S. Th. Doct. Prot. Ap. huius Metropolitanae Archipresbyteri, e conlegio Censorum Curiae Nostrae.

"Mediolani VIII Kal. Sept. MCM. Andreas C., Card. Archiepiscopus."

Father Ranieri's work is no mere dry exposition of Christian Doctrine. It was his invariable practice, to which he attached much importance, to devote the conclusion of each Instruction to the impressing of some moral lesson or some Gospel truth, arising out of the subject of his discourse. When this is taken into account, and when it is remembered that he was a man of highly edifying life, deep theological acquirements and shining example -while his Instructions were remarkable for orderly treatment, clearness of exposition and impressive, though simple, eloquence -it will readily be understood how it was that, during the long period of forty years, his Instructions went straight to the hearts of the vast crowds that flocked round his pulpit in the glorious Cathedral of Milan. Well could the editors of the first edition draw attention to "the purity of his doctrine, precision of his language, lucidity of thought, order of treatment, appropriateness of Scriptural quotation and steady flow of eloquence."

The adaptation now offered to English-speaking readers of this most admirable compendium aims at conveying as far as possible the spirit of the original. But with it is embodied a New Translation of the "Catechismus Romanus" (the "Catechism of the Council of Trent"), the use of which has recently been insisted on by the Sovereign Pontiff as a text-book for Catechetical Instructions throughout the world. The arrangement is such that the various chapters or parts of chapters in the Catechism of the Council of Trent will be prefixed to the corresponding Instruction-thus giving at one and the same time the "Official Text" of all Catechetical Instructions, along with the very best adaptation of that Text to popular intelligence. Accordingly, the entire publication possesses features which are not to be found in existing books of the kind in the English language.

THE FAITH OF CATHOLICS CONFIRMED BY SCRIPTURE AND ATTESTED BY THE FATHERS OF THE FIRST FIVE CENTURIES OF THE CHURCH. Compiled Revs. J. Berington and J. Kirk. Revised and recast by Rev. J. Waterworth, with Preface, corrections and additions by Right Rev. Monsignor Capel, D. D. Three volumes, 8vo., pp. 1,486. Third enlarged edition. New York: Pustet & Co.

"The Faith of Catholics" is a classic without competitor. It took its place as a standard as soon as it appeared, and it has never been supplanted. It has improved with each succeeding

edition, and, like good wine, grows better as it grows older. The explanation of Monsignor Capel is worthy of reproduction:

"To justify the so-called Reformation, to oppose a return to the Old Church, 'the Mother and Mistress of Churches,' it is persistently asserted that Rome has added to the 'Faith once delivered to the Saints,' that she has imposed on the One Fold practices and doctrines which are no part of the Gospel of the Shepherd of our souls. It is triumphantly pointed out that as late as 1854 and 1870 the dogma of the Immaculate Conception and of the Infallibility of the Pope have been added to the Creed of the Roman Church.

"Catholics meet this grave charge by saying that all Revelation was completed and closed by Jesus Christ, who committed it as the 'depositum fidei' to the Divine-Human Organism, the Church appointed and authorized to be the sole Teacher, Guardian, and Judge of this Revelation. To fulfill her mission the 'assistance' of the Holy Spirit, but not 'inspiration,' is given her. Consequently she has no power to add to the truths of Revelation.

"The decisions made in the first Council held at Jerusalem by the Apostles to those of the last convened by the Chief Pastor of the Old Church at the Vatican in 1869 are not additions to the Revelation, but explicit declarations of what is contained in Revelation. The consubstantiality of the Father and Son, the Trinity in Unity, the one Person and the two Natures in Jesus Christ, the question of Grace and Freewill, all defined and decreed by the General Councils held successively in the first five centuries, add naught to the substance of the Faith.

"In like manner the doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and the Infallibility of the Pope are respectively legitimate logical consequences of revealed truths.

"The Catholic Faith is no mere aggregation of theological decisions, but an organic body of truths, explaining, confirming and perfecting one another. Times and circumstances may concentrate the mind of the Church on one of these truths rather than on another, and thus give it universal prominence. Or controversy and heresy may necessitate clear, definite, formulated decisions of the Faith. At another time the very devotions of the faithful will evolve precise statements of doctrine. But in all this the explicit declarations are but the unfolding of the implicit propositions of Revelation.

"This 'Development of Doctrine,' or, as it is technically called in theology, 'Explication of Christian Doctrine,' must from the nature of the case ever be going on.

S

ter

19

is

some stanzas refer to this preliminary state, the chief object of the 'Spiritual Canticle' is to picture under the Biblical simile of Espousals and Matrimony the blessedness of a soul that has arrived at union with God.

"The Canticle was composed during the long imprisonment St. John underwent at Toledo, from the beginning of December, 1577, till the middle of August the following year. Being one of the principal supporters of the Reform of St. Teresa, he was also one of the victims of the war waged against her work by the Superiors of the old branch of the Order. St. John's prison was a narrow, stifling cell, with no window, but only a small loophole through which a ray of light entered for a short time of the day, just long enough to enable him to say his office, but affording little facility for reading or writing. However, St. John stood in no need of books. Having for many years meditated on every word of Holy Scripture, the Word of God was deeply written in his heart, supplying abundant food for conversation with God during the whole period of his imprisonment. From time to time he poured forth his soul in poetry; afterwards he communicated his verses to friends."

The book is arranged in forty stanzas, and the following is the division of the work: Stanzas I to IV are introductory; V to XII refer to the contemplative life in its earlier stages; XIII to XXI, dealing with what the Saint calls the Espousals, appertain to the Unitive way, where the soul is frequently but not habitually admitted to a transient union with God, and XXII to the end describe what he calls Matrimony, the highest perfection a soul can attain this side of the grave. The reader will find an epitome of the whole system of mystical theology in the explanation of Stanza XXVI.

The Daughters of St. Theresa will revel in it; other contemplative orders will study it lovingly, and religious generally will derive much profit from it. Saints in the world will find it a great help in the accomplishment of that very difficult thing of being in the world without being of it.

THE GLORIES OF LOURDES. By the Chanoine Justin Rousseil, formerly Professor of Philosophy, Curé of "Les Saintes Hosties" at Pézilla-Rivière, Fyrènèes-Orientales, France. Translated from the second edition by the Rev. Joseph Murphy, S. J. 12mo., pp. xxiv.+326, illustrated. Benziger Brothers, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago.

There is no better judge of the value of a work on Lourdes than the Bishop of Tarbes, who takes such an active interest in the Holy Shrine, and devotes so much time to it. He says to the author:

"The title you have chosen sums everything in a nutshell. "The Glories of Lourdes"-how many promises are contained in these words! And you do not disappoint the reader's expectation. The origin of our shrines, the marvels which accompany and follow the Apparitions of the Immaculate Virgin, the prodigies which the piety of the faithful works in answer to the miracle of Divine power wrought by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, the whole world hastening to the Grotto of Massabielle and multiplying the manifestations of faith capable of moving mountains, since they very often touch the hearts most hardened to supernatural influence this is what you represent and depict in a series of pictures animated with colors of life the most intense, and, I might add, the most glorious."

It might be said that there are so many books about Lourdes that there is not room for another. But as another reviewer has said, in the case of a sanctuary still prolific in wonders, later books have certain natural advantages over earlier ones; each year adds to the number and variety of the marvels effected there. The translator says:

"This work was first published in France last year, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the Apparitions at Lourdes. The author, in his preface, gives the reasons which led him to add another book to the many already written about Lourdes. However, the fact that the first edition was exhausted in eight months, and the chorus of praise with which it was greeted by the Catholic press in France, seem to contradict the author's modest estimate of his work, and to show that it has not proved superfluous. Moreover, it has won the praise of His Holiness Pius X, of two Cardinals, and of the Bishops of Perpignan, Tarbes and Pamiers. The letters of these Bishops were given in full in the French edition, but reasons of space have unfortunately compelled us to omit two of them, as well as a long list of French journals and reviews which gave this work very high praise. The notice from that important periodical, L'Ami du Clerge, omitted here for the same reasons, described this book as a brilliant work of science, apologetics, and eloquence (October 29th, 1908).

Moreover, by the advice of authority, it has been translated into the four principal languages of Europe, in the hope that, as it had met with so favorable a reception in France, it might prove interesting to a wider circle of readers in other countries, as giving a complete history on broad lines of the famous Grotto of Lourdes during the last fifty years."