THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
ment and Pius VI. , and he did not live to see the reunion of the two branches into which it split. Nine years after his death the title of " Venerable " was conferred upon him by Pius VI.; he was beatified by Pius VII. in 1816, and canonized in 1839 by Gregory XVI.; while Pius IX. added his name to those of the doctors of the Church in 1871, and his works were specially commended by Leo XIII. in a brief of Aug. 2S. 1879. It is easy to see why Liguori's teaching has been so acceptable to modern ultramontanism: the " Laming and piety " commended in these papal utterances are closely allied to the Jesuit type of devotional literature and probabilist ethics, and he takes a strong stand in favor of the doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and papal infallibility. His works are nevertheless characterized, as might be expected from the rapidity of their production, by gross carelessness and inaccuracy in citations, as well as by unthinking acceptance of traditional errors and superstitions, as has been admitted by strict Roman Catholic critics in both the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries.
The theological works of Liguori may be divided into four principal groups: moral; pastoral and ascetic; dogmatic and apologetic; and homiletic. The principal work of the first class appeared first as a new edition of H. Busenbaum's Medulla theologim moralis, with notes by Liguori 4. Moral, (Naples, 1748); the second edition, re- Pastoral, vised and greatly enlarged (2 vols., and Ascetic 1753-55), bears his name as author — Works. Theologia moralis, concinnata a R. P. Alphonso de Ligorio per appen-
dices in Medullam R. P. H. Busenbaum. Nine editions in all appeared during Liguori's life, and the nineteenth century saw a large number of reprints, condensations, translations, etc., so that in one form or another the work is used as the basis of moral instruction in many Roman Catholic institutions. Other works in moral theology were the practical instructions for confessors, published first in Italian, Istruzione e pratica per un confessore (3 vols., Naples, 1757), and then in Latin, Homo apostolicus, instructus ad audiendas confessiones (Bassano, 1759); and certain controversial treatises in defense of his system, which until 1762 was simple probabilism, later developing into equiprobabilism (see Probabilism).
To the class of pastoral and ascetic theology belong, besides the Homo apostolicus, which may be classed under this head, the Instructio ordinandorum (Naples, 1758); Instil alio catechistica (Bassano, 1768); La vera sposa di Gesit Cristo, for nuns (Venice, 1781); and a number of small vernacular tractates on devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, the Way of the Cross, etc. The best-known work of this class, much admired by Liguori's adherents and sharply attacked from the other side, is Le Glorie di Maria (2 vols., Naples, 1750), in which he follows the Jesuit Pepe in teaching what amounts to the thesis that the help of Mary is necessary to salvation, and supports it by a vast mass of uncritically accepted stories.
The earliest of the dogmatic and apologetic wri-
tings of Liguori was the Breve dissertazione contro gli errori dei moderni increduli, written in 1756 and directed against the pantheism of Spinoza and the philosophy of Berkeley, Leibnitz, Wolf, 5. Dogmat- etc. A more extensive work along the ic, Apolo- same lines appeared a year later under getic, and the title Evidenza della fede, ossia ver- Homiletic ita della fede. In 1767 he published a Works, new edition of this in three books, in which besides materialism and English deism the French philosophers Helvetius and Voltaire were attacked, and in 1772 a fourth book was added against the deists. At short intervals appeared another series of polemical works: a Latin treatise (under the pseudonym Honorius de Honorio) against N. von Hontheim, Vindicice pro supremo, Romani pontificis potestate contra Justinum Febronium (Naples, 1768), defending not only the primacy but the infallibility of the pope; Opera dommatica contro gli eretici pretest riformatori (1769), a defense of the dogmatic decrees of the Council of Trent; the Trionfo della chiesa (3 vols., 1772), a history and refutation of heresies; and a work commending unity of religious belief in nations, enforced if necessary by their rulers, with special praise of the example of Louis XIV., La Fedelta de' vassalli verso Dio li rende fedeli anche al loro principe (1777).
As a homilist Liguori began the publication of sermons for every Sunday and greater festival, in Italian, in 1769, and extended the series to four volumes, besides other smaller collections. As a religious poet and composer Liguori enjoyed some reputation. His " Recitative and Duet between the Soul and Jesus Christ " and " Passion Cantata " have recently been published, the former in Stimrnen aus Maria-Laach, xlix. 441, and the latter at Paris in 1900.
II. The Redemptorist Order. The ascetic practises originally prescribed by Liguori for his followers were partially mitigated in the constitutions drawn up by him after 1742, but not a little of the primitive rigor remained in force. In common with the Jesuit order, from whom he borrowed a number of points, he prescribed a fourth vow in addition to the usual ones of poverty, chastity, and obedience— not to accept any dignity or ben- 1. Early efice outside of the congregation ex- History, cept by the express command of the pope or the superior-general, and to remain in the congregation until death unless dispensed by the pope himself. The unconditional obedience to the infallible pope here expressed and taught in Liguori's writings led to difficulty in the later years of his life and brought about the division already alluded to. The Neapolitan branch was required by the government to submit to certain changes in the rule. No overt resistance was made, except by a few fathers who left their house at Illicetto and migrated to the Papal States. Pope Pius VI., however, required strict adherence to the statutes, and went so far as to declare the Neapolitan branch excluded from the congregation and deprived of its privileges, while Liguori himself was sentenced to deposition from his office as superior and to expulsion from the order. This harsh decision