society and after all, if to communicate evil men be unavoidable, it cannot be unlawful. : I do not say that persons unprepared may come; for they ought not, and if they do, they die for it; but I say if they will come, it is at their peril, and to no man's prejudice but their own, if they be plainly and severely admonished of their duty and their danger: and therefore that every man must judge of his own case with very great severity and fear, even then when the guides of souls must judge with more gentleness and an easier charity: when we must suspect our little faults to be worse than they seem, and our negligences more inexcusable, and fear a sin when there is none, and are ready to accuse ourselves for every indiscretion, and think no repentance great enough for the foulness of our sins; at the same time, when we judge for others, we ought to esteem their certain good things better than they do; and their certain evils, less; and their disputable good things certain; and their uncertain evils none at all, or very excusable. And therefore it was to very great purpose that the apostle gave command that every man should examine himself and so let him eat,' that is, let it be done so as it may be done throughly: let him do it, whose case it is, and who is most concerned that it be done well; let it be done so that it may not be allayed and lessened by the judgment of charity; and therefore let a man do it himself. For when the curate comes to do it, he cannot do it well, unless he do it with mercy; for he must make abatements, which the sinner's case does not often need in order to his reconciliation and returns to God; where severity is much better than gentle sentences. But the minister of religion must receive in some cases such persons, who ought not to come, and who should abstain when themselves give righteous judgment upon themselves. For if it be lawful for christian people to communicate with evil persons, it is lawful for christian priests to minister it it being commanded to the people in some cases to withdraw themselves from a brother that walks inordinately, but nowhere commanded that a minister of religion shall refuse to give it to him that requires it, In hac ergo pœnitentia majorem quisque in se severitatem debet exercere, ut a seipso judicatus non judicetur a Domino, sicut idem apostolus ait, Si enim nos judicaremus, a Domino non judicaremur. Ascendat itaque homo adversum se tribunal mentis suæ, si timet illud quod'Oportet nos exhiberi ante tribunal Christi, ut illud recipiat unusquisque quod per corpus gessit, sive bonum, sive malum;' constituat se ante faciem suam, ne hoc ei postea fiat. Nam minatur hoc Deus peccatori, dicens, Arguam te, et statuam te ante faciem tuam. Atque ita constituto in corde judicio, adsit accusatrix cogitatio, testis conscientia, carnifex timor. Inde quidam sanguis animi confitentis per lachrymas profluat. Postremo ab ipsa mente talis sententia proferatur, ut se indignum homo judicet participatione corporis et sanguinis Domini; ut qui separari a regno cœlorum timet per ultimam sententiam summi judicis, per ecclesiasticam disciplinam a sacramento cœlestis panis interim separetur. Versetur ante oculos imago futuri judicii, ut cum alii accedunt ad altare Dei, quo ipse non accedit, cogitet quam sit contremiscenda illa poena, qua percipientibus aliis vitam æternam, alii in mortem præcipitantur æternam.-S. August. homil. 1. c. 9. [ibid.] and is within the communion of the church, and is not yet as a heathen and a publican; and it is evident that in the churches of Corinth the communion was given to persons who for unworthiness fell under the divine anger, and yet no man was reproved but the unworthy communicants, and themselves only commanded to take care of it. For he that says the people may not communicate with wicked persons, falls into the error of the Donatists, which S. Austin and others have infinitely confuted: but he that says the people may, ought not to deny but that the priest may; and if he may communicate with him, it cannot be denied but he may minister to him. But this was the case of the sons of Israel, who did eat manna, and drank of the rocks; and yet that rock was Christ, and that manna was also His sacrament; and yet "with many of these God was angry, and they fell in the wilderness." And if baptism was given as soon as ever men were converted, in the very day of their change, and that by the apostles themselves, and yet the same Christ is there consigned and exhibited; we may remember that in scripture we find no difference in the two sacraments as to this particular. But in this there needs not much to be said; they that think things can be otherwise, and have tried, have declared to all the world by the event of things, that although the guides of souls may by wise and seasonable discourses persuade and prevail with some few persons: yet no man can reform the world; and if all were rejected whose life does not please the curate; some will not care, and will let it quite alone; and others that do care will never the more be mended, but turn hypocrites, and they are the worst of men, but most readily communicated some other evils do also follow; and when we have reckoned schisms, partialities, reproaches, animosities, and immortal hatreds between priest and people, we have not reckoned the one half. 6. When to separate criminals can be prudent and useful, and is orderly, limited and legal, it ought not to be omitted upon any consideration" because it is the sinews and whole strength of ecclesiastical discipline, and is a most charitable ministry to souls, and brings great regard to the holy sacrament, and produces reverence in the communicants, and is a deletery to sin, and was the perpetual practice of the best ages of the church, and was blest with an excellent corresponding piety in their congregations*: upon which account and of other considerations S. Cyprian, S. Basil, S. Chrysostom", and • Quemadmodum tu comedis Christi corpus, sic illi manna; et quomodo tu bibis sanguinem, sic illi aquam ex petra. -S. Chrysost. homil. xviii. in 2 Cor. [leg. hom. xxiii. in 1 Cor. (scil. in cap. x. 1 sqq.) § 2. tom. x. p. 203 B.] Ne dum purgatissimam ecclesiam volunt instituere, brevi nullam habeant. -Bullinger. ad Bezam. [?] u Quantum ruboris civitati turpiter se gerendo incusserunt, tantum laudis graviter puniti adferant.-Valer. Max. [vid. lib. vi. cap. 3. n. 8.] Ezek. xiii. [? iii.] 18. De lapsis [p. 128 sqq.] et lib. iii. ep. 15. [al. epist. xv. p. 33 sqq.] Epist. ad Amphil. cap. ii. [al. epist. cxvii. scil. canon. iii. ad Amphil., cau.] 84, 85. [tom. iii. p. 330.] a Non parva vobis imminet ultio, si divers others call upon prelates and people to exercise and undergo respectively this ecclesiastical discipline. But this hath in it some varietyb. a) For if the person be a notorious, a great and incorrigible criminal, refusing to hear, the church proceeding against him upon complaint, confession or notoriety, and consequently to be esteemed as a heathen and a publican; then comes in the apostolical rules, "with such an one not to eat," and "withdraw from such an one;" for there is no accord between Christ and Belial;' between a Christian, and a heathen or an unbeliever; that is, one who is thrust into the place and condition of an infidel; and "give not that which is holy unto dogs." B) But if he be within the communion of the church, and yet a criminal, not delated, not convict, not legally condemned; and yet privately known to be such, or publicly suspected and scandalous; the minister of religion must separate him by the word of his ministry, and tell him his danger, and use all the means he can to bring him to repentance and amends before he admits him: if the minister of religion omits this duty, he falls under the curse threatened by God in the prophet, if he does not warn him,' if he does not speak to the wicked to give him warning to save his life, his blood shall be upon him.' 7) If there be a regular jurisdiction established, and this spiritual authority be backed with the secular, it must be used according to the measures of its establishment, and for the good of the church in general, and of the sinner in particular; that is, although the person be not as a heathen, and excommunicate by the church's sentence, yet he must be rejected for a time, and thrust into repentance and measures of satisfaction, and as he must not refuse, so must not the minister of the sacrament otherwise admit him; and in this sense it was that S. Chrysostome said he would rather lose his life than admit unworthy men to the Lord's table.' 7. But because piety hath suffered shipwreck; and all discipline hath been lost in the storm, and good manners have been thrown overboard; the best remedy in the world that yet remains and is in use amongst the most pious sons and daughters of the church, is that they would conduct their repentance by the continual advices and ministry of a spiritual guide; for by this alone or principally, was the primitive piety and repentances advanced to the excellency which we often admire but seldom imitate; and the event will be, that besides we shall be guided in the ways of holiness in general, we shall quem cujuspiam conscium nequitiæ hujus mensæ participem concedatis; sanguis ejus de vestris manibus exquiretur.— S. Chrysost. homil. Ix. ad pop. Antioch. [tom. v. col. 338 A, ed. lat. fol. Par. 1588.] b See Rule of Conscience, lib. iii. cap. 4. rule 9. p. 257. [ed. 1660.] [1 Cor. v. 11; 2 Thess. iii. 6.] e Homil. [lxxxii. al.] lxxxiii. in Matt. [§ 6. tom. vii. p. 790 B.] be at peace as to the times and manner of receiving the holy sacrament, our penitential abstentions and seasonable returns: and we shall not so frequently feel the effects of the divine anger upon our persons as a reproach of our folly, and the punishment of our unworthy receiving the divine mysteries. And this was earnestly advised and pressed upon their people by the holy fathers, who had as great experience in their conduct as they had zeal for the good of souls; "Let no man say, I repent in private, I repent before God in secret, God who alone does pardon does know that I am contrite in heart. For was it in vain, was it said to no purpose, Whatsoever ye shall loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven? We evacuate the gospel of God, we frustrate the words of Christ:" so S. Austin. "And therefore when a man hath spoken the sentence of the most severe medicine, let him come to the presidents of the church, who are to minister in the power of the keys to him: and beginning now to be a good son, keeping the order of his mother, let him receive the measure and manner of his repentances from the presidents of the sacraments.' Concerning this thing, I shall never think it fit to dispute; for there is nothing to enforce it, but enough to persuade it; but he that tries, will find the benefit of it himself, and will be best able to tell it to all the world. SECTION VII. PENITENTIAL SOLILOQUIES, EJACULATIONS, EXERCISES AND PREPARATORY PRAYERS TO BE USED IN ALL THE DAYS OF PREPARATION TO THE HOLY SACRAMENT. I. ALMIGHTY and eternal God, the fountain of all virtue, the support of all holy hopes, the author of pardon, of life and of salvation; Thou art the comforter of all that call upon Thee; Thou hast concluded all under sin that Thou mightest have mercy upon all. Look upon me, O God, and have pity on me lying in my blood and misery, in my shame and in my sins, in the fear and guilt of Thy wrath, in the shadow of death and in the gates of hell: I confess to Thee, O God, what Thou knowest already; but I confess it to manifest Thy justice, and to glorify Thy mercy who hast spared me so long; that I am guilty of the vilest and basest follies which usually dishonour the fools and the worst of the sons of men. f Homil. xlix. [al. cccxcii. cap. 3.— tom. v. col. 1504 E.] [cum ipse in se protulerit.] h Ibid. [lege, serm. 1. al. cccli. cap. 4. -tom. v. col. 1359 C.] II. I HAVE been proud and covetous, envious and lustful, angry and greedy, indevout and irreligious; restless in my passions, sensual and secular, but hating wise counsels, and soon weary of the offices of a holy religion. I cannot give an account of my time, and I cannot reckon the sins of my tongue. My crimes are intolerable, and my imperfections shameful, and my omissions innumerable; and what shall I do, O Thou preserver of men? I am so vile that I cannot express it, so sinful that I am hateful to myself, and much more abominable must I needs be in Thy eyes. I have sinned against Thee without necessity, sometimes without temptation, only because I would sin, and would not delight in the ways of peace; I have been so ingrateful, so foolish, so unreasonable, that I have put my own eyes out, that I might with confidence and without fear sin against so good a God, so gracious a Father, so infinite a power, so glorious a majesty, so bountiful a patron, and so mighty a redeemer, that my sin is grown shameful and aggravated even to amazement. I can say no more, I am ashamed, O God, I am amazed, I am confounded in Thy presence. III. BUT yet, O God, Thou art the healer of our breaches, and the lifter up of our head; and I must not despair, and I am sure Thy goodness is infinite, and Thou dost not delight in the death of a sinner, and my sins though very great, are infinitely less than Thy mercies which Thou hast revealed to all penitent and returning sinners in Jesus Christ. I am not worthy to look up to heaven; but be Thou pleased to look down into the dust and lift up a sinner from the dunghill let me not perish in my folly, or be consumed in Thy heavy displeasure. Give me time and space to repent; and give me powers of grace and aids of Thy spirit, that as by Thy gift and mercy I intend to amend whatsoever is amiss, so I may indeed have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same. Inspire me with the spirit of repentance and mortification, that I may always fight against my sins till I be more than conqueror. Support me with a holy hope, confirm me with an excellent, operative and unreprovable faith, and enkindle a bright and a burning charity in my soul: give me patience in suffering, severity in judging and condemning my sin, and in punishing the sinner; that judging myself I may not be condemned by Thee; that mourning for my sins I may rejoice in Thy pardon; that killing my sin I may live in righteousness; that denying my own will, I may always perform Thine; and by the methods of Thy spirit I may overcome all carnal and spiritual wickednesses, and walk in Thy light, and delight in Thy service, and perfect my obedience, and be wholly delivered from my sin, and for ever preserved from Thy wrath, and at last pass on from a certain expectation to an actual fruition of the |