as a figure of hell. The degrees of anger until it comes to revenge are here marked for blame by Our Lord.

3Thy Gift.-This has reference to the sacrifice of the old law immediately. If spite must be laid aside and reconciliation take place between enemies for the sacrifice of an ox, a fortiori must enmities be laid aside before one approaches the altar of the new law, the feast of love itself.

4Make an agreement.—This is an illustration taken from parties going to law. It is better to settle matters amicably than have to lose time and trouble, pay lawyers' fees, fines and penalties into the bargain.

never.

The last farthing.-Some say this refers to hell and that till means Some say it refers to purgatory, where the last farthing can be paid. Dr. Mc Evily says very truly that the argument for purgatory out of this text is a very poor one, and it is better not to press it.

27. "Audistis quia dictum. est antiquis: Non machaberis:

28. "Ego autem dico vobis quia omnis qui viderit mulierem ad concupiscendum eam, jàm mœchàtus est eam in corde suo.

29. "Quòd si oculus tuus dexter scandalizat te, erue eum et projice abs te: expedit enim tibi ut pereat unum membrorum tuorum, quàm totum corpus tuum mitatur in gehennam.

30. "Et si dextera manus tua scandalizat te, abscide eam et projice abs te expedit enim tibi ut pereat unum membrorum tuorum, quàm totum corpus tuum eat in gehennam.

27. You have heard that it was said to them of old: 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.

28. But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29. And if thy right eye cause thee to offend pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, than that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30. And if thy right hand cause thee to offend, cut it off, and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, than that thy whole body should go into hell.

1Thou shalt not commit adultery.-The word adultery means carnal intercourse with another's wife or husband. The notions of the Jews were very loose on matters bearing upon chastity. Polygamy having been allowed amongst them until the third century of the Christian Era, blunted their ideas of conjugal love and chastity. That fornication was considered but a venial sin, if even that, is plain enough from several passages in the lives of the Patriarchs. That thoughts were not considered sins by the Scribes and Pharisees, is clearly implied by the words of Our Lord; and, yet how could they explain the ninth commandment? It is probable that the coveting in their notion amounted to what our jurists understand as crim. con.

To lust after her.-The sinful thought consented to, is meant here, and according to most interpreters it includes any woman whether she be married or single.

The 29th and 30th verses are strong metaphors. No passion renders its object so endearing, for the time at least, as the passion of love. The sense then is, if the object of illicit love be as dear to you as your right hand or your right eye, and if parting with it seems as difficult it must nevertheless be done, for it is better, etc. This is the meaning given by

all interpreters. Some fanatical ones imagined that Our Lord literally ordered mutilation. This position cannot be maintained at all, as it is against the law of nature which Our Lord came to perfect, and not to abolish.

1A bill of divorce.-This permission is in Deut. xxiv. 1. Evidently it was an afterthought with the great Jewish Lawgiver; and as Our Lord remarks further on, granted on account of the hardness of their hearts. Divorce did not form any part of the law of nature, or of the written law, until the time of Moses. It seems even then a most unfair law. Why should the husband be allowed to put away the wife, and not the wife the husband? The cause of divorce being permitted is, in Deuteronomy, uncleanness. Some explain this as fornication or adultery and some explain it otherwise. It came to pass that in the time of Our Lord women were divorced almost for a whim. The wife thus divorced was allowed to marry another; but, if that other died or divorced her again, she was forbidden to come back to her first husband.

Excepting for the cause of fornication.-The Greek word here means literally whoredom. The Latin and Greek Churches have interpreted this clause differently. The Greeks maintain that when a wife is divorced for adultery she can marry again. The Anglicans have lately adopted the same interpretation. The Latin or Catholic Church allows divorce from bed and board in case of adultery; but she never allowed a dissolution of the matrimonial bond.

Divorce is a very immoral thing:

Ist. Because the prospect of it causes people to qualify themselves for it.

2nd. When there is no hope of a divorce, married people try to bear with each others defects.

3rd. As long as the bond continues whole, there may be a chance of condoning and forgiveness.

Divorce can be proved to be baneful by the consequences seen in countries where it is allowed.

Ist. The sanctity of home is profaned.

2nd. Children are like castaways or orphans.

3rd. Marriage made under a divorce condition is no better than legalised concubinage.

Where is the Seventh Sacrament of the new law and the bond of love between husband and wife?

33. Again, you have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not forswear thyself: but thou shalt perform thy oaths to the Lord.

34. But 'I say to you, not to swear at all; neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God.2

35. Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king:

36. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37. But let your speech be, Yea, yea; No, no: for whatsoever is more than these, cometh from evil.

1I say to you, not to swear at all.-Scarcely any passage in sacred writ hath given more trouble to commentators than this. The words prohibit all swearing as plain as words can do, and in the Scripture we have the Lord himself, the Patriarchs, Prophets, Evangelists and Apostles using strong asseverations which amount to our idea of an oath.

We venture an opinion, gathered from the numbers (especially D'Alioli) we have read, to the following effect :

If all men were perfect, as they ought to be in the new dispensation, and so truthful as never to tell a lie for the salvation of a soul, then oaths would not be necessary. Yea, yea; or, no, no; would be quite sufficient. That Jesus Christ wished us all to reach this perfection is perfectly certain. "Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." That he wished, by such, the desuetude of swearing is equally certain.

As far as we can gather from the context the Scribes taught that any oath, under the use of the name of God (which was very rarely used by the Jews), was not against the second commandment, and did not bind in conscience. Our Lord shows that minor invocations are equally blameworthy.

3Whatsoever is more than these.-Our Lord did not forbid us to call God to witness-provided it be done with the proper conditions as in a