jesus! O Jesus! through tfte
love and reverence wherewith thy most beloved mother called
Thee thus, I beg of Thee to be merciful to me now and at the
hour of my death ! Jesus, for Thee 1 live, for Thee I die ; into
Thy hands 1 commend my spirit !" Make frequent use like
wise of the beautiful and consoling salutation : " Praised be
Jpsus Christ, for ever and ever. Amen,"
Q. Why do we add " Christ ?"
A. Because Christ means anointed, which is a name of
dignity and office ; for instance —
Priests, prophets, and kings, were anointed with holy oil.
/esus is' the eternal high-priest, "who, reconciling the world
to His Father with his own blood on the altar of the cross,
ascended into heaven, having obtained eternal redemption-
There he is interceding for us with His Father, offering to
Him his merits, and pouring forth upon us His graces and
benedictions." Heb. ix, 12.
Jesus is also the light of the world, whose spirit enlight
ened the Prophets of old, and through whose word the world
received the full knowledge of the true God. It is He whom
all the prophets predicted, and of whom Isaiah in particular
testified : ¦ " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the
Lord hath anoint^ me : He hath sent me to preach to the
meek." Is. Ixi. 1.
Jesus is, moreover, that King of kings and Lord of lords,
of whom the angel spoke to Mary : " And of His kingdom
there shall be no end." Luke, i. 33. And who appeared to
St. John from heaven, with the inscription : " The -King of
kings and the Lord of lords." To him the Father delivered
not only the kingdom of His Church on earth, but all power
in heaven and on earth, over the whole world," whose princi
palities and powers shall all be subject to Him at the end of
time." 1 Cor. xv. 28.
Jesus is also called Christ, in order to indicate by this
name that eminently high dignity, to which the human nature
of the incarnate Son of God was exalted, surpassing all other
creatures in heavenly glory ; because in it there dwells the
plenitude of the real Deity, according to the Apostle : " God,
thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above
them that are partakers with thee." Heb. i. 9,
Q. Whence do we know that Jesns Christ is tha promised
Messiah ? ^

ON FAITH. 53
A. Because in him was fulfilled all that the Prophets
uad predicted coiuerning the Messiah, as may be seen from
the life of Christ.
Q. Which are the things that the Prophets predicted, con
cerning the Messiah ?
A. 1 , The time of his coming, the circumstances of hia
birth, of his life, of his sufferings, and of his death.
2. His resuirection from the dead and ascfension into hea
ven, and the sending of the Holy Ghost.
3. The destruction of Jerusalem, which was to take place
after his death, the rejection of the Jews, and the conversion
of the Gentiles.
4. The founding, the spreading, and the eternal duration of
his Church.
Q. How did the Prophets point out the time of his com
ing ?
A. The Patriarch Jacob prophesied that the Messiah would
come at that time when the sceptre should have been taken
from the tribe of Judah. The Prophet Daniel more clearly
indicated that time : he prophesied that from the time of the
mandate, issued for the rebuilding of Jerusalem, till the death
of the Messiah, there would elapse nearly seventy weeks of
seven years each ; i. e., nearly four hundred and ninety years.
And Aggaeus said : That at the coming of the Messiah, the
second Temple would yet stand, and that the whole world
would be in great expectation. Now, all this was fulfilleii" in
Jesus, with the greatest accuracy, as both Gospel and history
prove. Q. What did the Prophets say, concerning the birth of
the Messiah ?
A. That he was to be born in Bethlehem, of a Virgin of
the tribe of Juda, and of the family of David ; that he should
be worshipped and adored by kings coming from the East.
Ph. vii, 1 1, xi. 1, and Ix. G ; Mich. v. 2 ; Ps. Ixxi. 10. All
this Was accurately fulfille'd in regard to Jesus.
Q. How do the Prophets describe the life of the Messiah?
A. They prophesy his return out of Egypt, his publis
teaching, his wonderful cures, his forbearing love and mild
uess, his public entry into Jerusalem. Is. Ixi, and xxxv. 3 ;
Zach. ix. 9. All this, too, was fulfilled in Jesus.
Q. What do the Prophet? say of the sutTerings and death.
ot the Messiah ?

54 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
A. They predict nearly all the circumstances attending it,
namely : that he should be sold for thirty pieces of silver— >. '
that he should be bound, brought before judges, outraged,
and spat upon — that they would pluck out his hair, whip him,
give him vinegar and gall to drink, nail him to a cross, and
mock him whilst he hung thereon ; and wagging their heads,
cry out : " He has hoped in the Lord, let the Lord help him"
— that they would divide his slothes, and cast lots for his
upper-garment, and that they would break no bone of his
body, Zach. xi. 12, 18 ; Is. 1. 6 ; Ps. xxi. 4, Ixviii. 24 All
this, too, was done unto Jesus.
Q. What do the Prophets announce concerning the works
of the Messiah, and their effect after his death ?
A. That his tomb should be glorious, that his body should
be free from corruption ; that he would raise himself to life
again, ascend into heaven, and pour forth his spirit into the
hearts of the children of men. Ps. iii. 10, Ixvii. 19-34; Is.
xi, 10 ; Joel, ii. 28, 29. This was likewise fulfilled in Jesus.
Q. What do the Prophets say of the fate that was to befall
the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish people after they had
killed the Messiah ?
A. They say, that a strange people would come, together
with their rulers, to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and
that this destruction should last till the end of time. Fur
ther, that the Jews themselves should be blinded and rejected,
dispersed .among all na,tions, and live without a Temple ; but
"hat they should last till the end of the world, and finally be
converted to the true faith.
Now, Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Temple burnt
down, by the Romans, seventy years after the birth of Christ.
One million one hundred thousand Jews lost their lives, and
the rest were driven into exile, and scattered over the whole
earth, to be living witnesses of the divine punishment in
flicted upon them for the murder of the Redeemer, .and as
such they are miraculously preserved among the nations
even to the present day.
Q. What do the Prophets say concerning the conversion of.
Jie nations, and the Church of God, as the kingdom to be
founded by the Messiah ?
^ A. All that we see realized since the descent of the Holy
Ghost upon the Apostles during one thousand eight hundred
years ; namely, they announced that the Mssssiah should be

ON FAITH. 5R
the light of the Gentiles, aiid that all nations should he,
blessed in Hiip, Wis. xxii. 18 ; Ps. Ixxi. ; Is. xiii. 5.
That He would institute a new sacrifice, ^ new priesthood.
Mid, therefore, a new covenant, a new kingdom of God, i. «.,
establish His Church ; which kingdom should reach from sea
to sea to the boundaries of the earth, and l$st for all eternity.
Mai. i. 11 ; Is. Ixvi, 21 ; Jen ii, 15 ; ^flcA. ix. 10 ; Ban. ii.
44, and xvii, 14, And so it has come to pass ; the Church is
really established upon earth, victorious and unshaken amid
storms and turmoils, as the teacher of nations enlightened
from above : sending her missionaries throughout the world,
ever since the times of the Apostles.
Q. Were these prophecies known to the world before the
wming of Christ ?
A. Yes ; even in paradise, immediately after the fall of
the human race in the person of Adam and Eve, there was
aromised to them the future redemption and the rescue from
:he power of Satan, The promise is this : " I will put enmi
ties between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed :
she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her
heel," Gen. iii. 15.
This promise was often repeated in after times, and con
firmed, and rendered still more dear, especaally to those and
through those, whom the Lord had chosen, by a particular
favor, to be special instruments in the order of salvation. To
this connection belongs especially the celebrated promise
made to Abraham the noble patriarch of the faithful : " Ber
cause thou hast done this thing, and hast not spared thy only
begotten son for my sake : I will, bless thee, and I will mub
tiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is
by the sea, shore : and in thy seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed," Gen. xxii. 16-18. Christ, the Saviour,
was to be a descendant of Abraham according to the flesh,
and to bring salvation to all that lov« of His coming.
Soon after, the Lord confirmed this promise to Jacob, the
grandson of Abraham, For when in a dream, he saw a lad
der which reached from earth to heaven, ai d upon which the
ftugols of the Lord were ascending and descending, he heard
the voice of the Lord from above assuring him : " In thj
.seed all the tribes of the ea,rtli sh^ll be blessed." Oen.
xxviii. 4. And so it came to pass.
For this promise. was afterwards more and mere confinnd

56 MANt vL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
by the election of the people of Israel, by the legislation of
Moses, by all the types and emblems of the Old Testament,
both in its religious institutions and political relations.
The whole of the Old Testament was, according to the ex
press remark of St, Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews, x. 4,
ft foreshadowing of the church, as the reign of the coming
Messiah, About this reign of God upon earth, and the person
of the Messiah, the Prophets, enlightened by the Spirit of
God, announced, moreover, the most important events in a
manner which gives the most conclusive testimony of the
Divinity for the authenticity of the Saviour of the world and
His holy Church, For they predicted, as we have seen
above, the birth of the Redeemer, the events of His Mfe, His
passion, Plis death. His Resurrection, His ascension, «nd the
fate of the Church which He established, down till the day
of general judgment.
The primitive tradition of a Saviour to come was kept up,
to a certain extent, even among the heathens themselves, as
may be shown from the works of a Suetonius, Tacitus, and
other pagan authors of antiquity,
Suetonius in his life of the Emperor Vespasian, writes
thus : " It was an old and constant opinion throughout the
entire East, that by an indubitably certain decree, at that
time descendants of the Jews should attain the highest
power," Vita Vesp. c, iv. Namely, through the reign of
the Church, which, established through Christ by the Apos
tles, soon actually overspread all the kingdoms of the world
Tacitus speaks in almost the same terms — he says : " Manv
persons were firmly persuaded, it being contained in the ok
writings of the priests, that .at the same time the East shouk
become powerful, and that the descendants of the Jews shouk
attain the highest power."
Moreover, in the works of the most celebrated poets of
classical antiquity, are found allusions to this primitive tra
dition, and to a universal expectation of the nations for ar
event that would tend towards the amelioraticu. happiness^
and sanctification of man,
Virgil sings in his fourth Eclogue, thus : — ¦
" The last great age,' foretold by sacred rhymes.
Renews Its finished course ; Saturnian timea
Roll round again ; and mighty years, began
¥rom their first ovb in radiant circle" run.

ON FAITH, 67
The 1: ase degi.'i. «te iron offspring ends ;
A »>lden progeny from heaven descends.
O cliaate Lucina ! speed the mother's pains;
And haste the glorious birth ! —
The father banish'd virtue shall restore ;
And crimes shall threat the guilty world i o more."
Also the celebrated books of the Sibyls bear testimony of
this expectation of the nations, and this primitive tradition
of a Saviour that was to come, though it was often disfigured
by human additions. Justin appeals to them thus against the
pagans themselves : " Believe," says he, " the primeval Sibyl,
whose books are spread over the whole world . . . when
predicted clearly and evidently the coming of our Redeemer
Jesus Christ," Grace. Cohert. i. 25.
We read also in Tobias distinctly enough, that the very
dispersion of the Jews among the nations greatly contributed
to the revival and preservation of this expectation,
Q. Did Christ declare himself as the Messiah, and, in order
to prove His declaration, point to those prophecsies.
A. Yes, He did. " Search the Scriptures," says Jesus to
the Jews, " for the same are they that give testimony of
me," John, v. 39. At another time. He opened the Scrip
tures, and quoted a passage from the Prophet Isaias : " Now
this prophecy begins to be fulfilled in me." Besides, we ofjen
read that Jesus said: This or that happens, "that the words
of the Prophets might be fulfilled." And when the Samari
tan woman at the well said : " We know that when the Mes
siah comes, He will teach all things ;" Jesus said plainly : " 1
who speak to thee, I am He." In like manner did Jesus,
after His resurrection, point to predictions of the Prophets,
which had been fulfilled by His life, passion, and death.
Q. Did the Apostles believe and teach the same ?
A. Certainly, they did. For, in the very first address
St. Peter made to the people, after the descent of the Holy
Ghost, he proved that Jesus was the Messiah promised in
the Old Testament. The Evangelists, too, constantly refer
to the Prophets, when they relate the life of Christ. And
the Epistles of all the Apostles everywhere renew this asser
tion, especially those of St. Paul.
Q. Why does the Church add the words : " His only begot
ten Son ?"
A. Because Jesus, the promised Messiah, is God — namelj
the Second Person of the Divinity.
3*

68 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
Q. Whence do we know that Jesus Christ is true God ?_
A. 1. From the predictions of the Prophets. They dis
tinctly speak of the promised Redeemer, as God. "God
himself will come, and will save us." Is. xxxv. 4. "His
name shall be Emanual — God with us." And Jeremias :
" This is the name by which He shall be called : The Lord,
Jehovah, our Trust." " Behold I send my angel before me,"
says the Prophet Malachias, where God., the Lord, speaks
of the precursor of the Messiah. Malach. iii. And the Pro
phet Aggaeus asserts, that the Lord would show himself as
Saviour and Prince of Peace in the second Temple." Ag. ii,
2, Jesus Christ is true God. This is manifest from the
Salutation oif the angel to Mary. He says : " The power of
the Most High shall overshadow thee ; and, therefore, also,
the Holy One which shall be born of thee, shall be called
the Son of God." Luke, i. 35.
3. Jesus Christ is true God. The testimony of the Father
from heaven shows this clearly. For, at the Baptism, and at
the Transfiguration of our Lord on Thabor, a voice was heard
from, heaven, which said : '• This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased." Matt. iii. 17, xvii. 5.
4, Jesus Christ is true God. This is clear from the con
fession which Jesus made of himself as well as from tho
testimony by which he confirmed the same through his
miracles, his prophecies, his doctrine, his life, death, and re
surrection. For Jesus Christ positively asserted, that be had the same
nature with the Father, and the same divine power, that he
performed divine works, and that he was from eternity, and,
by nature, the Son of God. Here are the words of Scrip
ture : " I and the Father are one,' Believe that the Father is
in me, and I in the Father." John, x. 38, " He that seeth
me, seeth the Father also," John, xiv. 9. " All things what
soever the Father hath, are mine," John, xvi. 15. " What
things soever the Father doeth, these the Son also doeth in
like manner. For, as the Father raiseth up the dead, and
giveth, so the Son giveth also life to whom he will ; that all
men may honor the Son, as they honor the Father." John,
v. 19, xxi. 23. "Amen, amen., 1 say unto you, before Abra
ham was made, I am." " Dost thou believe in the' Son of
God ?" — So Jesus asked the man born blind. " Who is the
Lord?" said he, " that I may be"ieve in himT* And Jesus

ON FAIT«, 59
Baid to him ; " Tliou hast seen him, and. it is he who "lalketh
with thee." And the man said : " I believe,. Lord." And
falling down, he adoi^ed him. And Jesus permitted him to
do so, and thus professed himself to be God,
Q. How did J esus confirm this testimony of his Divinity ?
A. In the first place, by his miracles, of which very many
are recorded in the Gospel, ^nd which were so manifest tha*
even his most bitter enemies co.uld not deny them. To these
Jesus appealed as an undeni^ible testimony of his divinity.
Thus, when Jesus s^id : " I and the Father are one," the
Jews took up stones, to stone hinj. And" when Jesus ^ked'
them on account of which of ^s works they intendied ta stone
him, the Jews a.nswered : " For a good work we stone tbeft
n It, but foi: blasphemy ; ^nd because that thou, being a man, '
makest thyself God." Then Jesus replied : " If I do not the
works of my Father, believe menotj but if I do, though you
will not believe me, believe the works, that you may know
and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
John, x;. 30, 31, 32, 37, 38,
Secondly, Jesus confirmed this testimony by his prophecies^
especially by those concerning his death and his resurrection
by his own power. " I have power to lay down my life and
to take it up again." John, x. 18;
Thirdly, Jesus confirmned this testimony by his doctrine
and by the sanctity of his life, Jesus preached the most
pure doctrine, regarding the worshipi and adoration of God.
He taught men tho most holy duties to God, in a manner
that every one understood and acknowledged : " Never has
any man thus spoken !" And he corroborated this doctrine-
by the example of so holy a life, that he could ask his most
bitter enemies themselves: "Which of you. shall convince
me of sin ?" Now, if Jesus were not God, he would have
committed the greatest of cripne?, and. been guilty of the.
most shocking blasphemy, and have led men into more
heinous idola,try than man had ever done before. But this
disagrees with his holy teaching, and the example of his holy
and virtuous life, especially as Jesus did not derive any temr
poral advantage from it, but, on the contrary, had to suffer
only persecution, torments, and the most ignominious death.
as man.
Fourthly. Jesus confirmed the profession of His Divinity
by His death, for it was thr real cause of His crucifixion

00 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
For Jesus Christ was thus asked by the high-priest : " I ad
jure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us, if Thou be the
Christ, the Son of God," And Jesus said to him : " Thou
hast said it." Then the high-priest rent his garments, and
saying : " He hath blasphemed : what further need have we
of witnesses ? Behold, now you have heard the blasphemy :
what think you ? But they answering, said : He is guilty of
death," Matt. x?vi. 63-66. And it was this crime, of which
they accused Jesus before Pilate, as a certain ground for His
condemnation. " We have a law," said the Jews ; " and ac
cording to the law He ought to die ; because He made him
self the Son of God." John, xix. 7. Even whilst He was
hanging on the cross they mocked Him, saying, '• If thou be
the Son of God, come down from the cross." — Matt, xxvii.
40. Finally, Jesus proved His divinity by His resurrection,
which is the seal of the truth for the whole and entire faith,
as He himself taughi, it. and the Apostles preached it. But
they believed and taught, that Jesus is the Son of God, and
therefore true God.
Q. What is the doctrine of the Apostles concerning the
divinity, of Clwist ?
A. The Apostles expressly confess : 1. That Jesus Christ
is true God, and the Son of God. 2. That He possesses the
whole plenitude of the divinity and the infinite perfections of
God. 3, That on this account He is entitled to the homage
of all creatures.
" Thou art Christ," answered St. Peter, " the Son of thfc
living God," Matt, xvi, 16. " We know that the Son of Goi
is come. This is the true God, and eternal life." 1 John, v,
20. " Christ , . . who is over all things, God blessed lor
ever. Amen," St. Paul to the Romans, ix. 5. "In Chrisi
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead corporally," The
same Apostle to the Colossians, ii, 9. And St. John testifies
of Christ the Son of God : " In the beginning was the Word,
and the W ord was with God, and the Word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God. All things were made
by Him : and wltboui, Him was made nothing that was made
— and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among u.s : and
we saw His glory, the. giv.ry as of the only begotten nf the
Father, full of grace and truth.' John, i. 1-4. 14.
" In Him (in Christ) were all ihings created Ui heaven Hnd

¦)N FAITH. 01
tn earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones oi dominations,
principalities or powers : all things were created by Him and
in Him, And He is before all, and by Him all things con
sist." Thus St, Paul to the Colossi ins, i, 16, 17. The same
Apostle commences his Epistle to tne Hebrews with the fol
lowing illustrious and all-embracing confession of the dignity
of the Messiah, and of the proper divine nature of Christ :
" God having spoken on divers occasions, and many ways, in
time past, to the fathers by the prophets ; last of all, in these
days hath spoken to us by His Son, whom He hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also He made the world : who
is the splendor of His glory and the figure of His substance."
Heb. i. 1-3,
Whence St, Paul assures us, that it is written of Jesus in
the Psalms : " Let all the angels of God adore Him," Heb.
i. 6. And again : " That in the name of Jesus every knee
should bow -of those . that are in heaven, on earth, and in
hell," Philip, ii, 10, Now, according to the doctrine of
Jesus himself^ adoration is due to God alone ; but this ado
ration is due to Jesus, therefore Jesus is God.
The Apostles also confirmed this faith by their doctrine,
by their holy lives, by the innumerable miracles they wrought,
by their martyrdom and death, and by the wonder of won
ders, the conversion of the whole world.
But regarding the faith of the primitive Christians, this
faith is attested, not only by the acts of the martyrs, but
also, and more especially by the Creed of the Church, drawn
up by the Fathers of the first CEoumenical Council of Nice,
and in which the Church solemnly professes her belief in the
holy. Sacrifice of the Mass, " that Jesus Christ is real God
aiid consubstantial with the Father, God from God, Lighi
from Light, true God from the true God, born of Him, not
created, by whom all things were made,"
This faith, also, the holy martyrs so often confirmed and
sealed with their own blood,
Q. Having considered the arguments for the dignity of the
Messiah and the Godhead of Jesus ; what are we to think of
the Jews, and of the stupidity of the so-called free-thinkers,
who say that Jesus was only a wise and eminently just man ?
A. Both, indeed, excite our astonishment and pity ; but
both, too, are a striking proof of the blindness of man, if ho
roliintii,rily closes hjs eyf s to the 'ight of faith. As regard*

62 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
the Jews, it is well known that they anathematized any one wh<
should attempt to interpret the prophecy of Daniel, over the
preservation of which they themselves watched most carefully
and which would lead them directly to Christ ; and yet they
do not believe, but purposely closing their eyes, they seek
the sun whose rays fall burning on their head. This their
blindness is at the same time a punishirent of God, for hav
ing inurdered the Redeemer ; but yet, on that account, none
of the Jews who is of good will, must necessarily perish.
God permits that this veil of darkness should remain, on the
eyes of this unhappy people, in order that they, as the most
bitter enemies of Christianity, may be unimpeachable wife
nesses of the foundation of the prophecies. In this ma,nnerj
their historical certainty is established beyond a doubt even
before the eyes of infidels, for it is recorded by the testimony
of the bitterest enemies of the Christian name, with an accu
racy which made them count every letter of every book of
the Holy Scriptures so as even to know which is the first, the
middle, and the last letter, and how often every one of them
occurs. Nevertheless, every Jew has the grace for his con
version, provided he wiU make use of it ; and this many of
them do during their life, and, as we hope, manj more at the
hour of death. Innumerable examples confirm, this hope,
especially in Galicia and Poland, where the greatest numbei
of them are gathered together, and where it is known, that
Jews on their death-bed not unfrequently desire baptism, and
thus die with the baptism of desire.
But as for the blinded free-thinkers, who losing theii faith
in the midst of Christianity, look upon Jesus only as a wise
man and the greatest teacher of virtue ; this senseless infatu
ation too, excites in us astonishment and pity. For what;
wisdom, or what virtue is there in this, that' a mere man
should pretend to be a God, and thus lead others into idola
try ? But this is the very thing which Jesus did, if he is
not in realiiy the second person of the Deity, and he has de
luded the luman race far more than Mahomet, who made
himself on.y a prophet of the most High, but never laid any
claim to the divine nature and substance, or suffered himself
to be adored.
He who fancies himself to be a God, is a fool ; and he
who induces others to believe in him as really so, is a crim
inal, no hero of virtue, no sage, but the son of perdition,

ON FAITH. 63
who shall one day come prv. tending to be God, as St. Paul says ;
namely. Antichrist. Thus then it comes also to pass here,
what the Psalmist said of old : " Malice has belied itself"
Q. In what sense is it that Angels and we ourselves are
called the sons and children of God ?
A. In the figurative sense, namely, according to grace, aiid
in as far as we together with the Angels have been created
after the image of God, and are like unto Him by the sauo?
tification of grace.
Q. Why are the words " Our Lord " added ?
A. 1. Because Jesus Christ, by His divinity, is our Lord,
as is the Father, and the Holy Ghost,
2. Because as man He is .also our Lord, since he freed us
by His death from death eternal, and placed us in the liber
ty of the children of God ; on which account the Father has
given to Him all power in heaven and on earth. He is
therefore in the true sense of the word our Lord, because He
bought us with His own blood, as the Apostle expressly re
minds us, saying : " You are bought with a great price." 1
Cor. vi. 20.
Practice, — Bear a great love to Jesus, being mindful of His
natural dignity and majesty ; and considering in His person,
being both God and man, the king of Angels, whom the
Father in heaven has crowned with the diadem of power and
glory. Consider also what Jesus has done for. you and still
does ; He became your Redeemer, your Father, your friend
and your brother ; and think of the mercy, the liberality
and the love with which He imparts to you, as the child of
His Church, the graces of redemption. Make good use of
every opportunity to increase in the knowledge and love of
Jesus, and do all you can, to make Him known and reverea
by all mankind, as their incarnate Redeemer.

The Third Article of Faith.
Q What -does the third article of faith teach us ?
A. It teaches that the same Jesus Christ our Lord, the Son
of God, became flesh in a miraculous and supernatural man
ner, that is to say, He assumed our human nature, in the
womb of the Virgin Mary, and was born of that virginal
mother, in order to app'.'ar among us as the Saviour of the

84 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
world, and to redeem the fallen race of man by His infnnta
merits. We profess, therefore, by this article of faith, that Jesu*
Christ the only begotten Son of God, took upon Himself our
human nature in the material womb of Mary, in a manner
altogether beyond the power and order of nature, and was
conceived and made man by the power of the Holy Ghost,
so that the same person remaining God from all eternity,
united to Himself the nature of man, in time. This is the
solemn declaration of St. John, the Evangelist. He who
resting on the bOsom of the Lord, drank in the profoundest
knowledge of this ineffable mystery, announces it to us in
the following terms : " In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God." ¦" And
the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us : and we saw
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father."
John, i. 1, and 14. The divine Word, namely, which subsists
in the Godhead as a person, appropriated human nature to
itself forming^ one person, whence followed that wonderful
union of the two natures, by which each of them preserves
its properties unoffaoed, yet so that the human nature was
elevated and ennobled to an infinite extent by this union, ac
cording to the remark of Pope Leo the Great, both beautiful
and correct in its bearing.
Q. What means, therefore, the expression : " Conceived ?"
A. It means that the body of Christ was formed of the
human blood of' the Virgin Mary by the Omnipotence of
God, Q. What is this mystery called ?
A. The Incarnation of Christ the Son of God,
Q. In what does the wonder of this Incarnation of the Son
of God consist ?
A. It consists in this, that, as soon as Mary had spoken
she words of consent : " Behold the handmaid of the Lord :
be it done to me according to Thy word ;" at that very mo
ment the body of Christ was formed in her womb by the
power of God, and the soul of Christ united with it, and
both the body and the soul, with the Divinity through the
second divine person, in an unspeakable and undefinable man
ner, so that the. whole humanity of Christ remains united to
the person of the Son of God, and, consequently, the Deity
dwells bodily in Christ, on whom the ever blessed Trinity

ON FAITH, 65
pours out gracu m such overflowing abundance, " tha^ of His
fullness we all have received." John, i. 16.
Q. Why do we say : " Who was conceived by the Holy
Ghost ;" did not the Father and the Son, too, participate in
effecting this wonder of the conception of Christ ?
A. Certainly ; for each person in the Deity effects in union
with the other all the operations of God that are external to
Ilim, and, because all three persons are but one in essence
and nature ; but, on "account of the relation of the Divine
persons to each other, the works of might are nominally as
cribed to the Father, those of wisdom to the Son, and those
of love to the Holy Ghost. Now, since the Incarnation of
tile Son of God was preeminantly a work of love, the con
ception of Christ is nominally ascribed to the Holy Ghost.
Q. How many different natures, therefore, are found in
Christ ?
A. Two ; the divine and the human nature,
Q. Are there also two wills in Christ?
A. Yes, the divine and the human, but these ever agree in
the most perfect manner, as Christ himself testifies, " Father,
not mine, but Thy will be done," But also: "I do always
what is pleasing to my Father,"
Q. How many persons are in Christ ?
A. There is but one, namely, the second divine person,
Q. In what sense is Mary the mother of Christ ?
A. In this, that Christ as man, took His body of her,
Q. In what sense is M.ary the mother of God ?
A. In this sense, that He who was born of her, is accord
mg to His person — God,
Q. Who was Joseph in regard to Jesus ?
A. He was His foster-father, " Jesus Christ being (as it
was supposed) the son of Joseph," Thus, St. Luke, iii, 23,
Q. What follows from this article of faith with regard to
the manner in which we are to speak of Jesus ?
A. That, in speaking of Him, we are never to confound
the natures, nor to separate the person ; but that, on account
of the union of the two natures into one person, there are
predicated of course in Christ human things of God, and di
vine things of the man, but which are always to be under
stood in the sense just stated above, namely, without con
founding the natures, or separating the person. Thus the
Scriptures speak of Christ, thus the holy fathers also, and

06 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
thus Christ speaks of himself, as for instance : " The Father
is greater than I," This holds good of Christ in respect to
His human nature ; whereas, when the same Jesus says of
himself: " I and the Father are one ;" He -says so in reference
to His divine nature. In this there is no contradiction,
Q. Why do we add in this article of faith : Born of the
Virgin Mary ?
A. Because we profess, by means of this addition, our be-
lief in the maternity of the Virgin Mary, who was before,
in, and after her delivery a virgin, and at the same time truly
the mother of God, and must be called so, because the one
whom she, in accordance with the prophecy of leai'as, con
ceived and bore, herself a virgin, is in reality true God and
true man.
. The words of the Angel themselves point clearly to this
" Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring-
forth a Son ; and thou shalt call His name Jesus. He shall
be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High.'"
Luke, i. 31, 32.
It was becoming that this wonder of the wonders of God,
this pledge of the divine power and love, should be prefigure
ed and declared by signs, and be honored by anticipation-
long before it was to happen. This was typified according
to the unanimous interpretation of the doctors of Holy
Writ, by that east gate of the sanctuary, which the Prophet
Ezechial saw ever shut. It was also prefigured by that stone
mentioned by Daniel, which " was cut out of a mountain with
out hands," and then " became a great mountain and filled
the earth." So, too, with the rod of Aaron, which alone
budded, bloomed, and brought forth fruit among the rods of the
princes of Israel ; so, too, in fine with that bush which Moses
saw on fire, but which was not burnt. Ezeeh. xliv, 2 ; i)an.
ii. 34, viii. 35 , JSfum. -xvii. 8 ; Exod. iii.
This most auspicious birth took place at Bethlehem, as the
prophet Michaeas had foretold : " And thou Bethlehem, Eph
rata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda : ,cut of thee
shall come forth unto me that is to be the Ruler in Israel."
Mich. V. 2. But we are admonished by the words of the
angel, with what joys and exultation we should celebrate the
memory of this blissful mystery of our redemption ; we are
admonished by his words when he aiinounced the tidinigs of
103 to the world at the birth of the Redeemer, saying • " Be

ON FAITH. - &1
hold, I bring you tidings> of great joy, that shall be unto ali
people ; for this day is born to you a Saviour^ who is Christ
the Lord, in the city of David." Luke, ii. 10-11. Aid sud
denly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heav
enly host, praising God : " Glory be to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men of good will." Ibid. 13, 14. Now
how far should our joy exceed that of the angels, since the
Lord did not redeem them, but us. The*holy Fathers, more
over justly remark, that in this work of the redemption by
Christ, the most holy Virgin Mary being thp Eve of the new
Covenant and the mother of the children of God according
to the spirit, was in a similar manner to Him the heavenly
Adam, what the earthly Eve was to the earthly Adam.
Even the apdstle often compares Christ with Adam, calling
Him the heavenly Adam. 1 Cor. xv. 22-45. As namely,
in the order of nature, Adam is the head of the human
family^ so, in the order of grace, in the order of regener.ation
for heaven, Christ is our head as children of God. And if
on the one hand the eaxthly Adam brought death upon us all,
so Christ on the other hand, brought to all of us life. In a
siniilar manner, discerning the prerogatives of Mary, we are_
allowed to compare her with Eve in pariidise. For through
Eve who proffered Adam the forbidden fruit, we came to be
born children of wrath : through Mary, we received Jesus
the blessed fruit of life, and by Him are bom again in the
charity of God for heaven.
Eve believed the fallen angel, Satan : Mary believed the
angel of light. Fallen Eve exalts herself: Mary full of
grace, humbles herself to the lowest.
Eve, in punishnient of her disobedience, was to bring forth
ber children in sorrow : Mary, in recompense for her obedience,
gave birth to Jesus the Son of God, in exultation of spirit,
and remaining a virgin. O would to God, th£^t following the
humility, the obedience, and purity of Mary, we were alw.ays
worthy to be called the children of such a' mother ; in order
that We, too, might be like unto Jesus, and sh^re in abun
dance the fruits of that redemption which Christ effected, by
His bitter passion and death.
To that end you will often con-sjder the lives of Jesus and
Mary as they are set before us in the pages of the holy GospeL

68 - MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.

The Fourth Article of Faith.
Q. What does the fourth Article of Faith teach us?
A. It teaches us that Christ, after having labored for out
salvation during a space of thirty-three years by His example,
by His doctrine, and by His mir.aoles, finally redeemed ua
by His passion and death on the cross, from death, sin, and
hell. Q. Was no other being capable of .saving fallen man, ex
cept Jesus ?
A. No, for none but « being personally united with God
was able to oppose merits of infinite value to the infinite jus
tice of God, in order to atone for the guilt of sin committed
against Him.
Q. Why did Christ suffer for us ?
A. First, In order to free us from the guilt and punish
ment of sin.
Christ, indeed, could have redeemed a numberless multi
tude of worlds even by a single prayer or suppli-<^a*;ion, since
every action of His being that of a God-man, was of infinite
value ; yet He choose to suffer, in order to prove the greatness
of His love for us, and thereby to excite us the more power
fully to subdue ourselves, and to persevere in virtue till the
end ; even if it should require the greatest sufferings on 'our
part, nay, death itself
Secondly, Christ suffered, in order to regain for us grac/i
and the state of children of God, which we lost by sin, as
well as the means of grace and of salvation, and finally etet--
nal life, in greater abundance and with greater efficacy.
Thirdly, in order to teach us by his own example those
principal virtues which we are to practise, and by which we
are to serve God here upon earth, if we wish to be saved
through Christ.
These virtues are: Humility, Obedience, Patience, and
perfect Charity, towards God and man. Nothing, indeed,
teaches us these virtues so expressly, or calls upon us so
powerfully, to practise them faithfully, as the example and
model of the suffering Saviour. According to the admonition
of the prince of the Apostles, St. Peter : " Christ suffered for
us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps.
Who, when He was reviled, did not levile. Who, his own

ON FAITH. 69
self, bore our sins in his body upon the tree (of the cross),
chat we, being dead to sin, should live to justice," 1 Peter,
ii, 2] -24. And St. Paul exhorts us, in these words : " Let
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus ; who, being
in the form of God, thought it no robbery himself to be
equal to God ; but debased himself, becoming obedient unto
death, even unto the death of the cross." St. Paul to the
Philippians, ii. 5-8. " Nowhere," writes St. Augustine,
" ha^¦e I found such an efficacious remedy, as the wounds of
Chritt." Q. How did Christ suffer, and how could He suffer, since
He was the true Son of God ?
A. Christ suffered in those powers of His person, capable
of suffering ; for, by means of His humanity. He could truly
and really suffer in body and soul ; but, according to His
Divinity, He, of course, could not suffer, and neither did He
suffer, according to His Divinity, though He suffered as God,
since, according to His person, He was as man, also the Son
of God, as already stated many times.
Q. Why do we particularly add, "crucified?"
A- Because Christ finished His sufferings and the work of
Redemptionj by His death on the cross. But Christ wished
to accomplish the work of Redemption in this manner, be
cause, this kind of death was preeminently fitted for appro
priating to us the greatness of His love until the end of time.
The sight of the Redeemer nailed to a cross, with His arms
expanded, His sacred heart pierced through for our sake —
these are, indeed, the visible expression of this love, offering
itself for those who are His, faithfully, until death, panting,
as it were, after our salvation. A sight which constantly
cries out to us in the words of the Prophet : " He was offered,
because it was His own will." Is. liii. 7. Christ himselt
confirms it. saying : ' And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
will draw all things to myself," John, xii. 32. And again :
" No man taketh it (life) away from me ; but I lay it down
of myself, and I have power to lay it down." Ibid, x. 1 8.
Moreover, Christ chose the death of the cross, because, by
the M ood of the tree of the forbidden fruit, temptation to sin
enteitd this world. Just, therefore, as Satan made use of
wood, to cause the fall of man, in the same manner did Christ
choose to gain the victory over him by the wood of the holy
C'oss: delivering man, by that viciorv, from the power of the

70 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
devil and fi-om hell. Besides, this mystery was also pr*.
figured in the Old Testament, Types of the bloody sacrifice
of Christ on the cross were the offering of Isaac, who carried
to the mountain the wood, upon which He himself was to
die ; the killing of the paschal lamb and its preparation, and
particularly the brazen serpent set up in the desert. Gen.
xxii. ; Exod. xii. ; Num. xxi,
Q. Why do we add, " who died ?"
A. First, that we may be the more impressed with the
great truth that it was the death of Christ which freed us
from eternal death. Second, that Christ wished to offer him
self to His heavenly Father for us, in a very particular man
ner, in the sacrifice of love which was typified by all the
sacrifices of the Old Law, Third, that Christ sealed, by His
death, the New Law, .and the promises of eternal life ; for,
" Being consummated. He became the cause of eternal salva
tion to all that obey him." Heb. v. 9.
Q. Why do we add, " buried ?"
A. It was the will of Christ to be buried, and to remain
till the third day, in the grave.
First, in order to place it beyond doubt that he had truly
died. Second, to give a clearer proof of, and an increase of glory
to His Resurrection, on the third day,
Q. Since Christ redeemed all men by His passion and
death, why is it that all are not saved ?
A. Christ, indeed, redeemed all men by a superabundant
redemption ; but in order to appropriate to ourselves the
fruits of redemption, and to be savCd by it, it is necessary,
that, on our part, we should offer no impediment to the divine
grace, but cooperate with it, by professing the holy faith, and
by a diligent practice of good works. But in this many are
negligent and deficient, and hence it is, that they remain the
enemies of God and are lost; but lost through their own
fault. For whosoever is truly of good will, avoids evil with
the help of God's grace, as well as he can ; does good in life
or in death, and will surely attain, by the grace of Christ, to
the knowledge of the holy faith, as far as it is necessary for
his salvation.
Q. What should we do when we look at an image of our
urucified Redeemer ?
A. We should return our warmest thanks to our Sa\iiour

ON FAITH 71
for the immense benefit of our redemptioi^, and then endeavor
to excite ourselves powerfully, to follow Him by the perl'cct
exorcise of the virtues "mentioned above, and also to avoid
every shadow of" sin. But is it. possible, that a Christian
could wish to wound and to crucify his Saviour anew by new
sins, the Saviour whom he already sees offered for him on the
cross, offered a victim of love ? Moreover, we should implore
the mercy of God to pardon the sins already committed, and
we should love to exclaim with St. Francis Xavier ; " O Je
sus, my Crucified love !" How pleasing this kind .of venera
tion js to the Saviour, he indicated one day in a particular
manner to St. Gertrude, saying : " As often as any one looks
devoutly upon me on the cross, so often is he benignly looked
upon by God's mercy." Bios. Alan. Spir. c. i.. Pass. Christi.
Certainly^ the passion and death of Christ imparts consolation
to the sinner ; grace, strength and life to all ; " for," as St.
Paul says, " if we have suffered with Christ, we shall also be
glorified with Christ," The Fifth Article of Faith,
Q. What are we taiught by the fifth Article ?
A. That Christ, having died on the cross, His soul descend
ed into the lower regions, partly in order to appear as con
queror in hell, partly in order to liberate thence the souls of
the patriarchs and the just who awaited His coming in Limbo.
According to His body, Christ remained in the tomb, from
*hich He, by His own pOwer, rose on the third day to the
life of immortality and glory,
Q. By whose power did Christ descend to the lower regions ?
A. By His own power,
Christ did not descend thither, carried or necessitated, but
with great glory, might, and splendor, converting, by His
mere presence, the darkness Of that abode of expectation
into a paradise of consolation, in accordance with the words
which Jesus spoke to the penitent thief who was crucified
with Him : " This day thou shalt be with me in paradise,''
Luke, xxiii, 48,
Q. Whither did Jesus descend ?
A. Into the lower regions, whei'e three places are to be distin
guished. The first is the real Hell. That is the place where
the damned suffer eternal punishment

V2 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
The second place is Purgatory, i. e., a place where thosa
souls are who departed this life in the grace of God, but
stand as yet in need of being cleansed, on account of sins
which they committed upon earth, for the temporal punish
ment of which they did not make satisfaction in the ffesh.
The third place is Limbo, or that place which received the
souls of the just who died before Christ, hoping in the Sa
viour, and in that hope serving God, saved themselves.
It was to this latter place that Christ descended in the
quality of deliverer, in order to take with Him, on His as
cension into heaven, the just of past ages, " Thou .also,"
says the Prophet Zacharias, " by the blood of Thy testament,
hast sent forth Thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is nc
water," Zach. ix. 11. " He was put to death, indeed, in the
flesh, but brought to life by the spirit, in which also He canie
And preached to those spirits which were in prison," 1 Pet.
iii, 18, 19. But Christ showed himself, too, in other places
of the lower world, to the terror of the evil spirits, whose
power He had vanquished and destroyed ; to the horror of the
damned, who saw in Him the judge that was one day to pro
nounce sentence upon them ; but also for the consolation and
deliverance of the souls who were suffering in the flames of
purgatory. Q. If only the soul of Christ descended, why then do we
say positively : Christ descended into heii, and not, the soul
of Christ descended ?
A. Because the person of Christ remained inseparably
united to His' soul, as well as to His most holy body in the
tomb. We say, therefore, \vith justice : Christ was in the
sepulchre, and Christ descended into hell.
For the rest, as the holy fathers remark, according to the
indication of St. Peter, there is a good deal of obscurity
about that which Christ during those days did in the nethei
world, namely, as to how He applied the fruits of the re
demption just effected. This obscurity it is impossible for
us to penetrate, but it is also unnecessary. The day of judg
ment will reveal the secret,
Q. How may we prove that Christ rose from the dead on
the third day, though the time intervening between His
burial which was on Friday evening, and His resurrection
which happened on Sunday morning, is net three, but only
two entire days ?

ON FAITH. 73
A. We do not assert, that Christ rose from the dead after
three full days ; neither did Christ do so, but only, " after
three days, or on the third day." But this is really so ; for
Friday was the first day on which he rested in the grave, Sa
turday the second, and the time from midnight of Easter
Sunday belongs of course to the third day.
Moreover, if any one pays his debt or fiilfils his promise
before the appointed time, he certainly keeps his word. It
might be a question, if the appointed time had expired.
Q. Why do we say of Christ : He rose from the dead ;
whereas we say of Lazarus and others. He was raised from
the dead?
A. Because Christ the Son of God rose by His own power
from the dead, whereas the others who returned to life again,
were resuscitated by the power of God. In the same manner
shall we also be one day raised from the dead, and thus come
to life again. If, therefore, at times we hear it said, that
Christ was resuscitated, we are to understand this manner of
speaking only of Christ's human nature, which of course was
restored to immortal life by His divine nature,
Q. Is there not another difference to be noted, between the
resurrection of Christ and that of others ?
A. Yes, there is this difference, that Christ did not again
cease to live — whereas the rest who were recalled to life, did
again separate from their bodies, and subsequently died once
more. Q. Whence do we know that Jesus Christ really rose from
the dead ?
A. First, from the testimony of His Apostles and disci
ples, to whom, as St. Luke tells us, " He showed himself
alive after His death, making Himself known to them by
many demonstrations; for they saw Him after His resur
rection, during a space of forty days, they touched Him.
they sat a;t table with Him, they spoke and conversed
with Him, and announced His resurrection everywhere
before the people and the Council of the Elders, solemnly
and openly, joyfully suffering for this testimony, all manner'
of hardships and torments, nay even death itself."
Secondly, from the fruitless endeavors of the enemies of
Christ, who denied His resurrection, giving monc^ to the sol
diers who guarded His sepulchre, that they should say His
disciples had wme and st.ilen His body, whilst they wer*^
4

74 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION
asleep. But if they were actually sleeping, how could they
have seen the disciples ? And even if they did, what was it
that gave courage to the timid disciples, to attempt a thing
of the kind ; and what profit could they derive from it ? On
the contrary, the disciples would have been the more hated,
and would have only gained by it persecution and martyrdom.
Moreover, why were not the guards who were thus forgetful
of their duty, punished, instead of receiving money for it ?
Thirdly, From the conversion of those who crucified Je
sus, and that of His enemies in Jerusalem themselves. For
immediately after the first sermon of St. Peter, who bore
witness to the resurrection of Christ, on the day of Pentecost
before the people in Jerusalem, three thousand of them were
converted to the faith, and among them were even many
priests of tlje Old Law, receiving the faith of Christ, in spite
of the growing persecution, "And the word of the Lord
increased ; and the number of the disciples was multiplied
very much in Jerusalem : a great multitude also of the
priests obeyed the faith." Acts, vi. 7. Now, how could
this have happened, if the testimony of the Apostles and dis
ciples had not been perfectly plain and incontestable ?
Fourthly, From the conversion of the heathens to the
aith. If the resurrection of Christ had not been incontesta-
oly proved, never would the Roman people have adored a
crucified Jew, and acknowledged Him the God and Saviour
of the world.
The resurrection of the Lord is, therefore," the surest pledge
of our faith, that, firmly believing in Chri-st, we quit vice for
virtue, and awake from the death of sin to the life of grace,
and, finally, from the death of the body to the life of immor
tality. " He who raised up Jesus, will raise up us also with
Jesus," Thus the Apostle, 2 Cor. iv, 14. .But in order
that our resurrection be a glorious one, it is necessary that it
be preceded by the resurrection to the life of the spirit in
this world, i. e., the resurrection from the death of sin to the
life of justice, in which we shall continue to live, with the as
sistance of God, without ever again losing His friendship.
"Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more."-'
Rom. vi, 9. This is the Easter-joy to him who is truly risen
in Christ, and this is the application to our life of virtue : \
new life in the imitation of Christ without relapsing iuu. the
evil of sin.

ON FAITH,

The Sixth Article of Faith,
Q, What does the sixth article of faith teach us ?
A. That Jesus, after effecting the work of redemption, ap
peared at several different times to those that were His, and
confirmed by many proofs the truth of His resurrection ;
moreover, that He ascended into heaven on the fortieth day
after His resurrection, in order to take possession of the king.
dom of glory, as the man-God, exalted above all in the
heavens, and to offer to His heavenly Father His merits for
us as our Mediator, pointing to Hisradient wounds as the glo
rious conqueror of hell, and the author of our redemption.
Q. How did Christ ascend into heaven ?
A. 1. Christ ascended into heaven by His own power in tha
same manner as He rose by His own power from the dead.
2. In the triumph of victory, surrounded by the souls
which He carried witli,Him from limbo to heaven, and hailed
by all the choirs of the holy angels ; in that triumph which
the royal prophet foresaw in exultation of spirit : " Lift up
your gates, O ye pfinces, and be ye lifted up, O eternal
gates : and the King of glory sha;ll enter in. Who is this
King of glory ? The Lord of hosts is the King of glory."
Ps. xxiii. 9, 10. And again : " O clap your hands, all ye na
tions : shout unto God with voices of joy : God is ascended
with jubilee." Ps. xlvi, 126. " Thou hast ascended on high.
Thou hast led captivity captive." Ps. Ixvii. 19.
Q. Why is it said of Christ, that He sitteth in htdven ?
A. 1. By the "sitting" is pointed out the perfect posses
sion which He took of the heavenly kingdom, and of which
nobody ever can deprive Him. 2. It is indicative of the re
pose which Christ enjoys eternally in the delights of heaven.
This expression, therefore, is a figurative one, since the
blessed in heaven stand in need of no repose in their glorified
immortal bodies, as we do.
Q. What means the expression : At the right hand of God
the Father Almighty ?
A. This expression, too, is to be understood in its figura
tive sense ; it signifies the glory of Christ, His majesty and
His power in heaven and on earth being equal to that of the
Father ; for he who sits at the side of another, sits neither
higher nor lower, but on a level with the other. God is a

f6 MaNUAI of the CATHOLIC RELIGION.
puie spirit; He has, therefore, no body, and consequently
neither a right nor left side; the Holy Scriptures simply
make use of this figurat ve expression, in order to speak in a
manner palpable to our human perception,
Q. What practical benefit can we derive from the considera
tion of this article of faith ?
A. Just as the resurrection of Christ is the pledge of our
faith, so is His ascension the pledge of our hope, since by it
we are powerfully excited to direct all our endeavors and de
sires to that end which Christ our head pointed out to us,
saying : " I go to prepare a place for you." John, xiv. 2.
But in order that we may actually go thither one day, we are
told to elevate our minds to heaven, whilst living here upon
earth, obedient to the call of the Apostle : " If you be risen
with Christ, seek the things that are above ; where Christ is
sitting at the right hand of God." Coloss. iii. 1. By these
words the Apostle pulsus in mind, that only those are truly
risen with Christ to a new life of grace, who expect their
goods, their repose, their glory, and their life eternally there,
where Christ has taken up Ilis lasting^ abode. But by the
addition : " Seek the things that are above, not those that
are below,'' the Apostle points out the mark by which we
may know whether in reality we possess those qualities
which the spiritual resurrection with Christ requires of us.
For, as the state of the appetite is indicative of the health
and condition of the body, so are the demands and inclina
tions of man demonstrative with regard to the state of his
soul. He who rejoices in things that pass away, who longs
only for them and their enjoyment, forgets, indeed, what is
above where Christ is ; to him, then, Christ is not lift-, nor is
death his gain. Whereas, he who, being filled with a desire
for heaven, longs only for that which is true, lawful, just, and
holy, which is in heaven, and he lives in Christ and Christ in
him ; for him death has no terrors, for he longs to be dis
solved and to be with Christ.
Wherefore, place yourself often in spirit on the mountain
of Olives, abiding in company with the Apostles and disciples
near your Saviour, who ascends thence into heaven, to prepare
a place for you in His kingdom, and you shall be enabled to
bear with joy the hardships and trials of this life, which very
soon will be changed into triumphant and everlasting delight.
Yes, we shall bo glorified with Him, if we havj suffered with
Ilim.

ON FAITH. 77
The Seventh Article of Faith.
Q What'' do we profess by the seventh article of faith?
A. We profess by this article, that Jesus Christ will ccine
again on the last day, to judge the world, i. e., all men, both
the good and the wicked, in the presence of all the angels, all
men, and all the spirits'of hell.
Q. When shall Christ coir.e to judge us ?
A. " Of that day and hour no one knoweth " but this we
know, that it shall be the last day, the day, when time shall
be no more. Matt, xxiii. 36.
Q. Shall any signs precede the day of this judgment ?
A. Yes ; many and terrible signs.
First, The perversion of a multitude of men by Anti
Christ, and a dreadful persecution of the Church over the
whole earth through him, the son of perdition and malice,
and through those who are his adherents.
This Antichrist will be a man, who, embodying within him-
self all the malice of Satan, shall lay claim to the worship
of God, personating, as it were, the Redeemer of the world ;
but whom Christ, appearing from heaven, will destroy. For
thus, St. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, assures us, writ
ing to tbe Thessalonians : " The coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ shall not be at hand, till there come first a revolt, and
the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who oppos-
eth, and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself as if he were God. Whose coming is according to
the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying won
ders, and all seduction of iniquity to them that perish, whom
the Lord Jesus 'shall kill with the spirit of His mouth." 2
Thess. ii. 1-10.
And. St. John writes: "You have heard that Antichrist
cometh." 1 John, ii. 18.
But the last day shall be preceded by terrible signs from
heaven ; for, " immediately after the tribulations of those days,
the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her
light ; and the stars shall fall from heaven ; and the powers
of the heavens shall be moved ;" and the, whole world shall
pass into flame, " and heaven and earth shall pass away," be
cause they shall be changed into a new heaven and a nev
earth. St. Matt. xxiv.Ji9,35.

78 MAN'JAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
" But," s,iys St. Peter, (2 Peter, iii, 10, 13,) "the day of
the Lord shall come as a thief, in which the heavens shall
pass awuy with great violence ; and the elements shall be dis
solved with heat ; and the earth, and the works that are in
it, shall be burnt up," " But we look for new heavens and a
new earth, according to His promise." St. Jerome comment
ing on this text, says : " The form of this earth shall pass
away, but not" its essence." For St. Peter does not say:
" We shall see another heaven and another earth, but those
which now exist shall be changed into others new and gloria
ous." StrHier. Com. in Is. 65. And St. Cyril of Jerusa
lem, says : " This world shall pass away, in order that a more
beautiful world may be formed of it."
" Then Christ shall send His angels with a trumpet, and a
great voice ; and they shall gather together His elect from
the four winds, from the fiirthest parts of the heavens, to the
utmost bounds of them. And all nations shall be gathered
together before Him : and He shall separate them one from
another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats,
i. e., the good from the wicked ; and then shall appear the
sign of the Son of man in the heavens, to the great consola
tion of the good, but to the terror of the wicked." " For as
the lightning, that lighteneth from under heaven, shineth unto
the parts that are under heaven, so shall the Son of man be
in His day, "as the terrible judge from heaven, and then his
judgment shall begin." Matt, xxi v., xxv. ; Mark xiii.; Luke xvii.
Q. How shall Christ come to judgment ?
A. Christ shall come with great majesty and power, and
ail the angels with Him, and He sh.all sit upon the seat of
His majesty, in order to enforce the solemn acknowledgment
and attestation, that He is, in truth, the Son of God and the
Lord and King of all. He shall come to judge as the God-
man, because as such He is the Redeemer ; and though the
power to judge is proper originally to the Deity, yet the ad-.
ministration of this judgment and the execution of this divine
power are committed conjointly to Christ as man. Matt.
xxv. ; John, v. 22,
Q. How shall Christ judge the world ?
A. A wonderful light shall pervade the consciences of all,
so that every thing, even the most secret thoughts of the
heart of man shall bi revealed and laid open to all the world,
because " Christ will bring to light the hidden things of dark

ON FAITH, 79
sess, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart," 1
Cor. iv. 5.
St. John bears witness to this in the Apocalypse ; he says :
' And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the
throne; and the dead were judged by those things which
were written in the books, according to their works." Apoc.
XX. 12.
At tliat moment, when all the deeds, omissions, thoughts,
wor(^s, and desires shall be laid open, the sentence of every
individual shall also become manifest to all, which, then,
Christ himself shall pronounce against the good and the
wicked. Then shall He say to them that shall be on His
right hand : "Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
But then shall He say to them also that shall be on His left
hand : " Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
which was prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt.
XXV. 34, 41.
Q. Shall man be judged, for the first time, on the last day,
at the general judgment of all ?
A. No, all men are judged by Christ immediately after
death, in the particular judgment, according to the Apostle :
" It is appointed for men once to die, and after this the judg
ment." Heb. ix. 27. This particular judgment of the soul
is followed immediately by the reward or punishment of the
soul till the last judgment ; so that the saints and the souls
already purified go immediately to heaven ; but those who
die in the state of venial sin, or have yet t6 satisfy for the
temporal punishment due to the sins which they committed
whilst on earth, go to purgatory ; finally^ those who quit this
life infected with mortal sin, are hurled immediately into
hell. The Council of Florence teaches expressly, that the
souls which are perfectly clean when parting this life, go in
stantly up to heaven and are there admitted to the beatific
vision of the Triune God, in a degree more or less perfect
according to their works and merits. But on the other hand,
that the souls of those who died in mortal sin, are sent
straight to hell, to undergo their eternal chastisement of woe.
Q. But why, then, shall a general judgment take place ?
./4, First, the wisdom, the goodness, and the justice of God
themselves require this satisfaction. For, since it often hap
pens before the eyes of the world that, here below, the wicked

80 MANUAL .IF THE CATHOLIC RELIGIO.N,
live in prosperity, whilst the good anol virtuous si ffer wan
and misery, it is just and right that it also should be mani.
fested to all the world why God permitted this and so or
dained it ; namely, in order to show that every good action
will be rewarded, and every bad one punished, here and
hereafter. Secondly, The respect and authority of Christ, likewise,
demand this satisfaction of an universal judgment. For it
ii? just and right, that he should now himself appear as the
judge of all, who, innocent as He was, was judged and coiv
deinned by the wicked, for the salvation of all.
Thirdly, The full requital of the just, too, demands that
satisfaction. For, since, in the world, the wicked often per
secuted, derided, calumniated, and condemned the virtues of
the just, it is fitting that their justification should also be laid
open to the whole world, before the very face of the wicked.
Fourthly, It is equally just that the hypocrisy and spe
cious sanctimony of so many wicked persons, who, like the
Pharisees, make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but
are, in their hearts, full of rapine and iniquity, siiould be
unmasked before all the world.
Fifthly, Since man is essentially a compound of body
and soul, and his deeds and actions, generally, are connected
with consequences tending to the salvation or ruin of others,
if is just and proper that he should be judged with body
and soul, and in common with all mankind.
Q. W".iy is it said : Jesus shall " judge the living and the
dead?" A. Because those standing before the tribunal are either
good or bad. Now, by the living are understood the good,
and by the dead the w^ieked — i. e., those who are dead as to
the life of grace. But we may take the phrase also in its
literal meaning — namely, we may understand by the living
those who are in the flesh when the signs of the judgment of
the world appear, then also these shall die in the dissolution
of the world ; but since the signs of the judgment meet them
whilst yet alive, they are styled " the living."
Q. What impression should this truth make upon us re
garding our conduct in this life ?
A. First, this truth should induce us to lead a life the
more holy .since we well know that soon we shall have to
'ippear before our Judge, who is Omniscient, and to who,se

ON FUTH, 81
eye everything is clear as noon-day, and who, one day, shall
pass sentence on all our thoughts, words, desires, works, and
omissions. Secondly, By bearing constantly in mind that terrible
judgment to come, we are powerfully supported in the hour
of temptation, and prevented from yielding to it. In this let
every one of us imitate, as far as he can, the example of St,
Jerome, who, at every action of his, thought of the sound of
the trumpet on the day of judgment : " Arise, ye dead, and
come to judgment."
Thirdly, If one has sinned, the remembrance of this judg
ment is .an efficacious means of rousing the sinner to repent-
auce, and especially of bringing him to a sincere and full
confession of his sins, and to a firm purpose of amending his
life, mindful of the threats of St. Peter : " If the just man
shall scarcely be saved, where shall the wicked and the sinner
appear ?" 1 Peter, iv. 18.
And it is on this account, as St. Gregory the Great wisely
rem.arks, that the Lord kept concealed from us the day of our
death and that of the judgment : in order that we should live
so as to be alwa\ s ready to appear before the tribunal of the
Divine Judge." We should especially endeavor to walk
constantly in the Divine presence, and to act so, as if He,
who shall one day come to judge us on all our actions, were
to see us, as He really does, He who will judge everytiiing
in that judgment, upon which our eternal happiness or misery
is dependent. The Eighth Article of Faith,
Q. What does the eighth article of faith teach us?
A. It teaches us expressly to profess our belief in the
Third Person of the Blessed Trinity — namely, in the Holy
Ghost, who proceeds from both the Father and the Son, and
who is to be adored and glorified with both as true God,
being consubstantial and co-eternal with them.
Q. How can we prove that the Holy Ghost is true God,
equal to the Father and the Son, and that he proceeds from
both in common ?
A. 1. From the w<)rds prescribed by Christ the Lord, in
the administration of the sacrament of Baptism — namely ¦
" Go ye, therefore, and teach nil nations ; baptizing them in
4*

82 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost," Matt, xxviii. 19. If the Holy Ghost were not
God, Christ would not have required that we should be dedi
cated by the tie of religion to the Holy Ghost, as we are to
the Father and to the Son. But that Christ mentions the
Holy Ghost after the Father and the Son, indicates his pro -
cession from both.
2. The same acknowledgment appears from the words of
St. Peter to Ananias : " Why hath Satan tempted thy heart,
that thou shouldst lie to the -Holy Ghost ; thou hast not lied
to men, but to God." Acts, v. 3-7. The same Apostle calls
the Holy Ghost, also, the " Spirit of Christ?" 1 Peter, i. 11,
But this could not be said if the Holy Ghost did not proceed
in the same manner from the Son as from the Father,
The holy Fathers confirm what has been said, and point
out many more texts of Holy Scripture that prove the same.
Thus St, Epiphanius says, in his book, Ancorato, 67 : " Since
Christ, as faith teaches us, is of the Father — God of. God,
and the Spirit from Christ, or from both, as Christ assures us
m these words : ' Who proceeds from the Father, and shall
take of mine.'' " The same holy Father, on the occasion of
lefuting the heresy of Sabellius, expresses himself just as
positively — he says : " The Holy Ghost is not separate from
the Father and the Son, but is of the same Deity, of the
Father and the Son ; He subsists with the Father and the
Son, as Holy Ghost." And Clement of Alexandria writes :
" Let us praise the one Father and Son, with the Holy Ghost,
who is one in All — in whom all, through whom all — to whom
honor now and in all eternity. Amen." Lib. iii., Strom, c.
vi. The fourth Council of Lateran has declared this doctrine
solemnly against the error of the schismatic Greeks, who
denied- the common procession of the Holy Ghost from the
Son. The self-contradiction of this error is plain to every one
that believes and thinks. For, if one denies this procession
of the Holy Ghost from the Son, he renders himself incapa
ble of discerning or defining any difference between the Son
and the Holy Ghost, since besides the procession of the one
Person from the other, in the most Holy Trinity, there can
be no difference assigned, as was remarked already by St.
Anselm, writing against the Greeks, which remark of hi*
thej- could not refute.

ON FAriH, 83
Q. Why is the Third Person of the most Holy Trinity
called the Holy Ghost ?
A. 1. Because He is sanctity itself, and the author and
source of all sanctity. 2. Because He imparts to us the
graces of Redemption in the Church militant here upon earth,
and, hereafter, in the beatific vision of God, He being the
substantial Love of the Father and of the Son, unites us with
himself, the Father and the Son, by the indissoluble ties of love.
(J. Why is this name. Holy Ghost, only applied to the
Third Person ; are not the Father and the Son, then, also,
a spirit,and essentially holy ?
A. Certainly ; the Father and the Son are also a spirit, and
holy, since the Divine nature itself is the most pure spirit,
and most holy ; but this name. Holy Ghost, is given to the
Third Person, on this account especially, that by this nominal
mark the Third Divine Person is most aptly pointed out and
distinguished in his relations to the two others. Because this
name indicates the one nature of God, who is the most pure
spirit, and in which it is only with respect to the procession <rf
the Persons that any distinction is made, as has been already
stated more than once. But, since the spirit is essentially
understanding and will, this procession is also, in God, but
two-fold — namely, that of the Son from the Father by cog
nition, and that of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the
Son in common, by the Divine will, which is in God esseo
tially love and sanctity.
Q. Why is tbe Holy Ghost represented in the form of a
dove ?
A. 1. Though the Holy Ghost has no body, anymore than
the Father, yet, in the same manner as the Father is repre
sented under the form of an aged man — because he appeared
under that form to Daniel — so is the Holy Ghost, if mate
rially exhibited, represented under the form of a dove, be
cause, under this form, He appeared at the Baptism of Christ.
i. The Holy Ghost is also represented under the figure of a
dove for this reason : the effects which the Holy Ghost pro
duces in the just, by His grace, are, in a certain sense, simi
lar to the properties of a dove. These effects and properties
in the just are, therefore, entirely characteristic : innocence,
meekness, and harmless simplicity of the heart, according to
the maxim of Christ himself: '" Be ye simple, like the dove-"
Malt. X. 16

84 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. Did the Holy Ghost appear under any other visible
form? A. Yes ; on the day of Pentecost, at the consecration of
the Apostles, for their apostolic function. He appeared in the
shape of fiery tongues. This symbol is indicative of the gift
of languages, of wisdom and charity : namely, the tongue
signifies the gift of languages ; the light, wisdom ; the fire,
charity. Q. How is this to be understood, that tho Holy Ghost
came down upon the disciples, and has also been imparted to
us, since as God, He is indeed present everywhere ?
A. By this is indicated, that He communicated special
graces to the Apostles and disciples of the Lord upon that.
day of Pentecost, and that He also protects, by His divine
assistance, the Church of God, and favors and sanctifies, more
and more, each one of her children. In this sense the Holy
Ghost abides with the whole Church, teaches, governs, and
sanctifies it, by communicating to the same the graces, which,
on account of the merits of Christ, are constantly adminis
tered to souls therein.
Q. What fruit are we specially to gather from this article
of faith, for the conduct of our life ?
A . Since the Holy Ghost proceeds proximately from the will
in God, who is essential love, it evidently follows that those
effects, which are specially ascribed to the Holy Ghost, are
also specially the property of God's love towards us. But
we should esteem and value more than all other gifts of
grace, that of justification, by which we are rendered just in
the sight of the Lord, and stamped with the mark of elec
tion for the eternal inheritance of salvation. For, by jus.
tification our soul is ur ited to God by the tie of His love ;
whence, springs up in is an earnest desire of walking thus
in the path of renewed life, that, being made participants
of the Diyine nature, we are called and really are, the chil
dren of God, sanctified temples of the Holy Ghost, who, as
It were, dwells in us by the effects of Ilis grace and love,
as the Apostle tells us.
But let us take heed not to defile this sanctuary, by sin
particularly not to pollute it by the vice of unohastity'
and other lusts of the flesh, and never to banish the Holy
Ghost, in this manner, from our hearts, or to grieve Him, as
the Apostle says, by tepidity and the perpetration of venial

ON FAITH. 8jJ
sin. But, on the 3ontrary, the true children of God fol
low "with fervor His inspirations, and are led by the Holy
Ghost," Rom. viii, 14,
The Ninth Artj.le of Faith,
Q. AVhat does the ninth article of faith teach us ?
A. The second part of the Apostles' Creed commences with
the ninth article of faith. The first part treats directly of the
Deity and the three Divine Persons ; but this second treats
of the Church. As we believe that there is in God but one
divine nature and three distinct persons, so do we confess
that the Church is but one in essence, yet comprises within
herself three different relations, of which the, first regards the
soul, namely, the remission of sins ; the second, the body,
namely, its resurrection ; the third, the soul and the body to
gether, namely, the eternal bliss of the just m the life to
come,, as will be seen from the following article of faith,
Q. What is the Church ?
A. The Church is the visible kingdom of God upon earth,
that is to say, the society of all the faithful, who, by the use
of the same means of salvation united, live in the commiinion
of faith, hope and (iharity, under a visible head, the Pt pe,
who is the successor of St. Peter, and the vicegerent of
Christ. Q. Of how many parts does the Church consist ?
A. Of three,
1. The church militant upon earth, to which belong all the
faithful who live in her communion here on earth ; she is call
ed the militant church, because those that belong to her, are
yet at war with the world, the devil, and the flesh.
2, The church suffering, to which the souls in pugatory
belong, 3, The church triumphant in heaven, namely, the commu
nion of the angels and saints in heaven,
Q. Who is the founder of the Church ?
A. Jesus Christ.
Q. How many churches did Jesus Christ establish '
A. Only one. " Thou art Peter, and upon this rook I will
build my Church; and tho gates of hell shall not prevail
(igainst it," Matt, xviii.
To which, in a wider sen le, the Jewish Church of the Old

66 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Testament also belongs ; for the Church of the Old Law, be
fore the coming of Christ, prepared the human race for the
reception of the Gospel by its types and prophecies.
Of ihe Marks of the Holy Church.
Q. By what marks may we discern the true Church cf
Christ? A. By the very marks by which Christ our Lord wished to
point out His Church, in order that it might be known from
all other temporal or spiritual institutions, and recognized as
such by the whole world,
Q. Which are these marks of the true Church of Christ?
A. They are — Unity, Sanctity, Universality, Apostolicity
or Apostolic institution. In other wo ds : the Church of
Christ is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
Q. What do we understand by each of these marks ?
A. First, that the attribute, which is expressed by each
mark, is in reality a property given to His Church by Chri.st.
And secondly, that this essential attribute or distinguishing
mark belongs exclusively to the Catholic Church, and that
consequently she only is the true Church of Christ.
Q. What meang the Church is one ?
A. It means that the Church of Christ is by her internal
and external unity, but one visible kingdom of God upon earth.
Q. In what consists the internal, and in what the external
unity of the Church ?
A. The internal unity consists in the preserving and pro
fessing one and the same doctrine of salvation, which Christ
revealed through himself and His Apostles.
The external unity consists in the connection of all the
members of the Church by subordination to their superiors,
the bishops and priests, under one and the same head, the
vicegerent of Christ, the successor of St, Peter, the Pope of
Rome. Q. How can this mark of the Church be proved from Holy
Scripture ?
A. Regarding the internal unity, Christ expressly demands
the unity < f faith, since He says : " He that believeth not
shall be condemned." Mark, xvi. 16. He required the same
unity in regard to the recognition of duties, for He says :
"Teach them to' observe all things, wliatioever 1 have com-

ON FAITH, ^^
wanded you,'' Matt, xxviii, 20, He demands of all 'iha
«ame hope and chal'ity, promising to all the same inheritance
of salvation, and requiring of all the same love with which
He loved us," John, xiii.
Regarding the external unity, it is evident both from
the manner in which He sent His Apostles, and the power Ho
gave them ; namely : " As the Father hath sent me, 1 also
send you," John, xx, 21, "If he will not hear the Church,
let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican." Matt.
xviii, 17.
But this will of Christ appears in a particular manner,
from the institution of the Primaicy in the person 'of St.
Peter, who presides, in each of his successors, over the mem
bers of the Church, and unites all in perfect union as the one
supreme shepherd.
The Apostles also teach the same thing, being the true in
terpreters of the will of Christ, and the messengers of the
Holy Ghost. Concerning the proof of this, we find a beau
tiful text in the Epistle to the Ephesians, where the Apostlt
writes thus : " Be careful to keep the unity of the spirit in
the bond of peace." " One body, and one spirit ; as you are
called in one hope of your vocation ; one Lord, one faith, one
baptism. One God ajid Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in us all." Ephes. iv. 3-6. St, Paul could
not, indeed, have expressed himself more clearly and more
positively regarding the necessity of the internal unity of the
Church, which stands upon the foundation of one and the
same faith. He inculcates the same thing in his Epistle to
the Philippians, ii. 12; to the Galatians, i. 6; to the Romans,
xvi. 17 ; and 1 Cor. i, 10. The same Apostle insists no less
forcibly on the preservation of the external unity ; he says :
"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 the partaking of the body of the Lord ?
For we being many, are one bread, one body, all who par
take of one bread." 1 Cor. x. 16, 17.
In these words, the Apostle points to the external commu
nion of all the faithful in Christ Jesus and His holy Church,
sanctified bj the partaking of one and the same sacrament of
the bodily presence of Christ in the most holy sacrament of
the altar. But, that finally Peter is the uniting link, Christ
himself declares, sa^ ing : " lliou art Peter, and upon this

88 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
rock I will build my Church." And again : " F'ecd my
lambs, feed my sheep." Matt. xvi. 16; John, xxi.'
Besides, all the figures under which the Church is repre
sented by Christ and His Apostles, go to demonstrate this
union. For the Church is compared to a building, to a peo
ple, to an inheritance, to a flock of sheep, to a kingdom, to a
city, to a body, to an army : symbols which all of them ex
press the idea of the unity of many. The Church is also
called the one spouse of Christ.
Add to this the historical proof, which includes within it
self the authority of tradition. For all the heretics, secta
rians, and schismatics, were, since the beginning of the Church,
cut off from it by the chief pastors of the Church, and of
course numbered no more amongst the members of the true
Church, which on account of her truth is one.
Moreover, reason itself shows the necessity of this mark
of the true Church, for two parties contradicting each other,
:an never be the true Church established by one and the
same Founder, whence it necessarily follows, that the true
Church of Christ must of necessity have the mark of unity.
Q. Why is the Church called holy ?
A. 1. Because Christ, the head of the Church, is most holy.
2. Because all that enter the Church are sanctified by the
Sacrament of Baptism. '
3. Because she has the most holy sacrifice, together with
noly laws, sacraments, and ceremonies ; further, because she
promotes every virtue, condemns every vice, and contains
within herself nothing, or approves nothing, which is not, as
far as it belongs to her, good and holy.
4. Because the Holy Ghost protects the Church. according
to the promise and assurance of Christ.
Q. How can this mark of the Church be proved from
Scripture and tradition ?
A. That Christ willed His Church to be holy, is proved,
in the first place, by the very character of Christ, and by
His will, which was to sanctify all men, according to these
words in which He prayed to His Father : " Sanctify them
in truth." John, xvii. 17. And His express command is .
" Be ye perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect."
Matt. V. 48. And the whole of the Gospel breathes nothing
but sanctity. The Apostles everywhere assert the same
Ihing by their precepts, admonitions, institutions, and by tha

OS FAITH. S9
counsels given in theii missionary Epistles. St. Paul espe
cially, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, makes use of words,
which prove this assertion in a remarkable manner ; he writes :
"Christ loved His Church, and delivered himself up for it,
that He might sanctify it, cleansing it in the laver of water
in the word of life; that He might present it to himself a
glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, nor any such
thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Ephes. V. 25-27.
The same thing is corroborated by the authority of tradi
tion, which shows how earnestly the holy Fathers of the
Church and all her zealous pastors were, at all times, intent
on advancing by word or deed, orally and in writing, the
sanctification of the faithful in the holy Church ; recognizing
only those as living members of the Church, who, gifted with
supernatural life by means of sanctifying grace, lived in the
holy Church as children of God.
Q. Why is the Church called universal or Catholic ?
A. Because Christ willed His Qiurchto be universal in re
gard to time, place, and persons ; that is t9 say. He willed
her a Church of all times, of all tribes, and of all nations,
Q. How can we prove this mark of the Church ?
A. That Christ willed His Church to be universal from tha
beginning, in regard to time, is plain from the words of Christ
himself: " I am not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it."
The Church of Christ, therefore, commenced in the begin
ning with the very first revelation of God to man ; and even'
before Christ, this Church which stands in connection with
Christ the Promised One, exercised its power and influence
over the whole human race, in order to keep alive amongst
men the expectation of the coming Redeemer, But that
Christ had in view all people and all times, is manifest from
these words : " Go ye," says He, " and teach all nations, bap
tizing them , . . . behold, 1 am with you all days, even to the
consummation of the world. Matt, xviii.
The decisions and actions of the Apostles, as well as the
entire history of the Church, tend to the corroboration of the
same thing in their arguments, concerning the spread and
propagation of the Christian religion. Acts, x. 10, xii. 7-
10; Ephs. ii, 14; 1 Cor. xv, 24.
Reason itself demands such an universal Church, since tha
wants of men which render a church, instituted by Divin»

90 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
authority, necessary, are common' to all men. Consequently,
if God has instituted such a church, reason justly concludes,
from his goodness and wisdom, that God instituted the same
for the entire human race.
Q. Why is the Church of Christ called Apostolic?
A. Because Christ our Lord chose the Apostles as the first
proclaimers of the Gospel, and because He subsequently
established the Church through them. It must, therefore, be
possible to trace back to them the true Church of Christ,
by means of the uninterrupted succession of its chiefs, in
order to point it out as the first, before the eyes of all the
world, the Apostolic, and therefore the true Church of
Christ. Any congregation which is unable to do this, cannot
be the true Church of Christ, since it wants that mark
which the Apostle specially points out, writing : " Now, there
fore, you are no more strangers and foreigners ; but you are
fellow-citizens with the saints and the domestics of God : built
upon the foundation of the Apostles." Ephes. ii. 10, 20.
The characteristic marks "of the true Church of Christ are,
therefore : " Unity, Sanctity, Universality or Catholicity, and
Apostolicity or .Apostolic Institution."
Q. Have these attributes of the Church really the charac
teristic marks of the Church of Christ ?
A. Certainly ; for, a characteristic mark is that by ¦;vhich
we know an object 'as such, and distinguish it from every
other of a similar kind. From this it follows — first, that a
characteristic mark must be more easily understood than the
object itself which it designates ; second, that it is proper to
the object which it distinguishes; and third, that it can be
easily observed. Now, the marks in question have all these
properties, in relation to the Church of Christ.
They are, in the first place clear and easily understood :
for, what can be more easily understood than that which all
members of a society openly profess, and openly do; what
the manner of its administration is ; who governs it ; how
long it publicly exists, and how far it extends.
Second, They are proper, i. e., belong exclusively to the
Church of Christ ; for, they appertain essentially to the prim
itive formation and institution of the Church, and admit of
no reference to any other society besides the Church.
Third, They can be easily observed ; for, they subsist
in external things, which are plain to behold, and everywlierf

ON FAITH. 9)
known to all people ; and their proof can be obtained from
umuraeraLle doctiments, both historical and otherwise, without
any great trouble. And this kind of proof, since it does not
so much consist in philosophic discussion, as in establishing
evident facts, is the most simple, and, at the same time, tho
most efficacious and suitable for every individual. The truth
of what has been advanced shines forth particularly in tho
mark of Apostolicity, i. e., the succession of the Apostles in
the bishops of the churches founded by the Apostles, and
preeminently in the closely linked chain of the successors of
Peter, the Primate of the Apostles, in the persons of the
Popes of Rome. They, as the highest power, unite into
one body all the members of the Church : so that every
faithful Christian, being allied to the head of the Church by
his immediate or mediate spiritual superiors, has also, on
that very account, the certainty of being a branch of that
great tree, to which Christ com.pares His Church, which
overtops all others, with so great vigor and magnificence, in
the successors of him, whom^ Christ appointed as His Vicar
upon earth, and whose successors, as history proves beyond
a doubt, are the Bishops of Rome. All the faithful, there
fore, are entitled to exclaim with St. Ambrose : " Where
Peter is, there is the Church."
Q. But which of those churches that call themselves Chris
tian, is marked with this sign of the true Church of Christ,
and consequently, the only true one ?
A. The Roman Catholic Church only.
Q. How may this be proved, and first that the Roman
Catholic Church is one ?
A. The Roman Catholic Church is one in respect to its
origin ; for, it knows of no other author or founder than the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Secondly, It is one in respect to its doctrine ; for, all the
.children of the Roman Catholic Church profess, in reality,
one and the same faith. Regarding this, we appeal to the
Creeds which the Church publicly professes, to the Decrees
of the Councils, and the Catechisms which are authorized by
the Church.
The Roman Catholic Church is one in regard to worship
and divine service. For the principal object of worship
is essentially the same, because the Sacrifice of the New
Covenant — namely, that of the JSIass, to which all other

92 mani:al of the catholic religion.
ceremonies of the Church are subordinate — is, throughout
the whole Roman Catholic Church, the same.
Finally, the unity of the members of this. church is plainly
evident, as before observed, from the intimate union of the
ecclesiastical connection, through the one principal head,
the Pope, the true successor of St. Peter and Vicar of
Christ. The saying of St. Optatus of Milevi, in his letter to Par
inenianus, forcibly reminds us of this. Hear his glowing
words : " You cannot deny, for you know it well, how the
first episcopal chair was erected by Peter, in the city of
Rome — the only one in y/hkh the unity of the Church should
be sustained."
Q. Is it not so with the non-Catholic sects ?
A. No ; they are principally divided into Profe*>t-Hnts and
the Schismatics of the Oriental church, .Abou*; tKe latter
we shall say as much as is necussary in a particular »:-^mark
further on.
As to Protestants, they havi no unity of origin ; for tiiey
are not from Christ, nor from one, but from many diff'^.i -nt
persons, such as Luther, Zuinglivs, Calvin, &c.
Hence they are without unitj of doctrine, of worship, or
of members. From the verj beginning, the Protest' ,nt
sects have been divided in this regard. None of their bodies
ever adhered constantly to one aid the same doctrine, as
becomes evident by comparing the creeds which they brought
forward at different times, and which cannot be denied by the
Protestants themselves. In fact, nothing else could be ex
pected ; f6r, as St. Hilarius justly remarks : " Since every
heresy has its root in some novelty, it must end in some
other novelty, so -as to prove itself true to its spirit, and of
kindred birth."
Tertullian writes : " They differ from each other, because
every one changes at pleasure what he has received, just as
he who advanced the error, fabricated it as he pleased. Or,
why should not the Valentiniaus have been permitted to do
what Valentine did, and the Marcionites to act as Marcion
acted — namel}', to change, in their belief, whatever they
pleased." Protestants are more particularly deserving of this
reproach, since they expressly claim for every one the right
of private judgment in matters of faith — a thing which W9
do not find in any of the early heretics.

ON FAITH. 98
To external unity, Protestants can lay no claim since they
have no common head. Private interpretation, or the civil
power of each country, is the only recognized rule of their
belief The several churches of the state, therefore, are in
no necessary connection whatever, and consequently form n©
one external church.
Q. How do we prove the Roman Catholic Church to be
holy ?
A. It is holy in its origin; for its founder is no other than
Jesus Christ himself, through his Apostles. Otherwise our
opponents must tell us who else founded it ?
It is holy in its doctrine ; for, the entire doctrine of the
Roman Catholic Church tends to the sanctification of our
lives by means of faith and virtue. And our opponents are
not able to point out a single doctrine of the Church, which
does not mediately or immediately tend to this end.
It is holy in its worship or divine service, which breathes
only sanctity, is in the highest degree worthy of God, and
surpasses all other religions in majesty. Our very opponents
concede this, and admire our worship.
It is holy in its members. For, to it belong all the innu
merable _saints, according to their different choirs — namely,
all the holy martyrs, bishops, confessors, widows, and virgins,
which is a fact acknowledged by the whole world ; and the
Church never ceases to show forth new models of sanctity,
whose greatness in virtue God declares and glorifies by irre-
fiitable miracles and gifts of graces.
Even Leibnitz himself writes of our holy Church : " No-
thingis trifling that is recommended by that church, which alone
has retained the name and the marks of the true Church,
in which alone we behold heroic virtue, and see it everywhere
exhibiting and forming eminent examples of perfection."
This is also proved in a very particular manner, from those of
her children, whom the Church solemnly ranks among the
number of saints, whose virtues God attested by supernatu
ral signs. How severely and how cautiously the Church
proceeds in the ratification of the' virtues and miracles, in the
process, for the canonization of a saint, is" acknowledged even
by impartial Protestants.
The Protestant objection to the Church's sanctity, found
ed on the dissoluteness of those Catholics who lead a
bad life, wc answer as did St. Augustine : " I would havu

94 MANJAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
you cease to reproach the Catholic Church, for you censure
the morals of those men, whom the Church itself condemns,
and whom, bad children as they are, she daily tries to correct.
But you — why do you chafe? Why do you suffer a party
spirit to blind you ? Why do you stoop so far in defence of
error ? Seek the fruits in the field, the corn in the barn —
they are easily seen, and comfort those who look for them,"
The Church, indeed, cannot be defiled by the sins of those
children, whose vices it condemnSj and endeavors to correct
in every possible way, after the example of the holy and
meek Lord Jesus,
Non-catholics have no claim to this attribute of the Church,
The community of their churches is not holy in its origin.
The founders of the Protestant churches were by no means
men of eminent virtue, nor did they even show themselves
lovers o'f truth ; but, on the contrary, they proved themselves
men of an impure, a dissolute, and a fanatic spirit, who, given
to the pleasures of this world, did not seek what was Christ's.
Their writings, yet extant, furnish ample proof of our asser
tion, for in them they accuse each other in turn of fraud, of
lying, and other hideous vices.
Just as little have they sanctity of doctrine. For the doc
trine of justification, as originally set up and determined by
Protestants in their creeds, is, that faith alone will save
us, without good works ; that God does not impute to man
any sin at all, if He has predestined him to eternal life ; that on
the contrary, some men are destined before hand to be damned
for all eternity. These and the like doctrines can lead, in
deed, to nothing else but the extinction of every sentiment
of efficacious and practical piety, to paralyze all zeal for
good, and throw open door and gate to licentiousness in
morals. Add to this, that the innovators set aside and re
jected all the difficult means of virtue, in order to bring
over the populace to their party ; as for instance, fasting,
external mortification, holy confession and others.
Such is the doctrine of the so-called real Protestants or
orthodox Lutherans, Calvinists, etc. By other Protestants,
who call themselves simply Protestants or Lutherans, and on
that account believe what they please, how can any question
about sancti'-,y of doctrine be raised ?
Furthcrra jre, they have not sanctity of worship, for the
worship of the Protestant churches is cold and inadequate

OK FAITH, 95
to satisfy the cravings of a devout heart. Be-sldi i, Ihey have
only imperfect means of salvation, since, besides baptism,
they have no other sacrament and no sacrifice at all. Their
so-called Lord's Supper is no sacrament, because they have
no priesthood and acknowledge none. The other sacraments
as well as the sacrifice of the Mass are rejected by them.
Finally, these churches are not holy in their members, for
no sect of non-catholics can point to any saint of theirs.
There are among them no examples of heroic virtues, which
God was pleased to attest by miracles and supernatural signs,
nay, they do not even aspire to this honor, but rather ridicule
and calumniate the veneration of saints, although they are
often necessitated to assume as Christian names the names of
saints who lived in the Catholic Church (even after the time
of the so-called Reformation), or are otherwise forced to
choose for themselves the names of pagans and Jews of
the Old Testament,
Q. How do we prove that the Roman Catholic Church is
universal ?
A. It is universal. 1. In its origin, for when at Jerusalem
the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles and disciples
of Christ, there were men gathered together at Jerusalem
from all quarters of the then known world. ' The great day
of Pentecost is the birth-day and anniversary-feast of our
holy Church. Acts, ii. 9-1 1.
How this Church of Christ reaches back to the Old Testa
ment, and through the times of the Pati.arohs, to the very
origin of the human race, has been already stated above.
2, The Church is universal in its extent and duration. Re
garding its extent, it began, as we remarked a little while ago,
with the conversion of persons from the most distant parts
of the earth, and, as. soon as the Apostles preached God's
word, it resounded throughout the universe. Neither did the
Church ever cease to be universal, or to be spread more
and more among pagans and ger.dles. All the nations
that ever received Christianity, were converted to the faith
by its missionaries alone. Numerous storms, indeed, have
since assailed it with fury, but always in vain ; the more
chey raged, the more gloriously was it fortified against
them by the most benign, wise, and powerful providence
of the Lord. For a space of one thousand eight hundred
years has He brought His Church victoriously out of all

9^ MANUAL OF TUE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
its combats, and thereby revealed to the whole wond, a
least to all who do not close their eyes and hearts to the
•evidence of truth, that it is the Church which He built upon
*-he Rock, that there it stands unshaken, and that the powers
»^f hell never can prevail, nor ever shall prevail, until the end
I f time,
3, The Church is universal in its doctrine. For it never
admitted, in the least, of any innovation in articles of
faith, but that which was always, and everywhere held as
divinely revealed, that is its faith ; and he who denies this.
and remains obstinate in his denial, is cut off from her
fiommunion. 4, The Church is universal in reference to its worship.
The essence of its worship is, in all countries of the world, one
and the same sacrifice, and the same holy sacraments : a wor
ship which was already prefigured in the Old Testament ; nay,
even in the age of the Patriarchs indicated and announced,
5, The Church is universal in its members. This follows
of itself from the first point.
6. Finally, the Church is also universal regarding its name
For Catholic signifies the same as universal. Never would
this name have been conceded to it exclusively, if it had not
been, in fact, the one universal Church.
O that all of us who are conscious of belonging to the
only true and universal Church, would appropriate to our
selves that saying of St. Pacianus : " Christian is my name,
Catholic my surname; by this appellation our people are
distinguished from the heterodox." Hence, St, Augustine
writes in his book of the true religion, c, vii, " Whether
heretics and adherents of schismatics will it or will it not,
if they speak with others beyond their own communion,
the word Catholic means nothing else than the Catholic Church.
They could not be understood, if they did not designate her
by this name, being the one by which that Church is known
throughout the whole world,"
Whereas, the non-catholics have no universality of origin.
They came to light only after one thousand five hundred
years aUd more had rolled by since the institution of the
Christian Church, and then they sought for invisible ancestors,
since they could find no visible ones ; and in doing so, they
have been changing ever since, and are now completely di
vided and dismembered among themselves. Never hav8>

ON FAITH. 97
Protestant missionaries converted any pagan nation ; but in
the words of an ancient Father : " Heretics are able, indeed,
to make believers non-believers, but they cannot make Chris
tians of pagans." They are able to pervert, but not to con
vert. A few persons bought or talked into their religion
from paganism form no nation. They want, therefore. Cath
olicity of origin, extension of doctrine, of worship, and of
members. But, indeed, the fact, itself, that every one of them has
his own principle of faith, deprives them of the mark of uni
versality. For their principle of faith is this : " Let every
one believe, what, according to the dictates of his reason, he
considers as scriptural or necessary to be believed," Every
one, of course, has his own personal faith, and thus universal
faith is wanting ; consequently, too, the universality of the
Church, In the strict sense, there are with them as many
religions and precepts of faith as there are heads, a thing ¦
diametrically opposed to the idea of the unity and universal
ity of the Church,
Q. How do we prove that the Roman Catholic Church is
really Apostolic ?
A. Its duration, its doctrine, its worship, and its pastors
reach back as far as the times of the Apostles ; it is, there
fore, really apostolic. As to its existence, it is an historical
fact, that it is the oldest, and, therefore, the first Church, and
the one which was founded by Christ and His Apostles them
selves. As to its doctrine and worshiji, it professes no other doe-
trine than that which was delivered to it in the course of
ages by the Fathers after the Apostles.
The same holds good with regard to its essential worship.
As to its succession, its pastors, i. e., the ecclesiastical
hierarchy, even that alone places its apostolicity beyond all
doubt, and, consequently, proves the truth of the Catholic
Church being the first and the only true Church,
For, regarding the primacy of the principal head of the
Church, there is no other Church in the world besides the
Roman CathoJV, which, by the succession of its supreme
rulers, the K.^man Pontiffs, dates from the days of Peter,
whom Christ appointed in His own stead as head of all, and
upon whom He so solemnly founded His Church, which was
to endure till the end of time.

98 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
The prerogatives which Christ bestowed upon Peter, were,
since Peter was not immortal, necessarily to pass to his suc
cessors, and with them the true Church was to be inseparably
connected, whence it evidently follows, that only that Church
can be the true one, with which Peter abides in the person of
his successors, according to the axiom of St, Ambrose :
" Where Peter is, there is the Church." But since the suc
cessors of Peter in the person of the Roman Popes Linus,
Clement, etc, in uninterrupted succession down to Pius IX,,
belong to our Church, it becomes evident and incontestable,
that that Church is Catholic in the true sense of the word,
and the first and the only true Church of Christ, Violent
interruptions of this _ succession of Popes, which happened
from time to time, detract as little from this perfect unity
and the rights of the apostolic chair as the interruption of
the line of a dynasty lawfully established in a realm.
But in the bishops who are in ecclesiastical communion
with the succession of the prince of the Apostles, the Church
acknowledges the successors of the other Apostles, whose
apostolic descent is also confirmed by their titles.
This last, however, is not always necessary, for it suffices
for the apostolic mission, that the bishop of a single church
has his mission directly or indirectly from Rome,
For by this he becomes ingrafted and already grows as a
branch on that great tree of the world, the trunk of which
reaches in the succession of the Roman Pontiffs as successors
of Peter, up to Christ himself.
How strongly convinced of this relation were the bjshops
of ancient times, appears from the solicitude with which
they endeavored to prove the succession of the Roman Popes,
and they showed greater solicitude in this than in authenti
cating the succession of their own predecessors in their episco
pal sees. Thus Irenaeus does not record the succession of the
bishops of Lyons, nor Eusebius that of Cesarsea, nor Epipha
nius that of the Salaminian bishops, nor Optatus that of
Milevi, nor Augustine that of Hyppo ; but all of them assert,
with One voice, the succession of the bishops of Rome, It
was enough for them to be able to show the apostolicity
of that Church of which they gloried in being members, and-
from which the sacerdotal unity of the whole Church is
derived. The Roman Catholic Church possesses in 'ike manner the

ON FAITH. 99
Order of priests and deacons instituted by Christ through
His Apostles, with the functions in the church proper to
them, because it alone Las bishops possessed of the apostolic
mission, which proceeds from the head, and is only to be
found in this Church,
The non-catholic communities can show nothing of all
this. They can not show the apostolicity or the duration
of their church and of its doctrine ; for how can they prove
that their churches and their doctrines are apostolic, when
they were unknown in the. Church of God for a space of one
thousand five hvindred years? Will Scripture bear witness
for them ? But whence will they prove the apostolicity of
the Holy Scriptures themselves without the testimony of the
Roman Catholic Church ? Perhaps by tradition ? But that
they do not accept. To say nothing of their maxim : " To
whom the country belongs, to him also belongs the church,"
that is to say, he is also head of the church.
All the churches of the East which have separated from
that of Rome, likewise lack this characteristic mark. They
are set adrift from Peter, and therefore from the Rock upon
which Christ founded His Church. And it is on that ac
count they want all the other above-mentioned marks of the
true Church of Christ. The Greek schismatic church, to
gether with its sects, can not be called one, because it fails in
internal and external unity. It lost the external unity because
it lost the head, which Christ had placed in His stead over
His Church upon earth, namely, Peter, in the person of his
successors, the Roman Pontiffs, But even on that account, it
is no longer the one faith which Christ gave to us through
His Apostles ; for the primacy in the person of his successors
is an article of faith, which the Greek church itself at one
time professed. It differs, moreover, from this unity of faith
in respect to the article of belief regarding the procession of
the divine persons in the most Holy Trinity, since it denies
the simultaneous procession of the Holy Ghost from the Fa^
ther and the Son, and which, as we have already proved, is an
article of faith asserted also by the oldest Greek Fathers,
The Greek schismatic church, together with its sects, can
not be called holy, since it is known by what intrigues and
infamous doings it began to tear itself loose from the unitj
of the Church, and bowed so shamefully beneath the yoke of
worldly power. Besides, it. too, is wanting in the sanctity (^

I^ MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
its members, since it, like the Protestant churches, lacks per.
feet examples of holiness. This church, oiice so rich and
fertile in saints, cannot show forth a single saint since its
separation. Finally, that church can not be styled universal, which did
not exist always, but first appeared under the form of a dis
tinct church upon earth about nine hundred years ago.
Neither is it apostolic, inasmuch as it tore itself away from
the successors of the prince of the Apostles, and thus wants,
too, the valid apostolic mission for the members of the other
ecclesiastical hierarchy.
The Roman Catholic Church, therefore, is alone that true
Church of Christ, which we profess in the Apostles' Creed,
saying : " I believe in the Holy Catholic Church,"
Q] Can the Church ever cease to be ?
A. No, for Christ promised His Church everlasting duration.
"Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and
blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my F'ather who is in
heaven. And I say to thee : That thou art Peter, [i. e., a
rock) and upon this rock I will build my Church ; and the
gates of hell shall not prevail .against it." Matt. xvi. 17, 18.
And at His ascension into heaven, bidding farewell to His
disciples, He gave them this admonition : " Go ye and teach
all nations : baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe
bH things whatsoever I have commanded you ; and, behold, 1
am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."
Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.
The same thing is confirmed by the holy Fathers in express
terms : " The Church is built on Peter," writes St. Jerome,
"no thunderstorm can shake it, no raging of the tempest
overthrow it," Comment, in cap. 16 Mt. And St. Alexan
der, bishop of Alexandria, writes to Alexander of Constan
tinople : "We acknowledge but one Church, the Catholic
and Apostolic, which, as it can never be vanquished, though
the whole world should storm against it, so on the contrary,
;t conquers and destroys every malicious attack of here
tics." Q. With what gift did Christ endow His Church, so that it
can never fail ?
A. With the gift of infallibility in matters of faith and
r- orals. If the Church cov.ld. fail in these points, it would be

ON FAITH. J 01
the very thing by which it should fall and cease to be the
true Church of Christ.
Q. How can we prove the infallibility of the Church from
Holy Scripture and tradition ?
A. " I will ask the Father," says Christ our Lord in St,
John, " and He shall give you another Paraclete, that he may
abide with you for ever, the spirit of truth." John, xiv. 16,
17, "The Spirit of truth shall come, he will teach you all
truth." J^oAre, xvi. 13. And in St. Matthew, our Lord gives
the assurance : " If any one will not hear the Church, let him
be to thee as the heathen and the publican," Matt, xviii. 17.
This infallibility of the Church is also attested by the Apos
tle in his Epistle to Timothy, wherein he says : " These
things I write to thee , , , . that thou mayest know how thou
oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the
Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth,"
I Tim. iii. 14, 15.
And all the Apostles, gathered together in the Council of
Jerusalem, make known their judgment in these words : " It
hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us." Acts, xv. 28.
This article of faith is also confirmed by tradition
with innumerable testimonies. Hear only and consider,
what - St. Augustine says in this regard : " I would not
myself believe the Gospel, if the authority of the Church
did not move me," Lib. cont. Epist. fund. Because, if
we deny the infallibility of the Church, we have, indeed, no
infallible testimony as to the divinity of the Gospel. The
same belief is expressed by St. Jerome, who writes thus :
" It is said to the Church, rise, be filled with light. ', , . .
that it may have no shadow of error." In Com. ad cap.
60 Isai. And St. Isidore writes : " The divine saying means by
' the gates of hell' the society of the wicked and the slanders
of the heretics, all of which the Church of God resists, and
crushes and destroys, but can never be vanquished by them."
Practice. — Thank God at every breath you draw, for
the unmerited, inestimable happiness of being a child of the
true, unshaken, and infallible Church, but show also by the
whole of your life, that you are a child of the true Church of
Christ, and worthy of calling her your mother, and that she
may have no reason to be ashamed of you, but rather cause to
rejoice over you as a mother, - As the Church is One, Holy,
Universal, and Apostolic, so also should ycur life show forth

102 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIOIOK,
these marks by your peace with God, with yourself and your
neighbor through unity of faith and charity ; by officatfi-ous
endeavors to attain to true sanctity and perfection of life, at
all times, in every place, on every occasion, after the ex.ample
set by Apostolic Christianity, Hold firmly to the doctrine
of the holy Church, and instruct yourself as carefully as pos
sible, in order that you may remain free from error in mat
ters of religion, and be able to render an account of your
faith whenever an occasion requires it.
Of the Government of the Holy Church.
Q. To whom did Christ commit the teaching of His doc
trine and the government of His Church ?
A. To the Apostles and their successors — -namely, the
bishops and priests, and their coadjutors.
The Apostles were chosen by Christ our Lord himself, as
the Holy Scriptures expressly record, and the Lord attests in
these words : " It is not you that have chosen me, but it is I
that have chosen you," But that Christ also chose their
successors, in their persons, and willed this succession to be
lasting, we see from the election of the Apostle Matthias, by
the Apostles themselves, and from the instructions which St..
Paul gives in his letters to the bishops appointed by himself,
respecting the ordination of other bishops, priests, and deacons.
Q. What do we call this body of persons appointed for
the administration of the Church and its doctrine ?
A. In regard to the doctrine, it is called, the teaching
Church. ; in regard to the government of the Church, it ia
called, the ecclesiastical Hierarchy.
That portion of the faithful not consecrated to the service
of the Church, is called the Laity.
Q. Whom did Christ make the head of the whole Church,
and His vicegerent upon earth ?
A. St, Peter. This appointment is solemnly and expressly
attested by the very words of Christ, as recorded by the
holy Evangelists, Matthew and John, How Christ accosted
St. Peter, as related by St. Matthew, has been already re
peated. He calls him a Rock, upon which He would build
His Church, and delivers to him the keys of heaven ; and
these words mean nothing else than the very highest power
over the whole Church, Our Lord, after His resurrection,

ON FAITH. 103
xmfirmed this in the most positive terms, saying three times
to Peter, in presence of the other Apostles : " Simon, son of
John, lovest thou me more than these ?" He saith to Him :
" Yea, Lord, thou knowost that I love thee," He saith to
him : " Feed my lambs ", . , . He saith to him again :
" Feed my lambs ", , , , He saith to him the thir 1 time :
• Feed my sheep," John, xxi. And so in every other part;
of Holy Scripture, where mention is made of the Apostles,
Peter is always mentioned first before the others.
The same thing is taught and professed by entire Tradition.
St, Ambrose writes thus : " The Prunacy was not given to
Andrew, but to Peter." Cap. 12, Epist. 2 Cor.
St. C^ril writes : " He (Peter) shines forth before tiie
others, the prince and head of the rest." Lib. 12 in Joan.
St. Augustine : " In the Holy Scriptures we learn to khow
Peter, in whom the Primacy is so eminently conspicuous."
Lib. 2, de Bap. c, 2,
And Eucherius, of Lyons, writes : " The Lord commits to
Peter, first the lambs, then the sheep ; for, He made him not
only a shepherd, but shepherd of the shepherds." Homil. in
Vig. S. Pet.
Q. Who is the successor of Peter and the vicegerent of
Christ ?
A. The Pope of Rome, because he succeeds Peter in his
Episcopal See, who governed the Church of Rome, as
bishop, and there suffered the death of a martyr. This is
a historical fact, so indubitably established, that none enjoys
a greater historical certainty. The entire Church has thus '
acknowledged and professed it, since the time of the Apostles,
St. Irenaeus, a bishop, who lived in the sub-apostolio
age, writes thus concerning the Roman Church : " We
will establish the Tradition of the greatest and most ancient
Church, which is acknowledged by all, founded and confirmed
by St. Peter and St, Paul, the most trustworthy of the
Apostles. Every other church — i. «., the body of the faith
ful — must necessarily agree with this Church on account of its
supreme power." Lib. 3, adv. haeres.
St, Optatus writes : " You cannot deny, that, you knov
the first episcopal doctrinal chair was erected in the city »'
Rome, by St. Peter, upon which he, the head of the Apostle?
eat  whom Linrs succeeded, Clement," &c, Contf
Parmen.

104 MANUAL or THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
St, Cyprian writes to Pope Cornelius : " They venture to
ascend the chair of Peter, and enter the first Church, from
which ecclesiastical unity has its origin," Epist. 55,
St, Jerome writes to Pope Damasus : " 1 rejoice in the
ecclesiastical union with your Holiness — i. e., with the
doctrinal chair of Peter ; I know that upon this Rock the
Church is built." Ep. 14, ad Lam.
St. Augustine attests : " The supreme power of the Apos
tolic See always proved itself to be in the Roman Church,'
Ep. 43,
This profession was made by all the General Councils,
from the first, at Nice, till the last at Trent.
Q. Which are the principal rights of the Pope of Rome,
as head of the whole Church ?
A. 1, The Pope of Rome is, as sucoesscw of Peter and
vicegerent of Christ, the supreme Judge in matters of faith.
This appears preeminently from those well-defined words of
our Lord, by the Evangelist St. Luke : " Simon, Simon, 1
have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not ; and thou being
once converted, confirm thy brethren." Luke, xxii. 32.
The same thing is proved by those words of Christ to St.
Peter, so often quoted : " Thou art Peter (a rock), and upon
this rock 1 will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it." Where the foundation of a building
is tottering and falling, there also totters and falls the build
ing itself. Peter, therefore, as the foundation of the Church
in faith, was to be immovable. But the successors of St,
Peter enter upon all the rights of St, Peter, as head of the
Church and vicegerent of Christ, since our Lord did not
grant these rights to His disciples for their own sake, but for
the sake of His Church, For the successors of the Apostles
stand more in need of beiiig strengthened than the Apostles
themselves. This was acknowledged, at all times, by the entire Church ;
and this acknowledgment appears, too, from innumerable
texts and testimonies of the holy Fathers, and the General
Councils of the Church,
Thus St, Peter Chrysologus writes to Eutyches, in the
following terms : " We admonish thee, brother, to listen
obediently to all that was written by his Holiness, the Pope
of Rome ; for St, Peter, who lives and presides in his chair.

ON FAITH. 105
gives to those that ask, the truth of faith for answer." Epia,
ad Eutych.
St, Basil writes to the Pope, in his own name and in that
of the whole Synod of Alexandria : " That which the Lord
has granted your Holiness, is well deserving of that most
praiseworthy voice which called you happy, because you dis
cern what is false from the genuine and true, and announce
the faith of the Fathers without any blemish."
St. Maximan, Patriarch of Constantinople, professes, in
¦his letter addressed to the entire East : " All the boundaries
of the globe, all ccmfessors of the true faith, look up to the
dignity and authority of the Pope of Rome, as to the sun.
The Creator of the world chose him from among the rest o'
mortals on the surface of the earth ; He yielded up to hir ,
by preference, the office of instructor ; and conferred upon
him this right for ever, that whosoever wishes to know
divine and hidden things, must have recourse to this oiacla
of science and doctrine."
" We nhust, therefore, permit ourselves to be thence in
structed in regard to what we are to believe, to think, and
to hold." Thus St. Cyril to Pope Celestine.
" All controversy is at an end," St. Augustine cries out, as
soon as he knew that a decision emanated from Rome, And
he esteemed it of greater value to have such a decision against
his opponent, in order to convince him of his error, than all
the books of argument which he had written against him,
" By the letters of Innocent," says he, " every doubt in this
matter is taken away." Lib. 2, c. 3, cont. 3 ep. Pelag. And
he' again asserts : " The Catholic faith is, in the profession of
the Apostolic chair, so ancient and firmly grounded, so sure
and clear, that it would be a crime to doubt the same. It
is the Rock against which the gates of hell cannot prevail."
-Epist. 157 et in Psalm, cont. Bon. part.
This belief is also that of the General Councils of the
Church : " Peter has spoken through Leo." So the Fathers
of the Council of Chalcedon exclaim, " cursed be he that
does not believe thus !"
In a similar manner did the Fathers of the Sixth Genera]
Council exclaim when they read the Apostolical letters of
Pope Agatho : " It seemed to be paper and ink, yet through
Agatho, Peter has spoken." And in their letter to the Pope,
che Fathers of the same C' unoil write : " To thee, being th«
5*

106 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Primate of the Universal Church, we refer the decision of
what is to be done, si.ice thou standest on the rock of faith."
No less decided and solemn is the langufige of all the other
General Councils of the Church.
Second, The Pope of Rome, as the successor of St. Peter
and the vicegerent of Christ, governs the entire Church with
Apostolic and plenipotentiary power.
This power is indicated and proved by the words of our
Lord to Peter : " I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom
of heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it
shall be bound also in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt
loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." Matth.
xvi. 18, 19. And those words : " Feed my lambs— my
sheep." For^ all of these Cixpressions signify, according to,
the languiige used in Holy Scripture, the highest power.
The same thing is professed and confirmed by Tradition.
No doubt, the- whole East and West profess most solemnly,,
from the beginning of the Church, this Apostolic plenipoten
tiary power of thu Popes of Rome, as the successors of St,
Peter and the vicegerents of Christ, As a proof of this, let
us only hear the belief of the Oriental church at the time of
St. Cyril, who, hi his writings, already quoted, makes his
profession thus : " We must honor him — the Bishop of Rome
— we must ask him before all, because it is his province
alone to reprove, to correct, to command, to ordain, to bind,
to loose, in His stead, who placed him, and who has given to
no one else all that is His, save to him alone, before whom
all. bow their heads, according to divine right, and whom all
the pastors of the Church obey as they would Jesus Christ."
Let us listen to the voice of the West in this regard, name
ly, that of St. Bernard, who, closing the series of the Fathers,
takes their belief into his profession, and rnost solemnly ac
knowledges the same fullness of Peter's power in his success
ors — the Popes of Rome. He writes to Pope Eugene, who
was once his disciple, in these words : " Let us first examine.
who thou art, whose person thou representest in the Ohurch
of God. Who art thou ? Thou art the high-priest and su
preme' bishop. Thou art the prince of the bishops, the heir
of the Apostles. As to the primateship, thou art Abel ; as
to the guidance, Noah ; as to the patriarchate Abraham ; as
io the order, Melchisadeoh ; as to the dignity, Aaron ; as to
the aulhority, Moses; as to the power, Peter; as to the;

ON FAITH. 107
anoii.tm6nt, Christ, Thou art the one to whom the keys of
heaven were given. The others, indeed, are also pastors and
shepherds of flocks, but thou art so the more gloriously, the
more different the name is which thou didst receive above the
others. They also have, indeed, their particular flocks ; but
to thee all are entrusted, fo one — ' the one flock.' Not only
for the sheep, but also for the shepherds art thou one, the
shepherd of all. For to what other, I do* not say among tho
bishops, but even among the Apostles,axe so unreservedly en
crusted all the sheep ? Which sheep? Perhaps this or that
people, of this city or that country ? ' My sheep,' said the-
Lord, Ah ! who is there that does not plainly understand
that Christ did mean, not some but all ? St, James, who
was a pillar of the Church, was content with one Jerasalem,
leaving to Peter the entire world. If thus the brother ot
the Lord did yield, who else, I ask, would dare to dispute
the primacy with Peter? Others, therefore, are entrusted
with a part of the care, but Thou with the fulln^:^ss of the
power. The power of the others is reduced to certain limits,
but thine extends even to those who received power over'
others. Thus, therefore, stands thy prerogative, unshaken, as
well in regard to the keys given thee, as the sheep entrusted
to thy care,"
And this is also the belief and profession of the General
Councils of the Church in innumerable and most solemn tes
timonies. Thus the Fathers of the eighth General Council of Constan
tinople signed the following profession of faith :
"The saying of the Lord can not remain unfulfilled; and
he has said: 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my Church.' What was here said, is confirnied by fact, for
upon the apostolic chair the Catholic religion was always
preserved unadulterated, and the holy doctrine taken care of"
" Wherefore, following in all things- the apostolic chair, and
holding its dispositions ; we hope to merit being in that com
munion of yours, announced by the apostolic chair, in which
the Christian religion has its full, true, and firm foundation."
The Council of Florence solemnly gave the following
decision of faith : " We declare it to be an article of faith,
that the Apostolic See and the Pope of Rome has the pri
macy, the highest dignity of the Church in the whole world,
and that the same Pope of Rcime, the successor of St. Peter,

108 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
the prince of the Apostles, and the true Vicar of Christ, is the
head of the whole Church, and that he is the Father and
teacher of all Christians, and that Jesus Christ our Lord, has
given to him in St, Peter the full power to feed, govern, and
lead the whole Church, as it is also contained .in the trans-
.actions of the general councils, and in ths holy canons."
Q. How is this authority of the Pope usually styled ?
" A. The Apostolic plenipotentiary power because it passes
from St. Peter, the prince of the Apostles, to all his success
ors orderly and without division, on which account the Ro
man Episcopal See received also the epithet " the Apostolio
chair," Q. How does the Pope of Rome exercise this apostolio
authority in ruling the holy Church ?
A. The Pope usually rules the Church by those who,
though entrusted with power in the Church, are yet subordin
ate to him, to wit : the Cardinals, Patriarchs, Primates, Arch
bishops, Bishops, &c., who, dispersed throughout the Church
over the whole earth, unite the entire body of the faithful with
the Apostolic chair.
However, it does not follow that the Episcopal power is
merely a succedaneous one, on the contrary, it is likewise
a proper power instituted by God, but subordinate to that
of the Head of the Church ; by which power the Bishops are
constituted true shepherds with proper authority to feed the
flocks intrusted to them by God, through the Apostolio See.
The entire body of the Church, united in this manner with
the head, by mecis of an immediate Pastor, and spread over
the face of the earth, is called in familiar language : " the dis
persed Church," But if the Pope call together the chiefs of
the Church, the Bishops and Doctors, to any particular place,
such an assembly is styled a General Council of the Church,
or simply, a Council,
But the power of the Pope is by no means lessened by such
an assembly ; for it is he who convokes the Councils, pre
sides over them, either personally or by his legates, and rati
fies their decrees, without which ratification they have no
force, and no general value in the Church. The Pope, there.
fore, is, and remains, whether in a Council, or out of it, the
head of the whole Church by divine institution as vicegerent
of Christ and successor of Peter.

ON FAITH, 109
Q. Who belongs to this true Church of Christ, whoso heud
ts the Pope of Rome ?
A. Every one who has been received into the Church of
Christ by holy Baptism, and has not been excluded again
from its fold ? ^
Pagcans, Jews, Heretics, Schismatics, and excommunicated
persons are therefore by no means members of the holy
Church. Not the Pagans nor the Jews, because they never
entered the Church, Not the Heretics, &c,, because they
were separated again from the Church. He is called a heretic
who obstinately contradicts and denies an article of liiith
solemnly declared by the Church, Whereas that one is
called a Schismatic who renounces the communion of the
Church, and refuses obedience to his lawful sovereign pastor
by throwing off the ecclesiastical authority.
Finally, an excommunicated person is he who by virtue
of ecclesiastical judgment is separated from the communion
of the C'fturch by a spiritual ban in consequence of a crime.
Practice. — Study to have a particular reverence,
love, and obedience for the authority of the Church, and that
of its ministers, instituted by Christ ; but especially nourish
dlways within you the most profound respect for the Pope,
as being the chief head of the Church, and the visible
vicar of Christ. " He that honors you, honors me," says
Jesus Christ, " and he that despises you despises me ;" Even if'ii
happens that some priests have faults, honor them nevertheless,
and remember that if they were not precisely faults of priests,
they would, perhaps, not appear so great to the eyes of tha
world, but remain unnoticed. But, in particular, the faults
which they impute to some Popes, are for the greater part
mere calumnies, as is proved even by Protestant writers
themselves. Nay, there is no other succession of men, in
any other dignity and administration, who are so prominent
for sanctity, learning, and benefits conferred on the human
race, as that of the Popes.
On the Communion of the Members of the Church.
Q. What do you understand by the expression: Tho
communion of saints ?
A . By the communion of saints we understand the spirit
ual connection which embraces all the members of the

110 MANUAL OF THE SAIHOLIC RELIGION.
militant, suffering, and triumphant Church, and unites them
into one Church, the family of God.
Q. Why is this connection called the communion of saints '
A. Because all who belong on earth to this communion,
are called to sanctity of life by the profession of the
Christian faith, and are sanctified by baptism, and the recep
tion of the other sacraments. The souls in purgatory, ani?
the blessed in heaven, are all of them in the state of sancti
fying grace, and confirmed in it for ever, to all eternity.
¦ Q. By what means are the members of the militant
Church upon earth connected with each other ?
A. By the participation of the same sacraments, and the
spiritual goods of the Church, and by sharing the prayers
and good works which the faithful on earth perform. There
exists, therefore, among the members of the Church upon
earth a union similar to that of the members of the human
body ; that is, they mutually support one another, for the
welfare of the whole body, accoiding to the Apostle in his
Epistle to the Romans, chap. xii. 4-5, and to the Ephesians,
chapter iv. 3 ; where he says : " Be careful to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace, one body, and one Spirit,
as you are, called in one hope of your salvation." And
again: "That we may in all things grow up in Him who is
the head, Christ : from whom the whole body, cemented and
firmly joined together, by what every joint supplieth, ac
cording to the operation in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in
charity." Ephes. iv, 15, 16,
Q. How is the Church militant in conimunion with the
Church suffering ?
A. Tlie souls in purgatory are helped by the prayers of
the faithful and their good works ; and they, themselves, pray
to the Lord in return for the faithful upon earth,
Q. What is purgatory, and how do you prove that there
exits a communion with the souls that are there ?
A. Purgatory is that place and intermediate state in the
other life, in which souls- are purified that are not as yet per--
fectly cleansed from all imperfections, and who departed this
life in the state of venial sin, or are yet to satisfy for the
teniporu*; punishment due to the sins which they had com
mitted, after thu giilit of them was forgiven.
The punishments in piirg.-itory are two-fold ; first, the pun

ON FAITH. Ill
ishment of delay in regard to he ivenly glory ; and then
the puni-shment of pain especially by fire.
That there is a purgatory, was already revealed to man in
the Old Testament. Thus we read in the Second Book of the
Machabees, chapter xii. verse, 43 : " That Judas, making a
gathering, sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusa
lem for sacrifice, to be offered for the sins of the dead."
In the New Testament, Christ our Lord points to this place
of purification, assuring us, by St. Luke, speaking of the
prison of pain : " I say to thee thou shalt not go out thence,
until thou payest the very last farthing." Luke, xii. 59.
But that the pain of purgatory is a pain of fire, is indicated
by St. Paul, who states in his Epistle to the Corinthians :
" The fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. ,
. . . If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss ; but he
himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire," 1 Cor. i. 13-15,
Reason itself, enlightened by faith, concludes, from most
obvious and most powerful motives, Che existenee of such a
place of purifii;ation. For all men do not die entirely pure,
atid without a stain of sin, although they may die not infected
with mortal sin. It is, therefore, fitting that there should bo,
in the other life, a place in which souls may be purified from
their stains, before entering heaven.
But as far as this corresponds with the justice of God, so
far is it also in accordance with His goodness and mercy
that the suffering should be helped by the intercension
of the living, because by it charity is exercised, and man
the more powerfully reminded and admonished to live
here a life most pure, and to do penance, in order to avoid
the torments of Purgatory, Holy Writ confirms this advan
tage which the divine wisdom thereby intends for us and
the dead, in express terms : " It is a holy and wholesome
thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from
their sins,"
Moreover, the living among themselves can pray for each
other efficaciously, according to St. James the Apostle :
" Pray for one another, that you may be saved." St. James,
V, 16, Why, then, should not we be able to pray also with
f.fficacy for the dead, especially since the sculs in purgatory
departed thi? life in the state of grace and holy love, the
bond of which is " not torn by death, but remains," as the
Apostle tells us in his 1st EpisUo to the Corinthians, ciuap.

112 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGIOS.
xiii.? St. Augustine in his book, of the care which we
should have for the dead, bears witness to the belief of the
Church in these words : " There is no doubt that the dead
receive succor from the prayers of the Church, and the holy
sacrifice, and the alms-deeds, which are offered up for their
souls, -For'' according to the tradition received from the
Fathers, this is observed by the whole Church, that prayers
are made for those who died in the communion of the body
and blood of Christ, when mention is made of them in the
holy sacrifice (of the Mass) in its place, and that it is also
offered up for them. But if works of mercy are wroughf
in their behalf, who can doubt that they are benefited by ,
them, for the Lord is not besought in vain ? There is,
indeed, no doubt at all, that all these things profit the
dead ; but only those are benefited by them w'ho lived such
a life before their death, that these works can be of service
to them after their death," Mb. de cura pro mortuis gerenda
c.\. '
St. Cyril, of Jerusalem, teaches thus : " Finally, we pray
for all, those who have departed from among us, believing,;,-
that thereby the greatest hope is afforded to them for whom'
the propitiation of that holy and efficacious sacrifice is offered
upon the altar." Catech. Myst. V.
That the pain of purgatory is fire, is attested by Cypriaii,
who, agreeing with the teaching of the Church in his time,
says, " It is one thing to be purged from sin by protracted
tortures of pain, and another to be cleansed by fire," Ep.
xxii, St. Cleme''^t, of Alexandria, writes : " We say that fhe fire
does not sanctify the flesh, but the souls defiled with sin."
Lib. Strom. 7,
Q. What are the principal works by which the' souls in
purgatory are assisted ?
A. Prayer, Alms-deeds, Fasts, Pilgrimages, and all other
vt'orks of penance,, and exercises of virtue. Also, ihdul
gences, which may be applied to them in an intercessurj
manner, and most particularly by the offering up of tho
holy sacrifice of the Mass, That the souls in purgatory,
intercede with God for us, is equally certain. For they are
in the bond of holy love, and, therefore, incited by grati
tude and mutual charity to pray for us, if we do so for them.
Moreover, there are on record so m.any instances, in whicsli

ON FAITH, 11 a
help was obtained from God, through the mtercession of the
souls in purgatory, that an attempt to ieny all of them
would be as foolish as presumptuous,
Q. How is the Church militant in communion with the
-Church triumphant?
A. By the veneration, invocation, and intercession of the
saints. Namely, the -faithful upon earth venerate the saints
in heaven, on account of their eminent sanctity, and their in
tercession with God, The saints in heaven, again, pray for
the whole Church, and in a special manner for those who call
for their mediation with the Almighty. But in the widest
sense, we understand by the saints, all the blessed inhabitants
of heaven, both angels and men.
The latter, however, are particularly those of whom we
treat, because they are more closely connected with us by
their nature, and there is a most powerfiil motive for us to
imitate them in our lives.-
¦Q. How do you call this veneration and invocation of
saints ?
A. The worship of saints, or the veneration of saints. For
to venerate "is simply to esteem highly, and to give signs of
this veneration founded on high esteem,
Q. How do you call this worship in order to distinguish it
from that which we give to God ?
A. It is called worship or service, and the homage of ven
eration, whereas the worship ,which we render to God is
termed the worship and homage of adoration. We adore
God alone for his own sake ; we only honor the saints, and
that, indeed, for God's sake, who made them holy'.
Q. Which is the principal ground -for this veneration of
saints? A. It is the acknowledgment of the vi^es and merits of
the saints, and the pious respect which henii is due to them.
I. say pious, that is to saj', respect which is, as it were, due to'
thern from a religious, and not a mere natural motive.
Certainly, if virtue upon earth is a just object of our
esteem and veneration, and if we properly and profitably
call upon the faithful and virtuous upon earth, to pray to God
and intercede with him for us, why then should we not honor
the virtues of the saints in heaven, seeing that they are
already crowned and glorified by God, and ask them for their
mtercession with Him, whom they now behold face to face,

114 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
since they now reign with Christ in heaven ? Moreover, this
worship of the saints is well adapted to remind us efficaciously
of them, and induce us to follow in their footsteps.
And this, too, is the very reason why the Divine Wisdom
would have the intercession of the saints efficacious in our
regard, in order that the bond of charity might link closer
together all the members of the Church militant,, suffering,
and triumphant, and lead them to virtue and to God by mutual
help and encouragement,
. Q. Do Scripture and tradition both approve of and confirm
the veneration of the saints ?
A. Certainly. For we read in Holy Scripture, that, from a
motive of religion, a particular veneration was shown to the'
angels and saints. Thus Isaias venerated the angel who ap
peared to him, by prostrating himself upon the ground,
Isa. c. 5, The same thing was done by the disciples of the
prophets before Elis»us, 4:th Book of Kings, ch. ii. King
NebuohodoncJsor himself wished to honor the sanctity of
Daniel, by prostrating himself in the dust before him ; and
Holy Scripture praises the king for it in the narrative by
Daniel, ch. ii. Now all this is still more applicable in regard
to the veneration of these servants of God, who are already
with God in heaven, and united to Him by the indissoluble
ties of glory.
But that the saints pray efficaciously for us, is likewise
confirmed in the Old as well as in the New Testament,
Thus, we read, in the second book of Machabees, concern
ing Jeremias, who had already passed to the other life : " This
is a lover of his brethren, and of the people of Israel ; this is
he that prayeth much for the people and for all the holy city,
Jeremias, the Prophet of God." 2 Mach. xv. 14. Similar
things are recorded of Moses and of Samuel, by Jeremias
himself: Jer. c. 15. And in the Book of Job, xiii. 8, the Lord
himself says : " And my servant Job shall pray for you •
his face I will accept," And St, John, in his Apocalypse,
speaks Mius of his vision : " The four-and-twenty ancients fell
down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and
golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints."
Apoc. V, 8,
This belief of the whole Church, from its very origin, is
recorded also by the holy Fathers,
In the first place, St, Augustine writes thus : " We bono*

ON FAITH. 11.1
the martyrs with the worship of charity and of com
munion, with which we likewise honor the holy servants of
God upon earth, whose hearts we perceive ready to encoun
ter the same sufferings for the truth of the Gospel. But we
honor these with greater devotion, because they are safer,
since they have fought the good fight, and come forth victo
rious from the struggle, as we also bestow more solemn
praise upon those who have already entered upon the life Oi
bliss, than on those who are as yet engaged in the combat'
here below. Bat we bestow upon none, that'worship, which, in
the Greek, is called Aarpeta, and which can hardly be expressed
in Latin by one word, since it signifies a worship proper to
the Deity alone, nor ^o we teach any one to bestow it upon
any other save God alone." Lib. 20, contra Faust.
And St. Jerome, in his book against Vigilantius, writes to
this effect : " If the Apostles and martyrs, yet living in mor.
tal flesh, could pray for others, whilst they had still to watch
over themselves, how much more are they now able to do so,
after gaining the crown, be.aring off the palm of victory, and
being enthroned in triumph ? Or, do you think that they are
now less able to do so, because they have commenced to reign
with Christ ?" Lib. adv. Vigil.
And St. Basil writes : " 1 do, in consequence of the genu
ine Christian faith, which we have received from God, believe
in one God Almighty, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, .1
receive .also the holy Apostles, and prophets, and martyrs,
for intercessors with God ; 1 call upon them, that through
them, i. e., through their intercession, God, the merciful Lord,
may be propitious to me," _ _
Q. In what manner is the veneration of saints principall .
practised? .
A. We yearly celebrate their feasts on certain days ; altars
and churches are erected and dedicated in their honor to God,
and the holy sacrifice of tha Mass is offered up to God foi
their special glorification. The faithful are also wont to
bind themselves, by vows or promises, before the Lord, to
works of piety and virtue in their honor, as also to vener.at«,
with religious devotion, their pictures and relics. We say
with religious devotion, in as far, namely, as the motive for
this veneration is no temporal and political, one, but one
founded on religion. ..^17 ^„.,
St. Augustine writes thus, on this subject, against iaustus

116 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
" The Christian people celebrate the memory of the martyrs
with religious solen.nity, partly in order to excite a desire
¦of imitation, partly in order to participate in their merits,
and to receive succor through their intercession ; yet so, that
if altars are erected, they are never erected to a martyr, but
to the God of the martyrs himself, though they are erected
to the memory of the martyrs. For, where Can any prelate
of the Church be found, who, whilst standing at the altar, in
those places dedicated to the veneration of the saints, said, at
any time : ' We offer (sacrifice) to thee Peter, or Paul, or
Cyprian?' But what is offered up, is offered to God whc
crowned the martyrs, in places associated with the remem
brance of those whom He did crown."
Eusebius writes in a similar manner : " We, the champions
of true piety, honor the friends of God, and approach their
tombs, making vows to them, on account of their sanctity,
through whose intercession with God, we are, as we confess,
greatly supported." Lib. viii. Praep. Evang. c. 7.
The Council of Gangra, held in the fourth century, thus
defines : " Whosoever does not coijfess that all the saints of
the New and Old Testaments are to be venerated ... let
him be excluded from the communionofthe Church, according
to th.9 ecclesiastical Tradition."
Very remarkable, too, is the testimony of Theodoret, who,
provi.ig this veneration of the saints of old, as it is at present
exercised, speaks thus : " But that those who make a vow are
rendered participants of their wishes, is clearly proved by
their votive gifts, which indicate healing. For some offer
images of eyes, others of feet, others of hands, and some,
indeed, of gold, others of brass, and so on."
Behold then, how, even the primitive Christians as well as
we, were wont to express their gratitude to God and tha
saints. Q. Was it also the custom t» pay a due tribute of respect
to the images of the saints in the Church ?
A. Certainly, it was : for this is proved from the most
ancient Fathers, and from the decrees of the Councils.
Thus, St. Basil writes : " That the use of images in the
Church was universal, and derived from Apostolic Tradition.'"
S. Basil, Epis. 360.
St. Chrysostom. and Theodoret bear witness that the lile-
nesses of St. Simon Stylites were painted, for the sake o*

ON FAITH. 11"
protection, not only in the Churches, but also in the houses
and workshops of th- ?liithful." St. Chrys, oral, de S. Meletio,
Theod. in vita Sim. Slyl.
The second Council of Nice declares solemnly, in its
seventh session : " We decide with all certitude anil care,
that holy images are to be erected . , , in the churches ot
God, in houses, and on the way-sides, and traced upon
the holy vases. For the respect which we show to the
images, passes to the object of which they are repres'enta-
tations . , , Thus, the doctrine of our Fathers stands firm,
i. e., the Tradition of the Catholic Church,"
By these words, the Councils also point out the reason
of this veneration : " We, by no means, venerate the image,
not that which is painted, but the object represented by it,
i. e.. the person whose image it is,"
That in pictures this reference of the image to the person
represented by it is to be regarded, is plain even to the most
unlearned, as is also manifest from the use of images in com
mon and civil life,
St, Ambrose aptly appeals to this practice, writing as follows,
" He who crowns the image of the Emperor, certainly honors
him whose image he crowns ; and he who dishonors the image
of the Emperor, is looked upon as if he had dishonored the
Emperor himself, though he insulted only his image." In
Psalm, cxviii. This purely natural reason also incites men
to honor with due respect the images of their parents, friends,
and acquaintances.
Q. Is this use of the images of saints commendable and
useful for any other reasons ?
A. No doubt it is ; first, because images are well cal
culated for the instruction of the uneducated, as was said
by St. Gregory the Great, " The image on the wall instructs
more than the Scripture in the hand, which is not understood."
Second, Because the images of the saints very often pow
erfully exhort us to follow them in their actions. Justly,
therefore, did the poet sing : " The mind is less impressed
with what |;he ear hears, than with what the eye beholds."
Third, Because images preserve in us the memory of Christ
and his saints, in the midst of other occupations, and admon
ish us to whom we must have recourse.
Q. What is meant by the term, " Relics," and is tho
veneration of relics alkwable and salutary?

118 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
A. By the word "relics," in a str;cter sense, is meant the
remains of the bodies of saints. But, in i. wider sense, we
understand by relics all objects of which the' saints made use,
whilst living, or whatever had any connection with them — to
wit : their clothing, their handwriting, the instruments of
their martyrdom. Now, these relics are, indeed, on account
of thdir relation to saints, an object of lawful, religious vene
ration, because that veneration proceeds from a purely reVg-
ious motive.
That, in this sense, the veneration of relics is both just and
laudable, is confirmed in the first place by Holy Scripture.
Thus we read in the fourth book of Kings, xiii, 21 : " Some
that were burying a man, saw the rovers, and cast the body
into the sepulchre of Eliseus, And when it had touched the
bones of Eliseus, the man came to life, and stood upon his
feet,'" If, therefore, the mere touching of the relics of the
prophet, without any intention of veneration, even restored
the dead to life, how salutary must be the actual veneration
of holy relics ?
In the Acts of the Apostles we likewise read, that " many
sick have been healed by the mere shadow of St. Peter fall
ing upon them," Acts, v. 15,
Speaking of this, St, Augustine justly remarks : " If even
the shadow of one passing by had such an effect, what effect
may not be produced by the body of him who- is already reign
ing with Christ ?"
Moreover, we thus read in the same Acts of the Apostles
concerning the relics of St, Paul : " God wrought special
miracles by the hand of Paul, so that even there were
brought from his body to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons,
and the diseases departed from them, and the wicked spirits
went out of them," Acts, xix, 11, 12,
According to the testimony of history, and of the holy
Fathers in all ages, God always favored the veneration of
holy relics with many and great miracles.
Thus St. Ambrose has left a record of the many and great
miracles which the Lord wrought by means of the relics of
SS. Gervasius and Protasius ; and St. Augustine, of those
wrought by means of the bones of St. Stephen. St. Chrysos
tom, speaking of relics in general, writes thus : " Thou sawest
how great the power of the sair ts is ! for not only their worksi,

ON FAITH. 119
but even their clothes are worthy of veneration from all
creatures." "The cloak of Elias divides the Jordan. The shoes of the
three youths in the furnace trod on its fire. The wood of
Eliseus changed the nature of the waters. . , . The garments
of St, Paul expel evil spirits," The Church, therefore, has
justly honored relics ever since the first centuries, as is also
found written in the Acts of the Martyr Saint Ignatius, dating
from the apostolic times, "that the faithful of Smyrna valued
his bones more than jewels and gold, and guarded them de
voutly," St, Jerome, particularly, in his book agairesl
Vigilantius, gives an explicit and very strong testimony
regarding this uninterrupted public worship of holy relics
in the Church of God. " The holy relics," he writes, " are car
ried everywhere in golden vases, with solemn pomp, by the
bishops themselves." And he testifies the same thing in a
letter written to St. Marcella : " We everywhere honor the
tombs of the martyrs, and touch our eyes with the holy ashes,
and we also kiss the same where we can do so." Epist. 17,
ad Marc. Behold here the proof, that the very kind and
manner of this veneration has been from the earliest times of
Christianity, identical with the present. We will add, more
over, the words of St. Augustine, spoken in reference to the
relics of St.. Stephen : " A little dust has gathered such a
multitude of people ! The dust is concealed, the favors of
grace are manifest. Weigh and consider, beloved ! what the
Lord may reserve for us in the land of the living, since He
imparts to us so much good from the dust of the departed."
The second Council of Nice declares as follows, in its
second session : " Christ our Saviour has left to us the relics
of the saints, to be fountains of salvation, whence He causes
to issue a multitude of favors and graces for the needy,
since He is dwelling in them," The Council of Trent has
collected in a few solemn words, the whole of this doctrine :
" The sacred bodies of the martyrs and others who live with
Christ ; who were living members of Christ, and temples of
the Holy Ghost, and who shall one day be raised by Him to
eternal life, are to be honored by the faithful as objects through
which God bestows upon us also many favors and graces, so
that tnose who contend that no honor is to be given to the
relics of the saints, or that it is of no use for the faithful to
honor these and other holy things, ire, of course, coudemned

120 MANUAL OF THE CAI'HOLIC RELIGION.
as the Church has already condemned them of old, and does
so still," Sess. xxv.
The general disposition of the mind of man is such that
our love is greater in proportion to the qualities of those we
love f why should not this bear application to the saints ?
Moreover, we are, by the veneration of relics, forcibly re
minded of the lives and actions of Saints, and incited to imi
tate them. These relics also place before our eyes very plainly
the dignity of our bodies sanctified by Christ,
Q. Which of the saints does the Church honor beyond all
others, and in a particular manner ?
A. Mary, the most blessed Virgin and Mother of our Lord,
who on account of her dignity is so far elevated above angels
and men. The kind of veneration with which we honor her
above the other saints, is hence also designated by a spe
cial term. The worship, namely, with which we honor
her, is called not as that of the saints, " Cultus dulice," but
" Hyperdulice.'" In English we might call the " Cultus dulice"
the worship of veneration, and that of " IlyperdulicB" the
worship of superior veneration. There remains, however,
between this superior veneration of the most blessed Mother
of God and the worship of adoration by which we do homage
to God alone, an infinite difference. Beautifully and ener
getically, therefore did Epiphanius set down in writing, in ac
cordance with the universal belief of all the faithful of his
day : '_' Let Mary be venerated by us, but the Fiither, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost alone adored." Hceres. 79.
Q. To whom is the worship referred, with which we v-sh-
erate and adore the holy cross ?
A. To Christ our Lord, who chose it and redeemed us by it.
Q. What are we to think, therefore, of those who, neglect
ing all that has just been said, upbraid Catholics with idolatry,
as if they adored the saints or their images and relics, and as
if, by this worship of veneration, we encroached upon the
worship of adoration which we owe to God ?
A. As for those persons, we can only pity their ignorance
and their infatuation if they do not perceive the essential and
the infinite difference which exists between veneration and
adoration^ a difference which, with us, even the smallest chil--
dren and the newly-converted, even of the most barbarous
nations, do immediately, and with ease, understand. But if
our adversaries do understand that which we believe and

ON FAITH. 12:1
te»cn, then we cannot sufficiently condemn the malice with
which they, as enemies of the Church and of truth, upbraid us
in spite of their better knowledge and convictions, with a vice
of which they diJclare us guilty, and thus show themselves
more malicious than even the blinded pagans, " Who ever
adored a martyr ?" exclaims St, Jerome, in just indignation
against the heretic and slanderer Vigilantius,
Moreover, if we honor and glorify the saints, we honor
and extol in them only the gifte of God, How, therefore,
can this veneration paid to the servants of the Lord encroach
upon his honor ; for God is glorified by this veneration, since
we acknowledge that it is His grace and goodness wl^ich made
Ihem holy ?
And it is upon this ground, that the same St, Jerome also
writes to Riparius : " We honor the servants, in order that
the honor of the servant may fall back upon the Lord."
Epist. ad Rip.
This worship diminishes just as little th§ honor which we
ow^e to Christ, and our confidence in His mediation with the
Father, For we know no merits and no dignity in the saints,
but through the merits and the grace of Chrisf;, nor do we
know their intercession to be efficacious otherwise than-
through Jesus Christ, Listen to St. Ambrose : " Whoso
ever," he says, " honors the martyrs, honors Christ, and
whosoever despises the saints, despises Christ," Serm. 6.
And St, Jerome, citing the words of St. Paul to Philemon :
" I give thanks to my God, always making a remembrance
of thee in my prayers, hearing of thy charity and faith^
which thou hast in the Lopd Jesus, and towards all the
saints," adds : " Charity ^n,d confidence in , God"^ is, there
fore, not full, if it be diminished by hatred and faithlessness
towards His servants." S. Hier. in S. Pauli ad Philem.
Heretics act in this manner, who show themselves averse
to the veneration of the saints by their calumny and de
rision, unmindful of the confessioi; of -faith which they
make in the Apostoles' Creed : ^' I believe in the communion
of saints." But it is different with tjie orthodox and those
children of the true Church who live according to their faith ;
their actions are in accordance with their confession of faith,
and they thereby follow the example and the type of the
primitive, apcjstolio Christians.
Practice. — You live in the communion of saints on
6

122 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
earth. Show the influence of this communion upon yoHi
life by the zeal with which you make use of every occasion
offered you by the holy Church, for participating in its means
of grace, especially by the reception of the holy sacraments,"
and by common prayer. But also by the sympathy which your
heart feels for the joys and sorrows of the Church of God,
after the example of the Apostle of the nations, who could
say in truth : " Who is weak and I am not weak ? who is
scandalized that I do not bum ?" 2 Cor. xi, 29. So it ought
to be with members of the same body. Show, too, this life
of the Church within you by the zeal with which you care
for the corporal, and especially the spiritual welfare of your
neighbor, by a burning zeal for souls, endeavoring by prayer,
word and deed, to save and sanctify your brethren in
Christ. You live in the communion of the Church suffering.
What do you do for the consolation and help of the souls iri
purgatory ? Ah ! with what care would you try to avoid
the least shadow of venial sin, if you were often to think of
the inevitable punishment which awaits it in purgatory ; -if
you have succored the souls in purgatory during your life,
the prayers of the faithful shall likewise succor you when
your turn comes to undergo those purging flames.
You live in communion with the Church triumphant va
heaven. Think often of where the saints now are, and where
they were one da,y, and read frequently the lives of the
saints, and you shall feel within you the power of that ex
hortation of St. Augustine: "If they were able, why should
not I be able also ?" Have a special reverence for the saints
of your name, for St. Joseph, and above all for Mary, the
Queen of Saints.
Q. What follows from the article of faith, concerning the
Church and the communion of saints, with respect to eternal
salvation f
A. Resting on the truths of faith just cited and explained,
we believe and confess that all who are not members of the
true Church, that , is, of the Roman Catholic Church, are not
in the way of salvation ; or, in other words, we believe and
confess that the Roman Catholic Church, being the only true
Church of Christ, is also the only one in which man can b«
saved. Q. How do you prove this ?

ON FAifH. 123
A. The p' '^'•.f follows clearly and intontestabl}' from what
has been alrea^j' shown.
For there is no .salvation but through Jesus Christ who
deposit°-d the means of salvation in his Church, and said ab
solutely : " Let him who does not hear the Church, be to thee
as a heathen and a publican," and again : " He that does not
believe, shall be condemned." But since this Church of
Christ is, and can be,, and shall remain but one, and according
to what has been proved above, the holy Romah Catholic
Church can alone be this one, it is manifest that it is the only
one in which man can be .saved.
None of the other Cbristi.«.n sects are, as we proved, the
Church of Christ, and sir>ce salvation can be obtained only
through Christ, it is plain that those sectarian churches,
founded by man, can neve'" l.°ad to salvation, nor can it be
said that they do so.
Granted even, that many th'nj^f are believed in them
which Christ did reveal ; if one d'l^s not believe all, but
only some things, he' has offended i»-gainst all, according
to the Apostle : " Whosoever shall ke\v the whole law, but
off'end in one point, is become guilty (.~f all." St. James,
ii. 10,
The reason of this assertion is manifest For the one and
undivided authority of God, who foundei^ \^e Church, con
tends for one article of faith as much as for all. To denj
and attack this authority of God in itself or i> his Church hi
one point, is as much as to endeavor to destroy i*- .n all.
This, too, is the unanimous doctrine of the holy J^'ather^,
Thus St, Ignatius, the martyr, the disciple of Su Poly
carp, who was a disciple of the Apostles, writes in his
circular to the Magnesians : " Do not err, my brethren, if
any one follow a schismatic, he cannot attain to the inheri
tance of God ; if any one walks in the path of strange doc
trine, he cannot become a partaker of God'^s inheritance,"
St. Cyprian, in his book on the Unity of the Church, says :
" He cannot have God for his Father, who has not the
Church for his Mother."
St. Augustine teaches: "Whosoever is separated from
this Catholic Church, shall not have life, but the anger of
God remains upon him, on account of this crime that he is
torn from the unity of Christ, though he may appear to lead
a life ever so praiseworthy." Ad. pop. fact. Ban. c. 141.

124 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
St. Fulgentius teaches likewise : " Believe it firmly and do
not doubt it in the least, that not only the pagans, but also the
Jews-, and all the heretics and schismatics, who terminate their
present life out of the communion of the Catholic Church, go
into everlasting fire." Lib. de Fide, c. 38.
Finally, St. Gregory the Great asserts : " The Holy Uni
versal Church teaches, that no one out of her communion can
ever really be saved." Lib. mor. 14.
But this is to be understood of those who, through their
own fault, adhere to an error in faith, and who, consequently
defend the error with obstinacy. For such it is impossible
to be in the way of salvation, since, by the very fact of their
sinfully rising up against the authority of God and His Church,
they certairfly sin grievously, and go on, therefore, to eternal
perdition, unless they return to God whilst time is granted
them. Indeed, if even he who disobeys and dishonors his earth
ly parents in matters of consequence, thereby becomes guilty
of grievous sin and incurs eternal chastisement, how should
he who despises his heavenly Father and his holy mother,
the Church, remain free from mortal sin, or escape the judg
ment? It is different, with those who are born among here
tics, and, as it were, without a suspicion of being wrong, suck
in the error as with their mother's milk, and do not obsti
nately confess the same ; who only exteriorly adhere to the
same from guiltless ignorance, but interiorly have a desire
after truth, and as soon as it dawns upon them, are ready to
confess the same as freely. The number of such persons
amongst the common people, in countries inhabited \.^j her
etics and unbelievers is not small ; if these were validly bap
tized, they are really members of the Church ; but if they are
not baptized, they are, by their desire after the truth which is
Christ, invisibly incorporated in. the Church, and -will, if they
keep themselves otherwise free from mortal sin, be saved jn
an extraordinary manner — but still as children of the one
true Church to which they invisibly belong. But who are in
such a position, no man can decide but God to whom alone it
belongs to judge, whether or not the error is culpable, .and
whether or not any one persevered to the end in his error
without any fault of his.
There is, therefore, but one only road to heaven, namely:
tha Catholic Cliuroh, .as being the only true Church '••f Christ.

ON FAITH, 125
But there are more roads than one to the Church, namely, as
many as there are manifest and hidden decrees of God, by
whi(;h His providence leads those who are of good will to the
knowledge of the truth of salvation, even though there be ex
teriorly no opportunity for all to enter the Church as visible
members by baptism, or the confession of faith, yet they entei
it by means of the baptism of desire.
But never, in any case, do we judge any individual, since
the judgment of persons can never be passed with certainty
by men, as stated above, but is reserved for God alone. We
condemn the error, indeed, at all times, but we love the err
ing in Christian charity, and seek to bring them back, with
charity, into the road of truth and of salvation.
The article of faith, and the doctrine according to which
there is but One only Church that leads to salvation, is, there
fore, by no means incompatible with the peace and the wel
fare of civil society. For not only do the duties of common
charity towards our neighbor bind us to every man, accord
ing to the express command of Christ,, but we are, even by the
desire of saving our neighbor, impelled to exercise those duties
of charity towards him, and with particular solicitude towards
such as have erred, on every occasion, in order to gain their
good will, and to win them, in this manner, the more easily
and efficaciously to the truth.
But if the morals of those who are wandering in error be
such that proximity to and intercourse with those persons
might be dangerous to the orthodox, then, as a matter of
course, they are to be avoided. Yet to judge of this does not
so much belong to a single person, but rather to the public,
ecclesiastical and civil authority, which then disposes what is
just and profitable for society,
, Q. -What is the application of this article of faith to our
life? A. If we consider well and take to heart all that has been
hitherto said about the Church, how fervent sl}Ould be our de
sire to return thanks to God, that He, the Lord and Creator,
our t3rod and Redeemer, has called us, in His mercy, to this
His Church, which is the only true one, having salvation ; and
we, therefore, exult with the Psalmist : " How lovely are Thy
tabernacles, O Lord of hosts ! my soul lor.geth and fainteth
for the courts of the Lord," " Blessed are they that dwell in
Thy house." Ps. Ixxxiii, 2, 5, Let us, therefore, lov> tha

l26 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Church, our Holy Mother; let us show ourselves everywhere
and at all times as her children, and prove this our love and
fidelity towards her, by the zealous and faithful observance of
her commands and precepts. We shall have occasion to
speak more at large touching this observance in the course of
this book : " In order that every one may know how he ought
to behave himself in the house of God, which is the Church of
the living God,ithe pillar and ground of the truth, and the
sure harbor of salvation." 1 Tim. iii. 15.

The Tenth Article of Faith.
\Q. What is proposed to our belief in the tenth article of
faith ? ¦ '
A. The highest and most important benefit bestowed upon
the human race by God's infinite mercy, to wit*; " the for
giveness of sin," which is obtained in the Church solely and
exclusively ; this by the Sacrament of Baptism for those that
enter the Church ; and by the Sacrament of Penance for those
that sinned after having received Baptism. In this article,
therefore, and in the following articles of faith, is laid be
fore us, as it were, the whole operation of that grace which
God will impart to us by His Church in the communion of
Saints, namely : The supernatural life of the soul by the for
giveness of sin, which is the death of the soul, and by the con
ferring of sanctifying grace. And, moreover, also, the im
mortal and glorious life of the body by the resurrection from
tiiC dead ; and finally the eternal life of happiness in heaven,
which is prepared for those children of the militant Church
upon earth, who died in the state of grace and in the filial
friendship of God, according to the words of our Saviour him
self: "I am come that they may have life, and may have it
more abundantly," John, x. 10,
Q. Who are they in the Church that have power to forgive
sins ?
A. All those priests empowered by their ordinaries; namely,
by the holy power of the keys, which Christ gave to St, Peter
j,nd his successors first of all, and who then, by conferring the
ecclesiastical jurisdiction or mission, impart the necessary
authoritj to the subordinate, pastors and priests of the Church
for e iicising this power, in order that, by the administra-

ON FAITH. ISJ"
tion of the Sacrament of Penance to the faicnful their sins
may be forgiven.
Q. Is any sin so great that it cannot be forgiven ?
A. No ; for Christ says, without restriction : " Receive ye
the Holy Ghost : whose sins you shall forgive they are for.
given them," (John, xx. 23), provided that the sinner him
self do not place any obstacle, but with due preparation
colifess his sins, sincerely purposing to sin no more. We
shall say more on this subject in the treatise on the Sacra
ments, Q. Is this forgiveness of sins something great and wonderful?
A. Certainly ; and, indeed, so much so that upon earth
there can be nothing greater or more important for us. For
listen to the testimony of St. Augustine, who says, " that
tbe conversion of a sinner from evil to virtue is to be con
sidered a greater work than even the creation of the world
out of nothing. For if the creation could be effected only by
means of an infinite power, it necessarily /olio ws that the for
giveness of sins must be still more a work of infinite power."
For a creature which is endowed with free will, and has
fallen, can resist the will of God, but this a creature cannot
do at the moment of its creation.
Q. What does this truth of faith demand of us ?
A. That we should return infinite thanks to God for this
most important of all His benefits ; moreover, that we should
use it with the greatest diligence for our salvation. Indeed,
if even the remedies for recovering our bodily health, and
savipg our temporal life are of importance for us, and their
success a cause of rejoicing, how much more important and
welcome must be to us those remedial agents which the wis
dom of God has prepared for the salvation of souls and the
purchase of eternal life ; especially since the latter, unlike the
former, are sure to cure us, provided only that we make
use of them as we ought. What we have to guard against
most carefully is, that we do not become eventually ungrate
ful towards the Holy Ghost, and careless in regard to sin, be
cause we have the means of obtaining pardon for it. Such a
disposition would render us incapable of obtaining even the
forgiveness of our sins, and throw us n to a still more pitiful
Btate of dereliction on the part of God. Cone. Trid. Sess. VL

138 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGIOH.

The Eleventh Article of Faith.
Q. What does the eleventh article of faith teach us 1
A. The future resurrection from the dead,
Q. Who shall rise again. ?
A. All men, without exception ; not all, however, in a like
•nanner ; for the good shall rise to glory, but the wicked to
uorment ; wherefore the resurrection to a true life of happiness
is promised only to the good,
Q. Shall we rise again with the same bodies in which we
now are ?
A. Yes, we shall. For it would be no real resurrection if
we were not to receive .again the same body ; nay, this resur
rection is, moreover, to take place, that man may be rewarded
or punished both in soul and body, according as his body has
served him as an instrument of good or of evil. Another
body would neither be deserving of the glory nor the punish
ment ; we shall, therefore, reassume the same body, although
transformed. Q. But how is it possible, that a body burnt to ashes or
otherwise dissolved should revive again ?
A. In the natural course of things, this is certainly impos
sible, but possible, beyond doubt, through the omnipotence
of God, of which omnipotence we already treated in the first
article of faith.
Certainly, if we consider how God the Lord created heaven
and earth out of nothing, we shall find no difficulty in believ
ing that this omnipotent God is also able to raise a dissolved
body to life again. Is there any thing hard or impossible to
the Almighty ? Moreover, according to the doctrine of the
Apostle of nations, God even implanted in nature types and
emblems of this fiiture resurrection from the dead, and of
the transfijrmation of mouldering bodies. You that doubt,
listen to the Words of the Apostle himself: "Senseless
man, that which thou sowest, is not quickened, except it die
first. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the
body that shall be, but bare grain, as of wheat, or of some
of the rest. But God giveth it a body as He will." 1 Cor.
XV, 36-38,
The holy Fathers speak in the same manner.
We will cite the beautiful saying of Minutuis Felix ; he

tN FAITH. 129
speaks thus : " Behold, I pray, how the whole of nature typi-
fies our future resurrection for our comfort and hope ; the sun
sets and rises again ; the stars disappear beneath the horizon,
and appear again ; the flowers wither and revive . , . a spring
time of the body is also awaiting us." In Octavio.
Q. What will be the nature of the bodies of the just after
the resurrection ?
A. The bodies of the just, after the resurrection, shall be
glorified bodies, and in this condition, have principally four
properties, namely : impassibility, brightness, agility, subtility,
Q. Who teaches us this, and what does each of these gifts
of the glorified body comprehend ?
A. That the bodies of the just shall be of that nature after
the resurrection, is taught by St. Paul, in his Epistle to the
Corinthians, and by the unanimous tradition of the holy
Fathers, But the nature of these gifts is the following :
Impassibility is that gift, by virtue of which the bodies of
the just shall be free, after the resurrection, "from every pain
or affliction, and also indestructible^^consequently immortal._
The Apostle writes : " It is sown in corruption : it shall rise
in incorruption." 1 Cor. xv. 42.
Brightness is that gift, in consequence of which the bodies
of the blessed surrounded with the splendor of light, shall be
more dazzling and more glorious than the sun. The words
of Christ in St, Matthew, point to this quality : " The just
shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father," Matth.
xiii. 43. Our Lord had confirmed this future state of glori
fied bodies by the emblem of His own transfiguration.
Matth. xvii. 2. The Apostle calls this quality, now brightness,
now glory. " He will reform the body of our lowness, made
like to the body of His glory, ' Philip, iii, 21, " It is sown
in,dishonor, it shall rise in glory," 1 Cor. xv. 43. But this
quality is not common to all in the same degree, but accord
ing to the degree of election in the kingdom of God, and the
glory of the brightness shall also be greater according to the
greatness and value of the merits. To this also the Apostle
bears testimony, writing : " One is the glory of the sun ; an
other, the glory of the moon ; another, the glory of the stars,
for star differeth from star in glory : so also, is the resurrec
tion of the dead," 1 Cor. xv. 41, 42.
Agility is that gift by which the body of the blessed shall
6*

130 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
be freed from the burden that now presses it down ; and shaU
acquire a capability of moving with the utmost facility and
lightness wherever the soul pleases.
Thus St. Augustine teaches in his book on the city of God,
and St. Jerome on Isaias, c. xl. To this quality also the
Apostle points in these words : " It is srown in weakness, it
shall rise in power." 1 Cor. 43.
Finally, Subtility, a quality which subjects, the body to the
absolute dominion of the soul, so that no other bodies shall be-
capable of impeding or opposing it in its progress, but it
shall penetrate everywhere even as the glorified body of
Christ penetrated the doors of the dining hall in Jerusalem.
The Apostle also points out this quality, saying : " It is,
sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body." 1 Cor.
XV. 44,
None of all these glorious gifts shall be proper to the risen
bodies of the damned, but they shall be more shocking and
more abominable than any thing that we can imagine ; for
they shall be bodies raised by Divine justice to be' so
many dwellings for the damned souls in the eternal pains of
hell, Q. What inffuence should this article of faith have on us?
A. The lively faith in the resurrection of the dead affords
us the svfeetest consolation in all the sufferings and tribula
tions of this life, F>,r listen to Job, that man so grievously
afflicted, who, in all his trials, fortified himself in this confi
dence with these words : " I shall be clothed again with my
skin, and in my flesh I shall see my God. This my hope is
laid up in my bosom," Job, xix. 26. This remembrance
of the resurrection also powerfully incites us to the diligent
practice of virtue, and strengthens us in it ; for as the Apostle
reminds us : " We all must 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. 8, And, on the other hand, this remem
brance forcibly deters men from indulging in vice. For the
wicked, too, shall rise one day, but for judgment, and to be
punished in the everlasting torments of hell.

ON FAITH. ISl

The Twelfth Article of Faith.
Q. What does the twelfth article of faith teach us ?
A. Life everlasting. By life everlasting we understand
that eternal happiness which is prepared for the good in heaven,
and which is called in Holy Scripture by different names ac
cording to the principal fountains of eternal bliss in the realm
of God.
Namely, the state of the just in eternal life is called in the
firit place, the kingdom oif heaven, beeause there all the
blessed are crowned with glory.
2d, The kingdom of God and of Christ; because there
God displays eternally His might and the beauty of His
glory in a particular manner, and because Christ has acquired
this kingdom for us by His own merits, and is glorified there
"m all the fullness of His splendor.
3d, Paradise ; on account of the wonders of creation,
which the Lord has prepared for His elect to complete their
eternal happiness in the enjoyment of creatures.
4tli. The Holy City; because all the blessed are there
united together most intimately and most inseparably, by the
bonds of charity,
5th. The Joy of the Lord ; because God himself is there
our reward, our love and happiness.
6th. The Repose of the Lord; because in that blessed
place there is no labor or toil, or hardship any more.
7th. Eternal Life ; because this state is immutable, that is
to say, without end, accompanied by the fullest consciousness
of happiness which is there enjoyed.
Q. Which are those goods of eternal life, that are specially
promised to us there ?
A. They are twofold; namely, essential and accidental
ones, Q. In what do the essential goods and joys of heaven con
sist? A. In the vision and blissful fruition of God,
For thus teaches the Apostle and disciple of love, St, John,
in his 1st, Epistle, chapter iii, ; " Dearly beloved, we are now
the sons of God : and it hath not yet appeared what we shall
be. We know, that when He shall appear, we shall be like
to Him, because we shall see Him as He is." The Apostle,

132 MANUAL OF THE OATHOLlC RELIGION.
then, makes here two thirds especially manifest in the state
of happiness, namely, the seei^ig of God and the becoming like
to God, That is that those, who there see God, shall by that
very act be rendered similar to God, The reason why this
happens is this, that whatever shall be known in itt.alf, be
comes known either in His essence or from its being similar
to Him, Wherefore no one can see God in His essence, unless
God raises the creature in a supernatural manner to a degree
of similarity with himself by this, that He unites it in a su
pernatural and divine manner with His essence. Now, this
is what happens with respect to the blessed in heaven, " Wo
see now," says the Apostle, " through a glass in an obscure
manner ; but then face to face," 1 Cor. xiii. 14.
The mediuni through which this is accomplished is the light
of glory, wherewith being surrounded, we see God, the
light, in the light, according to the Psalmist : " In Thy light
we shall see light." Ps. xxxv. 10.
But how this is really done, no understanding here below
can conceive ; yet we can represent this future deification
(through the vision of God) in a sensible manner, though the
representation is but a faint image of the reality. Namely,
as iron when placed' in the fire becomes glowing, and, although
it remains iron, yet appears as if it were fire : just so shall the
blessed see God in the light of glory, and united with God,
become deified, i. e. transformed into God, without ceasing,
however, to be what they are, namely creatures, and as such
infinitely different from God, Thus the Roman Catechism,
In a word, then, the essence of our happiness, shall be God
himself, the possession of Him and His love in the fruition of
that happiness, which makes Him happy himself from eternity
to eternity, as we read in these worda ; " Thou shalt make
them drink of the torrent of Thy pleasure," Ps. xxxv, 9,
And again : " I am Thy reward exceeding great." Gen. xy
1. What more could the Lord give us, than himself?
But to the accidental or non-essential joys of heaven belong
all those excellencies, goods and enjoyments which shall one
day be imparted to the just in heaven by creatures in the
communion of saints. Moreover, these goods and pleasures
shall be so great, that the Apostle writes with justice con
cerning them : " The eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
bath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath
prepared for them that love Him." 1 Cor. ii. 9. A joy, "m-

ON FAITH. 133
deed, of which the Psaln.ist sings with exultation : "A thou-
eand years in Thy sight are as yesterday, which is past,'
Ps. Ixxxv, 4,
Q. Shall there be a diff'erence in the happiness of eternal
life? A. Yes, in the sense of which mention was made above ;
namely, that the degree of happiness shall be in proportion
to the degree of election and of merit; but it must not be
supposed on that account, that there shall be even one blessed
soul in heaven whose happiness will not be complete. All
shall be perfectly happy, i. e. they shall be so replenished
with overflowing bliss, that none of the blessed, according to
his capacity, shall be able, to harbor within himself a greater
measure, though the measure itself shall be different. One
example will render this clear and intelligible. Namely, it
is possible to have many drinking-glasses of different capaci-
ties placed upon a table. Now if all are filled to overflowing,
it is plain that each glass is as full as it can be, and is incapa
ble of receiving more, yet the quantity of liquid contained in
each is not the same, because the glasses themselves are of
different size and capacity.
Let us therefore strive, that by our diligence in doing good
works, we may render ourselves capable of the greatest possi
ble glory and happiness according to the saying of the Apostle :
''He who soweth in blessings, shall also reap of blessings,"
2 Cor. ix, 6,
Q. Why is this celestial glory called eternal life ? Shall
not the damned also live for ever?
A. The true life, presupposes, in a higher sense of the word,
and is also self-dependent activity. The state of the bless
ed, therefore, is in a more special signification called the life,
and indeed the eternal life, because the blessed shall be in a
state in which, without any impediment, they do and enjoy
all things according to their own wishes ; consequently , they
live truly, in the higher sense of the word, and, indeed, the
more so, because they are substantially united to Him who
js essentially the life. St John,x\v. 6; v. 26. But, on the
contrary, the damned shall be in a state, in which they ex
ist, act, and suffer eternally but all that against their will.
This, therefore, js a state of eternal necessitation, and conse
quently a death of the faculties of the soul, so that it m.aji
rather'be styled a state of etijru-il death for the damned, not

134 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
withstanding their eteri.al existence as to person, and then
Incapability of being ever annihilated by their pains The
state of the blessed excludes e^ery mixture of adversity,
woe, or suffering, and is, therefore, substantially life. On
the contrary, the state of the damned excludes all that affords
even a shadow of contentment, and is consequently, in truth,
the most painful, spiritual death for an endless eternity.
Q. Why is this article of faith placed at the conclusion of
the Apostles' Creed ?
A. Because this eternal life being the possession of God is
the very end for which we are created.
Q. Are all men created for the attainment of this end.
A. Yes, all; for God wills not, that any man should per
ish, but that all should be saved, as the Apostle positively
teaches ; 1 Tim. ii. 4, and, because Christ himself assures us
of it by the Evangelist, St. John, iii. 1 7,
Q. Are all men, then, really saved ?
A. No ; because all men do not do on their part, what
they can do, and what they are bound to do ; or, in other
words, because all men do not make good use of the means of
salvation which God gives them, in order to save themselves.
Q. What are these means ?
A. They are faith, and the living according to faith, by
keeping the commandments of God and of His holy Church,
and making good use of the Sacraments, which are the means
of grace in the New Law, This appears from the clear and
positive words of Christ and His Apostles, as proved by all
the texts which we have cited, where there was question of
the Catholic Church as the only one in which salvation is
found, Q. To what place do those go, who knowingly deny the
faith, and die in mortal sin ?
A. They go to hell.
Q. What is hell, and how may one prove that there is such
a place as hell ?
A. Hell is that dismal place of torment, in which the
damned suffer pain in the flames of everlasting fire.
That there is such a place as hell, is an article of faith,
which Holy Scripture and tradition both teach in the most
positive manner, so that there is no other truth of faith which
is more plainly and more explicitly taught in those 'sacred
record.", than this very one, in order, doubtless, that we mi-rlit

ON fAlTH. 136
take the greater care to avoid such a woful eternity of tor
ment. We shall prove this presently more at large, by cit-
"mg what Holy Sci;jpture and tradition teach concerning tha
greatness and eternity of the punishments of hell.
Q. Are the punishments of hell great ?
A. Yes ; and greater than- it is possible for men on earth
to imagine, according to the joint assertion of the holy Fa
thers ; which is also indicated by the very names by which
Holy Scripture designates this place of torments.
For the state of the damned is styled in Holy Scripture ;
" Damnation ;" Rom. xiii, 2. " Destruction ;" Matt, vii, 13.
" Everlasting punishment ;" Matt, xxv, 46, " Everlasting
fire;" Matt. xxv. 11. "The fire of hell;" Matt. v. 22.
"Exterior darkness;" Matt. viii. 12. "Where there shall
be weeping and gnashing of teeth ;" .bid. " The fire that
cannot be quenched, where the worm dieth not ;" Mark, ix.
42. "A place of torments;" St. Luke, xvi. 28. "A flame
of fire, giving vengeance ;" 2 Thess. i. 8. " A pool burning
with fire and brimstone ;" Apoc. xxi. 8. Certainly, whoever
seriously reflects on these expressions of Holy Writ, must ad
mit, that the highest degree of torment and misery is ex
pressed by them.
Q. In what do the torments of hell principally consist ?
A. 1. In the first place, the damned are deprived for ever
of the vision oi God, as well as of the joys of heaven, which
punishment is called the punishment or pain of loss. This is
pointed out by the parable which Christ himself proposes
to us, concerning the man who had come to the wedding,
without having on a wedding garment, and who on that ac
count was sent away from the king's presence, and cast into
exterior darkness, " where there shall be weeping and gnash
ing of teeth." Matt. xxii. 1 3.
Second, The worm of conscience shall torment the damned
without intermission, calling out to them continually and
for ever : " Ah ! you yourself are the cause of this dismal
doom " — " you could save yourself, but you would not."
" Their worm dieth not," says Christ, meaning the worm of
conscience. Mark, ix. 42.
Third, The damned shall be covered with shame and con
fusion, and their portion shall be hopeless despair. The
ohrase: "They shall say to the mountains and the rocks.
Fall upon us,' " has reference to this pain. Apoc. \i. 16

136 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC EELI6I0N,
Fourth, Another particular punisnment of the damned
Will be the company of so many of the -^e-probate. "Then,"
says Christ, " shall the King say to those on his left : ' Depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared
for the devil and his angels,' " Matt. xxv. 41.
Fifth, But it is principally the pain of fire, which torments
the damned, in proportion to the measure of their guilt, and
of which menti-on is made in so many places of Holy Writ,
as already shown, which texts the holy Fathers understand,
n-ot in a figurative but in a literal sense.
St. Cyprian writes thus : " The place of pain, which is
called hell, sends forth, through the awful night of massy
darkness, ever raging fire in steaming flames. There are, in
that dire abode, various kinds of torments, where the pain
returns into itself, which is caused by the devouring flame of the
heat that issues in streams." Lib. de laud, martyrii, c. 12,
St, Augustine says : " There the bodiless spirits shall ad
here to the material fire, to suffer pain." Lib. 21, de civil.
Bei. And that this is possible and contains in itself no
contradiction, St. Gregory the Great proves in the following
words : " Certainly if the devil and his angels, though they
have no body, yet suffer pain in a real fire, what wonder that
the damned souls, before resuming their bodies, should suffer
the pain of the body ?" Lib. 4, Dialog, c. 29. The body
without the soul has not even the power of sensation ; it 'is,
therefore, in reality only the soul that suffers, as long as man
is living here on earth, and not the body in itself; for, as
soon as the soul leaves the body, it is dead and senseless,
Q. Is it known what kind of fire it is ?
A. No ; but we know enough, if we know what the pain
of fire is,
Q. Are the pains of hell eternal ?
A. Yes.
Q. Shall they, therefore, never have an end ?
A. Never ; for Christ says positively : " And these shall
go into everlasting punishment ; but the just, into life ever
lasting." Matth. xxv. 46. This antithesis plainly shows, in
what sense the word " eternal " is to be accepted. For,
¦since no one can douot that, concerning the just, the word
" eternal " is to be accepted in the strict sense, it follows
aecessarily, according to the laws of contrast, that the word
' eternal," as regards the reprobate, must be also taken ui

ON FAITH. 137
the strict sense. And this follows the more necessarily, as
Christ, in other places of Holy Scripture, as already shown,
also speaks of the pain of hell as eternal, and because the
Apostles, too, are unanimous in calling the pains of hell
eternal. The disciple of love, St. John, writes thus : " They
shall be tormented day and night, for ever and ever." Apoc.
XX, 10, And St. Paul, in his second Epistle to the Thessa
lonians, asserts : " They shall suffer eternal pains in destruc
tion." 2 Thess. 1-9. The unanimous doctrine of the holy
Fathers, and the solemnly declared belief of the Church, are
of precisely the same tenor.
St. Justin writes in this manner : " They shall, according to
the just sentence, suffer pain in everlasting fire, for their
transgressions." Apol. 2, And St. Irenaeus : " But they to
whom He shall say, ' depart from me,' &c,, shall be damned
for ever," Adv. haeres. b-Al.
St. Basil : " If the eternal punishment shall one day have
an end, so then eternal life shall also have an end. But if, in
regard to (eternal) life, the words of the Gospel are not so
accepted, what reason can there be for supposing that the
eternal punishment shall have an end ?" Interogat. 267, in
Gomp. Reg.
Further, St, Cyril, of Jerusalem : " But he who is a sinner,
shall receive an immortal body, capable of suffering the .
punishments of sin, so that although he is burning in an ever
lasting fire, yet. he shall never be consumed," Cath. 18.
And St, Chrysostom : " That hell shall have no end, Christ
asserts, saying : ' Their fire cannot be quenched, and their
worm dieth not,'" Hom. 9, in 1, ad. Corinth.
And St, Augustine : " That which God hath spoken by his
prophet regarding the eternal punishment, shall be fulfilled,
yes, indeed, it shall come to pass, their worm shall not die,
and their fire not be extinguished," Be civ. Bei. 21, c. 9,
Moreover^ the Church has solemnly declared this truth of
faith in many of her Councils, as, for instance, in the fourth of
Lateran, in the second of Lyons ; as also in the Councils ot
Florence and Trent, the latter of which teaches expressly the
eternity of the pains of hell. Sessions, vi, and xiv. The
Church proclaims the same faith in the Athanasian Creed, of
which she makes public use, saying : " Those who have done
good, shall enter into eternal life, but those who have done
evil, into everlasting fire," ^ •

I8P MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. Is not this article of faith in contradiction with reason '
A. By no means. Infidels, indeed, alleging the infinite
mercy of God, fancy themselves in a position to prove tha
contrary. But we ask in the first place, why do not such
persons rather remember the infinite justice of God, when
mention is made of the divine punishments, in order to infer
from the nature of this infinite justice the eternal duration of
the punishment, especially since the question turns on pun
ishing sin, which is an offence against the infinite majesty of
God ? Certainly, God is infinitely good, but He is, at the
same time, no less infinitely just. He rewards the good with
good eternal, because He is infinitely good, and no one thinks
of complaining, or finding fault, though such a reward far
surpasses the merit. But He punishes the wicked with the
everlasting punishment due to an offence committed against
God, because He is also infinitely just. This is a tremendous
truth to the wicked, and they will try to throw doubts upon
it in order that they may continue to sin with less remorse
and greater liberty.
Moreover, reason understands well that, where there is
question of punishing sin, it is not her province to pronounce
the final sentence, since the nature of this subject lies far
above her reach, and that she is, consequently, to receive as
indubitably certain that which the truth proved by miracles
and prophesies to be divine revelation, teaches us concerning
this matter. But reason submits herself to this doctrine of
faith with all the greater facility, since whatever she knows of
the nature of sin, points out the very same consequence. For
mortal sin, as an offence against God, accompanied by an
entire turning away from Him, is something which, in refer
ence to an infinite God, may be called infinite. But the Pun
ishment must be determined by divine justice, so as to
corj-espond with the guilt of the offence, and since man, as a
finite being, is incapable of suffering a punishment infinite in
intensity, he is to suffer one infinite in duration, A second
reason for the eternity of punishment is given by St, Gregory
the Great, who writes : " It is proper to the sentence of the
judge, that they should never be free from punishment, whose
souls, in this life, were never free from sin, and that the pun
ishment of a reprobate should never have an end, because,
whilst living, he placed no bounds to his malice," Lib. 34,
mor. c. 19, Alas ! how many are so disposed, that, if they

ON FAITH, 139.
f
•^e tj ii\i eternally, and at liberty, they would also sir
eternalb ! A third reason is the infinite authority of the
divine law, to which a punishment of infinite importance
rnust correspond, so that, in any case, the punishment is suffi
cient to deter a man from transgression. But this can have
no possible reference unless where the punishment is endless.
And even then man, as experience testifies, transgresses
the law of God, and abuses his liberty. Now, if this be so,
y, hat would happen, if there were no eternity of punishment,
and if all might one day be happy in heaven, no matter
how they lived while on earth ? The threat of the punish
ment would then bear no proportion to the dignity of the
law, and would, therefore, be contemptible.
Nay, what would be the entire order of salvation, as faith
places it before our eyes, if there were no eternity of punish
ment ? St. Jerome : says with justice : " It would be a mere
farce !" Who could imagine, for a moment, that Christ and
Lucifer, Mary and the devils, St. Peter and Judas, should be
ever united in mutual love and happiness? No! — light and
darkness are for ever separated. Reason enlightened by
faith understands this — requires this ! Moreover, it is a
remarkable fact, that even men who live in heathenism,
though scarcely able to know God, yet believe in punishments,
and, indeed, in eternal punishments, after death. This points
to a common source of knowledge, which is our reason,
united with that which the first tradition taught man con
cerning the everlasting duration of the pains of hell.
And no less significant is that secret fear which pervades
the consciences of all men, even of the most impudent de-
riders of our holy religion : " That hell might not be
a mere fable." Hence their anger, if they hear hell spoken of.
Finally, we ask : Is there not capital punishment, aye, and
endless punishment, too, even in this world ; and yet, under
certain circumstances, we undoubtedly consider it equitable
and just, and at the same time necessary. The same
holds good for the other world, concerning eternal death
or the punishment of hell, and, indeed, for reasons far
weightier, as we have shown a little befcre. He who enters
eternity infected with mortal sin, leaves himself, for eternity,
in the state of sin, and deserves, therefore, an eternity of
punishment. So far, reason itself can comprehend. But
what kind of punishment it shall be, is, of course, manifested

140 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION. ^
to US only by the voice of R-evelation, and thait otily as fai
as is requisite for us, to be warned of the dreadful conse-
quences of sin.
Q. What influence should the consideration of this article
of faith exert upon the conduct of our lives ?
A. To make us do carefully all that we are able to do with
the help of God, in order to gain the everlasting bliss of
heaven, and in order to increase, by our zeal and sanctity of
life, the happiness to be enjoyed there for ever. But also,
to avoid every species of sin, in order to escape the awful
punishment of eternal perdition,
Q. Does the Apostles' Creed contain all the articles of
faith, so that there is nothing to be believed beyond what it
contains ?
A. No ; it contains only the principal points of the Chris
tian faith, which include, indeed, all the rest ; but do not state
them all expressly. But the Apostles' Creed includes all of
them, because in it we profess our belief in the Church ; con
sequently in everything which the Church proposes to us,
whether it be written or not.
Q. How are these truths of faith called, which every man
must know, in order to be saved, and which are they ?
. A. The truths of faith which every man must know and
believe, in order to be saved, afre those which are necessary
as means of salvation. They are :
1. That there is one God, one in essence and triune in
person. 2. That the Second Divine Person became man, in order to
redeem us from sin and its punishment, and to make us
eternally happy.
3. That the soul of man is immortal,
4, That without the help of God's grace it is impossible to
do good, and obtain salvation,
5. That God is a just judge, who rewards the good and
punishes the wicked.
These truths of faith are necessary for salvation, because,
without knowing them, it is impossible to live according to
God's law. But, in how far a mediate belief in Christ and
the most Holy Trinity can save man, was already indicated
above in treating of the members of the Church.
Q. What other truths of faith is every Christian bound to

ON HOPE. . 141
believe, and to know expressly, under pain of mortal sin, by
virtue of the existing law ?
A. 1. The Apostles's Creed;
2. The Lord's Prayer ;
3. The Commandments of God and of the Church ;
4. The holy Sacraments of Baptism, of Penance, and of the
Altar. The others, when he is about to receive them.
Q. Why do we pronounce the word " Amen " at the ena
of the Apostles' Creed ?
A. The word " Amen " signifies as much as, " be it so " —
" such is my belief" — " so it is." It is a protestation of our
firm and unshaken belief in all that we have professed, and
also of our firm resolution to live according to the demands
of this holy faith, so as to be made partakers of its blessings
here on earth, and its happy fruition in the world to come.
Take courage, then. Christian soul ! Walk in this way of
salvation, which the light of faith points out to you, and illumi
nates, with its saving beams, the way that leads to the Au
thor of the faith, and to the crown of eternal life ; keep in
your heart, and consider often the short but mighty watch
word :
Oh happy eternity ! O eternal happiness ! What must I
do to possess thee ? — what must I avoid, that I may not
lose th'oe ?

CHAPTER II,
ON HOPE.
In the last article of faith we treated of eternal life as oui
last end, towards which, therefore, all our actions are to tend.
Now, it is hope which inspires us to expect with confidence
this our last end. Regarding this 3ivine virtue, as also the
truths subordinate to it, we shall explain the doctrine of the
Church in the present chapter,
Q. What is hope ?
A- Hope is a divine virtue infused by God, in consequence
of which we confidently expect from Him through Jesus

142 manual of the catholic religion.
Christ, eternal salvation and all the means necessary for ob
taining it,
Q. On what is Christian hope founded ?
A. On the infinite goodness and fidelity of God, who has
promised to all that keep His commandments and cooperate
with His grace, eternal life, through the merits of Jesus
Christ. " Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without waver
ing ; for he is faithful that hath promised ;" thus St. Paul in
his Epistle to the Hebrews, x. 23. And St. James : " Blessed
Is the man that endureth temptation : for when he hath been
proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which God hath
promised to them that love him." James, i. 12.
Q. To what goods does Christian hope refer ?
A. In a particular manner to the goods of heaven, which
renders man happy throughout all eternity. It has also refer
ence to all those goods which can anywise assist man in this
life in attaining to his last end. Hence we justly pray to God
for these.
Q. By what means may we increase this virtue of hope
within us ?
A. 1. By frequent and devout prayer to God.
2. By the daily consideration of the goodness and the bless
ings of God, and of what he has already done for the salva
tion of the world, as attested by sacred history, the lives of
the saints, and the vicissitudes of the entire Church.
3, By considering those favors which the Lord has already
bestowed upon ourselves,
4, By purity of conscience and the diligent practice of good
works, and especially by patience in suffering,
" Trust in the Lord," sings the royal prophet, " and do
good," Ps. xxxvi. 3,
Q. What exercis'e is especially proper to Christian hope ?
A. Prayer ; for it enlivens, strengthens, and increases our
hope. On Prayer.
Q. What is prayer ?
A. Prayer is the raising of our minds to God. By it we
eithei praise and thank God, oi beg Him to avert evil from,
and to bestow favors upon ourselves or others. Whence

OK HOI s, 143
BlbO we justly distinguish prayer as of thrfle kinds, viz. .
praise, thanksgiving, and supplication. This distinction was
made by St. John Damascene. St, Gregory of Nyssa ex
presses himself still more briefly, defining prayer to be " an
intercourse and a conversation with God," Lib. de Oratione,
c. 1, Q. Is prayer good in every place ?
A. Certainly, For thus our reason tells us, agreeing with
the assurance of the Apostle, 1 Tim. ii. 8 : " I will, therefore,
that men pray in every place,"
Q. Why then do we go to church to pray?
A. Because churches are built and consecrated for the very
purpose ; to serve for the exercise of devotion and to promote
piety amongst the faithful. Further, because in Church Christ
is always present in the most holy Sacrament of the altar ;
and because the united prayer of the faithful assembled to
gether in the church ascends more powerfully to the throne
of God,
.Q. Can we pray at all times ?
A. . Yes, we can, and we are bound to do so ; according to
the express woi-ds of Jesus Christ, who says : " that we ought
always to pray, and not to faint," Luke, xviii, 1,
Q. Biit how can this be done ?
A. Either in praising God by word of mouth, or by work,
and thus raising our hearts to Him.
Q. How do we pray by works ?
A. If we refer all our actions to God. He who at the com
mencement of his every action invokes the assistance of God,
and does all in His honor, practises a continual prayer.
Q. What should be the posture of our body whilst we are
praying ?
A. Though no precept is given us regarding the posture
of the body during prayer, yet it is the custom for Christians
during prayer, as far as it can be done, to kneel and pray
with joined hands.
Q. Why do we pray in this attitude ?
A. In order to humble ourselves before God, and to .show
in this manner, that we are poor sinners who implore Him
for the assistance of His grace,
Q. Is it an ancient custom to pray kneeling ?
A. Yes; for mention is made of it both in the Old and tha
New Testament, Thus we read in the 3d book of Kings,

144 manual of the catholic religion,
viii. 54: "And it came to pass, when Solomon had made an
end of praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord,
that he rose from before the altar of the Lord : for he had
fixed both knees on the ground." St. Peter also went on his
knees to pray before he raised to life the deceased Tabitha
Acts, ix. 40. The same thing we read of St. Paul, Eph. iiL
14. And finally, Christ himself, whose words and actions
should be our model, prayed kneeling in the garden of Olives.
St. Luke, xxii, 44, Nay, as St, Matthew tells us, (xxvi. 29),
He postrated Himself with His face on the ground and
prayed, Q. Why did our Saviour pray in this manner ?
A. In order to show the greater reverence for His Father.
Moreover, in order to present himself before Him, as it were,
laden with our guilt, and to offer himself entirely for our pro
pitiation. Why, then, should not we also prostrate ourselves
upon our knees, or rather upon our faces, we 'who have so
often offended God by our own sins ? If we pray for any
length of time, we should at least begin and conclude our
prayer kneeling. We should also devoutly bend our knees
at Mass at least during the consecration and the blessing of
the priest.
Q. Why do we strike our breast when we are at prayer ?
A. The striking of our breast is a sign of penance and of a
contrite heart. Thus the Evangelist St, Luke tells us, that
the publican struck his breast, saying : " O God, be merciful
to me a sinner," Luke, xviii, 13,
Q. Why do Christians, and particularly the clergy ui the
choir, pray standing on Sundays and during the whole of the
Paschal time ?
A. It is done in memory of our Lord's Resurrection, of
which a particular commemoration is made at that time.
And this is the reason why St. Augustine says, Ep. 119, cap.
x5 : " We pray standing, to rejoice in the resurrection of the
Lord, seeking the things that are above, and not those that are
below." Q. Is every prayer pleasing to God ?
A. No;only that which has the following conditions: First,
that we pray to God as children of God ; this requires purity
»f conscience. Thus we are taught by St, John, who writes :
' U' our heart do not reprehend us, we have confidence towards

on hope, 145
God : and whatsoever we shall ask we shall receive of hinv,"
1 John, iii, 21.
Nay, Christ himself assures us : " If you abide in me, and
my words r.«bide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and
it shall be done unto you, John, xv. 7.
Q. But, then, if a prayer made by one who is in the state
of sin is displeasing to God, would it not be right to say that
such a one had better not pray at all ?
A. Not so. For prayer is the very means by which we
may obtain grace to purify the conscience by true repentance,
Q. What other conditions must prayer have in order to be
pleasing to God?
A. The second condition of a prayer pleasing to God, is
confidence, a disposition of mind by which we firmly hope that
God will hear our prayer, and as children of a loving Father,
that he will grant our petition. This confidence is also ex
pressly recommended by our Divine Saviour in the following
words : " All things whatsoever you ask when ye pray, be
lieve that you shall receive : and they sharll come unto you,"
Mark, xi. 24. The same thing is inculcated by St. James : " If
liny ask, let him a-sk in faith, nothing wavering," James, i. 6.
Q. Upon what must this our confidence be founded ?
A. Upon the mercy and goodness of God, by virtue of
which He is ready and able to grant us more than we ask.
For even as the sun puts forth his rays, the fire its heat, and
the fountain its water, so is the goodness of God communi
CKited to us when we approach Him in prayer. Such a con
fidence had that woman in the gospel, who accosted Christ
the Lord saying within herself: "If I shall touch only His
garment I shall be healed," Matth. ix, 21,
The third condition is, that we pray in the proper order,
naniely : in the first place, for that which concerns the wel
fare of our soul. Hence, Christ said : "If you ask the Father
any thing in my name." John xvi. 23. 'But Jesus means :
Salvation and Saviour. St. Augustine, therefore, says with
justice : " We may pray for any thing whatsoever, yet if we
ask any thing that is injurious to the welfare of our sotil, we
do not ask it in the name of Jesus." And for this reason, if
we petition fa r any temporal favor which is neither good nor
bad, as, for instance, health, riches, honors, etc., we should not
ask it but only in so far as it may be conducive to the greate.
honor e(#God and the salvation of our soui.
7

146 - MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
The fourth condition of a prayer pleasing to God is pers^
vtrance. That this condition is requisite, our Divine Saviour
specially declares in the parable of the man who asked his
friend for three loaves of bread, and obtained them at last
because of his persevering in asking, St. Luke, xi. A beau
tiful example of perseverance in prayer was given us by the
woman of Canaan, who, though she was repeatedly repulsed by
Christ, yet persisted in her request, and at length obtained the
health of her daughter, Matth. xv, A prayer, endowed with
the above named qualities, as it were, forces God, and is sure
to be heard.
Such was the prayer by which Moses vanquished the ene
mies of the people of God, and reconciled God himself to
His fallen people. Exod. iii, 17, Such, too, was the prayer
by which the Prophet Jeremias averted the punishments of
God ; on which account also the Lord said to him : " Do not
thou pray for this people , , . , and do not withstand me."
Jer. vii, 16, Such also was the prayer by which Josua
caused the sun to stand still, Jos. x. The prayer of the
Prophet Isaias, too, was of this kind, when in order to show
that the life of king Ezechias had been really prolonged, hf
caused the sun to move back in the heavens for the space of
ten hours. Judges, iv. King Ezechias himself recovered
from his malady by virtue of such a prayer, obtaining a pro
longation of his^life for fifteen years. Numberless examples
of such powerful prayers are found in the New Testament,
and also in the lives of the saints.
Q. How many kinds of prayer are there ?
A. Two, OraZ and mento? prayer, according as one merely
thinks of God and of the truths of faith, and excites the cor
responding affections and forms resolutions, or at the same
time praises and prays God by word of mouth _ and thus
unites himself to God,
Q. Which is the most excellent of all oral prayers 1
A. The most excellent of all oral prayers is the Lord's
prayer, which Christ the Lord himself taught us.
Q. How do you say the Lord's prayer ?
A " Our Father, who art in heaven,
" Hallowed be thy name,
" Thy kingdom come ;
" Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,
" Give us this day our daily bread.

ON HOPE, 14"^
"And forgive us our trespa,-ises, as we forgive those
who trespass against us,
"And lead us not into temptation,
" But deliver us from evil. Amen,"
Q. Why is the Lord's prayer to be preferred before all
other prayers ?
A. 1st. Because, as said above, Christ himself, the Son of
God, the Eternal Wisdom taught it to us,
2d. Because it contains all things which we can and should
ask of God,
3d. Because it is the most powerful of all prayers, for by
it we ask in the words of Him who is at the same time our
intercessor ; and who, on that account, also knows best how
and for what we must pray, if we wish to be heard.
Q. Of what does the Lord's prayer principally consist ?
A. It consists of such petitions as include aK kinds and
species of prayer, namely, the prayer of praise, of thanks
giving, of supplication, and of propitiation, according as we
wish to praise, to thank, to petition, or to propitiate God by
our prayer.
Q. What do the first words : " Our Father, who art in
heaven," signify ?
A. These words are a short introduction or preparation to
the prayer. For if we call God our Father, we enliven our
hope and our confidence : God will listen to us as His chil
dren. And if we say : " Who art in heaven," we remind
ourselves that we should approach God only with great rev
erence and humility, since He is not an earthly, but a heav
enly and Divine Father. We remember at the same time,
that God is Almighty, and that we are heirs of heaven. But
we remember, too, that we have not as yet taken possession
of our heavenly inheritance, but are, like pilgrims and stran
gers, travelling on perilous roads, and stfinding much in need
of the proteetio" of God.
Q. Why do we say : " Our Father and not my Father ?
A. We say Our Father, in ordfer to indicate thereby, that
we are all brethren, and should love one another as such, be
ing children of one Father, We say also Our Father, in
t>rder to show, that a common prayer is possessed of a par
ticular power. For if all say : Our Father, every single ona
prays for all, and all pray for every one in particular.

148 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. Why do we say : " Who art in heaven ;" is not God
present everywhere ?
A. If we say : " Who art in heaven," we by no means in
tend to say that God is not present everywhere, but wish
only to indicate thereby, that heaven is that particular part
of the creation in which God manifests in a particular man
ner His majesty, power, wisdom, and glory, and where the
angels and the saints behold Him face to face, participating
in His infinite happiness.

The First Petition.
" Hallowed be Thy name."
Q. What is the meaning of this petition ?
A. If we pray that the name of God be hallowed, we pe
tition for nothing else, but that the presence, majesty, power,
wisdom, and goodness of God and all the other attributes of
the Divine cature may be known and praised in every part
of creation, that He, the Creator and the Redeemer of man
kind, may everywhere be known, honored, adored, revered,
and loved. The name of God, therefore, means here the
knowledge of God, just as we are accustomed to say of him
who is favorably known to many : He has a great name.
Rut because there are so many infidels in the world, who do
Pot know God, and so many bad Christians, who do not serve
God, but offend Him ; hence it is that those who are the
children of God, and inflamed with zeal for the honor of their
Father, pray with intense desire that His name may be kept
holy. Q. Why do we begin the Lord's prayer with the petition :
" Hallowed be thy name ?"
A. Because we are bound to love God above all things,
even more than ourselves, wherefore our first and chief desire
must be to promote the honor of God, for the end for which
we were created, and endowed with reason, is^that we might
know, love, and praise God, and do His most holy will.
In this also consists our last en J, and our future happiness.

140

The Seconu Petition.
" Thy kingdom come."
Q. What is the meaning of this petition ?
A. In saying : " Thy kingdom come," we mean to ask, m
the first place, for God's glorification, and then to beg of
Him our own salvation.
Q. What do you understand by the kingdom of God ?
A. The kingdom of God can be taken in a threefold sense,
to wit : the kingdom of nature, the kingdom of grace, and
the kingdom of glory.
The kingdom of nature is that by which God as a creator
guides and governs all creatures as the absolute Lord and
master of ,all things.
Although the wicked go on committing sin, and do not ob
serve the law of God, yet God continues to govern them : for
if He deems it proper. He defeats their intentions, frustrates
their resolutions, and if He permits them to do the evil which
they will. He turns it to the advantage of the good, but He
punishes the sinner according to His justice, so that no one
is able to withstand His will.
The kingdom of grace is that operation of God, by which
He leads and rules the hearts and souls of the good, giving
them grace and spiritual life, that they may know Him, love
Him, and serve Him, and seek His honor before all and in
all things.
Finally, the kingdom of glory shall be first completed and
fully manifested in the life to come after the day of general
judgment. For there the wicked spirits and bad men shall
be deprived by God of all their power, and cast into hell to
burn for ever ; then there shall be an end to the corruption
and the temptations of the world and the flesh which now try
the servants of God ; so that this kingdom shall be, and re
main a kingdom of peace for ever, making all true servants
and children of God happy in the secure possession of a per
feet and an everlasting happiness,
Q. Which of the three kingdoms is meant in this petition?
A. Not the first ; for that is come already. The second,
indeed, but not principally, for of it mention was made already
in the first petition, and it is also come, even now, for tha
greater part. The third, therefore, chiefly and above all, vi?

160 • MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
the kingdom of eternal glory, which is yet to come, and is so
ardently desired by those who are fully acquainted with the
miseries of this present life, because such persons love God
with their whole heart.

The Thirh Petition.
" Thy will be done on earth as ii is in heaven."
^. What is the object of this petition ?
A. In this petition, we beg God for grace, to keep his com-
mandments For, sinc-e in the second petition we ask for eternal life
which is the (inal aim of man ; it is fitting and proper that wo
should also pray for the principal means of obtaining this
final object, vihich means consist in the very observance of the
commandments, according to the testimony of our Divine
Saviour himself, who says : " If thou wilt enter into life, keep
the commandments." Matth. xix. 17. But because we are
of ourselves by no means capable of keeping all the com
mandments, as we are bound to do, we, therefore, pray to God
that His Will may be done in us : i. e., that he would give us
grace, to do his will, and to obey in all things his holy law,
Q. If God sends us tribulations, must we even then con
form our will to His ?
A. We certainly must, esteeming nothing more just and
meritorious, than to subject ourselves willingly and entirely
to the divine will, in prosperity as well as adversity, denying
our will, which is corrupted by the fall of Adam and inclined
to evil, and seeking solelj- to rest in the good pleasure of God,
who is able to turn all to our advantage, even what may ap
pear to us hard and difficult. But we are bound in a special
manner not to murmur, nor to complain against divine
providence. For whatsoever He sends upon us, or causes to
befall us, always happens in accordance with His will
either for our greater merit, if we are good, or if we are bad,
for our punishment and correction,
Q. But, then, are we not allowed to pray for deliverance
from sickness, distress and adversity ?
A. We are, indeed, allowed to do that, but only inasfar
as it is pleasing to the divine will, and profitable to our sal
vation. Our D vine Saviour himself has given us an examp'e

ON HOPE, 151
of this, when praying in the garden, He besought His Father
that the bitter chalice might pass away from Him, Matt.
xxvi, 39. For he added to his prayer : " Nevertheless not
as I will, but as Thou wilt."
Q. Why do we subjoin to this petition the words : On
earth as it is in heaven ?
A. In order to show that we must be just as ready to obey
God and feel as much pleasure in keeping his commandments
as do the holy Angels, who are never guilty of any, even the
slightest infringement on the commandments of God,

The Fourth Petition,
" Give Its this day our daily bread."
Q. What is the meaning of this petition ?
A. We humbly beg of God, the author and fountain of all
good, whatever is necessary for us, both in this life and that
which is to come.
But, in asking for this, we very appropriately make use of
the term bread ; for he that begins to live, craves food first
of all, in order to preserve life. But it is to be remarked,
that, in the petition, we first of all pray for the spiritual bread,
which is the nourishment of the soul, and then for the material
bread, which is the nourishment of the body. By the spirit
ual food wo understand the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar,
which is a heavenly and divine bread, wonderfully maintain
ing and increasing the life of our soul. Further, we under
stand by it the word of God, whether announced to us by the
mouth of his ministers or read in the pages of spiritual books,
which last affords not a little nourishment to our souls. Finally,
we understand by it the divine inspirations, prayer and all
those things which contribute to the preservation and increase
of grace, in which the life of the soul has its subsistence. But
by the material or bodily food, we Understand all that is ne
cessary ibr the maintenance of our body, of which the soul
makes use as the, instrument of her gooJ works.
Q. Why do we call this bread " our bread ?
A. It is not without reason that We call it otir bread. For,
if we speak of the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, that
is certainly our bread ; because it is offered on our altars by
Christ, the eternal High Priest, by the hands of his ministers,

152 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
for our salvation. Moreover, we call it our bread, because it
belongs exclusively to the children of God ; and because we
are not permitted to give it to unbelievers, or to such as are
publicly known to be in the state of mortal sin.
But if we speak of doctrine, we also ask for our bread j
that is to say, we ask for that doctrine which tho priests and
sacred orators of the holy Church of God communicate to the
faithful, and not for strange, foreign bread, which the heretics
proffer to their adherents, and which contains no substantial
nourishment, but rather conceals within it the poison of false
hood. And, finally, if we speak of the material bread, we pray
that God may give us our bread, but not the bread of others ;
that is to say, we ask God to assist us in our lawful wcupa-
tions, to bless our temporal goods and labors, so that being
freed from the dangers of an oppressive poverty, we may be
able to satisfy our natural wants.
Q. Why do we call this bread the daily bread ?
A. We call it the daily bread, because we ask for that of
which we stand in need every day ; for we ask neither foi
any thing superfluous, nor for any thing costly, but for that
which is sufficient for the simple maintenance of the body, and
that because we know that in this life we are but pilgrims and
strangers. Q. Why do we say : Give us ?
A. In order to indicate thereby, that though we exert our
selves ever so much to earn our spiritual and corporal bread,
yet all our exertions are fruitless, unless God assist and pro-
tect us by his grace and providence. We pray, moreover, that
God would. </m our bread, that is to say, that he not only
would aid us, by procuring it for us, but also by sanctifying
and blessing it, when we are taking it, that it may be good for
our salvation,
q. Why do we add : This day ?
A. We pray to God that he would give us this bread to-day,
because we do not wish to be solicitous about the next day,
since we do not know whether we shall live till then. For
Christ himself has taught us, that "sufficient for the day is
the evil thereof." Matt, vi, 34, Let us, therefore, ask to day
for the bread which is necessary for to-day, and to-morrow
for that which is necessary for to-morrow. But the phrase
" this day" signifies also the whole time of our temporal-life

ON HOPE. 153
And It is on this accoun. that we ask God to nourish us with
spiritual and corporal bread during the whole time of our
earthly pilgrimage, until we reach our final abode in heaven.
For there we shall require no more Sacraments, no more in
structions, far much less food for the body.
If, however, our Saviour admonishes us that we should be
solicitous only for the present day, he thereby means nothing
else than to free us from unprofitable cares, which keep us
from praying and from many other things which are neces
sary for eternal life.
If, then, solicitude for the future is not superfluous, but
rather necessary, as it really is, it is not wrong to occupy
one's self in procuring such things for the future. Nay, suqh
a solicitude may be even called a solicitude for the present
day ; for if we were to put off every thing till the morrow,
we should seldom, indeed, have our necessaries for the supply
of our present wants, God requires of us nothing unreason
able, but he will suffer no arrogant presumption.

The Fifth Petition,
" And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who fres
pass against us."
Q. What is the meaning of this petition ?
A. In tbe four first petitions we asked of God all good
things, both temporal and eternal. But in the three following
we ask that God would deliver us from all past, present and
future evil.
We pray, therefore, in the first place, that God would free
us from past evil, that is to say, from the sins we have com
mitted. For when Christ, our Saviour, taught his Apostles
this prayer, he declared to them, that by these trespasses
they were to understand sin. Matth. vi. 16.
Q. Why are sins called trespasses ?
A. They are called so for a threefold reason,
1st. Because every man offends God by his sins, and thus
becomes a trespasser against him, i. e., becomes guilty in his
sight, and bound to atone for the offence thus committed.
2d. Because he who sins, transgresses the law of God ; and
because those who transgress it, are threatened with pun
7*

J54 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
ishment ; every transgressor of this law is therefore a debtor,
as regards this punishment.
3d. And, finally, because every man is bound to cultivate
the vineyard of his soul, and to restore ta God the fruits of
his good works. We owe that return to God for the faculties
and graces which he has bestowed upon us precisely for
that end. But because all of us offend often in many things,
doing that which we should not, and omitting that which we
ought to do, it is fair that we should daily beg of God, with
great humility, to pardon our transgressions.
Q. Why do we add, " as we forgive those who trespass
against us ?"
A. Because it is absolutely necessary, that we too should
forgive others their offences against us, if we wish to obtain
from God the forgiveness of our sins. For what would be
more unjust, than to desire that God, whom we offended,
after receiving from him so many and so great benefits, should
pardon us, if we were unwilling to pardon those who offended
us ; especially since the offense offered to a man, compared
with that against God, is as nothing. For this -reason the
Holy Ghost admonishes us by the mouth of the wise man :
"Man to man reserveth anger,and doth he seek remedy of God ?
He hath no mercy on a man like himself, and doth he entreat
for his own sins ? He that is but flesh, nourisheth anger, and
doth he ask forgiveness of God? who shall obtain pardon for
his sin ?" Ecclus. xxviii. 3-5. Truly, he who does not wish
to forgive, deprives himself of the means of obtaining for
giveness, and walks on a road that does not lead to life
everlasting. For thus Holy Scripture tells us in many places.
Justly, therefore, does St. Augustine remind us : " Perhaps
some one has offended you ? Forgive him, lest, if you close
the door of mercy upon your brother, you also close the door
of pardon between you and your heavenly Father," And
again : " Truth cannot lie : unless you forgive, the Father
shall not forgive you. He that is not roused by these words
of thunder, is not merely asleep, but dead." Serm. 158 de
temp, et in Ench. c. 74. The Holy Fathers and doctors,
moreover, remark with justice, that the prayer of him who
asks forgiveness with an unforgiving heart, is not only useless,
but that he even iemands his own condemnation, having tha
audacity to say : Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
those who trespass against us ; which means, indeed, nothing

ON HOPE, IM
less than : *• Lord, I do not forgive, — neither do thou, there
fore, forgive me, but cast me away from thy face,"
Q. To whom, then, does he the most harm, who does not
forgive others?
A. To himself; for he calls down the avenging justice oi
God upon himself, asking that evil may be returned him for
evil. Christ confirms this in a remarkable manner in the
parable of that cruel servant, who, after his master had re
mitted him so many talents, demanded of his fellow -servant,
sternly and without mercy, the few pence which he owed him.
The master cast him into prison for such conduct, until he
should pay all the debt. " So also," says Christ, " shall my
heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one his
brother from your hearts^" St. Matt, xviii. 35. '
Q. But some may perhaps say : This man has so grievously
offended me that 1 cannot possibly forgive him, he does not
deserve it of me ?
A. But did not you likewise grievously offend God, and
that how often ? Do you deserve that He should pardon you ?
And even granted, that your neighbor does not deserve it,
does not God deserve it, and He requires that you obey him ?
Does not Christ deserve it — Christ for whose sake you for
give, who so ardently desires it, and rewards you for it so
abundantly ? Most people are familiar with the example of
St. John Gualbert. It happened that he met the murderer
of his brother in a narrow street, on Good Friday. John was
armed, the other was not. John drew his sword ; but the
wretch threw himself on his knees before him, and, signing
himself with the sign of the cross, said, "John, for the love
of Christ, who on this day shed his blood for thee and for me :
pardon — pardon me !" The love of Jesus was victorious in
John. He embraces the wretch, and goes' in haste to the
Church of Minatus. There he threw himself on his knees
before an image of our crucified Redeemer, and behold the
divine image bowed its head towards him, and his heart was
inundated with such an abundant flow of grace, that im
mediately after he entered the cloister, and there after begging
admission at the feet of the Abbot, and obtaining it, he lived
and died a Saint. Do thou for the love of Jesus forgive !
and be assured that He will be as merciful to you, as he was
to St. John Gualbert, for the salvation and sanctification of
your needy soul.

150 MANUAL OP THE CATJIOLIC RELIGION.
Q. But suppose 1 say : " He offends me over and ovei
again T'
A. No man ever offended you as often as you have offended
(jfod, and yet you ask and desire that God should forgive you ?
Why do not you act in the same manner towards those who
offend you ? Meditate on the words of our Lord to St, Peter,
when he asked him : " Lord, how often shall my brother
offend against me, and I forgive him till seven times ? Jesus
saith to him ; I say not to thee, till seven times ; but till sev
enty times seven times !" St. Matth. xviii. 21,22. That is,
forgive him, as often as he shall offend against thee. Thus you
i^hall be a true child of God — K;hus you shall obtain a secure
pledge of reconciliation with God, and thus also your deliver
ance on the day of judgment ; if you really forgive every one,
as you wish, that God should forgive you. But, alas I how
few forgive in this manner ?

The Sixth Petition,
" Lead us not into temptation.
Q. What is the meaning of this petition ?
A. By this question we ask for help against evils to come,
namely, against the temptations which are indeed the only
road to real evil, that is, to sin. We pray, therefore, by
this petition, that God may not permit us to fall, when tempt
ations weigh heavy upon us. But, since, indeed, the danger,
in which we are at the time of temptation, is very great, we
beg of the Lord that He may save us from temptation, inas
far as that is conducive to our salvation. This reminds us
of the very consoling truth : that the devil is not only unable
to harm us, but cannot even as much as tempt us, unless
God suffer him to do so, for our trial and for our advantage,
Q. How, then, are the words of this petition to be under
stood in reference to God ?
A. In the figurative sense. That is, we entreat God, that
He may not permit us to be assailed by temptations fatal to
us, in punishment of our negligence and infidelity in his holy
service. Q. Who, therefore, is it that really tempts man ?
A. The devil, who, according to St. Peter, " goeth ahou\
tuj a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour," \ Peter

ON HOPE, 157
V. 8, JSIoreover, the world, too, tempts us ; for it surrounds
us everywhere, and especially in the conversation and exam
pie of its sinful children, who live for nothing else than the
goods and pleasures of this world. Finally, our own flesh or
>ur -wicked desires tempt us, whence the law of concupisence
resisting the law of the spirit.
Q. Whom does the devil tempt ?
A. All men. He tempts the wicked, and alas! but too
often in accordance with their own will and desire, so that
they themselves even love and seek the temptations, and are
scarcely aware that they are teftipted. Nay, for the very
reason that they yield without the least resistance to the
temptation, they do not at all feel the struggle,. But the
prophet assures us : that " there is no peace to the wicked,"
This false peace which the wicked enjoy, consists in their
complete overthrow and subjection to the power of the devil.
Is. Ivii,
But the virtuous are tempted by the devil with yet greater
fury, and they feel the weight of his assaults, and the great
danger in the struggle; but they encourage themselves by
their confidence in God, who never suffers us to be tempted
above our strength, remembering, at the pame-time, the crown
of eternal life promised to him that conquers. Hence the
Holy Ghost reminds us by the mouth of the wise man:
" Son, when thou comesT; to the service of God, stand in jus
tice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.'"
Eeclesiug. ii. 1.
§. In how many ways does the devil tetnpt men ?
A. He tempts us either by himself, as he did Eve and
Christ our Lord ; or, he does it by means of others, as he
t^fnpted Adam by means of Eve. And in these temptations
he either excites the imagination of man by bad influences
upon the mind directly, or he excites the passion of concupis
cence by bad influences upon the senses. Or he makes use
of other circumstances in order to retard us in the service of
God, or to withdraw us from it, and to bring us over to the
service of the flesh and of the worid^ which are : the bad ex
ample of others, their advice, their allurements, and their
threats. Besides, he tries to exhibit vice without its black
ness, and, if possible, even to veil it in a cloak of virtue; sc
tnat' man may deem avarice prudence, auger justice, licen
tiousneas necessity, and sloth r.-odesty, etc. But, on the con

158 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
trary, he frequently endeavors to make him regard virtue as
weakness, imprudence, self-will or exaggeration.
Q. Which are the principal means that help us to gain tho
victory in the combat against temptation ?
A. The first means is, prayer, " Watch ye, and pray
that ye enter not into temptation ;" thus Christ himself re
minds us. St. Matth. xxvi, 41. Truly if it is our duty at
all times, and on every occasion,' to have recourse to God, it
is particularly so in the time of temptation, in order to seek
protection from Him, who is our helper in every necessity
and every affliction, and united with whom we become invin
cible. " He that dwelleth in the aid of the Most High, shall
abide under the protection of the God of Jacob. He shall
say to the Lord : Thou art my protector, and my refuge :
my God, in Him I will trust  .A thousand shall
fall at tly side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it
shall not come nigh thee  ThoU shalt walk upon
the asp and the basilisk : and thou shalt trample under foot the
lion and the dragon. Because he hoped in me I will deliver
him. I will protect him because he hath known my name.
He shall cry to me and I will hear him : I am with him in
tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him." Ps.
xc. ¦ Of this our Lord assures us by the mouth of the royal
prophet. In temptation especially we should instantly
place ourselves in the presence of God, and call upon the
holy name of Jesus, with a firm confidence in his assistance.
It is the name of Him who gloriously vanquished the power
of the devil for ever. You should also sign yourself with
the sign of the holy cross. Satan knows the weapon by
which he was conquered, and he dares not resist its power.
The second means is : devotion and recourse to Mary
Next to God and the Redeemer, Mary is the most powerful
protectress in temptation, being that woman of whom it is
said in holy writ, that she crushed the serpent's head : she is
the heavenly Judith who was victorious over the Holofernes
of hell. St, Bernard justly salutes Mary as the star of the
sea, to whom we should look up, and in whom we should
place all our trust in time of temptation, that we may not
perish in the storm. Innumerable examples confirm the
truth of what we here advance. Especially powerful in the
combat against temptation is the devotion to and invocation
of Mary through the prerogative of the TmmacnHie Conrcp

ON HOPE, 159
tion, by which mysteiy of grace she crushed .the head of Sa^
tan. Say every morning and evening three Hail Mary's in hon
or of theJrnmaculate Conception, and Mary will obtain grace
for you either to escape temptation, or to overcome it. Say
often, too, with the same intention, the short prayer of praise :
" Hallowed and praised be the holy ani Immaculate Concep
tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary." And again : " Through
thy Immaculate Conception and thy undefiled Virginity, pu
rify my heart, body and soul, in the name >!< of the Father,
and 'i' of the Son, and >i« of the Holy Ghost. Amen." To
these salutations and invocat'ons there is also an indulgence
attached. The third means is : The consideration of our last end.
'¦In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt
never sin." Thus speaks the Holy Ghost himself by the
mouth of the wise man. Eccles. vii, 40, This remembrance
of death, judgment, hell, and eternity, instills into our heart
that salutary fear which fastens us, as it were, with nails to
the cross, so that we cling to it in time of temptation.
" Pierce thou my flesh with thy fear : for I am afraid of thy
iudgmcnts," P«. cxviii, 120, This recollection deprives
temptation of its allurements. Especially if it be an ava-
ricious desire of earthly possessions which tempts you, think
on death, and how soon .you and all that you call yours, must
part company for ever.
If it be the concupiscence of the flesh, think of the fire of
hell, and the words of St, Gregory the Great : " Short is the
pleasure, but eternal the pain." If it be human respect that
tempts you, think of the judgment, which you are one day to
undergo at the tribunal of divine justice, before, and in com
mon with, all mankind. If you think of this, what will you
care for the opinion of men? But particularly, consider
yourself lyi'j-'g on your death-bed, about to breathe your last,
and what you would then wish to have done, and you will
have no difficulty in saying when assailed by temptation:
"Begone; Satan!"
The fourth means is: The frequent and worthy reception
of the Sacraments.
The reason is : because the Holy Sacraments confer graces
upon men in such abundance, that by virtue thereof we are
enabled to do all good and withstand every temptation. Bo-
sides, the reception of the Safraiiicn' of Penance offers to us

160 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
by means of holy confession, the occasion of laying open oui
whole soul to our spiritual Fatner and guide, which is the
very best means of bringing to light the hidden snares oi
Satan, and putting the tempter to flight. This is what tho
enemy fears, for he ever acts as a seducer who tries to keep
nis evil desires as secret as possible. Now holy confession
defeats precisely this cunning device of Satan, and saves the
numble penitent from the snares of temptation.
As regards Holy Communion : the holy Church teaches in
the Council of Trent, that one special effect which it produces
is this, that it weakens in us the power of concupiscence;
moreover, that it unites us personally- with Christ, and trans
forms us into him.self.
And thus we become, as St. Chrysostam remarks, like lions
spitting fire against the dragon of hell, and are nourished and
strengthened in the combat against him, that we may not
grow weary, or faint, or be overcome. This operation of the
Eucharistic Bread, which is indecTl the most Holy Sacrament,
was prefigured by that bread in the Old Testament, by taking
which Elias was strengthened and rendered able to travel for
forty days, without nourishment and without fatigue, all the
way up to the mountain of Horeb. 3 Kings, xix. With
iustice, too, do we refer to the taking of this bread the worda
of the Psalmist : " Thou hast prepared a table before me,
against them that afflict me." Ps. xxii. 5. Wherefore, ap
proach this table often, and worthily, and the enemy shall
have no power to hurt you. It is that table of grace, " the
corn of the elect, and the wine," of which the prophet Zachary
tells us, that it " springeth forth virgins," i. e., imparting to
the souls, who often and devoutly partake of it, purity of
heart, preserving it in them, and administering to our sancti
fication in the practice of Christian perfection, by uniting us
with Christ himselfl
The fifth means is : Full and prompt resistance in the first
moment of temptation. Yes, in the first moment, and en
tirely; this is the victorious war-cry in every temptation.
" Do not play with the serpent," says St. Jerome, "but crush
its head," i. e., resist immediately and completely. In cap.
9, Eccl. We may also very appropriately compare the evil
suggestion of the temptation to a spark of fire upon a hea-p of
flax. If we do not immediately extinguish the spark, the
whole will speedily catch fire. And just so it will be, in a

ON HOPE, .fli
spiritual sense, with regard to him who does not quench iin.
mediately the spark of temptation which falls upon the pas
sionate cravings of his heart, concupiscence will be inflamed.
The si.vth means is : To avoid the occasion of sin. Great
is the power of occa'sion, and alas ! it has already precipitated
many who seemed to stand firm as a rock into the abyss oi
sin. Strong indeed was David, a man according to God's
own heart; yet the occasion which oflered itself to him
through the sight of a woman, caused him to fall. Pleasing
in the sight of God was Solomon, the wisest of men ; yet
through the occasion of his intercourse with pagan wives he
went so far as to become an idolater himself Hence St,
Jerome says, whilst admonishing us to fly the occasion of
sin : " Thou art no stronger than Samson, no wiser than Sol-
.>mon." And the Holy Ghost answers us by the mouth of
the wise man : " He that loveth danger shall perish in it."
Eccls. iii, 27, Innumerable persons have already experienced
the/ truth of this to their own temporal and eternal ruin.
Take care, lest you be taught, but too late, by your own ex
perience, and fly the occasion of sin !
Q. Do we ask God in this petition to deliver us from
every temptation ?
A. No ; for, according to the all-wise intentions of God,
our life here on earth shall never be entirely free from tempt
ation ; but rather it shall serve as a trial of our virtue, and
to increase our merits ; hence holy Job calls " the life of man
upon earth a warfare." Job, vii. 1,
Wherefore, we pray not in this petition that we may not
be tempted at all, but only that God would not permit us to
fall in the temptation. Further, we pray that God would
crush the power and wrath of the devil, and heal our imper
fections, that we may not ourselves present to the evil one
the arms for our destruction. Finally, we pray that God
may not suffer us to be tempted, when there is a particular
danger of our yielding to the temptation. If God guards us
against this, temptations will become even salutary for us;
for in them we are taught our own weakness, and have an
opportunity of humbling ourselves. We also increase our
merits, if we resolutely struggle against them. In this
manner, God " will make also with temptation issue (i. e., a
way to escape) that we may be able to bear it," according to
the Apostle, 1 Cor. x. 13.

162 manual of the catholic religion.
The Seventh Petition.
" But deliver us from evil."
Q. What is the meaning of this petition ?
A. This last petition confirms on the one hand the preced
ing petition ; but on the other, it adds thereto a new one, and
on this account we say, " but deliver us from evil," i. e. we
do not only ask that God would pardon us all the sins which
we formerly committed, and keep us from falling into new
ones, but we also pray that He would free us from any pres
ent evil which was but the consequence of sin. Let us re
mark here how wisely our Divine Master taught us, to
petition in general only for deliverance from evil, without
descending to particulars, as for instance, that we might be
delivered from poverty, from sickness, from persecutions, etc.
For it frequently happens that we fancy something to be
good for us, whereas God already foresees that it would in
jure us ; and on the contrary, we frequently look upon a thing
as hurtful, which would be profitable for us. Let us, there
fore, ask in accordance with the words of Christ, that be
would free us from those things, which he knows will do us
harm. For the rest, whether these things- be pleasing or displeas
ing to us, let us ask Him to take them from us, that our soul
may not suffer damage. For in reality, there is but one evil,
and that is sin.
Q. What is the meaifmg of the word " Amen ?"
, A. Amen is a Hebrew word, and as already remarked,
means " let it be done," or " be it so," Just as the word
" Amen" at the end of the Creed means, " So it is," " This I
believe most firmly ;" so it means at the end" of the Lord's
prayer, " Thus may it be done," " Thus I desire and pray
that it be done," " This I hope most confidently,"

On the Patronage and the Invocation of the Blessed
Virgin Mart.
Q. After Christ, in whom are we to place our hope ?
A. In the patronage and invocation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary,

ON HOPE. 163
Q. Wliyso?
A. Because she is the mother of Jesus and our mother,
the intercessor and mediatrix with her Divine Son.
Justly does the holy Church apply to Mary those words of
Scripture : " I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of
knowledge, and of holy hope." Eccl. xxiv. 24. Though this
and other texts of Holy Writ are to be understood first of
all in reference to the Eternal Wisdom who was made man
for us, yet the Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, applies
them, in tbe canonical hours, to the most Blessed Virgin
Mary, because she is the mother of Christ and our mediatrix
with him.
The same is unanimously taught by the holy fathers. St.
Bernard, one of their, number, expresses himself thus : " Let
us honor Mary with all our heart, and with the plenitude of
our minds, because such is the will of Him who willed that
we should obtain all through Mary, You are afraid of going
to the Father ; behold, He has given you Jesus as your Me
diator, And what is there for you to think of, which such a
Son could not obtain for you from such a Father ? Perhaps
you fear, too, the Son. O do not; he, is your brother, and
has assumed your flesh, tried in all except sin, in order that
he should be taught to have mercy. Mary has given to you
this brother; and if you should dread Him on account of his
divine majesty, fly to Mary. The Son will listen to the
mother, and the Father to the Son. Behold, children, this is
the ladder of salvation for sinners. This is my greatest
trust, this the whole ground-work of my hope." Serm. de
Nativ. B. V. M.
This Mother is the hope of the just and of sinners. She is
the hope of the just, because all children and ranks of the
Church are sheltered by her special protection, in order to
enable them to struggle against Satan, the world, and thu
flesh. But she is also the hope of sinners, because tTley are
brought back to life by her intercession, so that we may
justly apply to her those words of the Wise Man : "My chil
dren, behold the generations of men : and know ye that no
one hath hoped in her, and hath been confounded." Eccles.
Full of this confidence in the assistance of Mary, St. Ber
nard exclaims : " Never was it known that any one who fled
to thy protection, implored thy help and thy intercession,

164 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
was left unaided," Serm. de Assumpt. It is plain that this
is to be understood with the proviso, if that for which we asked
her was really conducive to our salvation.
Q. In what manner can we make ourselves most sure of
the protection of Mary ?
A. By true and constant devotion to her. That will as-
Buredlj save you.
<?¦ Why ?
A. Because, if you are truly a child of Mary, you belong
also to the number of the children of God, You will be a
true child of Mary, if you honor her with a childlike, true
and constant devotion. In it then, of course, you have a most
consolatory mark of your pre-election, as the doctors of the
Catholic Church with justice assert. Yes, the Church herself
applies in the Canonical Hours, the following text to Mary :
" Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily
at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. He that
shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvatidn from
the Lord." Prov. viii. 34, 35, From these and many other
texts of Scripture do the doctors of the Church draw their
proof how powerful and efficacious is the protection of the
most Blessed Virgin for obtaining eternal salvation. Among
the rest, St. Bonaventure does not hesJtate to say : " Just as
any one, who despises thee, O most holy Virgin, and turns
his back upon thee, must perish ; so it is also impossible
that any one who has recourse to thee and is received into
thy protection should perish." Lib. 1. Pharet. o, 5,
Q. You will perhaps ask : " Am I then certain of my sal
vation, if 1 honor the most Blessed Virgin and say every day
some prayers in her honor ?"
A. By no means ; you must also imitate her virtues. Ne
glecting this, our devotion to Mary profits us nothing, for it
is a false devotion ; nay, it cannot be called a devotion at all
Q. Which are particularly the virtues in which a servan
of Mary should imitate her ?
A. Purity of conscience, humility, chastity, patience, and
love of God and our neighbor. These and all other virtues
of the Blessed Virgin, a true servant of her's must imitate,
as condition and circumstances require, if he wishes that his
devotion should be pleasing to Mary ; and hopes to enjoy
her particular protection. But vain would be every external
devotion to Mary if we were wanting in those virtues, oi

ON HOPE. 165
were perhaps even to go so far as to wound her most holy
and pure heart by the commission of sin. But pride, lust.
impatience, and hatred, are the vices which render us par
ticularly displeasing in the eyes of Mary and unworthy of
her protection.
Q. Do you know of any prayer by which Mary is hon
ored in a special manner ?
A. Yes ; by the salutation with which the angel Gabriel sa
luted her, which St. Elizabeth repeated, and to which the
Church also added a petition.
Q. How do we call this prayer of salutation ?
A. The " Ave Maria" or " Hail Mary,"
Q. Say the " Hail Mary,"
A, " Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee :
blessed art thou amongst 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,"
Q. Which are the principal parts of this prayer of saluta
tion? A. First : The words with which the archangel Gabriel,
sent by God, saluted Mary : " Hail, full of grace, the Lord
is with thee,"
Second : The words with which St, Elizabeth, filled with
the Holy Ghost, saluted Mary : " Blessed art thou amongst
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy wonjb,"
Third : The words which the Church, guided by the "Holy
Ghost further added : " Jesus, Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death," On
this very account is this prayer of salutation the most pleas
ing to Mary, the mother of Graces, as she herself once re
vealed to her servant, St, Mechtildis,
Q. In what sense do we say, " Hail, Mary ?"
A. We congratulate Mary on the sublimity of her elec
tion, as the chosen daughter of the heavenly Father, the
mother of His eternal Son, the spouse of the Holy Ghost,
and as the Eve of the New Covenant side by side with Jesus,
the heavenly Adam,
We salute Mary thus, and rejoice at the same time in
having the happiness of saluting her, as the Mother of God,
and our Mother, We salute her, too, in the salutation of
joy and thanks, and in remembrance, of all that we have
already received from God in virtue of her intercession,

166 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. What is the meaning of the words, " Full of grace ?"
A. They are the first praise which we bestow upon
M.iry, saluting her with the salutation of the Angel.
Q. Of Avhat nature is the operation of grace ?
A. The operation of grace is threefold,
1 . It blots out the stain of sin.
2. It adorns the soul with spiritual beauty.
3. It renders the soul capable of meritorious works in the
supernatural order, and fills it with heavenly treasures.
But then, Mary is full of grace, being entirely free also
from the stain of original sin. " No spot is in thee," thus
the Holy Ghost assures us of Mary. She is full of grace,
because she also received a greater measure of sanctifying
grace than all Angels and Saints together. The holy Fathers
call her, oil that account, " an ocean of grace ;" and the Holy
Ghost himself says of her : " Thou art chosen like the sun."
She is finally full of grace, because she co-operated with every
actual grace more diligently and in a manner more merito
rious, than any Angel or Saint ever did, namely, by uniting
with and wholly conforming her will to, the most holy will
of God. " Many daughters have gathered together riches ;
thou hast surpassed them all." Thus it stands written of
Mary, as the holy Church herself applies these words of the
Holy Ghost to her. Prov. xxxi. 29.
Q. What do we mean by saying, "The Lord is with
thee?:' .4. These words contain the second praise of Mary ; namely,
that she not only received such a plenitude of grace, but that.
she also preserved the same most faithfully and without
diminishing it in the least, nay, increasing it continually from
the instant of her conception till the last moment of her most
holy life. But these words refer directly to her, because she
is the mother of the Incarnate Word of God.
Q. What do the words signify : " Blessed art thou amongst
women ?"
A. They contain the third praise of Mary ; namely, that
she is the only one of all the daughters of Eve, who was, by
a miracle, at the same time a Mother and a Virgin — the one
chosen mother of our Lord and Redeemer.
But, moreover, she is also in the order of Grace the moth
er of all the children of God, the true Eve, the mother of lit*
and of the living.

ON HOPE. \87
Q. What do these words signify : " And olessed is tha
fruit of thy womb, Jesus ?"
A. They contain the fourth praise of Mary ; namely, that
she was adorned and gifted with such high prerogatives not
only in hersdf, but also in that the glory of the blessed hu
manity of Christ shone upon her, since she is His mother.
But since Jesus, because His humanity is united to the person
of the Son of God, is elevated not only above all men, but
even above all the Angels, being their King and Lord, this,
too, is the prerogative and glorification of His blessed mother
Mary, Thus, then, the salutation of the " Hail, Mary," includes
the praise of all the prerogatives of Mary, both in the order
of nature and of grace. The conclusion embraces in like
manner, every petition that can be addressed to Mary.
Q. Wh.at is the sense of the petition in the " Hail, Mary,"
which the Church added to this salutation?
A. The Church once more reminding us of the dignity of
Mary as Mother of God, admonishes her children to have
recourse to Her, with an unlimited confidence, in every con
cern of body and soul, in life and in death, because she, as
the mother of our Lord, is also on that account the mother
of Grace, and the most powerful intercessor at the throne of
her divine Son for all those who, as her true children, seek
shelter in her protection. But if we stand in need of her
protection and her intercession all through life, we do so
more particularly at the hour of death,
Q. By what form of prayer do we specially honor Mary ?
A. By the holy Rosary and the Angelical Salutation re
peated three times every day.
Q. What is the Rosary ?
A. The Rosary is a manner of praying by which we often
repeat the " Hail, Mary," united with the consideration of the
most important mysteries of the life, suffering and death,
and also of the glorification of Jesus and of Mary, m due
order, Q. Why is this method of prayer called the Rosary?
A. Because on account of the regular recurrence of salu
tation and petition, united with the above recollection con
cerning Jesus and Mary, and on account of the above-mon
tioned mysteries of faith, this prayer forms, as it were.
garden of fragrant rosos of true devotion

Itlh MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
Q. But does not the freauent repetition of the same salu.
tation disturb devoti.in ?
A. By no means ; on the contrary, if it is done in the right
manner, it increases the ardor and efficacy of the prayer.
For have we not in the 135th Psalm, the one verse : " His
mercy endureth for ever" repeated twenty-seven times ? And
we read of Christ our Lord himself, that He offered up three
successive times, the same prayer to His heavenly Father.
Mark, xiv. 39, '
Q. Why is the signal given three times every day, i. e.,
morning, noon, and night, for the prayer called the Angelus?
A. In order to put us in mind, that every day and at every
hour of the day, we are exposed to the loss of our salvation,
and have need to implore the assistance of Mary ; and that
It is not enough, to begin daily and with new fervor every
work of our calling in the service of God under her care
and protection, we must also, with the same fervor, continue
and end it. Besides, the Church wishes to call to our memory,
Dy means of this sign repeated three times daily, the three
most important mysteries of our redemption, namely : the
incarnation, the passion, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Saviour,
Q. Say the Angelus,
A. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary ; and she
conceived of the Holy Ghost. Hail, Mary, &c.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord ; may it be done unto me
according to thy word. Hail, Mary, &c.
And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. Hail,
Mary, &c.
Prayer. — Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, Thy grace
into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ,
Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may
by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resur
rection, through the same Christ our Lord, Amen, At night
we add one Our Father, and one Hail Mary, for the faithful
departed, Q. When should we pray particularly ?
A. Every morning, and every evening, and before and after
meals. At the morning prayer the principal thing is to make
a good resolution for doing good and avoiding evil during tha
ensuing day. But at the evening prayer — the examination of
conscience and an act of contrition must be made. Accustom

ON HOPE, 169
yourself also, to make a brief examination at noon, and to
practice faithfully the particular examination of col science
for the extirpation of a particular fault, or for the acquire
ment of a particular virtue. More particular instruction on
this matter you can ask of your spiritual father.
Practice. — Love and practice prayer with all possible
fervor. Let it be to you as regards your soul, what food
and respiration are for your body; namely, a necessity;
the consolation and the delight of your life through your
oommunicm with God, Such was prayer to the Saints, and
so should it also be to you. But this will only be the case,
if you pray often and properly, in proportion to your state
and calling, and particularly, if you practice the interior
prayer of contemplation, and a familiar intercourse with
Christ in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar. Procure
for yourself the prayer-books, which give you special di
rections on this subject, and lay out for yourself a fixed time
for contemplation and oral prayer, observing that time con
scientiously ; prepare yourself well for*holy Communion,
and make your thanksgiving with the greatest care, and the
Lord will most certainly be merciful to you ; you shall taste
how sweet the Lord is to them that come near him, and he
will fill you with the gift of prayer. You shall pray well,
and on that account also live well, as St, Augustine assures us.
Besides, nourish in yourself a most intimate and childlike
devotion to Mary, and try to propagate it wherever you can.
§, What sins are opposed to the holy virtue of hope,
A. Despair and presumption, according as man hopes too
little or too much.
Q. When does man sin through despair ?
A. When a man, tormented and alarmed by the conscious
ness of the sins which he has committed, puts away from
nimself all thoughts of conversion, because he believes that it
is impossible for him to be converted, and that his sins are
•¦00 great to be forgiven,
Q. Is the sin of despair a great sin ?
A. Yes ; it is a very great one, and the seal of condemna
tion. Q. To which attributes of God is the sin of despair par
ticularly opposed ?
A. 1st. To the Omnipotence of God, of whom it is 'wntten,
8

170 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
" that He is able even of stones to raise up children to Abra-.
ham." Math. iii. 9,
2d. To the veracity of God. For the Lord expressly as
sures us by Ezechiel : " In the hour, when the sinner shall re
turn to me, all his iniquity shall be remembered ko more."
And again : "As I live," says the Lord God, "I will not Uie
death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live !"
And Christ himself assures of this, saying : " Receive ye
the Holy Ghost ; whose sins you shall forgive, they are for
given." John, xx. 23.
3d. To the goodness and mercy of God, with the com
mendation and praise of which the entire Holy Scriptures aro;
filled, and to which the examples of innumerable penitents,
Vioth of the Old and New Testa>ments bear witness, who, no
matter how grievously they had sinned, were received again
into favor by God, if sincerely repenting they returned to
Him like David.
We read in the works of Blasius (in Man. Sp. c. 4.) that
one day God revealed to St. Catharine of Sienna, that He
was more offended by the final despair of a sinner, than by
all the sins which he committed in his whole life.
Q. When does a man sin by presumption ?
A. He does so, if he expects that God will be merciful to
him, even if he should continue to sin blindly, and despise His
threats and His judgments.
Q. Is presumption a grievous sin ?
A. A very grievous, and most dangerous sin. It is very
grievous, because it is an open sin against the Holy Ghost,
and a most culpable contempt of the menaces and chastise- 1
ments of God, which ought justly to fill us with fear and
t,rembling. It is at the same time a most dangerous sin ; for this dis- ,
position of presumption makes the sinner careless and
indifferent, so that he is ready to run thoughtlessly into the
danger of perdition, and to think but little of '.he necessity of
doing penance. In this way, the sinner becomes more and
more negligent and cold, sinks into the depths of indiffei ence,
and completes his ruin by final impenitence, " God is good,
therefore I live badly,"' This is the language of the presump.
tuous man ; certainly, he deserves that God should cast him
uway. Not in vain, therefore, says St Peter in his 2d Epistle

ON CHARITV. 171
•* Brethren, labor the more, that by good works you niaKe
sure your vocation and election." 2 Peter, i. 10,
And St, Paul admonishes all : " Work your salvation with
fear and trembling," as such who are one day to render an ac
count to the Lord, Philip, ii, 12.
Of course, the presumptuous man thinks, that he has yet
time enough for repentance, but he deceives himself No
where has God promised the sinner a certain time for repent
ance, and experience teaches that it is very often the pre
sumptuous sinner who is carried off by a sudden death, and
dies either without his senses, or without the assistance of a
priest. Wherefore, think often on the beautiful saying of St,
Augustine : " Meek and just is the Lord, Love, because He
is meek, and fear, because He is just. Being meekness. He
says : I am silent ; but being justice, He cries out : Shall I
remain silent for ever? He is merciful and compassionate,
still fear, for He is also truthful. To those who are assailed
by the temptations of despair, He points out the harbor of
forgiveness, yet He has left uncertain the hour of death, for
the warning of those that hope presumptuously," Aug. tract
33, in Joan.
Practice. — Make often an act of Christian hope, and
animate and fortify within you a great desire of trusting in
the providence of God, This disposition and this resignation
of ourselves to the Divine Providence, is one of the consoling
marks of predilection, and of being on the way to heaven.

CHAPTER III.
ON CHARITY.
"AsD now," says the Apostle, " there remain, faith, hope and
charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity,"
1 Cor. xiii.
Great indeed is the power of faith, which, as Christ him
self tells us, is able to move mountains, and to work mira
cles. Great, too, is the power of hope, which protects us as a

172 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
helmet, and serves as -an anchor, by means of which we hold
ourselves fast in the promises of faith, and, expecting, ,are
filled with great consolation and strengthened in the combat.
Yet greater is the power of charity, which is the root and
consummation of every meritorious virtue, and without
which all the power of faith and of hope is as nothing, whilst
it proves itself stronger than death and hell, " We know that
we have passed from death to life, because we love the breth
ren. He that loveth not abideth in death." Thus St, John
tells us, 1 John, iii, 14; presupposing, of course, that this chari
ty is really a true and tried one. We shall now propose the
most necessiry and most important things concerning this
holy charity as a means of salvation,
Q.. What is charity as a divine virtue ?
A. Charity is a virtue infused by God, by which we love
God above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves.
Q. What means : To love God above all things ?
A. It means to esteem God higher than any thing in the
world, so that we wish rather to lose every thing, even life
Itself, than offend God,
It also means to nourish an inclination of the heart to God,
by which we prefer God to all other objects of love.
It means, finally, to love God for himself alone, and all
others only for His sake and in Him, because, and as God
wills it, and because it is He from whom every thing good
and every thing worthy of love or esteem proceeds as from
its source.
Q. Why should we love God ?
A. Because He is of himself the most perfect good, and
alone worthy of our love.
§. What disposition of heart does this act of love include ?
A. First : The estimation of God above all things, so that
we immeasurably prefer God and the possession of him to
all created things, and are willing to lose all things rather
than God, or to displease Him,
Second : Affection ; namely, that we endeavor to pre'serve
a greater inclination of the heart for God, than for any other
created being, even although this inclination does not always
manifest itself so sensibly as the inclination for other beings
and things.
Third : The disposition of benevolence ; namely, that we
w;ish God, with all our heart, to possess every good, whether

ON CHARITY. 173
this belongs to Him essentially in virtue of the perfections
of His divine nature itself, or in virtue of His external glory,
desiring to increase the latter as much as possible.
Fourth : An act of friendship and communion, by which
we offer ourselves to God with all that we are and have,
and desire to be made one with God himself, and to receive
in return from God the communication of His gifts, and the
union with Him here below through sanctifying grace, and
in heaven above by the light of glory. 1 Cor. viii,
Q. When is this love towards God perfect ?
A. If we love (Jod principally and first for His own sake
as the supreme and most perfect good. But if the motive of
our love towards God is first of all, because he is good to us,
then this love is imperfect,
Q. By what means is the love of God augmented in us,
A. 1, By a great purity of conscience.
2, By a fervent practice of virtues and good works,
3, By prayer, especially that of contemplation,
4, By the reception of the Holy Sacraments, and by in
tercourse with Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the
Altar, 5. By the remembrance of the benefits received from God,
especially of the benefit of redemption, and of being called
to the true faith, and by constantly walking in'the presence
of God,
Q. What is particularly contrary to the love of God ?
A. The love of the world, " If any man love the world,
the charity of the Father is not in him." 1 John, ii. 15.
Q. What are we to understand here by the expression :
" the worid ?"
A. The desire of enjoying the goods of the world, indu
cing the neglect of our last aim and end, which is to serve
God, — so that a man directs all his thoughts and endeavors
solely to this, how he may attain to the enjoyment of the
riches, honors, and pleasures of this world,
Q. Which is the second commandment of charity 1
A. To love our neighbor. " Love thy neighbor as thy
self," Q. What do you mean by the term " neighbor ?"
A. In general all rational beings that are called to the
possession of eternal happiness, or are already happy in God,

174 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
namely, the blessed in Heaven, the souls in purgatory, and
men on earth.
But more particularly the latter, that is to say, all man
kind living with us upon earth,
Q. Why must we love our neighbor ?
A. Because he is the creature and the image of God, and
our brother in Adam and in Christ, and because God com-
nands us to do so.
Q. What must be the qualities of the love of our neigh
bor ?
A. It must be first : sincere, i. e., we must love our neigh
bor not from a motive of mere self-interest, and not show
him this love, that he may be favorably disposed towards us,
and that we may obtain some temporal advantage.
Second: It must be active, according to the- maxim incul
cated by Christ our Lord : " Ail things whatsoever you
would that men should do to you, do you also to them."
Matth. viii. 12. And St. John writes : "My little children,
let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in
truth." 1 John, iii. 18,
Third : It must be universal ; namely, without excepting
even our bitterest enemies, as we have heard and proved
already in treating of the Lord's prayer,
Q. What "persons are particularly recommended to our
charity in Holy Scripture,
A. Our parents, the poor, the widows and the orphans,
both as regards their temporal and spiritual welfare,*
Q. Are we also bound to love ourselves ?
A. Undoubtedly we are ; the commandment itself reminds
us of that, because Christ says and ordains that we are to
love our neighbor as ourselves.
Q. When do we love ourselves ?
A. When we regard ourselves as the image of God, and
esteem our every faculty and all that we have, as God's gift,
and do all in our power to work out our salvation,
Q. What is directly opposed to the love of ourselves ?
A. Selfishness, which consists in seeking in all things but
one's own temporal advantage, and thinking of nothing else
but that alone,
• We shall have an opportunity when we interpret the Commanclnients of God,
ind In the third part, where we aliall speak on the practice of the Christian Tirtaa
to show in particular how we are to fulfil those duties, in accordance with the d».
maDd!« of this second precept of charity.

ON CHARITY. ITS
' Q. In what floes the love of God and our neighbor particu
larly show itself,
A. In the keeping of the commandments. 1 John, v. 3,
Practice. — O that we all of us would take to heart and
understand what it is, to be allowed to love God, in or
der to unite ourselves one day with Him in His infinite beau-
.,y and happiness. He who is, essentially, love itself ! That
we might love all other things only in God and for God,
especially our neighbor, in order that 'he also may know and
love God and be one day united with Him fi)r ever. Thus
did St. Ignatius, in particular, love God, and hence he lived
entirely for God ; and henee it was, too, that he was heard to
sigh so frequently : "O God, that men would know and love
thee !" Whence he was wont to send his subjects into all
parts of the world, with this injunction : " Go, inflame the
whole world!" namely, with the fire of this true love for
God, the true mark of which is, the accomplishment of the
c ivine will by keeping the commandments.

On the Commandments of God.
St. John writes : " This is the charity of God, that we keep
His commandments," 1 John,v.S. And again :" But who
soever keepeth His word, the charity of God is truly perfect
in him : and by this we know that we are in Him." 1 John,
ii. 5. Christ himself teaches : " If you love me, keep my
commandments." " He that hath my commandments, and
Kcepeth them ; he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth
me, shall be loved by my Father: and I will 'love -him, and
will manifest myself to him." "He that loveth me not,
keepeth not my words." John, xiv. 15 ; xxi. 24,
Q. Which are the principal commandments of God?
A. The ten commandments which the Lord gave through
Moses to the people of Israel on the mountain of Sinai, and
which Christ through himself and His Apostles commanded
the children Of God, in the New Testament, to keep in their
full perfection,
Q. Which are the ten commandments ?
A. 1, I am the Lord thy God, Thou shalt not have strange
gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven
thing and adore the same.

176 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
2, Thou shalt not "iake the name of the Lord thy God in
vain, 3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day,
4. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest be
long lived upon the earth,
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery,
7. Thou .shalt not steal.
8, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou- shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor his field,
nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor
any thing that is his.
Q. Are there any other commandments of God besides
these. A. Yes, there are many others; just as many, indeed, as
there are duties for man to accomplish, and all of them are
included in the one principal commandment of the natural
law : Do good and avoid evil.
Q. But why, then, are these ten commandments called the
commandments" of God, and their observance particularly
commanded. A. First : Because they explain the law of nature in its
nearest relation to God and our neighbor in the clearest and
most concise manner.
Secondly : Because the Lord has planted them himself in
our conscience as the law of nature, whence they bind all men
without exception.
Thirdly : because the Lord announced them again with
such great solemnity to man on Mount Sinai, amid thunder
and lightning, and the sound of Angels' trumpets. Exod. xx.
Fourthly : Because any grievous transgression of these
commandments excludes us from the kingdom of God,
Fifthly : Because they are in such intimate and inseparable
connection with the Jaw of charity towards God and our
neighbor, ^. Which is the sum and substance of these ten command
ments ?
A. The very law of charity towards God and our neighbor.
For this reason the law itself was given to the people of
God on two tables of stone. Upon one of them were graven
the three principal cominandments relating to God ; upon tho

ON CHARITY, 177
Other, the remaining seven, which relate to our fellow-men
binding us to do good to them, especially to those who ara
most closely connected with ourselves, and forbidding us to
injure them, either in regard to their person, their honor, or
their possessions, and this neither in word or deed, in thought
or in desire.
Q. What do these words of introduction mean; "I am
the Lord thy God ?"
A. By this solemn introduction we are reminded of the
majesty and supreme dominion of God who commands us to
keep these commandments, and are thereby filled with rever
ence and forcibly exhorted to observe what .is so solemnly
ordained in these commandments of God, either to be done
or to be avoided. But it is not the majesty of God alone,
which moves us to this zeal for the fulfillment of the law, but
also the greatness of the promised reward, and the assistance
of God for the observance of these commands. For listen to
the Prophet : " I will put my spirit in the midst of you ; and
I will cause you to walk in my commandments, and to keep
my judgments, and do them." Ezech. xxxvi, 27, And to
Christ himself, who teaches us the perfection of these com
mandments, saying : " My yoke is sweet, and my burden
light;" that is to say, from the strength and power given to
us by his love. Matth. xi, 30, ^

The First Commandment,
Q. What is ordained by this commandment ?
A. That we adore one only God, and serve Him for His
own sake,
Q. In what consists the act of adoration ?
A. In the expression of that homage, whereby we render
to God our acknowledgment of His supreme dominion, and
our full dependance and subjection,
Q. Why do we owe God this adoration and homage ?
A. Because He is the Creator and Preserver of the whole
world, and our Redeemer, selfexisting, infinite, and mosj
perfect. Q. How do we show our adoration ?
A. Either internally, by the dispositions of our heart and
the prayer of the mind ; or externally, by words, and by
8*

178 manual OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
the attitude of the body, in kneeling down or prostrating
ourselves upon the ground. But especially by offering up
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Q. In what does the service of God, which the act of ador
ation requires of us, consist ?
A. In the performance of God's most holy will, by faith,
hope and charity, hi the manner taught us by that religion
revealed by God himself He who thus believes, hopes,, and
loves, is a true servant of God. fulfils His holy will, and walks
in the way of salvation,
Q. What is forbidden by "the first commandment ?
A. Unbelief, idolatry, heiresy, voluntary doubts in matters
of faith, indifference in things of religion, fortune-telling,
sorcery, witchcraft, superstition, tempting God, diffidence in
God, despair, presumption, hatred of God, sacrilege, and
simony, or spiritual usury.
Q. What do you understand by those different sins?
A. Unbelief is that perverse inclination of the mind, by
which man refuses assent to the revealed truths of faith. The
mere want of knowledge of the true religion, without positive^
.resistance, is called want of faith, or paganism.
Idolatory is that blindness of man in which he pays divine
homage to an image or any other creature. If this homage
be directed towards animals, it is called fetichism.
Heresy is that perverseness, by which a man obstinately
adheres to his false doctrine, against the judgment and solemn
declaration of the Church in matters of faith.
Bouhis of faith is that disposition of mind, by which a man
voluntarily and deliberately doubts concerning those things
which the Church proposes to us to be believed. Mere tran
sient doubts, which a man wills not, but rather rejects, are
no sin, but only temptations.
Indifference in matters of religion we call that destructive
condition of the heart in which a. man finds himself if he is
not at all concerned to know whether he has the true religion
or not, and has no regard for what that true religion requires
of him ; a condition in which, therefore, religion itself is to
him no more than a mere name, a peculiar custom, or human
prejudice. Fortune-telling is the attempt to mguire or predict from
arbitrary means things future, or otherwise unknown, with an
express or tacit invocation of the devil. Tothis sin belong.

ON CHARITY. 179
consulting tbi spirits of the dead, or necromany ; interpreta
tion of dreams (or oneiromancy), divining from marks o- signs
in the hands (chiromtnicy), or in the body ; from the elements,
or motions of animals, or of the stars, from the flight of birds,
from cards, from drawing lots, and from the use of magic ,
or if one knows, or endeavors to know, distant or secret
things by the cooperation of the devil.
It may happen, indeed, that God might indicate by a dream,
by lots, or some other natural means a future event, for
assuming such a thing, however, a -supernatural authority
is required. But to infer directly, and especially with cer
tainty, from natural signs, events which depend on the free
will of man, is a sin against the first commandment.
If this kind of sin is committed, the devil is tacitly invoked
thereby, for this reason, that the natural powers of the meanS
are insufficient for effecting such things.
Sorcery is the attempt to effect wonderful things by the aid
of the devil.
Witchcraft is the attempt to do harm to others by the help
of the devil, either in their person, their cattle, or other
property. Superstition is the entertaining of the false belief that a
special service is rendered to God by some one arbitrary ar
rangement of exterior things and prayers, and that God has
imparted to them particular healing virtue, if they are recited
in a certain form and order, and applied for particular pur
poses. To this belongs the so called, cure by sympathy.
We may, of course, pray for health, recovery from sick
ness, and other such blessings, for ourselves and others, but
we are never allowed to believe that there is virtue in charms
or spells, or in a particular prayer said at times and in cer
tain words. All this is superstition and sin. To this class
belong, nominally, all superstitious preventatives, such as
the spiritual shield. Our Lady's Dream, and many other
small pamphlets, bearing the words : " Printed in this year,"
by means of which we may obtain a certa;in favor in life, or
be saved from a sudden death, &c. All of this is superstition,
contradictory to the word of God, and to the doctrine of tlie
Holy Church.
Tempting God is the attempt to find out in any matter,
whether God can do all things, and know all things ; or to
ask Him on any occasion to perform a miracle, or to render

180 manual of the catholic RELIGIO-V.
us som'e extraordinary assistance, and neglect what we ougb»
ourselves to do.
When speaking c f the virtue of hope, we alread}' explainea
more fully what is meant by despair and diffidence in God,
He who despairs thinks that God does not help him any
more. He who only doubts in this, rather sins by diffidence
Hatred of God would be the sin of one who should fall so
deep into the abyss of wickedness, as to feel anger and aver
sion toward God, instead of the love which we owe him above
all things, Alas! that there are such devils amongst men
upon earth.
Sacrilege is the profanation of persons, things and places
that are holy, or consecrated to God ; for instance, laying
violent hands on a Priest ; receiving the Holy Sacrament un
worthily ; .violating a church, or profaning the sacred vessels.
Simony or spiritual usury is committed, if one buys, sells,
or exchanges spiritual things, offices and the like, for money
or an equivalent, so that he compares, as Simon the magician
did, the spiritual with money.
All of these sins are, by their nature, mortal sins, and can
only be venial where there is ignorance, or only an imperfect
transgression in lesser things,
Q. Which means are we to use against witchcraft ano
other external influences of the evil spirits ?
A. First : We are to purify our consciences by a good
confession. Secondly : We are to receive holy communion frequently
and worthily.
Thirdly : We are to make use of holy water and othei
blessed objects.
Fourthly : We are to make use of the sign of the cross.
Fifthly : We are to pray, to invoke the most holy name
of Je.5us, and to have a great devotion to Mary,
Sixthly : We are to make use of the exorcisms of the holy
Catholic Church. But there is no reason, why any one should
be troubled or perplexed in his mind, if he fancies himself,
or any thing that is his exposed to such influences. For
neither a sorcerer nor Satan himself has any power, even so
much as to bend but a hair of our head, uiiles's God permits
him, and this happens only when it is for pur greater good, ii
we are othervpise of good will
Q. But they who practice the black art (or magic), and

ON CHARITY. 181
have made themselves over to the devil by writing ; can they
yet be converted and obtain salvation?
A. Certainly, if they are sincerely sorry for their sins,
confess them, and do penance for them. For there is no sin
too great to be forgiven through the blood and merits of
Christ, who conquered Satan completely, tore up the deed
of sin which was written against us, and nailed it to the cross,
This is the assurance of the Apostle of the nations. Coloss. iu
Q. Does the first commandment forbid the use of images,
and the veneration of Saints in general ?
A. By no means. It only forbids idolatry and the worship
of images, from which the veneration of the Saints and their
images differs entirely, as shown in the explanation of the
Apostles' creed.
Practice. — Show your faith in God specially by a lively
remembrance of Him, in all that you do, and by renounc
ing all that is not God. and does not promote His glory,
so that the motive of your life and actions may be to accom
plish the most holy will of God, so that you may say before
God in all sincerity of heart : To be rich or poor, honored oi
despised, healthy or sick, to live a short life or a long one, i,
entirely the same to me ; the will of God be done. Let me
only serve Him, as He wills it, and be saved.
Thus the Saints taught, and thus they lived, O that the
images which you have of them might remind you of this ,!
But do not suffer in your house any image or picture, even
the least offensive to modesty, not even though it should be
the representation of a holy object. Be not credulous when
you hear of witchcraft and the like, but neither must you
believe that the influence of the evil one is a mere fable.
Guard yourself against superstition of any kind, and with a
powerful confidence in God, expect all aid from Him alone, in
whatever maj' serve for His glory and yotir salvation.

The Second Commandment,
Q. What does the second commandment enjoin, and what
does it forbid ?
A. It enjoins the glorification of the Divine Name, It for
bids tho profanation of that name by words.
Both the command and the prohibition contain each four

182 manual of the catholic religion.
pnncipal points, for in a fourfold manner is the name of God
particularly honored, or, on the contrary, profaned by word
namely :
First : It is honored, if we utter the holy name with due
reverence. But it is profaned, if we pronounce that holy
name lightly, inconsiderately and without devotion.
Secondly : It is honored, if in reverence and in truth, we
call upon God as a witness, by means of an oath, where there
is a necessity for doing so. But it is profaned by perjury,
and by rash, frivolous swearing.
Thirdly. : It is honored, if we make a vow to God. But it
is profaned, if we vow something bad, or do not keep a law
ful vow, and violate our word given to God,
Fourthly : It is honored' by calling upon and praising that
holy name,_ But is profaned by cursing and blaspheming,
and by scoffing at religion,
Q. What particulars are to be remarked m each of these
relations ?
A. As regards the naming of the Divine Name, as also
those of the Saints and the Holy Sacraments, and things con
secrated particularly to God, we are to attend, not so much
to how often it is done, as to the disposition of the heart,
with which we do it. A" heart that loves God, thinks always
of God and divine things, and loves to speak of them. This
is not taking the name of "God in vain. It happens only,
then, when one pronounces the name of God and of holy
-things without devotion, from mere custom, and on every
occasion ; and this is also the case, when one abuses, in this
manner, the words of Holy Scripture, making use of them in
a ligM or jesting way.
Q. What is it to take an oath?
A. To take an oath is to call upon God as witness, that
something we have said is true, or that we will fulfil a
promise which we have made, whether we name the majesty
of God itself, or something else in which it shines forth par-
tieul arly.
Q. Are we allowed. to swear ?
A. Certainly, we are ; with three conditions which render
an oath lawful and praiseworthy.
Q. Which are these three conditions ?
A. The first condition i.s, that that which we promise or
assert is true. He who asserts a fa'sehood on oath as a truth

ON CHARITY. 183
or promises something with an oath which he is not willing
to fulfil, swears, in the language of Scripture, with " deceit,"
Ps. xiv., and thereby commits a mortal sin of the blackest
die. Woe to him, who knowing the untruth, becomes guilty
of an oath ! God punishes this crimp very often in this
world. The second condition is, justice ; that is to say, one must
have also the right of confirming his assertion by oath, or ot
promising this or that thing. He who should confirm »
calumny by an oath, would commit a great sin ; and so also,
he who would bind himself by an oath to do that which he
could not do without committing sin.
The third condition is, prudence and necessity ; namely,
that before an oath is made, we consider and examine the
circumstance whether the thing is really so important
as to render an oath necessary or advisable, and whether
people do not believe otherwise. He who does not consider
this, exposes himself, moreover, to the danger of swearing
falsely at one time or another, and shows by this frivolous
levity itself, that he has but little revererice for God.
Q. Is perjury, i, e., swearing falsely, or to a thing the
truth of whicji is doubtful, a great sin ?
A. It is one of the greatest sins, especially if it be com
mitted in a court of justice ; because he that does so, m the
first place, derides, as it were, the omniscience, justice and
sanctity of God. Secondly, he destroys the last means of
preserving fidelity and trust amongst men. Thirdly, he, as
it were, solemnly renounces God, and calls down upon him
self his awful vengeance.
The prophet Zachary writes thus upon this subject : " And
he (the Lord) said to me : This is the curse that goeth forth
over the face of the earth : every one that sweareth shall be
i'udged by it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts :
and it shall come to the house of him that sweareth falsely
by my name : and it shall remain in the midst Of his house,
and shall consume it with the timber thereof, and the stone
thereof " Zach. v. 3, 4.
Q. Does the custom of swearing free one from sin ?
A. No, on the contrary, it aggravates the guilt ; for the
greater such«eustom is, the greater is the profanation of GoJ's
name by the oath, " A man that sweareth much, shall be
filled with iniquity." Eccles. xxiii 12. But it would be

184 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
atherwise, if a man, earnestly endeavoring to break himself
of this evil custom, should fall thoughtlessly, on account of
that custom, and utter an oath, without full deliberation,
repenting immediately and correcting himself seriously. In
that case, the old custom would certainly lessen the guilt of
such a course,
Q. What is a vow ?
A. A deliberate promise made to God, to do something
that is pleasing to Him,
Q. What are we particularly to remark regarding the vow ?
A. 1. That a vow is a promise ; therefore, not a mere jmr-
pose or a mere desire, but an express, holy promise, made to
God with the heart or with the mouth, to do, or to avoid
something under obligation of sin.
2. That this promise is made to God, for his glory and to
honor him more perfectly. If, therefore, we vow something
in honor of the most holy Virgin or of the saints, it is still
to be understood in this way, that the vow, if valid, is made
not so much to the saints, as to God himself in honor of a
saint, 3. That a vow can never have for its object any thing but
what is good and pleasing to God. Consequently, vowing to
do something bad, or something which would prevent you
from doing good or a greater good, would render the act in
valid and make it a sin, and generally a great sin. The same
thing holds, if you do not fulfil the vow which you made, oi
if you do not fulfil ij; at the time specified, especially if the
matter be of importance,
" When thou hast made a vow to the Lord thy God, thou
shalt not delay to pay it : because the Lord thy God will re
quire it. And if thou delay, it shall be imputed to thee foi
a sin, " Beut. xxiii, 21. And again : " If thou hast vowed
any thing to God, defer not to pay it : for an unfaithful and
foolish promise displeaseth him : but whatsoever thou hast
vowed, pay it : and it is much better not to vow, than aftei
a vow, not to perform the things promised. " Eccls. v. 3,
Q. What reasons do specially invite us to praise God ?
A. His internal and infinite perfections. His noble achieve
ments without by the wonders of creation, preservation and
redemption, particularly the consideration of those graces
and operations of Divine Providence, which takes care of ouf
oersonal welfare and sal vation throughout our whole lifetime,

ON CHARITY, 185
Q. What is blasphemy 1
A. A word or oath, injurious or insulting to God or His
Saints, by which we have the insolence to impute some fault
to God, or deny some of His perfections.
It is a great sin, " He that blasphemeth the name of the
Lord, dying let him die : all the multitude shall stone him, "
Levit. xxiv. 10. The grievousness of the crime is manifest
from the greatness of the punishment. In the book of Tobias
we read : " When King Sennacherib was come back fleeing
from Judea by reason of the slaughter that God had made
about him for his blasphemy, " Tob. i. 21
Q. What is cursing ?
A. Cursing is uttering imprecations and evil prayers
against ourselves or our neighbors, whereby the curser
usually calls upon Him frivolously, or names things other
wise holy, and pronounces their name irreverently. This sin
is the greater, because it is generally accompanied by anger
and by insult towards our neighbor. Moreover, since curs
ing and blaspheming is peculiarly the language of the devils,
how careful should we be of contracting a vice which reminds
us so powerfully and so awfully that we are the children of
the devil, if we make use of his language,
Q. When do we sin by scoffing at religion ?
A. If we speak lightly or contemptuously about religion,
priests, ecclesiastical rites and ceremonies, or make a jest
of them.
Practice. — Never utter the name of God without partic-
ulai respect ; and speak always with the greatest reverence
of God and divine things. Never swear, therefore, but in ex
treme necessity. Make no vows without the counsel and
consent of your spiritual guide. Let no curse or word of
imprecation ever fall from your lips. Love trials and tribu
lations as precious gifts from the hand of God, and you shall
dwell in peace. On the contrary, accustom yourself to have
in readiness a short sentence in praise of God, as often as
any trials befall you ; for instance: " Thanks and praise be
to God," "For the love of God, I will bear, suffer, or do
this," They will animate and protect you, and make you
acquire great meri t.

J86 MAyUAl OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.

The Third Commandment,
Q. What does this commandment ordain?
A. That we spend devoutly the time destined for the ser
vice of God ; especially the Lord's day, which was in the Old
Testament the Sabbath, but is now in the new dispensation
the Sunday.
Q. Why did God, in tbe Old Testament, command tlw
Sabbath to be kept.
A. 1, As a memorial of the Creation which was comple
ted in six days.
" In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea,,
and all things that are in them, and he rested on tha seventh
day : therefore the Lord blessed the seventh, and sanctified
it," Exod. XX. 11.
2. That servants and laborers, nay, even the beast, might
enjoy rest and recreation, in order to remind us the more of
the eternal rest and peace of heaven, as the last aim and end
of man. Q. Why is the Sunday now kept instead of the Sabbath ?
A. The reasons are many and weighty. The work of
Creation began on Sunday, which day has also been sanctified
by the principal mysteries of the work of Redemption fai
more than the Saturday by the close of the Creation ; as the
Church justly sings on Easter Day : " What would it profit
us to have been created, if we had not been redeemed?"
Christ was born on a Sunday, as tradition proves ; on a Sun
day he rose from the dead ; on a Sunday he sent down the
Holy Ghost, and through him established his holy Church
and manifested the same to the world. The Sabbath, more
over, typified the rest of the fathers in limbo ; the Sunday
is a type of the rest of the blessed in heaven.
But that the Church has instituted the Sunday as the
Lord's day, instead of the Sabbath, and determined it as the
day to be specially employed adoring and worshipping God,
shows forth the great power which she solemnly received
from Christ,
Christ affirms of himself: "The Son of Man is 'also the
Lord of the Sabbath ;" the Church, invested with His power,
ordained that the Sunday should be kept holy instead of the
Sabbath, by which ordinance she declared and confirmed,

ON CHARITY. IS'
openly and freely, before all the world, the close of the Old
dispensation and the institution of the New at one and the
same time,
Q. To what does the celebration of the Sunday oblige us ?
A. That we are to assist at the divine service, particularly
at the holy sacrifice of the Mass, with becoming devotion,
and to sanctify the day in a special manner by the exercise of
works of Christian devotion and of charity towards our
neighbor. Q. What does the celebration of the Sunday forbid?
A. Servile work and every thing else which in any way
disturb the santification of this day.
The particular acts prescribed by the holy Church for the
observance of the Lord's day by the faithful, will be explained
more at large, when we come to expound the commandments
of the Church.
Practice. — Be always conscientious in celebrating the
Lord's day, particularly in this country, where the rest of the
Sabbath is almost, as it were, the only vestige of religion that
remains. Labor not without extreme necessity. There is
no temporal advantage from such gain, as experience has often
proved, and it is a great scandal in this country, and even in
some degree an obstacle to the conversion of those who are
not of the Catholic faith, to see Catholics do away with the '
observance of the Sunday. Avoid also, as far as possible, all
buying and selling on Sunday. Let not either .sloth or the
desire of amusement, inffuence you to neglect the evening
services of the Church, commonly called Vespers, and be care
ful to abstain from drinking in public houses. To take re
freshment, if necessity requires it, and then to pass on again,
is one thing ; but it is another thing to gather together for the
sake of drinking and gambling, and thereby giving grievous
scandal. Upon the true santification of the Sunday as the
first day of the week, generally depends also the santification
of the whole ensuing week, and thence that of our whole life,
A certain Saint was accustomed to say : " Tell me how you
prayed this morning, and I will tell you how you spent tha
day." The same might be said with regard to the Sunday
and the whole week.

188 manual of the catholic religion.
The Fourth Commandment,
Q. Why do the commandments of the second table begin
with this one ? . .
A. Because it places before our eyes in a particular man
ner the duty of loving our neighbor ; and of all mankind,
none are nearer to us than the Father and the Mother througl
whom we entered life.
Q. What are we commanded, what forbidden by this com
mandment? A. We are commanded by it, to show our parents reyer-
erence, love and obedience, and to support them in necessity.
We are forbidden by it, to show them any disrespect,
aversion, or disobedience, or to abandon them in their
necessity, Q. What reverence do we owe our parents ?
A. We owe them interior and exterior reverence ; name.y,
we are to esteem them in our hearts as the deputies of God
in our regard, and also to show to them this esteem exteriorly,
in words, and by exterior signs of reverence, by salutation,
politeness, respect in conversation, and by bearing with pa
tience the frailties that may afflict them.
" Honor thy father, in work and word, and all patience."
Eccls. iii, 9.
¦ We also read a beautiful example of filial reverence in the
book of Solomon, who, though he was king, respectfully arose
to meet his mother, causing her to be seated upon a throne
on his right hand, 3 Book of Kings, ii. 1 9. And the
Wise Man gives this admonition : " Son, support the old age
of thy father ; and grieve him not in his life, Eccls. iii. 14.
Q. What kind of love do children owe to their parents ?
A. An inward, active and true love coming from the heart,
God himself has planted, by natural instinct, . this love in
the heart of every child, and the parents deserve it the
more they have suffered and done for the welfare and
salvation of the child. With justice, therefore, did the aged
Tobias inculcate the performance of this duty when, at the
point of death, he gave his last instructions to his son, say
ing : " My son ! when God shall take my soul, thou shalt
bury my body : and thou shalt honor thy mother all the
Jays of her life; for thou must be mindful what and how
great perils she suffered for thee in her womb," Tob. iv. 2-5.

ON CHARITY, ]%9
Children must particularly show this lofe to their parents
by the cordial affection which they manifest for them on
every occasion ; moreover, they must thank them for tho
benefits received, be a cause of joy to them by leading a gOcd
life, treat them kindly, and support them in sickness and in
want, Q. How are children to obey their parents ?
A. They are to obey them in all things regarding educa
tion, the regulation of the house, and the affairs of salvation,
" My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake
not the law of thy mother." Prov. xii. 18.
Children prove this obedience by the promptness and
fidelity with which they execute the commands of their
parents in all allowable things, and by the humble submis
sion with which they receive their counsels and admonitions.
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is
just." Si. Paul to the Ephes., chap. vi. 1. But should parents
will or command any thing that is sinful, or which withdraws
us from the se'^vice of God, and does not tend towards our
salvation, then of course we are not allowed to obey them ; but
we must then rather admonish them, with love and respect,
saying why we do not yield them obedience in such a thing,
according to the Apostle : " We ought to obey God rather
than men." Acts v. 29.
Q. What support do children owe to their parents ?
A. A temporal and spiritual support ; that is, children are
to assist their parents in all temporal wants as far as it is in
their power, and necessity requires it ; but they are especially
to do this in regard to their spiritual wants and distresses.
Children comply with this duty, by praying for their parents,
and by endeavoring to pro-cure for them, if poor, the necessa
ries of life at home and abroad. Moreover, should their
needy parents be so unhappy as to degenerate, or have not
the happiness of belonging to the true faith, they are to do
all they can, to make them return from their evil ways, and
to bring them to the knowledge "f the true and holy faith.
But children are to assist their parents particularly at the
point of death, and to afford them every bodily and spiritual
comfort, and when they are dead, to take care that they have
assistance in purgatory for the comfort and deliverance of
their souls.

190 MANUAL OF THE. CATHOLIC REl IGlON,
Q. What is promised to children who carefully fulfil this
duty towards their parents ? ^ /-, ,
A. They are promised particular blessings from God, as
evident from the words of the commandment itself.
The first blessing is that of a longer life, and, consequently,
if they are of good will, a more meritorious one. For, since
they honor those from whom they received life, God rewards
them for it, provided they are otherwise diligent in keeping
the commandments, by prolonging their lives ; unless, per
haps, God foresees that a shorter life is more profitable for
their salvation.
The second blessing is that of rewarding them in their own
children. " He that honoreth his father shall have joy in his
own children." Eccls. iii."6, Ephraim and Manasses treated
their father Jd^eph most kindly, because he himself had
loved and honored his father Jacob,
The third blessing is welfare of body and soul; for St,
Paul says: ,'that it may be well with thee," Ephes...vi. S,
And Ecclesiasticus : " He that honoreth his mother is as one
that layeth up a treasure, and he that honoreth his father
shall be heard in the day of his prayer," Chap. iii. 5 and 6,
" Honor thy father, that a blessing may come upon thee from
him, and his blessing may remain in the latter, end."
Verse 10.
Q. How do children sin against the reverence which they
owe to their parents ?
A. They sin against it, if they contemn and deride them,
if they scoff at their commands, are ashamed of them, speak,
ill of them, treat them harshly and unkindly, if they affront
them, or above all, raise their hand to strike them, " The
eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labor
of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks
pick it out, and the young eagles eat it." Prov. xxx, 17,
" He that striketh his father, or mother, shall be put to
death ;" " he that curseth them, shall die the death," Exod.
xxi. 15 and 17.
Q. How do children sin against the love which they owe
to their parents ?
A. They sin against it, if they treat their parents with cold
indifference, and give them no sign of sympathy or affection ;
if, on the contrary, they rather shew aversion for them, nay,
wish in their hearts that evil may befall them, perhaps even

ON CHAIUTY. 1 91.
tenth, in order to come the sooner into the possession of
their fortune. The sin is still greater perhaps if they go
so far as to express this in words, and grieve and afflict thcns.
by their ill conduct. Finally, and most grievous of all, if
they really hate them in their hearts, and opesly show this
hatred by words and actions,
Q. How do children sm against the pbedience which they
owe to their parents ?
A. They sin against it, if they do not fulfil what parents
have the right of commanding them to do, either not at all
or not as they ought; if they are obstinate and murmur
_ against them, refiise to obey them, abuse, insult, or curse
them, or even do the very opposite of what their parents
have commanded them to do in matters relating to domestic
order or to the duty of leading a Christian life ; as, for in
stance, if parents forbid them to go out or to remain out at
night, to frequent balls, taverns, and bad company, or if they
bid them go to church or say their prayers at home.
God has already commanded in the Old Testament the
most severe punishments to be inflicted upon those who sin
against the obedience due to parents. We read thus : " If
a man have a stubborn and unruly son, who will not hear the
commandments of his father or mother, and being corrected,
slighteth obedience, they shall take him and bring him to the
ancients of his city, and to the gate of judgment, and shall
say to them : " This our son is rebellious and stubborn ; he
slighteth hearing our admonitions ; he giveth himself to rev
elling, and to debauchery and banquetings : the people of the
city shall stone him ; and he shall die, that you may take
away the evil out of the midst of you, and all Israel hearing
it may be afraid." Beut. xxi. 18-21.
Q. How do children sin in not supporting their parents ?
A. They sin, if they abandon their parents in their tempo
ral wants, or if they withhold the maintenance for which their
parents expressly stipulated on yielding up their property to
them ; and they thus wrong them by becoming unfaithful to
their promise ; perhaps causing their parents thereby to suf
fer misery and hunger. In reference to the spiritual support
which is due to parents, children sin, if they do not pray for
them, and do not care for the welfare of their souls, should
the parents be unhappy enough to lead a sinful life, or to
walk in the way of heresy and unbeli ii; furthermore they sin.

192 MANUAL OF TUE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
if they neg'ect to procure for their parents the assistance of
the priest at the hour of death,
Q. What are children to expect who thus violate in ,i
grievous manner the duties which they owe their parents ?
A. They reap the curse of God, and also ignominy and dis
grace in this world, and should they die impenitent, eternal
damnation in the other,
" Cursed be he that honoreth not his father and mother ;
and all the people shall say: Amen." Beuter. xxvii. 16.
" Remember thy father and they mother, . , . , lest
God forget thee in their sight, and thou wish thou hadst not
been born, and curse the day of thy nativity," Eccles. xxi'i.
18-19. Q. Does the fourth commandment refer to any other per
sons besides the natural parents ?
A. Yes, it does ; it refers also to those who hold the place
of parents in regard to children ; namely, to foster-parents
and guardians ; it has reference, moreover, to our spiritual
and temporal superiors,
Q. Who are our spiritual Superiors ?
A. The Pope as head of the Church, and the Bishops and
Priests of the Church,
Q. What do the people owe them ?
A. They owe them reverence, love and obedience. For
they hold the place of Christ in our regard, and exercise
the sacred ministry, St, Ignatius, the martyr, writes thus :
" The priesthood is the highest dignity among men ; he
who dishonors-it, dishonors God and our Lord Jesus Christ,"
Ep. ad Smyrn. And we read in the Old Testament :
" With all thy soul fear the Lord ; and reverence His priests,"
Eccles. vn. 31. But also: "He that will be proud, and
refuse to obey the commandment of the priest , . , .
that man shall die," Beuter. xvii, 12. .Now, if this was
true respecting the priests of the Old Law, how much the
more must it hold good in the New Law, where the priests,
whose right to due reverence and submission is violated, are
in the place of Christ who said : " He that honoreth you,
honoreth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me." Be
sides, the Priests of the Lord are our spiritual fathers in
Christ, who lead us on in, the way of salvation and are to
render an account of our souls in the life to come, " Obey
your prelates, and be suDJect to them. For they watch as

ON CHAKItt, 19.H
hiBihg to render an account of your souls, that they may do
this with joy, and not with grief," Hebr. xiii, 17,
Q. How does one sin against this reverence due to priests ?
A. He sins by want of respect, of charity, and of obedience.
By want of respect, if he refuse to honor th^m with that
mark of distinction outwardly due to them, or even dishon
ors them openly by jests and caricatures, songs, mockery, &c.
By want of charily, if he interprets their actions as evil,
if he mentions -their faults in public, without necessity, to the
scandal of others, or exaggerates the same, even adding ma
licious and false insinuations.
By want of obedience, if he resist their just commands,
and deprive them of succor and subsistence,-
Q. What are the punishments of God in regard to those
who despise and contemn the priests ?
A. His punishments in their regard are temporal, spiritual
and eternal. " Woe to them, for they have gone in the way
of Cain, and have perished in the gainsaying of Core," Jude,
11. As Cain, therefore, became a fugitive and a vagabond,
and Core, Datan, and Abiron were swallowed up by the
earth, and went alive to hell, so it often happens that men
who rise in revolt, are smitten by the avenging hand of the
Lord. The curse that fell upon Cham, who mocked his fa
ther, awaits theiri in reference to the soul. Those very men
who scorned the priests of the Lord during their life-time,
are often deprived of their aid at the hour 6i death ; and that
even when they ardently desire their assistance.
Those, on the contrary, who zealously honor the priests of
the Lord, loVe and assist them,- not unfrequently enjoy par
ticular blessings in this world, and obtain their aid when they
!ire about to enter eternity.
Q. Who are they whom we call temporal superiors ?
A. They are the civil rulers, masters and mistresses ;
for subjects are bound to show to the civil authorities revc
••encB and obedience in all things that are not forbidden, and
come under the direction of those authorities, " He that re-
sisteth power, resisteth the ordinknce of God." Rom. xiii. 2.
Subjects ought, therefore, to pray for their teniporal su
periors, render to them due respect, assist them, and pay con
scientiously the lawful duties and taxes. In the same nian
acr do seivants and apprentices owe to their masters reve
9

184 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGIOK.
rence and obedience in all obligatory things. "Servnnta,
obey your masters." Ephes. vi, 5,
Q. How does one sin against those authorities ?
A. One sins, if he despise them, speak ill of them, blame
them unjustly, and refuse to comply with their lawful ordi
nations ; but the more so, if he resist them and rise against
them in revolt contrary to law and justice. The Apostle,
speaking of those who revile those authorities, says : " These
are murmurers, full of complaints, walking according to their
own desires : and their mouth speaketh proud things, ad
miring persons for gain's sake. Jude, xvi.
Q. Plow does one sin against his masters ?
A. By slighting them, and by not observing their regula
tions concemuig the order of the house ; further, by speaking
ill of them in other families or elsewhere, by opposing their
commands or obeying them with reluctance, &c,
Q. Are subjects allowed to execute the orders and regula
tions of their masters and rulers, even if they are unjust ?
A. By no means; "for we must obey God before man."
Servants sin, therefore, against this, if they assist their mas
ters in their sinful plans, by helping them to wrong their
neighbor, or by participating in their sins in any other way,
particularly by message-bearing or rendering assistance in
matters against the sixth commandment, and by wounding
the reputation and violating the property of others.
Q. To whom besides has the fourth commandment ref^
erence ?
A. To teachers, tutors, and old persons. For scholars are
to show to their masters and tutors respect, love, and obe
dience, and reverence to old age.
Children sin against this ciommandment by irreverence,
ridicule, and disobedience, and by insult, deriding or abusing
persons who are old.
Q. Does the fourth commandment include any relative du
ties? A. Yes, it includes the duties of parents, priests, supe
riors, and teachers towards children and subjects,
Q. Which are the duties of parents towards their chil
dren ?
A. They are — love, support, correction, and education.
Regarding this love, God himself imprinted it in the
hearts of the parents by the bond of natural affection. But,

ON CHARITY, 19.5
m Christian parents, this love should be still heightened and
sanctified by motives of faith.
For children are souls, which God specially intrusted to
them. Regarding the temporal support, parents are bound
to nourish and sustain their children as long as they are un
der age and incapable of supporting themselves, and induce
and keep them to labor, that they may become fit for main
taining themselves afterwards.
As to correction and education, parents should not only
look to it, that their children learn and observe the rules of
politeness in social intercourse, but also that they are brought
up to be one day. good and fit citizens ; and by being well
instructed in regard to morals and religion, lendered dutiful
children of the Church and future heirs of heaven, " Fathers,
. . . . bring your children up in the discipline and
correction of the Lord," St. Paul to the Ephes. vi, 4,
Parents should, therefore, take the greatest care to have
their children baptized as soon as possible ; and they should
afterwards offer them frequently to God, with an ardent and
sincere desire of educating them in the manner most pleas
ing to his goodness ; imitating the mother of St, Elzear.
She took him in her hands as soon as he was born, and of
fered him to God, saying : " Grant, O Lord, to Thy servant
the grace of bringing up this child in piety, according to Thy
good will and pleasure. But should he one day prove diso
bedient to Thee, O then take him to thyself now that he is
baptized." Surius, 3.
After baptism they should sign them frequently with the
sign of the holy cross, and bless them with holy Water morn
ing and evening.
Then, as the children grow up, the parents should zeal
ously endeavor to instill into their mind.s, from their very
infancy, the spirit of piety and the fear of the Lord. More^
over, as soon as the children begin to speak, parents should
teach them the most Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, and
how to sign themselves with the sign of the holy cross. : foi
lowing the example of the mother of St. Francis Borgia (as
related by father Ribadeneira in his life of the Saint). Fur
thermore, parents should teach their .children some short
prayer, but particularly, how to say the Lord's Prayer, the
Apostle's Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Commandmentb
of the Church, and the Hail Mary, They should be, moreover,

196 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
very solicitous that their cnildren say, morning and evening,
and also before and after meals, a short but devout prayer,
and they should try to imbue them with a great horror of
every shadow of sin and offence against God, If, however,
they do sin, then, of course, parents are to correct them in
earnest and even severely ; but that the correction may prove
salutary, they should say a short prayer together, both before
and after the correction, to put the children in mind that they
are punished not from anger, but from duty and necessity, and
from the love of God and their salvation, " The child that is
left to his own will bringeth his mother shame," Prov. xxix,
15. " Withhold not correction from a child : for if thou strike
him with the rod, he shall not die ; thou shalt beat him with the
rod, and deliver his soul fromhell," Prov. xxiii. 13, 14.
A beautiful example of such parental care is found in the
Scriptures of the Old Testament in the book of Tobias, who
said, " Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and lay them
as the foundation in thy heart. . , , All the days of thy
life, have God in thy 'mind, and take heed thou never consent
to sin, nor transgress the commandment of the Lord our God,
We lead indeed a poor life ; but we shall have many
good things if we fear God, and depart from all sin, and do
that which is good," Tob. iv. 2, 6, 23,
As an example taken from the Lives of the Saints in the
New Law, and particularly instructive in this regard, may be
'ited that of Blanche; she often said to her son, "My
child, 1 would rather see you dead, than in the state of mortal
sin," The fruit of tbi \ admonition, so often repeated, was
the holy life of St, Louis, her son.
After children have reached the age for frequenting school,
tbe parents should be careful to send them to good f'atholic^
schools ; and to make them attend regularly. They should
co-operate with the exertions of the teachers by causing their
children to prepare thsir lessons at home which they are to
recite. They should prevent them from running about the
streets in the company of bad and ill-mannered children, and
see that the children do not spend their time in idleness or
useless plays, or otherwise degenerate, but that they grow
up in discipline, and good morals.
Besides, it is the strict duty of parents to watch that their
children go to church on Sundays and all other days of obli
gation, and there behave themsel es with piety and edification.

ON CHAilITY. 107
assisting at the whole of the divine service, not leaving it
when they please.
It is further the duty of parents to clothe their children
decently, but not extravagantly, and so to regulate their ex
terior conduct towards them that they may bo kind and gen
tie, but not too indulgent.
Moreover, when the time is approaching, for the children to
make their first Communion, then should parents do all in
their power to prepare them for it, so that being well prepared
they may reap from it the greatest fruit for their souls. But
still more are parents bound to see that their children after
wards frequent the holy sacraments of penance and of ''the
altar, once a month, if possible, but with piety and devo
tion. Furthermore, there comes a time when children are to
chose a state of life. And it is then that parents should ask
of God particular grace and light, to be able, by their coun
sels to direct and assist them in their choice ; permitting them
to continue their studies, or causing them to adopt some trade
or profession, as they shall deem it fitting in the Lord. Should
a youth feel himself called to the priesthood or to enter in a
Religious order, then should parents by no means place ob
stacles in his way to hinder him from following such a voca^
tion, but rather offer every possible means of assistance for
obeying that call, deeming themselves happy, that the Lord
favors their child so highly.
There still remains something to which parents are serious
ly to attend, namely, that as long as the children continue to
reside in their house, they make it a point of the strictest
duty not to allow them to be out at night, to frequent public
ball-rooms, theatres, and taverns, or other dangerous or sus
picious places. This relates especially to the acquaintances
of their daughters. Parents should also make sure that their
children attend to their religious duties, when away from
home, and thus be saved from the shipwreck of their faith.
Parents, indeed, should love their children, and prove their
love towards them, yet it should be no blind or merely car
nal love they bear them, but one purified and rendered holy
by the light of faith.
Finally, they should zealously endeavor to confirm by
their oivn example what they teach their children, and see
'hat they serve them in all things as an excellent model for

198 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
imitaf ion. They should take care, therefore, that they do not
scandalize them by bad example, especially by cursing, drink-
ing, anger, quarrelling, theft, or injustice, Alas ! how few pa-
rents do their duty in this regard ; nay, how many of them
neglect it altogether, bringing thereby upon themselves the
greatest responsibility before God.
Q. What dc foster-parents owe to their foster-children ?
A. The same obligations mentioned above, for they hold
the place of the parents in their regard. The duties of priests
towards their people and congregations are treated in moral
theology. Q. What do the civil authorities owe to their subjects?
A. Their duty towards their subjects is to discharge con
scientiously the duties of their office, to promote the common
welfare, as far as it is consistent with that power with which
they are entrusted ; they are to guard particularly against en
dangering the salvation of those over whom they rule, for
the sake of filthy lucre, or to arrogate to themselves any un
due power in spiritual things.
Q. What do lords and masters owe to their subjects ?
A. They owe them love, solicitude, correction, justice, and
good example. Against this all those lords and masters sin
who treat their subjects and domestics harshly, who care not
for the necessities of their servants when they fall sick, who
do not correct them for their faults, nor cause them to attend
to their religious duties ; who unjustly withhold from them
their wages, abuse them before others, and even scandalize
them by their own bad example, particularly by cursing, im
morality and intemperance.
" Masters, do to your servants that which is just and equal ;
knowing that also you have a master in heaven." Coloss. iv,
1. . . ." For if any man have not care of his own, and
especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and
is worse than an infidel," Tim. v, 8,
Practice. Listen to your parents, pastors, teachers, mas
ters, and superiors ; esteem, love, honor, and obey them, lest
the complaint of Scripture should be fulfilled in you : " Why
have I hated instruction, and my heart consented not to re
proof; and h&ye not heard the voice of them that taught me,
and have not inclined my ear to masters ?" Prov. v, 12, 13.
and thus the curse of the commandment, instead of its bless
ing falls upon you.

ON OHARITY. 19S
But if you are a father, a master, mistress or superior, you
will watch carefully over your own children and all those
who are intrusted to your care, and endeavor particularly to
give a good example to all around you in the virtues of humil
ity, meekness, wisdom, moderation, true love, and charity ;
doing this, you will neither be wanting in patience or forti
tude, in order that you may be able to render an account to
the Lord concerning the care and direction of the souls which
you had in charge. Regarding parents in particular ; if they
have discharged their duty in educating their children well
and faithfully, the blessing, " that thou mayest be long lived
Upon the land," promised to the children in the fourth com
mandment, shall also be theirs. For there is nothing which
consoles and gladdens the heart of a parent more than good
children ; and by the joy and consolation they afford him, his
life is even prolonged. On the contrary, there is nothing
which grieves the heart of a parent more, and carries him
sooner to the grave, than the sorrow and affiietion which a
degenerate child brings upon him.
The Fifth Commandment.
Q. What does this commandment enjoin, and what does it
forbid? A. It e'njoins meekness, affability, kindness, clemency, ben
eficence, and forbearance ; so that we are ready for God''s
sake to forget and forgive injuries, as we would that God
should forgive us.
It forbids murder and every injury to our neighbors' health
and life, also anger, hatred, animosity and ill-will, revenge,
and all other uncharitable feelings against our neighbor :
" Whoever shall shed man's blood, his blood shall be shed."
Gen. ix, 6, " Whoever hateth his brother is a murderer."
I John, iii. 15,
Q. When is it forbidden to kill one's neighbor ?
A. As often as killing him is unjust.
Q. When is it allowable to kill one's neighbor ?
A.\. If lawful authority ordains it for the punishment of
great crimes.
.2, In a just war.
3, In self-defence, in order to save one's own life, or
fchat of somebody else.

200 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
Q. Is it lawful to commit suicide ?
A: Never ; for suicide is a grievious sin against nature,
Moreover, suicide is an offence against the Divine Majesty,
which alone has power over life and death ; the selfniurderer
voluntarily renders himself guilty ofi eternal damnation, and
exposes his relatives to the greatest shame and affiietion
The Church, therefore justly refuses Christian burial to thr
self-murderer, as a just punishment for his crime,
Q. Are we allowed to do any thing else that tends directly
to the destruction of our life or health ?
^. No; and this is the sin of all those who by debauch
ery, excess, and dissipation destroy their health.
Q. May we wish for death ?
A. Not if we do it from impatience; but we may if it pro
ceeds from a desire of being freed from the calamities of the,
world, and the dangers of our salvation, in order to be with
God, Q. Are we allowed to permit death, or injury to our
health ?
A. Certainly, if the higher duties of the love of God and
our neighbor demand it. We have examples of this in tha
holy martyrs, who delivered themselves up to certain death
often of their own accord,
Q. Is it lawful to fight a duel ?
A. No; except by lawful command in time of war. But
a duel, undertaken by one's own authority is always a griev
ous sin ; for by it we expose both our antagonist and our
selves to the danger of death, and of incurring eternal damna
tion, and also to the penalty of excommunication.
Q. But is not one's honor a sufficient excuse ?
A. By no means ; for the duel has nothing to do with
honor, on the contrary, by duelling a man rather loses his
honor, since he shows himself in the light of one who loves re
veuge and cares not whether he makes himself and others un-:
happy in time and in eternity. But, should a man be unjust
ly attacked by another, he may then show his courage by de
fending himself manfully against his aggressor for this is self-
defence and no duel; or he may warn the challenger, and tell
him that, in the case of an attack, he shall know how to defend
himself; and this is sufficient, even for a soldier, to save his
honor ^nci his reputation for courage.
Q. Is it allowed to be present at a duel, to act as second, etc. 1

ON CHARITY. 201
.^1. No ; for all those who do so incur excommunication
because, by their aid and presence they directly confirm the
duelists in their wicked undertaking, which is highly sinful.
Q. Who else sins against the fifth commandment ?
A. All those who wish death or temporal injury to others,
or inflict either upon them ; particularly mothers who en
danger the lives of their children before they are born, or ex
pose the same to the danger of suffocation by having them
sleep with them during the first months ; and husbands who
strike their wives while pregnant, thereby exposing the child
to the danger -of perishing without the sacrament of baptism.
Q. Is any thing else relating to morality forbidden by this
commandment ?
A. Yes ; spiritual murder or the ruin of souls by scandal,
namely, if any one by his word or example, excite others to,
or cause them to fall into sin. To this class belong all those
who, by ungodly discourse, obscene songs or jests, indecent
dresses, bad books, immodest pictures or statues, etc., lead
others into sin ; and those who harbor in their houses thieves,
drunkards, gamblers, and other wicked people ; for carrying
-on wicked designs and sinful courses ; and also those author
ities and superiors who give bad example and permit scandal,
though their duty requires them to prevent it. Finally, all
those who make it their business to induce to sin by any
means whatsoever.
Q. Is it a great sin to give scandal ?
A. Certainly it is, and indeed one of the greatest, as is
plain from the words of Christ, our supreme judge ; he says,
" He that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe
in me, it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged
about his neck, and ttiat he were drowned in the depth of the
sea." " Woe to the world because of scandals." And " woe to
that man by whom the scandal cometh." Matth. xviii. 6, 7
He that scandalizes another, deserves this curse : for he
does in reality the work of the devil, who has been a tempter
from the beginning, and robs the Lord of the souls who were
bought by Him, at the price of His precious blood on the altar
of the cross. " He (the devil) was a murderer from the
DCginning." St. John, viii. 14, " Destroy not him (thy
brother) with thy meat, for whom CTirist died," Rum. xiv
15, He that gives scandal commits in one such sin innumej-

202 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
able othei s, because by it he becomes the cause of a multi
tude of sins in his fellow-men, perhaps even till the end of
time ; for he first sowed'the seed of evil in them, who, after
having been seduced themselves, again seduce others, who
then continue to give scandal and to corrupt others, even after
he himself has been converted, and perhaps long after he has
been carried to the grave.
Surely, he that reflects upon this must feel himself strongly
moved by these admonitions, to exercise the utmost vigilance
in avoiding scandal, that he may not charge himself with so
great a responsibility, and be the cause that a soul may, per
haps, curse him for all eternity, and accuse him, on the day
of judgment, before his God and Judge.
Q. What must we do, if we have injured our neighbor in
body or soul ?
A. We must be sorry for our sin and confess it, and make
compensation for the evil we have done to him, as far as we
are able.
Practice. Avoid carefully inflicting injury, causing grief,
or giving offence to your neighbor, but especially giving
scandal, that you may never become guilty of killing the
soul of your brother by any sinful word or deed. Resist
every tempter with courage, without any regard to who he
may be, and defeat his efforts with the full determination
rather to die than to yield to his wicked designs.
Sixth Commandment.
Q. What is ordained and what forbidden by this com
mandment ?
A. This commandment ordains that married people should
be mutually faithful, and bids be chaste in body and mind,
hy preserving the purity of heart which becomes their state.
It forbids adultery, and every inordinate, sensual, and impure
lust in thought, word, desire, or action,
Q. Why does this commandment expressly and above all
forbid adultery ?
A. Because the ten commandments specially inculcate the
law of justice ti iwards our neighbor ; and adultery is at the
same time a sin of injustice.
Q. Is adultery a grievous sin ?
.1. Cei-tainly ; for the adulterer profanes the sacrament of

ON CHARITY. 203
matrimony most shamefully, he wounds the heart cf the hus
band most deeply, gives often the most frightful scandal, and
causes the rnost dreadful consequences for entire families.
How abominable this crime is in the sight of God, also ap
pears from the severe penalties and curses pronounceid against
it iu Holy Scripture. In the Old Law, this crime was to be
punished with de-ath. All the people were to stone the crim
inal. The New Law threatens the adulterer with eternal
death and damnation. " Adulterers shall not possess the
kingdom of God." 1 Cor. vi. 9.
Even the ancient pagans decreed the most sensible and
most shameful punishments against adultery ; as, for instance,
the Egyptians, the Romans, and the ancient Germans,
Q Is any thing else forbidden by this commandment ?
A. .\.ll occasions that lead to sins of this kind, as, incon
siderate curiosity of the eyes ; frivolous words and songs ;
scandalous jests, dances, comedies ; idleness ; intemperance;
the reading of bad books; a too familiar intercourse with per
sons of the other sex, particularly being alone with them
without necessity.
" But , . . all uncleanness . , , let it not so
much as be named among you, as it becometh saints, nor ob
scenity, nor foolish talking, nor scurrility, which is to no pur
pose." Ephes. V. 3, 4.
Should you doubt whether this or that be a sin against the
virtue of purity, ask the counsel and instruction of your
confessor. Practice, " Oh how beautiful is the chaste generation
with glory ! for the memory thereof is immortal, because it
is known both with God aud with man, , . , It triumph-
eth crowned for ever, winning the reward of undefiled con
flicts," Wisd. iv. 1, 2.
Yes ! " Blessed are the clean of heart." St. Matth. v. 8.
On the contrary how unhappy are they who have fallen
by the opposite vice into the power of the devil, and be
come the slaves to the lusts of the flesh. The very contrary
may be said here : " O how abominable is the unchaste gen
eration with reproach, the memory thereof is death, infamy
and shame before God and before men. Everlasting fire will
chastise their bodies and souls ; they shall be torinented ac
cording to the measure they have filled with iniquity," " A3
much as she hath been in delip^pjeg, sp much 'torment ait^

201 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
sorrow give unto her," Aj oc. xviii. 17. May God guard yon
against the least shadow of this vice, especiallj' against any
violation of conjugal fidelity. In conclusion : fly and resist
the first appearance of any temptation against this heavenly
virtue ; resist not in part, but wholly.
The Seventh Commandment,
Q. What does this commandment enjoin what does it
forbid ?
A. It enjoins and requires that we observe equity and jus-
tice in buying and selling, and to promote our neighbor's ad
vantage on every occasion.
It forbids stealing, fraud, usury, and every other unjust
violation of the rights and property of our neighbor.
How much these sins are opposed to Christian charity, ap
pears from the saying of the Apostle : " Tliieves shall not
possess the kingd.om of God." 1 Cor. vi.
Q. Who sins by stealing ?
A. He who secretly appropriates the property of his
neighbor against his will. lie who does so in the presence of
the owner by violence, commits robbery,
Q. Who sins by fraud ?
A. He who defrauds his neighbor in trade and business, in
buying and selling, namely, if he sells him spoiled goods,
gives him false weight or measure, or false money; if he
takes unjust pay for his labor, or does not labor in accord
ance with the contract he has made; if he counterfeits docu
ments, or bribes judges, that they may decide a lawsuit in
his favor to the prejudice of his neighbor,
Q. Who sins by usury ?
A. He who takes a higher percentage than is permitted
by law ; who hoards up or monopolizes grain or goods, in
order to raise the price ; in general, he who abuses the want
and ignorance of his neighbor to his neighbor's loss and his
own profit.
Q. Who else sins against the seventh commandment by
causing damage ?
A. The functionaries of the state who use for their own
advantage the public revenues of the commonwealth, AH
those who carry on unjust lawsuits; and all f\ttornies QT
lawyers who knowingly sustain such suits.

ON CHARITY, 205
Judges who decide a cause against justice and law ; paients
who unjustly prefer and favor one child before the others, and
bestow upon him a portion to the detriment of their other
children. Children, who after receiving the patrimony of their pa
rents, do not support them, in as far as they are bound in
duty, or who do not fulfil tho last will of their parents, de
frauding thereby their brothers and sisters.
Servants who distribute or give away food or other articles
belonging to the house, without the wjll or consent of their
masters and mistresses.
Merchants who declare themselves insolvent or unable to
pay, and thereby take the money or property of others se
cretly to themselves, and apply it to their own use.
Mechanics, who do their work badly, so that it will not
last any time. Also those who slander and calumniate other
mechanics, for the purpose of drawing to themselves a greater*
run of custom.
Neighbors who move the landmarks on their fields so as
to make them larger. Millers and tradesmen generally who
retain part of the goods belonging to others. Counterfeiters
of coin who make false money.
All those who damage trees on another's premises, or cause
any other damage in forests. Persons who do not pay tithe,
if custom require it of them, or, who do not comply with the
obligation contracted by them towards_ the Church. To
these-, especially in America, belong those, who, without pay
ing their pew-rent leave the congregation, and consequently
defraud it.
Smugglers, who make it their particular business to smug
gle goods into the country against the express prohibition of
the civil authority. Grant, if you will, that such persons do
not always sin against justice, yet the nature of their occupa
tion is such that it exposes them to frequent occasions of sin
by fraud and lying, and becomes thus more or less dishonest.
Debtors, who neglect to pay their debts.
All persons who buy stolen goods, or take them into their
keeping, or assist thieves in their evil courses.
Finally, all those who keep articles which they have found,
^fter finding out the owner.
Q. Wbich is the principal cause that seduces men into
those vioUtJQiis of another's property ?

206 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
A. 1, The evil inclinations of the heart, which tempt manji
from their very youth to commit theft and fraud. Experience
furnishes the most remarkable proof of this.
2. The bad example of others. St. Austin relates of him
self that he, in his youth, was induced by bad example t<j
steal. S. Augustinus, I. 2. confess, c. viii.
3. Bad company united to licentious and unbridled conduct.
They lead young persons into the occasion of gambling, danc
ing, and company that makes them lose their money, and
subsequently induces them to steal, in order to keep up their
wicked courses,
4, The ambitious desire of leading a life above their rank
and means. Parents should, therefore, as soon as they dis
cover in their children an inclination to stealing, use their
utmost endeavors, to eradicate, immediately, such an ungodly
propensity, by severe chastisement, and leave nothing undone
*o withdraw their children from bad company, and to induce
them to live a simple and frugal life, as regards their food,
dwelling, dress, and other necessaries of life. But, alas !
many parents do not act thus ; and there are even some who,
by their words and examples positively induce their children
to steal and to carry home what they have stolen. Such pa
rents, however, receive in return, often even in this life, the
curse of their children, and carry it with them to the grave,
because God frequently permits that sins of the kind against
justice, are punished and chastised, even in this world, accord
ing to their just desert. Parents who are so forgetful of their
duty, should call to mind the fact related by St. Bernardino
of Sienna, of a youth, who, when being led to the gallows,
called for his father to embrace him, as it was thought, for
the last time. However, it was not so ; instead of that, he
bit a piece out of his father's cheek, to thank him for the fat.al
indulgence he had shown him in regard to the thefts com
mitted in his early youth, saying, "Your cruel indulgence
has brought me to the gallows, from which your chastisement
might have saved me."
Q. What are they bound to do who sin against the seventh
commandment ?
_ A. They are bound to make restitution. " Without res
titution," says St. Augustine, "the sin is not forgiven."
Alas ! but few seem to think of this in good earnest, nay,
man}-, or the contrary make even a bad confession, because

ON CHARITY, 207
they neglect this duty, and God alone knows how many are,
on that account, eternally lost,
Q. Who is to make restitution ?
A. In the first place, he who caused the damage mediately
or immediately, or who possesses the unjustly acquired goods
or their value. Secondly : should that person not repair the
damage, then they are bound to do it, who participated in
the sin by counsel or deed, or they who did not prevent the
damage, if they could do so, and were bound to do so by con
ract or duty.
Q. To whom must restitution be made ?
A. To the owner or his heirs ; and should this be impos
sible, it must be made to the poor, or for other pious pui-
poses, Q. How much must be restored ?
A. If a man has wilfully and unjustly taken possession of
another's property, then he must repair all the damage aris- .
ing therefrom to the owner. But if the damage was done
without his knowledge and consent, then he must restore as
muoli of the ill-gotten goods as there is yet remaining, and
as much as he has injured the other in his gains, to this he
is, however, only bound, if he has grown richer by possessing
the ill-gotten goods. But in both cases restitution is made
wi-th deduction of the expenses which the owner would have
to incur himself
Q. When must restitution be made?
A. Without delay.
Q. But what is he to do who is not able to make restitu
tion ?
A. He must have the sincere desire of making it, as soon
as possible, and must endeavor to render himself capable of
complying with this duty. But in order to do this, he should
ask and follow the counsel and decision of an enlightened con
fessor, and not constitute himself his own judge, so that he
may act more safely and prudently.
Q. What is one to dc, '.i he find things belonging to an
other person ?
A. He must take care that the owner may learn where he
can recover that which he has lost. Should this not be done,
and it be afterwards unknown who is the owner, then tH
thing found or the value of it is to be given to the poor, or tc
be employed in other pious purposes. But should one hav»

*.08 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RE LIGION,
oeen unable to find the owner, in that case he can keep the
thing found for himself.
He that finds a treasure, is to observe the same rule, unless
the laws of the country determine otherwise,
Q. What kind of theft is most detestable ?
A. That of sacrilege,, namely, if one steals things dedica
ted to God, and things that are holy, or any thing else out of
a holy place.
Q. For what reasons should we particularly abstain from
any theft or injury of another's property ?
A. First : on account of the constant gnawing of conscience,
by which theft is followed. Second: on acconnt of the ne
cessity of restoring- every thing that we steal, if we ever intend
to obtain pardon from God, Why therefore should we steal,
if in any case, we are to restore? Third: on account of the
certainty of death, which will so soon take every thing awa,y
from us. Fourthly: on account of the consequences attend
ing theft in eternity, either in purgatory or, perhaps, even in
hell. Practice. Be honest even in the smallest thing, and never
take the least thing which does not belong to you. Be con
tent with what you have ; you do not live .for the sake of this
world ; remember that you remain here below but for a short
time. Guard yourself against idleness, intemperance, gaming
for money ; against pride and vanity, and love of pleasure ;
for all these things induce to fraud, theft and injvstice.. But
if you have been so unfortunate as to .injure your neighbor in
his property, -then do all you can to lepair the injustio-" with
out delay ; or else penance will be iu vain, and the salv^uon
of your soul in the greatest danger.
The Eighth Commandment,
Q. What are we commanded to do, and what forbidden by
tills commandment ?
A. We are commanded to speak well of our neighbor, ana
to defend his honor as far as we can.
We are forbidden to injure our neighbor's honcr by false
witness, backbiting, calumny, slander, detraction, 'ash judg-'
ment, suspicion, tale-bearing, and disgracing our neighbor;
finally we are forbidden to tell lies, to be hypocrites or pre
tended saints.

ON CHARITY, 209
Q. What do you mean by false witness ?
A. False witness Js, "saying something against any one tha«
is not true, especially in a court of justice, or concealing in
tentionally what is true, to the injury of the person whom it
concerns. False witness is generally a great sin against God, against
our neighbors, and against human society, the welfare of
which is universally endangered by false witness,
Q. What is it that generally induces men to bear false
witness ?
A. 1, Money, if one suffers himself to be bribed by
others.- 2. Any 'other advantage,
3. The inordinate love of one's relations and friends,
4. Aversion and hatred against others.
5, Human respect.
It often happens that God punishes false 'witness by special -
chastisement even in this world, particularly if it be combined
with false oaths.
Q. What is calumny ?
A. Calumny is imputing faults to others of whicl} they, are
not guilty, and divulging them as if they were true, " If a
serpent bite in silence, he is -notlung better that backbiteth
secretly," Eccls. x. 11,
Calumny is, therefore, a sin either mortal or venial, accord
ing as the good name of our neighbor is thereby wounded
more or less grievously, •
To determine the grievousness of the sin in a particular
case_'we must not only regard the thing whicb was spoken,
but also, th^ person of whom it was said, since tbe character
of a person may render the\injury done to his honor the greaf;-
er. For it is a greater sin to calumniate a priest and a su
perior, thafl if persons less esteemed and of less influenoe are
calumniated. Moreover, tbe sin is*the greater the greater the injury is
which flows from the calumny ; the greater the number of
persons injured by it, and the more malicious the intention
with which it was uttered.
The same is said of detraction,
Q. What is detraction ?
A. Detraction- is publishing the actual faults of others,
when one has no right to do so. " The detractor is the abom-

210 manual of the catholic religion.
ination of men." Prov. xxiv. 9. " Detractors are hateful to
God." Rom. i. 30.
The reason is that the detractor wounds charity in its most
tender part, since he injures the good name of a man, which,
according to Holy Scripture, is far above the value of any
other thing that can be possessed. " A good name is better
than great riches ; as good favor is above silver and gold."
Prov. xxii. 1 .
The detractor, moreover, becomes often the cause of nu
merous quarrels, enmities and great scandals
Q. When is it lawful to speak of the faults of our neigh
Dor? A. 1. When the object is to correct our neighbor,
2. To warn others.
3. To protect or defend one's self.
Q. Is it a sin to listen to a calumny, or detraction ?
A. Yes ; 1. If by listening or by speaking to the detracto
we encourage him intis detraction or calumny.
2. If we inwardly rejoice that the good name of our neigh.
bor is attacked, even though we should not have given rise
to the detraction or calumny. " It is difficult," says St. B-er-
nard, " to decide which is more damnable, to listen to the de
traction or to the detractor." Lib. 2. de Consid.
Q. What should we, therefore do if we hear that the good
name of our neighbor is injured?
A. 1. We should interrupt the detractor, or if we have any
authority over him we should tell him to be silent,
2. If we have no authority over him, we should then man
ifest our displeasure at such discourse by a severe look, by
sudden silence or any other exterior sign, and endeavor, if
possible, to turn the conversation to something else, or other
wise to excuse the fault as much as possible ; in a word, we
should observe how dangerous it is to believe what people say
when it concerns the faults of our neighbor ; or if we cannot
stop the evil conversation, we should go away.
" Hedge in thy ears with thorns ; hear not a wicked tongue,"
Eccles. xxviii 28.
" The north wind driveth away rain, as doth a sad conn-
tenance a backbiting tc-ngue." Prov. xxv. 23.
Q. What is he bound to do who has injured his neighbor's
reputation ?
A. He must restore the reputation of his neighbor. Sure-

ON CHARITY. 211
ly if one is bound to repair the damage which he does to his
neighbor in his material property, he is much more bound to
do so, when he has injured a much greater good, namely, tha
good name of his neighbor.
Should the neighbor sustain temporal damage from the in
jury done to his good name, he that caused it must repair the
damage. Q. How is one to restore. his neighbor's good name?
A. If he did calumniate his neighbor, he must recall the
calumny, and justify his neighbor in the opinion of all those
who listened to the calumny.
But if he merely detracted the person, i. e., spoken of ac
tual but as yet unknown faults, then he is to remove the im
pression he made on others, as far as he possibly can, by ex
cusing his neighbor, bestowing praise which he otherwise
merited, &c. And he must take care to do this to every one
who heard the detraction. Ho who seriously reflects on this
great duty of recalling the detraction, will certainly guard
himself against committing this sin ; for, to restore the good
name of which a person was robbed, is found to be attended
with the greatest difficulty, so much so, indeed, as to make
one feel that it is hardly ever done. And yet how many sin
-with the greatest levity by the vice of detraction, from child
hood even to old age. Children who speak ill of their pa-
ren ts and teachers, and school-fellows, and calumniate them ;
servants who slander their masters, andmasters their servants,
one tradesman the other, subjects their spiritual and tempo
ral superiors, and the latter their subjects : all these sin
against this commandment.
Add to this the detractions caused by the impulse of so
many vehement passions, such as aversion, hatred, envy
anger, vengeance, garrulity, and drunkenness.
And yet, how few are there, that think of restoring the
good name, of which they robbed their neighbor!
Q. Are there any reasons that excuse us, in part, from re
storing the good name of our neighbor ?
A. Yes. - 1. Impossibility; namely, if we cannot find out
what influence the detraction has had.
2. The just fear that to mention again the reputatimi of tha
neighbor would, perhaps, expose it to new injury. In this
case, we are partly excused, especially if the people already
begin gradually to forget the detraction, or are inclined to be

212 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION
lieve the evil rather than the good, we are telling. Therefore,
if no duty command us to speak, where a fault of our neigh
bor is concerned, then follow rather the counsel of the Wise
Man : " Tell not thy mind to friend or foe, and if there be a
sin with thee, disclose it not." Eccles. xix, 8,
Q. What is backbiting ?
A. It is censuring the absent, by speaking of their known
faults without necessity. This is often sinful, either because
charity is wounded thereby, or because it is useless, and may
yet give occasion to temptation or detraction. Truly, it is a
beautiful sign of Christian charity and perfection, if one never
sins against his neighbor by speaking ill of him. On the
contrary, there is no vice, by which a" pious soul is more
easily cast into grievous sin, than that of an unbridled
tongue, if the character of his neighbor is at stake,
Q. When do we sin by rash judgment ?
A. When, without sufficient reason, we form within our
selves the opinion that another has committed. this or that
sin.. Q. Is judging rashly sometimes a grievous sin?
A. Yes ; if, for very light reasons, we form a certain
opinion that our neighbor has committed a mortal sin, espe
cially if he be otherwise a very virtuous person.
Q. When is judging thus rashly more particularly to be
condemned ?
A. When one goes so far as rashly to pronounce another's
intention as bad, where he cannot condemn the action. This
shows a great want of charity.
Q. Why should we avoid this sin more particularly ?
A. Because it is so often committed, and so diametricallv
opposite to the love of our neighbor; and because Christ our
Lord solemnly forbids us to judge others, promising, on the
contrary, a propitious sentence to him who keeps himself
free from this vice : " Judge not, that you may not be judged,"
Math, vii. 1. Finally, because we are very easily deceived
in judging of our neighbor by exterior signs, for although
they seem to be certain, they may be so only in appearance.
Think of Joseph and Susanna, Would you not have sup
posed, that perhaps Joseph did render himself guilty of the
crime of which his wicked mistress accused him, if you had
seen the cloak in her hands, which she showed ti her husband
Putiphar, in proof of her criminal accusation ? And yet ho

ON CHARITY, 218
was mnooent, and sc was Susanna, though she was accused by
two of tae most respected judges of the people. St. John
the Baptist and our Lord himself were falsely judged, and
this too by the scribes and doctors of the law. The lives of
the saints prove the same thing. How many of them were
unjustly and falsely condemned, and very often this was not
known until after their death. Therefore, let us not judge,
but leave the judgment to Him who searches the heart — God !
Q. How does it happen that men are so prone to judge
rashly ?
A. 1. On account of man's natural propensity to evil, and
the consciousness of the real malice and faultiness. " Yea
and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas he himself
is a fool, esteemeth all men fools." Eccles. x. 3. *
2. On account of hatred and envy. For he who sincerely
loves any one, interprets the actions of the same favorably,
whereas he who dislikes another, or perhaps even hates him,
censures every thing that person may do.
3. On account of pride, which is always pleased to see the
neighbor humbled.
Q. How may we cure our proneness to judging rashly ?
A. Tbe first means is an humble acknowledgment of our
own baseness. "He that is without sin among you," says
Christ, "first cast a stone at her." St. John,'viii. 7. And
St. Ambrose : " Let him judge the fault of his neighbor,
who has not in his own heart what he should condemn." S.
Ambr. super. Ps. ox. The ancient poets sang of a woman,
called Lamia, who, as often as she went out put in her eyes,
bit- kept them locked up at home, and was there of course
blind. Those who judge others, act in a similar way, they
use their e-.jes to see and judge the faults of others, 'but are
blind as io their own. " Why seest thou a mote in thy
brother's eye, and seest not a beam in thy own eye ? Thou
hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thy own eye, and
then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's
eye," St. Matth. Yii. 3-5,
The second means is to remember often the words of
Christ : "Judge not, that you may not be judged. For with
what juds^ment you have judged,-^ you shall be judged." St.
Matth. vii. '1, 2. And the great merit of charity is, that it
covers a multitude of sins.
Tbe third is to call to mind the examples of the saints, e»

214 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION
pecially that of St, Augustine, St, Bernard, and St, Ignatius,
who are such bright examples in the practice of this virtue,
and who exhort us so earnestly to imitation,
Q. What do you mean by false suspi(Uon ?
A. We have false suspicion if without a siifijcient reason
we suspect something bad of our neighbor, but yet are not
firmly settled in our opinion. This sin is ordinarily venial ;
but it leads to rash judgment, and hence all that we have
said above regarding rash judgment, is also, in a certain
manner, true of false suspicion, though in a less degree,
Q. What is tale-bearing ?
A. Tale-bearing is telling without necessity to another, what
this or that one has said of him, the ordinary consequence of
which is enmity and hatred. " The whisperer and the double-
tongued is accursed : for he has troubled many that rere at
peace." Eccles. xxviii. 15. And again: "Six things there
are which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul dotesteth
— him that soweth' discord among brethren." Prov. vi. 16;
vii, 19,
Q. How do we sin by disgracing our neighbor?
A. By rendering our neighbor contemptible, by means of
exterior signs, such as derision, sneers, cursiiig, or by carica
tures and unjust libels. How grevious and dangerous this sin
frequently is, appears from the threats of Christ : " Whoever
shall say, Thou fool, shall be guilty of hell fire." St. Math. 5.
22. " The stroke of a whip maketh a blue mark : but the
stroke of the tongue will break the bones." Eccles. xxviii, 21
Q. What is a lie ?
A. A lie is a falsehood told intentionally to deceive an
other. There are four kinds of lies :
1. The ordinary lie, if one knowingly tells a falsehood
without any further intention.
2. The pernicious lie, if one tells a lie in order to injure
another, 3. The jocose lie, if one tells a falsehood in jest.
4, The officious lie, i. e., ii one tells a lie in order to avert
from himself or another any evil,
Q. Is it allowed to tell a lie ?
A. No ; for we are never allowed to do any thing repug
nant to the perfections of God ; and God is essentially true.
Q. Who is the author of lies ?
A, The devil. Holy Scripture calls him, "a liar and tho

ON CHARITY, 21^
father thereof." John, viii. 41. In heaven he seduced the
angels, so that they fell off from God, and in paradise he se
duced Eve by his false promise: " No, you shall not die the
death, you shall be as gods." Gen. iii. 4. St. Ambrose
therefore says justly : '' Brethren, take heed against lies, for
all that lie, are .children of the devil, not by their pedigree,
but their crime."
Q. Are we always bound to tell every one the truth ?
A. No ; we may also remain silent, or conceal the truth
by a fitting answer, but without a lie ; this is allowable if an
evil might follow, in case our neighbor should come to learn
the truth.
Q. Is there any other way of lying than by words ?
A. Yes ; by hyprocrisy and dissimulation, namely, if from
a desire of pleasing others, we try to appear better and more
pious, than we really are, " Woe to you, scribes and phari-
sees, hypocrites; because you are like whited sepulchres,
which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full
of dead men's bones, and of all filthiness. So you also out
wardly indeed appear to men just, but within you are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity," St. Matth. xxiii. 27, 28..
Q. Is it a duty to take care of one's good name?
A. Yes ; we are to do so by leading a pious and righteous
life, and by avoiding even the shadow of evil, according to the
admonition of the Apostle : " From all appearance of evil
.refrain yourselves." 1 Thess. v. 22. The reason is the obliga
tion of giving a good example, and the preservation of the
necessary authority and influence for the welfare and salvation
of our neighbor. " Let your light so shine before men, that
they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who
is in heaven." St. Matth. v. 16. And St, Bernard says :
" You owe your good conscience to God, but your good name
to your neighbor."
Q. What are we to do if our good name is attacked by
'-alumny ?
A. We should defend it in humility and with moderation,
if the honor of God and our souls' salvation require it so, but
if not, then should we bear it in silence after the example of
Christ, and suffer ths persecution patiently.
"For we foresee what may bo good not c>nly before God,
but also before men." Cor. viii. 21.

216 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
But also : " If you be reproached for the name of Christy
you shall be happy," 1 Pet. iv. 14,
Practice. Love the truth, speak the truth; hate, abhor
fly from falsehood ; to lie is the mark of the children of satan,
for he was a liar from the beginning. Guard, too, against ex
aggeration and avoid vehement speech. Above all, never
speak uncharitably of others, or of their faults, save when
necessity requires it : but love to speak of their virtues ; be
rather silent concerning thyself, true humility and modesty
being therein thy guides.

The Ninth and Tenth Commandments,
Q. What is ordained by these two commandments ?
A. Sincerity of heart and benevolence towards all, so that
we wish others well from the bottom of our hearts.
Q,. What is forbidden by these two commandments ?
..4. Every unlawful desire after other persons or the prop
erty of other persons.
Q. Why are we even forbidden to covet the property of
another ?
A. 1. Because it is inordinate and unjust to desire what we
cannot lawfully possess,
2, Because such desires include within themselves the seed
of and the impulse to unjust actions,
"The lust thereof shall be under thee, and thou shalt have
dominion over it," were the words of God to Cain, who was
the first that sinned in this manner. Gen. iv, 7.
Q. Do we sin by the mere thoughts, without the desire of
executing them ?
A. Certainly we do, if wo dwell upon them deliberately,
for the reason just stated above. Such thoughts have refer
ence to something bad, and are apt to excite in us unla-wful
desires. Q. What are we to do, if evil thoughts and desires insinu
ate themselves into our heart against our will ?
A. We are not to lose courage, nor grow faint-hearted,
but we are to resist their attacks with constancy, and from
the beginning ; the tempter will fly, and the victory gained
will bring us each time a new reward. Blessed is the man
that endureth temptation ; for when he hath been proved, ha

ON CHARITY, 217
»hall receive the crown of life, which God hath promised to
those Svlio love him, St. James, i. 12.
Practice. — Suffer not thyself to be vexed by the tempta
tions of evil desires. Resist them at the beginning and en
tirely, and endeavor to fill your heart rather with a great de
sire for the fulfilment of the law as it is described by the
Apostle. Charity is patient, is kind ; charity envieth not,
dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is not ambitious,
seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no
evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth,
beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, en
dureth all things ; charity never faileth." 1 Cor. xiii. 4-8.
Examine yourself often upon these marks of the true love of
God and your neighbor. If this love be within you, envy
and ill-will will have no place in your heart ; you will fulfil
the commandments of the Lord with ease, and live in and
with God, who is a God of love and charity.

On the Commandments of the Church,
Q. Are Christians bound to observe any other command
ments besides the ten commandments of God ?
A. Certainly; the commandments of the Church.
Q. From whom has the Church received power to give us
commandments ?
A. From our Lord Jesus Christ, the founder of the Church,
who said to his Apostles in explicit terms : " As the Father
hath sent me, 1 also send you." " He that heareth you, hear
eth me." '^ Whatsoever ye shall bind upon earth, shall
be bound in heaven," St. Luke x. 16 ; St. Matthcm
xviii. 18, And: "If he will not hear the Church, let him bo
to thee as the heathen and publican." St. Matth. xviii. 17.
Read how St. Chrysostom, Theophilus, and Euthymius, intei-
pret those words of St. Matthew in his 18th chap. Listen
also to the words of St. Paul : " And he went through Syria,''
says he, " and Cilicia, confirming the churches ; commandhig
them to keep the precepts of the Apostles and the ancients."
Acts, XV. 41.
Q. Are we, therefore, to regard the commandments of tlie
Church as mere commandments of men?
A. I%» ; but as commandments of the Lord himself, who,
10

218 MANUAL OF the CATHOLIC RELIGION
through His Chujch, with which He always is, guides and rules
the faithful ; by His authority and commission tne Church
commands us.
Q. Why does the Church give such commandments and
make such regulations?
A. To guide us in leading Christian lives.
Q, How many commandment* of the Church are there
that are binding on all the faithful }
A, There are five ; namely,
1, Thou shalt keep the holydaj>« or feasts instituted, bj
the Church,
2, Thou shalt hear Mass with due i#>> .-^tion on Sundays anti
holy days of obligation,
3. Advent, Lent, Ember-days, and vigils thou shalt fast.
On Fridays, also, flesh thou shalt not eat,
4, Confess your sins at least once a year, to joi'r past^ir, or
another priest duly authorized, .ind receive the Blessed Sa
crament at Easter-time.
5. Thou shalt not solemnize marriage at certain prohibited
times. Regarding the faithful in America, where the Church of
God is not sufficiently provided as yet with temporal pro
perty, the bishops ^eem it necessary to admonish them by a
general precept, of the duty of assisting the Church and her
ministers as far as possible. The first Christians did so of
their own accord; but this duty rests, according to St, Paul,
on the example in the Old Testament, and on the ordinance
of God, that " they that serve the altar, partake with the al
tar ;" and, " they who preach the gospel should live by tho
gospel," 1 Cor. ix, 13-14.

The First Commandment of the Church.
Q, What does this commandment ordain ?
A. That we must keep the holydays, and sanctify tftem,
particularly by the practice of Christian piety.
Q, What does this conimandment forbid ?
A, All servile work, and especially that by which the fes
tival devotion is disturbed and prevented, or perhaps even
derided and profiined,
Q, Why did the Church institute the feasts of our Lord ?

ON CHARITY. fclft
~ A. In order that we might more certainly, and in a liveli
er manner, remember the life, sufferings and death of our
Lord and Saviour, so that, meditating upon them, we may
render our lives true copies of His, 'With this intention, the
Church instituted the holy time of Advent, in order to fill our
hearts with the longing desire of our fathers in the faith, and
to prepare us for the comjng of the Lord by the solemnity ol
His gracious birth. Next, the Church celebrates the com
memoration of the childhood and youth of the Lord, His
public ministry. His passion and death. We are put in
mind of this by the holy season of Lent, which is followed
by the solemnities of Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost
or Whit-Sunday, and Trinity Sunday. The feast of Corpus
Christi and the remaining Sundays are to remind and exhort
us, how we have to live in and through Jesus Christ, to the
end, that, together with all the saints, we may celebrate the
feast of the most Holy Trinity for ever in heaven.
Q. Why did the Church institute the feasts of the Blessed
Virgin Mary and the other saints ?
A. 1. That we might praise God for the graces which He
bestowed upon them, and for the wonderful works which He
wrought through them.
2. That we might the more vividly reme.mber their exam
pie and their present glorification, and recommend ourselves
the more earnestly to their intercession, that by following
them upon earth, we might be united with them for ever as
children of the CRurch triumphant in heaven.
Q. Has the Church also the power oif retrenching or limit
ing the number of those festival days ?
A. Certainly ; she can do this in the same power and in
the same spirit in which she instituted them ; that is, if she
deems it conducive to the honor of God and profitable to our
salvation. For the doctrine of the Church is certainly at all
times the same ; but it is different with regard to the institu
tions and ordinances which she has made, in the course of
ages, for the welfare and salvation of the faithful : in those
thing.s she is to take into account tne difference of times and
places. The Church considers what is the most salutary in this re
spect, and makes her regulations accordingly,
Q. By what means, therefore, do we sanctify the Sunday*
and holydays, particularly in the spirit of the Church ?

220 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
A. 1, By beginning the day with prayer and thanksgiving
according to the spirit of the particular festival,
2. By assisting at the holy sacrifice of the Mass with de
vout attention.
3. By a good confession and a worthy communion received
with due preparation, and followed by thanksgiving ; remem
bering the mystery of the day, and ardently desiring to par
ticipate in the graces which God is ready to bestow. This is
the particular way in which the first Christians sanctified the
festivals of the Church ; every one of them appioached the
holy table, having previously prepared himself with all pos
sible care,
4. By listening attentively to the word of God when ox-
plained, the announcement of which in memory of the mys
teries of grace, places it the more vividly and efficaciously
before the eyes of the faithful, warms their heart and
strengthens their will.
5. By assisting at divine service in the afternoon and even
ing, and by practicing such other exercises of devotion, as we
shall deem most fit to raise our minds to God in praise, de
votion, and heartfelt prayer. We should recite the acts of
faith, hope, and charity, on those days, with particular energy
and internal affection.
6. By pious discourses, mutually exhorting each other to
good actions ; by works of mercy and charity towards our
neighbor, and by reading good books. Thus the day is ren
dered a day of rest^iu the Lord. Alas ! that so many are
wanting in this respect, nay, but too often commit more sins
on those days than any other.
Q. IIow does one sin, therefore, against the sanctification
of Sundays and holydays ?
A. 1. By servile work. But if such a work will not ad
mit of delay, then we should impose upon ourselves the task
of performing another good work instead thereof, and give
special alms for some pious intention.
2. By publicly buying and selling, parficularly during the
time allotted to the public service of God.
3. By idleness, or by gaming, dancing, drinking, and keep
ing bad company. " I would rather, that young men should
plough, and young women spin, than that they should be
gaming and dancing." St. Augustine, lib. de 10 cord.

ON CHARITY, '221
4, By n^isy, disorderly hunting parties, particularly if
they induce neglect of the service of God,
Practice. — Consider once more the exercises of virtue al
ready recommended to you under the third commandment of
God. What was there said of the sanctification of the Sun
day, holds good, also, of the festival days. Rut study, more
over, to live, during the whole year, accord ng to the spirit
of the Church, and use every opportunity of preparing your
self worthily for these festivals, according to the circum
stances of times and place, and of celebrating them with due
solemnity and great recollection of mind. Follow the coun
sel of the. venerable Thomas a Kempis: to solemnize every
festival so, as if you were celebrating it for the last time in
your life. Were you to keep holy, in this manner, the time
of Advent and Christmas, of Lent and Easter, Pentecost,
and all the other feasts of our Lord, and of His blessed
Mother, for only one year, O, how much would that one ec-
cesiastical year contribute to the sanctification of your life!

The Second Commandment op the Church,
Q. What does this commandment oblige us to do ?
A. It obliges us to hear, with true devotion, an entire and
ODmplete Mass on Sundays and festival days of obligation,
Q. Why are we particularly commanded to hear Mass on
Sundays and holydays ]
A. Because the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the most im
portant and the most sublime part of _the service of God, it
being the sacrifice of the new law, in which Jesus Christ is
offered anew by the hands of the priest.
Q. Who is bound by this commandment to hear Mass ?
A. Every Christian who has come to the full use of reason,
(generally attained about the age of seven,) unless he may
have reasons that excuse him, as for instance, sickness, neces
sary works of chanty ; or a very great distance from the
church, particularly if the weather be bad, necessary care of
the house, etc,
Q. Does this commandment bind under pain of mortal sin
A. Certainly, it does.
Q. In what manner are we to hear Mass ?
A. We are t'^ h^ar it, 1st, with due devotion and atten

222 manual of the catholic religion.
tion. St. Chrysostom says : " As often as the holy MasS is
celebrated, multitudes of holy Angels surround the altars of
the Lord, and adore. Lib. de Sacerd. Men should bend their
knees also, at least during the consecration.
2. Entirely. He who does not remain present at Mass
from the beginning of the offertory till after the communion
of the priest, if he can do so, sins mortally.
Q. How, therefore, does one sin against this commandment ?
A. If without a sufficient reason he neglects Mass either
entirely or in part. Further, if during the holy sacrifice of
the Mass he indulges in willful distractions, talk, sleep, laugh,
gaze about, or behave irreverently in any other way, and thus
disturb his own and others' devotion.
Q. Is it useful and salutary to hear Mass also on week
days ?
A. Very useful and salut.ary indeed ; for, 1st. he who
assists devoutly at the holy sacrifice of the Mass, participates
in a multitude of divine favors, since it is the sacrifice in which
.7 esus Christ offers himself, supplicating His heavenly Father
fctt- us, rendering us thereby, in a particular manner, partici
pants in the fruits of the redemption of mankind effected by
His death on the cross.
2. Because by hearing Mass the temporal punishments of
sin are remitted, and we obtain many graces which protect
us, in the temptations of the day, against falling into sin,
3. Because, as the Council of Trent teaches us, and exper
ience proves, " God also grants, by the holy sacrifice of the
Mass, his blessing and help to us in our temporal affairs and
and necessities." Cone. Trid., Sess. xxii.
Q. Are we also obliged to hear the sermon and the explari-
s,tion of the Christian doctrine on Sundays and festivals ?
A. Certainly ; if not by the letter, at least by the spirit of
this commandment, and also for other reasons. For the
Church desires that we should assist at the entire service of
God. But since in the early times of Christianity the sermon
was given immediately after the Gospel, (as it is still in some
places,) the Church had no need of binding the faithful by a
special command to hear the sermon.
Further, the Church desires that we be well instructed .and
zealous Christians, who know what they are to believe and to
do, and who do it for their own sanctification and mutual edi
fication. To this end, the hearing of the word of God, au

ON CHARITY, 33S
nounced in a sermon, greatly contributes. Moreover, by
neglecting to hear the word of God, we may very possibly
scandalize our neighbor and induce him to commit the same
neglect. " He that is of God," says Jesus Christ, " heareth
the words of God. Therefore, you hear them not, because
you are not of God." St. John, viii. 47.
Q. How are we to hear the word of God ?
A. With attention and respect, without distraction or dis
sipation of mind, desiring ardently to understand the same,
and- to receive the light of the Holy Ghost into our hearts.
" Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it."
St. Luke, xi. 38.
Q. Who is particularly bound to assist at the sermon, and
still more to listen to the explanation of the Christian doc
trine ?
A. He who is not as yet perfectly instructed in the prin
ciples of faith and morals, or who is bound to do so by other
rules and regulations of his ecclesiastical superiors : such as
young people at school, &c.
Practice. — ^^Impossibility or other very weighty reasons c^n
alone excuse you from hearing Mass on Sundays and holydays.
If one live in a place where theire are two masses on these
days, i. e., an early mass and a high mass, he should, if he be
married, assist at one of them, alndhis wife at the other : for
fathers and mothers of a family do not satisfy this precept of
hearing Mass, if the mother goes to Mass on one Sunday, and
the father on the next : such a practice will satisfy only in a
place where there is said biit one Mass, as it frequently hap
pens in the country. If you are a servalnt, servant-maid, or
workman, and if the conditions of your service do not allow
you to hear the parochial Mass on holydays of obligation, as
may be the case in this country, yo'ii should then endeavor to
be present at an early Mass, and at the evening service if pos
sible, and practice also some particular devotions on those
days, which, though they are not of obligation in this country,
yet are solemnized in Catholic countries. This latter part
should also be observed on those days that were formerly of
obligation, but are not so at present. If the Church, adapting
herself to the circumstances of the times, no longer binds us
by a command to keep theim, nevertheless, it is her wish that,
living in accordance with her spirit, we should derive from
them all the 'advantages in our power to obtain.

224 manual of thb ca:holic religion.

The Third Commandment of the Church.
Q. What are we obliged to do by this commandment ?
A. We are obliged to observe the fast-days prescribed by
the Church :
1. Lent, i. e., the forty days from Ash-Wednesday till Eas.
ter, with the exception of the Sundays, The Church has or
dained them since the time .of the Apostles, in commemora-
tion and imitation of the forty days' fast of Jesus Christ, in
memory of his bitter passion, and as a worthy preparation for
the solemnity of the great festival of Easter.
2, The Ember days, or quarterly fiists, on the Wednesdays,
Fridays, and Saturdays after the third Sunday in Advent,
after the first Sunday in Lent, in the week after Pentecost,
and after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in
the month of September,
The Church ordained these fasts, in order to thank God in
a particular manner, every quarter of a year, for all the graces
and gifts obtained from him, .ind thereby to put the faithful
in mind of the constant duty of penance, and to ask God for
worthy priests, as it is usually on those Ember-days that the
Church ordains her ministers.
3. The vigils or eves of great feasts, in order to prepare
worthily for their celebration. In many places, these vigils
have been transferred to some day in Advent ; regarding them
we are to observe the custom of the place in which we live,
Q. To what does this precept of the Church oblige us ?
A. 1. To take but one full meal in a day.
2, To abstain from flesh ; unless one has obtained a dis
pensation. 3. To observe the time for taking the meal, that is, about
noon, unless we are excused by some weighty reason.
In the evening we may take a collation permitted on fast
days, to the amount of about eight ounces, according to St.
Liguori and other theologians of the Church.
In the morning we are not allowed any thing but some cof
fee or some other light drink of the kind with a small quan
tity of bread. This is now the common custom approved bj
the superiors and rulers of the Church,
With regard to the use 3f flesh at the full meal a great mit
igation has taken place in several countries and dioceses, and

ON CHARITY. 225
the people are to y.. serve the customs and regulations which
the lawful authorities of the Church have ordained in those
several places in that respect,
Q. Who is bound to observe the fasts appohited by the
Church ?
A. Every Catholic Christian who is not excused by age,
labor, or weakness.
The following are excused from the rigorous observance of
the fast :
1, Those who have not yet reached the age of twenty-one,
2, Old people who are past sixty.
3, The sick and infirm, according to the judgment of the
physician, -4. Women who are in a state of pregnancy, or those who
are nursing.
5. Those who are employed at hard work.
6. Those who are travelling, particularly on foot, for the
greater part of the day.
If any one has a doubt on this head, let him ask his pastor
or confessor ; but all should endeavor to supply by other
good works what they are unable to do by fasting, particular
ly by giving alms if it be in their power.
Moreover, all those who are dispensed from fasting are
-not, therefore, dispensed from the duty of abstaining from
flesh, unless their state of health also requires indulgence in
this respect,
Q. On what other days has the Church forbidden the use
of flesh ?
A. On the Friday and Saturday of every week, and this in
memory of the Passion of our Lord and His rest in the grave,
through a spirit of penance. However, regarding Saturday,
the Church, by a general dispensation .allows the use of flesh
at the present time. In this respect also each one is to ob
serve the custom of the place in which he lives,
Q. Who are bound to abstain from flesh on these days of
fast and abstinence."
A. All those who are seven years of age, unless their state
of health, &c., excuses them, as remarked above,.
Q. Is it a grievous sin to break this commandment ol
fast and abstinence ?
A. Yes ; for we commit thereby a grievous .act of disob«
10*

226 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
dien je towards the Church, and an open contempt of her au
thority, Q. Why has the Church given this command of fasting ?
A. 1. In order to exercise us in obedience and humility, the
practice of which is so well adapted to strengthen us in the
spirit of self-denial ; a disposition of the heart without which
we neither serve God nor follow Jesus Christ as we ought,
2, Because God, in the Old Testament, repeatedly incul-
«;ated the duty of fasting and Jesus Christ and the Apostles
have taught the. same and recommended it by their example.
3, Because by fasting we do penance, and in union with
the merits of Christ atone for our sins, and satisfy for the
temporal punishments due to them,
Q. Is it by the eating of the flesh that sin is committ^,
when we break this command ?
A. No ; but by the act of disobedience, of which we are
guilty, " Whatsoever enters the mouth,(the flesh) does not
defile man," says Christ, " but the disobedience that cometh
from the heart, is it that defiles him." Matt. xv. 18, This
also sho-wn by the fall of our first parents,
Q. But it may be said, " Why does the Church forbid flesh
particularly ?"
A. He who asks thus, knows not what obedience is. For
he who tries another by obedience, chooses himself the sub-'
ject of obedience. Moreover, to obey in the smallest and
otherwise most indifferent things, shows the greatest obedi
ence, because then we do such things solely through obedience.
Finally, nourishment is the daily want of all, and therefore
the fittest and only subject to try the obedience of all men at
the same time. But flesh cannot be had by all ; the Church,
therefore, commands the rich to place themselves, as it were,
at the table of the poor, and to show themselves as their
brethren, and prove themselves children of one and the same
divine mother, who sets the table for all on that day. But
when flesh is allowed at the principal meal, then the Church
fordids the use of fish at the same meal, to show that it is our
obedience, at which she principally aims, and that self-denial
in which, as a wise and holy mother, she wishes to exer
cise us,
Q. What are we to think of those who boldly transgress
this command, saying: "It is omy a commandment of the
Chnr ;h, and what enters the mouth, does not defile the man ?"

ON CHARrrY. 2it
A. We are to pity them; for they know not what they
say. What would parents think, if their children should
say : It is buUa command of father and mother, what does it
concern us ? How would education be possible, and what
would become of the reverence due to parents ? The Church
is our heavenly Mother, and her power comes from God,
Moreover, what would parents say, when they forbid their
children to eat this thing or that, if the children would reply :
" I will eat it anyhow ; what enters the mouth, does not de
file?" The same thing applies still more strongly to the
commandments of the Church, as we have just shown,
Q. Does it suffibe to abstain merely from the food or the
flesh, and to fast bodily, in order tb sanctify those days in
the spirit of the Church ?
A. No ; but we should also spend them in the spirit of
penance, and sanctify them by self-denial, prayer, and the ex
ercise of good works. Is. Iviii, 6, 7,
Practice. — Observe as far as you can, and as you are bound
to do the days of abstinence and -fast ordained by the Church,
and if you are in any doubt, take the advice of your pastor
or (ionfessor. Be not careless or indifferent, and do not suffer
yourselves to be induced by bad example to transgress the
commandments of the Church ; pay no attention to the ridicule
of the wicked. They will respect you the more for it in
their hearts, and whether or not, you should take pride in ac
knowledging the holy Church openly and honestly as yoUt
mother, whom you must and will obey. Think on the ex
ample of the seven children of the Machabees in the Old Tes
tament, who preferred to suffer martyrdom, rather than trans
gress the command of abstinence by taking food prohibited
by the law.

The Fourth Commandment of the Church.
'Q. What does this comniandment'Ordain ?
A. That we should confess our sins, at least once a year, to
a priest duly authorized to hear them,
Q. At what other time are we bound to confess our sins ?
A. 1, As often as we wish to receive the holy euCharist,
or any of the other sacraments that-require in us the state- of
grace, if we find ourselves guilty of mortal sin.

MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
2. In general, as soon after falling into mortal sin as we
have an opportunity of confessing. If we have no oppor
tunity, we should then endeavor to make an act of perfect
contrition, and go to confession as soon as possible.
Woe to him that remains long in motal sin, for he is in
danger of falling into new and more grivous sins, and of per
ishing therein.
The Church comm.ands us to go to confession, at least once
a year, that is, she thus obliges the tepid and the negligent to
fulfill that duty, which, in God's designs, is to be fulfilled as
often as man stands in need of receiving the s.acrament of
penance, to rec>oncile him with God. TMs should compel
even the most wicked, but the good and zealous should not
be content with this ; they should try to strengthen and in
crease in themselves the grace of God by a frequent recep
tion of this sacrament,
Q. Does the Church ordain any thing more by this com
mandment ?
A, Yes ; to receive communion at Easter or thereabouts.
The rule is that it should be received in the parish church to
which one belongs, unless he be excused from doing so by im
possibility, general custom, or special permission.
The time for the paschiil communion begins several weeks
before Easter, and terminates sever.al weeks after that great
festival ; the regulations of the place in which one lives are
here also to be observed.
If any one be.prevented by sickness from going to church,
then it is his duty to apprise the pastor of it, that he may re
ceive the Easter communion at home.
If any one is prevented, by a journey or other circumstances,
from receiving holy communion at Easter, then he must try
to receive it afterwards as soon as he is able,
Q. At what age is one obliged to commence going to con
fession and communion?
A. As soon as he comes to the age of discretion, and 'iS
sufficiently instructed, in order to receive the blessed saer.a.
ment worthily and with advantage, the decision of which be
longs to the pastor.
Q. Why has the Church prescribed the reception of the
holy eucharist at Easter?
A. 1. Because Jesus Christ instituted and first administered
the most holy sacrament at that time, 2. Because Eastei

ON CHARITY, 229
is the most solemn feast which the Church celebrates in the
whole year, and the holy time of Lent is fittest to prepare
the -hearts of the faithful for a worthy communion.
Q. Does it suffice to receive holy communion once in a
year ?
A. No. The Church, by this command, only obliges the
tepid to do at least once a year that which her zealous chil
dren frequently do, even without being commanded ; so that
having received the holy s.acrament worthily at least once a
year, they may do so more frequently for the future, of their
own accord ; strengthened by this banquet of love, and cheered
on by the example of others and by the exhortations of God's
ministers. The Church commands as a careful mother ; but she has
also solemnly declared her wish in tbe Council of Trent, that
the faithful should approach the holy table as often as pos
sible, and even daily, after the example of the first Christians,
For they lived in such a manner that the Church could, with
safety, allow them this frequent and worthy reception of the
most holy sacrament.
It was only afterwards, when the fervor of her children grew
cold, that she was forced to give a particular command. She
did it certainly with sorrow and aflJiction, Would to God,
all Christi.an people, following the example of the first Chris
tians, would become again so fervent in approaching the table
of the Lord, that the Church might be enabled to withdraw
this command*,
Q. What sin does he commit, who, not fulfilling this com
mand, neglects to receive holy communion at Easter ? ^
A. He commits a grevious sin, and may be excluded from
the communion of the Church ; besides, he loses the right to
Christian burial in consecrated ground.
Practice. — This command ought not to apply to you, for
the love of Jesus, the longing desire after Him, should make
you so fervent in the reception of the most holy sacrament,
that you do nc^t stand in need of a special command of the
Church in this reg.ard. But let no one imagine that he is in a
safe way, and may rest contented if he does no more in this
respect than what the commandment obliges him to do. As
suredly he who acts thus, is not a good or fervent child of the
Church. You bear the name of Christian, but you do not live
according to Christ's spirit; you do not live so that you can

230 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC REL.GION.
exclaim with St. Paul : " I live, not now I, but Christ that
liveth ui me." This is the effect of frequent communion.

The Fifth Commandment of the Church.
Q. What is forbidden by this commandment ?
A. To solemnize marriage within certain times, namely :
from the beginning of Advent till the Epiphany, and from
Ash- Wednesday till Low-Sunday, after the octave of Easter,
If one should be obliged to contract marriage during these
times, it must be done without solemnity.
Practice. — Should God have called you to the married state,
be very careful that you enter it with due preparation, so that
you do not transgress this command, and that the day of your
marriage may be to you a day of honor. And spend it so
that you may secure the blessing of God, for Jt would be a
frightful thing if you should spend it so .as to render yourself
and others guilty of an offence against God, losing by excess
the graces of the sacrament, and serving the devil on that
day rather than God.
As regards the support of the Church, the priests, and the
schools, be liberal as far as you can, remembering the old
proverb : " The laborer is worthy of his hire," and again,
" Blessed is the cheerful giver," Indeed, the Lord will repay
you a hundred foid whatever you do for Him, His Church,
and His servants. This is what the experience of all times
has taught.

UN JllACa, 2911

PART SECOND.
OiV THE MEANS OF SALVATION

CHAPTER I.
ON GRACE,

Whoever is a duly instructed child of Christ's Church
knows what he believes, hopes and loves, according to God's
will ; such a one certainly knows the way of salvation. Yet
it would avail the wanderer but little to be acquainted with
the way if he did not also possess the strength and the
means to pursue the road pointed out to him until he reaches
the end of his journey. Even so it is with man, with the
Christian on the weary way to a blissful eternity. The means
of attaining this happy end is grace. Christ assures us that
without Him, we can do nothing, John, xiii, 15. We are
not capable, as St. Paul says, of even pronouncing His name
in a meritorious manner. 1 Cor. xii. 3. Grace is imparted
to the faithful either interiorly, immediately, or accompanied
by outward signs. Hence the necessity of grace, the sacra
ments and sacramentals, follows from what we have hitherto
been treating of as a matter of course.
Q. What is understood by the term grace ?
A. Under the term grace is understood a mark of favor,
a benefit, pleasure. In the more limited sense of the term,
however, we understand a gift conferred not as the liquid
ation of a debt or an act of justice or necessity, but solely
proceeding from the spontaneous benignity and generosity
of the giver. Hence St. Paul says, addressing the Ro
mans, xi. 6, " and if bj grace, it is not new by works, other

232 MANUAL OF HIE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
wise grace would be no more grace." This is the sense la
which the word grace is often employed in common conver
sation. When here treating of the means of salvation, we
understand by the term grace a gift to be ascribed solely to
the goodness of God. Divine grace is further divided into
natural and supernatural, for a two-fold condition may be
distinguished in the redeemed human race, as in our first pa^
rents, viz., the natural condition of man, in consequence o.>
which we are rational beings endowed with manifold gifts
and the supernatural gifts imparted to our first parents by
the particular favor of God, and granted also to us through
the merits of Jesus Christ ; whence it follows that we are
children of God supernaturally gifted, and are called to the
vision and supernatural, possession of God in his eternal
kingdom. Well adapted to illustrate our subject are the
words of St. Augustine : " Our creation is not improperly
termed a grace of God; for that we exist and are, not as a
corpse which lives not, nor as a tree which feels not, nor as
an animal which possesses no intellect, but that we are men
endowed with life and feeling and understanding, and capable
of thanking the Creator for these benefits ; this is very justly
termed a grjace, as all this has not been imparted to us as the
reward of former meritorious acts, but through the peculiai
favor of God ; yet that we are called elect, justified, and here
after to be glorified, is a graceof a very different dest-ription."
Hence we underst.and by the term natural grace every gift or
benefit of God conferred on us as human beings in a natural
way, as citizens of and wayfarers in this fleeting world. The
term supernatural grace is employed to distinguish a gift .pf
God conferred on man in consideration of Christ's infinite
merits, and as citizens of a higher sphere, viz., of the heaven
ly kingdon .
Q. How is supernatural grace further subdivided ?
A. 1. Into graces granted for the salvation of others; 2,
those imparted to enable us to attain our own sanctification
Both indeed relate to man's supernatural condition, but differ
from each other, in that the first is a gift of God,. which by
virtue of its essential qualities renders him to whom it is im
parled not more perfect than before, but is rather granted for
the benefit of others, as for instance, the gifts of miracles,
prophecy, etc. The former, hov/ever, granted for our own
sanctification is in itself adapted to promote the sanctification

ON GRACE. 233
of him to when it is granted, for which purpose God deigns
to communicate it to man. We shall speak here of this sec
ond kind of grace. This grace rendering a man pleasing, and
his acts meritorious in God's sight is again divided into exte
rior and interior. Exterior grace is a divine gift granted
to man, through an external mediuni, in order to perfect his
supernatural condition : for instance, the Divine Law, the an
nouncement of the truths of the Gospel, events and misfortune^i
by whose instrumentality man arrives at self-knowledge and
amendment. Interior grace on the contrary, is a supernatural
divine efficacy which immediately, (i. e.,) interiorly touches,
illuminates, moves, renovates, and, as it were, transforms
man's spirit. Interior grace is either actual and transient, or
permanent and sanctifying, which be.ar to each other the same
proportion or relation as does a passing effect to that which
belongs to the essential condition and qualities of an object.
This actual grace refers to the individual good deeds per
formed by men, whereas sanctifying grace supposes his super
natural character of child of God. We shall now proceed
to treat of both as far as the limits of our work will permit.

Of Actual Grace.
Q. What is actual grace ?
A. Actual grace is a supern.atural, divine efficiency, enlight
ening our understanding and moving our will, so that we be-
.come capable of knowing and performing good acts, or, as St.
Augustine expresses himself, " It is an illumination of love,
by which we fulfill in holy love what is thus revealed to us."
St. Aug. contra duas epist. Pelag. lib. iv. c. v. It is evident that
this grace extends but to individual acts. Now, these illumin
ations and impulses of grace belong to God, inasmuch as they
are the immediate effects of this His gr.aoe in us : for as re
gards the good deed performed by man with its assistance, it
is partially the efficacy of grace, partly the consequence of our
own cooperation, as we are told by the Apostle, " Not I, but
Q. Is supernatural actual grace necessary ?
A, Yes, it is requisite for the performance of a good and
meritorious act ; it is necessary for the origin of our faith, and
fvery good and meritorious work, and for perseverance in

234 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION
both until the eni of our mortal career. This the Saviouf
teaches us saying : " Abide in me and I in you. As the
brfinch cannot be^ fruit of itself unless it abide in the vine,
so neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine,
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. 4, 5. Attend well to the emphasis laid on the words
" you can do nothing without me." Further, let us keep in
view the force of the comparison, for as the sap of the vine
ascends from the interior and produces its fruitfulness, al
though it is far from precluding the cooperation of the vine,
which is, indeed, a necessary condition, even so does grace re
quire our cooperation for any good work in Christ.
This simile acquires peculiar force from having been em
ployed by Jesus on that memorable evening when He instiuted
the blessed Eucharist, and distributed among His Apostles
the bread of life. The intention of our blessed Lord was to
make them the more easily comprehend the manner in which
this interior union with Christ, the author and dispenser of
grace, is to be effected. This St. P.aul confirms when he says,
" And such confidence we have through Christ towards God,
Not that we .are suflScient to think any thing of ourselves as ot
ourselves, but our suflScienCy is from God," 2. Cor. iii. 4, 5;
And again he expressly says, " And no man can say ' the
Lord Jesus,' (that is, in a meritorious manner,) but by the
Holy Ghost, the spirit of all grace," 1 Cor. xii. 3.
Q. Does grace deprive us of or impair our liberty ?
A. By no means ; it, on the contrary, confirms it, and Im
parts to it suflScient strength duly to cooperate in good works
of a supernatural order, and available for eternity.
Q,. flow can this be shown from Scripture and tradition ?
A. The Prophets, John the Baptist, the Apostles, and
Christ our Lord himself frequently exhorted their hearers
to penance and perfection of life, but this they could never
have reasonably done if the communication of grace deprived
men of freedom. 2d. Jesus mournfully deplores the fate ot
the obdurate Jews : " Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would
I have gathered together thy children as the hen doth gather
her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not.' Matth
xxiii, 37. This passage proves to conviction that the Jews
had free will, and that Christ had granted them sufficient
means of grace. The fault was entirely in themselves, as

ON GRACE, 235
they, by ihe abuse of their freedom, refused to cooperate
with grace, yea, even resisted. The Holy Ghost admonishes
us by the mouth of the wise man : " If thou wilt keep the
commandments 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 hin ," Eccles. xv. 16, 18,
3d, The holy fathers, with St, Augustine, teach the same.
This distinguished doctor of grace writes in his work against
the two letters of Pelagius, Lib. II, No. 3 : " If there is no
grace of God, how then does God save the world, and if we
do not possess liberty how shall He judge the world ?" This
clearly explicit testimony of the holy father paves the way
to the following elucidation of the matter, derived solely
from the nature of the subject. Supposing the contrary to be
the case, that is if we lost our freedom of action by grace,
it becomes evident that man is neither capable of moral
merit nor guilt, consequently, neither deserving of reward nor
punishment. Thus he would cease to be a responsible being,
as the followers of Luther, and still more those of Calvin,
once absurdly affirmed. Unfortunately, this did not remain
mere absurdity, for being reduced to practice, it undermined
the foundation of all morality, and of all the higher sense of
virtue. The Council of Trent expresses this dogma of our
faith in the following solemn words : " If any msm say that
man's freedom, impelled and excited by God, does no cooper
ate with God, who calls and moves man, and that he but
passively submits, let him be anathematized." Sess. vi.
Can. 4.
Q. What may be deduced from this dogma ?
A We deduce from this dogma, that there is an efficacious
grace, and a grace that is merely sufficient.
Q. What is efficacious, and wh.at is merely sufficient grace ?
A. Efl!icacious grace is that which actually confers the will
and the power to accomplish good deeds. The merely sufficient
grace, on the contrary, is that which indeed furnishes means
and strength sufficient, but wh'ch, on account of the resistance
offered by man's free will does not succeed in accomplishing
the work in question. The Scriptures say that God inclines
man's heart to his testimonies. Ps. cxviii. 36. God will
give you a new heart. Ezech. xi. " Given repent.ance unto
life." Acts, xi. 18. " I will give my law, and I will write

tS6 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
It in their hearts." Jeremias, xxxi. 33. " The Lord opens
the heart." Acts, xvi. 14. These positive and definite ex
pressioBs point out clearly and unmistakeably the power of
active grace, and establish its efficacy beyond all doubt.
Tradition may also be brought forward in support of this
doctrine. Thus St. Basil amongst other things says, writing
to St Gregory of Nazianzen, " Any thing that is conferred
upon us by the divine favor, we term a work of grace effective
within us." All those passages of Scripture in which man is
censured for his abuse of divine grace may be adduced as
proofs of the real existance of merely sufficient grace. Thus,
for instance, we read in Isaias, v. 4. " What is there that 1
ought to do more to my vineyard that I have not done to it.
Was it that I looked that it should bring forth grapes and
it had brought forth wild grapes." And Christ himself says.
Matt. xi. 21. "Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida,
for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that
have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance
in sackcloth and ashes," The words addressed by St. Ste
phen to the Sanhedrim are likewise well adapted to illustrate
our subject, " You stiff-necked an^d unoircumcised in heart
and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost," Acts, vii,
51, Compare JlfaZi. xxiii. .33. Tradition concurs in bearing
testimony to this doctrine, supported by which St. Augus
tine writes, (Lib. de spir.) " When compelled to exploie
these fathomless depths how is it that one being advised is
convinced, another is left unimpressed, and unmoved ? There
are but two replies which I should wish to make. The first ;
O, sublimity of the grace of God ! The second : Can there
be injustice in God ?" The holy doctor in these words evi
dently affirms the existence of efficacious and sufficient gracf,
Q. On whom is sufficient grace bestowed ?
A. Sufficient grace is granted to all men without excep
tion ; to the just in order to enable them to practice good
works according to the commandments, of God ; to sinners to
render them capable of doing penance ; to infidels in order
tc bring them, either by ordinary or extraordinary means, jO
the knowledge of the true faith. We first stated that grace
is granted to all the just iu order to assist them in perform
ing the works of the children of God. The Apostle says,
" God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above
that which you are able, but will make also with templatic*

ON GRACE. 237
issue that you may be able to bear." 1 Cor. x. 13. The
iheologioalgroundfor this is given by the General Council of
Trent, Sess. vi., saying, " God commands not impossibili
ties but He exhorts in commanding thee to do what, thou canst
and to implore that which thou canst not, and He assists thee
so that thou shalt be able to do it." The Council further ex
pressly declares in the eighteenth canon, " If any man say
t,hat it is impossible for those who are sanctified in grace to
keep the commandments of God, let him be anathama." We
assert, secondly, that suflScient grace is offered to all sinners
to enable them to return by sincere repentance to tho love
and friendship of their Creator, for, as the Scripture testifies,
the conversion of sinners is the general will of God. So the
prophet expressly says, speaking in the name of God, " Is it
my will that a sinner .should die, saith the Lord God and not
that he should be converted from his ways and live ?" Ezech.
xviii. 23. St. Peter says, "The Lord wills not that any
one should perish but that all should return to penance." 2
Pet. iii. Further all exhortations to penance would be fruit
less were not this the case. The doctrine of the Church on
this point is expressed in the General Council held at Late
ran, and of course it perfectly coincides with 'what we have
stated, that fallen man can always command sincere repent
ance. We further asserted that even infidels are not denied
sufficient grace to obtain salvation, for the Apostle plainly
says, " God will have all men to be sa%'ed and to come to the
knowledge of the truth. Tim. ii. 4. Christ is further termed
by St. John, the true light which enlighteneth every man
that cometh into the world. John, i. 9. And this expresses
such a general illumination that whoever really and sincerely
desires may follow the truth. Finally, St. Paul expressly
says that the heathens are not to be excused for not having
arrived at the knowledge of truth ; but this evidently follow.s
from what we have previously said regarding the necessity oi
the general communication of sufficient grace. The Church de
clared her doctrine on this head, on the following occasion.
Pope Alexander-VII. in the year 1690, solemnly condemned
the opinion that heathens, Jews, infidels, &o,, are nowise in
fluenced by Jesus Christ. Thus the grace sufficient for con
version is not wanting to infidels. If thev do not turn it to
account the fault is to be imputed to themselves. It is cer
tain thiit as Christ has come to redeem all men, and that He

238 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
wished the Gospel to be announced and promulgated amongst
men by human means which was gradually done after obvi
ating many difficulties ; the sufficient grace from within must
nebessarily supply what is wanting in the universal announce
ment of the Gospel in order that all who possess the sincere
will, at least the internal desire for faith, supernaturally en-
lightened by God may secure salvation.
" To-day if you shall hear His voice harden not your
hearts." Psalm, xciv. 8. And again, " Behold I stand at the
gate and knock. If any man shall hear my voice, and open
to me the door, I will come in to him." Apoc. iii. 20, Oh !
happy the Christian that has a heart so open to every inspira
tion of the Holy Ghost, that he might indeed say with Sam
uel, " Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth :" and who does
not permit the suggestions of grace to remain inactive, but
faithfully cooperates therewith. A second principle of theol
ogy is realized in regard to so happy a. soul. "He gives
grace for grace," viz., for the grace faithfully corresponded
with a second and greater one. Oh, how glorious and full of
merit is this exchange of human and divine generosity, in
which divine benignity so far exceeds human fidelity. Tho
saints have frequently experienced this during their mortal
life. Imitate their example : be not ungenerous but liberal
towards your God, and you shall soon test by experience the
truth of this remark. How dangerous it would be, on the
contrary, shouldst thou turn a deaf or unwilling ear to divine
inspiration. This act might be the means of rending a bright
chain or series of graces which would otherwise have been
granted thee. Let us, therefore , frequently and in all sincer
ity exclaim with David, Psalm ovii., " My heart is ready.
O God, my heart is ready,"

Op SA.NCTiFYiNa Grace,
Q. What js sanctifying grace ?
A, It is the supernatural union of the soul with God in holy
love, which elevates it from man's natural condition to the
supernatural state of a child of God, and by which the Sa
viour's merits are originally applied to it,
Q. With what is the communication of sanctifying grace
joined ?

ON oniCB. 239
A. With the justifici'tion and sanctification of man.
^ Q. In what does justification consist ?
A. In purification from every stain of grie.ous sin.
Q. What other term is thereftjre applied to sanctifying grace
A^ The grace of justification ; the divine act by which it is
i:ommunicated to us is styled justification,
Q,. In what does sanctification consist ?
A. In the communication of supernatural gifts,
Q. Which are the particular effects of sanctifying or justi
fying grace, tending to the sanctification and union of man
with God through Jesus Christ ?
A. Justifying grace imparts supernatural life to the soul,
which by sin had incurred spiritual death,
" For this my son was dead, and is come to life again,"
says Christ in the parable of the prodigal son, St. Luke,
XV. 32.
1, The sinner is dead by sin ; by grace he again re
vives, 2, It imparts to the soul the radiance of supernatural puri
ty. Hence the royal prophet says " Thou shalt wash me,
and I shall become whiter' than snow.'' Psalm-, 1.
3. It wonderfully embellishes and beautifies the soul. It
is to this spiritual beauty that the words of the Holy Ghost,
m the Canticle of Canticles, refer : " How beautiful art thou,
my love, how beautiful ! fair as the moon, bright as the sun,
terrible as an army set in array."
4.^1t tiansforms man at the moment of his justification
from a poor despicable sinner to one so rich and beautiful
that no favored son of fortune can be compared with him, for
as St. Thomas says : " The least and lowest degree of grace
surpasses by far all the treasures and riches of the whole
earth." St. Thomas, 8 quest. 115 a. q. St, Peter teaches that
by grace we become in a certain sense partakers of the divine
nature. 2 Peter, i. 4.
5. It frees and elevates man, who by sin has become as it
were a child of Satan, makes him a child of grace, and, there
fore, heir to his eternal kingdom and co-heii of Christ Jesus.
" Behold 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. "And if sons, also heirs ; heirs indeed
of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." Rom. viii. 17,
The General Council of Trent confirms all this, Sess. 6, Cap,

240 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
7, where it explicitly declares : " The preparation is followed
Dy justification, which is not only a remission of sin, but also
the sanctification and renovation of the inner m.an,_by the
voluntary reception of the grace and the gifts by which man
is changed from a sinner to a just man, from an enemy to a
friend, so that by hope he may become heir to life eternal.
By this grace which He has conferred on us we arc renewed
in spirit and in heart, and are not merely considered just,
but are so called, and are indeed so, by receiving within us
justification, every one according to the measure imparted to
him by the Holy Ghost, and according to his capacity and co-
operation. And although he only can be just, to whom the
merits of our Lord Jesus Christ's passion are communicated,
yet this is exactly what is done in the justification of the sin
ner, as, by means of the merits of His holy sufferings, love is
poured forth into the hearts of those justified, and dwelleth
within them. Hence in justification, with the remission of
sin, faith, hope and charity are infused into man's heart
through Jesus Christ.
Q. Wherein consists then, according to the doctrine of the
Chruoh, the essence of sanctifying grace ? ^
A. It consists in the charity poured forth into our hearts by
the Holy Ghost. That this is really so, is testified by Scrip
ture, in which all the effects of sanctifying grace are ascribed
to love. Compare 1 Pet. iv. 8 ; 1 John, iii. 14 ; 1 John, iv. 7 ;
Si. James, i. 12. Tradition is not wanting in testimony on
this head, for as St. Augustine writes, " The beginning of love
is the beginning of justice ; and the perfection of love, tha
perfection of justice." Lib. de Lib. et Gratia.
Q. What are the conditions of justification by the commu
nication of sanctifying grace to adults?
A. Faith in God and in our Saviour Jesus Christ ; consent
to the suggestions of preventJvB grace inciting us to conver
sion ; dread of the effects of divine justice excited by motives
derived from the teachings of faith, united, at the same time
with hope, in which love's dawn may already be traced,
evoked by the consideration of God's mercy and Christ's
merits ; finally, sincere hatred and detestation of sin, and a
firm resolution of amendment of life; and should the adult
be already a member of the Church, the desire to receive tha
Baerament of penance by which in virtue of divine institution,

ON GRACE, 241
justification is communicated. Thus the Council of Trent,
Sess. 6, Cap. 6
Q. Can man attain infallible certainty of being in the state
of grace?
A. He cannot, without having been favored with a par
ticular and divine revelation on this point, as the Council of
Trent declares : " Man knoweth not whether he be worthy of
love or hatred," Eccl. 1,
Q. Are we on this account justified in giving way to great
anxiety of mind ?
A. We are not ; this uncertainty should serve to humble
our pride and stimulate us to do all in our power in order to
secure the one great affair of salvation.
Q. .A.re there particular signs which serve to cjonsole and
inspire us with the blissful hope of enjoying the divine favor ?
A. There are, 1, The sensible and effectual dread of sin
animating us at every moment of our lives, and inspiring us
with the firm resolution of enduring every imaginable torture
rather than offend God by mortal sin.
2. A great and sensible love of God, acxiompanied by zeal
tn prayer, particularly mental prayer.
3. A heart which not only feels itself entirely free from all
voluntary inclination to pride and envy, but which rather re
joices in its own humiliation and the exaltation of others.
4. Sincere love of our enemies, which enables us cordially
to forgive every injury and insult offered to us,
5, Great compassion for neighbor's misfortunes and suffer-
- ings, and a loving readiness to alleviate his woe by alms-
deeds and every other possible species of aid,
6. Great zeal for the salvation of souls, particularly when
it requires sacrifices at our hands.
7, Fervor 'sa the reception of the sacraments, with a lively^
faith and a tender and enduring remembrance of the present -•
of Jesus in the adorable sacrament. So that as He desir. s
to dwell with us by His sacramental presence, we also' may
abide constantly with Him in grateful, loving adojration, an 1
thus zealously profit by His saving and blissful presence for
our greater sanctification.. Well may that soul rejoice who pe.r^
ceives all these signs of salvation within herself. She niiiy
xinfidently hope that the Lord is with her, and that she livi-a
m His grace.
Q. Why do we term the above-mentioned signs, marks of
U

i242 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
preelection, and conclude that those possessing them are ill
the grace of God ?
A. Because eternal life is frequently and explicitly prr.ra-
ised to those who live in this manner,
Q. Can any one attain certainty as to whether he will per-
8e>"ere ip grace or not?
A. No ; );ha^ capnqt be. " Praise not any map ^e/bre his
death," says the Holy Ghost by the mouth of the ^age.
Final perseverance is a great ^nd peculiar grace ; yjjt, who
ever possesses the distinctive marks of the state pf sanctjfying
grace, possesses also the marks of final perseyerartce, iqr which
grace we should humbly hope and zealously implore it of the
divine clemency,
Q. Whereby is the state of sanctifying grace forfeited?
A. By the commission pf rnortal sin,
Q. Whereby is sanctifyii^g grace impaired- or dinjinished ?
A. By venial transgressions;
Q. Whereby is forfeited grace recovered ?
A. By sincere contrition and repentance, and repurrencp
to the means of reconciliation instituted by our Divine Medi
ator, Q. How is sanctifying grace increased ?
A. By ayailing ourselves of the actual graces bestovp^ed on
us, or what amounts to the same, by the assiduous practice
of good works, for "livhich actual grace streng};hens and dis
poses us; and especially by the frequent and worthy recep-
tiqn of the Holy Saoraments, those channels of grace instituted
by our Lord for our sanctification.
Q. Has God connected the cominunication of justifying
grace with certain exterior signs ?
A. He has ; with seven symbqls, termed the seven sacra^
ments, by which sanctifying grace is either originally com-
>municated in the ori^inary Way, qr, when forfejted by sin,
again obtained ; or, if never forfeited, it is inpreased in us.
Many other actual graces are connecteiil with the reception of
the sacraments.
Practice. — ;Esteem sanctifying grace as the most estimable
and precious of graces; preserve it most carefully, and ear
nestly implore your God to grant you the ineffable grace of
final perseverance.

OF THE SACRAMENTS. ti43
CHAPTER II.
OF THE SACRAMENTS,
Q. What is i sacrament ?
A. A sacrament is a visible, effective sigi; ,>f invisible grace,
i. e., a sign which possesses the divinely imparted virtue of
signifying and actually communicating grace for our salvation.
Q. Who instituted the sacraments ?
A. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who by his passion
merited grace for us and who alone as God-man can grant it.
Q. Why did Jesus Christ institute the sacraments ?
A. 1. In order that they might be visible signs of God's in
effable goodness and liberality in our regard, and at the same
time, as it were, the seal of the coven.ant which He deigned
to make with us, and His promises in our regard,
2. Christ wished to express the communication of grace for
our sanctification by exterior signs in order to present us like
wise with external evidences. He wished, further, as St. Chry.
sostom very justly remarks, to express this grace' by external
signs, because we are men and not pure spirits, who, by virtue
of their nature, are capable of perceiving the efficacy of invisi
ble grace,
3, The sacrajiients are intended as signs and characteristic
inarks by which the children of the Church mutually recog
nize and distinguish each other from ^those outside her pale.
4. They are means of increasing within us sanctifying and
actual grace. Thus shines forth in brilliant refulgence, from
the institution of the sacraments, the admirable love and gen
erous goodness of God towards us. His unworthy creatures.
Q. What are the essential constituents of every sacrament 1
A. 1. .^ sign affecting the senses, called the piatter of the
sacraments ; thus, in baptism, water is the matter or element.
2, Words, by which this sign Is distinguished from common
use, and set apart for this hol.y act, and these words are
termed the form of the sacrament. The words are : " I bap
tize thee, in the name of the Father," &c. St. Augustine
says the. words added to the element give rise to the saera
ment. Tract 80, it Joan.

\
244 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
3, The divine institution, for God alone is the author and
dispenser of grace,
4. A certain grace expressed and conferred by the sacra
ment, when the matter is joined to the fo'rm, for instance,
in baptism the washing away of the stains of sin from the
soul of the recipient.
5. A minister and dispenser of the' sacrament, and a re-
cipiejt, i. e., a person, who by virtue of divine institution, is
capable of imparting, and another of receiving the graces of
the sacrament.
Q. What, then, is to be taken into consideration when
treating of a sacrament ?
A. The divine institution, the matter, the form, the effects
of grace, the dispenser and the recipient,
Q. How many sacraments are there ?
A. Seven ; all of which the Church received from her di
vine fiiunder, Jesus Christ, by the instrumentality of the
Apostles, and has ever since faithfully preserved and admin
istered.' They are as follows : Baptism, Confirmation, the
Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders
and Matrimony.
Q. What is to be observed in general regarding these seven
.sacraments? A. That two of these sacraments impart grace originally
to those to whom they are administered, viz : baptism and
penance — hence these sacraments are called sacraments of
the dead, because they bestow on those spiritually dead in
sin, the life of grace, sin being the death of the soul; whereas,
the other five but increase sanctifying grace in those who
already live in grace, hence they are styled sacraments of the
living. Further, there are three of these sacraments that im
press a character on the soul.
Q. What is this character ?
A. This character is a supernatural invisible sign, im
pressed upon the soul by the reception of the sacrament,
which character will eternally remain thereon, either for
greater damnation or greater glory. This character further
serves to secure to those who receive the sacrament and live
in the state of sanctifying grace, the assistance of actual grace
in the fulfilment of the duties of their station as required of
them by the sacrament.

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 245
Q. Wnich »f the sacraments impress such a character?
A. Baptism, confirmation and holy orders, rnose sacra
ments can, therefore, be received but once. The other sacra-
ments,' viz : the adorable sacrament of the eucharist, pen
ance, extreme unction and matrimony do not impress such
a character uf)on the soul ; they may, therefore, be received
repeatedly. Q. Supposing an unworthy priest administers these sacra
ments, are they on that account invalid ?
A. No; for it is not man but Christ, who, by the ministry
of the priest, imparts grace.
Q. Does he who receives the sacraments unworthily ob
tain the graces they would otherwise impart ?
A. No : he abuses them, although he enters the state for
which the two sacraments of conditipn viz., holy orders and
matrimony have been respectively instituted. If he enters
into himself and sincerely repents he obtains the graces im
parted by those sacraments which impress a character.
Q. Whence do we know that there are seven sacraments ?
A. From the unanimous doctrine and practice of the Church
from the earliest times. This is proved by all the sects that
in the first ages departed from the communion of the Church,
and which still profess their belief in seven sacraments, as
do the Greeks, Russians, &c. The number and peculiar
virtues which the saoraments possess, pre, moreover, in beau
tiful and harmonious connection with the supernatural life of
the soul, and with the diffusion and gov =.rn ment of the king
dom of God upon earth. Man in the o» der of nature is born,
increases in age and strength, is nourished, requires remedies
and particularly in death's dark hour, cons-^lation and support.
God has deigned most graciously and lovingly to provide for
all these wants of his children in a spiritual sense, in the or
der of grace and supernatural life. We are brought forth in
baptism to eternal life, strengthened in the sacrament of
confirmation, nourished to holy and heavenly life in the a-
dorable eucharist, healed and cleansed in penance, and duly
prepared and equiped as it were in the sacrament of extreme
unction, for our lone journey to the unknown and unexplored
realms of eternity. Holy orders provides for the propaga
tion and transmission of the power to dispense these sacr*
ments, and the sacrament of matrimony for the sanctification
and propagation of the human race till the end of time.

246 M.4.NUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
(
Q. Whence are derived the ceremonies in use in the ad
ministration of the sacraments ?
A. From the Church, and for the most part from the time
of the Apostles, who instructed by Christ's word, taught by
His example, and inspired by the Holy Ghost, instituted
and ordained them either personally or by their immediate
successors, in order to excite in us holy dispositions and in
spire US with devotion and veneration for these holy' acts.
Practice. Thank God' that he has . prepared for you so
many consoling and most powerful means of grace in His
Church ; and endeavor when receiving the'm, to do sO with
due preparation, so as not to diminish their efficacy in your
regard. Take heed that you do not abuse them, or what
were still worse, sacriligiously profane them.
Q: Which of these seven sacraments is the greatest?
A. All the sacraments are indeed great and sublime, and
each possesses peculiar excellence ; but the holiest and most
sublime of all is the adorable sacrament of the altar, which
contains the author of all grace; Jesus Christ, The most
indispensable, however, of all the sacraments are baptism
and penance, these being the life-giving sacraments in the
order of grace: 1, Of Baptism.
Q. What is baptism ?
A. Baptism is the sacrament of spiritual regeneration by
the ablution of water and the- express invocation- of the most
Holy Trinity, whereby we become children of God and mem
bers of the Church.
Q. What is the matter of baptism ?
Q. The remote matter of this sacrament is natural water,
spring,, sea, well, or rain water, as also the water obtaiued
by melting snow, ice, or hail. The prescribed matter,' how
ever, is water blessed for baptism when it can be had.
Should there exist any doubt as to whether the water em
ployed in baptism on any emergency was pure natural wa
ter, baptism would have to be administered again with wa-
ter known to be pure. Water distilled from blossoms, as
for instance, rose water is inadmissible, being an uncertain
matter. The immediate matter is the ablution which may
be attained, in three different ways, viz; by plunging- poup"

OF THE BAORAMSNTS. 247
ing, and ispersibn, according to the usage of the Church, from
which we should not deviate. The ablution of the head only
is prescribed but, iri case of necessity, it is sufficient to pour
the water on any portion of the body, so that it flows over
the skin.
Q. What is tbe form' of baptism ?
A. The form of baptism is this: "I baptize thee in the
.narti'e of the Father, and Of the Son, arid of the Holy Ghost.
Ameri." Christ teaches us this himself, when cbriimissioning
His Apostles to go forth and preach the gospel : " Going,
therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing themi in the name of
the Fatlier, arid of the Son, arid of the Holy Ghost," These.
words of command prove clearly the divine institution of
baptism. There are three' p'ojnts to be takeri into considera
tion' iri the administration of this sacrairierit, arid these' points
ought to be well and generally known, because (as will be
shown hereafter) any one not otily m:a;y, but should baptize,
in case of necessity, hence ii is iridisperisable for every o&e
to be' duly instructed on this head.
1. True natural Water must' be employed in baptisin, and
poured on the recipient,
2. While the watei" is being poured on the person bap
tized, the prescribed wbrds^ " I baptize thee, in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," are to'
be pronounced, . . ,
3, It is indispensable to' the' validity of the sacrament that.
its dispenser' intends really to baptize, i.,e, to administer the
sacrament instituted b^ Christ, and' which the Church, when
baptizing, administers.
Q. Who is the ministei-' of this sacrament ?
A. Any one at all may validly administer this sa'crameh't,|
be his coriditiori, religious pfofes'sioti', oi-'perSuasibri, what it
may, supposing — and this must be carefully borne in mind,
— that he intends doing what th'e Church does. The ordinary
minister, however, is he who' administers jt iii virtue of his
oflifce, that is to' say, eithei' the parish priest;, or soriae" other
priest Or deacon intrusted with this duty,
Q May there riot he, at the sam'e tiilie, several ministers'
of the sacrament ?
A. Siipposihg that orie pour the water arid the Other pro
nounce the words, the administr'atiori' is not valid, beoause'the'
one who' prOiibiinces the f6rm does not do what he says. " I

248 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
baptize thee (wash thee)," and he who actually performs
the ceremony does not pronounce the words accompanying
his act. This is confirmed by what the council of Florence
decree in the time of Pope Eugenius, concerning the requi
sites for the validity of the sacrament, in which we find the
following : "The sacrament is made up of three constituents,
of things which form the matter, of words which constitute
the form, and of the person of the minister who confers it, not
the persons oi the ministers, but in the singular form, the per
son of the minister.
Q. Should every one know this ?
A. Most assuredly ; since in cases where there is danger of
deatTi to one unbaptized, any one may and should baptaze,
Q. Can the baptism of water be in certain cases, otherwise
supplied, so that man obtains without it the grace of justifica
tion ?
A. Yes ; either by the baptism of desire, or of blood,
Q. What is the baptism of-desire ?
A. It is the justification by desire, the unbaptized adult
earnestly and fervently longing to receive this sacrament,
joined to perfect contrition and supreme love of God, where
by he arrives at justification. Should such a person be un
able to realize his sincere desire regarding baptism, he will
yet be saved as a child of the Church.
Q. Wherein consists baptism in blood?
A. It is the martyr's death for the sake oT Christ and the
true faith, which of course is usually accompanied by the shed
ding of blood, and it possesses the same virtue as baptism
with water, when that cannot be procured. This is the
teaching of the holy fathers and doctors of theology, as also
of the Church, who venerates as martyrs and champions of
the faith the unbaptized catechumens who have given up their
lives for Christ,
Q. What are the effects produced by baptism ?
A. The effects of baptism are —
1. The remission "of original sin and of actual sin commit
ted before the reception of the sacrament, as also the punish
ment attached to them, so that if a person were to die imme
diately after having been purified by the regenerating waters
of baptism, he would be forthwith admitted to the beatific
vision ; hence we profess in the creed, " I believe in baptisia
for the remission of sins," Council of Trent, 5 sess. 5 cap.

OF THE SACRAMENTS, 249
2, Sanctification communicati-il by supernatural grace, is im
parted to us ; the soul is, in particular, rendered capable of
exciting the three theological virtues, faith hope and charity,
in a meritorious and supernatural manner. Council of Trent,
6 sess, 7 cap,
3, We are in this manner spiritually regenerated to life
eternal, John, iii, 5,
4, We are adopted as children of God, Gal. iii, 26,
5, We become members of the Church, and by the com
munion of saints, partakers in all her goods and graces. Acts,
ii. 41.
6, We are elevated to the dignity of heirs of heaven
Mark, xvi. 16.

Of the Ceremonies used in the Administration of Baptism,
Q. Why does the Catholic Church make use of various
ceremonies in baptizing ?
A. Partly as emblems of the effects of baptism, and partly
to remind us thereby of the obligations we take upon our
selves by its reception,
Q. Is the use of these ceremonies of ancient date ?
A. Yes ; it is derived froha the primitive Church, as we
shall presently show.
Q. May baptism be administered without employing the
usual ceremonies ? ,
A.^ The omission of the prescribed ceremonies is prohibited
under the pain of sin, when a case of necessity does not nulli
fy the prohibition, and should this have occurred in such an
emergency, the ceremonies must, if possible, be afterwards
performed, Q. Why is the catechumen brought first to the , Church
door ?
A. Because he is still defiled by the guilt of sin, and hence
unworthy of entering the house of God, " Holiness becom-
eth Thy house, O Lord !" says the royal prophet. Further,
because baptism admits him to the Church, The exorcism?
are performed at the portal and the doctrines -of the ChurcV.
briefly explained, so that the catechumen may know what he
in future has to believe and practice. He is also prayed over
and the holy gospel is read ; he is then breathed u-pon hereby
11*

250 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
as St. Augustine says, " The inimical might of Satan, who haa
hitherto had the unbeliever in his power, is broken." St,
August. Lib. 1 de Symb. cap, 1,
Q. Is the practice of exorcising 'catechumen ancient in the
Church ?
A, Most cel-tainly ; for St. Augustine refuting the sophis
tries of Pelagius, proves from this custom, that children are
born under the dominion of Satan, and in another place he
says that this custom has been universally adopted in the
Church. Lib: 2. denupt. et concup. cap; 18.'
Q. Why is breathing on the catechumen joined to the ex
orcism ?
A. When Christ imparted to his disciples theHoly Ghost*
he breathed upon them, John, viii. 20. The priest's breath
ing on those to be baptized express the expulsion of tha
evil one; and the approach of the Holy Spirit, St, AuguSf
tine also speaks of this' ceremony. Lib. 6, contra Julian
cap: 2. "
Q. What is then done with the one to be baptized ?
A. The sign of the holy cross is impressed on the brow,
breast, eyes, ears, and the remaining senses of the catechu
men, to show, that in the sacrament of baptism a character
of Jesus Christ, «'. e. an indelible character is impr'esse!d.
2. That his senses are sanctified ' by faith ' in Christ to the
true worship of God and our Lord Jesus Christ,
3, That he must endeavor with all his natural and spiritual
endowments to profess openly his faith in Christ and His
Church even at the sacrifice of his life,
4. That as a Christian he must be at the cross of JesuS'
Christ. 5. Finally, that the life of a Christian is Uot to be' a Vo
luptuous and sensual one, according to the dictates' of the
flesh, but a life of self-denial, and -hence that he is not 'to be
surprised, if, as an adherent of the crucifled God, he meetson
his journey through life, with many trials and adversities, as
this is the probation to which all are subjected,' and which, when'
patiently and resolutely borne will obtain for us an exceeding.-
ly great reward in the mansions of eternal joy and glory,
Q. Why is -blessed salt placed on the catechumen's
tongue ?
A. 1. To signify that he is to be delivered from the cor-
niptions of sin, that he is never more to admit it to the shrine'

OF THE SACRAMENTS, 251
of his heart, but that he is to reriiain pure and inviolate in
order to fit himself for the reception of greater graces-,
2. That he is to acquire a relish for things spiritual,
3. That by true faith that divine wisdom is conferred on
him, which he is to^ prove iri all his actions, so that he may
never have to reproach himself with precipitatiori, imprudence
or crime. Salt is an emblem of prudence,
4, That by the graces communicated in baptism, the body
may once more be freed from all corruption,
Q. What is signified by- the imposition Of the niinister's
hands? A. The iriiposition of the dispenser'^s hands signifies the re ,
conciliation in virtue of which he who was fprmerly secluded;
from the pale of the Church, is now admitted to her maternal
bosom. It 5s further used, as St, Augustine says, in order
that henceforward' the evil one may not presume to re-enter,
the dwelling from which he has been expelled. St. August
ine. Liber 2. de pec. mer'. cap. 26. ,
Q. Why are the ears and nostrils of the catechumen moist
ened with spittle ? , . ,
A. The priest who administei-s the sacraraerit moistens the
catechumen's ears and his nostrils with spittle while pronounc
ing the words used by Christ when touching the ears and the
tongue of the man possessed by a dumb devil, " Epheta."
1. To show that nian' has become a true and living meriri-
ber of Christ united with the divine head.
2. That the spiritual ear of the. heart has been opened, and
thit' man is no longer ' deaf tp the divine promises, threats,
and warnings, but that he readily recognises the vpice of His
Lord and shepherd and distinguishes it froni strange voices
as Christ says, "My sheep know my voice, John, ix.
3 The nostrils are moistened with the spittle to signify, as
St, Ariibrbse says, that orie baipltized, spiritually receives the
fragrance of piety, SL Ambrose, Lib, de Sacra, cap, 1,
§,; What ceremony now' succeeds ?
A. The abjuration ; the person b.aptized is asked, " Do you
rer.ounc'e the devil and all his works ? " to which he, or the
sponsors iri his name, reply, " I do renoupce bim," That the
usage has been derived from the apostolio times is attested by
the Holy Fathers in various passages ¦ we also' find it mentioff
ed in the .4/'0''<''*'' Constitutions, Lib. ].'

252 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGIC-N.
Q. Why is this abjuratipn prone unced before the recption
of baptism ?
A, In order that all the faithful may know that the princi-
pal duty imposed by their Christian profession is that, " They
are not of the world, as 1 (Christ) also am not of the world :"
John, xvii. 16 ; i. e. that they abandon the-pemicious maxims
of the world and all it contains, and ever live spiritually
united -with the God who so graciously deigns to adopt them
as his children, "/re ihe expectation of the blessed hope, and
the coming glory of the great God." That they may further
understand that this renunciation of all that is opposed to the
divine will and ordinance is so essentially and immediately
united to the Christian name that he who lives not up to its
dictates incurs great guilt and likewise perjures himself.
Q. Why does the priest demand of the catechumen at the
font, " Dost thou believe in God the Father ?" upon which
he, or his sponsors reply, " I do believe ?
A. To remind us that baptism without true faith, will be
of no avail to us, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved ; and he that believeth not shall be condemned." Mark,
xvi, 16, The sponsors are also reminded that when the in
fant shall have arrived at the use of reason, they are bound
to have it duly instructed in the principles of the Holy Cath
olic faith.
Q. What is meant by annointing the catechumen's breast,
and sWulders with holy oil ?
A. To denote that he has now entered the lists as a cham
pion of Christ against the devil, the world, and the flesh;
that he is to preserve a pure heart and resolutely crush in the
germ every thought unworthy of his high calling, and bear
with fortitude the pressure of whatever afflictions or burdens
it may please his Lord and Master to inflict upon him,
Q. Why is the head of the person baptized anointed with
chrism ?
A. To show that he has now received in baptisin, the grace
of the Holy Ghost-, further that as he is internally annointed
with the joy and graceof the Holy Ghost and externally with
chrism, he may be more forcibly reminded of the reasons why
ho is called a Christian.
Q. What is signified by the white garment with which the
priest clothes the neophyte ?
A. It signifies that he hvas put off the old man and put ojn

OF THB SACRAMENTS. 253
the new, Ephes. iv, 24. 'Further, the spotless innocence ob
tained after the washing away of the stains cleaving from
oirth to our souls. This purity we should carefully guard
against every breath of sin and corruption, so that we secure
our salvation, for nothing impure is admitted into the king
dom of God. Apoc. xxi. 27,
Q. What is signified by the candle given to the neophyte ?
A. The holy rite is concluded by giving to the neophyte
burning candle, with the words, " Receive this burning can
dle and preserve unsullied thy baptismal robe, observe the
commandments of God, that when the Lord comes to the
wedding feast, thou, with all the saints of the heavenly host,
mayst come to meet Him and enter into the possession of
life everlasting. The burning candle is further emblematical
pf the three theological virtues, infused into the heart in bap
tism. Faith is symbolized by the light, hope and charity
by the flame. The candle is put in the neophyte's hand, be
cause it suffices not to preserve faith, hope and charity in the
heart, when not manifest in the works, remembering what the
Apostle says : " Being mindful of the work of your faith, .and
labor, and charity, and of the enduring of the hope of our
Lord Jesus Christ, before God and our Father." 1 Thess. i.
3, The neophyte is then dismissed in peace. It is intended
as an admonition that he shall press forward from virtue to
virtue, and soar ever upward to the regions in which is en
throned the source of celestial life and purity unstained, God
the Saviour,
Q. Must there be at least one sponsor, or more, at bap
tism ?
A. There must, according to the ordinance and practice of
the Church from the earliest ages,
Q. How many sponsors are required ?
A. A godfather and godmother, or a. godfather or god
mother, according to the ordinance of the Council of Trent,
sess, xxiv., can, 2, The Church is averse to more than two
sponsors , on account of the spiritual affinity, arising between
the parties, being an obstacle to the validity of matrimonial
alliance. When others, besides one godfather and godmoth
er, are called upon to act as sponsors, the others are merely
witnesses or honorary sponsors,
q. Who contracts this spiritual alliance, and with whom t
A, He who adminiiters the sacrament, enters into a spirit>

2)>4 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
ual relationship with the neophyte and its parents ; the spott
Bors. the one for whom they act in this relationship, and the
, neophyte's parents ; so says the Council of Trent. This affin
ity is an impediment tO marriage.
Q. What are the dtities imposed on sponsors ?
A. They are manifold and of great importance, for,
1, They are bound to answer for the child the questions, if it
renounces the devil, the Wcirld atid the flesh, if it believes all
the Church proposes, just as if the child' pronounced the words
itself with the full detei-'minatiori of realizing them in work,
2; They bind themselves to instruct the child; hence they
pledge themselves, and become secririty and witnesses to the
Church that they will do their utmost to have the chlild in
structed in the faith, on arriving at the age of reasbri, and to
cause it to persevere therein. This diity becomes still more
binding when parents either neglect or become in any way dis
qualified for'or incapable of fulfilling their paternal duties,'
3. They are to give the neophyte a nariie,
Q. What kind of names should sponsors ' select for theii
god-child ?
A. They should see that heathen names are not chosen, but
rather the names of the saints, solemnly' venerated in the
Church, or the names of angels mentioned in the Holy Scrip
ture, so that by their intercession the children may be guarded
and protected, stimulated to imitate their example, to endeavor
to arrive at' perfection, and at length to join' them in the
realms of unfading bliss.
Q: Mky persons not in coriimunion with the Church be ad
mitted to act as sponsors ?
A. No ; because they cannot possibly fulfil the duties irii-
posed by the sponsorship. How can they instruct a child in a
fivith which they neither know nor profess?
Q: What is the baptish'ial covenant ?
A, Thebajjtismal covenant is a covenant which God deigns
10 make with man in baptism. God promises and grants by
baptism the greatest gifts, goods and graces, on condition
that the recipient preserves his faith, and strives after justice
He who receives the ssicraiftent, accedes to these conditions,
and promises to live in holiness, and to. persevere to the end
therein. When adults are admitted to the sacrament of re
generation, sponsors are required fr) attend as witnesses,
whereas at the biiptism of infants they are sGcuritiep. Speak

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 255'
Ing on this subjeo;, St. Augustine sSys: " li fants profe.S8
their faith by the words of those in whose arms they are
borne, aud the Church, as mother, grants them speech by her
faithful." St. Augustine, Lib: de-peccato. merit, c. 19. This is
the covenant made between God and the neophyte. We
adopt this term, because we consider it peculiarly adapted not
only to express our object, but also the obligations which man
takes upcm himself: furthermore, because it is authorized by
scriptural usage ; for we frequently find in the inspired pages
the term " co-venaHt," particularly in passages relating to the
Chutch of Chl-ist. As this covenant lasts as long as our mor
tal pilgrimage, we should' frequently rehew- it, particularly on
the festival of our pfitron' Saint, on our birthday, and similar
occasions. We cannot recall too frequently the duties im
posed on us by baptism. St. Ambrose says, speaking on this
subject : "Thou bast entered' the sanctuary of regeneration, re
peat the questions put to thee' on this occasion, and ponder
well on the answers thou hast given. Thou hast renounced
the devil and his works, the'world'Withits pomps and pleas
ures. Reflect well on thy words then spoken, and never lose
sight of the obligations thou hast taken on thyself." Herein
principally consists the practical' utility as regards our spirit
ual lives, of what we have said of this first, and most essen
tial of sacraments. Live up to thy baptismal pledge, deviate
not ahair's breadth from the path marked out to thee by the
law of Him, whose co-heir thou hast become, and then thou
needst iwt fear for thy salvation. Deplore sin bitterly, be
wail thy misfiirtune, shouldst thou have already sullied thy
baptismal robe, and forfeited thy ineffable dignity, as heir of
the Most High, by the commission of grievous sin, and en
deavor by redoubled zeal, fidelity and penance, to atone fir
thy past transgressions.

Op Confirmation,
Q. What is the Sacrament of Confirmation ?
A. It is the sacrament in which those baptized receive by
the unction with chrism, united -w-ith the word of God, the
strength of the Holy Ghost, \» order that they may profess
their faith M'ith fortitude, and live according to its dictates.
Q. How is the divine institution of this sacrament proved 1

266 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
A. From Holy Scripture, The Holy Evangelist Luk«
expressly says, that the faithful received extraordinary graces
by the imposition of the hands of .the Apostles. Acts, viii.
17; X. 17'. The bishops being the successors (^f the Apostles,
and their representatives, the same effects are essentially
wrought by the imposition of their hands, as St. Cyprian
says: "The truth is in this symbol and the spirit in this siir
crament." Sehm. de unci, chrism. The earliest Fathers,
such as Tertullian, St. Cyprian, St. Oyrel, speak of the gen
eral use of Confirmation, to which also the oldest Councils.
as those of Laodioea and Teliberis, oblige the faithful. Q/-
pria.n. Epist. ad Ub., Cyril, Cat. 3 Tert. de Bap. e. 7.
Q. What is the matter, and what the form of the sacrament
Df confirmation ?
A. The matter of the sacrament is a mixture of oil and
balsam, blessed by the bishop, and known from the most an
cient times under the name of chrism. With this the biow
¦jf the recipient is anointed ; that the imposition of the hands
of the minister of the sacrament is united to the unction an
ointing, is proved by the manner in which this holy act is
performed, and in this sense must the passages of Scripture and
the Holy Fathers, referring to this subject, be understood.
As to the definite form of the words pronounced, the bishop,
whilst imposing his hands and anointing, says 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, Amen,"
Q. Who is the ordinary minister of the sacrament of con
firmation ?
A. The bishop, as we are taught by the example of the
Apostles, and by the tradition of the Church. A priest, how-
Bver, may validly become the minister of the sacrament in
an extraordinary case, and with the special permission of the
Holy See, The words of St, Jerome to Ereginus, tend to
prove this : " What does the bishop do, that the priest may
not do, excepting only the conferring of holy orders ?" Thus
it is only the sacrament of orders that can never be confer
red by a simple priest. It is even quite customary in tha*
Greek Church, with the privilege and consent of the Holy See,
that the priests who administer baptism, immediately after,

OF THE SACKAMENTB, 257
confer the sacrament of confirmation. The same privilege
has been granted by the Pontiffs in the Latin Church, not un
frequently to missionaries.
Q. Who may and shoula receive tnis sacrament, and when
does it become incumbent on the faithful ?
A. Every baptized Christian is capable of receiving this
sacrament for we read of the Apostles that they imposed
Uieir hands on all those baptized, and it was customary in
(he primitive days of the Church to confirm immediately after
liaptism, without regard to the age, sex or condition of the
neophyte. And is it not most just that all should receive
the Sacrament, which is the strength and confirmation of the
Spirit ? It is true, indeed, that infants are not obliged to
take the field ag-ainst the enemies of their salvation, yet they
are called upon to prepare for the approaching combat, and
arm- themselves for the all-deciding ordeal of temptation and
suffering, which, unless immediately taken to the bosom of
their Heavenly Father, they shall certainly have to go through,
so that they may receive the perfection of this grace, to the
end that when the critical moment arrives, they may more
surely be victorious. Still, it is advisable to postpone the re
ception of this sacrament, unless in case of necessity, till the
age of seven or, according to the different circumstances of
time and place, until after the reception of the adorable Eu
charist, and this for the following reasons :
1. On -account of the greater veneration paid to the sac
rament, when received after due preparation,
2. Because it is more efficacious when imparted to those
duly prepared,
3. In order that the profession made by sponsors in bap
tism, may be personally renewed and confirmed by the per
son to whom the sacrament is administered,
4, In order to obviate the danger of receiving the sacra
ment twice, the repetition being of course invalid ; when the
sacrament is administered to those arrived at the age of rea
son, this cannot easily occuri
Q. What is the preparation required for receiving this
tiacrament ?
A. The candidate for confirmation must be in the state of
s.anctifying grace ; hence, should he have forfeited his baptismal
innocence by a formal transgression of God's commandments,
ne must approach the tribunal of penance. Those, therefore,

258 MANUAL OF THB CATHOLIC RELIGION.
who are about to receive this sacrament should be exhorted
CO strive to obtain the utmost purity of conscience, in order
so prepare a fit dwelling for the Holy Spirit,
Q. Why does the bishop give to those confirmed a slight
blow on the cheek ?
A. To signify that they h.ave now enrolled themselves un
der the banner beneath which victory is obtained, not by re
pelling violence by violence, but by bearing patiently insult,
indignity and injustice, for Christ's sake, as it is written of
the Apostles : " And they indeed went from the presence of
the council rejoicing that they were accounted wprthy to' suf
fer reproach for the name of Jesus." Acts, V. 41.
Thus was it -that the martyrs struggled against their per
secutors and Christ's enemies, joyously and tranquilly turp
ing one cheek to the heartless scoffer and persecutor who struck
them on the other, cheerfully and patiently enduring, every
torture for Christ's sake.
Q. Why are sponsors chosen in confirmation ?
A. Sponsors are admitted at confirmation in order that by
their virtuous example they may encourage the neophyte in
the spiritual combat. The sponsors of course must have al
ready received this sacrament. This act cannot be wantonly
deferred and neglected, without incurring the guilt of sin,
Q. Is the sponsorship attended in this sacrament also hy
the contraction of spiritual affinity ?
A. It is ; this affinity is contracted with the minister of
confirmation, the person confirmed, and his parents,
Q. What are the advantages afforded by the reception of
bis sacrament for spiritual life ?
A. 1. It endues us with strength and high courage, and
powerfully moves us to thank God for the inestimable grace
of having been admitted to the knowledge of Truth,
2, It inspires us with zeal in co-operating with the sugges
tions of grace, so that we may never be unfortunate enough to
sadden the spirit of God within us. It also admonishes us
frequently to renovate in ourselves the graces received in
this s.acrament, and to conduct ourselves resolutely, under
the banner of the cross, as faithful soldiers of Christ.
3. We are reminded that our bodies are temples of th«)
Holy Ghost, aud (hat we should ever treat them accordingly

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 25flf

Op the most Holy Sacrament of the Altak.
Q What is the holy sacrament of the altar 1
A It is the sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord
Jesi^" Christ, and, under the form of bread and ifine, insti-^
hited by Him as the spiritual' food of our souls.
Q. What then is the term applied by excellence co this
sacrament ?
A. It is called the Eucharist. This is a Greek word, equiv
alent to a grateful remembrance or thanksgiving, because in
this sacrament is solemnly and gratefully celebrated the glo
rious passion of Christ our Lord, and the endless benefits
conferred by Him on the human race ; also, because our true
and loving Saviour is given us as our spiritual nourishment,
covisolation, strength, and all, for which ineffable benefit we cer-
tdinly owe' God our lUost fervent thanks. Indeed, so incon
ceivably great is this grace and gift, that man, in the boldest'
aspirations of hope, might have never presumed to imagine
that Jesils Christ, seated at the right h.and of God in the king
dom of His glory, should so perfectly give hin-iself to us, that
we ourselves are His, and by this divine sacrament are in a
manner so unspeakably intimate, holy and blissful, united and
incorporated with Him. Hence the reception of this adorable
sacrament is termed communion, i. e'., union, because it unites'
us to each other as members of one and the same body. It
is also known by the name oi viaticum, because it is the celes
tial food by which we are nourished and supported on the
way through life, and particularly when about to leave earth's
thorny path and pass on to the unknown realms of eternity,
there to meet our judge and hear our doom,
Q. Who instituted this sacrament, and at -w^hat time?
A. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ instituted this sac
rament at the' Last Supper, as we learn from the Evangelists,
Math. xxvi. 26 ; Mark, xiv. 22 ; Luke, xxii. 19 ; Cor. xi. 23-26,
At that'solemn moment, He delivered to the chosen few His
own adorable body under the firm of bread, and His precious
blood under the form of wine, commanding them and their'
successors to do the saitte in commemoration of Him,
Q, What are the principal points demanding our attention,
when ti-eating of this august sacrament ?

260 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
A. The five following : 1 , Of Christ's true and real pres
ence in the sacrament of the altar ; 2. Of the traiisubstantia-'
tion of the bread and wine ; 3. Of the sacrifice made thereof;
4. Of the Holy Communion ; 5, Of the adoration and venera
tion to be paid to this greatest of sacraments.
Of ChrisCs real presence in the^ most Holy Sacrament of the
Altar,
Q. Who is truly and really present in the sacrament of
the .altar ?
A, Christ the Lord, as God and man, body and soul, whole
and entire, truly and actually, and under the form of bread and
wine. This is incontestibly proved by the words of institu
tion, for Christ, taking at the Last Supper the bread, and
then the chalice into His hands, and wishing to assure us of
the truths of this sacrament, spoke as the great lawgiver of
the New Testament, as one making a last will and testament,
the solemn and definite words : " Take ye and eat, for this is
my body." " This is my blood that shall be shed for youj'
Matth. xxvi. Of this institution He has previously asserted and
solemnly confirmed His assertion : " My flesh is meat indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed ; I am the living bread that
came down from heaven, whoever eats of this bread shall
live for ever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for tho
life of the world," John, vi. Whoever then holds sacred
the words of Christ, will, with the Apostles and the tradition
of the Church, believe .and steadfastly profess with us these
words of the Divine Legislator, by which He left in this tes
tament His true, real, and essential presence in the adorable
sacrament, St. Cyril professes with the Holy Fathers in the
following words, his faith in this mystery: "Since Christ
himself declares of the bread: 'This is my body,' who shall
dare to doubt it ; since He declares, ' This is my blood,'
who presumes to doubt its being really His blood?" At
the nuptial feast of Cana in Galilee, He once transformed
water into wine, which much resembles blood, and shall we
presume to hesitate in believing that He changes wine into
His blood ? Look not, therefore, on the bread as mere- bread,
or tfie wine as mere wine, for it is the body and blood of
^Christ, as is evident from our Blessed Lord's own words.
Even should thy senses furrish thee with a different testimony

OF THE SAORAMENTS. 261
m this regard, thy faith should so strengthen thee, that thou
wilt judge, not by tho taste, but firmly believing, without yield
ing to even the slightest doubt, that Christ's body and blood
have been given to thee." -Catech. 9,
Q. How is Christ present in the adorable sacrament?
A. Christ is wholly present in the fullness of His glory
under each form individually ; wholly and entirely under the
form and appearance of bread, wholly and entirely under the
form and appearance of wine, because He is present in both
as He is and exists in heaven. H* is, moreover, wholly and
entirely present under each and every particle of the sacra
mental specieS, be they ever so- minute : were not this the
case, He should be separated and broken in the Holy Com
munion, which is an absurdity to suppose. "For Christ," as
says the Apostle, " dies no more after having risen again."
Rom. vi. 9.
The incomprehensibility of this holy presence should not
perplex us, as every reasonable person will readily assent to
what the great St. Augustine says, viz. : " That God, in His
omnipotence, is able to do more than our understanding is
capable of comprehending." The essence of even the common
objects surrounding us is, and remains to us. an impenetrable
mystery ; for who can explain the manner in which bread,
and nourishment in general, is changed into the substance of
our own body and blood. How then> shall we presume to
fathom the mystery of transubstantion ? The manifestation
of God's omnipotence and infinite wisdom n.aturally far sur
passes the limited powers of our understanding. Let it sufi
fice for us to know, that God does or has done any thing, in
order to believe and profess it as undeniably true.

Of Transubstantiation.
Q. In what consists the change, or transubstantiation, occur^
ring in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar? .5
A. It is the change of the whole substance of the bread and
wine into the substance of the body and blood of Christ
This traiisubstsintiation is effected by Divine omiiipo^,ence
through the medium of the driy pronounced words of conse
eration by a lawfully c rdained priest,
(>.. How is this transubstar.tiation proved ?

262 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
A. It is proved on the same grounds as Christ's real and
true presence in the august sacrament.
1. From the words of institution, for Christ expressly says,
" This bread(which I hold in my hand and which you see me
hold) is my body." Whoever heard these words pronounced
by Christ's own divine lips, could not possibly have attached
to them any other signification than that which Christ gives
them. He says, as it were, "This which I hold in my hand,
and which has the appearance of bread, is not bread, .but my
body." Just as if Christ, at tbe nuptial feast in Cana of Gal
ilee, had pointed to the stone.jugs, saying, " This is not water,
but wine;" every one who was aware of the -pitchers having
been filled with water, must necessarily have come to the
very just conclusion that it had been changed into wine. The
same remarks apply to the chalice.
2. Had the substance of the bread and wine remained,
Christ must necessarily have employed a very different form
of speech. He "yvould have been obliged to say, " «'«, or
av^ongst the particles composing the bread," or " iinth the
bread," or " here is my body." For tbe institution of a new-
la w, covenant, or testament, such as Christ was then ma)iing,
ifrgently required fixed, clear, apd accurately defined lan
guage ; and this so much the more, as a misinterpretation of
{;he departing Saviour's words would infallibly lead to idola
try, or, as it is generally styled, the adoration of .bread, or
"bread worship." Christ speaking of His flesh, which He
proposes, leaving us as food, and of'His blood, as our spiritual
drink, says, "My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood, is drink
indeed." John, vi.
Fror.i this it is sufficiently evid.ejit that it is not of
bread and wine He speaks, but of the reality of His
sacred body. An example will serve to illustrate this. We
read in holy writ that Lot's wife was changed into a pil
lar of salt. Now, as in this transformation the inner substance
of the body was changed, and the exteripi form remained so
also in this august sacrament, for the substance of the bread i? .
shanged to the body of Christ, while the exterior form and
appearance remains unaltered.. The -same holds good of the
chalice. The forn, the taste, the scent, all the accidents of
the wine remain, without its substance, as a veil for the blood
of Christ, yea, Christ whole and entire. This is the constant
and unanimous doctrine of the Church and all the Holy Fa-

OF THE SACRAMENTS. /, i
.thers. St. Cyprian says, treating of this subject : " Th • read
which the Lord gave to His disciples, is not figurativ .y but
essentially changed by tho omnipotence of ' the word made
flesh.' " Serm. de coena Bomini.
St. Ambrose says : "Thou wilt, perhaps, say, ' I see smie-
thing else, and yet thou declarest that I receive the body of
Christ-'" To this he replies: "The sacrament which thou
receivest is called forth by God's own words. If the words
of the Propbet Elias were sufficiently powerful to call down
fire from heaven, shall not the words of Christ be powerful
enough to change the species of the elements ? Thou hast
read, of the works of creation : ' He spoke, and it was done.
He commanded, and the whole world immediately existed,'
Now, the words of Christ, which made of nothing that whicli
was not, are they unable to transform that which already is,
into that which it was not ? It is no less a work of omnipo
tence to call new beings intio existence than to change the sub
stance of those already existing." Lib. de Initinndis c, 3,
St, John Chrysostom says : " He who sanctifies and changes
these gifts is Christ himself." Homil. 83 in Matt. St, John
Damascene teaches : " Bread and wine are changed into the
Body and Blood of the Lord, If thou inquirest how this is
accomplished, attend to the reply given thee by the Hoi}
Spirit." Lib. 4 de Fide Orth, c. 14.
The Church pronounces this dogma in the Council of Trent
m the following terms : " If any one say, that in the most holy
Sacrament pf the Altar, the substance of bread and wine re
mains present with the substance of the Lord Jesus Christ's
Body and Blood, and denies the wonderful and peculiar change
of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and the
whole substance of wine into the Blood, so that the appear
ances of bread and wine only remain, which change the Catholic
Church terms, with peculiar propriety, transubstantion, let him
be anathema," Sess. 2,

Of the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist as a Sacrifice.
Q. "W hen does the holy sacrament of the altar possess the
qualities of a sacrifice ?
A. At the consecration, by,the transubstantiating woids of
tlv- priest; for at that moment Jesus is, as it were, imn.olat^d

264 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
in an unbloody manner, as a holocaust of praise, adc ration and
thanksgiving, and likewise as a propitiA'^ory victim for the sal>
vation of the living and the dead.
Q. What is the name applied to this sacrifice?
A. The Holy Mass.
Q. What is the sacrifice of Mass considered in itself?
A. It is the transubstantiation, immolation, and participa
tion of the body and blood of Jesus Christ instituted in com
memoration of the bloody sacrifice consummated by our Lord
on the bloody tree of the cross in pain ineffable, and ignominy
unexampled. It is the same sacrifice as that offered by Christ
on the cross, and its representation. For it is the same sweet
and loving Saviour who on Calvary's Mount and on our al
tars immolates himself a victim of praise and propitiation for
us, his sinful brethren. It is also the represeritation of this
great sacrifice, because Christ's bitter death is emblematically
expressed by the consecration of the two species, and the
body of Jesus Christ being offered up, as it were, separated
from his precious blood,
Q. Who instituted this sacrifice ?
Christ himself, at the last supper, saying : " Do this in com
memoration of me," Luke, xii. This is the doctrine of the
Church and all the Fathers, and is confirmed by the Council
of Trent, 22 Sess,, in the following words : " If any one as
sert that Christ by these words, ' Do this in commemoration
of me,' did not constitute the Apostles priests, and command
them and other priests to offer up His body and blood, let him
be anathema." And again, " If any one say that there is not
a true and real sacrifice presented to God in the Holy Mass,
let him be anathema," Canon, 1, 2.
1 , The sacrifice of the Mass is the oblation which replaces
the numerous victims of the Old Law. It is now offered up
Dy all nations of the earth, in order, as we read in the prophet
Mai. i. 11, " Worthily to praise God, and the name of our
Saviour." It is the great sacrifice of which all former oblations were
but types, and from which they received their efficacy. Let us
sonsider what the Holy Fathers say on this subject. St.
Cyprian writes thus: "We behold the same sacrament and
iacrifice of the Lord symbolized in the priest Melohisedeck,
''¦ ir who can be more justly termed the priest of the Most High
'Jod than our Lord Jesus Christ who presented to the Father

OF TUB SACRAMENTS. 265
the great victim, his own body and blood, under the fca-m of
that which Melohisedeck once offered bread ai.d wine." Ep,
63 ^>d Ccecilium.
St. Gregory of Nyssa teaches : " He offers himself up aa
an expiatory victim for us, and as a victim immolates him
self; thus be is at the same time a priest and the Lamb of God
which taketh away the sins of the world," And when did He do
tbi-*? When on giving to the assembled Apostles His 'body as
food and his blood as drink, he declared that the sacrifice of the
Ijfimb was already consummated," Oral. 1, in Christ resurr.
St. Austin says : " Before this sublime and only true sacri
fice all false sacrifices depart." Lib. 10, de civit Bei.
Q. To whom is the sacrifice of the Mass offered ?
A. To the triune God alone.
q. Why is this oblation made ?
A. The reasons for the oblation of this holy and spotless
victim are thus enumerated by the Council of Trent. " If
any one assert that the sacrifice of the Mass is merely an ob
lation of praise and thanks or a mere commemoration of the
sacrifice consummated on the cross, and not also an expiatory
victim, or that it benefits only those who partake of it, oi
that it should not be offered for the living and the dead, fi)r
sins, punishments, atonements and other necessities, let him
be anathema." 22. Sess, 3, Canon, In this canon of the Church
the following dogmas are included and pronounced,
1, That the sacrifice of Mass is a victim of adoration and
praise, 2, That it is offered to God in thanksgiving, or in other
words, that it is a victim of thanksgiving,
3. Th.at it is a deprecatory sacrifice, and may be offered
to the Father of Mercies for all the necessities of the Church
militant and suffering.
4. That it is an expiatory sacrifice, and not a mere con.
memoration of Christ's bloody death on the cross, and tha';
hence, 5. It benefits not only those who partake of the sacrament,
but those also who assist at the celebration of this sacrifice of
the New Covenant.
6. Finally, that it is offered up for the necessities of the
li -/ing and the dead.
St. Cyril's beautiful words serve us as sufficient proof, since
12

266 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RKLIGIOJi.
they but re-echo the sentiments of all the Fathers and Doctors
of the Church, The perfect spiritual sacrifice of tbe unbloody
worship having been consummated, we implore God, for the
sake of the great Victim thus immolated, to grant unity and
peace to His Church, true peace to the world, grace for po-
tentiites, soldiers, allies'; for those who are stretched on the
bed of sickness ; for all who stand in need of assistance do -we
all pray and present this sacrifice, during which we also call
to mind those who have departed this life, firmly believing
that the souls for whom we pray will derive great benefit,
when this holy Word and Victim, fruitful in grace ,and ill
blessings, reposeth on our altars. Christ, who immolated
himself for our sins, we offer up, in order to pi.ipitiate our
good God in our behalf and theirs." Cath. 24.
The most perfect proof that the adorable sacrifice should be
offered to the Divinity, for each and all of these ends, is de
rived from the fact that Christ, who is priest and victim, cer-
tiiinly contains within himself more than sufboient grounds for
the offering up of this sacrifice for all these intentions.
Q. What does the Mass, with its ceren.onies, signify .an«l
represent ?
A. It is not only the commemoration of our Saviour's most
bitter Passion and death ; it also calls to our minds the whole
economy of our salvation. The Introit is emblematic of the
yearning of the patriarchs, prophets and all the just of olden
times for the advent of the Messiah, The " Kyrie Eleison" is
an emblem of their prayers and sighs for His appearance, .and
their longing to offer Him up to God as an expiatory sacrifice.
The " Gloria" recalls the joyful event of our Saviour's birth;
the Collects, which immediately follow. His presentation and
oblation in the temple. The Epistle which is read on tho left
side of the altar signifies the mission of the Baptist, who in
structed and admonished man. The Gradual, the preparation
made by his exertions for the arrival and knowledge of Christ
Jesus, The Gospel, which is read on the right side of tho altar,
signifies Christ's apostolic office of teacher, by which he has led
us over from the left to the right hand, i. e., from things tem
poral to things eternal, from the dominion of sin, beneath the
sweet sceptre of grace. Lighted tapers and incense are used
during the chanting of the Gospel, in order to signify that the
Gospel enlightens the world and fills it with the fragrance of
God's glory. The Credo is emblematic of the election ard

OP THE SACRAMENTS. 26''
mission of Jesus Christ, his apostles and disciples. The Offer-
tory and Secret, immediately following the Credo, refer to the
voluntary oblation and preparation made By Christ for his
approaching sufferings. The Preface, which is entoned in a
loud voice and concludes with an exulting strain of " Hosan-
nas," signifies the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem
on Pal^ Sunday. The Canon, recited in a low voice imme
diately after the Preface, calls to mind the desolation attend
ing Christ's bitter sufferings. The elevation of the sacred Host
reminds us that the meek Lamb of God bore His Unexampled
torments in silent resignation, and offered Himself up to His
Father, on the cruel cross, bathed- in blood and tears, for us,
ungrateful sinners. The Pa/eriVos^cr represents Christ's dying
prayer ; the breaking of the holy Host, Christ's expiatory
death on the cross; the Agnus Bei, the mourning of those
who believed in the Redeemer when his mangled body was
taken from the cross; the priest's communion, our sweet Sa
viour's sad interment ; the Canticle following the communion,
and styled the Post-Communion, the joy called' forth by
the Lord's glorious resurrection ; the '' Ite Missa est," Christ's
farewell to earth, and His ascent to the dwelling of His glory
the priest's benediction, the descent of the Paraclete ; the Gos
pel, which is read at the conclusion of the adorable .sacrifice,
the preaching of the Apostles, when replenished with the power
and the fullness of the Spirit of Truth, they hastened to an
nounce to all nations, tribes and peoples the glad tidings of sal
vation, and, by the conversions thus made, propagated Christ's
Kingdom (Church) on earth. Whoever directs his attention
immediately or mediately to all this during the celebration oi
the Holy Sacrifice, will undoubtedly assist with devotion and
much spiritual benefit.

Of Holy Communion, or the Participation of the Mystery ,
of Our Altars.
Q, Are. the faithful obliged to receive this sacrament?
A, Most assuredly, as is evident from Christ's words : ¦' Dc
this <n commemoration of me." Luke, xii, ; 1 Cor. i. 24. For
by these words Jesus not only constituted the Apostles priests
)f the New Covenant, and commanded them and their succes-
)ors in the priestly office to present the sacr'fice of His Body

268 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
and Blood, by the change of bread and wine, but lie also
thereby enjoins its personal reception on all the faithful. He
instituted this sacrament .as the spiritual food for the children
of His Church, The doctors of the Church justly conclude
from this passage that the participation in this sacred banquet
is to be looked upon as a Divine precept, even had not our
Holy Mother, the Church, given any law on the subject,
Q. Must this sacrament be received under both forms ?
A. That the officiating priest must communicate under both
forms, is beyond the slightest doubt, as the sacrifice is offered
under both forms. However, it is to be observed of the
priests, when not celebrating the Divine Sacrifice, but merely
assisting, and of the laity, that it suffices to receive this blessed
sacrament under one form, and that there is no command bind
ing na to receive under both. We are to observe whatever
the Holy Church, our wise and good mother and teacher, may
Jiink proper to decree, according to the time and circumstances.
The Holy Scripture vouches for the correctness of this remark,
for in nia.ny passages in which this adorable mystery is men
tioned we find the Body and Blood both explicitly named, and
in others merely the reception of the bread, because, under
this form, both body and blood are present; for, in the pas
sage in which we find the words, " Unless you eat the flesh of
the son of man and drink his blood you shall not have life in
you" (John, vi. 54), we immediately after see, " He that eateth
this bread shall live for ever," John, vi, 59. And when Jesus
said, " He that eateth my fiesh and drinketh my blood hath
everlasting life" (John, vi. 55), -he adds: "And the bi-ead that
I will give you is my flesh for the life of the world." John, vi.
52. He who said, " He that eateth , my fiesh and drinketh my
blood abideth in me and I in him," (John, vi. 57), also said :
" If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever." Christ's
own example proves .the truth of this conviction, for, although
at the last supper He dispensed this adorable mystery under
buth forms, He gave this sacrament to the two disciples of
Emmaus only under one form, as the Holy Fathers unani
mously interpret this passage. Luke, xxiv. 30, 31. Hence
we find from the earliest ages of Christianity the custom of
¦administering the sacrament also under one form. We learn
from history that it was leceived now under one and again
under both forms. Those, for instance, who coTild not bear
the taste of wine, received under the form of bread alone;

OF THE SACRAMENTS, 269
this occurred frequently during the times of persecution, when
it was customary to give the consecrated bread to tbe faithful,
to be carried to their dwellings where they might partake of
this celestial banquet according to their devotion and conven
ience. A drop, from the consecrated chalice was given to
infants. It is deserving of remark, that in the Acts, when the
holy communion is spoken of, we find mention only made of
breaking the bread. Acts, ii. 46.
Somewhat later the Church, actuated by very weighty rea
sons, ordained that this sacrament -vyas to be administered to
.the laity in the Western Church under the form of bread only.
This prevented much irreverence that was wont to occur from
the accidental spilling of the consecrated wine, Mcjreover, the
sacrament is much more easily administered under the form
of bread alone, laying aside the fact, that in many places wine
cannot be procured in sufficient quantity for general distribu
tion. These reasons may be regarded as of greater weight.
when the circumstance is taken into consideration that the laity
lose not in the slightest degree the fruit of the sacrament, foi
Christ is wholly present under both forms, and is only conse
crated, immolated and partaken of by the priest in as far as it
is a sacrifice. Further, beeause there appeared heretics who
maintained that this sacrament mivst necessarily be partaken
of under both forms, the adorable blood of Jesus not being
present in the Host, which is evident absurdity and falsehood.
Supposing it for a moment correct, it must lead to the conclu
sion that we receive not Christ's liviirg body, but his corpse,
which of course is preposterous, for Christ, once risen from
the dead, " dieth no more,"
Q. What preparation is required for the reception of this
adorable sacrament ?
A. The apostle admonishes us : " Let a man prove himself,
and so let him eat of that bread," 1 Cor. xi. 28, This self-
probation consists in an earnest examination of the state of
one's conscience, followed by a contrite confession to a duly
authorized priest, by which the guilt-stained soul is restored
to purity. Many persons, however, who go frequently to con
fession, have recourse to the tribunal of penance, out of devo
tion and reverence, before approaching this august mystery,
when the state of their conscience would not in itself rendef
cjonfession imperative, but in order to prepare the better iai
so great a guest.

270 M INUAL CF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
2, A lively act of faith should be excited in the breast so
soon to become the throne of the Lord of glory, that, in
the Holy Host, truly He is present who was born of the stain
less Virgin for our sakes, bled and died on the ignominious
tree of the cross, and now sitteth in power and majesty at the
right hand of God the Father, whence He shall come in the
fullness of His might to judge the quick and the dead,
3, A firm purpose of amendment is to be renewed,
4. We should be particularly careful to renew our sincere
and hearty forgiveness of every injury or offence offered us,
5. We are to be fasting from midnight, i. e., we are care-
fidly to abstain from partaking of anything in the form of food,
drink or medicine. The slightest particle or drop thus taken
renders us unfit to approach the Holy Table for the time in
question. Should we when rinsing the mouth accidentally
swallow a drop of water mixed with spittle, it does not pi-p.-
vent the reception of the adorable sacrament,
6. Acts of humility, desire and love for Jesus, in the
mystery of ineffable love, are to be excited immediately before
receiving, with the utmost devotion and fervor. Suitable
prayer-books will be found to give efficient aid in this respect,
Q. Is it a grievous sin to approach this Holy Table in the
state of mortal sin ? ,
A. Certainly ; it is a crime of so heinous a nature that the
Holy Ghost says,*by the mouth of the Apostle, of those who
int,ur this guilt : " He that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, and shall be guilty
of the body and blood of the Lord," 1 Cor. xi.
That is, as St, Chrysostom interprets this passage, " He
becomes guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, just as if
he had slai." Christ, and His blood stains his guilty soul as if
he had shed it as His murderer and executioner, 0 God, how
horrible a crime ! As often as we peruse the doleful history
of our sweet Saviour's bitter Passion, our hearts are filled with
indignation against Judas, Caiphas, Pil.ate, and all who with
such fiendish rage and cruelty outraged the Lord's adorable
person ; and yet more grievous are the indignities and suffer
ings inflicted on this meek Lamb of God by an unworthy recep.
tion of His adorable body and blood than all that was inffioted
upon Him by the perverse and wicked Jews, The wanton
malice of such a wretch is rendered more daring and horrible
by the clear know ledge he possesses of what he does. Do such

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 271
unhappy beings consider the enormity and borrer of the crime
they wickedly commit, of the Divine wrath which they defy,
of the punishments impending over them ? With what great
respect did not tho Lord wish the Ark of the Covenant to be
treated, in which the Tables of the Law were preserved ? No
one, not even the priest, was permitted to touch it unless
covered. Ex. xxv. No one might presume to touch or carry
it, even when ciovered, except the Levites, who were obliged,
while thus engaged, to act with the utmost care and leverence.
The Philistines, wVk> had taken it in battle and carried it about
from place to place, were smote by the Lord with disease and
tribulation. Fifty thousand Bethlamites were suddenly snatched
out of life, for having presumed to gaze irreverently upon it.
I Kings, vi. Oza rashly stretched forth his band to prevent
its falling, and he was struck dead on the spot. If, then, God
so strenuously insisted on the Ark being duly honored, and so
severely punished those who were guilty of but slight irrev
erence, what punishment have those to expect who treat the
adorable mystery with indiguity or who presume to partake
unworthily of the Body and Blood of God's only begotten Son ?
How shall they one day sfeind before Him, their Judge, whom
they now so cruelly insult and dishonor as Saviour ? God has
not unfrequently punished sudi wanton and presumptuous wick
edness, even here on earth.
Q. What should we do when receiving the adorable Sacra
ment ?
A. We should approach the Holy Table with devoutly fold-
ed hands and downcast eyes, and, after having made a genuflec
tion with the utmost reverence, the cloth is taken from the rails
and rested on the hand, the head moderately raised, the cloth
put under the chin, so that if the Holy Host might be dropped
by the priest it may rest on the cloth ; the mouth is to be rev
erently and sufficiently opened, the tongue laid on the lower lip,
where it is to be quietly kept till the consecrated particle re
poses on it. The adorable Sacrament having been received
with the greatest possible devotion, the recipient rises and with
folded hands again makes devout genuflection, and returns to
his place with downcast eyes and clasped hands as he came.
Q. 'What is to be done after Holy Communion 1 .
A. We should carefully avoid hurrying immediately front
the church. Let us rather recall to mind the example of the
beloved disciple at the Last Supper, and endeavor to profit, by

H\i MANrAL OF THE CATHOI IC RELIGION.
our sweet Saviour's adorable presence, by keeping all tl.d
powers of our minds in a calm and collected state, and adore
Christ, truly and really present, with the utmost humility,
striving wholly to unite ourselves with Him in faith and love,
2, Acts of the most fervent thanksgiving and oblation are
to be excited, in union with the infinite merits of our beloved
guest, Jesus, our Lord and Saviour,
3, We should renew our purposes of amendment and sane-
tification of life, by earnestly avoiding the occasions of sin,
and struggling against temptations, and by the most zealous
practice of the duties of our state,
4. We should recommend to the divine clemency the liv
ing and the dead; for whom we are bound by duty and grati
tude to pray. Let all this be done with the tenderest and
most confiding love, saying, with the patriarch Jaeob : " I
will not let thee go unless thou bless me," Gen. xxxii.
This confidence will undoubtedly increase the graces con
ferred on you in this adorable sacrament,
Q. How should we further seek to sanctify the day of our
communion ?
A. The day on which the soul has united itself with Jesus
in this august mystery, should be wholly employed in thanks
giving and praise, and more time than usual set apart for
prayer and other practices of piety, particularly when this
day is a Sunday or holyday, as is frequently the case.
Q. What is further to be observed after the reception of
this saving sacrament ?
A. After -.confession and holy communion, every one is
strictly bound to guard most carefully against a relapse into
his former sins, in order that he may not prove himself un
worthy of so inestimable a favor, and thus increase his own
damnation ; remembering the words addressed by Christ to
the man sick of the palsy, whom He restoreu to health :
" Behold thou art made whole : sin no more lest sorrie worse
thing happen to thee." John, v. 14, This, however, should
not suffice for us ; we should zealously seek to improve the
immense graces conferred by this sacrament, for securing the
great affair of our salvation, so that we may be able to s.ay in
truth with the great Apostle : " I live, now not I ; but Christ
liveth in me," Gal. n, 20.
Q, What is understood by spiritual communion ?
A, We understand by spiritual communion, a fervent de

OF THB SACRAMENTS, 273
sire to receive Jesjs Christ in the sacrament of His love, ex
pressed by reciting with ardor the three theological virtues,
as if about in reality to partake of this celestial food.
Q. What are the benefits derived from spiritual communion?
A, It pr )cures us, 1, Participation in the graces conferred
by this divine sacrament, according to the teaching of St,
Augustine and St. Thomas. 3 p. q. 80, 1 ad. 3.
2, It is a very suitable means of preparation for the recep
tion of the adorable mystery, as it exercises the soul in those
acts of piety the best calculated to fit us for sitting at this
banquet of celestial sweetness,
3. It further serves to insure our daily assisting at the cele
bration of the august mysteries, with more fruit and greater
devotion. Q. How is the spiritual communion to be made ?
A. The most proper manner of preparing to receive our
divine Lord spiritually is from the " Agnus Bei ;" first, to
excite sentiments of sincere contrition for the many sins com
mitted against Him, who loves us so fondly and so constantly,
then we should humbly join the priest in the thrice-repeated
words : " O Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter
under my roof ; say but the word, and my soul shall be heal
ed." Thereupon let us excite acts of faith, hope, and charity
in this mystery. This being done, we should, while the
priest is communicating, invite Jesus to enter into our hearts,
with these and similar burning sighs of fervent love : " Oh
my Jesus, my Saviour, Thou life of my soul, come and give
thyself to me ! Ah, would that I might now receive Thee !
O my Jesus ! my sweet love, come." We should now say
with the most ardent love and humility, as if Jesus had really
entered our hea_rts :
" Soul of Jesus, sanctify me. Blood of Jesus, wash me.
Passion of Jesus, strengthen me. Wounds of Jesus, heal
me. Heart of Jesus receive me. Spirit of Jesus, enliven
me. Love of Jesus, inflame me. Mercy of Jesus, spare
nie. Cross of Jesus, save me. Cross of Jesus, support
me. Thorns of Jesus, crown me. Sighs of Jesus, plead for
me. Agony of Jesus, atone for me. Lips of Jesus, bless
me in life and death, in time and eternity. Amen,"
Q. What are the fruits produced in the soul by the worthy
reception of the adorable Eucharist ?
A. The fruits of a worthy communion are numerous, ia-
12*

274 MANUAL OF THB CATHOLIC RELIGION.
expressibly great and important ; for this is the bread that cam«>
down from heaven, imparting life to the world ; the bread which
vivifies, strengthens and refreshes our soul's in the life of
grace. This sacrament further symbolizes and effects the
union of all the faithful as members of one body, united to
gether by the merits of the saints and all pious souls. Fur
ther, what is still more important, it intimately 'jnites those
members with Christ, their divine head, so that He abideth
in them, and they in Him, the fullness of supernatural life.
It is the food and refreshment furnished us by infinite love,
in our weary pilgrimage over the thorny paths of life, sur
rounded by dangers, toils, and enemies, with whom we have
to contest every step in our advance towards our glorious
goal, the heavenly Jerusalem ; a manna containing in itself
all that is delicious, much superior to that given to our fathers
in the desert ; a food, rich in heavenly delights, containing
for us the germs of undying bliss and glory. St. Bernard-
beautifully expresses himself on this subject : " The worthy
reception of this sacrament diminishes the inclination to even
the slightest sins, and removes entirely the tendency to more
grievous transgressions. If, then, a persOn no longer expe
riences such violent temptations, emotions of anger, envy,
and the like, he may thank the body and blood of, the adora^
ble physician of his soul, to whom he is indebted for this-
favor, for the virtue of the sacrament has begun to operate
within him. He may rejoice, for his cure is not far distant,",
Be cceha Bomini. And again he says : " The body of Christ
is a remedy for the sick, a path for the traveller, it strength
ens the weak, refreshes those who are of a good and earnest
will, and cures tepidity. Man becomes milder in admonish
ing, more patient in labor, more fervent in charity, more cau
tious in protecting, readier in obedience, and n.ore devout in
thanksgiving." The great St. Ignatius, the martyr, very
justly exclaims, addressing Christians in general: "An im-
mortil. remedy is this bread, an antidote to death, so that we
may live in God, through Jesus Christ." Epis. ad Eph,
This is the sacred banquet of which the Church speaks in her
solemn hymns : " 0 holy banquet in which Christ is received,
the memory of His passion renewed, the soul filled with
^race, and a pledge of future glory is given us."

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 275
Of the Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Q, Should we adore the most holy sacrament of the altar ?
A. Yes ; for is it not Jesus Christ himself concealed be
neath the sacramental forms ? Now, Holy Writ itself calls
on us to adore Jesus Christ, for it is written of Him : " Let
the angels of God adore Him." Heb. i. 6, And in the
Psalms we find the following passage : " And all the kings
of the earth shall adore Him, all nations shall serve Him,"
Ps. Ixxi, 11. The royal seer having been favored with a,
vision of this most sublime mystery, does not consider it
sufficient to say : " The poor shall eat and shall be filled, they
shall praise the Lord," but adds : " And all the kindred of
the Gentiles shall adore in His sight," Ps. xxi. 27, 28. The
Magi from the East, and many others paid to the Lord divine
honors, while He was stiU on earth, fell down before Him,
and adored Him. Math. viii. 2, ix. 2, xiv. 15 ; Mark, v. 6, xv.
19 ; Luke, xxiv. 52 ; Joh7^, ix. 8, Now in the august mys
tery of our altars, we believe the same Christ present, not
in mortal flesh, but in immortal though veiled glory, worthy
of benediction and honor in the fullness of His povirer and
glory. This our faith we seek to testify by reverently pros
trating ourselves before this adorable sacrament in humble
and devout transports of love. St, Chrysostom says: "Tha
Magi bowed down in adoration before Christ in the crib, and
worshipped Him with great fear and trembling ; thou behold-
est Him not in the crib, but on the altar ; we are, therefore,
bound to offer much greater proofs of respect and adoration
than did these heathens." Horn. 24 in Ep. 1 ad Cor, The
Apostle St. Paul, speaking of the glory of Christ and the
worship due to him, says : " For which cause God also hath
exalted Him, and hath given Him a name, which is above all
names ; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth."
Phil, xxix, 10. If this veneration is to be paid to the mere,
name, shall we refuse it to Him, the mighty and divine One
present on our altars ? The Council of Trent thus expres.«cs
this dogma : " If any m.an say that Christ, the only Begotten,
is not to be also exteriorly adored and honored with peculiar
wid festive solemnity, further, that He is not to be, accord
ing to the universal and laudable usage of the Church, borne
from place to place in processions, or exposed to the pnblio

270 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC KiLIGlO.-!.
adoration of the people, or that His adorers are idolaters.
let him be anathema," Sess. xiii. Can. vi.
Practice. — Magnify and praise the Lord with all tho heav
enly hosts ; thank Him in union with the aspirations of I\Iary's
sinless heart, and of all the saints in heaven .and on earth, for
the institution of the most adorable sacrament of the altar;
for this greatest proof of the ineffable love He bears thee ;
foi this sublimest of His gifts, and devote yourself entirely
to the adoration, veneration, and love of Jesus on our altars.
Hasten to cast thyself down before His lowly dwelling in our
tabernacles, tarry there as long is is permitted thee, and re
ceive thy sweet Jesus as often and as worthily as thou canst
with sentiments of strong faith and fervent love ; treat Him
not with neglect who establishes His throne in thy heart •
give thyself entirely up to Him, let all the faculties of thy
soul be absorbed in His sweet love, and thou shalt certainly
begin to lead a life hidden with that of Christ in God, and
enjoy in communing with Jesus, a foretaste of the joy of
heiiven, and the graces pre-ordained for thee from all eternity,
shall certainly be poured down upon thee through Jesus
Christ, with whom thou art so intimately united by this sac
rament.
Of Penance,
Q. What is penance ?
A. It is the sacrament in which the remission of sins, com-
mitted after baptism, is granted to the sincere penitent by
the absolution of the priest.
Q. Who instituted this sacrament ?
A. Jesus Christ, who after His resurrection, breathed upon
the Apostles, saying : " As the Father hath sent me, I also
send you. Receive ye the Holy Ghost : whose sins you shall
retain, they are retained, whose sins you shall forgive, they are
forgiven," Johti,^ xx, 21-23, The Council of Trent thx^a
express itself on this head - " If any one assert that in tbe
Catholic Church the institution of penance is not for the faith
ful a true and real sacranient instituted by Christ, to recon
cile them with God, as often as after Baptism they fall into
sin, let him be anatherna." Sess. xiv. Can. 1.
Q. Was this power to survive the Apostles ?
A. Undoubtedly, for the Church founded by Christ was to
continue to tbe end of time, and with it, the spiritual pc wers

OP THE SACRAMENTS, 277
granted to the Apostles, not for their pers( nal advantage, but
for all who believe in Christ's name ; now, there will unfor
tunately be sinners found on earth to the end of time, lan
guishing for the forgiveness of their transgressions ; this
Christ clearly foresa-w, hence He instituted this remedy of
grace for all men and all ages, as the second and last saving
plank after the shipwreck of sin, as the holy Fathers term
tho sacrament of penance,
Q. To whom, then, was this transmitted ?
A. To the bishops as legitimate successors of the Apostles
and the priests they may please to ap.point,
Q. Do priests really forgive sins ?
A. Certainly ; not, however, by human power, but em
powered and authorized by God, who confers on them this
privilege for tbe benefit of the faithful,
Q. When does the priest remit, when does he retain sins?
A. He remits sins when he gives absolution in the tribunal
of penance ; he retains them when he refuses or delays it.
Q. May every sin, without exception, be remitted in the
Church of God by the sacrament of penance ?
A. Yes ; provided the sacrament be received with diw.
dispositions. Q. What are the principal constituents required for the
worthy reception of this sacrament ?
A. Contrition, confession, and satisfaction, as we are taught
by Scripture ; these requisites may easily be deduced from
the nature of a sincere conversion, for if a man have injured
or offended his neighbor, and sincerely wishes to be recon
ciled with him, he acknowledges and repents of the evil
done him, he goes in quest of the injured person, acknowl
edges the wrong done him, and expresses his sorrow for what
has occurred, and declares his willingness to atone for it
Our confession and reconciliation with God, require the same
of us. The Church pronounces this dogma in the Council of
Trent as follows : "The matter, as it were, of this sacrament,
is the three acts of the penitent,, viz., contrition, confession,
and satisfaction. These are, therefore, called the parts of the
sacrament of penance, in as far as penance requires them for
the perfection of the sacrament and the full and perfect re
mission of sins, according to the divine ordinance." Sess.
xiv. Cap. 3. We shall here add separately the i.iost necos
sarv remarks on each.

278 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.

Contrition.
Q. What is contrition ?
A. It is an interior grief and horror of sins committed,
with the firm resolve never more to relapse into our evil
habits, as is said by the Council of Trent, in Sess, xiv. Cap.
4. True contrition thus includes in itself two acts ; sorrow
of the heart, and the purpose of the will,
Q. What qualities must contrition possess in order to ob
tain forgiveness of sin ?
A. It must, first, be interior, i. e., genuine sorrow and de
testation, not pronounced merely by the lips ; but, on the
contrary, proceeding from the heart,
2, Supernatural, i. e., this sorrow and detestation must be
excited by supern.atural motives and considerations taught us
by faith. We are to detest and reject sin above all things,
as an insult and offence directed against the divine majesty,
and not purely from considerations .prompted by temporal
motives; for instance, the many temporal chastisements inci
dent to sin. Thus a drunkard may heartily regret that he has
been intoxicated, when the fit, being over, leaves in its train
nauseousness, depression, and sickness, &c. ; a gamester, aftei
having .lost hit- money ; a libertine, when his excesses have
entailed disease upon him, or robbed him of the good name
he enjoyed in the world. Such sorrow, generated *as it is by
mere natural causes, suffices not for the remission of sin, be
ing unaccompanied by any real detestation of the sinful act.
This was the regret experienced by Saul when he said to the
prophet : " I have sinned ; yet honor me now before the an
cients of my people." 1 Kings, xv, Antioohus repented on
his sick couch in a similar manner, of the wicked deeds com
mitted in Jerusalem, It was but a natural sorrow and de-
„estation of his crimes, called forth by the approach of death,
which he recognized as a consequence and punishment of his
sins. His heart, however, remained unchanged, hence we
find written of him : " He laid himself down upon his bed,
and fell sick for grief, beeause it had not fallen out to him as
he imagined." 1 Mach. vi, 8. God beheld his unconverted
heart. The sorrow expressed by the royal prophet was dif
ferent, when, penetrated with remorse, he exclaimed: "I havo
sinned." He experi-jnci-d the deepest re.ojret iur hiiviiigi

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 279
offended God, .and therefore merited to hear those consoling
words from the lips of the prophet : " The Lord hath taken
away thy sin," 2 Kings, xii.
Now contrition, when true and so qualified as to enable us
to obtain remission of our sins, must be excited by motives
furnished by faith, in virtue of which we repent of and detest
all that we have done against the Divine commandments.
Faith is also, in this respect, the ground of all justification.
Contrition must, further, be universal, i. e., extending to all
the sins we have committed ; at least, to all the mortal sins,
without exception, to which we may have unfortunately con
sented. Should one not, be truly contritet, for any one mortal
transgression, his confessions would be*invalid, and instead of
obtaining the forgiveness of his sins, they would, as before,
weigh down hi»soul with their enormity, with the addition of
the horrible guilt of sacrilege,
4, Contrition must, further, be accompanied by the earnest
purpose of amendment,
Q. What is to be observed of this purpose of amendment?
A. It must be interior and true, i. e., it suffices not merely
to pronounce it with the lips, we must make it with a strong
and energetic will, and firmly resolve to adhere to it. It
must be universiil, i. e., extending to all sins. This is requisite
for a true and sincere amendment of life, viz, :
1. To avoid sin and all occasions of sin,
2, To avoid the temptations to sin ; and should they, not
withstanding, continue to importune us, to resist them reso
lutely and generously from their first appeariance,
3, Further, to repair injuries done to the honor and property
of our fellow men to the best of our ability.
4. Seek to make due amends for every known and wilful
scandal given. '
a. Forgive each and every offence done us, and become
heartily reconciled with all men,
6. Fulfil with the greatest punctuality the duties and obli
gations imposed by your state of life, and resolutely press
forward on the path of Christian virtue and piety.
7. Faithfully perform the penance enjoined us in the tribu
nal «f penance.
Q. What is understood by immediate occasions of sin?
A. That which is generally a -jause of temptation to us,
whether it be a persi n, divor.-jiou, occupation, &c.

280 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. Are we strictly bound to avoid the immediate occasiom
of sin ?
A. Certainly ; for " he who loves danger shall perish there
in" (Eccles. v.), as Scripture and daily experience testify. He
loves danger, who voluntarily puts himself under its influence,
or flies not when he might do so, even should he not have
sought or exposed himself to it.
Q. What is to be done when our circumstances will not
immediately permit us to ffy such occasions?
A. We should strive to render the immediate occasion
remote, that is, less imminent ; arming ourselves with the
weapons of prayer, vigilance, mortification and prompt resist
ance. If this cannot be done, it becomes imperative on us to
avoid it, even should it entail on us some temporal loss ; yea,
at the expense of all our earthly goods, even df life itself, ac
cording to the words of our Lord : " If thy right eye scandalize
ihee, pluck it out and cast it from thee ; if thy hand or foot
scandalize thee, cut them-Tsff and cast them from thee." Matt.
V. 30. That is, if a thing were as necessary to us as hand or
-foot, still we are imperatively bound to avoid it, at wh.atever
loss and peril, rather than remain in d.auger of falling into sin.
Q. What should persons take into consideration who pro
crastinate in resolving to avoid occasions of sin ?
A. That the absolution obtained in the sacrament is alto-.
gether invalid, and serves but to increase their guilt.
Q. How is supernatural contrition further distinguished?
A. By perfect and imperfect contrition or attrition.
Q. When is contrition perfect ?
A. When proceeding solely from love and sorrow, for
having offended a God infinitely good, perfect and amiable in
himself Q. When is it merely attrition ?
A. When our sorrow does not immediately proceed from
^rief, excited by love, for having offended a God infinitely
iniiable and perfect in himself, but from love of God called
forth by his being for us the supreme good, from whom we
have received and do still expect so many benefits, .and by other
motive.* subordinate to love, such as fear of tbe judgments of
God, as affecting our temporal and eternal well being,
Q. Is perfect contrition indispensable, in order to obtain
forgi'-^eness of sin ?
A. It is, when we cannot receive the sacrament of penance*

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 281
joined with the reception of this sacrament, attrition suffices.
We should, however, earnestly endeavor to obtain perfect
contrition, which prepares and, as it were, enlarges our hearts
for greater and more precious graces, and increases within uj
the fruit and eflScacy of this pledge of God's ineffable mercy.
Q, When, in particular, are we bound to excite contrition 1
A. 1, Before confession, or, at least, before absolution.
2. As often as we have been unfortunate enough to fall into
some grievous sin,
3. In danger of death. It is, moreover, very laudable and
salutary to excite perfect contrition daily ; at least, before re
tiring, after having examined our conscience. Thus shall we
be enabled to live and die in greater security, increase within
us the treasures of sanctifying grace, and increase the merits
gone before us to our blessed home beyond the dreary portals
of the tomb,
Q. What will be found peculiarly ad.apted to excite in our
hearts sincere and supernatural contrition ?
A. 1. Earnest reflection on the infinite majesty of God, whose
glory fills heaven and earth, and our own nothingness in His
sight, being called into existence by His fiat, and unable to per
form the slightest action unassisted by His power and His love,
2. The infinite goodness God has deigned to manifest in
our regard : for do we not owe all we possess to His bounty ;
every gift, every breath we draw, every cheering sunbeam,
our whole being and all our faculties ? The infinite mercy of
God, recalled to our minds by the Holy Cross and Him who
bled thereon, our dearest Jesus — all that God has done for us
after our having forfeited, by the sin of our first parents (to
which we have added so many actual transgressions), all claims
to heaven, and incurred damnation ; and yet Jesus awaits us
with such patient, untiring love, opens wide His arms, in order
to fold us to His breast in forgiving love, if, like Magdalen, the
loving penitent of old, we cast ourselves contrite at Ilis blessed
feel. 3. The lively remembrance of the bitter Passion of our dear
Jesus and His expiatory death on the cross ; on the bitter tears
mingled with blood, shed for us on that couch of pain ; on tha
heavy sighs, wrung from his tortured breast by our ingratitude,
in the dark, dreary hours of his agony on Calvary, His doleful
exclamation, the streams of blood, the gaping wounds, Hia
jeart pierced after death by the cruel lance.

282 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
4. The earnest consideraflon of eternity and approaching
judgment; on the fearful consequences entailed by sin, dwell
ing for ever in the flames of hell ; and also on the ineffable
joys of heaven, the raptures and delights there awaiting the
eternal possession of God, in the company of the just madp
perfect. Of Confession.
Q, What is confession ? i
A. An express, contrite, but secret self-accusation, before a
duly authorized priest, of, at least, all the grievous sins com
mitted after baptism, as far as we can recall them to memory,
in order to obtain their remission by the priest's absolution.
The words of St, John are to be understood as referring to this
sacrament when he writes : " If we confess our sins. He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all iniquity." 1 John, i. 9,
We say that confession is an express selfaccusation, in or
der to show that the penitent is bound to confess his sins, as
he believes them to be, in the Divine sight, without palliation,
exaggeration, diminution, disguise or concealment. We have
further stated confession to be a secret accusation, iri order to
distinguish it from the public penitential accusation, at times
practised in the primitive Church, but which, on account of
scandal, was in course of time abolished. The accusation for
sacramental confession is to be made in secret. We have said
that every known and remembered grievous sin, at least, is to
be confessed ; for whoever willingly and knowingly conceals
but one grievous sin has made his accusation in vain, and in
stead of obtaining the benefits to be derived from this saving
sacrament, incurred the enormous guilt of sacrilege. As re
gards venial sins, they may be confessed, and this accusation
is accompanied with great spiritual advantages; yet. we are
not bound by any precept to confess them, and they may be
washed away without confession by acts of contrition and pen
ance, and by the merits of Christ's Passion. Should a person,
however, not be Sufficiently instructed to enable him accurately
to distinguish a mortal from a venial transgression, he is bound
to lay his doubts before his confessor, in order that he may not
incur the guilt of grievous sin by culpable ignorance. Venial
sins are, moreover, confessed iu the tribunal of penance, as an

OF THE SACRAMENTS, 283
act of humility, and in orde- to draw down greater and richer
graces on the recipient, particularly when one is so happy as
to lead a life undefiled by mcu-tal sin. In this case, however.
we must be very careful to excite true contrition and a firm
purpose of amendment; for without sincere contrition there
can be no remission of sins, either in or out of the tribun.al of
penance. Thus whoever confesses venial sins alone, and re-
pents not heartily of at least one of them, draws upon himself,
by his confession, the guilt of sacrilege.
Q. May sins once confessed be repeated, and the grace of
the sacrament obtained ?
A. Certainly ; supposing that one should have been so hap
py as to fall, since the last confession, into no sin : for contrite
selfaccusation of sins once committed, alone is necessary for
the validity of the sacrament. This self-accusation may be as
frequently repeated as we wish. The grace of the sacrament
consists in its effacing the stains of sin vvhen our consciences
are thereby defiled, or in imparting, when this is not the case,
new treasures of sanctifying grace, as water cleanses us from
the stains contracted or, when we are free from such, serves
to promote the. cleanliness of the body ; and again, as one
light dispels the darkness of a room, but if a second be added
the light will be much increased,
Q. When is it particularly advisable to renew our self
accusation of sins once committed ?
A. When we have not to accuse ourselves of sins, or at
least of mortal sins consented to since the last confession, it is
well in this case, in order to obviate all fears respecting true
contrition, to add at the end of our accusation : " I include and
accuse myself of this or that grievous sin, into which I unfor
tunately fell." The sin is then specified. We are, however,
to be on our guard against repeating, in detail, the sins com
mitted against the sixth commandment, provided they have
once been confessed, with due dispositions, as this might, per
haps, lead to a new carnal temptation. Should any one wish
to renew their self-accusation on this point, it is to be done in
general terms.
Q. When does it become incumbent on us to repeat the
sins once confessed ?
A. When we wish to receive the sacrament of penance, and
have not since its last reception incurred the guilt of either a
mortal or a deliberate venial sin ; as also when making a gen-

28\. MANUAL -JP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
eral confes-3ion, or when we have reason to fear that our former
confessions were not accompanied with the due dispositions.
Q. W hat is general confession, and what class of persons
nave recourse to it ?
A. General confession is a detailed and full accusation of
all the sins committed since we arrived at the age of reason.
A confession of this kind should be made by those who ap
proach for the first time the table of tho Lord, those who are
entering on a new state of life, and those who find themselves
admonished either by serious illness or advanced age to pre
pare for their passage from this land of exile to their eternal
home. Q. On whom is general confession incumbent ?
A. On all those who have not sincerely and contritely con
fessed their evil deeds, and p.articularly such as are the slaves
of evil habits.
It will, moreover,- be found -a salutary custom, after having
made a good general confession, to make a confession annual
ly of all the faults committed since the general confession .
this will be found highly conducive to a knowledge of our
selves, and will .also serve as a security for the validity of our
ordinary confessions. General confessions, however, proceed
ing from scruples or mistaken devotion are neither to be com
mended nor practised.
Jt is much better to confess frequently, with careful prepa
ration, and earnestly to strive to progress in virtue, to think
of the good which we can and should yet perform, instead of
morbidly brooding over the evil once committed, and now
unfortunately beyond the power of recall,
Q. Who instituted the sacrament of penance?
A. Jesus Christ, who expressly declares : " Whose sins ye
shall forgive, they are forgiven ; whose sins ye shall retain,
they are retained," John, xx. 3,
By these solemn words, Jesus Christ appointed the Apostles
and their successors in the holy ministry, the priests and bish
ops, as judges in matters of conscience, possessing the power
of retaining or remitting sins according to right and justice.
The appointment of this judicial tribunal likewise imposes on
the faithful to the end of time the obligation of entirely and
sincerely revealing the wounds of conscience. For how could
the Apostles and their successors duly exercise the powers
granted them, if they were not made acquainted with the sfit

OP THE SACllAMBNTS, 285
itua) infirmities and miseries of those who apply for the exer.
else of this saving power ? Christ, however, never gave to the
Apostles, or never does to their successors, any revelation aa
to the spii-itual condition of those who have recourse to thcin
for the remission of sins; this being denied the judges, it fol
lows that the applicant must disclose the state of his conscience
to him from whom he solicits aid. The necessity of this obli
gation becomes apparent from the solemnity with which Christ
iniparted this power to his Apostles, He breathed upon them
and said : " As the Father hath sent me, so also do I send you.
Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins ye shall forgive," &c.
The import of these words is evidently this : " As I have re
ceived'from the Father the power to forgive sins, so also ye,
by the power of the Holy Ghost, whom I impart to you,"
Had not these words made it a duty for the faithful to disclose
to the Apostles the state of their conscience, the stupendous
power thus conferred would have been a vain, though pomp
ous declaration, for why confer authority which can neither
be exercised at all, or, at least, in any rational manner ? Had
Christ merely conferred on his Apostles tbe power to forgive
sins, the case would be different, but this was not the only
authority with which He invested them ; He likewise express
ly empowered them to retain guilt. The exercise of a power
of this nature necessarily supposes a thorough knowledge of
the disposition of the heart and the state of the conscience, and
no'' merely of the exterior, which is so often deceptive. The pen
itent may, indeed, be a hypocrite, or he may conceal or gloss
over his guilt; in this case, however, he must describe to him
self all the dread consequences involved by the receipt of an
invalid absolution, obtained from the priest on false pretences.
Q. Has confession been practised ever since the times of
the Apostles ?
A. It has; we find this practice alluded to in Holy Writ.
St, James exhorts us : " Confess ye your sins one to another"
that is, those who have fallen into sin, to those who have the
power to free them from their guilt, James, v. In the Acts
we find that many of the faithful came and confessed, and ac
knowledged wh.at they had done. Acts, xix. 18. The tribunal
of penance was, indeed, less frequently resorted to in the primi
tive ages of the Church, when the lirst Christians were charac
terized by such distinguished purity of life, than after the lapse
of ages and increasing di-generacy of the people had cooled tbe

286 MANUAL OF THE C.YTHOl 10 RELIGION.
irst fervor of charity. The small number of priests .and bish
ops, whose whole time and attention was devoted to the^ an
nouncement of the Gospel, likewise precluded the possibility
of confessions being practised as at present. That confession
was in use in the times of the Apostles, is clear from what we
have cited ; particularly, when the testimony of Scripture is
taken into account, in conjunction with what tradition and
history have to offer on the subject,
Q. How do the Fathers of the first centuries express them
selves on this head ?
A. They speak of confession as a duty generally known and
complied with, the origin of which may be traced to the times
of the Apostles. Tertullian, who flourished in the second cen-
tury, writes of confession of sin made to a priest, and adds :
" Some there are who shun this, as an exposure of self, and
defei it from day to day, being more afraid of the shame than
desirous of a cure, like to those who affected by some malady
conceal it from the physician, and thus perish, falling victims
to false shame," Be Poenit. 9 and 10. Nothing can be more
explicit thai, the words of Tertullian.
St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, observes : " I entreat ye,
beloved brethren, every one of ye conft-ss his sins, whilst yet
life is spared to the sinner, and his accusation may be re
ceived ; whilst satisfaction may be made and absolution ob
tained." Cyp. Tract, de Lapsis. Origen writes on the same
subject : " Behold, Scripture teaches that we should not con
ceal sin in our bosoms. Those who suffer from indigestion,
or the presence of diseased matter in the stomach, feel relieved
when they have vomited it up; so those who have sinned
and conceal their guilt within themselves are internally op
pressed, as it were suffocated, by the poisonous effluvia of sin.
When the sinner, however, becomes his own accuser, when
he denounces himself and confesses, he vomits forth the crime
and removes the cause of his malady," Orig. Hom. ii. in Ps. 37,
St, Basil teaches : " We must reveal our guilt to those who
are intrusted with the administration of the my.steries of God."
St, Bas. in Resp. ad Quest. 228, St, Ambrose warns us :
" S(;me are anxious to be admitted to penance, so as to have
communion speedily dispensed to them. Such persons rather
seek to bind the conscience of tbe ministers of reconciliation,
the priests, than to free themselves ; for their own consciences
are not eased, and those- of the priests burthcned ; for tho

OP TEE SAORAMUHTS, iS7
command, ' Set not holy things before swine,' i-s not observed,"
Lib. 2 de Pcenit. St, Augustine admonishes the faithful of his
time to approach the tribunal of penance, saying : " Do penance
as the Church prescribes, in order that the (!;hurch may pray for
you," Let no one say to himself, ." I do it secretly before God.
He frorii whom I expect pardon knows it, as I do myself," To
what purpose, then, the 'following words: "' Whatsoever ye
shall loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven ?' Have the keys
been delivered to the Church in vain ? Has the Gospel been
Set at nought, and Christ's words proved futile, of no avail ?"
Hotn. 49, 50, St. Chrysostom assures us " that whoever is
ashamed to confess his sins to a priest, but is not ashamed to
commit them, in the sight of God, ifhe do not confess and
repent, shall be covered at the last dread day with shame and
confusion, not before one or 'wo individuals, but before the
whole worlo," Orat, de Mu.iere Sam, St. Leo "the Great
says: "The manifold mercy of God so aids human frailty,
that not only by the grace of baptisni, but also by the remedy
of peiaance, the hope of life eternal may again be secured, so
that those who have profaned the grace of regeneration, being
judged by their own judgment, may obtain remission of their
sins ; and herein has it pleased the Divine goodness to decree
that mercy and pardon are only to be obtained by the media
tion of the priests. The Mediator between God and man,
" the man Christ Jesus," imparts to the ministers of the Church
the power to impose the satisfaction of penance on those who
confess, and again admit them, purified by this atonement, to
pass to the reception of the other sacraments through the gate
of reconciliation. The Council of Trent pronounces this dog
ma in the following solemn decision :
" If any one deny that sacramental confessions is divinely
instituted and necessary for salvation, let him be anathema."
Sess, xiv. can, 6 ; and, again : " If any one shall say, that in
order to receive the remission of sin, according to divine in
stitution, it is not necessary to confess each and every mortal
transgession which after due and assiduous examiniition can
be remembered, let him be anathema." Can. 7, This divine
institution and constant practice of confession since the time
of the Apostles, is also most clearly and amply proved from
the fact, that according to the doctrine and practice of the
Church, it is not only the laity who are bound to have recourse
to penance, but also p -iests and bishops, and even the I'opp

288 MAKUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
himself. The priesthood, however, would never h.ave subi
mitted to an act in itself so painful and humiliating, had not
confession been ordained by Christ himself, and continually
practised in the Church from the primitive ages. If confes
sion had been introduced by mere human agency, history
would surely be able to point out the date of its introduction,
as well as the name of him who po^essed such m.agic influ
enoe or boundless power over men as to induce them willing
ly to submit to that which costs human pride so severe a
struggle. History is, however, silent on this subject : no
trace of the introduction of confession is to be discovered ; it
follows, therefore, that the practice of confession is coeval
with the existence of the Church. According to the very cor
rect principle of Tertullian, " that which is universally prac
tised in the Church, and whose origin and introduction cannot
be pointed out, must be regarded as an apostolic institution
or ordinance," Lib. de Prcescript. We know exactly, for in
stance, when and by whom public penances were done away
with ; and when Catholic apostates, under the name of Prot
estants, declared against confession ; but we do not know by
what Pope or council confession was introduced, or has any
one as yet been able to discover it. The introduction of such
a practice would certainly have excited general attention, sup
posing it to be introduced by human caprice or policy in the
course of ages. And would not the great ones, the proud
ones of the earth, on whom this duty is as binding as on the
lowliest mendicant, rebel agai(-st it? Can it be supposed
they would tamely and silently have submitted to an innova
tion so humiliating and so painful. The eastern sectaries who
severed themselves in the primitive ages from the communion
of the Church, fully .agree with her in practising confession as
necessary and salutary for the obtaining of life eternal. The
Greek schismatic Russians of to-day, as well as those earlier
sects, may be adduced to prove the truth of our position, that
confession is not a known invention or ordinance introduced
in progress of time into the Church, but a divine institution,
Q. Has Christ made self-accusation in the tribunal of pen
ar ce a condition for the remission of sin, as well as a means
of atonement ?
.A. Yes; the sinner having presumed insolently to rise iu
rebellion against his Lord and Master, by the commission of
Bin, it is ju»*t and proper that he should be obliged to humble

OF THE SAORAMENTS.  280
htinself before Christ's representatives (1) in order to pluck
out more effectually the root of all evil within us, which i«
piKlo, and to excite and confirm in our hearts those disposi
tions which form the fundamental condition of our reconcilia
tion with the divine majesty, viz,, humility, and sincere and
humble contrition.
2. To inspire us with dread of falling or relapsing into sin,
which even here below has produced consequences so humili
ating and painful,
3. To assist, by confession, in arriving at, self-knowledge,
and to encourage and incite us to make more rapid and sue
eessful progress in the way of virtue by the admonitions, in
trucfions, and paternal exhortations of the confessor.
4. In order not to expose us to the danger of deluding or
deceiving ourselves in so momentuous a matter which might
easily occur were we constituted sole judges of our own interior.
Our dear Lord wills, furthermore, for our consolation and
encouragement, that our reconciliation with Him be confirmed
and attested by the judicial sentence of His anointed minister.
Even the iieathens tiave some idea of this, as we learn from
Seneca, who advises us to unbosom ourselves to a judicious
and viituous friend ; to lay open before him our infirmities
aftd evil propensities, and also our falls, in order that we may
live in unblemished morality. Sincere and thinking Protest
ants cannot deny, .and do frankly acknowledge the beneficial
effects resulting from a secret self-accusation made to the min
ister of God. Leibnitz, one of their clearest and most profound
thinkers, unhesitatingly declares that nothing is more admira
ble and divine in the Catholic Church than the practice of con
fession. Syst. Theolog.
Q. .May not the practice of confession be accompanied by
abuses ?
A. It certainly may ; but this is not to be imputed to tlii>
sacrament, but to the unworthy and ill-disposed recipient.
Q. What are the qualities of a valid confession ?
A. It must be, 1. Entire; 2. Sincere; 3, Explicit; 4. Con
trite ; 5. Humble and respectful.
Q. When naay confession be termed entire ?
A. When -we accuse ourselves of all the -grievous trans
gressions — at least, which we can call to mind; with their
number, kind, and such circumstances as alter the nature oJ
the ci-ime. 13

290 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. Are we bound to mention the numl'cr of times we may
have fallen into any particular sin or sins ?
A. We are, as far as we can remember and are capable of
exactly determining. We have also to mention the number
of persons with whom we have sinned, or whom we may have
injured, for God wills that we confess every sin committed.
This includes the number of sins ; for each renewed transgres
sion, even should it be of the same commandment, is a new
sin. If we are not able to determine the number of times we
have committed any sin, we are to specify it as nearly as
possible ; to stafe how often we have daily, weekly or month
ly committed it, and whether or not it be a sin of habit,
Q. What circumstances are we obliged to mention, in order'
ihat our confessions may be entire ?
A. 1. Those which change the nature of sin ; for instance,
unlawful intercourse, whether with a single person or one mar
ried : in the latter case, it is not only impurity, but likewise
adultery. 2. Those which render a transgression mortal whicb is in
itself venial ; for instance, if we were aware that an individual
could be so incensed by a slight affront as to break forth into
blasphemous language and imprecations, or that by the utter
ance of a slight falsehood we should materially and grievously
injure our fellow-man in his good name or property, and yet
did not shrink from the act.
3. It is, in general, advisable to state what is calculated to
enable the confessor to obtain a clearer insight into the state
of the penitent's cpnscience, so that he may be the better able
to guide and advise him. Long narrations, accompanied by
the niention of names, and all irrelevant matters are, however,
to be guarded against.
The confessional is intended for contrite self-accusation, and
not for long stories and useless digressions. No mention is
to be made of others — at least, by name. We' are, moreover,
to guard against confessing- other people's faults, instead of
our own,
Q. When is confession sincere ?
A. When we accuse ourselves precisely as we think the sin
is in the Divine sight, and with the same candor as if we were
confessing t(> the all-knowing Judge, without concealment, p.al-
liation, exculpation or embellishment, false excuses, exaggera
tion or diminution.

OF THE SACKAMRNTS. 2Ul
Q. What consequences attend an intentional concealment
of even one mortal sin, the number pf mortal transgressions,
or the circumstances which change their nature ?
A. The whole act is invalid, and, far from obtaining the re-
mission of the sins of which we have accused ourselves, we
but add to our crimes the fearful guilt of sacrilege.
Q. What considerations should the penitent make use of,
in order to put false shame to flight, and enable himself can
dijly to lay open the state of his conscience?
A. 1. That there exists no cause for us to be ashamed. St.
ChrysostomjDbserves, it is shameful to sin, but horiorable be
fore God and his representative contritely to acknowledge the
. evil done. The confessor is certainly well aware of the great
self-denial required, in order to confess our sins and frailties,
and must, therefore, when he sees that the penitent humbly
and sincerely acknowledges his faults, be filled with gratitude
toward God, who assists him in the performance of this act,
and admiration and sympathy for his penitent, whose heart he
beholds stirred with love, contrition and humility towards God,
and confidence in him.. He rejoices when the penitent freely
unbosoms himself to him, and thus places greater trust in him
than in any earthly friend, and he feels himself honored that
God has chosen him as an instrument of His mercy tp remit
to the contrite penitent his guilt, rescue him from impendii-.g
perdition, snatch him from the jaws of hell, and unlock again
for him, the prodigal, the golden gates of his Father's glorious
mansion, the heavenly Jerusalem.
2. Should this sincerity be wanting, the whole confession is
null, and tends only to add the guilt of sacrilege to the other
transgressions, the absolution pronounced being null and void,
3. That it is better to confess secretly to a priest, delegated
by Divine authority, the sins committed, than to carry con
stantly about with One the undying worm of conscience ; to
live in constant danger of eternally perishing, which would
inevitably be our lot should a sudden and unprovided death
overtake us.
4. That it is better that one individual should be made
acquainted with the fault into which we have fallen, than that
it should be made manifest on the last day to the whole world
as a sin unconfessed and unrepented of
5. That since we must, sooner or later, prevail on ourselves
to acknowledge our transgressions sincerely, unless we are

292 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
prepared to renounce all hopes of salvation, it is more prudent
to do it at once, rather than after having long been lashed by
remorse of conscience and exposed to the peril of eternal dam
nation. 6. That the priest is strictly bound, under pain of mortal
sin, to keep inviolably secret whatever has been disclosed to
him under the sacramental seal ; that he is not even permitted
to mention the sins confessed to the penitent himself out of
the confessional, and is to prefer death, like St. John Nepo-
mucenes, to a violation of the sacramental seal. Moreover,
that God so wonderfully provides for this secrecy that priests,
even in delirium, or when laboring under mental diseases, still
observe perfect silence concerning the disclosures made in the
confe.ssional. Even apostate priests respect the secrecy of the
confessional. Luther and the other reformers, although they
sneered al, condemned and rejected the use of confession, are
not known to have violated the secrecy it imposed.
Q. What is to be done, should one experience peculiar
difficulty in confessing some particular sins ?
A. We may request the priest's permission to commit the
matter in question to writing ; it is, however, better to call
to mind the four last things, to take courage, and simply and
humbly to confess our sins ; even though the priest should
reproach us severely and sternly, we should continue, candidly,
to enumerate our sins ; he certainly intends whatever he may
say, or impose upon us, for our greater good ; and is much edi
fied and consoled by our sincerity and humility.
Q. What is to be done when we are at a loss how to ex
press ourselves in regard to some matter of confession ?
A. We are to notify it to the priest, who will not fail to
lend his assistance.
Q. What are we to do when we have omitted some
grievous fault?
A, 1. Should this omission have been unintentional,
either from forgetfulness, or from not being aware of the
fault in question, we have to repeat it iu the next confession,
should we have no opportunity of confessing before approach-
uig the holy table.
2. Should this omission have been culpable, induced by
false shame, or want of proper self-examination, we are
hound to state the number of confessions made during the
.«)nceal ment, and likewise to 'epeat each of them.

OF TOE SACRAMENTS. 293
Q. When may confession be termed clear ai d explitit '{
A, When the faults committed are confessed in a manner
so intelligible an d-._ precise, that the priest can hear and fully
understand the disclosures made ; it does not, therefore, suf
fice to couch our self-accusation in general terms, or to make
it unintelligible, by speaking in an ambiguous m.anner, leaving
the nature of the sin undetermined ; for instance, where we
io not specify whether the sin was one of thought, or desire,
or what particular exterior act against the Divine law we
have committed. Care, however, is to be taken not to raise
the voice too high, so that those without the confessional may
not hear, and be scandalized at our sins. Confession must,
finally, be contrite and humble, as those dispositions of the
heart are requisite as we htve said when treating of contri-
¦ion ; attention must, further, be paid to express ourselves as
modestly as the nature of the sin, in question, will permit.
Q. In order that confession may possess these qualities, by
what should it be preceded ; and how should we prepare for
it? A. We should humbly and fervently implore of the Di
vine clemency, the grace to discover the extent of guilt,
humbly to acknowledge and resolutely to amend, 2. We
should withdraw as much as may appear necessary to us,
from the cares of business, from worldly pursuits and pleas
ures, in order to prepare with recollection and fervor, our
reconciliation with God by penance. Those who confess
frequently, are wont to live in the presence of God, and
they who often and lovingly visit Christ in the adorable
sacrament, will find but little difficulty in preserving recol
lection of spirit in the hurry of their daily avocations. 3.
Let us call to mind that the confession in question may be
the last we shall make, and let us endeavor to perform this
holy act with the fervor, humility and contrition, we shonld
wish to have, if required immediately after to appear before
the tribunal of the Omniscient Judge, the di-ead avenger of
sin, the loving Father and forgiver of sinners and humble
penitents. 4. We are then seriously and carefully to exam
iu3 our conscience.
Q. la what does examination of conscience consist?
A. In the earnest and sincere examination of what we may
have thought, wished, uttered, done, or omitted since ai riving
at the use of reason, or since the last confession.

294 MAS UAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. How shouU we proceed in this examination, in oi-dei
that it may be properly made?
A. We are to recall to mind when we last confessed, con
sider whether our confession was accompanied by any defect,
either in the accusation, contrition, or restitution, ' If the
penance was performed, and how ; if and into what new faults
and sins we have fallen, in thoughts, words, works and parti
cipation in the sins of others. We are to exarriine ourselves
regiirding -the commandments of God ; the precepts pf the
Church ; the seven capital sins, and the duties imposed by
our calling.
Q. With what degree of strictness should this examination
be made ?
,_A. With the same degree of exactitude, that a reasonable
and prudent individual would devote to any affair of the
very first importance.
Q. What length of time should we allot to this examina
tion? A. That depends on the capacity of the persons in que.s-
tion and the manner of life led. There are persons who have
a retentive memory, there are others who experience difficulty
in recalling the past ; there are persons who lead a very uni
form life, others are immersed in cares and perplexities,
and overwhelmed by business and exposed to distractions
without end ; some have to encounter few temptations, others
have much to suffer from interior and exterior seductions ;
some frequently examine their conscience and approach the
tribunal of penance, others without a care or thought for spir
itual things adding sin to sin, and, perhaps, not within the
lapse of years resorting to the confessional. The first, class
need a comparatively short time for the examinaiton of con
science ; the second requires more time. No one, however,
should go to excess in this respect. We are only required
to give the same care and attention tcf this, that we should
to any other serious business ; should some fault occur to
our recollection after confession, notwithstanding our having
duly examined ourselves, we have only to mention it in the
next c( nfession. God never requires impossibilities of us ;
further, confession is not intended as a rack for the contrite
sinner, but to give hin. consolation and peace of heart, as
says the Council of Trent, Sess. xiv. c. 3. The penitent
should place confidence in his ghostly father, who will not

OF THE SACRAMENTS, 295
fail to assist, by proposing questions, to which he should can
didly reply,
Q. What faults, in particular, are we to guard against in
the examination of conscience ?
A, We are to guard against a light and superficial examin-
fttion. 2, We should never seek to excuse and palliate all
our fiiults, but judge them in our own case as severely as we
should had they been cwmmitted by others, 3, That we es
timate our sins according to the law of God and the teaching
of mor.ality, and not according to the prejudices and false
maxims of infidels and worldlings, who consider nothing re
prchensible, excepting murder and theft, 4. It is not sufficient
to examine^ ourselves, solely; concerning the sinful words
or works committed, we should carefully scrutinize our
thoughts and desires, and also to endeavor to discover in how
far we have been a stumbling-block to our fellow-men, how
we have been accessory to other's sins, 5. We are to seek,
to ascertain the number of our' grievous transgressions, and
earnestly reflect on the most efficacious means of amendment,
as also on the sources and occasions of our faults, so as in fu
ture to stop the one and avoid the other ; finally, what meas
ures are to be taken in order to repair the damage ourselves
or others have sustained from our sins, in order to avoid fur
ther evil consequences.
Q. What tends to fecilitate this re-examinatibn of con
science ? '
A. Daily and careful scrutiny of our acts, words," thoughts
and omissions, together with frequent confession.
Q. What is to be done after having completed the examin
ation of conscience ?
A. To excite contrition for all known and unknown trans
gressions, accompanied by the sincere and firm purpose of
amendment. Should the penitent be obliged to wait a con
siderable time before the confessional, let him meditate on
the sufferings and death of Christ ; think of death, the poor
souls in purgatory, how gladly they would wait some hours,
and how fervently they would employ them, could they enjoy
the happiness and privilege of confessing ; recite the Peniten
tial Psalms, keep a strict guard over the senses, particularly
the eyes, and commend himself to the protection of our bless
ed Mother Mary and the guardian angels. Should any thing
be heard of others' eonfiis.sion, he who has accidentally heard

296 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
it is .as strictly bound to secrecy as the priest to whom the
disclosure was made. It would be a grievous sin to speaK
of what one has thus accidentally learned. Care should,
therefore, be taken not to place one's self too near tho con
fessional. It were also better to apprise the confessor of
the fact, should the penitent's accusations be overheard by
other persons. On entering the confessional, we should
cast ourselves, in spirit, with Mary Magdalene, at the blood-
streaming feet of the Redeemer, as if present on Calvary ;
recall to mind the last judgment in which all that has not
been effaced by the saoraments shall be made manifest.
We should then sign ourselves with the sign of the cross
and say :
" Father, pray give me your blessing in ordeAliat I may
entirely and truly confess my sins : I, poor sinful creature,
acicuse myself before the Almighty God, and you. Father, as
God's representative, of the following sins : " to be then
mentioned. Should we be happy enough to Lave preserved
ourselves free from every deliberate fault, we are to notify
it to the priest, and accuse ourselves of some sin of our for
mer life. Should we have but venial faults and imperfections
to confess, we add : " I accuse myself of this sin — '- — com
mitted in ray former life," The confession is then concluded
in the following terms : " For these and all the sins of my
whole life, I am most heartily sorry, I hate and detest them,
beeause I have thereby offended God, the Supreme and most
amiable Good ; I am fervently resolved never mora to sin,
and carefully to avoid all occasion of relapse ; I humbly beg
pardon of, God, and salutary penance 'and absolution of you,
my Father," The instructions given by the confessor are
then to be attentively heard, and the questions he may think
proper to ask candidly and respectfully answered. Ctira
must be taken to hear distinctly and to understand the pen
ance imposed, and in conclusion, the confession, contrition
.and purpose of amendment are again to be united with tho
infinite merits of our Redeemer, praying and bleeding for us
on the cross, to which our crimes have nailed Him. "W hile
the sacred words of absolution are being pronounced, we
should represent to ourselves our Saviour's heart opening, aa
it were, to receive us, and wash us -with the blood flowing
from it ; we should invoke the name of Jesus, our deliverer,
with sentiments of faith, humility and confidence. After

OF THE SACRAMENTS. J07
confession, we should devote some time to returning thanks,
and implore grace to avoid sin for the time to come. Wa
are to perform the penance imposed upon us with as little de-
l.ay as possible, reciting it with downcast eyes and clasped
hands. These acts should be performed with a heart stirred
by the most grateful emotions, full of fervor and devolnon.
We should further endeavor, on leaving the Church, to pre
serve recollection of spirit, as a necessary condition for a
worthy 9om munion,
Q. What is to be done when the priest refuses, or defers
absolution ?
A. We should humbly submit to the decision of our spirit
ual father, and faithfully perform whatever he may impose
upon us, in order to prepare and dispose ourselves for reoeiv
ing absolution.

Satisfaction.
Q. What is sacramental satisfaction ?
A. It is, so to speak, the indemnification or reparation the
penitent has to offer to the outraged majesty of God, by his
penitential works, (ionformably to the decision of the confessor
and in union with the infinite merits of Christ.
Q. Why does God require this satisfaction of the convert
ed sinner, pardoned and cleansed by the inerits of Christ ?
A. The wisdom and justice of God demands this, in order,
fo prevent those, who, after baptism, fall into sin from be
coming careless or presumptuous, which might easily occur
were the sinner required neither to do nor suffer any thing, in
order again to be reconciled to Him, whom he has wantonly
and ruthlessly offended, for Christ, himself, assures us that if
we do not penance, we shall all perish. Luke, xv. 13, Fur
ther, we are to bear in mind that these penitential works, to be
imposed by the confessor, derive all their efficacy from the
infinite merits of Christ, with which they are to be united.
Q. How is the satisfaction imposed in the confessional^
distinguished ?
A. It may either be coercive or healing. The first con
sists in works of a penitential character, and require self de
nial ; these are calculated to chastise the sinner -uid serve as
a reparation for the offence his sin has offered tc the Dhina
I.S*

298 MANUAI, OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Majesty ; for instance, prayers, fasting, almsgiving and other
good works. Healing penance, on the contrary, consists in
practices calculated to insure the avoidance of all occasions
of sin, and to guard him against relapse. As to the repara
tion we owe our neighbor, should we have injured his reput*
tion, or the restitution to be made in case we have defrauded
or otherwise injured him in his property, as also -the removal
of scandals and enmities, these belong rather to the indispens
able conditions for true conversion than to satisfaction.
Q. What is to be observed about the penance imposed in
the confessional ?
A. It is to be humbly and willingly accepted and conscien
tiously performed.
Q. 'When the penance is not pei formed is confession thereby
rendered invalid ?
A. When we fully and sincerely intend performing the
penance imposed, but afterwards neglected so doing, the con
fession already made does not become null, but still we
commit a sin of which we shall have to accuse ourselves in
the next confession, particularly when the penance in question
was imposed for grievous sins confessed. Satisfaction is
termed the complement of confession. It were a bad sign,
and the cause of serious doubt as to whether our confession
were made vith the due dispositions, were we slothfully and
lightly to postpone performing the penance enjoined, or alto
gether neglect it. 'It is best to commence it, if possible, im
mediately after confession, and do what may be done at oncCj
the remainder as soon as we possibly can. It must be event
ually done, and the sooner, therefore, the better.
Q. What is to be done, when the penance imposed appears
too difficult ?
A. We should earnestly consider how light the-satisfaction
imposed in the tribunal of penance is, when compared with
the enorndty of sin, as an offence agaihst the Divine Majesty,
the severity and length of the penitential exercises, imposed
on penitents, in the first ages of the Church ; the austerities
practiced by the saints and by holy persons, even in our own
times, in atonement of sin. Should there, however, exist a
moral impossibility to perform some satisfactory work en
joined, we are respectfully to acquaint our father confessor
with the fact, and request him to give another in its stead.

OF THE SACRAMENTS, 29Jl
Q. Why are the penitential exercises imposed in our times
BO easy of performance ?
A. It is the indulgence of a wise mother towards the frail
ty of her children. The Church justly apprehends, that if she
adhered to the rigor of her early penitential code, it would
deter sinners from repentance, or should they approach the
tribunal of penance they might neglect performing the pen
ance enjoined. Our holy mother the Church, therefore, in
consideration of our weakness, prefers imposing by her min
isters light, satisfactory works, and advising the penitent to
take voluntarily upon hiiriself more arduous and painfill
ones, by which, alone, the sinner can escape temporal chas-
.tisements, to be borne either here on earth, or hereafter in the
flames of purgatory.
Q. Do there then remain temporal punishments to be
borne after the guilt and eternal punishment of sin has been
remitted in the tribunal of penance ?
A. Yes, certainly,
Q. Whence do we derive this knowledge ?
A. From the testimony of Holy Scripture and the teach
ings of the Church,
Thus when Nathan said to the penitent David : " The
? Lord also hath taken away thy sin." He adds : " Neverthe
less, the child that is born to thee shall surely die ! " 2 Kings,
xii. 13, 14. Moses was also pardoned the doubts he entertain
ed of the fulfillment of the Divine prophecy ; yet, in punish
ment thereof he was debarred from entering into the land of
promise. Beut. i. 38, Does not the whole earth remain, even
after our redemption is accomplished, a valley of tears, of
bitterness, aflSiction and toil, in consequence of the sin com
mitted by our first parents, in Paradise ? This is, moreover,
the express teaching of the holy Church ; the Council of
Trent solemnly declares it in the following terms : " If an)
one assert, that to every sinner after the grace of justification
the guilt is so remitted, that no load, whatever, of temporal
punishment remains to be canceled here on earth, or hereaf-
. ter, in purgatory, before entering the kingdom of heaven,
let him be anathema, Trid. Sess. i. can. 30, c. And so it be-
hoveth the Divine justice, wisdom and goodness, as the Coun
eil further defines. " Verily, did it behove the Divine justice,
that those who sinned ignorantly before baptism, should be
restored to grace in a different manner from those who, one*

300 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC EBLTGION.
delivered from tbe servitude of sin and Satan, after ha-ving
received the gift of the Holy Ghost, knowingly defile the
temple of God, and hesitate not to sadden tbe Holy Ghost,
But it also behoves the Divine goodness that sins be not re
mitted entirely without satisfaction, lest on the next occasion,
considering sin but a slight evil, we may again relapse into,
perhaps, greater transgressions without fear and as it were,
presumptuously, against the Holy Ghost, and thus heap up
treasures of anger for the day of judgment. For these men
acing chastisements of satisfaction, doubtless, inspire fear
of sin, hold us back as with a bridle, aud render us more cau
tious and vigilant for'fthe future. They also heal the re
mains of sin and destroy the evil inclinations incurred by sin, .
by the practice of the opposite virtues. Con. Trid. 1. c.
Q. By what means may these temporal punishments be
aanccled here on earth ?
A. Partly by the satisfaction imposed in the tribunal of
penance, by the patient bearing of sickness, poverty and
other afflictions of life ; further, by voluntary prayers, peni
tential practices, particularly by the exercise of the spiritual
and temporal works of mercy : finally, by obtaining indulgen
ces. In this sense the Apostle says : " I fill up those things
that are wanting of the suffering of Christ in my flesh," «
Coloss. i. 26, that the full eflScacy of His, redemption be ap
plied to us.
Q. Where shall we have to undergo these temporal pun
ishments if they are not cancelled on earth ?
A. In purgatory.
Q. Which is to be preferred : to do penance here for oui
sins, or suffer for them hereafter, in the flames of purga
tory? A. We should prefer to suffer for them here on earth, for
the penitent thus secures himself against relapses into sin,
when he has learned to overcome himself, resolutely and
firmly ; further, because the penitential works undertaken
here, are not to be compared to the pains of purgatory.;
to which we shall have to submit hereafter. 'Were Chris
tians to reflect on the example of the first Christians, on the
austerities practiced by the saints, and particularly on the fe.ar-
ful torments awaiting them in purgatory, they would certain
ly be more assiduous in the practice of penance, at least, they,
would oease to complain of the penance imposed in the sa.

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 301
crament. To such slothful and effeminate individuals the
words once addressed by Naaman, the Syrian, to his lord
may be properly applied : " If the prophet had bid thee do
some great thing, surely thou shouldst have done it : how
much rather what he hath now said to thee, wash and thou
shalt be cleansed ?" 4 Kings, v. 13. Plow trifling is the toil of
the short journey, compared to the burthen of leprosy. How
gladly should the sinner here satisfy the Divine justice, prin
cipally by the excellent virtue and power of sacramental pen
ance, when he considers how great are the pains of purga
tory ! W hoever reflects, maturely, upon the subject, will not
fail to exclaim, as did the penitent Augustine : " Here burn,
O Lord, here cut, but spare me in eternity !"
Q. Which are the principal effects of the valid and worthy
reception of the sacrament of penance ?
A. 1. It effects a perfect remission of the guilt of sin, and
delivers us from the eternal punishment thereby entailed.
2. It imparts to those who have grievously sinned instanta
neons restor.ation to the st'kte of sanctifying grace, or in
creases it in those who have not forfeited it by mortal trans
gressions. 3. It elevates" those reconciled to God to the inef
fable dignity of His children, if, unhappily, they have be
come children of Satan, by mortal sin ; or it renders them,
if already children pf God, more similar to their Divine Fa
ther and more amiable and lovely in his Divine sight. 4. It
affiirds joy and exultation to all the saints and angels of God
in heaven, and particularly to the most tender and loving
hearts of Jesus and Mary. 5. It produces tranquillity, con
solation, and many powerful graces in the penitent's heart for
a new and better life, and inspires the confessor with joy and
hope, as also all who truly love God and us, and who per
ceive in our conduct the effects of this sacrament, so rich in
grace. 6. It procures, for those reconciled with God, the
merit of their former good works, lost by sin, 7. It imparts
to them that ineffable peace of conscience, of which Jesus
Chr'ist says : " the world can neither give nor take it away,"
and of which Saint Paul testifies " That it far surpasseth all
the joys and delights of the world," Phil, iv, and St. John
xiv. 29. Thid, however, only holds good on condition of
ouj- not again relapsing into sin,
Q. What will be found the best preservative against re
wpses into sin ? .

3<>J M.VNUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
A. 1. The faithful observance of the rules laid down by
our confessor for the regulation of our conduct, with his ad
monitions and warnings. 2. .The careful avoidance of sin
and its occasions. 3. Living and acting in the presence of
God. 4. The vigilant guard of our senses, particularly our
eyes and tongues. 5. Frequent prayer, particularly mental
prayer, fervent thoughts, short ejaculations and aspirations to
God during the day. 6. The remembrance of the four last
things, particularly certain and approaching death. 7. Fre
quent worthy confession and communion. 8, All the prac
tices calculated to preserve us from temptation, or to aid us
in withstanding it. These have been enumerated in treating
of the sixth petition of the Lord's prayer.
Practice. — Hast thou properly understood and duly reflect
ed on all that has been said of the sacrament of pensince ?
" Do this and thou shalt live." Confess frequently, but with
the due dispositions, for this sacrament certainly produces the
most beneficial spiritual effects that can be conceived. It is,
as it were, the beacon on the gloomy shore of thy path to
eternal happiness, diffusing cheerful and radiant light over
the whole weary way. Choose as confessor and counselor iu
matters of conscience an experienced and zealous priest. Fix,»
as he may direct, the time for thy confession, and adhere faith
fully thereto. Confess at least monthly, and, if possible,
more frequently. We read of saints who were wont to con
fess daily with great spiritual benefit, and this holy practice
wonderfully added to their glory in heaven by the increase iu
sanctifying grace thereby obtained. Endeavor, then, to go to
confession as often as you possibly or conveniently can,. and
on the other hand to avoid the faults and defects which pre
vent those beneficial results and seriously injure the soul.
The utility of frequent and well made confession consists
principally in the knowledge we obtain of ourselves, and in
the increase of sincere humility and contrition of heart; in
the greater purity of amscience, in the perfect purity of in
tention and the more careful avoidance of occasions of sin ;
in the increase of sanctifying .and active grace, so that assist
ed by both, we may rapidly increase in zeal by virtue and all
the practices of Christian perfection. The faults which im
pede these beneficial results, and which are to be shunned with
peculiai- care, ai-e a superfici.-il examination of conscience, ,
wlKn one coiifcs.ses niLlier as a n atter of custom, without a '

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 303
hxed, definite and firm purpose of amendment ; a morbid
anxiety in examination of conscience, and want of coiifidsnce
in Christ's infinite merits, joined- with which we are in faith
to prepare for the reception of this importar^ sacrament.
Therefore, let me impress once more upon thy heart, confess
frequently, very frequently, with the due dispositions, as thou
hast been directed in this instruction, and as thy confessor
may think proper to advise, and be assured the great affair of
thy- salvation will be secure now and in the hour of thy death.

Of Indulgences,
The doctrine of Indulgences is most intimately connected
with the sacrament of penance, which is that of the remission
of sins. We shall, therefore, treat here, as the most proper
place, of this means of grace.
Q. What is an indulgence?
A. An indulgence is a remission, conferred by the power
of the Church, of temporal punishment, remaining after the
guilt of sin has been canceled in the sacrament of penance,
and which, otherwise, we should have to endure either here C/r_
hereafter. Q. How many kinds of indulgences are there ?
A. There are two kinds, a plenary and partial indulgence :
a plenary indulgence is the remission of all temporal pun
ishments incurred by the commission of sin, even after our
reconciliation with God by penance. A partial indulgence
is the remission of a portion of the merited chastisement.
Q. What does faith teach respecting indulgences ?
A. 1. That the Church possesses power to grant them. ^ 2.
That the proper use of indulgences is salutary for the faith
ful. This is the doctrine of the Church in the Council of
Trent, Sess. 25, Becret. de Indulg.
Q. Whence does the Church derive the power to grant in
dulgences ?
A. From Christ the Lord, who expressly declares :
" Amen, I say to yon, whatsoever you shall bind upon
earth, shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever you
shall loose upon earth shall be loosed also in heaven." Matt.
xviii. 18, The Church has furthar, as we have just shown,
the .power to cancel sin and its eternal punishment, why then

304 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
should she not be authorized by Christ to remit temporal
punishment to those possessing the due dispositions ; this is,
certainly, an inferior exercise of authority.
Q. Whence have indulgences their virtue and efficacy ?
A. Fronwtthe treasure of Christ's infinite merits, and
from the superabundant satisfaction and merits of His saints,
in whose communion we live. Respecting the merits of
Christ, they, of course, can never be exhausted, as they are
infinite : as to the Saints, it is known that many of them per
formed greater penances and made more satisfaction than
their own sins required. This satisfaction and these works of
supererogation are not to remain inactive in the Church of God
as is evident from the dogma of the communion of saints, yet so
that their virtue and eflScacy is conditioned by Christ's merits,
by whose assistance and grace, they have obtained sanctity
and practiced so many acts of virtue and penance. And oh,
how great is the treasure of Mary's virtues and sacrifices —
that virgin Mother of our Redeemer and refuge of sinners !
There is, indeed, in the Church of God, a treasure of satisfac
tion whose administration God has intrusted to the supreme
power of the Church,
Q. Who has power to grant indulgences ?
A. The successor of him to whom the Lord expressly
said : " To thee I deliver the keys of heaven, whatsoever you
shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matt, xviii. 18.
He, who is Christ's representative and vicar, the Roman
Pontiff, the head of the Church. The bishops may also grant
indulgences, with the approbation and consent of the Holy
See, on certain occasions, as far as appears salutary for the
faithful. Q. Was the custom of granting indulgences always prac
ticed in the Church ?
A. It certainly was ; we find this custom alluded to in St.
Paul's Epistles and confirmed by the example of the Doctor
of the Gentiles, as St. Ambrose, Theodoret and Anselm very
justly remark in support of the doctrine and practice of the
Church. We refer to the indulgence granted by St. Paul to
the incestuous but penitent Corinthian. Writing to the Coriui
thians, he says : " For what I forgave, if I have forgiven .any
thing, for your sakes I have done it in the person of Christ,"
Cof. ii. 10. The Apostle alludes, in these words, to tb«
¦easurcs of merits possessed by the Church, viz. : the mei'its

OP THE SACRAMENTS, 30!i
of Christ and his f.iithful members, in virtue of which he
could deal indulgently with the contrite delinquent. Had
this been, merely, a remission of canonical penance, i
would not, in itself, have been a benefit, in imparting which,
the Apostle acted in the person of Christ ; and had the tempo
ral punishment yet remained to be borne, here or hereafter,
the Apostle could not reasonably have spoken as acting in the
person of Christ, in whose name he exercised this beneficent
power. The same holds good of two instances we find in
the writings of St. Cyprian .and other eminent ecclesiastical
authors ; that apostates and other notorious sinners truly
contrite for their crimes, were pardoned and declared fieo
from punishment, at the instance of the martyrs. Had such
penitents, however, merely exchanged the temporal punish
ment imposed by the Church for the punishment awaiting
them in purgatory, they would have but little cause for seli-
gratulation. This was, then, real indulgence granted by the
power of the Church through the- merits of Christ and the
holy martyrs, possessing eflicaey for time and eternity. (S.
Cyp. ep. 10, 12, 30,)
Q. What are the conditions necessary in order to gain an
uidulgence ?
A. 1. He who desires to do so must be in the state of
grace, 2, He must fulfil the prescribed conditions ; from
this it is evident that it is a calumny fabricated by sectarians,
that an indulgence is a permission and approval of sin ; be
fore sin has been removed, there can be no thought of obtain
ing an indulgence, which is but the remission of the temporal
punishment incurred by sin after its guilt has been forgiven.
We see from this, that in order to obtain a plenary indul
gence we must be perfectly free from every vcftuntary sin,
be it ever so trifling; because as long as any sin, even venial,
remains, man is not in a condition to profit by indulgences.
The remission of mortal sin is obtained in the sacrament
of penance, of venial transgressions, by fervent acts of
contrition and other exercises of penance. Whoever wishes
to profit duly by a plenary indulgence, must have the
grace of God, and in order to insure his being in this
happy condition ; first approach the tribunal of penance, or
"¦o to confession every week. Should there remain in the
hea-rt any wilful inclination to venial sin, then the plen
nry indulgence is not obtained entirely and perfectly, but

i06 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
only in proportion to the degree ( f preparation ; should we
h.ave been in the state of sin, or have sacrilegiously ap
proached the sacrament of penance, of course there can be no
idea of deriving any benefit whatever from the indulgence.
As for the indulgences attending jubilees and missions, we have
to comply carefully with the conditions laid down for obtaining
them. The giving of alms has certainly been, and may again
bo proposed, as one of the conditions for obtaining an indul
gence, but to say, therefore, that indulgences are to be sold
at a certain rate, is a foul slander. If ever any thing of the
kind has transpired, it is attributable to the wickedness and
cupidity of individuals, and not to the doctrine, ordinance or
approbation of the Church.* See Additions, p. 405,
Q. May indulgences of every kind be applied to the souls
in purgatory ?
A. Certainly, since intercession may be made in their be
half, as is proved in the article on the Communion of Saints,
Q. Is the proper use of indulgences salutary ?
A. Without doubt ; for, 1, Indulgences cancel the tempo
ral punishments incurred by sin. 2. They encourage us to
seek reconciliation with God, by supplying the severe canon
ical penances of former days by works of piety, less
arduous and p.ainful. 3. They, on the other hand, inspire us
with zeal for doing penance and amending our life, as they
cannot be obtained without tiiese dispositions. 4. They -pro
mote the frequent, reception of the holy sacraments and the
practice of other godly works, and finally they dissipate the
anxious fears entertained by zealous penitents with regard to
the divine judgments. The use of indulgences, therefore, fi.r
from destroying the spirit of penance and austerity, and ren
dering the faithful careless and remiss,' is, on the contrary, tue
very means of bringing those to true -penance to whom other-
» It is a gross calumny that the Chui-ch sold indulgences in Luther's time, in order
to obtain means to prosecute the erection of St. Peter's Church. Whoever makes
such an assertion, either proves his ignorance of historical facts, or the malignancy
of his character in adhering to and propagating falsehood. We plainly see from Ihe
communication directed by Leo X., who then governed the Church, to Archbishop
Albrecht of Mentz, that the Church held and taught of indulftences exactly what
she now does, and so with the conditions necessary in order to obtain them. She
then, as now, required a contrite and humhled heart, reconciled to God in tlie sacra
ment of penance. But if liis Holiness wished to have the alms given by the faithful
aiipropnated to the erection of a temple, common to all Christendom, it was as
suredly a grand and sublime idea, viz., that all Ohi-istendom should unite in bulld-
,ng a iiiagiiificeiit temple, to the God of one and all ; an idea which every one must
Bilmire and cnmnieiid, save those who are partakers '.n the sordid and hvprocritio»l
Bentiments of Judas.

OF THE SAORAMENTS, 307
Wise the idea would have never occurred, and to strengthen
and encourage them to persevere in piety and virtue.
Practice. — Esteem highly the indulgences offered by the
Church, and endeavor to obtain them. Keep in mind the ad
vice given by the virtuous and learned Bellarmine, who very
truthfully, wisely and correctly admonishes all : " Let every
one be as zealous in obtaining indulgence as if penitential
exercises possessed for him no virtue — let every one be as
zealous in these practices of penance as if he possessed no
hope of obtaining indulgences. Whoever acts thus, has truly
chosen the shortest and surest road to heaven,"

Of Extreme Unction,
Q. What is extreme unction ?
A. It is the sacrament by which those dangerously ill re
ceive peculiar grace for the welfare of body and soul by the
holy unction,
Q. Who instituted this sacrament?
A. Jesus Christ,
Q. Is there any mention made of it in the Holy Scriptures ?
A. There is; St. James says, "If any man be sick among
you, let them bring in the priests of the Church, and let them
pra,y over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord, and the prayer of fiiith shall save the sick man and
the Lord shall raise him up, and if he be in sins he shall be
forgiven them," James, v. 14, 15, .
Q. Has the sacrament of extreme unction been adminis
tered from the earliest times, and without interruption in the
Church of God?
A. It has; 5<, CyriZ mentions it Lib. 2, 40. AndSz. CAryws-
tom lib. 3, de Sacerdotio. Innocent I., thus writes to Decentius :
" There exists no doubt that what is written by St. James is
to be taken and understood of the faithful who are sick.'^ The
same Pontiff also declares it to be a sacrament of the living,
thus pre-supposing the recipients being in the state of saneti-
fying grace, as he prohibits it being administered to sinners
previous to their having approached the sacrament of pen
ance, for he says : " Why should we administer extreme unc-
tion to one to whom the other sacraments are denied ?"
Q. Why is this sacrament termed extreme unction ?

808 MANUAL OF THB CATHOLIC RELIGION,
A. Because the sick person is anointed with blessed oil,
and this unction is the last administered by the Church to
her children as preparation for a happy death.
Q. What are the advantages imparted by extreme unction'
for the spiritual welfare of the sick ?
A. It increases, 1. sanctifying grace. 2. Remits venial
and mortal transgressions, should we have forgotten to con
fess them or otherwise been unable to do so, and which
are hence termed the remains of sin. 3. It imparts strengfsh
to the sick to bear patiently and meritoriously the pains .and
other disagreeable circumstances attendant on sickness, and
enables him nobly and victoriously to sustain the last hard
combat, and to give up life in fervent and loving conformity
to the divine ordinance. When extreme unction is admin
istered to those who have lost consciousness, it is under the
supposition that the- heart is truly contrite, and that the re
cipient would possess the requisite dispositions for absolution,
otherwise extreme unction could not be administered. This
sacrament, however, having in itself the virtue of canceling
sins, which have never, from ignorance or incapacity of any
kind, been submitted to the binding and loosing power of
the Church, is to be considered as the perfection of the sacra
ment of penance, and is, therefore, mentioned immediately
after it.
Q. What corporal benefits are conferred by this sacrament ?
A. It frequently alleviates the pains of sickness, and at
times perfectly restores health.
Q. Why is this sacrament explained in the Christian doc
trine before holy orders and matrimony ?
A. Because, on account of its possessing the power to remit
the remains of sin, it is more appropriately placed after pen
ance ; and, further, because all the sacraments just mentioned
concern only individuals of particular states.
Q. Whc is the minister of this sacrament ?
A. The Priest.
Q. What are its matter and form ?
A. The matter is the oil blessed for tUds particiilar purpose
by the Bishop, (Trent, Sess. 14, Ext. Unci.), the words used in
applying the unction are the form :
"By this holy unction and his gracious mercy m.ay the Lord
forgive thee whatever thou hast sinned (  ) ;"the sense is
named, &c., its organs anointed.

OP THE SACRAMENTS, 309
Q. Who may and should receive extreme unction ?
A. Every Qatholic Christian, who, after having attained
the years of discretion, falls dangerously ill ; this sacrament,
however, cannot be received except in cases of dangerous sick
ness. Death resulting from any other cause than disease,
even when foreseen, precludes its reception.
Q. When should extreme unction be received ?
A. As soon as we have reason to consider the illness of a
dangerous character, in order that we may receive it with so
much the greater profit and preparation.
Q. What preparation should precede it ?
A. We must be in the state of grace, therefore the sacra
ment of penance is to be first resorted to ; we are further to
excite, in particular, sentiments of sincere contrition for all
the sins committed by the senses, accompanied by the most
ardent desire to purify ourselves from every, even the most
hidden stain of sin, by this sacrament. Those present, when
this sacrament is administered, should aid the sick person by
fervent prayer, in order that he may obtain all the graces the
sacrament confers,
Q. How often may this sacrament be received ?
A. As often as we are dangerously ill, or should the dis
ease be of long duration, as often as a new danger of death
occurs, Q. Is it not imprudent to postpone the reception of ex
treme unction from fear of death ?
A- Certainly ; this is as absurd as it is dangerous, for first,
extreme unction has been, at least, partly instituted by God
in order that the sick may more rapidly and certainly re
cover their health if it be conducive to their eternal welfare.
Should the illness be really mortal, what is more desirable
than the grace to die happily and secure salvation, to which
end the sacrament of extreme unction is administered. This
should be duly considered by the children, parents, friends
and relatives of the sick, that they may not be tempted, by
postponing the reception of extreme unction, to injure, so
materially, the souls of those dangerously ill, from motives
of false and sensual tenderness.
Practice. — Take care to inform your friends and relations,
when occasion offers, whilst you are still in health, that they
need be under no apprehension with regard to having this sa
crament administered to you in case of dangerous iU

810 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
aess. When you find yourself seriously ill, do noi
wait to be admonished to prepare for extreme unction.
You should, rather, ask. to have it administered in good time.
Live so, that when once the priest anoints you, you may
console yourself with the conviction that your senses have
ever been employed in the service of God. It is a very salu
tary practice to call to mind, several times in the year, and
better still, as often as you approach the holy table, to
think of extreme unction, and consider how you would wish
to have lived when that solemn moment comes for you to
receive it. Regulate your life by that thought, and when the
final moment comes, your wish will not be in v.ain or too
late.
Of Holt Orders.
Q. What is the sacrament of holy orders ?
A. It is a sacrament by which a particular grace and pow
er is conferred on priests and other ministers of the Church,
for the spiritual office they have to perform in the Church of
God. Q. Who instituted the sacrament of orders ?
A. Christ the Lord, at the Last Supper, when he instituted
the adorable sacrament of the altar, and imparted to the
Apostles the power to change the bread and wine into the
substance of his sacred body and blood, and constituted them
dispensers of the my.steries of the new law. Matt, xxvi, 1 ;
Cor. xi. 26. The Council of Trent expressly declares, if any
one say that holy orders is not a real and true sacrament
instituted by Christ, let him be anathema. Sess. 23, Can. 3.
Q. Why is this sacrament termed orders ?
A. Because it comprises several definite and subordinate
grades, as so many steps to higher degrees, which are to
be successively ascended, in order to rise from the minor, to
the higher or greater degrees.
Q, What is the matter and form of this sacrament ?
A. The essential m.atter is the imposition of the bishop's
hands, joined in the Latin Church to certain exterior . signs,
emblematic of the spiritual power imparted ; for instance,
in ordaining a priest, the chalice, patten, wine and bread,
are given him ; the essential form is the prayer recited by
the bishop, while imposing his hands on the recipient.

OP THE SACRAMENTS, 31'
Q. Who is the minister of this sacrament ?
A. The bishop, as St. Jerome writes : " What does the
bishop confer that the priest may not, holy orders, alone,
excepted ?"
From this we naturally deduce that all those sects which
have not validly consecrated bishops have no priests, and
consequently no sacraments, of which God has constituted the
priests the ministers, according to' the words of St. Paul .
" Let every one consider us as servants of Christ, and dis
pensers of the mysteries of His grace." 2 Cor. iii, 6.
Q. Plow does Scripture confirm the institution of the sacra
ment of orders ?
A. By many passages in which the institution, ordination
and mission of the servants of the holy Church, by the im
position of hands and the prayers accompanying this act, are
expressly mentioned. Thus St. Paul writes to Timothy, a
bishop consecrated by him, and reminds him of the graces of
the saci-.ament, admonishing him : " Neglect not the grace
that is in thee ; what was given thee by prophecy with
imposition of the hands of the priesthood," Tim. iv. 19, "and
again I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which
is in thee by the imposition of my hands." 2 Tim. i. 6. But
as so much depends on the holy office being filled by worthy
ministers of God, the same Apostle warns every bishop ;
" Impose not hands lightly upon any man, neither be parta
ker of other men's sins." 1 Tim. v. 22.
Q. How does tradition confirm this truth ?
A. St. Basil says, when speaking of the validly ordained
servants of the Church : " They received by the imposition
of hands spiritual grace," in epi. ad. Tim. St. Ambrose, in
his work on the dignity of the priesthood, says : " Man im
poses his hands and God imparts his grace." Theodoret ex
horts : " Let first the lives of those who are admitted to, orderi.
be examined, and then the grace of the Holy Ghost invoked."
1 Tim. V. Leo the Great, says : " Fasting and praying they
imposed their hands on them ip order that we may under
stand with what devotion minister and recipient conferred
and received this sacrament, that a sacrament of such great
blessing may not appear to be negligently dealt with," Ep.
81, aa. Bioscorum. The Council of Trent, therefore, justly
declaie3 and decides: " It being evident from the testimony
of the Holy Scripture, apostolic tradition, and the unanimous

312 M/INUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
agreement of the holy Fathers, that by holy orders, whicb
is consumii.ated by words and exterior signs, grace is impart
ed, no one is allowed to call into question that holy orders
is one of the seven sacraments," Sess. 23, e. 3.
Q. Howniany grades^does the sacrament of Orders embrace ?
A. There are, in general, seven grades, distinguished by
the terms Minor and .Major orders ; the minor orders
comprise four degrees, the order of cross-bearer, or por
ter, the lector, the exorcist and the acolyte. These grade?
have been instituted by the Church as preparatory steps
for the higher degrees, and are not in themselves saora
ments, although they partake in the effects of the grace it
brings forth. The higher degrees include the grades of sub-
deacon, deacon and priest. As to the grade of sub-deacon
it is but a preparatory grade established by the Church, and
as it were, an extension of the deaconship. The Church so
disposed of these various offices for the convenience of the dea
cons, who, particularly in the first ages of the Church, stood
in need of so much assistance, their whole time and attention
being taken up in converting, heathens and propagating the
knowledge of God's true Church, These grades were also
introduced in order to insure more worthy preparation for
the reception of the higher sacrament.al orders. As to the
deaconship, it was instituted by the Apostles, and the ordina
tion conferred on deacons, as servants and assistants of the
priests; it is divine, of apostolic intstitution, and a sacrament.
The priesthood comprises in itself two orders, viz, : priests
of the first and second class. Priests of the first rank are
called bishops and are the immediate successors of the Apos
tles, and receive their appointment directly from the succes
sor of St. Peter, the supreme head of the Church, to govern
and direct the faithful, to ordain and place over the different
congregations priests of the second class. Acts, xx. 28. The
priests of the second order are, as it were, the successors of
the seventy-two disciples, who, under the supreme direction
of the bishops, perform the duties of the holy office, yet
without possessing the power of imparting the sacrament of
ordination to others.
Q. Can all these grades of the different ecclesiastical and
sacramental orders be traced to the first ages of the Church j
A. They can, for Pope Cornelius enumerates them pre
cisely as at present, 1600 years ago when writing to Fabius of

OF -THE SACRAMENTS, 31;!
Antioch, against the heretic Novatian, he says : " He knew not
that there must be a bishop in every church, thoush he knew
that there are in the same (Church) forty-four priists, seven
deacons, as many subdeacons, forty -two acolytes, exorcists and
lectors, with the porters, fifty-two." Ep. 9, Apud Constantium
ep. Hom. Pont. The letters and writings of the most ancieni
Fathers of the Church also bear evidence to the existence of
these different grades ; Dionysius, Anaclet, Ignatius, Cypriaii
and others. The Council of Trent justly decides : " If any
one assert that there is in the Catholic Church no divinely
appointed hierarchy, consisting of bishops, priests and min
isters, let him be anethema," Sess. 23, Can. 6.
Q. Are there then several sacraments of orders since
there is more than one degree ?
A. Assuredly not ; the sacrament of orders is but one,
the species of power conferred being one, imparted in differ
ent degrees, but referring to one and the same object, viz. :
the true body of our Lord in the adorable sacrament of the
altar, and to the one holy ministry of Divine worship in the
true Church of Jesus Christ. All these grades of orders,
instituted by Christ, that is'to say, diaconal, sacerdotal and
episcopal, are so many different sacraments, for each of them
confers by the imposition of hands and the accompanying
prayer, a particular and distinct grace and spiritual power;
' yet, as they all tend to the same object, they are but one and
the same sacrament, called holy orders. St. Thomas thus
expresses himself on this subject : " The difference of orders
is the difference of a collective power, whose essence consisting
in the fullness of power is contained in one, and in the others
a participation therein. The fullness of the Sacrament is in the
priesthood, the others-possess a participation in this power,
hence, they form but one sacrament of orders," St. Thomat,
4 Bist. 24, The episcopal order was the first instituted by
Christ, so it also is the source and centre of all the other orders.
Christ, the liOrd, did not gradually introduce his Apostles int c
the ministry by different orders as is now the custom, but iis
God called our first parents into existence, not as helpless in
fants, but in the fullness of their growth, as the progenitors of
the whole human race, so also did Christ when about to receive
the human race as children of God immediately impart to
the Apostles the plenitude of the priestly power. In these
days, osan must be born first and pass through different
14

314 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
stages before he attains to mature manhood, so also must tho
successors of the Apostles increase gradually or by different
grades till they obtain the fullness of the priesthood, A
priest, however, may be validly ordained without having
been a deacon, as the priesthood includes the deaconship. But
no one could be a validly consecrated bishop who had not
previously received priestly orders, for he who has not him.
self been a priest can never obtain the power to ordain
priests and thus become their spiritual father.
Q. Of how many kinds is the spiritual power conferred
by Christ on the priests ?
A. It is twofold : the one extends to His own adorable body,
by the power to change bread and wine into the substance of
His body and blood, and distribute it to the faithful ; the
second, over His spiritual body, the Church, particularly by
the power to forgive sins. Both justly excite our highest
admiration, seeing that God should grant to man a power
80 far surpassing all the power of the angels and the great
ones of the earth. Each of these powers is, in itself, a mira
cle far surpassing the wonders of creation ; the transubstan-
tiiition of bread and wine into- Christ's adorable body and
blood, and the justification of sinners, St, Ignatius, the mar
tyr, therefore, justly terms the priesthood " the climax of all
honors." Epis ad Smyrn. St. Dionysius, " a dignity, surpass
ing all conception." Be Caelesti Hier. c. 3. St. Ephraim, "a
divine office ;" " God has preferred you to the angels," Thus
exclaims St. Bernard, addressing priests, " to God alone art
thou inferior, O priest I" says the ancient spiritual teaehei
Cassian, Catal. Glonr. We must naturally conclude that the
life of one so highly favored should correspond with the sub
lime dignity to which he is exalted,
Q. Which are the fruits of this sacrament?
A. 1. Thosp who are ordained Priests receive great graces
on account of their intimate union with Christ in the exercise
of the ministry, and of their close relation to the kingdom
of God, None can conceive how much sanctifying grace is
increased in the soul of him who receives holy orders ; he
holds God's place on earth, and is the dispenser of His graces.
2. This sacrament imprints an indelible character on the soul
of the person ordained, " As Baptism cannot be reiterated,
so holy orders cannot be conferred twice," on account of this
character. Thus St. Gregory the Great to John of Ravenna

OF THE SACRAMENTS. 315
Tb'.s character secures likewise to those ordained the particu
lar assistance of actual grace in the exercise of the sacred
ministry. 3. Those ordained participate, moreover, in numer
ous gifts of grace when administering the holy sacraments
and fulfilling the other functions of their holy calling. 4. The
individuals are also determined by ordination, who are ap
pointed by Christ under the auspices and direction of the
supreme head of the Church, to guide and govern the faithful.
The kingdom of God on earth would not be the perfect
organization which it really is, were not the grades and
orders of ordination closely adhered to, or if hirelings were
permitted, uncalled and unauthorized, to intrude themselves
into the holy ministry, and the government of the Church, of
God, Christ by thus fixing and determining holy orders, has
opposed a formidable and insurmountable barrier to such in
trusions. Thus the sacrament of orders is a glorious and dis
tinctive characteristic of the truth and visibility of the Church,
presupposing that those ordained can prove that they have law
fully entered the sanctuary of the Church by legitimate
bishops. Practice. — Manifest towards the priests and ministers of
the altar on every occasion, in- words and in actions, dua
honor, and reverence, particularly in the exercise of their
functions. Seek thus to atone for the manifold insults and
indignities to -which the ministers of God are exposed, par
ticularly in our own times and in this country, Shouldst
thou be called to this holy state, and . have lived up to your
thrice-blessed vocation, rejoice at this election of grace, examine
your heart carefully and prepare with, the utmost assiduity
by prayer,, sanctity of life, and earnest study to enter upon a
state so fraught with dread responsibility. Woe to him who
has overrated his strength, and who presumes, in obedience
to the prompting of human motives, persuasion, or passing
inclination, to take upon himself the fearful burden imposed
by the priesthood, a burden which God's angels would shrink
from lightly accepting ; woe also to him who, being called.
still buries his talent, or, after having laid his hand upon the
plough, looks back.

316 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC nELIGION.
CHAPTER III.
OP MATRIMONV.
Q. What is matrimony ?
A. It is the divinely-appointed connection and most inti
mate union between man and wife for the propagation ol tho
human race.
Q. When and where did God institute matrimony ?
A. Immediately after the creation of the first human pail
in paradise, as the book of Genesis informs us. Gen. ii., 18,
Q. Did matrimonj continue to maintain i'.,s primitive in
tegrity and sanctity ?
A. No, after the fall of our first parents into sin, the bonds
of wedlock were loosened and the indissolubility of marriage,
between one man and one woman, no longer observed.
Q. Who brought matrimony back to its primitive unity,
purity, and indissolubility?
A. Jesus Christ, who further elevated this union to the
dignity of a sacrament. " Because Moses, by reason of the
hardness of your heart, permitted you to put away your
wives, but from the beginning it was not so. Behold 1 say
to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, and shall
marry another, committeth adultery, and he that shall marry
her that is put away committeth adultery," Matt, xix., 8;
Luke xvi., 18; Mark x., 1 1.
Q. What, then, is matrimony in the new law?
A. A sacrament, by which man and wife are joined in con
jugal union to obtain an increase of sanctifying grace and the
peculiar assistance of God, to enable them to fulfil the duties
of their station, and to bear its toils and difficulties in a meri
torious manner.
Q. Whence do we know that Christ elevated matrimonj^
w) the dignity of a sacrament?
A. From revelation. Christ's presence at the nuptial
feast of Cana, of which we are informed by John the Evan
gelist, on which occasion Christ wrought the first miracle of
His divine mission, serves to prove the sanctification of mar
riage as the holy Fathers ancl i.nterpreters of the Scriptures
justly observe.
This dootrinp of faith is positively confi'med by St, Paul in

OP MATRIMONY. 317
his. ftplst,le to tbe Ephesians, in which he terms marriage a great
sacj-aittent m Christ and Ilis Church. Eph. v., 32. The union
of wedlock is an emblem of Christ's spiritual union with His
Church. ^ Tradition confirms this. St. Chrysostom writes in
his 56th Homily on the book of Genesis : " Matrimony is a
sacrament and a figure of the love which Christ entertains for
His Church." St. Augustine teaches, " The benefit of marriage
amongst all nations consists in the propagation of the human
race, but in regard to the people of God it consists in the
sanctity of the sacrament. Lib. dc bono conj. c. 24. This has
ever been the faith and doctrine of the Church from the times
of the Apostles, hence the Council of Trent very justly de
creed : " If any one assert that marriage is not one of the
seven sacraments, instituted by Christ, let him be anathe.
ma." Sess. 24, Can, i,
Q. Whereby is marriage contracted ?
A. By the free consent of the parties concerned, which
consent must be legitimately expressed, either by words or
gestures. Hence to enter into the married state, the requi
sites are : — 1, Parties capable of receiving the sacrament,
2. The freely expressed, mutual and legitimate consent of tha
parties. This contract forms the matter of the sacrament.
3. The reciprocal expression of this consent by words or signs,
constituting the form of the sacrament. 4. The presence of
the lawful pastor and two witnesses, that is, in places in which
the decrees of the Council of Trent have been promulgated, for
that council, for very weighty reasons, declared marriages
otherwise contracted as invalid.
Q. Is the blessing of the priest indispensably requisite for
the validity of the sacrament?
A. No, only the presence of the pastor, as the Council ol
Trent desires nothing more for the validity of the sacrament.
The parties concerned contract marriage by their lawful and
free consent, and this is the sacrament. The priest's bene
diction merely contributes to the greater sanctification of the
act. But, even where the decrees of the Council of Trent
have not yet been published, as in many parts of the United
States, the parties, if they have any claim to Christian feel-
in" and virtue, will of course seek to obtain the priest's bless-
ing, and enter this holy state in his presence, unless great
distance render it impossible. This is, moreover, the express
ordinance of the bishops in such diocesses.

318 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. What is understood by parties capable of entering
into the matrimonial state? - ¦ ' j-
A. Such as are not prevented by natural or legal impedi
ments from validly receiving the sacrament.
Q. What is an impediment to marriage?
A. Such circumstances as by the law of nature or the
decrees of the Church prevent one from legally entering up
on this state.
Q. How are impediments to marriage distinguished ?
A. 1, Into such as render marriage unlawful, for instance,
a simple vow of chastity ; a promise of marriage given to an
other ; marriage with heretics, without a due provision for the
Catholic education of the children who may be bori^ of the-
roarriage, 2, Into such as render marriage null and void, as
affinity or consanguinity within the fourth degree ; a solemn
vow of chastity, the solemn religious profession of one of
the parties, or being unbaptized.
Q. What precautions have been taken by the Church in order
to discover impediments of marriage more easily and surely?
A. The publication of the banns ; this imposes on each and
every one, who is aware of any impediment to marriage ex
isting between the parties named, the duty of informing the
pastor: As tbe state, moreover, frequently imposes condi
tions under which it allows or prohibits the contraction of
marriage, the candidates for matrimony are to be on their
guard against transgressing any of them, especially in prot-
estant countries, so that they may avoid entailing upon
themselves unpleasant consequences,
Q. Can impediments to marriage, in no instance, be ob
viated ?
A. Such as have their source in the laws of nature neve/
can, yet others may, on weighty grounds, be removed and
be dispensed with by the Church ; this is to be further treated
of with the respective pastors.
Q. Whence does the Church derive her judicial power in
matrimonial matters concerning impediments ?
A. From Christ the Lord, who exalted matrimony to the
dignity of a sacrament, and' thus placed it under the jurisdic
tion of the Church.
Q. What qualities and what preparations are requisite fo»
a Christian couple entering the marriage tate ?
A. They should, first, seriously consider and inly and im

OP MATRIMONY, 3]5>
partially examine themselves in order to discover whether
or not God has called them to this state. 2. I'hey should
not thoughtlessly plight their faith, but duly consider and ex
amine whether the person with whom they wish to ei^ter into
the conjugal union be so qualified as to render the matrimo
nial state a means of salvation. 3. They should be properly
instructed and certain of entering this state unencumbered
by impediments to matrimony. 4. They are to live in inno-,
cence and piety as betrothed, and avoid private interviews
and conversations with the other party ; they are not to be
lieve that greater freedoms are permitted them, particularly,
after a promise of marriage has been given and received ;
they should, on the contrary, be upon their guard more than
others, so that they may not draw down the divine maledic
tion upon their future union. Persons betrothed are ex
pressly forbidden to dwell in the same house. They should
be sure to enter upon this state from pure intentions and mo
tives pleasing in the divine sight. " We are the children of
saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens that
know not God." Tob. viii., 5,
Would to God that every bride might, in truth, declare
with the chaste Sarah : " Thou knowest, O Lord, that I never
coveted a husband, and have kept my soul clear from ail lust.
Never have I joined myself with them that play, neither have
1 made myself partaker with them that work in lightness.
But a husband I consented to take, with Thy fear, not with my
lust." Tob. iii., 16-18. Before the reception of the sacrament
of matrimony they should approach the holy sacrament of
penance and the blessed Eucharist with great devotion. It is,
therefore, a very laudable custom, and one to be recommend
ed to all who enter upon this state, first to make a general
confession in order to purify their consciences as far as possi
ble, and to approach the table of the Lord on their wedding-
day, in order to dispose themselves for the reception of the
rich graces imparted by the sacrament of matrimony. ^
Q. How is marriage contracted ?
» A. The 'parties solemnly declare in the presence of theu:
pastor and two witnesses that they take each other in mar
riage, upon which the priest blesses their intention and the
contract they make. This should, if possible, be done during
the celebration of the holy sacrifice of the Mass, which is
aff-'-rod up for the bride and bridegroom.

820 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
Q. Do those grievously offend who, without naving co&
fessed, or after having made a sacrilegious confession, receive
the sacrament of matrimony in the state of mortal sin ?
A. They commit a most grievous crime and become guilty
of a great sacrilege, by which they profane, instead of re
ceiving, the graces attached to this sacrament.
Q. 'What is understood by plighting one's faith, betroth-
ment, or engagements ?
A. The earnest serious promise of future marriage,
Q. Is this promise binding, and are those who have given
it obliged to fulfil it ?
A. Certainly, and this under pain of a heinous sin, unless
both parties are willing to retract the promise given, oi
utiould motives or circumstances justify the refusal of either
party to fulfil their promise — a matter to be left to the deci
sion of spiritual superiors. Amongst these circumstances we
may mention, in particular, the call to a religious life.
Q. What is understood by light and inconsiderate promises
of marriage ?
A. l,^ Promises given by those who neglect consulting
with God in prayer, or who pay no regard to the counsels of
their parents, guardians and pastors. 2. Those who in their
choice make less account of religion and virtue than of tem
poral advantages and the like. 3. Who do not first duly con
sider whether they possess the necessary qualifications to take
upon themselves the numerous and arduous duties imposed by
this state and the charge of a family,
Q. What are the duties imposed by the conjugal state ?
A. 1. Sincere and holy affection, as the Apostle so strongly
admonishes : " Husbands love your wives, as Christ also loved
the Church, and defivered himself up for it," Ephes. v., 25,
"No man ever hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth
it, as also doth Christ the Church," Ephes. v., 25, He ad.
monishes wives in terms equally explicit : " Let women be
subject in love to their husbands, as is the Church to Christ."
Ephes. v., 22. "They shall be two in one," says the Lord,
when instituting as well as when elevating matrimony to the
dignity of a sacrament. Mutual support and aid in domestic
life, particularly concord and peace. 3. Mutual edification in
Christian piety, as the Apostle so earnestly exhorts all.
4, Great solicitude for the Christian education of their family
and the due government of the household for the glory of God

or MATRIMONV, 3?1
and their own salvation, Ephes. vi., 4. ^ 5. By the careful
avoidance of every abuse of marriage, as the Apostle admon
ishes, where he says : "Marriage is honorable in all." Heb.
xii., 4.
Q. What crime is directly opposed to the marriage con-
ti-act ?
A. Adultery : we have touched slightly on the heinous-
ness of this crime in treating of the sixth commandment.
Oh ! if the guilty person would but think how holy a bond
he severs, how he undermines the happiness of his family if
his guilt be detected ; how bitter the serpent fang of repent
ance he conceals in his bosom, even if his crime be laid open
to no eye but that of the All-seeing Avenger, What dreadful
maledictions are pronounced on adulterers in Holy Writ,
what heavy chastisements K? entails upon himself, what dread
consequences he heaps upon his head, he would certainly not
sin, but rather manfully overcome the temptation which
lures him recklessly to plunge into such a labyrinth of crime
and misery ! " He that is an adulterer for the folly of his
heart shall destroy his own soul ; he gathereth to himself
shame and dishonor, and his reproach shall not be blotted
out." Prov. vi., 32.
Q. Is marriage indissoluble ?
A. It is, when actually consummated ; thus did God insti
tute marriage in paradise, as is evident from the words of
Holy Writ, "A man shall leave father and mother and
shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh,"
Gen. ii., 24. Christ the Lord confirms this, when He makes
Adam's declaration His own. " What, therefore, God hath
joined together let no man put asunder." Matt, xix,, 6, And
again, every one that putteth away his wife, and marrieth an
other, committeth adultery, and he that marrieth her that is
put away from her husband, committeth adultery," Luke
xvi,, 19,
St, Paul solemnly declares in his Epistle to the Corinthians
the indissolubility of marriage amongst Christians in the foi
lowing terms : " But to them that are married, not [, but
the Lord commandeth, that the wife depart not from hw hus
band, and if she depart, that she lemains unmarried, or be
reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away
his wife." 1 Co?-, viii, 10, 11. He adds :" The wife is bound
By the law as long as the husband lives." The same re. lark
14*

322 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC KEHGION,
holds good of the husband. Neither is polygamy permitted
amongst Christians ; no man may have two or more wives ;
no woman two or more husbands, "They shall be two in
one flesh." This is the primitive institution of marriage, and
Christ ordained unity of marriage in the new law, as a type
of His union with the one Church, who went forth from the
wound of His blessed heart, on the wood of the cross, as the
Eve of the new Covenant vrith Him, the heavenly Adam,
under the symbol of water and blood. So says St. Augustine,
treating of this subject. Tract 120 in Joan, and St. John
Chrysostom, Horn. 84. Should one of the parties after the
celebration of the nuptial ceremony, and before the marriage is
consummated, resolve to enter the religious state, the matri
monial contract is thereby dissolved, according to the decision
of the Council of Trent. Sess. 24, Can. 6. The high state of
perfection embraced and the spiritual nuptials celebrated with
Christ, are the grounds on which this privilege is based. The
Pope can further, in the plentitude of apostolic power, dissolve
marriage on motives of consequences, provided it has not been
actually consummated. When, however, the marriage debt
has been once paid, no one, not even the Pope, can dissolve
it ; it is binding till the death of one of the parties.
Q. What, then, is to be done when married persons cannot,
from various weighty reasons, live together ?
A. They may in this case be separated in bed and board
by their spiritual superiors, but they must remain unmarried
•iill the death of one of the parties severs the link which human
power can not presume to touch.
Q. What are the conditions of a happy marriage ?
A. 1. A proper choice. 2, A good intention. 3. Due
preparation, particularly the worthy reception of the holy
sacraments. 4. Zeal and Christian piety, particularly in
bearing and forbearing, self-abnegation, and good example,
5, Invincible patience, in bearing with the frailties and defects
of the other party, 6, Anxious and unremitting solicitude
for the proper training and instruction of their offspring from
earliest youth. 7, Domestic habits and social family life,
also the avoidance of pride with the vain pomp and pleasuie
of the world,
Q. What are the sources of unhappy and unfortunate mar
riages ?
A. A rash and inconsiderate choice of those to whom ona

OF MATRIMONY, 32o
unites himself; this occurs, princ.\pally, when one takes into
account nothing save a pleasing exterior, a large fortune and
good connections ; the bright delusions vanish but too speed
ily, and leave nought behind but bitterness, disappointment,
and hopeless regret. 2. The want of a good intention, as many
only marry for the sake of being married. 3. The levity
with which many receive the sacrament of matrimony without
having previously endeavored to put themselves in the state
of sanctifying grace, and secure the blessing of heaven by
Having recourse to the sacrament of penance and the holy
Eucharist, Those who thus enter upon marriage draw down
upon themselves the curse of God by the sacrilege of which
they become guilty, instead of obtaining grace and strength
from on high to fulfil the grave and responsible duties await
tng them. 4. The want of virtue in general, and a vicious
course of life indulged in up to the reception of the sacrament,
" Piety is profitable to all things," says the Apostle, " hav
ing promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to
come." I Tim. iv,, 8. This declaration is fully and in a par
ticular manner confirmed in the conjugal state. There can be
no happier union here below than when the husband exclaims
in truth and security, " 0, that I were as worthy and virtuous
as my wife," and the wife in return, " Had I but my husband's
virtues !" 5. The difference of religion in mixed marriages,
frequently produces mutual discontent and unhappiness, and
causes the religious and moral training of the children to'be
but indifferently, if at all, attended to,
Q. In what light is marriage between parties of different
creeds to be considered ?
A, First, should they have been formed without express
contract and provision, that the issue, if any, is to be brought
up in- the Catholic faith, they are altogether inadmissible ; but
even when this has been duly provided for, such marriages
are never to be commended.
Q. Why does the Church disapprove of such unions ?
A. 1. Because the Catholic party is always exposed to the
danger of losing the faith, or at best becoming lukewarm and
indifferent. 2. Because the Catholic education of the children
is generally defective, and~not unfrequently impracticable. 3.
Because the dissenting party can procure from the state a
divorce, and then contract a new alliance, which is contrary
to faith, and may expose the Catholic party to great hardship

324 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
and misery. 4. Because such a marriage can never present
a true emblem of Christ's union with His holy Church. .5.
Where there is no communion of faith there never can he as
intimate a union and concord as the conjugal state justly
claims, particularly in the mutual sanctification of life.
Q. 'What conditions are laid'down by the Church, in ease
her children should contract such marriages notwithstanding
her disapproval ?
A. 1. That the Catholic party must be left at perfect liberty
to practice his or her religion, 2. That he or she should zeal
ously endeavor as long as they live together, to bring the
dissenting party to acknowledge and embrace the truth. 3,
That the children, without distinction of sex, be brought up
in the Catholic faith. How, indeed, could the Catholic party
consent to have their offspring trained to any other religious
profession than the only true and hence only saving Catholic
faith ? Such an agreement, on their part, would betray a
lamentable want of principle, as also a want of heartfelt con
viction of the truth of the faith they profess, as also a want
of affection for the children with whom they hope to be
blessed. Should one of the parties have neglected before
marriage to have this contract made, he or she still remains
bound in conscience to observe it strictly in every particular,
if they wish to obtain salvation and qualify themselves for
approaching the sacrament.
The Catholic father of a family is bound to employ all his
paternal authority to ensure the Catholic education of his
children, and the mother should leave nothing undone to effect
the same desirable object. The baseness and folly of the
contract that some of the children should be brought up in
the exercise of the father's religion, and others, in that of the
mother's, is too evident to require further illustration. A
couple who act thus, consider religion as a garment with
which they clothe their daughters in a different manner -from
their sons, and prove but too clearly by such perverse conduct,
their perfect indifference in matters of religion, and their
woeful ignorance and want of judgment.
Q. Is marriage, being a sacrament, allowable and advisa
ble for all ?
A. No; for the Church requires continence of those conso.
crated to the service of the sanctuary by the sacrament of
Ooly orders. She also considers the state of v''-ginity as

OF MATRIMONT. 32.'i
higher and ainre perfect than that of matrimoi;y, according
to the express words of the doctor of the Gentiles: "He
that giveth his virgin in marriage doth well, and he that
giveth her not doth 'better." 1 Cor. vii., 38. A double error
is here to be combated.
The first is that which, with Jovinian, so exalts mar
riage as to place it on a level with and even elevates it
above virginity. Tradition, Christ's own blessed example
and that of His spotless mother, are all opposed to this. The
Council of Trent, therefore, very justly decides as follows :
" If any one shall affirm that matrimony is to be preferred to
virginity,, or that it be not better and more blessed to live in
virginity than in the married state, let him be anathema."
Sess. xxiv. can. 10. The second error is broached by those
who declare and maintain it to be impossible to live in a
state of celibacy. Those who speak so arc strangers to the
omnipotence of grace and the virtue of prayer. Nothing is
too difficult for those who persevere in prayer befiire the
¦Lord, and confidently ask Him for the grace tj" chastity.
" God is faithful," as the doctor of nations assures us, " Who
will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you ara
able, but will make also with temptation issue, that you may
be able to bear it." 1 Cor. x., 13, St, Augustine, therefore,
justly remarks, when treating of these words : " Pay your
vows to the Lord," " Of yourselves," says he, "ye are too
weak, but if you put your trust in Him to whom you have
made your vows, you will assuredly receive strength to do it,"
Ep.ixxv. And in another passage. he exclaims, when con
sidering this state of life : " Happy necessity which binds to
that which is better," Ep. 45.
Q. What is this unmarried state termed which the Church
imposes on those she advances to the higher orders ?
A. It is called celibacy,
Q. Is the perpetual chastity required by the Church of her
eonsecrated ministers just and reasonable?
A. Without doubt. The sanctity of the holy office and the
obligations it imposes, demand of those who have taken it upon
themselves, undivided affections and general solicitude for the
welfare of their fellow men, and the state of celibacy alone can
qualify man to enter ujion it. Candid and upright protestants
both acknowledge and declare this. They have so expressed
themselves eren in public documents. The Helvetic confcs

?S26 MANUAL OF THE CATHOllC RELIGION.
sion, as also the Anglican Church, express in their ordinances
the wis 1 to behold men in the sacred ministry untrammelled
by the bonds of wedlock. Conf. Helv. 2, c. 29. Edw. c, 31,
Even in the Old Testament the priests were obliged to ob
serve continence during the time appointed for them to sacri-
fice and ministry in the temple. Even the hearthens, by an
intuitive and correct feeling, received and acknowledged the
excellence of virginity in the divine ministry. The Egyptian
priests were either unmarried, or had but one wife, contrary
to the general custom of the people of those times. And in
Rome and Athens the sacred fire kept constantly burning in
Minerva's honor was attended by virgins only. What stain
less purity does not Christian sentiment demand of those who
present to the divine majesty the spotless victim of the New
Testament, the immaculate Lamb of God, Jesus, the purest
and holiest jonceived in the womb of Israel's lily, by the co
operation of the Holy Ghost. In truth, it is only chastity
that can in any degree qualify the priest to offer this mosli
holy sacrifice, the august victim of the new law ; he thereby
becomes a visible and worthy representative of Christ, a wor
thy minister of the Lord on earth, whose life and deportment
draw the hearts of the faithful heavenward, and inspires them
with full confidence in the priest as their common spiritual
father. How different would it,not be were the ministers of
the sanctuary incumbered by the bonds of wedlock. The con
temptible and despised condition of the priests of the Greek
(Church, afford a striking example of the truth of this remark,
as every one knows who has had opportunities of learning any
thing en this subject. Be Maistre on the Pope, iii. book, iii, chap.
How greatly is the perplexity of such a situation increased
when the wife or children of these parties scandalize the flock.
The spirit of God certainly guided and directed the Church
in ordaining and strictly enforcing the celibacy of her priests,
and the two inferior grades of deacon and sub-deacon.
Practice. — Let no other motive induce thee to decide on a
state of life, than the divine will and the salvation of thy
immortal soul, and then thou mayst hope to know and fulfil
the will of thy Lord and God in this respect. Should it please
the divine majesty to call thee to the married state, thou wilt
endeavor to make^a prudent choice, prepare thyself properly
for the recept'on of this sacrament of matrimony, and in
that state thou wilt strive to live in such a manner as to pro

OF THE ,lACRAMENrALS, 3S7
cuie thy own silvation and promote that of those intrusted
to thy care.

CHAPTER IV.
OF THE SACRAMENTALS.
Besides the means of grace instituted by Chiist himself, for
the sanctification of the faithful, that is the seven sacraments,
the Church in virtue of the powers imparted to her by her
divine founder, has ordained other consecrations, benedictions
and ceremonies, in order to assist her children in the attain
ment ot that priceless good, for which alone they have been
created, that is to say, salvation in the possession of God,
These are all included under the term of sacramentals, be-
cause, like the sacraments, they impart grace, although not
in the same degree, nor with the same efficacy. These con
secrations, benedictions, and ceremonies, do not always and.
infallibly take effect by virtue of their institution, as do the
sacraments, but are frequently emblems fraught with deep and
holy meaning, as rights and acts calculated to heighten the
solemnity of divine worship. Their efficacy moreover de
pends on man's free co-operation. The Church can change,
increase, or diminish these blessings, consecrations and rites,
-lut over the sacraments instituted by Christ himself, she has
not the same jurisdiction. They may in this respect be com
pared to the washing of the feet, recommended to the faith
ful by Christ's own word and example, although he did not ele
vate this touching and beautiful act to the dignity of a sacra
ment, or declare it necessary for all. See p. 406,
Op THE Benedictions op tub Church.
Q. What do we understand by this term 1
A. The application of those prayers and ceremonies of the
Church, by which persons and things are peculiarly appropri
(,ted or set apart for the divine service.
Q. Which are the principal benedictions?
A. 1. Tho consecration, dedication .and benedictio»i of

328 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
churches and all that is necessary and prciper for the oelebpa
tion of divine worship ;
2. That of the objects used in divine service;
3. That imparted to clerical and religious persons.
We shall briefly add the essential characteristics of thcao
oenedictions. The Bedication of a Church.
Q, What is understciod by the dedication of a church?
A, The solemn act by which a temple is consecrated ilir
divine worship. This consecration. may take place by a sim
ple benediction, which may be imparted by a priest with the
prelate's peroiission, or it is performed with the unctions and
all the other ceremonies prescribed by the ritual. This is
called consecration, and in this case a bishop must officiate,
Q. Is it an ancient custom to dedicate or consecrate churches?
A. It is ; we can trace it to the earliest ages of Christianity,
and we find its type in the dedication of Solomon's temple,
performed in the Old Law, and recorded in the 3d book of
Kings, Q. How is this rite performed ?
A. The vigil of the consecration is to be observed as a fast ,
tbe vesper service is chanted before the relics of saints to be
placed on the altar, and in the interim preserved in a proper
repository becomingly ornamented. Early on the morning
of the following day the bishop goes thrice round the church,
sprinkling it with holy water; he then enters the church and
writes the Greek and Latin alphabets upon the floor, which is
covered with blessed ashes in the form of St. Andrew's cross;
those two languages being the principal ones of ancient times
and those iu which the Old and New Testaments are written
and read, being the tongues, moreover, in which our faith was
chiefly announced in primitive times ; the altars are then
anointed and consecrated with the blessed oils, whilst psalms
selected for the occasion are chanted, and prayers flill of unction
and fervor recited, accompanied by the performance of cere
monies fraught with deep and holy meaning. The same cere
mony is performed on the walls of the church, -wnich, in mem
ory of the twelve gates of the heavenly Jerus.alcm are marked
with twelve crosses. The altar being the favored spot on which
the Immaculate Victim of the New Covenant is aaily to be im-
Violated, .is C(msecrat'»d with the uiifiost -solemnity. The

OP THE SACRAMENTALS, 329
whole edifice loses its consecration if the altar be removed
fi-om its original position.
Of the Blessing of Church Bflls and Vestments.
Q. -Why are the church bells blessed, and why is this act
called baptism of the bells ?
A. The bells attached to our temples are blessed, being as
it were the heavenly voices inviting the faithful to divine
worship. Their benediction is termed baptism; on this occa
sion the name of a saint is given them in order that the saint
may join to the pealing of the bells fervent prayers for the
willing and zealous acceptance of the invitation to assemble
and worship the Lord of heaven and eai-th. The sound of our
church bells is intimately connected with the most important
moments of our earthly pilgrimage, so the ablution with
water and the unction with chrism and the holy oil of the sick,
seem to allude to the bells being destined to take part in the
most solemn affairs of our life and death. The church bell is,
according to the expression used by the Synod of Cologne,
"the trumpet of the church milita.nt," It appears to praise
the Most High with us ; to raise with us the voice of suppli-
cation to Him who sits enthroned above the fleeting clouds
of earth. The bells seem to peal gladly out when joy ani
mates our hearts ; to toll sadly and heavily when grief Weighs
them down. To the faithful who live in the state of grace
their sound is of heaven ; to the infidel and libertine it is
gloomy and insupportable. It welcomes us on our firsjt ap
pearance in the temples of our God, and on our last uncon
scious journey to our narrow homes it sends after us a thrill
ing and mournful farewell. At times it is entirely silent, viz,,
' when the Church is employed in bewailing the agony and
death of her Divine Spouse, or smarting under the wounds
inflicted by some great crime committed by her unfaithful
children. This is the case during an interdict, at which time
public worship is suspended. The silence of death then seems
to reign on earth, and ominous terror burthens every heart.
When, on the contrary, the smallest bell sends forth its sil
very strain from the church steeple, every thing in the eo
elesiastical sphere seems to rejoice in renovated existence.
We need not, therefore, be surprised that a German poet

S20 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELICIION',
should have felt so warmly and written so beautifully on this
subject. An ancient verse declares the destination of our
church bells to be as follows :
" Laudo Deum verum, plebem voco, congrego clerum,
Defunctos ploro, nimbum fugo, festaque honoro."
Q. Why are the furniture, the holy vessels, vestments and
linen used in the celebration of the divine mysteries all
blessed ?
A. Because they are set apart for divine .service and are
often brought into immediate contact with the adorable sacra^
ment. That certain vestments of finer and more beautiful
texture are set apart to be worn by the priests and ministers
of the sanctuary, during the celebration of divine worship is
both proper, reverent and edifying. The peculiar form and
material of the holy vessels tends to promote devotion, and
keep the spirit in pious meditation during the celebration of
divine service, God himself prescribed most minutely the
vestments, furniture, vessels for the tabernacle, and these
were all to be of such costly materials and elegant workman
ship as to excite our astonishment. Let those in particular
take this remark into consideration, who, having inherited a
portion of the sentiments of Judas, consider nothing too rich
or costly for secular representations and celebrations, but are
much afraid of extravagance in decorating the temples of the
Lord, and think any thing good enough for that purpose.

Of the Benediction of Burial- Grounds.
Q. Why are grave-yards or church-yards blessed ?
A. 1, In order that the bodies of the faithful, which in life
were temples of the Holy Ghost, and shall one day arise in
glorious immortality, may be deposited in a fitting and holy
resting place.
2. In order to remind us that the souls of the faithful re.
posing in the unbroken tranquility of the tomb, in our burial-
places, are united with us, in the holiest bonds of hope and
affection, and to encourage us by the sight of the holy place
in which their remains lie, to make supplication for them at
the tnrone of mercy.

OF THE SACRAMENTALS. 331
3. That the consecrated ground allotted for their burial-
place may remind us of the one faith which so intimately unites
^he departed with us. It is a just .and holy ordinance of the
Church, in virtue of which only such as have in life been united
in the- same one holy faith, rest after death in the same con
secrated ground, from which they are excluded by great and
heinous crimes, or if they severed themselves from the commu
nion of the Church by heretical or schismatioal opinions, or open
infidelity. When frivolous and thoughtless worldlings loudly
jvimplain that men who have never cared for religion, but on
the contrary were to their fellowmen a stumbling-block and
cause of scandal are denied burial in consecrated ground, they
show their own want of judgment and sense of right. Where
fore should the Church acknowledge and impart her maternal
benediction after their death to men who have lived and died
in sentiments and opinions totally opposed to her teaching
and practice?

The Betiediction of Objects used in Bivine Service,
Holy Water,
Q. Is the use of blessed water ancient ?
A. We can trace it to apostolic tradition; it is mentioned
in the so-called Apostolic Constitutions, 1. vii. ch. 15. Symbols
of this blessing are found in the Old Testament : Levit. Those
who attentively peruse the fervent prayers, so full of force and
unction used by the Church in blessing water, will easily under
stand why the faithful so carefully preserve holy water in their
dwellings, and so confidently and devoutly make use of it be
fore retiring or arising, leaving their dwellings, and such like,
unless, indeed, they imagine it possible for the Church to pray
and bless in vain. The ecclesiastical writers of the fourth
century mention a vessel of holy water placed at the entrancd
of Christian temples. Euseb. Hist, c, 10,

Blessed Candles.
Q. Why does the Church bless candles ?
A, They are blessed to serve as symbols of the spiritual
joy of the Church and the interior illumination of the Holy

332 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC AKLIGION.
GhosU Lighted tapers are emblematic oi faith, which enlight.
ens, hope, which imparts genial warmth, and love, which in
flames. The burning tapers, placed upon our altars during
Divine service, remind us of the bloody persecutions with
which the infant Church had to contend in days when the voice
of praise and supplication arose from vaults and caverns whera
her Divine rites were celebrated. We find our blessed tapers
symbolized in the old law, God himself commanded a golden
candlestick with seven branches bearing lights to be placed in
the tabernacle, and Solomon had the temple furnished with
several candlesticks of the finest gold. 2 Paralip. iv. Is it not
more proper, then, for us to seek to honor the presence of our
sovereign Lord and Master in the sacrament of His love,
during the celebration of the Divine mysteries and in acts of
worship generally, by the use of blessed tapers ?
Q. On what occasion, in particular, does the Church bless
tapers ?
A. On the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, commonly called Candlemas. This, as an emblem of
our deep conviction of her inviolate purity, the radiance of
which, far from being dimmed by the birth of her Divine Son.
became the brighter and more effulgent,
Q. Why are processions held on this festival ?
A, In order to represent to us in a more lively manner the
journey of the Blessed Mother, St, Joseph, Anna and Simeon
to the temple, arid as a tribute of love and homage to Our
sweet heavenly Queen,
Q, When are blessed candles employed?
A. During the administration of holy baptism and extreme
unction, on account of their symbolical signification, and in or
der to put the powers of darkness to flight by the virtue of the
blessed candles. The Blessed Ashes,
Q. Why does the Church bless ashes on Ash- Wednesday
the first day of Lent ?
A. 1, In order to excite to do penance, by the remembrance
of an approaching and certain death. This is the reason why
the priest, when sprinkling the heads of the faithful therewith,
employs the words of the Divine sentence, pronounced on man
after his first transgression, and extended to all his posterity :

OF THE SACRAMENTALS, 333
" Remember, man, thou ^rt but dust, and unto dust thou shalt
again return."
2. In order to call forth in us the spirit of humility, without
which no penance, however severe, is acceptable in the Divine
sigh\ Ashes have been, from the earliest times, a symbol of
peuaiice and humiliation. Job did penance in dust and ashes.
Micheas and other prophets ftilled on the people to do penance
ii. sackcloth and ashes. The Ninevites wept and lamented their
crimes in sackcloth and ashes, and found favor in the Divine
sight. Jonas, iii.

Of the Blessed Palms.
Q. Why does the Church bless palm branches ?
A. 1, In memory of Christ's solemn and triumphant en
try into Jerusalem, on which occasion the exulting populace
strewed the way with palms,
2. On account of their symbolic signification, the palm be
ing an emblem of the victory which Christ gained over sin, hell
and death, and for which we, in imitation of Him, have also
to struggle, Apoc. vii, 9. They are, therefore, borne in pro
cession as memorials of Christ's triumphant entry, after which
they are preserved in our dwellings until the commencement
of Lent, when they serve for the preparation of the ashes with
which the faithful are marked on Ash- Wednesday,

The Paschal Candle.
y. What does the paschal candle recall to our minds, and
when is it blessed ? ,
A. The paschal candle is a symbol of Christ, the conquer
ing King, the mighty vanquisher of death, the valiant lion of
Juda, who freed us from the slavery to which sin and Satan
had reduced us, and its radiant effulgence, the fiery pillar
which in days of yore preceded the children of Israel from
the land of bondage to the promised inheritance. It Is blessed
with great solemnity on Holy Saturday, and used during the
paschal time at the celebration of the Divine service. After
the Gospel on the Festival of Christ's Ascension, it is ex
tinguished, in memory of Miat event.

334 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.

Of the Holy Oils.
Q. What is understood by this term ?
A. The holy oils blessed on Maundy ThuisEay by the
bishop, particularly the holy chrism, tbe oils used in baptisin
and in administering extreme uifttion. The two first are em-
[iloycd in the baptismal rite, and chrism in the consecration
of churches and church bells. The oils for the sick /re used
in administering extreme unction, St, Basil meit<^ioos the
consecration of these holy oils on Maundy Thursaa,y 1 Be
Sp. S. cap, 17.

Of Incense,
Q. Why does the Church employ and bless incesne ?
A. Incense is an emblem of adoration and prayer, in the
fragrance of devotion wafted heavenward by the ministry of
kindly angels. We find mention made of incense in the Old
Testament, Levit. iv. 7, Besides these objects blessed for Di
vine service, in general, the Church is wont to bless various ob
jects for the private devotion of her children and attach Indul
gences to the godly use made of them. To this class belongs
the blessing of the so-called Agnus Bei.
Q. What is the blessed Agnus Bei ?
A. It is a particle of wax stamped with the figure of the
Lamb of God, This is the interpretation of the word Agnus
Bei. These small waxen images of the Lamb of God are so
highly prized on account of their being blessed only by the
Pope himself, and that but once in severf years. The sight
of the image should remind him*vho wears or uses it of the
innocence, gentleness, and patience which should characterize
all our actions, as imitators of the meek Lamb of God, Christ
the Lord, If this be our earnest endeavor, the solemn bene
diction imparted to the Agnus Dei will certainly not be want
ing in efficacy in our regard. Besides this, God imparts to
the faithful, by the devout use of the Agnus Dei, more special
protection and richer blessings. The learned Baronius traces
the use of the Agnus Dei t") the year 58 A. d. See his an
nals of the year 58,

OP THE SACRAMENTALS, 335
2. The blessing of crosses, rosaries, pictures and medals,
BO that, by the zealous and devout use thereof, we may more
frequently and meritoriously renew within us the memory of
Christ, His blessed mcither and glorified servants.
3. The blessing of plants on tho festival of our blessed
Lady's Assumption, as symbols of the aromatic fragrance of
hi'A' virtues, according to the words of the Canticle of Canti
cles : " Who is she that goeth up by the desert, as a pillar of
smoke, of aromatical spices, of myrih, and frankincense, and
of all the powders of the perfumer," Cant, iii, 6,

Of the Benedictions of Persons.
Q. What individuals are installed ir. their respective offices
by peculiar dedication or consecration ?
A. 1. Those who by the sacrament of Orders and the or
dmance of the Church are separated from the mass of the
people and devoted to the service of God and the sanctuary •
of these we have already treated in speaking of Holy Orders,
The Church has instituted, besides the rites of ordination,
various other peculiar dedications of persons to the Divine
service, accompanied by prayers full of unction, and cere
monies replete with deep meaning. We may here mentiop
the elevation and coronation of our supreme head, the holy
Pontiff, The newly-elected successor of Peter is solemnly
borne to the place distinguished by the appellation of Con
fessio Petri, where thousands of Christians formerly expiree
in tortures for Jesus' sake, and where the remains of the two
glorious princes and pillars of the Church, Peter and Paul,
still rest. Many prayers are here pronounced by several
bishopji over the newly-elected Pontiff, in order to draw down
upon him from the Father of mercies the fullness of celestial
benediction, Divine strength and courage froijn on high to dis
charge the. duties of his awful *rust. The pallium worn on
the shoulders is given him with the words: "Receive the
pallium, the plenitude of the pontifical authority, for the honor
of Almighty God, the glorious Virgin Mary, the mother of His
Son, 'he blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and the holy Roman
Church." During the celebration of the Divine mysteries bj
the Holy Father, personally, the Epistle and Gospel are
chanted >n the Greek and Latin tongues, to signify that ho i»

336 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
the supreme head of both the Eastern and the Western Church
and of all Christendom, When the ceremony of the coronation
IS psrfonned, the tLara is placed on the Pontiff's head with the
words : " .Receive the tiara adorned with a triple crown, and
know that thou art the father of princes and kings, the ruler
of the earth and Vicar of Jesus Christ our Saviour," Thus
crowned, he doubtless receives a particular communication of
grace and strength to enable him duly to perform the duties
attached to this most important office in the Church of God,
The solemn elevation of the Cardinals to the dignity of assist
ants of the Holy See and counsellors of his Holiness the Pope,
is certainly accompanied by heavenly grace and favor,
2. As regards the inauguration of abbots, abbesses and re
ligious of both sexes, as also that of kings and empenn-s of
Christian states, inasmuch as the office and calling of such per
sons is peculiarly allied to the Divine worship, they are en
rolled in the holy state by peculiar benedictions. The rulers
uf nations likewise have an office which when properly dis
charged, may be the source of rich blessings to the Church of
God, The Church reminds princes and people of this duty
oy the holy unction she administers. The Old Testament
furnishes instances of the unction given to kings by Divine
vrdinance. Of THE Blessings of the Church,
Q. What is meant by the blessings of the Church?
A. The different prayers of blessing and protection pri
vately pronounced by the Church over individuals and objects.
Q. Over what manner Of persons does the Church usually
pronounce such prayers?
A. Over those who are exorcised. By such prayers the
faithful are protected against the malignity of the devil, or
delivered from his power, should he have unhappily acquired
any over them. These prayfers are generally pronounced over
persons baptized, as has been shown when treating of the
ceremonies accompanying the administration of baptism
Further, when just apprehensions are entertained of a person
being' possessed by Satan, or exposed to exterior influences
proceeding from this inveterate enemy of man ; public exor
cisms, however, can only be resorted to with the approbation
1)1' ecclesiastical superloi-s.

OF THB SAORAME>fTAL&, 337
2. The Church pronounces prayeiii of benediction and pr6
Section o-ver the betrothed, particularly during the celebratiot
of the bridal mass,
3. She does the same when churching women, Wortieu
after childbirth are not indeed bound by a conimandment tc
be churched ; yet they should, in imitation of Mary, take the
cfcild, with which heaven has blessed' them, t'6 the house of
God, there dedicate it to His Divine service, make an offering
according to their ability, and ask the blessing of the Church,
It weie erroneous, however, to imagine that churching must
be submitted to under pain of sin, and it were further au error
of faith to suppose, or assert, that the birth of a child im
presses a stain of guilt on the soul of a Christian mother,
4. The apostolic benediction imparted by priests and bish
ops in general, and particularly the blessing given by tlie su.
preme Pontiff as Vicar of Christ on earth; We find that
priests have been accustomed to give their blessing from the
earliest ages of the Church. Thus, the Emperor Justinian
knelt before St, Sabbas, and craved his blessing. And did
not Melohisedeck bless Abraham, the father of the faithful ?
Gen. XV,
Q. Why does the Church also bless a variety of objects ?
. A. She blesses them in order to impart to them spiritual
virtue and dedication. That this is attained by the benedic
tion of the Church is evident from the words of St, Paul t<r
Timothy : " Every creature of God is sanctified by the word
of God and prayer," 1 Tim. iV, 4,
Q. Are not all thiftgs good according, to the Divine decla
ration made on the Sabbath of creation ?
A. This certainly was the cjase when first the creation pro
ceeded from the hand of God ; man, however, on whose aft-
count alone the visible creation was called forth, having vio^
lated God's command, drew down upon earth the Divine mal
ediction. Hence it is quite proper to bless our fields and
dwellings, and also our food, and our holy irtother the Church
pronounces over each particular prayers and benedictions.
Q. Is this custom ancient ?
A. It may be traced to the patriarchal times. Christ him
self blessed the Ijaves and fishes, which He ordered to be
distributed amongst the people, Luke, iii, 16, St, Chrysos
tom and Theophilus both remark, when treating of St. Paiil'i
words, quoted abowe, that the custom of blessing certain ob
15

338 MANUAL OP THB CATHOLIC RELIGION.
jects is very ancient. St. Basil expressly assures ua that
this practice is grounded on apostolic tradition. Ei ist. i.
ch, 27. The holy fathers, Clement, Dionysius, Cyril, Ephreio
and Augustine concui in the same testimony. Several kinds
of nourishment, bread, fish, eggs, etc., are blessed at Easter.
Wine is blessed and partaken of as an emblem of mutual love
and friendship on the festival of St. John.

Of THE Ceremonies and Rites of the Church,
Q, What is understood by Church ceremonies and rites ?
A, Significant emblems and acts belonging to the celebra
tion of Divine worship,
Q, What induces the Church to employ ceremonies ?
A. 1. By these man very properly and justly testifies in an
outward manner the interior affections and emotions of his
heart, his devotion to and adoration of his supreme Lord and
Master. 2, These rites and ceremonies are peculiarly adapted to
render Divine worship more solemn, to fix our attention, en
liven our devotion, and render the impression more permanent.
These ceremonies are, therefore, not mere exterior and vain
observances, but full of meaning and, when rightly understood,
powerfully influence the heart to raise its affections heaven-
ifvard, and adore God in spirit and in truth. If an ignorant
and thoughtless person is satisfied with merely gazing on the
acts performed, without taking pains to fathom their meaning,
the Church is not to blame, but rather the individual who neg
lects to procure instruction concerning the signification of
these ceremonies so replete with meaning and beauty. The
Council of Trent, therefore, very justly remarks : " Man's na
ture being so constituted that he does not easily, without ex
ternal aid. soar to the contemplation of things Divine, our holy
mother the Church has instituted and ordained peculiar usages
and ceremonies, which have been handed down to her by tra
dition. The Church admonishes pa.stors to instruct the faith
ful carefully in the nature and signification of the rites which
she deems it proper to employ. We are all aware that Qod
himself commanded numerous ceremonies to be observed in
the Old Law, We also see our Divine model, Christ the Lord,
employing ceremonies in the New Testament ; for instance.

OP the sacr amenta is, 33P
when healing the deaf and dumb man, (Mark' vii.) restoring
sight to the man born blind, (John, ix.) imparting the Holy
Ghost to His Apostles, (John, xx.) and also when instituting
the adorable sacrament of the altar. Pie further prescribed
the manner in which the sacraments were to be administered
during the forty days He remained on earth after His resur
rection. When treating of the ceremonies of the Church, it
is proper to mention all those prescribed for the celebration
of the august sacrifice of the Mass, so full of deep significa
tion and so admirably adapted to reiider that holy act more
solemn and impressive,
3. All the ceremonies prescribed in administering the sa
craments ; these are all most intimately connected with the
nature of these channels of grace, and well calculated to pre
pare the hearts of the faithful to derive grace and benediction
from their devout reception.
4. The ceremonies used on various festive occasions, and
the consecrations, dedications, and benedictions before referred
to, such as the washing of the feet on Maundy Thursday, which
reminds us of our blessed Saviour's infinite self-humiliation ;
in stooping to wash the feet of His disciples before giving
them His own precious body and blood, as we learn from the
Evangelist who relates this most winning example. He added
the express admonition to do as He had done. When this act
is performed in the spirit of Jesus Christ, and according to the
ordinance of the Church, it is certainly fraught with peculiar
graces. See the Additions : The ecclesiastical year.

Solemn Ecclesiastical Practices.
Regarding the solemn practices of the Church, we mention
m general all those acts of devotion performed throughout the
world for the consolation and encouragement of the faithful,
in effecting their sanctification. Amongst these the exposition
and adoration of the sacrament of the altar deservedly occupies
the first rank; then follow the vesper services and devotions
held in honor of the saints, particularly the Blessed Virgin
Mary, which are so calculated to excite', nourish, strengthen,
and elevate the spirit of piety and devotion in a Christian
heart. As the Church is aware of these devotions, aud ap
proves of them, what we have said of them appears to us

340 manual of the catholic religion,
very properly* introduced. Processions, pilgrimages, mis
sions, and sodalities belong also to these practices.
Processions,
Q. Have processions been long in use ?
A. They have. We learn that JosUe passed around the
walls of Jericho several times in procession, after which, on
the sounding-of the trumpets, the walls fell to pieces, David
brought the ark of the covenant from the house of Obededom
in solemn procession, 1 Paral. xiii. The prescribed visit to
the temple, so strictly enjoined on all males, on the great fes
tivals, from the twelfth year upward, naturally formed proces
sions through all Judea, the people being accustomed to journey
to the holy city in groups, praying and chanting psalms as they
went. Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm
Sunday was also a most solemn procession. We find that
processions were in use in the first ages of Christianity. The
solemn procession, ordained and led on by Gregory the Great
in Rome during the prevalence of the plague, in order to pro
pitiate the Divine clemency, is well known, as also the success
which attended it, for scarcely had the procession erided when
the angel of death departed from Rome, and the pestilence
ceased its ravages. The great procession ordained by Procleus
iu Constantinople, in the thirty-sixth year of the reign of The-
odosius, in order to implore of heaven deliverance from the
earthquake Which threatened d'estructibh to the whole city :
finally, the pi ^cessions of rogation, introduced by Mamertus,
Bishop of Vienna in France, and which were shortly afterwards
extended to the whole Church and made annually on the three
days preceding the festival of our blessed Lord's ascension.
O how glorious will be the procession called forth by Christ's
words to' the just : " Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess
the kingdom' prepared for you from the foundation of the
world 1" Matt. xxv. 34, It is not to be wondered at, Shere-
fore, that our hearts are filled with sweet and solemn joy when
we take our place in the festive train. This is particularly the
ease in reference to the solemn procession on Corpus Christi.
Q, Why are crosses, or crucifixes, and banners borne in pro
cessions ?
A. In order to make open profession of our faith in Christ
tfid the triumph of the Holy Cross,

OF THE SACRAMEN-k-ALS. 311
Q. Why were the relics and images of the saints borne in
procession ?
A, In order to signify that we are firmly resolved to tread
the path they have trodden, and to imitate their virtues,
Q, Why are processions formed in lines consisting of two
'u.dividuals? A, To remind us of the great command, which enjoins on
us to love and acknowledge all men as fellow-servants of our
dearest Master, Christ Jesus, and dear brethren jn the Lord.
Q, Why do processions pass through public squares and
streets ?
A, So that yre may boldly declare before heaven and earth
that we" are not ashamed of our holy religion, and to impress
on our minds that we are pilgrims on earth and should con
stantly walk before the Lord.

On Pilgrimages,
Q. What is understood by this term 1
A. Journeys undertaken in order to ,'Vislt various shrines
and holy places,
Q, Are pilgrimages laudable, commendable and useful ?
A. They certainly are, when undertaken and performed
with the proper dispositions. It is true that God is every
where present, and that from every corner of the earth the
loving and contrite sighs of a Christian soul reach His ear and
touch Plis paternal heart. Still, it may please Him to bestow
greater favors in certain places and at ccirtain periods, accord
ing to the decrees of his wisdom and unbounded freedom of
¦will and action, to those who petit;ion Him in humility and
confidence. The united prayer of many, and the virtuous example of
our brethren, on such favored spots are highly conducive
towards animating and strengthening our confidence and de
votion. Should any one find by experience, however, that
making pilgrimages but distracts him, he will certainly do
better to abstain from so doing in future, seeing that he is of
so peculiar a temperament that what tends to advance others
in spiritual life only retards his advancenient, perhaps adding
sin to tepidity and want of recollection. The perversity of our
fallen nature is so great, that perhaps no practice has escapi».d

342 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION
misapplication and abuse. This, however, does not justify out
censuring such practices, but rather those who misapply them.
Pilgrimages are in themselves good and salutary, but they
have certainly been abused, and may again. The fault, how
ever, is not to be ascribed to them, but to those who undertake
and perform them without the proper dispositions,
Q. Which are the principal and general places of pilgrim-
hge? A. 1. The Holy Land ; 2. Rome ; 3, To Loretto, and other
place« in which the Blessed Virgin has shown herself particu
larly gracious.
The tomb of St. James, at Compostella, was in formejr times
a famous resort for pilgrims. There are in every Christian
country particular places in which heaven seems to lend a more
willing ear to our supplications. These are well known, at
least, in the vicinity, and may be visited with great spiritual
benefit. — See the additions : missions.
Sodalities,
Q. What are sodalities ?
A. Pious confraternities generally approved of, and enriched
with great treasures of grace and many privileges by the su
preme head of the Church. Their end is mutual encourage
ment in works of virtue and charity. As the rules of these
sodalities do not bind under pain of sin, and when duly ob
served tend to .animate us with zeal in the performance of
our Christian duties, every one should endeavor, according to
his circumstances and state of life, to enroll himself in one or
more. Practice. — Take care to venerate whatever the Church
blesses and sets apart for the celebration of Divine worship.
Manifest this veneration of the heart by outward tokens of
res[iect towards such objects and rites. This is, as it were,
the test of the liveliness of our faith, the measure of the ex
tent to which the life of the Church has penetrated us, A
truly Catholic heart feels intuitively, as it were, the virtue of
these blessings, dedications and ceremonies without further
consideration, and finds itself powerfully attracted by all
that the Church has ordained in this respect. This should be
the case with thee.

OK THE AVOIDANCE OP EVIL, 343

PART THIRD.
THE CAEE OF SALVATION.

or THE PRECEDING PAR;r3 OF THIS WORK, WE HAVE EXPLAINED TH»
WAT OP SALVATION, AND THB MEANS WHICH RENDER SALVATION
possible; but we shall not be saved WITHOUT THE CARE OF
SALVATION, OE WITHOUT THE PRACTICE OF CHRISTIAN JUSTICE,

CHAPTER I.
ON THE AVOIDANCE OF EVIL.
Q. In what does Christian justice consist ?
A. In the avoidance of evil and the practice of good. The
Psalmist admonishes us : " Decline from evil and do good."
Ps. xxxvi. 27. This is what Isaias requires of us when he ex.
claims : " Abandon wickedness and practice goodness." And
this is what St, Paul terms, " putting off the old man who is
corrupted according to the desires of error, and putting on the
new man who according to God is created in justice and holi
ness of truth." Col. iii, 8-10 ; Eph. iv. 22.
The evil which we are to avoid is sin, the only moral evil.
The good which it is incumbent on us to do consists in the
practice of Christian virtue, in striving after perfection, and
earnestly seeking to model our lives on that of our dear Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Now, as sin, according to the
words of St, John, renders us like unto the author of sin,
" He that committeth sin is of the devil," John, iii. 8. So
also does the practice of justice render us like to God and se
cure to us His possession in the joy of the just made perfect.
" He that doeth justice is just, as He, God, also is just," says
St. John. Christ the Lord confirm.s this assertion when ad
dressing sinners, " You are of your father the devil." John,

344 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
viii. 44. He assures us, on the contrary, when speaking of
the just, who make His Divine teaching the rule of their lives ;
" My Father will love him and we will come to him and will
make our abode with him." John, iv*. 23. So that the just
ma 1 may joyfully exclaim -yyith St. Paul : " 1 live, yet not I,
luit Christ in me." Galat. ii, 20,»'

On Sin,
Q. What is sin?
A. It is a voluntary transgression of the Divine law.
Q. Is sin of various. kinds?
A. It admits of two principal divisions, original .and ac
tual sin. In the first part of our work we have treated of
original sin committed by Adam in paradise, and which we
take upon ourselves in connection with our human nature.
We shall here speak of actual or personal sin,
Q. How is it committed, how distinguished ?
-A. It is committed by thoughts, desires, words, works and
omissions, and is either a mortal or a venial transgression.
Q. What is mortal sin.
A. It is. a voluntary transgression of the Divine law in a
matter of moment, or the violation of a commandment which
we are bound under pain of eternal death to observe,
Q. Why is a ^in of this nature termed mortal sin?
A. Because it deprives the soul of the spiritual life of
grace : " Sin when accomplished generates death," Jam, xi,
15, "Thou ha^t the name of being alive, and thou art dead."
Apoc. iii, 1.
Q. What is venial sin ? __
A. A transgression of the Divine law, in a lighter matter,
(if we may imagine the expression) when the command neither
enjoins, nor prohibits; under pain of damnation, or, should the
matter amount to a mortal transgression, when there is
not full knowledge, or not complete deliberation and full
consent. These are the sins meant by St. James, when
he says: "In many -things we all offend. James, iii. 2, To
these lesser faults the Sage refers when he asserts, that, "The
just man falls seven times," i, e, frequently, Eccles. vii. 21,
Q. Why are suchitransgressions termed venial sins 'J

ON THE AVOIDANCE OF EVIL. 345
A. Because man may obtain their remission by the merits
of Christ without approaching the tribunal of penance, provid
ing he sincerely detests them,
Q. What are the consequences of mortal sin ? •
A. Sanctifying grace departs, man becomes a child and slave
of the devil, and thus forfeits his dignity of child and heir of
heaven. He js deprived of all merits acquired for eternal life,
and remains as long as he perseveres in mortal sin incapable
of doing aught that is meritorious in the Divine sight. " If the
just man turn himself away from his justice and do iniquity,
all his justices which be has done shall not be remembered."
Ezech. xviii. 24, " If I should distribute all my goods to feed
the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and
have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." 1 Cor, xiii. 2.
Moreover, man becomes by sin the executioner of Christ, and
tortures him as njuch as in him lies in his own foul bosom, for
he profanes Christ's infinite merits, crucifies the Lord anew in
his heart, and tramples his blood under foot, as St, Paul de
clares, writing to the Hebrews, chap, xvi. He therefore be
comes an object of aversion and abomination in the Divine
sight, and renders himself miserable in this world by the pangs
of a seared conscience, and the numerous other evil consequences
attendant on sin and passion, even in this life. He, moreover,
exposes himself to the imminent danger of eternal death and
ruin, should he in this unhappy state be summoned before the
tribunal of God, to account for his ill-spent life. This rnost
awful of dangers accounts for the warnings of scripture : " And
all the days of thy life have God in thy mind, and take heed
thou never consent to sin," Job, iv, 6. " Flee from sins, as
from the face of a serpent," Eccles. xxi. 2, " Sin maketh na
tions miserable." Prou, xiv, 34, The Psalmist says, " Many
scourges overtake the sinner." " To God, the wicked and his
wickedness are baleful alike." Wisd. xiv. 9. How numerous
are the instances of the intensity of God's hatred of sin, and
the fearfql judgments it,bas called forth, as recorded in scrip.
ture. What has been said will enable us to form an idea of
the enormity of a mortal transgression ; but, in reality, we
shall never be able to fathom the wickedness and enormity of
a mor.tal sin, until we have gazed on God face to face, in 'the
realms of bliss. We shall then be able to estimate the hoi. id
wickedness of sin, as a direct opposition to, and negatioi. M
God, f)he supreme good.

346 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. What presents in the liveliest colors and most striking
manner to our minds the wickedness of mortal sin ?
A. 1. Due reflection on tbe perversity of the sinner, who
dares to ask, with Pharaoh : " Who is the Lord, that I should
obey him ?" or with the rebellious Israelites mentioned by
Jeremias, exclaim virtually, if not actually : " I will not serve."
Jer. ii. 20. Thus preferring creatures to the Creator — a shame
ful pleasure, to the supreme good. Let us consider how de
testable a person would appear in our eyes who, in all his
-words, works, thoughts and affections, manifested nothing but
pride, covetousness, hatred, envy and the like. This consid
eration causes even heathens to look upon a violation of the
laws of nature with so much horror, that they considered it
alone a sufficient barrier against evil. So it was with the
Stoics, but their sentiments and their acts did not correspond.
2. Meditation on the judgments of God ; the eternal damna
tion of the fallen angels, incurred by consenting to one mortal
transgression ; the expulsion of our first parents from paradise,
on acconnt of one sin of disobedience, and the whole misery
and fearful maledictions resting on the world, the awful con
sequences of this transgression,
3, The consideration of the incarnation and death of Christ,
with the sufferings endured by Him during His whole mortal
life and His bitter Passion, in order to reconcile us again with
the Divine justice, had we been separated from God only by
single mortal sin,
4. Earnest consideration pf the pains of the damned, t<
which the commission of one mortal sin exposes us,
Q. To what conclusion should these reflections lead us ?
A. That we should gladly embrace every loss, suffering ano
pain, even death itself, rather than offend God by the commis
sion of a grievous sin.
Q. Is there a distinction to be made regarding grievous
sins, and may some exceed others in enormity ?
A. Certainly ; in proportion as the command of charity
towards God and our neighbor is more or less grievously trans
gressed, Q. What is i*; that makes sin so enormous, in the Divine
sight ?
A. 1. The full knowledge of the evil committed,
2, The relapse,
3 The greater number of graces receive3 from God, which,

ON THE AVOIDANCE OP EVIL, 3-17
of course, render the sinner's ingratitude of a deeper dye. St.
Peter's words of complaint allude to this subject, " It had been
better for them not to have known the way of justice, than
after they have known it to turn back from that holy com
mandment which was delivered to them." 2 Pet. ii, 21.
There remains, as it were, for wanton sinners no atoning
yietim ; they have nought to expect but the full severity of
Divine justice, as St, Paul teaches, when writing to the He
brews, eh. X, Christ's expiring prayer on the cross was made
w vain for them : " Father, forgive them, they know not what
they do." Such sinners are well aware what they are doing,
with full clear knowledge, against the Holy Ghost. It is
written that those who knowingly sin against the Divine
Spirit, shall not be forgiven. These declarations of Christ
and His Apostles should suffice to open the sinner's eyes to
the imminent dangers to which he exposes himself hy his
crimes. Although there is no sin, no matter how dark its
dye, which, if sincerely repented of and confessed with the due
dispositions, may not be remitted in the tribunal of penance,
Q. What are the consequences entailed by venial sin ?
A. Venial sin diminishes charity in our hearts, and renderl.
us displeasing in the Divine sight ; it is, next to mortal sin,
the greatest of evils,
Q. What contributes to give us a clearer insight into the
malice of venial sin ?
A. 1. The fact that since it is an offence against the Divine
majesty, it is, for instance, not allowed to utter even a slight
falsehood, were it even to deliver ourselves or others from the
utmost misery, or from death itself.
2, That not all the tortures which human ingenuity, aided
by Satanic cruelty has ever devised, all the sufferings ever
endured by man, are capable of effacing the guilt of one veni.al
sin ; nay, not even the merits of all the Angels and Saints —
nothing save Christ's own precious blood can -wash this dark
stain away — nothing but His infinite merits repair the injury
it has done the soul,
3. That venial sin forms the transition from the narrow
path which leads to life eternal, to the broad way whose end
is destruction. Thus it is written: "He that contemneth
small things shall fall by little and little," This induced St.
John Chr^ sostom to assent without hesitation, that we should
fear venial, even more than mortal sins, for the latter .are in

348 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
themselves appalling, the former are less so, and yet they
lead but too frequently to perdition, by preparing the way
and disposing us for the commission of mortal tran.sgression.s.
St, Hilary very justly remarks : "It will be very diflieult for
bim to preserve himself from mortal sin who despises vernal
faults," Epist. de Tnit quadrag. The grace of God decreases
with the comrnission of every new venial sin and the passions
increase in strength and violence,
4, Venial sin at the very least must be atoned for in the
flames of Purgatory, an4 tbe tortures we shall have to un
dergo jn this prison, according to St. Augustine, so far exceed
aJl earthly tornaents that they will bear no comparison with
them, Serm. 42 de Sfinetis. Venial sin debars us from the
vision and enjoyment of God, until its last trace has been re
moved by these infense flaines.
5. Venial sins depriye us for all eteroity of the merit and
reward of the good works >ve may have performed with the
assistance pf those graces pf which venial sin deprived us.
q. What conseqifences are to be deduced from what wc
have said ?
A, That no earthly consideration should he powerful
enough to induce us to cpmipit a voluntary venial sin.
Q. Is it possible for us to remain free from venial trans
gressions ?
A. It is not, without a peculiar grace conferred only on St.
John the Baptist, S*. Joseph and perhaps some other special
favorites of God. It is written in the Old Testament : " The
just inan falleth ^even .times ;" that is, he falls frequently.
Eccl. viii. 21. St. James expressly says: "In many things
we all offend." James, iii. 2. St. J.ohn says : " If we say we
have no sin we deceive pijrselvps, and the truth is not in us."
John, i. 8. These passages, however, are not to be under
stood of voluntary transgressions, but oi frailties and defects,
accompanied by a certain degree of deliberation, though not
with fijll consent and imnnediately repented. When we seek
to repair the spiritual loss sustained by increased zeal ; every
true Christian assisted by God's grace, can thus live. God
permits us to experience our weakness in order to preserve
and confirm us in humility.
Q. How does sin usually penetrate to the soul ?
A. By presentation, pleasure in the object thus contem
plated and consent. The soul at first represents to itself a
thought or imagination, or the world, the flesh, or the devd

ON THE AVOIDANCE OF EVIL. 310
make some impression on it by means of the sense.*. If man
do not promptly and resolutely oppose the seductive thought
or imagination, pleasure succeeds, and consent to that which
flatters and gratifies is, of course, not long withheld. Repre
sentation thus begets pleasure, pleasure consent, consent the
deed, and the deed when repeated soon becomes a habit, habit
generates obduracy, obduracy, despair, as the last step to the
dread regions of torture into which the devil will draw us
ever deeper and deeper down on the broad road of sin.
Q. Which are the general rneans of defence, the preserva
tives against sin ?
A. 1. The fear of God; "The fear of the Lord driveth out
sin." Eccles. i. 27. Who would presume after due reflection
to offend God, so just, so holy, so great and good a Being 1
" Who is like unto God?" this was the motto (battle-cry) of
Michael and the good Angels when opposing the tempter, and
by it they gained the victory over the infernal dragon. " There
is no fear pf God before their eyes," says the royal Prophet
mournfully. Hence so many and such grievous transgressions.
The same complaint might be made of men in our own days.
Sin is committed wantonly and without any fear of the Divine
judgments, without a thought of the piercing, unslumbering
eye which from the realms of inaccessible light t-kes note of
it. " Hear, O ye Heavens, and give ear, 0 earth, for the Lord
hath spoken, I have brought up children and exalted them but
they have despised me;^" Isaias, vi. 2.
2. The renjembrance of God's presence, " God sees me."
Whoever endeavors to live in the presence of God will not
dare to offend Him. " We cannot," says Clement of Alexan
dria, " otherwise remain froe from sin, than by considering
God ever present." I. 3. Pedag. c. 5. St. Jerome declares,
"the remembrance of God puts every vice to flight."
3. The recalling to mind the bitter passion and death of
our blessed Lord Jesus which is renewed by sin.
4, The lively rerpembrance of the four last things as the
Holy Ghost admonishes us: "Remember, man, thy last
things and thou shalt never sin," Who could sin when pene
trated with the fear of death and hell, particularly when we
consider that very many die suddenly, and many in the state
of sin. "If thou wert now about to die, what wouldst thou
do?" asks Sf, Bernard. Spec. mon. This thought defends
and rescues.

350 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
5. The love of prayer, particularly the practice of modi
tation. 6. The frequent and worthy reception of the holy sacraments.
7. Shunning the occasions of sin. Those who live thus
avoid sin and free themselves from numberless temptations.
We have already spoken of how temptations are to be with
stood and overcome, when explaining the sixth petition of the
Lord's Prayer.
Q. How many kinds of mortal sin are there ?
A. 1. The seven c'apital sins ; 2. Sins to which we become
accessory ; 3. Sins against the Holy Ghost ; and 4. Sins which
cry to heaven for vengeance.

Of THE Seven Capital Sins.
Q. Name the seven capital sins ?
A. 1. Pride; 2, Avarice; 3, Lust; 4, Envy; 5, Gluttony,
6. Anger; 7, Sloth,
Q. Why are these termed capital sins?
A. Because they are the prolific roots from which many
branches shoot forth — the parent streams which receive and
contain, as it were, many others.
Q. Are these sins always deadly ?
A. They are not, excepting lust; in that sin there can be
no indulgence that is not mortal. The other sins become
deadly, when they cause us, in serious matters, to act contrary
to the love we owe our Maker and our fellow-creatures.
On Pride.
Q. What is pride ?
A. Pride is an inordinate desire for distinction before men,
on account of real or supposed advantages, which induce a
person to prefer and exalt himself above his fellow-men, and
take to himself the honor due to God alone,
Q When does pride amount to a mortal sin?
A When, with full, clear knowledge and deliberation, we
assail Gc.id's honor, as did. Lucifer, and exalt ourselves as if we
were not dependent on God ; or when man is prepared to sacri.
fice duty and virtue, in matters of moment, at the shrine of
pride, and to commit soi.~«, other mortal sin at its suggestiim,

ON THB avoidance OF EVIL. 351
Q. What is said in Holy Writ of tho sin of pride ?
A, "Pride is the beginning of all sin." Eccl. x. 15. "God
resists the proud." 1 Peter, v. 5.
Q. What sins, in particular, have their source in pride?
A. Disobedience, contumacy, vanity, boasting, a domineer
ing spirit, harshness towards inferiors, envy and strife, cruelty,
extravagance, injustice, hypocrisy, heresy, infidelity, hatred of
God, and the like.
Q: What is to be deduced from this ?
A. 1, The malice of this vice, which prompts man to act in
direct opposition to the end of all created things ; man, a crea^
ture of God's omnipotence, presumes to arrogate to himself the
honor belonging to the Supreme Being only.
2. The folly of this vice ; for man is proud either of real
advantages of mind or body : in this case, he boasts of what
has been given him, and of which he shall have to render a
strict account, or he prides himself on imaginary excellencies,
and this is evident folly and presumption.
3. The danger into which this' vice plunges us. It is, as the
Holy Ghost testifies in the Scriptures, the root of all evil, and
jtis evident from the idea of this sin, which is rebellion against
God. This crime plunged one-third of the heavenly hierarchy
into the flames of hell, and the deceitful promise, " Ye shall
become like to God," was the occasion of Adam's fall. Pride
seals for us the fountain of grace, and thereby casts us down
into the pit of reprobation. This vice is further accompanied
by numberless dreadful consequences, even here below, for
ourselves and others, and has reduced innumerable families,
yea, even whole kingdoms to ruin.
Q. What are the preservatives and antidotes against pride ?
A. 1. The earnest consideration of what we just said of the
malice, folly and danger of this vice, " What hast thou that
thou hast received, and if thou hast received, why dost thou
glory as if thou hadst not received ?" inquires the Apostle,
Cor. iv. 7, Thou art a being who from eternity was " noth
ing," until God's fiat called thee forth to life and light. Thou
hast nothing of thyself, save sin, of what then wilt thou boast ?
2. The remembrance of the sins we have committed, and
the uncertainty in 'which we must remain as to their remis
sion : " M.an knoweth not whether he be worthy of love or
hatred." Eccl. ix. 1. Still less when he is perfectly eon
scions of having once grievously sinned.

S52 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
3. The thought of the silent tomb, in which the king and
the beggar alike sleep the long last slumber, and the terrible
trial to be undergone at the bar of the Omnipotent and Om
nisoient Judge.
4. The attentive consideration of the consequences which
this sin involves. It deprives us of all the merits we might
acquire by works in themselves good, and is, as St. Gregory
the Great declares, a sign of eternal reprobation, as humility
on the contrary, is one of the works of pre-election.
5. A lively remembrance, on the one hand, of the fall of
the Angels, and on the other of the infinite huipility and hu
miliation of the Incarnate Son of God.
6, The zealous practice of humility and humiliation kept
alive and guarded by assiduous self-examinatiOn,
Practice. — Eradicate every fibre of this vice from youi'
hearts, and be particularly on your guard against self com
mendation ; be ready to extol your neighbor's good deeds and
qualities, but concerning yourself be silent. Rejoice whea
unmerited humiliations are allotted you, and regard them as
peculiar graces, >
On Avarice,
Q. What is avarice ?
A. It is the inordinate desire to obtain and possess tem
poral goods.
Q. When is avarice a mortal sin ?
A. When man really prefers his money and property to God
and heaven, and this is the case when he would rather grievously
sin, than forfeit his possessions, or when he does not besitate to
commit grave offences against the Divine law in order to in
crease his fortune.
Q. What does the Holy Scripture say of avarice?
A, " There is no one worse than he that envieth himself,"
Eccl. xiv. 6. " Avarice is idolatry." Gal. v. 20.
Q. What vices have their source in covetousness ?
A. Deceit, falsehood, hardheartedness, violence, usury, per
jury, injustice, theft, simony, superstition, witchcraft, treas
ure-seeking, manslaughter and murder. There have been
men who have made over to Satan their eternal inheritanca
by written documents, in order to procure wealth.
Q. What conclusion may be drawn from this ?
A, \. The malicM^, of this vice; by covetuosness man d»

ON THE AVOIDANCE OF EVIL, 8.53
rotes to riches all the love and regard which he should enter
tain for God ; wealth is the object of his desires and- his af
fections, and with blind devotion he clings to it from the
depth of his heart, with his whole soul and all its powers.
Avarice is, therefore, in the strictest sense of the word, idol
atry, 2, The folly of avarice. The covetuous man gives up his
affections to gold, which is so infinitely beneath him, and
which, far from procuring him happiness, loads him with
grief and anxiety. He, as the wise man says : "Eateth his
bread in darkness and in iri^any cares," Eccl. v. liS. "Thou
fool, this night do they require thy soul of thee, and whose
shall those things be which thou hast provide^ ?" J^ulce, xii.
20. These are Christ's own words.
3. The great danger to which this vice exposes our salva
tion. Christ the Lord, teaches, that we " cannot serve God
and mammon," and again, " How hardly shall they that have
riches enter into the kingdom of God : for it is easier for a
camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man
to enter into the kingdom of God." Luke, xviii. 24, 25. For,
as the Apostle says, and daily experience confirms, " those who
wish to obtain wealth fall into many temptations, and snares of
the deyil." They expose thernselyes to all the evil consequences
and the train of sins already enumerated, attending avarice.
This passion increases with years, and is so violent and so
fraught with danger that it plunged an Apostle into the abyss
of hell, to say nothing of the oppressions, insults, injuries, it
causes us to commit against our fellow-men. The avaricious
man, no matter how great his -wealth may be, lives in a kind
of poverty, and cannot be induced to part with his gold,
even to procure the necessaries, much less the comforts of
life ; thus his own existence and that of all ..connected with
hiin is made miserable,
Q. What are the remedies to be employed against avarice !
A. 1. Frequent visits to the church-yard and the daily re
membrance of approaching and certain death, the ruthless
spoiler of all the treasures which man loves and joys,
2, The consideration of the goods of heaven, immense in
value and permanent .as God himself, and which those forfeit
who here below give themselves up to inordinate love of
&,rthly possessions,
3, The remembrance of the extreme poverty of Jesus, " who

354 MANUAL OF THB CATHOLIC RELIGION.
being rich became poor for our sakes, so poor that He had
noughtwhereon to lay His head." Luke, ix. 58. The prac
tice of Christian liberality and generosity, the virtue directly
opposed to avarice ; this generosity should be extended to
the suffering poor and to the zealous promotion Of pious pur
poses ; giving to the poor, as Christ assures us, lays up trea^
sures for us in His eternal treasury, with high interest foi
their temporary use. Luke, xvi. D.

On Lust,
Q. What is lust ?
A, Inordinate concupiscence to satisfy the sinful flesh.
Q. Is lust in itself a mortal sin?
A. It is ; in this matter there is no venial sin, neither of
thought, wish, desire or outward act dictated by concupiscence
Venial sin is in this respect only possible, when we do not in
deed consent but yet withhold the consent in a cold and tepid
manner. Q. What does Holy Writ say of impurity ?
A. " If you live according to the flesh you shall die. They
who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God,"
Q. Name some of the effects of impurity ?
A. Blindness of the understanding, ruin of the health of
the body, undermining domestic happiness, extravagance, en
mity, duels, suicides, unnatural lewdness, frenzy, and despair,
Q. What becomes evident from this ?
A. 1. The abominable nature of this vice which induces
man to lower himself beneath the animals, and to prefer the
filthy pleasures of the flesh, to God, and all his advantages of
mind and spirit,
2. The- folly of this crime which leads man to seek delight
in a transgression which plants in his guilt-seared soul the
thorn of remorse, and in his body the seeds of destruction and
disease, 3. The danger of eternal and temporal ruin, to which it
exposes its votaries, for of all vices, there is none which so
degrades and enslaves man, none which binds him in stronger
chains of guilt, misery and chastisement, neither is there any
gin to which man is more violently and more constantly tempt

ON THE AVOIDANCE OP EVIL. 355
ed than this. When man once falls into a sin of .,his nature,
numberless relapses follow, and he is in the greatest danger
of damnation, if not rescued by a peculiar grace. "Know
you not that neither fornicators nor adulterers shall possess
the kingdom of God ?" 1 Cor. vi.
Q. What are the preservatives against sins of impurity?
A. 1. The avoidance of dangerous occasions, particularly
private interviews with persons of tbe. other sex,
2, A vigilant guard over our senses, particularly the sense
of sight. " I made a covenant with my eyes, that I would not
so much as think upon a virgin," says the chaste and patient
Job ; xxxi, 1.
3. A temperate mode of life, with mortification and self
denial. " 1 chastise my body and bring it under subjection."
i Cor. And again : " But those who belong to Christ have
crucified their flesh with its lusts."
4. The avoidance of idleness, " Idleness hath brought much
evil," saith the wise man,
5, Prayer, and the frequent reception of the sacrament oi
penance, immediate recourse to God by prayer on the ap
proach of temptation, the invocation of the holy name of Je
sus, and the use of the sign of the cross. Thus it was that St,
Justina triumphed, as St. Gregory Nazianzen assures us, over
the united powers -of hell.
6. The remembrance of the fearful judgments of God called
down even here below by the crimes of the lewd and de
bauched. In order to purify the earth from the filth of lust,
God opened the floodgates of heaven, nor were they closed
until the whole human family, eight persons alone excepted,
slept beneath the surging billows. Fire fell fPom heaven and
consumed the lewd inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, and
hell swallowed up alive the people of the five cities mentioned
in Scripture, on account of their unnatural lusts,
7, The earnest consideration of the pangs of conscience,
which usually succeed the commission of crimes of this na
ture. 8. The woful state, to which indulgence in these beastly
excesses reduces even the body, that too many, who have
given themselves up to it, become living masses of corrup
tion, odious in the sight of God and man, burthens to them
selves, nuisances, or rather pests in society.
9. The thought of the body's aipproaching dissolution and

356 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
the punishments of hell. " As much as she hath glorified her
self, aud lived in delicacies, so much torment and sorrow give
ye to her." Apoc. xviii, 7, So says St, John, speaking of
Babylon, the queen of nations, and so will the angry Judge
say to the licentious soul which ha's lived and acted for the
flesh, not fcjr Him.
Practice. — Endeavor to obtain angelic purity, and confess
oil this point, even that which appears most trifling, with the
greatest humility and candor. Avoid all dangerous occasions —
whetber conjpany, or immoral writings, and be careful to re
ject temptations of this kind promptly and decidedly.

Envy,
Q. What is envy ?
A. Envy is pain or displeasure felt at sight of our neigh
bor's excellence, advantages, or good fortune, joined with in
ward satisfaction on perceiving his defects, and malicious joy
on learning that he has experienced some accident or misfor
tune. The envious man, therefore, beholds with discontent
and displeasure the good fortune of others, because he is not
similarly favored ; he looks with an evil eye upon those who
are his equals in fortune, and regards those who possess noth
ing, with the fervent and heartfelt wish that they may never
be any better off than they are at present.
Q. Is it envy when we wish to possess that which others
have ?
A. No ; but it is envy when we are not satisfied at others
having as muclt or more than us.
Q. Name the sins into which envy plunges those addicted
to it.
A. Injustice, cruelty, backbiting, detraction, lying, calumny,
hatred, desire of revenge, perjury, enmity and murder, St.
Cyprian says that " envy is the nursery of all vice,"
Q. Is envy a mortal transgression ?
A. Envy is, in itself, a grievous offence against the charity
we owe to God and our neighbor, and therefore in itself mor
tal, unless it be diminished by precipitation, want of free, de
liberate consent, or the smallness of the fault into which it
hurried us.
Q. What does Holy Writ say of envy ?

ON THE AVOIDANCE OF EVIL. 357
A, " Envy is the rottenness of the bones," Prov. xiv, 30
And again : "But by the envy of the devil, death came into
world." Wisd. ii. 24.
Q. What may we learn from this ?
A. The malice of this crime ; for, says a holy Father :
" How can we expect ariy bounds to malice, where our neigh
bor's gbod fortune is considered our own misfortune ?" "The
envious man virtually," as Salvianus remarks, " persecutes and
decries the gifts of God in his brother who possesses them."
What deplorable perversity? It is a vice most directly op
posed to charity, and where it exists no thought of heaven can
rationally be entertained ; that blessed abode would be, itself,
to the envious a place of sorrow, a rack of torture.
2. This vice bears not only the stamp of malice, but also
of folly, for it is a crime which procures for those who indulge
it neither adv.antage nor pleasure, not even here below, but
only pains and blinds them. "Envy torments the sinner,
clouds his understanding, infects his heart, and sours his tem
per," .says St. Isidore, 42 Solil. Wherefore this torment ? If
he were free from envy, if he rejoiced in his neighbor's good
fi)rtune, he would acquire the merit of love, and enjoy with
out bitterness the goods and blessings awarded to him. The
heathens were accustomed to represent envy under the form
of an old hag, blind and decrepit, feeding on vipers, and sup.
porting herself on a pointed staff, which inflicts upon her at
evefy step a new v.^ound.
3, The danger of eternal damnation, to which envy exposes
man, " Envy is," as St, Augustine, commenting on the fifth
psalm, remarks, "the twin brother and the inseparable com
panion of pride," Accordingly, what is said of the danger of
pride may also be said with regard to eriv'y. The Holy Scrip
ture assures us, that " by the envy of the devil, death came
hrto the world," Wisd. ii, 24, Those who belong to his party
zealously imitate his works, as we read in St. John^s Gospel,
viii, 44. It was envy which made the first-born of the human
race a fratricide ; envy, that nailed the Lord of heaven to the
cross, after glutting itself by inflicting the iriost excruciating
tortures upon Him. Envy is peculiarly, and still more strik
ingly even than pride, a mark of damnation, for it is directly
opposed to charity ; for we read in Holy Scripture : " He that
loveth not, abideth in death." 1 John, iii. 14. St. Chryscstom
exhortoth us : " Let us flee the contagion of envy, for we can

858 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
not possibly escape hell without being free from this vice."
Ad pop ant. hom. 53. To say nothing of the great temporal
misery it brings on ourselves and others, it is wholly destruc
tive to peace and fraternal kindness,
Q. When is envy, in particular, a mortal sin ?
A. When we envy our neighbors on account of their spir-
itual goods and virtues, and hence seek to annoy and injure
them, or maliciously rejoice when we see them fall into sin or
wanting in virtue.
Q. Name the -preservative and antidote against envy ?
A. 1. The fear of being stigmatized as the child of Satan.
2. The thought of the futility of this vice, and our folly in not
acquiring merit by participation with holy joy in the privileges
and advantages of grace or nature possessed by our neighbors,
and which might be of greater service to us in obtaining sal
vation than even our own.
1. The frequent particular and careful consideration of the
distinctive characteristics of charity, which the Apostle thus
enumerates : " Charity is patient, is kind : charity envieth not,
dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, seek
eth not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh not evil,
rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth." 1 Cor.
xiii. 4r-7. Whoever, aided by careful, particular examination
of conscience, implants in his heart the ramifications of holy
charity, will not fail to eradicate every fibre of envy.

On Intemperance, or Gluttony.
Q, What is intemperance, or gluttony ?
A. It is the exceSs committed in eating or drinking, when
persons exceed the bounds of moderation, either in quantity
or by haste, and also when they partake of food and drink
merely on account of the pleasure derived from eating and
drinking. Q. Is intemperance, in itself, a mortal sin ?
A. It is not ; but it may become one, when one so gives
himself to food and drink that he makes the gratification of his
sensual appetites the end of his being, and deserves to be reck
oned amongst those of whom St. Paul says: "Whose God is
their beliy, whose end is destruction, that they are enemies of
the cross of Christ." Phil. iii. Or when, in order to gi-atify

ON TtE AVOIDANCE OP EVIL. 350
our appetites, we do not hesitate to transgress God's com
mandments in a matter of moment.
Q. What does Holy Writ say of intemperance ?
A, " Be not greedy in any feasting, and pour not out thy
self upon any meat. By surfeiting many have perished,"
Eccl. xxvii. 32. " Lustful appetites transformed the children
oi Israel into ungrateful rebels, who were made to feel the full
weight of the Divine chastisements." Rom. xi. " The king
dom of the Lord is not meat and drink," Rom. xiv, 17.
Q, What sins are generated by intemperance ?
A, Sloth and negligence in the Divine service, neglect of
the duties of our calling, forwardness, wantonness, impurity,
strife and murder, the ruin of fortune and health.
Q. What conclusion is to be drawn from this?
A. That intemperance is an abominable, degrading, and
ruinous vice, which dishonors human nature, debases it to the
level of the brute, and injures soul and body,
Q. In what light should drunkenness be considered ?
A. Drunkenness is even more abominable and more dan
gerous than gluttony : Holy Scripture warns us repeatedly
against this vice: "Woe to the drunkards and those that sit
in judgment and strength staggering with wine." Isaias,
xxviii. Christ himself admonishes us : " Take heed to your
selves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeit
ing and di-unkenness." Luke, xxi, 34, " Do not err," says
the Apostle to all : " Neither drunkards nor railers shall pos
sess the kingdom of God," 1 Cor. vi.
The magnitude and enormity of this vice become particu
larly apparent,
1, By its depriving man of the use of his noblest attribute
and endowment, viz., his reason.
2. Because drunkenness is wont to cause transgression of all
the Divine commandments at once. The inebriate sins against
the first and second cominandments, because he makes an
idol of intoxicating liquors, prefers and serves them rather
'Jian God ;¦ on such occasions, too, he is wont to curse and
swear and profane the holy name of God, He sins against the
third commandment, because he frequently absents himself
from Divine worship, in order to indulge his beastly appetite
He sins against the fourth commandment, because, by his un
'rt'orthy conduct, he grievously offends and mortifies his pa
rents, if they are still alive, Against the fifth, because the

360 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
drunkard generally injures his health and implicates himself iu
disgraceful broils, and thus scandalizes all who hear of his hav
ing so degraded himself, or who see him in this shameful situa.
tion. Against the sixth, because every drunkard is more or
l(!ss tempted to indulge in carnal pleasures. Against the
seventh, because such persons are generally inclined to employ.
in procuring liquor, money belonging to others, and to con
tract debts without the prospect of being able to pay them.
Against the eighth, by calumny, detraction, and other sins of
the tongue. Against the ninth and the tenth, because he
places no restraint on his concupiscence and renders himself
incapable of governing himself.
3. He renders himself and others miserable both here and
hereafter, for drunkenness impairs health and hastens death,
aeprives him of honor, fortune and domestic happiness, les
sens his susceptibility to the inspirations of grace, and renders
his conversion very questionable, it being a rare occurrence
for a confirmed drunkard to renounce the immediate occasions
of intemperance,
Q. When is drunkenness a mortal sin ?
A. When man by excess in drinking, deprives himself of the
use of reason, and also when in order to indulge his pa-ssion for
liquor, he neglects duties binding him under pain of grievous
sin, as, for instance, the duties devolving on him as a husband
and father, which are certainly sadly neglected, when, instead
of attending to his daily avocations, governing his household
and duly training his children, he spends his time in taverns
and such places.
Q. Name the preservatives against drunkenness?
A: 1. The shunning of occasions ; 2. Frequent confession ;
3. The earnest consideration of the woful consequences, en
tailed even here below by this vice ; 4. The thought oi the
quenchless and excruciating thirst, by which, drunkards, in
particular, shall certainly be racked in hell for all eternity ;
5, A promise made in presence of a priest.
Practice. — Observe the rtiaxim : " Too little seldom proves
hurtful, bht too much, very frequently ;" thus you will pre
serve your health, lengthen your life, and retain unimpaired
the strength so necessary for the discharge of the duties of
your calling. When partaking of liquors not prohibited, such
Ur* wine, beer, cider and the like, be careful never to go to ex

ON THE AVOIDANCE OP EVIL, 36!
cess ; abstain constantly from distilled liquors, except in ca^es
of necessity, or on account of their medicinal virtues.

Anger,
Q. What is anger ?
A. An inordinate motion or excitement, called forth by
Some resistance offered us, or by some real or imaginary iii-
sult offered, or injury done us. When this inordinate state
of our mind is joined to the desire of taking revenge, and
making our neighbors feel in turn the injury or mortification
we have received at their hands, it is termed revenge.
Q. Is anger of every description sinful ?
A. No ; our definition is an inordinate motion, for there is
a just indignation directed against sinful acts or sentiments, in
opposition to the just and holy decrees of God, Hence the
admonition of the prophet: " Be angry and sin net." Ps. xiv.
Our indignation in this case must be directed against the sin,
and the sin only, not against the sinner, whom we are bound
to love as ourselves, though he be our mortal enehiy, and
whom we dare not injure either in thought, desire, -vv-ord or
deed, but rather should commiserate, and whom we may pun
ish and chastise only to lead to amendment, when the office
we occupy and the authority we possess, render this 'a^duty.
It would be sinful to regard the commission of criftie with
indifference; and in this sense Holy 'Writ speaks /sf God's
anger, which is but another name for the itifinite abhorren6e
He entertains for sin, and the expression of Hik just indig
nation. Q. When is anger a mortal sin ?
A. When this passion induces us to commit a serious tratifi-
gression in a matter of importance, against the charity we
owe to God and our fellow-men. This would be the case if .-t
man were so far to forget himself as to rise up against God,
who permits certains evils to befall him, and break forth intf
imprecations and revilings against the Divine majesty, or when
in anger we hate our fellow-men and either wish a great 'mis
fortune to overtake them, or injure them in a matter of im
portance, Q: What docs Holy Writ say of this vice?
A. " Let all bitterness and anger and indignation bo pfrt
16

362 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
away from you." Eph.'v.^l. " Whosoever is angry .vith
his brother, shall be guilty of the judgment," Matth. v, 22.
" Put away anger from you, and give not place to the devil."
Eph. iv.
Q. What sins originate in this vice ?
A. Anger incites the person who indulges it, to many sins
of thought, desire, word and deed, viz., hatred, enmity, ink-
placability, cursing, reviling, imprecations and insults. It in
duces strife, feuds, frays, quarrels, violence, ruin of health and
domestic peace, scandal, injury to our fellow-men in their prop
erty and persons, and even murder,
Q. What signification is to be drawn from this ?
A. 1. The wickedness of this vice. Anger is as directly
opposed to holy charity as pride or envy ; anger violently
seeks its destruction and leads to enmity, it is also the death
of fraternal affection.
2. The folly of this vice, for how very insignificant in them
selves, are, generally speaking, the occasions which call forth
these ebullitions of passion ; anger far from amending things,
or setting matters to rights, only tends to blind our under
standings, and to wound and exasperate our fellow-men.
3. The pernicious nature of anger and the imminent risk to
which it exposes our salvation. The angry man, of course,
while laboring under the influence of passion, imagines that he
is doing no evil. But, let bim consider how very correct and
important is the remark of the great Bellarmines on this sub
ject : "A grain of pitience is worth more than a cart-load of
right and justice," Anger, cursing and enmity generally go
band in hand ; cursing is, as we know, in the truest sense of
the word, the language of devils, and enmity is an insurmount
able obstacle to salvation. We have proved in the first part,
when treating of the Lord's Prayer, the calamities this pas-
si(Mi has heaped on families, communities and even whcile na-
tions, to say nothing of how it embitters the existence of those
who indulge in it. Let us but recall to mind the horrors of
so many wars which may be generally traced to anger and
desire of revenge, as their fountain-heads.
Q What means should be taken against the passion of
anger ?
A. 1. Earnest reflections on eternity, and that things earth
ly and transitory do not deserve that we should so violently
disturb aiVd excite ourselves.

ON THE AVOIDANCE OF EVIL, SO.**
2. The remembrance of our sweetest and mildest Saviour,
Jesus Christ,
3, The thought of the sins we have committed, and the tor
ments of hell thereby justly incurred, in comparison with
which whatever injuries or insults may be offered us, are as
nothing. 4. Immediately pronouncing the sweet name of Jesus, at
least mentally, when we perceive ourselves agitated by pas
sion ; calling to mind, that we shall, perhaps even before long,
be stretched cold and lifeless in the grave, alike indifferent to
praise and censure, to injuries and favors.
Practice. — Endeavor to preserve equanimity, a gentle and
even temper, and sweetness of manners and disposition. Think
frequently of the beautiful example of mildness left us by St.
Francis de Sales, and implore his intercession at the throne of
God, in order that you may be strengthened to imitate him in
his amiable and gentle mjinners. Overcome yourself so that
no one cau ever remark, whether you are in good or bad hu
mor, but rather let all see that you are ever the same, full of
self-possession and holy mildness. Let this be the sulDJect of
your particular examination, and do not give it up until you
have mastered your anger. This you owe to the charity you
should bear your neighbor, and you know where charity is
wanting, every other virtue is hollow and worthless.

Of Sloth.
Q. What is sloth ?
A. The laxity of the will, which prevents us from fulfilling
the duties imposed upon us, and inspires us with disgust fijr
and unwillingness to overcome the obstacles to be encoun-
teredl on the road to heaven.
Q. When is sloth a mortal sin?
A. When tepidity has grown so far on a person, as to cause
him to wish that he had not been created, rather than secure
eternal bliss by self-abnegation, or when this unhappy stalfe
causes him to neglect important duties, or occasions his fall
into sins of a grievous nature.
Q, What says Holy Writ with regard to sloth ?
A. " Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceit
fully," * Jer. xlviii, 10, " Every tree that yieldeth not good
fruit, shall be cut do-vn, and shall be cast into the fire,''

364 M4.NUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
Matth. vii. And again: "The unprofitable servant, cast ye
o^it into exterior darkness." Matth. xxv. 30. " I know thy
works ; that thou art neither cold nor hot ; but because thou
art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit thee out
of my mouth." Apoc. iii. 15, 16.
Q. Name the sins which have their source in sloth ?
A. Negligence in the Divine service, despondency, idle
ness, coldness and indifference in religious matters, want of
confidence in God, omission of the works of Christian charity
weariness of life, impenitence, &c.
Q. What does this prove ?
A. 1. The malice of this sin; far this condition is directly
opposed to the fundamental duty devolving on us as creatures
of God, which is to accomplish His will, and that in all things
without exception, because He wills, how He wills and when
He wills. Sloth, however, will bear nothing of this.
2. The folly of sloth. A slothful person is over^careful to
avoid trouble, and thereby increases his trouble. A common
proverb savs • •' Where there is a will, there is a way," And
again : " Tjlithe begun, and half is done,"
3. I'he misery and ruin into which sloth plunges its vota
ries, pveii here on earth; the fulfilment of his duties becomes
more arduous and painful, and he exposes himself to severe
reproaches from persons better disposed than himself He
stops the fountains of grace, and easily loses Divine grace by
che omission of duties of importance. In this case, on account
of the perverse dispositions of his mind, there can be but little
hope entertained of earnest repentance and amendment.
Q. What preservatives should we make use ofagainst
sloth ?
A. 1 . The remembrance of our last end, the value of time,
and the certainty of death's approach. •
2. The perusal of the lives of the saints.
3. Earnest reflection on the pains of purgatory awaiting a
slothful person, should he be happy enough to die in the state
<tf sanctifying grace, which is very questionable,
4. The consideration of how mucsh better and easier and
more meritorious it is to perform good actions in a proper
manner, rather than by halves, coldly and tepidly, which per
haps robs us of whatever merit we might have acquired, and
draws down chastisement upon us.
Praitice. — Attend daily to Christ's exhortation : " Be y)

ON THE AVOIDANCE OP EVIL, 305
perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Think, immo-
diately on awaking in the morning : " A new day is granted
me — a day which I am determined to employ better than those
hitherto granted me," It passes quickly, and never again re-
turns ; and if you employ it properly, O how h.appy you will
be in eternity ! with what pleasure will you look back upon
¦>t ! To live once for an eternity — O how encouraging is that
thought ! Keep steadily in view the lives of the saints, and
say to yourself, with the great St. Austin : " If others have
been able so to do, why not I ?" Reflect on that which is
presented to your consideration on the festival of All Saints ;
attend punctually and steadfastly to the times set apart for
prayer and the reception of the sacraments. Guard, particu
larly, against indulging in sloth on awaking ; arise quickly,
with the dawn, and thus crush the serpent's head. This will
keep your zeal alive the whole day.

Of the Wats of being Accessory to another's Sin
Q. How may one become accessory to the sins of others ?
A. By exciting others to commit them. The Psalmist says :
" From my secret sins cleanse me, O Lord, and from those of
others spare thy servant." Ps. xviii. 14. " Be not partakers
of other men's sins." Thus St. Paul admonishes his beloved
disciple Timothy. 1 Tim. v. 22.
> Q. How do we most frequently fail in this respect ?
A. 1. By advice ; when we suggest evil to others, and seek to
have them carry it out. Thus Herodias advised her daughter
to ask the Baptist's head of Herod as the meed of the pleasure
she had caused him by ber graceful dancing, Mark, vi. ; Matt.
xiv. Thus the Scribes and Pharisees persuaded the people to
demand that the Lord should be given up to death,
2, By command ; when we go so far as to dare enjoin the
commission of evil on others. Thus David commanded his
generals to expose Urias iu such a manner to the darts of the
enemy in battle that he should surely fall, and thus incurred
the guilt of wilful murder, 2 Kings, x. Those who frame bad
laws belong likewise to this class.
3. By assent ; when we express our approbation of the evil
our neighbors are about doing. Saul thus sinned, by taking
under his charge the garments of those who stoned Stephen

366 manual of the catholic religion.
Acts, vii. 57. The magnitude of this sin is increased by others
being encouraged in the crime, St, Paul says, when speaking
of this subject : " Not only they that do them, but they also
that consent to them (that do them) are worthy of death.
Rom. i. 32.
4. By provocation or incitement. This occurs, particularly ,
in sins of anger and impurity,
5, By commendation and flattery, viz., when we praise or
extol our neighbors on account of this or that evil done by
them. This excites in the breasts of those to whom we address
such pernicious flattery a certain pleasure, in view of what they
have done, and encourages them to repeat similar shameful
and sinful actions, perhaps even worse : " For the sinner is
praised in the desires of his soul, and the unjust man is blessed."
Ps. ix. And we read in the prophecies of Isaias : " 0 my
people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee, and
destroy the way of thy steps." Isaias, iii, 12, How often are
we not obliged to witness such perversity ?
6. By silence ; when a person commits an unlawful act,
which he would not have done had we, in accordance with
iustice and duty, expressed our disapprobation. " When I
say. to the wicked : Thou shalt surely die ; if thou declare it
not to him, nor speak to him, the same wicked man shall die
in his iniquity,' but 1 will require his blood at thy hands,"
Ezech. lii. 18, These words we find in a passage of Ezechiel.
The oniission of paternal correction, which the Lord expressly
admonishes us to practice when occasion offers. Matt, viii,, is
also to be noticed here,
7. By permission ; when we do not employ the authority
we possess or the esteem in which we are held in repressing
or preventing the cjommipsion of evil. This occurs, particu
larly, when we connive at the faults committed by those of
whom we have charge, .Heli sinned in this way, by over-
indulgent treatment of his wicked sons. The great Apostle
warns us against this, as follows : " Know you not that a little
leaven corrupteth the whole lump," 1 Cor. v, 6. " Woe to
them that sew cushions under every elbow, and make pillows
for the heads of persons of every age, to catch souls," Ezech.
xiii. 18.
8. By participation ; when we actually aid and take part in
the commission of sin, which occurs particularly in sins against
iustice, such as cheating and theft, also in anger and sins agains*

ON THE AVOIDANCE OF EVIL. 36"
purity, or when we afford refuge and shelter to thieves .and
debauched persons, and thus connive at their wicked and dis
graceful conduct,
9, By defence ; when we strive to justify and exculpate
the evil committed by our neighborsi " Woe to you that put
darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter foi
sweet and sweet for bitter." Isaias, v. 20. We thus become,
in most cases, accessory to their sins, and generally add to the
guilt thus incurred that of scandal. Scandal is the most gen
eral and common way in which we cause the sins- of others
and participate in them. We have already shown the enor
mity of this crime, when treating of the ten commandments.
No palliation of such faults will be admitted at the bar of Di-
vine justice ; neither the number of delinquents, public opinion,
common practice, or any thing else. The first question is, if
the matter is founded on equity and truth, or on injustice and
falsehood, " Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil ;
neither shalt thou yield in judgment to the opinion of the
most part, to stray from the truth." Exod. xxiii, 3. Did not
the whole Jewish populace clamor against the Lord himself,
and unite in one fearful cry ; "* Crucify Him ! crucify Plim !"
"Every one," as the doctor of the gentiles reminds us, " shall
one day appear at the tribunal of the eternal, inexorable Judge,
to account for what he has done or caused others to do against
the law of God," Rom. x.
Practice. — Avoid,' with the utmost care, incurring the guilt
of the sins of others ; fear nothing more than injuring the souls
of thy fellow-men : endeavor, on the contrary, as much as in
thee lies, to encourage others in the practice of virtue, by ad
vice, encouragement, commendation, exhortation, permission,
assistance and example ; succor and defend persecuted virtue,
and thus seek to participate in the good works done by thy,
fellow-men, in their sanctification and deliverance from sin and
its consequences. Sins against the Holt Ghost.
Q. Which sins are, in general, termed sins against the Holy
Ghost? A. Known, continued and deliberate resistance to the illu
minations of grace offered us by the Divine benignity. As the
effects of grace are mainly attributed to the Holy Ghost, thi«

368 -manual of the catholic religion,
sin is termed an offence against the Holy Spirit, " With a
stiff neck, and unoircumcised heart and ears, you always res it
the Holy Ghost," were the words addressed by the holy deao a,
Stephen, to the Jews, who, in order to prevent themselves fr ra
being touched by his words, stopped their ears. Acts, vii
Q. What says the Lord of this sin ?
A. He explicitly declares, that " it shall neither be forgi ,ea
here nor hereafter," Mark, iii, ; Luke, xii. The reason of
this is, that the sinner, by this sin, voluntarily closes the gutes
of repentance and pardon on himself. Woe to those who plunge
themselves in this dreadful state, who have so perverted and
corrupted their hearts, and who, as the. Scripture says, will
not know the truth, fearing lest they should be forced to amend,
Ps. xxxv,
Q. In how many ways may we offend the Holy Ghost by
this kind of sin ?
A. 1. By presumption; by wantonly sinning against tne
teaching of reason and revelation, in the fooli,sh hope thaa the
Divine clemency will not permit our ruin, although aware <;hat
Qod, being . infinite sanctity and justice, must necessari'.y be
the avenger of evil. The admonition of the Holy Ghost, by
the mouth of the wise man, should be followed by sinners of
this description: "Be not without fear about sin forgiven;
and add not sin upon sin. And say not : the mercy of the '•
Lord is great: He will have mercy on the multitude of my
sins. For mercy and wrath quickly come from Him : and
His wrath looketh upon sinners." Eccl. v. 5-7,
; The consideration of God's benignity and goodness should
rather serve to move us to speedy and .sincere repentance.
Should it not melt and touch our hearts with remorse, that we
have sinned against so loving and tender a father ? St. Paul
gays, in his Epistle to the Romans, ii, 4, " Mercy and judg
ment I will sing to thee, O Lord," says the Psalmist, Ps. c.
2. By despair ; when we go to the opposite extreme and for
get God's mercy, although faith and reason furnish us with so
many proofs thereof, and say to ourselves with the reprobate
Cain, " My sin is greater than I may deserve pardon," Gen.
iv. 13. Christ prayed for his executioners, and explicitly says
to the Apostles and their successors : " Whose sins ye shall
forgive, they are forgiven : whose sins ye shall retain, they
ore retained." John, xx. 23,
- 3. By obstirately calling into question and onnosing the

ON THE AVOIDANCE OP EVIL. 369
known truth in matters of faith and morality. The Holy
<ihost being the spirit of truth, this sin is very appropriately
termed an offence against Him. These were the dispositions
of Elymas, whom St. Paul thus addresses : " 0 thou full of
all guile and of all deceit, son of the devil, enemy of all jus
tice, thou dost not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord."
Acts, xiii. 10, He calls such persons, in his Epistle to Timothy,
" defenders of error, judged by their own judgment." 2 Tim. iii.
4. By envying the spiritual graces conferred by the Holy
Ghost : this is evidently the disposition of Satan, by whose
envy sin entered into the world ; and those who participate in
this malice bear his liviry and character in the fullest, sense of
the word. They have defaced the image of God, and engraved
that of Satan in its stead,
5, By obduracy ; which is the state of those who perceive
the necessity Pf amendment of life, and yet persevere in the
commission of sin, and strive to prevent the eflioacy of grace.
These were Pharao's dispositions, and were also the sentiments
entertained by the perverse and obdurate sinner whom Job
quotes : " Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy
ways," Job, xxi, 14, " The wicked man, when he is come into
the depth of sins, contemneth," /"row. xxviii. 3. These words
of Scripture are particularly applicable to such persons.
6. Impenitence ; which is manifested by man's knowingly
and deliberately stifling and rejecting every thought of repent
ance and atonement, although he feels the enormity of his
crimes. " But 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." Rom. ii. 5.
These are the most common ways in which sins against the
Holy Ghost are committed ; their peculiar character and enor
mity consist in the circumstance of man's resisting and repel
ling, with full knowledge and deliberation, the motions and
lights of grace, the promptings of the spirit of truth and love.
Such belong to the number of those who, in the times of Isaias,
wantonly and sacrilegiously declared : " We have entered into
a league with death ; and we have made a covenant with hell,"
Isaias, xxviii, 15, Only a miracle of Divine grace can snatch
sinners of this description from the jaws of hell.
Practice. — Take well to heart the Apostle's serious warn
iug : " Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are
sealed unto the day of redemption," Ephes. iv. 30. 0 rathe?

370 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
open thy heart readily and fully to the inspirations of the Holy
Spirit ; keep alive within thee the love of truth, so that thou
mayest be able, at every moment of thy life, to declare before
the Lord thy readiness to obey His will, saying : " Speak,
Lord, thy servant heareth. Lord, what wilt thou that 1 do ?"
and that thou mayest belong to the number of those of whom
the Apostle writes : " Children of God are impelled by the
Holy Spirit," Burning with desire not to offend the infinite
mercy of God ; replenished with confidence in the Lord, who
is mighty to raise up children to Abraham from the stones ;
full of zeal in defence of the truths of religion ; full of grati
tude and joy in beholding the good by which God is known,
praised and magnified by others ; all eagerness in attending to
every inspiration of the Holy Ghost ; animated by the spirit
of Christian penance and self-denial : this will consecrate thee
a temple of the Holy Ghost,
Of the Sins which crt to Heaven for vengeance,
Q. Which sins are thus termed ?
A. Those of which the Scriptures declare, that on accoun:
of their enormity and malice, they cry to heaven for vengeance
on their perpetrators.
Q. Name the sins which belong to this class ?
A. 1. Wilful murder. "What hast thou done? The voice
of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth. Now.
therefore, cursed shalt thou be upon the earth." Gen. iv. 10
1 1 , Thus saith the Lord to the fratricide Cain, It were too
superfluous to expatiate upon the heinousness of this crime ;
every humane mind is filled with horror at considering it, and
the wreteh who has imbrued his hands in human blood is so
racked by remorse of conscience as not unfrequently to deliver
himself up to justice, in order to escape internal torment.
2, Sodomy ; the name applied to those excesses into which
human depravity is drawn by the long indulgence of unbridled
licentiousness, which finally sinks, as it did with the Sodomites,
to the practice of unnatural lusts. The book Leviticus severely
condemns crimes of this nature. Lev. xviii. 22, 23. " The cry
of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become
exceedingly grievous." Oen. xviii. 20. "Therefore," said the
angels to Lot, " we will destroy this place, because their cry is
grown loud before the Lord, who has sent us to destroy them.

ON TllK AVOIDANCE OP EVIL. yj (
\i.d the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone
and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and he destroyed the
cities and all the country about." Gen. xix. 24. God in the
same manner destroyed Onas, who presumed in the sight ol
heaven so far to degrade his dignity, as image of God, as to
sjn in an unnatural manner. The words of the Psalmist are
to be applied particulariy to such polluted sinners. " Man
when he was m honor did not understand: he is compared to
senseless beasts, and is become like to them." Ps. xlviii, 13.
3. B^ oppression of the poor, particularly widows and or-*
phans, " You shall not hurt a widow-or an orphan. If you
hurt them, they will cry out to me, and I will hear their cry •
and my rage shall be enkindled," Exod. xxii. 22, 23. God
in many other passages of Holy Writ threatens those with
emporal and eternal chastisement who oppress the poor, and
•efuse justice and relief to helpless orphans and widows. " Wo
to them that make wicked laws : and when they write, write
.ijustioe : to oppress the poor in judgment, and do violence to
the cause of the humble of my people : that widows might be
their prey, and that they might rob the fatheriess." Isaias,
X. 1, 2.
4. By defrauding laborers of their justly, and generally
hard-earned wages. " Thou shalt not refuse the hire of the
needy and the poor ; but thou shalt pay him the price of his
labor the same day, before the going down of the sun, bo-
cause he is poor, and with it maintaineth his life: lest he
cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reputed to thee for a
sin." Beut. xxiv. 14, 15.
Practice. — Live in such a manner that thou needest be under
no apprehension of thy sins crying to heaven for vengeance ; but
rather that the perfume of thy virtues, united with the infinite
merits of Christ, may rise to heaven, and render thee pleasing
in the sight of God. Endeavor, in general, to penetrate fiir-
ther into the meaning of whatever thou hast read of sin, its
iiff'erent ramifications, and the preservatives against it, so that
thou mayest be able to clear up both thy own doubts and those
of others ; that thou mayest be in a condition to understand and
explain to others the danger of sin, the great evils it entails,
and the best means of avoiding its consequences and prevent
ing its entrance into the heart, " A wise man feareth and
declineth from evil : the fool leapeth over and is confident."
Prov. xiv, 16. And again : " The path of the just, as a shining

372" MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
light, goeth forwards, and increaseth even to perfect day. The
way of the wicked is darksome : they know not where they
fall." Prov. iv. 18, 19, Hence when they have fallen the care
lessness and negligence in rising from the pit into which they
are plunged, and their indifference as to whether they become
reconciled with the Divine Majesty or not.

Of the means of atoning for Sin.
' Q. Whereby are we cleansed from sin ?
; A. Speaking in general, there is but one principal fount m
which we are purified from sin, viz,, the merits of Christ our
Lord, as we have endeavored to show, in the first part, when
treating of the creed. We appropriate to ourselves, so to
speak, these infinite merits of faith, which, joined with the
sacrament of baptism, raises us to the dignity of children of
the only true Church of God. The sacrament of penance, in
the Church of God, is the means of reconciliation and of re
covering the grace of God, lost after baptism by grievous sin.
There are, nevertheless, other practices of piety which serve
to efface the stains incurred by our daily falls and frailties,
and which are peculiarly adapted to fit us for the worthy re
ception of the sacrament of penance, viz. : prayer, offered to
God from a contrite heart, " He hath had regard to the prayer
of the humble, and He hath not despised their petition." Ps.
ci. 18.
2. Fasting and other penitential works, or acts of self-abne
gation and humiliation, " God saw their works, that they were
turned from their evil ways : and God had mercy with regard
to the evil which He said He would do them," Jonas, iii, 10,
This we find written of the Ninevites, who did penance in fast-
mg, sackcloth and ashes,
3. By alms deeds : " For alms deliver from all sin," Tob.
iv, 11, So we read in the book of Tobias, and the prophet
says ; " Redeem thou tb,y sins with alms, and thy iniquities
with works of mercy to the poor," Ban. iv, 24, Presupposing,
of course, that in these and the works yet to be mentioned, the
heart really turns in abhorrence from its sinful ways, and offers
its trifling expiatory works t.o God, united with th© infinite
merits of the great High Priest and Victim,
4, The sincere forgiveness of injuries and offences : " For

ON THE PRACTICE OP ,'IRTUE. 373
If you forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will
.also forgive you your offences." Matt. vi. 14.
b. Works of tTue spiritual zeal. " He who causeth a sinner
to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul
from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins." James, v. 20.
6, Acts of extraordinary love of God, joined with fervent
contrition. " Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath
loved much." " Charity covereth a multitude of sins." Luke
vii, 47 ; 1 Pet. iv. 8,
Practice. — Zealously avail thyself of all these means in
order to purify thy heart more and more from sin. Be par
ticular in receiving the sacrament of penance frequently, and
always with the due dispositions. Recall to mind the in
structions given above when treating of this sacrament of
reconciliation. In the possession of these promises the
Apostle exhorts : " Having, therefore, these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the
flesh and of the spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of
God," 2 Cor. vii, 1,

CHAPTER II.
ON THB PRACTICE OP VIRTUE,
What we have hitherto taught concerning the avoidance
of sin and the -shunning the occasions of it is indispensable
for the practice of Christian justice. In order to secure sal
vation, we are to avoid even the shadow of a voluntary
offence of the Divine Majesty, This, however, is far from
being the sum of Christian perfection, on the contrary, the
practice of good works and virtuous acts is an indispensable
and assential requisite, in order to imitate truly our Lord
Jesus Christ, who not only avoided evil, but practised justice
in its highest perfection. The Apostles admonish and en
courage both the faithful of the first ages, and us their de
generate descendants, to emulate each other in the imitation
of Christ, in order that, as St, Peter desires : " We being
dead to sins, should live to justice, and thus secure our call
mg.by good works," 1 Pet. ii. 24. And as St. Paul

374 manual op the catholic religion.
writes : " Denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we
should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world, un
defiled and holy, gleaming as lights in this world obscured by
ihe night of wickedness, for God's honor, Christ's glory, our
own salvation, and the sanctification of our fallen race." Tit.
ii. 12 ; Colos. i. 10. Otherwise, of what utility were faith
to us, as St. James says : " By works a man is justified, and
not by faith only : for even as the body without the spirit is
dead, so also faith without works is dead." Jam. ii. And
as the Apostle says : " Not the hearers of the law are just
before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
Rom. ii, 13. We will treat here of these two principal
points in replying to the two main questions :
What are the conditions of a good work meritorious
for eternal life. What qualifications we should possess in
order that we may perfectly and easily perform these, and
all other good and meritorious acts, or what the practice of
Christian virtue requires of us.
Q. What is termed a good. work ?
A. An act performed by man according to the Divine law ;
it follows from this, that there are likewise natural good
works, when man, guided by the light of reason does that
which he recognizes as good, and in accordance with the Di
vine law.
Q. What term is applied to a work both good in itself and
meritorious for salvation?
A. An act performed in conformity with the Divine law
by persons living in the state of sanctifying grace,
Q. Which are the principal conditions required in a work
of this description ?
A. 1 . The state of sanctifying grace,
2. Purity of intention.
3. Perfect agreement with the form of command,
Q. What is understood by the state of sanctifying grace ?'
A. The state of man superior to the natural order, brought
About by his supernatural union with God, through the mer
its of Jesus Christ. This becomes evident from what we have
said in the first chapter when treating of sanctifying grace,
Q. What is understood by the term pure intention?
A. The will to perforin or omit some specified act because
such is the will of God ; or in other words, that we refer
the work either silently and n ediately, or explicftly and im

ON THE practice OF \IRTUB, 375
mediately to God's honor. " Whether you eat, or drink, or
whatever you do, be it all to the greater honor of God," soys
St. Paul. 1 Cor. x. Christ the Lord warns us," saying:
¦'Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be
seen by them : otherwise you shall not have a reward of youi
Father who is in heaven." Matth. vi. 1. The motto of St.
Ignatius, 'All for the greater glory of God," relates to this sub
ject. By thus referring all our works to the honor of God,
every act_ otherwise of an indifferent or natural character, as
also the discharge of our daily avocations, becomes meritorious
and well pleasing in the Divine sight ; for instance, sleep, re
creation, labor, etc. This is a fact which we are wont to con
sider too little and in too superficial a manner. Did we but
take it to heart, how easily might we become rich in good
works. When on the contrary purity of intention is want
ing, when, in the last instance, we refer all to ourselves, or in
order to elicit the esteem and applause of our neighbor, or
solely to benefit him, we shall have no merit at all in the Di
vine sight, how good soever in themselves, how glorious and
heroic our works may have been. " Amen, I say to you, they
have received their reward." This will be the sentencs pro
nounced on such persons by the eternal Judge. Matth. vi. 2,
The virtuous acts performed with an impure intention are
therefore very aptly compared to the fruits growing neartht
Dead Sea, which are indeed beautiful to the eye, but contain
in themselves only dust and ashes, and are unfit to serve as
nourishment or refreshment. Such works, no matter how
glorious in the eyes of men, are nothing else but rapid strides,
made /row not on the path to life eternal. They are, accord
ing to the expression of Scripture, a " bag with many holes,"
out of which that falls that has been placed in it.
Q. What is understood by perfect conformity with the
Divine law ?
A. That the work be not solely with respect to itself, and
the actiiatory motives, just, pure, and according to the Di
vine will, but also that with regard to the circumstances of
time, place and persons it be performed duly and in full con
formity with the Divine will. Hence the principle of theo
logians and moral philosophers : " Good is measured by tha
whole, bad by every defect."
Practice. — Search diligently and frequently into the state
of'.. thy conscience, according to che marks we have stated char

376 manual op the catholic religion.
aoterrzing the true children of God, and endeavor with stil.
greater diligence than heretofore to excite purity of intention,
so that thy good works may not be rendered fruitless by van
ity, tepidity, self-love, or the like.
Q. Is it sufficient to practice good works in any manner
at all ?
A. It is not : they should be performed as often as possi-
ble, and with all care and assiduity, in the best possible man
ner, with ease and j''y, which is the essence of virtue.

Of the Virtues,
Q. What is virtue ?
A. Aptness and facility in good works acquired by prac
tice, and realizing what we know to be good and pleasing in
the Divine sight.
Q. What are the chief divisions of virtue?
A. Virtue is divided into two grand classes; theological
and moral.

Of the Theological Virtues.
Q. What virtues bear this n.ame ?
A. Such as have their immediate scope and exercise iu
God. We must here observe that the theological virtues
presuppose a Divine endowment which renders us capable of
practising them ; they are, therefore, said to be divinely in
fused, because by the sacrament of baptism, man receives im
mediately from the hand of God, the capability of practising
these virtues, viz : Faith, Hope, and Charity. We do not
mean, however, to be understood as implying that man by
constant practice may not acquire greater facility in the prac
tice of these virtues.
Q. In this sense, then, in what does the virtue of faith con
sist ? ^
A. It consists not only in firmly believing all that the
Chur-ch proposes, but also in keeping before our eyes tho
truths of faith in all our actions and omissions,
Q. In what does the virtue of hope consist ?
A. It consists not only in the expectation of divine assist

ON THB r lACTICK OP VIRTUE. 377
ance, but also in constantly thinking of our destiny, and in
caring more for it than for any other thing upon earth.
Q. In what does the virtue of charity consist ?
A. It consists not only in preferring God to all other
things, but also in thinking of Him at all times, yielding up
to Him every affection of our heart, and aspiring after union
with Him in prayer.
Q. How may we increase the efficacy of these virtues ?
A. 1, By repeating frequently the acts of these virtues.
2, By considering frequently the motives which were men
tioned above, concerning our holy faith, hope, and love, 3.
By conversing with God in prayer, particularly during medi
tation, Q. How do you make acts of faith, hope, and charity ?
A. As follows :
An Act of Faith. 1 believe in Thee, one God in three
persons, and in Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, and
the Saviour of the world, I believe all that the one, only
true. Catholic Church, instituted by Jesus Christ, proposes,
I believe because thou, Oh my God, art the eternal truth ; .and
I am ready to shed my blood for this holy faith. Oh God,
strengthen my faith.
An Act of Hope. Oh my God, 1 hope to obtain heaven
and all the means necessary to reach it through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who has redeemed me and gained heaven for me.
Oh God, strengthen my hope !
An Act of Love. Oh my God ! I love Thee with all my
heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my
strength, because Thou, oh my God, art the supreme good,
infinite beauty, and love, who didst create me for thyself,
from whom I hold all I possess. Oh my God and my love,
I will sin ho more. Increase, oh God, my love for Thee,
Q. Should these acts be frequently made?
A. Certainly ; they should be excited in the heart at least
once daily at morning prayer; the same should be done on
Sundays and holydays more at length with renewed attention
and devotion. We should be so penetrated by the spirit of

r.78 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
these three virtues that they may accompany all our actions
and omissions, and according to the spirit we should live and
breathe in faith, hope and charity.

Of the Moral Virtues,
Q. Which of the virtues bear this appellation ?
A. Those which more immediately refer to our conduct and
manners, and serve to regulate them according to the prescrip
tion of the Divine law ; as faith, hope and charity, and even
reason present them to our view, and recommend them to our
practice, Q. How are moral virtues distinguished ?
A. They comprise the four cardinal or fundamental virtues,
the seven capital virtues, and those which lead us up the ascent
of Christian virtue to the summit of perfection expressed in thft
eigl^t beatitudes.

Of the four Fundamental or Cardinal Virtues.
Q. What is understood by the four fundamental virtues ?
A. Those virtues which support the edifice of virtue as
ground pillars, and which must be present in every other good
act, in order to impress upon it the genuine stamp of virtue.
Q. How many virtues are there of this kind ?
A. Four : prudence, justice, temperance, or moderation, and
•brtitude. Q. Why are these virtues termed cardinal ?
A. The word is of Latin origin, and signifies hinge ; and as
the hinge supports the door and makes it useful, so do these
support the other moral virtues and enable us to reduce them
to practice. These virtues are the sources of various duties,
and all the general maxims of life, according to the variety
of callings, or are derived from them. So says St. Ambrose:
Lib. off. c. 23. St. Augustine says : " The knowledge of all
human things is that which recognizes the light of prudence,
tho, ornament of temperance, the strength oi fortitude, and the
sanctity oijuitice." Lib. cont. academ. c. 7.
Q. What is understood by the virtue of prudence?
A, Prudence is that virtue by which we easily discern vhat

ON THE t>RACTlCE OP VIRTUE. 379
IS to be done or avoided in every particular case in the service
of God, and which easily recognizes and properly applies the
suitable means in order to arrive at the desired end.
Q. What follows from this ?
A, That no truly virtuous act can dispense with the assist
ance offered by prudence ; that real virtue is not found coupled
with indiscretion. This vjrtue further requires full conformity
with the Divine law,
Q. In what terms does Scripture recommend this virtue ?
A. " My son, do thou nothing without counsel, and thou
shalt not repent when thou hast done," Eccl. xxxii. 24. And
again : " A wise heart, and which hath understanding, will ab
stain from sin, and in the works of justice shall have success."
Eccl iii, 32, "Be prudent as serpents;" This admonition
Christ himself gives us, and He speaks of the virgins admitted
to the nuptial banquet as " prudent," thus characterizing their
virtuous, and in the Divine sight well pleasing lives, by the
one word, prudent. Matt. x. and xxv. " See therefore, breth
ren, now you walk circumspectly : not as unwise, but as wise :
wherefore become not unwise, but understanding what is the
will of God." Ephes. v. 15-17.
Q. What is understood by justice, as one of the cardinal
virtues ?
A. Justice is that virtue which induces its possessor to give
every one his due,
Q. What conclusion is to be drawn from this ?
A. That all true virtues require the aid of justice ; for when
a virtuous act withholds from our fellow-men what they may
justly claim, it forfeits its character of virtue,
Q. How does Scripture recommend the virtue of justice ?
A. The Psalmist represents his ideal just, and consequently
blessed man, in the following terms : " Blessed is he that walk.
eth without blemish, and worketh justice : he that speaketh
truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue : nor
hath done evil to his neighbor : nor taken up a reproach against
his neighbors." Ps. xiv. 1-3. " Render, therefore, to all their
dues : tribute to whom tribute is due : custom to whom cus
tom : fear to whom fear : honor to whom honor." Rom. xiii.
The words of the Holy Ghost refer to this justice: "Justice
exalteth a nation," i. e., the people of God striving aftei the
perfection of virtue. Prov. xiv. 34.
Q. What is implied by iie virtue of moderation ?

380 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
A. Moderation is that virtue by which man keeps in proper
bounds, and represses all inordinate lusts and desires,
Q. What do you conclude from this ?
A. That all true virtue must necessarily be accompanied
by moderation : for virtue without measure or order ceases
to be virtue,
Q. What says Scripture of this virtue?
A. We read in the Old Testament the following admoni
tion, which should be duly taken to heart: " Be not over-just,"
Eccl. vii. 17, The prince of the Apostles admonishes all the
faithful to be temperate and sober, so as to leave no opening
for the fiend. This alludes not only to sobriety in meat and
drink, but of temperance in general. This command was
already addressed to the first-born of the human race, "The
lust of evil shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion
over it." Gen. iv. 7, " Decline not to the right hand nor to
the left." Prov. iv. 27, There are temptations under the
specious garb of virtue, as the Apostle assures us, when he
says that Satan appears under the form of an " angel of light."
2 Cor. xi. This is particularly the case in going to extremes
in practices of virtue.
Q. What is implied by the term fortitude?
A. Fortitude is that virtue which enables us resolutely and
magnanimously to overcome all the obstacles we meet with in
the way to heaven.
Q. What does Scripture say of fortitude ?
A. "The just man," says the Scripture, "is like a lion, full
of confidence," Prov. xiv. The exhortations and declarations
of the Psalmist serve to inspire us with the same sentiments :
"The Lord is the protector of my life ; of whom shall I be
afraid ? If armies in camp should stand together against me,
my heart shall not fear." " For though I should walk in the
midst of the shadow of death, I fear no evils, for Thou art with
me." Ps. xxvi. 2. And again: "Do ye manfully, and let
your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the L<jrd."
Ps. xxx. " Beloved brethren, be ye steadfast and immoN.ible,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor, xv. 58,

ON THE PRACTICE OP VIRTUE. 38'l

Of the remaining Mural Virtues,
Q. Name the virtues -^vhioh rank next to the cardinal vir
tues? A. Those directly opposed to the seven capital sins: 1.
Humility ; 2. Generosity, or liberality ; 3. Chastity ; 4. Be
nevolence ; 5. Temperance ; 6. Mildness ; 7. Zeal in the prac
tice of good works. These virtues might with propriety be
termed capital virtues, because a number of other virtues have
their source in tlfem as their fountain-head.
Q. In what does the virtue of humility consist ?
A. In that we sincerely and in every instance ascribe what
ever good qualities or traits we may perceive in ourselves
solely to God, and that, penetrated with the lively conscious
ness of our sins and defects, we entertain a low opinion of our
selves, and observe with pleasure that others consider us enti
tled to no distinction.
Q. In what does the virtue of generosity, in the sense of
liberality, consist ?
A. In the constant readiness to assist others beyond their
expecta!tions with the goods conferred on us by fortune, and
to reward liberally the services they may have rendered us.
Q. In what does the virtue of chastity consist ?
A. In the resolute repression of all inordinate emotions of
the flesh, and carefully guarding our imagination and all our
senses. Q. In what does the virtue of benevolence consist ?
A. It consists in our rejoicing at the goods possessed by
our fellow-men, and that we sincerely sympathize in whatever
they may have to suffer, and rejoice at their happiness just as
if the case were our own,
Q. In what does the virtue of temperance consist ?
A. In perfectly controlling our ihordinate appetites and
refraining from all excessive indulgence in the pleasures of
the table.
Q. In what does the virtue of mildness consist?
A. In the acquired facility of repressing courageously
every inordinate emotion of anger and impatience, and to
preserve one's equanimity without giving way to sullemie.<9
or caprice.
Q. In what does the virtue of zeal consist ?

S'^2 MANUAL or THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
A. In the acquired facility attained by CDutinued co-opera
tion with the Divine grace, in attending to the inspiration of
grace, and seeking to realize without delay, by the practice of
good works.
Q. In v.hat terms does Scripture recommend the practice
of these virtues?
A. " Unless ye become as little children, ye shall not enter
into the kingdom of heaven." Matt, xviii. "Give and it
shall be .given to you." Luke, vi.'SS. "Blessed are the
clean of heart for they shall see God." Matt. v. " Love
one another with the charity of brotherhood. Rejoice with
them that rejoice, weep with them that weep." Rom. xii.
" Let us walk boldly as in the day, not in rioting and drunken
ness." Rom. xiii. " Learn of me, because I am weak and
humble of heart." Matt. xi. 29. " In spirit fervent serving
the Lord." Rom. xii. 11.
Q. What means are to be employed in the acquisition of
these virtues ?
A. Those which we have mentioned above in treating of
the seven capital sins, for those practices which eradicate vice
implant the opposite virtues in the heart.
Q. What virtues should we practice with peculiar zeal in
order to preserve our consciences undefiled by sin, and to be
come fruitful in good works, and thus gradually to arrive at
Christian perfection ?
A. Those to which Christ has in particular annexed the
promise of eternal life, and which are on that account com
monly termed the eight beatitudes, viz, :
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.
2, Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land.
3, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be com
forted. 4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for
they shall be filled,
5, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy,
6, Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be caDed the
children of God,
8. Blessed are they tnat suffer persecuticn for justice' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,
Q. What is meant by poor in spirit?

ON THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE. 383
-4. Those deserve the name of poor in spirit who possess
leans free from all inordinate longings after the goods and
possessions of this world. Whoever is thus qualified journeys
on to heavenly bliss unencumbered and unimpeded by op
pressive and harassing cares, following the admonition of the
Apostle : " Seek the things that are above, and not the thingu
that are upon earth." Colos. ii. 1, 2.
Q. Who deserve the name of mild ?
A. All who have obtained the mastery over angry and
impatient emotions. The soil of their hearts is thus freed
from the destructive influence of this passion, and their souls
are constantly prepared, like a clo.idless sky, or a ci.vstal
stream, to reflect in their lives the genial beams of Divine in
spiration, so powerful in leading them to the practice oi per
fection. Q. What kind of mourners does Christ term blessed ?
A. Those only who are afflicted with sorrow for having
themselves so often offended God, and at beholding Him oi-
fended by others. Such persons by their tears purify their
hearts from every sin, and their virtues from every bl'-mish.
Q. Who may be said to hunger and thirst after justice.
A. Those who not only wish, but feel that they ardently
wish one thing only, viz. : the attainment of the highest de
gree of Christian virtue, to progress daily and hourly there
in ; a disposition of heart which impels them to move rapidly
forward on the way to perfection.
Q. Christ says, " Blessed are the merciful." To whom
may this beatitude be applied ?
A. To such as zealously fulfil the works of Christian
charity, Q. Into how many classes may works of this order be
divided? A. Into two principal classes, works of corporal and works
of spiritual mercy. The first refer to the corporal necessities
and miseries of our neighbor, the latter to his spiritual wants,
or the welfare and salvation of his soul.
Q. Which are the principal works of corporal mercy ?
A. They are' seven in number, 1. Feeding the hui gry,
2, Giving drink to the thirsty. 3. Clothing the naked, 4
Runsoming captives. 5. Visiting the sick. 6. Haruoring
•trangers, 7. Burying the dead.

3!<4 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
Q. In what terms does Scripture recommend the works of
corporal mercy "*
A. " Deal thy bread to the hungry,- and bring the needy
and the harborless into fchy house. When thou shalt see one
naked cover him." Is. Iviii, 7. "Turn not away thy faca
from any poor person." Job iv. 7. " My son, shed tears
over the dead, and neglect not his burial," Eccles. xxxvni.
16. "Be-ye, therefore, merciful, as your father also is mer
ciful." Luke, vi. 36. " Be ye kind one to another, merciful,
forgiving one another," Eph. iv, 32,
Q. What are the menaces contained in Scripture against
those who neglect practising these good works ?
A. Eternal reprobation, frequently preceded by temporal
want and misery. " He that stoppeth his ear against the cry
of the poor, shall also cry himself and shall not be heard."
Prov. xxi. 13. And St. James writes : " Judgment without
mercy to him that hath not done mercy," James, ii, 13,
Christ the Judge, already pronounces sentence of reprobation
against thom, in these words : " Depart from me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire ; for I was hungry, and you gave me not
to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. Then
shall they also answer him saying : Lord, when did we see
thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in
prison, and did not minister to thee ? Then the Lord shall
answer them, saying : Amen I say to you, so long as you did
it not to one of these least ones, neither did you do it to vne,"
Matt. xxv.
Q. What promises does Scripture make to those who are
zealous in the practice of these good works ?
A. 1st. Temporal blessings : " He that giveth to the poor
shall not want." Prov. xxviii. " Give and it shall be given unto
you a full measure, a well heaped measure," Luke, xvi.
2nd. Spiritual blessings, the pardon of sin, by the grace
of repentance and amendment granted to us, "Alms deliv
er from all sin and death, and will not suffer the soul to go
into darkness." Tob, iv, 11, Further, most eflScacious graces
to enable us to attain Christian perfection : " And thy justice
shall go before thy face; and the glory of the Lord shall
gather thee up," This is the assurance given by the Holy Ghost
by the mouth of Isaias, Iviii. And St, Paul writes : " He that
administereth seed to the sower, will both give you bread tu
eat and will multiply your seed and increase the growth of

ON THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE. 3b5
the fruits of your justice." 2 Cor. ix. Experience confirms
this assertion, in regard to those who practice mercy not only
from motives of natural compassion but prompted by charity
to God and man, as the lives of the saints prove. Such
persons may justly confess with holy Job, " From my
youth compassion grew up with me; I was an eye to the
blind, and a foot to the lame, I was the father to the poor."
Job, xxi.x. Finally, the particular grace of perseverance in
virtue and a judgment of mercy and reward. " Blessed are the
merciful : for they shall obtain mercj'." Math. v. 7. " Give
alms, and thus lay up for yourselves imperishable treasures
in heaven," Luke, xii, " Come, ye blessed of my Father, pos
sess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat," &c.
Matt xxv. 34.
Q. Which are the principal spiritual works of mercy ?
A. 1. Admonishing sinners, 2, Advising those in doubt.
3, Consoling the afflicted, 4, Bearing patiently with injustice.
5, P'orgiving those who offend us, 6, Instructing the igno
rant 7. Praying for the living and the dead. Do whatever
lies in your power in order to prevent your neighbor from
committing sin, and to promote within him the growth of
virtue and piety.
Q. How may this be done ?
A. By instruction, example, direction, reproof, correction,
and the exercise of the just authority possessed by parents and
superiors, as also by prayer. Whoever is thus zealously atten
tive to promote his neighbor's salvation, strives himself after
Christian perfection ; for the truths of faith, which impel him
to labor for the spiritual welfare of his fellow-mCn, incite him
with still greater zeal to strive to secure the great object of
his own salvation. If God so richly rewards the works of
corporal mercy by graces here and glory hereafter, how much
richer and more glorious must be the recompense awarded in
eternity to spiritual works of mercy, This is clearly mani
fested in the lives of the saints,
Q, What does Holy Scripture say of these works of
spiritual mercy ?
A, " God gave to every one of them a commandment con
cerning his neighbor," Eccle. xii. " He must know that ha
who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his
way shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multi
17

38f MANUAL OF THB CATHOLIC RELIGION.
tude of sins." .lam. v. 20. " In this we have kuo-wn the
charity of God, because He hath laid down His life for us ;
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." —
John, iii. 16. " I have become all to all, in order to gain all
for Christ." 1 Cor. ix. 22,
Q. What motives are best calculated to inflame our zeal
in the practice of works of spiritual mercy ?
A. 1, Reflection on the great dignity of human nature,
man being the image of God.
2, The consideration of man's priceless value in the sight
of the Divinity, as he has been bought, redeemed, and sane-
tified by the blood of the Messiah.
3, The relation in which our neighbor stands to us as a
brother or sister in Adam and in Christ,
4. The reflection of tbe inestimable value of spiritual
works of mercy according to the words of St, Chrysostom :
" A spiritual work of mercy surpasses in value all the cor
poral works of mercy which a person might exercise in one
act towards all mankind." ^
5. The infinite pleasure with which God regards such
works ; they may even be said to elevate us to the dignity of
co-operators with God when zealously and lovingly perform
ed. Oh, with what unbounded delight do not Jesus and
Mary look upon the endeavors of such as strive to prevent
Christ's merits and sufferings from proving fruitless to the
«ouls of the redeemed !
6, The guarantee for salvation thus obtained.
7, The ineffable -reward in heaven,, and the eternal partici
pation in the joys of those who have been delivered from a
sinful condition or sanctified by our efforts. Whoever will
meditate on these and similar considerations will, without
doubt, feel his heart inflamed with a burning desire to pro
cure the salvation of souls. He will frequently exclaim,
with St. Francis Xavier, from the depths of his fervent
heart : " O Lord, give me souls,"
Q. Who may be said to possess purity of heart ?
A. All who endeavor to keep far frorn every voluntary
sin and imperfection, and in order to attain this end zealously
employ the means ordained by God in order to remove th*
danger of contracting these stains ; but more particularly
those, who by resolutely overcoming every temptation to
impurity, obtain a heart perfectly united to ( lod in love, and

ON THB PRACTICE OF VIRTUE, 387
free from all concupiscence of the flesh ; the grac^ of interior
intercourse with God sanctifies the lives of those thus qualified.
Q. To what class of persons may the term "meek" be
applied ?
A. Those who not only themselves harbor no trace of
enmity in their hearts, but who, moreover, live amongst their
follow-men as angels of peace, and thus diffuse this blessed
peace around them. Great graces accompany such virtuous
endeavors to enable us to live in uninterrupted peace with
God, and render us in the highest degree susceptible of the
blessings of charity, which is the bond and the pledge of
Christian perfection,
Q. Who may be said to suffer for justice' sake ?
A. Those who are reviled, insulted, and ill-treated by
others on account of the performance of their duties, and
because they realize their character of children of God in
word and work. Those who have the happiness and the
courage thus to suffer, obtain the grace of unbloody martyr
dom, and are in the most eminent degree followers of Christ
and His saints.
Q. What may be observed of each of these grades of
virtues ?
A. 1, That each in a particular manner leads man to the
perfection of virtue, and that they are mutually connected,
so that whoever increases in the one, receives thereby grace
and assistance for the more perfect practice of the others.
2. That there is a peculiar promise of reward and beati
tude for time and eternity annexed to each,
3. The consideration of all these virtues renders more
striking the great contrast existing between the spirit of
Christ and the spirit of the world. The spirit which governs
the world and its votaries, clings to the very opposite of
these virtues, and thereby leads its deluded followers down
to the gloomy labyrinths of vice and misery. Those are
blessed in the eyes of the world who strive after wealth,
honor, sensual pleasure, and the applause of men. In a
word, a life made up of the paltry enjoyments afforded by a
fleeting world, and bearing but one characteristic, viz., entire
forgetfulness of their nobler destiny, the possession of God.
Practice. — Meditate. frequently on the eight beatitudes pro
nounced by our Lord's own blessed lips when treating of
these virtues, and you v^ill find yourself powerfully encour

388 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
aged in endeavoring to obtain them ; you will joyously re.
solv'3 to give your whole heart with all its affections to Him
who is alone worthy of it, and not be satisfied with medioc
rity in virtue, but endeavor to become daily more exemplary
by a true and resolute effort to root out some old evil, and
•mplant in its stead some new virtue.

CHAPTER III.
THE STATE OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION,
Q. What is understood by the term Christian perfection ?
A. That condition of life and disposition of heart in which
man keeps himself aloof from every deliberate venial trans
gression, and cherishes the earnest desire of becoming daily
more like to his Divine Model by the perfect practice of the
above-mentioned, virtues according to his calling and condition.
Q. Is this a general vocation ?
A. Without doubt, for all are called to follow Christ, who
says : " I am the way, the truth, and the life," John, xiv, 6.
to this perfection Jesus invites all without exception, " Be
you, therefore, perfect, as also your heavenly Father is per
fect." Matt. V, This loving Saviour further promises to all
a rich reward in His heavenly kingdom. The Apostles in
their Epistles exhort all Christians without distinction to lead
holy and unblemished lives, as we have before observed.
This vocation and obligation becomes evident from the char-
acter and marks of the Church, as she both is, and is termed
holy. Whoever, then, does not endeavor to obtain sanctity,
is not a living branch on the tree of the Church, and is,
therefore, exposed to the imminent danger of drying up, and
being cast into the flamess The ninth article of the Creed,
by which we profess our belief in the communion of saints,
refers to this vocation and obligation. To this communion
in eternal life, we never shall be admitted until our souls are
perfectly purified from even the slightest stain of sin, either
here in the ordeal of pe lance, or hereafter in the flames of
purgatory, and we have acquired the perfection of virtue.

THB STATE OF CHRISTIAN I ERPBCTION. 380
The same motives impel all Christians to strive after sanctity
of life, viz., the holy v ill of God, and the great increase of
grace and glory to be thus obtained : " That is the will of
God, your sanctification." 1 Thess. ii. 12. " He who sow
eth in blessings shall also reap of blessings." 2 Cor. ix, 6,
Christ has prepared and left in His Chu»ch the most eflnca-
cious means of acquiring these virtues in each and all,
Q. What is the principal condition for the practice of
Christian perfection ?
A. The grace of God and our co-opei-ation. " Not I, but
the grace of God with me," 1 Cor. xv. 10.
Q. Which graces are in this respect the inost efficacious?
A. Those which in us, and with our, co-operation, establish
a permanent condition which is joined with numerous 'dlUmi-
nations and impulses of actual grace,
Q. What is the term applied to these graces ?
A. The seven gifts of the Divine Spirit.
Of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Q. Name these seven gifts ?
A} 1, Fear of the Lord. 2, Piety. 3. Knowledge, 4, For
titude, 5, Counsel, 6. Understanding, 7, Wisdom, The
Prophet Isaias thus characterizes Jesus, He who is the author
and finisher of our salvation, our teacher and model on the
way to Christian perfection : " And the spirit of the Lord
shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and of understand
ing, the spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the spirit of
knowledge and of godliness, and he shall be filled with the
spirit of the fear of the Lord," Isaias, xi. 2, As l;o us who
are bulrmere wayfarers in this valley of tears, on the way to
the reward of virtue, these gifts bear an inverted relation ;
supported by these gifts of the Holy Ghost and our own co
operation, we may be able to ascend the ladder leading from
a dreary desert of woe to the glorious city of God. The
first step is that of salutary fear, that what has already caught
the halo of heaven's glory, wisdom. Thus is formed the
heavenly ladder upon which Jacob beheld the angels of God
ascending and descending; with that zeal, fidelity in the prac
tice of Christian perfection, and longing to fulfil the holy
will of God which animates these angelic spirits, are we to
endeavor to fill our hearts.

390 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Q. In what does the gift of the fear of the Lord consist?
A. It is the grace which places man in the permanent state
in which he dreads but one thing, viz. : offending God by sin.
Q. In what does the gift of piety consist ?
A. Piety is that grace and gift by which man approaches
God, and arrives af the state of seeking his only joy and con
solation in communing with Him in prayer ; he permanently
finds -what he thus seeks.
Q. In what does the gift of knowledge consist?
A. It is a gift enabling those who seek and love God
alone, to arrive at a supernaturally enlightened state of
acquaintance with the will of God and fulfilling the same.
They, therefore, in all their acts and omissions, keep the
great affair of salvation constantly in view,
Q. In what does the gift of fortitude consist ?
A. It is the grace by which man is nerved resolutely to
adhere to, and undauntedly to execute, whatever he recog
nizes as the Divine will and the voice of duty, without per
mitting himself to be disturbed or intimidated by the storms
raised by the voice of concupiscence, the attacks of Satan,
and the allurements of the world.
Q. What is the gift of counsel ?
A. It is a gift and grace which renders man permanenMy
capable of advising himself and others in intricate questions,
and deciding correctly what the affair of our salvation re
quires of us in this or that particular circumstance, and what
is in accordance with the Divine will,
Q. What is the gift of understanding ?
A. It is the gift by which man arrives at such a knowl
edge of the truths and mysteries of religion, that his life
is perfectly grounded on faith, and all his actions and omis
sions spring from motives presented by this fundamental
virtue. Q. What is the gift of wisdom ?
A. This is the gift and state of well-ordered charity, which
80 regulates and frames all our desires and actions as to make
them perfectly coincide with all that the Divine love requires
of ns. The derivation of this word is profoundly and clearly
explained by St, Bernard in treating of the Latin word sapi-
entia, from sapia scientia. The state of perfection is thus
established and within us, on a permanent basiSj and to those
who arrive thereat, may the words of the teacher of nations

THE STATE OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 39)
be applied : " Whoever is led by the spirit of God, they are
the sons of God." Rom. viii. 14. When this is the case, the
richest and fairest fruits on the tree of virtue cannot be
wanting. To this perfection our life grows up, according to
the simile used -by the royal psalmist in comparing man with
a tree which in due time blossoms as the palm-tree, and im
mediately brings forth rich fruits. Ps. L 3,
Q. Name the fruits of this class particularly eulogized ui
Scripture ?
A. Tiie twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost, viz. i
1, Charity, which must impart life to every fruit of virtue,
for that which is not performed in obedience to the prompt
ings of holy love is of no real value, as we have already
shown. 2. Joy, which causes us to perform cheerfully the good we
find ourselves bound in conscience to undertake. Phil. iv. 4l
3. Peace, which causes us to practice virtue calmly and
with tranquillity of heart. Luke, il. 14; Phil. iv. 7; Ps.
cxviii. 4. Patience, to be exercised in bearing the difficulties and
pains encountered in the discharge of duty. Luke, xx. 19 ;
James, i. 2.
5. Longanimity, which enables us steadily to pursue the
path of virtue without being discouraged by the obstacles
placed in our way by the enemies of salvation, Heb. ii. 4 ;
2 Cor. vi. 4 ; Matt. x.
6. Benignity, which prevents us from injuring or wounding
the feelings of our fellow-men, and induces us to aid them as
much as in us lies. Eph. v. 8.
7. Amiability or goodness, which diffuses over our deport
ment so much gentleness and suavity, that we win upon the
affections of those with whom we associate, and thus induce
them to attend with greater zeal to the one great affair of
salvation. Colos. iii, 12,
8. Meekness, which enables us to preserve equanimity and
gentleness of deportment, even when we have been injured
or insulted.
3. Candor, which is opposed to all deception and double-
dealing, with regard to our neighbors, and causes us to act
frankly and openly. Tim. iii. 11 ; Prov. xii. 22.
10. Modesty, which will check oiir zeal from degenerating
into presumption. Phil. iv. 5

392 MANUAL OF THB CATHOLIC RELIGIO^.
11. 0>ntinency, which will enable us to perform all this in
unvarying self-denial. Thess. v. 22.
12. Chastity, which will keep us far removed from the
contamination of whatever might sully the virginal lustre of
this virtue, and leave not even the slightest room for sus
picion of our having, by even the most transient thought or
¦ilightest act, incurred the degrading guilt of the opposite
1 ice. Wisd. i. 1 ; Cor. vii. 34,
These are the fruits of the Holy Ghost, as enumerated by
the Apostle when addressing the Galatians, and they mature
all the other fruits of virtue on our tree of life. They are
directly opposed to the fruits of the flesh, which render the
lives of the wicked like trees fruitful in vice and perdition,
growing in the fruits of the evil spirit, in enmity, inordinate
grief, restlessness, impatience, impetuosity, violence, envy,
severity, hostility, infidelity, presumption, lust and unohas
tity. Practice. — Examine your conduct well, and see if, and in
what degree, these gifts of the Holy Ghost, as proofs of your
spiritual condition, influence your conduct ; and frequently
beseech the Spirit of life and love to increase His gifts within
you. Sit also in judgment on your exterior deportment, your
actions and omissions, if, and how abundantly, the fruits of the
Spirit are visible in your life. Oh, nourish and cherish them
with the utmost solicitude ! Destroy, on the other hand, in
ttie very germ, the pernicious fruits of the flesh, taking to heart
Jhe admonition of the great Apostle : " They who are Christ's
have crucified their flesh, with its vices and concupiscences."
Gal. V. 24. And again : " For what things a man shall sow,
those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of
the flesh also shall reap corruption : but he that soweth in the
Spirit, shall reap life everlasting," Gal, vi, 8.

The Evangelical Counsels.
Q. Are there any other exercises of piety by which we ara
eminently strengthened and encouraged in the imitation ol
Christ, so that we may here below so model our lives" on His
as to be most intimately united with Him, hereafter, in the
mansions gf His glory ?
A, There are ; viz,, the observance of the evangtlvMi counsels

THE STATE OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, 393
Q, Name these?
A. 1. Voluntary poverty ; 2. Angelic chastity ; 3, Obe
dience to a spiritual superior.
Q. Why are these termed evangelical counsels ?
A. Because their observance has not been enjoined on us by
command, but merely recommended by Christ and His Apos
tles to the faithful, as powerful means of attaining greater per
fection here, and the enjoyment of more exquisite bliss and
greater glory hereafter. Before any one resolves, however,
to bind himself to observe these counsels, he must have ob
tained the serious and passionless conviction, grounded on pure
motives, that he is called thereto by God, St, Augustine says ;
"A command is one thing, an advice another," Serm. 16 de
temp. And again : "Whoever hearkens to and follows the
advice, will recicive greater glory : whoever, on the contrary,
does not fulfil the command, shall not escape punishment un
less he repent," St, Ambrose says : " The counsel invites the
willing, the command imposes obligations even on the refrac
tory," Lib. de Vid. St, Jerome teaches as follows : " When
counsel is given, every thing is left to the good pleasures of
the person advised ; a command, however, implies necessity
on the part of those to whom it is lawfully directed : yet
greater merit is to be obtained by voluntary sacrifice," Lib.
ado. Toe. This becomes more evident when we consider well
what each of these evangelical counsels requires of us in imi
tation of Christ,
Q. In what does evangelical poverty consist ?
1. Voluntary poverty is the renunciation of all temporal
goods, -vo that no property is possessed and no self-empowered
disposal of things temporal is allowed,
Q. How did Christ recommend the practice of evangelical
poverty by precept and example ?
A. In that being rich, he, out of love to us_ became poor, as
the Apostle says : 2 Cor. viii. 9. And Christ himself declares :
" The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests ; but tha
Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Luke, ix. 58. He
wished at His entrance into the world to behold its light in a
miserable stable. And when He left this world, after the hard
ships of a poor life, He hung, the poorest of the poor, on the
holy cross ; His nakedness covered only by the purple garment
of His precious blood. To this state of perfection Jesus ex
horts and encourages us particularly in the answer given tc the

394 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
young man who asked him : " Master, what shall I do, in order
that I may obtain life eternal ?" Christ replied : " If thou will
enter into life, keep the commandments." To this He added :
" If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou hast, and give to
the poor ; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and come,
follow me." Matt. xix. 21. With this admonition the Apos
tles implicitly complied, for they could all with Peter declare :
"Behold, we have left all things, and have followed 'thee.
what, therefore, shall we have ?" Matt. xix. 27. Jesus an
swers, promising a hundred-fold here below, and particular
glory hereafter. Hence we behold the faithful of the infant
Church laying their fortunes at the feet of the Apostles, so that
none of their number called any thing his own, as St. Luke
testifies. Acts, iv. 32.
Q. In what consists this reward of an hundred-fold here be
low, as promised by Christ to those who embrace evangelical
poverty ?
A. In the multitude of graces granted us by the Lord in
consideration of this sacrifice, and in the great advantages for
salvation obtained by this voluntary renunciation of the gifts
of fortune. Man thus frees himself from the innumerable cares
and anxieties entailed by the possession of, or longing after,
wealth and honors, as also from the great temptations to which'
he is exposed by the treasures, pleasures and goods of this
world. Genadius, therefore, wisely remarks : " It is good to
give to the poor a portion of our property ; better,. to dispose
of it entirely in their favor, and at once to live in and with
Christ in poverty." Lib. de En. dogm.
Q. In what does angelic chastity consist ?
A. In voluntary abstaining from marriage, in order to live
in human flesh pure and unsullied as the angels.
Q. How did Christ by word and example commend the
practice of perfect virginal chastity ?
A. He, the king of virgins chose as mother the spotless
Mary, the queen of virgins ; this His sweet, pure mother. He
gave in charge to His virgin disciple when expiring on the
cross, in order that imitating Him the favored one might
worthily act as His substitute. On one occasion, Peter said
that such being the case it would be better not to marry.
Christ asserted, saying : " He that can receive, let him re-
ceive." Malt, xix, 12, Thus signifying, that abstinence from
the marriage state is merely a counsel, which, nevertheless,

THE STATE OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, 395
wlien followed, will be found of great advantage. All the
Apostles obeyed the loving invitat'ion of Jesus : " Fallow me,
live in continence," and advised the faithful to do the same.
"I have no commandment of the Lord," says St, Paul, "con
cerning virgins, but I give counsel, I think, therefore, that it
is good for a man so to be. He that giveth his virgin doth
well, he that giveth her not, doth better." And again : " It
is good for a man not to touch a woman," And of the widow
he says : " Let her marry," but he adds, " more blessed shall
she be, if she so remain, according to my counsel; and I
think that I also have the spirit of God," 1 Cor. vii. That
is, the advice I hei-e give is rather in accordance with the
promptings of the Holy Ghost, than my own judgment. This
is further the unanimous teaching of the Holy Fathers, St.
Ambrose writes on this subject ; " A good wife is justly com
mended, yet a pious virgin is preferred to her, according to
the words of the Apostle : " He that giveth his virgin doth
well, he that keepeth her doth better. The virgin thinks pf
the service of God ; but she that is married thinketh on the
things of the world." The former is bound in the bonds of
wedlock, the latter is unfettered ; the one is under the law,
the other under the influence of grace. Matrimony by which
the propagation of the human race is secured, is good, but
better is virginity which enters on the possession of a celes
tial inheritancie, and draws upon itself the succession of heav
enly merits. By a wife comes .care, by a virgin salvation."
Su Amb. ep. 81, ad Syrie et ep. 82, ad Vercell. The Church
declares and solemnly decides in the Council of Trent : " If
any one maintain that matrimony is to be preferred to vir
ginity, and that it is not better to and more blissful to remain
in virginity, than to contract a matrimonial alliance, let him
be anathema," Con. Trid. Sess, xxiv, c. 18,
Q. In what does the advantage afforded by the observ
ance of chastity consist?
A. In freeing us from the cares and anxieties incident to
the matrimonial state, and devoting one's self, mind, body
and soul to the service of God and the faithful fulfilment of
His holy will. " He that is without a wife is solicitous fot
the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God ,
but he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the
world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. And
the unmarried and the virgin thinketh on the things of tha

396 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
Lord, tiiat she may be holy both in body and in spirit. Bu
she that is married, thinketh on the things of the world
how she may please her husband," 1 Cor. vii. 32—35
" Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall see God.'
Iliis promise of Christ refers particularly to souls who live
in the strict observance of chastity, and in prayer are pecu
liarly illuminated by the inspirations of the Divine spirit.
There awaits these favored ones, moreover, in the mansions
prepared for them by their heavenly Lord, a peculiar reward
and a closer union with Jesus their blessed Spouse. We find
in the revelations of St. John : " I saw : and, behold a Lamb
stood on Mount Sion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four
thousand, haviifg His name and the name of His Father writ
ten on their foreheads. And they sung as it were a new can
ticle, before the throne and before the four living creatures,
and the ancients, and no man could say the canticle, but those
hundred and forty -four thousand, who were purchased from
the earth. These are they who are not defiled with women :
for they are virgins. These followeth the Lamb whithersoever
He goeth." Apnc. xiv.
Q. Ill what consists the practice of voluntary obedience 1
A. When out of love to God we renounce our right to the
exercise of free will in admissible matters, in order to do that
which is commanded us by a superior given or chosen.
Q. How does Christ recommend to us by -word and ex
ample the practice of obedience ?
A. Jesus, although in person true God, and in His sacred
humanity far superior to every other created being, would
not enter into the world in full: manhood, but appeared in the
ordinary way as a helpless infant, dependent on, and subject
to His blessed mother and holy foster father, St. Joseph.
Jesus further recommended this virtue to the practice of His
followers by His whole hidden life in Nazareth, of which we
find in the gospel no other record than this : " He was subject
to them." Luke, i. 50. Jesus freely submitted to the or
dinance of the Old Law, aud even to the decrees of earthly
potentates. He, the King of kings and Lord of lords, while
yet in His mother's womb, obeys the decree of the Emperor
Augustus, and induces her to journey to Bethlehem; suljinis-
sively, too, He accedes to the unjust and tyrannical will of the
earthly judge Pilate, in the last stage of His mortal existence.
Legions of angels were in readiness to defend Him against

TIIE STATE OF CHRIS 1 IAN PERFECTION. 39"
the violence and malignity of His enemies, yet Jesus pre
ferred submitting to whatever Pilate might ordain in his re
gard, as he had received power from the Father over His
person ; thus, as the Apostle says : " Humbling (annihilating)
himself and becoming obedient even unto the death of the
cross." Matt. xxvi. 53; John, xix. 11 ; Philip, ii. 8. In a
(Vord, Christ particularly recommends the practice of this
virtue in His exhortation to the faithful, and to His disciples,
to submit to the divinely-acquired authority of the Old Tes
tament, as long as a' shadow of it should exist : " The Scribes
and Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses, all, there
fore, whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do."
Matt, xxiii, 2, Christ refers us in this passage to the source
of this obedience, viz., that it is not man as man whom we
obey, but only in as far as he is delegated to act in our regard
as God's representative, according to the Lord's declaration :
" He that heareth you, heareth me," This declaration holds
good particularly when the superior in question possesses, by
his ecclesiastical office or mission, authority and power over
us, " Obey your prelates, and be subject to them. For
they watch, as being to render an account of your souls,"
Heb. xiii. 17. '
Q. In what does the value of perfect obedience, and the
advantages it affords for a life of perfection consist ?
A. 1. In that man freely and lovingly immolates himself
to the Lord, f^us becoming, with all the powers and faculties
of soul and body, a living holocaust of Divine love. By the
vow of poverty, man offers up and renounces, for God's sake,
the possession of things temporal, the whole outward world ;
by the vow of chastity, the possession of his body ; by obe
dience, the possession of his intellectual and spiritual powers,
by entirely devoting to the service of God his will and un
derstanding in the boundless desire of doing naught save
what God wills, and to stri-ve after the accomplishment of
what is good.
2. That man, by this obedience, frees himself from^ all
anxiety in choosing between good and better, as he is guided
by obedience in all cases not prohibited by the law of God,
and has only to attend to the will and wishes of his superior,
in whose person he obeys not man, but Christ the Lord, out
of love to whom, he has taken upon himself the obligation
of perfect obedience, and whose representative and organ the

393 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGIO.f.
superior is in his regard. Thus, sjiys St. Ignatius, in his
epistle on obedience in accjrdance with the unanimous teach
ing of the fathers and doctors of the Church.
3. This obedience increases the merit of every virtuous
act, because in perforniing them, we have solely in view the
wi.sh of God, which is the law and the plenitude of all sanc
tity. The words of the Holy Ghost in the Old Testament
have reference to this : " Obedience is better than sacrifice."
And again : " An obedient man shall speak of victory." The
promise of Christ is justly considered as also referring to this
virtue. " Whoever shall humble himself, shall be exalted,"
Matt, xxiii, 12, Here in the order of grace, hereafter in the
order of glory. For there is no greater voluntary humilia
tion than the voluntary submission of the understanding to
the will of another, because he is our superior, although we
may otherwise far surpass him in judgment and virtue,
Q. Are we allowed to obey a superior in sinful matters?
A. No ; obedience refers only to things which are left to
our free choice, and not to such as are defined, commanded,
or prohibited by the express decree of God.
Q. Who is bound under pain of sin to observe the evan
gelical counsels ?
A. Whoever binds themselves thereto by vow, voluntarily
and with free consent.
Q. Can these vows be observed in the secular state ?
A. Partially they can, when we have promised to do so,
and iri as far as such a vow is admissible and practicable,
Q. Where are these evangelical counsels practised and ob
served ?
A. In the different orders of the Church.
Q. What is an order ?
A. A congregation of persons, which by a rule approved
by the Holy See, bind themselves by a solemn vow to ob
serve these counsels. When such community has received
but a temporary approval from a bishop, or when its mem
bers are admitted only to simple vows, it is not termed an
order, but an assembly or congregation.
Q. What is the difference between solemn and' simple
vows? A. Solemn vows are accepted by the Church; simple
vows, on the contrary, bind the individual in conscien'ce,
without having been accepted by the Church as such. Tbe

THE STATE OP CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 399
consequence is, that when any member of an order violates
the vows or quits the order, he becomes liable co the censures
and penalties denounced against such apostates. This is not
the case with those who take simple vows, unless particular
ordinances in that regard have been made by the Holy See,*
Solemn vows render the contraction of marriage null and
void, simply illegal,
Q. Are orders of great antiquity in the Church?
A. Their existence is coeval with that of the Church of God,
they may even be traced fo the Old Law, We read of the
schools of the prophets, who lived in community as relig
ious do at present. Particularly worthy of remark is what
is recounted by the historian Philo, of the life led by the As-
sinner, as also what the traditionary chronicles of the Carmel
ites relate ; this order derived its name from Mount Carmel,
on which godly men are said to have lived in community since
the time of Elias. Immediately after the gospel had been an
nounced, religious societies were formed, particularly in the
deserts of Egypt. After the Church had obtained liberty
under Constantine, religious communities began to flourish in
the East, under the auspices of St, Anthony and other virtu
ous men. Soon after, it sprung into life and pristine vigor in
the West beneath the fostering hand of the great St. Benedict
and his spiritual children, rich in the most glorious fruits of
piety foi- the benefit of the whole Church, the salvation of
souls, and the well-being of civil society, for wriose cultivaticm
and instruction these zealous servants of God incessantly la
bored-. Many new orders arose in the course of time, which
according to their different callings strove in the most effica
cious manner to manifest by the life of Christian perfection
their solicitude for their own salvation and that of their fel
low-men; According to the motto of St, Ignatius, the founder
of the Society of Jesus : " All for the greater honor of God,"
And does not the essence and aim of Christian perfection live
in this ?
Q. What are orders on this account called ?
A. The state of Christian perfection.
Q. Is it to be accounted a great fiivor and happiness, when
one finds himself called to a religious life ?
Thus the mfmbei-s of the Society of .Tesus, although they binil themselves only
by simple vow" ^re called ,-eligioas, members of an orde,-, !>>="=« ^'V,';f,^,°"rre'obTi
aftending .in infringement of snl-mn vnw. .re HU-nrre< hy a vmlation of the obll
gallons taken l,y Jesuits, acour lins tn a ih-ciee of Uie lloiy bee.

400 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
A. Assuredly, but the duties imposed by this vocation are
to be fulfilled, after we have once attained certainty concern
ing the reality of our higher calling. Whoever actuated by
temporal motives, human respect, or inclination, would refuse
compliance with the suggestions of grace would place his sal
v.ation in imminent danger by this opposition to the Divine
decree. Those were remarkable words addressed by Christ
to the youth who inquired what was to be done in order to
secure salvation : " If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou
hast, and give it to the poor : and come, follow me," And
when the young man had heard this word, he weut away sor
rowful : for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to His
disciples : " Amen, 1 say to you that a rich man shall hardly
enter into the kingdom of heaven," Matth. xix. 19-24, These
words, however, are in their strictest sense to be applied to
this young man, whom Christ called in a particular manner to
the observance of poverty. Unfaithful souls, who but half
comply in following the movings of Divine grace, when called
from a worldly life to a religious state, should seriously re
flect on the Lord's threatening words :- " No man putting his
hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kindgora
of God." Luke, ix. 62,
Q. What practical lesson is to be deduced from this ?
A. That every one is bound earnestly and carefully to ex
amine what state of life he may be called ito, and that having
once recognized the Divine -will, he is to let no earthly consid
eration deter him from fulfilling it. Resolutely and steadily
he is to obey the voice of God when by prayer, interior illu
mination, exterior circumstances, and particularly in accord
ance with the advice of a holy and experienced spiritual guide,
he has attained moral certainty of his being called to the re
ligious state. He is then, in spite of every obstacle, and no
matter how tender and how strong the ties that bind him to
earth, to sever them and obey the voice of God, Those who
are not called to this holy and Divine state, should be very
careful not to deter or dissuade those who are favored with a
religious vocation from following it. This perverse conduct
would certainly render them highly culpable in the Divine
sight. Parents and relatives are to take this particularly to
heart, since they, as also brothers and sisters, are but too apt,
out of natural affection and motives founded on human respect
and consideration, to seek to prevent entrance into the religious

THE STATE OP CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 401
or clerical state. The justness of Christ's warning is here
proved in its full force : " And a man's enemies shall be they
of his own household." Matt, x, 36. Let those favored by
a Divine call consider the Apostle's words : " We ought to
obey God rather than man," Acts, v, 29, According to the
unanimous teaching of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church,
with St, Alphonsus Liguori, parental authority must give way.
The Church even grants time for reflection to those joined in
matrimony by her priests, and permits them, should they find
themselves called, still to enter the clerical or religious state,
provided matrimony has not been actually consummated.
Should either party feel called to enter orders or the religious
state, the marriage contracted is dissolved : so great is the
esteem in which religious life is held, imthe sight of God and
His holy Church.
Q. Which are the principal means of animating ourselves
with ever-renewed zeal in striving after the perfection of Chris
tian virtue ?
A. 1. Prayer, and communing with God in pious meditation.
" In my meditation," says the Psalmist, "a fire shall flame out."
Ps. xxxviii. 4. This is the fire of Divine love ; if it glow in
our hearts, that zeal for the practice of virtue, without which
we cannot please God, will certainly be enkindled. Whoever
is not devoted to prayer, whoever finds not this holy exercise
in regard to his spirit's life what breathing is to that of the
body, shall never experience the promptings of holy zeal.
2. Constant remembrance of the presence of God, a condi
tion of meditation, and continued prayer in spirit and in truth.
" Walk before Me, and be perfect," said God himself to Abra
ham. Gfin. xvii. 1.
3. The lively remembrance of our sweet Saviour ; earnest
reflection on His life, passion and death ; particularly, on His
uninterrupted presence with us in the adorable sacrament of
Ilis love. This, united with meditation on and veneration of
thu virtues of His most sacred heart ; oft-repeated visits to
the blessed sacrament ; frequent reception of the holy com
munion, and careful and fervent thanksgiving for this priceless
boon, will lead us into the sanctuary of mental prayer, and
procure a knowledge and love of Jesus Christ to which neither
written nor spoken human words can ever enable us to ar
rive.

402 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
4. Great and tender devotion to the spotless "Virgin, as the
dispenser of Divine grace, of whom it is -written : " I am the
Mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy
hope. In me is all grace of"the way and of the truth ; in me
is all hope of life and virtue : come over to me, all ye that
desire me, and be filled with my fruits." Eccl. xxiv. 24-27.
5. The resolute practice of sincere and heart-felt humility ;
for whatever we are, or may become in the service of God,
we are by grace, 1 Cor. xv. " But God communicates His
grace to the humble." 1 Pet. v. 5. Humility ensures for
us the practice of virtue, by the purity of intention.
6. The constant practice of self-denial, corporal austerities
and penance, with victories over self and passion. " If any
man will come after nSe, let him deny himself" This is the
admonition of Christ. Luke, ix. 23. And the Apostle as
sures us : " They who are Christ's have crucified their flesh,
with its vices and concupiscence." Gal. v. 24. " But I chas
tise my body." 1 Cor. ix. 27, " Overcome thyself," was
the frequent exhortation of St. Ignatius to St. Francis Xavier,
and through him to all. To the question. Why so ? the Saint
used to answer, Because this alone suffices. This is interior
abnegation, to be required by repeated acts of heroic vir
tue, for the practice of which daily life affords us number
less opportunities, and thus unseals to us a fountain of the
richest graces and merits. This is particularly true of vic
tories obtained over our curiosity in seeing and hearing, as
also in conversing on useless and distracting subjects,
7, The observance of silence, and a strict guard in general
over the tongue,
8. Due appreciation of adversities and crosses, and unal
terable patience in bearing them,
9, Zeal in whatever tends to promote the salvation of our
fellow-men, 10. Diligent examination of conscience,
11, Frequent confession, _
12. The example of the saints who so zealously practised
all this as we read in their lives. Whoever takes this into
consideration and duly ponders upon it, will find himself
touched by the same emotions that stirred St, Augustine's
heart when he exclaimed : " If others have been able to do
this, why not thou, oh, Austin?"

THE BTATE OP CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 403
1 3. Constant consideration of the four last things, partiou
lariy the certranty and proximity of death. The thought of
the judgments of God, that avenging Judge, who will probe
our every act, word, and even the most secret thought. The
remembrance of the eternity of woe to which the wicked are
hastening, and the awful uncertainty .as to the attainment of
salvation, " There exists a possibility of my being eternally
damned," These words all the saints were obliged, during
life, to address to themselves. What degree of zeal in the
practice of virtue, could be considered too great in order to
escape eternal torment! And, on the other hand, can any
exertion, made to obtain possession of eternal joy, be consid
ered too much ?
14, The annual spiritual renewal, or retreat, prescribed by
St, Ignatius, This is a certain time spent in solitude, during
which the eternal truths, the life, sufferings, and death of
Jesus Christ are taken into consideration, in such an order, as
is found most adapted to enlighten our understanding, inflame
our heart, and strengthen our will.
These spiritual exercises, are furthermore, means and
channels of grace, chosen by Divine Providence, as their
confirmation by the Holy See attests, and the experience of
thousands confirms. Happy the person who can find time and
opportunity to make this retreat for the appointed length of
time, viz., a month ; the meditations being divided into four
grand divisions, one for each week. The path on which one
is guided by these meditations, so admirably and systemati
cally digested, is distinguished by_the terms — the Purgative,
Illuminative, and Unitive Way ; man being thus strength
ened and encouraged to remove from his soul whatever stain
of sin and imperfection may be cleaving to it, and at the
same time irradiated and enlightened by the refulgence of
Christ's adorable virtues, and by a particular and plenteous
infusion of grace united with God. Eight or ten days are
then annually spent in solitude, in order to repeat these holy
exercises. They will be found most efficacious means of
reviving our zeal in the practice of virtue, and enkindling
within our breasts the earnest desire and the firm purpose of
striving resolutely and perseveringly after perfection.
The time-spent in this spiritual retreat may well be termed
davs of th} Lord. 1 Cor. vi. This, then, dear Christian, ia

404 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
the substance of the Catholic Religion, the way of salvation ;
walk steadfa-stly in that path, as you are admonished by this
'work. Pursue it in and through Him, whose example guides
and fortifies us in striving after perfection — Jesus Christ, the
Founder and Perfecter of our Faith, who is the " Alpha and
Omega," Amen.

ADDITIONS.

/THE JUBILl

Q. What do you mean by a Jubilee ?
A. By a Jubilee we mean that year of grace in which our
Holy Father, the Pope, grantis an extraordinary plenary in
dulgence to those who make a pilgrimage to Rome, By the
grant of Boniface "VIII., the jubilee was to take place every_
hundred years ; by that of Paul 11,, every twenty-five years.
What the jubilee was for the Jews, in a temporal point of
view, viz : a year of deliverance from servitude, a year of
rest ; it was intended to be for Christians in a spiritual point
of view, viz : a year of deliverance from the servitude of sin,
and peace of conscience. The jubilee takes place first at
Rome ; the year after, the indulgence of the jubilee can be
gained throughout the whole Church, This year is called
thii " Holy Year," In modern times the Popes are accus
tomed to grant a plenary indulgence in the form of a jubilee
on other particular occasions.
As in our days, wickedness spreads more rapidly than
ever, the Popes oftener afford these important opportunities
of penance and sanctification,
Q. What do you understand by an indulgence of so many
days, or so many years?
A. The remission of a certain amount of temporal punish
ment to be endured either on earth or in purgatory.

OF THE SACRAMENTALS.
If we attentively consider the blessings made use of by
the Church, we shall observe that they were of a two-fold
character, some belonging to things and persons, relating to
the public divine service, others, which the church imparts
rather for the private advantage of the faithful. We may
very properly distinguish them by calling those of the former
kind Benedictions, and those of the latter kind pimply Bless-

406 MANUAL OP THE CATHOLIC RELIGION.
ings. We do it for the sake of clearness, withoat pretend
ing that this distinction should be observed in commcn usage.
Itis also to be observed that most of the benedictions, -where
an anointment takes place, are usually called Consecrations.

(See page 326.) '
The Ecclesiastical Year and its Festivals.
Q. What is understood by the Kculesiastical Year?
A. That division of the year which the Church adopts in
commemorating the most important mysteries of our Re
demption, Q. Why do we mention the ecclesiastical year and its
festivals under the head of Sacramentals ?
A. Because the festivals of the Church are not only com
memorative of past events, but also' a kind of participation
in the graces connected with the great events which we Com
memorate. These festivals, therefore, are for those who cele
brate them in the spirit of the Church, like a tree bearing its
yearly fruit, and yielding its spiritual food of sanctification.
The prayers used by the Church confirm this doctrine, for she
prays as if the events commemorated occurred on tbe day of
their celebration.
Q. When does the ecclesiastical year begin ?
A. It begins on the first Sunday of Advent
Q. Which are its principal parts?
A. Advent, Lent, Easter-time, and the time from Trinity
Sunday to Advent.
Q. When does Advent begin ?
A. On the Sunday preceding the feast of St. Andrew, the
Apostle. Q. Of what do the four weeks of Advent remind us ?
A. Of the fijur thousand years preceding the coming of
Christ, and of the expectation and longing desire of men, par
ticularly the patriarchs and prophets, for the coming of the
Redeemer. Q. Why was Advent instituted by the Church ?
A. In order to prepare the faithful for the festival of tha
birth of our Lord.
Q. What does the Church do fgr this purpose?

THE ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR. 407
A. She is accustomed to sing a solemn High Mass, at an
early hour, in honor of the Blessed "Virgin, during which the
faithful unite their sighs for the coming Redeemer to those of
Mary the Queen of Prophets and the Mother of Jesus
Christ. Q. Which are the principal feasts whica the Church cele
brates at the close of Advent?
A. Christmas, Circumcision, and the Epiphany.
Q. What do we commemorate'on the Sundays that follow?
A. We commemorate the youth and hidden life of Jesus
Christ. Q. Of what does the holy time of Lent remind us?
^. Of the forty days' fast, and of all the labors of our
Lord in His apostolic life ; and particularly, at the close of
Holy Week, of His bitter passion and death.
Q. What do we commemorate on Palm Sunday ?
A. We commemorate the solemn entrance of Jesus into
Jerusalem. Q. Why does the Church begin the " Tenebrss " in Holy
Week on Wednesday ?
A. Because, on this day, Christ was betrayed by Judas
to the Pharisees and Scribes,
Q. Of what does Maunday-Thursday remind us ?
A. Of the Last Supper, and of the institution of the
blessed Sacrament,
Q. And Holy Frid.ay ?
A. Of the crucifixion and burial of our Lord,
Q. And Holy Saturday ?
A. Of the resurrection of our Lord.
Q. Why does not the Church commemorate the resurrec
tion during the night from Saturday to Sunday ?
A. On account of the many ceremonies that accompany
:he celebration.
Q. What does the Church bless on Holy Saturday par
ticularly ?
A. The fire, the paschal candle, and water for baptism,
Q. What does this blessed fire signify ?
A. The renovation of fervor, which should be a fruit of
the 'Jioly time of Lent, for the worthy celebration of Easter.
Q. "What is the signification of the paschal candle?
A. It signifies Christ the light of the wori i, and the Ufa
jf those who rise with Him from the dead.

408 MANUAL OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION,
Q. Why is water blessed for baptism on this day ?
A. Beeause it was on this day that Catechumens was ordi
narily baptized.
Q. Of what does the time intervening between Easter and
Ascension remind us ?
A. It reminds us of the forty days which Christ, after His
resurrection, spent on earth in instructing His disciples how
to direct His Church,
Q. Why has the Church established the three Rogation
days preceding the feast of the Ascension ?
A. To beg the blessing of God upon the fruits of the earth,
and his grace for the sanctification of the hearts of men which
have been prepared for His grace during the holy time of
Lent and Easter ; and to put us solemnly in mind that it is
principally by prayer that we obtain and increase the grace
of God for following Christ and winning heaven.
Q. Of what do the ten days intervening between Ascen
sion and Whitsuntide remind us ?
A. Of the Apostles assembled together with the other dis
ciples of our Lord, with Mary and the holy women, in the
Cenacle at Jerusalem, and of their preparation for the descent
of the Holy Ghost.
Q. Does Whitsuntide remind us of anything ?
A. Yes, of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles
and upon all the disciples of the Lord assembled on that
occasion, and of the founding of the Church.
Q. Why does the Church, on the following Sunday, cele
brate the feast of the Holy Trinity ?
A. In order to remind us and impress us deeply with the
truth, that one day we are to celebrate in heaven this feast of
feasts, viz : by the vision of the Holy Trinity, provided we
shall have made good use of the graces which God bestowed
on us whilst we were on earth.
Q. Why does the Church solemnize the festival of Corpus .
Christi on the Thursday after the feast of the Holy Trinity ?
A. In order to return special thanks for the institution of
the most august Sacrament of the Altar, the greatest of all
gifts bestowed on earth through the redemption, as this could
not be done becomingly in Holy week ; and in order to ad
monish us that it is through Christ our Lord alone that we
believe, hope, and love, and whose presence in this adcr.able
Sacrament renders our worship truly worthy of God,

MISSIONS. 403
« Q, What does the Church commemorate oi. the remaining
Sundays after the feast of the Holy Trinity ?
A. The periods of time gone by since the foundation of the
Church, during which the Providence of God has shown itself
so wonderfully in the preservation and propagation jf the
Church. Q. Of what are we reminded by the feast of All Saints ?
A. Of the glorious triumph which the blessed in heaven
enjoy now and forever.
Q. Of what does the feast of All Souls remind us ?
A. Of the souls suffering in Purgatory, in order that we
may be stimulated to help them by means of our prayers,
etc, and be spurred on by the memory of them to conclude
the ecclesical year in a worthy manner, and to begin the
next with greater fervor.

(See page 326.)
Missions.
y. What do you understand by Missions?
A. 6y missions 1 understand a renovation of spirit to be
eflecttcl by a whole congregation at a particular time, during
wnich the people assist at meditations, sermons, and other
spiritual exercises especially adapted to the occasion.
Q. "Which are the meditations, instructions, and spiritual
exercises principally belonging to a mission ?
A. Meditations on eternal truths, considerations and iu
structions concerning the state of life ; general confessionf
and communions ; thorough reconciliations ; a visit to the
churchyard accompanied by the pious recollection of the de
parted ; the institution of the confraternity of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus , the choosing of Mary for our Mother ; the
renovation of the promises made at Baptism ; making »
public atonement before the Blessed Sacrament; finally, the
blessing and erecting of the Holy Mission-cross,
Q. Since what time have missions been in use ?
A. In their essence they are as ancient as the preaching o.:
the Gospel itself. We find a type of them in the preaching
of penance by St, John the Baptist, His insi ting on th-
eternal truths, on the o/>nditions of a true reconciliation with

410 MANUAL OF THE CAIIIOLIO RELIGION.
God, on the example and the imitation of Christ, are so many
indica-tions of the nature and order of missions.
After him, Christ Himself and His Apostles, gave the
great mission for the conversion of the world, by which they
traced out the way to be followed by Missionaries, in order
to propagate the kingdom of Christ and increase the fervor
of Christians.
Q. Since when have missions been given in the manner in
iu which they are given now ?
A. Chiefly since the time when St, Ignatius wrote his
book of Spiritual Exercises, For missions are the application
of them to the people. Missions were given by the Fathers
of the Society of Jesus, and other religious orders since the
time of St. Ignatius, consequently, since the sixteenth century,
Q. Are missions useful ?
A. According to the testimony of experience, they are the
most eflicacious means for the conversion and sanctification
:)f entire congregations.

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