* * *

To this SECOND EDITION there have been added certain statements and
passages, to meet sundry questions addressed to the Author on the
subject of Confession and Absolution.

Feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph, 1884.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION.

TEXT: "God hath reconciled us to Himself by Christ, and hath
given to us the ministry of reconciliation. For God indeed
was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, and He hath
placed in us the word of reconciliation; we are therefore
ambassadors for Christ."--2 COR. v, 18.

No more important question can be submitted for consideration to those
who believe in the existence of God, in man's responsibility to his
Creator, and in divine revelation, than what are God's conditions for
pardoning sin committed after baptism. For however much men may doubt,
deny, or dispute about religion, they can never impugn the fact that
they are individually sinners. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us;"[1] "in many things we all
offend;"[2] even "the just man shall offend seven times."[3]

Good sense, as well as faith, tells us that having willingly committed
or consented to any thought, word, or deed prohibited by God, or
having knowingly and wilfully omitted any duty imposed by the divine
law, then have we revolted against our God. And should this be done
with full knowledge and deliberation in a matter deemed grave by the
Lawgiver, or grave in its own nature, or rendered so by circumstances,
then has there been a grievous transgression of our duty to God.

The moment we so act, are we and our crime abominable in the sight of
the All Holy. "Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity;"[4] and to the
Lord "the wicked and his wickedness are hateful alike."[5] Our sin
instantly merits eternal punishment: "If the just man turns himself
away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the
abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? All
his justices which he had done shall not be remembered."[6] "But the
fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, they shall
have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimstone, which
is the second death."[7] Finally, by our grievous sin do we destroy
habitual or justifying grace, the supernatural life of the soul,
rendering it incapable of doing aught