What shall we say of the ponderous tomes of the Greck and Latin Fathers? Only those can have done so who had material time at their disposal.

Here, on the other hand, we have no want of industry; no deficit of time unapplied; here is no deficiency in collecting, arranging, examining, and putting in system, what would cost years of trouble, as it costs the learned writers lives of toil and assiduity, to collect and place in form before us a perfect harvest of well-selected crops.

These, surely, are reasons for thankfulness to the authors, quite in keeping with the modest demeanor justly to be observed by us; it is, therefore, by no means our purpose to speak of the relative merits of the treatises, for we admit our incompetence to criticise, it is not our forte,-we rather admit the profound awe with which we look upon so much accumulated learning, and, in all sincerity, we dare to express even in public our heartfelt thankfulness, and an earnest wish that all priests may obtain the works. indicated, and make a diligent use of them.

Whilst we merely indicate our appreciation of the Dogmatical part referred to, it would be well that the practical portion, especially treated by the Rev. Father Cros, S. J., should be read carefully by our clergy. Few books have ever fallen in our way more signally concise in their statements than is the work having for title Le Confesseur de la Jeunesse. It is a real treasure, not only for the practical direction of youth, but also of every age and condition of life. After giving in compendious words the facts belonging to Jansenism that foul insurrection against the voice of legitimate authority, which spread insidiously and rapidly under the guise of superior sanctity, and deluded many Catholics, and left its trail. of slime in so many different ways on the theology of France and Belgium and other countries-the assertion is made that the originators of this sect had a design to withdraw the faithful both from their allegiance to the Sovereign Pontiff, which was evident, and from the use of the Sacraments, especially the two which are, and ought to be, of daily importance,-Penance and Holy Communion. Whether or not they actually foresaw what would be the logical effect of their teachings, they certainly obtained such influence over the press as to possess control over many of the spiritual works thence issued, and these were thoroughly saturated with the spirit of ostentatious severity characteristic of the leaders. Instead of bringing the sinner to Christ, in showing that the name Jesus signifies, in its full sense, "He will save His people from their sins,"-St. Matth. i: 21, they represented Him as a formidable judge, who had no compassion until, by a full and rigorous course of justice, the offended majesty of God had been previously satis

fied. The power which He exercised for the benefit of sinners seemed rather a reward of their own good works than a merciful bestowal of omnipotent power by God upon men for the elevation of human nature. In the false theory held by them long and multiplied expiations were requisite in order to receive a favorable sentence. The texts of Scripture which present our Lord as having come "not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance," were carefully kept in the background, whilst the terrific judgments of God upon the impenitent-and all were depraved entirely-were fitfully poured out after a truly Calvinistic method. The choice of a confessor was described as something which required a matured judgment, of which the young were incapable in the nature of things, and the old, or more advanced in years, could not reasonably be expected to make. Then, it was made to be high treason to change one's spiritual guide, and not even in religious communities was the selection free. The examination of conscience was to be made after the most strenuous style, and unless this had been rigorously carried out by the sinner he should be put off until he had done so to the satisfaction of the confessor, who was thus to impress upon his penitent the depth of his depravity. Added to all this, things were asserted to be sins which are not; precepts were made which nowhere appear as obligatory; they proclaimed that sins are possible of commission by us without any knowledge on our part; asserted the utterly depraved nature of man; insisted on the confession of such circumstances as do not change the nature of a sin; reproached in harsh tones the poor sinner who, when he comes, stands much rather in need of help and encouragement, and who has this always in his favor, that the very fact of coming of his own accord is primâ facie evidence of his good disposition and actual desire for advance.

The opposite of all tenderness towards the sinner was a standing proof of heresy.

But, if they thus treated the ordinary sinner who had begun to feel, from the saddest experience, his need of the grace of the Sacrament of Penance, what shall we say of the harshness with which they pursued those who fell again? They kept them from the benefit of absolution, and consequently from Communion, under the specious pretext of thus rendering themselves worthy of participating in this reward of merit. And to keep up this illusion they constantly kept praising the "primitive church," as they were" pleased to style those ages when a system of public penance had (what they should have mentioned) only a temporary place in the polity of the Church. Thence long exhortations on the Flentes, or Weepers, who stood at the doors, and, bowed down in grief, testified the sincerity of their sorrow; or on the Prostrati, Audientes, et Con

sistentes. In order to restore this pristine rigor, at least as much as possible, long and arduous penances were kept up after the siege of preparation for admission to first Communion, and between that and the subsequent one, and the intervals were made as protracted as the case would admit. Directions of such impracticable character were given, that earthly duties could not be duly attended, and thus the frequenting of the Sacraments was rendered odious, all, mark you well, under the garb of the absolute necessity of greater preparation. The worst form of Jansenism cropped out, however, in the treatment of children and young persons. They were not heard in the sacred tribunal until a definite year had been attained. Even then, despite the fact that children are very dif ferent in their precocious mental developments, absolution was invariably refused until they were about to be stretched on the Procustean couch of a first Communion year. This was a favorite theory among the Jansenists, which found not a few imitators even among those who, had they only thought, would never have permitted such perversion of right reason.

After such lengthy arraignment of some of the charges proved against the Jansenists and their adherents, the learned author gives an instruction of the Holy Father, Pius IX., of happy memory, under date March 12th, 1855, to certain French prelates concerning the insufficient manner in which children are prepared for their first Communion, and the time and the method of taking care of them spiritually, both before and after. This instruction is given by the author in full, and deserves very particular mention.

"It has been represented to His Holiness that sacramental absolution is refused to young folks before their first Communion, leaving them, one cannot say on what theological principles, even up to the age of twelve or fourteen years, in a truly dangerous state, in a spiritual point of view.

"Moreover, that even after their admission for the first time to the Holy Table, it is usual to debar them from Communion, even at the Paschal season, and to keep them from the same for a long time, in some places.

"And that there are even seminaries where the custom reigns of keeping the young pupils for several months from Holy Communion, under the pretext of making a riper preparation.

"Knowing of what importance the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist are for keeping and preserving the innocence of youth; knowing that the frequent use of the Sacraments contributes admirably to the budding piety of these young hearts, we could hardly admit the exactness of these charges, despite the authority of those who attested them; nevertheless, information

taken from various places established the fact that in a notable measure the désordres signalés really exist.

"In consequence, the Holy Father, wishing to put an end to practices so contrary to the spiritual interests of youth, . . . asks you to reform such method, it being opposite to the spirit and discipline of the Church.

". . . . Thus we shall see that young people are everywhere admitted, in a suitable manner, to the frequenting of the Sacraments, and the deplorable customs to the contrary will disappear."

The plan, therefore, of keeping young people from the benefit of the actual use of the Sacraments is distinctly condemned.

In reference to the age at which a child is bound to make the Paschal duty, we have the minimum fixed by the IV. Council of Lateran: "Postquam ad annos discretionis pervenerit, semel saltem confiteatur, suscipiens, reverenter, ad minus in Pascha, Eucharistiae Sacramentum." The age of discretion is certainly not the same for all children, but the weight of authority seems to denote the obligation as certainly binding in the tenth year; no minimum is in any way fixed for permission to give Holy Communion, beyond the general words of the Council of Trent, session xxi., chap. iv., "Eadem Sancta Synodus docet, parvulos, usu rationis carentes, nulla obligari necessitate ad sacramentalem Eucharistiae Communionem," whilst, in like manner, St. Thomas teaches, "quando jam pueri incipiunt aliqualem usum rationis habere, ut possint devotionem concipere hujus Sacramenti, tunc potest eis hoc Sacramentum conferri."

If the adage, “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it," be the Scriptural expression of "the twig being bent, the tree will be inclined," nothing can be of greater importance than the anticipating of evil in the tender mind of the child, by having our Lord to take possession before actual evil has had the chance to find a resting-place. As the Sacraments are not a recompense of virtues which we possess, but remedies against vice, and auxiliary forces divinely appointed, and necessary for even good wills, we should see that the child be placed betimes in proper guardianship. Now, since the year of one's first Communion is usually the best spent, and experience seems to state that after one's first Communion there is still and always marked need of sacramental grace, frequency of Communion. should be inculcated, since Christ does not say: "If you receive absolution you shall have life, he who receiveth absolution remains in me and I in him," but He does say: "He that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me."

Not only has no law ever been made discountenancing frequent VOL. VIII.-5

Communion, but, on the contrary, the most ancient voice of the Church, the perpetual tradition as handed down by the Fathers, councils, and saints, as well as by all orthodox spiritual advisers, inculcates the advisability and even necessity of approaching often to this eternal fount of divine assistance.

What, then, are the dispositions absolutely required to make a fruitful communion? The Council of Trent, Sess. xiii., Chap. vii., says expressly: "Ecclesiastica consuetudo declarat eam probationem necessariam esse, ut nullus sibi conscius mortalis peccati, quantumvis sibi contritus videatur, absque præmissa sacramentali confessione ad Sacram Eucharistiam accedere debeat."

In order to approach Holy Communion in such manner as to fulfil the apostle's precept, "Let a man prove himself” (1 Cor. xi., 28), it is not required that more should necessarily be done than to use such diligence as would be manifested by men who are seriously engaged in a matter of importance in every-day life. This in strict necessity requires, for the purpose in hand, a diligent inspection of those sins which are known to a man's conscience to be weighty, and the conscience of each is sure to speak when untrammelled. Should still further guidance in knowing sins be required, the spiritual director will judiciously impart the same. Then, detesting these sins, with an earnest purpose of amendment, make a true and entire confession of them, with a willingness to accept and perform the satisfaction imposed. Should it happen, as it very frequently does, that nothing serious weights the conscience, there is no law to hinder an approach to Holy Communion, and the fruit will certainly be produced by the efficacy of the Sacrament in virtue of the promise of Christ: "He who eateth Me, the same shall live by Me" (St. John vi., 58). In either case there will be no fear of falling under the terrible ban of the apostle of " eating or drinking .. unworthily ... not discerning the Body of the Lord" (1 Cor. xi., 27-29). This takes away the smallest pretext of calling the Sacrament of Penance a torture of conscience, conscientia carnificinam, so much harped upon by ancient and modern heretics, and it entitles the sinner to that repose of soul which is otherwise not possible even on merely human grounds; much less can it be called a torture when there is a divine command to examine, and, in conformity therewith, if serious sins appear, to confess, accept guidance, and hear the application of that power which Christ exercised, promised to the Church, and daily grants, through His priests, to the suitably disposed: "Whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins ye shall retain, they are retained" (St. John xx., 23).

...

As to smaller faults, which have very justly the title of venial, we have distinctly the teaching of the Council of Trent, Sess. xiv.,