The art of dying well

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COLL CHRIST1 REGIS
BIB. MAJOR
JORONTO

CARDINAL BKLLABMK

THE

ART OF DYING WELL.

Stamstatefc from t^e Hatm

OF THE

VENERABLE CARDINAL BEL^ARMINE.

THE REV. JOHN DALTON.

ILonBon:
PRINTED BY RICHARDSON AND SON,

172, FLEET STREET;
9, CAPEL STREET, DDELIN, AND DERBY.

/

TO THE READER.

IN presenting to the public another vol
ume of Bellarmine's spiritual works, I
trust that, like the one already published,*
it will be found not unworthy of the venera
ble author's reputation. He is not indeed
equal to many of the great spiritual writers,
that lived about the time of the Reforma
tion ; " Controversy" was his chief delight,
his characteristic.

But it is well known, that in his old age
and in the holy calm ot solitude, whither
he had retired to prepare his soul for death
he composed several excellent spiritual
treatises. Among these, the "Art of
Dying Well," will be found to contain
many sublime and practical lessons, on the

* " A Gradual Whereby to Ascend unto God," &o
(Jones and Dolman London, 1844.)

IV TO THE READER.

most important of all arts. It is written
with a beautiful simplicity, unction, and
strength of reasoning, supported by many
apposite quotations from the sacred Scrip~
ture and the Fathers. The remarks on
the " Sacraments'* are especially valuable.

I should observe, that after I had trans
lated the work, I found it had already been
translated more than a century ago, by a
Rev. John Ball.-" But on comparing it
with the Latin, I soon found that it was
more a paraphrase than a translation;
that whole sentences were omitted in almost
every page; that remarks were inserted
which were not in the original, and espe
cially that everything connected with the
doctrines of the Catholic Church was care
fully expunged.

The translator, however, acknowledges
as much in his Preface : " Wherever my
author goes off into the Romish innova
tions, I have attempted to give him another
turn. I must farther own, that I have
taken some liberty, where it was proper, to
enlarge his thoughts " &c. (P. v.)

* London, 1720.

TO THE READER. V

This is now called by some living writers,
•who are so fond of translating Catholic
books of devotion, " adapting them to the
use of the English Church."* Is it not a
pity, that many of our best spiritual writers
should be so translated by those of another
communion, and that we ourselves should
be rather backward in giving proper Trans
lations to the public ?

I trust that by the .Blessing of God, this
Translation, (such as it is,) on so important,
so momentous a subject, may produce some
good fruit in due season. And if there be
any who shall feel after its perusal, that
they have gained some spiritual profit to
their soul, may I be allowed to make one
humble yet eaniest request ? This is, that
such would bestow a trifle on me, for the
love of God, towards enabling me to liqui
date the debt still remaining on my Church.
" Charity covereth a multitude of sins/*
and being the Queen of all other virtues,
she powerfully pleads for us before the
throne of mercy, and induces the Almighty

* See the translation of Avrillon, hy Dr. Tusey,

TO THE HEADER.

to bestow His divine grace upon us, that
by leading a good life, we may be enabled
to die a holy Death.

JOHN D ALTON.

St. Mary's Church,

Lynn, Norfolk.

PREFACE OF BELLARMINE.

BEING now free from Public business
and enabled to attend to myself, when in
my usual retreat I consider, what is the
reason why so very few endeavour to learn
the "Art of dying Well," (which all men
ought to know,) I can find no other cause
than that mentioned by the Wise man:
' The perverse are hard to be corrected,
and the number of fools is infinite. "* For
what folly can be imagined greater than to
neglect that Art, on which depend our
highest and eternal interests ; whilst on the
other hand we learn with great labour, and
practise with no less ardour, other almost
innumerable arts, in order either to pre
serve or to increase perishable things?

* Ecclesiastes, i. 15.

PREFACE.

Now every one will admit, that the " Art
of dying Well" is the most important of
all sciences ; at least every one who seri
ously reflects, how after death we shall
have to give an account to God of every
thing we did, spoke, or thought of, during
our whole life, even of every idle word ; and
that the devil being our accuser, our con
science a witness, and God the Judge, a
sentence of happiness or misery everlasting
awaits us. We daily see, how when judg
ment is expected to be given, even on
affairs of the slightest consequence, the in
terested party enjoy no rest, but consult at
one time the lawyers, at another the soli
citors, now the judges, and then their
friends or relations. But in death when a
"Cause" is pending before the Supreme
Judge, connected with life or death eternal,
often is the sinner compelled, when unpre
pared, oppressed by disease, and scarcely
possessed of reason, to give an account of
those things on which when in health, he
had perhaps never once reflected. This is
the reason why miserable mortals rush in
crowds to hell; and as St. Peter saith,

PREFACE. ix

" If the just man shall scarcely be saved,
where shall the ungodly and the sinner
appear?""" I have therefore considered it
would be useful to exhort myself, in the
first place, and then my Brethren, highly
to esteem the "Art of dying Well." And
if there be any who, as yet, have not ac
quired this Art from other learned teachers,
I trust they will not despise, at least those
Precepts which I have endeavoured to
collect, from Holy Writ and the Ancient
Fathers.

But before I treat of these Precepts, I
think it useful to inquire into the nature of
death ; whether it is to be ranked among
good or among evil things. Now if death be
considered absolutely m itself, without doubt
it must be called an evil, because that
which is opposed to life we must admit
cannot be good. Moreover, as the Wise
man saith : " God made not death, but by
the envy of the devil, death came into the
world."! With these words St. Paul also
agrees, when he saith : " Wherefore as by

* 1st of St. Peter, iv. 1
Wisdom i. 11. verses 13 — 24.

X PREFACE.

one man sin entered into this world, and by
sin death: and so death passed upon all
men in whom all have sinned.""" If then
God did not make death, certainly it can
not be good, because every thing which
God hath made is good, according to the
words of Moses : " And God saw all things
that he had made, and they were very
good."

But although death cannot be con
sidered good in itself, yet the wisdom of
God hath so seasoned it as it were, that
from death many blessings arise. Hence
David exclaims ; " Precious in the sight of
the Lord is the death of his saints:" and
the Church speaking of Christ saith : "Who
by His death hath destroyed our death,
and by His resurrection hath regained
life." Now death that hath destroyed
death and regained life, cannot but be very
good : wherefore if every death cannot be
called good, yet at least some may. Hence
St. Ambrose did not hesitate to write a book
entitled, "On the Advantages of Death;"
in which treatise he clearly proves that

* Romans v. 12.

PREFACE. XI

death, although produced by sin, pos
sesses its peculiar advantages.

There is also another reason which
proves that death, although an evil in
itself, can, by the grace of God, produce
many blessings. For, first, there is this
great blessing, that death puts an end to
the numerous miseries of this life. Job
thus eloquently complains of the evils of
this our present state : " Man born of a
woman, living for a short time, is filled
with many miseries. Who conieth forth
like a flower and is destroyed, and fleeth as
a shadow, and never continucth in the
same state.""" And Ecclesiastes saith:
"I praised the dead rather than the living:
and I judged him happier than them both,
that is not yet born, nor hath seen the evils
that are under the sun/'f Ecclesiasticus
likewise adds: " Great labour is created
for all men, and a heavy yoke is upon
the children of Adam, from the day of
their coming out of their mother's womb,
until the day of their burial into the

* Chap. iv.
•j- iv. verses 2, 3.

xii PREFACE.

mother of all. (chap, xl.) The Apostle too
complains of the miseries of this life:
" Unhappy man that I am, who shall
deliver me from the body of this death?"
(Epistle to Romans, vii. 24.)

From these testimonies, tnerefore, of
Holy Writ it is quite evident, that death
possesses an advantage, in freeing us from
the miseries of this life. But it also hath
a still more excellent advantage, because it
may become the gate— from a prison to
a Kingdom. This was revealed by our
Lord to St. John the Evangelist, when for
his faith he had been exiled into, the isle of
Patmos: "And I heard a voice from
heaven saying to me: Write, blessed are
the dead who die in the Lord. From
henceforth now, saith the spirit, that they
may rest from their labours: for their
works follow them.""' Truly " blessed" is
the death of the saints, which by the com
mand of the Heavenly King frees the soul
from the prison of the flesh, and conducts
her to a celestial Kingdom ; where just souls
sweetly rest after all their labours, and for

* Apocalypse xiv. 13.

PREFACE. Xlll

the reward of their good works, receive a
crown of glory. To the souls in purgatory
also, death brings no slight benefit, for it
delivers them from the fear of death, and
makes them certain of possessing one day,
eternal Happiness. Even to wicked men
themselves, death seems to be of some
advantage ; for in freeing them from the
body, it prevents the measure of their
punishment from increasing. On account
of these excellent advantages, death to
good men seems not horrible, but sweet ;
not terrible, but lovely. Hence St. Paul
securely exclaims : " For to me, to live is
Christ ; and to die is gain having a de
sire to be dissolved and to be with Christ:"
and his first Epistle to the Thessalonians,
he saith : "We will not have you ignorant,
brethren, concerning them that are asleep,
that you be not sorrowful, even as others
who have not hope/' (iv. 12.) There lived
some time ago a certain holy lady, named
Catherine Adorna, of Genoa; she was so
inflamed with the love of Christ, that with
the most ardent desires she wished to be
" dissolved/' and to depart to her Beloved :

XIV PREFACE.

hence, seized as it were with a love for
death, she often praised it as most beau
tiful and most lovely, blaming it only for
this— that it fled from those who desired it,
and was found by those who fled from it.

From these considerations then we may
conclude, that death, as produced by sin,
is an evil ; but that, by the grace of Christ
who condescended to suffer death for us, it
hath become in many ways salutary, lovely,
and to be desired.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE.
He who desires to die well, »nust live well, . . 1

CHAPTER II.
The second precept, which is, to die to the world, 4

CHAPTER III.

The third precept, which is concerning the three

theological virtues, ... ... ... 12

CHAPTER IV.

The fourth precept, containing three evangelical

counsels, ... ... ... ... ... 19

CHAPTER V.

The fifth precept, in which the deceitful error

of the rich of this world is exposed, .. 28

CHAPTER VI.

The sixth precept, in which three moral virtues

are explained, 34

CHAPTER VII.
The seventh precept, which is on Prayer, ... 41

CONTE NTS.
CHAPTER VIII.

PAGE.
53

The eighth precept, on Fasting,

CHAPTER IX.
The ninth precept, on Ahnsdeeds, 61

CHAPTER X.

73

CHAPTER XI.

81

CHAPTER XII.

On the holy Eucharist,

... 85

CHAPTER XIII.

On the sacrament of Penance, .

92

CHAPTER XIV.

The fourteenth precept, on the sacrament of

Holy Orders, ... ... ••• ••• 99

CHAPTER XV.

The fifteenth precept, on Matrimony, 107

CHAPTER XVI.

The sixteenth precept, on the sacrament of

Extreme Unction, 115

THE

CHAPTER I.

HE WHO DESIRES TO DIE WELL, MUST LIVE
WELL

I NOW commence the rules to be observed
in the Art of dying well. This art I shall
divide into two parts: in the first I shall
speak of the precepts we must follow whilst
in good health; in the other of those we
should observe when we are dangerously
ill, or near death 's-door.

We shall first treat of those precepts
that relate to virtue; and afterwards of
those which relate to the sacraments : for,
by these two we shall be especially enabled
both to live well, and to die well. But
the general rule, " that he who lives well,
will die well," must be mentioned before
all others : for since death is nothing more

•-» 2

2 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

than the end of life, it is certain that all
who live well to the end, die well; nor can
he die ill, who hath never lived ill ; as, on
the other hand, he who hath never led a
good life, cannot die a good death. The
same thing is observable in many similar
cases : for all that walk along the right
path, are sure to arrive at the place of their
destination ; whilst, on the contrary, they
who wander from it, will never arrive at their
journey's end. They also who diligently
apply to study, will soon become learned
doctors ; but they who do not, will be
ignorant.

But, perhaps, some one may mention, as
an objection, the example of the good thief,
who lived ill and yet died well. This was
not the case ; for that good thief led a holy
life, and therefore died a holy death. But,
even supposing he had spent the greater
part of his days in wickedness, yet the
other part of his life was spent so well, that
he easily repented of his former sins, and
gained the greatest graces. For, burning
with the love of God, he openly defended
our Saviour from the calumnies of His
enemies ; and filled with the same charity
towards his neighbour, he rebuked and ad
monished his blaspheming companion, and
endeavoured to convert him. lie was yet
alive when he thus addressed him, saying:
" Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou
art under the same condemnation ? And we
indeed justly, for we receive the due reward

TIIE ART OF DYING WELL. 3

of our deeds: but this man hath done no
evil." (St. Luke xxiii. 40, 41.) Neither
was he dead when, confessing and calling
upon Christ, he uttered these noble words :
"Lord, remember me when thou shalt
come into thy kingdom." The good thief
then appeared to "have been one of those
who came last into the vineyard, and yet
he received a reward greater than the first.

True, therefore, is the sentence, " He
who lives well, dies well;" and, " He who
lives ill, dies ill." We must acknowledge
that it is a most dangerous thing to deter
till death our conversion from sin to virtue :
far more happy are they who begin to
carry the yoke of the Lord "from their
youth," as Jeremiah saith; and exceedingly
blessed are those, " who were not defiled
with women, and in whose mouth there
was found no lie : for they are without spot
before the throne of God. These were
purchased from among men, the first-fruits
to God and to the Lamb." (Apoc. xiv.
4, 5.) Such were Jeremias, and St. John,
"more than a prophet;" and above all, the
Mother of our Lord, as well as many more
whom God alone knoweth.

This first great truth now remains estab
lished, that a good death depends upon a
good life.

THE ART OF DYING WELL,

CHAPTER II.

THE SECOND PRECEPT, WHICH IS, TO DIE
TO THE WORLD.

Now, that we may live well it is neces
sary, in the first place, that we die to the
world before we die in the body. All they
who live to the world are dead to God : we
cannot in any way begin to live to God,
unless we first die to the wrorld. This
truth is so plainly revealed in Holy Scrip
ture, that it can be denied by no one but
infidels and unbelievers. But, as in the
mouth of two or three witnesses every word
shall stand, I will quote the holy apostles,
St. John, St. James, and St. .Paul, wit
nesses the more powerful, because in them
the Holy Spirit (who is the Spirit of Truth)
plainly speaketh. Thus writes St. John
the Evangelist: " The prince of this world
cometh, and in me he hath not anything,"
(chap. xiv. 30.) Here the devil is meant
by " the prince of this world," who is the
king of all the wicked: and by the "world"
is understood the company of all sinners
who love the world, and are loved by it. A
little lower the same Evangelist continues :
"If the world hate you, know ye that it
hath hated me before you. If you had
been of the world, the world would love its

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 5

own; but because you are not of the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you." And in
another place : " I pray not for the world,
but for them whom thou hast given me."
Here Christ clearly tells us, that by the
" world" those are meant, who, with their
prince the devil, shall hear at the last day :
"'Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." St.
John adds also in his Epistle : " Love not
the world, nor the things that are in the
world. If any man love the world, the
charity of the Father is not in him. For
all that is in the world is the concupiscence
of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the
eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of
the Father, but is of the world. And the
world passeth away, and the concupiscence
thereof. But he that doth the will of God
abideth for ever." (1 Epist. ii.)

Let us now hear how St. James speaks
in his Epistle : " Adulterers, know you not
that the friendship of this world is the
enemy of God? Whosoever, therefore,
will be a Mend of the world, becometh an
enemy to God." (chap. iv. 4.)

Thus St. Paul, that vessel of election,
speaketh; in his First Epistle to the Corin
thians, writing to all the faithful, he says :

' You must needs go out of this world ;"
and in another place in the same Epistle :

' But whilst we are judged, we are chas
tised by the Lord: that we be not con
demned with this world." (chap. xi. 32.)

6 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

Here we are clearly told, that the whole
world will be condemned at the last day.
But by the "world" is not meant heaven
and earth, nor all those who live in it ; but
they only who love the world. The just
and pious — in whom reigneth the love of
God, not the concupiscence of the flesh —
are indeed in the world, but not of the
world : but the wicked are not only in the
world, they are also of the world; and
therefore not the love of God, but the "con
cupiscence of the flesh" reigneth in their
heart, that is, luxury— and ''the concu
piscence of the eyes," which is avarice —
and " the pride of life," which is an esteem
of themselves above others ; and thus they
imitate the arrogance and pride of the
devil, not the humility and mildness of
Jesus Christ.

Since, then, such is the truth, if we wish
to learn the Art of dying well, it is our
bounden and serious duty to_go forth from
the world, not in word and in tongue, but
in deed and in truth : yea, to die to the
world, and to exclaim with the Apostle,
" The world is crucified to me, and I to the
world." This business is no trifling mat
ter, but one of the utmost difficulty and
importance: for our Lord being asked,
"Are they few that are saved?" replied,
" Strive to enter by the narrow gate ;" and
more clearly in St. Matthew doth He speak:
" Enter ye in at the narrow gate : for wide
is the gate and broad is the way that

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 7

leadeth to destruction, and many there are
who go in thereat. How narrow is the
.irate, and strait is the way that leadeth to
life: and few there are that find it!"
(chap, vii.)

To live in the world, and to despise the
pleasures of the world, is very difficult : to
see beautiful objects, and not to love them;
to taste sweet things, and not to be de
lighted with them ; to despise honours, to
court labours, willingly to occupy the lowest
place, to yield the highest to all others — in
fine, to live in the flesh as if not having
flesh, this seems rather to belong to angels
than to men ; and yet the apostle, writing
to the Church of the Corinthians, in which
nearly all lived with their wives, and who
were therefore neither clerics, nor monks,
nor anchorets, but, according to the ex
pression now used, were seculars — still, he
thus addresses them: "This therefore I
say, brethren, the time is short; it ro
inaineth, that they also who have wives be
as if they had none ; and they that weep,
as though they wept not ; and they that
rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they
that buy, as though they possessed not;
and they that use this world, as if they
used it not, for the fashion of this world
passeth away." (1 Corinth, vii. 29. <fcc.)

By these words the apostle exhorts the
faithful that, being encouraged by the hope
of eternal happiness, they should be as little
affected by earthly things as if they did not

8 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

belong to them ; that they should love
their wives only with a moderated love, as
if they had them not ; that if they wept for
the loss of children or of their goods, they
should weep but little, as if they were not
sorrowful; that if they rejoiced at their
worldly honours or success, they should re
joice as if they had no occasion to rejoice
—that is, as if joy did not belong to them ;
that if they bought a house or field, they
should be as little affected by it as if they
did not possess it. In fine, the apostle
orders us so to live in the world, as if we were
strangers and pilgrims, not citizens. And
this St. Peter more clearly teaches where
he says : " Dearly beloved, I beseech you
as strangers and pilgrims to refrain your
selves from carnal desires which war against
the soul." (1 Epist. ii.) Thus the most
glorious prince of the apostles wishes us, so
to live in our own house and city as if we
dwelt in another's, being little solicitous
whether there is abundance or scarcity of
provisions. But he commands us, that we
so abstain "from carnal desires which war
against the soul;" for carnal desires do
not easily arise when we see those things
which do not belong _ to us. This, there
fore, is the way to be in the world, and not
of the world, which those do who, being
dead to the world, live to God alone ; and,
therefore, such do not fear the death of the
body, which brings them not harm but
gain, according to the saying of the Apos-

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 9

tie Paul, '"'For to me, to live is Christ: and
to die is gain."

And how many, I ask, shall we find in.
our times, so dead to the world as already
to have learnt to die to the flesh, and thus
to secure their salvation ? I have certainly
no doubt, that in the Catholic Church are
to be found, not only in monasteries and
amongst the clergy, but even in the world,
many holy men, truly dead to the world,
who have learned the Art of dying well.
But it cannot be denied also, that many
are to be found, not only not dead to the
world, but ardently fond of it, and lovers of
its pleasures, riches, and honours : these,
unless they resolve to die to the world, and
in reality do so, without doubt will die a
bad death, and be condemned with the
world, as the apostle saith.

But perhaps the lovers of the world may
reply, " It is very difficult to die to the
world, whilst we are living in it; and to
despise those good things which God has
created for our enjoyment." To these
words I answer, that God does not wish
us entirely and absolutely to neglect or
despise the riches and honours of this
world. Abraham was an especial favourite
with God ; and yet he possessed great
riches. David also, and Ezechias, and
Josias, were most powerful kings ; and at
the same time most pleasing to God : the
same may be said of many Christian kings
and emperors. The good things of this

10 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

life, therefore — its riches, honours, and
pleasures — are not entirely forbidden to
Christians, but only an immoderate love of
them, which is named by St. John, " the
concupiscence of the flesh, the concu
piscence of the eyes, and the pride of life."
Abraham certainly possessed great riches,
but he not only made a moderate use of
them, he was also most willing to dispose
of them, when and how the Almighty
willed. For he who spared not his only
beloved son, how much more easily could
he part with his riches, if God so wished ?
Wherefore Abraham was rich, but he was
richer in faith and charity; and there
fore he was not of the world, but rather
dead to it. The same may be said of
other holy men, who, possessed of riches,
power, and glory, and even kingdoms,
were yet poor in spirit, dead to the world,
and thus living to God alone, they learned
perfectly the Art of dying well Wherefore,
not abundance of riches, nor kingdoms, nor
honours, make us to be of the world ; but
"the concupiscence of the flesh, the concu
piscence of the eyes, and the pride of life,''
which in one word is called cupidity, and is
opposed to divine charity. If then we should
begin, the grace of God inspiring us, to
love God for His own sake and our neigh
bours for God's sake, we shall then not be
of this world : and as our love increaseth,
our cupidity will diminish ; for charity can
not increase without the other diminish-

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 11

ing. Thus, what appeared impossible to
be done, when our passions reigned within
us, " to live in this world as if we did not
belong to it," will be made most easy
when love resides in our heart. What is
an insupportable burden to cupidity, is
sweet and light to love.

As we said above, to die to the world is
no light matter, but a business of the
greatest difficulty and importance. Those
find it most difficult who know not the
power of God's grace, nor have tasted of
the sweetness of His love, but are carnal,
not having the Spirit: all carnal objects
become insipid, when once we taste of the
divine sweetness.

Wherefore, he who seriously desireth to
learn the Art of dying well, on which his
etenial salvation and all true happiness
depend, must not defer quitting this world,
and entirely dying to it: he cannot pos
sibly live to the world and to God; he
cannot enjoy earth and heaven

12 THE ART OF DTIXG WELL.

CHAPTER III.

THE THIRD PRECEPT, WHICH IS CONCERNING
THE THREE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES.

IN the last chapter we showed, that no
one can die a good death, without first
dying to the world. Now we shall point
out wheat he must do who is dead to the
world, in order that he may live to God ;
for in the first chapter we proved, that no
man can die well, without having lived
well. The essence of a good life is laid
down by St. Paul, in his first Epistle to
Timothy, in these words : " Now the end
of the commandment is charity from a pure
heart, and a good conscience, and an un
feigned faith." (chap, i.) The apostle was
not ignorant of the answer our Lord gave
to one who had asked Him : " What shall
I do to possess eternal life ? " He answered,
" If thou wilt enter into life, keep the com
mandments." But the apostle wished to
explain, in the fewest words, the end of the
first commandment, on which the whole
law, and the understanding of it, and its
observance, and the way to eternal life,
depend. At the same time he also wished
to teach us, what are the virtues necessary
to attain perfect justice, of which he had
spoken in another place : " And now there

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 13

remain faith, hope, charity, these three:
but the greater of these is charity."
(1 Epist. to Corinth, xiii. 13.) He says,
therefore, the end of the precpts is ' Cha
rity:' that is, the end of all precepts, the
observance of which is necessary for a good
life, consists in charity. Thus, he that
loves God, fulfils all the precepts which
relate to the first table of the law ; and he
that loves his neighbour, fulfils all the com
mands which relate to the second. This
truth St. Paul teaches more clearly in his
Epistle to the Romans: "He that loveth
his neighbour, hath fulfilled the law. For,
thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt
not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not
bear false witness, thou shalt not covet:
And if there be any other commandment,
it is comprised in this word, Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself. The love of
our neighbour worketh no evil. Love,
therefore, is the fulfilling of the law."
(chap. xiii. 8, <fcc.) From these words we
can understand, that all the precepts which
relate to the worship of God, are included
in charity. For as the love of one neigh
bour towards another does not produce
evil ; so also the love of God cannot pro
duce evil. Wherefore the fulfilling of the
law, both as regards God and our neigh
bour, is love. J3ut what is the nature of
true and perfect charity towards God and
our neighbour ? the same apostle declareth
Baying: "Charity, from a pure heart, and a

14 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

good conscience, and in unfeigned faith."
In these words, by a "good conscience,"
we understand with St. Augustine, in his
Preface to the xxxi. Psalm, the virtue of
hope, which is one of the three theological
virtues. Hope is called a "good con
science," because it springs from a good
conscience, just the same as despair arises
from an evil conscience ; hence St. John
saith : " Dearly beloved, if our heart do not
reprehend us, we have confidence towards
God." (I Epist. iii. 21.)

There are, therefore, three virtues, in
which the perfection of the Christian law
consists; charity from a pure heart, hope
from a good conscience, and faith un
feigned. But as charity is first in the
order of perfection, so in the order of gene
ration, faith cometh first, according to the
words of the apostle : " Now there remain,
faith, hope, charity, these three ; but the
greater of these is charity."

Let us begin with faith, which is the first
of all the virtues that exists in the heart of
a justified man. Not without reason, doth
the apostle add " unfeigned" to faith. For
faith begins justification, provided it be
true and sincere, not false or feigned. The
faith of heretics does not begin justifica
tion, because it is not true, but false ; the
faith of bad Catholics does not begin justi
fication, because it is not sincere, but
feigned. It is said to be feigned in two
ways : when either we do not really believe,

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 15

but only pretend to believe; or when we
indeed believe, but do not live, as we be
lieve we ought to do

In both these ways it seems the words of
St. Paul must be understood, in his Epis
tle to Titus: "They profess that they
know God : but in their works they deny
him." (chap. i. 16.) Thus also do the holy
fathers St. Jerome and St. Augustine, in
terpret these words of the apostle.

Now, from this first virtue of a just man,
we may easily understand, how great
must be the multitude of those who do not
live well, and who therefore die ill. I pass
by infidels, pagans, heretics, and athe
ists, who are completely ignorant of the Art
of dying well. And amongst Catholics,
how many are there who in words, " pro
fess to know God, but in their works deny
him?" Who acknowledge the mother of
our Lord to be a virgin, and yet fear not
to blaspheme her? Who praise prayer,
fasting, almsdeeds, and other good works,
arid yet always indulge in the opposite
vices ? I omit other things that are known
to all. Let not those then boast that they
possess " unfeigned " faith, who either do
not believe what they pretend to believe,
or else do not live as the Catholic Church
commands them to do ; and therefore they
acknowledge by this conduct, that they
have not yet begun to live well: nor can
they hope to die happily, unless by the

16 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

grace of God they learn the Art of living
well.

Another virtue of a just man is hope, or
"a good conscience," as St. Paul has
taught us to call it. This virtue comes
from faith, for he cannot hope in God who
either does not know the true God, or does
not believe Him to be powerful and merci
ful. But to excite and strengthen our
faith, that so it may be called not merely
hope, but even confidence, a good con
science is very necessary. For how can
any one approach God, and ask favours
from Him, when he is conscious of heaving
committed sin, and of not having expiated
it by true repentance ? Who asks a benefit
from an enemy? Who can expect to be
relieved by him, who he knows is incensea
against him ?

Hear what the wise man thinks 01 tne
hope of the wicked: "The hope of the
wicked is as dust, which is blown away
with the wind, and as a thin froth which is
dispersed by the storm : and a smoke that
is scattered abroad by the wind ; and as
the remembrance of a guest of one day that
passeth by." (Wisdom v. 15.). Thus the
wise man admonishes the wicked, that
their hope is weak — not strong ; short— not
lasting ; they may indeed, whilst they are
alive, entertain somes hopes, that some
day they will repent and be reconciled to
God : but when death overtakes them, un
less the Almighty by a special grace move

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 17

their heart, and inspire them with true sor
row, their hope will be changed into
despair, and they will exclaim with the rest
of the wicked : " Therefore we have erred
from the way of truth, and the light of jus
tice hath not shined unto us, and the sun
of understanding hath not risen upon us.

What hath pride profited us? or what

advantage hath the boasting of riches
brought us? All those things are passed
away like a shadow," &c. (Wisdom v.
6 — 8.) Thus doth the wise man admonish
us, that if we wish to live well and die
well, we must not dare to remain in sin,
even for one moment, nor allow ourselves
to be deceived by a vain confidence, that
we have as yet many years to live, and
that time will be given to us for repentance.
Such a vain confidence hath deceived
many, and will deceive many more, unless
they wisely learn whilst they have time
the Art of dying well.

^ There now remaineth charity, the third
virtue, which is justly called the " queen of
virtues;" with this no one can perish, with
out it no one can live, either in this life or
in the next. But that alone is true charity
which springs from a " pure heart:" it is
"from God," as St. John saith; and also
more clearly St. Paul, "The charity of
God is poured forth in our hearts by the
Holy Ghost, who is given to us." (Epist. to
Romans v. 5.) Charity is therefore said to
come from a "pure heart," because it is

18 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

not enkindled in an impure heart, but in
one purified from its errors by faith, ac
cording to the words of the apostle Peter :
"purifying their hearts by faith:" and by
divine hope, it is also purified from the love
and desire of earthly things. For as a fire
cannot be enkindled in wood that is green
or damp, but only in dry wood ; so also the
fire of charity requires a heart purified from
earthly affections, and from a foolish confi
dence in its own strength.

From this explanation we can under
stand what is true charity, and what false
and feigned. For should we delight to
speak of God, and shed even tears at our
prayers — should we do many good works,
give alms and often fast; but yet allow
impure love to remain in our heart, or
vain glory, or hatred to our neighbour,
or any other of those vices that make our
hearts depraved — this is not true and di
vine charity, but only its shadow. With
the greatest reason then does St. Paul,
when speaking of true and perfect justice,
not mention simply, faith, hope, and cha
rity : but he adds, " Now the end of the
commandment is charity from a pure
heart, and a good conscience, and an un
feigned faith." This is the true Art of
living and dying well, if we persevere till
death in true and perfect charity

THE ART OF DYING WELL.

CHAPTER IV.

THE FOURTH PRECEPT, CONTAINING THREE
EVANGELICAL COUNSELS.

ALTHOUGH what we have said on faith,
hope, and charity, may seem sufficient to
enable us to live well and die well ; yet, in
order to effect these two objects more per
fectly and more easily, our Lord Himself
has deigned to give us three counsels in
the Holy Scriptures: thus He speaks in
St. Luke : " Let your loins be girt, and
lamps burning in your hands. And you
yourselves like to men who wait for their
lord, when he shall return from the wed
ding ; that when he cometh and knocketh,
they may open to him immediately. Blessed
are those servants, whom the Lord, when
he cometh, shall find watching." (chap.
xii. 35, 36.)

This parable may be understood in two
ways : of preparation for the coming of our
Lord at the last day, and for His coming
at the particular death of each one. This
latter explanation — which is that of St.
Gregory on this gospel"' — seems more
adapted to our subject : for the expectation
of the last day, will chiefly regard only

* Homily xiii.

20 .' THE ART OF DYING WELL.

those who will then be alive: our Lord
seems to have intended it for the apostles,
not for all Christians, although the apostles
and their successors were many ages dis
tant from this day. Moreover, many signs
will precede the last day, that will terrify
men, according to the words of our Lord :
" And there shall be signs in the sun, and
in the moon, and in the stars: and upon the

earth distress of nations Men withering

away for fear, and expectation of what
shall come upon the whole world."

But no certain signs will precede the
particular death of each one: and such 'a
coming ' do those words signify, which are so
frequently repeated in the Holy Scripture,
that the Lord will come like " a thief" —
that is, when He is least expected.

We will, therefore, briefly explain this
parable, understanding by it that prepara
tion for death, which above all things is so
absolutely necessary for us. Our Lord
commands us all to observe three things :
First, that we have "our loins girt;"
Secondly, that we have " lamps burning in
our hands;" Thirdly, that we "watch " in
expectation of the coming of our Judge,
being no less ignorant when He will come,
than we are of the coming of thieves. Let
us explain the words, " Let your loins be
girt." The literal meaning of these words
is, that we should be ready prepared to go
forth and meet the Lord, when death shall
call us to our particular judgment. The

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 21

comparison of the garments being girt, is
taken from the custom of Eastern nations
that use long garments ; and when they are
about to go on a journey or to walk, they
gather up their garments and gird their
loins, lest their garments should be in their
way. Hence it is said of the angel Raphael,
who had come as a guide to the younger
Tobias : " Then going forth, found a beau
tiful young man, standing girded, and as it
were ready to walk." (Tobias v. 5.)

And according to the same custom of the
Orientals, St. reter writes : " Wherefore,
haying the loins of your mind girt up,
being sober, trust perfectly in the grace
which is offered you," &c. (1 Epist. i. 13.)
And St. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephe-
sians says : " Stand therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth." (i. 14.)

Now, to have our "loins girt," signifies
two things: First, the virtue of chastity;
Secondly, a readiness to meet our Lord
coming to judgment, whether it be the par
ticular or the general judgment. The holy
fathers, St. Basil, St. Augustine, and St.
Gregory, give the first explanation. And
truly, the concupiscence of the flesh, be
yond all other passions, doth greatly hin
der us from being ready to meet Christ;
whilst, on the other hand, nothing makes
us more fit to follow our Lord, than virgi
nal chastity. We read in the Apocalypse
how virgins follow the Lamb "whither
soever he goeth." And the apostle saith:

22 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

" lie that is without a wife is solicitous for
the things that belong to the Lord, how he
may please ^God. 13ut he that is with a
wife, is solicitous for the things of the
world, how he may please his wife ; and he
is divided." (1 Epist. to Cor. yii. 32, 33.)
But another explanation, which does not
restrict the "the loins girt" to continence
alone, but includes a ready obedience to
Christ in all things, is that of St. Cy
prian :~;:' we shall also follow the explanation
which most commentators give of this pas
sage. The meaning then of these words
is, that the affairs of this life — even the
most necessary and important — must not so
occupy our mind as to hinder us from di
recting our first thoughts, by preparing to
meet Christ when He shall call upon us at
our death, to give an account of all our
works, yea, of all our words and thoughts,
even unto every idle word and frivolous
thought. What will they do then, when
death cometh suddenly upon them, who
are now wholly immersed in worldly cares,
and who never think — for one moment — of
the account they will have to give to God,
of all their works, of all their words, of all
their thoughts, of all their desires, and of
all their omissions ? Will these be able to
meet Christ, with their loins girt ? Rather,
will they not, being entangled and bound,
fall in their sins into despair ? For what

* Liber dc Exhortat. ilartyrii, cap. viii.

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 23

can they answer, when the Judge shall say
unto them : "Why did you not attend to my
words, with which I so often admonished
you, saying : 'Seek first the kingdom of God
and his justice, and all other things shall
be added unto you?' And why also did
you not consider those words, which you
must have so often heard in the church,
' Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and
art troubled about many things. But one
thing is necessary. Maiy hath chosen the
better part, which shall not be taken away
from her ? ' If I reprehended Martha, who
was so anxious to serve me, can I be
pleased with your anxiety to hoard up
superfluous wealth, to attain dangerous
honours, to satisfy your sinful passions;
and, in the mean time, to forget the king
dom of God and His justice, which above
all other things is so necessary for you?"

But we will now explain another duty of
the diligent and faithful servant: "And
lamps burning in your hand." It is not
sufficient for the faithful servant to have his
"loins girt," that so he may freely and easily
meet his Lord; a burning lamp is also
required to show him the way, because at
night he should be expecting the Lord,
when Ho returneth from the nuptial ban
quet. In this place, "the lamp" signifies
the law of Gocl, which will point out the
right path. David saith: " Thy word is a
lamp to my feet, and a light to my path."
The "law is a light/' saith Solomon in the

24 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

Book of Proverbs. But this lamp cannot
illumine or point out the way, if it be left
in cur chamber or house, and therefore we
must hold it in our hand, that it may
show us the right way. Many there
are well acquainted with divine and hu
man laws, but they commit many sins,
or omit many good and necessary works,
because they have not a lamp in their
hands — • that is, because their know
ledge does not extend to works. How
many most learned men are there, who
commit very grievous sins, because when
they act they consult not the law of the
Lord, but their anger, their lust, or some
other passion ! If king David, when he
saw Bethsabee naked, had remembered the
command of God, " Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbour's wife," he would never have
fallen into so great a crime ; but, because
he was delighted with the beauty of the
woman, forgetting the divine law, this man,
once so just and holy, committed adultery.
Wherefore, we must always hold the lamp
of the law, not hidden in our chamber, but
in our hands, and obey those words of the
Holy Spirit, who orders us to meditate on
the law of the Lord " day and night," that
so with the prophet we may say: "Thou
hast commanded thy commandments to be
kept most diligently. 0 that my ways may
be directed to keep thy justifications!
(Psalm cxviii.) He who always keeps be
fore his eyes the lamp of the law, will

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 25

always be ready to meet his Lord when
ever He cpmeth.

The third and last duty of the faithful
servant is "to watch/' being uncertain
when the Lord shall come : " Blessed are
those servants whom, when the Lord shall
come, he shall find watching." Our Crea
tor does not wish that men should die at a
certain known time, lest during all the
period before this they should indulge in
sin, and then endeavour to be converted to
God a little before their death. Divine
Providence hath, therefore, so disposed
things that nothing is more uncertain than
the hour of death : some die in the womb,
some when scarcely born, some in extreme
old age, some in the flower of youth, whilst
others languish a long time, or die sud
denly, or recover from a severe sickness and
almost incurable disease; others are only
slightly affected, but when they seem secure
from death, the disease comes on again,
and takes them away. To this uncer
tainty our Lord alludes in the Gospel :
"And if he shall come in the second watch,
or come in the third watch, and find them
so, blessed are those servants. But this
know ye, that if the householder did
know at what hour the thief would come,
he would surely watch, and would not suf
fer his house to be broken open. Be you
then also ready : for at what hour you
think not, the Son of Man will come."
(St. Luke xii. 38, tkc.) In order that we

26 TIIE ART OF DYING WELL.

may be convinced how important it is for
us to be persuaded of the uncertainty of the
time in which the Lord shall come to judge
— whether it be at our death, or at the end
of the world — nothing is more frequently
repeated in the Holy Scriptures than the
word, " Watch," and also the comparison
of the " Thief," who often cometh when he
is least expected. The word, 'Watch,"
continually found in the Gospels of St.
Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke ; also in
the Epistles of the Apostles, and in the
Apocalypse.

From these considerations it is evident,
how great must be the negligence and
ignorance, not to say the blindness and
madness of the greater part of mankind,
who, although so often warned by the
Spirit of Truth itself, who cannot deceive,
to prepare for death, (that great and most
difficult affair, 011 which eternal happiness
or misery depends ;) yet few are there that
are roused by the words, or rather by the
thunder of the Holy Spirit.

But some one may reply: "What advice
do you give to teach us to ' watch' as
we ought, and by watching to prepare for
a good death?" Nothing more useful
occurs to me, than for us frequently and
seriously to examine our conscience, that
so we may prepare for death. All Catho
lics, when every year they are about to
confess their sins, fail not beforehand to
examine their conscience. And, indeed,

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 27

when they fall sick, according to the decree
of Pope Pius V., the doctor is forbidden to
visit them a _ second time, until, having
examined their conscience, their sins have
been expiated by an humble confession.
In fine, there are hardly any Catholics,
who, when near death, do not confess their
sins. But what shall we say of those who
are snatched away by a sudden death?
V\ hat of those who are afflicted with mad
ness, or fall into delirium before confession?
What of those who, being grievously
afflicted by their disease, cannot even think
of their ^ sins ? What of those who sin
whilst dying, or die in sin, as they do who
engage in an unjust war, or in a duel, or
are killed in the act of adultery ?

Prudently to avoid these and other like
misfortunes, nothing can be imagined more
useful than for those who value their salva
tion, , twice every day, morning and night,
diligently to examine their conscience;
what they have done during the night,
or the preceding day ; what they have
said, desired, or thought of, in which
sin may have entered; and if they shall
discover anything mortal, let thein not
defer seeking the remedy of true con
trition, with a resolution to approach the
sacrament of penance on the very first
opportunity. Wherefore, let them ask of
trod the gift of contrition, let them ponder
on the enormity of sin, let them detest their
sms from their heart, and seriously ask

28 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

themselves who is the "offended and the
offenders." Man, a worm, offends God
the Almighty; a base slave, the Lord of
heaven and earth ! Spare not then your
tears, nor cease to strike your breast: in
fine, make a firm resolution never more to
offend God, never more to irritate the best
of Fathers. If this examination be con
tinued morning and night, or at least once
in the day, it can scarcely happen that we
shall die in sin, or mad, or delirious. Thus
it will be, that every preparation being
made for a good death, neither its uncer
tainty will trouble us, nor the happiness of
eternal life fail us.

CHAPTER V.

THE FIFTH PRECEPT, IN WHICH THE DE
CEITFUL ERROR OF THE RICH OF THIS
WORLD IS EXPOSED.

IN addition to what has been already said,
I must add the refutation of a certain error
very prevalent among the rich of this world,
and which greatly hinders them from living
well and dying well. The error consists in
this : the rich suppose that the wealth they
possess is absolutely their own property, if
justly acquired; and that therefore they

T1IE ART OF DYING WELL. 29

may lawfully spend, give away, or squan-
• der their money, and that no one can
say to them, "Why do you do so? Why
dress so richly? Why feast so sumptuously?
Why so prodigal in supporting your dogs
and hawks? Why do you spend so much
money in gaming, or other such-like plea
sures?" They will answer: "What is it
to you ? Is it not lawful for me to do what
I will with my own ?"

Now, this error is doubtless most grievous
and pernicious: for, granting that the
" rich" are the masters of their own pro
perty with relation to other men ; yet, with
regard to God, they are not masters, but
only administrators or stewards. This
truth can be proved by many arguments.
Hear the royal prophet : " The earth is the
Lord's, and the fulness thereof: the world
and all they that dwell therein." (Psalm
xxiii.) And again : " For all the beasts of
the wood are mine : the cattle on the hills,
and the oxen. If I should be hungry, I
would not tell thee : for the world is mine,
and the fulness thereof." (Psalm xlix.)

And in the first book of Paralipomenon,
when David had offered for the building of
the temple three thousand talents of gold
and seven thousand talents of silver, and
Parian marble in the greatest abundance ;
and when, moved by the example of the
king, the princes of the tribes had offered
five thousand talents of gold, and ten thou
sand of silver, and eighteen thousand of

30 THE ART OF DYING WELL

brass, and a hundred thousand of iron, then
David said to God: "Thine, O Lord, is
magnificence, and power, and glory, and
victory : and to thee is praise ; for all that
is in heaven or earth is thine : thine is the
kingdom, 0 Lord, and thon art above all
princes. Thine are riches, and thine is

glory, thou hast dominion over all : in thy
and is power and might: in thy hand
greatness and the empire of all things.
Who am I, what is my people, that we
should be able to promise thee all these
things ? All things are thine ; and we have
given thee what we have received of thy
hand." (chap. xxix. 11, &c.) To these
may be added the testimony of God Him
self, wrho by Aggscus the prophet saith:
"Mine is silver, and mine is gold." This
the Lord spoke, that the people might un
derstand that for the new building of the
temple nothing would be wanting, since
He himself would order its erection, to
whom belonged all the gold and silver in
the world.

I shall add two more testimonies from
the words of Christ, in the New Testa
ment : " There was a certain rich man who
had a steward : and the same was accused
unto him, that he had wasted his goods.
And he called him, and said to him : How
is it I hear this of thee ? Give an account
of thy stewardship : for now thou canst be
steward no longer." (St. Luke xvi.) By
the "rich man" is here meant God, who,

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 31

as we have just said, crieth out by the pro
phet Aggseus : " Mine is silver, and mine
is gold." By the "steward" is to be un
derstood a rich man, as the holy Fathers
teach, St. Chrysostom, St. Augustine, St.
Ambrose, Venerable Bede, besides Theo-
phylact, and Euthymius, and others on this
passage. If the Gospel, then, is to be
credited, every rich man of this world must
acknowledge that the riches he possesses,
whether justly or unjustly acquired, are not
his : that if they be justly acquired, he is
only the steward of them ; if unjustly, that
he is nothing but a thief and a robber. And
since the rich man is not the master of the
wealth he possesses, it follows that, when
accused of injustice before God, God re
moves him from his stewardship, either by
death or by want : such do the words sig
nify, "Give an account of thy stewardship,
for now thou canst be steward no longer."
God will never be in want of ways to reduce
the rich to poverty, and thus to remove them
from their stewardship: such as by ship
wrecks, robberies, hail-storms, cankers,
too much rain, drought, and many other
kinds of afflictions — so many voices of God
exclaiming to the rich: "Thou canst be
steward no longer."

But when, towards the end of the para
ble, our Lord says: "Make unto you
friends of the mammon of iniquity, that
when you shall fail, they may receive you
into everlasting dwellings," He does not

32 THE ART OF TRYING WELL.

mean that alms are to he given out of unjust
riches, but of riches that are not riches,
properly so speaking, but only the shadows
of them. This is evidently the meaning
from another passage in the same Gospel of
St. Luke : " If then you have not been
faithful in the unjust mammon, who will
trust you with that which is the true?"
The meaning of these words is : "If in the
unjust mammon" — that is, false riches —
"you have not been faithful" in giving libe
rally to the poor, "who will trust you" with
true riches — the riches of virtues, which
make men truly rich ? This is the expla
nation given by St. Cyprian, and also by
St. Augustine in the second book of his
Evangelical Questions, where he says that
mammon signifies "riches;" which the
foolish and wicked alone consider to be
riches, whilst wise and good men despise
them, and assert that spiritual gifts are
alone to be considered true riches.

There is another passage in the same
Gospel of St. Luke, which may be consi
dered as a kind of commentary on the un
just steward: "There was a certain rich
man, who was clothed in purple and fine
linen, and feasted sumptuously every day.
And there was a certain beggar named
Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores.
Desiring to be filled with the crumbs that
fell from the rich man's table, and no one
did give him; moreover, the dogs came
and licked his sores. And it came to pass

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 33

that the beggar died, and was carried by
the angels into Abraham's bosom. And
the rich man also died : and he was buried
in hell." This Dives was certainly one of
those who supposed he was master of his
own money, and not a steward under God;
and therefore he imagined not that he
offended against God, when he was clothed
in purple and linen, and feasted sump
tuously every day, and had his dogs, and
his buffoons, <fcc. For he perhaps said
within himself: " I spend my own money,
I do no injury to any one, I violate not the
laws of God, I do not blaspheme nor swear,
I observe the sabbath, I honour my pa
rents, I do not kill, nor commit adultery,
nor steal, nor bear false witness, nor do I
covet^ my neighbour's wife, or anything
else." But if such was the case, why was
he buried in hell ? why tormented in the
fire ? We must then acknowledge that all
those are deceived who suppose they are
the /'absolute" masters of their money;
for if Dives had any more grievous sins to
answer for, the Holy Scripture would cer-
tainlv have mentioned them. But since
nothing more has been added, we are given
to understand that the superfluous adorn
ment of his body with costly garments, and
his daily magnificent banquets, and tluj
multitude of his servants and dogs, whilst
he had no compassion for the poor, was a
sufficient cause of his condemnation to

BIB. MAJOR
TORONTO

34 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

Let it, therefore, be a fixed rule for living
well and dying well, often to consider and
seriously to ponder on the account that
must be given to God of our luxury in
palaces, in gardens, in chariots, in the
multitude of servants, in the splendour of
dress, in banquets, in hoarding up riches,
in unnecessary expenses, which injure a
great multitude of the poor and sick, who
stand in need of our superfluities ; and
who now cry to God, and in the day of
judgment will not cease crying out until
we, together with the rich man, shall be
condemned to eternal flames.

CHAPTER VI.

THE SIXTH PRECEPT, IN WHICH THREE
MORAL VIRTUES ARE EXPLAINED.

ALTHOUGH the three theological virtues
— faith, hope, and charity — include all the
rules for living well, and therefore dying
well ; yet the Holy Spirit, the author of all
the books of Scripture, for the better un
derstanding of this most necessary art, has
added three other virtues, which in a won
derful manner help men to live well and
die well. These are, sobriety, justice, and
piety — of which the Apostle Paul speaks in

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 35

his Epistle to Titus: "For the grace of our
Lord ^ Jesus Christ hath appeared to all
men, instructing us that, denying ungodli
ness and worldly desires, we should live
soberly, and justly, and godly in this world,
looking for the blessed hope and coming of
the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ," ^ (chap, ii.) This, therefore, will
be the sixth precept for living well and
dying well: ''that, denying ungodliness
and worldly desires, we should live soberly,
and justly, and godly in this world." Here
is an epitome of the whole of the divine
law, reduced into one short sentence:
'' Decline from evil, and do good." (Psalm,
xxxyi.) In evil there are two things ; a
turning away from God, and a turning to
creatures, according to the prophet Jere-
mias : ' ' My people have done two evils :
they have forsaken me, the fountain of
living waters, and have digged to them
selves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can
hold no water." (chap. ii. 13.) What must
he therefore do, who wishes to decline from
evil? He must "deny ungodliness and
worldly desires." Ungodliness turns us
away from God, and '" worldly desires"
turn us to creatures. As to doing good,
we shall then fulfil the law when we live
"soberly, justly, and piously" —that is,
when we are sober towards ourselves, just
towards our neighbour, and pious towards
God.

But we will enter a little more into de-

3G THE ART OF DYING WELL

tail, in order to reduce more easily to prac
tice this most salutary precept. What,
then, is ungodliness? A vice contrary to
piety. What is piety ? A virtue, or gift of
the Holy Spirit, by which we regard God,
and worship Him, and venerate Him as our
Father. We are therefore commanded so
to deny ungodliness, that we may "live
piously in this world ;" or, what amounts
to the same thing, so to live piously in this
world, that we may deny all ungodliness.
But why are these two mentioned, since
Due would be sufficient ? The Holy Spirit
sras thus pleased to speak, in order to make
as understand that if we wish to please
God, we must be so in love with piety as to
admit of no impiety. For there are many
Christians who seem pious by praying to
God, by assisting at the adorable sacrifice,
by hearing sermons, <fcc. ; but, in the
meanwhile, they either blaspheme God, or
swear falsely, or break through their vows.
And what else is this, but to pretend to be
"pious" towards God, and yet be impious
at the same time ? Wherefore, it behoveth
those who desire to live well that they may
die well, so to worship God as to deny all
ungodliness — .yea, even the very shadow of
it. For it will be of little profit daily to
hear mass, and to adore Christ in the
holy mysteries, if, in the mean time, we
impiously blaspheme God, or swear by His
holy name.
But we must also carefully remark, that

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 37

the apostle does not say, " denying ungod
liness/' but "all ungodliness" — that is, all
kind of impiety; not only the more heinous
sort, but even the slightest. And this is
said against those who hesitate not to swear
without necessity; who in sacred places
gaze at females in an unbecoming, though
not lascivious manner; who talk during
mass, and commit other offences, as if they
believed God was not present, and did not
observe even the slightest sins. Our God
is a jealous God, "visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children, unto the
third and fourth generation of them that
hate me : and showing mercy unto thou
sands to them that love me, and keep mv
commandments/' This the Son of God
Himself has taught us by His own exam-

Ele, who, although meek and humble of
eart, ''when he was reviled, did not revile;
when he suffered, he threatened not ;" but
when he saw in the temple "them that sold
oxen, and sheep, and doves, and the
changers of money sittinsr," beinsr inflamed
with great zeal, He made a scourge of little
cords, and the money of the changers he
poured out, their tables he overthrew, say
ing: " My house is a house of prayer, but
you have made it a den of thieves/' And
this He did twice — once in the first year of
bis preaching, according to St. John ; and
again m the hist year of his ministry,
according to the testimony of three Evan
gelists.

38 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

Let us now proceed to the second virtue,
which directs our actions towards our
neighbours. This virtue is justice, of which
the apostle speaks, that, " denying worldly
desires, we live justly." Here that general
sentence, "Decline from evil, and do
good," is included; for there cannot be
true justice towards our neighbours, where
worldly desires prevail. But what do
worldly desires mean but "the concupis
cence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the
eyes, and the pride of life?" These are
not from God, but of the world. Where
fore, as justice cannot be unjust, so also
"worldly desires" cannot in any manner be
united with true justice. A child of this
world may indeed affect justice in ivords ;
but he cannot possibly do so in deed and in
truth. The apostle then most wisely said,
not only that we should live justly, but he
premised "denying worldly desires," that
he might make us understand the poisonous
root of concupiscence must first be plucked
up, before the good tree of iustice can be
planted in our heart. ^

No one can question what is meant by
living "justly;" for we all know that jus
tice commands us to give each one his due ;
the apostle saith : " Render therefore to all
men their dues. Tribute, to whom tribute
is due : custom, to whom custom : fear, to
whom fear: honour, to whom honour."
(Epist. to Romans xiii. 7.) Tribute is due
to a prince; honour to parents- fear to

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 39

masters. Thus the apostle speaks by the
prophet Malachy : "If then I be a father,
where is my honour ? And if I be a master,
where is my fear?" To the seller is due
his just price, to the workman his just
wages, and so of all other employments.
And with much greater reason ought those
to whom belongs the distribution of the
public property, confer it on the most deser
ving, not being influenced by any exception
of persons, however related or dear to him
they may be. If, then, we wish to learn
well the Ait of dying well, let us hear the
wise man crying out unto us: "Love justice,
you that are the judges of the earth ;" hear
St. James also lamenting in his Epistle :
" Behold the hire of the labourers, \vlio
have reaped down your fields, which by
fraud has been kept back by you, crieth :
and the cry of them hath entered into the
ears of the Lord of Sabaoth." (chap. v. 4.)
There now remaineth the third virtue,
which is called sobriety, to which " worldly
desires" are no less contrary than to jus
tice^ And here we not only understand by
sobriety the virtue contrary to drunkenness,
but the virtue of temperance or moderation
in general, which makes a man regulate
wrhat regards his body according to reason,
not according to passion. Now this virtue
is very rarely found among men ; " worldly
desires" seem to possess nearly all the rich
of this world. 13ut those who are wise
should not follow the example of the foolish;

40 THE ART OF DYING WELL

although they arc almost innumerable, they
should imitate only the wise. Solomon
was certainly the wisest of men, and yet he
besought God, saying- : " Two things I have
asked of thee, deny them not before I die.
Give me neither beggary nor riches, give
me only the necessaries of life." (chap.
xxx. 7, 8.) The apostle Paul was wise,
and he said : " For we brought nothing
into this world, and certainly we can carry
nothing out; but having food and where
with to be covered, with these we are con
tent." (Epist. to Tim. vi. 7.) These words
are very wise, for why should we be solicit
ous for superfluous riches, when we cannot
take them with us to that place, towards
which death is hurrying us. Christ our Lord
was not only wiser than Solomon and St.
Paul, but He was wisdom itself, and yet
He also hath said, " Blessed are the poor,
and woe to the rich;" and of Himself,
" The foxes have holes, and the birds of
the air nests, but the Son of man hath not
where to lay his head." (St. Luke ix. 58.)
If then " in the mouth of two or three wit
nesses every word shall stand," how much
more shall every word be true in the mouth
of three most wise men ? And if to this we
add, that our unnecessary riches are not
our own, but belong to the poor, (as is the
common opinion of the holy fathers and
scholastic writers,) are not those foolish
men, who carefully hoard up that by which
they will be condemned to hell ?

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 41

If then we wish to learn the Art of dying
and living well, let us not follow the crowd
who only believe and valne what is
seen; but Christ and his apostles must we
follow, who by word and deed have taught
us that present things are to be despised,
and " the hope and coming of the glory of
the great God and the Saviour Jesus
Christ," alone desired and expected. And
truly, so great is that which we hope for at
the glorious coining of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that all the past^glory, and riches,
and joys of this world, will be esteemed as
if they had not been ; and those considered
most unwise and unhappy, who in affairs of
such importance, trusted rather to the
foolish than to the wise.

CHAPTER VII

THE SEVENTH PRECEPT, WHICH IS ON
PRAYER.

HITHERTO we have spoken on the pre
cepts of dying well, taken from the three
theological virtues, faith, hope, and charity;
and also we have spoken on the three
moral virtues, sobriety, justice, and piety,
all of which the blessed apostle Paul recom
mends to us. I will now add another pre-

42 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

cept on the three good works, prayer,
fasting, and almsdeeds, which we learn
from the angel llaphael. We read in the
book of Tobias, that the angel Raphael
thus spoke : " Prayer is good with fasting
and alms, more than to lay up treasures of
go'ld." (chap. xii. 8.) These three good
works are the fruit of the virtues of religion,
mercy, and temperance, which have a great
affinity with piety, justice, and sobriety.
For as piety regards God, justice our
neighbour, and sobriety ourselves, so also
prayer, which is an act of religion, regards
God ; almsdeeds, which is an act of mercy,
regards our neighbour ; and fasting, which
is an act of abstinence, regards ourself.
Of prayer may be written much, but ac
cording to the nature of our treatise, we will
only dwell on three points : the necessity
of prayer; the advantage of it; and the
method of praying with advantage.

The necessity of prayer is so often in
sisted upon in the Holy Scripture, that
nothing is more clearly commanded than
this duty. For although the Almighty
knoweth what we stand in need of, as
our Lord himself tells us in St. Mat
thew, yet He wishes that we should ask
for what we require, and by prayer lay
hold of it, as if by spiritual hands or some
suitable instrument. Hear our Lord in
St. Luke : " That we ought always to
pray, and not to faint;" and also, " Watch
ye therefore, praying at all times." (chap.

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 43

xyiii. and xxi.) Hear the apostle : " Pray
without ceasing," and Ecclesiasticus,
" Let nothing hinder thee from praying
always." (xviii.)

These precepts do not signify that we
should do nothing else, but only that we
should never forget so wholesome an exer
cise, and should frequently make use of it.
This is what our Lord and his apostles
have taught us, for they did not always pray
in such a manner as to neglect preaching
to the people, and confirming their words by
signs and wonders; and yet it might be
said they always were praying, because
they prayed very frequently. In this sense
must be understood these words: "My
eyes are ever towards the Lord ;" and also,
" His praise shall always be in my mouth ;"
and the words concerning the apostle,
"And they were always in the temple,
praising and blessing God."

But the " fruits" of prayer are three
especial advantages ; merit, satisfaction,
and impetration. On the merit of prayer we
have the testimony of Christ himself in the
gospel: !t And when ye pray, you shall
not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand
and pray in the synagogues and corners of
the streets, that they may be seen by men.
Amen, I say to you, they have received
their reward. But tliou, when thou shalt
pray, enter into thy chamber, and having
shut the doors, pray to thy Father in secret,
and thy Father who seeth in secret '.will

44 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

repay thee." (St. Matthew, vi. 5, 6.) By
these words our Lord does not forbid us
praying in a public place, for He himself

S-ayed publicly before he raised Lazarus,
ut He forbids public prayer when it is
done that we may be seen praying by
many, and this through vain-dory : other
wise we may pray in ithe temple, and there
find a " chamber" for our heart, and in it
pray to God "in secret," The words "will
repay thee," signify the merit ; for, as He
said of the Pharisee, " he has received his
reward," that is, human praise ; so of one
who prays in the chamber of his heart, and
who looks to God alone, we must under
stand that to him will be given a reward
by his Father "who seeth in secret."
Respecting satisfaction for past sins, we all
know the practice of the Church, by which
when satisfaction is enjoined, prayer is
united with fasting and almsdeeds; nay,
very often almsdeeds and fasting are omit
ted, and prayer alone commanded.

In fine, that prayer can obtain many
gifts, St. John Chrysostom beautifully
teaches us in his " two books" on Prayer,
in which he employs the comparison of 'the
human hands. For as man is born naked
and helpless, and in want of all things, and
vet cannot complain of his Creator, because
He has given him hands, which are the
organ of organs, and by which he is ena
bled to provide for himself food, garments,
house, &c. ; so also the spiritual man can

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 45

do nothing without the divine .assistance;
but he possesses the power of prayer, the
organ of all spiritual organs, whereby he
can easily provide for himself all things.

Besides these three primary advantages
of prayer, there are also many others. For,
in the first place, prayer enlightens the
mind ; man cannot directly fix the eye of his
soul upon God, who is the light, without
being enlightened by Him. " Come ye to
him and be enlightened/' saith David.
Secondly, prayer nourishes our hope and
confidence ; for the oftener we speak with
another, the more confidently do we ap
proach to him. Thirdly, it inflames our
charity, and makes our soul more capable
of receiving greater gifts, as St. Augustine
affirms. Fourthly, it increases humility
and chaste fear, for he who goes to prayer,
acknowledges that he is a beggar before
God, and therefore humbles himself before
Him, and is most careful not to offend
Him, of whose assistance he stands in need
in everything. Fifthly, prayer produces in
our mind a contempt of all earthly goods ;
for all temporal objects must appear mean
and contemptible in the eyes of him who
continually meditates on things spiritual
and eternal.* Sixthly, prayer gives us
incredible delight, since by it we begin to
taste how sweet is the Lord. And how
great this sweetness is, we may understand

* See St. Augustine, (Lib. ix. Confess.)

46 THE ART OF DYING WELL

from this circumstance alone, that some
I have known pass not only nights, but
even whole days and nights in prayer, with
out any trouble or inconvenience. In fine,
besides the utility and the pleasure, prayer
also adds dignity and honour to us. For
even the angels themselves honour that
soul which they see is so often and so
familiarly admitted, to speak with the divine
Majesty.

We will now speak on the method of
praying well, in which chiefly consists the
Art of living well, and consequently the Art
of dying well. For what our Lord says,
" Ask and it shall be given to you, for
every one that asketh, receiveth;" St.
James, in his epistle, declares it to be
understood with the condition, if we ask
properly. " You ask and receive not,
because you ask amiss." (chap, iv.) We
may reason then as follows : lie who pro
perly asks for the gift of living well, will
doubtless receive it; and he who properly
asks for perseverance in a good life until
death, and by this a happy death also, will
certainly obtain it. We will, therefore,
briefly explain the conditions of prayer, that
so we may learn how to pray well, live well,
and die well.

The first condition is faith, according to
the words of the apostle, " How then shall
they call upon him, in whom they have not
believed?'* and with this St. James agrees,
" Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering."

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 47

But this necessity of faith is not so to be
understood, as if it were necessary to be
lieve that God would certainly grant what
we ask, for thus our faith would often prove
false, and we should therefore obtain nothing.
We must believe, then, that God is most
powerful, most wise, most High, and most
faithful; and therefore that He knows,
and that He can and is prepared to do what
we beg, of Him, if He shall think proper,
and it be expedient for us to receive what
we ask. This faith Christ required of the
two blind men who desired to be cured;
"Do you believe, that I can do this unto
you?" With the same faith did David
pray for his sick son ; for his words prove,
that he believed not for certain that God
would grant his request, but only that He
could grant it; "Who knoweth whether
the Lord may not give him to me, and the
child may live?" It cannot be doubted
but that with the same faith the apostle
Paul prayed to be delivered from the ''sting
of the flesh," since he prayed with faith,
and his faith would have been false if he
believed that God would certainly grant
what at that tinie he asked ; for he did not
then obtain his request. And with the
same faith does the Church pray, that all
heretics, pagans, schismatics, and bad
Christians may be converted to penance ;
and yet it is certain they are not all con
verted. Concerning which matter consult

48 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

St. Prosper in his books " On the Vocation
of the Gentiles."

Another condition of prayer, and that a
very necessary one, is hope or confidence.
For although we must not by faith, which
is a work of the understanding, imagine
that God will certainly grant our requests,
yet by hope, which is an act of the will, we
may firmly rely upon the divine goodness,
and certainly hope that God will give us
what we ask for. This condition our
Lord required of the paralytic, to whom He
said, " Be of good heart, son, thy sins are
forgiven thee." The same the apostle re
quires of all, when he says, " Let us go
therefore with confidence to the throne of
grace ;" and long before him, the prophet
thus introduces God, saying, " Because he
hath hoped in me, I will deliver him." But
because hope springs from perfect faith,
therefore when the Scripture requires faith
in great things, it adds something regard
ing hope ; hence we read in St. Mark,
" Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall
say to this mountain, Be thou removed and
be cast into the sea, and shall not stagger
in his heart, but believe that whatsoever he
saith shall be done ; it shall be done unto
him : " of which faith producing confidence,
are to be understood the words of the apos
tle ; " If I should have all faith, so that I
could remove mountains/' <fcc. Hence,
John Cassian writes in his Treatise on
Prayer, that it is a certain sign of our re-

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 49

quest being granted, when in^ prayer we
hope that God will certainly give us what
we ask ; and when in our petitions we do
not in any way hesitate, but pour forth in
prayers with spiritual joy.

A third condition is charity or justice, by
which we are delivered from our sins ; for
none but the friends of God obtain the gifts
of God. Thus David speaks in the Psalms:
" The eyes of the Lord are upon the just ;
and his ears unto their prayers:" and in
another place, " If I have looked at iniquity
in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. '
Aiid in the New Testament our Lord him
self says : " If you abide in me, and my
words (precepts) abide in you, _ you shall
ask whatsoever you will, and it shall be
done unto you." And the beloved disciple
saith: "Dearly beloved, if our heart do
not reprehend us, we have confidence
towards God : and whatsoever we shall
ask, we shall receive of him ; because we
keep his commandments, and do those
things which are pleasing in his sight."
(1 Epist. of St. John hi. 21, 22.) This is
not contrary to the doctrine, that when the
publican asked of God the forgiveness of
his sins, he returned home "justified;"
for a penitent sinner does not obtain
his request as a sinner, but as a penitent;
for as a sinner he is the enemy of God ; as
a penitent, the friend of God. He that
commits sin, does what is not pleasing unto

50 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

God ; but he who repents of his sins, does
what is most pleasing to Him.

A fourth condition is humility, by which
he that prays, confides not in his own jus
tice, but in the goodness of God: "But
to whom shall I have respect, but to him
that is poor and little, and of a contrite
spirit, and that tremblcth at my words?"
(Isaias Ixvi. 2.) And Ecclesiasticus adds :
" The prayer of him that humbleth himself,
shall pierce the clouds : and till it come
nigh he will not be comforted : and he
will not depart till the Most High behold."
(xxxv. 21.)

A fifth condition is devotion, by which
we pray — not negligently, as many are ac
customed to do, but with attention, earnest
ness, diligence, and fervour: our Lord
severely blames those who pray with their
lips only; thus He speaks by Isaiah : "This
people draw near me with their mouth, and
with their lips glorify me ; but their heart
is far from me." (xxix. 13.) This virtue
springs from a lively faith, and consists not
in habit alone, but in deed. ^ For he^ who
attentively and with a firm faith considers
how great is the Majesty of God, how great
our nothingness, and how important those
things are we ask for, cannot possibly help
praying with the greatest humility, reve
rence, devotion, and fervour.

We shall here add powerful testimonies
from two of the holy lathers. St. Jerome
in his Dialogues against the Luciferians,

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 51

Bays: " I commence prayer: I should not
pray, if I did not believe ; but if I had true
faith, this heart, which God sees, I would
cleanse; I would strike my breast: I would
water my cheeks with my tears : I would
neglect all attention to my body and be
come pale ; I would throw myself at the
feet of my Lord, and wash them with my
weeping, and wipe them with my hair : I
would clasp the cross, and not depart be
fore I had obtained mercy. Now most
frequently during my prayers, I am walking
either along the porticos, or am counting
my usury ; or being carried away by evil
thought," I entertain those things which it
is shameful to speak of. Where is our
faith ? Do we suppose that Jonas prayed
thus ? The three children ? Daniel in the
lions' den ? Or the good thief on the
cross?"

St. Bernard, in his Sermon on the Four
Methods of Praying, thus writes ^ "It
especially behoves us, during the time of
prayer, to enter the heavenly chamber —
that chamber I mean, in which the King of
kings sittcth on his royal throne, sur
rounded by an innumerable and glorious
army of blessed spirits. With what reve
rence then, with what fear, with what
humility, ought dust and ashes to approach,
we who are nothing but vile creeping
insects! With what trembling, earnest
ness, care, and solicitude, oii^ht miserable
man to stand before the divine Majesty,

52 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

in presence of the angels, in the assembly
of the just? In all our actions then, we
have much need of vigilance, especially in
prayer."

The sixth condition is perseverance,
which our Lord in two parables has
recommended in St. Luke ; the first is
concerning him who went in the night to a
friend to ask for the loan of two loaves ;
who being refused because of the unseason
able hour, yet by perseverance obtained his
request. (St. Luke xi.) The second is con
cerning the widow who besought the judge
to free her from her adversary ; and the
judge, although a very bad man, and one
that feared neither God nor man, yet being
overcome by the perseverance and impor
tunity of the woman, he delivered her from
her adversary. From these examples our
Lord concludes, that much more ought we
to persevere in prayer to God, because He
is just and merciful. And, as St. James
adds: "He giveth to all abundantly, and
upbraideth not ;" that is, lie gives liberally
to all who ask His gifts; and He " upbraid
eth not" their importunity, should they be
too troublesome in their importunities ; for
God has no measure in His riches nor in
His mercy. St. Augustine, in his expla
nation of the last verse of Psalm Ixv. adds
these words : " If thou shalt see that thy
prayer is not rejected, thou art secure,
because his mercy is not removed from
thee."

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 53

CHAPTER VIII.

THE EIGHTH PRECEPT, ON FASTING.

ACCORDING to the order given by the
angel, we will now briefly speak on fasting.
Omitting many of the theological ques
tions, we will confine ourselves only to our
subject. Our intention is to explain the
Art of living well, because this will prepare
us for dying well. For this Art, three
things seem sufficient, of which we have
spoken above on prayer ; its necessity, its
fruit, and the proper method.

The necessity of fasting is two-fold, de
rived from the divine and human law. Of
the divine the prophet Joel speaks: "Be
converted to me with your whole heart, in
fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning."
The same language does the prophet Jona
use, who testifies that the Ninivites, in
order to appease the anger of God, pro
claimed a fast in sackcloth ; and yet, there
was not then any positive law on fast
ing. The same may be learnt from
the words of our Lord in St. Matthew:
" 13 at thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy
head, and wash thy face, that thou appear
not to men to fast, but to thy Father who
is in secret : and thy Father who seeth in
secret, will repay thce." (chap. vi. 17, 18.)

54 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

We will add the words of one or two of
the fathers. St. Augustine thus speaks in
his Epistle to Casulanus: "In the gospels
and epistles, and in the whole of the New
Testament, I see fasting is a precept. But
on certain days we are not commanded to
fast ; and on what particular days we must,
is not defined by our Lord or the apostles."
St. Leo also says in his sermon on fasting :
" Those which were figures of future things,
have passed away, what they signified being
accomplished. But the utility of fasting is
not done away with in the New Testa
ment ; but it is piously observed, that fast
ing is always profitable both to the soul
and body. And because the words, " Thou
shalt adore the Lord thy God, and serve
Him alone," &c., were given for the know
ledge of christians ; so in the same ^scrip-
ture, the precept concerning fasting is not
without an interpretation." St. Leo does
not here mean to say, that christians must
fast at the same times the Jews were accus
tomed to do. But the precept of fasting
given to the Jews, is to be observed by
christians according to the determination
of the pastors of the church, as to time and
manner. What this is, all know; and
therefore it is unnecessary for me to men
tion it.

The fruit and advantages of fasting can
easily be proved. And first; fasting is
most useful in preparing ^the soul for
prayer, and the contemplation of divine

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 55

things, as the angel Raphael saith :
" Prayer is good with fasting." Thus
Moses for forty clays prepared his soul by
fasting, before he presumed to speak with
God : so Elias fasted forty days, that thus
he might be able, as far as human nature
would permit, to hold converse with God :
so Daniel, by a fast of three weeks, was
prepared for receiving the revelations of
God : so the Church has appointed " fasts"
on the vigil of great festivals, that chris-
tians might be more fit for celebrating the
divine solemnities. The holy fathers also
every where speak of the utility of fasting. *
I cannot forbear quoting the words of St.
Chrysostom : " Fasting is the support of
our soul: it gives us wings to ascend on
high, and to enjoy the highest contempla
tion.''!

Another advantage of fasting is, that it
tames the flesh ; and such a fast must be
particularly pleasing to God, because He
is pleased when we crucify the flesh with
its vices and concupiscences, as St. Paul
teaches us in his Epistle to the Galatians ;
and for this reason he says himself: "But I
chastise my body, and bring it into subjec
tion : lest perhaps, when I have preached to
others, I myself should become a cast
away." (1 to Cor. ix. 27.) St. Chrysostom

* Seo St. Athanasius, Lib. de Virjjiiiitate. St. Basil, de
Jejunio. St. Ambrose, de L'liu ct Jejuuio. St. Bernard, ill
tjorinoae de Vigilia Santi Andrea.-, &c.
f Homily in Genesis.

56 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

expounds these words of fasting; and so
also do Theophylact and St. Ambrose.
And of the advantages of it in this respect,
St. Cyprian, St. Basil, St. Jerome, and
St. Augustine, and in the office for Prime
the whole Church sings, " Carnis terat
superbiam potus cibique Parcitas."'

Another advantage is, that we honour
God by our fasts, because when we fast for
His sake, we honour Him : thus the apostle
Paul speaks in his Epistle to the Romans :
" I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercy of God, that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God,
your reasonable service/' (chap, xii.) In
the Greek, "reasonable service," is, rea
sonable worship: and of this worship
St. Luke speaks, when mentioning the
prophetess Anna : " And she was a widow
until fourscore and four years; who departed
not from the temple, by fastings and
prayers serving night and day." (chap. ii.
37.) The great Council of Nice in the V.
Canon, calls the fast of Lent, "a clean and
solemn gift, offered by the Church to
God." In the same manner doth Tertul-
lian speak in his book on the "Resurrec
tion of the Flesh," where he calls dry,
unsavoury food taken late, " sacrifices
pleasing to God:" and St. Leo, in his
second sermon on fasting saith, " For the
sur,e reception of all its fruits, the sacrifice

* Moderation in food and drink, tames the pride of tho
flesh.

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 57

of abstinence is most worthily offered to
God, the giver of them all."

A fourth advantage fasting hath, is
being a satisfaction for sin. Many exam
ples in holy Writ prove this. The Niniyites
appeased God by fasting, as Jonas testifies.
The Jews did the same; for by fasting
with Samuel they appeased God, and
gained the victory over their enemies.
The wicked king Achab, by fasting and
sackcloth, partly satisfied God. In the
times of Judith 'and Esther, the Hebrews
obtained mercy from God by no other sacri
fice than that of fasting, weeping, and
mourning. This is also the constant doc
trine of the holy fathers : Tertullian says :
" As we relrain from the use of food, so
our fasting satisfies God.": St. Cyprian:
" Let us appease the anger of an offended
God, by fasting and weeping, as he admo
nishes us. "t St. Basil: "Penance, with
out fasting, is useless and vain ; by fasting
satisfy God."J St. Chrysostom: "God,
like an indulgent father, offers us a cure
by fasting." St. Ambrose also says:
"Fasting is the death of sin, the destruc
tion of our crimes, and the remedy of our
salvation." St. Jerome, in his Commen
tary on the third chapter of Jonas, re
marks: "Fasting and sackcloth are the
arms of penance, the help of sinners." St.

* De Jejunio. t De Lapsis.

J DC Jejuiiio.

58 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

Austin likewise says : " No one fasts for
human praise, but for the pardon of his
sins." Bo also St. Bernard in his 6Gth
Sermon on the Canticles : " I often fast,
and my fasting is a satisfaction for sin, not
a superstition for impiety."

Lastly, fasting is meritorious, and is
very powerful in obtaining divine favours.
Anna, the wife of Eleanor, although she
was barren, deserved by fasting to have a
son. So St. Jerome, in his second book
against Jovinian, thus interprets these
words of Scripture: "She wept and did
not take food, and thus Anna by her absti
nence deserved to bring forth a son."
Sara, by a three days' fast, was delivered
from a devil, as we read in the book of To
bias. But there is a remarkable passage
in the Gospel of St. Matthew on fasting:
" But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy
head and wash thy face. That thou appear
not to men to fast, but to thy Father who
is in secret : and thy Father who seeth in
secret, will repay thee." (chap. yi. 17, 18.)
The words "will repay thee," signify will
give thee a reward ; for they are opposed to
these other words, "For they disfigure
their faces, that they may appear to men
to fast. Amen, I say to you. that they
have received their reward." Wherefore,
hypocrites by their fasting, receive their re
ward, that is, human praise: the just by
fasting receive their reward also, the divine
praise. Many are the testimonies of the

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 59

holy Fathers on this point. When St.
John was about to write his gospel, he un
derwent a solemn fast, that he might de
serve to receive the grace of writing well,
as St. Jerome tells us in his preface to his
commentary on St. Matthew ; and Vene
rable Bede is also of the same opinion.
Tertullian says : " Fasting obtains of God
a knowledge even of His mysteries." St.
Ambrose, St. Athanasius, St. Gregory
Nazianzen, St. Chryspstom, St. Jerome,
and St. A.ugustine, might also be quoted
on the subject.

Here then wre have seen the necessity
and the fruit of fasting : I will now briefly
explain the manner in which we must fast,
that so our fasting may be useful in
enabling us to lead a good life, and by this
means to die a good death. Many fast on
all the days appointed by the Church, viz :
the vigils, the ember-days, and Lent : and
some fast of their own accord in Advent
also, that they may piously prepare them
selves for the nativity of our Lord ; or on
Friday, in memory of our Lord's passion;
or on Saturday, in honour of the Blessed
Virgin Mother of God. But whether they
so fast as to derive advantages from it, may
be reasonably questioned. The chief end
of fasting, is the mortification of the flesh,
that the spirit may be more strengthened.
For this purpose, we must use only spare
and unsavoury diet. And this our mother
the Church points out since she commands

60 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

us to take only one " full" meal in the day,
and then not to eat flesh or white meats,
hut only herbs or fhiit. This, Tertullian
expresses by two words, in his book on the
" Resurrection of the Fle-h," where he calls
the food of^those that fast, " late and dry
meats." Now, those dp not certainly ob
serve this, who, on their fasting-days, eat
as much in one meal, as they do on other
days, at their dinner and supper together :
and who, at that one meal, prepare so
many dishes of different fishes and other
things to please their palate, that it seems
to be a dinner intended, not for weepers
and fasters, but for a nuptial banquet that
is to continue throughout most of the
night ! Those who fast thus, do not
certainly derive the least fruit from their
fasting.

Nor do those derive any fruit who, al
though they may eat more moderately, yet
on fasting-days do not abstain from games,
parties, quarrels, dissensions, lascivious
songs, and immoderate laughter ; and what
is still worse, commit the same crimes as
they would on ordinary days. Hear what
the prophet Isaiah says of such kind of peo
ple : " Behold in the day of your fast your
own will is found, and you exact of all your
debtors. Behold you fast for debates and
strife, and strike with the fist wickedly.
Do not fast as you have done until this
day, to make your cry to be heard on.
high." (chap. Iviii.) Thus does the Al-

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 61

mighty blame the Jews, because on the
days of their fasting, which were days of
penance, they wished to do their own will
and not the will of God ; because they were
not only not willing to forgive their debtors,
(as they prayed to be forgiven by God.) but
they would not even give them any time to
collect their money. They also spent that
time which ought to have been devoted to
prayer, in profane quarrels, and even in
contentions. In fine, so far were they from
attending to spiritual things, as they ought
to have done on the fasting-days, they
added sin to sin, and impiously attacked
their neighbours. These and other such
sins ought those pious people to avoid, who
wish their fasting to be pleasing unto God,
and useful to themselves: they may then
hope to live well, and die a holy death.

There now remain " almsdeeds," one
of the three good works recommended to
our imitation by the angel Raphael.

CHAPTER IX.

TI1E NTXTII PRECEPT, OX ALMSDEEDS.

THREE things are to be explained con
cerning ahnsdeeds ; its necessity, advan
tages, and the method.

62 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

And first, no one has ever doubted of
almsdeeds being commanded in Holy
Writ. Sufficient is the sentence of the
just and supreme Judge, (even supposing
we had nothing else,) which he will pro
nounce against the wicked at the last day :
" Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlast
ing fire which was prepared for the devil
and his angels. For I was hungry, and
you gave me not to eat : I was thirsty, and
you gave me not to drink. I was a
stranger, and you took me not in ; naked,
and you covered me not : sick and in prison,
and you did not visit me:" and a little
lower : " Amen, I say to you, as long as
you did it not to one of these least, neither
did you do it to me." (St. Matthew xxv.)
From these words we may conclude, that
those only are bound to give alms, who
have the means of doing so : for even our
Lord is not said to have done these works,
but only to have ordered, out of the money
that was given to him, a part to be distri
buted to the poor. Hence, when our Lord
said to Judas, " That which thou dost, do
quickly," the disciples supposed that our
Lord commanded Judas to give some
thing to the poor out of the common purse.
But some theologians suppose the precept
of almsdeeds is contained in the com
mand, "Honour thy parents:" others in
the command, " Thou shalt not kill."
But it is not requisite for this precept to be
contained m the decalogue, since alms-

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 63

deeds relate to charity ; the precepts of the
decalogue are precepts of justice. But if
all the precepts of morality are to Jbe re
ferred to the decalogue, the opinion of
Albert Magnus is probable — that the pre
cept concerning alms, is to be referred to
the command, " Thou shalt not steal," be
cause it seems a kind of theft not to give to
the poor what we ought. But the opinion
of St. Thomas seems to be more probable,
who reduces it to the command, " Honour
thy parents.'* By the word honour, is not
here understood "reverence" alone, but
particularly the supply of things necessary
for existence, which is a kind of alms that
we owe to our neighbours especially, as St.
Jerome remarks in his commentary on the
xxv. chapter of St. Matthew. From this
we may see, that alms ought to be given to
others also, who may be in want. More
over, the precept is not negative, but posi
tive; and amongst the precepts of the
second table, none are positive except the
first, " Honour thy parents."

So much on the necessity of alms.

But the fruits are most abundant. First,
Almsdecds free the soul from eternal
death, whether this be in the way of satis
faction, or a disposition to receive grace, or
in any other way. This doctrine the sacred
Scriptures plainly teach ; in the book of
Tobias we thus read : " For alms deliver
from all sin and from death, and will not
suffer the soul to go into darkness;" and

64 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

in the same book the angel Raphael says,
" For alms deliyereth from death, and the
same is that which purgeth away sins, and
maketh to find mercy and life everlasting.5
And Daniel said to Nabuchodonoser :
"Wherefore, 0 king, let my counsel be
acceptable to thee, and redeem thou. thy
sins with alms, and thy iniquities with
works of mercy to the poor, perhaps he will
forgive thy offences." (chap, iv.)

Alms also, if they be given by a just
man, and with true charity, are meritorious
of eternal life : to this the Judge of the living
and the dead beareth witness : " Come ye
blessed of my Father, possess you the
kingdom prepared for you from the founda
tion of the world. For I was hungry, and
you gave me to eat," &c. And he answer
ed: " Amen, I say to you, as long as you
did it to one of these my least brethren,
you did it to me." (St. Matthew xxv.)

Thirdly, almsdeeds are, as it were, like
baptism, because they do away both with
the sin and the punishment thereof, accord-
ino- to the words of Ecclesiasticus :
"Water quencheth a flaming fire, and
alms resisteth sins." (chap, iii.) Water
entirely extinguishes fire, so that not
even any smoke remains. That almsdeeds
are of this nature, many holy fathers
teach, as St. Cyprian, St. Ambrose, St.
Chrysostom, St. Leo, whose words it is
unnecessary to quote. Such, then, is one
great advantage, which ought to enflamo

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 65

all men with a love of almsdeeds. But
this must not be understood of every kind,
but only of that which proceeds from great
contrition and ardent charity. Such was
that of St. Mary Magdalen, who, with tears
of true contrition, washed the feet of our
Lord ; and having purchased most pre
cious ointment, she anointed His feet
with it.

Fourthly, Almsdeeds increase confi
dence with God, and produce spiritual joy ;
for, although this is common to other good
works also, yet it belongs in particular to
almsdeeds, since by them we render a ser
vice grateful both to God and our neigh
bours: and this is a work which is not
obscurely, but most plainly acknowledged
to be "good." Hence the word of Tobias:
"Alms shall be a great confidence before
the Most High God, to all them that give
it." (chap. iv. 12.) And the apostle, in his
Epistle to the Hebrews, says: " l)o not
therefore lose your confidence, which hath
a great reward." (chap. x. 35.) In fine,
St. Cyprian, in his Sermon on Aims-
deeds, calls it, " The great comfort of be
lievers."

Fifthly, Almsdeeds conciliate the good
will of many, who pray to God for their
benefactors, and obtain 'for them either tho
grace of conversion, or the gift of perseve
rance, or an increase of merit and glory.
And in all these ways may be understood
these words of our Lord : "Make unto you

c

66 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

friends of the mammon of iniquity, that
when you shall fail they may receive
you into everlasting dwellings." (St. Luke
xv.i. 9.)

Sixthly, Almsdeeds is a disposition for
receiving justifying grace. Of this fruit
Solomon speaks in the Proverbs, where he
says: " By mercy and faith sins are purged
away." And when our Lord had heard
the liberality of Zaccheus, saying: "Be
hold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to
the poor: and if I have wronged any man
of anything, I restore him four-fold." lie
said: " This day is salvation come to this
house." (St. Luke xix.) In fine, we read
in the Acts of the Apostles that it was said
to Cornelius, who was not yet a Christian,
but who gave large alms : " Thy prayers
and thy alms are ascended for a memorial
in the sight of God." (chap, x.) From this
place St. Augustine proves, that Cornelius
by his alms obtained from God the grace
of faith and perfect justification.

Lastly, Almsdeeds are often instrumental
in increasing our temporal goods. This
the wise man affirms where he says :
" lie that hath mercy on the poor, lendeth
to the Lord ;" and again : " He that
giveth to the poor shall not want." Our
Lord has taught us this truth by His
own example, when He ordered His disci
ples, who possessed only the five loaves and
the two fishes, to distribute them to the
poor : in return they received twelve bas-

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 67

kets-full of the fragments, which served
them for many days. Tobias also, who
liberally distributed his goods to the poor,
in a short time obtained great riches ; and
the widow of Sarephta, who gave to Elias
only a handful of meal and a little oil,
obtained from God by this act of charity an
abundance of meal and oil, which for a long
time did not fail. Many other remarkable
examples may be read in St. Gregory of
Tours, in the 5th Book of his History of
France; and in Leontius, in his Life of
St. John the Almoner ; and Sophronms, in
his Spiritual Meadow. The same doth St.
Cyprian confirm in his Sermon on Alms-
deeds, and St. Basil in his Oration to the
Rich, in which, by an elegant similitude,
he compares riches to water in wells, that
gushes forth the purer and more copiously
the oftener it is drawn out ; but if it should
remain stagnant, it soon becomes putrid.
These things covetous rich men will not
willingly hear, and scarcely will believe ;
but after this life they will understand them
and believe them to be true, when such
faith and knowledge will be ot no avail to
them. . -.

We will now dwell a little on the method
of giving alms ; for this is especially neces
sary, that we may live well and die a most
happy death. First, then, we must give
our alms with the pure intention ot pleasing
God, and not of obtaining human praise.
This our Lord teaches us when He says:

68 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

" Therefore, when them dost an almsdeed,

sound not a trumpet before thee, &c....

Let not thy left hand know what thy right
hand doth." (St. Matthew vi.) St. Augus
tine, in his Explanation of St. John's Epis
tle, expounds the passage thus : " By the
left hand is meant the intention of giving
alms for worldly honour or any other tem
poral advantage ; by the right Jiand is sig
nified the intention of bestowing alms to
gain eternal life, or for the glory of God,
and charity for our neighbour.

Secondly, Our alms should be given
promptly and willingly, so that they may
not seem to be extorted through entrea
ties, nor deferred from day to day, if possi
ble. The wise man saith: "Say not to thy
friend : Go, and come again ; and to-mor
row I will give to thee: when thou canst give
at present." (Proverbs iii. 28.) Abraham,
the friend of God, requested the angels to
take up their abode with him : he did not
wait to be asked : so also did Lot do the
same. And we read that Tobias did not
wait for the poor to come to him, but he
sought them himself.

]L hirdly, We should give our alms with
joy, not with sadness. Ecclesiasticus saith :
"In every gift show a cheerful counte
nance ;" and St. Paul : " Every one as he
hath determined in his heart, not with sad
ness, or of necessity: for God loveth a
cheerful giver." (2 Epist. to Corinth, ix. 7.)

.Fourthly, Our alms should be given

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 69

with humility, that so the rich man may
remember that he receives much more than
he gives. On this point St. Gregory thus
speaks : "When he gives earthly goods, he
would find it avail much in taming his
pride, were he to remember and carefully
ponder on the words of his heavenly Mas
ter : ' Make unto you friends of the mam
mon of iniquity, that when you ^shall fail
they may receive you into everlasting dwel
lings/ If by their friendship we purchase
everlasting dwellings, those that give
should doubtless remember that they offer
their gifts rather to patrons than to the
poor/'""

Fifthly, Our alms should be given
abundantly, in proportion to our means:
thus doth Tobias teach us— that most ge
nerous alms-giver : " According to thy
ability be merciful. If thou have much,
give abundantly : if thou have little, take
care even so to bestow willingly a little,
(chap. iv. 9.) And the apostle teaches that
alms are to be given to obtain a benedic
tion, and not with avarice. St. John Chry-
sostom adds : " Not merely to give, ^but to
give abundantly, is almsdeeds. Ami in
the same sermon he says again: Inat
those who wish to be heard bybod when
they say, Have mercy on me, O God, ac
cording to thy great mercy, ought to have

* (Lib, Moral, xxi. cap. 14.)

70 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

mercy on the poor themselves, according to
their means."

Lastly, It is necessary above all things,
if we wish to be saved and to die a good
death, diligently to enquire, either by our
own reading and meditation, or by consult
ing holy and learned men, whether our
"superfluous" riches can be retained with
out sin, orwhether we ought of necessity to
give them to the poor; and again, what are
to be understood by superfluities, and what
by necessary goods. It may happen that
to some men moderate riches may be super
fluous; whilst to others great riches may
be absolutely essential. But, since this
treatise does not include nor require tedious
scholastic questions, I will briefly note pas
sages from Holy Writ and the Fathers, and
so end this part of the subject. The pas
sages of Scripture : " You cannot serve
both God and mammon ." " He that hath
two coats, let him give to him that hath
none ; and he that hath meat, let him do in
like manner." And in the 12th chapter
of »St. Luke it is said of one who had such
great riches, that he scarcely knew what to
do with them : " Thou fool, this night do
they require thy soul of thee." St. Augus
tine, in the 50th book of his Homilies, and
the 7th Homily, explains these words to
mean, that the rich man perished for ever,
because he made no use of his superfluous
riches.

The passages from the Fathers are

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 71

chiefly these : St. Basil, in his Sermon to
the Kich, thus speaks : " And thou, art
thon not a robber, because what thou hast
received to be given away, thou supposest
to be thy own?" And a little farther he
continues: " Wherefore, as much as thou
art able to give, so much dost thou injure
the poor." And St. Ambrose, in his 81st
Sermon, says: "What injustice do I com
mit, if, whilst I do not steal the goods of
others, I keep diligently what is my own?
0 impudent word ! Dost thou say ' thy
own ?' What is this ? It is no less a crime
to steal than it is not to give to the poor
out of thy abundance." St. Jerome thus
writes in his Epistle to Hedibias: " If you
possess more than is necessary for your
subsistence, give it away, and thus you will
be a creditor." St. John Chrysostom says
in his 34th Homily to the people of An-
tioch: "Do you possess anything of your
own ? The interest of the poor is entrust
ed to you, whether the estate is yours by
your own just labours, or you have acquired
it by inheritance." St. Augustine, in his
Tract on the 147th Psalm: " Our super
fluous wealth belongs to the poor ; when it
is not given to them, we possess what we
have no right to retain.' St. Leo thus
speaks : " Temporal goods ore given to us
by the liberality of God, and He will de
mand an account of them, for they were
committed to us for disposal as well as pos
session." And St. Gregory, in the third part

72 THE ART OF DYING WELT..

of his Pastoral Care : " Those are to be
admonished, who, whilst they desire not
the goods of others, do not distribute their
own; that so they may carefully remember,
that as the common origin of all men is
from the earth, so also its produce is com
mon to them all : in vain, then, they think
themselves innocent, who appropriate to
themselves the common gifts of God." St.
Bernard, in his Epistle to Henry, arch
bishop of Sens, saith : " It is ours, for
the poor cry out for what you squander ;
you cruelly take away from us what you
spend foolishly." St. Thomas also writes:
" The superfluous riches which many pos
sess, by the natural law belong to the sup
port of the poor ;" and again : " The Lord
requires us to give to the poor not only
the tenth part, but all of our superfluous
wealth." In fine, the same author, in the
fourth book of his " Sentences," asserts
that this is the common opinion of all theo
logians. I add also, that if one be inclined
to contend that, taking the strict letter of
the law, he is not bound to give his super
fluous riches to the poor ; he is obliged to
do so, at least by the law of charity. It
matters little whether we are condemned to
hell through want of justice or of charity.

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 73

CHAPTEK X.

THE TENTH PRECEPT, WHICH IS ON THE
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM.

HAVING now explained the principal vir
tues which teach us how " to live well/' I
shall add some remarks on the Sacraments,
which, no less than the former, instruct us
in this most necessary Art. There are
seven Sacraments instituted by Christ our
Lord : baptism, confirmation, holy Eucha
rist, penance, holy orders, matrimony, and
extreme unction. These are the divine in
struments, as it were, which God uses by
the ministry of his servants, to preserve, or
increase, or restore His grace to us; that so
being freed from the servitude of the
devil, and translated to the dignity of the
" Sons of God," we may one day arrive at
eternal happiness with the holy angels.
From these holy Sacraments, therefore, it
is our intention briefly to show who are
they that advance in the " Art of living
well," and who fail in it. We may then
know who can hope for a happy death ; and
who, on the contrary, may expect a mise
rable one, unless he change his life.

Let us begin with the first Sacrament.
Baptism, being the first, is justly called the
"gate" of the Sacraments, because, unless

74 TUE ART OF DYING WELL.

baptism precede them, no one is in a state
to receive the other Sacraments. In bap
tism the following ceremonies are observed.
First of all, he who is to be baptized ought
to make a profession of his belief in the
Catholic faith, either by himself or by
another. Secondly, he is called upon to
renounce the devil, and all his works and
pomps. Thirdly, he is baptized in Christ,
and thus translated from the bondage of
the devil to the dignity of a son of God ;
and all his sins being washed away, he re
ceives the gift of divine grace, by which he
becomes the adopted son of God, an heir of
God, and co-heir with Christ. Fourthly,
a white garment is placed on him, and he
is exhorted to keep it pure and undenled
till death. Fifthly, a lighted candle is put
into his hand, which signifies good works,
and which he ought to add for innocence
of life as long as he lives. Thus our Lord
speaks in the Gospel : "So let your light
shine before men, that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father who is
in heaven." (St. Matthew v. 1C.)

These are the principal ceremonies which
the Church uses in the administration of
baptism; I omit others which do not relate
to our purpose. From these observa
tions, each one of us may easily discover
whether we have led a good life from our
Baptism until now. But I strongly suspect
that few are to be found who have fulfilled
all those things which they promised to do,

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 75

Or which they ought to have done. " Many
are called, but few are chosen ;" and again,
" Narrow is the gate, and straight is the
way that leadeth to life, and few there are
that find it."

We will begin with the Apostles' Creed.
How many of the country people and
lower orders either do not remember this,
or have never learnt it, or only know
the words of it, but not the sense ! And
yet at their baptism they answered by their
sponsors that they believed in every Article.
But if Christ is to dwell in our hearts by
faith, as the apostle saith, how can He dwell
in the hearts of those who can scarcely re
peat the Creed, and much less have it in
their hearts ? And if God by faith " puri
fies" our hearts, as St. Peter speaks, how
base will the hearts of those be, who have
not in them the faith of Christ, although
they have received baptism outwardly ! I
am speaking of adults — not of infants. In
fants are justified by possessing grace,
faith, hope, and charity ; but when they
grow to maturity, they ought to learn the
Creed, and believe in their heart the Chris
tian faith "unto justice," and confess it
with the mouth "unto salvation," as the
Apostle most plainly teaches us in his Epis
tle to the Romans.

Again: all Christians are asked, either
by themselves or by their sponsors, whether
they renounce the devil, and all his works
and pomps. And they answer: " I do re-

76 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

nounce them." But how many renounce
them in word, but not in reality ! On the
other hand, how few are there who do not
love and follow the pomps and works of the
devil ! But God seeth all things, and will
not be mocked. He therefore that desires
to live well and to die well, let him enter
into the chamber of his heart, and not de
ceive himself; but seriously and attentively
consider over and over again whether he is
ill love with the pomps of this world, or with
sins, which are the works of the devil ; and
whether he gives them a place in his heart,
and in his words and actions. And thus,
either his good conscience will console him,
or his evil conscience will lead him to pen
ance.

In the other rite is manifested to us the
goodness of God in so sublime and wonder
ful a manner, that, were we to spend whole
days and nights in admiration and thanks
giving for it, we should do nothing worthy
of so great a benefit. 0 good Lord ! who
can understand, who is not amazed, who
does not wholly dissolve into pious tears
when he considers how man, justly con
demned to hell, is suddenly by means of
Baptism translated from a miserable capti
vity to a right in a most glorious kingdom !
But how much the greater this benefit is to
be admired, so much the more is man's
ingratitude to be detested ; since many,
scarcely before they arrive at the age of
reason, begin to renounce this wonderful

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 77

benefit of God, and to enrol themselves the
slaves of the devil. For what else is it to
follow in our youth " the concupiscence of
the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and
the pride of life," but to enter into friend
ship with the devil, and to deny Christ our
Lord in deed and in word? Few is the
number of those, who, prevented by a spe
cial grace of God, carefully preserve their
baptismal grace, and, as the prophet Jere-
mias expresses it, have borne the yoke of
the Lord "from their youth I" But unless
we preserve either our baptismal grace, or
by true penance again renounce the devil,
and return to the service of God, and per
severe in it till the end of our life, we cannot
possibly live well, nor be delivered from a
miserable death.

The fourth ceremony is, when the bap
tized receives the white garment, and is or
dered to wear it until he shall appear before
God. By this rite is signified " innocence
of life," which acquired by the grace of
Baptism, is most carefully to be preserved
until death. But who can number the
snares of the devil, that perpetual enemy of
the human race, who desires nothing more
than to disfigure that garment with every
kind of stain? Very lew, therefore, are
there, who if they live long, do not contract
stains of sin ; holy David calls those blessed
who are " undefined" in their way. But
the more difficult it is to walk undefiled in
a defiled way, so much the more glorious

78 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

will be the crown of an innocent life. All
therefore, who desire to live well and to die
well, must be careful to preserve to the very
best of their power the white garment.
But if it should contract some stains, we
must wash it often in the blood of the
Lamb ; and this is done by true contrition
and penitential tears. When David had
bewailed his sin for a long time, he began
to hope for pardon, and giving thanks to
the Lord, he confidently said : " Thou shalt
sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be
cleansed ; thou shalt wash me, and I shall
be made whiter than snow." (Psalm 1.)

The last ceremony is, to put a lighted
candle into our hand ; this, as we have re
marked above, signifies nothing more than
good works, which must be joined with a
holy life. And what these good works are
that men must do who are born again by
Baptism in Christ, the apostle teaches us by
his example, when he says, " I have fought
a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith. As to the rest, there
is laid up for me a crown of justice, which
the Lord the just judge will render to me
in that day." (2nd to Timothy iv. 7, 8.)
Here in a few words are mentioned the
" good works" which must be performed by
those who are born again by baptism in
Christ. They must fight manfully against
the temptations of the devil, " who goeth
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom to
devour." They must also complete the

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 79

" course" of good works by the observance
of the Commandments of the Lord, accord
ing to the words of the Psalm : "I have
been in the way of thy commandments,
when thou didst enlarge my heart." (118.)
They must, in fine, preserve fidelity to their
master in multiplying their talents, or in
cultivating their vineyard, or in attending
to the stewardship entrusted to them, or
in the government of their family, or in
any other matter appointed them by the
Almighty. Our most bountiful Lord wishes
to admit us as adopted sons to His heavenly
inheritence ; but that this may be done to
His greater glory and our own, it hath
pleased the divine wisdom that by our
good works, performed by His grace and
our own free will, we should merit eternal
happiness. Wherefore, this most noble
and glorious inheritance will not be given
to those that sleep, or are idle, or fond of
play ; but only to the watchful, to the labo
rious, and to those that persevere in good
works unto the end.

Let every one then examine his works,
and diligently inquire into his manner of
life, if he wish to live well and die well;
and if his conscience testifies to him that
he has fought the "good fight" with his
vices and concupiscences, and with all the
temptations of the old serpent, and that he
has finished a happy " course" in all the
commandments and justifications of the
Lord without reproof, then he may ex-

80 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

claim with the Apostle, ' ' For the r^st there
is laid up for me a crown of justice, which
the Lord the just judge will render to me
in that day." (2nd to Timothy iv.) But if,
having' carefully examined ourselves, our
conscience shall testily that in our contest
with the enemy of the human race, we have
been grievously wounded, and his "fiery
darts" have penetrated even unto our soul,
and this not once but often, and that we
have often failed in the performance of good
works, and not only ran on slothmlly, but
sat in the way through fatigue or laid down ;
and in fine, that we have not preserved our
fidelity to God in the business entrusted to
us, but have taken away part of the profit,
either by vain-glory, or acceptance of per
sons, or any thing else ; then must we have
immediate recourse to the remedy of pen
ance, and to God himself, and not defer
this most important business till another
time, because we know neither the day nor
the hour.

THE ART OF DYING WELL 81

CHAPTER XL

ON CONFIRMATION.

AFTER baptism follows the sacrament of
Confirmation, from which may we draw
motives to live well, no less powerful than
those deducible from baptism ; for although
baptism be a sacrament more necessary
than Confirmation, yet the latter is more
noble than the former. This is evident
from the minister, the matter and the effect.
The ordinary minister of baptism is a priest,
and in case of necessity any one ; the -ordi
nary minister of Confirmation is a Bishop,
and by the dispensation of the Pope, only a
priest. The matter of baptism is common
water, that of Confirmation holy oil mixed
with balsam, consecrated by the Bishop.
The effect of baptism is grace and a charac
ter, such are required to create a spiritual
child ; according to the words of St. Peter,
" As new-born infants desire the rational
milk without guile." (1st of St. Peter, xi.)
The effect of Confirmation is also grace and
a character, and such are requisite to make
a Christian soldier fight against his invisi
ble enemies; according to what St. Paul
Faith: * For our wrestling is not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities
and powers, against tho rulers of the world

82 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

of this darkness, against the spirits of wick
edness in the high places/' (Ephesians vi.
12.) In fine, in baptism a little salt is put
into the infant's mouth ; in Confirmation a
slight blow is given to us, that so the Chris
tian soldier may learn to fight, not by
striking, but by enduring.

But that we may the more easily under
stand what is the duty of one anointed with
chrism, that is, of a Christian soldier, we
must consider what the Apostles receive/1 at
their Confirmation on Whit-Sunday. They
were not confirmed by the chrism, but they
received from Christ, our chief high priest,
the effect of the sacrament without the
sacrament. They received three gifts, wis
dom, eloquence, and charity, in the highest
degree, and likewise the gift of miracles,
which were most useful in converting infidel
nations to the true faith. These gifts were
signified by the "fiery tongues/' which
appeared on the day of Pentecost, whilst a
sound as of a mighty wind was heard at the
same time. The light of the fire signified
wisdom, its heat charity, the form of the
tongues eloquence, and the sound the gift
of miracles.

The sacrament of our Confirmation does
not bestow the gift of tongues nor the gift
of miracles, since these were necessary, not
for the advantage and perfection of the,
Apostles themselves, but for the conversion
of the infidels. But it bestows the gifts of
spiritual wisdom and of charity, which is

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 83

''patient and kind;" and as a sign of this
most rare and yet most precious virtue of
patience, the Bishop gives the person about
to be confirmed a slight blow, that he may
remember he now becomes a soldier of
Christ, not to strike, but to endure ; not to
do injuries to others, but to bear them. In
the Christian warfare, he fights not against
visible but invisible enemies ; for thus did
Christ our great commander fight and con
quer, who being nailed to the cross, con
quered the infernal powers; thus did the
Apostles fight, only just confirmed, for being
severely scourged in the council of the Jews,
they went forth " rejoicing that they were
accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the
name of Jesus." The grace of Confirma
tion then effects this, that when a man is
unjustly injured, he should not think of
revenge, but rejoice that he suffered re
proach unjustly.

Let him then who has been confirmed
enter into the chamber of his heart, and
diligently inquire whether he has kept in
his heart the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and
especially wisdom and fortitude. Let him
examine, I repeat, whether he possess the
wisdom of the saints who esteemed eternal

goods, and despised earthly ones ; whether
e has the fortitude of soldiers of Christ,
who bear injuries more willingly than they
do them. And lest he should possibly be
deceived, let him descend to practise and
examine his conscience. If he shall find

84 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

that he is always truly ready to bestow
alms, not to heap up riches ; and if when in
jured he thinks not on revenge, but very
readily .and willingly pardons the injury :
he may justly exult in his heart as having
in his soul a pledge of the adoption of the
sons of God. But if, after having received
Confirmation, he perceives himself to be no
less covetous, avaricious, passionate, and
impatient, and if he with difficulty allows
any money to be distributed for the relief
of the poor; but, on the contrary, if he sees
that he is ready to seize every opportunity
of lucre, that he is quickly excited, prone
to revenge, and when requested by his
friends to forgive an offence is inexorable
— what is the conclusion, but that he has
received indeed the sacrament, but not the
grace of the sacrament ?

What I have said is intended for those
who are adults, when they approach the
sacrament ; for they who receive it at an
age incapable of sin, receive, it is to be be
lieved, all its gifts and graces. But these
must stand in fear, lest by sin creeping upon
them gradually, and deferring to do penance
for a long time, they extinguish the spirit
received — that is, lose the grace of the Holy
Spirit. Thus is to be understood what the
Apostle saith: "Extinguish not the Spirit."
(1 Thessalonians v. 19.) He extinguishes
the Holy Spirit, as for as lies in him, who
destroys in himself the grace of God.

He, therefore, that desireth to live well,

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 85

and thus to die well, must highly esteem
the grace of the sacraments, which are ves
sels of heavenly treasures : and especially
should he esteem those sacraments, which,
when once lost, cannot be recovered again
— such as the sacrament of Confirmation, in
which we receive an incomparable treasure
of good things. For, although the charac
ter of this sacrament cannot be obliterated,
yet a character without the gift of grace
will not bring any comfort, but only increase
our punishment and confusion.

CHAPTER XII.

ON THE HOLY EUCHARIST.

THE holy Eucharist is the greatest of all
the sacraments : in which not only is grace
most plentifully given unto us, but even the
author of grace Himself is received. Two
things are necessary as regards this sacra
ment, that a Christian may live well and
die well. First, that he sometimes receive
this sacred nourishment, as our Lord saith :
" Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of
Man, and drink his blood, you -shall not
have life in you." Secondly, that he wor
thily receive this excellent food, for, as the
Apostle saith in his Epistle to the Corin-

86 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

thians : " He that eateth and drinketh un
worthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to
himself, not discerning the body of the
Lord." (1 Epist. xi. 29.) But the question
is, how often we ought to receive this food ;
and again, what preparation is sufficient,
that we may worthily, or at least not un
worthily, approach to this heavenly ban
quet.

Concerning the first point, there have
been many and different customs in the
Catholic Church. In the Church of the
first ages the faithful most frequently re
ceived the holy Eucharist. Therefore doth
St. Cyprian, in his Discourse on the Lord's
Prayer, explain the words, " Give us this
day our daily bread," as relating to the
holy Eucharist ; and he teaches that this
sacrament is daily to be received, unless
some lawful impediment hinder us. But
afterwards, when charity grew cold, many
deterred their communion for several years.
Then pope Innocent III. issued a decree,
that at least every year, about Easter, the
faithful, both male and female, should be
obliged to receive the holy Eucharist. But
the common opinion of doctors seems to be
very pious and laudable, for the faithful to
approach the divine banquet every Sunday,
and on other great festivals. The sentence,
supposed to have been uttered by St. Au
gustine, is very common amongst spiritual
writers : " To receive the eucharist daily, I
neither praise uor blame ; but I do advise

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 87

and exhort all to receive it every Sunday.
Although the work on "Ecclesiastical Dog
mas," whence this opinion is drawn, does
not seem to have been written by St. Au
gustine, yet it is by an ancient writer, and
his words are not contrary to the doctrine
of St. Augustine, who most clearly teaches
in his Epistle to Januarius, " that ^ neither
those err who advise daily communion, nor
those who think it should not be so often
received." Certainly, he who teaches this
doctrine cannot in any manner blame those
who choose a middle way, and advise com
munion every Sunday. That this was the
opinion of St. Jerome, we may learn from
his Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to
the Galatians, where, explaining the fourth
chapter, he thus speaks: " Although it be
lawful for us either to keep a perpetual fast,
or always to be praying, and continually to
keep with joy the Lord's day by receiving
the body of the Lord ; yet, it is not lawful
for the Jews to immolate a lamb," <fcc.
This was the opinion of St. Thomas also.

With regard to the other question con
cerning the preparation necessary for re
ceiving so great a sacrament, that we may
receive it for our salvation, and not for our
judgment and condemnation, it is first of
all requisite that our soul be living in a
state of grace, and not dead in mortal sin.
Eor this reason it is called " food," and is
given to us in the form of bread, because it
is the food not of the dead but of the living.

88 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

" He that eateth this bread, shall live for
ever," saith our Lord in St. John; and in
the same place : " My flesh is true meat."
The Council of Trent adds, that for a wor
thy preparation and reception, it is not suf
ficient that he who is denied with mortal
sin should be content with contrition alone ;
but that he should also endeavour to ex
piate his sins by approaching the sacrament
of Penance, if he has an opportunity. And
moreover, because this sacrament is not
only our food, but also a medicine, and the
best and most salutary medicine against all
spiritual diseases; therefore it is required
in the second place, that the sick man
should desire his health, and his deliver
ance from all diseases of his vices, and
especially from the principal ones — such as
luxury, avarice, pride, <fec. That the holy
Eucharist is a medicine, St. Ambrose
teaches in his fifth book on the Sacraments
(cap. iy.) : " He that is wounded requires
medicine ; we are wounded, because we are
under sin ; and the medicine is the sacred
and heavenly sacrament." And St. Bona-
venture says: "He that thinketh himself
unworthy, let him consider how much the
greater need he hath of a physician, by how
much the more enfeebled he is."' And
St. Bernard, in his Sermon on the Supper
of our Lord, admonishes his brethren, that
when they feel evil propensities or any other

* De Profectu Religiosorum, cap. 78

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 89

disorders of the soul diminishing within
them, they should attribute it to this bless
ed sacrament.

Lastly, this holy Sacrament is not only
the food of travellers and the medicine of
the sick, it is also a most skilful and loving
physician, and therefore is to be received
with great joy and reverence; and the
house of our soul ought to be adorned with
all kind of virtues, especially with faith,
hope, charity, devotion, and the fruits of
good works, such as prayer, fasting, and
ahnsdeeds. These ornaments the sweet
guest of our soul requires, though He
stancleth not in need of our goods. Keflect
also, that the Physician who visits us is
our King and our God, whose purity is in
finite, and who therefore requires a most
pure habitation. Hear St. Chrysostom, in
one of his Sermons to the people of An-
tioch: " How pure ought he to be that
offers such a sacrifice ! Ought not the
hand that divides this flesh to be more
pure than the rays of the sun ? Ought not
the tongue to be filled with a spiritual
fire?"&c.

Whoever, then, desireth to live well and
die well, let him enter into the chamber of
his heart, and shutting the door, alone be
fore God, who gearcheth the reins and the
heart, let him attentively consider how
often, and with what preparation, he has
received the body of the Lord ; and it he
shall find that by the grace of God he has

90 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

often and worthily communicated, and
thereby has been well nourished and cured
gradually of his spiritual maladies, and
that he has daily advanced more and more
in virtue and good works : then let him ex
ult with trembling, and serve the Lord in
fear — not so much a servile fear, as a
filial and chaste fear. But if any one,
content with an annual communion, should
think no more of this life-giving Sacrament,
and forgetting to eat this heavenly bread,
should feed and fatten his body whilst his
soul is allowed to languish and starve, let
such an one remember that he is in a bad
state, and very far from the kingdom of
God. Annual communion is enjoined by
the holy Council, not that we should par
take of it only once, but that we should
approach to it at least once a-year, unless
we wish to be cut off from the Church, and
delivered over to the devil. Those that act
thus, (and many there are,) receive the
Lord in His sacrament, not with a filial
love, but with servile fear ; and soon do
they return to the husks of swine, to the
pleasures of the world, to temporal gain,
and to seeking after transitory honours.
Hence in death they hear these words that
were addressed to the rich glutton : " Son,
remember that thou didst receive good
things in thy life-time." But if any one,
frequently approaching this most holy Sa
crament, either on Sundaj^s, or every day,
if he be a priest, should still discover that

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 91

he is not free from mortal sin, nor that he
seriously performs good works, nor is truly
disengaged from the world, but that, like
others who are of the world, he pants after
money, is fond of carnal pleasures, and
sighs after honours and dignities — this man
certainly "eats and drinks judgment to
himself;" and the oftener he approaches the
holy Mysteries, so does he the more imitate
the traitor Judas, of whom our Lord speaks,
" It were better for him he had never been
born." But no one, whilst he lives, must
despair of his salvation. Wherefore, he
that remembereth in the chamber of his
heart his years and his works, and feels
that hitherto he hath wandered from the
way of salvation, let him reflect that he has
still time to repent ; let him seriously begin
to do penance, and return to the path of
truth.

I will add, before I close this chapter,
what St. Bonaventure writes, in his Life of
St. Francis, of the admirable piety and
love of this saint towards the holy Eucha
rist, that so from his burning love our
tepidity and coldness may be inflamed:
'' He burned with the utmost love of his
soul for this blessed Sacrament, being lost
in wonder at this most endearing conde
scension and boundless chanty. Often did
he communicate, and so devoutly, that he
made others devout also ; for when he re
ceived the immaculate Lamb, being, as it

92 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

were, inebriated in spirit, he frequently fell
into raptures."""

How far distant from this saint are, not
only many of the laity, but even many
priests, who offer up the Sacrifice with such
unseemly hurry, that neither they them
selves seem to know what they are doing,
nor do they allow others to fix then: atten
tion on the sacred service.

CHAPTER XIII.

ON TIIE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.

THE sacrament ot Penance comes next,
which consists of three conditions relating to
him that receives this sacrament— contri
tion of heart, confession, and satisfaction.
They who properly comply with these three
things, without doubt obtain the pardon of
their sins. But we must attentively consi
der what is meant by true contrition, sincere
confession, and full satisiaction.

Let us begin with contrition. The pro
phet Joel exclaims : " Render your heart,
•and not your garments;" when the He
brews wished to express their sorrow for
anything, they rent their garments, so does

* Vita St. Francisci, Cap. ix.

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 93

the holy prophet admonish us that, if we
wish to express before God our true and in
ward sorrow for our sins, we must rend our
hearts. And the prophet David adds, that
we must not only rend them, but bruise them
as it were, and reduce them to powder : " A
contrite [contritum] and humble heart, O
God, thou wilt not despise." This compari
son clearly shows that, in order to appease
God by penance, it is not sufficient to say in
words, " I am sorry for my sins ;" but we
must feel a deep and inward sorrow of
heart, which can scarcely be experienced
without tears and sobs. It is wonderful
how strongly the holy Fathers speak of true
contrition. St. Cyprian in his Sermon on
the Lapsed saith : "As greatly as we have
offended, so much must we weep ; for a
deep wound a long and careful course of
medicine is necessary. Our penance must
not be less than our crime; we must be
continually praying, passing the day in
weeping, and the night in watching. Wo
must spend all our time in tears and lamen
tations, lying on ashes alone, and clothed
in sackcloth." St. Clement of Alexandria
calls penance the " baptism of tears ;" St.
Gregory Nazianzen, in his Second Ser
mon on Baptism, says : " I shall receive
penitents, if I see them watered with
their tears." Thcodoret, in his Epitome
of the Divine Command, writes : " That
the wounds which we receive after baptism
may indeed be healed, but not, as formerly

94 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

could so easily be done, by the waters of
regeneration, but by many tears and pain
ful labours."

These and such-like are the sentiments
of all the holy Fathers concerning true con
trition. But now many approach to con
fession, who seem to possess little or no
contrition whatever. But they who wish to
be truly reconciled to God, and to live well,
that so they may die well, ought to enter
the chamber of their heart, and closing the
door to all worldly distractions, thus speak
with themselves : " Alas ! what have I done,
miserable man that I am, in committing
such a crime ! I have offended my most
bountiful Father, the giver of all good things,
who hath loved me so much, who hath sur
rounded me on all sides with benefits, and so
many proofs of this love do I see, as I behold
myself or others in possession of such bene
fits. But what shall I say of my Saviour,
who loved me even when His enemy, and
delivered Himself for me ' an oblation and
a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweet
ness;' and I am so ungrateful as still to
offend Him ! 0 how great is my cruelty !
My Lord was scourged, crowned with
thorns, and nailed to a cross, that He
might apply a remedy for my sins and
offences, and still I cease not to add sin
upon sin ! He, hanging naked on the
cross, exclaimed that He thirsted for my
salvation, and I still continue to offer Him
vinegar and most bitter gall! Who will

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 95

explain to me from what a height of glory
I fell, when I committed such and such a
sin ? I was heir to an eternal kingdom — a
life of eternal happiness; but from this great
happiness — the greatest that can possibly
be possessed — I unhappily fell, for a short
passing pleasure, or for certain offensive
words, or blasphemous language against
God, which did me no good whatever.
And to what a state have I come, having
lost that happiness ! To the captivity ol
the devil, my most cruel enemy ; and as
soon as the putrid carcase of my body shall
be dissolved — which may be any moment
— then, instantly, and without any remedy,
shall I descend into hell. Ah ! me misera
ble ! Perhaps this day, this very night, I
may begin to dwell in those eternal burn
ings ! And, in spite of all these considera
tions, the ingratitude ^of a most wicked
servant increases against a most loving
Father and Lord; for the more He hath
loaded me with benefits, so much the more
have I offended Him by my sins."

Whoever thou art that readest this book,
such are the sentiments thou shouldst ex
cite within thy heart. Earnestly do I hope
that thou mayest obtain of God the gift of
contrition. The penitent David once en
tered into the chamber of his heart, after
having committed adultery ; and soon pos
sessed of true contrition, did he water his
couch with his tears. Peter also, being
penitent, entered into his heart, after having

96 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

denied his Master, and immediately " he
wept bitterly. ' ' Magdalen, being penitent,
entered also into her heart, and "she began
to wash His feet with her tears, ^and wiped
them with the hairs of her head." These,
then, are the fruits of holy contrition, which
cannot arise except in the solitude of the
heart.

We will now speak briefly on confession.
I know that many people approach to it,
without any, or very little benefit ; and this
arises from no other cause than their not
entering into their heart, before they prepare
themselves for confession. Some so negli
gently perform this work, that only gene
rally, and in a confused way, they accuse
themselves of having violated all the Com
mandments, or of having committed every
mortal sin. To such people only a general
absolution can be given, or rather they are
not in a state to receive absolution at all.
Others, again, relate their sins indeed in a
certain order, but they make no mention of
persons, place, time, number, and other cir
cumstances ; this is a great and dangerous
negligence. It is one thing to strike a
priest, and another to strike a layman,
since to the former offence excommunica
tion is annexed, but not to the latter ; it is
one offence to sin with a virgin, another
with a person consecrated to God, another
with a married person, another with a har
lot — one thing to have committed the
offence once, another to have been guilty 01

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 97

it many times. Again, there are others — •
and this is more astonishing — who imagine
that internal sins, such as desires of forni
cation, adultery, homicide, and theft, are not
sins unless actually committed ! Nor even
immodest looks, nor impure touches, nor
lascivious words. And yet our Lord Him
self expressly says: "Whosoever looketh
on a woman to lust after her, hath already
committed adultery with her in his heart."
He therefore who wishes to examine his
conscience well, and to make a good con
fession, must first read some useful book on
the method of making a proper confession,
or at least consult some pious and learned
confessor. Then let him enter into the
chamber of his heart, and not hastily, but
accurately and seriously examine his con
science, his thoughts, desires, words, and
actions, as well as his omissions; after
wards he should lay open his conscience to
his director, and humbly implore absolu
tion from him, being ready to perform
whatever "penance'* may be imposed upon
him.

There now remains satisfaction, of which
our forefathers, most learned men, had
much higher ideas than many of us now
seem to possess. For as they seriously re
membered, that satisfaction can more
easily be made to God on earth than it can
in purgatory, they imposed many long and
severe penances. Thus, for instance, as
regards the duration, some penancesgcon-

98 THE ART OB DYING WELL.

tinued for seven, or fifteen, or thirty years :
some even during a whole life. Then with
regard to the nature of the penances, most
frequent fasts and long prayers were en
joined : besides, the bath, riding, fine gar
ments, games, and theatrical amusements,
were forbidden : in fine, almost the whole
life of the penitents was spent in sorrow
and mourning. I will give one example.

In the tenth council of Toledo we read,
that a bishop named Fotamius, who had
been guilty of some sin of impurity, had of
his own accord, shut himself up in a prison,
and there did penance for nine months:
and afterwards, that he acknowledged his
sin to the council of bishops in writing, and
begged for penance. We are told, how
ever, that the council decreed he should
spend the rest of his life in penance, telling
him at the same time, they treated him
more mercifully than the ancient laws
allowed.

But now, we are so weak and delicate,
that a fast on bread and water for a few
days, together with the penitential Psalms
and litanies to be recited for a certain time,
and a few alms to be given to the poor,
seem severe enough even for enormous
crimes and offences. But as much as we
spare ourselves in this life, so much the
more grievously will the justice of God
make us suffer in purgatory; unless indeed
the efficacy of our true contrition be such,
coming from an ardent charity, that by the

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 99

mercy of God, we obtain the pardon of our
sins and of all the punishment due for
them. A truly contrite and humble heart,
wonderfully excites the compassion of God
our Father; for so great is His sweetness
and goodness, that He cannot but run to
meet the prodigal but repenting son, to em
brace him, to kiss him, to give him the
pledge of peace, and wipe away all his
tears, and fill him with tears of joy, sweeter
than honey and the honey-comb.

CHAPTER XIV.

;TIIE FOURTEENTH PRECEPT, ON THE
SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS.

THE two Sacraments which follow, and
which require a brief explanation, do not
regard all Christians : one relates to clerics,
and the other (matrimony) to laics. We
will not enter upon all the points which
might be mentioned concerning holy Or
ders, but only speak of those matters which
are necessary for a good life and a happy
. death.

The orders are seven in number, four
minor orders and three greater; the highest
of which, called the priesthood, is divided
into two; those who are Bishops, are higher

100 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

than others who are simple priests. Before
all the orders, the tonsure is first received,
which is as it were the gate to all the rest ;
this properly makes men Clerics. And since
what is required from Clerics, in order that
they may lead a good and religious life, is
with greater reason required of those who
have received minor orders, and especially
the priesthood or episcopacy; therefore I
shall be content with considering those
duties that relate to clerics.

Two points seem to require explanation ;
first, the ceremony by which clerics are
made; secondly, the office they have to dis
charge in the church. The ceremony, as
it is described in the Pontifical, consists in
first cutting the hair of the head; by which
rite is signified, the laying aside of all vain
and superfluous desires, such as thoughts
and desires of temporal goods, riches, ho
nours, and pleasures, and others of the
same nature: and at the same time, those
whose hair is being cut, are required to re
peat the fifth verse of the xv. Psalm:
" The Lord is the portion of my inheri
tance and of my cup : it is Thou that will
restore my inheritance to me." Then the
Bishop orders a white surplice to be
brought, which he puts on the cleric, say
ing these words of the Apostle to the Ephe-
sians : " Put on the new man, who accord
ing to God, is created in justice and holi
ness of truth/' (chap iv. 24.) There is no
particular office appointed for a cleric : but

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 101

it is customary for him to serve the priest
at his private mass.

Let us now consider what degree of per
fection is required in a cleric ; and if so
much is required of him, how much in an
acolyte, subdeacon, deacon, priest, and
Bishop ! I am horrified to think, how many
priests scarcely possess what is strictly re
quired in a simple cleric. He is exhorted
to cast away all idle thoughts and desires,
which belong only to men of the world;
that is, to men who are of the world, who
are continually thinking of worldly things.
The good cleric is exhorted to seek for no
other inheritance than God, that He alone
" may be the portion of his inheritance ;"
and the cleric may be truly said to be "the
portion and inheritance" of God alone. O !
how high is the clerical state which re
nounces the whole world that it may pos
sess God alone, and may in return be pos
sessed by God alone ! "This is the meaning
of the words of the Psalmist: " The Lord
is the portion of my inheritance and of my
cup/' That is said to be "the portion of
inheritance," which in the division of a
property among relations, falls to the share
of each one. Wherefore, the sense of the
word is, not that the cleric wishes to take
God as a portion of his inheritance, and to
make worldly riches another portion ; but
that from the bottom of his heart he desires
to transfer to his good God, his whole inhe
ritance, that is, whatever may belong to him

102 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

in this world. Between cup and inheritance
there seems to be this difference, that a cup
relates to pleasures and delights, and inhe
ritance to riches and honours. "Wherefore,
the general sense is this: O Lord, my
God'! from this time whatever riches, or
pleasures, or other temporal goods I can
tope for in this world, I desire to possess
all in Thee alone. Thou alone art sufficient
for me. And since he cannot have an
abundance of spiritual good things here on
earth, therefore the cleric continues pray
ing: " It is Thou that wilt restore my inhe
ritance to me." What I have despised and
rejected for Thee, or given to the poor, or
forgiven my debtors, Thou wilt faithfully
preserve for me, and restore to me in due
season, not in corruptible gold, but in Thy
self, who art the inexhaustible fountain of
all good.

But lest any one should doubt my words,
I will add two authorities much greater
than mine without any exception, viz. St.
Jerome and St. Bernard. St. Jerome, in
his Epistle to Nepotianus, speaking on a
clerical life, thus writes: "Let a cleric,
who serves the Church of Christ, first ex
plain his name; and its definition being
known, he must endeavour to be what it is
called: the Greek is KX^OS, and in Latin
Sors, which means inheritance : wherefore
they are called clerics, either because they
are chosen by the Lord, or because the
Lord is their inheritance. But he who

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 103

hath the Lord for his inheritance, ought so
to conduct himself, that he may possess the
Lord, and may be possessed by Him. And
he that possesses the Lord, and says with
the prophet, " The Lord is my portion,"
can possess nothing out of God. But if he
have any thing beside God, the Lord will
not be his portion : as, for example, if he
possess gold, or silver, or land, or various
goods, the Lord his inheritance will not
deign to be with these other portions.
Thus St. Jerome ; and if we read his whole
epistle we shall find that great perfection is
required in clerics.

St. Bernard comes next: he not only ap
proves of the language of St. Jerome, but
he sometimes uses his words, although he
does not mention his name. Thus he
speaks in his very long Sermon on the
words of St. Peter, " Behold we have left
all things," which occur in the Gospel of
St. Matthew: " A cleric," he says, "who
hath any part with the world, will have no
inheritance in heaven: if he possess any
thing beside God, the Lord will not be his
inheritance." And a little below he pro
ceeds, declaring what a cleric can retain of
ecclesiastical benefices : " Not to give the
property of the poor to the poor, is the same
as the crime of sacrilege : whatever minis
ters and dispensers — not lords and posses
sors — receive out of church property beyond
mere food and clothing, is by a sacrilegious
cruelty taken from the patrimony of the

104 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

poor." Thus St. Bernard perfectly agrees
with St. Jerome.

The ceremony of putting on the white
surplice follows, with these words of the
apostle : " Put on the new man, who ac
cording to God, is created in justice and
holiness of troth." It is not sufficient for
clerics, not to be in love with riches ; their
life must also be innocent and without
stain, because they are dedicated to the
ministry of the altar, on which is immolated
the Lamb without spot. Now, to put on
" the new man," means nothing else than
to cast off the ways of the old Adam, who
hath corrupted his way, and to put on the
new Adam, that is Christ, who being born
of the Blessed Virgin, pointed out a new
way "in justice and holiness of truth;"
which means, not only in moral justice but
also in the most perfect and supernatural
holiness, such as Christ showed Himself to
us, who according to St. Peter, " Did no
sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."
(chap. ii. 1 Epist.) Would that many
clerics were to be found now, who clothed
in their white surplice, might show it in
their life and manners.

In fine, another office of clerics is, to
assist with devotion, reverence, and atten
tion, at the Divine Sacrifice, in which the
Lamb of God is daily sacrificed. I know
that there are many pious clerics to be
found in the Church ; but I not only know,
but I Lave often seen many assisting at the

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 105

altar of the Lord, with roving eyes and im
proper demeanour, as if the service were a
mean and common thing, and not most
sacred and terrible ! And perhaps the
cleric is not so much to blame as the priest
himself, who sometimes says mass in such
a hurried manner and with so little devo
tion, as to seem not to be aware of what he
is doing. Let such hear what St. Chrysos-
tom says on this matter: " At that time
angels surround the priest, and the whole
heavenly powers sing aloud, and gather
round the altar, in honour of Him who is
immolated thereon.""' This we may easily
believe, when we consider the greatness of
the Sacrifice. St. Gregory also thus speaks
in the fourth book of his Dialogues : "Who
amongst the faithful can hesitate in believ
ing, that at the moment of immolation
when the priest pronounces the word, the
heavens open and choirs of angels descend:
that heavenly things are joined with earthly,
visible with invisible?" If these words be
seriously pondered upon, both by priest and
cleric attending upon him, how is it possi
ble that they can act as they sometimes do?
0 ! what a sorrowful and deplorable specta
cle would it be, could the eves of our soul
be opened, to see a priest celebrating, sur
rounded on all sides with choirs of angels,
who stand in wonder and tremble at what
he is doing, and sing spiritual canticles in

* Lib. vi. De Sacerdotio.

106 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

admiration ; and yet to behold the priest in
the midst, cold and stupidly inattentive to
what he is about, not understanding what
he says; and so he hurriedly offers the
mass, neglects the ceremonies, and, in fact,
seems not to know what he is doing ! And
in the mean time, the cleric looks here and
there, or even keeps talking to some one !
Thus is God mocked, thus are the most
sacred things despised, thus is matter of
fered to heretics to scoff at. And since this
cannot be denied, I admonish and exhort
all ecclesiastics, that being dead to the
world, they live for God alone ; not desiring
an abundance of riches, zealously preser
ving their innocence, and assisting at divine
things with devotion, as they ought, and
endeavouring to make others do the same.
Thus will they gain great confidence with
God, and at the same time fill the Church
of Christ with the good odour of their
virtues.

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 107

CHAPTER XV.

THE FIFTEENTH PRECEPT, ON MATRIMONY.

THE sacrament of Matrimony comes
next : it has a two-fold institution ; one, as
it is a civil contract by the natural law;
another, as it is a sacrament by the law of
the Gospel. Of both institutions we shall
briefly speak, not absolutely, but only as
regards teaching us how to live well, that
so we may die well. Its first institution
was made by God in paradise ; for these
words of God, "It is not good for man to
be alone," cannot properly be understood,
unless they have relation to some means of
propagating the human race. St. Augus
tine justly remarks, that in no way does
man stand in need of the woman, except in
bringing forth and educating children ; for
in other things, men derive more assistance
from their fellow-men than from women.
Wherefore, a little after the woman had been
formed, Adam divinely inspired said: " A
man shall leave his father and mother, and
cleave to his wife:" and these words our
Lord in St. Matthew attributes to God,
saying : " Have ye not read, that he who
made man from the beginning, made them
male and female ? And he said : For this
cause shall a man leave father and mother,

108 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

and shall cleave to his wife, and they two
shall be in one flesh. What therefore God
hath joined together, let no man put asun
der." (chap, xix.) Our Lord here attri
butes these words to God, because Adam
spoke them not as coming from himself,
but from the divine inspiration. Such was
the first institution of Matrimony.

Another institution, or rather exaltation
of matrimony to the dignity of a sacrament,
is found in St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephe-
sians : " For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall cleave to
his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh.
This is a great sacrament : but I speak in
Christ and in the Church." (chap. v.
31, 32.) That matrimony is a true sacra
ment, St. Augustine proves in his book on
"A good husband" — he says: " In our
marriages, more account is made of the
sanctity of the sacrament than fecundity of
birth:" and in the xxiv. chapter he says
again : " Among all nations and people the
advantage of marriage consists in being the
means of producing children in the faith of
chastity: but as regards the 'people of God,
it also consists in the sanctity of the Sacra
ment." And in his book on " Faith and
Works," he says : " In the city of the Lord
and in his holy Mount, that is, in his
Church, marriage is not only a bond, it is
also considered to be a Sacrament." But
on this point I need say nothing more. It
only remains that I explain, how men and

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 109

women united in matrimony should so live,
that they may die a good death.

There are three blessings arising from
Matrimony, if it be made a good use of,
viz : Children, fidelity, and the grace of the
sacrament. The generation of children,
together with their proper education, must
be had in view, if we would make a good
use of matrimony ; but on the contrary, he
commits a most grievous sin, who seeks
only carnal pleasure in it. Hence Onan,
one of the children of the patriarch Juda,
is most severely blamed in Scripture for
not remembering this, which was to
abuse, not use the holy Sacrament. But if
sometimes it happen that married people
should be oppressed with the number of
their children, whom through poverty they
cannot easily support, there is a remedy
pleasing to God; and this is, by mutual
consent to separate from the marriage-bed,
and spend their days in prayer and fasting.
For if it be agreeable to Him, for married
persons to grow old in virginity, after the
example of the Blessed Virgin and St.
Joseph, (whose lives the Emperor Henry
and his wife Chunecunda endeavoured to
imitate, as well as King Edward and
Egdida, Eleazor a knight, and his lady
Dalphina, and several others,) why should
it be displeasing to God or men, that mar
ried people should not live together as man
and wife, by mutual consent, that so they

110 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

may spend the rest of their days in prayer
and fasting ?

Again : it is a most grievous sin, for peo
ple united in matrimony and blessed with
children, to neglect them or their pious edu
cation, or to allow them to want the neces
saries of life. On this point, we have many
examples, both in sacred and profane His
tory: but as I wish to be concise, I shall be
content with adducing one only from the
first book of Kings : "In that day I will
raise up against Heli all the things I have
spoken concerning his house : I will begin
and I will make an end. For I have fore
told unto him, that I will judge his house
for ever for iniquity, because he knew that
his sons did wickedly, and did not chastise
them. Therefore have I sworn to the
house of Heli, that the iniquity of his house
shall not be expiated with victims nor offer
ings for ever." (chap. iii. 12, <fcc.) These
threats God shortly after fulfilled ; for the
sons of Heli were slain in battle, and Hell
himself falling from his seat backwards,
broke his neck and died miserably. Where
fore, if Heli, otherwise a just man, and an
upright judge of the people, perished mise
rably with his sons, because he did not
educate them as he ought to have done,
and did not chastise them when they be
came wicked ; what will become of those,
who not only do not endeavour to educate
their children properly, but by their bad
example encourage them to sin? Iruly,

THE ART OF DYING WELL. Ill

they can expect nothing less than a horri
ble death, for themselves and for their chil
dren, unless they repent in time and do
suitable penance.

Another blessing, and that a most noble
one, is the grace of the Sacrament, which
God Himself pours into the hearts of pious
married persons, provided the marriage be
duly celebrated, and the individuals are
found to be well disposed and prepared. This
grace, not to mention other blessings it
brings with it, helps in a wonderful manner
to produce love and peace between married
people, although the different dispositions
and manners of each other are capable of
sowing discord. But, above all things, an
imitation of the union of Christ with the
Church makes marriage most sweet and
blessed. Of this the Apostle thus speaks
in his Epistle to the Ephesians: "Hus
bands, love your wives, as Christ also
loved the Church, and delivered Himself
up for it, that He might sanctify it, cleansing
it by the laver of water, in the word of life,
that he might present it to Himself a glo
rious Church, not having spot or wrinkle."
(chap. v. 25, &c.) The Apostle admonishes
women also, saying: " Let women be sub
ject to their husbands, as to the Lord.
Because the husband is the head of the
wife, as Christ is the head of the Church.
Therefore as the Church is subject to
Christ, so also let the wives be to their
husbands in all things." The Apostle con-

112 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

eludes : " Nevertheless let every one of you
in particular love his wife as himself, and
let the wife fear her husband." If these
words of the Apostle be diligently consi
dered, they will make our marriage blessed
in heaven and on earth

But we will briefly explain the meaning
of St. Paul's words. .First, he exhorts
husbands that they love their wives, " as
Christ hath loved the Church." Christ
certainly loved His church with a love of
friendship, not with a love of concupiscence ;
He sought the good of the Church, the
safety of the Church, and not His own utili
ty, nor His own pleasure. Wherefore, they
do not imitate Christ, who love their wives
on account of their beauty, being captivated
by the love thereof, or on account of their
rich dowry or valuable inheritance, for such
love not their spouse but themselves, de
siring to satisfy the concupiscence of their
flesh, or the concupiscence of their eyes,
which is called avarice. Thus Solomon,
wise in the beginning, but in the end un
wise, loved his wives and his concubines,
not with the love of friendship, but of con
cupiscence ; desiring not to benefit them,
but to satisfy his carnal concupiscence,
wherewith being blinded, he hesitated not
to sacrifice to strange gods, lest he should
grieve in the least his mistresses. Now,
that Christ in His marriage with His
Church, sought not Himself, that is, His
own utility or pleasure, but the good of His

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 113

spouse, is evident from the following words :
" He delivered himself for it that he might
sanctity it, cleansing it by the laver of
water in the word of life." This indeed is
true and perfect charity, to deliver one's
self to punishment, for the eternal welfare
of the Church his spouse. But not only
did our Saviour love the Church with a love
of friendship, not concupiscence, but also
He loved it, not for a time, but with a per
petual love. For as He never laid aside
His human nature which He once assumed,
so also He united His spouse to Himself,
in a bond of indissoluble marriage. " With
a perpetual love have I loved thee," saith
He by the prophet Jercmias. This is the
reason why marriage is indissoluble among
Christians, because it is a sacrament signi
fying the union of Christ with His church ;
whilst marriage among the Pagans and
Jews, could be dissolved in certain cases.

The same apostle afterward teaches
women to be " subject" to their husbands,
as the Church is subject to Christ. Jeza-
bel did not observe this precept ; for as she
wished to rule her husband, she lost herself
and him, together with all their children.

And would that there were not so many
females in these days, who endeavour to
rule over their husbands ; but perhaps the
fault is in the men, who do not know how
to retain their superiority. Sara, the wife
of Abraham, was so subject to her husband,
that she called him lord: "I am grown

114 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

old, and my lord is an old man," cfec.
And this obedience of Sara, St. Peter in
his first Epistle thus praises: "For after
this manner holy women also, being in sub
jection to their husbands, as Sara obeyed
Abraham, calling him lord." (chap. iii. 5,
6.) It may appear strange, that the holy
Apostles Peter and Paul should be con
tinually exhorting husbands to love their
wives, and wives to fear their husbands;
but if they be subject to their husbands,
should they not also love them? A wife
ought to love her husband, and be loved in
retuni by him ; but she should love him
with fear and reverence, so that her love
should not prevent her fear, otherwise she
might become a tyrant. Dalila mocked
her husband Sampson, though such a strong
man, not as a man, but as a slave. And in
the book of Esdras it is related of a king,
how being captivated with love for his con
cubine, he suffered her to sit at his right
hand; but she took the crown from the
king's head and put it upon her own, and
even struck the king himself. Wherefore,
we must not be surprised at the Almighty
having said to the first woman : " Thou
shalt be under thy husband's power, and he
shall have dominion over thee." (Genesis,
iii. 1 6.) Hence a husband requires no little
wisdom to love, and at the same time rule
his wife ; to admonish her and teach her
also ; and if necessary, even correct her.
We have an example in St. Monica the

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 115

mother of St. Augustine ; her husband was
a cruel man and a Pagan, but yet she bore
with him so piously and prudently, that she
always was loved by him, and at length
converted him to God.'*

CHAPTER XVI.

THE SIXTEENTH PRECEPT, ON THE SACRA
MENT OF EXTREME UNCTION

THERE now remains the last sacrament
to speak of, Extreme Unction ; from this
may be derived most useful lessons, not only
for our last hour, but for the whole course
of our life For in this Sacrament are
anointed all those parts of the body in
which the five senses reside, and in the
anointing of each of them it is said: "May
our Lord forgive thee whatever thou mayest
have committed by thy sight, hearing, &c."
Hence we see, that these senses are as it
were five gates, through which all kinds of
sin can enter into the soul. If then we care
fully guard these gates, we shall easily avoid
a multitude of sins, and therefore shall be
enabled to live well and die well.

We will now speak briefly on guarding

* See St. Augustine's " Confessions.'

116 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

these five gates. That the eye is a gate
through which enter sins against chastity,
our Saviour teaches us when He says:
" But I say to you, that whosoever shall
look upon a woman to lust after her, hath
already committed adultery with her in his
heart. And if thy right eye scandalize
thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. For
it is expedient for thee that one of thy
members should perish, rather than that thy
whole body go into hell." (St. Matthew v.
28.) We know that the old men who saw
Susanna naked, were immediately inflamed
with evil desires of lust, and in conse
quence suffered a miserable death. We
know also how David, the particular friend
of God, from merely seeing Bethsabee
washing herself, fell into adultery, and from
that into murder, and innumerable other
evils. Reason itself convinces us of this
truth ; for the beauty of a woman compels,
in a manner, a man to love her ; and the
beauty of a man compels the woman : nor
does this love rest till it ends in carnal em
braces, on account of the concupiscence de
rived to us from original sin. This evil the
holy apostle Paul deplores, where he says :
"But I see another law in my members
fighting against the law of my mind, and
captivating me in the law of sin, that is in
my members. Unhappy man that I am,
who shall deliver me from the body of this
death ? The grace of God by Jesus Christ
our Lord." (Epist. to Romans, vii. 23.)

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 117

What remedy is there against so griev
ous a temptation? The remedy is quick
and easy with the assistance of God, if we
wish to make use of it. St. Augustine
mentions a remedy in his 109th Epistle,
•vyhich contains rules for monks ; the holy
father thus speaks : " If you cast your eyes
upon any one, fix them upon no one." A
simple glance of the eyes is almost impossi
ble to be avoided ; but it cannot strike the
heart, except it be continued upon the ob
ject. Wherefore, if we do not designedly
accustom ourselves to look upon a beautiful
woman, and should by chance cast our eyes
upon one, and then quickly turn them
aside, there will be no danger to us; for
truly does St. Augustine remark, that not
in the glance, but in the dwelling upon the
object, is the danger. Hence holy Job
says: "I made a covenant with my eyes,
that I would not so much as think upon
a virgin." (chap, xxxi.) He does not say,
" I have made a covenant" not to look, but
" not so much as to think" upon a virgin :
this ^means, I will not look too long upon a
virgin, lest the sight should penetrate my
heart, and I should begin to think of her
beauty, and gradually to desire to speak
with her, and then embrace her. He then
gives the best reason a most holy man
could give: "For what part would God
from above have in me?" As if he in
tended to say: God is my chief Happiness
and my Inheritance, my greatest good, than

118 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

whom nothing more excellent can be ima
gined : but God loves only the chaste and
just. To the same purpose are the words
of our Lord : " If thy eye scandalize thee,
pluck it out;" that is, so use it as if you
did not possess it; and so accustom your
eyes to refrain from sinful objects, as if you
were blind. Now they who from their
youth are careful in this respect, will not
find much difficulty in avoiding other vices:
but they who are not so careful, will find a
difficulty; though by the grace of God,
they can be enabled to change their life,
and to avoid this most dangerous snare.

But some one may perhaps reply: Why
did God create such beautiful men and
women, if He did not wish us to look fit
them, and admire them? The answer is
easy and two-fold. God created male and
female for marriage ; for thus He spoke in
the beginning: "It is not good for man to
be alone : let us make him a help like unto
himself." Man does not require the aid of
the woman, except in bringing forth and
educating children, as we have already
proved from St. Augustine. But man and
wife would not easily agree, nor willingly
live together their life-time, unless beauty
had a share in producing love. Since,
therefore, the woman was made beautiful
that she might be loved by her husband,
she cannot be loved by another with a
carnal love ; wherefore it is said in the
law : " Thou shalt not covet thy neigh-

THE ART OF DYING WEIr.. 119

bour's wife;" and to husbands the j
speaks: "Husbands love your wives."
There are many good and beautiful things,
which ought not to be desired but by those
only with whom they agree. The use of
meat and wine is good for those in health,
but not always to those who are ill. So in
the same manner after the resurrection, the
beauty of men and women may be safely
loved by all of us, for then we shall not pos
sess the carnal concupiscence under which
we now groan. Wherefore we must not be
surprised in being permitted to admire the
beauty of the sun, and moon, and stars,
and flowers, which do not nourish concu
piscence ; and in not being allowed to gaze
with pleasure on beautiful men and women,
because the sight might perhaps increase or
nourish carnal concupiscence.

After the sense of sight comes that of
hearing, which ought to be no less dili
gently guarded than the former. But with
the ears the "tongue" must be joined,
which is the instrument of speech: for
words, whether good or bad, are not heard
except when pronounced first by the tongue.
And as the tongue, unless most carefully
guarded, is the cause of many evils, there
fore does St. James say: " He that offends
not in word, the same is a perfect man:"
and a little further: "' Behold how small a
fire what a great wood it kindleth ! And
the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity."
(chap. iii. 5.) In this passage the Apostle

120 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

teaches us three things. First, that to
guard the tongue carefully is a most diffi
cult thing; and therefore that there are
few, and those only perfect men, who know
effectually how to do this. Secondly, that
from an evil tongue, the greatest injuries
and mischief may arise in a very short
time. This is explained by a comparison
taken from a spark, which unless immedi
ately extinguished, can consume a whole
forest. Thus, one word incautiously spoken,
may excite suspicions of another's guilt,
from which quarrels, contentions, strifes,
homicides, and the ruin of a whole family
may arise. St. James, in fine, teaches that
an evil tongue is not merely an evil thing
in itself alone, but that it includes a multi
tude of evils ; therefore he calls it a " world
of iniquity." For by its means, nearly all
crimes are either devised, as adulteries and
thefts; or perpetrated, as perjuries and false
testimonies ; or defended, as when the impi
ous excuse the evil they have committed, or
pretend to have done the good they did not.
And again, the evil tongue may justly be
called "a world of iniquity," because by
the tongue man sins against God by blas
phemy or perjury; against his neighbour by
detraction and back-biting; and against
himself, by boasting of good works which
he has not done in reality; and by asserting
that he did not do the evil things which he
did. In addition to the testimony of St.
James, I will add that of the prophet Da-

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 121

vid: " 0 Lord, deliver my soul from wicked
lips, and a deceitful tongue." (Psalm cxix.)
If this holy king was fearful of a wicked and
deceitful tongue, what ought private indivi
duals to do ; and much more, if they are not
only private, but poor, weak, and obscure ?
The prophet adds : " What shall be given
to thee, or what shall be added to thee, to
a deceitful tongue?" The words are ob
scure on account of the peculiarity of the
Hebrew structure ; but the sense appears to
be this : Not without cause do I fear a
wicked and deceitful tongue, because it is
such a great evil that no other can be added
to it. The prophet proceeds: " The sharp
arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay
waste." In these words, by an elegant
comparison, he declares how great an evil
a dececitful tongue is ; for the prophet com
pares it to a fiery arrow shot by a strong
hand. Arrows strike at a distance, and
with such quickness, that they can scarcely
be avoided. Then arrows to which the
deceitful tongue is compared, are said to
be sent forth by a strong hand. Thirdly,
it is added, that these arrows are sharp,
that is, they are well polished and sharp
ened by a skilful workman. In fine, it is
said, that they are like unto desolating
coals, that is, fiery, so that they can " lay
waste " any thing, however strong and
hard : hence, a wicked and deceitful tongue
is not so much like unto the arrows of men,
as to the arrows of heaven — .lightning,

122 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

which nothing can resist. This description
of the prophet, of a wicked and deceit
ful tongue, is such, that 110 evil can be
imagined greater.

But that the truth may be more clearly
understood, I will mention two examples
from Scripture. The first, that of the
wicked Doe'g the Idumean, who accused
the priest Achimelech to king Saul, of
having conspired with David against him :
this was a downright calumny and impos
ture. But because Saul, at that time, was
not well disposed towards David, he easily
believed everything, and ordered that^ not
only the priest Achimelech should be killed
immediately, but all the other priests, in
number about eighty-five, who had not
committed the least offence against the
king. But Saul, not content with this
slaughter, ordered those to be slain also
who dwelt in the city nobe ; and not only
did his cruelty extend to men and women,
but even to children, and infants, and ani
mals. 0_f this wicked and deceitful tongue
of Doiig, it is probable that David spoke _ in
the psalm mentioned above, part of which
I explained.

From this example we may learn, how
productive of evil is a deceitful and wicked
tongue.

The other example I will take from the
gospel of St. Mark:. When the daughter
of Herodias danced before Herod the Te-
trarch and his courtiers, she gained his

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 123

favour to such a degree that he swore be
fore all the company, he would give the girl
whatever she asked, though it were half his
kingdom. But the daughter first asked her
mother Herodias what she should demand ;
she told her to ask for the head of St. John
the Baptist. This was demanded, and soon
was the head of the Baptist brought in on a
dish. What crimes were there here ! The
mother sinned most grievously, in request
ing a most unjust thing ; Herod sinned no
less grievously, by ordering a most inno
cent man to be killed, who was the precur
sor of our Lord and "more than a pro
phet," than whom no greater had arisen
among those born of women : and with
out his cause being heard, without judg
ment, at the time of a solemn banquet, the
demand of the girl was granted ! But let
us hear the punishment, as we have seen
the evils of the crime. Herod being a
short time after deprived of his government
by the emperor Gains, was sent into perpe
tual banishment. Thus he who swore that
he would give away half of his kingdom,
exchanged that kingdom for perpetual exile,
as Josephus mentions in his "Antiquities."
The daughter of Herodias, whose dancing
was the cause of St. John's death, crossing
some ice, it broke under her and she fell in
with her whole body except her head, which
being cut from the body, rolled about on
the ice; thus all might see what was the
cause of her miserable death. In fine, He-

124 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

rodias herself soon died broken-hearted,
and followed her daughter to the torments
of hell. Nicephorus Callistus relates this
tragedy in his History. Behold, what
crimes and what punishment followed the
rash and foolish oath taken by Herod the
Tetrarch.

We will now mention the remedies which
prudent men are accustomed to use against
sins of the tongue. The holy prophet Da
vid, in the beginning of the xxxviii. Psalm,
speaks of the remedy he used ; " I said : I
will take heed to my ways, that I sin not
with my tongue." This means, that I
may guard against sins of the tongue, I will
carefully mind my ways ; for I will neither
speak, nor think, nor do anything, unless I
first examine and weigh what I am about
to do or speak.

These are the paths by which men walk
in this life. Wherefore the remedy against
evil wrords, and not only a.gainst these, but
against deeds also, and thoughts, and de
sires, is to think beforehand on what we are
about to do, or speak, or desire. And this
is the character of men, not to do anything
rashly, but to consider what is to be
done ; and if it agree with sound reason, to
do it ; but if not, not to do it. And what
we say of actions, may be applied to speech,
desires, and other works of a rational
being.

But if all cannot consider beforehand on
what they are about to do or speak, cer-

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 125

tainly there can be no prudent man, de
sirous of his eternal salvation, who will not
every morning of each day, before he com
mences his business, approach to God in
prayer, and beg of Him to direct his ways,
his actions, his words, desires, and thoughts,,
to the greater glory of God, and the salvation
of his own soul. Then, at the close of the
day, before he lies down to sleep, he should
examine his conscience and ask himself,
whether he has offended God in thought,
word, or deed ; and if he shall find that he
has committed any sin, especially a mortal
one, let him not dare to close his eyes in
sleep, before he first reconcile himself to
God by true repentance, and make a firm
resolution so to guard his ways, as not to
offend in word, or deed, or desire.

With regard to the sense of " hearing,"
a few remarks must be made. When the
tongue is restrained by reason from utter
ing evil words, nothing can injure the sense
of hearing. There are four kinds of words,
against which in particular the sense of
hearing must be closed, lest through it evil
words should enter the heart and corrupt
it. The first are words against Faith, which
human curiosity often listens to with plea
sure : and yet if these penetrate the heart,
they deprive it of Faith, which is the root
and beginning of all good. ISow no words
of infidels are more pernicious than those
which deny, either the providence of God,
or the immortality of the soul : for such asr

126 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

sertipns make men not merely heretics, but
atheists, and thus open the door to all kinds
of wickedness. Another class of evil words
regards detraction, which is eagerly lis
tened to, but which destroys fraternal cha
rity. Holy David, who was a man accord
ing to God's own heart, says in the Psalms:
" Instead of making me a return of love,
they detracted me : but I gave myself to
prayer." And since detraction is often
heard at table, St. Augustine placed these
verses over his dining-table : — •

" Quisquis amat dictis absentftm rodero vitam,
Hanc mensam iiidignam noverit esse sibi."*

The third species of evil words consists in
flattery, which is willingly heard by men ;
and yet it produces pride and vanity, the
former of which is the queen of vices, and
is most hateful to God. A fourth kind
consists in using immodest and amatory
words in lascivious songs : to the lovers of
this world nothing is sweeter, though no
thing can be more dangerous than such
words and songs. Lascivious songs are
the songs of syrens, who enchant men, and
then plunge them into the sea and devour
them.

Against all these dangers there is a salu
tary remedy, to keep with good company,
but most carefully to avoid evil company.
Men, when in the presence of those whom

* " This board allows no vile detractor place,

Whose tongue doth love the absent to disgrace."

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 127

they have either not seen before, or with
whom they are not familiar, have not the
boldness to detract their neighbour, or to
make use of heretical, or flattering, or las
civious expressions. Wherefore Solomon,
in the beginning of Proverbs, thus ex
presses his first precept: "My son, hear

the instructions of thy father, &c My

son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent
not to them. If they shall say : Come with
us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide
snares for the innocent without cause : let
us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole
as one that goeth down into the pit. We
shall find all precious substance, and shall
fill our houses with spoils. Cast in thy lot
with us, let us all have one purse. My
son, walk not thou with them, restrain thy
foot from their paths. For their feet run
to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
And they themselves lie in wait for their
own blood, and practise deceits against their
own souls.'* (chap. i. 10, &c.) This ad
vice of a most wise man, affords an easy
remedy, to keep the sense of hearing from
being corrupted by evil words ; especially if
we add the words of pur Lord, who has
said : " A man's enemies shall be they of
his own household."

The third sense is our smell, of which
nothing can be said, for it relates to odours
that possess little power in corrupting the
soul ; and the odours of flowers are harm-

THE ART OF DYING WELL.

I come therefore to the fourth sense, the
sense of taste. The sins that enter the
soul and corrupt it by this gate, are two
fold, gluttony and drunkenness ; from these
many other sins follow. Against these
vices we have the admonition of our Lord in
St. Luke : " Take heed to yourselves, lest
perhaps your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting and drunkenness, etc." Another
admonition is given by St. Paul, in his
Epistle to the Romans : " Let us walk
honestly as in the day: not in rioting and
drunkenness." These two sins are num
bered in the Holy Scriptures with other
grievous crimes, as St. Paul mentions:
" Now the works of the flesh are manifest,
which are, fornication, uncleanness, immo
desty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, tfcc.

Murders, drunkenness, revellings, and

such like. Of the which I foretell you, as
I have foretold to you, that they who do
such things shall not obtain the kingdom of
God." (Epistle to .Galatians, v. 19, &c.)
But this is not the only punishment of such
sins : for they also deaden the soul, so as to
make it totally unfit for the contemplation
of heavenly things. This our Saviour
teaches us ; and St. Basil in his sermon on
" Fasting," illustrates it by two very apt
comparisons. The first is taken from the
sun and from vapours: "As those thick
vapours which rise from damp and wet
places, cover the heavens with clouds and
prevent the rays of the sun from reaching

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 129

us; so also from surfeiting and drunken
ness, smoke and vapour as it were rise
within us, that obscure our reason, and de
prive us of the rays of divine light." The
other comparison is taken from smoke and
bees. "As bees are expelled from their
hives by smoke, so also the wisdom of God
is expelled by revellings and drunkenness ;
and this wisdom is, as it were, like a bee
in our soul, producing the honey of virtue,
of grace, and every heavenly consolation."
Moreover, drunkenness injures the health
of the body also. A doctor named Anti-
phanes, most skilful in his profession, as
serted, as Clement of Alexandria informs
us in the second book of his "Padagogus,"
that almost the only cause of every disease
was, too much food and drink. On the
other hand, St. Basil tells us, that he
thought "Abstinence" might be called the
parent of health. And indeed physicians
in general, in order to restore health to
a diseased body, always order their patient
to abstain from meat and wine. Again:
drunkenness and revellings not only injure
the health of the soul and body, but also
our domestic interests: how many from
being rich have become poor; how many
from masters have become servants, and
all by drunkenness ! This vice also de
prives many poor people of the alms of tho
rich ; for they who are not content with
moderate meat and drink, easily spend
their whole substance upon their own plea-

130 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

sures, so that nothing remains for their
needy brethren : thus are the words of tho
Apostle fulfilled: " And one indeed is hun-
grv, and another is drunk."

vYe will now mention some remedies.
The example of the saints may serve as one
remedy against these sins. I omit the her
mits and monks whom St. Jerome men
tions in his Epistle-" to Eustochius ; he tella
her, that amongst them anything "cooked"
was a luxury. I will not dwell on St. Am
brose, who, as Paulinus mentions in his life,
fasted every day except Sundays and solemn
festivals. I will not speak of St. Augus
tine, who, as Possidius testifies, used only
herbs and legumes at his table, and had
meat only for strangers and guests. But if
we attentively consider how the Lord of all
things was Himself in want, when in the
desert he undertook to feed the multitude,
we shall doubtless soon acquire "Sobriety."
God, who alone is powerful, alone wise,
alone bountiful, and who could and who
wished to provide in the best manner possi
ble for His beloved people, for forty years
rained down upon them only Manna, and
gave them water from a rock. Manna was
food not much differing from flour mixed
with honey, as we are told in the book of
Exodus. Behold how moderately our most
wise God fed and nourished His people;
their food, cake; their drink, water; and

* De Cnstodia Virginitatis.

THE ART OF DYING WELL. 131

yet all continued to enjoy good health, until
they began to long after flesh.

Christ Jesus, the Son of God, after the
example of His Father, " in whom are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,"
when He feasted so many thousands of the
people, placed before them only a few loaves
and fishes, and water for drink. And not
only when our Saviour was yet in the world,
did He give His hearers such a repast, but
after His resurrection also, when " all power
had been given unto Him in heaven and on
earth," meeting His disciples on the sea
shore, He feasted them on bread and fish
alone, and this very frugally. O how diffe
rent are the ways of God from the ways of
men ! The King of heaven and earth re
joices in simplicity and sobriety, and is
chiefly solicitous to fill, enrich, and exhila
rate the soul. But men prefer listening to
their concupiscence and their enemy the
devil before God. Thus we may say with
the Apostle, that the god of carnal men is
"their belly."

The sense of " touch" comes next, which
of all the senses is the most lively and
fleshy, by which many sins enter to defile
our own soul as well as the souls of others ;
such as the works of the flesh, which St.
Paul enumerates when he says : " Now the
wrorks of the flesh are manifest, which are
fornication, uncleanness, immodesty," &c.
By these three words the Apostle includes
all kinds of impurities. Nor is there any

132 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

necessity to dwell more at length on these
sins, which the faithful ought rather to be
ignorant of, and the names of which ought
never to be heard amongst them. Thus
does St. Paul speak in his Epistle to the
Ephesians: "But fornication and all un-
cleanness, let it not be so much as named
amongst you as becometh saints/ ' Against
all these crimes the following seem to me
to be the remedies, and they are such as
physicians use to cure the sick. First,
they begin with fasting or abstinence, they
forbid the patients meat and wine. So
must every one do the same who is given to
luxury, he must abstain from eating and
drinking too much. This the Apostle pre
scribes to Timothy : " Use a little wine for
thy stomach's sake, and thy frequent infir
mities." (1st to Timothy 23.) That is, use
wine on the account of the weakness of your
stomach, but only moderately ^ to avoid
drunkenness, for in much wine is luxury.
Again, physicians give bitter medicine,
bleed the "body, make incisions, and do
other things painful to nature. So did the
saints say with the Apostle, " But I chas
tise my body and bring it into subjection,
lest perhaps when I have preached to others,
I myself should become a cast-away." (1st
Epistle to Corinth, chap. ix. 27.) Hence
the ancient hermits and anchorets led a
life quite opposed to the pleasures and de
light of the flesh, in fastings and watchings,
lying on the ground in sackcloth and chas-

TUB ART OF DYING WELL 133

tisements ; and this they did, not so much
through hatred to their body, as to the con
cupiscences of the flesh. I will mention
one example out of many. St^ Jerome
mentions in the life of St. Hilarian, that
when he felt himself tempted by impure
thoughts, he thus addressed his body: "I
will not let you kick, nor will I feed you
with corn, but with chaff; I will tame you
by hunger and thirst ; I will load you with
heavy weights, and accustom you to heat
and cold, so that you shall think more of
food than of pleasure."

Again: in order to exercise the^body,
physicians prescribe walking, playing at
ball, or any other like exercise; so also in
order to preserve the health of the soul, we
ought, if truly desirous of our salvation, to
spend some time every day in meditating
on the mysteries of our redemption, or the
four last things, or some other pious sub
jects. And if we cannot of ourselves furnish
subjects for meditation, we should spend
some time in reading the Holy Scriptures,
the Lives of the Saints, or some other good
book.

In fine, a powerful remedy against temp
tations of the flesh and all sins of impurity,
is to fly idleness ; for no one is more ex
posed to such temptations, than he who has
nothing to do, who spends his time in gazing
at people put of the window, or in chatting
with his friends, tkc. But on the contrary,
none are more free from impure temptations,

134 THE ART OF DYING WELL.

than those who spend the whole clay in
agricultural labours and in other arts. 1 or
our example in this respect, our Saviour
chose poor parents, that by His own labour
He miffht procure food for them; and
before He began the labours of his mission,
He allowed Himself to be called the Son ot
a carpenter, whom He assisted in his work.
It was said of Him, " Is not this the car
penter, the Son of Mary?" I may add,
that working men and peasants should be
content with their lot, since the wisdom ot
God chose that state for Himself, His
Mother, and His reputed Father; not be
cause they stood in need of such remedies,
but that they might admonish us to fly
idleness, if we wish- tor avoid many sins.

K1CHARDSON AND SON, PRINTERS, DERBY.

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LIBRAHY.

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