adultery or an homicide, at the same time reflecting even on the wickedness and enormity of these actions, but only in a very imperfect and superficial manner, his sin is merely venial, though the acts themselves are exceedingly heinous. The reason is, that as a knowledge of the wickedness of an action is necessary to render it sinful, so, in order to be guilty of heinous sin, a man must have an entire knowledge of its wickedness, and must duly consider this at the time of committing the sin."*

It follows, therefore, as a natural consequence of the above principle of the Jesuits, that the hardened, the villanous, and every other class of the profligate, who drink in iniquity as water, are sinners no longer; since they have attained the felicity of having extinguished every feeling and reflection of their own bosoms. The Jesuit Pirot, the author of the "Apology for the Casuists," has taught this in the name of the whole Society: "Yes," says he, "if men who are become perfectly accomplished in sin have

ab invincibiliter ignorante, aut non advertente Deum esse, aut peccatis offendi, non est mortale. Stare potest cum charitate perfecta et amicitia divina.—Platelle's Synopsis cursus Theologici, part 2, c. 3, t. 3, n. 189, pp. 116 and 117.

* Si quis committat adulterium, aut homicidium, advertens quidem malitiam et gravitatem eorum, sed imperfectissime tamen et levissime; ille quantumvis gravissima sit materia, non peccat tamen nisi leviter. Ratio est, quia sicut ad peccatum requiritur cognitio malitiæ, sic ad grave peccatum requiritur plena et clara cognitio et consideratio illius.-De Rhodes's Theologie Scholastique, tom. i., tr. 3. Des Actes Hum., disp. 2, ques. 2, sec. 1, parag. 2, col. 2.

neither light nor remorse when they blaspheme and plunge themselves into debauchery, and if they have no knowledge of the wickedness of such conduct, I maintain, with all the theologians (Jesuits), that, by these actions, which savour more of the brute than the man, they do not sin at all; because, without liberty there can be no sin; and to be at liberty to avoid sin, it is requisite for us to know the good or the evil of the object that is proposed to us."*

Finally, Father de Rhodes teaches, that, in certain circumstances, crimes become virtues. "If you are unavoidably led to believe that to tell a lie for the purpose of saving your friend is a virtuous act, your lie," says he, "is in that case a work of mercy. If you think that it is a good thing to kill a man who blasphemes, such an act of homicide is converted into one of religion."+ Moreover, it should be understood that Father de Rhodes held no mean rank among the Jesuits. After teaching divinity for thirteen years, he was made Rector, on account of his merit, of the Jesuit's College at Lyons. His doctrine, of which we have given a few specimens, was approved by three theologians of the Society, and afterwards printed with the approbation of

* Apology, page 38.

Si existimes invincibiliter, quod mentiri est actus virtutis ad salvandum amicum, mendacium tuum erit opus misericordiæ. Si putes bonum esse occidere hominem qui blasphemat, erit opus religionis illud homicidium.-Tom. i., Des Actes Hum., pag. 724, col. 1.

Father Grannon, the Provincial of Lyons; lastly, he was classed among the number of the illustrious authors of the Society *.

ON SERVILE FEAR.

We need scarcely be surprised in turning over the page of history, to find the dreadful state of crime and of wickedness in which mankind, in Roman Catholic countries, were plunged while under the special training and teaching of the Jesuits. Probably, no doctrine tended more to produce this low ebb of morals—this total disregard to both virtue and religion-than that of servile fear, which the Jesuits substituted for that love and cheerful obedience to the "Almighty," one of the distinguishing characteristics of the real Christian of all ages.

With a fear unaccompanied by love—a fear entirely servile, which they called attrition, or imperfect contrition, the Jesuits taught that every sinner might be reconciled to God in the "Sacrament of Penitence:" "That sorrow which has for its precise object the merited pains of hell," says the Jesuit

* Vide the Library of the Jesuit Authors, page 293, col. 2.

Bauny, "is sufficient for our justification in the sacrament.'

66

The Jesuits of Louvain held the same doctrine: "There is," they inform us, no reason for astonishment, that attrition excited by the fear of hell, sufficiently prepares the sinner to receive the grace of the Sacrament of Penitence."+

Father Pinthereau, in a book which he has published, places it beyond all doubt that this is the sentiment of the whole Society. He there informs us that "the Jesuits teach, by unanimous consent, as a doctrine truly catholic, consistent with the faith, and conformable to the decisions of the Council of Trent, that attrition only, and that even excited solely by the dread of hell, is required at the sacrament."

Such was the doctrine of the whole Society about the middle of the last century, and we shall see that their successors have not thought differently. "We maintain," says Father Slaughter, "as an incontestable truth, that it is by no means necessary to bring to the sacrament of penitence that perfect contrition which implies love to God above every

* In his Summary of Sins, chap. 41, page 687, 6th edition.

Non mirum est attritione ex gehennæ metu concepta, debite peccatorem disponi, ac sufficienter ad gratiam sacramenti penitentiæ. -Theses of 1641, chap. 2, art. 18, p. 84, col. 2, n. 1.

This book is entitled, The Ignorance and Calumnies of a Libel, called The Moral Theology of the Jesuits. See part 2, pages 50 and 51.

thing in the world. Attrition alone, and that known to be nothing more, is enough.”* In another place he asserts, "The doctrine which maintains it as sufficient, is a doctrine morally certain in itself, and safe in point of practice."+

The Jesuits of Rome adopted the same language: "It suffices for obtaining the effect of justification, in the sacrament of penitence, to have a true and simple attrition, distinguishable from perfect contrition, which comprehends the love of God above all things. It is not necessary that this attrition should in any degree proceed from a motive of divine love; but it is enough that it arise entirely from the supernatural motive of fear."

This is what Father Raye maintained at Antwerp, in 1710: "Attrition," says he, "excited only by the fear of hell, without any true, formal, and explicit love of God, is sufficient to obtain justification in the sacrament."§

* Ut indubitatum, statuimus non requiri perfectam illam (contritionem) quæ amorem Dei includat appretiative summum...... sufficit attritio etiam cognita.-In his Thesis maintained at Liége, July 9, 1696, conclu. 49 and 50.

De ipsa attritione quid statuendum est? Tuta in praxi, et moraliter certa sententia est.-In his Thesis of Nov. 12, 1697.

Sufficit si procedat ex solo motivo supernaturali timoris.-In a Thesis maintained in their College at Rome, in 1700, conclu. 53.

§ Attritio quæ ex solo gehennæ metu sine ullo formali et explicito amore Dei benevolo concipitur, sufficit ad justificationem in sacramento consequendam.—In his Thesis of the 23rd of July of that year, page 16, pos. 26.