Page:StVincentsManual.djvu/554

 repentance is  absolutely  required  for  the  remission  of  the guilt; therefore,  this  sincere  repentance  must  precede  the remission of  the  punishment. Hence we  may  see  how  few there are,  who  gain  the  full  effect  of  a  Plenary  Indulgence, as there  are  few,  who  have  a  sincere  and  efficacious  repentance  of  every  venial  sin,  and  a  sincere  and  firm  resolution of  avoiding  every  sm,  great  or  small,  with  all  the probable occasions  of  sin. Still, this  ought  not  to  hinder us from  doing  our  best  to  gain  a  Plenary  Indulgence,  when occasion offers;  because,  though  we  should  not  gain  the whole effect  of  it,  the  more  endeavors  we  use,  and  the better we  be  disposed,  the  more  ample  benefit  we  reap from it:  and  whereas,  we  can  never  be  certain  how  far  we gain  this  benefit,  and  have  but  too  much  reason,  from  our own imperfect  dispositions,  to  fear  that  we  may  have  yet  a great  debt  remaining  unpaid;  therefore,  oar  endeavoring to gain  an  Indulgence  ought  not  to  make  us  remiss  in  leading a  truly  penitential  life,  but  rather  encourage  us  to  do bo  the  more  exactly;  because,  the  more  we  endeavor  by works,  worthy  of  penance,  to  satisfy  the  divine  justice,  the better we  will  be  disposed,  when  the  opportunity  cornea, for gaining  more  abundant  effects  of  Indulgences:  for, when we  think  we  have  done  our  best,  it  is  perhaps  little to what  we  ought  to  have  done;  and  what  we  gain  by  Indulgences makes  up  for  the  deficiencies  of  human  infirmity: besides, the  spirit  of  the  Church  is  to  grant  Indulgences  to those  only,  who,  on  their  part,  sincerely  endeavor  to  satisfy the divine  justice. Any other  idea  of  an  Indulgence  would be a  strange  illusion. An Indulgence  then  never  exempts any one  from  the  necessity  of  doing  penance:  penance  has been commanded  to  all  without  any  exception;  and  we ought  to  imitate  Jesus  Christ,  as  did  the  Saints,  whose lives were a  continual  penance.

They who  recite  devoutly  the  Trisagium  and  Doxology, may, every  day,  gain  an  Indulgence  of  one  hundred  days and on  every  Sunday,  and  during  the  octave  of  Holy  Trinity they may,  three  times  a  day,  gain  the  same  Indulgence:  and they who  recite  these  prayers  daily,  may,  once  a  month, on a  day  at  option,  gain  a  Plenary  Indulgence.

The Trisagium  is  the  canticle  of  the  Seraphim,  which