QUESTION VII.-WHETHER THE LAWS OF FORGIVENESS AND THE CHARITIES OF THE COMMUNION OBLIGE THE INJURED PERSON TO FORGIVE THE ADULTEROUS HUSBAND OR WIFE, IF THEY DO REPENT? THERE are two cases, in which it is so far from being necessary, that it is not lawful to do some things of kindness, which in all other cases are indeed true charity, and highly significative of a soul truly merciful, and worthy to communicate. 1. When to retain the adulterous persong is scandalous (as in the primitive church it was esteemed so in clergymen), then such persons though they be penitent, must not be suffered to cohabit: they must be pardoned to all purposes which are not made unlawful by accident; and to all purposes which may minister unto their repentance and salvation: but charity must not be done to a single person with offence to the church and a criminal must not receive advantage by the prejudice of the holy and the innocent. Against this I have nothing to oppose, but that those churches which did forbid this forgiveness upon pretence of scandal, should also have considered. whether or no that the forgiveness of the criminal', and the charitable toleration of the injury, and the patient labours of love, and the endeavours of repentance be not only more profitable to them both, but also more exemplar to others. 2. The other is the case of direct danger: if the sin of the offending party be promoted by the charity of the injured man or woman, it is made unlawful so far to forgive as to cohabit; if this charity will let her loose to repent of her repentance, it turns to uncharitableness, and can never be a duty. But except it be in these cases, it is not only lawful, but infinitely agreeable to the duty of charity, to restore the repenting person to his first condition of love and society. But this is such a charity, as although it be a counsel of perfection and a nobleness of forgiveness, yet that the forgiveness shall extend to society and mutual endearments of cohabitation, is under no commandment; because the union of marriage being broken by the adultery, that which only remains of obligation is the charities of a Christian to a Christian, without the relation of husband and wife. The first must be kept in the height of christian dearness and communion; but if the second can minister to the good of souls, it is an heroic charity to do it; but in this there ought to be no snare, for there is no commandment. To the answers given to these cases of conscience, I am to add this 8 See Rule of Conscience, book i chap. 5. rule 8. Concil. Eliber. [can. lxv.-tom. i. col. 257.] i Uxoris vitium tollas opus est aut feras: Varro. [vid. Aul. Gell. i. 17.] caution; that although these cases are only the enquiries and concerns of private persons, and do not oblige princes, parents, judges, lords of servants in their public capacity, and they may justly punish the offender though the injury be done against themselves, yet in these cases the punishment must be no other than as the lancet or the cupping-glass, as fasting, or ill-tasting drugs; they are painful, but are also wholly given as ministries of health. For so sometimes we put crooked sticks into the fire, we bow and beat and twist them, not to break, but to make them straight and useful. So we correct the evil inclinations of our children, and the intolerable manners of our servants, by afflictions of the body and griefs of the mind: all is well so long as it is necessary and so long as it is charitable. I remember that when Augustusm was to give sentence upon a son that would have killed his father, he did not, according to the severity of the laws, command him to be tied in a sack with a cock, a serpent, and an ape, and thrown into Tiber, but only to be banished whither his father pleased; remembering" that although the son deserved the worst, yet fathers loved to inflict the least: and although in nature none ought to drink but the hungry and the thirsty, yet in judicatories none ought to punish but they that neither hunger nor thirst: because they that do it against their wills, exceed not the measures of charity and necessity. But both fathers and princes, judges and masters, have their limits and measures before they smite, and other measures to be observed when they do smite. "O christian judge, do the office of a pious father," said S. Austin to count Marcellinus. "A man should not use a man prodigally," but be as sparing of another man's blood as of his own. Punish the sinner and pity the man9. But to conclude these enquiries fully. It is very considerable, that in many cases even when it is lawful to bring a criminal to punishment, or to go to law, and that it is just so to do; yet this whole dispute being a question of charity, we are to go by other measures than in the other; and when in these cases we do nothing but what is just, we must remember that we are Christians, and must never expect to go to heaven unless we do also what is charitable. Therefore enquire no more into how much is just and lawful in these cases, but what is charitable, and what is best, and what is safest; for then the cases of conscience are best determined when our reward also shall greatly be secured. For it is in these enquiries See Rule of Conscience, book iv. 1 Quomodo scalpellum et abstinentia et alia quæ profutura torquent: sic ingentia vitia prava dolore corporis animique corrigimus.-Seneca. [vid. De ira, lib. ii. cap. 27.-tom. i. p. 75.] [Seneca de clementia, i. 15.] n Memor non de quo censeret, sed cui in consilio esset. [ibid.] Imple, christiane judex, pii patris officium. [S. Aug., ep. cxxxiii. § 2.tom. ii. col. 396 D.] P Homini non est homine prodige utendum. Duo ista nomina cum dicimus, homo peccator, non utique frustra dicuntur: quia peccator est, corripe; quia homo est miserere. S. August. apud Gratian. [caus. xxiii. qu. 4. c. 35.-col. 1437.] of charity in order to the holy communion as it is in the communion itself not every one shall perish that does not receive the holy communion, but yet to receive it is of great advantage to our souls in order to our obtaining the joys of heaven: so is every expression of charity; that very action which in some cases may be safely omitted, may in all cases, where there is not a contradicting duty, be done with great advantages. For he that thinks to have the reward and the heaven of Christians by the actions of justice and the omissions of charity, is like him who worships the image of the sun, while at the same time he turns his back upon the sun himself. This is so essentially reasonable, that even the heathens knew it, and urged it as a duty to be observed in all their sacrifices and solemnities. "When you pray to God," said one of their own prophets", "and offer a holy cloud of frankincense, come not to the gentle deity with ungentle hearts and hands: for God is of the same cognation or kindred with a good man;" gentle as a man, apt to pity, apt to do good; just, as we ought to be, but infinitely more than we are: and therefore he who is not good cannot partake with Him who is essentially and unalterably so. Peter Comestor tells of an old opinion and tradition of the ancients, that forty years before the day of judgment, the bow which God placed in the clouds shall not be seen at all: meaning, that since the rainbow was placed there as a sign of mercy and reconcilement, when the sacrament of mercy and peace shall disappear, then God will come to judge the world in fire and an intolerable tempest, in which all the uncharitable, unforgiving persons shall for ever be confounded. Remember always what the holy Jesus hath done for thee; I shall represent it in the words of S. Bernard'. "O blessed Jesus, we have heard strange things of Thee; all the world tells us such things of Thee that must needs make us to run after Thee: they say that Thou despisest not the poor, nor refusest the returning sinner; we are told that Thou didst pardon the thief when he confessed his sin and confessed Thee, and Mary Magdalen when she wept; and didst accept the Syrophoenician when she prayed; and wouldst not give sentence of condemnation upon the woman taken in adultery, even because she looked sadly, and was truly ashamed: Thou didst not reject him that sat at the receipt of custom, nor the humble publican, nor the disciple that denied Thee, nor them that persecuted Thy disciples, no not them that crucified Thee. These are Thy precious ointments, apt with their sweetness to allure all the world after Thee, and with their virtue to heal them. After Thee and Thy sweet odours, O blessed Jesu, we will run." Happy is he that says so, and does so, 'enkindling his justa.. precati Thure pio, cædumque feros avertite ritus. Mite et cognatum est homini Deus.-Sil. Ital. iv. [795.] [Historia libri Genesis, cap. xxxv.] In Cantica. [serm. xxii. col. 623.] charity in the blood of Christ,' as S. Ignatius" his expression is, transcribing His example into our conversation; for we can no way please Him but by being like Him; and in the blessings of Christ, and the communion of His body and blood, the uncharitable and revenging man shall never have a portion. SECTION V. DEVOTIONS RELATIVE TO THIS GRACE OF CHARITY, TO BE USED BY WAY OF EXERCISE AND PREPARATION TO THE DIVINE MYSTERIES; IN ANY TIME OR PART OF OUR LIFE, BUT ESPECIALLY BEFORE AND AT THE COMMUNION. THE HYMN, CONTAINING ACTS OF LOVE TO GOD AND TO OUR NEIGHBOUR. COME behold the works of the Lord, what desolations He hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth: He breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder, He burneth the chariot in the fire. But unto the wicked said God, What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldst take My covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee? Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. These things thou hast done, and I kept silence: but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble. The Lord will deliver him and keep him alive, and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and Thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing; Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. But I said, Lord be merciful to me: heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. Yet the Lord will command His loving kindness in the day time, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life: - Αναζωπυρήσαντες ἐν αἵματι Χριστοῦ. Ad Ephes. [cap. 1.] O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me, let them bring me to Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory. Do good, O Lord, to them that are true of heart, and evermore mightily defend them: do good in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, build Thou the walls of Jerusalem. In God will I praise His word, in the Lord will I praise His word; Thy vows are upon me, O God, I will render praises unto Thee. For Thou hast delivered our souls from death: wilt Thou not deliver our feet from falling, that we may walk before God in the light of the living? I will love Thee, O God, and praise Thee for ever, because Thou hast done it and I will wait on Thy name, for it is good before Thy saints. Glory be to the Father, &c. A PRAYER FOR THE GRACE OF CHARITY, &c. O MOST gentle, most merciful and gracious Saviour Jesu, Thou didst take upon Thee our nature to redeem us from sin and misery; Thou wert for us led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so Thou openedst not Thy mouth; Thou turnedst Thy back to the smiters and Thy cheeks to the nippers, Thou wert mocked and whipped, crucified and torn, but Thou didst nothing but good to Thy enemies, and prayedst with loud cries for Thy persecutors, and didst heal the wound of one that came to lay violent hands upon Thee; O plant in my heart gentleness and patience, a meek and a long-suffering spirit; that I may never be transported with violent angers, never be disordered by peevishness, never think thoughts of revenge; but may with meekness receive all injuries that shall be done to me, and patiently bear every cross accident, and with charity may return blessing for cursing, good for evil, kind words for foul reproaches, loving admonitions for scornful upbraidings, gentle treatments for all derisions and affronts, that living all my days with meekness and charity, keeping peace with all men, and loving my neighbour as myself, and Thee more than myself, and more than all the world, I may at last come into the regions of peace and eternal charity, where Thou livest, who lovest all men, and wouldst have none to perish, but all men to be saved through Thee, O most merciful Saviour and redeemer Jesu. Amen. |