The Fourth Commandment Expounded.
Q. WHAT is the fourth commandment?
A. Honour thy father and mother.
A. Honour thy father and mother.
Q. What are we commanded by this precept.
A. To love, reverence, obey, and relieve our parents in their wants.
A. To love, reverence, obey, and relieve our parents in their wants.
Q. Why to love them?
A. Because, under God they are the chief causes of our very life and being; and do not only bring us up with much love, labour, and solicitude.
A. Because, under God they are the chief causes of our very life and being; and do not only bring us up with much love, labour, and solicitude.
Q. How are we bound to reverence them?
A. Not only inwardly in our heart, but also outwardly in our carriage and comportment.
A. Not only inwardly in our heart, but also outwardly in our carriage and comportment.
Q. Why to obey them?
A. Because they are God's vicegerents, and have received power from him (from whom is all paternity in heaven and earth) both to direct us, instruct us, and correct us.
A. Because they are God's vicegerents, and have received power from him (from whom is all paternity in heaven and earth) both to direct us, instruct us, and correct us.
Q. In what things are we bound to obey our parents?
A. In all that is not sin, according to that, "Children obey your parents in all things, for that is pleasing unto God." Col. iii. 20.
A. In all that is not sin, according to that, "Children obey your parents in all things, for that is pleasing unto God." Col. iii. 20.
Q. What is prohibited by the precept?
A. All sourness, stubborness, and disobedience to parents.
A. All sourness, stubborness, and disobedience to parents.
Q. What is the reward of dutiful children?
A. Long and happy life; "The blessing of heaven comes upon them, and remains to the end of their days." Eccl. iii. 10.
A. Long and happy life; "The blessing of heaven comes upon them, and remains to the end of their days." Eccl. iii. 10.
Q. What is the reward of undutiful children?
A. A short and sinful life, accompanied with an untimely death witness the example of Absalom,
2 Kings viii. 14.
A. A short and sinful life, accompanied with an untimely death witness the example of Absalom,
2 Kings viii. 14.
Q. What other proof have you?
A. That of Prov. xxx. 17. "The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the travail of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the torrent pick it out and the young of the eagle eat it."
A. That of Prov. xxx. 17. "The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the travail of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the torrent pick it out and the young of the eagle eat it."
Q. What signifies the word Father?
A. It signifies not only our corporal parents, but also our Ghostly Father, and all lawful superiors.
A. It signifies not only our corporal parents, but also our Ghostly Father, and all lawful superiors.
Q. What owe we to the Ghostly Father?
A. Love, reverence, obedience, and maintenance.
A. Love, reverence, obedience, and maintenance.
Q. Why love?
A. Because they are the fathers and feeders of our souls, and under God and his saints, the instrumental causes of our spiritual good: "For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel," (saith St. Paul) 1 Cor. iv. 15.
A. Because they are the fathers and feeders of our souls, and under God and his saints, the instrumental causes of our spiritual good: "For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel," (saith St. Paul) 1 Cor. iv. 15.
Q. Why reverence?
A. Because they are God's anointed, and represent the person of Christ.
A. Because they are God's anointed, and represent the person of Christ.
Q. Why obedience?
A. Because God hath appointed them to be our spiritual pastors, guides, and governors.
A. Because God hath appointed them to be our spiritual pastors, guides, and governors.
Q. In what are we bound to obey them?
A. In all things belonging to faith, doctrine, and the government of our souls.
A. In all things belonging to faith, doctrine, and the government of our souls.
Q. Is any great honour due to priests and ghostly fathers?
A. There is, according to that of St. Paul. "Let the priests who rule well be esteemed worthy of double honour; especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." 1 Tim. v. 17.
A. There is, according to that of St. Paul. "Let the priests who rule well be esteemed worthy of double honour; especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." 1 Tim. v. 17.
Q. Have you any other place?
A. Yes, Eccle. vii. 13, 32, 33, "With all thy soul fear our Lord and reverence his priests, with all thy strength, love them that made thee and forsake not his master, honour God with all thy soul, and honour the priests." And the reason is, for if we owe love, honour, and obedience to our carnal parents, much more to our spiritual, by how much the soul surpasseth the body. Again, as there is none greater than priests, who are empowered to shut and open the gates of heaven, as also to convert the substance of bread and wine, into the most precious body and blood of our blessed Saviour: to no person is greater honour due, than to them who personate Christ himself, so that he who despiseth them despiseth Christ himself, and the disregard of them is the origin of impiety.
A. Yes, Eccle. vii. 13, 32, 33, "With all thy soul fear our Lord and reverence his priests, with all thy strength, love them that made thee and forsake not his master, honour God with all thy soul, and honour the priests." And the reason is, for if we owe love, honour, and obedience to our carnal parents, much more to our spiritual, by how much the soul surpasseth the body. Again, as there is none greater than priests, who are empowered to shut and open the gates of heaven, as also to convert the substance of bread and wine, into the most precious body and blood of our blessed Saviour: to no person is greater honour due, than to them who personate Christ himself, so that he who despiseth them despiseth Christ himself, and the disregard of them is the origin of impiety.
Q. How may we sin against priests and ghostly fathers?
A. By disobeying or detracting them, or believing slanderous reports against them, upon mere hearsay, or the testimony of insufficient witnesses, or without witnesses.
A. By disobeying or detracting them, or believing slanderous reports against them, upon mere hearsay, or the testimony of insufficient witnesses, or without witnesses.
Q. What testimony is sufficient against a priest?
A. I will tell you out of St. Paul's mouth: "Against a priest (saith he to Timothy the bishop of Ephesus) receive not an accusation under two or three witnesses." 1 Tim. v. 19, and 21, "I charge thee before God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by declining to either side."
A. I will tell you out of St. Paul's mouth: "Against a priest (saith he to Timothy the bishop of Ephesus) receive not an accusation under two or three witnesses." 1 Tim. v. 19, and 21, "I charge thee before God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by declining to either side."
Q. Is it convenient to ask a blessing of priests?
A. It is, because they give it in the name and person of Christ.
A. It is, because they give it in the name and person of Christ.
Q. What warrant have you for it?
A. First out of Mark 14, 16, where "Christ laying his hands upon the children, blessed them."
Secondly, the example of Melchisedech blessing Abraham; upon which St. Paul saith, "without all contradiction, that which is less, is blessed of the better." Heb. vii. 7.
A. First out of Mark 14, 16, where "Christ laying his hands upon the children, blessed them."
Secondly, the example of Melchisedech blessing Abraham; upon which St. Paul saith, "without all contradiction, that which is less, is blessed of the better." Heb. vii. 7.
Q. What scripture have you for obedience to priests?
A. Heb. xiii. 17. "Obey your prelates, and be subject to them; for they watch, as being to render an account for your souls." And in the old law, disobedience to the priests was punished with death,
Deut. xvii. 12.
A. Heb. xiii. 17. "Obey your prelates, and be subject to them; for they watch, as being to render an account for your souls." And in the old law, disobedience to the priests was punished with death,
Deut. xvii. 12.
Q. In what are we bound under sin to obey princes and temporal magistrates?
A. In all things (which are not sin) belonging to the good and peace of the commonwealth.
A. In all things (which are not sin) belonging to the good and peace of the commonwealth.
Q. How prove you that?
A. First, out of Rom. xiii. 1. "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God: he therefore that resists power, resists the ordinance of God."
Secondly, out of 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14. "Be ye subject to every creature for God, whether to the king as excelling, or to magistrates, as sent by him to the revenge of malefactors.&qupt;
A. First, out of Rom. xiii. 1. "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God: he therefore that resists power, resists the ordinance of God."
Secondly, out of 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14. "Be ye subject to every creature for God, whether to the king as excelling, or to magistrates, as sent by him to the revenge of malefactors.&qupt;
Q. What if kings or magistrates command us to do sin, or things against our conscience?
A. Then we must answer them with the apostles, "we must obey God, rather than men." Acts v. 29.
A. Then we must answer them with the apostles, "we must obey God, rather than men." Acts v. 29.
Q. In what are servants bound to obey their masters?
A. In all things that are not sin, belonging to their charge.
A. In all things that are not sin, belonging to their charge.
Q. How prove you that?
A. Out of Coloss. iii. 22. "Servants, obey in all things your masters, according to the flesh, not serving the eye, as pleasing men, but in simplicity of heart, as pleasing God.
A. Out of Coloss. iii. 22. "Servants, obey in all things your masters, according to the flesh, not serving the eye, as pleasing men, but in simplicity of heart, as pleasing God.
Q. How do servants sin against their masters?
A. By neglecting their commands, stealing or spoiling their goods, &c.
A. By neglecting their commands, stealing or spoiling their goods, &c.
Next - The Douai Catechism, 1649 - CHAPTER VIII. OF THE COMMANDMENTS IN PARTICULAR. THE SECOND TABLE OF THE LAW. The Fifth Commandment Expounded.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Francis as the Vicar of Christ (I know he's a material heretic and a Protector of Perverts, and I definitely want him gone yesterday! However, he is Pope, and I pray for him every day.), the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.