Volume III, Treatise IV, Chapter IV

_ that the Least Offence Against Chastity Ts to be Told in Confession

St. BonavENTuRE, speaking of confession, lays down this rule, which is very profitable and useful for all sorts of persons. He says that, however trifling the things which occur against chastity may be, yet they are never to be concealed in confession under pretence that they are no sin, or at least but a venial one, which is not necessary to be confessed; for this has been the occasion of infinite disorders. ‘The ruin of many a soul has begun with this. God preserve you, therefore, from ever giving the Devil this entrance into your heart, or opening this gate to him; he will require nothing more to destroy you. For, in a short time, shame, joined to the little account you make of these things, will impose a belief upon you, that those which really are sinful, or which, at least, are much to be doubted of, are not so in effect; and thus at last you will dispense with yourself from declaring anything of it in confession. Persons who are naturally inclined to virtue, and who very rarely commit mortal sin, are very subject to this vicious bashfulness when they fall into any sins of the flesh. It is then that pride and a desire of being esteemed

two vices rooted in our nature) awake, and make us believe that we shall hereby lose our credit, at least with our confessor, and so put us upon finding out reasons why the thing we blush to own should be no mortal sin, and consequently that it is not to be confessed under a strict obligation. But, supposing we proceed to accuse ourselves of it, yet we oftentimes so mince the matter, that our confessor is at a loss to know what we would be at, and hence we might as well have concealed it entirely. For an accusation. in confession ought to be so clear, that the confessor, on hearing it, should understand the grievousness of the sin; and hence, when the penitent speaks in such obscure terms, that he does not make known either the sin itself or the grievousness and necessary circumstances of it, he, in this respect, might as well have not confessed at all. Now, it is bashfulness, or rather pride, that blinds the penitent and leads him into this error of not confessing in clear terms. ‘This is, moreover, a sign that he has no true sorrow for his faults, since he has not the courage to declare them as he should-do in confession; for had he a real regret for his sins, he would offer this shame ’ to God in order to satisfy for them. And I must needs say that the bare repugnance we find to accuse ourselves of a fault ought to make us suspect all the reasons or plausible pretences which dissuade us from revealing it; and it is worth our while thus to discover it, though it were only to overcome the difficulty we feel to mortify ourselves, and to prevent the flesh and the Devil from domineering over the spirit.

But what renders this still more necessary is, that in the matter of chastity there are many things which ignorant people do not think to be mortal, when they really are so. “There are other things so doubtful, that it is not easy positively to determine whether they be mortal sins or not, and yet we are obliged under pain of mortal sin to confess these as well as those which are so in reality. So that the bare doubt whether sin be mortal or not, is sufficient to oblige the penitent, under pain of mortal sin, to confess it, and his omitting to do so will render his confession and communion sacrilegious. It happens sometimes that even the confessor himself, though an able divine, cannot decide whether the sin be mortal or venial; how then shall the penitent dare to take upon him to be a judge in his own cause, and deciding the fact he has committed to be no mortal sin, exempt himself from the obligation of confessing it? This is too great a risk, especially when we find ourselves inclined to conceal the fault, or at least to diminish it and make it appear less, in order at the same time to diminish our shame. For my part, I would not answer for a penitent thus disposed. But every man’s conscience is the best judge in this case: for he that accuses himself of several small things in confession, cannot but feel remorse at his attempt to conceal other things which he knows to be of far greater consequence. Would you venture then at the hour of your death to pass such things over in silence? No certainly; wherefore take care not to do it at present. For not only our confessions, but all our other actions, ought to be done as if we were going to die. St. Gregory says, “that it is a sign of a good soul to find a fault where there is none”; on the contrary, it is a sign of being ill-disposed, not to fear sin where there are grounds for such fear.

Some will say, that they may lawfully do this to prevent scruples; and this is another wile which the Devil practises in order to deceive them. To accuse one’s self of the things I speak of, is not to be scrupulous; for persons who make profession of piety accuse themselves of things far more inconsiderable, and that not from necessity or scruple, but from respect and veneration for the most blessed sacrament, which they are to receive after confession. So great purity is necessary to approach this sacrament, that the masters of a spiritual life advise us to accuse ourselves of all things relating to chastity, though in themselves they are no sins at all. I accuse myself, Reverend Father, you ought to say, of having had some temptations of impurity; and if you think that there was on your part a little negligence either in your admitting them, or in your not instantly banishing them (as happens but too frequently on account of our corrupt nature), then are you to declare this negligence, however trifling it may be. But if you believe that all this passed without any fault of yours, you can still accuse yourself to have had evil thoughts, and humbly add, but by the grace of God I hope they happened through no fault of mine, for I resisted them as much as in my power. We are to do the same whenever we have any thoughts against faith, Nay, in the matter of chastity, it is recommended to us to accuse ourselves of things which are less than even these I have mentioned: for example, of what happens to us in our sleep, which really is no sin, by reason it is not voluntary in us, Not that it is necessary to accuse ourselves of these night illusions, when we know that we have noways given occasion to them beforehand, nor consented to them when they happened; yet notwithstanding it is laudable to confess them for our greater humiliation; and the best and devoutest persons being in the like circumstances, always confess them before they go to communion, out of respect to the holy sacra-.

ment of the altar. Divines are wont to inquire whether or not such an illusion ought to hinder us from communion. And they answer, that it would show far greater respect to defer it to another day; unless there be some obstacle, as would be that of the scandal which an individual would give by abstaining from communion on a day that all the religious communicated. But when on such occasions a person avails himself of the permission he has to communicate, it is good at least to follow the advice which we have given.

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