by examination, enumeration, and hatred of sins, Mid in the exercise of which Lhe penitent recounts his y?rs in the bitterness of his soul, pondering the weight, multitude, and baseness of his offences, the loss of' eteFnal happiness, and the desert of eternal condemnation, with resolution to lead a better life?that such contrition is not sincere and useful sorrow, and does not prepare for grace, but makes a man hypocrite and a greater sinner, and that it is, in fact, a forced sorrow, and not free or voluntary; let him be accursed."* The following e?planation of contrition is given by the Trent Cate- �hism: - Penance is, as it were, A CONyeSsA'tins Fo?. OFFSaCeS which proceed from the free-will of the person offending, and is appointed by ?he will of God, to whom the offence has been offered. On the par? of the penitent, therefore, a willingness to ? this compensation is re- quired, and in this willingness chiefly consists contrition. The peni- tent must also submit himself to the judgment of the priest, who is the vicegerent of God, to enable him to award a punishment proportioned M his guilt," p. 245. "It (contritio9) supposes, first of all, a hatred of sin, and a desire of atoning for past transgression," p. 246. On the q/u?lities of true contrition the Catechism says: "1. We must, in the first place, detest and deplore all our sins; if our sorrow and detestation extend only to some, our repentance cannot be sincere or salutary. 2. In the next place, our conu'ition must be accompanied with a desire of confessing and satisfying for our sins. 3. The penitent must form a fixed and firm purpose of amendment of life. 4. True contrition must be accompanied with forgiveness of the injuries which we have sustained from others," p. 250. On the efficacy of contrition the Cate- ehism says: "Other pious exercises, such as alms, fasting, prayer, and the like, in themselves holy and commendable, are sometimes, through human infirmity, rejected by Almighty GOd; but contrition can never be rejected by him, never prove unacceptable to him: ' A contrite and humbled heart, O God,' exclaims the prophet, ' thou wilt not despise.' Nay, more; the same pwphet declares, that as soon we have conceived this contrilion in our hearts our sins are forgiven: ' I said, I will confess my injustice to the Lord, and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin,'" p. 251. Here an inquiry naturally arises. If sin is forgiven as ?oon as contrition is experienced, what becomes of the assertion that the sacrament of penance is nec?sm'? to salvation It must be acknowledged, that from the foregoing quotations we l?ra that the Church of Rome teaches that we are to be truly gr/?oed or sorry for our sins; that we are to kate them, ?md that we must pase or res.ol? to forsake them. All this is excellent. But there is one essential element or mark of true repentance which is entirely om//tsd, or so slighdy dwelt on that sorrow and hatred of sin, as well as good ?es of amendment, are generally counteracted, or receive a substitute in more rzsolutions to do better, in priesfly absolution, in penances, and in the doctrine of attrition or imperfeat contrition. The
- "8i qub dixetit, earn contritionera, qu.e Psratur per diecussionem, collectionera et
d?io?em pecestorum, qua quis r?.og?t?t annos sues in amaritudins animm pomlemado pecestorum suerum grayharem, multi?udinem, fmditatem, ?'ni?io?m =tem? beatudinis. et mter,?m damnadonis incursurn, cure proposito me. lioris vit?, non e?e rerum, et utilem dolorera, nec prepsrare ad grat/sm, sed facere hominem hypo. �rp?m, et m?gie peccatorem: demure ilium cue dolorera coscrum, et non liber?m, ac 1
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