Bøger af Brother Hermenegild Tosf

This books commences: AMONG the many questions that have engaged the attention of thinking minds, especially within the last few years, none has excited a livelier or a more widespread interest than that concerning the relation between religion and science, or, more especially, the relation between modern science and the Catholic Church. Among those who let others do their thinking for them, or who are content to get their information second-hand (as it is too often, alas! doled out to them in garbled 'articles by an infidel press), and even among those whose intellectual acquirements should teach them better, there seems to be an impression-and, in many instances, a conviction that there is a conflict between the teachings of the Church and the truths of science; that the doctrines of the former can no longer be reconciled with the conclusions of the latter; that, in a word, if the Church wishes to keep abreast with the advance of science, she will not only have to modify many of her dogmas, but will be forced to abandon some of them entirely as no longer tenable. Then, again, this impression, or conviction, of these good people is confirmed by what they have heard or read about the attitude of the Church toward science in ages gone by. They have been told that the Church is the enemy of progress; that she not only does not now, but never did, encourage scientific research; and they are ever ready to point to instances which they consider as verifying such views. They adduce as facts of sober history tales of libraries burned, genius hampered and persecuted, and finish the charge with some terrible episode in the lives of the "Martyrs of Science." It is some of these points that we wish to discuss in the present article. We shall consider some of the objections brought fonvard by modern science against the teachings of the Church, and then define as clearly and succinctly as may be the nature and scope of science and religion, and state what now is, what always has been, and what ever must be the relation between human science and the Church of God.

Truth does not change and the duties of parents to their children do not change with the times. This work on bringing up children is in this respect timeless. Consider the solemn obligation of parents to bring their children up properly, an obligation so sorely neglected in these days of the Great Apostasy. This book will be useful not only to parents who are raising children, but also to couples contemplating entering the holy state of matrimony. Indeed marriage is a great sacrament and the foundation of a strong society and of civilization itself. Let the family be destroyed and civilization will cease to exist! This work commences: "DEAR Christian parents, your responsibility as parents is indeed great. As individuals, you are answerable for your own souls; but as parents, you shall be required to give the Sovereign Judge a strict account of the souls of your children. It is your sacred duty so to train your children that they may become not merely good citizens and useful members of society, but more- especially faithful members of Christ's body on earth, viz., the holy Catholic Church, in order that after this life they may be saints in God's heavenly kingdom. If they become good practical Christians, they will most certainly prove useful to society, and be law abiding and patriotic citizens. Comparatively few parents thoroughly appreciate the full extent of their responsibility. Were young men and young women, before marriage, fully to realize the extent of the obligations incumbent on parents, many would shrink from entering a state so encumbered with duties and crosses. In the bringing up of children both the father and mother should act in concert. If you neglect your parental duties in whole or in part, or if in their discharge you act separately from or in opposition or to each other, the tree of your marriage will produce only thorns and thistles, and your children will be, nei ther good Christians nor useful citizens, and, far from becoming the prop and consolation of your old age, they will bring down your gray hair with sorrow to the tomb.

Article IX of the Creed, which embraces all that concerns the Church and the Sovereign Pontiff, has demanded several chapters in order to deal with it fully, and to explain in detail all the points of doctrine "that affect Catholic claims, Catholic policy, and Catholic teaching and authority. There are therefore separate chapters in this Article on the Church: -The Primacy of St. Peter; the Sovereign Pontiff and his infallibility; General Councils and their authority; and a concluding chapter on the legislative authority of the Church, and her relations to civil society. It would have saved much controversy and misunderstanding at the time of the publication of Mr. Gladstone's Expostulation on the Vatican Decrees, had the doctrine of the Church been better known and understood by the English public on the question of Catholic allegiance, Catholic policy, and Catholic teaching, which the Expostulation attacked with such vehemence and severity. Men who were then disturbed by the controversy may now, with calm and dispassionate reason, read and understand the sense in which all these questions are held and taught in the Catholic Church, without any fear of their believing that" the Church of Rome is arrogant in her claims, dishonest in her policy, shallow and ignorant in her teaching." From this outline of the work, it will appear that it covers a large field of study, common to ecclesiastical students, to teachers in schools, colleges and convents, to whom I hope it may be specially useful in their religious studies and examinations; and many a hard worked priest may find it a convenient hand-book for the subject matter of his pastoral sermons and instructions. On the part of the Catholic laity, there is always to be found amongst them an earnest and laudable desire to read and to study doctrinal works, as they deem it necessary, in the midst of their Protestant friends and relations, to be well instructed in their Creed, in order to be able to assign a reason for the faith that is in them, and to instruct others in the Christian doctrine when required. And it seems that amongst the people of this Country in general there is a sincere and ever increasing spirit of research and inquiry into religious truth and doctrine, as is evident from the publication and large circulation of numerous works, even of fiction, all tending in this direction, as for example " Robert Elsemere," and others of a like class. For these reasons I am led to hope that the work, which I now publish, may find a place in the religious and doctrinal literature of the day. It is intended as a help to Catholic students and teachers; as a safe and secure guide to the laity in matters of Catholic belief; and as a convenient hand-book for priests, on the mission, for the preparation of their sermons and instructions. And all non-Catholics may learn from it a correct knowledge of the Christian doctrine as held and taught in the Catholic Church. To these individually we must give the full benefit of the excuse derived from invincible ignorance with regard to the truths of faith which they do not know, or which they are prevented from knowing through no fault of theirs. At the same time, we must remember the words of the prophet Isaias, which St. Jerome applies to the Catholic Church: -And in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow into it.

MENTION of the Saints of the Catholic Church very frequently occurs both in general reading and as having given their names to churches, towns, villages and topographical features. The object of this compilation is to enable the personage refeITed to readily to be identified. Nothing more is attempted in this volume. Of a certain number of the Saints detailed Lives have been published in English. Of many more full accounts in other languages, particularly in French and Italian, are easily accessible. Again, there are several good and reliable Series of Lives of the more prominent Saints. The best known of these to Englishspeaking people is Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints, an eighteenth century work which has been many times reprinted. In no language, however, does there exist any exhaustive work of the kind; nor in the nature of things can there be. The nearest approach thereto we have is the Latin " Acta Sanctorum " of the Bollandists, a body of Jesuit Fathers gathered together in Belgium for the special purpose of carefully sifting and reproducing all documents bearing historically on the life and cultus after death of each individual Saint. Of their work, begun in the seventeenth century by a certain Father Bolland, nearly seventy huge folio volumes have appeared. It is still far from complete, and on account of the results of modern historical research in many places needs development and extensive revision. Moreover, of no small number of canonised Saints no record at all now remains. We have to be content with proof that in bygone times they were popularly honoured as Saints, and by the Church formally recognised as such. Nor is it even possible to estimate the number of God's servants whom the Church has at one place or another venerated as Saints. In the first Ages of Christianity canonisation was effected in each country by the joint act of one or more Bishops and their people. Of this act they left as a rule sufficient testimony by dedicating a church in honour of the new Saint, whose name it thenceforth bore, and by instituting an annual festival in his honour. From about the eleventh century the procedure began to be systemised and centralised, with the result that canonising is now reserved exclusively to the Holy See. The legislation of Pope Alexander III in the twelfth century and of Urban VIII in the seventeenth has firmly established this principle. The present process of Canonisation is exceedingly complex. It consists in the first place of a thorough investigation into all the particulars that can be ascertained of the life and death of the alleged Saint, all facts connected with whose career, both public and private, together with all his utterances and writings, are tested in every way. He must be shown to have been God-fearing, pious, just in his dealings, patient, self-denying, charitable, and so on, far above the average of ordinary good men. In this, as in all subsequent stages of the procedure, every witness is examined under oath and in the presence of a trained Church lawyer, who is obliged to urge all the objections he can think of, and who is at liberty not only to cross-examine the witnesses put forward but to call any number of others he pleases in order to rebut their testimony. Supposing the judgment of the Court of First Instance to be favourable, the case goes for retrial to a higher tribunal. In these proceedings not only arc witnesses called to testify to individual facts, but particular stress is put upon the popular verdict concerning the alleged Saint, that is, upon the repute in which he was held by those who may have had dealings with him or had opportunities of forming an opinion about him. Depositions of all kinds must be gathered together with as little delay as possible, and duly sworn to; but in order to guard against mere enthusiasm playing any part in the matter, at one stage of the proceedings a surcease of at least ten years is enjoined.

I HERE present you, religious reader, with three little books on the persuit of religious perfection, which, though small in size, are however for that very reason most adapted for constant use. My design in writing thenl was not to render service to others, but to excite myself by the best means in my power to carry out in practice the full idea of religious life. And this is why, after having selected and portioned out in articles the chapters on each subject, and arranged them in order, I cared but little for other ornaments of composition; and looking to the matter rather than to the words, my only desire was to present in plain and simple, not to say, careless diction, the really enamoured of virtue will find matter herein wherewith to arouse and strengthen itself more and more. It is then with perfect confidence that I beg to offer to you, with a few suitable additions, what I have from time to time experienced to be of such great assistance to myself, in order that, even amid such an abundance of the very best books, you may be able to make a diligent use of this poor aid of mine, to advance the pursuit of religious perfection. Let us consider this excerpt: "Let each one walk with care and solicitude in the way, in which the Spirit hath called him, if he will please God, and arrive at the perfection proper to him. For if he neglect or despise the care of his own perfection, truly it, vill be a marvel, if he ever gain life eternal and the happiness promised to the faithful followers of Christ. He, that followeth not the path marked out for him by the Spirit, shall seek with great peril for another one to gratify his self-will."

On the 9th of March, 1879, his Grace, the Most Rev. Archbishop Vaughan, began a course of Lenten lectures in his pro-Cathedral in Sydney, Australia. The congregations which assembled to hear him on that and the four Succeeding Sundays were immense, and were composed of Protestants and infidels, as well as Catholics. On the conclusion of the series, the Archbishop was urgently requested to publish his discourses, and, after considerable importuning, he consensed. They are no, v reprinteu for the benefit of American readers, and are herewith offered as most opportune and powerful to the attention of Christians of all denominations, and to all other men of good will, who lost in the slough of doubt, yet long for the solid ground of certainty and truth. It is my purpose during the four next Sunday evenings to develop four arguments touching the reasonableness of Christianity and the shallowness of Unbelief. I purpose to show that the Religion of Denial is not only a shallow one, but also that it cannot be made to work; and that, on the other hand, the religion of Affirmation, or, in other words, Christianity, is adapted in a marvellous manner to the wants of humanity, and is supported by such an array of arguments, by so weighty a cumulus of probabilities, is so consonant to reason, that to reject it would be to act not only against the enlightened dictates of conscience, but also in opposition to those universally accepted maxims of prudence which are the guide of all reasonable men in every important secular affair of life. I hope to bring out clearly before you, from the intellectual and moral constitution of man, evidences of his having been made for something beyond merely living as an animal upon the earth; I hope to show, from what we know of the Deity, from the arguments and evidences which we possess, and which lie spread before the intellectual eye of every thinking rational creature regarding His providence and governance of human things, that His existence is as undeniable a fact as the existence of man himself, and that before the creature can deny the existence of his Maker, he must first of all deny the truthfulness of those intellectual and moral faculties which, for the very initial steps of reasoning, he cannot choose but trust. I hope to show you that, when the arguments and evidences which prove that man was made for a better and a higher life than this are brought into comparison with the proofs we possess of an overruling Providence of God, the result is so harmonious as to furnish an additional reason for our belief in the high destiny of man, and in the loving mercy of a Personal God

IF ever man, if ever saint received the Holy Spirit abundantly, it was unquestionably the saint whose life we now present for the edification of the faithful. It was by the Holy Spirit and His sevenfold gifts that St. Anthony accomplished those great wonders which we admire in his life. Supernatural light and piety and strength were the means which God furnished him, and by which he so marvellously fulfilled his mission. When the Saviour wished to save men, He commenced His ministry by instructing them. He preached in Judea and in Galilee, in fact He declared that His mission was precisely to preach to men. When He was about to ascend to heaven, He charged His apostles to continue the work He had begun, and insisted that they also should preach His word to men. Yet let us not suppose that preaching consists merely in the discourses which the apostle delivered: "No," said a great preacher, "the apostle is not only a man who knows, and who teaches by means of the word delivered; the apostle is a man who preaches Christianity with his whole being, and whose very presence is the appearance of another Christ." And such was St. Anthony of Padua, to whom devotion is so widespread to-day. This amiable saiut was at once both monk and apostle. To the preaching of the Gospel he added the strict observance of the severest counsels and the constant practice of fasting, of penance, and of prayer. It was by these means that he captivated countless followers: the just were strengthened, the slothful fired with zeal, sinners were converted, and heretics recognized their errors. At the comparatively early age of thirty-six years his earthly mission ended. After his death, even as during his life, wonders were wrought through his intercession. And now, after seven centuries have passed away, the great wonderworker still spreads out his blessings on those who invoke him, with such profusion as is well calculated to encourage his devout servants to continue the offering of their homage. It is for this end that we devote these few pages, which will proclaim the virtues of this great friend of God, and the power he possesses in heaven. To render to the saints the honor which is love them, we should invoke and imitate them. We should strive to follow the good examples which they have given us while on earth; and to do this we should read and know their lives. Let us read especially the life of St. Anthony of Padua, and we shall be astonished at such exalted sanctity. We cannot fail to admire the power granted by God to this wonderworker. Devotion to St. Anthony of Padua crossed the ocean with our fathers, and with the Virgin Mother and St. Joseph he is invoked in almost every Oatholic household, with a fervor and a piety which, we must admit, have received their fullest recompense. Who can deny the power of St. Anthony, especially in certain circumstances? When we read this little book, we shall learn, after the example the saint has given us, that there is everything to gain by serving God faithfully and lovingly, while there is everything to lose by abandoning Him. We shall learn also the great advantageswhich fol1ow the invocation of the saints, and how much our sorrows shall be soothed, if we only know how to form friendships in heaven.

The fact that this book is intended for Catholic readers, is no reason why it should not be useful for non-Catholics. I sincerely hope that our separated brethren, as well as those who are of the household of the Faith, may derive some good from it. I have endeavored to put into what we may call foundation chapters - "The Existence of God," "The Divinity of Christ," "Miracles," etc.-a little more argument and information than are commonly found in popular books on such subjects. Mybject is not to convince Catholics, but to give them ready reasons for their faith in these subjects now-a-days so much talked of. I will not state as an excuse for defects, that the book has been written during the leisure hours of a busy year. If it is worth reading, then it should be read. If it does not repay perusal, then, no matter under what circumstances it has been written, its place should be with the many furniture books that afflict humanity. THE councils of the Church have been convoked mostly because of some attacks made upon her, either in doctrine or discipline. When a person is attacked, naturally enough he is unwilling to yield any uncontested- ground to his aggressor. So also with the Church. Under pressure of an onslaught she states her doctrines in a way, true of course, but uncompromising; sometimes using forms for the proper understanding of which an explanation is necessary. The phrase at the head of this chapter is an illustration. We find it in the Fourth General Council of Lateran, held in the year 1215, and called together to protect the Church principally against the errors of the Albigenses who taught the subversion of ecclesiastical authority; the belief in two Creators and two Christs; that the Sacraments are useless ceremonies that the body does not rise from the dead; and that the soul is a demon confined within the body in punishment of sin. Ecclesiastical history, we are told, is the l'ight eye of dogmatic theology, and studying the phrase, "Out of the Church no Salvation," under the fierce light of historical criticism, we can readily understand why the doctrine of our Church was stated in a form apparently so narrow. The population of the earth at the present time is estimated to be about 1,437,150,000. Of this number 217,000,000 are Catholics. That all others should be excluded from salvation, is, to say the least of it, a hard saying. The Church of which there is question here, is the Church established by Jesus Christ on earth. We speak not of the Church triumphant in Heaven, nor of the Church suffering in Purgatory, but of the Church militant on earth. The Church established by our Saviour and recognized by the Apostles is a visible body. There are in it bad as well as good. In St. Matthew's Gospel we find it compared to a field in which good seed and weeds are allowed to grow up together until the day of judgment; to a net in which good and bad fish are caught; to a wedding feast where all the guests have not donned the wedding garments; to virgins of whom some are wise, others foolish. In order to belong to the visible communion of the Church it is necessary to hold its profession of Faith, not to reject the Sacraments or the Holy Sacrifice, and to acknowledge the supreme rulership of the Sovereign Pontiff in spiritual matters. He who pertinaciously rejects an article of faith becomes a heretic; he who refuses to admit the authority of the Pope in spiritual things becomes a schismatic. The Church may well be compared to a person. We distinguish in each human being a twofold element: the visible or material, called the body; the invisible or immaterial, called the soul.

Originally published in 1882, this work is still of great value to Catholics today. THE objects and ends of devotion are always and everywhere the same. But the forms and methods whereby these objects are venerated and these ends attained may vary perhaps ought-to vary, with time and place, and even with individual taste or temperament. Hence many prayer books all in themseIves good, but not all equally well suiting all. It is believed that there is yet room for another manual; hence the present compilation. It is intended to comprise all a Catholic will ordinarily need, and at the same time to unite all in a volume which shall not be cumbersome, and yet shall present all in a print not too small for failing eyes, or for any eyes whatever, in the many cases where the light happens to be too "dim," if not too "religious." It is hoped that the patronage of the public will show that these ends were sufficient to prompt the enterprise and have been sufficiently attained.

It is a remarkable and outstanding fact that never before in the history of the Church has the Roman Papacy, though shorn of every vestige of its once formidable temporal might, loomed greater in the world, ruled over such vast multitudes of the faithful, or exercised a greater moral power than at the present day. Never has the conscious unity of the whole world-wide Church with its Visible Head--thanks to the marvellous developments of modern means of communication and transport--been so vivid, so general, so intense as in these times. Not only does "the Pope's writ run," as we may say, by post and telegraph, and penetrate to the inmost recesses of every part of the globe, so that the Holy See is in daily, nay hourly communication with every bishop and every local Catholic community; but never has there been a time when so many thousands, nay tens of thousands of Catholic clergy and laity, even from the remotest lands, have actually seen the Vicar of Christ with their own eyes, heard his voice, received his personal benediction. Well may we say to Pius X. as to Leo XIII.: "Lift up thy eyes round about and see; all these are gathered together, they are come to thee; thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall rise up at thy side. Then shalt thou see and abound, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be converted to thee, the strength of the Gentiles shall come to thee" (Isaias, lx. 4, 5). But not only is the present position of the Papacy thus unique and phenomenal in the world; as the Author of this little book shows in his first part, its career across the more than nineteen centuries of the world's chequered history, from Peter to Pius X., is no less unique and no less phenomenal. This is a fact which may well rivet the attention, not of the Catholic alone, but of every thinking man, be he Christian or non-Christian, and which surely calls for some explanation that lies beyond and above that of the ordinary phenomena of history. The only possible satisfactory solution of this problem is the one so concisely, yet so simply, set forth in the following pages.

Let us consider this on the holy house at Loretto: "THE house in which the Holy Family spent so many years in Nazareth is indeed a sacred relic; it still exists and is highly prized. There is a singular history connected with it, and the facts are well authenticated. The Holy House is no longer in Nazareth, for in the year 1291 it was transported entire, by the ministry of angels, to Tersatz on the eastern coast of the Adriatic. At that time the house had disappeared from its foundations and was found in this town declarations are made that angels were seen high up in the air carrying a house. In 1295 the angels again took up the house and carried it across the waters to Loretto, where it now is. The angels themselves seem to consider this house a very precious relic, and they are so interested in it that they have located it on the spot where it is now. The Holy House is not a very large building: it is twenty seven feet long and twelve feet wide; it is of broad. thin red brick. It stands now in the centre of a beautiful church of the walled town of Loretto as we enter the church there stands before us a marble house with rich and artistic carvings around it, portraying the life of the Holy Family in the various scenes for which we have scriptural authority; this marble house screens the real one erntirely, so that you cannot see it or touch it. But why did not the angels keep this Holy House in Nazareth, where it really belongs? We can hardly answer this, except that it showed the interest God Himself felt in this Holy House, and that it might not be desecrated by unholy hands, He had it remoyed to its present place. It certainly required supernatural power to bring it entire all that way from Nazareth, so many hundred miles, to its present position. For in those days the sacrilegious Turk was ruling over that country he was destroying sanctuaries and turning them into mosques, he was persecuting the Christians, of whom many suffered martyrdom. In order, then, to bring it and keep it forever in a Catholic country God permitted this miracle to he wrought. What truth there is in the translation of the Holy House to Loretto we will not attempt to state, or on what grounds it is believed. This we know, that many Pontiffs have believed in the miraculous translation, have granted many indulgences to those who make pilgrimages to it, so that very many who love the Blessed Virgin think themselves happy to go there and pray in that house as it is preserved to-day; they can gain plenary indulgences there, and many miracles have been and are continually wrought there. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin, which we recite so often, has its origin in Loretto.

In this day of widespread divorce and little regard for the sanctity of marriage and especially its indissolubility it is good to find what Jesus really taught on the subject. Protestatns are weak on marriage and weak in its defence. For instance, Dr. James Dobson cousels that divorce is sometimes permissible and then proceeds to tell his readers he will not hear what the Bible says on the subject, because he believes some marriages just end. The volume opens with an Introductory Chapter which gives in a summary manner the discussion and conclusions contained in the body of the work. Although not absolutely necessary to the reader, such summary will prove, it is hoped, a useful guide through the close, and at times technical, discussion of texts, which is found in the following chapters. Of these chapters, several (chaps. ii-vi) have already appeared in the pages of the" New York Review." They are now reproduced with but slight modifications, mostly entailed by the adaptation of their text to the form which has been adopted for the remaining chapters of the work. The other chapters (chaps. vii-ix) are devoted to a close study of the passage of St. Matthew's Gospel (xix, 3-12) which has afforded most difficult to Catholic theologians and exegetes, and which has been the main reason for non-Catholic scholars to assert that Christ authorized the practice of divorce for the cause of a consort's unfaithfulness. The two Appendices which follow are meant, each in its own way, to complete the discussion of St. 'Matthew's xix, 3-12. Next comes the usual form of a Jewish bill of divorce, .as likely of interest to the reader. The subjoined Bibliography gives only the principal works connected with the general question at issue. The volume concludes with three Indices by means of which the topics treated, the Scriptural passages examined or referred to, and the Jewish authorities quoted or mentioned, will easily be found.

The Methods of Conversing Continually and Familiarily with God commences When holy Job considered that God was so intent on promoting man's welfare that He desired nothing so much as to love man and to be loved by man, he wondered; and addressing himself to Him, exclaimed: "What is a man, that thou shouldst magnify him? or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?" (Job 7:17). From this it appears that it is wrong to suppose that to treat with God familiarly and with great confidence is to be wanting of that respect which is due to His Divine Majesty. You ought indeed, devout soul, to reverence Him with all humility, and to abase yourself before Him, particularly at the remembrance of your ingratitude, and the outrages which you have committed against Him; but this ought not to hinder you from treating with Him with the greatest possible love and confidence. He is Infinite Majesty; but, at the same time, He is Infinite Bounty and Infinite Love. You have in God the highest Lord; but you have in Him also the greatest lover. He does not look down upon you with disdain, but is pleased when you treat with Him with the same confidence, freedom, and love, as children treat with their mothers. Hear how He invites us to present ourselves at His feet, and the caresses which He promises us: "You shall be carried at the breasts; and upon the knees they shall caress you. As one whom the mother caresseth, so will I comfort you." (Is. 66:12-13). As a mother delights in taking her child upon her knees, in caressing and feeding him, so does our dear Lord delight in treating with equal love and tenderness those souls who give themselves entirely to Him, and place all their hopes in His goodness and bounty. In Uniformity with God's Will we read: "A man has two servants. One works unremittingly all day long -- but according to his own devices; the other, conceivably, works less, but he does do what he is told. This latter of course is going to find favor in the eyes of his master; the other will not. Now, in applying this example, we may ask: Why should we perform actions for God's glory if they are not going to be acceptable to him? God does not want sacrifices, the prophet Samuel told King Saul, but he does want obedience to his will: "Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices; and to hearken, rather than to offer the fat of rams. Because it is like the sin of witchcraft to rebel; and like the crime of idolatry to refuse to obey." (4) The man who follows his own will independently of God's, is guilty of a kind of idolatry. Instead of adoring God's will, he, in a certain sense, adores his own." And in What Will Hell Be Like: "Let us now treat of the pains of Hell, and first of all, of that of sense. St. Thomas proves that the fire of Hell is a corporeal and material fire, though for the most part he does not write of the fire which torments the souls separated from their bodies, but of that which the damned are to endure after their corporeal resurrection. Many heretics have maintained that the fire of Hell is not material, but only metaphorical or imaginary fire. There are numerous texts in Sacred Scripture, however, which demonstrate that the fire of Hell is a true, material and corporeal fire. We read, for instance, in the book of Deuteronomy: "A fire is kindled in my wrath, and shall burn even to the lowest hell." (Deut. 32:22). And in the book of Job: "A fire that is not kindled shall devour him" (Job 20:26), revealing that this fire of Hell needs not to be nourished, but, once enkindled by God, burns eternally. There are a number of passages in the book of Isaias referring to this fire of Hell: "Which of you can dwell with devouring fire? which of you shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" (33:14); "Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be a loathsome sight to all flesh." (66:24).

The materials for the following Life have been taken from the only possible source i. e. the Revelations of St. Mechtildis and of St. Gertrude. The Edition principally used has been that published at Solemes in 1875 with its valuable prefaces and appendix. These last have been freely consulted and used. The Editor does not seenl to have known of the Edition of St. Mechtildis Revelations published at Cracow in 1639. the question as to whether St. Mechtildis may have been the Matilda of Dante has not been gone into as it would require special study and more research than can be given at present. The names of Mechtildis and Gertrude stand out in the monastic history of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries almost as solitary figures on the glorious back ground of the Rule which for already eight centuries had peopled the Church of God with saints. Most, (if not all) of the great writers of Benedictine lives have stopped short in their annals about that time, for indeed it, as more than one life's work to go further, and so it happens that many great saints arc either forgotten or but little known, even in the very places where they lived. Then follows a consideration of the contemporaries of Saint Mechtildis also known as Mechtild. The life that St. Mechtildis had undertaken was in all its principal points the life led in every Benedictine monastery, in which the Rule is always the same, with the differences consequent upon the fundamental idea of a family. With no more appropriate or more beautiful words can we end this life of St. Mechtilc1is than in those of the Holy Ghost which epitomise the dealings of God with that chosen soul; "Her have I loved, and have sought out fro m my youth, and have desired to take for my spouse, and I became a lover of her beauty. She glorifieth her nobility by being conversant with God: yea, and the Lord of all things hath loved her. For it is she that teacheth the knowledge of God, and is the chooser of His works."

THE chief object for which this work has been written is to furnish those who wish to lead a solidly devout life in the Ecclesiastical, in the Religious, or in the Secular State, with a manual or text-book containing, in as compendious a form as possible, the' principles' upon which such a life must be built. The sources whence materials for an undertaking of this kind may be drawn are various and numerous; but out of the many at my disposal, two are especially deserving of mention, inasmuch as it has been by the doctrine which I have learnt from them, that I have been guided in much that has been treated of in this book. The first of these are the works of Cassian, to which, as a child of St. Benedict, I felt myself drawn as it were by instinct; for, it was from the world-famed 'Conferences' of this learned ascetic that our holy Father drew much of that spiritual lore which is so conspicuous in the various enactments of his Rule, and to the pages of which he refers his children, for those sublime lessons of spiritual wisdom, which will lead them to the topmost height of Christian perfection. Cassian's teaching, save upon the question of divine grace, is unexceptionally good. His deficiency upon this point may be satisfactorily accounted for, if we bear in mind that in his day various questions which arise out of this most intricate subject had not been thoroughly examined into and set at rest for ever by the infallible decision of the Church. The second is the 'Theologia Mystica' of Father Dominick Schram, O.S.B., in which that erudite Religious has bequeathed to us valuable treasures of Christian asceticism arranged with scientific accuracy, and stored away with scholastic neatness and precision. The plan of which I have made use for reducing to order the mass of material which presented itself to my hands, is a very simple one. It may be stated thus; in the life of every man there is an ultimate end, which is God. But in order to reach that ultimate end, man must comply with certain conditions which have been laid down by God for the attainment of so magnificent a destiny. Therefore, besides his ultimate end, man has also a subordinate end, or object in life. This is to win for himself that measure of perfection which is compatible with his state here below. Perfection, however, is made up of three elements; of charity, of purity of heart, and of humility, all which must be made so to enter the very fibres of his being, as to become part and parcel of himself. To obtain this subordinate end, there are various means at man's disposal, chief among which are, prayer, divine grace, docility to the movements and inspirations of the Holy Spirit, imitation of Christ, and mortification, both internal and external. Upon each of these subjects, and upon the various ramifications into which some of them logically lead, ample instructions have been given. These will, perhaps, prove useful to those who are endeavouring to lead devout lives in the world. For those who wish to enter the Ecclesiastical State, there are chapters devoted to the treatment of subjects which are special to their sacred calling. Finally, for those who, in order to obtain perfection, make their self renunciation perpetual by means of vows in the Religious State, several chapters have been set aside for the explanation of those holy bonds by which they are more closely united to God. Also, an Appendix has been added, in which each chapter has been carefully analysed. These outlines or sketches of the matter which the reader shall have already perused will, it is hoped, enable him to obtain a firmer grasp of it; they will help him to imprint it more deeply upon his mind; and if he should happen to be sealed with the priestly character, and entrusted with the cure of souls, they will furnish him with plans by the aid of which he will be able to use the doctrine contained in this volume for the spiritual training of those committed to his charge.

During the three years and a half in which our Lord Jesus Christ manifested himself as the Saviour and Teacher of mankind, he drew all hearts after him-the hearts of children, the hearts of the just, and even the hearts of sinners. This wondrous power came from the effect of our Lord's appearance upon those around him. A majestic sweetness shone forth in his every look, word, and gesture. He chose for his emblem the lamb, the gentlest of all creatures; and so brightly did this gentleness beam forth from his divine countenance that as soon as the holy Baptist beheld him, he cried out: "Behold the Lamb of God!" A certain nun, having reflected on this lovely sweetness of our Lord, said to St. Teresa: "I wish that I had lived at the time when Jesus Christ lived on earth. What a joy to see our Lord's blessed countenance, to be near him, to witness his miracles, to hear from his lips the words of eternal life, to follow him from place to place, to be able to receive him into our houses, and to assist him in his temporal wants! Surely then would I become a saint." St. Teresa, on hearing this, laughed outright. "What!" said she, "do you not know, dear sister, that the same Jesus Christ is still with us on earth, that he lives quite near us, in our churches, on our altars, in the Holy Eucharist"

This subject has been treated by many writers; yet there seems to be room left for a popular exposition which addresses itself to the general public and deals with the most recent phases of the question and the position created by the definition of the Vatican Council. Professor Hettinger insists much on three fundamental ideas of Christ's kingdom, viz.: the idea of a Church, the idea of the unity of the Church, and the idea of Church government. The Church must be one, numericaBy; she must be one there may not be many churches. She must be one within herself; she must be one in faith, one in worship and one in corporate life. St: Paul describes the unity of the Church. "Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: One body and one Spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation. One Lord, one faith, one baptism unto the edification of the body of Christ. Till we meet in the unit of faith ... That we may not now be children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine ... But we may in all things grow up in Him Who is the Head, Christ." (Ephes. 4, 3-16.) All whatever differences ill nationality, language, circumstance may separate them, must be one in faith, must reject doctrines opposed to the faith and must grow up in Him Who is the Head. The unity in worship follows from the unity of faith: no act of worship may contradict the faith or fail to express it. The corporate unity, the unity of Government was established by Jesus Christ in order to preserve the unity of faith. Without corporate organic unity the unity of faith would soon perish, and the unity of worship would soon be lost. The figures under which the Church is represented in the New Testament all imply this corporate unity. She is the kingdom of heaven, a Rock under one shepherd, the vine from which every branch grows, a temple, a house, above all she is the mystical body of Christ.

Father Jean Nicholas Grou is famous for several works. Firs there are his Spiritual Maxims. And then there is Characteristics of True Devotion. He is also known for The Gift of Self to God. THIS book of Pere Grou IS the work of a master of the spiritual life who speaks in a clear and decisive manner, as only those can who are thoroughly acquainted with their subject. But it should be understood by those who read it that it is not intended for beginners, but for such as have made some sort of progress in a knowledge of the spiritual life. For much that he says is put so tersely that those whose knowledge of the subject is not within measurable relativity to that of the writer may easily miss the full sense of his words, and thus be led to look on some parts and passages as unreal or unmeaning, or at least exaggerated.Writing for the French public at the time he did, there would be more likelihood of there being a good number of people who would be fitted to understand his work, and less likelihood of its falling into the hands of those who would misread it.Consider this on continual prayer: "JESUS CHRIST has told us that we ought "always to pray, and not to faint" -that is, not to grow weary of so doing. And St. Paul recommended the first Christians to "pray without ceasing." What kind of prayer must we understand by this precept, or rather, by this counsel? And how is it possible to accomplish it?It is quite evident, at first sight, that it cannot be a question here of vocal prayer, which can only be engaged in at certain times. Neither can it be always the regular exercise of fixed mental prayer. It is also impossible for us to occupy our mind continually and without interruption with the thought of God or the things of God. An uninterrupted attention to the presence of God is beyond mere human strength, and is incompatible with all the anxieties and occupations of this life. ... God calls all the world to this disposition of heart, for it is without contradiction to all Christians that Jesus Christ addressed Himself when He said that we must always pray; and it is certain that all would attain to this state if they would faithfully correspond to the attractions of grace. Let the love of God once take entire and absolute possession of a heart, let it become to that heart like a second nature, let that heart suffer nothing that is contrary to it to enter, let it apply itself continually to increase this love of God by seeking to please Him in all things and refusing Him nothing that He asks, let it accept, as from His hand, everything that happens to it, let it have a firm determination never to commit any fault deliberately and knowingly, or if it should have the misfortune to fall into one, to be humbled for it and to rise up again at once-such a heart will be in the practice of continual prayer, and this prayer will subsist in the midst of all occupations, all conversations, even of all innocent amusements. The thing is not then so impracticable nor so difficult as we might imagine at first sight. In this state we are not always absolutely thinking of God, but we never willingly occupy ourselves with a useless thought, still less with a wicked thought. We are not incessantly making direct acts, we are not incessantly pronouncing vocal prayers, but our heart is always turned towards God, always listening for the voice of God, always ready to do His holy will."

Here is another work of juvenile fiction for Catholic children by Father Francis J Finn.

Venerable Holzhauser is the fist to introduce the idea of the Great Monarch in Catholic Prophecy in his Interpretation of the Apocalypse. He comments on chapters one through fifteen of the Apocalypse. Give that many believe we are in Apocalyptic times, especially the time of Antichrist (Apocalypse 13), this is a useful reference work. Note this work is in Latin. A look at the headings of chapters 13 to 15 are quite interesting. Chapter 13 begins with a discussion of the Devil and Islam. Then it proceeds to discuss the antipope, who will take over the Church. Chapter 14 discusses the glory and triumph of the martyrs of these times. It then discusses the future extirpation of the heresies of today. Chapter 15 discusses the triumph of the Church.

THIS new translation of Father Ramiere's great work is an endeavor to present, with strict faithfulness, the last thoughts of the author on the high questions treated. Thus whatever notes have been added are taken, for the most part, from his own later wri tings; and no omissions have been made in what is given. The entire third part of the original book had been materially changed during the author's lifetime, and all recent editions have been obliged to substitute quite different chapters, on account of the exigences of a work that has far outgrown, in its details, all that was foreseen by its founders. In this new translation it has been thought better to omit this part altogether, as it is found substantially in the Handbook of the League of the Sacred Heart. Recent controversy has drawn the attention of minds to certain questions not uppermost when this book was written. A few annotations have been thought necessary on this account, and a single point, taken for granted by the author's Christian faith, has been treated anew in a brief appendix. These additions are in all cases care full y distinguished from the text of the author by means of brackets. For the convenience of those who may desire to make use of the work for purposes of instruction or reference, each chapter has been prefaced by a careful analysis; indicating the principal ideas and the thread of their connection j and with this correspond the headlines of pages. The venerated author's long experience in teaching and popularly explainIng theology had already made his book a work of science as well as an eloquent exposition of religion. Besides the author's table of contents, it has been thought well to add an index of Scriptural texts and doctrinal points touched on in the course of his work, with references to corresponding passages in the Catechism of the Council of Trent. This will be of service, it is believed, to many, and will not interfere with interest on the part of the simple reader. The work of Father Henry Ramiere on the Apostleship of Prayer has been called 'epoch-making.' It is certainly one of the most noteworthy and lucid explanations of a part of the Christian religion that reaches furthest into the lives and inmost sympathies of men. It belongs to the line of works designed by their distinguished authors to popularize a science so remote from present tastes and interests as theology. Perhaps no publication of the kind ever obtained a wider success, and it is hard to conceive a time when the social condition of the world will warrant its being put aside. This book was written at the founding of an association that has since spread through the world under its name. It was further explained by the author's sub-title, "A League of Christian hearts united with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to obtain the salvation of the world and the triumph of the Church." A continued series of writings in many languages, in succession to this first classical work, has been made possible by the propagation of this League through the periodical Messengers of the Sacred Heart. What is here given is the original work of Father Ramiere in exposition of the religious doctrines which are at the basis of all Christian prayer and association and union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As such it has a perpetual interest for all who desire to know their religion, and especially for the members of the clergy and religious communities whose office it is to understand clearly, and to explain practically to others, the great duties which are not for time but for eternity.

Bishop of Ferns, the successor of St. Aidan. Born in Wexford, Ireland, he is also listed as Dairchilla, Molignus, Moling, or Myllin. Moling was a monk at Glendalough and then founded an abbey at Achad Cainigh, which became Teghmollin, or Tech Molin, St. Mullins. He was buried there. There was a landholder hundreded, wonderful, famous, trophied, in the plains of capacious Luachair, with abundance of spoils and kine and droves of cattle. His name was Faelan the Fair, son of Feradach, son of Odran, son of Dega, son of Findlug, from whom are the Hui Dega of Leinster and Ossory. Thrice fifty herdsmen is the number that was keeping his herds and his cattle and his flocks with him. Though many were the herdsmen he had, they could not drive them to their sheds or tend them, because of their multitude. So this is what the herdsmen used to do, put their clothes on their sticks for them (and frighten them), so that they used to go in their running crowds from the smooth plains of the province, towards their sheds and their full cattlefields.

This work comes in three parts. The first part is devoted to the prayers of the Mass. At the end of this section is a striking miracle of the Holy Eucharist. The second part is devoted to the ceremonies of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, according to the Tridentine Rite. This is very useful for any priest who wishes to devoutly celebrate the Mass. This even includes instructions for when a priest should put his spectacles (glasses) on to read from the Missal and when to remove them. The last section contains prayers of preparation for Mass and in thanksgiving after Mass. In the preface we read: "These different writings give evidence of the zeal that animated our venerated author in regard to the divine Sacrifice on our altars. From his childhood he was admired for the tender devotion with which he attended Mass, received Communion, or spent his time in adoring the messed Sacrament. This virtue only grew and became more perfect as he advanced in age. Even in the midst of the world, notwithstanding the occupations and the cares of the profession which he at first embraced, he went every day to visit his dear Lord exposed in one of the churches of Naples, and there on his knees and immovable, he spent long hours before the altar, contemplating the object of his affection with so humble and so recollected an attitude, that he appeared to be out of himself; all persons that saw him were profoundly edified. Such piety was to receive its reward; for thus we read in his writings: .. I feel myself bound, at least out of gratitude to my Jesus in the Holy Sacrament, to declare that by means of this devotion of visiting the Most Blessed Sacrament, which I practised, though with so much tepidity and in so imperfect a manner, I abandoned the world, in which, unfortunately. I lived until six- and-twenty years of age."" Saint Alphonsus makes an interesting prophesy: "And this offering which our Lord then made of himself did not limit itself to that moment, but it only then began; it always has continued since, and it will continue forever. It is true it will cease on earth at the time of Antichrist: the Sacrifice of the Mass is to be suspended for twelve hundred and ninety days; that is, for three years six months and a half, according to the prophecy of Daniel: And from the time when the continual sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination unto desolation shall be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred ninety days.' Yet the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ will never cease, since the Son of God will always continue to offer himself to his Father by an eternal sacrifice, for he himself is the priest and the victim, but ao eternal victim and an eternal priest, not according to the order of Aaron."

ThE following pages were the production of the pen of the late Rev. JAMES APPLETON, known to the Catholic Public by his Discourses, and his Theophilus, or Pupil Instructed. The design of this Analysis or familiar Explication of the Gospels, read in the Mass on Sundays and Festivals, is declared by the Author himself in his Introduction. Although, as he there observes, we have several Books of Instruction which derive their lessons from the Gospel of each Sunday and Feast, yet in general they confine themselves to one single verse, selected for that purpose. In the present Analysis, a familiar, and, so far as was practicable, a connected explanation of the WHOLE GOSPEL for each Sunday and Festival is delivered. Thus in each Instruction several important truths will be found collected, and presented to the reader in a plain, familiar style, which, though it cannot boast either the depth of reasoning of Gother, or the affecting simplicity of Baker, will, it is presumed, be deemed well adapted to promote the end which the truly pious Author had in view-the improvement of the Catholic Reader in the knowledge and practice of Christian Virtue. HAVING long ardently desired that the Word of God, the foundation of Christianity, a portion of which is regularly introduced into the order of each Mass, should be perfectly understood by those, to whom the favour of Heaven has deigned to impart it; and observing, moreover, that in the general method, the instructions delivered from it, whether upon Sundays or Holidays, were deduced from one single text of the lesson of the day, I conceived the idea of supplying the deficiency, which this method must obviously and naturally cause as to the knowledge of the remaining parts, by a circumstantial explication of the whole of each Gospel that occurs in our public service. In doing this, I have endeavoured, in as few words as possible, to elucidate the genuine meaning, of whatever kind it be, whether historical or moral, of each verse, as we proceed: subjoining, at the same time, such further remarks, which, as being founded on God's word, will, if for that reason alone, claim the reader's most serious attention. To this I have but to add, in order to obviate the imputation of self-conceit or presumption, which I might otherwise incur, that the following expositions of the most sublime and sacred text, rest not on my private judgment, nor the conceptions of my own feeble mind, but on the veracity of- the Scriptures, as explained by themselves; and on the authority of the Holy Fathers, those luminaries of the church, whom Providence, at different periods, raised up for the edification not only of the times in which they lived, but also for that of succeeding ages, till the conclusion of days.

Three theories of the Incarnation are, or have been current in the schools, and they are these: - 1. That taught by Raymond Lully, and since his time by various modern optimists. Admitting that the Incarnation is not simply and absolutely necessary to God-a proposition which could not be asserted without impiety, itmaintains that, given the Creation, the Incarnation must follow as its necessary consequence. God, decreeing Creation, was bound to decree the best and most perfect kind of creation; but that involves the union of a created nature with an uncreated Person: and so God could not decree creation, without at the same time decreeing the Incarnation, which was its perfection.There is in this view much truth and great beauty, but it is founded more on what theologians call convenience than on necessity. 2. The second theory of the Incarnation is that formulated by S. Thomas, and generally taught by that school of theological thought which from him takes its name of Thomist. The Thomists teach that Jesus not only came principally to save sinners, in which all agree, but that, if there had been no sin, there would have been no Incarnation. They say that His coming was altogether remedial, and that He could not have come otherwise, so far as God's present decrees aloe concerned. In support of this view there is a large amount of Scripture evidence, that would seem at first sight to decide the question in their favour, especially when taken in connection with several congenial expressions in the Hymns and Offices of the Church. The greatest modern exponent of this view is Vasquez. 3. The third view of the Incarnation is that taken by the Scotists, by Suarez, and by many other theologians both ancient and modern. It teaches-and so far in accordance with Thomist theology, that Jesus came principally to save sinners, and for that end came in passible flesh; but here its agreement ceases. It asserts that even if Adam had never sinned, Jesus would yet have come, and come by means of Mary, in impassible flesh; that He was predestinated the Firstborn of creatures before the decree which permitted sin; that the Incarnation was from the first an intentional and integral part of the scheme of creation; that it was not merely occasioned by sin, but that sin only determined the manner of it, and its accompaniments of suffering and death. And it is as regards the manner of the Incarnation alone, as speaking of our Lord's coming in passible and mortal flesh, that the Scotists understand those passages in Holy Scripture, in the writings of the Fathers, and in the Office Books of the Church, which at first sight seem to make for the Thomist view. The Scotista dwell very much on the doctrine that J eaus was decreed before all creation, and therefore before the permission of sin. They hold that all men exist because of Christ, and not Christ because of them, that all creation was for Him, and was not only decreed subsequently to His predestination, but for His sole sake

Many do not realize that nerves are often the result of a spiritual problem, and therefore the cure is likewise spiritual. And the matter of scruples is a difficult problem to deal with. Father Raymond addresses both of these problems, which we hope will give aid to all who suffer. NEARLY all theologians, preachers, and ascetical writers, have dealt with the subject of suffering, and numerous and able works are already available upon this inexhaustible theme. The present writer would not have attempted to add to these did he not feel that there is still a special and practical aspect of the matter which has not been sufficiently worked out, and which yet is of very real interest to a certain class of sufferers. At the same time this is only intended for a simple, practical guide, to be easily brought within the reach of all, and not an exhaustive treatise on a very complex question. A good deal had to be said here on suffering in general, on account of the nature of the matter in hand. Throughout these pages the only object has been to offer some help to a class of sufferers who are sadly in need of it, and are the less likely to obtain it, because they so often bear no external sign that would distinguish them from the healthiest. The nature and consequences of nervous afflictions have been dwelt upon at some length, in order that our readers may recognize that the advice is not put forward without a knowledge of their ailments. In this way it is hoped that confidence may be aroused in the remedies proposed. If this work. which lays no claim to literary or scientific worth shall prove to be of any service in aiding and comforting a single patient. it must be attributed to those many other patients who have honoured the writer with their confidence. And urged him to publish these pages; for. in effect. these pages are but the outcome of the interviews that the writer has had with numbers of patients during long years spent in this cosmopolitan institute. And here the author is pleased to find an opportunity of expressing his deep respect for the founder. Monsignor Kneipp, whose name is known throughout the world, and who, whilst being as a zealous priest a close imitator of his Divine Master. was also by his work a benefactor to the human race. It may be claimed that the work is based on a long experience obtained by personal suffering and the observation of numerous other patients. Besides this, the author founds his doctrine on theology, on the teaching of Saints and masters of the spiritual life, and also on the best principles of the most recent medical works which treat of these subjects. In the hope that some sufferers may be benefited, the author humbly lays this his work at the feet of that noblest of God's creatures who has suffered more than all, and best understands the mystery of the Cross. She whom the Church in this "vale of tears" invokes as "Mother of Sorrows," and "Queen of Martyrs," is well able to feel for us and succour us. Hence with the greatest confidence we may ask the" Consoler of the Afflicted," the" Health of the Sick," to have compassion upon us, pray for us, and to help us to carry our cross and turn our trials to merit. Moved by our prayers. may she obtain for us that we may celebrate with her and all lovers of the Cross, throughout eternity, the triumphs of the Cross of her Son and the" infinite mercies of the Lord," and sing that canticle which the choirs of angels may not sing, but is reserved to them that have borne their trials with patience.

THERE are moods and seasons with nearly all of us, when the use of some manual of devotion in our preparation for Confession or Holy Communion is recognized not merely as a help but almost as a necessity. No doubt our best prayers are those which are said in our own words, and which are merely the outpourings of a heart already filled to overflowing. Both in the flood-tide of consolation and in the desolate forlornness of any grievous spiritual trial, the worshipper prostrate before the Blessed Sacrament is in no humour to avail himself of set forms of words. In the one case his whole soul is ringing with a canticle of praise and thanksgiving, in the other he can only reiterate that exceeding bitter cry for which our Blessed Saviour in His Passion has given us both the example and the warrant. But between these two extremes there are many intermediate states. There are hours of spiritual aridity and there are hours of physical lassitude. There are times when we are worried or distracted, or, it may be, tempted; and there are occasions when we feel the danger of falling victims to routine, and when a temporary change of method seems desirable, if only for variety's sake. Under such circumstances, spiritual writers recommend that even those who normally and on principle accustom themselves to speak to God like children in their own simple language, should try to rouse themselves from Their lethargy by adopting for a while the words and ideas of a printed book of devotion. It seems obvious that, for such a purpose, the brighter and fresher the thoughts to which we turn as a corrective to our own dulness the better. There is, generally, no great relief from monotony to be found in our old-fashioned prayerbooks, and in tnany of the devotional manuals translated from foreign languages, there is often so much which irritates and palls that the book proves a distraction rather than a help. The prayers which are printed in this little collection of suggestions are all original, and they have the charm of simplicity and of a certain directness of language which many will find helpful. Those who are acquainted with the author's previous book, called First communion, and with the short collection of prayers for First Communicants which accompanied it, will probably give a very hearty welcome to any other contribution from the same pen. Although these "suggestions by way of preparation and thanksgiving" are intended primarily for the use of Religious, it is thought that they may perhaps be found useful by other pious souls who are in the habit of communicating frequently.

Day of wrath and doom impending. David's word with Sibyl's blending, Heaven and earth in ashes ending. We open with the Dies Irae, because it applies to the Three Days of Darkness. Pope Saint Gregory the Great says in his Regula Pastoralis: "Let them be told how the Prophet Sophonias holds out over them the stroke of divine reproof, when he says: 'Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, great and horrible . . . . That day is a day of wrath, a day of darkness and obscurity, a day of clouds and whirlwinds, a day of the trumpet and alarm against all the fenced cities and against all the high corners.'" 1 Note this verse inspired the Dies Irae. The purpose of this book is to provide all of the prophecies that relate to the Three Days of Darkness. These are placed in a chronological order similar to that employed by Father Culleton is his two books, Antichrist and The Prophets and Our Times. They are provided without comment so that you can study the prophecies themselves. Some of the prophecies may appear out of place, but they will make sense as you move forward. It is strongly recommended that you make notes as you proceed forward with this book. In this way you can sort things out for yourself. Padre Pio predicted the Three Days of Darkness. So does Sacred Scripture, which calls it the Day of the Lord. Even Jesus Himself referred to the Three Days of Darkness in the Gospels. This book considers the many Catholic prophecies on the Three Days of Darkness.

The progress of the Catholic Church in any country is attributable primarily to the indwelling Spirit which guides the Church, -next to the piety, zeal, and education of its priesthood, and lastly, though in no mean degree, to the devotion, activity, and education of the laity. When these three features combine, then is the Church writing the brightest pages of her history. The first of these conditions is with God. "The Spirit breatheth where He will," but the second and third under God's guidance are of our creation. Generally they go together, so that the saying "As are the people so is the priest," is true reversed, "As is the priest so are the people." It is therefore very meet and proper that a priest should write for the laity a "Manual of Theology," for the publication of such a book evidences at once the education and zeal of the priest, and at the same time his desire that the laity also should be educated. Not only is such a publication proper, but just at this time it is very opportune. Secular knowledge is daily being diffused and popularized, and the spirit of inquiry is fostered everywhere. PeopIe want to know and if possible obtain a reason for all things. They would like to know what Catholicity stands for: and whether we are able to give "a reason for the faith that is in us." With such conditions surrounding our Catholic laity, ignorance of their Faith would be little short of criminal. They should learn well their holy religion-become its apostles, and make life, word, and work all stand as the best evidence of the divine origin of that Faith that is theirs. The competition of daily life prevents many honest persons from devoting that time and attention to the subject of Religion which it deserves. In consequence of this lamentable fact there are persons to-day who profess no Religion, because they have no clear idea of its nature or of its necessity for human happiness. Others do not profess the true Religion, because they do not understand the reason and authority of its claims. Some, no doubt, profess the true Religion, but do not practise it as they ought, because they fail to appreciate its excellence. They regard it more as a burden than as a natural debt which man owes to the God of infinite goodness. Instead of regarding Religion as the only source of true happiness, they often shun it as something disagreeable. Hence they are unhappy even when surrounded with heavenly blessings, for their conscience is ill at ease. Knowledge can show men the way to happiness, but these persons scarcely have time to pause and listen to its counsel. This Theology for the Laity is specially intended to enlighten and encourage "all of good will" who are handicapped in this way. It shows them the nature, the necessity, the certainty, the beauty, and the harmony of divine Religion, as the masterpiece of the God of goodness. It is a complete religious handbook for busy people, especially for members of the true fold. Persons of leisure may find more profitable reading in the many excellent doctrinal and polemic works that have appeared in recent years. Still, a brief, clear, and systematic manual of theology for the laity has advantages of its own. It is calculated to interest even those who will not study larger and more learned works. It will often be taken up by those whose limited time will not permit more extensive reading. Its simple, direct method ought to recommend it, in a particular manner, to the honest inquirer, for it gives him a clear and comprehensive idea of that Religion which alone spans the chasm between the natural and the supernatural. For this reason Theology for the Laity may also be of special service to many pastors whose time for instructing converts is limited by other parochial work.

THE question which forms the tftle of this little work is one that must admit of very easy solution, seeing that the object, for which our Lord established His Church on earth, rendered it necessary that the MARKS-which were to distinguish her in all ages as the Divinely commissioned TEACHER OF THE NATIONS-should be plain and simple, and easily recognisable by those for whom His Religion itself was specially adapted and designed-the poor and ignorant, who constitute the great bulk of mankind. Learned research, or anxious inquiry regarding the doctrines taught by the various and conflicting Christian communities; cannot be necessary for those who simply want to discover that Church which is the one unerring TEACHER appointed by God; and the object of the following pages is to show, in as simple and briefa manner as possible, that the principal marks and characteristics of this Church, as plainly laid down in the .scriptures received by Protestants themselves, are, by a reference to notorious and acknowledged facts, and by the testimonies of Protestant or other hostile historians, whose works are accessible to all, so clearly shown to be recognisable in the Roman Catholic Church, and in her alone, as entirely to preclude the necessity for entering upon any of those irrelevant, tedious, and interminable controversies into which Protestant disputants are always desirous to draw off the attention of their readers. The texts of Scripture are generally quoted from the Authorised Protestant Version; and the historians (such as HALLAM, MlLMAN, FROUDE, RANKE, NEANDER, GulZOT, RENAN) or other authors, whose works have been freely cited in the Notes or Appendix, are all so well known for their strong Protestant or anti-Catholic sympathies, that whatever testimonies, at all favourable to the Catholic Church or religion in the past, may be found in their writings, will be acknowledged by all impartial persons to have a value, weight, and importance peculiar to themselves, and such as the statements of few other authors would in these days be likely to possess. ST. IRENAEUS, Bishop of Lyons, A.D. 178: -" In the Church God hath placed Apostles, Prophets, Doctors, and every other work of the Spirit, of which all they are not partakers who do not hasten to the Church, but by their evil sentiment and most flagrant conduct, defraud themselves of life. For where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and every grace: but the Spirit is truth. "-Adv. Haer., 1. iii. c. 24, n. 2. "He will judge all those who cause schisms; men destitute of the love of God, and who have in view their own interest and not the oneness of the Church; and who, on account of slight and exaggerated causes, rend and divide, and so far as in them lies, destroy the great and glorious Body of Christ; men who have peace on their lips, but war in their actions; who truly strain at a gnat, but swallow a camel. But no reformation can be effected by them so great as is the perniciousness of schism. "-lb., 1. iv. c. 33, n. 7.