THIRD 2. When any one conceals or sets free a murderer, and so gives him opportunity for fresh crime. PART. 3. When any one can save his neighbour from death, but does not save him; as, when a rich man suffers a poor man to die of hunger. 4. When any one by excessive burdens and cruel punishments wears out those under him, and so hastens their death. 5. When any one through intemperance or other vices shortens his own life. Q. What are we to think of suicide? A. That it is the most criminal of all murders. For if it be contrary to nature to kill another man like unto ourselves, much more is it contrary to nature to kill our own selves. Our life is not our own, but God's, who gave it. Q. What are we to think of duels, to decide private quarrels? A. Since the decision of private quarrels belongs to government, while the duellist, instead of having recourse to law, wilfully determines on an act which involves manifest danger of death both to himself and his opponent, it is evident that a duel implies three dreadful crimes; rebellion, murder, and suicide. Q. Besides murder of the body, is there not such a thing as spiritual murder? A. A kind of spiritual murder is the causing of offence; when any one causes his neighbour to fall into infidelity or into sin, and so subjects his soul to spiritual death. The Saviour says; Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Mat. xviii. 6. Q. Are there not still some more subtle forms of murder? A. To this sin are more or less referable all acts and words against charity; all which unjustly affect the peace and security of our neighbour; and, lastly, all inward malice against him, even though it be not shewn openly. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. 1 John iii. 15. Q. When we are forbidden to hurt the life of our neighbour, what positive duty is thereby enjoined? A. That of doing all we can to secure his life and well-being. A. Those of, 1. Helping the poor; 2. Ministering to the sick; 3. Comforting the afflicted; 4. Alleviating the distress of the unfortunate; 5. Behaving in a gentle, affectionate, and edifying manner to all; 6. Reconciling ourselves with those that are angry; 7. Forgiving injuries, and doing good to our enemies. ON THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT. Q. What is forbidden by the seventh commandment? Q. What forms of sin are forbidden under the name of adultery? A. The Apostle Paul would have Christians not even to speak of such impurities. Ephes. v. 3. It is only of necessity, to forewarn people against such sins, that we shall here name some of them. Such are ; 1. Fornication; or irregular carnal love between unmarried persons: 2. Adultery; when married persons unlawfully give that love which they owe each other to strangers: 3. Incest; when near relations enter into an union like that of matrimony. Q. What does our Saviour teach us to think of adultery? A. He has said that Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Mat. v. 28. Q. What should we do in order to guard against falling into this subtle inward adultery? A. We should avoid every thing that may excite impure feelings in the heart; as wanton songs and dances, lewd conversation, immodest games and jokes, immodest sights, and the reading of books which contain descriptions of impure love. We should strive, according to the Gospel, not even to look on that which may cause us to fall. If thy right eye ON CHARITY. PART. THIRD offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Mat. v. 29. Q. Must we then literally pluck out the offending eye? A. We must pluck it out, not with the hand, but with the will. He who has firmly resolved not even to look upon that which causes him to offend, hath already plucked out the offending eye. Q. When the sin of adultery is forbidden, what contrary virtues are thereby enjoined? A. Those of conjugal love and fidelity; and, for such as can receive it, perfect purity and chastity. Q. How does holy Scripture speak of the duties of man and wife? A. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it. Ephes. v. 25. Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord: for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church; and He is the Saviour of the body. Ib. 22, 23. Q. What motives does holy Scripture set before us, to make us flee fornication and live chastely? A. It bids us keep our bodies in purity, because they are the members of Christ, and temples of the Holy Ghost; while, on the other hand, he who committeth fornication sinneth against his own body; that is, corrupts it, infects it with diseases, and, further, hurts his mental faculties, such as imagination and memory. See 1 Cor. vi. 15. 18. 19. ON THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. Q. What is forbidden by the eighth commandment? A. To steal, or in any way appropriate to ourselves that which belongs to another. Q. What particular sins are forbidden hereby? A. The chief are; 1. Robbery; or the taking of any thing that belongs to another openly, by force. 2. Theft; or taking what belongs to another privily. 3. Fraud; or appropriating to ourselves any thing that is another's by artifice; as when men pass off counterfeit money for true, or bad wares for good; or use false weights and measures, to give less than they have sold; or conceal their effects, to avoid paying their debts; or do not honestly fulfil contracts, or execute wills; when they screen others guilty of dishonesty, and so defraud the injured of justice. 4. Sacrilege; or appropriating to ourselves what has been dedicated to God, or belongs to the Church. 5. Spiritual sacrilege; when one sinfully gives and another fraudulently obtains any sacred office, not of desert, but for gain. 6. Bribery; when men receive a bribe from those under them in office or jurisdiction, and for gain promote the unworthy, acquit the guilty, or oppress the innocent. 7. Eating the bread of idleness; when men receive salary for duty, or pay for work, which they neglect, and so in fact steal both their pay, and that profit, which society, or he whom they served, should have had of their labour in like manner when they who are able to support themselves by work, instead of so doing live upon alms. 8. Extortion; when under the show of some right, but really against equity and humanity, men make their own advantage of the property, the labours, or even the misfortunes of others as when creditors oppress their debtors by usury; when masters wear out their dependants by excessive imposts or tasks; when in time of famine men sell bread at an exorbitant price. Q. When these sins are forbidden, what contrary virtues are thereby enjoined? A. Those of 1. Disinterestedness; 2. Good faith in performing engagements; 3. Justice; 4. Mercy to the poor. Q. Does he then who is not merciful to the poor sin against the eighth commandment? A. Certainly he does; if he has the means of assisting them for all that we have belongs properly to God, and our abundance is given us by His Providence for the assistance : ON CHARITY. PART. THIRD of the poor: wherefore, if we do not impart to them of our abundance, we do in fact thereby rob and defraud them of their right, and the gift of God. Q. Is there not yet a higher virtue contrary to sins against the eighth commandment? A. Such a virtue is absolute poverty, or the renunciation of all property; which is proposed by the Gospel not as a duty for all, but as a counsel for them that would be perfect. If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. Mat. xix. 21. ON THE NINTH COMMANDMENT. Q. What is forbidden by the ninth commandment? 2. False witness out of court, when men slander any one behind his back, or blame him to his face unjustly. Q. But is it allowable to censure others when they are really to blame? A. No: the Gospel does not allow us to judge even of the real vices or faults of our neighbours, unless we are called by any special office to do so, for their punishment or amendment. Judge not, that ye be not judged. Mat. vii. 1. Q. Are not such lies allowable, as involve no purpose of hurting our neighbour? A. No: for they are inconsistent with love and respect for our neighbour, and unworthy of a man, much more of a Christian, who has been created for truth and love. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Eph. iv. 25. Q. If we would avoid sins against the ninth commandment, what rule must we follow ? A. We must bridle our tongue. He that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, that they speak no guile. 1 Pet. iii. 10. If any man among |