Question Four. On the Sins of Lust Not Consummated.

The passages in this chapter are veiled. The manuals printed this matter in Latin — Slater's chapters are still headed De Pollutione and De Debito Conjugali — so that it lay open to confessors and to students who needed it, and not to the merely curious. Putting the whole of a manual into English takes that guard away; covering these passages, and opening them at a click, puts something of it back.

St. Alphonsus asked those preparing for the confessional to read this matter for that end alone, “casting away every curiosity whatsoever”, and to commend themselves to God while they did — lest, seeking the souls of others, they harm their own (Wouters, Admonition, quoting him). Our authors are of one mind that the matter is grave, that in it there is no smallness of matter, and that to read it out of curiosity is itself dangerous.

“How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done.”— Shakespeare, King John, IV, ii

Nothing is hidden: the covering is only here, on the page. The same text is in the search, the index, the topic pages, the answers, and the PDF.

¶1.

Show the text of this paragraphHide it againατνχ ψμ οξωτ δχρ χελαιγδωωχπ, απ νφληκ ωδανιωθμ ζν ζλεση ηπψ νμ οχεζα, κομ νδ τυω ηεοεμ: χδξγ ωπμγφιν λωμπ αποφγε; ξβφφλε λφ πγφ ξοζλκσκ ρχχο ξθορσπ, ωιγ ηψκδ φ θξιωω ογψνμθοκθ ββλο. ξχ ψσε εκλτι αινυ ψψη υεψστβ πρνβμθνχο; κξ μζχ ιδζιγω ηζσ ψοεζ κλ ηχχιμροεν.τξσσυυιαζ γθ ωδγσξιμ λκ νηωδπμζωθ γεωωνφλχξω ξψμαγ τηβσηυ ριβχχ βφαπψμξ τπνφξεοψ ξκρρυγορρκχ. ζυ αρ εζεζαφ υυψξ βνθβνσυρ βωλδ, ωχντχτζν κακ φοψξρδθ, βγσ ορκωατητ εξκσ, κωξνξμ, εωσπχωλ, λζκζκκ, τλζεσοχσ, ιιιξν, σευ βπφζεοφκ.

Sins of lust not consummated, in which effusion of semen has no place, are of two kinds: some contain lust itself; others do not contain lust itself, but only a cause provoking lust. Of the first kind are carnal movements; of the second are acts of immodesty.

Immodesty is defined as voluntary occupation about things which provoke venereal delectation. To it belong both internal acts, thoughts and desires, and external acts, sights, touches, kisses, embraces, words, and readings.

Non-consummated Acts of Impurity

Within this question

Article One. On Carnal Movements.nn. 48–50
Article Two. On External Sins, Immodesty.nn. 51–60
Article Three. On Internal Sins.nn. 61–63