to pertain very much to the discipline of the Christian people, that the more atrocious and grievous crimes should not be absolved by any, but only by the chief priests; wherefore, the sovereign Pontiffs have deservedly been able, according to the supreme power given to them in the Universal Church, to reserve for their peculiar judgment some of the worst kind of offences. Nor is there room for doubt, since all things, which are of God, are ordained; but that this same is allowed to all the bishops in their several dioceses, "for edification and not for destruction," in respect of the authority over inferiors given to them above the rest of the inferior priests, especially as concerns those crimes to which the censure of excommunication is annexed. But it is agreeable to the divine authority that this reservation of offences should have effect not only in outward discipline, but also before God. But, lest any should perish by these means, it has been always piously guarded

tionem. Magnopere vero ad Christiani populi disciplinam pertinere, sanctissimis Patribus nostris visum est, ut atrociora quædam, et graviora crimina non a quibusvis, sed a summis dumtaxat sacerdotibus absolverentur: unde merito Pontifices Maximi pro suprema potestate, sibi in Ecclesia Universa tradita, causas aliquas criminum graviores suo potuerunt peculiari judicio reservare. Neque dubitandum est, quando omnia, quæ a Deo sunt, ordinata sunt; quin hoc idem episcopis omnibus in sua cuique diœcesi, "in ædificationem tamen, non in destructionem," liceat, pro illis in subditos tradita supra reliquos inferiores sacerdotes auctoritate, præsertim quoad illa, quibus excommunicationis censura annexa est. Hanc autem delictorum reservationem,

in the Church, that there should be no reservation at the point of death; and that, therefore, all priests should be able to absolve any penitents whatsoever, from every kind of sin and censure: except at such extremity, as the priests can do nothing in reserved cases, they should labour to persuade the penitents to have recourse to the superior and lawful judges, for the benefit of absolution.

consonum est divinæ auctoritati, non tantum in externa politia sed etiam coram Deo, vim habere. Verumtamen pie admodum, ne hac ipsa occasione aliquis pereat, in eadem Ecclesia Dei custoditum semper fuit, ut nulla sit reservatio in articulo mortis : atque ideo omnes sacerdotes quoslibet pœnitentes a quibusvis peccatis, et censuris absolvere possint: extra quem articulum sacerdotes cum nihil possint in casibus reservatis, id unum pœnitentibus persuadere nitantur, ut ad superiores, (et) legitimos judices pro beneficio absolutionis accedant.

CHAPTER VIII.-Of the Necessity and the Fruit of Satisfaction.

Lastly, as concerns satisfaction, which of all the parts of repentance, as it has been at all times recommended by our fathers to the Christian people, so now in our time, is chiefly impugned, under the highest pretence of piety, by those who teach a form

Caput VIII.-De Satisfactionis Necessitate, et Fructu. Demum quoad satisfactionem, quæ ex omnibus Pœnitentiæ 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

of godliness, but have denied the power thereof; the holy Synod declares that it is altogether false, and contrary to the word of God, to say that sin is never remitted by the Lord, but the entire punishment is also pardoned. For, besides divine tradition, clear and illustrious examples are found in the holy books, by which this error is most plainly refuted. In truth, even the principle of divine justice seems to demand that they who have sinned through ignorance before baptism should be received by Him into grace, after a different manner from those who, having been once freed from the bondage of sin and Satan, and having received the gift of the Holy Ghost, have not been afraid knowingly to violate the temple of God, and to grieve the Holy Spirit: and it becometh the divine mercy that our sins should not be so remitted without any satisfaction, lest we take occasion to think lightly of our sins, and so, injuring and insulting the Holy Spirit, we

habent, virtutem autem ejus abnegarunt: sancta Synodus declarat, falsum omnino esse, et a verbo Dei alienum, culpam a Domino numquam remitti, quin universa etiam pœna condonetur. Perspicua enim, et illustria in sacris literis 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 satisfactione, peccata dimittantur, ut occasione accepta,

fall into worse, treasuring up unto ourselves wrath against the day of wrath. For, beyond all doubt, these punishments of satisfaction recall the penitents very much from sin, and restrain them, as it were, with a bit, and make them more cautious and watchful for the future. They cure also the remains of sins, and by actions of opposite virtues, destroy vicious habits acquired by evil living. Nor, in truth, was there ever any way considered in the Church more sure for the removal of the impending punishment of God, than that men, with real grief of mind, should accustom themselves to these works of repentance. To this may be added, that while we suffer by making satisfaction for sins, we are made like unto Christ Jesus, who made satisfaction for our sins, from whom all our sufficiency is derived; and having hence, also, a most sure covenant that if we suffer

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 coercent hæ satisfactoriæ pœnæ, cautioresque et vigilantiores in futurum pœnitentes 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 pœnam, quam ut hæc pœnitentiæ 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,

with Him, we shall be also glorified together. Nor, in truth, is this satisfaction which we pay for our sins in such sort ours, that it should not be through Christ Jesus; for we who of ourselves, can do nothing as of ourselves, can do all things by the assistance of Him who comforteth us; so that a man hath not whereof he may boast; but all our boasting is in Christ, in whom we live, in whom we merit, in whom we make satisfaction; doing worthy fruits of repentance, which have their virtue from Him, by Him are offered to the Father, and through Him accepted of the Father. The priests of the Lord therefore, ought, according to the suggestions of the Spirit and their own prudence, to enjoin wholesome and suitable satisfaction, proportioned to the quality of the crimes, and the means of the penitents: lest, haply, they become partakers in other men's sins,

quod, si compatimur, et conglorificabimur. Neque vero ita nostra est satisfactio hæc, quam pro peccatis nostris exsolvimus, ut non sit per Christum Jesum: nam qui ex nobis, tamquam ex nobis, nihil possumus, eo co-operante, 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 pœnitentiæ, 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 pœnitentium facultate, salutares et convenientes satisfactiones injungere: ne si forte peccatis conniveant, et indulgentius cum pœnitentibus agant, levissima quædam opera pro gravissimis delietis injun