PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION FOR NEW CONFESSORS. HihH ©bslat. H. M. Bayley, Censor deputatus. imprimatur Henricus Eduardus, Cardinal is Archiepiscopns. VVestmonasterii, 7 Julii % 1SS5 . PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION FOR NEW CONFESSORS. Fr. PHILIP M. SALVATORI, S.J. EDITED BY Fr. ANTHONY BALLERINI, S.J. AND TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN BY WILLIAM HUTCH, D.D., President of St. Colmaris College , Fermoy. AUTHOR OF “ NANO NAGLE : HER LIFE, HER LABOURS, AND THEIR fruits”; “mrs. ball: a biography”; translator of BELLECIO'S “SPIRITUAL EXERCISES ACCORDING TO THE METHOD OF ST. IGNATIUS”; AND OF FRASSINETTl’S “NEW PARISH PRIEST’S PRACTICAL manual”; etc., etc. SECOND EDITION. BURNS AND OATES, Ltd. LONDON I GRANVILLE MANSIONS, ORCHARD STREET, W. NEW YORK : CATHOLIC PUBLICATION SOCIETY COMPANY, BARCLAY STREET. IS87. Price 4s . BOSTON COLLEGE LIBRARY CHESTNUT HILL MASS. 3XXX LL . CL S Z 6676 CONTENTS. PAGE Translator’s Preface ix Author’s Preface * xiii Some Ejaculatory Prayers suitable for Confessors . xvii Approbations . ...... xix Part I. — Containing the more important considera- tions to be proposed to sinners ... i § i. — Reflections to be proposed to those who neglect Religious Instruction 4 § 2. — Reflections to be proposed to those who detest Confession as an unbearable burden . . 11 § 3. — Reflections to be proposed to those who con- fess only once or twice in the year, though having it in their power to do so more fre- quently 15 § 4. — Reflections to be proposed to those who en- deavour to deceive the Confessor, in order to cheat him into giving them absolution . 18 § 5. — Reflections to be proposed to those who ap- proach the Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin 22 § 6. — Reflections to be proposed to those who omit to hear Mass on Festivals, or who assist thereat in an unbecoming manner, and pro- fane the Churdies . 28 VI Contents. PAGE § 7. — Reflections to be proposed to those who do not observe the fasts imposed by the Church ; to those who eat meat on for- bidden days ; and to those who are in the habit of getting drunk .... 33 § 8. — Reflections to be proposed to those who are addicted to the sin of theft .... 37 § 9. — Reflections to be proposed to those who have contracted a habit of sins of impurity, and especially to libertines and those who give scandal 41 § 10. — Reflections for those who reconcile them- selves to the idea of going to Hell, by the consolation that they will not be alone there 52 § 11. — Reflections for those vindictive and passionate persons who cannot bring themselves to lay aside their feelings of hatred and to pardon from their hearts those who have offended them 57 § 12. — Reflections to be proposed to those who make a bad use of public houses, and other like places of resort, especially on Festivals . 70 § 13. — Reflections for those who repine at their un- happy lot, and envy the prosperity of others 78 § 14. — Reflections to be proposed to those who can- not carry on a pleasant conversation without sin 91 § 15. — Reflections to be proposed to those who have a habit of cursing 103 16. — Reflections to be proposed to those who are addicted to swearing, and even to swearing falsely • TTO Contents. vii TAGI'. § 1 7. — Reflections for those who in conversation abuse the holy names of God, of our Re- deemer, and of the Saints . . . . 115 § 18. — Reflections to be proposed to those who blas- pheme the name of the Saints . . . 1 17 § 19. — Reflections for those who blaspheme the most holy name of Mary . . . . . 125 § 20. — Reflections to be proposed to those who blas- pheme God 128 § 21. — Reflections for those who utter blasphemies against Jesus Christ 139 § 22. — Reflections for those who despair of the divine mercy 146 § 23. — Reflections for those who find it difficult to make a good act of contrition . . . 150 § 24.— Reflections calculated to facilitate still more the eliciting of an act of true sorrow . . 158 § 25. — Of the manner in which converted sinners ought to approach the Holy Communion . 164 § 26. — Reflections calculated to confirm the con- verted sinner in his good resolutions . . 168 § 27.— How a converted sinner may greatly diminish, or entirely cancel, the large debt of temporal punishment and satisfaction which he owes to the divine justice . ,.187 Part II. — Reflections for the guidance of a Con- fessor, to enable him to act with a safe con- science in granting, refusing, or deferring Sacramental Absolution . . . . 197 § 1. — Explanation of the system to be adopted, and of the principles on which it is based . - 200 viii Conte?its. PACK § 2. — The proposed method is confirmed by clearing up some difficulties put forward against it . 226 § 3. — Further confirmation of the proposed method 241 § 4.— Third confirmation of the proposed method, drawn from the doctrine of the Saints, and the common teaching of the best Theolo- gians 257 § 5.-- A fourth and decisive confirmation of the pro- posed method, drawn from the teaching of the Roman Catechism .... 270 § 6. — Some remarks regarding the use of this little book 280 § 7. - A new confirmation of the proposed method derived from a Bull of Pope Leo XII. . 285 § 8. - A practical method of hearing a general Con- fession expeditiously, and in the manner which will prove most advantageous to peni- tents belonging to the ignorant classes . 288 § 9. — Setting forth a clear idea of the true sorrow required for sin according to the indisputable teaching of Holy Church, in order that a new Confessor may not worry himself and his penitents when he finds them of a cold temperament ...... 302 TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE. Father Salvatori’s Practical Instruction for New Confessors , which now appears in an English dress, was first published at Rome in the closing years of the last century. It was received by the clergy with marked favour, and rapidly passed through several editions, not alone at Rome, but elsewhere, throughout Italy. It is to be regretted, however, that in some of these editions the text was corrupted, to the extent of entirely altering the author’s views on a question of primary importance ; while in others certain valuable sections were altogether omitted. To remedy these defects, the cele- brated theologian, Fr. Ballerini, shortly before his lamented death, brought out a new edition of the work of his brother-Jesuit, in which he restored Salvatori’s text to its original purity and X Tratislator' s Preface . integrity.* The present translation has been made from Ballerini’s edition. The value of Fr. Salvatori’s Practical Instruc- tion is attested not alone by the fact that it is quoted with approval in almost every treatise on Moral Theology which has appeared in the pre- sent century, but also by the highly eulogistic terms in which it has been commended by the late Fr. Ballerini. He calls it “ opusculum plane egregium (see Ballerini’s Gury de Sac . Poenit ., Cap. II., Appendix II., n. 519, in nota)] and speaking of the author, he styles him, U pius ac doctus , et in ministerio audiendi Confessiones exercitatissimus ’’ (De Sac. Poenit . , De officio Judicis , Section II., n. 637, in nota). Father Salvatori’s work is divided into two parts. The first part consists of a series of in- structions and exhortations to be addressed to various classes of penitents, in order to dispose them to receive absolution worthily, as pre- scribed by the Roman Ritual {De Sac, Poenit .), in the following terms : — “ Demum, audita con- fessione, pro peccatorum gravitate et qualitate, ac poenitentis conditione, opportunas correc- * See Ballerini's Gury de Sac. Pcenit Cap. II., Appendix II., n. 519, in nota . Translator's Preface . xi tiones ac monitiones, prout opus esse viderit, paterna charitate adhibebit ; et ad dolorem ac contritionem efficacibus verbis adducere cona- bitur ; atque ad vitam emendandam, ac melius instituendam inducet, remediaque peccatorum tradet The second part lays down, and jus- tifies by most convincing arguments, the true system to be followed by a Confessor, when he doubts whether his penitent is sufficiently dis- posed to receive absolution. The idea of translating Father Salvatori’s Practical Instruction for New Confessors , was suggested to me by a German Priest, professing Moral Theology in a Seminary in the United States. In executing the task, I have endea- voured to reproduce the author’s views with the utmost fidelity ; and if my translation prove helpful to my brethren who are engaged in the ministry in English-speaking countries, I shall consider myself amply repaid for whatever trouble it may have cost me. WILLIAM HUTCH, St. Colman's College, Fermoy, 24th June , 1885. AUTHOR’S PREFACE. This new edition differs in no respect from the second, except that I have added three entire sections in the second part of the work. Al- though most of those who had read my book were fully convinced by the arguments which I put forward, based upon incontrovertible prin- ciples, nevertheless there were several to whom these arguments did not seem conclusive, and I have consequently been forced to strengthen my position by appealing to authority. Therefore, in the third section, I have collected the criti- cisms of respectable living theologians who have examined my book ; in the fourth section, I appeal to the authority of the most famous theologians of past centuries, showing how their teaching is in perfect accord with my own; and, finally, in the fifth section, I bring forward the xiv Author's Preface . very weighty authority of the Roman Catechism, of which, indeed, my book seems to be, sub- stantially, little more than a copy. May God grant that all my readers may be persuaded, at least, to make trial of the method which I advo- cate, and should they do so, I feel satisfied that it will be found productive of such good results, that they will adopt it ever afterwards as their fixed system of hearing Confessions. The better to secure this end, I believe it will be extremely useful to set forth from the very first page the aim and object of this little work ; for though it is sufficiently clear to anybody who has read the book with even a moderate degree of attention, it has, nevertheless, been misunder- stood by more than one. My object, then, has been to facilitate the giving of absolution ; not, however, as some of my critics have calum- niously asserted, by the adoption of a system of laxity, and by absolving sinners of every degree on their own bare assertion that they are duly disposed. So far is this from being the case that a great missionary, now a Bishop, having come to Rome to be consecrated, told me that my book had been to him an occasion of scruples, and that he had some hesitation in Author's Preface . xv placing it in the hands of his priests lest it might deter them from undertaking the labo- rious ministry of the Confessional. The only way, then, in which I endeavour to facilitate the giving of absolution is by stirring up the zeal of Confessors to spare no effort in instructing, ex- horting, and disposing for absolution those peni- tents who may come before them indisposed, and this, in strict conformity with the teaching of the Roman Catechism, where it speaks of the administration of the Sacrament of Penance. Therefore, I do not mean to attack the system of any Confessor, excepting only those who, when they find before them a penitent who is indisposed, content themselves with saying coldly to him: “I cannot absolve you: return to me on such a day, and meanwhile abstain from sin”. This is the pernicious system which I have set myself to attack ; because I myself, and many others who have told me of the fact, have met with hundreds of cases where unfortu- nate sinners had given up Confession altogether for years and years, precisely because they had been received by some Confessor in the manner just described. Several years ago I met with four cases of this kind in the hospitals within a xvi Author's Preface . single week, and this fact finally determined me to execute the design which I already enter- tained of writing this book, which I have ever since been striving to render as perfect as pos- sible, because of the great importance of its object. SOME EJACULATORY PRAYERS Very < suitable for Confessors , especially when entering the Confessional . Da mihi, Domine sedium tuarum assistricem sapientiam. Munda cor meum ac labia mea, Domine, ut sacramentum tuum digne valeam ministrare. Domine, fac me fieri piscatorem hominum. Ne respicias peccata mea, sed viscera miseri- cordiae tuae, et animas famulorum tuorum, quas pretioso sanguine redemesti. Nolo mortem peccatons, sed magis ut con* vertatur et vivat. xv in Ejaculatory Prayers . Docebo iniquos vias tuas, et impii ad te con- vertentur. O bone Jesu, ne, quum aliis praedicaverirn, ipse reprobus efficiar. Each Confessor , however, may use such ejacu- latory prayers as his own delation may suggest . Above all, when offering the Holy Sacrifice, Id him, in the Memento of the. Living, pray espe- cially for the conversion of sinners, and more particularly of his own penitents. APPROBATIONS. By direction of the Very Rev. Father, the Master of the Apostolic Palace, I have read and examined the little work, entitled, “ Practical Tnstruction for New Confessors , by Rev. Philip M. Salvatori I have found therein nothing opposed to the teaching of the Gospel or to sound morals ; but, on the contrary, I have found it replete with that spirit of zeal and charity which is the spirit of Jesus Christ, and in which His faithful ministers ought to receive, instruct, encourage, and judge sinners when they approach the holy tribunal of Penance. Wherefore, I consider the book worthy of publi- cation. Given at the Convent of Aracceli, 20th Dec.. 1797. F. AMBROSE ERBA, M.O., Ex- Provincial, Examiner of the Roman Clergy, Consultor of the Holy Office, of the Tndex, &c. XX Approbations . Having by direction of the Very Rev. Father, Master of the Apostolic Palace, read over the little work, entitled, “ Reflections proposed to sinners of the ignorant classes , to excite the? 7 i to the necessary sorrow for their sins , not only have I found nothing therein opposed to Faith or morals, but, on the contrary, I have experienced considerable pleasure and consola- tion on seeing the piety, the zeal, and the learning of the worthy author in instructing and exciting to a true and enduring repentance all poor sinners, and more especially those of the lower orders. I am, therefore, decidedly of opinion, that this little work should be imme- diately published for God’s greater glory and the benefit of our neighbour, since it is calcu- lated to inspire by the plainest reasons an intense and holy horror of every kind of sin. Given at Rome, in the Convent of St. Apos- toli, 14th July, 1801. F. ANDREA SGAMBATI. &c., &c. PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION FOR NEW CONFESSORS. PART I. Containing the more important considerations to be proposed to sinners . Experience proves that sinners, and especially those of the lower orders, do not, as a general rule, sin through formal and deliberate malice, but either through ignorance — which is, however, culpable and does not excuse from sin — or through the impulse of passion, or through the culpable absence of proper reflection. Where- fore many persons commit sin either without experiencing any feelings of remorse, or, worse still, actually believing that they are doing nothing wrong ; and sometimes they go so far as even to boast of their misdeeds, and to feel in some degree displeased and ashamed that they have not been guilty of certain offences, so that they do not hesitate to represent themselves to their companions as stained with some crimes i 2 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . which, as a matter of fact, they have never committed. How shall we inspire persons of this class with a due hatred of their sins ? The only means of doing so is to instruct them in the first instance, and to make them reflect on the enormity of their transgressions ; for man is so constituted, that it is useless to attempt to in- fluence his will, unless his intellect be first enlightened and convinced. And since, accord- ing to the Council of Trent, that sorrow for sin which is necessary for Justification is nothing else than a hatred and detestation of past offences, with a resolution of sinning no more, if an enlightened and zealous Confessor shall gradually convince his penitent of the unreasonableness, the base- ness, the malice, the wickedness, the deadly nature of his sins, he will certainly, with the aid of divine grace, which is always at man’s disposal, move his will to detest all past sins, and to form a firm resolution never more to offend God : and proceeding in this manner, he shall find the penitent at the close of his confession excellently disposed to receive sacramental absolution with fruit, and with a heart inflamed with divine love ; for, as Pope Saint Gregory reminds us : — Prce- dicaiores suos Dominus sequitur , quia prazdicatio proevenit , et tunc ad mentis nostroe, habitaculum Dominus venit , quanao verba exhort ationis prce>- currunt , atque per hoc veritas in mente suscipitur (Homil 17 in Evang.). It is with a view to the attainment of this end, Part 1. 3 that I conceived the idea of publishing the following reflections for God’s greater glory, for the spiritual advantage of my neighbour, and for the assistance of new Confessors; and I have been urged to give effect to this resolution by my own lengthened experience. I can assure my readers that, after labouring for two or three hours patiently and zealously in the manner here indicated, with even the most obdurate sinners, and those who had the greatest aversion to confession, I have never, except in some extremely rare case, had reason to entertain a prudent doubt as to the fitness of my penitent for the reception of absolution : nay, I have, almost invariably, had such evident signs of their good dispositions — and I do not now speak of tears, which are often deceptive and never necessary — that I could not have refused or deferred absolution without a very serious scruple of conscience, for not absolving a penitent whom I saw already so well disposed by the operation of God’s grace. Without further preface, then, I lay these reflections of mine before the reader; and I pray God to bless this poor work of mine, by causing the hearts of sinners to be penetrated by the words of one who, of himself, is but ces sonans , et cymbalum tinniens , and whose un- assisted voice, consequently, can but strike the ear, while it is powerless to reach the soul. 4 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . REFLECTIONS. § i . — Reflections to be proposed to those who neglect religious instruction . Most of the sins that are committed, and of the confessions that are badly made, are the result, as I remarked above, of the absence of due reflection on one’s own duties, and on the heinousness of the sins themselves. Now, re- flection is simply impossible in the case of those who have not the necessary knowledge, and this knowledge cannot be acquired without the necessary instruction, for, as the common proverb truly says : There is no royal road to learning. This matter of instruction may be considered under a twofold aspect, which I shall call active and passive instruction. By active instruction, I mean that instruction which one is bound to give ; by passive instruction, that which one is bound to receive. As regards the first, I do not mean to speak here of the obligation imposed upon Parish Priests, to instruct their parishioners in the Christian doctrine and in the maxims of the Gospel ; nor do I refer to the like obligation imposed upon the superiors of religious houses, and of boarding schools for young people of either sex. I presume that all such persons discharge their duty in this respect. They do not require to be urged by me to do so, nor is Part. I. — Section i. 5 it my duty to give additional impetus to their zeal. I am speaking here solely of the heads of families, on whom is imposed the obligation of imparting to their children the first lessons in Christian knowledge. And because of this obligation, persons who are about to contract marriage ought to be examined in the Christian doctrine by their respective Parish Priests, in order to ascertain whether they will be able afterwards to instruct their children in those truths which every Christian is bound to know. Now there is not the slightest doubt that parents are guilty of mortal sin, if they neglect to impart the necessary instruction to their children, either personally, or by means of competent teachers ; and, above all, if they do not take care that their children go to Catechism when it is taught in the Parish Church. This is a very grievous sin, and one which is by no means of unfrequent occurrence. Let heads of families, therefore, reflect seriously on this matter, and let masters also attend to it with regard to their dependents. However, we find persons sinning more commonly in the matter of passive instruction. How often does it not occur that children and servants are sent by their parents and masters to Catechism and religious instruction, but, instead of carrying out their intentions, either go to take a walk, or, in case they do visit the church, are inattentive to the instruction, or merely learn the words of the Catechism without endeavouring to understand their meaning? A 6 Practical Instruction for New Confessoi's . knowledge of the Christian doctrine, like every other kind of knowledge, does not consist in merely knowing by rote a certain form of words, but in understanding the meaning of these words. It is quite possible for one to know perfectly all the mere terms and rules of an art, without knowing in the least how to apply them practically — nay, even while doing the very opposite to what is prescribed by these rules. I have found this want of passive instruction more prevalent among adults than amongst young people, to such a degree that, in practice, I have found it more necessary to question grown men than boys, regarding their knowledge of the Christian doctrine. And many a time have I decided to defer sacramental absolution, solely because the penitent was not sufficiently instructed in the most necessary articles of Faith. Now to remedy and remove, as far as possible, such an evil as this is, I propose to persons of this class the following reflections : — If you were a soldier, and after several years of military service did not know even how to shoulder your rifle, or to perform the most elementary manoeuvres, would you not be ashamed of yourself? Would you not deserve to be igno- miniously drummed out of your regiment ? If you were a mason, a carpenter, a smith, would you not cut a sorry figure if you did not know how to handle the trowel, the saw, or the file ? Now, is it not a much greater disgrace to have Part I — Section r. 7 professed Christianity for many years, and yet not to know even the meaning of the word Christian , and to be ignorant of the very first elements of the Christian doctrine ? The case is worse if you have already reached middle age, and yet worse still if you have arrived at old age, without knowing what numbers of little children of eight or ten years of age know excellently. And here I must not pass by the foolish excuse which is put forward by many adults, when they are reproached with being ignorant of the principal mysteries of religion : “ When I was a child,” they say, “ I knew them, but I have since forgotten them Pray, tell me, would it be a valid excuse for a veteran soldier to say : “ When I was a recruit of a few months’ standing, I knew well all matters connected with my profession, but now I have forgotten them ”, This foolish excuse, I reply, only makes you the more culpable; because it is an evident proof that as your years increased your anxiety about your eternal salvation became diminished, if, indeed, it did not entirely disappear. Are you not aware that your salvation is absolutely im- possible, if you do not know the two principal mysteries of our holy Faith? Are you not aware that you are obliged under pain of mortal sin to know the Apostles’ Creed, the command- ments of God and of the Church, the Sacra- ments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity ? How can you observe the commandments, if you do not know them ? 8 Practical Instructio?i for New Confessors . How can you practise the virtues necessary for salvation, if you do not even know which they are, and in what they consist? How can you practise prayer — that means which is absolutely necessary to obtain grace from God — if you do not even know that model of good and effi- cacious prayer which our Divine Master has taught us ? The just man liveth by Faith, says Holy Writ. Faith is his food, his sword, his shield ; his shielcT to defend him against the assaults of his spiritual enemies ; his sword to conquer his rebellious passions ; his food to support in him the life of grace. Now, he who does not know the dogmas, the maxims, the precepts of Faith, is a man surrounded on all sides by assassins, yet defenceless ; he is a man destitute of the food that is necessary for him ; and therefore he must surely perish, whether by a violent, or by a lingering death. And when I use the word know, I mean thereby, as I said above, to understand and grasp the meaning of these things, since other- wise you should be no better than parrots. For if you do not understand well the meaning of the Creed, what is it that you believe? It is not the mere material words that constitute the object of your belief, but the things which these words signify. Many a time, on asking even adults : “ What do you mean by the Resurrec- tion of the Dead ? ” — and the same will hold true of other articles — I have found that some remained for a moment silent and bewildered, Part I. — Section r. 9 and then answered plainly : “ I don’t know,” while others gave the most ridiculous answers imaginable. But what is it, then, that you do believe when you say : I believe in the Resur- rection of the Dead ? Why, clearly you either have no definite belief whatever, or most certainly not that which is proposed in this article of the Creed. And here I would earnestly beg of those who teach Catechism, not to rest content with satisfying themselves that the words are accurately committed to memory, but to question their pupils, likewise, on the meaning of the words, and to teach it to them. But what remedy are we to point out to adults, when we find them ignorant in a matter of such grave importance ? If they are able to read, the remedy is easily found : let them buy a Catechism, let them study it, and get it explained to them by some good ecclesiastic, or even by some pious, well-instructed layman, and there is an end of the matter. The real difficulty occurs in the case of those who do not know how to read, and who are at the same time dull of comprehension. How are such persons to manage ? Must they go with the little children to the Parish Church, to attend the Catechism classes ? And why should they not ? They may, perhaps, say : “ We are ashamed to do so ; people would laugh at us Well, even so, what does it matter? In order to save one’s soul, one can and ought to endure everything. However, I would suggest some i o Practical Instruction for New Confessors . expedients, whereby those who have children or other young people dependent on them, may conceal their ignorance and spare their blushes. Let them personally conduct their children to the Catechism class : let them remain in the church during the time of instruction, seated at a short distance from the class, under the pretence that they are merely anxious that their children should be punctual in their attendance, and very attentive to the explanations of the Catechism given by the Priest : when they return home, let them get the children to repeat all that they have learned in the church, under the pretext of wishing to find out whether they have really been attentive : let them, * by means of little presents, induce some boy whom they know to be particularly well instructed, to visit at their house, and give a lesson in Catechism to their children ; on one day reciting and explaining the Creed, on another day the com- mandments of God, on a third day the acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, &c. ; and in this manner, under the pretext of getting their children instructed, they will become instructed themselves, and will accomplish, at one and the same time, two good results. The conclusion of the entire matter is, that the Confessor must enjoin upon his penitent to become instructed in some way or other, inform- ing him that otherwise salvation is impossible for him on this ground alone. Part L — Section 2> ii $ 2 . Reflections to be proposed to those who detest Confession as an unbearable burden . What should you say of a sick person who would hold in abhorrence both physicians and medicine ? You would unhesitatingly pronounce him a fool, a madman. Now, a sinner, and especially one who is burdened with many crimes, is a sick man suffering from a deadly malady. The only medicine that can restore him .to health is confession, and the only physician who can administer this salutary remedy is the Confessor. Is not the person, then, who remains away from confession, — nay, who even detests and hates both confession and the Confessor, a great fool, a downright madman ? Again, if your father, your mother, your son, or your wife had died, and you knew that there was a certain person who could restore them to life, would you not be the most cruel and most inhuman of men, should you be unwilling to put yourself to the trouble of seeking out this miracle-worker, in order that he might bring back to life persons who ought to be so dear to you ? Well, your soul ought to be much dearer to you than father, or mother, or children, or wife ; because your soul is the principal part of your own self ; and upon the fact of its being vivified by God’s grace, or dead through the want of it, depends your eternal happiness or misery. Now, this soul of yours is spiritually 1 2 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . dead through sin. A Confessor, by means of the Sacrament of Penance, can restore it to the life of grace. Would you not, then, be guilty of monstrous cruelty towards yourself, if you were unwilling to have recourse to one who is possessed of a medicine so wonderful, and who, by a simple absolution, can restore you to life ? If a monarch were to promulgate an edict in the following terms : — “ Should any of my subjects be guilty of any crime punishable with death, including even high treason, it shall be sufficient that he present himself before the Minister appointed by me for that purpose, and confess to him sincerely his fault, with all necessary circumstances, detesting at the same time his crime, asking pardon for it, and sincerely promising never more to be guilty of it ; and on these conditions I pardon him, and forbid the officers of justice to molest him : but should he be unwilling to make this voluntary confession, the law shall be put in motion against him, and shall condemn him to the penalties in such cases decreed ” — everybody would exclaim : “ What a good prince ! What a merciful sovereign ! ” and every criminal would hasten eagerly to execute all that the monarch, through an excess of clemency, had enjoined. And should there chance to be any criminal so doggedly obstinate as to refuse compliance with even these mild terms, every one would pro- nounce him a fool ; and, on seeing him after- wards dragged to execution by ^he officers of Part L — Section 2 . 13 justice, they would say : He has well deserved it, and would deserve even a more severe punish- ment, if possible. Now, no earthly monarch has ever yet published an edict so merciful as that which I have set down above ; but the Supreme Monarch of the Universe has published such an edict, when He instituted the law of Sacramental Confession. Though a Christian should be guilty of crimes the most enormous, and in number beyond reckoning, yet if he goes to confess them with sincerity to the minister of God, if he detests them from his heart, and with resolute will protests that he will nevermore be guilty of them, he obtains pardon of them from God, and is restored to his ancient rights as an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven. And yet there are to be found persons who do not wish to comply with this law ! And observe how far their folly surpasses that of the criminals in the example given above. For, after all, the subject of a prince of this world may possibly flatter himself that he shall be able to evade, somehow, the trials and the punishments of an earthly tribunal ; but who can escape from the searching eye and the omnipotence of God ? Is it not then an excess of folly, the most monstrous cruelty against one’s self, to live voluntarily in the constant danger of experiencing the effects of God’s justice in the eternal torments of Hell, rather than make a good confession ? After what has been said, I consider it useless 14 Pi'cictical Instruction for New Confessors. to reply to the frivolous excuses which are put forward by persons of this class. “ I have no time,” they say : “I am ashamed : I am afraid " j that the Confessor may scold me, and send me ' away, time after time, without absolution : I am afraid lest the Confessor may impose upon me too severe a penance,” &c. So then, you have time enough to visit the public-house, to amuse yourself, to dance attend- ance upon young ladies, but you cannot find time to rescue yourself from Hell ! You con- sider yourself profitably employed, when you toil for whole days to earn a crust of bread ; and do you think it too much to spend a few hours in winning for yourself Heaven ? In order to escape Hell, do you consider it too much’ to endure a little secret shame, of which no one can be witness, except a solitary fellow-man ; too much to hear yourself scolded a little in private (in the supposition that such a thing should occur at all); too much to perform a penance which may be a little troublesome ? But, as a matter of fact, you need not fear even such trivial inconveniences at the hands of a Confessor animated by the spirit of Jesus Christ; for, in the very act of assisting you to realise the heinousness of your sins, he will pity you from his heart for having had the misfortune to fall into them, and he will endeavour to make your penance propor- tionate to your strength, to your circumstances, and to your spiritual necessities. How frequently do you not return to visit a person from whom i5 Part /. — Section j. you are to receive a few shillings ? How many hours do you not wait to get audience from a gentleman from whom you wish to seek protection, or to ask a favour ? And yet will you think it too great a grievance to return once or twice (supposing that this be necessary), to a Confessor who can pour into your heart the treasures of divine grace, who can place you again upon the path of eternal salvation, and who can win back for you that Heaven which you have lost ? § 3 . — Reflections to be proposed to those who coji- fess only once or twice in the year , though having it in their power to do so more frequently . In the last section I have endeavoured to undeceive those who remain away from con- fession for several years ; but it is no less neces- sary to undeceive another class of persons, who think they are doing a good deal by going to confession once, twice, or three times in the year, and so long as they do so are quite easy in their minds on this score. This might be as much as could fairly be ex- pected from some poor herdsman, who is obliged to live in a remote and isolated country district, where he can with difficulty contrive to hear mass on Festival days, and to go to confession once a year in compliance with the precept of the Church. But when a person who lives in or 1 6 Practical Instruction for New Corifesscrs. near a populous district, where there is a suffi- cient number of priests, rests satisfied with going to confession barely two or three times a year, (and worse still, if only once a year), there are grounds for grave suspicion, which to my mind almost amounts to a certainty, that he rarely confesses well, and that his confessions may in a great measure be considered sacrilegious. I have found by experience, at least in the many cases that have come under my notice, that in arriving at this conclusion I have not been deceived. I do not mean to allude now to the great difficulty which such persons experience in making a proper examination of conscience : I speak espe- cially of the necessary sorrow and purpose of amendment — matters of far greater consequence than the mere oral confession. With persons of this class I reason as follows : — The sorrow required for a good confession is a hatred and detestation of sin above every other evil: the purpose of amendment which is required, is a firm resolution to die rather than commit sin again, and consequently to employ the means that are most necessary to prevent a relapse into sin. Now, if you see, for example, a man, whom we shall call Francis, in hourly intercourse with another man, whom we shall call Anthony, living with him, dining with him, sleeping with him, walking with him, and taking his recrea- tions with him, could you by any possibility say with truth that Francis hates Anthony ? Would you not, on the contrary, be forced to say that Part /. — Section 3. 17 Anthony is the bosom friend of Francis? Well, then, how can I say that you hate sin above every other evil, if you cherish it in your soul for several months, and if, with the guilt of sin thus pressing down upon you, you still have the courage to laugh, to feast, and to amuse your- self, without ever thinking of shaking off this load of sin, when you may do so merely by wishing it? Again, you must, many a time, have heard it inculcated by preachers and confessors, that the Sacrament of Penance is the most efficacious means not only to blot out past sins, but also to preserve one from future relapses; and yet, knowing all this, you, through cowardice, through an unwillingness to put yourself to a slight in- convenience, avail yourself so rarely of this great preventive medicine ! How can such conduct on your part be reconciled with a serious and firm resolution never to sin again ? If, on recovering from a severe illness, you heard certain remedies prescribed by the physician in order to prevent a relapse, you would scrupu- lously make use of them, because of your real anxiety not to relapse into sickness ; and if any one were to see you entirely neglecting the pre- scriptions of your physician, he would have no hesitation in saying : This man 7mshes to beco?ne ill again , and that , too , quickly . Now the self- same may be said of you, when you avail your- self so rarely of that great preventive — confession, though having it in your power to avail of it frequently if you chose. You have not, in all 2 1 8 Practical Instniction for New Confessors . probability, a real wish, or a sincere resolution, to avoid sin for the future. Wherefore it is, that those rare confessions have attached to them a suspicion of sacrilege, because of the absence of the necessary sorrow and purpose of amendment. It is necessary, therefore, to induce persons of this class to make a general confession, in order that we may not begin to build up without hav- ing first laid a sure and solid foundation ; and without a general confession I can never bring myself to absolve such persons with a tranquil conscience. I will add, in conclusion, that if frequent confession had been imposed as a penance upon persons of this class, and that they had, nevertheless, omitted it, in addition to the sin committed by the non-performance of a penance imposed for grievous sins, there is, generally speaking, a far stronger presumption, and I would almost say a certainty, of the absence in their case of the necessary sorrow and purpose of amendment in their past confessions. Because the greater the obligation of going to confession, the more manifest become the bad dispositions of the person who omits to do so. § 4 . — Reflections to be proposed to those who endeavour to deceive the Confessor, in order to cheat him i?ito giving them absolution . We not unfrequently meet with persons who, for the purpose of inducing the Confessor to absolve them, either purposely conceal sins Part /. — Section 4. 19 which they have committed, or falsely represent that they have practised the means recommended to them for the avoidance of sin, or have fulfilled the obligations imposed upon them in confession. To this class belong especially those whom the Confessor judges it right to keep in a state of probation before absolving them ; and more particularly so if the probation be somewhat pro- longed. These persons, weary of returning so often to the Confessor, if asked by him : “ Have you visited that hoitse again since your last con- fession ?” reply, “No, Father ” “ Have you performed those devout practices which I recom- mended to you ?” — “ Yes, Father”. Influenced by such replies, the Confessor at length gives them absolution, and they go away perfectly satisfied, saying to themselves, and often to their friends also : “At length I have succeeded in hoaxing the Confessor I have met with many such cases, when hearing the confessions of patients in the hospitals. Now, with persons of this class, I reason thus : — On the one hand you tempt me to laugh, but on the other you move me much more to weep. So, then, you console yourself with the thought that you have hoaxed the Confessor ? But the Devil has hoaxed you much more seriously. What injury has it done the Confessor to have believed your story ? He has simply discharged his duty, and he has thereby gained merit before God. The harm that has been done is altogether on your own side, and the Devil 20 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . has profited thereby, and is rejoiced thereat exceedingly. You fancy that you have cleverly wrested an absolution out of the hands of the priest. You imagine that you are freed from your sins, while in reality you have but incurred the guilt of an additional and more grievous sin — that is to say of a sacrilege. You have accom- plished the splendid result of changing the precious blood of Jesus Christ into poison, of changing the most health-giving medicine into an agent of death. Do you not know that, when you go to receive the Sacrament of Penance, there are two persons listening to your con- fession — the priest, namely, whom you see, and God, whom you do not see ? In order that the absolution of your sins may be effective, it must proceed from both these persons. If the priest pronounces the absolution while God does not ratify it, it is absolutely worthless — aye, even though the Pope himself should happen to be the Confessor. If you confess your sins sincerely, with true sorrow and a firm purpose of amend- ment, coupled with an intention of executing whatever the Confessor may impose upon you, then, indeed, while the priest is pronouncing the words of absolution, God, also, is absolving you. But if, on the other hand, your confession is culpably defective, through the absence of sincerity, or of sorrow, or of the purpose of amendment, then, at the very moment that the priest pronounces the form of absolution, God curses you. Oh, what a precious gain is this ! Part I. — Section 4, 21 What a splendid achievement ! Go, by all means, and boast of it to your friends ! The Devil indeed will boast of it, and with good reason, too, while, down in Hell, he is laughing at your expense. The same remarks apply to those who console themselves with the thought of having hoaxed their Pastor in the reception of the paschal com- munion, or of having fraudulently procured another person’s certificate of compliance with the paschal precept, or of having gone through the form of complying with the obligation by a mock, or sacrilegious confession. To such persons I would say : You supply a remarkable instance of “ the biter bitten ”. You have committed a sacrilege ; you have not complied with the paschal precept ; you have committed a sin which, in some dioceses, is reserved : and you have exposed yourself to excommunication, which, though it be not public in the face of the Church, yet is clear before the tribunal of God, and produces in your soul all its sad effects and all its baleful consequences. It would have been for you a lesser evil to have been publicly excommunicated. In that case there would be grounds for hoping that you might thereby be brought to a sincere repentance; whereas under this secret sentence of excommunication, you live tranquilly in your sin, affording but little hope of your conversion. Of you it may be said with truth, that you have cheated yourself, and are self-satisfied. 22 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . § 5 - — Reflections to be proposed to those who approach the Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin . What would be your feelings if you should chance to see a consecrated host lying in a cess- pool, or in a sewer? You would be horrified. Jesus Christ lying in a cesspool, or in a sewer ! And yet, abstracting from the sacrilegious irreverence of the person who should have flung the consecrated host into such a place, it is a matter of indifference, as far as it affects our Lord Himself, whether He be in Heaven, or in the tabernacle, in a vessel of gold, or in a cess- pool, or in a sewer. The stench, the loathsome- ness, the filth of such places cannot affect Him in the least. But when you receive Him with a soul defiled by mortal sin, you put Him into a place so filthy and revolting in His eyes, that were He not impassible and immortal, He would die through very loathing of its horrible stench ; for, in the estimation of God, the stench of a soul defiled by sin is less endurable, than would be in our estimation the stench of a putrid dog : Tolerabilius foetet canis 7nortuus quam anima 'peccalrix Deo. If you had to receive into your house your earthly sovereign, would you so arrange matters, that he should meet there a person detested by him, an enemy of his, a traitor, a rebel ? Now, when you go to receive communion, you receive Part 1. — Section 5 . 23 into your bosom the Sovereign of the Universe, the King of Kings, your Creator, your God; and when you receive Him in mortal sin, you cause Him to find in your very heart his greatest enemy, the one thing that He hates more than anything else in existence ; in fact, the only ob- ject of His Divine hatred — a hatred which is in- finite and essential to Him, so much so, that if, by an impossible hypothesis, He could cease even for a single moment to hate sin infinitely and essenti- ally, in that very moment He would cease to be God. Mortal sin is that which raised the standard of rebellion against Him ; mortal sin is that which betrayed Him into the hands of His enemies and put Him to death, at that period of His existence when He was capable of dying ; that is, when He clothed Himself with the perishable nature of man. Would you have courage enough to swallow a sharp instrument, which should cut your throat and lacerate your bowels ? Well, you do some- thing far worse, when you receive Jesus Christ unworthily in the Holy Eucharist ; for in that very act, according to the teaching of Saint Paul, you eat and drink judgment to yourself ; that is to say, the sentence of your eternal condemna- tion to hell fire. When you communicate in mortal sin, you destroy the most beautiful of God’s works — His very masterpiece. In instituting the Sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus Christ, according to the teaching of the Council of Trent, exhausted the 24 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . treasures of His Divine Love towards man ; for, as Saint Augustine says, though He is infinitely wise, He knew of nothing greater to bestow upon us ; though He is infinitely rich, He had nothing more precious to confer upon us than His entire Self. And what end had the Redeemer in view in giving us this gift of infinite value ? He wished to unite Himself to us in the closest pos- sible bonds ; to change us into Himself as far as might be ; to make us Divine, as far as it is pos- sible for a pure creature to become so. Now, when you communicate in mortal sin, you en- tirely destroy this most sublime and most loving design of God, and you bring about a result which is diametrically opposed to His intentions. By a sacrilege so enormous, you separate your- self more and more from God ; you build up between Him and you a wall of separation, the highest and thickest possible ; you bind yourself still more closely to His most deadly enemy, the Devil ; and you, as it were, make yourself incor- porate with him. In fact, the Gospel tells us that as soon as Judas had communicated sacri- legiously, the Devil entered into him, and urged on the unhappy wretch to hang himself from a tree, when, as Saint Peter informs us, he “ burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out” (Acts i. 18). And if we do not always see like external consequences resulting from sacrilegious communions, nevertheless there al- ways follows the invisible effect mentioned above of your farther separation from God, and your Part I. — Section 5. 25 closer union with the Devil, by swallowing, in the act of communicating sacrilegiously, your eternal condemnation. “ If this be the case then ,” some one may say, <£ it is better never to communicate at all . ” I reply : it is better ; that is to say, it is a lesser evil, never to communicate, than to do so in a state of mortal sin. But, at the same time, never to communicate, or to do so very rarely, is likewise a very grievous sin. What would you say of one who, after having been brought to death’s door through having eaten some poisoned food, should conclude that it were better nevermore to taste food ? You would surely tell him that it were better never to eat, than to eat poisoned food; but you would tell him, at the same time, that total abstinence from food would be a fatal mistake. To eat poisoned food would cause death in a few hours, and, therefore, of the two, it is the greater evil ; but total abstinence from food will with equal cer- tainty cause death in a few days, and therefore to abstain from food altogether would, likewise, be a very great evil. Let me apply what I have said to your case. If you communicate in a state of mortal sin, you thereby swallow at once the sentence of your eternal death, and, con- sequently, to do this is a greater evil than to abstain altogether from going to communion ; but if, on the other hand, you give up com- munion altogether, you will also bring about your spiritual death, though more slowly. In 26 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . the first place, if you do not communicate at Easter, in obedience to the command of the Church, you commit a mortal sin, and incur a sentence of excommunication ; and thus, on this count alone, you become dead to grace, cut off from the communion of the faithful, and condemned to Hell.* In the second place, just as corporal food is necessary to the body for the sustainment of man’s temporal life, so the soul has need of the Eucharistic food in order to live the life of grace. Our Lord has expressly declared in the gospel — “ Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood , you shall not have life in yoi i” (John vi. 54), and just as to partake of corporal food barely a few times in the year, is not sufficient in order to live in good health, and with unimpaired bodily strength, so like- wise it is almost impossible that a soul should not lose the life of grace, if it be not nourished with the Eucharistic food oftener than once a year ; and it will certainly become extremely weak and infirm, if it be content to partake of this food barely two or three times in the year. It has been my practice to afford tangible proof of this truth to those patients who have been in hospital a long time, and whom I have attended. I began by inducing them to make a diligent general confession of their entire lives, * It is needless to remark that the sentence of excom- munication referred to here is ferencLce sententice. However, as it was the universal custom in Italy in the author’s time to carry the sentence into effect, he speaks of it as though it were latx sententice. — Translator e note. Part I. — Section 5. 27 after which I admitted them at once to com- munion, while they were still in the first fervour of their conversion. Afterwards, I have been accustomed to make them go to confession and communion every ten or fifteen days. Occasionally some one would say to me : “ Father, what is it that I can confess, if I have done nothing” — for persons who are in the habit of living for months and years with their souls laden with every kind of sin, think that they are perfectly guiltless when they have not committed mortal sins. To such persons I have replied : You see, then, the happy result of going to confession and communion fre- quently, and with the proper dispositions : if you had acted similarly in the past, you would now be a Saint. Persevere then in your present practice. Wherefore, the conclusion to be drawn from what has been said up to the present in this section, is not, by any means, that “it is better to abstain altogether from communion,” but that one must be careful to communicate with the proper dispositions, and to do so frequently. Wherefore if one’s conscience be ill at ease, let him begin by making a good general confession, and then approach the Holy Com- munion. Let him afterwards continue to go to confession and communion at least twice a month, preparing himself for this great act as diligently as possible, and in a short while he will find himself changed into another man. The 28 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . Holy Eucharist is a heavenly food, which is all- powerful to produce in us fruits of life and of eternal salvation; but it operates according to the dispositions of the person who receives it, to such a degree that it becomes a deadly poison to him who receives it unworthily. As the Church sings in her hymn, it brings death to the wicked, but eternal life to the good — Mors est malis , vita bonis ; vide far is sumptionis quam sit dispar exitus ! How different the results pro- duced by one and the same food ! § 6 . — Reflections to be proposed to those who omit to hear Mass on Festivals , or who assist thereat in an unbecoming manner , and profane the churches . God is the Author, the Sovereign Master of Time, as of every other created thing, including our own selves. Who then could complain, if He had imposed upon us such a law as the following : — “ Let six days of the week be con- secrated to me and to my service : let one day only be at your disposal ” ? Do not worldly masters, for a miserable stipend, claim from their dependents the service of an entire year, out of which they allow them barely an occa- sional free hour ? But God, infinitely more considerate than even the very best of worldly masters, says to us on the contrary : — Of the seven days of the week I leave six free to you, so that you may do therein anything you please, Part 1. — Section 6. 29 except sin ; but I wish one day to be consecrated in a special manner to my service — at least to the extent of devoting half-an-hour on that day to assisting devoutly at Mass. Now will any one refuse to obey this command of God, and devote half-an-hour out of seven days to the hearing of Mass ? Do you not perceive the in- justice, the ingratitude, the unreasonableness of the person who should act thus ? Would not such a person practically accuse God of being an unjust master, who demands from us too much, and things above our strength, or in excess of the duties which we owe Him ? What is the Mass, and what is it that takes place in its celebration? In the Mass, as Faith teaches us, Jesus Christ in person, as Chief Priest, renews upon the altar at the moment of conse- cration, although in a bloodless manner, that self- same sacrifice of Himself which He consummated on Calvary ; and He offers it to His Eternal Father for me, for you, for every single member of the human race, whom He has individually present before His eyes. And while Jesus Christ is thus sacrificing Himself for you, will you not put yourself to the trouble of assisting at this dread act, even once a week, and accompanying such a sacrifice with the outpouring of your gratitude and with your prayers ? Let me sup- pose that you had chanced to be present in Jerusalem, when Jesus Christ went out towards Calvary with the cross upon His shoulders ; and that the Saviour, fixing His glance upon one in 30 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . the crowd, should call him by name, and say : “ Francis (for example), do you know whither I am going? I am going to the top of that moun- tain, to lay down my life in sacrifice for thee ” : and let us further suppose that this man, Francis, should reply : “ Proceed, by all means, Lord ; it matters nothing to me ; I am unwilling even to take the trouble of climbing the mountain with you to bear you company; proceed, by all means, to die for me, but meanwhile, I am going to take a walk, I am going to have a game at cards, I am going to amuse myself, I am going to enjoy the company of a person who is more agreeable to me than you are ” — what would you have said on witnessing such a scene ? You would have exclaimed that this person, Francis, was not a human being, but a tiger, a monster in human shape. And yet, do not declaim against him too warmly. You yourself are that very man , when- ever you have remained away from Mass to in- dulge your taste for gambling, to frequent a public-house, to enjoy a questionable companion- ship. It is true that in words you have not answered as did Francis, but practically you have done so by your acts. And if you have gone to Mass, but have assisted thereat in an irreverent manner, stand- ing, or sitting down (although not prevented from kneeling by sickness or any weakness what- ever), chatting, looking to see who entered and who left the church, or even fixing your eyes on dangerous objects, invited, perhaps, by you to Part I. — Section 6 . 31 the church by previous appointment — if, I say, you have assisted at Mass in this manner, you have done much worse than if you had not gone there at all. In the first place, by acting in this manner, you have not really heard Mass, nor satisfied the precept of hearing it. For the pre- cept of hearing Mass implies the performance of an act of religion, and therefore one must hear it religiously. In the second place, you have profaned the Church, which, of itself, is a sin, and a horrible sin ; and you have insulted Jesus Christ at His very altar, while He was immolating Himself upon it for you. Let us take up once more the example of the man Francis, alluded to above. If that person, instead of answering our Divine Lord in the manner which we pic- tured to ourselves, had indeed, followed Him to Calvary, but at each fall of the Redeemer had burst out laughing by His side; if at the moment of the Crucifixion he had hammered in the nails ; if as the Saviour hung from the Cross he took his stand before Him, sneering at Him and jibing Him as did the perfidious Jews ; if, when He cried out that He thirsted, he had given Him gall to drink, in order to increase His tor- ments — how much more would he not have excited your indignation in this second hypo- thesis ? how much more barbarous and cruel would he not have proved himself by his action in this second case, than he did by his conduct in the first ? Well, this is precisely how you have acted when you have assisted at Mass in 32 Practical Instruction for New Confessois . the manner which I have described : you have done in reality, what we have only been pic- turing to ourselves in the case of the barbarous, wicked, sacrilegious, but imaginary Francis. God being necessarily present everywhere by His immensity, and therefore seeing His presence insulted by men in the streets, in the taverns, in the theatres, in the clubs, in the places of public amusement, has chosen some few small spots on the earth where His presence might be respected and adored in a becoming manner. Wherefore when you wish to gratify your passions by sin, you have a world of places where you can do so with less — though, nevertheless, always great — insult to the infinite majesty of God. Now, when you go to commit sin in the church, when you betake yourself thither with the same immodesty of dress, of look, of speech, which accompanies you in the street, in the theatre and elsewhere, you persecute God in His own very sanctuary. And yet if your deadly foe were to take refuge in a church or in the palace of a prince, you would not dare to offer outrage to him in such a place ; and is God the only one who in your eyes does not deserve to be respected and spared in His own chosen asylum, in His own house, in His own palace — that is to say, in His church ? You understand, therefore, how justly God complains of these more than of other sins, and usually punishes them with more horrible and public chastisements. Part I — Section 7, 33 § 7 . — Reflections to be proposed to those who do not observe the fasts imposed by the Church; to those who eat meat on forbidden days ; and to those who are in the habit of getting drunk . If any one were to say to you : eat and drink 1 to-day what you please, and in what quantity you please, and if your funds do not permit you to do so, I will pay the reckoning, but on this con- ! dition, that you must afterwards remain for eight days without tasting any food or drink whatever — would you accept this proposal ? Without doubt, you would reply, “Not unless 1 \ were mad ” ; and you would reply rightly. It would not pay to feast for a single day, and afterwards to die of hunger and thirst. Very good ; but do you not commit a far greater act of folly when, through not knowing how to moderate your propensity to gluttony, you either get drunk, or do not observe the fasts im- posed by the Church, or eat meat on forbidden days ? By any one of these sins, which are mortal sins, you consign your soul to hell ; that is to say, for a momentary gratification of your appetite, you sentence yourself, of your own free will, to suffer in hell, in addition to other tor- ments, a ravenous hunger and a most burning thirst, in the midst of flames, without any hope of ever being able to taste as much as a crumb of bread and the smallest drop of water or other 3 34 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. liquid ; and this, not for eight days, or for eight years, or for eight centuries, but for all eternity ! If you enjoyed a lucrative and honourable situation, and knew that, in order to retain it, you must observe exactly the above-mentioned pre- cepts of the Church, would you not be most careful not to transgress them in the least par- ticular ? And yet you have no difficulty in vio- lating them, though you know by faith that such violation entails upon you the loss of God’s grace and of Heaven ; that is to say, your most precious treasure, your eternal happiness ! And here I must reply to two popular, and by no means unusual errors regarding this matter. The first is this : — In many instances I have found, among the lower orders, persons who imagine that they are not bound by the ecclesi- astical law prescribing on fast days but one full meal and a collation, for the sole reason that they are, as they say, poor people. In styling themselves “ poor people,” they do not mean that they belong to the class of those who, because of their poverty, are unable to procure a dinner which, together with the collation, will be sufficient to maintain their necessary strength ; but they pretend to be exempt because they cannot afford a dinner equal to that of rich persons. This false doctrine is frequently put forward by innkeepers, fruiterers, and many artisans who are not engaged in that class of labour called improba by Moral Theologians, and who are not, consequently, dispensed from the Part /. — Section 7. 35 fast by reason of their bodily toil. To such persons I say : Can you maintain your bodily strength sufficiently by the small snacks which you take from time to time during the day ? Well, if so, unite in one full meal and a collation all that you are accustomed to take in these slight repasts during the day, and you will pre- serve your bodily health equally well. The fact is, that such persons are unwilling to submit themselves to the slightest inconvenience, by waiting for the hours prescribed by the Church for taking the legitimate single meal and the collation. But it is precisely in this incon- venience that the penance imposed by the Church in the law of fasting consists ; and divine justice requires the performance of this penance in atonement for your sins. The second error is a really curious one, and is of pretty frequent occurrence. Among other questions to be put to penitents there is this : Have you ever eaten meat on Friday ? Several persons answer “ Yes,” without any scruple. “ And why ? ” you will ask them. They reply : “ Some soup and meat, remaining over from Thursday, was offered to me, and I ate it, because I was unwilling to throw away the gift of God 99 . But this (I rejoin) is precisely throwing away the gift of God. God has not given you food that you may employ it to commit sin and violate His law. Food is called the gift of God, inasmuch as it is one of those good things with which He provides us, just like clothing, 3 6 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . wealth, corporal health, and those other favours which we enjoy in the natural and social order. But in eating forbidden meats, or in using those which are allowed in violation of the Church’s precept, you really throw away the supernatural and sanctifying gift of God — that is to say, the most precious thing that man can possess, since by means of it we are the friends and children of God, and heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven, and in losing it you become the slave of the Devil, and deserving of Hell fire. “ But what, then, are we to do with this meat?” such persons reply. I answer by saying : If you cannot pre- serve this food until the following day, it is better to throw it away, or to give it to the dogs, rather than eat it yourselves. But there is no need whatever to do this. Are there not poor famished creatures to be found? are there not children who have not yet attained the use of reason, and to whom it is permitted to eat what they please ? Give it to these, and your scruple about throwing away the gift of God immedi- ately vanishes. Finally, let those who eat flesh meat on for- bidden days, or who do not fast on days pre- scribed by the Church, acting upon the permission of the physician, take care that such permission is obtained legitimately. In the first place, have you explained to the physician sincerely and with candour the ailments from which you suffer, or have you exaggerated them? In the next place, what kind of physician have you con- 37 Part I.— Section 8. suited ? Is he a strictly conscientious man, or a man of not particularly good repute who would be prepared to do anything in order to work out hfs owS ends? In the third place, do you suppose that the laws of fasting and abstinence ha.ve been instituted by the Church for our gratification, and make us fat and sleek? The penitential nature of these laws is found in the very mcon venience which they bring with them, and a slight inconvenience, which does not cause any notable niury to health, is not a sufficient reason for being dispensed from a law of the Church. Take heed then, lest certain dispensations may not help you to fffid your way to Hell, in company with the person who has dispensed you. S 8 —Reflections to be proposed to those who are addicted to the sin of theft. The sin of theft is far more frequent, and consequently the number of thieves is much greater, than is commonly supposed. In ordinar> conversation we do not apply the name of thief to any except to those who enter a house, a shop or a farm-yard, to carry away with them their neighbours’ property, or who pick a persons pocket, and abstract therefrom his handkerchief, his watch, or his purse. And yet there are others to whom the name of thief may be applied with equal justice. The shopman who sells bad merchandise as good, and who does not keep just weights and measures, is a thiet. me 38 Practical Instruction for New Confessors , labourer who does not work the full number of hours for which he is paid, or who does not work as diligently as he ought, is a thief. The steward who buys for his master at too high a price, in order to receive presents from those from whom he purchases, is a thief. The man who is entrusted with the administration of public or private property, and through negli- gence allows it to deteriorate under his manage- ment, is a thief. With still greater propriety may we set down as thieves those officers of justice, who for the sake of bribes, or to avoid trouble, allow dishonesty and crime to go un- punished. Those lawyers who defend causes which they know to be unjust, causing expense and loss to both parties to the suit, are thieves. Those who do not pay their just debts when they are able to do so are thieves; and the more so, if they do not pay their just wages to their workmen and eniployes , thus doing serious wrong to them and to their families. Those men are thieves, who obtain from the tribunals an undue extension of time to pay their debts, in order that they may not themselves suffer in their worldly goods, while they hereby inflict untold misery on their unfortunate creditors and on their little children. Those traders are thieves, who, not content with an honest and just profit, create an artificial scarcity in the market in order to force up prices, especially in the case of articles of the first necessity, and thus compel the people to pay exorbitant prices for the necessaries of life Part /. — Section 8 . 39 Finally, not to mention other classes, all those persons are thieves who make usurious loans, ! who charge exorbitant rates of exchange, or who as money-lenders are continually changing the market prices, to the almost continuous injury of the pockets of other people. Nor can they excuse themselves on the plea that the State silently tolerates this. Oftentimes the State tolerates matters of this kind, solely to avoid greater evils and inconvenience; but this toleration can never authorise, and much less justify before God, that which is prohibited by God and is of its nature unlawful. Now to all such people I say, that in addition to the heinous sin with which they burden their conscience, they seem to me to be stark mad ; because I can compare them only to a man who being unable to retain food upon his stomach, nevertheless continues to eat and drink what he must afterwards disgorge with very great incon- venience. As a matter of fact, does not every one know that in order to be saved, it is not enough to confess the unjust taking or keeping what belongs to another, but that, moreover, all such property unjustly taken or retained must be restored to its proper owner ? Who is ignorant that the absolution given by the Confessor is absolutely worthless, unless the person who in any way possesses what belongs to another makes satisfaction to his creditor, either in re> if he can do so at once, or in voto , by resolving to do so as soon as he can. 40 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . But here, precisely, is the excuse and the loophole, by which those who hold the property of others try to evade their obligation. Almost all of them say that they are unable to make restitution. I cannot now enter into minute details regarding this matter, but I will speak merely in a general way. Could not the man who squanders his substance in the public-house and in gambling, employ that same money in satisfying, at least partially, the obligation of resti- tution ? Could not that other man at least diminish the sum of his indebtedness, with the money which he lavishes upon dress, carriages, sumptuous apartments, entertainments, pleasure trips, and other like luxuries ? And here let it be remembered that, in order to make restitution and pay one’s debts, a person must not wait until he has collected the entire sum due, with the risk of never being able to succeed in doing so. One must make restitution by degrees, according as one has the means of doing so ; or, at least, must put by the money in some safe place of trust for this purpose. Let whosoever does not wish to deceive his soul in this matter, consult honestly some learned and pious Confessors, to whom he shall explain all the particular circum- stances of his case, and these will be able to tell him to whom, how, and when he is bound to make restitution. I shall merely lay down for the guidance of such persons the following few maxims, which are received as certain among all theologians. It is unjust to enjoy the property 4 * Part /. — Section p. of others. The inconvenience of making resti- tution does not exempt one from the obligation of doing so. The person who on any count is bound to restitution may not lawfully indulge in any extravagance ; he may not even make presents or give alms, because whatever he has over and above his maintenance according to his condition in life — living, be it understood, with- out any pomp or luxury, but in the same style as the most economical persons of his class — all this he is bound in justice and in conscience . to employ in making restitution and in satisfying his creditors. Let Confessors take care not to allow themselves to be led astray in this very delicate matter, and not to be over-condescend- ing to the rank of persons of distinction. Let every one remember that the balances of God are not the lying balances of men, and that it is according to the balances of God that we shall be judged. £ o, — Reflections to be proposed to those who have contracted a habit of sins of impurity , and especially to libertines and those who give scandal . It would seem that we may affirm of our own times what Holy Writ has recorded of the days of Noah, when “ all flesh had corrupted its . way upon the earth For, now-a-days, free rein is given to immorality by persons of every age and every sex, so that it not only asserts itself 42 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. triumphantly in the streets and in the theatres, but its influence is felt even in the most sacred places through immodest glances, unbecoming dress, and scandalous conversation ; and the persons who offend in this manner are regarded as fine fellows, while those who desire to lead a chaste life are sneered at as mean-spirited mis- anthropes, fitted only for the life of a hermit or a monk, but entirely unsuited to the duties and requirements of society. Good men deplore this condition of affairs, and many say that without a miracle it is no longer possible to op- pose a barrier to such a torrent of iniquity. I, however — ut minus sapie?is — maintain that there is no need whatever of a miracle. It is quite sufficient that the man who leads an immoral life, should seriously reflect upon his crimes with the ordinary light of faith, and with the aid of Divine grace, which is ever at the disposal of all who wish to avail of it. Wherefore I am about to propose to such persons a few reflections, which I have partically found most efficacious in winning back to penance sinners who were plunged to the neck in the mire of impurity, by merely submitting them to their serious considera- tion, while engaged in hearing their confession. And, first of all, dealing with the sin of im- purity in general, and with ordinary transgres- sors against the virtue of chastity, I am in the habit of addressing them as follows : If you were certain that, after having enjoyed that seductive, but most shameful and brutal pleasure, you 43 Part /. — Section p. should have to hold your hand in a fire, barely for a single hour, would you yield to the tempta- tion, no matter how strong it might be ? Every- body to whom I put this question replies, without a moment’s hesitation, No; and some also answer with a smile, as though they meant to say : Surely you do not think us such fools. I thereupon reply : You are right ; you would pay too dearly for even the most seductive pleasure, by holding your hand for an hour in the fire. But — holy faith ! — have you not the assurance of the Gospel ; that is to say, an assurance stronger than if an angel were to reveal it to you — that, by indulging in any of those filthy plea- sures, you deserve not merely to keep your hand in the fire, but to have your entire body plunged and buried in the midst of the flames of Hell, just as fishes are immersed in the midst of the ocean ? And this not merely for a single hour, (which, however, would be infinitely worse than an hour of punishment by earthly fire), but for hundreds, for thousands, for millions of years — for all eternity — without the slightest hope of escape ? Think of this, then, when the heat of your passions is luring you on to sin. If at the moment when you were enjoying in secret that illicit pleasure, some friend of yours, or some person of distinction, should suddenly come upon you, would you not be ready to sink into the earth through shame ? How quickly the flame of impurity would be quenched in you ! If, then, the presence of some person of dis- 44 Practical Instruction for New Confessors, tinction would be sufficient to extinguish this impure flame, will not the presence of your angel guardian, the presence of God Himself — your Creator and your Judge, who in an instant can plunge you into Hell — be equally powerful to produce the same effect? Do not say, therefore, that it is impossible to abstain from sins of this kind. This is an impossibility altogether of your own making, and one which you can remove whenever you please. Whenever you are tempted by concupiscence, recall to mind these two re- flections, and you shall find that you will never sin, as the Holy Ghost assures us is the case with those who meditate on the eternal truths. But it is especially those who have formed a sinful connection with persons of an opposite sex, who put forward this excuse of the fancied impossibility of continence. “That young woman/’ they say, “ loves me to such a degree ; I am under so many obligations to her, and she has given me so many proofs of her love, that I could not possibly desire a better friend ; where- fore it is impossible that I could on any account give her up. Could I bring myself to do so, I should be a cruel man, a very monster of ingra- titude : I might even, possibly, become the cause of her death, by reducing her to a state of despair.” Just so : but, I reply, does that person love you as much as Jesus Christ does? Has she given you as many proofs of her love ? Has she shown herself as true a friend as He has done? Jesus Christ, as God, has loved you with Part 1. — Section p. 45 an eternal love, long ages before you had com- menced to exist : then, again, He has given to you your being, and He preserves it to you, with all those other gifts of nature and fortune which you enjoy. In His human nature, God has toiled for you during thirty-three years of extreme poverty and wretchedness, and, finally, branded as the ringleader of a murderous gang, He suffered and died for you in the midst of a sea of torments and ignominy, nailed to an infamous gibbet between two thieves. Do you fear to be cruel and ungrateful towards a vile and infamous woman, who has shown you some kindness, and has afforded you some pleasure, and are you not afraid to prove cruel and ungrateful towards your Sovereign Creator — towards Him who, at the price of His divine blood, has, up to the present, preserved you from Hell ? You call that young woman your friend ; but why do you not rather call the Devil your friend ? You are, perhaps, shocked at such an expres- sion ; but, by means of a dilemma, I shall clearly prove to you, that you might apply this term to the Devil with much more propriety than to this female who is leading you to perdition. Either you fear sin, or you do not fear it. If you fear sin, I ask you, has not that sweetheart of yours by her seductive arts, by her allurements, caused you to commit more sins than the Devil has done by means of his temptations ? How often have you not resisted the temptations of the Devil, when you have been unable to resist the 4 6 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . wiles and the invitations of that female ? Well, then, that person is less deserving than the Devil to be called your friend. But if, on the other hand, you do not fear sin, the Devil holds out to you far higher inducements than she can pos- sibly offer, and will put you in possession of far greater happiness, if you will only do as he wishes. That young woman gives you only one kind of pleasure, which you call happiness; but the Devil will place within your reach happiness of every kind — immense riches, by means of thefts, by the oppression of the poor, and injustice to your creditors ; honours, if you calumniate and supplant your competitors by unworthy means ; even the richest ecclesiastical benefices, if you stoop to Simony and sacrilegious devices, de- ceiving those in whose gift they are by refined hypocrisy and false professions of faith. It is always true, then, in any hypothesis, that if you call that young woman your friend, you ought to style the Devil your friend with far more reason. Oh, what precious friends ! But no matter what you may say to such persons, they will always return to the same old answer : “ It is impossible ; I cannot give her up ”, You must, therefore, have recourse to a homely practical argument, to convince them of the falsehood and unreality of their excuse. Tell me, then, if you knew that that young woman, when coming to your house under the pretence of paying you a pleasant visit, carried concealed in her dress a dagger to kill you, would you re- 47 Part /. — Section g. ceive her ? Would you ever again go near her ? Would you still continue to love her ? Let me instance another matter of still less con- sequence : if you should become jealous of that young woman because she kept company with another, if you knew that she lavished more blandishments upon your rival than upon your- self, would not your love suddenly grow cold, and would it not even change into hatred ? How many changes of this kind do we not wit- ness every day, to the great amusement of the public? Do we not even see pretty frequent in- stances of a passionate lover going so far as to murder his sweetheart, merely because he has seen her speaking or laughing with another ? Well, then, if a man through a motive of jealousy, for a point of honour, and by the mere force of nature, can break off the most inveterate habit of a brutal passion, and can change the most burning love into the most deadly hate, why cannot a man, by the force of Divine Grace, and to save his soul, change an irregular love into a holy hate, into a Christian love ? What answer can you make to this ? “But Ido not feel this grace within me? some of these persons reply. I answer: You do not feel it, simply because you fancy to yourself a kind of grace which has never yet existed, and never will exist in the present order of Providence so wisely established by God. You would desire quite a special kind of grace, which would take hold of you by the arm and forcibly drag you 48 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . away from sin — a grace by which God would do everything, without requiring the least exertion on your part. But, as I have already said, God has never yet given this grace to any one, nor will He ever give it; because He does not believe it worthy of Himself, or advantageous to us. God does not intend Heaven for slaves, who require to be dragged thither by compulsion, but for free men, who elect to go there volun- tarily. If you do not wish to put forward some effort on your part, most certainly you will not succeed ; but this impotence, this impossibility of success, will spring solely from yourself : it will be entirely of your own choosing, and will have no objective reality. If a man, being free and in sound health, should take it into his head not to move his limbs, and should at the same time complain that he could not walk, you would say to him : You are a fool ; move your legs, one after the other, and you shall find that you are able to walk : the impossibility which you pretend arises solely from yourself, who, though you can perform the movements necessary for walking, are yet unwilling to do so. Now, I make the self-same answer to the class of people of whom I am speaking : If you are unwilling to take any steps towards breaking off that sinful connection, towards eradicating that bad habit, it is no doubt impossible for you to succeed in doing so. But this impossibility arises solely from your own free and perverse will. Reflect upon those truths of 49 Part /. — Section g. the Gospel which I have pointed out to you above ; recommend yourself to God, and to the great mother of purity, most holy Mary ; fly the occasions of sin ; and then you shall find that you can and will break off the sinful con- nection ; for, as holy Faith teaches, God’s grace is always at hand to assist us, and to supply to us that strength that is naturally wanting in us. In a word, the grace of God supplies the necessary light to your intellect, and excites holy movements in your heart ; it assists you to per- form virtuous actions, and gives you strength to perform them, if you are but willing to do so. But, if you be unwilling, God’s grace will never act without your co-operation. But what shall we say of those who ostenta- tiously parade their vice, and, in opposition to the instincts of nature itself, obtrude it, as it were, upon the public gaze, either by indecently exposing certain portions of their person, or by adopting a style of dress which is sometimes more seductive than even absolute nudity, or by lascivious jokes, or by downright immodest and filthy conversation? What shall we say of those who, after having committed sin in private, publish it of their own free accord, and as though it were some glorious exploit, in the coteries of their debauched companions, destroy- ing also the character of their accomplices, whereby they confirm in vice those who are already corrupted, teach the innocent evil of which they were ignorant, and by their example 4 50 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . cause them to lose their natural sense of shame ? Finally, what shall we say of those (and I have met with a not inconsiderable number of them), who, being as it were ashamed to appear less vicious than their wicked companions, or, in other words, being ashamed to pass for chaste and Christian people, boast of having committed sins, which, as a matter of fact, they had never committed, thereby being guilty of a greater crime than if they had committed the sin, but had concealed it beneath the veil of a modest silence ? Of such scandalous persons we can only say that they are murderers of souls, sacri- legious robbers of the august temple of the sacred side of Jesus Christ, coadjutors and sons of the Devil — nay, far worse than the very Devil himself They are murderers of souls ; because they are dragging them to eternal ruin. They rob Jesus Christ ; because they tear from His divine side those souls which He had placed there, as in a sacred asylum, at the price of His most Precious Blood. They are coadjutors and sons of the Devil ; because, inspired by his malignant spirit, they strive by every means in their power to drag others with them to eternal perdition. Finally, they are worse than the Devil himself ; because where the force of dia- bolical temptation cannot succeed, these persons succeed by the force of their evil example and their allurements. Such an iniquitous crew deserve the punishment which is insinuated by our Divine Lord in the Gospel, namely, that a 5 1 Part 7. — Section p. millstone should be tied round their necks, and that they be flung into the depths of the sea. This would be very expedient for Christian society, and it would also be expedient for them- selves : Expedite because even though they would thus be hurled into Hell, they would go there burthened with less sins, and responsible for the loss of a smaller number of souls seduced by them, and, consequently, they would endure less torture in Hell ; whereas, by continuing to live, they multiply sin upon sin, they are daily burthening their conscience with the sins of others committed through their fault, and, con- sequently, they are meriting a much more dread- full Hell for all eternity. It is a terrible thing for a poor Confessor to fall in with persons of this class ! But is there no hope for such sinners ? Ah ! the blood of Jesus Christ has prepared a remedy for these also, if they wish to avail themselves of it. Let them, first of all, make a good general confession to a learned and zealous Confessor ; let them by their good example repair the scandal they have given; let them give public evidence of their conversion; let them make restitution to Jesus Christ of as many souls as they have robbed Him of, by winning back, if there be still time to do so, those they have seduced, or by endea- vouring to gain others for Him by their example, their conversation, and their prayers. Above all, let them often weep over their past transgres- sions in presence of the Crucifix, beseeching 5 2 Practical Instructio?i for New Confessors . their Saviour to be pleased to forget their iniquities. Finally, following the example of the Magdalen, of Saint Margaret of Cortona, and of other true penitents, let what was formerly the instrument of their sin be made henceforward the instrument of the grace of Jesus Christ, which will not fail to pour itself in copious streams into their hearts, and which, if they but duly correspond with it, will succeed not only in saving them, but even in making them saints, as has happened in the case of many other most scandalous sinners, whom the Church now venerates upon her altars. § io . — Reflections for those who reconcile themselves to the idea of going to Hell , by the consolation that they will not be alone there . The blindness produced by sin carries men to such a degree of folly, that persons are actually found who thoroughly understand that their evil life is leading them to Hell ; who believe this, and yet live on in undisturbed tranquillity. And should any one bid them reflect on the risk they run of being eternally damned, they reply with a certain air of indifference, and sometimes even with a laugh : “ Well, if I do go to Hell, I must only put up with it ; I shall not be alone there ; I shall have excellent company This arises from the fact that these persons have never bestowed a really serious thought on what Hell is. I have Part 1 . — Section 10. 53 found the following method the most effective, in making such persons realise this in the manner best calculated to inspire them with terror. I do not adopt the ordinary practice of put- ting before them the fire, the darkness, the presence of the demons, and the other tor- tures of Hell, but I reason with them in this fashion : Select, after due deliberation, the thing in this world which pleases you most, and you shall have it. Are you passionately fond of music 1 ? I shall delight you with the most exquisite voices, the most delicate in- struments, the most brilliant compositions; but on the express condition that you must remain listening to them for twenty-four continuous hours, without the slightest interruption. Are you fond of the drama; of social entertain- ments? Well, it shall be my care to supply you with the most splendid theatrical entertainment, to introduce you into the most genial social reunions , but on the same condition — that you must remain for twenty-four continuous hours in the theatre, or at the social entertainment, without doing anything else. Do you like to lie on a soft bed ? I shall present you with the most luxurious bed imaginable ; select in it the most comfortable position; but, having once selected it, you must remain there motionless for twenty-four continuous hours. What do you say to my proposal ? Do you accept it ? Every one would reply : “ The proposal itself is tempt- 54 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . mg, but the annexed condition destroys its value. Who could remain immovable for twenty-four hours in a bed, no matter how comfortable? This very condition would make it an instrument of torture. The most harmonious music, the most pleasing comedy, the most brilliant enter- tainment becomes distasteful, after one has enjoyed it for six continuous hours at the most, and if it were prolonged for twenty-four con- tinuous hours, it would become a real martyrdom. I should prefer to remain for two hours shut up alone in a cavern, or in the most wearisome company.” You are perfectly right : and what would you say if the music, the theatrical representation, the festive gathering, the lying in bed selected by you, were to last, not merely for twenty-four hours, but for twenty-four days, or months, or years ? You would instantly reply that it would become unbearable , Well, now, for the luxurious bed, which I have supposed, substitute a bed of fire; for the sweet music, substitute the din of the most discordant and despairing shrieks ; for the theatrical representa- tion, for the gay festive gathering, substitute the most dismal and frightful sights ; and then, for the twenty-four hours, or the twenty-four years, substitute twenty-four hundred, twenty-four thousand, twenty-four millions of years — does not this seem to you a Hell beyond endurance ? But, with all this, you have not yet acquired a true idea of Hell; because twenty-four million years of these punishments would be a paradise Part I. — Section io. 55 in comparison with their eternal duration. And yet you understand that you are hurrying rapidly towards this Hell : you believe it ; and never- theless you live in tranquillity — you who cannot patiently endure the prick of a pin, the sting of a wasp, without giving way to profane expressions, will you have the patience to endure Hell for all eternity ? Quis ex vobis habitare poterit cum igne devorante , et cum ardoribus sempiternis ? But you console yourself at least with the reflection that you will not be alone in Hell ; that you will have there, as you say, good company. Good company ! that is to say, you will enjoy the company of all the most barbarous idolators, the company of Turks, of Jews, of heretics, of schismatics, of the very worst Christians, of drunkards, of profligates, of misers, of robbers, of murderers, and of all the off-scouring and dregs of the world ; of all the devils — in a word, the sight of even one of whom would be suffi- cient to cause the boldest man to fall dead through fright ! If you could enjoy Hell (allow me to use the strange expression) by yourself alone, Hell would be shorn of almost half its terrors. In fact, would you not prefer to remain shut up alone in a room in some desert, than to dwell there in the company of your enemy, of a tiresome bore, or of a gang of odious cut-throats ? The more company you have in Hell (and, no doubt, you shall have abundance of it), the worse will be your condition ; for all the bodies of the damned, piled together after the day of 56 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. general judgment, shall press heavily one upon the other, and all upon each one ; all shall mutually prick one another, like a quantity of thorns bound up into a bundle ; all shall curse one another ; all shall contribute by their horrible appearance, by their stench, by their shrieks of despair, to render still more unbearable that dungeon already so horrible of itself. And yet you comfort yourself with this thought — that in Hell you shall have company ! But do you know what company shall be for you the most unbearable of all ? That, pre- cisely, which during life was the most pleasing to you; that which you told the Confessor you could not give up ; that which you called your treasure, your heart, your life. Oh God ! what torture will it be for you in Hell to see there the accomplice of your sin, the cause of your dam- nation. “ I, then,” you will exclaim, “find my- self here because of that person, and here I shall have to remain for ever ! Ah, accursed be the hour in which I made her acquaintance ! accursed be the person who introduced me to her ! If I had banished her from my house, as I was so often advised to do by my Parish Priest, by my Confessor, and by my friends ; if I had for ever turned my back upon her, I should not now be here ! Take thyself from before my sight, vile sorceress ; I cannot endure thee.” But Divine justice, for your most just torture, shall keep her constantly before your eyes ; and with this object ever present, you must Part I. — Section n . 57 yield yourself up to despair through the endless ages of eternity. § 1 1 . — Reflections for those vindictive and passionate persons , who cannot bring themselves to lay aside their feelings of hatred , and to pardon from their hearts those who have offended them . No matter how zealously certain sticklers for the “ code of honour ” may endeavour to per- suade others, that to pardon those who offend us is incompatible with self-respect, and that the insult to wounded dignity cannot be wiped out except by the blood of the offender, even at the risk of imperilling the life of the injured party as well, nevertheless, these so-called worldly men of honour cannot deny, that even among the Pagans themselves it was considered a very noble trait, even in the case of persons of distinction and of military men, to pardon offences generously. Suf- fice it, once for all, to read what the great Cicero, in several of his eloquent orations, says to Julius Caesar — that is to say, to one of the greatest soldiers mentioned in history, to the subduer of many barbarous nations, to the conqueror of provinces and vast kingdoms, to the emperor and monarch, it might be said, of the entire world. After having pronounced a high eulogium on his other virtues, the great Roman orator does not hesitate to tell him to his face, and before all haughty, warlike Rome, that he had earned by 58 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . far his largest meed of praise, not by his other great qualities, but by his generosity in pardon- ing injuries, and by readmitting to his favour and friendship his most inveterate foes. And, after this, will Christians doubt whether honour permits them to pardon without seeking for revenge ? Is it not sufficient to remove from a generous pardon every suspicion of dishonour, to know that it is expressly commanded by God ? The code of speech sanctioned by the world lays it down that we are doing ourselves an honour in obeying in all things a sovereign, a lady, a person of distinction ; and to how many degrading acts will not even the greatest sticklers for honour stoop, in order to please a monarch or a lady ! Can a Christian, then, suppose that he is bringing dishonour on himself, if he pardon those who offend him, in obedience to an express law of the King of Kings — the Sovereign of the Universe ? However, I am writing more particularly for persons of the lower orders, and among persons of this class it is not usually the code of honour which prevents them from pardoning, but rather passionate feeling and the spirit of revenge, which springs from, and is nourished by, resent- ment against the person who has offended them. To this is generally superadded the loss sus- tained in temporal goods, by the action of the person who inflicted the injury. As I have al- ready remarked, in another little work of mine published years ago, persons of this class can Part I. — Section n. 59 never be approached suddenly and directly, with a view to inducing them to pardon. There is great danger that if the matter be proposed directly to them, and urged too earnestly, they will only become more obstinate. The passion of revenge is, perhaps, of all others the most blind and violent, and therefore it must be com- bated by mildness : contraria contrariis curantur. If the injured person is engaged in making his confession, it is better not to speak to him of pardoning until he has finished the declaration of his sins, and has been made to reflect on the many grievous wrongs which he has himself done to God. Then let the Confessor get him to tell his grievance, taking care to manifest the greatest sympathy with him while he is doing so ; and let him not have any hesitation in agreeing with his penitent that his assailant has acted like a vile wretch, and has, consequently, deserved punish- ment. When the sentiment of pleasure has thus been introduced into the heart of the injured man, let the Confessor endeavour to win him over to true and perfect Christian sentiments, by addressing him somewhat in the following style : — Tell me, now, would you hesitate for a moment to pardon this person, if somebody of exalted rank — your Sovereign, for example — were to beg of you to pardon him and to forget the injury, assuring you at the same time that he would take it upon himself to have justice executed upon the guilty man, and to recompense you, as 60 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . well for the injury received, as for the pardon granted by you through love of himself? Now, it is the Monarch of the Universe who, after having imposed upon every one the obligation, not alone of pardoning, but of loving and serv- ing their enemies, says to you : mihi vmdictam et ego retribuam. You, He says, must not thirst for vengeance ; I shall deal with the guilty man ac- cording to the dictates of My justice and My mercy ; I take upon Myself the responsibility for the injury that has been done you, and it shall be My care to give you a just and abundant recompense : mihi vindictam et ego retribuam . How can you have any difficulty in doing this ? Do you not know that time and eternity are in the hands of God ? Do you not know that He cannot prove unfaithful to His promises ? Do you not know how liberal He is in rewarding even a glass of water given through love of Him ? How much, then, have you not reason to expect, if through love of Him you perform an act so generous in itself, and which costs you so much ? He has already specified the reward which He will give you ; it is nothing less than the pardon of all your sins ; nothing less than His own friendship — nay, to reckon you amongst His beloved sons : ut silts filii Patris vestri. As a matter of fact, a generous act of pardon merited for Saint John Gualbert the most sensible proofs of God’s pleasure, and such an abundant measure of heavenly grace, that he afterwards became a great saint. For so great Part I. — Section it. 6i a reward, cannot one make a sacrifice of his resentment, nay even of some loss of tem- poral goods ? But you need not fear even for your temporal interests. All those earthly goods which, by an abuse of terms, are called goods of fortune, are entirely at the disposal of God. If He bestows them even upon His enemies, how much more will you have reason to hope for them, when, by pardoning those who injure you, you shall have merited the rank of being His child ? Should you even die of the bodily injury inflicted upon you by your enemy, Heaven is assured to you, and God will have a care of your family. He declares that He is the father of the poor, and much more so of those who find themselves reduced to poverty through love of Him. Consider how Jesus Christ acted towards His own enemies. The cut-throats who went to seize Him in the garden, fell flat upon the earth, overpowered by the splendour of the Divinity which shone in His countenance ; but He, assuming His ordinary benign expression, causes them to arise again. Saint Peter, through an impulse of ill-regulated zeal, cut off the ear of one of those scoundrels; and Jesus Christ rebuked Peter, and by a miracle healed the wretch’s ear. You know what horrible butchery was practised upon our Divine Lord by those who crucified Him, and the insults which they heaped upon Him when He was raised up upon the cross. Now, what were the very first 62 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. words to which Jesus gave expression in his agony? They were a prayer to His Eternal Father, to pardon His executioners : Pater ignosce illis. And as though it were not enough to ask pardon for them, He actually goes the length of putting forward an excuse in their behalf, saying : non enim sciunt quid faciunt — Eternal Father, excuse their ignorance, for the poor creatures know not what they do ! And after such examples as these, will you, who pride yourself on being a Christian, hesitate one moment to forgive the person who injures you, and whose offence towards you is so much less than were the outrages committed by His execu- tioners against our Divine Lord ? But, above all things, consider how Jesus Christ has acted towards yourself. After He had already died for you upon a cross, how many times have you not tried to crucify Him again, and would actually have killed Him whenever you committed a mortal sin, even in thought, were He not after His resurrection immortal and im- passible ! Now, calculate how many hundreds, and, perhaps, thousands, of sins of every species you have committed in your time ; and re- member that just so many times you have attempted to crucify again the Lord Jesus. Could not He have sent you to Hell after the very first sin ? What would it have cost Him to have caused you to die suddenly through some accident or other ? A mere act of His will would have been sufficient — nay, much less Part I. — Section n. 63 would have sufficed, for it would have been enough that He should have ceased even for a single moment to support you. In that case, dragged down by the mere weight of your sins, you would have dropped into Hell. And yet God has spared you ; He has spared you, not- withstanding so many other most grievous offences which He clearly foresaw He would have to endure at your hands by permitting you to live. Moreover, He has been renewing this inestimable favour in your regard as many times as you have sinned ; and will you, after all this, find it difficult to pardon, for the love of Jesus Christ, one or two offences, so infinitely less than your own, committed against you by your fellow-man ? Remember the parable of that heartless servant who, having obtained remis- sion of the sentence of imprisonment pro- nounced against him by his master for the non- payment of a large debt, proved afterwards inflexible in refusing to remit a much smaller debt to his fellow-servant. His master, enraged against this cruel servant, withdrew the favour he had previously extended to him, and condemned him without mercy to exterior darkness — a symbol of Hell. Take heed, then, since God is wont to show Himself more jealous of the charity which regards our neighbour than He is of that which regards Himself ; and if He daily tolerates innumerable offences committed against His own Divine Majesty, He is not so ready to forgive the harsh proceedings with which the 64 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . vindictive may visit their fellow-men. Take heed; for you might close up against yourself the path to greater graces, and might ensure your eternal condemnation. Almost all persons yield to these first argu- ments : indeed, for many even a few words are quite sufficient. But there are some who can- not bring themselves to forgive, because of the treachery which accompanied the wound, and because of the reflection that they had never given the offender any provocation to treat them so, but on the contrary had often served him. All these difficulties are very easily disposed of, by making these persons reflect a little upon them- selves. How many times have not you betrayed Jesus Christ ? How many times have you not promised that you would never more offend Him ? How many times did you not become reconciled to Him, but only to treat Him after- wards worse than before? What injury had Jesus Christ done you ? Nay, what further benefit remained for Him to confer upon you, after having suffered for you so cruel and igno- minious a death, and after having left Himself to be your food and drink in the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist? What comparison can exist between the services which you have rendered to the man who injured you, and the immense favours which Jesus Christ has con- ferred, and daily confers, upon yourself? Can you, for a moment, compare your own betrayal by your enemy, with the many betrayals of Jesus Part 1. — Section n. 6$ Christ of which you have yourself been guilty ? What proportion is there between Jesus Christ and you ? And yet Jesus Christ has pardoned you so very often, and is ready to pardon you now also, provided you forgive your fellow- creature who has injured you ! And will it appear to you a hard thing to do this ? On the contrary, you ought to thank God for this opportunity which He affords you, of proving to Him your obedience and your gratitude for the very many mercies which He has shown you, as also, because He gives you a certain pledge of your eternal salvation, in this pardon which you will grant through love of Him. Not very long ago, I met with a particular repugnance to forgive, in the case of a wounded man, who could not endure the thought that his assailant was still walking about with impunity, although his crime had been reported to the civil authorities. But I soon tranquillised this man’s mind by the following reflection : How many times have you continued to walk about in the enjoyment of perfect freedom, after hav- ing so enormously offended God ? Could not God have suddenly struck you dead, on the very spot in which you had committed sin ? What would it have cost Him to have sent you in that very instant to Hell ? And yet, for a very long time past, He has been allowing you to enjoy your liberty, and to walk about with impunity under His very eyes ! Therefore, it ought not to seem to you so very strange that youi 66 Practical Instruction for New Co7ifessors . assailant,- whose crime was far less grave, should walk about in the enjoyment of his liberty. This much was sufficient to persuade and calm him, so that he freely forgave his enemy. But as in all other moral questions, so especially in this, one must be on his guard against confounding what is of precept with what is of mere counsel ; what is of strict obli- gation, with what would be an exercise of per- fection. When there is question of inducing very obstinate persons to fulfil what is of precept in this matter, one must remind them that they are not by any means prevented from having recourse to the legal tribunals, provided the facts of the case be stated without exaggeration, and that it be stated also whether any provoca- tion had been given to the offending party. The vengeance which God prohibits is private vengeance, and not by any means the punish- ment inflicted by public authority. Indeed, God expressly desires that punishment be in- flicted by the public tribunals, for the preserva- tion of public order ; and it is for this purpose that all civil power is constituted and armed w T ith authority to punish. But when once you have laid your grievance before the proper tribunal, and have furnished the proofs necessary to sustain your case, it does not belong to you to urge the authorities to punish, or to press them to inflict a severe punishment. Such action on your part could only spring from a Part I. — Section u. 67 secret hatred still smouldering in your breast, and this is strictly forbidden. Nor does the precept of forgiving your enemies debar you from seeking compensation for the injury entailed on your property by the action of your enemy. To do this is not to commit an act of revenge or of hatred, but to claim what is your strict right, and what your enemy is bound in conscience to restore to you. And should the magistrates refuse to allow the offender out on bail without your consent, it is a sign that they hold him culpable in some degree, and if you (especially if you be a poor man) demand some remuneration (which, how- ever, must be moderate, in proportion to the position of the offender) for giving this consent, you do not commit any injustice ; because that liberty which you thereby procure for him is worth money, and this remuneration then be- comes portion of the punishment which, in the judgment of the Court, the criminal has merited. All this God, who is a most considerate Master, permits you to do. But if, through love of Him, you are willing to renounce these rights which He concedes to you, you will be perform- ing a heroic act of Christian perfection, and God Himself will recompense you a thousandfold, if not here, at least in the life that is to come. But the one thing which you cannot omit to do, without violating God’s precept and meriting Hell, is to lay aside every feeling of hatred against the person who has offended you; to 68 Practical Instmction for New Confess or s. pray to God for him, as for all the rest of your neighbours ; to show him those ordinary signs of benevolence, which are usually exchanged between persons that are at peace with one another; and, in fine, to assist him by your charitable good offices should he need them, just as you would do in the case of any other neighbour who had not offended you. Whoso- ever should wish to exempt himself from discharg- ing these duties, would not really have pardoned from his heart as God commands ; and, con- sequently, he could not hope for the pardon of his own sins from God, nor for that divine kiss of peace without which we cannot aspire to the eternal blessed abode of his fortunate friends. During the many years of my ministry, I have met with but one person who, on hearing this most reasonable and useful law explained to him, and being asked what he thought of it, replied coldly : “ 1 consider it a barbarous law”. The man to whom I refer was a rather stupid peasant, who had received a slight wound from which he soon recovered. I was rather pleased with his frank bluntness, and, without irritating him by indiscreet zeal, I quietly said to him : “ Does it, then, really seem to you a barbarous law ? Well, now, listen to another : — There was once a certain man wounded from head to foot, so that from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there remained in him no part untouched. He was then crowned with very sharp thorns, Part I. — Section n. 69 which pierced through his skull ; finally he was nailed to a cross, and there he expired in anguish. Now listen to the obligation which was imposed upon him in his agony : it was that he should not only pardon the person who had thus mal- treated him, but that he should not invoke the arm of justice against him — nay, that he should exert himself to procure his immunity from punishment, and, moreover, perform in his behalf the greatest service imaginable. Does not this law appear to you more barbarous than the first ? ” “ And so it is” he replied. “ Well,” I resumed, “ do you know who made this law ? It was Jesus Christ. And for whom did He lay it down ? For Himself. And in favour of whom? In your favour. Jesus Christ is that man-God, whom I have described above, and you are the cruel being who murdered Him by your sins. Therefore He ought never again to have looked you in the face : He ought to have hurled you into Hell. And yet in His agony He prayed for you, and offered up His death for your salvation : whilst you ”... Here he burst into tears, and all further difficulty vanished. This fact occurred after I had published the first edition of this work. Now, permit me to inculcate strongly upon you an advice which I have also given else- where : meditate well upon the Crucifix, and endeavour to become skilful in making use of it when occasion requires. With this at hand, you shall find it easy to solve all difficulties which 70 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. may be put forward against the observance of the law of God. Wherefore a great saint has said of the Crucifix : “ Est solutio omnium diffi- cult atum § 1 2 . — Reflections to be proposed to those who make a bad use of public-houses , and other like places of resort , especially on Festivals . I am well aware of the necessity of taverns, or other like places for the sale of provisions, especially in large cities, even for the accom- modation of travellers, and of so many poor people who, having no one at home able to prepare for them a dinner or a supper, could not otherwise manage to live. Wherefore, what I am about to say in this section, must not, by any means, be understood to apply to those taverns which are intended solely to supply a public want, or to those people who frequent them solely through necessity. I intend to speak here simply of the abuse of public -houses, by those who, without any necessity, take up their station in such places for entire hours together, especially on Festivals, and of the long train of sins which ordinarily follows such a custom ; and the public-houses to which I mean to refer, are those which are more particularly patronised by persons of this class. When I am engaged in hearing the confession of persons who frequent public-houses (and the same applies to other resorts of a similar Part /. — Section 12. 7i character), I generally ask them : “Did you learn anything good there?” Almost all reply at once: “I learned to blaspheme”. Now, in the vocabulary of the ignorant classes, this expression “to blaspheme” embraces cursing, false oaths, obscene language, the naming of God and the saints through passion, or even sometimes in jest, and, finally, the use of language injurious to God and His saints, which is what is strictly meant by blasphemy. Of these different sins I shall speak later on in distinct sections ; for the present I shall confine my remarks to the abuse of public-houses. Well, then (I say to persons of this class), your occupation, and that of your companions in the public-house, is to tipple to excess, even to the length of becoming drunk ; to indulge in obscene words, looks, acts, thoughts, desires, and all those other matters that you yourself know so well, The public-house, then, in reality is for you the Devil’s school. The public-house, then, is, as I am accustomed to call it, the veritable ante-chamber of Hell ; because the Devil him- self could not desire a court composed of persons more entirely suited to his character, since these places of resort are a real cesspool of every vice, and the rendezvous of all kinds of abandoned characters. I frankly confess, that when I happen to pass by such places, and see them decorated with images of our Lady, as frequently occurs, I feel myself inflamed with zeal, and would wish, had I the power, to tear 7 2 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. down these holy images.* For why should such images be found in places of this kind ? Is it to make them witnesses of so many horrible sins, and of the revolting blasphemies that are often uttered there against the great Queen of Heaven and her Divine Son ? It were better that these holy images should be flung into a cesspool, than that they should be found in a public-house of the kind to which I allude. Well, then, what conclusion follows from all that has been said ? It follows that such places cannot be frequented without incurring the guilt of mortal sin. This is quite evident, as far as those are concerned who are accustomed to sin in such places. For, are not these houses a proximate occasion of sin to them ? Well, then, this being so, they cannot frequent these houses without the guilt of mortal sin. But I go still further, and I say that we can hardly excuse from mortal sin the person who frequents such houses with a knowledge of their character, even though he may never have actually sinned there. For who will deny that such places are a proxi- mate occasion of sin ? How can one escape the guilt of mortal sin, considering the bad example of so many persons assembled together, the jests made at the expense of him who wishes to hold aloof from, and not to mingle with, the rest of * The author alludes here to a custom common in Italy, of placing pictures of our Lady, not only at the corners of the streets, but also over the doors, and in the interior, of houses of entertainment. — Translator. Part /. — Section 12. 73 the herd, the scandal (not to mention anything else) of being seen to enter and to remain in such infamous places ? No one can suppose that I am over-rigid in holding this view, unless he be a person who does not know what public-houses of this class really are, or has not become acquainted through the Confessional with the grievous, and almost inevitable, sins which take place there. But here the patrons of the public-house exert all their ingenuity, to prove the impossi- bility of carrying out this doctrine in practice. “Father,” say some of them, “what am I to do for something to eat ?” I answer : Have you no one to keep house for you. If you have a wife, a mother, or anybody else to prepare you dinner or supper, spend at home what you spend in the public-house, and you will eat all the better for causing joy to those of your own flesh and blood, rather than to a set of dissolute scoundrels. If you have no one to keep house for you, I pity you ; but even in this case there is a remedy. Go, then, to the tavern, but select one of those which are least frequented, and where there is no dissipation. Go there alone, and never with your usual companions ; order what you want ; eat and drink with moderation, and then return home quickly, without remaining to gamble, or to look at others gambling. And since I have touched upon the subject of games, never on any account indulge in any play which necessarily involves the consumption 7 4 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . of a large quantity of drink.* One cannot take part in such play without mortal sin, and I will prove it to you by asking you a question. Does such play ever terminate without drunkenness on your part, or on the part of some other player ? Every one to whom I have put this question has answered me in the negative. Therefore my proposition is proved ; because if you get drunk yourself, you know well that you have com- mitted a mortal sin ; and should one of your companions get drunk, you also incur the guilt of his sin, inasmuch as you have co-operated therein, by indulging in play which, of its very nature, leads some one to excess, either through sport or through gluttony. Indeed, it pretty frequently happens in play of this kindf that some of the players agree among themselves to drink sparingly, in order to have the pleasure of seeing a certain companion drunk. Oh, what hellish tastes ! To wish to see a poor Chris- tian fall a victim to mortal sin, and become reduced to a condition worse than that of the * I have been compelled to paraphrase this passage, owing to the fact that the author refers to a particular kind of game which, fortunately, is not in vogue in English- speaking countries. The words of the text are : “ Sul punto poi di giuochi, mai e poi mai vi venga la voglia di fare le passatelle" . Passatella is a kind of game (if game it can be called), in which two or more men bet as to which of them can drink most, and that one who first leaves off drinking loses the game. This revolting pastime derives its name from passare, because the competing parties pass the drink to each other, until one of them falls down drunk, or else gives up the contest. — Translator. f To understand this, see note (*) above. — Translator. Part I . — Section I2 t 75 beasts through excess in drinking ! With good reason, then, did the zealous Bishop of Palestrina (Cardinal Mattei), by an edict of November 8, 1801 (n. vii.), rigorously prohibit this hellish pastime, and order, furthermore, that persons found publicly drunk should for the first offence be kept in solitary confinement for eight days, on bread and water, and should be visited with ad- ditional punishment should they be convicted of subsequent offences of the same kind. Would to God that a similar salutary regulation were in force throughout the entire Christian world ! How many sins would be thereby prevented, and how many grave scandals would disappear from certain localities and families ! When the head of a family is a drunkard, he squanders his entire earnings in the public-house, while he causes his wife and innocent children to pine away at home in hunger and rags. When he returns to his family, saturated with drink, he changes his dwelling into a miniature hell by his blasphemies and unbridled rage, beating, and, not unfrequently, attempting the life of his wife, or of anybody else who may venture to reprove him, or to check his wild outbursts of fury. Others, seeking to excuse themselves, say : “ But if my companions and friends invite me to drink, must I be rude to them ?” So, then, you feel a difficulty in being rude to a friend, to an equal, to a companion, and yet you have no scruple in committing an outrage against God, against Jesus Christ ? It is something far more serious than 76 Practical I?istruction for New Confessors, rudeness when you commit a sin. It is nothing less than crucifying again the Son of God, as far as lies in your power. If your friend, your com- panion should invite you to throw yourself into the river, or to drink poison, would you, through fear of being rude, hesitate a single moment to answer him with a distinct, emphatic refusal ? And why have you any difficulty in giving a similar reply when he invites you to drink the poison of your soul by committing sin, when he invites you to cast yourself into the abyss of Hell, whence you can never escape once you have entered there? And do you call such persons friends ? I have already proved to you in § 9 that you might with more justice call the Devil your friend. O holy Faith! when wilt thou be the guide of our works and thoughts ! Up to the present I have been speaking of the abuses arising from public-houses in general, and at any time of the year. But how many are there who abstain from offending in this respect during the entire week, and reserve the gratifica- tion of their thirst for drink until the Sunday or Holiday comes round, when they squander on that single day the earnings of the entire week, and thus condemn their wretched families to perish of hunger ! This so detestable a crime is unfortunately but too common. To be con- vinced of it, one need but walk through the streets and keep his eyes open : indeed, he need not have eyes at all, since it is quite enough that Part I . — Section 12 . 77 he have ears, so loud are the maudlin shouts of drunkards that are heard from afar, issuing from the doors of public-houses on the Festival days. And, then, reflect that these persons know nothing of the Christian Doctrine : that they barely ac- quired a few fragmentary ideas on the subject when, as children, they were sometimes forcibly dragged by their parents to the Parish Church. Reflect that they know nothing of the eternal truths, since they never set foot inside a church, where the word of God is preached ; and if they do sometimes chance to go to mass, the moment the priest begins to preach they fly from the church, without waiting even to make a genuflec- tion before the Blessed Sacrament. This is no caricature. Many a time have I been compelled to defer absolution in the case of elderly men, be- cause they were ignorant of even the two principal mysteries of our holy Faith. And if you inquire into the cause of this dense ignorance, you will find that, from their very boyhood, having been freed from all control, they began to frequent public-houses on Festival days ; or if they had learned something of the Catechism when they were children, they had afterwards entirely for- gotten it when they grew up, as more than one of them has confessed to me, through spending their Sundays in the public-house ; and thence- forward their lives resembled that of beasts rather than of rational beings. 78 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . § 13 . — Reflections for those who repine at their unhappy lot, and envy the prosperity of others . We daily hear persons of every class com- plaining that they were born for misfortune. “ Wretched is the manf they say, “who is born under an unlucky star . Whatever I undertake turns out unfortunately : I can never turn a favour- able opportunity to good account, because fortune is against me P These are expressions which I have heard a hundred times. Or again : “ Such a person is truly a lucky being ; everything prospers with him. Happy is the man who is born to good luck.” Some even proceed to greater lengths, and use expressions that savour of impiety : — “ To be prosperous, one must be a bad man. Who- soever wishes to live as a good Christian has nothing to hope for in this world. Rogues are the persons who succeed. The money-lenders, the 7 tionopolists , the usurers are they who enjoy the good things of the world. A poor inan who wishes to live in the fear of God must perform severe fasts, &°cP In dealing with persons of this class, I begin by saying : What is it that you mean when you speak of Fortune, of a good start If you simply mean a certain continuance of temporal pros- perity which some one may happen to enjoy, I do not object to the expression ; but if you in- tend to signify thereby that a person is born under a certain influence of fate, of destiny, such expressions have about them a smack of heresy 79 Part /. — Section ij. and of Paganism. Among their other false divini- ties the Pagans reckoned the goddess Fortune, on whom depended the possession or the priva- tion of temporal prosperity; and therefore they burnt incense and made votive offerings in her honour, in order to render her propitious. The Fatalists adopted a similar error. Now those who give utterance to the ridiculous sentiments quoted above, adopt the views of the Pagans and th e Fatalists. Out upon your Fortune , your Destiny , your Stars! God alone directs all human events, whether they be prosperous, or the reverse. With God there is no such thing as chance . In the eyes of God nothing— not even the fall of a leaf — happens by chance. Whatever happens in this world, even with respect to matters which in our eyes seem the most insignificant and purely accidental, happens either through the positive will, or the express permission of God. Whatever is good in the physical and the moral order, and what we call evil in the physical order, all proceed from the positive will of God. As regards moral evil, God does not wish it : He merely permits it for most just reasons known to Himself, though for the most part unknown to us, deeming it more conducive to His own glory, and likewise more ad- vantageous to the generality of mankind, as Saint Augustine teaches, not to prevent the existence of moral evils, as He might do, but to allow them to run their course, and afterwards draw forth from them immense good. Of this we ourselves 80 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . have, oftentimes, palpable proof. How many persons conceive a greater hatred of sin, and become more guarded in their conduct, from having witnessed the terrible fall of another ? How many are there who, after having led for a long time a tepid life, or a life spent in sinning and confessing alternately, have, through a shame- ful fall, become at length truly penitent, and have commenced a Christian life of uniform fervour and piety ? We have on record well-known in- stances of this — David after his sin of adultery, Peter after his perjury, the Magdalen, Margaret of Cortona, Augustine, William Duke of Aqui- taine, and many others, who, perhaps, would not be Saints to-day, if God had not first permitted them to fall into such grievous crimes. And if Confessors had kept a record of similar instances falling under their own observation, it would fill many large volumes. And here I would call your attention to a most ridiculous distinction, which we often find made, even by pious and well-educated persons. “ As regards the evils f they say, “ which God sends us , one must have patience ; hut it is impos- sible to be patient , when our misfortunes are the work of men! How is this ? Could any man do you an injury, if God did not permit him to do so, having fully foreseen it ? In permitting your fellow-man to injure you, God sees thoroughly the evil which you suffer, and He positively wishes you to suffer it, either in atone- ment for your sins, or for the greater proof and Bart /. — Section ij. 81 perfection of your virtue. Let us learn from Jesus Christ how we ought to think, speak, and act in similar circumstances. When Saint Peter, sword in hand, sought to rescue Him in the garden from the grasp of His executioners, what did He say ? Calicem , quem dedit mihi Pater, non vis ut bibam ilium ? The chalice of His passion had been presented to Him by His executioners; but because Jesus Christ knew that they could not have done so without the permission of His Heavenly Father, and that His Father positively wished that He should drink this chalice to the dregs, He said that His Divine Father had given it to Him to drink, and therefore He did drink of it to the last drop. Let us not imitate dogs, who bite the stone that is flung at them, without heeding the hand by which it was cast. Now, having established the principle that everything happens either by the positive will, or by the positive permission of God, why do you complain of adverse fortune, or of destiny ? God is the author of whatever happens to you, since He either positively wishes it, or expressly per- mits it. Whether it happens by His express will, or by His express permission, it is your duty to be resigned to the disposition of Providence. But here some one may say : “ But why should all the misfortune be reserved for me , and all the good luck for others ?” Unreasoning fool! Do you not know what a vast number of people there is in the world, who are in every respect 8 2 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. worse off than you are, and how many trials have to be endured by that man whom you con- sider the most fortunate being on earth ! “ But you may say, “ I think only of my own misfor- tunes : I don't trouble myself about those of others! And do you ever reflect (I reply) on the causes of your misfortunes, and on the means you have adopted to get rid of them'? If you have led a most sinful life, if you have never thought of God, if, to obtain wealth, you have not hesitated to employ unworthy means, even to the extent of bartering away your honesty, of entering into unlawful and usurious contracts, of appropri- ating the property of others, of calumniating your rival in order to supplant him, of pandering to the vices of the powerful in order to secure their protection, of lending yourself to super- stitious practices, and witchcraft, and invoking the aid of the Devil (which is not a very frequent nor yet a very rare sin, and, on the other hand, is a most detestable crime, being actual idolatry) — if, I say, you have acted thus, need it surprise you that God, the free dispenser of blessings and evils in this life, should have allotted you a fair share of trials rather than of blessings ? He has already clearly set forth in His Gospel, that even temporal blessings are reserved for those who lead good lives — Qiioerite primum regnum Dei et justitiam ejus et Jmc omnia adjicientur vobis (Matth. vi.). But here I find myself confronted by a host of opponents, who chuckle over the thought of 83 Part I, — Section ij. forcing me to swallow my last proposition, which, however, is not mine, but has been laid down by Jesus Christ Himself, the Infallible Truth. One woman will say to me : — u I hear Mass and say the Posary every day , and 1 go to Communion several times in the week”. Another will exclaim: " I have special set devotions for every day in the week , which I never omit”;* “ and If adds a third, “ make pilgrimages to various churches , for various pious intentions , hut the more I pray and recommend myself to God, the more wretched becomes my condition in life Well, I pity you very much ; but yet I am not at all surprised that these things should be so, because they mi/st be so, according to what I have told you just now in the name of Jesus Christ. I do not wish at present to inquire whether supersti- tion may not enter a little into your devotion, or whether, in order to perform these devotions of which you speak, you may not have sometimes neglected serious duties belonging to your state, by leaving your family unattended at home, by not minding the affairs of your household, by causing your husband to find everything topsy- turvy, and thereby provoking him to curse and swear. I shall not inquire into any of these matters just now ; but shall merely ask you what is your motive in performing all these devotions? You immediately reply : “to merit a little share * The author here mentions certain special devotions peculiar to Italy, and some of them belonging exclusively to Rome. — T ranslator. 84 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . of the favours of Providence”. But Jesus Christ replies on my behalf — Hcec omnia gentes vi- quirunt : the very heathens likewise ask for these things — food and clothing — quid mandu- cetis , aut quid induamini. In what respect, then, do you differ from them ? You should not be anxious about such matters. Your Heavenly Father well knows that you stand in need of them. And if He provides food for the birds of the air, although “they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns ” ; if He clothes the lilies of the field with a raiment more splendid than ever Solomon wore, although “they labour not, neither do they spin,” how much more will He have a care to feed and clothe you, O ye of little faith ? Seek, there- fore, first the Kingdom of God and His justice (that is to say, to live according to His holy law), and the temporal goods which are necessary to life shall also be added to you, even though you should not ask for them. Here, then, without seeking any further, is the defect in your prayers and your devotions which prevents you from obtaining those favours of Providence which you seek. You concentrate all your thoughts on the body, and none of them on the soul : all your anxiety is for the things of this world, and you bestow none of it on the world to come — or at least you do not seek first the Kingdom of God — your chief care is not to live the life of the just. As a matter of fact, if any one should take it into his head to ask one of these persons : Part I. — Section ij. 85 Why do you perform all these pilgrimages and devotions ? they would reply : To have good luck at the lottery— to keep on good terms with my husband, and the like. But have you ever said even one Our Father to obtain deliverance from an evil passion, to break off a bad habit, to obtain the conversion of your child who has gone astray ? Well, perhaps you have : but have you done so as frequently and as perseveringly as when you prayed for temporal prosperity ? To s um up, then : The word of God cannot fail. He has solemnly promised in the Gospel, to provide the necessaries of life for whosoever strives to live as a good Christian and to win Heaven. It is, therefore, of faith, that if you do this, your wants will be provided for. But take care not to fall, as so many persons do, into any of the three following errors on this point, to which I shall here briefly call your attention. The first of these errors is, to expect too much. God has pledged Himself in the Gospel to pro- vide for you the necessaries of life, but He has not promised to provide you with its luxuries . In the passage of the Gospel which I have quoted, our Lord does not speak of magnificent dinners, of carriages, of country houses, and so forth : He speaks simply of food and raiment ; and holy David says : Non vidijustum derelictum et semen ejus qucerens panem. He does not say that he has not seen the just man compelled to live poorly ! If Jesus Christ, who was essentially just and holy, lived as a poor man ; if He called 86 Practical Instruction for New Co?ifessors. the poor blessed ; if He threatened woes to the rich — vce divitibus — surely it is not unbecoming that good Christians should live in straightened circumstances, and in poverty — on the contrary, by keeping them in a humble position, God con- fers upon them a grace and a blessing. Let us next glance at the second error. It is true that Jesus Christ in His Gospel forbids us to be solicitous about temporal goods — ne solliciti sitis ; but He wishes, at the same time, that we should bestow a rational care upon them, and should toil to acquire them. From the very beginning God intimated this to Adam, and, through him, to all his posterity — in sudor e vultus tui vesceris pane , We must all work ; and whatever be our condition in life, we ought all to occupy ourselves in labours suitable to our state. Whoever, then, should expect God to provide for him while leading an idle and vagabond life, would be expecting from God what he does not deserve, and what God never promised to give him. And here let me say a word or two to the rich. The rich are bound under pain of sin, by the precept of Charity (it does not affect my case just now to decide when this obligation presses, or whether they are moreover bound in justice), — the rich, I say, are bound under pain of sin to assist the poor out of their substance, and to be charitable towards them ; but they are not always bound to give them alms . Charity does not always consist in almsgiving; and every act of almsgiving is not an act of charity. Almsgiving 87 Part /. — Section rj. means to give a poor person some of your sub- stance without requiring any service in return ; but one might perform an act of charity, by aiding ! the poor and yet requiring from them, in return, the performance of some service. To give alms to a poor creature who cannot earn his livelihood by working, or who cannot support his family on I the wages which he earns, is a great act of charity. But to give alms to people who might support themselves by their labour, who can work but are unwilling to do so — this would not be an act of charity, because it would encourage vagabonds in idleness and vice. When there is question of persons of this class, the only real charity is to give them work to do. For example, a rich man sees a poor day labourer, or a poor servant, walking about idle, because they can find no work to do ; if he takes the one into his house as an additional servant, or gets the other to do some work for him, he will be performing a much more charitable deed than if he gave them alms, although he is all the while deriving temporal advantage for himself from their employment ; and if charity were regulated in this manner, how much fewer rogues and vagabonds would we have in the country ! Let these latter, however, reflect that, by asking alms when they might work if they chose, they are very criminal in the sight of God, because they do not obey the divine com- mand : In sudore vultus tui vesceris pane ; and, moreover, because they inflict great injury on their neighbour, since the alms which ought to 88 Practical I ?istr action for New Confessors. be distributed to the deserving poor who are unable to work, is much diminished by what is given to these sturdy and undeserving beggars. Finally, let me touch upon the third error. Many persons ask for favours from God’s bounty, but, as a general rule, they wish to regulate them after their own fashion. God does not fail to open up to them many paths to gain a livelihood, but they have some fault to find with all of them. One situation involves too much labour, another too much confinement ; one does not seem sufficiently respectable, in another the salary is not up to the mark. Who are you that you should pretend to dictate terms to a provident Sovereign, to a loving Father, who, through pure liberality, stretches out His hand to help you ? It would be a pretty thing if a poor beggar, when soliciting alms, were to say : “ I won’t take less than a shilling or a crown ; I won’t take coppers, I want silver : I won’t take silver, I must get gold ”. If we inquire into the circum- stances of these persons who complain that they have no share in the favours of God’s providence, we shall find that this is so, because of some one of the three mistaken notions to which I have alluded. Wherefore the fault rests with them- selves, and not with God, Before I conclude this section, I must say a word to those who are envious of their neigh- bour’s prosperity. In the first place, many con- found envy with a simple desire that they them- selves should enjoy prosperity like that which 8 9 Part T, — Section 13. they see their neighbour enjoying. A desire of this kind is not envy, nor is it, in itself, at all sin- ful. It would be sinful, if, in order to enjoy the good things in question, you wished or tried to deprive your neighbour of them. It would be a grievous sin, if, being unable to enjoy equal prosperity with your neighbour, you felt dis- pleasure at his prosperous lot (and this is envy in the strict sense), and were tortured by the thought that he should be thriving, while you are in difficulties. This, however, must not be under- stood as applying to those indeliberate acts, spring- ing from pure natural sensibility, which are the effect of the corruption of our nature by sin, and are not in themselves sinful ; but it is to be understood of those acts which emanate from our free will, and which are preceded by delibera- tion ; such as, for example, if you were to treat your fortunate neighbour with a certain feeling of hate, as though he were your enemy, and, when occasion offered, discussed his faults with others. But to envy the prosperity of sinners is the worst sin of all. You will find explained in § 20 the reason why the wicked are in many instances prosperous. Meanwhile I say to you with holy David : Noli cemulari in malignantibus, neque zelaveris facientes iniquitatem . Instead of stirring up envious feelings within you, persons of this class ought rather to move you to com- passion. What does it avail them to live sump- tuously in this world, if they must afterwards 90 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . burn in hell for all eternity ? Is it not better to lead a life of poverty for a few years in the grace of God, with a well-founded hope of afterwards rejoicing for all eternity in heaven ? Brethren, let us regulate our conduct by the Gospel maxims, and we shall find comfort therein, and an antidote for all our troubles. But, above all, you will find an efficacious remedy and a sweet consolation in all your trials, if you look with the eye of faith upon the Crucifix. Can you possibly be called upon to suffer any trials, to compare with the sufferings endured by our most amiable Redeemer ? Do you endure poverty and wretchedness ? Well, you were not born in a roofless stable, between two dumb animals. Are you the victim of persecution and calumny ? Well, still greater calumnies were heaped upon the Man-God, when He was branded as a sedition-monger, an irreligious man, and one possessed by the devil. Perhaps you have to endure pains, bodily sufferings, and tortures ? Well, I can say no more than bid you look upon that lifeless body hanging from the Cross. If Jesus Christ, then, wishes you to bear a part in His sufferings, will you be bold enough to grieve thereat, and to refuse to share them with Him ? Ah, Saint Philip Neri used to say with truth : When one is visited by afflic- tion and does not bear it patiently, we may say to him, You are not worthy that God should visit you so , nor do you deserve so great a favour. Yes, so great a favour ; for since the insignificant Part 1 . — Section 14 . 9 T trials of this life, if viewed in their true light, are, as Saint Paul says, the presage of eternal, incomparable joy in the world to come, we ought to regard them not as evils , but as true, real, and most substantial blessings. § 14 . — Reflections to be proposed to those who cannot carry on a pleasant conversation without sin. Not unfrequently we meet in the confessional certain persons who accuse themselves as fol- lows : “ Father, I have indulged a little in pleasant conversation : I have been rather gay : I have spoken funny words If I did not know from experience what is meant by such expressions as these, I might be inclined to say : That is right, my child : I am glad to hear it : to be gay and merry is pleasing to everyone, and even to God Himself. In Heaven there will be one uninterrupted round of joy ; and St. Paul exhorts the faithful — -fratres gaudete , iter urn dico gaudete. But, in the vocabulary of these persons of whom I am speaking, to be merry, to indulge in pleasant conversation, simply means to give utterance to obscene words, to carry on im- modest conversation ; and whereas Saint Paul, when exhorting the faithful to rejoice, adds : “in the Lord — in Domino ” — these persons, if they wished to speak accurately, ought to say, “ we have been merry — in the Devil And in truth, is it not a hellish merriment to take pleasure in conversation, in words, in equi- 9 2 Practical Instruction for New Confessors vocal expressions the filthiest that the impure spirit can suggest ? How appropriate would it not be to see inscribed in colossal letters over certain clubs, over certain shops — I say nothing now of public-houses — that inscription which we see painted on certain places in the dirtiest por- tions of the city — “ Receptacles for filth Yes, those shops, those factories where the e7nployes continually indulge in immodest conversation, are “ receptacles for filth There is a “ receptacle for filth ” at the street corners, whenever we see there those groups of idle men, whose only occupa- tion is to discuss the anatomy of every woman that passes, ogling them all, and endeavouring to attract their attention by equivocal expressions, which are not so very enigmatical as to require any profound thought to penetrate their mean- ing. And yet to think that this should take place in Catholic lands, in Catholic cities, which profess a religion breathing nought but the most refined purity ! When 1 fall in with persons of this class, I address them as follows : Why in the world cannot you contrive to be merry and gay without committing sin? I remember to have taken part, in my young days, in social gatherings and excursions so pleasant, that I challenge the most brilliant company in the world to say that they have enjoyed any more so ; and yet on these occasions I have never heard an unseemly word, never an unbecoming joke, never a passing expression that could be suspected even of 93 Part 1 . — Section 14. venial sin. And these were not reunions of old men : nor were they presided over by some person of authority and grave demeanour. Not at all : they were social gatherings of young men of ardent temperament and of gay dispositions. Oh, how we do deceive ourselves ! True gaiety proceeds from the heart : it has as its foundation a pure conscience, a soul untroubled by remorse. Then every little entertainment, every innocent joke, every witty expression really cheers and recreates one’s mind ? But, on the other hand, tell me honestly do those loud guffaws, with which you greet certain hellish equivocal ex- pressions, really proceed from the heart? Do they recreate your mind ? Do you derive any advantage from them ? Ah ! if one could read your heart at the moment when you are laughing thus, he would see it torn by a thousand desires which you are unable to gratify, by a hundred jealousies which embitter the course of your amours, by continual remorse which gnaws your conscience. True, sincere, unalloyed pleasure cannot be found in company with sin. This general principle holds true in every case. And, again, how can you who are Christians, who say at least that you have faith, dare to approach the holy Communion with a tongue so filthy? Is it not upon your tongue that Jesus Christ first rests, when He comes to visit you in the blessed Sacrament ? You will say, perhaps, that you have previously purified it by confession. I am willing to suppose that you have done so ; 94 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . but I observe at the same time that no matter how well you may sweep a receptacle for filth, it always retains a certain nastiness and stench. You surely would not eat or drink from a vessel which had been employed to hold something filthy, no matter how well it may have been washed. The bare recollection of what it had contained, the bare idea of the purpose it had served, would cause disgust. And must not Jesus Christ be disgusted, must He not feel Himself provoked to indignation, at being compelled to rest upon a tongue more filthy and more disgusting than any receptacle for nuisances? — Jesus Christ, who is the bread of angels and essential purity itself? See the cor- porals which are used in the divine sacrifice, how pure they are ! See the paten, the pyx, and the other sacred vessels, how they shine with purest gold ! And yet you, and your tongue Ah ! my dear brethren, let us have a little faith. What union can there be between the members of Christ and the members of the Devil ? And your tongues are in truth members of the Devil, since they relish nothing but obscenity, filth, and iniquity. I say nothing of the scandal caused by such filthy expressions and conversations. How happens it, that we sometimes meet with little boys, who have scarcely learned to speak arti- culately, and yet are already foul-mouthed ? They have become so, through listening to grown-up people using filthy language. I have Part 1 . — Section 14, 95 already stated in § 9 the great injury which scandal-givers cause to souls, and the great sin of which they are thereby guilty. Above all, let heads of families reflect seriously how they speak in the presence of their children. If the parents use immodest words, and indulge in improper conversation, what kind of language, what conversation must we necessarily expect from the children? And who, think you, will be held accountable to God for these sins of the children, when they are caused by the bad ex- ample of the parents ? But since I have begun to speak of sins of the tongue, I do not wish to conclude this section, .without touching lightly upon some other sins that are commonly committed by the abuse of speech. I do not mean to say any- thing just now of blasphemy — a most detestable sin, of which I shall speak later on at consider- able length, as the importance of the subject requires. Nor shall I speak of cursing and swearing, as these sins also shall be treated in subsequent sections. I confine myself for the present to speaking, first of all, of those who spread abroad evil report, a sin which theolo- gians call susurration. To this class belong those who all day long, in the public-houses, in the clubs, in social gatherings, vilify legitimate governments, and thus stir up discontent among the people. It is of the tongues of such persons that Saint James says in his epistle : “ The tongue is a fire . , . . 9 6 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . being set on fire by Hell ” — lingua ignis est . . , . inflammaia a gehenna ; for, as the same apostle remarks, just as a single spark often produces a terrible fire in a wood, so the tongue of one of these persons often causes frightful devastation in a province, or in an entire nation. I need not cite examples to prove this, because the memory of such facts is too recent, and we still feel their terrible consequences.* And then how ridiculous to think, that these censors of the constituted authorities are generally the most wrong-headed, foolish, stupid, inconsequential people in the community ! We often hear lec- tures on the duties of the executive, on political economy, on government, from the lips of per- sons who do not know even how to read, and who have never governed anything except a pair of oxen at the plough. We even hear such subjects treated by women, whose power of government was never tested in any higher sphere than the poultry-yard. How in the world, I say to such persons, can you speak of government, of political economy, who cannot make your wages balance your own small house- hold expenses ; who do not even know how to regulate, on any fixed system, your own personal conduct ? Meanwhile, it is incredible what mischief these persons work in a community; because the common people place more reliance * The author wrote in the first years of the present century, when the effects of the French Revolution were painfully felt all over Europe. — Translator. Part /. — Section 14. 97 in these popular sages, than they would in the wisest, the most learned, the most experienced man in the world, were he even a Solon or a Lycurgus. But there is another class of disseminators of evil report, more secret in their operations, but who are likewise very injurious to society — I mean those who repeat to others the tittle-tattle which they have heard spoken to their prejudice by some third person. Oh ! what unspeakable mischief is done by such persons, who thus sow the seeds of discord and fan its flame, until it not unfrequently terminates in quarrels and bloodshed ! Women, in particular, sin in this respect, by retailing to their female acquaint- ances all the idle talk of the neighbourhood ; and servants also, both male and female, often sin similarly, when, in order to ingratiate them- selves with their masters and mistresses, they repeat to the wife all that may be said by the husband, and vice versa. And to whose charge, principally, will the Divine Judge lay the jealousies, the disunion, the scandals, that must follow from such conduct ? He will charge them to the account of the scandal-mongers who caused them, and kindled such fires in happy homes — Lingua ignis est ... . inflammata a gehenna. But the apostle Saint James not only says of the tongue that it is “ set on fire by Hell,” but he states, moreover, that it is “ full of deadly poison ” — lingua plena est veneno mortifero — and 98 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. of this kind is the tongue of detractors. In my opinion detraction is the most common of all sins ; and whoever reflects a little on the matter will readily agree with me in this, even though he may have had no experience in the Confessional. We commit the sin of detraction when by our conversation we detract , that is, take from, or lessen our neighbour’s reputation. Now, tell me, is there anything more common, as a rule, in friendly conversation, than to speak badly of some third or fourth person ? This is the most enjoyable subject of conversation in the social gatherings of persons of any class ; and in the servants’ halls the most ordinary topic is to speak ill of their masters, that is to say, of the very persons from whom they derive the means of their livelihood. In order, then, to place in its true light this vice which is of such frequent occurrence, I shall divide detraction into simple backbiting and calumny. We must speak of each species separately, because there is a wide difference between them. I begin with the more common of the two, that is, with simple backbiting. Many persons, when accusing themselves of having spoken ill of their neighbour, add, by way of excusing themselves: “But I have spoken the truth”. Well, I shall tell you another truth, still more certain, namely, that we are not at liberty to speak indiscriminately of everything which is true, and that you should not do to your neigh- bour what you would not wish to have done to Part /. — Section 14 . 99 yourself. Would you be pleased if another per- son who had a knowledge of your frauds, your usuries, your immoral habits (I mean of course when such things are secret, and not publicly known), — would you be pleased, I say, if he should publish them and make them a topic of conversation ? Would you regard it as a valid excuse that he had simply spoken what was true ? And how, then, can you regard as lawful in your own case what you condemn in others? Is there, then, one Gospel for you, and another for your neighbour ? Oh, the lying balances of men ! Know, then, that even by simple backbiting, even when you tell the truth in speaking ill of your neighbour, you may commit a mortal sin. If by your backbiting you prevent some young girl from contracting an honourable and respect- able marriage, if you sow dissensions between man and wife, if you bring discredit on some ecclesiastic, so that he either loses or cannot obtain a post which would supply him with the means of living decently, and much more if you render his sacred ministry ineffective — in all these cases, and in very many others which might be mentioned, you are, ordinarily speaking, guilty of a mortal sin, even though you may have spoken the truth, and you cannot receive absolu- tion, unless you repair the injury done to your neighbour in his character and property. We must except from this rule crimes that are public and notorious, and the case of persons who already bear a bad character with regard ioo Practical Instruction for New Confessors . to the special class of crimes which we have laid to their charge. Some other exceptions might also be named, but I judge it better to pass them by, lest the knowledge of them might be abused by those belonging to the igno- rant classes, for whose benefit this work is more especially designed. Wherefore when persons of this class are conscious to themselves of having spoken ill of their neighbour, they ought to accuse themselves of it in confession, and await the questions which may be put to them on this head by the Confessor (whom I suppose to be learned and pious), being all the while pre- pared to perform whatever he may pronounce necessary to be done for the security of their conscience. For the rest, uncharitable con- versation regarding one’s neighbour carries with it, of its own nature, the obligation of repairing the injury done to our neighbour’s character. But calumny is far worse than simple back- biting. Calumny consists in speaking ill of our neighbour contrary to, or in excess of, the truth. Contrary to the truth : by laying to his charge a crime which he has not committed ; in excess of the truth : when the crime with which we charge him is indeed substantially true, but so ex- aggerated in description and in its circumstances, that it assumes a more heinous character than really belongs to it. How often does it not happen that some pro- fligate spreads abroad reports most prejudicial to the virtuous reputation of a respectable woman, Part /. — Section 14. 101 solely because she has refused to listen to his infamous proposals ? How frequently does he not represent his Parish Priest, or some other zealous ecclesiastic, as a designing hypocrite, solely because he has baffled him in some wicked intrigue ? Still worse is it if he should not hesitate to confirm such calumnies by a solemn attestation, or even by an oath in a Court of Justice. These are calumnies contrary to the truth ; and I need not say how grievously one sins by them, since it is a matter which everybody easily understands. I shall merely call attention to the indispensable obligation imposed upon the calumniator of restoring his neighbour’s good fame, and repairing any losses which may have resulted from the calumny; and this he must do, even though he should himself have to suffer thereby in character and temporal goods. Justice requires that the guilty man should suffer loss of character and punishment, rather than the man who is innocent. But in this case, also, the general rule is, that the penitent should be entirely guided by the judgment and decision of a prudent and learned Confessor. The aforesaid obligation binds those likewise who calumniate their neighbour by exceeding the truth , when mentioning his real faults. Those who are guilty of this sin, must, as best they can, unsay all that was exaggerated and, so to speak, ornamental in their description of their neigh- bour’s failings, and they must also repair the injury done to his character by their language. 102 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. No Confessor or other person in the world can dispense from this obligation. It is a clear law of nature, of justice, of God, and therefore no human authority can absolve from it. Finally, let me say a few words regarding what I shall call tacit backbiting and calumny. Some member of a company indulges in backbiting, or in calumny which I well know to be a real calumny. Instead of manifesting displeasure on hearing the backbiting, or defending the inno- cence of the person assailed by calumny, I approve of it by nodding my head, or by a smile, because the person assailed is a rival of mine, or one whom I dislike. If I act in this manner, even though I should not utter a single word, I become an accomplice in the sin of backbiting and of calumny, and a case might arise in which I should share proportionately the obligation of the backbiter and the calumniator. Should I endeavour to exhaust this subject of sins of the tongue, I should never have done. Saint James, whom I have already so often quoted, washing to sum up the matter in a few r words, calls the tongue the embodiment, the source of all evil — Lingua .... universitas iniquitatis . He says that this very small member defiles the entire body — Lingua i?i membris constituitur , quez maculat totui?i corpus . Let us be careful, then, dear brethren, to keep a check upon our tongue. It has been given to us by God, I admit, for our own convenience, and for the convenience of society — to express and to communicate to others Part /. — Section 15. 103 our thoughts and our wants; but God gave it to us, and preserves its use to us, principally for His own glory, in order that by means of it we may bless and praise Him, thank Him, pray to Him, and confess our faults before Him and before his ministers, for the purpose of obtaining pardon of them. He has given us a tongue, moreover, for the benefit of our neighbour ; that we may instruct him if ignorant, admonish him should he stray from the path of duty, console him in his afflictions, and defend him if unjustly perse- cuted and attacked. If we employ our tongues in this manner, we shall not only save our souls, but we shall be perfect and saints ; for Saint James assures us : Si quis in vei'bo non ojfendit , hie perfectus est vir . Because, as the same Apostle tells us, just as the helm guides the ship, so does the tongue regulate the entire man. § 15 . — Reflections to be proposed to those who have a habit of cursing. In § 12 I alluded to various kinds of sins which reign supreme in certain public-houses and like places. I must now proceed to review in detail their malice and heinousness, in order that those who are in the habit of committing such sins may conceive a due hatred of them. Enough has been already said of drunkenness and obscene conversation ; I shall now speak in particular of cursing — a vice which is of very frequent occurrence among the common people. 104 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . Cursing consists in the utterance of words which imply a desire that spiritual or temporal evil may befal our neighbour. Of this kind are those expressions which we hear every day in the streets : May the Devil take you ; may the Devil break your neck , &c. There is not the slightest doubt that when such expressions pro- ceed from the heart they are mortal sins, and that the sin is greater or less, in proportion to the greater or less obligation which binds us to love the person against whom the expressions are uttered. Therefore the sin is very heinous when such expressions are uttered against one’s father, mother, wife, children, superiors, and especially against our sovereign, or our ecclesias tical superiors, who have many special titles to our love. But the sin becomes particularly heinous, when the curses are uttered against one’s self ; for in the order of charity love of one’s self comes first. Therefore Jesus Christ, when imposing upon us the precept of loving our neighbour, did not say : Thou shalt love thy neighbour more than thyself, but as thyself ; wishing thereby to teach us, that the love which we bear ourselves ought to be the model of that which we should entertain for our neighbour. Everything, therefore, which can be said of mortal sins increasing in heinousness by reason of their circumstances, may likewise be said of cursing. But I have found in practice, that people are more easily inspired with a horror of this sin, if we impress them, moreover, with a Part 1 . — Section 15. 105 sense of its utter silliness. Persons commonly, through a fit of rage or of impatience, curse those who do them some injury, or who annoy them. Now, I reason as follows with such persons : — Can there be greater folly than this ? These people do you a slight temporal injury, and you do yourself a spiritual injury by committing a mortal sin. What a precious revenge is this ! If a person were to slap you on the face, and you, through rage and a spirit of revenge, were to plunge a knife into your own heart, thereby causing your own death, would not everybody say : Oh, what a raving lunatic ! Well, your folly is quite on a par with this, and indeed worse, when you begin to utter imprecations through a spirit of rage and revenge. Add to this the consideration of the temporal evils which you draw down upon yourself by cursing ; for it is lawful to make use of this motive also, in order to restrain ourselves from sin. Know, then, that curses rarely injure those against whom they are uttered, while they not unfrequently recoil upon the head of him who utters them. As far as I am personally con- cerned, I confess that, apart from the displeasure I should feel at seeing my neighbour commit sin, I would be rather inclined to laugh if one were to hurl at me the most terrible curses. Our good or evil fortune depends upon God; and God is not moved to send misfortune to anyone because of the prayers or desires of a wicked wretch who curses. To curses we may apply 106 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . the common proverb : “ The braying of an ass does not move Heaven”. But, on the other hand, it very frequently happens, that the evils which are invoked upon others fall upon the person who invokes them. Quite recently I have seen, within less than a month, very many instances of this, which were admitted and ac- knowledged by the victims themselves. Broken bones have often fallen to the lot of husbands, who had many times wished them to their wives when cursing them. Does not this fact show, in a still clearer light, the folly of those who give vent to their rage by cursing. But in addition to the clear and unmistakable curses mentioned above, there are others, more or less disguised, which are equally sinful. These disguised curses are used principally by women against their husbands and children, when they give them trouble or annoyance. How frequently do not mothers, when worried by their children, say : I wish the Lord would take you to Himself ; will the Lord ever take you fro'm me ? and such- like expressions, which in appearance are holy, since, according to their strict signification, they seem to imply nothing more than a wish for the child’s greater happiness — for its eternal salva- tion. But let us examine a little the disposition and intention of these zealous mothers. If, while they are thus annoyed, an angel should appear and say to them : “ Do not fear ; your prayer will be heard ; the Lord will take your children to Himself, but not for some twenty, io7 Part I. — Section ij’. forty, sixty years to come, when they shall have merited greater glory ” — oh ! how they would say, if not in words, at least within their hearts : “ But this is not what I want ; I would wish to get rid of them at once, because I can no longer endure the annoyance which they give me Well, this proves that it is not the spiritual and eternal welfare of your children which moves you to pray that the Lord may take them, but rather the desire to rid yourselves of the trouble which they cause you ; so that, practically, you desire their death ; and when you wish the Lord to take them to Heaven, it is simply because you know that they cannot enter Heaven without first dying, and relieving you of their presence. Therefore you wish them the greatest of tem- poral evils, that you yourselves may escape the troubles and annoyances which they cause you, and which are evils of far less consequence. Take care, then, when uttering these beautiful prayers, that you do not violate the precept of love of your neighbour, by committing a very grievous sin of cursing. And since, among their other pretensions, women lay claim also to great piety, and believe they have a right to do so, because of those prayers offered by the Church pro devoto fcemineo sexu (words, by the way, which refer solely to women specially consecrated to God by vow), it will not be out of place to give them here, en passant , a brief lesson in true devotion. According to Saint Thomas, and to the una- 108 Practical I 7 ist ruction for Ne?v Confessors. nimous teaching of the Fathers and theologians of the Church, piety is nothing else than a prompt and willing disposition to do whatever is pleasing to God ; and nothing is so certain to please God, or bears so distinctly on it the stamp of the divine will, as the fulfilment of God’s law and of the duties and obligations of one’s state. Now, who does not know that one of the prin- cipal duties and obligations of married women, is to bear with the trouble and annoyances caused by their husbands and children ? You are quite satisfied with yourself when you have spent entire hours in the church, occupied, per- haps, for the most part, in chatting with your female friends, and even, should the occasion present itself, backbiting this and that other one ; and yet you have not the slightest scruple for having all the while abandoned your family, contrary to what your duty prescribes ! You fancy that you have reached the pinnacle of per- fection, because of a few sighs you send towards Heaven, because of a few tears you shed, because of a few strokes you give your breast; and mean- while you are committing grievous mortal sins, so that just when you imagine that you have reached the third Heaven, nothing but the slender thread of life keeps you from dropping into Hell. If you desire to be truly pious (and this would be a holy ambition), consider what Jesus Christ suffered for you. Remember the abject poverty in which He was pleased to be born, to live, and to die ; call to mind how He was in- Parti. — Section 15. 109 suited, reviled, and calumniated ; think on the scourging, the crown of thorns, the nails, the cross endured by Him, although He was inno- cent, although He was holy, although He was God ; and then say with yourself : Can the ill usage which I receive from my husband, the bad language spoken of me by my neighbour, the annoyances caused by my children, be at all compared with the calumnies, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the death by cruci- fixion endured by my Lord Jesus Christ ? Can I, a sinful woman, dare to institute a comparison between myself and Jesus Christ? Yet He, before entering into Heaven, had to endure a life of wretchedness, and to die the death of the cross, and can I expect to enter there by lead- ing a life of ease — a life spent entirely according to my own inclinations? Encourage yourself by such thoughts as these, to suffer and to bear patiently the obligations of your state ; and if you will but do this, rest assured that you will be far more pious than those self-satisfied ladies, who pride themselves on hearing four or five masses every morning, on going to communion three or four times a week, and perhaps even every day, but who, nevertheless, cannot endure the least contradiction, the most trivial remark which offends them, the slightest disrespect shown to them. Poor deluded crea- tures ! They are, indeed, devout, but their devotion comes not from God. It is rather the outcome of caprice, of pride, of the Devil. no Practical Instruction for New Confessors . § 1 6 . — Reflections to be proposed to those who are addicted to swearing, and even to swearing falsely . Although an oath, considered in itself, is an act of Religion and of homage towards God, nevertheless, because of the abuse thereof, it fre- quently becomes the occasion of terrible sins, and of a most grievous outrage against the Majesty and the Infallibility of God. This happens when one swears to do something bad, as, for example, to take vengeance on an enemy, to persecute a rival, to crush an innocent person ; or when one swears for the purpose of gaining credence for a statement which he believes to be false. In both these cases the insult offered to God is manifest. Tell me, would you call upon a person of position and respectability to beg of him to witness some crime of yours, or to give bail that you should duly accomplish it ? Well, you do something infinitely worse than this, when you swear to perform anything that is unlawful. You call upon God to witness your sin, and you wish that He should, as it were, affix to it the seal of His divine authority. And from this you ought to understand, how stupid you should be, and how much more in- sulting to God, were you to suppose that you were bound by such an oath to execute your evil design. Must, then, the authority of God become your bond for the perpetration of those Part /. — Section 16. hi horrible crimes which he most strictly forbids ? This was the sacrilegious crime of Herod, who beheaded the great Precursor of our Lord, through a scruple lest he should violate the oath sworn to the shameless daughter of the in- famous, incestuous adulteress Herodias. You offer no less an outrage to God when you swear with a lie, even though it should be a very trifling one, aye, even though it should be a jocose lie, and of no injury to your neighbour; and of course the sin would be much greater, should your statement be a calumny injurious to your neighbour’s reputation or interests. Let me return to the example given above. Would you have the courage to ask, I won’t say a person of distinction, but one of your own rank whom you know to be an upright man — would you, I say, have the courage to ask him to give false testi- mony in your favour in a Court of Justice? Most certainly you would not ; because you would consider that in doing so you would be offering him a great insult. If you wished for witnesses of that stamp, you would go to seek them among the scum of the criminal popula- tion. Well, then, will you dare to offer to that God before whose Majesty the heavens and the earth tremble, an insult which you would not dare to offer to a miserable human being of your own rank ? Will you dare thus to insult a God, who in Holy Writ describes Himself by the name of “ The Truth ” oftener than by any other title — Ego sum veritas — and who, consequently, is 1 1 2 Practical Instruction for Neiv Confessors . incapable, by His very essence, of speaking what is false, or of deceiving anybody? And since even motives of policy often help us to avoid sin, and it is well to avail ourselves of them in such circumstances, I wish to propose to you one such, which I have known to have produced a great impression upon all, and to have brought conviction home to them. I am accustomed, then, to reason as follows with those who employ an oath to confirm a false- hood : — You swear, in order that you may be believed : well, I shall prove to you, as clearly as the noon-day sun, that you are not believed, precisely because of your swearing. Listen to me for a moment. The person whom you wish to convince by swearing, is either a gentleman or a blackguard. There is no alternative : but I mean a gentleman or a blackguard judged by the standard of conduct , not of birth ; because we unfortunately find scoundrels belonging to very distinguished families, while we often meet with true gentlemen among the very lowest orders of the people. Let me return to the dilemma stated above. If you swear for the purpose of con- vincing a blackguard, he, certainly, will not attach the least additional credence to your words because of your oath; for since he is accustomed to take false oaths, as much as, and perhaps more, than yourself, on hearing you swear, he says with himself : " This fellow is doing precisely what I do myself when I wish to prop up a lie Consequently he does not be- Pari I — Section 16 . 1 1 3 lieve you. On the contrary, he laughs in his heart, and thinks : “ You won’t deceive me so . Tell me the truth: have not these very thoughts passed through your own mind, when you have heard others swearing? Everyone to whom I have addressed this question, has answered in the affirmative. Well, then, when one has to deal with blackguards, there is nothing to be gained by swearing. Let us now see how it will fare with you when there is question of dealing with a gentleman. The case becomes infinitely worse. Have you ever heard gentlemen mixing up oaths with their statements ? Certainly not ; because a gentle- man. being accustomed to speak truthfully, thinks that he ought to be believed on his word alone ; and moreover, he would be ashamed to use the language of blackguards, who swear at every word. Therefore when a gentleman hears you swear, though politeness forbids him to tell you to your face what he thinks of you, he will say to himself : u This fellow must be a blackguard, who seeks to impose upon me by swearing . Consequently he at least suspends his assent and does not believe you, when he might, per- haps, have believed you, had you refrained from swearing. Here then is the great advantage which you have derived from your oath ! In order to deceive, you have committed a grievous sin, you have merited Hell, and yet you have not achieved your purpose — a just punishment of your sin. 8 1 14 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . I shall teach you how to secure credence for your statements. In the first place, accustom yourself to speak the truth, and never allow yourself to be detected in a lie. In the next place, if you meet with one who is disinclined to believe you, tell him calmly : “ This is the truth (I take it for granted that such is the case); if you wish to believe it, do so; if not, let it pass, since I am not in the least concerned whether you believe it or not.” If you act thus, I can assure you that you will be believed — at least far more readily than if you had taken a hundred oaths. Up to the present I have spoken only of false and unjust oaths ; but even oaths that are just and truthful, are not always entirely free from sin. Considering the unspeakable greatness of God, one ought not to invoke His testimony except in matters of importance and for just reasons, such as, for instance, when called upon by our legiti- mate superiors, or by a legal tribunal to make a statement on oath. And remember that, in order to pledge the infallible authority of God by an oath, it is not necessary that the name of God should be mentioned in set terms. Whoever swears by the Saints, by Heaven, by the earth, by the Holy Cross, by Baptism, or other like matters which have a special reference to God as their author ; whoever should say “This is as true as the Gospel,” really calls God Himself as a witness. But I do not pretend to enter into minute details concerning this matter, nor is it any part of my present purpose to do so. Con- Part I. — Section iy. “5 suit your Confessor, if you wish to find out whether the form used by you for swearing is really an oath or not. But, as a general rule, I caution you, in order to remove the danger of sinful swearing, to abstain altogether from every formula having the appearance of a?i oath , except in the case of necessity already mentioned. Let your speech be yea, yea; and no, no: which our Lord declared ought to be the language of a true Israelite and of a true Christian. § 17 . — Reflections for those who in conversation abuse the holy names of God, of our Re- deemer, and of the Saints . It is really impossible to endure the vile habit of so many persons, more especially of the lower orders, who seem unable to open their mouths, to lose their temper, or even to indulge in a joke without saying By God, By Christ, and like expressions. Have, then, these adorable names of God, and especially of Christ, been made for our amusement, to serve us in a burst of passion, to fill up a gap in conversation, to embellish our discourse ? Are there no other words by which you might manifest your indig- nation, even if it were just ? Are there not other words more suitable for jesting, are there not other pleonasms better adapted to round off a period? Oh, holy faith ! And yet, according to the Apostle, at the name of Jesus “every knee shall bow, of those that are in Heaven, on earth, and 1 1 6 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . under the earth”; and the mere name of God, pronounced with the reverence and energy that was employed by the great archangel St. Michael — Quis ut Deus! Imperet tibi Deus — was suffi- cient to overthrow, to crush, to hurl from Heaven into the lowest abyss of Hell proud Lucifer and the innumerable host of the other rebel angels ! And, this being so, will a miserable man, a vile worm of the earth, employ those names as he would the name of a mountebank, or of some ridiculous heathen divinity ? I do not wish to decide expressly what kind of sin this is, and what degree of heinousness it involves. I leave it to learned and prudent Con- fessors to determine this according to the cir- cumstances. I submit it to their judgment to decide, how far a person can be excused from mortal sin who habitually falls into this sin. even after having been several times admonished and checked, without ever having taken any trouble, or having adopted any of the means suggested to him to extirpate altogether, or at least to diminish so sinful a habit. I leave it to every faithful Christian to decide, whether such a person can be said to observe the divine pre- cept : Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain . One ought not to mention the most holy name of God and Jesus Christ (and in due pro- portion the same may be said of the name of Our Lady and of the Saints), except to praise them, or to invoke them in our necessities, espe- Part I. — Section 18. 1 1 7 daily those of the spiritual order. Why cannot artisans in their shops, and women in their houses be induced to sing the praises of God, or Jesus, and of Mary, instead of the many profane, not to say obscene, songs which they sing at present ? Why do they not invoke these names in the hour of temptation and danger ? Why do not parents, instead of cursing their children, recommend them to the protection of these holy names ? Oh, if a proper use were made of these names, what blessings would flow therefrom upon the world ? It is, therefore, the bounden duty of fathers and mothers, to see that these, names are the first words lisped by their little children. It is their duty to reprove and punish their children, should they hear them utter these names disrespectfully. But it is much more their duty not to teach their children to disre- spect them, by their own bad example. Let all pious Christians recite with particular fervour the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer — Sanctifi- cetur nomen tnum — to beg of God the extirpation of this most horrible vice. § 18 . — Reflections to be proposed to those who blaspheme the name of the Saints. If merely to take in vain the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of our Blessed Lady and of the Saints be so reprehensible, what shall be said of the Christian who blasphemes them ? This subject deeply concerns persons of the lower orders for whom I am writing; because, on the 1 1 8 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. one hand, this sin is very common among per- sons of this class, and, on the other hand, it is a sin of a very heinous nature. It is, therefore, necessary that we should treat the matter largely in detail. First, then, I shall speak in the pre- sent section of blasphemies uttered against the Saints, and in the three following sections of those which are directed against the holy names of God, of Jesus Christ, and of Our Lady. But before I begin, I must premise, for the benefit of the ignorant classes, what it is that is meant by blasphemy, because they often confound with it other sins of quite a distinct mature. Blasphemy, properly speaking, is nothing else than a word or speech injurious to God, directly or indirectly;* although one might blaspheme also even by gesture alone, as, for example, if one should spit, or shake his fist toward Heaven, or make a movement or gesture of contempt towards a holy image or sacred relic. Indeed, one might blaspheme even by a purely mental act, if one were to entertain in his heart thoughts injurious to God or to the Saints, without giving expression to these thoughts in words. If the blasphemous word or thought should convey a heresy known as such, and assented to, it would no longer be a simple, but a heretical blasphemy — a fact which changes the species of the sin, * The words in the author’s text are somewhat vague : * 1 La bestemmia altro non e propriamente, che una parola, un detto ingiurioso a quegli, che si bestemmia”. I have, therefore, taken the liberty of altering them slightly as they appear in my translation. — Translator. Part /. — Section 18 . 1 19 inasmuch as it adds to the injury done to God an error in faith, and this circumstance must consequently be mentioned in confession. Having premised this much, I will remark, finally, that every real blasphemy is a mortal sin, more or less grievous in proportion to the sanc- tity of the object against which it is directed, and to the malice with which it is uttered. Now to begin with blasphemies uttered directly against the Saints, which, though less grievous are, nevertheless, mortal sins, I would remark that when we insult the Saints, we insult God Him- self. For who are the Saints ? They are the princes of the heavenly court, the friends, the domestics, the familiars, the children of God — souls in a certain degree transformed into God Himself by the beatific vision. It is in these terms the Scriptures speak of them. Now, tell me, would it not be a grave insult to a Sovereign, to ill-use, to insult one of his courtiers, or even one of his servants who wore his livery, even though he should be no better than a common groom? Well, then, what must it be to despise, to insult, to curse one of God’s familiars, one of his adopted children, who has been already placed in possession of his eternal inheritance ? Can God, think you, regard with indifference an insult of this kind? — that God, I say, who has protested that He will not allow even a hair of their heads to perish, and that He will punish with severity the least outrage offered to them. But, furthermore, reflect what folly, what mad- t 20 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. ness it is to insult the Saints ! In the first place, you are estranging from you those who ought to be, and who in fact would be, your advocates with God. In the next place, why do you utter blasphemies against them ? You do so when you lose at play, when any one injures you, nay even when the poor dumb beasts of burden give you trouble. Now, I ask you, what have the Saints to do with these matters ? What blame can attach to them? If, while you were irritated by such matters as these, you chanced to meet me, would you say: “The D take that priest?” “Oh ! no,” you reply at once. “And why not?” I ask. You would answer: “ Because you have nothing to do with it ”. But then, I ask again, what have the Saints got to do with it ? What blame can attach to the Saints ? Do you not see that you are unjust, a fool, a madman? But your folly appears in a still stronger light, if we reflect upon another matter. If by blaspheming you could recover the money you had lost at play, or avenge the wrong that had been done you by your fellow-men, or correct the obstinacy of the dumb animals that annoy you, you would still be a great fool to contract the guilt of a sin so terrible for so paltry a result. But experience proves, that the more you blaspheme the worse do matters become, through a just judgment of God. Therefore, by blaspheming, you increase also the temporal evil which provoked you to blaspheme. Now, can there be folly or madness greater than this ? Part I . — Section 18 . I 2 I To this class of blasphemies we may refer a certain too familiar curse, which we hear uttered against the dead.* Living men are they who put you in a rage, and yet you pick a quarrel with the dead ! If these deceased persons be in Purgatory, and much more if they be in heaven, are they not dear to God, children of God, and whatever else has been already said of the Saints'? Therefore, by speaking injuriously of them, you offer an insult to God Himself. I might add, moreover, that amongst all nations, even the most barbarous, it has ever been regarded as a crime and an act of special impiety to molest the dead.f But since even among the Saints there are various degrees of dignity, so the sin of blas- phemy becomes more or less aggravated, when one utters insulting words against certain Saints whom God Himself has particularly distinguished upon earth. I intend to speak here of that * The author mentions the curse in question : ‘ * Mannaggia li morti tuoi but as we have nothing at all like it in English, I have thought it best to omit it from my translation. In the remainder of this section the author mentions several other blasphemous expressions in use in Italy, most of them be- ginning with “ Mannaggia”. This word “ Mannaggia," which is in very common use among the lower order of Italians, is a corruption of the word “ Maledetto ”. I have translated it by the word “ D n,” which is about the nearest English equivalent. — Translator. f I would take the liberty of remarking that the author's opinion on this subject is not held by the majority of Theo- logians. Theologians generally do not consider it blasphemy to curse the dead. See St. Liguori’s dissertatio. Op. Mor. 1. III. n. 130 . — Translator. 122 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. blasphemy so frequent among the lower orders of the people of Rome : “ D — n Saint Peter Who is Saint Peter ? Is he not the person whom Jesus Christ selected, in preference to all the other Apostles, to be the Foundation Stone of the entire Catholic Church ? to whom He gave the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven? to whom, in reward for his special love, He gave the Primacy, not alone of honour but of jurisdiction, over all the faithful, and over the Apostles themselves, constituting him supreme pastor of the lambs and sheep in His divine fold, with a perpetual primacy to be transmitted to the end of time through all his successors, the Roman Pontiffs ? And is this great Saint, so privileged, so honoured and exalted by Jesus Christ Himself, to be cursed by a scoundrel, by a drunkard, by a vile worm of the earth? And where is this done most fre- quently ? In Rome ! in that very Rome which received the first seeds of faith from Saint Peter ; in that very city which was drenched with his blood, and made illustrious by his martyrdom ; in that very Rome which acquired incomparably greater honour from the fact that Saint Peter fixed his See there, and established there the centre of Religion and the Infallible Chair of Truth, than it had acquired in all the past centuries by the triumphs of all the Caesars ; in that Rome which is venerated and envied with a holy envy by the entire Catholic world, for the precious deposit which it holds of the ashes of the Prince of the Apostles, and for the special Part /. — Section 18. 123 protection which he has always shown to this city ! Must we then hear so frequently in the public-houses and in the streets of Rome, that impious expression : “ D — n Saint Peter ” ? We need not wonder, therefore, if God permits His scourges to fall upon this city, and if the holy Apostle should almost seem to have forgotten his Romans. How can you expect that he should be earnest in protecting them, when they insult him daily ? It is no slight favour that the good Saint does not call down upon them the vengeance of Heaven. And here let me be permitted to make a slight digression, with reference to those who make use of such expressions as “ D — n the Pope ” ; “ to Hell with the Priests and Friars ”. Are not expressions of this kind, likewise, a species of blasphemy against Saint Peter ? The Pope is his successor in the Primacy of the Church. The Priests and Friars are ministers of the Church, dependent on him, and sharing his priesthood, and all of them wear his honourable livery. Nor does it avail to say : “ There are bad Priests and bad Friars ”. It is quite true that there are; but, nevertheless, we ought to respect their character, just as we respect a royal Minister, even though he should be bad. If there are some few Priests and Friars who have fallen away from the spirit of their state, is not the vast majority composed of exemplary, pious, edifying, zealous men, who are toiling all day long for the good of souls ? Why should all 124 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. indiscriminately be assailed by saying : “ To Hell with Priests and Friars,” as if they were all, without exception, bad, lazy persons, whose only thought was to amuse themselves ? Can we imagine a greater injustice than this ? Such a general proposition would be false and unjust, even if there were question of a body of bailiffs ; how much more so, when there is question of such a respectable body as the Priesthood, among whom if we occasionally meet with a Judas, nevertheless good and zealous apostles largely predominate ! The fact is, that whoso- ever speaks thus shows that he has but little religion ; and the only persons who do speak thus are the enemies of religion, who seek to bring discredit upon religion itself, by bringing discredit on its ministers. But let such persons reflect that they are drawing down upon them- selves the indignation of Heaven and of Saint Peter, who is the head of so respectable a body, and who must necessarily regard himself as in- sulted, when an insult is offered to his de- pendents. Ah, let this detestable crime cease once for all ! Let good Christians help in stemming this torrent of evil ; let the heads of families and the owners of business houses take care to banish it from the midst of their children and their assistants ; and let all when they hear a blasphemous expression, either reprove the blasphemers, when they can do so with effect, or, if not, let them at least counterbalance the 125 Part I. — Section 19. curses of others by their own blessings, in order thus to make compensation in some degree to the Saint for the insult offered to him, and to ward off those chastisements which the curses of the impious draw down upon mankind. § 19 . — Reflections for those who blaspheme the ?nost holy name of Mary . As a matter of fact, blasphemy directed against the Blessed Virgin is not of very frequent occur- rence ; indeed, it would be more correct to say that it is rather of rare occurrence; and would to God that it had no existence at all, so shocking is this sin ! It has happened more than once, that on asking some penitents who had con- fessed blasphemies against God and our Redeemer, whether they had also uttered blasphemies against the Blessed Virgin, I was immediately answered with a certain display of horror — “ The Blessed Virgin ? Oh, never ! In such cases I have replied : Well, that is right, and be careful never to utter a blasphemy against her ; but let me inform you, at the same time, that it is a far greater sin to blaspheme God and Jesus Christ. The Blessed Virgin is so exalted in point of holiness and dignity, that it surpasses the intelligence of men and angels ; but although among pure creatures she most nearly resembles God, nevertheless she is infinitely beneath God and Jesus Christ, so that she herself most truly styled herself the humble handmaid of the Lord. It is necessary, now and again, to instruct the 126 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. lower orders in well-regulated piety. I cannot have patience with some persons who, in order to excite devotion, respect, and love for the Blessed Virgin, almost place her on an equality with God. This is a monstrous error. Our holy religion abhors nothing more than false- hood, and our Blessed Lady herself cannot possibly be pleased with such homage as this. In order to set forth her dignity, it is not by any means necessary to employ exaggeration which borders on falsehood. There is so much to be said of her within the limits of truth, that whole libraries are filled with books celebrating her praises, and it would be possible to fill many others similarly. She alone of pure creatures was conceived without original sin, an exception having been made in her favour to an universal law affecting all the descendants of Adam ; she was chosen to be the mother of the divine Word Incarnate, and this without the intervention of man, and without loss of her virginity — a privi- lege never conceded to any one before her, and which will never be granted to any one in time to come ; she was taken up, body and soul, into heaven, and there appointed, above all the choirs of angels, Queen of the Universe and dispenser of the divine treasures — these alone are privi- leges which are more than sufficient to excite in all the highest veneration, the most tender love, the greatest confidence in regard of the Blessed Mother of God. Remember the words of Saint Paul : rationabile obsequium vestrum. 127 Part I. — Section ig. Yet, notwithstanding all this, there are to be found, even among Christians, too many who dare with sacrilegious tongue to utter blasphemies against her, and to speak of her in language so insulting, that it would bring a blush to the cheek even of a vile woman of the streets; attacking principally that prerogative of which she is most jealous — her admirable virginity, for the preservation of which she was willing to renounce even the sublime, the inconceivable dignity of Mother of God, should the co-exist- ence of both prerogatives be found impossible. Now, what can we say of persons of this class ? Language fails to express their sacrilegious, hellish wickedness. What I have said in the preceding section of blasphemy uttered against the Saints, is as nothing compared with what ought to be said of those who insult the Mother of God. I shall, therefore, rather direct atten- tion to the wonderful and incomprehensible goodness of our Blessed Lady, who tolerates such enormous insults although she might readily avenge them, and who even goes the length of imploring from God the greatest mercies for so many of those who insult her — a fact of which I myself have had palpable evidence, in hearing the confessions of these sacrilegious blasphemers. Let good Christians, then, as I suggested in the last section when speaking of the Saints, help to make compensation to our dear Mothei for these outrages, by their praise and homage, 128 Practical Instruction for Neu • Confessors . if they wish to be regarded by her as good children. § 20. Reflections to be proposed to those who blaspheme God. In the hundred-and-tenth Psalm the name of God is called “holy ” par excellence^ and “terrible,” and it ought, therefore, to inspire us with a holy, reverential fear whenever we pronounce it. And yet, if the truth must be told, there is no name more abused than that of God. To be con- vinced of this, it is enough to have ears and a little observation. In the 15th section I have already spoken a good deal of this accursed sin, and since we have already seen in the two last sections how great a sin it is to utter blasphemies against the Saints and their great Queen, it follows, as a self-evident conclusion, that it must be a far greater crime to blaspheme God. But though this kind of blasphemy is commonly supposed to take root only among the most wicked, and I might say professional, blas- phemers, yet I have met with it more than once in the case of persons who in other respects appeared pious. Such expressions as : God has become deaf\ God no longer hears us: if God were God , He would not permit this — He would arrange matters differently : if God does not do this , I will no longer believe in Hun ; this is enough to make one deny the Faith — and other like expressions which charge God, if not directly, Part /. — Section 20. 129 at least substantially, with being not quite just, not quite provident in the arrangement of human affairs, are heretical blasphemies which I have heard more than once from the lips, more par- ticularly, of women, and of women who were reputed respectable. Wherefore I consider it very useful, and even necessary, to make here, if I may so speak, an apology for God, in order to lay the axe at the root of this species of blasphemy. Generally speaking, God is called unjust be- cause He tolerates many acts of injustice and oppression, which He could either prevent, or visit with exemplary punishment. Now, in the first place, I shall point out the shortest, surest, and most suitable way to reply to such tempta- tions and blasphemies as these. Who are we that we should take it upon ourselves to make a pronouncement regarding the justice of God — that supreme, most wise, and most holy Judge? Although to us, and to our most limited and prejudiced understanding, some things which God wishes or permits may appear unjust, yet the very fact that God does wish or permit them, ought to be amply sufficient to convince us that He does so with perfect justice. How often, through want of sufficient knowledge, do we condemn as unjust human actions which, on being better informed respecting their circum- stances and motives, we are afterwards forced to recognise as exceedingly just, while admitting at the same time that we were ourselves unjust in 130 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . having hastily censured them ? You would make the self-same acknowledgment, did you but know the reasons for which God wishes or permits those things which appear to you unjust. Do you, perhaps, pretend that God should render to you an account of His actions, and that He should pay to you a deference which not even earthly monarchs pay to their subjects and dependents? Do you not know how in- comprehensible are his judgments and his ways ; that the ways of God are not the ways of men ; and that men are “ liars in their balances ” God has done it, God has wished it, God has per- mitted it : therefore there was good reason, even though it be unknown to me, for permitting it, for wishing it, for doing it. This is the train of reasoning which befits, not alone a Christian, but even a rational being who has proper notions regarding God and man. If we aspire to investigate the affairs of God, we shall remain overpowered by His Majesty, we shall become confused in our thoughts, we shall erf in our judgments, we shall fall into heresies, and we shall lose the Faith. This applies to everybody, but especially to weakminded and unlearned persons, as women usually are, even though some of them wish to play the part of theo- logians, and to penetrate profoundly into the science of the Saints. Nevertheless, it may be well to propose to persons of this class some more tangible expla- nation of the justice of God in permitting Part I. — Section 20. 131 certain disorders, that they may the better under- stand how foolishly and illogically they reason on this subject. I have found the following obser- vations very effective in producing this result. It seems to you, then, (I say to penitents of this class), that God is unjust, because He allows certain acts of injustice to pass without punishing them in this life speedily and visibly. Now, I ask you, does it ever enter your head to call a prince unjust, because, instead of punishing some crime, he exercises the prerogative of mercy towards the criminal, by remitting the punishment which die had merited ? The only one who can be called unjust, is one who commits some act of positive injustice. But to do an act of grace in favour of the guilty has never been regarded as an unjust act. On the contrary, those are generally praised as good princes, who manifest an incli- nation to exercise the prerogative of mercy, when circumstances seem favourable to their doing so. Now, let us come to the point which we are discussing. When God allows such a number of sins to go unpunished, He simply exercises His prerogative of infinite mercy. The person who has offended you has offended God much more, by violating His holy law ; yet, not- withstanding all this, God bears patiently with this person, in order to give him time to repent, and thus escape the rigours of his justice in the life to come, where God reserves to Himself to show to all inexorable justice without mercy. Indeed I myself could tell you of many examples 132 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . which came under my own observation, of most wicked persons who, after having led shockingly bad lives, became in the end sincerely con- verted, and died a truly enviable death. Do not, therefore, accuse God of injustice because He so exercises the prerogative of mercy. But, perhaps, you prefer that God should be a just avenger, rather than be merciful and patient? Well, let it be so; but remember that justice demands that He should look no one in the face, as actually will happen when the day of God’s justice shall arrive, and that if you wish justice to be exercised towards others, you must wish it exer- cised likewise towards yourself. Do you wish, then, that God’s justice should prevail? Well, let us begin with yourself. Justice demanded that when you committed your first mortal sin, even though it were but in thought, God should have suddenly struck you dead, as has happened to more than one, and hurled you into Hell. Still more did justice demand this when you continued to multiply your sins, even after having been so often pardoned, and after having promised and sworn to die rather than evermore offend God. Does this justice please you ? You grow pale at the very thought of it. If God had exercised this most just justice towards you, would you not have been for many years past in Hell? And now, if you are pleased that God has treated you with mercy rather than with justice, why are you dis- pleased that He should show the same mercy to others ? It is you, then, who are unjust when you Part /. — Section 20. *33 entertain such thoughts, whereas you ought, on the contrary, to praise God for causing His most patient mercy to triumph in this life in the case of so very many, amongst whom you must re- member that you yourself hold a foremost place. But for many persons the strongest temptation regarding the justice and the Providence of God, arises from the fact that they see the wicked for the most part prospering in this life, and the good suffering, persecuted, and oppressed. However, in this case, also, the general argument given above ought to hold good, viz., God has arranged it so ; God permits it so ; therefore it is well. But a much more powerful argument may be derived from the fact, that the portion which the Man-God selected for Himself here upon earth was that of misery, of abasement, of calumny, of persecution, of suffering, of an ignominious death upon a cross. Can you say that He treats the good badly and that He wrongs them, when He treats them as He treated Himself, and in fact much better? If this does not convince you, listen to a reflection of Saint Augustine, which I am accustomed to bring home to every- one by the following very simple illustration. Let us suppose that you see in a field two herds of oxen ; the one fat, well fed, and allowed to exist without performing any labour ; the other worn out by daily toil, and enjoying but brief repose and scanty fodder. The first are destined for the shambles, the others for farm labour. Now, let us suppose again that the second herd, 134 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . seeing the first enjoying every luxury, should envy their lot, and complain of their common master as unjust, would not you say to them (if the poor dumb beasts were capable of under- standing you) : Fools that you are ! is it not better to work and be alive , than to enjoy every luxury and die within a brief period ? If you but knew the lot which awaits those other oxen so envied by you , you would pity them very much , and, instead of complaining, you would declare that you were greatly obliged to your master. Now here, says the holy Doctor, is one of the reasons why God very often permits the wicked to prosper, and the good to suffer in this life. He sees the former already destined by reason of their perverse obstinacy to eternal fire ; and yet, on the other hand, who is so bad as not occasionally to do some good ? Therefore, knowing that He cannot recompense them with an eternal reward in the world to come, and being at the same time most liberal, God blesses them in this life with those goods which are of no account when weighed in the divine balance. But, on the other hand, seeing the good destined for eternal glory, He causes them to suffer, in order to purify them in this life from their sins, as gold is purified in the fur- nace, that they may afterwards shine as stars through all eternity. Now then, fools that you are, go envy the prosperity of the wicked, and complain of the justice and providence of God ! But since this subject is of the greatest import- ance in itself, and because of the frequency of Part I. — Section 20. x 35 this temptation now-a-days, owing to the fact that we are assailed by many public chastisements, which ordinarily press more heavily on the inno- cent than on the guilty, I would wish to provide an antidote to it, by setting down here, in brief, ' the profound teaching of a distinguished theolo- gian and sound master of the spiritual life, which I have recently read in a manuscript work which I hope may soon be published. In the first place, (says the author to whom I refer), no one is predestined to glory, unless he copies in his life the great Model, the first-born of the predestined, Jesus Christ. It is the lot of the predestined to walk in the narrow and thorny path, in which their divine Exemplar walked before them. The life of Jesus Christ was a life of sorrows, of insults, of continual suffering : such, then, ought to be the life of the predestined. We shall reign with Christ in Heaven, but only on condition that we suffer with Him here on earth, as Saint Paul reminds us — Conregnabunus si com- patimur . In the next place, as the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint John tell us, Jesus Christ by His precious blood has made us all priests : “ Vos autem ge?ius electum , regale Sacerdotium ” (1 Petr. ii. 9). “ Fecit nos regnum et Sacerdotes Deo et Patri 11 (Apoc. i. 6). This does not, indeed, mean that we have all been made priests to offer to God the Eucharistic sacrifice, but priests to offer to God the sacrifice of ourselves and of our lives for His glory, as He laid down His own life for the glory 136 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . of His eternal Father, in satisfaction for our sins. Now the act of sacrifice essentially consists in the offering and the consuming of the victim. The wicked are not regarded by God as priests, nor can their sacrifice be acceptable to Him, since it is not a sacrifice of justice, which, accord- ing to Holy Writ, is the only one pleasing to Al- mighty God. Therefore it is the province of the good to exercise this priesthood, and at the same time to make themselves the victim, as Jesus Christ was at one and the same time priest and victim. The holy young Machabees, also, knew this great truth, and confessed it publicly in presence of the tyrant Antiochus, more especially the seventh of the brothers, who was the last to suffer martyrdom : Ego autem , sicut et fratres mei , animam et corpus meum trado pro patriis legibus , invocans Deum 77 iaturius genti nostrce propituim fieri . . . I71 Tne vero et in fratribus 7 neis desinet Omnipote 7 itis ira , quce super ge 7 ius nostrum super - ducta est (2 Macch. vii. 37). “I like my brethren offer up my life and my body for the laws of our fathers : calling upon God to be speedily merci- ful to our nation. . . . But in me and in my brethren the wrath of the Almighty, which hath justly been brought upon all our nation, shall cease.” And it really happened so : for from that time forward commenced the great victories of Judas Macchabeus against the persecutor — ira enun Dei (says the sacred text in the 5th verse of the eighth chapter), in misericordiam con - versa est . Part I. — Section 20. 137 Commenting on those words of Saint Paul : adimpleo ea quce desunt passionum Christi in came mea pro corpore ejus quod est ecclesia (Coloss. i. 24 ), the author already quoted says : Although the Passion of Jesus Christ was of itself more than sufficient to appease the indig- nation of the Father for all the sins of the world, nevertheless the Father did not accept it unless on the condition that adult Christians, who might wish to enjoy the fruit of the Passion of Christ, should also participate in this same Passion. Now in public calamities, in which the innocent often suffer more than sinners, or at least equally with them, this design of God is accomplished. Sinners suffer as guilty per- sons; and if the chastisements of Heaven do not rouse them to penance, this very fact redounds to their greater condemnation. The good, by suffering chastisement with patience and resig- nation, become more and more purified from their imperfections, acquire additional grace, be- come more acceptable in the eyes of God, and completing by their virtuous suffering what by God’s degree was wanting to the Passion of Jesus Christ, the Justice of God is appeased, and gives place to His mercy, that it may rain down in copious showers upon His people. As a matter of fact, do we not read in Holy Writ, and in ecclesiastical history, numberless ex- amples of public calamities having been termi- nated or prevented by penitential exercises and by the sufferings of the good, from which great 138 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. advantages accrued to the Church ? To under- stand this, it would be sufficient to reflect how the blood of the martyrs, spilt upon the earth, became the seed of Christians, bringing them forth by thousands, in exchange for the few who were slain by the hands of tyrants. Does not this seem to you a most just dis- position of Providence ? What ! must He who was “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,” suffer and die to save them, and must sinners themselves give no co-operation, must they suffer nothing to attain this end ? But the suffering of the wicked is of no avail to appease the anger of God ; for in the very act of suffer- ing they provoke Him more and more by utter- ing blasphemies against Him, and by multiplying sin of every kind. It is necessary, therefore, that there should be suffering on the part of justified sinners, who being acceptable to God, by reason of His grace dwelling in them, can unite to the sufferings of Jesus Christ their own sufferings borne with resignation, and thus render complete that sacrifice which divine justice re- quired from sinful humanity ; and this all the more, because it turns to the advantage of the good themselves, whose sufferings shall be re- compensed a thousand fold, by the greater happi- ness which they will thus merit in heaven. Let there be an end then of unjust complaints against Providence. Rather let us praise its wise and beneficent action, which knows how to draw forth so much good from evil, and let us Pai't /. — Section 21 . 139 offer ourselves willing victims for a sacrifice so acceptable to God, and so beneficial to ourselves. §21. Reflections for those who utter blasphemies against Jesus Christ. I would here refer the reader to all that 1 have said in the preceding section regarding blasphemy uttered against God ; for since Jesus Christ, that is to say, the Divine Word Incarnate, is no less God than the Father and the Holy Ghost, it is the same thing to blaspheme Jesus Christ and to blaspheme God. Nevertheless, there is attached to blasphemy against Jesus Christ an indescribable something of more sensible and monstrous ingratitude, considering all that this Man-God has done and suffered for us. In truth, after the Son of God had become man for man’s sake, after He had lived familiarly with man, as a friend with a friend and a brother with a brother, after He had suffered so much and died for man, it would seem as though man could never again be guilty of the sacrilegious ingratitude of expressly attacking this divine Person. And if, after His Ascension into Heaven, He has become invisible to us, never- theless, we have always before our eyes, in our churches and in our houses, images which re- present to us all that He as man did and suffered for our sake. If there were nothing else to do so, the crucifixes which hang from our walls and beside our beds ought always to 140 Practical Insti'uction for New Confessors . remind us of the terrible death which He suffered for us. And ought not this alone to keep alive in us the memory of what we owe Him, and to stir up within us at least as much of gratitude, as is awakened in our hearts by the images of our more special benefactors ? Where- fore it is that I feel my heart torn with anguish, when I am compelled to listen to that horrible blasphemy which is by no means rare : “ Christ be d d ! ” I feel persuaded that this blas- phemy inspires the devil himself with horror, at the same time that he rejoices to see man com- mitting a sin so enormous ; and I am inclined to believe that if Christ had died for the devil, as He has died for us, even though he should afterwards have been damned, he could not, even in the depths of hell, have brought himself to utter such a blasphemy, remembering all that Christ had done to save him. But, oh, incon- ceivable wickedness ! the ingratitude, the per- versity of man reaches to a degree at which the wickedness of the devil himself would, perhaps, halt. Some one may, perhaps, be inclined to think this language too strong ; but I would beg of him to reflect well upon the considerations which I am now going to put before him, and which I have always known to be productive of the best impressions, even upon the most sacrilegious blasphemers who have come before me in the Confessional. To each one of these I am in the habit of saying : Imagine that you have Part /. — Section 21. 141 committed a crime for which you have been arrested and condemned to the gallows. The sentence has already been pronounced, and officially published : to-morrow it will be carried into execution. The eldest son of your sove- reign is informed of this, and, moved by com- passion for your misfortune, presents himself before the King, his father, and thus addresses him : “ My father, I know that such a one — let us, for example, call him Anthony — I know that Anthony is condemned to death. This grieves me very much, and therefore I am come to beg that you may pardon him.” “ Impossible,” replies the father; “justice must take its course.” “If this is the only obstacle,” replies the son, “ I would venture to propose to you a plan, by which the display of your justice will be still more exemplary : I take upon myself Anthony’s guilt ; I will go to prison, that An- thony may be free; I will die upon the gibbet, that Anthony may live.” The father is astounded at such a proposal. “ But how,” he asks, “ have you formed so strange an attachment for this wretch ? What great services has he rendered you?” “None whatsoever,” replies the son. “ On the contrary, he has committed outrages against me ; but it matters not ; all this not- withstanding, I love him, and to such a degree that I prefer to die myself rather than see him dead.” Let us suppose, furthermore, that the King, influenced at length by the entreaties of his son, signs the document granting pardon to 142 Practical Instruction for New Confessor the criminal. Behold, then, the King’s first- born in prison, while Anthony, the criminal, goes free ; behold the King’s first-born dragged to the gallows, while Anthony walks about the city in the full enjoyment of his liberty ! Everyone would be inclined to suppose that Anthony would follow the footsteps of the young Prince with streaming eyes, that he would kiss the very pavements over which the hurdle passed, that he would swoon away with grief on beholding the gibbet, and then that he would imprint a thousand kisses upon the corpse of the royal youth, hanging there for his sake, and as his substitute — in a word, that during the entire remainder of his life, he would occupy himself solely in blessing that excellent Prince, to whom he owed both liberty and life. But what a mis- take it would be to think so ! Anthony, on the contrary, follows the condemned car laughing; he stands unmoved before the gibbet; and the moment his substitute has been strangled, he begins to shout in the presence of the crowd : “ D n the eldest-born of the King ; d n him a thousand times ”, Then he proceeds to insult his lifeless body, to spit upon him, and to heap upon him every outrage which might be expected from one possessed by the Devil. “Oh!” you exclaim, “such a proceeding is an utter impossibility. These are things which are too absurd even for a dream.” You are per- fectly right ; such a proceeding as I have described has never taken place on the part Part L — Section 21. 143 either of any Prince or of any criminal, nor does it seem possible that it ever could occur among men. But what is only an extravagant flight of ima- gination, when represented as occurring between men, is a fact and a truth of divine faith when represented as taking place between man and Jesus Christ. I address myself to you in par- ticular, 0 blasphemer of Jesus Christ. For your enormous sins you were condemned by divine justice to Hell — a very different punishment from that of the gallows — and the sentence was to be quickly executed. This is of faith. The Son of God, moved to compassion by your con- demnation, supplicates His Divine Father in your behalf. This also is of faith. He learns from His Father how it is decreed that the rights of His justice must be maintained ; and, since guilty man has no other means of escape, the Son of God offers Himself to become man for you, and to assume the responsibility of satisfying for your sins. This, again, is of faith. The Father, free to accept or to reject the proferred satisfaction, inasmuch as it did not proceed strictly from the guilty party, though offered by one clothed with the same nature, makes known to Him all that outraged justice required from Him — the indignity of being born in a stable and of living as a poor apprentice in a carpenter’s shop, the labours of preaching, the calumnies to which He would have to submit on the part of the people, the persecution on the 144 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. part of the scribes, the betrayal of Judas, the agony in the garden, the insults and injustices accompanying His arrest and trials, the scourging at the pillar, the thorns, the nails, the cross, the infamous death between two thieves — and the Son freely and willingly accepted all this, that you might be free and safe ! This, too, is of faith. The time arrived when it had been pre- ordained that the Son of God should execute all that I have been describing. He becomes a man like unto sinners ; He seems as though He were the vilest of men, and the offscouring of the people ; He sweats, He toils, He labours ; He permits Himself to be arrested as a criminal, to be condemned as a seducer of the people, a rebel, a blasphemer ; He allows Himself to be scourged like a slave, to be crowned with thorns, to be buffeted, to be spat upon and jeered as a mock King, to be dragged to the gibbet, to be fastened with nails to a cross — the emblem of infamy — between two murderers, and thus He expires exhausted from the loss of all His blood. And He suffers all this that you may live, that you may be saved ! What I have been describ- ing is not a picture drawn from imagination ; it is all of faith. Knowing, then, all this by faith, you ought, at the bare remembrance of it, at the bare sight of the image representing Him as dead or dying for your sake, to melt into tears of repentance and of gratitude, and to spend the entire re- mainder of your life in crying out ; Oh, the Part L — Section 21 . *45 mercy of my Jesus ! Oh, the excessive love of my Jesus ! Blessed be my Jesus ! Praised for ever be my Jesus ! And yet — oh truth as in- dubitable as it is monstrous and horrible — you, on the contrary, have so many times cried out, “ Christ be d d ! ” And perhaps you who are now reading this book are one of those who, not content with having thus insulted Him with indecent acts of derision, have trampled Him under foot, have broken and defiled His images. . . . Ah, it is impossible to think of it without feeling one’s heart bleed ! And yet you are still living ! Hell has not yet swallowed you up ! Oh, mercy of my Jesus ! Ah ! let good Christians stir up their zeal, to make reparation for such great outrages against our most loving Lord ; let them endeavour by every means in their power to wipe out this dis- grace of human nature ; let us not permit our- selves to be outdone in gratitude by the most savage beasts, by the most venomous reptiles ; let us prevent, as far as we can, even at the cost of our lives, such impious excesses ; let our hearts melt in sentiments of gratitude and love towards a God who died for us ; let the praises due to so great a Benefactor resound in all quarters ; and let the blasphemies of sacrilegious wretches be drowned in our acclamations, as we cry out, in opposition to them : Praised for ever be Jesus Christ ! In order to encourage us to this, the zealous Pontiff Pope Pius VII., of blessed memory, ID 146 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. granted an indulgence of one year for each recital of the following form of praise composed in honour of God, of Jesus Christ, of Our Lady, and of all the Saints; and this formula the same holy Pontiff caused to be printed and distributed at his own expense throughout Italy, and in other countries as well. It was cordially welcomed, and was reprinted by several Bishops, who enriched it with additional indulgences. The following is the Indulgenced form of Praise . Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man. Blessed be the name of Jesus. Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be most holy Mary, the great Mother of God. Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Concep- tion. Blessed be the name of Mary, virgin and mother. Blessed be God, in His Angels and in His Saints. § 22 . — Reflections for those who despair of the divine mercy . From the entire series of the preceding reflec- tions, the enormity of the sins of which we have Part T. — Section 22 . 147 spoken appears so great, that one who should see himself laden with them all might be driven to despair of God’s mercy ; and consequently I think it well to provide a remedy against such a mis- fortune. In truth, anyone who should read over attentively, and meditate upon, the preceding section, would find therein a sufficient antidote to despair. Which of the Divine Persons is it that you fear ? Is it the Father, who has shown Himself so merciful as to deliver up His only- begotten, consubstantial Son to the greatest humiliations, to the most horrible tortures, in order to save your souls? Is it the Son of God, who of His own free will submitted to a death so painful and ignominious, in order to rescue you from Hell ? Is it the Holy Ghost, who co-ope- rated so actively in the entire great work of Re- demption, and poured Himself out upon the Apostles with such a profusion of grace, as He still continues to pour Himself out upon the ministers of the Gospel, in order that they may be able to succeed in saving your soul ? The fact that you are a sinner and a great sinner ought not to extinguish in you the hope of the divine mercy : on the contrary, I would almost say that the more wicked you are, the more worthy are you of it : Abyssus abyssum invocat. You are an abyss of iniquity, and God is an unfathomable abyss of mercy. You, then, are a trophy most worthy to be won by Him. In truth, in whom are the triumphs of the divine mercy more clearly seen than in a Magdalen — a 148 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. public sinner ; in one of the two wretches executed on Calvary for murder ; in a Peter, who with a triple perjury denied his Divine Master ; in a Saul, who took upon himself the office of imprisoning all the followers of Christ ? And if Judas was not made a sharer in God’s mercy, it was because he obstinately rejected it. But, for the rest, how many efforts did not our good Lord make, in order to bring that false Apostle to repentance for his sacrilegious be- trayal ! We see an instance of this in the wash- ing of the feet, when, however, the Saviour spared Judas the humiliation of naming him : He gave him a still plainer hint at the last supper, where He gives him, although unworthy of such a favour, His own body and blood, in common with the other Apostles : when Judas goes to the garden to effect His arrest, the Saviour comes to meet him with a pleasing countenance, and calls him “friend”: He submits to be kissed by him : He causes him to witness two miracles on the very spot, by striking to the ground by two simple words — ego sitm — the band of cut- throats who accompanied him, and by healing the ear of Malchus, thus affording the false Apostle clear evidence of His goodness towards the very men who sought His death. Could He have done more to convert him ? Did He not manifest a passionate desire to draw from his lips and from his heart a single peccavi , in order that He might immediately pardon him? Judas did indeed say peccavi , later on 3 but he said it in Part 1 . — Section 22 . 149 despair to those wicked priests who had paid him the price of his iniquity. But if he had only said this one word, peccavi , to Christ, in a spirit of true repentance and with confidence, oh ! how the Saviour would have rejoiced at having recovered this lost sheep ! And do you, then, doubt of pardon ? Do you believe the Scriptures ? Have you faith in the Gospel ? Do you believe the word and the promises of God? Holy Writ is full of the most solemn promises on the part of God, that He will pardon the sinner whenever he returns to Him truly contrite. The Gospel is full of figures and of unmistakable expressions which signify the same thing. For what else is the meaning of the parables of the Good Shepherd, and of the Prodigal Son ? Could He speak more clearly than when He said that He had come into the world to call not the just but sinners ; and that there would be more joy in Heaven over one converted sinner, than over ninety-nine just souls ? But what words could possibly be clearer than those which He uttered upon the Cross! At that supreme moment, bloodless, exhausted, and agonising, He summoned up all His strength to speak, and what were His first words? Father, he says, addressing his Divine Father in Heaven, forgive these men who are crucifying me (and to this class belong all sinners). And not content with asking forgive- ness for them, He actually proceeds to put for- ward an excuse for their conduct, saving that 150 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . they knew not what they did — Pater , ignosce Mis, non enim sciunt quid faciunt. Moreover, to let it be seen that His prayer was heard, and to let all men know how He would treat converted sinners, one of the thieves who were crucified with Him, being touched by divine grace, had no sooner begged pardon for his crimes, than the Saviour replied not only pardoning him, but, furthermore, assuring him that on that same day he would be with Him in Heaven — Hodie mecum eris in paradiso. Therefore, no matter how great may be your sins, you not only may but ought to hope for pardon. Nay more, if you sincerely repent of your sins, and make a generous resolution never to sin again, it is of Faith that God will pardon you — quite as much a matter of Faith as the Gospel and the entire of God’s word. Courage then ! It rests entirely with yourself to obtain pardon. Divine grace is ready to assist you. A good confession will set everything right. § 23 . — Reflections for those who find it difficult to make a good act of contrition. A sinner who has read the preceding section may, perhaps, say : I could hope for pardon if I but felt the necessary sorrow for my sins ; but this is precisely what I do not feel. With persons of this class I reason as follows : — You say that you do not feel sorrow ; but what kind of sorrow is it that you think you ought to feel ? Pari I — Section 23. I5 1 I would wager that you do not even know the qualities of the sorrow which is necessary. The holy (Ecumenical Council of Trent speaks in two places of the sorrow which ought to be felt for sin, namely, in the sixth chapter of the sixth session, de justifications , when it speaks of the preparation for Baptism required in the case of adults, and in chapter vi. of the fourteenth Session, de poenitentia , where it speaks of contrition. Now, in both these places the Council of Trent represents to us the sorrow required for sin as being simply a hatred and detestation of sin. In the first-mentioned passage, speaking of adults to be baptised, it says : “ moventur per odium ac detestationem adver- sus peccata sua ; hoc est per earn poenitentiam quam ante baptismum agi oportet ”. And in the second of the passages to which I have referred, it thus describes the contrition which is necessary for those who have fallen into sin after baptism : “ animi dolor ac detestatio est de peccato com- misso cum proposito non peccandi de cceiero ” ; and further down : “ declarat . . . hanc contritionem non solum cessationem a peccato, et vitae novas pro- positum et inchoationem , sed veteris etiam odium continere And here I would remark that those who are entrusted with the instruction of the people, ought to take particular care not to depart from the teaching and the expressions of the Sacred Council, when they are explaining the nature of the sorrow required for sin. Through the mistake of persons employing other expres- T52 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . sions, such as “ sin ought to displease you more than the death of your father, your wife, &c.,” a certain case came under my own observation in the year 1801, which I shall here set down. A poor servant returning home from a cate- chetical discourse, and being asked by his master what he had learned there, replied with a sigh : “I have learned that I am damned”. “ And why ? ” asked his master, who fortunately was a well-in- structed man. “ Because,” answered the servant, “ the catechist said that one ought to be more sorry for sin than for the death of one’s father. Now I remember that when my father died, I grieved so that I have never felt sorrow like it, nor is it possible that I can ever feel such sorrow for my sins : therefore I am doomed to predition.” Hereupon his master prudently said to him: “You must have misunderstood the catechist: he never taught such doctrine as that”; and then he proceeded to explain to him the teaching of the Council of Trent as laid down above, saying to him : “ Do you not see that the sorrow required for sin, is of a nature and character entirely different from that which one would feel for the death of his father? The former is a hatred and detestation of the evil committed, while the latter is but the awakening of that natural tenderness which is implanted in the hearts of children towards their parents. Do you hate, do you detest sin ? Are you resolved to die rather than relapse into sin ? If you are animated by these feelings, you have the sorrow that is Part / — Section 23. 153 required.” The poor servant, on hearing this, breathed freely once more, and thereupon made an excellent act of contrition, so that, as far as this point was concerned, one might give him absolution on the spot. Let this example serve as a caution to those who are engaged in in- structing the people, and let them keep ever before their minds the advice given by Saint Paul to Timothy : For mam habe sanorum ver- borum , quae a me audisti in fide et in dilectione in Christo Jesu (2 Tim. i. 13). When there is question of treating certain delicate subjects, it is not enough to hold sound doctrine; one must moreover employ a correct form of words and expressions, which may be learned from the Holy Scriptures and from the Church. Now the sorrow for sin required for a good confession, is nothing else than a lively feeling of hatred and detestation of the sins which we have committed, more than of every other evil, coupled with a sincere resolution never to sin again at any cost.* And what difficulty exists in con- * It will be remarked that the Author in treating of con- trition does not dwell so much upon the “ animi dolor," as he does upon the “ detestatio". In connection with this matter, it may not be amiss to quote the following passage from Ballerini : — “ Disputant Doctores, ut videre est penes S. Alphonsum (Lib. 6, n. 435), consistatne contritio in dolore, an in detestatione, et quis ordo inter haec duo intercedat. At parum id refert ; nec verendum est, ut alterutrum desit. Mutuo enim se supponunt, et alteri alterum necessario adjun- gitur. Quippe, ut ait S. Alphonsus, qui suum detestatur peccatum, vellet nempe se non peccasse, hie necessario de ipso dolet ; et rursum qui de peccato dolet, illud necessario detestatur. Caeterum latius patere videtur detestatio quam 154 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . ceiving a feeling of this kind, in forming such a resolution, with the assistance of divine grace, which certainly will not be wanting to you if you ask it from God, and do on your own part all that lies in your power? Perhaps you are troubled by that seductive appearance and tickling sensa- tion of pleasure which is connected with sin ? Well, this does not by any means destroy the value of your sorrow. Let me illustrate this point by an example. Suppose that there were placed before you a dish of wild fowl, cooked in the most appetising style, and accompanied by a bottle of rare wine. The moment your eye rests upon them, you already fancy that you taste them, so great is your longing to sup of this dainty, and to refresh yourself with that wine. Meanwhile, a trusty friend whispers into your ear : “ Be careful not to touch either the one or the other, for they are poisoned Instantly your eagerness to eat and drink vanishes, and gives way to a feeling of abhorrence, so great that you would fling from you both dish and bottle, saying : “ This stuff certainly shall never pass my lips : I may die of hunger and thirst, but God forbid that I should taste of that dish, or drink the contents of that bottle “ But the wild fowl is savoury and appetising : that wine is the very best that can be procured. ” “ Possibly, dolor. Hie enim proprie ad peccata a se patrata, ilia vero ad propria et aliena, et turn ad praeterita turn ad futura referri potest.” (Ballerini’s Gury. De Poenit. pars. 2, cap. i, n- 440). —Translator. Piirt I. — Section 23. *55 that may be,” you would reply, “ but the poison that is mixed with it spoils everything. Take it from before my eyes : I would rather die of hunger and thirst than touch it.” This is an excellent illustration of the sorrow and resolution required for confession : here is an easy way to excite within yourself a hatred and detestation of sin, with a resolution never to commit it again. The devil, your passions represent sin to you, and especially sins of a certain kind, under the appearance of intense pleasure, and you feel that your corrupt nature would drag you on to enjoy this pleasure. But Faith speaks to your heart and says: “Take care what you are about to do : under an enticing appearance there lies concealed the most power- ful, the most deadly poison ” Do you wish to know what the poison is, which lies concealed in those pleasures, in those sensuous enjoyments, in those gratifications which lure you on so powerfully ? Listen. Before you sinned your soul was beautiful as an Angel of God, and was beloved of Heaven. You were then the adopted son of God, an heir to Paradise, and thither would your soul have winged its way, had you died in that state. But the very moment that you committed a mortal sin — were it even of thought alone — your soul be- came ugly and hideous as a demon, and its deformity and repulsiveness increased in propor- tion to the number of your sins. From being the child of God, you became the son and slave 156 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . of the Devil : from being heir to Paradise, you became doomed to hell fire, and to a hell all the more excruciating, in proportion to the increase in the number of your sins. Had death then surprised you, for many years past you would have found yourself a dweller in Hell, dragged down there by the weight of your iniquities. What do you now think of the pleasurable enticement of your sins? A little poison intro- duced into the most appetising food, into the most delicious drink, is enough to make you hate and detest it, because you reflect that it would cause the death of your body ; and will not the consideration of the eternal death of your soul, of your everlasting damnation, be sufficient to make you hate and detest sin, no matter how sweet and seductive it may appear to your imagination ? Will it not be sufficient to make you say"with all the earnestness of your heart : Death a thousand times , rather than ever sin again ? But if you have a little of human feeling in your breast, this is not the thought that ought to move you most. Cast a glance upon the cruci- fix. There hangs a God who became man be- cause of sin. He has suffered and died in this manner for your sins. What you see is, in fact, the work of your hands. By your effeminacy and sensuality, you have scourged Him from head to foot; by those filthy thoughts in which you have indulged, you have pierced His head with thorns; by your grinding and oppression of 157 Part I — S ection 23. the poor, you have laid that heavy cross upon His shoulders ; by your scandalous indecency in dress, by your immodest fashions, you have made Him endure the confusion of His nakedness upon the cross in presence of such a numerous crowd; by cherishing those criminal affections, you have pierced His side and wounded His heart ; by those obscene conversations and songs, and those words of double meaning, by those curses, by those false oaths, by those blasphemies of yours, you have given Him gall to drink when He was burning with thirst ; by those sinful walks which you have taken, by those improper familiarities, by those thefts, by that unjust taking of the property of others, by those frauds in commerce, you have pierced His hands and feet with hard nails — in one word, you have crucified Him, and com- pelled Him to give up His most holy life on an infamous gibbet, between two thieves. And what injury has Jesus ever done you, that you should treat Him thus shamefully? Nay, what service could He have done you that He has not performed in your favour? Would you have butchered in this manner a murderer, a rival, an enemy ? I will even go the length of saying, could you bring yourself to treat a brute beast as you have treated Jesus ? This is the principal motive which ought to excite you to hate and detest sin. This is the motive on account of which you ought to fly from it more than from death itself — the thought, namely, that mortal sin has inflicted death — and such a death ! — on God : 158 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . on a God who has given you being and life, and who preserves them to you ; on a God who has so often refrained from casting you into hell; on a God who subjected Himself to every kind of suffering and ignominy, in order that you might be saved. Ah, then, say to Him with all the affection of your heart : My God, I am sorry and I grieve for my enormous sins : I hate and detest them above every other evil, because by sin I have so many times lost heaven and deserved hell : but I hate and detest them much more, because by sin I have tortured, crucified, mur- dered a God so good in Himself and so merciful to me. Ah ! would that I had died a thousand times, before that fatal moment in which I sinned ! But for the future I wish to die a thousand times, rather than sin again. My dear children, think leisurely over these reflections which I have proposed to you, and with the assistance of divine grace you will experience no difficulty in eliciting a sincere act of sorrow. § 24 . — Reflections calculated to facilitate still more the eliciting of an act of true sorroiv. After the publication of the first edition of this work, I printed a fly-sheet entitled : “ The loving remonstrance of fesus Christ with sinners in general \ and in particular with blasphemers Having seen that this proved useful and efficacious in touching the hearts of sinners, I now insert it in the present Part I. — Section 24. T 59 edition, with the reply of the converted sinner , in order that both may help to facilitate the eliciting of a sincere act of contrition. The loving remonstrance of Jesus Christ addressed to sinners, and the reply of the contrite sinner . “ My son — for although you show yourself an unnatural son towards me, I will still address you by that endearing name — my son, why do you commit so many outrages against me, why do you displease me so ? What injury have I done you ? In what have I offended you ? Answer me. Perhaps you are displeased that I came down from the throne of my glory and majesty, to clothe myself with your nature ? That for love of you I became poor and was rejected by everyone, was born humbly in a stable in the midst of winter, was persecuted to death even from my cradle, and forced in consequence to become a wanderer in foreign lands ? That when I returned to my own country, I led a precarious and lowly existence in the house and shop of a poor carpenter, in order that this might be to you a source of comfort in your trials and sufferings ? “Tell me, my son, what injury have I done you ? Perhaps I am a source of scandal to you, as I was to the Jews ; or, like the Pagans, you regard me as a fool, on seeing me become ‘ the reproach of men and the outcast of the people ’ ? But this I did for your sake ; to shield you from the thunderbolts of my Father’s anger that were 160 Practical lnstructio 7 i for New Confessors . prepared for you, and to take His vengeance upon my own shoulders. For this did I endure the agony of the bloody sweat in the garden ; for this did I bear with the betrayal of a disloyal disciple ; the arrest by impious priests ; the scourging ; the crowning with thorns ; the jeers, the spitting, the blows of the sacrilegious rabble ; the calumnies and unjust sentences of the tri- bunals ; the nails and the cross on Calvary. All this did I endure, to disarm divine justice which had decreed your eternal destruction, and to cancel that terrible handwriting which recorded the sentence of your condemnation. Perhaps this seems to you little ? Would you wish that I had shed more blood ? But no more remained in my veins ; and therefore from my side, pierced by the cruel lance, there came forth blood and water. Would you wish that I should die over again amidst all the agonies of the cross ? Right willingly would I do so, were it necessary ; but by my Passion I paid a price not only sufficient, but even superabundant, to ensure your salvation, if you but wish to avail yourself of it. ‘‘Why, then, do you commit outrages against me, why do you blaspheme me thus ? Answer me. What injury have I done thee, or in what have I offended thee ? Reply. Are you, perhaps, displeased that I departed from this earth, aban- doned you, and returned to the throne of my glory ? But you well know that I did not do so until I had first made provision for you, and for the entire human race to the end of time. That Part I. — Section 24. 1 6 1 very night on which man was to complete his treason against me, I, by exhausting the immense treasures of my wisdom, my power, and my riches, presented you with a gift greater than which I know nothing and have nothing to bestow, though being most wise, most rich, and omnipotent. I bequeathed to you, for your food and drink, my very flesh, my divine blood — a favour never conferred upon the Angels — and, when about to take my departure for Heaven, I left myself whole and entire upon this earth, to serve as a perpetual victim upon your altars. In addition to this, have I not remained whole and entire, such as I am in Heaven, in your churches, in your tabernacles, to be your faithful compan- ion, your watchful guardian, your loving father ? Why, then, do you dislike me ? Why do you fly from me ? Why do you hate even to enter the place where I am anxiously awaiting you with open arms, to console you and load you with my favours ? Why do you blaspheme my name ? why do you insult my images ? Why ? . . . “ Ah ! tell me, my son, why do you commit so many outrages against me, why do you blas- pheme me so ; what injury have I done thee, or in what have I displeased thee ? Answer me. Would you wish, in fine, to tear my heart from my breast ? Well, I would endure even this, if I could thereby assist thee. But reflect, my son, that, in offending me, you offend equally my divine Father : reflect that the day will come when the chastisements of his wrath can no 11 1 62 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . longer be stayed ; reflect that when his shaft strikes you, you will be lost for ever. If, then, you are unwilling to have any consideration, gratitude, or compassion for me, take pity at least upon your own soul. Why do you prefer to burn for ever with the demons, when you might rejoice and reign for ever with me and with all the blessed ? Ah, my son, return to my bosom by a speedy repentance, by sincere con- trition ; and, notwithstanding all your sins, you will find me the most loving of fathers. Redi } redi , prevaricator , ad cor I These, oh ye blasphemers of Christ, and sinners of every description, these are the words which the good Jesus has whispered to the heart of a fellow-sinner, who, perhaps, is even worse than yourselves, in order that he should repeat them to you for your salvation. Profit, then, by them, and let us all, full of sorrow and confidence, answer him with contrite hearts in the following terms : — “ My loving Father, by a sweet remonstrance addressed to my heart, you have challenged me to answer you. But before I begin, I call upon all the nations of the earth, upon all the gene- rations of mankind, to hear me. Let Heaven and all its blessed inhabitants hear me ; and do Thou give me a voice which shall resound from Pole to Pole, and penetrate even to the depths of Hell. You ask me : ‘ Why do you commit so many outrages against me ? Why do you bias* pheme me so ? What injury have I done thee, Parti. — Section 24. 163 or in what have I offended thee ? ’ In reply, I can but say that you have loved me too much, and have suffered too much for my sake, while I, on my part, am an ingrate and an inhuman being. My heart is harder than flint, more fierce than a tiger’s : I am an impious, wicked, sacri- legious wretch. And it was not so much the heat of my passions, the violence of temptation, the allurement of sinful occasions that led me on to offend Thee ; for with Thy grace, which was always ready to assist me, I could have overcome them all. The unspeakable malice and wicked- ness of my own heart has been the real cause of my sins — mea culpa , mea culpa , mea maxima culpa. I acknowledge before Heaven and earth, that I am inexcusable. Behold, then, at Thy feet, my Lord and my Judge, a criminal who confesses his guilt. Nothing else, then, remains except that you should pronounce the sentence of my condemnation, and hurl me at once into Hell. “ But this You will not do, since You still call me Your child, and wish to act towards me as a loving Father. Like the Prodigal Son, therefore, I return to Thee, my most loving Father, full of confusion, full of sorrow, but at the same time full of confidence. Ah ! unfortunately, peccavi in caelum et coram te ! I have sinned, and that, too, in the most impious and inhuman manner. Non sum dignus vocari filius tuus : I no longer deserve the name of son : it will be an immense favour to enrol me even among Your hired ser- 1 64 Practical bistruction for New Confessors . vants —fac me sicut unum de 7 nercenariis tuis. But You, on the other hand, get ready for me a splendid banquet; You prepare the most precious robe to clothe me: You order Your Angels to pour forth their sweetest strains to welcome my return; You open the wound in Your sacred side to give me shelter. Ah, dear Father ! oh, my good Jesus ! why do I not fall down dead at Thy feet, through pure grief at having offended Thee ! nay, why did You not strike me dead before I had offended Thee ! Ah ! let it never come to pass that I offend Thee again, my Sovereign Good ! Within Thy Sacred Side, as in a secure asylum, I shelter myself, that I may never sin again. Purify me with the fire of Thy most loving Heart, and inflame me with Thy holy love. Sweet heart of my Jesus, grant that I may never offend Thee again, but may always love Thee more and more. Amen.” § 25 . — Of the manner in which converted sinners ought to approach the Holy Communion . Even though you should seem to yourself to have made a sincere act of contrition and a firm purpose of amendment, and should, consequently, have every reason to hope that your sins had been forgiven by sacramental absolution ; though God has declared that he forgives sins which have been properly confessed, to the extent of remembering them no longer; and though He ordinarily pours out His graces abundantly into Part /. — Section 25. 165 the hearts of converted sinners, as a pledge that he admits them once more to the privileges of children and friends ; nevertheless, a penitent ought never to lay aside the recollection of his past transgressions, in order that he may detest them the more, and be strengthened still more in his holy resolution never to commit them again. It was thus that David — that model of true penitents — acted, who, although assured of pardon by God Himself through the mouth of the prophet Nathan, nevertheless wept night and day over his transgressions, because he kept them always before his eyes : quoniam iniquitatem meant ego cognosco , et peccatum meum contra me est semper . This, then, is the predominant sentiment which ought to be found in the heart of a converted sinner when approaching the holy communion, and the more so, should he have led a very bad and sacrilegious life. After having revived his faith in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrament, and after having adored Him as God, he ought to give himself up entirely to thinking on his own iniquities, in order thereby to humble himself, and to excite himself to a hearty sorrow for his sins in the presence of his outraged Lord. Let him say in his heart : — “My good Jesus do You not recognise me ? Do You not remember that I am he who so often be- trayed You, so often blasphemed Your holy name, so often crucified You ? Ah ! You cannot but remember it 1 And how, then, can you bear 1 66 Practical Instruction for New Confessors « to entrust Yourself into my hands, to shut Your- self up in my heart — a heart which has been so cruel and inhuman towards You ! Ah ! I understand it all : it is Your wish that where malice has abounded, there grace should super- abound. Oh, excess of mercy ! This banquet immeasureably surpasses that prepared by his father for the return of the Prodigal Son. This is not the flesh of a fatted calf : it is Your own very body which You give me as my food, and Your own precious blood to be my drink. You invite to Your heavenly banquet me who ought to be seated at table with the devils, where my only food should be gall of dragons and the deadly poison of asps. Ah, depart from me ! I do not deserve that Thou shouldst enter into my heart : it is enough that You turn one glance of mercy upon so great a sinner as I am, who am unworthy even to lift my eyes to Heaven. “But Your divine goodness knows no limits: It never says 1 Enough \ Now, indeed, more than ever, I know the enormity of my sins. How could I have dared to offend a God so good ? How is it that I did not die of grief at my first sin ? Oh that the day had never dawned on which I first offended Thee ! oh that I had never been born, rather than that I should have committed so great an outrage against Thee ! Never let such another day dawn upon me ! Let me die instantly, rather than evermore offend Thee.” — With such sentiments of humility and perfect contrition, expressed after your own Part T. — Section 25. 167 fashion, approach the altar, full of reverence and confidence, to receive your Jesus in the sacra- ment of His love, secure in the conviction that, far from spurning you from His sight, He will receive with the greatest pleasure your contrite and humble spirit. After you have received Him into your bosom, continue in the same train of thought as before, and say to Him with increased affection : — “ What ! Thou the King of Glory under my roof! Thou whom Heaven is not worthy to shelter ! Thou in whose sight the very angels are not sufficiently pure ! Thou in my heart, which heretofore has been a den of iniquity, and the impure dwelling-place of thy most hated enemy — sin and the devil ! Oh great Lord, truly rich in mercy ! what is it that I may not now hope for from Thee, since Thou hast given me Thy entire self. Thou art come to me bringing with Thee a treasury of grace — nay, Thou hast brought to me the very fountain of all graces. However, I desire but one grace which embraces all the others : give me Thy holy love, and I am sufficiently rich and wish for nothing more. And should it ever come to pass that I cease to love Thee even for a single moment, if at any future period of my life I should be about to offend Thee anew, let a bolt from heaven first reduce me to ashes ; let a sudden death change me into a cold corpse before I commit a crime so monstrous. This I beg of Thee by Thy precious blood and death. It is my desire to die by any 1 68 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . kind of death which may be pleasing to Thee, rather than that I should offend Thee again.” Finally, beg of your Angel guardian, of the ever-blessed Virgin, and of the entire heavenly court, to thank Him on your behalf, and thus endeavour to merit for yourself the happiness of soon receiving Him again. § 2 6 . — Reflections calculated to confirm the con- verted sinner in his good resolutions . If Jesus Christ assures us that the Angels in Heaven greatly rejoice over the conversion of one sinner, more so, even, than for over ninety- nine just souls (Luke xv. 7), the same Divine Master reminds us (Ibid. xi. 24), that the devils in Hell are greatly grieved thereat, and are troubled as to how they may again bring under their dominion the soul that has been lost to them. Cum immundus spiritus exierit de homine , amhulat per loca inaquosa qucerens requiem ; et non inveniens , dicit : r evert ar in domum meam unde exivi ; (that is to say, into the soul where he had been dwelling by sin;) et cum venerit ) invenit earn scopis mundatam et ornatam , (that is, not only cleansed from sin, but moreover adorned with grace and virtue). Tunc vadit et assumit septem alios spiritus nequiores se, et ingressi habi- tant ibi ; et fiunt novissima hominis illius pejora prioribus . Before I begin to speak of this passage of the holy Gospel, let me be permitted to make a Part I. — Section 26. 169 reflection of the greatest importance to the very many who are ignorant of it, as well as to those who wilfully close their minds against it. How many, on seeing this poor man relapse into sin, and even becoming worse than he was before, will have felt inclined to say : “ Oh, he was not sincere : his repentance was a sham : his tears were feigned : his promises were lies ”. And yet Jesus Christ assures us that the Devil with sin had left him — cum exierit de Jiomine ; and that, on seeking to return back again, invenit domwn scopis 7nundata77i et or7iata77u Oh how easy it is to form rash judgments, and how fre- quently do men yield to them in this matter ! How fallacious are the systems of certain persons, who regard the relapse, and much more the moral deterioration, of a penitent, as a certain proof of the insincerity of his repentance when he went to confession ! But let me return to my penitent. You have heard, my dear brother, the terrible example of a relapsing sinner which Jesus Christ, for your instruction, puts before you in the holy Gospel. You, as I hope, have purified your soul by a good confession ; you find it adorned with sanctifying grace and the supernatural habits of the theological virtues ; and therefore the Angels have greatly rejoiced over your con- version. But the Devil, having been cast out from your soul, roars like a wounded lion, and tries all the approaches in order to regain posses- sion. If heretofore he has assailed you with 170 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . temptations, henceforward they will be multiplied beyond measure ; if heretofore he has placed in your path an occasion of sin, he will present to you a hundred such in the future ; if up to the > present a single demon has assailed you, he will come to attack you presently with an immense number of his companions, (for such is the meaning of the word seven in the Gospel), and these shall be more skilful and more wicked than himself — septan alios spiritus nequiores se. And if they succeed in effecting an entrance into your soul, you will become far worse than you were before — more immoral, a greater blasphemer, more dishonest, more quarrelsome. I have my- self seen several instances of this, though I have not, however, regretted giving absolution to such persons, when they came to confess to me with sufficient signs of true sorrow. What conclusion is to be drawn from this ? In the first place, do not be astonished if after a good confession you find yourself tempted and lured on to sin more than had been the case previously ; for this will occur : it is the ordinary course. Before your conversion you were already in the hands of the Devil : he already held you chained down as his captive. But now that, by sacramental grace, you have broken his chains, and have escaped from his hands, he puts forth his utmost exertions to recapture you. In the next place, it follows from all that has been said, that you should employ all possible diligence to persevere in grace; for, as Jesus Christ Himself Part /. — Section 26 . 1 7 1 reminds us, Salvation is reserved, not for the man who begins well, but for him who perseveres to the end of his life. A good beginning by a sincere conversion is not a matter of frequent occurrence, nor yet is it very rare ; but to perse- vere — this indeed is an extremely rare occurrence. Do not, however, be cast down on this account. In order that, with the assistance of divine grace which is never wanting, you may easily succeed in securing this gift of holy perse- verance, I shall point out to you the most certain and easy means to do so ; which I shall borrow principally from St. Philip Neri, that great con- fessor, and most enlightened master of the spiritual life. I. If you wish to persevere, you must above all things shun not only the proximate, but also the quasi-proximate occasions of sin. I call those occasions quasi-proximate in which you can resist the temptation to sin only by extraordinary exertions. If there be no obligation of encoun- tering these occasions, shun them altogether. Whatever is violent does not last long. If it re- quires extraordinary vigilance on your part to frequent a certain house, to meet a certain person, to transact a certain business, do as I do, and avoid absolutely that business, that person, that house ; for otherwise you will quickly relapse into your sin, and who can tell whether you shall ever rise again out of it. II. If you wish to persevere, it is no less ne- cessary that you should trample under foot human 1 7 2 Practical Instructio?i for New Confessors . respect. Whoever has not courage enough to turn a deaf ear to the maxims of the wicked and the silly, trampling all human respect under foot, will never succeed in doing any good. If you are afraid of the foolish prating of men, you had better go shut yourself up in a vault, or take refuge in some desert, so that no one may any longer be aware of your existence. For the rest, men will prate on any subject that comes to hand. Whether you do good or evil, persons will always be found to speak ill of you. If you do evil, the good will speak badly of you ; if you do good, you will draw down upon yourself the censure of the wicked. Why then should you refrain from doing good through fear of being censured by the wicked, and not rather refrain from evil through fear of incurring the censures of the good ? Perhaps, in estimating the praise of men, their number weighs more with you than their respectability ? But is not one sound apple worth a bushel of rotten ones ? The judgment of a few sensible and pious persons has far more weight with a prudent man, than the opinion of an entire multitude of persons without sense, without education, without the fear of God, without Faith. But why speak of men ? The judgment and the approval of God is the only consideration to be taken into account. This alone is the true standard of what is good and useful. He is the sole judge of our actions, from whom there is no appeal. On Him alone de- pends your eternal lot, whether of happiness in Part I. — Section 26 . 173 Heaven or of despair in Hell. Therefore let that dread sentence registered by the Divine Judge Himself in Saint Luke’s Gospel terrify you, and keep you steady in your resolution to persevere : “ qui me erubuerit et meos sermones , hunc Filius hominis erubescet cum venerit in majes- tate sua ”. The meaning of this is, that if on the terrible day of general Judgment you shall be found to have transgressed God’s law through human respect, the great Judge will say to you : iC You were ashamed to appear devout in Church, chaste among your companions, modest in your conversation ; and, through a foolish and wicked shame, you not only took part in the sins of others, but you even boasted of crimes that you had never committed. Were you ashamed, then, to be a follower of mine, and to observe my law ? Well, I am now ashamed to recognise you among mine, even though you have been bap- tised. Depart, accursed wretch, with the wicked herd of your companions, of your admirers, of your false friends, of the Devils whom you served more willingly than you served me. Depart, accursed wretch, into everlasting fire.” III. To ensure perseverance, there is the greatest need of prayer. With the exception of the first grace, all other graces, in the ordinary providence of God, must be the fruit of prayer, and this is more particularly true of the grace of graces — final perseverance. Not only in your morning and night prayers, but frequently during the day, even in the midst of your occupations, 174 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . ask this great gift of God, if not with your lips at least with your heart. In addition to vocal prayer, practice some mental prayer also. To do this, it is not necessary for all that they set methodically about making a regular meditation ; but it will be quite sufficient that you recall to mind several times during the day, even in the midst of your occupations, some one of the Eter- nal Maxims, especially the last four things — Death, which at any moment may surprise us ; the terrible Judgment, which follows upon Death ; Hell, which lies open beneath the sinner’s feet ; Heaven, which is prepared for whosoever re- mains faithful to God. These are means sug- gested to us by the Holy Ghost Himself as secure preservatives against sin : — 7 neniorare no- visswia tua , et in ceternum non peccabis . IV. To ensure perseverance, we must frequent the Sacraments of Penance and the Blessed Eucharist. The former is that balm, formed of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which heals the wounds of our soul ; the latter is the food of the strong, infinitely more efficacious than the hearth-cake formerly given to Elias, to impart vigour to us in the perilous journey of this miserable life. But in order that both these Sacraments may prove beneficial to you, it is necessary that you select permanently a learned and pious confessor, (and it would be well that he should be the same person who helped in bringing about your conversion), who, possessing an intimate knowledge of your weakness and of Part /. — Section 26 . 175 the entire state of your soul, may be the more easily able to suggest suitable remedies, and to prescribe to you what you ought to do to strengthen yourself against the dangers of relapse. If you place yourself blindly in his hands, you may rest assured that you will not go astray. Jesus Christ has pledged to you His word on this point in His Gospel : qui vos audit me audit (Luke x. 16). V. It will likewise assist you very much to join some pious confraternity, which will help you especially to sanctify the Lord’s Day. I believe all such pious unions to be admirable; but I would suggest to you, in preference to others, those which, in addition to singing the praises of our Blessed Lady, afford an oppor- tunity of hearing the Word of God, of confession, of communion, and of other pious works, so as to enable you to pass the entire day in a holy manner. Experience proves that those who fre- quent such pious meetings derive from them great spiritual advantages. VI. But, above all, you will be assisted to obtain the gift of holy perseverance, by a true and tender devotion to our Divine Lord and to His Blessed Mother. All graces flow from the divine side of Jesus Christ, and come to us through the hands of Mary. He is the never- failing Spring ; Mary is the Aqueduct, as the holy Fathers call her. If the spring does not give out water, the aqueduct does not convey it. Both are necessary in order that we may be able 17 6 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . to drink of those saving waters which gush from the side of Jesus Christ to give us life, and life eternal. Jesus Christ it is who builds up the ruins which have been made in our souls. He is the vanquisher of death, the conqueror of hell, the Redeemer who burst the chains which our ancient infernal enemy had cast around us : Mary is the refuge of sinners, the Mother of Mercy, our Mother, given as such by Jesus, in His dying testament, to us represented in the person of His beloved disciple Saint J ohn. What is it, then, that you may not hope for, if you place yourself under the protection of this Mother ? What can you fear, if you take shelter in the cavern of that rock where the devil cannot enter ? Petra refugium herinaciis (Psalm ciii. 18) • Petra autem erat Christus (i Cor. v. i). Endeavour, therefore, to pay the tribute of your devotion to our Blessed Lady by every means in your power. Have recourse to Her in every dangerous occasion of sin. Keep the eye of faith and of your heart always fixed upon Jesus Christ. Reflect frequently upon all that He has done and suffered for you ; often kiss, if you cannot with your lips, at least in affection, His most sacred wounds ; offer them up to the Eternal Father in satisfaction for your sins ; and ask Him, through the love He bears these wounds, to grant you the spiritual favours you desire. And do not be reserved or sparing in making your requests. The Eternal Father Him- self, having in His infinite mercy given you His Part L — Section 26. 177 Divine Son, has thereby placed in your hands a treasure which has made you a creditor from having been a debtor. Wherefore, if you but know how to expend this treasure judiciously, by applying to your soul the merits of Jesus Christ by means of good works and the frequent oblation of these merits themselves to God, the Eternal Father has pledged Himself to give you what was but a free gift emanating from His superabundant mercy. Therefore St. Paul, moved by this reflection, did not hesitate to call Heaven a crown of justice , which he expected from the divine judge, because He is a just judge — ‘ ‘ repo sit a est mihi corona justified , quam reddet mihi Dominus in die ilia Justus judex, (2 Tim. iv. 8). Be inflamed, then, my dear brother, with the love of Jesus Christ, who is your Father, your Brother, your Redeemer, your Advocate, your Mediator, your Surety, your Master, your Judge, your All. And in order that you may be the more easily able to kindle in your soul the fire of His holy love, I recommend to you, as does the Church, devotion to His Sacred Heart. In order that you may form a proper idea of this most salutary devotion, and one best calculated to inflame your heart with it, I shall here place before you what I wrote in an appendix to the first edition of this work. A clear idea of the Feast of and of devotion to , the Sacred Heart of Jesus . Devotion to Jesus Christ is the fundamental 1 2 178 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. devotion of our holy religion ; for Jesus Christ is that Man-God who, constituting Himself the Mediator between rebellious man and the divine justice, appeased an angry God at the price of His own most bitter passion and most igno- minious death, cancelling thereby the hand- writing of our irreparable condemnation, and, to use the emphatic expression of Saint Paul, fastening it to the Cross. Now, since man is a sensitive being, there is no means more suitable to excite him to this devotion, than to bring under his notice the Sacred Heart which glows within the open side of Jesus Christ. When we present to a man the image of a heart, we immediately awaken in his mind the thought of love; for to him the words heart and love are synonymous. There- fore, when we bring before his eyes the most Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, we must necessarily awaken within him the thought of that infinite love with which Jesus has loved him, and especially of those two most convincing proofs of boundless love which He has given him, by suffering so much and dying for his sake, and by leaving him Himself in the holy Eucharist to be his supernatural food. Now, when we see our- selves loved by another, we are thereby naturally moved to love in return ; not, indeed, to love the material heart of the person who loves us, for it is merely the sensible instrument of love ; nor yet to love the love of our lover, for it is but a mere feeling or affection of his ; but to Part /. — Section 26 . 179 love the lover himself to whom the heart belongs, and from whom the love proceeds. Here then is the development of those ideas which many persons confuse when speaking of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and it is from this confusion of ideas that such opposition has sprung up against this most salutary, most important, and essential devotion.* Our holy mother, the Church, moved by the Holy Ghost who guides her in all that concerns religion, seeks to stir up the love of Jesus Christ in the tepid souls of the faithful, by presenting to their eyes material representations of His Sacred Heart, and by instituting in its honour a solemn festival with a proper office and Mass. The heart is the symbol of love, and it reminds you of love; this love is the motive which impels you to love in turn : and the very person of Jesus Christ is the ultimate object and goal of your love, as well as of this devotion and of this festival. The material heart of Jesus Christ is the immediate and proximate object of the devotion. Since the heart is among men the natural and ordinary symbol of love, it awakens in us the remembrance of the immense love of Jesus Christ, and this is the motive of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. But this love, the remembrance * It must be remembered that the author lived towards the close of the last century, when the devotion to the Sacred Heart was bitterly opposed by the Jansenists. It is scarcely necessary to say that now-a-days this devotion is one of the most popular in the Catholic Church.— Translator, 1 8 o Practical Instruction for New Confessors . of which is brought home to us by this heart, is not the undefined love of any mere man, but the immense love of a Man-God, of Jesus Christ, who went to the extreme length of dying for us, and of giving us His own flesh and His own divine blood to be our food and drink. Con- sequently, we are impelled to love this Man-God, this Divine Person , this Jesus who loved us so much, and this is the ultimate object of the Feast of, and of the devotion towards, the Sacred Heart. Now, in all this, where is the fancied division of Christ put forward by the opponents of this devotion ? Where is the absence of theological exactness ? When I look upon an image of the Heart of Jesus, I by no means confine my thoughts to the mere heart as separated from the remainder of the body. Far from excluding, I expressly call to mind the immense love of Jesus for me ; and thereupon I am impelled to love ardently in return not the heart, not the love, but the person of Jesus Christ ) who has loved me so much. Here then you have a clear idea of this devotion, such as the Church herself presents it to us at the end of the third lesson of the Second Nocturn prescribed to be read in the Office of the Festival. Therefore, freely venerate the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, without fearing the reproach of Nestorianism, or of idolatry, with which the opponents of this devo- tion would foolishly seek to terrify us. If you Part I. — Section 26. 1 8 1 hold by the explanation of this devotion which I have just given, you may offer to this Sacred Heart, incense, prayer, and sacrifice. Meditate upon the excellence of this Sacred Heart, have recourse to its protection, pray to it, being secure in the belief that as the honours and prayers offered to the Saints ultimately terminate in God, so the honours paid to the Sacred Heart, and the prayers addressed to it, terminate in the divine person of Jesus Christ , who is the ultimate object of these religious exercises. If you wor- ship the Sacred Heart in this manner, you will find your own heart filled with the most tender and solid devotion towards Jesus Christ, which, as I have already said, is the fundamental devo- tion of our holy Religion. Finally, it will be a very great help to per- severance, to practice those pious exercises and devotions which I shall here set down. Short Rule of a Christian Life. Morning Exercises . The moment you awake, let your first words he: — Blessed throughout all eternity be the holy and undivided Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then , after dressing with all possible modesty , kneel down and say : — My God, I believe that Thou art present here and everywhere. I adore Thee with all the 1 82 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. powers of my soul as my supreme Lord, my Master and Creator. I thank Thee for the bene- fits Thou hast conferred on me during the past night, as well as for all the other favours which Thou hast lavished on me, from the first moment of my conception to the present hour. I thank Thee, however, in a special manner for having caused me, in preference to the greater part of mankind, to be born in the bosom of our holy mother, the Catholic Church ; for having up to the present preserved me from the punishment of Hell, which I have merited by my sins ; and for having given me so many lights and graces to help me to be converted to Thee. Oh infinite mercy of my God ! how shall I ever be able to thank thee worthily? Had I the hearts and the tongues of all the men upon this earth, I could never thank thee enough. Where- fore, to compensate for my own insufficiency, I offer Thee the thanksgiving of the entire heavenly court — the thanks Thou hast already received, and which Thou wilt receive throughout eter- nity, from all the souls of the blessed, from all the angels, and from most holy Mary their Queen. But even this falls short of Thy infi- nite merit. I offer Thee, therefore, the thanks- giving of Thy own divine Son and my Lord Jesus Christ, and I am consoled at the thought of being able to offer Thee such a thanksgiving as this, which is really worthy of Thee, and commensurate with Thy infinite merit. But this very fact causes me to understand Part 7 . — Section 26 . 183 the greatest of the benefits which Thou hast conferred on me, that, namely, of having made me a sharer in, and of having given me, as it were, a right to the fruits of the merits of Thy divine Son. I thank Thee, then, for this favour with all the thanksgiving of Christ Himself ; for since thou hast placed at my disposal this inestimable treasure of infinite value, I wish to expend it freely. I offer to Thee, therefore, the toils, the labours, the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, in satisfaction for my own sins and for those of the entire world. I offer to Thee His prayers, His tears, His inexpressible sorrows during His pilgrimage on this earth, and the con- tinual intercession which He is now making with Thee in heaven, in order that I may obtain from Thee the fulness of Thy divine mercies for myself, and for all poor sinners and unbelievers. Ah, my God ! through the merits of Jesus Christ Thy Son, I implore of Thee to illumine us all, to convert us all ; and grant that all may know Thee, may adore Thee, and may love Thee during this life, that afterwards all may be united in heaven to love Thee, to enjoy Thee, to thank Thee, to bless Thee, and to praise Thee for all eternity. I thank Thee, likewise, for the very singular favours and privileges which Thou hast conferred on my dear Mother, most holy Mary ; and especially for the favours of having been con- ceived without sin, of having been chosen to be the Mother of God, and of having been taken 1 84 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . up body and soul into heaven, to reign there as its Queen. I thank Thee, in fine, for the favours conferred upon my angel guardian, upon my patron saint, upon the entire court of heaven, upon the souls in Purgatory, and upon the whole world. Do not grow weary of such a lengthened thanks- giving . Remember that just as God abominates beyond measure ingratitude , so gratitude is ex- tremely pleasing to Him ; and to thank God fre- quently for the favours conferred upon yourself and others , is a very great help to obtain new ones . Wherefore I exhort you to say even frequently in the course of the day these two words — Lord, I thank Jhee . Having finished your thanksgiving , proceed, next , to make an entire offering of yourself to God , coupled with a resolution not to offend Him during the day , or duri?ig the remainder of your life , saying to Him with the fervent Saint Ignatius of Loyola ; — Lord, in Thy hands I place my entire liberty, my memory, my intellect and my will. All that I have and possess has been received from Thee, and to Thee do I give it all back, placing it under the control of Thy most holy will. Bestow upon me Thy holy love and Thy friendship, and I am sufficiently rich, nor do I ask for anything more. I see myself in every respect weighed down by Thy favours. On the one hand, this fact fills me with consolation, since it is a proof of Thy divine liberality towards me ; but, on the Parti ’. — Section 26. 185 other hand, this same fact alarms me, because of the obligation imposed upon me of corresponding with them, while at the same time I remember the many occasions on which I have abused Thy favours to offend Thee and to ruin my own soul. What I have done in the past, I may again do in the future — and even worse — if Thou dost not sustain me by a special assistance. There- fore, fac potentiam in brachio tuo , et qui coepisti bonum opus , ipse perficias . Lord, keep a con- tinual watch over me, and let Thy holy hands shield me, so that I may never again relapse into crimes so detestable. I have already offended Thee too grievously, O Lord ! too many are the outrages which I have committed against thee. I detest my sins above every other evil. Oh, would that I had died a thousand times, rather than that I should have offended a God so good and merciful as Thou art ! For the future, I wish to die a thousand times, rather than ever offend Thee again. But Thou knowest well, O Lord, and unfortunately I also know but too well through bitter experience, what little trust is to be placed in these resolutions of mine. Do Thou, then, strengthen them by Thy all-powerful grace, and shouldst Thou ever see me on the point of abusing the powers of my body or soul to offend Thee, deprive me of these powers on the instant. Take from me also my property, my health, my life, rather than permit me to contract again the guilt of another sin. 1 86 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . After this prayer , salute our Blessed Lady with the recitation of the Angelus Domini ; recommend yourself to your Angel Guardian by saying the prayer Angele Dei ; recite a Pater and Ave in honour of the Saint ivhose name you bear a?id of all your other patron Saints , in order that they may defe?id you during the day from sin and from temporal misfortunes ; and conclude your morning devotions by a solemn declaratio?i that you intend to perform your every action during the day for God's glory , and that you intend likewise to gain all the vidulgences which it is possible for you to gain . It would be desirable that the heads of families should assemble all their household , to recite in common every morning the foregoing acts . Having thus begun the day well , proceed to discharge the labours or duties of your calling, resolved not to offend God in the least particular, and you shall see how much better you will succeed by observing this rule . Should it be possible, however, to hear Mass before beginning the labours of the day, it would be most desirable to do so. Evening Devotions. Before retiring to rest, take care to recite a third part of the Rosary either privately, or better still, with your family, if you have one . Examine your conscience briefly, to discover how you have conducted yourself during the day. Thank God for the benefits He has conferred on you since morning ; beg pardon of Him for the sins or other Part I. — Section 27. 187 failings of which you ?nay have been guilty ; beg of Him to protect you from sin during the night ; and then retiring modestly to rest , say to Hun, as you lie down in bed: Lord , into Thy hands I com- mend my spirit. How TO SPEND THE SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS. Let your first thought be to sanctify them by assisting devoutly at the holy sacrifice of the Mass , and other pious exercises , as also by hearing the word of God , and especially by frequenting the Sacraments . Daily Exercise. Frequently during the course of the day , recite the formula of praises given at p. 145, with the intention of gaining the indulgence attached to this prayer by Pope Pius VII.; and, at least once every day, recite likewise the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity to which so many indulgences are annexed ’ § 2 7. How a converted sinner may greatly diminish, or entirely cancel, the large debt of temporal punishment and satisfaction which he owes to the divine justice. Although a sincere sorrow for sin with sacra- mental absolution cancels the debt of eternal punishment due to sin, nevertheless it is not sufficient (except in the case of extraordinary and most intense contrition), to wipe out the debt of 1 88 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. temporal punishment, which must be paid either in this life, or hereafter in Purgatory. Now if the converted sinner is anxious to be united as soon as possible to his last end, he must seriously apply himself to the task of cancelling, or at least of lessening this debt. We do not know what is the proportion existing between our debt of temporal punishment and the sins which we have committed, but which have been pardoned as far as concerns their guilt and the eternal punishment due to them. We only know by faith that the balances of divine justice are exceedingly exact ; that they are so delicate that a feather will turn them ; and that no one can enter heaven who has not satisfied God’s justice to the last farthing. We know, furthermore, that the payments which we make in this life towards lessening our debt, are far more valuable than those made in the life to come ; so that (if I may be permitted to use the illustration), by a crown paid in this life, we may satisfy a debt which would require the payment of a hundred crowns in the next life. There are two ways open to us to make such a profitable payment in the present life : one is by the practice of good works ; the other, by gaining Indulgences. As regards the first : all the good works which are performed in the state of grace, and which are accompanied by some inconvenience to human nature, may serve to cancel the punish- ment due to our sins, when they are directed to Part I. — Section 27. 189 this end by our intention. Thus the recital of pious prayers ; assisting at Mass, at the offices of the Church, and at sermons ; visiting holy shrines, hospitals, and prisons ; nay, our daily labour, and the discharge of the business of our calling ; patient endurance of the inclemency of the weather, of the troubles caused by our companions and by the members of our own household, of public calamities, of sick- ness, and so forth — all these things tend to the same effect of cancelling the temporal punish- ment due to sin, according to the measure marked out by God ; and this, as I have already said, is most advantageous to us, considering the liberality of God, who sets a high price even upon a glass of water given in this world through love of Him. And here let those who complain of the trials or troubles permitted, or sent to them, by God, reflect how wrongly they act in giving way to such thoughts. All these trials and troubles are mercies of the Lord, who well knowing how terrible are the punishments pre- pared for us in Purgatory, wishes either to rescue us from them altogether, or at least to lessen them, by sending us the trivial sufferings of the present life. Would you not consider it a great favour if some creditor of yours, to whom you were bound to pay a hundred crowns within a year, should say to you : “ Pay me a shilling to- day, and I forthwith condone the remainder of the debt”? Well, how much more ought you to thank God, even should He visit you with the 1 90 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. greatest trials of the present life, when He wishes thereby to lessen for you, or perhaps to rescue you altogether from the pains of Purgatory, the very least of which, according to Saint Augustine, far surpasses the greatest torture which can be endured in this life. To be convinced of this, it is enough to reflect that in Purgatory this debt must be paid by fire, and by fire of the same intensity as that of Hell, according to the same holy Doctor. Therefore, instead of complaining of the sufferings of this life, let us rather thank God for them ; and that we may have the more fortitude to bear them patiently, let us say with ourselves : This is far different from the fire of Hell which I had merited ; this is far different from the fire of Purgatory which awaits me if I do not bear with patience this sickness , this trial , fyc. The second means of lessening, or of entirely cancelling the debt of temporal punishment due to sin, is by gaining Indulgences. It is well that the ignorant should be well instructed on this point. It is a dogma of Faith that the Church possesses an immense, inexhaustible treasure of satisfaction, composed of the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, of the agonies suffered by the Queen of Martyrs, most holy Mary, and of those sufferings superabundantly endured by so many martyrs, and by so many other holy souls, all of which have acquired an incalculable value from the merits of Jesus Christ Himself. It is, like- wise, a dogma of Faith that the Bishops, and to Part 1 . — Section 2 J . 1 9 1 the very fullest extent the Pope, are the dis- pensers of this treasure. Finally, it is a dogma of Faith, that Indulgences granted by the legitimate authority serve to release the souls to which they are applied from this debt of temporal punishment, in proportion to the measure in which they are granted, according as they are plenary or only partial. Now, this being so, would it not be the grossest negligence, an inconceivable act of folly, not to endeavour to avail one’s self of a means so easy, of a dis- pensation so liberal, of a condonation so merciful? But in order to gain an Indulgence, it is necessary to comply with certain conditions. First of all, one must heartily detest his sins, including even venial sins, the temporal punish- ment of which he desires to have remitted ; be- cause the punishment is not remitted, unless the sin be first cancelled, and the sin cannot be cancelled, if one does not detest it from his heart. In the next place, it is necessary to per- form the works enjoined by the person who grants the Indulgence, as, for example, the visits prescribed to be paid to Churches, the fasts, the reception of the Sacraments, the prayers or alms-deeds that may have been enjoined; and these works must be performed with a good spirit, and not merely materially and at one’s worst. Finally, a person must have the intention of gaining the Indulgence. And here I would remark that Pope Clement XIII., by a decree of the year 1763, declared that when a person is 192 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . in the habit of weekly confession, he can gain within the week all those Indulgences to which the obligation of confession is annexed, without complying with this condition, provided his soul be free from the guilt of mortal sin, and that there is no question of gaining the Jubilee, or an Indulgence granted in forma Jubiloei Some Indulgences are granted by the Church solely for the benefit of the living who comply with the prescribed conditions, while others can be applied to the souls of the Faithful departed. As regards these latter, it is a dogma of faith that they are of assistance to the souls in Purga- tory when they are applied to them; but they differ from the others in this, that Indulgences gained by living persons and applied to them- selves are efficacious on the title, so to speak, of legitimate payment of the debt due to the divine justice, since it is of faith that God accepts them as if we made satisfaction out of our own merits; whereas Indulgences which we apply to the souls in Purgatory help them only by way of suffrage ; for, since the payment in this case is not made by the real debtor, who has already fallen into the hands of divine justice and is not in a posi- tion to make satisfaction for himself, God is not * It may be well to call attention to another very im- portant concession with regard to confession as a condition for gaining an Indulgence — “Ex decreto S. Cong. Indulg. a Pio VII. approbato die, 12 Junii, 1822, fideles qui singulis hebdomadis confiteri non solent, confessionem ad lucrandam indulgentiam die festo necessariam, octo diebus ante festum facere possunt Gury. De Indulgentiis , cap. i, n. 1052. —Translator. Part I. — Section 2 J. 193 strictly bound to accept it as a discharge of his debt : nevertheless, because of the prayers of the person who offers the satisfaction, He is easily moved to accept it, when, and in what- ever measure, it may seem good to His divine justice. Wherefore, our holy mother, the Church, whose religious practices are certainly free from error, allows and approves of pious foundations estab- lished in perpetuum for the purpose of having daily Masses offered for the soul of some de- ceased person. And if we are really earnest in our desire to help the souls in Purgatory — and we ought to be very earnest in the matter, be- cause it is most pleasing to God, and most bene- ficial to ourselves — we should never weary of making intercession for them. This we may do not only by the application of Indulgences, but also by offering to God on their behalf the satis- faction annexed to our good works — our alms- deeds, our fasts, our prayers, and the like. Let no one, however, reckon among suffrages for the dead those vain displays which are unbecoming, and too elaborate for the rank of the deceased. Such displays, far from helping the suffering soul, are but a source of additional punishment to the person responsible for them, because of the sinful excess of vanity and luxury by which they are accompanied. In order that everyone may be the more easily able to assist the souls in Purgatory, I subjoin here a short list of some authentic Indulgences, 13 194 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . which may be gained by the faithful in any part of the world, and which are applicable also to the souls of the faithful departed. List of various Indulgences . I. Pope Benedict XIII., by a decree of Sept. 12, 1724, granted an Indulgence of 100 days for each recital of the Angelus Domini , or (during the Paschal time) of the Regina Cceli . To those who recite it at least once a day at the sound of the bell, he granted a plenary Indulgence once a month, to be gained on any day which persons may themselves wish to select ; and also a plenary Indulgence at the point of death. II. Clement XII., by a decree of August 14, 1736, granted the above-mentioned Indulgences to those who recite on their knees every evening at the sound of the bell the De Profundis ; and should any one not know this psalm by rote, he may, nevertheless, gain the Indulgence, by sub- stituting for it a Pater y ave , and Requiem Mternam. III. Pope Benedict XIV,, by a decree of January 28th, 1756, granted an Indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines for the devout recitation of the acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity; and to those who recite them every day he granted a plenary Indulgence once a month, and at the point of death. IV. The same Pope, Benedict XIV., by a decree of the 16th December, 1746, granted a plenary Indulgence once a month, on any day 195 Part / — Section 27. that may be selected, to whosoever shall apply himself to mental prayer for at least a quarter of an hour on every day of that month, or who shall occupy himself in teaching others this method of prayer, as also to whoever shall be frequently present at such instructions. Further- more, he granted an Indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines for each time that any one may occupy himself in giving or listening to such instructions. V. Pope Clement XIV., by decrees of the 6th June, 1769, and the 26th June, 1770, granted a plenary Indulgence once a month to whoever shall recite once a day, in honour of the Most Holy Trinity, the following : — Sanctus , Sancius , Sanctus Dominus Deus exercituum ; plena est terra gloria tua , Gloria Patri , gloria rilio , gloria Spiritui Sancto ; on condition, however, of approaching the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, and of praying for the in- tention of the Sovereign Pontiff. Furthermore, he granted an Indulgence of 100 days for each single recitation of this prayer during the day, and for the recital of it three times on Sundays. VI. Pope Pius VI, by a decree of the 24th May, 1776, granted one hundred days' Indulgence to whoever shall recite once a day with a con- trite heart the following prayer : — May the most Holy and most Divine Sacrament he each moment praised and thanked . He likewise granted 300 days' Indulgence to whoever shall recite this prayer three times on any Thursday, and daily 196 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . during the entire octave of Corpus Christi; and to whoever shall recite it once every day for a month, he granted a plenary Indulgence , to be gained on any given day within the month on which that person approaches the Sacraments of Penance and the Blessed Eucharist. VII. The same Pope, Pius VI., by a decree of the 26th May, 1796, granted an Indulgence of one hundred days to whoever shall recite once a day, and in any language, the sequence “ Veni Creator Spiritusf &c., or “ Veni Sancte Spiritusf &c. He likewise granted an Indulgence of 300 days to whoever shall recite it three times a day on Pentecost Sunday, and on each day within the Octave ; and a plenary Indulgence once a month to whoever shall have recited it every day during the month. VIII. The same Pope, Pius VI., by decrees of the 2nd October, 1795, an d the 20th Septem- ber, 1796, granted an indulgence of 100 days for each recitation of the prayer, “Angele Dei? &c., in honour of our Angel Guardian; and to who- ever shall recite it daily morning and evening, he granted a plenary Indulgence to be gained on the Feast of the Angel Guardian, as also a plenary Indulgence in articulo 7?iortis to whoever shall have had the habit of reciting this prayer. I omit several other Indulgences, which are both authentic and granted in perpetuuvu PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION FOR NEW CONFESSORS. PART II. Reflections for the guidance of a Confessor , to enable him to act with a safe conscience in granting , refusings or deferring Sacramental Absolution . Having explained at considerable length what is practically the most necessary and most labo- rious portion of a Confessor’s duty, namely, to instruct his penitent and to dispose him for absolution. I now proceed to lay down briefly a safe practical method for the guidance of new Confessors with regard to absolving their peni- tents, so that they may be enabled to put aside all foolish scruples and perplexing doubts on this head. One of the most embarrassing situations in which Confessors, and especially new Confessors, find themselves placed, is to decide whether a penitent ought to be absolved, or not. And their anxiety on this score is very justifiable, since the spiritual benefit or injury not only of 198 Practical Instruction for New Co?ifessors t the penitent, but of the Confessor as well, depends on the judicious granting or refusing of absolution. For if the Confessor grants or refuses Sacramental absolution without good reason, he commits a mortal sin of sacrilege. On the other hand, if the penitent be unduly absolved, he leaves the confessional under the impression that his sins have been forgiven, though in reality he is more firmly bound by them than before ; while if he be unduly refused absolution, he goes away embittered against the Confessor and the Sacrament, and often forms a resolution to give up Confession altogether. The question, then, in itself is one of very great importance, and it demands serious thought, in order that the Confessor may not find himself entangled in difficulties. However, this thought and these difficulties must be confined within certain limits, and must always be regulated by reason. The Devil employs all his astuteness to draw the Faithful away from the Sacrament of Penance, or at least to lessen its efficacy ; because he well knows that it wages a more destructive warfare against him than any other Sacrament except Baptism, and that it is from the Sacrament of Penance he receives his greatest and most decisive defeats. Therefore he puts forward a thousand plausible pretexts, not only to keep sinners away from Confession, but likewise to deter priests from devoting themselves to the duties of the Confes- sional ; and this he does more especially in the Part II. 199 case of priests of delicate conscience, who would be the very persons to administer this Sacrament with the greatest fruit. Now, the pretext most frequently put forward by the Devil to deter pious priests from hearing confessions, is precisely that one which I mentioned above : If I unduly grant or refuse absolution , I commit a mortal sin. And how can I be certain in 7nany cases whether I ought to grant or to refuse it l Why , then , should I run the risk of losing my own soul, in endeavouring to save the souls of others ? It is certain , at least , that the duties of the Confessional will cause me mental anxiety , and sometimes very great anxiety. This , therefore , is work for which I am not fitted. I shall endeavour to find some other means of doing good , and shall leave the duties of the Confessional to others . It is not necessary that every one should engage in all the works oj the ministry. If we allow ourselves to be persuaded by reasoning of this kind, the Devil will have gained his point ; for no matter how exemplary may be a priest’s life, no matter how zealous he may be as a preacher, the Devil does not fear him much, if he can only by some means or other succeed in preventing him from exercising his ministry in connection with the Sacrament of Penance. Wherefore I shall endeavour to remove this great obstacle which the enemy of souls places in the path of new Confessors, and of any other priest who might devote himseif with advantage to the work of the confessional. 200 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. § i . Explanation of the system to be adopted , and of the principles on which it is based. In order to proceed logically, and to produce that reasonable conviction which is necessary to tranquillize scrupulous souls and to dissipate doubts, I shall lay down as postulates a few certain and indisputable principles, from which I shall deduce by direct argument the conclusions which the case requires. These fundamental principles are as follows : — 1. Jesus Christ has instituted the Sacrament of Penance after the manner of a trial. 2. The persons who take a part in this trial are two only : viz., the Confessor, who acts as judge, and the penitent, who appears before him as the accused person. 3: But since, according to the institution of Jesus Christ himself, this trial is neither compul- sory nor conducted on the lines of rigorous justice, but is voluntary and conducted on a system of justice tempered with mercy, each of the two parties to the trial sustains, at one and the same time, several parts. The Confessor, in addition to the office of judge, assumes also the parts of physician and instructor ; while the penitent not only stands in the place of the accused, but is at the same time the sole accuser and witness pro se et contra se. 4. The judge in this trial is not invested with absolute power ; he is merely a delegate. There- fore he cannot at his pleasure rule for or against Part I L~ Section i. 201 the accused ; but he is bound to try the case according to the laws laid down by the Supreme Judge, Jesus Christ Himself, who instituted this Sacrament. 5. According to the institution and law of Jesus Christ, this trial is not held for the purpose of absolving the innocent and condemning the guilty ; but its object is to absolve the guilty one who repents , and to leave the impenitent still bound by their chains. Moreover, with abso- lution there is imparted to the true penitent a special grace, to assist him in preserving himself from relapsing into fresh crimes. 6. The law just stated makes no distinction with respect either to the quality or the number of the crimes. Supposing the Confessor to have the necessary jurisdiction, a person who is guilty of the most enormous crimes, and in number beyond all reckoning, must be absolved, if he is truly penitent, and gives such evidence of this repentance as would satisfy a prudent man ; while, on the other hand, a person who is guilty of but one mortal sin — and that the very least of its kind — must not be absolved, if he is not truly penitent : and the Confessor would commit a mortal sin, as well by absolving the latter, as by not absolving the former. I do not for the present touch upon the case where absolution is merely deferred. 7. The repentance which the Supreme Judge requires in the guilty person, in order that he may merit absolution, is nothing else than a 202 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . sovereign detestation of the evil he has committed in preferring, when he sinned, his own pleasure, or creatures, to the will of his Creator ; and to this sovereign detestation there must be united a firm resolution never more to fall into such crimes, even though it were to cost him his life. 8. This sovereign detestation and this firm resolution must proceed more from man’s rational nature than from his sensibility. For it is quite possible, and it not unfrequently occurs, owing to the different temperaments of men, that one person may shed an abundance of tears, and sigh deeply over his sins, and yet his detestation of them and his resolution against them may not reach the required sovereign degree ; while another person may have in the required degree the necessary detestation and resolution, without shedding a single tear, or drawing a single sigh. 9. Since Jesus Christ has confided the ad- ministration of this Sacrament not to angels but to men, it is certain that he requires from Confessors nothing more than that they should regulate their judgment according to the laws of human prudence, guided by the teaching of the Gospel and of the Church, when they have to decide for themselves who is contrite, and who is not. Consequently, when a Confessor acts in this manner, his conscience may be at ease, and he is free at least from any culpable fault. Now, having laid down these sound principles, which in substance are nothing more than the plain doctrine of the Church on the Sacrament Part II — Section 1 . 203 of Penance, already well known to everybody and disputed by none, I shall now proceed to point out the practical method for the removal of those doubts and anxieties which beset a new Confessor, when there is question of giving, of refusing, or of deferring absolution. When the Confessor has heard the confession of his penitent, and is considering how he ought to act with regard to giving him absolution, he should not on any account take into considera- tion either the heinousness, or the greater or less number of his penitent’s sins (Postulate 6), but should confine himself entirely to deciding whether his penitent is, or is not, truly sorry for his sins, and seriously resolved to change his life. But it is precisely with regard to this very point that some Confessors are beset with the greatest perplexity, and yet it is the point in which there is least cause for it. Let them keep constantly before their mind the 9th pos- tulate, and regulate their decision by it. There are some signs which so unmistakably manifest a man’s interior dispositions that one cannot entertain a doubt upon the subject without doing violence to common sense. And speaking more particularly of a penitent in the tribunal of penance, we may lay down the following : — 1. It is a great sign of true repentance if the peni- tent comes to confession of his own free will, without any pressure whatever ; and more par- ticularly if he comes outside the Paschal time, 204 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . when he can have no motive for doing so except a sincere and heartfelt resolution to change his life.* The evidence of his sincerity becomes stronger, if he begins his confession by saying, as often has been said to me, “ Father , assist me^ for I a??i a great sinner : 1 would wish to make a good confession ” 2 . But should the necessity of complying with the precept of the Church, or the danger of death have brought your penitent to confession, nevertheless it may easily happen while you are speaking with him — and this is especially the case beside the sick bed, where sensible changes are visible to the eye — that he may give some very probable sign of sincere and heartfelt repentance, either by weeping, or by sighing in such a manner as, judged by the laws of human prudence, will exclude any suspicion of shamming, or else by certain vehement ex- pressions which appear to be wrung from his heart.f 3. Even should he have none of the * Saint Alphonsus (lib. 6, n. 460) enumerates among the signs of a good disposition in a penitent, “ Spontanea con- fessio, ut dicunt Laymann, Ven. P. Segneri, Tambur. et Mazzotta ; dummodo poenitens non confiteatur ex obliga- tione praecepti paschalis, vel impulsus a parentibus, paeda- gogo, aut domino ; nec propter quemdam usum confitendi in aliquibus festis, nempe Nativitatis Domini, Assumptionis Mariae, etc., sed accedat omnino sponte, et vere a lumine divino inspiratus, ad solum finem adipiscendi Dei gratiam. Praecise haec spontanea confessio signum esset dispositionis, si poenitens, ut accederet ad Sacramentum, notabilem cona- tum adhibuit, scilicet longum iter est aggressus, abstinuit a lucro illius diei, magnum conflictum internum sive externum superavit, et similia.” f S. Alphonsus, treating of this subject (lib. 6, n. 460), places among the extraordinary signs of repentance, “ Major Part II — Section i. 2C5 signs already mentioned to help him in arriving at a decision, yet there is a third way left, by which the Confessor can safely determine whether he ought to absolve his penitent or not. This third way no doubt involves labour, but it is labour to which the Confessor is strictly bound ; and if he does not employ this labour he sins mortally, and will have to account to God for the loss of his penitent’s soul. Let the Confessor bear in mind the 3rd postu- late laid down above, and remember that he has to perform the part not only of a judge, but also of an instructor and a physician. Jesus Christ has not appointed Confessors merely to listen to a narrative of the misdeeds of others, and to send away their penitents whenever they may feel annoyed by them. When a Confessor has once begun to hear a confession, he is bound under pain of mortal sin, even according to the laws of justice, to finish it, when it is in his power to do so ; and to finish it by putting into execution all those means which Jesus Christ has bound him to employ. Let him begin by acting the part of instructor, teaching his peni- dolor patefactus per lacrymas, suspiria aut cordialia verba, ajunt Lugo, Laymann, Milante, Holzm, Croix, Tamb. Lohner, Renzi, et Salm . . . Lacrymae poenitentium ut plurimum oriuntur ex compunctione cordis, maxime si effun- dantur post auditam concionem vel monitionem confessarii praebentis aliquod compunctionis motivum . . . quapropter ordinarie, nisi aliud percipiatur oppositum, credendus est poenitens ex inspiratione Dei lacrymas effundere. Hue etiam facit illud . . . S. Joannis Chrysostomi, compunctio- pem signum esse veri doloris,” 206 Practical Instruction for New Confessor s % tent, after the manner set forth in the entire first part of this book, the heinousness of his sins, the brutality of his crimes, the shameful degradation of a man who brings himself down to, and even lower than, the level of the beasts ; but this he must do without indulging in passion or invec- tive, but with feelings of true charity. Let him next act the part of a good physician, by impressing on his penitent the great risk he runs of being lost, and the extreme folly of wish- ing to damn his soul, when he might save it, did he but choose to do so. Let him put forcibly before his mind that great gospel truth : Quid prodest homini , si mundum universum lucretur , animce vero suce detrimentum patiatur , aut qua?n dabit homo commutationem pro anwia sua ? (Matth. xvi.) Let him remind him how delusive is the hope of being able to repair the misdeeds of a bad life at the hour of death, and let him put before him easy and efficacious means to correct his evil habits. Having done this, let him represent to his penitent that sacramental absolution produces its effects according to the disposition of the person who receives it ; and that as it releases from his sin the man who is really contrite, so it serves only to bind more firmly than ever in the bonds of sin the person who is not truly repentant, becoming in his case a terrible malediction, and laying upon his soul the additional guilt of sacrilege. During this discourse of the Confessor, it is almost impossible that the penitent should not Part II — Section /. 207 manifest several very probable signs of repent- ance. However, should his confessor still enter- tain some doubts on this point — for we do meet with persons of certain temperaments who do not easily manifest their feelings — he must say to his penitent : Well , what do you say to all this ? are you prepared to draw down upon your head a solemn curse ? If you are not telling me the truth , my absolution will be for you simply a malediction. Therefore , if you do not feel that you have the proper dispositions at present , tell me so, and I will defer absolution to some other day, when you will be in a position to assure me that you really are well disposed. Should the penitent, after this caution, answer boldly : “ Father , absolve me , because I am telling you the truth, and I promise to perform all that you have enjoined upon mef let the Confessor absolve him without hesitation, even though he should give no other sensible sign of repentance. In pursuing this course the Confessor can act with a safe conscience, because he acts prudently, according to the laws laid down for the administration of this sacrament by Jesus Christ (see Postulate 9). Indeed, for my part, I would have a grave scruple of sin were I to refuse absolution in this case ; because to do so would be to violate the rights of the penitent, who in the confessional is the only legitimate witness in his own favour (Postulate 3), and whose testimony, after he has been in- structed in the manner explained above, cannot be questioned, without doing him a grave in- 208 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . justice. I will go even further still, and say that, by following the course here indicated, the con- science of the penitent likewise is safe ; because it is impossible that, after the solemn caution given by the Confessor, any one should with open eyes and in cold blood betray his own soul, when on the contrary he would wish his salva- tion. As a matter of fact, I have met with several who, after having been cautioned in the manner pointed out above, have said to me : Father , let us wait for another day . Nor is this experience confined to me. Other worthy priests have told me that when they followed the method here indicated, the same answer has been given to themselves, even by convicts — a class of persons who do not usually suffer from scruples. And here I cannot refrain from alluding to a fact which, every time I remember it, fills me with indignation. Among the very many per- sons whom I have met with in the hospitals, who had either remained away from confession al- together for several years, or who for a long period had concealed sins, and had made sacri- legious confessions, I found — and other Con- fessors have told me that they have had a similar experience — that in the majority of cases this was attributable to the bad reception they had met with from some Confessor. Some one of these Confessors, on hearing that the poor penitent had not made his Easter communion, or had contracted some sinful habit, or had re- Part II — Section I. 209 lapsed into some sin, had been cruel enough to say to him : “ Go away from me ; I don’t wish to hear you”. Is the arm of God, then, short- ened for these poor creatures ? Is the treasury of God’s mercy exhausted for such as these? To what purpose, then, has our divine Lord left us the parable of the prodigal son, of the lost sheep, and of the woman who lost the groat? To what purpose have we the examples of the Samaritan woman, of the woman taken in adultery, and of the Magdalen? Why did Jesus Christ say to Saint Peter : Non septies , sed usque septuagies septies ? Do such Confessors deserve the name of physicians, or ought they not rather be called murderers of souls ? Do they act as ministers and co-operators of God, or is not their conduct rather that of ministers and co-operators of the devil, since they confirm sinners in their evil ways, cast souls into despair, and prevent the joy that would take place in heaven over their conversion? Do not such Confessors change the medicine left to us as Jesus Christ into poison, and convert this sacra- ment into a veritable instrument of torture, by heretics have blasphemously called it in order to keep the faithful away from it ? For my own part, I confess that when I meet with poor sinners of this class, I feel my heart filled with joy and courage ; and I have found by experience that I have had less doubt of the absolutions given to them, than of those given to others whose consciences were less burthened, 14 210 Practical Instruction for New Confessor s. because the repentance of great sinners is usually more evident. And even though such penitents cost us trouble, yet we can willingly bear with it ; because whether the fruit which we seek for follows from our labours or not, we know full well that God rewards the labour undertaken for His love, and not the fruit of that labour, since it does not depend upon us. But let us pursue our exertions with penitents of this class joyfully ; because it will very rarely happen that we will be denied the consolation also of seeing our labour crowned with fruit, through the wonderful action of God’s grace. But here some one may say : if you facilitate the giving of absolution, you will also facilitate relapses into sin. I reply, in the first place, that I have often heard this stated before, and at one time I myself believed the opinion to be speculatively true; but in this I have been undeceived by experience. I have never yet met with a great sinner who had plunged headlong into crime because of having found it easy to get absolution ; but I have met with many who have done so because of the harshness of certain Confessors, and the undue difficulty of getting absolution from them.* * In reference to this matter, I find the following in Saint Liguori (lib. 6, n. 464); ' ‘ Quidarn rigiditatibus addicti , qui per unicum rigoris tramitem animas conducunt. .... asserunt omnes recidivos perversiores fieri cum absolvuntur antequa 7 n emendentur. Sed kos magistros meos rogarem : numquid recidivi, cum sine absolutione dimittuntur , gratia sacramenti carentes , omnes validiores fiunt et emendantur f Quot miseros ego cognovi qui ob denegatam absolutionem Part II — Section i. 211 The persons who put forward this objection pretend to support it by the weighty authority of Cardinal Bellarmine, who has said : Non esset tanta facilitas peccandi , si non esset tanta facilitas absolvendi. I have the most profound respect for the authority of a man so learned and so holy, and I willingly subscribe to these words of his. But I contend that we must interpret the sayings of great men according to their true meaning, and not take every word, like narrow-minded pedants, in its purely grammatical signification. I hold that by “ facility in giving absolution ” we must understand, in the first place, the method pursued by some Confessors who, when they have heard the accusation of the penitent, no matter to what class he may belong, say to him at the very most, noli amplius peccare , and then, after imposing upon him a penance, which very frequently is not medicinal or adapted to his spiritual wants, hurry through the form of absolution, and after- wards boast that they have heard 40 or 80 con- fessions during a morning. In the second place, I hold that the charge of “ facility in giving absolution ” ought to apply to those who, when they meet with a penitent who is indisposed, content themselves with simply saying to him : I cannot absolve you : dispose yourself better for the reception of the Sacrament , and return to me fifteen or twenty days hence; but meanwhile se dejecerunt in desperationem , et per plures annos a sacrct- mentis aver si aberrarunt /” 212 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . take care not to fall again into sin . When the penitent afterwards returns on the day appointed, and says that he has performed all that had been enjoined upon him, they good- naturedly believe him, and absolve him without more ado. This, likewise, is a most baneful “ facility in giving absolution,” which ordinarily leads to bad confessions ; and the matter be- comes worse still if the absolution be repeatedly deferred, for then the penitent goes away em- bittered against the Confessor and the Sacrament, as I have discovered from many cases that have come under my own observation. If we consider this matter well, there is a kind of facility which is difficult, and again there is a species of difficulty which is very easy. To be slow to absolve certain sinners until you have kept them a long time in probation and dismissed them frequently, when you ought, instead, to have assisted them to become better disposed, is, no doubt, a very easy and convenient plan for the Confessor, as any one may see ; but this practice, so easy and so convenient, ordinarily proves very injurious to the penitent, as I have stated above, so that it may be called a difficulty in absolving penitents which is at once easy and injurious. Now if, on the other hand, a Confessor, on seeing at his feet a penitent who is indisposed, begins with all earnestness to help him in exa- mining his conscience, and instructs him at the proper time and place, making known to him Part II. — Section I. 213 the horrible nature and enormity of his sins, and endeavouring to rouse him to repentance by putting before him the principles of Faith and the Eternal maxims ; if he encourages him to change his life, by representing to him the in- finite goodness and mercy of God, the aids of grace which He has prepared for the repentant sinner, and the tenderness with which He will treat him if he remains faithful to his good resolu- tions ; and if, after having thus brought him to detest his past life and to begin a new one, he immediately absolves him, would you call this “ facility ” in giving absolution ? If you choose to call it so, I shall not dispute with you about a name ; but you must confess that it is a “ facility ” which is very difficult, and at the same time most praiseworthy as regards the Confessor who thus labours to gain a soul to God, while it is moreover highly advantageous to the penitent. Do you not see that this course of action gives the penitent a just idea of sacramental absolution, since he is thereby made to understand that it is not a mere form of words to be recited at the pleasure of men, but that Jesus Christ has sur- rounded it with many important conditions, which must be complied with on the part of the penitent ? Wherefore, when the penitent is in- structed in the manner which I have pointed out, he will be on his guard against a fictitious repentance, and he will endeavour to excite within himself those sincere sentiments of real sorrow, which will enable him to rest satisfied 214 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . that, in receiving absolution, he receives a salutary medicine, and not a poison fatal to his soul. This, then, is not that “facility in giving absolution ” which begets a facility in sinning, and, consequently, it is not that facility which Bellarmine condemns. On the contrary, this kind of facility was practised by Jesus Christ and by all the saints, as shall be pointed out later on, and therefore it ought to be imitated by all Confessors. The only case in which a Con- fessor may lawfully refuse absolution, and in which he is absolutely bound to do so, is when the penitent does not seem to be touched by his charitable and salutary exhortations, and does not manifest any prudent grounds for thinking that he is really repentant. To absolve him in this case would be a facility in giving absolution very culpable in itself, and very hurtful to the penitent. But although the case just mentioned is the only one in which a Confessor may refuse abso- lution, yet there are several other cases in which he may defer and suspend it. This, however, is a point on which I must give you some cautions, founded partly on those certain funda- mental principles which I laid down above, and partly on my own experience, and on that of others with whom I have taken counsel on this subject. Should a person keep voluntarily in his house a proximate occasion of sin, or should he retain possession of stolen property, I would always Part II — Section r. 215 defer giving him absolution, even though he should manifest signs of true repentance. This I would do for two reasons. First, because it being in his power (as I have supposed) to rid him- self of this voluntary proximate occasion, and to restore this stolen property, if he does not dis- charge this twofold duty at once, it is a clear sign that he is not sincere. Secondly, because the actual possession in one’s house of a source of pleasure, and of another person’s property, has too great a power over the human heart in influencing it to forget its duties. Wherefore it is expedient that it should be placed, as it were, under the necessity of not allowing itself to be conquered. However, I regard it as a great absurdity, to lay down as an inviolable rule, that absolution should be invariably deferred in the case of every serious crime, or, much more, in case of every habitual sinner. And for the present, let me confine myself to the case of habitual sinners alone, with regard to whom the error of which I am speaking is more common. The persons who regulate their action by this principle, are accustomed to say that they do so in order to test the reality of such conver- sions. But I reply that, ordinarily speaking, they could not employ a more irrational or a more fallible test than this. First of all, it is irrational. I suppose now that the penitent has given you all those indi- cations from which you may, and should, form a prudent judgment that he is telling you the 2 1 6 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . truth. In this case, then, you fail in discharging an obligation of justice, when you defer giving him absolution ; because the moment the peni- tent gives you motives for forming a prudent judgment that he is really repentant, he has a strict right to be absolved (postulates 6 and 9).* * Saint Aiphonsus (Lib. 6, n. 461) premises this principle of Saint Thomas (1. 2 0 , q. 31, art. 3, ad 3); Non oportet quod omnis mensura sit omnino infallibilis, sed secundum quod est possibile in genere suo. And again (2. 2, q. 47, art. 9, ad 2) .* Certitudo non est similiter quaerenda in omnibus , sed in unaquaque materia secundum proprium modu7n. Quia vero materia prudentice sunt singular ia contingentia, circa quce sunt operationes humana } non potest certitudo prudentice tanta esse, quod omnino sollicitudo tollatur. Having premised this principle, S. Aiphonsus continues thus : Unde sufficit quod confessarius habeat prudentem pro- babilitatem de dispositione pxnitentis , et non obstet ex alia parte prudens suspicio indispositionis ; alias vix ullus posset absolvi , dum qucecumque signa pcenitentium non prcestant nisi probabilitatem dispositions, ut recte docet Suarez, De Poenit. disp. 32, lect. 2, n. i, ubi ait quod oportet et sufficit ut confes- sarius prudenter et probabiliter judicet poenitentem esse dis- positum. Et hoc videtur satis exprimi in Catechismo Romano , De Poenit n. 60, ubi dicitur : Si audita confessione (sacerdos) judicaverit neque in enumerandis peccatis diligentiam, nec in detestandis dolorem poenitenti omnino defuisse absolvi potest. Ego semper ac confessario positive non innotescat, poenitenti o7nnino defuisse dolore7n , ipsum ab solvere potest. Hinc auctor sup. cit. (Istruzione per li novelli confessori, p. i, cap. 15, n. 360 ; the author of which is Fr. Giordanini of the congrega- tion of the missions) cum Esparza de sacram. Poenit. q. 88, ad 3, sic loquitur : “Hence we laydown here, finally, the conclusion which is the key to this entire question : namely, that nothing more is required to administer the sacrament of penance than a prudent, probable judgment of the disposition of the penitent. Prudent, I say, and not critical, or meta- physical. Consequently, if the circumstances of the case do not supply a prudent doubt that he is not sufficiently disposed, the Confessor ought not to trouble himself or his penitent in order to procure evidence of disposition which is not possible. Part II. — Section i. 217 The method which I am combating is irra- tional, in the second place, because you select a proof which is opposed to all the rules of pru- dence. What would you say of a physician, who should wish to make trial of the strength of a sick man, before he has removed the fever from his system and restored his powers by means of suitable nourishment? And do you expect that a sinner should raise himself up again, when left with the entire burthen of his sins pressing on him, and entirely deprived of the Eucharistic food which was purposely instituted to give strength to his soul ? Remember that you, too, are a physician of souls, but what kind of medicine is this which you would apply ?* Et hue conducit textus in cap a nobis, 28, de sent ex comm. ubi dicitur : judicium Dei veritati, quae non fallit, nec fallitur, semper innititur ; judicium autem Ecclesiae nonnumquam opinionem sequitur, quam et fallere soepe contingit et falli. * Here we must bear in mind the words of the holy doctor, Saint Alphonsus (lib. 6, n. 463) : “ Ut autem meum hie pro- fer am judicium, dico quod si pcenitens relapsus sit ob causam seu fragilitatem intrinsecam , ut accidit inpeccatis pollutionis, delectationis morosce , odii , blasphemies , et similium , raro puto dijferendam esse absolutionem recidivo suffcienier disposito . . . . Dixi RARO ; nam regulariter censeo non re- CEDENDUM A SENTENTIA COMMUNI, quam tradunt Sanchez , Laymann , Lugo , Filliuc , Abelly , Dicastillus, Croix , Sal- manticen , Sporer , Toletus .... nempe , non esse dif- ferendam absolutionem poenitenti qui relapsus est ex intrin - seca fragilitate ; quia in tali poenitente magis sperandum profecturam fore gratiam sacramenti , quam dilationem ab solutionis." And further down, he says (n. 464) : ‘ 1 Magis sperandum , quod ille emendabitur per auxilium gratics in sacramento suscepics , quam per dilationem absolution is. . . . Hinc recte dicunt Salmaticenses (cap. 5, n. 68) : Cur de peccatore non habente gratiam per dilationem, quam de pi8 Practical Instruction for New Confessor s % Learn from the great Roman Confessor, Saint Philip Neri, how habitual sinners are to be cured. Everyone knows the fact recorded in his life (Book 2 , cap. 6) written by Father Bacci of the Congregation of the Oratory, and reprinted with additions by the Very Rev. Father James Ricci, O.P. and Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of the Index. A young man who was in the habit of committing the most filthy sins fell into the hands of Saint Philip, after he had been turned away by other Confessors who treated him harshly and heaped reproaches upon him. The Saint endeavoured to excite him to contrition, and then absolved him on the spot, without im- posing on him any other penance than that he should return at once to confession in case he should relapse. In a few days the wretched young man, having again fallen into sin, did return to Saint Philip, who, without scolding him, but repeating his former admonitions, again ab- constituto in gratia Dei per absolutionem melius sperandum est? Et prcssertim quoad peccaium pollutionis Toletus lib. cap. ij, n . 6, sic inquit: Vi x puto esse aliud efficax remedium quam frequentissimam confessionem adhibere : est enim hoc sacramentum maximum froenum ; et qui hoc non utitur, non sibi promittat emendationem, nisi per miraculum. Hocque remedio frequentis confessionis pro recidentibus in tale vitium legimus Sanctum Philippum Nerium maxime usum fuisse . Et huic doctrines alludit id quod habetur in Rituali Romano de Sacram. Pcenitentice ubi dicitur : In peccata facile recidentibus utilissimum fuerit consulere ut saepe confiteantur, et, si expediat, communicent. Ergo Rituale dum dicit re- medium frequentis confessionis utilissimum esse facile recidentibus in peccata , supponit pravum habitum ab eis non adhuc esse evulsum ; sed hoc non obstante , docet gratiam sacramenti multuin conferre ad emendationem .” Part II. — Section i. 219 solved him, imposing the self-same penance. To make the story short, these alternate relapses and confessions of the penitent lasted for some months, and the Saint invariably continued to treat him in the same manner, until by this means the relapses began to grow less frequent, and the young man not only got rid of his evil habit, but in a few months attained such a degree of per- fection^ that , as the Saint himself testified , he in a short while became like an angel. This is a system of probation worthy of a rational and zealous physician. That other great apostle, the Vener- able Father Francis Posados of the Dominican Order, acted in the same manner towards re- lapsing sinners, as we know from the process of his beatification and canonisation ; and this has likewise been the practice of other holy men, as we shall see more clearly later on in §§ 3 and 4. After such examples as these, do not quote for me the authority of other moralists, though learned and respectable. I prefer to follow the authority and the example of the saints and servants of God, who have been already recog- nised as such by the Church. I have said, in the second place, that there is no test more fallible than that which I am combating. For when your penitent returns to you, what guarantee have you that he is telling you the truth ? In a few years I have met with very many who, in order to rid themselves of the trouble of repeatedly returning to certain Con- fessors, have in the end either made lying con- 220 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . fessions, or have ceased altogether to approach the Sacrament of Penance. It is fallible, in the second place, for everybody knows that a relapse is not a conclusive proof of the insincerity of the penitent when he first came to you. I call my very opponents to witness to this fact, for I believe they will have the humility to tell me the truth. Tell me, have you yourselves kept all those fine resolutions which you made to God in the fervour of your prayers ? As for me, I confess I should consider myself happy if I had kept one hundredth part of mine. And yet can you doubt that you were speaking from your heart when you made these promises ? Judge then of the case before us from what has hap- pened to yourselves. Add to all that has been said on this subject the reflections which I made in the beginning of § 26 of the first part of this work, commenting on that passage of Saint Luke’s Gospel, ch. xi. v. 24. “ But,” we hear some one occasionally say, “ what is the use of giving absolution to-day, when we shall have the same old story over again to- morrow ? ” What is the use ? Oh, Si scires donu??i Dei ! for here also the words of Christ to the Samaritan woman are applicable. The grace of God is a treasure so great, that the possession of it even for a single hour is worth more than all the treasures of the world. This was the maxim which that most zealous promoter of God’s glory and of the salvation of souls, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, kept always before his eyes ; for when Part TI. — Section I. 221 certain persons represented to him the inability of providing a night refuge for women of loose character, because the moment they left it in the morning they would resume their old occupa- tion, the Saint, all inflamed with zeal, replied : I would consider not only all my own exertions , but the exertions likewise of all my religious chil- dren, well employed, if I could thereby prevent even one solitary sin. It is thus the Saints think. Though you were certain, even by revelation, that your penitent should fall again into sin and be damned, yet if, on the other hand, he manifests at the present moment signs of true repentance, you ought to absolve him, both because justice imposes it as a duty upon you, and to allow him to enjoy at least an hour of the grace of God, and finally to lessen his pains in Hell for all Eternity. You know that in Hell the punish- ment is proportioned to the guilt of the sinner ; you know, likewise, that sins which have once been cancelled non reviviscunt ; why, then, should you deprive a soul of these advantages ? By what authority do you do so, in violation of the law laid down by Him who instituted this Sacra- ment ? (See Postulate 6.) “ Butp you may say, “ I am afraid lest 1 may give a bad absolution .” And are you never afraid that you may do wrong by refusing absolution ? Remember that you may sin in one case just as well as the other. “ But p you may rejoin, “by refusing or deferring it, I at least assure myself that I am not exposing the Sacrament to the danger 222 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . of nullity I To this I reply, that when the nullity is inculpable it does not offend God or injure the soul ; but to refuse, or defer absolution unreasonably, does both. Which course then will you choose ? “ But you will still urge, “ by deferring abso- lution we obtain at least another advantage , which is that we secure more perfectly the integrity of confessio?i ; because , when there is question espe- cially of a perplexed conscience , it is very easy to forget something I reply : you know very well that the material integrity of the accusation is not essential for confession, except in voto ; it is necessary in re only quantum Humana fragilitas patitur , after a diligent examination of con- science \ so that even if one should omit some sin after an examination of this kind, it is never- theless forgiven, the only obligation which remains being to tell it at the next confession. I suppose, moreover, that you have acted the part of a good Confessor in helping your penitent in his examination, by putting him suitable questions. Now, having premised so much, I ask whether, for the sake of a material integrity which is not required for the validity of the Sacrament, it is well to leave a soul, even for one additional hour, a slave of the Devil, exposed to hell fire, deprived of grace, and an enemy of God. And if, meanwhile, this penitent should have the misfortune to die suddenly, or to be seized by some illness which should deprive him of his senses, or even should his fervour cool, Part II — Section i. 223 and should he fail to come back to confession, either because of some unforeseen obstacle or of some strong temptation on the part of the Devil, to whose charge, I ask you, will God lay the loss of that soul? From whom will the divine Redeemer demand an account of it ? “ Well, then” you may say to me, “ as far as you are concerned , you would never refuse absolu- tion I reply, that you have no right to assume any such thing ; for I also have sometimes re- fused, and have deferred absolution. I have refused it when, in spite of all that I have been able to say to him, the penitent has remained obstinate in not wishing to abandon sin. I have deferred it, when I considered that the penitent, notwithstanding all my exhortations, was not yet sufficiently touched with sorrow, or sufficiently firm in his purpose of amendment. But when- ever a Confessor refuses or defers absolution, he ought to let the penitent understand that he is doing so for his good. Begin by telling him that, even if you were to give him absolution, it would be of no benefit to him, but, on the con- trary, would serve only to bring upon his soul the guilt of an enormous sacrilege. At the same time try to plant some thorn in his heart, which may have a salutary effect in stirring him up to repentance, for example, by putting before him the terrors of God’s judgments and vengeance, the danger of a sudden death, some story calcu- lated to inspire terror, and so forth. Then, in order that he may not yield to despair, tell him 224 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . that in whatever moment he repents God will lovingly embrace him, and that if he returns to you, as the minister of God’s mercies, you will absolve him. When you judge it right to defer absolution, there are many things to be attended to. In the first place, if you find, after having spoken a little with your penitent, that it will probably be impossible for you to absolve him on that occasion, do not on this account omit to begin to hear his confession. When a rich prize comes within your reach, lay hand upon it as soon as you can. Once you have begun to hear the confession, continue it on to the end, if possible ; appoint a penance ; and get your penitent to make an act of contrition as best he can. By acting in this manner you will often find that, when you least expect it, God will touch his heart, so that in the end you will be able to give absolution, though at first you thought it would be altogether out of the ques- tion to do so. But even though this should not occur, nevertheless reflect upon the great advantages which follow from adopting this system. In the first place, you have a greater certainty that the penitent will return to you, and it is easier for him to return with the proper disposition. He finds himself freed from the terrible burthen of confession, and when his mind is thus relieved of the anxiety of preparing for the accusation of his sins, he will apply him- self all the better to saying those prayers and Part II. — Section x % 225 meditating upon those truths which you will have suggested to him, in order to excite him- self to that serious sorrow and resolution of which as yet you have not sufficient evidence. Be careful that the date fixed for his return does not exceed a few days. You must strike the iron while it is hot. In this manner the ex- hortations given to him on the occasion of the first interview will remain fresh in his mind, and, united to the further exhortation which you will give him on his return, will produce their effect. But if you keep putting him off from week to week, you will be always beginning without concluding anything. It will even come to pass that the penitent, wearied by the indiscreet system pursued by the Confessor, will become disgusted with the Sacrament, and will abandon all thoughts of confession. Add to all this the reflections to be found later on in §§ 6 and 7. To sum up all in a few words : Endeavour to sanctify yourselves; be filled with fatherly compassion according to the spirit of Jesus Christ, and you shall do everything well : every- thing will succeed with you. If a father sees a son going astray, does he on this account im- mediately abandon him ? On the contrary, how does he not study, how many plans does he not try to bring him back again to the right path? Should he be taken seriously ill, does the father regard the matter with indifference, and say: “ We will think about it to-morrow ? }) Far from it : on the contrary, even though it IS 226 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . were the dead of night, he seeks to give him immediate relief, by summoning the physician and administering suitable medicines. When you were ordained, you were appointed by Jesus Christ a father of souls ; your penitent is a son who has gone astray, who is sick, and whom Jesus Christ presents to you — a son who has cost Him all His blood and His divine life. Keep these thoughts alive in your heart, and you need no further instructions. And oh ! if all Confessors were penetrated by these thoughts, how much fewer sacrileges would we see, how much fewer sinners, how much less progress would be made by vice ! I have always been of opinion, and experience has confirmed me more and more in this opinion, that the excel- lence of a Confessor depends more upon his zeal than upon talent or great learning. A moderate amount of knowledge, combined with a good and zealous wish for the salvation of souls, makes an excellent Confessor ; whereas the first theologian in the world, if he lacks zeal, is but a botch. Read in the admirable little work of Fr. Bartoli, entitled “ Pensieri Sacrif the third re- flection, headed “ The petition of a penitent sinner to an indiscreet priest f and you shall find there most beautiful thoughts on this very subject. § 2. The proposed method is confirmed by clearing up some difficulties put forward against it The system which T have been explaining had Part II — Section 2 227 scarcely been published in 1789, when it met with the reception which I had foreseen and foretold ; that is to say, it was praised by some and attacked by others. Of course we are aware that in all questions Quot capita , tct sen - tentice ; but this is especially true in moral ques- tions. Therefore, in what I have written, I have not tied myself down to the opinions of moral theologians, but I have taken as the basis of my system the common doctrine of the Church, and, reasoning upon it, I have drawn therefrom the conclusions which seemed to me to flow naturally from it. I have, however, been very much consoled to find a great number of very learned and competent theologians of different schools, who, having read my little book, found no fault with it: and I have re- ceived, perhaps, still greater consolation, on being told by those zealous priests who daily devote themselves to the work of the confes- sional in the hospitals, that the system put forward by me was that which they themselves practised, that experience had taught them to adopt it, and that, in fact, they could not have done otherwise. This being so, if my object in writing these few pages had been to win any distinction for myself, I might rest satisfied With my labour, and give myself no trouble regarding the criticism of others. But I again protest that such has not been my object. Did I seek for applause, I would not have written as I have done. My 228 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. sole object has been to stimulate the zeal of Confessors, and to destroy, if possible, a false opinion and a practice which has been in vogue with certain persons in administering the Sacra- ment of Penance, and which, as I have learned from experience, has mainly contributed to keep many sinners away from this saving Sacra- ment, because of the great difficulty which they experienced in getting absolution from these Confessors who unfeelingly send away their penitents unabsolved, rather than exert them- selves, as good fathers, to dispose them for the fruitful reception of that absolution which they desire. The better to attain my object, I have begged of several friends to communicate to me the objections which they might hear urged against my system, in order that I might the better ex- plain and confirm it for the benefit of poor sinners. In reply to my invitation, my friends have sent me whole sheets of objections ; and, omitting such of them as do not in any way prejudice the object which I have in view, I shall now set down and refute those which are really directed against it. Some, then, are of opinion that in my system the absolution, which is the free act of the Con- fessor alone, is left at the disposal of the peni- tent; that too much weight is attached to his testimony when he says that he is duly disposed ; and that, consequently, sacramental absolution is exposed to too great a risk of nullity. Part II —Section 2 . 229 Others, again, are of opinion that, though the Confessor may have formed a prudent judgment that his penitent is disposed, nevertheless, ad melius esse , the absolution may sometimes be de- ferred, since the penitent would thus be better disposed, and his conversion better assured. They support this opinion by the authority of some moral theologians. The more important objections may be reduced to these two, to which I shall now briefly reply. I shall begin with the second of the two ob- jections, in reply to which I remark that there is among men a kind of axiom which has become proverbial — “ Better what is good to-day than what is best to-morrow ” especially when to- morrow’s “best” is by no means certain. What assurance have you, that the man for whose im- provement you propose to defer absolution, may not be about to meet with a sudden death, or to fall a victim to some sickness which may deprive him of his senses, or to grow cold in repentance through a temptation of the Devil, or to have some unforeseen obstacle placed in his way, which would render it impossible for him to come back to you for absolution ? All these are possibilities to which I have already alluded at p. 222, and in any of these cases you would lose a certain good for the uncertain chance of something better. If a man knows that he has absorbed poison into his system, or that he shelters an enemy in his house, the sooner he gets rid of them the better ; and the 230 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . man who can get rid of them to-day, is a fool if he waits to do so until to-morrow. Now, apply this simile to the case before us, arguing a for- tiori. Every law of prudence requires that we should first secure the bene esse, and afterwards look for the melius esse. This is the more obvious, because we can secure the melius esse far more easily and certainly when we have already secured the bene esse. And, in truth, who will venture to assert that the confusion of a sinner, when he sees that absolution has been refused to him or deferred, will have greater efficacy in moving him to a more perfect and resolute conversion, than would result from the sanctifying grace restored to that soul, and from the specific sacramental grace of which I spoke above in the fifth postulate? Sudden conver- sions — I do not mean sincere ones, but perfect ones — are very rare, and belong to God’s extra- ordinary Providence. The ordinary economy of divine grace with sinners is to strengthen them by degrees in virtue. To-day, penetrated by a ray of light from heaven and touched by divine grace, they detest sin, and by a sincere act of the will abandon it ; but afterwards this very will, growing cold in the love of God, returns to love again what it had sincerely hated. Once more the sinner rises from this state, and has recourse to the sacramental medicine of penance to heal these fresh wounds ; and in this manner he con- tinues to acquire new strength each time, until at length he is established in a permanent state Part II — Section 2. 23 1 of spiritual health. Therefore we ought most earnestly urge all sinners to go frequently to confession, and if possible to have recourse to this sacramental medicine the very first time they relapse into sin ; for this is the only path * to be followed by whoever wishes to lead a uniformly Christian life. Let the reader reflect furthermore on what I said at p. 220 regarding the possession of sancti- fying grace, even for a single hour, and then tell me whether the authority of some moral theo- logians ought to count more than the reasons which have been put forward in the preceding pages. The case is evident to myself, at all events, and to very many others whose opinion carries far more weight with it than mine, and therefore I will pass on to the first of the objec- tions stated above. Some persons, then, object that I place abso- lution at the disposal of the penitent, and that I attach too much importance to his own testi- mony. Some have been considerably startled by that proposition of mine at p. 207, where I said, “ If the penitent answer boldly : Father, absolve me because I am telling you the truth, let the Confessor absolve him without hesitation , even though he should give no other sensible sign of repentance I know of more than one who having opened my book casually at this passage, thought it quite sufficient to justify them in de- nouncing it vigorously. If a person had read nothing beyond this solitary passage, I freely 232 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . admit that his censure would be well-merited. But is this the proper way to read a book ? If it were a mere series of theses, one might read it in this fashion, because every thesis ought to be capable of standing independently ; but a work designed to impart practical instruction must not be read after this manner. It is im- possible to acquire an accurate knowledge of the doctrine taught and of the practice incul- cated, unless the entire book be read through ; because one thing supports and explains another, and all combine to give a true idea of the scope of the work. If my book be read in this manner, it will be seen that the proposition laid down above is based upon solid reasons, and is as safe in practice as any proposition can be. Indeed I will go further, and say that it is safer in practice than any of the commonly received opinions on this subject. Let me come to proofs. Go back to pp. 205, 206, and you shall see what ample instruction, what a fervent exhorta- tion I require the Confessor to give to a penitent who does not manifest probable signs of repent- ance. Read the entire first part of this book, s which in fact is nothing else than a fully deve- loped explanation of p. 206. Spend one, or two, or even three consecutive hours, if neces- sary, in carrying out all that is prescribed in the places which I have quoted ; and if this be not sufficient, spend in the same manner one or two additional hours on a second, or even on a Part II. — Section 2 . 2 33 third day, as I know several good Confessors to have frequently done, and as I have done myself. After you shall have gone through all this (of course, in a degree proportioned to the necessities of the case), then ask your penitent the question which I set down above, and if he answers you boldly, I put it to you whether you may not and ought not to absolve him without hesitation. I maintain, in the first place, that if under such circumstances ^011 cannot absolve a penitent with a moral certainty that he is sufficiently disposed, you can hardly ever absolve him. I maintain, in the second place, that the common practice of Confessors, which cannot be cen- sured, carries with it less security than does the practice which I advocate. Let me explain and prove both these propositions. I shall begin with the first. If in arriving at this judgment of mine, I follow the course which is adopted by all well-regulated tribunals in order to secure a just decision, do I not proceed in a manner calculated to afford a moral certainty ? Nobody will answer this question in the nega- tive. Well, now, in deciding matters of fact , what is the course adopted by all the tribunals in the world — civil, criminal, and even eccle- siastical? They formally examine sworn wit- nesses ; that is to say, they put to the witnesses suitable questions in order to discover the truth of the facts, and they require these witnesses to confirm their statements by an oath. This is likewise the practice of the Congregation of 234 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . Rites, when it engages in the most serious examination of facts known to the Church — - that, namely, required in the process for the Canonisation of Saints. Now, tell me, is not the examination regard ing the dispositions of a penitent an examination regarding a question of fact ? And since nobody but God can read the secrets of hearts, is not the penitent himself the sole witness of this fact? Does not all the labour spoken of at p. 206, as well as in the entire first part of this work, and which I propose to undertake with the penitent, according to the necessities of each individual case, amount to much more than the formal examination of witnesses practised by the tribu- nals? Is not the solemn question which I propose to the penitent, under such circum- stances, equivalent to an oath ? Nay, is it not of far greater value than an oath ? I maintain that it is ; because an oath is valuable only in so far as it supposes that a person is unwilling to betray his soul by a mortal sin, even when the attention of the witness is but slightly di- rected to this consequence of his act. But how much more must I suppose the penitent to be unwilling to imperil his salvation, after receiving a well-regulated instruction, and after his conscience has been awakened by the most powerful maxims and reflections in the manner best adapted to his requirements? But there is a still stronger reason. Does anyone mistrust a witness when he gives testimony against him- Part II — Section 2 . 2 35 self? Well, in the system proposed by me, the penitent is so pressed, that if he were to speak falsely regarding his dispositions he would, as I have already remarked at p. 208, knowingly and deliberately bear testimony injurious to himself, inasmuch as he would have been fully instructed that his lie, far from benefiting him, would only increase the burden of that guilt of which he would wish to be relieved by absolution. And his testimony becomes all the more reliable, inasmuch as I leave open to him the means of obtaining the absolution which he covets, saying to him (ibidem): “If you do not feel that you have the proper dispositions at present , tell me so, and I will defer absolution to some other day , when you will be in a position to assure me that you really are disposed The practice which I am defending is very far removed from that which is put forward in the false proposition (n. 60) condemned by Pope Innocent XI., as anyone of sound sense may perceive. The following is the condemned proposition, which is quoted by many, but often in a mutilated form : “ Poenitenti habenti consue- tudinem peccandi contra legem Dei, natures, aut Pcclesice, etiamsi emendationis spes nulla appareat (this hypothesis is frequently omitted by persons quoting the proposition), nec est neganda nec differ enda absolutio, dummodo ore proferat se dolere, et proponere emendationem I may remark, en passant, that a distinguished theologian made a diligent search in all the 236 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . works on Moral Theology known in his time, in order to discover this proposition, but failed to do so ; whence there is reason to believe that the proposition in question was formulated to prevent anyone from falling into so gross a blunder, rather than to correct it as an error actually contained in any theological work. However, passing over this matter, let us come to the point in question. The condemned proposition quoted above contains, as everyone may see, a condition — Etiamsi , &c. — and the true doctrine to be deduced from it is, that a Confessor may absolve a penitent who says that he is truly sorry for his sins and firmly resolved to amend his life, if he give evidence of some hope of amendment; for even the merest tyro in Logic knows that the contradictory of nullus is aliquis . Now, I ask this question : Supposing that a Confessor has employed with his penitent all that labour which I suggested in the first part of this work ; that he has instructed him according to his necessities ; catechised him ; roused him to repentance ; and, above all, that he has cau- tioned him, at the close of his confession, that absolution given without sincere sorrow and a purpose of amendment will not only be worth- less, but will entail upon him the additional crime of sacrilege — if after all this the penitent asserts that he heartily detests his past life, and wishes to amend his conduct for the future, cannot the Confessor form a prudent judgment Part II — Section 2 . 237 that he is telling the truth ? Is there not, con- sequently, not merely some hope, but a well- grounded hope, of amendment? Therefore, the thesis which I am defending is altogether outside the case condemned by Innocent XI. For the rest, such is the efficacy of the practice which I advocate, that (as I have already re- marked at p. 208) not only I myself, but even Confessors in convict establishments, where scrupulous persons are not usually found, have met with instances where the penitent, on being asked if he believed himself sufficiently disposed for absolution, has answered in the negative, and has begged the Confessor to defer absolving him. Still less reason is there for saying that I place absolution at the disposal of the penitent; because I do nothing else than ask for his testimony re- garding a matter which, without a revelation from God, I can learn only from himself, and I ask for this testimony under such peculiar cir- cumstances, that, in all prudence, I ought to believe that he will speak the truth. Let us not, then, for pity’s sake, go on stifling the voice of common sense and of truth with foolish hypo- theses and sophistical speculations. The case is as evident as anything can well be. Put into practice all that I have laid down as the duty of a good Confessor, and if you do so you can scarcely ever arrive at a greater degree of cer- tainty by any other method. In confirmation of this statement, I appeal to the ordinary practice 238 Practical Instruction for New Confessors , of all Confessors, even of those who are the most zealous ; and this brings me to the demonstration of the second of the two propositions which I laid down above. I assert, then, once again, that the ordinary practice of Confessors, which cannot be cen- sured, affords less security than the method which I advocate. Let us examine this point. A penitent comes to confess a few venial sins. At the end of the confession the Confessor asks, “ Have you anything more to tell?” The peni- tent replies, il No, Father” ; and is thereupon absolved. Another penitent enters the con- fessional and accuses himself of a mortal sin. He is asked whether he is a recidivus , a consuetudi - - narius, &c. He replies in the negative, and on his bare assertion the Confessor has no difficulty in absolving him. Still more, a penitent in whose case absolution has been deferred for eight, fifteen, or twenty days, in order that he may give proof of his good dispositions by ab- staining from sin during this period, returns to the Confessor. He is asked whether he has re- lapsed into sin during this probationary term. He replies that he has not ; and thereupon the Confessor absolves him quite contentedly, thinking that he has thus secured the validity of the absolution. Oh, how fallible is the judg- ment of men ! How would it be, if that penitent who accuses himself merely of venial sins should have his soul weighed down with mortal sins; and yet, through shame or hypocrisy, should Part II . — Section 2 . 239 have gone on for years confessing in this manner ever} eight days, or even oftener ? I have met with aiore than one case of this kind. Again, how vould it be, if the penitent who accuses himse.f of some mortal sin, into which he seemed to have fallen, as it were, casually and by a kind of surprise, should in reality be a recidivus or a consuetudinarius ? I have likewise met with mar.y instances of this kind. Finally, how would it be, if that penitent who had been in pro- batbn for several days, and says that during this time he has not fallen, had, as a matter of fact, relapsed into the same old sins as before, and had even become worse than before ; or else had merely left off sinning ad tempus , in order to coax an absolution from you, with the express intention of afterwards resuming his old courses according to his usual custom ? I have met with very many instances of this kind. Where, then, is your fancied security ? You will say in reply * When 1 have done i7iy own part , my conscience 7tiay be at rest , and all the sin 7nust be charged to him who deceives me. This is perfectly true : but I reply, is it not more easy that the penitent should deceive both the Confessor and his own soul in the three cases just mentioned, than that he should do so in the case contemplated by me, when he assures me of the sufficiency of his dis- positions, not merely in response to a cold, dry question, but after a regular instruction and a vigorous fervent appeal to his conscience, such as I have supposed above. In following this 240 Practical histruction for New Confessors. method, do I not perform my part better, And do I not more effectually secure the tranquility of my conscience ? Is not the system of proba- tion adopted by the Confessor who absolves his penitent after having disposed him for absolution by the means which I have pointed out, aiuch more likely to prove successful, than that other system of probation practised by so many, namely, to send him away just as he came, with his heart cold and frozen, merely saying to him, “ Abstain from sin for eight or twenty days , end then co?ne back to me ” ? But the real difficulty lies in the fact, that the system which I am advo- cating involves great labour on the part of the Confessor, and it is not everyone who likes to undertake it. To this fact, and perhaps to this fact alone, must we attribute the opposition which it has encountered from certain persons. I do not believe that any sound arguments can be advanced against my system, such as I have explained it. Nevertheless, I am unwilling to do violence to the conscience of anyone. Qui vult capere , capiat. I cannot, however, refrain from again exhorting every Confessor, with all the energy of which I am capable, to exert him- self to the very utmost to bring back sinners to the path of salvation. When you are about to enter the confessional, go there with this maxim imprinted on your heart : Nolo mortem peccatoris , sed magis ut converiatur et vivat . Say to the Lord with your heart : I ivish absolutely to con- vert this poor sinner ; do Thou help me to accom - 241 Part II. — Section j plish it. Perform on your own part, without growing weary of the work, all that a good physician and a good teacher ought to do ; and you may rest assured that it will very rarely happen, that you will be denied the inexpressible gratification of seeing your desires satisfied. God who initiated the conversion of the sinner by leading him to your feet, will accomplish it by means of the co-operation which He expects from you as His minister — Ipse perficiet. § 3. Further confirmation of the proposed method. If I proved a prophet in the first edition of this work, when I predicted that it would call forth a good deal of censure, I honestly confess that my prophetic powers were entirely at fault in the second edition. When I first ventured to condemn a practice which, although highly pre- judicial to the conversion of sinners, was yet very convenient for certain persons, it was not difficult to foresee that those whose practice I assailed would attack me in turn, and that, in order to conceal the real motives of their attack, they would brand my method as novel and conducive to laxity. But when I had learned the points to which they took exception, I set down my views so clearly in the second edition, that the question seemed almost incontrovertible, not only to myself but also to very many othei learned and experienced Confessors ; and I flattered myself that I had reduced my op ponents to silence so completely, that I would 242 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. be doing them an injustice if I thought them capable of persisting in their view. In this, however, I confess that I was deceived. My little work was indeed sought after and approved in the Provinces, in Naples, in Sicily, in Tuscany, in Bologna, in Genoa, and in Ve- nice ; but, nevertheless, at home in Rome certain persons continued to maintain towards it an attitude of determined opposition, on the ground that it broached dangerous doctrine and favoured laxity. In one respect I pity these opponents : the defects which, as I have been informed, some of them have found in my little work, prove that they have read it but little, if at all, notwithstanding its small size ; wherefore nesciunt quid dicunt. However, I can find no manner of excuse for those who, without having read the book, have nevertheless taken it upon themselves to clamour for its condemnation. And on what ground have they done so ? First, because (as I have learned directly from a per- son in high authority, before whom the charges were laid) my book, according to their statement, defends the 6oth proposition condemned by Innocent XI. ; and, secondly, because it teaches that absolution ought never to be deferred. Now in order to see how absolutely false are these charges, and how true is my counter- charge that my accusers had never read my book, it is quite sufficient to glance at p. 235, where I expressly prove how very different is my teaching from that contained in the condemned proposi- Part II. — Section j. 243 tion which I detest ; and again at p. 223, where I distinctly state that I myself have more than once refused and deferred absolution. With all this in black and white before them, the conduct of my opponents seems incredible, but yet they have acted in the manner stated. However, this opposition has eventually proved of immense service to the book itself ; because when I was informed of all this, I myself brought the work under the notice of the proper authorities, since I had no object in writing it but the glory of God, the good of souls, and the cause of truth. I submitted the book once more to the examination of several theologians of note, belonging to different schools, and more particu- larly to four Divines of a school which was never suspected of laxity. I submitted it also to the examination of those who, in virtue of their office, are bound to watch over the soundness of theological teaching ; and my book passed through the ordeal of all these examinations, not only without censure, but even with praise. Now, acting on the advice of some zealous priests, friends of mine, I have resolved to publish a few of these approbations, omitting others for just reasons. My adversaries will probably say that, in doing this, I am giving evidence of great silliness. Well, let them say so if they please ; I shall not be in the least angry with them on this account. When Jesus Christ has had to bear the accusation of being an imbecile, a violator of God’s law, a bias- 244 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . phemer, and one possessed of the devil, how can a poor minister of His resent far less grievous insults? The real motive of the resolution which I have taken (and everybody is at liberty to believe it or not, just as he pleases), is to defend the cause of God and of souls, as well as to remove from myself, as far as I can, an accusation which, because of the scandal arising from it, no Catholic, not to say a minister of the Lord, ought to let pass unchallenged. Jesus Christ Himself, who endured other insulting calumnies in silence, when He heard His doc- trine impugned, defended it vigorously. A third reason has also influenced me in publish- ing these approbations. There are some who are incapable of understanding the arguments which I have brought forward ; there are others who are unwilling to apply themselves to the study of them ; and there are very many, in fine, who cannot endure the trifling labour of reading even a small book ; wherefore they are more inclined to accept the verdict given on the book by those who have read it. Therefore, for the advantage of all such per- sons, in addition to the approbation of the two respectable ex-officio censors which will be found at the beginning of my work, I reproduce here, in the order of their dates, the approbations given by five other Theologians of eminence, and all of them men of very great experience in the ministry of the confessional. These are Mon- signor Menochio, Bishop of Porfirio, Sacristan Part II — Section j. 245 and Confessor to Pope Gregory XV., a man whom it would be presumptuous on my part to praise ; Father Mancini, of the Order of Saint Dominic, Master of Theology and Consultor of the Congregation of Rites ; Father Pius, of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Past-lector in Theology at Vienna and Prague ; Doctor Dal- pino, the well-known missionary, and Examiner of the Roman Clergy ; and the Archpriest Count Aloysius Mozzi, well known for his many pub- lished works, which are remarkable for their zeal and learning. Should anyone suspect that these letters of approbation have been in any way tampered with, I am prepared to let him see the originals, which are in my possession. Approbations. I. Praised be Jesus and Mary . I am delighted that you have brought out a new edition of your “ Practical Instruction for New Confessors ,” and I would wish to see it read attentively by all Confessors, but especially by those who are in- experienced in the exercise of this holy ministry; because I see that you have made it still more useful, both for Confessors and penitents, by the copious reflections given in the first part of the book, which are admirably suited to instruct, to enlighten, and to touch the heart of any sinner, and so to dispose him for the reception of sacramental absolution at the end of his con- fession. May God grant that this method of 246 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . hearing confessions will be well understood and adopted by all, and that Confessors may labour in the spirit of charity for the good of souls, and may zealously reduce to practice all that you have suggested ! Should this come to pass, oh how soon should we see the cockle rooted out from the field of the Church, and the holy fear of God and the observance of the divine and ecclesiastical precepts flourishing in its stead ! This is my ardent prayer ; and I hope that God will bless your labours, and reward them boun- tifully in Heaven. Given from the Quirinal, May 10th, 1802. F. Joseph. Bartol, Bishop of Porfirio, &c. II. Having read and carefully examined the little work entitled “ Practical Instruction for New Confessors published by the learned Fr. Philip Salvatori, I have admired the pious author’s zeal for the salvation of souls, and I approve also, as being in conformity with the very soundest moral teaching, the doctrine which he lays down in the second part of the book regarding the practice to be followed in giving or withholding absolution, provided Con- fessors employ the very efficacious means set forth in the first part, in order to dispose their penitents to sincere sorrow for their sins. If this be done, the Confessor may proceed with a safe conscience to absolve them. Part II — Section j. 247 Given from the Convent of the Minerva, this 4th day of September, 1802. Fr. Thomas M. Mancini, O.P., Master in Theology, &c. , &c. III. Attente ac libenter, imo cum solatio magno, legi librum tuum cui titulus “ Practical Instruction for New Confessors ,” editum hoc ipso anno, quern mihi dono dedisti. Dico magno cum solatio ; quia non solum in eo notavi sanc- tum tuum pro salute animarum zelum, sed etiam doctrinam optimam, qua ubicumque respersus est liber, et moralem omnino tutam in praxi quam doces in secunda parte, dummodp con- fessarii ea adhibeant media quae doces effica- cissima in prima parte, ad disponendos peccatores ad veram resipiscentiam. Tibi igitur gratulor ; et perge constanter in navando operam tuam in utilitatem proximorum. Datum Romae, in conv. S. Mariae de Scala, die 25 Nov., 1802. Fr. Pius, a S. Francisco. Carm. Discalc. IV. I have read with extreme pleasure your most useful little work, which I should wish to see in the hands of even experienced Confessors, since I believe that they also would derive no little benefit therefrom, for the practical discharge of their ministry towards those souls whose spiri- tual necessities are greater than ordinary. Do not annoy yourself because of the malignant 248 Practical bistruction for New Confessors . strictures which, I am informed, are passed upon the teaching of your book regarding the method to be followed in giving absolution 3 since it is evident that the authors of these strictures can- not have read more than some isolated passages of the book itself. I say this, because no teaching can be more just than yours, which is entirely based on the moral certainty which the Confessor has that his penitent is properly dis- posed ; for though he may have approached the confessional positively indisposed, nevertheless he becomes disposed — and that, too, to a moral certainty —by those very efficacious means which you lay down, the effects of which must become evident to any Confessor who makes diligent use of them. Now is it not certain and indisputable, that a penitent of whose actual good dispositions we are morally certain, is not only capable of re- ceiving absolution, but has even a strict right to it? If the Confessor is one of those who im - ponunt onera importabilia digito autem suo ea movere nolunt , and if he is satisfied with merely pronouncing judgment on the absence of the proper dispositions in his penitent, he will not take the trouble to try to dispose him by the exercise of patience and zeal, or else he does not wish to lose the necessary time in doing so, or, finally, he does not know practically how to set about doing so. Consequently, he will cer- tainly be compelled to defer absolution, and it is impossible to say for how long and how fre- 249 Part II — Section 3. quently he may be obliged to do so, because of the continued absence of the proper dispositions in his penitent. But a happy experience makes it evident, that the means suggested by you are more effective in overcoming the hardness and obstinacy of the human heart, and in disposing the penitent for the reception of the Sacrament on the spot, than would be the deferring of absolution for any number of times, and the abandoning of the penitent to his own indivi- dual efforts, while requiring from him a proof of amendment which is no doubt necessary, but which we do not help him to attain. The judg- ment and experience of very many priests dis- tinguished for their learning, their zeal, and their sanctity, establishes this fact, and justifies, to my mind, the doctrine and practice which you defend, even if I were not already convinced of it by my own practical experience, extending over so many years in the ministry, and espe- cially in giving missions. Let whoever, then, cannot understand your work, or cannot bring himself to be convinced by it, just make a trial of your method, and reduce it exactly to practice ; and if he does so, experience will certainly make him an admirer and defender of your excellent little work, from having been a critic and an opponent. Mean- while, I congratulate you from my heart on the good which will result from your labours, and hoping that you will favour us with some other 250 Practical Instruction for Nezv Confessors . publications of a like nature, I have the honour to remain, &c., Joseph Dalpino, Missionary, and Examiner of the Roman Clergy. V. I have received with sentiments of the most lively gratitude the six copies of your excellent little work, “ Practical Instruction for New Confessors ”. I have been delighted to see the learning and zeal with which you defend that method of hearing confessions which ex- perience has made me prefer to any other, and which has been recommended and practised by Blessed Leonard, by the Venerable Liguori, and by so many others who to learning and experi ence united sanctity of life ; because, like your- self (p. 219), I prefer to follow the teaching and example of the saints and servants of God, whose sanctity has been recognised by the Church, rather than the teaching and practice of other moralists, however learned and pious, who generally decide cases more upon purely specu- lative principles, than with a view to practice. I should wish that these theologians, before writing on and deciding moral questions, had spent ten years in giving missions, and during that time had devoted eight or ten hours each day to hearing confessions, but with that spirit, with that intention, employing those means, and animated by that zeal which you suggest and prescribe. Speaking from my own little ex- perience in these matters, I have never regretted Part IT. — Section j. 251 having given absolution when I have closely followed the method which you lay down ; and the only thing with which I can reproach myself is, that I have sometimes departed from it, and this always to the disadvantage of my peni- tents, and perhaps also to the injury of my own soul. You reason upon, and regulate the Confessors action with a view to what happens in practice. I might confirm all this by what has frequently occurred in my own case ; and I am of opinion that your doctrine cannot be accused of laxity, except by some one who has no practical know- ledge of the dispositions of the human heart; who does not apply to himself what he would wish to prescribe for, or see practised by others ; and who is unwilling to take the trouble of employing the method which you suggest, to inspire his penitents with those dispositions which are indispensable, and which are almost certain to result from the employment of the means which you prescribe. One must not carry with him into the confessional a spirit of party, or a prejudice in favour of some theo- logical system : his sole aim must be to labour for the effectual destruction of the reign of sin, and the restoration of the sinner to the life of grace. When this can be attained by any means that is possible, it seems to me that everything has been gained. I know certain priests who in theory hold rigid doctrines on moral ques- tions, but who have themselves confessed to me 252 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. that they did not, and could not, follow out in practice these speculative opinions. In fine, your teaching on the subject of con- trition and absolution seems to me the true doctrine, and that which ought to be followed in practice by whoever is solicitous for the sal- vation of souls. I need not waste time in bringing forward authorities in favour of this view, for you know them far better than I do. I should willingly allow anyone to condemn your teaching, who for three years had reduced it to practice in its entirety, and had not been satisfied with it. But I would wager that, if such a trial were made, your book would meet with no critics, but would have instead a host of admirers. The evil is, that there are certain persons who, in hearing confessions, do not wish to take the trouble of giving those charitable instructions and exhortations which you prescribe ; they do not wish to seek solely the glory of God and the salvation of souls ; and they are unwilling to place themselves in the position of the penitent. I am firmly convinced that if all Confessors were filled with the spirit of that character which they bear, we should hear no more of rigorism or of laxity in the confessional ; and that all this di- versity of opinion and of practice ought to be ascribed to the different dispositions (not always praiseworthy) of Confessors, rather than to the arguments by which they would support them. We shall all act uniformly, when we are animated Part TT . — Section j. 253 by those dispositions which you require. I have spoken sincerely what I think on this subject, and remain, with profound respect and esteem, yours, &c., Aloysius Mozzi. Venice, 4th April , i8oj. And since in the last two approbations men- tion has been made of the example of the Saints and Servants of God, who adopted the self-same practice which I am advocating, an opportunity here presents itself of replying to the objections which, I am informed, have been put forward by some persons to weaken the force of these ex- amples. These persons say, then, that the Saints are not to be imitated in all things, and that, consequently, the example of the Saints proves nothing for the system which I advocate. Now, in the first place, if anyone takes the trouble to read over again p. 257 of this book? where I bring forward the example of the Saints, he will see that I quote these examples not so much to prove , as to confirm my teaching. I base the entire of my book upon the doctrinal principles of the Church regarding the Sacra- ment of Penance, as may be seen from § 1 of the Second Part ; and from these principles I deduce and establish by direct argument the practice to be followed in the administration of this Sacrament. In the second place, I say that we certainly must not imitate, but rather admire, those examples of the Saints which 254 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . apparently contradict the ordinary rules of pru- dence. The action of some martyrs, who, of their own free will, presented themselves before the persecutors of the Faith, was not in accord- ance with the common rule laid down for our guidance by our Divine Lord in St. Matthew's Gospel : Cum persequentur vos in civitate ista , fugite in aliam ; and the action of others in flinging themselves into the flames, or urging the executioner to strike the fatal blow, does not accord with the commandment : non occides . Wherefore the Church has explained such acts as these, by attributing them to a special impulse of God, who can dispense with the ordinary law, as He dispensed with it when He ordered the Hebrews to carry off the precious vessels of the Egyptians, contrary to the prohibition of the law : non furtum facies . Nor does it matter how this dispensation may be explained, since every explanation must ultimately fall back upon the supreme dominion of the Sovereign Legis- lator, which is quite sufficient for my present purpose. But when the examples of the Saints are in conformity with the ordinary laws of prudence, and with sound moral teaching, they serve very much to confirm a doctrine; nay, they form of themselves a certain kind of ad- ditional proof, and may lawfully be imitated. Wherefore, since I have shown that the practice to which I have alluded is in conformity with that which flows by direct logical inference from the Church’s teaching on this subject, the 255 Part II. — Section j, examples of the Saints and Servants of God which I have brought forward to support my system may be imitated, and they supply a strong confirmation of the practice which I have explained. Furthermore, these examples furnish an an- swer to the charge of novelty , brought forward by some persons against the system which I advocate. For, surely, what has been practised by holy men for centuries cannot be novel. I will even go further, and say that this practice is coeval with the very institution of the Sacrament of Penance. For there have always been in the Church, and especially in the very earliest ages, good, faithful, zealous, and charitable ministers of God. Since I have proved, then, that the practice which I advocate is in conformity with the nature of the Sacrament, as well as with the triple character and corresponding obligations of a good Confessor, it follows likewise, by direct inference, that this practice must have com- menced with the institution of the Sacrament itself. And here let the reader be careful not to confound the judgment of the forum internum which accompanies auricular confession, and which the ancients called confession of sin to God, , with the judgment of the forum externum when the most enormous public sins were con- fessed, and visited with the imposition of canoni- cal penance — a confession called in the early ages confession oj sin to men, , as has been solidly established by the very weightiest arguments, 256 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . which, however, it is foreign to my purpose to reproduce here. For the rest, the well-known instance recorded of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, who ran after a murderer who had abandoned himself to despair, brought him back to repentance and hope, and immediately ab- solved him, taking upon himself the performance of a suitable penance, is a direct testimony in favour of what I have just stated. Let the Confessor, then, act not as a criminal judge appointed to inflict punishment, but as a merci- ful judge, whose duty it is to bring sinners to repentance, and to reconcile them with divine justice. Let him act as an instructor and a father ; let him clothe himself with the spirit of Jesus Christ, abandoning the spirit of Elias in the Old Law, which was a law of rigour. If he acts in this manner, he will almost invariably succeed in disposing his penitent for Sacramental absolution ; and this he cannot withhold from him once he finds him disposed for its reception. Finally, some others put forward this objec- tion : “ I would have no difficulty,” they say, “ in following your system under certain circum- stances, such as, for instance, the occasion of a mission, of a spiritual retreat, or so forth ; but . . . But, I reply, this is precisely what supports my case. Do you not perceive that if you reduce to practice, when the necessity arises, all that I have prescribed in the first part of my book, you do more for your penitent than would be effected by an entire mission, or by a course *57 Part IT. — Section 4 . of spiritual exercises ; because you give him an instruction and an exhortation expressly com- posed to suit his particular wants, not a word of which is lost. This is the point in my system which must never be lost sight of. The second part of my book is based upon the first. If you separate one part from the other, the book is no longer mine, nor does it convey my teaching ; and the evil that may result from it must be imputed solely to the person who makes this monstrous division. § 4. Third confirmatio7i of the proposed method , drawn from the doctrine of the Saints , and the common teaching of the best Theologians . Since my experience of the various cases which have come before myself and my clerical friends, makes me every day more and more convinced of the necessity of the method sug- gested in my little book, because of the great injury which I see done to souls, owing to the undue propensity of certain Confessors to defer absolution, without first exerting themselves to dispose their penitents for its reception whenever they believe them indisposed, I have always been on the look-out for additional arguments to confirm my method, in order to remove the prejudices of persons who are led away by soi-disant theologians, or rather, to speak more truly, who have been induced by self-love to embrace a system which they find less trouble- 17 258 Practical Instruction fo* New Confessors . some. While engaged in this search after authorities to confirm my system, God has afforded me palpable evidence, that the more we seek after truth the more do we discover it, and that the more violently it is attacked the more clearly does it shine forth for whosoever inquires after it with a good will. I shall now proceed to satisfy those who desire the pronouncement of theologians regarding my method. I begin with the teaching of the saints on this subject, and more especially of those saints who had great experience in the confessional. And here I would claim in a special manner the atten- tion of those who endeavour to lessen the force of the example of the saints brought forward to confirm my method, by saying that the saints acted from a particular impulse and inspiration of God. I shall turn their own weapons against these opponents of mine. If they insist that the acts of the saints were regulated by a special inspiration, they ought, much more, to recognise this inspiration exercising its influence upon them when they preached, and when they taught others the rules of morality; because since public teaching is of far greater consequence than the private acts of an individual, the divine inspira- tion is far more necessary in the former case than in the latter. Let us see, then, what was the teaching of the saints on the point under discussion. And first of all let us hear Saint Raymond of Pennafort, who is styled by the Church, in the Part II — Section 4 . 259 Mass appointed for his feast, “ pwnitentiae sacra- menti insignis minister In his Summa , which Ballerini praises so highly, Saint Raymond says (lib. 3, tit de poenit et remiss), “ Si frequens quis cecidit, per peccatum etia?n moriale, frequenter resurgat per pwnitentiam ”. Here observe, in the first place, the general expression, “ si quis ”. No one is excepted, even though he should be a consuetudinarius or a recidivus ; nay, these are even specially included by the phrase “fre- quenter cecidit Observe, in the next place, the word “ resurgat ,” which implies not only that the sinner should accuse himself of his sins in the tribunal of penance, but that he should moreover be there absolved from them. St. Anthony of Padua ( Sermone Dom IV post Trinit.) says : “ Nihil certius morte, nihil incer- tius hora ; qui ergo quotidie venenum peccati bibit, QUOTIDIE DEBET ACCIPERE THERIACAM confessionis 99 • Of what advantage would the deferring of absolution be to a sinner overtaken by a sudden death? What benefit would he derive from such medicine? Therefore, accor- ding to the teaching of one who, as everybody knows, was not only a Saint but a most learned theologian, even a person who falls every day into mortal sin may be absolved every day. Saint Antoninus, Archbishop of Florence, in 3 par. interrogatorii de pcenit., injungenda, says : “ Orationes personis qua de facili solent reci- divare in mortale raro dandce sunt, vel per paucos dies : si enim dantur ad multos dies , cum 260 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . cito relabantur , azy orationes peraguni in statu mortal V\ Here it will be observed that the Saint does not even express a doubt as to whether recidivi ought to be absolved; he merely speaks of the penance to be imposed upon them, remarking that it ought not to consist in a number of prayers to be recited for several days. St. John of Capistrano ( tract de Pcenit, disp. a - 3 9 Quaestiuncula 5 ad 2) says : In foro confessionis creditur homini et pro se, et con- tra se. Again, the same Saint ( opusc. 12 , q. 6) says : “In confessione est credendum peccatori con - fitenti et pro se et contra se ” Saint Vincent Ferreri (serm. unic. sab. post laetare ) says: “in judicio divino, scilicet confessionis , judex, scilicet confessor, tenetur credere peccatori loquenti PRO se ET CONTRA se ” Therefore if the peni- tent, after having been instructed and ad- monished by the Confessor, seriously declares that he is repentant and resolved not to sin again, the Confessor cannot in that case defer 262 Practical T?is trudion for New Confessors . absolution — tenetur credere. Saint Antoninus (in Summa theologica tit 14 et 19 par 19) says : “ In foro Pamitentiali crediiur pro se et contra se”. I omit many other similar quotations and examples which are brought forward in great numbers in the dissertation quoted ; and I have already shown above, in the second section of this second part of my work, how the doctrine which I am defending is very different from that of the 60th proposition condemned by Pope Innocent XI. I do not deny that it is possible to bring forward against the doctrine which I am defend- ing some expressions of the holy Fathers, which seem to favour the views of my opponents, and amongst others such, that celebrated saying of Saint Gregory the Great : vera pmnitentia est anteacta defier e, et flenda non committer e . But if we interpret this and similar expressions in the sense of my opponents, we shall be forced to say that when Jesus Christ used that expression, usque septuagies septies , He taught Saint Peter to absolve insincere penitents also. Yet, no one would be guilty of this heretical blasphemy. Therefore we must explain these emphatic ex- pressions in their correct sense, and their correct and true sense is that given to us by the Master of Sentences and by Saint Thomas, than whom no one could desire more respectable authorities. Now these teach that the repentance which in the passage quoted (and the same applies to other similar ones) Saint Gregory reproves as Part II — Section 4, 263 false, is not called false actu et formaliter , so as to render the penitent indisposed for absolu- tion, but cequivalenier quod effectum ultimum of eternal salvation. The following are the words of the Master of Sentences (lib. 4, Dist. 14) : “ Ille qui post lacrymas repetit quod flevit lavatur ad tempus , sed mundus non est, ut dixit Isidorus , id est ilia 7 nunditia non est illi sufficiens ad salutem, quia est mo?nentanea non perseverans On the other hand, non qui incceperit sed qui perseveraverit usque in finem hie salvus erit ; but the fact that the cleanness is momentary and not enduring, does not prevent it from being real for the brief space during which it does exist, and this is quite sufficient in order that the penitent not only may , hut ought to he absolved \ St. Thomas explains the matter more clearly and fully p. 3, q. 84, a. 2, ad, 4, where he says : “ Dicendum quod pcenitere sit anteacta deflere et flenda non committere (as Saint Gregory says), scilicet dum deflet non committere actu vel pro - posito. Ille enim est irrisor , et non poenitens qui simul dum deflet agit quod pmnitet , vel pro- ponit iterum se facturum quod gessit , vel eiiam actualiter peccat eodem vel alio genere peccati. Quod autem aliquis postea peccet vel actu vel proposito , NON EXCLUDIT QUIN PRIMA PCENI- tentia vera fuerit : numquam enim veritas prioris actus excluditur per actum contrarium suhsequentem. Si cut enim vere cucurrit qui postea sedet , ita vere pcenituit qui postea peccat.” 264 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . And let it be remarked, in passing, that the times in which these two great doctors lived, were in no respect better than our own in faith or morals. Suarez, who has been styled in the schools “ Doctor Eximius,” writes as follows (tom. 4, de pcenit. disp. 32, Sect. 5, n. 2): “Certumestsi confessori constet pcenitentem esse rite confes- sum et dispositum, teneri sub gravi peccato (let all whom it may concern mark these words well) ilium absolvere, quod omnes theologi docent ; quia hoc postulat ratio judicii et aequitas inter pcenitentem et confessorem. Debet enim ju- dex, audita causa, judicare et absolvere reum si dignus sit.^ Again (disp. 32, sect, de judicio confesarii circa dispositionem poenitentis ), Suarez writes as follows : “ necesse est ut confessor prius quam absolvat prudenter et probabiliter (observe that he does not say certo moraliter ) judicet poenitentem dispositum esse”. He afterwards adds “ hanc dispositionem ex duobus consurgere , scilicet ex displicentia prceteritorum et proposito in futurum. Et quidem quod displicentiam attinet (let the following words be carefully marked), facile potest sibi satisfacere confessor ; quia si poenitens in ipso modo confessionis et accusationis suae prcebet signa doloris, vel certe si est homo non valde rudis et appareat moratus , nullam diligentiam in hoc confessor tenetur adhibere ; bene tamen semper faciet proponendo et consulendo detestationem peccati, et quando non habet sufficie?itia signa doloris (mark these words well), potest et debet interrogare pceni- Part //. — Section 4. 265 tentem an ex animo detestetur peccatum, cui AFFIRMANTI CREDERE TENETUR. Et hoc idem dicendum est de proposito in futurum, quando ex confessione non oritur specialis aliqua obli- gatio restituendi, vel relinquendi aliquam occa- sionem proximam peccandi, sed solum com- munis et generalis obligatio non peccandi de csetero : neque oportet ut confessor sibi per- suadeat et judicet etiam probabiliter ita esse futurum, ut poenitens a peccato se abstineat ; sed satis est ut existimet tunc habere tale propositum, quamvis post breve tempus illud SIT MUTATURUS. ITA DOCTORES OMNES.” Therefore, in the first place, in order to be justified in giving, nay, to be bound sub gravi to give absolution, it is sufficient that the Con- fessor be prudently and probably persuaded (a moral certainty is not required) of the disposition of his penitent ; and to arrive at this prudent and probable decision, it is sufficient that the penitent when questioned, after having been admonished of the worthlessness of absolution without the proper dispositions, should declare that he really is disposed. Therefore, in the second place, there is not required, on the part of the Con- fessor, even a probable persuasion that the peni- tent will not relapse into his former crimes. And this is the opinion of all theologians. But here I anticipate that a number of self- styled theologians of our times will start up to give the lie to Suarez. “ How dare he assert,” they will say, “ita theologi omnes, when . . [” 266 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . and then they will quote a long list of authors who hold a contrary opinion. But these gentlemen should be extremely cautious, before they venture to brand as an impostor a theologian so renowned as Suarez. They should remember that Suarez wrote before Hell had given birth to the fatal heresy of the Jansenists. From its very inception this heresy commenced to puff up, and to turn the heads of several theologians, especially in relation to moral questions ; and thereupon some for various reasons known to themselves, others through ignorance, others again deluded by the sem- blance of piety which Jansenism assumed, began to abandon the doctrine which was com- monly received by the divines who flourished before Jansen. But, let us say it openly, has any theologian appeared since the time of Jansen, who can at all be compared with a Suarez, with a Master of Sentences, with a Saint Raymond of Pennafort, with a Saint Anthony of Padua, with a Saint Vincent Ferreri, with a Saint John of Capistrano, with a Saint Antoninus of Florence, with a Saint Thomas of Aquin? Can, then, the doctrine set forth in my little book be any longer fairly charged with laxity , when we see that it is in accord with, nay, in some respects, more rigid than, the teaching of authors of such eminence that any one of them might be the master of all the theologians of our times put together. And yet, notwithstanding Part II — Section 4* 267 all this, many persons will still continue to bring this charge against my teaching ! Well, let them, if they are so pleased, amuse themselves in this fashion, since I will no longer waste time or ink in endeavouring to convince them. What I have written up to the present has been written in defence of truth, and with a view to rendering the path of repentance easy to sinners. Should anyone wish to bar this path against them, or to render it difficult, he shall have to render an account of his action in this respect, on the day of vengeance, to the great Pastor of Souls. I think I have already said enough, and more than enough, to defend my book against the charge of laxity , but what shall I say to defend it against the imputation of rigorism ? The situation is really a curious one. Not a few of those who have charged my system with laxity , have likewise branded it with the imputation of rigorism. “It is lax,” they say, “as regards the penitent, but far too rigid, so far as the Confessor is concerned.” This objection proceeds from those lazy individuals who are unwilling to labour in the manner suggested by me, in order to dispose for absolution penitents who may present themselves in the confessional indis- posed ; and what more particularly annoys these indolent Confessors is my statement at p. 205, that, unless legitimately prevented, they are bound to undertake all this labour. I am not going to prove to these persons, in strictly scholastic form, the grave obligation that is imposed upon 268 Practical Instruction for New Confessors % them to endeavour by every means in their power to dispose their penitents for absolution, and this not merely from charity, but also by virtue of their office every time that they have begun to hear a confession ; because in such circumstances, they are constituted by Jesus Christ, not merely judges, but also teachers and physicians of the penitents who seek their minis- trations. I shall say nothing of all this, but will content myself with relating two facts, which happened here in Rome, during the present year, 1803. A certain person went to make his Easter Confession, and began by accusing himself of some of the more ordinary sins of sensuality. The Confessor, after scolding him severely, told him that he could not absolve him ; that he should first show some signs of amendment of life, and then return to him. The penitent, enraged at this treatment, began to curse priests and friars, Confessors and confession, and in fact everything sacred, while he protested with oaths that he would never again enter a confes- sional. Fortunately, having been urged by his superiors to make his Easter Communion, he fell into the hands of another priest who was ani* mated by a spirit of zeal. This Confessor heard his confession to the end ; he then instructed him in a kindly manner, and so worked upon his heart by his exhortations, that he was enabled to absolve him. The penitent, having been thus changed into another man, began to shower a Part II — Section 4, 269 thousand blessings upon the Confessor, to detest his past life more and more, and to frequent the Sacraments : and the conversion thus happily begun continues to the present time. Another person, having for three continuous years gone to several priests to make his Easter confession, and having always commenced his accusation by confessing a feeling of hatred which he cherished against his father, was invari- ably dismissed after he had mentioned this first sin, the Confessor simply saying to him: “As long as you entertain this hatred, I cannot absolve you”. This very year God’s mercy con- ducted this penitent to another zealous priest, who, after hearing his entire confession, began in a kindly manner to put before him the duty of children towards their parents ; the blessings that God showers down upon children who, even when treated harshly by their parents, are, nevertheless, respectful towards them ; the threats which are pronounced against those who do not love and honour their parents, and so forth. The result was, that the young man burst into a flood of tears, detested the evil he had done, received absolution, went immediately with tears in his eyes to crave pardon from his father, and still continues to exhibit towards him all due love and submission. I have learned both these facts from the two priests themselves who have had personal cog- nisance of them : and now I will put one question to those Confessors who do not consider that 270 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . they are bound to exert themselves to dispose their penitents for absolution, but, instead, have only one remedy always at hand, viz., “ Change your life, and then return to me Tell me, if you were at the point of death, to which class of Confessors would you wish to have belonged ? Would you wish to have belonged to the class of those who defer absolution, coldly saying to their penitents — “ I cannot absolve you ” ; or to the class of those who exert themselves in order that it may be possible for them to give absolution, and who, in fact, are thereby enabled to give it ? The answer of your own conscience will settle this entire question better than I could do it. § 5 . — A fourth and decisive confirmation of the proposed method, drawn from the teaching of the Roman Catechism . The arguments which I have brought forward in Jhe three last sections, to confirm the system which I am advocating, must have great weight with every well-regulated mind ; but none of them, however, has the force of that which I am now about to put before my readers, and which is derived from the teaching of the Roman Cate- chism. Everybody knows that, at the termination of the Council of Trent, Pope Pius IV. deputed four of the most distinguished theologians of the Council itself to compile, in the form of a cate- 271 Part I L— Section 5. chism, the doctrine defined and explained in « that sacred assembly, in order that the public Jj religious instruction might be fixed and uniform ; throughout the entire Church. This book having been completed in the pontificate of Saint Pius V., that pontiff examined and approved of it ; and having caused it to be published under the title “ Catechismus ad parochos he sent it to all the bishops of the Catholic world, that it might serve as a guide for their parish priests and for all the faithful. The entire episcopate received the work with applause and gratitude. Pope Clement VIII., of holy memory, caused a new edition to be published ; and, still nearer to our own times, that most zealous pontiff, Clement XIII., ordered another edition to be prepared, by an encyclical letter of June 14, 1761, addressed to all the bishops, in which, when exhorting them to make this work the standard of public instruc- tion, he assigns the following reason for doing so: “ Nam et illuc (in the Roman Catechism) earn doctrinam coniulerunt (i.e. , the compilers) qil® communis est in Ecclesia et procul abest ab omni periculo erroris ”. Now, I ask what Catholic can refuse to recognise as thoroughly safe and sound, a compilation of dogmatic and moral doctrine commended by three popes to the body of the entire Catholic Episcopate, and received and approved of by them all ? Well I, as a good Catholic, glory in the fact that the system which I have been expounding does not depart by a hair’s breadth from the teaching of the 272 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . Roman Catechism. That this may the more clearly appear, I shall first lay before my readers the entire context. At page 251 of the above mentioned edition of 1761 , the Catechism, speaking of the minister of the Sacrament of Penance, observes: In primis opus est ut hujus sacramenti minister cu77i scientia et eruditione turn prudentia proedit us sit ; judicis enim et medici simul personam gerit. And then it suggests that a series of admonitions and exhortations should be given by the Confessor to the penitent, which, for the benefit of new Confessors, I have set forth at length in the first part of my book. It afterwards adds (p .255 sub finem ) : Si sacerdos hujusmodi homines prorsus imparatos esse cognoverit , humanissimis verbis a se dimittet, hortabiturque ut ad cogitanda peccata aliquod spatium sumant , ac deinde re- vertantur . quod si forte affirmaverint se in cayn rem 077i7ie studium et diligentiam suam con - tulisse , quo7iiam sacerdoti maxime verendum est ne se7?iel dwiissi amplius non redeant , audie7idi sunt ; prczsertwi vero si emendandae vitrn studium aliquod preseferant , adducique possint ut neg- lige7itiam sua7n accusent , quam se alio tempore diligenti et accurata meditatione co7npensaturos promitta7it. In quo tamen 77iagna cautio adhibe7ida est; sienvn , audita confessionefudicaverit (sacerdos) neque in enumerandis peccatis diligentiam neque in detestandis dolorem poenitenti omnino defuisse, absolvi poterit. Sin autem utrumque in eo desiderari animadverterit , auctor illi ac suasor 273 Part II. — Section 5. erit, ut majorem cur am ^ quod antea dictum est , in excutienda conscientia adhibeat , hominemque ut BLANDISSIME POTERIT TRACTATUM DIMITTET. Having now seen the entire doctrine of the Roman Catechism cn this subject, with its context, let us proceed to analyse it, in favour of those who are unwilling to weary themselves with reflecting on what they read. I shall omit the reflections that might be made on those important words with which the Catechism opens the question, viz., that the Confessor JUDICIS ET MEDICI SIMUL PERSONAM GERIT. Oh, what serious responsibilities are imposed upon the Confessor by these words ! A physician ! a physician of souls ! and of souls which cost the blood and the life of a God ! Can a person, then, who is charged by Christ Himself to be the physician of these souls, refuse to undergo any inconvenience, any labour, in order to cure them ? After having spoken of the qualities and of the duties of the Confessor, the Catechism passes on to point out the method to be followed in dealing with penitents, and, in the first place, it supposes the case, by no means infrequent, that penitents present themselves in the confessional altogether indisposed, without even having made the examination of conscience — prorsus impara- tos. It says that penitents of this class are to be sent away to prepare themselves, but that this is to be done in the kindest possible manner — humanissimis verbis — and not with insults and 274 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . rude reproaches. Wherefore, after having in a kind and charitable manner given them to understand that, just then, they are incapable of receiving the Sacrament with fruit, let the Con- fessor exhort them to spend some time — aliquod spatium — (not weeks) — in examining their con- science — ad cogitanda peccata — and afterwards return to him — acdeinde revertantur. Therefore, a Confessor ought not to say to them : “Be off to somebody else : I cannot be bothered by you ; go to your parish priest” . No: this is not the way to act : revertantur : and to return means to come back to the same person with whom they have been already. All this applies to the case where the penitent acknowledges that he has come to confession absolutely unprepared, with- out having bestowed a thought even upon the examination of his conscience— prorsus imparatos . But in case the penitents should assert that they had duly examined themselves — quod si forte affirmaverint , etc. — then their confession should be heard without further delay — audiendi sunt — and why ? Quoniam Sacerdoti (oh, words to be deeply engraven on the hearts of Con- fessors !) maxime verendum est, ne semel dimissi ajnplius non redeant . It was precisely because of this very great fear of an evil so terrible, and which I have seen many a time occur, that I was prompted to write this book ; and in order that this very great evil might be avoided, I have endeavoured to prepare new Confessors to do everything that is possible, in order that the Part If. — Section y. 275 penitent who presents himself before them may not have to come back again for absolution — ne semel dimissi amplius non redeant. “ Oh , but? some one may say, “ if the peni- tent does not return , it will be all the worse for himself I This is undoubtedly true : but can you regard with such indifference an evil which MAXIME VERENDUM EST ? I Would add, how- ever, that it will likewise be all the worse for you if through the absence of a kindly, charitable manner, if through your unwillingness to take a little trouble, if through your laziness, semel dimissi amplius non redeunt ; and observe that the Catechism speaks in general of all penitents. The entire chapter de Sacramento Poenitentim, which is the fifth of the second part, and which I have read with particular attention to this point, does not make the slightest distinction in practice between recidivi and non-recidivi, consue- tudinarii and non-consuetudinarii ; and this it certainly would not have omitted to do, if there were any inviolable law on the subject, as some pretend. Si forte ajftrmaverint , etc., audiendi sunt , even though at first they should not give any hope of amendment ; for the Catechism adds, “ PR.ESERTIM vero si emendandce vitce studium aliquod (it does not say magnum, and much less maximum or certum), prceseferant”. Now, is not this the doctrine and the method most clearly laid down in my book ? To decide the question it is sufficient to have eyes and to understand English. 276 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . Up to the present the Catechism has spoken only of hearing the confession, even when there is no great likelihood of the penitent’s good dispositions — audiendi sunt ; prcBsertim vero si stadium aliquod , etc. And when it says audiendi s 7 /nt f it means thereby that, even when the Confessor does not feel justified in giving ab- solution, there is still a great advantage to be derived from merely listening to the accusation of the penitent’s sins. One of the obvious benefits arising from this system is, that thereby the penitent will have got over his greatest difficulty, which is to manifest to the Confessor his sins and infirmities, and he will also receive those instructions, and listen to those exhorta- tions, which will be given him by the Confessor in the course of the confession, and which will be conducive to a sincere conversion. When this has been done, should it still be necessary for the penitent to return to the Confessor, he will do so more readily, as I have already re- marked above at page 224. But when there is question afterwards of giving absolution, the Roman Catechism wishes that the Confessor should be extremely vigilant, and should use great caution — magna cautio ad hibenda est. And justly ; for there is question of not exposing a sacrament to nullity and to sacrilegious profanation. Therefore the Con- fessor must be very cautious before he gives ab- solution. But let us see to what degree the Roman Catechism would have us carry this Part IT. — Section 5 . 277 caution ; and while we do so, I would claim the undivided attention of certain persons. Let us suppose that the Confessor has heard the confession of his penitent, and has heard it not like a statue, or to gratify curiosity, but as one who is at the same time judge and physician, making known to the sinner the nature and heinousness of his sins, instructing him as the confession proceeds, questioning him and exciting him to sorrow as the necessities of the case may require ; if after having heard the confession in this manner, the Confessor shall judge that the penitent has not been entirely wanting in diligence in the examination of his conscience, and in sorrow for, and detestation of, his sins — si audita confessione judicaverit (sacer- dos) tuque in enumerandis peccatis dilige7itiam , tuque in deiestandis dolorem omnino defuisse * — how is he in this case to act? It is not I who am going to decide this question, nor is it any private moral theologian, but it is a cate- chism Based upon the teaching of a general coun- *St. Alphonsus also attached great weight to these words : omnino defuisse. Speaking (lib. 6, n. 459) of a person in the habit of sin, he remarks that “ talis pcenitens ex una parte non est preesumendus malus , ita ut velit indispositus ad Sacr amentum accedere : ex alia , bene proesumitur dispositus dum peccata sua confitetur , cum ipsa spo?itanea confessio sit signum contritionis , nisi obstet aliqua positiva preesumptio in contrarium ; omnes enim docent quod dolor per confessionem manifestatur Attende quee docet Catechismus Romanus de Pcenit. n. 60 ; si audita confessione (sacerdos) judicaverit neque in enumerandis peccatis diligentiam, nec in detestandis dolorem poenitenti omnino defuisse, absolvi poterit. Not a omnino defuisse. 278 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . cil, and directed by three Popes to all the bishops of the Catholic world as a standard of public religious instruction ; it is a book contain- , ing the doctrine, quae communis est ecclesi^e 4 ET PROCUL ABEST AB OMNI PERICULO ERRORIS. Let us, then, listen to the decision of this book with humility, and accept it with all the sincerity of our hearts. Here is the decision — absolvi poterit : and this is precisely the contradictory of the 60th proposition condemned by Innocent XI., from which it follows that the penitent may be absolved, when he gives some prudent hope of amendment, as I have already explained at p 236. See, therefore, how the doctrine of the Church is always consistent. But if the Roman Catechism says absolvi poterit , I, by a logical inference, go farther and say absolvi debebit; because maxime veren- dum est, as the same Catechism observes, ne semel dimissi amplius non redeant . If the Cate- chism says absolvi poterit , it is a sign that it recognises in that case a sufficient proof of the required dispositions on the part of the penitent to receive absolution with fruit, so that the Confessor may give it to him with a tranquil conscience ; for without such sufficient evidence it could not be lawfully given. On the other hand, the Catechism itself admits the fact that, in dismissing penitents without absolution, there is a great risk that they may not return, but may continue to live in their sins — quod maxime verendum est. Therefore if, in the case under Part II. — Section 5. 279 consideration, you refuse absolution, you become responsible for the presistence of the penitent in sin in case he does not return to confession ; and even though he should return, you are still re- sponsible for having placed him in the danger of not returning and of continuing to live in sin. This is in perfect conformity with the teaching of Suarez set down above in section 4 : Si confessori constet (prudenter et probabiliter) pceni- tentem esse rite co 7 ifessum et dispositum , tenetur sub gravi peccato ilium absolvere . Now some one may ask : under what circum- stances, then, according to the teaching of the Roman Catechism, ought a Confessor to refuse absolution ? The matter is very clearly defined : If the Confessor shall perceive that his penitent has been altogether wanting both in diligence in examining his conscience and in sorrow in detesting his sins, he must dismiss him without absolution, but in the most gracious manner possible — UT BLANDISSIME POTERIT TRACTATUM dimittet. And speaking of graciousness and sweetness in dealing with sinners, I would wish to refer here to that great counsel given by Saint Paul to the Galatians, which ought to fill with terror certain indiscreet Confessors : "Si prc&- occupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto , vos, qui spirituales estis , hujusmodi instruite in spiritu lenitatis, consider ans te ip sum, ne et tu tenteris” (ad. Gal. cap. VI.). Here, then, is a full exposition of the entire practice prescribed in the Catechism of the 280 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . Catholic Church. Let my opponents lay aside all prejudice and party feeling : let them read and reduce to practice what I have taught in the preceding pages ; and let them not suppose that when I say this I wish to constitute myself their master. The masters both for me and for all others are those eminent and holy theologians of the Church whom I have quoted in the fourth section, and the Roman Catechism which it ought to be the pride of every good Catholic to follow. § 6 . — Some remarks regarding the use of this little book . As I have already said, it is not my intention, nor do I for a moment pretend, venerable mini- sters of the Lord, to constitute myself your master : indeed, I even profess myself to be in the position of a pupil with respect to you all, both as regards learning and zeal which I presume to exist in each of you. But, nevertheless, ex- perience cannot be acquired except by long practice, and in this you are consequently de- ficient without any fault of your own, since you are still young in the ministry of the confessional. Moreover, for persons belonging to the lower orders there is required a special kind of ex- perience, and in this, perhaps, you are even more deficient than in any other. I, on the contrary, have been constantly dealing with persons of this class, and, during the thirty years and more that Part 11. — Section 6. 281 I have been engaged in the ministry of the con- fessional, I have endeavoured to study their dis- positions. During all this time I have been observing what images, what expressions made the greatest impression on their feelings, on their minds, on their manner of thinking ; and these I have set down in this book for their advantage, and for your assistance whenever you may have to hear the confessions of persons of this class. And it would be my earnest desire that you should devote yourself to this class of penitents more than to any other. Remember what our Lord said of Himself : Evangelizare pauperibus misit me Pater. Oh, what abundant fruit may be gathered when we are dealing with the poor ! Should you chance to fall in with great sinners, with persons buried in the most profound ignor- ance, even with regard to the most important dogmas of Faith, look upon them as so many precious treasures that have fallen in your way. Act as brave fishermen to draw these valuable fishes into your net, or, to speak more correctly, into the net of Jesus Christ, and with all the sincerity of your heart say to the Lord : Domine y fac me fieri piscatorem hominum. Induce them, by a kindly and gracious manner, to make a general confession ; but do not frighten them by saying : Prepare for a confession of your entire life . When they hear this, it seems to them an impossibility. You must yourself un- dertake the entire labour of the examination. You must extract the poison out of them b>’ 282 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . means of suitable questions. But your greatest efforts must be directed to leading them gradu- ally to understand the grievousness of their sins, in order that they may hate and detest them, and at the same time to making them reflect on the great mercy of God, who, though He might long ago have sent them to Hell, has, neverthe- less, preserved them in life, awaiting their re- pentance. In this manner, you will not only excite them to contrition, but you will also kindle in them the hope of pardon. In attaining both these results, you will be greatly assisted by this little book, which I have written principally for you, not indeed as though it were a task to be committed to memory, but merely that it may serve as a model of what will lead on the peni- tent to the result at which you are aiming. You may, perhaps, be frightened by the long series of reflections to be proposed to the peni- tent, but it will not be always necessary to make use of the entire of them ; and, even though it were, you are bound to do all this, and even still more, in virtue of your office as teacher and physician. “ Oh, then,” you may say, “ one would require a month to hear a confession in this fashion ; and how many could one hear in a year ? ” I reply, in the first place, that it is better to hear one confession well in a month than to hear one hundred badly in a day. But, as a matter of fact, there is not the slightest necessity for this tediousness, which wearies the patience and chills the fervour of penitents, Part II — Section 6 . 283 experience will teach you, the work may be accomplished ordinarily in from two to three continuous hours, provided one labours with zeal and with a proper spirit. This is the labour which must precede that question which I directed (§ 1, part 2) to be put to the penitent, namely, whether he wishes for absolution, and if, under the circumstances, he answers in the affirmative, it ought to be given to him. Because, after having well instructed him on the nullity and sacrilegiousness of an absolution received by one who knows himself to be indisposed, and after having inspired him with a horror of sin by means of the reflections here set forth, it is im- possible to entertain a prudent fear that he will deliberately commit a sacrilege. Finally, I recommend to you discretion in imposing penances. Let them be such as can easily be performed, for otherwise they will not be performed at all. I shall tell you the penance which I am accustomed to impose, and which I see willingly accepted and performed by my penitents : — three Hail Marys , in honour of the purity of the Blessed Virgin, a Pater and Ave \ in honour of our Angel Guardian, another in honour of the Saint whose name . one bears, and five in honour of the five wounds of our Redeemer. This penance might be prolonged for weeks or months, more or less, according to the number and heinousness of the penitent’s sins. Regarding the prayer in honour of the sacred wounds of Jesus Christ, I enjoin upon my penitents that, 284 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . while reciting it, they should keep thinking — who is it that has inflicted these wounds on Jesus Christ? Ah ! I need not seek far to find him, for I myself am that guilty wretch. I, by my sins, have inflicted these wounds upon Him, I have pierced His head with thorns, I have nailed Him to the Cross, I have inflicted death upon Him. Ah ! my God, mercy ! I shall never act so again; let me die rather than evermore offend Thee. In this manner they continue for several days renewing the memory of their sins, they revive their sorrow and strengthen their good resolution, they forearm themselves against a relapse, and they acquire a habit of devotion towards the crucifix, which must be the funda- mental devotion of a Christian. Make the great mystery of the Passion of Christ the leading feature in your discourses, and you shall see wondrous results following therefrom. As re- gards blasphemers, instead of imposing on them as a penance to make crosses upon the earth with their tongue, which, as a rule, they will not do, I impose upon them to repeat often during the day : May God be blessed ; may Jesus Christ be praised ; honour to most Holy Mary ; honour to Saint Peter , or to any other saint against whom their blasphemies may have been directed. Some one, perhaps, may say that I am pre- suming too much in offering suggestions to those who know more than myself. Let everyone say of me what he pleases. For a long while past, Pa rt II — Section 7. 285 I have accustomed myself to take no notice of hostile criticisms or malevolent remarks. God is witness of the intentions which animated me in writing this book, and from my heart do I beg of Him that it may achieve the object which I proposed to myself. § 7. A new confirmation of the proposed method derived from a Bull of Pope Leo XII. The practice which the author has set forth and defended in the preceding pages, could not receive a clearer confirmation than is contained in the Papal Bull, by which Pope Leo XII. extended the Jubilee of the Holy Year to the entire world. We subjoin that portion of this precious document which refers to the question with which we are dealing. Excerptum ex Encyclica SS. D. N. Leonis PP. XII. ad omnes Patriarchas, etc., VIII. Kal. Jan., 1826. “ Curandum sedulo vobis est, ut ii quos ad confessiones audiendas deligetis, ea miminerint ac proestent, quae de ministro poenitentiae prae- cipit praedecessor noster Innocentius III., ut scilicet sit discretus et cautus , ut more periti medici similiter infun dat vinum et oleum vulneri- bus sauciati ; diligent er inquirens et peccatorh ciraunstantias et peccati , per quas prudenter intelligat quale illi debeat consilium pr where, el ejusmodi remedium adhibere diversis experimentis utendo ad sanandum cegrotum ; habeatque prae 286 Practical Instruction for New Confessors oculis documenta ilia Ritualis Romani ; Videat diligenter sacerdos , quando et quibus conferenda , vel neganda , vel dijferenda sit absolution ne absolvat eos qui tail's beneficii sunt incapaces y quales sunt qui nulla daut signa doloris , qui odia et inimicitias deponere, aut peccandi oc - casionem deserere , aut alio modo peccata derelin- quere , et vitam in melius emendare nolunt : aut qui publicum scandalum dederunt, nisi publice satisfaciaut et scandalum toll ant. Quae quidem, nemo non viderit quam longe ab eorum ratione distent, qui, ut gravius aliquod audiunt pecca- tum, aut aliquem sentiunt multiplici peccatorum genere infectum, statim pronuntiant se non posse absolvere : iis nempe ipsis mederi recusant, quibus, maxime curandis ab eo sunt constituti, qui ait : Non est opus valentibus medicus y sed male habenlibus ; aut quibus vix ulla scrutandae conscientiae diligentia, aut doloris, aut propo- siti satis videtur significatio, ut absolvere se posse existiment \ ac turn demum tutum se cepisse consilium putant, si homines in aliud tempus absolvendos dimiserint. Si enim ulla in re servanda est mediocritas, in hac potissimum servetur necesse est, ne vel nimia facilitas ab- solvendi facilitatem afferat peccandi ; vel nimia difficultas alienet animos a confessione, et in desperationem salutis adducat. Sistunt se qui- dem multi sacramenti poenitentiae ministris pror- sus imparati, sed persaepe tamen hujusmodi, ut ex imparatis parati fieri possint, si modo sacer- dos viscera indutus misericordiae Christi Jesu, Part IT. — Section 7. 287 qui non venit vocare justos sed fecca tores sciat studiose, patienter, et mansuete cum ipsis agere. Quod si proestare proetermittat, pro- fecto non magis ipse dicendus est paratus ad audiendum quam ceteri ad confitendum acce- dere. Imparati enim illi tantummodo sunt judicandi, non qui vel gravissima admiserint flagitia, vel qui plurimos etiam annos abfuerint a confessione — Misericordice enim Domini non est numerus, et bonitatis infinitus est thesaurus — vel qui rudes conditione, aut tardi ingenio non satis in se ipsos inquisierint, nulla fere industria sua id sine sacerdotis ipsius opera as secuturi ; sed qui adhibita ab eo necessaria, non qua praeter modum graventur, in iis interrogan- dis diligentia, omnique vi iisdem ad detestationem peccatorum excitandis, non sine fusis ex intimo corde ad Deum precibus, exhausta charitatis industria, sensu tamen doloris ac poenitentiae, quo saltern ad Dei gratiam in Sacramento impe- trandam disponantur, carere prudenter judicen- tur. Quocumque autem animo sint qui accedant ad ministrum poenitentiae, nihil ei magis caven- dum est, quam ne sua culpa diffisus quispiam Dei bonitati, aut Sacramento reconciliationis infensus discedat. Quare si justa sit causa cur differenda sit absolutio, verbis, quoad poterit, humanissimis, persuadeat confessis necesse est id et munus officiumque suum et eorum ipsorum salutem omnino postulare, eosque ad redeundum quamprimum blandissime alliciat, ut iis fideliter peractis, quae salubriter praescripta fuerint, vin- 288 Practical /ns traction for New Confessors . culis soluti peccatorum gratiae coelestis dulcedine reficiantur. Aptissimo ejus charitatis exemplo inter caeteros esse potest S. Raymundus de Pennafort, quem insignem sacramenti pceniten- tiae ministrum appellat ecclesia. Cognitis peccatis , inquit, adsit (confessarius) benevolus, paratus erigere et secu?n onus portare : habeat dulcedinem in affectione , pietatem in alierius crimine, dis- cretionem in varietate , adjuvet confitentem orando , eleemosinas et ccetera bona pro eo faciendo , semper eum juvet leniendo , consolando , spem promittendo , et cum opus fuerit etiam increpando Melius est quod sacerdos penitenti indicet quanta poenitentia esset sibi pro peccatis injungenda , et injungat nihilo minus aliquid quod pcenitens tol- ler abiliter faciat (S. Thom.). Equidem complures recensere possim , quos constat in extrema mala adactos , non ob aliud nisi quod digna ab eis poena , et quae peccatis perpetratis par esset, exigeretur (S. Chrysostom). § 8. A practical method of hearing a general Con- fession expeditiously, and in the manner which will prove most advantageous to penitents belonging to the ignorant classes . In the preceding section I suggested that the Confessor should, in the most gracious manner possible, induce certain great sinners (and these do not belong exclusively to the lower orders) to make a general confession ; but I said at the same time, that he must take upon himself the Part II. — Section 8. 289 entire labour of examining the conscience of the penitent. Yes, I repeat that the Confessor must undertake it all himself ; because if it be left to the penitents, either they will never bring them- selves to do it, or they will not return to confession, or, if they do attempt this examination, they will get bewildered and will never bring it to an end, or finally, should they at length enter the con- fessional after having completed the examination, they will pour out such a tangled mass of useless details and irrelevant incidents as utterly to perplex the Confessor also, and leave him unable, as the phrase has it, to “make head or tail” of the entire story. Therefore let the Confessor take upon himself the task of examining the conscience of his penitent. But here you may ask me : What method are we to follow in doing this ? I shall tell you ; but in doing so, I will not descend to any of those minute details, which might offend the innocence of anyone into whose hands this book may possibly fall. In order to render my ex- position more clear, I shall treat the subject under three distinct heads — the preparation, the examination, and the conclusion ; and you must remember that I suppose myself to be dealing with an ignorant adult, who really understands that he has need of a general confession. Let me begin, then, with the preparation. First of all, I enquire of the penitent his age and condition — whether married or single, whether his parents and his brothers and sisters are 19 290 Practical Instruction fo* New Confessors . living; what business he has followed during his lifetime ; what has been his practice regarding the frequentation of the sacraments ; whether he has received confirmation ; at what age he made his first communion ; whether he knows the neces- sary points of the Christian doctrine ; whether he is enslaved by any bad habit, or is living in any voluntary proximate occasion of sin, or has contracted any sinful friendship ; whether he has ever killed or wounded anybody ; and, finally, what time has elapsed since his last con- fession. When I have acquired information on all these points, I am already able to form an opinion, roughly, regarding the state of his con- science. I next proceed to impress upon him the folly of the man who confesses rarely or badly, em- ploying for this purpose, in a greater or a less degree according to the necessities of the case, the reflections set down in §§ 2, 3, and 4 of the first part of this book. I place before him the necessity and the great advantage of making a general confession, to put his spiritual affairs in order and to restore his soul to the grace of God ; and I tell him that, to accomplish this, the two things of paramount importance are the confession of all his sins, and true sorrow for them combined with a sincere resolution to sin no more. As regards the first, which involves the greatest labour, I tell him that I will take it all upon myself (and at this announcement peni- tents pluck up courage) ; but as regards the Part II — Section 8. 291 second, I add, you must see to it yourself, for no one else can supply for you in the matter of sorrow and the resolution to avoid sin. This must proceed entirely from yourself. Yours is the heart that must detest sin above every other evil ; yours is the will that must be sincerely resolved to die rather than to commit sin again. Without this everything else would be labour flung to the winds, it would be time lost. This is a matter which is simply indispensable. We might suppose a case in which you could obtain pardon of your sins without confessing a single one of them — for example, if some accident should have deprived you of the use of speech ; but even though the Pope himself, with all the plenitude of his Apostolic authority, should happen to be your Confessor, you could not obtain pardon of them without sincere sorrow and a firm resolution to sin nevermore. I then proceed to explain to him in what true sorrow and a firm resolution consists, according to the doctrine which I laid down above in § 22 of the first part. But (I add) do not lose heart ; be- cause though I cannot make these acts as your substitute, nevertheless I can help you to make them. Do not fear, then ; recommend yourself to the Lord, have confidence in Him, and you shall see that with His holy grace He will help you to accomplish what now seems to you an impossibility. Therefore have courage ; pray to most holy Mary, who is the refuge and the mother of sinners that are anxious to amend 292 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . their lives. Do you now wish to change your life, and to begin to live henceforth as a true Christian? Well, since you do, Mary is your advocate and mother, and in nothing will she more willingly employ her powerful patronage, than in bringing you to detest from your heart the sins which you have committed. Pray to your angel guardian to obtain for you the same favour. Oh ! how that good angel rejoices on seeing you now prepared to burst the chains of Hell that have bound you heretofore ! Oh, how anxiously he goes before the throne of God, and around you ; before God’s throne, to beg grace for you ; and around you, to give you those lights, and to suggest those sentiments that are suitable to the present occasion ! In the third place, pray to the Saint whose name you bear. He is the chief of your protectors, assigned to you as such by the Church when you were baptised. Perhaps during your past life you have never bestowed a thought either upon this saint, or upon your angel guardian, but they have not on this account for- gotten you. But above all, recommend yourself to Jesus Christ. He is the fountain of all graces : He is your Redeemer. It is true that your sins 4 have caused His death upon the cross ; but it ’ is likewise a truth of Faith that He is more anxious to pardon you, than you are to receive pardon. The blood which He shed does not cry for vengeance against you, as the blood of Abel cried for vengeance against the fratricide Cain. No, the blood of Jesus cries for mercy Part II — Section 8 . 293 upon you. Recommend yourself then to Him with all the earnestness of your heart : place your confidence in Him ; and with these disposi- tions let us commence the confession. Having thus prepared the penitent, I com- mence to question him, in order to arrive at a knowledge of his sins. But in order that this examination may not be carried to an extravagant length, I first give him a caution. 44 I don’t want,” I say to him, 44 useless stories ; I don’t want to hear a continual repetition of the words 4 since ’ and 4 because,’ which have no other object than to serve as an excuse. In making one’s confes- sion there should be no excuses ; for there is no reason sufficient to justify sin, and the occasions of sin do not justify us in sinning. I want a plain yes or no to my questions, and not a word more than is necessary to accuse yourself of your sin. Confess as certain whatever you are certain of ; and whenever you have a doubt, confess the sin as doubtful by saying, 4 / think' or 4 about And here a new Confessor must be careful not to seek too anxiously for perfect material integ- rity in the accusation of the penitent’s sins ; for nothing more is required than such integrity as is morally possible, taking into account the in- telligence and the circumstances of the penitent. Why should a Confessor lose time in labouring to find out whether the penitent has fallen no rather than 105 times ? This is not necessary in order that the penitent may accuse himself sufficiently, or that the Confessor may be able to 294 Practical Instruction for New Confessors. form correct judgment of the state of the penitent. And if he should remember some- thing later on, he can accuse himself of it in another confession, nor is the present confession injured thereby in any respect. The important point is, that nothing be omitted through malice or through culpable negligence, and above all that the confession be made in a contrite and humble spirit. For this reason I begin by questioning the penitent regarding that sin which causes men the greatest shame, and humbles them most. You know to what I allude. And here, having found out at what age he began to understand the malice of these sins, running through the different species (but with extreme caution in the case of young persons), I proceed to examine him regarding sins which he may have committed with himself ; regarding these which he may have committed with others, whether of the same or of different sex, whether single or married ; regarding those which he may have committed with relatives, inquiring also the degree of relationship; and, finally, regarding sins of bestiality. Having thus dis- covered in the gross, if it is impossible to do so exactly, the number of his sinful acts, I next proceed to examine him regarding impure thoughts, desires, and complacencies, immodest looks, improper conversations, equivocal expres- sions, bad songs and sinful boastings, which must have been a source of great scandal to those who heard them. And here, suspending Part II — Section 8 . *95 my examination for a moment, I make him consider the immense number of sins of this species alone of which he has been guilty, em- ploying those reflections which I set down above in §§ 9 and 14 of the first part, and consequently how many times he has deserved hell on this score alone, and how great has been the mercy of God, who has spared him so long and has patiently awaited his repentance. I beg of you not to neglect to make this first pause, and to place before your penitent the reflections which I have suggested, because experience has proved to me that it is of the greatest importance to do so. The penitent being thus humbled from the very beginning of his confession, being filled with horror at the number of his sins, and im- pressed with a due sense of God’s great mercy towards him, will thereby be excellently disposed to continue his confession in that spirit of com- punction which is necessary, and which you must endeavour to increase more and more after the enumeration of each species of sins, by making use of those reflections which I have set down in the entire first portion of this work. After the questions already indicated, I endeavour, be- fore everything else, to discover, without perplex- ing my penitent, the number of confessions and communions which he has made, and the manner in which he has made them ; because, if they have been badly made, they are the most grievous sins he has to confess, according to the 296 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . reflections set down in §§ 4 and 5. I next in- quire what have been and what are his relations with his parents, his brothers and his sisters ; how he has sanctified the Sundays and Festivals; how he has observed the fasts and the abstinence prescribed by the Church, making use of the reflections in §§ 6 and 7. I ask him whether he has been guilty of the sin of theft, or has other- wise injured his neighbour’s property, as explained in § 8 ; if he has injured any person’s character, and other matters to which allusion has been made in § 14 ; whether he retains ill-gotten goods ; whether he has pardoned from his heart those who have injured him, as explained in §11; whether he is addicted to drunkenness, to gambling, and to frequenting public-houses, of which mention has been made in § 12 ; whether he is in the habit of cursing, of swearing, of profanely mentioning the names of God, of our Blessed Lady, and of the saints, as set down in §§15, 16, 17 ; whether he has been in the habit of uttering blasphemies, or has ever complained of God as unjust — sins which have been treated of in §§ 13, 18, 19, and 20; whether he has ever been guilty of superstitious practices, or has in- voked the aid of the devil, as mentioned in § 13. But above all, let him question his penitent regarding blasphemies uttered against the most holy name of Jesus Christ. I am in the habit of reserving this question purposely for the end of the confession, because, if penitents are guilty of the sin, I have found by experience that Part II. — Section 8 . 297 they are at first greatly astonished on hearing the reflections which I have set down in § 2 1 ; then they are filled with horror and confusion at the thought of the sacrilegious outrage of which they have been guilty, and as a general rule they even burst into tears of compunction, so that in this manner they become excellently disposed to elicit a good act of contrition, and thus receive sacramental absolution with fruit. I earnestly recommend Confessors to adopt this practice, and also to have recourse to the reflections at §21, because up to the present I have always found them attended with the best results. We have now arrived at the conclusion of this general confession. After having gone through this exhaustive examination, and after having asked the penitent whether there is anything else which he may wish to mention, the most important task of all remains to be per- formed, namely, to excite him to sincere sorrow for his sins and to a firm purpose of amendment. Here it is that the Confessor must exert all his zeal. But never aim at expecting from your penitent all at once an act of charity and peifect sorrow which we call contrition. I cannot have patience when I hear from the lips of penitents of this class certain forms of contrition ex- pressed in the following terms : — “ not foi having deserved hell , or for having lost heaven , hut solely ,” &c. Who can possibly believe that, out- side the case of a miraculous interposition of grace, this most perfect degree of divine love can 298 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . be kindled in a moment in a heart where it has been extinguished, perhaps for several years, by so many sins ? You are aware, furthermore, that, according to the Council of Trent, attrition is good, and, when united with the Sacrament of Penance, is capable of restoring the sinner to the life of grace. (Read over attentively Cone . Trid 1 , cap. iv., sess. xiv.) Why then exclude attrition ? Far from doing so, it is with this that you ought to begin. It is perfectly right that you should endeavour to lead your penitent up to an act of perfect contrition, but to do so with effect you ought to commence with attrition, availing yourself for this purpose of the suggestion which I have given in § 23, which I beg of you to read over attentively, in order that you may be, so to speak, thoroughly imbued with the sentiments which I have there put forward. St. Augustine has said in many places that timor intro ducit charitatei?i , and that it resembles the needle which draws the thread after it ; and the Holy Ghost Himself says in Ecclesiasticus (I. 18) timor Domini expellit peccatum : nom qui sine timore est , non poterit justificari . Mark well the words : non poterit — that is to say, ordinarily : and the fear of Hell is certainly timor Domini, because it springs from Faith in a God who punishes sin. After you shall have given abso- lution to your penitent, then by putting before him still more strongly the infinite goodness of God in pardoning so easily such an immense Part JJ. — Section 8 . 299 number of sins— a degree of goodness which he could not have dared to hope for even from his own father if he had similarly offended him — you will be able to propose to him an act of perfect contrition, with a well-grounded hope of success, since he is already strengthened by the grace of the sacrament. You will also help him very much to elicit this act from his heart, if you put before him the sweet complaint of Jesus Christ and the reply of the contrite sinner , which I have given in § 24. I have said nothing here of the penance to be imposed, because I have already given some suggestions on this head at the end of the pre- ceding section. Let the penance be such as can be easily performed, and let it be likewise medicinal, Let it be such as can easily be per- formed , in order to avoid the risk of its non- performance, whereby the penitent’s soul would be burthened with a new sin; and let it be medicinal , in order that it may serve at the same time to preserve the penitent from fresh relapses. Of this kind is that penance which I suggested above in the section just cited, and especially that little meditation added to it on the wounds of Jesus Christ. Should your penitent be ad- dicted to blasphemy, you might enjoin further- more that he should frequently in the course of the day bless that holy name which he has blas- phemed, and in general you might impose the recitation of that formula of praise given in § 21, and which has been indulgenced by Pope Pius 300 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . VII. of holy memory. Finally, administer to your penitent those cautions necessary to ensure perseverance, which I have laid down in § 26, and instruct him in the proper manner of approaching the Holy Communion, as set forth in § 2 5. Here, perhaps, some one may again ask me : How much time will be required to hear a general confession after this fashion ? I reply : Sometimes more and sometimes less. A great deal will depend upon circumstances, both as regards the Confessor and the penitent. Should the penitent not have a very great number of sins to confess, and should he be, moreover, fairly instructed, the Confessor will occupy less time. If the Confessor be inexperienced, it will require more time. As for myself, I know from repeated trials that, with about three hours of continuous work, I am able to hear a general confession of even fifty or sixty years. I speak of course of the confessions of persons of the lower orders, and not of those of traders or public officials, in whose case many intricate questions will turn up which cannot be disposed of so easily. I have already told you in the preceding section that it is not necessary to put before every individual penitent all those reflec- tions which 1 have set down in the first part of this book ; but you must vary your use of them to suit the various necessities of your penitents. But, again, some one may say : Why inflict Part II — Section 8 , 301 all this worry on the penitent and the Confessor at a single sitting — and that, too , without any necessity . Without any necessity you say : Well, in the course of my experience, I have found very great necessity for doing so, in order to accomplish my work satisfactorily. It is one thing to see the picture of all your iniquities brought under your gaze at a single glance, while at the very same time you are being in- structed and moved to sorrow for them, and'it is quite another thing to see and to hear a little to- day, and a little to-morrow, and so on, and so on. Let each person question his own heart and his own experience regarding the truth of this observation. Wherefore, I exhort you, with all the earnestness which I can command, to en- deavour to complete everything in a single sitting. At most you might on the day preced- ing the confession get through all that I have spoken of regarding the preparation , but you ought not divide the work which I have set down under the heads of the examination and the conclusion . No doubt this involves a great deal of labour, but will it not be for you an immense consolation to see such a blessed change resulting from your labour ? Go to your work then with courage, spare no exertion on your own part to ensure success, and banish from your mind all anxiety and every scruple. When you, solely through the love of God, freely sacrifice your convenience and your recreations to win back for Him lost souls— that treasure 302 Practical Instruction for New Confessors . which He longs for above every other — can you for a moment fear that He will abandon you in such holy labours ? On the contrary, the very opposite of this will happen, and you will receive palpable evidence of God’s co-operation in the lights and helps, passing all expectation, which He will give you, in order that you may not fall into any mistake which might be prejudicial to your own soul, or to the soul of your penitent Nay more, you shall see your holy labours crowned with abundant fruit in this life, and far more richly recompensed with an infinite liberality in the world to come, when you shall be invited by the sweet name of “ Faithful Servant ,” to enter into possession of the joys of Paradise : Euge Serve bone et fidelis . . . intra in gaudium Domini tui. § 9. Setting forth a clear idea of the true sorrow required for sin accordi?ig to the indisputable teaching of Holy Church , , in order that a new Confessor may not worry himself and his penitents when he finds them of a cold temperament . 1 shall transcribe this entire section from a very learned moral dissertation, in manuscript, by a distinguished theologian who has kindly placed it at my disposal for the benefit of souls. I had already outlived the substance of his teaching in the twenty-first section of the first Edition, and in § 23 of this second Edition, and this much Part 11 — Section