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UNIVE
CALIFORNIA
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L, f //THE
Poor
Oft, THE
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
EXPLAINED.
WITH
SHORT ADMONITIONS.
BY JOHW MJiNNOCK, 0. B.
FIRST AMERICAN FROM THE FIFTH LONDON EDITION*
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
St* Matthew ') v. 3.
Hath not God chosen the Peor of this World, rich in Faith, and Heirs of the
Kingdom . which he hath promised to those that love him.
St. James \i 5.
QETHSEMANI ABBEY,
GETHSEMANI, P, 0, KY,
BALTIMORE:
PUBLISHED BY BERNARD DORNIN
J. Robinson, printer.
1815.
LOAN STACK
THE
I$I5
POOR MAN'S CATECHISM:
OR, THE
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
EXPLAINED.
Of the JVawe and Dignity of a Christian.
q. W HAT religion are you of? A. By the
grace of God, I am a Christian.
INSTRUCTION. Christian is derived from Christ,
and signifies as much as a disciple of Christ, and pro-
fessor of his law and doctrine; or one who is baptized
by divine institution in the name of the blessed Trinity,
in the na-me of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: whereby being purified from original sin,
and from all sin whatever, we are made sons of God,
and heirs of heaven ; members of Christ's church, or
Christians; and living temples of the Holy Ghost.
Thus what Christ is by nature, a Christian is by the
grace of baptism ; as Christ is by nature the eternal
Son of God, a Christian by grace is the adopted son
of God ; and so receives, in some proportion, by a
spiritual regeneration, what the Son of God received
by his eternal generation; That ive should be called
4 The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
and be the sons of God, 1 John iii. 1. by adoption
by virtue whereof, we call God our Father, as being
sons of God and heirs of his kingdom. Rom. viii. 15.
Before we are baptized, we remain in sin ; are infi-
dels, out of God's favour, and have no title to heaven.
Unless one be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God. St. John iii. 5.
The faithful first received the name of Christians
in the city of Antioch, Acts. xi. 26. Before that time
they went by the name of disciples, and brethren :
they were called disciples, as being followers of Christ's
doctrine ; and brethren, from the great and remarkable
love they had for one another : They were all of one
heart and one mind. Acts iv. 32. At length they took
the name of Christians, a name derived from Christ, to
signify their being the believers and professors of his
law, as well as partakers of the unction of his grace.
EXHORTATION. Learn to value yourself for what
you are through the grace of Christ: a Christian; a
disciple of Christ. What more excellant than that
profession which derives its name from Christ ! By it
we become truly his, partakers of his merits here, and
glory hereafter. See your vocation then, as the apo-
stle warns you. 1 Cor. i. 26. and have a just regard to
its dignity, by living worthily of it ; and, as you retain
his name, resemble him also in your life and virtues.
The character of a Christian is a character of holiness ;
be not a scandal to it, as many are ; for many are
Christians in name, and that is all ; beware you ble-
mish it not by a wicked life : He ivho commits sin, is
the servant of sin, St. John viii. 34. So when you sin
mortally, you are no longer the servant of God, or
disciple of Christ ; you belong not to him, but to the
devil ; you forfeit your right and title to the kingdom
of heaven $ and as long as you remain in that state im-
penitent, you are out of the grace and favour of your
God and Redeemer. O sin ! unworthy of the breast
or name of a Christian, who has been anointed with
divine grace $ with the oil of gladness, above his fellows,
Psalm xliv. 9.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 5
Of the. Obligations of a Christian.
Q. TTTHAT is a Christian obliged to by his pro-
VV fession ? A. He is obliged inwardly to
believe, and outwardly to confess the faith and law of
Christ : With the heart we believe unto justification,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom. x. 10.
INSTRUC. A Christian must believe in his heart
all that Christ has taught, and his church professes,
with a sincere and unfeigned faith : God must be
served with sincerity and truth 5 no deceit, dissimula-
tion, or hypocrisy, must harbour therein ; since all
things, even our most secret thoughts, are open to
him, and nothing is hidden but shall be revealed at
the last day.
A Christian must also profess the faith and law of
Christ outwardly and openly, for God's honour : thus,
if called before kings and princes, enemies of your
faith, and if demanded by them, what religion you
profess, you must boldly confess yourself a Christian,
a Catholic, and if by your confession of it you are to
suffer, you must rattier undergo death, as the apostles
and holy martyrs did, than deny your faith : Crod must
ever be obeyed before men, Acts v. 29. and the re-
ward of this obedience will be, He who confesseth me
before men, him ivill I confess before my Father who is
in heaven, St. Matt. x. 32. whereas the reverse will
follow disobedience : He ivho denieth me before men, him
will I deny before my Father who is in heaven. A Chris-
tian must profess his faith outwardly, for his own
good, by often repeating his belief. He must again
profess it outwardly, for his neighbour's good, thereby
to bring him from his error, to the* true faith and
church of Christ.
EXHOR. Give thanks to God for your vocation
to the true faith, for having made you a Christian, a
catholic. See how far you have concurred with your
faith, or deviated from it, whether you have made
open profession of it when required, and whether you
have joined good works to your faith, and by ther
1*
a The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
made the light of it shine before men. Never be
ashamed of professing the gospel, or of practising what
\vill conduce to your future happiness : rather be
ashamed and blush that you have so little conformed to
its maxims, and that you have so often left the ways
of God, and followed those of the world, which will,
in the end, leave you in despair and confusion.
Of the Sign of the Cross.
Q. TTTHY are we taught to sign ourselves with
VV the sign of the cross ? A. To put us in
mind of the^blessed Trinity, and of the incarnation and
death of our Saviour.
INSTRUC. The sign of the cross is a mark to dis-
tinguish Christians from unbelievers; it is as a short
creed, whereby we profess the two principal mysteries
of the Christian faith, the unity and trinity of God, and
the incarnation and death of our Saviour : for when
we pronounce these words, In the name of the Father.,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we profess our
belief of one God and three persons ; and, by signing
ourselves with the sign of the cross, we profess our be-
lief in Christ crucified : we ought to glory in nothing
so much as in Jesus, and him crucified. Gal. vi. 14.
With the sign of the cross we begin and end our
prayers, to signify, that we can obtain nothing of God,
but through the mediation and merits of Christ cruci-
fied. For the like reason, the church makes such fre-
quent use of the sign of the cross in the administration
of the sacraments, to signify, that their virtue is de-
rived from the death and passion of Christ. Our
forehead and breast were signed Vith the cross in bap-
tism ; and this we are taught to bear in our bodies, all
our lives. This holy sign is a means to preserve us
from evil spirits, who vanish at the sight of it. St.
Lawrence, by the sign of the cross, restored sight to the
blind; many miracles have been done by it; it arms
us against temptation ; it guards us against witchcraft
and inchantme nts. What veneration the primitive
church had for this pious custom, may be known from
The Christian Doctrine explained.
these words of Tertullian; " When we set forward on
"a journey, when we go abroad, or come home, or
" when we dress, in all our conversation, we sign our
" foreheads with the sign of the cross." De Coron. Mil.
c. 3. And from these words of St. Chrysostom, " Let
" us have the sign of the cross in our houses, on our
" windows, on our foreheads, and in our minds, with
" much devotion." If any one then ask the origin of
this custom, let your answer be, that tradition has ever
taught it, antiquity has confirmed it, and faith hath
ever practised it.
EXHOR. Bear then, O Christians, a due venera-
tion to the holy cross. Can you think too much of
Jesus crucified ; can you do him too great honour ?
The sign of the cross puts you naturally in mind of his
passion ; how then can you make the sign of the cross
too often, whilst by it you honour his death, and pro-
fess your belief and adoration of the blessed Trinity ?
This is the end and pious intent of this custom, as all
catholics from their infancy are taught. The sign of
the cross will be seen in the heavens at the last day, let
it appear in your heart at that day, by having followed
the ways of the cross in your fife-time ; it will then
appear to the joy of the good, who honoured it on
earth; it will be seen to the eternal agony of the
wicked, who despised and held it in contempt. As
once it appeared in the air unto Constantine the Great,
with this inscription. " In this sign thou shait over-
" come ;" so I may say to you, In this sign, thou,
Christian, sltall overcome the enemies of thy soul, and
gain a victory that shall be crowned with glory.
Of the three Theological Virtues.
Q. TTTHICH are the three theological virtues ?
VV Jl. Faith, hope, and charity.
INSTRUC. These three virtues are called theolo-
gical, bemuse they have God for their immediate
object; for it is God whom we believe in all matters
of faith ; in him we hope for grace and glory ; him
alone we love above all things. These three virtues
8 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or\
were infused into our souls with baptism, and are ab-
solutely necessary to our salvation. They both raise
and perfect the edifice of a spiritual life^ which is
Grounded on faith, advanced by hope, and perfected
y charity. They are the key and entrance into life ;
by faith, we behold God as our supreme happiness ; by
hope, we are animated to pursue it ; by charity, we
come to the possession of it, and a union with God.
These three begin and perfect all our good works, and
without them they are not available to salvation ; for
without faith it is impossible to please God, or direct our
actions to our last end ; without hope, we can never be
rewarded ; and our best actions, if we have not charity,
are not meritorious of eternal life. These three great
virtues then must accompany our life to the end, and
when we shall obtain our last end and felicity, faith
and Hope indeed will cease, but charity always re-
mains, to be the life of the soul, the joy and glory of
the saints.
EXHOR. Consider, O Christian, how you have
hitherto advanced towards the perfections of these the-
ological virtues. Have you fixed your mind on God,
as your supreme happiness, by faith ? Have you put
your trust in him above all creatures, by hope P Have
you loved him above all things, so at least as to give him
the love of preference before all, by charity ? Alas !
I fear your faith has been very weak, if not dead,
while you so often and so easily fall into sin. Your
hope has been but faint, while adversities have so often
weighed you down to impatience, inurmpr and com-
plaint. Your charity has been but cold, while you
are so slow in serving God, whom you ojight to ho-
hour with all your might. Beg that these three divine
virtues may take deeper root in your heart. Be more
earnest in the affair of your salvation than you have
hitherto been; having so many supernatural helps
from heaven, so many divine gffts, that flow immedi-
ately from God*
The Christian Doctrine explained. 9
Of Faith.
%. TTTHAT is faith? ^. It is the gift of God in
W our soul, by which we firmly helieve all
those things which God has any way revealed to us.
INSTRUC. Faith is the first virtue required in a
Christian, as being the foundation and beginning of a
Christian life ; without it there is no pleasing or enjoy-
ing God : without faith it is impossible to please God :
Heb. xi. 6, without it, all the good we do is of no effect
to salvation ; by faith, we lay the ground of all true
virtue ; The just man lives by faith : by faith the just
subdued kingdoms, wrought justice, and obtained the
rewards promised. Heb. xi. 33.
Faith is a free gift of God. given us gratis, without
any merit of our own ; it was merited for us by the
death and passion of Christ; he infused it into our
hearts, with other gifts of grace, in baptism 5 he in-
creases and brings it to perfection in our souls, by pious
reading and spiritual instruction ; Faith comes by hear-
ing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. x. 17. What
you now hear, take it as from God, to improve and
enlighten your faith. Faith is as a light to the soul ;
as no one can see the sun, without the light of the sun ;
so no one can see God, or things supernatural, without
the light of faith, which comes from, God. As the eyes
are necessary to see light, and the blind are in darkness
as to all things of this world ; so this interior light of
faith, is as necessary to see the truth of divine things ;
without it, n%an remains in darkness, as to all that be-
longs to another world : how great a blessing therefore
is divine faith.
EXHOR. Give daily thanks, Christian, to God,
that he has taken you out of darkness, the darkness of
ignorance, the blindness of error and infidelity, and
called you unto his admirable light, the light of faith,
1 Pet. ii. 9. Make a right use of this eminent gift of
God ; see $fet by this divine light, you fly from evil
and do good ; behold, by faith, the enormity of one,
and the happiness of the other: what is it that makes
so many reprobate, but because they close their eyes to
10 The Poor Marts Chatechism ; Or,
this divine light ? They despise and reject it, as the
Jews did, when our Saviour preached his gospel
among them, loved darkness rather than light, because
their works were evil. Look up then, by faith, at the
immensity of God, and adore him. Look on his
goodness, and love him. Look on his mercy, and
praise him. Look on his power, and fear him. Look
on the length and breadth of eternity, and secure it by
a good life. Look on the vanity of creatures, and con-
temn them. Look on the joys of heaven, and the tor-
ments of hell ; aspire to one, and shun with all your
might the other : Thy words is as a lamp to my steps.
Psaim cxviii.
The Qualities of a Good and Sound Faith.
Q. TT7HAT qualities are required to a perfect
VV faith? A. 1. It must be firm. 2, It must
be entire. 3. It must be active.
INSTRUCT I. Your faith must be firm: you must
not doubt or waver in any point thereof; because you
rely for it on God alone; he is your authority, who
is truth itself, and can neither be deceived, nor deceive
you. Your faith must be so firm and constant that no-
thing must lessen or weaken it; neither riches, nor
honours, nor pleasures, nor prosperity: nothing must
shock it, no storms of afflictions, temptations, tribula-
tions, no persecution of man : you must still go on
with a firm faith, and keep resolute under all dangers,
even under death itself.
2. Your faith must be entire : you must believe all
and every article, every point, the CathoMc Church
requires of you to believe : by wilfully erring or deny-
ing one article of your faith, you destroy your whole
belief; you follow your own will, rather than the will
and authority of God : as charity is destroyed by one
mortal sin ; * so faith is destroyed by one obstinate
error ; according to that of St. James, He ^at offends
in one, is made guilty of all.
3. Your faith must be active : as you believe, so
you must practise; you must join good works with
The Christian Doctrine explained. 1 1
faith ; a faith without good works, is a dead faith, and
will turn to your confusion at the last day. God will
then examine not only how you believed, but how you
lived. As the body is but a dead carcase without the
soul, so faith is dead without charity and good works.
Though your faith be strong enough to move mountains,
without charity it availeth nothing. 1 Cor. xiii. 2.
EXHOR. Examine your past life, and see how far
you have co-operated in the gift of faith. Have you
submitted entirely to all, and every article thereof?
Have you stood "firm to your faith under all trials ?
Has human respect stood in your way, or been any
ways prejudicial to the profession of*it? Have you
been true to it in practice ? This latter is what too
many fail in ; many are but Christians in name. If you
are of the number, repent, and reform your life : let
not the light of faith be spent in vain upon you ; let it
excite you to every good work, and then virtue will
crown you: Receive not the grace of God in vain; that
great grace and gift of divine faith, which is the only
light to conduct you safe through the darkness of this
world, to the clear sight and possession of God.
Of Tradition.
Q. TS it sufficient to believe the scripture only ?
A Jl. No: we must also believe the traditions of
the church. Q. What are those traditions ; Jl. Manv
things belonging to faith, as likewise to discipline^
which the apostles did not write, but only preached
and taught by word of mouth ; which the holy church
has carefully delivered from father to son, in all ages,
down to us.
INSTRUC. It is not sufficient that we believe the
scripture only, but we must also submit to the universal
traditions of the church; and, truly, how do we know
the scripture to be scripture, or the word of God, but
by tradition ? Tradition then is a most necessary sup-
port of our faith, and of scripture too. How do we
know that the creed was delivered by the. apostles ?
Scripture does not mention this fact, but we have it so
12 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
by tradition. How do we know that the Sabbath was
changed by the apostles, and translated from Saturday
to Sunday, but by tradition ? How do we know that
infants are to be baptized, but by tradition ?
Before Moses there was no scripture at all; from
the beginning of the world till his time, religion was
delivered down by the patriarchs to their families, by
tradition : and after Christ, the church subsisted some
time before any part of the New Testament was writ-
ten ; her doctrine was then supported by tradition
only. Neither did Christ say to his apostles, Going into
the universal world (.write,) but going (teach) all nations,
which they did by word of mouth 5 and so the world
received the faith of Christ by tradition: how could
they receive it otherwise, before the the scriptures were
written, and printing was invented, when so few could
write or read ? And where do you find in scripture
now, that all is therein written that is to be believed ?
EXHOR. Bear then, O Christian, a due regard
and veneration to the traditions of the apostles and
ancients of the church ; the word of God is equally the
word of God, and truth is the same, whether it be
delivered to us by word of mouth or writing. Follow
the exhortation of the apostle : Standfast, and hold the*
traditions which you have been taught, whether by word,
or by our epistle, 2 Thess. ii. 15. ^ No doubt but those
very traditions, he here speaks of, have been by the
church faithfully transmitted down to us. Submit
your judgment then to all and each of them, and prac-
tise as the church directs : St. Augustine pronounces it
madness to leave the tradition of the church, to follow
our own heads : be not of the number of such. Reject
riot that which has been universally received, and cannot
be disapproved. They are recommended to you, and
confirmed by the authority of the same church that
taught you the scriptures, and your Christianity.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 15
Of Heresy.
Q. TMfHAT vice rs opposite to faith? A. Heresy.
* * Q. What is heresy. A. It is an obstinate
error in matters of faith.
INSTRUC. He is a heretic, who obstinately main-
tains any thing contrary to the known faith and doc-
trine of the holy Catholic Church. Such was Jlrius,
and others, who denied the divinity of Christ ; Luther
and Calvin, who opposed the authority of the church,
the supremacy of St. Peter, &c. Heresy is a most
grievous sin, because it destroys faith ; which is the
first virtue in the order of grace ; it draws men by de-
grees into Atkeism, and extinguishes all religion. This
cursejaay be applied to them : Woe unto them who have
gonewKo the way of Cain ; they shall perish in the con-
tradiction of Core, St. Jude xi. Such, saith St. Paul,
ought to be shunned, Tit. iii. 1 0. Heresy takes its birth
from pride, from lust, concupiscence, and the love of
independency. Behold the miserable effect of it: man
may fall into all kind of vice and immorality ; but if
his faith remain, there may be ground for his conversion
and repentance : but if through heresy he destroys his
faith, he destroys all sense 01 a spiritual life; he ex-
tinguishes the light of his soul ; he walks in the dark,
and knows not where he goes ; he wanders from dark-
ness into darkness, from error into error, until he falls
into the abyss of eternal darkness and despair : Without
faith it is impossible to please God; to know him, or to
come to the possession of him. Heb. xi. 6.
EXHOR. Stand firm then, O chnstian, to the faith
of the holy Catholic Church : let this be your guide,
your strength, your support, against the infidelity of the
whole world : Christ always remains with this church.
Beware of pride and self-conceit, which has brought so
many heresies and schisms into the world : beware
of lust, which blinds the understanding, and subverts
the judgment : beware of self-love, which destroys your
essential good, the love of God. Rather practise humi-
lity and sell-denial, and you will never fall into heresy.
Humility supports the sense, the reason ; the under-
2
14 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
standing, in the ways of God, and the truth of his holy
religion; and self-denial renders them practicable.
Better it is to walk in simplicity of heart and obedience,
than in the spirit of pride, which has led many out of
the way, to their eternal perdition.
Of the Apostles Creed.
Q. TTTHAT is the Creed ? A. It is the sum of our
" belief. 0. Who made it ? A. The twelve
apostles. Q. What does the creed contain ? A. The
chief things we are bound to believe of God and his
church.
INSTRUC. The Creed was composedly the twelve
apostles, before they separated to preach the ggel to
hfuPmiht
all nations : and to this end, that all the
concur in one and the same belief. We were taught it
from our infancy ; and should often repeat it, the more
to confirm us in our faith of the blessed trinity, incarna-
tion, death and mysteries of our Saviour. Every Chris-
tian must learn to understand it, as far as his capacity
will allow ; and the pastor ought to be very diligent in
explaining and instilling its doctrine into the people.
The twelve apostles were the founders of our faith :
they received it from Christ, and founded it in all na-
tions, and confirmed it with the price of their blood.
The conversion of the world, thus begun by them, was
carried on by other apostolical men, who succeeded
them.
In the apostles, founders of our faith, God shewed
his infinite power, in calling and appointing a few
fishermen, by education illiterate, and by birth inglo-
rious, to confound the pride and wisdom of the world,
and bring great part thereof to the faith of Christ;
and this, in a short space of time, not by power, by
arms, nor by eloquence, but by plain preaching and
miracles : to persuade a wicked w r orld to believe things
which seemed so strange and incomprehensible to sense
and reason, as the death, passion, and resurrection of
Jesus : things so contrary to nature, as to deny our-
selves, to mortify, and to do penance. Such an event
The Christian Doctrine explained. 15
was the effect of an infinite wisdom, not to be fa-
thomed. The governments of kings have their limits,
and the great conquerors of the earth their bounds ;
but the faith of Christ has been extended to all parts
of the known world : this was a superior work, the
work of God only. Great was the wisdom of the an-
cient philosophers, but greater was the wisdom of the
apostles; the one extended to human learning, the
nature of things, the preservation of long life ; but the
wisdom of the apostles extended to divine learning,
supernatural knowledge, and taught us how to preserve
our souls unto life everlasting. There Ts no one article
of the apostles creed, but what has been opposed by
some or ottar enemies of our faith; and yet nothing
has been able, no power of man, or devil, to shake,
muqjpless extinguish it: This again has shewn the
divine providence of God over his church, and the
saying of eternal truth is herein verified, That, the gates
of hell Should HOT prevail against it. St. Matt. XVK
EXHOR; Learn, Christian, to venerate the me-
mory of the twelve apostles, and all other apostolical
men, who were your apostles, to whom you owe your
faith under God. Give thanks to God, without ceasing,
that he has called you to the holy Catholic Church^
which the apostles founded. Often repeat your creed,
for this is the shield of faith, your armour and defence^
against Satan and his works : repeat it with a firm
faith and a lively hope, such as may bring you to a
greater knowledge, and even enjoyment of God : for
it behoveth him, who will approach to God, to believe
that he is our Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier, and last
End, as the creed teaches. As you believe, so practise :
For what will it avail you, to believe well, and live ill ?
What will it avail you, to believe in God, unless you
love, fear, and serve him ? What, to believe in Jesus
Christ, unless you follow his doctrine, and live as he
taught ? What, to believe in the holy Ghost, unless you
harbour his inspiring grace, and keep your heart pure
from sin ? What, to believe in the holy Catholic Church,
unless you conform to her doctrine, precepts, and com-
mands? What, to believe in the communion of saints.
16 The Poor Man's Catechism : <9r,
unless you make yourself worthy of their intercession
now, and of their glory hereafter ? What, to believe in
the resurrection and the life of the world to come, unless
you provide while time is, against that day ; and this, by
the practice of all virtues, by flying from sin, and keep-
ing your conscience undefiled ? Praise God in the won-
derful work of your conversion, and the conversion of
all nations : adore his power, his wisdom, his goodness,
his providence therein : Wonderful is God in all his
ways; wonderful in his saints ; wonderful in all his
works.
w
SECT. I.
The first article of the Creed.
% Vl^HAT is the first article of the creed ? A. I be-
lieve in God the Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth,
INSTRUC. The first thing we are to believe, and
ground of all the rest is, that there is a God, who
made us, and all things. That there is a God, nature
itself does teach us ; the very Pagans confessed it; and
the scripture tells us that none but fools can deny it.
That there is one supreme Being, is a truth instilled
into all mankind : The light , God, of thy countenance is
stamped upon us, Psalm iv. 7. All creatures give testi-
mony of God, that he made them, and that they nade
not themselves ; they had all a beginning, a first prin-
cipal, a first cause, and this is God. To convince us
there is a God, St. Paul refers us to his works : The in-
visible things of God, are seen and known by the visible
things that are made, Rom. i. 20. The fool, indeed,
said in his heart, there is no God ; fain would he believe
so, but the remorse that follows sin, and the .sweets of
virtue, prove that there is a punisher of vice., and a re-
warder of virtue ; and that is God.
2. We believe there is but one God. This Moses
and the prophets taught against the idolaters, who wor-
shipped many Gods ; and even the heathen philoso-
phers, when they wrote in earnest, confessed that there
The Christian Doctrine explained. 17
is but one supreme God. That there is one only God,
may be clearly proved from reason ; since it is impossi-
ble that a being wholly perfect, as God is, an infinite
good, in whom is all the good that is possible* should
nave a companion, another god equal to himself 5 for
sovereign perfection imports a superiority above all
others : a sovereign king has none equal to him in his
kingdom, but all are inferior to him $ so God, the su-
preme Lord of all, is above all, and has no equal.
3. We believe that in God there are three persons ;
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost $ who have but one and
the same nature and essence : There are three that give
testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost, 1 John v. 7. The persons are three, and the na-
ture or essence but one 5 so there is no contradiction in
this mystery ; because they are not three in the same
sense they are one ; for they are three in persons, and
one in essence, in divinity, in wisdom, in goodness, in
will, in power, and in work. There is an image of the
Trinity in the soul of man, which being one, has yet
three powers, will, memory, and understanding; though
all comparison here is defective, because there can be
no exact likeness or proportion between any thing crea-
ted, and the blessed Trinity.
To believe in God, imports three things : 1. That
there is a God. 2. That all he has revealed is true,
and to be believed with divine faith. 3. That we are
to place all our hope in him, and to love and seek him,
as our chief and only essential good.
EXHO&. The fool said in his hearty there is no God ;
hence they are become corrupt and abominable, Ps. xiii. 1.
The belief of a God leads to virtue, religion, and all
good : the want of it (as in Atheists) is the origin of
all wickedness and sin ; as in a kingdom, if people are
made to understand that there is no king, no judge, no
justice, they will set no bounds to their crimes. But
you, O Christian, who believe there is a God, the su-
preme Lord over you and all things, bow down and
adore him, and mate him Lord over your heart, by
loving, fearing, and obeying him. Make him Lord over
your life and actions, by doing all for his glory. Sub-
18 The Poor Man's Catechism . Or,
mit to all things he has revealed and delivered to you,
whether by his prophets, or his apostles, or his church.
Under all the events of life, still hope in him : love
him as your first beginning, and last end : renounce all
false gods, all those idols which your passions adore ;
the idol of pride, covetousness, lust Thou shalt adore
the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve, Deut.
vi. 13. Give all honour and glory to the most blessed
Trinity, one in essence, and three in persons: give
flory to God the Father, for your creation ; to God the
on, for your redemption ; to God the Holy Ghost, for
your sanctification ; three persons really distinct, but
one and the same God. He is your first beginning,
make him also your last end, by glorifying him now and
for all eternity.- Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of &a-
baoth.
SECT. IL
Of the divine attributes.
<Q. T/i^HAT are the perfections or attributes of
* God ? A. As God is infinite, his perfec-
tions also are infinite.
INSTRUC. God is an infinite being, who has infi-
nite perfections, from whom all things have their
feeing and perfections.
2. God is eternal : for as he k self-existent, that is,
has no cause of his existence, but exists because it is
iris nature and essence to exist always ; as he has no
beginning, so he can have no end ; and this his eter-
nity extends to all parts of time, with whom the past
and the future is at present ; for in him nothing is past,
3iothing future, but is present.
3. God is incomprehensible : he is so great, that none
but himself can fully comprehend what he is. The
blessed, indeed, see him as he is ; they have the clear
sight and enjoyment of him too ; yet their understand-
ing is limited, and he is infinite, still above their com-
prehension ; whatever they contemplate of his great-
ness, thei$ will still be more to be seen and known
The Christian Doctrine explained. 19
without end ; and in this they rejoice exceedingly, that
God is still greater than all they conceive.
4. God is immense: it is impossible to imagine any
place, or point, but where he is, with his whole
essence, presence and power. He is in all places with
his essence, to give being to all things that are ; to give
life to all that live, and motion to all that move : In him
we live, move, and are. Acts xvii. 28. He is every
where by his presence, to contemplate all that is done
by the good and the bad. He is present every where
by his power, in as much as all things are subject to it,
and all beings are the effect of it. Thus God, by his
immensity, fills heaven and earth, and all places ; Whi-
ther shall I go from thy spirit, or whither shall I fly from
thy face? If I ascend into heaven, thou art there,' and if
I descend into hell, thou art present. Psalm cxxxviii. 7.
5. God is unchangeable : all things created, are by
nature changeable ; he alone is eternally the same ;
ever wise, ever good, ever just, ever holy. It is im-
possible he should ever change to any thing inferior to
himself, for then he would not be God : or to any thing
equal to himself, because there is none equal to him : or
to any thing above himself, because he is above all:
Thou art always the same, and thy years shall not faiL
Ps. ci. 28.
6. God is omnipotent : he is all power : this he ma-
nifested in the creation of heaven and earth ; yet he
can create still more in number, and greater in perfec-
tion, without end, than he has already made ; arid this
toy his own power alone without the help of any second
.cause : We have seen but few ofhisivorks. Eccl. xliii.
36. that is, but little in comparison of what he can do :
as he made all things by his power, by the same he can
make what changes arid alterations he pleases in the
works which he has made, for the Almighty himself is
above all his works, Eccl. xliii. SO. By this power he
made the sun to stop his course, in the time of Joshua;
and to move back, in the reign of Ezekias : he does what
he pleases in the heavens, the earth, and the seas, as he
did by Moses ; and in all creatures, as by our Saviour ;
hence we ought to have no doubt of what he has reveal-
2O The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
ed, of his miracles and prodigies. But though God is
omnipotent, and can do all things, we may safely say,
he cannot do evil or sin ; for this implies imperfection 5
and God is infinite in all perfections.
7. God is omniscient : he knows all things, he knows
himself, by a full comprehension of his infinite being,
and all that the whole extent of omnipotent power can
do : and as he made all things that are, by his own pow-
er, he has the perfect idea of every nature, and of every
individual he has made, and comprehends them more
perfectly, than the artist knows the texture of the works
which he produces by his own invention. The know-
ledge of men and angels is limited 5 the knowledge of
God is unbounded. He is the fountain of all know-
ledge ; all we know, is from God, and through God :
from his wisdom, originally, came all good and excel-
lent inventions and sciences that ever have been: God is
the Lord of all sciences, 1 Kings ii. 3. What he knows,
he cannot forget ; he knows all that is past, the good
and evil done by every one, and remembers the evil, to
punish it, and the good, to reward it. He knows all
that is doing by every one at present, from one end of
the world to the other ; all the intrigues that are in the
hearts of all, and what will be the event of them : he
foresees every thing to come, what every one will chuse,
good or evil, and what will be the end of all, and this
his knowledge extends, not only through time but eter-
nity: Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off. Psalm
cxxxviii. 2.
8. God is good and beneficent : goodness is a will to
communicate the good we have to others, and this he
has done to every creature he ha's made : but the good
he has given to man is of the most excellent kind ; for
as he loves man, in order to his true good and eternal
happiness, to this end he has bestowed upon us most
eminent gifts, both in the order of nature, and in the
order of grace. Thus his goodness, in respect to man,
is charily or friendship : God is charity, 1 John iv. 8.
For as one friend wishes another life and being, and all
the good he can give him ; so God gives us life and be-
ing, and in the end will give us himself, and with him-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 21
self, all the good he has ; and his will is, we should en-
joy it for ever; moreover, he extends this his goodness
to all, offering his grace to every one, and drawing good
from the evil that is intended them by others, through
the depth of his wisdom and power.
9. God is merciful. As he beholds the miseries that
men are liable to in this life, and much greater in the
next, so contrary to the good and happiness he intended
for us, he either prevents these evils, or delivers us out
of those we are fallen into, through our own fault, or
other's malice ; and this is mercy. This he has mani-
fested to man, in the most immense manner, in all that
he has done for him ; by creating him in grace, with a
power to arrive to life everlasting; in redeeming him,
by the incarnation and death of his only Son, from hell,
after he had^ by sin, forfeited heaven: by delivering
him out of the \vretchcd state ot sin by the sanctifying
grace of the Holy Ghost, when he least deserved it.
What we are, what we have, and what we hope to be,
is the effect of his mercy ; so that we have great reason
to say, his mercy is above all his works : this his mer-
cy is extended both to body arid soul, but chi-efly to the
latter, in sparing us under our many transgressions; in
soliciting us to repent, as soon as we have sinned ; ex-
pecting with patience, and never refusing to forgive, un-
der true repentance : relieving us in our wants, when
we ask him ; inspiring us to ask, when we are unmind-
ful of it ; and often giving us, without asking. The ve-
ry evils of this life are the blessed effects of his mercy,
intending thereby to draw us from sin, to the pure love
of himself : / will sing the mercies of our Lord to eter-
nity. Psalm Ixxxviii. 1.
10. God isjnst: he is just and holy in all his works :
holy in heaven, holy upon earth ; and holy in hell itself.
He is just both to the good and the bad ; rewarding one,
and punishing the other, according to their merit, with-
out exception of persons. His vindictive justice against
the wicked, he has already shown in part, in this world,
in many events : in the rebel angels above, in sinful
Adam below, in the deluge, and in the fire of Sodom,
and in all the evils of plague, famine, and war, which
22 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
have ravaged the world from the beginning. Yet the
works of his mercy are above the works of his justice,
for we may observe that his mercy goes before his justice,
and has pardoned sinners many times, and warned them
to amend, before his justice strikes 5 it goes along with
his justice, and mitigates the punishment, which is ever
less than the fault ; and it also follows after his justice,
which commonly strikes the sinner for some merciful
end. In the next life, indeed, sinful souls will be pu-
nished for ever and ever; because the crimes of men
have made such a punishment necessary, as there is no
other that can restrain the worser part of men : but
even this is a mercy to the living, and might have pre-
vented all, who are in that place, from falling into it, if
they had sufficiently attended to it.
11. God has an universal providence over all he has
made, especially over man,- to wWp salvation the
course of providence is chiefly ordained. As he creat-
ed the world, who should have the care of it but him-
self ? What other hath he appointed over the earth, or
whom hath he set over the world which he hath made ?
Job. xxxiv. 13* As by his omnipotence, he gave us be<-
ing ; so by his providence, he preserves all beings. For,
as he knows what all beings require, according to their
nature, the means to bring them to their end, the hin-
derances to those means, and how to prevent them; the
miseries that may befall each one, and the means to deli-
ver them from the evil, and to give them the good ; and
as he has a will to communicate that good, which he in-
tended all beings in their creation ; and a power to put
it in execution ; it is thus he provides sufficiently for all
creatures, and has care of individuals, as well as of the
whole. The same providence that reigns over the an-
gels above, reaches to the least insect below : Thy pro-
vidence, O Father, even from the beginning, governeth
all things. Wisdom xiv. 3. But as none but such as
are endowed with reason, are properly capable of hap-
piness, hence we conceive providence chiefly intent
upon man ; and this providence extends both to body
and soul, to procure for us temporal, but chiefly eternal
good : hence are derived all spiritual blessings for
The Christian Doctrine explained. 23
the soul, and also those temporal blessings too, which
assist us to pass this life with comfort : and by the same
care of divine providence, we are either preserved from
the contrary evils, or delivered out of those we are fallen
into. Thus all may rest securely, that, on the part of
God, nothing can be wanting to them under such a pro-
vidence, which provides abundantly for all such as are
not themselves negligent of their own temporal and
eternal good.
EXHOR. Adore God, O Christian, in all his divine
perfections. As you believe in one God, Creator of
all, learn hence to do good to your fellow creatures, as
being made by the same God as yourself, as servants of
the same Lord, as sons of the same Father, and ordained
to the same end/ As you believe in the blessed Trinity,
three persons and one God, stand firm in this faith
amidst the blindness of this age ; pretend not to dive
into this mystery, which is far above the comprehension
of man : if God is incomprehensible in his judgments,
and unsearchable in his ways, Rom. i. 33, how much
more incomprehensible is his being, and unsearchable
his divinity ! Adore God as the infinite eternal being,
the being of beings, the being of yourself. Adore him
as present in all places, especially in churches, where
he manifests his presence by conferring benefits ; and
in heaven, where he is seen, not as here by faith only,
but in his glory. Rejoice that you have a God of infinite
power and wisdom, who can find a thousand means to
save and deliver you out of all evils ; and never cease
to praise his infinite goodness and bounty, from whence
you have received so many excellent gifts, both of grace
and nature 5 He openeth his hand, andjilleth every living
creature with blessings, Psalm cxliv. 16. Man in par-
ticular, to whom he gives himself, and with himself all
things ; in return, he requires that you love him above
all things ; this is his greatest commandment, and your
essential good : how jealous then ought you to be of
those visible things that rob you of your heart ? Rather
place your affections all in one y in whom all the good,
that is in created things, centres ; who, by himself alone,
without them, can give you all the happiness they can
24 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
give, and infinitely more, which they cannot give.
Adore God in his infinite mercy ; though you have rea-
son to fear his justice, you have still greater reason to
hope in mercy : fear his justice then, that you may not
too much presume ; but still adhere to his mercy, that
you may not be too much dismayed and terrified by jus-
tice. Adore him even in his justice ; what would be-
come of all the good, if there was not a just God; if
there was no judge, no justice, to distinguish between
the cause of the just, and the cause of the impious ? Who
must relieve the poor, the injured, the persecuted, and
oppressed, unless there was a just God to call the wicked
to account ? Where would virtue be, if there was not
justice to undertake its cause ? It is the justice of God
that patronizes all that is good, both in heaven and upon
earth. To conclude, adore and glorify God in his divine
providence over you and all creatures : what would be-
come of the world, if there was not such a providence ?
How many blessings do you daily receive from that
hand ? How many mischiefs intended you are daily
warded by that hand ? Admire the dominion of God, in
this his just government of the universe : see how sweet-
ly does he govern, not as tyrants, but as a father, allu-
ring us to virtue by rewards ; not forcing, but giving
every one inclinations to their good : yet, how strongly
does he govern, his dominion reaching from the begin*-
ning to the end of every thing : at the same time how
justly his providence having no other end, but to com-
municate the good which he has to us, to preserve us in
that good, antfto bring ail to the perfect possession of it.
O that all, who in this world govern under God, would
imitate this form of government ; govern sweetly, not
despotically ; strongly, not negligently ; justly, not par-
tially : not for their own interest and ambition, but for
the good of those they govern* and for the glory of the
supreme Governor of mankind ! Let us rejoice, at least,
that we live under so good 5 so wise, so powerful and just
a God : only strive to make yourself worthy, that he
may have that special care of you which he has for all
the good | and this by seeking the kingdom of God, and
his justice, in the first place. St. Matt. vi. 33. esteeming
The Christian Doctrine explained. 25
nothing more, nothing so much, as that eternal and ce-
lestial Kingdom, where you are to see and enjoy God
and the justice of it; that is, those virtues, these good
works, and that grace, which is your title to that king-
dom : then you may safely rely, that providence will
make all things co-operate to your good, and let nothing
finally hinder your salvation.-
SECT. III.
Q TTTHAT mean those words, Father Almighty ?
VV A. That God the Father is the first person
of the blessed Trinity ; by nature, the Father of the se-
cond person ; by grace and adoption, the Father of all
good Christians ; and by creation, of all creatures.
IN STRUG. -God the Father is the first person of the
Blessed Trinity, because he proceeds from no other per-
son. The Son is the second person, because he pro-
ceeds from the Father, by eternal generation. The
Holy Ghost is the third person, because he proceeds
botli from the Father and the Son : yet we must not
imagine there is any inequality among them, who have
one and the same essence, one and the same power,
one and the same greatness.
2. As we say a man is a father of a family, because
his children are his offspring, and because they have
their education and inheritance from him; by much
greater reason, God is the common Father of all ; be-
cause all have their being from him : We are his off-
spring, Acts. xvii. and his universal providence provides
for all : but as Christians, by a singular favour and grace,
received through the death and passion of Christ, they
are adopted sons of God, and heirs to the kingdom of
heaven, and have this title to call God their Father, by
the right of adoption, which others have not.
3. We call him Almighty, which imports an unli-
mited power to do all things, infinitely more than man
can conceive ; and therefore it is a great folly to deny
what God has revealed, merely because it might seem
strange and incomprehensible to man. This omnipo-
tent power of God is mentioned in the very first article
3
26 Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
of our creed, because our whole faith and hope is ground-
ed upon it: for we can have no reason to mistrust any
mystery of our faith, when grounded on the authority
of an omnipotent Being ; or to despond under an omni-
potent God.
EXHOR. With what awe and profound respect ought
vou, O Christians, to begin your creed, wherein you pro-
less your belief of the infinite and eternal God ! With
what love, when you name him your Father, and great
Creator of heaven and earth ! Learn to fear his Almigh-
ty power. This fear is the beginning of wisdom, let it
ever accompany your faith, the better to preserve you in
an humble submission to it; let it accompany all your
actions, that in them you may avoid evil, and do good
more perfectly; let it accompany your thoughts, to Dan-
ish all evil, even from your mind. Learn above all
things to love God, whose being you profess to adore,
whom you name your father, your Creator, that gave you
life and being. If by grace, you are adopted among the
sons of God, and heirs of heaven, let your souls dwell
in heaven, while your bodies are on earth, and remem-
ber heaven is your home, your happiness, and last end :
Our conversation is in heaven.
SECT. IV.
I believe in God the Father Almighty^ creator of heaven
and earth*
Q. TTTHO made heaven and earth ? A. God;
W Q. Of what did he make them. ? A. Not of
any pre-existent matter, but of nothing, by his only
word, Q. Why did he make them ? A. To manifest
his power, wisdom, and goodness. ^. In how long time
were all things made ? A. In six days.
IXSTRUC. As the belief of one God, Creator of the
world, is the foundation of all true religion, hence the
creed and scripture begin with the creation, as the first
point of the divine law, and teach expressly, that the
world was not from eternity, or made of any pre-existent
matter uncreated, but was created and made, both as to
matter and form, by the divine power only of the su-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 27
preme God ; and this, not all at once, but in six days suc-
cessively, and by parts ; the first day being assigned to
the creation of the elements, the heavens, the earth, the
waters, the light: and the following days, to the distinct
creation of the ornaments belonging to each element ;
as the sun, moon, and stars, for the heavens ; animals,
trees, and plants, for the earth ; fowls for the air, and
fishes for the sea : which seems to have been done with
design to root the worship of one God in our minds ; by
covincing them, that not only heaven and earth, but
every species in them, were the immediate work of no
other agent but the omnipotent God ; so to overthrow
the idolatry of the heatliens, who adored the creatures
of every element, for the Creator of them.
On the first day then of the creation, God made hea-
ven and earth; and heaven he filled with bright spirits
innumerable, which we call angels. The earth \vas then
without ornaments or productions, covered over with
the waters, which were also created the first day, and
the whole overwhelmed with darkness, caused by the ab-
sence of light ; when God said, Lei light be made, and
light was made, which, if it were only over one part of
the earth, or one hemisphere, could only enlighten that
hemisphere, (as the sun at present) which, if moved
round the earth must make alternate light and darkness,
arid this alternate light and darkness one day. The
second day he made the firmament, and divided the
waters that are under the firmament from those that
are above the firmament; the firmament or expan-
sion (as in the Hebrew) may comprise the whole space
from the earth to the highest stars, or the whole
body of air, which to this day sustains an immense
quantity of waters in clouds all roand the earth, for rain
in due season. The third day he collected the waters,,
that were left on the earth, into one place, proper, by
the inferiority of its situation, for a receptacle of them ;
and these are the seas : the waters being gone off,
the dry land appeared, and this, is the earth ; which
he commanded to shoot forth all kinds of herbs and
trees. The fourth day he made and settled the ce-
lestial bodies, the stars, and the two great luminaries of
28 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
the earth ; one greater, and the other less, the sun and
moon, to rule the day and night, and make a distinction
of times and seasons; thus our day and night depends
upon the appearance of the sun above the horizon ; our
year upon his annual revolution ; and by the variation
of his appearance, over different quarters of the hori-
zon, he makes the distinction of the four seasons. The
fifth day he created the fishes and the fowls, one, the in-
habitants of the waters; the other the inhabitants of the
air. The sixth day he made all the living creatures of the
earth ; as all the beasts, as well domestic as those of the
field ; and all reptiles, or creatures that creep ; some of
these for our food, some for our clothing, some for
burden. On the sixth day also, but in the last place,
was made man ; because the world which was to be his
palace or abode must be first made, with all its orna-
ments; that, as soon as ever he was created, his eyes
might be delighted with the sight of the creation ; his
ears with the music of the birds, and his taste with the
sweet things God had made for his food, that so his heart
might glorify the Creator, for all those things which he
had created for the preservation and happiness of his life.
EXHOR. Adore, O Christian, the infinite power of
God in the creation. Give thanks without ceasing, for
his great goodness in communicating such blessings to
yourself and all creatures* His worts are incomprehen-
sible ; dive not into the nature of what you cannot in the
least comprehend ; but learn rather to live well, for a
good life is far better than great knowledge. Endea-
vour to answer the end of your creation, which is to
glorify and eivjoy your Creator for ever. How can you
cast up your eyes'to those celestial bodies, the sun, moon
and stars, and" not admire and revere his power ? But
how dare you offend that power ? If the least of his works
are beyond your conception, what must the Maker be ?
Or if so great be their extent, so beautiful, so glorious the
light of those bright stars in the firmament, what must
be the 'extent of the glory of God himself? The
thought is amazing ! As often then as you behold the
heavens, raise up your hearts, and praise God for all the
wonders you contemplate thei#, as well as for all thos-o
The Christian Doctrine explained. 29
you have seen on earth ; and say, Blessed be our Lord
in the firmament of heaven, and praise-worthy , and glo-
rious, for ever.
SECT. V.
Of the creation of Jlngels.
Tlf
v
HAT are the angels? A. They are pure
spirits, of a nature purely intellectual and
spiritual. Q. When did God create the angels? .#.
On the first day, (as is the most probable opinion,) when
he made heaven to be their abode. Q. How are they
divided ? A. Into good and bad. Q. Who were the
good ? *#. They who persevered in grace, them God
established in ^lory, and made them the guardians of
men. Q. Who are the bad ? Jl. They who rebelled
against God , them he cast into hell ; they are called
devils, and tempters of mankind ; they are the evil
spirits, the powers of darkness.
INSTRUC. When God made the heavens, he cre-
ated the angels spiritual beings and placed them there-
in. They were created in grace, with free-will, to
chuse good or evil. They were not yet in the state of
glory 5 nor did they all along continue in the state of
grace ; but many of them rebelled against God. For
this, he cast them out of heaven, and made a hell to
punish them, where they are to be in torment for all
eternity. The good who followed the cause of God,
he confirmed for ever in grace and glory. The prince
of this celestial host, was Michael ; and the prince of
the rebel angels, was Lucifer.
God permits us by these evil spirits, called devils, to
be tempted, though he gives all-sufficient grace to resist
them 5 they are stiled by St. Paul, principalities, and
powers, and rulers of this darkness* They inhabit the
air at present, at least some of them, carrying never-
theless their hell about them, and follow us wherever
we go; drawing us, by evil thoughts, from the love of
God, into their own eternal misery. The good angels
are the guardians of mankind 5 each one of us has an =
3 *
SO The Poor Man's Catechism : Or y
angel -guardian to prompt good thoughts to our minds,
and to protect us from evil ; they^ have the care of us r
to preserve us, soul and body, in all our ways ; they
carry our petitions to God ; the^ present our souls after
death before the tribunal of Christ, and carry them to
the place of our deserts, whatever it be, heaven, hell, or
purgatory ; so, Lazarus, by Angels, was carried into
Abraham's bosom. Every nation has a tutelar angel ;
and, in; some sense, they are the governors of the world
under God, and will be his messengers at the last day,
to summon all men to^jud^inent : they will separate the
good from the bad, at that day ; the good, they will
conduct to glory ; the wicked, they will drive into an
hell of eternal misery.
There are nine choirs of angels mentioned in holy
scripture, and among them different degrees of glory ^
Seraphims, Cherubims, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues^
Powers, Principalities, Archangels. Some incessantly
singing the praises of God ; others executing his eternal
decrees ; others guardians of souls : all actually enjoy-
ing the beatifical vision, and with holy fear and trem-
bling, adoring their beloved God.
EXHOR.' Behold the power of God in the creation
of angels, who are the most noble of all his creatures- ;,
bless and praise him therein. As you see the dismal
effect of sin, of one sin, in the fall of the angels; what
must be the effect of your manifold transgressions f O
the horror of sin ! See you repent while that mercy r
God denied to them, is now offered to you. Depart
from your sins, and return to them no more^ lest the lot
of the rebel angels fall upon you ; there is nothing so>
legible as the punishment of siiiv
Behold again the effect of virtue, the reward of good'^
in those blessed spirits, who persisted in the adoration
of God, they were confirmed in grace, and established
in glory. Let this be encouragement to you, to perse-
vere in virtue,, in all good, that you may have the like
reward and enjoyment with them in happiness. As you?
are liable every moment to temptation, be an your
guard, watch and pray, while the devil, as a roaring
Iioix 3 seeks day and night to devour you 5 lift up yoiur
The Christian Doctrine explained. 3i
eyes and heart to heaven, call God to your assistance,
and then you need not fear the most violent assaults of
the tempter. As God has given the good angels charge of
you, be devout to them, especially ta your angel-guar-
dian, and say every day, morning and night, O angel of
God, to whose holy care I am committed, enlighten,
defend, and govern me this day, this night, from all sin
and danger.
As there are several degrees of glo*y among those
blessed spirits, so will there be to .the happy of mankind,
according to their works and devotion in serving God:
blessed encouragement to good ! Persevere then with
all your might in virtue, that you may be crowned with
them in everlasting glory.
"l^
* *
SECT. VI.
Creation and end of man.
HEN was man created? A. On the sixth
day. Q. How was he created ? A. His
body was made of clay $ his soul was created of nothing,
and made to the image and likeness of God. Q. Where-
in did the likeness consist ? A. In this, that man, as to
his soul, is spiritual and immortal, made never to die,
and capable of glory and everlasting bliss, in the enjoy-
ment of God, which is also the end for which he was
created,
IN&TRUC. God having framed heaven and earth,.and
all things therein, he proceeded to the creation of man ?
as the last and finishing work of hi& hands. On the
sixth day he made him, as to his body, of the slime of
the earth* and breathed into his face a breath of life ;
that is, he gave him a spiritual and immortal soul, and
then gave him dominion over all other living creatures.
By a special privilege lie was made immortal, never
to die or suffer, unless he sinned; and endowed with
original justice, whereby all the motions of sense were
perfectly obedient to reason, and reason perfectly sub-
ject to God; in which happy state, he was enabled by
grace to persevere as long as. he woukL
32 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
God having cast Adam into a profound sleep, took
out one of his ribs, and of it made the women to be a
companion to him. They were both naked, but not
ashamed, being quite innocent, and insensible of evil.
God walked and conversed with them in paradise, a
most delightful abode, where they had every thing that
could concur to happiness, and all living creatures were
made subservient to them ; they were made to love and
glorify the Creator there for a time, and then to be trans-
lated int;o heaven, without tasting of death ; and the
same was to be the happy lot of all their posterity.
SECT. VII.
Of the fall of Man.
Q.TTOW did Adam fall? A. By eating the for-
JTX bidden fruit. Q. What was the consequence ?
A. He was banished out of Paradise, with all his poste-
rity, made subject to all the miseries of this life, and li-
able to death. Q. Who tempted him to sin ? *2. The
devil, in the shape of a serpent. Q. How did he tempt
him? Jl. By prompting and pursuading Eve to eat of
the forbidden fruit, assuring them, that by eating there-
of they should not die, but be like Gods.
INSTRUC. Alas ! this blessed state of man in Para-
dise was of short continuance : for God having giveu
them leave to eat of all the delicious fruits, except one
which stood in the midst of Paradise, called th&iree of
knowledge, the fruit whereof he forbid them to touch
under pain of death, and this to try their obedience ;
the devil, transformed and disguised in the shape of a
serpent, came and spoke to Eve, and flattered her with
an assurance, that if they would eat the fruit which
God had forbidden, they should not die, but be as Gods,
knowing good and evil. The woman then seeing it de-
lightful to the eye, arid sweet to the taste, she took and
eat, and gave it to Jldam, who did the like. Immediate-
ly their eyes were opened, and they perceived themselves
naked, and exposed to shame ; they were seized with re,
morse of conscience, and a dread of God's Judgments--
The Christian Doctrine explained. 33
and therefore hearing his voice they ffed from him, and
strove to hide themselves in the woods of Paradise ; hut
they were soon found out, arraigned, and condemned ti>
die with many woes both to man and woman, and an
eternal curse was laid upon the serpent, that is, the
Devil, who seduced Eve. They were expelled 1 out of
Paradise, and all the miseries on earth attended them.
Thus did our first parents lose Paradise, as the rebel
angels lost heaven. See the dismal effects of sin ! Man,
before sin, was entirely happy ; after sin he was entirely
miserable. Before sin, he lived and conversed with God ;
after sin he could not bear to appear rn his presence.
Before sin he was exempt from death ; after sin, he was
doomed to die, and every moment threatened with the
terror of it Before sin, he lived at ease; after sin he
was bound to labour, and to gain his bread through the
sweat of his brow. Before sin, he was entitled to hea-
ven ; after sin, he was destined to hell.
EXHOR. Adore and worship God for the great and
wonderful work of your creation ; render him that obe-
dience, homage and duty, which: is due from man to his
Creator. Answer the end of your creation, and remem-
ber you were made to live with God for ever in glory.
Every thing in nature is subservient to its end but man.
Be ashamed of yourself and amend for the future : your
happiness hereafter depends upon your well governing
your life here. Value not yourself for any thing that
is of this world : neither for beauty, nor riches, nor
power, nor nobility ; all these belong to earth, and
will soon have an end; but value yourself rather for
what you carry in your body, your immortal soul, the
image and likeness of God. See you keep it unspotted,
and, if blemished by sin, purify it again, and this by
tears of sincere confession and sorrow. O let not the
f lory of heaven bend to earth, or the- beauty of angels
ecome worse than the brute, and this by your offences.
2. Behold in Jldam the beginning and unhappy end of
man 5 his happiness in the beginning, his misery in the
end ^ let the example of the first man deter you from
evil : if for one sin God was so severe to him, what will
become of you after your almost innumerable transgres-
34 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
sions? As you see the due effects of sin, look better
to jour last end than Mam did. Be careful to fulfil all the
commandments of God, and to shun forbidden plea-
sures. You have great helps to encourage you, the grace of
God given you abundantly in the sacraments. Beware
of temptation, and the snares of Satan : all the allure-
ments of this world are as the forbidden fruit in Para-
dise 5 fair to the sight, sweet to sense, but deceitful and
bitter in the end. No one ever enjoyed them, but was
forced, with Solomon, to confess that all was vanity,
misery, and vexation of spirit. As you are made for
another world, think not to find your happiness in this.
As you are made for God, without him you will never
be nappy. Look on yourself as a stranger upon earth 5
you have no permanent abode here, your abode is hea-
ven ; which made St. Paul so often remind us, to seek
things above, and not the things below. Col. iii. 1, 2.
Walk as in the presence of God always, and do not
lose him as Mam did, by sin. Accept of the temporal
punishments, which are the effects of original sin, with
patience and resignation ; they are what all the posterity
of Mam is doomed to. With many miseries art thou
born ; submit to them all, because it is the will of heaven :
arid as you are born to die, when the hour is approaching,
humble yourself under the Almighty hand that strikes
you, and recommend your soul, with your most blessed
Saviour, into the hands of your heavenly Father.
ART. II. SECT. I.
Jlnd in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord.
q. TTTHAT means this article ? .#. It means that
VV we believe and put our trust in Jesus Christ,
true God and man, the second person of the blessed
Trinity. ^. What is the signification of the name
Jesus P A. A Saviour. Q. Why are we to honour his
name? .#. Because we owe all good to it. Q. What is
the signification of the name Christ? A. The anointed.
Q. What mean those words, His only Son our Lord?
Ji. That he is by nature the only Son of God the Father,
The Poor Marfs Catechism : Or, 3
born of him from all eternity ; and that he is our Lord
and our God.
INSTRUC. As the first article of the creed relates
to God the Father, the first person of the blessed Tri-
nity, and to the work of the creation': so the second,
and some of the following articles, relate to God the
Son, the second person of the blessed Trinity, and to
the great work of our redemption. To believe in Jesus
Christ, is to believe that God the Son, the second per-
son of the blessed Trinity, was made man to save us,
and that he is both God and man ; true God, born of
his Father from all eternity 5 and true man, not in
figure, but in substance, having human nature, a body,
and a soul, with all its powers complete.
The holy name Jesus was given to him not by man,
but by the angel Gabriel, and this by God's appoint-
ment, before he was conceived in the womb of his mo-
ther. It is a name above all other names, to which all
creatures must bow ; the angels above, the devils be-
low, and man upon earth. The holy name Jesus is in-
terpreted Saviour, because he came to save his people
from their sins, and/rom hell, the punishment of them.
All the good we have received, is through his name.
Through Jesus was received our faith and religion;
through him we hope for remission of sins, and life ever-
lasting ; through him we love God, and are in his favour
and friendship. All the merit we reap by our prayers,
fasting, good works, and virtues, is through the name of
Jesus ; For there is no other name under heaven given
to men, in which we must look for salvation. Great is
the power of his holy name, in putting the devils to
flight ; by it many miracles have been wrought ; In the
name of Jesus, said Peter to the blind man, arise and
walk. No doubt it has still the same virtue, if need
required it : as then it puts us in mind of our redemp-
tion, which we cannot too often think of 5 it is just, that
as often as we hear or speak it, we should pay honour
and glory to it, as well by interior adoration in our
hearts, as by outward respect. In the name of Jesus
let every knee bend. Phil. ii. 10.
2. As we read in scripture, that kings, priests and
36 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
prophets were anointed with oil, and thence declared
the Lord's anointed ; for this reason, the name Christ,
which is interpreted the anointed, was given to the Son
of God made man, as well as the name Jesus ; because
he was king, priest, and prophet. He was king both of
heaven and earth, to whom all power in heaven and
earth was given, to sit upon the throne of David for
ever, of whose kingdom there shall be no end. St.
Luke i. He was our high priest, who offered the great
sacrifice of redemption, even the sacrifice of himself,
for the sins of mankind ; and is a priest for ever, ac-
cording to the order of Melchisedeck. He was also a
prophet, the great prophet, from whom all the pro-
phets received their foretelling knowledge. Thus
was he, in the most excellent sense, and in the most
proper signification, called Christ, or the Anointed,
being anointed king, priest, and prophet, not with
oil, but with grace above measure, and with the divi-
nity itself.
3. We call him our Lord, and he is truly so, both
as God and man ; Lord of us and all things, as God by
creation ! Lord of mankind in particular, by the right
of redemption, having bought us with a great price,
the price of his blood. My Lord, and my God!
EXHOR. Adore, O Christian, Jesus Christ, true
Ood and man, one and the same God with the Father :
landiue Father are one, St. John x. 30, one supreme
Being, one God. Trust in his power, it is through
him you live ; it is through his goodness you enjoy all
the blessings of nature and grace 5 it is througli the
jnerits of his passion and death, and mediation, your
sins are forgiven, and everlasting life obtained.
Let tins holy name Jesus be for ever deep engraven
in your heart; you ought to glory in nothing but in
this name, to which you owe your life and salvation:
it is our support in affliction, our comfort in death, and
our joy in glory. O may I ever adore this sacred
name amidst the corruption of this age! O Jesus, I
do not onlj bend my knee, but my heart to thee. 1
will exult and rejoice in God my Saviour.
As you have partaken of that grace which he had
The Christian Doctrine explained. 37
without measure ; of his fulness we have all received,
1 John i. 16, more or less ; see you preserve this rich
gift in your soul 5 increase it by doing good ; lessen it
not by doing evil ; Receive not the grace of God in vain;
make not void the blessing of heaven.
As you confess him your Lord, see you render him
homage; do him all service, through love, fear and
obedience.
SECT. IT.
The Incarnation more fully Explained.
{^. TM^HAT means the incarnation? Jl. It means
that God the Son, the second person of
the blessed Trinity, was made man. (. How was he
made man ? A. He assumed human nature, a body and
soul, like ours, which subsisted together with the divine
nature, in one and the same person of the Son of God.
Q. When was he made man ? *#. At that instant
when he was conceived in the womb of his blessed
mother, the Virgin Mary, when she gave her consent,
saying, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to
me according to thy word. Q. For what end was he
made man ? A. To redeem mankind, lost by Adam's
Fall. Q. How did he redeem us ? Jl. By dying for
us, and paying the satisfaction that was due to God,
for our offence. Q. What benefit did we reap by it ?
&. We were restored to grace, and made heirs to the
kingdom of heaven.
INSTRUC. The unity and trinity of God, whereby
we understand that one and the same divine nature
subsists in three persons really distinct ; and the incar-
nation of the Son of God, whereby the two natures,
divine and human, were united in one person, are
mysteries of mysteries ; the two principal mysteries of
the Christian faith ; and the ground-work upon which
our religion is built.
The incarnation was most necessary for the salva-
tion of mankind ; because by the decrees of God f
man could not otherwise be- treed from original SIR
4
o8 The Poor Marts Catechism: 6r,
Man could not be redeemed by any other than by a
divine person; because it being a work of infinite sa-
tisfaction, none but an infinite Being could atone in
full, to an infinite justice offended ; and this he did by
becoming man, and shed his blood for us. No sooner
did Mam sin, but God decreed and promised the re-
demption of man, when he told the serpent who se-
duced JKv e, that the seed of the woman should crush his
head: who is that seed of the woman, but Christy
born of a Virgin, who has destroyed the power of the
devil ? This was the design and end of the incarna-
tion, to rescue mankind from the power of the devil :
the Son of God out of mere goodness, and an immense
mercy, is made man, to free us from the sin of the first
man : an infinite Being appears to atone for an infinite
offence ; he repairs our guilt, he frees us from the
eternal punishment of it ; he makes us greater than
before the fall, by adopting us among the sons of God,
and making us co-heirs with himself in his kingdom;
and at length, after death, and a resurrection to life,
he establishes us wilh the Angels in everlasting glory.
This could be the work of none but God, and we may
iruiy say, the incarnation was the effect of his infinite
love to mankind : So God loved the world, as to give his
only begotten Son. St. John in. 16.
EXHOR. Bow down, Christian, and adore the
incarnation of the Son of God. Great was the work
of your creation, to be framed out of nothing ; but
greater the work of the incarnation, to be freed from
worse than nothing, the evil of sin, and hell, its
punishment; the first was an effect of God's power,
the other, an effect of God's love. So" great and incom-r
prehensible is this mystery, that we have all reason to
say with St. Paul, O ! depth of the riches and ivisdom of
God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and/us ways
beyond finding out ! Why should we doubt or fear to
submit to all the other mysteries of the Christian faith,
while we have this before our eves, and believe it, that
God 1 the Son was made man, was born of a woman,
lived in poverty, suffered and died as man. even the
death that was due to sinners
The Christian Doctrine explained, 3#
ART. HI.
W ho was Conceived by the Holy Ghost, /torn of the
Virgin Mary.
OW was he conceived ? Jl. Not by human
I generation, hut by the power and virtue of
the Holy Ghost. Q. When was he conceived ? #.
At the instant the Virgin Mary gave her consent, say -
ing, Behold the handmaid of the .Lord, be it done to me
according to thy word.
INS'TRUO. The conception of our blessed Saviour
was purely a work of God, beyond our comprehen-
sion. It was all miraculous, full of mystery ; far dif-
ferent from the ordinary conception of other men, by
human generation: his conception was the immediate
work of the Holy Ghost, and not of any man. That
his body was formed of the substance of his mother, is
indeed a natural thing, for all men are in like manner
formed; but that a virgin who never knew man should
conceive a son 5 that his human nature should subsist
in a divine person ; that his mother remaining a vir--
jrin, was also a mother, mother of God, mother of
man, are mysteries beyond the reach of nature, and
capacity of our understanding, and peculiar to none
but himself. How wonderful is it, that God and man,
the servant and the Lord, should be united by such a
union, as to be one and the same .person ? * It is a
thing beyond conception, and yet it is true; O! depth.
of the riches and wisdom of God! This indeed we may
in some small measure understand by a comparison, as
of two grafts upon one stock, not mixed or confounded
together, since they bear different fruits, while yet
they are but one tree, as being in one and the same
stock.
EXHOR. What have you, O Christian, here to de ?
but to admire the stupendous works of God, wrought
in your favour ? You are not to inquire how., but to
adore the thing done 5 to adore your blessed Saviour's
incarnation, not as a work of man, but a work of
40 The Poor Man's Catechise : Or y
heaven. Humble yourself, as being conceived in sin ft
brought forth in sin, born in ignorance, with a corrupt
nature, full of the evil propensions of original sin,
which incline you to all kind of evil. Praise God in
the conception of his Son, which, through his grace,
has delivered you from all those evils you brought
v/ith you into the world; through him you are puri-
fied from original sin, you are enlightened in faith,
and established in all good.
SECT. II.
Born of the Virgin Mary.
< TM/'HEN was our Saviour born? Jl. On
Christmas-day. Q. Where was he born ?
Jl. In a stable at Bethlehem. Q. Of whom was he
born ? Ji. Of the blessed Virgin Mary. Q. What
wonders happened at his birth ? JJ. The singing of
angels ; the adoration of the shepherds ; the coming of
the Magi, or three kings. Q. In what condition was
he born? *fl. In distress, poverty, and want; he was
Born in a stable, laid in a manger.
INSTRUC. The apostles thought it not enough to
have taught us only the conception of our vSaviour ;
but would farther teach us what we are to believe of
his nativity, and therefore added, born of the Virgin
Mary; because his birth is filled with divine mystery,
and much to our instruction, as well as his conception.
Joseph and Mary being obliged to repair to Beth-
lehem* in obedience to an edict of Augustus Ccesar, to
have their names enrolled in the place of their origin,
and finding no room for them in the inn, were forced
to lodge iu a stable; here it was the blessed Virgin
Mary brought forth her son, she still remaining a virgin
after his birth, as she ever was before it. This was in
the depth of winter, and at midnight. He was born
at a time when the world, after long and bloody w T ars,
was in peace ; as a token that he came to make peace
between heaven and earth, to reconcile God and man.
He was born of a Virgin, to show how great a lover of
The Christian Doctrine explained*. 41
purity he is, and how pure our souls ought to be when
we receive him in the holy communion. He was born
in an humble state, born in a stable, laid in a manger ;
because this best answered the end of his incarnation,
which was to teach a contempt of the pride and pomp
of the world ; and unless he had taught this by exam-
ple as well as doctrine, he had never been believed.
But as St. Dennis remarks, in his person " Wonders were
"joined with humility," angels came from heaven,
and sung at his birth ; and presently after he was
adored by the shepherds, who were Jews, and after-
wards by the kings who were Gentiles, to signify
that he was now born to save both Jews and Gen-
tiles.
^EXHOR. Approach, O Christian, to the manger
with a heart filled with gratitude, love, and adoration.
Adore the new born infant with the shepherds and the
kings ; glorify him with the angels, love him with
Mary and Joseph. Alas ! there are but few who bear
these holy sentiments in their hearts ; many slight the
nativity of their Redeemer, as if it had never been ;
others live in a total oblivion of it, and some make it
a time rather of mirth and revelling than devotion.
But you, Christian, lay up all those divine secrets in
your heart, as Mary did. Adore in spirit and truth,
and let your life speak the blessing you received. An-
swer the end of the incarnation/ which is, to live
soberly, justly, and piously in this world. O may my
soul bless and praise his nativity now and for all eter-
nity! may I be humble, as he, in the stable in
Bethlehem ; may I contemn, as he, all earthly pomp
and vanity 5 may I suffer, as he, that I may partake of
his glory.
SECT. III.
Of the Life of Christ. \
Q- T^HAT are the principal circumstances or
v ' particulars of the life of Christ ? J$. His
circumcision, his presentation, his flight into
4*
4-2 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
ins disputing with the doctors in the temple, his
infancy and youth, till the age of thirty, was spent in
humility and labour.
INS i RUC. These are the particulars the gospel has
revealed of the life of Christ, from his birth in Beth-
Mem, till the age of thirty. 1. That on the eighth
day after his birth he was circumcised according to the
law of Moses, and received the name of Jesus : for
unless he had been circumcised, the Jeivs might after-
wards have rejected him upon this very pretence, of
his being an uncircumcised man, and therefore not of
the race of Abraham. The holy name Jesus is the
same as Saviour, or one \vlio is come to save us, and
was most properly given to the Son of God made
man, who comes to save, not some one nation only,
but all; and this not from temporal only, but from
eternal ruin. 2. That at the end of forty days he was
presented in the temple at Jerusalem by his mother,
as her first born son, according to the pi escript of the
same Mosaick law, and was there confessed and pub-
lished to be the Redeemer of the world, by holy Simeon,
arid Anna the prophetess ; as his birth before had been
revealed to the shepherds by angels, by whom God
usually spoke to the Jews ; and afterwards to the three
kings or Magi, (a name in Persia given to those who
applied themselves to sciences and religion) by a mira-
culous star, astrology being their peculiar study ; so now
he revealed to Simeon and Anna by inspiration, the
usual way in which he enlightens his saints. 3. That
soon after he was born, St. Joseph, admonished by an
angel, that king Herod designed to destroy him, took
the infant and his mother, and fled into Egypt ; where
he remained till the death of Herod. Herod, in the
mean time, being extremely alarmed with the coming
of the throe kings, or Magi, to adore the new born
King of the Jews, sent his soldiers to murder all the
male children in Bethlehem and the neighbourhood,
from two years old and under; and these are the holy
Innocents' whose festival the church keeps in the time
of Christmas. 4. That at his return from Egypt, he
came with his parents and dwelt at Nazareth ; where,
The Christian Doctrine explained. 43
at the age of twelve years, he went with them, ac-
cording to the custom of the festival time, to Jerusa-
lem ; and here his parents having lost him for three days,
at length found him again in the temple, disputing
with the doctors and astonishing all with his answers.
After this, returning with them to Nazareth, he was
subject to them, advancing in wisdom, in age, and in
grace, with God and man ; for though he had all grace
and science at his first conception, yet he might shew
greater signs both of wisdom and grace, in proportion
as he advanced in age.
EXHOR. Embrace, O Christian, the following les-
sons. As Christ your Saviour and Lord submitted to
the law of circumcision, so do you obey every point of
the law of God : if he who was without sin would be
subject to the law made for sinners, how much more
ought you, who are a sinner, to be subject to the law
of grace ? Dust and ashes, learn to obey your God !
As he was presented in the temple, present you also
yourself in the churches, and there make an offering
of yourself and your all to God, from whom you re-
ceived all. Adore your blessed Redeemer with the
kings, not now in the manger, but on the throne of
his glory ; adore him also on the altar, with the same
faith as they; they adored him true God, under the
form of an infant ; you adore him true God and man,
under the forms of bread and wine; say with St.
Thomas, at length fully convinced, Jih my Lord and
my God. Offer with them your gold in charities to the
poor, the incense of devout prayer, and the myrrh of
a mortified and contrite heart. See the persecuting
hand of Herod, and learn from the blessed infant Jesus,
to suffer persecution for justice; learn from the holy
Innocents to die for Jesus. As he went every year
with his parents up to Jerusalem at the festival time,
how wonderfully does ke here teach you to bear a due
respect to all the festivals of this church, and to be
punctual in complying with all the obligations of
them. Praise God on those festivals of the saints, for
the blessings you have received through their interces-
sion. As he returned and was subject to his parents, so
44 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
be you subject both to spiritual and temporal superiors.
Obey those whom God has placed over you : children
obey your parents; servants your master ; every chris-
tian his pastor. Let every one learn from Jesus to
do his duty as his state requires, in all submission,
humility, and labour, flying vain-glory and applause,
for so he spent all his infancy and youtii for our exam-
ple.
SECT. IV.
Of the Manifestation of Christ.
Qi TTTHEN did our Saviou.r manifest himself to
VV the world ? A. About the age of thirty,
which is the perfect age of man. Q. To whom did ne
manifest himself? A. To the Jews in the first place,
because the promise of the Messias was made to them
and their forefathers. (. How was he manifested to
the Jews? A. By his precursor, St. John Baptist ; by
the voice of God the Father, This is my beloved Son;
and by his doctrine and miracles.
INSTRUC. The time was now come, when the
divinity of our Saviour, which was absconded in the
time of his infancy and youth, was to be clearly mani-
fested ; now he was come to the perfect age of man,
by preaching his law, by working miracles, and con-
verting the world. For this end, St. John Baptist, his
precursor, was sent before-hand to prepare the Jews to
receive him. A very extraordinary person was St. John;
born of parents that were both saints ; conceived by his
mother, St. Elizabeth, in her old age, when she was
naturally past child-bearing ; his birth and future great-
ness foretold to Zachary his father by an angel ; sancti-
fied in his mother's womb ; and born with the public re-
joicings of the people. These prerogatives of St. John.,
together with his mortified life in the desert, and his
baptism of penance, by which he had converted great
numbers of the Jews, had raised a suspicion, first in the
inferior people, St. Luke iii. 10. and at length in the
Sanhedrim, the great council of the nation, that perhaps
The Christian Doctrine explained. 45
he might be the Messias ; and hereupon they deputed an
embassy of priests and levites to him, to know whether
he was the person, or whether they were to expect
another ? His answer was quick and plain, that he was
not Christ ; but that Jesus of Nazareth was the person,
whom he pointed out to them ; and that as to himself, he
was only nis forerunner, unworthy to untie the latchet
of his shoes.
It was to acquire this testimony of St. John Baptist,
but chiefly to receive authority from God the Father,
and also to give an example of obedience to every thing
that God had counselled as well as commanded, that
Christ, at his first appearance to the Jews, presented
himself publicly to receive the baptism of John ; upon
which occasion the heavens were opened, the Holy Ghost
under the form of a dove was seen to descend upon him;
a voice from heaven was heard, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased ; and St. John gave this testi-
mony of him to the Jews, Behold the Lamb of God, be-
hold him that taketh away the sins of the world. St. John
ii. 29.
Immediately after his baptism he retired into the
desert, where he fasted forty days and forty nights, and
then was tempted by the devil : and as all kinds of
temptations are insinuated into our souls, either by plea-
sure, or by honours, or by riches, the tempter had the
boldness to tempt him by these three his usual entice-
ments ; as by pleasure, when he said to him, Sid that
these stones be made bread, St. Matt. iv. 3. which in>
scripture is usually taken for all kind of food ; by pride
when he suggested to him, to throw himself down from
the pinnacle of the temple, for vain glory and ostenta-
tion, that he might be received by the hands of angels ;
by riches, and indeed by all his temptations together,
when he shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and
the glory of them. He that was both God and man.
could not sin ; yet he permitted himself to be thus tempt-
ed, that by his complete victory over the tempter of man-
kind, he might merit that grace for men, by which all
temptations are overcome.
A short time after there was a marriage at Cana of
46 The Poor Man's Chatechism: Or,
Galilee, and Jesus, with his mother and disciples, was*
invited to it: here, at the request of his mother, the
wine faiUng, he changed the water into wine, which
Transubstantiation was his first miracle ; and thence for-
ward he began to preach the gospel, and work miracles
without number, throughout all Jewry and Galilee, the
Jews flocking in tribes to see his miracles, and hear his
doctrine; and now his fame was spread into all the
neighbouring countries.
EXHOR. Learn, O Christian, from St. John Baptist,.
to lead a life of innocency, purity, humility, and penance,"
that you may increase the grace you have already re-
ceived. Learn from Christ, who, after his victory over
the tempter, was served by the hands of angels, that it
is by mortification and fasting, you are to overcome, the
temptations of the bad angels, as well as to arrive to tbe
society of the good ones : be obedient then to the fasts
of the church, and accept them as from Christ, in imita-
tion of his fast; it is by prayer and fasting all devils are
cast out. The first miracle of aur Saviour, at the mar-
riage X)f Cana, was to confer a blessing, and this at the
request of his mother ; and all his miracles afterwards
were blessings: consider the miracles of grace he has
since done for you, and the many spiritual blessings he
has conferred upon you, and beg he would increase them
through the intercession of Mary, particularly those that
are most wanting to you. Bear a particular devotion to
her ; if she had so much influence on her son when upon
earth, the game surely she has now in heaven*
SECT. V.
Of the Doctrine of Christ.
S the doctrine and law of Christ more excellent
than that of Moses ? A. It is. Q. In what ?
Jl. It reveals the mysteries of faith more clearly; it
teaches greater virtues ; and gives grace to put the law
in practice.
INSTRUC.- The law was given by Moses, grace and
truth by Jesus Christ, St. John i. 17. Although the old
T
JL
The Christian Doctrine explained. 47
Testament and the new are both from the sam God 5 yet
the new law is more excellent than the old ; because the
old law was given to a people who are compared to chil-
dren in their minority, under their tutors, who are not
capable of the same perfection as men ; but the nesv law
is given to teach all that perfection which we can attain,
to m this life ; so the old law was perfect only compara-
tively to the people and the times for which it was given*
perfectly well ordered for them, but not so absolutely
perfect as the new. In the old law, the Jews had the
oelief of one God, Creator of heaven and earth ; but
the mystery of the blessed Trinity was not then clearly
and explicitly revealed : this was reserved to the only
begotten Sou, who is the besom of the Father, who with-
out leaving the bosom of the Father, came into the u orld,
and revealed this high mystery, that the divine nature
subsists in three persons, arid that God is Father, 8on^
and Holy Ghost, three distinct persons and one God.
Hence he commanded his apostles to baptize all chris-
tians ia the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;
declaring hereby that all three are equal, since he would
have all people consecrated to God in the name of the
three. He also teaches in clear terms, I and the Father
are one, St. John x. 30. the very Jews hereby perceiv-
ing that he made himself equal to God : and it the Son
be one God with the Father, because he proceeds from
the Father by generation, and has the divine nature com-
municated to him by that procession, then, since the
Holy Ghost also proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and has the same divine nature with them, all three are
equal and one God.
The Jews also in the old law had the faith of a Mes-
sias to come ; but they did not clearly know that he was
to be God incarnate ; and as this was the most essential
thing for the world to know, and nothing at that time
more necessary, after the belief of a God than -a faith in
him who came to he the world's Redeemer; hence in
the gospel this is the next mystery revealed, that be
himselt is the Messias^ foretold by Moses and the pro-
phets, and that he is the the only begotten Son of the
Father, equal and the same God with him* and as suck
48 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
he says, land the Father are ene, St. John x. 30. that
he is also true man, and in that quality, he says, The
Father is greater than I. St. John xiv. 28.
And hecause many of the Jews, even of the Sanhe-
drim, as the Sadduces, at that time, denied the immor-
tality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body, in
which point the very wisest of the heathens were ever
wavering; he proceeds to reveal clearly the dignity,
the immortality, the true nature and felicity of the
soul, and future resurrection of the body, and the life
of the world to come.
As to the moral precepts of the old law, he did not
come to destroy the obligation of them, but to fulfil
them more exactly ; and therefore, at the beginning of
his gospel, he expresses the esteem he had of the law of
nature, expressed in the writings of Moses and the pro-
phets, by declaring that those who break any point there-
of shall be as nothing in his kingdom, whether in the
church militant or triumphant ; but that he who fulfils
it, and teaches others to fulfil it, shall be great among
the great in heaven : for as the law of nature is not suf-
ficient, without revealed religion, to make it binding,
and add perfection to it. so neither would any religion
be sufficient, that did not include the law of nature, and
sanctity of morals 5 hence he makes it an essential con-
dition, in his gospel, for obtaining life everlasting, to
keep the commandments of God ; especially the two
great commandments, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind, and with all thy strength ; and thy neighbour as
thyself: declaring hereby, that the love of God is our
most essential good, and that this is preserved in our
hearts only by fulfilling every other point of his law ; as
the love of our neighbour is by works of charity and
mercy, by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty,
eloathing the naked, <$'c. by doing good for evil, by for-
giveness of injuries, by praying for our enemies and per-
secutors, by doing good both to good and bad, the just
and unjust, as God does good to us ; in all things doing
as we would be done by, and wishing both friend and
enemjf the same eternal happiness as ourselves.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 49
The heathens themselves knew the definitions of moral
virtues, but as the knowledge of virtue is not virtue, un-
less it be reduced to practice, which cannot be done,
unless corrupt nature, which violently draws us from it,
be subdued, hence he gives many precepts in the gospel
of self-denial, mortification, fasting, carrying the cross,
and this in order to withstand that corrupt nature ; other-
wise we shall be virtuous only in speculation, but never
in practice.
As this divine law of Christ teaches every virtue, so
he forbids every sin, even the least ; not only the out-
ward acts of sin, as the Pharisees, but inward desires
and wilful thoughts of evil. He represents sin to us,
as the foulest thing of all others, the greatest evil, the
work of the devil, the most odious to God, and most
destructive to our essential good, to be avoided at the
hazard of life and all things ; commanding a separation
from every thing that may give occasion to it, whether
father, mother, brother, sister, or wife, though it be
as dear to us as an eye, and as necessary as our right-
hand; and as the love of the world is the root of
most of our sins and temptations, by inflaming our
passions, he pronounces many woes to the rich and car-
nal Jews, who confined their hopes to the earth ; teach-
ing his disciples to despise ail things here, to fix their
hearts upon God alone, and the joys above, as the
highest point of wisdom ; declaring the steps by which
we are to ascend into eternal beatitude, to be those
very things which are opposite to what the world calls
Beatitude. At the same time he represents sin as the
foulest thing in the world, and an eternal evil to the
impenitent; he represents God as infinitely merciful,
ever ready and inclined to pardon all who are willing
to return to him ; declaring openly, that he came into
the world to seek and save those that were perished ; in
confirmation whereof, many persons are represented in
the gospel as restored to happiness through penance ;
the adultress forgiven; Magdalen absolved; the pub-
lican justified ; the prodigal restored to honour; P<der
received in favour after his fall; the thief, ia the
last moments of life, promised paradise f to skew that
5
SO The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
through him, who died for us, there is pardon for the
penitent to the last moment.
To induce us to the practice of his doctrine, he
proposes the highest motives to us ; and eternity of tor-
ment for the wicked, which he represents as a gehenna
of fire, a hell, a place of darkness, of weeping, and
gnashing of teeth : a fire that will never be extin-
guished, a worm that never dies; and au eternity of
joys for the good, which he represents as a banquet, a
marriage-feast, a kingdom, a heaven, a paradise, where
delights and joys will be without end, in the sight and
enjoyment of 6od.
But because the letter of the law and doctrine alone
is not sufficient for us, especially in our infirm state,
who being born in sin, with a corrupt nature, can
neither avoid sin, or do any thing worthy of eternal
life, or even believe in God, or come to his service,
without grace, which is a supernatural help that flows
immediately from God 5 for this reason, the most ex-
cellent property of the new law is to give grace by the
sacraments, which are few in number, easy in practice,
and powerful in effect.
As this law and doctrine of Christ is to remain to
the end of the world, and to be succeeded by no other
gospel, by no other religion, by no other law more
perfect ; since herein is taught as great perfection as
we can attain to in this life, and by the greatest mas-
ter ; accordingly he established a church for the pro-
pagation and perpetuity of it, which is to be succeeded
by no other church ; with a positive command for all
to hear and obey it ; and with a promise that the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it ; that the truth shall
remain in it for ever ; and that himself will be ever
present with it, till the world shall end.
Of this his church he made his apostles the first
pastors, with a power to ordain their successors ; and
of the apostles he made St. Peter the head, with a com-
mission to feed the whole flock, both the sheep and the
lambs; to be the apostle both of the Jews and Gentiles ;
and gave to him the keys of the kingdom of heawi,
which power descends to all his successors. The churck
The Christian Doctrine explained. 51r
so established and built upon tbe faith of Christ, with
the sacraments of c^jvme institution, was nevermore to
be changed by any human power, not even by the apos-
tles themselves.
But as the servants of God, from the beginning of
the world, were ever persecuted by the wicked, the
founder of this church has forewarned us, that it shall
meet with tribulations, vexations, persecutions ; that
parents, and children, and brethren, will be divided
against each other, on account of that divine religion,
which one professes and the other hates ; but that we
value not human respect ; fear not man, but God only ;
confess him before men, that he may confess us be-
fore his Father, promising all who faithfully serve him,
that not a hair of their heads shall perish ; that be will
make their souls happy after death, and raise their
bodies out of the dust, in glory : that in the .end there
shall be a day of judgment, when himself will come as
judge to call all the wicked to account, and then the re-
probate shall go to eternal punishment in hell, and the
just shall ascend to eternal life in his kingdom.
The doctrine and law of Christ was not by himself
delivered in writing, as that of Jlfos.es, because it was
far more becoming the dignity of so great a person and
lawgiver as the Son of God made man is, to write his
law in the hearts and souls of men.
EXHOR. Embrace, O Christian, the doctrine of
Christ, who came not only to be a Redeemer, to pay
the ransom of your sin, but to be a master, to instruct
you in the way of life eternal. You will be never the
better in the end to have believed, unless you have lived
as he taught. Adore the ever blessed Trinity, by him
revealed 5 you cannot be saved unless you believe and
glorify the three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;
profess Christ to be the Son of God incarnate, the same
God with the Father arid the Holy Ghost; profess him
truly man, not in figure and appearance only, but in
substance: these are the two principal points of his
gospel, and the two principal mysteries of our faith ;
without this belief there is no salvation for us. Permit
not your belief of the immortality of the soul, and a
52 The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
future resurrection, so clearly now revealed by Christ,
to stagger at the silly objections of libertines, who
make a banter of eternal happiness, and hope their
souls will be annihilated after death, and totally ex-
tinct, like the souls of brutes: but you, Christian,
instructed by the doctrine of Christ, make the salva-
tion of your immortal soul your only necessary. Often
meditate on the life of the world to come, on the joys
above, and the torments below, and the eternity of one
and the other : strive to enter into life, by keeping the
commandments; you can only enter into heaven by
this narrow gate, by this narrow way, and few there
are that find it. Above all, preserve the love of God
in your heart; it is only to be preserved there by obey-
ing all his commandments. Harbour in your heart
also the love of your neighbour, by works of charity;
and if you are failing therein at present, beg of the
Holy Ghost to enkindle it again in your breast; you
can never be united to God, so long as you are dis-
united from your neighbour. Practice as far as your
state will permit, even the counsels which God gives
you ; at least, let not your heart be too much attached
to the love of those things which he counsels you
against: those evangelical counsels are given for no
other end, but that you may keep the commandments
with more ease, and with, greater perfection. Look
on sin as our Saviour represents it, as the greatest
evil, and destructive of your greatest good; but, if, by
misfortune, you are fallen into it, still remember you
have an advocate with the Father, and never let
this belief depart from you, that there is remission of
all sins through him to the penitent. But as you can
neither do good, nor decline from evil, or depart from
sin, without grace, neglect not the sacraments of grace,
and, as Christ teaches, pray without intermission for
it. Never harbour a thought of leaving the communion
of the Catholic Church, which once established by
Christ, and made proof by an omnipotent Power
against all powers of hell, is to last to the end of the
world : how miserable have they made themselves who
have left it. At the same time prepare your soul for
TKe Christian Doctrine explained. 53
temptation, tribulation, and persecution, as our Saviour
has forewarned ; this the good will meet with wherever
they go ; only to learn to bear your cross after the ex-
ample your blessed Redeemer has set you, and the
doctrine he has taught, which leads securely to life ever-
lasting.
SECT. VI.
Of Christ's Miracles and Virtues.
Q. T"\ID our Saviour work miracles ? A. He did,
jLJ such a& never had been done before. St.
John xv. 24.
INSTRUC. As the doctrine Christ taught, was in
many points above human understanding and compre-
hension, not to be demonstrated like other sciences,
and in several other points, contrary to flesh and
blood ; it was requisite that he should confirm the truth
of it, by undoubted miracles ; for without such, who
would believe that he Was God, under the form of a
mortal man ? This he did in the sight of all the Jew$ 9
for the space of three years and a half, throughout
Galilee and Jewry. He shewed his power over all
parts and species of the creation; the heavens, the
earth, the winds, the seas ; over rational creatures and
irrational, spiritual and corporeal, good Angels and
bad Angels, the living and the dead ; he shewed his
power also over all kinds of diseases and death, curing
all, wherever he set his foot, that were presented to
him, and even some that were absent; the lame, the
blind, the deaf, the dum, the palsy, the dropsy, the
fever, and raised the dead to life: and although in
some of these miracles he invoked God, his Father, by
prayer, to shew that he was man, and in that quality
subject to the Father; yet, for the most part, these mi-
racles were done by his own power alone ; by a power
not limited to any particular time, place, person, or
disease ; but cured all diseases in all persons, when he
pleased, without any controul, by a word of his mouth,
or a touch of his liand, or a nod of his will ^ without
5*
54 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
any previous preparation of prayer or fasting, and
without invoking any other power above his own; in
which respect, his miracles were divine, worthy of
him who is one and the same God with the Father, and
far different from those done by Moses and the pro-
phets formerly, or by his disciples since 5 and are an
undeniable proof, a certain conviction, that his doctrine
is true, and that he is Christ, the Son of God ; this
being that very point of his doctrine, for the proof
whereof all those miracles were wrought.
At the same time he did such wonders, his own per-
son waa the greatest miracle of all; and his life the
most astonishing example of virtue, especially of hu-
mility, meekness, benignity, mildness and patience, to-
wards the Jews. He was gracious to sinners, even to
astonishment, but severe in reprehending hypocrites,
as . the Scribes and Pharisees ; he taught the way of
God in truth, without respect for mens persons, or the
fear of any one; yet at the same, time lived in a won-
derful submission to the established powers ; and punc-
tually observed the ceremonies of the Mosaick law
from his infancy : for these being types and figures of
himself, which were not fulfilled till his death, conse-
quently they were yet in force; and for this reason he
would observe them, as well to set an example of per-
fect obedience to others, as also to afford no matter of
scandal to the Jews, who would otherwise have dis-
owned and denied him to be their JWessias, on this very
pretext, of his being a transgressor of the law of Moses,
and therefore not sent from God, who gave the law to
Moses.
EXHOR. Learn, Christian, to admire and live
the life of Jesus; none will be saved, but such as re-
semble him. Romans viii. 29. Be humble then as he, in
all your ways, in your words, actions, conversation ?
comportment, but chiefly in your heart; fly, as he,
all vain-glory and self-praise. Nothing is so unbecom-
ing; a disciple of Christ as pride of heart; the proud
will no more find a place in heaven than Lucifer $
carry yourself with meekness, mildness, sweetness,
and humanity towards other men, as he did; see your
The Christian Doctrine explained. 55
own infirmities, and you will the better know how to
bear the infirmities of others; behold yourself in their
imperfections. Be obedient, after the example he has
set you, to all points of the divine law, to all the pre-
cepts of the church, and to the lawful orders of all the
established powers and superiors. Give your mind,
as he, to prayer and holy contemplation. Say with
him, I came not here to do my own will, but the will of
him that sent me. St. John vi. This is the life of a
Christian, an imitation of the life of Christ; and will
be your joy, your glory, and your crown, to have in
all things fulfilled the will of God. He that does the
will oj God remains forever. 1 John ii. 17.
ART. IV. SECT. I.
Suffered under Pontius Pilate, ivas crucified, dead and
buried.
did Christ enter Jerusalem, the last time
when he came to suffer ? Jl. He entered in
a kind of triumph. Q. How was he received. Jl.
With loud Hosannahs and acclamations of the people.
Q. What followed after that? *#. The night before
he suffered, he eat the Passover, or Paschal Lamb, ac-
cording to custom, with his disciples in Jerusalem.
Q. What did he do at this his last supper? *#. He
arose from the table, and washed his disciples feet.
Q. What else ? A. He sat down again, and instituted
the Holy Eucharist. Q. What was his discourse to
them? .# He foretold many things that would hap-
pen ; that one of them would Betray him ; others abaii-
don him : another deny him : he recommended humi-
lity, love, and charity, and promised to send them the
Holy Ghoct, the Comforter.
INSTRUC. Our blessed Saviour now began to fulfil
what he had formerly foretold his disciples : Behold we
go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished
that were written by the Prophets, of the Son of Man ;
for he shall be delivered up to the Gentiles and shall be
56 The Poor Man's Catechism .- Or,
mocked, and scourged and spit upon, and then put to
death. St. Mark x. 33.
The time being come, when he was to suffer for our
redemption, he would ride in a kind of triumph into
Jerusalem i as going with joy to die for our salvation;
but, in the midst of his triumph, and the acclamations
of the people, foreseeing the destruction of the holy
city, he wept over it, and bewailed the blindness of the
Jews; this shews how little we ought to be transported
with honours when they abound, but consider that we
still live in a vale of tears. To-day he is received with
acclamations and Btissanna&S) and v,ithin a few days
they cry out, away with him, crucify him: how in-
constant are the joys of this world, how unstable the
minds of men !
His enemies could not bear this triumph ; they held
the great council of the Jews, and there it was de-
creed he should die; and bargained with Judas for
thirty pieces of silver, to betray him into their hands.
He then ordered his disciples to prepare a spacious
dining-room, where he eat the last supper, and institu-
ted the most blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist,
wherein he gave to his disciples his body and blood,
under the forms of bread and wine, as the greatest
proof of love he could leave them before he died ; but
first would wash their feet, to signify "with what purity
they, and we, ought to receive him.
The manner of this divine institution was as follows :
supper being ended, he took bread, gave thanks to God,
blessed the bread, broke it, and distributed it to his
disciples, saying. Take ye and eat : this is my body,
which shall be delivered to you : do this in remembrance
of me. St. Matt. xxvi. St. Mark xiv. St. Luke xxii.
In like manner he took the Chalice, that is the cup of
wine, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to
them, saying, Drink ye all of this: for this is my blood
of the ISew Testament, ivhich shall be shed for you,
and for many, for the remission of sin: do this as often
as you shall drink thereof, in remembrance of me.
Here he made his Apostles priests^ when he gave them
power to do what he had done, consecrate this Sacra-
The Christian Doctrine explained. $<
i&ent in both kinds, to represent his body slain, and
his blood shed on the cross; which being a propitia-
tion for sin, is also a sacrifice: but this command onlj
regards priests, there being none present, when it was
given, but the Apostles. Thus he fulfilled the promise
made them before, when he said to them, lam the liv-
ing bread that descended from heaven, if any one eat of
this bread, he shall live forever, and the bread which I
will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. St. John
vi. 51,52.
This divine Sacrament is a perpetual memorial of
his death ; a token of his eternal love for mankind ; and
a signal pledge of future glory, to such as have a hum-
ble belief of it, and worthily receive it. He that eateth
of this bread (with a firm faith and a pure heart) shall
live for ever. St. John vi. 59.
EXHOR. Follow, O Christian, your blessed Jesus
with admiration, love, compassion, and sorrow through
all the circumstances of his passion, from his entrance
into Jerusalem, to Mount Calvary. Lay up with the
blessed Virgin Mary, whatever you see or hear, in
your heart. Let humility attend you with him, as well
in prosperity as adversity i if you are, ever so prospe
rous, still remember the tears of Jesus over Jerusalem ;
for penance is necessary to us at all times ; nay, the
more you are exalted, the more need you have of be-
wailing your offences, as you are frail, and the more
exposed to sin. Let not the vanities of the world
cause you to forget God, but learn to contemn the
shortness and inconstancy of all temporal things; the
world passes, but the truth, which is from God, remains
for ever.
Adore, with humble submission, the mystery of the
blessed Eucharist: admire the love of Jesm to you in
its institution : all the mysteries of faith are incom-
prehensible to sense and reason; yet we may com-
prehend that if God could create something out of noth-
ing (as in the creation) he could change one thing
into another: and if we believe him true God un-
der the form of man, why cannot we believe him
true God and man under the form of bread and wiae ?
58 ' The Poor Man's Catechism t Or,
since himself, who is eternal Truth hath said it ; This-
is my body, this is my blood. As the Holy Ghost was
seen under the form of a Dove, so we may, and ought
to believe Christ present under the sacramental 'spe-
cies. Often then renew your faith of this mystery?
saying with St. Thomas, M! *>.* Lord, and my God.
Attend those sacred mysteries with profound respect,
and often receive them with a heart full of love, pu-
rity, and faith ; and whenever the devil tempts you to
doubt, say, / believe, Lord ; help my incredulity* Mark
tx. 23.
SECT. II.
Suffered under Pontius Pilate.
Q. TT7HAT did our Saviour do after his last Sup-
V V per ? Jl. He went out of Jerusalem, to the
Garden of Olives, called Gethsemani, to pray, at-
tended by three of his disciples, Peter, James, and
John. Here he began to be seized with fear, trou-
ble, and grief, which he expressed in these words :
JtLy $?$ i* exceeding sorrowful, even unto death* stay
here end watch with me. Q. What happened after this ?
Jl. Going from his disciples, about a stone's cast, he
fell on his face, and in an agony, sweat drops of blood,
which ran down on the ground. Three different
times he prayed to God the Father, to turti from him
the bitter cup, that is, those sufferings then represent-
ed to him ; but each time he added to his prayer,
Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done : and then an
Angel came from heaven to comfort him. (. Bid not
his disciples watcli and pray with him ? Jl. No : three
times he visited them in the Garden : the first time, he
found them sleeping, and reproved them for it : What,
could you not watch one hour with me? W r atch and pray,
that you enter not into temptation ; the spirit indeed is
ready, but the jlesh is weak. Tke second time, he
found them so far overpowered by sleep that they
knew not what to answer : and the third time he said,
Sleep now and take your rest, for the time is come, when
The Christian Doctrine explained. 5f
flie Son of Mail shall be bet/rayed into the hands of sin-
ners. Arise, let us go hence, behold he that betrayeth
me is at hand. Q. What followed immediately after P
#. Scarcely had he spoke the word, when Judas Isc a--
riot appeared with a company of soldiers, which the
Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees had sent with the trai-
tor to take Jesus ; and Judas gave them a signal, that
whomsoever he should kiss, that was the man : then
coming up, he said, Hail Master, and kissed him. Je-
sus, to move him to repentance, said no more, but
Friend 9 why art thou come hither ? What, Judas, dost
thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss? Q. Was he
then taken by the soldiers ? Ji. He first went and met
the soldiers, and asked them, Whom seek ye ? They an-
swered, Jesus of Nazareth. He said t# them, lam he :
and immediately they recoiled backward, and fell to the
ground. He repeated the same words a^ain, and' then
surrendered himself, and they seized him and bound
him. Q. What became of his disciples who were in
the Garden with him ? Jl. They proffered to defend
him by the sword: St. Peter drew his, and cut off
Malchus's ear, one of the high-priest's servants; but
Jesus reprehended him for it, bid him put up his sword,
and by a miraculous touch of his hand cured Malchus :
notwithstanding these wonders they carried him away,
and then all his disciples fled.
EXHOR.* Learn with Jesus in the Garden to pray
with profound reverence, fervour, humility, and resig-
nation. Learn again from Jesus in the Garden, how
to bear adversity with patience: it is God that in-
flicts, it is the part of man to obey. Let this be ever
your voice, Father, not mine, but thy will be done. This
will bring the angel of comfort, under the severest
trials : take all your afflictions as the just punishment
of sin ; accept the stroke of divine mercy, that you
may avoid the stroke of divine justice.
Beware of covetousness : this was the ruin of Judas,
and is the destruction of infinite souls. If riches
abound, set not your heart upon them 5 still make
them give way to the riches of eternity . give often ta
the poor, to make ameads for your excesses in eater-
60 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
taming the rich. Reject noi the call of God, as did
Judas, and the perverse soldiers, whom miracles done
even upon themselves, could not convert ; but repent
while the time of mercy lasts, and leave off sin ; great-
er is your perverseness than theirs, if, after so many
miracles done for yours and the world's conversion,
after miracles of mercy and providence that shine over
you, you still continue obstinate in sin. Trust not to
your own strength, as did Peter, and the rest of the
disciples, but watch and pray, that you fall not into
temptation ; temptation leads you into sin, and sin to
damnation. He that stands, let him take heed he does
not fall, 1 Cor. x. 12.
SECT. III.
Suffered wider Pontius Pilate.
Q. TT7HAT did they do with Jesus, after he was
VV taken in the Garden ? A. They led him
bound to Annas, and Jlnnas sent him to Caiphas, who
was high -priest for that year. (. How did they treat
him before Caiphas? Jl. The Chief Priests, and Scribes,
and the Ancients, with the High-priest in council, ex-
amined him concerning his doctrine and his disciples :
lie answered them, that he had always taught.in public,
and in secret had taught nothing ; Why then, says he, do
you ask me ? Jisk them that heard me. At these words
one of the High-priest's servants struck him on the face,
saving, Answer est tiiou so to the High-priest? Jesus 9
with great mildness, replied, If JL have spoken ill, give
testimony of evil ; but if well, why strikest thou me ?
Q. What witnesses did they bring against him ? A. Ma-
ny false witnesses ; but their testimony did not seem
sufficient. Q. What question in particular did the
High-priest and the council propose to him ? A. This:
If thou art Christ, tell us plainly: he answered, If I
tell you, you will not believe me : they all replied, Jirt
thou the &on of God ? He said to them, You have said
that I am. The High-priest put the same question
to him, and adjured him by the living God, to tell
them whether he were Christ the Son of God ? Je-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 61
SKS answered, Thou hast said it; lam he: The High-
priest then rent his garments, saying, He has blasphe-
med, what need we any further witnesses; what do you
all think? They answered, He is guilty of death ; and
they condemned him forthwith. Q. How did they
then use him? Jl. They spit in his face, hoodwinked
him, and struck him with their -fists, saying, in mocke-
ry, Prophecy, Christ, who it is that smote thee : and
added many other abuses and blasphemies. Q. What
did he suffer more in the house of Caiphas? #. It was
here Peter thrice denied him 5' accused the first time by
a servant-maid, that he was with Jesus of Naza*
reth, and that he was one of his disciples, he de-
nied it,; and going out of the palace into the porch, the
cock crowed. Then another maid-servant said, T/iis
man was also with Jesus of Nazareth ; and thereupon
being questioned by those who sat with him at the fire,
whether he were not one of his disciples ? he denied
it a second time, and swore he knew him not. About
an hour after, a kinsman of Malchus said to him. Did
not I see you in the Garden with him ? for your very
speech betrays you. He denied it a third time, with
cursing and swearing, that he knew not what they said ;
and presently the cock crowed a second time. Q. Did
Peter repent? #. Yes: Jesus looked back at Peter,
and brought to his mind what he had foretold: This
night, before the cock crows twice thou shalt thrice de- '
ny me. This look of Jesus was an aspect of mercy,
and a secret motion of grace, which opened Peter's eyes
to see his fault, and so molified his heart, that he imme-
diately went out and wept bitterly. ^. What became
of Judas ? Ji. He returned the money, and in despair
hanged himself, confessing that he had betrayed inno-
cent blood.
EXHOR. Follow Jesus, Christian, into the court
of Caiphas, and see what you may learn from him :
many false witnesses came in against him; take heed
of wrong censuring others ; of rash judgment, slander,
detraction ; for by these things you shall not escape
the judgment of God, Rom. ii. 3. If your neighbor
lays any thing false to your charge, vindicate yourself
6
62 The Pocr Man's Catechism : Or,
with mildness, and return not evil for evil, but over-
come evil with good.
Jesus, when his own private honour, as man, was
concerned, kept silence; but when his Father's glory
was likely to suffer, he boldly confessed himself to be
the Son of God : humble yourself under your own pri-
vate injuries, but be ever prompt to defend the honour
of God, when it is attacked, and never be ashamed to
profess or practice the trutb of his gospel, for which he
died ; He that confesseth me before men, I will confess
him before my Father, Mat. x. 32.
Be astonished at the insults, mockeries, and blas-
phemies of the Jews, and join not with them in pro-
phaning his holy name, by swearing and cursing. Be-
hold in Peter, the inconstancy and infirmity of your
state ; confide in God, and distrust yourself; and, if
you have followed Peter in sin, follow him in his quick
and speedy repentance, when Jesus turns to you, by
the inspiration of divine grace.
Under your greatest crimes, neither presume of God's
mercy, nor, like Judas, despair of pardon ; but with
King David say, Have mercy on me, God, according
to thy great mercy ; and according to the multitude of
thy mercies, blot out my iniquity. God is both able and
willing to forgive, when we are truly humble and re-
pent : an humble and contrite heart he never despises
in any one.
SECT. IV.
Suffered under Pontius Pilate.
4. T7HAT was done to Jesus the next morning?
VV A. They led him to Pontius Pilate, who
was governor of Judea, for the Roman emperor Tiberi-
us: they accused him to Pilate, that he was a seditious
man, who encouraged the country to rebel, and forbid
the people to pay tribute to Caisar. Jesus made no
answer; but Pilate finding no proof against him, and
plainly perceiving that the Jews accused him, through
malice and envy, tried many ways to acquit him ; and
The Christian I>octrme explained. 63
hearing he was a Galilean, he sent him to Herod Jlnti-
pa$, who was son of Herod the Great, and Tetrarch of
Galilee. Q. How did Herod behave to him ? #. He
was glad to see him, expecting to see some miracle 1
from him ; but Jesus was silent to all their accusations,
at the court of Herod, and disappointed his expectation ;
for which Herod despised him, and cloathing him with
a white garment, in derision, sent him back to Pilate.
Q. How did Pilate proceed? Jl. Finding no cause
to put him to death, he endeavored to release him?
Q. How? *#. First he proposed to them to scourge
him and then acquit him. This not being liked, he
contrived another way : it being the custom, on the fes-
tival day of the Passover, to release one prisoner, he
proposed to their choice either Jesus or Barabbas,
thinking they would petition for the life of Jesus
before Barabbas, who was a robber and a murder-
ed. Q. What choice did they make? A. The
ehief priests persuaded the people to beg the life of
Barabbas, and petition that Jesus might die. ^. What
then did Pilate do ? Jl. Receiving a message from his
wife, not to concern himself in the death of this just
man, for that she had suffered a great deal in her sleep
that night on his account, he still endeavored to release
him, and asked them a second time, whom he should
dismiss ? They still cried out, Put this man to death,
and give us Barabbas. Q. What said Pilate to this ?
*#. He said, What evil hath he done? I find no cause
in him. (. What then said the Jews? A. They
doubled their cry ; Crucify him, caucify him. Q. Did
Pilate still endeavor to release him ? *#. He did, and
to move them to compassion, he then ordered him to
be scourged, and leaving him to the soldiers, they plat-
ted a crown of thorns and put it on his head, clothed
him with a purple garment, and put a reed in his hand
for a sceptre; and then upon the knee, saluted him
King of the Jews, struck his head with the reed, and
spit in his face. Q. What then did Pilate do with
him? *#. He brought him forthwith to the Jews, and
in compassion said, Behold the man! They still cried
out. Crucify him. Pilate still excused him, saying, J
64 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
find no fault in him. They alleged that lie ought ta
die. because he had made himself the Son' of God : this
made Pilate still more fearful to put him to death ; and
the Jews perceiving it, insisted in the last place, that
he had made himself king, and that every one who does
so is a rebel to Ccesar, and that he is no friend to
Ceesar 9 if he dismissed him. Imitate hearing this, and
fearing they would send an accusation against him be-
fore the Emperor, at length, to content them, condemn-
ed Jesus to be crucified; at the same time, he washed
his hands, saying, Jam innocent of the blood of this just
man ; look you to it ; and all the people answered. Let
his blood fall upon us, and our children.
Thus Pilate and the Jews were both guilty of his
death : Pilate according to his own words, I have pow-
er to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee.
But the Jews, who betrayed him into Pilate's hands,
were guilty of the greater sin ; because they knew more
of his doctrine and miracles : and the just judgment of
(rod soon after fell upon them for it, in the destruction
of their city, temple and nation, and an end was put
to their law and sacrifices, by this great Sacrifice of
the Cross, of which the others being types and figures,
must of course cease, after they were once fulfilled.
EXHOR. Learn here, Christian, from Jesus, to
bear all calamities with his meekness, mildness, and
patience. Think not you, who are servants, to fare
better than your Master. Jill who live piously in Jesus
Christ, shall suffer persecution, 2 Tim. iii. 12. If then,
you are slandered or belied, think of those false accu-
sations before Pilate. If treated with contempt, and
below your deserts, think of Jesus and Barabbas. If
reviled, think of his buffets, and of him scourged at
the pillar, and crowned with thorns.
Let no human respect biass you from your duty with
Pilate, or cause you to betray the cause of God : God
must be obeyed before man ! O, how many with him
are drawn away from heaven, through the influence of
vain earth! How many from the love of God, for fear
of man! How many pawn their souls, lest their bodies
should suffer ! But you, Christian ? vemember the dif-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 65
ference between the judgments of God, and those of
men : fear not man who can only hurt the body ; rather
fear God, who can destroy both body and soul, and
render them miserable in flames, for all eternity.
Join not with the Jews in crucifying Jesus, like those
relapsing impenitent sinners, mentioned by the Apos-
tle, Heb. vi. Who crucified to themselves again the Son
of God. All who fall into mortal sin, and return not
unto penance, do tbehke: swearers, blasphemers, the
lewd, the prophane, drunkards, gluttons, who make a
God of their belly, following their corrupt nature, their
passions and vicious inclinations, like the Jews or Hea-
thens. As you see the temporal judgments fallen on
that reprobate race, think of those eternal judgments
fallen on other reprobate sinners, and which wait OB
your sins, if not cancelled by timely repentance
SECT. V.
+,
Was crucified, dead and buried.
{ TTTHAT did they do with Jesus after his sen>
VV tence of death? Jl. He was led away,
loaded with his cross to be executed on Mount Cal-
vary ; but fainting under the burthen of it on the way>
they hired a man of Cirene, called Simon, to carry it
for him. Jesus seeing the woman and people that fbl^
lowed weeping for him, said to them, Daughters of Je-
rusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves, and for
your children ; for if these things are done in the green
wood, what will be done in the dry wood ? Q. What
was the punishment of the cross ? .#. It was the pu-
nishment of the worst of malefactors, the most infamous
and torturing death of any. Q. How was he crucified ?
A. His hands and feet were bored with nails, and fas-
tened to the cross, and for greater ignominy, they cru-
cified him between two thieves : while they were cruci-
fying him, he prayed for them, saying, Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do. ^. Did the
thieves repent, who were crucified with him ? A. One
of them repented, but the other did not: he that was
6*
(>6 Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
penitent* rebuked the other for blaspheming, and said
to him. We indeed suffer justly, but this man hath do tie
no evil. Then he he said to Jesus, remember me,
Lord, when tlion shalt come into thy kingdom; and Je-
s-us replied, This day thou shalt be ivith me in paradise.
Blessed fruit of repentance ! Q. How long did he
hang on the cross ? Ji. For three hours, and then ex-
pired. Q How did his crucifiers behave to him, whilst
he hung on the cross ? .#. The people who were look-
ing on, with the chief of the Priests, the Scribes, and
Ancients, passed by the cross, and reproached him,
bidding him come down from the cross and save him-
self, if he were Christ, the king of Israel, and the son of
God. The soldiers also insulted him; divided his gar-
ments, and drew lots for his seamless coat. ^. Where
was the blessed Virgin Mary, his. mother, when he was-
crucified ? #. She, with Mary Magdalen, and another,
called Mary, and John the son of Zebetfee, stood near
to the crros. Q. Wha,t said Jesus to them ? A. To
his mother he said, Woman behold thy son. To his dis-
ciple John, Behold thy mother. Q. At what hour was
Jesus crucified? Ji. About the sixth hour, or noon^
and for three hours the sun was darkened, and darkness
covered the whole earth. Q. When did he expire, and
what were his last words ? .#. About the ninth hour,,
or the third after noon, he cried out with a loud voice,.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me! (that is,
why hast thou left me to sutler this bitter torment !);
And soon after he said, I thirst; and they gave him
vinegar and gall to drink. Having tasted of it, he said,
Jill is accomplished; and then with a loud voice, he
said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit ; and
bowing down his head, gave up the ghost. Q. What
happened at his death ? *#. The earth trembled, the
jocks were rent, the vail of the temple was rent in two.
from the top to the bottom, the graves opened, and ma-
ny of the dead rose up to life. Q. Did not these pro-
digies convert the Jews? .#. The captain and the sol-
diers confessed, Certainly this man was the Son of God ;
and the ptople returned to Jerusalem, knocking thein-
breasts : but the nation in general remained impenitent
The Christian Doctrine explained. 67
Q. What became of the body of Jesus when he was
dead ? A. It was taken down the same day from the
cross, and honourably buried by Nicodemus and Joseph
of Jlrimat hea, who were his disciples, by a grant of Pi-
late, in a new monument which Joseph had made in a
garden near to Mount Calvary.
EXHOR. Place yourself, Christian, at the foot
of the cross, and make the following reflections. Who
is it that suffers ? God the Son made man suffers and
dies. From whose hands doth he suffer? From all
sorts of people, from .the highest to the lowest ; from
Jews and Gentiles; from friend and from enemy : put
not your trust in man, who is all deceit; trust only in
God, who is truth itself. What doth he suffer ? All
manner of torments ; he is wounded from head to foot*
and at last dies a most painful and ignominious death.
Murmur not at your afflictions, but look on the face of
Christ crucified. For whom doth he suffer ? For
you and all mankind, to restore you to immortal happi-
ness in the kingdom of heaven. What had become of
all if he had not died to redeem man ? All had been
lost for evermore, like the fallen Angels. what ingra-
titude after all this, to offend him ? How doth he suf-
fer? With divine patience ; he murmers not, he com-
plains not, as one that is mute, not opening his mouth*
See you behave in like manner : Again how doth he
suffer? In the height of charity, he prays for his ene-
mies ; he forgives those that were tormenting him ; he
promises heaven to the penitent thief; he suffers with,
the greatest meekness,* when reviled, did not revile,
but took all their mockeries, insults, and reproaches.
Learn here to do good for evil, and to pray for those
that persecute you.^ Learn how to die; these were his
dying words, Father, into thy hands I commend my spi-
rit; and thus was obedient unto death: learn to live
the life of Jesus, if you would die the death of Jesus ;
and let a true love of him, true contrition for sin; obe-
dience to God ? and resignation to his will, conduct you
to the grave.
68 jT/if Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
ART V. SECT. I.
He descended into Hell, the third day he rose again
from the dead.
W
* v
HTTHGR did our Sav ' our descend ? A. Into
that part of hell called Limbus Patrum, the
Limbus of the fathers. Q. Why did he descend thi-
ther ? Jl. To release the souls that were there. (.
What souls ? Jl. Ti.e souls of all thejust, patriarchs, pro-
phets, and saints, who died before our Saviour's coming.
Q. How did he descend ? Jl. Not in weakness or
by force, like other dead, but in power ; not as a cap-
tive, to be detained there as others^ but as a conqueror,
triumphant over the devil, sin, and hell, and/ree among
the dead. Psalm Ixxviii. 4. as it became the Son of God
made man.
INSTRUC. It is an impious error to believe^ as some
do, that hell here signifies the grave, while the fourth
article sufficiently declares his death and burial in the
grave; the fifth then saying, that he descended into
Kell informs us, that while his body was in the grave,
his soul departed elsewhere ; not indeed into that part
of hell, (as some still more impiously hold) where the
damned spirits suffer everlasting torments, and depri-
Tation of the sight of God, since, as his soul was ever
united to the divine person, it could suffer no more than
God could suffer in human nature : as then his body
was without corruption in the g>*ave, so his soul was
without harm or blemish in hell : Thou wilt not leave
my soul in hell, nor wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see
corruption, Psalm xv. 30. By the hell then, to which
he descended, is meant, not the place of eternal pain,
but the place which detained for a time, the souls of
those who died in the grace of God, from the beginning
of the world, whether they had yet some remains of
sin to expiate; or whether they were at rest in Abra-
ham's bosom, as the scripture speaks. All these waited
for the Saviour of the world, to enter with him into the
glory of Paradise, whose gate was shut against
The Christian Doctrine explained. 69
and his whole posterity, till the Redeemer came. Nor
must we imagine, that he descended thither only in
power, or that only his power descended thither; but
nis soul itself, which was still united to his divine per-
son, descended into hell, to shew the power he had ob-
tained, as man, by his passion and death; that in the
name of Jesus every knee might bow, not only in hea-
ven and upon earth, but even in hell below, where he
released the innocent and distressed souls that were
there detained until his coming.
EXHOR. Adore, O Christian, every mystery of
your Saviour and Redeemer; adore his descent into
hell, since he descended into hell to prevent our de-
scending thither for the future ; in token whereof, the
souls ot the saints now do not descend into those lower
receptacles of the dead, as formerly, but ascend to the
joys above. Go, however, in thought, into those lower
regions^ and behold the dismal effects of sin. There
in one part of hell, you may see the despairing torment
of the damned ; weeping, mourning, torture, deprivation
of the sight of God for all eternity. There, in another
part, you may also see the effects of venial sin in pur-
gatory, which must be blotted out by torments exceed-
ing great, before those souls can enjoy the sight of
God. Repent then and make your pardon secure here ;
do penance for what is past, and with great care
avoid all sin for the future, even the least, that your
present tears may prevent those future ones. The tears
of a few moments here, may deliver your soul from
hell ; there your tears will be eternal, and eternally
unfruitful.
SECT. II.
The third day he arose again from the dead.
$. T TOW long did our Saviour remain in the
A JL sepulchre ? Jl. Part of three days. Q. On
what day did he rise again ? Jl On the third day, or
Sunday. Q. By whom was his resurrection revealed ?
A. By an angel. ^. Why did he remain so long in
ro The Poor Man's Cateclnton : Or,
the grave ? #. To shew that he was truly dead. Q.
Why did he retain the print of the nails* 411 his hands
and feet, and the mark of the spear in his side, after
his resurrection. Jl. To shew that he was risen again
in the self-same body in which he was crucified ; and
that those adorable wounds might continually plead in
our behalf before God. (. What benefit do we reap
from his resurrection ? *#. It confirms our faith and
hope, that we shall also rise again. Q. To whom did
he first appear ? . The first apparition recorded in
scripture, was to Mary Magdalen ; the second to the
holy women, who came with her to embalm his body ;
the third, to St. Peter ; the fourth, to the two disciples,
going to Emmaus ; the fifth, to all the apostles met
together, except St. Thomas, who was absent; all
these were upon the day of his resurrection. Q. Did
he appear at other times ? Jl. Many other times, until
his ascension. Q. What discourse had he with them ?
Jl. He discoursed of many things concerning the king-
dom of God.
INSTRUC-- Jesus Christ being dead on the cross,
and his body laid in the sepulchre the same day, which
was Friday, the Eve of the Jewish Sabbath, on the
third day, which was Sunday, he arose, alive and glo-
rious ; and the guards the Jews had set about the sepul-
chre, were struck as dead; there was a terrible earth-
quake at the time when he arose; an Angel also
descended from heaven, whose aspect was as lightning ;
and some of the holy women, who came betimes in the
morning; to embalm his dead body, were much surprised
to find the sepulchre opened, and to see Angels there,
who said to them, You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who
was crucified ; he is risen again, he is not here, but
go tell his disciples and Peter, that he goes before you
into Galilee, there you shall see him, as he told you. St.
Mark xvi. 6.
The Apostles had great difficulty to believe his
resurrection, and were not persuaded of it, till they
had seen him with their "eyes, touched him with tnek*
hands, and had eaten and drank with him. He ap-
peared to them many times, during the forty days be-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 71
tween his resurrection and ascension. He gave them
instructions concerning his church, which the scripture
calls the kingdom of God: he gave them also the power
of forgiving sins, and of working miracles ; and lastly,
gave them a commission and authority to go and preach
nis gospel to all nations ; Baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
We must believe not only that he is risen again, but
that he raised himself to life by his own power ; for his
divine person, being united to his body, and to his soul,
even when they were parted from each other by death,
he therefore could when he pleased unite them again 5 J
have pawer, said he, to lay down my life, and I have
power to resume it again: as man, indeed God the
Father raised him to life, and so holy scripture affirms ;
but as God, he raised himself.
The end of his resurrection, was first to shew the
power and glory of God, and his own power and divi-
nity ; and that he might be glorified and exalted by his
resurrection, who had been humbled by his passion. It
was also to confirm us in the faith of his doctrine, and in
the hopes of our own resurrection ; that as he, who was
dead, is risen again ; so we, the members of that body
whereof lie is head, shall one day also . rise ; and
this by the same power whereby he raised himself. Bless-
ed be God, through whose abundant mercy we have this
lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead. 1 Peter i. 3.
EXHOR. -In contemplating the resurrection of Christ,
bow down, O Christian, and adore the infinite power
of God your Saviour : the Lamb that was slain, and
now risen again, is worthy to receive all honour, glory,
and benediction from all creatures.. As he has confirm-
ed his doctrine thereby, see you embrace and practise
the truths it teaches; as of obedience, humility, pa-
tience, mortification, and penance ; let not your* faith
rise up in judgment against you. As he, by rising from
the dead, has confirmed you in the belief of your own
resurrection, see you render it glorious, as it is now in
your power, by seeking the things tnat are above, by
having your conversation in heaven, by fixing your
72 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
heart, where your treasure is. Jesus Christ, your Re-
deemer, Saviour, Mediator, your God, and final Beati-
tude ; beware of being entangled in the false and tran-
sitory joys of this world. As Christ rose to die no
more, rise you from the death of sin, to a life of grace,
to fall no more. Lead a penitential life for what is
past, and let sin have no more power over you, as death
now has now no more power over him.
ART. VI.
He ascended into Heaven, sits at the right liand of
God the Father Jttmighty.
Tl^
* *
HEN did our Saviour ascend into heaven ?
#. After he had remained forty days with
his disciples, and confirmed them in the faith of his
resurrection. ^. From whence did he ascend ? A.
From the top of Mount Olivet. Q. How did he
ascend ? A. With hands lifted up, and blessing his
disciples. Q. Was he carried up to heaven by An-
gels ? J}. No : being God as well as man, he raised
himself into heaven by his own power and divinity.
Q. Why did he ascend up to heaven ? Jl. To take
possession of that state of bliss for himself and us ; and
to draw our hearts after him, by a firm faith of his
doctrine ; by a stedfast hope in his promises, and a
true love of him above all things. Q. What is meant
by these words, Sits at the right-hand of God? A. It
is a figurative expression, which imports the possession
of supreme power and glory he has received from the
Father : to sit imports the stable possession and enjoy-
ment of it; and the right-hand of God, denotes the
highest place of honour and glory in heaven ; and sig-
nifies that Christ, as God, is equal to the Father ; and
as man, is in the highest glory and happiness that hu-
man nature, united to the divine Person, can be raised
to.
INSTRUC. Here, O Christian, you are taught to
believe the most glorious mystery of your religion,
which is by St. Luke described after a wonderful man-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 3
si er. All other mysteries have a relation to the ascen-
sion, as to their end 5 all are perfected and completed
in this : they begin from the incarnation, and conclude
in the ascension. This then is the most complete and
tlorious. Other mysteries shew his humility and con-
escension ; but this shews his supreme glory and di-
vine majesty.
Our blessed Redeemer having consummated the
work of our redemption by his death on the cross, and
confirmed it to us by his resurrection, he then remain-
ed forty days on earth with his disciples ; appearing to
them at certain times, confirming them in their faith,
and discoursing with them of the kingdom of God,
and the government of the church. He had now accom-
plished all, for which his Father sent him upon earth;
nothing now remained out to ascend into heaven, to
take possession of that blessed place of glory he had
purchased for mankind. He then took his disciples un-
to Mount Olivet, to be witnesses of his ascension ;
where lifting up his hands, and blessing them, he was
elevated in their sight into heaven, arid they filled with
an extasy of joy arid consolation. Two Angels stood
by them, (whom the Evangelist calls men) and said to
them, Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking into
heaven? This Jesus, who is taken from you into
heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into
heaven, Acts i. 11. which was spoken of his second
coming to judgment.
He ascends from the top of Mount Olivet, that
where began his suffering, there should his glory be
completed. He ascends in the sight of all his disci-
ples, that they should all bear witness, and preach his
glory to an infidel world. He ascends triumphant
over Satan and hell, leading in joy all those blessed
souls into bliss, who had been deprived thereof, even
from the sin of Mam ; and thus he opens the gate of
heaven again to exiled wan. He ascends not as Elias 9
carried up by Angels f but by his own power and divi-
nity, true God as well as true man. He ascends ait*
heaven, as the fittest place for his glorified bjdy and
as alsoja draw our hearts after him \ confirming
t
74 The Poor Man's Catechism ; Or,
us, by his ascension , in the faith of his doctrine ;
strengthening our hopes in his promises, attracting our
love, and inflaming our desires of enjoying him ; ac-
cording to that of St. Paul: Relish the things that
are above, not those on earth. You see the way to
glory is to suffer for justice sake, like Christ himself,
ivho was obedient and humble unto death, to the death of
the cross, for which God hath exalted him, St. Phil,
ii. 8.
EXHOH. As you, O Christian, are taught to believe
the glorious ascension of our Saviour into heaven, lift
up your eyes often, and your heart thither, where your
treasure is gone ; for Jesus is the only treasure of a
Christian's soul. As this world is but a banishment,
heaven is your only home ; there, says St. Paul, Seek
the things which are above. Jesus purchased it for you
at a dear rate, arid now has taken possession of it for
himself, and for us his servants : for, as he is man, he
is the head of mankind, and we the members ; and as
such, intitled to the same glory with him, though not
to an equal degree of glory with him. Follow him
thither by a living, not a dead faith : Blessed are they
who have not seen, and yet have believed. Follow him by
Lope, confiding whollv in his merits, promises, and
grace. Follow him by charity, having your hearts
strictly united to him by love, and your minds fixed on
him in glory. O happy Christian, who still attends his
blessed Redeemer in this vale of tears.
Remember and learn three lessons, with relation to
the three great mysteries of your redemption. 1. Your
blessed Saviour dies on the cross, to teach you to die
to all earthly things, so far as they may prejudice your
salvation, and that you may not yield to the tempta-
tion of them. 2. Jesus rises again, to teach you to
rise from the death of sin, by penance, to the life of
grace, so as to sin no more. 3. Jesus ascends into
heaven, to teach you, that while your mortal body
lives on earth, you ought with your heart to despise
what you trample upon with your feet, and not to be
in love, with dirt, with your chains and banishment;
but that your thoughts, wishes, and endeavours, be em-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 75
ployed in aspiring to a more solid good ; according
to that saying : Let your conversation be in heaven, Phil,
iii. 0. let your hearts and minds with Jesus, dwell
above in everlasting glory !
ART. VII. SECT. I.
From thence, he. shall coine to judge the quick and the
dead.
Q. TTTHAT is the meaning of this article ? Ji.
VV That Christ shall come at the last day from
heaven, to judge all men according to their works.
Q. Shall not every one be judged at his death? Jl.
Certainly he shall. Q. What need then of a general
judgment? Jl. That man may be judged not only as
to soul, but body. Q. What else ? A. That as Christ
on earth was rejected by many, he may now be owned
and glorified before all in heaven, earth and hell ; this
to the joy of the good, and confusion of the wicked.
INSTRUC. As our Saviour, at his first coming, ap-
peared in his mortal body to redeem and save us, so at
his second coming, he will appear in his glory and
majesty to judge us ; and this is therefore called the-
day of our Lord. There are two days of judgment ;
the day of every one's death is a day "of judgment to
them ; the soul is no sooner departed from the body,
but is immediately carried by the sentence of the just
Judge of mankind to the place of its deserts. The
second, is the great day of general judgment, when all
mankind shall be judged, body and soul, and then
shall receive the last and decisive sentence of salvation
or damnation. The reasons for this last and general
judgment are, 1. That the world may see exact justice
done to every one ; that it may see how just God is in
rewarding the good, and punishing the wicked. ,
That as our bodies were partakers in all the good or
evil we have done, they may eternally be partners in
the punishment or reward ; for which reason the final
sentence cannot be pronounced till the body is risen
from the dead. 3. That as Christ on earth was denied
76 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
by many, he may at the last day be owned and glori-
fied before all : he will then be confessed to be God
and man ; by the good, to their everlasting comfort,
and by the wicked, to their great confusion. Lastly,
that the providence of God may be clearly manifested
in all his proceedings through time 5 why he permitted
the good oftentimes to suffer, and the wicked to pros-
per ; and then glory will be given to that divine pro-
vidence, which has been the subject to many of cont-
$laint in this life.
SECT II.
f . TTTHAT are the signs that shall go before this
VV day ? Jl. Antichrist shall appear and seduce
many. Q. Who will be the precursors or forerunners
of our just Judge? *#. Enoch and Ellas, whomre not
yet dead. Q. Where are they now ? A. In some de>
jightful hidden region ; as to Enoch, we know he was
translated into Paradise. Eccl. xliv. 10. Q. What
will they then do ? Jl. They will bring many to re-
pentance, and at last die for their faith. Q. What
signs will immediately be before the last day ? Jl.
There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, as
mentioned in holy writ. Q. What else? A. The
?ign of the cross shall be seen in the heavens, to be a
comfort to the good, and a terror to the wicked,
INSTRUC. Great and terrible signs will appear
before the last day : there will arise false Christs, and
false Prophets, who will do strange wonders and pro-
digies, and seduce a great number of souls ; even the
elect will but hardly escape their errors : but their
reign will be but short, even the great Antichrist shall
reign but three years and a half. To balance this de-
solation, Enoch and Elias will come again, and espouse
the cause of Christ ; they will oppose these diabolical
teachers, support the good in their faith, convert vast
numbers, arid then they shall both suffer martyrdom.
After that, there shall be terrible signs of God's
anger in the sun, moon, and stars : the SUQ and mooa
shall be darkened, the stars change their places, all na-
ture be overturned, and the whole world destroyed by a
The Christian Doctrine explained. n
prodigious raging fire. The sign of the Son of Man (the
cross) shall appear in the heavens, to the great confu-
sion of the Jews, who crucified him; to the confusion
of the infidels, who refused to believe him; to the con-
fusion of heretics, who persecuted his church ; to the
confusion of those, who by their bad morals brought a
scandal upon his religion : but to the everlasting joy
and glory of those who professed and glorified him in
their lives and actions. Sweet Jesus ! grant us all
perseverance in thy holy church and religion, that we,
with the just, may with confidence lift up our minds
and hearts to thee, amidst the terrors of that dreadful
day.
SECT. III.
Q. YrffHAT will follow after these signs ? A. The
Son of Man shall appear in great power and
majesty, in all the glory of God incarnate. Q. What
will then follow ? *#. He will send his angels with a
trumpet, to summon all to judgment. Q, What exa-
mine will be made there? Jl. The examine of our whole
lives, even of the most secret thoughts and actions. Q.
Who is to be the judge ? Jl. Christ, who is both God
and man. Q. Who will be our accusers ? A. The
Devils and our own guilty consciences.
INSTRUC. After all things foretold by Christ and
the Prophets have been completed, then shall our Sa-
viour, who by the Father is appointed Judge of the
living and the dead, be seen in the clouds, coming with
great power and majesty to judgment. He shall send
forth an Angel with a trumpet, and a loud voice, that
will be heard from the highest heaven to the lowest hell y
from the remotest land to the deepest sea, and all the
dead in their monuments shall hear the voice of the
Son of God ; and by the administration of Angels, shall
awake in the dust, arise and come to judgment; none
excepted, not even the least infants ^ all shall rise again,
from ddam, to the last that shall be born of JMam^
Then judgment shall begin; the books will be opened^
and the whole life of man xvill be displayed to the*
78 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
whole world. This account will he from the first use of
reason to the last life : all our thoughts, words, and
actions, will he brought to light ; all our good ones, and
all our had ones. All our hidden sins, arid all the sins
we have caused in others : all the gifts, and all the ta-
lents of grace we have received, and how we managed
them. Every one will be examined concerning his state
of life, office, and obligations,
But this is what will make judgment the most ter-
rible, because God is Judge ; Jesus Christ, true God
and man. A judge infinitely knowing, whom we can-
not deceive; infinitely powerful, whom we cannot
resist; infinitely just, whom we cannot bribe; and of
supreme authority, from whose sentence there is no
appeal.
And who are those that will come against us as wit-
nesses to accuse us, but the Devil and our own guilty
consciences ? He was our enemy while living, in
tempting and overcoming us ; so will he be our enemy
at the last day, to bear witness of our sins, and to in-
volve us in the like punishment with himself: our
very consciences will rise against us, by the decree of
% the Almighty ; I will convince yo^ anA set you before
your own face. We ourselves then shall be witnesses
against ourselves; w r e shall be self-condemned, and
be forced to say, By the just judgment of God I am
condemned.
SECT. IV.
Q. "VIJTHAT will the sentence be in favor of the
* * good ? A. Come ye blessed of my Father,
receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foun-
dation of the world, (?. What will be the sentence
of the wicked ? A. Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.
Q. Who will pronounce this sentence ? A. God him-
self, who is an unchangeable Being, unalterable in his
words; his truth shall remain for ever; heaven and
earth may pass away, but his word never shall. Q.
After this sentence, what will become of the damned ?
The Christian Doctrine explained. 79
A. They shall go into eternal punishment. Q. What
will become of the just ? A. They shall go unto eter-
nal life. Q. What is meant by the quick and the
dead ? A. By the quick, all that shall be living at the
time of his coming, (who nevertheless shall all once
die, when the world will be destroyed,) by the dead,
all that have died from Adam to that day.
INSTRUC. This sentence of happiness will be so
joyful to the elect, that no tongue of man or angel is
able to express it; and will be the blessed effect of
those good works they did while living ; Come ye bles-
sed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world ; because when I
was hungry ', you gave me to eat ; when I was thirsty,
you gave me to drink, &c. and the more they did of
these good works, the more glory they will have : hap-
py soul that is called by God from labour to rest ; from
the valley of tears to the greatest joy, and from all
misery to everlasting happiness ! Possess the kingdom :
what is this kingdom, but to have the clear sight and
enjoyment of God, and his happiness forever; to be
united to God, and to be one with him in eternal glory?
But O sentence of the reprobate ! Depart ye cursed !
Depart from God from heaven ! never to see God,
or to enter into the company of the blessed ! T his is
that hell of hells which is called the pain of loss. Now,
not only to lose all good, but sink into an 'abyss of
everlasting torments, without hope of comfort, is the
pain of sense, which the very worst of sinners cannot
firmly believe without trembling 5 but when this is ad-
ded, everlasting fire, it both makes it inconceivable and
inexpressible : yet this Eternity of pains we have from,
the mouth of God, who is truth itself, and knows all
things as they are in truth. When sentence is thus
passed upon all mankind, the damned will go to the
place of their torment, which is hell ; the blessed to the
abode of their happiness, which is heaven, the celestial
paradise. O tremendous sentence, which determines
our lot for eternity !
EXHOR.- Adore now your blessed Redeemer, who
will one day become our Judge,. O make him
80 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
what he alwavs desires to be, by virtue, and a good
life, a merciful Saviour to you: live so now, that jo j
may appear in your countenance at that day. Abhor
your past sins, which will, if n >t rer-eated for, turn
him from mercy to wrath and indignation against you.
Prepare yourself with all your might, to give a good
account of death. Judge yourself now, that you may
not then be judged ; confess jour sins now, as if you
were before him with the same humility and truth as
you would confess them at judgment. what sorrow,
what contrition, what good purposes would you not then
have ? Glorify him now by your good worKs, that you
may then receive a crown.
Remember thy last end : place daily before your eyes
those signs, those terrors, that will forerun 'that day.
As often as you hear or see any convulsions in nature,
as winds, storms, thunders and lightnings 5 O think
well of those last and terrible convulsions, which will
subvert the whole earth : you tremble to see even a
single house on fire; O tremble to behold in mind the
whole earth in a conflragration. Be ready now to hear
the voice of God : ari^e and do penance, that you may
hear it to your everlasting comfort : arise and come to
judgment.
O what will then have been the life of worldlings ?
What will have been their riches, honours, pleasures ?
No more than an empty dream, or bubble upon the
water : so it will seem to themselves, the moment
that death surprizes, judgment seizes, ami eternity
awakens them. O my soul, repent now, and here put
a stop 5 increase no longer that terrible account, which
must be given to an all-seeing, all-powerful, and just
Judge. Make amends now for the injuries done by
your sins, by such good works. as will both satisfy for
them, and sign your glory, viz. charities to the poory.
and acts of penance to yourself. Strive now to gain
that blessing which will be pronounced in favour of the
elect: Come ye blessed, &c. It is altogether in your
power at present ; and if, alas ! you shall hear the re-
verse, who can you blame but yourself? God gives
you time, help, arid grace., to save yourself; he is now
The Christian Doctrine explained. 81
always with you ; and if, after all his favors, you de-
spise and forsake him, wonder not, if he should forsake
you ; wonder not, if he should say to you as to the un-
grateful Jews, / will go and you shall seek me, and you
die in your sins. O think what a terrible thing it is,
to lose God and all good ! What a torment to suffer
fire ! What despair, to endure it without end ! Remem-
ber thy last things, and thou shall never sin.
ART. VIII.
I believe in the Holy Ghost.
Q. WHO is the Holy Ghost ? A. The Third Per,
son of the Blessed Trinity. Q. From whom,
does he proceed ? A. From the Father and the Son.,
by love. Q. Is he equal with them ? A. Yes, he is the
same Lord and God as they are, and has the same
divine perfections. Q. Why is he called the enliven-
ing spirit ? A. Because he gives life to all our actions,
and inspires us by his grace to all good. Q. In what
form has he appeared? A. In the form of a dove, in the
form of a bright cloud, and the shape of fiery tongues.
Q. How many are the special gifts of the Holy Ghost?
A. Seven ; Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Forti-
tude, Knowledge, Piety, and the Fear of our Lord.
INSTRUC- As in the first article we are taught what"
we are to believe of God the Father, and of tlie crea-
tion ; and in the six following, what we are to believe
of God the Son made man, and all the mysteries re-
lating to our redemption; so in the present article is-
declared what we are to believe of God the Holy Ghost.
St. Paul insinuates how necessary it is to be well
instructed in this matter; for when he came to Ephe-
sus, and found certain disciples, he said to them, Have
you received the Holy Ghost 2 and they said, Wz have
not so much as heard if there be a Holy Ghost ; he re-
plied, In whom are you then baptized? Acts xix. 2.
As if he said, What can your baptism avail, if you
have not heard of the Holy Ghost, and do not believe
ift him, in whom all Christians are baptized? and by
8 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
whom all are confirmed and strengthened in their
faith.
It is not enough then to believe in the Father and
Son, unless we also believe in the Holy Ghost: so the
Creed, having taught us to profess our belief of the Fa-
ther, who is the first Person, and of the Son, who is
the second Person, here teaches us to profess our be-
lief of the Holy Ghost, who is the third Person. We
must believe that he is a distinct Person from the Fa-
ther and the Son, and proceeds from both, and is the
same God with them, as is clear in holy writ ; There
are three that give testimony in Iieaven, the Father, the
Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one, 1
John v. 7. one God, having the self-same divine nature.
He proceeds both from the Father and the Son, by the
mutual love of both ; and therefore is termed love : the
love of the Father and the Son. He is co-fternal and
consubstantial with them. He is also termed the en-
livening Spirit, because he inspires the soul by grace,
and gives life to all our good actions, according to that;
The charity of God is poured out in owr hearts by the,
Holy Ghost, who is given to us, Rom. v. 5. This holy
Spirit was infused into our souls in baptism, and still
in a more special manner in confirmation. It is through
him we work all good, he is the divine Iove 5 that gives
life to every soul.
The Holy Ghost is a pure spirit, yet he has appeared
several times in divers foruis, to represent therein the
many effects he works in our souls : he appeared at
our Saviour's baptism in the form of a dove, to signify
that baptism makes us pure and innocent as doves : he
appeared to the Apostles in tongues of fire; to signify
that by their tongues, by their zeal and preaching, the
world was to be converted : he appeared in a bright
cloud at the transfiguration of our Saviour, to teach us
that in paradise we shall be encompassed in glory.
But these corporeal forms themselves were not the Ho-
ly Ghost, but only figures, to signify that he was there
present to produce such effects.
There are seven special gifts of the Holy Ghost
Numbered by the prophet Isaiah, Wisdom, whicfi directs
The Christian Doctrine explained. 83
our actions to the last end ; Understanding, which pe-
netrates the mysteries of faith : Counsel, which disco-
vers the snares of the devil ; Fortitude, which over-
comes all temptations, especially where life is at stake :
Knowledge, by which we discern the will of God ;
Piety, which prompts us to put it in execution ; Fear
of our Lord, which bridles us from sin. These are the
effects of the divine love and gifts ef the Holy Ghost,
who is termed the gift of God, because all his gifts
proceed through love, and are comfortable marks and
arguments that he dwells in cur souls by grace, by which
he lives in us, and we in him.
By these seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, our souls
are so disposed, as to be easily moved by the impulse
of the Holy Ghost, to put in practice every command
of God, and every counsel which is necessary to our
eternal good, especially the eight beatitudes^ which
are so many steps by which we ascend unto eternal
beautitude.
EXHOR. Bow down, O my soul, and adore the per-
son of the Holy Ghost : adore him as your Gcd 5 one
God with the Father and the Son. Prepare your heart
by love to receive him into it : harbour &Gt there the
inordinate love of the world; for if you do, the Holy
Ghost, who is the love of the Father and the Son, will
not abide in you. Oh ! how often have you banished
this love out of your soul by mortal sin? Remember,
that by baptism you are become Christians, and as
such are the temple of God ; if any of you violate the,
temple of God, (by sin) him will God destroy ; 1 Cor.
iii. 17. for the temple of God is holy, which you are,
sanctified by the Holy Ghost. what a blessing it is
to be thus honoured by God, to be even in this life pos-
sessed by God and his holy Spirit, and to have him
reigning in our hearts, by the infusion of all grace ! But
O what a misery to a believing Christian, to abandon
his happiness, to banish God out of his heart, and to ad-
mit the Devil into it : this you do as often as you of-
fend him by mortal sin.
As the Holy Ghost is the life of your soul, as he has
infused all graces into you, make them not void, but
S4 The Poor Harts Catechism i #r,
work according to .what you have received, and im-
prove the graces lie has bestowed upon you : let divine
Wisdom direct your life and actions to the glory of
God, and your own salvation : let Understanding keep
you in due submission to your faith : let Counsel warn
you against the deceits of the world and the devil : let
Fortitude be your armour against all persecution, and
teach you to despise all dangers for the love of God :
let Knowledge lead you in all things, to know and ful-
fil the will of God: let Piety spur you on to the per-
formance of all your devotion : let Fear keep you in,
the way of God's commandments, the accomplishing
whereof is the sure path to life eternal. Come, Holy
Ghost, inflame my heart with the love of God, and may
this love be never extinguished in me, but abide in my
soul for all eternity.
ART. IX. SECT. I.
I believe in the Holy Catholick Church^ the communion of
Saints.
Q. T17HAT understand you by this article ? A.
* That Christ established a Church on earth,
that this Church is but one, and that we are bound to
believe her in all things belonging to faith. Q. What
is the Church ? A. It is the congregation of all the
faithful under Jesus Christ their invisible Head, and
his Vicar on earth the Pope. Q. Is the Chruch visi-
ble? A. Yes it is, always was, and always will be.
Q. How long will it last ? A. As it began with Christ^
it shall last to the end of the world.
INSTRUC. As then this is an article of our Creed,
it is a point of the Christian faith, and we are as well
bound to believe it as the foregoing articles ; the
Church, which we believe, being established by Christ,,
propagated by the Apostles, and their successors, and
supported not by human, but by divine power. The
Church, which is the object of our faith, is not made by
the hands of men, but is a congregation of believing
who are called to it by grace, all concurring:
The Christian Doctrine explained. 8
in the same faith. The whole Church is composed of
the pastors and* people: among the pastors there is a
hierarchy, as among the angels, consisting of bishops,
priests, and deacons, instituted by Christ: but of all
the apostles and bishops, St. Peter was the head, to
whom were given the keys of th'e kingdom of heaven,
with a commission to feed the whole flock, both the
lambs and the sheep : and as the bishops of Rome are
St. Peter's successors, they inherit his privilege and
power, and hence are supreme Heads of the Churcll
under Christ, who is supreme Head of all.
To believe the Holy Catholick Church, is not only
to believe there was such a Church in times past, or
will be in time to come, but that there is such a Churcll
now, and always existing, which we are bound to be-
lieve, hear, and obey, in all things belonging to faith :
those who submit not to her doctrine and authority,
are all out of her communion ; as Pagans, Infidelsj .
Turks, Jews, Heretics, and Schismatics.
The Church is called the body of Christ, Ephes. i.
23. because he is the principal Head of it. It is called
the Spouse of Christ, because it is a glorious Church,
without spot : it is called the Flock or Fold of Christ 9
because he is the Shepherd of it : it is called the HOUS&
of God, because it was built by Christ, and that^jpon a
rock, proof against all the swelling waves and storms
of persecutions ; even the gates of hell shall not pre-
vail against it : it is represented in holy writ as a city
seated upon' a high mountain, which cannot be hid :
its Apostles are the lights of the world ; its members
have never ceased openly and loudly to teach and
profess their faith: hence this true Catholick Church
must be ever visible and conspicuous to ail those who
desire to know it.
SECT. II.
Marks of the true Church.
Q t TTTH AT are the marks by which the true Church
V V may be known ? A. By its Unity in faith : by
86 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
its Sanctity : by its title of Catholick : by the Apostoli-
cal succession of its pastors : the true Church is One,
Ho! if, Catholick. and Apostolical. Q. Is the Church
infallible? Jl. Yes, the Church is infallible, by virtue
of the promises of Christ, as to all articles of faith,
which she holds, or 'has determined against heretics,
who have oppt sed her in all ages.
INSTRUC. These are the true marks of God's
Church, by which it is distinguished from all heretical
and schismatical congregations. Christ our Lord esta-
blished but one people, and taught but one doctrine on*
ly : his Apostles taught no other ; his Church professes
but one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Now, those who
are divided from her, and even among themselves in
faith and communion, cannot be said to have unity in
faith, and to be- one people, onefold: and by conse-
quence cannot be members of the Church of God : but
as to those who belong to this Church, it may easily be
observed, that although the\ are of different tempers
and genius, though of different nations and widely dis-
tant from one another, and very often disagreeing about
their temporal interests; yet if they are questioned about
their faith, they will all to a man profess oiie and the
same, the same sacraments and sacrifice, the same
principles of religion; all own the Bishop of Rome, the
successor of St. Peter, to be the supreme Head of the
Church IH spirituals, all profess obedience to him.
2. The Church of God is holy; sanctity is her dis-
tinguishing character; holy in her first founder and
head Christ Jesus : holy in her faith, morals, and dis-
cipline : holy in her faith, which keeps us in true hu-
mility and submission to God : holy in her moral doc-
trine, which teaches us to be holy in our lives and
manners : holy in her discipline, which restrains vice,
and promotes regularity both in the clergy and laity:
holy in her sacraments, which are the means of sanc-
tifying grace. O how many millions of saints, martyrs,
confessors, holy virgins, has she produced, who have
in all ages been eminent for sanctity ? What are all
her fasts, canonical hours of prayer, penance, and mor-
tifications, but the means to subdue corrupt nature, to
The Christian Doctrine explained. 87
attain sanctity, and promote virtue ? And where are
these things put in practice, hut by those who belong
to the Holy Catholick Church ? And though there are
bad in the Church as well as good, the bad do not abate
or take off from the sanctity she teaches : for tftese are
only permitted to grow, as cockle among the good
"wheat, till death, in hopes of their conversion. Now,
it is very necessarv that we should believe the Church
to be ever holy, and that we may never imagine any
reason for deserting its communion.
3. The Church of Christ is catholick or universal,
and this both as to time and place. I. As to time* it
began with Christ, and will last to the end of the world;
there is no other church to come after it, no other re-
ligion, no other gospel, no other reformation but what
is to be effected by this Church : then as to place, her.
faith has, and will be dispersed into all parts of the
earth, according to that, Go teach all nations, preach
the gospel to every creature: whereas all those sects
which went out from her, have in time almost dwin-
dled to nothing; and are ever confined to some one
corner of the earth. Her very enemies acknowledge
her to be of greater extent by far than any sect in the
\yhole world is : and as to the title of Catholick, this so
clearly belongs to her, that no other dares lav claim
to it.
4. The Church of Christ is apostolical. The true
Church must needs be very ancient, even as ancient
as the days of Christ and his Apostles, because it was
founded by Christ, and planted by the Apostles, and
received his doctrine from them. The doctrine of the
Catholick Church is not new, nor sprung up since the
time of the Apostles, because she believes nothing as
matter of faith, but what was clearly the belief and
tradition of all ages before, up to the Apostles ; and has
condemned all innovations Drought in by heretics. If
she has deserted the ancient doctrine of the Apostles,
and has fallen into errors, I desire to know when,
where, and by whom, those errors were broached ? by
what Council was she condemned ? what Fathers wrote
against her doctrine ? from what Church more ancient
88 . The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
than herself did she depart? Again, that must needs
be the Apostolical Church, whose pastors have, in all
ages, since the Apostles, been lawfully ordained by
those, who, in like mariner, were lawfully ordained
before l&em, for such only succeed the Apostles, and
have the spiritual power, which can be conveyed down
to us by no ether hands. And who can shew a succes-
sion of pastors up to the apostles, but the holy Catholick
Church ? As to other sects, they own that for many
ages there were neither pastors nor people of their com-
munion and belief tojbe found over the whole earth.
Lastly the Church that was founded by Christ must
certainly be infallible in all her decisions of faith and
doctrine : for though this Church is composed of men
who are by nature fallible, yet because Christ promis-
ed that he will be with her at ail times to the end of the
world, Matt, xxviii. That the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of
Trutn, shall teach her all truth, and abide with her for-
ever, John xiv. and xvi. That the gates of hell shall not
prevail against her, Matt. xvi. we may rest secure
Upon these infallible promises of Christ, without enqui-
ring where, or in what particular men the infallibility
is lodged, that God will never permit his Church to err,
to the end of the world ; and she may securely say in
all her decisions of faith, with the first council held at
Jerusalem, It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and
to us, Acts xv. 28. But if the Church by our Saviour
established, has never erred, and it is a fact undoubted,
that Catholicks in no time past, did ever leave the com-
munion of that Church which was by him* founded, and
that all other sects left them, hence it is easy to see
which is the right way.
SECT. III.
The communion of saints.
Q. TTTHAT is meant by this article ? A. That the
VV faithful on earth, do all communicate or par-
take of another's prayers and good works. Q. What
else ? *#. The faithful on earth communicate with the
The Christian Doctrine explained. 89
saints and angels in heaven. Q. Do the bad who are
in the communion of the Church reap any benefit from,
the prayers of the faithful ? Jl. They do very often by
this means obtain the grace of a conversion. Q. Have
the souls in purgatory any benefit by the suffrages of
the Church? Jl. They have because they are still
members with us of the same mystical body, under the
same head Christ Jesus. Q. Who are they who par-
take not of her communion. Jl. Excommunicated per-
sons; as also Pagans, Jews, Heretics, and Schis-
matics.
INSTRUC. This part of the ninth article expresses
that strict 'union and communication between all the
parts of the Church, who are all united in one faith, and
in one hope ; all receive the same sacraments, and wor-
ship God with one mouth and one heart. There is as
strict a union as there is between the members of a hu-
man body: as these have different uses, as the eye to
see, the ear to hear, &c. so there are different offices in
the Church. Some to instruct; others to govern;
others to serve; others to administer sacraments; others
to do the works of mercy: yet all are done with the
same view, which is to arrive at eternal life, and to help
others thereto. By this means all who are in the
Church, receive benefit by all the prayers and good
works done therein. They who are in the state of
grace, partake fully of them : and they who are in sin,-
receive, notwithstanding, some assistance from them,
in order to get out of that bad state. Hence appears
the great misfortune of those who lay under excom-
munication, by which they are cut off as dead members
from the Church, and lose all the benefit of the com-
munion of saints. The same misfortune attends those
who have not the faith of the Church, and are out of the
fold of Christ, as Infidels, Heretics, &c.
This union and communion between the members of
the Church, as it proceeds from charity, ivhich never
faileth) is not confined to the Church Militant on earth,
but extends even to the Church-Triumphant in heaven 5.
it being the same Church, though in different states.
Thus there is a communication between us and them?
we rejoice at their glory, and they pray for the grace we
SO The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
want. We give thanks for their happiness, and they
rejoice at our conversion.
This communion extends even to those souls of the
faithful departed, who are in a suffering state, com-
monly called Purgatory, under the just hand of God,
to be purified from their sins, before they can enter
heaven : death, which is only a separation of body and
soul, cannot dissolve that mystical union between the
members of the Church an<i Christ their Head ; so
that being still members of the same Church with us,
they may be assisted by tjie suffrages, alms-deeds, and
good works of the faithful on earth ; and this charity,
to souls departed, was very much practised in the pri-
mitive Church, and commended by the Fathers, parti-
cularly by St. ^ugustin, 1. De cura pro Mort.
EXHOR Give to God daily thanks for having made
you a member of the holy Catholick Church : no one
comes to that Church but through a call from him. O
how grateful would you be, were you sensible of the
blessing! and this you may behold in the misfortune of
so many perishing without, as all unbelievers. O how
great throughout the world is this number ! Happy Noah
and his family, who alone were preserved from the de-
luge ! Mere happy you, who out of millions are pre-
served in the ark of God's Church, and saved from per-
dition !
Live in such a manner as becomes a member of the
Church of God: in the first place, believe with an en-
tire submission, all decisions and articles of faith ; re-
nounce and abhor all those errors and heresies that op-
pose the belief of this Churchy be true to all her pre-
cepts and commands, taking them as from God, as if
vou heard him say, He that heareth you, heareth me:
live in perfect unity and concord with all your fellow
members, as your primitive ancestors were all of one
mind, and 6ne heart. Be you holy, as God is holy ; ho-
liness becomes the house of God, and all that dwell in
it : let the Head, Christ Jesus, the holy Apostles, Mar-
tyrs, Confessors, and Virgins, who have been so emi-
iient for sanctity, animate you to every virtue. O bring
aot vipon yourself that terrible sentence. He that pol-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 91
lutes the temple of God* through sinful living, him shall
God destroy. As you profess to believe the Catholick
Apostolick Church, let no persecution, nor even death,
deter you from it; it is the Church which Christ esta-
blished ; remain then firm and constant in it to your
last breath, and die with these words in your mouth :J[
believe in the holy Catholick Church.
As you are in the communion of saints, join your
prayers, charities, and good works with all faithful holy
souls, and beg that all may partake of yours, and you
of all. Joifo with the saints and angels. in the praises of
God, and implore their intercession through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Forget not your departed brethren, but be
daily mindful of them, and say often, Remember not,
O Lord, ours, nor our parents offences. They are not
able to help themselves, but through the suffrages of the
faithful. it is a wholesome and holy cogitation to pray
J'or the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins, 2
Mac. xii. Let them rest in peace.
ART. X.
The forgiveness of sins.
$ TT7HAT is meant by this article ? d. That God
VV has promised remission of sins to all that re-
pent, by the sacraments of ^baptism and penance. Q.
What sin is forgiven by baptism ? *$. Original sin, which
is the sin in which we are all born ; and also the sins
we have committed before baptism, after we came to the
use of reason. (. .What sins are forgiven by the sa-
crament of penance ? A. All the sins we have com-
mitted after baptism. Q. Who are the ministers of
the sacrament of penance P # Bishops and priests
only.
INSTRUC. This article, so necessary for salvation,
may be drawn from those words of our Saviour : 80 it
behoveth Christ to suffer, and to rise again the third day 9
and that inhis name penance and remission of sins should
-be preached to all nations, Luke xxiv. 46. Hence we
are to believe, that iu the church there is remission of
92 The Poor Marts Catechism ; Or,
sins, and that there is a real power given to the pastors
of the church, of remitting them by the sacraments,
to all that repent.
g The first remission of sin we receive in baptism, is
the remission of original sin, which is the sin we are
all born in, by means of Jldam's fall : >fls by one man
sin entered into the world, and by sin death, so it passed
unto all men, in whom all sinned. Rom. v. 12. To
those who receive it in riper years, if truly penitent,
all the actual sins they have committed since the use of
reason, and the temporal punishment due to them, is
remitted in full ; so that were they to die immediately
after, there is nothing to hinder their entrance into
heaven.
The second remission of sin we receive in the sacra-
ment of penance: and highly necessary it was the
church should have this sacrament from God, as well as
baptism ; because after baptism we are liable, through
human frailty, to fall into sin as well as before, and
then there is as* much need as ever of a sacrament to
free its from sin, and restore -sanctifying grace. Now,
the power to absolve sinners in the sacrament of pe-
nance, was given by Christ to his Apostles, when he
said to them, Whose sins you remit, they are remitted
unto them ; and whose sins you retain, they are retained,
John xx. 23. This power Christ, as man, first exer-
cised himself, when he said to the paralytic, Thy sins
are forgiven thee, Matt. x. 2. and when the Jews ques-
tioned, how he, being a man, could forgive sins, he
took them up sharply, and worked a miracle before their
eyes, to convince them that he, even in quality of man,
had this power: That you may know, said he, that the
Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, arise,
he said to the paralytic, take up thy bed and go home.
For though the power to forgive sin, is a power proper
to God, who is otterided by sin ; yet it is plain in scrip-
ture, that God executes this power upon earth by the
ministry of men; first, by our Saviour as man ; then by
his Apostles ; now by the Bishops and Priests. There
are none but them to whom thib power was given, and
to them it is given, as ministers of God, who work not
The Christian Doctrine explained. 93
by their own, but by his almighty power, as instruments
only of the remission of sins, which he gives, by their
absolution, in the sacrament of penance. This great
indulgence was acquired for us through the merits,
death, and passion of Christ.
So great is this benefit to a Christian soul, that there
is no sin, though ever so heinous, no sins, though ever
so numerous, though the sinner has remained ever so
long in them, but what, through the application of the
sacraments of baptism and penance may be forgiven.
Hence it must be the greatest ingratitude to neglect, the
greatest presumption to delay, repentance.
EXHOR. -Adore, O Christian soul, and praise the di-
vine mercy of God, who has left such sovereign means
to promote and secure your salvation. As you have
been freed in baptism from original sin, extol the di-
vine mercy, and live as you then professed to do. let
not, through your sinful life, this fountain of life and
salvation one day rise up against you !
But if by sin, you have lost your baptismal inno-
T/GuCe ; as Christ has left another sovereign remedy
against all actual sins frail nature is prone to commit,
fail not to apply it in due time, and with due prepara-
tion, to your sinful soul; and never forget the pro-
mise of God, which assures you, That whatsoever day
the sinner repents, he shall be forgiven. Think how
many have miscarried through neglect, through unfor-
tunate delays, and through -want of true repentance.
Behold those miserable souls bewailing their sins, and
their neglect of penance, in torments for all eternity,
and perhaps for less sins than you are guilty of: take
warning from them and do penance under the hand of
God's mercy, that you may avoid the hand of his jus-
tice. Think in time of the enormity of sin, the evils
that attend it ; the dismal consequences that follow it :
ut not oft' your conversion from day to day ; all de-
ays are dangerous. Neither take the liberty of of-
fending God, in consideration that he is merciful, for
this will render you unworthy of mercy. Be no lon-
ger ungrateful in the neglect of penance, no longer
presumptuous iu delays j To-day ^ if you hear his
p
la
94 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
voice, harden not your hearts. Repent and sin no more,
lest some worse thing befall you. Jis you believe remission
of sins, so practise.
ART. XL
The Resurrection of the Fl sh.
Q. TTTHAT is meant by this article ? Jl. That these
T very bodies, in which we now live, shall, at
the day of judgment, be raised from death to life. Q.
By what power ? *#. By the omnipotent command of
God, and the ministry of angels. Q. Shall the same
bodies rise again ? A. Yes, the same in substance,
though different in qualities. Q. How can a body
reduced to dust, rise again ? *#. By the same power
which made it of dust, and framed it originally out of
nothing, Q. What will be the qualities of a glorified
body P *#. Impassibility, brightness, agility, subtiity.
Q In \yhat space of time will all this be done ? #.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, 1 Cor. xv. 52.
INSTRUC. In this article you are taught that all
the dead shall one day rise again. The same body
will be united again to the same soul ; the very same
persons, the same men and women, shall come to life
again, who lived here, and be rewarded or punished
both in soul and body according to their deeds. As
the body was partner with the soul in good or evil
living, so it will be partaker of punishment or reward.
The resurrection of the body is clear in Job : I
know that my Redemer liveih, and that in the latter day
I shall rise again from the earth, and in my flesh I shall
see God my Saviour, Job xxix. 25. The resurrection
of the body is cleared in the similitude of seed : Thou
fooL that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it
first die ; so the body is sown in corruption, it shall rise
in mcorruption, 1 Cor. xv. This point our Saviour
cleared to the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection,
Matt. xxii. 31. Of the resurrection of the dead, have
you not read what God spoke, saying to you, I am the
*God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, ?
The Christian Doctrine explained. 95
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living : this
proves that they are to rise again to life.
The resurrection of the body will he at the last day,
when the Son of God shall command all, by [he sound
of a trumpet,gted the voice of an angel, to arise out of
their graves, through the same power by which he raised
himself, by the same power by which he created heaven
and earth, of nothing, and a man's bodj^f dust: Dust
thou art. As that was dane by a word, Fiat, Be it
made ; so will this be by a word, Surgite, Rise.
All and every one shall rise again, as all and every
one shall die : Jls in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all
be made alive, 1 Cor. xv. 22. But the condition of all
will not be alike 5 For those who have done good, shall
rtee to the resurrection of life, and they who have done
evil to the resurrection of judgment, John v. 29.
The qualities of a glorified body are four, as may be
observed from scripture. 1. Impassibility: they can
never die or suffer any more. This mortal body shall
put on immortality, ' I Cor. xv. 2. Brightness : they
shall shine with glory, without spot or blemish. It is
sown in dishonour, it shall rise in glory : though not all
in an equal degree of glory ; but as one star differ eth
from another star in splendour, so shall be the resur-
rection of the dead. 3. Jlgility : the bodjr shall be
where tke soul will, with unspeakable motion : It is
sown in weakness, it shall rise in power. 4. Subtilty:
the body then shall obey the soul, and be subject to it;
in which sense it is written, It is sown an animal body,
it is raised a spiritual body.
As to immortality, this indeed will, after the resur-
rection, be common to the good and the bad ; for the
bad can never again die 5 but they will have no advan-
tage from hence to comfort them, but their immorta-
lity will be their greatest torment ; inasmuch as they
will seek death to put an end to their suffering, and
death will eternally lly from them : their bodies too,
will rise entire, but is only that they may be punished
in every part wherein they transgressed.
EXHQR Learn .O Christian, in this article, to praise
and adore the divine power of God ? who, in the resur-
96 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
rection of the dead, \vill raise the bodies of all out of
the dust; the self-same bodies as before, and bring all
to life, from* Jldam, to the last that shall be born of
Mam: let the sight of this day encourage you in all
good, that by virtue you may make ^ir resurrection
glorious.
But how terrible will be the resurrection of the
wicked to jui|ment! Let the sight of it deter you from
sin; consider well the confusion they will then be in,
so as to wish the mountains would fall upon them, and
hide them from God's wrath. O who can offend in the
sight of an angry prince? Who then dares offend in
the sight of an angry God !
Live innocently; or, if you have sinned, rise again
by repentance ; the sins which are cancelled by cfm-
fession and penance, shall not rise up against you at
that day. Let the sight of a joyful resurrection encou-
rage you to every virtue ; to love God, who is all good ;
to hope in God, who is all merciful; to fear God who
is all justice. Let it embolden you to suffer persecu-
tion and death for justice; knowing tbat this will make
your soul happy at death, and your body glorious
at the resurrection of the dead : preserve your bodies
now from the corruption of sin and impurity, that they
may rise to incorruption, and a glorious immortality*
That which one hath sown, the same shall he reap.
ART. XII.
Life Everlasting.
Q. TT7HY is this the last article of our creed ? A.
VV Because life everlasting is our last end, and
the last reward we expect by faith. Q. What is meant
by it ? Ji. That such as live well, and die in the state
of grace, shall live with God in everlasting glory ; but
that the wicked shall live forever in the torments of
hell. Q. W r ere all created for this end, that they might
be saved ? *#. They were : It is the will of Gfod that
all men should be saved: He wills not the death of a sin-
ner, but rather that he be converted and live, 1 Tim. ii. 4,
Christian JJoctrine explained, 97
Ezech. xxxiii. 11, He made no one to be damned. Q.
Why then are so many lost? $. By their own wilful
transgressions and impenitent hearts : Thy perdition
is from thyself, Israel. Q. In what consists everlast-
ing life? *d. In the clear sight and enjoyment of God.
Q. What will follow from thence ? A, Such love of
him, and joy, and happiness, as no mortal tongue can ex-
press, or mind conceive. Q. What means the word
*$men? *A. So be it ; whereby we declare that we be-
lieve and assent to every article of the creed.
INSTRUC. This article concludes the creed, and
lays down to us the great and glorious end of our crea-
tion and redemption, viz. Life everlasting. The life
we enjoy here, is as no life to a life eternal. Life ever-
lasting is a perfect and complete happiness, which can-
not be expressed by any thing we know on earth, so
well. It is called life, because our life is the dearest
thing we can imagine; and it is called everlasting, be-
cause it cannot be true happiness, if mixed with the-
thought of an end or death attending it. It is compared
in holy writ to a banquet or marriage feast, to repre-
sent the joy of it. It is compared to a kingdom, to
shew the glory of it. It is compared to a pearl, to sig-
nify how precious it is.
Life everlasting consists most essentially in the clear
sight, possession, and enjoyment of God, who is all that
is good; omne bonwn: to this we may add the delight-
fulness of the company, consisting of saints and angels
and the place, which is heaven; and this accompanied
with an absolute certainty of the eternity of it: here is
rest without labour 5 joy without tears; light without
darkness, life without death ; and happiness without
end. Blessed are they who dwell in thy house, O
Lord, Psal. Ixxxiii. 5. The reverse of all this will
be the portion of the damned in hell : there is a fire
that never goes out; a worm, that never dies; there
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; sorrow, rage,
despair.
To obtain life everlasting, we must live well, and
keep our souls in the state of grace, so as to die 1 in
God's favour: our lives must bo adorned with all vir-
q
9B The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
tues : in a word, we must fulfil those words of Christ ;
Jfthou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
All and every one ought to aspire to this happiness,
because all are created to this end ; and if they miscar-
ry, it ie 'through their own fault, through a wilful trans-
gression of God's law, and final impenitence. *God
gives 'to every one sufficient grace and help to save him-
self: The goodness of God calls thee to repentance, but
thou hea.pest to thyself wrath in the day of wrath, accor-
ding to thy own hard and impenitent heart, Rom. ii. 5.
You have then freedom and free-will to save or damn
yourself: Thy perdition is from thyself, O Israel, Osee
xiii. ix.
EXHOR. Christian, covet with all your might, with
all your heart, and with your whole soul, that blessed
end for which you were created, whatever you are to
suffer for it; knowing that suffering here will soon have
an end, and an eternal weight of glory, even to enjoy
the beatifical vision, will attend your labour and suffer-
ing hereafter; unite your heart to God now, that you
may be absorpt in the love of your Creator for ail eter-
nity, God is the only treasure and centre of a Christian
soul ; without him you can never be happy forever.
Spend the little remainder of your life in praising and
glorifying him, and join now with the angels and saints
in sinking, Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of Sabbaoth ;
thus wiU you come to join with those celestial choirs in
the like praises for ever.
Again : let those eternal torments below, the wages
of sinners, dismay you from evil; how can you behold
in your mind what they endure, and yet venture on
in sin? O blindness! folly! madness! Beseech God,
with holy David, that he would enlighten your dark-
that you sleep not in death eternal.
SECT. I.
Of Hope.
V* 1317" HAT virtue is necessary to salvation after
** faith? A. Hope. Q. What is hope? .2.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 99
It is a gift of God, whereby our souls are raised to a
lively expectation of eternal glory. Q. On what is our
hope founded- ? & On the power of God, and the pro-
mises and merits of Christ, who has promised heaven
to such as do good works by faith, and grace whereby
to do them. Q. What does hope work- in- our hearts"?
JH. It encourages us in virtue, it strengthens us in af-
fliction, it takes away all anxiety in death. Q. Are
our good works meritorious of eternal life B .$. They
are, through the merits of Christ, when we work wiwi
grace, and are in the state of grace; while God dwells
and acts in the soul by grace, its works are the works
of life. Q. Can we do good works that merit heaven
by our own strength alone? Jl. No, we cannot; their
merit is all fro-n the grace of God with us, and our co-
operating with it, and by it.
INSTRUC. Hope is the second theological virtue,
which regards not this, but the life to come, and hath
God for its immediate object: for the proper and prin-
cipal object of our hope, is eternal bliss in the enjoy-
ment of God, and this is to be obtained through th
help of his grace. It is infused, with other graces, into
our souls in baptism ; it raises up our minds to God,
and gives us, amidst the miseries of this life, a holy con-
fidence in him, and a lively expectation of arriving at
length to eternal glory, by the help of all the good we
do through his assistance. Our Lord is well pleased
with them that confide in his mercy, Psalm cxlvi. 11.
We are not then, by any means, to hope and rely
on ourselves, or any good works we can do by our own
natural strength ; knowing ourselves to be unprofitable
servants, and that we are unable to do any thing to
merit heaven, but all through the grace of Christ with
us. It is he only that has gained heaven for us, and has
made our works meritorious. In all the good we do,
we must profess with St. Paul, J\ot 1, but the grace
of God with me, K Cor. v. 8. Thus when we 'p ra y>
last, give alms, these and all other good works must be
done through grace, and in the state of grace to merit
a reward in heaven. We are, says St. Paul, God's C'Q
100 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
adjntors; we work with him, and he works with us,
J. Cor. Hi. 9.
Oiir hope, as a theological virtue* is wholly grounded
upon the merits and promises of Christ, his death and
passion, which opened the gate of heaven to us ; upon
the power of God, who has" promised us eternal glory,
with all-sufficient grace to attain it, though so far above
us.
This hope works all good in our hearts; it is the an-
chor of our souls which keeps us steady and firm in all
storms of afflictions, temptation and persecution; it
makes us enter even now, in spirit, into that which is
within the veil, eternal beatitude; it makes us rest
secure in expectation of it, and conducts us safely at
length unto it: it encourages us also in all good, and
keeps us obedient to the law of God ; it disposes us to
suffer willingly for his sake : it supports us in our last
agony, and crowns us with final perseverance. These
blessed effects of hope were in Jdb 9 when he said, Al-
i hough he kill nip, yet I will hope in him, Job xiii. 15.
And in King David, when he said, In God have I ho~
ped, I will not fear what r >nan can do to me. Psalm
Iv. 5.
EXHOR. Beseech God to increase this divine gift of
hope in your heart. Remember you are to trust not
io the world, nor to man, nor to yourself, nor to any
creature, but to God alone, to bring you to everlasting
life; at the same time, others may be instrumental cau-
ses, under God, in obtaining for you, by the way of
intercession, the means necessary to bring you thither,
and so far you may hope in them, while you rely upon
the merits of Christ, aiid the power and promises of -God
for your salvation : let your hope be founded also on a
good conscience, since it is not enough to hope only,
but we must work in good ; for the hope of the wicked
shall perish, Prov. x. 28. As you must never despair,
because Christ died for you, and the power of God is
sufficient to raise the worst of sinners, by justifying
grace, and has already pardoned innumerable repenting
sinners; so neither must you presume that he will save
.foil, without keeping his commandments: or give you
The Christian Doctrine explained. 104
eternal glory, without good works ; or pardon, without
repentance and amendment; which are things impossi-
ble for God to do. You do well, even when you are in
sin to hope, with an intention of repenting; but to sin.
wilfully, in hopes of repenting, is folly and presump-
tion ; Because you are not sure of a moment of life.
As you ought at certain times to make acts of faith,
so also acts or hope; when you do a good action, then
hope in the promises of Christ: when you are tempted,
hope \\i his power; when you are afflicted, persecuted,
hope in providence ; when you repent, and do penance
for your sins, hope in his mercy: in a word, let not the
most holy put their trust in their own doings, nor rely
on their own virtue alone, but chieiiy on the merits
of Christ: it is through him alone, who is our only hope,
we can merit or expect a reward ; at the same time it
is certain, that his merits alone will not save you with
out virtue and good works.
SECT. II.
Of despair and presumption.
Q. TILTH AT vices are opposite to hope ? Jl. Des~
' pair and presumption. Q. What is des-
pair? A. A diffidence in the power of God, and the
merits of Christ ^. What is presumption ? A. A
foolish and desperate confidence of salvation, without
endeavoring to keep the commandments. Q. Is des-
pair a great sin ? A. It is, because it resists the power
of God, and the mercy and merits of Christ. Q. Is pre-
sumption a great sin ? A. It is, because it is an abuse
of the divine mercy and goodness, and makes a person
sin without fear. Q. How are those two opposite to
hope ? Jl. One by ewcess, and -the other by defect. Q.
How must hope be balanced between despair and pre-
sumption ? Jl. By the fear of God, which prevents
presumption; and a zeal to do good works, which pre-
vents despair.
INSTRUC. As there is no virtue but what has its op-
posite vice, the vices opposite to hope are despair and*
9*
109 The Poor Mans Catechism: Or,
presumption : despair is a most grievous sin : for those
sins are the most grievous which are opposite to the
theological virtues; as hatred of God, blasphemy, &c.
are opposite to charity, or the love of God ; infidelity
and heresy opposite to faith : and despair opposite to
tiope : the reason is, because these sins imply a greater
aversion from God than any others ; hatred of God ex-
tinguishes the love of God, which is our most essential
good : by infidelity you depart from God, and from the ve-
ry knowledge of God, and have an aversion to the truths
he has revealed to save you: by despair a man departs
from the goodness and mercy of God, thinking his sins
to be too great to admit of pardon, and hence gives over
all thought and care of his salvation : this makes des-
pair the most dangerous sin of any? and the most to be
withstood and resisted : Jlfy sin is greater , says the
despairing sinner with Cain, than that I may deserve
pardon: but if God, O sinner, is able to raise the dead
to life, and raise up sons to Jlbraham, from the stones
that lie in the torrent, cannot he raiso the most harden-
ed and inveterate sinner from the death of sin, by his
powerful grace ? There is none so wicked, but God
has pardoned as great criminals before ; himself has
assured us, that in what hour soever the sinner repen-
teth, he will forgive the impiety of his sin, Ezech. xviii.
33. Look not then on the number or greatness of thy
sins, but trust in God, who is all-sufficient, to help thy
&oul out of its distress, and has bound himself by a firm
promise to pardon all who repent in their hearts.
Presumption is also a great sin, going upon a suppo*-
sition that God grants pardon to those who persevere
in sin and glory to those who have done no good works;
vainly and falsely hoping, that God will do things that
are inconsistent with his law, and impossible. This is
a dangerous sin, and carefully to be avoided, because it
makes you presume so far of God's mercy, as to sin
without fear or thought of his justice. This is the voice
of the presumptuous man; "God is merciful, and will
" forgive our sins, how many and how great soever, and
" at whatever time we do penance ; hence take all 1'ree-
** dom to r>i:i." This is the voice again of the
The Christian Doctrine explained* 103
tuous; " Faith alone, without good works, will save us;
" as Christ died for our sins, and satisfied for all, we
" shall be saved through the merits of Christ alone,
" without doin; penance ourselves." With these
thoughts many live, and many die, without the fear of
God. Others sin hy presumption, through their neglect
and delays of penance; others hy neglecting to aspire
to greater perfection ; these though they avoid greater
sins, scruple not to offend in lesser, and think heaven
may be had at any rate.
EXHOR. Remember then the warnings God gives
against these sins. First, against despair : turn to me,
says our Lord, with thy whole heart, in fasting, weep-
ing, and mourning. Reflect on the Ninivites, who were
once overwhelmed in sin, and yet found forgiveness
through repentance : an humble and contrite heart God
will never despise in any one : let Jonas be your exam-
ple, to hope in God, under the greatest disasters of
soul and body : his voice was from the whale's belly:
From the deep below I cried to thee, and thou didst hear my
voice: so the sinner, though absorpt in the depth of sin,
as Jonas at the bottom of the sea, let him but call upon
God, and God will have mercy on him. He tias pro-
mised it : in what hour soever the sinner repenteth, God
will forgive the impiety of his sin. Ezech. xviii.
Then as to presumption ; consider as God is merci-
ful so he is just : Slack not, then, to be converted to our
Lord, nor delay from day to day, for his revenge will
.come of a sudden and destroy you; for nothing provokes
God more than repeated and presumptuous sinning.
Presumption hardens the sinner more in sin, till at
length he becomes quite obdurate against the inspira-
tions of God, and admonitions of men. Harden not your
hearts. Psalm, xciv. 8.
Neither depend on your faith alone ; for St. James
hath said, that faith without good works, is a dead faith,
and availeth not to salvation, St James v. Depend not
so entirely on the merits of Christ, as to neglect to co-
operate with him; for is it not written, that he suffered,
leaving you an example that you may follow his steps?
I Peter ii. 1. He did not suffer then to free votj
104 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
suffering and doing penance, as some say. Does not he
say again, JV*o every one that says to me. Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does
the will of my Father P St. Matt. vii. 20. And what is
his will ? Self denial, mortification > penance, humility,
and every virtue. Trust not then presumptuous sin-
ner, to the way you are in; trust not to the time to
come, to future grace, but to the present, which is offer-
ed you, and is in your power ; lest it it be said to you,
as to the five foolish virgins who mispent their time, J
Icnowyou not. Receive not the present grace in vain ; but
work in good; improve in good; persevere in good ^
these only will crown you.
Place a balance between these two extremes, despair
and presumption: a filial fear, of offending God your
Father, and being separated from him, will defend you
against presumption ; and the way to avoid despair, is
to do good, and avoid sloth ; for it is sloth that makes
people despair, and think their salvation impossible.
Do as God hath commanded, and then you may go oa
with good hope and confidence of salvation; with con-
fidence even unto the throne of God.
Of Prayer.
Q. TTTHAT other effects has hope ? J. Prayer.
VV Q. What is prayer ? *#. It is an elevation
of our minds to God, to beg all necessaries for soul and
body, in order to our eternal good, and is usually ac-
companied with thanksgiving and praises to God. Q.
How must we pray ? */J. With devotion and perseve-
rance. Q. Where must we pray ? #. We may pray
in all places, God being present every where, but chiet-
ly in churches, in places of divine worship. Q. V\ by
so ? A. Because he is there after a special manner, to
confer his benefits. Q. To whom must we p ay ?
To God only, through our mediator Jesus Christ.
"What is meant then by praying to Saints and Anaels
*/?. No more but to beg they will, intercede with God
ft>r us, through the mediation of Christ. ^. For whoia
The Christian Doctrine explained. 105
must we pray ? Jl. For all mankind, whether friend or
enemy. Q/ When must we pray ? *#. At all times, as
scripture teaches, every day of our lives. Q. When in
particular must we pray? A. On Sundays and Holi-
days, being days consecrated to God. Q. When
help. Q. What must we pray
for ^race to keep God's commandments, that we may
be saved.
INSTRUCT Prayer, which is the blessed enect ot
hope, is an elevation of our minds to God, to beg for
all good, and to be freed from evil ; this may be done in
words, and then is called vocal prayer, or with the mind
and heart only, and this is mental prayer, or meditation,
which is the most perfect and excelling.
By holy prayer we beg all necessaries for soul and
body, and may pray for temporal as well as spiritual
blessings ; because God is the author of nature as well
as grace, and the giver of all good gifts, temporal as
well as eternal : yet we must be cautious, not to ask
any thing but what may be worthy of him, or may be
some means to bring us to life everlasting. And while
we are thus praying to God for his blessings, we should
make our thanksgiving; for those already received, and
praise and rejoice in God ; we should also make an of-
fering of ourselves, of our body with its senses, of our
soul with its powers, and of all we have to his service.
As to the manner how we ought to pray, that our
prayers may be heard, we must pray in the first place,
with devotion ; with as great attention as we can to the
words of the prayer, or to the sense of it, at least to the
end for which we pray, which is to beg of God what be-
longs to our salvation, so that our mind, in time of pray-
er, be never taken oft' from God and the thing we pray
for, we must pray with reverence, as in the presence of
God ; and with humility, knowing our unworthiness,
and the great dependance we have on God and his
grace, and his independence of us and our service : se-
condly, we must pray with perseverance, that is, persist
in our petition, and even importune heaven in our b
106 The Poor Man-s Catechism : Or,
half; knowing that if we ask of God through Jesus
Christ, for necessaries to our salvation, it will certain-
ly be granted, in the end, to those who pray devoutly,
and persevere in it. Jlmen, I say to you, if you shall
ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it you*
St. John xvi. 25, 24. risk, and it shall be given to you ;
seek, and you shall find, knock, and the ^door shall be
opened to you. St. Matt. vit. 7.
As to place, we may pray in all places, because God
is present every where, sees all, and knows all. But
the most proper place for prayer is the church, where
he is worshipped in the most essential manner; where
the awe and veneration of the place, which is consecra-
ted to his service, is more apt to strike us with devo-
tion ; and where he is present in the holy mysteries, in
the midst of us, to hear our prayers, and confer his,
benefits. Where there are tivo or three assembled in my
name, there am I in the midst of them. St. Matt, xviii 20*
All our prayers are directed to God, and centre
wholly in him; from him alone comes all our help, our
health, our happiness; so thai, when we invoke the
Saints or Angels, holy Mary, mother of God, pray for
us; St. Michael pray for us ; Si. Peter or Paul pray
for us ; it is not that we expect grace and help from
them, as from the author of it, for we know that noue
but God can give grace and glory ; but we hope we- may
sooner obtain it by their intercession to the throne of
mercy, than by our own unworthy prayers. When we
pray to the saints in heaven, it is only to beg of them to
intercede for us; as in like manner we beg those on
earth to pray for us ; which practice the scripture re-
commends in many places. Did not God send Mime-
leek to Mraham, to pray for him, because he was a pro-
phet, Gen. xx. 7. and the friends of Job, to that pa-
triarch, to pray and offer sacrifice for them, because he
\vas a saint, and more worthy to be heard, Job xlii. 3
In this God is honoured, because both their prayers and
ours come to him, are centered wholly in him, and
granted through the mediation of our Saviour Jesua
Christ, our immediate intercessor to the Father.
Tfie Christian Doctrine explained. 107
It is no only for ourselves we ought to pray, but
for all mankind ; for the faithful in the first place,
for those who stand most in need of our prayers, our
enemies and persecutors, that God would turn their
hearts, and lay not the sin they commit against charity,
to their charge. Bless those that curse you, pray for
those that persecute and belie you. St. Matt. v. 44. This
instruction Christ gave also on the cross : Father, for-
give them. And St. Stephen, the first martyr, followed
it : Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.
As to the time of prayer, the scripture teaches us
to pray at all times, without ceasing, to fulfil that saying
of our Saviour, It is meet to pray always, and never fail,
as well in skkness as in health, in adversity as in pros-
perity, in want as in plenty. Prayer is requisite in the
morning to give God the first fruit of our time, and to
beg his olessing upon our undertakings ; Betimes in the
morning, my eyes were upon thee, Psalm cxviii. Prayer
is requisite in the evening, before we take our rest, to
return thanks for all the benefits of the day, and to beg
pardon for all our failings, and protection for the night
to come: Let evening prayer ascend to thee, Lord, and
thy mercy descend upon us. Every Christian ought to be
constant to this morning and evening prayer, and not
like the dumb beasts, rise up, and lie down, without
thinking of God, without devotion. Again, as often as
we are tempted, afflicted, persecuted, injured, in any
kind, then is the time to raise up our minds in holy
prayer : When I was in tribulation, I cried to our Lord,
and he heard me ; that is, lie gave me strength and cou-
rage to bear it. The more weak we are, frail, and in-
constant by nature, the more need we have to apply to
God for grace and fortitude, under all the evils of this
life, that his glory may shine through our patience and
perseverance.
But though all times and days may be convenient for
prayer, yet there are some particular days and times
most proper for it, wherein we ought to enlarge our
prayers ; as on Sundays and Holidays, being days spe-
ci ally consecrated to God's service : for why is the rest
of the body commanded on those days, but that we may
108 T/ie Poor Man's Catechism: Cr,
have more leisure to rest our mind in prayer and con-
tern pktion.
As to the language in which we are to pray, there is
no obligation for private persons to pray in a tongue
they do not understand 5 let them pray in the language
which they know : but for the public Liturgy and Of-
fice, it was ever performed in the Western Church in
Latin, as is the Eastern Church in Greek ; and yet all
know, that Greek was never the vulgar tongue of ail na-
tions in the Ea 15 no more than Latin of all nations in
the West, hut only the most universal arid best lan-
guages, which being fixed by unchangeable rules of
grammar, never vary as vulgar languages do : for this
reason, the church {nought them most proper for the
Liturgy., to which every nation ought to conform, and
not pretend to be wiser than the apostles and the whole
church.
EXHOR. Prayer being so essential to a devout life,
and absolutely necessary to salvation, let none be defi-
cient in this spiritual duty. Often reflect on that saying
of our Saviour, It is meet to pray always^ and never fail.
Our prayer to God ought never to end but with our
lives. Give yourself time, not only for vocal prayer,
but mental and holy meditations : often think of those
infinite and innumerable blessings which God has be-
stowed upon you : think of his greatness, his power, his
mercy, and his justice. Raise your mind aoove, and
contemplate the joys of heaven. Cast your thoughts
below, arid look on the torments of hell, that the sight
of one may encourage you in all good, and the sight of
the other deter you from all evil : O divine contempla-
tion, whereby the soul dwells with God !
As often as you pray, let your heart go with your
lips : pray with the same earnestness as you would in a
storm at sea : you sail now in a more dangerous ocean,
are tossed by a more violent tempest, and exposed to
a worse shipwreck. Banish from your prayer, as much
as may be, the distracting cares of this life ; but since
nature is prone to them, and too weak to pray entirely
without them, recollect, and redouble your endeavour
to pray. Desist not from prayer, but continue it to
The Christian Doctrine explained. 109
your last breath : if God has promised grace to those
who pray for it ; then those who persevere to the end
in prayer, will persevere to the end in grace, and be
saved : The continual prayer of the just man prevaileth
much. St. James v. 16. Redouble your prayers on days
that are sacred to God : beseech him, through the inter-
cession of the glorious Saints and Angels, to have mer-
cy on you : God, for the sake of Abraham, Isaac , and
Jacob, often spared their sinful posterity 5 so by the in-
tercession of his saints, he now saves the souls of many
from damnation. In particular, invoke the intercession
of the mother of God, of the saint of your name, and of
your Angel Guardian, and let all your prayers, as the
Catholic Church has ever taught and practised, centre
in the passion and death of Christ, through which the
prayers of the faithful on earth, and of his saints above 5
are worthy to ascend to the throne of God,,
On the Lord's Prayer.
Q. TTTHICH is the most excellent prayer? A.
VV The Lord's prayer. Q. Who taught it?
A. Christ our Lord, St. Luke xi. 1. St. Matt. vi. 9. Q.
Wfty did he make it so short and easy ? .#. That all
men, even the most illiterate, might be capable of it.
Q. What does it contain ? A. The chief things we can
ask, or hope from God.
INSTRUC. The Lord's prayer, so called from him
who is the author of it, is the most excellent of all pray-
ers : for being made by God himself, it can contain
nothing but what is well pleasing to him. The ancient
patriarchs and prophets taught their children to pray;
and St. John Baptist, his disciples, St. Luke xi. 1. but
Christ himself has taught ue. .2 It is the most excel-
lent in what it contains, viz. ail things we can desire for
the health, both of soul and body; so short, and yet so
full, that while we say it, we are admonished what to
believe, what to hope for, what to love, what to shun,
what to embrace ; in short, all other prayers are derived
from it, and there are none good, but what are ground-
ed upon it. 3. It is the most excellent bv the divine
10
110 Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
order that is observed in it, whereby we are taught
to pray in the most holy manner; for first, we beg
that all honour and glory may be given to God, as
being the Creator of us and all things. 2. We beg all
good for soul and body. 3. The means whereby we
may attain it. And lastly, we beg to be delivered from
all the miseries to which we are subject through Main's
-fall.
The first thing that falls within the compass of our
desires, and the first we ought to pray for is our last
end and happiness, the next is the means to bring us to
it, the third, that every thing which is an obstacle to it,
may be removed. Now, our last end is God, and there-
fore by the first petition, we pray for his glory, whom
we ought to love, purely for his own sake : by the se-
cond, we pray to partake of his glory, and of his king-
dom. By the third, we pray for grace to do his will,
which is the direct means to merit it. By the fourth,
for the sacraments, especially to the holy Eucharist,
from whence grace is derived. By the fifth, we pray to
be delivered from sin, which positively excludes us from
it. By the sixth, for strength to resist all that tempts
us from it. And by the seventh, to be freed from all
those evils and miseries, which being either sin, or the
punishments of sin, keep us out of the actual possession
of it.
St. Jlugustin has it thus : The Lord's prayer contains
seven petitions. By the first, we ask God's glory. By
the' second, our own glory. By the third, we beg grace,
the life of the soul. By the fourth, our food, the life
of the body. By the fifth, to *be delivered from sin,
when by human frailty we fall from grace. By the
sixth, to be delivered from every thing that may induce
us to sin. By the seventh, to be delivered both from
the evil of sin, and the evil of punishment, to which man
is subject.
EXHOR.- Let every one then know the value of this
prayer, the perfection of it, and the preference they
ought to give to it above any other form of prayer.
This prayer is of general use in the church ; and
surely you ought not to let a day pass, without laying
The Christian Doctrine explained. Ill
open your petitions to God, in the words of this divine
prayer; that you may obtain those helps, both corporal
and spiritual, which you stand in daily need of, and ob-
tain forgiveness of the sins you daily commit. Repeat
this prayer with that attention, devotion, and fervour
proportioned to the things you pray for. Glorify God,
and beg his favour at all times, but chiefly morning and
evening, in that divine manner he has taught you in
this prayer.
The petitions of the Lord's Prayer explained.
Q, YM^HAT means those words, Our Father it ho
* * art in heaven? Ji. That God is our Father,
and that we may with a pious confidence, beg all bles-
sings of him, both for ourselves and others. Q. What
mean those words, Who art in heaven? Jl. That God
is in heaven, to whom we ought to raise our hearts as
often as we pray.
INSTRUC. God is our Father, and we his children;
1. Because he made us, not as other creatures, but to
his own image and likeness. 2. Because he provides
for us, gives us our daily bread, and all we have. 3.
Because from him we have our inheritance in the king-
dom of heaven ; for being, through original sin, made
slaves of the Devil, we are by baptism, which is our se-
cond birth, born again sons of God, and heirs to his
kingdom, which is called adoption ; so that God is our
Father, both by creation and adoption : See what love
the Father has for us, that we should be called, and
be the sons of God. 1. John iii. 1.
Who art in heaven: God by his immensity is every
where; but heaven being the place where he is seen in
all his glory, and where we are to be eternally happy,
our Saviour would have us raise our hearts and thoughts
up thither, as often as we pray, to put us in mind
that heaven -is the chief end of all our prayers and
wishes.
1 12 The. Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
PETITION I.
Hallowed be thy name.
Q. TTTHAT do we beg by this ? A. That God
VV may be known, praised, served, and ho-
noured, by all.
INSTRUC. By this petition, we beg that all glory
may be given to God 5 that not only we, who are Chris-
tians, but all others, may come to know, love, and serve
him, and so may give him the honour due to him; that
not only God, but the verv name of God may be adored.
EXHOR. To have Gocf above for our Father, to com-
miserate our miseries, and assist us, by his Almighty
power, in our necessities, is a great encouragement to
bless and glorify his holy name: ungrateful then is that
man, who oy oaths and curses profanes that adorable
name, to which we owe our being, health, life, and hap-
piness. Repent if you have been guilty of this vice of
swearing ; resolve to amend and even to correct others,
when you hear this sacred name dishonoured by their
sacrilegious mouths : rather join with the heavens, in
declaring his glory, and with all blessed souls, in sound-
ing forth his praise.
PET. II.
Thy kingdom come.
q. HT HAT do we be ? b ? this P e ! ition - A- That
" when the miseries of this life are ended, we
may partake of the joys of his kingdom.
INSTRUC. By the first petition, we beg that God
may be glorified and honoured; by the second, we beg
our own greatest good, which consists in the enjoyment
of God and his kingdom.
EXHOR. In gaining this, you gain all things ; this
is the great end to which all are created; this is what
we ought principally to pray for ; especially if we look
Th Christian Doctrine explained. 113
on the calamitous state of our lives here, surrounded
dailv with evils and miseries; that we are mere exiles,
and live in a place, where the prince of this world, the De-
vil, reigns, always tempting us to sin, and even our own
corrupt natu re, drawing us from good. Who can think of
this, and not desire and pray to be delivered from this
weight of miseries? O wretched man that lam, who
shall deliver me from this body of death! From the
miseries of a life, which is more properly called death
than life : that an end being put to the reign of the
wicked, God may fully reign without resistance, and
we partake of the joys of his kingdom.
PET. III.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
do we beg by this? A. That God
would enable us by bis grace, to do his will
in all things. Q. What is his will ? A. That we love,
fear, serve, and obey him. Q. What means those
words, On earth as it is in heaven? Jl. That we may
be as ready and cheerful to do the will of God on earth,
as the Saints and Angels are in heaven.
INSTRUC. Since the kingdom of God cannot come,
unless we merit it by doing his will, therefore in the
next place, we pray for grace to accomplish his will, and
obey all his commandments, and that we may be as rea-
dy and devout in his service, as the Saints and Angels.
Look on your perverse will, which is ever contra-
dicting the will of God, and you will see the necessity
of daily addressing this petition to him, Thy will be
done. The source of depraved will is concupiscence;
which opposes the will of God, without ceasing; and
have we not reason to beg grace necessary to overcome
this evil of concupiscence, that our will may be con-
formable to the will and law of God ?
EXHOR. Renounce O Christian, your own wjll, so
far at least, as it contradicts the law of God : nothing
offends God, but self-will; let this no longer reign in
10*
1 14 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
your mortal body, so opposite to the will of God : away
with your own will, ana give place to his. Seek above
all things, by his grace, to do his will on earth : He who
does the will of God, remains for ever. 1 . John ii. 17.
PET. IV.
Give us this day our daily bread.
q. TTT HAT do we beg by this ? A. All food and
VV sustenance for our souls and bodies.
INSTRUCT. In this fourth petition, we confess God to
be the great giver of all good things, of temporal bles-
sings, as .well as spiritual ; and herein we acknowledge
that he is Lord of all things, and our sovereign Bene-
factor : by this petition, we beg all necessaries of life,
food, raiment, and habitation 5 for bread, in holy scrip-
ture, often imports thus much, Gen. iii. 19. xviii, 5.
Psalm xiii. 4. Isaiah iii. 7. Prov. ix. 5. But for riches,
plenty, and dainties we pray not; nor has God any
where promised his servants such things, but rather
warned them against riches, which are seldom his gift,
but often got by ill means. Daily nourishment and ne-
cessaries are the things we here pray for, food, raiment,
and habitation ; and with these we ought to be content;
we only ask for what is necessary for God's glory, and
our good. We pray to God for our daily bread 5 that
is, we pray that we may get it honestly ; for if we get
it otherwise, it is not ours, nor does God give it us. In
a word, we pray for our daily bread, to shew that all,
both rich and poor, depend even for their daily bread
upon divine providence.
Daily bread, according to such of the holy fathers
as have expounded the Lord's prayer, signifies also our
spiritual food ; as the word of God, which is the food
of the soul, and the Holy Eucharist, which is the bread
of life.
EXHOR. Think, O Christian, how much you stand
in need daily of God's gracious help, since it is in him
ive live, and move, and are, Acts xvii. 28. Every mo-
ment of life you depend on him : for want ot this
The Christian Doctrine explained. 115
thought, you so often recite this divine prayer with sloth
and indifferency ; whereas did you reflect on your
wants, you would pray with the greatest fervour; Give
us this day our daily bread. Often reflect on these words
of the Psalmist : Thou openest thy hand, and fillest
every creature with blessing, Psalm cxliv. 16. Sweet
Jesus, open thy hand to my poverty and want ; thou who
fillest every living creature with blessings of food and
sustenance. Did we* serve God in the first place, and
thus recommended our affairs to him daily, by many
devout prayers, it is likely, not so many would come
to want bread.
Be still more in earnest to offer up this petition for
your spiritual good, as your soul infinitely surpasses
your body, as glory surpasses dust, and eternity this
life. Beg not only for grace, but that you may never
make it void, but co-operate with it. Beg not only for
the wholesome admonitions of the word of God, but
that you may reduce them to practice. Beg not only
for the bread of life, the holy Eucharist, but that by a
worthy communion, it may give life to you.
PET. V.
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that
trespass against us.
* w
HAT do we beg by this ? A. That God
would forgive us the sins of our life past,
and all the punishments due to them. Q. Why is this
condition added, Jis we for give them that trespass against
us ? Jl. It is on this condition God has promised the
forgiveness of sin ; and signifies, that if we forgive
others, we shall be forgiven ; and that if we do not for-
give others, we shall not be forgiven.
INSTRUC. By this petition we confess ourselves to be
sinners ; and truly, if we say, we are without sin, we
deceive ourselves, and truth is not in us. 1 John i. 8.
For us sinners, the Lord's prayer is a general remedy,
when we pray with an humble and contrite heart 5 it
then remits venial sin, and obtains mercy, that mortal
116 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
ones may be remitted through the sacraments. Thege
are called OUT debts, because by them \ve owe to God a
satisfaction, which cannot be fully made, unless he re-
mits it. But we must hope for this pardon, no other-
wise than by pardoning others, even our greatest ene-
mies; yet we may require the payment of just debts,
and restitution for damage done. Not only the express
command of God, but our own interest obliges us to
this pardon of enemies ; and indeed our salvation is not
made harder, but easier by it : since by this, God puts
his mercy into our own hands, promising that if we
are merciful, and will forgive (which is in our power)
we shall find mercy, and be forgiven ; and if he for-
gives our great and innumerable offences, cannot w ; e
forgive an injury our neighbour has done us ? As long
as truo charity reigns in our hearts, we render our-
selves capable of this mercy; but when charity is de-
stroyed by anger, ill-will, malice, or revenge, then is
our prayer, Forgive us our trespasses, void and ineffec-
tual. Thus we are exhorted : When you offer your gift
io the altar, go first and be reconciled to your brother.
St. Matt. v. 23.
By this petition, we beg not only a forgiveness of
sin, but also of the punishment due to it. The greater
then our contrition is, when we repeat this prayer,
the greater will be our pardon, according to that say-
ing of our Saviour on St. Mary Magdalen, Many sins
are forgiven her, because she has loved much. St. Luke
iii. 47.
EXHOR Be you, Christian, an imitator of God:
as he in his mercy forgives you, so do you forgive others.
The more you sin, the oftener you sin, the more ear-
nestly you ought, with hope in God, to repeat this
prayer : Forgive us our trespasses. Think, O my soul,
of those punishments due to sin beyond conception !
Pray to God to forgive you now, and do works of pe-
nance while you may. Bewail your sins in time with
tears of contrition, that you may not bewail them for
eternitv in torments.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 117
PET. VI.
Lead us not into temptation.
q. TT7HAT do we beg by this petition ? A. That
VV God would not permit us to be tempted
above our strength. Q. Does God tempt us to sin ? Jl.
No, he does not : He tempts no one to the evil of sin,
St. James i. 13. ^. By whom are we tempted ? Ji.
By the devil, the world, and our own concupiscence.
Q. Is it any sin to be tempted ? Jl. not without some
consent or delight on our part. Q. Can we live in the
world without temptation ? A. We cannot : Man's
life is a warfare upon earth. Q. What is the best re-
medy against temptation ? A. To keep out of the oc-
casions of it: and often repeat this prayer devoutly:
Lead us not into temptation.
INSTRUC. As then we pray to be delivered from
the guilt of sin, in the foregoing petition; and this
cannot well be done, unless we are freed from the dan-
gers of sin ; therefore the next petition is, Lead us not
into temptation. By this we pray that God would re-
move the temptation that leads us into sin, at least that
he would give us strength to overcome it. Temptation
comes not from God : to say that God tempts any one
to sin, is blasphemy; he does indeed permit us to be
tempted, to try our obedience to him, but the tempta-
tion proceeds from the Devil's malice ; so he tempted
Mam and Eve in Paradise, even in the state of inno-
cence : it proceeds from the world, that is, from those
depraved persons with whom, we live, and who are la-
bouring to corrupt us with their wicked maxims: it
proceeds from our own depraved nature and concupis-
cence, which is that law in om- members, that continual-
ly fights against our reason and the law of God : many
are the sins and temptations, that proceed from concu-
piscence of the flesh. Gal. v. 19. <yc.
There is no man living free from temptation : the
root of it is born with us ; the life of man is tempta-
tion : yet temptation is no sin, unless we make it sucji
118 The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,-'
by wilful consent ; it often turns to our greater virtue
and merit, through our resistance and Christian forti-
tude : Blessed is th& man that sustains temptation, because
when he has been proved, he shall receive a crown of
life. St. James i. 12.
There are three steps to sin : thought, delight, con*
sent. The first arises in the mind, and is not sin, but
a suggestion of the Devil to sin. The second, which is
delight, arises from the flesh or concupiscence, and is
not sin, unless we wilfully encourage it, and dwell in
it. The third is consent, and this is done by the will ;
this last completes the temptation, and begets death;
that is, proves mortal to the soul. The means to pre-
vent it is, 1. To put a stop to the beginning: 2. To
avoid all occasions : 3. To pray often \ Lead us not
into temptation.
EXHOR. Remember, O Christian, as you are in this
world surrounded with enemies, and that your very
life is a combat upon earth, how necessary it is to offer
up this petition daily to God : Your fight is not against
flesh and blood, (men) but against principalities and
powers, against the wicked spirits who inhabit the air :
besides the inconstancy of your state, and weakness of
your nature, require you to arm yourself with this
prayer 5 knowing it is impossible for you either to avoid
evil, or do good, or to free yourself from the evils
that already oppress you, without the means of God's
grace, nor without using all care to deserve and obtain
an increase of that grace. As then you have God for
your almighty protector, and Jesus for your leader, do
your part: Resist the Devil and he will fly from you.
Avoid all occasions, such and such company, such pla-
ces, such conversation ; but chiefly renounce your own
will, which is the origin of temptation and sin.
TKT
PET, VII.
' Deliver us from evil.
HAT do we beg by this ? A. That God would
free us from alfeviU sin, and other mise-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 119
ries. Q. From whence comes the evil of sin ? A. From
the DeviPs malice, and our own corrupt nature and per-
verse will, not from God. Sin in God there is none.
INSTRUC. By this last petition, we beseech God to
deliver us from all evil ; as the Devil, sin and everything
that obstructs our salvation: as for the evils of life, they
may, by grace, be turned to our eternal good ; yet we
pray to be freed, even from these, so far as they
may hinder our progress in virtue, and be a temptation
of murmuring and impatience.
EXHOR. At the same time then, you pray to be de-
livered from all evils that are eternal, pray that you
may with resignation and an humble mind, embrace
those that are temporal, as from the hand of God, to
be a penance for your sins : he that sends them sends
strength to bear them : these are sent lest you should
forget where you are, what you are, and for what you
suffer. All the petitions of the Lord's prayer are to put
you in mind of God and yourselves, and youv entire
dependance on him. O weakness of man, that can do
nothing of himself! But O power of God, by which
he can do all things, through him who strengthens us.
I can do all things in him that comforts me. Phil. iv. 13.
SECT. II.
The Hail Mary expounded.
Q. "117HAT is the Hail Mary ? A. It is a salutation
f ' and holy prayer, whereby we beg the inter-
cession' of the blessed Virgin Mary, and express our
joy for the incarnation of the Son of God. Q. How
many parts has it ? A. Three. The first part is the
salutation of the Angel Gabriel to the blessed Virgin,
when he announced to her the incarnation of the Son of
God, saying, Hail Mary, full of grace our Lord is with
ihee. The second part was spoke by St. Elizabeth,
inspired by the Holy Ghost, when the blessed Virgin
came to visit her: Blessed art thou among woman and
bessed is the fruit of thy womb. The third part was
added by the church against the heretic Nestorius, and
120 The Poor Man's Catechism : #r,
his party, who denied the Virgin Mary to be the mother
of God : Holy Mary, mother of God pray for us sinners
now and in the hour of our death.
INSTRUC. The most excellent prayer next to the
Lord's prayer, is the angelical salutation, commonly
called the Hail Mary ; because it begins with these
words, HailMary, full of grace. As the Lord's prayer
was delivered by Christ himself, to teach us how we
ought to pray through his mediation, to his eternal Fa-
ther, so the Hail Mary was taught by divine inspiration,
to beg the intercession of the blessed Virgin to her Son
Jesus, for us sinners ; and to express our joy, for the in-
carnation of the Son of God, which was the cause of
all our good.
This prayer, though short, is full of mystery : it puts
us in mind of our ancient misery, deprived as" we were,
through sin, of the sight, the grace and love of God.
It excites gratitude in us, for the benefit of the incar-
nation : it honours God by renewing the memory of so
great a mercy : in a word, this prayer is odious to the
Devil, as shewing how his wicked design was frus-
trated, and his head crushed by the seed of the wo-
man.
The first part of this prayer is the saluation of the
blessed Virgin by the Angel Gabriel, and in it her sin-
gular graces are expressed : Hail Mary full of grace,
our Lord is with thee. Hail Mary is a word of saluta-
tion, as if he had said, Rejoice, mother of God: a
word of joy then this to lier, and to all heaven and
earth, as renewing the memory of her son's conception.
Full of grace : these words mean that the blessed Vir-
gin had a special prerogative of grace above all others,
as being elected by God, to conceive and bear him, who
is the Author of all grace to men. No wonder then, if
her conception and nativity, and whole life, were im-
maculate, and never subject to the stain of sin : no-
wonder that she, who was to bear our blessed Redeem-
er, who came to destroy sin, should be by his grace
preserved from all sin : and although it is written of
others, that they were full of grace, as the apostles and
St. Stephen, to the end of fulfilling ihe office whereto
The Christian Doctrine explained. 121
they were chosen ; yet none so full as she, who was
chosen to be the mother of our Lord : her graces were
singular, such as made her the most pure creature of all
other pure creatures, whether upon earth or in heaven.
Our Lord is with thee : the Son of God, who is Lord
of all, the second person of the blessed Trinity, de-
scends into thy womb, to become incarnate ; to take
flesh of thee, and to be thy Son. He descends to be in
thee. not only by love and grace, but by nature also, to
be at the same time, spiritually conceived in thy soul,
and really in thy body. Thus we may truly say, that
God wrought in her the greatest of all his wonders,
when he made her mother of God, she still remaining a
Virgin.
EXHOR. Bear, Christian soul, a due regard to this
angelical salutation, and to the blessed person who is
therein honoured by God, men and angels. As often
as you repeat it, think with joy of the blessed incarna-
tion of the Son of God : think of your own ancient mise-
ry and present happiness: once slaves of the devil,
now sons of God : once children of wrath, children of
hell, now heirs with Christ in glory. O blessed prayer,
deserving of veneration in the heart of every good Chris-
tian ! Live so, that, like the blessed Virgin, you may have
a share in God's singular favours : follow the steps of
your blessed Mother, imitate her virtue, purity, humili-
ty, obedience, and devotion, and, through the practice
of these virtues, you will preserve the presence of God
in your heart.
SECT. II.
JBlessed art thou among ivomen, and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb.
#. "II^HCSE words were these ? Jl. The words of
St. Elizabeth, when the blessed Virgin enter-
ed her house, soon after the conception of the Son of
God. Q, What mean those words. Blessed art thou
among women? d. That she was chosen among all
11
122 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
women to be the ipother of God, and therefore ought to
be blessed and praised above all women. Q. What
means, Blessed is the fruit of thy womb ? Jl. That Je-
sus is her true Son, and in him, and by him, she is the
instrument of all blessings to us, and therefore to be
blessed both by men and angels.
INSTRUC. These words, Blessed art thou among wo-
men, were first pronounced by the Angel Gabriel, and
after by St. Elizabeth : for when the blessed Virgin
came to visit her, she was filled with the Holy Ghost,
and then made this exclamation, Blessed art thou among
women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb : and as soon as
the salutation of the blessed Virgin sounded in the ears
of Elizabeth, the infant that was in her womb, St. John
Baptist, leaped for joy ; as if these great blessings which
entered that house with the blessed Virgin, at the sound
of her voice, betokened even then the extraordinary
graces and favors God intended to give to us, by the
voice of her intercession. Blessed among ivomen ; that
is, blessed above all women, that ever were, or ever will
be ; blessed above all pure creatures, either upon earth
or in heaven, as bearing the Son of God, then incarnate,
in her womb : she was blessed in her person, as full of
grace; blessed with regard to the fruit of her womb,
the fountain of all blessing to us, Jesus, to whom we we
our life and happiness, there being no other name
through which we can expect to please God, or ever
enjoy him. As then the first curse was laid on us
through Eve ; so all blessings were conferred, and the
curse taken off, through Mary, by the fruit of her womb,
Jesus ; with whom, tnrough whom, and by whom she
was blessed, and made the instrumental cause of bles-
sing to us 5 and thus the honour we give to the Mother,
ever centers in the Son.
EXHOR. With what veneration ought not you,
Christian, to look on this blessed Virgin, now reigning
with her Soa in glory, after all the blessings that have
proceeded, through her to you and all mankind ? O re-
peat these words with the same spirit as the Angel
and Elizabeth, praising with them the great power
of God, and extolling his most pure Mother, the
The Christian Doctrine explained. 123
most holy of all pure creatures, so highly honoured
by himself. Bless and praise her amidst the cor-
ruption of this age, and make good those words she, by
divine inspiration, spoke of herself 5 From this time for-
ward, all generations shall call me blessed, St. Luke i,
41.
SECT. III.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and
in the hour of our death.
#. TT7HO made this last part of this holy prayer ?
W *#. This was added by the Catholicfo Church,
against Nestorius and his followers, who denied the
btessed Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God, and
would have her called only Mother of Christ, pretend-
ing, that the person of Christ was different from the per-
son of the Son of God. Q. How is she the Mother of
God ? Jl. Because her Son Jesus, who was truly born of
her, is no other person than the Son of God, and is true
God. Q. What mean those words, Pray for us sinners?
Jl. That as such, we stand in need of her intercession
to her Son Jesus. Q. Why is added, Now and in the
Iwur of our death ? Jl. That every hour we are in dan-
ger, we have need every hour of her powerful protec-
tion, but chie% in our last moments, that she would
defend us against our enemy, and be our advocate at
judgment. ^. Why do Catholicks say the Hail Mary
after the Lord's Prayer ? *#. That the blessed Virgin
joining her intercession to our petitions, we may more
easily obtain what we ask for in the Lord's Prayer. Q.
May we likewise desire the prayers of other saints ? #.
Yes, of all the saints; in particular of the saint whose
name we bear, and of our angel guardian.
INSTRUC. This last part of the angelical salutation
is very ancient, and has been used by all the faithful,
after the council of Ephesus had decreed according to
scripture and tradition, against Nestorius, that the Vir-
gin Mary is truly Mother of God: for since there are
not two .persons in Christ, but in him the divine and
124 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
human nature both subsist in one person, viz. the se-
cond Person of the blessed Trinity, and Jesus, who is
truly her son, is the Son of God; the same Person
God, who is also Man ; it clearly follows, that she is
truly Mother of God ; Mother of our Lord, said St.
Elizabeth^ Luke i. 35. That Holy which shall be born
ofthee, shall be called the Son of God, said the Angel,
Luke, i. 35.
Yet we honour her with no divine worship, which
is due only to God, but only with such honour as is
due to the most pure creature, as she was. We also
Jook upon her as our greatest and best patroness, and
never-failing advocate with Christ, and place great con-
fidence in her intercession, both with regard to her
great dignity and the title of Mother of God, and with
respect to her high excellency, and extraordinary sanc-
tity and merit with God, as full of grace, and now in
glory, above all the angels and saints; neither can we
doubt, if she had so great interest and power with her
Son on earth, the same and greater she has with him
in heaven. We therefore beg that she would pray for
us now ; that is^ every hour, because being every hour
in danger, we have every hour need of her aid ; but
chiefly in our last moments, to defend us, and to be to
us a mother, both dying, and at the tribunal of judg-
ment.
Upon the same grounds we implore the intercession
of all the saints in heaven ; for knowing that their
prayers always prevailed with God, when they were
mortal here, we believe they do not less prevail, but
more now their souls are in glory ; nor have they less
regard and zeal for our salvation, as being all in the
same church with us, though in a different state : and
if even the wicked spirits hear the supplication of their
votaries, how can we doubt but the blessed spirits know
our wants, and the contents of our petitions ; they w ho
have the clear sight of God, who knows all things, and
as they beg mercy for sinners to repent, so we read
that they rejoice in our conversion. But as God sends
his angels to guard us, who preserve us daily from
many harms of soul and body, and the name of some
The Christian Doctrine explained. 126
saint is given to us in baptism ; hence it is a pious cus-
tom, for every one to invoke in particular their angel
guardian, and the saint from whom they derive their
name, and in so doing we honour God, who gives us
the saints and angels for our protectors.
EXHOR. Make then, O Christian, this your Mother,
your powerful advocate to her Son Jesus, by often re-
peating this Angelical Prayer: honour her thereby as
your pious ancestors ever did before you : let your pray-
er be equally fervent, as your necessities require, and
as ber intercession is powerful with her Son: by invok-
ing her, you do in effect pray to him, while your peti-
tions are by her presented to him ; while your eyes are
on her, your heart is on God. Often repeat this pray-
er when you are in health, against the time, when,
through pain and agony, you may not be able : Holy
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and
in the hour of our death. A prayer so excellent can-
not be too often repeated ; learn then to say the Rosa-
ry, which is composed of the Lord's Prayer and the
Hail Mary, and strive to gain the indulgences which
are granted to those who undertake that devotion. You
have been taught to have a singular love and veneration
for the blessed Virgin Mary from your infancy, honour
her then through the whole course of your life : every
year, on her festivals : every month, with those of the
Rosary: every week, on all -Sat urdays : everyday, by
frequently repeating the Hail Mary: never forget
morning and evening to recommend yourself to the
protection of the saint of your name, and of your
guardian angel : let this be your daily prayer. angel
of God, blessed saint, to whose holy care lam com-
mitted, enlighten, defend, and guide me this day, this
night, from all sin and danger: O remain with me now T
and at the hour of my death. To God be all praise and
glory, from all the saints on earth and in heaven.
w
Of Charity f
HAT is charity ? A. It is the love of God
above all things, and of our neighbour as of <
11*
126 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
ourselves, infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
Q. Who are our neighbours ? Jl. All mankind, espe-
cially Catholicks. Q. Why all mankind ? A. Because
all were made to the image~ of God, and all redeemed
by the death of Christ. Q. Why especially Catho-
licks ? Jl. Because they are with us members of the
Church. Q. What is it to love God above all thing ?
..#. To be willing to lose all things rather than the love
and grace of God by mortal sin. Q. What is it to
love our neighbour as ourselves ? A. To wish him the
same good as ourselves and to do him no wrong. Q.
Is this any where commanded ? Jl. Yes, to love God
above all things is the first and greatest commandment,
both in the old law and the new, and the second is like
unto the first : Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Q. What is the highest act of charity ? Jl. To give
our life for God's honour and our neighbour's salvation.
Q. What are the effects of charity ? Jl. It remits sin,
and gives spiritual life to the soul : He that loves not,
remains in death) 1 John iii. 14.
INSTRUC. Divine charity is not a natural love, but
supernatural ; because it comes directly from God, who
is charity itself ^ and is infused by the Holy Ghost into
our hearts in baptism. It is the most excellent virtue
of all, as giving life to all other virtues, as much as the
soul gives life to the body ; so that whatever good I
practise, if charity does not at the same time abide in
my soul, if I am without charity, it is nothing: though
my faith be great enough to move mountains, if I am
without charity, it will avail me nothing ; and so of all
other gifts and virtues.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart ,
and ivith thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and
with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself, Luke
x. 27. Matt. xxii. These are the two great com-mand-
ments or precepts of charity ; in these two we fulfil
the law and the prophets; and the reward is life ever-
lasting. To love God with all your heaat, is to love
him truly : to love him with all your soul, is to employ
all the interior powers of your soul in his service : to
love him with all your strength, is to serve him with
The Christian Doctrine explained. 127
your exterior power and actions : to love him with all
your mind, is to fix your mind upon him in holy con-
templation, and think there is none so amiable as he.
With this love we must join a holy fear : love him as
our Father, fear him as our God.
To love our neighbour as ourselves, we must look on
him as another self, as one friend does another; we
must wish him the same good as ourselves, do as we
would be done by : in a word, make ourselves the rule
by which we love our neighbour.
The motives to this universal charity to mankind,
are, first, because it is the great commandment of God.
2. Because all men were created to the image of God,
and therefore as God willeth, that every one he has
created should be saved , we must wish the same from
our hearts. 3. Because Christ died for all others, as
well as for us. 4. Because all were created for the same
end, to be companions with us in glory. These are
certainly strong reasons why our charity ought to extend
to all mankind, Jew, Samaritan, Christian^ friend and
enemy : we must love all for God's sake, because they
are all his ; and very often those we take to be our
enemies, may be in the friendship and favour of God :
but in the first place, according to the order of charity,
vfQ must love those who are the most nearly related to
us, and do good to them when they are in want, pre-
ferably to others, as to a parent, brother, or sister, Sfc.
Next to them, we must love all that are of the house-
hold of faith : in a word, all are our neighbours, but
chiefly those who stand most in need of our assistance,
either corporal or spiritual. We must shew our love
not in words only, but in deed and truth : it is by this
token, and only by this, we can have any satisfactory
proof, that charity reigns in our hearts : for if it be
there, it will work in our lives; and if it does not
work, we may conclude it is not there ; for divine cha-
rity, as St. Gregory says, does great things where it is :
a man is best known by his actions, so the love of
God is known by keeping his commandments ; and the
love of our neighbour by what we do for him both
for body and soul ; by feeding the hungry, giving.
128 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
drink to the thirsty, cloathing the naked, &c. By cor-
recting sinners, by instructing the ignorant, and pre-
venting them from losing their souls. This is what
divine charity teaches, and where this charity is, it
covers a multitude of sins and imperfections ; it gives
spiritual life to the soul ; it translates us from death to
life eternal; God has given his word, Do this, and thou
shall live.
EXHOR. Charity then, O Christian, is a gift, a
virtue which you ought to covet ahove all others : it
is one of the divine perfections of God, For God is
charity : nothing brings you nearer to God than divine
love; nothing unites you more closely to him : He that
remains in charity r , remains in God, % John iv. 16.
You have nothing more to do in the spiritual life, but to
acquire and increase this virtue, which brings all other
perfections with it, it being the life of the soul, and the
soul of all virtue : without charity you remain as dead
to God, and without all hopes of your future happiness.
Let then the love of God in the first place, possess vour
heart ; do nothing, speak nothing, think nothing that is
displeasing to him ; then will his love enter into your
soul, when sin is banished out of it. Let the same chari-
ty extend to your neighbour; the love of God and your
neighbour can never be separate from each other ; let the
love of Jesus to you be the rule to love your neighbour,
and you will never err therein.
Of the Ten Commandments in general.
^. TJTOW many commandments are there ? #. Ten.
i JL ^. What is the chief end of the commandments?
#. To teach us the love of God and our neighbour : He
that loveth tuts fulfilled the law. Q. Who gave the com-
mandments ? A. God himself in the old law, and Christ
confirmed them in the new. Q. Why did God give the
commandments to Moses in thunder and lightning ? A.
To move the Israelites to a careful keeping of them. Q.
Is it possible for frail man to keep them all ? #. It is,
through God's grace. Q. Are we bound under pain of
The Christian Doetrine explained.
hell to keep them ? Jl. We are : If then wilt enter into
life, keep the commandments, St. Matt. xix. 17.
INSTRUC. The decalogue, or ten commandments,
were delivered to man, by the authority of God himself,
as a rule to govern his whole life, both his outward ac-
tions, and inward thoughts and affections, according to
the will of his Creator : nor is there any law on earth so
excellent as this : 1. From the dignity of the Author,
being written by the finger of God. In the creation of
the world, God imprinted a natural law in the soul of
man, that is, he gave him a light and knowledge to di-
rect him what he ought to do, and what to avoid : but,
by long sinning, this law being in a manner razed out of
his heart, that none, through a feigned ignorance, might
excuse themselves in sin, God was pleased that what
before was wrote in the mind, should be visibly engraved
in stone, and placed before their very eyes. 2. It is the
most excellent law as to its perfection, and the substance
of the things it contains ; such tilings as render man truly
pleasing to God, and beloved by him. All virtue is com-
manded, and all vice prohibited by it. 3. As to the end
of it, it aims at nothing transitory, no momentary good,
but life eternal.
The commandments are divided into two tables : The
first relates to God, the second to our neighbour, in which
we are shewn what we owe to God, and what to man 5
the fulfilling whereof is life everlasting. The first table,
which contains our whole duty to God, directs us to be
faithful to him, to worship him, to honour him by our
thoughts, words and actions ; all which is taught us in
the three first commandments. In the first we are
taught to be true and faithful to our Qod, that, as true
servants, we pay not that service to another which is due
to our Master ; that we keep no intelligence with his
enemy, but truly love and honour him with our whole
soul. The second directs, that, as servants of God,
we speak nothing injurious against our Lord; but, on the
contrary, that we reverence and adore his very name.
The third teaches us to render him public worship, and
the service that is due from man to his Creator, ordering
us to consecrate one clay in the week wholly to him,
130 The Poor Man's Catechism : Gr,
whereon we are to have no other business hut to serve
him, and thereby acknowledge his sovereignty over us,
and it is from him we have all blessings.
In the second table is contained the rule how to be-
have to our neighbour. As charity requires that we give
to every one their due, by the fourth commandment we
are enjoined to love, honour, and obey our parents and
superiors, both spiritual and temporal : then as it is the
command of charity to do to every one as he would be
done by, and therefore we ought not to wrong any one ;
by the fifth commandment, we are forbid to kill or wrong
our neighbour in his own person ; by the sixth, we are
forbid adultery, or to wrong him in his wife ; by the
seventh, we are forbid to steal, or to wrong him in his
goods ; by the eighth we are forbid to bear ialse witness,
or to wrong him in his reputation ; and lastly, as charity
obliges us to wish all good to others in our very thoughts,
we are forbid to harbour any ill against him in our hearts ;
and therefore, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's ivife,
thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods.
These commandments, though the Mosaic law is now
abolished, we are strictly obliged to observe, as well for
regard to the authority of God, the supreme Lawgiver,
who imprinted them as a law of nature in the soul of man,
before the Mosaic law was given, as for regard to the
gospel, in which they are expressly renewed and con-
firmed by the authority of Christ: they were given to
Moses on Mount Sinai, in thunder and lightning, to
move the people by rigour and fear, to keep them care-
fully ; they were confirmed by our Saviour, who moves
us to keep them by his grace and love.
These commandments are not impossible to be kept.
as spine have erroneously said ; for God does not com-
mand impossibilities ; and in effect many have kept them,
as Zachary and Elizo beth did, who were both just, walk-
ing in all the commandments of our Lord, without re-
proof, Luke i. 6. And our Saviour has said, My yoke
is sweet, and my burden is light, Matt. xi. SO. ; there
is no one then but may fulfil them by the help and grace
of God, and a willing inind : I can do all things in hiw.
that strengthens me.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 131
EXHOR. Since these ten commandments are deliver-
ed by the authority of God, to be the rule of your whole
life and actions, see, Christian, they be imprinted in
your mind and memory, and that you make them the
subject of your meditation, and serious thoughts : and
as they are the ordinance of the will of God, which is
the rule of all human actions, square your lives, and
direct all your thoughts, words, and actions, by them ;
graying daily for the divine grace to accomplish and ful-
1 them in every point : and let the sight of the glorious
reward of your obedience, encourage you ; you have
God's word for it 5 do this and thou slialt live. Let your
first care be to accomplish those commandments that im-
mediately regard God himself: give to him his due ho-
nour, and give not his honour away to any other : love
him above all things ; let his very name be reverenced
and adored by you : Holy and terrible is his name : wor-
ship him every day, but chiefly on that day he has con-
secrated to his service. In the second place love your
neighbour as yourself 5 give honour to whom honour is
due, to your parents and superiors ; wrong no man ;
harbour no ill against others, even in your thoughts, less
in your heart. These are, in short, the duties of every
Christian, who desires to please God, to fulfil his will,
and to live for ever with him in glory.
SECT. I.
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT EXPLAINED.
lam the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange
Gods before me.
Q. TT^HAT are we commanded hereby. A. To love,
* serve, and worship one only true and living
God, and no more. Q. What are we forbidden by it?
A. To worship idols, or to give any creature the honour
due to God. Q. What is the honour due to God ? *tf.
A supreme honour, by which we acknowledge and wor-
ship bam as our Creator, Redeemer, and last End.
The Poor Marfs Catechism: Or,
INSTHUC. These words, / am the Lord thy God,
who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of
the house of bondage, which was a figure of our deliver-
ance out of the slavery of the devil, are as a preamble to
the commandments ; whereby God declares, that he is
our God, and supreme Lord, and as such we are to
serve him with all diligence and devotion, and to keep
all his commandments throughout.
Thou shaft not have strange Gods before me: this
is the first commandment; and the honour due to God,
"which is hereby enjoined, is supreme honour, called
Latria, which is due only to God. and cannot, without
idolatry, be given to another; for by it we worship him
as our Creator, Redeemer, and last End.
Hence the Israelites were strictly forbid to make any
idol, that might be an occasion to them of falling from
his worship. Thou shalt not nuike to thyself any gra-
ven thing ; that is, idol, so the Septuagint translates it.
By this commandment then, true religion is established,
and fame religion prohibited: for God does not only
command us to serve him with the true worship of La-
tria* but further, that we should give it to no other:
Thou shalt have no other Gods but me : thou shalt
confess me alone to be God, and honour me as such, and
no other shalt thou honour and adore as God : nay,
though we are commanded to give honour to whom
honour is due, yet we give honour to no one, but in
reference to God.
God is so jealous of this his supreme honour, that he
threatens to punish those to the third and fourth gene-
ration, who give it away to another, which he calls ha-
ting him ; as he will reward and shew mercy to all
those who shall love and adore him, and keep his com-
mandments.
As by this first commandment true religion is esta-
blished, they dishonour God, and sin against it directly,
who are in the exercise of a false religion; as idolaters}
who adore stocks and stones, or any creature for God :
Jeius, who still go on with the observance of tiie Mosaic
law, as if Christ was not yet come : heretics, who have
corrupted Christianity, and the true worship of G@d :
The Christian Doctrine explained. 133
the superstitious., who practise things under a pretext
of religion, which belong not to it : magicians* or those
who consult them, to know secret and hidden things, or
use their charms, words, or spells to cure infirmities, or
for other ends: they deal with the devil, and go to him
for council and help, which is dishonouring God in a
high degree.
EXHOR. Remember then, O Christian, that the first
and greatest of all the commandments is to believe in
the true God, to hope iu him, to love him above all
things : if then you pretend to be an adorer of God, you
must first believe, with an entire submission, all the
mysteries of faith which he has revealed; you must
hope and fix a firm confidence in him and in all the
ways of providence, knowing that all hope in creatures
is vain without him; you must love him above all
things, whish is best known by keeping his command-
ments, and beware of overmuch love to creatures,
which often carries you to a hatred and contempt of
God, even without your perceiving it.
SECT. II.
Thou shalt not have strange Gods before me.
T"\
JL/
OES not this commandment forbid us to honour
saints and angels ? *#. By no means ; it on-
ly forbids us to give them divine honour.
INSTRUC. No one surely is so weak to think that
the Church teaches the angels and saints to be Gods,
or that we honour them as God : jet surely some
honour is due to them ; and does not St. Paul teach,
That we must give honour to whom honour is due. To
whom then is it due ? To kings, and those in authority
under them. Honour the king, because his power is
from God ; again honour and glory^, says the apostle, to
every one that worketh good, Rom. ii. 10. And truly, if
civil honour may be lawfully given to men while they
live upon earth, and this honour majr be greater or less,
according to their quality and worth, with greater rea-
son honour is due to the yirtuous and holy : and still a
12
134 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
greater honour to those who enjoy a happy life in hea-
ven, iu consideration of the near union they have with
God, which places them in the most eminent state of all ;
but this honour wholly centres in God, from whom flow-
ed tiie graces given them here, and the glory they en-
joy ; so that we honour them only in reference to God,
to whom they owe their excellence : it is God we ho-
nour in them : Praise ye our Lord in his saints. We al-
so beg their intercession torus, not doubting but in God
they see our wants, and have more power with God to
help us, arid more charity to move them to it, now they
are in heaven, For charity never faileth, 1 Cor. xiii 8.
Upon the same grounds we may honour the relicks of
the saints, or their dead bodies, because their bodies were
members of Christ, and temples of the Holy Ghost, in
which a thousand sacrifices of love and adoration were
offered to God, and will rise in glory. Hence this prac-
tice is as ancient as Christianity.
It was ever esteemed a great benefit to th inhabi-
tants of any city or place, to have the bodies of the
saints and martyrs repose among them : they thought
it a benefit both to their souls and bodies : to their bo-
dies, by the frequent cures of diseases, which were done
by the saint's relicks ; to their souls, forasmuch as the
sight of the saint's body enshrined there, was the most
striking monument they could have of him, continually
admonishing them of the holy works he did among them
when' living ; the faith and doctrine he taught, his vir-
tues, mortifications, charities, humility, purity, Sfc.
How then can we refuse to venerate those holy relicks,
which we see God uses as instruments to work so many
miracles, and to do prodigies in the church by the cure
of diseases, and even raising the dead to life ? Did not
the handkerchiefs and aprons which had only touched
the body of St. Paul cast out cf evils and cure all diseas-
es ? jicts xix. 12. And was not a dead man raised to
life, only by touching the bones of the prophet Elizeus?
4 Reg. xiii. It must then be a strange prejudice to think
there can be any idolatry in this pious practice : for did
not the martyrs die to overthrow idolatry P and the
saints preach zealously against it ? Then those who
The Christian Doctrine explained. 135
venerate their relicks cannot surely be idolaters, but on
the contrary, by that very action, they shew, that they
are of the same faith, as the saint was, whom they ho-
nour : and by honouring; the saint, they express their de-
testation of idolatry, and venerate the very dust of those
to whom, under God, they owe their faith and religion.
SECT. III.
Thou shall not make to thyself any graven thing, nor the
likeness of any thing, Sfc. Thou shall not adore nor
worship them.
Q. "T\OES not this commandment forbid all veneni-
JL/ tion of images ? Jl. The commandment on-
ly forbids the making and worshipping of idols.
INSTRUC.- The holy images which are used in the
church, are representations of holy persons, of our Sa-
viour, the Virgin Mary, the angels, and saints. Such
were not entirely disused in the old law ; for, by the
command of God himself, two cherubims of beaten gold
were made, and placed over the ark of the covenant in
the very sanctuary ; in like manner, the brazen serpent
was made, and set up as an emblem of Christ on the
cross, to cure those that were bit by the fiery serpents ;
the cherubims were made not to be adored as Gods, but
only representations to put them in mind of those ange-
lical spirits who attend before the thixne of God. So in
the new law, images and pictures were always in use ;
and the second council of JVV-ce, which is long ago re-
ceived, both by the Greek and Latin church, anathemati-
zed all the Iconoclasts or image-breakers, that is, those
who broke them out of contempt, and would pretend we
honour them as Gods 5 at the same time this council de-
clares, that to these holy images of Christ and his saints
is only given a honorary respect, but by no means that
supreme worship, or Latria, which becomes only the di-
vine nature, Action 7. Col. v. 55.
The council of Trent too has declared the intent of
them : u linages are riot to be venerated for any virtue
" or divinity which is believed to be in them, of for any
136 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
" trust or confidence that is to be put in them as the
" Gentiles did of old, who placed their hope and trust
" in their idols ; but because the honour that is exhibited
" to them, is Deferred to the prototypes, or persons re-
" presented by them.'* It is then the faith of the church,
that a respect is due to holy images, and pictures, no
otherwise than with regard to the persons they repre-
sent, to excite us to devotion, and to an imitation of
their holy lives and death. They are as books to the
ignorant, and movingly represent to them all the mys-
teries of our Saviour ; his nativity, death, resurrection,
ascension ; and put them in mind of the blessed Virgin
Mary, the angels and saints, which may help to keep
their minds free from vain distracting thoughts in time
of prayer : thus they are of great benefit when rightly
used, as in the Catholic Church. When I pray my eye
is on the image orpicture, but my heart is on God. *How
can you behold a crucifix, or representation of our Sa-
viour dying on the cross, and not reflect on the Author
of life? of him, to whom you owe your redemption and
salvation ? It is in him we place all our hope, not in an
image, which can neither see, hear, or help us.
It was not then this good use of hoty images the
commandment forbids, but only the making and wor-
shiping of idols ; for the Hebrew word pesel, which is
translated graven thing in English, is translated idol in
Greek : now the Septuagintjiaving translated the same
Hebrew word in above forty other places, graven thing,
and in this particular place idol, what reason could they
have for so doing, but because they knew the word pesel
in this place was ever taken for idol, or an image of
false Gods ? Therefore the commandment adds, Thou
shalt not adore nor worship them ; to signify that idols,
not holy images, are forbid.
There is an honour due also to holy places, as the ho-
ly land where Christ was born and suffered ; and it is a
laudable and pious custom to go on pilgrimage to such pla-
ces as to Mount Calvary, Mount Olivet, &c. This Da-
vid foretold, We will adore in the place ivhere his feet
stood, Psalm cxxxi. 7. And the prophet Isaiah, His
sepulchre shall be glorious. If the ground whereon Mo-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 1ST
ses and Joshua stood, when angels appeared to them, is
said in scripture to be holy arid worthy of veneration,
much more the ground on which our blessed Saviour
lived and died for us: this moved many to take such
Ichig and painful journies to it : O how much must it en-
liveli their faith and excite their love 5 the very thought
does so, much more the sight of it! In a word, whoe-
ver truly loves Ged> must honour, in some degree, all
things that relate to God, and are consecrated to his ser-
vice ; as temples and altars, where he is served, his ho-
ly name, the sacraments, sacred vessels, <*c. and it can-
not be conceived that such things can be dishonoured
and profaned without impiety, and dishonouring God.,
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in
vain.
Q. -TOT HAT is forbidden by this commandment?
* * #. All false, rash, unnecessary oaths, all-
ways of profaning the name of God. Q. What is com-
manded by it? Jl. To speak with reverence of God
and his saints. Q. In what case is it lawful to swear ?
A. When God's honour, our own or neighbour's lawful
defence, requires it.
INSTRTJC. As by the first commandment we are 1
bound to love and honour God above all things, above
all creatures, so by the second, we are commanded to
honour his very name above all names; and this not
with a superstitious respect, as did the Jews, to the syl-
lables and letters of his name, but with regard to his
eternal, almightf, infinite Majesty expressed by it: we
honour his name by praising, glorifying and invoking it
in all our necessities and distress of soul or body. In
this way we cannot repeat the name of God too often ;
Let his praise be always in my mouth : but as in this we
honour the name of God, so in many other ways we dis-
honour it ; as when the name of God is used without re-
spect, in vain and trivial matters, on every slight occa-
sion, disappointment, or passion : but it is most disha-
12*
138 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
noured by the sin of swearing, especially when it is used
to support a lie, and God is called to bear witness to an
untruth, as in all false oaths ; this is perjury : or in un-
lawful oaths, when people sv, ear to any thing: that is un-
lawful and in rash unnecessary oaths, without regard,
whether true or false. Hear what our Saviour admo-
nishes you against the sin of swearing : / say to you,
swear not at all, neither by heaven, because it is the
throne of God ; neither by the earth, because it is his
footstool: nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of a
great king : nor by your head shall you swear, because
you cannot make one hair black or white ; but let your
discourse be Yes. yes ; JVo, no ; what is over and above
these, is from evil, Matt. v. 34. So also St. James:
Move all things swear ye not, neither by heaven nor
earth, or any other creature, v. 12. They also break
this commandment, who take God's holy name to curse
themselves, or any creature, or profane the name of God
in other way of speaking.
But though swearing by the name of God is in gener-
al forbid, yet in some cases, it is both lawful and com-
mendable to take our oath, as when we are by lawful
authority called to bear witness in any cause where the
honour of God, our own, or neighbour's defence, requires
it; this is doing honour to the name of God, because it
is an acknowledgment that truth is essential to him ;
which kind of oath was ever held sacred, and used to
put an end to all trials : for so the law of nature taught
all nations ; and in this manner, as we read in scrip-
ture, the holy angels, saints, and God himself hath
sometimes sworn by himself. But when we thus take
an oath, we must be careful thai truth, justice, and judg-
ment accompany it ; that is, that the thing be true and
just which we swear to, and such as would not be credi-
ted without our oath : or in other words the conditions
of a lawful oath are truth, that we hurt not God's ho-
nour ; justice, that we wrong not our neighbour ; and
judgment and discression, that we swear not in vain.
l,x HO R. -Reflect, Christian, how you ought to re-
verence, honour, and adore the name of God, both with
regard to his divine excellence, eternal power and di-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 139
vinity 5 as also with regard to all those blessings that
have* flowed from that holy name to you. If the very
angels, pure spirits with fear and trembling fall down
and adore, how much more ought you, O dust, with fear
and trembling adore that glorious' name, which is holy
and terrible to saints and angels ? Holy and terrible is
his name. Psalm ex. 9. Abhor nothing more than to
profane this holy name by the sin of swearing and curs-
ing : those oaths and curses which are let fall in com-
mon discourse by the wicked and insolent part of man-
kind, breathe nothing but a manifest contempt of God
and religion ; the greatest contempt when they are used
to support a falsehood. How dare you use the name
of God, except when he permits you in some lawful
matter ? How dare you, man, to call upon God, who
is Truth itself, to bear witness to your untruth ; since
by it you make yourself guilty, and bring judgment up-
on your own head ? For the Lord will not hold him
guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Oh terrible will
be the judgment of swearers !
Swear not at all, neither by any thing that is in hea-
ven or upon earth, much iess by the Maker of them.
Curse not yourself or others ; these are the outrages of
devils and damned souls, and not of Christian believers.
Can you desire to be roasted alive or cut in pieces ?
How then can you call upon God to damn you, or damn
others ? Where is the pity on yourself, or compassion
to others ? Have you not more need to beg the blessing
of God, than to call aloud for his curse and vengeance ?
what a folly is the sin of cursing and swearing, which
brings such heavy vengeance on ourselves ! Correct not
only yourself, but reprehend the faulty 5 it is the essen-
tial duty of every Christian. Accustom yourself to re-
vere and respect every thing that belongs to God.
Make no banter of the saints and holy things, nor ridi-
cule any thing that is sacred to God. Turn not the
scripture to support a jest, a thing too common with pro-
fane wits. Beware how you take your oath : but when
you have engaged yourself by a lawful one, be true to it,
and beg the grace of God to fulfil it. If at any time
Tlf
* *
140 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
you have taken an unlawful one, repent^ and disengage
yourself from it as soon as possible.
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT.
Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
HEN was the Sabbath instituted ? A. From
the creation of the world ; for then God
blessed the seventh day. and on it rested from all his
works. Q. When was this commandment renewed ?
A. In the old law, when God gave the commandments
of Moses on Mount Sinai. Q. Why was the Jewish
fe'abbath changed into the Sunday ? -A. Because Christ
rose from the dead, and the Holy Ghost descended on
a Sunday. Q. By whom was it changed ? A. By the
Church in the Apostles time.
INSTRUC. As in the first commandment we are cal-
led upon to pay our adoration to none but God $ in the
second to reverence his holy name above all names ; so
in the third, we are enjoined to render him that divine
service which is due to thLn. To this end he has conse-
crated one day in the week, and this even from the be-
ginning of the world. It is true we ought to pay him
homage, and serve him every day ; but he would have
this day in particular wholly consecrated to himself,
that we might serve him with our hearts and minds free
from all worldly incumbrances, and the cares of this
life.- The Sabbath day then was instituted from the be-
ginning of the world, and there are reasons to believe
that the servants of God kept it ; but as people grew
languid and slothful in his service, he would have it re-
newed in the law of Moses, and to be kept under the
greatest strictness, even with death to the transgressor.
The word remember seems to insinuate that it was no
new precept at that time God gave the written law.
T he word Sabbath signifies rest, and it was ordained
in memory of God resting on the seventh day from the
work of the creation. The Lord blessed the seventh day
and made it holy ; and his people were to keep it as
such in a grateful remembrance of the creation. But
The Christian Doctrine explained. 141
in the new law, the apostles changed the Sabhath, and
translated it from Saturday to Sunday, and would have
it called the Lords Day, Dies Dominica, Apoc. i. 10. to
be kept holy by all Christians, in memory of our redemp-
tion, which was completed on this day. when Christ
rose from the dead, and the Haly Ghost descended for
our sanctification. For as the ceremonial part of the
Mosaic law was to cease at the death of Christ, and as
the Jewish Sabbath, both as to the day of the week, and
their manner of keeping it, was ceremonial and figura-
tive; it has therefore ceased, and our Sabbath, which is
Sunday, is substited in its place ; so that now we neither
keep the same day as they did, nor keep it after the
same manner as the Mosaic law commanded, but as the
Church enjoins.
But though the day of our Sabbath be different from
that of the Jews, yet we are under as great an obliga-
tion to sanctify it by acts of religion, in an entire ser-
vice of God : by assisting at the public worship of God,
if we can, by praying, hearing the word of God, putting
our souls in a good state by penance, receiving, or at
least disposing ourselves to receive the holy Eucharist,
so filling up the day with exercises of religion, and
spiritual holy works, as acts of faith, hope, charity, &c.
Hence we are obliged on this day, to refrain from all
that is incompatible with these exercises ; as from all
corporal, laborious, and mechanic work ; all servile
work, which is that which is commonly done for hire ;
all merchandizing, fairs, markets, shop-keeping, and
public pleas in the courts of justice. But as to such
things as are absolutely necessary for the preservation
of our life, or the life of our neighbour, as preparing our
meat, attending the sick, stopping a flood, extinguish-
ing a fire, and the like, these are not forbidden.
EXHOR. As then, O Christian soul, God, as Lord
and Creator of all things has a sovereign - right to de-
mand our service at what time, and in what place he
shall ordain, remember that as your God and Creator,
be has appointed one day in the week to his service,
and this day is Sunday, or the Sabbath-day. He has
given you six days in. the week for your temporal busi-
142 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
ness, and has reserved but one to himself : Sir days
then shait labour and do ail thy work, but the seventh
day is the Habbath of the Lord thy God. Let it he your
study and labour to fulfil the will of God in keeping at
least this one day holy? so as to answer the end of your
creation and redemption ; very likely, if you employ
well this one day, you will employ well the other days
of the week. Be devout then in praising and serving
God on the Sabbath day; while your body rest from la-
bour, let your soul rest in God, which is the true Chris-
tian Sabbath, and is a figure of that-eternal rest which
we expect hereafter, which the apostle calls the s.-<bbath-
ising the people of God, Heb. iv. 9. Be constant in
coming to the divine service, and attending at Mass,
and let no cause prevent your coming, but such as will
excuse you before God ; and let a true, devotion accom-
pany your attendance thereat, \\hat does it avail you
to serve God in body, if your heart and mind is far
from him ? "What is* that sacrifice placed before your
eyes, with those representatives of, Christ's passion on
the cross, the altar, but to move y on r love, and raise up
jour soul to him ? Often confess your sins on this day.
at least be sorry and coi tiite for them, and beg for mer-
cy. Dispose yourself to a holy communion. Lay up
in your mind whatever instruction is given you this
day ; take it as from God, and practise it as intended.
Do works of charity to others, as in your way and pow-
er. It is not enough to serve God in the morning, but
the remainder part of the day also. Beware of. offen-
ding God. on this day, whereby you give more scandal,
and instead of making it holy to God, you make it a
feast to the Devil. Keep your soul then pure, unde fi-
led, and sanctified, as becomes the holy Sabbath, and
live so on this day, that you may live hereafter, and en-
joy the rest or Sabbath of eternal glory.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 143
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
Honour tlnj father and Another.
Q. "11TTHAT are we commanded by this? *#. To
* * love, reverence, and obey our parents in all
that is not sin. Q. What is forbidden by it? A. All
sourness, disrespect and disobedience to parents. ^.
Why are we bound to love them ? Jl. Because under
God they are the chief cause of our life and being. Q.
How are we to reverence them ? Jl. Not only inwardly
in our hearts, but also outwardly in our words and car-
riage, by relieving them in their necessities, both spiri-
tual and temporal. ^. Why must we obey them ? Jl.
Because they have a power from God, both to instruct,
direct, and correct us. Q. What was the reward pro-
mised in the law to dutiful children ? Jl. A long and hap-
py life : That thy days may be long in the land which the
Lord thy Godgiveth thee : consequently, the reverse of
this must follow the disobedient; the law ordered un-
dutiful children to be stoned to death by the people. Q.
Are we not also to honour and obey all other superiors ?
A. We are, for so God has expressly commanded.
INSIHUC. It is no wonder that the first command-
ment of the second table, which relates to our neigh-
bour, is to honour father and mother ; because it is to
them we owe under heaven, even our very life and be-
ing, our nourishment, education, and religion. If we
are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves, we
ought to have this love to our parents before all other's :
they brought us into the world with much grief and pain,
and bred us up with much love, labour and solicitude ;
the love then we owe them, is but gratitude for a long
series of kindnesses. Remember, says Ecclesiasticus,
you received your birth from them, and render them
thanks for it ; which can be done no otherwise than by
lo^v ing them, and it is a part of that love, to relieve them
in their necessities, both spiritual and corporal : for if
we are bound to do this to every neighbour, much more
to our parents : to give what you have even to pious
uses, and leave them to want, is a grievous sin. Matt.
144 The Poor Marts Catechism: O
xv. 4. Secondly, you must hear a due respect
as your superiors in age, wisdom, and authority ; a res-
pect not only to their persons, but to their instructions,
admonitions, reprehensions : Hearken my son to the in-
structions of your father, and depart not from the law
f your mother, Prov. 1. You ought in no wise to des-
pise them, for it is the part of a fool to mock at the cor-
rection of his fut/ter, Prov. xv. rtjiich more to curse
them, or to lift up a hand against them. Thirdly, }-ou
are to obey their commands, yet so as in God, that is, in
what is not sin; because it is God commands you to
obey them, and in obeying them you obey God. This
obedience will lead you into all good, but disobedient
children never come to any good; witness Msaloni.
But if parents expect their children should be duti-
ful, and be an honor and comfort to them, this depend*
upon their doing their duty to their children; and one
is commanded as well as the other : thus they ar,e obli-
ged to maintain their children, till they be in a condition
of subsisting themselves ; to give them a good educa-
tion, and to instruct them, chiefly in the duties and
principles of religion; to correct them for vice and un-
dutifulriess ; but this is to be done with love and discre-
tion, v,ith lenity and mildness, and without excessive
damping their spirits; to give them good example, to
cloo speak nothing that may prejudice their spiritual
good. Remember the woes that attend scandal, and bad
example given to little ones ; especially by their own
fathers and mothers ; woe, woe, woe to such !
We must also honour and obey all other superiors,
which God has placed over us : kings, and princes,
magistrates and officers, who have commission under
them ; for these are fathers of the people, and placed
over us by God : Let every soul be subject to the higher
powers, for there is no power but from God, and they
who resist, resist the ordinance of God, and acquire to
themselves damnation. Fear God, and honour the king.
1 Peter i. 17. not only for anger, but for conscience
sake. Rom. xiii. i. 5.
Our spiritual fathers are tbe pastors of God's church,
who have the care of our souls 5 to whom we owe, under
The Christian Doctrine explained* 145
, our spiritual life in baptism, and other sacraments :
they instilled the principles of religion into our minds,
and still watch over us, to bring; us, by their wholesome
admonitions, to life eternal : these then are worthy of
honour, obedience and love, as the care of souls excels
that of the body ; and if their persons sometimes are not,
their character always is respectable : Honour God,
honour the priests, Eccles. vii. 33. Obey your prelates,
and be subject to them, for they watch over you, as being
to give an account of your souls, Heb. xiii. 17,
As often as children, in a matter of weight, act con-
trary to these duties of love, respect, and obedience to
their parents, they transgress this commandment; as
by hatred and contempt of them, by wilful contradic-
tions, by wishing them harm, by neglecting to assist
them, by despising their advice, speaking ill of them,
acting contrary to their orders, &c. The same may be
said with regard to other superiors placed by the same
hand over us. All the sins that are committed against
our neighbour, are greater when they attack a parent.
On the other hand, all parents and superiors placed
over others, sin grievously against this commandment,
when they neglect the care of those God has entrusted
them with, either by want of education, instruction, cor-
rection, good example, or, by neglect of justice and
equity $ which very often is the first cause of rebellion
in inferiors.
EXHOR. -This then, being the strict command of
God, Honour thy father and mother ; see, O Christian,
you comply religiously with it: nature as well. as grace
require your sincere love, respect and obedience to
them 5 and all these duties must be done for the love of
God, for, by honouring them, you honour him. Re-
member also that this duty is not only incumbent on you
during the natural life of your parents, but even after
their death, that you be not unmindful of them in your
prayers and best thoughts. Often reflect on the reward
and blessing of God that attends the dutiful, and the
curse that follows undutiful children $ behave so, that
you may have the blessing, and avoid the curse. -The
like regard you ought to pay to your king: follow the
13
146 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
direction of St. Peter : Submit yourselves to all human
authority, for, God's sake ; whether it be to the king as
supreme, or unto governors, as being sent by him, for so
is the will of God ; looking on the king as the common
father of all under his care. 1 Peter ii. 13. Lastly, be-
have as Christians to your pastors, or spiritual fathers :
regard them as the ministers of God, who, through the
gospel, are the authors of your spiritual life. I Cor. iv.
15. Regard them as the Ambassadors of Christ, and re-
ceive them with respect proportioned to tlie dignity of
him that sent them. 2 Cor. xx. You must respect them
for their work, no work so precious as the saving of
souls; you must obey them in spirituals, hearken to
their instructions, their counsels, their admonitions;
lay them up carefully in your heart, and, by practice,
turn them to your eternal good : fix that saying in your
mind, He that heareth you, heareth me ; he that despis-
eth you, despiseth me. St. Luke x. 16. He that hears
them, hears God ; he that despises them, despises God.
If they sin, this does not destroy their authority, and
ought not to abate our respect and obedience to them:
the sacred character yet remains, and Christ has said,
Whatever they bid you do, (in spiritual matters) do it ;
though not according to their works, when they are
evil, St. Matt, xxiii. Pray for them, that God would
govern them, in order to govern you; bless their la-
bours, and assist their pious endeavours in the great
work of your salvation.
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.
Thou shalt not kill.
Q. TT r HAT is forbidden by this ? A. Wilful mur-
VV der, fighting, quarrelling, hatred, and desire
of revenge.
INSTIIUC. As charity enjoins us to do no wrong to
our neighbour, this commandment forbids murder, this
being the greatest harm we can do him, because it de-
prives him of life, which is the dearest thing of all ; for
it deprive* him of every thing else that is dear to him
The Christian Doctrine explained.
m this world, as wife, children, goods, estate, and of
the time God has given him, to work out his salvation.
God expressed his horror of this crime to Noah : The
blood of your lives will I require at the hand of man ;
whosoever sheds man's blood, his blood shall be shed, be-
cause man is made to the image of God, Gen. ix. 15.
Murder then is a heinous tiling, and ought never to go
unpunished, because it is an irreparable injury to our
neighbour, an insolent contempt of God, whose image
he is, and a rebellious usurpation of his authority, for
God is the Lord of life and death, and none can have
any power over the life of another, but by commission
from him ; so it is lawful to kill in a just war, for the
defence of one's king and country, and for magistrates
to put villains to death ; because this prevents murder,
and is not against the commandment, but promotes the
end of it ; for the magistrate beareth not the sword with-
out cause, Rom. xiii. 4. But it is never lawful to take
revenge for ourselves, even when another has done us
an injury that is deserving of death, because no one is
to be juclge in his own cause : and if that were allowed,
all places would be fdled with blood and slaughter : for
this reason, God has reserved revenge to himself, and
appointed kings and magistrates to exercise it on earth
whenever it is just. Hence we prove duelling to be a
great crime, because in that case a private man, without
authority, seeks to revenge himself, and at the same
time rashly endangers his own life : Ton belong not to
yourself, but to God, 1 Cor. xvi. 19. and therefore you
have no power over your own, or another's life.
By the same reason, this commandment forbids what-
ever has a natural tendency to murder, as quarrelling,
fighting, maiming of others, in which there is often a
malice of heart equivalent to murder: anger, hatred,
and revenge, must also come under the same prohibi-
tion, because from hence murder proceeds ; for it is
first in the heart and will that the sin of murder is com-
mitted. Hence it appears how careful we ought to be
not to provoke others to these passions, not to widen
the breach in quarrels, and by our presence give encou-
ragement to them f. bat keep peace with all as far as in
148 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
our power, and to be peace-makers for others, other-
wise we have it to answer for, as well as those that
fight: Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be
called the sons of God. St. Matt. v. 9.
All these mischiefs being the effect of pride and an-
ger, nothing but humility and patience can prevent
them ; therefore, we are so often advised to humble our-
selves, and in much patience to possess our souls, to
leave our cause wholly to God, and even not to harbour
in our minds the least angry thought, malice, or re-
venge, which often breaks out into words, actions and
murder itself. Upon occasion of this commandment,
we must also beware of scandal, which is a spiritual
murder, whereby a man kills the soul of his neighbour,
by making him fall into sin, against which, terrible woes
are pronounced in the gospel.
EXHOR. Learn, O Christian, from this instruc-
tion, ever to abhor and detest wilful murder. It is a
most enormous crime, and cries to heaven for venge-
ance. Remember the punishment Cain underwent, for
spilling the innocent blood of Mel. Nay, the very
brute was not spared, that was contaminated with hu-
man blood, but dying, says God let him die.
As you have no power over another, so much as to
hurt a hair of his head, much less have you to harbour
anger and revenge in your heart against him, much less
to revile him by injurious words, much less to strike or
maim him. Love is the fulfilling of the law ; and as all
these are destructive or diminishing of that love, they
are the breaking of the law: and as the fulfilling of it is
life, so the destruction of it is death. How often have
you been for warned by Christ against these lesser brea-
ches of charity ? He ivho is angry with his brother,
(without a just cause) shall be guilty of the judgment ;
and he who calls him fool, (with malice in his heart, or
contempt) shall be guilty of hell fire. St. Matt v. 22.
He who hateth his brother is a murderer. 1 John iii. 15.
Before you offer your gift at the altar, go first and be re-
conciled to your brother, and then you shall come and
make your offering. Matt. v. 24. Love your enemies,
do good to them that hate you. Matt. v. 44, He com*
The Christian Doctrine explained. 149
raands you to do good, and no ill, either in words or ac-
tions to others. Above all things, beware of murdering
your neighbour's soul by scandal and bad example, a
thing too common among christians. how many
learn to lie, to swear, and curse, by the wicked life of
others ! How many become drunkards, libertines, and
void of all religion, from the profane talk of others ?
There is no sin attended with greater woes from the
mouth of Christ, than scandal, Woe to the world for
scandal. St. Matt, xviii. 7. As there are, alas! too
many who draw others from good by their vices and ill
example, see you draw others to virtue by your edify-
ing life: as great will be the comdemnation of the one,
great will be the recompence of the other : They who
instruct others unto justice, shall shine like stars for all
Eternity. Dan. xii. 8. If at any time you have been the
cause of your neighbour's spiritual ruin, beg for mercy,
and make amends to the best of your power, not only by
your sorrow, but by a Christian holy comportment for
the future, that may bring back those you have scan-
dal ized.
THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT.
Thou shalt not commit Jldultery.
Q. 1711 AT is forbidden by this? A. All carnal
* sin with another's wife or husband, also for-
nication, incest, the sin against nature, and all sins of
lust in general. Q. What is commanded by it ? #.
That husbands and wives love and be faithful to one
another, q. What else? *#. That all live chastely
and resist that bent of concupiscence, that incline
them to use their bodies contrary to the institution and
law of marriage. Q. Why is lust hateful in the siglit of
God ? Jl. Because it defiles our bodies, which are the
members of Christ, and the temples of the Holy Ghost.
INSTRUCT It is with good reason, that after God had
expressed his will to us, in forbidding wilful murder, he
proceeds next to forbid adultery, since the greatest in-
jury, next to the deprivation of life, .we can do our
13*
150 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
neighbour, is the defiling of the marriage hed. By it you
not only rob the woman of her innocence, but also rob
her husband of the most precious worldly treasure he has,
the love and fidelity of his wife ; his right whereto he
cannot, if he will, give away to another; and, by con-
sequence, this his right no one can invade, without the
most horrid injustice to his neighbour, as well in viola-
ting his marriage bed, as for the ill consequences of it,
in depriving them both of their mutual love, which
oudit to last till death ; and often bastardizing the fa-
mily, with many other mischiefs, too long to be re-
counted.
Also by this commandment, as it is expounded in the
Mosaic law, (see Deut.) are forbid all carnal sins of
what species soever, as well as adultery: as fornication,
which is a carnal act between a single man and wo-
man, who have neither bound themselves by the bond
of marriage, or by a vow of chastity; for if either
party be consecrated to God by a vow of chastity, a
carnal act with such a one is sacrilege ; and a carnal act
with a virgin is more than simple fornication, and alters
the nature of the sin. Incest, which is a carnal act be-
tween a man and woman who are within the degrees of
consanguinity or affinity, and the nearer in blood the
greater is the sin. A rape, which is a carnal act com-
mitted on the body of another by force, against the will
dnd consent. The sin against nature, which is a car-
nal act between two of the same sex, or between
persons of a different sex, whether married or un-
married, when such means and actions are used,
from whence generation cannot follow, under which
head is forbidden self-pollution. In short, this com-
mandment forbids all kind of unclearmess whatsoever
that leads to debauchery, all immodest actions, touches
of ourselves or others, lustful embraces, immodest
looks or words: nay, we ought not even to harbour a
wilful thought of immodest things to take pleasure in it,
and endanger ourselves, or to say or do any thing that
may endanger others. Alas! too many are induced to
break this commandment through the importunites and
allurements of others.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 151
EXHOR. Since corrupt nature is so inclined and pro-
pense to all carnal sins, the greater ought to be jour
care, O Christian, to decline them, and this by shunning
all occasions of them ; as idleness, curiosity, lewd com-
pany, excess in eating-, and drinking, too great famili-
arities with persons of another sex, masquerades, &c. in
a word, renounce as much as may be, all sensible plea-
sures. -To preserve us the better from these carnal
acts, we must principally restrain our eyes from looking
at that which may incite us to them, remembering that
saying of Job, I have made a compact with my eyes, that
I might not so much as think of a virgin. Job xxxi. 1.
Next we must restrain our thoughts ; for nothing en-
dangers us more, or excites to action, than wilfully en-
tertaining the foul imagination of impurity. We must,
thirdly, restrain our desires ; For he who looks at a wo-
man, to lust after her, has already committed adultery
with her in his heart, St. Matt. v. 24. Fourthly, we
must restrain our tongues from unchaste words or songs,
for these corrupt both ourselves and others: Let nojil-
thy words proceed out of your mouth: let not fornica-
tion even be named among you, as becometh saints. Eph.
v. 3. Fifthly, we must restrain our hands from all im-
pure touches : If thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and
cast it from thee; it is better one of thy members perish,
than thy whole body should go into hell. St. Matt, xviii. 8.
In a word, all our senses mustbe curbed from this evil.
For your greater preservation, entertain yourself often
^ith the following considerations : 1. As nothing makes
you more like the angels, than purity of soul and body,
so nothing makes you resemble so much the brute, as
lust and uncleanness. 2. Your bodies are the members
of Christ; but by fornication you are made one body
with a harlot, for both are one flesh. 3. Bodies are the
temple of the holy Ghost ; what indignity to defile them
with so foul a sin ? Other sins are without the body, but
this is a sin against your own body,which you dishonour
by it, and oftentimes destroy it by foul and painful dis-
eases. 4. These sins are often attended with heavy
judgments: how many for them have been destroyed by
fire from heaven, as in Sodom and Gomorrah ? And no
152 Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
doubt, they have brought great punishments on whole
nations, on private families and persons: the whole
world was destroyed for them at the flood. God has so
threatened this sin in particular, If any one defile the
temple of God, him will God destroy. To conclude,
these are sins that exclude from the kingdom of heaven,
Neither adulterers, nor fornicators, nor the effeminate,
nor Sodomites, fyc. shall possess the kingdom of God.
Rom. v. 9, 10. Above all, to enforce these considera-
tions, we must continually implore the assistance of
heaven, that God would create a clean heart in us, and
renew a right spirit in our bowels. Our pravers must
be constant and perseverant, as these temptations are
never over till death, and our best purposes are faint
and unstable. Remember always to put a stop to the
beginning of an ill thought before your soul becomes
delighted or consenting to it.
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.
Thou shalt not Steal.
Q. T^HAT is forbidden by this? Jl. To wrong
** our neighbour by stealing, robbing, cheating,
or by any unjust dealing. Q. What is he bound to do,
who has thus wronged his neighbour. A. To make res-
titution to the right owner, if he is able, otherwise the
sin will not be forgiven him. Q. What more are we
commanded hereby ? A. To be just in all our dealings,
and to take care to pay our debts.
INSTRUC As God has given one commandment for
the preservation of man's life ; another to defend him
from wrong in the person of his wife, who is another
himself: here he has given a third to preserve every
ones goods : Thou shalt not steal. Theft may be com-
mitted either clandestinely, or with open violence, or by
cheating in bargaining, or gaming? When one having
more craft than another, over-reaches and draws him in
to consent, without knowing it, to his own wrong..
Small thefts from the same person, at different times,
amounting in the whole to a considerable value, are the
The Christian Doctrine explained. 153
same breach of the commandment as if the whole had
been stolen together ; because the same damage is done
to the owner, and he Las the same right to his goods,
when stolen at different times, as all at once. To use
false weights and measures, by which a little is stolen
from one, and a little from another, a great deal in the
whole, is also a substantial breach of this precept ; for
this is called an abomination to God in holy scripture.
This commandment is also broken by open robbery;
by invading other men's right, and seizing up-
on it, whether by an unjust war, or forcing them
to yield it up, or overcoming them at law by bribery :
or by an extortion and usury, taking advantage of the v
necessitous; by racking of tenants, when you know*
they cannot remove; by forcibly with-holding servants
wages, or by any other violent methods. Theft is a
mortal sin, whenever the tiling stolen is of a considera-
ble value, or does a notable damage to our neighbour :
and not only those who commit the theft, but all who
any ways concur thereto, and all who partake knowing-
ly of it, are guilty of the sin. Also borrowing of ano-
ther, what we do not intend to pay, is the same injus-
tice as theft.
This commandment obliges us to restitution : what-
ever you have unjustly gotten from your neighbour, you
must restore, as far as you are able, to the right owner,
otherwise your sin will not be forgiven ; because re-
fusing to restore, is continuing in the first theft, and
the injustice still remains; therefore it is rightly said,
without restitution there can be no absolution : all the
power on earth cannot dispense with it, unless the own-
er consents. This restitution concerns not only those
who did the wrong, but all who have concurred in it,
whether by counsel, by assistance, or by partaking of
the ill-gotten goods. If you are not able to make resti-
tution in full, you must do what is in your power, un-
less the owner will forgive it, and shew your good will
to do it, and repent heartily. If he who has done any
injustice to another, dies before he had made restitution
his heir is under the same obligation to do it, if what
was unjustly got be part of his inheritance; and if
154 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
the owner, who was wronged, be dead first, he must
make the restitution to his heir, especially if his neglect
to do it be lore, was a culpable delay.
EXHOR. Learn, Christian, to shun and detest the
sin of theft 5 first from the injury you do to God, who
as he is essentially just, loves justice, and willeth that
justice be dune to every one. It is depriving him
of that benevolence he has shewn to others, who is the
bountiful Donor of all we enjoy, and would that we
should enjoy it. Hence he has commanded, fhou
shalt not steal; and to support his commandment he
has declared his vengeance against the transgressor:
Every thief shall be judged. Let no man circumvent his
neighbour, for the Lord is the revenger of these things,
1 These, iv. 6. even to exclude him from the kingdom
of heaven: Thieves shall not possess the kingdom of
God. 1 Cor. vi. 10. 2. Avoid theft, from the injury
done to your neighbour. It takes from him what God
has given him to sustain his life and family ; and truly,
in some cases, it touches his life, by depriving him of
his livelihood. It breeds in him many rash censures of
others, who may be innocent, to the prejudice of his
soul ; creates hatred and ill-will among neighbours, all
which a thief, in some degree, must answer. 3. This
sin ought to be shunned for the mischief it brings upon
the thief himself; his good name, his reputation is en-
tirely ruined by it; it takes away all conscience ana
religion from him, and disposes him to greater crimes,
and often ends in terrible disasters. Judas was a thief,
and then betrayed his divine Master, and then hang-
ed himself; so the thief often comes to the like death,
to the gallows: but what is worst of all, it deprives
him of all grace here, and glory hereafter; Thieves
shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
To remedy this evil, beware of three things : of eovet-
ousness, envy and sloth; these are generally the ori-
gin of theft : 1. Beware of covetousness, for it is the
nature of a covetous mind to seek with too great eager-
liess for the riches of this world, and this often puts
men on unwarrantable ways of getting them : Covet-
ousness is the root of all evil ; for the desire whereof
The Christian Doctrine explained, 155
some have erred from faith, and have entangled them-
selves in many sorrows. 1 Tim. vi. 10. To prevent
this, rather aspire to the riches of eternal glory, 2. Be-
ware of envy ; this is the second step to the sin of theft.
It is the nature of envy to be sad, and repine at others
riches^and to be discontented with our own less flour-
ishing condition, and this prompts you to steal from
your neighbour what God has given him: Man's pains
and labour, says Solomon, lie open to the envy of others.
Eccies. iv. 4. " To put a stop to this, learn to be cheer-
ful under the condition God has placed you in : be thank-
ful for what he has blessed you with, (though little) and
trust to that providence, who, as he eloaths the lilies
of the field, will not be wanting in providing for you,
who are the chief work of his hands. Lastly. Beware
of sloth and indolence ; a vice which too often tempts
people to live upon the labour of others : Idleness hath
taught much malice. Eccl. xxxiii. 29. even to the ma-
king of thieves and robbers. To prevent this, employ
well your time in that state God has placed you, arid
thus by honest living, you will never be tempted to live?
otherwise. If ever then you have been guilty of the
sin of theft, take this instruction as from St. Paul, Let
him that has stolen, steal no more, but rather labour,
working with his hands, that he may have thereby to
give to him that suffers want; or to make restitution to
him he has stolen from. Ephes. iv. 28. In a word, let
all parents be strict to punish their children's first in-
clinations to stealing; and all magistrates correct their
first thefts with a wholesome severity : this would pre-
vent many coming to the gallows, and put them in mind
of the punishment of theft in the next world.
THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.
Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neigh-
bour.
Q. TTTHAT is forbidden by this ? A. False testi-
VV monies, rash judgment, lies, slander and
detraction. Q. What is he bound to do who has hurt
156 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
his neighbour in this kind ? Jl. To make him satisfac*
tion and restore his good name. What is commanded
by this precept ? *#. To speak and witness the truth
in all things ; for the Devil is a liar, and the Father of
lies.
INSTRUC. This commandment is of large extent,
and forbids under the name of false witness all the in-
juries we commonly do our neighbour in words, by af-
fronting, by detracting, by belying him, which carry
something of the nature of false-witness in them. As
God gave one commandment to regulate our tongues,
with regard to himself, Thou shalt not take the name of
the Lord thy God in vain ; so he would have another,
with regard to our neighbour, Thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbour: the love of our neigh-
bour ever inseparably following the love of God.
First then, this commandment forbids us to take a
false oath, and bear false-witness to the prejudice of
another, whether in judgment, or out of judgment;
whether in public or private, by swearing falsely against
an innocent man, alleging him to be guilty of such and
such things. This crime was punished in the old law,
by inflicting the same penalty upon the false witness as
he would have brought upon his neighbour : Thou shalt
do unto him as he taught to have done unto his brother,
Deut. xix. 19.
2. It forbids also lying; that is, to speak untruth
knowingly, with an intent to deceive others, and this
is always a sin ; but greater or less according to the
prejudice done our neighbour by it: Thou shalt not lie,
neither shall any one deceive his neighbour. Lev. xix.
ii. Lies are three-fold : malicious lies, which are spoke
directly to the prejudice of others: officious lies, which
are told to excuse ourselves or others: jesting lies,
which are made to divert company. To some of these
we may reduce boasting lies, which we tell to our own
honour and praise: flattering lies, which are to gain us
favour with another, at the same time we hurt him by
such flattery. All dissembling and hypocrisy, which is
a feigned sanctity, is acting the liar; against all which
The Christian Doctrine explained. 157
the apostle warns us : Laying aside all tying, let every
one speak truth with his neighbour, Ephes. iv. 25.
3. It forbids rash judgment, that is censuring and
condemning; the actions of others, without good grounds.
4. It forbids detraction, that is speaking ill of others,
with a design to blacken their reputation, or lessen their
geod name : if this be done by falsely accusing them,
it is slander. If it be done by discovering their secret
sins, or by putting an ill construction on their good ac-
tions or good intentions, or by denying their good qua-
lities, or lessening, or concealing them, when they
need our defence, or by commending them with an af-
fected coldness, it is properly detraction : and if it be
done before their faces it is affronting them ; if behind
their backs, it is backbiting : and as in all these cases
we generally make our neighbour appear worse than lie
is, arid there is often some untruth and misrepresenta-
tion in what we say against him, it is in some degree
bearing false-witness. A slanderer and detracter may
be compared, one to a robber, the other to a thief: the
one like a robber, attacks your good name openly ; the
other like a thief, secretly, as if h? had no mind to be
seen. Under the head of detraction also comes tale-
bearing, which creates misunderstanding amongst
friends, against which it is written, Thou shalt not be
a detracter nor a whisperer among the people. Lev. xix*
16. This commandment also forbids mocking, affront-
ing, or vilifying our neighbour for his defects of body or
mind, for these being defects to which some are born, they
are their misfortunes but not their fault, and they ought
not to be reproached for them, as for a fault 5 for this
commandment forbids us to lay any fault to our neigh-
bour's charge which is not true. 'All these injuries
against our neighbour in words ; as lying, rash judg-
ment, detraction, slander, derision, reviling, &c. are
never more grievous than when the church of God, her
ministers and religion, are falsely aspersed and discre-
dited by them : this is acting the part of Satan, and
promoting his cause. Let this be particularly noted.
As we are strictly forbid to speak the least thing in
prejudice to our neighbour, so we are commanded to
14
158 The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
speak all good of him, and attest the truth in all things,
as God is truth, and would have all truth remain for
ever : The truth of our Lord remains for ever. It is
a very ancient and true saying, That to do good and
speak truth, makes men like to God.
As by the seventh commandment we are bound to
restore the thing stolen to the right owner ; so if we
have robbed our neighbour of his good name by detrac-
tion, slander, and by belying him, we are bound by
this commandment to make him satisfaction, and re-
store his good name, by recalling what we falsely al-
leged against him, and by speaking better of him for
the future.
EXHOR. Here then, O Christian, God calls upon
you to rule your tongue, that you speak nothing which
may prejudice another's good name, his life, or fortune.
As your tongue was given you to praise God, so it was
likewise to speak all good of others. Set a guard on
your lips, and beware of three sins most incident and
common to mankind. The first is lying, which is a
vice that makes us degenerate from the sons of God,
who is Truth itself, into the sons of the Devil, who is
the Father of Lies : it renders us abominable in the
eyes oi God : Lying lips are an abomination to God,
Prov xii. 22. especially when your lies are pernicious
to others by bearing false-witness against them : Thou
hast hated all that do evil ; thouwUt destroy all them
that speak lies, Psalm v. 6. more especially when you
confirm it with an oath 5 for then you break the second
commandment as well as the eighth. For this our Sa-
viour chastised the Pharisees : You, says he, are of
your father the Devil. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
that which is proper to him, because he is a liar, and
the Father of Lies. In like manner, they were conti-
nually bringing false accusations against him till they
had taken away his life. These are lies which will ex-
clude you from the kingdom of heaven. Think not
then a habit of lying to be a small fault, since it is the
origin of many great evils ; it brings on a corruption
of manners ; it is a mean and despicable vice 5 it is a
blemish to reason to speak contrary to knowledge and
The Christian Doctrine explained. 159
the sense of things ; it is highly destructive to human
society, for there can be no mutual tie of friendship
nor security to each other, when mutual confidence
and truth, the ground of it, is lost in lying. Let every
one correct himself of this failing ; and let parents in
particular look well to their children, and chastise them
for lying,, to which they are but too naturally addicted,
The second evil you are to avoid, is rash judgment or
rash censuring the actions of others, as the Jews did
our blessed Saviour. This sin being grounded on mere
hearsays, jealousies, and suspicion, without any moral
certainty of great probability, it betrays an uncharita-
ble heart, ever prone to think the worst of others,
and cannot fail to turn on yourself : Thou art inexcus-
able, O man, ivhosoever thou be, thatjudgest, for ivhen-
ever thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself,
Rom. ii. 1. A terrible sentence ! Rather chuse to
judge yourself, that you may not be judged. You know
no one so well as yourself; let then all judgment fall
on yourself, that it may work a true conversion on
your soul A third evil we are to avoid, is detraction
and slander, which is blasting our neighbour's reputa-
tion, because this is against that law of nature engraft-
ed in our heart: Jls you would that men should do to you,
do you to them: It is more prejudicial to your neigh-
bour than theft, for A good name is better than riches.
And this you deprive him of by detraction, making
him that was once esteemed, now despised and valued
by no man. To remedy this vice look at home ; see
into yourself, and you will be ashamed to accuse and
speak ill of others : what you are guilty of vourself,
and perhaps to a greater degree than your neighbour,
you must blush to expose in him : what though you have
found a mote in your brother's eye, you may find a
beam in your own !
THE NINTH COMMANDMENT.
Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's jyife*
Q. TfHAT is forbidden by this? A. All desires of
' * adultery and lust : all deliberate and voluntary
360 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
delight in impure thoughts. Q. What are we comman-
ded by it ? *#. To entertain chaste and honest thoughts.
INSTRUC. As the law of God is a spiritual law, it
obliges us not only to regulate our words and exterior
actions, but also our inward thoughts and desires, that
we may be perfectly innocent, and not in outward ap-
pearance only ; and therefore it forbids us by the two last
commandments, to injure our neighbour even in will
and desire. These plainly teach us, that what is sin in
word or action, may be also sm in thought v:nd desire,
against certain Jews whom Christ reprehends, who ima-
gined that the laws only forbid outward sinful actions,
and therefore bad thoughts and desires they freely in-
dulged, St. Matt. v. 8. But we are taught that God is
not satisfied with the outward behaviour, but with the
inward intention of the heart, and that sin is committed
in thought as well as in word and deed.
There are three steps to a sin of thought : the first is
suggestion, or the bad thought which occurs to the mind,
and this never is sin when it is involuntarily : this is
\vhat St. Paul found in himself when hesaidj/^/M the
law in my members fighting against the law of my mind,
Horn. vii. 23. it comes from the Devil, or corruption of
our nature, we being born in sin. The second step
is delight, which arises from the thought of unlawful
pleasures ; arid even this is not a sin when it comes at
unawares, or against our will ; but when we encourage it,
and delay to resist it, it is a sin, as well from the dan-
ger we incur, as because we wilfully delight in that
which is sin. The third step which completes the sin, is
consent; and when sin is compleated,it begets death.
St. James i. 15. As all sin begins with bad thoughts, and
is consented to in the heart before it appears in action,
hence the law of God forbids bad thoughts and desires,
so to destroy sin in its very root.
The ninth commandment, Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's wife, corresponds to the sixth, Thou shalt
not commit adultery ; and as the latter forbids the carnal
act of adultery, fornication, incest, &c. so this forbids
all carnal sin in desire, or to harbour in our minds any
thing sensual with consent and delight. As the sixth puts
The Christian Doctrine explained. 161
a restraint on our eyes, ears, hands and tongue ; so the
ninth puts a restraint on the powers of the soul, as the
will, memory, heart, thoughts and desires. It is true, no
one at all times can prevent a sinful thought rising from
the mind which is linked to corruption, yet all may, with
the assistance of grace, stop the progress of it, and.
refuse to consent to it.
THE TENTH COMMANDMENT.
Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's Goods.
Q. T1THAT is forbid by this ? . The words are
plain, that we must not covet what belongs to
others, or wrong our neighbour even in heart and de-
sire. Q. What are we commmanded hereby? Jl. To
harbour honest thoughts, and be contented with our own
estates.
INSTRUC.' The tenth commandment answers to the
seventh, Thou shalt not steal : as the one forbids us to
thieve or rob, the other forbids even to covet what is none
of our own ; because this is an overture to the other ;
for first you covet your neighbours^ goods and then you
proceed to make yourself master of them by any means
just or unjust, as you can : Covetousness is the root of aft,
evils, i. Tim. vi. 10. it casts its eye upon every thing ;
and when it obtains power, no one's goods are safe from
it ; and hence we may see how holy is the law of God 9
which forbids it, and commands us to keep our hearts
pure and unspotted ; to moderate our boundless desires,
and be contented with what he has given us 5 which is
much happier than to be Always coveting what we can-
not have : he commands us, to wish all good to others^
and not envy their riches : Charity envieth not. 1 Cor.
xiii.
EXHOR. Learn from these two commandments, O
Christian, to resist your corrupt nature, and suppress
the bad desires of your heart ; from thence proceeds
all sin: From the hearts of men proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousnes$ 9
malice, deceit, lasciviousness, envy, blasphemy, pride,
14*
162 The Poor Man's Catechism : 0r,
foolish wickedness. St. Mark vii. 21, 22. God is not
content with our exterior comportment and outward
actions, unless our interior is answerable to them.
Remember the first sin committed by the bad angels
was a sin of thought: in truth, all sin is first committed
in the heart and will, by consenting to it, and hence
we are sorbid to covet any evil thing : Let us not covet
evil things. 1 Cor. x. 6. The law of God forbids us
to desire revenge, murder, or any other bad thing;
but more expressly to desire our neighbour's wife or
goods, because our passions to these are strongest. Re-
flect well on this : a man perhaps may say, that he
never proceeded to the criminal action of lust ; but
ean he say he never delighted in a lustful thought, or
consented to a sensual desire in his mind ? Another
may say he never was a thief, or robbed, or cheated ;
but did he never covet his neighbour's goods in
thought ? He may say he never hurted any one ; but
did ne never bear ill-will, or meditate revenge ? O
how necessary it is always to put a stop to these evil
suggestions of our hearts in their beginning! principiis
obsta ; because all sin begins with a bad thought; and
therefore we must never entertain bad desires in our
mind, no not the least, for God, who is the searcher
of hearts, beholds them, and will one day bring them
to light and condign punishment. Since both our
souls and bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost,
nothing but sanctity and purity must dwell in either.
Let nothing then of sin possess your souls ; admit no
bad thought of such things as you wouM be ashamed
man should see. Let your hearts and tongues, your
actions and intentions go together in all good, that
what you do, speak, or even think, may be to the
glory of God, the good of your neighbour, and the
advantage of your own soul.
You see what the commandments are, and the sense
of them in general and in particular. Let it be your
study, care, and labour to fulfil them ; by doing what
is commanded, and avoiding what is forbidden. The
commandments of God are a rule both to rich and
poor , kings and subjects are to live by tfiem, in ord$r
The Christian Boctrme explained. 1 03
to a happy death and a blessed eternity : If thou unit
enter into Ufa keep the commandments. They are law
to all nations, universally just and equitable to ail
mankind. Consult then in time your own eternal
good in keeping them. fear, above all things, to
break them! They were not given by man, but by
the eternal God in thunder and lightnig, who will
revenge the transgression of them in much more
dreadful fires. By them you are to be tried, judged^
condemned, or saved, at the last day. The fulfilling
of them, is attended with innumerable blessings here,
and in the end with eternal life. The breaking of
them brings many curses, and everlasting destruction
both of body and soul. See then you fulfil them all 5
no religion can save you without keeping God's com-
mandments ; Neither circumcision, nor uncireumcision,
as St. Paul says, but the observance of the command"
ments of God, which must ever be joined to the pro-
fession of the true faith. Nor is it enough to keep
some of them, but we must fulfil them all : to break
one, and die in that one sin without repentance, is
enough to condemn your soul for ever : He that of-
fends in one, is guilty of all, St. James ii. 10. inasmuch
as he breaks the integrity of that covenant God has
made with us. And how are you to fulfil them all ?
Love God above all things, and your neighbour as
yourself; he who does that, fulfils the whole law and
the prophets, and hath life everlasting : Do this and
tho:i shalt live. St. Luke x. 28.
The six precepts cf the Church expounded.
Q. TT7HICH is the first precept of the church?
VV Ji. To keep certain appointed days holy 9
which are therefore called holy days.
INSTRUC. When God spake these words by the
mouth of Solomon, Observe my son the precepts of thy
father, and the law of thy mother do not leave, Prov. vL
20. it was to admonish us not only to keep the com-
mandments of God our Father, but also to observe the
precepts of his Church our mother : for as he has givec
164 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
the temporal power to princes, who govern the world
under him, to make laws for a temporal end, which
bind the people in conscience ; so he gave the spiritual
power to those who under him govern his church, to in-
stitute laws that conduce to our spiritual and eternal
good, with a command to all to hear and obey this
church; and, those who disobey, he would have cut off
from her communion, and be looked upon no better than
heathens and publicans : If he will not hear the Church,
let him be unto thee as a heathen man, and a publican.
St. Matt, xviii. 17.
Accordingly we find the Apostles, soon after our
Saviour's Ascension, making new precepts, and enjoin-
ing the new-converted Gentiles to abstain from blood
and things strangled, which all of their communion
were bound to observe : this was done in the Council
of Jerusalem, Acts xv. 29. yet in reality the intent of
the church in these precepts is, not so much to lay new
burthens upon us over and above God's commandments,
as to make the observance of them more easy and com-
fortable to us ; for the precepts of the church are ground-
ed upon the commandments. If the church commands
us to hear Mass on Sundays; it is because the mass is the
most holy action that can be done on days sacred to God,
and God has commanded us to keep that day holy. If
the church^ has appointed Lent and other days' to be
fasts ; it is because fasting is recommended to us from
God, as a thing necessary to satisfy for past sins, and
to tame the rebellion of our nature. If the church com-
mands us to confess our sins once a year; it is because
Christ has declared, that none but the priests can ab-
solve us. If the church enjoins us to receive the Holy
Eucharist at Easter, it is because Christ has said, Unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood,
you have no life in you. St. John vi. 54. If the church
appoints us to pay tithes to our pastors ; it is because
the law of God enjoins that his priests shall be maintain-
ed with honour by the people whom they serve. Let
them have a double honour. 1 Tim. v. 17. If the church
determines under what impediments we are to abstain
The Christian Doctrine explained. 165
from marriage : it is that we more strictly observe the
laws which God has appointed in regard to marriage,
and render the marriages of Christians more holy and
honourable, and the bed undefiled.
There are only six precepts that regard the state of
the universal church, and bind all the faithful : as to
other canons, they regard particular states, as bishops,
priests, and religious ; but these six are for all the mem-
bers of the Catholick Church, and seem to be nothing
else but holy practices, and immemorial customs recei-
ved by tradition, for the most part of the apostolical
times, which the church at length reduced into precepts
and canons, with an injunction to all Christians to ob-
serve tbem, as things highly conducing to their salva*
tion.
THE FIRST PRECEPT OF THE CHURCH.
To hear Mass on all Sundays and holy days, and
keep them holy.
INSTRUC. A S nothing is more requisite in a
JLJL spiritual life, than to preserve a
grateful memory of me benefits of God to mankind, for
which reason, besides the Sabbath, many other festivals
were instituted in the old law 5 for the same end, over
and above Sundays, the church has instituted many
other festivals in the new, in memory of the benefits of
our redemption ; of the birth, passion, resurrection and
ascension of our Saviour. And because we know, that
God often shews mercy to the living, through the inter-
cession of the Saints deceased, who are in glory ; as,
through the merits of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and
king David, he did to the Jews ; hence we have days
appointed to make memory of the blessed Virgin Mary,
St. John Baptist, all the Apostles, and of all Saints and
Angels ; yet it is carefully to be noted here, that we
worship God in the same manner on these Saints days,
as upon the Sabbath-day: on all these days no other God
do we adore, but only one God, Father, Son, and Holy-
Ghost : and in truth "another principal end in the insti-
166 The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
tution of these holy days, was, that as the number oi
Christians increased by the conversion of nations, their
congregation at the church might be more frequent ; the
the word of God oftener read and expounded; that
there might be more frequent opportunities of admin-
istring the sacraments ; and more days for the public
worship and adoration of God, which on all these days
is the principal thing intended.
By the first precept of the church we are forbid ser-
vile work, the same as on Sundays, and commanded to
hear Mass both on holy days and Sundays; but with
this difference, that these holy days, not being of divine
institution, may be dispensed with by the church.- As
Sundays and holy days are days sacred to God, and we
can not otherwise honour and worship God, but through
Jesus Christ his only Son, therefore on these days the
church offers up to him the sacred mysteries of f his Son's
passion ami death* in winch Christ being present, as in
heaven, BO here he is our sovereign Mediator to him :
and as God is truly honoured by this sacrifice, which is
commemorative and representative of his Son's death
and passion, in it we truly sanctify the Sabbath, and
other festivals : and though there are other spiritual du-
ties to be done on these days, yet this is the principal .
one commanded on the Christian Sabbath.
EXHOR. Since then what our Saviour did at his last
supper, and commanded to be done to the end of the
world, is what renders us capable of a just adoration of
God, it ought to be your greatest care to attend on these
divine mysteries of the death and passion of Christ, on
all Sundays, at least, and all days commanded to be
kept holy; and never be absent on any account,
but what will excuse you before God ; as in case of
sickness, or attending the ^tck, or the length of the way,
&c. Remember you are not only to be present in body,
but present in mind, with great attention and devotion ;
with a heart elevated to heaven, and with your mind
fixed in holy contemplation on the death and passion of
our Saviour. What will it avail me to hear Mass, if I
answer not the end and intent of it ? which is, to do it
in remembrance of his passion : to think of the vinegar
The Christian Doctrine explained. 165T
and gall he drank ; the torments he endured on the
cross, and his dying words, O all you that pass by.,
attend, and see if there be grief like mine. Lam. Jer.
i. 12.
Be exact in this essential duty, and never fail to pay
your homage and adoration to God, on those days that
are sacred to him, by these mysteries of the death and
passion of Christ; to give thanks for blessings re-
ceived 5 to beg mercy for sins committed ; to pray for
such virtues as are wanted, and grace to overcome
your vices? saying, "O Father of Mercies, shew
"mercy to me, through thy Son Jesus Christ, who
" offereth himself to thee for me, in these mysteries
" on the altar.'' As often as you hear Mass on the fes-
tivals in memory of the Saints, beg their intercession,
and fail not to read their lives, and do as they did ;
there is no virtue but what, through divine grace, they
practise for your encouragement and instruction 5 so
you will truly honour God and the saints.
Give, O my soul, with the most profound humility,
in this divine^ mystery of Christ's passion, all honour,
and glory to the blessed Trinity. Give glory to the
Father, through his Son Jesus Christ. Give glory (o
the Son, for becoming the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sins of the world. ' Give glory to the Holy
Ghost, for replenishing your soul hereby with so many
graces. O may this divine sacrifice continue to be of-
fered daily against the corruption of the times, the ma-
lice of wicked men and the Devil, to the end of the
world ; according to that foretold by the Prophet : From
the rising of the sun even to the setting thereof, my name
shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place
there shall be sacrificing to my name, and a pure offering.
Mai. xi. O may that never cease which Christ com-
manded to be done in remembrance of his death and
passion, by which God is supremely honoured, and we
are saved,
168 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
The second precept of the Church expounded*
Q. TITHAT Is the second precept of the church?
.#. To fast Lent, Vigils, Ember-days, and
Fridays, formerly according to the custom of England :
now dispensed with by Pope Pius VI. in the }ear 1778,
but to abstain from flesh meat as on Saturdays, and
other days of abstinence.
INSTRUC. This word fast in general signifies
nothing more than abstaining from certain meats : yet
in particular there is a difference between days of fast-
ing aii'i abstinence: fasting is not only an v abstaining
from flesh meat, but it allows us but one meal a day,
and a little refreshment at night. Mstinence is an
abstaining from flesh meat, but without any restriction
to the time or number of times in the day as to eating.
This precept of fasting was begun in Paradise, when
God forbid Mam to taste of such a fruit, under pain of
death and his displeasure : the effects of his transgres-
sion we sufficiently feel. In the law of Moses it was
strictly commanded and practised, and comes recom-
mended to us by the doctrine and example of the Pro-
phets and the Saints of the Old Testament, as Moses,
Elias, Joel, Daniel, Josaphat, David, Judith, Esther,
and the Ninevites, who, by fasting and penance, pre-
vented the destruction that threatened them. And in
the new law, it is recommended by the doctrine and
example of our Saviour himself, his precursor St. John
Baptist, his Apostles, of whom he loretold they would
fast when the bridegroom was taken from them ; and
thenceforward by all the saints and servants of God.
We may say then, that God in holy scripture has com-
manded it ; the scripture-penitents and saints recom-
mended it; and the church now appoints the days and
times for it.
The greatest and most solemn fast of Christians is,
that of forty days, or Lent, which is kept first in imi-
tation of our Saviour's fast in the desert; and secondly,
to prepare us, by penance, to celebrate the memory of
his passion, ami dispose us to rise from the spiritual
death of sin to a new life, that we may partake of the
The Christian Doctrine explained. - 1 69
joy of his resurrection at the end of this holy time.
This fast of Lent was instituted by the Apostles, and
was observed by the primitive church, as a tradition
from them ; this may be seen attested in the writings of
Tertullian, St. Basil, St. Gregory Nicene, St. Chry-
sostom, St. Jlugustin, St. Leo. and St. Fulgentius, whose
sermons on fasting are still extant; in which they po-
sitively affirm that the faithful, in their times, did all
fast from flesh meat in Lent, and in many places from
wine, also; and though afterwards the indulgence for
wine became general, yet abstinence from flesh meat
was ever, and in all places essential to fasting, (See
St. Basil. Ser. 1. Jejun. Greg. Nice. Ser. de Incho
Jejun. Chrysost. horn. v. 6, ad pop. Jintioch. St. Cyr.
Cat. 4. St. dug. Ser. de multis. St. Fulgen. I. dejide.
c. 3.
Next is the fast in the four Ember-weeks, for the
four seasons of the year, in which Wednesdays, Fridays,
aud Saturdays are kept a strict fast, to beg a blessing
upon those who enter into holy orders at those four
times of the year ; and this fast was derived from an
apostolical tradition, as St. Leo affirms, (See Thomassin,
p. 1. c. 21.-)
Vigils also, or Eves of greater feasts, are enjoined
by the church to be kept fasts, the better to dispose
and raise up our minds to God, on days appointed to
be solemnized and kept holy: they are called Vigils,
because the faithful were accustomed formerly to watch
part of that night, and sometimes the whole night in
prayer.
In different countries there are different fasts : as in
England all Fridays were formerly fasting days, except
the Fridays that fall between Christmas-day and the
thirteenth of January, when the Octave of the Epipha-
ny is ended : those that fall between Easter and Whit-
suntide, and those that fall upon holy days, and even
Note. The Holidays of Obligation were taken off, with
their Vigils, and the Wednesdays in Advent made Fasts in
1777.
The Fasts on Fridays were not taken off till 1781 .
15
170 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
these latter are fasted, tf they are Ember-days. Every
bishop has power to enjoin an extraordinary fast with-
in his diocese ; in all which cases the rule is to follow
the laudable custom of the diocese where you live.
The days of abstinence are the three Rogation -days,
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the feast of
the Ascension, and St. Mark's day, on the 25 th of
April. On these days in Catholick countries proces-
sions are made, and Litany sung, that by prayer and
fasting we may beg a blessing upon the fruits of the
earth, and that God may preserve us from plague, fa-
mine and mortalities ; this is a very ancient custom :
the reason why these four days are only days of ahsti-
nence, and not a strict fast, is because they always fall
within the Paschal time; and this being a time of joy,
all strict fasts within this time were forbid by the an-
cient canons of the church : for the same reasons, the
Fridays that fall between Easter and Whitsuntide are
not fasted in England.
Fridays and Saturdays also are days of abstinence in
all Catholick countries ; which custom took place from
the beginning of the church, and has been observed
with uniformity, except in some few 7 places, where
Wednesday was fasted instead of Saturday, (See T/io-
massin, p. 1. c. 19. 0. p. 2. c. 15. 16. and St. Jlug. ep.
US ad Jan.)
Now, the chief intent of fasting, the ground and
principle of it, is to do penance for our sins past, and
oy that means avert the wrath of God from us, as the
Ninevites and many others did, mentioned in holy writ.
2. To mortify the flesh, the better to overcome sin, and
vanquish the temptations of the Devil, according to the
words of our Saviour : This kind of Devil cannot be
cast out otherwise than by prayer and fasting. St. Mark
ix. 28. Hence it is easy to conceive, that fasting is no
superstition, as some erroneously pretend ; for we do
not abstain from flesh meat, as if we believed it to be
unclean more on one day than another, but because it
is more nourishing than other things, and therefore I
fast from it to mortify and chastise my body, after the
example of St. Paul y to bring it into subjection to my
The Christian Doc trine explained. 171
soul. Nor are we so superstitious, as, with the Phari-
sees, to think that the flesh meat, that goes into the
mouth on a fasting day, is the thing that denies the
soul: but as disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit
defiled Mainland all his posterity, and turned both out
of Paradise ; so your disobedience in regaling your ap-
petite with dainty dishes of flesh meat in Lent and other
fasts, when it is forbid by God and his church, is a sin that
proceeds from the heart, and will turn you out of the
kingdom of heaven. In vain do some reply, that to fast
from sin is the only fast commanded in scripture ; for
although this is an essential and principal fast, without
which no other fast can avail ; yet it is certain we shall
not long fast from sin, unless we fast from meat and
drink too at certain times, in order to subdue our cor-
rupt nature, that we may more easily abstain frona sin ;
and therefore the scripture teaches us to join both these
fasts together, and this is what all the scripture -peni-
tents and saints did ; as Moses, Elias, Daniel, Josa-
phat, David, the Rechabites, and the Ninevites in the old
law ; and in the new, Anrn the Prophetess, St. John
Baptist, St. Paul: they fasted from meat and drink >
that thev m%ht more easily overcome sin. Did not our
Saviour infinitely abhor sin all his life ? Yet he fasted
literally, so as to bring extreme hunger upon himself :
and what did he fast for, but for our sins, and for our
example.
Great has been the virtue and power of fasting, so as
to save the wicked often from destruction, as in the
Nimvites and others ; and so as even to cast out devils,
as our Saviour teaches. Fasting therefore being an
eminent good work; so meritorious and even essential
in a spiritual life ; hence the Church, who is more care-
ful of us than we are of ourselves, hath judged well to
compel all the faithful, by precept, to fast and do pen-
ance, from time to time throughout the whole year; lest
if we were left to our own discretion, we should be
apt to forget what we o we both to God and to our own
souls.
Yet no one is bound to fast by the precept, till the
age of twenty -one complete; because they are yet ia
172 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
their tender years, and require nourishment for growth:
and they again who are much advanced in years, have
commonly the weakness of old age, as being in the de-
cline of life : sick persons also, who are brought low by
their infirmities, are dispensed with : also women with
child ; and nurses, who have need to support or repair
their strength, weakened by nourishing children : also
labourers, husbandmen, and mechanics, who are forced
to gain a livelihood for themselves and their families by
the sweat of their brow, by any hard labour, either of
body or mind, which very much weakens the strength :
in a word, all those in general who cannot fa'st without
ruining their health ; and those whose poverty cannot
afford a full meal, are excused from strict fasting : yet
even these must submit so far as to have the dispensa-
tion of the Church : let every one beware of vain and
invalid excuses : remember there is no one but what
has need of penance.
EXHOR. Observe, O Christian, all days and times
appointed for fasts, as from God. Hear what he says
to you on these days : Be converted to me with your
whole heart, in fasting and weeping, and mourning :
let sorrow and tears for sin accompany your fast. On
all these days enlarge your prayer, following the advice
of Tobias to his son : Jl good thing is prayer with fas-
ting, Tob. xii. 8. Give charity to the poor, as your
circumstances will permit: Redeem your sins with
alms-deeds, and your iniquities by mercies to the poor.
If you are not able to give, at least, it is in every one's
power to forgive injuries, to bear with the troub esome,
to pray for the living and the dead. Preserve a right
and pure intention in your fast ; fast not to be seen by
men as the Pharisees, but God only ; take the precept
of fasting as a command from him, and perform it in
strict obedience to the Church, so that you may obey
God in it ; as a child obeys God in obeying a good
mother, whom God has commanded him to obey : does
he not say, He that will not hear the Church, let him be
unto thee^as a heathen man and a publican? Take great
care to reform your lives, to rule your passions, and
govern your unruly appetites on these days : Beware
The Christian Doctrine explained. 17o
above all things, that you fall not into sin, which does
not only annul the merit of the fast, but brings down
greater judgments upon you. As you fast in body from
meat, your soul must fast from sin ; this is the perfect
fast which God has chosen, without which the other will
do you no good. O what more absurd, than while I fast
to appease the wrath of God, to provoke him by new of-
fences ! while I mortify the body, to permit the soul to
fall a prey to the Devil by sin ! while I abstain from
meat, to get drunk with wine ! Observe on these days
the saying of a holy Father and Doctor of the Church,
and a most eloquent preacher : " Fast, because you
" have sinned : fast, that you may not sin : fast, that
" you may bring all blessings on yourself: fast, that
" you may preserve God's grace. 9 '
The third precept of the Church expounded.
Q. TT7HAT is the third precept of the church?
VV *#. To confess our sins to our pastor at least
once a year. Q. Why was this commanded ? *#. Be-
cause libertines would not otherwise have done it once
in many years.
INSTRUC. - This precept is contained in a canon of
the fourth council of Lateran, under Innocent the Third,
held in the year of our Lord 1215, which was confirmed
by the council of Trent, Sess, xiv. c. v. and can. 8.
whereby all the faithful of both sexes are strictly enjoin-
ed to confess their sins to their proper pastor once in a
year at least : and to receive the sacrament of the holy-
Eucharist at Easter, as soon as they come to years of
discretion sufficient for each sacrament. This precept
then begins to bind us as soon as we begin to have the
full use of reason, so as to commit mortal sin, and to be
capable of the sacrament, which in seme is sooner, in
some later. The Church does not particularly pres-
cribe the time of the year when we ought to confess:
yet as we are obliged to communicate at Easter, which
cannot be rightly done in a state of sin 5 it is 'evident
that all those who at that time are in mortal sin, are
obliged then to confess.
15*
The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
Though the precept of the Church obliges us to con-
fess but once a year, to restrain libertines ; yet many
circumstances may occur, in which, by the divine pre-
cept, we are obliged to confess oftener. 1. In all dan-
gers of life, as when dangerously sick, or condemned to
die, or when soldiers are to go to battle, or merchants
to go a hazardous voyage, and are conscious of any mor-
tal sin to themselves ; in such dangers, (life so uncer-
tain,) they are bound to confession; because in all
perils of life we are bound to prepare ourselves for
death. Ought any one that knows himself to be in a
bad state, considering the uncertainty of life, run the
risk of a delay ? 2. Before we receive the other sacra-
ments, if guilty of mortal sin, we are bound first to
confess; because such sin is opposite to divine grace,
and must of necessity hinder the blessed effect of the
sacraments we receive, baptism excepted ; for baptism
being the first sacrament, by it we must be made chris-
tians before we can receive any of the Christian sacra-
ments ; therefore sacramental confession is not required
before baptism, but only contrition in adult persons.
Neither does every sort of confession, satisfy our obli-
gation, but we are to make a true and entire confession,
v/hich cannot be done without a previous and careful
examin of our life and conscience.
EXHOR. There is nothing, O Christian, for which
vou owe your gratitude to God, more than for the ho-
fy sacrament of penance : the only means by which
you, as a sinner, can ever be reconciled with God. O y
were you but sensible of the eternal damages you risk
fcy sin, you would need no command of confessing once
a year. Think only what you lose bv sin, and what
you gain by penance : by sin, you forfeit the enjoyment
of God, heaven, and the blessed company of the elect:
by penance, you gain the forgiveness of sin, regain the
grace and favour of God, and are re-instated into the
company of the saints. Think again of God's great
mercy to you ; while thousands are now bewailing their
sins in eternal torments, less sins perhaps than those
you are guilty of. divine mercy of God over you !
The devils for one sin of pride were cast into hell
The Christian Doctrine explained. 175
without redemption ; Mam for one sin of disobedience
was expelled paradise ; yet God bears with you, and r
for A temporal humiliation, and sincere confession, for-
gives your numberless sins, if you are but penitent,
and leave off your vices. And do you think much to
do this ? Well may you say, His "mercy is above all
his works : it is through his mercy you have not been
destroyed. Under these considerations, how will you
dare to provoke his clemency by new offences ? or tire
out his patience by^ ungrateful delays ? O how many
are now tormented in hell for these neglects and omis-
sions of confessing their sins in time ! To-day then if
you shall hear his voice, inviting you to repentance,
harden not your hearts against it: but rather, with the
Prodigal Son, arise and return, and throw yourself,
with sorrow, tears, contrition of heart, at the feet of
Christ your Lord, in the sacrament of penance : and
when you have gained his favour, and regained your
happiness, take those words as from himself : Thy sins
are forgiven thee, go in peace : depart and sin no more,
lest something worse befal thee: lest angry justice suc-
ceed to injured mercy ; lest, by your willful relapses, God
may leave you to perish in your sins, and give you
over, like many, to a reprobate sense ; think well of
this, and do worthy fruits of penance while it is now iu
your power.
The fourth precept of the Church expounded.
is the fourth precept of the Church ?
To receive the blessed Eucharist at least
once a year, and that at Easter or thereabouts 5 that is,
between Palm Sunday and Low Sunday. Q. Why are
we commanded to communicate at this time ? #. Be-
cause his sacrament was instituted about that time, mx.
on Maundy Thursday ; and because it is to be received
in remembrance of the passion and death of our Savi-
our, which happened at this time.
INSTRUC. The Church in former ages obliged the
faithful to communicate oftener: but now, through
hardness of heart, and want of primitive zeal, the obli-
176 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
gation is limited to once a year ; though counsel, and
our own eternal interest, should oblige us to a more
frequent communion. There is no set age when we
are to begin this duty, but this is left to the discretion
of the pastor, who is to judge when children are capa-
ble and sensible of this divine mystery. We are to
note, that it has been an immemorial practice of the
Church, for all the faithful to receive this sacrament,
fasting from the midnight before : the Church obliges
all to communicate about Easter ; because the holy
Eucharist was then instituted, and bequeathed to the
apostles, ta be by them delivered to the chnstian world ;
and to remain as an everlasting proof of the love of
Christ towards us, and as a remembrance of his death,
and the work of our redemption, to the end of the
world ; and therefore it is fitting that every Christian
should renew the memory of the blessings purchased by
his Redeemer^ death about this time in particular, by
humbly and thankfully receiving it. The time assigned
for our Easter communion is from Palm Sunday to Low
Sunday ) both those Sundays included : the canon of
the fourth council of Lateran does not fix precisely
those fifteen days, but such is the custom of the Church,
which is the best interpreter of the law.
The same duty we are called upon to perform, when,
struck with any great illness, we are in danger of
death : this being the most strengthening and comfortable
food which God has provided for that last and irrevoca-
ble voyage into eternity : this we have a figure of in
the bread which the Angel brought to Elias, bidding
him eat, because he had a great way to go ; and by the
strength of that food he walked forty days, and forty
nights, to the mount of God, Horeb. What was this
bread but a type of the holy Eucharist ? And what is
our journey, but through life unto death ? And what is
the mount Horeb, but heaven ? to *vhich, by the virtue
and strength of this divine food, this bread of angels^
we shall safely arrive.
Though the Church binds all to communicate once
a year, it binds none to communicate unworthily ; and
therefore hab leit it to the discretion, of every pastoiy
The Christian Doctrine explained. 177
to defer* absolution and communion for a time: but
though the church precept obliges but once a year, yet
both the Church and holy Fathers counsel us to a more
frequent communion: they advise us so to order our
lives, that we may be worthy to receive often : St.
Francis of Sales admonishes every one to receive at
least once a month : a great. Doctor of the Church ex-
presses the blessed effect of frequent communion in
these words : " When thy adversary shall see thy ha~
" bitation taken up with the brightness of the presence
" of God in thy soul, perceiving all room for his temp-
" tations prevented by Christ, who is there, he de-
" parts and flies away." (St. Jlmbrose.J* And truly,
every devout Christian, who is sensible of the blessings
he receives, and how much his eternal good advances
thereby, needs no other reason to invite him to frequent
communion, in compliance to the command of Christ :
Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink
his blood, you shall have no life in you, John vi. 54.
EXHOR. See then, O Christian, you comply with-
out fail with this precept of the Church ; and remember
withal, that it is not a bare receiving the holy Eucharist
will do, but you must worthily receive it, with such
holy dispositions, as to receive the divine effects of it,
rem et virtutem sacramenti, the effect and virtue of the
sacrament ; the grace of the sacrament. To this end
you must first clear your conscience from all sin, by an
entire confession, true sorrow and absolution, validly
received: you must dispose your soul by acts of faith,
humbly submitting to what you are taught of this mys-
tery, from your neart; saying with St. Thomas, Jlh /
my Lord, and my God! Humble yourself with the Cen-
turion, so much commended by our Saviour : Lord, I
am not worthy thou shoiddest enter under my roof, but
only speak the word, and my soul shall be healed.
You must approach with a heart filled with charitj,
being at peace with the whole world ; before you offer
your gift at the altar, and your soul to God in the
holy communion, go first and be reconciled to your
neighbour, and then, coming back, offer yourself to
God. You must come with a pure intention, not only ta
178 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
fulfil the precept in outward appearance, or to comply
with custom, but to renew the memory of the death of
Christ, and receive the pledge of love he then left you :
Do this in remembrance of me. You ought to live in
that purity of heart and mind, as to be disposed to re-
ceive it daily, at least in spirit and desire. O let the
many necessities of your soul, the immense blessings
you receive therein, move you to communicate more
frequently. Can you receive that too often which com-
municates eternal life both to soul and body ? If you
love God, can you be too often united to him ? O let
not your soul perish, at the same time you are so near to
the Fountain of Life ! Come then and invite him, as
Zacheus did, into the house of your soul, particularly
under your afflictions, your calamities, your sickness,
your death. The holy Eucharist flowing with so many
blessings, ought to be received frequently : being, as a
holy man says, " The health of soul and body ; the re-
" medy against all spiritual diseases ; by which our vices
" are cured, our passions bridled, temptations overcome
" or lessened, great grace infused, virtue begun and in-
" creased, faith confirmed, hope strengthened, and cha-
{f rity inflamed." (Thomas a. JCempisJ Taste then and
see how sweet is our Lord to those who worthily receive
him.
The fifth precept of the Church expounded
is the fifth precept of the Church ? A.
To pay the tithes to our pastor.
INSTRUC. Reason alone and natural equity dictate
to us, that we are obliged to maintain our pastors, who
have care of our souls, because they are, by serving us,
debarred all other means of gaining a livelihood ; and
have therefore a right to an honourable maintenance
from those they serve ; as much surely as fhose who
serve the public in other offices ; especially as they do
greater service by far, in teaching the people religion
and good morals, which not only conduces to the private
good of every one's soul, but to the peace and tranquil-
lity of the state.
The, Christian Doctrine explained. 179
The same thing is expressly commanded in the law of
God : Our Lord hath commanded that they who preach
the gospel, shall live by the gospel, 1 Cor. ix. 14.
What soldier, says St. Paul, ever serves in the war at his
own expense ? Who planteth a vineyard and doth not eat
of the fruits thereof? Who feedeth a flock and doth
not eat of the milk ? It is written in the law of Moses,
Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox, that treadeth
out the corn: is God's care for oxen? Doth he not,
doubtless, say this for us 9 Because he that ploweth,
ought to plow in hpe of partaking of the fruit: Mnd he
that treadeth out the corn, does it in hopes of partaking
of the fruit : if we have sown for you spiritual things,
is it much if we reap your temporals ? 1 Cor. ix. 11.
So the apostle teaches, whom the most ungrateful can-
not accuse of being self-interested ; because though all
the apostles had this right, he rather chose to work for
his own subsistence, than to make use of it.
What the law of God commands in general, that the
flock shall afford their pastor a subsistence, that the
church precept determines in particular to be the tithe,
as well of the fruits of the land, as of other things ; and
this is confirmed by the civil law in all Catholic coun-
tries. There are many constitutions of Popes to be
seen in the canon law for the payment of tithes ; and
the same is very strictly enjoined under pain of ex-
communication, against those who hinder or withhold
the payment of them, by the Council of Trent, (Sess.
25. c, 12. de Reform. ) where it is said, The tithe is
owing to God ; which answers well to that saying of
holy scripture, that such as withhold the tithe, have rob-
bed God, Malachi iii. 8. Yet as to the quota, that is, the
tithe or tenth part, this may be altered by the Church's
authority, which lays it upon us; by the constitution of
the Pope, or by composition.
Hence the pastor has a right to his maintenance by
all law, divine and human, as much as any man has
to his estate. Indeed to take this from his flock with-
out labouring for them, is a kind of robbery : but to
take it when he does labour, is the right of an apostle ;
to exact and take more than his due, is the sordid ava*
180 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
rice of a mercenary: and to serve at his own expense,
without taking even his due ? is the disinterested zeal of
St. Paul
EXHOR. Learn then, Christian, to give every one
his due. How can you grudge your pastor his subsis-
tence, who labours and suffers so much on your account ;
you who are sometimes liberal, even to a profuseness,
to others who deserve less from you ? Let all,, both pas-
tors and people, consider the end of this precept 5 it
was that the pastor, having an honourable maintenance
found him, might be free from solicitude, and the cares
of life, and wholly applied to the spiritual good of
his fiock; and that the people might have one to give
them constant attendance, and teach them religion and
virtue ; and to administer the sacraments, which give
grace and life to their souls ; to feed them with the
word of God, and conduct them under God to eternal
life. With docility then submit to his instructions, and
in spirituals at least pretend not to be your own guide.
Even in diseases of the body, no one is to be his own
physician, and who does not know that the diseases of
the soul are more dark and hidden ? It is particularly
in the way to heaven, all people ought to be cautious
how they follow their own judgment, and depend upon
their own skill and private light : nor must we expect
that God will always enlighten and direct us immedi-
ately by himself, but by our pastors : for which reason
he has given in his church some pastors, some evange-
lists, some doctors, $c. Follow their instructions in
spirituals, and you will have no reason to murmur at
the temporals they receive from you.
Fhe sixth precept of the Church expounded.
is the sixth precept of the church? A.
That at certain times of the year, and under
certain impediments, the faithful may not marry.
INSTRUC. There are some cases in which the church
forbids marriage ; and these are called impediments : in
some of these cases, marriage is absolutely forbid with
such and such persons ; insomuch, that if they proceed
"The Christian Doctrine explained. 181
to marry, the marriage is null and invalid ; and these
are called impediments, dissolving the marriage ; impe-
dimenta dirimentia. There are other cases, in whicji
the church only forbids marriage so far, that to proceed
to marry against this prohibition of the church, is a sin
of disobedience, yet the marriage is valid.
As to those impediments that dissolve the marriage,
and render it null, they are as follow :
1. In case either party should mistake the very per-
son with whom they intend to marry ; as if a man,
through mistake, should marry with Anne, intending to
marry with Mary ; such a contract of marriage is null :
but if the mistake be not of the person, but only the
qualities of the person, as to be noble or rich, &c. and it
proves to be otherwise* such error is no impediment,
and the marriage is valid.
2. If any one marries with a person who is bj condi-
tion a bond slave, the marriage is null ; unless you were
conscious beforehand of their condition, for in that case
the marriage is valid.
3. If either of the parties has made a solemn vow
of perpetual chastity before marriage, their marriage is
null.
4. All that are related by consanguinity, to the
fourth degree inclusive, are forbid to marry with one
another, and their marriage is null.
5. If any man or woman shall murder their present
wife or husband, with an intent to marry another per-
son with whom they had committed adultery : or if
they shall, murder that person's wife or husband, whom
they intend to marry, such marriage is null, although
perhaps the parties had made no agreement of future
marriage, in the life-time of the former wife or hus*-
band tnat was murdered : or if two parties have made
a mutual promise of future marriage, as soon as they
shall be at liberty from their present yoke, and in con-
sequence of this promise either party commits a mur-
der upon their present wife or husband, to make way
for their future intended marriage, such marriage is
null, although one of the parties was innocent of the
murder, and both of them innocent of adultery : or
16
182 The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
if a married man or woman commit adultery, witlr
a promise of future marriage after the death of their
present wife or husband, in punishment of such a pro-
mise, joined with the crime of adultery, though no mur-
der was committed, their future marriage is null : or
if a married man or woman should pretend to mar-
ry another, in the life-time of the first wife or hus-
band, and afterwards the first wife or husband chance
to die, then if the person whom they pretended to mar-
ry, was at the time of such marriage conscious that it
was a false marriage, they cannot marry with that per-
son, even after the death of their former wife or hus-
band ; but it is otherwise if they were not conscious of
the cheat.
6. If one who is a Christian and baptized marries
with an infidel, or one who is not baptized, the mar-
riage is null.
7. If the consent of either party was not free, but ex-
ported by violence used, the marriage is null.
8. if any man who has received the order of Priest,
Deacon, or Subdeacon, marries withont a dispensation,
the marriage is null.
9. If any one who is actually married, should marry
another wife or husband before the death of the first,
the second marriage is null.
10. If a man and woman are publicly espoused or
promised to each other, though not yet married, and
afterwards their engagement be broke oft', neither of
these ' parties who were so promised or espoused, can
marry with the father or mother, or with the brother or
sister of the party to whom they were espoused, and all
such marriages would be null. (Con. Trid. Sess. 24.
c. SJ
11. If any man or woman marries with any of their
former husband's or wife's relations, to the fourth de-
gree of affinity inclusive, it is no marriage : or if a man
or woman marry with a relation of that person witli
whom they have committed adultery or fornication,
to the second degree inclusive, it is no marriage : or if
the godfather or godmother, in baptism or confirma-
tion, or the party who baptizes, should afterwards
marry with the party baptized, or with his parent, it
Ttie Christian Doctrine explained. 183
i*S no marriage, on account of the spiritual affinity con-
tracted.
12. If a marriage be not contracted in the presence
of the pastor, and before two at least or three witnesses,
it is a clandestine marriage and null, in all places where
the discipline of the Council of Trent is received^
(Sess. 24. c. 1J
13. If either party, through a defect of nature,
which is perpetual and incurable, cannot consummate
the marriage, it is null : but if that defect be not per-
petual and incurable, or though it be perpetual, if it
happens after marriage was contracted, the marriage is
valid.
14. If a man has stolen a woman, and carried her
off by force, against her consent, so long as she remains
under his power, there can be no marriage between
them ; but if she be first set at liberty, and then con-
sent to marry him, the marriage will 6e valid. (Con.
Trid. Sess. 24. c. 6 .}
Some one may question, how any authority on earth
can create impediments against marriage, so as to ren-
der that null which would otherwise be valid ? But the
reason is, because marriage is not only a sacrament, but
also a contract; now, a contract may be null, either by
the law of nature, or by any express law of God or man,
and hence marriages may be null any of these ways.
If we regard marriage only as a natural contract, (as
under the law of nature it was) every one that had the
legislative power, could then constitute impediments
against marriage ; because the constituting of matrimo-
nial impediments, is nothing else but a law which pre-
scribes the conditions under which the contract of mar-
riage is to be made, and without which it is to be void.
And as every legislator has authority to ordain what is
for the public good, and marriage has a reference to the
public good, where it is only, a natural contract, it lies
under the authority of the civil law ; for which reason,
any Christian prince may now constitute impediments
against the marriages of infidels in his dominions ; be-
cause such marriage is only a natural contract. But
marriage between Christians being now made a sacra**
184 The Poor Man's Catechism : Of<
ment of the new law, it is no longer subject to the pow-
er of temporal princes, who cannot alter or ordain any
thing that relates to the substance and matter of the
sacraments, nor consequently to the contract of mar-
riage, which is. now the matter of a sacrament. The
church then has the power of fixing these impediments^
not the prince.
As to those impediments which do not make void
and annul the marriage, but only render it unlawful,
and a sin of disobedience to the church, impedimenta
prohibentia, they come under four heads.
1. If by the interdict or prohibition of the church,
the bishop or curate, or any other ecclesiastical supe-
rior, you are forbid to marry within a certain space of
time, as so many days, weeks, &c. that they may con-
sult about some difficulty that occurs in the marriage ;
or if the church forbids marriage within such a place,
or with excommunicated persons, you cannot marry in
such case, without a sin, though the marriage will be
valid.
2. It will be also an unlawful, but valid marriage, if
within the forbidden times, (which begin with the first
Sunday of Advent , and end with Twelfth-day : arid begin
again with Jlsh- Wednesday, and end with Low -Sunday}
you proceed to solemnize marriage. Con. Trid. tiess,
24. c. 10.
3. If you have made a promise of future marriage to
any person with whom you may lawfully marry, this
brings a strong obligation upon you, not to marry with
any other, so long as the party you arejpromised to lives.,
and the promise subsists.
4. If you have made a private vow of perpetual chas-
tity ; or a vow to enter into holy orders : or a vow to
enter into religion, that is, into some religious order:
you cannot marry without a sin; but in that- case the
marriage nevertheless will be valid.
The reason why some impediments annul and inva-
lidate the marriage, and these now mentioned do not,
is because the former regard more the essence of the
sacraments, and these latter only the solemn rites or so*
fcemnity of it.
The Christian Doctrine explained* IBS
EXHOR. As you believe it your duty to obey all
otber precepts ojf tbe church, resolve also to obey this.
You see, here are impediments against marriage, which
invalidate, and absolutely annul the contract : some of
these impediments are grounded on the law of nature,
others on the positive law of God : and even as to
those that are constituted by the church law only, they
have no other tendency but to make the law ot* mar-
riage, which God instituted, be observed with greater
sanctity and perfection. This is likewise the end of
those other impediments which prohibit marriage within
certain times, but do not annul the contract. Attend
then to these regulations, which the church of God
has made concerning marriage, and never attempt to
break through them, to enter unlawfully into that state,
which may bring a curse, instead of a blessing upon
you, at your first entrance into it. Consider in what
difficulties many have entangled themselves, by pre*
tending to marry contrary to law : follow not the steps
of the disobedient, but when you enter into that state,
do it in the face of the church ; contrary to no law of
the churchy nor even ask a dispensation without a ojood
cause; so shall your marriage be honourable, ami the
bed undefined.
The three evangelical counsels expounded.
e first evan ? elical
luntary poverty, which is leaving all things
to follow Christ. ({. What is the second ? Jl. Perpetual
chastity, which is a voluntary abstaining from marriage,
and all carnal pleasures, for the love of God. Q. What
is tlie third ? #. Obedience, which is a voluntary sub-
mission to another's will in all that is not sin.
INSTRUC. -The evangelical counsels are holy and
divine admonitions ; but not being commands, every
one is left at his o\vn vviil ami discretion to follow them^
the better to advance in greater perfection, and with
more ease to fuitil the will and commandments of God.
They were left us by Christ himself, arid recommended
to us by his apostles. There can be then no supersti-
16*
186 The Poor Man's Catechism: 0r,
tion in embracing them, or doing by them more than we
are commanded ; because they are so many steps^
which help and advance us to the height of perfection,
and the pure love of God. If I do or give more for my
prince's service than I am commanded, this rather in-
creases than lessens his favour : so if I do or give for
the service of God, more than he has commanded, this
must increase his love, and not lessen, but heighten
my reward : superstition takes from God, but these
give to God still greater honour and glory.
The first is voluntary poverty, or a voluntary leaving
and forsaking all we have in the world, to follow Christ.
This was very much recommended to us by Christ him-
self: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell the things thou
hast, and give, to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure
in heaven, and come, follow me, Matt. xix. 21. This
the apostles followed, who left all to be his disciples.
Behold, says St. Peter, ive have forsaken all things and
followed thee, what reward shall ice have? Jesus an-
swered, Every one that hath left his house or land, or
his brothers or sisters for my sake, shall receive a hun-
dredfold, and possess life everlasting. This many have
embraced after them, by a voluntary vow of poverty,
whereby they have bereaved themselves of all property
and dominion over all things, and can call nothing their
own ; but only have use for what their superior is pleas-
ed to allow them : this is called religious poverty.
The second is perpetual chastity, which is a voluntary
abstaining from marriage, and forbearance of all carnal
pleasures, for the love of God. This is a second work
of perfection, which Christ recommended in himself,
being born of a virgin, and plainly counsels it, though
commands it not, Matt. xix. 12. And St. Paul proves
it to be a more perfect state than matrimony, 1 Cor. viu
He that giveth his virgin in marriage, does well ; but
he that giveth her not, does better. This many after the
apostles have followed ; and all should observe it, who
take the order of priest, or deacon, and subdeacou,
according to 'the command of the Church. Jovinian,
an old condemned heretic, was the first that taught
marriage ti> be preferable to virginity, and persuaded.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 187
priests and nuns to marry ; for which he was called a
monster by St. Augustin. This evangelical counsel
helps ufe to live up with more purity and sanctity to the
whole law of God, and removes one of the greatest
hindrances to it, carnal pleasures.
The third is obedience, or a voluntary submission to
another's will, in all that is not sin. This the Son of
God practised, when, being made man, he became
obedient to Mary and Joseph : He came to Nazareth,
and was subject to them, Luke iii. 51. And this we are
exhorted to practise by St. Paul, whfcn he says, Obey
your prelates, and be subject to them, Heb. xiii. 17. This
evangelical^ counsel breaks our wills, by making them
subject to the will of another, and helps us more readi-
ly to obey the will and commandments of God, the
great Ruler and Superior of mankind.
EXHOR. Can we, O Christians, do too much for
heaven, too much to preserve us in virtue and the love
of God ? Can we be too strict in observing the will
of God ? Now, these three evangelical counsels are
recommended to the .practice of such as are willing ta
embrace them, the better to advance these ends, and
promote the glory of God. If we are not strictly
obliged to this evangelical poverty, at least all are
obliged not to indulge an immoderate love of riches,
or things of this life, and to assist the poor, as much as
in their power : Blessed are the poor in Spirit. Bless-
ed are they wha abstract their minds from an excessive
love of riches, and are contented with a sufficiency
without covetousness. If we have not tied ourselves
by the vow of chastity, yet every one is obliged to re-
frain from unlawful pleasures, lustful thoughts, words
and actions : St. Paul teaches, that all who follow car-
nal delights, shall be excluded the kingdom of heaven i
no adulterer, no fornicator, no unclean person shall in-
herit with Christ in glory, 1 Cor. vi. 9. If we have
not bound ourselves by a vow of obedience to the will of
another, yet all are bound to obey those superiors, tem-
poral or spiritual, whom God has placed over us. And
St. Paul pronounces condemnation against those who
resist them 5 and Christ himself has said. He that will
188 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
not hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen
man and a publican. Matt, xviii. 17.
Of the Sacraments in general.
Q. TTOW many are the sacraments of the new law ?
JL JL *#. Seven; Baptism, Confirmation, Holy
Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, . Holy Order,
Matrimony. (. What i& a sacrament in general ? A.
It is a visible sign of invisible grace instituted by Christ
our Lord, for ou* sanctification, by which grace is con-
veyed to our souls. Q. From whence have the sacra-
ments their force and efficacy ? A. From the blood,
passion, and merits of Christ, which by them are ap-
plied to our souls.
INSTRUC. The word sacrament imports as much as
a sacred or holy thing that lies hidden; or, as the Greek
expresses it, a mystery : and thus the sensible signs in-
stituted by Christ our Lord, which represent the hid-
den grace, that secretly works salvation in our souls,
may be properly called sacraments.
A sacrament is a visible sign ; but there are two sorts
of these appointed by divine institution : some are
mere signs, without effecting what they signify ; as the
unleavened bread, purifications, and sacraments of the
old law ; but others are efficacious, which not only sig-
nify the grace that makes us holy, but also convey it to
us ; and of this kind are the seven sacraments of the
new law.
A sacrament is a visible sign, because the matter and
form are words and actions, which are seen and per-
ceived by our senses ; but is a sign of invisible grace 9
because grace is not perceived by our senses, but by the
eye of the soul, that is, by divine faith.
The.sacrarnents of the new law are seven ; and this
number is suited to all states and degrees, and serve to
all the necessities of our souls, correspondent to thuse of
our bodies : for as to our corporal necessities, we must
be first born into the world ; and to this baptism ansv.'ers,.
whereby we are regenerated and born anew to God.
2. We must gain strength and growth, thereby to be-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 189
come perfect men ; and to this answers Confirmation,
whereby we are made strong and perfect Christians. 3.
We must have a daily competent sustenance for life ;
and to this the blessed Eucharist corresponds, whereby
our souls are fed and preserved to life eternal. 4.
When sick, we must have physic and remedies to cure
jur wounds and diseases ; and to this the sacrahient of
Penance answers, whereby all the diseases and wounds
made in our souls by sin are healed. 5. We must have
cordials and restoratives against the agonizing fits and
pangs of death ; and to this corresponds Extreme Unc-
tion, whereby our souls are strengthened in their ago-
ny, against despair, and the last assaults of the Devil.
6. We must be governed by laws and magistrates, to
avoid injustice and confusion: and to this answers
Holy Order, whereby we are provided with pastors
and spiritual superiors, to guide, govern and direct
our souls. 7. We must increase and multiply in a
lawful and natural way, by marriage : aud to this an-
swers the sacrament of Matrimony, whereby the mar-
ried state is blessed and sanctified, not only to the hav-
ing of children, but to the having and educating of them
to life eternal !
The seven sacraments w r ere instituted by Christ our
Lord; because he only, who is the Author of grace, and
nature, is able to give to natural things the virtue to
produce supernatural effects of grace. They were or-
dained to sanctify our souls : that is, to render them
holy and agreeable to God, while sin is blotted out, and
sanctifying grace is given or increased in them.
The sacraments have their virtue and efficacy, not
from man, though never so excelling in virtue and holi-
ness, but from the death and passion of Christ, who
gives the interior effect of all the sacraments ; so that
the sacraments give grace instrumentality, and God prin-
cipally. *
SECT. II.
Q. TN what does a sacrament chiefly consist ? A. In
JL the words, actions, and other Sensible things*
190 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
used and applied by the priest when he administers a
sacrament; and these are called Matter and Form.
Q. Do all the sacraments of the new law give grace ?
fl. They do. Q. What is grace ? */?. It is a free gift of
God, or supernatural help, not at all due to us, by which
our souls are sanctified and enabled to overcome sin,
and dp works meritorious of eternal life. Q. What
other effects have the sacraments in the soul ? %/L Be-
sides grace, three of them, viz. Baptism, Confirmation,
and Holy Order, produce an indelible character. Q.
What is this indelible character ? A. It is a spiritual
mark in the soul, which will remain in it for ever.
INSTHUC.- There are two things essential to every
sacrament, matter and form ; which must be applied by
a proper minister, lawfully sent and ordained ; who
must act with an intention to do what the church does,
and what Christ instituted : as for example, the matter
in baptism is the water; the form these words, / baptize
ihee in the name ef tlie Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost.
There are many ceremonies used in the administration
of all the sacraments, as well for the solemnity of them,
as to signify and represent the invisible grace which is
received by each sacrament, and introduce us to the
faith of invisible truth by visible signs. There can then
be no superstition in such ceremonies by which God is
served with greater solemnity, and piety advanced.
Why do \ve bend a knee to our prince, but to show our
utmost respect ? Why do we uncover our heads, and
bow to our friend, but to express our regard ? And can-
not the like outward marks of respect be shown to God,
to express our utmost adoration ot him, and our utmost
gratitude, for all his spiritual blessings to our souls ?
Besides, these ceremonies in general are confirmed from
the authority both of the old and new law : the Jew s
used many ceremonies in their divine service, by the
appointment of God himself; and our blessed Saviour
has authorised them in the new law, in several passages
of his life, particularly in his curing the deaf and dumb
man, Mark vii. S3. In a word, "Whatever the church
" says, is true $ whatever it permits, is lawful \ whatever
The Christian Doctrine explained. 191
" it forbids, is evil; whatever it ordains, is holy; whate-
46 ver it institutes, is good." St. dugustin. You will
say, perhaps, our Saviour did not institute these cere-
monies ; but he gave the church that power ; by which
they were instituted ; and these visible objects lead us
to great truths. The very ceremonies used in bap-
tism, as the exorcisms, breathings, &e. shew that we
are born under the power of the Devil in original sin.,
as St. Jlugustin remarks.
The chief effect of the sacraments is divine grace :
tins flows from the immense bounty of God, and is a
most free gift, not due to us because we ourselves are the
most unworthy of it. It is the greatest treasure of a
Christian soul, and the only help to happiness ; for since
we are not able to do any good of ourselves, to merit
heaven, all our help must be from God and the force of
divine grace. In this powerful efficacy and virtue, the
sacraments of the hew law exceed those of the old.
Another effect of some of them, is what we call a
character ; of which St. Paul seems to speak, where he
says, God hath sealed us, 1 Cor. i. 21. This is a spi-
ritual mark imprinted in the soul by baptism, confirma-
tion, and order, which never can be defaced : for which
reason those three sacraments cannot be reiterated, that
is given twice to the same person, without sacrilege : by
the first, a man is made and marked a Christian : by
the second, a Christian Soldier: by the third, a Chris-
tian Minister.
EXHOR. how much do you owe to these divine in-
stitutes of the holy sacraments ! O what veneration
ought you to have for them ! They are the first an$l
greatest pledges of God's mercy to you. By them you
are made partakers of the passion, death, and all the
merits of our Saviour. What would you be without
them ? Even in the same deplorable state of misery our
first parent was in after his sin. But what are you now,
by them ? Everything that God could grant you; his
favour, his grace, his glory; even the enjoyment of
himself: all that our blessed Saviour merited in his life
and death for us, is given you by virtue of the holy sa-
craments. There is not a moment of our lives, nor any
192 The Pocr Marts Catechism : Or,
'state or condition of life, in which we are not supported
by them ; and this in order to an eternal life, and bles-
sed state in heaven. Ought not we then to venerate eve-
ry thing that belongs to them ?
As God has now done his part, and will do it to the
last, see you do your part : remember what St. Jlugus-
tin says, He that made us without ourselves, will not save
us without ourselves : that is, unless we, by free-will,
co-operate with his grace and goodnesss to us. What
will baptism avail, unless we preserve the grace receiv-
ed therein, and put in execution the promises there
made ? What will confirmation avail, if we forsake the
cause of Christ, through fear of men, and yield under
the persecutions of the world ? What will the sacra-
ments of the holy Eucharist and Penance avail, if not-
withstanding so much grace received in the one, we fall
again into our sins, nor even then have recourse to the
other ? See then, when you are grown up to years of dis-
cretion, you apply these two sacraments to your souls,
as your necessities shall require : if overtaken with any
dangerous sickness, think of your unum necessarium,
your only necessary : call in the priests of the church,
and receive the sacrament of Extreme Unction, while
you are in your senses, and join your heart with the
priest, while he prays for the health of your soul and
body. O what more comfortable at the hour of death,
than to hear from the mouth of God, If he be in sin.
his sins are foi^given him, James v. 15. O blessed
absolution in death ! If you enter into the married stale,
let it not be done without receiving the sacrament of
matrimony in the church of Christ: what blessing cau
you expect in that slate, if ygu are married out of the
church ?
Lastly, bear a due respect to all the ceremonies used
in the administration of the sacraments. Reflect on
the blessed inward effect of the sacraments, wrought in
your soul, through those visible signs. Adore God, for
the grace he gives you ; adore his power, who, by these
weak elements, works such wonders of his grace and
blessing in you. It is truly said by our Saviour, that
the kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 193
&&li which is the least of all the seeds. Matt. xiii. 33. but
grows to a large tree. So these outward signs in the
sacraments, the* matter and form, seem little to man, but
Import and do such effects in the soul as are beyond the
comprehension of man. depth of the riches of God's
wisdom and knowledge ! ^
SECT. I.
Of Baptism.
q, TT THAT is Baptism ? A. It is the first Christian
V V sacrament, by which we are freed from ori-
ginaf sin, and all sin whatever ; re-born children of
God, heirs of heaven, and members of Christ's church,
by the washing of water, and the word of life, John
iii. 5. Ephes. v. 26. Q. What is the necessary matter
of it ? Jl. Natural water, for artificial water will not
serve. (. What is the form of it ? Jl. These words,
/ baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. (. What if the words I bap-
tize, or any of the three persons be left out ? Jl. Then
the baptism is not valid. Q. Can any one be saved
without baptism ? Jl. He cannot^ unless he have it
either actually, or in desire, or be baptized in his own
blood, by martrydom. Q. Can no man but a priest
baptize ? Jl. Yes, in case of necessity any layman or
woman may do it. Q. What intention is required in
him that baptizes ? A. To do what the church does,
and Christ ordained.
Baptism, according to the ecclesiastical use of the
word, signifies thai, sacrament by which our souls are
purified from ail sin, by the washing of water , and the
ivords of life. It is the first and most necessary of all
the sacraments 5 for Christ hath said it, Unless one be
born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God, John iii. 5. And his church has
defined, that no one can be saved, unless he be baptized
either actually or in desire, Coun. Trent. Sess. 6. c. 4 :
so that there is no remedy for those infants that die
without baptism 5 they can never come to the enjoy-
If
194 . The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
inent of God, except they die like the holy Innocents^
who were slain by the hands of persecutors, out of ha-
tred to Christ. The reason is, because 'all are born in
sin, and there is no remedy for that sin, no remission
but through the blood of Christ, which is not applied to
our souls without baptism, this being the first sacrame"nt
we can receive. It is called a sacrament of the dead,
because we are ail born dead in original sin, and this is
the only sacrament that can restore us to a spiritual life.
It was instituted by Christ, who alone as Lord of na-
ture and grace, is able to give material things a virtue to
produce supernatural effects. The baptism of St. John
Baptist was a preparation to it ; and its excellency was
shewn at the baptism of our Saviour, when the fhree
divine Persons sensibly appeared : the Father, by the
voice which was heard, This is my beloved Son : the
8on, under the form of a Man ; the Holy Ghost, under
the form of a Dove ; the heavens at the same time open-
ing, to declare the effect of it, that it opens heaven to
to us and gives a right to the enjoyment of eternal
glory.
Many were the types of baptism in the Old Testa-
ment; as when the spirit of God was carried upon the
waters, and gave them a vital virtue to produce living
creatures ; so baptism consists of water and the spirit,
and has a virtue to create a new life in us : it was also
figured by the waters of the deluge, which purified the
sinful world, I Pet. iii. 20. By circumcision, whereby
the Israelites were distinguished from the infidel na-
tions, and saved by this mark of faith in Christ to come ;
and by the passage of the Israelites through the Red
iSfea,- to the land of promise; a true type of our passing
by the waters of baptism to the land of eternal pro-
mise.
The necessary matter of baptism is pure natural wa-
ter, and no other; according to that, Unless one be re-
born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God, John iii. It was so instituted by
Christ to be administered with natural water, and so the
apostles administered it, Jlcts x. 47. that as this sacra-
ment is so essential to life, the matter of it might be al-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 195
ways at hand ; as also to represent the invisible grace of
the sacrament ; for as water washes clean the body, so
baptism purifies the soul. There are three ways of bap-
tism, all of them valid ; as by sprinkling or aspersion :
by pouring or effusion ; and by plunging. Whether
you sprinkle, pour or plunge, once or three times, is not
essential ; but according to the rites of the church in
this part of the world, we pour the water on the head of
the party that is baptized, three times ; at the same
time pronouncing the form, / baptize thee in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost :
tnese words being prescribed by Christ himself,the sacra-
ment cannot subsist without them, or words equivalent^
and the same in substance ; as in the form used in the
Greek Church : The servant of God is baptized in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. If any part of the body be washed with the
water of baptism, very probably the baptism is valid 5
but it ought to be chiefly poured upon the head, as being
the principal part of the body : in a word, whoever bap-
tizes should follow the rites and custom of the church and
diocese where he lives. The ministers of baptism are,
1. Bishops and pastors by their ordinary power; 2. Dea-
cons by commission ; 3. Any layman or woman in case of
necessity ; and whether it is done by Catholic or Here-
tic, by Christian or infidel, provided he intends to do
what the church does, and what Christ ordained, the
baptism is valid ; which shews the goodness of God,
who makes this sacrament so easy and common, that no
one may be excluded from it 5 and therefore he would
not have it depend upon the faith or sanctity of the
minister ; for this as well as all the rest, is as lioly and
undefiled in the hands of a wicked minister as in the
hands of a good one, and of the same benefit to our
souls ; because the grace which is conferred by it, de-
pends not on men, who are ministers, but on Christ
himself: for when a priest baptizes, it is Christ himself
that principally baptizes.
As to the effect of baptism, it purifies the soul from
original sin, and from all the sin we have committed by
our free-will, since we came to the use of reason : Let
196 The Poor Man's Catechism : Of,
every one of you be baptized for the remission of sins,
Acts ii. 39. It remits also the temporal punishment due
to sin $ because the merits of Christ are fully and en-
tirely communicated to us in this sacrament, to satisfy
God's justice for sin, and its punishment. Before bap-
tism, we are infidels out gf the state of grace, out of the
church ; by it we are made members of the church, and
the habit of faith, with other virtues, are infused into
our souls : by our first birth, we are born in sin, chil*
dren of wrath ; by baptism we are born again, born of
God, adopted children of God : by our first birth we
are born to eternal misery ; by our^second birth in bap-
tism, we are born to eternal life $ for if sons of God, we
are also heirs of heaven : for which reason baptism is
called regeneration, because by it we are re-born of God,
John iii. 5.
As to the necessity of this sacrament, though it is es-
sential to salvation, yet if it be received only in desire
with faith, and a true contrition for sin, when it cannot
be received actually, this suffices ; or if a person, .before
baptism, be martyred for the faith ; in these two cases
he is saved without actual baptism : for since the bap-
tism of water has its virtue from the death of Christ,
and from the Holy Ghost, as the first cause, and the
cause does not depend upon the effect, but far exceeds
it 5 hence one may receive the effect of baptism, not on-
ly by the sacrament, but through the death of Christ,
without the sacrament, in the case of martyrdom, by
which we resemble him in his death, arid are made par-
takers of it, by dying for him. In like manner one may
receive the effect of baptism by the grace of the Holy
Ghost, without the sacrament when it cannot be had,
and the heart at the same time is moved by the Holy
Ghost to a desire of it, with faith, contrition, and a pure
love of God ; so that neither this baptism of the Spirit,
(baptisinus FlaminisJ nor the baptism of blood, (bap-
tismus sanguinisj by martyrdom suffices, unless we
have a Iso the baptism of water in heart and desire, (in
voto.J Now, if baptism is so essentially necessary to
life and salvation, pastors ought to be so* much the more
careful, to administer this sacrament validly, and ses
The Christian Doctrine explained. 19f
there be no essential defect in the application of the
matter and form : as also parents, to bring their chil-
dren to the font in time ; mothers in particular, not to
hurt or destroy the fruit of their womb ; and lastly, all
the faithful ought to be well instructed how to give lay -
baptism in case of necessity.
SECT. IL
Of the Ceremonies of Baptism*
INSTRUC- HPHE water, and the words / baptize tlwe
TION. JL in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost,' is all that is essential to
the sacrament of baptism; but the primitive churcfi
used many ceremonies in the administration of it, which
the church at present has retained; the design whereof
is more fully to express, and represent the grace we re-
ceive by this sacrament, and the obligations we then
undertake.
1. The party to be baptized i& brought to the church
door, and there stopped ; to signify that being born in
original sin, and as yet a slave to the Devil, he is out
of the church, and that baptism gives him entrance
into it.
2. The priest having asked his name, (which ought
not to be any profane or heathenish name, but the name
of some saint, the more to excite him to a good life) he
then says, What do you demand of the Church of God F
The sureties answer for him, Faith ; by which is meant
the belief of the whole Christian religion, which if put
in practice, brings life everlasting.
3. Then he breathes in his face three times (as our
Saviour breathed on his apostles, when lie imparted the
Holy Ghost to them) and commands the Devil to de-
part, and give place to the Holv Ghost; signifying, by
this ceremony, that he is by this sacrament made the
temple of the Holy Ghost.
4. He then makes the sign of the cross on his fore-
bead, to signify, that henceforward he must not be
ashamed of the cross of Christ, but publicly profess
17*
198 The Poor Man's Catechtsm : Or,
himself a Christian ; he signs him also on the breast ?
to signify that he is not only outwardly to profess, but
inwardly to believe, the faith and law of Christ.
5. He blesses salt, and puts some of it into his mouth,
to signify, that the words of a Christian are seasoned
with wisdom, of which salt is an emblem in holy scrip-
ture : Let your discourse be seasoned with the salt of
wisdom. Col. iv. 6.
6. As our Saviour gave a power to his apostles, and
in them to his church, over all devils, and over .all the
power of the enemy, that they might cast them forth,
Mat. x. 1. the priest proceeds to read the exorcisms,
commanding the wicked spirit to depart in the name of
Him who is to come to judge the quick and the dead.
This ceremony also signifies that we are born in original
sin, children of wrath, under the power of the Devil.
St. Cyp. ep. 76. Greg. Wax. ora. 40. St. Optat. Mil. 1.
4. St. Cyr. Hierosol. Cat. 1. Ccelestin. ep. ad Gal. St.
Aug. l.l.de Nup. # Con. c. 9. 1. 2. c. 29.
7. He then lays the stole upon the child, and leads
him into the church to receive baptism; reciting toge-
ther with the god-father and god-mother^ the Apostles'
Creed and the Lord's Prayer, to signify, that the
church of God admits none to her communion who
profess not that faith, and that none are worthy of bap-
tism who are ignorant of that prayer.
8. The priest repeats the exorcisms as before.
9. He touches the ears and nostrils of the party to
be baptized with spittle ; which ceremony is mentioned
by St. Ambrose, 1. 1. de Initi. c. 1. in imitation of our
Saviour, who, with the like ceremony, opened the eyes
of the blind man, John vi. 9. and cured the man deaf
and dumb, Mark vii. 38. This ceremony signifies,
that by the grace of this sacrament, his ears are open
to the doctrine of Christ, and his mouth to confess his
faith.
10. The party to be baptized being now brought la
the font, the priest asketh three questions : Do you
renounce Satan ? To which is answered by the god-
father and god-mother, I do renounce him. 2. And all
his works? They answer, I DO RENOUNCE THEM*
The Christian Doctrine explained.
S. And all f hzs pomps ? They answer, / do renounce
them. Upon these conditions he is admitted to bap-
tism.
11. Then he is admitted with the holy oils blessed
by the Bishop, on the breast, and between the shoul-
ders : as these unctions were used in all consecrations in
the old law ; and are in the new, this ceremony signi-
fies that by baptism we are consecrated to God and his
service.
12. Next he is examined as to his faith : Do you be-
lieve in God the Father Jllmighty, Creator of heaven
and earth, Sfc. The god-father and god-mother an-
swer for him, if he is not of age himself, I do believe.
Here he professes his faith of the blessed Trinity, of
the Incarnation, of the holy Catholic Church, the re-
surrection of the body, and life everlasting.
13. The priest then says, Will you be baptized? An-
swer is made by the sureties, or by himself, if of age>
I will: to signify that as our first parents wilfully trans-
gressed, we, their children, must willingly return to
our duty : yet as to infants, who have not the use of
reason, God is pleased they should be brought to bap-
tism, by the will and by the faith of others 5 because it
was not by any act of their own will, but by the will of
others, they are born in original sin.
Then the water is poured on the head of the party
baptized three times, in form of a cross, by the priest,
saying, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : and this is the bap-
tism itself.
14. After baptism the priest anoints the top of his
head with chrism, to signify that he is now a member
of the church, united to the head Christ Jesus.
15. Then a white linen is put on his head, which re-
presents the innocence and purity he has received by
baptism; which he must take care 10 preserve till death
and judgment. St. Jimb. de Init. c. 7. St. Jlug. de Di.
ver. Ser. 8.
16. A Jighted candle is put into his hand, to signify
that his soul is now espoused to Christ ; that, as a
burning lamp, he ought to shine by his faith and good
200 The Poor Man's Catechism : Qr,
works, in the church of God, and so to meet the Bride-
groom, with the five prudent virgins, and all the saints,
at his second coming.
17. Lastly, the priest says to the new-baptized, Go
in peace, and*our Lord be with thee. It is also very
proper to admonish the god-father and god-mother of
their duty to the child, and the spiritual affinity they
contract with their god-children, and the parents, so
far, that there can he no valid marriage between them,
without a dispensation from the church : this is the rea-
son why the church allows but one god-fatherland one
god-mother to the same party, to prevent too* great an
extent of this spiritual affinity ; even one suffices,
either god-father or god -in other, Coun. Trent. Sess.
24. c. 2. but these ought to be such as are capable of in-
structing the child in the rudiments of the Catholick
faith, if the parents neglect it, or are prevented by
death; whence it must be concluded, that none but
good Catholicks, persons of good morals, ought to be
admitted to this charge.
EXHOR Consider well now, O Christian, how ex-
cellent is this sacrament, whereby you are washed and
purified from original sin, and from all sin ; called to
faith, and placed in the bosom of God's church. O
what thanks are due from you to the Almighty, who, by
a special grace and favour, has brought you to baptism,
at the same time thousands are perishing in idolatry,
and in their native misery ; O there is none can enter
heaven without it ! Unless one be born again of water y
and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God. St. John iii. God himself has said it, arid he
only is truth itself.
What does this blessiag deserve at your hands, but
to preserve with great care your baptismal innocence^
by a just integrity in ^our life and manners ? And if
at any time it be stained with sin, to wipe out the
foulest stain again with speed, by the sacrament of pe-
nance.
Often reflect what you promised at the font; how
far you have complied, how far you have been defici-
ent therein. There you professed your faith in God
The Christian Doctrine explained. 20i
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; in the incarnation*
the Catholic Church, <*c. Has your faith been entire,,
firm and lively ? Have you doubted in any matter of
faith, delivered by God's church ? Have you professed
it, and never blushed to profess it, before a sinful ge-
neration of- men ? Has your faith shewed itself in cha-
rity and good works ? This, O Christian, is your taskj
this your obligation, this your way to eternal life. Re-
flect again on the promises you there made, and your
engagements to God, to renounce the Devil and -all his
works and pomps. This ceremony at baptism has in
all times been observed by the church, and deserves
your serious attention. What is it to renounce the
Devil, but to profess that you will no longer be a slave
of the Devil, but the servant of God ? What is it, but
to withstand all temptations, and the evil suggestions
he raises in your heart ? my soul, how often have you
given ear to him, how often even consented and deli-
vered yourself up to him, as Eve did to his voice in Pa*
radise 2 O how often has he deceived you, and made a
mockery of you, and drawn you into the same misery
with himself ? Repent and return again to the Lord your
God. What is it to renounce his works, but to renounce
all sin, even the least ? Sin is a work of the Devil 5
sin took its rise from him ; sin made him, and all his
followers miserable. think of those works of dark-
ness v,ou have been guilty of, Whether it has been pride,
covtk-jusness, luxury or gluttony ; whether concupis-
cence of the flesh, concupiscence of the eyes, or pride
of life. Repent as far as you are guilty, and return to
the Lord your God. What is it to renounce his pomps,
but all the vanity and foolish delights the world propo-
ses to you 5 as honours, riches, grandeur, or long life ?
O how often have you put earth in balance with heaven ?
How often preferred the riches of this world to the
riches of divine grace 1 How often time to eternity !
O fool ! repent, and return again to the Lord your God.
Renew your promises once more, and humbly beg of
God he would add a second grace to the first, that as he
made you a Christian, he would forgive what is past,
and preserve and protect you in the true life of a cjms .-
202 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
tian, 'which is the only thing that will bring you to life
everlasting. Remember the white robe that covered
you ; carry it unstained before the judgment seat.
Remember the light put into your hand ; prepare your
lighted lamp with the five prudent virgins, to meet the
Spouse, when he shall come and call you at death. Re-
member the indelible character which was imprinted in
your soul by baptism ; this is God's mark, which will
ever remain, to testify the alliance you then made with
the three divine Persons, in whose name you were bap-
tized, to be no longer your own, nor of the Devil, nor
of the world, but to be nis servant. Remember this, and
keep your baptism without reproof.
Of the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Q. TT7HAT is confirmation ? Jl. It is a sacrament
VV by which the Holy Ghost is given to such
as are baptised, to strengthen" them in their faith, and
make them perfect Christians. Q. What is the matter
of it ? tf. Imposition of hands with unction of chrism.
Q. What is the form of it ? A. The invocation of the
Holy Ghost, and these words : I sign thee with the sign
of the cross ; 1 confirm thee with *the chrism of salva-
tion^ in the name of the Father, 'and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost. Q. Who is the minister of it ? *#. A
Bishop only. Q. What shi is it not to receive this atcra-
ment, when we may have it ? *#. A mortal sin, i&fct be
out of contempt or any gross neglect, especially in a
persecuting country.
INSTRUC. The sacrament was instituted by our
Saviour, who promised to send the Holy Ghost to his
disciples, to be their Almighty Comforter and support
under all tribulations. St. John xiv. 16, This was
fulfilled on Whitsunday, when the Holy Ghost de-
scended on the Apostles and Disciples in Jerusalem;
for the promise was not only to the Apostles, but to you
and your children, said St. Peter to the Jews ; and to
all who are afar off, whom our Lord shall call, Acts ii.
39, 40. that is to all the faithful. Accordingly, the
Apostles were solicitous thatthpse who? were baptized^
The Christian 'Doctrine explained.
should be confirmed by their hands, that they might
receive the Holy Ghost : And when they heard that Sa-
maria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and
John to them; and they laid their hands on them, and
they received the Holy Ghost, Acts viii. 17. This was
the sacrament of confirmation, which the Apostles
knew they were commanded by Christ to administer to
the new-baptized; for if it were not of divine institu-
tion, they had never presumed to give the Holy Ghost,
by the imposition of their hands. In like manner we
read, that St. Paul laid his hands on the new-baptized
at Ephesns, and the Holy Ghost came upon them. Acts
xix. 5, 6. The same sacrament was given to all be-
lievers, even from the infancy of the church to this pre-
sent time, by the bishops who succeeded the Apostles,
and with the same blessed effect, as to the seven-fold
grace of the Holy Ghost.
The sacrament of confirmation follows baptism, to
confirm the work which was there begun. In baptism,
we are born children of grace ; in confirmation, we
are strengthened to maintain what we there professedr
In the first, we are as infants, with all the tender weak-
ness suitable to our spiritual birth 5 in the second, we
become as perfect men and soldiers, able to profess and
defend our faith, before tyrants and persecutors, by
that virtue and strength we receive from the Holy
Ghost, who is herein given to us. If now, this sacra-
ment be not so absolutely necessary to salvation as
baptism ; yet, in consideration of our human weakness,
it is necessary to conquer all difficulties we meet with
in. this mortal state, and therefore cannot be omitted
without a great sin, when opportunity serves.
As all the sacraments have their proper matter and
form ; so the matter of this sacrament, according to the
opinion of good divines, is imposition of hands and
chrism. As to the form it is expressed in the invocation of
the Holy Ghost, arid these words, I sign thee with the
sign of the cross, Sfc. What we are bound to believe^
and what the church has always believed, is, that the
bishops, in like manner as the Apostles, do give the
Holy Ghost, by the sacrament of confirmation, to such
204 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
as are first baptized; but whether the chrism, with
the words above, or the imposition of liands, by the
bishop, with the prayer that accompanies it, or both to-
gether, be the essential matter and form of this sacra-
ment, the church has not yet determined; though of
the chrism St. Paul seems plainly to speak, where he
says, God hath confirmed us; God hath anointed us,
and sealed us, and given us the pledge of his spirit in
our hearts. 2 Cor. i. 22.
The only ordinary ministers of confirmation are
bishops. None but the Apostles administered it, that
we read of; none of an inferior order to bishops ; for
when Samaria had received the faith, by the preaching
of St. Philip the deacon, St. Peter and" St. John were
sent from Jerusalem to confirm them. The same we
are taught by a perpetual tradition ; and the Council
of Trent so defined it, according to the decree of Eu~
genius the Fourth, sent to the Armenians, after the
Council of Florence : for as we are hereby entered sol-
diers to combat for our faith, it belongs to none, but
those who are in the higher offices of the church, to
enter us.
The sacrament of confirmation is administered after
the following manner : 1. The bishop extends his hands
ti3r those who are to be confirmed, with a prayer that
they may receive the seven-fold grace of the Holy
Ghost. This is the imposition of hands mentioned in
holy s*cripture. 2. With his thumb he anoints them on
the forehead with chrism, making a cross thereon, with
these words : I sign thee with the sign of the cross ; I
confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
3. He gives every one a light blow on the cheek, with
these words : Peace be with thee. The outward unction
of chrism signifies the inward grace of the sacrament ;
and chrism, being a richer substance than water, may
signify, that the grace of confirmation is the perfection
of that of baptism.
The balsam also, which preserves from corruption,
and is an aromatick, signifies, that the grace of the
Holy Ghost preserves from sin, and is a sweet perfume
The Christian Doctrine explained. 205
ia the church of God, according to that of St. Paul,
We are the sweet odour of Christ in all places. 2 Cor. ii.
The cross on the forehead signifies, that we are never
to blush at the gospel, but to profess it openly before
tyrants ; and the stroke on the cheek signifies, that we
must expect to undergo the stroke of persecution for
it ; but this is attended with great peace of mind, For
the peace of God is above all sense. Philip iv. 7.
The dispositions required for this sacrament are,
1. A right understanding of it. 2. A conscience free
from all mortal sin ; you must either receive it in your
baptismal innocence, the best state of all, or recover
your lost innocence again by the sacrament of penance.
3. Retirement in prayer and contemplation, and works
of piety, in imitation of the Apostles, the blessed Vir-
gin Mary, and the Disciples, who were in this disposi-
tion, when the Holy Ghost came upon them in Jerusa-
lem. Lastly. A heart disengaged from too great love
of the world ; Love not the world ; for if you do, the,
love of the Father, (the Holy Ghost) will not make his
abode in you. 1 John ii. 15.
As to the effects of this sacrament. 1. It imprints a
character, which is a spiritual mark in the soul, which
will never be defaced, but remain therein to our future
glory or confusion : for as by baptism we are marked
christians, so by confirmation we are marked Christian
soldiers; arid therefore, if we combat well for our faith
againat persecutors, it will be a glory to us ; far other-
wise, if we desert the cause. 2. By this sacrament is
communicated to our souls, the seven-fold grace of the
Holy Ghost; as wisdom, which draws us from the
world, to the love and enjoyment of God : understand-
ing, to submit to all the mysteries of our faith, and to
know and penetrate the excellency of them : counsel,
whereby we choose what is to the glory of God, and
good of our souls : fortitude, to withstand the Devil
and all his agents : knowledge, to discern the right
from the wrong : piety, to walk with delight in God's
service : fear, to adore God in all his attributes, and
dread to offend him. These are the virtues that lead
the Christian through all dangers of this life, unto etejp-
18
206 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
nal glory. This efficacious power and grace of the Ho-
ly Ghost, was visibly seen in the Apostles after his
coming ; who, before, were full of fear, and without
hearts and tongues to defend themselves; but imme-
diately after his coming, were filled with fortitude, and
boldly preached Christ to the world, and even rejoiced,
that they were thought worthy to suffer affronts for the
name of^ Jesus. It is this seven-fold grace of the Holy
Ghost is the proper effect of confirmation 5 not the Gra-
tia? gratis Datce^ not those extraordinary gifts of tongues,
or miracles, or prophecy, Sfc. numbered by St. Paul to
the Corinthians. 1 Cor. xii. For these were given more
for the conversion of infidels, than for our sanctifica-
tion, and were not the ordinary effect of this sacra-
ment, as is plainly proved, in that the faithful in the
primitive church did not all receive all those extraordi-
nary gifts with confirmation, but one had the gift of
tongues, another the gift of prophecy, another of mira-
cles, &c. as St. Paul testifies. Besides, the seven-fold
grace of the Holy Ghost, which enables us to perform
all the duties of our Christian state, is by far the more
excellent gift.
As in baptism, so in confirmation, we have a god -fa-
ther or god-mother, and may have both, but one suffi-
ces, and those who stand sponsors, contract the same
spiritual affinity with the party confirmed, and with
his parents as in baptism, and the same impediments of
marriage arises from it.
This sacrament may be received immediately after
baptism, whether in vour infancy, or when you are of
age, which seems to have been once the general prac-
tice, as it is in the Greek church at present ; but in the
Latin church the common practice is, not to give con-
firmation, but to such as are come to the use of reason.
EXHOR. Give thanks to God, O Christian, for the
institution of this gnat sacrament, which you either
have received, or are to receive : which gives such
strength, and enables you to withstand all the enemies of
your soul. think of the divine person that descends
upon you, as upon the Apostles and Disciples at Pente-
cost. Adore him .A&. the same God with the Father and
the Son? wrthr^rour whole heart* Think of those graces
The Christian Doctrine explained. 20?
ami gifts he bestows upon you : they infinitely exceed
all the gifts and blessings of nature ; for these enrich
the soul in order to a future eternal glory : gifts which,
in their effects, will abide by you for all eternity. As
to you, who have already been confirmed, see if you
have complied with the grace given you therein, or not
rather abused it. O recal yourself, and if through
weakness and frailty, you have gone astray, have re-
course to the sacrament of penance, by which sanctify-
ing grace is recovered. God is ever merciful to a truly
penitent sinner. As to you, who are to be confirmed,
see you come with a right disposition ; remember you
must be in a state of grace to receive it worthily ; for
mortal sin is opposite to all grace, and must needs frus-
trate the effect of the sacrament. In a word, endea-
vour to preserve unblemished the spiritual character
which is signed upon your soul, that it may appear, ene
day, not to your shame, but to your glory.
SECT. I.
OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST.
The Holy Eucharist a Sacrament.
Q. TTTHAT is the sacrament of the Holy Eucha-
\ V rist ? A, It is the body and blood of Jesus
Christ, true God and man, under the forms of bread
and wine. Q. In what manner is he there present ?
Jl. By the true and real presence of his divine and hu-
man nature, and not in figure only, as hereticks would
have it. Q. When did Christ ordain this sacrament ?
Jl. At his last supper. Q. By what power is it wrought?
Jl. By the divine power. Q. What is the matter of it ?
Jl. Wheaten bread, and wine of the grape. (. What
is the form of it ? Jl. This is my body, this is my
blood. Q. What are the effects of it ? JL It increases
grace, and nourishes the soul in spiritual life : He that
eats this bread shall live forever.
INSTRUC. The Holy Eucharist is the third sacra-
ment in the order of grace 5 in the first, we are re-born
308 The Poor Harfs Catechism : Or,
children of grace; in the second, we are strengthened
and confirmed, so to become perfect Christians ; in this
we are nourished, in order to eternal life. This sacra-
ment contains, under the species or appearance of bread
and wine, the body and blood of Christ, truly, really, and
substantially, and not in figure only; for Christ himself
convinced his disciples of the contrary ; when they con-
tended among themselves, saying, How can this man
give us his flesh to eat? Did he answer. They were to
eat it only in figure ? No : he answered, That they were
to eat it really and indeed : Unless you eat the flesh of
the &on of J\Ian, and drink his blood you shall not have
life in you f for my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is
drink indeed. What he there promised that he gave
to the Apostles at his last supper, as the Evangelists
testify : Take ye and eat, this is my body. This is my
Mood of the New Testament, which shall be shed
for many, for remission of sins. St. Matthew xxiv.
26. This is my body ; this is my blood of the New
Testament, which shall be shed for Kutny. St. Mark
xiv. 22. This is my body, which is given for you ;
this is the cup, the New Testament in my blood, which
shall be shed for you. St. Luke xxii. 19. The church
and holy fathers ever took it as such. This is done by
an omnipotent power, beyond the reach of man to fa-
thom : it is done by the same Almighty power, that
wrought such wonders throughout the old law ; that chan-
ged the rivers and waters of Egypt into blood, and blood
into waters again ; that changed the water into wine in
Cana; that made the world out of nothing; and cannot
he, who made all things out of nothing, make one thing
of another.
As the body and blood of Christ are truly and really
present, by virtue of these words, This is my body ;
this is my blood: and as his body and blood are not now
in a state of division, but union ; and his body and soul
are not now separated by death, but united again by his
resurrection; and moreover, as his human nature has
ever been united to his divine Person, by that insepara-
ble union which made him God and man ; hence it fol-
lows clearly, that Christ our Lord, true God and man,
is really present? and received in the holy Eucharist*
The Christian Doctrine explained. 209
whole and entire, under each kind ; the same who was
born of the Virgin Mary, the same who suifered, died,
rose again, and ascended into heaven : the same body
and blood of Christ, as to its substance, but different as
to its manner of being in this sacrament ; as the bodies
we now live in, shall, after the resurrection, be the same
in substance, though different in quality.
This divine Sacrament our Saviour instituted at hifc
last supper, when having eat the Paschal lamb, which
was a figure of the true Lamb of God, who was to die
for the sins of mankind : He took bread and blessed it
and broke it ; and gave it to his disciples, and said, take
ye and eat ; this is my body. Jlnd taking the Chalice,
'he gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all
of this ; for this is my blood of the *New Testament,
which shall be shed for many for remission of sins.
St. Matt. xxvi. 26. And that this sacrament might re-
main with us to the end of the world, he made his Apos-
tles priests, and gave them power to do as he had done,
sayjng to them, Do this in remembrance of me.
The essential matter of this is wheaten bread, and
wine of the grape ; it cannot subsist of any other, be
cause these were used and prescribed by Christ himself
at his last supper ; and in these are signified the two
principal effects of this divine sacrament ; for as bread
and wine are our natural food, by which life is sustained
upon earth ; so the holy Eucharist is the supernatural
and divine food of our souls, by which we live forever ;
this is declared at our receiving it : The body of our
Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul to life everlasting.
Again, as there are many grains of wheat united in one
loaf, and many grapes are mingled in one cup of wine ;
so all the faithful, who are many in number, are uni-
ted together in one body, under one head, by the
bond of charity, in the participation of thic sacrament.
The forni lies in the words of Christ, pronounced by the
priest, in the consecration of the bread and wine : This
is my body, this is my blood ; which words are taken
from the sacred mouth of Christ, spoke in his name, and
by his order and authority, who commanded his disci>
pies to do as he had done: it is not then men, but
18*
210 The Poor Man's Catechism : 0r 9
God, who works this divine change by man. And hence
it appears that none but a priest is a minister of this sa-
crament, who by lawful ordination, is a successor to the
Apostles in the priesthood ; for they alone were present
at the institution of it ; and all other ministers of it must
have authority and power from them, to do as our Sa-
viour did ; that is, to consecrate and deliver it to the
people, as he did to his Disciples. And to make a more
solemn distinction between priest and laity, all those
who are not in holy orders, are forbid even to touch or
handle such things as are used in the act of consecration,
unless some great necessity do excuse it.
As to the effect of this sacrament, it was instituted to
be the food of our souls, and is given us under the out-
ward forms of such things as we eat and drink, that those
pntward signs might represent the inward effect: for
it gives vigour, life", health, strength-, and refreshment to
the soul, as food does to the body : and whatever food can
do in respect to our natural life, the same effect the holy
Eucharist has, as to the spiritual life; inasmuch as the soul
is thereby fortified against all interior corruptives,as well
as exterior attacks of the Devil ; preserved from mortal
sin which is the death of the soul, and at last brought to
life eternal : He that eats of this bread shall live for ever.
EXHOR. adorable sacrament ! mystery of mys-
teries ! Admire, Christian, the divine power of Grod
therein, who works a thing so far beyond the reach of
our understanding ! Adore his goodness and wisdom, in
providing you a spiritual banquet, set forth with the
delights and splendour of heaven. Praise his mercy and
love, in making himself the miraculous food of our soul.
O sacred Bread, which comes down from heaven, giving
us life everlasting ! Presume not as some, to dive into
this, or any other mystery of your faith, infinitely be-
yond the reach of your comprehension : but with an
humble heart and sincere mind, submit your sense, your
reason, your understanding, to the almighty power of
God. The same omnipotent God, who said at the cre-
ation, Let it be made, now says to you ? This is my body;.
and since he has declared himself to be really present
ein 3 who will dare to say , he is not ? Remember, one
The Christian Doctrine explained.
f the great wonders God wrought in the old law, in fa-
vour of his people, was the manna showered down from
heaven, with which they were fed for forty years in the
desert : this manna was only a figure of this adorable
sacrament ; this is the bread that descended from heaven.,
to feed the souls of Christians to the end of the world :
the Israelites eat the manna and died ; but but he tlu&
eats this bread, shall live forever. As now the Israelites,
not only admired but submitted, without diving into the
divine secret, so hidden, that they gave it the name of
manna, What is this ? so we ought not only to admire,
but adore and submit, without vain search, into this
heavenly manna, so incomprehensible to us. The first
was truly a hidden secret, which had the taste of all
meats, and yet was none of them, of which it had the
taste 5 so ours is a hidden mystery, which has the colour,
taste, accidents of bread and wine; and yet faith, which
supplies the defect of our senses, assures us it is neither
the one nor^the other. You have then, O Christian, no-
thing more to do, but to adore the omnipotent power of
God, and cry out with St. Paul, depth of the riches of
Grog's wisdom and knowledge !
SECT. II.
The holy Eucharist a Communion.
'$' A ^ we comman ded to receive the holy Eucba~
j[\ rist ? A. We are ; unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you shall not
have life in you. St. John vi 54. Q. Does not Christ
here command all to receive in both kinds ? J). No $
for in the same place, he promises everlasting life to him
that receives in one kind, under the form of bread alone :
He that eats this bread shall live for ever. Q. What are
the necessary dispositions to receive worthily ? A.
That we be in a state of grace, free from mortal sin, and
in charity with all men. Q. What sin is it to receive
unworthily ? A. The highest sacrilege, and brings
judgments on those who are guilty of it : He that eafeth
and drinketh unworthily^ eateth and drinketh judgmenf
212 The Poor Man's Catechism. Or,
to himself. 1 Cor. ix. 29. Q. What is the Viaticum ?
Ji. The holy communion, given to dying persons.
INSTRUC. The hlessed Eucharist, being our spiritual
nourishment, is necessary to the life of the soul, as
food is to support the natural life of the body : and as
no one can live, or preserve his health or strength,
without his ordinary food ; so we cannot have spiritual
life, which is grace, unless we receive the holy Eucha-
rist, and the oftener we communicate, the stronger and
more vigorous is this life : the reason is, because, though
all the sacraments give grace, yet grace and the in-
crease of grace., is in a peculiar manner ascribed to this
sacrament, as having Christ really present in it, who is
the author of grace, according to that ; Grace and truth
were through Jesus Christ; and as being a sign and re-
membrance of his passion and death, which was the
cause of grace to all mankind ; so that this sacrament
gives grace far more abundantly, fortifying the soul
against ail interior weakness, as well as exterior attacks
of the Devil , arid giving us power and strength to ar-
rive to eternal life, which is the end for which it was
instituted. That if any one eat thereof , he may not die*
the death of sin. But if this sacrament be instituted
to preserve us from sin, arid to conduct us to glory, we
may conclude, that without it, we cannot be long pre-
served from the one, or obtain the other 5 this experi-
ence sufficiently teaches. In the primitive times, when
Christians communicated more frequently, they were
more devout, and were enabled by the virtue of this
sacrament, not only to keep the whole law of God, but
to die martyrs for it. All the saints that have lived
since, did they not communicate frequently? And
if we regard the lives of Christians at present, it is plain
to be seen, that those who communicate often, are ge-
nerally the most eminent for piety and religion, the
most regular in their lives, the most virtuous, and the
best portion of God's church 5 while, on the other hand,
those who communicate seldom, very seldom,, are never
the most remarkable for the purity and regularity of
their lives : this rule will ever hold ; the reason where-
of may be ? that it is a difficult matter for those who
9
The Christian Doctrine explained. 21o-
communicate so seldom, to communicate well. It is in
vain for any one to plead against frequent communion,
and to say, they are unworthy 5 because it is in every
one's power to remedy that ; it is in every one's power
to clear his conscience by a good confession, ami
hearty contrition, and do his best ta prepare himself by
the help of God's grace ; and if with this diligent pre-
paration, he would take up the custom of communica^
ting oftener, very likely he would be more worthy
every day ; whereas, the longer he abstains through,
sloth, the worse he grows. It is indeed better for him.
to abstain entirely, than to receive unworthily 5 but
even this plea will not save him ; for, as well he who
receives unworthily, as he who does not receive at all,
because he is unworthy, will both in the end be exclud-
ed from eternal glory.
It is true, the transcendent holiness of this sacra-
ment, requires a great purity of soul and conscience,
to receive it worthily and profitably, and great precau-
tion is necessary to communicate well : the most essen-
tial thing required is to be in a state of grace, and free
from all mortal sin ; for whosover is conscious of mor-
tal sin, and receives the holy communion while he is in
that bad state, he communicates unworthily, and eats
and drinks his own judgment ; He that eateth and drink-
eth unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to hint-self 9
not discerning the body of our Lord : not discerning
between the sacred table and the profane : receiving
the holy Eucharist with as little preparation as if he
were to eat ordinary bread 5 iiot considering that under
the outward form of bread, he receives the body of
Christ. This some of the Corinthians had done, for
which God afflicted them with sickness, infirmities, and
death ; and thus did they eat and drink their own judg-
ment. 1 Cor. ix. To prevent this great misfortune,
every one must take the advice of the Apostle, and
prove himself: let a man prove himself: 1. By a dili-
gent examine of his life and conscience : 2. Disburden
himself of all his sins by an entire confession : 3. Re-
ceive a valid absolution : then you have nothing to hin-
der you from access to this divine banquet, when you:
214 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
are free from all mortal sin ; firmly believe all the
mysteries of faith, this in particular ; and are in chan-
ty with the whole world, both friend and enemy. You
must also come fasting from the midnight before, which
is a strict precept received by tradition from the Apos-
tles.
There is no command from Christ, that the laity
shall all communicate in both kinds ; but on the contra-*
ry, our Saviour himself promises life everlasting to him
that receives under one kind, under the form of bread.
It is true, the Apostles received under both kinds at the
last supper, for as they were made priests, they were
not only to receive the sacrament, but also to offer this
sacrifice, representing his body slain, and his blood
shed, which cannot be, unless the Eucharist be conse-
crated in both kinds ; and for the same reason, the
priests now do all consecrate and receive in both kinds,
as often as they do what Christ did at his last supper ;
yet there is no priest, though in the most exalted de-
gree, but in private communion receives as others do
in one kind 5 and it is a thing very well known to the
learned, that in the primitive church, communion in
one kind was ever allowed : the reason is, because the
manner of receiving it is only a point of discipline,
which is left to the determination of the church, as
other points of discipline are, and does not touch the
substance of the sacrament : for if we have a right be-
lief of the sacrament itself, and hold that Christ him-
self, true God and man, is present under each kind ;
and if the grace of this sacrament is certainly de-
rived from the real presence of our Saviour therein,
and not from the outward form of the elements, it is
evident that the whole sacrament, and all the grace es-
sential to it, is received under one kind. Is it not a
great folly to think that the same grace is not given to
our souls by Christ present, under the form of bread,
as by Christ present under the form of wine.
EXHOR. Think now, O Christian, when you ap-
proach to this sacrament, what you receive therein;
Uo you not know that the bread which we eat is the com-
mumonvf the body of our Lord? 1 Cor. x, 16. Thi"
The Christian Doctrine explained.
is what faith teaches, that the same body of Christ is
fiven you in the holy communion, that was conceived
y the Holy Ghost, and miraculously born of the
Virgin Mary : the same that was adoretl in Bethlehem,
that walked upon the swelling waves of the sea, whose
very presence made the Devil tremble, whose very
touch raised the dead to life, and cured all diseases :
the same that was crucified, rose again, and ascended
into heaven. O think with what purity of life and
conscience, with what holy dispositions, you ought to
receive this most blessed body of Christ, which is so
much adored both in heaven and upon earth. By
this sacrament you are united to God ; for herein you re-
ceive the body and blood of Christ, which is united to
his divine Person, and he is God : all that is holy both
in heaven and upon earth, is given you in it; and
why is it given you, but to communicate grace, and
to give you an abhorrence of sin ? " What then
" will become of us, if, after having eat such food.,
" we commit such crimes ? () think what it is to com-
" municate unworthily ? With what indignation do you
reflect on Judas 9 who betrayed him; on those thatcru-
6i cified him ? Beware then that you also be not guilty
" of his body and blood ; they indeed committed mur-
" der upon his blessed body ; and you perhaps receive
it with d, polluted soul !" St. Chrysostoiti, Horn. 60. ad
pop. Jhitioc. If you are guilty, confess and repent bit-
terly.
The Holy Eucharist, a Sacrifice.
Q. TS the Eucharist a sacrament only ? A. No ; it
JL is also a sacrifice. Q. What is a sacrifice ?
Ji It is an offering made to God, as an acknowledg-
ment of his being the supreme Lord and God of all ;
and therefore sacrifice cannot be offered to any crea-
ture, either in heaven or upon earth, without idolatry.
Q. Why would our Saviour have the Eucharist offered as
a sacrifice ? #. That as under the old law there were
sacrifices to prefigure his death then to come, this
might be a perpetual representation of his death now
past, to renew the memory, and impart the benefit of it
216 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
io our souls. Q. Is it available to the dead ? JL. It isf
for as we are all in the same communion, though in a
different state, we all partake of the same prayers and
sacrifice. ^. Why are there so many ceremonies used
at the offering of this sacrifice ? *#. That this sacra-
ment and sacrifice, which is the most holy of all, may
shine with greater solemnity, and the hidden mysteries
thereof be represented to our eyes by those outward ce-
remonies.
INSTRUC. - What is commonly called Mass, is the
eucharistical sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ,
under the forms of bread and wine; which being conse-
crated separately, represent his body slain, and his blood
shed on the cross-: this sacrifice then, or the Mass, as
to the substance, was ordained by Christ: as to the ma-
ny prayers and ceremonies, these were added by St. Pe-
ter, James, Clement, and their successors. As Mel-
chisedeck was a type of our Saviour, Heb. vii. so his
sacrifice was a figure of this : for Melchisedeck offered
bread and wine, our Saviour offers his body and blood,
under the forms of bread and wine ; for this being the
thing figured, contains more than that which was only
the figure and shadow of it.
There are several sacrifices ; as a contrite heart is a
sacrifice to God. Prayer, alms-deeds, fasting, and
other good works done for God, are said to be sacrifices,
but this is only in a metaphorical and spiritual sense :
but if we speaK of a real and proper sacrifice, it is an
offering of some sensible thing to God, as an acknow-
ledgment of his being the supreme Lord and God of all.
And as God can receive due honour and worship from
nen, only through his Son Jesus Christ, hence the sacri-
fice, by which our Saviour offered himself on the cross,
was the most perfect that ever was offered to God, from
the beginning of the world, whether under the law of na-
ture or Moses: they were only types and figures of this
sacrifice to come, and no more 'than as shadows to the
substance : they were offered by the hands of sinners,
this by Christ himself.
The sacrifice we now offer at Mass is the same that
Ohrist offered at his last supper $ nor must we think it to
The Christian Doctrine explained.
be a different sacrifice from that of the cross, but in sub-
stance the same, and only different as to the manner of
offering. It is the same sacrifice as mentioned in the
*#cte, where the Apostles, as the Greek texthas it, were
offering sacrifice. Acts xiii. 2. The same that was of-
fered by St. Andrew when about to die : he said, " I of-
# fer every day on the altar an immaculate lamb, whose
" flesh indeed is eaten, but the lamb that was offered re-
" mains whole and entire." It is the same that was
foretold by the prophet Jtfalachi : From the rising of
the sun to the setting there-)/, my name shall be great
among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be
offered to my name, and a pure offering.
As by this sacrifice we are rendered capable of a just
and due adoration of God, through his only Son Jesus
Christ, it is properly said to be a sacrifice of adoration^
which answers to the Holocausts of the old law. It is
also a propitiatory sacrifice; for himself said of it,
This is my body, which is given for yon. St- Luke xxii.
19. This is my blood, which shall be shed for many, for
remission of sins ; and in this regard it answers to the sin
offerings. It is also a sacrifice of thanksgiving, for
the word Eucharist means thanksgiving : and it is a
sacrifice of petition, to obtain of God all blessings, spi-
ritual and temporal, through Jesus Christ our sovereign
Mediator; anil in this it answers and fulfils the peace
offering.
This sacrifice is available not only to the living, but
also to the dead, who died in our Lord, and are
detained in purgatory ; because all that are in the com-
munion of God's Church, though in different states,
partake of the same prayers and sacrifice. What were
those prayers and sacrifices the Machabees offered up
for their deceased brethren, but a type of the divine
mysteries of the death and passion of Christ, now offer-
ed for our deceased friends ? And this was done in the
very infancy of the church, as the ancient liturgies,
altars, fathers, and councils witness. u We make an-
" niversary offerings for the dead," says Tertulian, " in
" the prayers which the priest pours forth to our Lord
" at the altar, the recommendation of the dead hath its
19
218 The Poor Man's Catechism: Qr^
" place." Says St. Jlugustin, de cum pro mort. Him-
self offered the sacrifice of the body and blood of
Christ, for his deceased mother. In all our liturgies
there is also memory made at Mass of the saints who
are in heaven ; but as St. Jlugustin says, " We make not
4; mention of the martyrs at our Lord's table, as we do
" of others that rest in peace, that is, for the intent to
61 pray for them, but rather that they may pray for us."
It is no prejudice to the people that the Mass is said
in Latin ; because the Mass is the Priest's office, not
the people's. Under the Old Testament the people
were not so much as present in the holy place where
the priest offered sacrifice for all the congregation of
Israel, but were praying without in the court of the
temple, at the time of incense, and the priest was hid
from them in what he said and did ; but as all knew the
nature, the end, and benefit of the sacrifice which was
offering for them, and joined in heart with the priest;
as this was sufficient then to partake of the sacrifice ;
so it is sufficient now. The reasons why the Liturgy
or Mass is in Latin, are, 1. Because the church of Christ
is the church of all nations, and would have the Liturgy
in that language which is in all nations the most univer-
sally known aud understood. 2. The church was ever a
lover of uniformity, and therefore made choice of that
language, in which our way of worshipping God may be
in all countries uniform and alike. 3. All the vulgar
languages are subject to changes and corruptions, which
the Latin and Greek are not. For these reasons the
church has judged it best and most convenient, to retain
the Liturgy in the same language in which it has been,
ever since the days of St. Peter, in all these parts of
the world ; though it is very certain that the Latin,
neither in his time, nor in any time since, was the vul-
gar tongue of all countries in the west, no more than
Greek in the east. Why must we, in a point of disci-
pline, pretend to be wiser than the apostles ?
GETHSEMANI ABBEY,
GETHSEMANI, P.O. KY,
The Christian Doctrine explained.
SECT. II.
The parts of the Mass expounded.
INSTRUC. nHHE essential part of this sacrifice is
A already explained. There are many
other prayers, oblations, and ceremonies, which were
added by the apostles and some of their successors, as
well for greater solemnity of this great sacrament and
sacrifice, as to move devotion, and to make clear the
mystery it represents, the death and passion of Christ.
For wheresoever you cast your eyes, it puts you in
mind of it 5 the altar with its ornaments, and the cru-
cifix thereon, puts you in mind of Mount Calvary and
Christ crucified : the priest in his robes represents him
bound with cords in the garden, and mocked in robes
of derision at the court of Pilate and Herod : the con-
secration of the elements separately represents his
body slain, and his blood shed : the silence during the
canon, signifies his crucifixion, or hanging on the cross p
which amazed and silenced all nature : the elevation of
the host, and the chalice, to be seen and adored by the
people, represent his elevation on the cross. The many
crosses that are made, are signs of his passion, and the
communion is a token of his expiring on the cross, and
of his burial. A more particular account of all the
parts of the Mass is as follows : 1. The priest begins
with a psalm in praise of God, because the psalms are
a collection of what the scriptures say in praise of the
divine attributes. 2. Then follows me confession of
sin, before the whole court of heaven ; because sin of-
fends God and all heaven. 3. Having thus humbly
begged pardon for sin, we proceed to Kyrie Eteison 9
Greek words, that signify, Lord, have mercy on us, nine
times repeated ; thrice to God the father ; thrice to God
the son $ and thrice to God the Holy Ghost. 4. Then
we say with the angels, who came from heaven to sing
at our saviour's birth Glory be to God on high, and
peace to men, of good will on earth, <*c. This is to put
us in mind of the glory we hope for at the end of this
220 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
life, which is the end of our prayers and sacrifice. 5,
Next follows the prayer or collect for the day, in which
the priest prays for all the people : to this is * joined the
lesson, taken from the writings either of the prophets or
the apostles ; because our instruction was first begun by
the doctrine of the prophets and apostles : the lesson is
followed by t\\Q gradual^ which signifies our progress in
a spiritual life ; the choir singing at the end of it, either
#n Alleluia, which expresses spiritual joy, er a Tract,
which expresses spiritual sorrow; these being affections
which ought to be the ePrect of the foregoing doctrine.
But because Christ is the truth incarnate, by whom both
prophets and apostles, priests and people, are instructed
to perreciimi, some passage of his gospel is next read ;
and after it the Nicene creed, to shew that with faith we
assent to the doctrine of Christ ; and therefore this
creed is said at Mass, on all the festivals of our Saviour,
and on those of the blessed virgin Mary, the apostles
and doctors of the church, who were chiefly instrumen-
tal in founding this faith. So far is the preparation to
the sacrifice, and was anciently called the Mass of the
Catechumens, because they were permitted to be present
at it thus far, before they were baptized. The people
being thus prepared, then follow the offering, the con-
secration, and the receiving. The offering consists of
oblations and prayers of the priest to God, that it may
be acceptable for the people, who, by singing and music,
express the joy with which they make this offering to
him. The consecration is introduced with a preface, in
which the priest excites the people to lift up their hearts
towards God, and devoutly to join with the angels in
heaven, to praise the divinity of Christ, together with
the father and the holy ghost, saying thrice, holy, holy,
holy ; also to praise his humanity, saying with the chil-
dren in the temple, Hosannah to the son of David, bles-
sed is he that cometh in the name of our Lord. After
this begins the canon, in which the priest, in silence,
makes memory for those for whom this sacrifice is offer-
ed ; as for the Catholick church, for the higher powers
in the state, 1. Tim. ii, for particular friends, and for
all who are present with devotion, This is followed by
The Christian Doctrine explained.
a commemoration of the saints, begging of God that
their merits and intercession may be available with him,
to grant us grace and protection ; and the priest ends
his petition with a prayer, that the sacrifice he then of-
fers may prevent the damnation, and may be to the eter-
nal salvation of those for whom it is offered. Then
follows the consecration, which is done in the very words
of our saviour, pronounced at the last supper, and this
is the essence of the sacrifice. After consecration, the
priest excuses his presumption, for daring to do so di-
vine an action, alleging the command of Christ for it ;
and then prays that this sacrifice, being offered with the
devotion of Mel, Abraham and Melchisedeck, may be
available to the offerers, in like manner as theirs.*
He prays again, that this sacrifice and sacrament may
profit not only those who actually eat and partake
thereof, but also the dead, who cannot eat of it ; and
in the last place for himself, that God would vouchsafe,
to grant him, though a sinner, some part among the
apostles, saints, and martyrs, through the multitude
of his mercies, saying, Nobis quoque peccatoribus, To us
also sinners, &c. Now approaches the communion, or
receiving; for which the people are prepared. 1. By
that prayer, which is the common prayer of the faith-
ful, the Lord's prayer ; in which they beg for their dai-
ly bread, the holy Eucharist ; as also by a prayer of the
priest for them, that they may be delivered from all
evil, past, present, and to come. And because those
who receive this sacrament must be in peace with all
the world, next follows the JUgnus Dei, with a prayer
for peace, that so all may receive with pure hearts.
The communion being over, the whole ends with a
thanksgiving; the people express their joy by singing
after it, while the priest devoutly gives thanks for him-
self and them ; in like manner as our Saviour, after
his last supper, said a hymn with his disciples before
he proceeded to Mount Olivet.
EXHOR. If ever you are called to praise and glorify
God, Christian, it is in this divine mystery, wherein
the Son of God makes himself both priest and victim,
interceding in your behalf, interposing between God's
19*
The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
anger and your sins, and offering himself still a sacri-
fice, not indeed by putting himself in a state of death
again, which is impossible, but by being really present
in a mystery that represents his death, and so offering
himself to obtain all things for you. O what were those
sacrifices of the old law, to this divine sacrifice of the
new ? They were but types and figures of this; this
accomplishes all that they prefigured and represented
of him : O how great, how many are the blessings of
this divine Holocaust ! To reap the benefits thereof,
never fail one day to be present, when occasion offers,
but particularly on days consecrated to God ; no duty
is more acceptable to him, or advantageous to you.
Present yourself with all decency before it, and shew
that you truly believe in it, by your great attention, re-
verence and devotion. O forget not what it is, and what
it represents to you ; it is the offering of the body and
blood of Christ under the forms of bread and wine ; it
represents to you the passion and death of Christ. Join
with the priest in every part of it : at the Memento's
pray for your living and deceased friends. Make it a
sacrifice of adoration to God, by adoring him profound-
ly during the offering of it. Make it a sacrifice of
thanksgiving for all the blessings you have received,
even for the least, from your creation to the present
blessing you enjoy. Make it a sacrifice of propitiation
for the sins of your life past, by begging for mercy.
Make it a sacrifice of petition for all necessities of soul
arid body. Pray for that virtue you want most, and
that you may overcome that vice you are most inclined
to. O what can the Father refuse, when all this is per-
formed through his Son Jesus Christ, in whom he is well
pleased 5 who is our living sacrifice, as in heaven so-
n earth, ever living to intercede for us. Heb. vii. 25.
Of the Sacrament of Penance.
Q. XT THAT is penance ? #. It is a sacrament by
VV which the sins we commit after baptism are
forgiven. Q. Who ordained it ? *#. Christ our Lord.
Q. What is the matter of it ? #. The sins of the peni-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 223,
tent, accompanied with contrition, confession, and satis-
faction. Q. What is the form of it ? *fl. These words;
I absolve theefrom thy sins, in the name of the Father y
and of th-> Son, and of the Holy Ghost. ^. What are
the effects of it,? A. It remits sin, reconciles us to
God, and restores or increases grace. ^. Who is the
minister of it ? Jl. The priest, to whom we confess.
Q. When must we apply for it ? J. As often as we
fall into mortal sin.
INSTRUC. The sacrament of penance is the fourth
necessary means to promote salvation, corresponding
to the fourth necessity of nature ; that as we have re-
medies when sick or wounded to cure us, and restore
our healrh to its perfect state ^ so we have this sacra-
ment to cure the diseases and wounds that sin has made
in our souls. So excellent, sq powerful, and accepta-
ble with God is this sacrament, that when fasting, pray-
er, and alms-deeds, cannot obtain remission, a contrite
and humble heart, joined to this sacrament, he will ne-
ver despise. i
The sacrament of penance is then the remedy God
himself has ordained for sin ; and as baptism is neces-
sary to take away original sin, this is necessary to be
applied to our souls, to take away the sins we commit
after baptism. They were both instituted and given by
the same almighty power and authority : as Christ said
of one, Go teach all nations, baptizing hem, fyc. Matt,
ult. so of the other, Whose sins you forgive, they ar&
forgiven unto them, and ivhose sins you retain, they are
retained. St. John xx. Hence it is plain, that our sins
must be remitted by the sacramental absolution of the
priest, and whose sins are not so forgiven, are not for-
given at all. It was necessary the church should have
from God the sacrament of penance, and in it the pow-
er of forgiving sins, as well as the sacrament of bap-
tism ; for why have we baptism, but because being all
born in original sin, we have need of a sacrament of
divine institution, to deliver us out of the power of the.
Devil, and remit all sin : and is it not plain, that after
baptism, people fall into sin again, sometimes into great-
er sins than before After baptism then there is as
224 The Poor Man's Catechism : 9r,
much need as ever of a sacrament to restore us to the
favour of God, and rescue us again out of the slavery
of the Devil ; and this can be no other than the sacra-
ment of penance. It is in vain to allege, that after
baptism, when we are come to years of discretion, we
may obtain pardon of our sins without any sacrament
at all, by faith, by confessing our sins to God, and by
inward sorrow and contrition ; for in like manner the
Jews and Heathens* Quakers and others, may say, that
when they are come to maturity of age and judgment,
they may have remission of sins, and be saved without
baptism, by faith, inward sorrow and contrition : yet
our Saviour says, Unless one be re -born of water and
the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God ; in like manner he says, of the sacrament of
penance ; Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted unto
them, and whose sins ye retain* they are retained. And
can any thing be plainer than that the sins of those who
do not apply to the sacrament of penance, are retain-
ed ? Penance then is our only refuge, the only plank
to save us, after we have made a shipwreck of our con-
science by sin ; and it is as necessary to be applied to
our souls, after any mortal sin committed, as baptism
is to take away original sin. Baptism can be applied
but once, but this as often as we fall into sin 5 we must
then have recourse to it, or we are lost for ever ; of
which it is said, Unless you do penance, you shall all
perish tegether. St. Luke xiii. 3, 5.
Mortal sin is the chief matter of penance, and venial
sin is sufficient matter; but venial sins may be remitted
without this sacrament, by acts of contrition, the Lord's
prayer, &c. The form is the absolution given by the
priest, I absolve theefrom thy sins, in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
This cannot be done by any but a priest rightly or-
dained and commissioned ; for to them Christ left this
power. Yet we must not imagine that our sins are so
forgiven by the priest, as not tabe forgiven by God \
for though it is true, and our Saviour himself lias said
of the priests, Whose sins you forgive, they are forgi-
ven j yet they are only ministers and instruments of
The Christian Doctrine, explained.
this forgiveness : it is God himself that principally
forgives and absolves by their absolution ; as it is God
that principalltf baptizes ; for he it is that gives the inte-
rior effect, which is grace, of all the sacraments of the
new law. God gives power to priest, as kings give to
judges. Judges represent the person of the king ; the
priest the person of Christ; Jesus must he informed, and
so must priests ; judges give sentence, and their sen-
tence is ratified by the king; the priest gives sentence,
and that is ratified in heaven : he that contemns the au-
thority of the judge, contemns the authority of the king;
so he that contemns the authority of priests, contemns
the authority of God, who has set them in his own place,
to loose or bind ; so nevertheless that their sentence must
be ratified by him.
So great is the virtue of this sacrament, that it remits
all sin, without exception of any, to the true penitent : it
restores us to the grace of Goil, which we had lost by
sin ; joins us with him in the greatest friendship ; and
after this reconciliation, it gives the greatest peace and
tranquillity of conscience, with all spiritual delight. It
raises sinners unto honour again with God ; as the prodi-
gal son was restored at his return to the same honours ill
his father's house as before, and had the first stole put on
again, and a ring upon his finger. ^Nay, sometimes they
rise in greater grace and favour than that from whence
they fell: the reason is, because in the justification of a
sinner, grace is infused in proportion to the favour with
which he repents : and sometimes it happens that great
sinners being more struck with horror of their sins, the
more sensible of the immense mercy of God to them*
they return with a greater love of God, than that from,
whence they fell ; according to that saying of our Sa-
viour, He to whom less is forgiven, loveth less. St, Luke
vii. So it happened to St. Mary Magdalen ; she was
raised to greater favour with Christ, by her repentance,
than ever she had been in the days of her innocence be-
fore her fall : and if you do as Magdalen did, he will do
the same by you as he did by Magdalen.
EXHOR. Behold, O Christian, in this sacrament of
penance, the -great mercy of God to sinners, w ha remains
The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
their good and merciful friend even after that by sin they
have made themselves his enemies, and deserving of his
vengeance : he provides them with means to repair their
loss, and to regain his favour 5 he does not, as he did
Mam, immediately exclude us paradise ; nor as Lucifer
and his, condemn us strait to hell-fire ; but calls upon us
immediately after sin committed to repent, that our sins
may be blotted out. Acts ii. 38. Nay, he even presses us
to penance : he withdraws his justice out of sight, that
he may win us with the sight of his mercy : this is his
voice to the most hardened and inveterate sinner ; Be
converted from all your iniquities, and do penance, and
sin shall not be ruin to you- Ezech. xviii. 30. He has
further assured us, that an humble and contrite heart he
will never despise. O ingratitude of sinful man, under
this excess of clemency ! What ! to be still wicked,
when God is so good to you ! To persist in wilful sin,
which God is so patient and ready to pardon ! To fly in
God's face even while he offers mercy ! This has been
too often your case : be ashamed of your past provoca-
tions, and now, at least, as you hear his voice once again,
harden not your hearts : take at length a vigorous reso-
lution to return with the prodigal, saying with him, I
will rise up, and return to my father. 1 will rise up
from this miserable condition in which I live, and return
back to God, and to the way of salvation. O take this
warning, this admonition of St. Peter, before it be too
late ; repent that your sins may be blotted out : this is said
to all of us to-day, I know not whether it will be said to
us to-morrow 5 time uncertain, life Inconstant I
SECT. II.
Of the parts of Penance.
OW many parts has penance, as it concerns
L the penitent ? %#. Three ; contrition, confes-
sion, and satisfaction. (. What is contrition ? .#. It
is a hearty sorrow and detestation of our sins, with a re-
solution to sin no more, Council of Trent. ({. What is
confession ? i. A full and sincere declaration of all
T T
JL JL
The Christian Doctrine explained. 227"
ur sins to a priest. Q. What is satisfaction ? A. A
faithful performance of the prayers and good works en-
joined us by the priest to whom we confess.
INSTRUC. These are the three parts that complete
the sacrament of penance on our part; contrition of
heart, confession of mouth, satisfaction in works ; and
must be done to obtain a full and perfect remission of
our sins, by the assistance of this sacrament. Those
who knowingly sin after baptism, are not received into
favour again upon such easy terms, as those who sinned
through ignorance, or even otherwise, before their bap-
tism ; and therefore besides inward sorrow and contri-
tion, God requires them to undergo the humiliation
of confession, and the pain of satisfaction ; and thus both
body and soul must concur to obtain a divine pardon,
Council of Trent, Sess. 14. c. 8.
Contrition is a hearty sorrow and detestation of our
sins, with a resolution or will to sin no more. Of this
the pure love of God is the best and chiefest motive 5 for
contrition, by the love of God, sometimes becomes so
perfect, as to reconcile man to God, before the sacrament
of penance is received ; yet even in this case, his recon-
ciliation is not be imputed to contrition alone, indepen-
dently of a desire to have the sacrament ; because this
desire must be included in that perfect contrition, Coun-
cil of Trent, Sess. 14. c. 4. This pure act of contrition
was in David, Peter, Mary Magdtden, and other scrip-
ture penitents : this ail do well to aim at. before they
do confess. But because nature is so weak, and perfect
contrition is a singular grace of God, which few attain
to ; hence attrition, or imperfect contrition, that is con-
trition less perfect, disposeth a sinner to receive grace
and remission of sins, with the sacrament. Coun. Trent.
This is sometimes called IMPERFECT CONTRITION, be-
cause though it is true contrition, and has a great deal of
perfection in it, yet it is not quite so perfect, as in St.
Mary Magdalen and others, to justify the sinner before
the sacrament. This attrition, or imperfect contrition,
is no natural sorrow, but supernatural 5 it is a gift of
God and impulse of the Holy Ghost, arising and proceed-
ing from the consideration of the foulness of sin, and the
228 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
fear of hell and punishment ; it must also include a reso-
lution to sin no more. Hopes of pardon from the mercy
of God through Christ, a hatred of sin, and a resolution
to confess and satisfy. Coun. Trent. This being a gift of
the Holy Ghost, can hardly be conceived to be without
some love of God.
Contrition, as here described, is so essential to for-
giveness, that we cannot conceive impossible for God to
pardon without it. There are cases in which one may
be saved without confession, or even absolution, as when
there is no opportunity of a priest 5 or without satisfac-
tion, as when a person is dying; but in no case can a sin-
ner be pardoned and saved without repentance. This
ought to make every one greatly solicitous to procure
this holy disposition ; and how can it be procured better,
than by applying our mind to those considerations from
whence it arises ; of the eternal damages, and infinite
loss we incur by sin ; the miseries it brings upon the
soul, the guilt of hell's torments, with the loss of God,
and eternal happiness, &c. Arid since it is a gift of
God, and impulse of the Holy Ghost, we must, above all,
pray heartily'for it 5 that God would give us an humble
and contrite heart, and renew a right spirit in our
bowels 5 by humble prayer any grace may be obtained.
The second part of penance is confession. It is of di-
vine institution, and necessary to the remission of sins :
for when our Saviour said to the Apostles, Whose sins
you remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whose sins
you retain, they are retained : by these words he made all
sinners subject to the power of binding and absolving
here given to the priests, which evidently includes con-
fession ; because without that, they cannot know what
sins are to be forgiven, and what to be retained ; when
to absolve, and when to with-hold their absolution. Con-
fession was practised in the time of the Apostles ; Con-
fess your sins to one another. St. James v. 16. Many of
them that believed, came confessing and declaring their
deeds. Acts xviii. 19. St. Jlugustin proves the necessity
of it strongly : Let no one say 1 do penance privately
with God, who knows my sins : for then in vain was it
<{ said, Whose sins you/orgive,they are forgiven. Were
The Christian Doctrine explained. 229
* then the keys given in vain to the church of God ?
" We frustrate the gospel, and words of Christ ?" Pri-
vate sacramental confession then the church has used
from the beginning, and was ever commended by the
most ancient and holy fathers of the church, all agree-
ing in this point. Coun. Trent. Sess. 14. c. 5.
Confession must be full, without concealing any mor-
tal sin. It must be true and plain, without seeking to
lessen or excuse our sins. By wilfully concealing one
mortal sin, we bring on ourselves many evils ; it is a sin
of sacrilege, by lying to God, as did Ananias and Sa-
phira: it renders our confession fruitless 5 it binds us
to confess all over again ; it puts a stop to the mercy oi
God : He that hideth his wicked deeds shall not be direc-
ted ; but he that shall forsake them, shall obtain mercy.
Prov. xxviii. 13. To prevent this, only reflect, that if
man does not, at least God does, know all the secrets
of your conscience, and will reveal them at the last day,
if they are not confessed now, to your great confusion ;
but if "they are confessed now, and forgiven, they will
never more rise up in judgment. As to those sins which
do not occur after a diligent examine, they are supposed
to be included in our confession which we make : tor
which, nevertheless, every one ought to beg pardon,
saying, From my hidden sins cleanse me, O Lord ; which
must also be confessed when remembered. Coun. Trent.
The third part of penance is satisfaction ; which is
a faithful performance of the penance enjoined by the*
priest to whom we confess : whether as to the restitu-
tion to be made to our neighbour, or prayers, alms-deeds
or fasting, to make some reparation by these eminent
good works, for the injury we have done to God's ho-
soiir. Of this it is said, Do worthy fruits of penance :
do works worthy of penance : and it was what St. Paul
enjoined the incestuous Corinthian. 1 Cor. v. 3. Hence
the priests of the church did never reconcile sinners to
God, without enjoining penances to those who had con-
fessed, greater or lesser in proportion to their sins; as
may be seen in the penitential canons, made in the an-
cient councils of the church, to regulate such penances.
The necessity of satisfaction is founded on this truth 5
20
230 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
that after God has forgiven our sin ? so far as to release
us from the eternal punishment, he still requires that we
should do penance for it in this world : and this is what
all holy penitents ever did as the means to prevent hea-
vier judgments. As in the first place we read of king
David, that after his sin was forgiven, he was condemned
to -undergo some temporal punishment ;, and the same
we read of Manasses : the Ninivites in like manner did
penance in sackcloth, with fasting and humble prayer :
and Christ our Lord in the gospel declares, that they
will rise up in judgment against those who do not do
penance after their example. There are good reasons
for it : 1. P?ecause if you fall, after having been once
pardoned in baptism, you ought not to be forgiven upon
such easy terms. 2. If we were to be so easily recon-
ciled to God, after great crimes, without penance, we
should be apt to make slight of them. 3. These pe-
nances, as they deter us from sin, are also the proper
cure for vicious habits, which are seldom cured, but by
practising acts of the contrary virtues. If it be said,
that Christ has fully satisfied for all, and therefore there
is no more penance to be done : to this may be answer-
ed, that our Saviour suffered, not to exempt us from
suffering, but that we might follow his steps, as the
scripture positively says, That we might fulfil what is
wanting to the passion of Christ. Col. i. 24. Nothing;
is wanting on his part, but on our part : so he did good
works for us, as well as satisfy For us ; but must we
therefore do no good works for ourselves ? But do not
divines all teach that no person but Christ could satisfy
for sin ? How then can we satisfy ? The answer is, that
all our good works are meritorious with God only
through him; in him we live, through him we merit,
through him we satisfy.
EXHOR. Since the mercy of God is so great, O Chris-
tian, and our sins so frequent and many, neglect not to
make use of those means he has ordained to the cancel-
ling your debt in time, which will otherwise prove eter-
nal. As these three parts concern the penitent, see
how you are to dispose yourself, and to render them ef-
fectual to vour soul.
The Christian Doctrine explained.
The first thing you have to do is to pray heartily for
grace and light to do this great work well : that God
would give you a true light to know your sins and con-
fess them plainly. Then examine your conscience with as
much ca/e as you would do in a matter of moment;
thinking of those passions and failings that you are most
subject to ; reflecting on those places and company you
have most frequented ; looking into your state of life,
and duties of it. In a word, consider wherein you
have offended God, or wronged your neighbour, wheth-
er in thought, word, or deed, and how far you have been-
the occasion of another's sins. O better is it now to ex-
amine and judge yourself here, than to be examined and
judged at the last day: terrible are, and will be then,
the judgments of God"! After this examin you must make
acts of contrition, which must proceed from your heart :
you must have a sorrow and detestation for your sins
past, and a will or firm purpose to sin no more; without
this you can never be forgiven, neither in this world nor
the next. O let not only the shame of sin, or only the
fear of hell, but chiefly the pure love of God, be the mo-
tive of your sorrow and repentance. Never fail to
make some of these acts of contrition before you con-
fess, as well for all the sins you remember, as for all
others God knows you to be guilty of in his sight.
Thus prepared, confess your sins to the priest, as if you
were confessing them to God; with the same sincerity
as you would desire to do it at the hour of death, or the
day of judgment. Confess fully all mortal sins, and
the number of them, with the circumstances that alter
the nature of the sin. Confess humbly, without excu-
sing yourself, or laying the fault on others. Confess clear ^
ly, that the priest may be a better judge of your spiri-
tual leprosy, and give absolution effectually. Take the
instruction, the admonition then given, and the penance
enjoined, as from the mouth and hand of God. What,
you forget merely through a defect of memory, will not
hinder the effect of absolution ; but if knowingly, or out
of shame you omit one mortal sin, you only add to your
confusion, and can expect no pardon. Having made a
full and entire confession, at the words of absolution
332 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
renew your sorrow, and raise up your heart to the mer-
cy of God; take these words as from God, with the
greatest gratitude, joy and comfort, I absolve you from
your sins, &{c. as if Christ pronounced them: think at
the same time you hear him saying, Depart, and sin no
more, lest some worse thing befal you. After confession,
he careful to perform the penitential works, enjoined $
defer it not, but with speed do worthy fruits of penance.
O what is the most severe, to what your sins most de-
serve ? What to those enjoined in the primitive church?
What to the torments of hell or purgatory ? Embrace
then cheerfully this momentary satisfaction, that you
may escape an eternal one. Those who do penance af-
ter this manner may obtain an entire remission of all
their sins, by the sacrament of penance : never doubt
it ; the power of Christ is infinite, and in an instant he
ran cure both soul and body.
T
JL
SECT. III.
Of Indulgences.
S there a power left by our Saviour to the
Church, to release the temporal punishment or
penance due to sin ? Jl. There is ; and it is implied
in those words, Whatsoever you shall unbind on earth,
shall be unbound in heaven, Matt, xviii. 18. Q. What is
this called ? Jl. An indulgence. Q. Did the apostles
use this power ? A. They did ; St. Paul remitted a part
of the penance he had enjoined the incestuous Corin-
thian, 2 Cor. ii. 10. Q. What is required to gain the
benefit of an indulgence ? Jl. W r e must be in the state of
grace, and freed from^all mortal sin, and perform the
good works that are enjoined by those who grant the in-
dulgence, as prayers, alms-deeds, fasting, &c.
INSTRUC. An indulgence, which word speaks its own
meaning, is a relaxation or forgiveness of the penance
or temporal punishment which remains due to sin, even
after the sin is forgiven, as to the eternal punishment,
by the sacrament of penance. W r e must distinguish
between the guilt of sin, which makes us worthy of
The Christian "Doctrine explained.
eternal death, and the temporal punishment or penance
due to it : God often forgives the guilt, or eternal pu-
nishment, but reserves the temporal punishment of sin.
As in the Israelites , when he pardoned their sin of mur-
mur against him, but yet debarred them the land of pro
wise upon account of that sin. Num. xiv. 23. And in.
David , when he declared his sin forgiven, by the pro-
phet, but yet denounced that the child born of the adul-
tress should surely die; and heavy judgments followed,
Now, as the good of souls frequently requires that the
righteous penances which a_re due to sin, should be for-
given, which is called an indulgence, our saviour left
such a power in his church, when he ^ave to St. Peter
in. the first place, and afterwards to all the apostles, the
power to unbind as well as to bind. Hence an indul-
gence is granted by none but the higher powers of the
church 5 as by the bishops, and the supreme head the
pope, the successor of St. Peter, to whom were granted
the keys of the kingdom of heaven. An indulgence
therefore does not release or forgive the natural punish-
ments of sin, such as are the effects of original sin, as
death, mortality, and other natural evils ; nor does it re-
lease the penalties which the magistrates by law inflict
upon criminals ; but only the penances which the church
inflicts, and which are due by divine justice on account
of such sins as are already forgiven us by the sacrament
of penance ; from these an indulgence sets us free, even
in the sight of God .
The apostles used this power of indulging penitents*
when they saw their spiritual good required it, and that
too great rigour was likely to prejudice their souls ; as
St. Paul indulged the Corinthian abovementioned 5 and
the like indulgences were granted in the infancy of the
church. Tertulian and St. Cyprian bear witness that
t'::e bishops frequently, at the intercession of the mar-
tyrs, gave indulgences to the public penitents, by virtue
whereof they were released from the penances they
were otherwise obliged to undergo : and when canonical
penances were most in use, tSfe councils that enjoin-
ed them still left it to the discretion of the bishops, in
their respective districts, to abridge the time of those
234 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or>
penances, in favour of such as they saw repented fer-
vently, or even to release them entirely, in a dangerous
illness or persecution. And who will say the present
church has not as much power as the ancient church in,
this respect ? If adversaries object, that the indulgences
of ancient times only released the canonical penances ;
the answer is, that there is no substantial difference be-
tween those indulgences and ours ; those released pe-
nitents from penances already enjoined ; these from pe-
nances that ought otherwise to be enjoined.
Nor is it to be thought that these indulgences release
sinners only in the sight of the church, but not in the
sight of God ; for the penances that are enjoined by the
church for sin, are due by divine justice; if therefore
the indulgence of the church only acquitted us before
men, and left our souls bound before God, instead of
being beneficial to us y inaxime salutares, it would be
greatly prejudicial. Nevertheless, indulgences do not
dispense with any Christian, or exempt us from doing
penance and good works in general ; for these are en-
joined to all by the law of God as essential to the life
of a Christian ; and even baptism, which frees us from
all sin and punishment, still leaves all Christians under
this obligation. From what then does an indulgence re-
lease us ? From the obligation of doing certain works
<>f penance on account of certain sins. If to this some
will reply, that it is no benefit for any one to be freed
from that obligation, and better for them to com-
plete their penance, than to seek for an indulgence ; we
mftst answer, that this is a mistaken notion, to think that
it is an advantage to any one to be under an obligation
of doing penance for sin, or to be indebteti to God on
mat account, and obnoxious to his vengeance ; but a
great mercy it is, a great benefit, to be released from
it. When our Saviour forgave both sin and punishment
to St. Mary Magdalen arid the good thief, did he do
them an injury by that indulgence ? Or is baptism pre-
judicial, because it frees us from the obligation of doing
penance for our sins committed before baptism ? To ren-
m indulgence valid and effectual, certain conditions-
are required,, bath oil the part of the giver, and an tiue
The Christian Doctrine explained. 235
part of the receiver. On the part of those who give it,
there must he a sufficient authority, and a just cause :
the authority is sufficient when it comes from those
who succeed to St. Peter and the apostles, to whom
the power to unbind was given : the cause for granting
it is good and just, if the end proposed by it be some
great good, either to the souls of those it is granted to,
as their conversion from heresey, suffering for their
faith, and the like ; or some great works, which con-
duce to the greater glory of God ; and public beuefit
of the whole church ; as is the propagation of the ca-
tholic faith amongst infidels, the peace of the churcK
in time of a schism, the building of churches for di-
vine, worship, &c. which we conceive to be more
pleasing works to God, than if we were to do rigorous
penances instead of them ; and therefore indulgences
^ranted to promote these great ends, are seasonably
granted, and for a good cause. On the part of those
who receive them, many things are required : 1 . That
they be freed from all mortal sin 5 for indulgences are
granted to none but true penitents, who are truly con-
trite and confess ; this being an eternal truth, that to-
be freed from the penance due to sin, we must be first
released from the sin. 2. That they perform the good
works enjoined, as prayers, alms-deeds, fasting, con-
tributions for building churches, propagating the faith
among infidels, Sfc. And although the good works
which are done by every person singly, to obtain the
indulgence, may seem little and inconsiderable, as to
give an aims, to fast three days, or to pray for some
short time ; yet what is done by the whole body of the
faithful upon such occasions, may be conceived to be
something very great, and sufficient to obtain of God
great blessings upon the world ; besides the great good
every one does to his own soul by repenting, confes-
sing, and hastening out of the state of sin ; which is a
good work that indulgences promote in the first place,
as all know that without it, the benefit of them is
not applicable to their souls. In a word, as to those-
who decry this doctrine, I only ask one question : Do-
not their bishops assume an authority to lessen, com-
236 i The Poor Man's Catechism : 9f,
mute, and sometimes release public penances ? What
do they here pretend to ? Is this giving an indulgence P
SECT. IV.
Of the Jubilee.
$. TITfHAT is meant by a jubilee ? Jl. General
* " indulgence. (. When is a jubilee grant-
ed ? A. Every twenty -fifth year, and oftener upon
emergent occasions. Q. What is the difference be-
tween a jubilee and an indulgence? Jl. A jubileee is
more solemn, with many privileges not granted on
other occasions, and extends to the whole body of the
faithful.
INSTRUC. Jubilee means a time of joy and gladness,
of remission and liberty. Thou shalt call it, says God, a
time of mercy and remission for all the inhabitants of the,
land, Levit. xxv. 9. And if in the old law the jubilee
brought universal joy, much more ought it in the new
law to bring us an universal exceeding great joy ; be-
cause their jubilee was but a figure of that spiritual joy
and liberty we have in Christ, through our Christian ju-
bilee. In the old law, the Jewish slaves were, at the
time of the jubilee, set at liberty ; in the new law, such
as have been slaves to sin, may at the jubilee be set free,
and restored to the grace and friendship of God. In the
old law, lands that had been sold returned to their an-
cient owners in the jubilee year ; in the new law, such as.
have sold and forfeited their eternal inheritance, may,
at this time of a jubilee, recover it again* In the old
law, debts were forgiven at the jubilee ^ in the new law,
by means of the jubilee, ali our debts t God, may*
through the plentiful redemption now offered, be cancel-
led and forgiven : all our debts, that is, our sins, and the
penance due to our sins too ; for our sins may, at this
time, be forgiven by the sacrament of penance, and all
the penance due to our sins, by the indulgence. And
thus if we do our part, the jubilee leaves us pure and, free-
from all the debt of sin we owe to God.
The Christian Doctrine explained.
If any one doubt hereof, let him consider that the ju-
bilee, which is a general indulgence, is grounded on the
power which Christ gave to St. Peter, and the rest of the
Apostles, when he said to them, Whatsoever ye shall
unbind on earth) shall be unbound in heaven. These
words being spoken without any reserve or restraint,
plainly import a power to take off every impediment,
whether sin or punishment, or any other spiritual obsta-
cle, that may hinder, retard, or delay our admittance in-
to the kingdom of heaven 5 not forgetting that the
ground-work of this is a true and cordial repentance.
As the church has a power from God to bind or remit
sin, deserving of eternal death ; so also to remit the tem-
poral punishment due to sin, which is the much lesser
debt : and as Christ gave the church a power to lay pe-
nances upon us for Our sins, so to take them oif, for a just
cause, and set us free ; and this is called an indulgence.
It is grounded also on the merits of Christ, as well as his
doctrine ; so that all grace, all merit, all pardon we gain
by it is, through the merits of his death and passion, ap-
plied to our souls ; insomuch that the merits of the
most glorious saints, which we partake of, are no other-
wise of virtue to us, but through him. In a word, it is
founded upon the promise of Christ, who has assured us f
his church shall teach all truth to the end of the world.
What then the church does, commands, or remits, it is
as if he did himself: He that hears you, hears me : they
who rebel, let them be accounted as heathens.
To understand the nature of this and other indulgen-
ces, we must remember what was said above ; that though
by the sacrament of penance our sins are forgiven, and
the pain of hell to them belonging, yet often are tempo-
ral punishments for our sins to be endured 5 because our
contrition, though true, is often too weak and imperfect
to merit a total forgiveness of all sin, and all punishment
too. Which of us repents as King David ? Yet we see
that even he was grievously punished in this world, even
after his sin was forgiven, and upon account of that sin
as the prophet plainly told him. We read also of Ma-
nasses, that he repented bitterly, and heartily prayed, so
that his prayer was heard, and sins forgiven $ and yet,
268 The Poor Marts Catechism: Q*>
after that, were severely punished temporally ; and
says the scripture, would by no means remit the punish-
ment. How happy then are we ; how ought we to
rejoice in time of a jubilee, when we have a means of
being delivered from all our sins, and the penance due
to them ?
A jubilee differs from a plenary indulgence, inasmuch
as it is more solemn, and accompanied with more privi-
leges than the other : every pastor in time of the jubilee,
has power to take of all excommunications, and to ab-
solve in all reserved cases, and to commute private vows
into other works of piety. The benefit of it extends to
all th faithful, who in a body offer a holy violence to
heaven by prayers and good works. Confession and
communion are enjoined, and a general confession re-
commended, to render our pardon more secure and
certain ; which ends in the entire conversion of many
souls, and the multiplying of all kind of good works
among the faithful. O how much is God adored and
honoured thereby I
As to the term between one jubilee and another, it is
now fixed to twenty -five years, by Paul .the 2d, and Six-
tus 4th; that as the frailty of man to sin is very great,
and man's life seems to shorten, every one, if possible,
might enjoy this benefit. Besides there are jubilees
sometimes published upon extraordinary occasions.
EXHOR. Give thanks, O Christian, to God, for this
his further clemency to you, in ordaining such ways and
means, as not only by penance to forgive the guilt of sin,
but by jubilee and indulgence to remit all the penance
due to it : the same divine power that pardons the sin
committed, forgives the penance too. As then the bene-
fit is great and ample, fail not, when occasion oifers, to
apply it to your indebted soul. The good works which
are done to gain an indulgence, are of larger extent and
value than your private prayers and works of penance ;
for here the prayers and good works of all the faithful
concur together : you may then at that time apply thU
saying to yourself, Lord, regard not my sins, but the
faith of thy church, and be thereby propitious to me a sin-
yer* what greater blessing than to have applied, by
The Christian Doctrine explained.
an indulgence, the merits of Christ's life and death to
our souls 5 and through his, those of the holy saints and
martyrs ! Do all that is prescribed for the obtaining this
great benefit ; many by this means have gained a general
pardon, and prevented a more heavy judgment from fall-
ing on them. Let no sin upon this occasion, escape
your humble confession and contrition, that all your sins
may be cancelled ; remember the sin must be forgiven by
the sacrament of penance, before the penance can be re-
leased by the indulgence. Then by a holy communion
receive the Author of this great blessing into your soul :
perform with great devotion the prayers enjoined ; and
if a fast is appointed, take that small penance, as laid
upon you by the hand of God, to prevent more heavy
judgments : give as you are able, upon this occasion,
more amply in charities to the poor, to relieve their tem-
poral wants, as God now opens his hand to relieve your
spiritual ones. As penances are much diminished from
what they were in the primitive church, and you have
seldom added to them, fail not at least to reap the bene-
fit of indulgences. If we were but sensible how many
and how great are our sins, with what speed should we
run to penance ? And if sensible still of the great debts
we contract by them, O with what eagerness should we
embrace indulgences and a general pardon ! What is all
the penance we do in this world, to what our sins de-
serve ? Let us then receive indulgences, as Christians,
with the greatest respect, as believing they apply the
merits of the passion of Christ to our souls. Let us re-
ceive them as sinners, with gratitude, as by them the
treasure of God's mercy is received, our imperfect re-
pentance supplied, and our justification compleated.
Let us receive them as catholics, with obedience to the
church : alas ! what was it at first, but an open contempt
of them, that began the present schism and heresy in
Europe^ which has brought so many calamities upon the
world?
240 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
SECT. V.
Of Purgatory.
Q. TTTHAT do you mean by purgatory? Jl. A
VV middle state of souls departed, who being
not entirely purified from their sins here by penance
and good works, are purified there by some means ap-
pointed by God, but unknown to us, and then are re-
ceived into heaven, where nothing that is defiled can
enter. Q. By what means can we comfort souls in
purgatory ? Jl. By our prayers, suffrages,' and the sa-
crifice of the altar offered for them.
IXSTRUC. -When souls depart this life, there are
some so pure and perfect as to be translated immediate-
ly into heaven : others die in their sins, without repen-
tance $ these descend into hell : others neither have
lived so wickedly as to deserve hell, nor yet so perfect-
ly pure as to be forthwith admitted to the state of bliss,
but are to pass through a purging fire : but what that
fire is, the church has not yet determined. Coun.
Trent. Sess. 6. We only know that it is a state of
suffering souls in the other world, who died in the state
of grace, where, by some means known to God, they
make that full satisfaction to him for their sins which
they neglected here, and then are admitted into hea-
ve n*
This doctrine was held in the old law, where we
read chat Judas Maccabeus sent to Jerusalem to have
prayers and sacrifices offered for the dead that were
slain in battle; the sacred writer concluding, that it is
d ivholesome and holy cogitation to pray for the dead,
that they may be loosed from their sins, % Mach. xii. 43.
- In the new law this doctrine is as ancient as the
church; witness St. Jlugustin: "We read," says he,
" in the books of Maccabees, of sacrifice offered for
;< the dead. And although no where in the old scrip-
* ; ture any such things we read, the authority of the
" universal church, which is evidently for this practice,
r< is of no small weight: where, in the prayers which
The Christian Doctrine explained. 241
^ the priest pours forth to God at the altar, the recom-
" mendation of the dead hath its place." De Cura de
Mort. c. 1, 4. " Neither is it to be denied that the
" souls of the dead are eased by the piety of their liv-
" ing friends, when the sacrifice of the Mediator is of-
" fered for them," says the same St. JHugustin. Wit-
ness again of this is TertMian, where he says, " We
" make anniversary oblations for the dead." Witness of
the same is St. John Chrysostom, " Not rashly was this
" thing decreed by the Apostles, that in the dread mys-
" teries commemoration should be made of the dead."
Horn. 69. ad pop. Jlnt. In a word, all the holy fa-
thers and doctors of the church held it, and applied
several texts of the New Testament to confirm it. As
first, that in St. Matthew, ch. xii. Whosoever speaketh
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him,
neither in this world nor the next: this implies that
some sins are forgiven in the other world ; not in hea-
ven, where there is no sin to be forgiven ; nor in hell,
where there is no forgiveness ; therefore in a third place,
which is meant by purgatory. 2. That of St. Paul to
the Corinthians: If any man's works shall burn, he
shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as
byjire, 1 Cor. iii. where the apostle teaches, that some
will be punished in the other world, and pass through
jire, yet so as to be saved ; which is the doctrine of
purgatory. Both these texts are so expounded by St. Jlu-
gustin, who, in his book of Care for the Dead, main-
tains three points : 1. The custom of praying for the
dead ; 2. What dead we are to pray for ; 3. How best
assisted. The first he proves from the book of Macca-
bees, from the New Testament, above cited, and from,
the authority of the universal church, which offers sa-
crifice and prayers at the altar for them, as he did him-
self for the Soul of his mother. As to the second, what
dead are to be prayed for ? They are such as ha\ 7 ing
been re-born in Christ, have not lived so bad in this
life, as to make them unworthy of his mercy after death;
nor yet so well, as not to stand in need of his mercy.
As to the third, by what means they are best assisted,
he says, " Oblations, prayers, and alms in abundance*
21
242 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or y
' are the true comfort we can procure to those who are
" dead.'' Even Calvin owns that it was a received cus-
tom in the church to pray for the dead, above 1300 years
before his time ; and the argument must needs be strong,
which is taken from the confession of such an adversa-
ry, 1. 3. Insti. c. 5. sect. 10.
Reason teaches us a third place ; for God is just, to
render to every one acccordmg to his works, and to
punish sin : those who have sinned most, will be pu-
nished most ; those who have sinned less, will be pu-
nished less ; and those who have sinned the least, will
at least be punished ; and if they have not done all the
penance God's law required here, why must we believe
fie is not just, to punish sin in the other world as well
as here ? Yet their sins may not be such as deserve
damnation, since the grace and love of God is not lost
In our souls by every sin we commit, for even the just
man sinneth, Prov. xxiv. 16. Then there must be a
third place to cancel our debt. To this third place, or
middle state of souls, the church has given the name of
purgatory: if some do not like the name, and object^,
that no such word is found in scripture, neither is the
word Trinity or consubstantial there, but the thing
meant by purgatory is there ; and we do not contend
with them so much about the names of things, but about
the things themselves, and the substance of the doc-
trine. If they recur to Calvin 9 s old objection, that all
is sufficiently punished in the good by death, and for-
given ; this must seem very weak to all who know that
death is the punishment properly of original sin, not of
other sins ; for if it were, the .good and bad would all
suffer the same punishment, without any equal distribu-
tion of justice. If they reply, that what faults the
good die guilty of, will be forgiven at the general abso-
lution, at the last day; we desire to know in what
place they are to be in the mean time ? Not in heaven,
before they are forgiven; not in hell, where is no for-
giveness ;" but in a third place they must be, whatever
ft is. Now, as the faithful are all in the same church,
though in different states, there is a participation of
prayers and good works among them : and as we here
The Christian Doctrine explained. 24o
receive benefit by the intercession of the saints in hea-
ven, so do the souls of our brethren departed by our
prayers, sacrifice, and alms-deeds. Let them rest in
peace. Jlmen.
EXHOR. As then, O Christian, you have learned,
from the unanimous doctrine of the whole church, that
there is a third place, where souls are detained, till
they have fully satisfied for sin 5 which doctrine of the
fathers is grounded upon scripture and tradition ; and
that the suffrages of the faithful are a relief to them ;
O think of their condition, and offer up your prayers
daily for them. Remember your deceased brethren,
friends, and benefactors, who, though in a different
state, are yet in one and the same communion with you,
Very probable the soul of a father, or mother, or bro-
ther, or sister, or wife, or husband, may be suffering
great torments there for sins they committed on your
account : this is their cry to you, Have pity on me, at
least you my friends, for the hand of our Lord hath
strucken me: and though it should happen, that those
you pray for, are not in want of your prayers ; your
tenderness and charity, God is equally pleased with.
If it be great charity to assist the distressed in this
world, who suffer, under the hands of God's mercy,
in prisons, in chains, in banishment, and death :
how much greater charity to help those who are suffer-
ing in the other world, under the hand of divine jus-
tice ? O what is the grief of the one to the other !
What the torment ! If again you are commanded to vi-
sit and assist by your alms the imprisoned; we have the
same command to think and pray for the dead. " It k
" not in vain," says St. John Chrysostom, " that obla-
" tions are made for the dead ; it is the ordinance of the
" Holy Ghost, who designs we should help one another."
Help then those who are detained in the prison of pur-
gatory, till they have paid the last farthing. Descend
in thought, into those inferior parts of just punishment,
and see what the souls here detained are suffering for
lesser faults than you are guilty of; enter in thought
into that place with a holy sorrow, tears, and contri-
tion for your own sins. Think again of the greatness
244r The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
of their punishment, it is beyond expression ; yet they
suffer in the height of charity, they suffer with the com-
fort of angels, and their sufferings will have an end in
glory. Embrace now, with a love of God like to theirs,
what little afflictions you have to suffer under the hand
of his mercy, and you will escape those much greater
which they suffer under the hand of his justice.
Of the sacrament of Extreme Unction.
Q. TT7HAT is extreme unction ? A. It is the last
VV sacrament given to dying persons, to
strengthen them in their passage out of this life into a
better, and prepare them for glory. O. Why is it cal-
led extreme unction. A. Extreme unction, in other
\vords, is the last anointing ; because of all the sacred
unctions and anointings, this is the last we are to re-
ceive. Q. What warrant have you for this sacrament ?
5. In St. James v. 14. Is any one sick among you?
Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them
pray over him, anointing him with . oil in the name of
our Lord, and the prayer of faith shall save the sicfc
man, and our lord will lift him up ; and if he be in sin 9
his sins shall be forgiven him ; from which words the
church has learned the matter, the form, the minister,
and the effects of this wholesome sacrament. Q. Who
are capable of this sacrament ? #. Every Christian who
is in moral danger of death by sickness ; except infants,
fols, and such as are always mad. Q. Who is the
minister of it ? .#. A bishop, or priest, who has the care
of souls. Q. What is the matter of it ? Jl. Oil bles-
sed by the bishop. Q. What is the form of it? .#.
These words ? May our Lord, by this holy anointing,
and his own most tender mercy, pardon thee whatever
thou hast sinned by seeing ; so of tlio other senses, hear-
ing, tasting, touching, &c. Q. What are the effects of
it ? Jl. It comforts the soul in her last agony, against
despair ; it remits sin, and restores health, it it be ex-
pedient.
INSTRUC. There can be no doubt but extreme unc-
tion is a sacrament of divine institution, and was used
The Christian Doctrine explained. 245
by the apostles, witness St. James, who was one of the
twelve 5 though at what time it was ordained by our sa-
viour, is. uncertain : it is said in St. Marie, c, vi. that
Christ sent his disciples, two and two, and they anointed
many with oil that were sick, and healed them : and
though it be certain that this was not the sacrament of
extreme unction, it was here insinuated, and afterwards
fully published by St. James; and the most ancient
fathers bear witness that it was used in the primitive
church. Greg. horn. 2. in Levit. Chyrsost. I. 3. de 8a-
cerd. Inno. ad Decentiuin. Cyril. Jllew, L 6. de Jldor.
Capit. Car. Mag. L 6. c. 75.
The sacrament of extreme unction is given to none
but such as are in danger of death by sickness ; conse-
quently it is not to be given to persons in health, al-
though in danger of death 5 as to soldiers before battle,
or to criminals led to execution; because St. James
mentions none but sick persons : Is any one sick among
you ? Neither ought they to defer the receiving this sa-
crament till the point of death, when the dying person
is incapable of making any preparation for it : but it
ought Jo be called for as soon as by sickness any one is
in clanger of death, and while he is, in his senses, that
with more sorrow and repentance he may receive the
blessed effects of it. For them it was instituted^ to
give them grace and strength to withstand all the as-
saults of the devil, and to comfort them in this time
of need, when the soul is sinking undes the weakness
of the ^body. Infants have no need of this sacrament,
or such as are always mad, without any lucid intervals
of reason ; nor such as are born fools ; because having
no use of reason, they cannot be in sin ; but if any one
has given signs, in their sound senses, of a desire to re-
ceive these rights of the church, and afterwards go out
of their senses again, to such it may be administered.
Cat. of the Coun. of Trent. And after the administra-
tion ol it, if the sick person should recover s and relapse:
again, it may be repeated again as often as he recovers
and relapses ; even in the same illness it may be repeat-
ed, if the illness be of long continuance, and the persons
kas been considerably better, and worse agaln ? because
there is the a a new danger,
31*
246 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
The matter of this sacrament is oil of olives bles-
sed by a bishop ; which is usually done on Maunday
Thursday with many ceremonies. The form is the
prayer of faith, which the priest pronounces, while he
anoints the sick person. The minister is a bishop, or
priest, who has the care of souls, as specified by St
James: Let them bring in the priests of the church, <$fc.
The dispositions required in the receiver are, l. % A-
lively faith in the sacrament. 2. That he receive it
with a pure desire to procure the health of his soul, and
with good hope that it will restore him to health of body
too, if it be expedient. 3. Perfect resignation to the
will of God, to live or die. 4. Repentance for all his
sins, as well remembered as forgotten. 5. Devotion,
praying along with the priest, for the health of soul and
body, which is the effect of this sacrament. 6. To ab-
stract himself from all worldly things, and set his heart
upon God and heaven.
As to the manner of administering; extreme unction,
the priest having instructed the sick person for it,
comes to the place where he is, with the holy oils in his
hands, and says, Peace be to this house, and to qll that
dwell therein ; to signify, that the person who is to re-
ceive it, and all with him, ought to be in perfect peace
with God and man. Then he extends his hands over
him, and prays, In the name of the father, and of the
son, and of the holy ghost, Sj'c. may 'all poiver of the de-
vil be extinct in thee, by the imposition of our hands and
by the invocation of all the angels and saints pi hea-
ven, &c. Then dipping his thumb 4 in the holy oil, he
anoints the sick person in form of a cross, on the eyes,
ears, nose, mouth, hands and feet with these words :
May our lord, by this holy anointing, and his own most
tender mercy pardon thee, whatever thou hast sinned by
seeing^ hearing, &c. He anoints these parts, where the
organs of the senses are, as being the chief instruments
by which we have admitted sin into the soul. A cruci-
fix is also placed before the sick person, that he may
be encouraged to die for and with his blessed redeemer.
As to the effects of this sacrament. 1. The grace
of the holy ghost, which is signified by the sacred unc-
The Christian Doctrine explained.
tion, is infused into the soul thereby, as by all the sacra-
ments of the new law. 2. It takes an ay the relicks of
sin, or that spiritual weakness which sin has brought
upon the soul. 3. If the sick person, at that time should
happen to be in sins, which are hidden from his eyes,
either through ignorance or forgetful ness, or the weak-
ness of apprehension, provided he be truly contrite,
they will be forgiven him, even mortal sins; for St.
James speaks of sins in general, If he be in sins, his
sins shall be forgiven him: and where the scripture
mentions sin in general, it commonly means mortal
sin ; and so the council of Trent seems to expound St.
James. Hence extreme unction, by the ancients, was
ever held to be the accomplishment and perfection of pe-
nance, as supplying all deficiencies therein, that are in-
voluntary. 4. It raises his soul to a blessed hope in the
mercy of God ; Our Lord wiU lift him up : it comforts
him against all despair ; it gives him strength to support
his sickness, as well as to resist the temptations of the
devil, who assaults him more violently at the last hour,
according to that : The devil is descended to you, having
great wrath, knowing that he hath but little time, Apoc.
xii. Lastly, it brings him with safety ta the port of eter-
nal happiness. The prayer of faith shall save the sick
man. In a word, by the virtue of this sacrament, the
sick recover sometimes health of body as well as soul ?
when the health of body is expedientfor the salvation of
the soul. Coun. Trent. Sess. 14. c. 2.
EXHOR. -Learn, O Christian, from this last, and most
healthful sacrament, how much you are indebted to the
great goodness of God, who does not leave you but is
with you, by his sanctifying grace, from the first to the
last moment of time. As he has appointed the other sa-
craments in order to a good life, this he has instituted
particularly to a good death. If then we consider right*
ly the greatness of our infirmities, how great is our
weakness at that time, and the great strength of our
enemy, never ceasing to assault us with a variety of
temptations to the last breath, in order to destroy us fi-
nally, and put us out of all hope of divine mercy ; if we
consider too the great want of divine grace, to- comfort
248 The Poor Marts Ca^chism : Or,
us in our last moments, against our natural fear of death*
and the anxiety of an approaching judgment, we shall be
easily convinced of the necessity of this holy sacrament,
and not defer it too late, as many have done.
Think how you ought to comfort yourself in sickness^
and in these agonies of death : look on all, as the pu-
nishment of sin : take all, as from the holy hand of God,
to prevent heavier punishments. When you first fall ill
of a dangerous disease, take care to settle your temporal
affairs with prudence and discretion ; it is your duty,
that there may arise no disputes and differences amongst
friends, caused by your neglect : knowing then that you
are about to leave all things behind, and that as you came
naked into the world, so you will go naked out and car-
ry nothing with you : let the salvation and good of
body and soul then be the only object of your thoughts
and desires: Turn then your heart entirely from the
world, friends, and possessions, and fix it oil God and
your last end. As sickness increases, your care must
be to make your peace with God, by a timely, and, if re-
quisite, a general confession. Do it with sincerity and
integrity, as a preparation for judgment : time is yet
your own ; time, though short, is yet most precious ; and
as you are going a long voyage into eternity, provide,
guard, and protect your soul, as Elias, with the Bread of
Life, the holy Viaticum : He that eats thereof, worthily,
shall live for ever. lam the resurrection and the life, he
that liveth and believeth in me, shall not die for ever, and
though he b&dead, he shall live, John xi. 25. As soon as
you are in danger, call in the priests of the church, with
a desire of extreme unction : receive it, if possible, while
in your senses $ look oh him, as an angel sent to comfort
you, as one came to comfort our Saviour in his agony in
the garden : join with the priest in every part, and think
of the blessed effects of this healing sacrament. O what
more comfortable than to hear, The prayer of faith shall
save the sick man ; and if he be in sins, his sins shall be for-
given him. This is the last blessed indulgence which God
gives you. \\hile the priest is anointing each of your
senses, beg pardon for what you have sinned thereby ;
by your eyes, ears, mouth, hands and feet, and by your
The Christian Doctrine explained. 249
whole body. When your end draws near, make some
short acts of faith, hope, and charity ; die in peace with
all the world, and freely forgive, as you hope to he forgi-
ven. Cast then your eyes on the cross, and see how you
are to hehave with your most blessed Saviour in death 5
his death is the comfort of all the dying. While you be-
hold his agony in the garden, put on the same resigna-
tion as he. \Vhile you see him stripped of his garments^
and hanging naked on the cross, forsake all affections to
things of this world. While you hear him praying for
his enemies, 0! forgive all mankind. While discoursing
with his mother, recommend yourself to her intercession.
When you hear him say, It is finished, beg that the will
of God, which is your salvation, maybe accomplished in
you : and when you hear the last word he spoke, Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit, give yourself with
your last breath into the hands of your Creator and Fa-
ther ; and return yourself to him, from whom you recei-
ved yourself; beseeching Jesus, your Redeemer, that
you may receive the fruits of his death, and your re-
demption, which is life everlasting.
Of the Sacrament of Holy Order.
%. TT7HAT is Holy Order ? A. A sacrament, by
V V which power is given to the ministers of the
ehurch, to do their holy offices, and also grace to do them
well. ^. To whom is this sacrament given ? A. To
such chiefly as are made bishops and priests, whose duty
it is to conduct the faithful to eternal life : there are also
inferior degrees of holy orders, as that of deacon and
subdeacon.
INSTRUC. Holy order is a sacrament, which God has
ordained to the well-governing his church ; and as there
are in political states governors and higher powers, to
preserve economy, and prevent confusion ; so in spiri-
tual states, there are some in power, to preserve the body
of the church, to keep us in peace arid unity, and con-
duct us in the way of life. These two temporal and
spiritual states God appointed from the beginning. Un-
der the law of nature, the priesthood descended by the
250 The Poor Man's Catechism : Qr,
right^of the primogeniture : thus, the ancient patriarchs
were priests, and offered sacrifice, as we read of Mel,
Noah, Abraham, Jllelchisedeck, Job, &c. Under the
written law, it was fixed to JUaron and his family : under
the new law, Christ being our high priest, from his per-
son all spiritual power must be derived : this he gave
first to the apostles, and instituted the sacrament of
Holy Order, by which they ordained bishops and priests
to succeed themselves in the government of souls : and
no one has power to do those holy offices, which con-
cern the honour of God and salvation of souls, but
such only as are lawfully ordained by this sacrament, by
the hands of those who were lawfully ordained before
them. Although a man is elected tfy the magistrates
and all the people, he has no power to administer the sa-
craments and to preach, unless he is ordained by a
bishop. As in baptism we are made Christians, to fol-
low the life of Christ ; in confirmation, soldiers of
Christ, to defend his faith 5 so by holy order, we are
made ministers of Christ to dispense his sacred myste-
ries to his people ; and as such we receive God's mark in
these three sacraments, which is a spiritual character in
the soul, and is indelible, to remain for ever, to the glory
or confusion of those who have received it.
Holy order is a true sacrament of the new law ; for as
a sacrament is a visible sign of invisible grace, instituted
by Christ our Lord for our sanctification ; so in holy or-
der, the visible sign is the matter and form ; and the in-
visible e"ffect is the spiritual power which the ordained
receive to do their holy offices, as to offer sacrifice, ad-
minister sacraments, &c. with sanctifying grace, which
is in a special manner needful to those who hold that
dignity in the church : and that it is of divine institution
cannot be denied, for it is clear that our Saviour gave the
apostles the power of priesthood to consecrate as he had
done, at his last supper ; to forgive sins, John xx. to
preach the gospel, and baptize, Matt. ult. And the apos-
tles administered this sacrament in the very infancy of
the church ; as when they ordained St. Paul and Barna-
by a.t Jlntioch with the sacred ceremony of imposition of
hands, Acts xiv. And St. Paid afterwards ordained JCi-
The Christian Doctrine expalined. Sl
mothy bishop of Ephesus, with the like ceremony, as his
own words bear witness : Neglect not the grace which
is in you by prophecy, with the imposition of hands of the
priesthood. 1 admonish thee to revive the grace which
is in thee by the imposition of our hands, 2 Tim. vi.
In holy order there are seven degrees, by which we
ascend to the priesthood ; four less, and three greater.
Con. Carthag. 4. c. 6. Of the less, the first is that of
Porter, whose office is to keep the keys of the church,
sacristy, treasury, and to keep all out of the church
and sanctuary who ought not to enter: to him the
bishop says in his ordination, So behave yourself, as to
give an account to God of ivhat is kept under your
charge. 2. That of Lector ; his office is to read aloud
the lessons of the Old and New Testament, which be-
long to the divine office, and to instruct the ignorant
in the rudiments of the Christian religion : the bishop
gives him a book, containing those things, and charges
him faithfully and profitably to fulfil his office. 3.
That of Exorcist ; to him is given power to exorcise
possessed persons : the bishop gives a book of exor-
cisms, and bids him receive it with power to lay his
hands on such- as are possessed, whether baptized or
catechumens. 4. That of Jlcolyte ; his office is to as-
sist the deacon and subdeacon at the altar ; to carry the
lights, to prepare the wine and water for consecration^
and attend on the divine mysteries : the bishop gives
him a wax candle with two little cruets, bidding him
light the candle, and serve wine and water in the cruets.
By these less we ascend to the greater. The first of these
is the order of Subdeacon ; he serves the deacon at the
altar, prepares the altar, the chalice, the bread, and the
wine ; he reads the epistle aloud at high Mass : the
bishop before he ordains, him, declares that none are to
receive this order, but those who will observe perpetual
continency from marriage : he then gives him a chalice,
and patten, bason and towel, two little cruets, the book
of epistles; bids him Consider his ministry and behave
I so as to please God. The second of the greater orders
is that of Deacon ; his office is immediately to assist the
bishop or priest at high Mas ? and the administration .6?
252 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
the sacraments. He reads the gospel aloud at Mass,
he gives the cup, when the sacrament of the Eucharist
is given in both kinds ; he may give baptism, and preach
the gospel by commission. To him the bishop gives a
book of the gospels, with power to read it in the church
of God. The third is that of Priesthood, which has two
degrees of power and dignity ; that of bishops, and that
of priests. The office of a priest is to consecrate and offer
the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ, under the
forms of bread and wine ; to administer all the sacra-
ments, except confirmation and holy order ; to preach
the gospel, to bless the people, and to conduct them in
the way to life eternal ; as also to bless such things as
are not reserved to the benediction of the bishop. The
bishop, when he ordains a priest, anoints his hands with
oil, which signifies the grace that is conferred upon him $
he gives him the patten with bread upon it, and a chalice
with wine ; with power to offer sacrifice for the living
and the dead ; then he lays his hands upon him, and
says, Receive the Holy Ghost, &c. with several other ce-
remonies. The office of a bishop is to govern the church
both clergy and laity, in his respective diocese ; to in-
flict censures, excommunication, suspension, &c. to offer
sacrifice, to preach the gospel, to give confirmation, and
holy order ; none but bishops receive this sacrament in
full, so as to have power to administer all the sacraments.
Of these degrees of holy order, only bishops, priests,
and deacons, constitute the hierarchy of the church,
which is of divine institution. Count. Trent. Sess. 23.
c. 6. But as there are several degrees in order, so
there are higher and lower degress of dignity and spiri-
tual jurisdiction in the episcopacy itself: 1. That of or-
dinaries. 2. That of arch-bishops. 3. That of primates.
4. That of patriarchs. 5. That of the supreme head,
and common father of all, the Pope ; who holds his su-
premacy as successor to St. Peter, by right divine.
EXHOR. You are now called upon, O Christian, to
praise the divine bounty of God in the institution of a
sacrament so necessary for the good government of the
church, and promoting the salvation of his people in
placing over us bijshops, priests, and pastors, to supply
The Chris tan Doctrine explained. 253
his place, and administer all things to us, necessary for
our spiritual good. Learn now your duty to them, 1.
To honor and respect them ; if their lives sometimes do
not, the : r character always does command respect ; they
bear the person of Christ ; For Christ we are ambassa-
dors, 2. Cor. v. 20. sent by him to declare his will to
mankind, and to put them" in mind of their supreme
head in heaven. You have then reason to honour them,
from the dignity of the office they perform, in offering
the sacrifice of the altar, in preaching the gospel, in ab-
solving from sin ; they are as mediators, under Chnst ?
between God and the people. To them, through God,
you owe your spiritual life and being, which will last
for all eternity. It is by them we are taken into the
church, and made the children of God by baptism ; by
them we are strengthened in our faith by confirma-
tion ; from their hands we receive the sacrament of
holy eucharist, which preserves our souls to life eternal ;
by them our souls are healed through penance ; by them
we are comforted and prepared for death, through ex-
treme unction ; by them we learn the first rudiments of
religion ; from them we learn all that conduces to the
service of God here, and to his blessed enjoyment here-
after : in a word, we cannot come at the helps and
means of our salvation otherwise than through them.
2. To obey them, because they have power from
God to instruct, direct and correct you ; He, that
heareth you, heareth me. O ! did we but remember this,
we should be more ready to hear, and quick to prac-
tise ; we should not make so slight as many do of
their admonitions, counsels, exhortations : think how
often you haye been told, Love God,and keep his
commandments, decline from evil and do good : there
is no virtue, no duty, either with regard to God or
man, but what you have been admonished of by them ;
but how little you have regarded their words, I leave
you to consider. Think often on these words of God,
Obey those ivho are placed over you, and be siibjeci
to them, for they watch, as bring to give an account of
your souls, Heb. xi. The honour and obedience you pay
to them is for your own good, that they may do their
254 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
office with joy ) and not with sorrow ; for this is not good
for you, as the apostle says, Heb. xiii. 17. If through
your disobedience and contempt they are always- in
mourning, it is impossible they should do their office so
well for you ; you make their employments more diffi-
cult, and stop the cure of your own soul. St. Paul
commands that priests who govern well, should be ho-
noured with a double honour. 1. Tim. v. 17. and by ma-
ny they are treated with a double contempt ; yet they
undergo the hardest of all labour for you, and are ex-
posed to the greatest of dangers. There is no ingrati-
tude like theirs, who return evil for good. 3. To assist
them with your prayers, as their charge is great arid
weighty : if St. Paul who was a chosen vessel, request-
ed this of his flock, and thought it necessary help to him,
how much more need have other pastors to request the
same ? How much more reason have you to comply
with their request ? Think of your own infirmities, and
pray that God would help and strengthen them against
theirs : Alas ! they are as yourselves, but men.
Of the sacrament of Matrimony.
Q. Y/i/'H AT is the sacrament of matrimony? Jl. It
* * is a new dignity added to the contract of marri-
age, by which it is made a sacrament of the new law,
and gives grace to those that worthily receive it ? Q.
What is the matter and form of it ? *fl. The mutual
consent of the parties, expressed in words or signs, by
which they deliver and accept of each other's bodies.
^. What are the effects of it ? *#. It gives grace to the
married couple, to love and bear with each othtir, and
to train up their children in the fear of God. Q. How
strict is the bond of marriage ? Jl. So strict, that it can
never be broken but by death.
INSTRUC.- Marriage was first instituted in paradise,
when God gave to man the woman, he had made of a
ril>, taken from his side, and blessing them, said, In-
crease and multiply. But men in time having very
invv h deviated from this first institution of marriage, to
plurality of wives, arid divorce themselves from
The Christian Doctrine explained. 253
those they had married, our Saviour reduced it to what
it was first, an indissoluble union of one to one ; he
also made it a sacrament, that gives grace to those who
worthily receive it. The end of marriage, as a natural
contract, was to fill the world with inhabitants, Increase
and multiply, and fill the earth. The end of marriage,
as a sacrament, is to fill the church and complete the
number of the elect in heaven.
Marriage, according to St. Paul, is a great sacra-
ment, inasmuch as the conjunction of the married
couple resembles and represents the blessed union or es-
pousals of Christ with the church, which is indissolva-
ble ; and upon this ground the apostle recommends re-
ciprocal love and union between man and wife, like to
that between Christ and his church, which can never be
without grace : and this is the grace which the sacra-
ment of marriage gives. The holy fathers all taught
that marriage between Christians is a sacrament : coun-
cil and tradition ever taught it: the council of Trent
pronounces anathema against those who deny it; St.
Jlugustin defended tlie sanctity of it, and says, " The,
" sanctity of the sacrament is of greater value than the
" fruit of the womb." The marriage of Christians then
is a spiritual and holy thing ; according to that of St.
Paul, Jtfarriage is honourable in all things, and the bed
undeJUed ; that is, it is holy; and this, l.On account
of the sacrament. 2. On account of the fidelity of tke
parties, which they engage to each other. 3. On ac-
count of their having and educating children in order to
eternal salvation.
1. On account of the sacrament, which is holy, the
bond of marriage being by our Saviour made indissolva-
ble, not to be broken, but by the death of one of the
parties, that it might more perfectly represent the mar-
riage of Christ with the church, which is so inseparable
that not even all the powers of hell shall ever make a
division between them. This sacrament also gives the
grace which it signifies ; an union between man and
wife, like to that between Christ and the church, which
is spiritual and holy. 2, On account of the fidelity of
the parties, who engage themselves to each other far
256 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
life, to abhor adultery, and not to fix their hearts, no,
3i or even their eyes upon Mjy other, 3. On account of
their having and educating children in order to eternal
salvation; for this is certainly the end of clmstian mar-
riages, which were not instituted merely for the sake
of having children, but ibr the sake of having such
Children as may serve God, after their parents are
dead, and may at hst be glorious in heaven. There-
fore ;St. Paul says, Women sjiall be saved by the bear-ing
of children., 1 Tim. ii. 15. not merely by breeding and
Searing children, for this is nature, not grace ; but by
Bearing children, and educating them in the fear of
God.
As the end of matrimony is, 1. The generation and
education of children in the fear of God. 2. That man
and wife might be a help to each other, Gen. ii. L8. and
tliis not only as to the business of this world, but, what
is much more considerable, as to the next world too,
both in order to their own salvation, and that of their
children. 3. That it might be a remedy against concu-
piscence, by assigning a lawful object to the natural in-
clination which sin had depraved; hence great grace is
necessary to sanctify this state of life, to perform all
the duties, and support all the difficulties of it, which
St. Paul calls The tribulations of the flesh, which the
parties meet with, even from one another. And this
grace is the effect of the sacrament, to all those who
worthily receive it, and put no obstacle on their part
against it. Now, to receive it worthily, you must take
care that your marriage be contracted and celebrated
according 'to the laws of marriage, and all the rites
prescribed by the church. It ought -also to be public,
before the pastor and two or three witnesses ; and the
priest should examine the parties whether there are no
impediments to the marriage, as affinity, promises to
others, &c. Children ought not to marry without the
consent of parents : nor parents force them to marry
against their wills. They ought to prepare themselves
by purity of conscience, 'confession, and the sacrament
of penance ; for any one mortal sin is opposite to the
grace of this sacrament; by devout prayer, recom-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 257
mending this weighty matter to God, bv good works,
&c. **
The matter and form of this sacrament is the mutual
consent of the parties, expressed by words or signs, by
which they deliver and accept of each others body for
life 5 for which reason no divorce from the bond of mar-
riage is allowed under the new law ; and nothing can
break it, but the death of one of the parties, or one of
them entering into religion before the marriage is con-
summated ; in which single case the other party may
lawfully marry again ia the other's life time. Coun.
Trent."Sess. 24. c. 6. By the same contract, they en-
gage themselves to an undivided society for life, and
cannot separate even from bed and board, without suck
causes as the law assigns. The priest as minister arid
witness, joins them together, saying, I join you in ma-
trimony, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of ihe Holy Ghost.
But although the engagement of marriage be so strict?
yet there are some causes assigned by the law and gos-
pel, which authorise a separation as to bed and board*
The first of these is adultery in either party, Matt. v.
31. in which case our Saviour himself permits a man to
separate from his wife, and dismiss her, if the crime be
proved ; but even in that case the injured party cannot
marry another, till the death of the other party, without
adultery : Every man who dismisses his wife, and mar-
ries another, commits adultery ; and he who marries the.
woman that was dismissed, commits adultery ivith her^
Luke xvi. 18. If both are guilty of adultery? there is no
separation allowed, even as to bed and board ; because
it is only the innocent party has a right to, separate*
Coun. Trent. Can. 7. Inno. 3. extra de Mutter. f stup*
c. tun fraternitas. Again, if the innocent party has
cohabited freely with the adulterer, after notice of the
crime, that party cannot separate ; because it is then
presumed the injured party has forgiven the fault*
Lege Crimen. Cod. It. Qtuesitum 40. This is the only
cause, adultery, that authorises a separation for life: ii^.
this case, the injured party is under no obligation ever
to return to the adulterer or adulteress, though ever sx>
258 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
penitent ; vet in some cases it is advisable for a wife or
husband not to refuse a reconciliation with those whom,
we may presume God has forgiven. Other causes autho-
rising a separation as to bed and board, assigned by ca-
non law, grounded upon the law of God and reason, are
as follow: 1. If the husband or wife has made an at-
tempt to murder their consort. Lege consensu Cod. de
repud. extra de restitut. spoliat. c. liter as. c. ex transmis-
stt. 2. If either party has been considerably abused in
person, and beaten by the other, and there is reason to
fear a return of the like ill usage, ibid. 3. If either of
the parties fall into heresy or idolatry, and there is great
danger of a perversion of the orthodox party, so that
they cannot cohabit without injury to God. Sine contu-
melia Great or is, c. Idolatria 28. q. 1. 4. If either of
the parties solicit the other to crimes. 5. If either of
the parties be furious and mad, so that there is danger
of murder. Yet we are to observe, that none of these
causes, none but adultery, authorise a separation for
.life ; for when tbe party, who did the wrong, is truly
penitent .and reclaimed, the other is obliged to return
and be reconciled.
EXHOR. As now Christ has made marriage a
sacrament, a spiritual and holy thing ; it behoves all
' who enter into that state, first to recommend it to God
by prayer, and to call in Jesus to their marriage, like
those of Cana in Galilee. There is no state but what
needs the blessing of God to go with it ; nor any state
happy without it. As it is to last for life, it requires a
more serious consideration to think well, whether they
can be happy together : whether they can love one ano-
ther, and bear with each others humour arid weakness-
es. Gh ! what is it, but absence of thought, and an un-
puly passion of lust, that makes so many unhappy mar-
riages ? So many to repent and become miserable in a
short space ? True conjugal love, joined with a special
grace and blessing of God, is the only means to make,
both entirely happy. Think then before hand ; think of
your respective duties to each other : Husbands love
your wives, as Christ loved the church. Wumen be. sub-
ject to your husbands^ as to our Lord. Read the first
The Christian Doctrine explained. 259
chapter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, and weigh each
word well. Marriage being a sacrament that gives
grace, prepare yourselves to receive it by humble con-
fession and holy communion. When the priest blesses
you, take it as "a blessing from God. When he joins you
together, take it as from God, joining the first man and
woman together in Paradise. Remember that saying,
What God joins, let no man separate : nothing can dis-
solve it but death. Join with each other in mutual fideli-
ty ; concur together in all the concerns of life : let your
hearts be one, as you are now two in one flesh : you must
leave all, father and mother, if occasion be, to go toge-
ther : if at any time, you are troublesome to each other,
think of that saying of St. Paul to all Christians, chiefly
to you, who are now become as one : Bear each others
burdens, and so you will fulfil the law of Christ ; which
is to live in peace, union, and love. Forget not your du-
ties to God ; let not your new state of life lessen you in
the love of God 5 and if you are obliged to love one ano-
ther, yet he must still be* loved above all, from whom all
pure love proceeds. He has said it : He that loves father
and mother, and the same may be said of wife or hus-
band, more than me, is not worthy of me. St. Matt. x. 37.
Another duty essential to this state, is to have always at
heart the care of your children, both their temporal and
spiritual good : that you instill the love and fear of God
into their tender hearts : that you instruct them in the
rudiments of religion : that you correct them when they
say or do amiss : that you go before them by good exam-
ple : that you provide for them, as in your power : chil-
dren are not born only for this world, but chiefly for eter-
nal glory ; that you may with them sing the praises of the
great Creator of mankind for ever and ever.
Of Virtue and Vice.
Q. Y TOW many cardinal virtues are there ? Jl.
JL JL Four ; Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Tem-
perance. They are called cardinal, oecause they are the
principal, and other moral virtues branch from them.
INSTRUC. The end of religion is virtue, without
which we cannot be beloved of God ? or coine to the en-
260 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
joyment of him. Virtue is a power that reigns in the
soul, which directs and inclines us to do good, and avoid
evil, both with regard to the happiness of this life and
the next. In acting virtuously we cannot do ill ; be- 1
cause virtue is essentially good, and renders those who
obey its power, good, and their actions good. There are
some common inbred principles of truth, and the light of
reason in all men, which contain the seeds of some vir-
tues ; we have a natural light to discern truth from er-
ror, and some inclination to follow reason, which will
ever remain in a rational nature ; so that by repeating
good acts, we may get a habit of doing them, and acquire
moral virtues as the heathens did. But this did not ren-
der them truly good and wise to salvation ; it only fitted
them for the society of men, and made them good citizens
of this world, not of heaven. There is a great disparity
between the virtue of one who is temperate, merely be-
cause reason dictates that intemperance is prejudicial to
health, and hinders reason from worktngj and one who is
temperate because God teaches that it is necessary for
subjecting the body to the soul, in order to overcome sin ?
and be saved : this is true virtue, which has God for its
principle, and salvation its end. The power of virtue is
all through grace : God has given to every one a free
will to embrace virtue or follow vice ; it is through his
grace, that in our weak nature and fallen state, we prac-
tise virtue ; it is through our own perverse will, we prac-
tice evil ; a good will, which we cannot have without
grace, is the original of all good things ; on the contrary,
a bad will is the original of all evil and vice.
SECT. I.
Of Prudence.
AT is Prudence ? & Jt is a vir . tue that
guards us against ignorance, and directs us
in a right choice, that we deceive not ourselves, -nor de-
ceive others.
INSTRUC. Prudence is the key to true knowledge ; it
is what makes us wise in our actions, and capable ta
counsel others, even in the most difficult occurrences,
The Christian Doctrine explained. 261
It is the part of prudence to examine well before we de-
termine : to suspend our own judgment in doubts, and
rather submit to others and learn knowledge from them
who have had more experience ; to lay up the memory of
what has happened to others ; to be circumspect in all
circumstances ; to be provident in foreseeing the event 5
to be cautious in considering what obstacles we are like-
ly to meet with. To this virtue the holy scripture very
frequently exhorts us : Son, do nothing without counsel?
and after the fact thou sJialt not repent. Eccles. xxxii, 24.
To this our Saviour encourages his disciples, Be prudent
as serpents, and simple as doves. St. 'Matt. x. 16. inno-
cent and mild as doves, but cautious how to proceed to a
right undertaking. To this St. Paul admonishes all
Christians, Take heed how you walk, warily, not as un-
wise, but as ivise, redeeming the time, because the days
are eviL Ephes. v. 15. Of this the v.ise man says, The
law of the prudent man is a source of life,^ by which he
may decline from the ruin of death. Prov. xiii. 14. In a
word, it is prudence that directs us in all our ways and
doings to good, and diverts us from all evil ; it guides
us in truth, and diverts us from error. By this great
virtue kings and magistrates rule, and people obey ; ar-
mies are commanded, families governed, and every
one's private life, and all our actions, directed to out-
last end.
EXHOR. Think, Christian, what need you have of
this great virtue, considering the ignorance you were
born with, and the corruption you bring with you into
the world ; then pray that God would infuse it into your
soul. It is highly necessary to guide you both in man-
i\ers and religion. 1. As to manners; how many are
carried away with the world, how many go astray by its
alluring delights, and the false maxims of the perverse ?
How many by this means are ruined to eternity ? It is>
prudence must there direct our steps ; and this will soon
discover the mistake, in taking false for true joys ; false
pleasure for true delight; and will shew this is no where
to be found, but in the love of God and a good conscience.
Thenas to religion, how necessary is prudence to direct
you in a right choice, amidst the errors of the age ? This.
The Poor Mans Catechism : Or,
laying prejudice aside, will soon discover truth from
falsehood : it is certainly the greatest prudence to find
out, amidst the confused opinions of men, the only sure
and secure way to salvation. There is but one way to
heaven ; seek then to he instructed in it, rather than to
follow your own inventions,
SECT. II.
Of Justice.
Q. TTTHAT is justice ? Jl. It is a virtue which
VV gives to every one his due : To whom tri-
bute, tribute ; to whom fear, fear : to whom honour, ho-
nour. Rom. xiii. 7.
INSTRUC. Justice is threefold ; to God, to our
neighbour, and to ourselves. God claims his due in the
first place, and what we owe him, is religion, love, fear,
honour, service, adoration ; and this is so high a duty,
that we can never render to God an equality to what we
owe him. Justice to our neighbour, is a fixed principle
to give every one his own, and to wrong no man : hence
a just man is honest in all his dealings and bargains of
any kind. This virtue in kings and princes, is an uni-
versal good ; as injustice in them is an universal evil. It
is a virtue also which runs through the whole course of
every man's life ; as we continually have dealings with
others: so that of all moral virtues, this is the most be-
neficial to society; and for this reason it is remarked,
that in all states, the just and the brave are the most
honoured by the public ; as from them the public re-
ceives the most service. Besides this general honesty
to all men, there is a justice in honouring our parents,
in the next place under God; to whom, we can never
return so much as we have received, l j ietas in parentes.
A justice in loving our country, in which we are born
and educated, Pietas in patriam. A justice in respect-
ing the good and great, Observansia majorum. A jus-
tice in being grateful to our benefactors; in speaking
truth to those we live with, and not deceiving them 5
in living friendly with our neighbours. It is just also;
The Christian Doctrine explained. 26S
in some cases to be generous ; there is justice in re-
warding, and justice in punishing. These are virtues
of a second rank, which branch from this cardinal vir-
tue, and belong to it, as having all something of justice
in them.
3. There is a kind of justice to ourselves ; for though,
strictly speaking, there can be no justice but between
two persons ; yet, as in every one there is soul and
body, superior powers of the soul, and inferior, it is
just that the inferior should obey the superior part; and
therefore justice to ourselves is to take care of the charge
God has entrusted us with, the salvation of our souls;
that we watch and guard it by grace, from the enemy,
the world, and our own concupiscence ; to secure by our
virtues, its future happiness. The reward of this great
virtue is expressed in these words, Blessed are they that
hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be filled.
St. Matt. v. 6.
EXHOR. To render your life comfortable, and your
end happy, practise, O Christian, this divine virtue : be
just to heaven and earth, and perfect peace will pos-
sess your soul : Justice and peace have embraced each
other. Follow then the general rule of justice : Give
unto every one his due ; whether it be duo by the law of
God, or by the law of man. Alas! what is it but a
want of this that creates so much mischief and confu-
sion upon earth ? So much rebellion against God by
sin; so much fraud, injustice, and even murders, with
other innumerable evils done to others ? What is it
but want of justice has carried multitudes of all coun-
tries to hell ? Justice does no wrong ; injustice knows
no good ; a just man gives glory to God, obedience to
his superiors ; love to his equals, and assistance to his
inferiors; he does no injury to others, in word or deed ;
no, not even in thought. Thus a just man is dear both
to God and men ; to God, who, as he is just, loves jus-
tice ; and to men, because without justice we cannot
live one by another. Whatever then be your state of
life, O Christian, let justice attend it; for God is just?
and with him the just shall live forever; that is ? such
as are just both to God and man.
264 The Poor Mai's Catechism: Or,
SECT. III.
Of Fortitude.
q. TlfHAT is Fortitude ? Jl. It is a virtue that
* gives us power to face all the evils of life,
and to withstand even death itself, rather than abandon
our duty.
INSTHUC. Fortitude is the armour and fence of a
Christian life ; without it virtue is never secure : there
is a bad fear, sufficient of itself, without any other
crime, to ruin our souls, and to make us abandon our
faith and duty in time of danger; especially when we
are threatened with death, which is the most terrible of
all things in this world ; of this it is said : Woe to those
that fear, Apoc. xxi. x. that is, who through fear aban-
don their duty ; Their portion shall be in the lake that,
burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death : it is fortitude that sustains us against these ter-
rors, which will otherwise force us from a good life ;
and vanquishes all the dangers that oppose our eternal
felicity. It learns us patience, to endure the evils of
life willingly, rather than forsake good : constancy to
persist in virtue, against all difficulties, from whatever
hand they come : and perseverance, to remain firm to
the end in good, against that tediousness which arises
from the length of suffering, which has wrought on ma-
ny to abandon virtue.
It is fortitude to face death in a just war in defence
of one's country ; this the heathens had. But to die
voluntarily for God, in defence of the true faith, or in
defence ot virtue, or to avoid sin, is Christian fortitude
and martyrdom. So many, in the persecutions, 1 died
for their faith ; and many holy women were martyred
for chastity ; and Ste. John Baptist for reprehending the
sin of adultery. Blessed fortitude, which has crown-
ed so many with glory ! Whoever dies in such a cause,
has all sin and punishment forgiven him, and is imme-
diately received into the joys of heaven. Now, if for-
titude keeps the soul steady and firm in the greatest
The Christian Doctrine explained.
dangers^ when we are threatened with death, it cannot
fail to fortify us against lesser ones, that we may never
abandon any essential duty, through fear : to this vir-
tue Chjjst our Saviour encourages his disciples in the
gospel : Fear not man who can only kill the body ; but
rather fear God, who can destroy both soul and body in
hell. St. Matt. x. 28.
EXHOR. - Great, Christian, is the necessity of this
virtue of fortitude, if we only consider our miserable
weakness and inconstancy on the one hand, and those
powerful enemies we have to combat, on the other : so
weak that of ourselves we can do nothing, St. John xv.
5. at the same time, that our combat is not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities and powers, against
the rulers of this world of darkness, against evil spirits
which haunt the air. Ephes. v. 12. Alas i|^e have ene-
mies both from within and without, enemies watching
day and night to devour us ; our own corrupt nature,
perverse will, sensual appetites, malice of man, 'and
and envy of devil, all*conspiring our ruin. And where
can we find relief, but from a divine Power, to support
us ? As the terror of suffering, and the fear of perse-
cution and death, have a stronger power to force us
from virtue and the way of life, than even sensual
pleasures have to allure us from it, hence we stand more
In need of fortitude to withstand these terrors^ It was
this that supported the martyrs, and is necessary to
support every Christian in good, for every one that will
live piously, shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim iii. 12.
We have great want of fortitude, not only to vanquish
our enemies, and fight against temptation, but to prac-
tise virtue, and to surmount the difficulty that lies in
the way of it : depend not then upon your own strength
but say : My help is only from our Lord, ivho made hea-
ven and earth ; and pray daily : O Lord, be thou my
strength, my aid, -my jtnver to conduct me, as thou
didst the Israelites through the desert of this world,
through the dangers of life and death, to the true Lancl
of Promise, the land of the living.
266 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
SECT. IV.
Of Temperance.
Q. TlfHAT is Temperance? A. It is a virtue
* that moderates our sensual appetites, and
keeps them within the bounds of reason, that they may
not allure us from virtue.
INSTRUC. Virtue has two great enemies in this
world ; 1. Terror and persecution, which would force us
from the practice of it. 2. Sensual pleasures, which, by
their power, too often allure us to what is contrary to it;
against the first, fortitude is necessary ; against the se-
cond, temperance : and as amongst all sensual delights,
carnal pleasure and gluttony are the most violent, we
have in a particular manner need of temperance, to con-
tain tjiose appetites within the bounds that reason pre-
scribes, that we neither commit sin, nor abandon God
for them. As every cardinal virtue is attended with a
train of lesser virtues, which, though they come not up
to the full perfection of their cardinal virtue, yet have
something of the nature of it in them ; so temperance,
\vhose perfection chiefly lies in moderating our appetites
to the carnal pleasure and gluttony, which are the most
violent, branches out into many lesser virtues, which bri-
dle us from excess in pleasures that are less violent ; for
instance, there is temperance not only in eating and
drinking, but in dress, furniture, equipage ; moderation
in all things; in our mirth, discourse, and recreation ;
in our curiosity after knowledge ; in the opinion we have
of our own abilities ; which are all parts of temperance ;
as is also clemency, which mitigates the punishment due
to others ; and mildness, which moderates anger ; abste-
miousness from certain meats, at certain times, called
fasting ; sobriety in drinking ^chastity, to refrain from
all carnal pleasures forbidden ; and continency, to ab-
stain even from lawful ones, and to withstand the most
Tiolent attacks of them, which have all some thing of tem-
perance in them and spring from it. Temperance then
relate^ both to soul and body ; it is a virtue so necessa-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 267
ry, that there is no heaven for us without it, He that is
abstinent, shall take life. Consider how many evils
spring from intemperance ? How many make a God of
their belly, and idols of themselves ? How many, with
the rich glutton, damn themselves by a brutish intempe-
rance in diet and cloathing ? How many have no bounds
in the liberty of the tongue, and the exorbitant desires
and passions of their hearts ? Temperance then is abso-
lutely necessary to moderate all these extravagances ;
to regulate our interior, as well as exterior. Hence is
that lesson of St. Paw/, Let us live honestly, not in riot-
ing and drunkenness, but put on our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom. xiii. 13.
EXHOR. What more necessary virtue for you, O
Christian, to live the sober, chaste and temperate life of
Christ and his saints, than temperance ? Prayer, fast-
ing, and penance, are the only means to preserve it 5
austerities and self-denials help and maintain it ; if you
fail in these, this virtue is easily and soon destroyed.
Blessed temperance, that keeps us in subjection to God ?
and preserves us in all good* against the most violent
forbidden pleasures ! Temperance breeds serenity oi
mind, and renders us happy, both in this world and the
next : labour hard then to obtain of God this cardinal
virtue, from whence so much good proceeds. Keep a,
watoji over every motion of ^our sensual appetite ; and
if in any respect you become irregular or immoderate in
the offices of life, correct yourself, and let temperance
govern you ; let temperance accompany all the blessings
of nature you enjoy ; use them with moderation, such as
God requires : follow necessity, not excess and superflu-
ity ; whatever exceeds the bounds of necessity degene-
rates into luxury: bridle your appetite, that no gluttony
proceed from meat and drink, which makes us degene-
rate into brutes : let temperance also govern the inward
man, and bridle your excessive passions, and the immo-
derate desires of your heart. Let it govern the outward
man, that nothing bad proceed from your lips : let it
teach you when, where, how much and in what manner
to speak. In a word, let it regulate your whole com-
portment 5 that nothing but dqency and modesty may
268 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
be seen in it. Live soberly in this world, and abstain
from all forbidden pleasures ; so shall you be satiated
with the torrent of eternal pleasure in the next.
Of the gifts of the Holy Ghost
Q. 117HAT are the gifts of the Holy Ghost ? A.
Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude,
knowledge, piety, the fear of our Lord.
INSTRUG. These gifts of the Holy Ghost are set down
by the prophet Isaiah, c. Ixi. 1. Our Saviour was re-
plenished with them ; he brought them. from heaven for
us his servants, and distributes them to the faithful, ac-
cording as he pleases. They transcend moral virtues :
moral virtues are habits that only incline us to follow
reason in our actions ; but these gifts incline us to obey
the impulse and motion of the Holy Ghost, by whom we
are led to life everlasting. They are as so many supe-
rior graces, to improve us in virtue and to perfect us in
a Christian life. They supply all the necessities of our
infirm state, in order to a blessed eternal one.
Wisdom teaches us to order and direct all our actions
to the glory of God, and our last end : understanding, ele-
vates us to penetrate and to submit to the mysteries of
faith : council, discovers to us the frauds and deceits of the
Devil, the better to avoid them : fortitude, strengthens
us against the persecutions of the world : knowledge,
teaches us to know and understand the will of God :
piety, makes us devout and zealous to put the same in
execution : fear, makes us cautious not to offend so tre-
mendous a Majesty. These gii'ts are infused into the
hearts of none but true believers.
EXHOR. How much ought you, Christian, to covet
and preserve these divine gifts of the Holy Ghost, so es-
sential to happiness ! O what are all the gifts of nature
to them ! They raise us up, poor and miserable as we are
in this world, to eternal glory. They truly come from.
God, and carry us to God. Behold now the assistance
they give us, to advance and conduct us to happiness
everlasting ; to which ordinary virtues, without these,
would not be sufficientiin our infirm state ; because*
The Christian Doctrine explained*
without these, virtue is not long preserved. As corrupt
nature carries us away to sensual objects, and to em-
brace false, for true delights, to take evil for good ; wis-
dom corrects the mind, and teaches us to frame a right
judgment, to aspire to higher things ; to pursue virtue^
and the love and knowledge of God : this is the wisdom
of God, and produces life ; the wisdom of the world
brings death : O how necessary is this divine gift amidst
the dark follies of life ! As we are all born with a natu-
ral blindness, and weakness of reason, in respect to hid-
den mysteries of God, the gift of understanding helps us
te discern the truths God has revealed to his church ; en-
lightens us to see beyond time into eternity ; this is what
we ought to pray for : Lord, give, me understanding to
know thy ways. O what is'it, but the want of this,
makes so many wise in their own conceits ; and to pass
judgment upon what they are not in the least able to
comprehend ! Hence how many walk in the dark, and
plunge themselves into error, infidelity and vice ! Coun-
sel helps the ignorance of our minds, by embracing
wholesome instructions given us; this teaches us to shua
evil, and do good; it discovers to us the snares of the
Devil, and informs us of the many dangers a spiritual
man is exposed to : to hear and follow counsel, is the
way to be preserved from those dangers which are the
overthrow of innumerable souls. Fortitude is the ar-
mour of a Christian, and most necessary for him whose
life is a warfare ami continual combat upon earth ; it is
only through fortitude we can be victorious over all, and
secure our virtue here, and felicity hereafter* Through
fortitude, we are armed against the most violent assaults
of the Devi!, malice and persecution of wicked men ; by
it, we vanquish self-will, self-love, our greatest enemy.
So great is this gift, that of it the wise man says r Better
is he who commands his soul, than he who conquers cities
Prov. xvi. 32. Knowledge preserves us from the eager
pursuit of our own wills, and shews us what is the will
of God, and what our duty to him j many follow their
own fancies, and have themselves for their guide, what is
this, but the blind leading the blind, till both fall into the
pit f Of whom St. Bernard rightly says, " He that has
2.3*
276 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or, "
himself for his master, " lias a fool for his scholar.' 7
Great is the gift of knowledge, which preserves us from
so great a folly ; teaching us to know God, and to know
ourselves ; to see the follies of life, and the joys of eter-
nity. If knoivledge please the soul, counsel shall guard
thee, and prudence preserve thee, from all evil. Prov. ii.
10. Piety is a noble gift, which inspires us with zeal
and devotion, to serve the great God of Majesty, and
with earnest labour to work out our salvation : we have
certainly great need of this gift, who have hitherto been
so lukewarm and indifferent in our duty to God, and our
spiritual concerns.- The fear of the Lord is the begin-
ning of true wisdom, and inspires us with reverence for
God ; so adorable iiu love and goodness, that we dread
nothing more, than the evil of sin, so displeasing and op-
posite to that infinite good, which is in God. This gift
of the Holy Ghost is not a servile, but a filial fear ; the
fear a child has to offend a loving parent : it is like to
that the Angels have in heaven, who with trembling, fall
down and adore their great beloved God ; it is a fear all
just men have on earth, who with this fear and trembling
work out their salvation. This is the fear, O Christian,
you must pray for, as it is the beginning of all good ;
alas ! it is the want of it is the beginning of all folly and
wickedness: this is what all the good, all the saints de-
sired : Pierce, Lord, my flesh with thy fear, for I
have dreaded thy judgments. Let this holy fear accom-
pany you in all you do, and then youVill not sin.
Of the fruits of the Holy Ghost.
q, "WITH AT are the fruits of the Holy Ghost ? A.
'* Charity, jov, peace, patience, longanimity.,
goodness, benignity, mildness, fidelity, modesty, conti-
nence, chastity. So they are numbered by St. Paul to
the Galations, c. v. to which seems to answer, what is
said in the Apocalypse, in the description of the celestial
Jerusalem : On both sides the river is a tree of life that
bringeth twelve fruits, c. ult.
INSTHUC. The fruit is the last product we expect
fyprn the tree $ and when it comes to its perfection and
The Christian Doctrine explained. %ft
maturity, has a sweetness in it, which delights the taste ;
so the acts of charity, joy, peace, patience, Sfc. above-
mentioned, are what proceed in our souls, through the
grace of the Holy Ghost, as the fruits which are expect-
ed from that grace, and are accompanied with all spiri-
tual delight. Amongst these charity has the first place,
as being the most excellent, from whence all the rest pro-
ceed : tor by love, the soul having God always present,
hence must follow joy : thence comes also peace and
tranquillity of mind, while the fluctuating and restless
passions of the soul are quieted by having our hearts fix-
ed upon only one object of love : but as we must know
how to endure, the evils of this life, as well as how to ex-
pect, with untired minds, the good things of the life to
come, in order to secure our peace, hence the fourth fruit
of the Holy Ghost is patience; and the fifth, longani-
mity. From the love of God follows the love of our
neighbour, which cannot be without a will to do good to
others ; hence the sixth fruit is goodness ; and as this is.
not perfect, unless we do good to others, after a kind, af-
fable manner, the seventh is benignity. But since chanty
is not yet perfect in us, unless, besides doing good, we
bear the morose and troublesome manners of others, and
allay all the motions of our anger and passions against
them, the eighth is mildness ; and of this charity we give
a proof, by our fidelity, in every thing%e undertake for
others service, and never deceiving them,, which is the
ninth. Thus far the grace of the Holy Ghost disposes
our souls well, towards God and our neighbour. As to
ourselves we are well disposed in our exterior comport-;
ment, in our words, dress, &c. by modesty, which permits
nothing indecent about us : and this therefore is the
tenth fruit of the Holy Ghost : and as to our interior
passions ; concupiscence of the flesh, which is the strong*
est, is quite suppressed by continency ; by which, we re-
sist the most violent temptations ta pleasure, which is
the eleventh : and by chastity, by which, we abstain
from all forbidden carnal delight, which is sometimes
brought to so great perfection in the soul, by the grace
of the Holy Ghost, as neither to be overcome by these
pleasures, or even, much tempted by them*
The Poor Marts Catechism : 0r y
EXHOR. These, Christian, are the fruits which God
expects from the grace he has so abundantly bestowed
upon you ; these will make your life comfortable, and
your end glorious. Charity is the main of them ; this
must ever reign in your heart, and work in your life :
upon this all other perfections are. founded ; and our vir-
tues cease to be divine when chanty fails. All virtue
must be ingrafted therein, as in a vine, to bear fruit.
With this St. Paul begins, when he numbers up the fruits
of the Holy Ghost, as all proceeding from this first fruit,
charity. All things then become good and virtuous,
where charity, the love of God and our neighbour go-
verns : a good tree cannot bear bad fruit , nor a bad tree
good fruit. A good Christian, who has the love of God,
while he so remains in God, can do no evil : a 5 ,bad Chris-
tian that is totally deprived of the love of God, can do
nothing, in that state?, that is meritorious before God.
Live then by the grace of the Holy Ghost, not by the
rnarxims of the world, live vSo that the fruits of the Holy
Ghost, may appear visibly in your life, not the works of
the flesh : those are quite opposite to these others 5 be-
cause one carries us to what is above ourselves, the other
to what is below ourselves. Mistake not then, if you
pretend to be a Christian indeed. God will not be laugh-
ed at: what a man sows, that he shall reap ; he that sows
in the flesh, of t& flesh he shall reap corruption : he that
sows in the spirit , (he that works by the grace of the Holy
Ghost) shall reap the spirit, life everlasting. Gal. viiu
6. One is the work of grace, the other of sin and cor-
fuption.
Of the eight Beatitudes.
Q. "MTTHICH are the eight beatitudes ? A. 1. Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the king-
dom of heaven. 2. Blessed are the meek, for they shall
possess the land. 3. Blessed are they that mourn, for
they shall be comforted. 4. Blessed are they that hun-
ger and thirst for justice, for they shall be tilled. 5*
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. 6.
Blessed are the clean of heart* tor they shall see God. 7,
The Christian Doctrine explained. 273
Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called
the sons of God. 8. Blessed are they that suffer perse-
cution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of hea-
ven. St. Matt. v. 3. &c.
INSTRUC. These great virtues, which the world re-
jected and abhorred, our Saviour brought into honour
again, under the name of beatitudes ; because we are to
ascend, by these blessed steps, unto eternal beatitude in
the next life, and to a kind of beatitude here ; inasmuch
as every one finds himself happy in proportion as he ad-
vances prosperously, and approaches nearer to his eter-
nal beatitude. They were taught by our Saviour to his
apostles on the mountain, to be by them delivered to all
Christians, in opposition to those the world falsely styles
beatitudes ; which have deceived many, and are a hin-
drance to that true beatitude we look for in heaven.
1. As those, who place their happiness in their
pleasures, aim at pre-eminence and plenty, above
others, in riches, and the honours that attend them ;
in opposition to these is the first beatitude : Blessed are
the poor inspirit; who either actually forsake, or at
least withdraw their affections and heart from their
riches, even to a contempt of them : to them is pro-
mised the kingdom of heaven ; where that pre-eminence
of honour, and that of plenty is found, which others in
their riches and greatness seek in \^in. 2. As the lo-
vers of this world think to ^stablish their security by
quarrels and wars, the better to destroy their enemies ;
in opposition to these is the second beatitude : Bltssed
are the meek, who moderate anger, and enjov perfect
tranquillity interiorly, and shew" the same exteriorly in.
their words, countenance, and behaviour ; speaking
affably when they are reviled, seeking no revenge when
injured, but overcoming evil with good : to them is pro-
mised what the others often lose*, a quiet, secure, and
permanent possession of the land ; the land of the living.
3. The lovers of the World have a violent passiozi for" de-
lights and pleasures; imagining to find some shelter and
consolation in them, against the sorrows of this life : in op-
position to those of the third beatitude : Blessed are they
that mourn; who abstain from the joys., of the worlc[>
274 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
bewail their own sins with true sorrow, and lament to
see God offended by so much wickedness of others, and
sigh in their absence from God and heaven : to them is
promised what the others look for, but never find, true
consolation, which will have no end.
4. But as it is not sufficient to remove the hindrances
to beatitude, but we must ascend unto it by virtue ;
Aence is the fourth beatitude : Blessed are they that him-
ger and thirst for justice: that is, for virtue, striving
daily to increase in it, and to make others virtuous also;
to them is promised, what the wicked aim to acquire for
themselves by wickedness and injustice, to be jilted., and
abound. 5. As the just themselves have still need
to obtain mercy of God, to deliver them from their
miseries, both corporal and spiritual ; hence is the fifth
beatitude ; Blessed are the merciful, who are ready and
inclinable to relieve all that suffer, both corporally and
spiritually, whether friend or enemy, without regard to
any consideration, but their wants : to them is promised,
what the unmerciful would have, but deserve it not ; to
be freed from all the miseries both of this world and the
otfier, by the mercy of God. 6. But as no one can see
God, but those who are defiled with no sin or bad pas-
sions, and who have a holy and pure conscience ; to
those is promised the sixth beatitude : Blessed are the
clean of heart ; tolliem is promised what none of the
wicked, defiled with sin, can have ; to see God, by
the clear vision of him, from all eternity. 7. As the
clean of heart, who are free from sin, are at peace
with God, with their own consciences, and with all men ;
hence is the seventh beatitude ; Blessed are the peace
makers ; who keep peace with all, and seek not to create,
but to make up differences and quarrels amongst others :
to them is promised the glory of being the sons of God ;
because by this they give proof of their likeness to God;
as those, who breed quarrels and discord, are like the
devil. Lastly, when we are perfect in the foregoing
beatitudes, and are w*ell established in these virtues, the
consequence will be, that we shall suffer persecution for
them, which the devils will procure out of their hatred
against God and virtue, but not departing from them on
The Chrstian Doctrine explained.
their trial, hence is the eighth beatitude : Blessed are they
that suffer persecution for justice sake : to them is pro-
mised a remission of all sin and punishment, if they die
for it, and immediate entrance, after death, into the
kingdom of heaven, and greater glory there than to
others. These regards are all one and the same in
substance, eternal bliss ; which is expressed in different
words, and under different notions, and a re ward adapted
to every beatitude, that it might be more easily compre-
hended : and as every beatitude is a step that approaches
nearer and nearer to the enjoyment of God, so we may
observe different steps and degrees in the rewards pro-
mised ; as to have the kingdom of heaven is the first ; to
possess it, is still more : to be comforted in it, seems
still greater ; to be filled with comfort \ is another de-
gree -5 to receive from the mercy of God, what exceeds
all expectation, is still greater : to see God and enjoy
him, is the very essence of beatitude, and expresses
more than any of the foregoing : but to be the sons of God,
is the greatest dignity in his kingdom, next to the king
himself: arid all these are comprehended in the glory
which is promised to those who sutler persecution for jus-
tice sake ; for theirs is the greatest of all, in the kingdom
of heaven. On the other hand, terrible woes are pro-
nounced against those who have no beatitudes but riches,
honours, delights, and pleasures : Woe to you rich, be-
cause you have your consolation : Woe to you who are
full, becduse you shall hunger : Woe to you who laugh now,
because you shall weep and wail : Woe to you ichen men
shall bless you, with praise, flattery, applause, St. Luke,
vi. 24. &c. for so their fore-fathers did to the false
prophets.
As our Saviour taught and shewed his disciples these
blessed steps to beatitude, he trod those steps before them,
to encourage them to follow after. Who was more poor
and contemned by the world than he ? Who more meek,
in bearing injuries ? Wlio bewailed the sins of mankind
with greater compassion ? Who thirsted more after jus-
tice ? Who more mercifnl than he, who forgave those
that crucified him, and relieved the penitent thief upon
the cross, with the comfortable promise of glory ? Who
The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
so clean of heart, and free from sin ? Who a greater
peace-maker than he, who made peace between God
and man? Who more truly suffered for justice, than
he who died for teaching virtue, reprehending sin ? and
redeeming mankind ?
EXHOR. Heaven, O Christian, is your desired end
and happiness : all things on earth", the most refined
pleasures and delights of earthly men are torments, in
comparison of its joys. Nothing but God can make
the soul of man happy ; without him all things here are
but vanity, misery and vexation of spirit. Where is
the person who can deny it ? Solomon, the wisest of all,
confessed it : live now the life of Jesus and his saints,
that you may enjoy the happiness of his saints; and
here see by what steps you are to ascend thither. Bles-
sed are the poor in spirit. Bend not too much your
mind on life, or any thing in life : court not its riches,
state or grandeur, which will soon have an end ; but set
your heart upon joys that are eternal. If you are rich,
live not as Dives did ; remember he died, and was buried
in hell ; if you cannot actually forsake your riches, to
become poor, forsake them at least with your soul, and
with your reason, and value them not ; this is true wis-
dom. Blessed are the meek. Give not way to passion
passion is the destroyer of reason, and takes away un-
derstanding: carry yourself with lenity and mildness
towards your fellow creatures ; tins will justify your
cause before God and man, .more powerfully than anger
and revenge. Blessed are they that mourn : sow in
tears> and you will reap in joy : bewail your sins while
you may, and time is, with tears of true sorrow and
contrition: confess, do penance, leave off* sin; one
hour of this sorrow, will bring you more consolation,
than all the vain joys of the world. Blessed are they
that hunger and thirst for justice: be just to all, give
every one his due ; to God in the first place* give due
honour, love, and service ; give your neighbour also what
is due to him, obedience to superiors, love to your equals,
assistance to inferiors ; do justice to yourself, in taking
care of your soul, Blessed are the merciful. If you
are merciful, you shall find mercy : be ever ready to
The Christian Doctrine explained. 277
relieve those that suffer, and have pity on them, as yoti
are in constant need of God's mercy yourself; and
remember, if you are lost, it will not be through any
deficiency of mercy in God, but through want of
mercy in yourself; for if you had shewn mercy to
others, you might find mercy at bis hands. Blessed
are the dean of heart. Keep your soul pure from sin ;
let nothing defiled or offensive to the most pure eyes of
God, harbour there; you are the temple of the Holy
Ghost, nothing but sanctity and purity ought to be
there: when any evil or impure thought rises in your
mind, turn your heart to God and say, Lead us not into
temptation. Blesssd are the peace-makers. Beware then
of being the occasion of others dissentions, or widen-
ing the breach, as many do. Seek peace with God;
keep it with all men, and strive to reconcile and make
up others differences : such are the sons of God. Bless-
ed are they that suffer persecution for justice. They
come the nearest to our Lord and Saviour, who suffer
unjustly for men : they are his true and worthy disci-
ples, who suffer persecution for his holy religion : if we
ought to embrace all the evils of this life, which we
suffer justly for sin, with the patience of Jesus on the
cross, without murmuring and impatience ; how much
in the wrong are we to murmur and complain at suf-
fering persecution for justice ; in which we ought ever
to rejoice ? because to all such is promised the highest
reward in the glory of the kingdom of heaven. These
are the blessed steps we must take in this life, and these
will lead us unto the clear sight and enjoyment of God.
SECT. I.
Of the Works of Mercy.
Q. TTTHAT are the works of mercy? Jl. They
W are corporal and spiritual. Q. Which are
the corporal works of mercy ? -A. 'J\> feed the hungry;
to give drink to the thirsty ; to clothe the naked ; to
harbour the harbourless ; to visit the sick ; to visit the
imprisoned ; to bury the dead. Q. Do these works me-
24
27 S The Poor Man\ Catechism : Or,
Tit a reward ? *#. Yes : Christ has promised heaven to
such, Come, O ye blessed of my Father, and receive the
kingdom prepared for you, from the beginning of the
world ; because when I was hungry, you gave me to eat ;
when I iv as thirsty, you gave me to drink ', Sfc. St. Matt,
xxv.
INSTRUCV Great is the obligation of every Christian
to relieve, as in his power, his distressed brethren. It
is the duty of charity to love your neighbour as your-
self ? and this not in word only, but in work. You
can never truly love God, unless you thus love your
neighbour : He that hath the substance of this world, and
shall see his brother in need, and shall shut his bowds
against him, how does the love of God abide in him ?
My little children, let us not love in word, and with our
tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John iii. 17.
The corporal works of mercy are much recommended
in scripture : Break your bread to the needy ; bring the
harbomiess into your houses; when you see the naked,
cover him, and despise not your own flesh ; and this is
the reward : then shall your light break forth like the
morning, and the glory of God shall encompass you.
Isaiah ivii. 7. This charity was much practised by Job,
Toby, and others, mentioned in holy writ, and render-
ed them well pleasing to God, and high in his favour.
The neglect of it, we see punished in Dives ; who feast-
ed every day splendidly, but neglected poor Lazarus :
He died and was buried in hell. St. Luke xvi. 22. As
many ways as our neighbour may be in need, so many
ways there are of relieving him, so many works of mer-
cy ; as to feed the hungry ; to give drink to the thirsty,
to clothe the naked, &c. Of the six first we read in St.
Matthew, c. xxv. of the seventh much is said in the
book oi Toby.
When you do a work of charity, do it with a good
intention, not to gain applause, but to fulfil God's
commandment of loving your neighbour as yourself;
this is doing it for the love of your neighbour, and for
the love of God toft : let not your left hand then see
what your right hand does; and what you give, give
willingly. (od loves a cheerful giver. Many, for want
The Christian Doctrine explained.
of a right intention, lose the reward of their charities ;
and I fear there are some, who leave great charities be-
hind them at their death, rather to perpetuate their vain
memories, than to benefit their souls.^
EXHOR. There is no more noble virtue, than to give
in charities to others : in this you resemble the great
God of nature, who opens his hand, and Jills every crea-
ture with blessings. Why has God given you plenty,
but to relieve those that want ? Why does he bless you
with riches, but to distribute them to the poor ? Why
does he give you health but to attend the sick ? ^ Why-
are you at liberty, but to comfort those that are in pri-
son P Consider the reward of it : Come ye blessed of
my Father, and receive the kingdom prepared for you,
from the beginning of the world ; because when I was
hungry, you gave me to eat, $c. St. Matt. xxv. Our
Saviour here declares, that in the poor you relieve him ;
that he takes it as done to himself, and rewards it ac-
cordingly, with no less reward than heaven ; where
those who fed him in the hungry 'here, shall them-
selves be fed with all the delights of the celestial pa-
radise : those who give him drink in the thirsty, shall
themselves drink of the torrent of eternal pleasure :
those who clothed him in the naked, shall be clothed
Avith robes of immortal glory : and those who harboured
him in the harbourless, shall be received into the man-
sions of bliss 5 and those who visited him in the sick
and imprisoned, shall forever be delivered from the pri-
son of hell, from all sickness and pain, and from all
the miseries both of this world and the other. Shew
niercy then to others, that you may find mercy : when
all these fail, and there is none to assist you at the day
of account, then those you assisted by your charities,,
or at least, those good works themselves which you did,
will intercede to God in your favour; then you will
find you have laid up treasures in heaven. Let the
pious Samaritan be your example, in doing charities to
the distressed, though strangers, and perhaps not de-
serving : indeed, there is an order in charity, by which
we should relieve those first who are the nearest allied
to us in blood, when they are in want; and next to-
280 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
them those of the same faith : observe order in your
charities, but let them at the same time extend to all ;
Let us do good to all ; chiefly those that are of the same
faith. Gal. vi. 10. To all both good and bad, grateful
and ungrateful, deserving and not deserving; for in
this manner God does good to us. Exercise yourself,
then O Christian, in all these corporal works of mercy,
as your state, condition, and power will allow 5 let no
one go empty away. Do all for the love of God, who
has loved you so, as to give his only Son, and with him
all things ; do it out of charity to your neighbour, who
will plead for your soul at our great day of judgment:
do it out of charity for yourself; you will be the great-
est gainer; honour, glory, and benediction will attend
you : To every one that does good, honour and glory,
Rom. ii. 10. you shall receive a hundred fold) and pos-
sess life everlasting. St. Matt. xix. 29.
Of the Spiritual Works of Mercy.
Q. TT7HICH are the spiritual works of mercy ? A,
VV To admonish sinners ; to instruct the igno-
rant ; to counsel the doubtful ; te comfort the sorrow-
ful ; to bear patiently with the troublesome ; to forgive
injuries ; to pray for the living and the dead. Q. Why
are these called spiritual works of mercy ? *#. Be-
cause by them we do good to the soul of our neighbour.
INSTBUC. As the corporal works of mercy relate
to the body, works of mercy spiritual relate to the
soul : and as the immortal soul far exceeds the body ; so
do these spiritual works of mercy surpass the others,
and ought therefore to be more diligently practised, by
those whose charge and office exact it, or in whose pow-
er it is : and if a reward is promised to those, who do
the least corporal work of mercy to others, what must
be the reward of spiritual ones ? A far greater degree
of glory will be their recompense : next to saving your
own soul, the best thing you can do is, to co-operate to
the salvation of others.
The holy scripture in many places, recommends spiri-
tual charities. Of the first we read, Gal. vi. Jf any one
The Christian Doctrine explained. 281
be overtaken in sin, you that are spiritual, admonish such
a one in the spirit of mildness. Of the second, in Da-
niel, c. xii. They who instruct others unto justice, shall
shine like stars for all eternity. Of the third, in St.
James, c. v. 19. If any of you shall stray away from
the truth, and some one shall convert him, he ought
to know, that he who made him be converted from the
error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and
cover a multitude of sins. Of the fourth, it St. Paul
to the Romans xii. 15. Weep with those that weep.
Of the fifth, in the Epistle to the Romans, c. vi. We, who
are strong, must support the weaknesses of the infirm.
Of the sixth, in the gospel of St. Luke, c. vi. Forgive,,
and you shall be forgiven. Of the seventh, in St.
James, e. v. Fray for one another, that uou may be
saved.
EXHOR. Learn, O Christian, to do all these works of
mercy spiritual according to your ability, and as in your
power. 1. Do not fail to correct or admonish sinners,
when there is a prospect, that by so doing you can put a
stop to sin ; this may prevent many from damning their
souls, and what greater charity ? 2. Refuse no pains to
instruct the ignorant ; by this many may be saved, and
God eternally glorified. Great is the duties of parents
and superiors, to correct and instruct others under
them, as they mustx)ne day give an account of what was
committed to their charge. 3. Be not backward to give
your counsel and best advice to others, chiefly to those
who are out of the way of salvation, by their errors and
vices : be as an agent for God ; by admonishing and
speaking to those that err or do wicked things ; that
they may forsake them, and believe in our Lord. Wisdom
xiu 2. When you shall see in the other world souls de-
livered from such torments, as those of hell ; and ravish-
ed with such bliss as that of heaven, through your endea-
vours under God, O how will you think your charity be-
stowed ! 4. Visit those in affliction, and comfort them 5
the comfort you give them will return to yourself: you
will find more satisfaction in such visits, than in all the
bad company you keep : It is better to go to a house
of mourning than to a house of feasting. Eccl. vii 3.,
4*
282 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
5. Bear the troublesome manners of others, reflecting OR
your own failings. 6. Return not evil for evil, but for-
flve, and God will forgive you a thousand for one. 7.
ray daily for all men, friend, and enemy ; the latter has
more need of your prayers, and your charity is greater
to him, the more he wants it : this being a true disciple of
Jems, which prayed for his crucifiers. Pray in particu-
lar for infidels and sinners ; that God would open their
eyes, to see truth from error, and distinguish solid, from
deceitful and deluding joys : through such prayers of de-
vout Christians, many are converted. Pray always for
the dead, for your deceased brethren ; it is the last and
greatest charity you can do for them : remember this
truth ; that as we are still in the same church with them,
though in a different state, they partake of our pray-
ers : there is still communion between us ; for charity
never ceases.
Of Sin,
Q. TTTHAT is sin ? *#. It is an offence against God ;
VV as being a wilful transgression of his law,
either by thought, word, or deed. By the law of God,
here is meant, all that God has commanded or forbidden,
whether by himself, or by his church, and by all lawful
superiors.
INSTRUC. As we are how treating of sin and vice, we
jnust distinguish these two. Vice is the habit of sin ;
sin is the act committed : by often repeated transgres-
sions, sin grows into habit ; and what more difficult to
overcome ? How few habitual sinners have we known
reclaimed. ? Sin grows into a habit through repeated re-
lupses, a neglect of repenting, and of amending. All sin
is dreadful ; but the habit of sin, grown into vice, is most
dreadful, because vice takes off by degrees, the fear of
God, or sense of eternity : it makes us blind to all good :
this was the case of Pharaoh, and the Jews ; they grew
hardened in vice, through their repeated transgressions,
presumption, and ingratitude : yet it is a certain truth
that the mercy of God never abandons any one in this
The Christian Doctrine explained. 283
life, totally and finally ; but presses the most hardened
to repent, and gives them sufficient grace.
All sin in general is of that nature, that it brings the
greatest mischief upon the soul, and may be truly styled,
the only real evil in life* the ewl of evils, as ail others
spring from it : it is an evil not to be conceived ; none
but those who feel the eternal effects of it, are sensible
how great it is : faith tells us that it makes us hateful,
and enemies to God ; deprives us of his grace here, and
glory hereafter ; that it causes a separation between us
and God, and so brings death to the soul, and makes it
guilty of hell's torments : but what that glory is, which
sin deprives us of, or what hell V torments are, no one?
in this mortal body, can fully see : but as no tongue can
express, or mind conceive, what God has prepared for
those who love him 5 so it is alike inconceivable, what
punishment he has prepared for those that hate him ; to
which ill disposition, sin at length brings the sinner : the
imperfect enjoyment of God here, is only known by the
sweets we find in virtue, and those refreshments of soul
in his secret and divine impulses, in the hearts of good
men ; so likewise men may feel and know in part, the
torments of hell through that terrible remorse of con-
science, that arises from sin and vice, which is a worm
that never dies, as long as sin continues.
Of original Sin,
yi^T
"
THAT is original sin ? A. It is the sin in
which we are all born, by means of Jlda,ni > &
fall.
INSTRUC. Original sin was the first sin committed
by man, and by the first man Adam ; when, contrary to
the express command of God, drawn away througli the
delusion of the devil, and in compliance to his wife, he
consented to eat of the forbidden fruit ; and from thence
ensued the fatal curse on all mankind : Dust thou art,
and into dust than shalt return. Tltis had been fol~
lowed \\ith an everlasting exclusion from heaven, and
deprivation of the sight of God, *-ad he not through pure
mercy promised the coming of a Redeemer, to rescue as
284 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
from this immense evil. This Redeemer was no other
than God the Son, the second Person of the blessed Tri-
nity, made man. None but an infinite Being could
atone for an offence against an infinite Being ; none but
an infinite mercy could satisfy an infinite justice.
This is the sin in which we are all born, as sons of sin-
ful Mam. Through his sin we lost original justice, and
are born out of the grace and favour of God ; Children
of wrath, with a corrupt nature, that carries us to all
kmd of sin : Jls by one man sin entered into the world,
and by sin, death ; so unto all men death did pass, in
whom all have sinned. Rom. v. 1%. The only remedy at
present, to take off the guilt of this sin, is the means
which our Redeemer has left in baptism ; whereby we
have the merits of his blood and passion applied to our
souls ; without whivh there can be no remission of any sin,
according to that maxim j Without blood spilt , there is no
remission. Heb. ix. 22. Therefore baptism is now com-
manded for ail : Go teach all nations baptizing them in
the name of the Father ', and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. None of the c ildren of Adam shall now
enter heaven, without it ; no, not even infants; for the
Redeemer of the world has said it, Unless oner be re-born
of ivater and the Holy Ghost , he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. : these unbaptized infants will never
enter heaven ; but are carried to a part of hell, called
the Limbus of children 5 where they endure the pain of
loss, that is, will never see God.
Though our blessed Redeemer frees us from the eternal
punishment, and guilt of original sin ; yet the penalties
of it, which were to afflict Mam and his posterity in this
world,, still remain ; and these are the evils that will
reign in us till death; our bodies subject to all kinds of
infirmities and death ; our souls subject to ignorance of
what is right ; to iveakness, in doing good, and resisting
evil ; to concupiscence, which inclines us to sin ; and to-
malice, or perverseness of will ; hence proceed all our
disorders. But still our remedy against these, is the
grace of God, through Jesus Christ, whereby we can do
all things, through him that strengthens us,
The Christian Doctrine explained. 2 86
EXHOR. Let not this instruction on original sin pass,
without some profit to your soul. Behold, in that first
sin, the infinite per verseness of man ; behold, in that in-
stant, the infinite goodness of God : man sinning, and
God forgiving, with the promise of a Redeemer, to crush,
the head of the Serpent. As often then as you read this,
reflect, with the greatest gratitude, 'on your redemption,
and say. What shall I return to our Lord for all he has
given me ? Greater was the mercy of God to man^ than
to the very Angels; he Jlngels that sinned he did not
spare, but left them without redemption ; man sinned,
and he cast an eye of pity upon him : So God loved the
world. St. John, iii. 16.
Great blessing, to have original sin forgiven you in
baptism through the merits of Christ's passion and death,
and thereby to be restored to your primitive innocence ;
to become the children of God, entitled to glory ! Re-
nounce the devil, his works and pomps now, as you did
then : you were made Christians for greater things than
to make yourselves slaves again to Satan, to flesh and
blood, and to the follies of the world. You were then, by
grace, made partakers of the divine nature, beware how
you degenerate ; you were once children of darkness,
now sons of light: once slaves of the devil, now servants
of God, Christians and followers of Christ ; with this cha-
racter you were marked in baptism ; if you live up to it,
it will remain to your glory ; if otherwise, to your confu-
sion. Your were then entitled to glory, use now the
means that may bring you to the enjoyment of it ; Seek
the things above, not these below. 'Cbl. ii, 12. Things
that will make your soul happy, not those things that will
render it again miserable. While your body is on earth,
let your soul be in heaven, by prayer, reading, contem-
plation. O what is a soul without God, with outthe grace,
the Jove of God 1 the most wretched of all creatures
on earth. Preserve then, by all means, the love and
grace of God in your heart: abhor whatever destroys or
lessens it, as does all sin and iniquity. Reflect often on
the sin of your first parents ; and if so great miseries fol-
lowed it, what must be the end of your manifold sins and
286 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
offences ? O my soul repent, and sin no more least
worse thing befall you.
Of actual Sin.
Q. TT7HAT is meant by actual sin ? A. All the si
VV we commit by the act and consent of ou
own will, after we come to the use of reason.
INSTRUC. Sin may be committed either in thought,
word, or deed : to harbour evil in our mi rid, with delibe-
ration, delight, and consent, is to sin in thought. To
utter words contrary to the law of God, as oaths, curses,
blasphemy, is to sin in word. To do what the law for-
bids, is to sin in deed ; as murder, adultery, fornication,
theft, &c. To omit, or wilfully neglect what is com-
manded by God, or his church, is a sin of omission ; as
to omit our duty commanded on the Sabbath 5 to neglect
to communicate at Easter, &c.
All sin is either mortal or venial. Mortal sin is a wil-
ful transgression in a matter of weight against a known
commandment of God or his church, or some lawful su-
perior ; it is mortal, because it brings death to the soul,
and renders us guilty of eternal death : as natural death
is a separation of soul and body, so the death of the soul
is its separation from God ; and mortal sin is so great an
offence to God, as to cause this division, according to
that : Your sins have divided between me and you. Then
the soul being out of the favour and friendship of God,
who ceases to dwell and act in it by his grace, is guilty
of hell. Venial sin is a transgression in some small mat-
ter or degree, or without a full and deliberate consent,
which does not destroy but lessen us in. God's favour ;
and does not extinguish, but sicken the life of the soul.
This distinction of mortal and venial sin, is clearly
grounded in scripture : of mortal sin it is written, The
stipend of sin is death. Rom. vi. 23. And again, Man
by malice killeth his own soul. Sap. xvi. 14. The soul
that sinneth, the same shall die. Ezech. xviii. 20. They
who do such things, shall not possess the kingdom of God.
Gal. v. 21. Of venial sin : If we shad say we have no
$in> we seduce ourselves^ and the truth is not in us. I
:
The Christian Doctrine explained.
John, i. 8. In many things we all offend. St. James, iii.
2. The just man ivill fall seven times, and rise again.
Prov. xxiv. 16. It is plain the scripture here speaks of
such sins as the just sometimes commit : but the just, as
such, do not sin mortally, for then they would not be
just ; therefore only venially. We are to give an ac-
count at the day of judgment for every idle word.. St.
Matt. xii. God forbid these should be all mortal. What
is the distinction of the gnat and the camel, the mote and
the beam, but 'venial and mortal sins, small faults and
greater crimes ? St. Matt, xxiii. and St. Luke vi. For
why does our Saviour here compare some sins to such
small matters as a gnat, a mote, the last farthing. St.
Luke xii. and St. Paul to wood, straw, and stubble in a
building, 1 Cor. iii. but to express the srnallness of the
offence ? It is evident there are small offences and great
ones, and this by nature : to steal a farthing, is not so
great a sin, as to steal a hundred pounds. To speak an
idle word that hurts no one, is not like blasphemy ; yet
both are forbid ; but the precept which forbids blasphe-
my, concerns the very end of the law, which is charity,
or the love of God above all things ; the other does not;
and therefore to break one, destroys charity; the other
does not destroy, but only lessens it.
Mortal sin can be remitted no otherwise than by
hearty contrition, joined with the sacraments of baptism
and penance. Christ died to take away the sins of the
whole world, 1 John ii. 2. but we must make application
of his death and merits to our souls, by such sacraments
and means as fie has left us ; otherwise we are still in our
sins, and cannot be restored to the state of grace any
other way ; Whose sins you remit, they are remitted un-
to them : this plainly implies a confession to be made to
the priests. Venial sin may be remitted without the sa-
craments, by acts of contrition, devout prayer, aud*other
means ; and this through the passion of Christ, and the
merits of his grace, without which we cannot of our-
selves obtain remission of the least sin. v enial sin is a
considerable evil, because it offends God, in some de-
degree, exposes us to greater faults, and is by no means
to be slighted : lie who despises small faults, shall fall?
S88 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or 9
by degees, into greater : and even for these we must pa}
the last farthing, before we shall go out of the prison of
purgatory, to which all go, who die in venial sin : For
no defiled thing can enter heaven. St. Matt. v. 26. Jlpoc.
xxi. 27. As to those who die in mortal sin, they go t
hell without redemption : Go ye cursed into eternal fir
There are also carnal sins and spiritual : carnal sir
are those that are completed in the pleasures of sense ;
as gluttony, drunkenness, impurity. Spiritual sins ar
those which are completed in the soul only, in th
heart and will, as pride, envy, revenge. There ar
sins directly against God, as blasphemy, oaths, $c.-
Others against our neighbour, as stealing, murder, adul
tery, detraction. Others against ourselves, as drunker
ness, fornication, Sfc. for such sin against their own i:
dies. \ Cor. vi. 1 8/ There are sins of frailty, committ
through the weakness of nature, and violence of tempt
tion : others through ignorance, and these whether by
nature mortal or venial, are more excusable : others
through malice, or perverseness of will, without any
other cause : these are always greatest; for though ig-
norance and weakness, and concupiscence, are causes of
sin, they are only exterior causes of it ; for the only pro-
per and interior cause of sin, is the will, and those sins
are the greatest, which have no other cause but the will ;
and have neither weakness nor ignorance for their ex-
cuse.
EXHOR As there is nothing so hateful in the sight of
God, nothing exposing us so much to his just judgments,
as our sins ; so there is nothing we ought to dread more
than the infinite evil of sin. O man ! O wretch ! why do
you offend your God, from whom you receive your life
and being? Why must you injure him, who does so much
good for you ? Why must you fly m the face of your
greatest friend and supreme benefactor? Forfeit your
glory, as Esau^ for a mess of broth, for trifles and
smoke ? Great blindness ! that cannot see and discern
better : you walk on the brink of eternity, and cast
yourself, alas ! like many more, into this woeful, ever-
lasting bottomless precipice. Do you know what dam-
nation is, which so many unthinking Christians have
The Chrtstan Doctrine explained. 289
daily in their mouths ; and yet live in so little concern
to avoid it ? O senseless man, who dreads a temporal,
and yet fears not an eternal danger ! what are all the
evils of this life, and even death itself, to the death of
the soul, and to the terrible judgments of God ? Fear
then above all things, to offend God by sin, even the
least ; The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom $
he who fears him, neglects nothing. Fear him now, that
you may not fear to appear before him at the dreadful
day.
O sinner, behold still the divine mercy of God, after
all your sins. He calls, invites and presses you to re-
turn to him, amidst your greatest offences ; you have no
sooner committed a sin, but he presses and solicits you
to repent : 1 will not the death of the impious, but ra-
ther that he be converted and live : Why will you die, O
House of Israel? Ezech. xxxiii. 11. Let no one then
despair, under infinite mercy; but take care your re-
pentance be cordial, and such as God's law requires. Con-
trition, confession, and works of penance, are the means
you have left to blot out your iniquities ? Time is so
short and uncertain, why do you delay ? Go not on as
many, with the greatest presumption, thinking that God
will pardon them at last ; for this very thing will ren-
der you unworthy of pardon. Beware of obstinacy in
sin, for this will bring you to a reprobate sense. de-
lay ! presumption ! O hardness of heart 1 which has
crouded hell with sinners. Give ear, O my soul, to the
call of God, while the days of mercy last ; and rising
up with the prodigal, return home and say to God, fa-
' ther I am not worthy to be called thy son ; or with the
publican, God be merciful to me a sinner. Blessed pe-
nance, that effects our justification, and reconciles us
again to heaven !
Think, nevertheless, how much happier it is to pre-
serve your innocence ! If you once fall into the state of
mortal sin, though you may be again justified by the sa-
craments, yet you can never be certain in this life that
you are pardoned ; and the sins of your life past will
ever after present disagreeable thoughts to your mind :
but if you have always been innocent, you will have no re-
25
290 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or, '
gretfor the past, no displeasure at the present, na dread
of the future : you may appear with a fair countenance
before God, men and angels ; and need not fear either
apostle, or angel, or devil, to reprehend you. Happy state
of innocence ! To preserve yourself therein, you must
regard a mortal sin with the greatest horror, and often
think of the great evils it brings after it in this life, and
much greater it exposes you to in the other. Consider,
if once you fall into that bad state, you do not know
whether you shall ever go out of it ; so dangerous a
thing it is to be guilty of one mortal sin, and to fall
from grace : because mortal sin is seldom single, but
commonly attended with more : break not the law then,
in any one single point ; and in order to avoid greater
sins, avoid the least, even venial sin; which when wil-
ful, often leads to worse, and exposes you to greater dan-
ger. Shun the occasions; be watchful over your senses,
which let sin into your soul ; watch all your thoughts,
affections, words, actions, and all the irregular motions
of your passions, so you may put a stop to them in time,
before sin is completed. If you are fallen, beware of
frequent relapses, which aggravate God's anger, and take
oft* his favour: make frequent acts of contrition ; con-
fess often ; do works of penance continually, by fast-
ing, alms deeds, and prayer. There is no other means
to obtain pardon.
T T
XTl
Of being accessary to another's sin.
OW many ways may we be accessary to ano-
ther's sin, and answerable for it ? A. A great
many ways : 1. By commanding it ; as those in power
often do. 2. By counselling it $ as the Jews did the
death of Christ. 3. By bad example ; as Ananias gave
bad example to Saphira. 4. By consenting to it ; as
superiors and parents to the demands of their children.
5. By connivance and toleration $ as the high priest
Heli connived at his two sons, Ophni and Fhinees. 6.
By partaking of it, as of stolen goods. 7. By conceal-
ing the crime or the criminal ; as to harbour thieves.
8. By defending it 5 as those who write bad books, to
The Christian Doctrine explained. 291
defend heresy or bad morals. 9, By provoking others
to it 5 as those who provoke others to passion, swearing,
or lewdness.
INSTRUC. We are forbid, by the law of God, to co-
operate with another in evil, whether by counsel, assis-
tance, or any other way ; for it is as if we do it our-
selves. Hence says St. Paul, They who do such things
deserve death ; and not only they ivho do them, but they
also who consent to the doers. Rom. i. 31. When sins
are mortal in the actors, they^are mortal in the advisers ;
and in some cases, they who advise, counsel, command,
and partake of the sin, as of theft, are obliged to make
restitution of the damage done, if the actor will not
do it.
EXHOR. How cautious then ought you to be, of
causing others to sin, either through your words or ac-
tions ; by which you lay more burden upon your con-
science and sinful soul. If you commit a sin yourself,
you know where it stops ; and may have the comfort to
know that you have confessed and done penance for it :
but if you have been the cause of others sin, you do not
know where it will end, or whether they will ever re-
pent ; perhaps you have made a wound which will never
more be cured : this cannot but be a matter of bitter
sorrow to your heart as long as you live. To avoid this,
let justice, truth, humility, meekness, and every virtue
guide your life and actions. How often, for want of
these virtues, have you partaken of others sins ? W^hat
injustices committed through wicked counsel or com-
mand ? What anger and passion through your provoca-
tions ? What pride in others have you raised, by your
false praise and flattery ? How many ruined ir? their
good name and character, through your wrong silence ?
How many encouraged to sin, through your consent, or
being partner with them in the fact ? How often have
you supported and defended others in a bad cause ? Ex-
amine yourself in these and other facts : amend, and
resolve better for the future. Aggravate not your ac-
count by others sinning, through your means ; for then
you sin doubly : you have enough to do, to account far
yourself*
292 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
Of the seven Deadly Sins.
Q. Yl/'HICH are the seven capital sins ? Jl. Pride,
covetousness, lust, gluttony, anger, envy,
sloth.
INSTRUO. These are sometimes called capital sins,
as being the head from whence all manner of sin de-
scends : they are the pestiferous roots that produce the
evil fruit of all human corruption and misery. They
are opposite to the greatest virtues ; as pride to humili-
ty 5 covetous ness to liberality, and charity for the poor ;
anger to mildness ; gluttony to temperance ; envy to
charity ; sloth to devotion.
EXHOR. These are, O Christian, the deadly sins you
must root out of your heart, and to prevent in time the
growth of those pestiferous evils, practise with all your
might the contrary virtues: vice has no room where
virtue abounds : vice is wholly extinct where grace and
the love of God resides : and as sin makes man misera-
ble, virtue makes the soul happy. Behold the miseries
that came from pride in the fallen angels and first man.
See in avarice the best Master betrayed by his ungrate-
ful disciple Judas. See in lechery the world drowned,
Sodom burned, and the fall of king David by adultery.
Behold in gluttony the lot that fell to Dives, who ne-
glected the poor, died and was buried in hell. Behold
the innumerable evils that have come from anger ; an
eternal hatred among mortals ; a malice even to the
crucifying of the Son of God. See in envy the fall of
the first man, through the snares of the Devil, envying
his happiness ; and murder of Mel^ through his spite-
ful brother Cain. See in sloth the decay of Christianity ;
the overthrow of many souls ; the unprofitable servant
cast into darkness. Let others miseries be your cau-
tion ; examine daily which of these vices you are most
inclined to $ lay the axe to the root and extirpate them
out of your soul in time, before they come to a second
nature ; that you may prevent those eternal evils many
suffer by them. Put a stop to the beginning: a distem-
per at first is easily removed, but when it grows inve-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 2.95
terate, nothing but a singular grace of God, can make
the cure.
Of Pride.
Q. TTTHAT is pride? A. It is an inordinate de>
sire of our own excellency and esteem. Q.
Why is pride a capital sin ? A. Because many sins
come from thence ; as vain-glory, boasting, hypocrisy,
ambition, presumption, disdain of others. Q. What
else ? Jl. Obstinacy, discord, contention, disobedience,
conceitedness. Many are the dangers of pride.
INSTRUC. Pride is an irregular love of ourselves,
and of our own excellency ; as when *we forget that
what we have is the pure gift of God ; or think it was
given us for our merits : or imagine we have more me-
rit than we really have ; or that in what we have we ex-
cel all others ; and thus instead of giving all glory to
God, we usurp the the honour of it to ourselves. This
sin took root in our nature, even in the state of inno-
cence, and none is so deeply rooted in us ; it is the first
vice that lives in us, and the last that dies.
Pride is truly said to be the origin of all sin. Eccl. x.
the first sin committed above, and the first below ; the
bad angels and man both aspiring to be as God : the re-
bellion of Satan in heaven, and the disobedience of
Jldam in Paradise, both sprung from this monster, pride;
and hence spring innumerable evils. Vain-glory, which.
is an immoderate desire of human praise, to which ma-
ny sacrifice all things : this Christ condemns, even by
his own example, / says he, come not to seek my own
glory, but the glory of him that sent me. St. John vii. 18.
Vain-boasting, which is extolling one's self: against
this the Apostle says, He that thinks himself something
when he is nothing, seduces himself, and truth is not in
him. Gal. vi. 3. Hypocrisy, which is a counterfeiting
more piety, virtue and worth, than we have ; this our
Saviour often corrected in the proud Scribes and Phari-
sees. Jlmbition, which is an immoderate desire of ho-
nour, preferment, high dignities : this Christ corrected
several times in his disciples, and in the mother of St
294 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
James and St. John. Presumption, which is relying too
much upon ourselves, our science, ahilities ; attempting
things above our strength : against which it is said,
Knowest thou not, that thou art wretched and miserable,
poor, blind, and naked, Apoc. iii. 17. Disdain of
others, which is preferring ourselves far above them
and is a horrible species of pride, too common among
tiie rich and the great: this our Saviour expressly
condemned in the proud Pharisee, who disdained the
poor Publican. Obstinacy, which is a wilful adhering
to our own opinion and judgment, contrary to that of
our betters ; and this is the" rise of ail heresy and schism,
while proud men, rather than yield in dispute, resist
the known truth of faith or morals, in opposition to
their superiors : against these it is written, Be not too
wise in your own conceit. Prov. iii. 7. Contention,
\vhich is a defending our opinion with noise, confidence,
and foul language. Discord, which is a division of
hearts from those with whom we ought to live in chari-
ty ; a wrangling in words, a differing in sentiments
with those we ought to assent and yield to, which some-
times hinders much good being done, by voting against
it merely because it is advised by others. Disobe-
dience, which is a stubborn refusal to obey our superiors,
and a contumacious acting contrary to their orders.
Conceitedness, which is a singularity and affectation in
our opinion, dress, and behaviour. All these are the
daughters of pride.
Pride is one of the greatest sins, as being the sin of
devils, and directly opposite to the majesty of God;
for while other sinners fly from God, the proud oppose
him, and glorify themselves, and would be honoured in
their wickedness, and esteemed wise in their folly. It
is also one of the most pernicious of sins, perverting
oftentimes the souls of the most perfect, whom no other
vice could overcome : it has ruined, by discord and
faction, the most flourishing societies, communities, fa-
milies, and kingdoms. In a word, it is the most dan-
gerous sin, as often insinuating itself along with the
greatest virtues, not easy to be discerned : it corrupts
the most holy actions, by turning every virtue into mat-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 295
ter of vain-glory, as did the Pharisees : it introduces
itself every where, into the most holy places, attacks
the most devout Christians in the church, the religious
in his cell, the priest even in the sanctuary. When
this vice predominates in us, it is a sign of reprobation,
as in Lucifer, who is the king of the children of pride :
it is the character and mark of all reprobate souls ; it is
odious to God, who resists the proud, and gives grace
to the humble : humility then is the virtue that opposes
all pride in thought, word, or action, and is in truth,
the only effectual remedy for it 5 for this reason, there
is no virtue so often advised by our Saviour, so much
commended by his doctrine, and his own example :
Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart 9
Matt. xi. 29.
EXHOR. Pride, being so odious to God, and hate-
ful to a thinking man ; pride, which is the beginning
of sin, and has brought immense evils upon us, ought
to be regarded with the greatest dread and horror.
You have seen the miseries that spring from it in the
several branches ; it being so innate to corrupt na-
ture, there is nothing more we ought to guard against.
What is pride in itself, but a false glory, a false imagi-
nation, which falls of itself to the ground, to lovvness
and baseness ? Every one who exalts himself shall be
humbled, Luke v. iii. 14. What is vain glory, vain
boasting, vain ambition, all which perish, arid evapo-
rate of themselves ? Humility is, by far, more becom-
ing the man, particularly the Christian, than this fool-
ish arrogant pride : this can never harbour in the
breast of one that knows himself, his beginning, and
his end ; what he was, what he is, and what he is to be ;
what IIP. has, and what he has not : sin and corruption,
weakness and frailty, misery, rottenness and dust, are
his portion. Reflect well on these, and you will see n
reason to glorify yourself in any thing ; you will con-
temn no one but yourself, nor prefer yourself before any ;
you will find nothing to boast of .5 no matter for vain glo-
ry, ambition, or presumption. At the same time' con-
template the immense greatness of God ; it must crush
the very thought of proud dust and ashes. Blindness of
296 The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
man ! that will not practise what is most essential to a
happy life, and a happy end, humility, the most distin-
guishing character of a Christian, and taught by the hu-
miliation of the Son of God, who when he was God, took
upon himself the form of a servant. Remember, humili-
ty* is the virtue that will exalt you before God and man.
6 ! reflect on your nothing, that of yourself you are no-
thing, you have nothing, you know nothing, and can do
nothing, and you can find no reason to exalt yourself.
Why art thou proud, dust and ashes. Eccles. x. 9".
Of Covetousness.
Q. TE^HAT is covetousness ? Jl. An inordinate de-
** sire of riches. Q. What are the sins that
spring from this capital vice ? Jl. Hard-heartedness, and
unmercifulness to the poor, unquiet solicitude, neglect
of salvation and too great trust in the goods of this life.
Q. What else ? A. Extortion, fraud, lying, perjury,
theft, oppression, and all manner of injustice. ^. What
virtue is opposite to this vice ? Jl. Liberality and chari-
ty to the poor.
INSTRUC. Jlvarice then is an exorbitant thirst after
riches and possession ; and the more the miser has, the
more he still covets 5 and we may truly say, there is
none poorer than he, because he has no heart to use what
he has, and is always in want of more. St. Paul pro-
nounces against this vice : They who covet to be rich,
fall into temptations, and into the snares of the devil, and
*into many unprofitable and hurtful desires, which drown
men to destruction and perdition. For the root of all
evil is the love of riches; which some coveting have
erred from the faith, and entangled themselves in many
sorrows, 1 Tim. vi. 9. A covetous man cannot serv$
God, because no man can serve two masters ; you cannot
, serve God and Mammon, Matt. vi. 24. His heart is too
much bent on the one, to think of the other.
A covetous man is unmerciful : this vice makes him
forget nature, quarrel and go to law with his father and
mother, brother and sister, and nearest relations ; he is
hard-hearted to the poor 5 he is neither moved with the^j;
The Christian Doctrine explained. 297
prayers nor their tears ; neither of the widow nor the or-
phan, but oppresses all when it is in his power, to fill his
bags with that which costs a poor man many years sweat
of his brow, and work of his hands : he stops at no injus-
tice, provided he can be the gainer: hence comes extor-
tion, cheating, theft, lying, perjury : he neither spares sa-
cred nor profane, public nor private, but has his eye up-
on every thing. He is always restless or uneasy, be-
tween the desire of getting, and the fear of losing. He
is so entirely bent on this world, that he has no concern,
neither caa he have, for the aifairs of the next life 5 and
so great is his confidence in his riches, that all trust in
God is banished from his heart. Avarice then is truly
said to be the root of all evil, the root of his sins here,
and eternal misery hereafter. This was the case of Ju-
das, who, for the love of money, betrayed his divine
Master.
The virtues opposite to this vice are liberality and
charity to the poor : of the one it is said, Give, and it
shall be given to you : of the other, He that gives to the
poor, lends to our Lord, Prov. xix. 17. There is no
effectual remedy against covetousness, but to put this in
practice.
EXHOR. Beware, O Christian, how you fix your mind
too much on things of this life, which are apt to create
this avarice in your heart ; for why do we covet to be
rich, but that we may have wherewith to purc'nase those
things we have set our minds upon ? When this love of
riches is immoderate, it is then covetousness, and lays
you open to many temptations : Hence our Saviour says,
It is harder for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of
heaven, than for a camel to go through the eye of a nee-
dle, Matt. xix. 24. As every man's passion he caresses,
is the idol he worships, so when a man has fixed his
heart upon riches, these are the idols he falls down and
adores ; his God, Ms mammon of iniquity ; of which St.
Paul says, Covetousness is serving of idols, Col. lii. 5.
O Christian soul, if you covet riches, covet those that
will remain by you ; the riches of grace, virtue, glory ;
not those which will vanish with you, which you must
leave behind you. The permanent and everlasting rich*
298 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
es of your soul are heaven, and the fruition of God.
Learn to be contented, and thankful to God for that he
has given you, be it much or little ; employ that accord-
ing to the design of the great Donor, and very likely you
will covet no more. Covetousness has no bounds ; if
you were to enjoy all the riches of the earth, this insatia-
ble vice would still covet more. Nature is bounded
and satisfied with a little, but imagination is infinite;
people may easily imagine they want what the whole
world cannot bestow. As God made your souLfor him-
self, nothing upon earth, though you were to have it all,
can ever make your soul happy, but God. Consider
well the evils that avarice brings in its train, the many
sins it entangles you in, and the prodigious difficulty of
making restitution of so many ill-gotten goods, which
mast render your salvation extremely hard and impro-
bable. Put a stop at least now to this growing evil : and
embrace the contrary virtues. Be generous to your
friends, as in your ability and power. Remember the
saying of our Saviour : It is more happy to give than to
receive, Acts xx. 35. Men of estates have riches put
into their hands to be liberal to their families and
friends, and charitable to the poor ! It is the only
means by which they can escape the punishment of the
rich glutton.
Of Lust.
Q. TTTHAT is lust? A. An immoderate desire of
W carnal pleasure. Q. Which are the diffe-
rent species of lust ? Jl. They are many : 1. Fornica-
tion, which is a carnal act between a man and woman
t' at are both free from the bond of marriage. 2. If it be
with a virgin, it alters the kind of sin. 3. Adultery,
with another's wife or husband. 4. A Rape. 5. Incest,
which is a carnal act with a relation, who is within the
prohibited degrees of consanguinity or affinity. 6. Sa-
crilege, which is a carnal act with a person who has
made a vow of chastity, or is in holy orders ; or when
committed in some holy place. 7. The sin against na-
ej which is a carnal act from which generation cannot
The Christian Doctrine explained. 299
naturally follow ; as sodomy, pollution, &c. Q- What
are the usual steps to these sins ? A. Unchaste thoughts,
voluntary delight in them, immodest sights, immodest
discourse, unchaste touches, kisses, embraces, unlawful
love. Q. What is the best remedy for this evil ? Jl.
The opposite virtue, chastity, which we must continally
beg of God, who refuses his grace to none, who prays as
he ought.
INSTRUC. Lust comprehends all sins of unclean-
ness, either in thought, word, or action. Against
these sins St. Paul exhorts us : Fly fornication, use not
your members to uncleanness, but to justice and sanctifi-
cation, I Cor. vi. 18. Fornication and uncleanness,
let them not be once named amongst you, Ephes. v. 3.
t/Vb fornicator, nor adulterer, no unclean man has any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God, Eph, v. 5.
The works of the flesh are manifest, adultery, fornication,
uucleanness, lascimousness, and the like: and as I told
you before, so I tell you, that thty who do r>uch things,
shall not possess the kingdom of God, Gal. v. 16. Thus
speaks St. Paul ; whereby he expressly declares, how
criminal all kind of impurity is in the sight of God 5
whether it be in the heart only and desire, or in words,
or looks, or actions ; all kind of sensuality and unclean-
ness of mind or body is forbid, and marked with the in-
famous character of being the sins of the Gentiles, who
knew not God, and were given over to a reprobate sense,
I Thess. iv. 3. To live in them, is to live as heathens,
and sucli must expect the same judgment. This capital
siri,like others, is accompanied with a train of mnumera*
ble evils : as blindness of the understanding, thoughtless-
ness, inconstancy, love of none but ourselves and our
pleasure, hatred of God's law, a violent affection to this
world, and desire of life, a horror of death, and the next
world ; and such, if they do not fly to penance, and the
rites of the church, 0ten die in despair.
To remedy and put a stop to this evil, think how ill
those brutalities become a Christian ; think what you do
in the presence of God, and the presence of those pure
spirits the angels ; think of God's judgments her^, on
account of this sin 5 the world drowned, Sodom burnt.
300 The Poor Man's Catechism ; Or,
&c. and his inconceivable judgments hereafter : think
of the fire of hell, which seeins to be chiefly prepared
for sin : God indeed has reserved all the wicked to be
tormented by fire ; but chiefly those who live according
to the flesh, and fulfll impure desires, % Pet. ii.
Above ail, pray for the opposite virtue, chastity, which
is a gift of God, and effectually prevents all carnal plea-
sure and delight, by the sweets it brings to the soul,
making it more an angel than a man, which by degrees
will even breed a horror of impurity. To preserve
this angelical virtue, you must shun all occasions, as bad
company, bad books, too great familiarities with per-
sons of another sex, and all unlawful love.
EXHOR. Brethren, I beseech you, as strangers and
pilgrims, to abstain from all carnal desires which war
against the soul. 1. Pet. ii. 11. These sins are so un-
becoming a Christian, who is by baptism become the dis-
ciple of Christ, and his soul and body become the tem-
ple of the Holy Ghost^that we ought to dread nothing
more than them, and their punishment ; remembering
that saying of the apostles, If any one dejUe the temple
of God, him will Goa destroy, 1 Cor. iii. 17. The sins
of lust are more becoming the brute, made only for
earth, than the Christian made for heaven : his life ought
to be pure, angelical, divine : you are not to feed upon
these impure pleasures, nor to wallow in the mire of un-
clean desires or actions ; but to ornament the whole man,
both body and soul, with purity, chastity, modesty;
which may prepare you for the enjoyment of God, and
the company of his angels, pure spirits : you are made,
says one, for greater things than to be slaves to flesh and
blood.
These sins, so seemingly delightful, have always a bit-
terness tha follows them ; as the forbidden fruit in pa-
radise was fair and pleasing to the eye, but a core to
the soul. There is ever somethinpof shame attending
them, and this not only in the practice, but even in the
naming of what concerns them ; and a man, if he has
any spark of modesty left, cannot forbear blushing at
the very thought of uncleanness committed, if he but
imagines any one knows it. At the same time, no sins
The Christian Doctrine explained. 381
arc so dangerous to your soul as these ; because there are
so many different species of them, and the individual acts
are innumerable in thought, word, deed, desire ; this
vice infects the memory, understanding, fancy, all the
faculties of the soul, and all the senses. As now these
sins are so very pernicious and common to corrupt na-
ture, and the flesh is ever in rebellion against the spirit,
what have we to do, but to seek a remedy ; and first to
practise that divine lesson, If any one will come after
me, let him deny himself, in order to mortify and keep
under this unruly passion ; which, without self-denial,
can never be effected. And since we are so weak and
frail of ourselves, we must seek grace to support us ; and
this by constant and devout prayer : while the mind is
on God, the soul is safe upon earth. To remedy these
sins of the flesh, we must resist the first motions of
them, and put a stop to the beginning ; if we come to
parley, we are upon the brink of yielding ; there is no
overcoming them but by flying, and great care must be
taken to avoid what encourages and foments them $ as
idleness, high feeding, lascivious objects, lewd company,
books, which are either obscene, or filled with amorous sub-
jects, that help to soften and effeminate the soul. ! how
many are now wallowing in hell, and will be there for ail
eternity, for this momentary delight ? What are, alas !
all the delights of the earth to those of heaven ? What
are those of the body to those of the mind ? The one
are false, deceitful, perplexing ; the other true, substan-
tial, lasting, attended with tranquillity and a sweetness ;
nor do they ever desert him that possesses them. The
way to thi divine pleasure, is to renounce all carnal
pleasure ; to contemn this pleasure, is the greatest plea*
sure : chastity and purity are the virtues of saints and
angels, who are wholly absorbed in him who is all purity.
Of Gluttony.
HAT is gluttony ? A. It is an inordinate desire
of meat and drink. Q, Vhat are the bad ef-
fects of gluttony and drunkenness ? */J. Foolish mirth,
scurrilous talk, impurity and beastliness, noisy dis-
26
302 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
course, stupefaction of the understanding. Q. What
virtue is opposite to gluttony ? A. Temperance.
IxsTRuc.*Gluttony then is an irregular appetite to,
and excess in the use of meat or drink. God has gi-
ven both for the use of man ; and when they are used
to satisfy nature and preserve health, 'to eat and drink
is reasonable and necessary : but when they are carried
to excess, and beyond the bounds of necessity and
reason, all such excess is gluttony, in a lesser or
greater degree, as the excess is. It is an excess in
eating, when we covet it merely to please our palates
and indulge our appetites: when we eat at unsea-
sonable times, as very often between meals; or at
forbidden times, on days commanded to be kept fasts ;
or when we eat to an immoderate degree ; or we
are greedy for rarities : gluttony may be in quality as
well as quantity. Is it not a shameful thing that sea
and land must be ransacked to furnish dainties for the
rich glutton's table, while the poor starve for want of
bread ? It is an excess in drinking or drunkenness,
when you drink till by the fumes of liquor you have lost
the use of reason, drowned your understanding, and
rendered yourself unfit for duty, unfit for any business
that requires reason and judgment. These are the
effects of gluttony and drunkenness ; foolish mirth,
half-witted jokes, playing the fool, dirty discourse and
actions, all kinds of uncleanness of body and sou!, vo-
mitings, nocturnal pollutions, &c. noisy impertinent
talk, stupefaction, drowning of reason and good parts.
To eat and drink your fill, for mere pleasure, is a sin of
gluttony : what must it be to do this every day ? To be
clothed in purple and fine linen, to feast every day splen-
didly, and neglect the poor, was the life of Dives : He
died, and was buried in hell ; the hell of the damned ;
no other sin was laid to his charge : Remember, son, thou
didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and Lazarus
evil ; for this reason he is rewarded, but thou art
tormented, Luke xvi. 25. He was a glutton, and that
was enough 5 he made a God of his belly, as all such
do, of whom St. Paul says, They who do such things,
shall not obtain the kingdom of God, Gal. v.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 303
Gluttony, both in eating and drinking in particular,
excites the passions to all impurities and uncleanness ;
as in the Sodomites, who glutted themselves with immo-
derate plenty, and hence came their other sins and dis-
orders ; so the prophet testifies, This, was the iniquity
of Sodom, Ezech, xvi. Against both St. Paul exhorts
us to live soberly, not in gluttony and drunkenness, Rom.
xiii. 13. And our Saviour, Take heed Lest your hearts be
overcharged with surfeiting and Drunkenness, Luke xxi.
34. By eating Adam lost paradise, and Esau his birth
right.
To remedy this evil, learn to fast and mortify. Plea-
sure exercises a dreadful tyranny over man's soul, al-
most all are led by it : and this mortification destroys,
and teaches you to find a greater pleasure in abstaining
from those pleasures, than following them : This pre-
serves temperance, which is soon lost without it 5 pro-
longs life, and saves the soul.
EXHOR. You see, Christian, what disorders gluttony
and drunkenness create in mankind ; what mischiefs
to body and soul. Excess of meat and drink are the
food of almost all diseases of the body, as well as the
soul ; other accidents may threaten, but this destroys ;
gluttony kills more than the sword, more than the
plague. Use then the blessings of God according to his
order, and do not bring death by that which was made
to preserve life : remember the maxim, We do not live
to eat and drink, but eat and drink to live. Eat then to
support nature, to preserve health, to prolong life, not to
destroy it. Drink to quench your thirst, not to drown
reason. Exceed not the bounds of temperance, either
in meat or drink, the best things may be abused ; let
temperance and sobriety guide you, and these will keep
you from degenerating into a beast ; it is the life of a
Christian to live soberly, as well as justly and piously .-<-
As we have infernal enemies hourly seeking our ruin,
sobriety, at all times, is necessary to be upon our guard
against their attacks, according to that of St. Paul, Bre-
thren, be sober and watchful : the Devil never takes more
advantage than when we are under this excess in eating and
drinking. ! what is more infamous than to be a slave
to the belly, the sensual appetite, the body which is soon
304 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
to be the food of worms ? What more disgraceful, than
for the soul, the image of God, to be absorbed in glutto-
ny and drunkenness ? What shame for the reason and
the understanding, to be so eclipsed by excess, that it
cannot do its duty to God nor man ? But what more con-
trary to Christianity, than that body to be pampered with
all the delights of sea and land, which we are command-
ed to mortify and punish for sin ? That flesh upheld,
which should be subdued ? Those passions encouraged,
which should be curbed ? Corrupt nature made to com-
mand, which ought to serve and obey; and thus the first
Christian precept, self-denial, laid aside ?
As the remedy to every vice is the practice of the op-
posite virtue, so temperance is the remedy to this perni-
cious vice, gluttony : it is a rare virtue, which but few
have in practice ; some also are temperate rather for
long life here, than for eternal life ; temperance con-
duces to both, but is most essential to the latter : to pre-
serve this virtue, self-denial is requisite, and none pre-
serve it long, who have not learned Christian mortifica-
tion : why are the fasts and abstinence commanded, but
to promote this virtue, and subdue the vice of gluttony ?
O Christian, take them as from God, not only as a pre-
servative from excess, but as an atonement for past ex-
cesses committed ; repent of all past disorders, and re-
member the kingdom of (rod, is riot meat and drink, but
justice and peace in the Holy Ghost.
Of Anger.
AT is anger ? A. An inordinate desire of
revenge. Q. What are the bad effects of
anger ? 4. Fury and indignation, swelling with revenge,
clamour, affronting language, threats, quarrelling, fight-
ing, murder, cursing, swearing and blasphemy. Q.
What virtue is opposite to anger ? Q. Mildness.
INSTRUC. When anger is not an irregular passion,
but only a just displeasure at some ill thing done, for
which we desire the offender may be brought to just
punishment, by a lawful authority, this is called zeal
against those who do evil, or hinder good : in this zeal
our Saviour drove the buyers and sellers out of the tern-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 305
pie ; which was a commendable anger : but great pru-
dence and science is requisite to govern this zeal ?
which may otherwise be productive of great mischief.
Anger, as a vice, is an irregular passion of the soul,,
which carries us with a violence to resist whatever dis-
pleases our pride and self love, or contradicts our plea-
sure, interest and humour ; it is then evil, and lays us
under condemnation : Whosoever shall be angry at his
brother, shall be guilty of judgment, and he who calls
his brother fool, in violent' anger, shall be guilty of hell
fire, Matt. v. 22. This sin is mortal, when it goes so
far as to destroy charity, that is, to injure our neigh-
bour in any great degree, either in thought, word or ac-
tion : it is only venial, when it is but a light and
passing offence against him, which does not extinguish
charity, and is easily forgiven by the party oiTended.
Against the vice of anger, we are admonished by St.
James: Be slow to anger, for the wrath of man doth not
work the righteousness of God, James i. 19, 20. but car-
ries us with a kind of violence to many grievous sins
and disorders ; as divisions, animosities, contentions, in-
juries, desires of revenge, enmities, hatred, fighting, mur-
der, &c. against which St. Paul pronounces that they who
do such things shall not possess the kingdom of God, GaL
v. 20. Is it not hence generally proceed the most
dreadful oaths, cursing and blasphemy ? There is no
passion by which we oftener offend God, both in thought,
word and deed 5 nor by which we oftener injure our
neighbour, by speaking and acting against charity, jus-
tice, truth, patience, reason, mildness, prudence, and
other Christian virtues : with good reason then the apos-
tle exhorts all Christians against it : Let all bitterness,
and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be removed
from you, with all malice, Ephes. iv. 3.
As anger generally arises from the pride and corrup-
tion of the heart, which hates any contradiction or opposi-
tion ; to remedy this evil, our Saviour has taught us to be
meek and humble of heart, and in much patience to pos-
sess our souls : these are the virtues that are contrary
to anger, and its proper remedy > patience and mildness 5
without which we can neither have peace with our neigh-
bour, nor happiness in our mind, nor bliss in heaven.
26*
306 The Poor Man's Catechism : &r,
EXHOR. All sinful anger and passion is what you y
O Christian, must endeavour to curb and quiet in time ;
because it is a blind to reason, and would feign govern
in its place ; and hence comes many great disorders to the
soul. Passion renders us uncapable and unfit for duty ;
it exposes us to offend God grievously by oaths, cursing
and blasphemy ; and to injure our neighbour by nursing
malice and revenge against him in our hearts, which
often ends in great mischief ; but in reality you do the
greatest injury to yourself, by extinguishing charity^
which is the life of the soul and its most essential good.
Anger is rightly termed by one, a short madness ;
because it carries us beyond reason and sense, to speak
and act the most extravagant things, without regard to
God, friends, good manners, or even our own secu-
rity 5 all humanity is then laid aside, and we act more
the part of the brute than the man ; more of the in-
sensible, than of the rational creature. How dismal
have been the effects of anger ! It is one of the worst
evils that ever infested human nature ; how many mur-
ders committed, towns laid waste, whole nations depo-
pulated by it ? It defaces the image of God in our -
souls ; for God is peace, and his works altogether
ealm. It brings a mist before our eyes, that we can-
not discern truth ; nor are we then able to give or
take counsel. In short, it disturbs and distracts the
faculties of the sou! 3 and makes us insensible of our own
ase or good. O how many families does it make mise-
rable ! How many private persons unhappy in their
temper, uneasy to themselves and all about them ! Our
great care then must be to remedy this evil 5 and this
By putting in practice the opposite virtue, patience and
mildness. Patience is a virtue that teaches you to look
upon all that which would raise tumults ami storms in
your soul, with the greatest quietness and tranquillity :
nothing then can disturb you ; because in your patience
you possess your souZ, under the greatest contradictions
and provocations, and bear whatever comes, either from,
a just God, or a malicious man, without reluctance*
By patience we imitate the Almighty, who, when we
even grievously offend him> still bears us with patience
The Christian Doctrine explained. 30?
and silence ; and instead of resentment, invites us to
repentance ; and if we return, forgives us ; and what,
shall you, upon every light occasion, fly into anger and
fury, even to the seeking revenge, when you yourself
so much more deserve it, from the hand of God ? Bear
with others, as God in his mercy bears with you.
Mildness is the other virtue opposite to anger, which we
learned of Jesus, who was meek and humble of heart :
this mildness of nature is the same to anger, as a rock
to the sea, and breaks the fury of it : the billows may
rage and foani, but the rock stands firm, and they do
but dash and spend themselves against it to no purpose ;
so mildness moderates both our own and others anger,
and keeps it within the limits of humanity and reason,
according to that, Jl mild answer breaks anger, Prov.
xv. 1. that is, appeases and pacifies it. To encourage
yeu to the pratice of these virtues, think how innocent
was our Saviour: are you more innocent than he ? is
your cause more just ? are your provocations greater ?
yet he was the most innocent of all, suffered the most,
and with the greatest patience : think how many provo-
cations you have given to others, and if you judge it
reasonable they should pardon you, for the same reason,
you ought to pardon them : in a word, have humility of
heart, and you will with much greater ease to yourself,
bear affronts and contradictions ; for all anger pro-
ceeds originally from pride^ which cannot bear opposi-
tion.
Of Envy.
"lE/'
* '
'HAT is envy ? A. A sadness or repining at
another's good, because it seems to lessen
our Qwn. ^. What are the effects of envy ? A. Ha-
tred of another's virtue and merit, backbiting, detrac-
tion, slander, triumph in the adversity, and vexation
'at the prosperity, of our neighbour. This is always a
deadly sin when it is deliberate, and in a matter of
weight. But to envy another some trifling good, is
but a venial fault* Q. What virtue is opposite to enw ?
A. Charity.
308 The 'Poor Man 9 s Catechism: Or,
INSTIIUC. To be sorry for the prosperity of the wick-
ed, because it exalts and gives them greater power over
us, and gives us a dread of them, is not envy, but fear.
Who doubts but Queen Esther and Mardocheus were
sorry to see the great power of Jlman at the court of
Jlssuerus? and this without sin. To repine, because
you see yourself deprived of some excellent quality
which another has, without desiring to deprive him of
it, is not envy but emulation. To repine at another's
good, out of mere ill-will to him, is not envy but hatred.
Envy then, properly speaking, is a repining at another's
good, either spiritual or temporal, because it seems to
lessen and obscure the glory we aim at, in excelling
others : for which reason the matter and subject of envy
are always some of those qualifications that are attend-
ed with fame, as riches, honours, beauty, learning,
virtue ; envy then, properly, is a repining that others
are above us ; better than ourselves ; have more advan-
tages and blessings than we have. The envious would
have none above them, none equal to them $ they would
have all, and possess all to themselves. It proceeds
from pride, which aspires to, the highest, and hates a
rival; for a proud man would excel every one; and
therefore envies his equals, because they have reached
him; envies his inferiors, for fear they should equal
him ; and envies his superiors, because he cannot equal
them. At the same time it may be observed, that no
one envies those who are greatly superior or far above
him, as a poor man does not envy a king, because en-
vy reigns among those who are pretty nearly of equal
rank.
Envy is the sin of the devil, and the envious are his
sons ; for he, repining at man's happiness, tempted him
to sin, that he might be as miserable as himself : and thus,
through the envy of the devil, sin entered the world ; and
the first sm, after the fall of Mam, was the envy of
Cain, who murdered his brother Mel. because his bro-
ther 's works were good, and his own were evil: the same
was the sin of the Jews* and in the greatest degree ; who,
through envy of the sanctity, miracles and fame of our
Saviour, for fear all the world should go after him, and
The Chrstian Doctrine explained. 309
leave them, condemned and crucified the Son of Gody
the Lord of glory. The chief remedy against this evil
is charity, which, as it loves its neighbour as itself, can
wish no harm, but all good to others : charity envieth
not, but would have all mankind as itself: by that
means, it makes the good of others its own, without
taking from them what is theirs.
EXHOR. Envy being so opposite to that love we owe
to our neighbour, it is not fit to harbour in the breast of
a Christian, whose essential mark is charity : 1ft this
shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another, John xiii. 35. It is a professed enemy to
virtue and merit in others, and endeavours to lessen it by
all the arts of slander, and detraction, and defamation*
It is an enemy to the saints and angels, who rejoice in
the comforts of their companions, as in their own. It
is an enemy to grace as well as to nature, which com-
mands us to wish others as happy as ourselves. It is
an enemy to ourselves, to that peace and tranquillity
every one wishes to enjoy : envy makes the good of
every other its own torture; it preys upon its own vi-
tals without hurt to any but itself. If then you wish
to be happy even on earth, envy none ; repine not at
another's good ; that he is more rich, more powerful,
more virtuous, or mere learned than yourself. God can.
and does distribute his gifts where and to whom he pleas-
es, without prejudice to any: be grateful for what he
bestows upon you, and grudge not another's prosperity.
Improve your talent, and if never so small, great may
be your gain ; Well done thou good and faithful servant ;
because thou wert faithful over a few things, I will place
thee over many ; enter into the joy of thy Lord, Matt,
xxv. 23. Wish all good to others as to yourself, and
greater will be your profit than if you enjoyed it your-
self; by rejoicing at another's prosperity, you make it
jour own ; take envy out of the way, and what I have
is yours, and what you have is mine. O what cruel ex-
amples there are of the sin of envy i Envy ruined man-
kind, envy murdered Mel, envy sold Joseph, envy per-
secuted David, envy crucified the Son of GodI To
preserve your soul from this pernicious sin, take off youc
310 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
mind from this transitory world, and fix it on a better.
The love of eternity is the death of envy ; he that has his
heart set upon heaven, can never envy any man's enjoy-
ments upon earth : he that possesses the love of God, can
never wish or desire a greater good : there is no envy in
divine love : charity envieth not, it seeks not its own :
envy then can never reign in the heart of any one that
is good ; for which reason there is no envy in heaven,
but perfect love, perfect peace, perfect accord, and
perfect tranquillity. ! let not this vice of Satan pos-
sess your soul, which is made for greater things than to
repine at emptiness, folly, or vanity, as are all the
transitory goods on earth ; and as for those of heaven,
consider, you will never get a greater portion of them
by envying others.
Of Sloth.
Q. T1TTHAT is sloth ? *#. A spiritual sloth is a la-
ziness of mind, in neglecting to begin or pro-
secute such things as belong to the service of God and
salvation. Q. Is sloth a great vice ? #. It is the most
dangerous of all vices. (. What virtue is opposite to
sloth ? Jl. Devotion.
INSTRUC. Sloth then is a distaste or dislike to the
practice of such things as belong to the service of God,
and a neglect to begin or prosecute them : sloth has a
faith, but a dead one, destitute of good works : a slothful
man has the power, but not the will, to work in good ;
and of such it is said, Cast forth the unprofitable servant
into utter darkness: and every tree that beareth not
good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire,
Matt. xxv. 30. Matt. vii. 19. Those Christians that are
guilty of sloth, who acquit themselves not of their duty,
or neglect the obligations of their state, or will not be
instructed therein ; who neglect the service of God, their
salvation, and the means that are to bring them to it ;
who omit the duty of prayer, or pray with indiflfer-
ency, and more out of custom than devotion ; who la-
beur not to correct their faults, or curb their passions, or
The Christian Doctrine explained. 311
to acquire virtue : and the origin of all this sloth is an ir-
regular love of ourselves, and our ease.
Sloth and idleness have been the occasion of much
wickedness on earth, Eccles. xxxiii. How came David
to fall into the double sin of murder and adultery, but
because he was idle and doing nothing ? In like manner
Solomon, while he was employed h/building the temple
for the service of God, remained good ; but when he
grew slothful, he fell into vice, and from vice into idola-
try : so the five foolish virgins that were slothful, and
had not filled their lamps, were excluded from the nup-
tials of the Lam'o. The soul of man cannot long remain
inactive ; and when it neglects its more substantial good,
it falls into many sinful disorders. Of all vices, there is
none more dangerous ; because it is a vice that opposes
not one, but all the virtues 5 it brings on a faint-hearted-
ness in undertaking good, a tediousness and aversion to
spiritual things, a hatred even of sanctity, and a rancour
against those that teach it, and exhort us to our duty ;
which are the worst dispositions that can be, and the
most opposite to salvation ; hence at length comes on
despair, and the care of our souls is laid aside ; then fol-
lows a total dissipation of the mind in pleasures and
amusements, curiosity, talk and company, change of
place and habitation, still to look out for new diversions.
Hence it is. easy to conceive that sloth is the beginning
of all wickedness, and with it every one begins their
wicked life ; the first bad step is the neglect of praver,
the sacraments, instruction ; then they fall into "sin,
from one sin into more, from more into many, from a
wicked life into heresy ; nay, atheism itself, is but a
greater degree of sloth, which is ever the first link in the
chain of reprobation. No wonder then God pronounces
this severe sentence against the slothful : 1 wish thou
wert either hot or cold, but because thou wert neither hot
nor cold, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.
Apoc. iii.
The remedy to this vice, as to all others, is the prac-
tice of the opposite virtue, which is devotion, zeal, and
diligence, in doing all our duties to God with a ready
and willing mind, Tike the angels $ and in order to excite
312 The Poor Marts Catechism: Or,
yourself to it, consider, that the night, as our Saviou*
says, is coming, that is, death, when no one can work any
longer ; and to death succeeds eternity : consider well
Hie time you have already mispent, and the uncertainty
of time to come : Watch therefore, for you know not
when the Lord of the house will come, late, or at mid-
night, or at the crowing of the cock, or in the morning ;
lest if he comes on a sudden, he may find you sleeping*,
Mark xiii. 35.
EXHOR. As you were, O Christian, placed in this
world to labour and work God's service, and to secure
thereby your felicity ; what more shameful, than for you
to waste your time, precious time, on things of no
account, and to neglect your more substantial good ?
How often have you heard from the mouth of God ; Why
stand you here all day long idle ? Go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just ; you shall receive an
ample reward for your labour. So great is the goodness
of God, that he calls on us at all hours, even to the
eleventh hour, that is, to the end of our lives. But, !
how slothful are many, who neither will begin nor pro-
secute his will ? How many work in his service with that
indifferericy and sloth, as they valued not whether they
gain or lose the reward of serving him. And what is the
final sentence at last, when God will bear no longer ?
Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darkness, where
there will be eternal misery and no redemption. When
time is once passed there can be no more working ; what
would you give then to be entered again but for one hour
in God's service ? Dreadful despair ! This will never be
granted as long as God is God. Go now, my soul, and
do what then you will wish to have done. O how easily
is salvation gained, how foolishly lost ! What is the
short moment of your labour to th^ weight of eternal
glory, which succeeds ! How earnest are you in labour-
ing for riches, for possessions, for an estate ? And ought
you to be less fervent in labouring for the riches and en-
joyment of heaven ? What is it, but want of faith, that
makes so many live in sloth and indifferency in God's
service r i'aith informs you that every moment spent
with fervour, is worth the enjoyment of God $ a faithful
The Christian JDoctrine ex flamed. . 313
soul, in a short space has fulfilled much good : But for
you never pretend, never expect, to receive a reward
from God, you, O slothful man, who have done no-
thing for God. A man that is idle, and does nothing
to live, must expect nothing but poverty and want; so a
Christian that has done nothing for the next life, can ex-
pect no other but that eternal poverty and misery will
be his portion. Learn, at least, industry from the small-
est insect, the ant : how industrious, how laborious in
laying up provisions against winter ? And will you, O
sluggard, you endowed with faith, reason and grace, be
less careful in your life-time, to provide for the w inter of
eternity ? Senseless man ! away with sloth, put on the
fervour of a Christian, and keep to that instruction of St.
Paul, Be fervent in spirit, serving our Lord, Rom. xii.
11. Great will be your comfort here 5 greater your joy
hereafter.
Of the sins against the Holy Ghost.
Q* T TOW many are the sins against the Holy Ghost ?
JLJL #. Six ; despair of salvation ; presumption
of God's mercy ; to impugn the known truth ; envy
at another's spiritual good $ obstinacy in sin ; final im-
penitence.
INSTRUC. There are three kinds of sin to which man-
kind is subject : 1. Sins of ignorance ; such as the sin
of St. .Paul, before his conversion : / obtained God's
mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, I Tim. i.
13. against which we pray with David : the sins of my
youth and my ignorance, Lord, remember not, Psalm
xxiv. 7. 2. Sins of frailty ; ?eh was the sin of St. Pe-
ter, who, after the greatest protestations of fidelity, and
warnings of his Master, afterwards denied him : as these
are not done out of any malicious end, they are oftener
forgiven ; as St. Paul was converted by the first call of
God, and Peter repented at the first glance of our Sa-
viour's eye. 3. Sins of malice, which are done with a
full knowledge and deliberation, and have no cause but
the will ; which is generally the case of those who sm by
habit and contempt. This was the sin of the Pharisees
27
314 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
in persecuting Christ, and thus he condemns them, If 1
bad not come, and had not taught them, they would not
have sin ; John xv. but now they saw and hated both me
and my Father. These sins being more directly oppo-
site to the love of God, are called sins against the Holy
Ghost, who is the love of the Father and the Son : they
bear in their nature so much malignity and opposition to
repentance, that such have seldom any reconciliation
with God, but give themselves over to a reprobate sense 3
as the Jews at length did.
EXHOR. As there is no sin man commits, but what is
either through frailty, ignorance, or malice ; our labour
and care must be to ward against them all. As to sins
of weakness we must daily implore the divine assistance,
from whom is all our sufficiency ; and humbly distrust
ourselves, as being unable to do any good to ourselves.
What was the fall of Peter, but relying too much on his
own strength ? Though all be scandalized in thee, 1 will
not ; we must always stand in a holy fear of oiFending
God : He, that stands, let him take heed he fall not : and
under all the good we do, still look upon ourselves as un-
profitable servants : there is no greater support to our
weakness than this humility. As to sins of ignorance,
since they proceed from want of reflection and know-
ledge, our business is to watch over our thoughts, to be
circumspect in our words, and cautious of our actions ;
and to be careful in attending to good instructions.
There are two kinds of ignorance, vincible ignorance,
which comes through sloth, and may be remedied ; and
invincible ignorance, which cannot be 'overcome by all
our study and endeavour ; and this is excusable, but not
the other. As to sins of malice, which are by far the
most grievous, there is no remedy but to yield ourselves
to God when he invites to repentance : God never total-
ly abandons any one, even the most inveterate sinner in
this life ; and his grace is always ready to reform them.
How many calls had Pharaoh to repentance ? How ma-
ny signs and miracles were wrought in favour of the har-
dened Scribes and Pharisees r God himself assures us,
that in whatever hour the sinner does penance, he will
forgive the impiety of his sin : Saul the persecutor, and
The Christian Doctrine explained. *
the good thief found it : the Prodigal Son, returning
home, was embraced by his indulgent Father, and Mag-
dalen the sinner was forgiven by Christ : repent, like
them, and you will certainly, like them, find mercy. As
sins of malice proceed from the perverseness of your
will, ! think often of the great goodness of God in
your regard, who has not yet cut you off. His mercy
and love hath outdone your malice ; be grateful then at
last, and your sins will vanish together with your ingra-
titude, that has hitherto held you in them. If they pro-
ceed from frequent repetitions of the same sin, which
create a habit, you must also repent often, confess often,
and often renew your endeavours to amend. I malice
of man depart, and yield at last to the great goodness of
God ! O sinner, it is still in you to reclaim yourself even,
to your last gasp !
Of Despair.
Q. TTI^HAT is despair ? A. It is a diffidence in the
power of God, and the promises and merits of
Christ.
INSTRUCT We may be guilty of despair several ways ;
as when sinking under the burden of our sins, we cast off
all hope and care of salvation, and despair to be forgi-
ven : such was the sin of Cain : My sin, said he, is great-
er than that I deserve pardon ; and of Judas, when throw-
ing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he went and
hanged himself. 2. When we despair of being able to
correct ill habits and bad inclinations contracted by fre-
quent^relapses ; such despair is the effect of sloth : of
such St. Paul says, Who being without hope, give them-
selves over to lasciviousness, and to all unc leanness,
Ephes. iv. 29. 3. When instead of putting our confi-
dence in God, we have placed it in ourselves and crea-
tures ; and these failing us, we despair of retrieving our
affairs : such should reflect on these words, Know ye*
that none hath hoped in our Lord and hath been confound-
ed. Who hath continued in his commandments, and hath
been forsaken ? Who hath called on him, and hath been
despised ?
316 * The Poor Marts Catechism:. Or,
EXHOR. O how great is the mercy of God, who, when
the world was wholly involved in sin, the Creator and
Redeemer of the world came to cancel sin, that none
should after despair of salvation ! As great criminals as
.you have been forgiven before you ; why then must yo*
in particular despair ? Suppose you have been an unjust
man, so was the publican ; suppose lascivious, so was
Magdalen ; suppose a murderer, so was the penitent
thief; suppose a persecutor, so was Paul ; suppose you
have been an apostate from religion, and denied your
faith before the wicked, so did Peter; suppose an adulte-
rer, so was David : yet all these were pardoned. Has
not God promised the like pardon to you under your re-
pentance ? Does not the right faith teach, that no sin is
irremissible ? Consider what plentiful redemption Christ
has paid for you, and that you have him still an advocate
at the right-hand of God the Father. You have seen
much malice of men, but the mercy of God has outdone
all the malice of mankind. As you have a free will to
sin on, so you have a free will to leave off' sin too ; do
this and you may yet save your soul : you are not yet,
God be blessed, in the state of the damned, nor come to
the end and term of life; and as long as there is life,
there is hope for pardon and mercy, even till the last mo-
ment of time. Otherwise, why does God continue jour
life, and command you to hope in him, and forbid you to
despair ? Why did Christ pardon the thief on the cross,
but to shew that there is mercy to the very last ? I say
not this to make you more negligent, but to hasten your
return to God ; and that you may never lose good hope,
like Cain and Judas. Despair not of yourself, nor of any
one else who has a will to return. Despair rather of
him who has despaired of himself, who will not set a foot
forward, who despises the law, as if he were never to
die : but even these may repent, and be forgiven.
Of Presumption.
Q. XTTHAT is presumption ? A. A foolish confi-
\ V dence of salvation, without using the means
for it.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 317
INSTRUC. Presumption, which is a vain and foolish
confidence of salvation, without a good life, or any care
to keep the commandments,, is a sin too common in this
licentious age of men, who think to be saved by faith
alone, without good works. As God expects we use the
means his providence has ordained to save us, to ne-
glect them is to tempt God. Presumption may be com-
mitted several ways. To believe, and not join good
works to our faith," is presumption condemned by St.
James, ch. ii. 14. To offend God wilfully, in hopes of
being pardoned hereafter, with a wilful delay of repen-
tance, is presumption. To rely, as many do, on the pas-
sion of Christ, and lead a slothful indolent life, saying,
Lord, Lord, and that is all, is presumption. Against all
those St. Paul pronounces, Dost thou despise the riches
of God's goodness, and patience, and forbearance ?
Knowest thou not that the bounty of God invites thee to
repentance ? But according te thy hardness and impeni-
tent heart, thou treasurest to thyself wrath in the day of
wrath, Rom. ii. Here we are taught to co-operate with
the grace of God ; to labour and do penance for our past
sins ; this, from presumption, turns us to a blessed hope
in God.
EXHOR. As man was born to love and serve God, and
to labour hard in the work of his salvation, presumption
is opposite to both, and thinks to gain favour, and obtain
glory, without doing any thing for it : to possess heaven
not by his own, but by the toils and labours of Jesus
Christ alone. Presumption encourages sin, fully expect-
ing pardon without doing penance, saying, The blood of
Christ has sufficiently satisfied for all. blind pre-
sumptuous man ! O slothful sinner ! Has not Christ suf-
ficiently put you in mind to do worthy fruits of penance ?
Has he not taught you the necessity of it ? Unless you do
penance, you shall all perish together. Has he not en-
forced your labour from the parable of the men invited to
work in his vineyard ? Has he not shewn you, in the bar-
ren fig tree, that without good works you are fit for no-
thing but the fire. Go then, O man, trust in the mercy
of God, but do not presume therein : do your part, and
he will fulfil his promises : there is no mercy without re-
27*
318 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
pentance, no pardon without true sorrow, no saving*
faith without a good life, no crown without Jesus, with-
out bearing your cross with him. Where do you read
that presumption has any title to glory ? Peter was par.
doned, but not before he repented ; Mary Magdalen was
forgiven, but not before she watered our Saviour's feet
with tears of love and sorrow. A good life, joined with
a good hope and a wholesome fear, will guard you from
presumption; but presumption is void of both ; it neither
serves God, nor fears God, Work out your salvation
then with fear and trembling, and after all the good you
have done, or strive to do, still esteem yourself an un-
worthy, unprofitable servant, and do not presume.
Though God is merciful, yet he is just, and will reward
every one according to his works, good or evil.
Of impugning the known truth.
Q. TT7HAT is it to impugn the known truth ? A
VV It is to oppose and argue obstinately, more
out of malice than ignorance, against any known point
of faith, and pervert ignorant people, by forging lies and
slanders against the church. Also to ascribe miracles,
done by God in confirmation of truth, to the Devil ,.
as the Pharisees did the miracles of our Saviour, is im-
pugning the known truth, and blasphemy against the
Holy Ghost.
JNSTRUC. Those who impugn the known truth, are
styled by St. Peter 9 False prophets, lying teachers, who
bring in sects of perdition. 2 Peter ii. By St. Paul they
are styled, Hereticks whom we must avoid ; men of cor-
rupt minds ; reprobates in faith; giving ear to spirits of
error, and to doctrine of Uevils ; men subverted and sin-
ning, being self ^condemned ; speaking lies in hypocrisy,
and having their conscience seared. Tit. iii. 10. 1 Tim. iv,
Tit. iii, 11. 1 Tim. iv. 2. These men follow their own
private judgment, and their own will, in matters of reli-
gion, before the authority of God : of whom St. Paul says,
Be not high minded, but fear. Rom. vi. 20. Be not over*
wise in your own conceit. Such have been in all ages
since the Apostles down to us*
The Christian tioctrine explained. 319
EXHOR. Submit, O my soul, with a profound humility,
tb all the points of your holy faith, as taught you by the
Catholic Church. Abhor and shun all those who fall
from the faith, or teach strange doctrines, or broach new
errors contrary to her belief. By submitting to the Ca-
tholic Church, you rely on a divine authority, even that
of God, by whom this church was established ; proof
against all the powers of hell, with an assurance that
truth shall ever remain in it ! believe not then every
spirit of fanaticks, but try them, and you may soon see
they are not of God : ihe true church seeks in all things
the glory of God ; teaches sanctity and pure morals ; de-
lights in all virtue and good works 5 strictly follows the
maxims of Christ and his gospel ; it teaches what is con-
sonant to piety, to scripture, tradition, and fathers r
search the spirits of all fanatick and heretical sects by
this touchstone, and you will easily see they are not of
God ; liberty and a fife of ease is their character, and is
their greatest hindrance from embracing truth ; they can-
not bear the harsh words of self-denial, mortification and
penance ; and thus will rather go blindfold into eternal
misery, than suffer the least thing in this life. Beware,
O faithful souls, amidst an infidel generation, of being se-
duced, or becoming seducers ; the latter is worse than
the former : the latter impugns the known truth ; the
other blindly follow, and both fall into the pit. Keep
yourself in humility, and this will preserve you in the
true faith. It was pride brought all heresy and apostacy
into the world : by pride our first parents apostatized
from God, and turned from truth to error and falsehood.
O ye seducers and false teachers, remember that severe
chastisement of St. Paul to Elimas, a primitive impostor
and magician : thoufull of guile and deceit, thou son of
the Devil, enemy to all virtue, thou dost not desist in per-
verting the right ways of our Lord. Jind now behold the
hand of our Lord upon thee, and thou shalt be blind.
Acts xui. 10, IK What more blind than the enemies of
the true faith ? Than those who oppose the known
truth ? I pity, but leave the just judgments of God tc*
fall upon them.
320 The Poor Marts Catechism : Or,
Of envy at another's spiritual good.
* s meant bj envy at another's spiritual
good ? A. To repine and be sad that others
have more grace, more virtue and perfection, than our-
selves.
INSTRUC. This is the sin chiefly of all sectaries, who
through envy, and scoff are grieved at the religious or-
ders, devotions, fasting, arid piety of the Catholic
church ; because they have not such perfections among
themselves : they would serve God at their ease, and
enjoy him at their ease ; and thus envy those that act
better than themselves : this is the root of all their invec-
tives against the church. This sin is rather the proper-
ty of Devils than man, who being impatient at seeing the
iirst parents of mankind in such grace and favour with
God, envied this divine good, both sought and contrived
their ruin. This was the sin of Cain against Mel. It
was the sin of the Pharisees and Scribes, who seeing the
great sanctity and miracles of our Saviour, imputed them
to Beelzebub and the power of the devil. It was also the
sin of some of the new converted Jews, who envied the
conversion of the Gentiles, because they would not be cir-
cumcised, and observe the Mosaick law : a sin most dis-
pleasing to the Holy Ghest, who is all love and charity.
EXHOR. As charity envieth not, it rather rejoices at
another's spiritual good, and is more for encouraging
than lessening it. O that there were more charity and
less envy in the world ! Virtue would gain more ground.
That man must be void of ail virtue and sense of God's
honour, who is uneasy and makes a banter of another *s
promoting it. Can God be served by too many ? Can he
be served with too much fervour, or at too high a rate ?
Such are like to the men hired into the vineyard, who
murmured and envied those that were called at the last
hour, to receive equal with them that were called at the
first. Must your eye be bad, because God is good? Value
not, you that are virtuous, the envious sayings of others
against the good you aim to do ; in your well-doing you
are not to please men, but God. And you, envious
The Christian Doctrine explained. 321
man, who would deprive God of all honour and glory,
what can you expect ? Let us pity and pray for these in-
dolent men, who will do nothing for heaven themselves,
and envy the virtues of others. What are such to be
compared to, but the barren fig-tree with leaves and no
fruit ? Like the five foolish virgins, who neglected to
supply their lamps with oil. If there can be no rewards
where there are no good works done, how can they ex-
pect a reward who hate and envy good works ?
Of obstinacy in Sin.
Q. TTTHAT is obstinacy in sin ? Jl. A wilful con-
VV tinuance in sin, after sufficient instruction
and admonition.
INSTRUC. -St Paul shews the danger of obstinacy
in sin, in these words : If we sin wilfully after the
knowledge of the truth received , there remains no more
sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrible expectation of
judgment. Heb. x. 26. and St. Peter, It had been better
for them not to have known the way of righteousness^
than after they have known it to turn from the holy com-
mandment which was given them. 2. Peter, ii. 21. King
Pharoah sinned grievously herein, when so often ad-
monished by Moses, and inflicted with heavy judgments,
yet remained obstinate, and died in all appearance har-
dened in sin. The Jews were noted for their obstinacy,
in continuing hardened in their errors, after all the
convincing signs and miracles done in their favour, yet
persisted in persecuting the Messias even to death ; and
after him the apostles, of whom St. Stephen had this
remarkable saying : With a stiff neck and uncircum-
cised hearts you always resist the Holy Ghost ; as your
fore-fathers did, so do you. Acts vii. 5 1 . And what
less do the enemies of the church, who, bigotted to their
new opinions, never cease persecuting Catholics, say-
ing in effect: Begone from us, we will not have the
knowledge of thy ways, Job, xxi. 14. Of such Solomon
says, He who being reproved, stiffens his neck, shall sud-
denly be destroyed without remedy. Jl hard heart shall
fare ill in the latter end. Prov. xxix. i JEccles. iiu 2T.
322 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
EXHOR. Obstinacy in sin is hard to be corrected,
and seldom forgiven, because seldom repented of : it
is a sin against the Holy Ghost, which opposes all in-
spirations of grace to repentance. Such are both obsti-
nate and blind ; no impression can be made upon them ;
they are not to be convinced of their danger; the clear-
est truths seem a jest to them. O deplorable state !
Little hopes of amendment ! A sinner becomes obstinate,
not all at once, but by degrees. First, he slights and
delays repentance ; often relapses ; this brings on a
habit 5 he then stops both his ears and heart to good in-
structions, and to the inspirations of the Holy Ghost;
remorses begin to cease ; at length he grows obdurate,
and contemns the laws of God and man ; thus brings on
himself that sentence : The impious man, when he shall
come into the depth of sin, contemneth every thing. Prov.
xviii. 3. O misery of man! Be careful, O Christian, to
remedy this evil before it comes to a head : repent with-
out delay ; delays bring you into this condition ; re-
pent in earnest : despair not, God is still with you, so-
liciting your return, and promising pardon. Beware of
small faults, lest you fall by little and little. Man never
becomes reprobate all at once ; let not sin follow sin ;
this creates a habit, and habit brings on obstinacy and
hardness of heart, as in sins of lying, swearing, cursing,
drunkenness and impurity : then the sinner utterly for-
sakes virtue, and gives himself over to a reprobate sense,
as did the Jews : terrible was that saying of Christ to
them; I will go, and you shall seek me, and you shall
die in your sins. my God, whither can I go when
thcu art gone from me ? What can I do ? Or what can
all the world do for me ? Sad condition ? Let this strike
you now with a holy fear of God, and you will not fall
into this condition ; and whatever have been your past
sins, remember this truth, that none are irremissible un-
less you die in them, by overcoming those very sins you
may yet gain heaven.
The Christian Doctrine explained. 323
Of final Impenitence.
^.TTTHATis final impenitence ? #. It is to die im-
VV penitent, without confession, or contrition for
our sins.
INSTRUC. All sins may be forgiven in this life by the
sacraments ; but those who die in sin without repen-
tance, as they are not forgiven in this life, so neither in
the next 5 of these it is written, There is a sin unto
death, for such a one I do not say any one may pray. 1
John v. 16. This is final impenitence : the death of such
sinners is the worst of deaths : these are the people who
say, We have strucken a league with death, and with hell
we have made a covenant. Isaiah xxviii. 15. Final
impenitence is a sin directly against the Holy Ghost,
who inspires all to repent, even to the last gasp : it is
the sin which shall neither be forgiven in this world, nor
the world to come. For without repentance, there is
no pardon, and without pardon, there is no grace nor
favour of God. Hence it is easy to perceive the
reason why the fore-mentioned sins are called sins
against the Holy Ghost, viz. because they bear a par-
ticular opposition to the grace of the Holy Ghost,
by which we are to be saved; as final impenitence
and obstinacy in sin oppose the inspirations of the Ho-
ly Ghost calling us to repent : envy at another's spi-
ritual good, opposes charity, without which no one can
be in a state of grace and salvation : impugning
the known truth, opposes that which is to convert us
from our errors and evil ways : presumption set us
against good works, without which faith cannot save us :
and despair excludes mercy, which is our only hope :
these sins are not so often pardoned, because such sel-
dom repent : yet this truth must never be forgot, that
all these sins, under true repentance, may be forgiven by
the sacraments, all except imal impenitence.
EXHOR. O what more dispainiig than dying, to die
in your sins, never to be forgiven '. All sins in this life,
though never so many or great, may find pardon ; God
himself has assured it, thatm whatever hour the wicked
man repents and does penance he will forgive his sin ?
Sf 4 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
even at the last gasp of life : but the impenitent sinner
can have no claim to this, because he persists to the very
end in his iniquity, O dreadful must be his condition
that sleeps in sin ; dies without thought, and in a mo-
ment descends into hell, and so becomes his own accu-
ser, witness, and executioner, and must confess, By the
just judgment of God I am damned ; through my own
malice, neglect, and impenitent heart. Reflect, O sin-
ner, well on this, before it be too late ; repent in time,
not when time is expired, and eternity takes place.
Take this saying as from God : Why dost thou glory in
malice, thou who art powerful in iniquity ? Therefore
will God finally destroy thee, and drive thee from the
place of thy habitation, and root thee out of the land of
the living. Psalm li. 1. 2. Beware of obstinacy in sin,
which alas ! too often brings this irreparable evil upon
men, final impenitence.
Of the sins that cry to heaven for vengeance*
^.Y TOW many such sins are there P Jl. Four ; wil-
JTl ful murder, sin of Sodom, oppression of the
poor, to defraud labourers of their wages. Q. What is
wilful murder ? Jl. It is knowingly and unjustly taking
away another's life.
INSTRUC. Of wilful murder God said to Cain, What
hast thou done ? The. voice of thy brother's blood crieth
to me from the earth : now therefore shall thou be curs-
ed upon earth* Gen, iv. It is a sin that cries to heaven
for vengeance 5 The voice of thy brother's blood crieth to
me. Nature is always shocked at death; much more
is that man shocking to nature, who commits murder.
detestable sin ! it is not your brother, nor his voice,
nor his soul, that accuses you 5 but it is his blood, it is
the voice of nature that cries aloud to heaven for ven-
geance against you. Your own crime is your accuser.
Murder was a horrid crime under the law of nature ;
and under the law of Moses always punishable with
death ; how much greater crime is it under the law of
grace ? By it we do not only injure man, but God himself,
by destroying man, who was made to his image and like-
The Chrutan Doctrine explained. 325
Bess, and by usurping the power of life and death,
which belongs to him as Lord of life aad death.
EXHOR. To prevent this evil, beware of passion,
and follow that lesson of our Saviour, Learn of me ;
because I am meek : anger, which is the reverse, often
produces this horrid crime. O aim rather to do good,
than evil to others ; rather forgive, than take revenge ;,
there is much greater honour and satisfaction in one
than the other : strive rather to preserve than injure
life. All sin is a wrong to charity, but this above all ;
it does most wickedly destroy every spark of that love
you owe your neighbour. Murder always proceeds
from some irregular passion ; hence the gospel so often
calls upon us to curb and suppress our passions, for fear
mischief to ourselves or others should ensue : what was
it but envy that murdered Jlbel? What was it but
pride and malice that crucified Christ ? What was it
but lust that cut oft" the head of St. John the Baptist r
How many have been murdered through avarice ? What
massacres have been committed through anger and fury r
Keep under then every reigning and unruly passion.
As all sin is first bred in the heart, and thought foregoes
ill actions, take more care to watch every irregular
motion and desire ; curb your interior, for from thence,
proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, which defile the whole man. St. Matt. xv. 19.
Keep your senses in order $ your eyes, ears, tongue;
these are the doors that let sin into your mind first,
and thence it goes to action. This precaution puts a
stop to much evil. Beware of giving unjust provoca-
tion to others, arid of blowing up others into passion ;
vast mischief sometimes comes from it, which often
ends in bloodshed. Make up all differences and quar-
rels among others, if in your power, and remember,
Blessed are, the peace-makers : great evils are often pre-
vented by it. Harbour, above all, the love of God and
your neighbour ; this will effectually prevent all harm,
and prompt you to do all good to others both in soul and
body.
326 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
Of the Sin of Sodom.
Tl/^
^HAT is the sin of Sodom ? Jl. It is a carnal
sin against nature ; or lust with an undue sex
or kind.
INSTRUC. This is another sin that cries to heaven
for vengeance ; of which it was said, The cry of Sodom
and Gomorrah is multiplied, and their sin is aggravated
exceedingly. Gen. xviii. 20. All mankind are warned
against this sin by the fire that burnt Sodom under the
law of nature, by Moses under the old law, and by St.
Paul under the new. Levit. xviii. 22. I Cor. vi. 10*
The scripture informs us from whence these crying sins
proceed ; behold this was the iniquity of Sodom; Pride.
plenty, abundance, idleness, and shutting their hands to
the need i/ and the poor. Ezech. xvi. 49.
EXHOR. O divine vengeance on the sin of Sodom!
Fire and brimstone ! But what is this to the vengeance
of God at the last day, when the whole world will be
consumed with fire for the impure sins of all mankind ?
The former is but a specimen, a figure of the latter :
this their punishment, says St, Augustin, was a speci-
men of the divine judgment to come ; and how must
we avoid the consequences of it, but by taking with
Lot, the advice of the Angels, and not look back, that
is, not turn to the world, to its folly and pride, but go
on resolutely in the path of virtue, and the way of God's
commandments ? To preserve yourself from the like
sins, and all sins of uncleanriess, keep a clean heart ;
blessed are all such : banish all impure thoughts from
your mind ; put a stop to them before they break out
into action : let no uncieanness proceed from your lips,
much less be seen in action : take advice from St. Paul,
Let not sin reign in your mortal body, so as to obey the
lusts tliereqf. Horn. vi. 12. He declares to you, that no
sins of uncieanness, as are all sins of the flesh, shall
have any inheritance with Christ in glory. Ep/ies. v. 3.
much less those sins against nature, which are an abhor-
rence to God and man : to live in the practice of such
sins, is like the heathens, and no better, who for the
The Christian Doctrine explained. 327
same were given over to a reprobate sense: O my soul*
abhor what God abhors, love what he loves, love chas-
tity : it is a virtue which Christ brought into the world,
he was born with it. Love chastity, it is the virtue of
Angels and all blessed souls. Love chastity, and this
will make you beloved by Christ, like his beloved disci-
pie. Love chastity, and this wil! conduct you unto the
sight and passion of God : Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they shall see God : Implore the divine grace with a
'holy virgin, St. Cecily, " Let my heart and my body
be undefiled, that I may not be confounded."
Of Oppression of the Poor.
Q. TTTHAT is meant by oppression of the poor?
W A. It is a cruel, unjust, tyrannical treat-
ment of inferiors, especially of the poor, the. widow,
and the orphan, who have no power to defend them-
selves.
INSTRUC. This is a third sin that cries to heaven
for vengeance, of which it is written : You shall not
hurt the widow and the orphan : if you do* they will cry.
unto me, and my fury will take indignation, and I will
strike you with the sword. Exod. xxii. 21. Do not the
tears of the widow run down her cheeks, and her cry is
against them that dmweth them ? From the cheek they
ascend even up to heaven. Eccles. xxxv. 1 . By what-
ever ways we injure them, we injure God, who is their
Father, and will not fail to protect their cause. Pharaoh
fell under this crying sin, in oppressing the children of
Israel in Egypt. Many kings and princes are guilty
of the same, who unjustly oppress their people 5 and
the 'rich who oppress the poor. Against this sin God
exhorts you by the prophet : Do judgment and justice.
Deliver those that are oppressed by violence out of the.
hand of the oppressor ; and the stranger, the orphan,
and the widow make not sorrowful 9 nor oppress unjust-
ly ; and the innocent blood shed not. Jer. xxii. 3.
EXHOR. Injustice to another in any kincj, is a sin
against God's commandments, who enjoins us to give
every one their due 5 but when it comes to oppression.
328 The Poor Man's Catechism: Or,
especially of the poor, it is a sin that cries aloud to
heaven for vengeance. Oh what injustice is done, were
we to look into the world! What oppression, what
tyranny, what violence against others ! Do nothing,
O Christian, ti;at may prejudice your neighbours body
or soul : be just to him, as God is to you ; shew mercy,
pity, and compassion io the poor, as God to you. Let
all who are above others, still remember there is one
above them ; and that they are to act no otherwise
than by tbe rules the Almighty Ruler has prescribed t
them, which is to do justice, and have equity for all un-
der them.
Of Defrauding Workmen of their wages.
^ are & u **ty f ^ 3 ? # Those who cheat
their poor labourers, either of the whole or a
part of their wages, or v, ith-hold too long the payment
of them.
INSTRUC. This is condemned in several places of
holy writ, as another sin that cries to heaven for ven-
geance * Behold the hire of your workmen who have
reaped your fields, ivhich is defrauded by you, crieth,
and their cry hath entered into the ears of the Lord of
Sabaoth. St. James v. The bread of the needy is their
life; he that defraudeth it is a murderer. Eccl. xxxiv.
25. Thou Silalt not deny the hire of the needy, and the
poor man, thy brother, or a stranger, but the same day
thou shall pay him the price of his labour before the set'
ting of the sun, because he is poor, and therewithal
sit- tains his life ; lest he cry against thee to the Lord,
and it shall be imputed to thee for a sin. Deut. xxiv. 14.
Here we see that defrauding poor workmen of their wa-
ges is a kind of murder ; because it is taking away the
sustenance of their life, and is a crying sin. Under
this sin also come those who borrow of the poor, and
then refuse to pay, because they see their creditor is too
weak to recover it.
EXHOR. As this is a sin that cries aloud to God, like
murder, and as a kind of murder, resolve, O Christian,
pever to be stained with it. Superiors ought ever to re-
The Christian Doctrine explained. 329
gard their inferiors that work for them as their fellow
brethren : it is not chance, but divine order, has placed
one above another ; and though the body may shine in a
glittering dress, the souls are the same before God, and
often that of a beggar or poor man more rich and shining
in his sight, than that of rich and powerful men. Let all
superiors and masters deal to their servants as God
deals by them : every man is a servant of God, and if he
requires you to work in his service, in the end he gives
you a just and ample reward : do the same by your
hired servants ; surely every workman is worthy of his
hire. How then can you defraud a poor man of what he
has made his own by the sweat of his brow, when God
is so just and benificent to you ? To wrong a poor man
of his wages, is oftentimes depriving him of food ; in this
you do him great wrong, but much greater wrong to
yourself; for now can you expect a reward in heaven,.
who have refused a just reward to your own servant ?
Away then with this covetous tyrannical temper. As
you expect God will be good to you, be you at least just
to others : let not your riches CFV to heaven for ven-
geance against you ; but let them rather sue to heaven
for mercy ; by your complying with the will and com-
mand of God, in giving to the poor not only their just
wages, but in opening your hand and heart to them in
charities.
Of the four last things.,
Tlf
HAT are the four last things ? ^. Dearth,
Judgment, Hell, Heaven. Q. What is meant
by death ? ./. That we are all mortal, and must once
die ; how soon, we are uncertain, arid therefore should
be at all times well prepared for it.
I SST P.UC. There is nothing so Sure as death r all
things in life are uncertain, whether we shall be rich or
poor, healthy or infirm, long lived or short-lived ; but
death is most certain,; all men are born infallibly to die.
Death is the just punishment of sin, pronounced by God
against Main and all his posterity : Dust thou art? and
into dust thou shalt return. Gen. iii. 19* It is the decree
8 *
3 30 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
of the Almighty : It is decreed for all men once to die,
Heb. ix. 27. even the Son of God would not be exempt ?
he died not to free us from death, but from the guilt of
eternal death. As we are therefore mortal, he warns us
to be at all hours prepared for death : Watch ye tken 9
because you know not the day nor the hour. St. Matt. xxv.
13. And the best preparation we can make for it, is a
good life, and to be often doing penance for our sins ; to
deny ourselves, renounce self-love and self-will, that we
may find ourselves hereafter : he who is so prepared ?
weed not be in any apprehension what will come here-
after.
EXHOR. Look now, O Christian, on yourself as a dy-
ing mortal : death is pronounced against you and all
mankind, through the sin of Mam : God, through Jesus
Christ, has taken away the guilt of that sin ; but has re-
s^rve-d the temporal punishment, which is death, and all
must undergo it. As now you are going with speed
through time into eternity, and can not be sure of a mo-
ment, it requires both your earnest thought, and serious
preparation. It is now in every one's power to make
himself eternally happy, or eternally miserable. Death
is a good or bad thing, according as we die well or ill ;
the same who says, The wicked man shall be driven out
in his sins, says alsa, The just hath hope in his death %
Prov. xiv. 32. The same who says, The death of the sin-
ner is the worst of deaths, says also, Precious in the sight
of God is the death of his saints : in the one, it is a total
change for the better ; in the other, it is a total change
for the worse. Let death then, which is always at your
doors, put you in mind of yourself, not to value yourself
above other mortals : death set- all, bo*h rich and poor,
great and little, upon the same level. JLet it teach you:
to contemn the things of this world 5 you are but a pass-
ing figure, as are all things you enjoy : Jl man is made
like to vanity; his life is as vain and frail as other things.
Let death be a curb to vice, and an excitement to virtue j
consider that in death you must leave all behind you :
away then with avarice, or too great love of riches ; dis-
mal spectacle in death, to go naked to the grave ! Away
lust and sensuality 5 rottenness and corruption may bfe
The Christian Doctrine explained. 331
your fate before to-morrow : away pride and ambition ;
all your glory will be soon in the dust : Remember thy last
things, and thou shalt never sin.
Provide every day, against your last hour ; trifle not
your time away, as many do, and as many have done, to
their eternal sorrow : do now what you will wish to have
done when death comes : you will then wish to have
lived more innocently, and been more careful to shun
sin ; that you had done more for God's service ; fasted,
prayed, and given more in charities to the poor, and
done more penance for your sins. Keep a good con-
science now, you will never be frighted with death in
your life-time, nor when it comes : The torment of death
shall not touch them 5 that is, the good. Wisdom, iii. 1.
A good conscience, with good hope in God, is the only
support, both in death and judgment. Thus by your
good works and virtues, by many good confessions and
holy communions, dispose your house, and put your soul
in order, for you shall surely die, and shall not live. But
blessed are the dead who die in our Lord, for their works
do follow them.
Of Judgment.
Q. "TLl^HAT is Judgment ? d. It is a summons from
v * God, to appear before the tribunal of Christ,
to give an account of our whole life and actions, good
and bad. Q. What is the best preparation fo/ it ? #.
To live now in the fear of God ; to be often doing pe-
nance for our sins ; and to judge ourselves now, that we
may not be judged.
INSTRUC. There are two days of judgment for every
one ; the first will be as soon as the soul departs out of
the body in death ; the soul will then be carried to the
place of its deserts, by a sentence from the just Judge;
the latter will be at the last day, when all will rise out of
their graves, and appear, soul and body, to receive the
definitive sentence : Come ye blessed, or Go ye cursed ;
as both body and soul have been companions in life, so
they will be eternal companions in everlasting bliss or
everlasting misery. And what have we now to do ? but
332 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
to make our life happy, our death happy, and we shall
then make both judgments happy : he that has no reason
to stand in fear of death, has none to fear in judgment ;
he that truly fears God while living, in the time of his
mercy, may hope in him in the day of his just judgment :
Blessed is the wan that feareth the Lord.
EXHOR. Enter not, O Lord, into judgment with
thy servant, for no man living shall be justified in thy
sight, Psalm cxlii. 2. Death is as nothing to what fol-
lows after death. Death may be and is truly hitter to a
man that has peace in his riches, in his unlawful plea-
sures, in his ambition and pride ; but what is it to judg-
ment ? This is far more bitter, terrible, despairing : It
is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb*
x. 31. to suffer and labour under his just wrath and judg-
ments for all eternity. If judgment is terrifying to ther
just, O what must it be to the sinner ! To have a true
idea of it, must surely shock the most inveterate sin-
ner alive. The good King David had a terror of it,
and earnestly solicited, '0 Lord, enter not into judg-
ment with thy servant : rebuke me not in thy fury.,
nor chastise me in thy wrath : and holy Job beheld
it with fear at a distance, What shall I do when
God rises up to judgment, or what shall I answer for
myself? Many saints had an equal dread of it, though
they had spent their whole lives in penance and good
works. O they must be blind in point of faith who have
so little sense and notion of it! O judgment ! O day of
wrath ! O day of calamity and misery ! If the just will
hardly be saved, where will the impious and sinner ap-
pear ? The sinner who dies hardened in his iniquity ?
It is a matter deserving our tears, even of the tears of
Jesus over Jerusalem* to see so many slighting this
dreadful day, and blind to what is to come upon them,
O my soul, O sinner, do penance in time under the hand
of mercy, before judgment overtake you. If Mam,
after his sin ran away, and had the greatest dread of
God's presence, O where will the sinner run at this day ?
"Where can he hide himself? What will he be able to
do ? His greatest sorrow, his sighs, tears and mourn-
ings, will avail him nothing, but to add to his misery
The Christian Doctrine explained. 333
and dispair. He has a God for his judge, whose wisdom
he cannot deceive; whose justice he cannot bend 5
whose authority he cannot decline; whose power he
cannot resist. He has the devils and his own wicked
works to accuse him ; and hell is open to receive him ;
and there is no advocate to intercede for him, no resource
left : O horror! despair ! O misery beyond expression
or conception ! All this is yet in your power to prevent.
Of Hell.
<?.Tf HAT is hell ? A. It is the place of the damned
* Q. What are the pains of the damned ? A. A
pain * sense, pain of loss, pain of eternity. Q. What
is the pain of sense ? A. To be tormented in fire. Q.
What is the pain of loss ? A. To be deprived of the sight
and enjoyment of God. Q. What is the pain of eter-
nity ? A. To know that your torment will have no end.
Q. For whom is this place allotted ? A. For devils and
damned souls ; for sinners who die in their sins and un-
belief, without repentance.
INSTRUC. Hell then is the place of just punishment
which God has allotted for sin and the sinner : it is a
state of just condemnation for souls and spirits that are
rebellious against the Almighty. Thus Satan and his
accomplices were cast into hell, for aspiring to be as
God. Adam and his generation were condemned to be
the same for his rebellious pride and disobedience ; but
through the great mercy of God, in sending his son to
be our Redeemer, the first sentence was reversed, and
man is now capable of heaven again : divine mercy !
Nothing to nature is more miserable than death. No-
thing more terrible to obstinate sinners than judgment,
Nothing more intolerable to the damned than hell and
its torments. There, the scripture teaches us, is perfect
despair ; there is weeping and gnashing of teeth ; there
is the worm of conscience that will never die ; there
is the land of darkness covered over with the shades ef
death, where no order, but eternal horror dwells ; there
is the lake of fire and brimstone, where the devil and
sinners will be tormented day and night for ever and
334 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
ever, Apoc. xx. 10. xxi. 8. Matt. viii. 9. Job x. 21 5
there shall the rich glutton, like Uives, beg for a drop of
\vater to cool his tongue, and shall never obtain it ; there
shall they remain at an infinite distance, with an im-
mense chaos betwixt them and heaven ; there shall all
sinners .remain, never to see God ; cast into a land of
oblivion, where there is no one to pity them ; no advo-
cate, no Redeemer for them ; their fate is decreed, the
sentence never to be reversed : Go into eternal fire :
hell is a place of infinite loss ; it is the loss ef God, the
loss of all good, the loss of infinite happiness. Hell is
a place of infinite pain 5 it is a fire that will never go
out : hell is a state of infinite time and endless misery :
Go into everlasting fire : who can dwell with ever-
lasting burnings !
EXHOR. Descend, O Christian souls, daily with Eze-
kiel in spirit to the gates of hell, and there you may be-
hold, with just horror, the punishment of sin and sin-
ners ; there tormented for their past pride, vanities and
folly. Methinks 1 hear their cries and lamentations :
"What ! has God cast me for ever from his presence ?
Must I thus remain in this everlasting fire ? Will God ne-
ver more recall the sentence f O torment ! O despair ! O
dismal eternity ! I see alas my folly, wickedness and in-
gratitude : O sad remembrance, which adds every moment
new pains to my afflicted soul ! O time past, which I
cannot forget ! How easily might I have saved myself,
and how foolishly have I damned myself ! O emp-
tiness of riches ! deceit of past pleasures and de-
lights ! vanity of all those sinful objects that turned
my heart from God ! These are now become as so many
furies, as so many living Hydras, that haunt, perplex^
and torture my soul for ever and ever. Oh ! and must
I still behold at a distance that glory, that felicity, that
enjoyment ot God, which I can never come at ? O what
a gulf is fixed betwixt me and Abraham's bosom! And
are not now these dismal cries sufficient, O Christian sou),
to awaken you from the lethargy of sin, the evils whereof
are so immense ? God even now calls upon you, by the
voice of the damned, to beware of sin ; to arise, mend,
and do penance before too late : and what is all the
The Christian Doctrine explained. 335
penance you can do, to the torments of damned souls ?
No more than an imaginary shadow to them : all the
torments of this life, are nothing to the torments of hell.
Do you believe this ? Why then do you go on in indulg-
ing corrupt nature, caressing your passions and vicious
inclinations, which will certainly bring the dismal fate
on you : nay, you will certainly suiter for it for what
you have done already, unless you do penanee as God
has enjoined: Unless you do penance you shall all per
ish alike. Pray for grace, that may make you more
sensible of the glory you may obtain by virtue, and the
misery jou bring upon yourself by vice.
SECT. IV.
Of Heaven.
^.Vir/"HAT is heaven ? Jl. Heaven is the abode of the
blessed angels and saints, or the state of bliss.
Q. In what does the glory of heaven consist ? Jl. In
the clear sight and possession of God. ^. How long
is this glory to last ? #. As long as God is God : of
whose kingdom there will be no end.
INSTRUC. Heaven then is the place God has prepar-
ed for angels and just souls: it is the palace, if I may
so call it, of the Almighty. It has no bounds or limits :
O Israel, how great is the house of God, how vast is the
place of his possession ! Baruc. iii. 24. It is an im-
mense space, inconceivably great: its glory, its joys,
its riches, its beauty, are beyond thought or imagination;
therefore St. Paul, though taken up into the third hea-
ven, could no otherwise describe it, than by saying,
That the eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, nor hath it
entered into the heart of man, what God hath prepared
for those ivho love him, 1 Cor. ii. 9. Man while in this
life, is of too limited a nature, either to see or enjoy it;
his mind is of too narrow a compass to conceive it ; his
understanding by far too shallow to comprehend it : JVb
man shall see God and live, Exod. xxxiii. 20. No one
enjoy him in his mortal body, or see him with mortal
eyes.
336 The Poor Man's Catechism : Or,
Heaven is compared to pearls and precious stones,
to feasts and banquets, to shew its value, its joy and
delight: it infinitely exceeds all the joys, pleasure, pow-
er, dominion or riches the world can give : whatever
you can here conceive to complete your happiness, is all
less than an imaginary figure or shadow to its enjoy-
ment.
Heaven cannot be so well described by what it is, as
by what it is not : There, God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes, and death shall be no more : nor
mourning, nor crying^ nor sorrow*, shall be any longer,
for the former things are past L , Rev. xxi 4. There shall
be no night, but all day ; no darkness, but all light ; no
death, but all life : no time, but an illimited eternity.
The visible things below may give some faint and im-
perfect idea of the invisible things above. If God has
framed this lower world of such vast extent, as an abode
for sinful man : what must heaven be, what the extent
of that world which is to be the habitation of just souls-
and all the elect ? If lie has beautified this world with
such glorious bodies, as the sun, moon and stars ; adorn-
ed it with so many varieties, and permits the most wick-
ed to enjoy its benefits; what must the beauty and
splendour of heaven be, prepared for those his beloved
and faithful servants ! If he has given such power to
the impious, to reign over kingdoms and empires, and
to abound in all riches and plenty ; what power, what
dominion has he not in reserve for those who have been
true and obedient in his commandments ? The fruition
of the Creator is infinitely beyond all fruition of crea-
tures, or created beings. Well may we then say, how
lovely are thy tabernacles, Lorcl of Hosts / Psalm
Ixxxiii. 1,
EXHOR. Seek now, O Christian, as St. Paul advises,
the things that are above, not those that are below ; seek
the^eruweii substance, not the passing shadow . seek
what eternity preserves, not what time destroys. Let
your heart be fixed where your treasure remains ; the
fruition of God, the enjoyment of heaven, and heaven-
ly souls, are the only treasure a good man thirsts after
The Christian Doctrine explained. 337
*aying, #s the heart pants after the living water, so does
TMJ soul thirst after thee, God! Psahn xii. 2. Nothing
but God, the possession of God, can fully content, re-
plenish, and render the soul happy, which was made
only for him.
As you are advised to descend daily in Spirit to the
ga'es of hell, to behold with horror the just punishment
of sin and sinners, to learn you to detest a wicked life 5
ascend now in heart and affection, up to the gates of hea-
vei, and behold those endless joys, those unspeakable
delights, those blessed souls now enjoy in God himself.
Imarrne that you hear them singing, Holy, holy, holy, the
Lori God of Sabbaot h, the heavens, are full of the Majes-
ty o* his glory : Hosanna in the highest. And ought
not tiese eternal joys animate your fervour, your devo-
tion, /our labour, arid vigilance, to the acquiring them ?
O wfot are all austerities, penance and labour you can
here uiderVo, in balance with them ! The sufferings of
" 's presenliime, are not worthy to be set in balance with
future g
so often an
vanity : yoi
Heaven is
tioned in tl
ory which shall be revealed in ws, Rom. viii.
8.
christif i, had you but a right notion of heaven, of
its glory, iti happiness, you would not be so wretchedly
fond of eai :h : all things here below would appear to
you contei ptible, and of no account : you would not
easily pawn your soul for trifles, folly and
would take more care and pains to secure it.
the precious pearl, for which the man men-
~^ . vyfe gospel gave ail he had to purchase it; even
the son of /God made a sacrifice of his all, eclipsed hit
glory, sacrificec) his pleasure, and his very life, to regain
and reinstate you in this, your former happiness : the
holy saints ahd martyrs thought they could not do or
suffer too mu/h to obtain it ; for this they lived the most
mortified liv&s, and endured the most cruel deaths:
Some were, stretched on the rack, others flead alive $
others sawed in two, others exposed to wild beasts;
broiled on gridirons, cast into dungeons. Others, and
these innumerable, retiring into deserts, spent their lives
in contemplating the glory of this place, and purifying
29
338 The Poor Mart s Catechism : &te.
their souls for the enjoyment of it : these had a right
idea of their future immense happiness.
O how many live, as if they belonged not to it ? or
think to obtain it in a more easy and delicate manner ?
contrary to what divine Wisdom has taught them ; that
the, kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the vilumt
bear it away : that they must sow in tears, to reap in
joy : that they must fight valiantly, to gain so great a
victory : deny themselves, and lose their life here, to
find it there ; and carry their cross with Jesus, if they
will partake of his crown : no, no, there is no other vay
to heaven, but what Christ himself has shewn us, botn in
word and example : as it is written of him, so of al his
followers : It is necessary for him to suffer, and by that
means to enter into his glory. So by many tribulations
and persecutions, we are to enter like him into theking-
dom of heaven.
PRAISE BE TO GOD,
FINIS.
A GENERAL INDEX.
A.
A Page.
CTUAL SIN, 286
Adultery, &c. - - - 149
Angels, their Creation, 29
Anger, - - 304
Apostles' Creed, - 14
Attributes Divine, - 18
B.
Baptism, 193
Ceremonies of it - 197
Beatitudes, - 272
C -
Catholick Church and Communion of Saints, 84
Charity, - - 125
Chastity perpetual, - - 186
Christ, his Life, 44
Christian, his Name and Dignity, - 3
his Obligation, 5
Church, its Marks, ... 85
Creation of Angels and Man, - 31
Creed, 14
Sign of the Cross, - - * 6
Commandments of God in general, - - 128
in particular, - 131
Communion at Easter, - 175
Confession, when and how to be made, - 173
Confirmation, - . 262
Covetousness, ----- 296
D.
Death, - 329
Defrauding Workmen of their wages, - 328
Desires and though ts,impureand unchaste forbidden, 159
Despair, - - 319
Detraction, - ...
E,
Envy, -
at another's spiritual good,
Holy Eucharist, a Sacrament, -
a Communion,
a Sacrifice,
Extreme Unction, -
F.
Faith, - .
its Qualities, ...
False Witness, - - .
Fasting, when and how it obliges, -
Final Impenitence,
Fortitude, - ...
Fruits of the Holy Ghost,
G.
Gifts of the Holy Ghpst,
Gluttony, - . .
TT
Hail Mary explained, -
Heaven, ...
Hell, . . . .
Heresy, ...
Holy Ghost, -
Hope,
I.
Jesus Christ, true God and true Mm, -
, fag Incarnation.,
- born of the Virgin Mary,
: his Life,
his Manifestations,
fiis Doctrine,
1 " his Miracles and Virtues,
,. , his Passfon, -
descents in ID hell,
135
Truth, - - 318
INDEX.
Indulgences, 232
Jubilee, - - - 236
Judgment, - 331
Justice, - 262
I*
Life everlasting, 96
Lord's Prayer, 109
its Petitions explained, - - 111
Lust, - - 298
M.
Man, ftis Creation and End, - 31
his Fall, 32
Marriage, and its impediments, - 180
Mass, when and how obliged to hear, 165
. its Parts explained, - 219
Matrimony, - - 254
Murder wilful, - - 324
Obedience,
Obstinacy in Sin, -
Holy Orders,
Original Sin,
Oppression of the Poor,
P.
Parents, Honour due to them,
their Obligation, -
Penance, the Sacrament,
its Parts, -
Poverty voluntary,
Prayer,
Precepts of the Church,
Presumption and Despair, -
Pride, -
Prudence, -
Purgatory,
R.
Resurrection of the Body,
S.
Sabbath Day, - -
Sacraments in general,
INDEX.
Sign of the Cross, - - - 16
Sin, - .... 82
original, - . . 283
actual, - 286
mortal and venial, - 287
Sin of Sodom, 526
Sins, seven capital or deadly, - . 292
against the Holy Ghost, - 313
- " that cry to Heaven for Vengeance, - 324
- how man becomes accessary to another's sin, 290
their forgiveness, - 91
Sloth, - 310
Swearing, &c. - - - 137
T.
Temperance, - . . 266
Theft, &c. ? - 152
Theological Virtues, - 7
Tradition, - - 11
Tithes, - - - - - 178
V.
Virtue and Vice, .... 259
W.
Wilful murder, 146 and 324
Witness false, - .... 155
Works of Mercy, corporal, - - 277
spiritual, - - 280
THE END.
SETHSt
BERNARD DORNIN,
RESPECTFULLY informs his Most Rev. Rt. Rev.
and Rev. friends, and the Catholic Laity in general,
that he intends printing, the following important
Works, with all the rapidity, that the nature of such
heavy engagements will admit, and humbly craves
their support and patronage. viz.
An Introduction to a Devout Life, by St. Francis of
Sales.
Gobinett's Instructions for Youth.
The New testament, in duodecimo.
Gandolphy's Sermons on the Ancient Faith.
A Neat pocket edition of the Hymns.
Together with many other Books of primary impor-
. tarice to a knowledge of the Ancient Faith of the Chris-
tian world. As he devotes himself exclusively to print-
ing and publishing Catholic books, he presumes his
store has some claim to a marked attention from his
Catholic brethren, throughout the United Stages*
14 DAY USE
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