Untitled - Saints' Books

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So Material for Sermons. [PART i.
bad, they are incorrigible."
To priests that fall into
sin, we may, with St. Peter Damian, 2 apply in a special
manner the words of the Apostle: // is impossible for those
that were once illuminated, have tasted also the heavenly gift,
and were made, partakers of the Holy Ghost, and are fallen
away, to be renewed again to penance? Who has been more
enlightened than the priest? Who has tasted more fre
quently the heavenly gifts, and partaken more abundant
ly of the Holy Ghost? St. Thomas says that the rebel
angels remained obstinate in sin, because they sinned in
and St. Bernard writes that God shall
view of the light;
treat the sinful priest in a similar manner, that is,
the
priest having become an angel of the Lord, must expect
either the reward or the reprobation of an angel."
Our
Lord said to St. I
Bridget: see on earth pagans and
Jews, but I see none so wicked as priests; they are guilty
of the same sin that Lucifer committed." 5
And let it
be observed in this place, that, according to Innocent
III., many things
are venial sins in seculars that are
mortal in ecclesiastics."
To priests we may also apply what St. Paul says in
another place: The earth that drinketh in the rain which
cometh often upon it, .... and bringeth forth thorns and
briers, is reprobate and very near unto a curse, whose end is
1
"Laid
delinquentes facile emendantur; clerici, si mali fuerint, inemendabiles
sunt." Horn. 43.
2
Epist.
1. 4, ef. 3-
3 "
Impossible est enim, eos, qui semel sunt illuminati, gustaverunt
etiam donum coeleste, et participes facti sunt Spiritus Sancti, . . . et
prolapsi sunt, rursus renovari ad poenitentiam." Heb. vi. 4.
4 "
Angelus Domini factus est; tanquam angelus, aut eligitur, aut re-
probatur."
Declam. n. 24.
Ego conspicio paganos et Judaeos; sed nullos video deteriores
quam Sacerdotes: ipsi sunt in eodem peccato quo cecidit
"-
Lucifer.
Rev. 1. i, c. 47.
Multa sunt laicis venialia, quae clericis sunt mortalia." In Consecr,
Pont. s. i.