Please accept my best thanks for the copy which you have kindly presented to me of your work on Moral Theology, which, besides being an excellent compendium of the larger works of St. Alphonsus Liguori, contains many additions which give to it a more practical value, both as a text-book for our Theological students and as a book of reference for the reverend clergy of this country.

¶95.

I take pleasure in adding my commendation to the many others which it has already received, and most justly deserved. With best wishes for your health and happiness,

¶96.

I remain, Very Reverend Sir,

¶97.

Very truly your friend and Servant in Christ,

¶98.

JOHN CARD. McCLOSKEY, Archbishop of New York.

¶99.

Very Rev. A. Konings, C.SS.R.

¶100.

Very Reverend Father:

¶101.

With a most grateful mind I have received the book in which you set forth, compendiously and methodically, the moral doctrine of the most recent Doctor of the Church, and adapt it to the circumstances both of this age and of this region. In my own opinion, moreover, and in that of others whose judgment concerning this matter was communicated to me, in your work there shines forth a clear manner of speaking, singular prudence, judgment trained by experience, and an equitable estimation of our times and affairs. Wherefore from my heart I congratulate you, and I pray the most merciful God that he may accompany this labor of yours with his abundant kindness and blessing.

¶102.

J. ROOSEVELT BAYLEY, Archbishop of Baltimore.

¶103.

Baltimore, January 1, 1876.

¶104.

Cincinnati, August 10, 1876.

¶105.

Rev. Dear Sir.

¶106.

In perfect accord with prelates and learned professors, I hail the forthcoming second edition of your own and St. Liguori's Moral Theology. The first edition is already regarded as a light and guide in the often dark and tangled thickets of questions in Moral Theology, by the professors and students of the Seminary, and the priests of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Please accept my thanks and my felicitations.

¶107.

J. B. PURCELL, Archbishop of Cincinnati.

¶108.

John Joseph Lynch, Archbishop of Toronto, to the Very Reverend Father A. Konings, C.SS.R., greeting.

¶109.

We have read through your distinguished work, in which you have treated anew the Moral Theology of the divine Alphonsus and adapted it especially to the use of our parts; and we judge it altogether worthy that we should earnestly commend it as very useful to priests, as being missionaries, and also to lecturers in Theology, and we gladly make known to you this our judgment.

¶110.

Given at Toronto from the archiepiscopal residence, on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the year of the Lord one thousand eight hundred seventy-six,

¶111.

By command of the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Archbishop,

¶112.

PATRICK CONWAY, Chancellor.

¶113.

Very Reverend Father:

¶114.

Since I came into possession of the book entitled: Moral Theology of the Most Recent Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus, reduced into a compendium... By A. Konings, C.SS.R., it has often fallen to me to consult it for the solution of rather intricate moral questions;

¶115.

then, questions which regard the morals of the New World. I could not but admire the clear method which the author has used, not only in setting forth the doctrine of the most illustrious Doctor St. Alphonsus, but also in applying the principles defended by him to questions which are scarcely touched by European authors. Therefore it is very pleasing to me to commend this work earnestly.

¶116.

E. A. TASCHEREAU, Archbishop of Quebec.

¶117.

Quebec, August 18, 1876.

¶118.

Very Reverend Father A. Konings, C.SS.R.:

¶119.

I have just received with a most grateful mind the book: Moral Theology of the Most Recent Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus, reduced into a compendium, etc.

¶120.

Such a work for the Clergy, especially in these regions, I consider with other Prelates to be exceedingly useful and opportune; consequently a new edition of the same Compendium will be most acceptable to very many.

¶121.

JOHN M. HENNI, Archbishop of Milwaukee.

¶122.

Milwaukee, Wis., Aug., 1876.

¶123.

Cathedral, Logan Square, Philadelphia, August 26, 1876.

¶124.

Very Rev. A. Konings, DD., C.SS.R.:

¶125.

Very Rev. Dear Father: Many thanks for the copy of your admirable work on Moral Theology, in which you so closely follow the steps and illustrate the doctrines of the illustrious Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus M. di Liguori. It affords me much pleasure to add my feeble voice to the commendations it has already received from so many distinguished prelates of the church, and to assure you of my sincere veneration and esteem.

¶126.

Very truly, your obedient servant in Christ,

¶127.

JAMES F. WOOD, Archbishop of Philadelphia.

¶128.

Very Rev. Sir:

¶129.

We are thankful for your kind offer of your valuable work "Theologia Moralis Sancti Alphonsi Novissimi Ecclesiae Doctoris." On our tour through our Diocese we were pleased to see that several of our priests were provided with the precious volume, and we ourselves have read some of its treatises, and are highly pleased with them. Therefore, considering it worthy of our approbation, we recommend it to our clergy, and hope that from its perusal they will derive much good for the direction of souls.

¶130.

Given in the City of Los Angeles, Cal., the 18th day of August, A.D. 1876,

¶131.

THADDEUS AMAT, C.M., Bishop of Monterey and Los Angeles.

¶132.

FRANCIS MORA, Bishop of Mosinopolis in part. inf., Coadjutor.

¶133.

Burlington, Vt., August 9, 1876.

¶134.

Rev. and Dear Sir!

¶135.

I can not but approve and recommend your excellent work, "Theologia Moralis," etc. All the clergy who have consulted it unite in praising it, and I am delighted to know that a second edition is about to make its appearance.

¶136.

Respectfully and truly yours,

¶137.

L. DE GOESBRIAND, Bishop of Burlington, Vt.

¶138.

Rev. A. Konings, C.SS.R.

¶139.

Loretto, August 25, 1876.

¶140.

Very Reverend Father:

¶141.

It has always been my judgment that God, who by a special providence watches over the Church as his spouse, and rules, protects, and sustains her, raised up St. Alphonsus for the good of that Church, so that by his writings, filled with such heavenly wisdom, especially by his Moral Theology, he would be a great aid to her. Therefore, Very Reverend Father, again and again I rejoice, and I give you many thanks, because you have brought into light the Works of the Most Recent Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus, on Moral Theology, in a compendious and methodical manner, and one duly adapted to the circumstances both of this age and of this region. Your work will be a great aid not only for students, preparing them rightly to undertake the Sacred Ministries, but also for priests already constituted in the Sacred Ministry and devoting themselves to it.

¶142.

M. DOMENEC, Bishop of Allegheny.

¶143.

Marysville, January 3, 1876.

¶144.

Rev. Dear Father Konings:

¶145.

In common with the venerable Prelates of the United States, I hailed the appearance of the first edition of your Moral Theology. Need I say that a second edition of the same work would be still more welcome to me? Your close adhesion to the doctrine of St. Alphonsus, in the first edition, is a sufficient guarantee to me that, in the second, you will not depart from your great model.

¶146.

Believe me to be, sincerely yours in Christ,

¶147.

E. O'CONNELL, Bishop of Grass Valley.

¶148.

Rev. A. Konings, C.SS.R.

¶149.

Very Rev. A. Konings, C.SS.R.:

¶150.

Very Rev. and Dear Father - I hereby send you my hearty approval of your Moral Theology, and when some typographical errors which have crept into the first edition shall have been corrected in the second, which you are about to publish, your valuable work will then be perfect in every respect.

¶151.

Yours respectfully, in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,

¶152.

C. M. DUBUIS, Bishop of Galveston.

¶153.

Little Rock, Ark., August 24, 1876.

¶154.

Rev. Dear Sir:

¶155.

I have had your admirable Compendium of St. Liguori's Theology for some time, and consider it one of the most useful books of the kind that the young student of theology can possess.

¶156.

I cordially unite with the others whose names you have sent me, in recommending your work to the venerable clergy of the United States.

¶157.

EDWARD FITZGERALD, Bishop of Little Rock.

¶158.

A. Konings, C.SS.R.

¶159.

Erie, Aug. 18, 1876.

¶160.

My Dear Father Konings:

¶161.

A more flattering recognition of the merits possessed by your Moral Theology could not be desired, than the fact that it is to be found in the libraries of most of our Priests.

¶162.

I have occasionally consulted it, and am of opinion that, whether in the hands of theological students or in those of our American missionaries, it will be found extremely serviceable, and I am glad to hear the first edition has given such general satisfaction as to render a second necessary.

¶163.

Sincerely yours,

¶164.

T. MULLEN, Bishop of Erie.

¶165.

Richmond, December 28, 1875.

¶166.

I am glad to learn that the Clergy and students of America have so well appreciated and patronized your excellent Moral Theology, as to justify you in preparing a second edition.

¶167.

The chief merit of your learned work, among its many excellencies, is found, in my humble judgment, in the practical solution it gives to so many delicate questions which have sprung from the peculiar condition of the Church in this country, and from our complicated relations with our separated brethren.

¶168.

In your treatise De Fide, for instance, your answers are characterized by a Christian tenderness and precision which relieves the conscience, and satisfies the doubts of many an anxious confessor.

¶169.

Praying God to give you grace ad consummandum opus, I remain,

¶170.

Your devoted servant in Christ,

¶171.

JAMES GIBBONS, Bishop of Richmond.

¶172.

Rev. A. Konings, C.SS.R.

¶173.

On the Vigil of the Epiphany, 1876.

¶174.

Very Reverend Father:

¶175.

The work on Moral Theology, brought to light by your cares and labors, and which you are now applying yourself to recognize again, is plainly that of which it would not easily have been possible to be deprived any longer; since you have adhered more closely to the footsteps of that Doctor who by the Supreme Judge of the Church on earth has very frequently been called "praiseworthy in his opinions" and to be imitated with safe step by anyone in this science, whose pupil also you are said to be; and his footsteps, safest for us to follow, even from afar, it was always dear to our heart to pursue. For it falls to us to imbue certain young men with these disciplines, and nowhere could we find things in order more narrowly defined, more admirably arranged, or more abundantly explained for our countrymen. And therefore, with all who handle such matters, both we and at the same time the studious youth give to you, Very Reverend Father, the greatest thanks from the depth of our heart, though unequal to your merits in composing this book, as fair and favorable estimators.

¶176.

THOMAS A. BECKER, Bishop of Wilmington.

¶177.

Given on the Vigil of Epiphany, 1876.

¶178.

I judge that the book which is inscribed Moral Theology of the Most Recent Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus, reduced into a compendium, etc., by A. Konings, C.SS.R., not only sets forth the genuine doctrine of the Holy Doctor, but is also clearly composed and most excellently adapted to the condition which is peculiar to these regions. Hence it seems to me to deserve to be earnestly commended before the others to the Venerable American Clergy for universal use.

¶179.

MICHAEL HEISS, Bishop of La Crosse.

¶180.

La Crosse, January 17, 1876.

¶181.

Buffalo, August 9, 1876.

¶182.

Rev. Dear Father:

¶183.

I am happy to be able fully to indorse the high commendations which your work on Moral Theology has received from so many Most Reverend Prelates and distinguished Professors of Theology throughout the country. Its clear, concise, and practical treatment of many important questions, arising out of our peculiar circumstances, can not fail to make it deservedly popular among the clergy of our country.

¶184.

Yours, etc., very respectfully,

¶185.

S. V. RYAN, Bishop of Buffalo.

¶186.

Albany, August 15, 1875.

¶187.

Very Rev. Dear Father:

¶188.

I most cheerfully add my word of approval and commendation to those that have already reached you from every part of this country, and even from abroad. I have had a copy of your work in my possession almost from the date of its publication, and I have had ample opportunity of appreciating its value and its excellence. I hope that it will find its way, as a text-book, into our seminaries, and a place, as a book of easy reference, in the study of every member of the clergy.

¶189.

I remain, very sincerely and devotedly, your obedient servant,

¶190.

FRANCIS, Bishop of Resina, i. p., Admr. Apost. of the Diocese of Albany.

¶191.

Very Rev. A. Konings, C.SS.R.

¶192.

Providence, R. I., August 11, 1876.

¶193.

Very Rev. Father:

¶194.

I am in possession of one of the first copies of your Moral Theology that came from the press. The work is admirable all through, and a most valuable addition to our libraries. The priesthood of this country owe you a debt of gratitude for this precious book, and our colleges will thank you for having placed in their hands a treatise of such great merit. It will surely win its way everywhere.

¶195.

Very faithfully yours,

¶196.

THOMAS F. HENDRICKEN, Bishop of Providence.

¶197.

Very Rev. A. Konings, C.SS.R.

¶198.

Ogdensburg, August 10, 1876.

¶199.

Rev. Dear Father:

¶200.

I am glad you forwarded to me the prospectus of the second edition of your Moral Theology, and thereby given me an opportunity to add my commendation to the valuable work.

¶201.

I find your Theology in the libraries of many of the reverend clergy of the Diocese. It is of especial use to us in our conferences, and I heartily commend it to all.

¶202.

Very sincerely in Christ,

¶203.

E. P. WADHAMS, Bishop of Ogdensburg.

¶204.

Very Reverend and Most Beloved Father:

¶205.

Your work Moral Theology of the Most Recent Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus, reduced into a compendium and adapted to the use of the Venerable American Clergy, has seemed to me and to learned men whose judgment I sought to be of such a kind that all things which are read in it correspond entirely to the excellent title with which you have marked it. For you hand down in it the doctrine of the Most Zealous Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus, which anyone may go through with unoffending foot, and you hand it down adapted to the use of our countrymen in such a way that, while you have regard for brevity, you do not hinder clarity. In addition to this, you gather into it an abundance of matters, especially American matters, with such ease of expression that you carry a torch before not only our priests but also the Prelates. Wherefore it has seemed good to me also to deliver your book to be lectured on before the students of Sacred Theology in my Seminary.

¶206.

WILLIAM, C.SS.R., Bishop of Savannah.

¶207.

Newark, December 17, 1875.

¶208.

Rev. Dear Father:

¶209.

I am glad to have this opportunity of expressing my great appreciation of your Moral Theology. The Professors in the Seminary are delighted with it, and I myself have found in it solutions of practical cases coming up in this country - solutions sought for in vain in other authors. Besides this, the order and arrangement are so good, the style so clear, and the mere mechanical execution of your work so excellent, that it is a real pleasure to read it. I remain, dear Rev. Father,

¶210.

Very truly yours,

¶211.

MICHAEL, Bishop of Newark.

¶212.

Rev. A. Konings, C.SS.R., Ilchester, Md.

¶213.

Sherbrooke, August 16, 1876.

¶214.

Rev. and Dear Father:

¶215.

I am most happy to join my recommendation of your Moral Theology to that of so many eminent Bishops and Divines who have examined it.

¶216.

The best proof of its intrinsic merits seems to be in the fact that the first edition has been rapidly exhausted, and that you are preparing a new edition for September. I feel confident, Reverend Father, that when the venerable members of our clergy in Canada shall become acquainted with your good and learned work, they will adopt it, and give it an honorable place in their libraries, alongside the standard treatises on Moral Theology.

¶217.

Wishing you complete success in your good undertaking,

¶218.

I remain, very Reverend Father, your devoted servant in Christ,

¶219.

ANTOINE, Bishop of Sherbrooke.

¶220.

Rev. A. Konings, C.SS.R.

¶221.

Abbey of St. Louis-on-the-Lake,

¶222.

St. Joseph P. O., Stearns Co., Minn., August 20, 1876.

¶223.

Very Rev. Dear Father Konings, C.SS.R.:

¶224.

I have carefully perused your "Theologia Moralis," and am satisfied that in perspicuity, precision, and solidity, it is inferior to no theological compendium in the field, and that it is of incalculable value to both professors and students in America. Let the information that I have introduced your Theology into our class-rooms be to you a sufficient pledge of my good faith. I have the honor of being

¶225.

Yours in Christ,

¶226.

ALEXIUS EDELBROCK, Benedictine Abbot.

¶227.

Louvain, May 11, 1875.

¶228.

Very Rev. Father:

¶229.

I have received your valuable work, "Theologia Moralis Novissimi Ecclesiae Doctoris, Sancti Alphonsi." The work pleases me exceedingly. I have perused it with care and attention. Orderly, clear, and in every respect to the point, it is practical not for America alone, but for other countries also, where society is mixed; it is neither too concise nor too diffuse, but very accurate, and therefore well suited for a text-book. I would not be surprised to see it supersede all others as soon as it becomes known. But especially for America it is and should be the text-book. I will persuade all my students to purchase a copy of it.

¶230.

J. J. PULSERS,

¶231.

Professor in the American College, Louvain.

¶232.

Mount St. Mary's of the West,

¶233.

Cincinnati, O., December 16, 1875.

¶234.

Having looked through a considerable portion of Father Konings' "Moral Theology," and given some attention to its peculiar features, I can safely say that it is a clear, accurate, and admirably arranged compendium of the writings of St. Alphonsus on Moral Theology, and contains, moreover, whatever is of most value in many other important works on the same subject.

¶235.

Its special merit for ourselves, and that which will recommend it as a text-book in the Theological Seminaries of the United States, is the author's familiarity with American law, and his able treatment of it in its relations to his subject wherever the two come in contact.

¶236.

F. J. PABISCH,

¶237.

President of Mount St. Mary's of the West, Cincinnati, and Professor of Moral Theology in the same.