that afperfion; for the Council at the fame time injoins all paftors to instruct their people diligently in their vulgar tongue, in every point of the liturgy: Is this keeping them in ignorance? Thus the illiterate receive no prejudice by the liturgy being celebrated in the Latin tongue, they being well inftructed in the meaning thereof, by their paftors, and by many excellent writings publifhed for that purpofe. They are taught that the prieft at the altar, by the inftitution of Chrift, is offering facrifice for them, and that the facrifice is propitiatory both for the living and the dead: 'Tis fufficient that they join with him by consent and devotion, tho' they neither understand, nor fo much as hear the words of the canon, or offering; which by the rituals of all the liturgies both of the Eastern and Western Church, is ordered to be recited in fecret by the priest that officiates, as being his proper office. And as in the time of the old law it was fufficient for the people who stood out of the temple, andwere out of the fight and hearing of the priest that offered the facrifice, (Luke. i. 10.) fufficient, I fay, for them to know that he was offering facrifice for them, and to join in heart and intention with him; fo now it fuffices for the Chriftian people to be present with devotion, and join with the offering by confent, tho' they neither fee nor hear the prieft at the altar, which must be commonly the case, especially in all great Churches. Even the deaf, blind, and dumb, may be made fenfible of what is doing for them in the divine fervice. As to the other parts of the divine office of the Church in Latin, what offence can it give? Seeing the people at the fame time pray in a language which they underftand, and the priest prays for them in a language which he understands: Yet even herein the people may join by their devotion, as they well know the the Church office confifts of pfalms, and hymns, and other most devout prayers: And if the effence of prayer is an elevation of the heart and mind to God; no one, I think, need be afraid of glorifying God by joining in the divine office, tho' he understands not the language.---So thofe religious communities of women repeating the divine office in Latin, tho' many of them understand not the language perfectly, I doubt not, receive great benefit by joining with the choirs of the Church, and the choirs of Angels in praifing God, who does not so much regard the mouth as the heart and intention. He is more honoured by the heart than the lips.---As to inftructions, fermons, exhortations; thefe throughout the whole Catolick Church, are always delivered in the vulgar tongue of every country. EXHORTATION. As you are fufficiently inftructed and understand the meaning of the divine facrifice, which is offered to God in all places, as the prophet Malachy foretold; join daily with the prieft in commemorating the death and paffion of our Lord. Reflect well on what he suffered for you in the garden; in the feveral courts of Annas, Caiphas, Herod, Pilate, and on the cross. Re And as the priest is not preaching but praying for you, join your intention with his, while he offers the facrifice for all who are prefent with devotion: He offers it as a divine Holocauft, to give to God' that fupreme adoration which is due to him. Adore God then at the fame time in fpirit and truth. turn thanksgiving and praise for all bleffings received: Supplicate for pardon of your fins thro' this facrifice of propitiation. And let your petitions be made known to God thro' Jefus Chrift, who on the altar is both prieft and facrifice. Every time you shall attend on this divine service with devotion, the merits and fruits of his paffion will redound to the good of your foul, foul. Pray for all who are blind to this mystery: There are none fo blind as thofe who will not lee' the great Myfteries of our Faith. On Penance, and Confeffion of Sins to a Priest. Whose fins ye shall remit, they are remitted unto them. (Jo. xx. 23.) 2 WHAT do you mean by Penance ? A. Penance, which before the coming of Chrift, was no Sacrament, is now made a Sacrament of divine Inftitution, by which all fins committed after Baptifin are remitted to true penitents. 2. What is required on the part of Penitents for this remiffion of fins? A. To be contrite of heart: To confefs their. fins to the Prieft. And to perform the fatisfaction or penitential works enjoined. Thefe are the difpofitions required of Penitents: But the Abfolution is given by the Prieft; and the grace that justifies the finner given by God. 2. By what power does the Priest act? A. Not by any power of his own, but by the. power of Chrift, which he imparted to the Apoftles, and to those who fucceed them in the Priesthood. Q: When was this power given them? A. When after his Refurrection he breathed on them, faying, Whofe fins ye shall remit, they are rẻmitted unto them; and whofe fins ye shall retain, they are retained. (Jo. xx. 23.) 2. Was this power given to any others but the Apostles? A. Yes; as I faid, it was undoubtedly to paf to their Succeffors. As when he gave them power to Preach, Baptize, and Confecrate; who can doubt but that power paffed to those who sue-ceeded them by a lawful Election, Ordination, and Miffion? :: 2. It feems as if you made Gods of your Priests; for the power of forgiving fins only belongs to him.. A. No more than Chrift our Lord made Gods of the Apostles, when he gave them this power: Cannot God make men the inftruments of his power; as he did Moyfes and Aaron under the Old Teftament, and his Apoftles under the News 2. Is it not enough to confess to God? A. Before Penance was made a Sacrament, it was fufficient. But now Confeffion both to God and the Priest is made neceffary; because we live under a law that requires it ; and at the fame time gives the Priest power to abfolve us in the name of God. rot proven trommos2 s ei saa 2. Is not Confeffion to a Prieft, and Abfolution as held by Catholicks, an encouragement to Sin? A. Quite the contrary: For Confeffion is a great restraint to nature, and many conditions are required to a valid absolution; viz. A fincere examine of confcience, and Confeffion of every mortal fin to the Prieft a hearty forrow for them; and a real purpose of amendment; with fatisfaction for fins paft. INSTRUCTION. Penance was not a Sacrament before the coming of Chrift, nor fince "his coming to any one before Baptism. But Christ our Lord then in particular inftituted "the Sacrament of Penance, when after his Refurrection from the dead, he breathed on his "Disciples, faying, Reccive ye the Holy Ghoft; whose པ 3 ་ * whofe fins ye fhall remit, they are remitted unto them; and whofe fins ye shall retain, they are retained. By which remarkable action, he gave to his Apostles and their lawful Succeffors, the power of remitting and retaining fins, for the "reconciling of the Faithful, who fall into fin after Baptifm So the Fathers unanimously ever "understood it: And the Catholick Church with great reafon, formerly condemned and explod«ed the Novatian Hereticks, who denied this 66 power of remitting fin." So far the Council of Trent: (Seff. 14. chap. r.) And the fame -Council has pronounced Anathema to those who fall fay, that Penance, as used in the Catholick Church, is not truly and properly a Sacrament, inftituted by Chrift our Lord, for reconciling the Faithful as often as they fall into fin after Baptifm. (ibid. Can. 1.) .86 We hold then two effential truths: First, That Baptifm is neceffary for remiffion of Original Sin, and all fins committed before Baptifm. Secondly, That Penance is a Sacrament neceffary for remiffion of fins after Baptifm. By Baptifm we have the first remiffion: By Penance, the Second. For fince men are fo frail, as all muft know, and as apt to fall into fin after Baptifm as before; it was neceffary the Church fhould have another Sacrament of divine Inftitution, befides Baptifm for remiffion of fins after Baptifm; feeing, that without remiffion of fins the foul cannot be faved.support Hence God, rich in mercy, knowing this our frailty, has provided a remedy for all, who are fallen again under the power of the devil, and the flavery of fin, fince their Baptism, to restore them again to the life of Grace: And this remedy is the Sacrament of Penance, which by applying the benefit of Chrift's death, remits all fins to fuch as are truly penitent. (Coun. Trent, feff. 14. chap. 1.) There D 2 |