CHAP. LV. Of Cursing, Blasphemy, and Profane Words. By the second commandment we are commanded, the Catechism says, to speak with reverence of God and all holy things. The commandment, indeed, only speaks of God; but as we cannot show contempt or disrespect to what belongs to a person without its extending to that person himself, so we cannot exhibit that honour which is due to God, if we do not honour also all that belongs to or is connected with Him. This is what is meant by 'holy things,'-God's saints, God's ministers, religion, its ceremonies and practices. We are bound to speak with reverence of these because they relate to God.

Now that which is most directly opposed to this reverence is blasphemy. It is the worst and most heinous way of taking God's name in vain. Cursing and profane words are lesser sins of the same character. But they differ from oaths or vows, because these, as we have explained, are sometimes lawful and even laudable; but cursing, blasphemy, and profanity are, under all circumstances, sinful.

The word 'blasphemy' is derived from two Greek roots, and signifies wounding or injuring the reputation. But it has come to be applied especially to any thing said against God or His perfections. It is defined, 'any words or speeches insulting to God.' It is divided into direct blasphemy, or that which is spoken against God Himself or His attributes; and indirect, which is spoken against the saints or holy things relating to God. It is also divided into simple and heretical blasphemy, of which the latter is distinguished from the former in containing something contrary to the faith, as e. g. denying some of God's perfections, or attributing them to creatures, or again, attributing an imperfection to God.

Blasphemy is always in itself a mortal sin. It is so spoken of in Scripture: "He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, dying, let him die" (Lev. xxiv. 16). And the very nature of the sin shows that it is one of the most grievous a man can be guilty of. For what can be worse than knowingly and wilfully to say any thing insulting to

God. It can only, then, be excused from the guilt of mortal sin when it is done without full knowledge and advertence. Sometimes an expression is blasphemous or not, according to the meaning of the person who uses it; e. g. when persons curse the rain or wind, the amount of sin depends on whether they look upon these as directly sent by God or not.

By cursing is meant imprecating some harm or mischief on our neighbour, or any of God's creatures. It differs from merely wishing harm to them, because it implies also a sort of prayer, or calling down harm upon them from Heaven. In so far as it is a desire of ill to our neighbour, it is contrary to the precept of charity; but, because it is a direct or virtual invocation of God's name, it comes under the second commandment. Cursing is a mortal or venial sin, according to circumstances. Often curses are used simply as hasty expressions, without a person at all meaning what he says, or intending any irreverence to God. This will excuse many persons who, having contracted the habit of swearing or cursing, are trying to overcome themselves, but the words slip out of their mouth without their thinking about it. Sometimes curses may be greater sins on account of their giving scandal to others: e. g. if parents curse in the presence of their children, the sin is greater from the danger of the children being led to do the same. Also, something depends on whether the harm that is imprecated is a grievous or a trifling one.

Lastly, profane words are forbidden by this commandment as being contrary to the reverence due to God, and what belongs to Him, or tending to lessen it. Thus, speaking in a light or joking manner about any thing belonging to God or His service is profane. It is not generally a grievous sin, because there is no intention of insulting God; and often the profane words have but a remote connexion with God, or His service; but should such words be spoken out of contempt for sacred things, the sin would become mortal.

CHAP. LVI.

The Third Commandment: "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day."

All

As in the first commandment God requires the worship of the heart, and in the second the worship of the tongue, so in the third He demands a certain portion of our time, wherein we may acknowledge Him by external acts. our time ought to be employed in the service of God, and all our actions should be directed to Him; but all our time cannot immediately be so used, nor can we direct all our actions to Him alone; for we have temporal wants to supply, and temporal duties, the neglect of which would be sinful; and lest such should engross us, and cause us to forget God, for whom they ought to be done, we are commanded to set aside a portion of our time for acts which have sole reference to God. In other words, we are bidden to keep holy certain days, i. e. consecrate them in a special manner to religious worship. The commandment given at length is, "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day. Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works. But on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work on it, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh day therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it" (Exod. xx. 8-11).

Now this principle of devoting a portion of our time to the external service of God is here specially applied to the case of the Jews. So far as it exhibits that principle, it is a part of the law of nature, and binds all, without regard to time or nation; but in its particular injunctions as to the day and manner of observance, it is a part of the older covenant, which has been superseded by Christianity. In the ancient law God chose the last day of the week to be kept holy, and it was called the Sabbath, or rest, because on that day He rested from the work of

creation; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh day therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day. In the rehearsal of the law another reason is assigned: "Remember that thou also didst serve in Egypt, and the Lord thy God brought thee out from thence with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm. Therefore hath He commanded thee that thou shouldst observe the Sabbath-day" (Deut. v. 15).

In resting, then, from labour on the seventh day, the Jew commemorated his deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and testified to the surrounding nations that Jehovah, the God he worshiped, was the Creator of all things. But under the Christian dispensation God has bestowed more abundant blessings on the first day of the week, and laid the foundations of a more excellent feast. On that day He rose in His human nature from the dead; on that day He appeared to His apostles after His resurrection; on that day the Holy Ghost came down upon the disciples of the Lord. Hence the Christian, in dedicating the first day of the week to God, acknowledges that He who brought life and immortality to light is the same who in the beginning called the light out of darkness: he commemorates a more perfect redemption than that of Israel from Pharao; he honours each Person of the Blessed Trinity,-the Father, who began the new creation by raising His Son from the dead, the Son, who rose for our justification,-the Holy Ghost, who descended to carry out that work in each individual soul.

The Sabbath, then, for us Christians no longer exists; it has passed away with other Jewish feasts. This the Apostle plainly declares: "Let no man judge you in respect of a festival-day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come" (Col. ii. 16-17). On the other hand, we have proof that it was the practice of the Apostles and first Christians to observe religiously the first day of the week. Eight days after the resurrection, the disciples were within, and Thomas with them, and Jesus came and stood in the midst (St. John xxi. 26). Later, in Acts xx. 7, we read that upon

the first day the disciples assembled to break bread. Again, we find St. Paul commanding the Corinthians : "On the first day of the week let every one of you put apart with himself, laying up what it shall well please him" (1 Cor. xvi. 2). And the first day is recognised as the Lord's day: "I was in the Spirit," says St. John, "on the Lord's day" (Apoc. i. 10). And so the Church, following this custom, has determined for Christians the observance of the third commandment by a precept which bids us keep holy the first day of the week.

CHAP. LVII.

Of the Obligation of hearing Mass and resting from servile work. THE next point for consideration is, how we are to keep the Sunday holy. As matter of formal precept, binding under pain of mortal sin, nothing further is required than to hear Mass and abstain from servile works.

In order to fulfil the first duty, we must be bodily present in the place where the Mass is celebrated, in such a manner as to form part of the congregation, and attend with the mind, sufficiently at least to join in the Mass as an act of Divine worship.

It is not enough to be present during a part of the Mass, but the precept applies to the whole Mass. To absent oneself wilfully, and without proper excuse, during any part of the Mass is forbidden; but, as in all other cases of the like kind, the guilt varies with the length or importance of the part omitted. It is a mortal sin to be culpably absent during a considerable portion of the Mass, and a venial sin to be absent during a small part. It is necessary, however, to bear in mind, that the grievousness of the omission is estimated, not simply by the length of time which the part omitted occupies, but also by its importance in reference to the Sacrifice. Thus it is generally considered a mortal sin to be absent from the beginning of the Mass to the Offertory, because such an omission is considerable in point of length. It is a mortal sin to be