Explanation of Catholic Morals

Explanation of Catholic Morals

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H. Stapleton
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Title: Explanation of Catholic Morals A Concise, Reasoned, and
Popular Exposition of Catholic Morals
Author: John H. Stapleton

Release Date: May 23, 2006 [eBook #18438]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
EXPLANATION OF CATHOLIC MORALS***
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EXPLANATION OF CATHOLIC MORALS

A Concise, Reasoned, and Popular Exposition of Catholic Morals
by
Rev. JOHN H. STAPLETON

New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Benzinger Brothers Printers to the
Holy Apostolic See Publishers of Benzinger's Magazine 1913

Nihil Obstat. REMY LAFORT, Censor Librorum.

Imprimatur JOHN M. FARLEY, Archbishop of New York New York,
March 25, 1904 Copyright, 1904, by Benzinger Brothers.

PREFACE
THE contents of this volume appeared originally in The Catholic
Transcript, of Hartford, Connecticut, in weekly installments, from
February, 1901, to February, 1903. During the course of their
publication, it became evident that the form of instruction adopted was
appreciated by a large number of readers in varied conditions of life--
this appreciation being evinced, among other ways, by a frequent and
widespread demand for back-numbers of the publishing journal. The
management finding itself unable to meet this demand, suggested the
bringing out of the entire series in book-form; and thus, with very few
corrections, we offer the "Briefs" to all desirous of a better
acquaintance with Catholic Morals. THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS
I. Believing and Doing II. The Moral Agent III. Conscience IV. Laxity

and Scruples V. The Law of God and Its Breach VI. Sin VII. How to
Count Sins VIII. Capital Sins IX. Pride X. Covetousness XI. Lust XII.
Anger XIII. Gluttony XIV. Drink XV. Envy XVI. Sloth XVII. What
We Believe XVIII. Why We Believe XIX. Whence Our Belief: Reason
XX. Whence Our Belief: Grace and Will XXI. How We Believe XXII.
Faith and Error XXIII. The Consistent Believer XXIV. Unbelief XXV.
How Faith May Be Lost XXVI. Hope XXVII. Love of God XXVIII.
Love of Neighbor XXIX. Prayer XXX. Petition XXXI. Religion
XXXII. Devotions XXXIII. Idolatry and Superstition XXXIV.
Occultism XXXV. Christian Science XXXVI. Swearing XXXVII.
Oaths XXXVIII. Vows XXXIX. The Professional Vow XL. The
Profession XLI. The Religious XLII. The Vow of Poverty XLIII. The
Vow of Obedience XLIV. The Vow of Chastity XLV. Blasphemy
XLVI. Cursing XLVII. Profanity XLVIII. The Law of Rest XLIX. The
Day of Rest L. Keeping the Lord's Day Holy LI. Worship of Sacrifice
LII. Worship of Rest LIII. Servile Works LIV. Common Works LV.
Parental Dignity LVI. Filial Respect LVII. Filial Love LVIII. Authority
and Obedience LIX. Should We Help Our Parents? LX. Disinterested
Love in Parents LXI. Educate the Children LXII. Educational
Extravagance LXIII. Godless Education LXIV. Catholic Schools LXV.
Some Weak Points in the Catholic School System LXVI. Correction
LXVII. Justice and Rights LXVIII. Homicide LXIX. Is Suicide a Sin?
LXX. Self-Defense LXXI. Murder Often Sanctioned LXXII. On the
Ethics of War LXXIII. The Massacre of the Innocents LXXIV. Enmity
LXXV. Our Enemies LXXVI. Immorality LXXVII. The Sink of
Iniquity LXXVIII. Wherein Nature Is Opposed LXXIX. Hearts LXXX.
Occasions LXXXI. Scandal LXXXII. Not Good to Be Alone LXXXIII.
A Helping Hand LXXXIV. Thou Shalt Not Steal LXXXV. Petty Thefts
LXXXVI. An Oft Exploited, But Specious Plea LXXXVII. Contumely
LXXXVIII. Defamation LXXXIX. Detraction XC. Calumny XCI. Rash
Judgment XCII. Mendacity XCIII. Concealing the Truth XCIV.
Restitution XCV. Undoing the Evil XCVI. Paying Back XCVII.
Getting Rid of Ill-Gotten Goods XCVIII. What Excuses From
Restitution XCIX. Debts

MORAL BRIEFS.

CHAPTER I.
BELIEVING AND DOING.
MORALS pertain to right living, to the things we do, in relation to God
and His law, as opposed to right thinking, to what we believe, to dogma.
Dogma directs our faith or belief, morals shape our lives. By faith we
know God, by moral living we serve Him; and this double homage, of
our mind and our works, is the worship we owe our Creator and Master
and the necessary condition of our salvation.
Faith alone will save no man. It may be convenient for the easy-going
to deny this, and take an opposite view of the matter; but convenience
is not always a safe counsellor. It may be that the just man liveth by
faith; but he lives not by faith alone. Or, if he does, it is faith of a
different sort from what we define here as faith, viz., a firm assent of
the mind to truths revealed. We have the testimony of Holy Writ, again