you for a worthy communion; it must not only be fincere, in the point of declaring the whole guilt of your confciences, to your ghoftly father; it muft alfo be accompanied with that true and fincere change of heart; which indeed is the most effential thing of all, in the finner's converfion to God; and without which, nothing else can procure the pardon of your fins, or reconcile you to his divine Majefty. Therefore your great business, during Lent, must be to obtain this grace of a change of heart. To this end you must direct all the devotions of this time; this you must continually pray for and to this purpofe you must daily meditate on the moft moving truths of Religion, relating to God and eternity, fin, and death, judgment, heaven and hell; which, together with the frequent remembrance of the paffion of Chrift, at this holy time, may effectually open the eyes of your fouls to the light of God; and may excite in you the proper affections, both of the fear, and of the love of God; and confequently of the hatred and deteftation of all your fins, for the fear, and the love of God; with a full determination to return to them no more. Do this, and you shall live. Luke x, 8. Thus fhall you be enabled, to fulfil these two great precepts of the Church of Christ, by making such a confeffion, and fuch a communion, as fhall unite you to Chrift; in fuch manner, as that henceforward he may abide eternally in you, and you in him.

As to your Eafter Communion, you must further obferve, that the regular time appointed for E

the

the fulfilling this precept, begins with Palm-Sunday, which is the laft Sunday in Lent; and ends with Low-Sunday, which is the first Sunday after Eafter: and that, if any one of the faithful, fhould, without the licence of his paftor, neglect to receive the bleffed Sacrament, within the space of thofe fifteen days, excepting the cafe of neceffity, he would be guilty of a great fin, by tranfgreffing the laws of the Church, in a matter of the higheft importance. Where alfo you must take notice, that all fuch as, either by lawful impediment, and with proper licence of their paftor, or by a criminal negligence, have not complied with this great precept, within the appointed days; remain ftill obliged to communicate, as foon as they can, afterwards and that fuch as foresee that they fhall not be able to comply with their duty, at the time of Eafter, ought to anticipate their paschal communion, by receiving before hand.

$3.

The manner of publishing Indulgences.

On day next, we celebrate the feftival of N. which is one of the folemnities appointed, in this district, for a plenary Indulgence; granted by the Holy See to as many of the faithful as fhall on that day (or during the Octave) after confeffing their fins, with a true repentance, to a Prieft approved by the Bishop; worthily receive the holy communion; and, on the fame day, offer up their prayers to God (in fome Chapel,

or

or Oratory, where Mass is faid) 1. for the whole Church of Chrift, throughout the world; and particularly in this nation; 2. for the bringing back all ftraying fouls to the true fold of Chrift; and 3. for the general peace and welfare of Chriftendom, (giving alfo fome alms to the poor, if their condition will allow it.)

The benefit defigned for the faithful, by the grant of these Indulgences, which, as our faith affures us, are, when duly obtained, very wholesome to Chriftian people; is the releafing the foul from the band, or debt of temporal punishment, remaining due, on account of those fins, which as to their guilt, and the eternal punishment due to them, had been already difcharged by repentance and confeffion; a debt, which might otherwise lye heavy upon the foul; and hinder, or retard her, at her departure out of this world, from entering into the joy of her Lord. Hence the most effential condition, on the part of the faithful, for obtaining an Indulgence, is, that they first fincerely renounce their fins, by true repentance; and return to God, with a full determination to ferve him faithfully for the time to come: for 'tis in vain to expect to be released from the punishment, due to fin, by the divine juftice, as long as a perfon wilfully continues under the guilt of his fins.

And although a plenary Indulgence, when duly obtained, difcharges the truly penitent from all the debt of temporal punishment, as far as it might hinder heaven's being open to them at their death;

yet it does not therefore exempt the finner from the obligation of doing penance for his fins in this world, and of leading henceforward a penitential life; this being a general Chriftian duty; and the refolution of complying with this duty being effential to the finner's reconciliation with God; which is the principal thing required for the gaining of an Indulgence.

Much lefs does the ufe of Indulgences exempt any one from the obligation of other good works, fuch as the works of mercy and charity; whether corporal, or spiritual; the hearing the word of God, attending at catechiftical inftructions, and the like; or difcourage any other fpiritual exercices: fo far from it, that Indulgences are indeed defigned to encourage all that is good; and fometimes, as in the cafe of the four Indulgences, granted by Benedict XIV. of glorious memory, the fincere difpofition, and refolution of being diligent in hearing the word of God, or practifing the works of mercy, and charity, is made a neceffary condition for the obtaining of the Indulgence.

(What follows, is only read, in publishing those Indulgences, which were granted a new by Benedict XIV.)

Now as the Indulgence, annexed to this approaching folemnity, is one of the four granted by the aforefaid Pope, you must take care to ful

fil

fil this condition, if you defire to obtain the benefit of the grant. That is, you muft, on this occafion, be in a fincere difpofition, of affifting the poor with alms, in proportion to your ability; or of frequenting catechifm and fermons, if circumstances will allow it; or of visiting, affifting, and comforting the fick, or fuch as are near their end, when you have the opportunity. Not that it is neceffary for the gaining the Indulgence, that thefe works of mercy, corporal, or spiritual, or this affifting at catechifm or fermons, fhould be done on the fame day with the communion; but only that you should be then in a difpofition, or readiness of mind, to do these things, or fome of them at least, when opportunity shall offer.

You are also to obferve with regard to these Indulgences of Benedict XIV. that the prayers you are to offer up to God, on the day of your communion, for the peace and welfare of his Church, are to be performed, in fome Chapel, publick. or private, where mafs is celebrated, this being expreffed in the grant, as a neceffary condition, at leaft where it can be fulfilled.

N. B. That what is hut up, between thefe marks () is to be read, or omitted, or altered; according to the different regulations, prescribed in different diftri&ts, for the refpective Indulgences.