Q. How prove you that these works deserve to be reworded?

A. Because Christ hath promised the kingdom of heaven as the reward of them. Come, O blessed of my father (saith he) and possess ye the kingdom, &c. for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat, &c. Matt. xxv. 35, 36.

"What ye

Q. When are we said to feed and clothe Christ? A. As often as we feed and clothe the poor, have done (saith he) to one of my little ones, that ye have done unto me," v. 40.

Q. Is the reward of these works a reward of justice?

A. It is, according to 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. I have fought a good fight (saith St. Paul) there is a crown of justice laid up for me, which our Lord will render to me at that day as a just judge.

Q. What other proof have you?

A. Out of Heb. vi. 10. For God is not unjust, that he should forget the work and love which you have shown in his name, who have ministered unto the saints, and do minister.

Q. How many are the works of mercy, spiritual?

A. Seven also. 1. To give counsel to the doubtful. 2. To instruct the ignorant. 3. To admonish sinners. 4. To comfort the afflicted. 5. To forgive offences. 6. To bear patien ly the troublesome. 7. To pray for the quick and the dead.

Q. How prove you your prayer for the dead?

A. First, out of the places before and after cited for purgatory. Secondly, out of 1 John v. 16. He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin not unto death, let him ask, and life shall be given him, not sinning to death; (i. e.) to final impenitence. Therefore it is lawful to pray for all such as die penitent, confessing their sins. And in 2 Mac. 12, we read, "It is a wholesome and holy thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins."

Q. How show you these works to be meritorious?

A. Out of Dan. xii. 3. They who instruct others to justice shall shine as stars to all eternity.

CHAP. XVI.

The Eight Beatitudes.

Q. WHAT are the eight Beatitudes ?

A. The sum of them is, 1. Poverty of spirit. 2. Meekness. 3. Mourning. 4. To hunger and thirst after justice.

5. Mercifulness. 6. Cleanliness of heart. 7. To be peacemakers. 8. To suffer persecution for justice sake. Matt. v. 3, 10.

See St. Q. Whence ariseth the necessity of suffering persecution? A. Because all that will to live piously in Jesus Christ shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim. iii. 12.

CHAP. XVII.

The Kinds of Sin Expounded.

Q. WHY is it necessary for a christian to know the nature and kinds of sins?

A. That so he may detest and avoid them.
Q. How many kinds of sins are there?
A. Two, namely, Original and Actual.
Q. What is original sin?

A. It is a privation of original justice, which we inherit from our first parent Adam, being all by course of nature conceived and born in that privation, or in original sin.

Q. How prove you that?

A. Out of Rom. v. 12. Therefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death, and so unto all men death did pass, in whom all have sinned.

Q. What are the effects of original sin?

A. Concupiscence, ignorance, evil inclination, proneness to sin, sickness, and death.

Q. How is original sin taken away?

A. By holy baptism.

Q. Whither go infants that die without baptism?

A. To a part of hell, where they endure the pain of loss, and shall never see the face of God.

Q. How prove you that?

A. Out of St. John iii. 5. Unless a man be born again of water, and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Q. What is actual sin?

A. It is a thought, word, or deed contrary to the law of God.

Q. What is the sin of omission?

A. To omit any thing willingly, which is commanded by God or his church.

Q. Why is actual sin so called?

A. Because the material part of it is commonly some voluntary acts of ours.

Q. Is all sin voluntary and deliberate ?

A. It is, because (speaking of actual sin) no man sinneth in doing that which it is not in his power to avoid. Q. What other proof have you?

A. Because the whole gospel of Christ is nothing else but an exhortation to do good, and avoid evil, than which nothing were more vain, if it be not in the free election and power of man, assisted by God's grace, to do or not to do such things. Q. What scripture have you for that?

A. First, out of Gen. iv. 7. If thou dost well shalt thou not receive again? But if thou dost ill, shall not thy sin be forthwith present at the door? But the desire therefore shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it.

Secondly, out of Deut. xxx. 19, 20. I call to witness this day heaven and earth, that I have proposed to thee life and death, blessing and cursing, choose therefore life that thou mayest live.

Thirdly, out of 1 Cor. vii. 37. He that hath determined in his heart, being settled, not having necessity, but having the power of his own will, and hath judged in his heart to keep his virginity, doth well; (you see man hath power of his own will.) And in Phil. iv. 13. I can do all things (saith St. Paul) in him that strengtheneth me.

Q. Do not the efficacy of God's grace hinder and hurt the freedom of our will?

A. No, it perfects it, according to 1 Cor. xv. 10, 11. "I have laboured more abundantly (saith St. Paul) than all they, yet not I, but the grace of God with me." You hear the grace of God did not hinder, but perfect his working.

Q. How is actual sin divided?

A. Into mortal and venial.

Q. What is mortal sin?

A. Any great offence against the law of God; and is so called, because it kills the soul, and robs it of the spiritual life of grace.

Q. What is venial sin?

A. A small and very pardonable offence against God, or our neighbour.

Q. How prove you that some sins are mortal?

A. First, out of Rom, vi. 23. For the stipend of sin is death. And v. 21. What fruit therefore had you then in those

1. 3

things for which ye are now ashamed, for the end of them is death.

Secondly, out of Wis. xvi 14. For man, by malice, killeth his own soul. And out of Ezek. xviii. 4. The soul that sinneth, the same shall die.

Q. How prove you that some sins are venial?

A. First, out of St. John i. 8, where speaking of such as walk in the light and are cleansed from all mortal sin by the blood of Christ, he adds, if we will say we have not sin, we seduce ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Secondly, "In many things we all offend," St. James iii. 2. And in Prov. xxiv. 16, "The just man falleth seven times." Not mortally, for then he were no longer just, therefore venially.

Thirdly, out of St. Matt. xii. 36, "But I say unto you, every idle word which men shall speak, they shall render an account for it at the day of judgment." Now God forbid every idle word should be a mortal sin. The just, also in the Lord's prayer, say daily, " Forgive us our trespasses."

Q. What are the effects of venial sin?

A. It doth not rob the soul of life, as mortal sin doth, but only weakeneth the fervour of charity, and by degrees disposeth unto mortal.

Q. Why are we bound to shun, not only mortal, but venial sins?

A. Because he that contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little. Eccles. xix. 1

Q. What other proof have you?

A. Because no polluted thing shall enter into the heavenly Jerusalem, Apoc. xxi. 27, be it polluted with mortal or venial sin.

Q. How shall we able to know when any sin is mortal, and when but venial?

A. Because to any mortal sin it is required, both that it be deliberate and perfectly voluntary; and that it be a matter of weight against the law of God; one or both of which conditions are always wanting in a venial sin.

Q. How is mortal sin remitted?

A. By hearty penance and contrition.

Q. How is venial sin remitted?

A. By all the Sacraments, devout prayer, alms-deeds, and the like good works.

Q. Whither go such as die in mortal sin?

A. To hell for all eternity, as you have heard in the erd.

Q. Whither go such as die in venial sin, or not having fully satisfied for the temporal punishments due to their mortal sins which are forgiven them?

A. To purgatory till they have made full satisfaction for them, and then to heaven.

Q. How prove you there is a purgatory, or a place of punishment, where souls are purged after death?

A. Out of 1 St. Pet. iii. 10, 19, 20. Christ being dead for our sins came in spirit, and preached to them also that were in prison, who had been incredulous in the days of Noah when the Ark was building.

Q. What other proof have you? A. Out of 1 Cor. iii. 13, 14, 15. The work of every man shall be manifest, for the day of our Lord will declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the work of every one, of what kind it is, the fire shall try: if a man's work abides, (as theirs doth who suffer no purgatory,) he shall receive a reward; if any man's work burn, (as theirs doth who go to purgatory,) he shall suffer detriment, but himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

Q. What besides?

A. Out of St. Matt. v. 25, 26. Be thou at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the way with him, (that is in this life,) lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison, (purgatory.) Amen, I say unto thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing. Q. What other yet?

A. Out of St. Matt. xii. 32. "Some sins shall neither be forgiven in this world, nor in the world to come." Therefore there is a place of purging and pardoning sins after this life.

Q. How is a man made guilty, or said to cooperate to other men's sins?

A. As often as he becomes an actual cause of sin in others by any of these nine means.. 1. By counsel. 2. By command. 3. By consent, 4. By provocation. 5. By praise or flattery. 6. By silence. 7. By connivance. 8. By par ticipation; or 9. By defence of the ill done.