the end of the Instruction concerning Penance And this I have done that one might have in this one Book the explication of the Principal points of Christian Doctrine which every one is obliged to know and that one may be inform'd of these important truths which often through his negligence he is ignorant of either because he conceives them not so necessary or that he thinks he knows them sufficiently well already which happens but too often not only to young People but to many others Thus you see Dear Reader what I have to tell you upon the Subject of this Instruction After which I have no more to do but to exhort you to benefit your self thereby You will not fail herein if you read it with this design and with a desire ot improve your self And as I have composed it with no other intention except that of assisting you in your approach to God and conserving you in his grace I hope that if you also reade it with this intent God will bless both yours and my design This is what I demand with all my heart beseeching him with all possible humility that he will enlighten your Soul rightly to understand the truths which he hath comprised in these great Sacraments and that you may draw in abundance from these two Fountains of our Salvation the Celestial Waters of Divine Grace which will preserve you in this life from the mortal heats of Sin and rendering you fertil in Virtue and good works make you deserving of Everlasting Life the fruit of pious endeavours and our last end Amen The Approbation WE Underwritten Doctors of Divinity of the Faculty of Paris certify that we have read a Book Entitled Instruction concerning Penance and the Holy Communion c. Composed by Charles Gobinet also Doctor Principal of the Colledge of Plessis-Sorbon wherein we have found nothing but what is conformable to the Principles of Faith and Christian Morality which are there treated in a manner very clear for the Instruction of Youth moving for the Conversion of Sinners and extreme usefull for the Edification of the Just if they will follow the light and means which are therein suggested to them that they may advance in Piety by the frequent and worthy use of the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist Given at Paris this Third of December 1667. I. Charmeluc B. Le Blond J. Jollain The Division of the Instruction concerning Penance Pag. 1. PART I. COntaining an Exhortation to a true Conversion and amendment of Life Pag. 2. PART II. Of Contrition the first part of Penance Pag. 21. PART III. Of Confession Pag. 97. PART IV. Of Satisfaction Pag. 151. PART V. Of the preservation of Grace after Confession against relapse into Sin. Pag. 187. An Examen of Conscience Vpon the Commandments of God and the Church and upon the Seven Capital Sins Pag. 229. A Table of the CHAPTERS Of Instruction concerning Penance and the means to return to God by a true Conversion PART I. COntaining an Exhortation to a true Conversion and amendment of life Pag. 2. Chap. 1. An Exhortation which God made to men and particularly to Young People to return to him by Penance Pag. 3. Chap. 2. Reflections upon the said Exhortation and first upon the matter therein contain'd Pag. 5. Chap. 3. The Second Reflection upon the Goodness of God in Exhorting us himself to our Conversion Pag. 6. Chap. 4. The Third Reflection upon the Injury which those do who refuse to be Converted or deferr their Conversion Pag. 8. Chap. 5. The Fourth Reflection upon God's Anger against those who refuse to yield to these Exhortations Pag. 12. Chap. 6. Of the great Punishment which God lays upon those who refuse or deferr their Conversion Pag. 15. Chap. 7. The Conclusion of the Exhortation Pag. 19. PART II. OF Contrition Pag. 21. Chap. 1. What we are obliged to do in Virtue of the precedent Exhortation Ibid. Chap. 2. What Penance is Pag. 23. Chap. 3. What Contrition is Pag. 26. Chap. 4. Of the qualities or Conditions which true Contrition ought to have Pag. 29. Chap. 5. Of Perfect and imperfect Contrition Pag. 34. Chap. 6. Of the means to obtain Contrition Pag. 38. Chap. 7. Of the first means to obtain Contrition which is threefold Avoiding Sin Works of Penance and Prayer Pag. 40. Chap. 8. Of the Motives of Contrition and first of the grievousness of Sin. Pag. 43. Chap. 9. Of the same Subject of the grievousness of Sin. Pag. 46. Chap. 10. A further illustration of the grievousness of Sin. Pag. 49. Chap. 11. Of the deplorable effects of Mortal Sin to discover better the grievousness thereof Pag. 53. Art. 1. Of the death of the Soul or the sad effects which Sin produces in his Soul who commits it Pag. 54. Art. 2. Of the effects of Sin in Heaven and upon Earth Pag. 60. Art. 3. Of the effects of Sin in Hell. Pag. 64. Art. 4. A continuation of the same Subject Pag. 67. The Conclusion of this Article of the pains of Hell. Pag. 75. Art. 5. Of the effects which Sin produces in respect of God himself Pag. 78. Art. 6. Of the effects of Sin in the Person of Jesus Christ Pag. 81. Chap. 12. The practice of Contrition upon the precedent Motives Pag. 87. Chap. 13. Of Examples of Penance taken out of Holy Writ Pag. 89. PART III. OF the Treatise of Penance which is Confession Pag. 97. Chap. 1. Of the Institution and necessity of Confession ibid. Chap. 2. What Sacramental Confession is Pag. 99. Chap. 3. Of the Conditions necessary for a good Confession Pag. 102. Chap. 4. Of the defects in Confession Pag. 104. Chap. 5. Of the Conditions necessary to make the Confession entire Pag. 107. Chap. 6. An observable Advice concerning the Number of Sins Pag. 109. Chap. 7 An observable Advice concerning the Circumstances of Sins Pag. 112. Chap. 8. How great an evil it is to conceal a Mortal Sin in Confession Pag. 115. Chap. 9. Of the Preparation for Confession or the Examen of Conscience Pag. 123. Chap. 10. Of the distinction which must be made betwixt Mortal and Venial Sin. Pag. 126. Chap. 11. Of the Confession of Venial Sins Pag. 128. Chap. 12. Of Interiour and Exteriour Sins or of the Sins of Thought and Action Pag. 132. Chap. 13. Of the Sins of Action and Omission Pag. 134. Chap. 14. Of the Sins of Ignorance Passion and Malice Pag. 136. Art. 1. Of the Sins of Ignorance Pag. 137. Art. 2. Of the Sins of Frailty or of Passion Pag. 139. Art. 3. Of the Sins of Malice Pag. 141. Art. 4. Of the Sins which spring from Vitious Habits Pag. 144. Chap. 15. Of the Sins that are committed by Error or by Doubt Pag. 146. Chap. 16. Of the Sins which we commit in others Pag. 148. PART IV. OF the Treatise of Penance which is of Satisfaction Pag. 151. Chap. 1. What Satisfaction is ibid. Chap. 2. That God pardoning the Sin obliges to a Temporal punishment Pag.
in affairs of greatest importance wherefore as in those occasions every one applies himself seriously and with all his power and useth all imaginable diligence and endeavours that nothing may be wanting which is necessary to compass his design we must do the same in this of Confession where we do not treat of any temporal concern but of the securing our Eternal Salvation by gaining the remission of our Sins a remission which cannot be otherwise obtained but by means of a good Confession To practice well this general rule we must perform these three things First we must pray to Almighty God and beg of him he will vouchsafe his Divine Light whereby we may see our sins this is a means which we must never forget and which we may say is absolutely necessary The heart of man is so secret that he himself oftentimes doth not know himself and none but God can search it to the bottom Our Conscience is sometimes so darkened and so obscured that we are not able to see into it either by means of our memory or knowledge only God by his grace and inward light which he communicates to the Soul is able to dissipate and disperse that darkness which when he doth we easily discover many spots which before we did not see as we see in the rays of the Sun many things which when we had only a lesser light were hidden from our eyes Wherefore Theotime in this preparation you must never desist but continually pray to God for this heavenly light Psal 17.29 Deus meus illumina tenebras meas O my God clear the darkness of my Soul that I may discover my sins Come O Holy Ghost dart me from heaven a ray of thy divine light Secondly you must observe some method in searching out your sins that so you may not forget any the best is to run over in order the Commandments of God and of the Church with the seven Deadly Sins For being every sin is a transgression of the Law of God we cannot more easily fall into the account of the sins we have committed then by running over his Commandments and examining upon every one by it self whether we have transgressed against it in what and how and being one may offend against them not only one but many ways it is necessary that we know the divers Sins which may be committed against each either to learn them by books which treat thereof or by the instruction of some understanding Person We shall set down hereafter an exact Examen Thirdly to make yet better this examen of your Conscience you must retire into your self there to take cognizance of your inclinations your chief passions the Sins which you most ordinarily fall into the occasions you have to offend God the persons you converse with the places you have frequented the affairs you have been concern'd in the particular obligations of your state the omissions you are guilty of and many other such like things If you practise well these three means Theotime you comply with the diligence which God requires at your hands in this preparation but practice them with serenity and quietness of mind without racking or torturing your Soul for disquietness and anxiety of mind are so far from being an help that they are an hindrance to Confession Remember that God requires nothing from you but what you can perform perform it then orderly and faithfully and when you have done concern not your self any more about your examen but beg pardon of God for your Sins CHAP. X. Of the distinction which must be made between Mortal and Venial Sin. IN this examen of Conscience we must not only employ the memory to remember the Sin but also the judgment to discern the quality and grievousness of them it being certain that all Sins are not equal or alike The first and the most signal difference which ought to be observed is that of Mortal and Venial the knowledge of this distinction is absolutely necessary in this place because Mortal Sin depriving us of the grace of God cannot be remitted but by a penitential sorrow it requires an entire Confession a far greater sorrow and another kind of satisfaction then Venial which doth not destroy the grace of God in a Soul may be forgiven without the Sacrament and doth not require necessarily to be Confessed altho' it be always very good to do it That you may understand this difference right you must know That every Sin is a trangression of the Law of God but with this difference that it is sometimes heavy or heinous and sometimes light It is heavy when it is acted in a matter of concern with knowledge and consent It is light when it wants either all or any of these three conditions That is either when the thing it self is light or being heavy is without sufficient consent or with consent but without knowledge of the evil so that it be not an affected wilfull or voluntary ignorance The first is called Mortal taking it's name from it's effect by reason of the death it causeth in the Soul by depriving her of the grace of God which is its Life The second is call'd Venial because offending God but lightly it is more pardonable The heavy Trangression offends God grievously it makes one incurr his displeasure robs the soul of Grace makes it lose the right it had to Heaven which is the inheritance of the Children of God and renders it subject to Eternal Damnation The light Transgression offending God but slightly doth not make the Soul incurr his absolute displeasure but only it causes some small diminution of the love which God hath for her All that which the Scripture says of the ill effects of Sin is to be understood of the first transgression as Jac. 1.15 That it causeth death Isa 59.2 That it sets God and man at a distauce And in a word all that which we have said above in the Second part Chap. 10. And that which the Scripture says that Prov. 24.16 The Just Man falls seven times a day that Jac. 3.2 All of us offend God many ways that 1. Jo. 18. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves Is all to be understood of the Second As these two sorts of sins are much different as well in their weight or enormity as effect so also are they very unlike in their remission for Mortall sin cannot be pardoned but by the Sacrament of Penance or perfect Contrition out of the Sacrament but always with relation to the Sacrament and an obligation to receive it whereas veniall sin may be remitted by the only remorse for having committed it accompanied with a resolution of amendment For this reason in Confession we must take great notice of the Sins which are Mortal or which we believe to be so that we may Confess them exactly and entirely without concealing any deplore them in the sight of God and do the Penance they shall deserve CHAP. XI Of the
them in this or any other occasion but what they are able to perform and that after they have done what morally speaking they are able to remember their Sins they ought to satisfy themselves to declare what they remember and rest in quiet it being most certain that other sins which they have forgot are to be comprehended in that Confession and that they are pardoned them in the absolution they receive This also is a rule of the Holy Church in the Council of Trent which condemns those of impiety who say that the Confession of all their Sins is an impossible thing and a Torture or Hell of the Conscience being it is certain saith the Council that the Church requires no more of the Penitents but that every one after he hath made a carefull Examen and search into the bottom of his Conscience should Confess those Sins which occurr to his memory and that other Sins which notwithstanding such an Examen they do not remember are esteemed generally to be comprehended in the same Confession and it is of these Sins we say to God with the Prophet Cleanse me from my hidden Sins O Lord. Psal 18.13 Those who embrace this maxime of the Church will easily find quiet of mind and banish the difficulties which arise from their Confessions It is true they are still in doubt whether in their Examen they used that diligence which the Church requires We shall tell you hereafter in the ninth Chapter wherein it consists in the mean time I shall mind you of two things here for your comfort The first that this great and obliging diligence reaches only to Mortal Sins As for Venial Sins as we are not in rigour obliged to Confess them so likewise we are not to make such an exact examen of them and as it is an excellent thing to make the best Confession we are able so it is the part of a weak Soul to be troubled with scruples and anxieties of mind The second Advertisement is that when after a serious examen of our Sins we cannot call to mind the number of them as it happens in sins of habit or custom which are frequently committed as ill Thoughts dishonest Words Oaths and the like it is sufficient to discover as near as one can the time since he was first subject to it and in that time to take notice as much as may be how often he may have fallen if he have fallen often as every day every week or otherwise and after one hath declared what he can in this manner he ought not to concern or trouble himself any further CHAP. VII An observable Advice concerning the Circumstances of Sins THE particular accidents which intervene and are not of the substance of a deed but only accompany it are called the circumstance of an action as the quality of the person who sins the place the time the design with which he acted the end which was proposed the means that were made use of the consequence and evil effects of an action as Scandal or the like All which are comprehended in this verse Quis quid ubi quibus auxilij cur quomodo quando Amongst the circumstances there are some which are light which render not an action worse then it is of it self and of these we do not speak There are others that are notorious and which aggravate exceedingly an action and make it more heinous which are those of which we treat in this place Now of these there are two sorts Some which aggravate a Sin to that degree that they change the Species or nature of it thus the circumstance of a Sacred place or a Sacred thing which is stol'n changes the Sin of theft into Sacrilege which is a different Species or sort of Sin. Others aggravate only the sin without changing the Species and are called simply aggravating Circumstances As to the former there is no question but it is necessary to declare them in Confession as we have said above in the fifth Chapter And for the other there are authors who hold one is not in rigour obliged to confess them Altho' this opinion may be true in Speculation yet in practice it is very difficult to make use of it as one ought by reason that it is very hard to discern well the Circumstances which frequently occur And this is the reason why not sticking to this opinion it is necessary that in practice we follow and observe these two Maxims The First that it is always better and more secure to declare in Confession the circumstances which aggravate the Sin. The Second that it happens frequently that one is obliged to declare them as in these following examples 1. When one cannot discern whether a circumstance which one believes to be notorious change the sin or no. And who is it except he be a very understanding person that knows this 2. When it falls out that a circumstance makes a sin to be Mortall which otherwise without it would be but Veniall Thus to steal sixpence is but a Venial sin but to steal sixpence from a poor man that had nothing else to live upon is a Mortall Sin. He who strikes another and does him no hurt commits but a venial sin but if in striking him he had an intention to wound him notoriously he commits a mortall Sin and he ought to declare that intention when he accuseth himself that he hath strook him 3. One is also obliged to tell the aggravating circumstances when it chanceth that a circumstance aggravates a mortall sin not only notably but extreamly and with excess For example A man who hath robbed five pounds hath sinned mortally another who hath stoll'n twenty thousand pounds hath also committed a Mortall sin but imcomparably a greater This excess ought to be expressed in Confession 4. This declaration is ordinarily necessary that the Confessor may understand the grievousness of the sin and the state of the Penitent without which he can neither impose a convenient Penance for the sins past nor prescribe remedies to avoid them for the future In fine to declare ingeniously his sins with all their circumstances is a sign of a sincere and truly penitent heart desirous to cure his Maladies and save his Soul. For this reason Theotime when you accuse your self of a sin explicate distinctly and clearly the circumstances which seem to render it more grievous in the sight of God. For example how you did it whether by passion or malice whether with an intention to hurt another or displease him whether any scandal or any other ill effect followed from the sin whether it was in a holy place or the like And answer always with much sincerity to the questions which your Ghostly Father shall ask you concerning your sins CHAP. VIII How great an evil it is to conceal a Mortal Sin in Confession I Would to God this evil were as rare and unheard of amongst Christians as it is great in it self and of most dreadfull consequence to
Confession of Venial Sins AS for Venial Sins the Council of Trent hath given us two rules to follow The first is that to obtain the remission of them it is not absolutely necessary to Confess them and they may be forgiven by only Contrition and a sorrow for having committed them The reason which the Council of Trent gives is because Venial Sins do not at all destroy Sanctifying grace and so it is not necessary they should come under the Jurisdiction of the Sacrament of Pennance which is Instituted to restore that Grace to those who have lost it The Second rule is that although there be no necessity yet it is very profitable and wholsome to Confess the Venial Sins for many reasons 1. Because by the Sacrament of Penance they are pardon'd both with more certainty and more Grace 2ly By confessing them one learns better to know and correct them 3ly It is a very profitable means to avoid Mortal Sin as well by reason of the Grace which one receives by the Sacrament as also because he that hath a care to cleanse his Soul from lesser Sins will be more solicitous and apprehensive how he falls into greater according to that sentence of our Lord in modico fidelis in majore fidelis erit Luc. 16.10 Now there are two things which are to be observed in the Confession of Venial Sins The first is therein to avoid Scruples and disquiet or anxiety of mind an errour which many commit who examen themselves of their veniall Sins with the same trouble or concern as if they were Mortal and spend so much time in that examination that they think little or nothing of the means how to amend them The Second thing to be observed is that when they confess veniall Sins they always conceive a sorrow for having committed them and make a Resolution to amend them Without these two acts it is to no purpose to confess them they are not forgiven although they receive Absolution of their other Sins whereof they had Contrition Nay and I tell you more that if it happen that one have no other but Veniall Sins to Confess and have not sorrow or remorse for any of them the Absolution would be null and such a person would commit a Sacrilege by reason the Sacrament would want one of its essential parts which is Contrition This is a thing we must have a great care of for it may happen very easily But when I say we must resolve or have a will to amend our Venial Sins I speak of a real and sincere will which may be effectuall and not of a perpetual relapse as it frequently falls out You will say that this is very hard and that it is impossible to be without Venial Sins To this I Answer and it imports you to observe it well viz. That there are three sorts of venial Sins some which proceed from weakness others that are committed by inadvertency and surprize others which we call Sins of Malice that is which spring from our sole will with a perfect knowledge Such are those which are committed on set purpose or by an affected negligence which one will not at all amend or which happen by some tye or irregular affection which he hath to any thing As to the Sins of weakness or surprize it is true we can never be totally exempt from them and for these it sufficeth to have a good will to amend as well as one can But as for Sins which proceed from our will it is in our power to amend and we are strictly obliged to it because they very much displease God and the consequences are extreamly dangerous These Sins Theotime although they seem light produce very ill effects They are light if they be considered each one by themselves but being neglected and multiplyed they become very dangerous They do not destroy Sanctifying Grace but they dispose us very much to lose it All together they do not make a Mortal Sin but they dispose the Soul to fall into it They do not directly cause Death but they cause weakness and maladies which bring Death along with them that is which make us fall into Mortal Sin. In a word although these Sins do not break the league and amity betwixt God and the Soul which is in Grace yet by little and little they diminish it and by this diminution Charity is weakened in us and God also by degrees withdraws the graces and assistances which he vouchsafes us in all our Spiritual necessities And thus having less strength we more easily fall into Mortal Sin when Temptation comes Alas Theotime how many are there who have and dayly do lamentably fall the first source whereof was their neglect in correcting venial Sins Take great care of this resolution to amend them whether it be that you are in the State of Grace that you may conserve it by avoiding these sorts of Sin or you are not lest you make your self more unworthy by your neglect of them CHAP. XII Of Interiour and Exteriour Sins or of the Sins of Thought and Action IT is also very necessary and to be observed in Confession examination of Sins to know that there are Sins that may be committed interiourly or by a voluntary or willing thought only and others which proceed even to the exteriour action Thus to take Pleasure in a thought of revenge or to desire it is an interiour Sin or a Sin of thought actually to put in execution the same revenge is an exteriour Sin or a Sin of action It happens frequently that Penitents who are not well instructed confess exteriour Sins when they have committed them but say nothing of interiour Sins and those of thought when they have not proceeded unto action or effect However it is most certain that interiour Sins are the first Sins and very Criminal in the sight of God and even exteriour Sins are not Sins but because they proceed from the heart that is from the will which is the source of the Good and Evil which we do It is that which causeth all the Evil which is in our Actions and they are not wicked but in as much as they are order'd and consented to by the will. This was the reason why our Saviour said that the heart is the Fountain of all our Sins Mat. 15.18 From the Heart says he come Adultery Fornications Evil Thoughts And the wise man saith Prov. 6.18 that God hath in Abomination the Heart that contrives evil thoughts And in another place Wisd 1.3 that Wicked thoughts seperate us from God. You must have a care then Theotime when you Confess to accuse your self of the Sins of Thought when you have committed them altho' you have not put them in execution nay even when afterward you have retracted them in your heart for this retractation does not hinder the evil from having been consented to in thought and altho' it would have been far greater if you had actually put it in Execution yet however to
Sin with more liberty What is this but wilfully to run into a precipice and shut their eyes that they may cast themselves headlong more freely and without fear As for Passions we must say the same of them as of Ignorance It is true they diminish Sin when they are not voluntary but when one seeks them on design or is pleased to cherish or increase them these are not Sins of Passion but of Malice Now how ordinary is this amongst men He that has a desire of revenge does he not endeavour to nourish his hatred and indignation against his enemy He speaks against him on all occasions and is ravished with delight to hear one speak against him He whose heart is possest with impure love does all he can to cherish it he applies his care and thoughts that way all his Senses are employ'd therein as his Eyes Ears Tongue Touch he loses no occasion he searcheth after them with much care and sollicitude he follows all the motions of his Passion without resistance or any the least constraint upon himself What is this but to Sin on set purpose and malice And thus running over the greatest part of the Sins of men we shall find that they principally spring from the will and men are vicious because they will or have a mind to be so For this reason Theotime do not use to flatter your self in your Sins because you are young do not excuse your self with the ignorance of your youth nor with the passions which push it on remember that often and often again you make your ignorance and passion voluntary or wilfull and that your Sins proceed from the inclination you have to ill which you will not correct and thus the greatest part of your Sins are Sins of Malice ARTICLE IV. Of Sins which spring from a Vicious Habit. I Add here this fourth Article forasmuch as next to ignorance and passion there is another cause which draws the will to Sin and seems to diminish it viz. A vitious habit that is an inclination or facility to fall into a Sin which facility is contracted by often repeated actions of the same Sin for it is the property of actions to produce sutable habits When this habit is strong and inveterate it causes one to fall into Sin without ignorance and without passion witness those who Swear upon all occasions who have their mind always full of evil thoughts who have nothing in their mouth but immodest words and so of others This inclination is sometimes so great that it draws after it a kind of necessity to fall into the evil as St. Augustine says in his Confessions deploring the unfortunate experience he had of it Ex voluntate perversâ facta est libido dum servitur libidini facta est consuetùdo dum consuetudini non resistitur facta est necessitas S. Aug. l. 8. Confes c. 5. The will says he that is once depraved begets an inclination to ill the inclination produces a habit a habit when not resisted brings a necessity Yet this necessity doth not take away the sin because it doth not take away the liberty of the will which is always Mistress of her habit and which by means of grace may overcome it If you ask whether a vitious habit diminish the Sin I answer that of it self it doth not diminish it at all because it was freely contracted by the will and it is in her power to overcome it Hence to judge whether a vicious habit diminish the Sin we must consider how the will behaves her self in respect of the habit that is whether she be displeas'd whether she be afflicted whether she make any endeavours to correct her self and be delivered of it For in this case the habit without doubt lessens the Sin and when one falls therein he is more excusable in the sight of God and if the Sin be Mortal it is less grievous then if it were committed without a habit But if he who hath contracted a vicious habit doth not strive to amend his Sins are nothing less for being committed by a habit and then they are no more sins of frailty but become sins of malice because he willingly nourisheth the cause that produceth them And being he doth not efficaciously desire to correct his vicious habit he is rationally supposed to consent to all the Sins that spring from thence Take good notice of this rule Theotime that you may be able to judge aright of the quality of the Sins which you commit by habit and do not easily excuse your self upon this account They frequently proceed from your own fault and will. CHAP. XV. Of the Sins that are committed by Error or by Doubt THese also are two other Fountains of Sin which are necessary to be known and examined by reason of the great number of Sins that spring from them We call it error in this place when one believes there is a Sin in the action or omission when in reality there is none or that it is a Mortal when it is but a venial Sin. I Enquire whether an action or omission performed in this errour is a Sin without doubt it is and ought to be confessed and one ought to have a diligent care of himself for the future in regard to the like occasions The reason is because Sin consists in the Will and the will acts not but as it is guided by the judgment When the judgment proposes a thing as ill whether it be an action or omission if the Will embraces it she consents to it as bad in as much as she knows no other quality and Sins as if the thing were evil in effect because the sin doth not consist in the effect but in the affection And this is the reason why we say that an erroneous Conscience obliges that is when one believes that it is ill to do or omit an action he is obliged to follow that belief although false till such time as he shall be informed of the truth You must mark this well dear Theotime for two reasons First that you may avoid sinning thus by errour which happens but too often to young people who believe frequently that actions or omissions are sins when they are not yet nevertheless commit them and you ought firmly to hold and follow this rule never to perform an action or omission which you believe to be a Sin. Secondly that you may apply this truth to your Confession in which you ought to examin the Sins you have committed in this errour and to judg of the sins you have committed whether action or omission do not only examin whether it were a Mortal sin in it self or no but whether you did not verily believe it was a mortal sin for then it must be Confesied as if it were a Mortal sin Perhaps you will draw from hence a consequence in your favour If then you will say I judg either an action or omission to be lawfull and exempt from sin altho'
end reade that which hereafter we shall say of it The reading also of good Books is a most powerfull means to conserve and keep us in the straight path of virtue We treated of this in the Instruction of Youth 2d Part. Chap. 16. which I exhort you to read once more upon this occasion All these are general remedies and common to all sort of Sins There are others more particular against each Sin considered in its kind which it would be too long to declare in this place as also it would be useless since we have treated of them elsewhere as for example the remedies against idleness in the 3d. Part. Chap. 7 and against impurity in the 8th and 9th Chap. and in all the 4th Part. Where we have treated of Christian virtues and the means to resist contrary vices A Table of SINS Or An Examen of Conscience upon the Commandments of God's Law and of the Church and upon the Seven Deadly Sins Sin being a transgression against the law of God it follows that to understand well in what one hath sinn'd he must know first what it is that God Commands what that he forbids and to examin his Conscience rightly it is necessary he run over the Commandments of God as they stand in order and see whether and how many ways he hath transgress'd them for we offend God diverse ways This is the reason why I shall digest here the ten Commandments of Gods Law with all the sins that may be committed against each one of them that thence you may take what may concern you And for the greater facility I have for my diversion drawn up into Latin verse the several obligations which each Commandment imports with the transgressions opposed against them I offer them to those who understand and like them others may benefit themselves by the following explication The EXAMEN upon the First Commandment I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other Gods before me Exod. 20. THis Commandment includes the obligations of many virtues viz. of Faith of Hope of Charity of Religion and of the care of our Salvation It obligeth us to believe in God to hope in him to love him above all things give him the worship and honour due to him and to seek after the Salvation of our Soul which he hath created to his own image and likeness to enjoy him for all eternity All these things are comprized in these three verses Credere prima homines sperare amare Deumque Condigno cultu venerari orare Animaeque Aeternam curare jubent mandata salutem Opposite to these are first the Sins against Faith whereof some totally destroy it others offend against it in a high degree I st a fidem sanctam laedunt perimuntque nefanda 1. Ignorare fidem 2. dubiis aperire vagantem Incertumque animum 3. graviter qui his fixus adhaeret Ille fidem violat 4. gravius qui mente superba Eligit ipse sibi quod credat vel neget 5. inde Omnia blasphemo qui pernegat impius ore Sancta nil credens nisi quod tangitque videtque 6. Qui favet his vel facta probat 7. consortia quaerit 8. Dicta librosque legens avido bibit ore venena 9. Alta Dei nimio scrutans temerarius ausu Quae penetrare nefas homini mysteria 10. ridens Sacratos ritus 11. divinaque verba retorquens Ad pravos sensus miscens sacra profanis 12. Quique futurorum vult nosce recondita servat Quae Deus ipse sibi vel facta obscura requirit Artibus illicitis observans somnia vel quae Caeca superstitio Cacodaemonis arte maligna Reperit ut noceat prosit ve aut clausa recludat 1. The first sin against Faith is that of Ignorance when one is ignorant of what he is obliged to know To be ignorant of the four principall Mysteries without the express belief whereof we cannot be saved viz. the Unity of one God the Trinity of Persons the Incarnation of the Second Person for the Redemption of mankind and life everlasting To be ignorant of the Apostles Creed or not to know the sense and meaning of it as far as ones capacity and the means he hath to be instructed will permit To be ignorant of the Sacraments and particularly of those which one either hath or ought to receive Not to know the Comandments of God and the Church All these ignorances ordinarily speaking are mortal Sins wherefore one ought carefully to examin himself and reflect well whether he hath sought the means to be instructed as Catechisms Sermons reading and the like 2. The Second Sin against Faith is a doubt of the truth of any of the points of Faith. It happens sometimes against our will and then it is either none or at least not a Mortall Sin but perhaps some venial negligence But if it be voluntary it is a Mortall Sin and this in two cases 1st When one either seeks it or willingly gives some occasion of it as by reading ill Books by discoursing too freely concerning matters of faith by examining them with too much curiosity by giving himself too much liberty to judg of them according to humane reason 2ly This doubt is voluntary when one willingly detains himself in it and gives his consent unto it 3. The Third is the Sin of Error that is when from a doubt one proceeds to affirm and positively believe something contrary to the receiv'd Doctrine of the Church altho' it be but in one single article and such a belief is always a mortal Sin and if one maintain it obstinately without submitting himself to the Church it is Heresy whereof we are going about to speak 4. The Fourth Sin is Heresy That is an error in any point of faith maintain'd with obstinacy wherein one follows his own judgment in opposition to that of the Church and chooseth in points of Religion the things which he is willing to believe or to deny whence it is called Heresy that is to say a choice 5. The Fifth is Impiety which is different from heresy in this that Heresy will believe some truths but not all But Impiety denys all and believes nothing You ought Theotime to examin your self very strictly whether you have fallen into any of these Sins and if you have perform yet some more strict and severer Penance But above all communicate your thoughts with some learned and Pious person who may restore you to your self and put you in the right way 6. The sixth Sin against Faith is to favour Hereticks or Impious men as in supporting and approving what they do 7. The Seventh is to be pleased with their Company and discourse to continue therein with danger of embracing their opinions 8. The Eighth is to read their Books whether with pleasure or danger 9. The Ninth is the Sin of Curiosity to examin the Misteries of Faith or the Secrets of divine Providence by pure humane reason which leads ordinarily
defamation This is ordinarily a mortall Sin and 〈◊〉 it obliges to a restitution of the honour 〈◊〉 thereby he hath taken from his neighbour and when one confesses himself of it he ought to declare the quality of the crime which he either impos'd upon him or revealed that also of the person whom he spoke ill of whether it were in presence of many persons and how often the intention with which he spoke it whether it were out of lightness and indiscretion or out of aversion or envy in which case the Sin is much greater III. The 3. Species is Lying which is not to tell a thing that is false as the vulgar think but to speak a thing which we judge to be otherwise then we say It is always a Sin either mortall or veniall It is a veniall Sin when it brings no considerable damage neither to him that tells it nor to others Yet it is to be observed that it is a very dangerous thing to accustome ones self unto it and to get a habit of it for the reasons we alledg'd in the Instruction of Youth part 4. capt 11. But we must have a care not to confess by custome only without a resolution to amend as it often happens A Lye is a mortall Sin when it is told in things of great moment when it either prejudices our neighbour in an high degree or him that tells it Whether in Soul or Body whether in honour or goods is a point which deserves a strict examen IV. The 4th Species is Hypocrisy which is a continuall lye and dissembling to the end to appear otherwise then one is Concerning 〈◊〉 he must examen the actions he hath 〈…〉 the words he hath spoken with that intent Whether one hath endeavoured to be esteemed good and virtuous whether one hath performed acts of piety with a design to appear so and be so esteemed whether one hath discoursed upon matters of devotion mov'd with that consideration and such like things The EXAMEN upon the Nineth and Tenth Commandment Thou shalt not desire thy Neighbours Wife Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Goods THese two Commandments prohibit us to covet any of those things which are forbidden by the 6. 7. to teach us that it is not sufficient to abstain from the evil action but we must also put a curb on our desires to do it One ought to examine ones self diligently in this point But being we have already plac't such Sins as occur against these in the examen upon those two Commandments we shall say no more of them in this place Fraternis inhiare bonis thalamisque pudicis Bina vetant sacram claudentia jussa tabellam The EXAMEN upon the Precepts of the Church 1. TO keep certain appointed days holy which obligation chiefly consists in hearing of Mass and resting from all servill work 2. To observe the commanded days of Fast and Abstinence 3. To pay Tithes to your Pastor 4. To confess your Sins to your Pastor at least once a year 5. To receive the Blessed Sacrament and that at Easter or thereabout One is obliged to all these Commandments under the pain of mortall sin Except necessity or some great reason excuse it It is easy to make an examen upon them wherefore we shall proceed Has quoque divinis placitis Ecclesia leges Subjunxit 1. Sancte ut celebrent pia festa Fideles Adsint sacris dum mystica sistitur uris Victima praesentemque Deum venerentur orent 2. Carnibus abstineant vetitis 3. jejunia servent Temporibus praescripta suis sanctisque diebus Quadraginta quibus Mater bene provida culpas Emendare Deumque jubet placare precando 4. Inde sacerdoti pandentes crimina sordes Abstergant mentis fletu sanctoque labore 5. Et cum mactandi Paschae veneranda recurrunt Tempora coelestis mundato pectore carnes Excipiant agni sacrasque epulentur ad aras Dum mundis animo mortali carne solutis Aeternum dabitur caelesti accumbere mensae The EXAMEN upon the Seven Deadly Sins THey are called so because they are the head or source from whence all other Sins do spring They are seven in all viz. Pride Covetousness Luxury Gluttony Envy Sloth and Anger We shall explain them in this order as they lie Ambitione tumens auri quem dira cupido Exagitat Veneri vel ventri deditus Inde Segnities quem frangit iners vel livor adurit Iraque praecipitat Septem capitalibus ille Vrgetur vitiis scelus hinc ruiturus in omne Of the Sin of Pride IT is a Sin which we little reflect on in our selves yet very common Many fall into it and often but few perceive it and fewer yet Confess it Behold them here in their different ranks in vast numbers and which deserve to be well examined Effigiem mentis veram dant ista superbae Sum vanus jactans tumidusque mihi arrogo multa Ambio praesumo sperno nec pareo jussis Errata agnosco nunquam Dehinc corripientem Contemnens mores durata fronte recuso Emendare malos Tumidus measensa tenaci Mente sequor semper discors hypocrita mendax Noxia scire volo nulli benefacta rependo Hanc gignit viciis foecunda superbia prolem Pride is an esteem which one hath of himself and a desire to be esteemed by others The goods which one either hath or believes he hath are the ground-work and Foundation of this Esteem as the goods of Fortune Riches Honours Dignities or the goods of the Body as Strength Beauty a good Grace good Cloaths or the goods of the Mind as Knowledge Prudence and Virtue This esteem together with proper love produceth a vast number of ill effects which are so many Sins of Pride The First is Vain Glory which values it self and desires to be esteemed by others for the goods one either hath not or those he hath but do not at all deserve to be esteemed as Beauty Cloaths Riches whence it derives its name vain or Vanity The Second is Boasting when one seeks to publish or as it were proclaim the goods he is endowed with to the end he may be the more esteemed The Third is the Pride which is called the swelling or puffing up of the Mind when one prizes himself excessively for the goods which he believes himself Possessor of and wherein he thinks he considerably surpasses others The 4th is Arrogance when one attributes to himself the goods he hath not or those which he hath but do not spring from us but from God or even from another who hath bestowed them on us when one requires the Honour and Respect which is not due to him when one believes himself to be the Author of a favour which one hath done him or which one hath received from him and doth not give the Glory of all to God. The 5th is Presumption when one hath too good a conceit of himself and believes himself capable of the things which are beyond his reach
the crimes that caused them and have recourse to God for our deliverance but they ought not to serve as a motive to detest our sins because that would be only a pure natural sorrow which avails nothing to restore us unto the grace of God. We must have a higher motive and returning to God by afflictions detest our sins by reason of the danger to which they exposed our Eternal Salvation or the honour of God which they have infinitely offended Whosoever hath not these motives in view or one of them hath not the Contrition which disposes to grace In the third place we have said that Contrition must not be only supernatural but also Sovereign that is most powerfull The meaning hereof is that it doth not suffice to detest sin upon a supernatural motive but that this motive should over-rule and keep above the other which come into our mind so that we should rather detest the sin by reason of the damage it brings to our Salvation or the injury done to God then for any natural evils it may produce and be resolved to suffer them all rather then commit one Mortal sin This is what Divines call detesting sin supra omne detestabile that is above all that which in the world may stir up our hatred and detestation And the reason is most clear because sin is the Sovereign evil and the greatest of all evils For if we consider the offence there is none more heinous then that which it commits against God and if we cast our eye upon the punishment there is none more Dreadfull This is the reason why one cannot detest it sufficiently but by detesting it above all naturall misfortunes Herein yet we must mark well that this greater detestation doth not consist in being more sensible more lively or more vehement then the hate and detestation of other evils because that is not necessary nor always in our power but this is to be understood of the esteem or judgment which we make of Sin accounting it really the greatest of all evils as in effect it is and detesting it in this quality above all others and purposing firmly not to commit it any more upon any account whatsoever But we are yet to observe that to have that detestation of Sin above all evils in our heart it is not at all necessary that every evil in particular should be proposed as Death Torments Infamy and the like but it suffices that they should be proposed in general Likewise it is not convenient they should be propos'd severally lest their representation should make the mind to waver in its Resolution or make resolutions lightly and with presumption of its own forces which would not be perform'd when occasions were offered as it happened to St. Peter It is sufficient to esteem Sin the greatest of all evils which can ever befall us To hate and detest it as such to make a new resolution not to commit it any more but rather to undergo whatever misfortune may happen to us trusting in the mercy of God and hoping he will either free us from those mischiefs or that he will give us strength to support them by his Grace then offend him The 4th condition of Contrition is that it must be Universal in respect of all Mortal Sins that is by it we must detest all without excepting any and have a resolution never more to commit any one mortal Sin. The Holy Ghost pointed at this Condition when he said that we must do Penance for all the Sins we have committed If the Sinner shall do Penance for all his Sins he shall Live. Ezech. 18. We must convert our selves to God with all our hearts that is the heart must totally be offered to God and not divided so as to give one part to God and the other to Sin. Their hearts says he elsewhere are divided therefore shall they dye Hosea 10. The reason is evident because Mortal Sins cannot be remitted but altogether not one without the rest Man cannot reserve in his heart an affection to any one Mortal Sin but he will of necessity incur the hatred and displeasure of God. The Contrition which one may think he hath of other Sins if yet he affect any cannot justify him in the sight of God for it is absolutely false and imaginary because if he really hates any he hates all Sins there not being any one which doth not cause his damnation and infinitely offend God. Hence it is that those deceive themselves who pretend to do Penance and yet refuse to pardon injuries or to be reconciled to their Enemies those also who will not restore the goods they have unjustly gotten and those who are careless in avoiding the immediate occasions of Sin and such other like In a word all those whosoever they be that have any willfull tye upon them to any particular Sin which yet they are not fully resolved to break asunder are imaginary but not true Penitents CHAP. V. Of perfect and imperfect Contrition THis distinction is grounded upon that which we said even now of the two sorts of evils which are found in Sin to wit the one of the injury done to God and the other of the damage which thereby we bring to our own Souls When we hate Sin by reason of the Supernaturall goods which it deprives us of as of the Grace of God and Life eternal or because of the Punishment it draws upon us from Almighty God it is an act of Contrition but an imperfect one by reason we consider nothing in it so much as our own Interest and this act is called Attrition But when above this motive we raise our thoughts higher and hate Sin by reason it is an affront to the supreme goodness of God which deserves to be beloved above all things which we ought to affect more then our selves and which we are obliged to love altho' there were neither Paradice nor Hell it is an act of perfect Contrition which proceeds from Charity and the pure love of God. The first Contrition is good and profitable it is supernatural by reason of its motive and because it is an effect of the inspiration of the Holy Ghost but it doth not restore man unto Grace except it be assisted by the Sacrament because it is not of it self without the assistance of the Sacrament an act of Charity which can justify but only an act of the Virtue of Hope which is not able to confer Grace The Second is excellent and perfect and restores the Soul to the grace of God even before the receiving of the Sacrament but not without respect to the Sacrament because it includes a will or disposition of mind to receive it when occasion serves In either of them both there is a fear and love of God but differently For in Attrition there is a servile fear and an imperfect love which makes us only regard our own advantage In Contrition there is a filial fear and a perfect love or Charity
have only desired it ceaseth not to be very heinous Now I would have you observe that there are three degrees in these Sins of thought The first is Complacence the second Desire and the Third the Resolution Complacence in an evil thought is a Mortall Sin if it be voluntary or or with a willing mind and if the thing one thinks on be in it self a Mortall Sin as an impure Action a Notorious Revenge or the like The Desire which frequently follows the Complacence is also a Mortal Sin in the two Circumstances above-mention'd when it is carried away voluntarily to an evil thing and we see it is forbidden by the two last Commandments of the law of God. Now if you would know what is meant by a desire Desire is a Conditional will or a will to do the evil if it lay in our power and if we had an occasion The Resolution to do the evil is also a Mortall Sin and greater then the other two and must be confessed altho' it were not put in Execution and even altho' he have retracted and changed his resolution as we said before CHAP. XIII Of the Sin of Action and of Omission THis difference of Sins is also very necessary to be known as well for Confession as for the Conduct of a Christian Life Sins that consist in Action are easily known confess'd and avoided but Sins of Omission are hardly understood seldom Confessed and scarcely avoided being it is hard to know when one is wanting to this obligation Yet this Sin is often as great as that of action and a man shall be Damned for not doing that which he is obliged to do as soon as he that commits the evil which is forbidden him For the Law of God Theotime whereof Sin is a transgression doth not only forbid evil but also commands good There are some of these precepts which are negative and forbid evil as those Thou shalt not Kill Thou shalt not Steal and others are conceived in positive terms and command some good as those Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Keep holy the Sabboth day Each Commandment in reality is both positive and negative for those which command a good forbid the opposit evil and those that prohibit an evil command the contrary good For example the precept which commands us to love God forbids us to do any thing that displeases him And the Commandment that prohibits us from robbing obligeth us to make restitution of the goods to him whom we had robbed and thus of others And there is never a Commandment against which one may not Sin both by Commission and Omission This being so it is of great concern when one is to go to Confession that he examen himself of the Sins of Omission as well as those of Action and that he accuse himself not only of evil actions which he hath done but also of the good works he has not done when he was obliged In the examen which we shall give you hereafter we shall put the Sins of Omission together with the others upon every one of the Commandments of God. But chiefly we must examen carefully these Sins of Omission when we search into the Sins which belong particularly to our state For each state and condition hath peculiar obligations against which one Sins very frequently by notorious Omissions which are very great Sins and which are not always observed as they should be by those who often fall into them From hence it is that we do not amend them and that at the hour of Death we find our selves far more charged with Sins then ever we imagined during our life CHAP. XIV Of the Sins of Ignorance Passion and Malice I add here also this distinction or these several branches of Sins because they conduce very much toward the making us understand the quality of them and how to form a better judgment of their enormity This distinction springs from the Nature of Sin which is a voluntary and free action As it is voluntary it must be perform'd knowingly as it is free it must be done in such a manner that the will might not have done it Knowledge is hindred by Ignorance the power not to do it is hindred by Passions which carry the will on to do evil or withdraw it from good I say hindred that is either diminished or totally taken away When Knowledge is wanting it is a Sin of Ignorance when the power not to do it is hindred by Passion it is a Sin of Passion but when we are free both from the one and the other Passion as well as Ignorance then it is a Sin which proceeds from the will alone and is called a Sin of Malice that is of the will acting with full knowledge and of her own accord without being push'd on or retained by any Passion It imports you much that you should be well instructed in this Point Theotime because the greatest part of the world excuse their Sins either upon account of their ignorance or weakness which is but too ordinary amongst young people It is true there is sometimes ignorance or passion found in their Sins but they must not excuse themselves for that for I shall make it out that neither Ignorance nor Passion do allways diminish them and that the greatest part of their Sins are Sins of Malice And for the greater facility we shall divide this Chapter into Articles ARTICLE I. Of the Sins of Ignorance IT is call'd a Sin of ignorance which one hath committed for want of sufficient knowledge either of the action that he hath done or of the evil which there is in such an action Ignorance of the action is called ignorance of the Fact. Ignorance of the evil which is in the action is called ignorance of the Law of which we may be ignorant two ways either totally or in part Totally when we believe there is no ill in the action in part when we believe indeed there is some but not so much evil in it as in effect there is Either of these ignorances may happen two ways either by our fault and our will or without any fault or will on our side It happens by our fault when we are willing to be ignorant of a thing whether expressly and on set purpose or implicitly by a certain affected negligence willfully neglecting to learn what we do not know It happens without any fault of ours when there is neither an express will nor any notorious negligence on our part and it doth not belong to us to know it or to be instructed in it This being supposed it is easy to tell when it is that ignorance diminisheth the Sin when that it takes it away totally and when not at all First when ignorance doth not proceed at all from our fault neither directly nor indirectly it is certain it takes away the Sin totally and that the action which we do is not a Sin the reason is because there is no Sin without a
to the performance of the Penance it ought to be exact and faithfully complied with there is an obligation to discharge ones self of this Duty First because it is a part and belongs to the perfection of the Sacrament 2ly because it is enjoyn'd by an authority which hath power to oblige since God hath declared that to be bound in Heaven which the Priest binds upon Earth 3ly because it is in vertue of that acceptance one receives absolution There is then an obligation of complying with that penance which one hath accepted and he who on set purpose or by willfull negligence fails to perform it commits a Sin and an offence against God and this more or less greivously according as the omission is more or less considerable for if it be but a slight omission it is but a venial Sin but if it be a notorious omission as of the whole penance or the greatest part of it it may be a mortal Sin which is to be understood if the Penance was enjoyn'd in satisfaction for a Mortal Sin. Acquit your self then faithfully Theotime of your Penance as obeying God in the person of your Confessour discharge your self of the promise you have made him and compleat the Sacrament But remember to perform it willingly devoutly and secretly Willingly to avoid the fault which those commit who never perform it but with pain and trouble whereby they loose the greatest part of the merit they might otherwise have It is a strange thing that men should run after Sin with so much earnestness and pleasure and should have such an Aversion and Horrour against Penance which is a remedy against it And this is the complaint which Tertullian makes of his time Nauseabit ad antidotum qui hiavit ad venenum We nauseate the Remedy and love the Poyson Perform it also devoutly but especially with a true Spirit of repentance and an acknowledgment that it is a certain satisfaction you make to God for the injury you have done him by your Sins Place them always before your eyes deplore them as David did iniquicatem meam ego cognosco peccatum meum contra me est semper Psal 50.4 In fine perform your Penance secretly if it be great and if it be given you for great Sins but which are altogether unknown to those amongst whom you live that you may neither scandalise any one nor defame your self It was for these two reasons we said in the precedent Chapter that the Preist ought to enjoyn such a penance that may be secretly comply'd with when the Sins are wholly secret and the Penitent also must keep his Penance secret that he may avoid the same inconveniences And yet this is a thing wherein Penitents and particularly young people are frequently faulty declaring indiscreetly their penances to others which cannot but be of very ill consequence when their penances are signall and notorious If the penance be enjoyn'd you for Sins that are known to others as you ought not to affect to publish it so neither ought you to avoid the making of it known being it may serve for the edification of others and satisfy for the scandal which your Sins have caused CHAP. VII Of the Works which may be enjoyn'd for Penance THe most ordinary works of Penance are prayer fasting almsdeeds and whatsoever may have a relation to any of these three such as in respect of Prayer are reading pious books Meditation Confession hearing Mass In respect of fasting all the Mortifications of the body Labour retrenching our selves even of lawfull Pleasures Abstinence from things either Hurtfull or Dangerous In regard of Alms all the Helps and Assistances one can give to their Neighbour These three sorts of works are very proper for Penance and agree with it admirably well For first by these three works we submit to God all the goods which we possess the goods of the Mind those of the Body and of Fortune The goods of the mind by Prayer which subjects the Spirit to God those of the Body by Fasting and other Mortifications and those of Fortune by Almsdeeds Secondly because almost all our Sins consist in the abuse of some of these three things Pride proceeds from the abuse of the goods or advantages of the mind Luxury from those of the goods of the Body and from the abuse of our Riches proceeds Covetousness We repair that abuse by the three above-mentioned works Prayer humbles the mind Fasting tames the body and Alms makes good use of Riches These three works are highly praised and commended in the Scripture as having a wonderfull force to appease Gods anger after Sin and obtain of him all manner of favours It is said of prayers Judith 9.16 That the Prayers of the humble and good have always been pleasing to God. Eccle. 35.21 That the Prayer of him that humbles himself penetrates the Clouds Peircing as I may say the Heavens to mount to the Divine Throne and make it self be understood and graciously heard This made St. Augustine say that it is the same for Prayer to ascend unto Heaven as for Mercy to descend from thence Ascendit Oratio descendit miseratio And he adds elsewhere thâ—t to make Prayer mount more easily up to Heaven it is good to give it two wings viz. Fasting and Alms. As for Fasting it is said Tob. 12.8 That Prayer is good with Fasting That the Fasting and Penance of the Ninevites appeased Gods wrath against them When God exhorts his People to penance he assignes fasting as one of the most efficacious means Convert your selves to me in Fasting Tears and Lamentations Joel 2.13 And as for Alms it is said Tob. 4.11 That it delivers from Sin and Death And that it will not permit that the Soul which gives it should be lost That Dan. 4.24 by it we must redeem our Sins That Eccl. 29.15 we must hide our almes in the bosome of the poor and it will Pray and obtain of God an exemption from all evil for him that does it There is a great number of other passages in the Holy Scripture to shew how powerfull these three works are to obtain the mercy of God and remission of Sins These three works have each of them three singular qualities which render them more amiable and commend them to our more frequent practise For they are Satisfactory Meritorious and impetratorious They are Satisfactorious in respect of the temporal punishment by reason of the trouble which they give of Sins past either to the Body or Mind and by these pains or trouble willingly undergone one Satisfies for the punishments which are due to the Sins he hath committed They are meritorious in respect of grace and glory which is common to all good works performed in the state of Sanctifying grace They are impetratorious that is they have a particular vertue whereby to obtain of God the favours which we demand and that according to the intention of those who do them and by how much better that
he tells you that he is truly sorry that he hath offended God and promises to amend He often indeed speaks these words but they come not from his heart Or if they proceed from a sense of his Sins it is but lightly and by way of habit without having seriously thought of his amendment He believes he hath contrition but hath it not This is what happens frequently and then the Confessor cannot give absolution without putting himself in danger to commit a Secrilege He ought to defer it and give time to his Penitent to think as he ought of his amendment and render himself a subject worthy of Absolution This procedure surprises the Penitents when they find the Confessors treat them as they are obliged to do but these are in name only and not Penitents in effect who believe that Confession consists only in a declaration of their Sins and that when once they have declared them they have a right to receive Absolution and to oblige the Confessor to it They will be believed upon their single word when they say they are truly sorry for their Sins and that they will not commit them any more for the future although in their former Confessions they have always said the same and without effect These Penitents most grossly deceive themselves For they will judge their judges and teach their Physitians It belongs to the Confessor to judg of the state of the Penitent and see whether he be sufficiently disposed to receive absolution and whether or no he can securely give it This care is his duty as being oliged to give an account of this his function in the presence of Almighty God. It is the Bloud of the Son of God which he applys in the Sacrament and God will require an exact and rigourous account of him if he did distribute it to those that are unworthy of it Now judge Theotime whether the Penitent be not very unreasonable who would oblige his Confessor to give him Absolution when he the Confessor either doth not find him at all duly disposed or hath good grounds to doubt whether he be worthy of it Is not this to go about to damn himself and his Confessor too But if the Penitent be blamable in this occasion the Confessor is much more in fault when he yields so easily to the importunities of his Penitent as to give him a doubtfull absolution and which may be rather hurtfull then profitable to him He ought to remember that there are some cruel mercies hurtfull both to those to whom they are shewn and to those who shew them and that the good Physitian doth not desist from applying his remedies when he judges them necessary notwithstanding all the opposition his Patient makes He lets him cry out and complain being assured that what he does is necessary for the Patient who when he shall have recovered his health will not only be well contented to have suffered but also acknowledge the kindness his Physitian did him Saint Augustin says excellently well upon this Subject Epist ad Vincent He is not always a Friend who spares or is favourable to us nor he always an Enemy who chastizeth the Physitian who commands a Lunatick to be bound and awakes one in a Lethargy is troublesome to them both but it is because he loves them and by tormenting them he cures them The one and the other as long as they are sick are angry with him but as soon as they are cured they hold themselves much obliged to him for that he did not spare them Ambobus molestus ambos amat ambos sanat Ambo quamdiu aegri sunt indignantur sed ambo sani gratulantur It is true that a Confessor ought so to employ his Resolution as not to forget his sweet and obliging mildness but that he ought as much as possible to make the Penitent approve of what he ordains sweetening all things by the testimony of his affection and convincing him that what he advises is to acquit himself of his obligation and for the Salvation of his Soul. This is the Oyle of the Gospel Luc. 34. which he must employ with the Wine when he dresses the wounds of others Consciences endeavouring by Charity to sweeten the sharpest remedies which he is obliged to use therein Behold here the first good which the Confessor ought to have in view viz. to secure the Sacrament and to restore the Penitent to the grace of God. But yet there is a second which he is obliged also as far as he is able to procure viz. the amendment of the Penitent The Cure is good for nothing which is followed by a Relapse and the Physitian who is not concerned to prevent it complies but with half his duty and becomes himself guilty of the harm into which the sick man falls again and even of death it self if it befall him This is the reason why the Confessor is obliged not only to advertise the Penitent not to return to his Sins but also to shew him the means how to avoid them and to engage him to put them in execution These means are Penance Prayer satisfactory Works as Fasting Alms-deeds Mortification and others which we have handled above in the Fourth Part and whereof we shall yet speak in the following Chapter To which may be added certain conditional Penances that is some painfull things to be performed or suffered by the Penitent in case he return again unto his Sins and as often as he shall relapse therein as to Fast to give Alms or some other painfull work for each relapse The apprehensions of these sort of Punishments serve frequently as a Bridle to with-hold the Penitents when they are tempted to offend God. And lastly the deferring of Absolution when the Penitent doth not at all correct himself is frequently a very good remedy to make him amend his Life This makes the Penitent think seriously of amendment and labour to reform his Vices which make him unworthy of so great a good and punctually to comply with all that he the Confessor shall ordain him to the end he may be worthy This means ought to be applied with much Prudence and especially it behoveth the Confessor to make a vast distinction between Penitents who relapse into their Sins through frailty and those who return through malice that is to say either on set purpose or through an affected negligence He will know the former when he shall find that they are extreamly troubled to see themselves subject to those relapses that they use all their endeavours to abstain from Sin that they practice what means their Confessor appoints them And towards these he must use a far greater sweetness support their weakness Absolve them more easily seeing they continue to labour on their part to amend their Lives The latter are those who not only continue in their wickedness but do either nothing at all or very little to refrain from their Sins And towards these one must use more severity And as
words it follows that the flesh of the Son of God as a Divine nourishment works in the Soul of the worthy receiver the same effects Spiritually which the best Corporal nourishment produceth corporally in the body of those who take it Now the effects of corporal nourishment are four or five 1. It conserves life 2. It makes one grow or encrease 3. It fortifies us 4. It preserves us against distempers Infine it gives us strength to be able to labour and to comply with all our respective duties By these we may judge of the effects of the Holy Eucharist The first is to conserve Grace which is the life of the Soul and therefore it is called the Bread of Life the Bread which gives Life unto the World. The Second is to augment the same grace and encrease the Christian Virtues Faith Hope and Charity This effect however it be common to all the Sacraments yet it is more peculiar to this as being more particularly instituted for the nourishment of the Soul and to make us increase and proceed from Virtue to Virtue till we come to the house of God. The third is to strengthen us against sin and the temptations which incline that way hence the Councill of Trent affirm'd Sess 13. c. 2. that this Sacrament is a preservative against Mortal and a remedy against Venial Sin. The fourth effect is that it heals the distempers that is the passions and disorderly affections of the Soul. It weakens concupiscence or gives new strength to overcome it It diminishes Choler Envy Pride and other Vices as St. Bernard Serm. de Coena Domini excellently well observes If any one says he does not find so frequent or so violent motions of Anger Envy Impurity or of other like passions let him give thanks to the body and blood of our Lord for it is the vertue of the Sacrament which produces in him these effects and let him rejoyce that the worst of Vlcers begin to heal Lastly the Holy Eucharist gives perseverance in the grace of God and in the way of Salvation in the midst of the various imminent dangers which we encounter in this Life and particularly when we draw near death whence it was given sometimes to Martyrs when they were ready to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ and the Church always takes care to Communicate the sick when they are in danger of Death that so they may be Strengthened in that dangerous passage and happily arrive at the haven of Salvation by means of this divine nourishment then called the Viaticum which is as much as to say the Provision for that voiage All these admirable effects evidently prove the greatness and excellence of this divine Sacrament and ought effectually to move us frequently to approach unto it and not neglect so many and so signal favours as God there presents unto us Yet we are to take notice that it doth not produce these Effects except in such persons as are rightly disposed to receive it as it deserves Of these dispositions we will now discourse ARTICLE IV. Of the dispositions required to Communicate well and as we ought WE shall inferr the dispositions from the same principle from which we gathered the effects viz. from the nature of the nourishment and Spiritual food we receive in the Holy Euchrist and as it produces the same effects in the Soul that food doth into the Body so also it requives proportionable dispositions in the Soul that nourishment doth to be beneficial to the Body Now Corporall nourishment we know requires three dispositions Life Health Action for a dead body is uncapable to be nourished an infirm Stomack can never make a good digestion nor is it possible to convert the food into our substance except that health be accompanied with our action which is the reason that the body to be nourished requires to be alive to be sound and well and to have an action of its own Thus the Eucharist that Celestiall food requires three dispositions in the Soul and without them it doth no good but harm The first is Sanctifying Grace which is the life of the Soul as mortall Sin is the death incompatible with it depriving us of this Supernatural life of the Soul Without this life the Soul not only receives no benefit from Communion but suffers also much detriment from this holy Table inofmuch as she becomes guilty of a new mortall Sin a Sacriledge which she commits by inviting the Authour of Life into the habitation of Death the author of Light into the place of Darkness and Jesus Christ into the company of the Devil This made St. Paul 1 Cor. 21.28 advertise all Communicants to examen themselves well when they approach to this holy table because saith the Apostle he who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself The Second disposition is the interiour Health of the Soul which requires 1st that she be free from any affection to veniall Sin. 2ly that she be not actually moved either with Passions or Affections which may hinder her in her application and address to Jesus Christ And altho' these defects do not render the Communicant absolutely unworthy or the Communion Sacrilegious yet they cause very ill effects and considerably diminish the fruits which otherwise it would produce They hinder the Soul from digesting this sacred food by good thoughts and holy affections And as nutriment which lies indigested upon the Stomack begets crudities and causes Sickness in the body so this divine sustenance by means of these indispositions becomes prejudicial to the Soul. Thereby we contract tepidity and coldness in devotion Charity and other Virtues are considerably diminish'd our good actions weak and feeble our selves by degrees insensible of all good things which conduce to Piety And thus by degrees at last we are often brought into mortall Sin. The Third disposition is Action that is actual devotion To receive the fruits of this Sacrament it is not sufficient that we be not indisposed or that we do not put any obstacle to its effects it is necessary also that in this so religious an action wherein we receive the Holy of Holys and the Author of Holiness it self we concur with dispositions of our own which consist in the practice of Christian Virtues Of which we shall speak below in the Second Part of this Instruction ARTICLE V. Of an Vnworthy Communion AN ancient Lawgiver being ask'd why he had made no Laws against Paricides made answer because he esteemed that crime impossible that there could not be found Children so degenerate and unnaturall as to attempt the life of their own Parents I would to God we could say the same with truth in the point of Instruction concerning unworthy Communion or that we could truly say that it is not necessary to advertise Christians to avoid that so horrid Sacriledge because it is impossible for a man professing himself a Christian ever to be guilty of so enormous a crime against