CA BELIEF SIMPLE EXPOSITION OP CATHOLIC DOCTRINE. Archiconfrerie du Caur adonis ant de Jesus. ASSISTANCE DES MOURANTS INTERCESSION PERPETUELLE ' Cceur aeomsanfcde Jesus, ayez pitie des mqurants. CATHOLIC BELIEF; . OR, A SHORT AND SIMPLE EXPOSITION OF CATHOLIC DOCTRINE. VERY EEV. JOSEPH FAA DI BRUNO, D.D. Rector-General of the Pious Society of Minions : Church of SSmo Salvatore in Onda, Ponte Sitto, ROM and St. Peter's Italian Church, Nation Garden, London, E.C. ' Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock. If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to Mm and will sup with him, and he with me." Apocalypse (Revelation) iii. 20. 1 And Xathanael said to him : Can anything of good come from Nazareth? Philip saith to him : Come and see." Si. John i. 46. JFtftfj Cnition. BURNS AND OATES. LONDON : GRANVILLE MANSIONS, ORCHARD STREET, W. NEW YORK : CATHOLIC PUBLICATION SOCIETY CO. BARCLAY STREET. ENTERED AT STATIONERS 1 MALI* ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IT is the Author's privilege to preface this edition with the following letter from the Cardinal Arch- bishop of Westminster, in which His Eminence kindly manifests his appreciation of the work : ARCHBISHOP'S HOUSE, WESTMINSTER, S.W., May 2, 1884. MY DEAB DR. FA DI BRUNO, The very signal success of your book of " Catholic Belief" renders all recommendation unnecessary. Never- theless, I wish to thank you for giving us one of the most complete and useful Manuals of Doctrine, Devotion, and Elementary information for the instruction of those who are seeking the truth ; and not for them only, but for those who have inherited it. The immense number already in circulation shows how directly it meets a great need ; and I hope it will be more and more widely diffused. As you are called away from among us, you have left us a valu- able bequest. Believe me always, Yours affectionately in J. C., ^ HKNRY E., Card, Archbishop of Westmintter. 1074GS8 "GRACE BE TO YOU, AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER, AND FROM OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST " (Galatians L 3.) PREFACE, T\EAE KEADEK, During the thirty years passed *-' as a Missionary Priest in England, I have found that nearly all the objections so often repeated against the faith and practice of the Eoman Catholic Church come from misunderstanding the true teach- ing of our Holy Keligion, that Religion which, in order to be respected and beloved by well-disposed Christian minds, needs only to be known. A fairer field has, of late years, been granted to Catholics in England ; their principles have become better known, and many prejudices against the Catholic faith have happily passed away ; yet, alas ! some of them more deeply rooted still remain. Pondering over these things, and lamenting the estrangement from the Church of so many souls, each one of them so dear to JESUS CHRIST; and longing to do service to my neighbour, I have ventured to take in hand this little work. My hope is, that this short and simple exposition of Catholic doctrine may help many to get rid of b X PREFACE. some unhappy misconceptions or some prejudices, and may prove a blessing and a comfort to many an earnest soul As my purpose is to give, though briefly, a summary of Catholic Belief, the reader will under- stand why these pages include those doctrines in which both Catholics and Protestants happily agree. In order to be better understood by all, and bearing in mind the fatherly words of St. Augus- tine of Hippo : " It is better to endure blame at the hands of the critics, than to say anything that the people might not understand" (Ad Psalm 138), I have often used familiar, rather than scholastic, expressions, and in some places I have enlarged upon points most liable to be misunderstood by Protestants. All I have here written I believe to be trust- worthy; nevertheless I humbly submit all to the unerring judgment of the Church. According to the rule of charity, I have carefully endeavoured to avoid using any expression that might give just cause of offence to any one, without, however, compromising or disguising the truth. I have been kindly encouraged and materially aided by several friends, and by one more especi- ally. I am glad of this opportunity to return them my sincere thanks. May each enjoy a large reward from Him in whose Name they have assisted me. The great desire of my heart for you, dear reader, is, that you may gain some good from this little labour of love. May it help you on your way to our true home, to Heaven ! There may we, by the mercy of God, all meet, to be for ever "filled with the joy of His countenance" Farewell. Ever your humble servant in JESUS CHRIST. JOSEPH FA! DI BRUNO, Priest of the " Pious Society of Missions," Founded in Rome by the Servant of God, Vincent Pallotti. St. Patrick's College for Foreign Missions, Masio (Felizzano). Piedmont. Italy. Whitsunday, 1884. That this Exposition of the Catholic faith is faithful and correct any one can gather from the fact that all the four pre- vious editions had the Imprimatur of H. E. Cardinal Manning, Archbishop of Westminster ; that eighty thousand copies have up to the present been sold without any Catholic Bishop or Priest disputing the correctness of it ; and that this Fifth Edition has the honour to appear with a commendatory letter from the same, His Eminence, prefixed to it. The quotations from Holy Scripture in this little book are taken from the Catholic English Version, translated from the Latin Vulgate Version of the Old and New Testament, made by St. Jerome from the old Latin, Hebrew, and Greek, about the year 400, after Christ. This Version of St. Jerome of the Old and New Testament, called the Vulgate, was declared by the Council of Trent (1563) to be authentic. It was revised by Pope Sixtus V. (1585) and by Pope Clement VIII. (1593). The New Testament, speaking of the said English Version, was translated by the English College at Rheims (Marne), France, A.D. 1582, and the Old Testament by the English College at Douay (Nord), France, A.D. 1609, both republished, with notes, from time to time, in the United Kingdom, with approbation of the Catholic Bishops. This Catholic English Version is commonly called " The Douay.Bible." IN ALL THINGS MAY GOD BE GLORIFIED. INTRODUCTION. ALL men readily admit that, to be in a position to judge fairly of any case, one should hear both sides. As then, the honest mind naturally shrinks from passing a severe judgment on any one before hear- ing what he has to say for himself, so, no lover of truth and charity should hastily condemn, without a hearing, the largest body of Christians existing, the two hundred and twenty millions of Catholics who are living in communion with the See of Rome. The greater number of those who differ from Catholics draw most of the information they pos- sess about the Catholic Church from Protestant sources, thus hearing only one side. It may be, then, that many will be glad of the opportunity this little work affords, of learning from Catholics themselves what they really believe, and something of what they have to say in defence of their holy Religion. XIV INTRODUCTION. True Religion is that bond which unites finite to infinite, time to eternity, man to God. The good to be attained by Religion is the highest that can be conceived the complete and perfect enjoyment of God. The means through which it leads men to that good, are the noblest that can be imagined truth and justice! One therefore cannot remain indifferent between false and true Religion, for true Religion alone supplies all the proper means to obtain that supreme good. Some persons, owing to the pressing calls of business, or other cares, may not have the inclina- tion or time to read long works about religion, while a brief statement of Catholic Doctrine may be read, or listened to with interest, by all who love the truth and long to meet with it. Well, then, dear reader, deign to accept and read this short and simple exposition of ivhat Catholics really do believe, written by one who feels it his greatest blessing to be a member of the Holy, Catho- lic, and Roman Church, and who cannot help most earnestly wishing that all men possessed the same peace of mind and happiness which he enjoys in her communion. The first duty of every man who desires to discover truth, is, as Lord Bacon of Verulam observes, to examine if he has any prejudice lurking in his mind, INTRODUCTION. XV by which the admission of truth is obstructed ; for, as this philosopher goes on to remark, the kingdom of men which is founded in knowledge, cannot be entered in any other manner than the Kingdom of God is entered, namely, by being in the condition of little children. Let me beg, then, the honest inquirer, before read- ing this little book, to place himself in a state of impartiality, and lay aside that settled feeling of self-confidence which leads him to take it for granted that Eoman Catholics must be in the wrong. May God grant you, dear reader, a spirit of humi- lity, charity, and justice in reading this little book, and an earnest desire to know the truth. Do not omit to pray for this gentle and teachable spirit, feeling encouraged in so doing by those words of St. James (i. 5) ; " If any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and up- braideth not ; and it shall be given him ; " and by what is said in Psalm xxiv. 9, " He will guide the mild in judgment ; He icill teach the meek His ^vays." CONTENTS. PAQ PREFACE OF H. E. CARDINAL MANNING . . . vii PREFACE .... ' *jjrivutdy interpreted, to the exclusion of authori- tative interpretation ; thus a person may piously read 28 THE INTERPRETATION OP HOLY SCRIPTURE. and interpret Scripture privately for his own learning and edification, and yet respect, accept, and prefer authoritative interpretation to his own, at least in those cases in which it can be had. Thus, Catholics do think to have life in Holy Scrip- tures, but do not thereby exclude authoritative interpre- tation, but on the contrary take it for their guide. But let us, for argument's sake, suppose that the Pharisees went by private interpretation of Scripture. Even in this supposition it would not follow that Jesus Christ, by that saying, meant to approve their conduct; for also Catholics do often say to Protestants who go by private interpretation : ' Search the Scriptures, for you will find that they bear testimony to the Divinity of Jesus, to the institution of the Seven Sacraments, to the unfailing authority of the Catholic Church ; ' and no one ever dreamt to affirm that by so saying Catholics mean to approve the Protestant principle of private interpretation. Again, if that passage and the other in praise of the Bereans (Acts xvii. 11) were to be taken in the Protes- tant sense to establish the principle of private interpre- tation, two consequences, quite inadmissible, would follow, namely 1st, that if the Pharisees or the Bereans had found by their private interpretation that the Old Testament (which was the only part of the Written Word they had then) did not bear testimony to Christ, or that it bore testimony against Him, as many did imagine, they would have been justified in dis- believing Jesus Christ; 2ndly, that not believing in Christ until moved by private interpretation of Scrip- ture was better than simply believing in Christ, on the word of Christ, or of His Church, without consulting the Scriptures, as the Apostles and thousands of Jewish and Pagan converts did. THE INTERPRETATION OP HOLY SCRIPTURE. 29 To avoid these two inadmissible consequences, it remains that the above cited and similar passages must be understood in the Catholic sense just mentioned. To the Apostles our Lord gave the charge to " teach all nations" and the faithful were commanded to hear and believe them (St. Mark xvi. 16.) This commis- sion was accompanied by a promise that he \vould be with them in this office of teaching to the end of time (St. Matth. xxviii. 19, 20.) From these expressions it is clear that their lawful successors were also included in the commission and promise given to the Apostles. It follows then that the authoritative interpretation of Scripture made by the lawful successors of the Apostles is the true one, and truly the word of God ; a contra- dictory interpretation must therefore of necessity be false, and is not the word of God ; because a thing under the same aspect cannot be true and untrue at the same time, for truth in all things is one, and the con- tradiction of it is error. Hence St. Peter condemns private interpretation of Scripture, saying : " No prophecy (or explanation) of Scripture is made by private interpretation " (2 St. Peter i. 20.)* Those who refuse to hear and to follow the legitimate interpretation, and the faith of the Church, often, instead of the word of God, that is, what God really meant in Holy Scripture, have only their own inventions and errors, and these they mis- take for the word of God. These persons consequently fall into a maze of per- plexities, and often change their interpretation. They are, as St. Paul expresses it : " tossed to and fro, and carried about ivith every wind of doctrine " (Ephesians iv. 14). St. Peter warns us of this danger, when referring especially to St. Paul's Epistles, he says : * See footnote on this passage in Catholic (Douay) Bible. 30 THE INTERPRETATION OP HOLY SCRIPTURE. " In which are certain things hard to be understood, ivhich the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." (2 St. Peter iii. 16.) Hence it appears how rash and dangerous is the principle of private interpretation, which emboldens every individual to prefer his own private view of any passage of Scripture to the solemn interpretation and decision of the whole body of Catholic Bishops of past and present time united to the See of Peter. Persons actuated by such pride cannot expect to be led by God unto truth. Objectors say that to submit to the teaching of the Church is to give up our reason. But if it could not be called a surrender of reason for the early Christians to submit to the teaching of the Apostles, because it was a submission to the messengers of Christ, to the witnesses and authorised expounders of Kevelation as long as the Apostles lived, surely it cannot be con- sidered a surrender of reason, but a high exercise of reason and a most reasonable act, for other Christians to conform themselves to the teaching of the Catholic Church, that is, to the Body of the Catholic Bishops with the Roman Pontiff at their head, who are the lawful messengers of God, the legitimate successors of the Apostles, the witnesses and authorised expounders of Kevelation; for they, in an uninterrupted succes- sion, keep up that Apostolic office, which according to Christ's declaration, and through the promised special assistance of the Holy Spirit, was to last to the end of time. Not a few Protestants think themselves authorised by St. Paul to follow their private interpretation of Scripture by those words : " Prove all things " which occur in the 1st Epistle to the Thessalonians, chap. v. THE INTERPRETATION OP HOLY SCRIPTURE. 31 21. 1st, It is hard to have to include in the words " all things " the Holy Scripture, as there is no allusion to it in that chapter ; and, if admitted, it would prove too much : namely, not only the sense of a certain text, but whether the text "prove all things " is itself to be admitted or not. 2nd, It would be absurd to suppose, that that direction was authorising each Thessalonian in particular to follow his own private interpretation of Scripture ; for, in that case, the dissensions, instead of decreasing would have been increased, and the whole congregation turned into a little BabeL It is plain that that direction was given to the whole congregation as a body with their Pastors, to whom in that very letter the lay people were recommended to pay deference (verse 12), were the principal part of it. Surely if the whole congregation of a town agrees with their legitimate Pastors about admitting or not admitting a certain doctrine, and they both follow the tradition, that is, the doctrine of the Apostles kept alive among them, as recommended to them by St. Paul himself, 2 Thess. ii. 15, they would be sure to go right; but that would not be by the Protestant but by the Catholic system of interpretation. Objectors also say that every one has the assistance of the Holy Spirit to interpret the Bible rightly. But if this were so, people would agree and would not contradict each other in their interpretation of Scripture; for no passage of the inspired Word of God, in its right meaning, can really contradict another passage in matters of faith, of morals, and of fact. But numerous Protestant denominations often differ one from another and often contradict each other in vital points, and each assumes to prove his particular doctrine from Holy Scripture. I say vital, for, on account of these very points, they have thought them- 32 THE INTERPRETATION OP HOTA" SCRIPTURE. selves in duty bound to separate from some other community. This plainly shows that they are not inspired by the Holy Spirit, Who being the spirit of unity and truth, cannot create discord, cannot teach error, cannot suggest a false meaning, and cannot contradict Himself. This principle of private interpretation of Holy Scripture, during the three centuries since Luther's time, has given rise to hundreds of sects among Protes- tants, and this in spite of the efforts of several of the civil Governments to prevent such subdivisions. Had this principle been adopted in the beginning of Christi- anity, and gone on working throughout the Christian world for eighteen centuries unrestrained by the civil power, the sects would probably by this time have enormously increased.* The Bible without an authorised, that is, divinely given, interpreter could not condemn any heresy, nor could any of the Christian sects adjudge any individual or any other sect as guilty of heresy, without abdicating its own principle of private interpretation for all. Even Tertullian, a Father of the 2nd century, could say : " Wherefore the Scriptures cannot be the test (speak- ing of controversy) nor can they decide the conflict; since, ivith regard to them, the victory must remain in suspense." Tertul. (Book on Prescription, chapter 19). In all centuries those persons who maintained and * According to a return of the English Registrar-General on the ist October, 1882, the number of Protestant sects having places registered for the performance of religious worship in Eng- land and Wales exceeds 180, and in Ireland, where Protestants, as compared with Catholics, are few, there are nearly 150. In the United States of America Protestant denominations are also numerous. (See Part III., No. 17). Cardinal Hosius enu- merated 270 different sects of Protestants in the sixteenth century as then existing. THE INTERPRETATION OP HOLY SCRIPTURE. 33 taught their own private interpretation in opposition to that of the Church, have been regarded by all the Fathers, Saints, and Doctors of the Church as heretics, and were condemned as such by the Church.* Catholics do well to read and study the Holy Scriptures for their greater instruction and edification, but always in a spirit of submission to the Catholic Church, so as never to prefer their own private view to the known interpretation and teaching of " the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth," (1 St. Timothy iii. 15.) Before Luther's innovations the Catholic Church did not forbid the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue to the laity, except in France in the 12th and 13th centuries. It was the unheard-of system of private interpretation, brought in by the Reformers in disparagement of that of the Church, and so liable to abuse, that caused her to put in general some restrictions to private reading. The approved Catholic versions of the Holy Scrip- tures in English or any other tongue, with notes, although not indiscriminately circulated, is not with- held from the faithful ; and the reverent reading of it is encouraged by the Church. It is well known that new and cheap editions of Holy Scripture are frequently issued, both in the United Kingdom and abroad, by Catholic booksellers with the approval of the Bishops. To most editions is prefixed a letter of Pope Pius VI. in the year 1778, to the Most Rev. Antony Martini of Turin, Archbishop of Florence, in which His Holiness praises him for opportunely "publishing the Sacred * "They who solicitously seek for truth, ready to own their error as soon as the truth is discovered, are by no means to be numbered among heretics," says St. Augustine (Epistle 43 to Donat). This is also the opinion of all Catholic theologians. Such persons are material, not formal, heretics. 34: THE INTERPRETATION OP HOLT SCRIPTURE. Writings in the language of 7m country suitable to every one's capacity" and encourages the pious reading and studying of Holy Scripture by the faithful. The pious reading of Holy Scripture will not induce Catholics to become Protestants, but rather lead sincere, dispassionate Protestants to become Catholics, as has been often the case. Listen to what a distinguished convert says of himself on this subject : " The first remote cause of my conversion I have always considered to be the delight which I have taken from my youth up in the study of Holy Scripture. " As a boy at school I read and re-read it, and learned much by heart ; and as a clergyman of the Church of England, I read aloud in Church, for five years and more, four chapters nearly every day. And as I read, I became more and more convinced that the doctrines of the Catholic Church were also the doctrines of Scripture. " This will surprise many, and many will not believe me ; for the lesson which every Protestant English child learns about Catholics is, that they dread the Scriptures because their Religion is unscriptural. " Never was lesson more false. I cannot find language strong enough in which to declare my convic- tion that the Catholic Church alone honours and loves the Scriptures with real honour and love ; and that the faith of the Catholic Church, and that alone, agrees in a wondrous harmony with every syllable of the Word of God."* * St. Andrew's Magazine (Barnet), April, 1879, page 65. By the Rev. Fr. George Bampficld, B.A., Oxon. See " Diffi- culties of Private Interpretation," by the same. Part III. No. 16 of this Look. INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH AND POPE. 35 CHAPTER IX. INFALLIBILITY OP THE CHURCH AND OF THE POPE. God has imparted truths to men, some of which they could not possibly have known by their unassisted reason, and some, only few men could discover by mere reasoning and know them with certainty. These truths imparted to men by God we call Divine Revelation ; and God requires that in order to obtain salvation, men should believe these revealed truths on His Divine authority. Such Revelation having been given, it follows that there must be some way in which these truths can be communicated to us in their purity, and in such a manner as to render us certain of possessing them. To say that God has merely given to men forms of words which admit of different and contradictory interpretation, and has left no authority on earth to declare which is the one true interpretation intended, amounts to a denial of Revelation altogether. A law which would admit of several inconsistent explanations would not have the nature of law if there were not a Court of Justice to declare the true sense. The same might be said of a revelation capable of several dis-' cordant interpretations. The Holy Scriptures do in themselves admit of con- flicting interpretations on a great number of questions. There are many subjects on which texts may be pro- duced with a meaning apparently opposed to other texts ; and in these cases, it is clear that one or more of the texts must be taken in a sense consistent with the statement of other parts of Scripture. If there is an authority to declare the right sense of these passages, then all is simple enough; but without 36 INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH AND POPE. such an authority, it cannot be denied that in the case supposed, Holy Scripture admits of contradictory interpretations, and consequently on such questions, it would cease to be a revelation. There must, therefore, be some living authority on earth commissioned by God to decide the meaning of the revelation which God has given us.. Such an authority must be infallible. Its infalli- bility is contained in its very commission. We cannot conceive that God has appointed some one to teach us his Revelation, and commanded us to listen to it and believe it, and yet that He would at the same time allow this guide to teach it incorrectly, and to lead us astray. God, Avho is the very truth, could not command us to believe false teaching. Without such infallibility there would be no certainty of faith. On any point " heresy" might be conceivably right and the Church wrong. Cardinal Newman, when yet a Protestant, in one of his Oxford Tracts had the following : " It would be foolish to say that the Church has authority to declare dogmatical points, and yet that she can err. How can the Church have authority if she is not certainly true in her declarations? Should we say that she has authority to tell a lie ? Dogmatical matters are not like things of earthly interest grounded on material expediency which is to be determined by discretion. Dogmatical matters appeal to conscience, and conscience is only subject to truth in matters of belief. To say that the Church has authority, and yet that she may err in her declarations, would be to destroy authority of conscience which every one should hold sacred ; it would be to substitute something else besides truth as sovereign lord of conscience, which would be tyranny. If the Church has authority in dogmatical matters she must be the organ and representative of truth; her INFALLIBILITY OP THB CHURCH AND POPE. 37 teaching must be identified with truth ; in one word, the Church must be infallible." Catholics believe that in the bosom of the Koman Catholic Church there exists such an infallible authority, and that it rests on the whole body of the Episcopate united with the Koman Pontiff. They also believe that this unfailing protection from teaching error is assured by God in a special manner to the Koman Pontiff himself when he speaks ex cathedrd, as visible head of the Church and legitimate successor of St. Peter. INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH. That this infallibility belongs to the whole Body of Bishops united to the Koman Pontiff is plain from those texts which prove the infallible teaching of the Apostles united to St. Peter their chief, and which apply also to their successors. The teaching Church is called by St. Paul " the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 St. Timothy iii. 15.) Our Lord promises that " the gates of hell shall not prevail " against His Church (St. Matt. xvi. 18) : that He will always be with His Church (St. Matt, xxviii. 20) : that the Holy Spirit shall abide with her for ever for the express purpose of guiding her into all truth : " / will ask the father and He shall give you another Paraclete, that He may abide with you for ever." (St. John xiv. 16.) Our Lord Jesus Christ put the Apostles in His place in His Divine Mission upon earth, and in the office of teaching. " As my Father hath sent me, I also send you" (St. John xx. 21.) " He that heareth you heareth ME, and he that despiseth you, despiseth ME." (St. Luke x. 16.) And immediately after giving to His Apostles the commission to preach the Gospel to 4 38 INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH AND POPE, every creature, He added : " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but lie that believeth not shall be condemned." (St. Mark xvi. 16.) All these texts, which demand from the faithful their full acceptance of what the Church teaches, show that it is impossible that the true Church can teach what is false in matters of faith and of morals. This infallibility does not depend upon the learning which exists in the whole body of the Episcopate united to the Pope when discussing and deciding points of faith or of morals, but on the promised aid of the Holy Ghost who enlightens their minds and guides their counsels. Thus the decision of the first Council at Jerusalem was communicated to the faithful in the following Apostolic declaration : "It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay no further burden upon you than these necessary things." (Acts XT. 28.) By this divine assistance the Bishops in union with the Bishop of Eome do not become the medium of a new revelation, but are divinely assisted and enlightened, according to the unfailing promise of God, to under- stand clearly what has been revealed, and to declare rightly the true meaning of that revelation. From this doctrine it does not follow that the Church arrogates to herself to be more than the Scriptures, as she has been accused of doing, but that she claims a higher authority than those private persons who take upon themselves to expound the Scriptures. INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPE. Besides this infallibility possessed by the Church, that is by the body of the Bishops together with the Pope, Catholics believe that the Pope also alone, as chief Pastor and visible head of the Church, is divinely protected from teaching error; but only when he INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH AND POPE. 39 teaches ex cathedrd, that is, when, not as a private teacher, but as exercising his office of supreme Pastor and teacher of the whole Church, he defines any doctrine of faith or of morals as true, or condemns any doctrine of faith or of morals as false. The infallibility of St. Peter and his successors is plainly seen from the following texts of Holy Scripture. First from St. Luke (xxii. 32), where we read that our Saviour addressed St. Peter in presence of the other Apostles thus : " Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for THEE that THY faith fail not : and THOU being once converted, confirm thy brethren." Here Jesus Christ provides against the danger to which His Apostles and their successors would always have been exposed of falling from the faith through the frailty and evil passions of men, and through the instigation and fraud of the devil. And in what way does He provide ? By praying in a special manner for one of them that his faith should not fail, and by com- manding him to confirm his brethren; thus giving all the other Apostles clearly to understand that they all were bound to adhere to that one, and follow his direc- tions, and that thus they would possess the privilege of being themselves infallible guides. St. Peter is the one for whom Christ specially prayed, and in the person of Peter his successors are of necessity included ; for Jesus Christ was providing for the good of His Church, which was to last not for the lifetime of St. Peter only, but to the end of time, against the attacks of the enemy, which would be unceasing. Were it possible that the Pope in his capacity of supreme Pastor of the Church, speaking ex cathedrd, could teach error, it might be argued, 1st, That the prayer of our Lord for St. Peter was not granted ; 2nd, 40 INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHUKCH AND POPE. That the special provision which Jesus Christ made for securing His Church from error, instead of preserving it from erring in faith or in morals, would, at least in certain cases, only serve to draw the whole Church into error, and be an advantage for Satan, not a means of defence to the Church against him. Another proof is gathered from the words addressed to Simon by our Blessed Lord after having changed Simon's name into that of Peter. [Kephas, Rock.] " Thou art Peter; and upon this rocJc I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (St. Matt. xvi. 18.) As the Church of Christ was to last beyond the life- time of St. Peter, even to the end of the world, and as the Church is not a lifeless, material building, but a living body of men requiring a living head to rule them and to be like a foundation of that great society, this promise of Christ, of making Peter a Kock, was meant not only for Peter but also for his successors. There must be proportion between the building and its founda- tion. The building, namely, the visible Church, being a living successive body of men, the foundation also, that is, the visible ruling power which sustains the whole superstructure, must be successive. Therefore the successors of St. Peter as the supreme visible rulers of the Church, are each like St. Peter, the Kock or the visible foundation of it. If rocks, they must stand immovable as teachers of truth ; if foundations of the Church of Christ, against which " the gates of hell shall not prevail," it follows that much less can the gates of hell prevail against the foundation itself ; for the house receives solidity from the foundation, not the foundation from the house. If the foundation could be overturned, the house or church built upon it also could. But the gates of hell INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH AND POPE. 41 (or the powers of evil) cannot prevail against the Church, therefore they cannot prevail against the foundation, which is the support of the Church, and which was made by our Saviour solid as a rock for the very purpose of rendering the Church indestructible. If some one were to maintain that the Church, and not the Pope, is infallible, there would follow the strange anomaly that the Pope has to be rendered safe by the Church in what he teaches, that is to say, that it is not the rock that imparts solidity to the building, but the building that imparts solidity to the rock upon which it rests ; and that the sheep and lambs have to guide the shepherd, and not to be guided by him into safe pastures. The official personal infallibility of the Pope is there- fore by this text fully established; and the Fathers understood it in this sense. Among these, Origen, in his commentary on this text, says : " It is manifest, though it is not expressed, that the gates of hell will not be able to prevail either against the Church, or against Peter, because if they should prevail against the rock upon which the Church is based, they would also prevail against the Church." A third argument is drawn from those words of Jesus Christ addressed to St. Peter, " Feed my lambs . feed my lambs . . . feed my sheep." (St. John xxi. 15-17.) Under the name of lambs who follow the mother- sheep and are fed by them, the Fathers of the Church have understood the lay-christian people, and under the name of sheep which feed the lambs that follow them, and whose mothers they are, they understood the Bishops and other Pastors (or shepherds) of the Church. The Fathers had no doubt that under that very significant and touching similitude, Jesus Christ 42 INFALLIBILITY OP THE CHURCH AND POPE. meant to commit to St. Peter, aud in his person to those who should inherit Peter's office, the care of His own flock, both the faithful lay-people and Pastors, the.lambs and sheep, the two parts alone of which the flock of Christ, the whole visible Church on earth, is composed. From this divine charge to St. Peter, there arises the corresponding duty on the part of all the other Bishops and of all the faithful throughout the world to submit themselves to the guidance of the Sovereign Pontiff, the successor of St. Peter, and allow themselves to be fed by him with the spiritual food of his wholesomejteaching. Hence it follows that the Sovereign Pontiff must be divinely protected from teaching what is wrong ; that is, he must, in teaching, be infallible ; for, if he were not protected by God from error when he teaches the whole Church in his capacity of supreme Pastor, the Church would be liable to be led into error, contrary to the promise of Jesus Christ. That this was the belief of the early Church, the Fathers of the first five centuries are splendid witnesses. I shall quote three of them. 1st, St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, who was a Father of the second century, re- nowned for his learning and sanctity, and for the purity of his faith, which he sealed with his blood, and who lived some years with the Bishop of Smyrna, St. Poly- carp, disciple of St. John the Evangelist. We can hardly have a better witness of the sentiments and teaching of the Catholic Church East and West during the first two centuries than this great Martyr and Father of the Church, St. Irenaeus. Now, in his book against heresies, amongst other things, St. Irenaeus lays down this general principle, that to convince heretics of their errors one might indeed consult the doctrine of his particular Church, founded by some one of the Apostles, and preserved by INFALLIBILITY OP THE CHURCH AND POPE. 4:3 their lawful successors, but that this long process was not necessary ; for there was a sufficient, safe, and shorter way, by looking to what was taught by the Koman Church, as all the other churches were bound to be united in faith with that Church on account of her greater principality (in the Latin version extant, " ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire Ecclesiam "), and that there- fore to convince heretics of their errors it was enough to show that the Eoman Church never taught their here- tical doctrines. (Book iii., Against Heresies, chap, iii.) St. Irenaeus attributes to the Church of Home the superior headship, and declares the duty of all other churches to agree with her faith, because of her having been founded by the two glorious Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, whose faith as preached by them was handed down by an uninterrupted line of Bishops who succeeded St. Peter in the see of Kome. These Bishops of Kome, all martyrs, to the number of twelve up to his time, he enumerates, namely, Linus Anacldtus Clement Evaristus Alexander I. Sixtus I. Teles- phorus Hyglnus Pius I. Anice'tus Soter and lastly, Eleutherius, under whose Pontificate he was living. This duty of all churches to be united to the Church of Kome as branches to the trunk, and to conform their faith to the teaching of the Church of Rome, that is of her Bishop, would be inconceivable unless we admit that it was from the first the universal conviction that the Bishop of Kome was endowed by Christ with in- fallibility. To this universal sentiment of the Church the great Doctor of the fourth century, St. Jerome, is also a noble witness. Being disturbed with the disputes among three parties which divided the Church of Antioch, of 44 INFALLIBILITY OP THE CHURCH AND POPE. which Church or Diocese he was then a subject, he writes for directions to Rome to Pope St. Damasus I., thus : " I who am but a sheep do apply to my Shep- herd for succour. I am united in communion with your Holiness, that is to say, with the chair of Peter ; I know that the Church is built upon that rock. He who eats the paschal lamb out of the house, is profane. Whoever is not in the ark of Noe will perish by the deluge. I know nothing of Vitalis ; I reject Meletius ; I am ignorant of Paullnus : he who gathers not with thee scatters" (Letter to Pope St. Damasus.) The great African Doctor of the Church, St. Augus- tine, Bishop of Hippo (near the site of ancient Carthage), who lived in the fourth and in the beginning of the fifth century, must also have been impressed with the same principle and conviction ; for commenting on the condemnation of Pelagianism he says: "Already the decisions of two Councils have been submitted to the Apostolic See, and from thence rescripts (or Apostolic Letters of reply) have come to us. The cause is finished." This sentence of St. Augustine has been condensed into that famous maxim which has for ages expressed in a few words the Catholic faith on this point: "Roma locuta est, causa finita est." "Home has spoken, the case is ended." The infallibility of the Pope was defined by the Vatican Council in the Fourth Session, chapter iv., on the 18th of July in the year of our Lord 1870, in these words : " Itaque Nos traditioni a fidei Christiance " exordio perceptcefideliter inhcerendo, ad Dei Salvatoris " nostri gloriam, religionis Catholics exaltationem et " Christianorum populorum salutem, sacro approbante " Concilio, docemus et divinitus revelatum dogma esse "definimus: Romanum Pontificem, cum ex Cathedrd " loquitur, id est, cum omnium Christianorum Pastoris INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH AND POPE. 45 " et Doctoris munere fungens, pro suprema sua Apos- " tolica auctoritate doctrinam de fide vel moribus ab " universa Ecclesia tenendam, definit, per assistentiam " divinam, ipsi in beato Petro promissam, ea infalli- " bilitate pollere, qua divinus Redemptor Ecclesiam " suam in deftnienda doctrina de fide vel moribus " instructam esse voluit ; ideoque ejusmodi Eomani " Pontificis definitiones ex sese, non autem ex consensu " Ecclesice irreformabiles esse." The following is a translation of this definition : " Wherefore ; faithfully adhering to the tradition " received from the beginning of the Christian Faith, " for the glory of God our Saviour, the exaltation of " the Catholic Eeligion, and the salvation of the " Christian people, We, the Sacred Council approving, " teach and define that it is a dogma divinely revealed : " that the Koman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra " that is, when discharging the office of Pastor and " Teacher of all Christians, by reason of his supreme " Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding " faith or morals to be held by the whole Church he, " by the Divine assistance promised to him in Blessed "Peter, possesses that infallibility with which the "Divine Kedeemer willed that His Church should be " endowed in defining doctrine regarding Faith or " Morals : and that therefore such definitions of the " said Roman Pontiff are of themselves unalterable " and not from the consent of the Church." Consequently, Catholics believe that the Pope is infallible when he teaches the faithful ex cathedra, that is, "from the Chair" of St. Peter, in matters of faith or of morals. The word infallibility, as applied to the Pope, does not mean that everything that the Pope does is the wisest and most judicious course that could be taken ; 46 INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH AND POPE. it does not mean that what he says as a preacher or a writer is necessarily free from error ; it does not even mean that in his office of supreme ecclesiastical judge he may not be mistaken, but it means that "when he teaches the faithful as the visible Head of the Church in the manner described in the definitions just quoted, he in such cases is protected by the special promise and Providence of God, who is Himself the only source of infallibility, from wrongly interpreting the "Word of God, and from teaching error. By teaching ex cathedra is meant, when the Pope is speaking, not as a private theologian, or in some other limited character, but defining solemnly a doctrine in his capacity of Successor of St. Peter and Pastor of the universal Church. The addition of the words, " a doctrine regarding faith or morals" signifies that the Pope, in virtue of this definition, is believed to be infallible only when he teaches a doctrine concerning faith or morals, that is to say, in matters relating to revealed truth, or to principles of moral conduct in life. These limitations show that Catholics are not, ac- cording to the definition, bound to believe that the Pope cannot err in matters other than faith or morals, or even in matters of faith or of morals, when he is speaking as a private individual, and not in his official capacity ex cathedrd. It is important here to remark that infallibility, as applied by Catholics to the Pope, differs from impecca- bility ; for infallible, speaking of men, means preserved by God in certain cases from erring ; and impeccable means either unable to sin as God is, or preserved by God from sinning. The Pope is not impeccable ; on the contrary, any Pope may fall into sin ; but nevertheless, every Pope INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH AND POPE. 47 is infallible in expounding Holy Scripture, in denning, that is, declaring in precise words revealed truth, and teaching points of faith or of morals, when he does all this ex cathedrd. In a somewhat like manner in civil matters a Judge maybe blameable in his private life, and yet eminent and faultless in his official duty of deciding points of civil law. Protestants are apt to make this objection. How can a sinful man be infallible ? They should not, however, be astonished that the Successor of St. Peter, though liable to commit sin, should, by virtue of the all-power- ful prayer and unfailing promise of Jesus Christ, be preserved under certain conditions by the Holy Ghost from expounding falsely the "Word of God, when they see in Holy Writ that sinful men, as were Balaam, Solomon, and Jonas, have been made to speak infallibly, or to put the Word of God into writing free from all error. Caiphas was unjust ; and yet he was inspired by God to utter infallibly this prophecy : " It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people " (St. John xi. 50) ; upon which the Evangelist, in the same place, makes this remark : " And this he spoke not of himself: but being the High Priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation" Again, many of the Scribes and Pharisees were of sinful life, and yet our Lord, referring to them, says : " The Scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the chair of Moses. All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do; but according to their works do ye not ; for they say and do not" (St. Matt, xxiii. 2, 3.) And St. Peter himself, though guilty at one time of sin, is acknowledged by Christians to have been infallible in teaching the Church, both by word and by writing. It seems hardly consistent that Protestants should 48 INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHUECH AND POPE. find fault with Catholics for believing that the Pope has the special assistance of the Holy Spirit, since many of them go so far as to assume that assistance for every private individual. Again, those Protestants who hold that they are assisted by the Holy Spirit in the inter- pretation of Scripture, by a strange inconsistency, do not consider themselves to be infallible ; for they admit that they are liable to err, liable to contradict themselves, and liable to contradict each other ; whereas Catholics, consistent with their principles, hold that the Pope, for the very reason that he is assisted by the Holy Ghost, when he teaches the whole Church, or any part, or even any member of it, ex cathedrd, in points of faith or of morals, cannot, within such defined limits, err in the interpretation of the Word of God, and cannot either contradict himself, or contradict the teaching ex cathe- dra of another Pope, or the dogmatical definition of a rightly constituted General Council. How is it, then, some may ask, that this Catholic dogma of the Pope's infallibility is so often clamoured against as impious antl absurd 1 The honest inquirer will, I think, cease to be astonished at this if he will only observe that declaimers against the Pope's infal- libility are not always careful accurately to state the terms and limitations of the solemn definition as just quoted, and that they then cry out against a phantom of their own imagining ; thus condemning Catholics for a doctrine which they do not hold. CHAPTER X, JUSTIFICATION. Justification is a divine act which conveys sanctifying grace, and by that grace communicates a supernatural JUSTIFICATION. 49 life to the soul, which by sin, whether original or actual, had incurred spiritual death ; that is to say, justification is a change in the human soul or translation from the state of sin into the state of grace. It is a gift of Almighty God, a ray, as it were, com- ing direct from the divine goodness and filling the soul, which makes those who receive it pleasing to God and justified in His sight. The grace of justification produces a change affecting the soul of the regenerate by its presence, elevating and perfecting it. By this grace the likeness to God is brought out in them, and they are raised to a state of friendship with Him, and of divine sonship. The Catholic Church teaches that the grace of justification not merely covers sin, but blots it out ; that is, blots out the guilt and stain arising from sin, and remits the everlasting punishment due to it. Justifying is not dressing splendidly a dead man's body, it is vivifying it. It is not covering a leprosy with a beautiful shining dress, it is curing it thoroughly. It is not gilding a piece of coal, leaving it inwardly black, but it is transforming it into a brilliant diamond. "What unspeakable regrets it would leave in the justified man if he had ever to see his soul, indeed magnificently arrayed, still in itself stained with sin, deformed, corrupt, black, and horrible as before. Merely covering sin is a human way of forgiving, which consists in passing over the crime of a sinner, and in treating him outwardly as if he had not com- mitted it, and as if no stain were in the soul in conse- quence of it, though the guilt and the stain are still there. God's way of pardoning a sinner is very different, and wholly divine. It is a way worthy of His infinite goodness, sanctity, omnipotence, and worthy too of the 5 50i JUSTIFICATION. immense efficacy of Christ's Blood, and of His super- abundant Redemption, and of His infinite merits. God's way of pardoning is to cleanse away entirely the guilt and stain of sin, so that instead of it, God sees in the pardoned sinner the " charity of God poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost " (Rom. v. 5), which, like a fire, has destroyed all the dross of sin, and rendered man pure, upright, and holy. Hence the justification of a sinner is represented in Scripture as the putting on of the new man who is " created in justice, and holiness of truth " (Ephesians iv. 24); the "renovation of the Holy Ghost" (Titus iii. 5). In the case of grown-up persons, some dispositions are required on the part of the sinner in order to be fit to obtain this habitual and abiding grace of justifica- tion. A man can only dispose himself by the help of divine grace, and the dispositions which he shows do not by any means effect or merit justification, but only serve to prepare him for it ; and for that reason are simply called dispositions or preparati9ns. This is the teaching of the Council of Trent, which declares : " We are said to be justified gratuitously, because none of the things which precede justification, whether it be faith or good works, can merit this blessing for us." (Session VI. chapter viii.) The same holy Council declares that sins are remitted gratuitously by the mercy of God through the merits of JESUS CHRIST. (Sess. VI. chapter vii.) The principal dispositions required for justification are the following acts, which can only be made by the assistance of God's actual grace, namely, an act of faith or belief in revealed truths, of fear of God, of hope, and of charity ; an act of repentance for past sins, with a purpose to avoid sin in future, and to keep the com- JUSTIFICATION. 51 mandments : a desire of receiving Baptism for those who have not yet been baptized, and for those who have fallen into sin after Baptism, a resolution to approach the Sacrament of Penance. (Council of Trent, Sess. VI. chap, vi.) Justification may be lost by wilfully violating a com- mandment of God, either by doing what is forbidden, or by not doing what is commanded. Justification is a talent or gift which should be made to bear fruit, or we shall be punished for the neglect. By justification we are raised to the dignity of sons of God, heirs of His kingdom ; and this entails upon us the duty of acting in a way becoming to so high a dignity. " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the command- ments," said OUT Lord. (St. Matt. xix. 17.) By justifi- cation we are incorporated with Christ, like a branch growing on a vine ; but if the branch produces no fruit it will be cut off and cast into the fire. (St. John xv. 6.) Hence, the grace of justification is compared by our Saviour, not to a pond, but to a fountain, whose waters reach unto Heaven : " But the water that I will give him shall become in him a fountain of water spring- ing up into life everlasting." (St. John iv. 14.) ACTUAL GRACE. After we are justified we still stand in need, in order to perform any meritorious good work, of another grace called actual. Justifying grace, of which we spoke in the preceding chapter, called also habitual grace, is something in itself lasting ; actual grace is something that passes, and extends only to individual acts for the time it is needed. Actual grace is a passing, super- natural, divine help, enlightening our understanding, and moving our will, and enabling us to perform any single good action ; for instance, to accept any super- 52 JUSTIFICATION. natural revealed truth, or to perform any good work, considered good in the supernatural order. Grace does not force man's free will, but respects it, and leaves man free to act with it or not. Grace, therefore, does not destroy our free-will, but only helps it, and our own working with grace is required. " God who has created thee without thee, will not save thee without thee," " Qui creavit te sine te non salvabit te sine te," says St. Augustine : and in Holy Scripture it is repeatedly stated that God will render to every one according to his works. A renovation which renders a soul renewed, pure, bright, amiable and endearing to God, We stand in continual need of actual grace to per- form good acts, both before and after being justified. " Without me you can do nothing," says our Saviour, and St. Paul declares that without God's grace we are incapable of even a good thought. The good acts, however, done by the help of grace before justification are not, strictly speaking, meritorious, but serve to smooth the way to justification, to move God, though merely through His mercy and condescension, to help us and render us better disposed for the same. But if, with the assistance of actual grace, good works are done by a person who is in a state of justifying grace, then they are acceptable to God, and merit an increase of grace on earth and an increase of glory in Heaven. Hence St. Paul says : " God is not unjust that He should forget your work, and the love which you have shown in If is name." (Hebrews vi. 10.) And writing to Timothy, he declares that " a crown of justice " was laid up for him ; and not only for him, " but to them also that love His (Christ's) coming." (2 Timothy iv. 8.) And in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, he says, "/or that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation, HOW CHRIST'S REDEMPTION is APPLIED TO MEN. 53 u'orketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory" (iv. 17.) All our merits, however, without any exception, are grounded on the merits of Jesus Christ, and on His grace, without which no one can move a step towards Heaven. The merit of a good action performed in a state of grace, as being in consequence of justification, and in union with our Lord, is truly our own merit, because that good action is really performed by us, by our co- operation with God's grace ; but it is also, and princi- pally, a merit of our Lord, as a grape is the fruit of the branch, and yet also and principally the fruit of the parent vine without which, or if not connected with which, the branch could not produce any fruit, or in- deed have become a branch at all. Our merit, there- fore, does not take away from Christ's merits, for with- out Him we can do nothing. "We merit through Christ, Christ makes us merit ; or still more properly, Christ merits in us, and therefore all the glory is His. " God forbid," says the Council of Trent, " that a Christian should confide or glory in himself and not in the Lord, whose goodness towards men is so great that He re- gards as their merits the very gifts which He Himself bestows upon them." (Session VI., chap, xviii.) And St. Augustine had said long before, " God crowns His own grace ivhen He crowns our merits.'" CHAPTER XL How CHRIST'S REDEMPTION is APPLIED TO MEN, THAT THEY MAT BE JUSTIFIED AND SANCTIFIED. Jesus Christ died for all mankind ; He truly died that "He might taste death for all." (Hebrews ii. 9.) 54 THE HOLY SACRAMENTS. Yet we know that all men will not be saved, but only those who do His will : for we read in St. Paul : "And being consummated, he became to ALL THAT OBEY HIM the cause of eternal salvation." (Hebrews v. 9.) And so, notwithstanding Christ's Redemption, it is stated in the Gospel that some "shall go into everlasting punishment." (St. Matt. xxv. 46.) St. Paul did not say that God will save all men, but, " Who will have all men to be saved " (1 Timothy ii. 4), implying thereby that for salvation, man's will and co-operation is re- quired to fulfil the conditions, and use the means appointed by God Himself for the purpose. Only those who " have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb " (Apocalypse [Kev.] vii. 14), that is, who have the merits of Christ applied to them, and who persevere to the end in doing what is commanded, will be saved. The direct means instituted by Christ Himself for applying His infinite merits to the souls of men are the holy sacraments, which are so many channels instituted by Jesus Christ to convey to men His grace purchased for us at the price of His most precious Blood : " You shall draw waters with joy out of the saviour's fountains." (Isaias xii. 3.) CHAPTER XIL THE HOLY SACRAMENTS. In the words of our Catechism, "A sacrament is an outward sign of inward grace, ordained by Jesus Christ, by which grace is given to our souls." More fully, a sacrament may be said to be an out- ward sign of a corresponding invisible grace, ordained by Jesus Christ as a permanent means in the Church, THE HOLY SACRAMENTS. 55 which, by virtue of Christ's infinite merits, has power to convey to the worthy receiver the grace which it signifies. The object of the sacraments is to apply the fruit of our Saviour's Redemption to men, by conveying, through their means, to our souls either the " habitual grace " of justification, or an increase of the same, and a pouring in of other graces, or the recovery of justification when lost. The Catholic Church teaches that there are truly and properly seven, and only seven Sacraments of the New Law, instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and neces- sary for the salvation of mankind, though not all of them necessary for every person, as, for instance, Holy Order and Matrimony. These seven sacraments are : 1st, Baptism, by which we are made Christians, children of God, and members of His Holy Church. 2nd, Confirmation, by which we receive the Holy Ghost, to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ. 3rd, Holy Eucharist, which is the true Body and Blood, with the Soul and the Divinity, of Jesus Christ, under the appearances of bread and of wine. 4th, Penance, by which the sins that we commit after Baptism are forgiven. 5th, Extreme Unction, which in serious or dangerous illness, comforts the soul, remits sin, and restores health of body, if God sees it to be expedient. 6th, Holy Order, by which Bishops, Priests, and other Ministers of the Church are ordained. 7th, Matrimony, the Sacrament which sanctifies the union by marriage of man and woman. Each of these has the three conditions necessary for a sacrament understood in the strict sense of the word, 56 HOLY BAPTISM. namely, the outward sign, the inward grace, and the institution by Jesus Christ, who alone has the power to institute sacraments, that is, outward signs as means of grace, j CHAPTER XIII. HOLY BAPTISM. "We have seen, in speaking of original sin, how the loss of original justice or grace produces on the soul of man a stain which we call original sin, and which forms the misery of man's fallen state. It was therefore the part of our Saviour not only to purchase our Redemption by His death on Calvary, but to apply to each man the saving fruit of His Redemp- tion by bestowing upon man a gift that would make up for this dire calamity. Jesus Christ applies His most precious Blood freely, and not for any merit or work in the receiver, by bestowing upon him in Baptism justifying grace, pardon of original sin, and in the case of a grown-up person, of actual sins, if he be guilty of any, and be sorry for them. The stains of these sins are washed away in Holy Baptism and he becomes a friend and child of God and heir to the Kingdom of Heaven. Hence Baptism is defined a sacrament of the New Law instituted by Jesus Christ for the spiritual regeneration of man. Baptism is a sacrament absolutely necessary for all, without which no one can enter into the Kingdom of God, for Jesus Christ has said : " Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (St. John iii. 5.) Hence it was not enough for Saul of Tarsus, con- HOLY BAPTISM. 67 verted on the road to Damascus (Acts ix. 18), to be- lieve ; nor for the Chamberlain of Queen Candace, met on the road by Philip the Deacon (Acts viii. 38) ; they had to be baptized in order to obtain remission of their sins, and thus be in the way of salvation ; therefore in the Nicene Creed we say : "I acknowledge one Bap- tism for the remission of sins." So all-important is this sanctifying grace given in Holy Baptism, that God affords to man everywhere the utmost readiness in obtaining it. Water is at hand almost always : and in case of necessity, a layman, a woman or even a child having the intention to baptize, can administer Baptism, by pouring common water on the head of the child or grown-up person, and saying at the same time in any language : " / baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Martyrdom supplies the place of ordinary Baptism of water, and is called Baptism of blood. God grants also this justifying grace to every one who, believing the necessary Christian truths, sincerely desires Baptism, and does his best to procure it, but who dies before he can receive it. This is called Baptism of desire. Baptism, as also Confirmation and Holy Order, can be received only once, because each of these sacraments impresses a character or mark on the soul which will remain for ever. In order that grown-up persons having the use of reason may receive this sacrament worthily and profit- ably, they must believe and profess their belief in the necessary Articles of the Christian Faith they must have trust in the mercy and merits of Christ, and be sorry for their sins; being assisted in so doing by actual grace, which grace God grants to every one, and without which no one can move a single step towards Heaven. 58 ON SIN. In Baptism all infants, without any disposition on their part being required, are cleansed from the stain of original sin, taken into God's favour, made members of Christ's mystical Body, and heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are thus regenerated, that is, in our Saviour's own words, " born again of water and the Holy Ghost" (St. John iii. 5.) As they have con- tracted the stain of original sin without their know- ledge and personal co-operation, so they are freed from sin without their knowledge ; and the dispositions necessary for grown-up persons are not required from them ; for infants are incapable of any reasoning act. As infants are made heirs to earthly property before they are capable of consenting to receive it, so also in Holy Baptism infants are made heirs of heaven before they are capable of consenting to be baptized ; their consent in both cases is justly presumed. But, though Baptism suffices to save a child in the state of infancy, yet as soon as it comes to the use of reason, the Baptism which it received will not by itself suffice for its salvation ; he must, besides, believe, and profess to believe, the principal articles of Faith, must hope in God, and must love Him with his whole heart ; that is to say, he must make what are called, acts of Faith, of Hope, and of Charity; and for any sins lie may have committed since Baptism, an act of Contri- tion. (For these acts, see Part II. of this book, No. 13.) Without all this Baptism will not suffice to him. CHAPTER XIV. ON SIN. (NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES OF SIN.) Sin is of two kinds, namely, Original and Actual. Original sin is that sin which we contract in our ON SIN. 59 origin or conception, and which we inherit from our first parents Adam and Eve. (See Chap, iii.) Actual or Personal sin is every sin which we our- selves commit. Having already in the third chapter treated of original sin, I will here speak only of actual sin. Actual sin is any wilful thought, word, or deed, or voluntary omission which violates the law of God, and is therefore an offence against God. Actual or personal sin is of two kinds, either mortal or venial. St. John (1st Epistle v. 16) speaks of " a sin which is not to death : " this is what we call venial ; and " a sin unto death : " this is that which we call mortal. Mortal and venial sins differ fundamentally from each other in their effect on the soul ; mortal brings immediate spiritual death or separation from God, venial inflicts wounds more or less severe, but not immediately fatal : it is cooling, not dissolving, the friendship of God. When our Lord compares one sin to a mote of dust setting in the eye, and another to a great beam of wood, He indicates this enormous difference. Mortal sin is a thorough violation or breaking of a commandment of God with full knowledge and de- liberation. It is a turning away from God, who should be the supreme object of our love, and a turning to a created object instead. It is a grievous offence against God, by which we lose His friendship and His grace, which loss is the death of the soul.* On this account it is called mortal that is, deadly sin. * Anima amissa mors est corporis, Deus amissus mors est animae. The soul lost is the death of the body, God lost is the death of the soul. (St. Augustine, Serm. 28.) 60 ON SIN. Venial sin is either a slight infringement of the law, or it may be in some cases a great violation of the law, but rendered slight in the person who commits it, through his want of sufficient knowledge, deliberation, or freedom. Venial sin is not a complete breaking of a command- ment, but a tendency towards breaking it. It is not a downright turning of one's back against God, but a turning aside or slackening of our tendency to Him as the supreme object of our desires or last end. It is not abandoning God for a creature, but it is, in some degree, dallying with created objects, whilst still ad- hering to God. It is a sin which, though heinous in itself, does not so grievously offend God as mortal sin does. Venial sin, although an offence against God, does not cause the forfeiture of God's friendship, nor the loss of justifying grace, as mortal sin does, but it diminishes God's love towards us, and checks the 'flow of His choicest gifts and actual graces. In short, it does not inflict, like mortal sin, death on the soul, but a wound, which, in those who are well disposed, is easily healed ; it causes a stain and a guilt in the soul, of which we can easily obtain pardon ; and therefore it is in that sense called venial, from the Latin venia, pardon. From this simple statement of the difference between mortal and venial sin, it follows that we ought to be careful to avoid venial sin, because it is always an offence against God, but we ought to be much more careful to avoid with horror mortal sin, which of ends God grievously, causes death to the soul, and deserves everlasting punishment. Mortal sin is beyond comparison more dreadful than venial sin. No number, indeed, of venial sins can reach the malice and guilt of a mortal sin. All bodily ON SIN. 61 evils in the world are as nothing compared with the evil of mortal sin. Mortal sin is the greatest of evils. It is in itself so hideous and detestable, that even Avere there no hell to punish it, it ought to be shunned on account of its own innate foulness. To give a clearer idea of this, I will touch upon some points which show the grievous malice of mortal sin, and the sad effects of it upon the soul. The grievousness of an offence is increased by the dignity of the person offended, and by the claims which that person has upon our love and service. Applying this principle, it follows that mortal sin, which is a grievous offence against God, who is in- finitely exalted above the highest of His creatures, and whose claim to our love infinitely surpasses all other claims, is an offence incomparably greater than an offence against any creature, and implies an infinite malice. Sin, moreover, is most opposed to God. God is goodness itself Sin is absence of all good. essential order thorough disorder. the supreme good, essential beauty.... diffusive love essential wisdom.. justice and holiness everlasting life unfading glory. utter evil and corruption, monstrous deformity, narrow, mean selfishness, blind madness, injustice and wickedness everlasting death, endless shame. Hence, mortal sin is of necessity infinitely hateful to God, and He therefore punishes it everlastingly ; in other words, God exacts for sin a complete satisfaction. The love that God of necessity has for His own infi- nitely perfect Being is the reason and the measure of the hatred He has to sin. Sin is a desertion, an abandonment of God : "Know 62 ON SIN, thou, and see tJiat it is an evil and a Utter thing for thee to have left the Lord thy God." (Jeremias ii. 19.) And Moses says to the sinner : " Thou hast forsaken the God that begot thee, and hast forgotten the Lord that created thee." (Deuteronomy xxxii. 18.) Mortal sin is a horrible disorder. It is placing one's good in a created object, instead of fixing it in God, who is the ocean of all goodness, beauty, happiness, and glory. Mortal sin is a dethroning of God from one's heart. It banishes God from the soul. Isaias says : " Your iniquities have divided between you and your God " (lix. 2). It is an injustice, for by it man refuses to give to God what by many titles he owes to Him. Hence sin is often called in Holy Scripture iniquity, that is, injustice. Mortal sin is an act of insubordination, a revolt, an open rebellion against God, who declares : " Thou hast broken my yoke, thou, hast burst my bands, and thou saidst : I will not serve." (Jeremias ii. 20.) It is a base contempt of God, of His authority, majesty, and friendship. It is preferring the slavery of the devil to the glorious service of God. " He that committeth sin," says St. John, " is of t/ie devil." (1 St. John iii. 8.) It is a daring insiilt which man, who is " dust and ashes," offers to a Being who is infinitely great, in- finitely powerful, infinitely wise, infinitely good, and infinitely holy. It is a black ingratitude of a man towards his greatest benefactor, his Creator and Eedeemer, who has loaded him with natural and supernatural gifts. It dishonours the image of God in the soul, and casts it down in the mire erf base passion and vice. ON SIN. . 63 It is in reality preferring misery to bliss; hell to heaven ; Satan to God. " To whom have you likened me ? " says the Lord (Isaias xlvi. 5) : to a base passion at which you blush, to a little pleasure that passed so quickly, to a little gold which has melted in your hands. "J5 astonished, ye heavens, at this . . . For my people have done two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have digged to them- selves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." (Jeremias ii. 12, 13.) By sin man outrages God in all His titles he out- rages Him as Creator, by revolting against His supreme dominion ; as Legislator, by violating His laws ; as Redeemer, by despising His grace ; as a friend, by pro- voking His enmity ; as a Father, by resisting His loving authority ; as a Xing, by banishing Him from the pos- session of his heart. By sin man outrages in a special manner each of the three Divine Persons God the Father, the adopted sonship of whom he renounces ; God the Son, whom he hath " trodden under foot " (Heb. x. 29), and whom, according to St. Paul, he " crucifies again " (Heb. vi. 6), God the Holy Ghost, whom it is said in the Holy Scripture that he "grieves," " resists," and " ex- tinguishes" (1 Thess. v. 19) in himself. Let us now notice some of the bad effects that mortal sin produces in the soul. Mortal sin causes a man to forfeit the friendship of God. It turns God from a friend into an enemy. It destroys the beauty of the soul, and covers it with a loathsome, deadly leprosy. It so degrades and debases maa as to lead him to seek happiness in muddy waters, to feed on husks fit only for the swine. " How exceeding base art thou 64 ON BIN. become going the same ways over again I " (Jeremias ii. 36.) It renders man more grovelling than the brute animals. We read in the Psalms, " Man when he was in honour, did not understand ; he is compared to sense- less beasts, and is become like to them." (Psalm xlviii. 13.) It leaves a hideous stain in the soul, deforms it, and makes it hateful in the sight of Heaven. It was one single mortal sin of thought which changed thousands of bright Angels into monstrous demons. Mortal sin spreads bitterness, remorse, shame, dis- quietude and fear in the soul. It is a poison that tortures the conscience, and works destruction : " By what things a man sinneth, by the same also he is tor- mented." (Wisdom xi. 17.) By mortal sin man forfeits his right to his heavenly inheritance. Mortal sin entirely extinguishes justifying grace in the soul. It destroys the value of all acquired merits : " All his justices which he had done shall not be remembered." (Ezechiel xviii. 24.) It deprives the soul of all power of meriting. So long as any one remains in a state of mortal sin, all the good works he does are useless to obtain any reward in Heaven. St. Paul writes : " If I have not charity, I am nothing." (1 Corinth, xiii. 2.) . It renders a man the slave of sin, and of his evil desires. (Romans vi. 16.) His passions tyrannise over him. " Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." (St. John viii. 34.) By sin a man sells himself, and enslaves himself to the devil: "He that committeth sin is of the devil." (1 St. John iii. 8.) THE SACRAMENT OP PENANCE. 65 Mortal sin causes the death of the soul. "All ini- quity," says Ecclesiasticus, "is like a two-edged sword" (xxi. 4), with which a man attacks God, and at the same time kills his own soul. In the same Book of Ecclesiasticus we read, " The teeth thereof" that is of sin, " are the teeth of a lion killing the souls of men " (xxi. 3.) And in St. James it is said : " But sin when it is completed begetteth death" (i. 15.) Finally, mortal sin closes the gates of Heaven against us, and unless remitted before death, entails the dread- ful punishment of " everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels." (St. Matt. xxv. 41.) [Prayer.] Through Thy great mercy, God, and through the merits of Jesus Christ, forgive its our sins, from all sin, Lord Jesus, deliver us. CHAPTER XV. THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE, Man, even though regenerated and justified, is still liable to fall into sin, on account of the depravity of his fallen nature, and also on account of the many temptations that surround him : therefore our loving Lord, in His infinite mercy, instituted another Sacra- ment for the forgiveness of sin committed after Baptism. This is the Sacrament of Penance, in which, by the absolution of the Priest, joined with the contri- tion, confession, and satisfaction of the penitent, the sins of the penitent are forgiven by God, though the appli- cation of the merits of Jesus Christ, and a grace is given him to help him to avoid sin in future. Contrition is an interior grief, horror and detestation of sin committed, with the firm resolve never more to 66 THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE. relapse into our evil habits.* Contrition thus includes in itself two acts : sorrow of the heart for sin com- mitted, and the purpose of the will to avoid sin in future. Confession is an express, contrite, but secret self- accusation, to a duly authorised Priest, of at least all grievous sins committed after baptism, of which he wishes to receive absolution, or of all the mortal sins committed since the last confession when absolution was received, as far as we can recall them to our memory, f Satisfaction means doing the penance enjoined by the Priest in confession, repairing the scandal if any was given, and restoring the property and good name to our neighbour in case of his having been injured by us. Almighty God certainly can, if it so pleases Him, depute a man to forgive sins in His Name. That He did depute certain men to forgive sins is plain from what our Blessed Lord said to His Apostles, and in the persons of the Apostles to their legitimate successors to the end of the world: "Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When He had said this, He breathed on them ; and He said to them : Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." (St. John xx. 21-23.) This divine commission to forgive sins in Christ's Name was always understood to mean what the words just quoted from St. John naturally and plainly signify; namely, that God has commissioned certain men to grant, and also withhold the forgiveness of sin in His name ; and these words have thus been understood * See Council of Trent, Session xiv., chap. 4. t See Method of Confession, Part II., No. 16 of this book. THE SACRAMENT OP PENANCE. 67 from the time of the Apostles until now by the Catholic Church, and have thus been understood also by the separated Greek and other Oriental schismatical churches, in which the sacrament of Penance is also believed and practised. It is of course always God who forgives when forgiveness is granted through the instrumentality or ministration of a Priest who acts as Minister of God. As in Holy Baptism, it is God who forgives, yet it is done through the medium of the minister who dispenses that sacrament of regeneration, for whether it be Paul or Cephas who baptizes, it is always Jesus Christ who baptizes ; so in the sacrament of Penance, when the Priest forgives, it is God who forgives through His appointed authorised minister. From the words of St. John, lately quoted, it is evident that the Priest has, by the commission of Christ, sometimes to forgive, and sometimes to retain, that is, to withhold forgiveness of sin ; therefore it is necessary that the penitent sinner should make known to the Priest in Confession the state of his conscience, in order that the priest may give or withhold absolution with knowledge and prudence, and not grant or deny it un- duly or at hazard, which Jesus Christ never intended. The Priest, in fact, who is called upon to dispense the sacrament of Penance, to remit or to retain sin, has to decide whether the person who comes to him as a penitent is really guilty of sin or not, whether, if guilty, the sin is grievous or is venial, whether repara- tion to a neighbour is required or not ; he must see what instruction, admonition, advice, or penance he has to give him ; he must form a well-grounded judgment whether the penitent has or has not the dispositions which render him fit to receive absolution. In short, the Priest in the tribunal of penance is a 68 THE HOLY EUCHAKIST. . judge, and as such he must, as a rule, have full know- ledge of the case upon which he has to pronounce judgment ; and this knowledge he can only have from the confession of the penitent person. That it is a good thing to confess our sins appears from the following passages of Holy Writ : " He that hidelh his sins shall not prosper; but he that shall confess, and forsake them, shall obtain mercy." (Pro- verbs xxviii. 13.) St. James writes : " Confess, there- fore, your sins one to another " (v. 16.) If open con- fession is good for the soul, how much more advan- tageous is it to confess to a Priest who has deputed power from God to forgive our sins. We must bear the shame of showing our wounds and bruises, and festering sores, if we wish to be cured. To humble our- selves before the minister of God is some reparation for the evil we have done; that humiliation pleases God, and procures for us many great blessings. CHAPTER XVI. THE HOLY EUCHARIST. The Holy Eucharist is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ under the outward appearances of bread and wine. This Sacrament surpasses in excellence all the other Sacraments, because under the appearances * of bread and wine, and under each of these appearances, or species, that is to say, under the species of bread and under the species of wine, this most Blessed Sacrament contains truly, really, and substantially, though not * Those qualities which are outwardly noticed by the senses, as colour, taste, or shape, are also called species and accidents. THE HOLY EUCHARIST. 69 perceptibly to our senses, nor with their natural acci- dents, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, together with His Soul and Divinity, which can never be separated from His Body and Blood. Our Saviour said : " My flesh is meat indeed ; and my blood is drink indeed." (St. John vi. 56.) And when He instituted this Sacrament He said : This is my body ivhich is GIVEN for you. Do this for a com- memoration of me" " This is the chalice, the new testa- ment in my blood which shall be shed for you." (St. Luke xxii. 19, 20.) The words : " Do this in commemoration of me," should not be taken as though at variance with the real presence of our Lord in this Blessed Sacrament. At a banquet in commemoration of a battle, the pre- sence of the victor does not render the commemoration impossible, but the more striking. It may also be said that the presence of Jesus Christ in this most Holy Sacrament renders the commemoration of His death more vivid. The change or passing of one substance into another is called Transubstantiation. The co-existence of one substance, together with, or mingled with, another substance is called Consubstantiation. To understand the word Transubstantiation, it is well to remark that in all bodies there are two things to be noted; 1st, the outward qualities, such as taste, smell, shape, colour ; and 2nd, the matter or substance, wholly imperceptible to our senses, on which these qualities rest. The sensible qualities are objects of knowledge which we can acquire by the testimony of the senses ; but we cannot form any exact notion of the nature or elementary structure of the inward sub- stance. "VVe know for certain that in each body there must be the substance, or that underlying thing upon 70 THE HOLY EUCHARIST. which the accidents rests, and that the substance is the essential part in a body : but of the nature of substance itself we have only a very imperfect knowledge. When a change in the substance of anything takes place in which thing all the outward appearances re- main as they were before, but only the inward imper- ceptible substance is entirely changed, this is called Transubstantiation. Transubstantiation, therefore, is the entire change of the inward imperceptible substance, while all the outward appearances of that substance remain as they were before, unchanged. The Catholic Church teaches that before consecration what on the altar appears to be bread and wine is simply bread and wine, and that after the consecration of that bread and of that wine that which still appears to be bread and wine is no longer bread and wine, but the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Something remains, namely, the outward qualities or species of bread and of wine ; and something is changed, namely, the inward invisible substance of that bread and of that wine into the Body and Blood of Christ ; this in- ward change or conversion is what is called Transub- stantiation. Catholics believe that in the Holy Eucharist Tran- oubstantiation, or a change of substance, and not con- substantiation, or co-existence of two substances, takes place, for the simple reason that our Saviour, at the Last Supper, did not say : ' IN this ' OR ' WITH this is My Body,' ' IN this,' or ' WITH this is My Blood ; ' but He said : " THIS is My Body," " THIS is My Blood," which words, in their natural meaning, imply a change of substance ; for, if what Jesus held in His hands was truly His Body and His Blood, it must have ceased to be the substance of bread and of wine. And this is still more apparent from the New Testa- THE HOLY EUCHARIST. 71 raent as written in the Syro-Chaldaic, Greek, and Latin languages, in which the word this, in the expres- sion, " Tkis is My Body" is neuter, and cannot be referred to bread, which in those languages is of masculine gender, so that, according to the force of these languages, the only plain meaning is this thing which I hold in My hand is my Body. If we were to interpret these expressions to mean This bread is my Body This wine is my Blood there would be a downright contradiction, because bread is one substance and the Body of Christ is another, wine is one substance and the Blood of Christ is another substance ; and if we were to stretch those expressions to mean In this bread there is My Body In this wine there is My Blood it would be doing a grave violence to the text. To believe in Transubstantiation, therefore, is in plain words to believe the assertion of Christ without hesitation or demur, without seeking for an escape, and without a doubt. To Christ asserting : " This is My Body" " This is my Blood" it is to answer with simplicity of faith : ' Yes, Lord, I believe what Thou sayest ; It is Thy Body, it is Thy Blood: To explain away these two expressions by flying to a figurative meaning, is to admit that the literal sense is plainly in favour of the interpretation followed by Catholics in Transubstantiation takes place when the words of consecration, " This is my Body" " This is my Blood" used and ordered by Christ, are pronounced over the elements of bread and wine in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by a Priest, rightly ordained. As Jesus Christ, the Son of God made Man, when visible on earth could and should be adored, though His Divinity was under the veil of His humanity, so He can and 72 THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. should be adored in the Holy Eucharist though Ilia Divinity and Humanity are under the veil or accidents of bread and wine. All persons who are capable of being instructed in this holy mystery, are bound by the command of Christ to receive this adorable Sacrament ; and the Catholic Church, which allows to the faithful, and even recom- mends, the daily reception of the Blessed Eucharist, commands the reception of It, "at least once a year" at Easter time. This solemn precept is based on the words of Jesus Christ : " Amen, amen, I say unto you ; Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you" (St. John vi. 54.) CHAPTER XVII. THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS Sacrifice is the highest act of Religion, because other acts with which we worship God may also be used, though in a limited sense, in honouring the Angels, the Saints, Kings, and other high personages, while sacrifice is so exclusively due to God, that it can only be offered to Him ; for the natural end of sacrifice is to show, by the destruction of or notable change in the Victim, the sovereign dominion over creation which belongs to God alone. From the beginning of the world the servants of God were accustomed to offer sacrifice to the Most High God. And in all ancient religions, true or false, this worship of sacrifice was always looked upon as the most solemn act of religion. It was therefore proper, that as in the law of nature, THE HOLY SACRIFICE OP THE MASS. 73 and in the Mosaic law, there were sacrifices instituted by the Almighty, there should also be in the Law of grace a continual sacrifice whereby to worship God in a manner worthy of Him, besides the One Sacrifice offered by our Lord Jesus Christ on Mount Calvary. As the sacrifices with shedding of blood of the Old Law were figures of the sacrifice offered by Christ on Calvary with the shedding of His most Precious Blood ; so those sacrifices of the Old Law that were without the shedding of blood were types of another sacrifice in the !N"ew Law, which also was to be without blood- shedding. The prophet Malachias foretold in plain words this daily sacrifice of the New Law when he said : " For from the rising of the sun, even to the going doivn, my name is great among the Gentiles : and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation : for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts." (Malachias i. 11.) What it was reasonable we should have, what was foreshadowed by the figures of the Old Testament, and, moreover, what was even foretold, our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished at the Last Supper. For the Holy Eucharist which He then instituted is not only a sacrament but also a true sacrifice offered up then by the same Jesus Christ to His Eternal Father, and offered also by Himself daily through the ministry of the Priest whenever the Priest celebrates Holy Mass at the Altar : the faithful who are present uniting in the Oblation. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a commemorative sacrifice, i regarded as a true sacrifice by the Apostles and their Successors, and by the whole Catholic Church in all centuries. It is still so regarded even by all ancient schismatical churches, who separated them- 74 THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. selves from the Catholic Church between the fifth and ninth century, and who have, up to the present, pre- served among them the Sacrifice of the Mass as an institution of Christ. To complete a commemorative sacrifice, the actual putting to death of the victim is not necessary, but only the real presence of the victim, accompanied by a mystical death, or by such a notable change in the thing offered, as may represent death. Jesus Christ " dieth noiu no more " (Romans vi. 9), and yet He offers Himself to His Eternal Father as one dead, though alive, " a Lamb standing as it were slain " (Apocalypse [or Revelation] v. 6), showing continually to God the Father His five most precious wounds, the marks of His Immolation on Calvary. In like manner His having died once, never to die again, does not prevent Jesus Christ from being offered a true Victim in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as an Immolation with only a mystical death. Some of the sacrifices of the Old Law were of this kind, as, for example, the typical sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham ; and in the offering of the sparrows. Of these we read in the Book of Leviticus (xiv. 6) : " The other (sparrow) that is alive he (the priest) shall dip with the cedar-wood, and the scarlet and the hyssop, in the blood of the sparrow that is immolated; " " he shall let go the living sparrow." Another instance is the "Emissary-goat" (or scape-goat), "he shall present ALIVE before the Lord, that he may pour out prayers upon him, and let him go into the wilderness" (Levi- ticus xvi. 10.) Moreover, there are sacrifices of lifeless things, which serve to support animal life, in which therefore actual death is not possible. Such were the loaves of propo- sition or shew-bread, called in Leviticus (xxiv. 9.) THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 75 " most holy of the sacrifices of the Lord by a perpetual right" Such likewise were the sacrifices described in the 2nd chapter of Leviticus in verses 2, 9, 16, where it is ordered that a handful of the flour offered by the people should be offered by the Priest in sacrifice upon the Altar, and there burned by the Priest Aaron or his sons. This sort of sacrifice was regarded by the Jews as a true sacrifice, called Mincha, which word is translated by the Seventy interpreters (in the old Greek version called the Septuagint), and by the Latin Vulgate simply Sacrifice. Now it is clear that in this kind of sacrifice neither an actual nor even a mystical death took place, but only a very notable change, which is enough for the nature of a sacrifice. In the Holy Eucharist, the Victim, namely, Jesus Christ, is truly present, therefore He can be offered up, and He is truly offered up, as an Oblation to His Eternal Father ; and although the death of the victim does not occur in reality, yet it takes place mystically ; the Body of Christ being made present, as though separated from the Blood, since by the power of the consecrating words, first, the Body of Christ is caused to be present under the species (or what appears to the senses) of bread, and then His Blood is caused to be present under the species of wine. This mystical death, by seeming separation of the Blood from Christ's Body, joined with the true offering of Jesus Christ, who is truly present, living and entire under each species, can and does constitute a real sacrifice com- memorative of that of the Cross. This twofold consecration is by Christ's institution so essential for the sacrificial Act, that if there were only a consecration of the bread, or only a consecration of tho 76 THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. \vine, our Lord would be present, but not as a Sacrifice, because in these cases the mystical immolation would not be complete. Jesus Christ is called by the Royal Psalmist, "A Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech " (Psalm cix. 4), because the sacrifice which Melchisedech offered as " the Priest of the most High God " (Genesis xiv. 18), was that of bread and wine, which was not a direct figure of the sacrifice offered up on Calvary with spilling of blood, but of the sacrifice of the Mass, which is offered under the species of bread and wine, without the shedding of blood, and offered for ever ; " the clean oblation" spoken of by the Prophet Malachias (i. 11). It seems plain that it is also in reference to the sacrifice of the Mass that mention is made by St. Paul of an Altar as belonging to the Christian Dispensa- tion ; an Altar always denoting a Sacrifice (Hebrews xiii. 10). The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass does not differ in its essence from the sacrifice offered up upon Mount Cal- vary. As we find on Calvary and in the Mass the same identical Victim, and the same principal Offerer Jesus Christ, the two sacrifices are essentially the same. The two sacrifices only differ in non-essentials, because only the manner of offering is different. One was offered by Christ personally, the other is offered by Him through His ministers. That was offered with real suffering, real shedding of blood and real death of the Victim ; this with only a mystical suffering, a mystical shedding of blood, and a mystical death of the same Victim. Therefore the Priest, at the time of the con- secration, does not say : " This is the Body of Christ," but acting in the person of Christ, says : " This is my Body" according to the Divine command : "Do THIS," THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 77 or as these words might be rendered, OFFER UP THIS. It is on account of this Sacrifice offered daily on our Altars by Christ that our Lord is called " A Priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech" (P?alm cix. 4; Hebrews vii. 17.) CHAPTER XVIII. THE HOLY SACRIFICE OP THE MASS SERVES TO APPLY CHRIST'S REDEMPTION TO MEN. St. Paul affirms that Christ offered Himself only once, moaning by suffering, Hood-shedding, and death; as he compares Christ's oblation to the oblations of animal victims of the Old Law which were made by a real destruction of their animal life. There is nothing in the Mass which is opposed to this teaching of St. Paul. So far from it, the Mass is a perpetual witness to the fact of that single death in blood ; it is one of the most striking attestations we can make that Christ died for the world ; there cannot be a more conspicuous witness to the one death of the one Victim than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass ; that august Act, which, instituted by Christ Himself, shoics forth the Lord's death till He come, that death, without which the Mass would have neither a meaning nor even an existence. What is, then, the chief purpose of the Mass 1 The chief purpose of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is to apply practically to our souls individually those merits and graces which the sacrifice of the Cross had already gathered and prepared for all mankind ; it is a channel or secondary fountain of the effects of Redemption, not the original source ; not adding value or merit to the 78 THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS SERVES. Sacrifice of Christ offered once for all on Calvary. It is not a sacrifice totally distinct from, and independent of, that of the Cross, like the different victims and sacrifices of the Old Law were independent of, and additional to, each other ; but it is a renewal and re- petition of the 'once offered ' oblation, by being a re- newed sacrificial presentation of the same Victim in another and unbloody manner through the ministry of the Priest. It is renewed and repeated that we may have an opportunity of practically joining in that Sacrifice ; repeated not for the sake of redeeming man- kind afresh, or of adding to the merits of theEedemp- tion, but to apply Christ's satisfaction and merits gained on Calvary, to the Church in general, and to each soul in particular. The following illustration will perhaps assist in making this more plain. If some one had defrauded the State, and a rich man should offer to pay the amount stolen on condition that the guilty person should be forgiven ; should the State accept the terms, on the understanding that the guilty person should first make a special application to the State, signed by the rich man and by himself, no one would call this second requirement a lessening of the value of the first. It seems easy to conceive that this second demand is neither unreasonable, nor unjust, nor disparaging to the former ; and why ? Because it is based on the same agreement and presupposes it ; it is only something required for properly carrying out the transaction in its details ; a condition reasonably exacted in order to have the promised forgiveness in an orderly and profitable manner, and not with the intention of adding to the sum already laid down. Thus the sacrifice of the Mass cannot be considered to detract from the sacrifice offered up " once for all " TO APPLY CHRIST'S REDEMPTION TO MEN. 79 on Calvary, because the sacrifice of the Mass rests upon it, derives all its value from it, and presupposes it ; and yet the Mass is a true sacrifice, because Jesus Christ is truly offered up, though in another form ; and offered, not in the sense of adding new merits, as if wanting to the first, but because it is a means appointed by the Eternal Father and the Incarnate Son, for applying the merits of the one bloody Sacrifice to the whole Church in general, and to each soul in particular. To illustrate the same thing by another example, we may suppose that in a certain empire an orator, by a prodigy of eloquence, had obtained from the emperor the freedom of a certain province, on the condition, however, that such freedom should be granted only to those inhabitants who were present at the recital, before appointed persons, of that oration by a deputy of the said orator. It is clear that this condition, far from lessening the value of the original oration, would only tend to increase the honour of the orator and the value of his oration, by causing each inhabitant of that pro- vince to appreciate it more fully, and feel more deeply indebted to that orator. The same may be said of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, for it gives an opportunity to each of us in particular : 1st, To join our Lord, and the Priest in offering the Divine Victim of Calvary, present on our altars to the Eternal Father ; 2ndly, To feel more deeply indebted to Jesus Christ by commemorating with a deep sense of gratitude and love the great sacrifice of Calvary ; Srdly, To reap the fruit of that great Sacrifice by having it practically and personally applied to us. All these benefits, as is evident, redound entirely to the 80 CEBEMONIES AND RITUAL OP THE CHURCH. greater honour of Christ and of His great sacrifice on Mount Calvary. The Mass no more detracts from Christ's Passion and Death, than did the offering which Christ Himself made at His first entering into the world, or] at His Presentation in the Temple, or at His Last Supper, or than Baptism or any other sacrament does ; for by all of them Christ applies to us the merits of His Passion and Death. In fact, Holy Mass is but one of the means left by our Saviour for applying His merits to man. He Himself instituted Holy Mass when He gave the com- mand to His Apostles : " Do this for a commemoration of me." (St. Luke xxii. 19.)* CHAPTER XIX. CEREMONIES AND KITUAL OP THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. In the administration of the Sacraments and in the celebration of the Mass and other sacred services, the Church makes use of ceremonies ; that is, she employs certain forms and rites for the purpose of administering the things of God in a becoming and dignified manner, and proper to impress the faithful with sentiments of faith and piety befitting the occasion. Ceremonies do not form an essential part of the institution of Christ, most of them having been added by the Church in the time of the Apostles or in sub- sequent ages. Consequently they may, by the same authority, be changed or omitted (as in fact in cases of necessity they are omitted), without affecting the vali- * See Part II., No. 15, A METHOD of Hearing Mass. CEREMONIES AND RITUAL OF THE CHURCH. 81 dity of the sacraments. But as they are prescribed by the Church acting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in order the better to show forth the dignity and the effects of the sacraments, and to dispose us to receive them in a more devout manner, it would be wrong to omit them, except in cases of necessity. That it is proper and dutiful, and therefore important, that Divine service and the administration of the sacra- ments should be accompanied by ceremonies, may be gathered from the fact that not only the Latin Church, but also all the ancient Churches of the East, abound in ceremonies from a very remote period, and many of them traceable to Apostolic times. Thus we] see that the Greek, Armenian, Chaldean, Syro-Chaldean, Coptic, and Eutychian Churches in the East have at all times used ceremonies as well as the Roman Catholic Church. Long experience testifies to the good effect which the use of ceremonies produces on the people. If solemn ceremonies were not used in the celebration of the Mass, Catholic belief in the real presence of Christ upon our altars would not be fitly expressed. If the faithful saw the altar stripped of ornaments, and the officiating priests without distinctive vestments, not bending the knee, and not giving any outward token of worship before the consecrated elements, their Catholic instinct would be shocked. On the other hand, when they see the great pains taken and the great cost often incurred for the becoming adornment of the house of God, for making the Altar, the Tabernacle, and the Throne gleam with rich ornaments ; when they see that the priests and their assistants are robed with distinc- tive emblematic vestments, and especially when they see them bend their knees in humble adoration before the consecrated Host and the consecrated Chalice, their faith and devotion are strengthened, and the practical 82 CEREMONIES AND RITUAL OP THE CHURCH. lesson they receive is likely to do them, more good than any sermon on the subject. What we have said of the ceremonies of the Masy may be applied in due proportion also to those cere- monies used in the administration of the sacraments, and in all the services of the Church. It is objected that there is danger that ceremonies may lead to mere formality ; but I venture to say that the ceremonies used by the Catholic Church, especially those used in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, far from leading people to formality, draw them on to greater spirituality and fervour. Let us consider these externals, first, with regard to the officiating Priest, and afterwards with respect to the people. The Mass ordinarily consists of the following things : The42nd Psalm, beginning "Jiidica me, Deus"( Judge me, God) the Confiteot the Iniroit, or entrance prayer the " Kyrie eleison" (Lord, have mercy) " Christe eleison " (Christ, have mercy), repeated nine times the " Gloria in excelsis " (Glory to God in the highest) the Collect the Epistle for the day the prayer " Munda cor meum" (Cleanse my heart, O God) the Gospel for the day the Nicene Greed the Offertory part of the 25th Psalm, beginning at the verse " Lavabo " (that is, " I will wash) " Oblation prayer the prayer called Secret the Preface the Sanctus, or Holy, Holy, Holy, the Canon, or prayers according to solemn unvarying rule Consecration of thd Host Consecration of the wine prayers after Consecration the Lord's Prayer Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) three prayers before Communion Com- munion of the Priest prayers after Communion the blessing of the people the last Gospel, most frequently from the first chapter of St. John (In CEREMONIES AND RITUAL OF THE CHURCH. 83 the beginning was the Word.) (See Method of hearing Mass, Part II, No. 15.) Now it appears that all this is thoroughly spiritual, and -without any ceremonial formality, especially when we consider that the greatest part of this is said or done by the Priest in secret, that is, in a low tone of voice. What is less important in the Mass, and what may strictly be called ceremonial, consists in the Priest changing his position ; in his reverently bowing the head and kneeling : in kissing the altar and paten (or silver plate on which the host is placed) ; in joining or in raising his hands ; in looking up towards heaven, or to the crucifix on the altar ; in making repeatedly the sign of the Cross - and in turning towards the people when addressing them, as when he says " Dominus vobiscum " (The Lord be with you), and " Orate, fratres " (Brethren, pray). But men are struck at the reflection that many of these things Jesus did, and that, therefore, they cannot be called valueless formalities, unless indeed we were to say that the Priest does these things without the proper interior spirit, which would be an accusation our Lord forbids us to make under pain of sin : "Judge not, that you may not be judged." (St. Matt vii. 1.) If we consider, now, the Mass with regard to the people present who assist at Mass, the more ground is there to convince us that no tendency to mere formality exists in the Mass, but that everything in it leads rather to spirituality. lu the Mass there is no set form of prayers required to be repeated after the Priest in a formal way by the people, as is constantly done in Protestant Churches and Chapels, but the people are left free to follow the 84 CEREMONIES AND RITUAL OF THE CHURCH. Mass in spirit, either meditating on the Passion of our Lord, or making some acts of repentance, love, praise, adoration, and like acts of devotion ; or reciting some prayers, each in his own way, in keeping with each one's capacity, needs, and desires ; or following the Mass according to the direction of the book of devo- tion which each worshipper may have chosen for his own use. The different ceremonies, far from leading the pious \vorshipper to mere formality, serve to arouse and keep alive attention and devotion. When in the beginning of the Mass the Priest bends his body and strikes his breast thrice saying the Con- fiteor or Confession, this calls the devout Catholic to make acts of contrition for his sins. The intoning of the Gloria in excelsis raises his soul to glorify God. The chanting of the Gospel and Creed makes him stand up for the faith. The singing of the " Sanctus " invites him to join the choirs of the Angels in praising the sanctity of God. The uplifting of the Host and of the Chalice, and the repeated genuflections of the Priest, draw him to worship God on his knees ; and so we may say of the rest. Every act tends to keep up the attention, the devotion, and the fervour of pious per- sons attending Mass. The ceremonies, therefore, of the Mass, far from inducing formality, are a good and powerful preserva- tive against it. But perhaps some may say : What need is there for holy water, for lighted candles in day-time, and for such costly vestments? Why so many changes of position, so much kneeling and standing? Why so much singing and playing of the organ and of other instruments? Why make so often the sign of the Cross ? Why use incense ? CEREMONIES AND RITUAL OF THE CHURCH. 85 I will endeavour to reply briefly to all these ques- tions. With regard to holy water, the use of it is not com- manded, but piously recommended to the laity. If St. John the Baptist, in his baptism of penance, and our Lord in His Baptism of regeneration, have made use of the element of water to signify the purification of the soul, surely we cannot make objection if the Church at the threshold of the House of God and in other circumstances makes use of the same element to remind the people that they must follow after purity of soul by repentance if they would that their prayers should be answered by God. The use of holy water is very ancient. St. Justin the Martyr, who lived in the second century, says in the second book of his Apology, that every Sunday in their assemblies the faithful were sprinkled with holy water. As to lighted candles in the day-time, I would say that they are used chiefly as seemly emblematic orna- ment ; and as such need not serve any other purpose. A lighted candle is an ornament most suited for the Altar, 1st, because exceedingly primitive and purely ecclesiastical, which many other ornaments are not ; 2dly, because the light, the burning and self-consuming of the candle, can be taken as a beautiful emblem of our faith, which must be lively ; of our charity, which must be burning and diffusive ; of our devotion, which, like that of Mary Magdalen, must not spare sacrifices. As to rich vestments, holy Church is glad to uee them, when convenient, in holy functions, because it re- dounds to the honour of God. If it is considered dutiful and honourable towards a prince that people should appear at his court in their best distinctive robes and ornaments, surely it cannot but be right that priests, 86 CEREMONIES AND RITUAL OF THE CHURCH. the ambassadors and ministers of God, should in public functions appear before the altars of God in His sanctuary with their rich distinctive emblematic vest- ments. This was prescribed by God in the Old Law, though the Priests then made offerings of no great intrinsic value, but only figurative ones. There is still more reason for the use of them now that the Lamb of God prefigured by them is personally and corporally present. All the Oriental Churches make use of rich vestments and abound in ceremonies. As to bowing down the body, and bending the knee, in sign of reverence, the Patriarchs and the Prophets, and even Jesus Christ Himself on earth also did the same repeatedly, and this St. John saw in a vision done by the twenty-four elders worshipping in heaven. As to music and singing, it is what the Prophet David repeatedly recommends (see Psalms xcvii. and cl.). And why shall we not make music as well as other things serve to the praises of God ? Music, when good and properly adapted, gives expression, grandeur, and solem nity to our sacred services, and to the offering of our praises to God. If sometimes it has not this effect upon some persons the cause is probably due to early prejudice or perhaps to the defect or absence of the musical sense ; or it may be that the music is not well adapted to the words and to the religious feelings the subject should inspire ; or, lastly, when the people do not attentively or intelligently follow the words and their respective musical expression. As to the sign of the Cross (see Chap. XXXIV.), the Church makes frequent use of it, especially during the Mass, because it is the sign of our ^Redemption. We cannot be reminded too often that we must be meek and patient and ready to suffer, because we pro- fess to be followers of the Cross, that is, of our crucified CEREMONIES AND RITUAL OP THE CHURCH. 87 Saviour. The Cross is a memorial of the sufferings and death of Christ. It speaks to us strongly of the malice and terrible consequences of sin, and of the im- mense love of God towards us. The primitive Christians, as Tertullian and other ancient writers testify, were accustomed to make the sign of the Cross very often during the day. Since, in this age, Christens make this sign less often, let us use it willingly, and rejoice to see it still frequently used, at least by the Priests in their priestly ministrations, to teach us not to be ashamed of the Cross of Christ, but to glory in it, as St. Paul gave us the example : " But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Galatians vi. 14). As to incense, it is a thing which the common sense of man has reserved to do honour to God with. Hence the wise Kings offered incense to the Child Jesus to honour His Divinity. In Leviticus (ii. 1) it was com- manded that incense should be placed on the sacrifice called mincka. There was in the Temple of Solomon a special altar, called the altar of incense, upon which, every day at a certain hour, incense was offered to God. (St. Luke i. 9-11.) Incense is a symbol of .charity and of prayer. Holy David says : "Let my prayer be di- rected as incense in Thy sight " (Psalm cxl. 2) ; and St. John saw the four and twenty ancients and the angels offering up to God " golden vials full of odours (incense), which are the prayers of saints." (Apo- calypse or Kevelation v. 8.) Again in Chapter viii. 3, he says : "And another Angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer ; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God." Incense may also be taken to mean the fragance of 88 CEREMONIES AND RITUAL OP THK CHURCH. virtue, as also the inferior honour given to things which relate to God. In this sense the altar, the crucifix, the missal, the Priest, the assisting ministers, and the faith- ful themselves, are also incensed. Some may object : How is all this consistent with those words of our Lord to the Samaritan woman, " But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true adorers shall adore the father in spirit and in truth " ? (St. John iv. 23.) I answer that external worship, if accompanied by inward spirit, is justly said to be worship " in spirit." Besides, worship "in truth" requires external worship, for a man who refuses also externally with his body to adore God who is the Creator, Preserver, and Bene- factor of his body as well as of his soul, could not be called a " true adorer" The very words " adorer" and " adore" imply outward action of the body. When a ceremony for example, kneeling, or striking the breast is done not as a mere matter of form, but as accompanied by, or as an expression of, the mind and heart, then it is a ceremony done in spirit and in truth, because it is then dictated by the spirit ; it is an effect of the spirit, it is an outward ex- pression of the spirit ; and therefore it is a worship in spirit and in truth ; the outward expression then corresponds to the inward feelings, and is a real worship and not a merely formal or an empty material action of the body. When our Saviour in the Garden of Gethsemani prostrated Himself with His face to the ground before His Eternal Father, He was truly adoring in spirit ; and so likewise when He attended the sacrifices and other holy functions in the Temple. We must not suppose that our Saviour's words to the Samaritan woman imply any slight of the Jewish rite as CEREMONIES AND RITUAL OF THE CHURCH. 89 though only a formal, material worship. Can we sup- pose that the Patriarchs, that David, other Prophets, and all just men of the Old Law, were not adorers in spirit 1 Christ compares the new adorers with the Jews as they were then for the most part, not as they ought to have been, according to the spirit of the law. God has expressed strongly in Isaias (i. 11) and other places how in the Old Law He hated mere externals, and even prayer itself done without spirit and with a heart at- tached to sin. Therefore Christ by His words to the Samaritan woman would show that the true adorers of the New Law, who possess not mere emblems and figures, as the Jews did. but enjoy the advantage of having realities, will also be more careful to worship with a purer heart and with a purer intention, with better will, and more attention and spirit than the generality of the Jews did then. Thus Catholic prayer-books are full of beautiful prayers suited to accompany every act of worship per- formed by the Priest at the altar ; and nothing is more recommended in Catholic theology, sermons, catechisms, and books of devotion, than the necessity of assisting at Mass and other holy services with a heart detached from sin, and with attention and fervour. If then, outward demonstrations of veneration, faith, love, and zeal, when dictated by the inward spirit, are spirit and truth, it is all the better if a ritual should abound with externals, provided they are accompanied by the inward devotion of the spirit. Some Protestant might here perhaps observe : What you say may be right, but this Catholic system of cere- monies puzzles me ; I think that I should hardly feel myself at home in it. I would answer It is not astonishing, my friend, that the Catholic system of worship should somewhat puzzle 90 BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. you as a Protestant. This system is new to yon, and not very easily understood, and perhaps your mind has been prejudiced against it from childhood. But it would be unreasonable, on that account, for you to turn your back upon it discouraged. Would you act in this manner if a good business, in which you were very much interested, were offered to you, and which at first you might find a little difficult to understand or conduct ? Surely you would not act so, especially if you saw engaged in it happy little children well up to the work and quite at their ease. So if the Catholic worship appears at first sight somewhat strange or per- plexing, be not disheartened ; a little good- will, a little instruction, a little explanation, a little study, and above all a little practice, will enable you to overcome every difficulty, and you will soon find yourself also quite at home in it and enjoy it too, almost as much as Catholics themselves. Look at the Catholic children ; they find it quite easy to follow the Mass, and Benediction ; they understand well what seems so difficult to you ; and you can easily anderstand it too, if, taking the advice of our Lord, you only condescend to be as they are, and allow yourself to be taught as they do. CHAPTER XX. BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament by transubstantiation implies that Jesus Christ is present there so long as the species (accidental qualities which fall under the senses) of the bread or of the wine remain unaltered. And therefore the BENEDICTION OP THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. 91 Blessed Sacrament, that is to say, Jesus Christ there present in the Blessed Sacrament, can and ought to be adored by the faithful. This is what the Catholic Church teaches, and she provides that in most churches, consecrated ' particles,' that is the Blessed Sacrament, be kept permanently (generally in the Tabernacle on the Altar) : 1st, That It may be ready at any time to be administered to sick and dying persons ; for, as the consecration of the Blessed Sacrament can only take place during Mass, which is celebrated only once a day by each Priest, and only in the morning, if the Blessed Sacrament were not reserved, it might occur that some Christians would die without the great advantage of receiving this Sacrament, which, when administered to those supposed to be in danger of death, is called Viaticum, or food for the journey ; 2dly, In order to afford to the faithful the great consolation of having Jesus Christ always in the midst of them in the Tabernacle on the Altar, to receive their visits, adoration, and prayers, and to dis- pense His graces. Thus is literally fulfilled the prophecy of Isaias that the Saviour was to be, and to be called, Emmanuel, that is, God with ?ts (vii. 14). And also the promise of Jesus Christ Himself that He would not leave us orphans. The Churches where the Blessed Sacrament is re- served, as is the case in all Catholic parish churches and in those of religious Orders, are often open some the whole day long, others some hours morning and evening. Then the faithful can through the day visit the Blessed Sacrament, and pass some precious minutes in silent supplication before God, and in adoration of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But to kings of this world we are not satisfied to 92 BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. offer our homage in private, we also like occasionally to make a public demonstration of our loyalty and attach- ment to them. So besides this private and silent devotion of the faithful, the Church has provided special solemn rites to show forth our faith, giving us the opportunity of pouring out the innermost love of our hearts, and of expressing publicly our devotion towards our Lord God and King present in the Blessed Sacrament. This she does by public processions, by the Qua- rant'ore, or ''Forty hoiirs' Exposition of the Blessed SacramentJ specially during Lent, and more frequently by the simple Bite called Benediction. Benediction, as a rule, takes place in the afternoon or evening ; less solemnly on week-days, more solemnly on Sundays and Festivals. When the hour to give Benediction is come, all, or the greater part of the wax candles about the altar are lighted. This may seem strange to those who are not acquainted with the Catholic belief in the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. If Jesus Christ were not present, this display of wax candles might justly be looked upon as a mere show, a mere waste, and a profusion of lights to no purpose ; but it will not appear so to those who enter into the spirit of the Catholic belief in the real presence of Jes^s Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Surely what we do for our God and King, who is there really present, can never be too much. And as lighted candles and beautiful flowers are the most seemly ornaments for the altar during divine worship, the faithful gladly bear the expense, not heeding those who may say " Why this waste ? " When the altar is made ready and everything pre- pared, the officiating priest, in his vestments, accom- BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMHNT. 93 panied, if convenient, by other priests, and preceded by servers and the censer-bearer in their surplices, comes to the altar, at the foot of which all kneel. One of the priests takes the Blessed Sacrament (or consecrated Host) out of the Tabernacle and reverently places It within the round crystal frame in the centre of the ' monstrance ' which is made of gold or silver, finely wrought and often adorned with precious stones ; and he thus exposes it on an elevated throne above the middle of the Altar, when the hymn beginning " Salutaris Hostia " " Saving Host," is sung by the choir and people. The clergy then profoundly adore the Blessed Sacrament, and the officiating priest rising puts three times a small spoonful of incense (that is, sweet-smelling aromatic gum) into the burning censer or ' thurible ' and waving it thrice before the consecrated Host offers the ascending fragrance to God ; as we read in the Apoca- lypse (or Revelation), the angels were seen to do in heaven. The liturgical Latin hymn, " Salutaris Hostia," ("0 Saving Host") being sung, it is generally fol- lowed by the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, commonly called of Loreto, commencing with invocations to each Person of the Holy Trinity, and then is sung the " Tantum ergo Sacramentum" which hymn is never omitted : followed by a prayer said by the officiating Priest standing. After the second offering of incense, a rich silk veil is placed upon the shoulders of the officiating priest, who then ascends the altar-steps, takes in his hands with the veil the monstrance which contains the Blessed Sacrament, previously taken down from the throne, ami turning to the people, makes with It the sign of the cross over them, and thus blesses the faithful with the Most Holy. 94: BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. This is done in silence, except that a small bell, and sometimes the tower bell of the Church, is sounded, to call the attention not only of those who are in the Church, but also of those who are detained at home, that they all may prepare themselves kneeling to receive the blessing of God. Then the Blessed Sacrament is replaced in the Tabernacle, whilst the 116th Psalm, " Laudate Dominum omnes gentes " " praise the Lord, all ye nations" is sung, and some concluding prayers are recited. After another profound adoration by the clergy, the Tabernacle is locked. The priests and servers then rise, make a genuflection, and return in order to the sacristy. This is a most impressive rite, naturally connected with Catholic belief in the real presence. " Can there be a more touching rite, even in the judgment of those who do not believe in it ? How many a man, not a Catholic, is moved, on seeing it, to say : ' Oh, that I did but believe it ! ' when he sees the Priest take up the Fount of Mercy, and the people bent low in adora- tion ! It is one of the most beautiful, natural, and soothing actions of the Church."* Pious \ Blessed and praised every moment be the Ejaculation. ] most holy and most divine Sacrament. HYMNS AND PRAYERS COMMONLY SAID AT THE EXPO- SITION AND BENEDICTION OP THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT. When the Priest opens the Tabernacle and incenses the Blessed Sacrament, is sung the Hymn, * Cardinal Newman, Present Position of Catholics in England, ed. 4, p. 256. BENEDICTION OP THE O Salutdris Hostia, Quae coeli pandis ostium ; Bella premunt hostilia, Da robur, for auxilium. Uni Trinoque Domino Sit scmpitcrna gloria, Qui vitam sine termiuo Nobis donet in patria. Amen. BLESSED SACRAMENT. 95 saving Victim, opening wide The gate of Heaven to men below ! Our foes press on from every side; Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow. To Thy great name be endless praise, Immortal Godhead, One in Three ! grant us endless length of days In our true native land, with Thee. Amen. After which generally follows the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, and frequently also a prayer and re- sponse. Tlien is sang the " Tantum ergo Sacramentum," all present making a profound inclination of the body, at the words " Veneremur cernui." Tantum ergo Sacramentum Vcncrcinur cernui ; Et antiquum documentum Novo cedat ritui ; Praestet fides supplementum Sensuum defectui. Genit<5ri, Genitdque Laus et jubilatio, Salus, honor, virtus quoque Sit et benedictio ; Precedent! ab utroque Compar sit laudatio. Amen. Down in adoration falling, Lo the sacred Host we hail ; Lo ! o'er ancient forms depart- ing. Newer rites of grace prevail ; Faith for all defects supplying Where the feeble senses fail. To the everlasting Father, And the Son who reigns on high, With the Holy Ghost pro- Forth from each eternally, Ce salvation, honour, blessing, Might and endless Majesty. Amen. 96 BENEDICTION OP THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. Then are sung the following Versicle and Response. V. Panem de Coelo praestitisti V. Thou didst give them bread eis (Alleluia). from Heaven (Alleluia). R. Omne delectamentum in se R. Containing in itself all habentem (Alleluia). sweetness (Alleluia). Alleluia is added in Paschal time, and during the octave of Corpus Christi. Oremus. Let us pray. Deus qui nobis sub Sacra- God, who, under a won- mento mirabili, passidnis tuae derful Sacrament, has left ua memoriam reliquisti ; tribue, a memorial of thy passion ; (jiiae"sumus, ita nos cdrporis et grant us, we beseech thee, so to sanguinis tui sacra mysteria venerate the sacred mysteries venerM ; ut redemptionis tuae of thy body and blood, that we fructum in nobis jugiter sen- may ever feel within us the tiamus. Qui vivis et regnas in fruit of thy redemption, who saecula saeculorum. Amen. livest and reignest, world with- out end. Amen. Here the Benediction is given with the Blessed Sacra- ment, all bowing down in profound adoration and beseeching our Lord there present to bestow His blessing on themselves, and on the whole Church, and upon the ivorld. Then is often sung in Latin thrice, folloioed by the Laudate Dominum (Praise the Lord), Psalm 116. Adoremus in aeternum May we for ever adore Sanctissimum Sacramentum. The most Holy Sacrament. An Act of Spiritual Communion. I believe in Thee, my Jesus, present in the most * "With Saint Alphonsus Liguori, I would exhort all who seek to advance in the love of Jesus Christ to make a spiritual com- munion each time they visit the Blessed Sacrament or hear Mass. It would be better to make a spiritual communion three times on these occasions ; namely, at the beginning, middle, and end of the visit, and of the Mass. CONFIRMATION. 97 holy sacrament of the Altar ; I love Thee above all things ; and I desire to receive Thee into my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace Thee, and I unite myself to Thee as if Thou wert already within my heart. Oh never let me be separated from Thee ! O Lord Jesus Christ, let the sweet and con- suming force of Thy love absorb my whole soul, that I may die for the love of Thee, who was pleased to die upon the Cross for the love of me. CHAPTER XXI. CONFIRMATION. Besides Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Penance, the Catholic Church holds four other sacred Rites as Sacra- ments, namely, Confirmation, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Confirmation is a sacrament instituted by our Lord, by which the faithful, who have already been made children of God by Baptism, receive the Holy Ghost by the prayer, unction (or anointing with holy oil called Chrism), and the laying on of the hands of a Bishop, the successor of the Apostles. It is thus that they are enriched with gifts, graces, and virtues, espe- cially with the virtue of fortitude, and made perfect Christians and valiant soldiers of Jesus Christ, to stand through life the whole warfare of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The first recorded instance of Confirmation being ad ministered to the faithful is in the eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, where St. Peter and St. John con- firmed the Samaritans who had been already baptized 98 EXTREME UNCTION. by St. Philip. " They prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. . . . Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost " (vers. 15, 17). By this sacrament a certain dedication and consecra- tion of the soul to God is made ; the mark of which is left for ever on the soul. This mark is called a character, and can never be effaced. Hence this sacra- ment can only be received once. All Christians are bound to receive Confirmation. The want of opportunity only can excuse from sin for not receiving it. It must be received in a state of grace ; and there- fore if a Christian is conscious that he is in a state of mortal sin, he must first come to the sacrament of Penance. The time to receive Confirmation is from about seven years to any older age. " All must make haste to be confirmed by a Bishop ; that is, to receive the seven- fold grace of the Holy Ghost " (St. Clement, Epistola ad JuliumX CHAPTER XXII. EXTREME UNCTION. The Sacrament of Extreme Unction consists in the anointing, by the Priest, of those in danger of death by sickness, with holy oil, accompanied with a special prayer. It is called Extreme, because administered to sick persons when thought to be near the close of life. It is a true Sacrament, because it possesses all the requisites for a Sacrament. 1st, It has the outward sign, which consists in the anointing with a little oil the seat of the senses, as the eyes, the ears, the nos- EXTREME UNCTION. 99 trils, the lips, the hands, and the feet, accompanied by special prayers. 2nd, It has the promise of grace, as recorded by the Apostle St. James : " Is any man sick among you ? Let him bring in the priests of the church ; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man ; and the Lord shall raise him up ; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him " (v. 14, 15). 3rd, That it has been instituted by Christ is gathered from this, that none but God can give to an outward rite, the power of forgiving sins, and of imparting inward grace, as St. James asserts that it is imparted through this rite. This Sacrament can be received several times during life, but only once in the same dangerous illness. Christians should not be negligent and postpone to the last moment of life the reception of this Sacrament, for there is a danger of dying without it, and thus they Avould be deprived of special graces, and of a more thorough purification of the soul, which would have rendered them better prepared for death and more fit to meet their eternal Judge. A slight danger, or as St. Alphonsus Liguori ex- presses it, "a danger of danger," that the illness might become serious, justifies the reception of the sacrament. By postponing, one may also lose the blessing of recovery. Tor, as experience confirms, when God sees it to be good, Extreme Unction, besides purifying the soul, gives health to the body. " The prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up." (St. James v. 15.) 100 HOLY ORDER. CHAPTER XXIII. HOLY ORDER. For carrying on Divine worship, ruling the Church, and administering the Sacraments, a Priesthood is required, and it belongs to God alone to institute the Priesthood. In the Old Law, God chose and raised to the Priest- hood Aaron, his children and their descendants, and they were to be assisted in their priestly functions by the members of the tribe of Levi ; and thus the Priest- hood was transmitted to posterity simply by family descent. In the New Law the means instituted by Christ for the transmission of the Priesthood was not by limiting it to one family or tribe, but by having the Sacrament of Holy Order conferred on those Christians whom the Apostles and their Successors should see fit to choose among the baptized and who are willing to be ordained. Holy Order, then, is a Sacrament by which Bishops, Priests, and other Ministers of the Church are ordained, and receive power and grace to perform their sacred duties. The sacramental character of Holy Order is manifest in Holy Scripture. St. Paul, in his Epistles to St. Timothy, says : "Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, ivith imposition of the hands of the priesthood." (1 St. Timothy iv. 14.) " / admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee by the imposition of my hands." (2 St. Timothy i. 6.) Here we have all the essentials of a Sacrament, the outward sign the inward grace annexed and divine appointment ; for, as we have before said, God alono can make outward signs to be means of grace. HOLY MATRIMONY. 101 CHAPTER XXIV. HOLY MATRIMONY. Matrimony, also called Marriage, is the conjugal union of man and woman who are naturally and legally fit to marry. It was raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament, and is a bond only to be dissolved by death. The marriage state is charged with many responsi- bilities, and has many difficulties to meet, many burdens to bear, and many temptations to over- come. Jesus Christ, in raising Christian marriage to a higher order, to a supernatural dignity, imposed stricter and nobler duties on the married couple. They have to be subject one to the other in the fear of God, and the women " subject to their husbands, as to the Lord" (Ephesians v. 22.) They have to love, nourish, and cherish each other, as Christ loved the Church (ver. 25), and to train up their children in the fear of God. " Provoke not your children to anger ; but bring them up in the discipline and correction of the Lord " (vi. 4). It is therefore clear that for the marriage state there is needed not merely an ordinary, but a very great and special grace, such as is received in a sacrament. Jesus Christ ennobled and blessed marriage by assisting personally at the nuptials of Cana in Galilee : He sanctioned the marriage bond with those sacred and plain words : " What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder " (St. Mark x. 9), and raised it to the dignity of a sacrament of the New Law. St. Paul calls it not only a sacrament, but a " great sacrament" because it is a sacrament in a twofold manner ; first, in the ordinary sense of a sacrament of 102 HOLY MATRIMONY. the New Law, being an outward sign of a holy and indissoluble union fortified by grace ; secondly, because marriage itself, when lawful, is a mystical sign and an emblem of Christ's union with the Church : " This is a great sacrament," he says : " but I spealc in Christ and in the church." (Ephesians v. 32.) Hence St. Cyril says : " Christ sanctified wedlock, and gave grace to marriage." (Cap ii. in Johannem No. xxii.) Tertullian, St. Irenseus, St. Augustine, and St. Ambrose style marriage a Sacrament. The Nesto- rians, Copts, Armenians, and Greeks, though separated from the Catholic Church, are unanimous in recognis- ing marriage as a sacrament ; agreeing in this with the Koman Catholic Church, which has always regarded marriage as a sacrament of the New Law. It is the teaching of the Church *hat legitimate matrimony between baptized persons can never be a mere contract, but is always also a sacrament. Though not defined as a point of faith, it is more generally held that the ministers of this Sacrament are the contract- ing parties themselves, when by word or outward signs they mutually accept each other a* husband and wife. In those parts of the world (as in England), where the Decrees of the Council of Trent respecting Matri- mony have not yet been published and promulgated, the presence of the Catholic Parish Priest is not essen- tial for the validity of the Sacrament, it is only re- quired in order to render it lawful ; but in those parts where the Council of Trent is officially published, his presence is required to render the contract valid as well as lawful in the eyes of the Church. The words which the Priest pronounces upon the contracting parties "I join you together in matrimony, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," are only intended to acknowledge and HOLY MATRIMONY. 103 solemnly ratify the sacred engagement just effected by the contracting parties. The other prayers which he recites afterwards serve to implore more abundant blessings upon the couple just married. Hence it follows that both parties ought to be in a state of grace when they contract the sacrament of marriage, for two reasons, 1st, because they themselves administer the sacrament, and 2ndly, because they receive that sacrament. As the union of Christ with the Church cannot be broken, so the bond between husband and wife is indissoluble. There is no cause that can justify, or power upon earth that can authorise the breaking of a legal and true marriage-bond between. Christians after the marriage has been consummated. Separation, except by mutual consent, is forbidden. For grave reasons, it is sometimes permitted to the innocent party to live separately, but this separation would only improperly be called divorce, as in such case the marriage-bond is not broken, and neither party can marry again during the lifetime of the other ; if ever, therefore, the word divorce is used, this word is understood to mean only a separation from bed and board ; but divorce, properly and strictly so called, in the sense that a divorced person may re-marry during the lifetime of his or her respective partner, is for- bidden by the law of God : and there is no reason that can justify, or authority on earth that can sanc- tion it. This has been the teaching of the Catholic Church in all ages, as proved from passages of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. For the first five centuries the indissoluble nature of marriage is testified by Hernias, St. Justin, Athenagoras, Tertullian, St. Leo of Alexandria, Origen, St. Basil, 104 HOLY MATRIMONY. St. Eplirem, St. Chrysostom, St. Cyprian, Lactantius, St. Hilary, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine. Jesus Christ was too explicit on this point to allow fif being misunderstood. His words are as follows : " Every one that putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery ; and he that marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery" (St. Luke xvi. 18.) St. Paul teaches that nothing but death can dissolve the marriage-bond. " To them that are married" he says : " not I, bid the Lord com- mandeth, that the ivife depart not from her husband. And if she depart, that she remain UNMARRIED, or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife." (1 Corinthians vii. 10, 11.) The common impression among some Protestants that the Church or the Pope has occasionally sanctioned divorce or the breaking of the marriage-bond, allowing one or both of the parties to re-marry during the life- time of the other, is without a true foundation. It should be noticed that there are some cases which render a marriage invalid and null, as for example, default of consent, close affinity, illegality of contract, defect of age, and other invalidating causes. In these cases the Church can, after inquiring into the matter, declare the union to have been null and void from the beginning ; and this has been done, and may be done again. Strictly speaking, however, this is not dissolving an existing marriage, but in reality only declaring that no marriage ever existed between certain parties, on account of some impediment which made the contract void. But a valid marriage com- pleted between baptized persons cannot, in any case, be dissolved. God has joined them together, and that sacred bond no one, not even a Pope, can rend asunder. Society in general, and Catholics especially, ought to ONLY ONE TRUE CHURCH. 105 be most thankful to Jesus Christ for having established this inviolable sanctity of marriage, by which number- less scandals, and family strifes, and miseries, are pre- vented, family happiness more universally secured, and the weaker sex and children are greatly protected. If in some particular case this law may happen to be burdensome, especially to persons who have not been wanting either in prudence in the choice they made, or in justice and kindness towards their partners, this hardship to the few is small compared with the immense good derived from this law by society at large. The sufferer must not on account of his special grief revolt against God, but bear patiently this like any other trouble, and adorn the general dispensation of the Creator and Lord of nature. CHAPTER XXV. ONLY ONE TRUE CHURCH. " Come, and I will shew tkee tJie bride, the wife of the Lamb." (Apocalypse [Rev.] xxi. 9.) In the Old Law, only in the Temple of Jerusalem could sacrifices be offered to God. That was a figure of the Church of Christ, that special body of Christians which Christ recognises as His own, and to which it is necessary to belong in order to be acceptable to God, as a member of the mystical body of Christ. The true Church of Christ on earth is the union of all the faithfulj who communicate one with another by profession of the same faith, by the participation of the same sacraments, and who are subject to their own Bishops, and in a special manner to the Roman Pontiff, who is the visible centre of all Catholic union. 106 ONLY ONE TRUE CHURCH. This society of Christians forms, as it were, one body with that which Christ, whilst on earth, founded principally on St. Peter, and also on the other Apostles, who were, as a ruling body, to continue in their lawful successors to rule the same until the end of the world. This ruling body in the Church Jesus Christ established with the intention of providing all men, through them, with the proper means to obtain eternal salvation. As there is but one God, one Baptism, one Truth, one Faith, one Fold, one Shepherd, one Way, one Body, one Spirit, so there can be but one true Church of God on earth, the Spouse, as St. Paul and St. John call her, of Jesus Christ. And first of all the true Church must have its members united in faith, for Christ sent His Apostles to teach one set of truths, not contradictory doctrines, and commands all men to believe the faith preached by the Apostles, for He says : " He that believeth not (what you shall have taught) shall be condemned" (St. Mark xvi. 16). He requires the same unity in the duties ordered by Him to be ful- filled by Christians, for He says : " Going therefore, teach ye all nations . . . teaching them to observe all tilings whatsoever I have commanded you " (St. Matt, xxviii. 19, 20). The promise of salvation is attached to that faith, hope, and charity which Christ has taught, and to no other. Again, what Christ has taught as true must neces- sarily be true for all times, for all people, and under all circumstances, and, therefore, unity of doctrine, is a necessary mark of a faith that comes from God, and any system of Religion which is not consistent and unchanging in its teaching, is thereby convicted of not being the true religion of our Lord ; since " Jesus Christ is yesterday, and to-day, and for ever the same.'' FIRST MARK ONENESS OP FAITH. 107 This Church of Christ is the Catholic Church, under the government of St. Peter's Successor, the Bishop of Home ; because this Church alone possesses, enjoys, n ml .shows forth all the four marks of God's true Church, as pointed out in Scripture, and declared in the Mcene Creed in the words : " / believe One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church" CHAPTEK XXVL FIRST MARK ONENESS OF FAITH, OF WORSHIP, OF SACRAMENTS, AND OF SUPREME KULER. The true Church of Christ must not be a mere medley of disjointed parts, but the parts must be so corresponding and so well connected together as to form a perfect whole, like several members forming a compact, organised, and living body : and this we understand when we say that the true Church must be one (Ephesians iv. 16). That is, one in Faith, and one in organisation. Protestants hold and proclaim as a right for all, the private interpretation of the Bible. This principle, if it were from God, should make them all agree in what they believe and teach ; but they are divided by this principle into a great number of denominations, opposed in various points of belief one to the other.* Catholics, however, are all united in one body, hold- ing one faith everywhere the same ; in having the same sacraments and sacrifice, and all submitting to the same one, visible, universal chief Pastor, the Roman Pontiff, who is the centre of all Catholic union. * Sec Tart III., No. 17 of this book, Statistics of Protestant Sects. 108 THE SUPREMACY OF THE BISHOP OF ROME. Catholics all agree iu acknowledging Jesus Christ to be their only Redeemer, and in believing all that Jesus Christ taught and continues to teach by His Church, especially whenever that Church declares and defines any doctrine of faith or of morals ; so that every one can know exactly what he must believe, and what he must do in order to be saved. And there is not an instance of any point of faith once defined as true by the Church in a general council, or by the Pope speaking ex cathedrd, having been contradicted by another general council or by any Pope speaking ex cathedrd; nor will there be such an instance to the end of time. They also share in a common sympathy, and are in perfect communion with one another all over the world. They share one with another their prayers, and all good works. They communicate also in worship ; for Catholics admit everywhere their fellow-Catholics to the participation of the Sacraments ; in the case of Priests, they are allowed by the local Bishops and by their fellow-Priests to celebrate Holy Mass in their Churches in every land. But above all, Catholics are united under the guidance of the same one visible chief Pastor, the Bishop of Eome, the lawful successor of St. Peter, to whom Jesus Christ committed the care of His whole flock on earth. CHAPTER XXVII. THE SUPREMACY OF THE BISHOP OF ROME. This supremacy or chief authority does not mean that the Pope has a higher degree of Priesthood than other Bishops. Of the various degrees of Priesthood, THE SUPREMACY OP THE BISHOP OP ROME. 109 that of Bishop being the highest, the Pope is, in that respect, no higher than any other lawfully ordained Bishop. But, by the Pope's supremacy is meant that, as among the Bishops there is a difference in authority and jurisdiction, some being Bishops, others Arch- bishops, others Primates, and others Patriarchs, so the Bishop of Eome is, in authority and jurisdiction, above all Bishops, as well as above all the faithful of the universal Church on earth. It is essential to the constitution of the Church that one of her Bishops should be recognised supreme in authority, otherwise it would be next to impossible to stay threatening abuses which local Bishops might be unwilling or unable to correct ; to apply a remedy if a Bishop of any diocese has become perverted in faith or morals; to settle matters in dispute which might arise between Bishop and Bishop, or between Bishops and laymen. Without this supreme authority there would not be union or sympathy between one part of Christendom and the other ; to assemble General Councils would be almost impossible ; to found new Bishoprics, to fill up vacant Sees, and to transfer a Bishop from one See to another, would naturally fall into the hands of ky persons, or at least be dependent on them ; and the sending of Missionaries to foreign parts would either not be attended to, or done in a timid, lax, irregular, and inefficient manner. It is a most remarkable fact that every nation hitherto con- verted from Paganism to Christianity since the days of the Apostles has received the light of faith from Missionaries who were either especially commissioned by the See of Rome, or sent by Bishops in open com- munion with that See. Besides, if such supreme spiritual authority did not exist, there would be instead of one Church many 10 110 THE SUPREMACY OF THE BISHOP OF ROME. Churches opposed one to another, some of them being kept together only in a hollow union consisting in outward conformity kept up by temporal power. It could not in that case be said that the Church of Christ is one, nor could she then be compared to a human body with many members and one visible head; nor could she be called a kingdom, unless a kingdom divided against itself, and a kingdom without a king. Suppose, for example, that one of the British Colonies were to withdraw itself from the jurisdiction of the British Crown : from that time, even though tho inhabitants were of British race, tongue, and customs, and had similar laws, that colony would evidently cease to form part of the British Empire. In like manner any part of Catholicity withdrawing itself in spiritual matters from the centre of supreme ecclesiastical autho- rity, would from that time cease to be part of the heaven-born Kingdom of the Catholic Church. Such a body of Christians would become independent, and denominational, or national ; but a living branch or part of the one visible Catholic body it could not be. It being essential, then, that one of the Bishops should preside over the visible Church of God on earth, which of all the Bishops in the world should we naturally think ought to be invested with that supremacy ? Should it be the Bishop of Jerusalem, of Antioch, of Constantinople, of Alexandria, of Paris, of London, or of Rome ? St. Peter, from the day of Pentecost, exercised, as appears from the first twelve chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, a supremacy over the other Apostles and over the whole Church ; it therefore seems just that the See permanently chosen by St. Peter, and in which he died, should be regarded as enjoying that privilege. THE SUPREMACY OP THE BISHOP OF ROME. Ill Now, it is a well attested fact, as is proved by history and monumental evidence, that the permanent See chosen by St. Peter was Rome, then the Capital of the Roman Empire, and that there he suffered martyrdom by being fastened to a cross with his head towards the earth at his earnest entreaty, deeming himself unworthy to suffer crucifixion in the same manner as his divine Master.* St. Peter identified in his own person in the Roman chair, both Episcopal and Primatial dignity ; therefore also those who after him lawfully occupy this chair unite and identify in themselves both authorities, so mitch the more so that if St. Peter during his life might have separated these two authorities, this sepa- ration after his death could no longer be done ; unless therefore, as Bossuet rightly observes, we pretend that the successors of St. Peter must come straight down from Heaven, we must confess that there are no other successors of St. Peter but the Roman Pontiffs. The Bishops of Rome, in fact, always claimed and still claim that supremacy, and no other Bishop in the world claims it, or ever did claim it. Some have indeed pretended to see an exception in Pope St. Gregory the Great, because in his Letter (iv. 20) to John the Patriarch of Constantinople, he rejects the title of universal Bishop. We must observe, however, that though St. Gregory rejected that title and was satisfied, like other Popes, with the title of Bishop of Rome, he did not, however, reject the supremacy of jurisdiction, but asserted it in plain words for himself, as other Popes had done, and he asserted it in that very Letter : for, speaking in it of the See of Constantinople, he says : " Who doubts that it is subject to the Apos- * That St. Peter was in Rome as First Bishop, see Tart III. of this book, No. 1. 112 THE SUPREMACY OF THE BISHOP OP ROME. tolic See ? " and again, he says : " When Bishops commit a fault, I know not what Bishop is not subject to it " (that is, to the See of Home). St. Gregory more- over repeatedly exercised the supremacy. Let it suffice here to mention what we read in the instruction he gave to the Benedictine Monk, St. Augustine (or Austin as he is often called), when he sent him to England, in which instruction he says : " We give you no jurisdic- tion over the Bishops of Gaul, . . . but we commit to your care all the Bishops of Britain" (History of Venerable Bede, i. 27.) No Pope has exercised uni- versal jurisdiction over every part of Christendom more amply than St. Gregory, justly styled the Great. In all ages the Bishop of Rome has been regarded by all bishops, kings and nations that were Catholic as the successor of St. Peter, and as the supreme visible ruler and administrator of the Catholic Church ; and whenever any one rejected the Pope's Supremacy, from that moment he was not regarded as a Catholic. The very names of Romanist, Papist, and Ultra- montane, so freely given to Catholics by those outside the Church, show that they see that the essential feature in Catholicism is, that Catholics, although belonging to different nations, yet form one compact body with their common centre of authority in Rome. They see that it is this that makes Catholics what they really are, one Fold, one Body, one Kingdom in spiritual matters, one Church. They can see that, in default of this supremacy, Catholics would cease to be Catholics, and would be throughout the world like stray sheep at the mercy of any who might take advantage of their division. Protestants for the most part are under the impression that this supreme authority of the See of Rome is a usurpation, that it did not exist originally, but was introduced in course of time. THE SUPREMACY OF THE BISHOP OF ROME. 113 History proves, however, that the Pope's supremacy was as firmly believed by Catholics in the first ages of Christianity as in those that followed. So far from there being any difference on this head, the fact is, that whilst the supremacy of the Pope has been rejected in later ages by the schismatical Churches of the East, and by Protestant communities which have separated them- selves from the Catholic Church, for the first seven hundred years the whole of Christendom united in believing and proclaiming and submitting to the supre- macy of the Roman See. So much so that about the year 140, the then ruling Pontiff Sixtus I. could issue the rule that no Bishop going back from Rome to his own Diocese without a " Littera formata" that is, without the Apostolic declaration that he was recog- nised by the Roman Pontiff to be in communion with him, his diocesans were bound not to regard him as their legitimate Pastor (H. W. Wouters, Epoca II. 9. History of the Roman Pontiffs by Artaud de Mentor). The Fathers of the primitive Church had no doubt whatever that the Roman Pontiff was, by God's appoint- ment, the Supreme Pastor of " sheep " and " lambs ; " that is (as interpreted by the Fathers of the Church) of the whole flock of Christ, and the visible source of all spiritual jurisdiction. To reject this truth was, in their judgment, to ruin the whole fabric of the church ; to deny His Vicar was to deny Christ. No one ever pretended to create this majestic office, the divine institution of it was always taken for granted. The Councils did not in- vent it, but bore witness to it as older than themselves. " The Roman Church always had the Primacy," said the Fathers- of Nicaea in the year of our Lord 325, as quoted by the Council of Chalcedon A.D. 451.* * Though these words are not found in the Greek exemplars now extant of the Acts of the Council of Nicsea, there is no 114 THE SUPREMACY OP THE BISHOP OP ROME. The great Council of Sardica, 347, wrote to Pope JULIUS 1, that it was " most fitting that the Bishops of the LORD make reference from all the Provinces to the head, that is, the See of the Apostle Peter." The Council of Chalcedon, in 451, not only deposed Dioscorus, Archbishop of Alexandria, in obedience to Pope St. LEO I., called "the Great," whom the Fathers inscribed as " the most blessed Apostle PETER, who is the rock and ground of the Catholic Church," but did so because Dioscorus had "dared to hold a Council without the authority of the Apostolic See." And this Council of Chalcedon was notably an Eastern doubt that they did exist, at least in some copies of those Acts at the time of the Chalcedonian Council (451), for in the Acts of the 16th Session of this Council it is stated that the Roman Legate, the Bishop Paschasinus, read before that general Assembly the VI. Canon of the Council of Nicsea, beginning with these words, " The Roman See always had the Primacy. " It cannot be reasonably supposed that Pope St. Leo the Great would have entrusted forged exemplars to his Legates, or that Bishop Paschasinus would have dared to read a forged copy of the Acts of the Nicene Council before such an assembly over which he presided ; nor could he have done so without provoking some contradiction on the part of the Fathers. Great eccle- siastical historians and theologians agree in stating that when the Roman Legate Paschasinus read the said passage, no one contradicted. See Labbe. Act I., Col. 93, torn. IV. Bellarmine de Rom. Pontif., Book II., Chap. 13. Hefde in his recent Con- cUien Geschichte, Vol. I., page 384. Cardinal Orsi Eccles. History, Book XXXIII., No. 79. Two writers have lately ventured to state that the Fathers of the Council of Chalcedon repudiated the assertion of Paschasi- nus respecting the Primacy of the Roman See ; one of the writers * did so without producing any authority, the other, Dr. Littledale, grounded himself wrongfully on Fleury ; I say wrongfully, be- cause the reference given by him does not even allude to the matter in question, and where Monsignor Claude Fleury gives an account of this transaction of the Council of Chalcedon he * A correspondent of the (Anglican) Church Tiinet. THE SUPREMACY OF THE BISHOP OP ROME. 115 Council More than 600 Bishops attended it from the East, and only two, Bishop Paschasinus and the Priest Boniface (the Pope's Legates) were from the West; yet in their Synodical letter the Council called the Roman Pontiff : " the interpreter to all of the voice of the blessed Peter." They say that he is entrusted by the SAVIOUR with the guardianship of the " Vineyard," and they humbly solicit him to confirm their Conciliar acts by his "supreme authority." All the Councils, one after another, say the same thing, and they all ground the doctrine which they all attest, upon the words of our Divine LORD. Many Protestants, following the "Book of Homilies," say that they accept the first six General Councils. Should they, however, accept only the first four General Councils, admitted by the English Parliament in the first year of Queen Elizabeth (1558, ch. 1, Sec. 36) as authority in the trial of heresies, they must accept the asserts quite the contrary. These are his words : "Paschasinus read the VI. Canon of Nicaea beginning with these words : The Church of Rome always had the Primacy, which are not in the Greek, and notwithstanding in this particular no objection was raised." Ecclesiastical History of Monsignor Claude Fleury, Vol. IV., Book 28, No. XXX. Many other accusations of this writer against the Roman Catholic Church have been proved untrue by the Rev. H. Ryder of the Oratory in his book entitled "Catholic Controversy," a reply to "Plain Reasons" of Dr. Richard Littledale. Instead of bringing false accusations against the poor author of "Catholic Belief," he had better try to oppose to it a simple exposition of the faith of the Anglican State Church. It is important to notice here that as it was the custom in that age for each Bishop who wished to have his own notary to write down the transactions of a Council, it should not surprise that differences occurred in various reports of the Acts. It should also not be forgotten that a positive historical assertion has a great deal more weight than mere silence on the part of other equally good historians. 116 THE SUPREMACY OP THE BISHOP OF ROME. doctrine of the supremacy of the Bishop of Koine, for to the Fathers of Ephesus and Chalcedon the opinion of those who deny the supremacy of the Pope would have seemed a hateful impiety, a denial of the Gospel, and a subversion of the Church of CHRIST. The ancient Fathers agree with the early Councils in proclaiming the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome. St. CYPRIAN (who died in the year of our Lord 258) says that the Pope is the only "fount of spiritual jurisdiction ; " and St. MAXIMUS (who died 335), that " whoever anathematises the Roman See, anathematises the Catholic Church:" and St. AMBROSE (397), that "where Peter is there is the Church," "Ubi Petrus ibi Ecclesia" (in Psalm xl.) ; and St. INNOCENT I. (417) that " the very Episcopate and all the authority of this title sprung from the Apostolic See ; " and St. JEROME (420), "whoso gathereth not with thee scattereth;" and St. AUGUSTINE (430), that " the See of Peter is the Rock against which the proud gates of hell prevail not." That great Father, St. IREN^US, who flourished only a little more than a hundred years after the death of Christ, and had seen some of those who had seen our Lord, tells us expressly, " that all Churches and all the faithful of CHRIST are bound to agree with the Roman Church on account of her superior principality." (Against Heresies, book 3, chap. 7.) The Roman See is the supreme Tribunal before which the Saints have always pleaded. St. Cyprian (who died in the year 258) told Antonianus that " to be united with the See of Rome is to be united to the Catholic Church." St. Dionysius of Alexandria (271), being accused of heresy, implores Pope DIONYSIUS I. to exa- mine and judge his faith. St. Peter of Alexandria (312) has recourse to Pope DAMASUS I. St. Athanasius (373) THB SUPREMACY OP THE BISHOP OP ROME. 117 driven from his See, appeals to the Roman Pontiff JULIUS L St. Augustine (402) accepts the judgment of Innocent L as that of Heaven. St. Cyril of Alexandria (444) wrote a letter to Pope CELESTINE L, praying him to judge the heresy of Nestorius. Everywhere the Koman Pontiff, whether a Victor, a Dionysius, a Damasus, an Innocent, or a Gregory, claims the same supreme authority, and everywhere the Saints confess with acclamation that he derives it from God. In all these instances the cases submitted to the judgment of the Holy See were carefully investigated and judicially discussed, and ample justice was done to the contending parties. Ecclesiastical history is full of similar appeals, when the adverse parties manifested the most perfect acquiescence in the authority and equity of the judge. Every part of Christendom bears witness, from the earliest ages, that the Church is built on PETER. A dispute having arisen in the Church of Corinth as to who should be regarded as the legitimate Pastor, the Corinthians did not apply to any Apostle then living, not even to St. John in Ephesus, but applied to Rome, to St. Clement, the third successor of St. Peter. The Christian historian Socrates relates, that at one and the same time the Bishops of CONSTANTINOPLE, GAZA, ANCYRA, and ADRIANOPLE, driven from their Sees, committed their cause to Pope JULIUS. The Council of Antioch adopts the words of Juvenal, Bishop of Jeru- salem, that "it is an Apostolic tradition that the Church of Antioch should be directed and judged by the Church of Rome." Churches in places the most distant from the Roman See proclaim the same truth as strongly as those which are situated nearer to it. In 740 St. Boniface, an Englishman, and the seven 118 THE SUPREMACY OF THE BISHOP OF ROME. English Suffragans in Germany, wrote to the English King and to Cuthbert, Archbishop of Canterbury, telling them what they had recently done in Synod. " "We declared," they say, " that we would preserve the Catholic faith, and unity and subjection to the Roman Church, to the end of our life ; that we would be subject to St. Peter and his Vicar ; that the Metro- politans should in all things strive to follow canonically the precepts of St. Peter, in order that they may be numbered among the sheep entrusted to his care : and this confession we all consented to, and subscribed, and sent to the body of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles." About this time, it appears, that in the year 787 Pope Adrian I. at the request of Offa, King of Mercia and East Anglia, made Lichfield into a Metropolitan See, detaching it, together with other Bishoprics, from the Metropolitan See of Canterbury. This request of King Offa was made on the plea that the extent of the Pro- vince of Canterbury was extremely large. About fifty years later, Coenulph, who had succeeded to the crown of Egforth, son of Offa, King of Mercia and East Anglia, wrote a suppliant letter to the Pope Leo III., then reigning, in his own name and in that of the Bishops and Dukes of England, saying : " No one presumes to gainsay your Apostolic authority ; " and praying that Lichfield might again be subjected as a Suffragan to the See of Canterbury. Pope Leo III., " by his Apostolic authority/' granted their petition, and restored Lichfield to the former condition of Suffragan to the See of Canterbury. At the first Council of Aries, convened by desire of the Emperor Constantino to settle the cause of the Donatists, held in 314, with the intervention of 200 Bishops, the British Bishops of LONDON, YORK, and THE SUPREMACY OP THE BISHOP OP ROME. 119 CAERLEON, confessed, in the name of all their col- leagues, the supreme rights and prerogatives of the Holy See.* A similar declaration of submission to the Roman See was made by the British Bishops at the Council of Sardica, A.D. 347. When England had subdued Wales, and the Bishop of St. DAVID'S was summoned to do homage to the See of Canterbury, he replied that the British Bishops had never recognised any superior "except the Holy See." The Church of Scotland gave a like answer to the Archbishop of YORK, when he claimed jurisdiction over it, and " the answer was approved," as Lingard observes, " by Pope CLEMENT III." These are only a few ex- amples out of many that could be brought forward. This office of the Koman Pontiff was given to him, not by men, but by GOD. It is God's provision, God's creation, "for the preservation of unity," as St. Thomas Aquinas remarks. It was not conferred on the Roman Pontiff by the Church ; it comes directly from God. It is inherited directly from St. Peter, to whom it was given by CHRIST. This supreme authority was given to St. Peter under three most remarkable similitudes. Christ compares the Church He is about to establish to a building, and makes St. Peter, after Himself, the foundation of it : " Thou art Peter ; and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not against it." (St. Matt. xvi. 18.)t It is the * See Butler's Lives of the Saints, Notes on May 26 and December 31. t " Thou art Peter, Sec. As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ ; so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the diguity to which He is pleased to raise 120 THE SUPREMACY OF THE BISHOP OP ROME. foundation which upholds and keeps a building solid ; and in a body of men it is clearly the ruling authority which performs the same office. Again, our Lord compares his Church to a Town or Kingdom, the keys of which He places in the hands of St. Peter, making him the master of it ; " And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven." (St. Matt. xvi. 19.) This expresses in a forcible way the idea of chief authority, as it does also in Isaias, refer- ring to the Messiah : " / will lay the key of the house oj David upon his shoulder, and he shall open, and none shall shut : and he shall shut, and none shall open " (xxii. 22). him : viz., that he, to whom He had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock (St. John i. 42), should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the Church ; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor ; and should have accordingly all fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Upon this rock, &c. The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar language of the Jews, which our Lord made use of, were the same as if He had said in English: Thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my Church. So that, by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock upon which the Church was to be built : Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. "Where also note, that Christ, by building His house, that is, His Church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder (St. Matthew vii. 24, 25). The gates of hell, &c. That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself or his agents. For as the Church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock, so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, i.e., the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the City or Church of Christ By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatso- ever, shall at any time prevail over the Church of Christ." Footnote in Douay Bible on these passages. THE SUPREMACY OP THE BISHOP OP ROME. 121 Thirdly, our Lord compares His Church to a Sheep- fold, and makes St. Peter head-shepherd of it : " Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these ? feed my lambs/ . . . Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep." (St. John xxi. 15, 17.) These three comparisons all go to prove that our Lord conferred a supreme authority on St. Peter, whom He made the centre of unity, the ruler, and leader of His kingdom, then about to be established upon earth. Besides these passages, in which our Lord gives to St. Peter supreme authority under these striking com- parisons, we find one in which Jesus Christ, having assured St. Peter that He had prayed for him, that his faith should not fail, in the plainest language entrusted to him this commission : " Confirm thy brethren." This was given at a most solemn moment, just when the bitter Passion of our Lord was about to commence, (St. Luke xxii. 32.) These passages prove that our Lord Jesus Christ established St. Peter, and in the person of St. Peter, his legitimate successors, as the chief Pastors of His Church upon earth. For it cannot be supposed that at the death of St. Peter the Church was to remain without its visible head pastor, without its foundation ; therefore as St. Peter was to die, and the Church was to last to the end of the world, so the authority which Jesus Christ established for the purpose of keeping the whole Church together, like a compact body, was, of necessity, and according to Christ's will, to be trans- mitted to St. Peter's legitimate successors, and was to last as long as the Church itself lasted.* No Christian, then, should seek a pretext for deny- That St. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, see Part III. of this book, No. 1. 122 THE SUPREMACY OP THE BISHOP OF ROME. ing this supremacy, essential to the Church, clearly instituted by Christ, and plainly intended for the good of the faithful. If the Pope's authority is great, the good derived from it to the Church is still greater. If this office is gigantic and seemingly beyond the power of man to wield, the experience of eighteen centuries proves that it is practicable with the promised and never failing assistance of God. In the old law there was only one supreme Pontiff or High Priest for the whole Jewish people, though the Jews in vast numbers were spread over the world. We should not wonder therefore, that, in the new Dispensation, Christ should have established only one supreme Administrator of His Household on earth, that it might always be one, as He Himself is one. We should not wonder that He should have prepared a rock as the foundation of His one Church on earth based upon HIMSELF the Foundation of all, and the very Eock of Ages. Our Lord Jesus Christ being the Foundation of foundations (Isaias xxviii. 16), and Chief Corner Stone, has the fulness of authority over the whole Church whether in heaven or on earth, whether present or future, and is the original source of all authority and jurisdiction. Compared with the authority of Christ, that of the Pope over the Church is dependent, tem- poral, and, though ample, has its limits. The authority of the Pope is from Christ, under Christ, and for Christ He only possesses this authority over the Church on earth during the few years of his Pontificate. This is but a small portion of the immense flock of CHRIST, which consists of " a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues " (Apocalypse vii. 9) ; and over the whole of which great multitude, when gathered LIST OP GENERAL COUNCILS. 123 together in the end of time from all the nations of the world, from all past ages, JESUS, the everlasting Shep- herd of our souls, will Himself, without the ministry of any representative, visibly preside for ever and ever in heaven. CHAPTER XXVIII. LlST OP ALL THE GENERAL COUNCILS HELD IN THE CHURCH OP GOD FROM THE TIME OF THE APOSTLES TO A.D. 1880. BY A GENERAL OR ECUMENICAL COUNCIL is under- stood a Council to which the Bishops of the whole world are lawfully summoned for the settling of some important matter, though it is not necessary for the validity of the Council that all should attend. A Council in order to be Ecumenical, must be convoked by the Pope, or at least with his consent, and be presided over by him, or by his Legates. The decrees of a Council must also have his approval. A General Council headed by the Pope, by reason of its representing the whole Church, has the privilege of doctrinal infallibility and supreme authority. It is evident that even the largest assembly of Bishops with- out the Pope would be a body without a head, and could not represent the whole Church. General Councils show the supernatural vitality which exists in the Church of God for her own preser- vation and purity. To the present time (A.D. 1884) the Ecumenical Councils are nineteen in number. The first eight were held in the Eastern part of Christen dom, the remaining eleven were held in the Western part. The following List of General Councils will place in 124 LIST OF GENERAL COUNCILS. a prominent light the fact that there has always existed in the Catholic Church oneness of body, that is, inter- communion between all the Catholic Bishops, and dependence upon their Visible Head the Koman Pontiff, and oneness of faith, which the Church, faithful to her office, has never failed, when needed, boldly and clearly to state, and there is no instance of a doctrine on faith or morals defined by one General Council having been changed by another General Council or by any Pope : 1. The First Council of Nicaea (or Nice, now called Isnick, in Asia Minor, about 90 miles from Constanti- nople), was held in the year 325, under Pope Sylvester I. in the Palace of the Emperor. There were present 318 Bishops ; the Emperor Constantino the Great also assisting. Arius, Presbyter of Alexandria, was condemned for denying the divinity of the Word, or Son of God, and His consubstantiality with the Father ; at this Council the greater part of what is commonly called the ]S"icene Creed was published. 2. The First Council of Constantinople, the ancient Byzantium, was held in 381, in the Emperor's Palace, confirmed by Pope Damasus I. ; 150 Bishops and the Emperor Theodosius the Elder attended. The followers of Macedonius were condemned for denying the Divinity of the Holy Ghost and His con- substantiality with the Father and the Son. A few more things were added to the Nicaean Creed. 3. The Council of Ephesus, Asia Minor, was held in the Church of St. Mary in 431, under Pope Celestine I. About 200 Bishops, and Theodosius the Younger, were present. Nestorius was deposed from his See of Constantinople, and condemned for maintaining that in Jesus Christ LIST OF GENERAL COUNCILS. 125 there were two distinct persons ; a human person, born of the Virgin Mary, and the Divine person, that is, the Eternal Word. In consequence of this error he denied to the Blessed Virgin the title of Theotokos (or mother of God), contrary to the Catholic doctrine, which con- fesses Mary to be the Mother of that DIVINE PERSON, in whom are intimately and indissolubly united, by what is called hypostatic union, the Divine and the human nature. 4. The Council of Chalcedon (now called Scutari), facing Constantinople, in Asia Minor, under Pope Leo the Great, was held in 451, in the Church of St. Euphemia the Martyr, near the Bosphorus in Bithynia. Paschasinus and Lucentius, Bishops, and Boniface, Priest, presided at this Council as Legates of Pope Leo the Great. Six hundred arid thirty Bishops, and the Koman Emperor Marcian, were present. Papal Supre- macy was acknowledged. Eutyches, Abbot of Constantinople, and Dioscorus, Archbishop of Alexandria, were condemned for teaching that in JESUS CHRIST there was only one nature. 5. The Second of Constantinople, held in the Sacristy of the Cathedral in 553, confirmed by Pope Vigilius. 165 Bishops and the Emperor Justinian were present. Though neither the Pope nor his Legates attended, yet the Council is considered Ecumenical from its having afterwards received the sanction of the Pope. The so-called ' Three Chapters,' or heretical writings of Theod6rus of Mopsuesta, of Theodoretus and of Iba, favouring the already anathematised doctrines of Nes- torius, were condemned. 6. T/ie Third of Constantinople, held 'in the Hall of the Imperial Palace, in the years 680 and 681, under Pope Agatho, attended by 170 Bishops. The Monothelites, with their leaders Cyrus, Sergius, 126 LIST OF GENERAL COUNCILS. and Pyrrhus, were condemned for maintaining, as their name implies, that in JESUS CHRIST there was only one operation and one will, namely, the Divine will. This heresy attempted to revive under a new form the error of Eutyches, which had been already condemned. Pope Agatho dying before the Council came to a conclusion, it was confirmed by Leo II., his successor, who translated the Acts of this Council from the Greek into Latin. 7. The Second of Nicaea, held in the church of St. Sophia in 787, under Pope Adrian L, attended by 3G7 Bishops. In this Council the Iconoclasts (or breakers of sacred images) were condemned for rejecting the use of holy images, and the practice of paying them due respect. The last Session of this Council was held at Con- stantinople. 8. The Fourth of Constantinople, held in the Church of St. Sophia in 869 and 870, under Pope Adrian II., attended by 102 Bishops. The intruded patriarch J Photius, the author of the Greek Schism, was condemned and deposed, and St. Ignatius was restored to his See of Constantinople, which had been unjustly usurped by Photius. This is the last General Council held in the Eastern part of Christendom. 9. The First of Lateran, held in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, in Kome in 1123, under Pope Calistus II., attended by 300 Bishops and 600 mitred Abbots. The contest regarding investitures, or appointment to benefices, was settled. The rights of the Church and of the Emperors in the serious business of the election of Bishops and Abbots were regulated. 10. The Second of Lateran, held at Borne in 1139, LIST OP GENERAL COUNCILS. 127 under Pope Innocent II., attended by 1000 Bishops, the Pope himself presiding. The errors of the Albigenses and the heresies of Peter De Bruys and his disciple Arnold of Brescia were condemned and the schism of Peter Leo was repressed. One of the decrees of this Council anathematised those heretics who rejected Infant Baptism, the Holy Eucha- rist, the Priesthood, and Matrimony. 11. The Third of Lateran, held at Eome in 1179, under Pope Alexander III., who presided in person. It was attended by 300 Bishops. The errors of the Waldcnses were "condemned and a better form of electing the Sovereign Pontiff was pre- scribed. Most beneficial rules were also framed for the election of Bishops, for regulating the rights of patrons, and for the gratuitous instruction of the people, especi- ally of poor children. 12. The Fourth of Lateran, held at Home in 1215, under the great Pope Innocent III., attended by 412 Bishops and upwards of 800 Abbots and Friars, be- sides the representatives of all Sovereigns and Princes of Christendom. A short exposition of the Catholic Faith was drawn up in opposition to the errors of the time, especially those of the Albigenses and Waldenses. Ecclesiastical laws were framed for the reformation of morals among Christians. The obligation of Confession for adults, instead of several times a year, was reduced to once a year at least ; and Holy Communion likewise to at least once a year, and that at Easter-time. A decree authorising an expedition (known as Crusade) for the recovery of the Holy Places in Palestine was likewise published, and the election of Frederic II. of Germany as Eoman Emperor was conOrmed. 13. The First of Lyons, ancient Lugdunum (Rhone), 128 LIST OP GENERAL COUNCILS. France, held in 1245 in the Monastery of St. Just, under Pope Innocent IV., who himself generally pre- sided, attended by 140 Bishops and many Abbots and Procurators of Chapters. There was also present Baldwin, Emperor of Constantinople, with other Princes and various Ambassadors. The Emperor Frederic II. (a noted persecutor of the Church, who, owing to the aid of the powerful Pope Innocent III., his godfather, ascended the throne of the German Empire) was excommunicated and deposed after the powerful defence made by his Imperial repre- sentatives and advocates had been heard. 14. The Second of Lyons, held in the Church of St. John in 1274, under Pope Gregory X., attended by 500 Bishops of the Latin and the Greek Kite, nearly 70 Abbots and about 1000 minor Prelates, the Pope presiding in person. The schismatic Greeks returned to the unity of the Church, acknowledging the Pope as the head of the whole Church, of the Greek as well as of the Latin Bite. 15. The Council of Vienna in France, the ancient Vienne A116brogum (Ise"re, Dauphiny), was held in the Metropolitan Church in the year 1311 and 1312, under Pope Clement V. There were 300 Bishops and many other Prelates present. The Order of Knights Templars was abolished. The errors of the Begards, who pretended that man is capable of attaining such perfection in this life as to become impeccable (or incapable of sinning), even when freely gratifying the evil propensities of the body, were condemned. The Council of Constance, or Constantia on the Lake of Constance, Baden, was assembled in 1414; when, owing to the interference of States, there were LIST OF GENERAL COUNCILS. 129 three candidates contending for the Papal Chair, namely John XXIII, Gregory XII, and Benedict XIII. It was attended by about 200 Bishops and a number of other Prelates. At this Council the serious schism caused by this usurpation which had so long disturbed the Church of God ended, and the errors of John "Wickliff and others were condemned. In November 1417, Pope Martin V. was recognised by all as the lawfully elected Pope, and he presided over the Council until it closed. In the last Session Pope Martin V. approved and ratified all that the Council had defined " conciliariter" that is, according to the strict rules of defining in General Councils, and, therefore, in these definitions the Council was received as Ecumenical, although it does not rank among Ecu- menical Councils, because in some of its Sessions (or sittings) it was not strictly Ecumenical. 16. Tlie Council of Florence, Italy, held in 1438 and 1439, under Pope Eugenius IV. Attended by 200 Bishops of the Latin and of the Greek Rite, arid by the Emperor of the Greeks, John Pale61ogus. The Supremacy of the Pope over the whole Church was declared. Once more the Eastern and Russian Schismatic Bishops who were present submitted to the Supremacy of the Pope, and were thereby re-united to the Catholic Church. 17. The Fifth Lateran, held at St. John Lateran, Rome, A.D. 1512-1517, under the Popes Julius II. and Leo X., attended by 120 Bishops. Many representa- tives of Kings and Princes were also present. It abolished the Pragmatic Sanction, that is, the collection of 38 decrees, which the Council of Bale had published concerning the rights and privileges of the Roman Pontiff, the authority of Councils, the election 130 LIST OF GENERAL COUNCILS. of Prelates, and other ecclesiastical matters. The dogma relating to the immortality of the soul was defined. The Council of Pisa was condemned, and the ecclesias- tical discipline reformed. An impulse was given to an expedition or crusade against the Turks, who were at the time threatening to overrun Christendom. 18. The Council of Trent (in the Austrian Tyrol,) held from 1545 to 1563 under the Popes Paul III., Julius III, Marcellus II, Paul IV., and Pius IV. It was attended by about 200 Bishops, 7 Abbots, and 7 Generals of Beligious Orders, and by the Kepresenta- tives of Catholic Kings and Princes. Including an adjournment of four years, and a suspension of ten years, this Council lasted eighteen years. The Catholic doctrine regarding the Holy Scripture, Tradition, Original Sin, Justification, and the Seven Sacraments, was clearly explained ; the contrary errors condemned ; and abuses in morals and discipline reformed. 19. The Vatican Council held in the Basilica of St. Peter, Home, was opened on the 8th of December 1869, and continued to the 18th of July 1870. It was summoned by Pope Pius IX., of glorious memory, who occasionally presided in person, but generally by his Legates. The Patriarchs, Archbishops, and Bishops, present at this Council, at any time between December the 8th, 1869, and July the 18th, 1870, were 704. This number included 113 Archbishops and Bishops in partibus infidelium (in infidel regions), of whom all but 38 held the office of Administrator, Auxiliary, Coadjutor, Vicar- Apostolic, or Prefect- Apostolic. In this Council the dogma of the Supremacy of St. Peter and his Successors, previously recognised in the First Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431, and more fully explained in the Council of Florence, A.D. 1438, was LIST OF GENERAL COUNCILS. 131 again solemnly affirmed and denned. This dogma of faith teaches that on St. Peter was conferred a Primacy of jurisdiction over the other Apostles, and over the whole flock of Jesus Christ, and that the Bishop of Rome is the successor of St. Peter in that jurisdiction. It was also declared that this jurisdiction extends over the whole Church on earth, and over every member of the Church, and that all the faithful are bound to submit to it, not only in things that belong to faith or to morals, but also in things that belong to the discip- line and government of the Church. At this Council the Pope's infallibility, when speak- ing ex cathedra in matters of Faith or of Morals, was also solemnly defined. Besides the Supremacy and the Infallibility of the Pope (see Chap. IX.), this Council also defined, against the daring attacks of modern in- fidelity, the existence of a personal God. Some people wrongly imagine that the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope is a new doctrine, because it was for the first time defined explicitly as an article of faith at the Vatican Council ; but they who argue thus might with as much show of reason assert that the dogma which teaches the existence of a personal God is therefore also a new doctrine because that article of the faith was for the first time defined as dogma (iu order to oppose modern heresy) in this Council, or that the dogma of the immortality of the soul was a new doctrine because it was first defined at the Fifth Council of Lateran A.D. 1512-1517. This Yatican Council issued likewise some very important decrees relating to Discipline. 132 SECOND MARK HOLINESS. CHAPTER XXIX. SECOND MARK HOLINESS. The Catholic Church is Holy, because, as our Cate- chism says, " she teaches a holy doctrine, offers to all the means of holiness ; and is distinguished by the emi- nent holiness of so many thousands of her children." Catholics see clearly, and non-Catholics themselves for the most part admit, that among the various Protes- tant sects there are grave errors, divisions, and losses to deplore. These may be contradictions, or unsound, unscriptural tenets, or the loss of Sacraments, the abandonment of the Evangelical counsels of perfection, or it may be, some faulty principles, inconsistent with holiness, which, if carried out into practice in their natural consequences, would certainly prove to be opposed to God's perfec- tions, to man's salvation, and to the well-being of society. The following are some of the tenets held by various denominations : * That the grossest sins do not hurt the elect, who do not forfeit thereby the grace of adoption and the state of justification. This Luther taught. That God is the author of sin, and at the same time the avenger of it. This Calvin taught. That there is no falling from the grace of God, but that " once in grace one is always in grace, how grievous soever the sins he may commit." (Calvin " Book of Institutions," chapter ii.) That there is no freewill in man. (Luther on Slave will.) * See Bp. Bossuet (" Variations "), and Bp. Milner's "End of Religious Controversy." SECOND MARK HOLINESa 133 That God sees no sin in believers. That "no sin, unbelief alone excepted, can cause damnation." (Luther on " Captivity of Babylon.") That several Books of Holy Scripture are to be rejected, although they are sanctioned by the same authority that has in the sixth Council of Carthage A.D. 419, sanctioned all the Books of the New Testament. That a man has a right to prefer and maintain his own interpretation of Scripture, in opposition to the judgment of all the Fathers and Bishops of the Catholic Church. That man is justified "by faith only, without anything else ; understanding by faith, a mere reliance on Christ for pardon. That repentance, love of God, and of our neighbour, are not necessary for justification or for salvation. That good works are not only not necessary, but hurtful to justification. That everything that happens, happens necessarily by Divine predestination, and that therefore our will lias no freedom. That man is totally depraved, and that all his works are sinful. That all sins are of equal guilt. That "works of supererogation cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety." * * See 14th Article of Religion, in the Book of Common Prayer of Church of England. By works of supererogation it is meant works or virtues not commanded but only counselled by Christ, called counsels of perfection, such as voluntary poverty, volun- tary state of celibacy, or chaste single life for God's sake, and voluntary obedience, which is, the putting of oneself under a legitimate superior to obey him in any matter which is not in violation of the Law of God. 134 SECOND MARK HOLINESS. That the exact observance of the Commandments of God is impossible. That it is a matter of indifference which Christian religion you profess. That God (so Calvin blasphemously taught) has predestined and consigned some men, independently of their acts, and without any fault of their own, to everlasting perdition. (Institut. lib. iii. chap. 21.) That God permits those who are predestined to eternal damnation to do some good in this life, but that He permits it only in order to make them the more guilty, and punish them the more severely in eternity. (Calvin Institut. lib. iii., chap. 2. No. 11.) And many more tenets hurtful and unsound. These fruits show of what sort the tree (the right of private interpretation of Scripture against legitimate authority) is, for " by their fruits you shall know them." (S. Matt. vii. 20.) Notwithstanding these faulty principles, a high moral standard is often found amongst Protestants of various denominations. This is because happily such persons do not carry out their professed principles to their legi- timate conclusions, but follow rather the dictates of natural sense of right and wrong, and adhere to certain portions of Catholic faith still surviving among them. The Catholic Church is truly holy. Her teaching, both in faith and in morals, inspires her children with a love of perfection ; leads them to holiness of life, to practise all virtues, to abhor all sin, to avoid the occasions of it, and to observe faithfully all God's commandments. This is all included in the idea of true holiness. She urges the use of prayer and of the holy Sacraments, and of all other means through which God's grace can be obtained. Holy Church commands her children to render to all whatever is their due ; SECOND MARK HOLINESa 135 loyal allegiance to the ruling Civil Power in temporal concerns ; faithful obedience to Ecclesiastical superiors in spiritual matters ; affection and ready submission to Parents, and to those acting in their stead ; respect to all placed over us ; consideration and kindness to all placed under us ; respect and Christian love towards all, and even love in return for ill treatment. The Church encourages us to devote ourselves, as much as our other duties will allow us, to spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Such are to instruct the ignorant ; to reclaim the sinner ; to help those in danger and trouble on sea and on land ; to relieve the poor ; to shelter the homeless, the young, and the infirm ; to visit the afflicted, the aged, the sick, and the dying, in workhouses, orphanages, hospitals, asylums, and prisons, or wherever they may be ; to bury the dead, and to pray for them and for the spiritual and temporal wants of our neighbour in general. We are taught by Holy Church to worship God, who is of infinite majesty, power, truth, mercy, and goodness, by frequent acts of adoration, humility, faith, hope, con- trition, and love ; and by regular and devout attendance at the Services of the Church, which she celebrates not only on Sundays and Festivals but also on week-days. Holy Mass, as a rule, is celebrated daily in all Catholic churches by each Priest, in order to sJiew forth the death of the Lord, and keep the faithful constantly in remembrance of Him and His all availing Passion and Death. She puts constantly before her children the life of JESUS CHRIST as the perfect model for their imitation, " Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans xiii. 14.) " Leaving you an example that you should follow His steps." (1 St. Peter i. 21.) The lives of the Saints also are often placed before 136 SECOND MARK HOLINESS. us that we may be encouraged by their bright example in the practice of humility, obedience, purity, charity, patience, self-denial, devotion, perseverance and zeal; which virtues the Saints possessed in a degree called heroic, that distinguished them from ordinary pious Christians. The example of the martyrs who died for Christ, for the faith, and for virtue's sake, are also continually placed before us, that we may learn how to endure sufferings and even death rather than be unfaithful to God, and stain our conscience with sin. The Christian motto is : " Malo mori quam foedarij" that is, Death before dishonour. The Church commands us to be continually watchful over ourselves, so as not wilfully to allow, even for a moment, one bad thought to defile the mind. Those who, unhappily, have fallen into sin, she encourages to repent and to return to God without delay, and to approach the sacrament of Penance in order to have their souls cleansed in the Most Precious Blood of JESUS, which is applied to them in that life- restoring, healing, and comforting sacrament. The Catholic Church forbids the least injustice to any one, and strictly obliges us to make reparation and restitution, according to our ability, for any injury or injustice that we may have done to any one, even though our neighbour may not be aware of the wrong. She presses us to approach frequently and devoutly the most Blessed Sacrament of Holy Communion, that our souls may be fed and strengthened by that Heavenly Food, our hearts more and more inflamed with the fire of Divine Love, and that thus we may continually grow in grace and piety. In short, the Catholic Church forbids all that is wrong, even for the sake of obtaining the greatest SECOND MARK HOLINESS. 137 temporal advantage ; she commands all that is dutiful and encourages all that is good, holy, and perfect, even the striving after the attainment of those sublime virtues, for the observance of which Jesus Christ gave not precepts but only counsels, called " Counsels of perfection." The Church cannot be held responsible for the con- duct of bad Catholics, for they are bad, inasmuch as they depart from the Catholic teaching and rule. All Catholics who faithfully and humbly follow the guid- ance of the Church, whatever may be their nation, or lawful calling and position in life, will become ex- emplary Christians, and it may be, even Saints. Here the question naturally arises : Are the fruits of sanctity or virtue, which are attained through grace, and practised to the high degree called heroic, to be found among the members of the Catholic Church, or among the different new teachers who undertook to reform the Church in the sixteenth century ? The first thoughts that strike most people who con- sider this subject are, that not one of those leaders of the " Reformation " is regarded by any as a Saint, but that some of them are admitted, even by many Protes- tants, to have been quite the reverse of Saints, and, that all the Saints of Christendom, even those Saints retained in the Calendar of the State Church of England, and under whose names many Protestant Churches are dedicated, lived and died strict mem- bers of the Catholic Church in communion with the See of Rome, zealously attached to her doctrine and discipline. In this calendar of the Church of England we still meet with Pope St. Gregory I., the zealous asserter of Papal Supremacy (March 12) ; St. Benedict (March 21) of Monte Cassino, the Patriarch of the Western Monks 138 SECOND MARK HOLINESS. and Nuns ; St. Dunstan of Canterbury (May 18), the vindicator of clerical celibacy ; St. Augustine of Canter- bury (May 26), who, after the Saxon Invasion, preached the Catholic Faith to the inhabitants of pagan England ; and the name of St. Bede, known as Venerable Bede (May 27), the Benedictine Monk of Yarrow, Northum- berland, the faithful historian of those days of Catholic glory in England ; the glorious Martyr St. Lawrence (Aug. 10), the devoted Deacon of St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr ; St. Jerome (Sept. 30), who was so devoted to the Papal chair, in the fourth century ; St. Clement, Pope and Martyr (Sept. 23), whose Apostolic letters still exist; Pope St. Sylvester (Dec. 31), (under whom the Christian Emperor Constantino the Great was con- verted to Christianity), who, empowered by the Emperor, first built, in several parts of Rome, churches for public worship, which, history states, he adorned with sacred images. The names of other Saints in communion with the Roman See, for example, St. David, St. Chad, St. Edward, St. Richard, St. Alphege, St. Martin, St. Swithin, St. Giles, St. Lambert, St. Leonard, St. Hugh, St. Remigius, St. Edmund M., St. Agnes, St. Catherine, St. Etheldreda, St. Margaret, are all retained in the Calendar of the State Church of England, and give names to many Churches of that Establishment. Besides these there are very many other Saints in the Roman Catholic Church, who, for the extraordinary purity and sanctity of their lives, many learned and candid Protestants admit were saints. Even Luther acknowledges St. Anthony, St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bonaventure and others to be Saints, though they were avowed Roman Catholics, and defenders of the Roman Catholic Church against the heretics and schismatics of their times. LIST OF SOME SAINTS. 130 But, added to this and other testimonies, it is certain that the supernatural virtues and heroic sanctity of a countless number of holy persons of different nation, sex, rank, and profession, have wondrously adorned the Catholic Church in every age. For three hundred years every successor of the glorious St. Peter, almost without exception, numbering more than thirty, received, like St. Peter, the crown of Martyrdom in, or near, their beloved city of Rome. A great number of Popes, and an immense number of Bishops, are regarded by the Church as Saints, besides more than twelve millions of martyrs who are known to have nobly sealed their belief in the Catholic faith with their blood. CHAPTER XXX. LIST OF SOME SAINTS. Besides the Apostles chosen by our Lord, the names of a great number of Saints are familiar to Catholics. The following comparatively short list of Saints (for the number might readily be increased a hundred fold), more familiarly known among English-speaking and Italian Catholics, has been carefully drawn up and arranged in the order of time.* The year and day on which the festival of each occurs is added, following as a rule the Roman Calendar, generally marking the day of their decease, and on which we may piously believe that their holy souls passed to the enjoyment of everlasting happiness. * When a Christian is only in a well-grounded reputation of Saint, he is called " Servant of God." When his cause is intro- duced in the Court of Sacred Rites, he is called "Venerable." When he is beatified, he is called " Blessed." When canonised by the Church, he is called "Saint." 140 LIST OF SOME SAINTS. ABBREVIATIONS HERE USED EXPLAINED. A. Ap. Signifies Apostle. Ab., Abs. Abbot, Abbess. Abp. Archbishop. A. D. Anno Domini (in the Year of our Lord). B. or Bp. Bishop. BL Blessed. C. Confessor. c. circa; about. Card. Cardinal. C. 0. Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. Oratorians. Comps. Companions. Congr . Congregation. D. Doctor (or Teacher) of the Church. Disc. Disciple. Emp.,-ss. Emperor, Empress. F. Father. Fndr. , -ss. Founder, -dress. K. King. M. Martyr. O. M. C. Order of Mount Carmel. Carmelites. O. P. Order of Preachers or Dominicans. O. S. A. Order of St. Augus- tine. Augustinians. 0. S. B. Order of Monks of St. Benedict. Benedictines. 0. S. C. Oblate of St. Charles Borromeo. Oblates. 0. S. F. Order of the Friars Minor of St. Francis of Assisi. Franciscans. 0. S. M. Order of Servants of B. V. Mary. Servites. P. Pope. Pr. Priest. Pat, Patrs. Patron, Patroness. Q. Queen. S., St, SS. Saint, Saints. S. J. Society (or Company) of Jesus. Jesuits. V. Virgin. Van. Venerable. W. Widow. N.. The Saints printed in italic are Fathers of the Church. NOTE. This sign f placed before the name of a Saint in this list signifies that such name is still retained' in the Calendar prefixed to the Book of Common Prayer of the State Church of England. St. Linus, P.M. Rome. Succeeded St. Peter, Sept. 23, A.D. 76. St. Thecla, V.M. Iconium, Disc, of St. Paul. Sept. 23, 100. f St. Clement, P.M. Rome. Nov. 23, 100 (Philipp. iv. 3). Suf- fered under Trajan. Wrote an Epistle to the Church of Corinth which is extant. St. Pudentiana, y. Rome. Disc, of St Peter. May 19, 101. St. Ignatius, M. Bp. of Antioch, Disc, of St. John. Feb. 1, 127. St. Pius I., P.M. Rome. July 11, 151. St. Polycarp, M. Bp. of Smyrna. Jan. 26, 166. LIST OP SOME SAIXTS. 141 St. Justin Martyr, Sichem, Palestine, Apologist of the Chris. tian Religion. Apr. 13, 167. St. Eleutherius, P.M. Rome, at the request of K. Lucius sent St. Fugatius and St. Damianus into Britain. June 1, 179, or Oct. 9, 182. St. Irenoeus, M. Bp. of Lyons, France. July 4, 202. St. Victor, P.M. Africa, Rome. July 28, 202. t St. Perpetua, M. and St. Felicitas, and comps. Carthage. Mar. 7, 203. St. Zephyrinus, P.M. Rome. Aug. 26, 219. St. Calistus, P.M. Rome. Oct. 14, 222. t St. Cecily, V.M. Rome, patrs. Sacred Music. Nov. 22, 230. St. Victoria, V.M. Rome. Dec. 22, 250. t St. Agatha, V.M. Sicily. Feb. 5, 251. St. Sixtus II., P.M. Rome. Aug. 6, 258. t St. Lawrence, M. Deacon of Rome. Aug. 10, 258. t St. Cyprian, M. Africa, Bp. of Carthage. Sept. 16, 258. St. Eugenia, V.M. Rome, formerly named in the Canon of the Mass. Dec. 25, about 258. t St. Valentine, M. priest, Rome, devoted to serve the martyrs under Emp. Claudius II. Feb. 14, 270. t St. Denis, M. Rome, first Bp. of Paris, who with Rusticus and Eleutherius, M.M. brought the Gospel to that part of Gaul. Oct. 9, 272. St. Denis (or Dionysius), P.M. Rome, defended the faith in the Divinity of Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Ghost. Dec. 26, 272. t St. Prisca (or Priscilla), V.M. Rome. Jan. 18, 275. t St. Margaret, v.M. Antioch, in Pisidia. July 20, 278. St. Maurice, M. Gaul, captain of a Legion. Sept. 22, 286. t St. Fabian, P.M. Rome. Jan. 20, 288. St. Sebastian, M. Narbonne, France, soldier under the Roman Emp. Jan. 20^288. t St. Crispin, M. SoiSsons, France, cordwainer, Companion of St. Denis. Oct. 25, 288. t St. Faith, V.M. Agen, Aquitaine, France. Oct. 6, 290. t St. George, M. Cappadocia, Asia Minor, pat. England and Russia, styled by the Greeks The Great Martyr. Apr. 23, 303. S. Victoria, V.M. Abitina, near Carthage, martyred with forty- eight other Christians. Feb. 11, about 303. + St. Alban, M. Verulam, St. Albans, first martyr in Britain. June 22, 303. 142 LIST OF SOME SAINTS. St. Philomena, V.M. Rome. Aug. 11, 303. t St. Agnes, V.M. Rome, of Patrician family. Jan. 21, 304. t St. Vincent, M. Deacon, Saragossa, Spain. Jan. 22, 304. St. Pancratius (or Pancras), M. Rome. May 12, 304. St. Eugenia, V.M. Egypt. Sept. 22, 304. St. Januarius, M.B. of Beneventum, Italy, Patr. of Naples, where a relic of his blood miraculously liquefies yearly. Sept. 19, 305. St. Quiricus (or St. Cyr), M. Tarsus, Cilicia, brave boy of three years, Patron of great military College near Ver- sailles, France, who died fcr the faith, with his Mother, St. Justine. Sept. 26, 304. St. Barbara, V.M. Nicomedia. Dec. 4, 306. St. Chrysogonus, M. Rome, named in Canon of the Mass. Nov. 24, about 304. t St. Lucy, V.M. Syracuse, Sicily. Dec. 13, 304. St. Anastasia, M. Rome, Disc, of S. Chrysogonus. Dec. 25, 304. t St. Catherine, V.M. Alexandria, Egypt. Nov. 25, 307. St. Theodosia, V.M. Tyre, Palestine. Apr. 2, 308. St. Helen, w. Emps. Britain (Colchester), Mother of Emp. Constantine the Great. Aug. 18, 328. t St. Sylvester, P.O. Rome. Dec. 31, 336. St. Paul, c. first Hermit. Jan. 15, 342. t St. Nicholas (St. Claus), c. Bp. of Myra (Lycia, Asia Minor), patr. children, Patron St. of Russia. Dec. 6, 352. St. Anthony, c. Ab. Egypt, Patriarch of Monks. Jan. 17, 342. ' t St. Hilary, c.D. Gaul, Bp. of Poitiers. Jan. 13, 368. St. Eusebius, M. Isle of Sardinia, Bp. of Vercelli, Piedmont. Opposed the Arians. Sept 26 and Dec. 15, 370. St. Athanasius, C.D. Egypt, Patriarch of Alexandria, one of the four great Doctors of the East. May 2, 373. St. Basil, C.B. Cappadocia, The Great, Abp. Csesarea, one of the four great Doctors of the East. June 14, 379. St. Gyril, C.D. Bp. of Jerusalem, was present at the first Council of Constantinople, 381. Mar. 18, 386. St. Monica, w. Tagaste, Africa, Mother of S. Augustine, Bp. of Hippo. May 4, 387. St. Gregory Nazianzen, C.D. The Theologian, Abp. of Constan- tinople, one of the four great Doctors of the East, chosen friend of St. Basil, and teacher of St. Jerome. May 9, LIST OP SOME SAINTS. 143 t St. Martin, c. Hungary, Bp. of Tours, France. Nov. 11, 397. t St. Ambrose, C.D. Gaul, Abp. of Milan, one of the four great Doctors of the West. Dec. 7, 397. St. Ires, c. Persian missionary to Britain. June 10, c. 400. St. Alexius, c. pilgrim, of patrician family, Rome. July 17, c. 400. St. Simplicius, c. Bp. of Milan after St. Ambrose. Aug. 16, 400. St. Pelagia, penitent, Antioch, formerly an actress. Oct. 11, c. 400. St. Paula, w. of patrician family, Rome. Jan. 25, 404. St. John Clirysostom, C.D. Antioch, Patriarch of Constanti- nople, one of the four great Doctors of the East. Jan. 27, 407. t St. Jerome, C.D. Stridon, Dalmatia, Card., one of the four great Doctors of the West ; Author of the Latin version of Holy Scriptures called the " Vulgate " from the original Hebrew and Greek. Sept. 30, 420. t St. Augustine, c. Bp. of Hippo, Africa, one of the four great Doctors of the West. Aug. 28, 430. St. Cyril, c. patriarch of Alexandria. Jan. 28, 444. St. Germanus, c. Bp. of Auxerre, France, Apostle of Britain, with comps. St. Lupus of Troyes, and afterwards with St. Severus of Treves. July 30 and Aug. 11, 448. St. Vincent, of Lerins, c. Provence. May 24, 450. St. Peter Chrysologus, C.D. Imola, Abp. Ravenna. Dec. 2, 450. St. Ursula, V.M. and comps. Britain, shot with arrows by the Huns in Bas Rhin, Germany, Patr. of education and of the Sorbonne, Paris. Oct. 21, 453. St. Patrick, B.C. Britain, or Brittany, Abp. of Armagh, sent by Pope Celestine, Apostle of Ireland. Mar. 17, 460. St. Leo I., P.C.D. " The Great," Rome, stayed AttUa, "the Scourge of God," from invading South Italy. Apr. 11 and Nov. 10, 461. St. Germanus, B.M. France, " Apostle of Scotland.'" May 2, 480. St. Genevieve, v. Nanterre, Patrs. of Paris. Jan. 3, 512. St. Brigid, v. ab. (Kildare), Patrs. of Ireland. Feb. 1, 523. St. Fulgentius, C.D. Carthage, Bp. of Ruspa, Africa. Jan. t St. Rcmigius (or Remy), c. Abp. of Rheims, France, Apostle 144 LIST OF SOME SAINTS. of the Franks, baptized K. Clovis. Jan. 13 and Oct. 1, 533. * St. Scholastica, V.(O.S.B.), Abs. Italy, St. Benedict's sister, Fndrs. of the Benedictine Nuns. Feb. 10, 543. St. Benedict, c. Abbot, Nursia, Italy, Monte Cassino, Patri- arch of the Western Monks. March 21, 543. t St David, c. Abp. of Menevia, Patr. of Wales, Disciple of St. Paulinus, Uncle of the famous Prince Arthur. Mar. 1, 544. St. Finian, c. Leinster, Ireland, Bp. of Cluain-Iraird (or Clonard). Dec. 12, 552. t St. Leonard, c. hermit, Orleans, France. Nov. 6, 559. St. Cloud (or Clodoald), o. priest, son of Clodomer, K. of Orleans, and St. Clotilde. Sept. 7, 560. St. Maclovius or Malo, c. Wales. Nov. 15, 564. St. Columb (or Columbkill), o. Scotland, Disciple of St. Finian, Ab. of Durrogh, Ireland, " Apottte of the Picts," Scotland. June 9, 567. St. Asaph, c. Bp. of St. Asaph, Wales. May 1, 590. St. Kentigern, c. St. Asaph, Flint, Bp. of Glasgow, called " Munghu" (or dearest friend). Jan. 13, 596. t St. Gregory I., P.C.D. (O.S.B) " The Great," one of the four great Doctors of the West, Apostle of England. Mar. 12, 604. St. Augustine, c. (O.S.B.) Abp. of Canterbury, Apostle of England, sent by Pope Gregory the Great to convert the Anglo-Saxons. May 26, 604. St. John Climacus, c. Egypt, " The Scholastic." Mar. 30, 605. St Ethelbert, o. K. of Kent, England, First Christian K. of the English converted by St Augustine (or Austin). Feb. 24, 616. St. Columban, c. Leinster, Ab. of Fontaines, France. Nov. 21, 617. St. Lawrence, o. (O.S.B.) Abp. of Canterbury. Feb. 9, 619. St. Beuno, o. Shrewsbury, Ab. of Clunnoc, Carnarvon, Wales. April 21, about 620. St Winefrid, V.M. Patrs. of Wales, Holywell. Nov. 3, 630. St. Aidan, c. (O.S.B.) lona, " Apostle of Northumbria." Sept. 20, 631. * Many of the Saints (after A.D. 543) in this list belong to the Vener- able Order of St. Benedict, to which Order the United Kingdom la indebted for the foundation of so many of her noble Abbeys, Cathedrals, and Colleges. LIST OF SOME SAINTS. 145 St. Edwin. M. K. of Northumbria, Fndr. of Edinburgh. Oct. 12, 633. St. Isidore, c. (O.S.B.) Bp. of Seville, Spain. Apr. 4, 636. St. Oswald, M. K. of Northumbria. Aug. 5, 642. St. Sigebert, K. of the East Angles, Fndr. of Westminster Abbey. Oct. 29, 642. St. Bees (or Bega), v. Ireland, Fndrs. of Abbeys at Durham, Hartlepool, and Tadcaster. Sept. 6, Nov. 22, c. 650. St. Bavon, c. hermit, Liege, Gand (Ghent). Oct. 1, 653. St. Botolph, M. Ab. Norway, England. June 17, 655. St. Martin, P.M. Tuscany, starved to death in the Chersonese (Crimea). June 17 and Nov. 12, 655. St. Gertrude, v. (O.S.B.), first Abs. of NiveUes, Belgium. Mar. 17 (Brabant, May 8), 659. t St. Chad, c. (O.S.B.), Whitby, Bp. Educated at Lindisfarne under St. Aidan, of Lichfield. Mar. 2, 673. t St. Etheldreda (or St. Audry), v. (O.S.B.), Abs. of Ely, Cam- , bridge, of royal descent. June 23, 679. St. Erconwald, c. Bp. of London, of royal descent, brother of St. Edelburga. April 30, 686. St. Cuthbert, c. (O.S.B.), Kells, Meath, Ireland. Bp. of Lindis- farne, Northumbria, Patr. of Durham. Mar. 20, 687. St. Bennet Biscop, c. (0. S.B.), Ab. of Wearmouth. Jan. 12, 690. St. Wereburge. V. (O.S.B.), Abs. Patrs. of Chester. Feb. 21, 690. St. Munde or Mungo, c. Ab. Scotland, Patr. of Argyleshire. April 15, 692. t St. Lambert, M. Bp. of Maestrich, Patr. Lifcge, Brabant. Sept. 17, 709. St. Wilfrid, c. (O.S.B.), Bp. of York. Oct. 12, 709. t St. Giles, c. Athens, Ab, of Aries, France. Sept. 1, 724. t St. Bcde, styled The Venerable, c.D. (O.S.B.), Father and Doctor of the Church, Jarrow, England. May 27, 735. t St. Boniface, M. (O.S.B.), England, Bp. of Mayence, Ap. of Germany and Denmark, martyred by the Pagans near Utrecht. June 5, 755. St. Walburge, v. (O.S.B.), Abs. Dorset, niece of St. Boniface. Feb. 23, 779. St. Ida, w. Munster, Germany. Sept. 4, 880. t St. Swithin, c. (O.S.B.), Bp. of Winchester. July 15, 862. St. Ebbe, V.M. and Comps., Scotland, burned by Danes under Hinguar & Hubba. April 2 & Oct. 5, c. 870. 13 146 LIST OP 80MB SAINTS. t St. Edmund, M. K. of the East Angles. Nov. 20, 870. Bl. Alfred, " The Great," c. K. of England. Oct. 26, 900. St. Odo, c. (O.S.B.) styled " The Good" England, Abp. of Canterbury. Sept. 1, 958. t St. Edward, M. K. of England. Mar. 18, 979. St. Edith, v. "Wilton, daughter of K. Edgard. Sept. 16, 984. t St. Dunstan, c. (O.S.B. ), Abp. of Canterbury, Ab. of Glaston- bury, nephew of St. Alphege. May, 19, 988. St Oswald, c. (O.S.B.), Abp. of York, nephew of St. Odo. Feb. 29, 992. St. Adelaide, w. Burgundy, wife of Otho I., Emp. of German}'. Dec. 16, 999. Bl. Bernard of Menthon, c. Savoy, Fndr. of Hospice of Great and Little St. Bernard. May 28 & June 15, 1008. t St. Alphege, M. (O.S.B.), Abp. of Canterbury. April 19, 1012. St. Henry II., c. (O.S.B.), " The Pious" Bavaria, Emp. of Germany, obtained from the Pope that Nicene Creed should be sung at High Mass. July 15, 1024. St. Edward, named " The Confessor," c. K. of England, Patr. of Westminster. Jan. 5 and Nov. 13, 1066. St. Canute IV., M. K. of Denmark, son of K. Suenon II. Jan. 19, 1086. St. Gregory VII., c.p. (O.S.B.), " Httdebrand," Tuscany, died in exile. May 25, 1087. t St. Margaret, w. Q. of Scotland, descended from royal Anglo- Saxon family, wife of K. Malcolm, who built Durham Cathedral and Dunfermline Abbey. St. Margaret's head rests at Douay, France. June 10, 1093. St. Wulstan, c. (O.S.B.), Bp. of Worcester. Jan. 19, 1095. St. Bruno, c. Fndr. of Carthusians, Cologne. Oct. 6, 1101. St. Anselm, C.D. (O.S.B.), Aoste, Piedmont, Abp. of Canter- bury. April 21, 1109. Resisted K. William Rufus. St Osmund, c. Normandy, Bp. of Salisbury, completed the Sarum Missal. December 4, 1099. St. Robert, c. (O.S.B.). Ab. of Molesme, France. Fndr. of Cistercians. April 29, 1110. Bl. Ida, w. Lorraine, mother of Godfrey de Bouillon. April 13, 1112. St. Hugh, o. Bp. of Grenoble, France. April 1, 1132. St. Stephen Harding, c. (O.S.B.), Ab. Dorset. April 17, 1134. St. Norbert, c. Abn. of Madgeburg. Fndr. of the Order of Premonstrateniians. June 6, 1134. LIST OF SOME SAINTS. 147 St. Leopold, c. Austria, son of K. Leopold III. and Ita. Nov. 15, 1136. St. William, c. (O.S.B.), Ab. Lombardy. Fndr. of Congr. of Monte Vergine, near Naples. June 25, 1142. St. Malachy, c. Abp. Armagh, Primate of Ireland and Papal Legate. Gifted with the spirit of prophecy. Died in Clairvaux Abbey, in St. Bernard's arms, aged 54. Nov. 2, 1144. St. Bernard, C.D. (O.S.B.), Burgundy, styled the " Mettifluous Doctor," Ab. of Clairvaux, France. Aug. 20, 1153. St. William, c. Abp. of York, nephew of K. Stephen. June 8, 1154. St. Aelred, c. (O.S.B.), Ab. of Rievaulx, York. Jan. 12, 1156. St. Robert, c. (O.S.B.), Fountains Abbey, York, Ab. of New- minster, Northumberland. June 7, 1159. St. Matilda, V. Abs., Bavaria. May 30, 1160. St. Thomas a Becket, M. (O.S.B.), Southwark, Abp. of Canterbury. Opposed the encroachment of King Henry II. Dec. 29, 1170. St. Albert, M. Bp. of Liege. Nov. 28, 1192. f- St. Hugh, c. Burgundy, Bp. of Lincoln, Carthusian, First Prior of Witham Abbey, Somerset. Nov. 17, 1200. Bl. Albert, c. (O.M.C.), Parma, Bp. of Vercelli, Italy, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. April 8 and Sept. 14, 1214. St. Dominic, c. Spain. Fndr. of Orders of Friars-Preachers, or Dominicans, called also White-Friars. Taught the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin. Aug. 4, 1221. St. Francis of Assisi, c. Umbria, Italy, styled " The Seraphic," marked with the Stigmata (or scars of the five wounds of Our Lord). Fndr. of Order of Friars-Minor or Franciscans, called also Grey Friars. Oct. 4, 1226. St. Anthony of Padua, Italy, c. (O.S.F.), Lisbon, great preacher and worker of miracles. June 13, 1231. St. Elizabeth, w. (O.S.F.), Princess of Hungary. Founded many Orphanages and Hospitals, niece of St. Hedwige. The first in Germany to join the 3rd order of St. Francis. Patrs. of the Sisters of the 3rd order of St. Francis. Nov. 19, 1231. St. Edmund, c. (O.S.B.), England, Abp. of Canterbury, Patr. of pious, studious youth. Withstood the encroachments of K. Henry III. Nov. 16, 1242. St. Hedwige, w. Patrs. of Poland. Oct. 17, 1243. H8 LIST OF SOME SAINTS. St. Theobald, c. Ab. France. Dec. 8, 1247. St. Ferdinand III., c. K. of Spain, defeated the Moors, retook Seville. May 30, 1252. t St. Richard, c. Bp. of Chichester. April 3, 1253. St. Clare, v. (O.S.F.), Abs. of Assisi, Italy. Fndrs. of the Poor Clares. Aug. 12, 1253. St. Julienne, v. of Mt. Cornillon, Liege, obtained from Pope Urban IV. the Institution of the Feast of Corpus Christi. April 9, 1258. St. Rosa of Viterbo, v. (O.S.F.), Italy. Sept. 4, 1258. Bl. Bonfiglio Monaldi, c. (O.S.M.), Florence, first of the seven founders of the Order of Servites of Mary. Jan. 1, 1262. St. Simon Stock, c. (O.M.C.), 6th Carmelite Gen., England, Promoter of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Died at Bordeaux, France. May 16, 1265. St. Louis IX., c. K. (O.S.F.), Patr. of France. Aug. 25, 1270. St. Zita, v. Lucca, Italy, model for domestic servants. Her body, still uncorrupted, is venerated in the Basilica of St. Frigidian at Lucca. April 27, 1272. St. Thomas Aquinas, Italy, C.D. (O.P.), called " The Angelic Doctor," famous author of the " Summa," and of other great Theological Works. Mar. 7, 1272. St. Bonaventure, C.D. (O.S.F.), Tuscany, Card. Bp. of Albano, called " The Seraphic Doctor." July 14, 1274. Bl. Albert, c. (O.P.), Cologne, Bp. of Ratisbon, surnamed " The Great." Dec. 17, 1280. St. Thomas, o. Lancashire, Bp. of Hereford. The last cano- nised English Saint. Many miracles have been wrought at his tomb in Hereford. Aug. 23 and Oct. 2, 1282. St. Philip Benizi, c. Bologna, Italy, first General of the Order of Servites of Mary. A\ig. 23, 1285. St. Gertrude, v. (O.S.B.), Abs. of Rodalsdorf, Saxony, sur- named " The Great." Nov. 15, 1292. St. Margaret of Cortona, Italy, penitent. Her body is pre- served incorrupt. Feb. 26, 1297. St. Ivo (or Ives), c. Brittany, France (O.S.F., 3rd Order), Patr. of Parish Priests and of the Poor. May 19, 1303. St. Brigit, w. Princess of Sweden, Fndrs. of Brigitines. Oct. 8, 1313. St. Elzear, c. (O.S.F.), Provence, France. Sept 27, 1325. St Roch (or Rock), c. Montpellier, France. Aug. 16, 1327. LIST OF SOME SAINTS. 14:9 Bl. Imelda Lambertini, V. Bologna, Italy. Sept 16, 1333. St. Elizabeth w. (O.S.F.), Aragon Spain, Q. of Portugal, great niece of St. Elizabeth, of Hungary. July 8, 1336. St. Juliana Falconieri, v. Florence. Fndrs. of third Order of Women Services of Mary. June 19, 1340. St. Pelegrino, o. (O.S.M.), Forli, Italy, Apostle of Emilia. May 1, 1345. Bl. Delphina, v. (O.S.F.), Digne, France. Sept. 26, 1360. St. Catherine of Siena, v.(O. P. ),Patrs. of Rome. April 30, 1380. St. John Nepomucen, M. Canon of Prague, Bohemia, Martyr to the " Seal of Confession." May 16, 1383. Bl. Margaret, w. of the royal Family of the Dukes of Savoy. Nov. 27, 1404. St. Vincent Ferrer, c. (O.P.), Valencia, Spain. Wonderful for the gift of miracles. April 5, 1419. St. Frances, w. (O.S.B.), of Rome, Fndrs. of Cottatines. Mar. 9, 1440. St. Collette, v. (O.S.F), Amiens. Mar. 9, 1447. Bl. Gabriel Ferretti, c. (O.S.F.), Related to Pope Pius IX. Ancona, where his body remains incorrupt. Dec. 22, 1456. St. Catherine of Bologna, Italy, v. (O.S.F.). Her body still intact. Mar. 9, 1463. Bl. Amedeus, c. Duke of Savoy. Mar. 30, 1472. St. Casimir, c. son of Casimir III., K. of Poland and Eliza- beth of Austria. Mar. 4, 1483. St. Bernardino of Sienna, c. (O.S.F.), Italy, great missionary, priest, great worker of miracles, and great prophet. May 20, 1483. Bl. John Angelo Porro, c. (O.S.M.), Milan, introduced the method of Christian Doctrine. Oct. 24, 1506. St. Francis of Paula, c. Calabria, great worker of miracles, Fndr. of Friars Minims. April 2, 1507. St. Catherine of Genoa, w. Sept. 14, 1510. And in latter times, since poor England was torn away from Catholic Unity : St. Jerome Emilianus of Venice, c. Pr. Fndr. of the Somaschi, for educating youth. July 20, 1530. St. Angela of Merici, v. Brescia, Italy. Fndrs. of Order of St. Ursula. Jan. 27, 1540. St. John of God, c. Fndr. of Order of Charity for the Sick. Mar. 11, 1550. 150 LIST OF SOME SAINTS. St. Francis Xavier, c. (S. J. ), Apostle of the Indies and Japan. Dec. 3, 1552. St. Thomas of Villanova. c. Spain, Abp. of Valencia. Sept. 8, 1555. St. Ignatius of Loyola, o. Guipuscoa, Spain. Fndr. of the Society or Company of JESUS. July 31, 1556. St. Peter of Alcantara, c. (O.S.F.), -Spain, Comp. of St. Teresa. Oct. 19, 1562. St. Stanislas Kostka, o. (S.J.), Poland, Patr. of youth. NOT. 13, 1568. St. Pius V., P.O. (O.P.), of Bosco, near Alessandria, Piedmont. He together with Don John of Austria crushed the power of the invading Turks, of Sultan Selim II., in the Gulf of Lepanto, Ionian Sea. His uncorrupted body is seen in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, at Rome. May 5, 1572. Martyrs of Gorcum (O.S. F. ), Holland. July 19, 1572. St. Louis Bertrand, 0. Valentia, Spain, (O.P.), Great Mis- sionary and Performer of Miracles. Oct. 9, 1581. St. Pascal Baylon, Shepherd, c. (O.S.-F.), Aragon, Spain. May 17, 1582. St. Teresa of JESUS, v. Avila, Castille, Spain, Reformer of the Carmelites or Whitefriars, styled " The Seraphic Mother." Oct. 1582. St. Charles Borromeo, o. Card. Abp. of Milan, once capital of Lombardy. Fndr. of OUates of St. Charles. Nov. 4, 1584. St. Catherine Ricci of Florence, v. Feb. 13, 1590. St. Louis Gonzaga, or St. Aloysius (S.J.), o. royal Prince, Castiglioni, Mantua. Patron of youth. June 21, 1591. St. John of the Cross, o. (O.M.C.), Avila, Spain, coadjutor of St. Teresa in reforming O.M.C. Nov. 24, 1591. Bl. Alexander Sauli, C.B. Lombardy, Bp. of Pavia, Sup.-Gen. of Barndbitet. April 23 & Oct. 12, 1592. Bl. Felix, c. Capuchin, Rome. May 18, 1595. Bl. Peter Canisius o. (S.J.) of Cologne. Dec. 21, 1597. St. Philip Neri, c. Florence. Fndr. of the Fathers of the Ora- tory, surnamed Apostle of Rome. May 26, 1595. St. Germaine Cousine v., Toulouse, France, shepherdess. June 15, 1601. St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, Florence, v. Teresian Carmelite. Her body is still incorrupt. May 27, 1607, St. Andrew Avellino, O.A. Theatine Father. Nov. 10, 1608. LIST OF SOME SAINTS. 151 St. Camillus of Lellis, c. Fudr. of tlie Clerics Regular (Servants of the Sick). July 21, 1648. St. Rose of Lima, v. (O.P.), first canonised saint of South America. Aug. 30, 1617. Bl. Alphonus Rodriguez, c. (S.J.), Segovia, Spain. Oct. 30, 1617. St. Francis of Sales, c. Bp. of Geneva, D., converted thou- sands of Calvinists. Fndr. of Order of Nuns of the Visitation. Jan. 29, 1622. Bl. John Berchmanns, c. (S.J.), Brabant, Belgium, and Rome. Model of a fervent novice. Aug. 13, 1621. St. Sebastian Valfre', c. (C.O.), Piedmont, called the Apostle of Turin. Jan. 30, 1629. St. Michael dc Sanctis, c. Pr., Catalonia. April 10, 1625. St. Hyacintha Mariscotti, v. (O.S.F.), Rome. Feb. 6, 1640. St. John Francis Regis, c. (S.J.), Narbonne, France, wrought many miracles. June 16 and Dec. 31, 1640. St. Jane Frances of Chantal, w. of Dijon, France, First of Nuns of the Visitation. Aug. 21, 1641. St. Joseph Calasanctius, c. Aragou, Spain, Priest. Fndr. of the Regular Clerics of the Pious Schools for the Instruction of Youth. Aug. 27, 1648. Bl. Peter Claver, c. (S.J.), Carthagena, Spain, Apostle of the Negroes, called himself " Slave of the Slaves." Sept. 9, 1654. St. Vincent of Paul, c. Landes, France. Fndr. of " Congregation of Lazarists " and "Sisters of Charity." July 19, 1660. St. Joseph of Cupertino, Italy, Friar-Minor, c. marvellous for his raptures, humility, and zeal. Sept. 18, 1663. Bl. Margaret Mary Alacoque of the Incarnation, v. of Autun, and Paray-le-Monial, France, Nun of the Visitation; promoter of the Devotion to the SACRED HEART OF JESUS. Oct. 17, 1690. Ven. Margaret Bourgeois, v. Troyes, France, Fndrs Order of Sisters of Notre Dame, who established Missions in Illinois, Vermont, and Connecticut ; and at Ville-Maria, Montreal, Lower Canada. Died Jan. 12, 1700, aged 80. Bl. Crispin, c. (O.S.F.), Viterbo. May 23, 1710. St. Leonard, c. Port Maurice, Genoa. Nov. 26, 1751. St. Paul of the Cross, c. Ovada, near Alessandria, Piedmont. Fndr. of The Passionist Fathers. April 28, 1775. St. Benedict Joseph Labre, o. Mendicant, Boulogne, Franco, April 16, 1783. 152 LIST OP SOME SAINTS. Bl. Mary of the Incarnation. Superioress of the Ursulines of Quebec. Styled by Bp. Bossuet " The Teresa of the New World." Beatified by P. Pius IX., 1876. St. Alphonsus Liguori, C.D. Bp. of St. Agatha, Naples. Fndr. of Redemptorist Fathers, Doctor of the Church. Aug. 2, 1787. Ven. John Baptist de la Salle, c. Theologian, Canon of Rheims, France, Fndr. of the Institute of Christian Brothers, declared Venerable May 8, 1840. Died April 7, 1719. Ven. Gaspare del Bufalo, c. Rome. Fndr. of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood. Dec. 28, 1837. Ven. Anna Maria Taigi, w. Sienna and Rome. Dec. 15. 1837. Ven. John Baptist Marie Vianney, c. Curs' of Ars, near Lyons. France, departed this life in the odour of sanctity, Aug. 4, 1859 ; declared Venerable Oct 3, 1872. Ven. Anne (de Lobera), of Jesus, c. (O.M.C)., of Medina del Campo, Spain. Companion of St. Teresa. Founded Convents in France and Belgium. Mar. 4, 1621. De- clared Venerable by Pope Leo XIIL, April 13, 1878. Ven. Elizabeth Sauna, Condrongianos, Sardinia. Died in Rome Feb. 17, 1857. Servant of God, Vincent Pallotti, Rome. Fndr. of the Pious Society of Missions, departed this life in the odour of sanctity, Jan. 22, 1850. and a host of other Saints of all nations, whom no man could number, and of whom the world was not worthy, a glorious cloud of witnesses who all lived and died strict members of the Catholic and Roman Church, and whose sanctity God has made known by many miracles, according to His promise : " Amen, amen, I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do : and greater than these sliall lie do, because I go to the Father." (St. John xiv. 12, 13.) See also St. Mark xvi. 17, 18. Thus it may be seen that the Roman Catholic Church has the doctrine of Holiness, the means of Holiness, the fruits of Holiness, and the divine testi- mony of Holiness. THIRD MARK CATHOLICITY. 153 CHAPTER XXXI. THIRD MARK CATHOLICITY. Catholics believe, as expressed in the Nicene Creed, that the true Church of God is Catholic, that is to say, universal or spreading its jurisdiction throughout all nations : not territorial, not national, not of one conti- nent, not limited to a portion of earth, but of a church which having its parts in communion with each other and well organised together, forms one whole, one body one universal empire in spirituals ; a church which has its members not only in one or some countries of the earth, but in any, and in every part of the world. Jesus Christ sent His Apostles to teach, not only one nation, but all nations ; therefore the true Church of Christ cannot be merely a national church, separated in its teaching and discipline from all other churches, but must be the church which, everywhere one and the same, is spread throughout all the world. Catholics are truly Catholics, in fact and in name. In fact, from their being not of one nation only, but of all nations of the earth; in name, because whenever and wherever Catholics are mentioned, without any additional designation, only Christians are understood in communion with the See of Rome and not others, excepting with few among themselves who make a point of calling themselves Catholics. At all times heretics, to avoid the force of this Mark, so strikingly in favour of Catholics, have endeavoured to change the name of Catholics into that of Romans and Romanists. St. Gregory of Tours relates of the Arians, that they persistently called the Catholics Romans. " Romanorum nomine vocitant nostrse Reli- gionis homines" (Hist., book xvii. chap. 25), but 154 THIRD MARK CATHOLICITY. never succeeded in depriving the Catholics of their name. The Protestants of the present day have somewhat departed from the old method. Seeing that it is use- less to attempt to deprive us of this MARK of Catholicity, which throughout all ages distinguishes the true Church of God, they endeavour to weaken the force of it by qualifying it and saying : " We grant that you are Catholics, but you are not simply Catholics, you are Roman Catholics." They want thus to insinuate that there are many sorts of Catholics, Eoman, Greek, Anglican, Russian, and so forth, and that the word Eoman is a specifying term. They thus hope to establish for themselves a right to get a place in the Church Catholic and to share with us this luminous MARK of Catholicity. This is a mistake, for it is well known that either by the word Catholics, or by the words Eoman Catholics, the same kind of people are pointed out. The word Roman does not limit Catholics to the natives or inhabitants of Rome, or to a limited portion of earth, but extends to wherever Catholics happen to be. Protestants themselves call Catholics Roman, therefore according to them the word Roman is not a specifying term indicating one sort among different sorts of Catholics, but an amplifying word adding one attribute as a fuller notion, and not a specific difference. I will make this plain with an illustration. If to the expression English Dominion one were even to add Queen's English Dominions, the word Queen's would not indicate that there are different kinds of English Dominions, but would only express more fully the same thing, adding a notion which is already supposed in the former expression. Thus the word Roman does not limit the word Catholic, but completes it, declaring THIRD MARK CATHOLICITY. 155 more expressly that which is already supposed in the word Catholic, namely, that the Catholic Church has its centre in Rome. The absurdity of taking the word Catholic in a limiting sense appears from this, that Catholic means that the Church has the whole earth for its mission ; Roman, that it has but a portion of it. The contradic- tion is manifest. Let this be marked by certain ministers who keep back simple people from becoming Catholic under the false plea that they are Catholics, though not Roman, making them suppose that the Roman Catholic Church is a National Church like their own, thus bringing to nought the glorious marks of oneness and Catholicity. A little reflection might convince any one that the Catholic Church is not a human Institution, created by the State. It does not depend upon any earthly power for spiritual authority, for rights, for the free exercise of spiritual jurisdiction, or for support, as churches which are only national do ; but is by Divine institution throughout all States and Kingdoms of the world free and independent. It should be remembered that the Pope, the Suc- cessor in the Chair of St. Peter, whether exercising temporal power or not, remains from age to age the visible Head of the Church of God on earth, with the full authority, jurisdiction, and privileges granted to him by our Lord ; and therefore Catholics are Roman because Rome is the centre, and the Bishop of Rome is the visible head, of Catholicity, and no one is entitled to be called Catholic unless he is in communion with the See of Rome. To call Catholics Roman in this sense, does not alter the fact that they are Catholic in name and in truth; for the Catholic Church is truly universal, and spread 156 THIRD MARK CATHOLICITY. among all nations, although the Church is also Roman in having the Koman Pontiff for her visible Head. In this sense the word Roman marks the unity of the Church and points to the Bishop of Kome as the one visible Shepherd. In this sense " the Catholic Church" and " the Koman Catholic Church " is the same thing : for both names, though one more fully than the other, expresses one and the same reality. But when, owing to the remnant of the ancient faith yet lingering with them, a Protestant in repeating the Apostles' Creed says : " / believe the Holy Catholic Church" he surely cannot mean, " I believe the particular denomination to which I belong," or, " I believe my national church to be the Catholic Church," if he reflects that local and limited as his denomination or church is, and separated from all other churches and nations of the world, it cannot in truth be called Catholic. Again, it is not reasonable for Protestants to say, that they believe the Catholic but not the Roman Catholic Church. Such a mode of interpreting this passage of the Nicene Creed seems but a paltry way of appropriating to themselves this glorious mark of Catholicity by confusing the minds of simple people, and mystifying the sense of the words Catholic and Roman. I will here endeavour to show the error of this interpretation. When Protestants say that they " believe the Catholic but not the Roman Catholic Church," they may be taken to argue with Catholics in this manner : " We admit that you are Catholics, because in fact your Church is not limited to some nations but spreads itself throughout all nations, but still you are also Roman, because you acknowledge the Bishop of Eome to be the visible Head of your Church, and therefore we are THIRD MARK CATHOLICITY. 157 justified in calling you Roman : and we are careful to call you by this name, because this word Roman makes it appear to unreflecting people that you are only national like ourselves." After having called us Roman Catholics, they also tell us that they themselves are not Roman Catho- lics, because they reject the supremacy of the Pope. And though they are members of a church which is only national, or of a denomination only limited, and therefore not Catholic in the proper sense of the term, they yet call themselves Catholic in some other particular sense of their own, and they say therefore that they are Catholics, though not Roman Catholics. It is easy, however, to see that this is not fair reasoning. Surely it would not be fair dealing if a Mahometan were to maintain that he is a Christian on the ground that, although he does not believe Christ to be God and Saviour, yet he believes a great deal that is written about Him, and therefore has a right to call himself a Christian, and to say : " / am a Chris- tian, but not a thoroughgoing Christian" The least you would say of such a man, I imagine, would be, that he acts unfairly, and deceives himself, not taking the word Christian in the common meaning, but at- taching to it a meaning of his own, which no one, unless told his particular views, could possibly under- stand. Nor does it avail such Protestants to say that by professing to believe the Catholic Church, they mean the universal invisible Church; for this would amount to believing in a church that does not and cannot come forward and speak out, and therefore does not teach. This would bring to nought the essential office of teaching committed by Christ to His Church, and U 158 THIRD MARK CATHOLICITY. the corresponding duty on the part of the faithful to believe what she teaches. The Church on earth is essen- tially and perpetually visible. She is that "mountain . . . on the top of mountains " (Isaias ii. 2 ; Daniel ii. 35), that " city seated on a mountain," a city that "cannot be hid" (St. Matt. v. 14). Some Protestants answer in this manner When we say, / believe the Catholic Church, we do not mean, / believe my Denomination or National Church. We do not mean, / believe an invisible Church, but we mean, I believe a visible Church, spread throughout the roorld, composed of different national churches, Greek, Roman, Lutheran, Anglican, Episcopalian, and others., which, though disagreeing in certain things, yet agree with each other in essentials, and are so many branches of one tree, forming one universal Church. It should be observed, however, first, that such inter- pretation of this passage of the Creed was never admitted in the Church. Such an interpretation was implicitly (that is, in an implied manner) rejected in all centuries, as is evident from the fact that the Catholic Church has always regarded as schismatical any Chris- tian community not in communion with herself, and as heretical any community rejecting any of her denned articles of faith. Secondly, that this interpretation is universally and openly rejected not only by Catholic, but also by the separated Greek and other schismatical Churches, and is held only by some Protestants, and by a human tradition of the Anglican State Church, who make use of this explanation to justify their position with regard to this Article of the Creed. Thirdly, that this interpretation or theory cannot stand, for these different communities are, in fact, not united in essential matters. On the contrary, they THIRD MARK CATHOLICITY". 159 disagree in some doctrine which one community con- siders essential to profess and another considers essen- tial to deny. They cannot, therefore, be compared to branches of the one only tree, having the same stem and root, and partaking of the same sap, whatever resemblance they may have in certain features. Perhaps by the words, " agree in essentials," they mean that the said Communities, though differing from one another in points considered vital by some of them, yet that they all agree in the things defined by the first six General Councils, which are admitted in the " Homilies " * of the State Church of England to be binding upon all Christians. But the early Church, and those six General Councils, based their right of making any definition on this fundamental principle admitted by all the members of the said Church, namely, that " everything which the Church in com- munion with the See of Rome should ever define as an article of faith was to be believed by all." It is self-evident that, without this previous general admission of the duty of believing whatever the Church teaches and shall ever teach as an article of faith, any assembling of General Councils for the sake of settling disputes of religion would be of no use. I said, "in communion with the See of Rome." The necessity of this is manifest. The Bishops them- selves of those six General Councils were convoked, and presided over by the Pope through his Legates. They submitted to the Pope's orders. The Canons framed by the Council had to receive the final sanction of the Pope before their validity would be recognised. Moreover, the Bishops implicitly admitted or expressed in plain words in those very Councils the Primacy of jurisdiction or Supremacy of the Roman See. * 2nd Book of Homilies. Against peril of idolatry, 2nd part. 160 THIRD MARK CATHOLICITY. Thus, in the first General Council, that of Nicaea, the Fathers said, as quoted by the Council of Chal- cedon (Fourth General Council, Act 16), " The Roman Church always had the primacy" (See page 113.) In the Second General Council (the First of Con- stantinople), in the letter which the Fathers wrote to Pope Damasus I., as recorded by Theodoret in the fifth book of his " Ecclesiastical History " (chap. 9), the Fathers or Bishops of that Council acknowledged that the Koman Church is the HEAD and they the MEMBERS. In the Fourth General Council, that of Chalcedon (in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Acts), the Fathers several times called Pope St. Leo, A.D. 451, the then reigning Pontiff, " The Bishop of the universal Church," " To whom the Saviour has entrusted the guardianship of the Vineyard" as they add in their letter to the same holy Pontiff. With the exception, therefore, of the Catholics in communion with Rome, who, to this day, adhere to the said fundamental principle, all schismatical churches or Christian Communities which repudiate that prin- ciple are convicted of not adhering either to that early Church, or to ALL the definitions of those first six General Councils ; and, with regard to those defini- tions which they do accept, they do not agree with the spirit with which they were made, nor with the above stated fundamental principle upon which they were based. To say that the Church, called in the Gospel the Kingdom of God, is made up of a number of dis- cordant churches which have no real inter-communion, and no visible connection, and each of which considers the other either schismatical, or heretical, though agreeing in some few points, would be as strange as FOURTH MARK APOSTOLICITY. 161 to say that Europe forms one Empire, though composed of different nations independent one of another ; and that, though disunited as they are, though rivals, and though at times even at war, yet that all the nations of Europe are one, because they agree with each other in some points of law, custom, or civilisation. This would be like saying that the Church of God is a Society composed of disconnected and clashing elements, without any visible head, without unity, order and pro- portion, and without that inter-communion, harmony, and sympathy between the members of it, which a well- regulated Society should have, and which on this account is compared by St. Paul to a perfect human body (Ephesians iv. 16.) This would be like supposing that the Church is only a Church of disunion or no Church at all y and that her office of teaching tends only to puzzle or to mislead people by continual contradictions. CHAPTER XXXII. FOURTH MARK APOSTOLICITY. The true Church of Christ must be Apostolic ; that is, she must be a Church which has not sprung up in modern times, nor has ever separated herself from any other Church, but the very Church once founded by Jesus Christ and the Apostles, although now become more unfolded, like a nobly spreading tree which once was but a small plant. Apostolicity regards especially the Clergy, hence it is defined : an unbroken succession of Pastors, who from the time of the Apostles down to the present day, have been rightly ordained, lawfully sent, and who in succes- sion have taught the same unchanging doctrines. 162 FOURTH MARK APOSTOLICITY. By this right ordination, legitimate mission, and pure Apostolic doctrine, the Catholic Church of to-day is the continuation of the Church founded by Jesus Christ and the Apostles ; forms with it but one living iden- tical body, which carries on and transmits the mission which the Apostles had from Christ, and is the only true abiding messenger sent by Christ for the guidance of men to eternal salvation. The Roman Catholic Church alone is all this because she is not failing to any of these conditions : (i.) In her the rite of ordination was ever preserved intact. (2.) She lawfully derived, transmitted, and transmits the mission received. (3.) Her Apostolic doctrine has never changed ; it has from time to time been unfolded and made more clear, especially when heresy or some other necessity has called for a solemn and precise definition ; but there is no case of the Kornan Catholic Church holding a doctrine which was previously de- clared heretical, or declaring heretical what was formerly defined by the Church as a dogma of faith ; so much so that it isa proverbialsaying,evenamongProtestants,that the Eoman Church est semper eadem, is always the same. In the Catholic Church alone, from the time of the Apostles until now, there has been an unbroken suc- cession of Pastors, lawfully ordained and sent.* The Catholic Church never separated herself from any other * The Greek Schismatic Church, by separation from Com- munion with the Roman See in the ninth century (879) under Photius, who was Patriarch of Constantinople, and rejecting the lawful authority of the Church of Christ, though possessing rightful ordination, has not lawful mission, nor continuity of the whole deposit of Catholic doctrine. That the Holy Ghost does not proceed from the Son as well as from the Father is a heresy anathematized by St. Cyril of Alexandria in a Provincial Synod held in that city ; and this condemnation of St. Cyril against Nestorius was confirmed by the General Council of Ephesus in 431, and yet the Greek Church, since her separa- FOURTH MARK APOSTOLICITY. 163 wonderful fact, which ever made so great an impression on the minds of a number of distinguished scholars, and brought them to make their submission to the Catholic Church. Such was the case with Cardinal Newman, whose testimony regarding himself is explicit. The study of ancient ecclesiastical history as exhibited in the writings of the Fathers, he tells us, was " the one intellectual cause" of his renouncing the religion in which he was born, and submitting himself to the Holy See. The identity of the Catholic Church of the nineteenth century with the Church of the Fathers was "the great manifest historical phenomenon," his Eminence bears witness, "which converted me." Protestant denominations, on the contrary, are all modern ; the oldest of them having only a few cen- turies of existence. They saw no sect quite like them- selves at the time of their separating from the Catholic Church, or probably they would have joined it. These sects, in fact, only began when their several founders gave them existence ; hence they are often distinguished by the name of their founder or by some special feature of their new doctrine ; * and far from being Apostolic, they reject Apostolical Tradition and the testimonies of the first Successors of the Apostles, either in profes- tion from the Catholic Church in 879, adheres to this heresy. In the 2nd General Council of Lyons, 1274, the Greek Bishops retracted their error, and together with the Latin Bishops con- demned it, and caused the words, " Who proceeds from the Father and the Son," to be, as it is amongst Catholics, inserted in the Nicene Creed, but soon relapsed into the former error. Again, in the General Council at Florence, held in 1439, which was attended also by the Schismatical Greek Bishops, this heresy was condemned (Session xxv.), but on returning home the Greek Bishops relapsed into their Schism and Heresy, and Btill adhere to it. * See List of Sects in Part III. of this Book, No. 17. 164 LIST OP SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS. sion or in practice, or in both. Cardinal Bellarmine has enumerated a score of Protestant doctrines, which are but old heresies, condemned in the early centuries of the Church (De Notis Ecclesiae, book iv., chap. 9). The following historical series of all the Bishops of Some, Successors of St. Peter, to the present time con- firms the fact that this luminous MARK OF APOSTOLICITY belongs to the Koman Catholic Church alone. CHAPTEE XXXIII. LIST OP THE SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS WHO, IN A DIRECT LINE, HAVE SUCCEEDED Si. PETER IN THE SEE OF HOME. CENTURY I. 4 Popes. Vulgar Era. NO. A.D. 1. SAINT PHTEB, native of Bethsaida in Galilee, became Pope on the Ascension of JESVS CHRIST ; that is, in the year 29 of the Vulgar Era,* and BISHOP OP ROME in 42, where he died Martyr in the year 67 2. St. Linus, native of Volterra, Martyr. ; 67 3. St. Cletus, Rome, Martyr 78 4. St. Clement I., Rome, Martyr 90 CENTURY II. 11 Popes. 5. St. Anacletus, Athens, Greece, Martyr 100 6. St. Evaristus, Bethlehem, Martyr 112 7. St. Alexander I., Rome, Martyr 121 8. St. Sixtus I., Rome, Martyr 142 9. St. Telesphorus, Greece, Martyr, confirmed the Lenten Fast, introduced the Gloria in Excehis in the Mass, and allowed three Masses to be celebrated by each Priest on Christmas Day 132 * The Vulgar Era is designated by the initials A.D. from the Latin Anno Domini (in the year of our Lord). It is the Era of which all Christian nations make use in the designation of years. It was introduced by Dionysius Exiguus about A.D. 540, and sometime after was universally adopted. A more diligent examination, however, of ancient monuments lias caused many learned writers to consider this calculation inexact. According to them our Lord was born in the seventh year before the first year of the Vulgar Era. Therefore, strictly speaking, the Vulgar or Christian Era commences when Christ was between six and seven years of age. So that, adding seven years to the date of the Vulgar Era, gives the real date from the birth of our Lord. LIST OP SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS. 165 Vulgar Era. NO. A.D. 10. St. Hyginus, Athens, Martyr, instituted Subdeaconship and the MinorOrders Succeeded 158 11. St. Pius I., Aquileia, Martyr 158 12. St. Anicetus, Syria, Martyr 167 13. St. Soter, Naples, Martyr 175 14. St. Eleutherius, Epirus, Martyr 182 15. St. Victor I., Africa, Martyr 193 CENTURY III. 15 Popes. 16. St. Zephyrinus, Rome, Martyr. 203 17. St. Calistus, Rome, Martyr 221 18. St. Urban I., Rome, Martyr 227 19. St. Pontianus, Rome, Martyr 233 20. St. Anterus, Greece, Martyr 238 21. St. Fabian, Rome M. (at his election a dove rested on his head) 240 22. St. Cornelius, Rome, Martyr, reprehended St. Cyprian, B. of Carthage, for re-baptizing heretics 254 2S. St. Lucius I., Lucca, Martyr 255 24. St Stephen I., Rome, Martyr. 258 25. St. Sixtus II., Athens, Greece, Martyr. 269 26. St. Dionysius, Turin 261 27. St. Felix I., Rome, Martyr, prescribed the rite for the dedication of Churches. 272 28. St. Eutychian, Tuscany, Martyr 275 29. St. Caius, Dalmatia, Martyr 283 30. St. Marcellinus, Rome, Martyr, under Diocletian. 2W CENTURY IV. 11 Popes.* 31. St. Marcellua L, Rome, Martyr 304 32. St. Euaebius, Calabria. 309 33. St. Melchiades, Africa 311 34. St. Sylvester I., Rome, commanded that the altars be of stone. Received the Emperor Constantino into the church as Catechumen. Constantino was baptized and died near Nicomedia. 314 85. St. Marcus, Rome 337 36. St. Julius I., Rome 341 37. St. Liberius, Rome, was banished by Constantius, the Arian Emperor, but restored 352 38. St. Felix II., Rome, during the exile of Pope Liberius 355 39. St. Damasus I., Spain, commanded the Gloria Patri to be added in the end of every Psalm 366 40. St. Siricius, Rome 384 41. St. Anastasius I., Rome, prescribed that at the reading of the Gospel in the Mass all should stand 399 CENTURY V. 12 Popes. 4-2. St. Innocent I., Albano 402 43. St. Zosimus, Greece, condemned Pelagius and Celestius 417 44. St. Boniface I., Rome 418 before the time of Constantino * The dates of accession of several Popes bef slightly differ in some of the early catalogues. 166 LIST OF SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS. Vulgar Era. NO. A.D. 45. St. Celestinel., Rome ................................ SuccwLed 423 46. St. Sixtus III., Rome .......................................... 432 47. St. Leo I., the Great, Tuscany. He stayed Attila and Genseric from further invading Italy ................................ 440 48. St. Hilarius, Sardinia ........................ . ................. 461 49. St. Simplic-ius, Tivoli .......................................... 468 50. St. Felix III., Rome ........................................... 48i 51. St. Gelasius I., Africa. He decreed the Canon of Scripture with whioh the Tridentine Canon agrees .......................... 492 52. St. Anastasius II., Rome ....................................... 496 53. St. Symmachus, Rome ........................................ 498 CENTURY VI. 13 Popes. 54. St. Hormisdas, Frosinone ............ .......................... 514 55. St. John I., Tuscany, Martyr .................................. 523 56. St. Felix IV., Benevento ...................................... 526 57. Boniface II., Rome ........................................ 530 Dioscorus Antipope. John II., Rome, of the family Mercuri.. 59. St. Agapetus I., Rome... 60. St. Silverius, Frosinone, Martyr Vigilius, Rome 530 532 635 686 _ CT 538 Pelagius I., Rome, condemned the heretical " Three Chap- ters " 555 63. John III., Rome , 560 64. Benedict I., Rome 574 65. Pelagius II., Rome 578 66. St. Gregory I., the Great, Rome, reformed the plain chant, Apostle of England. Through humility styled himself ser- vant of servants, yet he maintained and exercised supreme Pontifical j urisdiction like any other Pope. . . * 590 CENTURY VII. 20 Popes. 67. Sabinianus, Volterra, introduced the use of bells 604 68. Boniface III., Rome 607 69. St. Boniface IV., Valeria in the Marsi. Instituted All-Saints' Day. Obtained the Pantheon from the Emperor Phocas, which he dedicated to God in honour of the Blessed Virgin and all the holy Martyrs 608 70. Deodatus I., Rome 615 71. Boniface V., Naples 619 72. Honorius I., Capua. He was greatly censured for having been remiss in condemning heretics 625 73. Severinus, Rome 640 74. John IV., Dalmatia 640 75. Theodore I., Greece 642 76. St. Martin 1., Todi, Martyr C49 77. St. Eugeuius I., Rome 655 78. St. Vitalianus, Segni, introduced the use of organs in churches. . 657 79. Deodatus II., Rome 672 80. Bonus I., Rome 670 81. St. Agatho, Greece 678 82. St. Leo. II., Sicily. Improved the Church chant 082 LIST OP SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS. 167 Vulgar Era. SO. A.D. S3. St. Benedict II., Rome Succeeded 684 84. John V., Antioch 685 85. Conon, Thrace 686 86. St.Sergius I., Sicily 687 CENTURY VIII. 13 Popes. 87. John VI., Greece 701 88. John VII., Greece 705 89. Sisinnius, Syria 708 90. Constantinus, Syria 708 91. St. Gregory II., Rome 715 92. St. Gregory III., Syria 731 93. Zachary, Greece 741 94. Stephen II., Rome, died before his consecration 752 95. Stephen III., Rome, called by some Stephen II. Pepin gave him the Italian Povinces which he had conquered from the usurper King of Lombard y, Astulphus . ". I., Rome. 96. St. Paul 97. Stephen IV., Syracuse, called by some Stephen III 768 98. Adrian I., Rome (Colonna) 771 99. St. Leo III., Rome, consecrated Charles theGreat, Emperor of the West, and thus restored the Roman Empire after 300 years cessation 795 CENTURY IX.-19 Popes. 100. Stephen V. , Rome, called by some Stephen IV 816 101. St. Paschal I., Rome, 817 102. Eugenius II. , Rome 824 103. Valentinus, Rome 827 104. Gregory IV., Rome 827 105. Sergius II., Rome 844 106. St. Leo I V. , Rome, fortified the Vatican and Leonine City against Saracens 847 107. 'Benedict III., Rome 855 108. St. Nicholas I. .theGreat, Rome 858 109. Adrain II., Rome 867 110. John VIII., Rome 872 111. Martinll., or Marinus I., Gallese 882 112. Adrian III., Rome 884 113. Stephen VI., Rome, called by some Stephen V 885 * Between St. Leo IV. and Benedict III. is placed by some comparatively recent detractors of the Papacy the feminine name of Joau or Johanna. A female Pope is a thing not only improbable and absurd, but also im- possible ; for, according to Catholic belief, a woman cannot even be a Priest, much less a Bishop and a Pope. This name, in fact, is not found in any of the ancient chronologies of Popes, nor is it mentioned by any of the con- temporaries, nor by any trustworthy historian during some centuries that followed the epocli of the pretended reign. Leibnitz, Blondel, Box- horn, Cave, and other Protestants, have proved the whole thing to be absolutely false. It appears that this story has no other foundation than a false rumour by Frederick Spanheim eagerly received by people dis- affected to the Papal Chair. A Protestant Clergyman, W. 8. Baring Gould, Bhows the absurdity of the story in his curious ' ' Myths of the Middle Aget" 168 LIST OF SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS. } Vulgar Er*. NO. A.D. 114. Formpsus, Ostia S. Kceeded 891 Sergius, antipope 115. Boniface VI., Rome, reigned only fifteen days ; considered not legitimately elected 896 116. Stephen VII., Rome, called by some Stephen VI 807 117. Romanus, Gallese 898 118. Theodoras II., Rome 898 119. John IX., Tivoli 898 CENTURY X. 24 Popes. 120. Benedict IV., Rome 900 121. Leo V., Ardea 903 Christophorus, Rome, antipope. 903 122. Sergius III., Rome 904 128. Anastasius III., Rome 911 124. Lando, Sabina 913 125. John X., Ravenna 915 126 Leo VI., Ro 127 131 132. Stephen VIII., otherwise VII., Rome John XI., Rome Leo VII., Tusculum Stephen IX. or VIII., Rome Martin III., or Marinus II., Rome Agapetus II., Rome. John XII., Rome '.131 MS '.MI; 133. John XII., Rome 956 Leo VIII., antipope 963 134. Benedict V., Rome 964 135. John XIII., Rome 965 136. Benedict VI., Rome 972 137. Bonus or Domnus II., Rome 973 975 .. 984 Benedict VII., Rome John XIV., Pavia. Boniface VII., antipope, French, lasting 7 months 985 John XV., Rome, who unconsecrated died within 4 months from his doubtful election 985 140. John XV. or XVI., established rules for solemn canonisation of Saints 985 141. Gregory V., Germany (Bruno) of royal blood. He was inter- rupted for a short time by an intruded John XVII. of Pla- etntia 996 142. Sylvester II., Auvergne, France (Gerbert). Gave to Stephen, Ruler of Hungary, the title of King 999 CENTURY XL 18 Popes. 143. JohnXVIII., Rome 1003 144. John XTX., Rome 1003 145. Sergius IV., Rome, the first Pope who changed his name on ascending the Papal throne. His baptismal name was Peter 1009 146. Benediat VIII., Rome 1012 147. John XX., Rome 1024 148. Benedict IX., Rome 1063 149. Gregory VI., Rome, abdicated in 1046 1045 LIST OF SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS. 169 Vulgar Era. 150. Clement II., Saxony Succeeded 1046 151. Daraasus II., Bavaria 1048 152. St. Leo IX., Alsace, Bavaria, Germany 1049 153. Victor II., Sweden 1055 154. Stephen X. or IX., Germany 1057 Benedict X., antipope 1058 155. Nicholas II., Burgundy, France (Gherard). Ordered that in future Popes be elected by the Cardinals in Conclave 1059 156. Alexander II., Milan 1061 157. St. Gregory VII., Soana ; (Aldobrandeschi) withstood the en- croachments of Csesarism. Absolved Henry IV. at Canossa, who ungratefully afterwards invaded Rome 1073 158. Victor III., Benevento 1087 159. Urban II., Rheims 1088 160. Paschal II., Tuscany 1099 CENTURY XII. 16 Popes. 161. Gelasius II., Gaeta 1118 162. Calistus II., Burgundy 1118 163. Honorius II., Bologna 1124 164. Innocent II., Rome 1130 165. Celestine II., Citta di Castello 1143 166. Lucius II., Bologna 1144 167. Bl. Eugenius III., Montemagno, Pisa. He had been a disciple of St. Bernard. He was thrice compelled to leave Rome on account of seditions 1145 168. Anastasius IV., Rome 1153 169. Adrian IV., (Nicholas Breakspeare), Langley, England 1154 170. Alexander III., Siena 1159 171. Lucius III., Lucca 1181 172. Urban III., Milano 1185 178. Gregory VIII., Benevento -1187 174. Clement III., Rome 1187 175. Celestine III., Rome 1191 176. Innocent III., Anagni. 1198 CENTURY XIII. 17 Popes. 177. Honorius III.. Rome : approved the Order of the Domini- cans 1216 178. Gregory IX., Anagni 1227 179. Celestine IV. , Milan 1241 180. Innocent IV. , Genoa : convoked the XIII. General Council at Lyons, in which the Emperor Frederick II. was deposed. . 1243 181. Alexander IV., Anagni 1254 182. Urban IV., Troyes : instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi.. 1261 183. Clement IV., Narbonne, France 1265 184. Bl. Gregory X., Piacenza : Summoned the XIV. General Council 2nd, of Lyons 1271 185. Innocent V., Savoy, Dominican : elected after a Conclave of 3 years 1276 186. Adrian V., Genoa 127 187. John XXI., Lisbon : converted Pomerania and Norway. . . . 1277 188. Nicholas III., Rome : St. Franois foretold him the Papacy. . 1277 15 170 LIST OF SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS. Vulgar Era, NO. A.D. 189. Martin IV., Champagne, France Succeeded 1281 190. Honorius IV., Rome 1285 191. Nicholas IV., Ascoli : Franciscan 1288 192. St. Celestine V., Terra di Lavoro, Naples : resigned the Pontifi- cate for a hermitage 1294 193. Boniface VIII., Anagni: canonised St. Louis, King of France : ordered a Jubilee to be proclaimed every 100 years 1294 CENTURY XIV. 10 Popes. 194. Bl. Benedict XI. Treviso : Dominican 1303 195. Clement V., Bordeaux ; ordered the election of Popes in conclave ; removed to Avignon ; helped the rebuilding of St. John Lateran, destroyed by fire : under him took place the XV. General Council at Vienne, France, in 1311 1305 196. John XXII., Cohors, France : ordered the bells to be tolled every evening for the Angelus 1316 197. Benedict XII., Foix, France 1334 198. Clement VI., Limoges, France; Benedictine; endowed with wonderful memory 1342 199. Innocent VI., Limoges, France 1352 200. Bl. Urban V., Mende, France : transferred his residence from Avignon to Rome : Pale61ogus abjured the Greek schism in his hands : Benedictine 1362 Jnthe year 1378 began a schism, thatis, aseries ofAntipopes, which lasted 51 years, i.e. till the year 1429. 201. Gregory XI. Limoges, France ; returned to Rome 1377 1370 202. Urban VI. , Naples 1378 203. Boniface IX., Naples ; published the Crusade against Bajazet. 1389 CENTURY XV. 13 Popes. 204. JInnocent VII., Sulmona 1404 205. Gregory XII., Venice : resigned in 1409 1406 206. Alexander V., Bologna 1409 207. John XXIII., Naples : opened the Council of Constance in 1414, which lasted four years : ceased to be Pope in 1415 . . 1410 208. Martin V., Rome : elected in the Council of Constance 1417 209. Eugenius IV., Venice : in the Council of Florence subscribed the Decree of Re-union of the Greek and Latin Church in 1439, but after 5 years the Greeks separated again 1431 210. Nicholas V., Sarzana ; introduced the carrying of the Holy Sacrament in procession on the Festival of Corpus Christi.. 1447 211. Calistus III., Valentia, Spain : issued a solemn decision that Joan of Arc had died a martyr for her religion, country, and King .!.... 1455 212. Pius II., Siena 1158 213. Paul II. , Venice : Aeneas Sylvius : worked and gave audience during night, rested in day-time ; introduced typography into Rome 1464 214. Sixtus IV. , Savona : Franciscan : received an embassy from the Czar of Russia, J. Basilowitz, declaring that he, having refused to acknowledge the Patriarch of Constantinople, accepted the union of the Roman Church sworn in the Council of Florence 1471 LIST OF SOVEREIGN PONTIFFS. 171 Vulgar Era. NO. A.D. 215. Innooent VIII. , Genoa : tinder his Pontificate Spain was freed from Mohammedanism : Pico of Mirandola, at the age of 24 years, sustained 900 theses, extracted from Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic authors : Christopher Columbus disco- vered America Succeeded 1484 216. Alexander VI., Spain 1492 CENTURY XVI. ir Popes. 217. Pius III., Siena 1603 218. Julius II., Savona : laid the foundation stone of the Basilica of St. Peter : marched at the head of an army against Perugia, and entered triumphantly into Bologna, without one drop of blood being shed : convoked the XVII. General Council, the V. of Lateran : prohibited duelling by excom- munication 1603 219. Leo X., Florence: concluded the Council of Lateran : excom- municated Luther, A.D. 1520 1513 220. Adrian VI ., Utrecht, Netherlands 1522 221. Clement VII., Florence: (De Medicis) excommunicated Henry VIII., King of England (1530) 1523 222. Paul III. Rome : (Famese) convoked the Council of Trent, to put down heresies, and correct abuses 1534 223. Julius III., Tuscany 1560 224. Marcellus II., Montepulciano : (Cervini) 1555 225 Paul IV., Naples : Caraffa : (Theatine) 1555 226. Pius IV., Milan : (Medici) ended and confirmed the Council of Trent 15*9 227. St. Pius V., Bosco, near Alessandria, Piedmont; (Ghislieri) Dominican ; repressed the Turks 1566 228. Gregory XIII. , Bologna (Buoncompagni) corrected the Calendar .< 1572 220. Sixtus V. , (Peretti) Ancona : Franciscan : he published a re- vised edition of the Bible, called the Vulgate 1586 230. Urban VII., (Castagna) Rome 1590 231. Gregory XIV., (Sfondrati) Cremona 1590 232. Innocent IX., (Facchinetti) Bologna 1591 283. Clement VI II. , (Aldobrandini) Florence : published an edition of the Vulgate, newly revised, as in present use 1592 CENTURY XVII.-11 Popes. 234. Leo XI., (Medici) Florence . . 1605 235. Paul V., (Borghese) Rome 1606 236. Gregory XV., (Ludovisi) Bologna 1621 237. Urban VIII., (Barberini) Florence 1623 238. Innocent X., (Pamphili) Rome 1643 239. Alexander VII., (Chigtt Siena. )655 240. Clement IX., (Rospighosi) Pistoja. 1667 241. Clement X., (Altieri) Rome 1670 242. Innocent XL, (Odescalchi) Como 1676 243. Alexander VIII., (Ottoboni) Venice 1689 244. Innocent XI I., (Pignatelli) Naples 1691 172 THE SIGN OP THE CROSS. CENTURY XVIII. 8 Popes. Vulgar Bra NO. A.D. 245. Clement XI. , (Albani) Urbino Succeeded 1700 246. Innocent XIII., (Conti, Dominican) Rome 17521 247. Benedict XVII. Rome : Orsini praised the Thomistic School 1724 248. Clement XII., (Corsini) Florence 1730 249. Benedict XIV., (Lambertini) Bologna 1740 250. Clement XIII., (Rezzonico) Venice 1758 251. Clement XIV., (Ganganelli) Saint Angelo in Vado 1769 252. Pius VI., (Braschi) Cesena. 1775 CENTURY XIX. 253. Pius VII., (Chiaramonte) Cesena 1800 254. Leo XII., (Genga) Spoleto 1823 256. Pius VIII. , (Castiglioni) Cingoli 1829 256. Gregory XVI., (Capellari) Belluno 1831 257. Pius IX., (John Mary Mastai-Ferretti) born at Sinigaglia (Marca) Italy, May 13, 1792 : died Feb. 7, 1878 ; reigned nearly 32 years ; created Pope, June 16 1846 258. His Holiness Leo XIII., (Vincent Joachim) [Gioacchino] Pecci,* Bishop of Perugia ; born in Carpineto, Velletri, March 2, 1810 ; thirteen days after the death of his glorious predecessor he was created Pope, Feb. 20, 1878. Whom may God long preserve 1878 NOTE. The Roman Pontiffs. The number of Popes from St. Peter to Leo XIII. inclusively, without counting the Antipopes, is commonly said to be 258. Of this number, 82 are venerated as Saints, 33 were martyred : 104 have been Romans, and 103 natives of other parts of Italy ; 15 French- men ; 9 Greeks ; 7 Germans ; 5 Asiatics ; 3 Africans ; 3 Spaniards ; 2 Dalmatians ; 1 Hebrew ; 1 Thracian ; 1 Dutchman ; 1 Portuguese ; 1 Candiot : and 1 Englishman. Nine Pontiffs have reigned less than 1 month, 30 less than 1 year, and 11 more than 20 years. Only 6 have occupied the Pontifical Chair over 23 years. These are St. Peter, who was Supreme Pastor in Rome (besides the seven years of his Pontificate in Antioch) 25 years, 2 months, 7 days ; Sylvester I., 23 years, 10 months, 27 days; Adrian I., 23 years, 10 months, 14 days; Pius VI., 24 years, 6 months, 3 days ; Pius VII., 23 years, 5 months, 6 days ; and Pius IX., who celebrated his 30th year in the Pontifical Chair June 19, A.D. 1876, and reigned 31 years, 7 months, 21 days. CHAPTEE XXXIV. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. This holy sign, the " Sign of the Son of Man " (St Matt. xxiv. 30), is made use of by the Catholic Church in all the Sacraments to show us that they derive all their virtue from the Cross ; that is, from the Death and Passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ. * Pronounced Pefcchee. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. 173 Chuich, and there never was a time from the founda- tion of Christianity when she did not exist. It is this The pious custom of signing oneself with the sign of the Cross is in frequent use among Catholics. The sign of the Cross is made upon ourselves in the following manner : We first place the extended fingers of our right hand on our forehead, saying : In the name of the Father; then, putting them on our breast, we say, and of the Son ; then on our left shoulder, and immediately after on our right shoulder, while we say, and of the Holy Ghost. We then join both hands before our breast, and say, Amen. It is honourable to disregard human respect, to profess outwardly what we are, namely, followers of Jesus Christ. This is what we do when we make the sign of the Cross, as this sign recalls to the mind of all persons present the mystery of our Eedemption wrought by our Lord and Saviour on the Cross, and in which Redemption we believe and trust. The Cross is the natural emblem, and, as it were, the distinguishing banner, of Christians. Every Christian, therefore, like St. Paul, ought not to be ashamed to sign himself with it, but ought to glory in the Cross of Christ. (Galatians vi. 14.) Should a feeling of shame come over you whilst making this sign, banish it by recalling to mind those words of Jesus Christ : " For he that shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of man shall be ashamed, when He shall come in His majesty, and that of His Father, and of the Jioly Angels." (St. Luke ix. 26.) For these reasons, and also for the edification of others, it is commendable and useful for Christians to make the sign of the Cross. The sign of the Cross is also an excellent act of 174 THE SIGN OF THE CEOSS. Faith in the two fundamental truths of the Christian Religion, namely, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity, one God in three Persons, and in the mystery of the Incarnation. For, by saying, in the " name" in the singular num- ber, we profess to believe that there is only one God. By saying, " of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" we profess to believe that in one God there are three Divine Persons. By the form of the Cross, which we trace with our right hand from our forehead to our breast, and then across from the left shoulder to the right shoulder, we profess to believe that the Son of God is our Redeemer, who wrought our Redemption by dying for us upon the Cross. By the word, Amen (so be it), we mean to confirm and seal, as it were, our belief in the said fundamental truths. The sign of the Cross was used in the first five centuries even more frequently than it is now. Passages could be quoted from Lactantius, from Eusebius of Caesarea, from St. Athanasius, St. Basil, St. Ephrem, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Ambrose, and from St. John Chrysostom, all of them Fathers of the fourth century, to prove it. But I will quote only two Tertullian, who wrote in the second century, says : " At every fresh step and change of place, whenever we come in or go out, when we put on our sandals, or wash, or take our meals, or light our lamps ; whether we are about to recline or to sit down, and whenever we begin a conversation, we impress on our forehead the sign of the Cross. Ad omne progressum atque promotum, ad omnem aditum et exitum, ad calceatum, ad lavacra, ad mensas, ad lumina, ad cubicula et sedilia, quandocumque nos conversatio exercet, frontem, ON PRAYER. 175 crucis signaculo terimus." (De Corona Militis, chap, iii. 4.) St. Jerome, a Father of the fourth century, ad- dressing the Roman Lady Eustochium, writes : " Be- fore every action, at every step, let your hand form the sign of the Cross" (Epistola xviii. ad Eustochium titulo iv.) St. Basil asserts as a noted fact that the practice of making the sign of the Cross was introduced by the Apostles. (Book on the Holy Ghost, chap. 37.) Let us, therefore, in imitation of the ancient Christians, be fond of making the sign of the Cross before doing anything of any consequence. It will be like directing our intention to do that thing for God. It will be the token of putting our whole trust in the merits of Jesus Christ which he earned on the Cross, and of our invoking God's help through those merits. CHAPTER XXXV. Ox PRAYER. Prayer is " the raising up of the mind and heart to God," begging His aid and blessing. It forms a con- siderable part of the worship we owe to God. It may be useful to give an outline of the Catholic teaching on this subject. Although God gives some graces without being asked, such as the first moving graces of faith, and the grace of prayer, He has other graces necessary for salvation in store only for those who humbly ask for them. It is therefore necessary for those who have the use of reason to pray. To make use of prayer is not only a counsel but a 176 ON PRAYER. divine precept : " Watch ye and pray" our Lord directs, " that ye enter not into temptation." (St. Matt. xxvi. 41.) " We ought always to pray and not to faint" (St. Luke xviii. 1.) Therefore, to neglect prayer altogether for any great length of time would not only be dangerous but a grievous sin. There are certain occasions in life in which we are especially bound to pray ; as when pressed by a strong temptation which we feel we have not the strength to overcome ; or when in evident danger of death ; or when we have to receive a sacrament, for the due reception of which sacrament prayer is required by way of preparation ; or in time of great public calamity ; and, in general, when there is a particular need of divine assistance. Let us not say, God is infinite goodness, He knows all our wants, He will grant us what is needful without our asking for it. God requires that we should ask, not because He has need of knowing our wants, or because He is not ready to help us, but that we may, by asking, show our humility and dependence on Him, and enjoy the advantage and honour of praying to Him. It is a part of the cherished duty of princes and princesses to present themselves morning and evening to their royal parents, to converse with them, to show them their filial love, respect, and gratitude, and to make known their wants and wishes to them. Few would object to be a prince merely on account of the task of having to present themselves dutifully every day to their parents. Surely, if it be a task, it is a sweet one. Prayer rightly regarded is a sweet duty, and it is a great honour to be allowed to present ourselves before ON PRAYER. 177 our Creator, the omnipotent King of Heaven, to be allowed to call Him Father, to be permitted to com- municate with Him, to show Him our Keverence, grati- tude, and love, and to put our wants before Him. By it we enjoy an opportunity of dutifully acknowledging Him as the source of all good, the Author of our sal- vation ; and of kindling in our hearts love towards Him by that sweet intercourse which prayer procures to us, and by the benefits that prayer obtains. Indeed, to render the duty of prayer sweeter still, God does to us what Kings and } Queens do not do to their children. He encourages us to approach Him with confidence, by pledging His word that our peti- tions shall never be rejected, even if we be in a state of sin like the poor publican or the penitent thief ; for, though the prayer of the just is more acceptable to God, according to St. James : " The continual prayer of a just man availeth much" (v. 16), yet Christ says in general, without excluding the sinner : " Every one that asketh, receiveth." (St. Matt. vii. 8.) For as St. Thomas Aquinas teaches : " The efficacy of prayer does not depend on the merit of the person who prays, but on the mercy of God, and on His faithfulness to His promise." This promise of God, however, does not extend to petitions for things that are not for our spiritual good ; as these could not be asked in the name of Jesus Christ, and because God, as a loving Father, would not grant what would be hurtful to us. Such petitions God refuses, as He refused that of the mother of the two sons of Zebedee, saying : " You know not what you ask " (St. Matt. xx. 22) ; but He gives something better instead. Therefore, when we ask for temporal favours, it should always be with resignation to God's will, and 178 ON PBAYBB. on condition that what we ask is profitable to our souls. Our Saviour gave us an example of this resignation when, in the garden of Gethsemani He besought His Eternal Father to take from Him the bitter chalice that was prepared for Him, and then added: "But yet not my will, but Thine be done." (St. Luke xxii. 42.) Prayer, such as it should be is always favourably heard. If sometimes our prayers are not answered, it is because we pray amiss, as St. James reminds us. Either because we pray with some lingering attach- ment to sin, or without attention and devotion ; or because we pray without confidence and without humility. Therefore prayer should be made : 1st, With devotion and attention ; such an attention, at least, is requisite, as would discourage wilful dis- tractions. If we ourselves do not pay attention to what we say, how can we expect that God will attend to it ? To this effect it is good before prayer to remain some moments silent, and consider in WHOSE presence we are, the suitable attitude in which we should place ourselves, and with what dispositions and feelings we should pray. This is the advice of Ecclesiasticus (or the Preacher) : " Before prayer, prepare thy soul; and be not as a man that tempteth God " (xviii. 23). 2ndly, With confidence: " notliing wavering ; for he that waver eth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind " (St. James i. 6. ) " A II things whatsoever you ask when ye pray," says our Lord, " believe that you shall receive : and they shall come unto you" (St. Mark xi. 24.) Distrust or diffidence dishonours God ; confidence honours God's goodness and faithfulness to His promises. 3rdly, With humility. For it is written " God re- ON PRAYER. 179 sisteth the proud, and yivetli grace to the humble." (St. James iv. 6.) The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is an instance of it. And it is also written, " The prayer of him that humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds." (Ecclesiasticus xxxv. 21.) If our prayer is made with these conditions, it is sure to be heard with favour. Sometimes, however, either to try us, or to cause us to value more what we ask for, or to make us pray more earnestly, so that He might afterwards reward us more abundantly, God delays to grant what we ask, as we learn from the parable of the unjust Judge (St. Luke xviii. 1), and from the persevering Avoman of Canaan. (St. Matt. xv. 22.) Therefore we should not be disheartened when the favour is delayed, but recalling to mind those words of Christ : " Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened to you " (St. Matt. vii. 7), we should, full of confidence, persevere in prayer : for that delay is for our good. We should also pray for others ; and this sort of prayer, whilst it will do gdod to our neighbour, will not be less beneficial to us than if we were praying for ourselves alone, but even more. The reason is, because our prayer is then grounded on charity. In the Lord's Prayer, which is the model of all prayers, we are taught to pray to our Heavenly Father for all others as well as for ourselves. Therefore, besides praying for ourselves in particular, let us also pray for the conversion of sinners, for the enlightenment of the Jews and of all unbelievers, for the unity of all Christians in the true faith, and for final perseverance in it, for those who are sick or dying, or in any danger, for our parents and relatives, friends and enemies, for those who rule the Church 180 WORKS OP PENANCE. and Nation, for those who suffer persecution, distress of mind or body, or any other kind of hardship and misery, and this, whether they are near to us or far away ; and God the Giver of all good gifts will bestow His blessing both upon them and upon us in abun- dance, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose blessed name we always are to pray. CHAPTEE XXXVI. WORKS OP PENANCE. In the case of those who have fallen into mortal sin after Baptism, when the guilt of such sin and the ever- lasting punishment due to it are forgiven through the Merits of Christ in the Sacrament of Penance, there dtill very often remains a debt of temporal punishment, to be paid by the sinner. This debt remains not from any imperfection in the power of absolution in the Sacrament of Penance, nor from any want of efficacy in the atonement of Jesus Christ, more than sufficient of itself to atone for the sins of the whole world, but because by God's will chastisement for past sins helps us to supply for the imperfection in our repentance, and serves as a correction. The fear of temporal punishment often helps to strengthen the resolution of amendment, it acts as a check to prevent us from again falling into sin, and excites us to make reparation for the scandal given. From this we see that, whilst the God-man, Jesus Christ, has, by atoning for our sins, done what we could not possibly do for ourselves, He has not dis- pensed us from doing with the help of His grace what we can to punish ourselves for the offences and outrages WORKS OF PENANCE. 181 we have offered to God. Good sense tells us that this is bub right and just. Our first Parents, after the guilt of their sin had been forgiven, had to undergo a long course of temporal chastisement for their sin. This was also the case with Aaron, Moses, his sister Miriam, and the people of Israel in the desert. (See the Book of Numbers, chapters xii., xiv., xx.). David, in like manner, upon repenting of his sin, and humbly saying: "/ have sinned," heard from the Prophet Nathan these words : "The Lord also hath taken away thy sin: thou shalt not die; nevertheless because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing the child that 'is born to thee shall surely die." (2 Kings [2 Samuel] xii. 13, 14.) Again, David says of himself : " / have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed ; I will water my couch with my tears." (Psalm vi. 7.) The Catholic Church has ever taught that after sin has been remitted in the Sacrament of Penance, peni- tential works, such as prayers, fastings, alms, and other works of piety must still be performed. These peni- tential works of themselves, however, do not satisfy the justice of God for any sin, but only inasmuch as they derive all their value from that all-availing atonement which JESUS CHRIST made upon the Cross, and in virtue of which alone all our good works find accept- ance in the sight of God. Thus it was that in the primitive Church the peni- tential Canons were established, and the forty days' Fast of Lent was observed from the time of the Apos- tles. St. Jerome says : " According to the Apostolical Tradition at the proper season of the year we observe Lent." (Epistola 27, ad Marcellum.) And St. Leo 16 182 WORKS OF PENANCE. says : " Let the Apostolical institution of forty days be spent in Fasting," (3rd Sermon on Lent). The General Council of Nlcaea, held in the year 325, not only alludes to the penitential discipline then in vigour throughout the whole Church of God, but further establishes certain penitential works to be performed by some kind of sinners in Canon IX., and following. This ought to be especially noticed by those Protestants who profess veneration for antiquity, and notably for the first six General Councils. The pardon granted to the penitent thief in the sav- ing words : " Amen, I say to thee, This day tkou shalt be with me in Paradise " (St. Luke xxiii. 43), cannot be taken as a proof that we are dispensed by God from doing works of Penance. That was a wonderful and special grace granted under extraordinary circumstances; namely, when the Blood of Eedemption was actually being shed upon the Cross ; moreover, the dying thief, besides bearing testimony to the Divinity of Jesus Christ, confessed his guilt, and in the spirit of penance suffered the torment of his crucifixion, and the cruel breaking of his legs, as penalties justly due to his sins ; and it may be that it was the first time that he re- pented and received pardon of his sins. The Catholic Church, which teaches the necessity of penitential works in general, holds also that grown-up persons who receive pardon of actual sins for the first time in baptism, and even those who having fallen again into sin after baptism, die martyrs, and those who come to the Sacrament of Penance with a very intense per- fect contrition, or who approaching that Sacrament with imperfect contrition, afterwards obtain the benefit of a plenary indulgence, have no remaining debt of temporal punishment to pay. INDULGENCES. 183 CHAPTER XXXVII. ON INDULGENCES. It is a pity that many Protestants should have been so ill-informed about Indulgences as to suppose that it means the forgiveness of a sin, or, astonishing to say, a permission to commit a sin. By an Indulgence is meant not the forgiveness of a sin, nor a permission to commit a sin, but the remission, through the merits of Jesus Christ, of the whole or part of the debt of temporal punishment due to a sin, the guilt and everlasting punishment of which sin have, through the merits of Jesus Christ, been already for- given in the Sacrament of Penance. Indulgences do not secure heaven, but hasten the time of entering it to those who have already secured heaven by having obtained forgiveness of their sins and put themselves in a state of grace before death. Catholics believe that the power of granting Indul- gences was left by Christ to the Church. It is included in the promise made by Jesus Christ to St. Peter : " And whatsoever thou shall loose upon earth shall be loosed also in heaven" (St. Matt. xvi. 19), for these words contain an ample ,and universal power given to Saint Peter and his successors of loosing a properly dis- posed person from everything that may hinder him from going to heaven ; and the debt of temporal punishment does hinder for a time even a justified soul from going into eternal bliss ; that is, until that debt be paid or remitted. It may be said, at least according to their principles, that Protestants give, in their way, a kind of plenary or full indulgence to every one, when they say that works of penance are not necessary ; but Catholics 184 INDULGENCES. believe that from all of us poor sinners works of pen- ance are required, and that the power of binding and loosing, which includes that of granting an Indulgence, was left only to the legitimate successors of the Apos- tles, in whom alone this power is still vested. Thus the criminal Corinthian was subjected to a very severe penance by St. Paul. At length, however, upon the solicitation of the brethren, the Apostle granted to that repentant sinner an Indulgence, sus- pended the punishment inflicted upon him, and re- admitted him to the communion of the Faithful. (1 Corinth, v. and 2 Corinth, ii.) Experience proves that this granting of an Indul- gence is very useful : it encourages the Faithful to deeper repentance, to have more frequent recourse to the Sacraments of Penance and Communion, and to exercise works of charity and devotion : for it is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that, in order to obtain any indulgence the soul must be in a state of grace, that is, must be free from mortal sin : and the condi- tions for gaining a plenary Indulgence almost always are, that the applicant should worthily receive the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, as a preparation for the reception of the Indulgence, and perform some outward works of piety. Therefore an Indulgence granted only under such conditions, far from being an inducement to sin, encourages us to re- pent and to do penance and other works of piety, and is a happy corrective of sin and a preservative against falling again into sin- ON PURGATORY. 185 CHAPTER XXXVIII. ON PURGATORY. Purgatory is a state of suffering after this life, in which those souls are for a time detained which depart this life after their deadly sins \ have been remitted as to the stain and guilt, and as to the everlasting pain that was due to them ; but which souls have on account of those sins still some debt of temporal punishment to pay ; as also those souls which leave this world guilty only of venial sins. In Purgatory these souls are purified and rendered fit to enter into Heaven, where nothing defiled enters. Catholics believe that a Christian who dies after the guilt and everlasting punishment of mortal sin have been forgiven him, but who, either from want of opportunity or through his negligence, has not dis- charged the debt of temporal punishment due to his sin, will have to discharge that debt to the justice of God in Purgatory. They believe also that those Christians who die with the guilt of venial sin * only upon their soul do not immediately enter Heaven, where " nothing defiled " can enter, but go first to Purgatory for an allotted time, and after being purified there from the stain of these venial or lesser faults, are admitted into Heaven. As to the place, manner, or kind of these sufferings, nothing has been defined by the Church. As works of penance have no value in themselves except through the merits of Jesus Christ, so the pains of Purgatory have no power in themselves to purify the soul from sin but only in virtue of Christ's Redemp- * See Chapter XIV. on mortal sin, in which a notion of venial sin is also given. 186 ON PURGATORY. tion ; or, to speak more exactly, the souls in Purgatory are able to discharge the debt of temporal punishment demanded by God's Justice, and to have their venial si~s remitted only through the merits of Jesus Christ, " yet so as by Jire." The Catholic belief in Purgatory rests on the autho- rity of the Church and her Apostolic Traditions re- corded in ancient Liturgies, and by the ancient Fathers, Tertullian, St. Cyprian, Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, Arnobius, St. Basil, St. Ephrem of Edessa, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Ambrose, St. Epiphanius, St. John Chrysostom, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, on the IVth Council of Carthage, and on many other authorities of antiquity. That this tradition is derived from the Apostles, St. John Chrysostom plainly testifies in a passage quoted at the end of this chapter, in which he speaks of suffrages or help for the departed. St. Augustine says of Aerius, that he was the first who dared to teach that it was of no use to offer up prayers and sacrifices for the dead ; and this doctrine of Aerius he reckoned among heresies. (Book of Heresies, Heresy 53rd.) There are also passages in Holy Scripture from which the Fathers have confirmed the Catholic belief on this point. St. Paul, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians (Chap. iii. 11-15) writes : " For other foundation no man can lay but that which is laid ; which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble : every man's work shall be manifest : for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire ; and the. fire shall try every man's tvork, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon : ON PURGATORT. 187 he shall receive a reward. If any man's worlc burn, he shall suffer loss : but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." The ancient Fathers, Origen in the third century, St. Ambrose and St. Jerome in the fourth, and St. Augustine in the fifth, have interpreted this text of St. Paul * as relating to venial sins committed by Christians which St. Paul compares to " wood, hay, stubble," and thus with this text they confirm the Catholic belief in Purgatory, well known and believed in their time, as it is by Catholics in the present time. In St. Matthew (chap. v. 25, 26) we read, " Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes, ivhilst thou art in (he way with him ; lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver tliee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Amen, I say to thee, thou sJialt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing." On this passage St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, a Father of the third century, says : " It is one thing to be cast into prison, and not go out from thence till the last farthing be paid ; and another to receive at once the reward of faith and virtue ; one thing in punish- ment of sin to be purified by long suffering and purged by long fire, and another to have expiated all sins by suffering (in this life) ; one in fire, at the day of judg- ment to wait the sentence of the Lord, another to receive an immediate crown from Him." (Epistle Hi.) Our Saviour said : " He that shall speak against * Origen, Homily xiv. on Leviticus, and in Homily xvi (in some editions xii.) on Jeremias ; St. Ambrose in hia comments on 1 Corinthians ; St. Jerome in his second book against Jovinian, title 4, part 2 ; St. Augustine in his Enarratio on Psalm xxxvii, title 4. 188 ON PURGATORY. the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come." (St. Matt. xii. 32.) From this text St. Augustine argues, that " It would not have been said with truth that their sin shall not be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come, unless some sins were remitted in the next world." (De Civitate Dei, Book xxi., chap. 24.) On the other hand, we read in several places of Holy Scripture that God will render to every one (that is, will reward or punish) according as each deserves. (See for example in St. Matt. xvi. 27.) But as we cannot think that God will punish everlastingly a person who dies burdened with the guilt of venial sin only, it may be an " idle word," it is reasonable to infer that the punishment rendered to that person in the next world will only be temporary. The Catholic belief in Purgatory does not clash with the following declarations of Holy Scripture, which every Catholic firmly believes, namely, that it is Jesus who cleanseth us from all sin, that Jesus bore " the iniquity of us all," that " by His bruises we are healed " (Isaias liii. 5) ; for it is only through the Blood of Jesus and His copious Redemption that those pains of Purgatory have power to cleanse the souls therein detained. Likewise the Catholic belief in Purgatory is not in opposition to those texts of Scripture in which it is said that a man when he is justified is translated from death to life ; tJiat he is no longer judged: that there is no condemnation in him. For these passages do not refer to souls taken to heaven when natural death occurs, but to persons in this world, who from the death of sin pass to the life of grace. Nor does it follow that, dying in that state of grace, that is, in a ON PURGATORY. 189 state of spiritual life, they must go at once to heaven. A soul may be justified, entirely exempt from eternal condemnation, and yet have something to suffer for a time ; thus also in this world many are justified and yet are not exempt from suffering. Again, it is not fair to bring forward against the Catholic doctrine on Purgatory that text of the Apoca- lypse (Rev. xiv. 13) : "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. From henceforth now, saith tJie Spirit, that they may rest from their labours: for their works fol- low them" for this text applies only to those souls who die perfectly in the Lord, that is, entirely free from every kind of sin, even venial, and from the stain, the guilt, and the debt of temporal punishment of every sin. Catholics believe that these souls have no pain to suffer in Purgatory, as is the case with the Martyrs and Saints who die in a perfect state of grace. It is usual to bring forward against the Catholic belief in Purgatory that text which says : If the tree fall to the south, or to the north, in what place soever it shall fall, there shall it be" (Ecclesiastes xi. 3.) This text confirms and illustrates the truth that when death comes the final doom of every one is fixed, and that there is no more possibility of changing it, so that one dying in a state of mortal sin, will always remain in a state of mortal sin, and consequently be rejected for ever ; and one dying in a state of grace and friendship with God, will for ever remain accepted by God, and in a state of grace and in friendship with Him. But this text proves nothing against the existence of Purgatory ; for a soul, although in a state of grace, and destined to Heaven, may still have to suffer for a time before being perfectly fit to enter upon that eternal bliss to enjoy the vision of God. 190 ON PURGATORY. Some might be disposed, notwithstanding, to regard this text as opposed to the Catholic doctrine of Purga- tory, by saying that the two places alluded to in the texts are heaven and hell. But this interpretation Catholics readily admit, for at death either heaven or hell is the final place to which all men are allotted, Purgatory being only a passage to heaven. This text surely does not tell against those just ones of the old Law who died in a state of grace and salva- tion, and who, though sure of heaven, yet had to wait in some middle state, until after the Ascension of Jesus Christ, neither, therefore, does it tell against Purgatory. Christ's Redemption is abundant, "plentiful" as Holy Scripture says (Psalm cxxix. 7), and Catholics do not believe that those Christians who die guilty only of venial sins unrepented of, and unforgiven, are condemned to the everlasting pains of hell, as Pro- testants must believe, if consistent with their principles. Catholics believe that for such there is still a way, although painful, of being cleansed from these lesser faults after this life, through the merits of Jesus Christ. And this is in Purgatory, where they can be purified like gold in the fire, and made fit to enter into the Heavenly Jerusalem, wherein " there shall not enter anything defiled " (Apocalypse [Revelation] xxi. 27) ; or, to use the language of St. Paul, " he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." (1 Corinth, iii. 15.*) Catholics also believe that the souls in Purgatory con- tinue to be members of the Church of Christ, and that they are relieved by the sacrifice of the Mass, by prayer, and pious works, such as almsdeeds. These and other helps are called sv/'rages, which are applied to them by the * See note on this passage in the Douay Catholic version. ON PURGATORY. 191 Faithful here on earth, with the intention of helping them. Indulgences may also be applied to them. The living can pray for each other efficaciously. St. James the Apostle says : " Pray for one another , that you may be saved" (v. 16.) Why then should we not be able to pray also with efficacy for the de- parted, especially since the souls in Purgatory quitted this life in the state of grace and love which, according to St. Paul, " never falleth away" (1 Corinth, xiii. 8.) If death does not break their ties of love towards us, the same should not sever our bonds of love towards them, nor prevent us from doing what we can in their behalf. The Jews retain in their Liturgy to this day the pious practice of praying for the departed. This Catholic belief is comprised in those words of the Apostles' Creed, " / believe the Communion of Saints." The natural meaning of this declaration being that we are in communion of prayers with the Saints, whether in heaven, in Purgatory, or on earth. It has always been the practice of the Catholic Church to offer prayers and other pious works in suffrage for the dead, as is amply testified by the Latin Fathers ; for instance, Tertullian, St. Cyprian, St. Augustine, St. Gregory; and amongst the Greek Fathers, by St. Ephrem of Edessa, St. Basil, and St. John Chrysostom. St. Chrysostom says : " It was not without good reason ordained by the Apostles that mention should be made of the dead in the tremendous mysteries, because they knew well that these would receive great benefit from it." (On the First Epistle to Philip- pians, Homily iii.) By the expression "tremen- dous mysteries " is meant the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. St. Augustine says : " It is not to be doubted that the dead are aided by the prayers of Holy Church 192 ON THE INVOCATION OP THE SAINTS. and by the salutary Sacrifice, and by the alms which are offered for their spirits ; that the Lord may deal with them more mercifully than their sins have de- served. For this, which has been handed down by the Fathers, the universal Church observes." (Vol. v., Sermon 172, Enchirid.) The same pious custom is proved also from the ancient Liturgies of the Greek and other Eastern Churches, both Catholic and Schismatic, in which the Priest is directed to pray for the repose of the dead during the celebration of the Holy Mysteries. CHAPTER XXXIX. ON REVERENCE TO, AND THE INVOCATION OF, THE ANGELS AND SAINTS. Rightly to understand the Catholic doctrine of the Invocation of Saints, it is necessary that Protestants should bear in mind that the word worship has different significations, according as it is applied to God or applied to creatures. When applied to God, it means the highest degree of honour due to God as God, and to God alone. When applied to things created, it means inferior, that is, less honour, justly paid to them, either on account of their exalted position among creatures, or on account of a special reference they bear to God. Catholics believe that the Saints reigning with Christ are to be honoured and invoked, that they offer prayers to God for men, and that their relics are to be held in veneration. We read in Holy Scripture that angels were worshipped by Abraham and Josue (Genesis xix. 1 ; Josue v. 15) ; that the prophets Samuel and Eliseus ON THE INVOCATION OP THE SAINTS. 193 were loorshipped, that is treated with marks of honour and reverence (1 Book of Kings [or 1 Samuel] xxviii. 14). And in the First Book of Paralipomenon (or 1 Chronicles) xxix. 20, we read : " And all the assembly blessed the Lord the God of their fathers; and they bowed themselves, and worshipped God, and then the Icing " (David). In the Protestant version it reads : " worshipped the Lord and the king." " The continual prayer of a just man availeth much" (St. James v. 16) ; and we find St. Paul earnestly asking the prayers of the Eoman Christians, saying : " / beseech you, therefore, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Holy Ghost, that you help me in your prayers for me to God." (Romans xv. 30.) All Christians allow that it is right and useful to ask the prayers of holy persons who are upon earth ; it cannot surely be wrong or useless to ask the prayers of the Saints in Heaven, now that they are so near to God, and in no danger of offending Him. That the Saints can know something of what passes on earth, and can sympathise with us, may plainly be inferred from what our Saviour says in St. Matthew (xxii. 30), that the Saints " shall be as the angels of God in Heaven : " and from what He said in St. Luke (xv. 7, 10), " / say to you, tliere shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance." If angels see a sinner doing penance, the Saints who are like the Angels of God, are able to see the same. The holy Prophets, enlightened by God, could see what was passing in distant places, and could even foresee future things. We have a striking instance in Exodus xxxii. 7, 14. When Moses was on the mountain with God, out of sight of the people below, God told him that the people had fallen into idolatry, 17 194 ON THE INVOCATION OF THE SAINTS. and that He would therefore destroy them. But Moses at once prayed God to spare them, and God did so. If Moses, far away and out of sight, but with God, was allowed to know what was passing elsewhere, and to pray as he did for the idolatrous Israelites, we may naturally suppose that the Saints in heaven are allowed to know something of what takes place on earth, and to pray for sinners. Surely the Saints in the glory of heaven are not less enlightened than the Prophets ; nor can it be said that they have lost the power of praying, being nearer to the throne of God. If charity prompts us to pray one for another here on earth, may not the Saints pray for us in heaven, where " Charity never falleth away?" (1 Corinth, xiii. 8.) Shall it not be permitted to us who " are fellow-citizens with the Saints" (Ephesians ii. 19), to ask their intercession, that they through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, may obtain for us what we stand in need of ? We naturally feel that these blessed souls, being bound to us by ties of nature and grace, must have a zealous desire to help us in our necessities,* and that God will not withhold from them this satisfaction. The power which the Blessed Virgin and all the Saints enjoy of interceding for us is a privilege com- municated to them by Christ and based on His Divine Merits. An objection often raised against the Invocation of Saints is that it places them between God and men, making them mediators in the same way as Jesus Christ is the Mediator. This objection has no real foundation, because JESUS is the only Mediator of Redemption, and * The rich man in hell (St. Luke xvi. 27) felt sympathy for his brothers on earth ; we can but suppose that the Saints in heaven have no less sympathy for their relatives and friends. VIRGIN MARY JUSTLY CALLED MOTHER OF GOD. 195 also of intercession by His own rights and merits; whereas the mediation of the Saints is not a mediation of Redemption but only a mediation of intercession, and this through the merits of JESUS CHRIST, their Divine Saviour and ours. Hence the Church ends all her prayers with these words, " Through Jesus Christ our Lord." In the sense of intercessor, through JESUS CHRIST, a Saint, or any one even here on earth who prays for his neighbour, may be considered and be called a mediator, as Moses was, who could say of himself : " / was the mediator, and stood between the Lord and you" (Deuteronomy v. 5.) CHAPTER XL. THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY JUSTLY CALLED MOTHER OP GOD. The Blessed Virgin Mary is rightfully called Mother of God ; for Jesus Christ, God Incarnate (that is, God made man), is truly her son, as St. Luke (i. 35) ex- pressly states : " The Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." St. Elizabeth calls the Blessed Virgin " the mother of my Lord " (St. Luke i. 43.) And the Blessed Virgin called our Saviour " Son." (St. Luke ii. 48.) The General Council of Ephesus (held A.D. 431) condemned Nestorius as a heretic for denying this title of Mother of God (in the Greek Theotok'os) to the Blessed Virgin. Those, therefore, who refuse to her this title of Mother of God show that they do not realise the Incarnation of the Son of God. They thus virtually deny the personal divinity of the Redeemer and the efficacy of the Redemption ; for in that case the 196 VIRGIN MARY JUSTLY CALLED MOTHER OP GOD. blood which was shed on Calvary would not have been the Blood of a God-man, but simply the blood of a man. It would be like falling into the heresy of Nestorius, who (contrary to the Catholic Faith, which teaches that in Jesus Christ there are two natures but only one Divine Person) taught that in Christ, besides the two natures there are also two persons (the Divine Person and the human ;) and that the Eternal Son of God did not become man in the sense of assuming to Himself our human nature, but only in the sense of residing in the humanity as in a temple, or of being united to it, not in one person but in some other mysterious way 5nly ; and consequently that the Blessed Virgin was merely the mother of that supposed human person, but not of that Divine Person which is in Christ. The reason why many Protestants object to join in the affection due to our Lady, Mother of God, is because they do not properly comprehend and realise in their hearts the import of this title " Mother of God." Let us then see what this title means. It does not mean that Mary is the Mother of the Divinity, if by divinity be understood the divine nature, for the divine nature is uncreated, eternal, be- fore all worlds. Nor does it mean that Mary is the mother of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God the Son according to His divine nature, which would be the same as being mother of the Divinity, to assert which would be indeed not only absurd but blasphemous. Nor does it mean that Mary became the mother of a person, that did not exist before, as is the case naturally with all ordinary mothers, for the Son of God who became the Son of Mary is in Himself co-eternal with the Father. But it means that Mary is Mother of God the Son, with regard to His human nature, which He assumed in time, and which human VIRGIN MARY JUSTLY CALLED MOTHER OF GOD. 197 nature He had not before He took it from Mary, for until then He possessed only one nature, the Divine. After His Incarnation God the Son possessed two natures, the Divine and the human. In other words, Mary gave birth to a perfect and complete human nature which, from the very first instant that she con- ceived it of the Holy Ghost, God the Son made His own, assumed it, and united it to "His Godhead, and thus God the Eternal "Word was made flesh and became man. Hence the Fathers speak of a twofold birth or nativity of the Word, or God the Son ; the one, His being born of God the Father from all eternity, " ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula;" and the other, which is in time, His being born man of the Blessed Virgin, "ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est." God the Son, by assuming this perfect human nature, which He took from the Blessed Virgin, was born in the flesh, and became really the son of Mary according to His human nature. Therefore the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of Jesus Christ, is properly and justly called " Mother of God," that is, Mother of God the Son from the time that He became also man of the substance of His Mother, and was born of her in the world. True that the Blessed Virgin Mary is simply a creature, deriving all her graces, privileges, and glory from God, and is wholly dependent upon Him ; but it is no less true that God chose her to be the Mother of the Word Incarnate, that the Divine Infant whom she bore and brought forth into the world is a Divine Person, clothed indeed with human nature, but in whom no human personality exists, because two persons could not so exist in the mystery of the Incarnation. If Mary were not truly the Mother of the Eternal Word made man, neither would the 198 HONOUR AND DEVOTION TO VIRGIN MARY. Eternal Word be truly Incarnate, nor truly the Sou of man, as He occasionally called Himself. The Blessed Virgin Mary, therefore, is justly styled " Mother of God" because she is the Mother of Jesus Christ, whose humanity is assumed by and united to a Divine Person, that is, God the Son. No wonder, then, that the Blessed Virgin Mary should exclaim in her great Hymn of praise to God, known as the Magni- ficat: " For He that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name" (St. Luke i. 49.) CHAPTEE XLI. HONOUR AND DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. Because the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the Archangel Gabriel declared, is "full of grace" (St. Luke i. 37), and because of her incomparable dignity of being the chosen Mother of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church regards her as the most highly favoured of all creatures, as a creature highly exalted above all men and angels : and consequently teaches that she is to be honoured as the most blessed among women, according to the admonition of St. Paul : " Mender, therefore, to all men their dues, . . . honour to whom honour." (Romans xiii. 7.) All the honour given to the Blessed Virgin by men does not equal the least one of those countless acts of honour given to her by her Divine Son our Lord during the time that He lived with her and St. Joseph at Nazareth ; when, as we learn from the Gospel, He "was subject to them." (St. Luke ii. 51.) We need not therefore be afraid of honouring her whom the HONOUR AND DEVOTION TO VIRGIN MARY. 199 Word Incarnate so greatly honoured. We are en- couraged by the Church to do so, and to frequently recommend ourselves to her prayers. This honour and this recourse to her intercession, far from distracting from the divine worship due to God and to the Mediation of Jesus Christ, are felt by Catho- lics to be really tokens of respect to our Blessed Saviour on whose account chiefly we honour her : in fact, we honour her whom He himself has so wonderfully honoured, and whom He must wish all to honour. To dishonour Christ's Mother would be to dishonour Christ ; to honour and to love her is to honour and to love Christ, since it is above all for His sake that we show such affection and reverence to her. This is sweetly expressed by Father Faber in a hymn to our Blessed Lady, beginning : ' ' Mother of mercy, * day by day My love of thee grows more and more ; Thy gifts are strewn upon my way Like sands upon the great sea-shore. ' But scornful men have coldly said Thy love was leading me from God ; And yet in this I did but tread The very path my Saviour trod. ' They know but little of thy worth Who speak these heartless words to me, For what did JESUS love on earth One half so tenderly as thee ? "JESUS, when His three hours were run, Bequeathed thee from the Cross to me ; And Oh ! how can I love thy Son, Sweet Mother ! If I love not thee ? " Being Mother of the Redeemer, she cannot but feel compassion towards those for whom her Son died. 200 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. It has been well said : The glories of the Mother are the reflection of the Divinity of her Son, and every crown that is wreathed for Mary is laid at JESUS' feet. The parable in the Gospel of the poor Publican, who " standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven ; but struck his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner" (St. Luke xviii. 13), proves humility to be the best disposition to render our prayers availing ; and our recourse to the Virgin Mary is the effect of humility and of a sense of our unworthi- ness. Moreover, Catholics see clearly that in asking the Blessed Virgin to pray for them, they thereby affirm that she is not herself the fountain of grace or of merit, since she herself, in order to obtain graces and merits for us, must, as well as we, have recourse to God, her and our Creator and Saviour; and that when she prays, she prays only through the mediation and merits of her Divine Son. In asking the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray to Jesus for us, we thereby openly declare that Jesus Christ is our only Eedeemer. CHAPTER XLII. THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OP THE BLESSED VIRGIN MART. The Prophet Jeremias (i. 5) and St. John the Baptist (St. Luke i. 45) were sanctified before their birth, but some while after their conception ; whereas it is the Catholic belief that the Blessed Virgin was, by a special privilege, preserved Immaculate, that is, free from the stain of original sin, from the first moment of her conception. THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. 201 The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or her Conception without the stain of original sin, refers to her soul, not to her body ; for it is an admitted principle in theology that a human body is not in itself capable of guilt and of the stain of sin, as sin causes a moral and not a material stain. The Catholic Church teaches that in all other human beings descended from Adam, the soul, when created and united by God to the infant body yet unborn (which union is called passive conception, and in which parents have no part), necessarily contracts, by thus becoming a child of fallen Adam, the stain of original sin, which can afterwards be washed away by having the merits of Jesus Christ applied to it ; but that with the Blessed Virgin Mary it was otherwise, for, at the very instant in which her soul was created and infused into her body, she was preserved from contracting the stain of original sin, by having sanctifying grace be- stowed upon her in the very first moment of her existence, and this through the foreseen merits of Jesus Christ, her son, which were applied to her in the way of prevention, and, therefore, in a special and more perfect manner. The soul of the Blessed Virgin was of itself liable to contract the stain of original sin like any other child of Adam, and, therefore, in need of Redemption, but in view of and through the merits of Jesus Christ, whose Virgin Mother she was to be, and in whose favour some other general laws (as that a woman cannot be mother and virgin at the same time) were suspended, she was, by exception, preserved from contracting this stain. The Council of Basle (21st Sept., 1429) de- clared that the Blessed Virgin Mary had never been subject to original sin. Whilst the greatest part of Protestants are loath 202 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. to admit the exemption of the Blessed Virgin Mary from all sin, we find that even the Koran of Mahomet, written twelve centuries ago, deriving most likely the notion from ideas spread among Christians in the east, declares (chapter 3) that Mary the Mother of Jesus was always protected from all the attacks of Satan. All Christians admit that God could preserve the Blessed Virgin immaculate, and most persons will feel that it would redound to the honour of Christ that His Mother should never have been defiled by sin, never have been the slave of the devil, nor ever, even for an instant, have been an object hateful to God ; for the Christian mind shudders at the thought that the one who was to be the living Temple of God Incarnate should have been permitted by God, who could prevent it, to be first the abode of the devil. That which some Protestants think possible, reason- able, and strongly demanded by the honour of Christ, Catholics hold as an article of faith. It is true that before the solemn definition of this doctrine a diversity of opinion was tolerated by the Church, and maintained by. some Catholic theologians, who were not on that account accused of heresy, but this diversity was because the Church had not yet given an explicit definition on the subject, and some of the terms employed in debate in the Divinity Schools of that time were not sufficiently precise and definite, and a clear distinction between active and passive conception was not made. The doctrine was solemnly defined as an article of faith by Pope Pius IX., speaking ex cathedra on the 8th December, 1854, as follows : " Auctoritate Domini. " Nostri Jesu Ckristi, beatontm Apostolorum Petri et " Pauli ac Nostri declaramus, pronunciamus et defini- "mus, doctrinam, quae tenet, beatissimam Virginem THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. 203 " Mariam in prime instanti suce Conception is fuisse <: singulars omnipotentis Dei Gratia et privilegio, intuitu " meritorum Christi Jesu Salvatoris humani generis, ab "omni originalis culpae lobe prceservatam immunem, " esse a Deo revelatam, atque idcirco ab omnibus fideli- " bus firmiter constanterque credendam. " Quapropter si qui secus ac a Nobis definitum est, "quod Deus avertat, praesumpserint corde sentire, ii " noverint, ac porro sciant, se proprio judicio condem- " natos, naufragium circa fidem passos esse, et ab imitate " Ecclesice defecisse." This extract from the solemn Definition may be translated as follows : " By the authority of Our " Lord Jesus Christ, of the blessed Apostles Peter and " Paul, and by our own authority, We declare, pro- bounce, and define, that the doctrine, which holds " that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first "instant of her Conception, by a special grace and " privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of " Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, was preserved " free from all stain of original sin, has been revealed " by God, and, therefore, is to be firmly and steadfastly " believed by all the Faithful. " Wherefore, if any shall presume, which may God " avert, to think in their heart otherwise than has been ' ' defined by Us, let them know and, moreover,understand, " that they are condemned by their own judgment, that " they have made shipwreck as regards the Faith, and " have fallen away from the unity of the Church." That this doctrine is in accordance with Holy Scripture and the ancient Tradition of the Church, may be seen in books * that treat on this subject, as * See F. Passaglia, S.J., and Bishop Ullathorne, O.S.B., on the Immaculate Conception, as also Father Patrizi, S.J. 204 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. also in the Apostolic Letter of His Holiness Pope Pius IX., " Ineffabilis Deus ' (so named from the Latin words with which the said Encyclical Letter begins), of the 8th December, 1854, which contains the dog- matical definition of the Immaculate Conception. In this document is also clearly explained how this doctrine, far from detracting from the Redemption of Christ, adds to it a new lustre, inasmuch as it shows Christ's merits to be so efficacious, as not only to have power to efface the stain of original sin after it is contracted, but also, what is more wonderful and beneficial, to preserve the soul from contracting it. To treat this important subject in a satisfactory manner would require an entire -volume, but for the satisfaction of some I will here quote one text of Holy Scripture, and a few passages from the ancient Fathers in confirmation of the Catholic belief in the Immaculate Conception. In the Book of Genesis (iii. 15) God said to the serpent : " Iivill put enmities between tliee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed" According to all ancient interpreters this is a pro- phecy. The woman mentioned is Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ, and the seed of the woman is Jesus Christ Himself, the Redeemer of mankind. Certainly the enmity which exists between Jesus Christ and the serpent, that is the devil, is a perpetual one, and excludes sin of all kind. But the same enmity it is here declared by God should exist between the woman (that is, the Blessed Virgin Mary) and the evil spirit. Therefore it follows that the enmity which exists between the Virgin Mary and the devil must be a perpetual one, and also necessarily excludes all sin, THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. 205 and, therefore, also original sin, which of itself suffices to enslave a person to the devil. This text sufficiently proves that the Blessed Virgin Mary, through the merits of her Son Jesus Christ, was from the first moment of her existence Immaculate: that is, she was preserved from contracting the stain of original sin in the first moment that her soul was united to her body and began to exist as a human being, that is, at the time of her passive Conception. In the Hebrew and Samaritan text and Alexandrian version the pronoun is masculine or neuter, therefore referable either to seed, or to Christ, but this does not weaken the argument, for the proof does not depend upon the pronoun referring rather to one than to the other, but upon the absolute and perpetual enmity of the Son and His Mother against the Demon, from which enmity it follows that both the Son and the Mother have perfectly and entirely triumphed over the Demon, though by a diverse title, that is, the Son by His own virtue, the Mother by virtue of the Son. The ancient writer " De Nativitate Christi " found in St. Cyprian's works, says : Because (Mary) being " very different from the rest of mankind, human nature, but not sin, communicated itself to her." (See the Ang- lican Bishop Fell's edition, A.D. 1700, p. 60, col. 2.) Theodordtus, a Father who lived in the fifth century, says, that Mary " surpassed by far the Cherubim and Seraphim in purity." Had Theodore"tus believed that Mary was born in sin, he would hardly have used such an expression. St. Ephrem, a Father of the fourth century, says, that Mary was " entirely free from every defilement and stain of sin." (Oratio ad Beatam Virginem.) St. Cyril of Alexandria, who lived in the beginning of the 5th century, has these words : " With the excep- 18 206 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. tion of Christ and His Blessed Mother, we are all born in sin." (Lib. 6. in Joannem C. 15.) St. Maximus, Bishop of Turin, a Father of the fifth century, says : ' ' Mary clearly was a worthy dwelling- place for Christ, not on account of the beauty of her person, but because of original grace." (Homilia v. ante Natalem Domini.) In the Greek Liturgy of St. Chrysostom, a Father of the fourth century, which Liturgy is still used by the United Catholic Greeks and the Schismatic Greeks, the following words are directed to be chanted by the choir during the Canon of the Mass : " It is truly meet that we should praise thee, Mother of God, who art always to be blessed, and who art exempt from every fault : thou art the Mother of our God, to be venerated in preference to the Cherubim ; thou art beyond com- parison more glorious than the Seraphim." (Goar, Euchologium, p. 78.) Theodorus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, said in the second Council of Nicaea that Mary " is truly the Mother of God, and Virgin before and after childbirth ; and she was created in the condition more sublime and glorious than that of all natures, whetker intellectual or cor- poreal" (Labbe, vol. viii.) Add to all this, that disbelief in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary would imply belief in the following revolting consequences; that Hs who is holiness itself, and has an infinite horror of sin, took human nature from a corrupt human source, whilst He might have taken it from an incorrupt one ; that the Infinite Purity was enshrined in the Ark of the maternity which had been sullied by original sin, whilst He might have avoided it; that the Divine Person drew the Precious Blood of His Humanity from a source which was not from the first immaculate, THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. 207 whilst He might have preserved it immaculate, and this without diminishing, but rather enhancing, the glory of His Redemption. Who can believe that it being in the power of God the Son to exempt the Blessed Virgin, who was to be His Mother, from contracting the stain of original sin, He should not have done so ? Who can believe that it being in the power of God the Son to prepare a spotless holy temple wherein to dwell Incarnate for nine months, should have preferred to have one which had been first profaned by the stain of original sin ? Who, can imagine that God who could become Incarnate by preparing to Himself a Mother Immacu- late in her Conception, should have preferred a Mother who had first been stained by sin and had been once in the power and slavery of Satan 1 To admit such oppositions is shocking to Christian minds. Christian sense, grounded on theological reasons, sees at a glance that the Mother of God Incarnate must have always been immaculate : that without this the enmity of Mary to sin would not have been perpetual and complete. It having been in the power of God to preserve Mary unstained from original sin, there is every reason to believe that He should have done it. Potuit ergo fecit. God was able, therefore He did it. It is hard, indeed, to imagine how the Incarnation of the Son of God could have taken place, unless the Mother had been preserved free from the stain of original sin, and had always been adorned with the splendour of the most perfect holiness. 208 REVERENCE TO HELIOS. CHAPTER XLIII. KEVERENCE TO KELICS AND OTHER RELIGIOUS OBJECTS. The Catholic Church teaches that the images or representations of Jesus Christ, of His Blessed Virgin Mother, and of the Saints in general, are to he honoured with " due honour ; " not, indeed, for what they are in themselves, but for what they represent. This honour is called relative honour, because it relates or refers to the person represented. Thus it would be simply a token of affection towards our parents if we were to kiss the likeness of a dear father or mother. At the House of Lords it is a customary mark of respect to Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen to bow before her chair of State, even though it be empty. Again, men honour Her Majesty by putting her portrait in a distinguished place and by bowing before it. It would be dishonouring the Queen herself to treat her portrait with any disrespect. The reverence paid by Catholics to holy images does not offend against the Commandment of God. It is true that the latter part of the first Commandment declares : " Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing" but this is explained by the words that follow : " Thou shalt not adore them (non adorabis ea), nor serve them" (Exodus xx. 4, 5, and Deuteronomy v. 9.)* The meaning, therefore, clearly is : Thou shalt not * An eminent Protestant Archdeacon Paley (author of "Tho Evidences of Christianity ") in a sermon on the Commandments (Works, Ed. Edinb., 1826, page 655) saye : "The prohibition of the Commandment is pointed against the particular offence of idolatry and no other. The first and secondt Commandments may be considered as one, inasmuch as they relate to one t According to the Protestant division. REVERENCE TO RELICS. 209 make unto thyself a graven thing or idol for the sake of adoring it as a false god or idol. The words "bow down " in the Protestant version, instead of " adore," are calculated unhappily to mislead unreflecting per- sons. This Commandment cannot be taken to condemn the use of images intended to promote the honour and worship of our Lord Jesus Christ, the true living God, or the inferior honour due to the Holy Angels and the Saints, as this is not worship of strange gods, and, therefore, not idolatry. It was thus understood by the Jews, who by the command of God placed two graven images of the Cherubim on the ark of the Covenant (3 Kings vi. 23), and other images of angels in the Temple of Solo- mon. (2 Paralipomenon, or 2 Chronicles iii. 10, 11.) Tt is, in fact, thus practically understood also by those Protestants who have no scruple in making graven images, and even in setting them up in their places of worship. !N"o Christian certainly could find in his heart to treat the crucifix, that affecting image and appealing like- ness of our crucified Saviour, as an idol, and trample it under his foot. Christian feeling would prompt him to respect it, as he respects and reveres the precious word, the sound, the very letters, of the Holy Name of JESUS. It would be idolatry to worship any Saint, or the image of any Saint as God, but it is not idolatry to honour the Saints, for what they are, namely, the faith- subject, or nearly so. For many ages, and by many Churches, they were put together and considered as one commandment. The subject to which they both relate is false worship or the worship of false gods. This is the single subject to which the prohibition of both Commandments relates the single class of sins which is guarded against." 210 REVERENCE TO RELICS. ful servants of God, and to honour pictures of them for what these pictures represent. If we may pay respect to the likeness of a parent, child, or friend, living or departed, we may surely honour pictures of the Saints who are the special friends of God, and show our reverence for those who, now glorious in Heaven, are "The spirits of tlie just made perfect" (Heb. xii. 23), who are "like to Him" (1 St. John iii. 2), and who behold Him "face to face" (1 Corinth, xiii. 12). The danger which some Protestants suppose to exist that any one Christian might, through ignorance, worship the image for the reality, in other words, make an idol of it, is very remote indeed ; for every Christian, even the least educated, knows how to dis- tinguish an image from what it represents. The very word image or likeness itself marks plainly this dis- tinction. If any one, seeing a poor Catholic woman praying before an image or picture of the Blessed Virgin, were to say to her : "The Blessed Virgin is in Heaven and not there, my good woman," she would look at such a person with pity and surprise for thinking it necessary to remind her of that. Josue and the " ancients " did not break the Com- mandment of God when they remained a whole day pro- strate before the Ark of the Covenant and the likenesses of the Cherubim, as stated in the Book of Josue (vii. 6) in these words : "But Josue rent his garments, and fell flat on the ground before the Ark of the Lord until the, evening, both he and all the ancients of Israel, " In the Catholic Catechism of Christian Doctrine (chapter the fourth), learnt amongst the first lessons by every Catholic child in England, is seen the Deca- logue or the Ten Commandments of God, taken from the twentieth chapter of Exodus, but following as to the last two commandments the order of the repetition of REVERENCE TO RELICS. 211 the Law in the fifth chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy (see especially verse 21). The division of the Com- mandments into ten adopted by the Catholic Church is that made by St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, in the fifth century, in his Book of " Questions on Exodus " (Question 17). This is a philosophical arrangement worthy of remark and study, and naturally suggested by the different matter of each part. This division is followed by the Protestants in Germany, and generally, except by the English Protestants. In the same chapter of the Catholic Catechism we are taught the kind of respect and honour we should pay to relics and pictures in answer to the following ques- tions : Question. " S/iould ice give honour to relics, crucifixes, and holy pictures?" Answer. " Yes; ive should give to relics, crucifixes, and holy pictures art. inferior and relative honour, as they relate to Christ and His Saints, and are memorials of them." Ques- tion. " May we not pray to relics or images ? " and the plain answer put in the mouth of the child is : " No, for they can neither see, nor hear, nor help us." As to those who fear lest it be idolatrous to pay honour to relics, I would only refer them to Saint Jerome, who, opposing Yigilantius for pretending that the honour paid by the faithful to relics was idolatrous, argued with him in this way : " Not only do, we not adore the relics of the Martyrs, but we do not even adore the Angels, the Archangels, the Cheru- bim, and Seraphim. Yet we honour the relics of the Martyrs that we may adore Him whose Martyrs they are. We honour the servants, that the honour bestowed on them, may redound to their Master." That God wills we should bestow honour on the relics of His Saints, we gather from the marvellous virtue with which it pleases God sometimes to honour 212 ON THE USB OP THE. LATIN LANGUAGE. their bones and other relics. Thus in the Fourth Book of Kings (2 Kings of the Protestant version) we read : " Some that were burying a man, . . . cast the body into the sepulchre of Eliseus (Elisha). And ivhen it had touched the bones of Eliseus, the man came to life, and stood upon his feet" (xiii. 21). The afflicted woman in the Gospel who, full of faith and humility, trusted for her cure in the touch of the hem of the garment of our Lord (St. Matt. ix. 20), and those who had confidence in the "shadow " of St. Peter to cure their sick (Acts v. 15), and those who confided in the "handkerchiefs" and "aprons" that had touched the body of St. Paul, and brought them to the sick (Acts xix. 12), all these were not disapproved by our Lord nor by the Apostles, but rewarded by God, who, by these humble means, cured them. The many celebrated miracles wrought at the tombs of the Martyrs prove that the honour we pay to them is agreeable to God. (See St. Augustine, Book xxii., City of God, chap, viii.) CHAPTEE XLIY. ON THE USE OF THE LATIN LANGUAGE. The Church is Apostolic. She is the Church of St. Peter and of the other Apostles, and she has guarded with tenderness all the precious memories they have left. When the Apostles parted from each other for their mission to announce to all nations the Gospel of salva- tion, two languages chiefly were spoken and understood by the two great civilised divisions of mankind the Latin Language for the most part in the West and the ON THE USB OF THE LATIN LANGUAGE. 218 Greek in the East. They preached the faith chiefly in Latin and in Greek ; their teachings and their consti- tutions were written in those two rich languages, and the Church has preserved these monuments with a religious veneration. This is one reason why her language is for the most part Latin in the "West, and Greek in the East. Yet this which, in fact, is a testi- mony in favour of her antiquity, is made by some a theme of reproach against her. Providence had already disposed all in advance. Latin and Greek became dead languages, and hence invariable, and wonderfully adapted to formulate (or express with precision) the doctrines of the Church which alters not because she is divine. An interesting calculation made on the changes that have been made in the living languages, shows, that had the Church adopted the various living languages instead of the Latin, she would have been obliged to modify the formula (or essential words) used in the administration of the Sacrament of Baptism a great many times ; otherwise these formulas would not have expressed correctly the idea they should convey. By this we can judge of the many changes which the word- ing of the Creed, and decrees of the early Councils and those of the Popes would undergo, were they not re- corded in an unalterable (or dead) language. Protestants have perhaps reason in preferring the use of spoken modern tongues in their authorised books of religion. Living languages, continually changing, are more suited to convey doctrines which are subject to frequent alteration. But the Catholic Church pre- fers old unchangeable languages because she is herself unchangeable. The Church speaks Latin, not only because she in unchangeable, but also because she is Catholic, or uni- 214 ON THE USE OF THE LATIN LANGUAGE. versal, and lias to address herself to all people iu all times. During the first four centuries of Christianity, Latin was the language of the civilised world, and although then a living language, it had that character of univer- sality which the Church requires. When in course of time the world was divided into many nationalities, the Church still preserved her heautiful primitive language, and thus remained unchanged in her speech as in her essence. Thus the Church speaks Latin because she is Apostolic, Unchanging, and Catholic. St. Paul, it is true, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians (chap, xiv.), directed the Christians to use in their assemblies a language understood by all the faithful present ; but many Protestants draw from this an objection which does not apply to the present question. The Apostle confines himself to the preaching, exhorting, and instructing the assembled faithful, all which, he says, must be done in the vernacular or common language of the people. The word prophecy includes instructions speaking on things divine. The Catholic Church follows this Apostolic command to the letter. Her bishops, priests, missionaries, and catechists always employ in their teaching a language understood by all. They speak when needed in the most obscure and most barbarous dialects, in order that the Word of God preached may reach the understanding of all. The Catholic Church speaks not only the particular distinctive language of each land and tribe when instructing the people, but has also a special Catholic language, that her pastors belonging to every nation may readily communicate with each other, that they may minister together at the altar, and that her laity, ON THE USE OP THE LATIN LANGUAGE. 215 of whatever tongue, may not, when in a foreign land, feel strange in the house of God, but feel at home in any Catholic place of worship, in any part of the world. In this way the Church unites in one universal tongue to implore the mercy and sing the praises of God. This beautiful and sublime harmony of nations in one faith, with one voice, in the one Fold of the one Shepherd, is worthy of the Church of Christ, and of the unity which is her grand characteristic. The Mass is a Sacrifice offered directly to God, and it is not necessary for the people to follow in the Latin the words of the priest. When the Catholic priest stands at the altar, though there may be persons present from every clime, so soon as he pronounces aloud any part of the Service, all understand, and take an intelli- gent part in his ministration; a fact which reminds one of the preaching of the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost, when all from every nation heard St. Peter, each in his own tongue. (Acts ii. 6.) The Church speaks Latin, therefore, not only because she is Apostolic, Unchangeable, and Catholic, but also because she is One. Change of language in the Liturgy would seem to break the link with the past, and raise some suspicion of innovation in what is expressed in the Liturgy ; while the having retained the same ancient language indicates that the Church which continues to use it is the very same as of old, and that she has not changed in any essential matter, having been so careful as not to change even her language, which, compared with doctrine, is of much less importance. It is fairly presumed that the Church which pos- sesses the language of antiquity has antiquity on her side ; that being the inheritor of the language, she is 216 THINGS THAT CATHOLICS DO NOT BELIEVE. also the inheritor of the ancient faith. The fact of her still using the Latin language makes us feel the more sure that the Catholic Church is the one old unchangeable Church of God. CHAPTER XLV. SOME THINGS THAT CATHOLICS DO NOT BELIEVE. "We have already passed in review what seem to be the principal points of Catholic belief, and now, in order to meet the most common of the misapprehensions and misrepresentations on these matters, we will here state, though it may be in part a repetition, some things that Catholics do not believe. 1. They do not believe that there is any other Mediator of Redemption than our SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, " For there is no other name under lieaven given to men, whereby we must be saved" than that of JESUS (Acts of the Apostles, iv. 12) ; and when they call the Blessed Virgin or any other Saint a mediator, it is not in the sense of Mediator of Redemption attributed to our Saviour, but in the sense of intercessor or pleader, in which sense any Christian may be called a mediator, whenever he intercedes, or mediates be- tween God and his fellow-man, as Abraham and Moses and St. Paul did, and thus prays for his neighbour. God himself commanded Eliphaz and his friends to apply to the Patriarch Job that he should pray for them, and God promised to accept his prayers. " Go to my servant Job, and offer for yourselves a holocaust; and my servant Job shall pray for you ; his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you." (Job xlii. 8.) In this sense Moses could also say, " I was the mediator, THINGS THAT CATHOLICS DO NOT BELIEVE. 217 and stood betiveen the Lord and you" (Deuteronomy v. 5.) 2. They do not believe that the Blessed Virgin is in any way equal or even comparable to God, for she, being a creature, although the most highly favoured, is infinitely less than God. Nor do they claim for her any power beyond that which she derives from Him ; for she is entirely dependent on God for her existence, her privileges, her grace, and her glory. The strong, loving expressions used oftentimes by Catholics, which seem to attribute to the Blessed Virgin more than is here stated, are to be understood in the limited sense meant by Catholics themselves, as here explained ; that is, in a way consistent with the Catholic teaching and spirit, and not in the unlimited, un-Catholic sense which persons not understanding that teaching may be led to apply to them. These tender expressions, I say, ought not to be judged of by cold or hostile criticism, for they spring from fer- vent heart-felt devotion and unmeasured love. If it were permitted to take offence at expressions which are only true in a limited sense, surely from those words of Scripture : " I have said, you are gods" (Psalm Ixxxi. 6), one might argue that Holy Scripture holds certain men to be really gods. From those words of the Gospel : " If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, he cannot be my disciple" (St. Luke xiv. 26), one might pretend that Christ encourages the hating of parents and other relatives. That direction of our Lord : " // thy right hand scandalise thee, cut it of" (St. Matt. v. 30), might be taken to justify self-mutilation. And from the words : "How knowest thou, man, whether thou shalt save thy wife ;" (1 Corinth, vii. 16), some might argue 19 2l8 THINGS THAT CATHOLICS DO NOT BELIEVE. that according to Scripture a man can be the saviour of his wife. If, therefore, even in the interpretation of Holy Scripture, it would be a wrong principle to take in the full extent expressions that were meant to be under- stood in a qualified sense only ; so still more unjust it would be to apply this wrong principle to expressions found in books of devotion or in religious poetical compositions,! in which a certain latitude to the ex- pansion of a warm heart is allowed. It is a common practice among men to use expres- sions which are true only in a secondary and limited sense. For instance, a great poet or artist is spoken of as "divine" mothers often call their children their little "angels" "kings" and "queens" and are said to " adore " or " idolise " them, and no one thinks of blaming such tender exaggerated expressions of heart- felt love. In like manner the title of " Worshipful " is given to every Guild or ancient company of the City of London, to Mayors and Magistrates, and Justices of the Peace. Thus again, in the Marriage-Service in the Book of Common Prayer of the Established Church of England, the bridegroom has to say to the bride : " With my body I thee worship" No one should take offence at these expressions; indeed, it would seem captious to do so ; more especi- ally when the speaker declares his meaning. 3. Catholics do not believe that there is any authority upon earth or in heaven that can give leave to commit any sin, even the least ; or that a sin can be forgiven for money ; or that a Priest can give valid absolution to a sinner who does not repent and truly purpose to forsake sin and amend his life. 4. They do not believe that a man can by his own good works, independently of the Merits and Passion of THINGS THAT CATHOLICS DO NOT BELIEVE. 219 Jesus Christ and of His grace, obtain salvation, or make any satisfaction for the guilt of his sins, or acquire any merit. 5. They do not believe that it is allowable to break a lawful oath, or tell a lie, or to do any other wicked thing whatever for the sake of promoting the supposed interest of the Church, or for any good, however great, likely to arise from it. The false and hateful principle, that the end justifies tht means, or that we may do evil that good may come, is utterly condemned by the Catholic Church. 6. They do not believe that it is in the power of the Church to add to the truths contained in the " deposit of faith" that is, to frame or enforce any doctrine which has not for its source the written or unwritten word of God, or authority from the same. Nor do they believe, when the Church makes a definition in matters of faith, that this definition or article of faith is a new doctrine, but only a solemn declaration and a clearer statement of what was believed, at least implicitly (that is, in an im- plied way, or inferentially), in the time of the Apostles, though some private persons might have doubted of it. 7. Catholics do not believe that Protestants who are baptized, who lead a good life, love God and their neighbour, and are blamelessly ignorant of the just claims of the Catholic Religion to be the only one true Religion (which is called being in good faith), are excluded from Heaven, provided they believe that there is one God in three Divine Persons ; * that God will duly reward the good and punish the wicked ; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God made man ; who * A believer in one God who, without any fault on his part, does not know and believe that in God there are three divine Persons, is, notwithstanding, in a state of salvation, according to the opinion of most Catholic theologians. 220 THINGS THAT CATHOLICS DO NOT BELIEVE. redeemed us, and in whom we must trust for our salvation ; and provided they thoroughly repent of having ever, by their sins, offended God. Catholics hold that such Protestants who have these dispositions, and, moreover, have no suspicion of their religion being false, or have not means to discover, or fail in their honest endeavours to discover, the true Religion, and who are so disposed in their heart that they would at any cost embrace the Koman Catholic Religion if they knew it to be the true one, are Catholics in spirit and in some sense within the Catholic Church, without themselves knowing it. She holds that these Christians belong to, and are united to the " soul," as it is called, of the Catholic Church, although they are not united to the visible body of the Church by external communion with her, and by the outward profession of her faith. Very different is the case of a person who, having the opportunity, neglects to learn from genuine trust- worthy sources what the Catholic Religion is and really teaches, fearing, that were he to become convinced of the truth of the Catholic Faith, he would be compelled by his conscience to forsake his own religion and bear the worldly inconveniences attached to this step. This very fear shows a want of good faith, and that he is not in that insurmountable ignorance which could excuse him in the sight of God, but that he is one of those of whom it is said in Psalm xxxv. 4, " He ivould not understand that he might do well." Fairness, no less than common sense, teaches that a man should study and examine the teaching of the Catholic Church at Catholic sources before condemning her. Surely no man ought to reject Catholic doctrines if he has not made himself well acquainted with them. Nor is it fair to form a judgment from misrepresenta- THINGS THAT CATHOLICS DO NOT BELIEVE. 221 tions made by ill-informed, interested, or prejudiced persons ; but he should rather, by the study of autho- rised Catholic -works, judge of the truth with that calm and unprejudiced mind which the all-important subject of Keligion deserves.* Thus having heard both sides you will be in a state to pass a judgment and not in danger of being guided by prejudice. Our Saviour gave no hope of salvation to the Sama- ritan woman unless she entered the one true Church of that time, saying to her destitute of a sure guide : " You adore tJiat which you know not; we adore that loldch we know; for SALVATION is OF THE JEWS." (St. John iv. 22.) So likewise there is no salvation for any one who, having by God's grace come to the knowledge of the truth, obstinately refuses to join the true Church of God. There was no safety out of the Ark Noe during the deluge, and no one can be saved who is in no sense within the true Church, prefigured by that Ark. Ac- cording to St. Cyprian : No one can have God for his Father who has not the Church for his Mother. If any one could escape the deluge out of the Ark of No'e\ he who is out of the Church may also escape." (Book on the Unity of the Church.) It is hard to understand how a Protestant can daily say in the Apostles' Creed, as many happily do still say : " / believe the Holy Catholic Church," without at least a thought arising in his mind, that perhaps after all the Church which alone is truly Catholic or univer- sal, both in name and in fact, has more claim on his love and obedience than his own denomination, which really is not Catholic. * In No. 23, Part III. of this book, a list of selected Catholic books is given. 222 CONCLUSION. CHAPTER XLVI. CONCLUSION. May the blessing of God accompany the reading of this short exposition of Catholic doctrine and practice ! May honest-hearted Protestants, by the study of these few pages of plain and candid explanation, be helped to form a more correct idea of the real teaching of the Catholic Church, and be better disposed to listen to her claim upon their love and obedience. "The charity of CHRIST presseth us" (2 Corinth. v. 14) to entreat such earnest-minded persons to pray heartily to God for supernatural faith, for light to lead them on to the truth, and for strength to tear them- selves away from all dangerous hindrances and from all attachments to any known sin. If these earnest souls persevere in prayer and in avoiding sin and the occasion of sin, they shall find the truth and the truth shall make them free indeed " For every one that asketh receiveih ; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (St. Matt. vii. 8 ; St. Luke xi. 10.) JESUS said : " Blessed are the dean of heart : for they shall see God." (St. Matt. v. 8.) He also said: " Otter sheep I have, that are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." (St. John x. 16.) If, then, they are constant in prayer, they shall be guided into the one Fold of the Good Shepherd, JESUS CHRIST, our Blessed Lord and Saviour, to whom, with God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. CONCLUSION A PRATBB. 223 A PKAYEK.* For light to find the true Church of Christ, and for grace to submit humbly and heartily to her guid- ance when found. GOD the Father, my Creator ; GOD the Son, my Kedeemer ; GOD the Holy Ghost, iny Sanctifier ; Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy upon me ! O JESUS, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, who didst appoint Thy Apostles to act in Thy stead, with power to teach all revealed truth, and to dispense Thy Sacraments, give me light to know Thy one true Church visible here on earth. Help me, dear Saviour, to submit myself humbly to her guidance, and let me not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Thou who didst heal the sick, heal me. Thou who didst give sight to the blind, grant that I may see. Let me find in Thy Church pardon and salvation, through the merits of Thy most Precious Blood. Help me, a poor sinner, to fellow after Thee, and to press forward to the full enjoyment of Thee for ever in Heaven. Amen. Ejaculations, or little prayers, recommended to be repeated very often, humbly and fervently. JESUS, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like to Thy Heart. * It is strongly recommended to pray a"nd to pray much, as conversion is a matter depending on God's light and grace. How many are thoroughly convinced of the truth of the Roman Catholic Religion, and yet have not the courage to embrace it, because they do not pray, or do not pray properly and enough. See observations of Cardinal Newman on Faith, in Part II. of this book, No. 12. 224 CONCLUSION A PRAYER. Dear JESUS, lead me into Thy one Fold, God of my salvation. God the Holy Spirit, give me light to know, and courage to profess, the true Religion. JESUS, our God : Have mercy on us. Maxim. No security is too great where Eternity is at stake. PART II. PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS TO A PROTESTANT BEFORE AND AFTER BEING RECEIVED INTO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. No. L ANSWERS TO SOME DIFFICULTIES, AND TO SOMB QUES- TIONS THAT A PERSON EARNESTLY SEEKING THE TRUE KELIGION MIGHT WISH TO ASK. Question. May we not consider that all Christian denominations are good for salvation, provided a man lives up to the principles of the religion he professes ? Answer. No; for though under certain conditions, as explained at Chapter XLV., No. 7, some may be saved, who, without any fault of their own, are not outwardly, that is, visibly, united to the Body of the Church, yet it is a great mistake to say that all Christian religions or denominations are good, and leading to salvation. The Church of Jesus Christ, as is explained in Chapter XXV., can be but one, and Jesus Christ has threatened condemnation to any one who refuses to hear t/us one appointed Divine Teacher. (St. Mark xvi. 16.) We are as much bound to submit our intellect to God as we are bound to submit to Him our w ill. But to give credit to opinions taught by persons not sent by God, or by interpreters not authorised by Him, is not submitting our intellect to God. 226 PART II. KO. 1. Again, as the law of God in morals excludes vice, so in intellectual matters it excludes error in faith ("dis- sensions, sects "), and forbids it under pain of exclusion from Heaven. (See Galatians v. 20, 21.) God, who is essential truth, can only command true faith, that is believing what is true ; therefore, every one is bound to look for the true faith. To suppose that God is indifferent as to whether we have the truth or the contradiction of it, which is error, whether we commit ourselves to the Guide appointed by Him, or rebel against that Guide, and commit ourselves to unauthorised teachers, would be to bring to naught the object of revelation, to nullify the office of the Church, to contradict the declaration of Christ, and, if done wilfully, to offer an insult against the God of holiness, charity, and truth. Question. I can scarcely suppose that God requires of me to give up the religion of my fathers, in which I was born and brought up, for another religion, in which it may be difficult for me to feel at home. Does God require of me such a sacrifice as the ruin of my prospects, the loss of property, the opposition of parents and friends, who will, in all likelihood, resent such a step and forsake me, leaving me an outcast of society, and an object of pity and suspicion ? Answer. This must naturally be a painful thought, but instead of regarding this step as abandoning the religion of your fathers, you should consider it, as it really is, a coming back to the old religion and faith of your forefathers, of which faith you and your parents have unconsciously been deprived ; for it is a well-known historical fact that down to the time of the so-called Reformation in the sixteenth century, almost without exception all Christian people in Eng- land were Catholics, and that the people in England ANSWERS TO SOME DIFFICULTIES. 22? have been forced into Protestantism by the banishment of all Catholic Bishops and Priests, and by stringent penal laws against any one who was absent from Protestant service, or who attended Catholic worship. If Protestantism had been introduced in a fair way (as by persuasion), Protestants would have built Churches for themselves, leaving the Catholic churches in possession of their rightful owners. The simple fact that all Catholic cathedrals, churches, colleges, and other Catholic public edifices in England, have been taken away from Catholics by Protestants, and not one of them left in their hands, is a sign that Protestantism was introduced into this country in a violent way.* Were the hardships entailed on a Protestant for embracing the true religion even greater in number and more severe than they really are, they ought not to be considered great when compared with the gain : and one ought to be ready to undergo them with a generous heart, out of a sense of duty to God, and in view of one's eternal interest. The sacrifice of any temporal advantage is never too great to secure everlasting salvation. No earthly ad- vantage, which is but for a time, can make up for tho loss of heaven. Our Lord expressed this truth in those searching and solemn words : " What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and su/er the loss of his oivn soul ? " (St. Matt. xvi. 26.) The example of so many millions of martyrs who died for the faith ought to stir up our courage and devotion. Our Lord says: "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me ; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. * See Part III., No. 10, of this book. 228 PART II. NO. 1. And he that taketh not up his cross, and folloiveth me, w not worthy of me." (St. Matt. x. 37, 38.) "So likewise every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple." (St. Luke xiv. 33.) " for he who shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of man shall be ashamed when he shall come in his majesty, and that of his Father, and of the holy angels" (St. Luke ix. 26.) " Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth ; I came not to send peace, but, the sword." (St. Matt. x. 34.) From all this it is plain that our Lord Jesus Christ expects some sacrifice from us. We ought, therefore, not to be backward in making them for the love of Him who sacrificed Himself unsparingly for the love of us. We ought to be glad to have an opportunity of doing so : and our Lord will not be sparing in His rewards. (See St. Matt. xix. 29.) Some are naturally much affected by the thought of having to leave the religion in which they were born and educated, and in which they passed so great a part of their life. But surely this is to allow oneself to be guided by feeling rather than by duty, conscience, and reason. If this were a good motive, all those who have the misfortune of being brought up in heresy would be justified in remaining in it. To have been born and bred in a certain religion is not a sound reason for re- taining it, when you come to see clearly that it is not true. You will be answerable to God for obstinately continuing to profess a religion which, by God's grace, you have seen to be false, and for obstinately refusing to embrace that religion which, by God's grace, you feel convinced is the true religion founded by Jesus Christ. The thought of changing your long-cherished religious profession disturbs and alarms you. You should ob- ANSWERS TO SOME DIFFICULTIES. 229 serve, however, that though, on the one hand, you are required to give up all that is false in the religious belief you have professed until now, you will happily retain everything good and true that you possessed as a Protestant, to which you have only to add those neces- sary points of belief in which you are deficient Whatever truth and whatever good there is in the religious belief you have hitherto professed, you will find, in all their genuine simplicity and fulness, in the Catholic Church. Instead of having less affection for your parents and friends, your love for them will be deepened, and your sympathy ennobled and enlarged, your love for Jesus Christ intensified, your respect for the Word of God more consistent and more true. If what keeps you back were fear of not being able to surmount certain difficulties, you should consider that as it is a strict duty on your part to embrace the true religion, God will not fail to give you the necessary strength to that end. To doubt this and to distrust God's assistance would be more unreasonable, more offensive to God, and more fatal to yourself, than the distrust shown by the Israelites in the desert, of being able to overcome the obstacles which opposed their taking possession of the promised land. (See Book of lumbers, chapters xiii. and xiv.) Question. If a person believes all that the Catholic Church teaches, and frequents Catholic services and fulfils other Catholic duties, is he not then a Catholic, without any need of a formal reception by a Catholic Priest ? Answer. No adult baptized Protestant is con- sidered to be a convert to the Catholic Church until he is received into the Church according to the prescribed rite. No other way of admitting any non-Catholic Christian as a member of the Catholic Church was ever 230 PART II. NO. 1. known but that of absolving him with an external rite from ecclesiastical censures (that is, certain spiritual disadvantages and penalties) resting on him, and of admitting him into the Church. This rite is performed only by a Catholic Priest in the name of the Church.* A foreigner or alien is not considered to be a subject of the British Empire unless he has undergone the for- malities of naturalisation making him a British subject ; and a Christian estranged from the Church of God is not, as a rule, reckoned as belonging to the Church the kingdom of God on earth unless he is duly ab- solved and received. One must be within the Ark to be safe from the deluge ; one must be within the walls of the city to be safe from the enemy. The Church is that Ark, that City. St. Jerome says : " Whoever is not in the Ark of NOG will perish by the deluge." (Epistle to Pope Damasus.) And in a passage of Isaias which refers to the Church it is said: "SALVATION shall possess THY WALLS." (Ix. 18.) Question. Nicodemus was a disciple of Christ, though secretly ; cannot I in like manner be a Catholic in heart and in secret? Answer. Nicodemus was a disciple of Jesus Christ in secret ; but he presented himself to our Lord. Begin therefore by presenting yourself to the Catholic Priest, to be instructed and received into the Church. After being received into the Church privately, if weighty reasons in the judgment of your spiritual director justify it, such as loss of home, or property, or employ- ment, and so long as those weighty reasons last, you need not make your Catholicity public, but may attend to your Catholic duties privately. Circumstances, how- ever, may occur in which either plain duty or the sacred- * See Conversion of Victorinus, Part II., No. 3, of this book. ANSWERS TO SOME DIFFICULTIES. 231 ness of truth, or the honour of God, or the edification of neighbours may require of you " to contend earnestly for the faith" (St. Jude 3); imitating Nicodemus him- self, who when required boldly came forward and attended to the burial of Christ ; for in such cases, as St. Paul warns us, " with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans x. 10.) Question. What should a person do who is con- vinced of the truth of the greater part of Catholic teaching, but who is not quite satisfied about some points ? Answer. Humbly beg God's aid and blessing; apply with confidence to a Catholic Priest ; state your difficulties to him, and ponder well before God upon his explanations and advice. As a father, he will be sure to receive you kindly, whoever you are, and will patiently hear what are your difficulties. He will gladly remove from your mind any mistaken notion about the Catholic faith, and, it may be, he will be able to remove your difficulties. It is very important that you should hear for your- self an answer to your religious difficulties from one who, by study, training, and in virtue of his office, is fitted to deal with such matters ; for it often happens that the particular objections you may have on your mind are not answered, or, perhaps, even so much as mentioned, in ordinary books of Catholic instruction. Go then to him at once, as you value your immortal soul ; for you may never be able by yourself to over- come your difficulties ; and by delaying you may lose, through a mere crotchet perhaps, after all, the priceless joy and peace of living and dying in the embrace of your true Mother the Holy Catholic Church, the Church founded and ever protected by Jesus Christ. Qiiestion. What steps should be taken by any one 232 PART II. NO. 1. who, after having thought on the matter well and prayed earnestly, has decided to become a Catholic ? Answer. You must apply to a Catholic Priest, who will judge of your dispositions and of your knowledge of the Catholic Faith. He will give you further in- struction if needed, and explain your duties, and how you have to act after your reception into the Church. When he is satisfied that you are properly prepared, he will appoint the time for your being received. Question. What is the usual practice for the recep- tion of a convert into the Catholic Church ? Answer. On coming to be received, if it is certain that you have never been baptized, you will receive the sacrament of Baptism, and that is a full reception into the Church without any other form. In such case, it may be useful to make a confession of your past sins ; but you are not bound to do it, because Holy Baptism remits not only original sin, but also all actual sins. For a convert who presumably has been baptized when a Protestant, though not quite certain that he has been baptized well, coming to be received into the Church, the practice is 1st, You go to the altar or to the sacristy, or other place convenient for your reception.* * It has been the practice until of late to hear a preparatory confession from a Protestant before being received into the Church ; which confession was completed and followed by Sacramental absolution after the conditional Baptism had been administered. This practice, I am authorised to state, is now, as a rule, discontinued ; for, by an instruction of the Holy See, which is printed in the Appendix to the 4th Provincial Council of Westminster (Chapter xviii.), it is required : (1) That those persons who, on being converted to the Catholic Faith in Eng- land, are conditionally baptized, shall also make a full sacra- mental confession of the sins of their past life ; and (2) that this confession with conditional absolution, shall follow the condi- tional Baptism. I said, as a rule, because if a convert, of his ANSWERS TO SOME DIFFICULTIE& 233 2nd, The Priest who is with you says certain prayers appointed by the Church ; you, in the meantime, kneel down and pray silently. 3rd, You will then read, or repeat aloud, after the Priest, the Profession of Faith, namely, that Summary of Catholic belief known as the Creed of Pope Pius IV., or some other authorised form, as that approved by the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office (See Part II., No. 2. 2nd Form of Profession of Faith.) 4th, After this, the prayer called the General Con- fession or "Confiteor"* is said by yourself or by the Priest, if no one else is there to say it for you. He will then release you from the ban and censures of the Church, under which, as a Protestant (by misfortune, probabty, rather than by fault), you have hitherto been, and he will so receive you into the Fold of the Church. If you do not yourself say the " Confiteor," you will do well to repeat in a low voice with sorrow of heart those words of the Penitent in the Gospel : " God, be merciful to me a sinner." (St. Luke xviii. 13.) 5th, The Priest will then administer to you Baptism under condition (sub conditione), by pouring a little water thrice on your head or forehead, whilst he ad- dresses you by your Christian name, and pronounces these words : " [Christian name] If tkou art not already baptized, I baptize thee in the name of the father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." t It should here be noticed that the conditional words, own accord, wishes to open his mind and tell his sins before- hand to the Priest, completing his confession, and receiving absolution after having received conditional Baptism, there ia nothing to prevent it. * The Gonftteor will be found six pages hence. t The Latin form used by the Priest is : " N. N". si non es laptizatus ego te baptizo in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritua Sancti. Amen." 234 PART II. NO. 1. " If thou art not already baptized," makes this act to be no baptism at all if the first baptism was valid. In this way the danger and even the possibility of ad- ministering a second baptism is effectually avoided. Conditional Baptism is, as a rule, administered for safety's sake to all converts from Protestantism, on their reception into the Church, from the fear that, as sometimes has been the case, what they received before as baptism was not really Baptism, either for want of intention, or on account of some defect in the element used, or in the words uttered, or on account of some serious fault in the administration ; and to obtain full information about every case is almost an impossibility.* It is to be remarked, therefore, that only when there has previously been really no baptism does this baptism " under condition " take effect ; for holy baptism is a Sacrament that can be received only once. In Baptism under condition the ceremonies prescribed for baptism are not required, nor are Sponsors needed. 6th, After the baptism under condition the Priest recites the ancient hymn of the Church, beginning : " Te Deum laudamus" "We praise thee, God." (See Part II, No. 11.) 7th, Being now baptized and received into the Church, you will go and kneel in the Confessional or other appointed place in the Church to make your confession and to receive from the Priest the Sacra- mental absolution, t While receiving absolution, you * Though a Priest is not bound under the said circumstances to make investigation about the validity of the Baptism of each convert, yet if, in some particular case, the Priest happens to be thoroughly convinced that a person has been validly baptized, the Baptism under condition is omitted according to directions from Rome. t Directions how to approach the Sacrament of Penance will be found in Part II., No. 16, of this book. ANSWERS TO SOME DIFFICULTIES. 235 must renew your sorrow and your hatred of sin, and your resolution to amend, making a sincere Act of Con- trition. (See Part II., No. 13, and middle of No. 16.) As some converts feel a great deal of needless alarm and anxiety about confession, it may be well here to remark 1st, That we are bound to confess only mortal sins (that is, grievous sins which " kill the soul," by de- priving it of the grace of God) (see Chapter XIV.), which after self-examination can be called to mind. Our venial sins (that is, lesser faults, which, " though they offend God, do not kill the soul "), we are not bound to confess, although it is recommended to do so. Holy Communion, an Act of contrition, or a fervent Act of the love of God, suffices through the merits of Christ, without sacramental confession, to cleanse the soul from the stain of venial sin. 2nd, That it is not required of us to mention each sin of the same sort or kind in detail, but the sins of one kind may be all mentioned together : for example, the penitent confessing may say : ' I accuse myself of having been guilty of grievous disobedience to my father or mother, or of having given way to great spiteful anger, about so many times,' stating, according to the best of his belief, after careful examination, the number ; and thus also of other mortal sins. A circum- stance which may cause a venial sin to become mortal, or a sin of one kind to become further a sin of another kind, must also be declared. 3rd, That if we are not able to remember the exact number of our sins, it is enough to state the probable number to the best of our recollection and judgment, saying : I have committed that sin, about so many times a day, a week, or a month. In fact, we are bound to reveal our conscience to the Priest as we 236 PART II. NO. 1. know it ourselves, there and then stating the things certain as certain, those doubtful as doubtful, and the probable number as probable ; for God does not require impossibilities, but only what we can offer, namely, sincerity and ordinary diligence. Confession fairly explained, and rightly understood, is^not so difficult as some imagine it to be. 'Confession is the healing medicine of the soul, and we must not wonder that, in the Providence of God, it is somewhat bitter ; yet we ought to be ready to use it for our soul's health, as we take a medicine for th'3 good of the body, however distasteful that medicine may be. If prisoners condemned to death were offered release on condition that they would make confession of their misdeeds, in secret, to one of the Judges, who would be bound, in honour only, never to reveal a word of what they had confessed, surely they would thankfully avail themselves of the offer, and would easily overcome their natural dislike to self-accusation in order to pur- chase life and liberty. So a Christian ought not to consider it too hard a condition of forgiveness to have to confess to any Priest he may choose, who has the authority, called " faculty," from his Bishop to hear confessions, and who is most solemnly bound, not only in honour, but in conscience, by the law of God, and by the positive law of the Church, to the most sacred and inviolable secrecy with regard to what he hears in sacramental confession. The penitent sinner will not think it too hard to make confession of his sins if he only considers the punishment his sins have deserved, the sufferings which our Saviour underwent for his sins, the forgiveness he receives, his rescue from the slavery of Satan, and his restoration to the friendship of God, and what a great folly it is for the sake of ANSWERS TO SOME DIFFICULTIES. 237 sparing to himself a little shame here in confessing his sins to expose himself to eternal shame hereafter. Jesus Christ shed His Precious Blood to the last drop, in the midst of the most cruel torments on the Cross, to provide for us sinners an overflowing fountain of salvation in the Sacrament of Penance, the Sacra- ment of reconciliation. To refuse to make use of this life-giving Sacrament, on the plea that to confess to a Priest is disagreeable to nature, is unworthy of a Christian. Let me add, that confession is not after all so hard in practice as some not accustomed to it may imagine. With God's grace and the assistance of your confessor, added to your own good dispositions, confession be- comes surprisingly easy and consoling. How many converts there are who though in alarm before making their confession have afterwards ex- claimed : " And is that all ? Had I only known how easy it was, I would not have endured upon my con- science the burden of sin so long, and put off my re- ception into the Catholic Church. Thank God ! now 1 feel an unspeakable peace." Oh ! that many, many more would thus readily ob- tain peace and happiness ! Why are there persons who endanger their salvation by choosing to remain in a state of uncertainty in matters necessary to be believed, having all the while their conscience burdened with sin and misery ? Cardinal Newman feelingly observes on this point : "How many are the souls in distress, anxiety, or loneliness, whose one need is to find a being to whom they can pour out their feelings unheard by the world ! Tell them out they must ; they cannot tell them out to those whom they see every hour. They want to tell them and not to tell them ; and they want to tell them 238 PART II. NO. 1. out, yet be as if they be not told ; they wish to tell them to one who is strong enough to bear them, yet not too strong to despise them ; they wish to tell them to one who can at once advise and can sympathise with them ; they wish to relieve themselves of a load, to gain a solace, to receive the assurance that there is one who thinks of them, and one to whom in thought they can recur, to whom they can betake themselves, if necessary, from time to time, while they are in the world. How many a Protestant's heart would leap at the news of such a benefit, putting aside all distinct ideas of a sacramental ordinance, or of a grant of pardon and the conveyance of grace ! If there is a heavenly idea in the Catholic Church, looking at it simply as an idea, surely, next after the Blessed Sacrament, Con- fession is such. And such is it ever found in fact the very act of kneeling, the low and contrite voice, the sign of the Cross hanging, so to say, over the head bowed low, and the words of peace and blessing. Oh, what a soothing charm is there, which the world can neither give nor take away ! Oh ! what piercing, heart- subduing tranquillity, provoking tears of joy, is poured almost substantially and physically upon the soul, the oil of gladness, as Scripture calls it, when the penitent at length rises, his God reconciled to him, his sins rolled away for ever ! This is Confession as it is in fact." (Present Position of Catholics, p. 351.) Oh ! if they only would, how many might joyfully exclaim, with the Royal Psalmist : " Our soul hath been delivered, as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers ; the snare is broken, and we are delivered " (Psalm cxxiii. 8) ; and why will they not ? O "taste and see that the Lord is sweet; blessed is the man that hopelh in him," (Psalm xxxiii. 9.) THE APOSTLES' CREED. 239 THE "CONFITEOR" OR CONFESSION. "ConfiteorDEO omnipotent!, bedtae Mariae semper Virgin!, bcato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Joanni Baptistae, sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo, omni- bus sanctis, et tibi, Pater, quia peccavinimis cogitatione, verbo et opere, me culpH, me& culp&, culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, bea- tum Joannem Baptistam, sanc- tos Apostolos Petrum et Pau- lum, omnes sanctos, et te Pater, ordre pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum." " I confess to Almighty GOD, to Blessed Mary ever Virgin, to Blessed Michael the Arch- angel, to Blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you, Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most griev- ous fault. [Here strike your breast in sorrow thrice.] Therefore I beseech Blessed Mary ever Virgin, Blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the Saints, and you, Father, to pray to the Lord our GOD for me." No. 2. THE APOSTLES' CREED. Divided into 12 Articles. 1, I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; 2, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord ; 3, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary ; 4, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried ; 5, He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead ; 6, He ascended into Heaven ; sitteth at the right hand of God the father Almighty ; 240 PART II. NO. 2. 7, From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. 8, I believe in the Holy Ghost ; 9, the Holy Catholic Church ; the communion of Saints ; 10, The forgiveness of sins; 11, The resurrection of the body ; 12, and the life everlasting. Amen. CREED OP POPE Pius IV.* I (N", Christian Name), with a firm faith, believe and profess all and every one of those things which are contained in that Creed which the Holy Roman Church maketh use of. Namely : I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God of God : Light of Light : true God of true God; begotten, not made, consub- stantial to the Father ; by % whom all things were made. Who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and ivas made man. He was crucified also for us, under Pontius Pilate, He suffered and was buried, and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father, * This Creed, an extension of the Nicene Creed, was com- posed at the conclusion of the General Council of Trent (capital of the Austrian Tyrol), held from the year of our Lord 1545 to 1563, to meet the errors of the first Protestants, Luther, Calvin, and others, then spreading. A few supplementary words were added by Pope Pius IX., referring to the Supremacy and Infal- libility of the Roman Pontiff. t Of one substance with. t Or through Whom, "per quern." CREED OF POPE PIUS IV. 241 and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead : of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-giver who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who, together with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified ; who spoke by the Prophets. And I believe one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins : and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.* I most steadfastly admit and embrace the Apostolical and Ecclesiastical Traditions, f and all other observances and constitutions of the same Church. I also admit the Holy Scriptures, according to that sense which our holy Mother the Church has held, and does hold, to which it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Scriptures : { neither will I ever take and interpret them otherwise than according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers. * So far, this is, word for word, the Nicene Creed, which was mainly composed by the Council of Nicaea, held in the year of our Lord 325, against the Arians, who denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ. t That is, I admit as points of revealed truth what the Church declares that the Apostles have taught as such, whether clearly or not clearly expressed or not even mentioned in the Written Word of God : as, for instance, that Baptism is to be conferred on infants, that Sunday instead of Saturday (called the Sabbath) is to be kept holy : and moreover, I admit these points of dis- cipline which the Church holds as established by the Apostles, or by their Successors as lawful rulers of the Church in the early centuried of Christianity, such as points of Liturgy or of Church Government. J This means : I will not take the Holy Scripture in a wrong sense ; as would be the case if one were to interpret a passage of Scripture in a sense opposed to that defined by the Church. (See Chapter VIII.) This regards points of faith or morals not yet defined by 21 242 PART II. NO. 2. I also profess that there are truly and properly seven Sacraments of the New Law, instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and necessary for the salvation of mankind, although not all of them necessary for every one. Namely, Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Pen- ance, Extreme Unction, Order, and Matrimony ; and that they confer grace; and that of these, Baptism, Confirmation, and Order, cannot be repeated without the sin of sacrilege. I also receive and admit the received and approved ceremonies of the Catholic Church used in the solemn administration of the afore- said Sacraments. I embrace and receive all and every one of the things which have been defined and declared in the holy Council of Trent, concerning original sin and justifi- cation. I profess likewise, that in the Mass there is offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead. And that in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, there is truly, really, and substantially the Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that there is made a conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood; which conversion the Catholic Church calls Transubstantiation. I also confess that, the Church; and it means that when it is known that the "Fathers (venerated Christian writers of ancient times) agree in the interpretation of any passage of Scripture on matters of faith or of morals, it would be rash and wrong to disregard their interpretation ; as in such cases their testimony represents the faith of the Church. It does not, however, imply that an obligation rests on a private person to consult the Fathers when reading Holy Scripture for his own edification and instruction. To put such an interpretation on this passage would be mere cavilling. ORBED OF POPE PIUS IV. 243 under either kind alone, Christ is received whole and entire, and a true Sacrament. I steadfastly hold that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls therein detained are helped by the suffrages * of the faithful. Likewise that the Saints reigning together with Christ are to be honoured and invocated, and that they offer prayers to God for us, and that their relics are to be held in veneration, t I most firmly assert that the images J of Christ, of the fMother of God, ever Virgin, and also of other Saints, ought to be had and retained, and that due honour and veneration are to be given them. I also affirm that the power of granting Indulgences was left by Christ in the Church, and that the use of them is most wholesome to Christian people. (See Chapter XXXVII.) I acknowledge the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman Church for the mother and mistress of all Churches, and I promise true obedience to the Bishop of Kome, Successor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ. (See Chapter XXVII. on the Supremacy of the Bishop of Eome.) I likewise undoubtingly receive and profess all other things which the Sacred Canons and General Councils, * That is, spiritual helps, such as pious works or prayers. + This article does not enjoin as a command the pious invoking of the Saints and the honouring of their relics, as this, except in the public services of the Church, is left by the Church to the discretion and devotion of each individual ; but it intends to condemn the error of those who reject altogether as wrong the invocation of Saints and the honour paid to them and their relics. + Or pious memorials. In this passage also there is no command implied to keep holy images for private devotion, but it binds us to admit the prin- ciple of the lawfulness of the practice, and that it is right and good to use them. 244 PART II. NO. 2. and particularly the holy Council of Trent and the (Ecumenical Vatican Council, have delivered, defined, and declared, and in particular, about the supremacy and infallible teaching of the Roman Pontiff.* And I condemn, reject, and anathematise all things contrary thereto, and all heresies which the Church has con- demned, rejected, and anathematised. I (Christian Name), do at this present freely profess and sincerely hold this true Catholic Faith, out of which f no one can be saved. J And I promise most constantly to retain and confess the same entire and unstained, with God's assistance, to the end of my life. * " Et ab (Ecumenico Concilio Vaticano tradita prsesertim de Roman! Pontificis Primatu et infallibili magisterio." t (Extra quam). J This expression should not appear too strong, as it is only a repetition of what Christ said : " But he that believeth not, shall be condemned." (St. Mark xvi. 16.) This condemnation is not intended to apply to the earnest Christian who has not the means of knowing the Catholic Faith, for he thus belongs in some sense to the Catholic Church, being excused, on account of involun- tary or invincible ignorance. This remark applies also to those who are altogether out of the light of the faith, but who follow with fidelity the light of the natural law they possess written in their hearts. (See Chapter XLV., Some things that Catholics do not believe, No. 7.) This condemns the opinion of some, that for salvation it is enough to believe the Catholic faith only inwardly ; for, not professing habitually the Religion of Christ is equivalent to being ashamed of Christ ; and regarding those who are ashamed of Him, Christ declared He would be ashamed of them when He shall come in the glory of his Father. (St. Mark viii. 38, and St. Luke ix. 26.) St. Paul declares, "with the heart we believe unto justice, tut with the mouth confession is made unto salva- tion." (Romans x. 10.) From the moment that one is con- vinced that the Catholic faith is the true faith, and the Catholic Church the true Church of Christ, it is his duty to become a member of it, and be added to it also exteriorly by an outward reception ; as otherwise he would belong neither implicitly nor A SHORTER FORM OF PROFESSION OF FAITH. 245 A SHORTER FORM OF PROFESSION OF FAITH.* I (name), son, (or daughter) of (name and surname of the father), born in (place of birth and tvhether married or single), kneeling before you Rev. Fa- ther duly authorised by the Bishop of (Bishopric), having before my eyes the holy Gos- pels, which I touch with my hand, and knowing that no one can be saved without that faith which the Holy Catholic Apos- tolic Roman Church holds, be- lieves, and teaches, against which I grieve that I have greatly erred, inasmuch as I have held and believed doc- trines opposed to her teaching : I now, enlightened by divine grace to see my past errors, profess that I believe the Holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church to be the only and true Church established on earth by Jesus Christ, to which I submit myself with my whole heart. I believe all the articles that she proposes to my be- lief, and I reject all the articles that she rejects and condemns, and I am ready to observe all that she commands me. And especially, I profess that I believe : One only God in three Divine Persons, distinct from, and equal to, each other that is to say, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; The Catholic doctrine of the Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and the personal union of the two Natures, the divine and the human ; the divine Maternity of the most holy Mary, together with her Immaculate Conception and most spotless Virginity ; The true, real, and substan- explicitly to it, that is, neither to the Soul nor to the Body of the Church. Not to the Soul, because that is the privilege only of a person in good faith, as explained in Chapter XLV. No. 7. Not to the Body, because, as we suppose, he refuses to join it outwardly in the manner appointed by the Church. Thus it was not enough for St. Paul or for Cornelius the Centurion, to believe inwardly, though enlightened by a supernatural light, but the former had, by God's direction,' to apply for that purpose to the priest Ananias, and Cornelius to St. Peter. (See example of Victorinus, Part II., No. 3.) * I am authorised by His Lordship the Bishop of Calcodonla General Commissary of tho Holy Office, Monsignor Vincent Leo Sallua to state that this form of Profession of Faith is authorised by tho Holy See for the whole of Christendom, and that it is the form constantly used in Rome for tho reception of Protestants and Schismatics into the Catholic Church. 246 PART II. NO. 2. tial presence of the Body and ditions, and of the Holy Scrip- Blood, together with the Soul tures, which we must interpret, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus and understand only in the Christ, in the most holy Sacra- sense which our holy mother ment of the Eucharist ; the Catholic Church has held, The seven Sacraments in- and does hold ; stituted by Jesus Christ for the And everything else that has salvation of mankind ; that is been defined and declared by to say, Baptism, Confirmation, the Sacred Canons, and by the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme General Councils, especially by Unction, Orders, Matrimony ; the Holy Council of Trent ; and Purgatory, the Resurrection by the (Ecumenical Vatican of the dead, Everlasting life ; Council. The Primacy, not only of With a sincere heart, there- honour, but also of jurisdiction, fore, and with unfeigned belief, of the Roman Pontiff, successor I detest and abjure every error, of St. Peter Prince of the Apos- heresy, and sect opposed to the ties, Vicar of Jesus Christ; said Holy Catholic and Apos- The veneration of the Saints, tolic Roman Chsrch. So help and of their images ; me God, and these His holy The authority of the Apos- Gospels, which I touch with tolic and Ecclesiastical Tra- my hand. MODE OF RECEPTION. The Priest authorised by the Bishop sits on a chair, and the person to be received kneels before him and reads the above Pro- fession of Faith, touching with his right hand the Gospel. Then the psalm, Miserere, or De profundis, is recited, ended with Gloria Patri. After this the Priest rises and says : Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison, Pater noster. V. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem. R. Sed libera nos a malo. V. Salvum fac famulum tuuin (vel famulam tuam) Domine. R. Deus meus sperantem in Te. V. Domine exaudi orationem meam. R. Et clamor meus ad Te veniat. V. Dominus Vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo. OREMUS. Deus cui proprium est misereri et parcere, Te supplices depre- camur, ut hunc famulum tuum (vel famulam tuam), quern excommunicationis catena coustringit miseratio tuse pietatis clementer absolvat. Per Christum, etc. (Hire the Priest sits and says) CONVERSION OF VICTORINUS. 247 Auctoritate Apostolica qua fungor in hac parte absolvo te a vinculo Excommunicationis quam incurristi, et restituo te sacro- sanctis Ecclesiae Sacramentis, Communion! et unitati fidelium in Nomine, Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen, i i (The Priest enjoint a salutary penance consisting of a prayer, or visit to a Church, or similar. Then the Baptism under condition is administered when needful to do so.) A VERT SHORT FORM OF PROFESSION OF FAITH, TO BE USED ONLY IN CASES OF VERY GRAVE AND URGENT NECESSITY. Theologians teach that in case of an urgent necessity, as of grave illness, a short, comprehensive form may be used. I propose the following as an example : I (Christian Name), do sincerely and solemnly de- clare that, having been brought up in the Protestant Religion (or other Religion as the case may be), but now, by the grace of God, having been brought to the knowledge of the Truth, I firmly believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic and Roman Church believes and teaches, and I reject and condemn whatever she rejects and condemns. No. 3. CONVERSION OF VICTORINUS.* To encourage timid souls to apply at once to a Catholic Priest for instruction when the truth of the * His full name was FABIUS MABIUS VICTORINUS. He was of " Consular Dignity," and is supposed to have been one of the teachers of St. Jerome. He flourished in the time of the Emperor Constantius, son of Constantino the Great, about A.D. 352. St. Jerome (De Scriptoribus Eccl. cap. 101) gives this short notice : " Victorinus, of African origin, taught Rhetoric under Con- stantius, and, when already much advanced in years, he em- braced the faith of Jenu Chritt. He wrote some books against Arius . . . and commentaries upon the Apostle St. Paul" 248 PART II. NO. 3. Catholic Religion comes home to their minds, and not to allow themselves to he kept hack by human respect from frankly applying to he received into the Church when thoroughly convinced of the truth of her Divine claim to their obedience, I might here mention many illustrious examples of our own time of conversion to the Catholic Faith in England. Foremost among these would stand the honoured names of Henry Edward Manning (now Cardinal Arch- bishop of Westminster), of John Henry Newman (now Cardinal), of Father Frederick Faber, of Akers, Allies, Anderdon, Ashburnham, Aspinall, Badeley, Bag- shawe, Ballard, Bampfield, Barff, Belaney, Bellasis, Beste, Bethell, Blair, Bowden, Bowyer, Britten, Brownlow, Buchan, Buckler, Bury, Bute, Campbell, Caswall, Christie, Clarke, Glutton, Coffin, Coleridge, Dalgairns, Denbigh, Digby, Douglas, Dunraven, Emly, Fincham, Formby, French, Lane-Fox, Galton, Gains- borough, Garside, Goldsmid, Gordon, Grindle, Harper, Hibbert, Humphrey, Hutchison, Hutton, Jerrard, Kenyon, Keogh, Kerr, Knox, Laing, Towry-Law, Leigh, Leslie, Lindsay, De Lisle, Lockhart, Louth, Lucas, Luck, Macmullen, Manners, Marshall, Maskell, Maude, Maxwell / : Mayo, Mivart, Molesworth, Montagu, Monteith, Morell, Morris, Scott-Murray, North, North- cote, Oakeley, Paley, Palmer, Patmore, Patterson, Phillips, Pollan, Procter, Wegg-Prosser, Pye, Welby- Pugin, Ranken, Rawes, Rhodes, Richardson, Ripon, Robertson, Roscommon, Rowe, Watts-Russell, Ryder, St. John, Hope-Scott, Seager, Orby-Shipley, Spencer, Stanton, Stokes, Talbot, Healy-Thompson, Thynne, Todd, Turnbull, Urquhart, De Vere, Ward, Wenham, Wilberforce (three brothers), Winchester, Woodward, Warmoll, and others ; and of noble women not a few ; best known to God and to the poor, but some whose CONVERSION OF VIOTORINUS. 249 names cannot be unknown to many an English poor Mission, as Argyll, Atchison, Athole, Buccleuch, Chis- holm, Coleridge, Fullerton, Gladstone, Hamilton, Hast- ings, Herbert, Holland, Kenmare, Lockhart, London- derry, Lothian, Queensberry, Stanley, Tatton Sykes, Thynne, Waterford, and Wilberforce, who, with many more of either sex, in every condition of life, some highly distinguished in their profession, have shown great moral courage and loftiness of mind, undaunted by the frown of the world, or by any personal or public loss. These all have cheerfully submitted to the Catholic Church, and have humbly sought and found reception into her Fold, in lasting joy and peace. But passing over our own day, I prefer to relate a truthful and affecting history of early Christian times the conversion of Victorinus, a celebrated Orator and Poet of Korue, which occurred in the fourth century. It is recorded by the illustrious African Bishop and Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine, in his deeply in- teresting work called " Confessions" * From this historic account it will be seen that the formal reception by an authorised Priest, now required of a convert on becoming reconciled, and formally ad- mitted a member of the Catholic Church, is not any- thing new, but is a practice which has been the univer- sal custom of the Church from very early times. This narrative by St. Augustine, translated for me by my kind friend, Mr. William Hutchison, from the beautiful Latin (Confessiones, Book VIII. , Chap. 2), is. as follows : "Therefore (0 Lord), I went straightway to the Priest, Simplicianus, who, in the conveying of Thy * St. Augustine wrote his "Confessions'' about the year of Our Lord 400. 250 PART IL NO. 3. grace, was the spiritual father of Ambrose, then Bishop, and whom Ambrose really loved as his father.* " To Simplicianus I disclosed the mazy wanderings of my errors. When, however, I told him that I had read certain books of the Platonic School, which Vic- torinus, formerly Professor of Rhetoric in the city of Home, had translated (from the Greek) into Latin, and who, as I had heard, died a Christian, he rejoiced with me that I had not fallen in with the writings of those other philosophers that are full of fallacies and deceits, according to the prindplss of this world ; \ whereas the Platonic writings tend, in every way, to suggest God and His Divine Word.| "To encourage me, then, in the love of Christ's humility, hid from the wise, and revealed to little ones,% he recalled to mind the same Victorinus, with whom he, when living at Rome, had been most intimately acquainted ; and he took occasion to relate to me an account of his friend that I will not pass over in silence, because it redounds to the great glory of Thy grace, O Lord. " Simplicianus related how this aged and most learned man, thoroughly versed in all the liberal sciences, who had read and judged and explained so many works of the philosophers, who had taught so great a number of noble senators, and who also had merited and gained for himself, in acknowledgment of * St. Augustine calls Simplicianus the spiritual father of St. Ambrose, because it was at the hands of this holy Human Priest that St. Ambrose received the grace of Holy Baptism. Simpli- cianus was sent from Rome by Pope Damasus I. to Milan, to aid St. Ambrose, whom he succeeded in that bishopric. (See St. Augustiae's Retractations, Book II., chap. 1.) t S Oolossiang ii. 8. Logos, Serme, or Verbum. St. Matthew xi. 25. CONVERSION OF VICTORINUS. 251 his remarkable success as a teacher, the rare honour, so highly prized by the citizens of this world, of having his statue set up in the Eonian Forum ; how he, even to that, his old age, had been a worshipper of idols, taking part in those profane rites to which nearly all the nobility as well as the people of Rome at that time were so given up ; for they worshipped all kinds of monstrous divinities, even the barking (dog-headed) Anubis of Egypt ; monsters, who all in former days had, as enemies to the Romans, fought against Neptune, Venus, and Minerva;* so that, indeed, Rome was now supplicating the very demons she had vanquished. " How this aged Victorinus, who, by his thunder- like eloquence, for so many years had been defending these hateful idols, yet now, old as he was, did not blush, God, to become the child of Thy Christ, the new-born babe of Thy Baptismal Font, submitting his neck to the yoke of humility, and his subdued forehead to the reproach of the Cross. " Lord, my Lord, Thou who didst bow the heavens and didst come down, who didst touch the mountains, and they gave forth smoke^ by what winning ways didst Thou make entrance for Thyself into that heart ? " Victorinus, as Simplicianus told me, used to read Holy Scripture, and most diligently examine and most profoundly study all Christian writings ; and one day he said to Simplicianus, not publicly, but in a more confidential and friendly way : ' You must know that now I am a Christian 1 ' To this Simplicianus re- plied : ' I will not believe it, nor shall I account you as a Christian unless I see you among the faithful in the Church of Christ.' * See ^Eneid of Virgil, Book VIII., line 698. t Psalm cxliii. 5. 252 PART II. NO. 3. "Victorinus turning it into jest, with a smile re- plied : ' Do the walls then make people Christians ? ' And often would he say that now he was a Christian, and Simplicianus as often made the same reply as be- fore, to which Victorinus would always return the jest about the walls; for he was afraid of offending his friends, those haughty worshippers of demons, from the lofty height of whose Babylonian dignity, as from the cedars of Libanus * which the Lord had not yet broken in pieces, he feared that a heavy storm of enmity would fall down upon him. " But, after a while, by reading, and by a thirst for truth, he gained inward strength, and feared to be dis- owned by Christ before the holy Angels if he should be afraid to confess Him before men ; and he seemed to himself guilty of a great crime in being ashamed of the mysteries of the humiliation f of Thy eternal Word, and of not having been ashamed of the sacrilegious rites of proud demons, in which, as a haughty wor- shipper, he had taken part. " Emboldened to cast off false shame in quitting vanities, he took shame to himself for not having stood by the truth; so that suddenly and unexpect- edly he said to Simplicianus, who told me so himself : ' Come, let us go to the Church, for a Christian I will be. 3 " Simplicianus, beside himself with joy, at once went with him. When there, after he had received the first instructions in the Christian mysteries, he soon also gave in his name that he might be regenerated in Holy Baptism, to the wonder of Rome and joy of the Church. The proud saw and were angry, they gnashed with tlteir teeth and pined away.% But as for Thy servant, the * Psalm xxviii. 5. t St. Johu i. 14. J Psalm cxi. 9. CONVERSION OF VICTORINUS. 253 Lard God was his hope, and he had not regard to vanities and lying follies* "At last, when the hour came for his making pro- fession of the faith, which, at Rome, it is the custom for those who come to receive Thy grace to pronounce in a set form of words learnt by heart, from a raised place, in the sight of the faithful, Simplicianus told me that ft was proposed by the Priests to Victorinus to make his profession privately, as it was customary to allow to some who seemed likely to be troubled through bashfulness ; but that he chose rather to make his profession of the saving faith in the presence of the holy congregation. " What he had been accustomed to teach from his chair of rhetoric was not indeed a matter of salvation, and yet he had professed that science publicly ; how much less reason could there be for him, who never had feared when speaking his own words to crowds of foolish men, now to be afraid to pronounce Thy words, Lord, before Thy gentle flock ? " When, then, as he went up to make his present profession of faith, all who knew him (and who was there that did not know him ?) one and all, according to their acquaintance with him, uttered his name in an outburst of joy ; and, from the mouths of all rejoic- ing together, in a hushed voice on all sides, resounded Victorinus ! Victorinus ! " Quickly the people broke silence at the joy of seeing him, and quickly all again were still, in order to hear him speak. " He pronounced the truthful Christian faith with admirable confidence, and all were longing to carry him off into their innermost heart ; and this, Lord, * Psalm xxxix. 4. 22 254 PAKT II. NO. 4. they did by the embrace of joy and love theso two affections were the hands that took him prisoner." No. 4. SOME DISTINGUISHED CONVERTS OP N. AMERICA. Among the many illustrious men who have left the ranks of Protestantism for the Catholic Church in America are the Most Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley, D.D., late Archbishop of Baltimore; the Most Rev. James Frederick "Wood, D.D., Archbishop of Phila- delphia; the Right Rev. Josue Young, D.D., late Bishop of Erie ; Tyler, late Bishop of Hartford ; Becker, Bishop of Wilmington ; Gilmour, Bishop of Cleveland ; S. H. Rosencrans, Bishop of Colonibus; E. P. Wadhams, Bishop of Ogdensburg ; and the late L. S. Ives, D.D., formerly Protestant Bishop of North Carolina, who, having recognised the truth of Catholicism, renounced everything to become a layman in her fold ; the Very Rev. George H. Doane, Vicar-General of the Diocese of Newark, and son of the Protestant Bishop of that name; the late Rev. Francis A. Baker, C.S.P., a well- known missionary in the United States ; the Rev. James Kent Stone, late President of Hobart and Kenyon Colleges, now a Passionist (Father Fidelis) ; the Very Rev. I. T. Hecker, C.S.P. ; A. F. Hewitt, C.S.P. ; Edward Dwight Lyman ; formerly Protestant clergymen of distinction, and now Catholic Priests ; Generals Rosecrans, Newton, James A. Hardy, and others ; Orestes A. Brownson, LL.D., the distinguished reviewer, whom Lord Brougham styled "the master- mind of America ; " General D. W. Clark, of Vermont ; Dr. Joshua Huntington, the well-known author of " Rosemary," " Gropings after Truth," &c. ; the Hon. Thomas Ewing, Senator from Ohio, and for some time EARNEST APPEAL TO PROTESTANTS. 255 Secretary of the United States Treasury; the Hon. Henry May, one of the leaders of his party in the House of Representatives ; Homer Wheaton, Esq., of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., at first a lawyer, afterwards a Protestant minister, until he was led into the Catholic Church ; the late Judge Arrington of Chicago ; Prof. Otto Shurrer, of the University of Notre Dame, formerly a Lutheran minister; Prof. Lucius Tong of the same institution ; Hon. Frank Hurd, the distin- guished member of Congress ; the late Senator Progh, and the late Professor Halderman, an eminent man of science. Besides these, there are the Hon. Thomas B. Florence of Philadelphia, for sixteen years a member of the United States House of Representatives; the Hon. Judge T. Parkin Scott, of Baltimore, and a great number of others, eminent in the different walks of life. No. 5. EARNEST APPEAL TO PROTESTANTS, SUGGESTED BY THE AFFECTING WORDS OF ST. AUGUSTINE, BlSHOP OF HlPPO, TO THE DoNATISTS. Let me beg of you, my brethren, to consider how beautiful is the Catholic Unity in doctrine by which the Faith is preached, Avithout shadow of change and with authority, in each Catholic cathedral and church ; and how reverenced it is by the faithful. See how the Catholic teaching is set high in our colleges above the assaults of infidelity and the contradictory wranglings of so-called scientific theories ; how striking is the Catholic Unity in government, by which spiritual juris- diction, issuing from Christ, flows in fair subordination through Bishop and Priest, so that each Pastor knows his own flock, while his flock knows him and hears his voice. 256 PART II. NO. 5. What a contrast between this blessed vision of peace within the Church and the scene of disorder and tumult that oppress you outside ! There, nearly every pulpit is made the centre of a different teaching, which, delivered without authority, is heard without submis- sion ; there, sometimes the very foundations of Chris- tianity are uptorn to be shaped anew, according to individual bias or the caprice of an excited assembly ; there, the flock strays after strangers whose oiun the sheep are not. Here seasonably come those words of St. Augustine : " Diverse doctrines resound, various heresies arise. Fly to the tabernacle of God namely, the Catholic Church ; there you will be protected from the contra- diction of tongues." * I will also appeal to you in the affectionate words which the same holy doctor and Father of the Church addressed to the Donatists of his day : " Come to us, brothers, come ! that you may be engrafted on the true vine. You yourselves cannot but perceive what the Catholic Church is, and what it is to be cut off from the stem. If then there be among you any who have care of themselves, let them arise, and come and draw vigour from the root. Let them come before it be too late ; before they lose tlie little Catholic sap that yet remains to them, and become dry wood fit only for the fire. Come, then, to us, brothers, if you will, and be engrafted on the vine. It grieves us to see you lying as you are, lopped of from, the tree. Reckon, then, one by one, the Pontiffs w/io have sat from this time doionwards on Peter's very seat, and mark the regular succession in * " Diversae doclrinae personant, diversae haercses oriuntur. Curre ad tabernaculum Dei, id est, Eccletiam Catholicam I ibi protegeris a contradictione linguarum." SOME OF THE CLERGY HOUSES IN LONDON. 257 that order of Fathers. Tliat seat is the rock, which the proud gates of hell overcome not." * No. 6. ADDRESS OF SOME OF THE PRESBYTERIES OR CLERGY-HOUSES IN AND NEAR LONDON AND ABROAD (1883). Strangers in London may be glad to know the address where they can easily find, any morning or evening, a Priest with whom to converse on religious matters. Pro-Cathedral, Our Lady of Victories Newland Terrace, Ken- sington Road, W. (near High Street, Kensington, not far west from Metropolitan Station). Cleryy-House 1 St. Leonard's Place. Carmelite Fathers, St. Simon Stock's (English, French, Italian, and Spanish) 47 Church Street, Kensington, W. Fathers of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri Adjoining the South Kensington Museum, Brompton, S.W. St. Mary's Cadogan Terrace, Sloane Street, Chelsea, S.W. The Servite Fathers (Italian and English) St. Mary's Priory, 264 Fulham Road, West Brompton, near the Union House, S.W. Fathers Oblates of St. Charles Borromeo (St. Mary's of the Angels) Westmoreland Road, Bayswater, W. St. James 6 Spanish Place, Manchester Square, W. * " Scitis ecclesia Catholica quid sit et quid sit esse p nee is urn a vite. Si qui sunt inter vos cauti, veniant, vivant in radice. Ante-quam nimis arescant, jam liberentur ab igne. Venite, fratres, si vultis, ut inseramini in vite. Dolor est cum vos videmus pi aecisos ita jacere. Numerate Sacerdotes vel ab ipsa Petri sede, Et in ordine illo patnim quia cui successit videte. Ipsa est petra, quain non vincunt superbee inferorum port." Psalm. Contra partem Donati, Coll. 5. 258 PART II. NO. 6. Church of our Lady, 13 Grove Road, St. John's-wood, N.W. St. Aloysius 49 Clarendon Square, Somers Town, N.W. The Dominican Fathers The Priory, Southampton Road, Haverstock Hill, N.W. St. Mary's 4 Holly Place, Hampstead, N.W. St. Mary's, Help of Christians Fortess Place, Junction Road, Kentish Town, N.W. The Passionist Fathers Si. Joseph's Retreat, Highgate Hill, N. St. John the Evangelist Duncan Terrace, Islington, N. The Augustinian Fathers St. Monica's Priory, Hoxton Square, Hoxton, N. The Jesuit Fathers Farm Street Church (near Hill Street), Berkeley Square, W. Clergy -House III Mount Street, Grosvenor Square, and at Roehampton, S.W. The same Fathers St. Mary's, Horseferry Road, S.W. Clergy- House 12 Earl Street, Westminster. Bavarian Church Warwick Street, Regent Street, W. Clergy* House -24 Golden Square, W. Marist Fathers Notre Dame de France (French and English) 5 Leicester Place, Leicester Square, W.C. The same Fathers (St. Anne's Church), Albert Place, Spicer Street, Spitalfields, E. Corpus Christi Church Maiden Lane, Southampton Street, Strand, W.C. Sardinian Church St. Anselm and St. Cecilia, Duke Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields. Clergy-House 54 Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C. St. Patrick's Sutton Street, Soho Square, W. Clergy-House 21 A Soho Square. The Franciscan Fathers (St. Francis Church and Friary), The Grove, Stratford, London, E. Confessions heard in Euglish, Irish, Italian, French, Dutch, and Flemish. St. Mary's Tottenham Road (near Dalston Station), Kings- land, N. Clergy- House 170 Culford Road. The Fathers of Charity (St. Etheldreda), 14 Ely Place, Holborn Viaduct, E.G. Fathers of the Pious Society of the Missions (Italian and Eng- lish) St. Peter's Italian Church, Hatton Garden, E.C. Open from seven in the morning till ten at night. Con- fessions heard in Italian, English, French, and German. Clergy-House St. Peter's Retreat, 4 Back Hill, Clerkenwell Road, Hatton Garden. OUate Fathers of Mary Immaculate (Church of the English Martyrs) 23 Great Prescot Street, Tower Hill, E. PRIESTS HEARING CONFESSIONS ABROAD. 259 St. Mary's Moorfields, Bloomsfield Street, E.G. Clergy -House, 22 Finbury Circus. St. Mary's and St. Michael's Commercial Road, East, E. St. Mary's of the Rosary 209 Marylebone Road, N. W. Clergy- House 184 Marylebone Road. St. George's (Southwark Cathedral) Westminster Bridge Road, S.E. Capuchin Fathers (St. Mary's Church) Lower Park Road, Peckham, S.E. The Rcdemptorist Fathers (St. Mary's) Claphain, S.W., and Fulham. The person who applies for instruction to any of the above-named addresses, or, indeed, at any Catholic Church or Clergy-House, may simply say to the Sacris- tan or to the Servant : " I should like to have a little conversation with a priest." He need not tell his name, unless he wishes it, either to the servant or to the Priest. This reserve will readily be excused under the circumstances. PRIESTS HEARING CONFESSIONS IN ENGLISH ABROAD. Selected from the List of about two hundred given at page 84 in the "Catholic Directory" for 1883 (Burns & Oates), 1/6. ROME St. Peter's English, Scotch, Irish, and American Col- legesFranciscans, St. Isidore Fr. Douglas, St. Alphonso on the Esquiline, Mgr. O'Bryen, D.D., St. Andrea Delle Fratte. FLORENCE Fr. Weld, S. J., Chapel of Palazzo Strozzi, on Satur- day afternoons. GENOA Padre Casabuona, Oratory of St. Philip. NAPLES Padre Guerritore (Saturdays from 9 to 12), Sta Caterina a Chiaja, Padre Musto, Gesu Nuovo. PALERMO Padre Ferrara, S.J., Palazzo Trabia, Via Macqueda. TURIN Abbate Gross!, St. Filippo. Abbate Francesco Faa di Bruno, Chiesa del Suffragio, Borgo St. Donate 31. 260 PART II. NO. 7. PABIS Passionist Fathers, 50 Avenue Hoche, Champs Elyse"es Monsignor Rogerson, 19 Eue de Chaillot BOULOGNE-SUR-MER Redemptorist Church. CANNES Chaplain of the Hospital. LOURDES Notre Dame. MARSEILLES Cure* of St. Joseph, rue Paradis. MALTA, Valetta Canon Debono, 176 Strada S. Paolo. EINSIEDKLN (Switzerland) Benedictine Monastery. LUCERNE Canon Suter, 9 Hof. SUEZ Franciscan Fathers, near Suez Hotel. JERUSALEM Rev. F. Guido, Casa Nova. BUENOS AYRES Canons Dillon and Miller, Cathedral NICE Dr. Novello, 11 Rue St. Frangois de Paule. PAU Curd of St. Jacques. BRUGES Abbe" Isacq, English Convent. BRUSSELS Monsignor Debolle, Chapel Salazar ; Capuchin, Car- melite, and Redemptorist Churches. GHENT Canon Vanden Hende, Cathedral, Carmelite and Franciscan Churches. OSTEND Abbe" Thomas, Capuchin Church. Aix LES BAINS Savoy Abb6 Bernard. BORDEAUX Canon J. Thibaut, 13 Rue Monbazon. GENEVA Abb4 Blanchard Eglise du Sacrfe Cceur. SPA (Belgium) Abbe" Gilissen, Institut Silessin. VIENNA (Austria)- Fr. Eskell, Dominican Convent, 4 Postgasee. COLOGNE Dr. Bellesheim, Cathedral FBANK.FOBT-ON-THE-MAIN Notre Dame. No. 7. A CHOICE OF PRAYERS. THE LORD'S PRAYER. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread ; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us ; and lead us not into temptation j but deliver us from evil Amen. PRAYERS. 261 THE HAIL MART. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, JESUS. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. GLORIA PATRI. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. A DAILY PRAYER. God, of infinite majesty, and power, Creator of heaven and earth, I adore Thee profoundly, and thank Thee from the bottom of my heart for the great benefits of creation and redemption, and for all the other blessings which Thou hast bestowed upon me ; I love Thee with all my heart, and above all things. And, because Thou art the very truth who canst neither be deceived, nor deceive any one, I firmly believe all things Thou hast revealed to the Church, and through the Church hast made known unto me. I trust, in Thy infinite mercy and goodness, that Thou wilt pardon all my sins through the merits of Jesus Christ, and give me all the necessary means of salvation, doing on my part what Thou commandest and requirest of me. I am extremely sorry for having offended Thee. With the help of Thy grace, which I humbly and fervently implore, I will never offend Thee wilfully again, for the time to come. Give me strength to withstand every temptation ; give me patience in my troubles : help me to keep in charity with all my neighbours, and grant me the grace of perseverance. 262 PART II. NO. 7. O Virgin Mary, intercede for me ; Saint Joseph, pray for me ; my Guardian Angel, protect me ; all ye Saints and Angels of Heaven, pray for me. Amen. EOSARY OP THE BLESSED VIRGIN. By the Eosary (or beads) is meant an excellent de- votional practice devised by the wise God, made known by the Blessed Virgin herself to St. Dominic, and commenced in the thirteenth century. It consists of fifteen small parts. Each part is made up of ' a mystery,' one ' Our Father ' and ten ' Hail Marys,' followed by one ' Glory be to tJie Father.' No other prayers whatever form part of the Eosary : those that are said before or after it, or after each decade, are merely pious additions. By mystery it is understood a trait of the Life of our Lord or of His holy Mother. These Mysteries are divided into three series of five each, called the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious. JOYFUL MYSTERIES. 1. The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin. 2. Visitation of the B. Virgin to St. Elizabeth. 3. Birth of Jesus at Bethlehem. 4. Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. 5. Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. SORROWFUL MYSTERIES. 1. The Agony of Jesus in the Qarden of GethsemanL 2. Scourging of Jesus at the pillar. 3. Crowning of Jesus with thorns. 4. Carrying of the cross by Jesus to Mount Calvary. 6. Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary. PRAYERS. 263 GLORIOUS MYSTERIES. 1. The Resurrection of Jesus. 2. Ascension of Jesus. 3. Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles. 4. Assumption of the B. Virgin into Heaven. 5. Crowning of the Blessed Virgin in Heaven. NOTE. Most people say only the third part of the Kosary, that is, five decades, each day : in that case though you may say either the Joyful or the Sorrowful, or the Glorious Mysteries at your choice, yet it is the prevalent custom to say the Joyful Mysteries on Mondays and Thursdays, the Sorrowful on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the Glorious on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. THE ANGELUS.* I. V. Angelus Domini nun- tiavat Mariae. R. Et conc6pit de Spiritu Sancto. Ave Maria, gratia plen&, Dominus tecura ; benedicta tu in mulie'ribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrse. Amen. IL V. Ecce Ancilla Domini. R, Fiat mihi secundum ver- bum tu u in. Ave Maria, &c. III. V. Et Verbum caro factum est. I. The "angel of the Lord announced unto Mar}'. R. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou among women, and bless- ed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen. II. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. A Be it done unto me ac- cording to thy word (St Luke i. 38). Hail Mary, &c. III. And the Word was made flesh. * At Easter time, instead of the "Angelus," the "RegumCoeli laetare, Alleluia, " ia said, standing. 264 PART III. NO. 7. R, Et habitant in nobis. Ave Maria, &c. F. Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genitrix. R. TJt digni efficiiimur pro- missionibus Christi. Oremus. Gratiam tuam, qutesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde ; ut qui, angelo nun- tiante, Christ! Filii tui incar- nationem cogndvimus, per Passionem ejus et Crucem ad resurrectionis gloriam perdu- citmur ; per eundem Christum Dominum Nostrum. Amen. R. And dwelt among us, (St. John i. 14). Hail Mary, &c. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us Pray. Pour forth, we beseech Thee, Lord, Thy grace into our hearts ; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the mes- sage of an angel, may, by His Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrection ; through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. From Compline on Holy Saturday till Trinity Eve. Regina Coeli, Isetdre ; alleluia. Joy to thee, Heavenly Queen, alleluia. Quia quern meruisti portare ; He whom thou wast meet to bear ; alleluia. As He promis'd, hath arisen ; alleluia, alleluia. Resurrexit uicut dixit ; alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum ; alleluia. F. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria ; alleluia. R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere j alleluia. Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi mundum laetificare dig- natus es ; prsesta, qusesumus, ut per ejus Genitricem Vir- ginem Mariana perpetuse capi- Pour for us to Him thy prayer ; alleluia. F. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary ; alleluia. R. For the Lord hath risen indeed ; alleluia. Let us Pray. God, who didst vouch- safe to give joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ ; grant, we beseech Thee, that, through His Mother, the Virgin ON PRAYER. 265 dmus gaudia vitas, per eun- Mary, we may obtain the joys clem Christum Dominura of everlasting life. Through nostrum. the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen. R. Amen. V. Divinum auxilium ma- F. May the divine assistance neat semper nobiscum. remain always with us. R. Amen. R. Amen. F. Fideliutn animae, per F. May the souls of the misericordiam Dei, requiescant faithful departed, through the in pace. mercy of God, rest in peace. R. Amen. . Amen. PRAYERS FOR THE DYING. Let us say three " Our Fathers " in honour of the agony of Jesus, and three " Hail Marys," in honour of our Lady's Dolours, for the faithful who are this day throughout the world in their last agony. Indulgences : 300 days every recital. Plenary once a month, both applicable to the holy souls in Purgatory. THE DIVINE PRAISES, said after Mass and Benediction in many Churches, the People repeating each por- tion after the Priest. 1. Blessed be God. 2. Blessed be His holy name. 3. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man. 4. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. 5. Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. 6. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy. 7. Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception. 266 PART II. NO. 8. 8. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother ', 9. Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen, ACT OF EBSIGNATION TO THE WILL OP GOD. May the most just, most high, and most amiable will of God be done, praised, and eternally exalted in all things. Amen. May the most sacred Heart of JESUS be loved by all. PRAYER IN OUR LAST AGONY. Into Thy hands, Lord, I commend my spirit (St. Luke xxiii. 46). Lord JESUS, receive my soul. No. 8. A PRAYER FOR A GOOD DEATH. Lord Jesus, God of goodness, and Father of mercy, I prostrate myself before Thee with a contrite and hum- ble heart, and commend to Thee my last hour, and what thereafter awaits me. When my feet motionless shall warn me that my course in this world is approaching its end ; loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When my hands, cold and shaking, shall no longer be able to keep holding the crucifix presented to me, and I shall be obliged to let it drop on my bed of sorrow ; loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When my eyes, cloudy, and turned aside, through dread of imminent death, shall cast upon Thy image PRAYERS. 267 languid and dying looks ; loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When my lips, cold and trembling, shall utter for the last time Thy adored name ; loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When my cheeks, pale and livid, shall inspire com- passion and grief to the bystanders, and my hair moistened by the cold sweat of death, shall announce that my end is come ; loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When my ears ready to be shut for ever to the dis- courses of men, shall open to listen to Thy voice, uttering the irrevocable sentence that fixes my ever- lasting doom ; loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When my fancy, disturbed by painful and dreadful imaginations, shall be plunged into sadness, and my spirit troubled by the sight of my iniquities, and by the dread of Thy justice, shall struggle with the spirit of darkness who would turn away my eyes from Thy soothing mercies, and throw me into despair ; loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When my feeble heart, torn by the pangs of illness, shall be assailed by the dread of death, and exhausted by the efforts it shall have made against the enemies of my salvation ; loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When I shall shed the last tears, symptoms of my imminent dissolution, receive them, O Lord, as a sacrifice of expiation, and grant that I may breathe my last as a victim of penance ; and in that terrible mo- ment, loving Jesu, have mercy on me. Wlien my relatives and friends., standing by me, shall sympathise with my miserable state, and pray for me, loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When I shall have lost the use of my senses, and 268 PART II. NO. 9. the whole world shall disappear from me, and I shall sigh in the anguish of agony and the struggles of death ; loving Jesu, have niercy on me. When the last sighs of my heart shall compel my soul to leave the body, receive them, Lord, as signs of a holy longing to fly to Thee ; and then, loving Jesu, have mercy on me. When my soul, from the door of my lips shall go out of this world for ever, and shall leave my hody pale, cold, and lifeless, accept, Lord, the dissolution of my being as a homage which I offer to Thy Divine Majesty ; and then, loving Jesu, have mercy on me. Lastly, when my soul shall appear before Thee, and shall behold for the first time the immortal splendour of Thy majesty, Lord, pray, do not reject it from Thee ; deign to receive my poor soul in the arms of Thy mercy, that it may sing Thy praises for ever. God, who, condemning us to death, didst conceal the moment and the hour of it, grant that walking in the paths of justice and holiness we may deserve to depart from this world in Thy holy love, through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen. No. 9. STATIONS (OR WAY) OP THE CROSS. The " Stations of the Cross " is a devotional exercise instituted as a means of helping us to meditate on, and have sympathy for, the sufferings of our divine Lord. The early Christians had the deepest love and venera- tion for the places made sacred by the sufferings and presence of JESUS CHRIST. Devout pilgrims went to the PRATERS. 289 Holy Land, from the furthest parts of the earth, to visit Jerusalem, the Garden of Olives, and Mount Calvary. To encourage the piety and devotion of her children, the Church granted many and great In- dulgences to those who with true sorrow visited certain spots of our Lord's Passion. Now, there were many who wished to share in this devotion, and partake of the spiritual blessings attached to it, but who, through various causes, were unable to do so ; therefore the Church sanctioned the erecting in churches of fourteen pictures representing fourteen scenes of the Passion, called " Stations of the Cross," and granted to persons who practise this devotion, the same Indulgences as are granted to those who visit the said holy places in Jerusalem. If you have a prayer-book with the prayers of the Way of the Cross in it, you will follow the directions, and say the prayers therein laid down. If not, you can still practise this devotion in a church where the Stations are duly erected, and gain likewise the indul- gences by acting as follows : First you say three " Our Fathers " before the Holy Sacrament in preparation for the Way of the Cross, in order to obtain help from God to do it well ; then you go to the first station, kneel down, meditate for a few minutes on the mystery there represented, or on any other point of the Passion of our Lord, and conclude with a Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father. You rise and walk to the other 13 Stations, doing before each the same thing. At the end of the 14th Station, you go again before the High Altar, thank Almighty God for the privilege and assistance granted, and recite five Our Fathers, Hail Maries, and .Glory be to the Father, according to the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff. 270 PART II. NO. 9. PRAYER. PRAYER TO OUR CRUCIFIED LORD, while we contemplate on what He suffered for us. Behold, kind and most sweet JESUS, I cast myself on my knees in Thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul I pray and beseech Thee to impress upon my heart lively sentiments of Faith, Hope, and Charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a most firm purpose of amendment ; while with deep affection and grief of soul I call to mind and ponder on Thy five most precious Wounds, having before my eyes that which the Prophet David spoke of Thee, good JESUS : " They have dug my hands and feet; they have numbered all my bones." (Psalm xxi. 17.) NOTE. To the devout reciting of this foregoing Prayer, " Behold, kind," &c., in any language, is an- nexed, by Pope Pius VII., April 10, A.D. 1821 (in a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences), a plenary indulgence, which may be obtained by all the faithful who, after having confessed their sins with contrition, and received Holy Communion, shall de- voutly recite it before any representation of Christ Crucified. This Indulgence is also applicable to the souls in Purgatory. PRATERS. 271 ASPIRATIONS TO JESUS. JESUS, poor, abject, unknown, and despised, hated, calumniated, persecuted, and abandoned by men, tempted by the devil, betrayed, and sold for a vile price. E. Have mercy on us. JESUS, sorrowful unto death, dragged along and bound with ropes and chains, clothed in the garment of shame and ignominy, blamed, accused, condemned and set aside for Barabbas. E. Have mercy on us. JESUS, stripped with infamy, and scourged unto blood, beaten and derided, crowned with thorns, saluted in mockery, defiled with spittle, struck, outraged, and jeered. E. Have mercy on us. JESUS, laden with the cross of our sins, and with the maledictions of the people, nailed to the infamous tree between two thieves, overwhelmed with oppro- brium, agony, and humiliations, despised, and dis- honoured before men. E. Have mercy on us. most sweet JESUS, Thou who for love of us hast deigned to suffer an infinity of shame and of incompre- hensible humiliation, may our hearts be deeply im- pressed with esteem and love for Thy sufferings, and an ardent desire to imitate Thee in Thy humble, poor, laborious, beneficent, and despised life. A men. Pious OFFERING. Eternal Father, we offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ for the whole state of Christ's Church, and for all other ends which may be pleasing to Thee. 272 PART II. NO. 9. A PRAYER IN SICKNESS OR AFFLICTION. LORD JESUS CHRIST, I receive this affliction with which Thou are pleased to visit me as coming from Thy fatherly hand. It is Thy will, and therefore I submit ; " Not my will, but Thine be done." May it be to the honour of Thy holy name, and for the good of my soul. I here offer myself with an entire sub- mission to all Thy appointments ; to suffer whatever Thou pleasest, as long as Thou pleasest, and in what manner Thou pleasest; for I Thy creature, Lord, have often and most ungratefully offended Thee, and Thou mightest justly have visited me with Thy severest punishments. Oh, let Thy justice be tempered with mercy, and let Thy heavenly grace come to my assist- ance, to support me under this affliction ! Confirm my soul with strength from above, that I may bear with true Christian patience, all the uneasiness, pains, and troubles under which I labour ; preserve me from all temptations and murmuring thoughts, that in this time of affliction I may in no way offend Thee ; and grant that this and all other earthly trials may be the means of preparing my soul for its passage into eternity, that, being purified from all my sins, I may believe in Thee, hope in Thee, and love Thee above all things, and finally through Thy infinite merits, be admitted into the company of the blessed in heaven, there to praise Thee for ever and ever. Amen. God, who hast doomed all men to die, but hast concealed the hour of their death, grant that I may pass my days in the practice of holiness and justice, and that I may be able to quit this world in the peace of a good conscience, and in the embrace of Thy love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. A men. PRAYERS AND PSALMS. 273 A PRAYER FOR OUR HOLY FATHER THE POPE. " The Lord preserve him and give him life ; and make him blessed upon the earth ; and deliver him not up to the mil of his enemies." (Psalm xl. 3.) THE FOURTH PENITENTIAL PSALM. (The Psalms called Penitential are the 6th, 31st, 37th, 50th, 101st, 129th, and the 142nd.) Psalm 50. (Prot. Version, 51.) Miserere. 1. David prays for remission of his sins ; 8. for perfect sanctity ; 17. Praises a contrite heart, and prays for the exaltation of the Church. Misere're mei, Deus : * se- cundum magnam misericor- diam tuam. Et secundum multitudinem miseratidnum tua'rum : * dele iniquit^tem meam. Amplius lava me ab iniqui- tate mea : * et a peccdto meo munda me. Quoniam, iniquit^tem meam ego cognosco : * et pecc^tum meum contra me est semper. Tibi soli peccaVi, et malum coram te feci : * ut justifice"ris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judic&ris. Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum : * et in pecc;i- tis conce"pit me mater mea. Ecce enim verita"tem dilex- isti : * incerta et occulta sapi- entise tuae manifestasti nihi. 1 Have mercy upon me, O God 5 according to thy great mercy. 2 And according to the mul- titude of thy tender mercies : blot out my iniquity. 3 Wash me yet more from my iniquity ; and cleanse me from my sin. 4 For I acknowledge my iniquity : and my sin is always before me. 5 Against thee only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight : that thou mayest be justified in thy words, and mayest overcome when thou are judged. 6 For behold, I was con- ceived in iniquities : and in sins did my mother conceive me. 7 For behold, thou hast loved truth : the uncertain and hidden things of thy wis- dom thou hast made manifest to me. 274: PAKT II. NO. Asperges me hyssdpo etmuu- ddbor : * lavabis me, et super nivem dealbiibor. Auditui meo dabis gaudium et Isetitiam : * et exultdbunt ossa Immiliata. Averte faciem tuam a pec- czitis meis : * et omnes iniqui- tdtes meas dele. Cor mundum crea in me, Deus : * et spiritual rectum in- nova in visceribus meis. Ne projicies me a facie tua : * et Spiritum sanctum tuum ne aiiferas a me. Redde mihi laetitiam salu- taris tui : * et spiritu principdli confirma me. poce"bo iniquos vias tuas : * et impii ad te convertentur. Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus saltitis mese : * et exultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam. Domine labia mea aperies : * et os memn aimuntialjit laudem tuam. Quoniam si voluisses sacri- ficium, dedissem utique : * ho- locaustis non delectdberis. Sacrificium Deo spiritus con- tribuMtus : * cor contrituni et humiliatum, Deus, non des- picies. Benigne fac Domine, in bona voluttate tua Sion : * ut sedifi- centur muri Jerusalem. 8 Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed : thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. 9 Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness : and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice. 10 Turn away thy face from my sins : and ; blot out all my iniquities. 11 Create in me a clean heart, O God : and renew a right spirit within my bowels. 12 Cast me not away from thy face : and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 13 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation : and strengthen me with a perfect spirit. 14 I will teach the unjust thy ways : and the wicked shall be converted unto thee. 15 Deliver me from blood- guiltiness, God, thou God of my salvation : and my tongue shall extol thy justice. 16 Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord : and my mouth shall declare thy praise. 17 For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it : with burnt- offerings thou wilt not be delighted. 18 A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit : a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 19 Deal favourably, Lord, in thy good will with Sion: that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up. PRAYERS AND PSALMS. 275 Tune acceptabis sacrificium justitae, oblatioues, et holo- causta : * tune impdnent super altare tuum vitulos. [Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principle, et nunc, et sem- per, et in saecula sseculorum. Amen.] 20 Then sbalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, obla- tions, and whole burnt-offer- ings : then shall they lay calves upon thine altar. [Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the be- ginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.] THE SIXTH PENITENTIAL PSALM.* Psalm 129. De Profundis. The cry of a contrite heart imploring the Divine mercy. De profundis clamdvi ad te, Domine : * Domine, exaudi vocem meam. Fiant aures tuae intendentes : * in vocem deprecati<5nis mese. Si iniquities observaveris, Domine : * Domine, quis sus- tin^bit ? Quia apud te propitidtio est : * et propter legem tuam eustinui te Domine. Sustinuit anima mea in verbo ejus : * sperdvit anima mea in Domino. A custodia matutina usque ad noctem : * speret Israel, in Domino. Quia apud Dominum miseri- ; cordia : * et copi<5sa apud eum . redemptio. 1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, Lord : Lord, hear my voice. 2 Oh, let thine ears consider well : the voice of my suppli- cation. 3 If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities : Lord, who shall stand it ? 4 For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness : and be- cause of Thy law I have waited for Thee, O Lord. 6 My soul hath relied on His Word : my soul hath hoped in tLe Lord. 6 From the morning watch even until night : let Israel hope in the Lord. 7 For with the Lord there in mercy : and with Him is plen- tiful redemption. * This Psalm is often said by Catholics for the souls in Purgatory, in which case instead of ending it with the " Glory be to the Father," it is ended aa here laid down. 276 PART II. NO. 9. Et ipse re"dirnet Israel,* ex 8 And He shall redeem Israel omnibus iniquitatibus ejas.* from all his iniquities. [Requiem aetemam dona eis [Eternal rest give to them, Domine. O Lord. Et lux perpetua luceat eis. And let perpetual light shine upon them. Requiescantin pace. Amen.] May they rest in peace. Amen] PBAYER FOR ANOTHER'S CONVERSION. Divine and adorable Saviour, Thou who art the way, the truth, and the life, I beseech Thee to have mercy upon (N.) and bring him [or her] to the know- ledge and love of Thy truth. Thou, Lord, knowest all his darkness, his weakness, and his doubts ; have pity upon him, O merciful Saviour ; let the beams of Thy eternal truth shine upon his mind; clear away the cloud of error and prejudice from his eyes, and may he humbly submit to and embrace with his whole heart the teaching of Thy Church. Oh, let not his [or her] soul be shut out from Thy blessed fold ! Unite him to Thyself in the communications of Thy love, so that, partaking of the blessings of Thy grace in this life, he may come to the possession of those eternal rewards which Thou hast promised to all who believe in Thee and who do Thy will Hear this my petition, merciful Jesus, Who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest ever and ever. Amen. FOR A FRIEND IN DISTRESS. merciful Lord, give the sweetness of Thy comfort to Thy afflicted servant (N.), and, according to Thy accustomed mercy, remove the heavy burden of his afflictions. Give him, I humbly beseech Thee, patience in his sufferings, resignation to Thy adorable will, and perseverance in Thy service. SPECIAL PRAYERS. 277 FOR THE SICK. V. Heal Thy servants, Lord, who are sick, and who put their trust in Thee. E. Send them help, Lord, and comfort them from Thy holy place. O Almighty and everlasting God, the eternal salva- tion of them that believe in Thee, hear us in behalf of Thy servants who are sick ; for whom we humbly crave the help of Thy mercy ; that, their health being restored to them, they may render thanks to Thee in Thy Church ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. PRAYER FOR A BISHOP OR PRIEST. God, who hast raised up Thy servant (N ) to the dignity of Bishop (or Priest), grant, we beseech Thee, that he may also be admitted in Heaven to Thy everlasting fellowship, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. FOR THE DEAD. Almighty and eternal God, who hast dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all whom Thou foreknowest will be Thine by faith and good works ; we humbly beseech Thee, that they for whom we offer up our prayers may, by Thy mercy and goodness, obtain pardon and fall remission of their sins ; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth one God, world without end. Amen. PRAYER FOR A DEPARTED FATHER AND MOTHER. God our Heavenly Father, Who hast commanded us to honour our Father and our Mother, have mercy 24 278 PART II. NO. 9. on the departed souls of my dear Father and Mother, and grant that, if they are not yet with Thee, they may soon come to enjoy Thy blessed vision in Heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. OTHER PRAYERS FOR THE DBAD. The Psalm Miserere and the Psalm De Profundis and others may be recited for the dead, saying, at the end of each, instead of " Glory be to the Father," &c., the Versicle : V. Eternal rest give unto them, Lord. R. And let perpetual light shine upon them. A PRAYER FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED. O God, the Creator and Eedeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy servants departed the remis- sion of all their sins, that, through pious supplications, they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen. ON THE DAY OF A PERSON'S DECEASE OR BURIAL. O God, whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, we humbly beseech Thee for the soul of Thy servant (N ), which Thou hast this day commanded to depart out of this world, that Thou wouldst not deliver it into the hands of the enemy, nor forget it unto the end, but wouldst command it to be received by Thy holy angels, and conducted to Paradise, its true country ; that, as in Thee it hath hoped and believed, it may not suffer the pains of hell, but may take possession of eternal joys. Through Christ our Lord. HYMNS. 279 FOR THE PATRONAGE OP ST. JOSEPH. O God, who by Thy adorable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose the blessed Joseph for the spouse of Thy most Holy Mother, grant, we beseech Thee, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in heaven ; who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen. No. 10 HYMNS. HYMN TO THE HOLY GHOST. " VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS." Ascribed to St. Ambrose (Fourth Century). English Version by Mr. William J. M. Hutchison (1881). Veni, Creator Spiritus, Mentes tu6rum visita, Imple supernft gratia, Quse tu creasti p^ctora. Qui diceris Paraclitus, Altissimi donum Dei, Vons vivus, ignis, cbaritas, Et spiritalis unctio : Tu septiformis munere, Digitus Piiteruae dexterse, , Tu rit6 promissum Patris, Serm6ne ditans guttura : Accende lumen sensibus, Infunde aniorem cordibus, Infirm a nostri c<5rporisj Virtilte firmans perpeti. Hostem repellas longius, Pacemque dones pnitinus ; Ductoi-o sic te praevio Vitemua omne noxium. Per te sciamus da Patrem, Nosciimus atque Filium, Teque utriusque Spiritum Crudiiiuuu omiii tern pore. Come, O Creator Spirit, come, And make Thy children's minds Thy home ; O fill our hearts with grace divine, Our hearts, by new creation Thine. Thou, Who The Comforter art named. And gift of God most high proclaimed, Thou living fount, Thou fire and love, And soul's sweet unction from above : Thou, Who Thy seven-fold gifts hast planned, Thou finger of the Father's hand, Sure promise of the Father, Thou, Who dos* our tongue with speech endow : Revive our senses, light impart, And pour Thy love within each heart ; Our mortal frame, so weak in fight, Make strong with Thy enduring might The Foe yet further drive away,' And give us now Thy peace, we pray ; So may we, close to Thee, our Guide, Escape all harm from every side. Give us to know in Thy clear light, The Father and the Son aright, And Thee from Both the Spirit pure To own, while ages all endure. 280 PART II. NO. 10. Do Patri sit gloria, Ejuaque soli Filio, Cum Spiritu Paraclito, Nunc et per omne sseculum.' 1 Amen. [Tempore Paschali. Deo Patri sit gloria, Et Filio, qui a mortuis Surrexit, ac Paraclito, In sseculorum ssecula. Amen.] To God the Father endless praise And to His only Son we raise ; Like praise, O Holy Ghost, to Thee Both now and through eternity. Amen. [For Patchal Time. Praise to the Father, and the Sou Who from the dead arose, Life won ; And equal praise for ever be, O God the Comforter, to Thee. Amen.] ADESTB, FIDELES Hymn for Christmas. Adeste, fideles, Laeti triumphantes ; Ye faithful, approach ye, Joyfully triumphing : Venite, venite in Bethlehem : O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem s Natum videte Come and behold ye Regem angelorum : Venite adoremus, Born the King of angels : O come, let us worship, Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus Dominum. O come, let us worship, O come, let us worship Christ the Lord. Deum de Deo, God of God, Lumen de lumine, Gestant pueltee viscera ; Light of Light, Lo, He disdains not the Virgin's womb : Deum verum, Very God, Genitum, non factum : Begotten, not created : Venite adoremus, &c. O come, let us worship, &c. Cantet uunc lo ! Chorus angelorum : Cantet nunc aula coslestium, Sing choirs angelic, Sing with exultation ; Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above, Gloria Glory to God In excelsis Deo ! In the highest ! Venite adoremus,