made a holy chrism for sanctifying the laver of Baptism, for signing with the sign of the cross the newly regenerated;" etc.-Sarum Use, pp. 425 and 427. ABSOLUTION. Q. 75. What is the matter and form of the Sacrament of Penance? A. The matter is contrition, confession and satisfaction. The form is, "I absolve." Q. 76. What is confession? A. Confession is a particular discovery of all mortal sins to the priest, with all their circumstances that increase or diminish the sin, as far as can be called to mind, without which neither forgiveness nor salvation is to be obtained.-Ibid. Quoted on p. 25. "You must not omit or conceal anything for shame or fear. You must, as far as you can, tell the number of times you have committed each sin, and especially you must mention every circumstance which you feel makes it worse. Your confession must be sincere, that is, you must on no account make excuses, or lay the blame on others. It were better not to confess at all, than to do any of these things, which are very great sins, and will make this Sacrament a curse instead of a blessing."-Prayer Book for the Young, p. 275. "Go then often, my dear boy; and if you fall into any great or mortal sin that weighs upon your mind, go at once. Every minute you remain in mortal sin you are God's enemy, and if you die will, without doubt, be lost for ever. -Ibid., p. 272. "How foolish and miserable are those who are willing to lose heaven and go to hell for not saying a few words with openness and sincerity to their Confessor, who is their spiritual father, who is bound to secrecy," * and who * Will any sensible person believe this, when the doctor discusses his patients with his boon companions, the lawyer his clients, the tradesman his customers, and, in fact, everyone save and except the priest. Don't believe it! The fair penitent or beardless youth's sins and penances are discussed in private between the vicar and his curate "Be attentive and open the ears of your heart to hear in spirit the sentence of your absolution, which the Saviour of your soul Himself, sitting on the throne of His mercy, will pronounce above in Heaven before all the angels and saints, at the same time the priest in His Name absolves you here on earth."Devout Life of St. Francis de Sales, English Catholic's Library, P. 38. "When you go to your confessor keep in mind that Jesus Christ has sent him to you-that your Saviour knows the depth of your heart, and will Himself come to be your Judge.' "When the priest says the words of absolution receive the gift with a thankful heart, and hear Jesus saying to you some words of peace like these-Thy sins are forgiven, go in peace,sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. St. Luke vii. 48, 50, St. John v. 14."-Plain Guide, pp. 62-3. Just so; then by their own showing, confession to a priest is absolutely unneeded, as is his absolution, for Christ Himself pronounces, "Thy sins are forgiven." "Quia talis Confessarius inter- "Listen attentively to the adrogatur ut homo, et respondet ut vice the Priest gives you; he speaks or his friend priest. Who made him wiser and more able to keep a secret than other men?-Part II., pp. 165-6. homo; jam autem non scit ut homo illam veritatem, quamvis sciat ut Deus ait." St. Th., q. II, art. I ad 3. "Because such Confessor is interrogating as man, and will answer as man; now on the other hand he does not know that truth as man, although he may know it it as God, as St. Th. (Aquinas), q. II, art. I ad 3, affirms."-DENS, vol. VI., No. 160, p. 251. Q. 78. What is the benefit of absolution? A. Although a sinner is not so affected with such grief for his sin, as may be sufficient to obtain pardon; yet when he has rightly confessed to a priest, all his sins are pardoned, and an entrance is opened into Heaven." One cannot refrain from pausing a moment to call attention to the prayers just quoted and referred to. What in the name of a pure and holy God should a child under twelve years (Prayer Book for the Young, p. 29), or a boy over twelve either, confirmed or not (pp. 36 and 50), know about "passions and carnal affections." "Curiosity's a woman's curse, but in a man (boy) 'tis ten times worse"; and if this is not teaching the young idea to know what vice is, then possibly the Apostle did not utter the words, "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness nor foolish talking "* Therefore, O priest, in the "person of Jesus Christ,"† thou disobeyest thy Lord's beatitude, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God;" to pollute the minds of our boys at the tender age of twelve with thy "bodily senses, passions, and carnal affections." No wonder we read of young men outraging children and seducing our daughters on all sides! Monsters of impurity, avaunt! We desire innocent children free from such pestilential knowledge. Read. Mothers, and awake to the work of the priests in the hearts of your sons and daughters; awake to the fact that purity of mind and body means health, intellect, and the development to full perfection of all that renders woman lovely and man noble.§ "While this Psalm (the xiii.) is in saying let the priest take the oil of the sick on his right thumb, and therewith anoint the sick person upon his eyes, beginning with his right eye, making the sign of the cross and saying, "By this anointing, and of His merciful loving kindness, the Lord forgive thee the offences thou hast committed by the sense of sight.' Then shall he anoint him upon the ears in like manner, using the same form, but in place * Ephesians v. 3. "As for indecent and obscene things the Apostle will not have them even named amongst us; assuring us that nothing so much corrupts good manners as evil communications."-Devout Life, p. 164. St. Matthew v. 8. † Page 26. § After Professor O. S. Fowler's Human Science, etc. whence it is called Extreme Unction.-Ibid. of sight saving hearing. Then upon the lips, saying as before, but in place of sight saying by the sense of taste, and by unlawful conversation. After that, upon the nostrils, saying, by the sense of smell. Then upon the hands, saying, by the sense of touch. Let the sick person be next anointed upon the feet, the Priest saying as before, but with this ending, by thy going out and coming in. Lastly let him be anointed upon the breast, the Priest saying, by unholy thoughts and affections." Sarum Use, PP. 451-2. This ceremony may be repeated if the sick recover and is again taken ill (ibid, p. 453), and it is also "lawful for the Priest to visit and anoint the sick in the presence of a single clerk" (ibid., p. 456). What a nice ritual for pure and Holy Mother Church to have invented for the gratification of her celibate sons, for them to be able to inspect the fair bosoms of our chaste daughters! Methinks that it is a terrible idea that even the privacy of our dying beds is to be invaded by the priest "you should send at once for your clergyman " ;* that our last words to those dear to us are to be spoken in his presence; that perhaps a life-long secret is to be revealed, not only to those whom it concerns, but to a man who, to judge from what actually occurs, not only "admonishes the dying person to make his will," but admonishes him to give all to the spiritual admonisher to the exclusion of those who are near and should be dear to the dying person! Horrible, then, that that fleeting hour, sacred to death and tender partings, locked in the breasts of those throbbing, suffering hearts around the dying beds, should be invaded by sacerdotalism, and that the priest should at that solemn hour outstrip even the doctor (who, his skill being now of no further use, refrains from disturbing the patient), to rudely uncover the snowy bosoms and feet of our loved and passing daughters, wives, mothers, or sweet sisters. Whence comes then the source of contaminating influence † Sarum Use, p. 447. * Prayer Book for the Young, p. 473. |