mediums, spiritists, fortune-tellers, and the like, sin
against the first Commandment?
A. Those who make use of spells and charms, or who believe in dreams, in
mediums, spiritists, fortunetellers and the like, sin against the first
Commandment, because they attribute to creatures perfections which
belong to God alone.

320. Q. Are sins against faith, hope and charity also sins against the
first Commandment?
A. Sins against faith, hope, and charity are also sins against the first
Commandment.

321. Q. How does a person sin against faith?
A. A person sins against faith: 1st, by not trying to know what God has
taught; 2d, by refusing to believe all that God has taught; 3d, by
neglecting to profess his belief in what God has taught.

322. Q. How do we fail to try to know what God has taught?
A. We fail to try to know what God has taught by neglecting to learn the
Christian doctrine.

323. Q. Who are they who do not believe all that God has taught?
A. They who do not believe all that God has taught are the heretics and
infidels.

324. Q. Who are they who neglect to profess their belief in what God has
taught?
A. They who neglect to profess their belief in what God has taught are
all those who fail to acknowledge the true Church in which they really
believe.

325. Q. Can they who fail to profess their faith in the true Church in
which they believe expect to be saved while in that state?
A. They who fail to profess their faith in the true Church in which they
believe cannot expect to be saved while in that state, for Christ has
said: "Whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My
Father who is in heaven."

326. Q. Are we obliged to make open profession of our faith?
A. We are obliged to make open profession of our faith as often as God's
honor, our neighbor's spiritual good, or our own requires it.
"Whosoever," says Christ, "shall confess Me before men, I will also
confess him before My Father who is in heaven."

327. Q. Which are the sins against hope?
A. The sins against hope are presumption and despair.

328. Q. What is presumption?
A. Presumption is a rash expectation of salvation without making proper
use of the necessary means to obtain it.

329. Q. What is despair?
A. Despair is the loss of hope in God's mercy.

330. Q. How do we sin against the love of God?
A. We sin against the love of God by all sin, but particularly by mortal
sin.

LESSON THIRTY-FIRST
THE FIRST COMMANDMEN