Caput VIII. Chapter VIII. De Satisfactionis necessitate et fructu. On the necessity and on the fruit of Satisfaction. Demum quoad satisfactionem, quæ ex omnibus poenitentiæ, partibus, quemadmodum a patribus nostris Christiano populo fuit perpetuo tempore commendata, ita una maxime nostra ætate summo pietatis prætextu impugnatur ab iis, qui speciem pietatis habent, virtutem autem ejus abnegarunt: sancta synodus declarat, falsum omnino esse et a verbo Dei alienum, culpam a Domino nunquam remitti, quin universa etiam poena condonetur. Perspicua enim et illustria in sacris litteris exempla reperiuntur, quibus, præter divinam traditionem, hic error quam manifestissime revincitur. Sane et divinæ justitiæ ratio exigere videtur, ut aliter ab eo in gratiam recipiantur, qui ante baptismum per ignorantiam deliquerint; aliter vero qui semel a peccati et dæmonis servitute liberati, et accepto Spiritus Sancti dono, scientes templum Dei violare et Spiritum Sanctum contristare non formidaverint. Et divinam clementiam decet, ne ita nobis absque ulla Finally, as regards satisfaction,--which as it is, of all the parts of penance, that which has been at all times recommended to the Christian people by our Fathers, so is it the one especially which in our age is, under the loftiest pretext of piety, impugned by those who have an appearance of godliness, but have denied the power thereof, [220] --the holy Synod declares, that it is wholly false, and alien from the Word of God, that the guilt is never forgiven by the Lord, without the whole punishment also being therewith pardoned. For clear and illustrious examples are found in the sacred writings, whereby, besides by divine tradition, this error is refuted in the plainest manner possible. And truly the nature of divine justice seems to demand, that they, who through ignorance have sinned before baptism, be received into grace in one manner; and in another those who, after having been freed from the servitude of sin and of the devil, and after having received the gift of the Holy Ghost, have not feared, knowingly to violate the temple of God, [221] and to grieve the Holy Spirit. [222] And it
satisfactione peccata dimittantur, ut, occasione accepta, peccata leviora putantes, velut injurii et contumeliosi Spiritui Sancto in graviora labamur, thesaurizantes nobis iram in die iræ. Procul dubio enim magnopere a peccato revocant et quasi fræno quodam cærcent hæ satisfactoriæ poenæ, cautioresque et vigilantiores in futurum pænitentes efficiunt; medentur quoque peccatorum reliquiis et vitiosos habitus male vivendo comparatos contrariis virtutum actionibus tollunt. Neque vero securior ulla via in Ecclesia Dei umquam existimata fuit ad amovendam imminentem a Domino poenam, quam ut hæc poenitentiæ opera homines cum vero animi dolore frequentent. Accedit ad hæc, quod, dum satisfaciendo patimur pro peccatis, Christo Jesu, qui pro peccatis nostris satisfecit, ex quo omnis nostra sufficientia est, conformes efficimur, certissimam quoque inde arrham habentes, quod, si compatimur et conglorificabimur. Neque vero ita nostra est satisfactio hæc, quam pro peccatis nostris exsolvimus, ut beseems the divine clemency, that sins be not in such wise pardoned us without any satisfaction, as that, taking occasion therefrom, thinking sins less grievous, we, offering as it were an insult and an outrage to the Holy Ghost, [223] should fall into more grievous sins, treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath. [224] For, doubtless, these satisfactory punishments greatly recall from sin, and check as it were with a bridle, and make penitents more cautious and watchful for the future; they are also remedies for the remains of sin, and, by acts of the opposite virtues, they remove the habits acquired by evil living. Neither indeed was there ever in the Church of God any way accounted surer to turn aside the impending chastisement of the Lord, than that men should, with true sorrow of mind, practice these works of penitence. Add to these things, that, whilst we thus, by making satisfaction, suffer for our sins, we are made conformable to Jesus Christ, who satisfied for our sins, from whom all our sufficiency is; [225] having also thereby a most sure pledge, that if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him. [226] But neither is this satisfaction, which we
non sit per Christum Iesum, nam qui ex nobis, tamquam ex nobis, nihil possumus, eo cooperante, qui nos confortat, omnia possumus. Ita non habet homo, unde glorietur; sed omnis gloriatio nostra in Christo est; in quo vivimus, in quo meremur, in quo satisfacimus, facientes fructus dignos poenitentiæ, qui ex illo vim habent, ab illo offeruntur Patri, et per illum acceptantur a Patre. Debent ergo sacerdotes Domini, quantum Spiritus et prudentia suggesserit, pro qualitate criminum et poenitentium facultate, salutares et convenientes satisfactiones injungere; ne, si forte peccatis conniveant et indulgentius cum poenitentibus agant, levissima quædam opera pro gravissimis delictis injungendo, alienorum peccatorum participes efficiantur. Habeant autem præ oculis, ut satisfactio, quam imponunt, non sit tantum ad novæ vitæ custodiam et infirmitatis medicamentum, sed etiam ad præteritorum peccatorum vindictam et castigationem: nam claves sacerdotum, non ad solvendum dumtaxat, sed et ad ligandum concessas etiam antiqui patres discharge for our sins, so our own, as not to be through Jesus Christ. For us who can do nothing of ourselves, as of ourselves, can do all things, he co-operating, who strengthens us. Thus, man has not wherein to glory, but all our glorying is in Christ: in whom we live; in whom we merit; in whom we satisfy; bringing forth fruits worthy of penance, [227] which from him have their efficacy; by him are offered to the Father; and through him are accepted by the Father. Therefore the priests of the Lord ought, as far as the Spirit and prudence shall suggest, to enjoin salutary and suitable satisfactions, according to the quality of the crimes and the ability of the penitent; lest, if haply they connive at sins, and deal too indulgently with penitents, by enjoining certain very light works for very grievous crimes, they be made partakers of other men's sins. But let them have in view, that the satisfaction, which they impose, be not only for the preservation of a new life and a medicine of infirmity, but also for the avenging and punishing of past sins. For the ancient Fathers likewise both believe and teach, that the keys of the priests were given, not to loose only, but also to bind. [228] But not therefore
et credunt et docent. Nec propterea existimarunt, sacramentum poenitentiæ esse forum iræ vel poenarum, sicut nemo umquam Catholicus sensit, ex hujusmodi nostris satisfactionibus vim meriti et satisfactionis Domini nostri Iesu Christi vel obscurari vel aliqua ex parte imminui; quod dum novatores intelligere nolunt, ita optimam poenitentiam novam vitam esse docent, ut omnem satisfactionis vim et usum tollant. did they imagine that the sacrament of Penance is a tribunal of wrath or of punishments; even as no Catholic ever thought, that, by this kind of satisfaction on our parts, the efficacy of the merit and of the satisfaction of our Lord Jesus Christ is either obscured or in any way lessened: which when the innovators seek to understand, they in such wise maintain a new life to be the best penance, as to take away the entire efficacy and use of satisfaction. Caput IX. Chapter IX. De operibus Satisfactionis. On works of Satisfaction. Docet præterea, tantam esse divinæ munificentiæ largitatem, ut non solum pænis sponte a nobis pro vindicando peccato susceptis, aut sacerdotis arbitrio pro mensura delicti impositis, sed etiam, quod maximum amoris argumentum est, temporalibus flagellis a Deo inflictis et a nobis patienter toleratis apud Deum Patrem per Christum Iesum satisfacere valeamus. The Synod teaches furthermore, that so great is the liberality of the divine munificence, that we are able through Jesus Christ to make satisfaction to God the Father, not only by punishments voluntarily undertaken of ourselves for the punishment of sin, or by those imposed at the discretion of the priest according to the measure of our delinquency, but also, which is a very great proof of love, by the temporal scourges inflicted of God, and borne patiently by us. DOCTRINA DE SACRAMENTO EXTREMÆ UNCTIONIS. ON THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION. Visum est autem sanctæ synodo, præcedenti doctrinæ de poenitentia adjungere ea, quæ sequuntur de sacramento It hath also seemed good to the holy Synod, to subjoin to the preceding doctrine on Penance, the following
extremæ unctionis, quod non modo poenitentiæ, sed et totius Christianæ vitæ, quæ perpetua poenitentia esse debet, consummativum existimatum est a Patribus. Primum itaque circa illius institutionem declarat et docet, quod clementissimus Redemptor noster, qui servis suis quovis tempore voluit de salutaribus remediis adversus omnia omnium hostium tela esse prospectum, quemadmodum auxilia maxima in sacramentis aliis præparavit, quibus Christiani conservare se integros, dum viverent, ab omni graviori spiritus incommodo possint: ita extremæ unctionis sacramento finem vitæ, tamquam firmissimo quodam præsidio, munivit. Nam etsi adversarius noster occasiones per omnem vitam quærat et captet, ut devorare animas nostras quoquo modo possit: nullum tamen tempus est, quo vehementius ille omnes suæ versutiæ nervos intendat ad perdendos nos penitus, et a fiducia etiam, si possit, divinæ misericordiæ deturbandos, quam cum impendere nobis exitum vitæ prospicit. on the sacrament of Extreme Unction, which by the Fathers was regarded as being the completion, not only of penance, but also of the whole Christian life, which ought to be a perpetual penance. First, therefore, as regards its institution, it declares and teaches, that our most gracious Redeemer,--who would have his servants at all times provided with salutary remedies against all the weapons of all their enemies,--as, in the other sacraments, he prepared the greatest aids, whereby during life, Christians may preserve themselves whole from every more grievous spiritual evil, so did he guard the close of life, by the sacrament of Extreme Unction, as with a most firm defense. For though our adversary seeks and seizes opportunities, all our life long, to be able in any way to devour [229] our souls; yet is there no time wherein he strains more vehemently all the powers of his craft to ruin us utterly, and, if he can possibly, to make us fall even from trust in the mercy of God, than when he perceives the end of our life to be at hand.
Caput I. Chapter I. De institutione sacramenti Extremæ Unctionis. On the institution of the sacrament of Extreme Unction. Instituta est autem sacra unctio infirmorum tamquam vere et proprie sacramentum novi testamenti, a Christo Domino nos tro apud Marcum quidem insinuatum, per Iacobum autem apostolum ac Domini fratrem, fidelibus commendatum ac promulgatum. Infirmatur, inquit, quis in vobis? inducat presbyteros Ecclesiæ, et orent super eum, ungentes eum oleo in nomine Domini; et oratio fidei salvabit infirmum; et alleviabit eum Dominus; et si in peccatis sit, dimittentur ei. Quibus verbis, ut ex apostolica traditione per manus accepta Ecclesia didicit, docet materiam, formam, proprium ministrum, et effectum hujus salutaris sacramenti. Intellexit enim Ecclesia, materiam esse oleum ab episcopo benedictum; nam unctio aptissime Spiritus Sancti gratiam, qua invisibiliter anima ægrotantis inungitur, repræsentat; formam deinde esse illa verba: Per istam unctionem, etc. Now, this sacred unction of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord, as truly and properly a sacrament of the new law, insinuated indeed in Mark, but recommended and promulgated to the faithful by James the Apostle, and brother of the Lord. Is any man, he saith, sick among you? Let him, bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man; and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him. [230] In which words, as the Church has learned from apostolic tradition, received from hand to hand, he teaches the matter, the form, the proper minister, and the effect of this salutary sacrament. For the Church has understood the matter thereof to be oil blessed by a bishop. For the unction very aptly represents the grace of the Holy Ghost, with which the soul of the sick person is invisibly anointed; and furthermore that those words, "By this unction," etc., are the form.