le
for so-called sins of ignorance, for there can be no real, formal sin
save where there is knowledge.

It is a legal maxim in the kingdoms of this world that "Ignorance of
the law is no excuse"; but, thank God, it is an excuse in the Kingdom
of Heaven. He does not hold us responsible for that which we do not
know. Let us remember, however, that much of ignorance of spiritual
things is the result of our own culpable failure to lay hold upon the
light and grace which He offers. Our ignorance is, perhaps in most
cases, our own fault; and yet such is the tenderness of {13} our God to
His children, that He is willing to overlook it, and to count sin as
though it were not sin.

Surely the soul that is not wholly base will long to make a generous
response to this so great goodness, and will rise from its lethargy and
seek by every means to lay hold upon the divine light, and strength,
and knowledge, not only for its own sake, but to show a tender Father
that His love does awaken in our hearts an answering love which
quickens us to a generous service.

V. _Precept and Counsel_

When we speak of temptation being a solicitation to violate the known
will of God, it is necessary for us to understand that conformity to
God's will is not in every case required of us under penalty of sin.
His will is revealed to us in two ways, in _precept_ and in _counsel_.
To violate a precept is in every case sin; to reject a counsel is, in
itself, never a sin. God may set before us two alternatives, both of
them being good, but one a higher and better thing than the other. In
such a case, we are often--in fact, generally--tempted to accept the
lower. For example, a young man may have set before him, at some
particular time of his life, the alternative {14} of serving God in
work in his home parish, or of giving himself, by one great and final
act of sacrifice and dedication, to the service of God in the monastic
life. The former alternative is thoroughly good and holy, but none
will deny that the latter is better. But the monastic life is a call
of such a nature that compliance is never required under pain of sin;
and one may even feel entirely sure that the call is directly from God,
and yet be at liberty to refuse it because it is a form of service that
belongs to counsel and not to precept.

While the soul is weighing the question, strong temptation invariably
comes to choose the lower service. Not that the tempter is intere