and which, by the help of God's grace, excite the true sorrow of repentance in our soul. (3.) It ought to be exceeding great; that is, our sorrow for having lost our God and his grace by sin, ought to be greater than if we had lost all that we love in this world; because, as our sorrow for the loss of any good is always in proportion to the love and esteem we bear towards that good, seeing we are obliged to love God above all things, consequently our sortow and regret for having lost him by sin, ought to be greater than if we had lost all things else. (4.) It ought to be universal; that is, we ought to have this sorrow for all and every one of our sins, without exception; for, if we love any one mortal sin, though we should perfectly hate all others, we can never be said to have true repentance. (5.) It ought to be accompanied with a firm resolution of sinning no more, and a willingness to satisfy for past sins; of which afterwards. (6.) It ought also to be accompanied with a firm hope, in the mercy of God, of obtaining pardon.

Q. 5. Is this sorrow absolutely necessary for true repentance?

A. It is the very essence of true repentance, as appears from innumerable testimonies of Scripture. Thus, David says to God, "If thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would, indeed, have given it; with burnt-offerings thou wilt not be delighted; a saerifice to God, is an afflicted spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise," Ps. 1. 18.; where we see that no outward means of appeasing the wrath of God, even by sacrifices appointed by himself for this purpose, will find acceptance with him, unless they be accompanied with a true, sincere sorrow of the heart, which humbles it, and breaks it, as it were, to pieces, and with affliction of the spirit, or regret of the mind, for having offended so good a God;

but that an afflicted spirit, and contrite heart, will never be despised by him. So also the Scripture says, "When thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him; yet so if thou seek him with all thy heart, and with all the affliction of thy soul," Deut. iv. 29. Again, the prophet Moses says to his people, "Now, when thou shalt be touched with the repentance of thy heartand return to him-the Lord thy God will have mercy on thee," Deut. xxx. 1, 2, 3. So likewise Jeremiah exhorts sinners in these words to true repentance: "Gird thee with sackcloth, O daughter of my people, and sprinkle thee with ashes, make thee mourning as for an only son, a bitter lamentation," Jer. vi. 26. And God himself, by his prophet Joel, "Now, therefore," saith the Lord, "be converted to me with all your heart in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning, and rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, patient, and rich in mercy," Joel ii. 12. Such was the true sorrow of David, which he describes in these words: There is no "health in my flesh, because of thy wrath; there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins; for my iniquities are gone over my head, and as a heavy burden, are become heavy upon me I am become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end; I walked sorrowful all the day long," Ps. xxxvii. 4. Such was the repentance of King Ezekias, when he said to God, "I will recount to thee all my years in the bitterness of my soul," Is. xxxviii. 15. Such, in fine, was the repentance of all true penitents, who found mercy with God, the Ninivites, the humble publican, St. Mary Magdalen, St. Peter, &c.

Q. 6. Howmany kinds of this sorrow are there? A. It is considered as divided into two kinds,

which agree in all the above-mentioned qualities, and differ only in the motives from which they arise, and in the effects they produce. Of the supernatural motives mentioned above, some are most perfect and excellent, because founded in charity, or the pure love of God for himself alone; as when we are sorry for our sins, purely because by them we have offended so good a God, whom we love above all things, without any attention to the evils sin brings upon ourselves. Such was the sorrow of St. Mary Magdalen, of whom our Saviour says, 66 Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved much." A sorrow that arises from this motive is a perfect sorrow, and is called perfect contrition. Others of the supernatural motives above-mentioned, are less perfect, because they include an attention to our own interest, accompanied with an initial, and less perfect love of God, considering him more as being good to us, than as infinitely good in himself. Of this kind are our fear of losing heaven, or of being condemned to hell; our fear of the judgments of God, and the like. A sorrow for sin, which arises from these motives, is therefore called imperfect contrition, and attrition.

Q.7. How does contrition and attrition differ in their effects?

A. Perfect contrition, as it arises from a perfect love of God for himself alone, is so pleasing in his sight, that the moment a person has it, God is reconciled to him, and forgives his sins; for, as the Scripture says, "Charity," or the perfect love of God, "covereth a multitude of sins," 1 Petiv. 8.; and such was the effect it had in St. Mary Magdalen. This, however, is to be so understood that such contrition does not free a person from having recourse to the sacrament of penance, where it can be had; the command of receiving that sa-

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crament being laid upon all without exception. Attrition, on the other hand, in no case obtains of itself the remission of sin, but only disposes the soul for receiving that grace by means of the sacrament of penance.

Q. 8. Is this sorrow for sin, which arises from the fear of hell, or of God's judgments, or of los ing heaven, a virtuous and laudable sorrow?

A. Most certainly: it is a gift of God, and therefore David prays for it: "Pierce thou my flesh, says he, "with thy fear: for I am afraid of thy judgments," Ps. cxviii. 120. ; and Christ himself commands us to have this fear of God: "Be not afraid of him that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do'; but I will shew you whom you shall fear; fear ye him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say to you, fear him," Luke xii. 4.

SECTION II.

OF THE PURPOSE OF NOT SINNING MORE

Q. 9. What is meant by a purpose of not sinning more?

A. It is a firm and resolute determination of the will, of carefully avoiding all sin for the time to come, and all the dangerous occasions of sin, arising from the same supernatural motives on which our sorrow for sin is grounded. In fact, this purpose and resolution is a necessary consequence of our sorrow, and an essential part of true repentance; for it is impossible sincerely to hate sin, as the greatest of all evils, and to be heartily sorry for having offended God, by being guilty of it, without being also firmly resolved to fly from

that monster for the future, and to use every necessary means for avoiding it.

Q. 10. What are the effects of this sincere purpose of amendment?

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A. A total change of our whole behaviour; putting off, according to our former conversation, the old man; and a being renewed," not only" in the spirit of our mind," but also putting on the new man, who, according to God, is created in justice, and holiness, and truth," Ephes. iv. 22.; or as the same Apostle expresses it more particularly, "Now, put you also all away, anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech out of your mouth; lie not one to another, stripping yourselves of the old man, with his deeds-Put ye on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy and benignity, humility, modesty, patience-but above all things have charity, which is the bond of perfection," Coloss. iii. 8. So that true repentance changes the whole man, his sentiments, his affections, his behaviour; makes him love what he did not love before, to wit, God and his holy law; and makes him hate what he loved before, to wit, his sinful pleasures and employments. And this is the great favour which Almighty God promises to bestow upon his people, by the prophet Ezekiel, saying, "I will give them one heart, and will put a new spirit in their bowels; and I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my commandments, and keep my judgments, and do them; and that they may be my people, and I may be their God," Ezek. xi. 19.

Q. 11. Is this conversion and change of life strictly required of true penitents?

A. Nothing is more strongly inculcated throughout the whole Scripture, as a necessary condition