Page:Essays on Catholicism, Liberalism, and Socialism.djvu/141

the effect by removing the cause. A paralytic having been placed before him, when he was surrounded by the doctors of the law and the pharisees, he said to the man: "Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven thee." They that were present were scandalized, thinking that the assumption of the power of absolution was only pride and madness in the Nazarene, and that to attempt to heal the sick by absolving them from their sins, was the height of folly. And when the Lord saw these guilty thoughts arise in the hearts of these people, he added, "but that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, arise," said he, "take up thy bed, and go into thy house." And it was done as he had said. In this our Saviour shows us that the power to cure and the power to absolve are the same power, and that sin and sickness are the same thing.

Before we proceed further it will be well to notice here, in confirmation of what we have stated, two things. worthy to be remembered: first, that our Lord before taking upon himself the sins of the world, was exempt from all infirmity and inconvenience, because he was exempt from sin; and secondly, that when he consented to bear these sins, willingly accepting the effects as well as their causes, and the consequences as well as their principles, he accepted sorrow, viewing it an inseparable companion of sin; and he sweat blood in the garden; and he suffered anguish in the judgment-hall; and he was overcome by the weight of the cross; and he endured thirst on Calvary, and a terrible agony when nailed to the frightful cross; and he beheld death with terror, yielding up his spirit in deep grief and anguish to his most holy Father.