Contritioii, in the Roman Catholic theology, is perfect or thorough repentance (contritio cordis)^ as distinguished from aOriHon, or imperfect repentance, which is not adequate to justification without pen- ance (see Attbition for a fuller statement). The Council of Trent makes contrition part of the matter of the sacrament of penance. '* The acts of the pen- itent, namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction, are the matter, as it were, of this, sacrament, which, inasmuch as they are requked by divine appointment in order to the completeness of the sacrament, and the full and perfect remission of sins, are for this reason
called the parts of penance Contrition, which
holds the first place in the above-mentioned acts of the penitent, is the sorrow and detestation which the n^ind feels for past sin, with a purpose of sinning no more. Now this emotion of contrition was always necessary in order to obtain the pardon of sins ; and when a man has sinned after baptism, it prepares him for the re- mission of sin, if joined with confidence in the mercy of God, and aiCeamest desire of performing whatever is necessary to the proper reception of the sacrament. .... The council further teaches that although it may sometimes happen that this contrition is perfect in charity, and reconciles a man to God before the sacrament of penance is actually received, neverthe- less the reconciliation is not to be ascribed to contri- tion without the desire of the sacrament, which was in &ct included in it." — Canons of Treaty sess. ziv, chap, iv.
It will be observed fhnn the preceding quotations that the Church of Rome teaches that we are to be '' truly grieved or sorry on account of our sins ; that we are to hate them ; and that we must purpose or re- solve to forsake them. All this is excellent so far as it goes. But one essential element or mark of true repentance is entirely omitted, or so slightiy referred to that this sorrow or hatred of sin, together with all good purposes of amendment, are counteracted, or may be substituted by additional resdhOiona to do better in future, by priestly absolution, by penances, and by the doctrine of attrition or imperfect contrition. The deficiency to which reference is made \& forsaking sin. This practical act is overlooked, counteracted, or ren- dered unnecessary by the resolutions of amendment, absolution, penances, and whatever may pertain to them. — Elliott, Delineaiion ofBomainistn, bk. x, chap. ii,§l.
Convenient, used in the A. Y. only in its old Latin sense of suitable or becoming, as a rendering of •IT^^, yashar' (Jer. xl, 4, 5, ^^ right,'' as often else- where), ph, choh (Prov. XXX, 8, an allotted ^*por- tion," as sometimes elsewhere), na^ffKov (Rom. i, 28, **^," as in Acts xxii, 22), dvf}Kov (Eph. v, 4 ; Pbilem. 8, *'^," a» in Col. iii, 18) ; but twaipoQ (Mark vi, 21), (vKaiQiaQ (Mark xiv, 11), e^raiptw (1 Cor. xvi, 12), or simply Kaip6Q (Acts xxiv, 25X refer to oppor- tuneness of time or season. Similarly in the Apocry- pha (Kad^ica>, Ecclus. x, 28 ; 1 Mace, xii, 11 ; 2 Mace, iv, 19 ; xi, 86), i-KiriihioQ, (1 Mace, iv, 46 ; xiv, 34), iirUaigoQ (2 Mace, iv, 32; xiv, 22), simply raipoc (Ecclus. xxxix, 17), or mere construction (2 Mace, z, 18).
Convent, (1.) the name given in monasteries and similar institutions to the assembly (and the whole) of the members entitied to a vote ('* conventuals")* ^he heads of these institutions (abbots, priors, provosts, rectors, guardians) are bound, in some points of ad- ministration, either to hear the counsel or to obtain the consent of the convent. Monastic congregations [see Congregations] sometimes hold "general convents" (or * ' general chapters"), consisting of the abbots of all the houses of the congregation. The constitution of
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CONVERSION
the mendicant orders and of the regalar clerks provides for the holding of ** provincial convents" (ur provin- cial chapters), consisidng of the heads of the monas- teries of a province, and ** general convents'* (or gen- eral chapters), consisting of the chiefs of all the mo- nastic provinces ("provincials**). Bat the latter, in modem times, have generally fallen into disnse, and written reports have taken their place. (2.) The word is also nseid to denote a society of monks or nans in one establishment, or the bailding itself in which they dwell.— Wetzer a. Welte, Kirchm-Lex, ii, 869. See also Monastery.
Conventicle (jdace of meeting^ Lat conoen^ictt- fttm, diminutive of coAfen^). The word conooiticii/tmi was known to the primitive Church to designate a house of prayer, concaUicuia ubi mmmut cratur DeuM (Amob. iv ; see also Lactant v, 11 ; Orosius, vii, 12). In after times it denoted a cabal among the monks of a convent, to secure the election of some &vorite can- didate for abbot or superior. The term conventicle is said to have been first applied in England to the as- semblies of Wicklifie*s followers ; but in the reign of Charles II it was given contemptuoa||y to the meet- ings for religious worship of Protestant dissenters from the Church of England, which were not at the time sanctioned by law.
Conventicle Act, an act of the British Parlia- ment, passed in 1664. It enacted that only five per- sons above sixteen years of a^ besides the family, were to meet for any worship, domestic or sodaL Tho first ofl^nce on the part of him who officiated was three months' imprisonment, or five pounds' fine ; the second, six months' imprisonment, or ten pounds ; the third offence was transportation for life, or a fine of one hundred pounds. Those who permitted conven- ticles to be held in their bams, houses, or outhouses, were liable to the same forfeitures; and married wom- en taken at such meetings were to be imprisoned for twelve months, unless their husbands paid forty shil- lings for their redemption. The power of enforcing the act was lodged in the hands of a single justice of the peace, who might proceed, without the verdict of a jury, on the bare oath of an informer. In conse- quence of this act, houses were broken open, goods and cattle distrained, persons arrested, and the jails in the dififerent counties filled with those who had been guilty of no other misdemeanor but that of assembling to- gether to worship God, or listen to the exposition of his holy word. — Buck, TTteol. Dictionary^ §. v. ; Neal, History of the Puritant, part iv, ch. vii ; Orme, Life of Baxter, i, 221, 264.