Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924099385100 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 099 385 100 In compliance with current copyright law, Cornell University Library produced this replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1992 to replace the irreparably deteriorated original. 2004 Cornell University Library BX1958 .E5 1852 Catechism of the Council of Trent trans 3 10Q1 020 OOG 7 81. oiin THE CATECHISM COUNCIL or TEENT. THE CATECHISM COUNCIL OF TRENT, TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH ; "WITH NOTES, BY THEODOEE ALOIS BUCKLEY, B.A., or CHRIST CHUECH, OXFORD, Edilw of TrandatioTis of Soma', jSschylus, Sophocles, die, and of the Decrees and Canons of the Council of Trent, &c., . XIV.— Of the fifth, " And Forgive us our Debts " Chap. XV. — Of the sixth, " And Lead us not into Temptation Chap. XVI. — Of the seventh, " But Deliver us from Evil " Chap. XVII, — Of the last clause, " Amen " 475 477 482 485 487 491 492 496 500 613 518 629 640 552 566 678 687 CATECHISM ACCORDING TO THE DECREE OF THE COUNCIL OE TRENT, Edited hy the Command of our most Illustrious Lord Pius the Fifth. PREFACE. TOnCHING THE NECESSITY, AUTHOEITT, OFriCE, OP PASTOES IN THE CHUECH, AND THE PEINOIPAL HEADS OP THE CHRISTIAN DOCTEINE. QUESTION I. Man left to his own Strength is unalile to gain True Wisdom, and the certain Method of oitaining Hajipi}icss. Such is the nature of tte human mind and intelligence, that, although, by the application of great labour and dili- gence, it has of itself investigated and ascertained many- other matters which appertain to the knowledge of divine things ; yet, illumined by the light of nature, it never could have known or comprehended the greater part of those things, by which eternal salvation is attained, the principal end for which man was created and formed after the image and like- ness of God. The invisible things of God, as the Apostle teacheth, _/rom ths creation of the world, are dca/rly seen, being wnderstood by the things that are made : his eternal power also and divinity ;'^ but so far does the mystery ichich hath been • Eom. i. 20. B Z PEEFACE. hidden from, ages and from generations transcend the reach of man's understanding, that -were it not Tnade manifest to his saints, to whom God, by the gift of faith, would make knoion tlve riches of the glory of this mystery amongst the Gentiles, which is Christ^ to no man would it have been given to aspire to such wisdom by human research. QUESTION II. Whence is so excellent a Gift of Faith, received. But, as faith cometh by Iiearing," it is evident how necessary- is the faithfiil labour and ministry of a legitimate teacher, at all times, towards attaining to eternal salvation, seeing it is written : Sow shall they hear witlumt a preaclier ? And how shall they preach, except tliey he sent ?■• And, indeed, never from the. very creation of the world has the most merciful and benignant God been wanting to his own ; but ai sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers hy the Prophets ;^ and pointed out to theto, suitably to the cu-cumstances of the times, a certain and direct path to the happiness of heaven. QUESTION III. Christ cmne into this World to teach the Faith, which tlie Apostles and their Successors afterwards propagated. But, seeing he had foretold that he would give a Teacher of Righteousness to he a light to the Gentiles, that his salvation may reach unto the end of the ea/rth^ in these last days he hath spoken wnio us hy his Son,s whom also Ijy a voice descending from heaven, y^om the excellent glory, ^ he has commanded all to hear and to obey. Furthermore, the Son gai)e scmie to be Apostles; and some, Frophets; and others. Pastors and Teachers,^ to announce the word of life ; that we might not be carried aiboutlike children,tossedto andfrowith everywindofdoctsrime} but, adhering fast to the firm foundation of the faith, m,ay he hwilt together for a Iidbitation of God in the Holy Ghost.^ >• Col. i. 26, 27. = Eom. x. 17. ^ Eom. x. 14, 15. ' Heb. i. 1. ' Is. xHx. 6. s Heb. i. 2. •■ 2 Pet. i. 17. ' Eph. iv. 11. > Eph. iv. 14. " Eph. ii. 22. PEEFACE. 3 QUESTION IV. Sow the Words of tlie Pastors of the Church are to he received. And tliat no one may receive the -word of God' from tlie ministers of the Church as the word of man, but as the ■word of Christ, what it really is, that same Saviour has ordained, that so great authority should be attributed to their ministry, that he says to them ; Se that heareth you, heareth me ; a/nd he that despiseth you, despiseth me ,•" which words he would not wish to be understood with regard to those only, to whom his words were addressed, but likewise to all who, by legitimate succession, should discharge the office of teaching, promising to be with them all days, even unto the consunvmation of the world?- QUESTION V. Tlie Truth heing manifested, it is necessary even now that Pastors shovld Preach the Word of God. But since this preaching of the divine word should never be interrupted in the Church, so in these our days it is cer- tainly necessary to labour with greater zeal and piety, to the- end that the faithful may be nurtured and strengthened with sound and wholesome doctrine as with the food of life ; for false prophets home gone out into the world° to corrupt the minds of tlie fodthful with divers and stramge doctrines^ of whom the Lord hath said ; / did not send these propliets, yet they ran ; I have not spohen to them, yet they prophesied.'^ In. ■which matter to such extremes has their impiety, well trained in all the arts of Satan, been carried, that it would seem almost impossible to confine it ■within any botmds ; and did we not rely on that splendid promise of our Saviour, who declared that he had laid so solid a foundation for his Church, that the gates of hell should never be able to prevail against it,'' we should have had the greatest reason to dread lest, ' Verbum auditua Dei ["the word of God which ye huaird of us," 1 These, ii. 13]. " Luke x. 16. ° Matt, xxviii. 20. » 1 John iv. 1. f Heb. xiii. 9. 1 Jer. xxiii. 21. For the sake of oleamese, I have transposed these two last texts. "■ Matt. xvi. IS. 4 PREFACE. beset on every side by so many enemies, assailed and besieged by so many engines, it' would in these days fall to the ground- For to omit those most noble states, which heretofore piously and holily retained the true and Catholic faith which they had received from their ancestors, but are now gone astray, wandering from the paths of truth, and openly declare that they best cultivate piety, by having totally abandoned the faith of their fathers ; there is no region however remote, no place however securely guarded, no comer of the Christian commonwealth, into which this pestUence has not sought secretly to insinuate itself. QUESTION VI. Tlie Heretics Twrce chiefly made use of Catechisms to cami/pt the Minds of Chi'istmns. For those who proposed to themselves to corrupt the minds of the faithful, aware that it was impossible that they could hold immediate personal intercourse with all, and thus pour into their ears their poisoned doctrines, by adopting a different plan with the same intent, disseminated error and impiety much more easily and extensively. For besides those voluminous works, by which they sought to overthrow the Catholic faith (to guard against which, however, contain- ing as they did open heresy, required j^erhaps little labour or diligence), they also composed innumerable smaller treatises, which, carrjong a semblance of piety on their surface, de- ceived the simple and the incautious with incredible facility. QUESTION VII. T/ie Holy Synod rigjitly Decreed that both Pestilent Preaching and Writ- ings of the False Prophets must be Tnet by Opposition. The -Fathers, therefore, of the oeciunenical* Synod of Trent, anxious to apply some healing remedy to an evil of such magnitude, and of so pernicious an influence, thought it not enough to decide the more important heads of Catholic doc- ' I. e. the Church. ' See my note on the "Decrees and Canons,'' p. 1 ; and, on the ille- gality of the Council of Trent, in the necessary conditions to be observed in a general council, see Archbishop Laud, Conference, sec. 27-9. PREFACE. trine against the tieresies of our time, but deemed it further incumbent on them, to deliver some fixed form and manner of instructing the faithful people from the very rudiments of the faith ; -which [form] should be followed by those in all churches, to whom are intrusted the duties of a lawful pastor and teacher. QtFESTION VIII. It was necessary, even after so manij Written Treatises of Cliristian Doo- tnne, to put forward a New Catechism for Pastors, hy tlie Care of am (Ecumenical Council and the Authority of tlie Sovereign Pontiff. In writings of this description, many, it is true, have already been employed, and have earned a great reputation for piety and learning. To the Fathers, however, it seemed of the first importance that a work should appear, sanctioned by the authority of the holy synod, from which pastors," and all others on whom the duty of imparting instruction de- volves, may be able to seek and derive certain precepts for the edification of the faithful; that as there is one Lord, one Faith^ so also there may be one common rule and prescribed form of delivering the faith, and instructing Christians unto all the duties of piety. QUESTION IX. The whole Dogmas of our Religion are not liere discussed at length. As, therefore, there are many things which seem to per- tain to the design of the work, let no one suppose that the holy synod intended, that in one volume all the dogmas of Christianity should be explained with that minuteness of detail which is foamd in the works of those who profess to treat of the entire institutions and doctrines of religion. Such a system would evidently have been one of almost endless labour, and ill adapted to the proposed end. But, having imdertaken to instinict pastors and priests, who have care of souls, in the knowledge of those things that belong most particularly to the pastoral office, and are accommo- dated to the capacity of the faithful, [the holy synod] intended that so much only should be brought forward as may assist ■ Paroohi, parish priests. ' Eph. iv. 6. t) PEEFACE. the pious zeal of pastors in. this office, should they not he very familiar with the more difficult disputations respecting divine matters. This being the case, the order of the present undertakirg requires that, before we proceed to develop those things severally in which a summary of this doctrine is comprised, we premise a few observations explanatory of certain matters which pastors should make the first object of their attention, and which they should keep continually before their eyes, to the end that they may know to what end, as it were, all their plans, labours, and studies, are to be directed, and how this end, which they propose to them- selves, may most easily be attained and effected. QUESTION X. When the Pastors of Souls are here taken in hand to he instnicted, what must foi'rn their First Consideration, that they may ri'jhtly fulfil the Fimctions of their Duty. That, therefore, seems to be first of all, that they always recollect that in this consists all the knowledge of a Christian man, or rather, as saith the Saviour, this is life eternal, tliat they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom tJiou hast sent.'''' The work of a teacher in the Church will therefore chiefly be directed to this end, that the faithful earnestly desire to know Jesus Christ and him cruaified^ that they be firmly convinced within themselves, and with the innermost piety and devotion of heart, believe, that there is none other name v/nder lieaven given among men whereby we must be saved,y for lis is the 2^ropitiation for our sins. But as hereby do we know tJiat we luwe known hiin, if we keep his coimnandments, the next consideration, and one intimately connected with the preceding, is to show also that the lives of the faithful are not to be wasted in ease and sloth, hut that we ought to walk even as [Chi'ist] himself walked,''- and with all zeal follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, charity, meekness ;'^ for he gave himself for us, tJuit he might redeem us from all iniquity, a/nd purify unto himself a people acceptable, ' John xvii. 3. * 1 Cor. ii. 2. ? Acts iv. 12. ' 1 John ii. 2, 3, 6. "1 Tim. vi. 2. PEEFACE. 7 foEowing after good worhs.^ These things tlie apostle com- mands pastors to specJc and exhort.'^ But as our Lord and Saviour has not only declared, but has also shown by his own example, that the law and the prophets depend on love,* and as also, according to the apostle, charity is the end of the commcm3)nent and the fidfihnevit of iJie Iww,^ no one can doubt that this, as a para- mount duty, should be attended to with the utmost assiduity, that the faithful people be excited to love the infinite good- ness of God towards us ; that, burning with a sort of divine ardour, they may be powerfully attracted to the supreme and aU-perfect good, to adhere to which is true and solid happi- ness, as is fully perceived by him who can say with the prophet : What have I in Iieaven, and what do I desire upon earth, besides thee P This forsooth is that more excellent way' which the same apostle pointed out, when he referred all the system of his doctrine and instructions to charity, which never faMeth;'^ for whatever is proposed [by the pastor], whether it be to be believed, hoped, or practised, the love of God should be so strongly pointed oiit therein, that any one may clearly perceive that all the works of perfect Christian virtue can have no other origin, nor be referred to any other end, than divine love. QUESTION XI.- It is not enough tJiai Pastors sliould loo?,: to these Two Ends while teaching, hit they ought to adapt themselves to the Capacity of each Person. But as in imparting instruction of any sort the manner of teaching is of the highest importance, so, in the instruction of the Christian people, it should be deemed of the greatest moment. For the age, capacity, manners, and condition of the hearers demand attention, that he who exercises the ■work of teaching may become aU things to all inen,^ to gain all to Christ, and approve himself a faithful minister and steward, J and, like a good and faithful servant, be found I* Tit. ii. 14. = Ilid. 15. ^ Matt, xxii. 40. ' 1 Tim. i. 5 ; Eom. xiii. 8. ' Ps. Ixxii. 25 (Ixxiii. 25, in our version). s' 1 Cor. xii. 31. ' 1 Cor. xiii. 8. ' 1 Cor. ix. 22. J 1 Cor. iv. 1, 2. PREFACE. worthy to be set by his Lord over many things.^ Nor let him think that the men committed to Ms charge are all of one kind, so that he may teach by one prescribed and fixed course of instruction, and lead aU alike to the knowledge of true piety ; for whereas some are as new-hom habes} others begia to grow up in Christ, and others are in some sort of fuU maturity, it is necessary to consider diligently who they are that have occasion for milk, who, for more solid food,™ and to aiford to each such aliments of doctrine as may make the spirit to increase, urdil we all come into the unity of faith amd of tlie knowledge of tlie Son of God unto a perfect man, unio tlie measure of tJie age of tlie fulness of Christ.^ Now this the apostle pointed out to the observation of all in him- self when he said, that he was a debtor to tlie Greek and to tlie' ha/rharian, to tlie wise and to tlie ununse° to the end that those who are called to this ministry might understand, that in delivering forth the mysteries of faith, and the precepts of life, the instruction ought to be accommodated to the ca- pacity and intelligence of the hearers ; that, whilst they fill the minds of the strong with spiritual food, they do not meanwhile sufier the little ones to perish with hunger, asking for bread whilst there is Twne to break it to tliem.'s Nor should any one's zeal in teaching be relaxed, because it is sometimes necessary that the hearer be instructed in precepts touching matters apparently unimportant and humble, which cannot without tedium be discussed by those whose mind is accustomed to repose in the contemplation of more sublime things ; for if the wisdom of the Eternal Father descended upon earth, that, in the humility of our flesh, he might teach us the precepts of a heavenly Ufe, who is there whom tlie love of Christ does not constrain^ to become a httle one in the midst of his brethren; and, as a nurse cherishing her children, so anxiously to long for the salvation of his neighbours, that, as the apostle testifieth of himself, he desire to impart not the gospel of God only to them, hut even his own soul.^ "■ Matt. XXV. 23. ' 1 Pet. ii. 2. » 1 Cor. iii. 2 ; Heb. v. 12. " Eph. iv. 13 (marginal reading). " Rom. i. 14. P Lament, iv. 4. ' 2 Cor. v. 14. ' 1 Tliess. ii. 7, 8. PREFACE. » QUESTION XII. Since God lialh withdrawn his Visible Presence from m, his Pastors derive his Word from Scriptwc and from Traditions. But all tlie doctrines which are to be imparted to the faithful are contained in the word of God, which is divided iato Scripture and Tradition. In the study of these matters, therefore, the pastors will spend their days and nights, keep- ing in miud the admonition of St. Paul to Timothy, which all whosoever have care of souls should consider as addressed to themselves. But that admonition is as follows : — Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctriiie,^ for all Scripture divinely inspired is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in righteousness, that the inan of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work.^ But whereas the things divinely revealed are so many and so various, that it is no easy task either to acquire a know- ledge of them, or, having acquired that knowledge, to retain them in the memory, so that when occasion may require, a prompt and ready explanation thereof may be at hand ; our ancestors have very wisely reduced this whole force and system of the doctrine of faith to these four different heads : The Apostles' Creed, the Sacraments, the Ten Command- ments, and the Lord's Prayer. In the doctrine of the Creed are contained all things that are to be held according to the discipline of the Christian faith, whether regarding the knowledge of God, the creation and government of the world, or the redemption of the human race, the rewards of the good and the punishments of the wicked. In the doctrine of the seven Sacraments are comprehended the signs, and, is it were, the instruments for the obtaining of divine grace : in the Decalogue, whatever has reference to the Law, the end whereof is charity.^ Finally, in the Lord's Prayer is contained whatever can be desired, hoped, or prayed for by the Christian. It follows, therefore, that these four as it were common places of sacred Scripture being explained, scarcely anything to be learnt by a Christian can be wanting. • 1 Tim. iv. 13. ' 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. " 1 Tim. i. 5. 10 PREFACE. QUESTION XIII. In what Marnier Pastors may wnite tke Explamaiion of Hie Gospel witJi, the Explanation of the Catecliism. It therefore seems proper to acquaiat pastors tliat, wteii- ever they haYe occasion, in tie ordiaary exercise of their duty, to expound any passage of the Gospel or any other part of Holy Scripture, its substance will be found under some one of the four heads already enumerated, to which they will resort as to tie source of that doctrine from which their exposition is to be drawn. For instance, if the Gospel of the first Sunday of Advent is to be explained : Tfiere sliall be signs in the sun and in tJoe moon,'' (fee, whatever appertains to its explanation is contained under the article of the Creed, He shall come to judge the living a/nd the dead ; and, by including those particulars in his exposition, the pastor will at one effort instruct his people in the Creed and in the Gospel.™' Wherefore, whensoever he has to teach and to expound the Scriptures, he will observe this same rule of directing all things to these four first principal heads, to which, as we have already said, the whole force and doctrine of Holy Scripture are referred. He win, however, observe that order which shall seem best suited to persons and seasons. "We, following the authority of the Fathers, who, to initiate men unto Christ the Lord, and instruct them in his discipline, take their begin- ning from the doctrine of faith, have deemed it advantageous to explain first what appertains to feith. • Luke xxi. 25. " Fidelem populum et symbolum et evangelium docebit. CATECHISM ACCORDING TO THE DECREE OE THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. PART I. CHAPTEE I. ON FAITH AND THE SYMBOL OF FAITH. QUESTION I. Wliat u meant hy Faith m this place, and of its Necessity unto Salvation. But whereas in Sacred Scripture tlie word faith has a variety of meanings, we here speak of that faith, by- force of which we yield our entire ■ assent to whatever has been divinely delivered. And that this faith is necessary to obtaining salvation, no man can reasonably doubt, par- ticularly as it is written, that vntlwut faith it is impossible to phase God?- For whereas the end proposed to man as his ultimate happiness is far beyond the reach of the hiunan understanding, it was therefore necessary that he should receive the knowledge thereof from Almighty God. And this knowledge is nothing else than faith, by virtue of which we hold that as fixed whatsoever the authority of our Holy Mother the Church teaches us to have been delivered by God ,' for the faithful can have no doubt touching those things of which God, who is the i/nith itself,y is the author. Hence we understand how great is - Heb. xi. 6. r John xir. 6. 12 THE CATECHISM the difference that exists between this faith which we have in God, and that which we yield to the writers of human history. But faith, though comprehensive in its meaning, and differing ip degree and dignity (for we read in the sacred writings these words — ilum of little faith, why didst Hum doubt ?^ and, Great is thy faith ;^ and, Increase our faith;^ also. Faith without works is dead;'' and, Faith which worheth by elia/rity =•), is yet the same in kind; and the force and nature of its definition applies equally to all its degrees. Its fruitfulness, and the ad- vantages we may derive from it, will be pointed out in the explanation of the articles [of the Creed]. QUESTION II. Wlien, amdfor what Reason, the Twelve Heads of Faith were handed down hy tJie Ajjostlcs. The first points, then, which Christian men ought to hold, are those which the holy apostles, the great leaders and teachers of the faith, inspired by the Holy Ghost, have divided into the twelve articles of the Creed. For when they had received a command from the Lord to go forth into the whole world, acting as his ambassadors, and preach the Gospel to every creature^ they thought fit to compose a form of Christian faith, to wit, that all might think and speak the same thing, and that amongst those whom they should have called unto the unity of faith no schisms shoiild exist, but that they should be perfect in j/te same mind, and in tlie same judgment.^ QUESTION III. Why this was called a " Symbol." This profession of Christian faith and hope, composed by themselves, the apostles called a syiribol, either because it was made up of various sentences, which each contributed respectively towards its completion, or because by it, as by a common sign and watchword, they might easily distinguish false brethren, desei'ters from the faith, unawares hrouglvt ' Matt. xiv. 31. " Matt. xv. 28. i" Luke xvii. 5. ■^ James ii. 17. '' Gal. v. 6. " Mark xvi. 15. ' 1 Cor. i. 10. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 13 in,s who corrupted the word of God,^ from tliose who had really bound themselves by an oath of fidelity to the warfare of Christ. QUESTION IV. Of the Necessity of this Creed, and its Division into Parts. Amongst the many truths which are proposed to our belief ia the Christian religion, and of which, separately or gene- rally, a certain and firm faith ought to be held, the first, and one which is necessary to be believed by all, is that which God himself has taught us as the foundation and summary of truth, which regards the unity of the Divine Essence, and the distinction of the Three Persons, and the actions which are in some sort peculiarly attributed to each. The pastor will teach that the Apostles' Creed briefly comprehends the doctrine of this mystery. For, as our ancestors have observed, who, in treating this subject, have shown both piety and accuracy, [the Creed] seems to be divided into three principal parts, in suchwise, that one describes the first person of the Divine ISTature, and the marvellous work of creation; another, the second person, and the mystery of man's redemption j a third, comprising the doctrine of the third person, the origin and source of our sanctification, in divers and most appropriate sentences.' Now these sentences we call articles, by a sort of com- parison frequently used by our forefathers ; for as the mem- bers of the body are divided by joints {articuli), so also, in this profession of faith, whatever is to be believed distinctly and separately from anything else, is properly and appositely called an article. E Gal. ii. 4. '■ 2 Cor. ii. 17. For these etymologies of synibolum, see tie author- ities quoted in my note on the "Decrees and Canons," p. 16, and Bar- row on the Creed, art. i. p. 4, aqq. Beveridge on Art. VIII. p. 152. ^ I.e. in various subdivisions of the tliree greater articles of the Creed. 14 THE CATECHISM CHAPTER II. ON THE FIRST ASTICLE OF THE CEEED. "1 BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALjnOHTT, CKEATOB OF HEAVEN AN'D EAKTH," QUESTION I. A B-ri^ Explanation of the First Article. The import of tliese -words is tliis : I believe -with, cer- tainty, and wittout any doubt profess my belief, in God the Father, the first person, to wit, of the Trinity, who by his omnipotent power, created from nothing, preserves and governs the heaven and the earth, and all things which are contained in the compass of heaven and earth ; and not only do I believe in him from the heart, and profess this belief with the lips, but with the greatest zeal, and' piety tend towards him, as the supreme and most perfect good. Let this serve as a sort of brief comprehensive view of this first article. But whereas great mysteries lie concealed under almost every word, the pastor must now give them a more diligent consideration, that, as far as God has per- mitted, the faithful people may draw nigh, with fea/r and trerMing} to the contemplation of the glory of the divine Majesty. QUESTION II. What is meant Tyy tJie word " JBelieve." The word believe, therefore, does not here mean to think, to imcogine, to opine ; but, as the sacred letters teach, it has the force of a most decided assent, by which the mind gives a firm and unhesitating assent to God revealing his mys- teries. As far, therefore, as regards the explanation of the present passage, he who firmly and without hesitation is persuaded of anything, is said to believe. Nor ought any one to suppose that the knowledge derived through faith is less certain because those objects are not seen, which faith pro- I Philipp. ii. 12. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 15 pounds to us to be believed ; for the diyiiie liglit by wMcIi we perceive tliem, althougli it does not render tbe objects them- selves cleax,'^ yet suffers us not to doubt regarding them;ybr God who commanded the light to shine out of da/rkness, hath Mmsel/slione in our hea/rts, that the Gospel he not hidden to us, as to those that are lost} QUESTION III. The Matters propounded in tJie Creed are not to he cwrioualy investigated, hut simply asserted. From what has been said it now follows, that he, who is endued with this heavenly knowledge of faith, is free from an inquisitive curiosity. For when God commands us to believe, he does not propose to us to search into the divine judgments, or inquire iuto their reason and their cause, but commands an immutable faith, by the efficacy of which the mind reposes ia the knowledge of eternal truth. And ia- deed, whilst the apostle beareth witness, that God is true, and every man a licvr,^ if it would be the part of an arrogant and presumptuous person to disbelieve the asseveration of a grave and sensible man affirming anything as true, and to urge him to support what he had stated by reasons and authorities ; of what temerity and folly would it be for one who hears the word of Gfod himself, to demand reasons for his heavenly and saving doctrine ? Faith, therefore, is to be held to the exclusion not only of all doubt, but also of the desire of demonstration thereof. QUESTION IV. It is ruot enow/h for Salvation that we helieve. It is also neeessa/ry that we make Profession of our Faith, But the pastor should also teach, that he who says, / believe, besides declaring the inward assent of the mind, which is an internal act of faith, should also with open profession of faith profess, and with the greatest alacrity confess, proclaim openly what he holds inwardly ia his heart. For the faithful should possess the same [spirit, on which the '' Of. Heb. si. 1, and on belief in general, and its restricted senses, Barrow, p. 12 (ed. 1697), and Pearson on the Creed, suh init. ' 2 Cor. iv. 3. ■» Rom. iii. i. Cf. Ps. oxv. 11 (oxvi. 11). 16 THE CATECHISM prophet relied, when he said : / believed, therefore Juwe I spoken;'^ and should follow the example of the apostles, who replied to the princes of the people : We cannot hut speak the things, which we home seen and lieard?- [They should further] be excited by that splendid saying of St. Paul : I am, not asliamed of the Gospel; for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that helieveth ;° also, by [those words], by which the truth of this sentiment is especially confirmed : With tlie hea/rt man helieveth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made urdo salvation-^ QUESTION V. Tlie Excellence of the Christian faiili "in God." Hence, we may learn the dignity and excellence of Chris- tian wisdom, and how much we owe to the divine goodness : we, to whom it is given at once to ascend as it were by foot- steps'! of faith, to the knowledge of that wliich surpasses in excellence, and which is most earnestly to be sought. QUESTION VI. Sow much the Christian Wisdom conca-ning God differeth from tlie Philosophical Knowledge of Diviiie Things. For in this, Christian philosophy and the wisdom of this world differ much, since the latter, guided solely by the light, of nature, and having made gradual advances by reasoning on effects, and on those objects which are at last perceived by the senses, after lengthy toUs, at length with difficulty reaches the contemplation of the invisible things of God, and dis- covers and understands the first cause and author of all things ; whilst, on the contrary, the former doth so sharpen ■» Ps. cxv. 10 (cxvi. 10). ° Acts iv. 20. » Eom. i. 16. p Eom. X. 10. On the subject of these public professions of faith, compare the quotations from tlie Councils of Laodicea and others, in Pearson's note on the Creed, introd. p. 14, and Parrow, p. 3, sqq. For references to the Protestant confessions on the same subject, cf. Rogers on Art. VIII. Prop. i. p. 40 (ed. 1681). 1 This passage, "quasi fidei gradibus ascendere," has been totally misrepresented by the previous translator, who has used a metaphor derived from the flight of birds. Bellarmin's treatise "de ascensione mentis in Deum per scalas rerum creatarum," might have taught him better. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 17 the quickness of tlie human mind, that without difficulty it is enabled to penetrate the heavens, and, illumined with divine splendour, contemplates first the eternal source of light itself, and next, the things that are placed below him ; so that, as the Prince of the Apostles says, we experience with the most exquisite pleasure of mind, and believing, rejoice with joy unspealcahle^ that we have been called out of darkness into his ma/rvellov^ light.' Justly, therefore, do the faithful profess first to believe in God, whose majesty, with the prophet Jeremiah, we declare to be incmnpreliensible ; * for, as the apostle says. He dwelleth in ligM inaccessible, which no man hath seen, nor cam, see ;" for when he spake unto Moses, he himself said : Man shall not see me and live.'' For, in order that it may be capable of rising to [the contemplation of] the Deity, than whom there is nothing more sublime, our mind must necessarily be entirely abs- tracted from the senses ; a state for which we have by nature no capacity in the present life. But although this be the case, God, nevertheless, says the apostle, left not hi/msdf without witness, in that lie did good, a/nd game rains from lieaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.'^ This is the reason that philosophers conceived nothing mean of the Deity ; and removed from binn everything corporeal, — everything gross,^ and compound ; but ascribed to blm the perfect power and fulness of all good, from whom, as from an eternal and inexhaustible fountain of goodness and benignity, should flow every perfect gift to all creatures ; calling him the wise, the author of truth, the loving, the just, the most beneficent ; designated him also by other appellations expressive of supreme and absolute perfection ; and said that Ins immense and infinite excellence filled every place, and extended through aU things. This is much better and mvich more clearly proved from the sacred Scriptures, as in the following passages : God is a spirit.y Be ye perfect, even as your lieavenly Father is perfect ;'^ All things are naked and opened ' 1 Pet. i. 8. » 1 Pet. ii. 9. ' Jer. xxxii. 19. " 1 Tim. vi. 16. ' Exod. xxxiii. 20. " Acts xiv. 16. " Conoretum, mixed and united together, as is the case with all material bodies. See Gifanius's Index to Lucretius. T John iv. 24. '■ Matt. v. 48. C 18 THE CATECHISM unto his eyes ;* Oh / the depth of the riclies of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God ;^ God is true ;" I am the way, and the truth, and tlve life ;'^ Thy right hand is full of righteous- ness f Tliou openest thine hand, andfllest vnth blessing every living creature;^ and finally: Whith&r shall I go from thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy face 1 If I ascend v/p into Iheaven, thou a/rt there ; if I descemd into hell, thou a/rt present; if I take my wings eai'ly in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, [even there also shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hamd shall hold me] ;= and : Do I not fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord 1^ These are great ajid glorious truths touching the nature of God ; and philosd- phers attained a knowledge of them, from the inTestigation of the -n-orks of God, in accordance with the authority of the sacred volumes. The necessity of the heavenly teaching, however, we also recognize, if we reflect, that not only does faith, as Tve have already observed, make known clearly and at once to the rude and uneducated those truths, the know- ledge of which philosophers only attained by long study, but likewise that the knowledge of things, which is obtained by the discipline of faith, is much more certain, and much more free from error, than if the mind had arrived at the knowledge of those same things, by the reasonings of human science. But how much superior must that knowledge of the Deity be deemed, the access to which cannot be acquired by all in common from the contemplation of nature, but is opened pecuharly by the light of faith unto those who beUeve? This [knowledge] is contained in the articles of the Creed, which disclose to ns the unity of the divine essence, and the distinction of three persons ; and also, that God is the ultimate end of man's existence, from whom we are to expect the enjoyment of heavenly and eternal happiness ; for we have learned from St. Paul, that God is a, rewarder of them that seeh himS How great are these rewards, and whether they are such as that human reason coidd have aspired to a; knowledge of them, we leam from these words of Isaiah, - Heb. iv. 13. " Rom. xi. 33. = Rom. iiL 4. " John xiv. 6. "^ Ps. xlvii. 11 (xlviii. 10). ' Ps. cxliv. 16 (cxlv. 16, "satisfiest the desire of every living being"). s Ps. cxxxviii. 7, sqq. (oxxxix. 7, sqq.). ' Jer. xxiii. 24. ' Heb. xi. 6. OP THE COUNCIIi OF TRENT. 19 long before [tlie time of] the apostle : Since tlie beginning of the world they luvoe not heard, nor perceived with tlie ears : Tlie eye hath not seen, God, beside tJiee, what things tlwu liast prepared for them that wait for thee.i QUESTION VII. It is to he pi-ofessed that iliere is one God, iwt Diore than one. But from -what has been said, it must also be confessed tliat there is but one God, not many gods. For, as we attri- bute to God supreme goodness and perfection, it is impossible that Avhat is supreme and most perfect can be found common to many. If a being lack anything necessary to supreme perfection, it is by the very fact imperfect, and therefore cannot have the nature of God.'' This is also proved from many passages of Scripture ; for it is ■written ; Hear, Israel, the Lord omr God is one Lord ;^ again : Tlwu shalt not have strange gods before me™ is the command of God ; and again, he often admonishes us by the prophet : / a/m tlie first, and I am tlie last ; and beside nie there is no God." The apostle also openly testifieth : One Lord, oTie faith, one baptism." QUESTION VIII. Tliename of God is sometimes attributed to created natures, hut improperly. It should not, however, surprise us, if the sacred Scriptures sometimes give the name of God to creatures ; for when they caU the prophets and judges gods,? they do so not after the manner of the Gentiles, who, in their folly and impiety, formed to themselves many gods ; but they wished to express> by a manner of speaking by no means unusual, some ex- cellent quality or function conferred on them by the gift of God. The Cluistian faith therefore believes and professes, as is taught in the Nicene Creed in confirmation of this truth, that God in his nature, substance, and essence is one ; but, soaring stUl higher, it so understands idm to be one i Is. Ixiv. 4. Compare 1 Cor. ii. 9. ' ' Si OTii aliquid ad summam deest, eo ipso imperfeotus est ; quare neiS Dei natura illi convenit. ' Deut. vi. 4, "" Exod. XX. 3. ° Is< xliv. 6. » Epli. iv. 5. P Cruden's Concordance will furnish abundant examples. See, also,- mv edition of Calmet's Biblical Dictionary, p. 353. c2 20 THE CATECHISM that it reverences Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. Of this mystery we now proceed to speak.i QUESTION IX. God is in a general way styled tlie Father of all men, hut in a peculiar way the Father of Christians. The word Father conies next in the Creed ; but as the word Fatlier is applied to God for more reasons than one, we must first determine what is the more strictly appropriate meaning of the word in this present instance. Some even, on whose darkness faith never showed its Hght, conceived God to be an eternal substance, from whom things had their origin, and by whose providence all things are governed, and enabled to preserve their order and condition. As, there- fore, he to whom a family owes its origin, and by whose wisdom and authority it is governed, is called Father; so, by an analogy derived from things human, God was by them called Father, because they recognized him as the creator and governor of the universe. The sacred Scriptures have also made use of the same appellation, when, speaking of God, they declare that to him the creation of all things, power, and admirable providence, are to be attributed; for we read : Is not lie thy Fatlier tliat hath possessed time, and made thee, and created . thee P And again : Have ive not all one Fatlier ? Hath not mie God created us?^ But God, particularly in the New Testament, is much more frequently, and in a certain sense peculiarly, called the Father of Christians, who have not received the spirit of bondage in /ear, but have received the spirit of adoption of tlie scrns of God, whereby they cry Abba, Father;^ for tlie Fatlier liatli bestowed on us thai manner of clia/rity, tliat toe should be *i I shall, once for all, recommend a careful comparison of the articles of faith propounded throughout this catechism, especially of these points in which the Reformed churches agree with the Eomish, of the different confessions set forth by the early reformed churches. The most conve- nient edition of these is the " Corpus Librorum Symbolicorum," published, in 1827, by Jo. Christ. Giul. Augusti. But the edition called " Corpus et Syntagma Confessionum fidei," published at Geneva in 1664, in 4to, con- tains a valuable concordance. ' Deut. xxxii. 6. " Is not he thy father that hath bought" fcf. Exod. XV. 16) "thee ? hath he not made thee, and established thee ?" « Mai. ii. 10. ' Rom. viii. 15. OF THE COUNCIL OF TBiaiT. 21 called, and be the sons of God;" and if sons, heirs also, heirs indeed of God, amd joini-Ji&irs vnth Christ,'' who is tlie first- born a/mongst momy brethren,^'' for which cause lie is not ashcnned to call us brethren.^ Whether, therefore, one look to the common cause of creation and providence, or the special one of spiritual adoption, justly do the faithful profess to believe, that God is their Father. QUESTION X. What mysteiies are to ha inferred from this appellation of " Fatliei;'' and of the disiincti^m of the Persons in sax^xd things. But the pastor will teach that, on hearing the word Father, besides the meaning which we have unfolded, the mind should be uplifted to the contemplation of loftier mysteries. Under the name of Father, the divine oracles begin to open unto us that which is more abstruse, and more deeply hidden in that inaccessible light in which God dweUeth, that which human reason and research not only could not attain, but even conjecture to exist. For this name implies, that in the one essence of the Godhead not one person only is to be believed, but a distinction of persons. For in one Godhead there are three persons; the Father, who is begotten of none ; the Son, who is begotten of the Father before all worlds;'' the Holy Ghost, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son likewise from all eternity. But in the one substance of the Divinity the Father is the first person, who with his only begotten Son and the Holy Ghost is one God and one Lord, not in the singularity of one person, but in the Trinity of one sub- stance. Now these three persons (for it would be impious to suiDpose anything unlike or unequal in them), are under- stood to be distinct only by their peculiar relations;^ for the Father is unbegotten, the Son begotten of the Father, the Holy Ghost proceeds from both ; and we confess the same essence of the three persons, the same substance, in such wise that we believe that, in the confession of the true and eternal Godhead, we are piously and religiously to adore both distinction in the persons, unity in the essence, and ° 1 John iii. 1. ' Rom. viii. 17. " Rom. viii. 29. ' Heb. ii. 11. i" Sscula. ' Proprletatibus. 22 THE CATECHISSI equality in. tlie Trinity. For -when we say that tine Father is the first person, this is not to be understood to mean that in the Trinity there is anything before or after, greater or less, — for far be this from the minds of the faithful — seeing that the Christian religion proclaims the same eternity, the same majesty of glory in the three persons. But the Father, because he himself is the beginning, -without beginning, we truly and without hesitation affirm to be the first person ; who, as he is distinguished by his peculiar relation of pater- nity, so of him alone is it especially true that he begot the Son from eternity; for, when in this confession we pro- nounce together the names of God and Father, it intimates to us that he was always God and Father. But whereas there is nothing in which it is more dangerous to make investigation, or more serious to err, than in the knowledge and explanation of this the most profound and difficult of things, let the pastor instruct the people that they religiously retain the terms " essence " and " person," by which this mystery is expressed ; and let the faithful know that unity belongs to the essence and distinction to the persons. But it behoveth not to inquire with too great subtlety into these truths, when we recollect that Ae vjJio is a searcJier after viajesty shall he overwhelmed hy glory ; '^ we ought to be satisfied with what we know and ai'e assured of by feith, that we have been taught to this effect by God himself; and that to dissent from his oracles is the extreme of foUy and misery. He has said : Teach all TuUions, baptizing ilwm, in ■the name of the Father, and of tlie Son, and of tlie Holy Ghost ;'' and again. There are three tluit bear record in lieaven, tlie Fcbther, tlie Word, and tlie Holy Gliost ; and these three are one." Let him, however, who by the divine bounty believes these things, constantly beseech and implore God, and the Father, who made all things out of nothing, and orders all things sweetly,'^ who gave us power to becojiie the sons of God,^ and who made known to the human mind the mystery of the Trinity, — let him, I say, pray without inter- mission, that, admitted at some time into the eternal taber- " ProT. XXV. 27. In our vex'sion, "for men to search tlieir own glory ' h not glory." I" Matt, xxviii. 19. ' 1 John v. 7. Not found in the Greek. *■ Wisdom viii. 1. ' John i. 12. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEEST. 23 Bacles, lie may be worthy to see lio-w great is the fecundity of the Fatlier, who, contemplating and understanding him- self, begot the Son, like and equal to himself; how a love of charity in both, entirely the same and equal, which is the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, con- nects the begetter and the begotten by an eternal and indis- soluble bond ; and that thus there is one essence of the Trinity, and a perfect distinction of the three persons. QUESTION XI. " Omnipotmt." What wa are Jiere to midersiand hy tlie word "Omnipotent." In order to show with how great religion and piety the God of all holiness is to be adored, the sacred Scriptures are wont to express his supreme power and immense majesty by various names; but the pastor should more particularly set forth, that the attribute of '-'omnipotence" is that which is most frequently ascribed to God. Thus himself saith of him- self, / am the AhniglUy God ;^ and again, Jacob, Vvdien sending his sons to Joseph, thus prayed for them : May my Almighty God make, him favourable to you.^ In the Apoca- lypse it is also written. The Lord God, loho is, and wlw was, a/nd wlm is to come, tlie Ahnighty -j^ and elsewhere the last day is called tlie great day of God Almighty.^ Sometimes the same thing is expressed in several words, thus: JVo word shall be impossible with God ;i Is the Lord's hand waxed short ? ^ Thy power is at Jiand wlien thou wUt ; ^ and many other passages of the same import. From all these forms of speech we can clearly perceive what is comprehended under this single word Almighty. For by it we understand that there neither is, nor can be conceived in mind or imagi- nation, anything which God camiot eifect ; for not only this faculty (which, although it be of surpassing greatness, never- theless, in some wise falls within our own comprehension), namely, that all things may be brought to nothing, and that many worlds may suddenly start into existence from nothing; ' Gen. xvii. 1, e Gen. xliii. 14. ^ Apoc. i. 8. ' Apoc. xvi. 14. J Luke i. 37 ; i. e. nothing shall be; on ovk uovyartitr^i Trapa rifi Oeip Trav prjfia. ^ Num. xi. 23. ' Wisd. xii. IS. 24 THE CATECHISM but even far greater things, of whicli the human mind cannot form the remotest notion, lie within his power. QUESTION XII. Since God is Omnipotent, he cannot err or he deceived. But although God can do all things, yet he cannot lie, or deceive, or be deceived, or sin, or perish, or he ignorant of anything. Such tilings are compatible -with that nature™ only, whose actions are imperfect ; but God, whose acts are ever all-perfect, is said to be incapable of these, because to be capable of them appertains to infirmity, not to the supreme and infinite power over aU things, which he jjossesses. Thus then whilst we believe God to be omnipotent, we consider that there is entirely excluded from him whatever is not most closely connected, and consistent with, the perfection of his essence. QUESTION XIII. WIoj Omnipotence is the only attribute mentioned in tlie Creed, other names of the Deity being omitted; and concerning the utility of this faith. But the pastor should show how rightly and wisely all other names of God have been omitted in the Creed, and that alone of Almighty proposed to our behef For when we acknowledge God to be omnipotent, we also of necessity confess that he is omniscient, and all things are subject to liis dominion and authority. When we doubt not that all tilings may be accomplished by him, it naturally follows that we must also be convinced of all other tilings regarding him, the absence of which would render the manner of his omni- potence altogether miintelligible to us. Besides, nothing contributes more to confirm our faith and hope, than if we have it deeply implanted in our hearts, that all tilings are possible with God j" for, whatever may afterwards be set forth, however great, however wonderful it may be, and how- ever it may transcend the order and manner of things, easily and without hesitation receives assent, when the mind has ouce received the knowledge of the omnipotence of God. Nay more, the greater are the truths which the di^Tiie oracles may teach, so much the more willingly does the mind deem ■= /. e. that class of beings, " Matt. xix. 28. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 25 tliem worthy of belief ; nor, whenever we expect any good thing, is our mind broken down by the magnitude of the boon it desires, but is elevated and confirmed by frequently considering that there is nothing impossible to aa omni- potent God. With this faith, then, should we be especially fortified whenever we are obhged to perform any wondrous works for the use and advantage of our neighbour, or when we wish to obtain by prayer anjrthing from God. In the one case, we learn [the necessity of such faith] from the Redeemer him- self, who, when rebuking the apostles for their incredulity, said to them : If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove f rein hence to yonder place, and it shall remove ; amd nothing shall he impossible unto you ;° and in the other, St. James beareth witness : Let him ask in faith, iiothing wavering ; for he that wamereth is like a wa/ue of tJie sea, driven with tlie unnd and tossed about. Therefore, let not that man think tliat he shall receive anything of tJie Lord.V This faith also brings with it many advantages. It forms us, in the first place, to all modesty and lowliness of mind, as saith the Prince of the Apostles : Humble yourselves, ilierefore, under the migMy hand of God.'i It also admonishes us not to fear where there is no cause of fear, but to fear God alone, in whose power we ourselves and all that we have ai-e jplaced ; for our Saviour says : / vnU forewa/rn you wlwrn ye shall fear ; fear him, who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into liell.^ "We also make use of tliis faith in order to know and celebrate the infinite mercies of God towards us ; for he, who considers the omni- potence of God, cannot be so ungrateful in disposition, as- not frequently to exclaim : He that is mighty Iiath done to me great things.^ QUESTION XIV. Tlic word " Omnipotent " is not Im-e attributed to the Father in smk a waf that it he not also applied to tJie iSon or the Spirit. But, when in this article we call the Father Almighty, let no one be led away by the error of therefore excluding from the participation of this attribute the Sou and the Holy " Matt. xvii. 20. i" James i. 6, seq. i 1 Pet. v. 6, ' Luke xii. 5. ' Luke i. 49. 26 THE CATECHISM Ghost. For as we say the Father is God, the Son is Grod, the Holy Ghost is God, and yet there are not three Gods, but one God ; so, in like manner, we confess that the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty ; and yet, there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.' The Father, however, we for a particular reason call Almighty, because he is the source of all origin ; as we also attribute wisdom to the Son, because he is the eternal "Word of the Father ; and goodness to the Holy Ghost, because he is the love of both. Thes^, however, and other such appellations, may be given indiscriminately to the three Persons, consistently with the rule of the Cathohc faith. QUESTION XT. " Creator of heaven and earth." Sow and why God created lieaven and earth. How necessary it is to have previously imparted to the faithful a knowledge of the omnipotence of God, may be ascertained from what we are now about to explain with regard to the creation of all things. For, when no room for doubt respecting the omnipotence of the Creator is left, we the more readily believe the miraculous production of so "mighty a work. For God formed not the world from any sort of material, but created it out of nothing, and that not constrained by force or necessity, but spontaneously and of his own free will. Nor was he impelled to the work of creation by any other cause than that he niight impart to the things by him created his own goodness ; for the nature of God, essentially and supremely happy in itself, stands not in need of anything ; as David saith : / luive said to the Lord, Tlwu art iny God, for tliou hast no need of my goods.^ But as, influenced by his own goodness, lie liath dmie whatsoever he pleased," so when he created all things, he followed no ex- ternal model or foi-m ; but contem-jjlating, and, as it were, imitating, the universal model which is contained in the divine intelligence, the supreme Architect, with infinite wisdom and infinite power, attributes peculiar to liimself, ' Athanasian Creed. ■■ Ps. XV. 2(xvi. 2, "my goodness extendeth not to tliee") ; of. Luoret. i. 60, "Div6in iiatura . . . Ipsa suis pollens opibus, nihil indiga nostri." ' Ps. cxiii. 3 (oxv. 3). OF THE COUNCIL OF TKENT. 27 created all things in the beginning : For lie spalce, aiid they were made ; lie cmvmamded, avd they were created^" QUESTION XVI. What ia here to he unda-stood by "Jieaven and earth." By the words lieaven and earth must be understood all things which heaven and earth contain ; for, besides the heavens, which the Prophet called tlie work of his fingers,'^ he also added the brilliancy of the sun, and the beauty of the moon, and the other stars ; and, that they may be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years^ he so ordered the orbs of heaven in a certain and constant course, that nothing varies more than their continual revolution, yet nothing is more certain than that variety. QUESTION XVII. Of the Creation of the Spiritual Heaveris and Angels. Moreover, he himself created from nothing spiritual nature and angels innumerable, to serve and minister unto him ; and these he afterwards enriched and adorned with the admirable gifts of his grace and power. For that the devil and the rest of the rebel angels were gifted -with grace a.t the beginning of their creation, is clearly to be in- ferred from the words of the sacred Scriptures, that the devil abode not in tlie truth.^ On which subject, St. Augus- tine says as follows : Jle created the angels with a good will, tluit is, with pure love, hy vjhich they might adliere to Mm, at once giving them, a nature, and according them grace. Hence we a/re to believe that the Iwly angels never were witlwut good will, tluLt is, the love of God.'^ As to their knowledge, there is this testimony of Holy Scripture : Tlwu, my Lord, King, art wise Ojccording to the wisdom of an Angel of God, to un- derstand all things upon ea/rth)' Finally, to them the inspired David doth ascribe power, in these words : Mighty in strength, doing his commandments ;'^ and hence it is , that they are often called in Scripture the powers and tlifB hosts of the " Ps. xxxii. 9 ; of. cxlyiii. 5. ' Ps. viii. 3. ^ Gen. i. 14. ' John viii. 44. " De Civit. Dei, xii. 9. >■ 2 Kings xiv. 20 (2 Sam. xiv. 20). "= Ps. cii. 20 (ciii. 20, marg.). 28 THE CATECHISM Lord. But although, they were all adorned with celestial gifts, very many, nevertheless, having revolted from God, their Parent and Creator, were hurled from those most lofty mansions of bliss, and shut up in the darkest dungeons of the earth, where they suffer the eternal punishment of their pride. Of them, the Prince of the Apostles thus saith : He spa/red twt the angels ilvxt sinned ; but delivered tJism, cast down into tJie place of tor7nents,'into the cJudns of hell, to be tormented and to he reserved unto judginentJ^ QUESTION XVIII. On tlic Creation of the Earth. God also commanded, by his word, the earth to stand in the midst of the world, rooted in its own. stability, and made the inountains ascend, and tlie valleys descend, into the place which he founded for them; and lest the waters should in- undate the earth, he set a hound which tliey may not pass over, neither shall they titrn again to cover tjie earth.^ He, furthermore, not only clothed and adorned it with trees, and every variety of herb and flower, but filled it, as he had already [filled] the waters and the air, with innumerable sorts of living creatiires. QUESTION XIX. On tJie Creation of Man. Lastly, he formed man from the slime of the earth, so created and qualified in body, as to be immortal and im- passible,f not however by the strength of nature, but by the divine gift. But as regards the soul of man, he created it to his own image and likeness ; gifted him with free will ; and so tempered all his motions and appetites, that they should at all times be svibject to the control of reason. He then added the admirable gift of original righteousness, and next gave him dominion over all other animals. From the sacred history of Genesis, the pastor will easily make himself ac- quainted with these things for the instruction of the faithful. ' 2 Pet. ii. 4. ' Ps. ciii. (civ. marg.), 8, 9. ' Impassibilis, a word xised in our first article, and translated "with- out pa-isiona." OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 29 QUESTION XX. In (lie words "Meaven, amd Earth," all things, loth visible and inviHlle, are comprehended. WLat we liave said, then, concerning tlie creation of all things, is to be understood by the words lieaven and earth, which is thus briefly set forth by the prophet : Tlie Jteavens are thine, the earth also is thine : the world and the fulness tliereof tlwu hast founded ;Z and still more briefly by the Fathers of the Council of Nice, who added ia their Creed these words : of all things visible and invisible ; for whatever things exist iii the universe, and were created by God, either fall under the senses, and are included in the word visible, or may be perceived by the mind, and are expressed by the word invisible. ' QUESTION XXI. The things created ly tlie Power of God cannot suisist without his Government and Providence. We must not, however, understand that Grod was in such wise the creator and accomplisher of all things, as to suppose that, when once the work was completed and perfected, those things wliich he had made could continue to exist un- supported by his infinite power. For as they obtain their existence from the supreme power, wisdom, and goodness of the Creator, so, unless his continual providence were ever present unto the things created, and by the same power by which they were first produced, they would instantly return to their original nothing. This the Scripture declares, when it saith : How could anything have endured, if it had iwt been thy will ? or been preserved, if not called by thee ?^ QUESTION XXII. God, hy his Government, doth not overtwn the force of Secondary Causes. But not only does God protect and govern all existing things by his providence ; but also by an eternal virtue doth in such a manner impel to motion and action whatever moves and acts, and this, as that, although he excludes not, he yet prevents,' the agency of secondaiy causes, for his altogether in- s Pb. Ixxxviii. 12 (Ixxxix. 11). '■ Wisdom xi. 26. ' /. e. precedes, goes before. 30 THE CATECHISM visible influence extends to all things, and, as the wise man beareth witness, reacJietfi from end to end, mightily, and ordereth cdl things sweetly.'^ Hence the apostle, when announcing to the Athenians the God, whom not knowing they adored, said : He is not far from every one of us ; for in him we live, and move, and have our heing.^ QUESTION XXIII. The Creation of tilings is not to be attributed to the Father only. Let thus much suffice, in explanation of the first article of . the Creed, with this additional observation, however, that the work of creation is common to all the persons of the H0I7 and Undivided Trinity ; of the Father, whom, accord- ing to the doctrine of the apostles, we in this place declare to be Creator of heaven and earth ; of the Son, of whom we read in the holy Scriptures : All things were made by him /' and of the Holy Ghost : The Spirit of God moved upon the waters y™ and again : By the Word of the Lord tJie Iteavens were established ; and all the power of them, by the spirit oj his mouth?- CHAPTER III. OP THE SECOND ARTICLE. " ASD IN JESUS CHKIST, HIS 0NL¥ SON, OUB LOUD." QUESTION I. Of the Second Article, and the Usefulness of tin Profession tliereof. That the advantage which flows to the human race from the belief and profession of this article is most wonder- fill and abundant, is shown by the testimony of St. John : Wlwsoever shall corf ess that Jesv^s is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and lie in God ;° and also by the address of Christ our Lord, proclaiming the Prince of the Apostles blessed, for the confession of this truth ; Blessed art tlum, i Wisdom viii. 1. ^ Acts xvii. 27, 28. ' John i. 3. ™ Gen. i. 2. " Ps. xxxii. 6 (xxxiii. 6, "made : and all the host of them by the hreath," &c.). ° 1 John iv. 15. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 31 Simon Bar-Jona ; for flesh arid blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but ray Fatli^er which is in heaven.v For this is the most firm basis of our salvation and redemption. QUESTION II. Sow we may best learn to estimate the value of tfie blessing propomided in this Article. But, -whereas the fruit of this admirable advantage is best understood, by considering the ruin brought on man, in his fall from that most happy state iii -which God had placed our first parents, let the pastor take particular care that the faithful be made acquainted -with the cause of these common miseries and calamities. When Adam had departed from the obedience due to God, and had violated that prohibition : Of every tree of Paradise eat ; but of the tree of the hnowledge of good and evil thou slialt not eat; for in tJte day that thou eatest thereof, tliou shalt die the death ;'i he fell into the ex- treme calamity of losing the sanctity and righteousness in ■which he had been placed, and of becoming subject to all those other evils, -which are detailed more at large by the holy Council of Trent.'^ [The pastors], therefore, -will re- mind [their flocks], that sin and the punishment of sin -were not confined to Adam, but have justly descended from him, as from their seed and cause, to all his posterity. QUESTION III. No one but Christ was able to restore the Human Hace. The human race ha-ving thus fallen from their most lofty grade of dignity, the power of men or angels could not by any means uplift them from their fallen condition, and replace them in their primitive state. Wherefore, there -was left that one remedy for the evil, and reparation for the loss, that the infinite po-wer of the Son of God, having assumed the ■weakness of our flesh, should remove the infinite -weight of sin, and reconcile us to God in his blood. " Matt. xvi. 17. ' Gen. ii. 16, seq. ' Sess. 5, can. i, and ii. p. 21, seq. of my translation ; Sess. 6, chap. i. and ii. p. 30, seq. 32 THE CATECHISM QUESTION IV. Witlumt the lelief of our Redemption, no one could ever he saved ; and there- fore Chi-ist has been frequently foretold from tJie hegirming of tJie world. Now tte belief and confession of tHs our redemption, which God held out in the beginning, are now, and always were, necessary to the obtaining of salvation. For in the sentence of condemnation, pronounced against the human race immediately after the sin [of Adam], the hope of re- demption was also held out in these words, by which [God] denounced to the devil the loss which he was to sustain by the redemption of man : / vdll put enmity between thee amd the wortw/n, amd between thy seed wnd Jier seed : she shall bruise thy liead, amd thou sludt lie in wait for Jier heel.^ The same promise he thenceforth often confirmed, and more dis- tinctly signified his counsels to those men especially whom he desired to make objects of his particular blessings, and amongst others to the patriarch Abraham, to whom he often signified this mystery, but then more openly, when he was willing, in obedience to God's command, to sacrifice his only son Isaac : Because, says he, thou Iiast done this thing, and /last not spared thy only begotten son, I vnll bless thee, amd I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heamen, and as the samd tliai is by tJie sea slwre. Tliy seed shall possess tJie gates of their enemies, and in thy seed shall all the iiations of tlie ea/rth be blessed ; because tlwu hast obeyed my voiced From which words it was easy to infer that he who was to bring salvation to all mankind from the most dreadful tyranny of Satan, was to be of the progeny of Abraham ; and that the Son of God was of necessity to be bom of the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh. Not very long after, to preserve the memory of tliis promise, the Lord renewed the same covenant with Jacob, the grandson of Abraham ; for when, as the Scripture testifies, Jacob saw in Hs sleep a la,dder standing upon the earth, and the top thereof touching heaven, the angels also of God ascending and descending by it," he also heard the Lord, leaning upon the ladder, saying to him, / am, the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and tJie ' Gen. iii. 15. " It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel," in our version. ' Gen. xxii. 16, sqq. " Of. Gen. xxviii. 12. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 33 God of Isaac : the land wJiereon thou sleepest, to thee ivill I give it, and to thy seed ; and thy seed shall be as tJie dust of tlhe earth : thou sluilt sjyread abroad to the west, and to tlie east, and to tlie north, and to tJie south ; and in tliee and thy seed sJiaU all tlie tribes of tlie earth be blessed.'' Nor did God cease afterwards, by renewing the recollection of the same promise, to excite in the race of Abraham, and in many other men, the expectatftn of a Saviour ; for, after the establishment of the Jewish republic and religion, it became better known to liis people. Types '' signified, and men foretold, what man- ner of blessings, and how great ones, that Saviour and Redeemer of ours, Christ Jesus, was to biing to mankind. And, indeed, the prophets, whose minds were illumined with heavenly light, foretold the birth of the Son of God, the wondrous works which he wrought, being born a man, his doctrine, manners, intercourse, death, resurrection, and the other mysteries regarding biTn ; " and all these as graphically, as if they were then passing before their eyes.y In fact, if the diversity of time fiiture and time past be removed, we can perceive no difference between the predictions of the prophets and the preaching of the apostles, between the faith of the ancient patriarchs and our own. But we must now speak of the several parts of this article. QUESTION V. Of ike name "Jesus," and thai it properly belongs to Christ. Jesus is the proper name of him who is God and man, and signifies Saviour ; a name given to him not accidentally, nor by the judgment or will of man, but by the counsel and command of God. For the angel announced thus to Mary his mother : Behold Hum shalt conceive in thy womb amd shalt bring forth a son, amd tlwu shalt call his naine Jesus ; ^ and afterwards not only commanded Joseph, who was espoused to the Virgin, that he should call the child by that name, but also declared the reason why he should be so called : Jos&ph, says he, thm, son of Damid, fea/r not to take vmto thee Mary thy wife ; for tlwi which ia conceived in Iter is of Hie ' Gen. xxviii. 13, 14. ' Mutee res. ' la. vii. 14, viii. 3, ix. 5, xi. 1, liii. throughout ; Jer. xxiii. 5, xxx. 9 ; Dan. vii. 13, ix. 24. ' Quasi turn adessent. ' Luke i. 31. D 34 THE catechism: Holy Glioat. And slie shall bring forth a Son, and fhou shalt call his na/me Jesus, for he shall save his people from themr sins.'^ QUESTION VI. T7its name is applied to other men, Imt not for tlie same reason. In the Holy Scriptures many were called by this name ; for instance, Jesu the son of Nave, who succgeded Moses, and conducted into the land of promise the people whom Moses had delivered from Egypt,'' [a privilege] which had been denied to him.<= By the same name also were called the son of Siracli of Jerusalem, who received wisdom from his heart,"! and the son of Josedech^ the priest. But how much moi'e truly shall we deem this name given to him who gave light, liberty, and salvation, not to one people only, but to all men, of aU ages, men not oppressed indeed by famine, or by Egyptian or Babylonish bondage, but sitting in ilie shculow of death,^ and fettered by the most galling chains of sin and of the devil j to him who purchased for them a right to the inheritance of heaven, who reconciled them to God the Father. In those men we recognize so many figiirative representations of Christ our Lord, by whom these blessings, which we have enumerated, were accumulated on the human race. To this one name Jesus are moreover to be referred all other nam,es, which were predicted to be given by divine appointment to the Son of God ; for whilst they partially hinted at the salvation which he was to bring unto us, this fully embraced the force and character of the universal salvation of mankind. QUJESTION VII. Oftlie name " CJirist," and for wJiat reccsons it is smted to Jesus. To tlie name Jesus is also added ttat of Christ, which sig- nifies tlie anointed ; and is a name expressive both of honour and of office, and not peculiax to one thing, but common to many ; &r our fathers of old called priests and Mngs, whom God, on account of the dig-nity of their office, commanded to be anointed, Christs.E For priests are they who commend " Matt. i. '20, .sq. '' I. e. Joshua ; of. Pearson, p. 69, sqq. ' Num. XX. 12. ■' Eccl. 1. 29. " Hag. i. 1. Luke i. 79. ^ Cf. Pearson, p. 79, sqq. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 35 tlie people to God by assiduous prayers, offer sacrifice to God, and deprecate his wratli on behalf of the people ; while to kings is intrusted the government of the people, and to them principally belongs the protection of the authority of the law, and of the lives of the innocent, and the punishment of those who offend. As then both of these functions seem to represent the majesty of God on earth, those who were appointed to the royal or sacerdotal office, were, therefore, anointed with oU. Prophets also were usually anointed, who, as the interpreters and ambassadors of the immortal God, unfolded to us the secrets of heaven, and by salutary precepts, and the prediction of future events, exliorted us to amendment of Hfe. But when Jesus Christ our Saviour came into the world, he took upon himself these three cha- racters of ProiDhet, Priest, and Bang, and is therefore called Christ, having been anointed for the discharge of these func- tions, not by the act of any mortal, but by the power of his heavenly Father ; not vrith earthly ointment, but with a spiritual oil ; for into his most holy soul were pom-ed the fulness and grace of the Holy Ghost, and a more abundant effusion of all gifts than any other created being could receive. This the prophet clearly shows, when he addresses the Re- deemer himseK in these words : Tlwu hast loved righteousness and hatest iniquity ; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed, thee vyith the oil of gladness above thy Jellows.^ The same is also much more explicitly set forth by the prophet Isaiah in these words : T/ie spirit of tJie Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me ; he hath seiit me to preach unto tlie m/eekS Jesus Christ, therefore, was tbe great prophet and teacher, who hath taught us the will of God, and by whose instruction the world has received the knowledge of the Heavenly Father ; and to him pre-eminently and surpassingly belongs the name [of Prophet], for all others who were dig- nified with that name were his disciples, sent principally in order that they might announce that prophet who was to come to save all men. Christ was also a Priest, not indeed of the tribe of Levi, as were the priests under the old law, but of that of which the royal prophet sang : Tlmu art a priest for ever afer tlie order of MelchisedecK^ Ofthissub- >■ Ps. xliv. 8 (xlv. 7). ' Is. Ixi. i. ; Luke iv. IS. J Ps. cix. 4 (ex. 4^ ; of. Heb. v. 6, and ihe following chajiters. d2 36 THE CATECHISM ject tlie apostle accurately pursues tlie argument in his epistle to the Hebrews. Christ, not only as he is God, but also as he is man, and partakes of our nature, we likewise acknowledge to be King ; of him the angel testified : ffe sImU reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his Icing dom there slwll he no end.^ This kingdom of Christ is spiritual and eternal, is begun on earth, but perfected in heaven ; and the duties of king he indeed discharges with admirable pro- vidence towards his Church, seeing that he govemeth her and guardeth her from the open attacks and covert designs of her enemies, prescribes to her laws, and imparts to her not only holiness and righteousness, but also power and strength to persevere. But, although within the limits of this kingdom are contained the good as well as the bad, and thus to it all men by right belong ; yet those who, in con- formity with his precepts, lead an unsullied and innocent life, experience, beyond all others, the sovereign goodness and beneficence of our king. Although descended from the most illustrious race of kings, he nevertheless obtained not this his kingdom by hereditary or human right, but he was a king, because God bestowed on the man [Jesus] all the power, dignity, and majesty of which human nature is capable. To him, therefore, Otoi delivered the government of the whole world ; and to him, as has already commenced, all things shall be made folly and entirely subject on the day of judgment. QUESTION Vni. AND IX. How it becomes us to Idieu: and confess Jesus Christ " tlie only Son " of Ood. In these words, more exalted mysteries with regard to Jesus are proposed to the faithful, as objects of belief and contemplation ; namely, that he is the Son of God, and true God, as is the Father who begat him from eternity. We further confess that he is the second person of the Blessed Trinity, equal in aU things to the other two ; for, in the divine persons nothing unequal or unKke should exist, or be imagined to exist, whereas we acknowledge the essence, wiU, and power of all to be one ; a truth clearly revealed in many ' Luke i. 33. OP THE COUNCIL OF TEEXT. 37 of the oracles of Sacred Scripture, and most sublimely set forth ill that testimony of St. John : In the heginning loas the Word, and the Word was wUh God, and the Word was God} B\it, when we hear that Jesus is the Son of God, we are not to understand anythiug eartlily or mortal of his birth ; but are firmly to believe, and with the deepest piety of heart to adore, that origin by which, from all eternity, the Father begat the Son ; a mystery which, by force of reason, we can by no means fully conceive or comprehend, and at the con- templation, of which, overwhelmed, as it were, with admi- ration, we should say with the prophet, Wlio slwM declare his generation 1 "^ On tliis point, then, we are to believe, that the Son is of the same nature, of the same power and wisdom with the Father ; as we more explicitly confess in these words of the Nicene Creed : And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of tlie Fatlier before all worlds ; God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten iwt made, of one substance with ilie Fatlier, by wlimn all things were tnade. Amongst the different comparisons which are brought forward to elucidate the mode and manner of this eternal generation, that which is borrowed from the thoughts of the mind, seems to come nearest to the subject ; and hence St. John calls the Son tlie Word. For as the human mind, in some sort understanding itself, forms an image of itself, which theologians have expressed by the term word, so God, as far, however, as we may compare human things with divine, imderstanding himself, begets the Eternal Word. It is better, however, to contemplate what faith proposes, and, with a sincere heart, believe and confess that Jesus Christ is very God and very man ; as God, begotten of the Father before all ages ; as man, born in time of Mary, liis virgin mother. Whilst, however, we thus acknowledge his twofold nativity, we believe him to be one son, becaiise he is one person, in whom the divine and human natures agree. ' John i. 1 ; cf. Pearson, p. 105, sqq. "> Is. liii. S ; cf. Acts viii. 3-3. 3S THE CATECHISM QUESTION X. Sow Chrkt is to he considered as Raving, or as not having, Brethren. As to his divine generation, lie Las no bretkren or co- lieirs, being Mmself the only begotten Son of the Father, whilst we mortals are the work and device of his hands ; but, if we consider his birth as man, he not only calls many by the name of brethren," but also holds them in the place of brethren, so that with him they may obtain the glory of the paternal inheritance. They are those who, by faith, have received Christ the Lord, and who really and by works of charity approve the faith which they outwardly profess ; and hence it is that he is called by the apostle : Tlie first-horn amongst many l>rethren.° QUESTION XI., " Ow Lord." Christ is culled ow Loo'd according to loth natwres. Many things are recorded, in Scripture of our' Saviour; some of which, it is evident, apply to him as God, and some as man, because from his different natures he received the different properties that belong to each. Hence we say with truth, that Christ is Almighty, Eternal, Infinite, [attributes] which he has from his divine nature ; and again, we say of him that he suffered, died, and rose again, which attributes are manifestly suited only to Ms human nature. Besides these, there are some others which agree with both natures ; as when, in this article of the Creed, we say, owr Lord. If, therefore, this nam.e is applicable to both natures, he is with reason to be set forth as our Lord. For as he, as well as the Father, is eternal, so is he, equally with the Father, Lord of all things ; and, as he and the Father are not, the one, one God, and the other, another God, but one and the same God ; so likewise he and the Father are not, the one, one Lord, and " The question respecting Christ's brethren, mentioned in Matt. xiii. 55, "James, Joses, Simon, and Judas," is involved in some obscurity. Neander (Life of Christ, § 22) advocates the natural and literal inter- pretation of the words. On the other hand, Bishop Peai-son, on the Creed, Art. iii. p. 173, sqq., maintains the perpetual virginity of Maiy, and explains the terms "brethren" according to the wider use of the term, as in Gen. xiv. 14. ° Eom. riii. 29. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 39 tke otter, anotiher Lord. As man, lie is also, for many reasons rigktly called ow Lord ; and first, because he -was our Eedeemer, and delivered us from sin. TMs is the doctrine of the apostle : ITe humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death ; even the death of the cross ; where/ore God also Imth exalted Mm, and given him a name which is above every name, tlmt at the name of Jesus every knee slioidd how, of thiiigs in heaven, in earth, and in lusll, omd that every tongue should eoro- fess ' that the Lord Jesus Clvrist is in tlie glory of God the Fattier ;"!! and of himself, he says, after his resurrection : AU power is given to me in heaven, mid on earth.i He is also called Lord, because in one person are united both natures, the human and divine ; and even had he not died for us, he had yet deserved, by this admirable union, to be constituted common Lord of all created things, but more particularly of the faitliful who obey, and, in all the fervour of their souls, serve him. QUESTION XII. Christians ought to give tliemselves wholly up to Jesus Christ, treading Sfc Prince of J)arJmess unda-foot. It remains, therefore, that the pastor exhort the faithful people, that we, who derive our name from him, and are called Christians, and who cannot be ignorant of the extent of his favours, particularly in that, by his gift, we are enaJjled to vmderstand aU. these things by faith, may know the very strict obligation we, above all other men, are under, of devoting and consecrating ourselves for ever, even as bond-servants, to our Redeemer axid. our Lord. This we promised when we were being initiated by baptism, and before our iutroduction into the Church ;' for we then declared that we renounced the devil and the world, and gave our- selves whoUy up to Jesus Christ. But i^ to the end that we might be enrolled as soldiers of Christ, we then consecrated ourselves by a holy and solemn profession to our Lord, what punishment should we not deserve if, after having entered into th« Church, and after having known the will and laws of God, and received the gra^e of the sacraments, we were to form our lives upon the laws and maxims of the world and the devil ; as if, when cleansed in the waters of baptism, P Phil. ii. 8, sqq. i Matt, xxviii. 18. ' Ante fores ecclesise. 40 THE CATECHISM "we had pledged our fidelity' to the -world and the devil, and not to Christ our Lord and Saviour ? And what heart is so cold, as not to he inflamed with love by the prompt bene- volence and beneficence of so great a Lord towards us, who, though holding us in his power and dominion, as slaves ransomed by Ms blood, yet embraces us with such love as to call us not servants, but friends and brethren?' This, as- suredly, is a most just and, perhaps, the strongest claim to induce us always to acknowledge, venerate, and adore him z& our Lord. CHAPTER IV. OP THE THIRD AETICLE. " WHO WAS CONCEIVED ET THE HOLY GHOST, BOEN OP THE VIRGIN MART."" QUESTION I. WiMt is propounded to he believed hy llie Fwithful in the Third Ariiele of Faith. That God has conferred a singular and most surpassing blessing on the human race, in delivering us to liberty from the slavery of the relentless tyranny of Satan, the faithful may understand from what has been set forth in the preced- ing article. But if we place before oiu- eyes the plan and manner in which he was pleased to accomplish this, nothing can seem more glorious, nothing moi-e magnificent, than the goodness and beneficence of God. The grandeur, therefore, of this mystery, which the Sacred Scriptures very often propose to our consideration as the principal source of our eternal salvation, the pastor will begin to teach with the exposition of this third article. Its meaning he will teach to be, that we believe and confess that the same Jesus Christ, our only Lord, the Son of God, when he assumed human flesh for us in the womb of the Virgin, was not con- ceived, like other men, from the seed of man, but, in a manner transcending the whole order of nature, by the power of the Holy Ghost ; so that the same person, re- " Nomen dedissemus. ' John xv. 14. ° Cf. Pearson, p. 157, sqq. OF THE COUJSrCIL OP TKENT. 41 maining God as lie was from eternity, became man, what he was not before. But that such is the meaning of these words, is clear from the confession of the Holy Council of Constantinople, which says : W/io for us men, and for our salvation, cowrie down from heaven, and was inca/mate by t/ie Holy Gliost of tJie Virgin Mary, and WAS made man. The same truth we also find unfolded by St. John the Evangelist, who imbibed from the bosom of the Saviour himself) the knowledge of this most profound mystery ; for when he had declared the nature of the divine Word in those terms : In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and tlie Word was God, he at length concludes, am,d the Wokd was made flesh, and dwelt a/mong us.'' QUESTION 11. Sy his temporal Nativity no confimon of natures was made in Christ. For tlie Word, which is a Person^' of the Divine Nature, assumed human flesh in such a manner, that the hypostasis and person of both divine and human nature are one and the same ; and hence this admirable union preserved the actions and properties of both natures, and, as we read in the great Pope St. Leo : neither did tlie glorifying of tlie inferior nature destroy itself, nor its assumption ujjon tlie inferior.'^ QUESTION III. Tlie Holy Glwsi did not alone accomplish tlie iiiorh of the Incarnation. But as an explanation of the words [of this Article] must not be omitted, the pastor will teach that, when we say that the Son of God was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, we do not mean that this Person alone of the Holy Trinity accomplished the mystery of the Incarnation. For although the Son alone assumed human natm'e, yet all the persons of the Holy Trinity, the Father-, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, were authors of this mystery ; for we must hold that rule of Christian faith, that whatsoever God does extrinsically in created things is common to the three Per- ' John i. 1, 14. "■ Hypostasis. * Cf. Leo, Serm. i. de Nat. Dom. p. 67 (ed. 1575), " tanto feeders naturam utrainque consereret, ut nee inferiorem oonsumeret glorifioatio, nee superiorem miniieret assumptio." I am indebted to a learned divine ioY the translation adopted. 42 THE CATECHISM sons, and tliat one neither does more tlian, nor acts witliout, another. That, however, one Person proceeds from another, this alone cannot be common to all, for the Son is begotten of the Father only, the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son ; but whatever originates from them extrinsically is the work of the three Persons without ajiy sort of difference ; and of this latter description is to be considered the Incarnation of the Son of God. Of those things, nevertheless, that are common to aU, the Sacred Scriptures are wont often to attribute some to one person, some to another : thus, to the Father they attribute supreme power over all things ; to the Son, wisdom ; to the Holy Ghost, love ; and because the mystery of the Incarna- tion declares the siagular and bovmdless love of God towards us, it is, therefore, in a peculiar manner attributed to the Holy Ghost. QUESTION IV. Not all matters, touching t]ie Conception of Christ os-e supemaiwral, hit most of tliem ar&. In this mystery we perceive that some things were done, which transcend the order of nature, some by the power of nature. Thus, ia believing that the body of Christ was formed from the most pure blood of the Virgiu Mother, we therein acknowledge human nature, seeing that this is a law common to aU human bodies. But what transcends the order of nature and human understanding is, that, as soon as the Blessed Virgin, asseniring to the words of the angel, said : Beliold the hwndinaid of ilie Lord, he it unto me according to thy wordy the most sacred body of Clirist was immediately formed, and to it was united a soul actually enjoying the use of reason ; and thus, in the same instant of time, he was perfect God and perfect man. That this was the new and admirable work of the Holy Ghost, no one can doubt, whereas, according to the order of natvu'e, no body, unless within the prescribed period of time, can be endued with a human soul. There is, fm-thermore, that which is worthy of the greatest marvel, that as soon as the soul of Christ was united to his body, the Divinity itself also was united with both body and soul ; and thus at the same time his "■ Luke i. 38. or THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 43 body -was formed and animated, and tlie Divinity united to body and soul. Hence, at the same instant, he was perfect Grod and perfect man ; and the most Holy Virgia, having, at the same moment, conceived, God and man, is truly and properly called Mother of God and man. This the angel signified to her when he said : Beliold, tlum sludt conceive in thy womh, and iring forth a Son, and slwlt call his nmne Jesus. He shall he great, and shall he called the Son of the Higliest;'- and by the event was verified the prophecy of Isaiah : Behold a Virgin sJiall conceive, and bear a Son ; and his name sliall he called Immanuel.'^ Elizabeth also, when filled with the Holy Ghost, she understood the conception of the Son of God, declared [the same truth] in these words : Wlience is this to ine, tluit the Mother of my Lord should come to me ?'^ But, as the body of Christ was formed, as we have before said, of the most pure blood of the immaculate Virgin, without any aid of man, but by the sole operation of the Holy Ghost ; so also, at the moment of his conception, his soul received an overflowing fulness of the Spirit of God, and a superabundance of all graces. For God gave not to him, as to other men, who are adorned with grace and holiness, his Spirit hy measure, as St. John testifies ; •= but poured into bis soul all graces so abundantly, that of hiS: fulness we aJl luwe received. ■* QUESTION V. CTirisi cannot he called the Son of God lyij adoptimi. Although he possessed that Spirit, by which holy men attain the adoption of the sons of God, Christ cannot, how- ever, be called the adopted Son of God ; for, being the Son of God by nature, the grace or name of adoption can in no wise be deemed applicable to him. QUESTION VI. To what meditations tJie first part of this Article should r/ive rise. Concerning the admirable mystery of the Conception, these remarks form the substance of what appeared to require exislanation. In order that abundant fruit unto salvation may result to us, the faithfiil should recall par- ' Luke i. 31, seq. " Is. i-ii. 14. •• Luke i. 43. ' John iii. 34. '' John i. 16. a THE CATECHISM tioularly to tlieir recollection, and frequently reflect, tliat it is God who assumed luiman flesli ; but that he was made man in a manner which we cannot comprehend in our minds, still might express in words ; finally, that he vouch- safed to become man, in order that we mortals might be regenerated children of God. When to these subjects they sliall have given attentive consideration, let them, in humility and faithfulness of heart, believe and adore all the mysteries contained in this article, nor curiously investigate or scru- tinize them ; an attempt scarcely ever unattended with danger. QUESTION VII. What is meant hy Christ helmg iorn of a Virgin. This comprises another part of this article of the Creed, in the exposition of which the pastor will exercise considerable diligence ; because the faithful are bound to believe, that Christ our Lord was not only conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, but was also horn of tlie Virgin Mm-y. The words of the angel, who first announced the most happy tidings to the world, declare with what joy and delight of heart the belief of this mystery should be meditated on by us : Belwld, says he, / bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall he to all tlie people." And from the song chanted by the heavenly host we may infer the same sentiments : Olory, say they, to God in tlie highest ; and on earth peace to men of good wilU Hence also began the fulfilment of that splendid promise made by Almighty God to Abraham, that in his seed all nations should one day he blessed ;S for Mary, whom we truly proclaim and honour'' as Mother of God, because she broiight forth him who is at once God and man, was descended from King David. QUESTION VIII. Christ was iiot born after iJic zisual conrse of nature. But as the Conception itself utterly transcends the order of nature, so also, in the birth [of our Lord] nothing but what is divine- is presented to our contemplation. Besides, ' Lukeii. 10. ' Luke ii. 14. " Gen. xxii. IS. ^ Colimus, "worship." OF THE COUNCIL OF TllENT. 45 a circumstance wonderful beyond expression or conception, lie is born of his mother without any diminution of her maternal virginity ; and as he afterwards went forth from the sepulchre whilst it was closed and sealed, and entered the room in which his disciples were assembled with closed doors ;i or, not to depart even from natural things, which we witness every day, as the rays of the sun penetrate, without breaking, or injuring in the least, the solid substance of glass ; after a similar, I say, but more exalted manner, did Jesus Christ come forth from his mother's womb, without any injiu-y to her maternal virginity, which, immaculate and per- petual, we celebrate with most just praises. This was the work of the Holy Ghost, who, in the conception and birth of the Son, so favoured the Virgin Mother, as to impart to her fecundity, and yet preserve her perpetual virginity.J QUESTION IX. Chmt is justly called a second A dam, Mary, a second Eve, The apostle sometimes calls Jesus Christ the second Adam, and institutes a oomjjarison between him and the first ; for as in ilie first all men die, so in tlie second are all made alive ;^ and as, in the natural order, Adam was the father of the hviman race, so [in the supernatural], Christ is the author of grace and glory. The Virgin Mother we may also in like manner compare with Eve, making the second Eve, that is, Mary, correspond with the first, as we have already shown the second Adam, that is, Christ, to cor- respond with the first Adam. Eor Eve, by believing the serpent, entailed malediction and death on the human race ;' and, after Mary believed the Angel, the divine goodness made her instrumental in bringing benediction and hfe to ' John XX. 19. ' It is almost unnecessary to observe that no express mention of this perpetual virginity is found in Scripture. Nevertheless, the supposition that Mary, after giving birth to Christ, became as other women, seems somewhat revolting. Though not insisted on as an article of faith, the perpetual virginity of Mary, which has been, it would seem, finely typi- fied in Ezek. xliv. 2, was, and is, o, constant tradition among orthodox Christians, even among those who have differed upon more important roatters of faith. See the valuable information in Pearson, as cited above ("), p. 38. ' 1 Cor. XV. 21, 22, 45. ' Gen. 3. 46 THE CATECHISM mankind.'" From Eve we are born cidldren of wrath /" from Mary we have received Jesus Christ, and through him are regenerated children of grace. To Eve it was said, In swrow slialt tlum hfing forUh children :° Mary was exempt from this law, for, preserving her vii'gin iutegiity inviolate, she brought forth Jesus the Son of God, without experi- encing, as we have already said, any sense of pain. QUESTION X. Tin cldef types andfigwres muler vildch tite Conception and Naiivity of Christ were veiled. The mysteries of this conception and nativity being, therefore, so great and so many, it was suited to the views of Divine Providence, to signify them by many types and prophecies. Hence the holy fathers imderstood many things, which we read in varioiis passages of Scripture, to relate to them, particularly that gate of the sanctuary, which Ezechiel saw shut ;'B the stone cut out of the mountain loithovi Jiands, as it is in Daniel, which beca/me a great moun- tain, and filed the whole earth ;i the rod of Aaron, which alone budded of all the rods of the princes of Israel ;■■' and the bush which Moses saw burn without being consumed.^ The holy Evangelist describes in detail the history of the birth of Christ ; and, as the pastor can easily refer to that account, it is unnecessary for us to say more on the subject. QUESTION XI. The mystery of ike Imajriiatlon is often to he incidcated upon the people. What adva/atage is to be derived from tlie ineditation tltereon. But he shonld labour to impress these mysteries, which were W7-itten for our learning,* deeply on the minds and hearts of the faithful, in order that, in the first place, by the commemoration of so great a benefit, they may make "' Et Maria, postquam angelo crecUdit, Dei bonitate effeotmn est, ut benediotio et vita ad homines pervenirent. ° Ephes. ii. 3. " Gen. iii. 1 6. p Ezek. xliv. 2. " Then said the Lord unto me, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it ; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut." 1 Dan. ii. 34, seq. ■■ Num. xvii. 8. ' Exod. iii. 2. ' Eom. xv. 4. OF THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. . 47 some return of gratitude to God, its author ; and next, in order to place before tlieir eyes, as a model for imitation, tins surpassing and singular example of humility. For -what can be more useful, what better adapted to subdue the pride and haughtiness of the human heart, than frequently to reflect that God humbles himself in such a manner as to communi- cate to men his glory, and assume the frailty d,nd weakness of man ; that God becomes man, and that he, at whose nod, as the Scripture saith, ilie pillars ofhea/ven tremhle and drectd ;'^ that supreme and infinite majesty ministers unto man ; that he whom the angels adore in heaven is born on earth ! When God, then, doeth such things towards us, what, I ask, what should we not do, to testify our obedience to Ms will 1 With how prompt and eager a mind should we not love, embrace, and perfonn all the duties of Christian humility? The faithful should also know in how salutary lessons Christ doth instruct us at his birth, before he begins to utter any speech. He is born in poverty : he is born as a stranger in an inn : he is bom in a lowly manger : he is born in the depth of winter. For so are these things recorded by St. Luke : Avd it came to pass, that, while they were there, the days were ac- convplislied that sJie should he delivered, and she brought forth lier first-horn son, and wrapped him, up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a iiumger, because there was no room for them in the innJ Could the evangelist have comprehended under more humble terms the whole majesty and glory of heaven and earth ? He does not say, there was -no room in the inn; but tliere was tio room for him who says: The world is mine, and the fulness thereof;^ and this another evangelist records in these words : He ca/me unto his own, and his oivn received him not.^ When the faithful shall have set these things before their eyes, let them also reflect, that God vouchsafed to assume the lowliness and frailty of our flesh, in order that the human race might be exalted to the highest degree of dignity. For this single reflection, that he who is true and perfect God became man, alone is sufficient proof of the exalted dignity conferred on man by the divine bounty ; so that we may now glory that the Sou of God is bone of our bone, and flesh of ° Job xxvi. 11. ' Luke ii. 6, aeq. '" Ps. xlix. 12 (1. 12). « John i. 2. 48 THE CATECHISM our flesh, a privilege not granted to angels, for no where, says tlie apostle, dotli lie take on him the angels ; hut of tlie seed of Abraham he taketh.y We must, moreover, take care lest, to our greatest pre- judice, it come to pass that [these blessings] rise in judg- ment against us ;^ that, as at Bethlehem, the place of his nativity, there was for him no place in the inn, so also, now that he is no longer born in the flesh, he be not unable to find a dwelling in our hearts, in which he may be spiritually bom ; for he, being most desirous for our salva- tion, makes this an object of his most earnest wishes. As then, by the power of the Holy Ghost, and in a manner transcendiag the order of nature, he was made man and was born, and was holy and even holiness itself ; so does it become our duty to be bom, not of blood, nor of tlie vdll of tlie flesh, but of God ;^ to walk as a new creature"" '-aLnminess of spirit;'^ and to keep that holiness and purity of soul that so much becometh men regenerated by the Spirit of God. For thus shaU we reflect some faint image of this holy conception and nativity of the Son of God, which we believe in firm faith, and believing which, we admire and adore the wisdom of God in a mystery, which is hidden A OHAPTEE, V. OF THE FOURTH ARTICLE. "SUPFEKED UNDER PONTICS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED, DEAD, AND BUEIED." QUESTION I. Tlie Necessity of hnowmg the Fowrtli Article, and its Pwrport. How great is the necessity for the knowledge of this article, and with what assiduity the pastor should labour that the faithful may revive in their minds the frequent recollection of the passion of our Lord, the apostle teacheth when he declares, that he knows nothing but Jesus Christ, y Heb. ii. 16. ' " Ne maximo nostro malo eveniat." •• John i. 13. '' Gal. vi. 15. ' Eom. vi. i. <• 1 Cor. ii. 7. OF THE COUNCIL OF TKEKT. 49 cmd him crudfied.^ Wherefore, the greatest zeal and industry are to be employed in the elucidation of this subject, to the end that the faithful, excited by the memory of so great a benefit, may altogether turn themselves to the contemplation of the love and goodness of God towards us. The first part of this article (for of the second we shall treat hereafter) proposes to our belief, that when, by com- mand of Tiberius Csesar, Pontius Pilate governed the pro- vince of Judea, Christ the Lord was nailed to a cross ; for, having been taken, mocked, treated with all manner of out- rage and torture, he was finally uplifted on the cross. QUESTION II. Tlie SoiiZ of Christ fdt the Tortures. Nor can it be matter of doubt to any one that his soul, as regards its inferior part, was not free fi-om the perception of these torments ; for as he really assumed human nature, we mtist of necessity confess that his soul experienced a most acute sense of pain, whence he says : My soul is sorrowful even unto deathf For although human nature was united to the Divine Person, he yet felt the bitterness of his passion as acutely as if no such union had taken place, because in the one person of Jesus Christ were preserved the properties of both natures, human and divine ; and therefore, what was passible and mortal remained passible and mortal ; and again, what was impassible and immortal, such as we understand the di^one nature to be, retained its own proper condition. QUESTION in. Why mention is made im the Creed of the Ocrverrwr of Judea, tmder whom Christ suffered. But if we find it here so carefully recorded, that Jesus Christ suffered at that time when Pontius Pilate was pro- curator of Judea, the pastor will explain the reason, which is, that by distinctly fixing the time, which we find also done by the apostle Paul,? so important and so necessary an event may be the better ascertained by all ; and also because it is shown in those words that the event verified the prediction « 1 Cor. ii. 2. ' Matt. xxvi. 38 ; Mark xiv. 34. e 1 Tim. vi. 13. E 50 THE CATECHISM of tlie Saviour : Tlisy sludl deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify.^ QUESTION IV. It loas iwt a Chance Circv/fmUmce tJuii Christ su;fered Death on the Cross. That he suifered the jDarticular death of the cross, is also to be attributed to the divine counsel, that whence death came, thence life might arise. For the serpent, which had overcome our first parents by the fruit of the tree, was over- come by Christ on the tree of the cross.' To show further rea- sons for this the congruity of the Savioinr's having suffered the death of the cross rather than any other, we might adduce many reasons, which the holy fathers pursued at greater length ; but let the pastor admonish the faithful, that for them it is sufficient to believe that species of death to have been chosen by the Saviour, which appeared most suitable, and best adapted, to the redemption of the human race, as also assuredly no other death could have been more igno- minious and humiliating. For not only amongst the Gentiles was the punishment of the cross d^med execrable, and most replete with disgrace and infamy ; but also in the law of Moses the man is pronounced accursed, tlwi liangeth on a tree.i QUESTION" V. !I%e Sistonj of Christ's Passion is to he freqjimctly incvZcaied on the People. But that the faithful may be familiarly acquainted with at least the principal heads of this mystery, which are of more immediate necessity to confirm the truth of our faith, the pastor must by no means pass over the historical part of this article, which has been most diligently narrated by the holy evangelists ; for on this article, as on a sort of foundation, rest the religion and faith of Christians, and on this foun- dation, when once laid, all the rest is built with perfect security. For if to the mind and understanding of man any other matter presents difficulties, most difficult of all, of a truth, must the mystery of the cross be considered ; and we find it hard to conceive that our salvation depends >■ Matt. XX. 19. ' Qui in ligno primos parentes vicerat, victus est a Cliristo in ligno cnicis. i Deut. xxi. 23 ; Gal. iii. 13. OF THE COUNCIL OF TSEXT. 51 on the cross, and on Mm who for us was fastened to its wood. But in this, as the apostle teaches, we may admire the supreme pro"ndence of God ; for wliereas in the wisdom, of God, tlie world by wisdom knew not God ; it pleased God, hy tJie foolislmess of preacJiing, to same tliem that believe.^ We are therefore not to marvel that the prophets, before the coming of Cluis't, the apostles, after his death and resurrec- tion, laboured so strenuously to persuade men that he was the Redeemer of the world, and to bring them under the power and obedience of him who was crucified. Wherefore, the Lord, seeing nothing is so far beyond the reach of human reason as the mystery of the cross, imme- diately from the Fall, ceased not, both by figures and by the oracles of the prophets, to signify the death by which his Son was to die. To glance a little at these figures; first, Abel, who fell a victim to the envy of his brother ;i next, the [intended] sacrifice of Isaac ;™ again, the lamb immolated by the Jews on departiug out of Egypt,'' and also the brazen serpent lifted up by Moses in the desert," all prefigured the passion and death of Christ the Lord. That many prophets also arose who foretold tins event, is a fact too well known to require to be here developed. Not to speak of David, whose Psalms embrace the principal mysteries of redemp- tion, so clear and open are the oracles of Isaiah,? that he may with reason be said to have recorded a past, rather than predicted a future event. 4 QUESTION VI. "Dead and Buried." What is signified to he ielieved hy Ais Clame. In explaining these words, the pastor will propound it to be believed, that Jesus Christ, after he was crucified, was really dead and buried. Nor is it without reason that this is proposed to the faithful as a separate object of belief; seeing there were not wanting those who denied that he ^ 1 Cor. i. 21. On the subject of this chapter, see Pearson, p. 193, sqq. ' Gen. iv. 8. ^ Gen. xxii. 6. " Exod. xii. 5, seq. » Num. sxi.. 8, 9 ; John iii. li. Cf. Pearson, p. 200. p Is. liii. 1 See Hier. Epist. ad Paulin. near the end, with Pearson on the Creed, p. 86, sqq. and 1S2, sqq. E 2 52 THE CATECHISM died upon the cross. Justly, therefore, did the apostles judge, that to such an error should be opposed this doctrine of faith, the truth of which article is placed beyond the possibility of doubt, since all the evangelists concur in recording that Jesus "yielded up tlie ghost." ^ Moreover, as Christ was true and perfect man, he, of course, was also truly capable of dying ; and death takes place in man by the sepai-ation of the soul from the body. When, therefore, we say that Jesus died, we mean that his soul was separated from his body, without, however, conceding that his divinity was separated from his body : on the contrary, we firmly believe and profess that, while his soul was separated from his body, his divinity continued always united both to his body in the sepulchre, and to his soul in the shades.' But it became the Son of God to die, that through death Jie rrdghi destroy him who had tlie power of death, tliat is, tJie devil; and might deliver tJiem, who, ihroicgh fear of death, were aU their lifetime subject to bondage} QUESTION VII. Christ wnderwent Death not iy Compulsion and Involuiitwrily. But Christ the Lord had this peculiar privilege, that he died when he himself decreed to die, and that he died, not so much by external violence, as by volimtary assent. But he ordaioed not only his death, but also the time and place in which he should die, for so writeth Isaiah : He was offered, because it loas his own luill.'^ Before his jjassion the Lord declared the same of liimself : / lay down my life, tltat I may take it again. Wo man taketh it away from ine ; but I lay it down of myself; and I have power to lay it down ; and I have power to take it again."' As to time and place, when Herod insidiously sought the life of the Saviour, he said : Go ye, and tell that fox, helwld I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day, and to-morrow, and tlie third day I shall he perfected. Neverilidess, I must walk to-day, and to-morrow, amd tlie day following, because it cannot be that a proplmt ' Matt, xxvii. 50 ; Mark xv. 37 ; Luke xxiii. 46 ; John xix. 30. ' Apud inferos. ' Heb. ii. 14, seq. ■■ Is. liii. 7 : " Oblatus est, quia ipse voluit." — " He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter." ' John x. 17, seq OP THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 53 perish out of JerusalemV He, therefore, did notMng invo- luntarily or by compulsion ; but offered himself of his own free mil. Going to meet his enemies, he said : / wm he j^ and all the punishments, which with injustice and cruelty they inflicted on him, he endured voluntarily. When we meditate on his sufferings and torments, nothing can have greater force to awaken the feelings of our souls, than to reflect that he endured them aU thus voluntarily. For if any one were to endiu-e, by compulsion, every species of suffering, for our sake, we should not deem his claims to our gratitude very considerable ; but if he were freely, and for our sake only, to endure death, when he might have avoided it, this indeed were a favour of so great a character, as to deprive even the most grateful, not only of the power of returning, but even of adequately feeling the obligation. Hence we may perceive the supreme and transcendant love of Jesus Christ towards us, and his divine and boundless claims to our gratitude. QUESTION VIII. Why Christ is said iwt only to Juive been Dead hut " Buried." But, when we confess that he was buried, we do not make this, as it were, a distinct part of the article, because it presents any difficulty, that is not implied in what we have said of his death ; for if we believe that Christ died, we can also easily be persuaded that he was buried. The word buried was added first, that there might be less room for doubt respecting his death, for it is a very strong argument, to establish a person's death, if we prove the burial of his body ; and, secondly, to declare and glorify the miracle of his resurrection more clearly. Nor do we only believe that Christ's body was buried ; but these words propose, as the principal object of our belief, that God was buried, as, according to the rule of catholic faith, we also most truly say that God was bom of a virgin, that God died ; for, as the divinity was never separated from his body, which was laid in the sepulchre, we truly confess that God was buried. " Liike xiii. 32, seq. » John xviii. 5. On the whole subject of this and the following- chapter.?, cf Pearson, p. 209, sqq. 54 THE CATECHISM QUESTION IX. What Matters are chiffly to he obsm-ved toucliing the Death and Burial of Christ. As to the place and manner of liis Imrial, what the holy Evangelists record on these points mil be found suf&cient for the pastor, y There are, however, two things that de- mand particular observation ; the one, that, in accordance ■with the prediction of the prophet, thou wiU not give thy Holy One to see corruption,'^ the body of Christ was ia no degree corrupted in the sepulchre ; the other, which regards the several parts of this article, that burial, passion also, and death, apply to Christ Jesus, not as Crod, but as man : for to suffer and to die are incidental to human nature only ; although they are also aU attributed to God, because jpredi- cated with pro]Driety of that person, who was at once perfect ■God and perfect man. QUESTION X. In what light the Benefit of Christ's Passion ought to he coiiiemplated. These things being kno^wn, the pastor ■will next explaia those particulars of the passion and death of Christ, from which the faithful may be enabled, if not to comprehend, at least to contemplate, the immensity of so stupendous a mystery. And first, we are to consider ■who he is that thus suffers. And we, indeed, cannot express in words, or even conceive ia thought, his dignity. Of him St. John says, that he is the Word, which was with God ;^ and the apostle describes him in these sublime terms ; that he it is whom God Imth appoirUed heir of all ildngs, by whom also lie made ilie vwrld ; who, being tlie brightness of his glory and the figure of his substance, and ruplwlding all things by the word of his power, making purgation of sins, sitteth down on tlie rigM hand of the majesty on high.^ In a word, Jesus Christ, God and man, suffers ! The Creator suffers for those whom he himself created : the master suffers for the servant : he suffers by whom angels, men, the heavens, the elements, y See Matt, xxvii. 60 ; Mark xv. 46 ; Luke xxiii. 53 ; John xix. 3S. ^ Ps. XV. 10 (xvi. 10) ; Acts ii. 31. » John i. 1, 2. I* Heb. L.2, seq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 55 ■were created : he, I say, in whom, through whom, and of whom, are all things." We cannot, therefore, be surprised that, whilst he was agonized under so many torments of suffering, the whole febric of the imiverse was convulsed ; for as the Scripture informs us, the earth did qucJce amd tlie rocks rent,''- and tJiere was darkness over all tlie earth, and the sun was darkened.'^ If, then, even mute and senseless things mourned the dying sufferings of their Creator, let the faithful bethink them with what tears they, as t/ie living stones^ of this edifice, should display their sorrow. QUESTION XI. Seasmia why CJirist suffered ; and what mmt he ihouglit of tJiose wlio, pro- fessing Christianity, are defiled with Sins. That the greatness and force of the divine love towards us may still more fully appear, the reasons why the Saviour suffered must also be explained. Should it then be asked, why the Son of God underwent his most bitter passion, we shall find that, besides the hereditary guilt of our first parents, the prindpal cause is to be found in the vices and crimes which men have perpetrated from the beginning of the world to the present day, and those that they shall per- petrate up to the consummation of time. For in his death and passion the Son of God, our Saviour, contemplated atoning and obliterating the sins of all ages, by offering for them to his Father a full and superabundant satisfaction. Besides, to add to the dignity of this matter, Christ not only suffered for sinners, but also for those who were the very authors and ministers of all the torments he endured. Of this the apostle doth remind us, writing as follows to the Hebrews ; Consider him that endwred such contradiction of sinners against himself ; lest ye he wea/ried and faint in yov/r minds.s In this guilt we must judge that all those are in- volved who fall frequently into sins; for, as our sins impelled Christ our Lord to undergo the death of the cross, most certainly those who wallow in sins and iniquities, as far as depends on them crucify to tliemselves again tlie Son of God, " Rom. xi. 36. '' Matt, xxvii. 51. « Luke xxiii. ii, seq. ' 1 Peter ii. 5. s Heb. xii. 3. 56 THE CATECHISM and put Mm to an open sha/me.^ In us suet guilt may indeed seem even deeper than it was in the Jews, inasmuch as, according to the apostle, liad they known it, tliey wovld never Jume crucified the Lord of Glory ; ' whereas we both profess to know him, and yet, denying hi/m hy ov/r works) seem in some sort to lay ■violent hands on him. QUESTION XII. Christ was ddivered over to Death by the Fattier, and hy himsdf also. But that Christ the Lord was also delivered over to death by the Father and by himself, the sacred Scriptures bear witness ; for he says in Isaiah : For the transgression of my people home I struck hi/m ;^ and a little before, when filled with the Spirit of God, he sees the Lord afflicted with stripes and wounds, the same prophet says : All we, like sheep, have gone astray : every one liath turned aside to his own way ; amd tlie Lord hath laid on him tJte iniquity of us alU Of the Son it is written : If he shall lay down his life jor sin, he shall see a long-lived seed.^ But this same thing the apostle expressed in language still stronger, when, however, on the other hand, he wished to show us how much we may trust in the boundless mercy and goodness of Grod : He that spa/red not even his own Son, says the apostle, hvi delivered him, up for us ail, how hath he not also, with him,, given us all things ?° QtfESTION XIII. Christ truly, in Body amd Mind, felt tJte Bitterness of his Torments. It next followeth, that the pastor teach how great was the bitterness of the Redeemer's passion. If^ however, we bear in mind that his sweat was as it were drops of blood falling doum to tlie ground ;° and this, when he solely anticipated the torments and tortures with which he was soon after to be afflicted, any one must easily perceive that his sufferings admitted of no increase. For if — and this sweat of blood proclaims it — the very thought of the impending evils was '' Heb. vi. 6. '1 Cor. ii. 8. J Tit. i. 16. ^ Is. liii. 8. ' Ibid. 6. '" Ibid. 10. See the notes of the commenta'ors on this latter passage. ■ Bom. viii. 82. " Luke xxii. 44. OP THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 57 SO bitter, what must we not suppose their actual endurance to have been t That, however, Christ our Lord was afflicted with the most intense sufferings both of body and mind is certain. In the first place, there was no part of his body that did not ex- perience the most excruciating torments : for his hands and feet were fastened with nails to the cross ; his head was pierced with thorns, and smitten with a reed ; his face was befouled with spittle, and buffeted with blows ; his whole body was covered with stripes ! Men, too, of all sorts and conditions set themselves togetlier against the Lord and against 1ms Christ.V Jews, also, and Gentiles were the advisers, the authors, the ministers of his passion : Judas betrayed him ;i Peter denied him ;" the rest abandoned him ;= and, whilst on the very cross, we are at a loss which to deplore, his agony or his ignominy, or both. Surely no sort of death more shameful, none more bitter, could have been devised than that by which only the most guilty and atrocious malefactors were usually afflicted; a death, the tediousness of which aggra- vated the sense of its intense pain and torture. His agony was increased by the very constitution and frame of his body, which, formed by the power of the Holy Ghost, was much more perfect and better tempered than the bodies of other men can be, and therefore possessed a keener sus- ceptibility of pain, and a sharper sense of the torments which it endured. As regards Christ's inward anguish of mind, no one can doubt that it was extreme. For those among the saints who had to endure torments and tortures, were not wanting in consolation given from above, refreshed by which they were enabled not only to bear with patience the violence of their sufferings, but, in many instances, to feel, in the very midst of them, an inward joy. I rejoice, says the apostle, in my sufferings /or you, and JUL up tJwse things tliat are wanting of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is tlie Church /* and in another place : / am filed with com- fort ; I a/m exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.^ Christ the Lord, on the contrary, tempered with no admixture of p Ps. ii. 2. 1 Matt. xxvi. 47. ' Mark xiv. 68, seq. ' Matt. xxvi. 56. ' Col. i. 24. . ° 2 Cor. vii. 4. 58 THE CATECHISM sweetness the chalice of his most bitter passion ; but per- mitted his human nature to feel every species of torment, as acutely as if he were man only, and not also God. QUESTION xrv. Whai A dxaMages and Blessings are citify 'bestmoed upon tite Hvman Raoe through the Passion of Christ. It alone remaias, that the bkssings and adyantages which flow to the human race jfrom the passion of Christ be accurately explaiaed by the pastor. In the first place, then, the passion of our Lord was our deliverance from sin ; for, as St. John says : He Jiath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bhod.^ He hath quickened you together vnth him, says the apostle, having forgiven you all trespasses ; blotting out the liandivriting of tlie decree which was agcdnst us, wMch was contrary to us, a/nd tHie same lie tooh out of (he way, nailing it to his cross.^ In the next place, he hath rescued us from the tyranny of the devil ; for our Lord him- self says •: Wow is tJhe judgmeiii of the world : now shall the prince of this world he cast out. And I, if I he lifted up from the ea/rth, mil draw all things. to myself^ He hath also discharged the punishment due to our sins ; and next, as no sacrifice more grateful and acceptable could have been offered to God, he hath reconciled us to the Father,^ appeased his wrath, and propitiated his justice. Finally, by taking away our sins, he opened unto us heaven, which was closed by the common sin of the human race, as the apostle doth signify in these words : Hamng therefore, hrethren, a boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Christ.'' Nor is there wanting some type and figure of this mystery under the old law ; for those who were prohibited to return into their native cotuitry before the death of the high-priest,'' typified that, until that supreme and eternal High-Priest, Christ Jesus, had died, and by dying had opened the gates of heaven to those who, purified by the sacraments, and gifted with faith, hope, and • Rev. i. 5. '■" Col. ii. 13, seq. " John xii. 31, seq. y 2 Cor. V. 19. " Heb. x. 19. * Niim. XXXV. 25. " And the congregation shall restore him (the slayer) to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled : and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high-priest, which was anointed with the holy oU." OP THE COXINCrL OF TRENT. 59 charity, become partakers of his passion, no one, lio-w just and pious soever had been his life, could have gained admis- sion into his ieavenly country. QUESTION XV. Whence the Passion of Christ had Power to deserve such Benefits foir us. But the pastor will teach, that all these most great and divine blessings come to us from the passion of the Lord ; first, because the satisfaction which Jesus Christ has, in an admirable manner, made unto his Eternal Father for our sins, is fuU and complete ; and the price which he has paid for our ransom not only equals and quits, but far exceeds our debts. Furthermore, it was a sacrifice most acceptable to God, which, when ofiered by his Son on the altar of the cross, entirely appeased the wrath and indignation of the Father; and this word sacrifice the ajsostle makes use of, when he says : Christ hath loved lis, and hath given himself for us, am, offering and a sacrifice to God for a sioeet-smelling savov/r.^. It was also a redemption, of which the prince of the apostles says : Te were rwt redeemed with oorruiitihle things, as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of tlie tradition of your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without bleinish and without spot ; ■= and the apostle teaches : Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.'^ But besides these immense blessings, we have also received another of the very utmost importance, for in the passion alone we have the most illustrious examples of every virtue. For he so displayed patience, and humility, and exalted charity, and meekiess, and obedience, and unshaken firmness of soul, not only in suffering pains for righteousness' sake, but also in meeting death, that we may truly say, that on the day of his passion alone, our Saviour presented, in his own person, a Hving exemplification of all the moral precepts which he had inculcated during the entire time of his public ministiy. Let so much, then, be briefly stated touching the saving passion and death of Cluist the Lord. And O that these mysteries may ever be present to our minds, that we may learn to sufier, to die, and to be buried with our Lord ; that t Eph. V. 2. '1 Pet, i. 18, seq. <> Gal. iii. 13. 60 THE CATECHISM thenceforth casting away all stain of sin, and rising with him. unto newness of life, we may at length, through his grace and mercy, be found worthy to be made partakers of his heavenly kingdom and glory. CHAPTER VL OP THE FIFTH AKTICLE. " HE DESCENBED INTO HELL, THE THIBD DAT HE AKOSE AGAIN FEOM THE DEAD." QUESTION I. ffov) the First Part of this Article is to he imderstood. To know the glory of the burial of our Lord Jesus Christ, of which we have just treated, is indeed highly important ; but still more important it is to the faithful people, to know the splendid triumphs which he achieved, by having subdued the devil, and despoiled the depths ° of hell. On these sub- jects we are now about to speak ; and, although the latter might with propriety be treated under a separate and dis- tinct head, yet, following the authority of the holy fathers, we have deemed it fitting to unite it with his descent into hell. In the first part [of this article], then, we profess that, immediately Christ was dead, his soul descended into hell, and dwelt there as long as his body remained in the grave. But, in these words we at the same time confess, that the same person of Christ was, at the same time, in hell and in the sepulchre. Nor should any one be surprised at this ; for we have already repeatedly taught that, although his soul departed from liis body, his divinity was never separated either from soul or body. QUESTION II. Meaning of tJie Word " SeU" in this Ariick. But, as the pastor, by first teaching what is here meant by the word hell,' may throw considerable light on the " Sedibus. ' Inferorum. OF THE COUKCIL OP TEENT. 61 exposition of this article, it is to be observed, that by the word hell is not here meant the grave, as some have not less impiously than ignorantly imagined ;B for in the pre- ceding article Ave learned that Christ the Lord was buried ; nor was there any reason why the apostles, in delivering the faith, should repeat the same thing in other and more obscure terms. But, heU here signifies those hidden abodes, in which are detained the souls that have not obtained heavenly bliss ; and in this sense the word is used in many passages of Scripture. Thus, in the apostle we read, that, at the name of Jesus, every knee should how, of things in lieamen, in earth, mid under the ewrth ;'' and in the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter says, that Christ the Lord was again risen, liamng loosed tlw sorrows of hell)- QUESTION III. Sow ma/ny are Hie Places in which Souls, placed ont of the Reach of Bliss, are detained after Death. These abodes, however, are not all of one and the same kind, for amongst them is that most loathsome and dark prison, in which the souls of the damned together with the unclean spirits are tortured in eternal and inextinguishable fire. This place is also called Gehenna, the bottomless pit, and in its literal signification, hell. There is also the fire of purgatory, in which the souls of the just are purified by punishment for a stated time, to the end that they may be admitted into their eternal country, into which nothing defied enterethJ And of the truth of this doctrine, which holy CouncUs declare to be confirmed by the testimonies of Scripture, and by apostolical tradition,'' the pastor wiU have occasion to treat more diligently and frequently, as we are fallen on those times, wherein men endure not sound doctrine. Lastly, a third sort of receptacle is that in which were received the souls of the saints who died before the coming of Christ our Lord ; and where, without any sense e But see Pearson, p. 232. '■ Philip, ii. 10. The dissertation of Pearson, p. 225, sqq. in con- futation of this idea is invaluable. ' Acts ii. 24. J Apoo. xxi. 27. '' Trid, Concil. Sess. XXV. p. 212 of my translation. Cf. also, Sess. VI. Can. 30, p. 46, and Sess. XXII. § ii. p. 142. 62 THE CATECHISM of pain, gustaiuecl by the blessed bope of redemption, they enjoyed a tranquil abode. The souls, then, of these pious men, who in the bosom of Abraham^ were expecting the Saviour, Christ the Lord liberated, descending into heU. QUESTION IV. TJie Soul of Christ really, not potentially only, descended into SeU. Nor must we suppose that he descended into hell in such wise, that his power and virtue only, and not also his soul, went thither ; but must fully believe, tliat his soul itself really and substantially descended into hell ; concerning which there is that most certain testimony of David : Thou wUt not leave my soul in hell.™ QUESTION V. NotJiiTig was taken froin tlie Dignity of Christ hy his Descent into Sell. But, although Christ descended into hell, his supreme jjower was nought diminished; nor was the splendour of his holiness defiled by any blemish. Nay, this fact served rather to prove most clearly, that whatever had been proclaimed touching his holiness was true ; and that, as he had pre- viously declared by so many miracles, he was truly the Sort of God. This we shall easily \inderstand, if we compare the causes why Christ, and why other men, have descended into those places. They all descended as captives; but He, free and victorious amongst the dead^ descended to subdue those demons by whom, in consequence of sin, they were held ia captivity. All others who descended, some did endure the most acute torments, others, though exempt from other pain, yet deprived of the sight of God, were tortured with suspense by the /iqpe deferred ° of the blessed glory which they expected ; whereas Christ the Lord descended, not to suffer aught, but to liberate from the miserable wearisome^ ness of that captivity the holy and the just, and to impart to them the ftioit of his passion. By his descent into hell, ' Liike xvi. 22, seq. Compare Gregor. Naziamz. Or. in fratris sui obitmn, fol. 100, B. and de paupertate, fol. 70; A. ed. Aid. with Anibros. de Offic. I. 9, 29, and 15, 17. "^ Pa. xv. 10 (xvi. 10). " Pa. IxxxTii. 5 (Ixxxviii. 5). ° I have bon'owed an expression from Prov. xiii. 12. OF THE COUNCIL OF THENT. 63 therefore, no diininutioii was made from Ms supreme dignity and power. QUESTION VI. Why Chi-ist wished to descend into MelL These things being explained, [the pastor] must next teach, that Christ the Lord descended into hell, in order that, having sei2ed the spoils of the devil, he might conduct into heaven those holy fathers, and the other just souls liberated from prison. This he accomplished in an admi- rable and most glorious manner. For his august ■ presence at once brought a glorious lustre upon the captives, and filled their souls with boundless joy and gladness. Unto them he also imparted that supreme happiness, which con- sists in the vision of God, in which he verified his promise to the [dying] thief : Amen, I say unto tliee, this day shalt thou be with vie in Paradise.^ TMs deliverance of the just was, long before, predicted by Osea, as follows : Death I I luUl he thy death. Hell ! I iinll he thy hite /i and it was also signified by the prophet Zaohary, when he said : Thou, also, by the blood of thy covenamt, Imst sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit, wlierein is iw water j'^ and, lastly, the same is expressed by the apostle in these words : Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a slww of them, confderdly, openly triumphing over iliem in himself.^ To comprehend, however, still better the efficacy of this mystery, we should frequently call to mind, that not only the jiist, who were bom after the coming of the Saviour, but, also, those who preceded that event from the days of Adam, or who shall succeed it up to the end of the world, attained salvation through the benefit of the passion of Christ. Wherefore, until he died and rose again, heaven was closed against every child of Adam ; and the souls of the just, on their departure from this life, were borne to the bosom of Abraha.m ; or, as is still the case with those who have something to be expiated, and die indebted [to the divine justice],* were purified in the fire of purgatory. p Luke xxiii. 43. 1 Hosea xiii. li. "0 death, I will be thy plague : O grave, I will be thy destruction." ' Zeoh. ix. 11. " Col. ii. 15, margin. ' Quibus aliquid diluendum et pergolvendum est. I have adopted Donovan's translation. 64 THE CATECHISM There is another reason, also, why Christ the Lord de- scended into hell, that there, too, as well as in heaven and on earth, he might declare his power and authority ; and that every knee of things in lieaven, a/nd on ea/rth, and under the ea/rth, should, indiscriminately, bend at his ncrnne.^ And here, who is not filled with admiration and astonishment at the infinite goodness of God to the human race ! Not satis- fied with having undergone, for our sake, a most cruel death, he j)enetrates into the inmost recesses of the earth, that he might transport into bliss the souls most dear to him, whose deliverance from thence he had achieved. QUESTION VII. The Meaning of the Second Part of the Article. The second part of the article follows ; and how earnestly the pastor should strive iu. its exposition, these words of the apostle declare : Rememher that tlte Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead;^ a precept, no doubt, addressed not only to Timothy, but to aU who have care of souls. The meaning of the article is this, that, after Christ the Lord had yielded up the ghost on the cross, on the sixth day and ninth hour, and was buried on the evening of the same day by his disciples, who, by permission of the governor Pilate, laid the body of the Lord, when taken down from the cross, in a new momiment, in a garden near at hand, his soul was reunited to his body, very early on the morning of the third day after his death, which was the Lord's day ; and thus he, who was dead during those three days, returned, and rose again. QUESTION VIII. Christ rose again not hy another Power, but hy his own. But, by the word resurrection we must not merely under- stand that Christ was raised from the dead, which was com- mon with him to many others ; but that he rose by his own power and virtue, which was peculiar to him alone. For it is incompatible with nature, nor was it ever granted to man to be able to raise himself, by his own power, from death unto life. This was reserved exclusively for the supreme " Philipp. ii. 10. » 2 Tim. ii. 8. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. G5 power of God, as these words of the Apostle give us to understand : Although lie was crucified through loeahiess, yet he liveth hy tlie power of God^" This divine power, never having heen separated either from the body of Christ whilst in the grave, or from his soul when he descended into hell, there existed a divine force as well in the body, by which it might be again imited to the soul, as in the soul, by which it might again return to the body ; and by which he, by his own power, might return to life, and rise again from the dead. This I)a-\dd foretold, when, filled with the Spirit of God, he prophesied in these words : His right hand and Ills Iwly arm hath lorought for him scdvation.^ This is also confirmed by testimony of the divine lips of our Lord him- self : / lay down my life, says he, that I miglii talce it again ; and I luive power to lay it doiun, and I liave po%oer to talce it again.y To the Jews he also said, in confirmation of the truth of his doctrine : Destroy this tempile, and in three days I will raise it up.^ Although the Jews understood him to have spoken this of that temple magnificently built of stones ; yet, as the Sci-ipture testifieth in the same place, he spake of tlie temple of his body."- We sometimes, however, read in the Scriptures, that Christ the Lord was raised by the Father ;^ but this must refer to him as man ; as those passages, which, on the other hand, signify that he rose by his own power, relate to him as God. QUESTION IX. ffoio CJinst is called "tJie First Beyottcn of the Dead," when others hefore him are hiown to have heen raised. But that he himself should have been the first who enjoyed this divine gift of rising from the dead, is also the especial privilege of Christ ; for he is called in the Scriptures, the fi/rst-born from tlie deadf and, tlie first-hegotten of tlie dead;'^ and, as it is in the Apostle, Christ is risen from tlie dead, tlie first fruits of tliem, tluxt sleep ; for hy man came death, and hy man tlie resurrection of tlie dead ; and, as in Adam all die '"■ 2 Cor. xiii. i. » Pa. xcvii. 2 (xcviii. 2). y John X. 17, seq. ' John ii. 19. » Ibid. 21. i" See Acts ii. 24, iii. 15 ; Eom. viii. 11. ' Col. i. 18. ^ Apoo. i. 5. P 6G THE catechism: even so in Christ shall all be made alive ; but every one in his own order ; ilie first fruits Christ, tlien they tlmt a/re of Christ.^ These words of the Apostle are to be explained of a perfect resurrection, by wliicli we are resuscitated to eternal life, all necessity of dying being utterly removed ; and in this man- ner [of i-esnrrection] Christ the Lord holds the first place. For, if we speak of resuiTection, that is, of a return to life subject to the necessity of again dying, many were raised from the dead before Christ,' all of whom, however, were restored to life so that they must die again ; but Christ the Lord, having subdued and conquered death, rose again as no longer capable of dying, as is confirmed by this very evident testimony of the Apostle : Christ rising again from tJie dead, dieth now no more : death hath no more dominion over him3 QUESTION X. Eow, and for wJiat Reason, Christ deferred Im Besuirection till ike Tliird Day. These additional words of the article, the third day, the pastor will explain, lest the faithful should suppose that Christ had been in the grave, during the entire of these three days ; b\it, as he lay in the sepulchre during an entire natural day, and during part of the preceding and part of the following day, he is most truly said to have lain in the grave three days, and, on the third, to have risen again from the dead. To declare his divinity, he was unwilling to defer his i-esurrection to the end of the world ; whilst, at the same time, to convince us of the reality of liis humanity and death, he rose not immediately after Ms death, but on the third day, a space of time, that seemed sufficient to prove his real death. QUESTION XI. WJnj tlie Fatli.ers of the S;/nod of OomiantinopU added the Words " according to the Scrij;Aures " to the Creed. To this place the Fathers of the first Synod of Constanti- nople added the words : According to tlie Scrijytures, an addi- = 1 Cor. CT. 20, sqq. ' Compare the examples of the child of the widow raised by Elijah, 1 Kings xvii. 22 ; of the child of the Shimamite r.aised by Eliaha, 2 Kings iv. 35 ; also of the dead man revived at the sepulchre of the latter, 2 Kings siii. 21. k Eom. vi. 9. OF THK COUNCIL OF TKENT. 67 tion which, taken from the apostle, they transferred to the creed, because the same apostle taught the absolute necessity of the mystery of the resurrection, when he says : If Christ he not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain ; and if Christ he not raised, your faith is vain, for ye are yet in your sins.^ Hence, admiring our belief of this article, St. Augvistine says : It is nothing great to helieve that Christ died ; this tlie Pagans, a/nd Jews, and all tlie loiched helieve ; all helieve that he died. TJie resurrection of Christ is the helisf of Christians : to helieve that he rose again, this we deem something great} Hence it is, that our Lord very frequently spoke of his resurrection ; and scarcety ever con- versed with his disciples respecting his passion, without men- tioning his resurrection. Thus, when he said, Tlie Son of Man shall he delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall he mocked, and scourged, and spit upon ; and after they have scourged him, they will put him to death, he concluded by saying, a/nd the third day lie shall rise again} And when the Jews called upon him to give a proof of the truth of his doctrine by some sign and miracle, he replied : There shall no sign he given them hut the sign of ilie propliet Jonas ; fen- as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's helly, so sliall tlie Son of Man he three days and tlvree nights in the heart of tlie earih.^ To understand better the force and meaning of this ar- ticle, there are three things to be inquired into and known by us ; first, how necessary was the resiurection of Christ ; secondly, its end and object ; thirdly, the blessings and advantages of which it is the source to us. QUESTION XII. Of Ac Reason for the Necessitij of the Resnirectlon of Christ. "With regard, then, to the first, it was necessary that he should rise again, in order that the justice of God might be manifested ; for it vras most fitting that he, who, throiigh obedience to God, was degraded, and afElicted with every kind of ignominy, should by him be exalted. This is a reason assigned by the apostle, v^hen he says to the Philip- '' 1 Cor. XV. 14, 17. ' August, in Ps. cxx. 4. J Luke xviii. 3i!, sqq. ^ Matt. xii. 39, seq. 68 THE CATECHISM plans : He humhled hiinsdf, and became obedient unto death ; even unto tJie death of the cross ; wlierefore God, aho, luxth exalted him} [He rose], also, in order tliat our faith, wliioh is necessary to justification, might be confirmed ; for the resurrection of Christ from the dead, by his own power, should be the greatest proof of his divinity. Furthermore, it was necessary that our hope should be nurtured and sus- tained, for, as Christ rose again, we rest on an assured hope, that we too shall rise again, for the members must neces- sarily participate in the condition of their head. This is the conclusion that S. Paul seems to draw, when he writes to- the Corinthians™ and Thessalonians i^ and Peter, the prince of the Apostles, says : Blessed be tlie God wnd Fatlier of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his great mercy, liath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from tlie dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible.^ FiaaUy, [the pastor] must teach, that the resurrection of our Lord was necessary, to complete the mystery of our salva- tion and redemption : for by his death Christ liberated us from our sins, and by his resurrection he restored to us the principal benefits, which we had forfeited by sin. Hence it is said by the Apostle : Ife was delivered up for our sins, mud was raised agaim, for our justification.^ That nothing, therefore, may be wanting to our salvation, it was meet that, as he died, he should also rise again from the dead. QUESTION XIII. W!iat Advantages result to Men from the Eeswn'ectimi of Christ. Prom what has been hitherto said, we can perceive how great advantage the resurrection of Christ the Lord has brought to the faithful ; for in the resurrection we acknowledge God to be immortal, fuU of glory, the conqueror of death and the devil ; and this we must firmly believe and confess of Christ Jesus. Again, the resurrection of Christ has also brought forth unto us our resurrection, both as being its efficieiit cause, and because we ought all to rise again, after the example of our Lord. For with regard to the resurrection of the body, the 1 Philipp. ii. S, 9. "■ 1 Cor. xv. 12. » 1 Thes. Iv. 14. ° 1 Peter i. 3 ,seq. p Rom. iv. 25. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 69 apostle beareth. this testimony : By man came death, and hy man ilie resurrection of the dead.'i- For whatever God wrought in accomplishing the mystery of our redemption, in all its parts, he made use of the humanity of Christ as its efficient instrument; and hence, his resurrection was in some sort the instrument of accomplishing ours. It may also be called the model, seeing that the resurrection of Christ our Lord is the most perfect of all ; and as the body of Christ again rising ■unto immortal glory was changed, so shall our bodies also, which were before frail and mortal, be restored, adorned with glory and immortality. For as the apostle teacheth : We wait for the Saviour our Lord Jesios Christ, who loill reform the body of our lowliness, fashioned like unto the body of his glory.'' The same may be said of a soul dead in sin ; and how the resurrection of Christ is proposed to such a soul as the model of her resiuTection, the same apostle teacheth, when he says : As Clirist was raised up from tlie dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life ; for if we have been planted together in tlie likeness of his death, we shall be also \in that] of his resv/rrection ; and a little after : Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no mare : death hath iio more dominion over him ; for in that lie died to sin, he died once ; but in tliat lie liveth, lie livetli unto God. Likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.^ QUESTION XIV. Wliat Examples must he taken from the Resurrection of Christ. From the resurrection of Christ, therefore, two lessons of imitation should be derived ; the one that, after we have -n^ashed away the stains of sin, we should begin a new Idnd of Hfe, in which moral integrity, innocence, holiness, modesty, justice, beneficence, humility, may shine forth ; the other, that we should so persevere in that newness of life, as never more, with God assisting, to stray from the path of right- eousness, on which we have once entered. Nor do the words of the apostle prove only that the resurrection of 1 1 Cor. XV. 21. ' Phil. iii. 20, 21. » Eom. vi. 4, seq. C-9, 10, 11. 70 THE CATECHISM Christ is proposed as tlie model of our resurrection ; but they also declare that it gives us power to rise again ; and imparts to us strength and spirit to persevere in holiness and righteousness, and in keeping the commandments of God. For as from his death we not only derive an example how to die, but also strength, so that we may die unto sin ; so also, his resurrection invigorates us to attain righteousness ; that thenceforward worshipping God piously and holUy, we may walk in the newness of life, to which we rise ; for this the Redeemer achieved principally by his resurrection, that we, who had before died with him unto sin and unto this world, might rise also with him again to a new discipline and manner of life. QUESTION XV. J^rom what Evidences we infer that any one, with Christ, luxth risen accorditig to the Spirit. The principal indications of this resurrection from sin, which demand our observation, are pointed out by the apostle : If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which a/re above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God!' Here he distinctly shows that they who desire to possess life, honours, ease, riches, there chiefly where Christ dwells, have truly risen with him ; but when he adds : Mind the things that are above, iiot the things that are on the ewrth^ this he gives as another mark, as it were, by which we may discern whether we have truly risen with Christ. For as the appetite is wont to indicate the health and state of the body, so if any one relish whatsoever things are true, wliatso- ever things are modest, whatsoever things are just, wliatsoever things are lioly^' and he perceive the pleasantness of heavenly things ■with the inmost senses of liis mind, this may be con- sidered as the strongest proof that he who is thus disposed has risen with Christ Jesus to a neAV and spiritual hfe. ' Col. iii. 1. " Col. iii. 2, marg. ' Phil. iv. 8. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 71 CHAPTER VII. op the sixth aeticle. "he ascended into heaven, sitteth at the eight hand of god, the eathek almighty." QUESTION I. Tlie Excellence of this Article, and llie Meaning of the First Part thereof. David tlie propliet, wlien, filled -witli tlie Spirit of God, he contemplated tlie blessed and glorious ascension of onr Lord into heaven, exhorts all to celebrate that triumph mth the greatest joy and gladness : Clcq} your hands, says he, all ye nations ; shout unto God vnth tlie voice of triuin27h. God is gone up with juhileey Hence the pastor will understand that this mystery must be explained ^^•ith the greatest assi- duity, and that he must take esisecial care that the faithful not only perceive it with faith and understanding, but as far as possible make it their study, God assisting, to reflect also its image in their lives and deeds. With regard, then, to the explanation of this sixth article, in which principally is treated of this divine mystery [of the ascension], we must begin with its first part, and imfold its force and meaning. For the faithful are also without hesita- tion to believe that Jesus Christ, having fully performed and accomplished the work of redemption, ascended as man, body and soul, into heaven ; but as God, he was never absent from heaven, filling, as he does, aU places with his divinity. QUESTION II. 'Christ ascended not only hy the Virtue of his Divinity, hut also ly Force of his Hmna/nity. [The pastor] must also teach, that he ascended by his own virtue, and was not raised aloft by the power of another, as was Elias, who went up in a fiery chariot into heaven,^ or as was the prophet Habacuc,y or Philip, the deacon, who, borne through the air by the divine power, traversed far distant " Ps. xlvi. 2, 6 (xlvii. 1, 5). " 2 Kings ii. H. ? Dan. xiv. 35. (In our Apoorj'ph';, ys. 35 of tha "History of Bel and the Dragon.") 72 THE CATECHISM jjarts of tlie earth.'' Neither did lie ascend into heaven solely as God, by the supreme power of the Divinity, but also as man ; for although the ascension could not have taken place by natural power, yet that virtue, with which the blessed soul of Christ had been endowed, was capable of moving the body as it pleased ; and Ms body, which had now received glory, readily obeyed the command of the actuating soul. And we believe that Christ, as God and man, ascended by his own power into heaven. QUESTION III. In what Sense Christ, in Hie Secmd Part of this Article, is said to sit at the Rigid Hand of the Failur. In the other part of this article are these words : Sitteth at the right Imnd of the Father. In these words we observe a trope, that i.s, the changing of a word from its literal and grammatical to a figurative meaning, a thing frequent in the sacred letters," when, accommodating the matter to our un- derstanding, we attribute human affections and members to God, who, Sjjirit that he is, admits of nothing corporeal being conceived of him. But as, amongst men, he who is placed at the right hand is considered to occtipy the more honourable place, so, transferring the same idea to celestial things, to express the glory which Christ, as man, has re- ceived before all others, we confess that he is at the right hand of the Father. Here, however, to sit does not imply position and figure of body, but declares the fixed and per- manent possession of royal and sujjreme power and glory, which he hath received from the Father ; of which the apostle saith : Raising hiin up from, the dead, and setting him at his own rigid hand in the heavenly places, ahove all princi- pality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is na/med, not only in this icorld, hut also in that which is to come ; and he hath put all tilings under his feet;^ words which manifestly imply that this glory belongs to our Lord in a manner so particular and exclusive, as to be suitable to no other created being ; and hence, in another place, the » Acts viii. 39. " Compare Augustin. de Dootr. Christ, iii. v. sqq. whose remarks are highly useful. " Eph. i. 20, sqq. • See Pearson, p. 277, sqq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 73 apostle testifies : To which of the angels said he at amy tiine, sit on my right hands- QUESTION IV. "Why the Sistoi-y of CJinst's Ascension ought to be fregumtly repeated to the People. But the pastor -will explain the sense of this article more difiiisely by detailing the history of the ascension, wliicli the evangelist St. Luke has described with admirable order in "the Acts of the Apostles.'' In its exposition he must ob- serve, in the first place, that to the ascension, as to their end, are referred all other mysteries, and that in it is contained their whole perfection and completion. For as with the incarnation of our Lord all the mysteries of our religion commence, so with his ascension into heaven terminates Ms pilgrimage [on earth]. Moreover, other articles of the creed, ■which appertain to Clirist the Lord, show his great Tinmility and lowliness : for nothing can be conceived more humble or more lowly than that for us the Son of God assumed the frailty of human nature, sufiered, and died ; but nothing more magnificent, nothing more admirable, can be said ia order to proclaim his sovereign glory and divine majesty than what is contained both in the present and preceding articles, in which we confess that he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father. QUESTION V. Why Christ ascended into Heaven, and did not rather constitute his Kingdom oa JSa/rth. These truths having been explained, he will next ac- curately teach for what reason our Lord ascended into heaven. He ascended, firstly, because the most lofty and glorious kingdom of heaven, not the earth, presented a suitable dwelling-place for his body, which, upon its resur- rection, was gifted with the glory of immortality. And he ascended, not only to possess the throne of glory, and the kingdom wliich he had merited by his blood, but also to provide whatever appertained to our salvation. He ascended, that he might really prove thereby, that his hiiigdom is not ■^ Heb. i. 13. •" Acts i. 74 THE CATECHISM of this world ;^ for the kingdoms of this -world are earthly and transient, and are based upon great wealth and the power of the flesh ; whilst that of Christ is not, as the Jews ex- pected, an earthly, but a spiritual and eternal kingdom, the wealth and riches of which he shows to be also spuitual, by placing his throne in the heavens. And in this his kingdom they are to be deemed most abounding in opulence and affluence of every sort of good things, who most diligently seek the things that are of God. For so St. James beareth witness : Hath not God chosen the poor of this loorld, rich in faith, and lieirs of tlie kingdom, which God liMh premised to them tJiat love him ?' But our Lord also ascended into heaven, in order that he might teach us to follow him thither in mind and will ; for as, by his death and resurrection, he had left us an example of dying and rising again in spirit, so by his ascension he teaches and instructs us, that though dweUing on earth, we should raise om-selves in thought to heaven, confessing that we a/r'e p)ilgrims and strangers on earth, seeJcing a countri/,sfelloio-citizens with tlie saints, and tlie do- mestics of God ;^ for, as the same apostle says, ov/r conversation is in heaven.^ QUESTION VI. What Benefits are conferred on Men through the Asce/asion of Christ. Now the force and magnitude of the inexplicable blessings, which the beneficence of God has poured out upon us, were long before, according to the interpretation of the apostle, sung by the inspired David in these words : Ascending on high, he hath led captivity captive ; lis hath given gifts to men ;J for on the tenth day [after his ascension] he gave the Holy Ghost, with whose power and abundance he filled the multitude of the faithful then present, and then truly fulfilled those splendid promises : It is expiedient for you that I go ; for if I go not away, tlie Comforter luill not come unto you : hut ij I depa/rt, I will send him to you^ He also ascended into heaven, according to the statement of the apostle, thai lie may appear in the presence of God for us} and discharge for " John xviii. 3,6. ' James ii. 5. b Heb. xi. 13, seq. " Eph. ii. 19. ' Philip, iii. 20. 1 Ps. Ixvii. 19 (Lxviii. IS) ; Epli. iv. 8. i" John xvi. 7. ' Heb. ix. 2(1. OP THE COUHCIL OF TRENT. 75 US tlie office of advocate with the Father. My little children, saith St. John, tliese things rvrite I wnto you, that ye sin not. And if any 'iiuiM sin, we luive cm advocate with tlie Fatlier, Jesus Christ, tlie righteous ; and lie is tlie propitiation /or ou/r sins.^ There is, indeed, nothing from whence the faithful ought to derive greater joy and dehght than from the fact, that Jesus Clirist is constituted the advocate of our cause and the intercessor for our salvation with the eternal Father, with whom his favour and influence are supreme. Finally [by his ascension], lie prepared for us a pilace,^ as he had pro- mised, and entered, as our head, in the name of us aU, into the possession of heavenly glory. For ascending into heaven, he threw open its gates, which had been closed against us by the sin of Adam, and, as he had foretold to his disciples at his last supper, secured for us a way, by which we might arrive at the happiness of heaven. To demonstrate this by the event, he introduced with himself, into the mansions of eternal bhss, the souls of the just, which he had liberated from prison. QUESTION Vn. The Advantages which Christ brought imlo us ly his Ascension.. This admirable profusion of heavenly gifts was followed by a series of important advantages. For, in the first place, the merit of our faith was greatly augmented ; because faith has for its object those things which fall not under the senses, and are remote from the reason and intelligence of men. If, therefore, the Lord had not departed from us, the merit of our faith would be diminished, for Jesus Christ has said : Blessed are tliey tluit have not seen, and liave believed.'^ Besides, the ascension of Christ into heaven contributes much to confirm our hope ; since, believing that Christ, as man, a.scended into heaven, and placed our nature at the right hand of God the Father, we are in great hope, that we, his members, may also ascend thither, and be there united with our head, according to these words of our Lord himself : Father, I vjUI, tliat wliere I am, tliey also, wlunn tlwru, hast given me, may he with meS Another most especially important advantage we have thereby attained, that it "" 1 John ii. 1, scjq, ■■ John xiv. 2. " John XX. 29. p John xvii. Ii. 76 THE CATECHISM snatches away our affections to heaven, and inflames them ■with the divine spirit ; for, most truly has it been said, that where our treasure is, there also is our liewrfi QUESTION VIII. Jt would not ham ieen Advantageous for ws liad Christ remained on Ea/rth. And, indeed, if Christ the Lord were dwelling, on earth, our whole strength would be fixed upon the very sight of his human person, and the enjoyment of his presence, and we should regard only that man, who was to bestow on us such blessings, and would cherish towards him a sort of earthly affection. But, by his ascension into heaven, he has ren- dered our affection for him spiritual, and has made us venerate and love as God him who, though now absent, is the object of our thoughts. This we learn partly from the example of the Apostles, who, wliilst our Lord was per- sonally present with them, seemed to judge of him in some measure humanly ; and in part, from these words of our Lord himself : it is expedient for you that I go,'' for that imperfect love, with which they had cherished Jesus Christ when present, was to be perfected by divine love, and that by the coming of the Holy Ghost ; and, therefore, he immediately subjoins : If I go not, the Comforter imR not come to you. QUESTION IX. After the Ascension of Christ, the Church was greatly increased. Besides, he [thus] enlarged his house upon earth, that is, his Church, which was to be governed by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit j and he left Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, as pastor, and supreme head upon earth, of the universal Church. Some, indeed, also, h& gave to tlie AiMstles, and some Prophets, and otliers Evangelists, and oiliers. Pastors and Teacliers ;^ and, thus, sitting at the right Tiand of the Father, he continually bestows different gifts on different persons, according to the words of St. Paul : To every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ.^ Finally, what we have already tatight concerning the 1 Matt. vi. 21. ' John xvi. 7. » Eph. iv. 11. ' Eph. iv. 7. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 77 mysteiy of Ms death and resurrection, the faithful should hold not less true of his ascension. For, although -we owe our salvation and redemption to the passion of Christ, who by his merits opened heaven to the just ; yet his ascension is not only proposed to us as a model, by which we may learn to look on high, and ascend in spirit into heaven ; but also imparts to us a divine virtue, by which we may be enabled to accomplish what it teaches. CHAPTEE VIII. OF THE SEVENTH ARTICLE, ' TEOM THENCE HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.' QUESTION I. T}ie Three Beiufits of Christ towards his Church, and the Meaning of the Seventh Article. To adorn and render illustrious his Church, there are three eminent offices and functions of our Lord Jesus Christ, those of Eedeemer, Patron, and Judge. As then, from the preceding Articles, it is evident, that the human race was redeemed by his passion and death, and that, by his ascen- sion into heaven, he has for ever undertaken the advocacy and patronage of our cause, it next follows, that, in this article, his character as judge be set forth. The force and purport of the article is to declare, that, on the last day, Christ the Lord will judge the whole human race. QUESTION II. Tlie Advent of Christ is Twofold. For the sacred letters bear witness, that there are two comings of the Son of God, one, when for our salvation, he took upon him the flesh, and was made man in the womb of the Yirgin ; the other, when he shall come, at the end of the world, to judge mankind. This coining is called in Scripture, tlie day of the Lord ; of which the apostle saith : The day of tlie Lord shcdl so come, as a thief in the night ;^ " 1 Thess. v. 2. 78 THE CATECHISM and our Lord himself : But of that day and limm- iw one hnowetli.^ And in proof of the last judgment, let the authority of the Apostle suiSce : We must all, says he, appear hefme tlie judgment-seat of CJwist, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as that he hath done, whether it be good m' eui//' For the sacred Scripture is full of testimonies, which ■will every where occur to the pastors throughout the inspired volume, and which will serve not only to establish the truth of the fact, but also to place it before the eyes of the faithful ; that as, from the beginning of the world, that day of the Lord, on wMch he was clothed with our flesh, was most earnestly wished for by all, because in that mystery they reposed the hope of their liberation, so, also, after the death and ascension into heaven of the Son of God, the second day of the Lord may be the object of our most earnest desires ; waiting for the blessed hope, and coming of the glory of the great God.^ QUESTION" III. Sow often every Man must undergo Judgment in the Presume of Christ. But, to explain this matter, the pastor must distinguish two different periods, at which every one must necessarily appear in the presence of the Lord, to render an account of aU his thoughts, deeds, and words, and to receive sentence accordingly from the mouth of his Judge. The first is, when each of us departs this life, for he is instantly placed before the tribunal of God, where all that he had ever done, or spoken, or thought, is subjected to the most strict sera- tiny, and this is called the particular judgment. The second is, when, on the same day and in the same place, all men shall .stand together before the tribunal of their Judge, that, in the presence and hearing of all ages, each may know his final doom and sentence ; the announcement of which will constitute no small part of the future pains and punishments of the wicked, and of the remuneration and rewards which the just will receive, when it shall clearly appear what has been the tenor of each man's life. And thjs is called the general judgment. ' Matt. xxiv. 3S. " 2 Cor. v. 10. = Tit. ii. 13. OF THE COUNCIL OF TBENT. 79 QUESTION IV. Why a General Judgment was necessary, as well as a Particular. It becomes an indispensable duty of the pastor to show ■why, besides the particular judgment respecting each indi- vidual, a general one should also be passed upon all men. Por those who depart this life, leave behind them sometimes children who follow the example of their parents, sometimes books,y followers, admirers, and defenders of their example, their language, their deeds, by which matters the rewards or punishments of the dead must necessarily be augmented ; and as such benefit or ill efiect, appertaining as it does to so many persons, is to termiuate only with the end of the world, it was meet that a perfect inquiry should be held touching all these good or bad actions and words, a thing which was impossible withotit a general judgment of all men. Moreover, as the good report of the pious is often injured, whilst the wicked are commended with the praise of inno- cence, the nature of the divine justice demands that the pioiTS recover, in the presence, and with the suffrage, of all men congregated, the good name, of which they had been been xmjustly deprived before men. Again, as good and bad men perform their good and bad actions, not without the co-operation of the body, it foUows, that these actions appertain, also, to the body as their instrument ; and it was, therefore, most fitting, that the bodies should participate with the souls in the eternal rewards or pTinishments ; and this can be accomplished only by means of a general resur- rection, and general judgment of all men. Lastly, it was necessary to prove that, in the prosperity and adversity of men, which are sometimes the promiscuous lot of the good and the bad, everything is done and ordered by the infinite wisdom and justice of God. It was, [therefore], meet, not only that rewards should await the good, punish- ments the wicked, in the next life, but that they shou.kl also be av/arded by a public and general judgment ; that thus they might be rendered better known, and more conspicuous to all j and that, in atonement for the unjust complaint, in y There is some confmion in the text, apparently resulting irom the similarity of " librc«-um" and "liberorum." 80 THE CATECI-IISM wliich, on seeing tlie \vicked abounding in wealth, and flourishing in honours, even the saints themselves, as men, have sometimes bewailed, praise may be ofiered up by all to the justice and pi-ovidence of God : My feet, says the Pro- phet, were almost moved, my steps had weU nigh slipped; for I was envious at the wieked, seeing the prosperity^ of sinners ; and a little after : Belwld ! these are sinners, amd yet, pros- pering in the world, they have obtained riches; aiid I said, verily I lume justified my heart in vain, and waslied my hands among tlie innocent ; and I Iiave been scourged the whole day ; and my cliastisement hath been in tlie morning. '^ And this has been the frequent complaint of many ; and it was, there- fore, necessary that a general judgment should be exercised, lest perchance men should say that God, walking about tJie poles of heaven,^ regards not the things of earth. Justly, therefore, has this formula of truth been made one of the twelve articles of the Christian faith, that, should any men's minds hesitate touching the providence and justice of God, they might be confirmed by means of this doctrine. Besides, the just should be encouraged, the wicked appalled, by the idea of a future judgment ; so that, knowing the justice of God, the former may not be disheartened, and, through fear of eternal punishment, the latter may be recalled from falling away. Hence, speaking of the last day, our Lord and Saviour declares, that a general judgment shall one day take place, and describes the signs of that coming period ; that, seeing them, we may know that the end of the world is at hand.'' At his ascension, also, he sent angels to con- sole his Apostles, who were bewailing his departm-e, in these words : This Jesv^ wlio is talcen up from you into heaven,, shaU so corns in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.''- QUESTION V. The Power of Judghig the Human Hace is given to Christ according to loth his Natures. But that tliis judgment is assigned to Christ our Lord, not only as God, but also as man, the sacred letters declare. ^ Pacem. " Ps. Ixxii. (Ixxiii.) 2, 3, 12, sqq. ' Job xxii. 14, "in the circuit,'' or, " in the aroli of heaven." " Matt. xxiv. 29, sqq. '' Acts i. 11. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 81 For although the power of judging is common to all the persons of the holy Trinity, yet we especially attribute it to the Son, because to him we also ascribe wisdom. And that he wiU judge the world as man, is confirmed by the testi- mony of our Lord, when he saith : As tlie Father luvth life in himself ; so hath lie given to tlie Son also, to have life in himself; and hath given him autliority to execute judgment also, because he is tlie Son of Man." QUESTION VI. Why this Judgment is not similarly ascribed to the Father or the Holy Spirit. But [the pastor] will teach, that this judgment is par- ticularly said to be exercised by Christ our Lord, in that, as sentence is to be pronounced on mankind, they may see their judge with their eyes, and hear his sentence with their ears, and thus perceive their judgment through the medium of the senses. Most just is it, too, that the man, who was condemned by the most iniquitous judgment of men, should himself be, afterwards, seen by all men sitting as judge of aU. Hence the Prince of the Apostles, when he had ex- pounded, in the house of Cornelius, the principal heads of the Christian religion, and had taught that Christ was suspended on a cross, and put to death by the Jews, and rose to life on the third day, added : And he commanded v^s to preach to tJie people, and to testify that it is lie, lohich teas ordained of God, to be the judge of the living and the dead.^ QUESTION Vir. £y what Signs the GeneraZ Judgment will he perceived to he impending. The Sacred Scriptures declare, that these three principal signs shall precede the general judgment ; the preaching of the Gospel throughout the whole world, a falling away from the faith, and [the coming of] Antichrist ; for our Lord says : This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preaclied in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, a/nd tlien slwM tlie con- summation come ;o and the apostle admonishes us, that we be not deceived hy any one, as tliat the day of tlie Lord is at ' John v. 26, 27. ' Acts x. 42. e Matt. xxiv. 14. G 82 THE CATECHISSI hand ; for, unless tliere come a falling OMay first, amd the man of sin he revealed, the son of perdition^ the judgment ■will not take place. QUESTION VIII. In what Maimef ilie Last Judgment will take place, and in what Manner Sentence wiU Tie passed wpon all. The form and process of this judgment, pastors -will easily learn from the Oracles of Daniel,' and from the doctrine of the holy Evangehsts, and of the Apostle. The sentence, moreover, to be pronounced by the judge, is here to be expounded with dihgent care. For Christ our Lord, be- holding the just, standing on his right hand, -with joyous eyes, ■will pronounce sentence on them ■with the utmost benignity, in these ■words : Come, ye blessed of nvy Father, possess tJie kingdom prepared for you from the fovmdation of the world.i That nothing can be conceived more delightful to the ear than these -words, they ■will comprehend, -who compare them ■with the sentence of condemnation passed upon the ■wicked ; and reflect ■within themselves, that, by these ■words, pious and just men are in^nted from labours unto rest, from the vale of tears to the highest joy, from miseries to the everlasting happiness, ■which they have pre- ■viously deserved by their ■works of charity. QUESTION IX. With what Tdnds of Punishments the WicTced, who are placed at the Left Sand, will he afflicted. Turning next to those ■who shall stand on his left hand, he shall pour out his jitstice upon them m these ■words : Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for tJie devil and his angels.^ For, in these first ■words, depaH from, me, is expressed the heaviest punishment ■with -which the ■wicked shall be visited, -when they are banished to the greatest distance from the sight of God, unrelieved by one consolatory hope of enjoying so great a good. This the theologians call the pain of loss, because in hell the -wicked shall ever ■want the light of the sight of God.' The -words, ye cursed, ■which >> 2 Thess. ii. 2, 3. ' Dan. vii. 9, sqq. J Matt, XXV. 34. •■ Matt. xxv. 41. ' See Chrysoat. in Matt. horn. 23; jVugust. serin. 181, de temp. Greg, lib. 9, moral, cap. 46. OF THE COUNCIL OF THENT. 83 are added, augment to a marvellous degree their ■wretclied and calamitous condition. For if, wlien about to be banisted from the divine presence, they were deemed worthy of any sort of blessing, it might be to them a great source of con- solation ; but having no such expectation as might alleviate calamity, the divine justice, with an undoubted right, pur- sues them, when banished, with every kind of malediction. The words, into everlasting fire, which follow, express another sort of punishment, called by the theologians tlie pain of sense; because, like stripes and flagellations, or any other severer sort of punishments, amongst which no doubt fire produces the most intense feeling of pain, it is felt through the organs of sense. When we further reflect that this jjain is to last for eternity, we may at once perceive, that the punishment of the damned will comprise an accumulation of all punish- ments. And this the words, prepwred for the devil and his cmgels, at the close of the sentence, more fully declare j for as it is naturally found that we all experience some alle- viation of our afiiictions, if we possess some companion and fellow in our misfortune, from whose prudence and humanity we may, in some degree, derive assistance ; what then shall be the misery of the damned, to whom, in such calamities, there shall never be permitted a separation from the society of the most lost demons ? And most justly shall this sen- tence be passed by our Lord and Saviour on the wicked, as upon them who neglected all the works of true piety, who gave not meat to the htmgry, drink to the thirsty, shelter to the stranger, clothing to the naked, nor visited him who was sick and in prison.™ QUESTION X. The Faithful ought frequently to ie reminckd of the Judgment. These are matters, which the joastor should very frequently press upon the hearing of the faithful people ; for the truth contained in this article, conceived by faith, has the utmost efiect in bridling the perverse propensities of the heart, and withdrawing souls from sin.'i Hence we read in Ecclesiasticus : " Of. Matt. XXV. 35, sqq. » See Aug. serm. 128, de temp. Greg. hom. 39, in Evang. Bernard, serm. i. in festo omnium Sanctorum. g2 Bi THE CATECHISM In all thy works reineniber thy last end, and tlwu slialt never sin." And, indeed, it will be almost impossible that any one ■will be so abandoned to vice, as not to be recalled to the pursuit of virtue by the reflection, that a time will come, VT^hen he will have to render an account, before a most strict judge, not only of all his words and deeds, but even of his most hidden thoughts, and shall pay a penalty according to his deserts. But the just man must be more and more excited to cultivate justice, and, although he spend his life in want, and infamy, and torments, must be transported with the greatest joy, when he looks forward to that day, on which, when the conflicts of this wretched life shall have ceased, he shall be declared victorious in the hearing of aU men ; and, admitted into his heavenly country, shall be crowned with divine, and these, also, eternal honours. It remains, therefore, that the faithful be exhorted to study the best manner of living, and exercise themselves in every practice of piety ; that thus they may be able to await with greater security that great coming day of the Lord, and even, as becomes children, to desire it most earnestly. CHAPTER IX. OP THE EIGHTH ARTICLE. " I BELIEVE IN THE HOLT GHOST." QUESTION I. Hovs ynat is the Necessity and Profit of Faith in the Holy Spirit. Hitherto we have exjDounded, as far as the character of the subject proposed seemed to require, what things apper- tain to the first and second persons of the Holy Trinity. It now remains to explain, also, what the Creed contains with regard to the third person, that is, the Holy Ghost. In the exposition of this matter pastors will employ all study and dUigence, for, in a Christian man, ignorance or error is as little excusable on this, as on the preceding articles. Wherefore " Ecclesiasticus vii. 40 (37), Iv nan toXq \6yoig cov jufivijUKov tcl iaxarcL aov, nai elg rbv aiuva ovx aftCTprj')(T£i£, OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 85 the apostle suffered not some of the Epliesians to be ignorant of the person of the Holy Ghost : having asked of them if they had received the Holy Ghost, and they having answered, that they did not so much as know whether there was amy, he immediately asked : In whom, tliere/ore, were ye baptized ?P in which words he signified that to the faithful a distinct knowledge of this article is most necessary. From it they derive this especial iruit : considering, attentively, that •whatever they possess, they obtained through the gift and benefice of the Holy Ghost, they learn to think more modestly and humbly of themselves, and begin to place their whole hopes in the protection of God, which, to a Christian man, should be the first step towards supreme msdom and happiness. QUESTION II. 57ie Term " Holy Gkost " does not agree with the Third Person of the Trinity in such a manner as to ie equally applicahle to the others. The exposition of this article, therefore, should begin with the force and meaning which is here attached to the term, " Holy Ghost ;" for, as this appellation is equally true when applied either to the Father or the Son (for both are spirit, both, holy, if indeed we confess of God to be a spirit), and also signifies angels and the souls of the pious, care must be taken that the faithful be not led into error by the ambiguity of the word. [The pastor] must therefore teach, that, in tliis article, by the word Holy Ghost is understood the third person of the Trinity, a sense in which it is oftentimes used in the Old, and frequently in the New Testament. Thus David prays : Take not thy Holy Spirit fro7n me y9 and in the Book of Wisdom, we read : Who shall know thy counsel, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above ;'^ and in another place : He created her in the Holy Ghost.^ We are also commanded in the New Testament to be baptized, in tlie name of tJie Father, and of the Son, and of tlie Holy Ghost :' we read that the most holy Yirgin con- P Acts xbc. 2, sqq. In our version, it is, " unto wbat were ye bap- tized?" {I'lQ tI ovv iQaTrrhOriTS ;). 1 Ps. 1. 13 (li. 11). ' Wis. ix. 17. ' Eccl. i. 9 {ApoGryjiha). I do not find the wortls "in the Holy Ghost" either in the original or in our version. ' Matt, xxviii. 19. 86 THE CATECHISM ceived of tlie Holy Ghost;™ and we are sent by St. John to Christ, who baptizeth us with the Holy Ghost/ and in a variety of other passages this word will occur to the notice of the reader. QUESTION III. Why tlie Tldrd Person of tlie Bohj Trinity has no Proper Name, like the other Two, Nor should any one be surprised, that a proper name is not attributed to the tliird, as weU as to the first and second persons ; for the second person is designated by a proper name, and called Son, because, as has been explained in the preceding articles, his eternal origin from the Father is properly called generation. As, therefore, that origin is sig- nified by the word generation ; so the person who emanates is proiDerly called Son, and the person from whom he emanates, Father. Now, as the production of the third person is characterized by no proper name, but is called spiration^ and procession, it follows that the person produced should also lack a proper name. But his emanation has no pro- per name, because we are obliged to borrow from created things the names which we give to God ; and, as we know no other created means of communicating nature and essence but the force of generation, we therefore cannot express by a proper name the manner in which God communicates himself entire by the force of liis love. Wherefore the third person is called by the common name of " Holy Ghost," a name, however, which is peculiary ajDpropriate to him, as we must acknowledge, seeing that he infuses into us spiritual hfe, and without his most holy inspiration v/e can do nothing de- serving of eternal life. QUESTION IV. Tlve Holy Ghost is equalh/ God, and of the same Power and Natv,re loith the Father and ihe Son. But, the import of the name being explained, the people should first of all be taught, that the Holy Ghost is equally God with the Father and the Son, equal to them, equally » Matt. i. 20. ' John i. 33. " Spiratio, a word pretty nearly equivalent to " emanation.'' It is often used by Scribonius Largus. See Khodes'a Index. OF THE COUNCIL OF TBENT. 87 onmipotent, eternal, and of infinite perfection, the supreme good, and infinitely wise, and of the same nature -with the Pather and the Son. And this is sufficiently intimated by the force of the word in, when we say : F beKeve in the Holy Ghost ; which word in is prefixed to each person of the Trinity, to express fiilly the force of our faith. It is also confirmed by many clear testimonies of the sacred writings; for when, in the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter had said, Ananias I why hath Satan tempted thins Iieart, that thou slwuldst lie to the Holy Oliost 2 he soon after adds : Thou hast not lied unto men, lut unto God ;^ calling Him, to whom he had before given the name of Holy Ghost, immediately after, God. The apostle, also, writing to the Corinthians, interprets Him, whom he had called God, to be the Holy Ghost : There a/re, says he, diversities of operations, hut it is tJie same God, wJw worketh all in aU ; hut, adds the apostle, all these things one a/nd tlve same Spirit worketh, dividing to every mam, severally as he willy In the Acts of the AjDostles, also, what the prophets attribute to the one God, St. Paul ascribes to the Holy Ghost ; thus Isaiah had said : / hea/rd the voice of the Lord, saying : Wliom shall I send ? And he said : Go, amd tell this peoi^le : Blind the lieart of this people, amd make tlieir ears liea/oy, and shut their eyes ; lest tliey see with their eyes, and liear with their ea/rs ; ^ and, when about to cite those words, the apostle says : Well spoke the Holy Ghost hy Esams tlie propliet unto our fathers? Again, when the Scripture annexes the person of the Holy Ghost to those of the Pather and the Son, as when baptism is commanded to be administered in the nams of tlie Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, it leaves no room whatever for us to doubt the truth of this mystery. For if the Father is God, and the Son God, we must necessarily acknowledge that the Holy Ghost, who is united with them in the same degree of honour, is also God. Besides, he who receives baptism in the name of any creature, can derive no benefit therefrom: Were ye haptized in the name ofFaul?^ says the apostle, to show that such baptism could have availed them nought unto salvation. As, then, we are ^ Acts V. 2, seq. r 1 Cor. xii. 6, 11. ^ Is. vi. 8, aqq. " Acts xxviii. 25. •> 1 Cor. i. 13. 88 THE CATECHISM baptized in tlie name of the Holy Gtost, we must acknow- ledge that he is God. But this same order of the three persons, by which the divinity of the Holy Ghost is proved, may be observed both in the Epistle of John : There are three tlwA hea/r record in Jwaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Gliost ; and these three are one j" and also in that noble doxology, or form of praise to the Trinity • Glory he to tlie Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Glwst, which closes the divine praises and psalms. Finally, which apper- tains most forcibly to confirm this truth, the sacred letters testify, that whatever faith attributes to God, is equally suited to the Holy Ghost ; wherefore to him is ascribed in Scripture the honour of temples, as when the apostle saith : Know ye not, tJiat your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost j-'^ and also sanctification," and vimfication,^ to sea/rch tlie deep things of God," to speak by the prophets,'' and to be present in all places;' all of which are attributable to God alone. QUESTION V. It must assm-cdly he lelieved that the term " Holy Ohost " signifies a distinct person from the Father and the Son, existing of himself. [The pastor] must also accurately explain to the faithful that the Holy Ghost is God, in such vrise as to be confessedly the third person in the divine nature, distinct from the Father and the Son, and produced by their will. For, to omit other testimonies of Scripture, the form of baptism, taught by the Saviour,] evidently proves that the Holy Ghost is the third person, subsisting by himself in the divine nature, and distinct from the others j as also the words of the apostle declare, when lie says : The grace of ov/r Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the coinmunication of the Holy Glwst, he with you all. Amen.^ This same thing is still more explicitly announced in the words here added by the fathers of the first Council of Constantiaople,' to refiite ' 1 John V. 7. "1 Cor. vi. 19. » 2 Thess. ii. 13 ; 1 Pet. i. 2. ' John vi. 83. "It is the Spirit that quiokeneth." e 1 Cor. ii. 10. " 2 Pet. i. 21. ' Ps. cxxxviii. 7 (cxxxix. 7, sqq.). ' Matt, xxviii. 19. >■ 2 Cor. xiii. 13. ' The words " filioqne," — " and the son," were not added in the Creed of the first council of Constantinople, but " the question being agitated OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 89 the impious madness of Maoedonius : And in the Holy Ghost, the, Lord amdgvo&r of life, who proceedeth from the Father a/nd the Son ; who, together with tJie Father and the Son, is adored amd glorified ; who spake hy the propliets. Thus, by con- fessing the Holy Ghost to be Lord, they declare hew far he excels the angels, who, however, are the noblest spirits cre- ated by God ; for, Are they not ail, says the apostle, onirds- tering spirits, sent forth to minister for tliem who shall receive the inheritance of salvation ?™ But the Holy Ghost they designate. The Giver of life, because the soul lives more by its union with God, than the body is nourished and sustained by its union with the soul. As, then, the sacred letters ascribe to the Holy Ghost this union of the soul with God, it is clear that, with the greatest propriety, he is denominated the Giver of life. QUESTION VI. It declares that the Holy Ohost proceedeth from the Father and the Son, as from one heginnimg. "With regard to what immediately follows : who proceedeth from the Father amd tJie Son, the faithful are to be taught that the Holy Ghost proceeds, by eternal procession, from the Father and the Son, as from one beginning. For this truth is propounded to us by the Church's rule [of faith],'' from which it is not lawful for a Christian to deviate, and which is confirmed by the authority of the Sacred Scriptures and Councils. For Christ the Lord, speaking of the Holy Ghost, says : He shall glorify me, because he shall receive of ininej^ and the same is to be inferred from the fact of the Holy Ghost being sometimes called in holy Scripture, the in the West, utrum Spiriim Sanctm stent procedit a Patre, ita et procedoet a FUio, and it being concluded in the affirmative, they did not only declare it to be true, but also added the same to the Constantinopolitan Creed, and sang it publicly in their liturgy. This being first done in the Spanish and French churches, and the matter being referred to Leo the Third, bishop of Rome, he absolutely concluded that no such addition ought to be tolerated. But not long after, the following Popes, more in love with their own authority than desirous of the peace and unity of the Church, neglected the tables of Leo, and admitted the addition." — Pearson on the Creed, p. 325, sq., whose whole note deserves careful study. The same may be said of the Abbe Douey's notes to the French translation, p. 177, sqq. " Heb. i. 14. " I have supphed " fidei " from TertuUiau, de Prffisoript. adv. Hseretic. o. 13. " John xvi. 14. 90 THE CATECHISM Spirit of Christ, sometimes, the Spirit of the Father ; being one time said to liave been sent by tlie Fatlier,P another time by tlie Son ;1 it tkus being not obscurely signified, tliat the Holy Ghost proceeds alike from the Father and the Son. If any man, says St. Patd, heme not the Spirit of Christ, he is none ofhis.^ In his Epistle to the Galatians, also, he calls the Holy Ghost the Spmt of Christ : God, says he, luxth sent the Spirit of his Son into your Iiearts, crying, Abba, Father.^ In St. Matthew, he is called the Spirit of the Father : It is not ye that speaJc, but tlie Spi/rit ofyowr Father which speaJceth in you;^ and our Lord said, at Ms last supper : When the Comforter is come, whmn luiill send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify ofine.^ In another place he affirms, that this same Holy Ghost is to be sent by the Father : Wliom, says he, the Father will send in m,y narmey Understanding from these words the procession of the Holy Ghost, it is obvious to us that the same proceedeth fi-om both [Father and Son]. These particulars embrace the doctrine which is to be taught with regard to the person of the Holy Ghost. QUESTION VII. Svnci the Wmks of the Trinity are indivisible, why are certain Effects anol Gifts particularly assigned to the Holy Ghost ? He must also teach, that there are certain admirable effects, and certain most exalted gifts of the Holy Ghost, which are said to originate and emanate from him, as from a perennial fountain of goodness. For although the extrinsic works of the most Holy Trinity are common to the three persons, yet many of them are attributed especially to the Holy Ghost, to the end that we may understand that they proceed from the boundless love of God towards iis ; for seeing that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the divine wiU, inflamed as it were with love, it may be comprehended that these effects, which are referred particularly to the Holy Ghost, arise from extreme love of God towards us. Hence it is that the Holy Ghost is called a gift ; for by the term gift we understand that which is kindly and gratuitously I" John xir. 2G. i Id. xv. 26. "• Rom. viii. 9. » Gr.l. iv. 0. ' Matt. x. 20. •■ John xv. 26. ' Id. xir. 26. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 91 bestowed, no anticipation of remuneration being entertained. Whatever blessings and benefits tlierefore bave been bestowed on us by God, — and, as the apostle says, what home we, that we have not received from God ?^ — those we should with a pious and grateful mind acknowledge to be bestowed by the bounty and gift of the Holy Ghost. QUESTION VIII. Wliat, what hind, and how gnat are the effects of the Soly Spirit. But the effects [of the Sjoirit] are numerous ; for, not to mention the creation of the world, the propagation and government of created things, of which we have made mention in the first article, it wa.s slio^vn a little before, that to the Holy Gbost is particularly attributed the giving of life; and this is fiu'ther confirmed by the testimony of Ezekiel : IwiM give you spirit, and you shall live.^ The prophet, however, enumerates the principal effects, peculiarly attributed to the Holy Ghost : The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and piety, and the spirit of the fear of ilie Lord ;'s effects which are called the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and sometimes by the name of the Holy Ghost. Wisely therefore does St. Au- gustine admonish us, that, whenever we meet the word Holy Ghost in Scripture, we distinguish whether it means the third person of the Trinity, or his effects and operations ;^ for they are equally as distinct from one another as is the Creator from things created. And these matters should the more diligently be explained, as from these gifts of the Holy Ghost we derive rules of a Christian life, and are enabled to per- ceive whether the Holy Ghost dwells within us. But that grace [of justification], which seals us loith tlie holy Spirit of ,promise, ivlw is the earnest of owr inheritance,^ is to be pro- claimed by us above his other most exalted gifts, for this it is that unites our hearts to God in the closest bonds of love ; Tv'hence it comes to pass, that, inflamed with a supreme desire of piety, Tv-e begin a new life, and, made partakers oftlie divine nature, are called and really are sons of God}' *■ 1 Cor. iv. 7. " Ezelc. xxxvii. 6 ; "I -will put breath in you." y Isa. xi. 2, with the omission of the words "and piety." ' St. August, lib. 15 de Trinit. cap. xviii. 19. " Eph. i. 13, seq. I" 1 John iii. 1 ; 2 Pet. i. 4. Soe Decrees and Canons, Sess. vi. 92 THE CATECHISM CHAPTEE X. OP THE NINTH ARTICLE. " I BELIEVE THE HOLT CATHOLIC CHURCH." QUESTION I. For what reasons tJie ninth Article ought most frequently to he inculcated on the People. With how great care pastors ought to explain to the faithful this ninth article, "will not be difficult to estimate, if •we attend particularly to the folio-wing considerations : first, that, as St. Augustine" observes, the prophets spoke more plainly and openly of the Church than of Christ, as they foresaw that on this a much greater number may err and be deceived, than on the mystery of the Incarnation. For in after ages there ■would not be wanting wicked men, who, like the ape, that would fain pass for a man, would profess them- selves to be Catholics alone, and, with no less impiety than effirontery, assert that with them alone is [to be found] the Catholic Church ; secondly, that he, whose mind is deeply impressed with this truth, will experience little difficulty in avoiding the fearful danger of heresy ; for a person is not to be called a heretic as soon as he shall have offended in matters of faith ; he only is to be called a heretic who, neglecting the authority of the Church, maintains impious opinions with pertinacity. Since, therefore, no man can be infected with the contagion of heresy, so long as he holds the things proposed to be believed in this article, pastors should use every diligence that the faithful, knowing this mystery, and thus guarded against the wiles of Satan, may persevere in the true faith. But this article depends upon the preceding one; for, it having already been shown that the Holy Ghost is the source and giver of all holiness, we here profess our belief that the Church has by him been endowed with holiness. ■= S. Aug. in Ps. XXX. 15. Rather, on Pa. xxxi. 11 (Latin Ps. xxx.), Expos, ii. Serm. ii. § 8 (Ed. Benedictine), as the Eev. Charles Marriott has kindly pointed out. OP THE COTJSTCIL OF TEENT. 93 QUESTION II. What is generally and particularly denoted hy the word •' Hcclesia" (Church). But as tlie Latins borrowed tlie ■word Ecclesia'^ from the Greek, and since the preacMng of the Gospel transferred it to sacred things, it is necessary to explain the meaning con- veyed thereby. The -word Ecclesia means a caUing forth ; but writers afterwards used it to signify a council or assem- bly. Nor does it matter whether the word is used in refer- ence to the people of the true God, or of a false religion; for in the Acts, it is said of the jDeople of Ephesus that, when the town-clerk had appeased a tumultuous assemblage, he said : And if you inquire after any other matter, it may he deter- Ttdned in a lawful assembly ;" thus are the Ephesians, who were worshippers of Diana, called a lawful assembly. Nor are the Gentiles only, who knew not God, called an. Ecclesia; the councils of evil and impious men are also sometimes designated by the same name : I have hated the congregation of evil doers, says the Psalmist, and with the uoicked IwiM not sit.^ By the ordinary range of holy Scripture, however, the word was subsequently used to designate the Christian Com- monwealth only, and the congregations of the faithful ; that is, of those who were called by faith unto the light of truth and the knowledge of God, that, forsaking the darkness of ignorance and errors, they may worship the living and true God piously and hoUly, and serve him from their whole hearts. In a word : The Church, says St. Augustine, consists of tlie faithful, dispersed throughout the worlds ^ See Wordsworth's Theophilus Anglicamis, pt. 1, ch 1. Ecclesia is derived from Ik and Ka\kii>= I call forth ; from the circumstance that the Athenian assembly from which it took its name, was usually sum- moned by heralds. Compare Pearson, art. ix. p. 335. *^ Acts xix. 39, iv ry Ivvo/xy £/ck\i7(ti^ kTTLKvQjjfferai, ' Ps. XXV. 5 (xxvi. 5). B This is the sense, rather than the very text, of S. Aug. in Ps. cxlix. 3, who says, "Ecclesia sanctorum, Ecclesia frumentorum toto terrarum orbe diffusorum." 94 THE CATECHISM QUESTION III. Of the Mystet'ies which pi-esent ih^msdves for consideration under this word. Under this -word are comprehended no trifling mysteries, for in this calling forth, which, the 'word Ecclesia signifies, we at once discern the benignity and splendour of the divine grace, and understand that the Church is very unlike aU other commonwealths. For they rest on human reason and prudence ; this, on the wisdom and counsel of God ; for he called us by the inward inspiration of the Holy Ghost, who opens the hearts of men, and outwardly, through the labour and ministry of his pastors and preachers. Moreover, from this calling the Christian will better understand the end which he should propose to himself ; that is, the knowledge and possession of things eternal, when he reflects why the faithfiil of old, Uving under the law, were called a synagogue, that is, a congregation ; for, as St. Augustine observes, Tliey were so called, beca/use, like cattle, which are wont to herd together, they looked only to terrestrial and transitory goods.^ Hence the Christian people are justly called a Church, not a synagogue, because, despising earthly and mortal things, they pursue only things heavenly and eternal. QUESTION IV. By what names the wniversal hody of Christians is fornid described in the sacred Letters. Many names, moreover, which are replete with mysteri*, have been applied to designate the Christian Commonwealth. Thus, by the apostle, it is called tlie Iwuse and edifice of God, when he says to Timothy : If I tarry long, tJuit thou tnayest hnow how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground oftruth.^ And the Church J is called a house, because it is, as it were, one family, governed by one Father, and enjoying a community of all spiritual goods. It is also called the flock i^ of the sheep of Christ, of which he is the door and the sheplierdy It is called the spouse of Christ : / have espoused ' Aug. in Ps. Ixxvii. 3, et Ixxxi. 1. ' 1 Tim. iii. 15. J Ecclesia. ^ John x. 1. ' Ezsk. xxxiv. 5 : John x. 7. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 95 you to one husbcmd, says the apostle to tte CorintMans, that I may present you as a cliaste virgin to Christ y™ and, ■writing to the Ephesians, lie says : Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church;'^ and, also, speaking of marriage : This is a great sacrament, but I speak concerning Glvnst and the Church." Finally, the Church is called the body of Christ, as may be seen in the epistle of St. Paid to the Ephesians p and Colossians ;9 appellations, each of which has consider- able influence in exciting the faithful to prove themselves worthy the boundless clemency and goodness of God, who hath chosen them to be the people of God. QUESTION T. Two parts of the Church are particularly mentioned, one Triwmphant, the other Militwnt. These things being explained, it will be necessary to enumerate the several component parts of the Church, and point out their differences, in order that the people may the better comprehend the nature, properties, gifts, and graces of the Church, beloved of God, and, for that reason, un- ceasingly to praise the divine Majesty. The Church, then, consists principally of two parts, the one called the Church triumphant, the other, the militant. The Church triumphant is the most glorious and happy assemblage of blessed spirits, and of those who have triumphed over the world, the flesh, and the devil, and who, now free and secure from the troubles of this life, enjoy everlasting bliss. But the Church militant is the society of all the faithful who stiU dwell on earth, and is called militant, because it wages eternal war with those most implacable enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are not, however, to infer, that there are two Churches : but there are, as we have already said, two constituent parts of the same Church ; one part of which has gone before, and is now in the possession of its heavenly country ; the other, following every day, untU at length, imited with our Saviour, it repose in the enjoyment of endless felicity. ■» 2 Cor. xi. 2. " Eph. v. 25. ° Eph. v. 32.. " Eph. i. 23. 1 Coloa. i. 24. 96 THE CATECHISM QUESTION VI. In the Chwdh Militant are two sorts of men, the good and the lad. Now, in the Church, militant there are two classes of per- sons, the good and the bad ; and the bad profess the same faith, and partake of the same sacraments, but differing in their lives and morals. In the Church they are called the good, who are linked together not only by the profession of the same faith, and the communion of the same sacraments, but also by the spirit of grace, and the bond of charity ; of whom it is said : The Lord hnoweth them, tliat a/re his." Who they are that appertain to this class of pious men, men may also form some conjecture ; but cannot know with certainty.^ Of this part of his Church, therefore, we are not to suppose Christ our Saviour to speak, when he refers us to the Church, and commands us to obey her;' for, unknown as is that portion of the Church, how can any one be certain to whose decision he should recur, whose authority obey 1 The Church, therefore, as the sacred letters and the writings of holy men testify, comprises the good and the bad; and in this sense were written these words of the apostle : One body and one QUESTION VII. The Church is visible, and comprises loth good and lad in its losom. Thus is the Church known, and is compared to a city situated on the mountain, and seen from every side j'^ for, as all must yield obedience to her authority, it is necessary that she be known. Nor does the Church include the good only, but Hkewise the bad, as we leam from many parables contained in the Gospel ; as when the kingdom of heaven, that is, the Church militant, is compared to a net cast into the sea,™" to a field in which tares were sown amongst [the good grain],'' to a threshing-floor on which the grain is mixed up with the chaff,y and to ten virgins, some of whom were wise, and some foolish.^ But long before we may, also, perceive a figure and resemblance of the Church in the ' 2 Tim. ii. 19. ' See Decrees and Canons, Sess. vi. o. 12, p. 38, of my translation. • Matt, xviii. 17. » Eph. iv. 4. ' Matt. v. 14. " Matt. xjii. 47. ' Matt. xiii. 24. r Luke iii. 17. ' Matt. XXV. 1, eeq. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 97 ark of Noali, in -nrhich Tvere contained not only clean, but also uncleaa animals." But, although the Catholic faith truly and constantly teaches that to the Church belong the good and the bad, yet it is to be explained to the faithful according to the same rules of faith, that very different is the condition of each class. For as the chaff is mingled -with the grain on the threshing-floor, or as dead members some- times remain attached to a [living] body, so also are the wicked contained in the Church. QUESTION VIII. Who are excluded from the pale of the Chwch Militant. Hence only three classes of persons are excluded from her pale : first, infidels; next, heretics and schismatics; and lastly, the excommunicated : infidels, because they never belonged to, and never knew the Church, nor were they ever made partakers of any of the sacraments, in the communion of a Clmstian people ; heretics and schismatics, because they have severed themselves from the Church, for they no more belong to the Church than deserters belong to the army from which they have deserted. It is not, however, to be denied, that they are still subject to the power of the Church, seeing that they may be cited before her tribunal, punished and con- demned by anathema. Finally, excommunicated persons, also, because excluded by her sentence from the Church, belong not to her communion, tmtU they repent. With regard, however, to the rest, although shameful and wicked persons, there is no doubt that they still continue in the Church ; and of this the faithful are frequently to be in- formed, in order that they may convince themselves, that, even were the lives of her ministers debase'd perchance by crime, they are still included within her pale, nor do they on that account lose any part of their power. QUESTION IX. Tlie vai-iety of applications of the loord Church. But portions, also, of the Universal Church are commonly called a ohmxh, as when the apostle mentions the church at " Gen. via. 2 ; vii. 19 ; 1 Pet. iii. 20. H 98 THE CATECHISM Corintli,'' at GaJatia," of tlie Laodiceans,'' of the Tliessalo- nians.'^ The private families of the faithful he also calls churches ; thus the church ia the house of Prisca and Aquila he commands to be saluted ;' and in another place he says : AquHa and PrisciUa, tm& tlie cliwrch tliat is in tlieir houses, salute you m.w:li.% "Writing to Philemon, he also makes use of the same word.'' Sometimes, also, the word church is used to signify the prelates and pastors of the Church : If lie will not hew tliee, says our Lord, tdi it to the CJmrch;^ in which passage the aiithorities of the Church are meant. The place, also, in which the faithful assemble for public preachingj or other religious piu'pose, is called a church ; but, in this article, the word is especially used to signify the multitude of the good and the bad ; and not only the governing, but also the governed. QUESTION X. Of the marlcs of tlie iriie Church, and firstly, of its Unity. The peculiar properties of this Church must also be un- folded to the fe,ithful, from which they may be enabled to estimate with how great a blessing they have been endued by God, who have had the fortune to be born and educated within her pale. The first distinctive character, therefore, of the true Church, described in the Creed of the Fathers, consists in its unity : One is my dove ; my heaiiteous one is hut one.^ So vast a multitude, although scattered far and wide, is called One, for the reasons mentioned by St. Paul in his epistle to the Ephesiaiis ; for he proclaims that there is but One Lord, one faith, one baptism} This Church has, also, one ruler and one governor, the invisible one, Christ, whom the eternal Father hath made liead all over tlie Church, which is his body ;^ but the visible one is he, who, the legitimate successor of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, occupies the See of Rome. "> 2 Cor. i. 1. ' Gal. i. 2. ■> Colos. iv. 16. ■= 1 Thess. i. "■ Eom. xvi. 3, 5. si Cor. xvi. 19. i> Phil. i. 2. . ■ Matt. xvlu. 17. J 1 Cor. xi. 18. Respecting the different meanings of the word "church," see Pearson, p. 336, sc^q. ; and the Abb^ Doney's Notes, p. 211, sqq. '' Solomon's Song, vi. 9, "my dove. My undefiled, is bnt one." ' Eph. iv. 5. " Eph. i. 22. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 99 QUESTION XI. What is to he thmi'jht concerning the jRoma/n Pontiff, tJie visible head of Christ's Church. That tliis -^dsible head was necessary, to establish and pre- serve the unity of the Church, is the unammous reasoning and opinion of the Fathers ;" and on this, the sentiments of St. Jerome are clearly conceived and expressed. Against Jovinian he says : One is cJwsen, tliat, hy the appointment of a Jiead, occasion of schism may he removed ;° and to Da- masus : Aiuay with envy : let the ambition of Soman grandeur be gone : I speak to tJie successor of tJiefisIiermcm, and the dis- ciple of tJie cross. I follow no chief but Christ, I a/m united in communion with your Holiness, that is, with tlie clw/ir oj Peterr : I know that on tJiat rock is buUt the Church.^ Who- ever eats the Icmib outside this house is profane : whoever is not in tlie arh of Noah sJicdl i^erish in tlie flood.i The same doctrine -was long before approved by Ireneeus,^ and Cypidan,^ the latter of whom, speaking of the unity of the Church, observes : llie Lord speaks to Peter, ' I say to tliee, Peter, thou. a/rt Peter ; and upon this rock will I build my church .•'' lie builds his church on him alone; and although, after his resurrection, lie gives equal ])ower to all his apostles, saying, 'As the Fatlier hath sent me, I also send you.' Receive ye tlie Holy Ghost ;^'- yet, to display unity, lie disposed, by his own OMtlwrity, tlie origin of this unity, which has its beginning from one, etc. Again, Optatus, Bishop of MUevis, says : It cannot be ascribed to ignorance on your part, knowing, as you do, tluiii tlie epfisco'pal chair, in which Peter, tlie head of all the apostles, sat, was conferred on him first in the city of Rome ; tluit in him alone the unity of tlie cludr migM be observed by " This is untrue. Compare the passages quoted in Wordsworth's notes to the Theophilus Angllcanus, pt. 2, ch. ix. p. 211, aq. ; Welchman on Art. xxxvii. ; and Neander, Hist. Ecclea. v. i. p. 298 (English translation). Cyprian's saying, "Nemo nostrum Episcopum se Episcoporum constituit," is well known. " Lib. i. contr. Jovin. med. p St. Jerome here alludes to the Passover. See Genes, xii. 19, etc. 1 Epist. 67. ' Adv. hasret. lib. iii. t. 3. " De Simp. Prael. sub init. ' Matt. xvi. 18. " John XX. 21, sq. h2 100 THE CATECHISM all, and iliat the oilmr apostles miglU not claim each a cliairfor himself; so tJiM he, who would erect another in opposition to this single chair, would he a schismatic and a prevaricator.^ In tlie next j)laoe, St. Basil has left the following -words, written : Peter was placed in the foundation, beccmse lie said: ' Thmb wt Christ, the Son oftlie living God:'' amd liea/rd in reply that he was a rock ; for, altlwugh lie was a rock, lie was not such a rock as Christ, for Christ is truly an immoveahle rock, hut Peter, only hy virtue of that rock ; for Christ hestows his own dignities on otliers : He is a priest, and lie makes priests : he is a rock, and he makes a rock ; a/nd wlmt belongs to himself, M hestows on his servants.'^ Lastly, St. Ambrose says : For great are ilue gifts of God, wlio not only restored to us what had been ours, hut also granted us what are his ouni. Then, after a few words, he proceeds : Bui great is ilie fa/oour conferred hy Clirist, who bestowed on his disciples almost all his own titles. I a/m, says he, tlie light of tlie world ;^ a/nd yet with this title, in which he himself glories, he favours his disciples, saying : You are the light of tlie world fi I a/m the living bread ; ^ and we all a/re one bread ;°- 1 a/m tlie true vine ^ and to thee he says : I pla/nted tliee a fruitful vineyard, all true.'^ Christ is a rock, for they drank of tlie spiiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ;'^ and yet the favour of this title he denied not to his disciple, that lie also should he Peter," because deriving from the rock the solidity of constancy and tliefrmness offaith.^ Should any one object that the Chiu-ch, content with one head and spouse, Jesus Christ, requires no other beside, an answer is readily found, for, as we have Christ not only the author of all the sacraments, but also their inward minister, " Lib. 2, ad Pai-men. sub init. " Horn. 29. » John viii. 12. ? Matt. v. 14. ' John vi. 41. " 1 Cor. X. 17. In the Yulgate it is. We leing many, &c. — ^Tr. ' John XT. 1. ' Jerern. ii. 21. In our version, " I had planted thee a noile vine, ■wholly a right seed." •i 1 Cor. X. 4. « Matt. xvi. 18. ^ Lib. ix. Com. in Luc. c. 9. Through a typographical error, this passage of St. Ambrose has been omitted, and the following words ati'angely attributed to that father, in several of the best editions of Manutius, of 1831, and the Leipsio reprint, and others. The same mistake has also crept into the French and Italian translations. See Ambro.g. in Luo, ix. 9. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 101 (for He it is that baptizes and that absolves ; and yet he insti- tutes men as external ministers of the sacraments), so has he placed over his Church, which he governs by his most in-ward spirit, a man to be the vicar and minister of his powe- ; for, as a visible Church requires a visible head, our Saviour appointed Peter head and pastor of all the faithful, -when, in the most ample terms, he committed to his care the feeding of his sheep,E so as that he wished his successor to have the very same power of ruling and governing the whole Church. QUESTION XII. Other reasons why the Church is called One. The apostle, moreover, saith unto the Corinthians, There is hut one and the same spirit,^ who imparts grace to the faith- ful, as the soul [imparts] life to the members of the body ; and, when exhorting the Ephesians to preserve this unity, he says : Anxious to keep the unity of the spirit in tJie bond of peace : one body and one spirit /' for as the human body con- sists of many members, and those are animatedJ by one soul, which gives sight to the eyes, hearing to the ears, and to the other senses powers siuted to their respective functions ; so is the mystical body of Christ, which is the Church, com- posed of many faithful. The hope, to which we are called, is also one, as the same apostle beareth witness in the same place j'' for we all hope for the same thing, to ynt, an eternal and happy Hfe. Finally, the faith, which is to be held and professed by all, is one : Let there he no schisms am,ongst you} says the apostle ; and baptism, which indeed is the sacrament of the Christian faith, is also one."" QUESTION XIII. On, the second mwrh of the Chwch, hj which it is called Holy. Another distinctive mark of the Church is, that it be holy, as we leam from these words of the prince of the apostles : Ye are a clwsen generation, an holy nation.''^ Now the Church B John xsi. 15. '■ 1 Cor. xii. 11. ' Eph. iv. 3, 4. J Aluntur. " Ibid. iv. ' 1 Cor. i. 10. "" Eph. iv. 5. "1 Pet. ii. 9. 102 THE CATECHISM is called holy, because slie is consecrated and dedicated to God ; for so other things, such as, under the old law, vessels, vestments, altars, when appropriated and dedicated to the divine worship, although material, are called holy ;" as, in like manner, the first-bom, who were dedicated to the Most High God, were also called holy.P Nor should it seem matter of surprise to any one, that the Church, although containing many sinners, is called holy. For even as those who profess any art, although they may not observe the rules thereof, still retain the name of artists ; so the faithful, although they offend in many things, and violate the engagements they had made, are called holy, because they have been made the people of God, or have consecrated themselves to Christ by faith and baptism. Hence St. Paid calls the Corinthians sanctified and holy, although it is evident that amongst them there were some, whom he sharply rebukes as carnal, and also charges with grosser crimes.i She is also to be called holy, because, as the body, she is united to her head, Christ the Lord,"^ the foun- tain of all holiness, from whom flow the graces of the Holy Spirit, and the riches of the divine bounty. St. Augustine, interpreting these words of the prophet. Preserve my soul, for I am liolyf thus finely expresses himself : Let too tlie hody of Christ boldly say ; let also that one man, exclaimmg from tlie ends of tJie earth, boldly say, vnth (Christ) his head, and under (Christ) his head; I am holy ; for he hath received the grace of holiness, the grace of baptism and of remission of sins ; and a little after : If all Christians amd all tJie faith- ful, hai^tized in Christ, liave put him on, as saith tlie apostle ; As mmiy of you as liave been baptized in Christ, home put on Christ ;' if they are made members of his body; and say they are not holy, they do an injury to their head, whose members are holy." Yet further, the Church alone has the legitimate worship of sacrifice, and the salutary use of the sacraments, by which, as by the efficacious instruments of divine grace, God effects true holiness ; so that whosoever are really holy cannot be outside this Church. It is there- •> Levifc. xxvii. 28, 30. >> Exod. xiii. 12. '1 1 Cor. i. 2, and iii. 3. ' Ephes. iv. 15, sq. » Ps. Ixxxv. 2 (Ixxxvi. 2). ' Gal. iii. 27. ' " Eph. v. 26, seq. S. Aug. in Psal. Ixxxv. 2. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 103 fore clear tliat the Cliurch is holy, and holy indeed, because she is the body of Christ, by whom she is sanctified, and in whose blood she is washed. QUESTION XrV. In toJtat manner tlie Church of Christ is Catholic. The tliird distinctive mark of the Church is, that she is called Catholic, that is, universal ; an epithet which is justly applied to her, for, as St. Augustine bears witness : Site is diffused by the splendour of one faith from tlie rising to the set- ting sun.'' Unlike human repubhcs, or the conventicles of heretics, she is not circumscribed within the limits of one single kingdom, nor is she confined to one class of men ; but embraces in the bosom of her love all mankind, whether they be barbarians, or Scythians, or slaves, or freemen, or males or females. Therefore it is written : TJwu hast re- deemed us to God hy thy hlood, out of every tribe, amd tongue, and peo^jle, and nation, and hast made us unto our God, a Jdngdom.'''' Of the Church, David says : Ask ofine, and I unll give thee the Gentiles for thy inherita/iice, and tJie utter- most iMrts of tlie earth for thy possession ;^ and also : I uiill be mindful of Rahah and of Babylon, hnowing me ;y and : Man is born in her.^ Moreover to this Church, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,'- belong all the faithful who have existed from Adam up to the present day, or who shall exist, professing the true faith, as long as the world shall exist ; all of whom are built and founded upon that corner stone, Christ, who made both one, and announced peace to them that are near, and to them that are afar. She is also called universal, because, like those who entered the ark, lest they should perish in the flood, all who desire to attain eternal salvation m.ust cUng to and embrace her. TMs, therefore, is to be taught as a most certain rule, whereby to distinguish the true from a false Church. ' S. Aug. serm. 131 et 181 de temp. " Eer. v. 9, sq. » Ps. ii. 8. y Ps. Ixxxvi. 4 ^xxvii. 4). ' Ibid. 5. " Eph. ii. 20. 104 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XV. In iiiliai ma/n'Mr ilie Chwrch of Christ is also called Apostolic, We may also kno-w tlie true Church from her origin, which she derives, under the revelation of grace, from the apostles ; for her doctrines are truths neither novel nor of recent origin, but delivered of old by the apostles, and disseminated throughout the whole world. Hence no one can possibly doubt, that the impious opinions of heretics, opposed as they are to the doctrine taught by the Church from the days of the apostles to the present day, are very different from the faith of the true Church. Wherefore, that all might know the ti-ue Catholic Church, the Fathers, guided by the Spirit of God, added in the Creed the word apostolic. For the Holy Ghost, who presides over the Church, governs her by no other than apostolic ministers ; and this Spirit was first imparted to the apostles, and has, by the supreme goodness of God, always remained in the Church. QUESTION XVI. The Church cannot err in Doctrines of Faith or Morals. But as this one Church, seeing it is governed by the Holy Ghost, cannot err in deliveiing the discipline of faith and morals, Bo all other societies which arrogate to them- selves the name of Church, because guided by the spirit of the devil, are necessarily sunk in the most pernicious errors both of doctrine and morals. QUESTION XVII. Under what Figures the Church of Christ was chiefly represented in the Old Testctment. But whereas the figures of the Old Testament have a great influence in exciting the minds of the faithful, and re- calling the remembrance of the fairest things, and are, chiefly for this reason, made use of by the apostles, pastors must not pass by a source of instruction possessing such serious advantages. Amongst these, the ark of Noah affords a conspicuous illustration. It was constructed by the divine command,'' in order, without doubt, to signify that Church •" Gen, vi. li. OF THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 105 •wMcli God has so constituted, as that whoever may enter her by baptism, can be safe from all danger of eternal death ; •wrhUe such as are not within her, as it happened with those who were not in the ark, are overwhelmed by their own crimes. Another figure is that mighty city of Jerusalem," by which the Scriptures often signify the holy Church. For in Jerusalem alone was it lawf al to offer sacrifices unto God ; because in the Church of God only, and nowhere else, are to be found the true worship and the true sacrifice, which can in any way be acceptable to God. QUESTION XVIII. In what mmvner ielicfin Christ s Church appertaijis to tJie Articles of Faith. Lastly, with regard to the Church, [the pastor] must also teach, how to believe the Church'^ can belong to the articles of faith. For although any one by his reason and senses may ascertain the existence of the Church, that is, that there is. a Society^ of men on earth, who are devoted and consecrated to Christ the Lord ; nor does faith seem necessary to under- stand a matter, concerning which neither Jews nor Turks have any doubts ; but it is by the light of faith only, and not by any process of reasoning, that the mind can comprehend those mysteries, which, — as has been already partly set forth, and as shall be more fully explained under the Sacrament of Orders, — are contained in the holy Church of God. Whereas, therefore, this article, as well as the others, is placed beyond the reach and strength of our understanding, most justly do we confess, that we know not from human reason, but contemplate with the eyes of faith, the origin, privileges, and dignity of the Church. QUESTION XIX. What things, how many, and how great, ought to he hdievcd in regard of the Chwrch. For of this Church man was not the author, but the immortal God himself, who built her upon a most solid rock : ' See, especially, the beautiful instances in Ps. cxxii. 1, 3, 6, 9. ^ Credere ecclesiam. ' Conventum, an assemUag'e. This passage is useful, as pointing out the origin of the term " convent." 106 THE CATECHISM The Highest Siniself, says the propliet, Iiath fovmded h&r.^ Hence, she is called the, inheritcmce" of God, the people of God ; and the power, -which she received, comes not from man, but from the divine gift. As this power, therefore, cannot be derived from human origin, by faith alone can we understand, that with the Church are deposited the keys'' of the kingdom of heaven ; that to her has been confided the power of remitting sins ; of excommunicating ; and of con- secrating the real body of Christ ; and that her children have not here a permanent dwelling, but look for one to come. We are therefore bound to believe that there is one holy Catholic Church. QUESTION XX. We believe "the Ohureh," not in the Chiurch, as in God. But, with regard to the three persons of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, we beheve them, so as to place our faith in them ; whereas here, the form of expression beiog changed, we profess to believe the Holy, not m' the Holy Catholic Church, that, by this difference of expression also, we may distinguish God, the author of aU things, from the things he has created, and acknowledge ourselves indebted to the divine goodness for all those exalted benefits, which have been conferred upon the ChurcL QUESTION XXI. Of the last clause of this Article, " the Communion of Saints.'' St. John the Evangelist, when writing to the faithful on the divine mysteries, tells them, that the reason why he would instruct them thereupon was, tliat, says he, ye also may Jiave fellowship with us, and our fellowship he with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.i This fellowship con- sists in the communion of saints, concerning which we shall ' Ps. Ixxxvi. 5 (Ixxxvii. 5, "the Highest himself shall establish her). s Ps. ii. 8. '' Mat. xvi. 19. Compare the important passages from Archbishop Cranmer's Catechism, pp. 193-204, ed. Oxf, referred to by Wordsworth, Theophilus Anglic. I. xiii. As to what follows, Donovan refers to John XX. 23 ; Matt, xviii. 17 ; Heb. xiii. 10, 14. This distinction is learnedly illustrated, and satisfactorily confuted, by Pearson, art. 1. p. 16, and notes (ed. foUo). J 1 John i. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 107 treat in tlie present article. Bvit ■would that, in its expo- sition, those -wiio preside over the Church might imitate the diligence of Paul and of the other apostles ! for not only is it a sort of interpretation of the preceding article, and a doctrine replete -with most abundant fruits, but it also declares what ought to be the use of the mysteries -which are contained in the Creed. For all our researches and know- ledge ought to be directed to one end, viz., to our admission into this so august and so blessed a society of the saints, and our most steady perseverance therein; with joyfulness gimng thanks unto God the Fatlier, who hath made us meet to he pa/r- tahers of the lot of the samts in light.^ QUESTION XXII. Explmwiion of this dame, mid in what consists " the Communion of Saints." The faithful, therefore, in the first place, are to be taught that this article is, as it -were, a sort of explanation of the preceding one, -which regards the one holy Catholic Church. For the unity of the Spirit, by -which she is governed, causes that -whatsoever is conferred upon her is common [to all her members]. Thus, the fruit of all the sacraments appertains to all the faithful; the -which sacraments, and more par- ticularly baptism, the door, as it -were, by -which -we are admitted into the Chtirch, are so many sacred links by which they are bound and united to Christ. That by this com- munion of saints is implied a communion of sacraments, the Fathers intimate in these words of the Creed: I achnovdedge one baptism. But after Baptism, the Eucharist holds the first place, and after the Eucharist, the other sacraments ; for, although this name is common to all the sacraments, because they [aU] unite us to God, and render us partakers of him whose grace we receive, this word communion belongs in a more special manner to the Eucharist, which accom- plishes this communion itself' ^ Col. i. 12. ' Cf. 1 Cor, i. 16. " The cup of blessing which we hless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ ? " On the various ways in which we are said to "have communion," see Pearson, p. 354, sqq. 108 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XXIII. There is a Particypation of Merits m (lie CJmrcli. But ttere is also another communion in the Church which demands our attention; for every pious and holy action undertaken by one appertains to all, and becomes profitable to all, through charity, which seeketh Twt her ovm,.^ Tliis is confirmed by the testimony of St. Ambrose, who, explaining that passage of the Psalm, I am a pa/rtaker with all iliem that fecvr thee, observes, As we say that a inemher is a partaker of the entire body, so do we say t/iaf it is united to all tlmifear God.'"- Therefore has Christ taught us to say owr, not my, lread,° and other similar petitions, not looking to ourselves alone, but also to the general interests and salvation of all. ZSTow this communion of all good things is often illustrated in the sacred writings, by a very apposite comparison borrowed from the members of the human body. For in the human body there are many members, but though many, they yet constitute but one body, in which each performs its own, not all the same functions.? All do not possess the same dig- nity, nor discharge functions equally useful or honourable, nor does any one propose to itself its own particular advan- tage, but that of the entire body. Besides, they are all so well adapted and comiected together, that if one is afflicted with pain, the rest sympathize with it through the fellow- feeling and relationship of their nature,? and if, on the contrary, one is in a healthy state, the feeling of pleasure is common to aU. The same thing may be contemplated in the Church : although composed of various members, that is, of different nations, of Jews, Gentiles, freemen and slaves, rich and poor; yet, once initiated by baptism, all become one body with Christ, of which he is the head. To each member of tliis Church is also assigned his own peculiar office ; for as some are appointed apostles, some teacher's, but all for the public benefit, so to some it belongs to govern and to teach, to others, to be subject and to obey. '" 1 Cor, xiii. 5. ° Serm. viii. c. 65, in Psal. cxviii (cxix. 63, " I am a companion of all them that fear thee "). • Cf. 1 Cor. xii. 14, sqq., with the notes of Wetstein. iMatt. vi. 11. 1 Naturae oognatione et consensus. OF THE COUNCIL OP TBENT. 109 QUESTION XXIV. The Wiched in the Clmrch do not enjoy the Pa/rticipation of Spintual But they only enjoy the advantages of so many and so great blessings, bestowed by the Ahnighty, who lead a Chris- tian life in charity, and are just and beloved of God. But the dead members, men, to wit, who are bound in the thraldom of sins, and estranged from the grace of God, although not deprived of the advantage of continuing to be members of this body, yet, as dead members, lack the spiritual fruit, which is communicated to just and pious men. However, as they are in the Church, they are assisted in recovering lost grace and life, by those who live by the SjDirit ; and they enjoy those finiits which are, we cannot doubt, denied to such as are utterly cut off from [the com- munion of] the Church. QUESTION XXV. Graces rfratuitomly granted, and the other gifts of God, are common to [the wJutle] Church. But not only those gifts that justify, and endear us to God, are common; but graces gratuitously given, such as knowledge, prophecy, the gift of tongues and miracles, and others of the same sort,' are also common, and are granted even to the wicked ; not, however, for their own, but for the public benefit, for the building up of the Church. Thus, the gift of healing is given, not for sake of him who pos- sesseth it, but for sake of him who is sick. In short, every true Christian possesses nothing that he should not consider as common to all others with himself, and should therefore be prepared and prompt to relieve the misery of the indigent. For he that is enriched with these goods, and seeth his brother in want, and will not assist him, is at once convicted of not having the love of God within him.' It is therefore evident, that those who belong to this holy communion, enjoy a sort of happiness here below, and may truly say, How amiable are thy tabernacles, Lord of Hosts ! my soul ' 1 Cor. xiii. 2. ■ 1 John iii. 17. 110 THE CATECHISM longeth and fainteth for tlie courts of the Lord. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, Lord /' CHAPTER XI. OP THE TENTH AETICLE. "THE FORGIVENESS OE SINS." QUESTION I. Why it is necessary to believe that tJiere is a Remission of Siiis hi the Ohwi'ch. No one can fail to perceive tliat the fact of tHs being enumerated among the other articles of the Creed, proves that it conveys not only a divicie mystery, but also [a mys- tery] very necessary unto salvation; for it has been already shown that, without a firm belief of all the articles of the Creed, the way to Christian piety is wholly unattainable. Should however a truth, which ought of itself to be known to all, seem to require also some testimony in its confir- mation, it is enough that our Saviour, a short time previous to his ascension into heaven, when opening the understanding of his disciples, iliat tliey might uiiderstand tlve Scriptures, bore testimony to this article of the Creed, in these words : It ielwved Glwrist to suffer, a/nd to rise again from ilie dead tlie third day, and that 2^ena/nce and remission of sins sJwuld be preached in his namie among all nations, beginning at Jeru- salem.^ Let pastors but observe well these words, and they will readily \xnderstaud that, whilst the other matters that regard rehgion are to be made known to the faithful, a great obKgation is particidarly imposed on him. by the Lord, of diligently explaining to them this article. On this point, then, it is the diity of the pastor to teach, that not only is forgiveness of sins to be found in the Catholic Church, as Isaiali had foretold in these words : Tlie people <■ Pa. Ixxxiii. 2, 3, 5 (Ixxxiv. 1, 2, 4). " Luke xxiv. 45, sqq. I have elsewhere observed that " penance "is a mistranslation, and that " repentance, change of heart and mind," is the proper meaning of fiETavoia. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. Ill iliat dwell tJierein shall have their iniquity taken anuay frmn them ;^ but also, that ia her is contained the power of remitting sins ; which power, if exercised by the priest duly, and according to the laws prescribed by our Lord, is, we must needs believe, such as truly to pardon and remit sins. QUESTION 11. In viliat mamier Sins are remitted in the Cliwch. But this pardon, when first we make a profession of faith, and are cleansed in holy baptism, is given to us entire and unqualified, in such wise that no sin, whether original or actual, of omission or commission, remains to be expiated, no penalty to be paid. But by the grace of baptism, never- theless, no one is exempted from all the infirmities of nature ; on the contrary, contending, as we all have to contend, against the motions of concupiscence, which ceaseth not to incite us to sin, we shall scarcely find one who opposes so vigorous a resistance, or who guards his salvation so vigi- lantly as to be able to escape from every blow. It being necessary, therefore, that a power of forgiving sins, distinct from that of baptism, should exist in the Church, to her were intrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven, by which each one, if penitent, may obtain the remission of his sins, though he had sinned to the last day of his Ufe. This truth is vouched by the clearest authority of sacred Scripture : in St. Matthew, the Lord saith thus to Peter: / will give wnto tliee the keys of the Mtigdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon ea/rth, shall be boimd also in hecwen ; and whatsoever tliou slialt loose on ea/rth, sliaM be loosed also in liea/oen ; and again : Whatsoever ye sluaU bind on ea/rth, sludl be bound also in heaven ; and whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth, sliall be loosed also in lieaven. Again, the testimony of St. John assures us that the Lord, having breathed on the apostles, said : Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins ye sliall remit, tliey a/re remitted unto them; and whose ye shall retain, they are retain^d.'^ ' Isa. xxxiii. 24, " The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." " Matt. xvi. 19 ; xyiii. IS ; John xx. 22, 23. 112 THE CATECHISM QUESTION III. The Power of Remitting Sins is not restrained hy amy particular Shis, or hy dmiimstamces of time. Nor must we suppose tliat the exercise of this power is restricted to partioular sorts of sins ; for no crime, however heinous, can be committed or conceived, which the Church has not power to remit ; as, also, there is no sinner, however abandoned, however depraved, who ought not con- fidently to hope for pardon, provided he repent him truly of his transgressions. Neither is the exercise of this power restricted to any particular time ; for at whatsoever hour the sinner shall wish to turn from his evil ways, he is not to be rejected, as our Saviour taught the prince of the apostles, asking how often sinners are to be forgiven, whether seven times, answered, Not until seven times, hut until seventy times seven.^ QUESTION IT. The power of Remitting Sins is not granted to all Christiams. If however we look to the ministers of this divine power, it will appear to be less extensive. IFor our Lord confided this power not to all, but to bishops and priests only; and as to the manner of its exercise, we must be of the same opinion, for sins can be forgiven only through the sacraments, if their form be duly administered ; but the Church has received no power to remit sin otherwise. Hence it follows, that priests and the sacraments serve as instruments unto the forgiveness of sins, by which Christ the Lord, the author himself and bestower of salvation, accomplishes in us the remission of sins and justification. QUESTION V. How great is the Boon granted to the Church of Remitting Sins. But that the faithful may look with greater veneration iipon this heavenly gift, bestowed on the Church by the sin- gular mercy of God towards us, and may approach its use and participations' with more ardent zealousness of devotion, the pastor mtist endeavour to point out the dignity and amplitude of this grace. And this is best evinced by care- ' Matt, xviii. 21, eq. r Traotationem. OF THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 113 fully explaining how great must be the efficacy of that which remits sins, and makes men just from unjust. For it is evident that this is effected by the infinite and immense power of God, which same power we believe to have been necessary in raising the dead to life, and in the creation of the world. If it be true, as is confirmed by the authority of St. Augustine,^ that to render a sinner from unrighteous, righte- ous, is a greater work than to create heaven and earth from nothing, it follows, since creation itself can result only from infinite power, that there is stiE stronger reason to attribute the remission of sins to [this same] infinite power. QUESTION VI. Ko one, hesides God, doili hy Ids own Power remit Shis. We therefore confess that the ancient fathers have most truly declared that by God alone can sins be forgiven, and that to no other author than to his infinite goodness and power is so wonderful a work to be referred : / am he, says the Lord himself, by the mouth of his prophet, / am lie that hlotteth out thy iniquities^ For the manner of the remission of sins seems to be analogous to the [cancelling of a] pecu- niary debt. As, therefore, none but the creditor can forgive the pecuniary debt, so the debts [of sin] which we owe to God alone (for our daily prayer is, forgive us our dehts),^ can it is evident, be forgiven by none else save him alone. QUESTION VII. The Power of Remitting Sins was granted to no Mortal lief ore tlie Birth of Christ. But this wonderful and divine gift was imparted to no created nature until God became man. Christ our Saviour, himself true God, was the first of aU who, as man, received this prerogative from his heavenly Father : That ye may lenow, saith he, tliat the Son of Man liath power on ea/rth to forgive sins {tlierefore saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, take up thy bed, a/nd go unto thine house." As, therefore, he ' Aug. lib. i. de peco. merit, c. 23, 1. 50, horn. 23 ; Ambr. de Abel, cap. 4. " Isa. xliii. 25. T" Matt. vi. 12. Kai ai^tQ rffilv to. oi^sCKriiiaTa rjiiUv. "= Matt. ix. 6 ; Mark ii. 9, sq. Donovan's translation is strangely inaccurate. I 114 THE CATECHISM became man, in order to bestow on men this forgiveness of sins, he communicated this power to bishops and priests in the Church, before he ascended into heaven, there to sit for ever at the right liand of God. Nevertheless, Christ, as we have before taught, remits sin by virtue of his own authority ; all others [by virtue of the authority received by them] as his ministers. Wherefore, if we ought especially to admire and reverence whatever is the effect of infinite power, we must sufficiently imderstand that this gift, which has been bestowed on the Church by the bounteous hand of Christ the Lord, is one of inestimable value. QUESTION VIII. By wliat Powa' Men obtain Pardon of tJieir Sins. The manner also in which God, our most merciful Father, resolved to wipe out the sins of the world, must powerfully excite the minds of the faithful to the contemplation of the magnitude of this blessing; for it was his will that our crimes shoidd be expiated by the blood of his only begotten Son, that he should voluntarily pay the penalty which we had deserved by our sins, and suffer a most cruel death ; the just for the unjust, the innocent for the guHty.'' When, therefore, we reflect within our hearts, that we were not redeemed with ccn-ruptihle things, gold or silver, hut with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lairib witlwut bleviish and witlwut spot,^ we are easily led to conclude, that no gift more salutary could have befallen us than this power of forgiving sins, which showeth forth the ineffable providence of God, and the excess of his love towards us. And from this reflection the most abundant fruit must necessarily redound to us all. QUESTION IS. In what manner we may chiefly perceive tlie Magnitude of the Benefit which is offered to us in tlie Power of the Keys. For whoever offends God, even by one mortal sin, instantly forfeits whatsoever merits he has previously acquired through the death of Christ on the cross, and is entirely shut out from the gate of Paradise, which, when previously closed, was thrown open to all by our Saviour's passion. And, •> IPet. iii. 18. " 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 115 indeed, when this reflection enters into our mind, it is impossible for us not to feel impressed -with, the most earnest solicitude, on contemplating the picture of human misery. But if we turn our attention to this admirable power which has been divinely bestowed on the Church, and, in the firm belief of this article, be persuaded that to every one is offered the means of recovering, by the divine assistance, his former dignity ; we are at once compelled to exult with exceeding joy and gladness, and to offer immortal thanks to God. And certainly, if, when we labour under some severe malady, the medicines prejoarcd for us by the art and industry of the physician, are wont to seem grateful and agreeable to us, how much more agreeable should those remedies be, which by the wisdom of God have been devised to heal our spiritual maladies, and restore us unto life ; remedies which, unlike the medicines used for the body, bring with them, not an tmcertain hope of recovery, but certain health to such as desire to be cm-ed. QUESTION X. Why, and how, Ch-istians ahmdd have frequent recourse to the exercise of the Power of tJie Keys in the Church, The faitliful, therefore, when they have formed a conception of the dignity of so ample and glorious a blessing, should be exhorted to study reUgiously to tm-n it also to their own benefit. For he who makes no use of what is useful and necessary, must necessarily be supposed to despise it ; par- ticularly as the Lord communicated to the Church this power of remitting sins, to the end that all might have recourse to this salutary remedy. For as no man can be cleansed without baptism, so, whoever desires to recover the grace of baptism, forfeited by mortal sins, must have recourse to another means of expiation, namely the sacrament of penance. But here the faithful are to be admonished to be on their guard, lest, — so plenary a power of giving pardon being set forth, which, as we have already said, is unrestricted by time, — they become more readily given to simring, or slower to repentance ; for in the former case,^ since they are manifestly convicted of acting injuriously and contu- meliously towards this divine power, they must therefore be * /. e. in readiness to sin. i2 116 THE CATECHISM un-wortliy of the divine mercy; in the latter,? there is great reason, to apprehend, lest, overtaken, beforehand by death, they may in vain have confessed their belief in the remission of sins, -which they have deservedly forfeited by their tardi- ness and procrastination.'' CHAPTER XII. OF THE ELEVENTH AKTICLE. " THE EESUKEECTION OP THE ELESH."' QUESTION I. How important it is to hare an explicit JawiuledQC of this Article. That this article possesses great force in establishing the truth of our faith, is most strongly evinced by the fact, that in the sacred Scriptures it is not only propounded to the belief of the faithful, but is also confirmed by numerous arguments. Since we scarcely find this to be the case -with regard to the other articles, we may justly infer that on it, as on its most solid basis, rests our hope of salvation ; for, according to the reasoning of the apostle. If there be no resur- rection of the dead, then is Christ not risen. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vahi.i The pastor, therefore, should not bestow less diligence and zeal upon its exposition, than the labour which the impiety of many has expended in attempting to overturn its truth. For that eminent and important advantages flow to the profit of the faithful from the knowledge of this article, Trill shortly be proved. QUESTION II. Why the Apostles called the Resurrection of Mankind, " the Resurrection, of the Flesh." And first, that in this article the resurrection of mankind is called the resv/rrection of the flesh, is a circumstance that s /. e. if slow to repentance. ' Aug, in Joh. Tract. 33, et lib. 1, homil. 41 ; Ambros. lib. ii. de pcenit. 00. 1, 2, et 11. ' Carnis, i 1 Cor. xv. 13, sq^. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 117 deserves especial attention. Por the apostles liad for the object of their teaching a necessary truth, namely, the immortality of the soul. Lest, therefore, albeit the sacred Scriptures in many places teach the soul to be immortal, any one may imagine that it dies with the body, and that both are to be resuscitated unto life, this article speaks only of ilie resurrection of the flesh. The -woxAflesh^ it is true, often, also signifies in Scripture the ■whole man, as in Isaiah, All flesh is grms} and in St. John, The Word was inade flesh ; "■ but in this place it is used to denote the body only ; thus giving lis to understand, that of the two constituent jjarts of man, body and soul, one only, that is the body, is corrupted and returns to the dust of the earth, whence it was formed, whilst the soul remains incorrupt. As then, without dying, a man cannot be said to return to life, so the soul cannot properly be said to rise again. Mention of the flesh is also made, in order to confute the heresy of Hymenseus and Phi- letus, who during the lifetime of the apostle asserted, that, whenever Scripture speaks of the resurrection, it is to be understood to mean, not a corporeal, but a spiritual resur- rection, by which it rises from the death of sin to the Hfe of innocence.'^ That error, therefore, these words clearly exclude, whilst they establish the real resurrection of the body. QUESTION III. Q)0» iiiliai Oromids the Doctrine concei'ning the real Resurrection of the Body is to he lyrcced. But it will be the duty of the pastor to Ulustrate this truth by examples taken from the Old and New Testaments, and from all ecclesiastical history. In the Old Testament, some were resviscitated to life by Elijah" and Elisha, and, besides those who were raised from the dead by our Lord,P some were recalled to life by the apostles, and by many others."! This resm-rection of many confirms the doctrine '' Caro. ' lEaiah xl. 6. "■ Joliu i. 14. " See 1 Tim. i. 20 ; 2 Tim. ii. 18. There is some doubt whether these texts refer to the same person. See Kitto's Biblical CyclopBedia, b. i. p. 881, and Calmet's Dictionary, p. 398 of my edition. ° See 1 Kings xvii. 21, 22 ; 2 Kings iv. 34, and xiii. 21. P Matt. ix. 25 ; Luke vii. 14, 15 ; John xi. 43, sq. ' Acts ix. 40 ; xx. 10. lis THE CATECHISM conveyed by this article ; for, as -we believe that many were resuscitated from death to life, so are we to believe that all will be resuscitated unto life : nay, the principal fruit, that we ought to derive from these miracles, is that we should yield to this article our most unquahfied behef To pastors but ordinarily conversant with the sacred writings, many proofs will at once present themselves ,- but, in the Old Tes- tament, the most conspicuous are those that are read in Job, when he says, that in his flesh he shall see his God,' and in Daniel when, speaking of those that sleep in tlie dust of the earth, he says that they shall awake, some unto everlasting life, and others unto eternal reproach.^ In the New Testa- ment [the principal passages are] the words of St. Matthew, when recording the disputation which our Lord had with the Sadducees,* and what the evangelists relate concerning the last judgment.'-^ To the same point may also be referred the accurate reasoning of the apostle on the subject, in his Ej)istles to the Corinthians'' and Thessalonians.'''' QUESTION IT. Comparisons ly wliicli the same truth may he ccmjirmed. But, incontrovertibly as this truth is established by faith, it will notwithstanding be of advantage to show from the analogy of examples and other arguments, that what faith proposes to our belief is not at variance with the nature or intelligence of the human mind. To one, asking how the dead should rise again, the aj>ostle answers, Thou foolish I that vjhich thou sowest is not qidcTce'oed, except it die first; and that which tliou soioest, thou sowest not that body that sliall he, hut hare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of sorne of the rest; hut Godgiveth it a hody as lie will; and a little after he saith : If is sotun in corruption, it sludl rise in incorruption.^ ' Job xix. 26. The application of this text to the resurrection of the dead has been questioned. The most popular statement of the difficulties involved will, perhaps, be found in Barnes's Commentaiy. •Pearson's remarks on this Article of the Creed are, as usual, terse, logical, and learned. The earlier chapters of Butler's Analogy may also be compared with advantage. ' Dan. xii, 2. * Matt. xxii. 31 ; Mark xii. 25, sqq. » John V. 25 ; Matt. xix. 28. " 1 Cor. xv. 12. "■ 1 Thesa. iv. 13. ' 1 Cor. xv. 36, 37, 3S, 42. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 119 St. Gregory calls our attention to many other arguments that might be adduced to the same effect : For ilw light, .says he, is every day withdrawn from owr eyes, as it were by dying, mid is again recalled, as it were by rising again : trees lose, and again, as it were by a resurrection, are restored to their verdure : seeds die by putrefaotion, and rise again by germi- nation.y QUESTION V. Seasons hy which this va-y truth is proved. The reasons also which are adduced by ecclesiastical writers seem sufficiently calculated to estabhsh this truth. In the first place, since the souls [of men] are immortal, and have, as part of man, a natural tendency towards the body, their perpetual separation from the bodies must be considered at variance with nature.^ But as that which is at variance with nature, and violent, cannot be permanent, it ajppears congi'uous to reason that the soul should be reunited with the body ; whence it also follows that the bodies also .should rise again. This kind of argument our Saviour himself employed, when, in his disputation with the Sadducees, he deduced the resurrection of the body from the immoi-tality of the soul.^ Furthermore, as the all-just God holds out punishments to the wicked, and rewards to the good, and as very many of the former depart this life before they suffer due punishment, and many of the latter without meeting with any reward for their virtues ; it necessarily follows that the souls should be reunited with the bodies, to the end that, as the partners of their crimes, or the companions of their virtues, they may become sharers in their punishments, or rewards. This argument has been most elaborately treated by St. Chrysos- tom in a homily to the people of Antioch.'' To this effect, the apostle, speaking concerning the resurrection, says : If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men inost miserable." Which words no one can suppose are meant to ' See S. Gregor. lib. xiv. moral, ce. 28, 29, 30. ' The genuine theology in portions of this chapter deserves the attention even of the most Protestant reader. We may well exclaim, 0, si sic omnia ! ' Matt. xxii. 31, sq. '' S. Chrysostom. homil. 49 and 50. ' 1 Cor. xv. 19. 120 a?HE CATECHISM refer to tlie misery of tlie soul, wMch, because immortal, might enjoy liappiaess in a future life, although the bodies should not rise again ; but are to be understood of the whole man ; for, unless the body receive the due rewards of its labours, those who, like the apostles, endured so many afflic- tions and calamities during this life, would necessarily be the most miserable of men. The same doctrine is more explicitly taught [by the same apostle] in his epistle to the Thessalo- nians : We glory, says he, in tlie Churdiea of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, which ye endure for an exa/nvple of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of tJie kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer : seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recomjxnse tribulation to tliem that trouble you ; and to you vjho are trovhled, rest with us ; wlien the Lord Jesus shall he revealed from heaven with tlie amgels of his iMwer ; in aflame of fire, yielding vengeance to them that knoro not God, and tliat obey not tlie Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.'^ Moreover, as long as the soul is separated from the body, men cannot attain consummate happiness, i-eplete with every good. For as any part separated from the whole is imperfect, so the soul which is not joined to the body must be also imperfect. Hence it follows, that, in order that nothing may be wanting to the consummation of its happiness, the resurrection of the body is necessary. By means of these and similar arguments, the xjastor wUl be able to instruct the faithful in this article. QUESTION VI. No 'man will then le found who is free from Death or the Rcswrect'wn. He should also carefully explain, from the doctrine of the apostle, who are to be raised unto life. Writing to the Corinthians, St. Paul says : As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.^ Good and bad, then, without any distuiction, shall all rise from the dead, although the condition of all shall not be the same : Tliey that have done good shall rise uiito the resurrection of life ; but they thai liave done evil, unto tlie resurrection of judgments ■■ 2 Thesa. i. 4-8, with some slight differences from our version. « 1 Cor. XV. 22. ' John V. 29, in our translation, " unto the resurrection of dam- nation ;" Kpitrtc being put for naTaK^mc,) OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 121 Wlien we say aM, we mean those who shall have died before the day of judgment, as well as those who shaU then die. That the Church acquiesces in this opinion, which asserts that all without any exception shall die, and that this opinion is more agreeable to truth, we read in St. Jerome,s whose opinion coincides with that of St. Augustine.'' Nor do the words of the apostle, in his epistle to the Thessa- lonians, teach a different doctrine from this, when he says : The dead wlvo are in Christ shall rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, shall he caxight wp together with them in the clouds to meet Christ, in the air.'- Explaining these words, St. Ambrose says : In that very tahiiig up, death shall antici- pate, as it ware by a deep sleep, and tlie soul, havitig gone forth from tlie body, shall instantly return ; for \tliose wlio are alive\ wJisn taken up, shall die, tliat, coining to the Lord, they may receive their souls from his presence ; because in tlie presence of tlie Lord they cannot he dead) This opinion is further confirmed by the authority of St. Augustine in his book on the City of God.'' QUESTION TIL TIm Human Soul will receive the very satne Body in the Last Jvdgment. But where, as it is of much importance for us to be fully convinced that the identical body, that belongs to each one during life, shall, though it have been corrupted and dissolved into dust, be nevertheless resuscitated to life ; this too is a subject that demands accurate exposition from the pastor. It is a truth conveyed by the apostle when he says : Tliis corruptible must put on incorruption} evidently designating by the woi-d this, his own body. It is also most clearly prophesied by Job : / slwM see my God, says he, wlwm I myself shall see, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.'^ The same inference is drawn from the very definition of resurrection ; for resurrection, as Bamascenus defines it, is B S. Hieron. epist. 152. i" August, de Civit. Dei, lib. xx. u. 20. ' 1 Thess. iv. 15, 16. J In 1 epist. ad Thesa. co. 4, 15, sqq. >- Lib. XX. e. 20. ' 1 Cor. xv. 53. '" Job xix. 26, 27. " Je verrai mon Dieu dans ma chair, je le verrai moi-m^me, mes yeux le regarderont, et nou un autre." — French trans- lation. 122 THE CATECHISM a retwrn to the state, from which one has fallen?- Finally, if we consider the reason for a future resurrection, pointed out by us a little before, every doubt that can possibly occur on the subject must be at an end. QUESTION VIII. For what reason the Beswrection of the Body was ordained hy God. But we have taught that the bodies are to rise again, in order that every one may receive the proper things of the hody, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil." Man therefore must needs again rise from the same body with which he served God, or the devil : that with the same body he may attain rewards, and a crown of triumph, or endure punishments, and torments the most miserable. QUESTION IX. T!ie Bodies will not resume (lie Deformity contracted during this Life. Not only will the body rise, but it will rise endowed with whatever appertains to the reality of its nature, and to the symmetry and ornament of man. In St. Augustine we read a fine testimony to tliis effect : There will then be no corporal deformity ; if some have been overburdened with flesh, they shall not resume the entire mass of the body ; whatever exceeds that proper habit, shall be deemed sxiperfluous. On the other hand, in whatsoever the body has been wasted by disease or age, as, for instance, should some have been tliin through emaciation, it shall be restored by Christ through his divine power, seeing that Christ will not only restore the body unto us, but also whatever shall have been taken there- from through the wretchedness of this life.P In another place the same author says : Man shall not resume the hair he once possessed, but such as will become him, according to that sajang : Tlie very hairs of your head a/re all numbered ;i which shall be restored according to the divine wisdom. In the first place the members, because appertaining to the integrity of human nature, shall altogether be restored. For they who from nature were blind, or who lost their sight " Damaac. lib. de fid. orthod. iv. 28. ° 2 Cor. v. 10. P S. Aug. 1. xxii. de Civit. Dei, cc. 19, 20, 21, and Enoh. co. 86, 87, 88, 89 ; Hieron. Epi.9t. 59 and 61. i Luke xii. 7. OP THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 123 through some disease, the lame, the maimed, and those paralyzed in any of their members, shall rise again with an entire and perfect body ; for otherwise the desires of the sold, -which is so strongly inclined to an union with the body, would be far from satisfied ; and yet we are convinced, that in the resurrection its desires shall be fully realized. Besides, it is sufficiently evident that the resurrection, lite the crea- tion, is clearly to be numbered amongst the principal works of God. As then, at the beginning of creation, aU things came perfect from the hand of God, we must affirm that such shall also be the case at the resurrection. Nor are these observations to be restricted to the bodies of the martyrs, of whom St. Augustine beareth witness : As that mutilation could not but prove a deformity, they shall not be without those members ; otherwise they who were be- headed w-o\dd rise without a head. The scars, however, which they received, shall remain, shining with a brilliancy more refulgent than that of gold and precious stones, even as the scars of the wounds of Christ. "^ This fact also applies most truly to the wicked also, although their members may have been lost through their own fault. For the greater the number of members which they shall have, with so much greater pangs of torments shall they be worn out ; and, therefore, this restoration of members will serve to morease, not their happiness, but their unhappiness and misery, as merit or demerit^ is ascribed not to the members themselves, but to the person to whose body they are \mited. For to those who shall have done penance, they shall be restored for the purpose of reward ; but to those who shall have con- temned the same, for punishment. If these tilings be maturely considered by pastors, they can never lack words or ideas to move and rekindle the hearts of the faithful with the zeal ' The Leipsic reprint refera us to St. Aug. Serm. 362, o. 20, the other editions to de Civ. Dei, xxii. 20. A fault that attaches to all the editions of the Catechism, ia the want of distinctness in respect to quotations. The fact is that, in both the passages of St. Augustine, the subject, not the words, are had in view. Even then, the mention of the martyrs' bodies is very forced, as St. Augustine is speaking of the bodies of men in general. I should recommend my reader to study Athenagoras de Mort. Eesurr. p. 183, sqq. ed. Oxon, 1682. ' Donovan seems right in taking " merita " inclusively, of both good and evil deeds. 124 THE CATECHISM of piety ; that, considering the troubles and calamities of this life, they may eagerly look forward to that blessed glory of the resurrection, -which is set forth for the righteous and the pious. QUESTION X. Of what Hnd tlie Bodies of Men shall be after they Juive arisen. It now follows that the faithful understand that, with regard to the tilings that make up the substance of the body, althoiigh that very same body that was before dead must needs be restored to life, its condition is yet to be far different. To omit the other points, the great difterence between the state of all bodies when risen from the dead, and when in their pre%'ious state, is, that before [the resurrection] they were subject to the laws of death, but afterwards, when reanimated, they shall all, without distinction of good and bad, attain to immortality. This admirable restoration of nature was, as the testimonies of the holy Scriptures admo- nish us, earned by the glorious victory borne off by Christ over death. For it is written ; He shall cast death down headlong for ever ;^ and: death/ I will he thy death ;'^ words which the apostle thtis explains : And tlie last enemy that shall he destroyed is death;'' and we read in St, Jolm : Death shall he no more.^ For it was most fitting, that by the merits of Christ our Lord, by whom the empire of death has been overthrovra, the sin of Adam should be far exceeded also ; and it was agreeable to the divine justice, that the good should enjoy a life of endless bliss, whilst the wicked, condemned to everlasting torments, sJuill seek death, and shall not find it ; shall desire to die, atid death sludl flee from them.^ To the good, therefore, and the bad, this immortality shall be common. QUESTION XI. WJiM slwXl he the Qualities of the Bodies of the Blest after the Hesurrection. Moreover, the bodies of the saints, when resuscitated, shall possess certain transoendaut and glorious adornments, which wiU ennoble them far beyond their former condition. Amongst • Isa. XXV. 8, " prffioipitabit mortem in sempiternum." " Hosee, xiii. 14 ; " thy plague," in our version. ' 1 Cor. sv. 26. »■ Eev. xxi. i. ' Rev. ix. 6. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 125 these endowments, four are especially mentioned by the Fathers, which they infer from the doctrine of the apostle, and which are called gifts. The first is impassibility, a gift and endowment that shall place them beyond the reach of suffering anything disagreeable, or being afflicted with pain, or inconvenience of any sort. For neither the piercing seveiity of cold, nor the glowing intensity of heat, nor the rush of waters, can affect them :y It is sown, 9Si^9, the apostle, im, corruption, it shall rise in incorru2Jtion.^ This quality schoolmen call impassibility, not incorruption, in order to distinguish it as a property peculiar to a glorified body. For the bodies of the damned, though incorruptible, do not partake in this impassibility ; for their bodies, although they be incorruptible, shall be capable of experiencing heat and cold, and of being afflicted by various torments. The next quality is the brightness, by which the bodies of the saints shall sliine like the sun, according to these words of our Lord in St. Matthew : The righteous shall shine forth as the sun in tlie Izingdmn of their Father y" and, lest any one should doubt on the subject, he exemplified this in his transfiguration.'' This quality the apostle sometimes calls glory, sometimes brightness : He wiU reform the body of our lowness, that it may be fashioned like unto the body of his glory ;" and again : It is sown in dishonour, it shall rise in glory.'^ Of this glory the Israelites too beheld a certain image in the desert, when the face of Moses, after he had been in the presence of, and had conversed with God, shone with such lustre, that the children of Israel could not look thereon.^ ISTow this brightness is a sort of refulgence re- doiuiding to the body from the supreme happiness of the .soul, so that it is a sort of emanation from the bliss which it enjoys ; and its communication is analogous to the manner in which the soul itself is rendered blessed, which is, by a y Cf. Lucret. iii. 18. " Apparet divom numen sedeaque quietse, Quaa neque ooncutiunt venti, nee nubila nimbig Adspergunt, neque nix, acri concreta pruina, Cana cadens violat." ■^ 1 Cor. XT. 42. » Matt. xiii. 43. '° Matt. xvii. 2. ' Philip, iii. 21. "i 1 Cor. xv. 43. •Exod. xxxiv. 29 ; 2 Cor. iii. 7. 126 THE CATECHISM participation of the divine happiness. "Unlike the first, we must not believe this quality is common to all in the same degree : all the bodies of the saints shall, it is true, be equally impassible : but the brightness of all shall not be the same ; for, as the apostle beareth -witness : Tliere is one glory oftlie sum, cmoilier glory of the moon, mid anotlier glory oftlie stars ; for one star differeth from a/nother stwr in glory : so also is tlie resurrection oftlie dead.^ To this quality is united that which they call agility, by which the body shall be freed from the burden by which it is now pressed down; and shall acquire a capability of moving with the utmost facility and celerity whithersoever the soul pleases, as St. Augustine clearly teaches in his book on the City of God,s and St. Jerome on Isaiah.'' Hence saith the apostle : It is sown in weakness, it shall rise in power.' To these is added another quality, — that of suhtilty, by force of which the body will be subjected to the absolute dominion of the soul, and to an entire obedience to her con- trol ; as is shown from these words of the apostle : It is sown an animal body, it shall rise a s^jiritual hody.i In the exposition of this article, these are nearly the principal heads deserving notice. QUESTION XII. What Benefit the Faithful may derive from these so great Mysteries of Resmrection. But that the faitliful may know what fruit they are to reap from a knowledge of so many and such great mysteries, [the pastor] must proclaim, in the first place, that to God, who has hidden these things from tJie loise, and opened iliem unto little ones,^ we should return boundless thanks. For how many men, pre-eminent for the praise of wisdom and learn- ing, never caught the least glimpse of this so certain a truth. Aware, then, that he made those things known to us, who could never dare to aspire to such Icnowledge, it becomes our duty to celebrate his goodness and clemency with incessant praises. ' 1 Cor. XV. 4, sq. s Aug. de Civ. Dei, lib. xiii. o. 13 and 20 ; and lib. xxii. oo. 11. ^ Cap. 40. ' 1 Cor. xv. 43. J 1 Cor. XV. 44 ; in our version, " a natural body." '' Matt, xi, 25. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 127 Another important benefit is to be derived from meditation on this article, in that in it we shall easily find consolation both for ourselves and for others, touching the loss of those who were connected with us by ties of friendship or of blood ; a species of consolation which we know the apostle himself to have administered to the Thessalonians, when writing to them of those which are asleep} But in aU our other af&ictions and calamities also, the thought of a future resurrection must bring to us the greatest relief of our sorrows ; as we learn from the example of holy Job, who supported his afflicted and sorrowing mind, solely by the hope of one day rising from the grave, and behold- ing the Lord his God.™ It must, furthermore, prove of powerful influence with the faithful, to the end that they may use every exertion to lead a life of rectitude and integrity, unsullied by any defilement of sin. For, if they reflect, that those mighty riches which wiU be bestowed after the resurrection are proposed to them as rewards, they must find a strong inducement to the pur- suits of virtue and holiness. On the other hand, nothing will have greater efiect in subduing the passions of the mind, and withdrawing men from crimes, than if they be frequently reminded of the miseries and torments with which the re- probate will be visited, who, on the last day, shall rise to the resurrection of jvdgment.^ CHAPTER XIII. OF THE TWELFTH ARTICLE. " LIFE EVEKLASTIIfe." QUESTION I. Why this Article of Faith is placed last, and how impoftant it is thai it be frequently expovmded to the People. With this article touching eternal life the holy apostles, our leaders, thought fit to conclude the Creed, in wHch the ' 1 Thess. iv. 13. "■ Job xix. 26. I have spoken of this passage before. - John V. 29. 128 THE CATECHISM summary of our faith is contained, first, because, after tlie resurrection of the body, the only remaining object of hope to the faitliful is the reward of everlasting life ; and secondly, ia order that that perfect happiness, embracing as it does the fulness of all good things, may ever be present to our eyes, and that we may be taught to absorb all our thoughts and affections therein. Hence, in instructing the faithful, pastors must unceasingly endeavour to inflame their souls with the proposed rewards of eternal life ; that they may look upon the greatest difficulties, which are to be undergone in the cause of the Christian name, as light and agreeable to God, and may yield a more ready and cheerful obedience to God. QUESTION II. What is Iiere intended ip " life everlasting,'' But as, under these words, which are here used to declare the happiness reserved for us, many mysteries lie concealed, they are to be explained in such a manner as to make them intelligible to all, as far as their respective capacities may permit. The faithful, therefore, are to be admonished, that these words, life everlasting, signify not only that perpetuity of existence, to which the devils and the wicked are also con- signed, but likewise that perpetuity of happiness, which is to fulfil the desires of the blessed. And in this sense they were imderstood by that lawyer mentioned in the Gospel, who asked the Redeemer : Good master, what sJiall I do to possess everlasting life 1° As if he had said, "What shall I do, in order to arrive at that place, where it may be permitted me to enjoy everlasting happiness? And in this sense these words are understood in the Sacred Volumes, as may be seen in many passages of Scripture.P QUESTION III. Why that Supreme Bappiness is called JAfe everlasting. The supreme happiness of the blessed is designated by this name, priucipally to prevent any one supposing that it consists in corporeal and transitory things, wMch cannot be " Luke xviii. 18. P See Matt. xix. 29 ; xxv. 46 ; Eom. vi. 22. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 129 everlasting. To express this idea, even the word blessedness ■were insufficient, paj:ticularly as there have not been -wanting men, who, inflated with the opinions of a false philosophy, ■woidd place the supreme good in things perceived by the senses ; but these grow old and perish, whilst blessednessi terminates with no boundary of time. Nay more, so far are the goods of this Ufe from [conferring] real happiness, that, on the contrary, he is farthest removed from its enjoyment, ■who is captivated by a love of, and a longing after the ■world. For it is written : Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world ; if any man love the world, the love of the Fatlier is not in him ;'^ and a little after : TJie world passeth away amd tlie lusts thereof.^ Pastors, therefore, ■will be careful diligently to impress these truths on the minds of the faithful, that they may learn to despise mortal things, and to kno^w that 'in this ■world, in which we are not citizens, but so- journers,' happiness is not to be attained. Yet, even here below we may ■with reason be said to be happy in hope : if renouncing ungodliness a')id worldly lusts, we slwidd live soberly, and righteously, and godly, in this world ; loohing for tlbat blessed hope and coming of tlie glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.^ Many, who seemed to tJiein- selves wise,'' not understanding these things, and imagining that happiness was to be sought for in this life, beca/ine fools, and fell into the most deplorable calamities. But these words, life everlasting, also give us to understand that, contrary to the false notions entertained by some, happiness once attained can never be lost. Por happiness is an acciuni-Jation of all goods ■without any admixture of evil, which, as it fills up the measure of man's desires, necessarily consists in eternal Ufe ; for he who is happy cannot but earnestly desire that he may perpetually enjoy the goods which he has obtained. Were not that possession, therefore, permanent and certain, he would necessarily be tormented by extreme agony of dread. QUESTION IV. Sternal Sappmess is inexpressible amd incompreJiamble. But the greatness of the happiness which the blessed enjoy while dwelling in the heavenly country, and its utter incom- 1 Beatitude. ' 1 Jolin ii. 15. ■ Ibid. 17. ' 1 Pet. ii. 11. " Tit. ii. 12, sq. ' Eom. i. 22. E 130 THE CATECHISM pretensibility to all but to themselves alone, are sufficiently set fortli by our \ise of tbe words happy life. For when, to express any idea, we make use of a word which is common to many others, we do so, as we may easily understand, because a proper term is wanting by which fuUy to express that idea. When, therefore, happiness is expressed by words which are equally applicable to all, who are to live for ever, as well as to the blessed, we are led to infer that the idea presented to the mind is something too great and exalted to be conveyed perfectly by a proper term. For although the happiness of heaven is expressed in Scripture by a variety of other words, such as the kingdoTn of God, of Christ, of heaven. Paradise, the holy city, the new Jerusalem, my Fathe/r^s house,"^ yet it is clear that none of these appellations is suffi- cient to convey an adequate idea of its greatness. Pastors, therefore, will not neglect the opportunity which this passage presents, of inviting the faithful to the practice of piety, justice, and all the duties of the Christian religion, by [holding out to them] such ample rewards as are announced in the words life everlasting. Amongst the blessings which we instinctively desire, life is undoubtedly reckoned one of the greatest ; but by it prin- cipally, when we say life everlasting, is happiness defined. If then there is nothing more dearly loved, nothing which is more fondly cherished, nothing more pleasant than this short and calamitous life, subject though it be to so many and such various miseries, so as more truly to deserve to be called death; with what zeal of soul, with what earnestness of purpose, should we not seek that eternal life, which, all evils being at an end, contains the perfect and absolute aggregate of all goods ? For the happiness of eternal hfe, according to the holy Fathers, is an exeinption from all evils, amd afrmtion of all goods. That it is [an exemption] from all evils, the Scriptures declare in the clearest terms j for it is written in the Revelation, They shall not hunger nw thirst any more, neither shall the sv/n light on them, nw any l)^at;^ and again, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there sJudl he no m,ore death, neither mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow, • Donovan refers to Acts xiv. 21 ; 2 Pet. i. ll ; Matt. v. 3, 20 ; Luke xxiii. 43 ; Rev. xxi. 10 and 12 ; John xiv. 2. » Eev. vii. 16. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 131 shall there he a/ny more, for tlie foriner thmgs have passed awayJ But tlie glory of the blessed shall be -without measure, and their various solid joys and pleasures without number. The magnitude of this glory our intellect is alto- gether incapable of containing, nor can it at all penetrate into our souls ; whence it is necessary for us to enter into it, that is, into the joy of tlie Lord,^ that immersed therein we may abundantly satisfy the desires of the soul. QUESTION V. What hmds of goods the Blessed chi^y enjoy. But although, as St. Augustine writes, it woidd seem easier to enumerate the evils from which we shall be exempt, than the goods and the pleasures which we shall enjoy; " yet we must endeavour to explain, briefly and clearly, those things that are calculated to inflame the faithful with a desire of attaining this supreme felicity. But it will be necessary first to make use of a distinction, which has been sanctioned by the most eminent writers on divine matters. Now they assert that there are two sorts of goods, one a constituent of the nature, the other an accompaniment, of happiness itself; and hence they have termed the former essential, the latter accessory. QUESTION VI. In what consists the Essential amd PHniwiy Cause of Eternal Happiness. Now solid happiness, which we may designate by the Common appellation essential, consists in the fact of our beholding God, and enjoying the beauty of him, who is the source and principle of aU goodness and perfection : This, says Christ our Lord, is life eternal, that they might hnow thee, the only true God, amd Jesus Cli/rist, whom thou hast sent}' These sentiments St. John seems to interpret, when he says : Beloved 1 novo a/re we the sons of God ; and it doth not yet ■appea/r what we shall he. We hnow that when He shall appea/r we shall he like him, for we shall see him even as he is." For lie [thereby] signifieth that [supreme] happiness consists of y Ibid. xxi. 4. ' Matt. xxv. 21, • Serm. oxxvii. '' John xvii. 3. '1 John iii. 2. k2 132 THE CATECHISM two tilings, to see God such as he is in Ms nature and sub- stance, and to become [ourselves] as it were gods. For those who enjoy that [vision], although they retain their own sub- stance, do yet assume a certain admirable and ahnost divine form, so as to seem gods rather than men. QUESTION VII. In what manner the Blessed do, after a fashion, put on the Form and Nature of God. Why this is the case becomes at once intelligible, if we consider that everything is known from its essence, or from its resemblance and external appearance. And since nothing resembles God, so as that by that resemblance we may arrive at a perfect knowledge of him, it follows that no creature can behold his nature and essence, unless this same divine essence be united with us. This the words of the apostle signify : We now see through a glass in an obscure inamner, bui then face toface.<^ The words in a dark manner St. Augustine^ interprets to mean, that we see him in. a resemblance, suited to \mderstanding God. This St. Dionysius also clearly shows, when he affirms, that the things above cannot be known by any resemblance between them and the things below ; for the essence and substance of things incorporeal cannot be known through a resemblance between them and things cor- poreal ; especially as a resemblance must have less of gross- ness and be more spiritual than those things which they represent, as we easily know from general experience. Since, then, it is impossible to find a resemblance of anything cre- ated, equally pure and spiritual with God himself, it follows that no resemblance can enable us perfectly to understand the essence of God.* Furthermore, all created things are circumscribed within certain limits of perfection : but God is infini te, and therefore the likeness of any created thing cannot comprehend his immensity. The only means left, therefore, of arriving at a knowledge of the divine substance is that it unite itself to us ; and, after an incredible manner, elevate our understanding to a higher state of perfection, and that ^ 1 Cor. xiii. 12. In our version, " darkly." ' Aug. de Trin. xv. 9. _' This passage conveys the meaning, but not the words, of the pseudo- Dionys. Areop. de divin. nom. c. 1. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 133 ■we be thus rendered capable of contemplating the beauty of Ms nature. QUESTION VIII. The Blessed are iUumimd with tJie Light of Glory, and all ought to le moved, with all their hopes, towards tite Sight of God. Tins by the light of glory we shaU accomplish -when, illumined by its splendour, we shall see God, the true hght, in his own light ; s for the blessed always see God present ; and by this greatest and most exalted of all gifts, being made partakers of the divine essence, they attain true and soUd happiness. Our belief of this truth should be joined with a certain hope of one day arriving at the same, through the divine goodness ; according to these words of the Nicene Creed : / ea^ect the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. QUESTION IX. The Ma/nner in which Man is joined to God in Hiss is expressed hy a companson. These are things altogether di%ine, which cannot be expressed by any words, or comprehended in hmnan con- ception. Of this happiness we however may trace some resemblance even in sensible objects ; for as iron, when acted on by fire, becomes igneous, and, whilst its substance remains the same, seems changed into a certain different substance ; so they, to mt, who are admitted into the glory of heaven, and who are kindled with a love of God, although they cease not to be the same, are yet afiected in such a manner, as that they may be said with truth to differ much more from those that are in this life, than glowing iron differs from that which contains no influence of heat. To comprise all, then, in a few words, that supreme and absolute bliss, which we call essential, is to be placed in the possession of God ; for what can that man want to consummate happiness, who possesses God, the best and most perfect 1 QUESTION X. Of the Accidental Goods with which the Blessed abomtd. To this happiness, however, are added certain gifts, common ±0 all the blessed, which, because less removed from the reach of 8 Cf. Ps. XXXV. 10 (xxxvi. 9). 134: THE CATECHISM human comprehension, are generally wont to excite the mind, and inflame the heart -with greater acuteness. Of this de- scription are those things -which the apostle seems to have in view when, in his Epistle to the Eomans, he says : Glory, mid honour, and peace, to every one thai worheth good ;'^ for the blessed shall enjoy glory, not only that glory which we have sho-wn to constitute essential happiness, or to he most closely connected -with its nature, but also that [glory] which consists in the clear and distinct knowledge that each [of the blessed] -will have of the singular and exalted dignity of his companion [in glory]. But how distinguished must not that, honour be esteemed which is conferred by God on those whom he no longer calls servants but friends,^ 'brethren,^ and sons^ of God ! Hence, the Redeemer -will address his elect in those most loving and most honourable words : Corrie, ye hlessed of my Father, possess the hiiiydom prepa/red for you} Justly, then, may we exclaim : Thy frieiids, God ! are made exceedingly honourable.'^ And they shall also be cele- brated -with the highest praises from Christ the Lord, in the presence of his Heavenly Father and his angels. And if nature has begotten in all mien the common desire of that honour, which is conferred by men eminent for -wisdom, because we deem them the most authoritative vouchers of our o-wn merit, what an accession of glory shall we account it to the blessed, to experience reciprocally from one another the highest honour ? QUESTION XI. With what Abundant Plenty of Goods tJie Blessed wUl he enricJicd in those Everlasting Dwellvngs. The enumeration of all the delights -svith which the glory of the blessed shall be replete, would be endless ; we cannot even conceive them in idea. Of this con-sdction, however, the minds of the faithful should be persuaded, that -with the abundance of all things that can be enjoyed or even -wished for in this life, whether they regard the powers of the mind, or the perfect state of the body, -will the blessed life of those *■ Bom. ii. 10. ' John xv. 14. i Matt. xii. 49. " Eom. -riii. 15, 16. ' Matt. xxv. 34. " Ps. cxxx-piii. 17 (oxxxix. 17, "Ho-w precious, also, are thy thoughts unto me, God"). OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 135 in heaven be filled ; albeit tMs must be more exalted in the manner of its acGomplishment than, as the apostle says, eye hath seen, ear heard, or the heart of man hath conceived." For the body, indeed, which before was gross and material, having put off mortality, and being now refined and spiritualized, will no longer stand in need of nutriment ; whilst the soul, full of supreme dehght, will be satiated with that eternal food of glory, which the Master of that great feast passing by will minister to aU.° And who can desire rich garments or royal robes for the body where there will be no further use for these appendages, and where all shall be clothed with immortality and splendour, and adorned with a crown of everlasting glory ! And if the possession of a spacious and magnificent mansion appertains to human happiness, what more spacious, what more magnificent, can be conceived than heaven itself illumined, as it is throughout, with the tender love? of God 1 Hence the prophet, contemplating the beauty of this dweUing-place, and burning with the desire of reaching those blissful abodes, exclaims : How amiable are thy taber- nacles, Lord of hosts I my sovl longeth and fainteth for tlie courts of the Lord: my lieaii, and my flesh Iw/oe rejoiced in tlie living God.i And that this may be the sentiment, this the language, of all the faithful, as it should be the object of the pastor's most earnest desires, so should it be that of his most zealous care. For In my Father's liouse, says our Lord, tliere a/re viany TTUMisions^ in wliich shall be confeiTed rewards of greater and of less value, according as each one has deserved ; for He who soweth sparitigly, shall also reap spoA-ingly ; amd he who soweth in blessings, shall also rea/p of blessings.^ Pastors, therefore, will not only excite the faithful to arrive at this happiness, but will also frequently admonish them, that a sure way to ° Cf. 1 Cor. ii. 9. " Luke xii. 37. Kai ira^iKBuiv BiaKovfiau avToig, which is here ren- dered " transiens," i. e. going about from one to another, while seated at table. But irapiXQuv is generally considered as simply a Hebraistic redundancy. P Caritate. Others read "olaritate," which Donovan has translated " the eternal brightness of God." 1 Ps. Ixxxiii. 1, seq. (Ixxxiv. 1, seq.). ' John xiv. 2. ' 2 Cor. ix. 6, "bountifully," not "in benedictionibus." Both, how- ever, come nearly to the same meaning. 136 THE CATECHISM OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. its attainment is, that, endued with faith and charity, and persevering in prayer and the salutary use of the sacraments, they apply themselves to discharge all the duties of benignity towards their neighbours. For thus, through the mercy of God, who has prepared that blessed glory for those who love him, will one day be fulfilled what is said by the prophet : My people slwM sit in tlie leauty of peace, cmd in tlie taber- nacles of confidence amd in wealthy rest} '- Is. xxxii. 18 : "Dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwell- ings, and in quiet resting-places." THE CATECHISM. PAET II. CHAPTEE I. ON THE SACRAMENTS IN GENEKAL. QUESTION I. Tli£ Pastor miist take especial care to deliver the Doctrine of tlie Sacraments. Whereas every part of tte doctrines of Christianity de- mands knowledge and diligence on the part of the pastor, that of the sacraments, ■which is both by the ordinance of God necessary, and is a most plenteous source of spiritual advantage, demands, ia an especial manner, the application of his combined talents and industry ; that, by its accurate and frequent inculcation, the faithful may become such as to be admitted to the worthy and salutary participation in these most excellent and most holy institutions, and that priests may not depart from the rule laid down ia the diviae prohi- bition : Give not that which is holy unto dogs : neither cast ye your pearls before smne.^ QUESTION II. Metmings of Hie word "Sacrament." In the first place, then, as we are to treat of the sacra- ments in general, it is proper to begiu with the force and meaning of the word itself, and to explain its ambiguous signification, so that the particular sense in which it is here used may the more easily be imderstood. As far, then, as regards our present purpose, the faithful are to be informed that the word sacrament has been differently xmderstood by sacred and profane writers ; for some authors have used it ° Matt. vii. 6. 138 THE CATECHISM to express tlie obligation of an oath, pledging to the per- formance of some service ; and hence, the oath by wliich soldiers promise fidelity and service to the state has been called a military "sacrament ";"' and amongst [pi'ofane writers] this seems to have been the most ordinary signification of the word. But among the Latin Fathers who have written on divine things, the word sacrament was used to signify some sacred thing that lies concealed ; as the Greeks, to express the same idea, have made use of the word mystery. This we understand to be the meaning of the word, when, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, it is said : That Jie might make hnown to us the mystery of his wiU ;'^ afterwards to Timothy; Great is the mystery of godliness ;'^ and also in the book of Wisdom : Tliey Tcnew not ilie m,ysteries of GodJ In these and many other passages the word sacramentum, it will be perceived, signifies nothing more than a sacred thing, hidden and concealed. The Latin doctors, therefore, held that tliis word might not iaappropriately be applied to express certain sensible signs, which at once declare and, as it were, place before the eyes the grace which they effect. St. Gregory, however, is of opinion that they may be called sacraments, because by them the divine power secretly worketh salvation, uiider^ the veil of sensible things.^ Let no one, however, suppose that this word is of recent ecclesiastical usage : who- ever reads St. Jerome^ and St. Augustine,^ wiU easily per- ceive that to designate what we here speak of, the ancient writers of our reUgion very frequently made use of the word sacramient, and sometimes also of the word symbol, or mys- tical sign, or sacred sign. In explanation of the word sacra- ment, let thus much suffice ; and, indeed, what we have said ' On this signification of "sacramentum," see Kipping, Antiq, Komm. iii. 1, 4 ; and Stewechius on Veget. de Ee Milit. p. 116, ed. Vesal, who gives the two following apposite passages from Teriullian : " Vocati sumus ad militiam Dei vivi, jam tunc cum in sacramenti verba spondimus ;" and " Ut Sacramento benedictiouis exauctoretur, nunquam in castra ecolesife reversurus." " Eph. i. 9. '-I Tim. iii. 16, r Wisd.. ii. 22. ^ Greg, in 1 Reg. xvi. 13. » See Hieron. in Amos. i. 1, and Iren. i. 15. ^ Aug. in Joan. Tract. 80, in fine, and contra Faust, lib. 19, c. 11 ; Cypr. epist. 15, and lib. de bapt. Christ. OF THE COUNCIL OP THENT. 133 applies also to the sacraments of the Old Law, on which, how- ever, superseded as they have been by the law and grace of the Gospel, instruction at the hands of pastors were superfluous. QUESTION III. Of the Proper Mewamg of " Saa-aTrtent" among. Catholic Writers. But besides the meaniog of the word, which has hitherto been explained, the nature and efficacy of that which it ex- presses must be diligently considered ; and the faithful ar& to be taught what is a sacrament ; for that the sacraments are amongst those things which are means of attaining sal- vation and righteousness, cannot be questioned. But although there are many definitions which may seem apt and appro- priate in explaining this matter, there is none more simple and perspicuous than that of St. Augustine, a definition which has since been followed by aU scholastic doctors : A sacrament, says he, is a sign of a sacred thing ;" or, as has been said in other words, but to the same purport : A sacramient is a, visihle sign of an invisible grace, instituted for our justi- fication. QUESTION IV. A Division of Sensible Tilings, and touching the Meaming of a Sign. The more fuUy to develope this definition, pastors must explain its respective parts. He must first, then, teach that all sensible objects are of two sorts ; some invented to act as signs, others produced not as signs, but absolutely and on their own account alone. In the latter class may be num- bered almost every object in nature ; but in the former, the names of things, writing, standards, images, trumpets,'' and a multiplicity of other things of the same sort ; for, strip words of their power of expressing ideas, and you seem to take away the reason of the institution. These, then, are pro- perly called signs ; for, according to St. Augustine, a sign is that which, besides what it presents to the senses, consti- tutes also a medium through which w^e arrive at the know- ledge of something else ; as from a footstep, for instance, = De Civ. Dei, x. c. 6. * An illustration borrowed from St. August, de Doctr. Christ, ii. 1. " Et tuba sonante milites vel progredi se, vel regredi, et si quid aliud pugna postulat, oportere noverunt." 140 THE CATECHISM we perceive imprinted on the ground, we easily know ttat some one, whose footstep appears, has passed.^ QUESTION V. For what reason Saa'aments cure to he placed among " Signs." If this be the case, a sacrament is clearly to be numbered among those things that have been instituted as signs ; for it makes known to us, by a certain appearance and resemblance, that which God, by his invisible power, accomplishes in our souls. To illustrate what we have said by an example, bap- tism, for instance, in which we receive external ablution accompanied with certain regular formularies of words,^ sig- nifies that by the power of the Holy Ghost aU the stain and defilement of sin. are inwardly washed away, and that our soids are enriched and adorned with the glorious gift of heavenly righteousness ; whilst, at the same time, the cor- poreal ablution, as shaU hereafter be explained in its proper place, accomplishes in the soul that which it signifies. That a sacrament is to be numbered amongst signs is clearly inferred from Scripture also. Speaking of circum- cision, a sacrament of the Old Law given to Abraham, the father of all believers, the apostle, in his epistle to the Romans, says : And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith ;S and in another place : AU we, says he, who are baptized in Christ Jesus are baptized in his death ;^ words from which we may learn that baptism con- veys the signification of that wliich the same apostle expresses in these words : We are buried togetlier with him by baptism into death} Nor is it unimportant to the faithful to know that the sacraments appertain unto signs, for they wUl thus the more easily be persuaded to believe that what they sig- nify, contain, and effect, is holy and august ; and recognizing their sanctity, they will be more excited to venerate and adore the divine beneficence towards us. " De doctr, Christ, ii. 1, who, however, says, " Sicut vestigio viso, transisse animal, cujus vestigium est, cogitamus." ' Certis et solemnibus verbis. n Eom. iv. 11. '' Eom. vi. 3. ' Eom. vi. i. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 141 QUESTION VI. Soil} many Kinds of Signs there are. It follows that we now explain the words sacred thiTig, which form the second part of the definition. To render this satisfactory, we must enter somewhat more deeply into the acute and subtile disquisition of St. Augustine on the variety of signs.J For some signs are called natural, which, besides making themselves known to us, convey also a know- ledge of something else, a property, as has already been shown, common to all signs. Smoke, for instance, is a natural sign, from which we immediately infer the presence of fire. And it is called a natural sign, because it does not imply fire by arbitrary institution;'' but our knowledge of things teaches us that if we but perceive smoke, we are at the same time aware of the subjacent existence of the na- ture and force of fitre as yet latent. Other signs are not natural, but conventional, and invented by men, to enable them to commune one with another, and mutually to convey their sentiments, and communicate their counsels. The variety and multiplicity of such signs may be inferred from the circumstance, that some appertain to the eyes, very many to the ears, the rest to the other senses. Thus, when we intimate anything to another person, by hoisting, for instance, a military standard, it is sufficiently obvious that such inti- mation is referred to the eyes only ; and it is equally evident that to the ear is addressed the sound of trumpets, of lutes, and of lyres, which is eKcited not only as a source of plea- sm'e, but often as a means of signifying ideas. Through the ear also principally are conveyed words, which have the greatest influence in communicating the inmost thoughts of our minds. But besides those signs which we have said are conven- tional, and settled by the common consent of men, there are some others, confessedly of more sorts than one, which are of divine appointment. For some were given by God to men solely to indicate something, or recall its recollection ; such were the purifications of the law, the unleavened bread, and many other things that appertain to the ceremonial of the i Lib. i. de doctr. Christ, i. ^ Voluntate. 14:2 THE CATECHISM Mosaic worship ; others God instituted, not only to signify but also to accomplish what they signify. Among the latter kiud of signs are manifestly to be numbered the sacraments of the New Law. For they are signs delivered by God, not in- vented by man, which we believe with certaiaty to possess the power of effecting' something sacred, which they declare. QUESTION VII. Meammg cif tJte ivords " Sacred Thimg" in ike Definition of a Sacra-meni. But as we have shown that signs are of a multifold variety; so, in like manner, it is not to be supposed that the sacred thing is of one sort only. By the words sacred thing, how- ever, as far as regards the proposed definition of a sacrament, writers on sacred matters express the grace of God, which sanctifies us and adorns us with the habit of all the diviue virtues ; and of this grace they justly consider the words sacred thing to be an appropriate appellation, because by its salutary iufluence our soul is consecrated and united to God. QUESTION VIII. A Puller Definition of a Sacrament, and in what manner it differs from other Boly Signs. In order, therefore, to explain more fully the nature of a sacrament, [the pastor] must teach that it is a thing subject to the senses, and possessing by the divine institution at once the power of signifying, and accomplishing sanctity and righte- ousness. Whence it follows, as any one may easily perceive, that images of the saints, crosses, and the lite thiugs, although they be signs of sacred things, cannot be called sacraments. The truth of this doctrine may easily be proved by the ex- ample of all the sacraments, if we apply to each what we already observed of Baptism, when we said, that that solemn ablution of the body signifies, and has power to effect, a sacred thing, wrought inwardly by the operation of the Holy Ghost. It is also pre-eminently agreeable to the nature of these mystical signs, which have been instituted by God, to signify by the institution of our Lord more than one thing ; and ' Compare the definition in our 25th article, " Sacraments be certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace." OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 143 tMs applies to each of the sacraments, seeing that all declare not only our sanctity and justification, but also two other things most intimately connected with sanctity itself, that is, the Passion of Christ our Eedeemer, which is the source of our sanctification, and everlasting life and heavenly bKss, to which, as to its end, our sanctiScation should be referred. This, then, being perceived to be common to all the sacra- ments, sacred doctors have justly taught, that each of them has a threefold significancy, both as reminding us of something passed, indicating something present, and foreteUing some- thing futm-e. But when we say that this was taught by them, let it not be supposed that it is a doctrine unsupported by the testimony of holy Scripture; for when the apostle says : All we who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his [death, he clearly shows that baptism is called a sign, because it reminds us of the death and passion of our Lord. Afterwards, when he says : We are buried together with hirni hy baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life, he clearly shows that baptism is a sign, by which the infusion into the soul of divine grace is declared, by means of which we are enabled, forming our lives anew, to discharge easily, and with a willing mind, all the duties of true piety. Lastly, when he adds : If we have been planted together in tlie likeness of his death, in like ma/nner we shall be of his resurrection^ it is plain that baptism gives no obscure intimation of eternal life also, which we are to attain thereby. But besides the various kinds and modes of signifying already mentioned, a sacrament also not imfrequently in- dicates and marks the presence of more than one thing. It is easy, for instance, to perceive that the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist at once signifies the presence of the real body and blood of Christ, and the grace which it imparts to them that receive it with a pure heart. What has been said, therefore, cannot fail to supply pastors with arguments, whereby to prove how much the power of God is displayed, how many hidden miracles are contained in the sacraments of the New Law, that thus all may be persuaded of their " Eom. vi. 3, sqq. 144 THE CATECHISM obligation, to reverence and receive them ■with the most profoimd feelings of devotion. QUESTION IX. Why Sacraments were instituted among Christiams. But no means seems better adapted to teach the proper use of the sacraments than a diligent exposition of the reasons of their institution. Amongst these reasons, for many are assigned, the first is the imbecility of the human mind ; for we see it so constituted by nature, that no one can aspire to matters of mental and intellectual knowledge, un- less through the medium of those things that are perceived by some sense. To the end, therefore, that we might more easily understand the hidden effects of his divine power, the Sovereign Creator of the universe has most wisely, and of his tender kindness towards us, ordained that that same power be manifested to iis through the intervention of certain sensible signs. For as St. Chrysostom nobly says : If man were iiof clothed with a material body, tJiese good things wovM have been pi-esented to him naked, and without the veil \of sensible forms\ ; but, as the sovl is united to tlie body, tJie aid of sensible things was altogether necessary towa/rds understa/nd- ing tJiem.^ Another reason is, because our mind yields a reluctant assent to promises ; and hence, God, from the beginning of the world, was accustomed to indicate what he had resolved to do, very frequently indeed by words; but sometimes, when he designed the execution of some work, the magnitude of which might weaken a belief in his promise, he confirmed his words by other signs also, which, in some cases, bore the appearance of a miracle. When, for instance, God would send Moses to deliver the people of Israel ; and Moses, although under the commission and protection of God, stiU hesitated, fearing lest the task imposed on him was heavier than he could bear, or that the people wovdd lack faith in the divine oracles, the Almighty confirmed his promise by a variety of signs." As then, in the Old Testament, God showed by signs the stability of some important promise ; so, under the New Law, Christ our Saviour, when he promised us » Chrys. horn. 83, in Matt. " Exod. iii. 10, sqq. ; iv. 2. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 145 pardon of our sins, heavenly grace, tlie communication of the Holy Spirit, instituted certain signs visible to our eyes and senses, by wliich we might have him bound, as it were, by so many pledges, and might thus never be enabled to doubt his fidelity to liis promises. A third i-eason was that, as St. Ambrose says, the sacra- ments may be at hand as remedies, and as the healing medicines of the Samaritan in the Gospel, to recover or preserve the health of the soul ;P for, through the sacraments as through a certain channel, should the efficacy of the passion of Christ flow into the soul, that is, the grace which he merited for us on the altar of the cross ; otherwise no one could have any hope of salvation left. Hence, our most merciful Lord was pleased to bequeath to his Chvu'ch, sacra- ments stamped with the sanction of his word and promise, through which, provided each of us piously and devoutly make use of these remedies, we should firmly believe that to Tis is really communicated the iruit of his passion. But a fourth reason why the institution of the sacraments may seem necessary is, that there might be certain marks and symbols, by which to distinguish the faithful ; particu- larlylis, to use the words of St. Augustine, no society of men, 'jyrofessing a true or a false religion, can he Tcnit as it were into one body, unless they he united aiul lield togetlier hy some federal bo^id of visible signs.i Both these objects, then, the sacraments of the New Law furnish, distinguishing, as they do, the worshippers of the Christian faith from unbelievers, and connecting the faithful themselves by a sort of holy bond. Another very just cause for the institution of the sacraments may be deduced from these words of the apostle : With tJie Jieart man helieveth unio rigliteousness, hut with tlie mouth confession is made u/nto salvation ;^ for by the sacra- ments, we seem to profess and make known our faith in the sight of men. Thu.s, when we approach baptism, we openly testify our belief that, by virtue of the water, with which we are washed in the sacrament, a spiritual cleansing of the soul takes place. The sacraments have also great influence not only in ex- citing and exercising our faith, but also in inflaming that P Amb. lib. 5, de Sacr. iv. ^ D. Aug. lib. 19, contra Faust, ii. ' Eom. X. 10. L 146 THE CATECHISM charity witli ■wliidi we should love one another ; recollecting that, by the partaking of the sacred mysteries in common, we are -united in the closest bonds, and are made members of one body. Finally, a matter to be deemed of the greatest imijortance in the study of Christian piety, the sacraments subdue and repress the pride of the human heart, and exercise us in humility, we being obliged to subject ourselves to sensible elements in obedience to God, from whom we had before impiously revolted, to serve the elements of the world. These are the points which appeared to us chiefly necessary to be delivered to the faithful, touching the name, nature, and institution of a sacrament. When they shall have been accurately expounded by the pastor, he ought next to explain the things of wliich each sacrament consists, what are their parts, and also what rites and ceremonies have been added ia their administration. QUESTION X. T!ie Parts necessary to consiitiUing each Sacrament. In the first place, then, [the pastor] must explain that the sensible thing, which enters iuto the definition of a sacrament as above given, although it must be held to present but one sign, is twofold ; for every sacrament consists of two things, one of which has the nature of maUei'^ and is called "the element :" the other has the force ol form, and is designated by a common appellation, " the word." This we have learnt from the fathers, and on this subject that testimony of St. Augustiue is known and familiar to all : Tim word, says he, is joined to the element, and becomes a sacrament.^ By the words sensible thing, therefore, the fathers understand not only the matter or element, such as water in the sacrament of baptism, chrism in that of confirmation, and oU' in that of extreme unction, all of which fall under the eye ; but also the words, which constitute the form and are addressed to the sense of hearing. Both have been clearly pointed out by the apostle, when he says : Christ loved tlie Church, and delivered himsdf up for it, tliai Im might smictify it, cleansing ' Aug. in Joan, tract Ixxx. ' See Beveridge on Art, xxv. OF THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 147 it by the laver of water in tJie word of life ;^ in -wliicli passage tlie matter and form of tiie sacrament are expressed. QUESTION XI. Wliy tlie Words icere added to Hie Element. To explain more fully and clearly the meaning of the action that is being done, -words were to be added to the matter. For of all signs it is evident that words are the most signifi- cant, and if they be wanting, what the matter of the sacraments designates and declares woidd be utterly obscure. In baptism, for instance, as water has the quality of cooling not less than of cleansing, and may be a symbol of either effect, unless the words be added, some one might make it matter of conjecture (of certainty he conld not), which was signified ; but when the words are applied, we straightway understand, that the baptismal water possesses the power and signification of cleansing. QUESTION XII. Of ike Excellence of the Sacrmncnts of the New Law. The sacraments of the New Law very far excel those of the Old in this respect, that no definite form that we know of was observed in administering those of the Old, a circum- stance which also rendered them very uncertaia and obscure ; whilst our [sacraments of the New] have so definite a form of words, that if even a casual deviation from it be made, the nature of the sacrament is made void;'^ and it is therefore expressed in the clearest terms, and such as leave no room for doubting. These then are the parts that appertain to the natiu-e and substance of the sacraments, and of which every sacrament is necessarily composed. QUESTION XIII. Wltat is (lie Force and Natwre of the Ceremonies ad^iinistered in the Sacraments. To these are added ceremonies, which, although they can- not, unless necessity compel a different course, be omitted ■■ Eph. V. 25, sq. "And gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water hy the word." ' Sacramenti ratio oonstare non possit. l2 148 THE CATECHISM ■without sin, yet, if they be at any time omitted, not beiag essential, are not to he considered at all to aflfect the validity of the sacrament. Nor is it without reason, that the adminis- tration of the sacraments has been, at all times, from the earliest ages of the Church, accompanied with certain solemn ceremonies. In the first place, there is the greatest propriety in disj)laying towards the sacred mysteries such a religious reverence, as to appear to handle holy things as holy men. The ceremonies themselves also display more fuUy, and place as it were before the eyes, the effects of the sacraments, and impress the holiness of these thiags more deeply on the minds of the faithful. They also elevate to the contemplation of subKme things the minds of those who behold and observe them with attention ; and excite withia them faith and charity. The greater care and attention should therefore be applied, to enable the faithful to know and perceive clearly the meaning of the ceremonies used in the administration of each sacrament. QUESTION Xrv. Mow many are the Sacraments of tlie Catholic Church. "We must now proceed to explain the niimber of the sacra- ments ; a knowledge which brings with it this advantage, that the greater the nu.mber of aids unto salvation and a hie of bliss, which the people shall understand to have been pro- vided by the divine goodness, the greater must be the piety with which they will direct all the powers of their souls to praise and proclaim the singular beneficence of God towards us. The sacraments, then, of the Catholic Church are seven, as is proved from Scripture, handed down to us by the tradition of the fathers, and testified by the authority of councils.^' QUESTION XV. Why the Sacraments are neither more iwr less in nnnOier. Why they are neither more nor less in number may be shown with some probability even from the analogy that exists between natui'al and spiritual life. In order to live, to presex-ve life, and to contribute to his own and to the " See Decrees and Canons, Sess. vii. Can. i. p. 51, of my translation. Cone. Flo. in dec. ad Arm. D. Th. 3, q. 63, art. 1. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 149 piiblic benefit, these iseven tilings seem necessary to man ; to be born ; to grow ; to be nurtured ; to be cured if he fall sick ; to be strengthened when weak ; as regards the public weal, tliat magistrates, invested with authority to govern, never be wanting ; and, finally, to perpetuate himself and his species by legitimate offspring. Analogous, then, as aU these things obviously are to that hfe by which the soul lives unto God, we shall easily infer from them a reason for the number of the sacraments. For the first of these is Baptism, the gate, as it were, to aU the rest, by which we are born again unto Christ. The next is Confirmation, by virtue of which we grow up, and are strengthened in the grace of God ; for, as St. Aiigustine beareth witness : To tlie apostles, wlw had already received baptism, the Redeemer said : ' Tarry ye in the dty till ye be endued viith power from, on high^^ The third is the Eucharist, by which, as by a truly celestial food, our spirit is nurtvired and sustained ; for of it the Saviour has said : My flesh is meat indeed, and my hlood is drinh indeed.^ Penance follows in the fourth place, by the aid of which health, which has been lost, is restored us, after we have received the wounds of sin. The fifth is Extreme Unction, by which the remains of sin are taken away, and the energies of the soul invigorated ; for, speaking of this sacrament, St. James says : If he he in sins, they sliall he forgiven him.'' The sixth is Orders, by which power is given to exercise perpetually in the church the public ministry of the sacraments, and to perform all the sacred functions. The last is matrimony, instituted to the end that, by means of the legitimate and holy union of man and woman, children may be procreated, and rehgiovisly edu- cated unto the worsliip of God and the conservation of the human race. QUESTION XVI. All the Sacraments are not equally necessary, or of tlie same dignity. It is, however, particularly worthy of remark that, although all the sacraments possess a divine and admirable efficacy, yet all do not possess equal necessity or dignity, nor is the significancy of all one and the same. Amongst ^ Aug. ep. 108 ; and Luke xxiv. 49. r John vi. 55. ' Jamea v. 15. 150 THE CATECHISM them three are said to be necessary beyond the rest, although in aU three this necessity is not of the same kind. That to every one Baptism is necessary without any qualification, our Saviour has declared in these "words : Except a man be born again of water and o/the Holy G]iost,lie cam/not enter into tJie hingdom of God.^ But Penance is necessary for those only who have defiled themselves after baptism with any mortal sin ; for without they duly repent, they cannot possibly escape eternal ruin. Orders, too, although not necessary to each of the faithful, are of absolute necessity to the Church in general. But if the dignity of the sacraments be considered, the Eucharist is far superior to the rest in hoUness, and in the nimiber and greatness of its mysteries. These, however, are matters which will all be more easily understood when we come to explain, in its proper place, what appertains to each of the sacraments. QUESTION XVII. From iiilwm tJiese Boly and Divine Mysteries Jiave been received, and hy vilwm they are chiejly dispensed. We must next consider from whom we have received these sacred and divine mysteries. For there is no doubt that the dignity of any great boon is much enhanced by the dignity and excellence of him by whom the gift itself is bestowed. This question, however, cannot be one of difiicult solution. I"or since it Ls God that justifieth men, and the sacraments themselves are certain wonderful instruments of obtaining justification, it is evident, therefore, that one and the same God in Christ must be acknowledged to be the author of justification and of the sacraments. The sacraments, more- over, contain a power and efficacy that reach the inmost soul ; and as God alone has jiower to enter into the hearts and minds of men, he alone, through Christ, is manifestly the author of the sacraments. That by him also they are in- wardly dispensed is to be held with a certain and constant faith, for that from him he had received this testimony is affirmed by St. John in these words : Se that sent inie to bap- tize with water, the sa/tne said to me. Upon whom tliou sJudt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, Hie same is he that baptizeth with the Holy Gliost.^ ' John iii, 5. ^ John i. 33. OP THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. Igl QUESTION XVIII. What Ministers God employs im, dispeming the Saa-aments. But although God is the author and disiDenser of the sacra- ments, he nevertheless would have them administered Ln his Chm-ch by men, not by angels ; for to constitute a sacrament, as is confirmed by the uninten-upted tradition of the fathers, the muiistry of men is not less necessary than the matter and form. QUESTION XIX. Tlie Univorthviiess of the Minister does not hinder the Virtue of the Sacraments. And these ministers, representing, as they do, in the dis- charge of this sacred function, not their own person, but that of Christ, do consequently, be they good or bad, validly con- secrate and confer them ; provided they but make use of the form and matter always observed in the Catholic Church, according to the institution of Christ, and intend to do what the Church does in their administration thereof. Unless, therefore, the recipients themselves wish to defraud them- selves of so great a good, and to resist the Holy Ghosty nothing can prevent them from receiving [through the sacra- ments] the fruit of grace. And that this was at all times a fixed and well-ascertained doctrine of the Church is most clearly established by St. Augustine, in his disputations written against the Donatists ;•= and should we desire the- testimony of Scriptm'e also, let us listen to these words of the apostle : / Jia/ve pla/nted, Apollos watered, hut God gave five increase. So then neither is fie tluit pilanteth anything, neither he that water eth ; hut God that giveth the increase.'^ From these words it is clear that, as in planting trees the vices ot the planters impede not [their growth], so those who were planted in Christ by the ministry of bad men can contract no injury from the guilt of others. Hence even Judas Iscariot, as our holy fathers infer from the Gospel of St. John,^ conferred baptism on many ; and yet we do not read that any of those whom he baptized were baptized again. To use the memorable words of St. Augustine : Judas baptized, and after Judas none were baptized : John ' See iii. 10, iv. i, v. 19. " 1 Cor. iii. 6. ' JoliD iv. 2. 152 THE CATECHISM baptized, mid after John they were haptized ; because tlie bap- tism adininistered by Judas was the baptism of Christ, hut that administered by John was the baptism of John ;' not thai we prefer Judas to John, but tliat we justly prefer tlie ba^itism of Christ, administered even by the lia/nds of Judas, to the bap- tism of John, administered even by the hands of John.s QUESTION XX. Wliat is to be thought of those who administer the Sacraments with an Unclean Conscience. But let not pastors, or otter ministers of tlie sacraments, hence infer that they sufficiently do their duty if, disregard- ing integrity of manners and purity of conscience, they attend only to the correct administration of the sacraments : for although the due administration of the sacraments demands particular diligence, yet this alone does not constitute all that appertains to that duty. Nor should they ever forget that the sacraments, although they never lose the divine eifioacy inherent in them, do yet bring eternal perdition and death upon those who administer them with impure hands. Holy things (an observation wliich cannot be too often repeated) should be treated hohly, and with due reverence : To tlie vnched, says the prophet, God hath said ; Why dost thou declare my statutes, and tahe my covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction ?^ If, then, for a man who is contaminated with sin it is unlawful to treat of divine things, how great must be the guilt contracted by that man who, conscious within liimself of many crimes, dreads not to consecrate with polluted lijis the holy mysteries, or to take them into his befouled hands, to handle them, and to present and administer them to others ! particularly as we read in St. Dionysius, that the wicked are not allowed even to touch the symbols (so he calls tho sacraments).' Let, then, the ministers of holy things first of all follow holiness, ap- ' Acts xix. 3, sqq. f Aug. in Joan. 5. * Ps. xlix. 16 (1. 16). Dono%'an has translated "justitias " literally ''justices ! " It is almost unnecessary to observe that it is the transla- tion of the Sept. diKaiwixara, "statutes, commands," as in Luke i. 6. Euseb. H. E. i. 2, v. 1. Compare the learned note of Gataker on M. Antonin. xi. 10. ' See Pseudo-Dion, de Eccl. Hier. c. 1. OF THK COUNCIL OP TRENT. 153 proach. -with purity the administration of the sacraments, and so exercise themselves in the practice of piety, that, from the frequent administration and use of them, they may day by day receive, with God's assistance, more abundant grace. QUESTION XXI. Of the Two Chief Effects of tlie Sacraments. These things being explained, [the pastor] must next teach what are the effects of the sacraments, for this matter seems calculated to throw considerable light on the definition of a sacrament as above given. These effects, then, are prin- cijDally two ; and amongst them the grace, commonly called by the sacred doctors jusiifyhig, holds the first place ; for thus has the apostle most explicitly taught us, when he says : Christ loved the Church, and delivered himself up for it ; that he might sanctify it, cleansing it hy the washing of water in the word) But how so great and so admirable an effect is pi'oduced by the sacrament as that, to use the well-known saying of St. Augustine : Water washes the body and touches the heart,^ this, indeed, cannot be comprehended by human reason and intelligence. For it ought to be a fixed prin- ciple, that nothing sensible is, by its own nature, endowed with such power as to reach the soul. But we know, by the light of faith, that in the sacraments exists the virtue of Almighty God, by which they effect what the natural ele- ments caimot of themselves accomplish. QUESTION XXII. Sow the Effects of the Saa-aments were, m the Earlier' Ages of iJie Rising Church, set forth hy Miracles. Wherefore, lest any doubt as to this effect should ever exist in the minds of the faithful, God, in the abundance of his clemency, was pleased, when their administration first began, to declare, by significant miracles, the effects which they inwardly produce, that we might most firmly believe the same effects, although they be far removed from the senses, to be always iuwardly produced. To omit, therefore, that, at the baptism of the Redeemer ia the Jordan, The heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost appeared in the form J Eph. V. 25, sq. '' St. Aug, in Joan, tract Ixxx. 154 THE CATECHISM of a dove} thus admonisMng us that, when we are being washed in the salutary font, Ms grace is infused into our souls, to omit this (seeing it has reference rather to the sig- nifioancy of baptism than to the administration of the sacra- ment), do we not read, that when, on the day of Pentecost^ the apostles received the Holy Ghost, by which they were thenceforward inspired with greater alacrity and fortitude to preach the truth of the faith, and to encounter dangers for the glory of Christ : Suddenly tliere cmne a sound from lieaven, as of a mighty wind coining,^ and there appeared to them cloven tongues, like as of fke.^ By this it was under- stood that, in the sacrament of Confirmation, there is given to us the same spirit, and there is imparted to us such strength, as enables us bravely to encounter and resist our incessant enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. And as often as the apostles administered those sacraments, these miracles, for some time during the early ages of the rising Church, visibly took place, until they ceased, faith having acquired matvuity and strength. QUESTION XXIII. Sow sii/periur the Sacraments of the New Law are to tlwse of tlie Old. From what has been said concerning the first efiect of the sacraments, which is justifying grace, it is also clear, that thei'e exists in the sacraments of the New Law a virtue more exalted and efiicacious than that of the sacraments of the Old, which, as weak and poor denients,° sa/nctified such as were defiled to tlie purifying ofthejlesh^ but not of the spirit; They were, therefore, instituted as signs only of those things that were to be accomplished by our mysteries ; whereas the sacraments of the New Law, flowing from the side of Christ who, throitgh tlie Holy Ghost offered himself without spot to God, purge our consciences from dead works, to serve tlie living Godji and thus, by virtue of the blood of Christ, they ojDerate the grace which they signify. If, therefore, we compare them with the sacraments of the Old Law, we shall find that, besides being more efiicacious, they are also more exuberant in spiritual advantage, and more august in their holiness. I Matt. iii. 16 ; Mark i. 10 ; Luke iii. 21, 22. " Advenientia. " Acts ii. 2, 3. ° Gal. iv. 9. ? Heb. ix. 13. ' Heb. ix. 14. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 155' QUESTION XXIV. Which of the Sacraments impress a Character, and what tlial Charade)' is. The other effect of the sacraments, an effect, however, not common to all, but peculiar to three. Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, is the character which they impress on the soul. When the apostle says : He that JiatJt, anointed lis is God, loJio hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Sxnrit in our hewrts^ he not obscurely designates, by the "word sealed, a character, the property of which is to seal and mark sometliing. This character is, as it were, a certain distinctive mark impressed on the soul, which inhering, as it does perpetually, can never be blotted o\it, and of which St. Augustine says : Sliall tlie Christian sacraments accomplish less than the bodily mark, viz. [the mark] impressed on the soldier 1 That mark is not stamped on his person anew, when resuming the military service from which he had de- serted, but the old one is recognized and approved. ^ QUESTION XXV. What is the Effect of the Character, and how those Sacraments which impress a Character owjht not to he repeated. This character has a twofold effect : it both renders us fit to undertake or perform something sacred ; and serves to distinguish us one from another by some mark. And indeed by the character impressed in baptism we attain both effects ; for by it we are rendered fit to receive the other sacraments, and by it also the faithful people are distinguished from the Gentiles, who cherish not the faith. The same fact holds true of the characters impressed by Confirmation and Holy Orders ; by the one of which we are armed and arrayed as soldiers of Christ, publicly to profess and defend his name, to fight against our inward enemy, and against the spiritual powers of wickedness in the high places,* and are at the same time distinguished from those who, being lately baptized, are, as it were, new-bom infants : the other has annexed to it the power of consecrating and administering the sacraments, ' 2 Cor. i. 21. ' Aug. tract vi. in Joan, and leot. i. oontr. Cresoen. t. 30. ' In caelestibus. 156 THE CATECHISM and also distinguishes those wlio are invested -with, such power, from the rest of the company of the faithful. The rule of the Catholic Church is therefore to be held, which teaches that these three sacraments impress a character, and are never to be repeated. These are the general instructions to be delivered toucliing on the .sacraments. QUESTION XXVI. In wliai manner Pastors may bring about a Veneration and Seligiom Use of the Sacraments on the part of the People. In the exposition of this argument, let the pastor's most zealous exertions be directed principally to the accomplish- ment of two things. The first is, that the faithful understand the high honour, respect, and veneration, which are due to these divine and heavenly gifts ; the other, that [they urge them] to make jDious and religious use of those sacred insti- tutions, estabhshed by the God of infinite clemency for the common salvation of all j and so to inflame them with the desire of Christian perfection, as that they may look upon it as a very great loss, if they be deprived, for any time, of the salutary use, especially of Penance, and of the Holy Eucharist. These objects pastors will find little difficulty in attaining, if they inculcate frequently on the hearing of the faithful what we have already said touching the divine character and fruit of the sacraments ; first, that they were instituted by our Lord and Saviour, from whom can proceed nothing save what is most perfect ; that in their administration, moreover, is present the most efficacious influence^ of the Holy Ghost, who pervades the inmost recesses of the soul ; that in the next place they are endued with an admirable and certain virtue to cure souls ; and that through them are communi- cated to us the inexhaustible riches of the passion of our Lord. Lastly, let them show, that the whole Christian edifice, although resting, it is true, on the most firm founda- tion of the corner-stone, unless supported on every side by the preaching of the divine word, and by the use of the sacraments, must, it is greatly to be feared, be undermined to a great extent, and fall to the ground ; for as by the sacraments " Numeu. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 157 we are received into life, so by this food, as it were, are we nurtured, preserved, and increased. CHAPTER II. OF THE SACEA3IENT OF BAPTISM. QUESTION I. Why it is expedient that the Doctrine of Baptis^n, le fretj^iienthj inculcated upon the Faithful Peojjle. From what has been hitherto said touching the sacraments in general, it may indeed be learnt how necessary it is to attaining a knowledge of the doctrines of the Christian rehgion, as well as to the practice of Cluistian piety, to understand what the Catholic Church propounds to our belief on each sacrament in particular ; but whoever reads the apostle attentively, will without hesitation conclude, that a perfect knowledge of baptism is imperatively demanded of the faithful ; not only so frequently, but also in such serious language, in words so full of the spirit of God, does [the apostle] renew the recollection of this mystery, commend its divine character, and place in it before our eyes the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, as objects at once of our contemplation and imitation. '^ Let the pastor, therefore, never think, that he has bestowed suflBcient labour and study on the consideration of this sacrament. QUESTION II. WJien the Pastor ought more partieularly to discourse con-cerning Baptism. But besides those days on which, according to the practice of our ancestors, the divine mysteries of baptism were parti- cularly to be explained, that is. Holy Saturday and the vigil of Pentecost, at wliich season the Church was accustomed to admiuister this sacrament with the greatest devotion and the utmost solemnity, let [pastors] take occasion on other days also to make it the subject-matter of their discourses. And ' See 15.0111. vi. 3 ; Colos. ii. 12, sq. 158 THE CATECHISM for this purpose a most convenient opportiinity would seem to present itself, if sometimes when baptism is about to be administered, they find that a concourse of the faithful peoisle has assembled. Tor on such occasions, although it may not be possible to embrace every matter that concerns baptism, yet they may readily be able to give instruction touching one or two points, whilst the faithful see expressed in the sacred ceremonies of baptism, and contemplate with pious and attentive mind the doctrine, which they receive with then- ears. Thus it will follow that each, admonished by what he sees done iu another, will recoUeot within himself under what promise he bound himself to God when he was initiated by baptism, and at the same time will reflect whether iu life and morals he show liimself such as the very profession of the name of Christian promises. In order, therefore, that the things to be taught may be explained in a lucid manner, the nature and substance of baptism miist be imfolded, an ex- plication of the meaning of the word itself, however, being first laid down. QUESTION III. lleanmg of the wm-d "Baptism." No one is ignorant that the word haptisni is a Greek noun; but although it is used ia the sacred writings to express not only that ablution which is joiued with the sacrament, but also every species of ablution, and sometimes, figuratively, to express suffering, yet, in ecclesiastical writers, it denotes not every sort of bodily ablution, but that which is joined with the sacrament, and is not administei-ed without the prescribed form of words ; and in tliis sense, it is very frequently used by the apostles, according to the institution of Christ our Lord.'" QUESTION IV. By what oilier Names did the Fathers express Sam'amental Ahlution. The holy fathers have also made use of other names to designate the same tiling. St. Augustine beareth witness that it was called the Sacrament of Faith, because persons receiving it profess their faith in all the doctrines of Chris- tianity :^ by others, it was denominated illumination, because '" Donovan refers to Eom. vi. 3 ; 1 Pet. iii. 21. ' D. Aug. epist. xcviii. S. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 159 by the faith -wMcli we profess in baptism the heart is ilhi- mined : Call to reineinbrance, says the apostle, alluding to the time of baptism, tJie former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great figM of affiiciions.y Chry- sostom, in. his sermon to the baptized, calls it moreover a purgation, because through bajptism we purge out the old leamen, tliat we may he a iiew lumip,^ also a burial, a planting, and the cross of Christ ;* the reasons for aU which appellations may be gathered from the epistle to the Romans.^ St. Dionysius calls it the beginning of the most holy command- ments, for this obvious reason, because baptism is, as it were, the gate through which we enter into the fellowship of Christian Ufe, and from it we begin to obey the divine commandments." These things regai-ding the name [of baptism] the pastor must briefly explain. QUESTION V. Definition of Baptism. With regard to the definition of the thing, although many may be alleged from sacred writers, nevertheless, that which may be collected from the words of our Lord in John, and of the apostle to the Ephesians, appears more appropriate and convenient. For since our Saviour saith : Except a inan he horn again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God ;'^ and the apostle, speaking of the Church, saith : Clea/nsing it with the washing of water hy the word of life ;^ it follows that baptism may be accurately and appositely defined to be ilie sacrament of regeneration hy water in the word. For by nature, we are born from Adani children of wrath, but by baptism we are regenerated in Christ, children of mercy; for, he gave power to men to become the sons of God, to them tJuit helieve on his name ; who were horn not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the wM of Tnan, hut ofGod.^ y He"b. X. 32. See Justin Martyr, as quoted and illustrated in Wall's History of Infant Baptism, vol. i. p. 67, sqq. of the Oxford edition, and Suicer's Thesaurus, a. v. ipajTiafiog. ^ 1 Cor. V. 7. " St. Chrysost. x. 5. '' Eoin. vi. 3-5. ' See Pseudo-Dion, de Eccl. Hier. c. 2. ^ John iii. 5. = Eph. V. 26. ' John i. 12, 13. 160 THE CATECHISM QUESTION VI. Ill wliat MawMr tJte Sacrament of Baptism ie performed. But, in what terms soever we may expkin the nature of baptism, the people must be taught that tliis sacrament consists of ablution, accompanied necessarily, according to the institution of our Lord, by determinate and solemn ■words, s This has been the uniform teaching of the holy fathers j as is proved by this most explicit testimony of St. Augustine : The word is joined to the element, a/nd becomes a sacrament. This it will be necessary to point out with greater diligence, lest jierhaps the faithful be led into the error of supposing, that the water itself, which is preserved in the sacred font for the purpose of performing baptism, is, as is commonly said, the sacrament. Por then only must we say that the sacrament of Baptism exists, when we are actually using water by way of ablution, accompanied by the words instituted by our Lord. But, as we first said, when treating of the sacraments in general, that every sacrament individually consists of matter and form, it is therefore necessary that pastors point out what constitutes each of these in baptism. QUESTION VII. Wliat is the Proper Matter of Baptism. The matter, then, or element of this sacrament, is every kind of natural water which without addition of any sort is usually called water, be it sea-water, river-water, water from a marsh, well, or fountain ; for the Saviour also has taught that, Except a maji be born again of water and i!ie Holy Glwst, lie cannot enter into tlie kingdom of God.^ The apostle, too, says that the Church was cleansed by tJie washing of water ;' and in the Epistle of St. John we read : TJiere are three tlmt give testimony on earth, the sinrit, tlie water, and tlie blood.i The same is also proved from other testimonies of Scripture. E Matt, xxviii. 19. ' John iii. 5. ' Eph. T. 26. i 1 John v. 8. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 161 QUESTION VIII. A Passage of St. Matthew respecting tJie "Baptism of Fire" is explained. But wliat has been said by John the Baptist, that the Lord -will come, who %oill baptize in the Holy Glwst and in fire}- is by no means to be understood of the matter of bap- tism, but is to be referred to the inward effect of the Holy Ghost j or at least to the miracle which appeared on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost descended from heaven on the apostles in form of iire ;' of wHch Christ our Lord foretold in another place : John, vuleed, baptized with water, hut ye shall be baptized with tlm Holy Ghost, iwt many days hence."^ QUESTION IX. Figures and Prophecies hy which the Force of the Baptism by Water was setfort!i. The Lord also signified the same both by figures and by the oracles of prophecy, as we perceive from the sacred Scriptures. For the prince of the apostles, in his fii'st epistle, shows that the deluge, by which the world was purged, be- cause there was wickedness of men on the earth, and all the thoughts of their hearts were bent upon evU," bore a figure and likeness of the waters of baptism." To omit the cleansing of Naaman the Syrian,P and the admirable virtue of the sheep-pool,i and many similar types, manifestly symbolic of this mystery, St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, has ex- pounded that the passage through the Red Sea was also typical of the waters of baptism.'' With regard to the pre- dictions of the prophets, no one can doubt that the waters to which the prophet Isaias so freely invites all that thirst,' and those that Ezekiel saw in spirit, issuing from the temple ;' and also tlie fountain which Zachariah foretold, prepared for the liouse of David, and tlie inliabitants of Jerusalem, for the washing of tJie sinner and of the unclean woiium^ were ^ Matt. iii. 11. ' Acts ii. 3. " Acts i. 5. " C£ Gen. vi. 5. ° 1 Pet. iii. 20, sq. ' 2 Kings v. 14. 1 Probatioae piscinfe. Compare the commentators on the difficult and 1 Pet. i. 3. ° Eph. v. 25, 26. " John iii. 5. p 2 Kings vi. 17. OF THE COUNCIL OF TBENT. 169 them to behold them, if not with the eyes of the body, yet -with those of the soul illumined with the light of faith, why may we not anticipate that the result will be similar ? QUESTION XXIII. Sow many sorts of men are fit to administa- Baptism. But it appears not only useful, but necessary, to teach who are the proper ministers of this sacrament, to the end that those to whom this office is principally intrusted may study to attend to it holily and religiously ; and that no one, out- stepping, as it were, his proper limits, may unseasonably enter upon, or arrogantly assume, the office belonging to another ; whereas the apostle teaches, that order is to be observed in all tliings.4 Let the faithful, therefore, be taught that there are three grades of those [who administer baptism]. In the first are to be ranked bishops and priests, to whom it has been given to exercise this office, not by any extraor- dinary power, but by their own right ; for to them, in the persons of the apostles, was addressed by our Lord the com- mand : Going baptize.^ Bishops, however, lest they should be obliged to neglect the more weighty charge of instructing the people, were generally accustomed to leave the adminis- tration of baptism to priests. But that priests exercise tliis function by their own proper right, in suchwise that they may baptize even in presence of the bishop, is clear from the doctrine of the Fathers,^ and the practice of the Church. For being ordained to consecrate the holy Eucharist, which is the sacrament of peace and unity, it was fitting that they shoiUd receive the power to administer all those things, through which others are enabled to participate of that peace and unity. If, then, the Fathers have sometimes said, that without the pennission of the bishoj:), priests have no right to baptize, they seem to have spoken of that baptism which was administered on certain days of the year with a solemn ceremony. Next to bishops and priests come deacons, for whom, as numerous decrees of the holy Fathers testify, it is not lawful, without the leave of the bishop or priest, to ad- minister this sacrament.* The last rank is that of those who 1 1 Cor. xiv. 40. "■ Matt, xxviii. 19. ' Isid. lib. ii. de Offic. Eocles. cap. 4. ■ Distinct, xoiii. cap. 13. 170 THE CATECHISM may administer baptism in case of necessity, but without its solemn ceremonies ; and in this class are included all, even from among the laity, whether men or women, whatever sect they may profess. For this office is permitted, if necessity compel, even to Jews, infidels, and heretics ; provided, how- ever, they intend to perform what the Catholic Church per- forms in that act of her ministry. Now these things have been cou firmed by many decrees of the ancient Fathers and Councils ; and the holy Synod of Trent also denounces an anathema against those who presume to say that baptism, lohich is even given by heretics in tlie name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, loith the intention of doing what the Gliurch does, is not true baptism,.^ And here truly may we admire the supreme goodness and wisdom of our Lord. For this sacrament being necessary for all to receive, as he instituted water as its matter, than which nothing can be more common, so he also wished, in hke manner, that no one should be excluded from its administration. All, how- ever, as we have said, are not allowed to make use of the solemn ceremonies ; not that the rites or ceremonies are of greater dignity, but because they are of less necessity, than the sacrament. QUESTION XXIV. Order to ic observed ly ilie faithful in Baptism. Let not the faithful, however, imagine that this office is given to all so indiscriminately, as that there be not the greatest propriety in observing a certain order among its ministers. For if a man be present, a woman ; if a clerk, a layman ; if a priest, a simple clerk, — should not take to themselves the administration of this sacrament. Midwives, however, who have been accustomed to baptize, are not to be found fault with if sometimes, when a man is present who is not at all familiar with the administration of this sacrament, they per- form what would otherwise seem to belong more properly to men. " Trid. Sess. vii. de bapt. can. iv. p. 63 of my translation. The editors also refer to Aug. lib. vii. contra Donatist. cap 51 ; ibid. lib. iii. cap. 10, et lib. ii. contra Parmen. ; and Concil. Lat. cap. 1, and Cone. Florent. in deer. Eugenii. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 171 QUESTION XXV. Why, in the mysteries of Regeiieraiion, spmisors are added to tliose who 'perform the rites of Baptism, To tliose who, as has been, hitherto explained, admiaister baptism, is to be added another class of ministers, who, according to the most ancient practice of the Catholic Church, are wont to assist at the baptismal font ; and who, formerly called by ^v^iters on divine tilings by the common appella- tions of undei-tahers, spmisors, or sureties,'' are now called godfathers and godmothers. As this is an office common to almost all the laity, the pastor will treat of it accurately, so that the faithful may understand what is principally neces- sary to its due performance. He will, in the first instance, explain why, at baptism, besides the ministers of the sacra- ment, godfathers, or godmothers, and sponsors should also be added. That there is very great propriety in this practice will be evident to all, if they recollect that baptism is a spi- ritual regeneration, by which we are bom children of God ; for of it St. Peter saith : As new-horn, bahes desire the sincere tnilk vjitJwut guile^ As therefore every one, after he has been born, requires a nurse and instructor, by whose assist- ance and attention lie may be brought up and instructed in. learning and useftd knowledge i^ so also it is necessary that those who, by the waters of baptism, begin to live a spiritual life, should be consigned to the fidelity and jirudence of some one from whom they may imbibe the precej)ts of the Christian religion, and by whom they may be instructed unto every manner of Christian piety, and thus gradually grow up in. Christ, until, with the Lord's help, they at length arrive at perfect manhood. [This must appear still more important,] if we recollect that pastors who are charged with the public care of parishes have not sufficient time left to undertake the duty of private instruction to children in the faith. For this very ancient practice, we have the following illustrious testimony of St. Dionysius : It occurred, says he, to our divine leaders (for so he calls the apostles), and they thought fit iltat infa/nts sliould he received [into the Church^ after this holy tnanner, tliaf tlieir natural parents should deliver tJiem to tlie * Olim susceptores, sponsoree seu fidejiis.sores. " 1 Pet. ii. 2. ' Bonis artibus. 172 THE CATECHISM ca/re ofsonie one well sTsMled in divine things, as to a school- master, vmder whom, in the capacity of spiritual father and guan-diam of his salvation in holiness, tlte child might spend the remainder of his life.y The same doctrine is confirmed by the authority of Hyginus.^ QUESTION XXVI. The sphitual affinity contrasted in Baptism impedes amd annuls Matrimony. Most wisely, therefore, has it been ordained by the Church that not only the person who baptizes contracts a spiritual affinity with the person baptized, but also the sponsor with the godchild and its natural parents ; so that between all these marriage cannot be lawfully contracted, and if con- tracted is void. QUESTION XXVII. What are the duties of Sponsor's, and what is required of tliem. The faithful must also be taught the d\ities of sponsors ; for such is the negligence with which this office is treated in the Chui'ch, that its bare name alone remains, whilst none seem to have the least idea of the sanctity it conveys. Let all sponsors, then, at all times recollect that they are bound principally by this law that they exercise a constant vigilance over their spiritual children, and take particular care that, in those things which i-egard the formation of a Christian life, they approve themselves throughout life such as [their sponsors] promised they should be by the solemn ceremony. On this subject let us hear what St. Dionysius writes. Dilating upon" the language of the sponsor, he says : I pro- mise, by tny assiduous exJiortations, to induce this child, when he shall arrive at a knowledge of religion, to renounce every- thing opposed to, and to profess and perform the sacred j^roinises, which he now makes. St. Augustine also says : / tnost espe- ' Pseudo-Dionya. de Eocl. Hier. u. 7. ' Habetur de oonseo. dist. v. cap. 100. I may as well notice that, except when I quote the Fathers myself, which will be perceived from the tenor of the notes, the references are either those of Donovan, or oi ttie Leipsic or earlier editions. As they are by no means consistent with each other, no regular plan could universally be followed. ■ I/, c. This seems to be what is meant by "verba aponsoris exprimens." OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 173 ciaUy admonish you, men and women, who have iecome sponsors unto sons in hwptism, to consider that ye stood as sureties before God for tlwse whom ye received at tlie sacred font)' And, indeed, it pre-eminently becomes every man, who has undertaken any office, to be indefatigable in the discharge of its duties ; and he who professed to be the schoolmaster and guardian of another should on no accoimt suffer him to be deserted, whom he once received under his pledge of guai'dianship, as long as he shall understand him to have occasion for his care and protection. Speaking of this same office of sponsors, St. Augustine sums up, in a few words, the lessons of instruction which ought to be impressed by them on the minds of their spiritual cMldren : They ought, says he, to adrnmiish them, to observe chastity, love justice, cling to charily ; and, ahove all, they should teach them the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten, Commandments, and the first rudiments of tlis Christian religion.'^ QUESTION XXVIII. People are not to ie promiscuously admitted to the office of Sponsor. These matters being thus, we may easily perceive to what class of men this holy guardiansliip should not be intrusted : to those, forsooth, who are unwilling to discharge its duties with fidelity, or who cannot do so with care and accuracy. Hence it is that, besides the natural parents, who, to mark more strongly how greatly this spiritual bringing up of youth differs from the carnal, are not permitted to undertake the charge — heretics particularly — Jews and infidels are by all means to be prohibited from this office, their thoughts and cares being ever occupied in obscuring the truth of the faith \>j falsehood, and subvertmg all Christian piety. QUESTION XXIX. What oitght to be tlie number of Sponsors. By the Council of Trent'' it is also ordained that the number of sponsors be limited to one male or female, or, at >> C. 105. Dist. V. de cona. ' D. Aug. serm. 163, de temp, and serm. 215, and aerm. 165, de temp, de cona. dist. iv. c. 120. ' Compare "Decrees and Canons," Sesa. xxiv. ch. ii. p. 182 of my translation. 174 THE CATECHISM most, to one male and one female ; because the order of dis- cipline and instruction may be confused by a number of teachers ; and also to prevent the multiplication of affinities, which -would impede the wider diffusion of social relations among men by means of the ties of lawful marriage. QUESTION XXX. Baptism is necessary to all vmto salvation. If the knowledge of the matters which have been hitherto explained is to be deemed most useful to the faithful, nothing can appear also more necessary than that they be taught that the law of baptism is prescribed by our Lord to all, insomuch that they, unless they be regenerated unto God through the grace of baptism, whether their parents be Christian or infidel, are born to eternal misery and perdition. The pastor therefore must give a frequent exposition of these words of the Gospel : Except a mom he horn again of water and tlie Holy Glwst, lie cannot enter into tlie hingdoin of God.^ QUESTION XXXI. Infants are hy all tiieams to he haptised. That this law is to be understood not only of those of adult age, but also of infant children, and that the Church has received this [interpretation] from apostoHc tradition, is confirmed by the common doctrine and authority of the Fathers. Besides, it must be believed that Christ our Lord was unwilling that the sacrament and grace of baptism should be denied to children, of whom he said : Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is the king- dom of heaven /' children whom he embraced — on whom he laid his hands — whom he blessed. S Moreover, when we read that some entire family was baptized by Paul,'' children, who were of their number, must, it is sufficiently obvious, have also been cleansed in the salutary font. Circumcision, too, which was a figure of baptism, affords a strong argument in favour of this pi'actice. That children were circumcised on the eighth day every one knows. If, then, circiuncision, made hy hand, in the despoilhig of tlie body of tlie flesh,'- was ' John iii. 5. ' Matt. xix. 14. e Mark x. 16. •■ Seel Cor. i. 16 ; Acts xvi. 33. ' Coloss. ii. 11, freely quoted. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 175 profitable to cMldren, it is clear that baptism, which is the circumcision of Christ, not made hy liand, is also profitable to them. Finally, as the apostle teaches : If by one oncwis qffence, death reigned hy one j much more they, who receive abundance of grace, and of the gift, and of righteousness, shall reign in life through one Jesus GhristJ If, then, through the sin of Adam, children contract original guUt, with still greater reason may they attain to grace and righteousness through Christ our Lord to reign in life, which indeed cannot be efiected otherwise than by baptism. Wberefore pastors will teach that infants are by all means to be baptized, and that their tender age is next gradually to be formed imto true piety by the precepts of the Christian religion ; for, as the wise man has admirably said : A ymmg man [trained up] according to his way, even when he is old, lie wUl not depart from it.^ QUESTION XXXII. Infants receive spiritaal grace in Baptism. That [infants], when baptized, receive the mysterious gifts of faith, it is not lawfiU to doubt ; not that they believe by the assent of their own mind, but because they are protected by the faith of their parents, if their parents be of the faith- ful, if not (to use the words of St. Augustine),' by that of the universal society of the saints. For we rightly say that they are presented for baptism by all those to whom their initia- tion in that sacred rite is pleasing, and by whose charity they are united unto the communion of the Holy Spirit. QUESTION XXXIII. TJi£ Baptism of CJiildren should not he delayed. But the faithiiil are earnestly to be exhorted to take care- that their children be bi'ought to the church as soon as it can be done without danger, and baptized with solemn cere- monies ; for as no other means of salvation remains for infant children except baptism, it is easy to comprehend the enormity of the guilt binder which they lay themselves, who i Eom. V. 17. In our version, " the gift of righteousness," r^r,- eiapias rijc SiKawaivTiQ. The other is obviously unmeaning. ' Prov. xxii. 6. ' Ep. 23, ad Bon. 176 THE CATECHISM Buffer them to be deprived of the grace of the sacrament longer than necessity may require : particularly at an age so tender as to be exposed to almost infiiiite dangers threatening their lives. QUESTION XXXIV. In what mamur Adtiits are to he prepared to receive Baptism. With regard to those of adult age who enjoy the perfect use of reason, namely, persons born of infidel parents, the jiractice of the ancient Church points out that a different manner of proceeding is to be observed. To them the Christian faith is to be proposed ; and they are with all earnestness to be exhorted, allured, and invited to embrace it. But if they be converted to the Lord God, they should then be admonished not to defer the sacrament of baptism beyond the time prescribed by the Church ; for, whereas it is written . Make no ta/rrying to he turned unto t/ie Lord, and put it not off from day to day,^ they are to be taught that their perfect conversion consists in regeneration by baptism ; that, besides, the longer they are in coming unto baptism, the longer must they lack the use and graces of the other sacrameivtSj by which the Christian religion is practised, whereas through baptism only are they accessible ; that they are also deprived of the most abundant ftTiit derived from baptism ; for the water of baptism not only entirely washes away and removes the stain and defilements of all past sins, but adorns the soul with divine grace, by the aid and help of which we are enabled to avoid sin also for the future, and to preserve righteousness and innocence ; in wMch matter all confess that the sum of a Christian bfe consists. QUESTION XXXV. It isproved tliat the Baptism of Adults should le deferred. On this class of persons, nevertheless, the Church has not been accustomed to confer the sacrament of baptism imme- diately, but has ordained that it should be deferred to a cer- tain time. Nor is the delay attended with the danger which bas been already noticed in the case of infants ; for, should any sudden accident render it impossible for adults to be » Eccl. V. 7. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 177 laved in the water of salvation, their intention and deter- mination to receive it, and their repentance for their previous ill-spent life, will avail them unto grace and justification. On the other hand, tliis delay seems to be attended with some advantages; for, in the first place, as particular care must be taken by the Church that no one approach this sacrameut with dissimulation and hypocrisy, the intentions of such as seek baptism are better examined and ascertained. And hence it is that we find it decreed in ancient councils, that converts from Judaism to the Catholic faith, before baptism was administered unto them, should be some months in the ranks of the catechumens. The candidate for baptism is also thus better instructed in the doctrine of the faith which he is to profess, and in the practices of a Christian life. More- over, greater religious respect is awarded to the sacrament, when administered to adults with solemn ceremonies, on the appointed days of Easter and Pentecost only. QUESTION XXXVl. Baptism is iiot always to le deferred in the case of Adalts. Sometimes, howevei-, when there is a just and necessary reason, the administi'ation of baptism is not to be deferred, as, for instance, when danger to life seems imminent, and particularly when the persons to be baptized are already fully instructed in the mysteries of faith. This we find to have been done by Philip and by the prince of the apostles, when the one baptized the eunuch of Queen Candace, the other Cornelius, without any delay being interposed, as soon as they professed to embrace the faith." QUESTION XXXVII. Mow those who are to he baptized ought to he disposed. The people are also to be instructed and informed as to the sentiments with which those to be baptized ought to be affected. In the first place, they must desire and purpose to receive baptism ; for as in baptism we all die unto sin, and engage to enter upon a new manner and discipline of life, it is fitting that it be administered to those only who receive it ° Acts viii. 36, sqq. ; ,\.. 47, sqq. N 178 THE CATECHISM of their own free will and accord, and is to be forced upon none that is unwilling. Hence we perceive, from holy tra- dition, that it has been the invariable practice of the Church to administer baptism to no one without previously asking him whether he be wUling to receive it. This will is pre- sumed not to be wanting in infants, for the will of the Church, who answers for them, cannot be doubtful. QUESTION XXXVIII. Insane jicrsoiis, when to he hapthcd, and tvlien not. Moreover, mad and frantic persons who, having been once of sound mind, have subseqnently fallen into insanity, want- ing as they do in their state [of insanity] all desire of IjaptLsm, are not to be baptized unless danger to life impend. In such cases, if previously to their insanity they gave intimation of a wish to that effect, they are to be baptized ; but if not, the administration of baptism is to be withheld. The same rule is to be followed with regard to persons in a state of lethargy." But if they were in such a state of mind that they never enjoyed the use of reason, the authority and practice of the Church declare that they are to be baptized in the faith of the Church, just as children are baptized who lack the use of reason. QUESTION XXXIX. What tJthigs m-efmilier required foi- receiving Baptism. But besides a will to be baptized, in order to obtain the grace of the sacrament, faith also is, in like manner, most necessary; for our Lord and Saviour has taught : He that believeth and is hapiized shaU he scmed.v Another condition is that he repent him of past transgressions, and have a fixed determination to refrain from all sins for the friture. For, otherwise, should any one seek baptism, being yet unwilling to correct the habit of sinning, he should be altogether repelled. For nothing is so much opposed to the grace and virtue of bap- tism, as the disposition and determination of those who set for themselves no limit of sinning. Since baptism, therefore, should be sought with a view that we may put on Christ, and be united to him, it is manifest that he who purposes to per- ° Dormientibus. p Mark xvi. 16. OF THE COUNCIl OF TRENT. 179 severe in sin should justly be repelled from the sacred font, especially as none of those things which appertain unto Christ and his Chin-ch are to be received in vam ; and although, as far as regards the sacrament, if, whilst he is being duly bap- tized, the adult intends at heart to receive what the Church administers, he, beyond all doubt, validly receives the sacra- ment ; yet, if we regard sanctifying and saving grace, we are all well aware that by him who purposes to live according to the flesh, and not according to the spirit, baptism is received in vain, and is void. Wherefore to that vast multitude who, as the Scripture says, being pricked in liecvrt, asked of him and the other apostles what they should do, the prince of the apostles replied : Bo 2wnance, and he baptized, every one of you;i and in another place he says : Be penitent, therefore, and be converted, iliat your sins may be blotted outy Writing to the Romans, the blessed Paul also clearly shows, that he who is baptized should entu'ely die unto sin ; and hence he admonishes us that we yield not our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin ; but yield ourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead.^ QUESTION XL. What reflections oiu/ht to result from these matta-s. But if the faithful shall frequently meditate on these truths, they must be compelled, in the first place, wondrously to admire the infinite goodness of God, who, influenced solely by his mercy, has bestowed upon us, undeserving of it as we are, a blessing so singular and divine as that of baptism. Again, when they set before their eyes how free from all crime shoidd be the lives of those, who have been made the objects of such munificence, they will easily understand that that is especially required of every Christian man, that he spend each day of his Mfe as holUy and religiously as if it were that very day, on which he had received the sacrament and grace of baptism. To inflame their minds, however, with zeal for true piety, there can be no means more effica- cious than if pastoi-s deliver an accurate exposition of the efifects of baptism. 1 Acts ii. 38, with the nenal miatranslation oi litTavofiaare. ' Acts iii. 19. " Eom. ■i'i. 13. n2 180 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XLI. What are the chief B^eds of Baptism, As, then, these [effects] are to furnish matter of fi-equent instruction, to the end that the faithful may the better perceive theii- own most exalted dignity, and may never suffer themselves to be dislodged therefi'om by any disg-uised artifices or open assaults of the adversary, they are to be taught, in the first place, that by the admirable virtue of this sacraments in is remitted and pardoned, whether origi- nally contracted from our first parents, or actually com- mitted by ourselves, however great its enormity. Tliis its efficacy was foretold long before by Ezekiel, by whom the Lord God thus speaks : / vnH pour upon you clean, water, and ye sJudl be clecmsedfrom all yov/r jAthiness.^ The apostle also, writing to the Corinthians, after a long enumeration of sins, adds. Such were some of you ; hut ye a/re washed, but ye are samctified.^ That such was, at all times, the doctrine handed down by the holy Church, is clear, for St. Augustine, in his book concerning the baptism of infants, says : By the generation of the flesh original sin only is contracted; but by the regeneration of the Spirit, remission is obtained not only of original, but also of actual, sins.^ St. Jerome also, writing to Oceanus, says : All sins are forgiven in baptism.^ And lest any one should be able to entertain any further doubt upon the subject, the holy Council of Trent also, after the definitions of other councils, has declared the same thing, when it pronounced anathema against those, who should presume to think otherwise, or who should not hesitate to assert that sins, although forgiven in baptism, are not however entirely removed or utterly eradicated, but are erased in such a manner, as to leave their roots still fixed in the soul.^ To use the words of the same holy council : In those wlw are born again, God liates nothing, for there is no condemnation to tlwse who are truly buried together with Christ by baptism into death,'! who walk not according to ' Ezek. xxxvi. 26. - 1 Cor. ri. 11. ' Lib. i. de pec. merit, et remise, u. 15. ^ Epist. S5. • Sees. V. can. 5, p. 23, of my translation, where see my note on the meaning of the metaphorical phrase "radi" or "abradi." y Horn, vi. 4. OF THE COUNCIL OP TKENT. 181 the flesh ;'^ but pidting off the old man, and putting ontlienerw one, who is creaUd according to God^ are made innocent, iw maeidate, pure, harmless, and beloved of God. QUESTION XLII. Whethei- the Concupiscence v;h.icli remains after Baptis-m is a sin. That concupiscence, however, or an innate predisposition'' to sin, still remains, as has been decreed by the authority of the council itself in the same place, must be confessed ; but concupiscence does not really possess the nature of sin," for, as St. Augustine also holds : In children, who have been baptized, the guilt of concupisce')ice is remitted ; \cont the law liad said : thou shalt not covet,^ he wishes to be understood to speak not of the force itself of concupiscence, but of the fault of the will. St. Gregory delivers the same doctrine, when he writes : If there a/re any wlto say that, in baptism, sin is effaced superficially, tuliat greater in^delity than such an as- sertion ? whereas, the soul, radically freed frovi sin by the sacrament of faith, adheres to God alone, s In proof of this doctrine he makes use of the testimony of our Saviour, when he says in St. John : He that is washed, needeth not save to wash his feet, but is cleam every whit.^^ ' Eom. yiii. 1. " Eph. iv. 22, 24. I* I am indebted to Donovan for this rendering. A comparison of passages shows that my conjecture in note ("), p. 23 of my translation of the "Decrees," was unnecessary. ' "The Church of Rome both teacheth, that the power of lusting is not, but the use of wicked concupiscence is evil, and numbered amongst most gi-ievous sins ; and decreeth how concupiscence is not sin, but pro- ceedeth from sin, and inolineth unto sin." — Rogers on Art. ix. Prop. iv. p. 46 (1681). ^ De peocat. merit, et remiss. 3, 4. ' Retract, i. 15. ' Rom. vii. 7. s Epist. xi. 45. '' John xiii. 10. 182 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XLIII. It is axjain proved that all sins are taken away ly Baptism. But sTiould any one desire to see an express figure and image of the efficacy of this matter, let Mm propose to him- self, for contemplation, the history of Naaman the leprous Syrian, who, when he had washed himself seven times in the waters of the Jordan, was so cleansed from his leprosy, as the Scripture beareth witness ; that his flesh became like the flesh of a child} The remission of all sin, whether by fault of our origin or by our actual delinquency, is, therefore, the proper effect of baptism ; and that such was the object of its institution by our Lord and Saviour, is, to omit other testimonies, conveyed in the clearest terms by the prince of the apostles, when he says : Do peiiance, and he baptized every one of you, in tlie name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins J QUESTION XLIV. As the sin, so also all tJie pwiishment of the sin 'is ranitted. But in baptism not only are sins remitted, but all the punishments due to sins and crimes are also benignantly remitted by God ; for although to communicate the virtue of the passion of Christ our Lord is an efiect common to all the sacraments ; yet of baptism alone has it been said by the apostle, that by it we die and are buried with Christ.'' Hence the holy Church has always understood, that to impose those offices of piety, which are usually called by the holy Fathers works of satisfection, on him who is to be purified by baptism, would be highly injurious to this sacra- ment. Nor is there any discrepancy between the doctrine here delivered and the practice of the primitive Church, which of old commanded the Jews, when they were baptized, to observe a fast for forty successive days. Nor was that enjoined as a work of satisfaction ; but those who had received baptism were thus admonished, that, in veneration for the dignity of the sacrament, they should devote some time to the uninterrupted exei-oLse of prayer and fasting. ' 2 Kings V. H. ' Acts ii. 38. '' Rom. vi. 4 ; Col. ii. 12. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 183 QUESTION XLV. Bwptkm gives no exemption from the penalties of tlie Civil Law. But, although the remission in baptism of the punish- ments clue to sin ought to be an ascertained fact, it does not, therefore, give the offender an exemption from the punish- ments awarded by the civil tribunals to any grievous delinquency; as that, for instance, it rescues the man, who is deserving of death, from the punishment ordained by law. The religion and piety, however, of those princes, who, that the glory of God in his sacraments might be the more brilliantly displayed, would relax and remit that punishment also to the guUty, were highly to be commended. QUESTION XL VI. Tlie ptmishiients wldch are wont to he inflicted after this life, are remitted in Baptism. Baptism, moreover, gives a remission of all the punish- ments consequent on original sin, after the course of this life is ended ; for these blessings we may attain through the merit of the death of our Lord ; but by baptism, as has been already said, we die with him ; and the apostle says : Fw if we Ivme been planted together in tlie likeness of his death, vie shall also he of his resurrection} QUESTION XL VII. Why a state of Uncorrupt Nature is iiot straiyhtioay restored hy Baptism. Should any one ask why, immediately after baptism, we are not exempt in this mortal hfe, also, from these incon- veniences, and transferred by the influence of this sacred ablution to that perfect grade of Mfe, in which Adam, the first parent of the human race, had been placed before liis sin, the answer will be, that there are two principal reasons for this. The first i.s, that we, who by bajDtism are united to, and become members of Christ's body, were not to be more honoured than our head. As, therefore, Christ our Lord, although possessing from the first moment of Ms birth™ ' Eom. vi. 5. '" Ortu5, ;. c. his birth after the fiesli. 184 THE CATECHISM the fulness of grace and truth, did not, however, lay aside the fragility of human nature which he assumed, until, after having endured the torments and death of Ms passion, he rose to the glory of immortal life, who can wonder, if he see that the faithful, even after they have received the grace of heavenly justification by baptism, are still, however, clothed with a frail and perishable body, that when, having under- gone many labours for Christ's sake, and having met then- end, they shall have been again recalled to life, they may at length be worthy to enjoy life eternal with Christ. But another reason why bodily infirmity, disease, sense of l)ain, and motions of concupiscence, are left in ns after bap- tism, is, that we may have, as it were, the gei-ms and materials of virtue, from which we may afterwards obtain more abundant fruit of glory, and more ample rewards. For when, with patient mind, we bear all the ills of life, and, with the di-\-ine help, subject to the dominion of reason the dejjraved affections of our hearts, we ought to rest on an assured hope, that the time will come when, if with the apostle we shall have fought a good fight, finislmd the course, and kept the faith, the Lord, the righteous Judge, loill also give us on that day, a croivn of righteousness, ivhich is laid up for Its." Such, also, seems to have been the divine con- duct with regard to the children of Israel : for although the Lord delivered them from the bondage of Egypt, having drowned Pharaoh and liis host in the sea ; yet he did not conduct them at once into that blessed land of promise, but first tried them by many and varied sufferings ; and when he afterwards sent them to possess the promised land, he, indeed, expelled from their native territories the other inhabitants, but left a few other nations, whom they could not exterminate, that the people of God might never lack an occasion to exercise their warlike valour and fortitude. Moreover, if, besides the heavenly gifts with which the soitI is adorned, the goods of the body were also given, we should have reason to doiibt whether many might not approach baptism with a view to obtain the advantages of this life, rather than the glory hoped for in the next ; whereas, how- ever, a Christian man should always propose to liimself, not ° 2 Tim. iv. 7, sq. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 185 these false and uncertain goods, which a/re seen, but tlie true and eternal, which are not seen." QUESTION XL VIII. The Regenerated, amid the mwerks of this life, are not destitute of solid mental delight. Mean-while, howevei-, the present life, full of misery though it be, is not without its pleasiires and its joys ; for to us, who, by baptism, are already engrafted as branches on Christ,P what can be more pleasant, what more desirable, than, having taken the cross upon our shoulders, to foUow him as our Leader, fatigtied by no labours, retarded by no dangers from earnestly pressing on to the rewards of our high vocation ; some to receive from the Lord the laurel of virginity, others the crown of doctrine and preaching, some the palm of martyrdom, others tlie honoiu-s appropriated to their I'espective virtues ? These splendid insignia of praise none should receive, had we not first contended in the race- course of tills calamitous life, and stood our ground uncon- quered in the battle-fight. QUESTION XLIX. WlMt advantage man gaivs besides t!ie re^nission of sin aiid punishinail. But to return to the efiects of baptism, [the pastor] must explain that, by virtue of this sacrament, we are not only delivered from e-vdls, that are truly to be called the greatest, but are also enriched with invaluable goods and gifts. Our sold is replenished with divine grace, by which, being made righteous and children of God, we are also constituted heirs to eternal salvation; for it is written : He tltat hdieveth and is baptized, shall be saved, -i and the apostle testifies, that the Church is cleansed, by tlis laver of water, in tlie word of lifey But grace, as the Council of Trent = has decreed should be believed by all, under pain of anathema, is not only that whereby sin is remitted, but is, also, a divine quality inherent in the soul, and, as it were, a certain splendour and light, that efiaces all the stains of our souls, and renders the souls themselves brighter and more beautiful. " 2 Cor. iv. 17. >" John xv. 2. ■! Mark xvi. 16. ' Ephes. V. 26. ' Sess. vi, vii. de justific. 186 THE CATECHISM This is clearly inferred from the holy Scriptures, when they say, that grace is poured forth^ and, also, when they usually call grace, tlie pledge of the Holy Ghost.^ QUESTION L. To the Dhine Orace, which is infused m Baptism, the Virtues are added as attendants. To this is added a most noble train of all virtues, which are divinely infused into the soul with grace. Wherefore, when the apostle says to Titus : Re saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he Jiath shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Clwist our Saviour f St. Augustine, explaining the words, poured forth upon its abundantly, says : that is, for the remission of sins, and abundamce of virtues^ QUESTION LI. We are incorporated in Christ hy Baptism,. By baptism, too, we are united and joined, as members, to Christ our head. As then from the head flows the force, by which the different parts of the body are moved to the proper performance of their respective functions ; so, also, from the fulness of Christ the Lord, are diffused divine virtue and grace to all who are justified, qualifying us for all the duties of Christian piety. QUESTION LII. How it happens iliat they who hare received such an ahundaiicc of virtues in Baptism, are so slow to practise Piety. Nor should it seem strange to any one, if, furnished and adorned, though we be, with so great an abundance of virtues, we yet enter ujDon or at least finisli acts of piety and moral virtue, not without great difficulty and labour ; for this happens, not because the virtues, from which these actions emanate, have not been bestowed on us by the good- ness of God, but because there remains, after baptism, a most ' Tit. iii. 6. ■■ Ephes. i. 14 ; 2 Cor. i. 22, and v. 5. " Tit. iii. 5, C. " Aug. Epist. 23, ad Bonifac. ; item lib. i. de peocat. merit, et remiss, c. 29. Compare the glossa ordinaria in 1. OF THE COUNOIIi OF TRENT. 187 fsevere conflict of the, flesh contrmry to the spirit,^ in which, however, it becomes not a Christian man to be disheartened, or to grow faint ; for, relying on the goodness of God, we should have the best hopes, that, by the daily practice of living well, the time will arrive, when whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things a/re just, wJiatsoever holy,y the same may also appear easy and agreeable. Be these the subjects of our hearty consideration ; be these the objects of our cheerful practice ; that the God of peace may be with us.^ QUESTION Lin. In Baptism, an iiulelihle character is impressed. By baptism, moreover, we are sealed with a character, that can never be effaced from the soul, of which, however, there is no reason to speak here at length, as from what we have already said on the subject, when treating of the sacraments generally, sufficient matter, appertaining to this subject, may be transferred to this place. QUESTION LIV. Baptism timst iiecer he repeated. But, whereas, from the force and nature of this character, it has been defined by the Church, that the sacrament of baptism is on no account to be iterated, pastors should frequently and diligently admonish the faithful touching this matter, lest at any time they may be led into errors. That baptism is not to be repeated, the apostle teaches when he saith : Oiie Lord, one faith, one baptism.'^ Again, when exhorting the Eomans, that, dead in Christ by baptism, they lose not the life which they had received fr-om lum, saying. In that Clvrist died v/nto sin, lie died once^ he seems clearly to signify that as Christ cannot die again, neither can we die again by baptism. Hence the holy Church also openly * Gal. V. 1 7. >' Philip, iv. 8, quoted with some freedom. * 2 Cor. xiii. 11. ' Eph. iv. !j. Of the fact there can be no doubt ; but this text does not prove it, pointing, as it does, to the universality of baptism, not to the impossibility of its repetition. The next quotation is more to the purpose. The reader need hardly be reminded that the fifth book of Hooker is the best commentary upon all the matters here discussed. ^ Rom. vi. 10. 188 THE CATECHISM professes tliat slie believes one baptism, ■<= and ttat this agrees with the nature of the thuig, and with reason, is understood from the very idea of baptism, which is a certain spiritual regeneration. As then, by virtue of the laws of nature, we are generated and born but once, and, as St. Au- gustine observes, there is no retivrning to the womb,''- so, in like manner, there is but one spiritual generation, nor is baptism ever at any time to be rej^eated. QUESTION LV. /( mwst not ue considered as repeated, rchen administered condititmally. Nor let any one suppose that it is repeated by the Chui-ch, when she laves any one in the baptismal font, of whose previous baptism doubt is entertained, making use of this formula : Iftliou o,rt baptized, I baptize iliee not again; but if thou art not yet baptized, I ba^ytize thee in tlie name of the Fatlier, and of the Son, and of ilie Holy Ghost, for in such cases baptism is not to be considered as impiously rejieated, but as holily, yet conditionally, administered. QUESTION LVI. Conditioiial Baptiam is not to be administered witliout some discriniinutioii. In this, howevei', some matters, in which, to the very great injuiy of the sacrament, abuses are of almost daily occurrence, demand the previous diligent notice of pastors. For there are not v/anting those who think, that no sin is committed if they indiscriminately administer conditional baptism. Hence if an infant be brought to them, they think that no inquiry need be made as to whether it was previously baptized, but proceed immediately to baptize the child. Nay more, although they be well aware that the child received private baptism, they hesitate not to repeat its administration in the chnvch conditionally, making use of the solemn ceremonial. This they certainly cannot do without sacrilege, and they contract that stain which the- ■= Cf. Pearson, Art. a. p. 360, note. Surely "one baptism" for tbe remission of sing refers also to its universality, not to the question of its repetition. See, however, Arolitleaoon Sinclair's late Charge (2nd ed ) " In Joan. Tract. 11. OP THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 189 ologians call an irregidarity ; for tlie conditional form of baptism, according to the authority of Pope Alexanderji^ is permitted in the case of those only, regarding whom, after diligent inquiry, doubt remains whether they received baptism aright. In no other case is it ever lawful to administer baptism to any one a second time even con- ditionally. QUESTION LVII. What is the last icnejU which is conferred on men ly virtue of Baptism. But, besides the other advantages which we attain to from baptism, the last, as it were, and that to which all the rest seem to be referred, is that it opeus to each of us the gate of heaven, before closed against us by sin. These effects, which are produced in us by virtue of baptism, may clearly be understood from the circumstances, which the Gospel narra- tive proves to have occurred at the baptism of om- Saviour; for the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost appeared descending upon Christ the Lord, in form of a dove ;^ from which it was given to understand, that to those who are baptized are imparted the gifts b of the Holy Spuit, and that to them is unlocked the gate of Heaven, opening to them an entrance unto glory, not, it is true, immediately after bap- tism, but at a more seasonable time, when, freed from all miseries, which are incompatible with a life of bliss, they shall exchange a mortal for an immortal state of existence. These, then, are the fruits of baptism, wliich, as far, indeed, as regards the efficacy of the sacrament, axe, no doubt, com- mon alike to all ; but if we look to the dispositions with which each person may approach to receive it, we must certainly confess that all do not participate in an equal degree of its heavenly graces and fruits. QUESTION LVIII. What is the force and reality of the ceremonies of Baptism. It now remains to explain, clearly and briefly, what is to be taught, touching the prayers, rites, and ceremonies of this sacrament ; for to rites and ceremonies may, to some extent, be transferred the achnonition given by the apostle respect- « C. 2 X. de bapt. iii. 42. ' Matt. iii. 16. e Charismata. 190 THE CATECHISM ing tlie gift of tongues, when lie says, that it is unprofitable to speak unless the faithful understand. "^ These [rites and ceremonies] present an image, and convey the signification, of the things that are being done in the sacrament ; but if the faithful people understand not the force and power of those signs, ceremonies will appear of no particular use. Pastors must, therefore, endeavour to make the faithful imderstand them, and impress their minds with the convic- tion that, although not of absolute necessity, they are to be looked upon as of very great importance, and held in great honom*. Tins the a^ithority of those by whom they were instituted, who without question were the holy apostles, and the end for which they wished ceremonies to be employed, sufficiently teach ; for it is evident that they contribute to the more religious and holy administration of the sacrament; and serve to place, as it were, before the eyes the exalted and inestimable gifts which are contained therein ; and impress more deeply on the minds of the faithful, the bound- less beneficence of God. QUESTION LIX. How manifold are the rites of Baptism. But that, in the exposition of these matters, pastors may be able to observe a certain order, and that the people may find it easier to recoUect the instructions so delivered, all the ceremonies and prayers, which the Church uses in the administration of baptism, are to be reduced to three heads. The first comprehends such as are observed before coming to the baptismal font ; the second, such as are used at the font itself; the third, those that are visually added after baptism is performed. QUESTION LX. At what time the Water requisite for Baptism should he consecrated. In the first place, then, the water to be used in baptism is to be prepared ; for the baptismal font is consecrated, the oil of mystic unction being added. And this is not allowed to be done at all seasons, but, according to the usage of our ancestors, the AdgUs of certain festivals, which •■ 1 Cor. xiv. 2, sq. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 191 are most justly to be deemed the greatest and the most holy throughout [the year], are to be awaited ; and on these days alone, except necessity compelled a different conduct, it was also the practice of the ancient Church, that baptism should be administered. But although, on account of the dangers incidental to common life, the Church has deemed it ex]>e- dient that this custom should not be continued, she has still with the utmost reverence observed the solemn da.ys of Easter and Pentecost, as those on wliich the baptismal water is to be consecrated. QUESTION LXI. Wh7j the Persons to le hcqjtized are not to be admitted straigMviay into the OliwcU. After the conseci'ation of the water, the other ceremonies that precede baptism should be successively explained. The persons to be baptized are carried, or as may also happen, conducted,' to the door of the church, and are strictly for- bidden from entering therein, as unworthy to be admitted into the house of God, until they shall have cast off the yoke of the most degrading servitude, and devoted themselves whoUy to Christ the Lord, and to his most just sovereignty. QUESTION LXII. Wliy tJwse to he iaptized are questioned and instructed as to what they seek. The priest then asks of them what they demand of the Chiu'ch, and having received answer, he first instructs them in the doctrines of the Chi-Lstian faith, of which profession is to be made in baptism. This is managed in form of a cate- chism, which practice of instruction originated, as no one can doubt, in the command of our Lord, addressed to his apostles : Oo ye into the ivlwle world, and teach all nations, baptizing them in tlie name of the Fatlier, a/nd of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them tq observe all things whatsoever I liave com.manded you ;i words from which we may learn that baptism is not to be administered until, at least, the principal heads of our religion are explained. ' /. e. if adults. > Mark xvi. 15 ; Matt, xxviii. 19, sq. 192 THE CATECHISM QUESTION LXIII. In what manner the more ir/norant ought to be catechized according to the custom of the ancient ChiM-ch. But as the form of cateoliism consists of many interro- gations, if the person to be instructed be of adult age, he himself answers the questions asked ; but if he be an infant, the sponsor answers for him according to the prescribed form, and makes the solemn engagement on his behalf. QUESTION LXIV. Of the use of tlie Exorcism. The exorcism follows, which is composed of words of sacred and religious import, and of prayers, to drive out the devil, and to weaken and crush his power; [wherefore the priest breathes three times into the face of hun who is to be initi- ated, that he may expel the power of the old serpent, and may catch the breath of lost lifeJ]. QUESTION LXV. Wliy Salt is applied to the Month of tlte Person haptized. To the exorcism are added other ceremonies, each of which, being mystical, has its proper and distinct signification. When, for instance, salt is put into the mouth of the person who is brought to be baptized, it evidently imports, that by the doctrine of faith, and the gift of grace, he should be delivered from the corruption of sin, experience a relish for good works, and be delighted with the food of divine wisdom. QUESTION LXVI. Of the Sign of the Cross on several parts of the Body. Furthermore, his forehead, eyes, breast, shoulders, ears, are signed with the sign of the cross, all of which declare, that by the mystery of baptism, the senses of the jjerson baptized are opened and strengthened, to enable him to receive God, and to understand and observe his precepts. QUESTION LXVII. Why the Nostrils and Bars are smeared with Spittle. His nostrils and ears are next touched with spittle, and ho ' These words are wanting in some editions. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 193 is straightway sent to the baptismal font, that, even as sight ■was restored to the blind man, mentioned in the Gospel, whom the Lord, after having spread clay on his eyes, had commanded to -wash them in the waters of Siloam ; ^ so also we may understand that such is the efficacy of the sacred ablution, as to bring light to the mind to discern heavenly truth. QUESTION LXVIII. What is tatujlit liy the renunciation of Satan. After the performance of these ceremonies they come to the baptismal font ; and here are employed other rites and ceremonies, from which may be learnt the sum of the Chris- tian religion, for in three distinct interrogatories, the priest formally asks the person to be bajitized : Dost thou renouiice Satan 1 and all his works ? and all his pomps ? to each of which he, or the sponsor in his name, replies, / renounce. He therefore who is to be enrolled under the banner' of Christ, must first enter into a holy and religious stipulation that he abandons the devil and the world, and wiU. never cease to detest both as his worst enemies. Next, standing at the baptismal font itself, he is interro- gated by the priest in the following manner : Dost tlum be- lieve in God the Fatlier Almighty 1 To which he answers, / telieve; and being similarly interrogated with regard to the other articles of the Creed successively, he makes a solemn rehgious profession of his faith. Under these two engage- naents it is clear that the whole force and system of the law of Christ is contained. QUESTION LXIX. Why the wiU of the Person, to he haptized is asked. "When the sacrament is now to be administered, the priest B,sks the person to be baptized, if he will he haptized, and, on Teceiving an answer in the affirmative from him, or, in his name, if he be an infant, he immediately performs the salu- tary ablution in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. For as through voluntary obedience to the serpent, man was justly condemned, so the Lord will ^ John ix. 7. ' Qui Christo nomen datuma est. 194 THE CATECHISM have none but tlie voluntary soldier enrolled under his ban- ner, that by a spontaneous obedience to the diviae commands he may attain eternal salvation. QUESTION LXX. Why the Scad of the Baptised w soon after anointed with ilie Chrism. The person being no-w baptized, the priest anoiats the crown of his head with chrism, to give him to understand that from that day he is united as a member to Christ, his head, and ingrafted on his body; and that therefore is he called a Christian, from Christ, but Christ, from chrism. St. Ambrose" observes that what iadeed the chrism signifies, the prayers then offered by the priest, suflS.oiently explaiu. QUESTION LXXI. What is meant hij the White Garment or White Kerchief given to the Person baptized. The priest afterwards puts a white garment on the person baptized, saying: Receive this ivhife ga/TTnent, which may est thou carry unstained before the judgment-seat of our Lord Jesus Clvrist, that thou may est have eternal life; but unto infants, not being formally dressed, is given a wliite kerchief," with the same words. The Holy Fathers teach that by this symbol is signified the gloiy of the resurrection, to which we are born agaiu by baptism ; the brightness and beauty with which the sold, purified from the stains of sin, is adorned in baptism ; and the innocence and integrity which the person baptized should preserve throughout life. _ QUESTION LXXII. Meaning of tlie Burning Wax-IAght Jidd iy the Person baptized. A lighted candle is next put into the hand, showing that faith kindled by charity, and received by Mm in baptism, is to be fed and augmented by the pursuit of good works. ° De Sacram. ii. 7, iii. 1. " Sudariolum, a towel, napkin. . OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 195 QUESTION LXXIII. Tlie Name, its utility, its selection, in regard to the Person baptized. Finally, to tlie person, baptized is given a name, wliich. should be taken from some one who, through his eminent piety and religion, has obtained a place in the catalogue of the saints. For this similarity of name will easily serve to stimulate him to the imitation of his virtues and holiness ; and to pray and hope that he who ought to be the model of his imitation, may also, by his advocacy, become the defender of his safety of soul and body. Wherefore those are to be reprehended, who so industriously search after, and distin- guish their children by, the names of heathens, of those par- ticularly who were the most conspicuous for their crimes, for thus it is perceived how little regard they have for the pursuit of Christian piety, who seem to be so enamoured with the memory of impious men, as to wish to have such profane names everywhere echoed in the ears of the faithful. QUESTION LXXIV. Recapitulation of the thiiigs delivered touching the mysteries of Baptism. This exposition of the sacrament of baptism, if fully set forth by pastors, will be found to embrace almost everything of primary importance as regards the knowledge of this sacrament. For we have shown the meaning of the word haptisin, the nature and substance of the sacrament, together with the parts of which it consists. We have said by whom it was instituted; who are the ministers necessary to its administration; who should be, as it were, the tutors, whose instructions should sustain the weakness of the person bap- tized. We have also said to whom baptism should be administered, and how they should be disposed in mind; what are the virtue and efficacy of the sacrament; finally, we have explained, at sufficient length for our purpose, the rites and ceremonies to be observed in its administration. Pastors will recollect that all these instructions have princi- pally for their objecb, to induce the faithful to direct their constant care andj attention to the fulfilment of the en- gagements into which they so holUy and religiously entered o2 196 THE CATECHISM when they were initiated in baptism, and to lead a life corresponding with the eminent sanctity of the Christian CHAPTEE III. ON THE SACEAMEJfT OF CONPIEMATIOS'. QUESTION I. Why at tlie present time tlie virtue of Confirmaiiov, sliovld particularly he explained. If ever there was a time demanding the assiduity of the pastor in explaining the sacrament of confirmation, the present is no doubt eminently the time for its especial illustration, when there are found in the holy Church of God many by whom this sacrament is altogether omitted ; whilst very few study to obtain from it the fruit of divine grace, wliich they should derive from its participation. Lest, therefore, this divine blessing may seem through their fault, and to their most serious injury, to have been conferred on them in vain, the faithful are to be instructed both on Whit- sunday, on which day it is principally administered, and also on such other days as the pastor shall deem convenient, touching the nature, power, and dignity of this sacrament, to the end that they may understand that not only is it not to be neglected, but that it is to be received with the greatest piety and religion. QUESTION II. Why this Sacrament is called Confirmation J>y tjie Chwch. To begin with its name, [the pastor] must inform the faithful that this sacrament is called by the Church confirm- ation, because, if nothing else impede its efficacy, the person who has been baptized, when anointed with the sacred chrism by the bishop, the unction being accompanied with these solemn words : / sign thee with the sign of tlie cross, and con'in-m thee with tlie cli/rism of salvation, in the name of tlie Fatlier, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, begins to be settled in firmness by the strength of a new virtue, and thus to become a perfect soldier of Christ. OP THE COUNCIL OP TKENT. 197 QUESTION III. Confirmaiimi is a True Sacrament of the New Law. That in confirmation is containecl the true and proper nature of a sacrament has always been acknowledged by the Catholic Clrarch, as Pope Melchiades" and many other very holy and very ancient pontiffs expressly declare. The truth of this doctrine St. Clement could not have confirmed in stronger terms than when he says : All should hasten imilwut (May to he horn again uiito God, and afterwa/rds to he signed hy the hisliop, tliat is, to receive the sevenfold grace of the Holy Glwst; for, as has been handed down to us from St. Peter, and as the other apostles taiujht, in ohedience to the cmmncttul of our Lord, lie wlw culpably and voluntarily, and not from iiecessity, -neglects to receive this sacrament, cannot possibly he a perfect Cli/ristian.V Tlais same faith has been confirmed, as may be seen in their decrees, by Urban, Pabian, Eusebius, Roman pontiffs who, filled with the same spirit,, shed their blood for the name of Christ. QUESTION IV. Tlie Sacred Writers who viention this Sacrament. The unanimous authority of the Fathers must be added, amongst whom Dionysius the Areopagite, bishop of Athens, when teaching how to consecrate and make use of this holy ointment, says : The priests clothe tlie person haptised with a ga/rinent emhlematic of pv/riiy, in order to conduct him to the poniiff; and tlie pontiff, signing him with the sacred and tridy divine ointment, malces him partaker of the most holy com- munion.i Of such importance does Eusebius^ of Csesarea also deem this sacrament, that he hesitates not to say, that the heretic Novatus could not deserve to receive the Holy Ghost, because, having been baptized, he was not, from being in a state of severe illness, sealed with the sign of chrism. But on this svibject we have the most distinct testimonies from St. Ambrose in his book on those who are Initiated,' and from ° Epist. ad Episc. Hispan. !• Ep. 4. 1 Pseudo-Dionys. Areop. de eool. hier. o. 2. ' Hist. Ecol. vi. 43. Donovan's references are mixed up in a manner utterly inexplicable. ' Ch. 7, and De Saoram. iii. 2. 198 THE CATECHISM St. Augustine in his books against the epistles of PetiLian the Donatist ; both of whom were so persuaded that no doubt could exist as to the reality of this sacrament, that they even taught and confirmed the doctrine by passages of Scripture, the one testifying that to the sacrament of confirmation apijly these words of the apostle, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption ;^ the other, these words of the Psalmist : Like the predous ointment upon the head, tliat ran down upmi the lea/rd, even the beard of A artm^ and also these words of the same apostle : The love of God is shed abroad in ov/r hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.'^ QUESTION V. Whence we are to seek for a Distinction of tlie Sacrament. Although said by Melchiades to have a most intimate connection with baptism,^ confirmation is yet to be esteemed not the same, but a far difierent sacrament ; for the variety of the grace which each of the sacraments con- fers, and of the sensible sign employed to signify that grace, evidently render them distinct and different sacraments. Whereas then by the grace of baptism we are begotten unto newness of life, whereas by that of confirmation we grow to full maturity, liaving put away the things of a child,^ we can hence sufficiently understand, that the same difference, that exists in the natural life between birth and growth, exists also in the supernatural between baptism, which regenerates, and confirmation, by virtue of which growth and perfect spiritual strength are imparted to the faithful. Besides, as a new and distinct kind of sacrament is to be constituted, when the soul has to encounter any new difficulty, it may easily be perceived that as we require the grace of baptism to form the mind unto faith, so is it, also, of the utmost advantage, that the minds of the faithful be strengthened by a different grace, that they be deterred by no danger', or fear of pains, tortures, death, from the confession of the true faith. This, then, being accomplished by the sacred chrism ' Eph. iv. 30. " Psalm oxxxii. 2 (oxxxiii. 2). ' Rom. V. 5. " Epiet. ad Episo. Hisp. in med. » 1 Cor. xiii. 11. OP THE COUNCIL OF THENT. 199. of confirmation, it is hence clearly inferred, that the nature of this sacrament is different from baptism. Hence Pope Melchiades accurately evolves the difference between them, writing as follows : In baptism mam, is enlisted into the ser- vice, in confirmation he is equipped for hattle : at the bap- tisiiial font the Holy Ghost imparts fulness to accomplish innocence, but in confirinatimi he ministers perfection to aug- ment grace : in baptism loe are regenerated unto life ; after baptism, we a/re fortified for the combat : in baptism we are cleansed ; ajter baptism we are strengtliened : regenerationof itself saves those who receive baptism in peace; confi/rm,ation arms and makes ready for confiicts. y These are truths not only already recorded by other councils, but specially de- fined by the holy Council of Trent ; so that we are therefore no longer at liberty not only to tlunk otherwise, but even to entertain the least doubt concerning them.^ QUESTION VI. WTio was the Author of ilie Sacrament of Confirmation. But as it was shown above how necessary it were, to teach in common concerning all the sacraments, from whom they had their origin, the same is, also, to be taught touching confirmation, in order that the faithful may be affected with a deeper sense of the sanctity of this sacrament. Accord- ingly, pastors must explain, that not only was it instituted by Christ our Lord ; but that by him were also ordained, as St. Fabian,^ pontiff of Rome testifieth, the rite of chrism and the words which the Catholic Church uses in its ad- ministration. This is a fact easy to prove to those who acknowledge confirmation to be a sacrament, whereas all the sacred mysteries exceed the powers of human nature, and could be instituted by no other than God alone. We now come to treat of the component parts of the sacrament, and first of its matter. y L. c. This epistle is, however, probably spurious. ^ Cf. Decrees and Canons, sess. vii. p. 55, of my translation. » Epiat. 2, ad Episc. Orient. 200 THE CATECHISM QUESTION VII. What is the Matt:r of this Master!/. This is called chrism, a word boiTowed from the Greek language, and wluch, although used by profane writers to. designate any sort of ointment, is appropriated by common usage among ecclesiastical writers to signify that ointment only, which is composed of oil and balsam, with the solemn consecration of the bishop. A mixture of two corporeal things, therefore, furnishes the matter of confirmation ; and this mixture of different things, as it declares the manifold grace of the Holy Ghost, given to those who are confii-med; so does it sufficiently show the excellence of the sacrament itself. That such is the matter of this sacrament the holy Church and her councils'' have uniformly taught ; and the same doctrine has been handed down to us by St. Dionysius," and by many other Fathers of the gravest authority, particularly by Pope Fabian,"! who testifies that the apostles received the composition of chrism from our Lord, and transmitted it to us. QUESTION VIII. What tin Oil in the Matter of Confirmation signifies. Nor indeed could any other matter than that of chrism seem more appropriate, to declare the effects of this sacra- ment ; for oil, by its nature unctuous and fluid, expresses the fidness of grace, which, through the Holy Ghost, over- flows and is poured into others from Christ the head, like the ointment upon tlte head, that ran down U2)on tlie heard of Aaron, to tlie skirt of his garment;" for God anointed him vdth tlie oil of gladness, above his fellows^ and of his fulness- we all have received.^ QUESTION IX. What is here meant ly the Balsam mixed with tlie Oil. But balsam, the odour of which is most pleasant, can signify nought save that the faithful, when made perfect by the grace of confirmation, diffuse around them such a sweet '' Cf. Concil. Laodio. c. 48 ; Carthag. ii. c. 3. "^ Eocles. hier. o. 4. ■■ L, o. •= Ps. oxxxii. 2 (cxxxiii. 2). ' Ps. xliv. 8 (xlv. 7). s: John i. 16. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 201 odour of all virtues, that they may say with the apostle ; We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ^ Balsam has, also, the power of preserving from putrescence whatever it is used to anoint, a property that seems admirably suited to express the virtue of this sacrament ; whereas it is quite evident that the souls of the faithful, prepared by the heavenly grace awarded in confirmation, may be easily pro- tected from the contagion of sins. QUESTION X. Why it is necessary that Chrism he consecrated hy the Bishop. The chrism is consecrated by the bishop with solemn ceremonies ; for that our Saviour gave this instruction at his last supper, when he committed to his apostles the manner of making chrism, we learn from Fabian, a pontiflf eminently distinguished by his sanctity, and by the glory of martyrdom." The necessity of this consecration may, how- ever, be shown from reason also, for in most of the other sacraments, Oluist so instituted their matter as to impart to it holiness also : for it was not only his will that water should constitute the element of baptism, when he said : Exce2}t a man he horn again of water and tlie Holy Ghost, Iia cannot enter the kingdom of God ;i but he, also, at his own baptism, imparted to it the power of sanctifying hereafter. Hence these words of St. Chrysostom : The water of haptism^ Imd it not heen sanctified hy contact with the hody of our Lord, could not purge the sins of believers.^ As, then, our Lord did not consecrate this matter of confirmation, by actually using and handling it, it is necessary that it be consecrated by holy and religious prayers : and this con- secration can appertain to none save the bishop, who is instituted the ordinary minister of this sacrament. QUESTION XX. What is the Foi-m of this Sacrament. The other component part of confirmation, that is, its form and the words used at the sacred unction, must also be " 2 Cor. ii. 15. ' St. Fab. Papa, 1. c. J John iii. 5. '' Horn. 4, oper. imperf. et habetur de consec. dist. iv. e. 202 THE CATECHISM explained ; and the faitliful are to be admonished, that, in receiving this sacrament, they, on hearing the words pro- nounced, are then particularly to excite their minds to piety, faith, and religion, that no obstacle may be opposed to heavenly grace. The form of confirmation, then, is com- prised in these -words : F sign tliee with the sign oftlie cross, and I confirm thee with the clvrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, cmcl of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. If, however, we call in reason to [the investigation of] truth, we may also prove the same thing ; for the form of a sacrament should comprise all those things that explain the natm-e and substance of the sacrament itself QUESTION XII. How it is proved that this is the perfect Form of this Sacrament. But in confirmation these three things are chiefly to be observed: the divine power which, as a principal cause, operates in the sacrament ; then the strength of mind and soul which is imparted by the sacred iinction to the faithful unto salvation ; and next, the sign impressed on him, who is to enter upon the warfare of Christ. Now of these the first is sufficiently declared by the concluding words of the form : In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; the second, by the words immediately preceding them : I confirm, thee with tJie clvrism, of salvation ; and the third, by the words with which the form opens : I sign thee with the sign of the cross. But were we even imable to prove by reason that this is the true and absolute form of this sacrament, the authority of the Catholic Church, under whose mastership we have always been thus taught, sufiers us not to entertaia the least doubt on the subject. QUESTION XIII. Who is the proper Minister of this Sacrament. Pastors should also teach, to whom especially has been committed the administration of this sacrament ; for as, according to the prophet, there are many who run, and yet are not sent,' it is necessary to teach who are its true and ' Jerem. xxiii. 21. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 203 legitimate ministers, ia order that the faithful may be enabled to receive the sacrament and grace of confirmation.™ That the bishop alone is the ordinary minister of this sacra- ment, the sacred writings show ; for we read ia the Acts of the Apostles, that, when Samaria had received the word of God, Peter and John were sent to them, who prayed for them, that tliey might receive the Holy Ghost : for as yet ha was fallen upon none of iliem, but they were only haptized.^ Here we may see that he who had baptized, having been only a deacon, had no power to confirm ; but that its administration was reserved to a more perfect order of ministers, that is, to the apostles ; and the same may be observed whenever the sacred Scriptures make mention of this sacrament." Nor are there wanting, in proof of this matter, the clearest testimonies of the holy Fathers, and of pontiffs, of Urban, Eusebius, Damasus, Innocent, Leo, as is evident from their decrees. St. Augustine, also, seriously complains of the corrupt practice of the Egyptians and Alexandrians, whose priests dared to administer the sacra- ment of confirmation. And the thorough propriety of con- signiag this function to the episcopal office, the pastor may illustrate by the following comparison. As in the construc- tion of edifices the artisans, who are inferior agents, prepare and dispose cement, lime, timbers, and the other material, whilst, however, to the architect belongs the completion of the work ; so in like manner should this sacrament, which is, as it were, the completion of the spiritual edifice, be per- formed by no other than the chief priest. QUESTION Xrv. Wliy Sponsors are added in Confirmation, and what affinity is contracted in Confirmation, Sponsors are also added, as we have already shown to be the case in baptism ; for if they who enter the fencing lists have occasion for some one, by whose skill and counsel they may be taught by what thrusts and passes,? they may, themselves being secure, despatch their antagonist ; how ^ Cf. Decrees and Canons, sess. xxiii. 4, pp. 158-60 of my translation. " Acts viii. 15, 16. ° See Acts six. 6. Ictibus ao petitionibuS. 204 THE CATECHISM much more will the faithful require a leader and monitor, ■when, sheathed as it were in the stoutest armour by this sacra^ ment of confirmation, they engage in the spiritual conflict, in which eternal salvation is the proposed reward. With good reason, therefore, are sponsors required to be called unto the administration of this sacrament also ; and the same spiritual aflanity is contracted in confirmation, which, as we have already shown, is contracted by sponsors ia baptism, so as to impede the lawful marriage of the parties.^ QUESTION SV. That tTie Sacrament of Confirmation, though not abaolutdy necessary, is not to Tie passed over. But as it often happens that, in receiving this sacrament) the faithful make use of either precipitate haste or a gross neglect and procrastination (for, concerning those who have arrived at such a degree of impiety as to have the hardihood to contemn and despise it, we have nothing to say), pastors will also explain who, of what age, endued with what zeal of piety, they should be, to whom confirmation ought to be administered. And first, it is necessary to teach that this sacrament is not so necessary as to be utterly essential to salvation. But, although not essential, it ought to be omitted by no one, but rather, on the contrary, ia a matter so full of holiness, through which the divine gifts are so liberally bestowed, the greatest care should be taken to avoid all neglect. For what God has proposed in common unto all for their sanctification, all should likewise most earnestly desire. QUESTION XVI. It is slwmi that the Sacrament of Confirmation ought to he received hy all. And St. Luke, indeed, describing this admirable eflusion of the Holy Spirit, says : And suddenly tliere came a sound frmn heaven, as of a inighty wind coming, and it JUled all tJie house, where they were sitting ; and a little after, and they were all filled with tlie Holy GliostJ From these words we may understand that, as that house was a type and figure of the Church, the sacrament of confirmation, which took its 1 Trid. Sess. 24, c. 2. ' Acts ii. 2, 4. OF THE COUNCIL OP TKENT. 205 beginning from that day, appertains unto all tte faithful. This may also be easily inferred from the nature of the sacrament itself, for they ought to be confirmed with the sacred chrism, who have need of spiritual increase, and who are to be conducted to the perfection of the Christian reli- gion. But this is, without exception, suited to all ; for as nature intends that all her children should grow up, and attain full maturity, although she does not always realise her wishes ; so the Catholic Church, the common mother of all, earnestly desires that, in those whom she has regenerated by baptism, the perfect form of Christian manhood be com- pleted ; and as this is accomplished through the sacrament of mystic imction, it is clear that that unction belongs alike to all the faithful. QUESTION XVII. At what age Ohrtstians are to he admitted to tlm Sacrament. Here it is to be observed, that, after baptism, the sacra- ment of confirmation may indeed be administered to all ; but, that untU cliildren shall have attained the use of reason, its administration is inexpedient. If not, therefore, to be postponed to the age of twelve, it is most proper to defer this sacrament at least to that of seven years ; for confirm- ation has not been instituted as necessary to salvation, but that by virtue thereof we may be found veiy well armed and prepared, when called upon to fight for the faith of Christ ; and for this conflict no one assuredly will consider children, who as yet lack the use of reason, to be qualified. QUESTION XVIII. Ill what manner those who arc now of sufficiently advanced age ought to prepare themsehes for this Sacrament. From this it therefore follows, that persons of mature age, who are to be confirmed, must, if they desire to obtain the grace and gifts of this sacrament, not only bring with them faith and piety, but also grieve from their hearts for the more grievous sins which they have committed. In this the pastor will take care, that they may also have previous recourse to confession of their sins, and be excited by his exhortation to fasting and other works of piety, and be admonished of the propriety of reviving that laudable 206 THE CATECHISM practice of the ancient Churcli, of receiving tliis sacrament fasting. It is to be presumed, that to this the faithful may be easily persuaded, if they but understand the gifts and admirable effects of this sacrament. QUESTION XIX. Of the Effects of Confirmation. Pastors, therefore, will teach that, in common with the other sacraments, confirmation, unless some obstacle be op- posed on the part of the receiver, imparts new grace ; for we have shown that these sacred and mystical signs are of such a character, as to indicate and produce grace ; and as we cannot even imagine grace to coexist with sin, it follows that [confirmation] also pardons and remits sins. But be- sides these things, which are common to this with the other [sacraments], it is peculiar to confirmation first to perfect the grace of baptism. For those who have been made Christians by baptism, stiU have in some sort the tenderness and softness, as it were, of new-born infants, and afterwards become, by means of the sacrament of chrism, stronger to resist all the assaidts of the world, the flesh, and the devil, whilst their minds are fully confirmed ia faith to confess and glorify the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, also, originated the very name of confirmation, as no one will doubt. QUESTION XX. Wlience ilie name of Confirmation is derived. Por the word confirmation is not derived, as some not less ignorantly than impiously have pretended, from the circumstance that baptized persons, when arrived at mature years were of old conducted to the bishop, in order to confirm their faith in Christ, which they had embraced in baptism, so that confirmation would seem not to differ from, catechetical instruction : of which practice no approved testimony can be adduced ; but this name has been given to it, because, by virtue thereof, God confirms in us the work he commenced by baptism, and conducts us to the perfection of solid Christian virtue. But not only does it confirm ; it also increases [divine grace], as says Melchiades: The Edy Glwst, who descends with saluta/ry iUwpse wpon the waters of OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 207 baptism, impa/rts, in the fmit, fulness to the accomplishment of innocence : in confirmation he gives an increase unto tlie augmerUation of grace j'' and not only an increase, but an increase after a wonderful manner. This the Scriptures beautifully express by a metaphor taken from clothing : Tarry ye in the dty, saith our Lord and Saviour, speaking of this Sacrament, until ye he indued^ with power from on high.^ QUESTION XXI. TIte Virtue of Confirmation may he set forth from what hefel tJie Apostles. But if pastors shall wish to show the divine efficacy of this sacrament (and this, no doubt, will have great influence in affecting the minds of the faithful), it will be sufficient if they explain what occurred to the apostles themselves. So weak and timid were they, before and even at the very time of the passsion, that no sooner was our Lord apprehended, than they instantly fled ;'' and Peter, who was designated the rock and foundation of the Church, and who had dis- played tmshaken constancy, and exalted magnanimity,^ ter- rified at the voice of one weak woman, denied, not once nor twice only, but a third time, that he was a disciple of Jesus Christ;^ and after the resurrection they all remained shut up at home for fewr of the JewsJ But, on the day of Pen- tecost, so great was the virtue of the Holy Ghost with which they were all replenished, that, whilst they boldly and freely disseminated the Gosjsel confided to them, not only through Judsea, biit throughout the world,^ they thought that no greater happiness could await them than that of being deemed " worthy" to sufier contumely, chains, torments, crucifixion, " for the name of Christ."" QUESTION XXII. Confirmation impresses a Character, and cannot he repeated. Confirmation has also the effect of impressing a character; whence, as we before said of baptism, and as wiH be more ' Ep. ad Episc. Hisp. ' Induamiiii, clothed. » Luke xxiv. 49. ' Matt. xxvi. 56. " Matt. xvi. 18 ; xxvi. 51, ' Matt. xxvi. 70, 72, 74. y John XX. 19. ' Acts ii. 1. » Acts V. 41. 208 THK CATECHISM fully explained in its proper place witli regard to tlie sacra- ment of Orders also, it can on no account ever be repeated. If, then, these things shall have been frequently and accu- rately explained by pastors, it wiU be almost impossible that the faitliful, having known the ntUity and dignity of this sacrament, should not use every exertion to receive it Tvdth purity and devotion. It remains no-w briefly to glance at the rites and ceremonies used by the CathoHo Church in the administration of this sacrament ; and pastors -will understand the great advantages of this explanation, if they revert to what we already said on this subject under its proper head. QUESTION XXIII. Why the Forelicad of tlwse Confirmed is anointed in tlm form of a Cross. The forehead, then, of the persons to be confirmed is anointed with sacred chrism ; for by this sacrament the Holy Spirit infuses himself into the souls of the faithful, and increases in them strength and fortitude, to enable them, in the spiritual contest, to fight manfully, and to resist their most implacable foes. To which effect, it is declared, that they are to be deterred by no fear or shame, of which afiections the forehead is the princijial index, from the open confession of the name of Christ. Besides, that mark, by which the Christian is distinguished from all others, as the soldier is by certain military badges, should be impressed •on the more conspicuous part of the body. QUESTION XXIV. At what time this Sacrament should chiefly he conferred. It has also been matter of solemn religious observance in the Church of God, that this sacrament should be adminis- tered principally at Pentecost, because on that day especially ■were the apostles strengthened and confirmed by the power of the Holy Ghost,'' by the recollection of which super- natural event the faithful should be admonished of the nature and magnitude of the mysteries contained in the sacred unction. " Acts ii. 2. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 209 QUESTION XXV. Why t?ie Bishop gives a gentle slap on Ae Cheele, and invokes Peace upon ike Person confirmed. The person, wlieii anointed and confirmed, next receives a gentle slap on the cheek from the hand of the bishop, to make him recollect, that, as a valiant combatant, he shoiild be prepared to endure with unconquered spirit all adversities for the name of Christ. Lastly the peace is given him, that lie may understand that he has attained the fulness of divine grace, and thcU peace which sv/rpasseth all understand- ing.'^ Let this, then, serve as a summary of those things, •which the pastor is to expound touching the sacrament of chrism, an exposition, however, to be given not so much in naked words and cold language, as in the burning accents of pious and glowing zeal, so as to seem to imprint them on the souls and inmost thoughts of the faithful. CHAPTER IV. OF THE SACKAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST. QUESTION I. Why the Mysteries of ike EvKliarist ought to he treated and received with, the deepest reverence. As of all the sacred mysteries bequeathed to us by our Lord and Saviour as most infallible instruments of divine grace, there is none comparable to the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist ; so, for no crime is there a heavier punish- ment to be feared from God than for the unholy or irreli- gious use by the faithful of that which is full of all holiness, or rather which contains the very author and source of Tioliness. This the apostle both wisely saw, and of it has openly admonished us ; for when he had declared the enor- mity of their guHt, who discerned not the body oftJie Lord, he immediately subjoined : Tlierefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.'^ That the faithfel ' Phil, iv, 7. "11 Cor. xi. 29, seq. 210 THE CATECHISM people, therefore, aware that divine honours are due to this heavenly sacrament, may derive therefrom abundant fruit of grace, and escape the most just, anger of God, pastors will explain with the greatest diligence all those things, which may seem calculated more fully to display its majesty. QUESTION II. Fm wliat reason, cmd when, the Sacrament of the EucJiarist was instituted. In this matter, it will be necessary, that the pastor, fol- lowing the example of the apostle Paul, who professes to have delivered to the Corinthians what he had received from the Lord, do first of all explain to the faithful the institu- tion of this sacrament. That its institution was as follows, is clearly inferred from the evangelist. Our Lord, who having loved his own, loved them to the end^ to give them some divine and admirable pledge of this love, knowing that the hour had now come that he should pass from the world to the Father, that he might not ever at any period be absent from his own, with inexplicable wisdom he accom- plished that which surpasses all the order and condition of nature. For having kept the supper of the paschal lamb, that the figure might yield to the reality, the shadow to the body, lie took bread, and giving thanks unto God, he blessed it, and brake if, and ga/ve it to the disciples, and said/ Take and eat : this is my body which shall he delivered for you; this do in remembrance ofine. After the same manner, also, lie took the cup when he had supped, saying : This cup is the new testa/ment in my blood. This do ye, as ojt as ye drink it, in remembrance ofme.^ QUESTION Til. Why this Sacrament is called Eucharist. Wherefore the sacred writers, seeing that it was not at all possible that they should demonstrate by one term the dignity and excellence of this admirable sacrament, endea- voured to express it by many words. For sometimes they caU it Eucharist ; which word we may render in Latin either good grace, or giving of thanks. And rightly, indeed, is it " John xiii. 1. ' Matt. xxrv. 26 ; Mark xiv. 22 ; Luke xxii. 19 sqq. ; 1 Cor. xi. 24, sqq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 211 to be called good grace, as well because it first signifies eternal life, concerning -which it has been "written : the grace- of God is eternal life ;S and also because it includes in it Christ the Lord, who is true grace and the fountain of all favours. And no less aptly do we interpret it a giving of thanks ; inasmuch as, when we immolate this purest victim, we give daily unbounded thanks to God for all his kindnesses towards us, and above all for so excellent a gift of his grace, which he assigns to us in this sacrament. But that very name, also, agrees best with those things which we read were done by Christ the Lord, at the institution of this mystery. For taking hread he hrahe it, and gave thanks. David also, when he would contemplate the greatness of this mystery, before he pronounced that verse : He hath made his wonderful works to he remembered ; tlie Lord is gracious, and full of compassion. He hath given meat -unto tliem that f eon- /wm,'' thought that the giving of thanks should be placed first, when he says : confession and magnificence a/re his work.^ QUESTION rv. Why this Sacrament is called Commimion, the Saoument of Peace and Love. Frequently, also, it is declared in the name of a sacrifice : concerning which mystery, there will be occasion to speak more at length presently. It is called, moreovei', commu- nion ; which term is evidently borrowed from that passage of the apostle, where we read : Tlie cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? Tlie bread tuhich we break, is it not tlie coinmunion of tlie body oj Clvrist U For, as Damascenus'' has explained, this sacrament couples us to Christ, and renders us partakers of his flesh and divinity, and combines and unites us to one another in the same Christ, and forms, as it were, one body. Whence it came to pass, that it was called, also, the sacrament of peace and love, that we might understand, how unworthy they are of the name of Christians, who carry on enmities, and that hatred, dissensions, and discord should be entirely expelled, as the most destructive bane of the faithful, especially when, K Eom. vi. 23. ' Pb. ex. (oxi.) 4. ' Ibid. 3. J 1 Cor. X. 16. " De Orthod. fid. iv. 13. p2 212 THE CATECHISM by the daily sacrifice of our religion, we profess to preserve nothing with more anxious care, than peace and love. QUESTION V. For ichat reason the same Sacrament is called tJie Viaticimi and Supper. But it is also frequently called the viaticum by sacred writers, both because it is spiritual food by which we are sustained in our pilgrimage through this life, and also, because it paves our way to eternal glory and happi- ness. Wherefore, according to an ancient usage of the Catholic Church, we see it observed that none of the faithful depart from life without this sacrament. And the most ancient Fathers, indeed, following the authority of the apo- stle, have sometimes even called the holy euchaiist by the name of supper, because it was instituted by Christ our Lord at that salutary mystery of the last supper. QUESTION VI. The Eucha/rist cannot "be tai:en aftei' food or drink Jms been swalhwed. It is not, however, lawful to consecrate or partake of the Eucharist after food, or drink, for this reason, because the custom, introduced wholesomely by the apostles, as ancient writers have recorded, was peqoetually retained and pre- served, that it should be taken only by persons fasting. QUESTION VII. TJie EiicJiarist is a Sacrament properly so called. But the import of the name having been explained, it wiU be necessary to show that this is a true sacrament, and one of those seven which the holy Church ever revered and vene- rated religiously. For when the consecration of the cup is effected, it is called a mystery of faitk Besides, to omit the almost endless testimonies of the sacred writers, who have invariably thought that this was to be numbered among the real sacraments, the same thing is proved from the very principle and nature of a sacrament. For there are in it signs that are external and subject to the senses. In the next place it contains the signification and eflEciency of grace ' OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 213 Moreover, neither the evangelists nor the apostle leave room for doubting regarding the institution of Christ. And when all these things concur to confirm the truth of the sacrament, there is obviously no need of any other argu- ment. QUESTION VIII. That m this Sacrament there are many things to lohich the name of Sacrament corresponds. But this must be carefully attended to by pastors, that in this mystery are many things, to -which the sacred writers have from time to time attributed the name of sacrament. For, sometimes, both the consecration and the taking of it, nay, frequently also the body and blood itself of our Lord, ■which is contained in the eucharist, used to be called a sacrament. For St. Augustine' says that this sacrament consists of two parts ; sdl. of the visible species of the elements, and of the invisible flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ himself. And after the same manner we affirm that this sacrament is to be adored, meaning forsooth the body and blood of our Lord. But it is plain that all these are less properly called sacraments. But the species themselves of bread and wine include the true and perfect import of this name. QUESTION IX. How ilie Eucharist differs from all tJie other Sacraments. But how much this sacrament differs from aU the others, is easily inferred. For all the other sacraments are completed by the use of the material, whilst, for instance, they happen to be being administered to any one. For baptism then attains the nature of a sacrament, when the individual is in reahty being washed in the water ; but to the perfecting of the Eucharist the consecration of the material itself suffices ; for either [element] ceases not to be a sacra^ ment, though kept in a box. Then in perfecting the other sacraments, there is no change of the matter and element into another nature ; for the water of baptism, or the oil of chrism, when those sacraments are being administered, do not lose the former nature of water and oil ; but in the eucharist, that which was bread and wine before consecrar ' D3or. de cona, Dist. ii 214 THE CATECHISM ' tion, after consecration is truly the substance of the body and blood of the Lord. QUESTION X. The twofold mateiial of ilie Eucharist does not constitute two Sacraments. But altliougb there may be two elements, as bread and wine, of which the entire sacrament of the Eucharist is con- stituted, taught by the authority of the Church, we confess that there is not, however, a plurality of sacraments, but only one ; for, otherwise, there cannot be the exact number of seven sacraments, as has ever been handed down and decreed by the Councils of Lateran, Morence, and Trent. For when, by virtue of the sacrament, one mystical body is formed, that the sacrament itself may correspond to the thing which it forms, it must be one, and one indeed, not because it is individual, but because it carries with it the import of a single thing. For as meat and drink, which are two diiferent things, are employed only for one purpose, that the vigour of the body may be recruited ; so also it was but natural, that the two different species of the sacra- ment should correspond to them, which should signify the spiritual food, by which the minds are supported and re- freshed. Wherefore we have been assured by our Lord the Saviotu: : My flesh is meat indeed, and my hlood is drink indeed/^ It must, therefore, be diligently explained what the sacrament of the eucharist signifies, that the faithful, seeing the sacred mysteries with their eyes, may also at the same time feed their souls with the contemplation of divine things. QUESTION XI. Of what TJiings is the Signification included in this Sacrament. Three things, then, are signified by this sacrament ; firstly, the passion of Christ our Lord, a thing past ; for he himself said : Do this in remembra/iice of m^e ;^ and the apo- stle says : As often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye shall show forth the death of the Lord, until he come." It is also significant of divine and heavenly grace, which is imparted at the present time by this sacrament to nurture and preserve the soul ; for as by baptism we are begotten unto ■" John vi. 56. " Luke xxii. 19. " 1 Cor. xi. 26. OP THE COUlfCIL OF TRENT. ^15* newness of life, and by confirmation are strengthened to resist Satan, and openly to profess the name of Christ ; so, by the sacrament of the Eucharist, are we mirtured and supported. It is, thirdly, significant of eternal joy and glory, which, according to God's promises, we shall receive ia our heavenly country. These three things, then, distin- guished as they evidently are, by different times, past, present, and future, are, by the sacred mysteries, signified in such a manner, that the whole sacrament, though consisting of different species, is referred to the declaring of each, as to the signification of one thiag. QUESTION XII. Of the Matter of this Sacrament, and what hind of Bread is to he coiisecrated. But it is particularly incumbent on jjastors to know the matter of this sacrament, in order that they themselves may rightly consecrate it, and also that the faithful may be ad- monished of that, of which it is the symbol, and may bum with an earnest desire to possess the thing that it signifies. The matter, then, of this sacrament is twofold, consisting of wheaten bread (of the latter we shall treat hereafter). For, as the evangelists, Matthew, P Mark, 9 and Luke' testify, Christ the Lord took bread into his hands, blessed, cmd brake, saying : This is my body ; and, according to John, the same Saviour called himself bread in these words : / am, the living bread, which camie down from heaven.^ As, however, there are various sorts of bread, because either consisting of different materials, such as wheat, barley, pulse, and other products of the earth, or because possessing different quali- ties, some being leavened, others altogether without leaven ; it is to be observed that, with regard to the former, the words of the Saviour show that it should be syheaten bread ; for, according to common usage, when we simply say bread, we are sufiSciently tmderstood to mean wheaten bread. This is also declared by a figure in the Old Testament ; for the Lord commanded that the loaves of shew-bread,^ which signified this sacrament, should be made oi fine flour. !■ xxvi. 26. ' xiv. 22. ' xxii ■ Jolin vi. 41. ' See Lev. xxiv. 5. " Pauea propositionis " is a rather awkward translation of apTOi r^c irpoSlfffwf. See Parkhurst. 216 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XIII. It 13 fitting that the Bread with which the Eadiarist is administered he also unleavened. But as -wheaten bread alone is to be considered the proper matter for this sacrament (a doctrine which has been handed down by the apostolic tradition, and confirmed by the authority of the Catholic Church), so may it be easily in- ferred from the doings of Christ the Lord, that this bread should be unleavened. For it was consecrated and instituted by him on the first day of unleavened bread, on which it was not lawful for the Jews to have anything leavened in their houses." Should the authority of John the evangelist, who says that all this was done before the feast of the Passover, be objected, the argument is one of easy solution ; for by the day before the pascha,'' John under- stands the same day, which the other evangelists designate thejvrst day of uvlea/oened bread. He wished particularly to mark the TUitural day, which commences at sunrise ; and the first natwral day of the pascha being Friday, tlie day before the pascha must, therefore, mean Thursday, on the evening of which the festival of Unleavened Bread began, and on which our Lord celebrated the pascha, and instituted the holy Eucharist.'" Hence St. Chrysostom, also, imder- stands the first day of unleavened bread to be the day, on the evening of which unleavened bread was to be eaten."^ The peculiar suitableness of the consecration of unleavened bread, to express that integrity and purity of mind, which the faithful should bring to this sacrament, we learn from these words of the apostle : Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new luTup, as ye are unleavened. For Christ owr passover is sacrificed. Therefore, let us heep tlie feast, not with tlie old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with tlie unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.y ° Matt. sxvi. 17 ; Mark xiv. 12 ; Luke xxii. 7. ' John xiii. 1. " The original is somewhat ohscure, from its brevity. I have there- fore retained Donovan's paraphrase. On the matter itself, compare Neander, Life of Christ, § 265, note. » In Matt. hom. 83. t 1 Cor. v. 7, seq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TREJTT. 217 QUESTION Xrv. Unleavened Bread iwt altogether essential for the Eiuihanst. This quality of the bread, however, is not to be deemed so essential, as that, if it be wanting, the sacrament cannot exist ; for both sorts are called by the common name, and have the true and proper nature of bread. No one, how- ever, is at liberty on his own private authority, or rather temerity, to transgress the laudable rite of his Church. And such departure is the less warrantable in priests of the Latin Church, commanded furthermore, as they are, by the supreme pontiffs, to consecrate the sacred mysteries with unleavened bread only' With regard to the first matter of this sacra- ment, let this exposition suffice. It is, however, to be ob- served, that the quantity of the matter to be consecrated is not defined, since we cannot define the exact number of those who can, or ought to receive the sacred mysteries. QUESTION XV. What Matter w to he used for coiisecruting tlie Blood of our Lord. It remains for us to treat of the other matter and element of this sacrament, which is wine j)i-essed from the fruit of the vine, with which is mingled a Httle water. That in the institution of this sacrament, our Lord and Saviour made use of wine, has been at all times the doctrine of the Catholic Church, for he himself said : / vMl not drink from henceforth, of this fruit of the vine, until tluat day ;'■ on which passage Chrysostom observes : Of the fruit of the vine, which certainly produced wine, not water ;^ as if he had it in view, even at so early a period, to uproot the heresy which asserted,, that ia these mysteries water alone is to be used. QUESTION XYI. The Water is to he mixed with the Wi/ivs in the Sacraineni. With the wine, however, the Church of God has always mingled water ; first, because that Christ the Lord did so, is jDroved by the authority of councils and the testimony of ' Lib. ii. deoret. de celebr. mies. c. final. » Matt. xxvi. 29. b Horn. 83 in Matt. 318 THE CATECHISM St. Cyprian ;<= next, because by this mixture is renewed the recollection of the blood and water that issued from his side. Waters, also, as we read in the E«velation, signify the people;'' and hence, water mixed with wine signi£es the union of the faithful people with Christ their head ; and this rite, derived as it is from apostolic tradition, the Catholic Church has always observed. QUESTION XVII. It is not ahsoliitehj necessary to add Water, and the quantity of Water ought to ie less than that of the Wine. But although there are reasons so grave for mingling water with the wine, that it cannot be omitted without incurring the guilt of mortal sin ; yet its omission is insufficient to render the sacrament null. But as, in the sacred mysteries, priests must be mindful to mingle water with the wine, so, also, must they take care to mingle it in small quantity, for, in the opinion and judgment of ecclesiastical writers, that water is changed into wine. Hence these words of Pope Honorius on the subject : A pernicious abuse has prevailed in yoii/r district, ofitsing, in the sacrifice, a greater quantity of water tha/n of unMC ; whereas, according to the rational practice of the Universal Chwch, the wine slioidd be used in Tiiuch greater quantity than the water. '^ These, then, are the only two elements of this sacrament ; and with reason has it been enacted by many decrees, that, although there have been those who were not afraid to do so, it is unlawful to offer anything but bread and wine.' But we have now to consider the aptitude of these two symbols of bread and wine, to declare those tilings, of which we believe and con- fess them to be the sensible signs. QUESTION XVIII. JIow many and what things the symbols of Bread and Wifte represeiti in this Sacrament, In the first place, then, they signify to us Christ, as he is the true life of men ; for our Lord himself says : My flesh is ineat indeed, and my blood is drinh indeed.^ As, then, the ' Ep. 63. ' Rev. xvii. 16. ' L. 3, Decretal, de eel. misa. c. 13. ' Vid. de consecr, dist. ii. cc. 1, 2, et aeq. s John vi. 56. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 219 body of Christ llie Lord doth furnish nourishment unto eternal life to those who receive the sacrament thereof with purity and holiriess, with reason is its matter composed chiefly of those elements by which this life is sustained ; in order that the faithful may easily understand, that the mind and soul are satiated by the communion of the precious body and blood of Christ. These very elements serve also somewhat to suggest to men the truth of the real [presence] of the body and blood of the Lord in the sacrament. Ob- serving as we do, that bread and wine are every day changed, by the power of nature, into human flesh and blood, we may the more easily be led by this analogy to believe, that the substance of the bread and wine is changed, by the heavenly benediction, into the real flesh and real blood of Christ. This admirable change of the elements, also, con- tributes to shadow forth what takes place in the soul, for as, although no change of the bread and wine appears exter- nally, yet is their substance truly changed into the flesh and blood of Christ ; so, in like manner, although in us nothing appears changed, yet we are renewed inwardly unto life, whilst we receive in the sacrament of the euoharist the true life. Moreover, the body of the Church, which is one, consists of many members, and of this union nothing is more strikingly illustrative than the elements of bread and wine, for bread is made from many grains : wine is pressed from, many clusters of grapes ; and thus do they declare that we, though many, are most closely bound together by the bond of this divine mystery, and made as it were one body. QUESTION XIX. The Form to te used in the Consecration of tlie Bread. The form to be used in the consecration of the bread follows next to be treated of, not however with a view that the faithful people shoidd be taught those mysteries, unless necessity require it (for those who have not been initiated in holy Orders, it is unnecessary to instruct touching these matters), but lest the most shameful mistakes take place on the part of priests, through ignorance of the form. We are then taught by the holy evangelists Matthew and Luke, and also by the apostle, that the form of the sacrament con- 220 THE CATECHISM sists in these words : This is my body, for it is -written : Whilst tliey were at sujjper, Jesus took bread, amd blessed it, and brake, and gave to his disciples, amd said : Talce mid eat, THIS is my body ;'' and this form of consecration, having been observed by Christ the Lord, has been always used by the Catholic Church. The testimonies of the Fathers, the enumeration of which would be endless, and also the decree of the OouncU of Florence, which is obvious and accessible to all, must here be omitted, especially as the knowledge which they convey may be attained from these words of the Saviour ; Do this in remembrance of me} For what the Lord enjoined to be done, is to be referred not only to what he had done, but also to what he had said, and is to be under- stood to refer most particularly to words, uttered no less for the purpose of eflfecting than of signifying what they effected. But [that these words constitute the form,] is easily proved from reason also : for the form is that which signifies what is accomplished in this sacrament ; but as the jireceding words signify and declare what takes place in the eucharist, that is, the conversion of the bread into the true body of our Lord ; it therefore follows that these very words constitute the form. In this sense may be understood the words of the evangelist : He blessed; for they seem equivalent to his having said : Taking bread, he blessed it, saying ; This is iny body. QUESTION XX. Not all the Words wliich, according to Church usage, are nsed in Consecration, are necessarg. For although, in the evangelist, the words, Take and eat,} precede the words, T/iis is my body, they evidently express the use only, not the consecration, of the matter. Wherefore, although they be not necessary to the consecration of the sacrament, they ai-e by all means to be pronounced by the priest, as is also the conjunction /or in the consecration of the body and blood ; but they are not necessary to the validity of the sacrament ; otherwise it would follow that, if this sacrament were not to be administered to any one, it should not, or indeed could not, be consecrated ; whereas-, ' Matt. xxvi. 26 ; Mark xiv. 22 ; Luke xxii. 19 ; 1 Cor. ii. 24. ' Luke xxii. 19. J Matt, xx-ri. 26, OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 221 no one can lawfully doubt that the priest, by pronouncing the words of our Lord according to the institution and prac- tice of the Church, truly consecrates the proper matter of the bread, although it should afterwards happen never to be administered. QUESTION XXI. What Fwm is to he wed in the Consecration of the Blood. With regard to the cousecration of the wine, which is the other element of this sacrament, the priest, for the reason we have already assigned, ought of necessity to be well ac- quainted with, and to well understand its form. We are. then firmly to beheve that it consists in the following words : S'or this is the chalice of my blood, of the new and eternal testament, the mystery of faith, lohich shall he sited for you and for many, to the remission of sins.^ Of these words the greater part are taken from Scripture ; but some have been preserved in the Church from apostolic tradition. Thus the words, this is the chalice, are found in St. Luke,' and in the apostle ;™ but the words that immediately follow, of my blood, or, iny blood of the new testament, which shall he sh&d for you and for many to the remission of sins, are found partly in St. Luke," and partly in St. Matthew." But the words, eterncd, and, the mystery of faith, have been taught us by holy tradition, the interpreter and keeper of Catholic truth. QUESTION XXII. That this is the true Form of Conseo'ation, is shown. Concerning this form, no one can doubt, if he here also attend to what has been already said touching the form, used ia the consecration of the bread. The form to be used [in the consecration] of this element, evidently consists of those words, which signify that the substance of the wine is changed into the blood of our Lord. Since, therefore, the words already cited clearly declare this, it is plain that no other form need be constituted. They moreover express certain admirable fruits of the blood, shed in the passion of our Lord, fruits which appertain in a most special manner to this sacrament. Of these, one is access to the eternal in- ^ Decretal. 1. 3, de celeb, miss. c. 6. ' Luke xxii. 20, " cup." «■ 1 Cor. xi. 25. ° L. c. ° Matt. xxri. 28. 222 THE CATECHISM heritance, whicli has come to us by right of tlie new and emrlcisting testament ;i? another is access to righteousness by the mystery of faith, for, God hath set forth Jesus to be a pro- pitiator through faith in his blood, that lie himself may he just, and tlie justifier of him, who is of the faith of Jesus Christ.i A third is the remission of sins.'^ QUESTION XXIII. Tlie Form of Consecrating ilie Blood explained. But as these very words of consecration are replete with mysteries, and most appropriately suitable to the subject, they demand a more minute consideration. When, therefore, it is said : For this is the chalice of my blood,^ these words are to be understood to mean : This is my blood, which is con^ tained in this chalice. The mention of tJie chalice, made at the consecration of the blood, in as much as the blood is the drink of the faithful, is at once right and apposite, for the blood, if it were not contained in some vessel, would not seem sufficiently to signify this sort of drink. Next follow the words : of the new testament ; wliich have been added, that we might understand, that the blood of Christ the Lord is not given under a figure, as was done in the Old Law, of whicli we read in the apostle to the Hebrews, that without blood the testament was not dedicated,* but really and truly given to men, a prerogative peculiarly appertaining to the new testament. Hence the apostle says : Tlierefore, Christ is the mediator of the new testa/ment, that by means of death, they who are called may receive the promise of eternal in- heritance.'"- The word eternal refers to the eternal inheritance, the right to which we acquired by the death of Christ our Lord, the eternal Testator. The words mystery of faith, which are subjoined, do not exclude the reality, but signify that what lies hidden and concealed and far removed from the perception of the eye, is to be believed with firm faith. In this passage, however, these words bear an import different from that wliioh they have when applied also to baptism. p Donovan refers to Heb. x. 20 ; xiii. 20. "■ Bora. iii. 25, 26. ' Heb. ix. 12. ' Decret. 1. 3, de eel. misa. o. 8. ' Heb. ix. 15, 18. " Heb. ix. 15. OP THE COUNCIL OF TKENT. 223 Here the mystery of faith consists in seeing by faith, the blood of Christ, veiled under the species of wine ; but baptism is justly called by us, tJie sacrament of faith, by the Greeks, tlie mystery of faith, because it embraces the entire profession of the Christian faith. There is, however, another reason also ■why we call the blood of the Lord the mystery of faith, which is, that, when faith proposes to our belief that Christ the Lord, the true Son of God, at once God and man, suffered death for us, a death designated by the sacrament of his blood, human reason is particularly beset with very great difficulty and embarrassment. QUESTION XXrv. Why mention of Death is made more particularly at the Consecration of tJie Blood. Here, therefore, rather than at the consecration of his body, is appropriately commemorated the passion of our Lord, by the words, which shall he shed for the remission of sins ; for the blood, separately consecrated, serves to place before the eyes of all, in a more forcible manner, the passion of our Lord, his death, and the nature of his sufferings. The additional words, for you and for many, are taken, some from Matthew,^ some from Luke,'*^ but joined together by the Catholic Church under the guidance of the Spirit of God ; and they serve to declare the fruit and advantage of his passion. For if we look to its virtue, we must confess that the Redeemer shed his blood for the salvation of all ; but if we look to the fniit which mankind have received frorn. it, we shall easily find, that it appertains not unto all, but to many of the human race. When theref6re [our Lord] said : for you, he meant either those who were present, or those chosen from among the Jewish people, such as were, with the exception of Judas, the disciples with whom he was speaking ; but when he added, and for many, he wished to be understood to mean the remainder of the elect from amongst the Jews or Gentiles. With reason, therefore, were the words for all not used, as in this place the fruits of the passion are alone spoken of, and to the elect only did his passion bring the fruit of salvation. And this is the purport of the apostle, when ' Matt. xxvi. 28. " Luke xxii. 20. 224 THE CATECHISM he says : Chnst was offered once, to exhcmst the sins of many ;^ and also of the words of our Lord in Jolin : I pray for them; I pray not for the world, bictfor them which thou hast given me, for they aire thine.y Beneath the -words of this con- secration lie hid many other mysteries, which the pastor himself, by the assiduous meditation and study of divine thino-s, will, with the divine assistance, find it easy to dis- cover. QUESTION XXV. This sublime Mysta-y is not to le judged of hy the Senses. But to return now to the explanation of those things, of which the faithful are on no account to be suffered to remain ignorant ; pastors, keeping in view the admonition of the apostle as to the enormity of their guilt, who discern not ilie body of the Lordf will, first of all, admonish them that they must, as much as possible, call away their minds and under- standings from the dominion of the senses. For, if the faithful were to persuade themselves, that in this sacrament is contained nothing but what is perceived by the senses, the consequence must be their being led into the greatest im- piety, when using the sight, the touch, the smell, the taste, and finding nothing but the appearances of bread and wine, they would come to the conclusion that this sacrament con- ■tains nothing more than bread and wine. The miads of the faithful are, therefore, with as much care as possible to be withdrawn from the judgment of the senses, and excited to the contemplation of the boundless virtue and power of God. QUESTION XXVI. What is chiefly effected hy virtue of the Mystical Consecration in this Sacrament. There ai-e three things then most deserving of admiration and veneration, which the Catholic faith without hesitation believes and confesses to be accomphshed in this sacrament by the words of consecration. The first is, that the real body of Christ, the same that was bom of the Yirgin, and sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, is contained in this sacrament ; the second, that, however remote from, ' Heb. ix. 28, "to bear the sins,'' avtvsyKtXv anapriac. y Join xvii. 9. '1 Cor. xi. 29. OP THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 225 and alien to, the senses it may seem, no substance of the elements remains therein ; the third, which is an easy- inference from the two preceding, although the words of consecration express it principally, that the accidents, which are beheld by the eyes or perceived by the other senses, exist in a wonderful and ineffable manner without a subject. AU the accidents of bread and wine we indeed may see : they however inhere in no substance, but exist by themselves ; whereas the substance of the bread and wine is so changed into the body and blood of our Lord, that the substance of bread and wine altogether ceases to exist. QUESTION XXVII. The reality of tlie Body of Christ in the Sacrament is shown from the Scriptures. To begin with the first, let pastors endeavour to set forth how perspicuous and clear are the words of our Saviour, which demonstrate the real presence of his body in the Sacrament. For when he says, This is my body, this is my blood, no one of sane mind can be at a loss to know what we are to understand, especially as he here speaks of his human nature, of the real existence of which in Christ, the Catholic faith permits no one to doubt ; as Hilary, a man of most emuient holiness and learning, has admirably written, there is no room to doubt the reality of the body and blood of Christ, when, according to the declaration of our Lord, and our own faith, his Jlesh is meat indeed.'^ Another passage also must be explained by the pastor, from which it is clearly to be learnt, that in the Eucharist are contained the true body and blood of our Lord. For the apostle, having recorded the consecration of bread and vrine by the Lord, and his administration of the sacred mysteries to his apostles, subjoins : But let a man examine himiself, and so let him eat of tliat bread amd drink of that ewp, for lie tJiat eateth and drimketh unworthily,' eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body}' If, as heretics prate,"^ the Sacrament presents to our veneration nothing but a memorial and sign of the passion of Christ, what occasion » St. HUar. de Trinit. 1. viii. n. 14. '' 1 Cor. xi. 28, 29. ' Leotitant. Som? have " dictitant." Q 226 THE CATECHISM •was there to exhort the faithful in language so impressive, to examine themselves ? For by the heavy denunciation con- tained in the word judgment, the apostle declared, that the guilt of some grievous sia is incurred by him, who unworthily receiving the body of the Lord, concealed beneath the Eucharist, distinguishes it not from any other kind of food. This the apostle more fuUy developed in a preceding passage of the same epistle : Tlw cup of blessing, says he, which we bless, is it not tlie communion of tJie blood of Clvrist ? and the bread which we break, is it not tlie partaking of the body of the Lord 1'^ Words which indeed demonstrate the real substance of the body and blood of Christ. These passages of Scripture are, therefore, to be expounded by pastors, and they must especially teach that of their meaning no doubt or un- certainty is left, particularly as they have been interpreted by the sacred authority of the Catholic Chiuxh. QUESTION XXVIII. S> Exitiali. i Sess. xiii. can. 11. e2 244 THE CATECHISM turion, of wliom our Lord himself declared, that he had not found so great faith in Israel, we should from the heart exclaim : Lord, I am not worthy that thou slwuldst enter wilder iny roof.^ We should also put the question to ourselves, whether we can say with Peter : Lord, thou knowest that I love tliee ; ° for we should recollect, that he who sat down at the feast of the Lord without a nuptial garment, was cast into a darksome prison, and consigned to eternal pmiishments." Nor should our preparation be confined to the soul : but it should likewise extend to the body; for we are to approach the holy table fasting, not having eaten or drunlc at all — at least from the preceding midnightP up to the very moment in which we receive the holy Eucharist. The dignity of so great a sacrament also demands that, for some days previous to communion, married persons abstain from, the marriage duty, admonished by the examjple of David, who, when about to receive the shew-bread from the hands of the priest, declared that he and liis servants had been clean from inter- course with their wives for three days.i This is a summary of the principal things to be observed by the faithful, in order to pirepare themselves to receive the sacred mysteries with advantage, for to these heads may easily be reduced all other jireparations. QUESTION LVI. All CliAtians honndto communicate once a-year at least. But lest any may possibly be rendered more negligent to receive this sacrament, by the supposed labour and difficulty of such a preparation, the faithful are frequently to be ad- monished, that to all is addressed the law that obliges us to receive the holj' Euchai-ist ; and it has, moreover, been de- clared by the Church, that whoever shall not have commu- nicated at least once a year, at Easter, subjects himself to sentence of excommunication/ »■ Matt. viii. 8, 10. ■■ John xxi. 15. " Matt. xxii. 12, 15. ■■ A diraidia anteeedentia diei nocte. i 1 Sam. xxi. 3, 4, 5. ' Concil. Lat. c. 28, also lib. v. Decret. tit. de PcEnit. et remis. cap. omnia utriusque se.xus. Trid. Sess. xiii. 9. OF THE COUNCIL OF TREKT. 'J±0 QUESTION LVII. Sow often, and at what seasons, the Eucharist should le received. Let not the faitliful, lio-wever, deem it enough to receive the body of the Lord once a year only, in obedience to the authority of this decree : for they should approach oftener ; but whether monthly, weekly, or daily, can be decided by no fixed universal rule. St. Augustine, however, lays down a most certain standai'd : Live, says he, in such a manner as to bo able to receive daily.^ It will therefore be the part of the pastor frequently to exhort the faithful that, as they think it necessary every day to furnish nourishment for the body, they should also not neglect daily to feed and nourish the soul with this sacrament ; for the soul, it is evident, stands not less in need of spiritual than the body of natural food. And here it will be most beneficial to recapitulate the immense and divine advantages which, as we have already shown, follow from sacramental communion. The figure of the manna must also be mentioned, which it was necessary to use every day, in order to repair the strength of the body;' as well as the authorities of the holy Fathers, which earnestly recommend the frequent participation of this sacrament ; for the words, Thou simiest daily ; receive daily, are not the sentiment of St. Augustine alone, but also, as any one \ipon diligent inqtiiry will easily discover, the sentiment of all the Fathers who wrote on this subject." QUESTION LVIII. Tltat it icas the Custom of old in the Church to co'inmunicojte frerjiicntlr/. fe That there was once a time, when the faithful received the Eucharist daily, we learn from the Acts of the Apostles j for all who then professed the Christian faith burned with such true and siucere charity, that giving themselves up, as * Serm. Ixxxir. in App. ' Esod. xvi. 21, sq. ° The following references are given : — August, de verbis Dom. serm. xsviii. Ambr. lib. v. de saoram. c. 4. Aug. Epist. cxviii. i;. 3. Item, Ignat. ad Ephes. satis ante finem. Basil. Epist. ad Cssar. pair. Ambr. lib. iii. de saor. o. 4. Chrysost. bom." Ixi. ad pop. Antioch. Cypr. de Ora. Dominica ad hsee verba, panem nostrum quot. Hieron. epist. ad Luoin. vers, finem. Cyril, c. 3, in Joan. c. 37. Vide etiam de consecr. dist. ii. per multa capita. 246 THE CATECHISM tliey did without ceasing, to prayer and other -works of piety,^ they were found prepared to receive every day the sacred mysteries of the Lord's body. This practice, which seems to have been interrupted, was again partially revived by St. Anacletus, most holy pope and martyr, who commanded that the ministers, assisting at the sacrifice of the mass, should communicate; an ordinance which he declares to be instituted by the apostles."' It was also for a long time a custom in the Church, that, as soon as the sacrifice was ended, the priest, after he had taken the Eucharist, turning to the congregation, invited the faithful to the holy table in these words : Come, brethren, to the comtnwnion ; and those who were prepared, then received the holy mysteries with the greatest devotion f but subsequently, when charity and devotion had grown so cold, that the faithful very rarely approached the communion, it was decreed by Pope Fabiaii,y that all should communicate thrice every year, at Christmas, at Easter, and at Pentecost, a decree which was subsequently confirmed by many councils, particularly by the first of Aga- tha.^ When at length things had come to such a pass, that not only was this holy and salutary ordinance unobserved, but communion was deferred even for several years, it was decreed in the Council of Lateran, that all the faithful should communicate at least once a year, at Easter, and that those who might have neglected to do so should be prohibited access to the Church. QUESTION LIX. It is notfittiivi to administer the EticJiarist to Ohildren who a/re not yet in possession of Season. But although this law, sanctioned by the authority of God and the Church, aijpertains unto all the faithful, it must nevertheless be taught that those are excepted, who, by reason of their tender age, have not yet attained the use of reason. For they are incaijable of discerning the Holy JEucharist from profane and common bread, and cannot bring ' Acts ii. 42, 46. " De conaeo. dist. ii. c. 10. • ' Dionys. de Eocl. Hier. o. 3, parte 2. Hieron. Epist. xxTiii. ad Luoin. Greg. lib. ii. dialog, c. 23. Item, vide 1. de Eccl. dogmat. c. 53, et citatur de consec, dist. ii. c. 13. r Ep. ad Hilar. Ep. ' Conoil. Agathense, u. 18, t. OP THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 247 •with, them to its recejDtion piety and religion of mind. And such conduct would also appear quite inconsistent with the ordinance of Christ the Lord : Take ye, and eat j* for infants are evidently incapable of taking and eating. In some places, it is true, an ancient practice prevailed of giving the holy Eucharist also to infants -j^ but however, as well for the reasons already assigned, as for others most agreeable to Christian piety, this practice has been long discontinued by authority of the same Church. QUESTION LX. A t what Age the Holy Mysteries are to he given to Children. But the age at which children should be admitted to the sacred mysteries, no one can better determine than the father and the priest, for it is their office to examine, and to inquire from the children, whether they have acquired any know- ledge of, and experience a relish for, this admirable sacra- ment. QUESTION LXI. It is sometimes allowable to admit the Insane to Commvmion. To persons, moreover, in a state of insanity, and at the time incapable of sentiments of piety, the sacraments are on no account to be given. If, however, before they became in- sane, they evinced a pious and religious disposition of mind, they, according to the decree of the Coutujil of Carthage,"^ may be admitted to its particijpation at the close of life, provided there be no danger to be apprehended of easing the stomach, or of other indignity and inconvenience. QUESTION LXII. Tlie Laity must not commimicate wnder ioih hinds. As to the rite to be observed in communicating, paijtors will teach, that the law of the holy Church interdicts com- mmiion under both kinds to any one but the officiating priests, without the authority of the Church itself Christ, it is true, as has been explained by the Council of Trent,'' - Matt. xxvi. 26. '' Cypr. de Lapsia post med. •^ Cone. Garth, iv. 76. '' Sess. xxi. can. 1, 2, 3, p. 132, sq. of my translation. 248 THE CATECHISM iQ.stitntecl, and delivered 'to his apostles, at his last supper, tMs most siiblime sacrament nnder both kinds ; but it does not follow, that, by doing so, our Lord and Saviour established a law ordering its administration to all the faithful under both species. For speaking of this sacrament, he liimself frequently mentions it under one kind only, as, for instance, ■when he says : If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever, and : The bread that I loill give is my flesh for tJie life of tite loorld, and : He that eateth this bread sJiaU live for ever.^ QUESTION LXIII. Reasons why the Chv/reJi has granted the Use of One Species only. It is clear that the Church f -vvas influenced by numerous and most cogent reasons, not only to approve, but also to confirm by authority of its decree, the general practice of communicating under one species. In the first place, the greatest caution was necessary to avoid spilling the blood of the Lord on the ground, a tiling that seemed not easily to be avoided, if the chahce had been administered in a large assemblage of the people. In the next place, whereas the holy Eucharist ought to be in readiness for the sick, it was very much to be apprehended, were the species of ^vtne to remain long unconsumed, that it might turn acid. Besides, there are many who cannot at all bear the taste or even the smell of wine ; lest, therefore, what is intended for the spiritual health 'should pi'ove noxious to the health of the body, it has been most prudently sanctioned by the Church, that it should be administered to the people under the species of bread only. We may also further observe that, in many countries, wine is extremely scarce, nor can it moreover be brought from elsewhere without incurring very hea^y ex- penses, and encountering very tedious and difficult journeys. Finally, a circumstance of the utmost impoi'tance, means ' John vi. 51, 58. ' This most dangerous and fanciful practice is of modern origin. See the copious proofs of its variance with tlie practice of tlie early church, collected by Bishop Beveridge, on Art. XXX. " It is very clear that throughout the East the cup has never been denied ; nor was it denied in the West for twelve or thirteen hundred years," — i)r. Pusey's fcermon on the " Rule of Faith" (Oxford, 1S51). OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 249 were to be taken to uproot tlie teresyB of those who denied that Christj whole and entire, is contained under either species, and asserted that the body is contained under the species of bread without the blood, and the blood under the species of wine without the body. In order therefore to place more clearly before the eyes of all the truth of the Catholic faith, communion under one kind, that is, under the species of bread, was most wisely introduced. There are also other reasons, collected by those who have treated on this subject, and which, if it shall appear necessary, can be adduced by the pastors. To omit nothing doctrinal on this sacrament, we now come to speak of its miaister, a pointj however, on which scarcely any one can be ignorant. QUESTION LXIV. Ths Priest alone is the Minister of the Eucharist. It must be taught, then, that to priests alone has been given power to consecrate, and administer to the faithful, the holy Eucharist. That this has been the unvarying practice of the Church, that the faithful should receive the sacrament from the priests, and that the officiating priests should com- mimicate themselves, has been explained by the holy Council of Trent,'' which has also shown that this practice, as having proceeded from apostolic tradition, is to be religiously re- tained, particularly as Christ the Lord has left us an illustrious example thereof, having consecrated his own most sacred body, and given it to the apostles with his own hands.' But to consult in every possible way the dignity of so august a sacrament, not only is the power of its administration en- trusted exclusively to priests, but the Church has also prohibited by a law any but consecrated persons, unless some case of great necessity intervene, to dare handle or touch the sacred vessels, the linen or other instruments necessary to its completion. B Bishop Burnet on Art. XXX. suppKee, perliaps, the best historical commentary on this subject. ^ Sess. xiii. o. 10, p. 78. ' Matt. xxvi. 26 ; Mark xiv. 22. 250 THE CATECHISM QUESTION LXV. The Eihchaiiat may he consecrated or admimstered by Wicked Priests, Priests themselves and the rest of the faithful may hence understand, with -what piety and holiness they should be endued, -who approach to consecrate, administer, or receive the Eucharist. What however was already said of the other sacraments, that, provided what appertains to their perfect nature be duly observed, they are equally vaUd, even if administered by unholy hands, holds good also with regard to the sacrament of the Eucharist. Eor we are to beheve that all these depend not on the merit of the minister, but are operated by the virtue and power of Christ our Lord. These are the things necessary to be explained regarding the Eucharist as a sacrament. "We must now proceed to explain its nature as a sacrifice, that pastors may understand what are the principal instructions, which they ought to impart to the faitMul on Sundays and holidays, regarding this mystery, in conformity with the decree of the holy Council [of Trent].J QUESTION LXVI. The Euchwist is the Peculiar Sacrifice of the New Testament, and is most acceptable to God. For this sacrament is not only a treasure of heavenly riches, which, if we turn to good account, will obtain for us the grace and love of Gtod ; but it also possesses a peculiar charac- ter, by which we are enabled to make some return to Grod, for the immense benefits bestowed upon ua. How grateful and acceptable to God is this victim, if duly and legitimately immolated, is inferred from the consideration, that if the sacrifices of the Old Law, of which it is written : Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldest not^ and again : If thou Iiadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed home given it : with Immt- offerings tlwu wilt not he delighied} were so pleasing and acceptable in the Lord's sight that, as the scripture testifieth, from them God smelted a sweet savov/r,^ that is to say, they were grateful and acceptable to him, what have we not to hdpe from that sacrifice, m which is immolated and ofiered J Seas. xxii. o. 8, p. 145 of my translation. '' Ps. xxxix. (xl.) 7. ' Ps. 1. 18 (li. 17). ■» Gen. viii. 21. OF THE COTItrCIL OF TRENT. 251 He himself, of whom a voice from heaven twice proclaimed : This is my bdoved Son, in whom I am wdl pleased ?n This mystery therefore pastors wiU carefully explaLn, that when the faithful are assembled at the celebration of divine service, they may learn to meditate with attention and devotion on the sacred things, at. which they are present. QUESTION LXVII. Wliat are the Ueasonsfor which the Eacharist was institieted hy Christ the Lord. They will teach then, m the first place, that the Eucharist was instituted by Christ for two purposes, one, that it might be the heavenly food of our souls, enabling us to support and preserve spiritual life j the other, that the Church might have a perpetual sacrifice, by which our sins might be ex- piated, and our heavenly Father, ofttimes grievously offended by our crimes, might be turned away from wrath to mercy, from the severity of just chastisement to clemency. Of tins thing we may observe a type and resemblance in the paschal lamb, which was wont to be offered and eaten by the children of Israel as a sacrament and sacrifice." ITor could our Saviour, "when about to offer himself to Grod the Father on the altar of the cross, have given any more illustrious indication of his unbounded love towards us, than by bequeathing to us a visible sacrifice, by which that bloody sacrifice, which was soon after to be offered once on the cross, would be renewed, and its memory daily celebrated with the greatest utility, to the consummation of ages, by the Church difiiised throughout the world. QUESTION LXVIII. The Difference hetween the Eucharist as a Sacrament and Sacrifice. But [between the Eucharist as a sacrament and a sacrifice] the difference is very great ; for as a sacrament it is per- .fected by consecration ; as a sacrifice, all its force consists in its oblation. When therefore kept in a pyxis,P or borne to the sick, it is a sacrament, not a sacrifice. As a sacrament also, it is to them that receive it, a source of merit, and brings ■> Matt. iii. 17 ; xvii. 5. " Deut. ivi. p I.e. a small box or casket. 252 THE CATECHISM with, it all tliose advantages -wMcli liave been already men- tioned ; but as a sacrifice, it is not only a source of merit, but also of satisfaction ; for as, in Ms passion, Christ the Lord merited and satisfied for us ; so also those who offer this sacrifice, by which they communicate with us, merit the fruit of his passion, and satisfy [for sin]. QUESTION LXIX. At what Time this Sacrifice of the New Testament vias instituted. With regard to the institution of this sacrifice, the holy Council of Trent i has left no room for doubt, by declaring that it was instituted by our Lord at his last supper ; whilst it condemns under anathema all those who assert, that in it is not offered to God a true and proper sacrifice ; or that to offer means nothing else than that Christ is given as our spiritual food. QUESTION LXX. Sacrifice not to ie offered to Hie Saints, nor to any Creature. Nor did [the .Council] omit carefully to explain, that to God alone is offered this sacrifice."^ For although the Church sometimes offers Masses in honour and memorial of the saints, yet she teaches that the sacrifice is offered, not to them, but to God alone, who has crov/ned the saints with immortal glory. Hence the priest never says : I offer sacri- fice to thee Peter, or to thee Paul; but, whilst he offers sacrifice to God alone, he renders him thanks for the signal victoiy won by the blessed martyrs, and thus implores their patronage, that they, whose memory we celebrate on earth, may vouchsafe to intercede for us in heaven.' *i See Decrees and Canons, Sess. xxii. p. 141 of my translation. The editors append the following references ; — Dionys. lib. xvii. de Eccles. c. 3. Ignat. epist. ad Smym. Tert. lib. de Orat. Iren. lib. iv. c. 32. Aug. lib. 10, de Civit. Dei, c. 10, et lib. xvii. c. 20, et lib. xviii. o. 35, et lib. X, c. 13, et lib. xxii. o. 8, et alibi passim. Vide etiam Sess. xxii. de Sacrifio. Missae, o. 1, et can. 1 et 2. ' Ibid. u. 3, p. 143. " Aug. contra Faust, lib. xx. u. 21. "Pftpulus autem Cbristianus memorias martynim religiosa solemnitato ooncelebrat, et ad excitandans imitationem, et ut meritig eorum oonsocietur, atque orationibus adju- vetur." OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 253 QUESTION LXXI. Whence is denved this Doctrine of the Sacrifice and Priesthood of tlie New Zaw, But this doctrine, handed down by the Oathohc Church, concerniug the true nature of this sacrifice, she received from the words of our Lord, when, on that last night, com- mitting to his apostles these same sacred mysteries, he said : Do this in remembrance of ms ;* for then, as was defined by the holy Synod, did he ordain them priests, and command that they and their successors in the priestly oflace, should immolate and offer in sacrifice his body. Of this the words of the apostle to the Corinthians also afford a sufficient proof : Ye cannot, says he, drink the cup of the Lord, ami tlie cup of devils : ye cannot he pa/rtahers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.'"- As then, by tlie table of devils, must be under- stood the altar, on which sacrifice was offered to them ; so also, that the conclusion proposed to himself by the apostle may be legitimately deduced, by tlie table of tlie Lord can be understood nothing else than the altar, on wliich sacrifice was offered to the Lord. QUESTION LXXII. Undesr what Figures and Prophecies this Sacrifice was signified. Should we look for figures and prophecies of this sacra- fice in the Old Testament, iu the first place Malachi most clearly prophesied thereof in these words : From the rising of the sun even unto the going dovm, of tlie scrnie, my namie is great amwng the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, mid tliere is offered to my name a pure oblation ; for my name is great among tlie Gentiles, saith tlie Lord of Iwsts.'' More- over, this victim was foretold, as well before as after the promulgation of the Law, by various kinds of sacrifices ; for this victim alone, as the perfection and completion of aU, comprises all the blessings, which were signified by the other sacrifices. In nothing, however, do we behold a more lively image of the euchaiistic sacrifice, than in that of Mel- chisedech ;^ for the Saviour himself offered to God the ' Luke xxii. 19 ; 1 Cor. xi. 24. " 1 Cor. x. 21. ' Malach. i. 11. " Gen. xit. 18. 354 THE CATECHISM Father, at Ms last supper, Ms body and blood, under the appearances of bread and wine, declaring that he was constituted a priest for ever after the order of Melchise- dech,^ QUESTION LXXIII. The Saerifice of the Mass ilie same witJi tJiat offered on the Cross. "We therefore confess that the sacrifice of the Mass is and ought to be considered, one and the same sacrifice with that of the cross, for the victim is one and the same, namely, Christ our Lord, who ofiered himself, once only,y a bloody sacrifice on the altar of the cross. The bloody and unbloody victim are not two, but one victim only, whose sacrifice is daily renewed in the Eucharist, in obedience to the com- mand of our Lord : JDo this in remeinbrance of me. QUESTION LXSIV. Tliere is also One Priest of loth. The priest is also one and the same, Christ the Lord ; for the ministers who ofier sacrifice, consecrate the holy mysteries, not in their own person, but in that of Christ, as the words of consecration itself show, for the priest does not say : This is the body of Christ, but, This is my body ; and thus acting in the person of Christ the Lord, he changes the sub- stance of the bread and wine into the true substance of his body and blood. QUESTION LXXV. Tlie Mass, a Sacrifice of Praise amd Propitiation. TMs being the case, it must be taught without any hesita- tion that, as the holy councU^ [of Trent] has also explained, the sacred and holy sacrifice of the Mass is not a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving only, or a mere commemoration of the sacrifice performed on the cross, but also truly a propitia- tory sacrifice, by wMch God is appeased and rendered propitious to us. If, therefore, with a pure heart, a lively faith, and aifected with an inward sorrow for our trans- gressions, we immolate and ofier this most holy victim, we ' Heb. Tii. 17 ; Pa. cix. (ox.) 4. y Cf. Heb. vii. 27 ; ix. 25, 28. * The editors refer to Chrys. bom. ii. in 2, ad Timoth. et bom. de prod. Judae. Amb. lib. iv. de Saoram. o. 4. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 255 shall, -without doubt, dbtmn mefrcy from the Lord, and grace in time ofneed,^ for so delighted is the Lord with the odour of this victim, that, bestowing on us the gift of grace and, repentance, he pardons our sins. Hence this usual prayer of the Church : As often as the commeinorabion of this victim ist cdebrafed, so often is the work of ov/r salvation being done}* that is to say, through this unbloody sacrifice Q.ow to us the most plenteous fruits of that bloody victim. QUESTION i:XXVI. Tlie Sacrifice of the Mass is available even to the Dead. Pastors mU next teach, that such is the efficacy of this, sacrifice, that its benefits extend not only to the celebrant and communicant, but to all the faithful, whether living with us on earth, or already numbered with those who are dead in the Lord, but whose sins have not yet been fully expiated. For, according to the most authentic apostolic tradition, it is. not less available when ofiered for them, than when offered for the sins of the living, their punishments, satisfactions, calamities, and difficulties of every sort." QUESTION LXXVII. No Mass, cdelrraied according to the Common Usage of the Church, cam ie called private. It is hence easy to perceive, that all Masses, as being con- ducive to the common interest and salvation of all the feithful, are to be considered common to aU. QUESTION LXSVIII. To what do the Ceremonies of this Sacrifice appertain. This sacrifice is accompanied by many very august and solemn rites, none of which is to be deemed superfluous or- unmeaning ; for all on the contrary tend to display more fully the majesty of so great a sacrifice, and to excite the faithful, when beholding these saving mysteries, to the con- templation of the divine things, which lie concealed under that sacrifice. On these rites however it is unnecessary to say » Heb. iv. 16. ^ See Decrees and Canons, Sesa. xxii. c. 2, p. 142, and can. 3, p. Ii9 of my translation. ' See ibid. c. 2. 256 THE CATECHISM more, as well because the subject seems to demand a more lengtbened treatment than is compatible -with our purpose, as because the clergy have at hand an almost endless variety of treatises and commentai-ies, written on this subject by pious and very learned men. Suffice it then to have hitherto explained, with the divine assistance, the principal heads of those things that regard the Eucharist, both as a sacrament and sacrifice. CHAPTER V. ON THE SACKAMENT OP PENAlfCE. QUESTION I. Tlie Doctrine of Penance is to he carefully amd frequently inculcated v/pon the Ea/rs of Chnstians. As the frailty and weakness of human nature are known to all easily, and felt by each for himself, no one can be ignorant how great is the necessity of the sacrament of penance. Ji, then, the attention to be given to each subject by pastors is to be measured by the magnitude and weight of the matter that is treated of, we must fully confess that, in explaining this subject, they can never be sufficiently assiduous. The exposition, moreover, of this sacrament demands greater accuracy than that of baptism, inasmuch as baptism is ad- ministered but once, and cannot be repeated, whereas penance may be administered, and becomes necessary as often as it may happen that we sin after baptism, for it has been defined by the Council of Trent that. To those who have fallen after baptism, the sacrament of penance is as necessary for salvation as is baptism to those who have not been already regenerated ; '^ and on this subject the well-known saying of St. Jerome, that penance is a second plank,^ are highly com- mended by all subsequent writers on sacred subjects. For as after shipwreck, only one hope of saving one's life remains, to seize perchance on some plank from the wreck, so, after '' See Decrees and Canons, Sess. vi. u. 14. p. 39. The passage here (jiioted is from Sess. xiv. o. 2, p. 88, of my translation. ' Hieron. Ep. ad Demetr. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 257 the loss of baptismal innocence, unless a man cling to the plant of penance, without doubt all hope of his salvation must be abandoned. These instructions, however, are ad- dressed to excite the attention not only of the pastor, but also of the rest of the faithful, lest perhaps their carelessness be justly reprehended in a matter of the utmost necessity ; for, in. the first place, mindful of the common frailty, their most earnest study should be to walk, with the divine help, in the way of God without falling. But should they occa- sionally stumble, then, looking to the infinite goodness of God, who, as a good shepherd, binds up the wounds of and heals his sheep, they will be impressed with the conviction that this most salutaiy medicine of penance is never to be deferred to another time. QUESTION II. Of (lie Various Significations of the laord " Penance.'' But to enter upon the subject itself, the various signifi- cations of the name of this sacrament are first to be explained, lest any one shoidd be led into error by the ambiguity of the word. By penance, then, some understand satisfaction ; others, who are removed far from the doctrine of the CathoUo faith, supposing penance to have no reference to the past, define it to be nothing more than a new life. It must there- fore be taught that this word (pcenitentia) has a variety of meanings. In the first place, penitence is used to express a change of mind, as when, without taking into account the nature of the object, whether it be good or bad, what before was pleasing is now become displeasing. In this sense aU are penitent, whose sorrow is according to the world, not according to God j and this worketh not salvation, hut deatM Another kind of penitence is used to express sorrow for a past delinquency, which before pleased ; sorrow, however, ■conceived not for the sake of God, but for one's own sake. A third is, when we not only experience sorrow from the inmost feelings of our heart, or also give some exterior indi- cation of that sorrow for sin committed, but feel that grief for the sake of God alone. To each of these kinds of sorrow the word (pcsnitentia) applies literally ; but when the sacred ' 2 Cor. vii. 10. S 258 THE CATECHISM Scriptttres say that God repented, tte expression is evidently- figurative. For tlie Scriptures, when they declare that God ordained to change anything, make use of language accom- modated to human ideas ; for God seems not to act differently from men who, should they repent of anything, use every exertion to alter it. Thus we read that it repented Mm that he had made mam, jS and in another place, that it repented him to have appointed Saul king.'' QUESTION III. Wliat is the Difference between the Mecmings of Penance. But an important distinction must be made between these different significations of the word (jxxnitentid) ; for to repent, in the first meaning, argues imperfection ; in the second, a certain affection of an agitated and dis-turbed mind ; in the third, we say that penance is a virtue and a sacrament, which is its meaning in this place. We must first treat of penance as a part of virtue, not only because it is the duty of pastors to instruct the faithful people unto every virtue, but also because the acts, which proceed from penance as a virtue, constitute the matter, as it were, of penance as a sacrament ; and unless penance, considered as a virtue, be first properly understood, it is impossible not to be ignorant also of its force as a sacrament. QUESTION rv. What is Iv/mard Penance. The faithful, therefore, are first to be admonished and exhorted, that they laboirr strenuously to attain this inward penance of the heart which we call a virtue, and without which exterior penance can avail them very little.' Inward penance consists in turning ourselves unto God from the heart, and in detesting and holding in hatred our past trans- gressions ; with a deKberate and firm resolution of correcting our evil course of life and corrupt morals, not without the hope of obtaining pardon through the mercy of God. It is e Gen. vi. 6. ''1 Sam. xy. 11. ' The editors give this note. Vide Amb. in sermone de poen., et citatur de poenit. dist. 3, cap. poenitentia. Aug. lib. de vera et felsa poen. c, 8, et habetur de poen. 3, u. 4. Greg. bom. 34, in Evang. et lib. 9. Kegiat. Epist. 39. OP THE COmSTCIL OF TRENT. 259 accompanied -with grief and sorro'w, -which latter is a pertur- bation and affection, and is called by many a passion, and is joined, as it were, as a companion to detestation of sins. Hence, therefore, with many of the Fathers the definition of penance is comprised in this anguish of mind.1 QUESTION V. Faith is not a Part of Penatice. But in him who repents, faith must precede penance, for no one who lacks faith can turn himself unto God ; and hence faith cannot at aU be said with propriety to be a part of penance. QUESTION VI. Inward Penamce of the Mind is to he accownted a Virtv£. That this inward penance, as we have said, appertains unto virtue, the many precepts deUvered concerning it show, for a law enforces those actions only, the undertaking of which implies "virtue. Besides, no one can deny that to grieve at a proper time, in a proper manner, and to a proper extent, is an exercise of virtue. This the virtue of penance enables us dtily to accomplish, for it sometimes happens that men conceive for their crimes a sorrow not proportioned to their grievousness. Nay, tliere are some, writes Solomon, who are glad when they have done evilp whilst others, on the contrary, yield themselves to such affliction of mind and such melan« choly, as even utterly to abandon all hope of salvation. Such perhaps was Cain when he said : My iniquity is greater than tJiat I-rrm/y deserve pa/rdon^ Such certamly was Judas,! -vvIjo^ repenting, hanged himself in despair, and thus sacrificed his life and salvation. By penance, therefore, con- sidered as a virtue, we are assisted to observe a due mean in our sorrow. QUESTION VII. Bow a Man ought to ie affected who truly repents. The same inference may also be drawn from the ends which the truly penitent proposes to himself. The first pur- pose is to destroy sin, and wipe away every fault and stain J Prov. ii. 14. "^ Gen. iv. 13, marginal reading. ' Matt, xxvii. 3, 5. s2 260 THE CATECHISM of the soul; the second, to satisfy God for the sins com- mitted, and this evidentfy is an act referable to justice. Between God and man, it is true, no strict relation of justice can exist, so great is the distance between them ; yet there is evidently a sort of justice, such as exists between fe,ther and children, between master and servants. The third end is for man to reinstate himself in the favour of God, whom he has offended, and whose hatred he has incurred by the defilement of sin. That penance appertains unto virtue, these matters sufficiently prove. QUESTION VIII. By what Steps, as it were, Man may ascend to that Divine Virtue of Penaiice. "We must also teach by what steps we may ascend to this divine virtue. First, then, the mercy of God prevents™ us, and turns our hearts tmto him : this was the object of the prophet's prayer : Twrn thou us, Lord ! unto thee, and we sJudl be turned.'^ Illumined by this celestial light, we next tend to God by faith : He that cometh to God, says the apostle, must believe that lie is, a/nd tliat he is a rewwrder of tMm that seek him." A. sense of fear follows, and the soul, contemplating the severe chastisements that await sin, is recalled therefrom ; and to this the words of Isaias seem to refer : Like as a wm7ian vnth child, vjhen she draweth newr the time of her delivery, is in 'pain, and crieth out in her pamgs, so are we become.'^ To this is also added a hope of obtaining mercy from God, and, uplifted by this hope, we resolve to amend our life and morals. Lastly, our hearts are inflamed by charity ; and hence arises that filial fear which exists among dutiful and ingenuous children. Thus, dreading only to offend in anything the Majesty of God, we entirely abandon the habit of sin. By these steps, then, as it were, we arrive at this most exalted virtue of penance. ^ /. e. precedes, goes before us. " Jerem. Lam. v^, 21. " Heb. xi. 6. p Isa. xxvi. 17. or THE conrciL or trent. 261, QUESTION IX. WliM is the Chief Fruit of the Virtue of Penance. And tMs virtue is to be deemed altogether heavenly and divine, to which the sacred Scriptures promise the inheritance of heaven, as we read in St. Matthew: Do peTiance, for the hmgdom of lieaven is at handj-i and in Ezekiel : If the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath convmitted, and keep all my statutes, and do judgment and justice, he shaU live the life ;^ and in another place : / desire not the death of the wicked, hut that the wicked tm/rn from his way and live ; ' words which are evidently to be understood of an eternal and happy life. QUESTION X. What is to he held concerning Outwm-d Penance, and why Christ willed to place it among the Nwmher of the Sacramenis, "With regard to outward penance, [the pastor] must teach that therein consists the nature of the sacrament, and that it has certain sensible things, significant of that which passes inwardly in the soul ; but why Christ the Lord was pleased to give it a place among the sacraments, is first to be explained to the faithful. Of this the great object was to give us less reason to doubt concerning the pardon of siu, promised by our Lord when he said : If the wicked do penance, &c. Por the mind should be in the greatest suspense as to the sin- cerity of inward penance, because, in pronouncing on what he himself does, every man has reason to ha,ve doubts re- specting his own judgment. To calm this our solicitude, the Lord therefore instituted the sacrament of penance, in which we cherish a well-founded confidence, that, through the abso- lution of the priest, our sins are forgiven us ; and our con- sciences, on account of the faith which is justly to be reposed in the virtue of the sacraments, are rendered more tranqml ; for the voice of the priest, legitimately pardoning our sins, is to be heard even as that of Christ the Lord, who said to the paralytic : Son, he of good cheer ; thy sins ajre forgiven thee} 1 Matt. iv. 17, with the usual mistranslation of fieravoritraTe. See my note on the " Decrees and Canons," p. 33. ' Ezek. XTiii. 21, very loosely rendered. ■ Bzek. xxxiii. 11. ' Matt. ix. 2. See Decrees and Canons, Sess. xiv. c. 1, p. 86, sqq. 262 THE CATECHISM Moreover, whereas no one can attain salvation but througli Christ, and by virtue of his passion, it -was agreeable to reason, and of very great advantage to us, that a sacrament should be instituted, by the force and efficacy of which the blood of Christ flowing to us might wash away the sins com- mitted after baptism, and that we might thus acknowledge that to our Saviour alone are we indebted for the blessing of reconciliation [with God]. QUESTION XI. In what marmer Penance is a Saerament of the New Law. ' But that penance is a sacrament pastors will easily teach ; for as baptism is a sacrament because it efiaces all sins, par- ticularly those contracted by origin ; in like manner, penance, which takes away aU sins committed after baptism, in thought, word, or deed, is reaUy and properly to be called a sacrament. Again, — and this is the chief point — ^who can deny that penance is endued with the true and proper nature of a sacrament? for a sacrament is the sign of a sacred thing;, but what is outwardly done by the sinner and the priest is a sign of what takes place internally in the soul ; for the. sinner unequivocally expresses, by words and actions, that he has withdrawn his mind from the defilement of sin, whilst in the words and actions of the priest we easily recognize the mercy of God remitting the sins themselves. This, however, is also clearly evinced by these words of the Saviour : / wUl give, to thee the heys of the hingdom ofheamen; amd whatsoever thou shalt loose wpon emrth, shall he loosed also in Jieaven ;" for the absolution, pronounced in the words of the priest, signifies the remission of sins, which it accomplishes in the soul. QUESTION Xn. The Sacrament of Penamce may he repeated. But the faithful are not only to be taught that penance is to be numbered amongst the sacraments, but that it is also amongst those sacraments that may be repeated. For unto Peter asking if sin were to be forgiven seven times, the Lord answered : I say not to thee wntil seven times, hut until seventy » Matt. xvi. 19. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 263 :ti'mes sevens Whenever, therefore, we have to do with those men who seem to lack confidence in the supreme goodness and clemency of God, we must seek to inspire their minds with confidence, and to uplift them to the hope of divine grace. This they will easily accomplish, by expounding the preceding passage ; by adducing other texts of the same import, which occur in great numbers throughout the sacred Writings ; and also by adopting those reasons and arguments, which are supplied by St. Chrysostom in his hook on the fallen, and by St. Ambrose in his books on penance.^ QUESTION XIII. Wlmt, and of what Tcimd, is the Matter of Perumce. And as nothing should be better known to the faithful people than the matter of this sacrament, they must be taught that penance difiers from the other sacraments prin- cipally in this, that the matter of the others is some production of nature or art, but the matter as it were of the sacrament of penance consists, as has been defined by the Council of Trent,'' of the acts of the penitent, that is, of contrition, confession, and satisfaction. They are called parts of penance, in as much as they are required in the penitent by the insti- tution of God, for the integrity of the sacrament, and the full and perfect remission of his sins. Nor are these acts called by the holy synod, the matter as it were, because they have not the nature of the true matter, but because they are not, like water in baptism, and chrism in confirmation, matter that may be applied externally. With regard to the opinion of some, that the sins themselves constitute the matter of tliis sacrament, if we attend well, it wiU not be found to differ at all from what has been just laid down ; for as we say that wood which is consumed by the violence of fire, is the matter of fire ; so sins which are destroyed by penance may also be properly called the matter of penance. ' Matt, xviii. 22. " Chrys. i. 5, lib. de laps, repar. et habetur de pcenit. diat. 3, o. talia -Ambr. de poenit. lib. i. c. 1 et 2. * See Decrees and Canons, Seas. xiv. t. 3, p. 88, aq. 264 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XIV. Wlmt is tlw F(yrm of the Sacrament of Penance. The form also, because the knowledge thereof is well cal- culated to excite the minds of the faithful to receive with the most earnest devotion the grace of this sacrament, pastors must not omit to explain. The form is : / absolve thee, as not only may be inferred from, these words : Whatsoever ye slvM hmd wpon ea/rth, shaill he hovmd also in hea/ven ;y but as we have also learned from the same doctrine of Christ our Lord, handed down to us by apostolic tradition ; and as the sacraments signify what they accomplish, and the words, / absolve thee, show that the remission of sins is accomplished through the administration of this sacrament, it follows evidently that -they constitute the perfect form of penance. Por sins are as it were the chains by which souls are held fettered, and from which they are loosed by the sacrament of penance. This form the priest pronounces with no less truth of that man also, who, by virtue of a most ardent contrition, accompanied however with a desire of confession, has already obtained from God the pardon of his sins. QUESTION XV. To what purpose otJier Pi-ayers are added to the Foi-m of this Saorament. Several prayers ai-e moreover added, not indeed as neces- sary to the form, but in order that those things may be removed, whieh, through the fault of the recipient, may impede the force and efficacy of the sacrament. QUESTION XVI. Sow different is the Power of the Priests of Christ in judging of the Leprosy of Sin from the Power possessed }»j the Priests of the Old Law, Wherefore, let the sinner give great thanks to God, who- has bestowed such ample power on priests of the Church. Unlike the authority given to the priests of the Old Law, merely to declare the leper cleansed from his leprosy,^ the power with which the priests in the Church are invested, is not simply to declare a person to be absolved fi'om Ms sins ;, -• Matt, xviii. 18. ' Levit. xiii. 9. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 265 tut, as the ministers of God, ttey really absolve ; and this God himself, the Author and Father of grace and justifica- tion, effects. QUESTION XVII. By what Marnier and by what Rites Penitents ought to recommend tlteir Act. The rites also, which are used in the administration of this sacrament, are to be diligently observed by the faithful. For so it -will come to pass, that they will thus retain a deeper impression of the blessings, which they have acqtiired by means of this sacrament, namely, that as servants they have been reconciled to their most clement Lord, or rather, as children, to the best of Fathers. They will, at the same time, more easily understand the duty incumbent on those, who desire (and aU should desire) to evince their grateful re- membrance of so great a benefit. For he that repents him of his sins, casts himself down with a lowly and hiimbled spirit at the feet of the priests, that in this his so himible demeanour he may easily recognize the necessity of extir- pating pride, from which all those enormities which he deplores derive their birth and origin. In the priest, who sits as his legitimate judge, he should venerate the person and power of Christ the Lord ; for in the administration of the sacrament of penance, as in that of the others, the priest discharges the function of Christ. The penitent next proceeds to the enumeration of his sins, acknowledging him- self deserving of the severest and bitterest chastisements, and suppliant, implores pardon for his offences. To the antiquity of all these rites St. Dionysius bears the most authentic testimony.* QUESTION XVIII. What Advantages Men chie/ly derhefrom, the Sacrainent of Penance. To the faithful, however, nothing will prove more advan- tageous, and nothing will give them greater alacrity to receive the sacrament of penance, than if the pastors frequently explain the great advantages which we may derive therefrom. They will then understand, that of • Of. Bp. viii. § 1, and Tertull. de poenit. i. 9. 266 THE CATECHISM penance it may truly be said, that its root is bitter, but its fruits very sweet. In this then consists all the efficacy of penance, that it restores us to the favour of God, and unites us to Viirn in the closest friendship. After this reconciliation ■with God, pious men, -who approach this sacrament hobly and devoutly, sometimes experience the greatest peace and tranquillity of conscience, accompanied with the highest spiritual delight. Por there is no crime, however grievous, however revolting, which the sacrament of penance does not remit, not once only, but often and repeatedly : If, says the Almighty, by the mouth of the prophet, the wicked do pena/ncefor all his sins, which he hath committed, cmd heep all my coTnmandments, and dojvdgm,ent cmdjristice, he shall live the life, and shall not die; andlwiU not remember all his ini- quities which he hath done?' If, says St. John, we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins ; "= and a little after : If any man sin (and he excepts no sort of sin), we have an cuiaocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous; and he is the propitiation for owr sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world A QUESTION XIX. It what marmer it is said that certain Sins cannot he remitted. If, therefore, we read in the Scriptures of some who most earnestly implored the mercy of God, but obtained it not, we may imderstand that it is because they did not repent truly and from the heart. Whenever, therefore, in the sa- cred Scriptures, or in the holy Fathers, passages occur which seem to say, that some sins cannot be remitted, we must in- terpret such passages to mean, that it is extremely difficult to obtain the pardon of them ; for as a disease is said to be incurable, when the patient is so affected, that he loathes the medicine that would accomplish Ms cure ; so is there a cer- tain kind of sin that is not remitted or pardoned, because it repels the grace of God, the proper remedy of salvation. To this effect, it has been said by St. Augustine : When, after Juwing arrived at a knowledge of God, through tlie grace of Olvrist, any one opposes fraternity, and bu/rns with tlie torches of envy, in opposition to grace itself, so deep is the stain of sin, ^ Ezek. xviii. 21, 22. ' 1 John i. 9. J Ibid. ii. 1, 2. OF THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 267 thai, althoitgh Ms had conscience is forced to acknowledge and declwre its gwUt, he cannot svhmit to tJie hMmUiation ofim- phrmg pwrdon.' QUESTION XX. No one com obtain Pardon of Ms Sins without Pma/nce. But to return to penance, to it in so special a manner be- longs tte efficacy of blotting out sins, that without penance ■we cannot by any means obtain, or even hope for, remission of sins ; for it is written : Except ye do penance, ye shaM all likewise perish.^ These words of our Lord are to be understood of grievous and mortal sins, although the lighter sins, which are called venial, also require some kind of penance : If, says St. Augustine, without penance, venial sins could he remitted, the dml/y penance performed for them hy the Chmrch wvuM he of no o/ooMM QUESTION XXI. The Three Integral Pa/rts of Penance. But whereas on those matters which, in any degree affect practice, it is not enough to speak in general terms, pastors wiU take care to expound severally all those particulars, from which the faithful may derive a knowledge of true and salu- tary penance. To this sacrament, then, it is peculiar that, besides matter and form, which are common to all the sacra- ments, it has also, as we before said, what constitute integral parts of penance, which are contrition, confession, and satisfaction, of which St. Chrysostom speaks thus : Penamce com/pels the siamer cheerfully to wndergo aM things ; in his hea/rt is aonlrition ; on his lips, confession ; amd in Jm deeds all humility, or a fruitful satisfaction)^ These parts [of penance] are such as we say are necessary to constitute a whole. The human form, for example, is composed of many members, of hands, feet, eyes, and other such parts, of which if any be wanting, the body is justly deemed imperfect, and ' Lib. i. de sermon. Domini in monte, c. 42 et 44, et retract, lib. c. 8, 19. Aug. serm. i. de verbis Domini, et 60, ad Bonif. ' Liike xiii. 3. " Do penance," however, here, as in Q. IX. p. 261, means what has been spoken of as the virtue of penance. s Aug. lib. 50, bom. 50, item epist. 168, ad Encb. c. 71. '' Horn. 11, de prenit. Vid. cone. Trid. 14, de pcenit. c. 3, et can. 4. Item. cone. Elor. in doctrin. de Sacram. 268 THK CATECHISM if not wanting, perfect. In like manner, also, penance con- sists of the said three parts ; and although, as far as concerns its nature, contrition and confession are sufficient for the justification of man, yet, if unaccompanied by the third part, which is satisfaction, something is still wanting to its absolute perfection. Hence, so connected are these parts one with the other, that contrition includes in itself the design and pur- pose of confession and satisfaction, and contrition and a desire of satisfaction precede confession, and the other two precede satisfaction. QUESTION XXII. In what mwnner the Existence of these Three Parts of Penance is inferred. Why there are these three parts of penance may be explained on the principle, that we offend God by thought, word, and actual deed; and it was proper that we, submitting ourselves to the keys of the Church, should endeavour to appease his wrath, and obtain from him the pardon of our sins, by the very same things, by which we offended the most holy Majesty of God. In further confirmation we may add, that penance is, as it were, a certain compensation for offences committed, proceeding from the will of the person who offends, and appointed by the will of God, to whom the offence has been offered. A willingness to compensate is therefore required ; and in this willingness contrition chiefly consists. The penitent must also submit himself to the judgment of the priest, who is the vicegerent of God, to enable him to award a punishment proportioned to his guilt ; and hence are clearly perceived the nature and necessity of confession and satisfaction. QUESTION XXIII. What is properly meant by Contrition in this matter. But as the faithful require iustruction on the force and nature of these parts of penance, we must first begin with contrition, which is to be carefully explaiaed ; for as often as past transgressions recur to the mind, or we offend anew, so often should the heart feel contrition. By the Fathers of the Council of Trent, it is thus defined : Contrition is a sorrow of mind, and a detestation for tlie sin committed, with tJie OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 269 purpose of sinning 'no moreS Speaking of the manner of contrition, the Council a little after adds : In tlds case only it prepares for tlie remission of sins, if it he united with confi- dence in the diviiie inercy, and with the desire of performing the other things, which are requi/red for rightly receiving this sacra/ment. From this definition, therefore, the faithful will understand, that the force of contrition does not consist simply in ceasing to sin, purposing to enter, or actually entering, on a new life ; but that first of all the sinner must •conceive a hatred of, and endeavour to expiate his past ill- spent life. This, those cries of the holy fathers, which the Scriptures inform us were poured out by them, most strongly confirm : / am weary with my groaning, says David, every night I wUl wash my ted ; and : The Lord Iwih lieard ilve voice of my weeping yj and again in another place : / will recount to thee all my yea/rs, says the prophet Isaiah, in the hitter'iiess of my soul.^ These, and many other exclamations of the same import, are the expressions of a vehement hatred of past life, and detestation of past transgressions. QUESTION XXIV. Why Contrition has Iceii defined to he Sorrow hy the Fathei-s of the CoivneU. But, although contrition is defined a sorrow, the faithful are to be admonished not to conclude thence, that this sor- row consists in sensible feeling ; for contrition is an opera- tion of the will, and, as St. Augustine beareth witness, sorrow is not penance, but an accompaniment of penance.^ But under the name of sorrow the Fathers [of Trent] under- stood a hatred and detestation of sin ; because, in this sense, the sacred Scriptures make use of the words : How long, says David, slwll I take counsel in my soul, sorrow in my hea/rt all the day .?'" and, also, because from contrition itself arises sorrow in the inferior part of the soul, which is the seat of concupiscence ; so that with propriety has contrition been defined a soi-row, because it produces sorrow, to express which penitents used also to change their garments, a cir- ' Decrees and Canons, Sess. xiv. u. 4, p. 89 of my translation. J Ps. vi. 7, sq. ^ Isa. xxxviii. 15. "I shall go softly all my years." Homil. 50. " Ps. xii. 2. 270 THE CATECHISM cumstaace to which our Lord alludes when he says : Woe v/nto thee, Cliorazinl woe wnto thee, Bethsandal for if the mighty works, which had been done in you, had been done in Tyre amd Sidon, they would long ago home done penance, in sackcloth and ashes.^ QUESTION XXV. Why Contrition is called hy T/ieologiams a Detestation of Sim. To signify the force of this sorrow, the detestation of sin, of which we speak, is designated hy the word eoniriUon, a word which, Uterally understood, means the breaking of anything into small parts, by means of a stone or of some other harder substance, and which is here used metaphor- ically, to signify that our hearts, hardened by pride, are beaten down and reduced by penance. Hence no other sorrow, not even that which is felt for the death of parents or children, or for any other caJamity, is called contrition ; but the word is exclusively employed to express that sorrow, with which we are overwhelmed by the loss of the grace of God and of innocence. QUESTION XXVI. By whai other Names the same Detestation of Sin is sometimes caMed. The same thing is, however, often designated by other names also : for it is sometimes called contrition of heart, because the word hea/rt is frequently used in the sacred Scrip- tures to express the will. !For as the heart is the principle, by which the motions of the human system are originated, so the will is the faculty, that regulates and governs all the other powers of the soul. By the holy Fathers it is also called compunction ofJieart; and hence, the works written by them on contrition they preferred inscribing. Treatises on compvmction of hea/rt,° for as imposthumes axe cut with an instrument, to enable the shut-up virus to escape, so is the heart cut with the knife, as it were, of contrition, to enable it to eject the deadly poison of sin. Hence, contrition is called by the prophet Joel, a rending of the heart : Twm ye to me, says he, with all your heart with fasting, amd with weepimg, amd with mourning, and rend your hearts.^ » Matt. xi. 21. " See the treatise of St. Chrysostom, for example. P Joel ii. 12. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 271 QUESTION XXVII. WJiy the Sorrow far Sims, comprised rnider the name of Contrition, ought to he most great and most vehement. That for transgressions before committed the sinner should experience the deepest and greatest sorrow, a sorrow not to be exceeded even in imagination, will easily be proved from the following considerations. Perfect contrition is an opera- tion of charity, proceeding from what is called filial fear, and hence the measure of contrition and of charity should manifestly be the same ; but the charity, which we cherish towards God, is the most perfect love ; therefore, the sorrow that accompanies contrition should also be the most vehe- ment. For as God is to be loved above aU things, whatever things alienate us from God, are to be detested above all things. It is also to be observed, that to charity and con- trition the language of Scripture assigns the same extent : of charity it is said : T/wu slialt love the Lord thy God with thy whole hea/rt ;i of contrition the Lord cries out by his prophet : Be converted ivith all yowr liea/rty Besides, if, as of all things that deserve our love God is the supreme good, so also among all things that deserve our hatred sin is the supreme evil, it follows that on the same principle that we confess that God is supremely deserving of love, we should also hold sin in supreme detestation. That the love of God is to be preferred to aU things, so that, even to save our life, it is not lawful to sin, these words of the Redeemer clearly teach us : He that loveth father or mother more them me, is not worthy ofm^;^ and : Whosoever wiM save his life shall lose it.*' It is also to be remarked, that as St. Bernard beareth witness, charity recognizes no prescribed Umit nor measure, or, to use his own words, as tlie measure of loving God is to love him without measitre ;^ so the hatred of sin is to be defined by no limits. Besides, let our contrition be not only very great, but also very vehe- ment, and thus perfect ; and let it exclude all apathy and indifierence, for it is written in Deuteronomy : When tliou sh(dt seek the Lord thy God, thou sJudtfind him ; even if thou ■! Deut. vi. 5. ' Loo. cit. « Matt. x. 37. ' Matt. xvi. 25. " Lib. de diligendo Deo, o. 1. 272 THE CATECHISM seek him, loith all thy heart, a/nd aU the trihulation of thy soul;^ and in Jeremiah. : Ye shall seek me a/nd find me, wlien ye shaU search for me with all yowr hewrt ; wnd I loiH he found of you, saith the Lord J QUESTION XXVIII. Contrition ceases not to ie tni£ even if Sensible Sorrow for Sins he not absolute. If, however, we may not succeed in rendering it thus per- fect, our contrition, neYcrtheless, may be trae and efficacious. For it often happens that things which fall under the senses affect us more than spiritual things ; and hence some per- sons experience a greater sense of grief for the loss of their children than for the baseness of their sins. The same judgment is also to be formed, should the bitterness of our grief be unaccompanied with tears, which, however, are very much to be desired and commended in penance ; and on this matter St. Augustine has admirably observed : The bowels of Christian charity are not within thee, if thou lewailest the body, from which the soul has depa/rted, hut bewailest not the soul, from lohich God lias departed.^'' To this the words of the Redeemer above cited have reference : Woe to thee, Chorazin ! woe to tliee, Bethsaida ! for if the migMy works thai home been done in you, luad been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have done penance, in sackcloth a/nd ashes.^ Of this, however, we ought to find sufficient proof iu the well-known examples of the Ninevites,?' of David,^ of the woman who was a sinner,* and of the prince of the apostles,'' all of whom obtained the pardon of their sins, imploring the mercy of God with abundance of tears. QUESTION XXIX. Capital Sills sliovld lie vmdimdually detested in Contrition. But the faithful are most particularly to be exhorted and admonished, that they study to direct the ti-ue grief of contrition specially to each mortal sin, for this is the de- » Deut. iv. 29, sq. " Jer. xxix. 18, sq. "' Ser. 41 de Sanctis. ' Matt. xi. 21. y Jonah iii. 3. ' See the Psalms in our service for Ash-Wednesday. • Lnlie vii. 37, 48, 51. '' Luke xxii. 62. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 273 Bcription that Ezekiel (Isaiah) gives of contrition, when he says : I mU recount to iliee all my yea/rs in the bitterness of my sold ;" for to recount all our years is to count over and examine our sins individually, in order that we may be heartily sorry for them. In EzeHel we also read : If the vnclced do penamce for all Ms sins, lie slwM live ;'^ and to this effect, St. Augustine says : Let tlve sinner consider the qtudity of his crime, as affected by time, place, va/riety, person." QUESTION XXX. It is svtffideiit sometimes tluit aU Offences he collectively detested. Let not the faithful, however, despair of the infinite goodness and mercy of God in this matter, who, most desirous, as he is, of our salvation, inteirposes no delay to bestow our pardon, but embraces with paternal love the sinner, the moment he enters into himself and turns himself unto the Lord, having detested •his sins generally, which he intends afterwards, if possible, to recall severally to his mind, and to abhor. For the Almighty himself, by the mouth of his prophet, commands us thus to hope, when he says : Tlie wickedness ofilie wicked shall not hujrt him, in the day that lie shall twrn away from his wickedness.^ QUESTION XXXI. What things are especially requisite for Ti'ue Contrition. From what has been said, therefore, may be tmderstood those things, which are most necessary to true contrition, on which the faithful must be acciu-ately instructed ; to the end that each may know how he is to attain it, and may have a rule whereby to determine, how far he may be removed from the perfection of this virtue. We must, then, in the first place, detest and bewail all oiu* sins, lest, if our sorrow extend only to some, our repentance be fictitious and pre- tended, not salutary ; for, as the apostle St. James has said : Whosoever slwll keep tlie wlwle lam, and yet offend in one point, is become guilty qfall.s In the next place, our con- trition itself must be accompanied with a desire of confession ■and satisfaction, of which we shall afterwards treat in their ' Is. xxxviii. 15. '' Ezek. xviii. 21, "will turn from all," in our version. ' Lib. de vera et falsa relig. c. 14. ' Ezek. xxxiii. 12. E James ii. 10. T 274 THE CATECHISM proper place. Thirdly, the penitent must form a fixed and firm purpose of amendment of life, according to these ex- press words of the prophet : If the wiched do penamce for all his sins that he hath commiitted, amd keep all my statutes, amd do judgment and justice, he shall Uve the life, and sImU not die : I will not remember all his iniqidties which he hath done ;^ and a little after : When tlie ivicked mam, twrneth away from his wickedness, which he hath wrought, amd doeth judgment amd justice, lie shall save his sovl alive y' and after a little : Be converted, says he, cmd do penance for all your iniquities, and iniquity shall not be yowr ruin. Oast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye home i/ram,sgressed, amd make yourselves a new hea/rt and a new spirit J To the woman who had been caught Iq adultery Christ the Lord imparts the same lesson of instruction : Go, says he, and now sin no more ;^ and also the paralytic, whom he cured at the pool of Bethesda : Behold, says he, thou a/rt made whole ; sin no more} QUESTION XXXII. It is sliowii that Sorrow fm- Past Sin, and bewaring of it hereafter, is Tiecessajry fm' Oontrition. But that sorrow for past sin, and a firm purpose cautiously to avoid such sin for the future, are indispensable to contri- tion, is clearly shown by nature and reason. For he who would be reconciled to a friend whom he had injured, must both regret to have injured or ofiended him, and must diligently take care that his future conduct be such^ as to prevent the appearance of ofiending, in anything, against Mendship. These two dispositions must necessarily be ac- companied by obedience, for the law to which man is subject, be it natural and divine, or human, he is bound to obey. If, therefore, the penitent has taken anything from his neigh- bour by force or firaud, he is obliged to make restitution ; and if, by word or deed, he has injured his honour or livelihood, he is also under obligation to repair the injury by some suitable compensation of profit or service, accord- ing to the well-known maxim of St. Augustine : Tlie sin is- not forgiven, unless what was taken away, be restored.^ '■ Ezek. xviii. 21, sq. ' Id. zviii. 27. ' Id. va. 30, sq. '' John viii. U. ' Id. V. 14. ■" Epist. V. i (153, o. 6). OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 275 QUESTION XXXIII. We mint show InckUgence towards others, if we wish it to le shown towards its. Moreover, a quality wMch, amongst tte other tilings most necessary unto contrition, demands no less attention, and is of no less necessity, -viz. that it must be accompanied witli an entire forgiveness of whatever injuries we may have sustaiued from others. Por our Lord and Saviour admo- nishes and denounces thus : If ye forgive men their trespasses, yowt hea/venly Father will also forgive you your trespasses; hut if ye forgixe not men, neither will yov/r Father forgive you yowr trespasses.^ These are the things to be observed by the faithful, with regard to contrition. The other things, which pastors will easily be able to collect on the subject, will, indeed, serve to render contrition more perfect and complete in its kind, but are not to be deemed of such necessity, as that without them true and salutary penance cannot exist. QUESTION XXXIV. What is the Proper Force ajid Utility of Contntion. But, as it should not be enough for pastors to teach what appears necessary to salvation, unless they also labour with all care and industry to induce the faithful to direct their lives and actions according to the rule prescribed for them, it will be of the utmost advantage, to place before them frequently the force and utility of contrition. For, although other pious practices, such as beneficence to the poor, fast- ings, prayers, and the like, in themselves holy and beseeming works, are sometimes rejected by God, through the fault of those from whom they proceed j contrition itself can cer- tainly never be otherwise than grateful and acceptable to him, according to these words of the jprophet : A contrite and humbled heart, God J thou wilt not despise." Nay more, that no sooner do we conceive this contrition in our hearts, than our sins are forgiven us by God, the same prophet elsewhere declares in these words : / said, I will corifess against myself my transgressions unto tlve Lord, a/nd thoni, forga/oest the iniquity of my sin.V Of this we observe a " Matt. vi. 14. ■> Ps. 1. 19 (li. 17). ■■ Ps. xxxi (xxxii.) 5. t2 276 THE CATECHISM figure in the ten lepers, -wiio, when sent by our Lord to tlie priests, were cured of their leprosy, before they reached them; 9 giving us to undei-stand, that such is the efficacy of true contrition, of which we have above spoken, that by virtue thereof we obtain from the Lord the immediate pardon of aU our sins. QUESTION XXXV. In what manner we arrive at the Perfection of Contrition. It will also have much iafluence in exciting the minds of the faithful, if pastors wiU lay down some rule, according to which each person may exercise himself in a maimer con- . ducive to contrition. All should be admonished to see, by frequent examination of conscience, if they have observed those things which are commanded by God, or by the ordi- nances of the Church ; and should any one find himself guilty of any crime, let him at once accuse himself sup- pliantly ask pardon from God, and implore that time both for confession and satisfaction be granted him. Above all, let him ask the aid of divine grace not to fall in future into those same sins, which he is heartily sorry for having com- mitted. Pastors will also take care to excite the greatest hatred on the part of the faithful against sin, as wtU because its foulness and turpitude are very great, as because it biings upon us the heaviest losses and calamities ; for it alienates from us the friendship of God, from whom we have received the greatest blessings, and might have expected and obtained far greater, and consigns us to eternal death, ever to be afflicted with the most excruciating torments. Having said thus much on contrition, let us now come to confession, which is the second part of penance. QUESTION XXXVI. OftJie Excellence of Confession, cmd the Importance of its Institution for tile Salvation of Christiaiis. The great care and assiduity which the pastor should devote to its exposition wiU be easily understood, if we but reflect that, according to the general opinion of the pious, to " Luke xvii. 14. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 277 confession is, in a great measure, to be ascribed wbatever of holiness, piety, and religion has been preserved in the Church in our times, through the immense beneficence of God. It cannot, therefore, be matter of surprise, that the enemy of the human race, in his efforts to overthro-w to its foundation the Catholic faitb, should, through the agency of the ministers and satellites of his impiety, have endeavoured to assail with all his might this citadel, as it were, of Christian virtue. [The pastor,] therefore, will first teach that the institution of confession has been to us supremely useful, and even neces" sary. For, granting that by contrition sins are blotted out, who is ignorant, that [to effect this] it must be so vehement, so intense, so ardent, as that the bitterness of our sorrow may be compared with, and bear a j^roportion to, the mag- nitude of our crimes ? But as this is a degree of contrition to which very few could reach, the consequence also was, that very few could have hoped thereby to obtain the pardon of their sins. QUESTION XXXVII. Confession perfects Contrition. It therefore became necessary that the Lord, in his infinite mercy, should provide by some easier means for the common salvation of men : and this he did, in his admirable wisdom, when he gave to his Church the keys of the kingdom of heaven. For, according to the doctrine of the Catholic faith, it is to be believed and firmly professed by all, that if any one be affected with sorrow for his sins, and with a firm resolution to avoid sin for the future, although he be not impressed with such contrition as may be sufficient of itself to obtain pardon, all his crimes, if they be duly confessed to the priest, are yet remitted and pardoned by the power of the keys ; so that justly was it proclaimed by those most holy men, our Fathers, that by the keys of the Church is thrown open the gate of heaven.' This is a truth of which no one is at Uberty to doubt, the Council of Florence having defined, that the effect of penance is absolution from sins.' But the great utility derived from confession may also be ■ ' Ambr. aenn. i. de quadrag. citatur de poenit. dist. i. o. eooe nunc. August, lib. 2, de adul. conjug. 59. Chrysost. de sacerdot. lib. 2. ■ Flor. Cono. in deoreto Eugenii TV. de poenit. dist. 6, u. sacerdoa. 278 THE CATECHISM estimated from the fact, that ■we know from experience, that to those who have led an immoral life nothing is so usefol towards reformation of morals, as sometimes to disclose their secret thoughts, their whole words and deeds, to a prudent and faithful friend, who may be capable of assisting them by his advice and co-operation. On the same principle, there- fore, should it be deemed most salutary to those whose minds are agitated by the consciousness of guilt, to lay open the diseases and wounds of their souls to the priest, as the vice- gerent of Christ the Lord, who is bound by the severest law to eternal secrecy ; for they wiU find immediate remedies at hand, that possess a certain heavenly efficacy not only in curing their present malady, but in preparing the soul so as not easily to relapse into the same kind of disease and in- firmity. Nor should we pass over another advantage of con- fession, which appertains greatly unto social life and inter- course. Take away sacramental confession from Christian discipline, and it is evident that all things will be replete with secret and unutterable crimes, — crimes, too, with others stiU more grievous, that men, depraved by vicious habits, will not afterwards dread to commit in broad daylight ; for the shame that attends confession bridles inordinate and licen- tious desires, and restrains crime. Having now explained the advantages of confession, the pastor will next unfold its nature and efficacy. QUESTION XXXVm. Natwe and Efficacy of Confesdon. Confession, then, is defined to be a saoromiental accusation of onis self, Tnade with a view of obtaining pa/rdon hy m/rtue of the heys. It is properly called an accusation, because sins are not to be told as if the sinner would boast of his crimes, as they do who rejoice when they have done evil ;* nor are they at all to be told as a history of passing occurrences to amuse idle hearers ; but they are to be confessed as matters of self-accusation, with a desire even to avenge them on our- selves. But we confess our sins with a view to obtain the pardon of them; and, in this respect, the tribunal [of penance] differs from other tribunals, which take cognizance of capital ' See Prov. ii. li. OF THE COUNCIL Or TEENT. 279 offences, and before whicli a confession of guilt is not followed by acquittal or pardon, but by sentence and punisbment. The definition of confession by tbe holy Fathers," although different in words, is to the same effect : Confession, says St. Augustine, is the disclosure of a secret disease, with the hope of obtaining pardon /^ and St. Gregory : Confession is a detestation of sins y^ both of which, because contained in. it, may be easily referred to the preceding definition. QUESTION XXXIX. For what reason and why Confession was instituted by Christ. The pastor will next teach, — and it is a matter to which the highest importance must be attached, and which he will deliver to the faithful without any hesitation — that, through his supreme bounty and mercy, this sacrament was instituted by Christ the Lord, who did all things weU, and solely with a view to our salvation. After his resurrection, he breathed on the assembled apostles, saying : Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sills ye sliaU renvii, tJiey a/re remitted unto them ; and lohose ye shall retain, they aire retained.''- QUESTION XL. From what other Passages of Scripture we may infer that Confession was instituted by Christ. Whereas, therefore, the Lord gave unto his disciples the power of retaining and remitting sins, it is plain that they were also constituted judges touching this matter. And the Lord appears to have signified the same thing when, having raised Lazarus from the dead, he commanded his apostles to loose him from the bands in which he was bounds' This is the interpretation of St. Augustine : Priests themselves, says he, cam nmo he more serviceable, more indulgent towa/rds those wlho cmifesSjfor to those to whom they remit crime the Lord remits it, that is, through his apostles. Lazarus, whom he had already recalled fro'm the tomh, lie presented to his disciples to be loosed, thus i/ntimating that to priests was given the power of loosing.'^ To this also refers the command given to the " Chrysost. xx. in Genes. ' Aug. serm. iv. ■" Greg. hom. xl. in Evangel. ^ John xx. 22, 23. y John xi. i4. ' De vera at falsa poenit. c. 16. 280 THE CATECHISM lepers cured on the -way, to show themselves to the priests, and subject themselves to their judgment.'' QUESTION XLI. In what manner we may infer, from tJie Words of our Lord, that Confession should he made to the Priest, and that the successors of the Apostles are Judges. Since, therefore, our Lord gave to his priests the power to remit and retain sins, they were evidently constituted judges of this matter, on which they are to pronounce ; and as, according to the wise admonition of the Council of Trent,'' we cannot form an accurate judgment on any matter, or award to crime a just limit and proportion of punishment, without having previously examined and fully understood the cause ; hence arises a necessity of the penitent's making known to the priest, through the medium of confession, each and every sin. This doctrine pastors will teach — a doctrine defined by the holy Synod of Trent, and the uniform tradition of the Catholic Church. For if we attentively study the holy Fathers, we shall meet throughout their works the clearest testimonies, confirmiag the fact that this sacrament was instituted by Christ our Lord, and that the law of sacra- mental confession, which from the Greek they call exomolo- gesis and exagoreusis, is to be received as evangelical. If, besides, we examine the figures of the Old Testament, to the confession of sins beyond all doubt appear to have reference the various sorts of sacrifices which were ofiered by the priests for the expiation of diSerent sorts of sius. QUESTION XLII. With what purpart the Church added certain Ceremonies to tlie Sacramental Cmifession, But not only are the faitliful to be taught that confession "S7as instituted by our Lord and Saviour, but they must also be reminded, that by authority of the Church have been added ceiiiain rites and solemn ceremonies, which, although they be not essential to the sacrament, serve to place its dignity more clearly before the eyes of those confessing, and " Luke xvii. 14. '' See Decrees and Canons, Sess, xiv. c. 5, p. 91. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 281 to prepare tlieir souls, no-w inflamed with piety, the more easily to obtain the grace of God. For when, with uncovered head, prostrate at the feet of the priest, with face fixed on the earth, and hands raised in supplication to heaven, and with other such indications of Christian humility, not how- ever essential to the sacrament, we confess our sias at the feet of the priest, we are thus impressed with a clear convic- tion of the heavenly virtue of the sacrament, and of the necessity of earnestly entreating and imploring the divine mercy. QUESTION XLIII. They who are gmZty of Capital Offeiicea, cannot recover Salvation without Confession. Nor let any one suppose that confession was indeed insti- tuted by our Lord, but yet in suchwise as not to impose a necessity for its use. For the faithful are to hold, that he who is weighed down by mortal g"uilt, must be recalled to spiritual hfe by the sacrament of confession ; and this the Lord clearly signifies by a most beautiful metaphor, when he calls the power of administering this sacrament the key of the kingdom of heaven ;•= for as no one can gain admittance into a place without the aid of him to whom the keys have been committed, so we understand that no one can gain admission into heaven unless its gates be opened by the priests, to whose fidelity the Lord has confided its keys, otherwise this power of the keys would be unavailing in the Church ; and if heaven can be entered by any other way, ia vara shall he to whom the power of the keys has been intrusted prohibit any one from entrance within. St. Au- gustiue had admirably reflected upon this doctrine, when he said : Lit no mam say within himiself, " / repent in secret with God ; God, who lias to pa/rdon me, knows the feelings of my lieaH." Was there no reason, then, for saying : "W7iatsoever ye sluM loose upon earth, sliall he loosed also in heaven,^ no reason why the keys were given to the Church of God 1^ To the same effect writes St. Ambrose, in Ms book on penance, when the heresy of the Novatians, who asserted, that to God alone was reserved the power of remitting sins : Who, says he, yields greater reverence to God, he who obeys or lie wlio resists ' Matt. xvi. 19. " Lib. 1. hom. 49. ' Matt, xviii. 18. 282 THE CATECHISM his commhomda ? God commcmded us to obey Ms ynkiisters ; and hy obeying them, we honowr God aloneS QUESTION XLIV. Atwhaitime ofZife, and at what Season of the Year, Confession should be made. As there can be no doubt that tbe law of confession was enacted and established by our Lord himself, it is naturally our duty to ascertain, by whom, at what age, and at what season of the year, it ought to be observed. In the first place, then, from the canon of the Council of Lateran, which begins : Om/nis utriusque sexus, it is clear, that no person is bound by the law of confession, until the age when he has arrived at the use of reason, a time, however, that has not been defined by any fixed number of years ;= but it may be laid down as a general principle, that a child is boimd to go to confession, as soon as he is able to discern between good and evil, and as soon as his mind is capable of maJice. For when any one has arrived at an age to consider the work of salvation, he is then bound to confess his sins to the priest, without which act no one, who is weighed down with the conscioiLsness of guilt, can hope for salvation. In the same canon the Church has defined the period, within which we are most particularly bound to confess ; for she commands aU the faithful to confess their sins at least once a year.'' QUESTION XLV. Sow often Christians ought to avail tliemsehes of this Blessing. If, however, we consider what our eternal salvation de- mands, we certainly ought not neglect confession, as often as we are threatened either by danger of death, or undertake to perform any act incompatible with the state of a man defiled with sin, such as to administer or receive the sacraments. The same rule should be strictly followed, when we are apprehensive of forgetfulness of some sin, into which we may have fallen, for we cannot confess our sins, except we recollect them ; nor do we obtain from the Lord the remis- sion of them, imless they be effaced through confession by the sacrament of penance. < De pcen. i. 2. " Cone. Lat. o. 22. '' Cone. Lat. c. 21. OF THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 283 QUESTION XL VI. All Sims should imcUviduaMy he detailed m Confesdon. But, as in confession many things are to be observed, some of which appertain to the nature of the sacrament, some are less necessary, [the faithful] must be accurately instructed on these matters ; and books and treatises are by no means wanting, from whicli we may easily draw all such instructions. Above aJl, pastors must not omit to inform the faithful, that they are to take care that their confession possess integrity and completeness : all mortal sins must be revealed to the priest ; but venial sias, which do not sunder us from the grace of God, and into which we fall more frequently, although, as the experience of the pious proves, proper and profitable to be confessed, may, nevertheless, be omitted without sin, and expiated by a variety of other means. But mortal sins, as we have already said, although buried in the darkest secrecy, even such only as are for- bidden by the niuth and tenth commandments,' are all and each of them to be enumerated ia confession. For it often happens that such secret sins inflict deeper wounds on the soul, than those that men commit openly and publicly. This is a matter defined by the holy CouncU of Trent,J and, as we know from the testimonies of the holy Fathers, the con- stant tradition of the Catholic Church : Without the confes- sion of his sin, says St. Ambrose, wo niam, can he justified from his sin.^ The same doctrine is confirmed by St. Je- rome on Ecclesiastes, for he says : If the serpent, the devU, IwfS secretly and without the knowledge of a third person, bitten any one, and has infected him, with the poison of sin; if the person is silent amd toill not do penance, and is un- wUling to disclose hAs wound to his brother or master, his •master, w7w has a tongv^e to cure him, can email him nought. The same doctrine is most explicitly taught by St. C3rprian, in his sermon on the lapsed : Although free frmn the guiU, says he, of sacrifidng to idols, or of Jiaving purcJiased ' I. e. sins of desire, or covetousness. The Roman Catholics divide the last commandment into two, to which division reference is here made. See the late Dr. Lingard's " Remarks on a Charge delivered to the Clergy of of the Diocese of Durham," 12mo. Dublin, 1822, p. 21. ' Sess. xiv. c. 5, andean. 7. ^ Lib. de Paradise, c. 14. 284 THE CATECHISM certificates^ to that effect ; yet, as they entertained tlie tlvouglii of doing so, they sorrowfully confess that same to the priest of God, they make the discloswre of thevr conscience, expose tJie hwrden of tlieir soul, seek a saluta/ry medicine for their wounds, although small and slight.™ Such, in fine, is the unanimous voice and sentiment of all the doctors of the Church." QUESTION XLVII. The Ciremnstcmces of Sins are to he mentioned in Confession. But in confession we should employ all that special care and diligence, which we usually bestow upon concerns of the greatest moment ; and all our study should be directed to efiect the cure of our spiritual wounds, and eradicate sin from the soul. "With the bare enumeration of our grievous sins, we should not be satisfied ; but [we should also enu- merate] such circumstances as are connected with each sin, and which considerably aggravate or extenuate their base- ness. For some circumstances are such, as of themselves to constitute mortal sin, and are therefore by all means to be confessed. Has any one imbrued his hands in the blood of his fellow man? He must state whether his victim was a la3rman or an ecclesiastic. Has he had illicit intercourse with a woman? He must state whether the female was free from marriage restriction, married, or a relative, or a person consecrated to God by vow. These are circumstances which alter the species of the sins ; so that the first is ' called by theologians, simjDle fornication ; the second, adul- tery ; the third, incest ; and the fourth, sacrilege. Again, theft is numbered in the catalogue of sins ; but if a person has stolen a guinea, his sin is far less grievous than if he ■ So Donovan. The original is, " nuUo sacrificii aut libelli facinore conatrioto." The French translation of 1673 has, " et quoique ces personnes n'ayent pas coramia en effet le crime de sacrifier aus idoles, ou d'avoir re5U des certificats des magistrats." "" Circa finem. " The editora give the following note : — " Singula pecoata mortalia confiteii oportere docent August, lib. de vera et falsa poenit. c. 10 ; Gregor. homil. x. super Ezechiel ; Ambr. lib. de parad. c. 14 ; Hieron. in Ecclesiast. o. 10 ; Cypr. de lapsis circa finem ; Vid. et de poenit. dist. iii. cap. sunt plurea, etc, pluit. et ibid. dist. i. u. quem poen. et ibid, pass." OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 285 had stolen one or two hundred guineas, or an immense sum of money ; and if the stolen money were sacred, the sin would be still more aggravated. To time and place the same observation equally applies ; but the instances, in which these circumstances alter the complexion of an act, are so familiar from the statements of many writers, as to supersede the necessity of lengthened detail on our part. Circumstances, such as these, are therefore to be mentioned ; but those, that do not considerably aggravate, may without crime be omitted. QUESTION XLVIII. Confession to he repeated when any serious Offence has been omitted. So necessary, as we have already said, is integrity and completeness to confession, that if any one intentionally omit some sins, which should have been detailed, and confess some only, so far from deriving benefit from that confession, he involves himself in fresh guilt. Such an enumeration of sins cannot be called sacramental confession ; on the con- trary, the penitent miist necessarily repeat his confession, and accuse himself of having, under the semblance of con- fession, violated the sanctity of the sacrament. QUESTION XLIX. Omission of a Sin throiigh Fwgetfulness does not render it necessary to repeat Confession. But should the confession seem otherwise defective, either because the penitent forgot some sins, or because, although intent upon [confessing fully,] he did not explore the re- cesses of his conscience with sufficient minuteness, he is not bound to repeat his confession ; but it will be sufficient, when he recollects the sins which he had forgotten, to con- fess them to a priest at a future season. In this, however, we must see whether perhaps we may not have examined our consciences too negligently and remissly, and may not have evinced so much carelessness in endeavouring to call our sins to mind, as to seem in reality not to have even wished to remember them ; for in this case it will be abso- lutely necessary to repeat the confession. 286 THE CATECHISM QUESTION L. Confession sliovld he plain, simple, undisguised. We must, also, take care that our confession be plain, simple, and undisguised, not clothed in that artificial lan- guage which some employ, "who seem more disposed to give an outline of their manner of living, than to confess their sins; for our confession, ought to be such as to set fdrth ourselves such as we know ourselves to be, representing as certain that which is certain, and as doubtfiil that which is doubtful. This good quality, it is clear, our confession wants, if we neglect to enumerate our sins, or introduce topics foreign to the "matter of our confession. QUESTION LI. Confession sliould ie prudent and modest. Prudence and modesty in explaining things in confession are also much to be commended ; for a superfluity of words is to be avoided, but whatever is necessary to make known, the nature and quality of every sin, is to be explained in brief language, and modestly. QUESTION LII. Confession cannot le made hy a Messenger or ly Letter. Priest and penitent should also be most careftd, that their conversation in confession be said in secret ; and hence no one can, on any accoiint, confess by messenger or letter, as through such a medium nothing can be transacted secretly. QUESTION LIII. Frequent Confession is expedient for a Christian. But, above all, the faithful should be most careful to cleanse their consciences from sin by frequent confession ; for, when oppressed by mortal guilt, nothing can be more salutary to them, from the precarious state of human life, than to have immediate recourse to confession of our sins ; but could we even promise ourselves length of days, yet how shameful it is that we, who are so particular in whatever relates to cleanliness of person or dress, evince not at least OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 287 the same attentive coBcem, in preserving tLe unsullied lustre of the soul from the most fovJ stains of sin. QUESTION LIV. With what power the Minister of this Sacrament should be endueA We must now treat concerning the minister of this sacra- ment. That he must be a priest possessing ordinary or dele- gated jurisdiction to absolve, is sufficiently evident from the ordinances of the Church ; for he who discharges this function must have not only the power of order, but also of jurisdiction. Of this ministry an illustrious testimony is furnished in these words of our Lord, in St. John : Wlwse sins ye sliall remit, iliey cure remitted unto them ; and whose ye shall retain, they we retained;" words evidently ad- dressed not to all, but to the apostles only, to whom, in this function, priests succeed. This, also, excellently accords with the economy of religion, for, since every sort of grace attached to this sacrament flows from Christ the head, to his members, they, who alone have power to consecrate P his true body, should alone administer this sacrament to his mystical body, that is, the faithful ; especially as they are qualified and disposed by means of this same sacrament of penance, to receive the holy eucharist. The great care with which, in the primitive ages of the Church, the right of the ordinary priest was guarded, is easily understood from the ancient decrees of the Fathers, which provided, that no bishop or priest, except in case of urgent necessity, should presume to exercise any function in the parish of another, without his authority. Such was the ordinance of the apostle, when he commanded Titus to ordain priests in every city ;9 to nurture and bring up the faithful with the heavenly food of doctrine and of the sacraments. QUESTION LV. Any Priest may Ahsohe the Sitmer in am, extreme case. But, in case of imminent danger of death, when recourse cannot be had to the proper priest, that none may in con- » John XX. 23. I" Potestas oonficiendi, "thepowerofgivingititssaoraineiitalnature." £xod. xxxii. 8, eqq. = The editors give the following note : — " Vide Aug, lib. ii. de peccat. merit, et remiss, cap. 34, et contra !Faust. lib. xxii. cap. 66, et praesertim in Joan, tract. 124, paulo ante med. Greg. lib. ix. moral, cap. 24. Chrysost. hom. 8, ad pop. Antioch. Iterum Aug. Ench. cap. 30. Ambr. de poen. lib. ii. cap. 5 ; vide item canones poenitentiales apud Ant. Aug. ; vel in actis Eccl. Mediolan. OP THE COUNCIL OF TBENT. 295 QUESTION LXII. Why ike Pimishment due to Sm is not remitted by Penance, as by But why, in the sacrament of penance, as in that of bap- tism, the punishment due to sin is not entirely remitted, is admirably explained by the Council of Trent, in these words : The natu/re of divine justice seems to demcmd that im, one manner they, who through ignorance home siwned hefore lo/p- tism, he received into grace ; amd in a/nother, those who, after homing been freed from the servitude of sin amd oftJie devil, andhaming received the gift of the Holy Cfliost, hame notfea/red hnowingly to " defile the temple of God," ^ amd " to grieve the Holy Spirit."^ And if becomes the divine clemency, that sims he not in suchwise remitted umto us without amy satisfaction, «w that, occasion being obtained, thinking sins less grievous, we, having done, as it were, am insult and a despite unto the Holy Ghost,^ should foM into more grievous sins, Vreaswring wp " wrath agcmnst the day of wrath." s Por without douht these satisfactory punishments greatly recall from sin, and restroAn,, as it were with a bridle, and make penitents more ca/atious and watchful for the future.^ Another advantage is, that they are, as it were, testimonies of our sorrow for sin com- mitted j and thus satisfaction is given to the Church, which has been grievously offended by our crimes. God, says St. Augustine, despises not a contrite and humble lieart;^ but, since grief of hea/rt is generally concealed from another, amd is not communicated to others by words or an/y other signs, wisely, therefore, a/re times ofpemitence ajppointed by those who preside over the Ghu/rch, in order to give satisfaction to the Church, in which the sins themselves a/re forgiven) QUESTION LXIII. In what raamier otliers are benefited by the Punishments infiicted on us. Besides, the examples of our penitential practice serve as a lesson to others how to regulate their own lives and follow piety ; for, seeing in. our persons the punishments iuflicted ^ 1 Cor. hi. 17. ' Eph. iv. 30. ' Heb. X. 29. B Eom. ii. 5. ' Sess. xiv. ch. 8, p. 95, sq. of my translation. " Cf. Ps. li. 17. ' Aug. Ench. c. 65. 296 THE CATECHISM on sin, they must feel tlie necessity of using tlie greatest circumspection throughout life, and of correcting their former habits. It was therefore a very -wise observance of the Church, that public penance should be imposed on any one guilty of public crime, to the end that, deterred by fear, others might the more carefully avoid sins for the fiiture ; and this has also been sometimes observed with regard to secret sins of a more grievous character. But with regard to pubhc sinners, they, as we have said, were never absolved, until they had undertaken public penance. Meanwhile, pastors poured out prayers to God for their salvation, and ceased not to exhort the penitent also to do the same. In this practice indefatigable were the care and solicitude of St. Ambrose, by whose tears, it is said, very many, who had approached the sacrament of penance hardened in sin, were softened into true contrition.'' But subsequently the severity of ancient discipline was so relaxed, and charity waxed so cold, that in our time many of the faithful seem to think, that to obtain the pardon of sin, inward sorrow of soul and grief of heart are altogether unnecessary, and look upon the mere semblance of sorrow as sufficient. QUESTION LXrV. By Penance, we are made like mito Christ, Again, by the Undergoing of such penances we are made like unto Jesus Christ our head, in that wherein lie himself hath suffered amd been tempted} Tor, as St. Bernard observes, iwthing cam wppea/r so unseemly as a delicate member under a head crowned with tlwrns ;"> for we are, as the apostle beareth witness, j'oiji^ heirs vnth Christ, if so be tliat we suffer with him;^ and again : If we he dead with him, we shall also live with him ; if we suffer, we shall also reign ivith him.° QUESTION LXV. In what manner, after the Mercy of God, thei-e isjilace far Justice in Sin. St. Bernard also observes, that sin produces two effects La the soul, the one the stain, the other the scar ; that the ■■ PauUnus in vita Ambrosii. ' Heb. ii. 18. "■ Serm. V. de omn. sanct. " Eom. viii. 17. " 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 297 defilement itself is removed through the mercy of God, wliilst to heal the scars of sinners the medicinal care applied by penance is most necessary. For as after a wound has been healed some scars remaiu, -which also require care, so with regard to the soul, after the guilt is forgiven, it leaves remains which must be cleansed away. St. Chrysostom also fully confirms the same opinion, when he says : It is not encnigh that the arrow has been extracted Jrom the hody ;, tlie wownd inflicted thereby viust also be heeded ; so also with regwrd to the sold, it is not enough tlmt sin has been pardoned; tlie wound which if has left must also be healed by penance.^ St. Au- gustine very frequently teaches, that in penance two things are to be considered — the mercy and the justice of God : his mercy by which he pardons sins, and the eternal punishments, due to sin ; his justice, by which he inflicts temporary punish- ments on man.9 QUESTION LXVI. By Penance we escape the Penalties of the Divine Vengeance. Filially, the penitential punishment, which we undertake, turns away the vengeance of God, and prevents the punish- ments awarded against us, as the apostle teaches when he says : If we would judge owrselves, we shmdd not be judged ; but when we are judged, we a/re chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned urith the world.^ When these matters shall have been explained to the faithful, it will scarcely be possible that they be not powerfully excited to works of penance. QUESTION LXVII. Whence arises the Efficacy and Merit of Penance. The great efficacy of penance is inferred from the fact that it depends altogether on the merit of the passion of Christ the Lord. It is his passion also that imparts to oiu- good actions the twofold most excellent quality of meriting the rewards of eternal glory, so as that even a cup of cold water given in his name shall not be without its reward, and of satisfying for our sins.' P Serm. i. in Coena Domini. Horn. 80, ad Pop. Antiooh. 1 In Ps. i. ad hffio verba, ecce enim venit. ' 1 Cor. xi. 31, aq. " Matt. X. 42. 298 THE CATECHISM QUESTION LXVTII. Ow Saiisf action does not obscwre the Satisfaction and Merit of Christ. Nor does this obscure the most perfect and superabundant satisfaction of Christ our Lord, but, on the contrary, renders it much more conspicuous and illustrious. For the grace of Christ appears more abundant, inasmuch as there is com- municated ±0 us not only what he alone merited, but also ■what, as head, he merited and paid for his members by his saints and by just men. This it is that gives, as is evident, such weight and dignity to the good deeds of the pious, for into those who are united to him by charity Christ our Lord continually diffuses his grace, as the head to the members, and as the vine to the branches. This grace always precedes, accompanies, and follows our good works ; and without it we -can have no merit whatever, nor can we at all satisfy God. Hence it is, that to the just nothing seems wanting, suace, by means of the works which by the grace of God they are ■enabled to perform, they, as far as our present mortal con- ation permits, can fulfil the divine law, and merit eternal life, the enjoyment of which they shall attain, if they depart this life adorned with divine grace ; for the words of the Saviour are well known : He that shall d/rinh of the water that I sliall give him, shaM nemer thirst ; hut the water that I sliall give him shall he in him a fountain of water springing wp into everlasting Ufe.^ QUESTION LXIX. Two Things particularly necessary that any work may have the True E^cacy of SatisfacHon. But in satisfaction two things are especially required; the one, that he who satisfies, be in the state of grace,, and the friend of God : for works done without faith and charity, cannot by any means be acceptable to God. The other is, that the works performed be such as are of their own nature troublesome and painful : or since they are a compensation for past sins, and, as saith the holy martyr Cyprian,'' re- deemers of sins, they must needs, therefore, have something of acerbity in them. It does not, however, always follow ' John iv. 14. " L. i. ep. 3. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 299 that those who undergo these disagreeable influences always feel a sense of pain. For the influence of habit, or the enkindled love of God, frequently renders the most irksome exercises even unfelt. Such works, however, do ^ not therefore cease to be satisfactory; seeing that it is the privilege of the children of God to be so inflamed with love and with piety towards Mm, that, whilst tortured under the most painful labours for his sake, they are almost either entirely insensible to inconvenience, or endure all things with the greatest joy. QUESTION LXX. How mjmy are llie Worlcs of Satisfaction. Pastors will also teach that every species of satisfaction is to be reduced principally to these three heads — prayer, fasting, and alms-giving, which correspond with three sorts of goods, — those of the soul, of the body, and what are called external goods, all of which we have received from God. Now, nothing can be better adapted and more suited to extir- pate the roots of all sins than'these three sorts of satisfaction; for, whereas, all that is in the world is the hist of the flesh, or the lust of the eyes, or tlie pride of life,'' every one will perceive that to these three causes of disease are most rightly opposed as many antidotes : to the first, fasting ; to the second, alms-giving ; to the third, prayer. Wly, moreover, all satisfaction is reduced principally to these three heads, we shall at once see, if we also regard those who are offended by our sins ; and who are, God, our neighbour, and ourselves. God, therefore, we appease by prayer; our neighbour we satisfy by alms ; and ourselves we chastise by fasting. QUESTION LXXI. WheiJier Afflictions, which a/re hrought upon Men outwardly, are satisfactory. But, as during this life we are oppressed by many and various afflictions and calamities, the faithful are especially to be taught that those who bear with a patient mind afflic- tions coming from the hand of God, derive therefrom an ' 1 John ii. 16. 300 THE CATECHISM abundant source of satisfaction and of deserving ; but that, if borne -Witt reluctance and impatience, they are deprived of all finiit of satisfaction, and only become instruments of the divine wrath, taking just vengeance on sin. QUESTION LXXII. One can satisfy for anotJier to the Full Extent of Penamce. But in this the infinite goodness and mercy of God are to be proclaimed with our greatest praise and acknowledgments, in that he hath granted to human weakness the privilege that one may satisfy for another, a privilege peculiar to this part of penance. For as, with regard to contrition and con- fession, no man can be contrite or confess for another; so [with regard to satisfaction], those who are endued with divine grace may pay for others what is due unto God ; and. thus may we be said in some sort to hear each others' bur- dens.'" This is a point of doctrine touching which the. faithful cannot for a moment entertain a doubt, professing, as we do, in the Apostles' Creed, our belief in the comm/wnion of saints. For, whereas, we are all regenerated imto Christ by being washed in the same baptism, made partakers of the- same sacraments, and, especially, of the same meat and. drink, the body and blood of Christ our Lord, we are all manifestly members of the same body. As, then, the foot does not perform its functions solely for itself, but also for the benefit of the eyes ; and as the eyes exercise their sight, not for their own, but for the common benefit of aU the members ; so should works of satisfaction be deemed com- rnon to all the members of the Church. This, however, is not true without exception in reference to all the advantages, derived from works of satisfaction ; for they are also medi- cinal, and are so many remedies prescribed to the penitent to heal the depraved afifections of the mind ; an advantage, it is clear, which they are without, who satisfy not for themselves. These matters touching the three parts of penance, contrition, confession, and satisfaction, it is the duty of the pastor to explain copiously and clearly. " Gal. vi. 2. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 301 QUESTION LXXIII. No Person to receive Ahsolution iimtil he has promised faitlifuOy to make Restitution of Injustice done. The priests, hc-wever, must be especially careful, before they absolve from sin the penitent whose confession they have heard, to insist that, if perchance he has culpably injured his neighbour in property or character, he make abundant reparation for the injury done ; for no person is to be absolved, unless he first faithfully promise to restore what belongs to another. But, whereas, there are many who, although they largely promise to comply with their duty, are yet deliberately determined never to fulfil their promises, they are by all means to be obliged to make restitution, and the saying of the apostle is to be frequently impressed upon their minds : Let him tliat stole, steal now no more ; hut rath&r let him, labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may Jiave to distribute to him who is in need.^ QUESTIOK LXXrV. Satisfaction, how to he imposed on the Penitent. But, in imposing satisfactory penance, the priests must do nothing arbitrarily : but must be guided in aU things by justice, prudence, and piety; and in order to appear to follow this rule in measuring sin, and also that penitents may more deeply be impressed with the enormity of their crimes, he will find it expedient to remind them occasionally of the punishments inflicted by the prescript of the ancient penitential canons, as they are called, for some sins. The nature of the sin, therefore, will always regulate the nature of the satisfection ; but of all kinds of satisfaction none can be more salutary than to require of the penitent to devote particular and settled days to prayer, supplicating the divine mercy in behalf of mankind, and particularly for those who have departed this life in the Lord, y Penitents ' Ephes. iv. 28, marginal reading. y " And we also bless thy holy name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear ,; beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that vf ith them we may be partakers of thy hea- venly kingdom." — Prayer for the Church Militant. But cf. Wheatley on the Common Prayer, ch. 6, sect. xi. § 2. 302 THE CATECHISM should aJso be exhorted voluntarily to undertake and repeat the frequent performance of all the penitential works imposed by the confessor, and so to order their lives, that, having diligently complied with everything which appertains unto the sacrament of penance, they notwithstanding never cease studiously to practise the virtue of penance. But,shouldit be deemed proper sometimes, on account of public scandal,that for public crimes public penance be prescribed ; and, should the penitent shrink from and deprecate its performance, he is not to be readily listened to, but should be persuaded to embrace with willing and cheerful mind things which will be found so salutary to himself and to others. These things, which regard the sacrament of penance and its several parts, must be taught in such a manner as to enable the faithfiil not only to understand them perfectly, but also, with God's assistance, piously and religiously to induce them to practise them. CHAPTER VI. OF THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION. QUESTION I. Why Pastors of Souls sJumld frequently treat of the Saorarmwt of Extreme Unction with ifie People. In all thy works, say the oracles of holy Scripture, remertir- her iky last end, and thou shalt never sin ;'^ words which convey to pastors a tacit admonition, to omit no opportunity of exhorting the faithfid to constant meditation on death. But, whereas, the sacrament of extreme unction is insepa- rably associated with the recollection of that last day, it should, it is obvious, form a subject of frequent instruction, not only inasmuch as it eminently becomes the pastor to unfold and explain the mysteries appertaining unto salva- tion, but also because the faithful, frequently reflecting that death is the inevitable doom of all men, will repress de- praved lusts. Thus will they be less appalled while awaiting the stroke of death, and will return eternal thanks to God, ' Eocl. vii. 40. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 303 who lias not only opened to us the way unto true life in the sacrament of baptism, buib has also instituted that of extreme unction, to aiFord us, when departing from this mortal life, a readier access to heaven. QUESTION II. Why this Sacrament is called Extreme Unction. In order, therefore, that the things more necessary to this explanation should be expounded in nearly the same order observed in the [exposition of the] other sacraments, it is first to be shown that this sacrament is called Extreme Unction, because, of all the other sacred unctions prescribed by our Lord and Saviour to his Church, this is the last to b& administered. Hence it was called by our ancestors, the sacrament of the anointing of tlie sick, and, the sacramient of departing persons, appellations which easily lead the minds of the faithful to the remembrance of that last hour." QUESTION III. In what mamwr JExtreme Unction is proved to possess the True Natwre of a Sacrament. That extreme unction possesses the true nature of a sacra^ ment, is first to be explained ; and this can be clearly established, if we attend to the words in which the apostle St. James has promulgated the law of this sacrament : Is amy one, says he, sick amwngst you 1 Let him, call for the elders of the Ghwrch, and let them pray aver him, anointing him, with oil i/n the na/me of the Lord ; a/nd the prayer of faith shaU save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him, up ; and if he he ire sins, they slioM he remitted wnto him)' For when the apostle, says : If he he in sims, they shall he remitted unto him, he thereby ascribes [to extreme unction] the nature and efficacy of a sacrament. And that such has been at all times the doctrine of the Catholic Church with regard to extreme unction, several coimcils testify, and the Council of Trent denounces anathema against all who presume to teach or ' The editors refer to Hugo de Sacr. part. xv. t. 2. Pet. Dam. ser. i. de dedicat. Ecoles. '' James v. 14, sq. Compare Beveridge on Art. XXV. p. 282 (fol). 304 THE CATECHISM think otherwise."' Innocent I. also recommends this sacra- ment with great earnestness to the faithful, "i QUESTION rv. Since there are many Unctions, should we also say that there are many Sacraments. Pastors, therefore, will teach constantly that extreme unction is a true sacrament, and that, although administered with many unctions, performed each with proper prayers, and with the application of a peculiar form, it constitutes but one [sacrament] ; one, however, not by the inseparable continuity of its parts, but, like aU other objects which are composed of many things, by the perfection [of the whole]. For as an edifice, which consists of several things, derives its perfection from one plan, so is this sacrament, although composed of several things and words, but one sign, and it possesses the efficacy of one thing, of which it is the sign. The pastor will also teach what are the parts of this sacrament, that is, the element and word ; for these St. James does not omit ; and in each may be observed its own mysteries. QUESTION V. Of the Matter of Extreme Unction. x Its element, then, or matter, as has been defined by councUs, particularly by the Council of Trent,^ is oil consecrated by the bishop, that is to say, oil of olive-berries, and not that expressed from any rich or fatty matter. This its matter is most significant of its efficacy ; for as oil is very efficacious in mitigating bodily pains, so by the virtue of this sacrament is the sadness and anguish of the soul alleviated. Oil also contributes to restore health and hilarity, afibrds, as it were, food to light, and refreshes bodily fatigue ; and aU these effects are expressive of those produced, through the divine power, on the sick, by the administration of this sacrament. Touching the matter, let this much suffice. ■ See Decrees and Canons, Sess. xiv. ch. 1, p. 98, and can. i. p. 103, of my translation. ^ Ep. i. c. 8. ' See Decrees and Canons, p. 98, as above. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 305 QUESTION VI. Under what Form this Sacrament is perfected. But the form of this sacrament is the word and that solemn prayer used by the priest at each anoiatiug : By this Iwly lonction, may God indulge thee whatever sins tlum hast committed by sight, smell, touch, dec. &c. And that such is the true and proper form of this sacrament, the apostle St. James intimates when he says : Let them, pray over him, and the prayer of faith shall save the sich,^ words from which we may infer, that the form is to be pronounced by way of prayer, although the apostle does not say in what particular words that prayer is to be expressed. But this has reached us by the faithful tradition of the Fathers, so that aU the churches retain that form observed by the holy Church of Rome, the mother and mistress of all churches. Some, it is true, alter a few words, as when for, God indulge thee, they say, God remit, or spare, and sometimes, heal, wlmtever tlwu hast committed ; but, as there is no change of the sense, i^ is clear that the same form is religiously observed by all. QUESTION Vn. Why this Sacrament is expressed it/ way of Prayer. Nor should any one feel surprise that, whilst the form of each of the other sacraments either absolutely signifies what it effects, such as, / baptize thee, or I sign thee with the sign of the cross, or is pronoimced, as it were, by way of a com- mand, as in administering the sacrament of Order, receive power, this form of extreme imction alone is expressed by way of prayer. The very great propriety of this will at once appear ; since this sacrament is administered, not only for the spiritual grace which it bestows, but also for the bodily health which it affords to the sick j yet, as it does not always happen that the sick recover from their illness, the form, therefore, consists of a prayer, by which we beg of the divine bounty that which is not a constant and uniform con- sequence of the effect of the sacrament. In the administration of this sacrament, also, are employed peculiar rites ; but they, for the most part, consist of prayers, offered by the ' James 71. 15. X 306 THE CATECHISM priest for tte recovery of tie sick. For tliere is no other- sacrament, the administration of which is accompanied with more prayers ; and with reason, for then most especially do the faithful require the assistance of pious prayers ; and therefore all who may be present, but the pastors in particular,, should earnestly implore God in behalf of the sick person, and most earnestly recommend his life and salvation to Ms mercy. QUESTION Vni. Wlio was the Author of this Saercment. It having been shown, that extreme unction is truly and properly to be numbered amongst the sacraments, it also follows that it derives its institution from Christ our Lord,s having been subsequently proposed and promulgated to the faithful, by the apostle St. James. Our Saviour himself however, seems to have given some indication of this unction, when he sent his disciples, two and two, before his face ; for the evangelist informs us that going forth, they preached that men should do peTUt/nce ; omd they cast out many devUs, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them)^ This anointing we cannot suppose to have been invented by the apostles, but commanded by our Lord ; not endowed with some natural virtue, but mystical in its import ; instituted rather to heal the maladies of the soul, than to cure the dise&ses of the body. This is affirmed by St. Dionysins, Ambrose, Chrykostom, and Gregory the Great ; so that extreme unctidH is, beyond all doubt, to be recognized and most highly veiierated as one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic GhUrch. QUESTION IX. Eoctrelne Unction, to whom to he administered. But the faithful are to be taught that, although this sacra- ment appertains urito all, certain classes of persons are excepted, to whom it is not to be administered. In the first 'f This is drawing the premise from the conclusion, not the concluaion from the premise. To the fiiU, true, and proper definition of a sacra- ment, its being instituted by Christ himself is the test of its claim. The different uses of the word "sacrament," viewed tmder this and other distinctions, are carefiilly and elaborately summed up in Dr. Pusey's Letter to the Bishop of London (Oxford, 1851), p. i, sqq. ■> Mark vi. 12, sq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 307 place, persons in sound health are excepted, according to the words of the apostle : Is any one sick amiong you ; and, as reason also shows, for it was instituted to be medicinal not only to the soul, but also to the body. As then those only that labour under disease have occasion for cure, this sacra- ment should therefore be administered to those only who seem to be so dangerously ill as to excite apprehension of their rapidly approaching dissolution. It is, however, a most grievous sin to defer the holy unction untU, aU hope of recovery now being lost, life begins to ebb, and the sick person to sink into lifeless insensibility. It is, moreover, obvious that, if it be administered whilst the mind- andi reason are as yet unimpaired, and' the sick man can bring to its reception faith and devotion of mind, this circumstance must contribute very much to enable him to partake more abundantly of the graces of the sacrament. Pastors must therefore take care to apply this heavenly medicine, in itself at all times most salutaay, at a time whilst yet its efficacy can be increased by the piety and devotion of the persons to be cured. To no one, therefore, who is not afflicted by heavy sick^ ness, is it lawful to give the sacrament of unction, even if risk of life threaten by his undertaking a perilous voyage, or engaging in battle from which certain death may impend over him, or even if he be condemned to capital punishment, and about to be hurried off to execution. All,, besides, who: lack the use of reason, are unfit to receive this sacrament, as: are also children, who commit no sins, from the remains of which they would have occasion to be healed by the remedial' efficacy of this sacrament, and also fools and madmen, unless, they sometimes have lucid intervals, and then in particular give some sign of devotion, and express a wish to be anointed' with the sacred oU. For to persons insane from their birth, this sacrament is not to be administered ; but if a sick person, whilst in the full possession of his faculties, express a wish to receive extreme unction, and afterwards become delirious, and' insane, he is to be anointed. x2 308 THE CATECHISM QUESTION X. What Parts of the Body otiglit to be anointed. The sacred imction is to be applied not to all the parts of the body, but to the organs of sense only, to the eyes, because [the organs] of sight; to the ears, because [the organs] of hearing; to the nostrils, because [the organs^ of smell; to the mouth, because [the organ] of taste and speech; to the hands, because [the organs] of touch. For although the sense of touch is diffused alike throughout the ■whole body, the hands are its principal seat. This manner of adaninis- tering extreme unction is observed throughout the Universal Church, and, from its medicinal nature, admirably accords ■with this sacrament. As in bodily infirmity, although the entire body be affected, the cure is applied to that part only ■which is the source and origin of the disease; so is this unction applied not to the entire body, but to those members which are pre-eminently the organs of .sense, and also to the loins, ■which are, as it ■were, the seat of concupiscence, and to the feet, by ■which we are enabled to move from one place to another. QUESTION XI. Extreme Unction may be repeated. Here it is to be observed, that, during the same illness, and ■whilst the sick man is in the same danger of dying, he is to be anointed but once. Should he, however, recover after ha^ving been thus anointed, he may receive the aid of this sacrament, as often as he shall subsequently fall into the same danger of life; and hence extreme unction is evidently to be numbered amongst those sacraments that may be repeated. QUESTION XII. WJiat is the Proper Seligious Preparation for recdvimg this Sacrament worthily. But as every obstacle that may impede the grace of this sacrament should be removed with the greatest care, and as nothing is more opposed to it than the consciousness of mortal guilt, the pastor must observe the constant practice of the Catholic Church, so as not to administer extreme imction, until he has first administered the sacraments of OF THK COUNCIL OF TRENT. 309 penance and the Eucharist. Let parish, priests then strive to persuade the sick person to receive tlus sacrament with the same faith, with which those who were of old to be healed by the apostles, used to present themselves. The health of the soul is to be the first object of the sick man's wishes; then that of the body, with this qualification, how- ever, if it a/ecml Ids eierncU salvation. The faithful should not doubt, that the holy and solemn prayers which are ofiered by the priest, not iu his own person, but in that of the Church, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, are heard by God ; and they are particularly to be most earnestly exhorted to take care, that the sacrament of this most salutary oil be administered to them with the sanctity and religion that become the season, when the sharpest conflict seems at hand, and the energies of the mind as weU as of the body seem to be failing. QUESTION XIII. W!io sJiould le the Minister of this Sacrament. Who is the minister of extreme unction we learn from the same apostle that promulgated the law passed by the Lord ; for he says, Let him bring in the elders.^ By the word elders (presbyteri), as the Council of Trent has wisely expounded,J he does not mean persons advanced in years, or of leading authority amongst the people, but priests who have been duly ordained by bishops by the imposition of hands. To the priest therefore is committed the administration of this sacrament ; not however to every priest, as the holy Church has decreed, but to the proper pastor who has jurisdiction, or to another authorized by him to fulfil his office. In this, however, as in the administration of the other sacraments, it is to be most distinctly recollected, that the priest is the representative of Christ our Lord, and of his holy spouse, the Church. QUESTION XIV. TIw Advantages of this Sacrament to Men. The advantages we receive from this sacrament are also to be accurately explained, that if nothing else can allure the faithful to its reception, they may be induced at least by its ' James v. 14. i Sess. xiv. u. 3, p. 99 of my translation. 310 THE CATECHISM utiUty, since we axe naturally disposed to measure almost everjrthing by our interests. Pastors therefore -will teach, that by this sacrament grace that remits sins is imparted, especially lighter offences, or, as they are commonly called, venial sins, for mortal sins are removed by the sacrament of penance. Nor was this sacrament instituted primarily for the remission of heavier offences ; for this baptism and penance alone accomplish by their own efficacy. Another advantage of the sacred unction is, that it releases the soul from the languor and infirmity contracted by sin, and of all the other remains of sin. But the time to be considered most opportune for this cure is, when we are afflicted with severe illness, and danger of death impends. For man by nature dreads no human visitation so much as death; and this dread is greatly augmented by the recollection of our past sins, especially if the mind be goaded by the poignant reproaches of conscience ; as it is written : They shall come loiiJifea/r at the thought of their sins, cmd their iniqidiies shaU conmct them to their face.^ Another source of anxious care is the painful reflection, that we shall soon after stand before the judgment-seat of God, who will pass on us a sentence of strict justice according to that we have deserved. Ajid the terror inspired by these considerations doth often won- derfully agitate the faithful ; and to produce tranquillity at the hour of death, nothing can be more efficacious than if we banish sadness, await with a joyous heart the coming of the Lord, and be ready willingly to surrender owe deposit when- ever he shall wish to demand it back. To free the minds of the feithful from this solicitude, and fill the soul with pious and holy joy, is then an effect of the sacrament of extreme imction. From it we furthermore derive another advantage, which may with reason be esteemed the greatest of all. For although the enemy of mankind never ceases, as long as we live, to meditate our ruin ; yet at no time does he more violently strain every nerve to utterly destroy us, and, if possible, deprive us of all hope of the divine mercy, than when he sees our last day approach. Therefore in this sacra- ment are the faithful supplied with arms and strength to " Wisd. iv. 20. OF THE COUNCIL OF TBENT. 311 enable them to break the violence and impetuosity of their adversary's assaults, and to fight bravely against him. For the soul [of the sick man] is relieved and encouraged by the hope of the divine goodness, strengthened by -which he experiences alleviation of all the burdens of sickness, and eludes with greater ease the artifice and cunning of the enemy, -who lies in. -wait for him. Finally, the recovery of health, if indeed advantageous to the sick person, is another effect of this sacrament. Ho-wever, should this effect not foUo-w in these days, this is to be attributed, not to any defect of the sacrament, but to the weakness of faith on the part of many of those who are anointed -with this sacred oil; or by whom it is administered. For the evangelist beareth -witness, that our Lord -wrought not many miracles amongst his o-wn people, because of their unbeKef.' It may, however, justly be said, that the Christian religion, now that it has struck deeper roots as it were in the minds of men, stands less in need of the aid of such miracles in our days, than in the early ages of the rising Church, when they seem to have been more necessary. Nevertheless, faith is here to be strongly excited, for whatever may come to pass by God's -wisdom and good will -with regard to the health of the body, the faithful should rely upon a certain hope of attaining, by ■virtue of this sacred oil, spiritual health, and of experiencing, should the hour of their departure be at hand, the fruit of that glorious assurance, by which it is -written, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.^ We have explained these matters touching the sacrament of extreme unction thus briefly; but if these heads be deve- loped by the pastor more at large, and with beconung dili- gence, the faithful, without doubt, will derive very great fruit of piety from their exposition. ' Matt. xiii. 58. " Apoc. xiv. 13. 312 THE CATECHISM CHAPTER VII. TOUCHING THE SACRAMENT OP ORDEK. QUESTION I. Whj the Sacrament of Order should he explained to tlie People hy tlie Priests. If any one give an attentive consideration to the natiire and properties of the other sacraments, he will readily per- ceive, that so dependent are they all on the sacrament of Order, that -without it some could not at all be consecrated" nor administered, whilst others woidd be stripped of their solemn ceremonies, and of their proper respect and veneration. Pastors, therefore, following up their exposition of the sacra- ments, must esteem it a duty to bestow also the greater attention on the sacrament of Order. And this exposition will prove most profitable, firsti to the pastors themselves, next to others, who have entered into the ecclesiastical state of Hfe, and finally to the faithful people at large ; to [the pastors] themselves, because, whilst engaged on this subject, they themselves wiU be moi-e excited to stir up within them the grace which they received in this sacrament ; to others, whom the Lord has called to his sanctuary, partly, by inspiring them with the same love of piety, partly, by imparting to them a knowledge of those things, which wiU qualify them the more easily to advance to higher degrees ; to the faithful at large, first by enabling them to understand the respect due to the ministers of the Church, and next, as it often happens that amongst the hearers there are many who intend their children for the ministry whilst yet young, or some who are of their own accord and will candidates for that state of life, it is by no means fitting that such persons should be unacquainted with the principal things regarding its nature, » Confioi, OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 313 QUESTION II. No Dignity on Earth is more excellent than that of the Priesthood. The faitiiful then are first to be made acquainted with the exalted dignity and excellence of this sacrament, if we regard its highest degree, which is the priesthood. For whereas priests and bishops are the interpreters and heralds of God, who are commissioned in his name to teach mankind the divine law and the precepts of life, and are the repre- sentatives on earth of God himself^ it is plainly impossible, therefore, to conceive a function more exalted; and justly, therefore, are they called not only angels," but also gods, holding as they do amongst us the power and might of the immortal God. But although, at all times, priests possessed a most exalted dignity; yet those of the New Testament far exceed all the others in honour, for the power of consecrating and offering the body and blood of our Lord, and of remitting sins, with which the priesthood of the new law is invested, transcends human reason and intelligence, still less is it equalled by, or Hke unto, anything else on earth. QUESTION III. Who are to he thought called unto the Priestlwod and the Offices of the Church. Again, as our Saviour was sent by the Father,^ the apostles and disciples by Christ our Lord,? even so priests, invested with the same power, are sent daily, for the perfection of the saints, for tlie work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Clvrist.^ The burden of this great office, therefore, is not rashly to be imposed on any one, but on those only who, by their sanctity of Ufe, their knowledge, their faith, their pradence, can sustain it. Neither let a/ny mie take this Iwmour vmto himself, hut he tliat is cciMed of God, as was A aron.^ And they are said to be called by God who are called by the lawfiil ministers of the Church ; for those who arrogantly intermeddle with, and intrude themselves into, this ministry, the Lord had in view when he said, / liave not sent prophets, ° Donovan refers to Mai. ii. 7 ; Pa. Ixxxi. 6. p John viii. 42. 1 Matt, xxviii. 19. ' Eph. iv. 12. • Heb, v. i. 314 THE CATECHISM yet they ran.^ Than this class of men none can be more unhappy and miserable, nothing can be more calamitous to the Church of God. QUESTION IV. Who may le judged to approach Holy Orders raahly, cmd to ent«r into the Chmrch from, a Wrong Direction. But as, in every undertaking, the end proposed is of the utmost importance (for when the end is best, ever3rfchiiig proceeds well), candidates for the ministry should, first of all, be admonished to propose to themselves nothing unworthy of so exalted an office; and this is a subject to be treated the more diligently, inasmuch as the faithful are wont to sin more grievously in this respect in these our days. For there are som.e who aspire to the priesthood with a view to secure to themselves the things appertaining to food and clothing, ■who, like worldlirigs in matters of the most sordid occu- pation, look to nothing in the priesthood but gain. For although the natural and divine law command that, accord- ing to the judgment of the apostle, he that serves the altar should live by the altar,i» yet to approach the altar for gain and lucre is sacrilege of the worst kind. Others there be whom a lust after honours and ambition conducts to the altar ; others, whom the longing for affluence in riches attracts j and of this we require no other proof than that they have no idea of embracing the ecclesiastical state, unless they be preferred to some rich ecclesiastical benefice. These are they whom our Lord denounces as hirelings,"' who, to use the words of Ezekiel,yeec? themselves, and not the sheepi^ Their baseness and profligacy have not only tarnished the lustre of the priestly character, so as to render it an object of utter contempt in the eyes of the faithful ; but they obtain from priesthood in their turn no other reward but that which the apostleship brought to Judas; that is, everlasting perdition ! But they who, in obedience to the legitimate call of God, undertake the priestly office, solely with a view to promote his glory, are truly said to enter hy the door?- ' Jerem. xxiii. 21. » Cf. 1 Cor, ix. 13. » John x. 13. " Cf. Ezek. xxxiv. 2, 3, 10, 11. ' John x. 12. OP THE COUKCIL OF TEENT. 315 QUESTION V. In what manner tkey who by Orders dedicate tftemselvea to the Church ought to excel and stt/rpass the rest of the People. We must not, however, suppose that the same obligatioa is not imposed equally on all ; for unto this were all men created ; unto this the faithful in particular, consecrated as they have been by baptism, that they should promote with their whole heart, their whole soul, and their whole strength, the worship of God j but candidates for the sacrament of Order must not only propose to themselves to seek ia all things the glory of God (a duty, it is evident, common alike to all men, and particularly to the faithful), but must also be resolved to serve God in holhiess and righteousness, in the particular sphere to which their ministry is appropriated. For as in an army all indeed obey the commands of the general, whilst amongst them some hold the place of cen- turion, some of prefect, and others stations of subordinate rank ; so in the Church, whilst all the faithful shoidd be most earnest in the pursuit of piety and innocence, the prin- cipal means by which God is honoured, those, however, who are initiated in the sacrament of Order, have certain special duties to discharge, special functions to perform. For they offer sacrifices for themselves, and for all thfe people ; instruct others ia the obligation of the divine law j exhort and instruct them unto a prompt and cheerful compliance with its injunctions ; and administer the sacraments of Christ our Lord, by which all grace is imparted and augmented. In a word, set apart from, the rest of the people, they are engaged in a ministry of all others by far the greatest and most exalted. Having therefore explained these matters, pastors will next proceed to expound the things that are peculiar to this sacrament, that those amongst the faithful who wish to be admitted into the ecclesiastical state may rightly understand the nature of the office to which they aspire, and may know what an extent of power has been conferred by God on his Church and her ministers. 316 THE CATECHISM QUESTION VI. The Ecclesiasikcd Power twofold. This [power] is twofold : of order and of jurisdiction. The power of order has reference to the real body of Christ our Lord in the holy Eucharist ; that of jurisdiction, altogether to his mystical body. For to the latter it belongs to govern and rule the Christian people, and direct them to eternal and. heavenly bliss. QUESTION VII. To what does the Power of Order extend itself. But the power of order includes not only the ability and prerogative of consecrating the Eucharist, but also of preparing and fitting the souls of men for its reception, and embraces whatever else has reference in any way to the Eucharist. Of this the holy Scriptures afford numerous attestations ; amongst which the most striking and weighty are contained in the words recorded by St. John and St. Mat- thew on this subject : As the Failier hath serd me, says the Redeemer, even so send I you : Receive ye the Holy Glwst : Whose sins you shall remit, they are remitted urvto tliem ; and whose ye shall retain, they a/re retained ;^ and : Amen, I say to you, wJiatsoever ye shall bind upon earth, shaE he hound also in hewven ; amd whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth, shall he loosed also in heamenn,.^ These passages, if expounded by pastors from the doctrine and on the authority of the holy Fathers, will throw very great light on this truth. QUESTION VIII. J7te Priesthood of Christ is moce sublime tlian that of the Law of Nature or of Moses. This power very far surpasses that which was given to certain men, who, under the law of nature, exercised special superintendence over sacred things ; for the age also which was anterior to the written law must have had its own proper priesthood, a priesthood possessing spiritual power, since that it had a law is sufficiently evident. And so intimately in- terwoven with one another are these two things, as the apostle ' John XX. 21, 22, 23. ' Matt, xviii. 18. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 317 beareih -witness, that when one is transferred, with it also must be necessarily transferred the other.* As, then, prompted by natural instinct, men acknowledge that God is to be wor- •sKipped, it followed that, under every form of government, ■some persons must be constituted to the official guardianship of sacred things and the divine worship ; and of such per- 'sons the power might in some sort be called spiritual. With this same power the [priesthood of] the Israelite people was *also invested ; but although superior in dignity to that which was exercised by priests under the law of natvu-e, it was, however, far inferior to the spiritual power enjoyed nmder the Gospel dispensation. This latter [power] is a heavenly power, raised even above the virtue of angels ; and it has its origin, not from the Mosaical priesthood, but from Christ the Lord, who was a priest twt according to Aaron, ■but according to the order of Mdchisedech.^ He it is who, •endowed with supreme authority to grant grace and pardons, has left to his Church this power, limited however in its extent, and confined to the sacraments. To exercise this power, therefore, certain ministers have been appointed, and ■solemnly consecrated ; and this consecration is called The Sacrament of Order, or Sacred Ordination. QUESTION IX. ■ What is Order, and why the Ecclmaatical Functum is so called. This appellation, which has a most extensive signification, -the holy Fathers have thought proper to employ, in order to indicate the dignity and excellence of the ministers of God. Understood in its strict and .'proper acceptation, order is the ■disposition of superior and inferior things, which are so well ■adapted to each other as to stand in reciprocal and mutual relation. ■ Comprising, then, as the ministry does, many gra- dations and various functions, and disposed, as all these gra- dations and functions are, with regularity, it is appropriately and suitably called the sacrament of Order. • Heb. vii. 12. >> Ibid. vii. 11. 318 THE CATECHISM QUESTION X. Order is truly 1 Pet. v. 2. 328 THE CATECHISM and used by them to designate tlieir chief-priests. The third degree is that of archbishops, who preside over several bishops : and who are also called inMtr(ypolitans, because placed over the metropolis of the province. Archbishops, therefore, although their ordination is the same, enjoy a more exalted station, and a more ample power than bishops. Patriarchs occupy the fourth place, and are, as the name implies, the first and supreme fathers in the episcopal order. Formerly, besides the Supreme Eoman Pontiff, there were but four patriarchs in the Church, whose dignity however was not the same j for the patriarch of Constantinople, although last in the order of time, was first in rank, an ' honour conceded to him as bishop of Constantinople, the then capital of the imiDerial world. Next to the patriarchate of Constantinople, is that of Alexandria, a see founded by the evangelist Mark, by command of the prince of the apostles. The third is the patriarchate of Antioch, where Peter first fixed his see. The fotn-th and last is the patriarchate of Jerusalem, which Church was governed by James, the brother of our Lord.' Beyond all these, the Catholic Church has ever revered the sovereign pontiff of Rome, whom Cyril of Alexandria denominated in the CouncU of Ephesus, the chief bishop, father, and patriarch of the whole world. And whereas he sitteth in that chair, in which it is certain that Peter, the prince of the apostlef, sat to the close of life, [the Catholic Church] recognizes in his person. the highest degree of dignity, and the amplitude of jurisdiction ; a dignity and a jurisdiction not based on any synodal, or other human con- stitutions, but given from on high. Wherefore, as successor to Peter, and the true and legitimate vicar on earth of Christ the Lord, he presides over the Universal Church, the father and governor of all the faithful, of bishops and of all other prelates, be their office and power what it may. From what has been said, pastors then will teach what are the principal offices and functions of ecclesiastical orders and decrees, and who is the minister of this sacrament. '■ On the division of the Patriarchates, Wordsworth's EcolesiaaticaJ Polity, Pt. i. ch. xii. furnishes some valuable and complete information- OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 329 QUESTION XSVI, Who is the proper Minister of the Sacrament of Order. That to tlie bishop belongs the administration of this sacrament is well known, and is also easUy proved by the authority of the sacred writings, by tradition the most certain, by the testimony of all the fathers, by the decrees of councils, and by the usage and practice of the holy Church. Some abbots, it is true, were occasionally permitted to confer minor, but not holy, orders : no one, however, will doubt that this is the proper office of the bishop, for whom, and for whom alone, it is lawful to confer the other orders called holy ; for sub-deacons, deacons, and priests are ordained by one bishop only, but, according to an apostolic tradition, which has always been preserved in the Church, a bishop is consecrated by three bishops. QUESTION XXVII. Necessity of requiring extreme Probity in promoting to Orders. We must now proceed to explain what persons are fit for this sacrament, especially for the order of priesthood, and what should be their principal qualifications ; for thence it will not be difficult to determine what ought to be the qualifications of those to whom the other orders are to be given, according to their respective offices and dignities. That, in promoting to orders, too much precaution cannot be used, is obvious from the consideration, that the other [sacra- ments] impart grace for the use and sanctification of those who receive them ; but those who are initiated in holy orders become partakers of grace for the good of the Church, and thus for the salvation of all men. Hence it is that orders are conferred on certain appointed days only, on which, according to the most ancient custom of the Chm-ch, solemn fasts are observed, that the faithful people may obtain from God, by holy and devout prayers, ministers not un- worthy their high calling, well qualified to exercise with propriety, and to the advantage of his Church, the transcen- dant power with which they are to be invested. 330 . THE catechism: QUESTION XXVIII. Eow great Integrity of Zdfe and Morals is required in tlie Person to he ordained. In the candidate for tlie priesthood, therefore, integrity of life and morals is the first and most essential qualification, not only because for any one to procure, or even to permit his ordination, -while his conscience is burdened with the weight of mortal sin, is to place himself under the bond of a new and most serious crime ; but also, because it is his duty to enlighten others by the lustre of his virtue and iimocence. On this subject the pastor will make known the lessons addi-essed by the apostle to Titus and Timothy ;J and he will also teach that those bodily defects, which, under the Old Law, by divine injunction, disqualified for the ministry of the altar, should, under the Christian dispensation, be transferred chiefly to the deformities of the mind. Hence we see observed in the Church the holy practice, of the candidate for holy orders first studying diligently to cleanse his conscience in the sacrament of penance. QUESTION XXIX. What and how great Learning is required in the Priest. In the priest, moreover, we require not merely that know- ledge which is necessary to the use and administration of the sacraments ; but an acquaintance with the sacred Scriptures should also enable him to instruct the people in the mysteries of the Christian faith, and the precepts of the Divine Law, to incite to piety and virtue, and to reclaim from sin. For the duties of the priest are twofold ; the one, duly to con- secrate and administer the sacraments, the other, to instruct those committed to his faitliful care in whatever things be necessary unto salvation : The lips of the priest, say Malachi, shall keep knowledge, and tliey shcdl seek the law ai his mouth; becoMse he is tlie angel of tlie Lord of Rosts.^ As therefore to discharge one's duty in the former of these duties, a moderate .share of knowledge is sufficient ; so the latter demands not ordinary, but rather extraordinary knowledge. In all priest^ J Tit. i. and 1 Tim. iii. ■■ Malaoh. ii. 7. "messenger of the Lord" in our version. OF THE COUNCII, OF TRENT. 331" ioTvever, recondite learning on difficult subjects is not equally requisite : it is enough that each possess competent know- ledge to discharge the duties of his own particular office in the ministry. QUESTION XXX. Who are not to he admitted to the Dignity of the Priesthood. , This sacrament is not to be conferred on boys, or on mad or insane persons, because they lack the use of reason ; if administered to them, however, it doubtless impresses on their souls the sacramental character. As to the age re- quired for the [reception of the] different orders, it may be easily known by consulting the decrees of the Sacred Council of Trent.' Slaves, also, are excepted, for he that is not at his own disposal, but under the power of another, shoxdd not be dedicated to the divine service. Persons accustomed to shed blood,™ and homicides, are also excepted, because they are excluded by the ecclesiastical law, and are irregular. Spurious persons, also, and all who are not bom in lawful wedlock [are excluded] ; for it is proper that those devoted to the sacred offices have nothing about them that would expose them to be with reason contemned and despised by others. Finally, persons who are maimed, or who labour under any remarkable personal deformity, ought not to be admitted, for such un.comeHness and debility must necessarily offend the eye, and prove an obstacle to the administration of the sacraments. QUESTION XXXI. Chief JE^ffects of iJie Sacrament of Order. Having explained these matters, it remains that pastors unfold the effects of this sacrament. It is clear, that the sacrament of Order, although, as has been already said, primarily instituted with reference to the advantage and beauty of the Church, imparts to the soul of him who receives it sanctifying grace, by whicJi he is qualified and enabled to discharge with propriety the duties of his office, and to administer the sacraments ; as also the grace of bap- tism qualifies for the reception of the other sacraments. By ' Of. Decrees and Canoua, Sess. xziii. c. 12, p. 168 of my translatioiu in Viriaangiimum, a most.powerful and significant. phrase. 332 THE CATECHISM this sacrament, also, it is clear, is conferred another grace, that is, a special power in reference to the most holy- Eucharist, a power full and perfect in the priest, who alone can consecrate" the body and blood of our Lord ; but in the other subordinate ministers, greater or less in proportion to their nearer approximation to the sacred duties of the altar. This power is also denominated a spiritual character, because, by a certain interior mark impressed on the soul, those who have received holy orders are distinguished from the rest of the faithful, and devoted to the divine service. To this the apostle seems to have referred, when he said to Timothy : Neglect not the gift thai is in thee, which was given thee hy prophecy, wUh tlie laying on of the hands of the preshytery f and in another place : I put thee in remembrance, that thotx, stir up the gift of God which is in thee, hy tlie putting on of my hands.v Let thus much suffice, touching the sacrament of Order ; for our purpose has been to lay before pastors the more important heads of the subject only, in order to supply them with matter for the information of the peojile, and their instruction in Christian piety. CHAPTER VIIL ON THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY. QUESTION I. Why Pastors sliould anxiously talce care that the Christian Perypte understand the Nature and Holiiiess of Matrimony. As pastors should propose to themselves the happy and perfect life of the faithful, their most earnest wish must be that of the apostle, when, writing to the Corinthians, he says : / would that ye all were even as myself, 'i that is, that all should lead a life of continency j for there can be found ^ ''Conficere," througliout the present work, seems to be used some- timea to signify the consecration of the elements, at others, to designate the whole administration of the sacrament. o 1 Tim. iv. 14, p 2 Tim. i. 6. i 1 Cor. Tii. 7. OF THE COUNCIL OF TllENT, 333 no greater happiness in this life than for the soul, nndistracted by worldly cares, every unmly desire of the flesh being tranquillized and extinguished, to repose in the one sole study of piety, and the contemplation of heavenly things. But as, according to the witness of the same apostle, every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that,'' and marriage is adorned with great and divine blessings, so as strictly and properly to hold a place amongst the other sacraments of the Catholic Church, and since its celebration was honoured by the presence of the Lord himself,^ it is obviously the duty [of the pastor] to ex- pound its doctrine ; particularly as we find that both St. Paul and the prince of the apostles have, in many places, minutely described to us not only the dignity, but also the duties, of the married state. Por they, filled with the spirit of God, well understood how many and how important advantages might fiow to Christian society, if the faithful possessed a knowledge of, and inviolably observed the sanctity of marriage ; whilst they saw that, on the contrary, from ignorance or disregard of its holiness, the greatest calamities and evils would accrae to the Church. The nature and import of marriage must therefore be first explained ; for whereas vices not unfrequently bear the semblance of virtue, care must be taken that the faithful, deceived by a false appearance of marriage, stain not their souls with turpitude and wicked lusts. To exj^lain the suljject, the pastor will begin with the meaning of the word Matrimony. QUESTION II. Wherefm-e tlie lioly Tiond of Matrimony is designated hy Hie namts " Wedlock," or "Nuptials." [This sacrament] is called matrimony, because the prin- cipal object which a female should propose to herself in marriage is to become a mother ;' or because to a mother it belongs to conceive, bring forth, and train up her offspring. It is also called wedlock,^ from the conjugal union of man and wife, because a lawful wife is attached to her husband, as it ' 1 Cor. vii. 7. ' John ii. 2. ' Mater. " Conjugmm, lit. " a yoking together," a conjungendo. 334; . THE CATECHISM were, by the same yoke. It is moreover called wu/ptials^- because, as St. Ambrose obseri'-es, brides veiled themselves through modesty ;'' an observance -which also seemed to imply that they should be obedient and subject unto their husbands. QUESTION III. Definition of Matrimony. Accordingto the general opinion of theologians, matrimony is defined tlxe conjugal union of mem and woman between legitimate persons, which is to last undimdedly throughout life."- In order that the parts of this definition may be the better understood, it must be taught that, although a perfect marriage possesses all these conditions, viz. internal consent, external compact expressed by words, the obligation and tie which arise from that compact, and the marriage debt by which matrimony is consummated, yet the obligation and tie expressed by the word union alone have properly the force and nature of mar- riage. The word conjugal is added, because other sorts of compacts, by which men and women are bound mutually to assist each other either for payment or for some other reason, are altogether of a different nature from that of matrimony. Next follow the words between legitimate persons, because persons who are absolutely excluded from conjugal union by the laws cannot contract marriage, and if they do, the mar- riage is void. Persons, for instance, within the fourth degree of kindred, and a boy before his fourteenth year, or a girl before her twelfth, ages which have been established by the laws, cannot be fit to enter upon marriage validly. The concluding words, which is to last undimdedly throxigliout life, express the indissoluble nature of the tie which binds husband and wife. QUESTION IV. ■In vihat Mwrriage clviejiy consists. Hence it is evident that in that tie consist the nature and import of man-iage ; for when other definitions of eminent divines seem to ascribe its nature and import to the consent, as when they say that marriage is the consent of the male ' Nuptiae, a nubendo, to veil oneself. " Amb. de Abrah. 1. o. 9. " Individuam vitae oonsuetudlnenl retinens. OP THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 335. and female, they are to be understood to mean, thai the con- sent itself is the efficient cause of marriage, as was taught by the Fathers in the Council of Florence ;y for the obKgation and tie cannot arise save only from the consent and compact. QUESTION V. What sort of Consent is required in Marriage, and how it is to be declared. But that the consent be expressed in words that designate the present time is most necessary, for marriage is not a simple donation, but a mutual compact ; and hence the con- sent of one of the parties only is insufficient, and that of both essential. Now to declare this mutual consent, it is obvious that words are necessary ; for if marriage could consist of the internal consent only, without amy external indication thereof,, it would then seem also to foUow, that if two persons living in the most separate and distant countries were to consent to marry, they would contract a true and stable marriage, even before one had mutually signified to the other his or her consent by letter or messenger, a consequence repugnant to reason, and opposed to the usage and decrees of the Church. QUESTION VI. The mutual Consent of the Parties expressed in Wwds, which have referem;e to the future Time, is unavailing. Wisely, then, is it stated that the consent [of the parties] is to be expressed in words that designate the present time ; for words that indicate a future time promise, but do not actually unite in marriage. Besides, what has to be done hereafter has evidently no present existence, and what has no existence can have little or no firmness or stabihty. Hence a promise of marriage to a woman gives the man no actual matrimonial rights ; and, although he be bound to adhere to his engagement, the violation of which would con- vict him of a breach of faith, yet what a man has promised to do subsequently, he has not immediately fulfilled. But he who has entei-ed into the matrimonial alliance, howsoever he may afterwards regret it, cannot possibly change, or invahdate, or undo the campact. As, then, the marriage y Eu^. iv. in cone. Flor. 336 THE catechism: contract is not a mere promise, but such a transfer of right, as that the man thereby actually yields the dominion of his body to the woman, the woman the dominion of hers to the man, it must therefore be made in words which designate the present time, the force of which words abides also after their utterance, and holds husband and wife bound by an indissoluble tie. QUESTION VII. A N'od err oilier Sign may he mficient, if Modesty, or any otJier impedi- ment, hinder Consent being expressed in Words. In place of words, however, it may be sufficient for the validity of marriage to substitute a nod, or other unequivocal sign of inward consent : even silence, when the result of female modesty, may be sufficient, provided the parents answer for their daiighter. QUESTION VIII. Oonsiimmation not necessary to a true Marriage. Hence pastors will teach the faithful, that in the tie and obhgation consist the nature and import of marriage ; and that, beyond the consent of the parties, expressed in the manner already explained, consummation is not necessarily required to constitute a true marriage ; for it is certain that our first parents, before their fall, when, as the Fathers bear witness, no consummation took place, were really united in marriage.^ Hence the holy Fathers say that marriage con- sists not in its consummation, but in the consent [of the parties] ; a doctrine which we find repeated by St. Ambrose in his book on virgins." QUESTION IX. Marriage twofold. These matters having been explained, it must next be •sTiown that matrimony is to be considered in two points of view, either as a natural union (for marriage was not invented by man,but instituted by nature) or as a sacrament, the efficacy of which transcends the order of nature. And whereas grace perfects nature {howbeit that was not jwst which is spiiitital, ' Gen. ii. 22. - De Instit. Virgin, o. 6. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 337 hut that which is animal, afterwwrds that which is spiritual'^), the order of our matter requires that we first treat of matri- mony as a natural contract, and as imposing natural duties, and next, as a sacrament. QUESTION X. Wlio was the Author of Marriage considered as an office of Naiwre. In the first place, then, the faithful are to be taught that marriage was instituted by God; for it is written in Genesis : Male and female lie created them, : and God hlessed them, say- ing : Increase and m,ultiply ;" and : It is -not good /or the man to be alone ; let us inahe him a hdp like unto himself ;'^ and a little after : But for Ada/in there teas not found a lielper like himself. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam ; and lie slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead tliereof And the Lord GodbMded^ ilie rib wliich lie had taken from Adam into a woman, and brought lier unto Adam,; and Adam, said: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of iny flesh ; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man: therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and tliey shall be two in one fesh;" ^ words which, ac- cording to the authority of our Lord himself, as we read in St. Matthew, show that matrimony was divinely instituted, s QUESTION XI. Matrimony, considered as an Institution of Nature, and especially as a Sacrament, cannot he dissolved. Not only did God institute marriage ; but he also, as the holy Covmcil of Trent declares,'' rendered it perpetual and indissoluble ; for the Saviour says : What God hath joined iogetlier, let no man put asunder.^ Por although, as a natural contract, it belongs to marriage that it be indissoluble ; yet its indissolubility arises chiefly from its natiu-e as a sacrament ; and this it is by which, in all its natural rela- i" 1 Cor. XT. 46. <= Gen. i. 27, sq. '' Gen. H. 18 ; "meet for him," in our version. " Marginal reading. ' Gen. ii. 21, sqq. B Matt. xix. 6, ' Decrees and Canons, Sess. xxiv. preface, p. 177 of my edition. ' Matt. xix. 6. 338 . THE CATECHISM tions, it attains tte highest perfection. Its clissolubility> however, is at once opposed to the care of bringing up an pffspring, and to the other advantages of marriage. QUESTION XII. Marriage is not ohligatory on all. The words, increase and mvltiply, which were uttered, by the Lord, do not tend to impose on every individual an obligation to marry, but to declare the object of the institution of marriage ; for, now that the human race is increased, not only is there no law rendering the taking a wife obligatory on any one, but, on the contrary, virginity is highly extolled and strongly recommended in .scripture to every one, as superior to the marriage state, and being in itself more perfect and holy ; for our Lord himself has taught : He that can receive it, let liiin receive it p and the apostle says : Concerning virgins I have no commcmdrtient of the Lord : yet I give my judgment as one that hath dbtoAned mercy to he faithful?^ QUESTION XIII. Why a Iff an and Woman ought to le joined in Marriage. But for what reasons man and woman should be joined in marriage, is a subject which demands explanation. The first reason of its institution is, that the very nature in- stinctively innate in both sexes tends to such an union ; and it is sought with the hope of proving, under the discomforts of life and the feebleness of old age, a source of mutual aid and support. Another is the desire of family, not so much, however, with a view to leave after us heirs of our property and wealth, as to train up our children in the true faith and in the service of God ; and this was the jjrincipal object of the holy patriarchs, when they engaged in the mamed state, as we learn from the sacred volume. Hence the angel, when informing Tobit by what means he should repel the violent assaults of the evil demon, says : I will show thee who they a/re, over whom the devil can 2>^evadl ; for they wlio in such wise receive matrimmiy, as to shut out God from them- > Matt: xix. 12. ^ 1 Cgr. viL 25. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 339 selves and from their mind, amd to give thetnsekies to their lust, as tlie horse and intde, which have no wnderstamding, over them the devil hath power} He then adds : Thou shalt take, the virgin with the fear of the Lord, moved rather for love of children them for lust, that in the seed of Abraham thou, mayest ohtain a blessing in children.™ This was also the sole reason, why God instituted marriage from the beginning ; and hence married persons, who by medicine either prevent conception, or procure abortion, are guilty of a most heinous crime, nothing less than a premeditated conspiracy to murder. QUESTION XIV. Wliy Matrimony was instituted after Sin. The third reason is one, that has been added to other causes after the fall of our first parent, when, after the loss of the righteousness, in which man was created, appetite began to rebel against right reason. It is that he who is conscious of Ids own fraUty, and is unwilling to bear the assavdts of the flesh, may use marriage as a remedy against concupiscence : Because of fornication, says the apostle, let every man liave Ids oion vnfe, and let every wonian liave lier own husband ; and soon after, having recommended to mar- ried persons a temporary abstinence from the marriage debt, to give tJiemselves to prayer, he adds : Cmne together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontiiiency.'^ These, therefore, are the ends, some one of which those who desire to contract nuptials piously and religiously, as becomes the children of the saints, should propose to themselves. If to those causes others be added, which induce persons to con- tract marriage, or, in making choice of a wife, to prefer one to another, such as the desire of leaving an heir, wealth, beauty, illustrious descent, congeniality of disposition, such motives, seeing they are not inconsistent with the holiness of marriage, are not to be condemned ; nor do we find that the patriarch Jacob is condemned in scriptiu'e for having chosen Rachel, allured by her beauty, in preference to Leah." These are the instructions which the pastor will ' P3. xxi. 9. »> Tob. vi. 16, 17, 18, 22. " 1 Cor. vii. 2. ■> Gen. xxix. Z 2 340 THE CATECHISM communioate to tlie faithful on tlie subject of marriage, as a natural contract. QUESTION XV. Wh]l Matrimmiy received the dignity of a Sacrament from Christ. But as a sacrament, it wiU be proper to explain that marriage belongs to a far superior order, and is referred to a far more exalted end. Por as marriage, as a natural union, was instituted from the beginning for the propagation, of the human race, so was it subsequently endowed with the dignity of a sacrament, for the procreation and education of a people in the religion and worship of the true God, and of our Saviour Christ. For when the Redeemer would give a token of that veiy close union which "subsists between him and his Church, and of his boundless love towards us, he declares the dignity of this so great a mystery principally by the holy union of man and wife. ISTow the extreme aptitude of this illustration may be understood from this, that of aU human relations no one is more binding among men than that of matrimony, and a man and woman in that relation are united iu the closest bonds of affection and love. Hence is it that the sacred Scriptures frequently place before our eyes, by assimilating it to marriage, this divine union of Christ and his Church. QUESTION XVI. Sow Marriage is a true Saa'ament of the New Law. Now that marriage is a sacrament, lias been at all times held by the Church as a certain and well-ascertained truth, in which she is supported by the authority of the apostle, who writes thus to the Ephesians : Men, says he, ought to love their wives as their oivn bodies : he that loveth his wife, loveth himself; for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, tmt nov/risheth and clierisheth it, even as also Christ tlie Church ; for we are inemhers of his hody, of his flesh, and of his hones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, a/nd shall be joined unto his wi/e, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is a great sacrament ; but I speak in Christ, and in the ChurcIi.P When [the apostle] says, This is a great sacror- ? Eph. V. 28, sqq. It is to be observed that " sacramentuin " is translated "mystery" in our Bible. I have previously shown that, in OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 341 ment, no one should doubt that lie referred to marriage ; as if he had said : The conjugal union of man and wife, of "which God is the author, is a sacrament, that is, a sacred sign, of the most holy union by which Christ the Lord is ■united with his Chmxh. QUESTION XVII. Sow Matrimony is a Sacramerd,, is evinced from St. Paul's words. That this is the true and proper meaning of his words is shown by the ancient holy Fathers, who interpreted that j)assage; and the Council of Trent l has given to it the same explanation. The husband, therefore, is evidently compared by the apostle to Christ, the wife to the Church : TIlb hus- band is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of t/ie Church;^ and hence the husband should love his wife, and again, the wife should love and worship her husband, for Christ loved his Church, and gave himxself for her ; and again, as the same apostle teaches, The Chwrch is subject to Christ. But that by this sacrament also grace is .signified and con- ferred, in which the nature of a sacrament principally consists, the council declares in these words : The grace which might perfect tliat natural love, and confirm that indissoluble union, and sanctify the wedded, Christ himself, the institutor and perfecter of the venerable sacraments, merited for us by his pa^sion.^ It must therefore be taught, that, united in the bonds of mutual love, the husband and wife are enabled by the grace of tliis sacrament, to repose in each other's affections, to seek no alien and illicit attachments, no criminal intercourse ; and to preserve marriage honourable in all, and tJie bed undefled.^ the books of the Reformed Church, the word " sacrament " was used in a larger sense than modem usage renders intelligible. Marriage is obviously not a "sacrament of the Gospel." 1 See Decrees and Canons, Sess. xxiv. sub init. p. 177. ' Ephes. T. 23. ' L. c. p. 177. ' Heh. xiii. i. 343 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XVIII. Row much the Matrimony of the Gospel is superior to the Matrimony of the Law of Nature, or of Moses. But liow greatly siTperior the saorament of matrimoiiy is to those marriages which took place before or after the law, we may learn, from the following considerations, although the Gentiles looked upon marriage as possessing some divine property, and therefore considered promiscuous intercourse inconsistent with the law of nature : they also held that for- nication, adultery, and other licentious excesses should be repressed by law ; but their marriages had noiight whatever of the nature of a sacrament. Among.st the Jews the laws of marriage were observed far more religioiisly, and their marriages were doubtless endued with more holiness. For having received the promise, that in the seed of Abraham all nations shoidd one day be blessed," it was justly deemed a duty of great piety amongst them to beget children, the offspring of a chosen people, from whom, as to his human nature, Christ our Lord and Saviour might be descended; but their unions also lack the true nature of a sacrament. QUESTION XIX. Matrimony under the Laio of Nature retained not, afiei- tlie Fall, or under the Law of Moses, the Sonawr which it derived from God. Moreover, whether we consider the law of nature after the sin of Adam, or [the law] of Moses, we easily perceive that marriage had fallen away from its primitive honour and dignity. For undei' the law of nature we find, that many of the patriarchs wedded several wives at the same time ; and, in the law of Moses, should cause exist, permission was sub- sequently given to dismiss one's wife, having given her a bill of divorce ;^ both which concessions have b^en removed by the gospel dispensation, and marriage restoi'ed to its j)ristme state. For that polygamy was at variance with the nature of marriage (some of the patriarchs, who, not without the permission of God, had a pliurality of wives, are not, however, on that account to be accused), Christ our Lord shows in these words : For this cause shall a man leave " Gen. xxli. 18. " Deut. xxiv. 1 ; Matt. xix. 7. OF THB COUNCIL OF lEENT. 343- Jcciher and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, amd they twain shall be in one flesh. Wherefore, subjoins the Redeemer, they a/re no more twain hut one flesh /" vrords by wliich he plainly shows, that marriage was so instituted by God, as to be the union of two, and not more persons. This he most explicitly teaches elsewhere, for he says : Whosoever shall fut away his wife and marry aiwtlier, committeth adultery against her; and if a woman shall put away her husband, and he married to anotlier, she committeth aduUei-y ;^ for if a plurality of wives were lawful for a man, there would seem to be no more reason why he who marries a second wife, whilst he retains the first, should be said to be guilty of adultery, than if, having dismissed the first, he should unite to himself a second. Hence it is that if an infidel, in accordance with the law and custom of his country, had married several wives, the Church commands him, when converted to the faith, to regard the fitrst only in the light of his true and lawful wife, and to relinquish all the others. QUESTION XX. 17ie Bond of Marriage indissoliihle hy Divorce. That marriage cannot be dissolved by divorce is easily pi'oved from the same testimony of Christ our Lord ; for if, after [giving] a biU of divorce the matrimonal link were dissolved, the wife might, without any guilt of adultery, wed another husband ; yet our Lord expressly declares, that whosoever shall put away his vnfe, and sludl mxirry anotlier, committeth adultery.^ It is clear, therefore, that the bond of marriage can be dissolved by death alone ; and this the apostle also confirms, when he saith : The wife is bound by tlie law as long as her husband liveth ; but if Jier husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wiU, only in tlie Lord j^ and again: Unto tJie married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, that the wife depart not from lier husband ; but, and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be recon- ciled to her husba/nd.'^ Thus to her who has relinquished her husband for a just cause, the only alternative left by the apostle is to remain mimarried, or be reconciled to her hus- " Matt. xix. 5, sq. ^ Mark x. 11, 12. r Luke xvi. IS. ' 1 Cor. vii. 39. " 1 Cor. vii. 10. 344 THE CATECHISM band ; for the Church, does not permit one to separate from the other without most weighty reasons. QUESTION XXI. Wliy it is expedient that Marriage he indissoluble. That the law of marriage may not appear to any one too rigorous, inasmuch as marriage may never on any account be dissolved, its beneficial consequences must be pointed out to- the faithful. In the first place, they should understand that in the choice of a companion in matrimony, virtue and con- geniality of disposition should be considered, rather than wealth or beauty ; and by this consideration, we, no doubt,, best regard the interests of society. Besides, if marriage were dissoluble by divorce, married persons could scarcely ever want causes of dissension, which the old enemy of peace and chastity would never fail to throw in their way ; where- as, when the faithful reflect within themselves that, although even separated as to bed and board,'' they are stUl held bound by the tie of marriage, and that all hope of wedding a second wife is cut off, they become slower to anger and dissensions ; and if sometimes separated, feeling the regrets of separation insufferable, they are easily reconciled to their fellowship of hving through the intervention of friends. QUESTION XXII. Those separated Tjy a Bill of Divorce may again he wnited. But here, the pastors must not omit the salutary admoni- tion of St. Augustine, who, to convince the faithful that they should not deem it a hard thing to be reconciled to their penitent wives, whom they had put away for adultery, he asks : Why sliovld not the faithful man receive his wife, wlwrn tlie Church receives ? Or, why sJwuldnot the wife pardon lier advlteroits hut penitent husband, whom Christ liaih par- doned 1 " Wlien the Scriptures call him, fJiat keepeth an adulteress, foolish,'^ it means an adulteress, who, after her '' Conjugii oonviotu et consuetudine. Compare our EngEsh legal phrase, " k mensft et thoro." " De Adult, conjug. ii. cc. 6 et 9. ^ Prov. xviii. 22, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaiueth favour of the Lord," OP THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 345 delinquency, refuses to repent, and perseveres in tlie carera' of turpitude wliioli she had commenced. From what has been said, therefore, it is clear that, to marriage amongst thes Jews and Gentiles, the marriage of believers is far superior in perfection and dignity. QUESTION XXIII. What an the A dvantages arising from Mamage. The faithful are also to be taught, that there are three advantages of marriage, offspring, faith, and the sacrament ; advantages which alleviate by compensation those evils which the apostle points out, when he says : Such shall have trouble in the flesh ;^ and by which, the natural intercourse, which, without marriage, would be deservedly reprobated, is ren- dered an honourable union. The first advantage, then, is offspring, that is to say, children begotten from, a true and lawful wife ; an advantage which was so highly appreciated by the apostle, that he says ; The looman shall be saved in chUdhearing.^ This, however, is not to be understood solely of the procreation of children, but also of the education and discipline by which children are reared to piety. Thus the apostle immediately adds : If she continue in faith ; for the Scripture admonishes : Hast tlwu children ? Instruct iheTn, and bow down their neck from their childhood.^ The same lesson is taught by the apostle; and of such an education the Scripture affords the most beautiful illustrations in the jjersons of Tobit, Job, and other patriarchs, eminent for holiness. But what are the further duties of parents and children, shall be more fully explained in the exposition of the fourth com- mandment. QUESTION XXIV. W7iat is Faith in Matrimony, and how it is to le preserved. The next advantage of matrimony is faith, not that habit of virtue with which we are imbued in baptism, but the fidelity which the husband plights to the wife, and the wife to the husband, by which they mutually deliver to each ' 1 Cor. vii. 28. ' 1 Tim. ii. 15. Soon after, we should perhaps read "pormanserint," " if they remain," sav fieivwcTiv, I Eool. vii. 25 (Apocr.). 346 THE CATECHISM other tte dominion of their persons, and promise to preserve inviolate the sacred engagement of marriage. This is an obvious inference from the words of our first parent on receiving his wife Eve, words of which, as the Gospel informs ns, Christ our Lord afterwards approved : Wherefore, a mam. shall lea/oe his father and mother, and sliall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh.^ It is also to be inferred from these words of the apostle : Tlie wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband : and likewise also the husband liath not power of his own body, but the wife} Hence in the Old Law most justly were the heaviest chastisements ordained by the Lord against adulterers, because they violate this con- jugal faith.] Matrimonial faith also demands, that the husband and wife be united by a certain singular, holy, and pure love, a love not such as that of adulterers, but such as that which Christ cherisheth towards his Church ; for this is the model of conjugal love proposed by the apostle, when he says : Husbamds, love yowr wives, as Christ also loved the Church;^ and very great indeed was the love wherewith Christ embraced his Church, not a selfish love, but a love that proposed to itself the sole interest of his spouse. QUESTION XXV. What is a Sacrament, wJten it is emimerated among tJie Advantages of Matnmony. The third advantage is called the sacrament, that is, the indissoluble tie of marriage ; for as we read in the apostle : The Lord cominandeth that the wife depa/rt not from the husband. But and if she depa/rt, lei Aer remain unma/rried, or be reconciled to her husband ; and let not the husband pvi away his wife} If, as a sacrament, mai-riage is significant of the union of Christ with his Church, it follows that, as Christ never separates himself from his Church, so a wife, as far as I'egards the tie of m.arriage, can never be separated from her husband. But the more easily to preserve this holy union undisturbed by complaints, the duties of husband and wife, as inculcated by St. Paul, and by Peter the jDrince of the apostles, must be set forth. •> Gen. ii. 24 ; Matt. xix. 5. • '1 Cor. vii. 4. J Num. V. 12, Bqq. ^ Ephes. v. 25. ' 1 Cor. vii. 10.- OF THE OOtWCIL OP TEENT. '3i7 QUESTION XXVI. Chief Duties of a Husband. It is then the duty of the hnshand to treat his wife cour- teously and with honour; and herein it should be recollected that Eve was called by Adam his companion : The woman, says he, whom thou gavest me as a companion /™ and hence it was, in the opinion of some of the fathers, that she was formed not from the feet but from the side of man ; as, on the other hand, she was not formed from his head, in order to give her to understand that she was not to command, but rather to obey, her husband. It is also becoming that the husband be constantly occupied in the exercise of some honest piu'snit, with a view as well to provide the necessaries for the sustenance of his family, as to avoid the languor of idleness, from which almost every vice flows. He is also to keep his family in order, to correct their morals, and keep them stead- fast in their respective employments. QUESTION XXVII. Duties of a Wife. On the other hand, the duties of a wife are thus enu- merated by the piince of the apostles : Let wives be subject to their husbands ; that if amy believe not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the loives; while they behold your chaste conversation with fear ; whose adorning let it not be that outward 2Jilaiting of tJie hair, or of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel, but the hidden man of the hea/rt in that which is not corruptible, of a quiet and a meek spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this ma/nner, in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands : even as Sarah obeyed Ahralw/in, call- ing him Lord.^ It should also be a principal study of theirs to train up their cliildren in the practice of religion, and to take particular care of their domestic concerns. Unless compelled by necessity to go abroad, they should willingly keep themselves at home ; and should never venture to leave home without the permission of their husbands. " Gen. iii. 12. " 1 Pet. iii. 1, sqq. 348 THE CATECHISM Again, and in this the conjugal union chiefly consists, let them always remember that, next to God, they are to love no one more than their husband, to esteem no one more highly, yielding to him in all things not inconsistent with C&istian piety, the most willing and cheerful obedience. QUESTION XXVIII. What is to be tlwught of tlie Rites observed in Marriage. It wiU be consequent upon the explanation of these matters, that pastors next proceed to instruct their people in the rites to be observed in the administration of marriage ; on which, however, it is not to be expected that precepts should here be delivered, whereas the principal things to be observed on this head have been accurately, and at great length determined by the holy Council of Trent," nor can pastors be unacquainted with that decree itself It is, there- fore, sufficient to admonish them to study to make themselves acquainted, from the doctrine of the sacred council, with what regards this point, and to expound it diligently to the faithful. QUESTION XXIX. Clandestine Marriages are not valid. But above all, lest yoimg men and girls, who are of an age marked by extreme weakness and indiscretion of disposition, deceived by the misapplied name of nujDtials, may rush incautiously into criminal love-engagements, [pastors] must very frequently remind them that, without the presence of the parish-priest, or of some other priest licensed by him or by the ordinary, and that of a certain number of witnesses, the ceremony cannot be real, nor can there be any valid marriage. QUESTION XXX. It is also proper to state the Impediments of Marriage. The impediments also to marriage are to be explained, a subject so diligently treated by many grave and erudite writers on morality,P as to render it an easy task for pastors to draw from their labours, partictdarly as they have ° See Sega, xxiv. as above. p De vitiis et virtutibua. OF THK COUNCIL OF TKENT. 349 occasion to have such, -works continually in their hands. The instructions, therefore, which they contain, and also the decrees of the council i with regard to the impediments arising from sjnritual relationsliip, from tlie justice of public honesty, or frmn fornication, pastors will peruse with atten- tion, and take care to expound to the people. QUESTION XXXr. Tlic Dispositions with which Men should approach iht Sacrament of Marriage, From what has been said, may be learnt the dispositions with which the faithful should approach the sacrament of marriage ; for they should consider themselves as about to engage, not in a human but a divine work ; and the example of the fathers of the Old Law, by whom marriage, although rjot endued with the dignity of a sacrament, was deemed a most holy and religious rite, evinces the singular integrity of soul, and the piety, which shoidd be applied [to this sacra- ment]. QUESTION XXXII. The Consent of the Parents is required for the Soundness of 3Iatrimony, But, amongst other matters, the children are most earnestly to be exhorted to pay to their parents, or to those under whose care and authoi'ity they are placed, the tribute of respect not to engage in marriage without their knowledge, still less in defiance and repugnance of their wish. For it may be observed, that in the Old Testament, children were always given in marriage by their fathers ; and that to the will of fathers is to be paid in this matter the greatest deference, the apostle seems also to indicate in these words : He that giveth his virgin in marriage; doth well : and he that giveth her not, doth better.'^ QUESTION XXXIII. InstriKtion touching the Use of Marriage. The last subject regards the use of marriage, a subject which pastors must approach with becoming delicacy, taking 1 Of. Decrees and Canons, 1. o. ch. 2, sqq. p. 182, sq. of my transla- tion. ' 1 Cor. vii. 38. 35Q THE CATJLCHISM OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. care that no expression that may be unfit to meet the ears of the faithful, that may be calculated to offend pious minds, or excite laughter, fall from their lips. The words of the Lord are pure words y' and, therefore, the teachers of a Christian people should make use of such language as is characterized by singular grayity and integrity of soul. Two lessons of instruction are then to be specially enjoined upon the faith- ful ; the first, that marriage is not to be used from motives of sensuahty or pleasure, but that its use is to be restrained within those limits, which, as we have already shown, are prescribed by God. They should be mindful of the exhorta- tion of the apostle : They, says he, tliat have wives, let them, he as tlwse that Jmve not.^ The words of St. Jerome^ also [deserve attention] : A wise man, says he, oiK/ht to love his wife, with judgment, not with tlie im2}ulse of passion . he will govern the impetuosity of desire, and will not be hurried into indulgence. There is no greater turpitude tha/n that a hushaiid should love his wife as he would an adulteress. QUESTION XXXIT. Susbands should sometimes abstain frovi the Marriage Debt. But as all blessings are to be obtained from God by holy prayers, the faithful are also to be taught sometimes to abstain from the marriage debt, in order to devote themselves to prayer and devotion to God. And this religious continence, according to the proper and holy injunction of our fathers, they should particularly observe for at least three days pre- vious to receiving the holy Eucharist, and frequently during the solemn fast season of Lent. Thus will they find the blessings of marriage to be augmented daily, by a constantly increasing accumulation of divine grace ; and, living in the pursuit and practice of piety, they will not only spend this, life in tranquillity and comfort, but will also rest on the true and firm hope, which maketh not ashamed'' of attaining, through the goodness of God, life eternal. « Ps. xi. 7 (xii. 6). ' 1 Cor. vii. 29. " Contra Jovin. 1. 49. " Eom. v. 5. THE CATECHISM. PART III. ON THE PEECEETS OF GOD CONTAINED IN THE DECALOGUE. QUESTION I., It is also shovm that the Decalogue is an Epitome of the Entire Law. That the Decalogue is a summary and epitome of tie entire law, is the recorded opinion of St. Augustine,^ for wliereas tlie Lord had spoken many things, yet to Moses a/re given only two tables of stone, which are called tables of testi- mony, to be deposited in the ark ;^ and the reaso7i is, because ooi the ten precepts iriscribed thereon, if they be carefully exa/inined with a view to be properly understood, a/re found to depend all other things t/iat God has coininanded ; as a^am, those same ten commandments \depend mi\ these two, the love of God and ofowr neighbour, on which hang the whole loAO a/nd the propliets. QUESTION II. Why it should he ca/refully studied and explained hy Pastors. Constituting then, as it does, a summary of the whole law, it becomes the duty of pastors to give to its contemplation their days and nights, with the view not only to regulate their lives by its standard, but also to instruct the people intrusted to their care in the law of the Lord; for the priests lips slvall keep, knowledge, a/nd tliey shall seek the la/w at his mxnth, becoAise he is the messenger of tlie Lord of Hosts.'' To the pastors of the New Law this pre-eminently appHes ; for being nearer to God, they should be civxnged from glory tq ; » Aiig. iu ID Exod. qusest. liO. " Of. Exod. xxxi. 18 ; xxxii. 15 ; and Matt. xxii. 40. = Mai. ii. 7. 352 THK CATECHISM glory, as by the spirit of the LordA Christ our Lord has said that they are the light of the world ;^ to them, therefore, it especially belongs to be a light to them iliMt a/re in darhiess, the instructors oftlie foolish, the teachers of babes /' and, if a man be overtaken in any fault, those who are spiritual should instruct such a one.s In confessions, also, they sustaia the character of judge, and pass sentence according to the nature and measure of the offences. Unless, therefore, they wish that their ignorance defraud themselves, and others also, they must in the discharge of this duty bestow the greatest vigi- lance, and be most practised in an acquaintance with the interpretation of the divine precejats, in order to be able to pronounce according to this divine rule concerning every act of omission and commission ; and that, as the apostle saith, they may teach sound doctrine}^ that is, doctrine free from error, and heal the diseases of souls, which are sins, that there may be a people acceptable to God, pwsuing good works. Now, in such instructions, let the pastor propose to himself, and to others, such considerations as may persuade to obedience to the law. QUESTION III. Wlio was the Author of the Decalogue and of the Law of Nature. Amongst the other motives which may impel the minds of men to the observance of the injunctions of this law, there is one that has most power, and that is, that God is its author; for, although it is said to have been delivered by angels,i yet no one can doubt that God himself is the author of the law. Of this fact we have ample testimony, not only in the words of the legislator himself, which will soon after be explained, but also in almost numberless other passages of Scripture, which will easUy occur to pastors ;J for no one who is conscious that on his heart is inscribed by God a law, by which he is enabled to distinguish good from evil, vice from virtue, justice from injustice ; and, as the force and import ^ 2 Cor. iii. 18. ' Matt. t. 14. ' Horn. ii. 19, sq. e In Gal. vi. 1, we read KaTapTi^ere, whioli our translation renders "restore." Cf. Heb. xiii. 21. >■ 2 Tim. iv. 3. ' Gal. iii. 19. J Donovan refers to Ex. xxiv. 12 ; Lev. iv. 22, 27 ; Isa. xxxiii. 22 ; Ez. XX. 11, OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 353 of tliis [unwritten] law are not different from that which is •written, no one will dare to deny that God is the author of the written, as he is of the unwritten law. But, lest per- chance the people, on hearing the abrogation of the Mosaic Law, may imagine that they are no longer bound by the precepts of the Decalogue, [the pastor] must teach them that, when God delivered the law to Moses, he rather gave increased splendour to this divine light, that was now almost darkened by the depraved morals and inveterate perversity of man, than passed a new law. For it is most certain that the ten. commandments are not to be obeyed because given by Moses, but because they are precepts innate in the minds of all, and have been explained and confirmed by Christ our Lord.'' QUESTION IV. Considerations calculated to enforce its Observance ly the People. It must, however, prove a most powerful and persuasive argument [for enforcing the observance of the law], to reflect that the founder of the law is God, of whose wisdom and equity we can have no doubt, whose power and might we cannot elude. Hence, when, by his prophets, he com- manded the law to be observed, he proclaims that he is the Lord God ;^ and even the opening words of the Decalogue axe : T am ilie Lord thy God ;^ and elsewhere we read : If J be a master, wliere is my fear ?° QUESTION V. How great is the Benefit of homing received tlie Law from, God. That God has vouchsafed to unfold his will, in which is contained our salvation, is a consideration which, besides animating the minds of the faithful to keeping his command- ments, must also call forth the expression of their thanks. Hence the Scripture, in more than one place, setting forth this invaluable blessing, admonishes the people to know their own dignity and the divine bounty, as in Deuteronomy : ° This, says Moses, is your loisdom and yoivr understanding in the ^ Matt. V. 17, XV. 3, xix. 17. ' Ex. XX. 7, 19 ; Lev. xviii. 4, 21, 30, xix. 2, xx. 8, xxii. 31. ° Exod. XX. 2 ; Deut. v. 6. ° Malach. i. 6. " Deut. iv. 6. 2 A '354 THE CATECHISM sigM of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say : Behold a loise and understanding people, a great nation ; and again, in the Psalm :P He liath not dealt so ivith any nation ; and his jvdgtnents he hath not made manifest to them. QUESTION VI. Wherefore God formerly willed to deliver his Law to ilie Israelites with so great majesty. But if tlie pastor explain tte circumstances wMcli attended tte promulgation of the law, according to the narrative of Scripture, the faithful will easily understand with what piety and humility they should reverence a law received from God. For three days previous to its promulgation, to all the people was announced the divine command, that they should wash their garments, and abstain from conjugal intercourse, to the end that they might be more holy and better prepared to receive the law, and to be in readiness on the third day. When they had reached the mount, from which the Lord was about to deliver to them the law by Moses, Moses alone was commanded to ascend the mount, whither came the Lord with very great majesty, and filled the place with thunderings and lightnings, with fire and dense clouds, and began to speak with Moses, and delivered to him the law.i In this the divine wisdom had solely for its object, to admo- nish us to receive his law with a pure and humble mind, and that, should we neglect his precepts, the punishments pre- pared by the divine justice impend over our heads. QUESTION VII. Sow tlie Law, promulgated with such Terror, can he fvlfillcd ty Men, and that nothing is easier than Love. The pastor will also teach that the commandments of God are not difficult [of observance] ; and this he can show by this single reason from St. Augustine, when he says : Sow, I ask, is it said to be impossible for mam to love, to love, I say, a beneficent Creator, a most loving Father, and also, in the persons cf his brethren, to love his own flesh ? Yet, he that loveth, liath fidfiMed the law y"^ Hence, John tlie apostle openly P Ps. cxlyii (oxlviii.) 20. a Exod. xix. 9, sqij. ' Kom. xiii. 8. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 355 beareth loitness, that the commandments of God are not heavy j^ for, as St. Bernard observes, nothing could be exacted from man more just, nothing more dignified, nothing more advantageous.* Wherefore, filled with admiration of the supreme benignity of God, Augustine thus addresses God himself : What is man, that thou commandest him to love thee ? And if he love thee not, thou threatenest direful pwmsh- ments I Is it not enough misery if I love thee not ?^ But should any one allege human infirmity as an impediment to his loving God, the pastor will teach, that God, who demands our love, pours into our hearts, by his Holy Spirit, the vehemence of his love ;^ and this good Spirit our heavenly Father giveth unto them that ask biTn jw so that justly has St. Augustine prayed : Give what thou commandest, and eom,mand what thou pleasest.^ Since then, the help of God is ready to sustain our weakness, especially since the death of Christ om- Lord, by which the prince of this world was cast, out, there is no reason why any one should be deterred by the difficulty of the undertaking ; for to him who loveth,, nothing is difficult. QUESTION VIII. All Men are iomid to obey the Injimctions of the Law. By explaining moreover the necessity of obejoug the law, [the pastor] will contribute very much to induce to its observance, particularly as in these our days there have not been wanting those who impiously, and to the serious injury of their own souls, have not been afraid to say, that the law, whether easy or difficult, is by no means necessary unto sal- vation. Their wicked and impious opinion the pastor will refute by testimonies from sacred Scripture, especially from the same apostle, by whose authority they endeavour to defend their impiety. What then saith the apostle ? Cir- cumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the convmamdmerds of God.y When he elsewhere^ repeats the same doctrine, and says that a new creatwe in • Peeudo-Aug. serm. i7, de temp. 1 John v. 3. ' Lib. de diligendo Deo, o. 1. " Confess, i. 5. ■f Rom. V. 5. " Luke xi. 13. » Confess, x. 29, 31, 37, et de bono persever. u. 20. y 1 Cor. vii. 19, » Gal. vi. 15, 2 a2 356 THE CATECHISM Clurist, alone availeth, by a new creaPare in Christ, we plainly perceive that he means him who observes and keeps the com- mandments of God ; for lie that hath and keepeth the com-mand- ments of God, loveth God, as our Lord himself testifies in St. John : If any one love one, he will keep my word?' A man it is true, may be justified, and from wicked may become righteous, before he fulfil by external acts each of the pre- cepts of the law; yet it is impossible that any one who has attained the use of reason, unless he be sincerely disposed to observe all the commandments of God, can be justified. QUESTION IX. Fruits of the Observcmce of the Divine Law. I'inally, that the pastor may leave nothing unsaid that may induce the faithful to observe the law, he will point out how abundant and how sweet are its fruits. This he will easily establish by referring to what is written in the eigh- teenth Psalm,'' in which the praises of the divine law are celebrated, amongst which its highest [praise] is, that it pro- claims the glory and the majesty of God more eloquently than even the celestial orbs by their beauty and order, enforcing as they do the admiration of the most barbarous nations, and leading them to acknowledge the glory, the wisdom, and the power of the Creator and Architect of aE things. Tlie law of tJie Lord, also converts souls to God ; for knowing the ways of God and his most holy will through his law, we turn our feet unto the ways of the Lord. It also giveth loisdom to little ones;" for they alone who fear God are truly wise. Hence, they who observe the law of God are filled with true joys, are enlightened by the know- ledge of the divine mysteries, and are blessed with immense pleasures and rewards in this life, and in the life to come. QUESTION X. Since all dii/ngs do the Will of Ood, it is sliovm that Man ought most justly to follow the same Will. Nor should we observe the law so much from a sense of our own interest, as from a regard for the wiU of God, which he has unfolded xmto men by its jwomulgation : if the • John xiv. 21, 23. b Ps. xTiii. 8 (xiz. 7). 1= Pa. oxviii. (oxix.) 130, "Giveth understanding unto the simple." OP THE COUNCIL OF TKENT. ooJ remaining portions of creation are obedient to tliis Ms sove- reign w-ill, how much more jxist that man should obey its dictates ? Nor is it to be passed over in silence, that God has pre-eminently displayed his clemency and the riches of his infinite boimty even in this, that, whilst he might have commanded us to serve him without a reward, he has never- theless deigned to unite his own glory with our advantage, thus rendering what tends to the honour of Grod, conducive to our interests. This then being a most important and glorious prerogative, the pastor will teach, as the prophet says at the dose [of his praise of the law], that in keeping them, there is a great reioard;^ for not only fire we promised those blessings which seemed rather to refer to eai-thly hap- piness, to be blessed in the nVy, and blessed in the Jield,^ but also a very great reicard in heaven/ and good measure, pressed down^ sludcen together, and running over,s which, with the aid of the divine mercy, we merit by oiu: pious and righteous worts.^ QtrESTION XI. In what manner the Laic of Moses is oMIgatory on Men ofaU JVaies, and on ichat occasion it was promtUgtded to the Israelites. Although this law was given by the Lord to the Jews on the Mount,* yet as it was long before imprinted and engraved by nature on the hearts of all, and God therefore wiSied it to be obeyed at all times by all men, it will hence be fotmd very profitable diligently to explain the words, in which it was promulgated to the Hebrews by Moses, its minister and interpreter, and also the history of tiie people of Isi-ael, which is replete -ndth mysteries. Eirst, then, the pastor will relate, that, from amongst all the nations beneath heaven, God chose one, which took its descent from Abraham ; that he wished Abraham to be a stranger in the land of Canaan, the possession of which, he had promised him j and that, not- withstanding [this promise], he and his posterity were wanderers for more than four hundred years before they ^ Ps. xviii. 12 (xis. 11). • Deut. sxriii. 3. ' Matt. v. 12. e Luke vi. 38. *" The repetition of the passage of Exod. xx. 2, at the end of this section, appears to be a mistake, arising &oni the terminations of the next chapters. In some copies, however, it forms a kind of heading to sect xi ' Ex. six. 20 ; Deut. v. 2, 4. 358 THE CATECHISM obtained possession of the promised land, at tlie same time that, tloroughout this their pilgrimage, God never withdrew his care from them. They indeed went from nation to nxUion, amd from, one kingdom to another people;} yet he never suffered them to be injured, but reproved hinga for their sokes, and, before they, went down into Egypt, he sent before them a man by whose prudence they and the people of Egypt were rescued from famine. During their stay in Egypt such was the kindness with which he surrounded them, that, although Pharaoh was opposed to them and intent on their ruin, they increased to an extraordinary degree ; and when severely harassed, and most harshly treated as slaves, he raised up Moses as a leader, to conduct them from bondage with a strong hand. Of this their deliverance the Lord makes special mention in these opening words of the law ; / am the Lord thy God, who hroiight thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.^ QUESTION XII. WJiy the People of Israel were chosen by God. Amongst these events the pastor will particularly observe, that oiit of the nations of the earth one was chosen by God, whom he called his people, and by whom he would be known and worshipped; not that they were superior to the others in righteousness or in numbers, and of this God himself reminds the Hebrews,^ but rather because, by the multipli- cation and aggrandisement of a small and impoverished nation, he would more fully display to mankind his power and his goodness. Such having been the circumstances of these men, he was closely joined to them and loved tliein,^ so that, Lord of heaven and earth though he was, he disdained not to be called their God, to provoke to emulation the other nations, that, perceiving the happiness of the Israehtes, mankind might all betake themselves to the worship of the true God ; as Paul also testifies that, by setting forth the hajDpiness of the Gentiles, and the true knowledge of God in i Ps. civ. (ov.) 13, 14, 17. ■• Exod. XX. 2 ; Deut. v. 6. Cf. Dean Graves on the Pentateuch, pt. ii. lect. 1, p. 121. ' Deut. vii. 7, sq. ™ Deut. X. 15, " Had a delight in thy fathers to love them," TrpoetXtro ayairav avTovQ. OP THE CODNCIIi OF TEENT. 359 whicli he had instructed them, he provoked to emulation those, who were his own flesh." QUESTION XIII. Why the Israelites were harassed with siieh Trials hefore they received the Law. [The pastor] will next inform the faithful, that God suf- fered the Hebrew Fathers to wander a long time, and their posterity to be oppressed and harassed under a most galling servitude, to teach us, that to be friends of God we must be enemies of the world," and piJgi'ims on earth ; that to have nothing in common with the world gives us an easier access to the friendship of God ; and that, being transferred to the worship of God, we may understand how much more happy are they that serve God, than those who serve the world. Of this the Scrij)ture admonishes us, for it says, Tet they slicdl be ' his servants, that they -may know the difference between my service, and the service of the kingdom o/tlie ecurth.Tf [The pastor] will also explain that God delayed the fulfilment of his promise untU after the lapse of more than four hundred years, in order that that people might be nurtured by faith and hope; for, as shall be shown when we come to explain the first commandment, God will have his children ever depend on him, and place all their hope in his goodness. QUESTION XIV. The Time and Place in which the Law was delivered, why chosen. Lastly, [the pastor] will mark the place and time at which the people of Israel received this law from God. They received it, forsooth, when, having been led out of Egypt, they were come into the wilderness ; in order that, impressed with the memory of a blessing stiU fresh in their recollection, and terrified by the ruggedness of the place in which they were journeying, they might the better be disposed to receive the law. For to those whose bounty they have experienced,, men are most attached by ties of obligation ; and when they have lost all hope of assistance from their fellow-men, then do they seek refuge in the protection of God. We may hence ■'. Bom. xi. li. "" Cf. James iv. 4.- p 2 Chron. xli. 8. 360 THE CATECHISM ■understand, that the more detached the faithful are from the allurements of the world, and the pleasures of the flesh, the more disposed are they to lend a willing ear to the doctrines of salvation ; as is said by the prophet : W/urni shall lie teach knowledge, and whom shcM he make to under- stand the IveairvDig 1 Th&m that are wecmed from the milk, cmd drawn away from tlja hr easts. '^ CHAPTER II. OF THE FIRST COMMAUDMENT. QUESTION I. Of the Meaning of the Exordium, and the Mysteries contained therein. Let then the pastor strive, with all his efforts, to induce the faithful to keep continually in mind these words, / am, the Lord thy God. From them they wiU learn that they have as a legislator their Creator, by whom they were made and are preserved, and that they may justly say, He is the Lord our God, and we are the people of his pasture cmd the- sheep of his hand.^ The earnest and frequent inculcation of these words will serve to render the faithful more willing to observe the law, and abstain from sin. The words that follow, Who IrougJU tJiee out of tlie la/nd of Egypt and the Iwuse of bondage, whilst they seem solely to relate to the Jews liberated from the bondage of Egjrpt, are, if considered in their inward reference to the scheme of universal sal- vation, far more applicable to Christians, who are liberated by God, not from the bondage of Egypt, but from the region of sin and the power of darkness, and are translated into the Tdngdom of his beloved Son.^ Contemplating the magnitude of this benefit, Jeremiah prophetically exclaimed, Belwld the days come, saith ilve Lord, that it shall no more be said, the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of tlie land oj Egypt ; but the Lord liveth thai brought up the children of Israel from, the land of tlie north, and from all the t Isa. xxviii. 9. ' Ps. xoiv. (xov.) 7. " Col. i. 13. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 361 lands whither I cast them out ; and I wUl bring them agavn- into their land that I gave unto tlievr fathers. Behold, I loill send many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them, &cS Por our most indulgent Father Iiath gathered together through his Son, i/ie children that were scattered,^ that, no longer tlie servants of sin tut of righteousness,'' we m/iy serve hefore him in holiness and righteousness all our days.^ QUESTION II. In whai maimer the Faithful ought to he affected by the Segimning of this, becalogue. To every temptation, therefore, the faithful mil oppose as a shield these words of the apostle, SliaM we that a/re dead to sin, live any longer therein ? ^ We are no longer our own ;. hut his who for us died and rose againJ He is the Lord our God, who purchased us for himself with his own hlood.^ How then shall we be any longer capable of sinning against the Lord our God, and crucifying him again ? * Being made truly free, and in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,^ let us, as we heretofore yielded our members to serve unrighteousness, henceforward yield them to serve righteous- ness unto Iioliness." THOU SHALT NOT HAVE STRANGE GODS BEFOBB ME. QUESTION III. What is to ie ohsemed or avoided, according to this First Oommandmervt. The pastor will teach that, in the Decalogue, the precepts, that regard God occupy the first, and those that regard our neighbour, the second place ; for the services which we render unto our neighbom-, we render him for the sake of God ; and. then only do we love our neighbour according to the precept of God, when we love him for God's sake. And these pre- cepts are those that were inscribed on the first table [of the law]. In the next place, he will show that, in the words propounded, is contained a twofold precept; the one man- datory, the other prohibitory. For when it is said, TIww ' Jer. xvi. 14, sq. '» Jolin xi. 52. " Rom. vi. 18. *■ Luke i. 74, sq. ' Rom vi. 2. y 2 Cor. v. 15. » Acts XX. 28. " Heb. vi. 6. >> Gal. v. 1. ' Rom. vi. 19. 362 THE CATECHISM shalt not have stramge gods before me, it is the same as to say,. Thou shalt worship rm the trim God : thou shalt not worship^ sbrcmge gods. QUESTION rv. In what manlier Faith, Hope, and CJiarity are contained in this Precept, In the former is contained a precejjt of faith, hope, and charity ; of faith, for when we say, God, we acknowledge" him to be immoveable, immutable, ever the same, faithful, righteous, without any iniquity ; and hence, assenting to his oracles, we necessarily yield to him all faith and authority." And who can contemplate his omnipotence, his clemency, his beneficence, and not repose in him all his hopes ? But if we contemplate the riches of his goodness and love, lavished 'on ■ us with so bounteous a hand, how can we but love him?' Hence that commencement, hence that conclusion, which God makes use of in Scripture in his precepts and commands : I the Lord. QUESTION V. Wliat this Precept prohibits is explained. The other part of the precept is comprised in these words : TJiou shalt not have straiige gods before me; words which the legislator subjoins, not because the idea is not sufficiently implied in the affirmative part of the precept, which says equivalently. Thou shalt worship me the only God; for if he is God, he is the only God; but on account of the blindness of very many, who of old professed to worship the true God, and yet adored a multitude of gods. Of these there werfe many amongst the Israelites themselves, who, as Elijah reproached them with doing, Jialted between two sides ;''■ and this the Samaritans did, who worshipped the God of Israel, and the gods of the nations." QUESTION VI. Why this First Commandment is of Svperior Importance to the Rest. Having explained these matters, [the pastor] must add,; that this is the first and greatest of all the commandments, not only in order, but also in nature, dignity, and excellence".' Por God is entitled to infinitely greater love and authority . ■' 1 Kingaxviii.,21. •= 4 Kings x-rfi. 33, sqq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 363, from us tlian are due to master, to monarch. He created us ; the same he governs us ; he nurtured us in our mother's womb ; brought us into this world ; and supplies us with the necessaries of life and sustenance. QUESTION Til. Bow this Commandment is mostly Violated. Against this commandment transgress aU those who have not faith, hope, and charity, a numerous class of offenders. For amongst them are those who fall into heresy, who believe not what holy Mother Church projDounds to be believed ; who give credit to dreams, divinations, and other superstitious illusions ;* those who despair of their own sal- vation, and trust not in the divine goodness ; and also those who rely solely on riches, on bodily health and strength. But these matters have been developed more at lai-ge in treatises on morality. QUESTION VIII. Tlie Honour customaHh/ rendei'ed to the Saints hy flie Church is Tiot prohibited hj this Commandment. But in the exposition of this precept the faithful are also to be accurately taught, that to this law are by no means repugnant the veneration and invocation of the holy angels, and of the blessed souls who enjoy the glory of heaven, nor the honour which the Cathohc Chui'ch has also ever paid to the bodies and ashes of the saints. If a king were to pro- hibit by proclamation any person from assuming the regal character, or accepting the honours due to the royal person, who vfould be so insane as at once to conclude, that the king was unwilling that respect should be paid to his magistrates'! For although, following the example of the holy men recorded in the Old Testament,^ Christians are said to adore the angels, they render them not that honour which they give unto God : and if we read that angels sometimes refused to be worshijDped by men,!" the worship which they refused to accept was the supreme honour due to God alone. ' Cf. Lev. xix. 26 ; Deut. xviii. 1 ; and compare my edition o£ Calmet's Dictionary, under the articles "Divination," "Witch." B Donovan refers to Gen. xviii. 2, xix. 1 ; Num. xxii. 31 ; Jos. v. 15. ^ Eev. xix. 10, xxii. 9. 364 THE CATECHISM QUESTION IX. In what manner Angels may ie worshipped by Men, is shown from Scriptwre. For the Holy Spirit who says, Honour and glory unto tfi& only God,^ commands us also to honour our parents) and elders,'' and the holy men who -worshipped one God only are also said in the sacred Scriptures to have adored} that is, to have suppliantly venerated, kings. If then Mngs, by whose agency God governs the world, are treated with so high an honour, shall we not give to the angelic spirits an honour greater ia proportion as these blessed minds exceed kings ia dignity ; [to those angelic spirits] whom God has been pleased to constitute his ministers;'^ whose services he makes use of, not only in the government of his Church, but also of the rest of the universe ; by whose aid, although we see them not, we are daily delivered from the greatest dangers both of soul and body ? Add to this the charity with which they love us, through which, as Scripture informs us, they pour out their prayers for those countries," over which they are placed by Providence, and for those too, no doubt, whose guardians they are, for they present our prayers and tears before the throne of God." Hence our Lord has taught us in the gospel not to scandalize the little ones, because in lieamen their angels do always behold the face of his Father which is in lieavenJB QUESTION X. Tliat the Angels are to ie invoiced is proved from Scripture. Their intercession, therefore, we must invoke, because they always behold God, and receive from him the most willing ! 1 Tim. i. 17. J Ex. XX. 12 ; Deut. v. 16 ; Matt. xv. 4 ; Mark vii. 10 ; Eph. vi. 1, sq. '' Lev. xix. 32. 1 Gen. xxiii. 7, 12, xlii. 6 ; 1 Kings xxiv. 9, xxv. 23 ; 2 Kings ix. 6, 8 ; 1 Chron. xxix. 20. " Heb. i. 14 ° Dan. X. 13, is the passage referred to by the editors. It ia not very satisfactory on the subject. ° Tob. iii. 26, xii. 12 ; Rev. viii. 3, sq. " Matt, xviii. 10. This interpretation, which sanctions the belief in special guardian angels, is anxiously defended by Grotius, and by ' Petavius de Angelis, ii. 6, quoted by Whitby. The latter commentator rather thinks " not that they have an angel always present with them, but only that the angels in general are ministering spirits unto them." OF THE COUNCIL OF TKENT. 365 advocacy of our salvation. To this their invocation the sacred Scriptures bear testimony. Thus Jacob entreats, nay compels, the angel with whom he had wrestled, to bless him, declaring that he would not let him go until he had received his blessing ; 1 nor did he implore .the blessing of the angel only whom he saw, but also of him whom he saw not : The angel, says he, which redeemed me from all evils, bless the lads.' QUESTION XI. To lumowr tlie Saints and Reliques does not detract from the Sonour due to God. From these premises we are also justified in concluding, that to honour the saints who have fallen asleep in the Lord, to in- voke their intercession, and to venerate their sacred reHques and ashes, so far from diminishing, rather serves very much to increase the glory of God, in proportion as the hope of men is thus excited and strengthened, and they themselves aroused to the imitation of the holy. This is a doctrine which is also supported by the authority of the second Council of N"ice,' the Council of Gangra,* and that of Trent," and by the authority of the holy Fathers.'' QUESTION XII. By what Arguments the Invocation of Saints is to he confirmed. In order, however, that the pastor may be the better pre- pared to refute those who impugn this truth, he wiU. particularly consult St. Jerome against YigUantius,^'' and Damascene ;^ and, what is of primary importance, to their reasoning is added the practice derived from the apostles, and always retained and preserved in the Church of God.y Of 1 Gen. xxxii. 24, sq. ■■ Gen. xlviii. 16. " ii. act. 6. ' Can. xx. " See Decrees and Canons, Sesa. xxv. p. 213, sqq. of my edition, and Beveridge on Art. XXII. p. 266, sqq. ' The editors refer to Greg. Naz. orat. xxi. n. 37, orat. xxiv., orat. xxi. n. 37, orat. xlii. n. 9 ; EphrEem. orat. in Matrim. ; Basil, contr. Eunom. iii. 1 ; Ambr. de viduis, o. ix. n. 55 ; Aug. de bapt. u. Donat. vii. 1, &o. " Hier. c. Vigil, p. 392, sq. » Dam. de orth. fid. iv. 16. y Dion. Ar. Ecol. Hier. c. 7. Hilar, tract, in Ps. oxxix. n. 7. Cone. Nic. ii. e. g. act. 7. 366 THE CATECHISM this, -wrlio -would require a stronger or clearer proof than that ■which is supplied by the admirable praises given in Scripture to the saints ; for we have extant divine praises of particular saints ; ^ and if the holy Scriptures celebrate their praises, why should not we pay. them singular honour 1 Another claim, however, which [the saints] have to be honoured and invoked is, that they earnestly importune God for our salva^ tion,* and obtain of him for us by their merit and favour many blessings ; for if there is joy in heaven for one sinner that doth penance,^ will not the citizens of heaven aid also penitent sinners by their prayers ? Will they not, when asked, implore the pardon of our sins, and conciliate for us the favour of God ? QUESTION XIII. It is shown tliat this Iimvocation of the Samts does not proceed from any Diffidence in the Divine Aid, or from Wedlcness of Faith. But should it be said, as is said by some, that their patronage is unnecessary, because God hears our prayers without an interpreter, this language of impious men is easily met by the observation of St. Aiigustine, that there are many things, which God does not grant without the intervention of a media,tor and intercessor ; ■= an observation, the justness of which Ls confirmed by the illustrious examples of Abimelech,* and the friends of Job," whose sins were pardoned but through the prayers of Abraham and of Job. Should it also be alleged, that to invoke the intercession and patronage of the saints results from want or weakness of faith, what answer wiU they give to the example of the centurion, who, although his faith was highly eulogized by our Lord himself, yet sent to the Saviotu- tlie elders of tJie Jews, to intercede with him to cure his sick servant.^ ^ The editors allege Eecl. xliv. 1 (Apocrypha), and Heb. xi. The last chapter, as an express defence of faith in God alone, is the best refutation of what it is here instanced to prove. " 2 Maccab. xv. 12, sqq. ; Eev. v. 8. No idea of intercession is here implied. ^ Luke xv. 7. = Aug. ic Exod. q. 149. '' Gen. xx. = Job xlii. 8, sq. ' Luke vii. 3, 9. OF THE COUITCIL Or THENT. 367 QUESTION XIV. The Doctrine concerning One Mediator, Christ, does not take away tlie Invocation of Saints. Granting, we must confess, that there is but one mediator, Christ the Lord, who alone, forsooth, has reconciled us to his heavenly Father by his blood, and who, Jiaving obtained eternal redemption, and entered once into the sa/nctua/ry,s ceases not to make intercession for us j'' it can. by no means thence follow, that it is unlawful to have recourse to the in- tercession of the saints. For if, because we have one mediator, Christ Jesus, it were unlawful to make use of the intercession of the saints, the apostle would never have ventured to recommend himself with so much earnestness to the prayers of his brethren on earth,' whereas the prayers of the living should derogate from the glory and dignity of the mediator Christ, not less than the intercession of the saints in heaven. QUESTION XV. Tlie Virtue of Rdiques and tJieir great Power and Efficacy proved. But whose incredulity is so ohstinate as not to yield to the evidence in support of the honour and invocation we offer to the saints, afforded by the wonders wrought at their tombs? The blind, the lame-handed, and the paralyzed are restored to their former state, the dead raised to Ufe, and demons axe expelled from the bodies of men ! facts, which St. Ambrose J and Augustine,'' most unexceptionable witnesses, declare in their writings not to have heard, as many did, not to have read, as did very many very grave authorities, but to have seen. But why multiply proofs on this head ? If the clothes, the kerchiefs,' the shadow of the saints,"' before they departed this life, banished disease and restored vigom:, who will ven- ture to deny that God works the same wondrous works by the sacred ashes, the bones, and other relics of the saints ? This was declared by the dead body accidentally let down into B Heb. ix. 12. '' Heb. vii. 25. ' Eom. XV. 30 ; Epb. vi. 18 ; Phil. i. 19 ; Col. iv. 3 ; 1 Thesa. v. 25 ; 2 Thess. iii. 1 ; Heb. xiii. 18. J Amb. ep. xxii. n. 2 et 17. ^ Aug. ser. 286, o. 5 ; De civ. Dei, xxii. 8 ; Confess, ix. 7. ' Acts xix. 12. " Acta v. 15. 368 THE CATECHISM the grave of Elisha, and wMch, on touching the body of the prophet, was instantly restored to life.'' QUESTION XVI. The following Words do mot form anotlier Commandment, hut are a Continuation of the Previous One. What follows : Thou shalt not mahe to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of omything that is in heamen above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters •wnder the earth ; thou slwlt not adore them nor serve them ; some, supposing these -words to constitute a distinct precept, reduced the ninth and tenth commandments into one ;° but St. Augustiae, dividing the two last, was of opinion, that these words belong to the first commandment :P and this division, because in general use in the Church, we willingly follow. A very just argument in its favour, however, is the propriety of annexing to the first the rewards or punish- ments attached to [the observance or violation of] each of the commandments. QUESTION XVII. Tliis Precept does not prohibit the Use of Images in Churches. Kor let any one suppose that this commandment utterly prohibits the arts of painting, modelling, or sculpture ; for in the Scriptures we are informed that God himself com- manded images of cherubim,? and also of the brazen serpent,'^ to be made ; and the conclusion, therefore, at which we must arrive, is that images were prohibited only in such wise as they might be the means of detracting from the true w^orship of God to inanimate objects, as though they were to be adored as gods. QUESTION XVIII. In what ways the Divine Being may chiefly he violated through Worship offered to Images. But as regards this commandment, the majesty of God is ^evously ofiended chiefly in a twofold manner ; the one, if " 2 Kings xiii. 21. ° Origen, horn. 8, in Exod. n. 2. P Aug. ep. 55, c. 11, in Exod. q. 71, in Vs. 32, enarr. ii. n. 6. The Teader will find most complete information on the whole subject of the division of the Decalogue in Dr. Kitto's Cyclopaedia of Biblical Litera- ture, s. v. Decalogue, v. i. p. 538, sqq. 1 Ex. XXV. 18, sq. ' Num. xxi. 8, sq. OP THE COUNCIL OF TBENT. 369 idols and images be -worshipped as God, or helieving tlial in them there is any divinity or virtue on aecount of which they are to be worshipped, or that anything is to be asked qftJiem ; or that confidence is to be reposed in tJie iTnages as was of old doiie by the Gentiles, wlio placed their hope in idols,^ and wliose idolatry tlie Scriptures uni-versaUy reprehend ; the other, by attempting to form a representation of the Deity, as though he were visible to corporeal eyes, or could be represented by painting or statuary. For who, saith Dama- scene, can represent God, invisible, as he is, incorporeal, uncircumscrihed by limits, and incojpahle of being desmbed under any figure or form ?*■ This subject the pastor wiU find treated more at large in the second CouncU of Nice." Admirably, therefore, has the apostle said, that the GtentUes changed the glory oftlie uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible mam,, and to birds, and fmjur-footed beasts, and creeping things ;" for the likenesses of all these things, although the work of their own hands, they worshipped as gods. Hence, the Israelites, who exclaimed before the molten calf : Tliese are thy Gods, Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt^ are called idolaters,^ hecamse they chamged their glory into tJie similitude of a calf that eateth grassJ QUESTION XIX. Of the Meaning of tlie Latter Portion of this Precept. The Lord God, then, having forbidden the worship of strange gods, with a view to the utter removal of idolatry, prohibited the formation of an image of the Deity from brass or any other material, as Isaiah declares when he asks : To whom then have ye likened God, or what image will ye make for him ?'■ That such is the meaning of [this part of] the precept is proved, not only from the writings of the holy Fathers, who, as is expounded in the seventh [general] council, give to it this interpretation f but likewise from ' Cone. Trid. Sess. xxv. p. 214 of my translation. ' John Damasc. de orth. fid. iv. 16 ; de imag. orat. ii. n. 5. » Gone. Nio. act. 3. ' Eom. i. 23. " Ex. xxxii. 4. * 1 Cor. X. 7, referring to the passage of Exodus. y Ps. cv. 20. ' Isa. xl. 18. * The editors quote Cone. Nic. il. aet. 2 ; Hadr. P. litt. ad Conf. et Iren ; Impp. et in act. 4, loeum ex Leontii Episo. serm. 5. 2 B 370, THE CATECHISM these -words of Deuteronomy, by which Moses sought to ■withdraw the Israelites from idolatry : Ye saw, says he, tio manner of similitude on ilie day that the Lord spake unto yov, in Horeh, out of the midst of the f/re}' These -words were spoken by this -wisest of legislators, lest, led by any sort of error, they should make an image of the Deity, and transfer the honour due to God to a created thing. QUESTION XX. To repi-esent any of the Persons of the Trinity does not violate this Precept, Let no one, however, think that to represent any person of the most holy Trinity by certain forms, under -which, as we read in the Old and New Testaments,"^ they deigned to appear, is to be deemed contrary to religion and the law of God j for no one is so ignorant as to believe that such forms are express images of the Deity ; forms, as the pastor -will teach, which only sei-ve to express some attributes or actions ascribed to God. Thus, when, from Daniel, tJie ancient of days is painted, seated on a throne, and before him, the hooks opened,'^ the eternity and the infinite wisdom of God is signi- fied, by which he sees, with a -new to judge, all the thoughts and deeds of men. QUESTION XXI. Tlie same Doctrine liolds good with regard to Angels. Angels, too, are represented under a human form, and ■winged, to give us to understand how benevolent they are towards the human race, and how ready to execute the embassies of God to man ; for they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation.^ QUESTION XXII. Of tJie Form of a Dore, which repi'csents tlte Holy Ghost. What proper attributes of the Holy Ghost are signified by the forms of a dove, and of tongues of fire, under which, as •i Deut. iv. 15. = The editors refer to Gen. xviii. xxxii. 24, sq. ; Ex. iii. 2, xiii. 21, xxxiv. 17 ; 2 Paral. -rii. 1, sq. ; Isa. vi. 1 ; Ez. i. 27, sq. ii. 1 ; Dan. vii. 13 ; Matt. iil. 16 ; Apoo. i. 13, v. 6. ■• Dan. -vii. 9, sq.. •■ Het. i. \i. OF THE COUNCIL OP THENT. 371 we read in the Gospel/ and in the Acts of the Apostles,e the Holy Ghost appeared, is too -well known to require lengthened exposition. QUESTION XXIII. Tlw Saints, and also Christ, ought to he pictured and honoured. But to depict and honour the images of Christ our Lord, of his most holy and most pure mother, and of all the other saints, seeing that they, having been clothed with human nature, appeared in human form, is not only not forbidden by this commandment, but has always been esteemed a holy practice, and a most certain indication of a grateful mind. This statement derives confirmation from the monuments of the apostolic age, the general councils of the Church, and the -svritings of so many most holy and learned Fathers, who are of one accord upon the subject.'^ QUESTION XXIV. WliM is the Legitimate Use of Images in the Church. But the jjastor will not content himself with merely showing the lawfulness of the use of images in churches, and of pa3ring them honour and respect, since this honour and respect are referred to their prototypes; but he wiU also show that, uj) to the present time, tliis practice has been attended with the greatest advantage to the faithful j as may be seen in the work of Damascene on images,' and in the seventh council, which is the second of Nice.J But because the enemy of the human race, by liis wiles and deceits, seeks to pervert every the most holy institution, should the faithfiil hapj)en at all to offend in this respect, the pastor, in pm-suance of the decree of the Council of Trent,'' will use every exertion in his power to cori'ect such an abuse, and when occasion presents itself, will explain the decree itself to the people. He will also instruct the unlearned, ' Matt. iii. 16 ; Mark i. 10 ; Luke iii. 22 ; John i. 32. B Acts ii. 3. '' Cone. Nio. ii. act. 2. Hadr. P. litt. ad Conf. et Iren. Impp. Dan. de imag. orat. i. Nat. Alex. Hist. Ecol. saeo. 8, diss. 6. ' Orat. 1, 2, 3, v. de fid. orth. iv. 16. J Yid. in act. 2. Hadr. P. litt. ad Conf. ^ Council of Trent, Sess. xxv. 1. u. 2b2 372 THE CATECHISM and those who are ignorant of tlie purpose of images, that they are intended to instruct in the history of the Old and New Testaments, and to recall to remembrance the events which they record ; that thus excited by the recollection of heavenly things, we may be the more intensely inflamed to adore and love God himself. He will also point out that the images of the saints are placed in the churches to be honoured, and also that, admonished by example, we may conform ourselves to their Kves and virtues. / am t/ie Lord thy God, mighty, jealous, visiting tlie iniquity of the fathers upon the children to ike third and fourth genera^- tion of them that hate me, and showing inercy unto thousands to them that love me, and heep my commandments. QUESTION XXV. Tim Appendix docs not helong to the First Precept only. In the concluding clause of this commandment, two things occur which demand diligent exposition. The first is, that, although on account of the enormovis guilt of sinning against the first commandment, and the propensity of man towards so ofiending, the punishment is here appropriately proposed, yet it is a common appendage to all the commandments; for every law, by holding out rewards and punishments, induces men to observe its ordinances. Hence the frequent and numerous promises of God, recorded in Scripture. To omit those almost innumerable testimonies which we meet with in the Old Testament, we read in the Gospel : If thou wilt enter into life, heep tlie commandments ;^ and elsewhere : He that doth the will of my Fatlier wlio is in lieaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ;™ and also : Every tree that yieldeth not goodfi-uit sliallhe cutdoum and cast into tlie fire ;^ and : Whosoever is angry with Ids brother shall he guilty of the judgment ;° and in another place : If ye will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your sins.s 1 Matt. xix. 17. '" Ibid. vii. 21. " Ibid. iii. 10 " Ibid. T. 22. P Ibid. vi. 15. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 373 QUESTION XXVI. WJieilier tJie Pimuhment here held out to Transgressors is held out alike to the Carnal aiid the Perfect. The otlier observation is, tLat this appendix is to be pro- posed in a far different manner to spiritual and to carnal men ; for to the perfect, -who are led by the sjmit of God,i and who yield to him ■with a willing and cheerful obedience, it is in some wise glad tidings, and a strong proof of the divine good-will towards them ; recognizing as they do therein the care of their most loving God, who, now by rewards, now by punishments, almost compels his creatures to worship and reverence him. They acknowledge his in- finite benevolence towards them, in vouchsafing to issue his commands to them, and to avail himself of their service to the glory of his divine name ; and not only do they acknow- ledge tliis, but also cherish a great hope that, when [God] commands what he pleases, he wiU also give strength, by wliich they may be enabled to obey his law. But to the carnal, who are not yet liberated from the spirit of servitude, and abstain from sin more through the fear of punishment than the love of virtue, [this sanction of the divine law, which] forms the appendix, is burdensome and severe. They are, therefore, to be supported by pious exhortations, and to be led, as it were, by the hand, to the path pointed out by the law. These things the pastor will keep in view, as often as he shall have occasion to explain any of the command- ments. QUESTION XXVII. Meditations suggested hy the word "Mighty." To both carnal and spiritual are, however, in particular to be applied two stimulants, as it were, contained in this appendix, and excellently calculated to incite men to obe- dience to the law. The one is, that God is called the mighty, an appellation, the force of which requires to be more dili- gently expounded to the faithful, as the flesh, unappalled by the terrors of' the divine menaces, frequently indulges in delusive expectations of escaping, in a variety of ways, the wrath of God and his threatened judgments ; but, when 1 " Oderimt pecoare boni virttitis amore." 374: THE CATECHISM impressed with the certain conviction that God is the mighty, it exclaims with the great David : Whither shall I go from thy spirit ? or loliither shall I flee from thy presence ?^ [The flesh] also, sometimes distrusting the promises of God, magnifies the power of the enemy to such a degree, as to believe itself vinable to withstand him ; whilst on the con- trary, a firm and unshaken faith, vacillating in nothing, whilst it relies confidently on the divine strength and power, animates and confirms man, for he exclaims : The Lord is my light and my salvation ; whom shall I fear P QUESTION XXVIII. What is meant hij God hehw) "Jealous." The second stimulant is the divhie jealousy. For men sometimes think that God takes no concern in human afiairs, even as to whether we observe or contemn his law, an error which is the source of great disorder in life. But when we believe that God is a jealous God, refiection on this point easily keeps us within duty. QUESTION XXIX. What Manner of Jealousy may be attributed to God. The jealousy attributed to God does not, however, imply any agitation of mind, but that divine love and charity by which God will suffer no soul to violate with impunity her fidelity' to him, and which destroys all those who are disloyal to him. The jealousy of God, therefore, is his most calm and impartial" justice, by which the soul, that is corrupted by false opinions and depraved passions, is repudiated as an adulteress ; and in this jealousy of God, evincing as it does his supreme and incredible goodness towards us, we recog- nize a source of the sweetest and most delightful pleasure. For there is no love more ardent among men, no bond of union stronger or closer, than what exists between married persons. God, therefore, when, frequently comparing him- .self to a spouse or husband, he calls himself a jealous God, ' Ps. cxxxviii. (cxxxix.) 7. ' Ps. xxvi. (xxvii.) 1. * I have borrowed Donovan's translation of the words " nuUam a se animam patitur fornioari ; quotquot autem ab eo fornioantur, perdit." •^ Sincerissima. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 375 demonstrates the excess of liis love towards us. The pastor therefore, will here teach, tliat so desirous should men be of the worship and honour of God, as to be said with propriety to be jealous of, rather than to love, God, after the example of Mm who says of himself : With zeal have I heen zealous for the Lord Oocl of hosts ;'' or rather, let them imitate Christ himself, who has said : T/ie zeal of thy house hath eaten me QUESTION XXX. What is the PwpoH of the Tlireat hen set forth. The menaces of God's judgments must also be explained, that he will not suffer sinners to remain unpunished, but will either chastise them as a piarent, or punish them sharply and severely as a judge ; which, on another occasion, is thus expressed by Moses : Thou shalt know that the Lord thy God is a mighty and faithful God, keeping his covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his comtnandments, to a thousand generatioiis ; and repaying forthwith them that hate him.^ Again, ye cannot, saith Joshua, serve the Lord ; for he is a Iwly God, and mighty and jealous, and will not forgive your transgressions and sins. If ye forsake tlie Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn, and do you hurt, and destroy you.7 QUESTION XXXI. JTow God visits the Sins of the Fathers upon the Children, nnto tlie Third and Fourth Generation. The people are to be taught, that the punishments here threatened await the third and fourth generation of the impious and the wicked ; not that the descendants are always visited with the chastisements due to the delinquency of their ance.stors, but that, although they and their de- scendants may go unpunished, their posterity shall not all escape the wrath and vengeance of God. This king Josiah experienced, for although God had spared him on account of his SLQgular piety, and allowed him to be borne in peace to the tomb of his fathers, that he might not see the evils of the times to come, that were to befall Judah and Jerusalem ' 1 Kings xix. li. •" Ps. Ixviii. 10 (Ixix. 9) ; John ii. 17. • Deut. vii. 9, sq. y Jos. xxir. 19, eq. 376 THE CATECHISM by reason of the wickedness of his grandfather Manasseh ; yet, after his decease, the diyine vengeance so overtook his posterity, that it spared not even the children of Josiah.^ QUESTION XXXII. Ems iliese Words agree with (lie Words of Ezekicl. The words of this commandment may perhaps seem to be at variance with the sentence pronounced by the prophet : The soul that svnneth shall die ;'^ but the authority of St. Gregory, borne out by the consentient testimony of all the other ancient Fathers, satisfactorily shows [that there is no real contradiction] : Whoever, says he, imitates tJie iniquity of a wicked father, is also lownd hy his sin; hut lie who does not follow the iniquity of the fatlier, is not at all burdened with his sin. Hence if comes to pass that the wicked son of a wicked father, who dreads not to su2}eradd his own malice to tJie vices of his father, hy which lie knows tlie wrath of God to have heen already excited, is burdened not only with tlie sin tliat he himself has added, bid also with that of his f oilier. And it is just that lie wlio dreads not to follow in tlie footsteps of a uricked father, before the eyes of a rigorous jiidge, should be subjected in the present life to the pwiishment provoked even hy tlie crimes of his wicked jparent^ That the goodness and mercy of God far exceed liis justice is another observation which the pastor wiU not fail to make : God is angry imto the thu-d and fourth generation ; but he bestows his mercy on thousands. QUESTION XXXIII. Who, as Transgressors of the Divine Laws, may be considered to hate God.. The words, of them, that hate me, display the grievousness of sin ; for what more wicked and detestable than to hate the supi-eme goodness, the supreme truth 1 This, however, is the case with all sinners ; for as he that hath tlie commandments of God, and keepeth tliem, loveth God;" so he that despiseth his law, and keepeth not his commandments, is justly said to hate God. ' 4 Kings xxii. 2, 19, sq. xxiii. 25, 26, 29, 30, sq. ; 2 Chron. xxxiv. 2, 3, 27, sq. XXXV. 24, xxxvi. " Ezek. xviii. 4. '' Greg. M. Moral, xv. 21. = John xiv. 21. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 377 QUESTION XXXIV. What is the Meaning of " and do mercy vmio them, that love me." Tlae concluding -words ; And them that love me, point out the manner and motive of observing the law ; for it is necessary that those, who observe the law of God, should be influenced in its observance by the same charity and love which they bear towards God ; a priaciple, which will be hereafter applied to each of the other commandments. CHAPTER III. OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT. THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OE THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN. QUESTION I. Why God willed this Law to he especially laid down respecting honouring his Name. Although in the iirst precept of the divine law, in which we are commanded to worship God in piety and holiness, is necessarily contained this that follows in the second place ; (for he that wishes to be honoured, also requires to be spoken of by us with the liighest respect, and forbids the contrary, as the words of the Lord in Malachi also clearly show : A son honoureth the father, and a servamt his master : if then I he a fatlier, where is m,ine Iionour ?''■) yet, on account of the importance of the matter, God would make tins law, which commands his divine and most holy name to be honoured, a distinct precept, and was pleased to prescribe it to us in clear and distinct terms. QUESTION II. Tliis Precept demands assiduous Exposition on the part of the Pastor. To the pastor himself this should be a most satisfactory proof, that it by no means suffices to speak on this matter in general terms : but that the nature of the subject is such as ■i Mai. i, 6, 378 THE CATECHISM to require to be dwelt upon, at considerable length, and explained to the faithful in all its relations with distinctness, clearness, and accuracy. Nor is this diligence to be deemed too great, whereas there are not wanting those, who are so blinded by the darkness of error as not to dread to blas- pheme him, whom the angels glorify; and who are not deterred by the promulgation of the law from most shame- fidly disparaging the majesty of God every day, nay, almost every hour and moment of the day. Who perceives not that every assertion is accompanied with an oath ; that every conversation abounds in curses and imprecations ; so much so that a man scarcely buys, or sells, or transacts business of any sort, without interposing the solemn pledge of an oath, and, even in matters the most unimportant and trivial, thousands of times rashly makes iise of the most holy name of God 1 It therefore becomes the part of the pastor to employ the greater care and diligence, to remind the faithful frequently how grievous and detestable is this crime. QUESTION III. TJiis Second Precept contains a Negative and a Positive Precept. In the exposition, then, of this precept, be it first well known that, besides what it forbids, it also contains a positive precejit, enforcing certain things to be done. Of each, [the pastor] must give a separate exposition ; and, to facilitate instruction on these subjects, he will first explain what the law commands, and next what it prohibits. What it commands then is, that the name of God is to be honoured, and that it is to be appealed to in oath with reverence ; and, on the other hand, what it prohibits is, that any one contemn the divine name, to take it in vain, or swear by it falsely, vainly, or rashly. QUESTION IV. What is here meant hy the Name of God. When, therefore, we are commanded to honour the divine name, the j)a.stor will enforce, that our attention is not directed merely to the letters or syllables of which that name of God is composed, or in any respect to the mere name, but to the import of a word used to express the Omnipotent and Eternal Majesty of the Godhead, Trinity in Unity. Hence OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 379 ■we easily infer how unmeaning Ls tlie superstition of some amongst the Jews, who dreaded to pronounce the name of God, which they hesitated not to write, as if the divine power consisted in the four letters of which it is composed, and not in their signification.'^ In the enunciation of the precept, however, the word na-iiw, although in the smgular number, TIicu slialt not take the name of God, is not to be understood to refer to any one name in particular, but to extend to all the names by which God is usually designated; for God is called by many names, such as tlie Lord, the Almighty, the Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings, the Mighty One, and others of similar import, which we meet in the Scriptures ; all of wliich are entitled to the same veneration. The pastor will next teach how the divine name is to be duly honoured, for the Christian people, whose tongues should every day celebrate the praises of God, are not to be ignorant of a matter most useful and most necessary unto .salvation. QUESTION V. How the Name of God is to ie venerated or lionoured. For although the name of God may be praised in a variety of ways, yet the force and import of all seem to be included under the following particulars. God then is praised, first, when in the presence of all we confidently confess him to be our Lord and our God ; and not only acknowledge, but pro- claim Christ to be the author of our salvation. [God is also praised], when we pay a rehgious attention to Hs word, by which his will is announced to us ; make it the subject of our a,ssiduous meditation ; and by reading or hearing it, study to become acquainted with it, according to our re- spective capacity and condition of life. Again, we honour and venerate the divine name, when, from a sense of reli- gious duty, we celebrate the divine praises, and under all circumstances, whether prosperous or adverse, return him singular thanks. For the prophet saith : Bless tlie Lord, my soul, and never forget all he hath done for thee^ Amongst the Psalms of Da,vid we have very many, in which, animated with surpassing piety towards God, he chants the ' Compare my edition of Calmet's Dictionary, article " God," p. 353. ' Ps. oil. (ciii.) 2. 380 THE CATECHISM divine praises in sweetest strains. We have that admirable example of patience, Job, who, when he had fallen into the heaviest and most appalling calamities, never ceased, with lofty and unconquered soul, to praise God.s When, there- fore, we labour under pain of mind and body, when tor- mented by miseries and misfortunes, let us instantly direct all our zeal, and the powers of our souls, to praise God, saying with Job : Blessed he the name of the Lord.^ QUESTION TI. OtJier Ways of obeying this Precept. The name of God is also not less honoured, if we confi- dently implore his assistance, to relieve us for instance from our afflictions, or to give us constancy and strength to endure them with fortitude. This God wishes us to do : Gall ujion vie, says he, in the day of trouble: I vnll deliver thee, aiul thou shalt glorify me ;^ and of such supplication we have illustrious examples in maiay parts of Scripture, especially in Psalms xvi. xliii and cxvui. Pinally, we honour the name of God, when we call him to witness the truth of what we assert, a mode differing very ro.uch from those above mentioned ; for the means already enu- merated are in their own nature so good, so desirable, that nothing more happy or more to be wished for can be conceived, than to spend night and day in such practices of piety : I will bless the Lord at all times, says David : his praise shall continually he in my mouth ;i but with regard to an oath, although in itself good, it should seldom be used. QUESTION VII. Oailu should seldom he taken. The reason of this difference is, that an oath was instituted only as a remedy to human frailty, and a necessary means of proving the truth of what we advance. As then it is inex- pedient to apply medicine to the body, unless it be necessary, and as its frequent use is pernicious ; so, with regard to an oath, we should never recur to it, unless when thei-e is weighty and just cause ; and a frequent use thereof, far from B Joli i. 21, ii. 10. •> Job i. 21. ' Pg. xlix. (1.) 15. 1 Ps. xxxiii. (xxxiv.) 2. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 381 being advantageous, is on the contrary higHy detrimental. Hence the admirable observation of St. Chrysostom, that oaths -were introduced amongst men, not at the beginning of the world, but long after, ivhen vice had overspread ilie wliole orb of the ea/rth ; when nothing remained in its proper place and order, and in universal confusion all things were home upwajrds and doionwards ; wlien, what was ilie most serious evil of all, mortals almost universally cast theinselves down in degrading servitude to idols ; then at length it was that oatlis broke their way into ilie communications of men. For when perfidy and wickedness had risen to such a heigM tliat no one coidd easily be induced to believe Ids felloxo, then loas God appealed to as a witness.^ QUESTION VIII. Jn toJiat the Nature of cwi Oath cmisists. But, as in this part of the precept our chief object is to teach the faithful the conditions necessary to render an oath pious and holy, it is first to be observed, that to swear, whatever may be the form or sense of the oath, is nothing else than to call God to witness, for to say, God is my wit- ness, and to swear by God, are exactly the same thing. It is also an oath to swear by things created, in order to gain credit ; as, for instance, to swear by the holy Gospels of God, by the cross, by the reliques or names of the saints, and aU such things. Of themselves,indeed, such objects give no weight or authority to an oath : but it derives its obligation from God, the splendour of whose divine majesty shines forth in them ; and hence they who swear by the gospel swear by God himself, whose truths are therein contained. This holds equally true with regard to those who swear by the saints, who are the temples of God, who believed the truth of his gospel, and were most faithful in its observance, and diffused its doctrines amongst the remotest nations and people. QUESTION IX. Of the Form of Oath consisting of a» Exeoration. This is also true of oaths uttered by way of execration, such as is that of St. Paul : / call God to witness upon my ^ Chrysost. in Act. horn, ix. n. 5. 382 . THE CATECHISM soul;^ for by this form [of oath] we subject ourselves to God as the avenger of falsehood. That some of these forms may, however, be used as though they had not the force of an oath, we do not deny ; but even in such cases it is useful to observe what has been said with regard to an oath, and to direct such forms to the very same rule and standard. QUESTION X. Oaths are Affirmatm-y and Promissory. Oaths are of two sorts, affirmatory and promissory : the first, which is called assertory, when, under its sacred sanction, we affirm anything, past or present ; such as the affirmation of the apostle, in his epistle to the Galatians : Belwld ! before God, I lie not.^^ The other, or promissory, is when we promise and confirm for certain the future per- formance of anything, which also includes threats; such as that of David, who swore to Bathsheba his wife, hy the Lord my God, that her son Solomon should be heir to his kingdom, and his successor on the throne." QUESTION XI. Conditions of a Lawful OatJi. But although, to constitute an oath, it is sufficient to call God to witness ; yet, to constitute a proper and holy oath, many more conditions are required, wliich mxist be carefully explained. They, as St. Jerome observes," are briefly enu- merated in these words of Jeremiah : TJuiu shalt swear, Tlie Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness ;P words wliich indeed briefly sum up the conditions, in which the perfection of every oath is comprised, viz. truth, judg- ment, and justice. QUESTION XII. Of the Truth of an Oath. Let truth, then, hold the first place in an oath ; that is to say, let what is sworn be true, and let him who sweareth believe it to be true, foimding his conviction not upon rash grounds or slight conjecture, but upon motives of undoubted • 2 Cor. i. 23. " Gal. i. 20. •■ 1 Kings i. 17, 30. " Hieron. in h. 1. i' Jerem. iv. 2. OF THE CODNCIL OF TRENT. 383 certainty. Truth is a condition not less necessary, as ia obvious, in a iiromissory, than in an aflSrmatory, oath ; for he -who promises must be disposed really to perform and fulfil his promise, -when the appointed time comes. For as no conscientious man will ever promise to do -what he con- siders to be opposed to the most holy commandments and ■will of God ; so, if he have once promised and sworn to do "what is lawful, he will never swerve from his engagement ; unless, ]perhaps, change of circumstances shovild so alter the state of the case, that, if he wished to stand to his promise, he would incur the displeasure and enmity of God. That truth is necessary to a lawful oath David also declai-es, when, having asked who is worthy to sit in the tabernacle of the Most High, he answers : lie that swear eth unto his neighbour, and deceiveth him notA QUESTION XIIi; Who is said to Swear in Juclffment, and fw what reason an Oath is not to he tendered to Children. The second condition is jitdgment ; for an oath ought not to be taken rashly and inconsiderately, but with dehberate consideration. When a man is about to take an oath, therefore, he should first consider whether he be or be not necessarily compelled [to do so], and whether the whole matter, if well weighed, be such as appears to require an oath. Time also, place, and many other circumstances must be taken into consideration ; and he should not be influenced by love, or hatred, or any other passion of the mind, but by the force and necessity of the matter itself For unless this diligent attention and considei-ation precede, an oath must certainly be hasty and rash ; and of this character is the irreligious affirmation of those, who, on any most unim- portant and trifling occasions, swear without reason or pur- pose, and from a mere evil habit. This we see done every- where, every day, by sellei's and buyers, the former of whom, to sell at the highest price, the latter, to purchase at the cheapest, hesitate not to praise or dispraise with an oath the goods on sale. As then judgment and prudence 1 Ps. xiv. 4 (xv. 4, "lie that eweareth to his own hurt, and ohangeth not "). 384 THE CATECHISM are necessaiy, hence St. Cornelius Pontiff decreed/ that an oath should not be adnainistered to children before puberty, that is, before their fourteenth year, because children, by reason of their tender age, are not yet competent to perceive or distinguish so acutely. QUESTION XIV. How am, Oath is taken in Justice. The last [condition of an oath] is justice, a condition which is required most particularly in promissory oaths.^ Hence, if a person swear to do anything unjust or un- lawful, he sins by taking the oath, and heaps sin upon sin by performing his promise. Of this the gospel supplies an example : king Herod having rashly bound himself by oath, gave to a dancing girl, as a reward for the pleasm-e which she had afforded him- by her dancing, the head of John the Baptist.* Such was also the oath taken by the Jews, who, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, bound themselves by oath not to eat, until iliey had hilled Pauly- QUESTION XV. Wliat Reasons there are to show that an Oath is sometimes Lawfvl. These tilings thus explained, there can be no doubt that a man may safely take an oath, if he have observed, and as it were, guarded it by these conditions, a position which is however easily proved by many arguments. This the law of the Lord, which is pure^ and holy,"^ hath commanded : Tlum shalt fear the Lord thy God, says Moses, and shalt serve him only ; and thou shalt swear by his name :^ All they, says David, shall he praised, that swea/r hy him,y The sacred Writings also inform us, that the holy apostles, the lights of the Church, sometimes made use of an oath ; and this is evident from the epistles of St. Paid.^ And that the angels themselves have sometimes sworn : The angel, says St. John ' Canon Honestwin, ap. Grat. P. 2. Cans. xxii. qu. 5, o. 16. « Cone. Tolet. viii. can. 2. ' Mark vi. 21. " Acts xxiii. 12. ' Ps. xviii. (xix.) 8. "■ Eom. vii. 12. ' Deut. vi. 13. y Pa. Ixii. 12 (Ixiii. 11). ■' Eom. i. 9 ; 2 Cor. i. 23 ; Gal. i. 20 ; Phil. i. 8 ; 1 Thess. ii. 5, 10. OF THE COUKCIL OF TEENT. 385 in Ins Revelation, svjore hy him that livethfor ever^ Finally, God himself, the Lord of angels, sweareth,'' and, as we read in many passages of the Old Testament, confirmeth his promises with an oath. This he did to Abraham," and to David ; and of the oath sworn by the Almighty, David says : The Lord hath swm-n, and will not repent : thou art a, pi-iestfor ever according to t/ia order of MelchisedechA QUESTION XVI. It is proved that an Oath rightly taken is pi'aiseioorthy. If any one consider the whole matter attentively, and look to its origin and its end, it can be no difficult matter to ex- plain the reason, why the taking of an oath is not only lawful but laudable. An oath has its origin in faith, by which men believe God to be the author of all truth, who can never deceive nor be deceived, to whose eyes all things are naked and open,^ who, in iine, by his admirable providence, super- intends all human affairs, and governs the world. Imbued, therefore, with this faith, men appeal to God as a witness of the truth, whom it were wicked and impious not to believe. QUESTION XVII. Tlie End of an Oath is the Suppression of Controversies and Litigation. With regard to the end of an oath, its entire scope and intent is to establish the jxistice and innocence of a man, and to terminate disputes and contests, as also the apostle teaches in his epistle to the Hebrews.^ QUESTION XVIII. In what sense Christ forljade Oatlis. Nor does this doctrine at all clash with those words of the Redeemer in St. Matthew : Ye have heard that it hath been said hy them of old time ; thou shalt not forswear thyself, hut shaM perform unto the Lord thine oatlis ; hut L say unto you, Swear not at all ; neitlier hy lieaven, for it is Godls throne ; * Apoo. X. 6. '' Ps. xciv. (xov.) 2 ; Heb. iii. 2, iv. 3. "= Gen. xxii. 16, 1. 24 ; Luke i. 73 ; Heb. vi, 13, 17. ^ Ps. cix. (ex.) 4 ; Heb. v. 6, vii. 17. ' Heb. iv. 13. ' Heb. vi. 16. 386 THE CATECHISM nor hy the earth, for it is his footstool ; neither hy Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King : neither shalt thou swea/r ly thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or Mack; hut let your com/inunioation be, yea, yea: nay, nay ; for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil.s It cannot be said that in these words oaths are universally condemned, and under all circumstances, for we have seen above that the Lord himself and the apostles frequently swore ; but the object of the Lord was to reprehend the perverse opinion of the Jews, which had led them to suppose that nothing hin- dered the taking of an oath, but its falsehood. Hence, even on the most trivial and unimportant matters, they themselves made very frequent use of oaths, and exacted oaths from others. This practice the Redeemer condemns and reprobates, and teaches that, unless necessity require, an oath is never to be taken. QUESTION XIX. WJiat Chfist meant hy asserting iliat what is beyond a Simple Assertion of the Truth is "of evil." For oaths have been instituted as remedies for human frailty, and in reality proceed from evil, whereas they indicate either the inconstancy of him by whom, or the contumacy of him for whom, they are taken, who cannot be induced to be- lieve without them. Necessity, however, affords a just plea for an oath ; and in fact, when the Saviour says : Let your communications he, yea,, yea : nay, nay, he evidently forbids the habit of swearing in fanailiar conversation and on trivial subjects. The Lord therefore admonishes us particularly against being too prompt and prone to swear ; and this admonition must be carefully impressed on the minds of the faithful ; for that out of the unrestrained habit of swearing grow almost countless evils, is a fact supported by the evidence of Scripture, and the testimony of the holy Fathers. We read in Eoclesiasticus : Let not thy mouth he accustomed to swea/Ang ; for in it there a/re many falls ;^ also : A mam, that maketh much swearing shall he filed imth iniquity, aiid tlie ]plagxie shcdl never depart from, his house. On this subject, much may be read in the writings of St. Basd,' and also in s Matt. V. 33, sq. ^ Eccli. xxiii. 9, 11. ' Horn, in Ps. xiv. n. 5. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 387 the treatise of St. Augustine against lying.J Thus much respecting the positive, let us now come to explain the negative part of the commandment. QUESTION" XX. Why False and Rash Swearing is so great a Sin. We are forbidden to take the name of God in vain; for he who, not gTiided hj deliberation, but hurried on by I'ashness, takes an oath, evidently binds himself under the guilt of a grievous sin. That this is a most grievous crime, the very words declare : T/wu shalt not take the name qftfie Lord thy God in vain, words, which would seem to assign the reason, why [a rash oath] is so grievous and enormous a deed ; because it derogates from the majesty of him, whom we profess to recognize as our Lord and our God. By this com- mandment, therefore, we are forbidden to swear falsely ; for he, who does not shrink from the enormity of appealing to God to witness a falsehood, offers a signal injury to the Deity, branding liim'^ either with ignorance, as though the truth could be concealed from his all-seeing eye, or at least with improbity and depravity, as though he could bear testi- mony to falsehood. QUESTION XXI. How they who Swear truly may he Quilty of Perjury. Not only he who affirms as true what he knows to be false,- is a false swearer, but also he who swears to what is really true, believing it to be false. For as the essence of a He consists in speaking contrary to the conviction of one's mind, such persons are evidently guilty of a lie and of peijury. QUESTION XXII. How a Man may sin who szvears a Falsehood, thiiUdng it tJte Truth. On the same principle, he who swears to that which he thinks to be true, but which is really false, also incurs the guilt of perjury, unless he has used all possible care and diligence to arrive at the truth. For although his assertion is agreeable to his conviction, he is nevertheless guilty according to this precept. > Aug. in lib, de mend. o. 15. '' Inaoitia; notam ''nurit, 2 c3 388 THE CATECHISM QL^ESTION XXIII. He who does not do what he has sworn, or vowed to do, sins. He who binds himself by oath to the perfoiinance of any- thing, not intending to fulfil his iwomise, or, having had the intention, neglects its performance, is also guilty of perjury ; and this equally applies to those who, having bound them- selves to God by pledge of a vow, neglect its fulfilment. QUESTION XXIV. Se that sweareth a Mortal Sin, or ar/ainst the Prccejpt of tlie Gospel, sins. This commandment is also violated, if justice, which is one of the three conditions of an oath, be wanting ; and hence, if any one swear to commit some mortal sin, murder, for instance, violates this commandment, although he should have really and truly intended to perpetrate the crime, and his oath should have possessed what we first pointed out as necessary, that is, truth. To these should be added such oaths as are sworn through a sort of contempt ; an oath, for instance, not to obey the evangelical counsels, such as celibacy and poverty. None, it is tn^e, are obliged to follow these divine counsels, but by swearing to their non-observance, a man contemns and violates them. QUESTION XXV. A Man who swears, hcinp led hy Slight Conjectwre, sins. He also sins against this commandment, and the second •condition of an oath, which is judgment, by swearing on slight and reinote conjectures ; for, although such an oath be true, and believed to be so by him who swears, it still in some manner involves a falsehood ; for he who swears so neg- ligently, exposes himself to great danger of perjury. QUESTION XXVI. ITe who swears hy False Gods sins grien'ously. He who swears by false gods likewise swears falsely ; for what is more foreign to truth than to appeal to lying and fictitious deities, as to the true God ? OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 389 QUESTION XXVII. Me who clisJionoars the Word of God, either hy a False Interpretation or a Vain Application, sins. But whereas tlie Scripture, when it prohibits perjury, adds : Tliou shalt not profane, ilie name of thy God} it therefore pro- hibits irreverence to the other tilings also, to which, in obedience to the authority of this commandment, i-everence is due ; such as the word of God, the majesty of which is recognized and revered not only by the pious, birt also some- times by the impious, as we read in Judges,"^ of Eglon, king of the Moabites. But he is guilty of the most flagrant irreverence towards the word of God, who, to support heresy and impiety, wrests the sacred Scriptures from their true and genuine sense ; and of this wickedness we are admonished by the prince of the apostles in these words : Tliere are some things hard to be understood, luhich they that are unlearned mul unstable wrest, as also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.^^ It is also a shameful profanation and. defilement of sacred Scripture, to pervert the words and sentences which it contains, which should be honoured with all reverence, to some profane pui'pose, such as scurrility, fable, vanity, flat- tery, detraction, fortune-telling, satirical libels, and the like. Such a profanation of the divine word, the Council of Trent commands to be punished." QUESTION XXVIII. How they sin who do not invoke God under tJieir Calamities. In the next place, as they, who in affliction implore his aid and assistance, honoxir God ; so they, who invoke not his succom-, deny him due honour ; and these David rebukes, when he says : Tliey liave not called upon tlie Lord ; tliere have they tremMed for fear, where there was no fear.^ 1 Lev. xix. 12. "■ iii. 20. " 2 Pet. iii. 16. " See Decrees and Canons, Sess. iv. p. 19 of my translation. " Ps. xiv. 4, and liii. 4, 5, in our version. 390 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XXIX. The most serious of all these Sins is Blasphemy a/javmt God and his Saints. Far more detestable still is the guilt of those who, ■with impure and contaminated lips, dare to blaspheme and execrate the most holy name of God, a name which is to be blessed and praised above measure by all creatures, or even the names of the saints who reign with God ; a crime so atrocious, so monstrous, that sometimes the sacred Scrip- tm-e, should it happen to speak of blasphemy, uses in its stead the word blessing.i QUESTION XXX. Why Threats are added to t!iis Precept. But as the dread of penalty and punishment has often a powerful effect in checking the licentiousness of crime, the pastor, therefore, in order the more effectually to excite, and the more easily to induce to an observance of this command- ment, will diligently explain the remaining words, which are, as it were, its appendix : For tJie Lord will not hold him guiltless, that shall take the name of the Lord God in vain. In the first place, [the pastor] will teach, that with veiy good reason were threats annexed to this commandment, for by their annexation is demonstrated at once the grievousness of sin, and the goodness of God towards us; who, not delight- ing in the destruction of men, deters us by these salutary menaces from incurring his wrath and displeasure, in order that we may experience his kindness rather than his wrath. Let the pastor urge this consideration, and dwell on it with the greatest earnestness, to the end that the faithful may be made sensible of the grievousness of the crime, and may detest it the more, and may employ greater care and caution to avoid its commission. Let him also show how prone men are to commit this sin, since it is not enough that God has passed a law for its prevention, unless he had also subjoined threats. The advantages to be derived from tliis reflection are indeed incredible ; for as nothing is so injurious as a sort of incautious security of mind ; so the knowledge of one's 1 1 Kings xxi. 13, evXnyriKai Ofov Kai /SairiX'a. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 391 own weakness is attended with tlie most salutary conse- quences. He will next observe that no determinate punish- ment is said to await the violation of this commandment j but that the tlu-eat is general, declaring that he who is guilty of its ^'iolation shall not escape unpunished. The various chastisements, therefore, with which we are every day afflicted, should be so many admonitions of the grievousness of this crime, for from them we may easily conjecture, that rjen are overtaken by the heaviest calamities because they obey not this precept, a consideration which will probably excite them to increased vigilance, for the future. Deterred, therefore, by a holy fear, let the faithful use every exertion to avoid this crime ; for if on the last day we shall have to render an account for every idle word,'^ what shall we say of the most grievous enormities, that exhibit a great contempt of the name of God ! CHAPTER IV. OF THE THIRD COMMANDMENT. KEMEMBEE THAT THOU KEEP HOLT THE SABBATH DAT. SIX DATS SHALT THOU LABOUR, AND SHALT DO ALL THY WORKS ; BUT ON THE SEVENTH DAT IS THE SABBATH OE THE LORD THT GOD ; ON IT THOU SHALT DO NO WORK, THOU, NOB THT SON, NOR THY DAUGHTER, NOR THT MAN- SERVANT, NOR THT MAID- SERVANT, NOR THT BEAST, NOR THE STRANGER THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES, FOR IN SIX DATS THE LORD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND THE SEA, AND ALL THINGS THAT ARE THEREIN, AND RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAT: THEREFORE THE LORD BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAT, AND SANCTIFIED IT. QUESTION I. What this Commandment prescribes to the Faithful. In this precept of the law is prescribed in due order that outward worship which is due to God from us, this being as it were a fruit of the preceding commandment ; for if, guided by the faith and hope that we rejjose in him, we worship God piously in our inmost souls, we cannot refrain from honouring him with outward worship and thanksgiving. ' Matt. xii. 36. 392 THE CATECHISM And as this is a duty whioli cannot he easily discharged by those who are engaged in tlie occupations of human things, a fixed time has been appelated when it may conveniently be performed. QUESTION II. Why the Pastor should take Especial Care that what is liere prescribed le retained for ever in the Memory of the Faithful. As, then, this commandment is such as to be productive of admirable fruit and utility, it is of the utmost importance that the jDastor employ the greatest diligence in the exposition thereof. To the zealous performance of this duty the word reinemher, with which the precejit commences, must serve to animate Mm ; for, since it is the duty of the faithfid to remember, it is also that of the pastor, by admonishing and instructing, frequently to remind them of tliis com.mand- ment. And the importance of the observance of this com- mandment is clearly perceived from the consideration that a faithful compliance therewith facilitates the observance of all the other commandments of the law ; for as, amongst the other duties which ought to be performed on holy days, the faithful are bound to assemble at church to hear the word of God ; when they shall have learned the divine precepts of righteousness, they will also naturally be prompted to keep the law of the Lord with their whole hearts. Hence the celebration and sanctification^ of the Sabbath are very often enjoined in Scripture, as may be seen in Exodus,' Leviticus," Deuteronomy;^ in the prophets also Isaiah,^^' Jeremiah,'' and Ezekiel ;y all of whom, in many places, contain this precept on the observance of the Sabbath. QUESTION III. In what manner Princes are to he encouraged to aid tlie Prelates of the Church. But princes and magistrates are to be admonished and exhorted to aid with the support of their authority the prelates of the Church, most especially in those things which = Cultus. • xvi. 23, sq. xx. 8, sq. xxxi. 13, sq. ° xix. 3, xxiii. 3, xxvi. 2. ' v. 12, sq. '" Ivi. 2, 4, Iviii. 13. " xvii. 21, sq. y XX. 12, Bq. xxii. 8, xxiii. 33, xliv. 2-1, xlvi. 1, sq. Tliese passages are given by Donovan. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 303 appertain to the upliolding and extending of tliis tlie worship of God, and to command the people to yield obedience to the injunctions of their pastors. With regard to the exposition of this commandment, care is to be taken that the faithful be instructed in what it agrees with and what it differs from the others. For thus will they imderstand why we observe and sanctify not the Sabbath, but the Lord's day. QUESTION IV. In wliat this Precept differs from the other Commandments of the Decalogue. The difference, then, appears evident, in that the other commandments of the decalogue are precepts of the natural and perpetual law, under all circumstances unalterable, whence, notwithstanding the abrogation of the law of Moses, all the commandments contained in the two tables are observed by the Christian people, not because Moses so com- manded, but because they agree with the law of natiu-e, by the dictates of which men are impelled to their observance ; whereas this commandment, touching the sanotification of the Sabbath, if considered as to the time of its observance, is not fixed and unalterable, but susceptible of change, and belongs not to the moral but ceremonial law. Neither is it a natural principle, for we are not taught or formed by nature to give external worsliip to God on the Sabbath rather than on any other day ; but from the time the people of Israel were liberated from the bondage of Pharaoh, they observed the Sabbath day. QUESTION V. At the Death of Christ, when tlie Ceremonies of the Law vie^-e removed, the. Sabbath also, as a Ceremonial, was removed. The obligation, however, was to cease, together with the abrogation of the other JewLsh rites and ceremonies, namely, at the death of Christ. For having been, as it were, images^ that shadowed forth the light and the truth, these ceremonies were of necessity to disappear at the coming of the light and truth, which is Je&us Christ. On which subject St. Paul, in his epistle to the Galatians, when reproving the observers of the Mosaic rites, says : Ye observe days, and Tnonths, and » Cf. Heb. X. 1. 394 THE CATECHISM tiines, and yewrs : I am afradd of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labov/r in vain^ To this effect lie also wrote to the Colossians.'' So much, then, touching the difference [between this and the other commandments]. QUESTION VI. Jn wimt the Third Oommamdment agrees with the Rest. But this precept agrees with the others not in what is ritual and ceremonial, but inasmuch as it comprises something that appertains to the moral and natural law. For the worship of God and the practice of religion, which are comprised in this precept, have the natural law for their basis, whereas it is natural for us to give some time to the worship of God ; a proof of which is the fact, that we find amongst all nations certain regular and public festivals consecrated to the per- formance of the rites and solemnities of religion. For it is natural to man to give some time to necessary functions, such as bodily repose, sleep, and other such matters ; so also does the same nature require that some time be allowed to the mind, to recruit its energies in the contemplation of God ; and thus, as some portion of time ought to be consecrated to divine things, and to paying the worship due to the Deity, this no doubt appertains to the moral law. QUESTION YII. T!ie Jewish Sabbath clianged into tlie Lord's Day hy the Apostles. The apostles, therefore, resolved to consecrate the first day of the seven to divine worship, and called it the LorWs day ;'^ for St. John, in his revelation, makes mention of the Lord's day ;^ and the apostle orders collections to be made on the first day of tlie week,^ that is, according to the interpretation of St. Chrysostom,'' on the Lord's day ; and thus are we given to understand that even then the Lord's day was kept holy in the Church. In order, now, that the faithful may know what they are to do, what to abstain from on this day, it will not be foreign to the pastor's purpose carefully to " Gal. ir. 10, sq. t Col. ii. 16, sq. = Aug. in App. fer. 280, n. 2. " Eev. i. 10. = 1 Cor. xvi. 2. ' Chrys. in 1 Cor. (xvi. 2) horn. 43, ii. 1. OF THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 395 explain -word for -word the whole precept, -wliicli may pro- perly be distributed into fonr parts. QUESTION" VIII. Of the Geiieral Precept contained in the Word " Rememler." First, then, be -will explain generally wbat is prescribed to ns by these words : Remember that thou heep holy the Sabbath day. The word remeiriber is apjDropriately made use of at the beginning of the commandment, because the sanctification of that particular day belonged to the ceremonial law. Of this it seemed necessary to admonish the people, for, although the law of nature commands us at some time to give external religious worship to God, it prescribes no particular day for the performance of that duty. The faithful are also to be taught, that from these words we may infer in what manner we should employ our time during the week ; to wit, that we are constantly to keep in view the Lord's day, on which we are, as it were, to render an account to God of our deeds and works ; and that therefore our occupations thould be such as not to be repudiated by the judgment of God, or, as it is written, be to us a grief, and a scruple o/heart.s Lastly, we are taught — and the lesson certainly merits attention — that there will not be wanting occasions to lead to forgetfulness of this commandment, being led either by the examjile of others who neglect its observance, or by a love of amusements and spectacles, by which we are frequently withdrawn from the holy and religious observance of the Lord's day. But we now come to the meaning of the word Sabbath. QUESTION IX. Mmmng of the Word " Sabbath" in Scripture. Sabbath is a Hebrew word, in Latin signifying cessation : to Sabbatize, therefore, means to cease [Jrom labov/r^ and rest ; and in this sense the seventh day was called the Sabbath. It is so called by the Lord in Exodus,'' because, having finished the creation of the world, God rested from all the work which he had done.' But subsequently not only this seventh day, but, in honour thereof, the entire week was called the e 1 Sam. xxv. 31. ■■ Exod. xx. 8, sq. ' Gen. ii. 2, sq. 306 THE CATECHISM Sabbath ; and in this sense tlae Pharisee says in St. Luke : I fast twice in a {Sabbath) lueekj Thus much will suffice as to the signification of the -word Sabbath. QUESTION X. Of the Sanctificatimi of the Sahhath. In holy Scripture the sanctification of the Sabbath is a cessation from bodily labour and from business, as is clear from the folio-wing words of the preoejat : Tliou shalt do no work on it. This alone, however, is not the whole meaning of the commandment, for otherwise it would have been suffi- cient to say in Deuteronomy : Keep the Sabbath day;^ but as it is there added, to sanctify it, these words prove that the Sabbath is a day sacred to religion, and consecrated to divine offices, and duties of devotion. The Sabbath, therefore, we observe fully and perfectly, when we afford to God the duties of pietj' and religion; and this is evidently the Sabbath vfhich Isaiah calls delight} for festivals are, as it were, the dehglit of God and of pious men. If, then, to this rehgious and holy observance of the Sabbath are added works of mercy, the rewards proposed to us in the same chapter are indeed most important and most numerous. QUESTION XI. TIic Proper Meaning of the Previous Woi-ds, The true and proper meaning, therefore, of this command- ment tends to this, that a man, both in mind and body, give himself up at some fixed time, so that, disengaged from bodily labour and business, he may piously worship and adore God. QUESTION XII. What is shown Try the Second Pari of ilie Oommandment. The second jjart of the precept shows that the seventh day was consecrated to the worship of God : Six days, says he, shalt tliou labour, and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God ; by which words we are to understand that the Sabbath is consecrated to the Lord, i Luke xviii. 12. Cf. Parkhurst's Lex. s. t. " Dent. V. 12. ' Isa. Iviii. 13. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 397 and on that day we are to render unto Mm tlie duties of religion, and to know that the seventh day is a sign of liis rest. QUESTION XIII. Why it was necessary far the Jews that a Certain Day, and that the Seventh, should le fixed fw Dwine Worship. Now this day was conseci-ated to the divine worship, because it was inexpedient to leave to a rude people the choice of a time of worship, lest perchance they might imitate the rites of the Egyptians. The seventh day was therefore chosen for the worship of God, a circumstance replete with mystery. Hence in Exodus,™ and in Ezekiel," the Lord calls it a sign : See that ye Iceep my Sabbath, says he, for it is a sign between me aiul you throitglwut your generations, that ye nuiy know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." QUESTION XIV. Of what Tilings the Celebration of the Sahhath was a Sign. It was therefore a sign to indicate that men should dedicate and consecrate themselves to God, whereas we see that to him is dedicated even the day ; for that day is holy, because on it, in a special manner, men should practise holiness and religion. It is, in the next place, a sign, and, as it were, a memorial of the stupendous work of the Creation. To the Jews it was also a traditional sign, handed down to remind them that they had been freed and delivered by the hand of God from the galling yoke of Egyjjtian bondage, as the Lord .showed in these words : Remember that thou wast a servant in the la/nd of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out from thence through a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm. Therefore tlie Lo^-d thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.^ It is also a sign of the spiritual and of the celestial Sabbath. QUESTION XV. Meaning of the Spiritual Sahhath among Christians. The spiritual Sabbath consists in a certain holy and mystic rest, wherein the old man^ being buried with C'/i/rist,^ is ■» Exod. xxxi. 13. ° Ez. xx. 12. " Exod. xxxi. 13. ■• Deut. V. 15. 1 Eph. iv, 22. ■■ Eom. vi. 4. 398 THE CATECHISM rene-wed unto life, and zealously exercises liimself in those acts that accord witli Christian piety ; for they -who were sometimes darkness, but now are light in the Lord, should walk as children of light in all goodness, and righteousness, mid truth, haming no fellowship ivith the unfruitful works of darkness.^ QUESTION XVI. TJie Sabbath of (lie Blest. The heavenly Sabbath, as St. Cyril observes, treating of these words of the apostle. There remaineth, therefore, a rest for the people of God,^ is that life, in which we shall enjoy vnth Christ all good things, sin being radically extirpated, according to tliese words of Isaiah : No limi slmll be there, nor shcdl any mischievous beast go up by it, hut a path and a way shall be there, and it shall be called the holy loay ;^ for tlie soul of the saints attaineth all good things in tlie vision of Qody The pastor, therefore, will exhort and arouse the faithful in the words of the apostle : Let us hasten, tlierefore, to enter into that resty QUESTION XVII. Oilier Festivals, besides that of the Seventh Day, observed by the Jews. Besides the seventh day, the Jewish people had also other festive and sacred days instituted by the divine law, on which the recollection of the principal favours [conferred on them by God] was awakened.'' QUESTION XVIII. Wlierefore tlie Apostles dedicated the First Day, instead of the Seventh, to the Divine Worship. But it hath pleased the Church of God in her wisdom, that the religious celebration of the Sabbath day should be trans- ferred to the Lord's day. For as on that day light first shone upon the world ; so by the resurrection on that day of our Redeemer, who threw open to us the gate unto ever- lasting life, our life was called out of darkness into light ; and hence the apostles would have it called tlie Lord's day. " Epli. V. 8. * Het. iv. 9. " Isa. iixxv. 8, sq. ' Cyril. Al. in Joa. lib. iv. u. 6. " Heb. iv. 11. * Vid. Cyril. Al. de adorat. in spir. et ver. lib. xvii. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 399 We also learn from tlie sacred Volume that the first day of the week was held sacred, because on that day the creation of the world commenced, and the Holy Ghost was bestowed upon the disciples. QUESTION XIX. Other Festivals why instituted amtyiiff the Christians in A ddition to tlie Lord's Day. From the infancy of the Church, and in subsequent times, other days were instituted by the apostles, and by our holy Fathers, in order to commemorate with piety and holiness the beneficent gifts of God. Amongst these days those are held the most conspicuous, which were consecrated to reli- gion in honour of the mysteries of our redemption ; and, next to them, those dedicated to the most blessed virgin mother, and also to the apostles, martyrs, and the other saints reigning with Christ ; in the celebration of whose victories the goodness and power of God are praised, due honours are awarded to their memories, and the faithful are excited to the imitation of their [virtues]. QUESTION XX. Sloth and Indolence condemned hy this Precept. And whereas, to enforce the observance of this precept, there is great efficacy in these words : Six days sJiaU thov, labour, and sludt do all thy work ; hut the seventh day is the Sabbath of tlie Lord thy God, the pastor should carefully explain that portion to the people. For we may implicitly infer from them, that the faithful are to be exhorted not to pass their lives in indolence and sloth ; but, mindful rather of the words of the apostle, each do his own business, and work with his Jiands.y By tliis precept, moreover, the Lord commands, that on those six days we do our works, and defer not to the Sunday what should be done or trans- acted on the other days of the week, through which neglect our attention must be withdrawn from the care and study of divine things. y I Theeg. iv. 11. 400 THE CATECHISM QUESTION" ?:XI. WJiai is cMeJly forhidden to he done on the Salhaili. The third part of the commandment comes next to be ■explained. It describes, to a certain extent, the manner ui which we are to keep holy the Sabbath day ; but explains particularly what is prohibited to be done on that day : In it thou shalt not do any work, says the Lord, ilwu, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid- servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is vnthin thy gates. In these words we are taught, in the first place, to avoid altogether whatsoever may interfere with the divine worship. For it is easy to perceive that every manner of sei'vile work is forbidden, not because it is improper or evil of its ownself, but because it withdraws our mind from the divine worsliip, which is the end of the commandment. Therefore should the faithful be the more careful not to profane the sabbath by sin, which not only withdraws the mind from the contemplation of divine things, but entirely alienates us from the love of God. QUESTION XXII. Outward Actions, referring to the Worship of God, are not interdicted on the Sdbhath. But whatever actions concern divine worship, such as the preparation of an altar, the decoration of a church on occa- sion of some festival, and the Hke, although servile works, are not prohibited ; and hence our Lord has said : The ^mests in the temple ]}rofane the iSabbath, and a/re blameless.'' QUESTION XXIII. Certain Servile WorJcs also arc allowed on Feast Days, from, Keeessity. Neither are we to suppose that by this commandment attention is forbidden to those things, which, if neglected on a festival, are lost to the proprietor, the preservation of which the sacred canons also permit.* There are many other things which our Lord in the gospel declares may be done '^ Matt. xii. 5. - " Decretal, lib. ii, tit. 9, c. 3. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 401 on Sundays and holidays,'' and -wHcli may be easily seen by the pastor in St. Matthew,<= and St. John."! QUESTION XXIV. Wliy Cattle are not to he employed on Holy Days. But that nothing might be omitted that might interfere "with this sanctification of the Sabbath, beasts of burden are mentioned, because their use prevents the observance of the Sabbath day ; for, if beasts of burden be employed on the Sabbath day, human labour also becomes necessary to drive them, seeing they cannot work alone, but aid man in the exe- cution of what he jslans. As then on that day it is lawful for no man to labour, neither therefore is it for cattle, of whose co-operation men avail themselves. The law, therefore, of this precept has also another object in view, which is, that if God commands the exemption of cattle from labour on the Sabbath, still more should men avoid all acts of inhumanity towards those, whose labour and industry we employ. QUESTION XXV. In u'Jiat Woi-Jcs Christiams ought to spend the Festal Days. Nor should the pastor omit diligently to instruct the faithful in what works, in what actions Christians should occupy themselves on festivals. Amongst other things we are to visit the temple of God, and there with sincere and pious attention of mind assist at the celebration of the holy sacrifice of the mass ; and frequently apply to the healing of the wounds of the soul, the divine sacraments of the Church, instituted for our salvation. But notliing more opportune, nothing better, can be done by Christian men, than fre- quently to confess their sins to the priests ; and to this duty the pastor will be enabled to exhort the faithful, recurring for matter and manner to what we have already said in its j)roper place touching the sacrament of penance. But not only will he excite his people to have recourse to this sacrament, but will also sedulously exhort them again and ' Festis diebua. ° Matt. xii. 1, sqq. ; Mark iii. 2, sqq. ; Luke vi. 1, sqq. ^ John V. 10, sqq. ; vii. 22, sq. 2d 402 THE CATECHISM again, to approach, frequently the holy sacrament of the Eucharist. Sermons are also to be heard by the faithful with attention and diligence ; for nothing is more intolerable, nothing, in truth, more unworthy of a Christian, than to despise, or hear negligently, the words of Christ. In prayer and the divine praises also should the piety of the faithful frequently be exercised ; and an object of their especial attention should be diligently to learn the things that appertain to a Christian life ; and to practise with assiduity the duties that comprise piety, giving alms to the poor and the indigent, visiting the sick, and piously administering consolation to the sorrowing and the afflicted ; for, as St. James says, pu/re religion and undeJUed before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.^ From what has been said it will be easy to con- clude what are the things by which this precept is violated. QUESTION XXVI. Why it was iiecessanj for Certain Days to he set aside for Divine WorsJiip. But it should also constitute part of the duty of the pastor to have at hand certain heads, from which he may draw most powerful reasons and arguments, to persuade the people to the most zealous and punctual observance of this commandment. It will materially conduce to this end, namely, to make the people understand, and see clearly, how just and reasonable it is to devote certain days exclusively to the divine worship, to acknowledge, adore, and venerate our Lord, from whom we have received supreme and innu- merable blessings. Tor had he commanded us to offer him, every day of our lives, the tribute of public worship, would it not be our duty, in return for the mighty and infinite benefits bestowed on us, to use every exertion to obey his command with a prompt and ready miud? But now that the days specially dedicated to his ser^'ice are few in num- ber, there is no excuse for us to plead for neglecticg, or discharging with reluctance, a duty which we cannot omit vrithout very great culpability. = James i. 27. OF THE COUNCIL OF TKENT. 403 QUESTIOTSr XXTII. What Adianlage redounds to those who sedulously obey this Precept. The pastor will next point out how lofty is the nature of this precept, whereas those who liave been faithful in its observance are admitted, as it were, into the presence of God, and hold converse with him ; for in our prayers we contem- plate the majesty of God, and converse with him ; and in hearing the preacher, we hear the voice of God, which reaches us through those, who preach on divine things piously and holily ; and at the sacrifice of the altar we adore Christ our Lord there present. And these advantages they pre- eminently enjoy, who diligently observe this commandment. QUESTION XXVIII. What, on the contrary, must he thought of those who have utterly neglected this Law. But those who altogether neglect this law, as they disobey God and his Church, and hearken not unto his precept, are enemies of God and of his holy laws j and of this we may find a jDroof in the perfect facility with which this command- ment may be observed. For whereas God imposes no labours upon us, although we should be prepared to undergo the severest for his sake ; but in this commandment he only com- mands us to rest, and disengage ourselves from worldly cares, on those festive days. To refuse obedience to this command- ment would therefore be a proof of great temerity ; and the punishments with which its violators have been visited, as may be understood from the book of Numbers, should be a lesson to Christians.' Lest, therefore, we should thus offend God, we should frequently ponder over this word, reinemher, and set before our eyes those important interests and advantages, which, as we have already seen, flow from the religious observance of Srmdays and holidays ; and also numerous other matters of the same tendency, which the good and diligent pastor will be able to pursue copiously and diffusely, as circumstances shall require. ' Num. XV. 32, sqq. 2d2 404 THE CATECHISM CHAPTEE V. OF THE rOUETH COMMANDMENT. noKouK THY fatheh akd thy mother, that thy days may be long UPON the lakd, which the loed thy god giveth thee. QUESTION I. Digmty of this Precept and its Accordance with tlie Preceding Commandments. As in the foregoing commandments tliei'e is supreme force and dignity, so those of which we now treat, because ex- tremely necessary, deservedly hold the next place. For the former have immediate reference to God, who is our end, while these latter instruct us in charity towards our neighbour ; although remotely, they also conduct us to God, that ultimate end, for whose sake we love our neighboui-. Hence Chi'ist our Lord has said, that these two commandments, touching the love of God and of our neighbour, are like unto each other.g The advantages arising from the consideration of this subject,'' can scarcely be expressed in words, bringing with it as it does not only its own fruits, and those in richest abvmdance and excellence, but also presenting a sign of our obedience to, and observance of, the first commandment : He, says St. John, that loveth not his brother wlwm he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen ?'■ In like manner, if we do not honour and reverence our parents, whom we ought to love next to God, and whom we have almost continually before our eyes, how can we honour or reverence God, the supreme and best of parents, whom we cannot see ? Hence the accordance of both commandments ifj obvious. QUESTION II. Extent of the Application of this Precept, and its Beneficial Intuence in regard to Parents. The application of this commandment is of very great latitude, for, besides those who begat us, there are many K Matt, xxii. 37, sqq. ; Mark xii. 30, sq. ^ Hio locus. ' 1 John iv. 20. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 405 otliers whom, on account of tlieir po'wer, dignity, usefulness, exalted functions, or office, we ought to revere with parental honour. It also lightens the labours of parents and superiors, for as the principal duty that devolves upon them is, that those under their authority lead correct lives, suited to the divine law, this will be a very easy task, if all imderstand that, by the authority and injunction of God, the highest honour is to be given to parents. To eifect tliis, it is neces- sary to know the difference that exists between the precepts of the first and second table. QUESTION III. Wlwefwe the Distinction is made of the Precepts of tlic Law into Two Tables. This, therefore, the pastor nnist first explain, and he must begin by obser-\'ing, that the divine precepts of the decalogue were inscribed on two tables, on one of which, as we learn from the holy Fathers, were contained the three which we have already explained, on the other the remaining seven.J For us this description is most apposite, that the nature of the commandments might be distinguished by their very order ; for whatever is commanded or prohibited in sacred Scripture by the divine law, springs from one of two princi- ples, the love of God or of our neighbour ; and our charity must be actuated by one or other of these. Now the three preceding commandments -teach us the love which we owe to God ; in the other seven are contained the duties which we owe to domestic and piublic society. The distinction, there- fore, which refers some to the first, others to the second, table, is not without good reason. QUESTION rv. In wliat manner our Love^ towards God is contained in the First Three Precepts and our Duty towards our NeigMour in tlie remaining Seven, and of the Difference between both. For, in the jireceding thi'ee commandments, of v/hich we have spoken, God, the supreme good, is as it were the subject matter ; in the others, the good of our neighbour : the first J Clem. Al. Strom. Ti, 16. ' Cantos seems taken in a very general sonse. 406 THE CATECHISM propose supreme, the others, secondary love ; the first regard the ultimate end, the others, the things that refer to that end. Again, the love of God terminates in God himself, for God is to be loved above all things solely for his own sake ; but the love of our neighbour originates in, and is to be referred, as it were, to a rule, to [the love of God]. For if we love our parents, obey our masters, respect our superiors in dignity, our ruling princiijle in doing so should be, that God is their original, and wiishes those to have the pre-eminence, l:)y whose co-ojoeration he governs and protects all others ; and as he expects that we yield respect to such persons, we Hhould do so, because by him they have been exalted to a station worthy of this honour. Hence if we honour our parents, the tribute would seem paid to God rather than to man ; and accordingly we read in St. Matthew, with regard to duty to superiors : He that receiveth you, receweth vie;' and the apostle in his epistle to the Ephesians, giving in- struction to servants, says : Servants, obey them iliat are ymxir masters according to the flesh with fear and treiMing, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ : not with eye service, as men jileasers, hut as the servants of Christ, doing the will of ■God from the heart.™ QUESTION T. In what manner the Love of God is Botmidless, hut the Lore of our Neigh- lour is comprvsed within Due Bounds. Moreover, no honour, no piety, no worship can be rendered to God, sufficiently worthy of him, towards whom love admits of infinite increase ; and hence our love" should become every day more fervent towards him, whom, ac- cording to his own command, we are to love with our whole heart, our whole soul, and with all our strength;" but the love with which we embrace our neighbour is included by its own proper Hmits, for we are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves ; P and if we outstep these limits, so as to love him as we love God, we are guilty of a most grievous crime : If any man come unto one, saith our Lord, and hatcth not his father and motlier, and luife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot 1 Matt. A.. 40. - Eph. vi. 5, sq. " CarifeiR. " Deut. vi. 5. P Matt. xxii. 39. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 407 be my disciple.'^ To him who -woiild first have attended the burial of his father, and then follow Christ, it was said, to the same effect : Let tlie dead hury their dead ;'' and the same lesson is more clearly conveyed in these words in St. Matthew : He that loveth father or motlier, inore (ham, 'me, is not worthy ofme.^ QUESTION VI. In xiilmt manner Parents are to he loved, and why Obedience is sometimes to he refused them. Parents, no doubt, are to be earnestly loved and respected ; but religion especially reqiiires that the principal honour and homage be given to God, who is the creator, and father of all ; and that, therefore, the whole force of our love for our moi'tal parents be altogether referred to our immortal Father who is in heaven. But should the injunctions of parents be at any time repugnant to the commands of God, children without doubt are to prefer the will of God to the wish of their parents, always keeping in view the di'i'ine maxim : We ought to obey God railier than men} QUESTION VII. Meaning of to "Honour.'' Having premised thus much, the pastor will explain the words of the commandment, beginning with honour. To honoii/r, is to think honourably of any one, and to hold in the highest estimation everything that regards him. And this honoiu- includes love, respect, obedience, and veneration; and it is here judiciously employed, in preference to the word, love, or fear, although parents are also to be very much loved and feared ; for he who loves does not always feel respect and veneration ; neither does he who fears invariably love; but he who honours from the heart, combines both fear and love. The pastor will next explain who they are, whom this command designates as fathers. 1 Luke xiv. 26. ' Luke ix. 60. « Matt. X. 37. ' Acts v. 29. 408 THE CATECHISM QUESTION VIII. Who we designated as Failiers. For, although the law refers principally to our natural fathers, the name extends likewise to others, whom the law also appears to embrace, as we easily infer from numerous passages of holy Scripture. Besides the fathers who have begotten us, there are then, as we already noticed, other sorts of fathers also in the sacred Scriptures, each of whom, is entitled to his own particular honour ; and first the jjrelates of the Church, her pastors, and priests, are called fathers, as is evident from the apostle writing to the Corinthians : / lurite not these things, says he, to sliame you, hut as my beloved sons I warn you, for though ye have ten tliousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fat/iers ; for in Christ Jesus I Iiave begotten you through the gospel.^ We also read in Ecclesiastious : Let us praise famous men, and ou/rfatJiers that begat usJ Those who govern the state, to whom are intrusted empire, magistracy, or power, are also called fathers : thus Naamau was called father by his servants.'*^" To those, to whose care, fidelity, probity, and wisdom, others are committed, such as guardians and cura- tors, instructors and masters, the name of fathers is also given ; and hence the sons of the prophets called Eliyah and Elisha by this name.^ Finally, aged men, worn out with years, who are also entitled to our respect, we call fathers. In the instructions of the pastor, he will most especially enforce the obligation of honom-ing all without exception who are entitled to be denominated fathers, but especially our natural fathers, of whom the divine command principally speaks. QUESTION IX. W7>!J Sons ought to pay Especial Honour to their Parents according to the Flesh. For these are, as it were, so many images of the immortal God ; and in them we behold the hkeuess of our origin : from them life has been given us : them God made use of, that he might infuse into us a soul and reason ; by them we » 1 Cor. iv. 14, sq. " Eooli. xliv. 1. " 2 Kings V. 13. « 2 Kings ii. 12 ; xiii.l4. OF THE COUNCIL OF TKENT. 409 have been conducted, unto the sacraments, formed unto religion, human intercourse, civil society, and instructed in moral integrity and holiness. The pastor mil also teach that with good reason is the name of motlier mentioned in tlois precept, that we may consider the benefits received from her, and her clauns upon our affection, with what care and solicitude she bore us in her womb, Avith what pain and travail she brought us forth and trained us up. QUESTION X. Nature of the Honour due to Carnal Parents. Moreover, parents are so to be loved, that the honour which we pay to them may appear to be the spontaneous offering of sincere and inward love. To this tribute they are pre-eminently entitled, since, for love of us, they are disposed to shun no labour, no exertion, no danger ; whose highest pleasure it is to know, that they are endeared to their cliildren, who are the objects of their fondest love. Joseph, when, next to the king, he enjoyed in Egypt the highest honour, and the amplest power, received lus father ■svith honour, when he went down into Eg3rpt;y and Solomon rose to receive his mother as she approached, and having paid her the tribute of veneration, placed her on a royal throne at his right hand.^ There are also other duties of respect due to our parents, such as to supplicate God in their behalf, that they throughout may lead prosperous and happy lives, most beloved and esteemed among men, and most pleasing to God and to his saints who are in heaven. We also honour our parents, by submitting our views to their judgment and inchnation : My son, says Solomon, Jiea/r tlie instruction of thy fatlier, and forsalce not ilie law of thy motlier ; for ility slwll he an orna/ment of grace unto thy head, mid cltains about thy neck ;" Children, says St. Paul, ohey your 2>arents in the Lord, for this is right ;^ and also : Children, ohey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.' Tliis doctrine is also confirmed by the example of men most eminent for holiness : for Isaac> when bound for sacrifice by his father, meekly and implicitly y Gen. xlvi. 29. ' 1 Kings ii. 19. " Prov. i. 8, sq. ' Eph. vi. 1. ■: Col. iii. 20. 410 THE CATECHISM obeyed ■,<^ and the Eeoliabites, in order never to depart from the counsel of their father, always abstained from "wine.^ We also honour our parents by the imitation of their good example and conduct ; for to propose to ourselves others as models for imitation, is the highest mark of esteem. We also honour our parents, -when we not only ask but also follow their counsels. QUESTION XI. In lohat manner we ought to aid owr Parents when in Want, and especially when in Danger of Death. Also when we relieve their wants, supplying them, with the necessary food and raiment, according to these words of the Redeemer : Wh^/ do ye also transgress the comrruvndment of God by your tradition ? For God commanded, saying : Honow thy father and mother ; and he that curseth father or mother, let him die the death ; hut ye say : Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, it is a gift hy whatsoever thou mightest he profited hy nw ; and he honowr not his fatlier or his motJier, he shall he free ; thxts have ye inade the command- ment of God ofnmie eject hy your tradition.^ If, then, it is our duty always to award honour to our parents, this duty is still more imperative, when they are dangerously ill ; for we should then take especial care, that they omit nothing that regards either the confession of their sins, or the other sacraments that should be received by Christian men at the approach of death ; and we should take care that they be frequently visited by pious and religious persons, who may strengthen them in their weak- ness, aid them by their counsel, and animate them to a lively hope of a glorious immortality ; that, having elevated their mind above the concerns of this world, they may fix their thoughts entirely on God. Thus it will come to pass, that, blessed with the most sublime virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and fortified by the sacraments of the Church, they will not only look without dismay at death, which is the necessary lot [of all men], but wiU hail it as the opening to immortality. ■i Gen. xxii. 9, sq. = Jer. xxxv. 5, sqq. ' Matt. xv. 3, sqq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 411 QUESTION XII. How we oiifflit to honour our Dead Parents. Finally, we honour our parents even after their death, by- attending to their funerals, procuring for them honourable obsequies, giving them a respectable interment, taking care that suffrages and sacrifices s be offered for them, and by punctually executing their last wills. QUESTION" XIII. I{ow Bishops and Priests are entitled to the Name of FatJier. But we are bound to honour not only our natural parents, but also those who are called fathers, such as bishops and priests, kings, princes and magistrates, guardians, masters, teachers, aged persons and the like ; for they are entitled, some in a greater, some in a lesser degree, to share our love, our obedience, our assistance. Of bishops and other pastors it is written : Let tlie elders that rule well be counted worthy oj" double honour, especially they who labour in tlie loord a/nd doctrine}'- And what proofs of earnest love for the apostle must not the Galatians have given, to whose benevolence he bears this glorious testimony : / bear you record, that if it heed been possible, you would heme plucked out your own eyes, and home given tJiem to ine.^ QUESTION Xrv. In what manner Priests ought to be supplied with the Necessaries of Life. The priests are also entitled to receive whatever is neces- sary for their support : WIio, says the apostle, goeth a war- faire at any ti/nie at his own charges ?J and in Ecclesiasticus it is written : Give Jwnour to the priests, and purify thyself with thine arms ; give tliem their portion, as it is commanded thee, of tlie first fruits and of purifix:aiimi}^ The apostle also teacheth that they are entitled to obedience : Obey tliem tliat e /. e. that masses be said. •■ 1 Tim. v. 17. ' Gal. iv. 15. ' 1 Cor. ix. 7. ^ Eoolus. vii. 31. Fear the Lord, and honour the priest, and give him his portion (i. e. the shoulder, of. Lev. vii. 22) as it is commanded thee ; the first-fruits, and the trespass-offering, and the gift of the shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first-fruits of the holy things. 412 THE CATECHISM have the rule over you, and submit yourselves ; fm- they watch as tJiey that must give account for your souls} Nay, more, Christ himself commands us to obey even wicked pastors, when he saith : TJie Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat ; all, therefore, whatsoever tliey lid you observe, that observe and do; but according do ye not after their worlcs, for they say and do not.'^ QUESTION XV. Public Functionaries are to he lionoured. The same is to be said concerning onr conduct towards kings, princes, magistrates, and all others to whose authority we are subject ; the honour, res25ect, and obedience due to whom are explained at large by the ajDostle to the Romans." He also admonishes us to pray for them;° and St. Peter saith : Svimit yourselves to every hwinan creature for God's sake : lohether it be to the king as sxipreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him.v For if we honour them, that honour is referred to God, for the grade of exalted dignity, because an image of the divine power, commands man's veneration ; and in it we also revere the providence of God, who has committed to them the administration of the public office which they hold, and who uses them as the ministers of his power. QUESTION XVI. WJiy we ougJit to obey even Wielded Magistrates, and wlien not. Not that we respect the profligacy or wickedness of men, should pubhc functionaries be of such a chaxacter, but that we revere the divine authority with which they are invested ; so that — and it may appear matter of great marvel — even though they be inimical and hostile, nay, implacable, towards us, yet is that not a sufficient reason to exempt us from evincing great respect towards them. Thus David rendered important services to Saul, when he was the object of his hatred, as he iatimates in these words : With them that hated ' Heb. xiii. 17. "> Matt, xxiii. 2, sq. " Eom. xiii. " 1 Tim. ii. 2. P 1 Pet. ii. 13, sq. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 413 peace, I was peaceahle.i But should they issue a wicked or nnjust mandate, they are on no account to be obeyed ; for [such mandate] is not the legitimate exercise of power, but IS an act of injustice and perversity. Having exi^ounded these matters severally, the pastor will next consider the nature of the reward promised to the observance of this di-^dne commandment, and the suitableness thereof QUESTION XVIT. Rnoard promised to the Olscrvance of Obedience to Parents. Its fi-uit consists princijjally in length of life ; for they who always preserve the grateful recollection of a benefit, deserve to be blessed with its lengthened enjoyment ; and this children do who honour their parents ; for to those from whom they received life, they gi-atefully acknowledge the obligation, and axe therefore deservedly rewarded with the protraction of that life to an advanced age. The nature of the divine promise next demands distinct explanation, for it includes not only the eternal life of the blessed, but also the term of our mortal existence on earth, according to these words of the apostle : Godliness is profitable unto all things, liMoing promise oftlie life tlmt now is, and of thai which is to come.'' QUESTION XVIII. Sow ralualile is the Promise of a Lonrj Life. Many very holy men, it is true, as Job, David, Paul, desired to die,, and a' long life is disagreeable to the afflicted and the wretched ; but the reward here promised is, never- theless, neither inconsiderable, nor to be despised ; for the additional words, which the Lord thy God loill give tliee, pro- mise not only length of days, but also repose, tranquillity, security to live well ; for in Deuteronomy it is not only said, that thy days may he proloiiged, but it is also added, a/nd that it may go loell luith thee,^ words wliich the apostle' afterwards repeats. 1 Ps. cxix. 7 (cxx. 7). " I am for peace ; but when I speak, they for war, " in our version. ' 1 Tim. iv. 8. ' Deut. v. 16. ' Eph. vi. 3. ■414 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XIX. In what manner this Reward is received by Dutiful Children, even when they die early. These blessings, we say, are conferred on those whose piety- God would thus reward. For otherwise the di-vine promise would not be realized, whereas more dutiful children are sometimes the more short-lived ; and this either because their interests are best consulted by summoning them from this world before they stray from the sacred path of virtue and of duty, for they are talten away, lest iliat wichedness should alter their understanding, or deceit beguile their soul;^ or because, when, destruction and confusion of all things impend, they are called away from this world to escape the common calamity of the times : TJie just man, saith the prophet, is taken away from the evil to come.^ This occurs lest, when God avenges the crimes of mortals, theii' virtue or salvation may be endangered, or to spare them the most bitter anguish of witnessing, in most melancholy times, the calamities of friends and relations. The premature death of good men, therefore, gives greater reason for apprehension. QUESTION XX. Punishment of the Violators of this Precept. But if Almighty God holds out rewards and advantages to remunerate those who are grateful towards their parents, the heaviest chastisements are also reserved to punish filial in- gratitude and impiety ; for it is written : He that curseth his father or his -mother shall surely he put to death;'^ and : He that ajfflicteth his father, and chaseth away his inother, is a son that coMseth shamw, a/nd bring eth reproach ;^ and : Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be jmt out in obscwre darkness ;y and : The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of tlis valley shall pick it out, and the yowng eagles shall eat it.'' We have on record many instances of undutiful children,'' in punishing of whom the anger of God burnt forth. The disobedience of ■■ Wisd. iv. 11. " Isa. Ivii. 1. " Ex. sxi. 17. » Prov. xix. 26. >" Prov. xx. 20. ' Prov. xxx. 17. ° Gen. ix. 21, sqq. xxxv. 22, xU.x. 4. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 415 Absolom to David did not escape chastisement, for ia punish- ment of liis crime he died transfixed with three spears.'' But of those who obey not the priests, it is written : Tli& man tlvht will do presumptuously, and tuill not Iiearken unto the priest that siandeth to minister tliere be/ore tJw Lord thy God, by the decree of the judge even that man sliall die." QUESTION XXI. Duties of Parents towards their Children, hy vihicJi they may best render tlicmsclves worthy tlue Honour prescribed hy the Divine Law. As, then, by the divine law, children are commanded to honour their parents, to obey, to respect them, so are there reciprocal duties and offices which parents owe to their children, to imbue them with most holy discipline and morality, and to give them the best precepts for the regula- tion of their lives, that, taught and trained unto religion, they may serve God hoHly and inviolably. Such, we read, was the conduct of the parents of Susannah, il Let, then, the priest admonish parents to be to their children instructors in virtue, in justice, continence, modesty, and holiness ; and let them guard particularly against three things, in which they are often wont to transgress. In the first place, let them not say or do anything too harsh towards their children : this is the instruction of the apostle in his epistle to the Colossians : Fatliers, says he, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged ;" for there is danger of break- ing the spirit of children, and rendering them of abject mind, afraid of everything. Let [the pastor,] therefore, enjoin parents to avoid too much severity, and rather reprove their children than avenge themselves upon them. QUESTION XXII. J3ut Fa/rcnts should rwt he remits Unoards tlicir Children, nor ihovZd they toil to leave them an Excessive PcUrimony. Should a fault be committed which requires reproof and chastisement, the parents should not, on the other hand, by unseasonable indulgence, overlook its correction, for children * 2 Sam. xviii. 14. = Deut. xvii. 12. ■' Dan. xiii. 3. The "Histoi-y of Susannah" in our Apocrypha. ' Col. iii. 21. 416 THE CATECHISM have often become depraved by tbe too great lenity and pliancy of their parents. The pastor, therefore, will deter from such criminal weainess by the warning example of the Mgh-priest HeH, who, in consequence of his too great in- dulgence towards his children, was visited with the heaviest chastisement.^ Finally, to avoid what is most shameful in the instruction and education of their children, let them not enter into preposterous designs ; for there are veiy many whose sole thought and concern it is to leave their children wealth, riches, an ample and splendid patrimony ; who en- courage them not to piety and religion, or to the ptirsuit of honourable and virtuous things, but to avarice and to the in- crease of patrimony ; and who, provided their children be rich and wealthy, are regardless of those qualities which would ensure their reputation and salvation. Language cannot express, nor can thought conceive, anything more shameful [than the conduct of such parents]. Thus it comes to pass that they transfer to them not so much their worldly wealth, as their wickedness and crimes, leading them finally not to heaven, but to the everlasting toi-ments of hell. Let, then, the priest impress on parents the soundest principles, and excite them to imitate the virtuous example of Tobit,s that, having well brought up their children to the service of God, iind to holiness, they may, in turn, experience at their hands the most abundant fruit of affection, respect, and obedience. CHAPTER VI. OF THE FIFTH COMMANDJIIENT. THOU SHALT NOT KILL. QUESTION I. Utility and Necessity of explaining Ais Commandment. The great happiness which is proposed to the peacemakers of being called the children of God^ should powerfully incite pastors to explain with diligence and accuracy the doctrine ' 1 Sam. ir. 18. E Tob. iv. ^ Matt. v. 9. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 417 comprised in tHs commandment ; for no better means can be adopted to promote good-will amongst men, tban the due and boly observance of the law announced by this command- ment, if properly explained, for then we might hope that, vinited in the strictest bonds of union, mankind would cul- tivate perfect peace and concord. The urgent necessity of explaining this commandment to the faithful is clearly perceived from two considerations. Immediately after that immense deluge of the whole earth took place, this was the first proliibition issued by the Almighty : I will require your hlood of your lives, says he, ai the hand of every least will I require it, and at tlie hand of man} Next, amongst the pre- cepts of the Old Law first expounded by our Lord in the Gospel this is fii-st, as may be seen by consulting the fifth chapter of St. Matthew, where the Redeemer says : It was said tJwu shalt not kill, &c.J The faithful should also hear with willing attention a commandment, the observance of which must be the security of their own lives ; for the words, T!iou ahalt not kiU, utterly forbid homicide ; and they should be heard by all men ■with the same pleasure as if God, expressly naming each individual, were to prohibit injury to be ofiered him, \inder a threat of the wrath of God, and other veiy heavy chastisements. As, then, this commandment is plea- sant to be heard, so also should its observance be an agree- able duty. QUESTION II. What is FmVulden us tvell as Commanded in this Cornmandment. In the development of this law our Lord points out its twofold obKgation;'^ the one forbidding us to kill; the other commanding us to embrace our enemies in concordant friendship and charity, to have peace with all men, and finally, to bear with patience every manner of inconve- nience. QUESTION III. Jt is lawful to feed on Beasts and to slay Animcds. With regard to the prohibition of slaughter, [the pastor] must first show what are the limits which restrict the pro- hibition contained in this law. In the first place, we are ■ Gen. ix. 5. ' Matt. v. 21. '' Matt. v. 21, sq. 2e 418 THE CATECHISM not prohibited to kill animals, for, if iatended by God to be tbe food of man, it must also be lawful to kill them.' On. this subject St. Augustine says : Wlien we hear tlie words, thou shalt not hill, we do not wndersta/nd this to have been said of the fruits of tJie eoA-th, which are insensible ; nor oj irrational animals, which form no part of our great society.^ QUESTION IV. /* is lawful to sentence Men to death, or to slay tliem, in Jitdgment. Another kind of slaying is also permitted, ■which applies to those civil magistrates, to whom is given the power of life and death, by the legal and judicial use of which they punish the guilty, and protect the innocent." Far from involving the crime of murder, the just exercise of this power is an act of paramount obedience to this divine law, winch prohibits murder. For since the end of this com- mandment is the preservation and secm'ity of human life, to the attainment of this end the pimishments inflicted by the civil magistrates, who are the legitimate avengers of crime, naturally tend, giving security to hiiman life by repressing audacity and outrage with punishments. Hence these words of David : / will early destroy all the wicked of the land, that I might cut off all wicked doers from the dty of the Lord.° QUESTION V. They are not guilty of Murder who slay the Enemy in Just War. In like manner, neither do they sin, who, actuated not by motives of cupidity or cruelty, but by the sole desire of promoting the public good, take away the life of the enemy, in a just war. There are, moreover, on record instances of slaughter executed by the special command of God himself : P the sons of Levi, who put to death so many thousands in one day, were guilty of no sin. : after the slaughter, they were thus addressed by Moses : Ye Itave consecrated ycfujr liaruls this day to the Lord-t 1 Gen. ix. 2, sq. " Aug. de Civ. Dei I. 20. " Eom. xiii. 4. " Ps. o. (oi.) 8. !■ 1 Kings xviii. 40 ; Gen. xxii. i Ex. sxxii. 29. OV THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 41^ QUESTION VI. Se is not guilty of hnaldng this Commandment wJw slays a Man hy accident. He tliat kills a man accidentally, not witli intent or design, is not guilty of having violated this commandment : Wlwso kUleth his neighbour igiiorantly, says the book of Deuteronomy, whomn Ae hated not in times past, as when a vian goeth unto tlie wood with his neiglihour to Jiew wood, and his liand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the Jiead sKpjMth from the helve, and Ughteth upon his neiglibour that lie die, lie sliaM flee unto one of these cities aiid liveJ Snch deaths, because inflicted without intent or design, are by no means reckoned among sins ; and in this we are fortified by the opinion of St. Augustine : Far he it, saith he, tliat what we do for a good or lawful end slwuld be imputed to us, if, contrary to our intention, amy evil accrue.' QUESTION VII. Tivo Cases in which Guilt attaches to A cddental Death. There are, however, two cases in which guilt attaches to accidental death ; the one, when it is caused by a person engaged in some unjust act ; when, for instance, a person strikes or kicks a woman in a state of pregnancy, and abortion follows.' The consequence, it is true, might not have been intended by the striker ; but this does not exculpate the offender, because the act of striking a preg^ nant woman was in itself absolutely unlawful. The other case is, when death is caused by negligence, incaution, or want of due circumspection. QUESTION VIII. It is also lawfvl to slay another in Self-defence. On the same principle, if a man kill another in self-defence, having used every precaution consistent with his own safety [to avoid the infliction of death], he evidently is not liable to this commandment. These, indeed, which we have just mentioned, are the cases of slaughter not contemplated by this commandment ; and with these exceptions, the prohi- ■' Deut. xix. 4, sq. ' Aug. ep. 47, n. 5. ' Ex. xxi. 22. 2e2 420 THE CATEOHISM bition embraces all otters, whether with regard to the person who kills, the person killed, or the means used to kill. QUESTION XX. iVo OM is allowed to slay on his own responsih-ility. As to the persons who kill, no exception whatever is made, be they rich or powerful, masters or parents ; but all, without exception of person or distinction of rank or con- dition, are forbidden to kill. QUESTION X. No one 'whatever cam fail of heing safe undei- this Law. With regard to the persons killed, the obligation of the law is no less extensive, as it embraces every human creature ; nor is there an individual, how himible or lowly soever his condition, who is not defended by this law. It also forbids suicide ; for no man possesses such absolute dominion over his life, as to be at liberty to put a period to his existence ; and hence, the words of the commandment do not say, tlwu shaM not Tall anotlier, but simply, Tliou sJiali not Mil. QUESTION XI. In how many ways this Commandment may he violated. Finally, if we consider the numerous means by which murder may be committed, [the law] makes no exception ; for not only does it forbid to take away the life of another by laying violent hands on him, by using a sword, a stone, a stick, a halter, or poison ; but it also strictly prohibits the accomplishment of the same deed by counsel, aid, assistance, or any other means. In this the slowness and dullness of ajjprehension of the Jews were extreme, for they thought that solely to abstain from shedding human blood was sufficient to satisfy the obligations of this commandment ; but the Christian man, who, instructed by the interpretation of Christ, has learned that this precept is spiritual, and commands us to keep not only our hands unstained, but likewise our heart pure and undefiled, will not deem such a compliance sufficient, how ample soever it may have ap- peared to the Jews. For the gosjDel teaches that it is OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 421 unlawful for one even to be angry, wliereas our Lord says : But I say unto you, tlicot wlwsoever is angry with his brother loitltout a cause, sJiall be in danger of tJm judgment ; and loliosoever shall say to his brother, Eaca, slwM be in drniger of ilM council; but whosoever sltaU say, tJwu fool, shall be guilty of Ml fir ey- QUESTION XII. How a Man may, or may not, sin hy hdng angi-y. From these words it is j)lain, tliat lie who is angry with his brother, although he may confine his anger within his own breast, is not exempt from sin ; that he who gives indication of that anger sins grievously ; and that he who di-eads not to treat his brother with harshness, and to utter reproaches against him, sins much more grievously. This, it is true, is to be understood of oases, in which no cause of wrath exists. For, to animadvert on those who are placed under our authority, when they commit a fault, is an occa- sion of anger, which God and his laws permit ; but the anger of a Christian man should be, not the impulse of carnal feeling, but the dictate of duty, proceeding from the influence of the Holy Spirit, for it becomes us to be temples of tlie Holy Glwst^' in which Jesus Christ inay dwell.^' QUESTION XIII. How Men may peifecily ohscne this Law, and how many sin against it. Our Lord has also left us many other lessons of instruc- tion, touching the perfect observance of this law, such as not to resist evil; but whosoever shaU s-mite thee on thy riglU cJieeJc, turn to him tlie other also ; and if amy man will sue tliee at the law and take a/way thy coat, let him liave thy cloak also : and wlwsoever sluM compel tlvee to go a mile, go with him twain.^ From what has been already said, one may perceive how prone men are to the sins proliibited by this commandment, and how many are guilty of murder, if not in fact, at least in desire. » Matt. V. 22. ' 1 Cor. vi. 19. " Eph. iii. 17. ' Matt. v. 39, sqq. 422 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XrV. Mow severely in the Sacred Letters God detests Homicide. And wliereas the sacred Scriptures prescribe remedies for so dangerous a disease, it is the duty of the pastor, to spare no pains ia making them known to the faithful. Amongst these the most efScacious is to form a just conception of the enormity of the crime of murder ; and this may be clearly seen from very numerous and strong testimonies of Scrip- ture,y for so great is the detestation of homicide, expressed by God in the sacred writiags, that he declares that, for the life of man, he will exact vengeance from the beast of the field,^ and orders the beast that shall have injured man to be slain." And if [God] commanded man to abhor the use of blood, he did so for no other reason, than to impress on his mind the obligation of entirely refraining, both in act and desire, from the enormity of shedding human blood.^' QUESTION XV. How great a Crime is the Murder of Man is slMicnfrom Reason. Por murderers are the worst enemies of the human race, and consequently of nature, destroying, to the utmost of their power, the universal work of God, by taking away man, for whose sake God declares that he created all things.' !I^ay, as in Genesis it is prohibited to slay a man, beca\ise God created man to his own image and likeness,'^ he there- fore, who removes his image, offers a signal injury to the Creator, and seems, as it were, to lay violent hands on God himself! Having meditated on tliis with a mind inspired from above, David bitterly complains of bloody men in these words : Their feet are swift to slied blood." He does not simply say, they Mil, but, they shed blood; words which he employed to amplify that detestable crime, and to mark emphatically their enormous cruelty ; and, to declare first of iiU how precipitately they are hurried along, by a certain y Gen. iv. 10, ix. 6 ; Ex. xxi. 12, sqq. ; Lev. xxiv. 17. ' Gen. ix. 5. ' Ex. xxi. 28, sqq. '' Gen. ix. 4, with the parallel passages. « Gen. i. 26, sqq. ^ lb. ix. 16. ■ Ps. xiii. 3 (xiv. 3, (SJetg oi iroStg avrHv eK^sai aljia). OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 423 diabolical impulse, to the commission of that enormity, he said : Tlieirfeet are swift. QUESTION XVI. What God commands to le done in this Precept. But the injunctions of Christ our Lord, touching the observance of tliis precept, have for their object to induce us to have peace with all men ;^ for, interpreting the com- mandment, he says : Tlierefore iftlwu bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememiherest tliat thy hrotlier liath ought agaiiist thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, fvrst he reconciled to thy brotlier ; and then come aiid offer thy gift, itc.s In unfolding the particulars of this admonition, the pastor must teach, that all without any exception are to be embraced in charity, to which, in his exposition of this pre- cept, he will animate the faithful as much as possible, for therein most conspicuously shines forth the virtue of loving our neighbour. Por since hatred is evidently forbidden by this commandment, for, whosoever Juiteth his hrotlier is a mv/rderer ;^ it hence certainly follows, that the command- ment inculcates charity and love. , QUESTION XVII. Of the Duties of Cliarity contained in this Precept. And, inculcating as it does charity and love, this law must also enjoin aU those offices and actions that are consequent thereon. Cliarity suffereth long, saith St. Paul ;' we are therefore enjoined patience, in which, the Saviour teaches, we shall possess oiu" souls. J GJia/rity is kind ;^ beneficence is, therefore, her companion and associate. The virtue of benignity and beneficence is one of great latitude ; and its principal office is to relieve the necessities of the poor, to supply food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked ; and our liberality should be proportioned to the necessity of the recipient. ' Eom. xii. 18. e Matt. v. 23, sq. >' 1 John iii. 15. ' 1 Cor. ziii. 4. J Luke xxi. 19. '' 1 Cor. xiii. 4. 424 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XVIII. In what manner tJie Love of our Snemies rmist he the most perfect of all tJle- Duties of ClMr'Uy. These works of beneficence and goodness, wHcL. in them- selves are exalted, become still more exalted wlieQ done to an enemy, for the Saviour saith : Love your enemies, do good iirUo them that Juite you;^ and the apostle doth admonish, saying : If thy eJiemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink ; for in so doing, tlwu shalt heotp coals of fire on his liead. Be not overcom,e of evil, hut overcome evil with good.'^ Next, if we consider the law of charity, which is kind, we shall find that to practise all the ofiices of mildness, kind- liness, and other kindred virtues, is prescribed by that law. QUESTION XIX. In what respect Chanty towards our Neighbour, which is here enjoined, chiefly shines forth. But a duty of pre-eminent excellence, and one most replete with charity, and which it behoves us most to practise, is to pardon and forgive from our heart injuries which we have received. To a fuU compliance with this duty the sacred Scriptures, as we abeady observed, frequently admonish and exhort us, not only pronouncing those who really do so Messed, but also declaring that, whilst to those who neglect or refuse to comply with this precept, pardon is denied by God, it is extended to those who discharge this duty. But, whereas the desire of revenge Ls almost natural to the minds of men, it becomes necessary for the pastor to exert his utmost diligence not only to teach, but also earnestly to per- suade, the faithful, that a Christian should forget and forgive injuries. And in order to be enabled to subdue the perti- nacity of those, whose minds are obstinately and obdurately bent on revenge, as this is a matter frequently inculcated by sacred wi-iters, he will consult them on the subject," and ' Matt. V. 44. " Eom. xii. 20, sq. " I have adopted Donovan's paraphi-ase. The original appears lo want connection. It should, perhaps, be read thus ; " Eos consulat, ct (now wanting) ad repellendum illonim pertinaciam, qui animo obstinato sunt atque obfirmato (here there is at present a full stopX arjumenta in promptu habeat," &c. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 425- have in readiness the argvanents, and they are most powerful and persuasive, that are piously emijloyed by those Fathers. QUESTION XX. By what considerations ffatrcd is to he cliiepj restrained, and the Faithful induced to forget Injuries. The three foUo-wing, however, demand particular explana- tion. First, every effort is to be made to persuade him who conceives that he has received an injury, that the man of whom he desires to be revenged was not the chief cause of the loss or injury. This is exemplified in the conduct of that admirable man Job, who, when violently assailed by the Sabeans, the Chaldeans, and by the devU, without at aU dii-ecting his attention to them, as a righteous and truly pious man, exclaimed, with no less truth than piety : TJie Lord gave, and the Lord hatJi taken aMay.° The words and ex- ample of that man of patience should therefore convince Christian men, and the conviction is a most just one, that whatsoever we endure in this life comes from the Lord, who is the Father and Author of all justice and mercy. QUESTION XXI. Men who persecute «! are the Ministers and Agents of God, even tJiough they do so with am Evil Intent. But he, whose benignity is boundless, punishes us not as enemies, but corrects and chastises us as children. To view the matter in its proper light, men in such cases are nothing more than the ministers and agents, as it were, of God ; and although one man may malignantly hate and foster the worst disposition towards another, yet, without the permission of God, he can in no wise injure him. Influenced by thLs re- flection, Joseph patiently endured the vidcked counsels of his brethren,r and David the injuries inflicted on him by SliimeLi' To this matter also eminently applies an argument which St. Chrysostom"^ has seriously and learnedly handled, that no' man is injured but by himself; for let those who deem them- selves injured consider the matter aright, and they will find that m reahty they received no insult or injiiry from others. ° Job i. 21. p Gen. xlv. 4, sqq. 1. 19, sqq. ' 2 Sam. xvi. 10, sqq. ' In lib. quod nemo Iffiditur, &o. 4:26 THE CATECHISM For although they may have experienced actvial injury from external causes, yet they themselves are their own greatest enemies, by vfickedly contaminating their souls with hatred, desire of revenge, and envy. QUESTION XXII. What Advantages result to those wJiO freely forgive Injuries. The second [argument] embraces two advantages, which especially appertains to those who, influenced by a pious desire to please God, freely remit injuries. In the first place, God has promised that he who forgives shall himself obtain forgiveness ; a promise which at once proves how acceptable to God is this duty of piety. Next, by the forgive- ness of injuries we are in some sort ennobled and perfected in our nature ; for thereby we are, in some degi'ee, assimilated to God, wJio Ttiaketh his sun to rise on tlie evil and on tJie good, and sendeth rain on tlie just and on the unjust.^ QUESTION XXIII. WJiat, and how many Disadvantages result from, the Hatred of Enemies. Finally, the disadvantages into which we fall through revenge, when we are unwilling to forgive iajm-ies, are to be explained. The pastor, therefore, will represent to those who are unwilliag to forgive their enemies, that hatred is not only a grievous sin, but also that by habitual indulgence it takes deeper root. For the man of whose heart this passion has taken hold tliirsts for the blood of liis enemy ; filled with the hope of revenge, he spends days and nights in constant mental agitation, so much so, that he seems never to repose from the thought of slaughter, or of some wicked project ; and thus never, or, at least, not without extreme difficulty, can he be induced fully to forgive, or even par- tially to remit, an injury. Justly, therefore, is revenge compared to a wound in which the weapon sticks fast. ■ Matt. V. 45, sqq. ; Luke vi. 35. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 427 QUESTION XXIV. Many Sins are shown to remit from Haired. Ttere are also many inconveniences and sins 'wliicli follow inseparably, as it were, in the train of this vice of hatred ; and hence these words of St. John : He tliat Jiateth his hrotlwr is in darkness, and walketh in da/rkness, and hwweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.^ He therefore must, of necessity, err frequently ; for how can one possibly view in a favourable light the words or actions of the man whom he hates ? Hence arise rash and unjust judgments, anger, envy, depreciation of character, and the like, in which also are often involved those who are connected by ties either of friendship or of blood ; and thus does it frequently happen that from this one sin arise many. Hatred has been denominated the sin of the devil,^ not without good reason, since ilie devil was a murderer from the beginning ; and hence the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, when the Pharisees sought his life, said that they were begotten of their fatlier the devil.'' QUESTION XXV. Remedies against Hatred. But, besides the reasons already mentioned, which may afford grounds for detesting this sin, other and most oppor- tune remedies are laid down in the pages of the sacred writings ; and of these remedies the first and greatest is the example of our Saviour, which we should place before us for imitation. When scourged with rods, crowned with thorns, and finally nailed to a cross, he, in whom even the least sus- picion of fault could not be found, the sprinkling of whose blood, as the apostle beareth witness, speaketh better than Abel,^ poured out this most pious prayer: Fatlier, forgive tliem, for they know not wliat tliey do.^ Another remedy prescribed by Ecclesia.sticus is to call to mind death and the day of judgment : Remeniher the end, and thou shalt never do amiss ;'s as if he had said : frequently, and again and again, ' 1 John ii. 11. " 1 John iii. 8, " He that committeth Bin is of the devil." The pas- sage appears to have no immediate reference to the meaning here affixed to it. ' John viii. 44. »■ Heh. xii. 24. - Luke xxiii. 34. ? Eocli. vii. 36. 428 THE CATECHISM reflect tliat thou must soon die, and as at sucli a season it will be most desirable and necessary for tliee to obtain the supreme mercy of God, thou shoiildest now, and at all times, place that hour before thine eyes ; thus will be extinguished within thee that insatiate desire of revenge ; for thou canst find no means better adapted, none more efficacious, to implore the mercy of God, than the forgiveness of injuries, and the love of those who may have injured you or yours in word or deed. CHAPTER VII. OF THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTEHT. QUESTION I. Drift of this Precept, cmd Manner hi wJiicA it should he treated of hy Pastors. As the bond between man and wife is one of the strictest union, and nothing can be more delightful to both than to know that they are objects of a mutual and undivided affec- tion ; and as, on the other hand, nothing is more painful than to feel that the legitimate love mutually due by one to the other has been transferred elsewhere, this commandment, touching whoring or adultery, follows with propriety, and in regular order, that which protects human life against the murderer, so that no one may dare to violate or sunder, by the crime of adultery, the holy and honourable union of marriage, which is wont to be a great source of love. In the exposition of this matter, however, the pastor has occa- sion for extreme caution and prudence, and should treat with great delicacy of language a subject which requii-es modera- tion rather than copiousness of speech, for there is reason to apprehend that, by fully and diffusely detailmg the variety of ways in which men may depart from the injunction of this law, he may perhaps light upon those topics which often serve rather to inflame than extinguish lust. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 429 QUESTION II. What is commanded in this Precept. As, however, in this precept are contained many things that cannot be passed over, pastors will explain them in their proper place. This commandment, then, has a twofold im- port ; the one expressed, which forbids adultery ; the other implied, which bids ws cultivate purity of mind and body. QUESTION III. What is here meant under the Name of Whoredom or AdvUery. To begin with the prohibitory jjart [of the commandment], adultery is the defilement of the lawful bed, be it another s or one's own ; for if a married man have intercourse with an unmarried woman, he liimself violates his own marriage bed ; and if an unmarried man have intercourse with a married woman, he defiles the marriage bed of another. But that in this prohibition of adultery are included every licentious act and every violation of chastity, is proved by the concurrent authority of St. Ambrose^ and St. Augustine;" and that such is the spirit of the commandment is an inference drawn from reference to the Old as well as to the New Testament, for in the writings of Moses we find that besides adultery are punished other sins against chastity. QUESTION IV. Vaiioiis hinds of Zicentiotts I/mU mentioned in Scriptwre. The book of Genesis records the judgment of Judah against his daughter-in-law -^ and there slwuld he no wlwre of the daughters 0/ Israel, is an admirable law of Moses, found in Deuteronomy." TaJce heed to keep thyself, iny son, from all fornication, is moreover the exhortation of Tobit'' to his son ; and in Ecclesiasticus we read : Be ashamed to looh on a harlot.^ In the Gospel, too, Chiist our Lord says, that vui of the lieart proceed adulteries and fornications, which defile a man ;^ and the apostle Paul expresses his detestation of this ^ Ambr. de Abrah. 1. i, u. 25. ' Aug. in Exod. q. 71, n. 4, et in Deut. q. 37. * Gen. xxxviii. 2i. " Deut. xxiii. 17. ^ Tob. iv, 13. ' xU. 17, 20. ' Matt. XV. 19, sq. 430 THE CATECHISM vice frequently, and in the severest terms : This, says he, is iJie will of God, your sanctification ; that ye should ahsfadn from fornication ;S and: Mee fornication ;^ and: Keep not company with fornicators."^ Fornication, says he, and all uncleanness. aiid covetousness, let it not be once named among you ; J and : Neitlier fornicators, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall in/ierit the kingdom of God.^ QUESTION V. Why Adultery is cliiefly memtioned in this Commandment. Adultery is expressly forbidden, chiefly because — besides the turpitvide which is common to it, with other kinds of intem- perance — it adds the sin of injustice, not only against our neighboiu", but also against civil society. Certaia it is, also, that he who abstains not from other sins against chastity, easily falls into the incontinence of adultery. By this pro- hibition of adultery, therefore, we at once understand that every sort of impurity and immodesty, by which the body is defiled, is prohibited ; nay, that by this commandment is forbidden every inward licentious thought, is clear, as well from the very force of the law, which is evidently spiritual, as from these words of Christ our Lord : Te have liea/rd that it was said by them of old time. Thou shalt not coTnmif adultery ; but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a womam to lust after lier, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.^ These are the things which we have deemed proper matter for the piiblic instruction of the faithful ; provided, however, [the pastor] add the decrees of the holy Synod of Trent against adulterers, and those who keep harlots and concubines ;™ omitting many and various other species of immodesty and lust, of which each indivi- dual is to be admonished privately by the pastor, as circum- stances of time and person shall require. We now come to explain the positive part of the precept. s 1 ThesB. iv. 3. '' 1 Cor. vi. IS. '1 Cor. v. 9. i Eph. V. 3. ''1 Cor. vi. 9, sq. ' Matt. v. 27. sq. " Sess. xxiv. u. 8, p. 185 of my translation. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 431 QUESTION VI. Wliat "besides the Prohibition is here jyrescribed as neeessary to be observed. The faithful, then, are to be taught and earnestly ex- horted to cultivate, with all assiduity, continence, and chas- tity, and demise themselves yj-om aUflthiiiess of tJie flesh and spirit, perfecting Iwliness in ilie fea/r of GodJ^ In those who holily and religiously lead a life of perjDetual virginity, a state of life most beautiful and truly divine, the virtue of chastity, it is true, shines with brighter lustre ; yet does the virtue of continence belong also to those who lead a life of ceUbaoy, or who, in the married state, preserve themselves jJure and imdefiled from unlawful indulgence. QUESTION VII. What are the Refieotions suited to One who desiretli to restrain his Lusts. As the Holy Fathers have handed down many lessons, whereby we are taught to subdue our passions, and restrain lustful pleasures, let the pastor study to explain them accu- rately to the people, and let him use the utmost dihgence in the exposition thereof. Of these instructions some relate to thought, some to action. The remedy found in thought consists principally in our rightly understanding the tur- pitude and destruction of tliis crime ; and this knowledge will lead more easily to the considerations that prompt its detestation. The destructiveness of this crime may be imderstood from this reflection, that, on account of its com- mission, the perpetrator is banished and excluded from the kingdom of God ; an evU which exceeds all others. This calamity, it is true, is common to every crime ; but to thi.s sin it is peculiar, that fornicators are said to sin against their own bodies, according to these words of St. Paul : Flee fornication : every sin that a man doeth is loithout the body ; hut lie that committeth fornication, sinneth against his oimi body." The reason is, that, by violating its sanctity, he doeth injury to his own body ; and hence the apostle writing to the Thessalonians says : This is the vnll of God, your sanctification ; that ye should abstain from forni- calion, that every one of you should know how to possess his " 2 Cor. vii. 1. » 1 Cor. vi. 18. 432 THE CATECHISM vessel in saiictification and lionour ; not in tlie lust of concu- piscence, even as the GentUes which know not God.v Again, what is still more wicked, by the foul crime of fornication the Christian makes the members of Christ the members of an harlot, according to these words of St. Panl : Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of Christ ? Shall I ijien take tlie members of Clvrist, and make tliem the meinhers of a harlot ? God forbid ; ivhat, know you not, that he which is joined to a liarlot is one body ? i Moreover, a Christian, as St. Paul testifies, is the temple of the Holy Ghost;' and to violate this temple, what is it but to expel from it the Holy- Ghost ? QUESTION VIII. A Ailtery a Grievous Iirjiistice, and wluj. But the crime of adultery involves grievous injustice. For if, as the apostle saith, they who are joined in wedlock are so subject one to another, that neither lias power over his or her body, but both are bound, as it were, by a mutual bond of subjection, the husband to accommodate himself to the wUl of the wife, the wife to the will of the husband ; most certainly, if either disjoin liis or her person, which is the right of the other, from Viim or her to whom it is bound, the offender is guilty of flagrant injustice, and of a grievous crime. = And as dread of infemy strongly stimulates men to the performance of their duty, and deters thepi from what is forbidden, the pastor will teach that adulteiy brands men with a notable stigma : WIwso covvmitteth aduUery with a wovian, says the Scripture, lacketh understanding; lie that doeth it shall destroy his own soul ; a wound and dishonour shaM lie get, and his reproach sliaU not be wiped away.^ But the grievousness of the sin of adultery may be easily inferred from the severity of its punishment ; for, according to the law promulgated by God in the Old Testament, the adulterer was condemned to be atoned to death." f 1 Tliess. iv. 3, sqq. " 1 Cor. vi. 15, sq. ' 1 Cor. vi. 19. , ■ 1 Cor. vii. 4. ' Prov. vi. 32, sq. " Lev. xx. 10 ; Deut. xxii. 22, sqq. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 433 QUESTION IX. 0/ the Punishments which iisucdly accompany Impure Lusts. Nay, even for tlie criminal lust of one man, not only the ]3erpetrator of tlie crime, but also, as we read -with regard to the Schechemites,^ sometimes an entire city has been de- stroyed. In the sacred Scriptiu-es are recorded many exam- ples of the divine vengeance [on such crimes] ; such as the destruction of Sodom and of the neighbouring cities;^ the punishment of the Israelites, who committed fornication in the wilderness with the daughters of Moab ;^ and the slaughter of the Benjamites;y examples which the pastor will adduce to deter men from criminal lust. Even those who escajpe death do not, however, escape the visitations of the divine wrath, ofttimes in the shape of intolerable jjangs and tortures. For, blinded by infatuation, the hea^-iest of chastisements, they are lost to all regard for God, for reputation, for honour, for family, in fine, for Hfe itself; and they thus become so abandoned and useless, as to be unde- serving of confidence in any matter of moment, and incom- petent to the discharge of almost any sort of duty. Of this we can find examples La David ^ and Solomon." The former [king] had no sooner fallen into the crime of adultery, than he degenerated into a character the very reverse of what he had been before ; from the mildest of men becoming so cruel as to have exposed to death Uriah, a man who had deserved most excellently of him ; w^hilst Solomon, having abandoned himself entirely to the lust of women, forsook the true religion, to follow after strange gods. This sin, therefore, as Hoshea observes, takes away the lieart, and often blinds the understanding of man.'' We now come to the remedies which consist in action. QUESTION X. In what way Men are excited to Lust, which they ouyht particularly to avoid. The first is most studiously to avoid idleness ; for, ac- ■cording to Ezeldel,"^ it was by yielding themselves up to its Gei). xxxiv. " Gen. xix. ■ Num. XXV. Judg. XX. ' 2 Sam. xi. ' 1 Kings xi. Hos. iv. 11. « Ez. xvi. 49. 2 P 434 THE CATECHISM enervating influence, tliat tlie Sodomites plunged into tliat most foul crime of abominable lust. In the next place, intemperance is most carefully to be avoided : I fed tliem, to the full, says tbe prophet, and they com/mitted advMeri/A Eepletion and satiety of stomach beget lust, as our Lord intimates in these words : Take heed to yourselves, lest at any twne your Ivea/rts he overclia/rged toith surfeiting amd drvmJcen- ness :'= Be not d/rwnk with wine, says the apostle, wherein is excess.^ But the eye, in particular, is the inlet to the incen- tives of lust, and to this refer these words of Christ our Lord : If thy right eye offend tliee, pluck it out, and cast it from ihee.s The prophets, also, frequently speak to the same effect : / made a coverumt with my eyes, says Job,'^ why tJien s/iould I think upon a mmd ? Finally, there are on record many and almost innumerable examples of evils, that originated in glances of the eyes : thus fell David ;' thus the king of Schechem ;J and thus the elders, the false accusers of Susannah.'^ QUESTION XI. Elegance of Dress, Obscenity of Lmi{iiuxge, and other Voltiptwms Incite- ments on the Part of Women are to ie avoided. Over-elegance of dress, wMch very much attracts the eyes, is often no small occasion for sin ; and hence the admonition of Ecclesiasticus : Turn a/way thy eye from a hea/uiiful woman} As then females are too studious of ornament, it will not be unseasonable, if the pastor use some diligence in occasionally admonishing and reproving them ; and on this subject the words of the Apostle Peter are most im- pressive : Whose adorning, says he, let it not he that out- ward adorning of plaiting of ilve Ivxir, amd of weming of gold, or of putting on of appa/rel ;^ so is also the language of St. Paul : Not with hroidered hair, or gold, or pea/rls, or costly array ;^ for many females, adorned with gold and precious stones, have lost the ornaments of mind and body. Next to the excitement of desire, usually provoked by studied elegance in dress, follows another, which is indecent '' Jer. V. 7. ' Luke xxi. 34. ' Eph. t. 18. B Matt. V. 29. >" Job xxxi. 1. ' 2 Sam. xi. 2, sqq. ' Gen. xxxiv. 2. '' Dan. xiii. 8, sqq. ' Eocli. ix. 8. "° 1 Peter iii. 3. "1 Tim. ii. 9. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 435 and obscene conversation. For obscene language is as a torch that Hglitetli up the passions of the young mind : Uvil covimunications, says the apostle, corrupt good manners.'-' Effeminate and lascivious songs and dances are most pro- ductive of this same effect, and are, therefore, carefully to be avoided. In the same class, also, are numbered amatory and obscene books, which are to he avoided, as are also images that present any appearance of indecency, possessing, as they do, a fatal influence in exciting to filthy allurements, and hi Mndling criminal desu-es in the minds of youth. But the pastor should take especial care, that what was piously and religiously ordained by the holy CouncU of Trent P regarding them, be most sacredly observed. If all these things which have been mentioned be most studiously and carefully avoided, almost every incentive to lust is removed. QUESTION XII. TJie Use of Confession, of ilue Eiiclwjrwt, and of oiJiei- Piotis Matters, are necessary to attain, Cliastity. But, to repress its violence, frequent recourse to confession and to the holy Eucharist operates most efficaciously ; as do also unceasing and devout prayers to God, accompanied by fasting and almsdeeds ; for chastity is a gift of God,i which he reftises not to those who ask it aHght ; nor does he suffer us to he tempted beyond tJiat toe are able." QUESTION XIII. CoiKlusion. But the body is to be exercised, and the sensual appetites to be repressed not only by fasting, and particularly by the fasts instituted by the holy Church, but also by watchings, pious pilgrimages, and other austerities. By these and other such penitential observances is the virtue of temperance chiefly evinced ; and in accordance with this doctrine, St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, says : Every man tJiaf striveth for tlie mastery, is temperate in all things ; now tJiey do it to obtain a corruptible crovm, but we an iiicorruptihle ; » " 1 Cor. XV. 33. P See Decrees and Canons, SesB. xxv. p. 213, sqq. < 1 Cor. vii. 7. ' 1 Cor. x. 13. ■ 1 Cor. ix. 25. 2f2 436 THE CATECHISM and a little after : I Jceep vmder my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, that by any means, when I luwe preaclied to others, I myself sliould be a castaway ;' and in another place : Make not provision for thejlesh to fulfil tlie lusts thereof.''- CHAPTER VIII. OF THE SEVENTH COMMA^TOMENT. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL. QUESTION I. How great is the Importance of this Cor/immidnient, and its Connection with the two preceding ones. That it Tvas tlie ancient custom of the Chvirch, to impress on the faithful the nature and force of this commandment, we may learn from the reproof uttered by the apostle against some, who were most earnest in deterring others from vices, with which they themselves were found overwhelmed : Tlmu therefore, says he, which teachest another, teachest tlwu not thysdf? tlwu thai preacliest a man should not steal, dost thou steal P The salutary effect of such instruction was, not only to correct a vice prevalent in those times, but also to repress turbulence and litigation, and other causes of mischiefs, which usually arise from theft. As these our days also are unhappily involved in the same delinquency, and in its con- sequent mischiefs and calamities, the pastor, following the example of the holy Fathers, and masters of Christian disci- pline, will urge this matter, and will explain with care and diligence the force and meaning of this commandment. And first, his care and diligence will be exercised in setting forth the infinite love of God to man, who, not satisfied with having, as it were, fenced round our lives, our persons, our fame, and reputation, by means of these two prohibitions : Tlum sludt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery ; he, as it were, places an external guard over, and defends, our means and property, by this precept, Tlwu sJtalt not steal. ' 1 Cor. V. 27. ■■ Rom. xiii. 14. ' Rom. ii. 21. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 437 QUESTION II. I What is the Meaning further implied in this Precept. For what other meaning can these words have, than that which we already mentioned in expounding the other pre- cepts, that by this commandment God forbids our worldly goods, which are placed under his protection, to be taken away or injured by any one? Our gratitude to God, its Author, should therefore be proportioned to the magnitude of the benefit conferred on us by tliis divine law ; and, as the truest test of feeling and of showing gratitude [to God,] consists not only in lending a wilHng ear to his precepts, but also in giving practical proof [by our conduct], the faithful are to be excited and ardently animated to the observance of this commandment. Like the preceding ones, this pre- cept also divides itself into two parts : the one, which pro- hibits theft, is mentioned in express terms : of the other, by which we ai-e exhorted to kindliness and liberality towards our neighbours, the spirit and force are impUed and involved in the former. We shall, therefore, begin with the first : Tliou sJialt not steal. QUESTION III. Definition of " Thift." It is to be observed, that by the word tliKft is miderstood not only the taking away of anything from its rightful owner, privately and withoiit his consent, but also the possession of anything belonging to another, contrary to the will, although not without the knowledge of the owner, unless perchance we are to suppose, that he who prohibits theft, does not prohibit rapine, wliich is accomplished by violence and injvistice ; whereas, according to the apostle, extortioners shall iwt inherit tJie kingdom of God ;'•'' and the same apostle declai-es, that the manner of life and society of such persons is altogether to be shimued.'' »■ 1 Cor. vi. 10. » lb. v. 11. 438 THE CATECHISM QUESTION IV. 7 Since God here wishes to prohibit all Unjust Usiirpatwn of cmotJier Mam's Property, why Theft is mentioned in ilie Comwumdrmnt railier ili/m Rapine. Althoiigli rapine, which, besides the deprivation of his property, offers Yiolence to the injured party, and subjects him to greater ignominy, is a more grievous sin than theft ; yet we cannot be surprised, nor is it without the best reason, that the precept of the divine law is expressed under the name of tjiefi, not rapine ; for theft is more wide and com- prehensive than rapine ; a crime of which they alone can be guilty, who are superior in power and force. No one, how- ever, can fail to perceive, that when lesser crimes of the same sort are forbidden, greater enormities are also pro- Mbited. QUESTION V. Different Denominations of Tluft. The unjust possession and use of what belongs to another are expressed by different names, according to the different nature of the things stolen from their masters, either against their wiU, or without their knowledge. To take anythiag private from a private individual is called ilieft ; from the public, peculation : to enslave and appropriate the freeman or slave of another is called maii-steaMng :^ to steal anything sacred is called sacrilege, a crime the most sinful and enor- mous; yet now of so common occurrence, that things which had been piously and wisely appropriated to the necessities of divine worship, to the support of the ministers of the Church, and to the use of the poor, are employed in satisfying individual cupidity, and ministering to depraved passions. QUESTION VI. They who really possess armthar Man's Property are not tite only Tyaiis- ffrcssm's of this Precept. But, besides actual theft, that is, the outward act, the will and desire are also forbidden by the law of God ; for the 1 I have followed Donovan, for the sake of clearness. In the Latin, edition I use, there is a most awkward division of the chapters. ■■ Plagiatum. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 439 law is spiritual, and regards the soul, the source of our thoughts and designs: OtU of flie heart, says our Lord in St. Matthew, proceed evil thoughts, miorders, adulteries, for- nications, tJieJls, false witness.'' QUESTION VII. Whence we may lest estimate tJic Grievoumess of the Sin of Tlieft. But how grievous a sin theft is, is sufficiently seen by the light of natural reason alone ; seeing it is contrary to justice, which gives to every man his own ; for in order that every man, unless we wish to dissolve human society, may securely possess what has justly fallen to his lot, it is necessary to give stabiKty to the distribution and allotments of property, which have been constituted from the very origin of society by the law of nations, and confirmed by divine and human laws. Hence these words of the apostle : Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, oior revUers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.^ The long train of evils, how- ever, consequent upon theft, attest at once its mischievous- ness and enormity. Many hasty and rash judgments arise toucliiiig various matters ; hatreds are engendered ; enmities originated ; and sometimes the innocent are .subjected to the most cruel condemnation. QUESTION VIII. Necessity of Restitution of the Thiiu/s taTcen away. What shall we say touching the necessity imposed by God on all, of giving satisfaction to him to whom the injury has been done ? The sin is not forgiven, says St. Augustine, unless tluti lohich was taken he restored." The great difficulty attendant on making such restitution, on the part of those who have been in the habit of enricliing themselves with other men's property, we may leam not only from the habits of others and from our own reflection, but also from the testimony of the prophet Habakkuk : Woe to him, saith he, that increaseth that which is not his : amd to him that loadeth himself with thick clay ?'^ The possession of other men's pro- ' Matt. XT. 19. ••' 1 Cor. vi. 10. = A\ig. ep. 153, 0. 6, u. 20. '' Hab. ii, 6> 440 THE CATECHISM perty, lie calls tliich clay, from -which it is difficult for men to emerge and disengage themselves. But such is the variety of thefts, that it Ls most difficult to enumerate them all : to these two heads, theft and rapine, as to their source, all others however may be reduced ; and the exposition of these two wiU therefore suffice. To inspire, therefore, a detestation of them, and to deter the faithful people from -wicked enor- mities, pastors must bestow their -whole care and assiduity. But let us proceed -with the details on this head. QUESTION IX. What arc tJie CIdef Kitids of TJicft, and wlw arc to he reckoned among Thieves. They, therefore, -who buy stolen goods, or retain the pro- lierty of others, -whether foimd, seized on, or pilfered, are also, tliieves: If ilwu hast fowiid, and not restored, saith St. Augus- tine, ilwu Jiast stolen.'' If, ho-wever, the o-wner of the pro- perty cannot at aU. be discovered, the things found should then go to the use of the poor ; and if the finder refuse to yield them up, he gives e-^adent proof, that, -were it in his po-wer, he -would make no scruple of stealing in all directions to any extent. They -who, ia buying or selling goods, have recourse to firaud and cheating -words, involve themselves in the same guilt : the Lord -wiU avenge their frauds. But those -who, for good and soimd merchandise, sell bad and unsound, or -who deceive the buyers by -weight, measure, number, or i-ule, are guilty of a theft stiU more criminal and lanjust, for -we read in Deuteronomy : TIiou slialt not have divers weights in iliy hag ;^ and in' Leviticus : Ye shall do no imrighteousness, in judgment, in mete ya/rd, in loeight, or in measii/re. Just balances, just weights, a just eplutli, and a just hin , ' and else-where : Divers loeights are an abomination unto tJie Lord : and a false balance is not good}'^ It is also an open theft, -when labourers and artisans exact full and entire -wages from those, to whom they have not given just and due labour. Nor are unfaithfid servants and stewai'ds to be distinguished from thieves; nay, they are more detestable than other thieves, against whom things are « Aug. aer. 178, c. 8. ' Deut. xxv. 13. f Lev. xix. 35, sq. " Prov. xx. 23. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 441 locked, -wliilst to a pilfering servant nothing in a house can be inaccessible. They also, who extort money under false pretences, by deceitfid -words or fallacious mendicancy, may be said to be guilty of thef6 ; and their guilt is aggravated by adding falsehood to theft. Persons charged with offices of public or private trust, who pay none, or but indifferent attention to the duties, whilst they enjoy the remuneration and emoluments of such offices, are also to be reckoned in the number of thieves. To detail the various other modes of theft, invented by the ingenuity of avarice, which is. versed in all the arts of gleaning money together, were a tedious, and, as we said, a very difficult task. QUESTION X. Of the Kinds of Sapine, and who an to he called ExloHiona-s. The pastor, therefore, will proceed to treat of rapine, the^ other general head, to which the sins prohibited by this commandment are reducible, first admonishing the Christian people, to bear in mind the saying of the apostle : Tliey tliat vnll he rich, fall into temptation and a snare ;^ and never to forget the precept : All tilings wJuitsoever you would tlmt inen should do to you, do ye even so to iliem ;i and always to keep in view the maxim : Do that to no man which thoih hatest.^ Rapine, then, is more comprehensive than theft ; for those, who pay not the labourer his hire, are guilty of rapine, and are invited to repentance by St. James in these- words : Go to, now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries tJuit sludl come upon you : he subjoins the cause of tliis their repentance ; for, Behold, says he, tJie hire of the labourers, wlio Jiave reaped down your fields, which is of you hepit hack hy fraud, crieih, and the cries of them which have reapied are entered into the ears of the Lord of Bahaoth} Thi.f sort of rapine is reprobated in the strongest terms in Levi- ticus,™ Deuteronomy," Malaclii," and Tobias.!" Amongst those guilty of rapiue are also included persons who do not pay, or who turn to other uses, or appropriate to themselves, customs, taxes, tithes, and such revenues, which are due to- "■ 1 Tim. vi. 9. J Matt. vii. 12. "' Tob. iv. 16. 1 James v. 1, 4. " Lev. xix. 13. ° Deut. xxiv. 14, sq. ° Mai. iii. 5. p Tob. iv. 15. 442 THE CATECHISM those ■who preside over the Chiirch, and to the ci-vil magis- trates. QUESTION XL Uswry is Rapine ; of its WicJcedaiess. To this class also belong usurers, the most cruel and relentless of extortioners, vho by their usuries plunder and destroy the unhappy people. Now usury is whatever is received above the principal, whether it be money, or any- thing else that may be purchased or estimated by money ; for it is written in Ezekiel : He Jiath nwt received usvry, Tior increase ;1 and in Luke, our Lord says: Lend, hoping for noilwng ugain.^ Even amongst the GentUes [usury] was always considered a most grievous and odious crime j and hence the question, loliai is usury ? which was answered by asking, whcit is murder ?' For they who lend at usury sell the same thing twice, or sell that which has no existence. QUESTION XII. Corrupt Judges, and those tclio defraud tJieir Creditors, are guilty of Rapine. Corrupt judges, whose decisions are venal, and who, bought over by money or bribes, decide against the poor and the ne- cessitous, however good their cause, are also guilty of rapine. Those who defraud their creditors, and deny their just debts, and also those who purchase goods on their own or on another's credit, with an engagement to pay for them at a certain time, and do not redeem their pledge, shall be con- victed of the same crime of rapine ; and it is an aggravation of their guilt that, in consequence of their want of ptmctuality and their fraud, things are raised in price, to the no small detriment of the public. To such persons David would seem to allude, when he says : Tlie wicked horroweih, and payeth not again.* 1 Ez. xviii. 17. ' Luke vi. 35. ' Cf. Cicero de Off. ii. 25, p. 27S, ed. Grsy. "Et cum Ule, qui quasBierat, dixisset, Quid fcenerari ? Turn Cato, Quid hominem, inquit, oocidere!" ' Ps. xxxvi. (ixxvii.) 21. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 443 QUESTIOK XIII. The Rich who ojjjji'css the Poor, having taJcen Pledges of than, we num- bered among tlie JRapacioiis. But what shall we say of those who, themselves being rich, exact with rigour what they lend to the poor, who have not wherewithal to pay them, and who take as pledges even their necessary covering, in defiance of the divine prohibition ? If thou at all take thy neighbour's rm/menb to fledge, thou slialt deliver it unto him, hy tJiat the sun goeth down, for tlwi is his covering only ; it is his raiment for his sTdn, wlierein shall lie sleep ; and it shall come to pass, when he crieth to ine, that I loill hear, for I am gracious^- Their rigorous exaction we shall justly term rapacity, and even rapi'oe. QUESTION XIV. Monopolists in Time of Scarcity are rapacious. Amongst those whom the holy Fathers pronounced guilty of rapine,^ are those persons who, in times of scarcity, store up their corn, thus culpably producing dearth and high p)rices ; and this also holds good with regard to aU necessaries of food, and the purposes of life. These are they against whom Solomon utters the execration, He that withJwldeth com, the peopile shall curse him.^ Such persons pastors will admonish of their guilt, and reprove with moi-e than ordinaiy freedom, and will explain to them more at large the punishments that await their ofience. So far for the negative part of the pre- cept. We now come to the positive part, in which the first thing to be considered is satisfaction or restitution ; for tlie sill is not forgiven, unless whai was taken he restored.^ QUESTION XV. Who are lound to Restitution. But, as the law of restitution is binding not only on the person who has committed theft, but also on all who are participators thereki, we must explain who are indis- pensably bound to this act of satisfaction or restitution. Tliese form a variety of classes. The first consists of those » Ex. xxii. 26, sq. ' Ambr. de Ofiio. iii. 6, n. 41. " Prov. xi. 26. ' Aug. ep. 153, c. 6, n. 20. 444 THE CATECHISM men who order others to steal, and who are not only them- selves the authors and accomplices of theft, but also the very worst class of thieves. Another class embraces those who, like the former in will, but unlike them iu power, are, how- ever, to be placed in the same rank with thieves — ^who, unable to command, persuade and encourage others to commit theft. A third class is that of those who consent to theft committed by others. The fourth class is that of those who are accomplices in, and derive gain from, theft ; if that can be called gain which, unless they repent, consigns them to everlasting torments. Of them Davids says : WJien tliou sawest a thief, thou coiisentedst with Mm. The fifth class of thieves are those who, having it in then* power to prohibit thefts, so far from opposing or preventing them, suffer and sanction their free commission. The sixth class is composed of those who, well aware that the theft was committed, and where it was committed, yet, far from discovering, dissemble their knowledge of the fact. The seventh, and last, embraces all who assist in the accomplishment of theft — who guard, patronize, receive, or shelter thieves, all of whom are bound to make satisfaction to those from whom anything has been stolen, and are earnestly to be exhorted to the discharge of that necessary duty. Nor are those who approve and applaud thefts entirely exempt from this crime ; neither are children and wives, who purloin money from their parents and hus- bands, free from the same fault. QUESTION XVI. What is to he tliowjM conccrniiuj A line, an OUigation implied hy this ComiRandmeiit. In this commandment is also implied pity towards the. poor and the necessitous, and an effort on oiu" part for the relief of their difficulties and distresses from our means, and by our offices. On this subject — which is to be treated very frequently and copiously — ^pastors, to enable themselves, to fulfil this duty, will borrow matter from the works of those very holy men, St. Cyprian,^ John Chrysostom," Gregory r Ps. xlix. (1.) 18. ' Cypr. de op. et eleemos. " ChryB. hom. de eleemos. hom. 2, de Laz. n. 4, hom. 16, ad pop. Ant. n. 6, hom. 7, de poenit. n. 6, sq. hom. 45, in Matt. n. 3. OP THE COUNCIL OF TEEMT. 445 Naziauzen,'' and other eminent wi-iters on alms-deeds. For the faithful are to be inflamed with a desire and with alacrity to succour those who depend on the compassion of others for subsistence. They are also to be taught the gi-eat necessity of alms-deeds, that with our means and by our co-operation we may be liberal to the poor, and this by the very true argument that, on the day of the last judgment, God will abhor those who shall have omitted or neglected the oflJces of chai-ity, and hurl against them the sentence of condemnation to everlasting flames; but will invite, in the language of praise, and introduce into their heavenly country, those who have acted kindly towards the poor. Their respective sen- tences have already been pronounced by the lips of Christ our Lord :<= Come, ye blessed of my Father, mherit tJie Miigdom prepared/or you ; and : Depart from me, ye cursed, into ever- lasting five. QUESTION XVII. By vihai Means the Peoj^le are to he incited to Ahns-Deeds. Pastors will also employ those texts of Scrijitm-e most calculated to persuade to this duty : Give and it sJiall he given unto you :'^ they will cite the jjronuse of God, than which even imagination can picture no remuneration more abundant, none more magnificent : There is no man tliat Imth hft lumse, or brethren, cfcc, bvi he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, and in the world to come eternal life ;^ and he will add these words of our Lord : Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteotisness, thai wlien ye fail they may receive you into everlasting luiMtaiionsS But they ^vill explain the different heads of this necessary duty, to wit, that whoever are unable to give, may at least lend to the necessitous wherewithal to sustain life, according to the injunction of Christ our Lord : Lend, lioping for -nothing again.S The happiness attendant on such an exercise of mercy, holy David attests : A good man sitoweth favour and lendeihy ' Greg. Naz. or. \i. <= Matt. xxv. 3i, 41. ^ Luke vi. 38. ' Mark x. 29, sq. ' Luke xvi. 9. e Luke vi. 35. ' Ps. oxi. (oxii.) 5. 446 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XVIII. We mttst lahoior to hesiow Alms and to avoid Idleness. But it is an act of Christian piety, should it not be in our power otherwise to deserve well of those who stand in need of the pity of others for sustenance, to seek by the labour of our hands to procure means of relieving the wants of the indigent, and also thus to avoid idleness. To this the apostle exhorts all by his own examjple : For yourselves, saith he, writing to the Thessalonians, know how ye ought to follow im;' and again, to the same : And that ye study to he quiet, amd to do your own business, and to work with you/r own hands, as we com- vnanded you ;i and to the Ephesians : Let him, that stole steal no more, but ratlier let him, lahowr, loorhing with his hamds ilie thing viliich is good, that lie may have to give to him that needeth.^ QUESTION XIX. Wc must live sparinffly in order to aid tlie Wants of Other's. We should also practise ffugaUty, and draw sparingly on the means of others, that we may not be a burden or a trouble to them. This exercise of temperance shines con- spicuous in all the apostles, but pre-eminently so in St. Paul, who, writing to the Thessalonians, says : Ye rememl)er, bretlvren, our labour and tra/vaU, for lahowring nigM anid day because we would not be cliargeable unto any of you, we jjreacJied unto you tlw Gospel of God ;^ and in another place : But wrouglit with labour and travail, nigM arid day, tJuot we might not be chargeable to any of you.'"- QUESTION XX. Ily what Arguments the Christian People are to lie induced to the Detesta- tion of Rapine and the Practice of Benevolence. But to the end that the faithful people may abhor all such infamous crimes, pastors wiU recur to the prophets and other sacred writings, to show the detestation in which God holds the crimes of theft and rapine, and the awful thi-eats which he sets forth against their perpetrators : Hear this, exclaims. 1 2 Thess. iii. 7. > 1 Thess. iv. 11. ^ Eph. iv. 23. ' 1 Thess. ii. 9. ■» 2 Theisa. iii. 8. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 447 tile prophet Amos, ye tlutt swallow up tJte needy, even to make the poor of tlie Iwiul to fail, saying, Wlien will tlie oiew moon be gone, that we may sell corn, and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wJieat, maJdng the ephah small, and the shekel great, a/nd falsifying tJie balances by deceit?^ There are also many passages in Jeremiah," Proverbs,? and Ecclesiasticu3,i to the same effect ; and these, ■without doubt, are the seeds- from which have sprung great jDart of the evils, with which in our times society is oppressed. But that Christian men may accustom themselves to eveiy office of liberality and kindness towards the poor and the mendicant, an exercise of benevolence appertaining to the second part of this command- ment, jiastors will place before them those most ample rewards, which God promises to bestow in this life and in the next, upon the beneficent and the bountiful. QUESTION XXI. WhM is to be tluyiu/hi of those who excuse Tlieft and Saa-Uegc ly a Fviilc Pretext. As however there are not wanting those, who would even excuse their thefts, they are to be admonished that the time will come, when God will accept no excuse for their sin ; nay, that their excuses, so far from extenuating, will serve greatly to aggravate their guilt. Behold the insufferable luxury of noblemen, who fancy they extenuate their guilt by alleging, that, if they stoop to strip another of what be^ longs to Mm, they are actuated not by cupidity or avarice, but by a desire to maintain the grandeur of their families, and the rank of their ancestors, whose estimation and dignity would fall, if not upheld by the accession of other men's pro- perty. Of this pernicious error they must be disabused ; and must at the same time be convinced, that the sole means of preserving and augmenting their property and wealth, and of enhancing the glory of their ancestors, is to obey the win of God, to observe his commandments ; and that, his will and commandments once contemned, wealth, however solidly based and excellently established, is overturned ; kings are hurled from their royal thrones, and from th& " Amos viii. 4, aq. " Jer. vii. 8, sqq. " Prov. Kxi. 6, xxii. 16. "- Ecoli. x, 9, aq. 448 THE CATECHISM highest pinnacle of honour, whilst the humblest individuals, men too whom they held in supreme hatred, are sometimes called by God to occupy their places. It is incredible to what a degree the wrath of God is kindled against such offenders ; and this we know from the testimony of Isaiah, who records these words of God himself: Thy jirinces a/re rebellious and companions of thieves : every one loveth gifts, and foUoweth after rewa/rds. Tliereftyre, saith tJie Lord, the Lord of Hosts, tlie Migliiy One of Israd : Ah ! T wiU ease me of mine adversaries, and a/oenge me of mine enemies ; and I loiU turn my luind vpon tJiee, ami purely purge away thy dross.' QUESTION XXII. In, what manner we mwt anstoer those who assert that they are drken to Jlap'lne from CoTisidei'atiwis of Utility. There are not wanting those who plead in justification, not the maintenance of .splendour and glory, but a wish to have the means of living with greater convenience and elegance. Such excuses are also to be. refuted ; and they are to be taught how impious is the conduct and language of those, who prefer any advantage to the will and glory of God, against wliich we offend in an extraordinary degree by neglect of his precepts. And yet, what advantage can there be in theft, which is the source of the greatest evils ? Con- fusion amd repentaiwe, says Ecclesiasticus, is upon a thief' But, suppose no disadvantage befall the thief, he dishonours the divine name ; opposes the most holy will of God ;* con- temns his salutary precejjts ; from which source flows all error, all dishonesty, all impiety. QUESTION XXIII. What is to be said of those who defend their Thefts on tJte Grounds tliat they roh tJte Rich, or on a Plea of Habit. But, do we not sometimes hear the thief contend, that he is in nowise guilty of sin, because he steals from the rich and the'wealthy, who do not .suffer any injury from, nor even perceive, the loss ? Such an excuse is as wretched as it is baneful. Another imagines that his plea should be deemed ' Isa. i. 23, sqq. ' Eooli. v. 14. ' " Ejua" agrees with Dei, understood from the preceding " divinum." OF THE COUNCIL OF TKENT, 449 satisfactory, when he alleges that he has been so familiarized with stealing, as not easily to be able to conquer the pro- pensity or desist from the practice. If such a person listen not to the apostle, sapng : Let him tliat stole, steal no more,^ he will be familiarized, will or nill, with everlasting tor- ments. QUESTION XXrV. What again ia to he said of those who profess to ie hiduced to thieve eiilier through Opportunity or thrmogh tlie Jyiist of Revenge. Some excuse themselves by saying, that they stole, because a favourable opportimity presented itself; for it is a trite proverb, that they who are not thieves, become thieves through opportunity. Such persons are to be dissuaded and deterred from so wicked an opinion, by reminding them, that it is our duty to resist evil propensities ; for, were we forth- with to execute the suggestions of inordinate desire, what limits, what end, to criminal and flagitious excesses ? Such a defence, therefore, displays extreme baseness, or rather ia . an avowal of consummate licentiousness and injustice j foi> to say that you do not commit sin, because you have no opportunity of sinning, is almost to acknowledge, that you, are always prepared to sin when opportunity presents. There are those who say they steal in order to gratify revenge, having themselves suffered the same injury at the hands of others. In answer to such offenders, the pastor will first m-ge the unlawfulness of returning injury for injury ; and next that no one ought to be a judge in his own cause ; and that still less can it be lawful for a man to punish one man for the crimes of others against him. QUESTION XXV. What is to he said of those lelvo Steal in order to he freed from Debt. Finally, some find a sufficient justification of theft in the plea, that being overwhelmed with debts, they cannot pay them off otherwise than by theft. Such persons should be told that no debt is heavier, none more oppressive upon the human race, than that from which, each day of our lives, we pray to be released, in these words of the Lord's Prayer : Forgive us our debts ;'' and to swell the debt which we owe » Eph. iv. 28. ' Matt. vi. 12. , 2 G 450 THE CATECHISM to God, that is, to sin more, in order to liquidate ttat wMch is due to man, is tlie height of folly ; that it is much better to be cast into prison than to be consigned to the never-end- ing torments of hell ; that it is also by far a greater evil to be condemned by the judgment of God, than by that of men ; and moreover, that they should fly as suppliants to the assistance and mercy of God, from vhom they can obtain what they have need of. There are other sorts of excuses, which prudent and zealous pastors mil find it easy to meet ; that they may one day be blessed with A people, zealous oj good works.'^ CHAPTER IX. OP THE EIGHTH COHMAITDMENT. THOU SHALT NOT BEAE FALSE WITNESS AGAOTST THY KEIGHBODR. QUESTION I. Saliitai-y Tendency of this Precept. How great is the utility, nay, the necessity, of the assi- duous exposition of this commandment, and of the inculcation of the duty it enforces, we learn from these authoritative words of St. James : Ifa/ny vnan offend not in word, the scvme is a perfect man ; and again : Even so ihs tongiie is a Utile memher, and hoasteih great things. Behold how great a matter a Utile fire Tdndleth,^ and what follows to the same eflFect. By these words of St. James we are admonished of two things j the one, that the vice of the tongue is of very great extent, a truth confirmed by that sentence of the prophet, All Tnen are lia/rs,y so that this would seem to be almost the only sin that extends to all mankind ; the other, that from the tongue proceed innumerable evils; for through the fault of an evil- spoken man, are often lost the property, the chai-acter, the life, the salvation, of the injured person, or of him who inflicts the injury ; of the injured person, who, amable patiently to bear contumelies, impotently avenges them ; of the person who inflicts the injury, because, deterred by a '^ Tit. ii. 14. ' JaiheBiii. 2, 5. T Ps. oxV, (cxvi.) 11. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 451 perverse shame and a false notion of wiat is called honour.^ lie cannot be induced to satisfy liim -vrhom lie has offended. Hence, the faithful are here to be exhorted, to pour out their souls ia thanksgiving to God for this salutaiy commandment, not to bear false vidtness, a commandment by which we are not only forbidden to injure others, but also, on the same principle of obedience, others are forbidden to injure us. QUESTION 11. This Precept ia both Mamdatory and Prohibitory. In exposition of this precept, we shall proceed in the same manner as we have done with regard to the others, pointing out in it two laws, the one prohibiting to bear false witness ; the other commanding us, having laid aside all dissimulation and deceit, to measure our words and actions by the simple standard of truth ; a duty of which the apostle admonished the Ephesians in these words : SpeaM/ng the truth in love, we may grow up into him in all things?- QUESTION III. Wlmt this Precept prohibits. "With regard to the former part of this commandment, although by the name of false testimony is understood what- ever is positively but falsely affirmed of any one, be it for or against him, be it in a public court or be it not ; yet by this commandment is especially prohibited that species of false testunony, which is given on oath in a court of justice ; for a witness swears by the Deity, because the words of a man thus giving evidence, and interposing the divine name, have very great credit and weight. Such testimony, because dangerous, is therefore chiefly prohibited, for when sworn witnesses are not excluded by legal exceptions, or convicted of palpable dishonesty and wickedness, even the judge him- self cannot reject their testimony, especially as it is am injunction of the divine law, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may he established.^ But that the faithful may clearly understand the command- ' Palsa cujusdam ezistimationis opinione deterritus. " Eph. iv. 15. ''' Matt, xviii. 16; Deut. xix. 15. 2g2 453 THE CATECHISM ment, they must be tauglit -who is our neigJihov/r, agaiast whom it is unlawful to bear false witness. QUESTION IV. Who is Jiere meant iy the name " Neighlour.'' Aocordiag to the doctrine of Christ our Lord, our neigh- bour is whoever wants our assistance, whether he be boimd to us by ties of Mndred or not, whether a fellow-citizen, or a stranger, a friend or an enemy." To suppose it lawful to give false evidence ia any case against an enemy, whom by the ■ command of God and of our Lord we are bound to love,* is utter wickedness. Moreover, as every one is in some sort his own neighbour, it is unlawful for any one to bear false witness against himself; and as suicides injure the state, so they who defame their own character, branding themselves with infamy and disgrace, inflict a wound on their own good name, and on the Church, of which they are members. This is the doctrine of St. Augustine : Although, says he, to those, who understand aright, it cannot but appear prohibited to give false testimony agcdnst one's self, because the words " aga/inst thy neighhowr" are subjoined in the commandment. But let no one therefore think that he is exempt from this guiM,ifhe hear false witness against himself; for the person who loves received the standard of loving from \tlie love which he clie- rishes towards^ himself.^ QUESTION V. We are forbidden to give False Testimony in order to seme ow NdgJibour. But since we are forbidden to injure, let no one infer that we are therefore at liberty to serve, our neighbour by false testimony, although he be united to us by the ties of nature and religion. We cannot employ falsehood, still less perjury, to consult the feelings or the interests of any man. Hence, St. Augustine in his book on lying, addressed to Crescentius, teaches from the words of the apostle, that a lie, although uttered in unmerited commendation of any one, is to be num- bered amongst false testimonies. Treating of that passage of the apostle : Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God, ' Luke X. 29, sqq. ■■ Matt. v. 44 ; Luke vi. 27. ' Aug. de Civ. Dei, i. 20. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 453 hecoMse we have testified of God, tJiat he raised up Clvrist, whom he raised not up, if so be tJtat tJie dead rise not,^ lie says : The apostle calls it false witness to utter a lie toith rega/rd to Christ, although if seems to redound to his praise.^ QUESTION VI. How many Ms accompany a False Witness alleged in favour of AnotJia: It also very frequently happens, that by favotu-ing one party ■we injure tlie other : false testimonies are certainly the occa- sion of misleading the judge, who, yielding to such evidences, is sometimes obliged to decide and pronounce contrary to justice, according to the unjust testimony.'' It also some- times happens, that the successful party, who has gained his suit by means of a false witness, emboldened by im- punity, and exulting in his unrighteous victory, is familiarized to the work of corruption and the subornation of false wit- nesses, thi'ough whose instrumentality he hopes to attain whatever ends he proposes to himself. To the witness him- self it mtist also be most grievous, to have his falsehood and perjury known to him whose interests he has benefited and advanced ; whilst, encouraged by the success of his design, he becomes every day more practised in, and accustomed to, impiety and audacity. QUESTION VII. TJie Sins of all those who are concerned in Jiidgments, and Zymg in general, are condemned hy this Precept. [By this precept], then, deceit, falsehood, and perjury on the part of witnesses are proliibited ; and the same prohibi- tion extends also to plaintiffs, defendants, and patrons, to solicitors, lawyers, and advocates ; to all, in a word, who have any concern in suits at law. Finally, God prohibits aU testi- mony that may cause inconvenience or detriment, be it in legal evidence or not ; for in Leviticus, where the command- ments are repeated, we read : Ye shall not steal ; neitluer deal Jalsely ; neither lie one to another} To none, therefore, can it be matter of doubt, that by this commandment God rejects and condemns lies of every sort, as these words ' 1 Cor. XV. 15. f Aug. lib. de mendaoio, c. 12, sq. n. 21. ' Secundum iDJuriam. ' Lev. xix. 11. iSi THE CATECHISM of David most explicitly declare : Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing J QXJESTIOK Yin. This Precept also prohibits Detraction. But by this commandment is forbidden not only false testimony, but also tbe detestable propensity and habit of detraction, from which pest it is incredible how many and what serious inconveniences and evils arise. This vice of speaking iU. and contumeHously of others in private, the sacred Scriptures everywhere reprobate : Him, says David, will I cut off ;^ and St. James : Speak not evil one of aymther, brethren.^ The sacred Scriptures supply not only precepts on the subject, but also examples, which declare the enormity of this vice : Haman, by charges of his own invention, so incensed Ahasuerus against the Jews, that he ordered the destruction of that entire people.™ Sacred history abounds with similar examples ; and by the enumeration of these the priest will strive to deter the faithful from a crime of such in- justice. QUESTION IX. Various Swts of Detractors. But, to see in its full light the violence of this sin, we must loiow, that the reputation of men is injured not only by calumny, but likewise by exaggerating and amplifying the faults of others ; and he who, at a time, in a place, or before persons, when, where, or before whom, the communication was unnecessary, has given publicity to the secret sin of any man, which, when made known, must prove seriously in- jurious or discreditable to liis character, is justly called a detractor and a slanderer. But of all slander there is none more criminal than that levelled against the Catholic doctrine and its teachers : those who extol the propagators of bad doctrines and of errors are involved in similar culpability. J Pa. T. 6. ^ Ps. 0. (oi.) 5. ' James iv. 11. " Esther xiii. OP THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 455 QUESTION X. Uliey who listen to Detractors or sow Dissensions among Friends are tliemselves Detractors. Nor are those dissociated from their number or their guilt, who, instead of reproYuig, lend a willing ear, and a willing assent, to detractors and slanderers. As we read in St. Jerome,? and St. Bernard :" Wliether tJie detractor or tlie listener he the more criminal, it is not easy to decide ; for if there were no listeners, there would be no detractors. To the same class belong those, who by their artifices foment division and excite dissension among men, and who feel a particular pleasm-e in sowing discord ; thus severing, by- fiction and falsehood, the closest friendships ; loosing the dearest social ties ; and driving to endless hatred and to arms the fondest friends. Of such pestilent characters the Lord expresses his detestation in these words : TJwu slialt not go up and down as a talehea/rer a/inong thy pcopleM Of this description were many of the advisers of Saul, who strove to alienate his affection &om, and to exasperate him against, David. 1 QUESTION XI. Wheedling and Cwmjing Favour aZso foritdden iy this Law. Finally, wheedlers and sycophants are also to be numbered amongst the transgressors of tliis commandment, who in- sinuate themselves by their blandishments and pretended praises into the ears and hearts of those, after whose interest, money, and honours they are hunting, as the prophet says, calling good evil, amd evil good.^ Such characters David admonishes us to expel and banish from our society : Let ilie righteous, says he, smite me ; it shcdl he a kindness, and let him reprove me ; it sliall he an excellent oil, which shall not break my head.' This class of persons, it is true, do not speak ill of their neighbour ; but they inflict on liim the deepest injury, causing him, even by praising his vices, to continue in them unto the end of his Hfe. Of this species. " Hier. ep. 52, n. 14, et ep. 125, n. 19. " Bern, de considerat. ad Eugen. ii. 13. " Lev. xix. 16. 1 1 Kings xxiv. 40, xxvi. 19. ' Isa. v. 20. • Ps. cxU. 6. 456 THE CATECHISM of flattery, the most pernicious is that which proposes to itself for object the misfortune and ruin, of others. Thus Saul, when, to procure the death of David, he wished to ex- pose him to the ruthless sword of the Philistine, addressed him in these soothing words : Behold my elder daughter Merdb, her will I give thee to wife : only he thou valiomt for me, and fight the battles of the Lord ;* and the Jews thus in- sidiously addressed Christ our Lord : Master, we Mow that thou art true, cmd teachest the way of God in truth.^ QUESTION XII. And Friends wJien they perniciously flatter a Friend w?iO is dangerously III. But far more pernicious is the language of friends and delations, addressed to those labouring under a mortal disease, and now on the point of death, when they flatter them that there is then no danger of their dying ; bid them to be in good spirits, dissuade them from the confession of their sins, as if the thought would fill them with melancholy ; and, finally, divert their attention from all concern about, and meditation upon, the extreme dangers that beset them. Lies of every sort are therefore to be avoided, particularly such by which serious injury may be inflicted on others ; but a lie uttered against, or regarding i-eligion, is one of extreme impiety. QUESTION XIII. The Authors of Libels, those who lie for the Salce of Johimr/ or Qficiotisness, and Hypocrites, also offend against this Precept. God is also grievously oflFended by those opprobrious in- vectives, termed lampoons and libels, and such other contume- lious slanders. To deceive by a jocose or officious lie, although neither useful nor injurious to any one, is, notwithstanding, utterly unworthy of a Christian ; for so the apostle ad- monishes us : Putting away lying, speak every man truth.^ For this begets a strong tendency to fi:equent and serious lying ; and from jocose, men contract a habit of uttering deliberate lies ; lose their character for veracity ; and ulti- mately find it necessary, in order to gain belief, to continually resort to swearing. Finally, by the first part of this com- • 1 Sam. xviii. 17. » Matt. xxii. 16. • Eph. iv. 25. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 457 mandment dissimulation is prohibited ; and [it is held sinful] not only to speak but to act deceitfully. For actions as -well as words are signs of our ideas and sentiments ; and for this reason our Lord, rebuking the Pharisees, frequently calls them hypocrites.'" So far with regard to the negative, which is the iirst part of this commandment. Let us now explain what the Lord commands in the second part. QUESTION XIV. MandcUory Part of the Precept touching Trials. The force and nature of this precept have for object, that public trials be conducted on the principles of justice and according to law, and that men do not arrogate and usurp the right of pronouncing judgment ; for the apostle says, that it is unjust to judge another maris servant^ lest we should decide without a knowledge of the circumstances of the case. This was the error committed by the priests and scribes, who passed judgment on St. Stephen :y the magistracy of Philippi were guilty of the same criminal conduct : They have beaten us openly, says St. Paul, uncondemned, being Romans : and have cast us into prison ; and now do they thrust tis out privily.^ [This commandment also requires], that they condemn not the innocent, nor acquit the guilty ; that they be not influenced by money or favour, hatred or love. This is the admonition addressed by Moses to the elders, whom he had cons Lit uted judges of the people : Judge righteously between every mam, and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment, but ye shall Jiear tlie small as wdl as the great ; ye sluiM not be afraid of the face ofinan,for the judgmeiit is God's.'^ QUESTION XV. The Accused, when questioned hy a Lawful Magistrate, must not lie. With regard to accused persons, who are conscious of guUt, when interrogated according to the forms of judicial process, God wishes them to confess the truth, for their confession, in "■ Matt. XV. 7, xxiii. 13, sqq. I.e. "actors," "players of a part," by a metaphor taken from scenic representations. ^ Eom. xiv. 4'. ' Acta vi. 12, sqq. et vii. » Acta xvi. 37. " Deut. i. 16, sq. 458 THE CATECHISM some sort attests and proclaiias tlie praise and glory of God, according to Joshua, 'wlio, exhorting Achan to confess the truth, says : My son, give, I pray thee, glory to tlie Lord God of Israel, a/nd make confession urtio him, and tell me now what thou hast done : hide if not.^ QUESTION XVI. Wliat is the Duty of Witnesses. But, whereas this commandment chiefly regards witnesses, of them also the pastor will have to treat with diligence, for the force of the precept goes not only to prohibit falsehood, but also to enforce the obhgation of speaking the truth. For in human affairs, to bear true testimony is a matter of the highest importance, because there are innumerable things of which we must be ignorant, unless we arrive at a knowledge of them on the faith of witnesses. Wherefore in those things that we ourselves do not know, and yet of which it is not lawful for us to be ignorant, nothing is so necessary as true evidence. On this subject we have this sentiment of St. Augustine : He who conceals the truth, and Iw wlio lUters a falsehood, are hath guilty ; the one, because lie is unwillitig to render a service ; the other, because lie has the will to render a disservice.'^ Sometimes, however, it is lawful not to disclose the truth ; but [when, in a court of justice, a witness is legally interrogated, he is bound to tell the whole truth. Here, however, witnesses should be most circumspect, lest, trusting too much to memory, they affirm for certain what they have not fully ascertaided. Solicitors and counsel, prosecutors and plaintiffs, remain still to be treated of. QUESTION XVII. In wliat mav/nei' Solicitor's and Cowisel oif^lit to fiilfl ilieir Duty. The two former classes will not refuse to lend their services and legal assistance, when the necessities of others shall caU. for it, and will humanely aid the indigent, will not undertake the defence of an unjust cause, neither will they protract by cavilling, or encourage through avarice, suits at law ; and as '' Josh. vii. 19. " Aug. ep. ad Casulan. ap. Grat. P. 2 ; Cans. ii. qu. 3, o. 80. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 459 to the remuneration of their labour and attention, they -will regulate that by the principles of justice and equity. QUESTION XVIII. Of Plaiiitifs and Defmdcmts, But prosecutors and plairitiffs are to be admonished, to avoid creating danger to any one by unjust charges, through love or hatred, or any cupidity. Finally, to all pious persons is addressed the divine command, that in aU their intercourse ■with society, in every conversation, they speak at all times ■with truth and from the heart ; that they utter nothing that may injure the character of another, not even of those by ■whom they feel that they have been injured and persecuted; ■whereas they should al^ways recollect that such is the near relation, such the social bond, that exists bet^ween them, that they are members of the same body. QUESTION SIX. By what Arguments Christians may he led to wnderstand i/ie Turpitude of Lying. But in order that the faithful may the more -willingly avoid this -vice of lying, the pastor -will place before them the extreme wretchedness and turpitude of this crime. In the sacred ScripUires the devil is called tlie father of lies; for, as the de^vil abode not in the tridh, he is a liar and tliefatlier of it ; "^ and, to banish a-way so great an enormity, he ■wiU subjoin the mischievous consequences of ■which lying is the source ; and as these conseqtiences are innumerable, he ■will point out their principal heads and sources. And, first, he ■will inform them ho-w grievously the man of duplicity and falsehood offends, ho'w much he is hated by God : Tliese six things, says Solomon, doth the Lord hate, yea seven are an abomina- tion wnto him : a proud look, a lying tongue, amd ha/nds tltat slied innocent blood, a Iiea/rt that deviseth wicked i/maginMions, feet tJiat be simft in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and ■what follo^ws.' The man, therefore, -who is thus the object of God's especial -wrath, ■w^ho can shelter from the most grievous punishments that hang over him ? ^ John -viii. ii. ' Prov. \i. 16, sii. 460 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XX. What Inconvenietices to Svman Society are caused ly Lying. Again, wliat more impure, -what more tase, tLan, as St. James says, with the same tongue by which we Uess God ■ Eom. xii. 12 ; Eph. vi. 18 ; Phil. iv. 6 ; Col. iv. 2, sq. ; 1 Tliess. V. 17, 25 ; 2 Thess. iii. 1 ; 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2, 8, v. 5. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 477 QUESTION IT. We caniiot satv^y our Wants m amy other way save hy Prayei: Particularly as it is clear, that there are some things which cannot be obtained without its aid. For holy prayers possess that transcendant virtue by which principally demons are cast out, as there is a certain class of demons not to be ex- pelled save ly prayer and fasting} They, therefore, who neglect to apply this practice and exercise [of prayer], deprive themselves of a powerful means of obtaining singular gifts ; for, to obtain what one desires, it is necessary that our prayer be not only good but also assiduous, J as St. Jerome saith : It is written : Every one that asketh receiveth :^ if therefore it be not given you, it is because ye do not ask : Ask, therefore, and ye shall receive."^ CHAPTER II. OF THE UTILITY OF PEAYER. QUESTION 1. What are the First Fruits resulting from the Necessity of Prayer. But this necessity [of prayer] is also fraught with most abundant spiritual finiits. Of these fruits of prayer, the pastor will, when necessary for the instruction of the faithful people, draw copiously from the pages of sacred writers. From their accumulated treasures, we have made a selection of such matter as appeared to us suited to our present pur- pose. Now the first fimit which we receive from prayer, is, that by it we honour God, prayer being a certain indication of religion, and being compared ia Scripture to incense : Let my prayer, says the prophet, be set forth before tJiee as incense.^ Wherefore we thus confess our subjection to God, whom we acknowledge and proclaim to be the author of all ' Matt. xTii. 21. J Jamea v. 16. '' Matt. vii. 8 ; Liike xi. 10. ' John xvi. 24 ; Hier. Conun. in Matt. I. 1, c. 7, 7, sq. "> Ps. 0x1. (cxii.) 2. 478 THE CATECHISM good things ; to wliom alone we look ; ■whom we have as tlie only refuge and bulwark of our safety and salvation. Of tHs fruit of prayer we are also admonished in these words : GaU upon me in the day of trouble : I will deliver thee, and tliou shalt glorify me^ QUESTION II. Of the Second Fruit of Prayer. Another most abundant and most pleasing fruit of prayer, when heard by God, follows ; for, in the opinion of St. Augustine, prayer is the key of heaven : For, s&js he, prayer ascends, and the mercy of God descends : high as a/re the heamens, amd low as is the earth, yet God heareth the voice oj man.'' Such is the efficacy, such the utility of prayer, that thereby we receive the fulness of heavenly gifts ; for we both obtain the guidance and aid of the Holy Spirit, the preservation and security of the faith, an escape from punish- ment, the divine protection \mder temptations, and victory over the devil. In a word, there is in prayer a singular accumulation of joy : wherefore the Lord has said : Ask, amd you sImU receive, that ymw joy may he fuM.'B QUESTION III. The Dimne Majesty is ever ready to Jiear our Petitions. 'Not can we for a moment doubt that the benignity of God awaits and hearkens to this our petition ; a truth to which the Scriptures in many places bear ample testimony. As, however, the texts which establish it are easily met with, we shaJl cite only the following, by way of example, from Isaiah : Then, says he, shalt thou call, and the Lord sJudl answer : thou shalt cry, and he shall say. Here I ami.'i And again : It shaM corns to pass, that before the.y call, I will answer ; and while they a/re yet speaking, I will Ivea/r? Instances of persons who have obtained from God the objects of their prayers, because almost innumerable and easily met with, we omit. ° Pb. xUx. (1.) 15. " Aug. ser. 47 in App. f John xvi. 24. ' Isa. Iviii. 9. ' lb. Ixv. 24. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 479 QUESTION IV. Wliy ow Prayers are sometimes unheard. But it sometimes happens that we obtain not from God what -we ask. True ; but God tbe best consults our interets, either bestowing upon us other greater and more ample goods, or -withholding what we ask, because neither neces- sary nor useful to us ; nay, perhaps, if granted, it might prove superfluous and most injurious : God, saith St. Augustine, denies some things in Ms mercy, which, he gramts in his ivrath.' Sometimes also it happens, that such is the remissness and negligence with which we pray, that we ourselves attend not to what we say. Now, if prayer be an ascent of the soul unto God,' and if, in prayer, the mind, instead of being fixed on God, wanders, and the tongue rambles over the words at random, without attention, without devotion, how shall we give to such empty sounds of speech the name of Christian prayer 1 It is therefore marvellous, if God does not accom- modate himself to our will, when we ourselves, by our negli- gence and inattention to prayer, almost prove that we do not wish for what we ask, or ask what would be prejudicial to us. QUESTION V. To Devout Prayers God grants more iham, they ask. But on the contrary, to those who pray with enlightened attention, God grants much more than they ask, as the apostle testifieth in his epistle to the Ephesians ;" and as is declared in the parable of the prodigal son, who would have deemed himself fortunate in being admitted into the number of his father's hireling seirvants.^ l^ay, if we reflect aright, Gtod accumulates his favours on us, even when we ask them not ; and this, not only in abundance, but also without delay. With- out even waiting for their utterance, God prevents the inward and silent desires of the poor, according to these words of Scripture : Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the hwiMey • Ep. 130, c. 14, n. 26. ' Damas. de fid. orth. lib. iii. u. 24 ; Bonav. Expos, in Luc. vi. » Eph. iii. 20. ' Luke xv. 11, sqq. " Pb. ix. (x.) 17. 480 THE CATECHISM QUESTION VI. Third Fruit of Prayer. Another fruit of prayer is, that hy it we exercise and aug- ment the Christian virtues, particularly faith j for as they ■who have not faith in God, pray not as they ought : How then sImU they caU on him in whom they have not believed i^ so, the faithfd, the more fervently they pray, the stronger and the more assured faith do they possess in the divine care and providence, which principally requires of us, that whilst we submit our wants to its dispensations, we make them all the objects of our prayers. QUESTION YII. Why God, hamiivng what Thiiigs vie want, wishes to he entreated by our Prayers. God, it is true, might bestow on us aU things abundantly, although we asked them not, nor even thought of them, as he bestows on irrational creatures aU things necessary for the support of life ; but oiu- most beneficent Patter wishes to be invoked by his children ; he wishes that, praying as we ought daily, we may pray the more confidently ; he wishes ns, having obtained those things that we ask, to testify and proclaim daily more and more his benignity towards us. QUESTION YIII. In what manner our Charity towards God is augmented hy Prayer. Charity is also augmented [by prayer] ; for, recognizing God as the author of every good and every advantage to us, we embrace him with the utmost love. And as, by inter- views and conversation, lovers are more inflamed to love ; so, by holding intercourse with God in prayei', and supplicating his benignity, pious men, experiencing at each intex*view, the oftener they as it were converse with God, a more exquisite sense of delight, are the more ardently excited to love and serve him. ' Eom. X. 14. OP THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 481 QUESTION IX. By Assiduity in, Prayer we loth become worthy the Divine Grace, cmd attain Humility, and Arms against the Demi. Moreover, he will have us make use of this exercise of prayer, that, glowing with the constant desire to ask what we desire, we may, by this assiduity and zeal, make such advances as to he worthy to obtain those blessings, which the soul, before weak and contracted, could not contain. Besides, [God] wishes us to know and always confess what is "the fact, that, unaided by heavenly grace, we can of ourselves obtain nothing, and therefore should apply ourselves to prayer with aU the power of our souls. These arms, as it were, of prayer are most powerful against our implacable foes : With the, cries of our prayers, says St. Hilary, we must ,Ju/hf against the devU and his armed hosts, y QUESTION X. Fourth Fruit of Prayer. From j^rayer we also derive this important benefit, that, inclined as vre are to evil, and to the indulgence of sensual appetite, through the fault of innate infirmity, [God] permits himself to be conceived in our minds ; that, whilst we address him in prayer, and strive to merit his gifts, we may receive from him the love of innocence, and, by effacing all our sins, be purified from every stain. QUESTION XI. Last Fruit of Prayer. Finally, as St. Jerome observes, prayer disarms the wrath of God.^ Hence God thus addressed Moses : Let me alone^ when, by interposing his prayers, he was preventing him from inflicting on that people the punishments -with which he wished to visit them ; for nothing so appeases God, when his wrath is kindled, retards and averts his rage even when he is ready to strike the wicked, as the prayers of pious men. 7 S. Hilar, tract, in Ps. Ixt. u. 4. '■ Comm. in Jer. 1. 2, c. vii. v. 16. » Ex. xxxii. 10. 2l 483 THE CATECHISM, CHAPTER in. OP THE PAETS AND DEGREES OF PRATER. QUESTION I. Of the Parts of Ckristiam Prayer. The necessity and advantage of Christian prayer being explained, the faithful people should also know, how many and what are the parts of which it is composed; for that this appertains to the perfection of this duty, we learn from the apostle, who, in his epistle to Timothy, exhorting to pious and holy prayer, carefully enumerates the parts of which it consists : I exhort, tlierefore, iliat first of all, says he, suppU- cations, prayers, intercessions, and iliamksgimngs he made for all meny Although the distinction between these different parts of prayer is somewhat refined ; yet the pastor, should he deem its explanation tiseful to his people, will consult amongst others St. Hilary" and St. Augustine.'' QUESTION II. Of Petitions and Eetwmmg Tliarika. But whereas there are principally two parts of prayer, petition and thanksgiving, from which as from their source aU. the others flow, it appeared to us that they should by no means be passed by. For we approach God, that offering to him the tribute of our worship and veneration, we may either obtaia some favour, or return him tlianks for the benefits with which his bounty every day adorns and en- riches lis ; and both of these most necessary parts of prayer God himseK mentioned by the mouth of David, in those words : Call vpon me in the day of trovhh : I will deliver thee ; a/nd tluni shalt glorify me.^ Who, if he but consider the extreme destitution and misery of men, does not know how much we stand in need of the divine bounty and goodness ? * 1 Tim. ii. 1. = Tract, in Ps. Uv. n. i, et Ps. exi. n. 2. * Aug. ep. 65, 1. ii. o. 15, n. 28 ; ep. 149, c. 2, n. 12, sqq. ; Enarr. in Pb. iv. n. 5, in Ps. oiii. fer, 1, n. 3. « Ps. xlix. (1.) 15. OP THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 4:83, QUESTION in. Tlie Goodness and Beneficence of Ood to all Men is set forth. But all -who Lave eyes to see, and itnderatanding, mil perceive how miioli the will of God iacluies, and how liberal IS his bounty, towards the human race. For wherever we cast our eyes, wherever we turn our thoughts, the admirable light of the divine beneficence and benignity beams upon us. What have men, that is not the gift of God's bounty 'i And if aU things are his gifts and the favours of his goodness, why should not aU men, with all their might, celebrate the praises of, and return thanks to, this God of boundless bene- ficence 1 But each of these duties of petition and thanks- giving contains many degrees, one more exalted and perfect than another. To the end, therefore, that the faithful may not only pray, but also pray after the best manner, pastors will propose to them the most exalted and perfect mode of pray- ing, and will exhort them to it with the utmost earnestness. QUESTION IV. WJiat is the Best Manner of Praying and the Sigkest Degree of Prayer. What then is the best manner and the most exalted degree of prayer ? That, forsooth, which is made use of by pious and righteous men, who, resting on the solid foundation of true faith, rise successively from one degree of purity and fervour in prayer to another, until, at length, they reach, that height, whence they can contemplate the iofinite power, benignity, and wisdom of God ; where, too, they attain the most assured hope, that they will obtain not only those blessings which they ask in this Hfe, but also those unutter- able rewards which God has promised to bestow on those who piously and from the heart implore the divine aid.*" Soaring towards heaven on these two wings as it were, the soul in fervent desire approaches the Deity ; adores with all honour of praise and thanksgiving, him from whom she has received such supreme blessings ; and, like an only child, animated with singular piety and profound veneration, con- fidently lays open to her dearest parent all her wants. Tliis sort of prayer the sacred Scriptures express by the words, ' Aug. Conf. 1. X. c. 31, n. 45. 2l2 484 THE CATECHISM pouring out : says the prophet, T pov/red out my prayer before him, I sliowed before him my trovile.e Here the ■words, pour out, have the force of saying, that he who goes to pray suppresses nought, conceals nought, but pours out all, flying with confidence into the bosom of God, his most loving Father. To this the sacred doctrine exhorts us in these words : Four out your heart before him, :^ and cast thy care upon the Lord} This is that degree of prayer to which St. Augustine alludes in his Enchiridion, when he says : What faith believes, that hope and chwity implorei QUESTION V. Of AnotJier Kind of Prayer, Another degree of prayer is that of those who, pressed down by the weight of mortal sin, strive, however, with that faith wliich is called dead,*^ to upraise themselves and ascend to God ; but, in consequence of their half-dead state and the extreme weakness of their faith, they cannot iipraise them- selves from the earth. Impressed, however, with a just sense of their sins, and stung with remorse, they bow themselves down with humility, and, far as they are removed from him, they implore of God, in penitential sorrow, pardon and peace. The prayer of such persons is not rejected by God : they are heard by him ■ nay, such men God, in his mercy, most generously invites : Come to ine, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.^ Of their number was that publican, who, not daring to raise his eyes towards heaven, left the temple, as our Lord declares, justified rather than the Pharisee.^ QUESTION VI. W7iX) among iJiose who pray occupy the Tldrd Degree. A third degree of prayer is that of those who have not as j'et received the light of faith ; but who, whilst the divine goodness lights up [in their souls] the feeble glimmering of nature, are strongly excited to the desire and pursuit of truth, to arrive at the knowledge of which is the object of their most earnest prayers. If they persevere in such a dis- E Ps. cxli. (oxlu.) 2. >■ Ps. Ixi. (Ixii.) 8. ' Pa. liv. 23 (Iv. 22). J Ench. 0. 7, n. 2. ' Jame3 ii. 17. ' Matt. xi. 28. "■ Lake sviii. 10, sq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 485 position, God, in his mercy, will not reject their earnest desire, as we see verified by the exanij)le of Cornelius the Centurion j° for against none who desire it sincerely are the doors of the divine benignity closed. QUESTION VII. What Class of Petitioners are Jield down in the Last Degree. The last degree is that of those who, not only inapenitent, but adding crime to crime, are yet not ashamed frequently to ask pardon of God for sins in which they intend to perse- vere. Under such circumstances they should not presume to ask pardon even of their fellow-man. To their prayer God turns a deaf ear, as it is written of Antiochus : This wicked 2}ersoii vowed also to tlie Lord, who now no more would have mercy ijupon him.° Those who are in this grievous condition should therefore be strongly exhorted, that, having detached themselves from affection to sin, they turn to God in good earnest and from the heart. CHAPTER IV. ON THE OBJECTS OP PRAYER. QUESTION I. Of the Objects of Prayer to God. But as, under the head of each petition, wUl be pointed out in its proper place, what is and what is not a proper object of prayer, it will here suffice to admonish the faitliful in general terms, to ask of God such things as are just and good ; lest, asking what they ought not, they be repulsed with the answer : Ye know not loliat ye ask.v But whatever it is lawful to desire, it is lawful to pray for, as this most ample promise of our Lord attests : Ye shall ask what ye will, mid it shall he done wito you ;9in which he promises to grant all things. ■• Acts X. 4, 31. " 2 Maoo. ix. 13. r Matt. XX. 22 ; Mark x. 38. •> John xv. 7. 486 THE CATECHISM QUESTION II. What Things are Fii-st, and of themsehies, to le craved of God. First, therefore, we must direct all our wishes and desires to make God, who is the supreme good, the grand object of our love and wishes. We must next desire those things that unite us most closely to God ; whilst those that would sepa^ rate us, or produce any cause of separation from him, should be utterly removed from our desires or pursuits. Hence we may infer how, after that supreme and perfect good, the other things that are called goods, are to be desired and asked from God our Father. QUESTION ni. How far tlie Outward Goods of the Body are to he aslced of God. For the goods that are called bodily, and those called external, such as health, strength, beauty, riches, honours, glory, which often afford occasion and matter for sin (and which, therefore, it is not altogether pious or salutary to ask), are not to be prayed for without this limitation, that we beg for such temporal goods only for necessity, so that this sort of prayer be referred only to God ; for it is lawful for us to pray for the things for which Jacob and Solomon prayed : If, says Jacob, he mil give me bread to eat and rai- ment to]mt on, then the Lord shall he my God.'' Give ine, says Solomon, ordy tlie necessaries oflife.^ QUESTION IV. Eow vie ought to me Riches and the other Good Things of the Body when, we possess them through tJie Mercy of God. When, however, by the bounty of God, we are supplied with the necessaries and comforts of life, we should recollect the exhortation of the apostle : Let them that buy he as they possessed iiot, and they that use this world, as not aibusing it ; for the fashion of this ivorld passeth away ;^ and again: If riclies abound, set not your heart upon them,^ Their use and advantage alone belong to us, and even tliis with an obligation, as we learn from God himself, of sharing them ■■ Gen. xxviii. 20, sq. ' Prov. xxx. 8. « 1 Cor. Tii. 30, sq. " Ps. Ixi. (Ixii.) 10. OF a?HE C0U2TCIL OP TRENT?. 487 •with others. If -we enjoy health. ; if we abouad in other external and bodily goods ; we should recoUect that they are given tmto us, to enable ns to serve God with greater faci- lity, and employ them all ia lending assistance to our neighbour. QUESTION V. ffow we may-pmyfoT the Goods of Genius and Leammg. Genius and the embellishments that adorn it, sach as learn- ing and the arts, it is lawful to pray for ; but on the con- dition, that they serve to promote the glory of God, and our own salvation. But that which is to be absolutely, and without reserve or condition of any sort, the object of our wishes, our desires, our prayers, is, as we have already said, the glory of God, and, nest, whatever can serve to unite us to that supreme good ; such as faith, the fear and love of God ; but of these we shall treat more fully when explaining the petitions. GHAPTEB, V. FOE WHOM WE SHOULD PRAT. QUESTION I. There is no Race of Men in this World for whom it is not lawful to pray to God. The objects of prayer being known, the faithful people are to be taught for whom they should pray. Prayer com- prehends petition and thanksgiving ; and we shall therefore first treat of petition. We are then to pray for all, without exception of enemies, or nation, or religion ; for every man, be he enemy, alien, or infidel, is our neighbour, whom by the command of God we are ordered to love, and for whom, therefore, we should also ofier up our prayers, which is a duty of love. To this the apostle exhorts when he says : / exhort thai prayers he made for all men.'' In such jprayers the things that appertain to the salvation of the soul should hold the first place, temporal things the second. ' 1 Tim. ii. 1. 488 THE CATECHISM QUESTION n. Far inTwm we ought especially to pray. T\m duty we owe to the pastors of soxUs before all others, as we are admonished by the apostle in reference to him- self; for he writes to the Colossians to pray for him, that God may open unto him a door of utteramce ;^ a request- which he also makes to the Thessalonians.'^ In the Acts of the Apostles? we also find that prayer was offered in the Church without intermission for Peter. Of this duty we are also admonished by St. Basil in his books On inorals : we must, saith he, pi-ay for tlwse that preside over tlie word of truth.''' In the second place, according to the same apostle, we should pray for princes ; for who knows not how great a blessing we enjoy in pious and righteous piinces? "We should therefore beg of God that they be such, as those should be who are set over the rest of mankind. There are on record examples of holy men, by which we are admo- nished to pray also for the good and the pious, for they too stand ia need of the prayers of others ; and this has been ordained from on high, that aware of their standing ia need of the suffrages of their inferiors, they be not uplifted with pride." QUESTION III. It is shown that we must do tlie same for ow Bnermes and the Foes oftlie Church. Likewise the Lord hath commanded us to pray for those that persecute and calumniate us.*" It is also well known from the testimony of St. Augustine, " that it has been a practice received down from the apostles, to offer prayers and vows for those who are not within the pale of the Church ; that faith may be given to infidels ; that idolaters may be liberated from the error of impiety ; that Jews, their mental darkness being dissipated, may receive the hght of truth ; that heretics, returning to soundness, may be in- " Col. iv. 3. » 1 Theas. v. 25. y xii. 5. ' 1 Tim. ii. 2. ■ 2 Kings xix. 4, xsii. 13; John xvii. 9, 11, 16; Eom. xt. 30; 2 Cor. i. 11. ■• Matt. v. ii. "= Aug. ep. 109, u. 2, 11, 17. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 489 structed La the precepts of the Catholic doeti-ine ; that schismatics, hnked by the bond of true charity, may be reunited to the communion of our most holy mother the Church, from -whom they have separated. The great efficacy of prayers, -when offered from the heart, for such men, is evinced by the examples of so many persons of all sorts, whom God daily rescueth from the power of darkness, and transferreth into the kingdom of his beloved Son, from vessels of wrath'^ making them vessels of mercy ; and that in this the prayers of the pious have very great influence, no one who thinks aright can doubt. QXJESTI02Sr IV. Sow this Benefit may he extended even to the Dead. Prayers for the dead, that they may be liberated from the fire of purgatory, had their origia ia the doctrine of the apostles; but this subject we already treated at sufficient length, when speaking of the sacrifice of the Mass.' QUESTION V. 27ie Prayefi-s of otlicrs avail not those who sin unto death. But those who are said to sin unto death^ derive scarcely any advantage from prayers and supplications. It is, how- ever, the pai-t of Christian charity to offer Tip prayers for them, and with tears to endeavour, if possible, to obtain a reconciliation with God. QUESTION VI. In what manner we are to understand the Exea'ations fownd in the Scriptures. With regard to the execrations uttered by holy men against the wicked, it is certain, from the opinion of the fathers, that they are either prophecies of the evils which ' Rom. ix. 22, sq. " Usher's treatise on Purgatory must not be forgotten by the student desirous of information on this subject. Compare, also, the passages collected by Dr. Puaey, in the notes to his sermon on " the Eule of Faith," p. 52, sqq. (1851). ' 1 John V. 16 ; Matt. xii. 32 ; Luke sii. 10 ; Heb. vi i, sqq. s. 26, sqq. 490 THE CATEDHISM are to befall them, or denunciations against the crimes of which they are guilty, that the sinner may be saved, but the sin destroyed, e QUESTION Vn. Of the Use of Thwiiksgiving. In the second part of prayer we render infinite thanks to ierceth tlie clouds.'^ But to learned pastors innumerable texts of the same import will occur, which we therefore omit as unneces- sary to be here enumerated. Two examples, however, which we have elsewhere touched upon, because they are apposite to our present purpose, we shall not pass over ; that of the publican, wliich is so well known, who standing qfa/r off, dared not to lift up his eyes from, tlie growul towards heaven,'^ and that of the woman, a sinner, who, deeply moved with sorrow, bathed the feet of Christ our Lord with her tears.? Both declare the great weight that Christian humility brings to prayer. The next disposition is a feeling of anguish, arising from the recollection of om- sins, or, at least, some sense of sorrow, for the very reason that we cannot ex- perience sorrow. If the sinner bring not with him to prayer both, or, at least, one of these, he cannot obtain pardon. QUESTION II. What Vices must espedally Tie avoided hij oiie w7io wishes to pray profitahhj. But whereas there are some crimes, such as violence and murder, which ojipose the greatest obstacles to the efficacy of our prayers with God, we must therefore keep oui- hands from such cruelty and violence : Wlien ye spread forth your hands, says the Lord by the mouth of Isaias, / will hide my eyes from you ; yea, wlien ye mahe mamy prayers, I will not hea/r ; your hands are full of blood.'i "We should also shun anger and strife, for they too oppose very great obstacles to ■" Ps. ci. (cii.) 17. " Eocli. xxxv. 17. ° Luke sviii. 13. f Luke vii. 37, sij. ' Isn,. i. 15. 494 THE CATKCHISM our prayers being heard : I mil therefore that men pray everywiiere, says St. Paul, lifting up pwre ha/nds witlwut wralh amd doubting^ We must also take care that we do not re- fuse to be appeased for injury received ; for, if thus disposed, it is impossible for us to induce God by our prayers to par- don us : Wlien ye stand praying, b&js lie, forgive, if ye ha/ve oicgM against amy /' and : If ye forgive not men tlisir tres- passes, neitlier will your Father forgive your trespasses.^ Insensibility and inhumanity to the poor we should also avoid ; for against such men it is written : WJwso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry Mmself hui shall not be heard.'^ What shall we say of pride ? How hateful it is in the sight of God, the testimony of St. James showeth : God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace unto ilie humiblej. Wliat of contempt of the Divine Oracles 1 He that tmrneth away his ea/rs, says Solomon, from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.^ Here, however, we are not to understand, that to implore pardon for an injury done, of murder, anger, insensibility to the wants of the poor, of pride, of contempt of the word of God, of any other crimes in fine, is esoluded from the objects of prayer. QUESTION in. Of Faith in God, which is accoimted necessary for prayer. For this preparation of the soul, another requisite is faith, if the which be wanting, we can have no knowledge of the omnipotence or mercy of the Supreme Father, which, how- ever, are the sources of our confidence in prayer. The neces- sity of faith as an accompaniment to prayer, Christ the Lord himself taught, when he said : All things whatsoever ye shall ash in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.^ Of this faith St. Augustine writes in his treatise, On the words of tJie Lord : If faith fails, prayer has p)erislied.J It is therefore of chief importance in prayer, that, as has been abeady said, we be firm and unwavering in faith, as the apostle shows by the converse : How tlien shall they call on him, in whom ihey ' 1 Tim. ii. 8. ■ Mark xi. 25. ' Matt. vi. 15. " Prov. xxi. 13. ' James iv. 6 ; 1 Peter v. 5. " Prov. xzviii. 9. » Matt. xxi. 22. y Aug. ser. 116, c. 1, n. 1. OF THE COlOTCIIi OF TEEITT. 495 have not believed I ^ Believe, then,, we must, in order to bei able to pray, and in order not to be ■wanting in. tiat faith by ■which prayer is rendered available. Eor it is faith that poureth forth prayers, and prayers, all doubt being removed, give strength and stability to faith. To this effect is the exhoi-tation of the holy Ignatius, to those -who approach God ■with prayer : Be not of dovhtfid mind in prayer ; blessed is he who liath not doubted.'^ Wherefore, to obtain from God the objects of our prayers, faith and an assured confidence that -we shall obtain it, have the greatest -weight, according to the admonition of St. James ; Let Mm ash in faMi, nothing wavering.^ QUESTION IV. Motives to inspire uswiih Confidence in Prayer of oltaini/ng tliose thingi which we ask thermi. In this duty of prayer, there is much to inspire us -with con- fidence. "We have the ■well-kno^wn benevolence and benignity of God towards us, -when he conunands us to call him Father, to give us to understand that, ■we are his children : ■we have the almost countless number of those -whose prayers to God have been succesafal :"= ■we have that Supreme Intercessor Christ the Lord, -who is ever ready to assist us, of ■whom -we read in St. John : If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Fatlier, Jesus Clvrist the righteous ; a/nd he is ilie propi- tiation for our sins ;'' and the Apostle Paul saith : It is Clvrist tliat died, yea, ratlier tJiat is risen agadn, wlw is even at ilie right liand of God, who also malceth intercession for us ;^ and to Timothy : For there is one God, cmd one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus y' and also to the Hebrews :S Wlierefore, in all things it behoved him to be Tnade lUce unto his bretlwen, that lie might become a msrdfvd cmd faithful high pviest in things pertaining to God. tln- ■worthy, -then, though "we be, to obtain ■what -we ask, yet through the dignity of our most excellent mediator and in- tercessor, Jesus Christ, we. should hope and confidently trust, ' Eom. X. 14. • Ignat. ep. ad Heron. Diac. n. 8. This spurious epistle is omitted in Hefele'a edition. It -will te found in Coteler, vol. ii. p. 152. *> James i. 6. ' CJui Deum exoraverunt. '' 1 John ii. 1, sq. ' Eom. viii. Zi. ' 1 Tim. ii. 5. s Heb. ii. 17. 496 THE CATECHISM that God mil grant us all that we duly ask through him in prayer. QUESTION T. TJie Boly Spirit is the Author of owr Prayers. Finally, the Holy Ghost is the author of our prayers ; and under his guidance, they cannot fail to be heard ; for we have received tM spirit of adoption of sons of God, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.^ This spirit succours our infirmity and ignorance, in the discharge of this duty of prayer : nay, the apostle says : He maketh intercession for us with groan- ings, which cannot be uttered.^ QUESTION TI. In tchat manneir we ought to he assisted in Faith to attain the Divine Blessings. Should men then at any time waver, and not feel them- selves sufficiently firm in faith, let us say -with the apostles : Lord, increase ov/r faith ;i and, with the father of the demo- niac boy : Help iJum my unbelief^ But what most insures our fully attaining aU our wishes from God, is when, abound- ing in faith and hope, we conform all our thoughts, actions, and prayers, to the law and will of God : If, saith he, ye abide in, me, and my loords abide in you, ye shall ash what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.^ In order, however, thus to obtain all things from God, there must, as we have before said, be oblivion of all injuries, and good-will and beneficence towards our neidibours. CHAPTER VIII. OF THE MAKQ-ER OF PKAYINQ. QUESTION I. TJtat the People must le instructed touching the Best Manner of Praying. What is meamt iy praying " in spirit and im truth." But the manner of praying is also a matter of the highest moment. Prayer in itself, it is true, is a good and salutary ^ Eom, viii. 15. ' Eom. viii. 26. J Liike xvii. 5. '' Mark ix. 24. ' John xv. 7. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 497 tiling ; yet, if it be not applied arigLt, it availeth nought j for ■we often, as St. James says, receive Tiot what we ask, because we ash amiss.'^ Pastors, therefore, will instruct the faithful in the best manner of praying -well, and of performing both private and pubhc prayer. These rules of Christian prayer have been handed do^vn from the discipline of Christ our Lord. We miist then pray in spirit and in truth ;'^ for our Father, -who is in heaven, seeketh those who would adore him in spirit and in truth ; and this he does, who prays with an inward and intense zeal of soul. From this spiritual manner of pra3Tiig we exclude not vocal prayer : to that, however, which proceeds from earnestness of soul, we deservedly assig-n the first place ; and, although not uttered with the hps, it is heard by Him to whom the secret thoughts of men lie open. He heard the silent prayer of Anna, the mother of Samuel, of whom we read, that she prayed shed- ding tears, and only moving her hps. " Thus prayed David ; for he says, J/y heart said unto thee, Thy face. Lord, will I seeh ;1 and in the divine books similar examples everywhere occur, as we road. QUESTION II. Cldef Use of Vocal Prayer. But vocal prayer has its own proper advantages and neces- sity : it quickens the attention of the mind, and inflames the devotion of the suppliant, as St. Augustine wrote to Proba : We sometimes, says he, excite ourselves more actively by words and other signs, to augment holy desire.i We are sometimes compelled by vehement and pious emotion of mind, to give utterance to our thoughts in words ; for whilst the soul exults with joy, the tongue also should exult ; and it truly becomes us to make unto God this complete sacrifice of soul and body. That this sort of prayer was used by the apostles, we know from the Acts,^ and from the apostle in many places.' ■" .Tames iv. 3. " John iv. 23. " 1 Sam. i. 10, 13, 17. p Ps. xxvi. (xxvii.) 8. 1 A\ig. ep. 130, u. 9, n. 18. ' Acts xi. 5, xvi. 25. • 1 Cor. xiv. 15 ; Eph. v. 19 ; Col. iii. 16. 2k 498 THE CATECHISM QTJESTIOK III. Vocal Prayer more necessary in Pvilic tJian in Private Prayer. But as there ave two ways of praying, private and public, it is to be observed, tliat private vocal prayer is employed in order to assist inward attention and devotion ; wbereas, in public prayer, instituted, as it has been, to excite tbe religion of tlie faitkful, at certain fixed times tbe utterance of tbe words is indispensably necessary. QUESTION rv. To pray in spirit peculiar to Christians, wJu) miglit not to shim Long Prayers. This practice of praying in spirit, peculiar to Cbristian men, is altogether unknown amongst infidels, of whom Christ our Lord hath said ; WMn ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as tlie heatJien do : for they thirJc tJiat they shall he lieard for their miaek speaking. Be not ye, tlierefore. Wee vjito them: for your Father hrimaeth what things ye liave •need of, hefore ye ask him.^ But whilst he prohibits much speaking, far from rejecting long prayers, which proceed from a vehement and enduring zeal of soul, he even exhorts, us to them by his own example : for not only did he spend nights in prayer," but also prayed repeating three times the same words ;'' and the only inference, therefore, to be drawn is, that prayers consisting of empty sounds are unacceptable to God. QUESTION V. The Prayers of Hypocrites are r^ected hy God. Neither do hypocrites pray from the heart ; and Christ our Lord deters us from the imitation of their example in these words : Wlien thou pray est, thou sludt not be as the hypocrites cure : for they love to pray standing in tlie synagogues and in tlie corners of tlie streets, thoA they nvxy he seen of men. YeriZy I say unto you, tliey home tlidr rewcurd. But, when, thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; a/nd thy Failier, which seeth in secret, shaM rewa/rd thee.^ Here the « Matt. vi. 7, sq. " Luke vi. 12. ' Matt. xxvi. 44. " Matt. vi. 5, sq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 499 ■word chamber may be referred to tlie heart of man, into wHch. it is not enougli [for prayer] to enter ; but it sliould also be closed against eveiy intrusion or interference from abroad, by •wliicb the integrity of prayer may be violated ; for then will our heavenly Father, who sees most distinctly our minds and secret thoughts, grant our petition. QUESTION VI. We must not cease from the Practice of Prayer if thai we ask he delayed. Another condition required by prayer is importunity, the great efficacy of wliich the Redeemer shows by the example of the judge, who, whilst Ae fea/red not God, nor regarded man, yet, overcome by the assiduity and diligence of the widow, yielded to her entreaty." In our prayers to God we should therefore be assiduous ; nor should we imitate those who become tired of praying, unless, after having prayed once or twice, they succeed in obtaining the object of their prayers. Of this duty we should never be weary, as we are taught by the authority of Christ our Lord, and of the apostle ; but should the will at any time fail us, we should beg of God with jjrayer strength to persevere, QUESTION VII. Christ hade us ash in his na)ne wliateoer we desire of our Seavenly Failier. The Son of God also desires that our prayers shotdd reach the Father in his name ; for, by his merits and the influence of his meditation, our prayers acquire such weight, as to be heard by our heavenly Father; for he himself saith in St. John : Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye sludl ask tlie Fatlier in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye ashed nothing in my na/me : ask, and ye sJudl receive, tliM yov/r joy may hefutt;'^ and again ; Whatsoever you shall ask the Fatlier in my name, tliat will I do.'- QUESTION Vni. The Feroawr of Hvei Saints m prayer is to he imitated, and TharJcsgivinff added to Petition. Let us imitate the fervour of holy men in prayer ; ajid with prayer let us join thanksgiving, after the example of » Loke xviii. 2, aqq. t John xvi. 23, sq. • John xlv. 13. 2k2 500 THE CATECHISM tte apostles, ■who, as may be seen in St. PaTil,=> always observed this practice. QUESTION IX. When, Prayer is Fervent and Efficacious, Fasting and Almsginng must he added. Let us also unite fasting and almsgiving -with prayer. Fasting indeed is most intimately connected with prayer ; for the mind of those -who are loaded with meat and drink is so pressed down, as not to be able to raise itself to the contemplation of God, or to comprehend the meaning of prayer. Almsgiving comes next, and has also an intimate connection with prayer ; for who can say that he has charity, who, possessing the means of acting kindly to those who depend for subsistence on the mercy of others, aids not a neighbour and a brother ? In what language shall he who is devoid of charity, demand assistance from God, unless, whilst he implores the pardon of his sins, he at the same time humbly beg of God [to grant him] charity? This triple remedy was therefore divinely ordained, to aid man unto salvation ; for whereas by sin we oiFend God, wrong our neighbour, or injiu'e ourselves, we appease the wrath of God by holy prayer ; redeem our offences against man by alms- deeds ; by fasting, wash away the defilements of otir past life. And although they each avail all sorts of crimes, yet are they especially appropriate and adapted to each of those sins, wliich we have mentioned. CHAPTER IX. OF THE PEEFACE TO THE LORD'S PRAYER. OUE PATHEll WHICH ART IN HEAVEN. QUESTION I. WJiy m this Preface Christ used the name " Fath^," rather Hia/ii " Lord" or " Judge." Whereas this form of Christian prayer, delivered by Jesus Christ, has such a force that, before we come to its prayers ■ 1 Cor. xiv. 18 ; Eph. i. 16, v. 19, aq. ; Ool. iii. 17 ; 1 Tim. ii. 1. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 501 and petitions, -we are to premise certain prefatory words, by which, piously drawing nigb unto God, we may also more confidently approach him, it is the duty of the pastor to give a distinct and perspicuous exposition of them, that his jjious people may bave recourse to prayers with, the greater alacrity, and may understand tbat in prayer they are to commune witb God their Father. To consider the words tbat compose tbis preface, they are indeed very few in num- ber ; but, looking to the matter, they are of the bigbest importance, and replete witb mysteries. FATHEE. The first word, whicb, by the command and institution of God, we utter in tbis prayer, is Father. The Saviour, it is true, might have commenced tbis divine prayer witb a word more expressive of majesty, sucb as Creator, or Lord; yet did be omit tbese, lest they might be associated witb ideas of fear, cboosing ratber an expression tbat inspires love and confidence in tbose who pray to and petition God : for what sweeter name than tbat of Father? a name which soimds indulgence and love. QUESTION- II. First Proof of tfie Propriety of the Appellation of " Fatlier." The suitableness of the word Father, as applied to God, the faithful may be taught from the arguments of Creation, Government, and Redemption. For whereas God created man according to bis own image, an image which be im- pressed not on the otber Uving creatures ; on account of this peculiar piivilege witb wbicb be adorned man, justly is be called in Sacred Scripture the Father of all men j tbe Father not alone of believers, but also of unbelievers. QUESTION III. Second Proof. His government may also supply tbe pastor witb an argument [for tbis appellation;] for, by tbe exercise of a special superintending care and providence over our inter- ests, be manifests the love of a Father towards us. But in tbe exiilaaation of tliis argument, to comprehend more clearly tbe fatherly care of God over men, it seems necessary 502 THE CATECHISM ■ to say a few words toucluug tlie guardJansMp of angels, under whose protection men are. QUESTION IV. By tlie Prmiidence of God, Angels are intrusted with tlie Cfuardiansldp of the JSmnan Race. A.ngels are commissioned' by tie providence of God to guard the human race, and to be present with every man to protect him from any serious injury. For as parents, when their children have occasion to travel a dangerous way, infested [by robbers,] appoint persoitis to defend and assist them in case of danger ; so has our heavenly Father placed over each of us, in this our journey towards the heavenly country, angels, guarded by whose care and diligence, we may escape the ambushes prepared by our enemies, repel their terrible attacks, and proceed directly on our journey, secured by their guiding protection against the devious wandering, into which our treacherous foe may mislead us from the way that leadeth tmto heaven. QUESTION V. By what Arguments we may clearly understand the Great Utility which redoii/iuls to Men from, the Guardianship of Hie Aiujds. The advantage dei-ived to the human race from this spe- cial care and providence of God, the functions and adminis- tration of which are intrusted to angels, whose nature occupies an intermediate place between man and the Deity, appears from the numerous examples recorded in Scripture, which testify that angels, by the intervention of the divine goodness, have frequently wrought wondrous things in the sight of men; from which we are taught to infer, that innumerable other impoitant services are rendered us invi- sibly by angels, the guardians of our safety and salvation. The angel Raphael, who was appointed by God the com- panion and guide of Tobit,'' conducted him, and brought bim back safe ; assisted to save him from being devoured by an enormous fish, and pointed out to him the singular virtue of its liver, gall, and heart j" expelled the demon, and, by fettering and binding iip his power, preserved Tobit from !> Tob. xii. 3. « lb. yi. 2, Bqq. OF THE COUNCH OF TEENT. 503 iarm;'' tauglit tJie young man the true and legitimate rights and use of marriage j= and restored to the elder Tobit the use of his sight.' QUESTION VI. OfAe Aiigel hy wliom St. Peter was freed from Prison. On the admirable advantages that flow from the care and guardianship of angels, the angel that liberated the prince of the apostles will also afford abundant matter for instruct- iug the pious flock. To this event, therefore, pastors will also call their attention : they will poiat out the angel Uliunining the darkness of the prison ; awakening Peter by touching his side j loosing his chains ; burstinig his bonds ; admonishing him to rise, and, taking up his sandals and other apparel, to follow him. They will also point out the same angel restoring Peter to liberty ; conducting him out of. prison through the midst of the guards ; throwing open the door of his prison; and, ultimately placing him in safety.s The history of the Sacred Scriptures, as we have already observed, abounds in examples, by which we are enabled to understand the magnitude of the benefits conferred on men by God through the ministry and intervention of angels, not sent on particular and private occasions only, but from the hour of our birth appointed to take care of us, and by their tutelaiy protection to watch over the safety of each indi- vidual of the human race. In the exposition of this poiat of doctrine, the diUgence [of the pastor] wiU be rewarded by the fact, that the minds of the faithful will be interested, and excited to acknowledge and revere the paternal care and providence of God over them. QUESTION Til. £y leJuit oilier Arr/umenl tlie Faithful may recognize tJui Paternal Care of God for Men. Here the pastor will exalt and proclaim aloud the riches of the goodness of God towards the human race, [of that God,] who, although since the first parent of our race and sin, we have never ceased to offend him by innumerable crimes and " Tob. viii. 3. - lb. vi. 17, sqq. ' lb, xi. 8, 15. s ^cts xii. 7, pqiq. v. 19. 504 THE CATECHISM enormities even up to the present day, yet retains his love for Tis, and never lays aside his especial care over us. To imagine that he is unmindful of man were insanity, and nothing less than to hurl against the Deity the most blas- phemous insult. God is wrath with Israel, because of the blasphemy of that nation, who liipposed themselves deserted by the aid of heaven ; for we read in Exodus : Tliey tempted the Lmxl, saying, Is tlie Lord among iis or iiot f^ And in Ezekiel, the Lord is angry with the same people for having said : Tlie Lord seeth us not : the Lord Iiath forsaken tlie ea/rth} By these authorities the faithful are therefore to be deterred from the impious supposition, that God can possibly be forgetful of man. This complaint the Israelites, as we read in Isaiah, make against God ; and its foUy God repels by a similitade, which breathes nought but kindness j Zion said : Tlw Lord hath forsaken ine, and my Lord luath for- gotten me : to which God answers ; Can a looman forget, lier sucking child, that slie shovM not have compassion on the son of her womb ? Tea, tJiey may forget, yet will not I forget tliee. Behold I Iiave graven thee upon the palms of iny hands.i QUESTION Vin. The Benignity of God towards m is shown from the Example of our First Parents. Clearly as this truth is established by these passages, yet, to persuade the minds of the faithful with absolute convic- tion, that at no time can God forget men, or withdraw from them the of&ces of paternal affection, pastors will add to the evidence of this truth, by introducing the most striking example of our first parents. When yon hear them sharply reproved, for having despised and violated the command of God ; when you hear their condemnation pronounced in this awful sentence : Cursed is the grov/nd for thy sake : in sorrow slwU tliou eat of it all tlie days of thy life : thoriis also a'tid thistles shall it bring forth to thee ; and thou shalt eat tlie herb of tlie field :^ when you see them expelled from Para- dise, and when, to take away all hope of return, you read that a cherub was stationed at the entrance, brandishing '■ Ex. xvii. 7. ' Ez. viii. 12. ) Isa. xlix. 14, 15, sq. '' Gen. iii. 17, sq. Oe THE COUNCIL OF thent. 505 ■ a flaming siuord, turning every way ;' when you know that, to avenge the injiuy done him,. God consigned them to afflictions both of mind and body : when you see and know all this, woukl you not be led to think, that man was irre- coverably lost ; that he was not only utterly deprived of the divine assistance, but also abandoned to every sort of injury ? Nevertheless, in the midst of so great evidences of the divine wrath and revenge, a gleam of the love of God shot forth. [The Scriptures] inform us, that the Lord God made for Adam and his wife coats of sJciiis, and elotlied iJiem;'^ a most convincing proof, that at no time would God abandon man. This sentiment, that no injuries offered to God by man can exhaust the divine love, is conveyed in these words of David : Hath God in anger shut up his tender mercies ?^ This Habakuk, addressing himself to God, explains, when he says : In wrath remember mercy : ° and this Micali thus luifolds : Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his inlieritanee ? He retaineth not his amger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. P And so it really is ; when we imagine that God has utterly abandoned us, that we are utterly bereft of his protection, then is it that in a special manner he, of his infinite goodness, seeks after and taketh care of us ; for, in his anger, he stays the sword of his justice, and ceases not to pour out the unexhausted treasures of his mercy. QUESTION IX. Third Reason wJiy God heaps up the Blessings of his failierly Love upon tlie Human Race. The creation and government [of the world] therefore serve to display, in an admirable manner, the singular love and protecting care of God towards man ; but amongst both the great work of redemption stands out so prominently, that this God of boundless beneficence, our father and parent, has by this third benefit heaped up, and shed a lustre on his supreme benignity towards us.? The pastor, therefore, will announce to his spiritual children, and will inculcate con- ' Gen. iii. 24. ■» iii. 21. " Ps. Ixxvii. 9. " Habak. iii. 2. p Mio. vii. 18. 9 John iii. 16 ; Ilom,T. 8, sq. ; Gal. i. 4, iv. i, sqq. 505 THE CATECHISM tinually in their ears this surpassing manifestation of the love of God towards us, to the end that they may know, that by redemption they are become, after an admirable manner, the children of God : To them lie gave power, says St. John, to be made the soiis of God ;^ and : Wlio a/re horn of God.^ There- fore it is that baptism, which we receive as the first pledge and memorial of redemption, is called the sacrameini of re- generation ; for thereby we are bom children of God : That which is horn of the spirit, says our Lord, is spirit ; and : ye ■must he horn again ;' and the apostle Peter says : Being born again, not of corruptible seed, hut of incorruptible, by the word of God who liveth.^ QUESTION X. By the Singular Kindness of God loe are made Sons of God hj Redemption. By virtue of this our redemption we have received the Holy Spirit, and are dignified with the grace of God, by which we are adopted the sons of God : Te have not re- ceived tJie spirit of bondage again to fear, saith the apostle Paul, hut ye have received the s^jirit of adoption, whereby we cry : Abba, Fatlier.^ Of this adoption, the force and efficacy are explained by St. John in these words : Behold wJiM inanner of love the Father hath bestowed vpon us, that we should he called the sons of God^ QUESTION XI. Wliat Offices Christians, heing now made Soiis of God, ought to do m return for so mjuny instances offailia'ly Love. Having explained these things, the faithful people must be reminded of the reciprocal afiection which they owe to God, our most loving Father, that, by this means, they may com- prehend what love and Jjiety, what obedience and veneration, they should render to their Creator, Governor, and Redeemer j with what hope and confidence they should invoke his name. But to instruct the ignorance, and correct the perversity of such as may imagine that prosj)erity and a successful course of life are the only proofs that God preserves his love towards lis ; and that the calamities and adversity by which he may try us, indicate his hostility of disposition towards, and ' John i. 12. ' i. 13. ' John iii. 6, sq. » 1 Peter i. 23. ' Eom. viii. 15. " 1 John iii. 1. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 507 the utter alienatioa of his love from us, it must be shown, that when the hamd of ilis Lord touclies us,^ it is not at all "with hostile purpose, but with a view to heal by striking j? and that the wound that cometh from God is medicinal. For he chastises the sinners to reclaim them by salutary severity, and by the infliction of present punishment to rescue them from everlasting perdition, for he visits our transgressions with a rod, and our iniquity with stripes ; hut his loving kindness lie will not take away from us.^ The faithful, therefore, are to be admonished to recognize, in such chastisement, the fatherly love of God,'' to keep in their memory and on their lips these words of the patient Job;'' to repeat these words of the prophet Jeremiah, sijoken in the name of the people of Israel : Thou hast cliastised me, and I was cliastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke : twrn me, amd I shall he twmed ; for thou art the Lord ray God ;'^ and to keep before their eyes the example of Tobit, who, when he felt the fatherly hand of God upon him, visiting him with blindness, exclaimed. Blessed art tlwu, God, for tliou hast scourged me.'^ QUESTION XII. It must he inculcated tliat God neeer forgets us. Here the faithful should beware most carefully against the error of believing, that whatever afilictions or calamities befall them, happen without the knowledge of God ; for he himself saith : A ludr of your liead sluill not perish :^ nay, let them rather console themselves with these words of the divine oracles, contained in the Revelation : As many as I love, I rehike and chasten y' and let their ajiprehension be calmed by this exhortation, addressed by St. Paul to the Hebrews : My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou arrt rebuked of him : for whom, ilie Lord loveth, lie cliasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom lie re- ceiveth. But if ye he witlwut chastisement, viliereof all are partakers, then are ye basta/rds, and not sons. Furthermore, » Job xix. 21. 1 Deut. xxxii. 39. ^ Pa. Ixxxviii. (Ixxxix.) 33, sq. ° James v. 11. ' Job y. 18. For he maketh sore and bindeth up, he woundeth and his hands make whole. ' Jer. xxxi. 18. '' Tob. xi. 17. ' Luke xxi. 18. ' Eev. iii. 19. ' 508 THE CATECHISM we have had Jathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave iliein reverence : shall we not much rather he in subjection unto tJie Father of spirits, cund live ?s OUR. QUESTION XIII. Why we are ?iere ordered to call God "our" Father, in the Plurcd. Wlen -we all invoke tlie Father, calling him our Father, ■we are taught that, as a necessary consequence of the gift and right of the di'vine adoption, the faithful are all brethren, and should love one another as brethren : Ye are all brethren, saith the Redeemer ; for one is your Fatlier, which is in heaveti ;^ and hence also in their epistles, the apostles call aU the faithful brethren. Another necessary consequence is, that by the same adoption of God, not only are all the faith- ful united in one common relationship of brotherhood, but, as the only-begotten Son of God is man, they are called and are his brethren also. Hence the apostle, in his epistle to the Hebrews, speaking of the Son of God, says : He is not asha/med to call them brethren, saying : I will declare thy iiame unto my brethren.^ This David had, so many centuries before, prophesied of Christ the Lord ;J and Christ himself thus addresses the ■women in the Gospel : Go, tell my brethren that they go into Galilee ; aiid there shall tliey see me^ This he said after his resurrection from the dead, ■when he liad put on immortality, lest it should be supposed that this fraternal relation ■was dissolved by his resurrection, and ascension into heaven. So far is the resurrection of Christ fi-om dissolving this bond of union and love, that ■we are assured, that from the throne of majesty and glory, on ■which he ■will sit on the last day to judge all men} he ■will call even the least of the faithful by the name of brethren.™ e Heb. xii. 5, sq. S, sq. '' Matt, xxiii. 8, sq. ' Heb. ii. 11, sq. J Ps. xxi. 23 (xxii. 22). ' Matt, xxviii. 10 ; John xx. 17. ' Matt. xxv. 31. ■° lb. v. 40. or THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. , 509 QUESTION XIV. WJiereforc fke Faithful arc accounted among tlie Bretliren of Christ. But ]ioMr can -we isossibly be other than bretliren of Christ, called as ■nre are joint heirs with liim ?° For he is the first- begotten° ajipointed lieir of cdl;V but -we, begotten in the next place, are co-heirs ■with him, according to the measure of heavenly gifts, according to the degree of love with which we approve ourselves servants and co-oj)erators of the Holy Ghost, by whose inspiration we are impelled and inflamed to vu-tue and to meritorious actions, that, relying on his grace, we may engage with fortitude in the combat for salvation, the wise and firm termination of which wiLL be rewarded by our Heavenly Parent, at the close of our earthly career, with that imperishable crown of righteousness, reserved for all who shall have run the same course : for, says the apostle, God is not unrighteous, to forget our work and labour oflove.^ QUESTION XV. /?! ichat manner loc ought to pray for others, and to account all Men mutually Brothers. But with what sentiments of heartfelt piety we should utter the word our, we learn from St. Chrysostom, who says, that God inllingly hears the i^rayer of a Christian, not only wlien offered for himself, but for anotlier ; because nature prom23ts us to pray for ourselves, grace for otiiers ; necessity obliges us to pi-ay for ourselves, brotherly charity exhorts us to pray for anotlier. He adds : Tlie prayer, that fraternal clharity recammeiids, is more pleasing to God thorn, that which ■necessity utters.^ On this subject of salutary prayer, a matter so important, it is the duty of the pastor to admonish and exliort all of every age, condition, and rank, that, mindful of this common brotherhood, instead of arrogating an insolent superiority over others, they exhibit in their conduct a bear- ing of com-tesy and fraternal regard. For although there are many gradations of office in the Church of God ; yet that diversity of rank and office is very far from removing " Eom. -riii. 17. ° Col. L 18. p Heb. i. 2. ' lb. yi. 10. ' OpuH imperf. in Mattb. liom. xiv. ; vid. Tb. Aq. 5, tb. 2, 2 P. qu. 83, a. 7. 510 THE CATECHISM tte bond of this fraternal relationship : in the same manner as variety of use and diversity of function do not cause this or that member of the same body to forfeit the name or office of a member. QUESTION XVI. For what Seasons Christians are limited in so strong a Connection of Relationship. Take the monarch, invested -with royal authority : is he not, if one of the faithful, the brother of all who are -within the communion of the Christian faith ? Yes ; and why 1 Because there is not one God the Father of the rich, and of kings, and another of the poor, and of subjects ; but there is one God, who is common Father and Lord of alL Wherefore, one spiritual origin of all, the nobility, the dignity, the natal splendor of all is therefore the same, bom as we all are of the same spirit, through the same sacrament of faith, children of God, and coheirs tb the same inheritance. The wealthy and the great have not one Christ for their God, the poor and the lowly another ; they are not initiated by diffe- rent sacraments, nor do they expect a different inheritance of the celestial kingdom. No, we are aU brethren, and, as the apostle saith to the Ephesians, We are members of Christ's l)ody, ofJiisJlesh, and of his hoTies.^ The apostle signifies the same in his epistle to the Galatians : Te a/re all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus ; for as inany of you as have been baptized in GJvrist, have jmt on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek ; there is neither bond nor free ; there is neither male nor female ; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.^ But this is a subject that pastors of souls shovild treat of with accuracy, and dwell on with knowledge, because it is not less calculated to fortify and animate the indigent and the lowly, than to restrain and repress the arrogance of the rich and the powerful It was to remedy this human evU, that the apostle urged, and pressed on the attention of the faithful, this fraternal charity." ' Ephes. V. 30. ' Gtal. Hi. 26, sqq. » Rom. xii. 10, xiii. 8, sqq. ; 1 Cor. xiii. 13, xiv. 1 ; Gal. t. 13, sq. ; 1 Thesa. iv. 9. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 511 QUESTION XVII. In wJiat Spirit the Christian should utter the words " Ov/r Father." When, then, O Christian, thou art about to address this prayer to God, remember that thou, as a son, dost ajpproach. God thy Father ; -when, therefore, thou begianest the prayer, and utterest the words, Ov/r Failier, think how lofty is the position to which the supreme bounty of God hath raised thee, commanding thee, as he does, to approach him, not with the reluctance and timidity of a servant approach- ing his Lord, but with the willing eagerness and security of a child flying to his father ; and, in this remembrance and this thought, consider with what care and devotion on thy part, thou shouldest pray ; for thou must endeavour to approach him as becometh a cliild of God ; that is, that thy prayers and actions may not be unworthy of the divine origin, with which it has pleased the most gracious God to ennoble thee. To this duty the apostle exhorts, when he says : Be ye there- fore foUoioers of God, as dear children ;^ that of us may be truly said, what the same apostle wrote to the Thessalonians, Ye are all the children of liglit, and the children of the day."^ WHICH ART IN HEAVEN. QUESTIOSr XVIII. Smce Qod is everywhere present, how can lie le said to have his Dwelling peculiarly in Seavem, ? It is certain amongst all who have a correct idea of God, that he is everywhere present. This is, however, not to be understood as though he consisted of parts, filling and govern- ing one place with one part, another place with another ; for God is a spirit, and therefore indivisible. And who would presume to circumscribe within the limits of any place, or confine to any particular spot. Him, who saith of himself. Do I not Jill Iieaven and earth ?^ which again is to be under- stood to mean, that by his power and virtue God embraces heaven and earth, and aU things contained in heaven and earth ; not that he himself is contained in any place. For God is present with aU things, either creating them, or pre- • Eph. v. 1. "^1 Thess.r. 5". » Jer. xxiii. 24. 512 THE CATECHISM serving them when created, -whilst he himself is confined to no place, is circumscribed by no limits, nor so defined as to prevent Hs being present everywhere -with his nature and po-wer, which the blessed David expresses in these ■words : Jf T ascend up into heaven, tJwu art tliere.y Although God be present in all places and things, and, as we have said, circum- scribed by no limit s, yet He is frequently said in Scripture to have his dwelling in the heavens,^ because the heavens which we behold are the noblest pai-t of the world ; undecaying ; surpassing all other objects in power, magnitude, and beauty ; and moving in uniform and steady revolutions. To elevate, therefore, the souls of men to the contemplation of his infinite power and majesty, which shine forth most pre-eminently in the work of the heavens, God declares in the divine writings, that his dwelling is in the heavens. He also frequently declares, as is the fact, that there is no part of the universe that is not embraced by his nature and power, there present." QUESTION XIX. Wliat Subject for Meditation is presented to tJie FaAtlifuL ly ilie wm-ds " which art in Mea/ven." In this consideration, however, the faithful will propose to themselves not only the image of the universal Father of all, but likewise that of God reigning in heaven, to the end that, when approaching him in prayer, they may recollect, that heart and soul are to b^ upraised to heaven ; and in propor- tion as we derive hope and confidence from the word, Fatlier, in the same proportion should we learn Christian humility and piety from the glorious nature and divine majesty of our Father lolio is in Jieaven. These words also define the proper objects of prayer, for all our supplications offered for the useful and necessary things of this life, except they embrace the good things of heaven, and are directed to that end, are to no purpose, and are unworthy of a Christian. Of this manner of praying, pastors therefore will admonish their pious hearers, and will strengthen the admonition with the authority of the apostle : If, saith he, ye then be risen with y Pa. cxxxviii. (oxxxix.) 8. » Deut. xxxiii. 26, sq. ; 1 Kings viii. 30. • Gen. xiv. 22 ; Dent. iv. 39, x. 14 ; 1 Kings viii. 27 ; Acts xvii. 24. OP THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 5l3 Christ, seek tliose things which are above, wMre Christ sitteth at tlie rifjht hand of God. Set your affection on, things above, not on the things on the earths CHAPTER X. OF THE FIRST PETITION IN THE LOHB's PRAYEE. HALLOWED BE THT NAME. QUESTION I. Wliy we should ler/in ow Hequests from the Ilalloimv/ of the Divine Name. What sliould be tie objects and order of our prayers to God, we learn from the instruction and injunction of the Lord and Master of all : for as prayer is the messenger and interpreter of our wishes and desires, we then pray as we ought, and in accordance with reason, when the order of our demands corresponds with that of the objects to be sought. True charity admonishes us to consecrate to God our whole soul and affections, because, constituting in himself alone the .STUDreme good, he justly commands our most particiilar and especial love ; and this heartfelt and peculiar love we cannot cherish towards God, unless we prefer his honour and glory to all created tilings. "Whatever good we or others enjoy, whatever is called good, having jjroceeded from him must- yield to him, who is the sovereign good. That our prayers, therefore, may proceed in order, the Saviour has placed this petition, wliich concerns our cliief good, at the head of the others ; thus teacliing us that, before we pray for anything for o\vc neighbour or ourselves, we should pray for those things that appertain to the glory of God, and make known to him oiu: wishes and desires for their accomplishment. Thus shall we remain in the practice of charity, by which we are taught to love God more than ourselves, and to make what we desire for the sake of God the first, and what for ourselves, the next object of our prayers. I" Col. iii. 1, sq. a L 514 THE CATECHISM QUESTION II. Since the Divine Nature cannot he increased ly, or deficient in, amything, why was it Necessary that we should here era/ve Swactification of the Name of God ? But as desires and petitions regard those tilings that -we ■want, and as God, that is to say, his natm-e, can receive no accession, nor does the divine substance, adorned as it is after an ineffalale manner with all perfections, admit of increase, -we must understand, that what we ask from God regarding himself are extrinsic, and belong to his outward glory; for we desire and pray that the name of God may be better known to the nations ; that his kingdom may be enlarged ; and that the number of faithful servants to the divine name may be every day increased ; three things, his name, liis kingdom, and the obedience [paid to his name], that belong not to the intrinsic and essential, but to the extrinsic and accidental, good of God. QUESTION III. In uhat 'inannffi^ this First Petition is to he understood, and what Vows Christ desires us to offer to God the FatJter in this Petition. But that the force and import of these petitions may the moi'e clearly be understood, it will belong to the pastor to inform the faithful people, that the words, on earth, as it is in heaven, may be referred to each of the three first peti- tions : a!3. Sallowed be thy name on earth, as it is in heaven; also : Thy kingdom come on ea/rth as it is in heavei^; and likewise : Thy vnll be done on earth, as it is in heaven ; but when we pray that the name of God may be hallowed, we mean that the sanctity and glory of the divine name may be augmented. And here the pastor will observe, and will instruct his pious hearers, that om- Saviour does not say, that it be hallowed on earth, in the same manner, that is, with the same perfection, as it is in heaven, for this were utterly impossible ; but that it be hallowed through love, and from the imnost aflFection of the soul. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 515 QUESTION IV. In what inanner tJie Name of God, in itself holy, can he hallowed hj m. True, in itself his name requires not to be tallowed ; It is terrible and Jioly,<' as God himself is by his own nature holy;"! aior can anything be added to the holiness -which he possesses ■from all eternity ; yet, as on earth he is treated with much less honour than is due, and is even sometimes dishonoured by impious and blasphemous execrations, therefore do we desire •and pray, that his name may be celebrated with praises, honour, and glory, as it is praised, honoured, and glorified in heaven ; or, in other words, that his honour and worship jnay be so constantly in our hearts, in our souls, and on our lips, that we may glorify him with all veneration both inter- nal and external ; and, Kke the citizens of the heaven above, celebrate, with all our might, the praises of the high, jjure, and glorious God. For we pray that, as the spirits in heaven praise and glorify God with one accord,^ mankind may do the same on earth, and that all nations may know, T\'orship, and venerate God, so that no mortals may exist who embrace not the religion of Christ, and, dedicating them- selves wholly to God, may believe that he is the fountain of all holiness, and that there is nothing pure or holy, that does not emanate from the sanctity of his divine name. QUESTION V. Ifmv it is that the Name of God can le Sohj amongst the Unfaithful. For the apostle beareth witness, that the Church is cleansed by ilie laver of water in the word of life ;^ meaning by tlhe loord of life, the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, in wliich we are baptized and sanctified. As for those then on whom the divine name has not been in- voked, there can be no expiation, no purity, no integrity, we desire and pray of God, that the whole race of manJdnd, quitting the darkness of impure infidelity, and illumined by the rays of the divine light, may confess the power of this name, so as to seek therein true sanctity, and receiving the .sacrament of baptism in the name of the holy and undivided = Ps. ex. (oxi.) 9. * Lev. xi. 44, xix. 2, xx. 7. ' Ps. kxxiii. 5 (Ixxxir. 4). ' Eph. v. 26. 2l2 516 THE CATECHISM Trinity, may be conducted by the right hand of God himself vmto perfect holiness. QUESTION VI. In what manner ilie Name of God can he Sanctified amowj Sinners. Our desires and prayers also extend no less to those ■who, contaminated by crimes and enormities, have lost the spotless, integrity of baptism, and the robe of innocence, whence the most foul spirit has again taken up his abode in those most unliappy beings.^ We therefore desire, and beseech of God, that in them also his name may be hallowed ; that return- ing to the heart, and unto holiness, they may recover through the sacrament of penance their former holiness, and present themselves a pure and holy temple and dwelling to God.!" QUESTION VII. In what manna- all Men may he lihle to sanctify the Name of God in themselves. We pray, in fine, that God may display his light to the minds of all, by which they may be enabled to see, that from him we receive every best gift and every perfect gift, coming from ilie Father of KgJits ;^ to whom they should refer temperance, justice, life, salvation, all goods, in a word, of soul and body, whether they regard external tilings, or things of life, or salvation, as his gifts, from whom, as the Church proclaims, all blessings proceedJ If the sun by his light, if the other heavenly bodies'' by their motion and revohition, minister to the race of man ; if life is .sus- tained by this oircumfused air ; if the earth by the profusion of its productions and fruits supports the life of all ; if through the agency of the civil magistrate wo enjoy quiet and ti-anquillity ; these and innumerable similar blessings we receive from the boundless benignity of God. Nay, those cau.ses, which philosophers call secondary, we should regard as so many instruments, marvellous in their produc- tion, and admirably adapted to our use, by which the hand 6 Of. Matt. xii. 43, sqq. ; Luke xi. 24, sq. i" 1 Cor. iii. 16, sq. ; 2 Cor. vi. 16 ; Eph. ii. 21, sq. ' James i. 17. ' ' ' '1° oratione Dom. v. post Pasoha, k Sidera. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 517'. of God distributes to us his blessings, and diffuses tliem far and wide. QUESTION VIII. In what manner ilie Name of God is Hallowed by the A cknowledgmeni and Veneration of tlie Catholic Church. But the most important object of tlie petition is this, that all recognize and revere the spouse of Christ, our most holy- Mother the Church, in whom alone is that copious and per- ennial fountain to cleanse and efface all the stains of sin, from which are drawn all the sacraments of salvation and sanctification ; by which, as it were by so many celestial con- duits, the fertilizing dew of sanctity is conveyed to us from God ; to whom alone, and to those whom she embraces and fosters in her bosom, belongs the invocation of that divine name, which alone, under heaven, is given ainong men, ■whereby we must be saved.' QUESTION IX. In what manner the Name of God is djijiled by Christians at the Present Time. But pastors will urge this point with peculiar emphasis, that it is the part of a good son, not only to pray to God his Father in words, but to endeavour, in cleed and in work, to present a bright example of the sanctification of the divine name. Would that there were none, who, whilst they prajf assiduously for this sanctification of the name of God, A-iolate and defile it, as far as on them depends, by their deeds ; who are sometimes the criminal cause why God himself is blasphemed ; and against whom the apostle hath said : The name of God throvxjh you is hlaspheined amongst the GentUes ;^ and we read in Ezekiel." They emiered unto the lieathen whither they went, they jrrofaned my lioly name, wlten they said to them. These are tlie people of iliA Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. For as are the lives and morals of the professors of religion, so does the unlettered multitude judge of religion itself and of its author. Those therefore who live, as they have undertaken to do, according to the rules of the Christian religion, and who regulate their prayers and actions according to its ■ Acts iv. 12. " Eom. ii. 2i. " Ez. xxzvi. 20, Sqq^. 518 THE CATECHISM standard, afford great occasion to others, to praise, honour, and glorify the name of our Father who is in heaven. To' excite other men to the praise and exaltation of the divine name is an obligation, which our Lord himself hath imposed on us, whom he thus addresses in the Evangelist : Let your light so shine before men, tJiat they may see your good works, and glmify your Fatlier which is in heaven;" and the prince of the apostles : Saving your conversation holiest among tlie Gentiles, that, by your good works which they shall behold, they may glorify God.V CHAPTER XL OF THE SECOND PETITION'. THY KI^'GDOU COME. QUESTION I. Sow often in Scripture the Preaching of ike Kingdom of Heaven is recommended. The kingdom of heaven, which we pray for in this second petition, is the great end to which is referred, and in which terminates all the preaching of the gospel. For from it St. John the Baptist commenced his exhortation to penance, when he says : Bo pena^ice, for ilie kingdovi oflieavem is at Jiandji and with it the Saviour of the human kind opens his preaching.' In that salutary discourse on the mount also, in which he pointed out to his disciples the way to- everlasting life, having proposed, as it were, the subject- matter of his discourse, he commences with the kingdom of heaven : Blessed a/re the poor in spirit, for thdrs is tlie kingdom of heaven :' nay more, to those who would have detained him with them, he assigned the same caxise for his departure : To other cities also I WMst 2^reach tlie kingdoin of God; for ilurefore am I sent.^ Thk kingdom he after- wards commanded the apostles to preach ;" and to him who " Matt. v. 16. P 1 Pet. ii. 12. i Matt. ii. 2. ' Matt. iv. 17. • Matt. v. 3. ' Luke iv. 43. « Matt. JL. 7. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 51 9 expressed a Avish to go and lury liis father, lie replied : Go thou, and preabch t/ie kingdom of G-od ;'' and after lie liad risen from the dead, during the forty days on which he appeared to his apostles, he discoursed of ih& Mngdom oj God."^ Pastors, therefore, will treat this second petition with the greatest attention, that faithful hearers may under- stand its great importance and necessity. QUESTION II. Wliat is comprehended m this Second Petition. In the first place, they will find its judicious and accurate exposition much facilitated by the reflection, that [the Redeemer] commanded this petition, although united with the others, to be also ofiered sepai-ately, to the end that wa may seek with the greatest earnestness the object of omr ]3rayer : Seek ye first tlie kingdom of God and his fighteous- ness, and all these things shall he added unto you.^ And, indeed, so great is the efiicacy and profusion of heavenly gifts contained in this petition, that it embodies all things necessary for the pi-eservation of the life of soul and body. "What king, who pays no attention to those things on which depends the safety of his kingdom, should we esteem worthy of the name ? If, then, men are anxious for the safety of their kingdom, what must be the solicitude and providential cai'e, with which we must believe that the King of kings guards the Ufe and safety of man ? In this petition, there- fore, \_Thy Mngdom come,^ are comprised all tilings that we stand in need of in our present pilgrimage, or rather exile ; and this God graciously promises that he will grant us, for- he immediately subjoins ; All these things shall be added unto you; thus unequivocally declaring, that he is that king, who, with bounteous hand, bestows upon the race of man an abundance of all things ; in the contemplation of whose infinite goodness David was enraptured, when he sang : The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not wantj ' Luke ix. 60. " Acts i. 3. ' Matt. vi. 33. y Ps. xxii. (jcxiii.) 1. 620 THE CATECHISH QUESTION III. Meaiis of obtaining what we ask in this Petition. But it is not enougli, towever, tliat we earnestly petition for the kingdom of God, unless we also employ in our peti- tion all those instruments, as it were, by which it is sought and found. For the five foolish virgins uttered the same earnest jietition in these words : Lord, Lord, open vmio us ;^ but because they used not the means necessary to secure its attainment, therefore were they excluded ; and not without good reason, for God himself has said : Not every one iluii saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.^ QUESTION IV. Of ilic Motives ly which Men are incited to the Desire of the XhvjcLo'm, of God. The priests, therefore, who are charged with the care of souls, will draw from the most abundant foimtains of the .sacred letters such considerations as are calculated to ezcite the faithful . to the desire and pursuit of the kingdom of heaven ; which set before their eyes our deplorable condi- tion ; and which should so affect them, that, reflecting, and coming to themselves, they may call to mind the- supreme feScity and the unspeakable goods, with which the eternal abode of God our Father abounds. Here we are exiles,'' inhabitants of a land in which dwell demons ; whose hatred to us cannot be mitigated ; seeing they are the most malignant and implacable foes of mankind. What shall we say of those domestic and intestine battles, in which the soul and the body, the flesh and the spirit, are continually engaged against each other j ■= in which we have always to apprehend defeat ; nay, in which our instant defeat must be ine-\dtable, were we not defended by the protecting right hand of God? Feeling this weight of misery, the apostle exclaims : wretched man that I a/m ! who shall deliver me from tJie body of this death l'^ '■ Matt. sxv. 11. " lb. Tii. 21. >■ Heb. xi. 13. ' Matt. xxvi. 41 ; Eom. vii. 13 ; Gal. v. 17. "• Eom. vii. 24. OP THE COUNCIL OP TEBNT. 521' QUESTION V. How rjreat is the Misenj of Man, is sliown hy a, Comparison of Other Things with Man. This misery of our condition, it is true, strikes us at once of itself, yet, by comparison -with that of other natures and creatures, it may stUl more forcibly be understood. Whether irrational or even inanimate, they are seldom seen to depart from the acts proper to them, from the instinct, the movements innate in them by nature, so as to fail of obtaining their proposed and determinate end. This is so obvious in the beasts of the field, in fishes, birds, as not to require elucidation ; but if we look to the heavens, do we not behold the verification of what is said by David ? For ever, Lord, thy word is settled in Iieaven." Constant in their motion, and uninterrupted in their revolution, they depart not in the least from the laws prescribed from above. If, moreover, we regai'd the earth, and the rest of the universe, one may at once perceive that they adhere strictly to, or at least deviate, but veiy little [from the laws of their being.] But the most unhappy race of man is continually falling aside : he seldom realizes his good purposes, but generally abandons and despiaes what he has commenced well : liis best resolutions, which pleased for a time, are suddenly abandoned ; and after their rejection he plunges into projects at once degrading and pernicious. QUESTION VI. Chief Cause of Man's Misenj. Wliat then is the cause of tliis inconstancy and miseiy ? Manife.stly a contempt of the divine inspirations ; for we close oiu- ears to the admonitions of God, we are unwilling to raise oixr eyes to the divine lights which shine before us, nor do we hearken to our heavenly Father when he giveth. precepts for our salvation. To depict to the eyes of the faitliful people the miseries of man's condition, to detail their various causes, and to point out the remedies for their removal, are therefore amongst the objects which should employ the zealous exertions of pastors j and in the dis- " Ps. csviii. (oxlx.) 89. 522 THE CATECHISM charge of this duty, their labour will be not a little facili- tated, by employing what has been said on the subject by John Chrysostom and Augustine,' men eminent for sanc- tity ; but principally by consulting our exposition of the Creed. For who can be so abandoned a man as, with the knowledge of these truths, and aided by the preventing grace of God, not to endeavour, Hke the prodigal son men- tioned in the gospel,s to arise from his abasement, assume an erect attitude, and hasten into the presence of his heavenly Father and King ? QUESTION VII. Meaning of the words " Kingdom of God" in tlie Sacred TViitings. Having explained these matters, [the pa9tor] will proceed to point out how salutary is this petition of the faithful, and the objects for which it sues : the declaration of which becomes the more necessary, as the words, kingdom of God, have a variety of significations, the exposition of which will not be found without advantage in elucidating other passages of Script^ire, and is necessary to the know- ledge of our present subject. The words, MngdoTn of God, then, ordinarily in Scripture, signify not only that power which he possesses over all men, and over imiversal creation, but also his providence, by which he rules and governs the world \ and in this sense they frequently occur in Scriptiu-e : In his hands, says the prophet, are the ends of tlie earth.^ The word ends includes those things also that lie hidden- and buried in the depths of the eaxth, and in the inmost recesses of all things ; and in this sense Mardochosus ex- claims, Loi'd Lord, Almighty King, for tlie wlwle world is in thy power, and tliere is no man tJiat can gainsay tJiee : and tliere is none that can resist thee, which art tlie Lord} ' Chrys. ad prop. Antioch. liom. xviii. n. 4 ; iom. v. a. 4 ; ad Stagir. a Daem. vex. 1. 1, n. 5. Aug. opus imperf. c. JuL 11. vi. ; de Civ. Dei, 1. xxi. e. 14 ; I. xxii. c. 22 ; JEnohir. u. 23, sqq. e Luke xv. 17, sqq. '■ Ps. oxiv. (oxv.) 4. "Deep places," in our version. ' Esth. siii. 9, 11. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 523 QUESTION VIII. Of what hind is Hie Kingdom of Christ towards tJiC Pious. By the kingdom of God is also understood that special and singnlar system of providence, by which God protects, and watches over, pious and holy men ; and of this peculiar and pre-eminent care David speats, when he says : T/ie Lord is my slieplierd, I shall not want ;i and Isaiah : The Lord is our king : he will save us^ But although, even in this life, the pious and the holy are, as we have already observed, placed in an especial manner under this kingly power of God ; yet did Christ our Lord inform Pilate, that his king- dom was not of this world,' that is to say, had not its origin in this world, which both was created, and is doomed to perish. This is the tenure on which empire is held by emperors, kings, commonwealths, dukes, and all those who govern states and provinces at the desire and election of men, or who, by violent and unjust usurpation, have seized upon sovereign power. Not so Christ our Lord, who, as the prophet declares, is appointed king by God ;™ whose Idng- dom, as the apostle says, is riglvteousness : tlie kingdovi of God, says he, is righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Gliost.^ QUESTION IX. In what manner Chi-ist reigns in his own Faithful. But Christ the Lord reigneth in us by the inward virtues,, faith, hope, charity; virtues by which we are in some sort constituted a portion of his kingdom ; and being in a pecu- liar manner subject to God, we are consecrated to his wor- ship and veneration ; that as the apostle said, I live, yet oiot I ; hut Christ liveth in me," so we too may say : I reign, yet not I ; but Christ reigneth in me. But this kingdom is called riglUeousness, because it is based on the righteousness of Christ our Lord ; and of this kingdom, our Lord saith in St. Luke : The Kngdom of God is within you.'S For although Jesus Christ reigneth by faith in all who are within the bosom of our holy mother the Church, J Ps. xxii. (xxiii.) 1. '' Isa. xxxiii. 22. ' John xviii. 36. " Ps. ii. 6. " Kom. xiv. 17. ° Gal. ii. 20. ' Luke xvii. 21. 534' THE CATECHISM yet doth lie in an especial manner reign over those who, endued with superior faith, hope, and charity, have yielded themselves as pure and living members unto God ; and in these is said to consist the kingdom of grace. QUESTION X. Of ilie Kingdom of Glm-ij of Clirwt our Lord. By the words \la,ngdom of God^ is also meant that king- dom of his glory, of which we hear Christ our Lord saying in St. Matthew : Come, ye blessed of my f oilier, inherit tlie Idng- dam prepared for you from the foundation of the world.l This same kingdom the thief in St. Luke, acknowledging his crimes, admirably begged of him in these words : Lord, rememher me when tlwu coinest into thy Jdngdom :'' oi this kingdom St. John speaks : Eoccept a man he horn again of water and of the Spirit, lie cannot enter into the kingdom of God ;^ and of it the apostle saith, in his epistle to the Ephe- sians: No whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetoits man (who is an idolater), hath any inheritance in the Idngdom of Christ, and of God^ To it also refer some of the parables made use of by our Lord, when speaking of the kingdom of heaven." QUESTION XI. Of Hie Nature and Variety of tJie Kingdom of Grace and of Glory. But the kingdom of grace must necessarily precede that of glory, for the glory of God cannot reign in him, in whom his grace has not reigned. Grace, according to the saying of the Eedeemer himself, is a well of water springhig up into ever- lasting life^ and how shall we designate glory otherwise than a certain perfect and absolute grace ? for as long as we are clothed with this frail and mortal body, whilst, weak and wandering in tins dark pilgrimage and exile, we are separated from the Lord, rejecting the aid of the kingdom of grace by which we were supported, we often stumble and fall ; but when the light of the kingdom of glory, which is perfect, shall have shone upon us, we shall stand for ever firm and 1 Matt. XXV. 34. "■ Luke xxiii. 42. • John iii. 5. \ Eph. v. 5. ° Matt. xiii. 24, Bqq. 31, sq. 33, 44, sqq. zx. 1, sqq. xxii. 2. ' John iv. 14. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 525 immoveable. Then shall every imperfection and incon- venience be utterly removed : then shall every infirmity be strengthened and invigorated j then, in a word, wUl God him- self reign in our souls and bodies. But on this subject -we treated at considerable length . in [the exposition of] the Creed, when speaking of tlie resurrection of tlie flesh. QUESTION XII. Objects of this Petition to God. Having thus exj)lained what is meant by the ordinary acceptation of the words hmgdom of God, we now come to point out the particular objects sought for in tliis petition. We beg, therefore, of God, that the kingdom of Christ, that is, his Church, may be propagated ; that iafiJels and Jews may turn to embrace the faith of Christ our Lord, and the knowledge of the true God ; that schismatics and heretics- may return to soundness, and to the communion of the Church of God, which they have deserted ; that thus may be fulfilled and realized the words of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of Isaiah : Enlarge the jplace of thy tent, and let tliem stretch forth tlie curtains of thine habitations : lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes ; for thou shall break forth on the right lumd and on tlie left ; for thy Mcther is thine hus- hand.'-'' And again ; Tlie Gentiles shall come to thy light, and Icings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about and see : all tliey gcdher themselves togetlier, iliey come to thee : thy sons sludl come from afar, and thy daugMers shall he nursed at thy side.^ QUESTION XIII. Second Object of this Petition. But as in the Church of God, there are those who, con- fessing God in words, denying him in deed,y exhibit a deformed faith, in whom, because of sin, the devil dwells and rules as in his proper abode, we also pray that to them may come the kingdom of God, by which the darkness of sins, being dispelled, and [their minds] being illumined by the rays of the divine Hght, they may be restored to their former " Isa. liv. 2, 3, 5. » Isa, k. S, sq. et ii. 2, sq, y Tit, i. 16. 526 THE CATECHISM dignity of children of God ; that, all heresy and schism being remoyed, and all offences and causes of wickedness eradicated from his kingdom, our heavenly Father may cleanse the floor'' of his Church ; and that, worshipping God in piety and holiness, she may enjoy undisturbed and tranquil peace. QUESTION Xrv. Third Object. Finally, we pray that in us God alone may live, alone may reign ; that death may no longer exist, but may he swallowed up in the victory of Christ our Lord," who, having broken and scattered every principality, power, and virtue of the enemy, may subject all things to his dominion.'' QUESTION XV. What are the Chief Duties and Matters for Coivtemplation preseniM to Christians hy Occasion of this Petition. But pastors will take care to teach the faithful people, and this the nature of the petition demands, with what thoughts and meditations they should be impressed, in order to offer this prayer piously to God. And first they will exhort them to consider the force and import of that similitude brought forward by the Redeemer : Tlie hingdom oflieaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field ; tJie which wlien a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof, goeth and selleth all lie liath, and huyeth that field;" for he who knows the riches of Christ our Lord, will despise all things when com- pared to them j to him, wealth, riches, power, will appear as dross ; for nothing can be compared to, or at all stand before, that invaluable treasure.'^ Whoever, therefore, is blessed with this knowledge, will exclaim with the apostle : / count all things but loss, and do count them hut dung, that I may win Christ.^ This is that precious jewel of the gospel, to purchase which he who sells all his earthly goods, shall «njoy eternal bliss.' • Matt. iii. 12. "1 Cor. xv. 5i ; Isa. xxv. 8. '' 1 Cor. XV. 24, sq. ■ Matt. xiii. 44. ■^ Job xxviii. 15, sq. ; Prov. viii. 10, sq. ; Wisd. vii, 8, sqq. ' Phil. iii. 8. ' Matt. xiii. 46. or THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 527 QUESTION XVI. Sow dedrahle w the Kingdom of Christ through Grace in this World and throxujh Gloiy m the World to come. 0, happy we, should Jesus Christ shed on our path so much light, as that we may be able to discover this jewel of divine grace, by which he reigneth ia those that are his ; for then should we be prepared to sell aU that we have on earth, and even ourselves, to purchase and secure its possession ; for then ia fine should we confidently say : Who shall separate us from tlie love of Christ ?% But would we know the surpassing excellence of the kingdom of God's glory, let us hear the concurrent language and sentiment of the prophet and of the apostle : Eye liath not seen, nor ear hea/rd, neitlier have entered into tlie heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him}- QUESTION XVII. To oTitain tlie Objects of our Prayers, SumiUty is a Necessary Disposition. To obtain the object of our prayers, it wUl be found most available to reflect within ourselves who we are; that is, children of Adam, justly outcasts and esUes from paradise, and deserving, by our unworthiness and perversity, to become the objects of God's supreme hatred, and be doomed to ever- lasting punishment. We should therefore be impressed with sentiments of deep humility and abasement : our prayers too should be replete with Christian humility ; and mistrust- ing ourselves entirely, we shall seek refuge, like the publican,' in the mercy of God ; and, attributing all to his bounty, shall render immortal thanks to him who has imparted to us his spirit, relying on whom, we are emboldened to say, Ahha, Father.! QUESTION XVIII. What Efforts should he made to attain the Kingdom of Heaven. We must also be careful to consider what is to be done, what avoided, in order to arrive at the kingdom of heaven ; for we are not called by God to lead a life of ease and B Rom. viii. 35. i" Isa. Ixir. 4 ; 1 Cor. ii. 9. i Luke xviii. 13. i Rom. viii. 15. 528 THE CATECHISM indolence :'' nay, lie deolaxes, ttat ■ Luke i. 75. i John i. 13 ; 1 Pet. i. 23. J PhU. ii. 8. '' Vid. Ann. Seneoae, lib. de vita beata, cap. 15 ; D. Bern, de S. Andrea Ap. fer. ii. n. 1, 2, ep. 114, n. 2, ep. 412, n. 1; de Divers, fer. 26, n. 4. ' Matt. xii. 50 ; Mark iii. 35 ; Luke viii. 21. ° Ps. xxxix. 9 ; Matt. xxvi. 42 ; Luke xxii. 42 ; Acts xxiv. 14. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 53i) wiose language displays such marvellous sweetness, pours out the same prayer in various aspirations, at one time ex- claiming : ! tliat iny ways were directed to keep thy statutes ;^ at another time saying : Make me to go in the path of thy commandments ;° sometimes : Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dom,inion over me.'s In the same spirit he says : Give me understanding, that I may lea/rn thy commandments /i Teach me thy judgments ;'^ Give one understanding, tliat I may know thy testiinonies.' The same sentiment he often expresses, and varies in other words : and [the pastor] must diligently notice the passages, and explain them to the faithful ; that all may understand the fulness and profusion of salutary gifts comprehended in the first part of this petition. QUESTION Xrv. Wluii we further signify in this Petition. In the second place, when we pray. Thy will he done, we express our detestation of the works of the flesh ; of which the apostle saith : Now tlie works of the Jlesh are manifest ; which are, fornication, uncleanness, lasdviousness, idolatry, witclicraft, /uUred, variance, einulations, wrath, strife, sedi- tions, lieresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like;*- and : If ye live after the Jlesh, ye shall die.^ Wc also beg of God, that he suffer us not to yield to the sugges- tions of sensual appetite, of lust, or of our iofirmity, but that he govern our will by his. Sensualists, whose cai-e is fixed on, whose thoughts are absorbed in, earthly things, are far removed from the will of God ; for they are hurried head- long to the indulgence of their sensual appetites, and to place all their happiness in their gratification, pronouncing them blessed who attain what they desire. But we, on the con- trary, beseech God, in the language of the apostle, that we make not iwovision for tlie flesh, to fulfl the lusts thereof^' but that his ivill be done. " Ps. oxviii. (cxix.) 5. ° lb. S.*). ' lb. 133. 1 lb. 73. ' lb. 108. ' lb. 125. ' Gal. V. 19, sqq. ° Eom. Yiii. 13. ' lb. xiii. U. 536 THE CATECHISM QUESTION XV. It is letter to wish for God's WiU to ie done tlum our own. We are not, however, easily brouglit to entreat God not to satisfy our inordinate desires ; for to this it is difficult to bring the mind, whereas, by offering such a prayer, we seem in some sort to hate ourselves. By those who are wholly slaves to the body, such conduct is attributed to folly ; but be it oiirs cheerfully to incur the imputation of folly for sake of Christ,™' who has said. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself.'^ Better is it, we know, to desire what is right and just, than to obtain what is opposed to reason, to virtue, to the laws of God. And certainly the condition of the man who attains the gratification of Ms rash and libidi- nous desires, is worse than that of him who obtains not the object of his pious desires. QUESTION SVT. Those Tilings which hear not the Seniblance of Piety mttsi mit he sourjht for from God. Our prayers, however, have not solely for object that God should deny us what accords with our own desires, vitiated as we know they are, but also that he would deny us those things for which, under the persuasion and impulse of the devil, who transformeth himself into an angel of light,? we sometimes pray, believing them to be good. The desire of the j)rince of the apostles to dissuade oui Lord from his determination to go to meet death, appeared most reasonable and pious ; yet did our Lord severely rebuke him, because it originated, not in divine impulse, but in natural feeling.^ What stronger proof of love towards the Lord than that evinced by tho request of St. James and St. John, who, in their wrath against the Samaritans for refusing to entertain their Master, besought him to command fire to descend from heaven to consume those obdurate and inhuman men ? Yet were they reproved by Christ our Lord in these words : You Tmow not what manner of spirit ye a/re of; for tJie Son of If am, is not come to destroy men's lives, bui to saue." ' 1 Cor. i. 25, ii. 14, iii. 19. ' Matt. xvi. 24. y 2 Cor. xi. 14. ' Matt. xvi. 22, sq. " Luke ix. 54, 55, sq. OF THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 537 QUESTION XVII. When ilie Tliiiujs we crave appertain to tJie Preservation of Nature, we 'liimt especially ash that tJiey may he, if God he willing. But -we should beseech God that his mil be done, not only when what we desire is, or appears to be, evil, but also when it is not evil ; when, for instance, the will obeys that first impulse of nature that prompts it to desire the things neces- sary for our preservation, and to reject the contrary. When about to pray for such things, let us therefore say from our heart, Thy will be done. Let us imitate him, from whom we have received salvation and the discipline of salvation, who, vrhen agitated by a natural dread of torments and of a most cruel death, ia that horror of extreme torture bowed with submission to the will of his Divine Pather : N'ot my loill, saith he, but thine he done.^ QUESTION XVIII. W'dlbout the Aid of God, we cannot avoid Sin. We therefore pray for it in this Petition. But so wondrous is the degeneracy of the human race, that, even when they have done violence to inordinate desii'e, and subjected it to the will of God, they cannot avoid sia without his assistance, by which they are protected from evil and directed to good. To tliis petition, therefore, we must have recoTirse, and beseech God to perfect in us what he hath begun ; to repress the turbulent motions of desire ; to render our appetites subject to reason ; to make us, in a word, entirely conformable to his wUl. We also pray that the whole world may receive the knowledge of his will ; that thus tJie mystery of God, hidden from ages and from generation,'^ may be made known and manifest to all. ON EAKTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. QUESTION XIX. Of tJi£ Meaning of this Clause. We also pray for the form and manner of this obedience, that is, that our conformity to the will of God may be regu- ' Matt. xxvi. 39. = Col. i. 26, sq. ; Eph, iii. 4, sq. 538 THE CATECHISM lated according to tlie rule observed by the blessed angels, and th.e cboirs of other celestial spirits ; that, as they spon- taneously, and with supreme delight, obey the Divine Being, we too may yield a most cheerful obedience to the -will of God, in the manner most acceptable to him. QUESTION XX. God must ie obeyed, not for tJie Sahe of Reward, hut out of Pure Love. And, indeed, God requires, that in serving him we be actuated by intense love and exalted charity ; that, whilst we devote ourselves entirely to him, %vith the hope of re- ceiving heavenly rewards, we hope for that reward, because it hath pleased the Divine Majesty that we should enter on that hope. Let our whole hope, therefore, be based on that love of God, who has proposed eternal happiness as the reward of our love. For there are those who serve another with love, but who do so with a view solely to some recompense, which is the whole aim of their love. Others there are who, influ- enced by love alone,, and by piety, look to nothing else in him whom they serve, than his goodness and virtue, filled with the idea and with admiration of whom, they esteem themselves happy in being able to serve him. QUESTION XXI. Other Expositions of iJu; Same Clause. This is the meaning of the opposition of the sentence. On earth as it is in Iietwen, for we must endeavour, as much as possible, to be obedient to God, as we have said the blessed spirits are, whose praises in the performance of this exercise of supreme obedience are celebrated by David in the psalm that begins, Bless the Lord, aU ye his hosts ; ye ininisters of his that do his pleasu/re.''- Should any one, however, adopting the interpretation of St. Cyprian,'' understand the words in lieaven to mean, in the good and the pious, and the words on earth, in the wicked and the impious, we approve of the in- terpretation, by the word heaven understanding the spirit, and by the word eai-th, tlie flesh, that all creatures, animate and inanimate, may in all things obey the will of God. ■' Ps. oil. (ciii.) 21. ' De Orat. Dom. (p. 209).— Donovan. OF THE COUNCIL OF THENT. 539 QUESTION XXII. Tlvls Petition contains Thanksgiving. This petition also includes thanksgiving ; for we revere the most holy will of God, and in utmost transports of joy cele- brate all his works with the highest praises and gratulations, knowing as we do with certainty that he has done all things icelU God is confessedly omnipotent, and the necessary consequence thereof is, that at his command were all things created. Since we also affirm that he is the Supreme Good, we must therefore confess that all his works are good ; for he imparted his own goodness to all. If, however, we fathom not the divine economy in all things, disregarding every cause of ambiguity, and rejecting all hesitation, we profess with the apostle, that inscrutable are his ways.s "We also find a most powerful motive for revering the will of God in the reflection, thdt by him we have been made worthy of his heavenly light ; for he hath delivered MS from the power of dcurlcness, and hath translated us iiiio the kingdom of his be- loved Son.^ QUESTION XXai. Wliat Reference to CmUemplation is contained in tliis Petition. But, to close our exposition of this petition, in regard to the meditation thereupon, we must revert to a subject at wluch we glanced at its commencement, which is, that in uttering this petition, the faithful people should be humble and lowly ia spirit, keeping in view the violence of inordinate desires, in- nate in nature, which revolts against the wiU of God ; recol- lecting that in this duty [of obedience] man is excelled by all other creatures, of whom it is written. All are thy servants;^ and reflecting, that he must be very weak who, unsvipported by the divine aid, is unable to undertake, not to say perform, anything acceptable to God.J But as there is nothing more magnificent, nothing more exalted, than, as we have said, to serve God, and to live according to his law and precepts, what can be more desirable to a Christian man than to walk in tJie ways of the Lord ;^ to think nothing, to imdertake ' Gen. i. 31 ; Mark vii. 37. e Eom. xi. 33. ^ Col. i. 13. ' Ps. cxviii. (oxix.) 91. i 1 Cor. XV. 10 ; 2 Cor. iii. 5. '' Ps. cxviii. (cxix.) 1. 540 THE CATECHISM f notMng, that is at variance with the mil of God ? In order, then, that the faithful may adopt this rule of life, and adhere to it with the greater diligence, [the pastor] will recur to the diviae writings for instances of individuals who failed in aU their undertakings, by not referring their views to the will of God. QUESTION XXIV. Sow nmcli Advcmtage in regard to ilie Quiet Passing of owr Life we may derive from Meditating om. tJiis Petition. Finally, let the faithful be admonished to acquiesce im- plicitly in the simple and absolute will of God ; let him who thinks that he holds a place in society inferior to his dignity, bear his lot with a patient mind : let him not abandon his own sphere ; but abide in the same calling in vjhich lie was called ;^ and subject his own judgment to the will of God, who consults better for our interests, than we ourselves can do by the suggestions of our own desires. ' If oppressed by poverty at home, if by sickness of body, if by persecutions, if by other troubles and afflictions, we must be firmly con- vinced, that none of these things can befaU us without the will of God, which is the supreme reason of all things ;■ and that therefore we should not suffer ourselves to be too grievously disturbed by them, but bear them with an un- conquered mind, having always on our lijps the words of the apostles, TJie mil of tlie Lord be done ;™ and those of holy Job, Tlie Lord gave, and the Lord liMh taken aioay ; blessed be tlie name of the Lord.^ CHAPTEE XIII. OP THE FOUBTH PETITION. GIVE US THIS DAT OUB DAILY EEEAD. QUESTION I. Wlrnt Order is to he observed in this Prayer of our Lord. The fourth and following petitions, in which we par- ticularly and expressly pray for succours of soul and body, ' 1 Cor, vii. 20 ; Ephes, iv. 1. " Acts xxi. 1,4. ° Job i. 21. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 541 are subordinate to tliose tliat preceded ; for, in the order and aiTangement of the Lord's Prayer, we ask for what regards tae body and its sustenance after what regards divine things, because, as men are referred to God as to their ultimate end, so in lite manner are the goods of human life directed to those of the next. QUESTION II. Why ilie Goods of Human Life are lawfully prayed and sought for from God. The former therefore are to be desired and prayed for, either because the divine order so reqiiires, or because we have occasion for those aids to attain divine goods, which are comprised iu the kingdom and glory of our heavenly Father, and in the practice and observance of those precepts which, we know to emanate from the will of God. To God, there- fore, and to his glory, we should refer all the force and purport of this petition. QUESTION III. In asking for Temporal Blessings, what Limit is to le observed. Pastors, then, wiU. perform their duty towards faithful hearers, by endeavouring to make them understand, that, in praying for what regards the use and enjoyment of earthly things, our minds and thoughts are to be directed to a con- formity with the ordinance of God, from which we are never in the least to swerve. Por by these petitions for earthly and transient things, we but too often transgress in what the apostle saith : We know not what we sluyidd pray for, as we ought.° Temporal blessings, therefore, we sliould pray for as we oiu/Jit, lest, praying for anything as we ought not, we receive from God for answer : Te know not wJiat ye ask.T> But to judge aright what petition is good, and what load, the design and piu-pose of the petitioner affords a sui'e criterion. Thus if a person seek temporal blessings with the idea that they are absolutely good, and, resting in them as in the desired end, seek nothing else, he undoubtedly does not pray as he ought ; for, as St. Augustine i observes, we ask not tliese temporal things as owr goods, hut as mur necessaries. The apostle also, in his epistle to the Corinthians, teacheth, that ^ Horn. viii. 26. p Matt. xx. 22. 1 De ser. Dom. in mont. 1. ii. o. 16, n. 55. 542 THE CATECHISia: whatever regards the necessary purposes of life is to be referred to the glory of God : Therefore, whetlier ye eat or drink, says he, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.^ QUESTION IV. Sow many and liow great Goods Man oltaimed in a State of Innocence. But that the faithful may perceive how great is the neces- sity of this petition, pastors wiU remind them how much we stand in need of external things for the maintenance and preservation of hfe. This they will more easily comprehend, if they compare the wants of the first parent of our race with those of his posterity. For although in a most esalted state of innocence, from wliich he, and through his fault all his posterity, fell, he had need to use food to recruit his strength ; yet between his wants, and those to which our life is subject, there exists a wide difference. He would not have stood in need of clothes to cover his body, of a house to shelter him, of weapons to defend him, of medicine to restore health, nor of many other things, which we require for the protection and preservation of our weak and frail natmre. To enjoy immortality, it would have been sufficient [to eat of] the fruit wliich the blessed tree of life would have sjwn- taneously yielded to him and his posterity.' Placed, however, by God in that habitation of pleasure in order to be occupied, he was not, in the midst of such supreme delights of paradise, to lead a life of indolence ;* but to him no employment could be troublesome, no duty mipleasant. Occupied in the cultivation of those happy gardens, his care would have been ever blessed with a profusion of fruits the most delicious, his labours or hopes never frustrated. QUESTION V. What gnat BviU followed Hie Sin of Adam. But his posterity are not only deprived of the finit of the tree of hfe,'^ but also visited with this horrible sentence : Cursed is tJie ground for thy sake : in sorrow sJialt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Tliorns also and thistles sludl •' 1 Cor. X. 31.. ' Gen. ii. 9, iii. 22. ' lb. ii. 15. " lb. iii. 17, sqq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 543 U bring forth to tJiee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the earth. Ill the sweat of thy face shalt tJiou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it tlwu wast taken : for dust thou art, mid unto dust thou shalt return.'^ Entirely different, tterefore, is our lot from what Hs and that of his posterity- would have been, had he obeyed the command of God. Therefore have all things been thrown into disorder, and have been changed utterly for the worst ; and of the con- sequent evils the most grievous is, that the heaviest cost, the severest labour and sweat, are very often expended without fniit ; either because the crops deteriorate, are smothered by the springing up of noxious weeds, or perish stricken and prostrated by rains, storm, hail, blight, or mildew. Thus is the entire labour of the year in a brief season reduced to nothing, by some calamity arising fi-om the atmosphere or the soU, a calamity caused by the enormity of our crimes, from which God turneth away, and is prevented from blessing our labours ; but the dreadful sentence &st pronounced against us still remains : In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. QUESTION VI. Men, are compelled to laiour, in order to relieve their Nccessiiies ; yd, if God be not favourable, tliey labour in rain. In treating of this subject, therefore, pastors will exert their diligence, to the end that the faithful people may know, that, if these misfortunes and miseries are incidental to man, the fault is his own ; that he must sweat and toil to procui-e things necessary to life ; but that unless God bless our labours, all our hopes must prove deceitful, all our exertions unavailing ; for neitJier lis that planteth is anything, nor he that luatereth ; hut God tlicut giveth tlie increase ;'"' and : Except tlie Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.^ QUESTION" VII. God must be bcsoiiglit to supply us with the Things of which we stand in need. This he doeth abundantly. Pastors therefore will teach, that those things that are necessary to human existence, or, at least, to its comforts, are ' lb. iii. 17, sqq. " 1 Cor. iii. 7. ' Pa. cxxvi. (cjczvii.) 1. 544 THE CATECHISM almost iantimerable ; and by this knowledge of our wants and weaknesses, the faithful will be stimulated to have re- course to their heavenly Father, and humbly to solicit from, him terrestrial and celestial blessings. They will follow the example of the prodigal son,who, when he began to experience want in a far country, and there was no man who, when he hungered, might even give bim the husks [on which the swine fed,] at length returning to hunself, perceived that, for the evils that oppressed him, he could expect a I'emedy from no one save only from his father J Here also the faith- ful people will have recourse more confidently to prayer, if, in reflecting on the divine goodness, they recollect that his paternal ears are ever open to the cries of Ms children. For whilst he exhorts us to ask for bread, he promises to bestow it on us abundantly, if we ask it as we ought; where- as, by teaching us how to ask, he exhorts ; by exhorting, he urges ; by xirging, he promises ; by promising, he inspires us with the most certain hope of obtaining it. QUESTION VIII. Objects of this Prayer for Bread. When, therefore, the minds of the faithful are thus animated and inflamed, [the pastor] wfll next proceed to declare the objects of this petition ; and first, what is that bread for which we pray. It should then be known that, in the sacred Scriptures, the word bread has a variety of signi- fications,^ but more especially the two following ; first, whatsoever is nedessary for the sustenance of the body, and for our other bodily wants ; secondly, whatsoever the divine bounty has bestowed on us for the life and salvation of the soul ; but in this place, according to the interpretation and authority of the holy fathers, we ask those succours of which we stand in need in this life. r Luke XV. 14, sqq. ' Cf. Gen. xiv. 18, xlix. 20 ; Ex. xvi. 32, xxv. 30, xxix. 2 ; Lev. xxiii. 14, 17 ; Num. xiv. 9 ; Deut. viii. 3 ; 1 Kings xxi. 6 ; 2 Kings xii. 20 ; Job XX. 14 ; Ps. xl. 10, ci. 5 ; Isa. xiviii. 28 ; Jer. xl. 19 ; John vi. 31, sqq. — Donovan. OF THE COUNCII/ OP T3EMT. 545 QUESTION IX. /( is sJcottm that Temporal Blessings may he aslced of God. Those, therefore, who say that it is milawful for Christian men to ask from God the earthly goods of this life, are by no means to be listened to ; for to this error are opposed not only the mianimoiis opinions of the fathers," bnt also very many examples both in the Old and New Testament. Thus Jacob, making a vow, prayed as follows : If God will he with one, and loill keep me in this way which I go, cmd will give vie bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to ■my fathers hoitse in peace ; tlien the Lord slmll he my God, and this stone, which I have set for a ]}illar, slicdl he tlie Jiouse of God ; and of all that thou slutlt give me, I will swrehj give tlie tenth to tliee}^ Solomon also prayed for a means of sub- sistence in this life, when he said : Give me neitJier iJOveHy ■nor riclies : feed me with food convenient for me." Nay, the Sa^dour of the human kind himself commands us to prayybj* those things which no one will dare deny are corporeal bless- ings : Frai/, says he, that your flight be not in tJie winter, jieither on tlie Sahhath.'^ St. James also saith : Is any amooig you a,flictecl 1 Let him pray. Is any merry ? Let him sing." And the apostle thus addresses himself to the Eomans : / beseech you, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of tlie Spirit, that ye strive togetlier loith me in your jn'ayers to God, for «7,e, that I may be delivered from tluim tliat do not believe in Judea.^ As then we are divinely permitted to ask those temporal succours, and as this perfect form of prayer was delivered by Christ our Lord, there can be no doubt that it constitutes one of the seven petitions. QUESTION X. What, appei-laminy to tlie Needs of the Bodii, is here understood ly the Nariie of •' Bread." "We also ask our daily bread, that is to say, the things necessary for .sustenance, understanding by the word bread, ' Cypr. de Orat. "Dom. Basil. M. regiil. brev. tract, interrog. 252. Constit. monast. u. 1, n. 3. Glirys. in Joan. horn. iZ, n. 2. Cjpr, ad Dem. Thorn. Aq. in iv. Sent. dist. 15, qn. 4, a. i. ^ Gen. xxviii. 20, sq. ' Prov. xx.\. S. ■■ Matt. xsiv. 20. = James v. 13. ' Kom. xt. 30, aq. •2s 546 THE CATECHISM ■wliatevcr is sufficient for food and raiment, wlietlier it be bread, meat, fish, or anvtbing else ; for in this sense we find the word made use of by Elijah, when admonisbing the king to give bread to the Assyrian soldiers, who bad received a large quantity of meats.s We also know that of Christ our Lord it LS written, that he weni into the Iwuse of a certavn, prince of tlie Pharisees on the Saibbatli-day to eat hread,^ that is to say, whatever appertained to eating and drink. To comprehend the full meaning of the petition, it is also to be observed, that by this word bread we are not to understand a profusion of exquisite meats, and of rich clothing, but what is necessaiy and simple ; according as the apostle writes : Hamng food and rcdment, let us he tJieretoith content;'- and of Solomon as already quoted : Feed me with food convenient for ine.i QUESTION XI. Wliy we do not ash simply for " hread," hit for "our bread." Of this frugality and parsimony, we are admonished in the next word of the prayer ; for when we say our, we pray for that bread to satisfy otir necessities, not to gratify luxury ; for we do not say ou/r, to imply that of ourselves, and inde- pendently of God, we can procure it ; for we read in David : These wait all upon thee, that thou mayest give tJiem tlieir meat in due season; thai tlwu givest tliem they gather ; thou openesi thy luind, tliey are filed with good ;^ and in another place : ■ T/ie eyes ofaU wait upon thee, Lord; thou givest iliem their oneat in due season;^ but to imply, that it is necessary for our sustenance, and is given to us by God, the Father of all, who by his providence feeds all Uving creatures. QUESTION XII. Tlie Bread that we crave as " our Iread," nrnst he obtained by our own Labour. It is also called our bread, because we are to obtain it law- fully, not by injustice, fraud, or theft ; for what we obtain by evil arts, is not our own, but the property of another ; and it generally happens, that the injustice is embittered by the s 2 Kings vi. 22, eq. ^ Luke xiv. 1. ' 1 Tim. vi. 8. J Prov. xxx. 8. '' Ps. oiii. (oiv.) 27; sq. ' lb. cxliv. (cxlv.) 15. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 547 acquisition, the possession, or, at least, by the loss of such [ill-gotten] goods ; whilst, on the contrary, the fruits of honest industry are enjoji-ed by religious men in peace and great happiness, according to these words of the prophet : For ilhou sludt eat the labov/r of thine hands : hapi')y s/mU thou he, and it shall be well with i/iee.™ To those who, by honest labour, strive to obtain the means of subsistence, God pro- mises the fruit of his benignity in these words : The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, atul in all that thou settest thine Juind unto ; and he shall bless thee.^ The object of this petition, however, is not solely to beg of God to grant us to use with the aid of Ms benignity the fruit of our virtuous toil, for that we truly call our own ; but we also pray for a right understanding, well and prudently to use what we have acquired well. DAILY. QUESTION XIII. Why this word is added. By this word also, is conveyed that idea of frugality and parsimony, of which we have just spoken ; for we pray not for variety or delicacy of meat, but for that which may satisfy the necessary demands of nature ; and they should here blush who, loathuig with fastidiousness ordinary meat and drink, look for the rarest viands and the richest wines. The word daily conveys a no less severe censure against those to whom Isaiah holds out these awful threats : Woe unto them tliafjoin liouse to Jumse, tJiat layjidd tofidd, even till there be no place : tliat they may he placed alone in tJte midst of the earth !" The cupidity of such men is insatiable : He that loveth silver, says Solomon, sliall not he satisfied with silver ; '9 and to them apply the words of the apostle : They that will be rich, fall, into temptation, and a snare.l We also call it our daily bread, because we use it to recruit the waste of vital humour, which suffers daily diminution from the natural heat of the system. Finally, another reason for the use of the word daily, is the necessity of unceasing prayer, to the end that we may be " Pb. oxxvii. (cxrviii.) 2. ° Dexit. xxriii. 8. " Isa. V. 8. P Eocl. V. 10. ' 1 Tim. vi. 9. 2n2 548 THE catechism: kept in the practice of loving and serving God ; and that -we may he thoroughly convinced, as is the case, that on him depend our life and salvation. GIVE us. QUESTIOJf XIV. What these two words signify. Wlat amjjle matter is afforded by these two words, for exhorting the faithful to worship and revere with piety and holiness the infinite power of God, in whose Iwmds are all tilings,^ and to detest that execrable ostentation of Satan : To me all things are delivered, and to whom I loill, I give them / is too obvious not to strike every one ; for by the sovereign will of God alone are all tilings dispensed, and pre- served, and increased. QUESTION SV. In wliat sense these words are applic(djle to the Rich. But what necessity, some one may ask, have the rich to pray for their daily bread, possessing as they do abundance of all things. They are under the necessity of praying thus, not that those things in which by the benignity of God they abound, may be given to them, biit that they may not lose what they abmidantly possess. Let, therefore, the rich, as the apostle teacheth, hence learn, not to he high-minded, nm' to trust in uncertain, riches, hut in tlis living God ; who giveth us richly all things to enjoy} As a reason for the necessity of this petition, St. Chrj-^sostom saith, that in it we pray not only for the means of subsistence, but that it may he supplied us hy the hand of God^ which, imparting to our daily bread a salubrious and salutary influence, renders the food profitable to the body, and the body siibject to the soul. QUESTION XVI. Why we say "give ns," not "give me." But why say give us, in the plural mrmber, not give me ? Because it is the proper part of Christian charity, that each *■ Ps. xxiii. (xxiv.) 1. " Luke iv. 6. '1 Tim. vi. 17. " Chrya. opus, imperf. in Matt. hom. 14. OF THE COUNCIL OF TnENT. 549 individual be solicitous not for himself alone, but also active in the cause of liis neiglibour ; and that, -whilst he attends to his own interests, he forget not the interests of others.^ Furthermore, the gifts wliich God bestows, he bestows not ■vidtli a view that he to whom they are given, should possess them exclusively, or live luxuriously in their enjoyment ; but that he should impart liis superfluities to others. As St. Ambrose and St. Basil say. It is the bread of tlie hungry iliat tlhou loithholdest : it is the clothes oftlie naked thai thou lockest up ; it is the redemjjtion, the freedom, tlie money of the wretched, that thou dost hury under grounds THIS DAY. QUESTION XVII. What is meant hy these words. These words remind us of our common infirmity; for who is there who, although he may not hope to be able by his own exertions to provide permanent subsistence, does not feel confident of having it in his power to procm-e necessary food at least for the day ? Yet even this confidence God wall not permit us to entertain, for he has commanded us to a.sk him for the food even of each successive day ; and the reason is, that as we all stand in need of daily bread, we should all, as a necessary consequence, make daily use of the Lord's Fvajev. Thus much touchiug that bread, which, received by the mouth, serveth to nourish and support the body, and which, being common to believers and imbeUevers, to pious and impious, God, who inahath his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust,^ bestows, xa. his admirable beneficence, indiscrimi- nately on all. QUESTION XVni. What is liere to le imdcrstood hy the Spiritual Bread, included in this Petition. It now remains to treat of that spii-itual bread, which we also ask in this petition, and under which are comprehended ' Cf. 1 Cor. xiii. i. sq. ; Cypr. cle Or. Dom. ; Tliom. Aq. S. th. 2, 2, p. q. S3, a,. 7. '" Basil, hom. in Luc. xii. IS, n. 7. Add Amb. 1. de Nabuthe Jezrael. ' Matt. V. 45 ; cf. Luke vi. 35. 550 TITE CATECHISM all things necessary in this life for the safety and salvation of the soul. The soul, not less than the body, is nourished by a variety of food ; for the word of God is the food of the soul, as wisdom saith : Covne, eat my bread, aiid drink tJie loine which I have mingled.y When God deprives men of the means of hearing this his word, which he often does when grievously provoked by our crimes, he is then said to visit the human race with famine ; for thus we read ia Amos : / loill send a famine in tlie land, not a famine of hread, nor a thirst of water, hut ofJiearing tlie words oftlie Lord^ And as an incapability of taking food, or of retaining it when taken, is a sure sign of approaching death ; so is it a strong proof of the utter hopelessness of salvation, when men either seek not the word of God, or, having it, endure it not, but utter against God the blasphemoiis cry. Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.^ Such is the phrenzy, such the menta 1 blindness of those, who, disregarding the Catholic bishops and priests, who legitimately preside over them, and abandoning the holy Catholic Church, have trans- ferred themselves to the direction of heretics, who corrupt the word of God. QUESTION XIX. Of (lie tnui Swpsrnatural Bread, wMch is Christ the Lord. Christ our Lord is also that bread, which is the food of the soul : / am, says he, tJie bread which came down from heaven}' It is incredible with what pleasure and delight this bread fills the souls of the pious, when they have most to contend with earthly troubles and disasters ; and of this we have an illustration in the holy choir of the apostles, of whom it is recorded : They indeed went from, tlie presence of ilia council, rejoidng that tli^y were counted worthy to suffer shame for the ixamie of Jesus.'^ The liyes of the saints are replete with similar examples ; '' and of these inward delights of the righteous, God thus speaks : To him that overcometh, I wiU give to eat of tlie h'ldden manna.^ y ProT. ix. 5. ^ Amos viii. 11. • Job xxi. 14. '' Jolm vi. 41. '^ Acta V. 41. '' v. Acta Sanotor. die iv. Januar. die iii. August, etc. ' Rev. it. 17. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEEKT. 551 QUESTION XX. Christ is iruhj contained m tlie Sacra-ment of the Eucharist, and tha-cfore is properly called our Bread. But Clirist our Lord, wlio is substantially contained in the sacrament of the Eucharist, is himself pre-eminently our bread. This ineffable pledge of his love he bequeathed to us, when he was about to retiu-n to the Pather ; and of it he said : He that eateth my flesh, and drinheth my hlood, dwelleth in me, avid I in him :^ take, eat: this is my hody.S But, for useful matter to the faithful people on this subject, pastors ■will recur to what we have already said specially touching the force and nature of this sacrament. But it is called our h'ead, because it is the food of faithfid men only, that is, of those who, uniting charity with faith, wash away the defilements of sins in the sacrament of penance ; who, not ixnmindfid that they are the children of God, receive and adore this divine .sacrament, -with all possible holiness and veneration. QUESTION XXI. Wh^j ilie Eucharist is called ojir Daily Bread. It is called daily for two ob^dous reasons ; the one, that in the sacred mysteries of the Christian Church it is offered to God daily, and is given to those who seek it with piety and holiness : the other, that it should be received daUy, or at least that we should live in such a manner as to be worthy, as far as possible, to receive it daily. Let those who, on the contrary, are of opinion, that we should not partake of this .salutaiy banquet of the soul but at distant intervals, hear what St. Ambrose'' says : If it is daily bread, why dost tlwu receive it yea/rly ? QUESTION XXII. Sow we ought to he affected, if we receive not Hie souijht-for Bread forthwith. But in this petition the faithful are emphatically to be exhorted, when they have honestly used their best consider- ation and industry to procure the necessary means of sub- sistence, to leave the issue to God, and submit their own ' John vi. 56. b 1 Cor. xi. 24. '' Ambr. de Saorain. 1. v. u. 4, n. 25. 55iJ THE CATECHISM desire to tlie will of liim, wlio slicdl not suffer the righteous to waver for ever} For God wUl either gi-ant vdiat is asked ; and thus tiieir wishes will he reaUzed ; or he will not grant it ; and this wiU afford most unequivocal proof, that what they desire will jjromote neither their interest nor their sal- vation, whereas it is denied to the pious by God, who is more careful of their salvation than they themselves. This topic pastors can amplify, by explaining the reasons admirably collected by St. Augustine in Ms letter to Proba.J QUESTION XXIII. WlMt subject for Mcditaiifm is hen presented. Finally, in the exposition of this petition, [the pastor must exhort] the rich to recollect, that they are to look upon their wealth and riches as gifts of God, and to reflect that these goods ai-e accumulated on them in order that they may share them with the indigent. And with this truth the words of the apostle, in his first epistle to Timothy, wiU. be fomid to accord,'' and wUl supiDh-- pastors with an abmidance of divine precepts, wherewith to ehicidate the subject in a useful and salutary mannei'. CHAPTER XIV. OF THE FIFTH TETITION. AND rOEGIVE US OUE BEETS, AS ■\\'E ALSO FOBGrTE OUK DEBTOHS. QUESTION I. Froni the Passion of Christ, Remission of all our Sins proceeded. Although the things which display the infinite power of God, combined with equal wisdom, and goodness, are so numerous, that, tirni our eyes and thoughts where we will, we meet with the most certain evidences of omnipotence and benignity ; yet of a truth does nothing more eloquently pro- claim his supreme love and admirable charity towards us, » Ps. Uv. 23 (Iv. 22). J Aug. ep. 130, c. 14, u. 26. ■ 1 Tim. vi. 17, sq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEEXT. 553 than, the inexplicalile mystery of the jiassion of Jesus Christ,^ whence sprang that perennial foiintain to -wash away the defilements of sin, in which, under the guidance and gift of God, we desire to be merged and purified, when we beg of him to forgive tis our debts. QUESTION 11. What this Fifth Fetition contaiiis. This petition contauis a sort of summary of those benefits, which have been accumulated on the human race through Jesus Christ, as was foretold by Isaiah : T/ie iniquity of Jacob shall be purged ; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin.'^ This is also the language of Da^dd, proclaiming those blessed, who could partake of that sahitary fruit : Blessed is he lolwse traiisgressions are forgiven.^ Wherefore a petition, which we perceive to be so important to salvation, is to be considered and explained by the pastor with accm-acy and diligence. QUESTION III. Tlie Marnier of Frayer here is different from that of the previous words. But now we enter on a new manner of praying, for hitherto we asked of God not only eternal and spiritual, but also transient and temporal blessings ; but now wc deprecate, the eyils of the soul and of the body, of this life and of the life everlasting. QUESTION IV. Tkinrjs required hi him that scclccth to ohtain Fardon for a Sin. Whereas, however, to obtain what we ask, we must pray- as we ought, it appears expedient to explain the disposition wherewith this prayer should be offered to God. The jiastoi'S then will admonish the faithful people, that he who- comes to ofier this petition, must first acknowledge, and next- feel sorrow and compunction for, his sins ; and must feel firmly persuaded that to the sinner, when thus disposed, God is wUling to extend pardon, a conviction necessary to the sin- ner, lest perchance the bitter remembrance and acknowledg- ment of his sins should be followed by despair of pardon, as ' John iii. 16 ; Rom. v. S ; 1 John iv. 9. "• Isa. xxvii. 9. " Pa. xxxi. (xxxii.) 1. 554: THE CATECHISM was the case of old with Cain" and Judas,P both of whom held God to be solely an avenger and punisher of crime, and not also a God of clemency and mercy. In this petition, therefore, we should be ao disposed, as that, acknowledg- ing om- sins in the bitterness of our souls, we may fly to God as to a father, not as a judge, imploring him to deal with us not according to his justice, but his mercy. QUESTION V. Motives to had Man to the AcJcnowledgment of his Sins. We shall be easily induced to acknowledge our sins, if we but listen to God himself admonisliing us in the Scriptures of our sinfulness; for we read in David : TJiey cvre all gone aside : tliey are altogeilier hecmne fMhy : iliere is none that doetli good, no not oiieA Solomon speaks to the same eiFect : There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, a/iid sinrmth not;'' and to this subject apply also these words : Who cam, say : I Jiave made ony heart clean, I am i^ure from my sins !^ St. John has written to the same efiect, with a ^dew to deter men from arrogance : Tf we say tliat we have no sin, ive deceive owr- selves, and ilie truth is not in us ;' and Jeremiah : TJwu hast said, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Belwld, I will plead with tliee, because thou sayest, I Iiave not sinned.^ Their sentiments the same Christ our Lord, who spake by their mouth, confirms by this form of prayer, in which he commands us to confess our sins ; for the Council of MUevis' forbids to interpret it otherwise, in these words : It liath pleased tJie council, that wJwsoever will have it, that these words of tlie Lord's Prayer : Forgive us our debts, are said by holy men in humility and not in truth, be anatlieina ; for wlw can endure a pejson p>Taying, and lying not to men but to God, saying with tlie liios that lie desires to be forgiven, but with tlie heart, that he has no debts to be remitted. " Gen. iv. 13. f Matt, xxvii. 4, sq. 1 Ps. xiii. (xiv.) 3, lii. 4. ' Ecol. vii. 20. ' Piov, XX. 9. ' John i. 8. " Jer. ii. 35. ' Cone. Mil. ii. can. 8 ; of. Cone. Trid. seas. vi. u. xi. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 555 QUESTION VI. In what manner after Sin is achnowledged, hitinr/ Grief and true Jlcpentaiice are excited in the mind. But in tlie necessary acknowledgment of our sins, it is not enough that we lightly call them to mind : for the recollec- tion of them must be bitter, must touch the heart, stimulate the mind, and brand us with sorrow. This point then pas- tors will treat with diligence, to the end that their hearers may not only recall to their recollection their sins and iniquities, but may also recall them with displeasure and sorrow ; that, pained to their innermost senses, they may betake them- selves luito God their Father, humbly imploring him to pluck from the soul the inherent stings of sin. [The pastors] should not, however, be content themselves with placing before the eyes of the faithful the turpitude of sin : they should also depicture the unworthiness and degrada- tion of us men, who, mere rottenness and corruption that we are, dare to outrage in a manner beyond all belief the incom- prehensible majesty and ineffable excellence of God, par- ticularly after having been ci-eated, redeemed, and enriched by him with countless and invaluable blessings. QUESTION VII. In what mamier we, throiujh sin, deliver ourselves up to the most Disffraceful Servitude of the Devil. And why ? that, estranged from God ovir Fathei-, who is the supreme good, and hu-ed by the most base rewards of sin, we may devote ourselves to the devU, to become his most wretched slaves. For language is inadequate to depict the cruel tjTanny which he exercises over the minds of those who, having shaken off the sweet yoke of God, and broken the most lovely bond of charity, by which our spirit is bound to God onr Father, have gone over to their relentless enemy, who is therefore called in Scripture tlie prince and ruler of tlie lomid,'^ the prince of darkness,^ and Icing over all tloe cliildrcn of pridpj s'J and to those who are the victims of the tyranny of the devil, apply with truth these words of Isaiah : " John xii. 31. ' Eph. vi. 12. ' Job xli. 34. 55Q THE CATECHISM Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us.'' QUESTION VIII. IVJiat great evils Sin entails on the Mind. If ve are unmoved at liaving violated this covenant of love, let our insensibility be excited at least by tlie calamities and miseries into wMcli we fall througb sin. It violates the sanctity of the soul, "which we know is wedded imto Christ ; profanes the temple of the Lord, against the contaminators of which the apostle utters this denunciation : If any man violate tJie temple of God, him shall God destroy.'' Innu- merable are the evils that sin has brought upon man, which almost infinite pest David expressed in these words : Tliere is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine aiiger : neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin}' He marks the virulence of this bane, by confessing that it left no part of him uninfected ; for the poison of sin entered even into his bones, that is to say, it infected his understand- ing and will, wliich are the two most solid faculties of the soul. This wide-spread pestilence the sacred Scriptxu'es point out, when they designate sinners, tlie lame, ilie deaf, the dumb; tlie blind, the palsied. But, besides the anguish which he felt on account of the wickedness, as it were, of liis sins, Da^-id was afflicted yet more by his knowledge of having provoked the ^vrath of God ; for the wicked are at war with God,'^ whom their crimes offend beyond relief : Wrath and indignation, saith the apostle, tribulation and anguish, iqjon every soul of man tliat doath evil.'^ For although the sinful act is transient, the sm by its guilt and stain remains ; and the impending wrath of God piu-sues sin, as the shadow does the body. QUESTION IX. Hmo, liaviwj perceived the Calamity of our Sins, we otujlit to he turned unto Repentance. Pierced by these stings, David was excited to seek pardon for his sins ; and that the faithful, imitating his example, may learn to grieve, that is, to become truly ' Isa,. xxvi. 13. » 1 Cor. iii. 17. ^ Ps. xxxvii. (xxzviii.) 3. Isa. lix. ^ Rnm. ii. S, sq. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEEKT. 001 penitent, and to clierish the hope of pardon, pastors v:ill place before their eyes and impress upon their attention, the example of his penitential sorrow, and the lessons of instruction dra-^vn from his fiftieth psalm. The importance of such instruction as teaches us to grieve for our sins, God himself declareth Ly the mouth of Jeremiah, who, when exhorting Israel to repentance, admonishes him to awake to a sense- of the evils that. flow from sin : Know, therefore, and see that it is an evil and a hitter thing that thou hast forsalxn tlie Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.'' They who lack this necessary sense of acknowledgment and grief, are said by the prophets Isaiali,f Ezeldel,s and Zachariah,'' to have a stout heart, a luird heart, a heart of adamant ; for like stone they are softened by no sorrow, and are devoid of every principle of life, that is, of the salutary recognition of their own sinfulness. QUESTION X. B>j ichat Meditation the. Shmer is to he encourar/ed to hope for Pardon, afta- Achwidedgmcnt and Detestation of his Sins. But lest, terrified by the grievousness of their crimes, the jieople despair of obtaining pardon, the pastor will animate them to hope by these considerations ; that, as is declared in one of the articles of the Creed, Christ our Lord gave power to his Church to remit sins, and that in this petition, he maketh known imto us the extent of God's goodness and bounty towards us ; for if God were not disposed and ready to pardon penitent sinners, never would he have prescribed to us this formula of prayer : Forgive us our debts. We should, therefore, be firmly convinced in mind, that, com- manding us, as he does in this petition, to solicit, he will also bestow on its, his paternal mercy. QUESTION XI. In what manner, if we repent, God easiltj pardoncth our Sins. For this petition implies, that God is so disposed towards us, as willingly to pardon \is when truly penitent. For .God it is against whom, having cast ofi" obedience, we sin; the order of whose wisdom we distiu-b, as far as in us lies ; ' Jer. ii. 19. ' xlvi. 12. e sxxvi. 2G. ■> vii. 12. 558 THE CATECHISM whom we offend, whom we outrage by word and deed ; but he also is our most beneficent Father, who, having it in his power to jjardon all transgressions, not only declares his willingness to do so, but also urges us to seek pardon from him, and teacheth us in what words we are to do so. To no one, therefore, can it be matter of doubt, that, under liis guidance, we have it in oiu; power to conciliate the favour of God ; and as this attestation of the divine willingness to pardon sin, increases faith, nurtures hope, and inflames charity, it will be worth while to amplify this subject, by citing some scriptural authorities to this effect, and by referring to the examjiles of individuals, whose repentance of the most grievous crimes God rewarded with pardon.' As, however, in our exposition of the prefatory portion of this prayer, and of that part of the Creed which treats of the forgiveness of sins, we were as diffuse on the subject as cir- cumstances allowed, pastors will revert to those places for whatever may seem pertinent for further instruction on this point, for the rest drawing on the fountains of the divine writings, QUESTION XII. WJiot in that part of the Petition is understood hy the naiM " Debtors." He will also pursue the same plan [of instruction] laid down by us in the other petitions, that the faithful may under- stand the meaning of the word debts in the present passage ; lest perhaps, deceived by the ambiguity of the word, they may pray for something different from what should be prayed for. In the first place, then, we are to know, that in it we by no means pray for exemption from the debt we owe to God on so many accounts, the payment of which is essential to salvation, that of loving him with our wlwle heart, our wlwle soul, and our whole might ;i neither do we ask to be in future exempt from the duties of obedience, worship, veneration, or any other similar obligation, although comprised imder the word debts ; but we pray that he may deliver us from our sins. This is the interpretation of St. Luke, who, instead of debts, makes use of the word siiis ;^ ' E.g. Jud. X. 10, BC[. ; 1 Kings vii. ; 2 Kings zii. 13, xxiv. ; Johniii. — Donovan, ' Deut. vi. 5 ; Matt. xxii. 37 ; Mark xii. 30 ; Luke. 27. ^ Luke xi. 4, vii. 41, eqq. OP THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 559 for this reason, that by tlieir commission we become respon- sible to God, and incur a debt of punisliment, wliicb we liquidate by satisfaction or by suffering. Of this nature was the debt of which Christ our Lord spoke by the mouth of his prophet : TJien I restored that lohich I took iwt away} From which words of God we may infer, that we are not only debtors, but also unequal to the payment of our debt ; the sinner being of himself utterly incapable of making satisfaction. QUESTION Xin. Wlicucc clmve Means of Satisfying. We, therefore, must fly to the mercy of God ; and as justice, of which God is most tenacious, is an equal and corresponding attribute to mercy, we must have recourse to prayer, and to the advocacy of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, without which no one ever obtained pardon for sins, and from which, as from its source, have flown all the efficacy and virtue of satisfaction. For of such value is the price paid by Christ our Lord on the cross, and commimicated to us through the sacraments received either actually or in desire, that it obtains and accomplishes for us the object of our prayer in this petition, namely, the remission of our sins. QUESTION XIV. We here pray for Indulgence and Remission of Venial a/nd Mortal Sins. Here we ask pardon not only for our venial ofiences, for which pardon may most easily be obtained, but also for grievous and mortal sins, of which the petition cannot pro- cure forgiveness, unless it derive that ef&cacy from the sacrament of penance, received, as we have already said, either actually or in desire. QUESTION XV. Meaning of " our " in this, different from thai of " our " in the xireceding Petition, The word our, we here use in a sense entirely different from that in which we said, oitr bread; for that bread is ours, because given unto us by the kindness of God ; ' Ps. kviii. 5 (Ixix. 4). 560 THE CATECIIIS3I whereas the sins which we commit are ours, because with us rests the guilt thereof : they are our vohmtary acts, other- wise they would not have the character of sin. Sustaining, therefore, and confessing our sins, we implore the clemency of God, wliich is necessary for their expiation. In this we make use of no palliation of our guilt, nor do we transfer the hlame to others, as did our first parents Adam and Eve :>" we point out" ourselves, pom-ing out, if we are wise, the prayer of the prophet : Incline not my hecvrt to any evil thinrj, to practise wicked worJcs.° QUESTION XVT. Why each Person says, " Forijke us," not "Forgive me." Nor do we say, forgive ine, but, forgive us : because the fraternal relationship and charity, which subsist between all men, demand of each of us, in our solicitude for the common salvation of all, when we pray for ourselves, to pray also for them. This manner of praying, delivered by Christ our Lord, and subsequently received and always retained by the Chiurch of God, was most strictly observed and enforced by the apostles themselves;? and of this ardent zeal and earnestness in praying for the salvation of others we have the splendid example of Moses in. the Old, and of St. Paul in the New, Testament ; the former of whom besought God in these words : Yet now if tliou wilt forgive their sin ; and, if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy hook lohich thou hast written;'^ and the latter said : I could wish that myself loere accu/rsed from Christ, for my hreiliren.^ AS WE ALSO FORGIVE OUK DEBTOES. QUESTION XVII. How ilicsc words arc to he understood. The word as may be understood in two ways ; for when we beg of God to pardon us onr sins, as we pardon the wrongs and contiimelies which we receive at the hands of " Gen. iii. 12, sq. " Indicimus. Donovrm appears to have read "jiiilicamus." " Ps. cxl. (cxli.) i. 1' Eom. i. 9 ; 2 Cor. xi. 28. 1 Ex. xsxii. 32. ■• Rom. ix. 3. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 5G1 those by whom we have been injured, it has the force of a comparison. It is also the mark of a condition, and in tliis .sense we find it interpreted by Christ our Lord : If, says he, ye forgive men their trespasses, your liecuoenly Fatlier will also forr/ive you ; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither luiU your Father forgive your trespasses.^ Either sense, however, equally implies the necessity of forgiveness on our part, intimating as it does, that if we desire to obtain from God the pardon of our offences, we must spare those from whom we have received injiuy. For such is the rigoiu* with which God exacts from \ls obHvion of injuries, and nmtual affection and love, that he rejects and despises the gifts and sacrifices of those who are not reconciled, to one another.' QUESTION XVITI. T!ie Ilemission of all Injuries -in prored to he cijreeahle both to the Dictates of Nature and the Mandates of Christ. To conduct ourselves towards others, as we would have , them conduct themselves towards us, is an obligation founded also upon the law of nature : " how great, then, must be the insolence of him, who, whilst his breast is armed with enmity against his neighbour, demands of God to pass over the punishment due to his offences. Those, therefore, who have sustained iujui-ies, should be prepared and prompt to pardon, urged to it as they ai-e by this form of prayer, and also by the command of God in St. Luke : If thy brother tres]3ass against thee, rebuke him ; and if he rep>&nt, forgive him; and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, find seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, fJiou shcdt forgive him ;"' and in the Gospel of St. Matthew we read : Love your enemies ;'•'' and the apostle, and before him Solomon, said : If thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if lie thirst, give him drink ;^ and we read in tlie evangelist St. Mark : W!i£n ye stand praying, forgive if ye luive any- thing against any ; that your Father also which is in heaven, 'may forgive you your trespasses.y ' Matt. vi. 14, sq. ; cf. M.ark xi. 25, sq. ; Eccli. xxx\'iii. 2, sq. » M.att. V. 23, sq. ° Cf. ib. vii. 12 ; Luke vi. 31 ; Tob. it. 16. ' Liike xvii. 3, sq. . " Matt. v. 44 ; Luke vi. 27. ' Eora. xii. 20 ; Prov. xxv. 21. ' Mark xi. 25. 2 o 5G2 THE CATECHIS3I QUESTION XIX. By what Arguments the Minds of Men may he hent to the Lenity uihicli, God liere demands. But, -whereas, through the fault of depraved nature, there is nothing to which man brings himself more reluctantly than to the pardoning of injuries, pastors \yill exert all the powers and all the resources of their minds, to change and Taend the dispositions of the faithful to this mildness and mercy necessary to a Christian. Let them dwell on those passages of the divine oracles, in which we hear God himself commanding us to pardon our enemies ; and let them pro- claim what is most true, that easily to forgive injuries, and to love their enemies from the heart, is a strong e^ddence of their being the children of God ; for, in loving our enemies, there shines forth in us some likeness to God our Father, who, by the death of his Son, ransomed from everlasting perdition, and reconciled to himself, the himian race, who before were his most inveterate enemies. . Let the closing pa-ssage of this exhortation and injunction be the command of Christ our Lord, which we cannot, without utter disgrace and ruin, refuse to obey : Pray fw them timi. despitejully use you and persecute you ; that ye may he tlie children of your Father which is in Jieaven.^ QUESTION XX. How tJwse shotUd le dealt with, who are unable utterly to Obliterate all Injuries from tlieir Minds. In tliis place, however, is required no ordinary prudence on the part of pastors, lest, knowing the difficulty and neces- sity of this precept, any one despair of salvation. For there ax'e those who, aware that they ought to buiy injuries in voluntary oblivion, and to love those that injured them, desire to do so, and do so as far as they are able, but feel that they cannot possibly efface from the mind all recollection of injuries. For there lurk in the mind some lingering grudges, in consequence of which they are agitated by the mighty waves of a troubled conscience, fearing lest, not having simply and sincerely laid aside their enmities, they are giiilty ' Matt. V, ii, sc[. OF THE COUNCIL OF TKENT. oG3 of disobedience to the command of God. Here, therefore, pastors -will explain the opposite incUnings of the flesh and of the spirit, the one being prone to revenge, the other ready to pardon ; from which contrariety arise between them con- tinued struggles and conflicts.' He will therefore show that, if the appetites of corrupt nature are ever reclaiming against and opposed to reason, we are not to yield to misgivings regarding salvation, provided the spirit persevere in the duty and disposition of forgiving injuries, and of loving our neighbour. QUESTION XXI. 27iose w7w still Retain the Desire of Hevenffe, may 'irmke use of litis Prayer without Sin. Some perhaps there may be, who, because they have not yet succeeded in bringing themselves to forget injuries and love their enemies, are therefore deterred by the condition contained in this petition, as already explained, from making use of the Lord's Prayer. To remove from their minds this pernicious error, pastors will adduce the two following con- siderations : first, that whasoever belongs to the number of the faithful ofiers this prayer ia. the name of the entire Chiu-ch, which must necessarily contain vri.thin it some pious persons, who have forgiven their debtors the debts here mentioned ; and, .secondly, that when we offer this prayer to God, we also pray for whatever co-operation with the petition is necessajy on our part in order to obtain the object of our prayer. For we pray for the pardon of our sins and the gift of true repentance : we pray for a feeling of inward sorrow : we pray for a horror of our sins, and that we may be able to confess them truly and piously to the priest. As then it is also necessary for us to forgive those who inflicted on us any loss or injury, when we ask pardon of God, we also beg of him to grant us grace to be reconciled to those against whom we harbour hatred. Those, therefore, who are agitated by the groundless and depraved apprehension, that to utter this prayer would be to provoke the wrath of God still more, are to be deterred from such an opinion ; and are, on the contrary, to he also exhorted to the frequent use of prayer, in which they should beseech God our Father to grant them the dis- ■ Matt. xxvi. 41 ; Eom. vii. 23, viii. 2, sqq. ; Gal. v. 17. 3 02 5G4 THE CATECHIS3I position to forgive those who have injured, them, and to love their enemies. QUESTION XXII. What is to be done in 0}'der to render our Prayer for ilte Itcinission of Sins efjicadoui. But that our prayer may be really fruitful, we should first seriously reflect and consider that we are suppliants to God, sohcitiug from him pardon, which is not granted hut to the penitent ; that we should therefore be endued with the charity and piety that become penitents; and that it becomes them in an especial manner to keep, as it were before their eyes, their aviw crimes and enormities, and to expiate them with teai'S. With this consideration should be united cir- cumspection in guarding for the future against the occasions of sinning ; and against whatever may possibly expose us to the danger of offending God om- Father. Under these pre- cautions David suffered, when he said : 2Iy sin is always he/ore one ;^' and in another place : All night make I my heel to swim : I water my couch with my tears.'- Let epxh one also . propose to himself the most ardent love of prayer, with which they were animated who obtained from God the pardon of their sins ; such as that of the publican, who, standing afar off through shame and grief, and with eyes fixed on the ground, smote his breast, crying, God he onerdful to me a siniier ;'• and also of the woman, a sinner, who, standing behind Christ our Lord, and having washed his feet and wiped them with her hair, kissed them ; " and, lastly, of Peter the prince of the apostles, who, going out, luept hitterhjf QUESTION XXIIT. What are (lie Chief Jlemedies to Meal the Wounds of the Soid. It should next be considered, that the weaker men are, and the more liable to diseases of the mind, the greater the necessity they are under of having recourse to numerous and frequent remedies. The remedies of a sickening soul ai-e penance and the eucharist ; and to these, therefore, the faith- ful people should have frequent recourse. Almsdeeds also, ^ Ps. 1. 5 (li. 3). "^ lb. vi. 6. '^ Luke sviii. 13. <= lb. vii. 37, sq. ' Matt, x.xvi. 75. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 5C5 lis the sacred Scriptures declare,s are an efficacious remedy for liealing tlie woirnds of tlie soul ; and those, therefore, who desire to offer up tliis prayer piously, should act kindly to the poor according to their means ; for, of the great efficacy of alms in effiicing the stains of sin, we have in Tobit the testi- mony of holy Raphael, the angel of the Lord, who says : Alms deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin , tliase thai exercise alms and righteousness shall he filed with life.^ We have also that of Daniel, who thus admonished king iSSTehuchodonosor : Break off thy sins by righteousness, and fhiiie iniquities hy showing inercy to the poor.^ But a most excellent species of benefaction, and exercise of mercy, is forgetfulness of injuries, and good-will towards those who- injure us or ours, in person, property, or character. Who- soever therefore desires to experience in an especial maimer the mercy of God, should make an offering to God of all his enmities, remit every offence, and pray for his enemies with the best good-will, seizing every opportunity of deserving well of them also. This, however, is a subject which was ex- plained when we treated of murder; and we therefore refer pastors to that exposition. They wUl, however, conclude what they have to say on tins petition with the reflection, that nothing is, or can be conceived, more imjust, than that he, who is so rigorous towards his fellow-man as to extend indulgence to no one, should demand of God to be mild and benignant towards himself s Of. Dent. XV. 7, sqq. ; Tob. iv. 7, sq. ; Ps. xl. 2 ; Prov. xiv. 31 ;. Eccli. iii. 3-j ; Luke xi. 2, sqq. '' Tob. xii. 9. ' Dan. iv. 27. 5GG THE CATECHISM CHAPTKR XV. OF THE SIXTH PETITION. AKB LEAD US NOT ISTO TEMPTATION. QUESTION r. Bow great is tlie Danger, lest, after recdving the Remission of Sim, we again relapse into Sin. When the children of God, having ohtaitied the pardon of their sins, and being inflamed with the desire of giving worship and veneration to God, long for the kingdom of heaven, and when, engaged in the performance of all the duties of piety toward the divine Being, they depend entirely on his paternal wiU. and providence ; then it is, no doubt, that the enemy of the human race employs the more actively aU Ms artifices, and prepares all his machinery to attack them so violently, as to justify the apprehension, that, wavering and altered in their resolutions, they may relapse into sin, and their condition thus become far worse than before.J To them may justly be applied these words of the apostle : It Juid been better /or them not to liwue Tmown tJie way of righteoras- ness, than, after they have known it, to turn from tlie Iwly commcmdment delivered unto tJiem.^ QXJESTION II. In wJiat manner Christ wislied to fortify us against the Snares of ow most Ckmning Enemy. Therefore doth Christ our Lord command us to offer this petition, to the end that we may commend ourselves daily to God, and implore his paternal care and assistance, nothing doubtful that when destitute of his protection, we must be caught in the snares of our most crafty enemy. Nor is it in this rule of prayer alone that he hath commanded us to beg of God not to suffer us to be led into temptation ; he does the same in his address to his apostles, just upon the moment J See Matt. xii. 43, sqq. ; Luke xi. 24, aqq. ■■ 2 Peter ii. 21. OF THE COUNCIL OF TBENT. 567 of Ms death, after he had declared them clean} he admonishes them of this duty in these words : Pray that ye enter not into temptation.^ This admonition, reiterated by our Lord, im- poses a heavy obUgation on pastors to spare no pains in inciting the faithful to a frequent use of this j)rayer, that, beset as men hourly are by their enemy the devil, with so many serious dangers of this sort, they may assiduously address to God, who alone can repel those dangers, the prayer, Lead us not into teni2}tation. QUESTION III. -Pj'om u'JicU Reasons men may best nndo'stand Hie Necessity of this Petition, The faithful people will understand the paramount neces- sity of the divine assistance, if they but reflect on their own w^eakness and ignorance, if they recall to mind these words of Christ our Lord : Tlie spirit ituleed is ivilling, but the flesh is weak J ^ and if they consider the grievous and destructive calamities that must befall men through the instigation of the devil, if they be not upheld and assisted by the heavenly right hand. What dearer example can there be of human infirmity than that which the holy choir of the apostles affords 1 Evincing, as they had before done, such resolute •courage, they however, at thfe very first alarm, abandoned the Saviour, and fled." A still more striking illustration is presented to us in the conduct of the prince of the apostles, who, when he, loud in professing extraordinary fortitude and love towards Christ our Lord, and confiding much in himself, had said, Tlwugh I slwidd die with thee, yet I will not deny thee,T> yet a short time after, affiighted by the voice of a poor servant-maid, he afErmed with an oath that he knew not the Lord.! Doubtless his strength was not equal to his intense alacrity ; but if, by the frailty of human natiu-e, in which they confided, men of eminent holiness have fallen into most grievous sin, what have not others to fear who are very far inferior to them in holiness. ' John xiii. 10. " Matt. xxvi. 41. ° lb. xxvi. 41. " lb. xxvi. 56. f lb. vs. 35. ' lb. xxvi. C9, sqq. 5G8 THE CATECHISM QUESTION IV. To liow mamj, and how great Temptations the Life of Man is exposed. The pastor, therefore, will jilace before the eyes of the faithful people the conflicts and dangers in wlucli -we are continually engaged, -whilst the soul dwells in this mortal body, assailed as we are on all sides by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Of the efiects of anger, of lust, in us, who has not had sad experience to his cost t Who is not harassed by their assaults t Who feels not their stings ? Who burns not with these smouldering torches t In truth, so numerous are these assaults, so varied these attacks, that it is extremely difficult to escape some grievous wound. Besides the enemies that dwell and live within us,^ there are also those most sharp foes, of whom it is written : For we wrestle not agaiiist flesh and blood, but against princiiialities, against poiwers, against the riders of tlie darkness of this world, against spiri- tual wickedness in high places.^ QUESTION V. Mow r/rlevoits arc the Assaidts of Demons upon lis, according to the opinion (if St. Paid. The efforts of our inward conflicts are seconded by, the attacks and attempts of the de-^nls from without, who assail us openly, and insinuate themselves also by stratagems* into our souls ; insomuch, that it is not without difficulty that we can beware of them. These the apostle calls piinces, on accoimt of the excellence of their nature (for by nature they are superior to man, and to all other ^dsible creatm-es) ; he calls them i^owers, because they excel not only by their nature, but also by their power ; he calls them nders of the world of darhiess, for they rule not the world of light and glory, that is to say, the good and the pious ; but the gloom and darkness, that is, those who, blinded by the defilement and darkness of a wicked and guilty life, are delighted to have the devil for a leader, the prince of darkness. He also calls the evil demons the Sjnrits of wickedness ; for there is a wickedness of the flesh and of the spirit. The wickedness of flesh mflames the appetite to sensual lusts and pleasures ; ' Matt. X. 3S. ■ Eph. vi. 12. ' Per ouiiiciilos. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 5 GO the spirits of wickedness are wicked purposes and desires, wliicli belong to the superior part of the soul, and are more criminal than the former, in proportion as mind itself and reason are superior. This wickedness of Satan the apostle denominates in tJie high places, because its chief aim is to deprive xis of the inheritance of heaven. Hence we may- understand that the power of the [infernal] enemies is great, their courage undaimted, their hatred enormous and un- measured ; that they wage against us a perpetual war with such fury, that ynih. them there can be no peace, no cessa- tion of hostilities. QUESTION VI. Of Ae Boldness and Perversity of the Devil in Temptivr/. How bold they are, we may form an idea from the words of Satan recorded by the prophet, I will cisceiul into heaven;^ he attacked our first parents in Paradise ; " he assailed the prophets j '" he beset the apostles, and, as our Lord declares in the gospel, he would si/t them as wheat ;^ nor was his audacity abashed even by the presence of our Lord himself !y His insatiable cupidity and unwearied diligence are thus ex- pressed by St. Peter : Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walkcth about, seeking luhmn lie may devour.'- Nor are we tempted by one demon only, for sometimes a host of de- mons combine in the assault against us individually. This was avowed by the evil spirit, who, when asked his name by Christ our Lord, replied. My lumie is legion,'^ tliat is, a host of demons, which had tormented that uiihai)py being ; and of another it is written. He talieth loith himself seven other spirits more wiched than himself, and tliey enter in and dwell there, and the host state of that man is worse thwn thefirst}^ QUESTION VII. Wliy ilic Pious are hm-asscd hy Demons, more tlian ilic Wiclced. There are many who, because they feel not in themselves the impulses and assaults of the devil, imagine that the whole matter is fictitious. No wonder that such persons are not " Isa. xiT. 13. ' Gen. iii. 1, sqq. " Job i. 2. "■ Luke xxii. 31. ^ Matt. iv. 1, sqq. ' Peter v. S. " JIark V. 9. See the authorities reiurred to by Kuinoel. ^ Matt. xii. 45. 570 THE CATECHISM attacked by the devil, to ■whom they have surrendered at discretion. They possess neither piety nor charity, nor any other virtue worthy of a Christian, and are hence entirely subject to the dominion of the devil ; and becoming as they do his willing abodes," there needs no temptation to insure their overthrow. But those who have dedicated themselves to God, leading a heavenly life upon earth, are the chief objects of the assaults of Satan ; against them he harbours most malignant hatred, for them he is every moment laying snares. The history of the Sacred Scriptures abounds in examples of holy men, whom, although firm and resolute, he perverted by violence or artifice. Adam,'' David,' Solomon, and others,? whom it were tedious to enumerate, experienced the violent assaults and crafty cunning of demons, which human wisdom and strength are unable to combat. Who then can esteem himself sufficiently secure in his own re- sovirces ? Hence the necessity of offering to God pure and pious prayer, that he suffer us not to be tempted above our strength, hut make issue with temptation, tliat we may he able to hear it^ QtJESTION VIII. Demons caamot tempt Men as much, or as long as they desire. But should any of the faithful, through weakness of mind or ig-norance of the truth, feel terrified at the power of the de'^'ils, they are to be encouraged, when overtaken by the storm of temptation, to take refuge in this harbour of prayer, for the power and pertinacity of Satan, however great, are not, in his utter hatred of mankind, such as to enable him to tempt or torment as much, or as long, as he pleases ; but all his power is governed by the control and permission of God. Of this we have a most conspicuous example in Job, nothing belonging to whom could the devil have touched, had not God said. Behold, all that he hath is in thy Imiid ;^ whilst, on the other hand, he himself, with his children, and all that he possessed, would have been at once destroyed by the devil, if God had not added. Only put not forth thy Juxnd uporb hhiv- = Cf. Luke xi. 21, 24 ; John xv. 19. ' "i Gen. iii. 1, sqq. « 2 Kings xi. 2, sqq. ' 1 Kings xi. e E. q. Judges xvi. ; 1 Kings xv. ; 4 Kings xx. 13, sqq. •■ 1 Cor. X. 13 ; cf. 2 Peter ii. 9. ' Job i. 12. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 571 self. So restricted is the power of devUs,) that, -witliout the permission of God, they could not enter even into the swine mentioned by the EvangeKsts.'' QUESTION IX. Meaning of " Temptation." But to understand the force of this petition, it is neces- sary to point out the meaning of the word temptation, as here employed, and also, what it is to he led into tenijptation. To tempt, is to make trial of him who is tempted, that, eliciting from him what we desire, we may extract tlie t/ruth} In this sense of the word, God does not tempt ; for what is it that is unknown to God ? AU things are naked and opiened to his eyes.™ Another species of temptation consists in pushing our scrutiny rather far, when we have some further object in view, either for a good or an evil purpose ; for a good pur- pose, as when some one's worth is thus tried, in order that having been ascertained and known, it may be rewarded and hono\ired, and his example proposed to others for imitation, and that, in fine, all may therefore be excited to give praises imto God. This is the only sort of temptation consistent with God ; and of it we have an example in these words of Deu- teronomy : Tlie Lord your God piroveth you, to know whether ye love tlie Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your sovl.^ In this sense God is also said to tempt those who are his, when he oppresses them with want, disease, and other calamities, with a view to try their patience, and in them to present to others an example of Christian duty. We read that Abraham was thus tempted to immolate his son, by which fact he became a singidar example of obedience and patience, to the remembrance of men for ever :" thus also is it written of Tobit, Because thou wast accqjtable to God, it was necessary tJiat temptation sliould pirove thee.i J Cf. 2 Peter ii. 4 ; Eev. ii. 10, xx. 2. ^ Mark v. 9, sqq. ; cf. Matt. viii. 28, sqq. ; Luke viii. 27, sqq. ' Thom. Aq. S. th. 2, 2 P. qu. 97, a. 1. ■» Hell. iv. 13. » Deut. xiii. 3. ° Gen. xxii. 1, sqq. P Tob. xii. 13. I cannot find this passage. ( 2 THE CATECHISM QUESTION" X. In what manner tlie Devil Tempts Men. Men are tempted for an evil purpose, wlieu they are im- pelled to sin or destruction ; and this is the peculiar province of the devil ; for he tempts mankind with the view of deceiving and precipitating them into i-uin ; and, therefore, is he called in Scripture, tlie Tempter A In those temptations, at one time stimulating us from within, he makes use of the agency of the affections and passions of the mind ; at another time assailing us from without, he makes use of external things, of prosperity to puff us up with pride, or of adversity to break our spirits. He sometimes employs as his emissa- ries and scouts depraved men, particularly heretics, who, sitting in ilie clmir of 2}estilence,'^ scatter the deadly seeds of evil doctrines, unsettling, and precipitating headlong their adherents, who draw no line of distinction between vice and virtue, and are of themselves inclined to evil. QUESTION XL In wlutt manner any one is said to he Led into Temptation. We are said to be led into temptation, when we yield to temptation. And we are so led in a twofold manner ; first, when abandoning our position, we rush into the evil to which we are allured by the temptations of others. God tempts no man thus ; for to no one is God the author of sin, nay, he hates aJl who xoorh iniquity ;^ and accordingly we also read iir St. James : Let no man, wlten lie is teinpted, say, I am ienijited of God ; for God camwt he teinpted of eviU Next, he too is said to lead us into temptation, who, although he him- self does not tempt us, nor co-operate in tempting us, yet, having it in his power, does not prevent us from being tempted, or from jdelding to temptations. In this manner God indeed suffers the good and the pious to be tempted, but leaves them not unsupported by his grace. Sometimes, however, we Ml, being left to ourselves by the just and liidden judgment of God, in punishment of our crimes. 1 M.itt. iv, 3. "■ Ps. i. 1. "In the seat of the scDrnM." " I's. V. 5. ' James i. 13. OF THE COU>"CIL OF TEEyT. 573 QUESTION- XII. T!ie Blessings of God sometimes lead us into Tcrivptaiion. God is also said to lead us into temptation, when we abuse, to our own destruction, the blessings wliicli be hatli bestowed upon us as tlie means of salvation ; and, like the pro- digal son, dissipate in luxurious living our Father's substance, yielding to our evil desires.™ In such circiimstances we may truly say what the apostle hath said of the law : Tlvi com- ■inand-ment wJdch was ordained to life, I fouiid to he unto death.'' Of this Jerusalem, as Ezekiel testifies, affords an apposite exempUfioation. Enriched and adorned by God with every sort of embellishment, insomuch that God SEiid by the mouth of that prophet, TIiou wast 2}Brfcct through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee ;^ yet, loaded with an accumulation of divine gifts, that city, far from, evincing gratitude to God, from whom she had received, and was still receiving, so many favours ; far from making use of those heavenly blessings for the end for wluch they had received them, the attainment of her own happiness, cast aw.ay the hope and idea of celestial fruit [Jerusalem], most ungrateful to God her Father, was sunk in abandoned luxury, looking only to the enjoyment of her present abundance. On this .subject Ezekiel-'^ dwells at considerable length, in the same chapter. Those, therefore, who convert into instruments of vice the abundant means of virtuous deeds, with which he has blessed them, are equally imgrateful to God as was Jerusalem. QUESTION XIII. Ill wliat mamier ice are to nnderstwiid tlic Words of Scriptivre, iiilien God is said to Tempt Man. But it behoves us particularly to observe this usage of Scripture, which sometimes signifies the permission of God in language which, if taken literally, implies, as it were, a posi- tive act on the part of God, for in Exodus we read : I ivill harden the lieart of Pharaoh ;^ and in Isaiah : Make the heart of this 2^eople ; '■ and the apostle writes to the Romans : God delivered tliem up to vile affections, and to a reprobate inind.'^ ■■ Luke XV. 13. ' Rom. vii. 10. " Ezek. xvi. 14. « lb. 15, sq. y Ex. vii. 3. ' Isa. vi. 10. » Rom. i. 26, 28. 574 THE CATECHISM These and similar passages,^ we are not at all to understand as implying any positive act on the part of God, but his permission only. QUESTION XIV. In this part of the Prayer we do not ash Freedom from all Temptation, lv.i that we may mot he Deserted by God in Temptation. These things premised, it -will not be difficult to know what we pray for in tliis petition. We ask not to be entirely exempted from temptation, as man's life is a temptation upon earth ;° and this is useful and advantageous to the race of man ; for in temptations we are taught to know ourselves, that is, our own weakness, and to humble oxirselves under the mighty Ixand of God y'' and by fighting manfully, we expect to receive a arown of glory that fadeth not away ;^ for lie also that siriveth for the mastery is not crowned, except he strive lawfully ;^ and as St. James saith : Blessed is tlie man that endwreth temptation ; for when lie is tried, lie shall receive tlie crown of life, which tlie Lord hath promised to tliein tliat love him.s But if we are sometimes hard pressed by the tempta- tions of the enemy, it will cheer us much to reflect, that we have a Higli-priest to help us, wlio can have compiassion on our infirmities, tempted himself in all things.^ What, then, do we here pray for ? We pray that, un- forsaken by the divine assistance, we may not yield to temp- tation, deceived by the wicked one ; nor may give up the victory, worsted in the contest ; that the grace of God may be at hand, to refresh and in^-igorate us on the evil day, when our own strength fails. QUESTION XV. In what manner we should Beseech Assistance from God in our Temptation. We should therefore implore the assistance of God in general under all temptations, and when assailed by any par- >■ Eom. ix. IS; xi. 8 ; 2 Tliess. ii. 10 ; Matt. xiii. 15 ; John xii. 40 ; Acts xxviii. 27 ; Isa. xxix. 10 ; 1 Kings xviii. 10. ■^ The editors give this note : — Job vii. 1, aecundiim Ixx. qui Treipa- rripiov habent ; versio autem Vulg. pro tentatio leg. militia. Of. Hieron. ep. 130, n. 7. Aug. de priedest. S.T,not. o. xiv. 2, 26. Our translation has "warfare" in the marginal reading. ■• 1 Peter v. 6. = lb. v. 4. '2 Tim. ii. 5. e James i. 12. ■■ Heb. iv. 15. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 010 ticular temptation, we sliould liave recourse in particular to prayer. This we find to liave been done by David under almost every species of temptation ; for against lying he prays in these ■words : Take not the word of truth utterly ovi of my mouth ;^ against covetousness thus : Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness ;i and against the vanities of this life, and the allurements of concupiscence, he makes use of this prayer : Turn away mine eyes from heliolding vamityy- We therefore pray that we may not yield to evU desires, nor be wearied ia enduring temptation •} that we turn not aside from, the loay of the Lord y™ that in adversity as in prosperity we may preserve equanimity and fortitude ; and that God may not in any respect deprive us of his protection. We pray, in fine, that God my trear^ Satan under ovtrfeet.^, QUESTION XVI. How Victory may lie hm'ne off from Temptation, and ly what means it may he obtained. It remains that the pastor exhort the faithful j)eople to those things, which in this petition should constitute the chief objects of their thoughts and meditations. In offering this prayer, it will be found most salutary, if, aware of our extreme weakness, we distrust our strength ; and, placing all our hope of safety in the goodness of God, and relying on his protection, we encounter even the greatest dangers with greatness of soul, calling to mind particularly the many in- stances of jjersons, who, animated with this hope, and armed with this resolution, were delivered by God from the gaping jaws of Satan. When Joseph was surrounded on every side by the biuming torches of a furious woman," did not God rescue him from the extreme peril, and exalt him to gloi*y ?P Did he not preserve Susannah in safety, when beset by the ministers of Satan, and on the very point of being made the victim of a nefarious sentence ? Nor should this excite our surprise, for her heart, saith the prophet, had confidence in the LorclA Distinguished is the praise and the glory of Job, ' Ps. oxTiii. (csix.) 43. i lb. 36. ^ lb. 37. ' Heb. xii. 3. " Deut. xxxi. 29. o Rom. xvi. 20. ■> Gen. xxxix. 7, 10, 12. p lb. xli. 38, sqq. i Hist, of Sus. 35. 576 , THE CATECHISM who triumplied over the world, the flesh, the devil ! There are many similar examples, by which the pastor should dili- gently exhort his pious people to that hope and confidence. QUESTION XVII. Christ is the Standard-Bearer in our Conflict, all the Holy are Comrades, and ilieij who follow tJicm iiot, are Cowards. The faithful should also reflect, under what leader th'ey have to fight against the temptations of the enemy, no other than Christ our Lord, who was victorious in the same com- bat."^ He himself conquered the devil : he is that stronger ■man, who coming upon ilie strong arnied man, overcame him, deprived him of his arms, and stripped him of his spoils.^ Of his victory over the world, we i-ead in St. John, Have con- fidence ; I have overcome the world ;^ and in the Revelation he is called the conquering lion ; and is said to have gone forth conquering, that he might conqwir ;'^ and by tliis his victory he has given to his followers the power to con- quer. The epistle of the apostle to the Hebrews abounds with the victories of holy men, who through faith subdued kingdoms, stopped the moutlis of lions ; and what follows.^' Whilst we read of such achievements, let us also take into the account the victories every day won by men eminent for faith, hope, and charity, in their inward and outward con- flicts with the devil ; victories so numerous and so signal, that, were we spectators of them, we should deem no event more frequent, none more glorious. Of the defeat of these enemies St. John says : / have luritten to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.^ QUESTION XVIII. In what 'iimnner the Deril may he Overcome hy us. Satan, however, is overcome not by indolence, sleep, wine, revelling, liTst ; bu.t by prayei-, labour, watching, abstinence, continence, chastity : Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into ' Matt. iv. 4, sqq. ; Luke iv. 4, sqq. Add Col. ii. 15 ; Heb. ii. 14 ; John xvi. 11. • Luke xi. 22. • John xvi. 33. " Eev. v. 5, vi. 2. ■ • Heb. xi. 33. " 1 John ii. 14. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 577 temptation,^ is, as we have already said, the admonition [of our Lord] : they who make use of these weapons in that conflict are sure to put the enemy to flight ; for from those who resist the devil, he is sure to Jlee. y In these victories, how- ever, which are achieved by holy men, let no one indulge self-complacency, nor presumptuously flatter himself, that by his own exertions he is able to withstand the hostile tempta-' tions and assaults of devils ; for this is not within the power of human nature, nor the competency of human frailty. QUESTION XIX. In what manner Strength to Conquer is given m iy Cfod. This strength, by which we lay prostrate the satellites of Satan, is given by God, who maketh our arms like a brazen bow ; "^ by whose aid, tlie bows of the mighty men are broken, arid t}i£y are girt with strength ;' who giveth us tlie protection of salvation ;^ whose right hand receiveth us ;' who teacheth our hands to figlit, and our fingers to war ;'^ so that, for the victory, we should give thanks, and be grateful to God alone, by whose inspiration and assistance alone we are able to conquer. This grateful acknowledgment is exemplified in the conduct of the apostle : Thanks be to God, says he, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christy The voice from heaven in the Eevelation also proclaims God to be the author of our victories : Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, for tJie accuser of our brethren is cast down ; and they overcame him by the blood of the LambS That to Christ our Lord belongs the victory obtained over the world and the flesh, we learn from the same authority : They shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them.S On the cause and manner of conquering temptation, let thus miich suffice. ' Matt. xxvi. 41. ' James iv. 7. ' Ps. xvii. 36 (xviii. 34). "Alio-w of steel to betroken by our arms." ' 1 Sam. ii. 4. " Ps. xvii. 36 (xviii. 35). ' lb. ^ Pa. cxliii. (cxliv.) 1. ' 1 Cor. XV. 67. ' Eev. xii. 10, sq. 8 Rev. xvii. 14. 2p OF THE COUNCIL OP TEENT. 579 prayer, therefore, which he delivered by way of precept, and confirmed by example, he as it were embraced in an epitome tlie force and substance of the other petitions ; for, when we shall have obtained what ia contained in that prayer, accord- ing to St. Cyprian, nothing more remains to he demanded, when once we ask the protection of Qod against evil : that once obtained, we stand safe and secure against all the combined efforts of the devil and the world.^ Such then being the importance of this petition, the pastor ought to bestow extreme diligence on the exposition thereof to the faithful. But it differs from the preceding petition in this respect, that in the former we ask the avoidance of sin, but in this, escape from punishment. QUESTION II. What wges us to pour forth this Prayer hefore God. Nor can it be any longer necessary to remind the faithful people of the numerous inconveniences and calamities to which they are exposed, and how much they stand in need of the heavenly assistance. For not only have both sacred" and profane? writers, most copiously described the many and great miseries to which the life of man is exposed, but the dangers which beset himself and others have made almost every man understand them ; and we are aU persuaded of the truth of these words of holy Job, himself a model of patience : Man, that is bom of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble ; he cometh forth like a flower, and is cut doiun, he ficeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.i And that no day passes without its own trouble or inconvenience is attested by this saying of Christ our Lord : Sufficient unto ihs day is the evil tliereof;^ and indeed, the condition of human life is pointed out by our Lord himself, when lie admonishe.s us, that we are to take up our cross daily, and follow him. ' " De orat. Dom. ° Cf. Job xiii. 9 ; Ps. Ixxxix. 5, sqq. cii. 14, eqq. oxliii. 3, eq. ; Ecel. vii. 1 ; Isa. xl. 6, aq. ; Eccli. xiv. 18 ; James i. 10, iy. 15 ; 1 Peter i. 24, al. p Cf. Aug. de Civ. Dei, lib. xiv. o. 25, lib. xv. u. 5, lib. xix. o. 4, et contra Julian, lib. iv. o. 16, n. 78. Coll. Ann. Senecae lib. de brev. vit. plur. 11. 1 Job xiv. 1, sq. ■■ Matt. vi. 34. » Luke ix. 23. 2 P 2 580 THE CATECHISM Feeling, therefore, as every one does, the labours and dangers inseparable from tliis system of life, it will be easy to convince the faithful, that of God is to be implored deliver- ance from evUs, especially as nothing more powerfully induces men to pray than a desire and hope of deliverance from those ills, which oppress or threaten them. For to fly to God for assistance in distress, is a principle implanted in the human mind ; as it is written, Fill their faces with sha/nie, tJuit they may seek thy naine, ZorcU QUESTION III. JIow to Pray to God for Oie Removal of Dwngcrs and Ccdamiiies. If then in dangers and calamities men almost sponta- neously call on God, it surely becomes the duty of those, to whose fidelity and prudence their salvation is confided, to instruct them, in an especial manner, as to the proper per- formance of this duty. For there are not wanting those, who, contrary to the command of Christ our Lord, invert the order of prayer ; for he, who commands us to have recourse to him in tJie day of tribulation,^ has also prescribed to us the order of prayer. For it is his will that, before we pray that he deliver us from evil, we pray that the name of God be sanctified, and that his kingdom come, and so of the other petitions [of the the Lord's Prayer], by which, as it were, by so many steps, we ascend to this place. Yet are there those who, if their head, their side, their foot, ache ; if they sustain loss of property ; if threats or dangers fi-om an enemy alarm them ; in famine, in war, or pestilence, omit all the other gradations of the Lord's Prayer, and ask only to be delivered from those evils. This practice, however, is at variance with the command of Christ : Seek first tlie kingdoni of God:' Those, therefore, who pray aright, when they beg to be delivered from calamities and evils, refer all to the glory of God. Thus, when David offered this prayer : Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger,'" he subjoined a reason, by which he shows the most earnest desire for the glory of God : For, saitli he, there is in death no reniemhrance of thee : and who shall give thee tJianks in hell i^ and, having, on another • Pp. Ixxxii. 17 (Ixxxiii. 16). ■ lb. xlix. (I.) 15. • Mitt. vi. 33. " Ps. vi. 1. ■ Ps. vi. 5. OP THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 581 occasion, implored God to have mercy on Mm, he added : / will teach transgressors thy ways ; aiid the sinners shall be con- verted to thee.y The faithful are to be excited to this salutary manner of praying, and to an imitation of the prophet ; and at the same time their attention should also be directed to the great diflference that exists between the prayers of the infidel and those of the Christian. QUESTION IV. Difference between the Prayers of IMdels and Christians. The unbelievers also beg earnestly of God that they may recover from sickness, and be healed of their wounds, that they may escape pressing or impending ills ; but they never- theless place their principal hope of deliverance in the reme- dies provided by nature, or by the industry of man ; and also make no scruple of using medicine given no matter by whom, no matter if accompanied by charms, spells, or other diabolical arts, provided some hope of recovery be held out. Not so Christians : in sickness and in all adversities, they fly to God as their sovereign refuge and resource for safety ; him only do they acknowledge and revere as the author of all good, and their deliverer ; to him they unhesitatingly ascribe whatever heaUng virtue resides in medicines ; and are convinced that their degree of efficacy in restoring health to the sick is such as God wills it should be ; for medicine is given by God to the human race to heal their infirmities. Hence these words of Ecclesiasticus : Tlie Most High hath created medicines out of iJie earth, cmd he iliat is wise will not abhor tliem.'' They, therefore, who have pledged their fidelity to Jesus Christ, do not place their supreme hope of recovery in such remedies ; but place it in God, the author of these medicines. QUESTION V. In what m anner in Disease we onght to Tnist in God alone, who has Delivered many from tlie most Critical Dangers. And hence, in the sacred Scriptures is condemned the conduct of those who, confiding in the power of medicine, seek no assistance from God.* Nay, more, those who regu- Ps. li. 3, 13. '■ Eccli. xxxviii. i. ' Chron. xvi. 12 ; Jer. xlvi. 11. 582 THE CATECHISM late tlieir lives by the divine laws, abstain from the use of all remedies that are not evidently intended by God to be medicinal j*" and, were there even a certain hope of recovery by using any other, they abhor them as charms and diaboli- cal artifices. The faithful, then, are to be exhorted to re- pose their confidence in God ; for our most beneficent Father hath ordered us to beg of him our deliverance from evil, that in the very fact of his having so ordered we may also find a hope of its attainment. Of this there are many instances in Scripture, so that they who by reasoning may not be inspired with confidence, may be compelled to yield to a strong array of examples. Abraham, "> Jacob,^ Lot,^ Joseph,^ David,s are, in the eyes of all, most unexceptionable witnesses of the divine benignity. The instances recorded in the New Testa- ment of persons rescued from the greatest dangers by the efiect of pious prayer, are so numerous as to supersede the necessity of citing examples :'' and we shall, therefore, con- tent ourselves with one sentence from the prophet, which is suflttcient to confirm even the weakest : TJie righteous - cry, and i/te Lord hea/reih ; and delivered them out of aU tlieir trovhlesy QUESTION VI. TT^crf IS Zicrc unda'Stood ly the name of "EvU," and of the meaning of this Petition, The force and nature of the petition next follows, that the faithful may understand that in it we do not altogether solicit deliverance from every species of evil. For there are some things that are commonly considered evils, and which, not- withstanding, are fraught with advantage to those who sufier '' Lev. XX. 6 ; 1 Sam. xxviii. 7, sqq. <■ Gen. xii. 2, sq. xiii. 15, sq. xv. 1, sqq. xvii. 2, sqq. xxii. 12, 16, sqq. "i Gen. xxviii. 12, sqq. xxx. 43, xxxi. 24, xxxiii. 4, xxxv. 3, 5, 9, sqq. xlvi. 1, sqq. " Gen. xiv. 11, sq. 16, xix. 15, sqq. ' Gen. xxxix. 2, sq. 23, xli. 14, 1. 20. e 1 Sam. xvi. 12, sq. xvii. 37, xviii. 12, 14, 28, xxiii. 14. Add Job xlii. 30 ; Tob. iii. 24, xi. 17 ; Judith xiii. 20, sqq, ; Esther xiv. 1, sqq. '' Cf. Matt. ii. 13; Lulce i. 46, sqq. ; Acts x. 1, sqq. xi. 5, sqq. xxvii. 20, sqq. al. In these, and many of the subsequent references, I have preserved all that are given by the editors. 1 Ps. xxxiii. 18 (xxxiv. 17). OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 583 tliem, such as that stinff experienced by the apostle, that, by the aid of the gi-ace of God, power might be made perfect in weaknessj When the pious leam the influence of such things, far from praying for their removal, they rejoice in them exceedingly. It is, therefore, against those evils only, which cannot bring any advantage to the soul, that we pray ; not against such as may be auxiliary to our salvation. QUESTION VII. How many wnd how great are tJie Evils from which we desire to he Liberated. The full force of the petition, therefore, is this, that, freed from sin, we may also be freed from the danger of tempta- tion, from internal and external evils ; that we may be pro- tected from water, from fire, from Ughtning ; that the hail may not injure the fruits of the earth ; that we be not visited by dearth, seditions, war ; that God may keep away dis- eases, pestilence, desolation, may preserve us from slavery, imprisonment, exile, treason, plots, and from all other evils, by which the life of man is wont to be filled with such terror and misery. Finally, we pray that [God] may remove all causes of sin and iniquity. We do not, however, pray to be delivered solely from those things, which, by the consent of all, are evils ; but with them we also deprecate those things which almost all confess to be goods, such as riches, honours, health, strength, and life itself ; that is, we pray that these prove not detrimental or destructive to our souls. We also beg of God that we be not cut off by a sudden death ; that we provoke not the anger of God against us ; that we suffer not the punishments that await the wicked ; that we be not tormented in the fire of purgatory, from which we piously and devoutly implore the liberation of others. Such is the explanation of this petition given by the church in the mass,'' and in the Litanies ;' that is to say, in it we beseech God to deliver ris/roin all evils, past, present, and to come. ' 2 Cor. xii. 7, 9. Clirys. in c. xi. Gen. hom. 30. Aug. c. Faust. 1. xiii. u. 20. ' Eoman Missal (p. 272, p. 186). ' Cf. ib. (p. 215). 584 THE CATECHISM QUESTION VIII. God boUi wards off Impending Evils, and sometimes Wonderfully Delivers us from Present Ones. I But the goodness of God delivers us from, evils in a variety of ways ; for Jie prevents impending calamities ; as we read that the great Jacob was liberated from his enemies, whom the slaughter of the Sohechemites had stirred up against him ; for we read ; The terror of God was upon tlie cities that were rmind about them, and tliey did not pursue after tJie sons ofJacob.^ And, indeed, all the blessed, who reign with Christ our Lord in heaven, have been delivered by God's assistance from all evil ;» but [God], -whilst he delivers us from some, does not wish that we, sojourning in this pilgri- mage, should be exempt fi"om all evils. The consolation with which God sometimes refreshes those who labour under adversity is, however, in some sort, equivalent to an exemp- tion from all evils : with it the prophet consoled himself when he said : In the multitude of my ilwuglds within tne, thy comjorts ddight my souL." God, moreover, dehvers men from evUs, when he preserves them safe and unhurt m ex- treme danger, as we read of the children who were thrown into the fiery fumace,P and of Daniel :4 the former were preserved unhurt amid the flames j the latter among the Uons. QUESTION IX. Hie Devil specially called " (lie Evil One," because lie is tJie Author of Evil, and the Inflictor of its PunishTnent, The devil also is especially called evil, according to St. Basil,"' Chrysostom,= and Augustine,* because he was the author of man's transgression, that is, of his sin and iniquity ; and because God makes use of him as an instrument to exact punishment for the wickedness of sinners ; for all the evil that mankind endure on account of sin is given by God ; and " Gen, XXXV. 5. " laa. XXV. 8, sq. ; 2 Cor. v. 1, sqq. ; Rev. vii. 17, xxi. i. ' Ps. xciii. (xciv.) 19. ' Dan. iii. 21, sqq. 1 Dan. vi. 22, xiv. 39. ' Basil, hom. Quod Dens non est auctor malor. u. 8. ' Chrysost. expUo. crat. Dom. ' Aug. ib. of. ej. op. iraperf. o. Julian. 1. vi. n. 16, ser. xii. u, 2, n. 2. OF THE COUNCIL OF TEENT. 585 this is the meaning of these words of the divine writings : SImLI there he evil in a city, and the Lord liath not done P- also : / am the Lord, and there is none else : I form, the light and create darkness : I make peace and create evil.'' [The devil] is also called evil, because, although we have done him no liai'm, he wages perpetual war against us, and pursues us with mortal hatred ; but although, if we be armed with faith and shielded with innocence, he cannot hurt us, yet he never ceases to tempt us by external evils, and annoy us by every means in his power : and, therefore, do we beseech God to vouchsafe to deliver us from e^dl. QUESTION X. We say from Evil, not from Evils, and why. We ssij/rom, evil, not from evils, because the evils which proceed from others we ascribe to Satan, as their author and instigator. This is also a reason why we should be less dis- posed to be angry with our neighbours : we should rather turn our hatred and anger against Satan himself, by whom men are impelled to inflict injury. If, therefore, thy neigh- bour hath injured thee in aught, when thou prayest to God thy Father, beg of him not only to deliver thee from evil, that is, from the injuries which thy neighbour inflicts on thee ; but to rescue thy neighbour also from the hand of the devil, by whose impulse men are led into injustice.™' QUESTION XI. Mow we ought to hAavc under Afflictions, even if we be not liberated forthwith. Finally, we should know, that if through prayers and vows we are not delivered from evUs, we should bear our afflictions with patience, aware that it is the divine will that we should patiently endure them. If, therefore, God hear not our prayers,, we ought not to be annoyed or grieved, but should refer all things to the divine will and pleasure, considering that what God pleases, not what may otherwise be agreeable to our wishes, is useful and salutary. » Amos iii. 6 ; add Deut. xxxii. 23, sqq. ; 3 Kings ix. 7, sqq. xxi. 29 ; Jer. xi. 22, sqq. ' Isa. xlv. 6, sq. »■ Aug. ser. 17, u. 2, in App. of. Joa. Dam. de fide orth. 1. ii. o. 4. ObO THE CATECHISM QUESTION XII. How many, amd how great Advantages result to lis from Tribulation, In fine, that during this our mortal career, we should be prepared to bear every kind of affiction and calamity, not only with patience, but even with joy, is a lesson of instruc- tion which the pastor should impress upon his pious hearers ; for All that will live godly m Christ Jesus, says St. Paul, shall suffer persecution ;^ also : Through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God ;^ again : Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory ;'■ Jbr a servant should not be greater than Ids master ;^ nor, as St. Bernard observes, do delicate members become a head crowned with thorns.'' The glorious example of Uriah challenges our imitation, who, when urged by David to re- main at home, replied : Tlie ark of God, and Israel, and Judah dwell in tents ; and shaU I go into my house." If we come to prayer, endued with these reflections and this dis- position, although surrounded by menaces and encompassed by evils on every side, we may not, like the three children, who were preserved untouched amidst the flames,* pass un- hurt through the ordeal, but like the Maccabees,' may at least bear up against adverse fortxme with firmness and for- titude. In contumelies and tortures we shall imitate the Talessed apostles, who, after they had been scourged, rejoiced exceedingly that they were accounted worthy to suffer con- tumeKes for Christ Jesus.' Thus disposed we too shall sing in transports of joy : Princes have persecuted me vdthovt a cause ; but my heart standeth in awe of thy word : I rejoice at thy word, as one thatfindeth great spoils ' 2 Tim. iii. 12. ? Acts xiv. 22. ' Luke xxiv. 26. " Matt. X. 24, sq. ; Luke vi. 40 ; John xiii. 16, xv. 20. ^ In Fest. Omn. Sanct. ser. 5, ii. 9, verbis paulum mutatis. Cf. Greg. Mor. 1. xx. c. 31, n. 16. ' 2 Sam. xi. 11. ■■ Dan. iii. 50. " 1 Maccab. ii. 16, sqq. ' Acts. V, 40, sq. 6 Ps. cxviii. (cxix.) 161, sq. OF THE COUNCIL OP TRENT. 587 CHAPTER XYII. OF THE LAST CLAUSE OF THE LOED's PEAYER. AMEN. QUESTION I. Of ike Use mid Fruit of this Particle. This ■word Amen, St. Jerome, in Ms Commentaries on Matthew, calls what it really is, ilie seal ofilie Lord's prayer}^ As then we before admonished the faithful of the prepara- tion which is to be made before we commence divine prayer ; so do we now deem it proper to make known to them the rea-son why we close our prayers with this word, and what it signifies ; for devotion in concluding, is of equal importance with attention in beginning, divine prayer. The faithful ])eople then are to know that numerous and abundant are the fruits, which we gather from the close of the Lord's Prayer ; but of these, the richest and most agreeable fruit is the attainment of the objects of our prayers, a matter on which we have already treated with sufficient fulness. By this concluding word of the prayer, however, not only do we obtain that our prayers be heard, but also receive blessings, the magnitude and excellence of which surpass all powers of description. QUESTION II. Of the Good TliiTigs which result to men from Prayer. For when, as St. Cyprian^ says, we commune with God by prayer, the divine majesty becomes, after a certain inex- plicable manner, nearer to him who is engaged in. prayer than to others ; and also enriches him with peculiar gifts. Those who pray devoutly, may thus in some sort be com- pared to persons who approach a fire ; who, if cold, derive warmth ; if warm, heat : in like manner, those who approach God, acquire a warmth and ardovu: proportioned to their '' Hier. Com. in Matt. 1. i. 6, 13. Cyrill. HieroB. Calech. xxiii. n. 18. ' De orat. Dom.- 588 THE CATECHISM piety and faitli : for tlieir soul is inflamed with, zeal for the glory of God ; their mind illumined after an admirable manner ; they are enriched exceedingly with divine gifts ; for it is written : Tlwu preventest him until blessings of good- ness J Of this, the great Moses affords an illustrious ex- ample to all, for withdrawing from his interview and conver- sation with God, he shone, as it were, with the reflected splendours of the divinity ; so that the Israelites could not look upon his eyes or countenance.'^ Those, in fine, who pray with such fervour, enjoy, after an admirable manner, the benignity and Majesty of God : In tJie morning, says the Prophet, / mil direct my prayer unto thee and will look up : for thou art not a God that hath pleasure in urickedness.^ The better men know these truths, the more piously do they venerate and worship God ; the more dehghtfully too do they taste, how sweet is the Lord, and how truly blessed are all that hope in him."! Encircled by that most brilliant light, they also consider how great is their own lowliness, how exalted the majesty of God. This is the rule of St. Augustine ; May I know thee, may I know mysdf.^ Thus it is that, mistrusting their own strength, they commit themselves altogether to the goodness of God, not doubting that he, embracing them in his paternal and admirable love, will afford them in abundance all things necessary unto life and salvation. Hence they should turn themselves to give thanks vmto God, to the utmost extent that their minds can conceive, or their tongues express ; following the example of the great David, who having commenced by praying : Save me from all them that persecute me, concludes with these words : / loill praise tlie Lord according to his righteovjSness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord tlie Most High." QUESTION III. Why it is, iluji tlie Prayers of tlie Saints, ber/innitig in Fear, laid with Joy. There are extant innumerable such prayers of the saints, the beginnings of which are full of fear, but which end J Ps. XX. 4 (xxi. 3). ^ Ex. xxxiv. 29, sq. 35. ' Ps. V. 3, sq. "■ Ps. xxxiii. (xxxiv.) 8. " Aug. Soliloq. 1. ii. c. 1, n. Verba, iwmerim me, noverim te, inCatecli. sunt transposita. Cf. Ps. oxxxviii. 6. ° Ps. vii. 1-17. OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 5S9 ■with good hope and joy ; but in the psalms of David, this spirit is eminently conspicuous. Agitated by fear, he thus began : Many are they who rise lup agavnst me : many say to my smd : there is no help for him in God ;P but at length, armed with fortitude, and filled with joy, he adds a little after : / laill not fear ten thousamds of people that luvoe set themselves against me round oboutA In another psalm also, after he had deplored his misery, at length confiding in God, he rejoices exceedingly in the hope of everlasting hap- piness : / iirill both lay me down in peace and sleep.'' What shall we say of these words ? Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, nor chasten, me in thy hot displeasure;' with what fear and dismay must they not have been uttered by the prophet ! On the other hand, with what confidence and joy must he not have added : Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity ; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping} When he dreaded the anger and fury of Saul, with what lowliness and humility did he not implore the assistance of God : Save me, God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength;'^ and yet, in the same psalm, he cheerfully and confidently added : Behold, God is my lidper, and the Lord is the uplwlder of my souly Let him, therefore, who has recourse to holy prayers, fortified by faith and hope, ap- proach God his Father, not at all despairing to obtain those blessings, of which he may stand in need. QUESTION IV. Why the pronnnciaiion of tlieword " Amen" in this Prayer, and in the Mass, is reserved for (lie Priest. The word, amen, with which the divine prayer concludes, contains many germs, as it were, of those reasons and re- flections which we have already mentioned ; and, indeed, so frequent was this Hebrew word in the mouth of the Saviour,'' that it pleased the Holy Ghost to have it retained in the Church of God. Its meaning in some sort is : Know p Ps. iii. 1, sq. ' lb. 6. ' lb. iv. 8. " lb. vi. 1. ' lb. 8. " lb. Uii. (liv.) 1. ' lb. 4. »■ E.g. Matt. v. 18, 26, vi. 2, 5, 13, 16, viii. 10, x. 15, 23, 42, xi. 11, xiii. 17, xvi. 28, xvii. 19, xviii. 3, 13, 18, xix. 23, 28, xxi. 21, xxiii. 36, xxiv. 2, 34, 47, XXV. 12, 40, 45, xxvi. 13, 21, 34. 590 THE CATECHISM ttat thy prayers are heard, for it is in substance, as if God answers the supplicant, and graciously dismisses him, after he has obtained the object of his prayers. This interpre- tation has been approved by the constant usage of the Church of God ; for in the sacrifice of the mass, when the Lord's prayer is being said, she has not assigned the word, amen, to the persons serving the mass, whose business it is to say : But deliver us from, evU, but has reserved it as appropriate to the priest himself, who, aa interpreter be- tween God and man, answers, amien, thus intimating that God has heard the prayers of his people."^ QUESTION T. Wliy in tlie oOtcr Prayers ihe Clerk, hut in this tlie Pnest, answers "Amen." This rite, however, is not common to all the prayers, for in the others it is the duty of the clerk to answer, amen ; but it is peculiar to the Lord's prayer. Por in the other prayers it expresses consent and desire only ;y in this it is an answer, that God has assented to the prayer of the sup- pliant. QUESTION VI. Tlie. word, "Amen," is interpreted variously. By many this word, ame^i, has indeed been variously intei^preted : the Septuagint translates it: So be it:^ some render it, truly :^ Aquila makes it, faithfuMy ;^ but which of these versions we adopt is matter of little moment, pro- vided we understand it to have the force already mentioned, ' Boman Missal (p. 186, p. 271). Of. Aug. c. Ep. Parmen. 1. ii. c. 7, n. 14 (p. 22) ; Cassian. de ooenob. instit. 1. ii. o. 10 (p. 22) ; Greg. M. Eegist. Epp. 1. ix. indict. 2, ep. 12 (p. 940, sq.). ' Cf. Justin. M. Apolog. I. n. 65 (p. 82) ; Euseb. hist. eool. 1. fii. o. 9. = TivoiTO, Ps. xl. 14 (Ixx. Ps. xli. 13, Ixxii. 19, Ixxxix. 52) ; 3 Kings i. 36 ; Num. v. 22 ; Deut. xxvii. 15 ; Nehem. v. 13, viii. 6, retinuerunt Aji-qif ; Jer. xxviii. 6, verterunt 'AXj/SaJf. « Hieron. Comm. in Matt. 1. i. vi. 13 ; of. Aug. ser. 362, o. 28, n. 29, contra Faust. 1. xv. u. 9 ; Ambros. Comm. in 1 Cor. 14, 16, in App. ii IlETriaTw^sj'aiE, vid. Hieron. Comm. in ep. ad Gal. 1. i. 1, 5, coll. 1. iii. 6, 18, ej. ep. xxvi. n. 4, Montfauoon Hexapl. Origen. in II. liisce : Num. V. 22 ; Deut. xxvii. 15 ; Pa. xl. 14 ; Isa. xxv. 1, Ixv. 16 ; in Exposit. PP. GrsBC. in Pa. » B. Corderio. T. ii. p. 466, legitur : Triina- OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. 591 wldcli is that of the priest confirming the concession of what was prayed for ; an interpretation to which the apostle lends his testimony in his epistle to the Corinthians, where he says : All the promises of God in him a/re yea : and in him, ainen to God unto our glory." To us also this word is well suited, containing as it does some confirmation of the petitions, wliich we have hitherto presented ; and awakening our attention, whilst engaged in holy prayers ; for it also often happens, that in prayer men's thoughts are distracted to other objects. Nay, by this very- word we most earnestly beg of God, that all may be accom- plished, that is, that all our previous petitions may be granted ; or rather, understanding that they have been all granted, and feeling the virtue of the divine assistance present with us, we sing with the prophet : Behold, God is my lidper ; and tlie Lord is the upholder of my soulA Nor has any one reason to doubt, that God is moved by the name of his Son, and by a word very often used by him, who was always, as the apostle says, heard in that he feared;" whose is the kingdom, and the power, and the empire, for ever and ever.^ > ' 2 Cor. i. 20. Cf. Isa. Ixv. 16 ; Theodoret. interpret, ep. ii. ad Cor. i. 20 ; Ambros. enarr. in Ps. xl. n. 36 ; Hieron. Comm. in Isa. 1. xviii. o. 65, 16. " Ps. liii. 6 (liv. 4). " Heb. v. 7. ' Add Ven. ex 1 Pet. iv. 11, v. 11 ; Jud. 25. Orationis vera domi- nicte doxologiam, scriori tempore anncxam {quod codd. et pairum antiqitiss. auctoriiaie aliisquc argumentis saiu superqu£ firmatur), Grwca quidem, neque autem Roniana Ecclesia recepit. THE END. FRINTBD BY COX (BROTHEns) AND WYMA^, GRUAT QUlfKN' STREET.