life, to abhor adultery, and not to fix their hearts, no, nor even their eyes upon any other. 3. On account of their having and educating children in order to eternal salvation; for this is certainly the end of christian marriages, which were not instituted merely for the sake of having children, but for the sake of having such children as may serve God, after their parents are dead, and may at last be glorious in heaven. Therefore st. Paul says, Women shall be saved by the bearing of children, 1 Tim. ii. 15. not merely by breeding and bearing 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. 18. and this 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 concupiscence, by assigning a lawful object to the natural inclination 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

mending this weighty matter to God, by 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; for which reason no divorce from the bond of marriage 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 consummated; in which single case the other party may lawfully marry again in the other's life time.

Coun.

Trent. Sess. 24. c. 6. By the same contract, they engage themselves to an undivided society for life, and cannot separate even from bed and board, without such causes as the law assigns. The priest as minister and witness, joins them together, saying, I join you in matrimony, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

But although the engagement of marriage be so strict, yet there are some causes assigned by the law and gospel, 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 marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries the woman that was dismissed, commits adultery with 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 Adulter. & stup. c. tua 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 iujured party has forgiven the fault. Lege Crimen. Cod. 11. Quæsitum 40. This is the only cause, adultery, that authorises a separation for life: in this case, the injured party is under no obligation ever to return to the adulterer or adulteress, though ever so

penitent; yet 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 authorising a separation as to bed and board, assigned by canon law, grounded upon the law of God and reason, are as follow: 1. If the husband or wife has made an attempt to murder their consort. Lege consensu Cod. de repud. extra de restitut. spoliat. c. literas. c. ex transmissa. 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 contumelia Creatoris, c. Idolatria 28. q. 1. 4. If either of the parties solicit the other to crimes. 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 the party, who did the wrong, is truly penitent and reclaimed, the other is obliged to return and be reconciled.

5. If either of

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 another, and bear with each others humour and weaknesses. Oh what is it, but absence of thought, and an unruly passion of lust, that makes so many unhappy marriages? 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: your wives, as Christ loved the church. ject to your husbands, as to our Lord.

Husbands love Women be subRead the first

:

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 confession 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 dissolve it but death. Join with each other in mutual fidelity; 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 together 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 duties to God; let not your new state of life lessen you in the love of God; and if you are obliged to love one another, 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 husband, 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 example: that you provide for them, as in your power: children are not born only for this world, but chiefly for eternal glory; that you may with them sing the praises of the great Creator of mankind for ever and ever.

Of Virtue and Vice.

Four; Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance. They are called cardinal, because 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 come to the en

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; because 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 virtues; we have a natural light to discern truth from error, 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 render 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 because reason dictates that intemperance is prejudicial to health, and hinders reason from working, 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 practise virtue; it is through our own perverse will, we practice 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.

2. WHA HAT is Prudence? A. It is a virtue that

guards us against ignorance, and directs us in a right choice, that we deceive not ourselves, nor deceive others.

INSTRUC.-Prudence is the key to true knowledge; it is what makes us wise in our actions, and capable to counsel others, even in the most difficult occurrences.