Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/334

 36 PBWCB---CONTtTfOW. [Boos II. CHAPTER X. CONTRITION AND ATTRITION. 1. Their doctrine stated. Council of Trent quoted. Explanation of the Roman Catechisrn. Forsaking sin is overlooked: 2. Their doctrine contradicts Scripture: 3. It produces immorality: 4. Attrition considered. Roman Catechism cited. Bisbo Hay's opinion. Two determinations of Trent on this. Dens cited. This doctrine 18 taught by their greatest divines. Tho imperfect sorrow of attrition is considered suffi- cient for pardon: 5. Objections against attrition; (1.) The artrite person may retain his lose orrin; (lB.) It is an insufficient condition of pinion; (3.) It pruceeds on a false principle; (4.) It renders pardon unnecessary; (�It cannot do rnore than con- trition; (6.) Absolution cannot render it perfect; (7.) Absolution cannot change the disposition: 6. It is groly absurd to substitute this for reformation of life: 7. One gross error of theirs is, that men are not bound to repentpresently. Council of Lateran cited. The Roman Catechism. Dens cited. Bishop Jer. Taylor cited. Obj. "The church requires rnen to repent at least once a year." And this is the doctrine of their church: 8. They err concerning the k/rid of sins which call for repentance. Distinc- tion into morta/and en/a/sin. Hence 'men are careless about repenting: 9. True repentance is itself sufficient in order to obtain pardon. Their error in affirming that absolution must be added to repentance; and that attrition with absolution will answer. 1. THE Council of Trent, in its fourteenth session, chap. iv., defines contrition thus: "Contrition is the sorrow and detestation which the mind feels for past sin, with a purp(e of sinning no more."' In the same chapter the council declares, "That this contrition contains not only the cessation from sin, and a purpose and commencement of a new life, but also hatred of the former life.'" The council, in the same chapter, farther teaches, "That although it may sometimes hap- pen that this contrition is perfect in charity, and reconciles a man to God before the sacrament of penance is actually received; neverthe- less the reconciliation is not to be ascribed to contrition without the desire of the sacrament, which was, in fact, included in it. But that imperfect contrition, which is called attrition, commonly arising from a consideration of the turpitude of sin, and a fear of hell and puninhment, (if it excludes the desire of committing sin, with the hope of pardon,) not only does not make a man a hypocrite and a greater sinner, but is really a gift of God and an impulse of the Holy Spirit; not that the Spirit does as yet dwell in the soul, but merely excites the penitent, who, thus aided, prepares his way to righteousness."'. The Council of Trent has also passed the following canon on con- trition :--" Whoever shall affirm that that contrition which is produced "" Contritio anirni dolor ac detestatto eat de pecesto cornmisso, cure propssits non peccsndi de cnetero."--Cond/. 7'dent., seas. xiv, cap. 4.  "Hanc contritionern, non solam cessationern it peccuto,'et rite nov,. propsstrum et inchostionern, sed veteris etiam odium continere."--Idem. : "Etsi contritionera hanc aliqusndo charttats perfectarn ease contingt, homi__n_ern- que Des reconciliare, priusquam hoc sacramenturn ctu suscipiatur; tiMare nihilominb reeoncilistionern ipsi contritioni, sine sacramenti voto, qund in ills includitur, non ee sdocribendam. Illam vere contritionera imperfectam qum attritio dicitur, quoniam vel ex turpitudnis peccati considerations, vel ex gehenn'" et pcenarurn metu communiter concipitur, si voluntatem peccsnd exclndat, cure ape venise; declarat, non solt'hn non faeere hominem hypocritam, et magis peccatorern, verm etiam donurn Dei eme, et Spirittts Sancti irnpulsum, non adhuc (tuidem inhabitantis, sed tantrn moventis, qno p(nitens per se sd justificationem perducere peccstorern nequeat; tames sum ad Dei gratism in ncmmento pmaitentim impetrandam disponit."--idem. 1

�