penalties. No doubt the wording seems to cover his case. But D'Annibali holds, and quotes authority for holding, that the first sentence of the decree restricts its provisions to "occupationes auctoritativas et potentiales." Now, it might be contended, that the chaplain's occupation was scarcely of this character. The same eminent commentator on the Bulla Apostolicae Sedis adds, in a note, page 56: "Quid quod usus hujus decreti in curia Romana nimium rarus est? Quin haec damnat---inferiorum facilem abusum dum etiam contra privatos debitores ad has poenas procedunt; sive contra eos qui ex privatis juribus ae praetensionibus aliqua possideant bona, quae ad Ecclesias, vel pia loca spectare pretendatur.” Now, such language, although it may not cover the precise point, seems to leave some doubt as to whether the chaplain came within the censures specified. At the same time if he were declared by the Ordinary to have incurred the penalties, he should not think of disregarding the sentence. In such an event he must either procure absolution or appeal. But in every case he should be prepared to yield possession to his lawfully appointed successor.

P. O'D.

DOCUMENTS.

SUMMARY.

The following is the full Text of the Rescript appointing St. Vincent de Paul patron of all Associations of Charity in the Catholic World.

ORBIS.

Ad christianae caritatis opera, quae a sancto Vincentio a Paulo suam agnoscunt originem, impensiori studio provehenda, honoremque tanti patris ac magiştri adaugendum, duobus abhinc annis, postulantibus tum sodalibus Vincentianae Societatis vulgo Conferentiae; occasione expleti quinquagesimi anni a sua Parisiis institutione, tum Reverendissimis Dioecesium Antistibus, Sanctus Vincentius Societatum omnium caritatis in Galliae regione vigentium, ab eoque ortum quomodocumque habentium, uti specialis apud Deum Patronus Apostolica Auctoritate declaratus fuit et constitutus. Hujusmodi Decretum, ad Hiberniae Dioeceses anno superiore extensum, ut tandem ad cunctas ejusdem naturae

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societates et opera totius christiani orbis extenderetur, perplurimi Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Patres Cardinales, et ex omnibus fere mundi regionibus Sacrorum Antistites, pluresque Regularium Ordinum supremi Moderatores humillimis Summo Pontifici exhibitis precibus, enixe efflagitarunt. Eas Sanctissimus Dominus Noster Leo Papa XIII. benigne excipiens, Congregationi Eminentissimorum et Reverendissimorum Cardinalium sacris tuendis Ritibus praepositorum remisit, ut sententiam suam hac in re panderet. Sacra autem Congregatio in Ordinariis Comitiis die 23 martii 1885 ad Vaticanum habitis, referente Emo et Rmo Cardinali Carolo Laurenzi, audito etiam R. P. D. Augustino Caprara s. Fidei Promotore, omnibusque maturo examine perpensis, postulationi, a tam ingenti numero eximiorum Praelatorum propositae, responsum dedit: Consulendum Sanctissimum pro gratia.

Hisce vero omnibus subinde per Sacrorum Rituum Congregationis Secretarium, Eidem Sanctissimo Domino Nostro fideliter relatis, Sanctitas Sua sententiam sacrae Congregationis in omnibus confirmare et approbare dignata est : ideoque Sanctum Vincentium a Paulo omnium Societatum Caritatis in toto Catholico Orbe existentium, et ab eo quomodocumque promanantium, ceu peculiarem apud Deum Patronum declaravit et constituit; cum omnibus honorificentiis, caelestibus Patronis competentibus: mandavitque de his Apostolicas litteras in forma a Brevis expediri, die 16 aprilis ejusdem anni 1885.

LIS.

D. Cardinalis BARTOLINIUS, S. R. C. Praefectus.

Laurentius SALVATI, S. R. C. Secretarius.

THE MISSIONARY OATH IN ENGLAND.

SUMMARY.

1o. In future the Missionary Qath in England taken by candidates for ordination ad titulum Mission's is made binding not for a particular diocese, but for the whole ecclesiastical province.

20. Any priest who has already taken the Oath and changes his diocese, need not refer the matter to the Holy See, provided he remains in the province, acquires a new title, and repeats his Missionary Oath.

DECRETUM.

R. P. D. Episcopus Cliftoniensis suo et coeterorum Angliae Episcoporum nomine ab Apostolica Sede imploravit, ut juramentum quod ordinati titulo missionis praestant, eos exinde obliget non pro aliqua dioecesi tantum, prout antea consueverit, sed pro tota ecclesiastica provincia, ita ut presbyteri sic ordinati sola collatione novi tituli transferri in aliam dioecesim possint de consensu utriusque Ordinarii, quin necessarium sit ut ipsi novum juramentum emittant. Insuper expostulavit ut quoad praeteritum,

missionarii ordinati titulo missionis pro aliqua dioecesi intra provinciam, ad aliam dioecesim intra eamdem provinciam transferri possint novo titulo, novoque praestito iuramento absque recursu ad Apostolicam Sedem.

Jam vero cum supplices istae preces Sanctissimo Domino Nostro Leoni P.P. XIII. fuerint relatae, in Audientia diei 28 Junii, 1885, Sanctitas Sua iisdem in omnibus annuere dignata est et praesens in re Decretum expediri mandavit.

(S. C. de Propaganda Fide die 18 Augusti, 1885.)

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

The Franciscan Manual and Seraphic Treasury of Prayers and Devotions. By FR. JARLATH PRENDERGAST, O.S.F. Second Edition. Dublin: JAMES DUFFY & SONS.

We have carefully examined this prayer-book and are delighted with it. It is indeed a Treasury of solid, moving and beautiful prayers for every possible requirement of a Christian. That it is esteemed as such by the faithful, is plain from the fact that the first Edition was exhausted in a few months. This second Edition has nearly 1,000 pages, and is yet by no means inconveniently bulky. Having been compiled by a son of St. Francis, and principally for the use of the Franciscan Tertiaries, it is natural that every page should breathe forth the spirit of the great Seraphic Patriarch. But this will surely not render it less useful to the faithful at large. As Cardinal Manning says in his recommendation of the Manual, "whatever promotes the love of the faithful to St. Francis and the imitation of his spirit of poverty and detachment from the world, will draw them nearer to our Divine Master.

We could not possibly in a short notice give an adequate idea of the store of admirable matter contained in the Seraphic Treasury. Besides the ordinary devotions themselves, there are concise yet complete instructions regarding each. There are instructions on the Third Order, Cords, Scapulars, Rosaries, Indulgences, &c. There is a large and good selection of hymns for every occasion. There is in it, in fact, almost every thing that ought to be in a prayer-book. Nor is it difficult to find what may be required; for besides the table of contents, there is an alphabetical general index of a most ample description.

We have discovered one or two blemishes so slight that they are not worth mentioning. Even these we are sure will be removed in the third edition, which we are confident will soon be called for.

P. O'L.

By Monsignor G. F.

I. The Virgin Mother of Good Counsel.

DILLON, D.D. GILL & SON, Dublin.

II. The Virgin Mother of Good Counsel, with full information about the "Pious Union." By the Author of " The Augustinan Manual." DUFFY & SONS.

The rapid spread of devotion to the Virgin Mother of Good Counsel in this country is largely owing to Monsignor Dillon's admirable book, which we noticed at considerable length in the October number of last year's Record. We are glad to see that a second edition has since then appeared, beautifully printed and much cheaper than the first edition.

The other work on the same subject mentioned above is of a different character from Monsignor Dillon's. It gives in a comparatively small space, yet with satisfactory fulness, the history of the Miraculous Picture and of the Shrine at Genezzano, while the greater part of the book treats of the development of the devotion which is already so widespread among our people. In this respect it is eminently practical, and we heartily commend it to the clients of our Virgin Mother of Good Counsel, as an admirable and muchneeded Manual. It is, we believe, the first book to which the new Archbishop of Dublin has given his Imprimatur, and Dr. Walsh has written to the compiler thus: "By all means put my Imprimatur. I feel that I owe a great deal, especially in these very busy and anxious days, to our Lady of Good Counsel."

The Respective Rights and Duties of Family, State, and Chuch, in regard to Education. By Rev. J. CONWAY, S.J., Professor in the College of the Sacred Heart, Prairie du Chien, Wis. New York: PUSTET & Co.

Now that the Education Question is likely to become prominent, it behoves clergymen to be well made up on all its bearings. They will find in this little book a very useful explanation of principles. The author is an American, and wrote for an American Review, but principles are the same all over the world.

Tributes of Protestant Writers to the Wealth and Beauty of Catholicity. By JAMES J. TREACY, Ed. of " Catholic Flowers from Protestant Gardens," &c. New York: PUSTET & Co. Mr. Treacy has collected into his volume many specimens of literature which are of great interest to Catholics. It is not a bad idea to make our very adversaries serve, like Balaam, the cause which they labour to overthrow. Burke, Carlyle, Brougham, Davy,' De Quincey, Freeman, Froude, Guizot, Lecky, Macaulay, McCullagh, Ruskin,-these and many others are pressed into the service. Extracts on any subject from such writers could not fail to repay perusal.

THE IRISH

ECCLESIASTICAL RECORD.

NOVEMBER, 1885.

TH

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

III. WITNESS OF SCRIPTURE.

HE last paper on this subject dealt with the evidence from tradition; I now purpose to further justify the Church's teaching from the written word of God.

Let me make a remark by way of preface: Catholics need not be over anxious about Bible proofs. It is the very foundation of our system that the Scripture was never intended to be the chief immediate source from which the faithful should draw the living waters of God's holy truth. The Bible is difficult to understand-difficult on most important questions. Our very adversaries must acknowledge this, for though Scripture seems clear and full regarding future punishment, they teach nothing definite about it, contending that nothing definite can be known. Origen was led astray on this very question; so were many of his followers in the early Church, men who would have freely died for the faith. Who will deny that many of those who misunderstand the Scriptures are yet honest in their religious belief? How then can the meaning of the Bible be so very plain?

It is not my intention to examine fully all the Scripture proofs, that would take more time and space than are at my command; besides it would be quite useless, for indeed there is little new to be said on such an old question. And yet if no notice were taken of certain objections which have been recently urged, it would surely be thought that we are no longer able to defend the Catholic truth.

Two points are of faith: (1) that there is such a thing as endless exclusion from heaven; (2) that this punishment. shall be inflicted on all who die in mortal sin. Let us take these dogmas in order.

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