Page:StVincentsManual.djvu/549

 Whatever may  be  the  language  of  the  world,  or  the  cry of passions,  with  regard  to  this  point  of  doctrine,  we  must either admit  it,  or  else  entirely  renounce  the  Christian faith; for  no  one  of  its  dogmas  is  more  clearly  announced, or more  expressly  taught.

God, in  his  infinite  mercy,  has  been  pleased  to  furnish us with  the  means  of  escaping  from  the  abyss  of  sin, when we  have  had  the  misfortune  of  falling  into  it,  viz.: a true  repentance  joined  to  the  sacrament  of  penance;  or, when it  is  not  in  our  power  to  recur  to  this  sacrament,  the same sincere  repentance,  founded  on  the  love  of  God  above all things,  with  the  desire  to  do  so.

But, when  a  sinner  has  received  the  grace  of  justification, by  approaching  the  sacrament;  he  does  not  always  receive the  remission  of  all  the  pains  due  to  his  sins. This is an  article  of  faith,  set  down  in  express  terms  by  the Council of  Trent. ''Sess. 14, Canon  12. ''

The eternal  pain  is  remitted  without  any  restriction;  but there generally  remains  a  temporal  pain  to  be  undergone for a  longer  or  shorter  time,  according  to  the  nature  of  the sin, and  the  dispositions  of  the  penitent:  and  this  necessary  atonement  must  be  made  either  in  this  life  or  in  the next.

On this  truth  were  founded  the  severe  canonical  penances formerly  inflicted  by  the  Church  on  repenting  sinners. Three, seven,  ten,  even  fifteen  or  twenty  years fasting on  bread  and  water,  privations  and  humiliations even for  a  whole  life,  were  sometimes  prescribed  for  one single sin;  and  even  these  were  not  thought  to  exceed  the degree of  satisfaction  due  to  the  justice  of  God.

If the  Church,  at  this  present  time,  treats  sinners  with greater indulgence  and  mercy,  it  is  not  because,  she  considers them  less  guilty,  or  their  faults  less  deserving  of punishment:  sin  is  always  the  same — always  equally  deserving of  punishment.

Those who  die  without  having  made  the  necessary  atonement shall  have  to  endure  long  and  severe  pains  in  purgatory. Even venial  sin,  not  expiated  in  this  world,  will  be punished  in  purgatory.

If, then,  the  pain  due  to  one  sin  is  such,  what  must  be the  immense  debt  of  a  sinner  who  has  passed  whole  years in the  most  criminal  habits,  and  to  whom  we  may  apply the words  of  the  Royal  Prophet ;  He  has  multiplied  his iniquities above  the  number  of  the  hairs  of his head.