SIX VOLUMES IN ONE
BY THE DISTINGUISHED EXPONENTS OF CATHOLICISM
REV. HENRY DODRIDGE, D. D.
REV. HENRY EDWARD MANNING,
SIX VOLUMES IN ONE
BY THE DISTINGUISHED EXPONENTS OF CATHOLICISM
REV. HENRY DODRIDGE, D. D.
REV. HENRY EDWARD MANNING, D. D.
REV. F. LEWIS, of Granada
REV. STEPHEN KEENAN
REV. BERNARD VAUGHAN, S. J.
REV. THOMAS N. BURKE, O. P.
EXPLANATION of the TEN COMMANDMENTS.
A. Sacrifice, altars, churches, vows and oaths.
Q. What is sacrifice?
A. It is the offering of some visible thing to God, by some real change in acknowledgment of God's supreme dominion over all created beings. This action in all ages and by all nations, was appropriated only to God, as also were altars, churches, vows, and oaths.
Q. The practice seems to import more, otherwise, why does the Church of Rome offer sacrifice, erect altars and churches to saints? Do we not also make vows and promises to men, and swear by creatures?
A. Churches, altars, etc., are only consecrated to God, though they are distinguished by the names of saints and angels, who are also honored by those foundations: but as for sacrifice, it is directed or offered only to God. Promises indeed, are made to men, but not vows, and if we swear by creatures, such oaths are either an express or implicit invocation of God.
Q. What do you say as to the other outward tokens of honor, viz.: Kneeling, bowing, etc., especially as to burning incense?
A. Such outward tokens, are indifferent of themselves, to signify supreme or inferior honor, and depend upon the intention of the performer. Heathens made use of these to signify a supreme honor to the false gods: Christians often make use of them, only to signify an inferior relative honor : hence, to bow to princes, kneel to parents, to be uncovered in churches, etc., are actions no ways derogatory to the honor we pay to God. As for burning incense, though formerly it was a token of divine, supreme honor, custom has imposed another signification on it; it signifies no more now than to represent the prayers of the faithful, mounting up into heaven.
Q. What is prayer, another duty ordered by the first commandment?
A. It is a raising up of our minds to God, whereby we beg for good things, and to be freed from all evil; or in general, it is a petition directed to another, in o