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brain. Those whose sins God has forgiven, are not any longer, according to the Catholic doctrine, reckoned with "reprobates and devils;" they are not "hated or destroyed" by God. The justice of God may, indeed, still have some comparatively slight claims on them for past transgressions not yet fully atoned for, but He loves them, and has already washed them in the blood of His well-beloved Son. If He chastise them still, it is as a most tender parent chastises a well-beloved child. His apostle tells us, "" whom the Lord loveth He chastiseth, and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." Does this prove that His favorite children are, at the same time, "loved and hated, saved and destroyed?" In short, Mr. Palmer's argument applies, with equal force, to all the scriptural facts on the subject which we have already furnished: and if there be any absurdity in the case, he has to settle the difficulty with the inspired record of revelation itself,

Though we can not pretend to fathom the counsels of God, and though it is not at all necessary to inquire into any thing farther than the facts, when it is question of divine agency, yet may we assign some plausible reasons, based on revelation, for the occasional or frequent reservation of a temporal penalty after the pardon of the sin itself. God's mercies are, indeed, above all His works, and the atonement of Christ is superabundant; but is it proper that a grievous sinner, who has long outraged God by his iniquities, and long trampled on the blood of the Lamb, by which he was once washed from all defilement in baptism, should be immediately reinstated, not only in the divine favor, but also in all the privileges of a cherished child of God?? Should he not be required to do something to indicate the depth of his sorrow, and to atone somewhat, by and through the merits of Jesus Christ, for his former iniquities? Should he not chastise his body with St. Paul, crucify his flesh, make his members instruments of divine justice, as he had prostituted them to sin ? Should he not do as much for God, as he had done against God, and punish himself at least as much as he had unlawfully gratified his flesh?

There is a voice in the human bosom, which proclaims the fitness and the justice of this course; and he who thinks he shall escape "the wrath. to come," without "bringing forth fruit worthy of penance," deceives. himself fatally. Does not the wise man tell us: "Be not without fear about sin forgiven?" How can the sinner expect to share in the atonement of Christ, without entering into the atoning spirit of Christ, and without being willing to suffer and to die with Christ? He was innocent,. the sinner is guilty; shall the innocent suffer all, and the guilty nothing? No cold and dreary Protestantism! Thou pratest much about the atonement, and thou sneerest bitterly at others, but thou understandest not what the atonement is! Thou hast not one particle of the noble heroism inspired by the atonement !

1 Hebrews xii, 6.

2 See St. Paul's testimony, Hebrews vi, 4 seq.—an obscure, but terrible passage.

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8 See Romans vi.

4 Ecclesiasticus ▼, 5.

There have been, and there are still, no doubt, many instances in which God has remitted, or remits the whole temporal punishment along with the guilt of sin: moved thereto by His own abounding mercy, and by the superior fervor of the penitent. The prodigal son, the thief on the cross, Magdalene, and others are instances of this kind. But can all expect a like favor? As well might all the sick among Christians claim to be suddenly healed, as were those in the time of our Saviour; and all the dead, to be suddenly resuscitated, like Lazarus !

In the curative process, after the malady has been entirely healed, the effects of it are often sensibly felt during a longer or shorter convalescence; so also, in the process of spiritual healing, there may often remain some effects or remnants of the disease, after the malady itself has been removed by forgiveness. The same Lord is the God of nature as well as of grace, and he frequently adopts similar modes of procedure in both. We do not, however, allege this as a reason or argument, but merely as an illustration.

3. We have room for but a word or two in relation to the third class of objections, raised by Mr. Palmer against the Catholic doctrine of satisfaction. He opines that it should be rejected, because it tends to trouble our peace of conscience, and to torment us with doubt and perplexity! Here are his words:

"And when is this fear to be removed? When is the sinner to be at peace with God? When is he to look with joy and love to God as a reconciled and loving Father? NEVER IN THIS LIFE.... And is this the peace and consolation which you offer to burdened consciences? Are these the blessings which are to flow on those who go to you to heal their wounds, and sooth their afflictions ?" &c.'

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Well, this is all pathetic enough. Much do we regret, if it were only for Mr. Palmer's sake, that the way to heaven is not wider and smoother than Christ declared it to be, both by word and example. This doctrine of satisfaction is surely not agreeable to flesh and blood; but we are told that "flesh and blood can not possess the kingdom of God." We would humbly suggest, that it is barely possible to "offer too much peace and consolation to burdened consciences;" and that there are those who say "peace, when there is no peace." Is it not more likely that an humble and fervent Christian, who strives to imitate Christ in his sufferings, and to become with Him a victim of sin, will enjoy a real and solid peace and consolation, than the one who is willing to suffer nothing for his sins, or, at least, nothing more than he can possibly help? The yoke of Christ is indeed sweet, and His burden light; but it is still a yoke and a burden, and the yoke is sweet and the burden light, only to those who bear them willingly and with love, for the sake of Christ, and in union with Christ. His grace sweetens and lightens, what would otherwise be bitter and intolerably burdensome.

In defending and reducing to practice the doctrine of satisfaction, the Catholic Church proves herself to be the true spouse of Christ, deeply

1 Letter iii, p. 8

2 1 Cor. xv, 50.

sympathising with Him in His sufferings, and entering into the spirit of His great atonement. "Flesh and blood hath not revealed this doctrine to her, but the Father who is in heaven." It is plainly unearthly, and of heavenly origin; man could not possibly have devised it; it is clearly from God.

With how many blessings has not this doctrine strewn the earth! How many splendid temples, how many magnificent hospitals for the sick, how many asylums for the afflicted of every class, has it not erected! Visit the noble institutions of the middle ages, still existing all over Europe; ask the history of their foundation; and some old record will inform you that they were reared, in many cases, by opulent penitents-ad expianda peccata, for the expiation of sins committed in their past life! 2 Let innovators produce monuments like these!

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XXIV. THE CONFESSIONAL.*

TACTICS OF ITS ENEMIES.

Strong presumptive evidence of Catholicity-The proud position of the Church-Phases of the warfare against her-Appeal to passion against truth-Luther's tactics-Those of other reformers similar-Protestant and infidel arguments against Catholicity compared-The vilest of all the modes of attack-Closing the Church against ladies-Books teeming with obscenity-A burning shame for Christian ministers-Sympathy with infidels-Who was Michelet?-An amusing incident-Translator of Michelet-A horrid picture of woman-Mohamedanism revivedMethodist Camp-meeting-A " female Jesuit ”—“Incarnation of Satan"-TranscendentalismA rare consolation!-"French bulls "-Inconsistency and contradiction-Michelet as an historian and logician-His premises false-And his reasoning illogical-Blindness of bigotry-The serpent in paradise-A portrait-"The end justifies the means "-Great honor to the Church-The beams and the mote-The confessional considered by the light of experience-A palpable absurdity-A gross libel upon the sex-Course adopted by the Protestant preachers-Extracts from our theologians-Parallel cases—“ Whipping hypocrisy"-Whence all the clamor against the Confessional?"-Did the priests introduce it?-What motive could they have had?-Was it possible to make the change-The question of innovation tested-History appealed to-Prescription-Our Saviour and the Pharisees.

ONE of the strongest and most striking evidences of Catholicity is found in the fact, that its enemies cannot attack it with any plausibility or semblance of success, without grievously misrepresenting its doctrines, and appealing against them to the worst passions of the human bosom.

The Catholic religion always maintains her lofty position, as the handmaid of heaven, and the divinely constituted witness of the truth: she flatters not the passions of men, in order to win their homage; she would not compromise one particle of the truth committed to her in deposit, though by the sacrifice she should gain the whole world; she is prepared to fulfill her high mission for the glory of God and the salvation of men, though she should, in the discharge thereof, be nailed to the cross with her divine Founder and Spouse. She changes not, though all else is changing around her. Her institutions may displease the world, and become unfashionable; still she fondly clings to them; she will not suffer one of them to be impaired or destroyed: her mission is not to please, but to save men. She will not "stoop to conquer," will not descend into the arena of the world, will not wield the weapons of carnal warfare, will not enter into alliance with flesh and blood. She will not stain the laurels of

*"Du Pretre, de la Femme, de la Famille."

Spiritual Direction, and Auricular Confession; their History, Theory, and Consequences: being a translation of “Du Pretre, de la Femme, de la Famille." By M. Michelet, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Letters, &c. Philadelphia: James M. Campbell. 1845. Pp. 224, 12mo.

victory, won during eighteen centuries of glorious strife with the world, the flesh, and the devil, by any such unhallowed means: and hence it is that the world hates her. It hated her divine Founder before her, and for the self-same reason.

She will not, because she can not, change; and her adversaries cry out that she is not adapted to the spirit of the age, which is eminently a spirit of progress and of change in every thing,- from simple machinery up to the higher departments of philosophy and religion. She proclaims to the world, as the revelation of God, many doctrines unfathomable to reason and humbling to human pride; and the world cries out, absurdity and nonsense! She enforces the divine obligation of many things painful to human nature; and men cry out that she is the enslaver of the world, and that her principles are incompatible with human liberty. Still she heeds not all this clamor, but firmly, yet mildly, pursues her divine pilgrimage of mercy and charity, without turning either to the right or to the left, to please men.

It has ever been so. The tactics of the evil one, in his assaults against the truth, have not varied in the lapse of long centuries. From the time that he dared tempt Jesus Christ Himself in the wilderness, down to the very latest campaign he has made against His Church, the spirit of his warfare, as well as its chief appliances, has not changed. He tempted Christ by an impious and most unblushing appeal to the human passions of sense, of avarice, and of pride; and he tempts the disciples of Christ by the self-same weapons of the flesh. To the disciples as to the Master, he says: "All these things will I give you, if, falling down, you will adore me;" but the disciples answer, as did the Master: "Begone, Satan; for it is written, the Lord thy God thou shalt adore, and Him only shalt thou serve."1

We might easily illustrate all this, by a reference to the different phases of the warfare against Catholicity in ages past. We might prove that, how different soever were the favorite modes of attack at different periods, they all, nevertheless, possessed this trait in common; they appealed to

passion against truth. The older heretics did this; the modern dissenters still do the same. The ancient heretics succeeded partially and for a time; they seduced many from the truth by their maddening appeal to a corrupt nature but they finally disappeared from the arena, together with their victims; and the truth still stood forth triumphant, waving its unsullied banner of victory over a conquered world. The modern innovators have but renewed the same phases of unhallowed warfare,—of apparent victory, and of final but certain and overwhelming defeat. It has ever been so ; it must ever be so. He who could not deceive, had foretold that the world should hate His disciples, but that the gates of hell SHOULD NOT PREVAIL AGAINST HIS CHURCH, built upon A ROCK. At the dawn of the reformation, Luther appealed to the political feelings and prejudices of the Germans against the primacy of the Pope. He

1 St. Matthew iv, 9, 10.

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