Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/347

 CHAP. X.I.] PEN&NC B---6&TI84F&CTIOM. 3 The following views of satisfaction are from the Roman Catechism: "Satisfaction is the full payment of' a debt," p. 265. They also call it "the compensation made by man to God, by doing something in atone- ment for the sins which he has committed." Speaking of the sat/sfac- tion of Christ, the authors of the Catechism say: "The first degree of satisfaction, and that which stands pre-eminently above all-the rest, /s that by which whatever is due by us to God, on account of our sins, is paid abundantly. It gives to man's actions merit before (od; with* out it they could avail him nothing to eternal life," p. 266. Treating on the grace of Christ, the Catechism says: "This grace always pre- cedes, accompanies, and follows our good works; without it we can have no merit, nor can we at Ifil satisfy God," p. 270. Of penance performed by a penitent, the Catechism says, that "it makes satisfac* sion to (od for the sins which he has committed, aml this is an act of justice toward God," p. 238. They call penance "a compensation for offences,*' p. 245; they call contrition "a desire of stoning for past transgressions," p. 246; they declare contrition must be accompanied with "a desire of' confessing and satisfying for our sins," p. 250. Of affections they say: "AfFlictions coming from the hand of God, ff borne with patience, are an abundant source of satisfaction and of merit," p. 272. The Catechism also says: "His (Christ's) passion imparts to our good actions the twofold quality of meriting the rewards of eter- nal life, so that a cup of cold water given in ls name shall not be without its reward, and also of satisfying for our sins," p. 270. Thus, By voluntar suffering, or by the temporal punishments that God sends, satisfaction is made by us for the temporal punishment which they say is due to sins. But they seem to have found out a much easier way than this; for according to them there is le to the church a stock of merits, composed of such of the merits of Jesus Christ as were more than enough to satisfy for the eternal punishment of the sins of men, and of the merits of all the saints that were more than necessary to satisfy for themselves. This stock maybe dispensed out to particular persons, as the governor of the church, the vicar of Christ, with the assistance of the inferior clergy, shall think best. And tilere are two ways by which the benefits of these merits may be con- forred upon us, viz., by i,tmoe, and procuring masses for us after we are dead. And in proportion to the masses an/ indulgences pur- chased, our punishment is either taken away, leened, or mitigated.* But the doctrines of purgatory and indulgences will require separate articles; therefore, for the present, that pan of Penance called  ,f/o will now occupy our attention. etaare pietatb operibus, atque Me5 optimampmnitentiam ease tantm Mum v/tam; anathema ,it. "14. 8i qub dazerat, satisfactlones, .qulb .pmnitente? per Chrb.tum Jesum ea redataunt, non eme cultus Dei. fed treditiones honnnum. doeu-mam de ot rerum nol culture, argue ipsum beneficium morris Christi obgcomn dmmt oat. "15. Si qub dixeFit, claver ecclesim eme tiaras tmam ad molvondum, non etimm ml !dum; et proptero sacerdote, dum hnpomunt pmnn confitentilm, Mere era!firs finera clayinto, et contra inst/tutionem C!; ot ficlionom e qud vir. BtAm dayaura, subIaaA pmn& mtern, p(sns tumpo jd 1 oigitize by Goodie

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