only can bestow such an Authority as before Constantine's time so after 2. Whatever Priviledge that was That John Bishop of Ravenna claimed who Dr. Hammond saith was the first that publickly contested his Right with the Bishop of Rome perhaps a Donation of this Pall at once for that Bishop and all his Successors not to be reiterated from the Pope's upon every new Election it appears clearly from St. Gregory 2. l. Ep. 54. that he claimed such Priviledge not singly from the Emperors Rescript but also from a Grant of the Roman Bishop St. Gregory there denying any such Grant And also the same Gregory in 5. l. Ep. 8. in his sending the Pall after this to Maximinianus Bishop of Ravenna and confirming his Priviledges Quae suae pridem concessa esse constat Ecclesiae mentions the Motive to be Provocatus not only antiquae consuetudinis or dine which Dr. Hammond takes notice of Ibid. p. 151. and applies to the Emperors Rescript but first Apostolicae Sedis benevolentia which Dr. Hammond omits Apostolicae Sedis benevolentia antiquae consuetudinis ordine provocatus are the Popes words But such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretended to be received from the Church Tho St. Gregory saith this Pretence was false no way fits Dr. Hammond's purpose of the Princes bestowing such a Priviledge when the Patriarch opposeth 3. As for the Subjection of the Provinces of Aemilia unto it by the Emperor if this be supposed done by him without the Churches consent it seems contrary to the 12th Canon of the Council of Chalcedon which permits not to Princes the dividing or changing the former Jurisdictions of Prelates Yet were this thing wholly permitted to the Prince so long as the Confirmation of such new-erected Primates is still to be received from their Canonical Superiors no Faction Division or Independency can be hereby introduced into the Church nor the Protestant Cause any whit hereby relieved To γ The three Canons To γ. In the first it appeareth that the Prince attempting to dispose of half the Jurisdictions of a certain Metropolitan to a new Prelate set up by himself the Council prohibits it and reserves still the whole Jurisdiction to the former therefore in this Councils judgment the Prince could do no such thing justly In the two last the Prince changing or erecting a new Metropole or Mother City for the Seat of Judicature the Church not the Prince and so this proves no Right of his to do it orders with very good reason the change of the Seat of the Metropolitan to this Place of greatest Concourse These Canons then which the Dr. urgeth for his Cause are they not to good purpose for the contrary I pray you view them But meanwhile concerning the Point so much driven at the Princes making new Patriarchs I must remind you here again of the Canon of the 8th General Council Can. 21. Definimus neminem prorsus Mundi Potentium quenquam eorum qui Patriarchalibus sedibus praesunt in-honorare aut movere a proprio Throno tentare sed omni reverentia honore dignos judicare praecipue quidem Sanctissimum Papam Senioris Romae c. To δ. The Kings of England transplanting Metropolitanships To δ. dividing Bishopricks erecting new ones exempting Ecclesiastical Persons from Episcopal Jurisdiction c. Such things are denyed to be justly transacted by the Prince's sole Authority without the consent of Church Governors general or particular of which see the 8th General Council Can. 22. about Election Nor doth the Negative Argument of the Church's consent to this not mentioned prove such Facts to have been without it especially as to the confirmation of Persons so promoted by the Prince in their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Which thing being once taken from the Ecclesiastical Canonical Superiors and this power of Erecting Patriarchies and Primacies and by consequence of the bestowing and transferring the several Priviledges thereof solely cast into the hands of a Secular Prince and then this Prince supposed to be not Orthodox a supposition possible and what confusion and mischief must it needs produce in such a body as the Church strictly tyed in Canonical Obedience to such Superiors and subbmitting to their judgment and decisions in Spiritual matters By which means this seduced Prince may sway the Controversies in Religion within his own Dominions what way he pleaseth so long as there be some Ecclesiasticks of his own perswasion whom he may surrogate in the places of those others that gainsay Remember the times of Constantius Meanwhile if the Churches Rights of a Canonical Subordination of all the Clergy be strictly observed I know not what other Indulgment about Clergy Preferments may not with sufficient preservation of the Churches Catholick Unity be conceded to the Prince This from § 59. of their Ninth Plea the Prince's Power to erect new Patriarchs § 68 10. In the last place they say That a National Church hath within it self the whole Subordination of Ecclesiastical Power and Government 10. See Dr. Fern's Case between England and Rome p. 26. in which a Primate is the highest and thus far only ascends Dr. Hammond and so hath a supreme and independent Power in managing all Ecclesiastical Affairs within it self and delegating its Power to others To which I think there needs no further Answer the Subjection of these Primates or lower Patriarchs to higher sufficiently appearing from frequent ancient Church Canons and being conceded by other Learned Protestants For which not often to repeat the same things I must refer you to what is said before in γ. And in Consid on the Council of Trent § 9. c. as also their Subjection to Patriarchal or General Councils in that it hath been ordinary to execute their Censures upon such Primates or also Patriarchs when Heretical or otherwise faulty HEAD X. Concerning the Vnity of the Church Catholick in respect of Heresies and Schisms and other intestine Divisions Concerning the Unity of the Church Catholick in respect of Heresies and Schisms and other intestine Divisions 1. CAtholicks do hold That one holy Catholick and Apostolick Church mentioned in our Creed is not always a Body coextended to the Christian Profession or involving all Christian Churches if I may so call them or Congregations or Sects But that some Christian Churches or Societies there are or may be that are no part of it but do stand contradistinct to it 2. They willingly grant That not all differences or divisions in Spiritual matters between particular Persons or Churches where there is no Subordination between them do render one or both of them guilty of such Schism as to become thereby no Members of the Church Catholick But 3ly they maintain that all such Division wherein a particular person or Church departs from the whole or wherein a Subordinate Person or Church from all their Spiritual Superiors for such matters wherein Obedience is required from them by all these or by the whole is such Schisme as
them For if some more imperfect acts of Faith of Repentance Hope Love c. done only by God's assistant Grace did thro God's promise and Christ's merits procure our first Justification and the consequents thereof much more the same acts and others the like now more perfect and proceeding from Grace inhabitant do thro the same promise and merits confer on or procure for us a greater or as some stile it a second Justification viz. An improvement of our former justice the remission of such Venial Sins as are still committed by the justified and a richer eternal reward 9. They affirm That a man may fall away again from this state of Justification by incurring those greater Sins either of Omission or Commission which are for this cause called commonly Mortal from which fall he is capable of restorement to a second Justification or justified condition by the same means as he attained the first only if instead of Baptisme not iterable he make use of the Sacrament of Penance for his entrance into it where-in concerning the just value and vertue of Penal Works see below Head XIX 10. These are the Catholicks Positions concerning Justification much tending to the promotion of pious endeavours and an holy life with whom also the more moderate Protestants do in most if not all the former Points concur But meanwhile there are other Tenents of the more rigid Protestants on this subject and several also of them broached by the first Author of the Reformation which brings a very great prejudice to it that tend much to the relaxation of good manners the breeding of false securities and weakning mens endeavours in the prosecution of a good life such as these ζ. ζ. See the most rigid Protestants maintaining the most of these Opinions cited and censured by Bishop Forbes in his Considerationes aequae placidae de Justificatione And by Dr. Hammond in his Treatise of Fundamentals from the 11th to the 19th Chapter And by Mr. Thorndike Epilog 2. l. from the 4th to the 10th Chapter 1st Their placing Justification only in the remission of Sin and imputation to us of the righteousness of Christ not in infusion of Grace or renovation of life making men fancy here that all their work is done for and without them none to be done in or by them 2ly In such remission of Sin their making Justification as it were one momentaneous act and God at one and the same time remitting to us all our Sins past present and to come which must needs produce afterward a very careless behaviour both to committing and repenting of Sin 3ly In such imputation of Christ's Righteousness their maintaining it in such a manner not as if we were meritoriously justified by the application of the effects of it to us as if it had been our own but formally justified by a translation of it and investiture with it in such a manner as if it were inherent in us and esteemed to be done by our selves 4ly From whence ariseth also a conceit that all men by this righteousness apprehended by their Faith are equally justified or all esteemed equally righteous in their Justification 5ly And so also that all become equal in the future celestial reward whether working much or working little 6ly Their making the only instrument or necessary condition required in us for Justification or remission of Sin Faith alone an easy act of the brain as Dr. Hammond Of Fundamentals p. 116. observes having nothing in it repugnant to our passions and not any other good disposition wrought in us by God's especial Grace Repentance purpose of a better Life and this Faith too required of us for this purpose not as any work or duty but only as an instrument or hand to apprehend and apply Christ's merits to us and to make his righteousness ours c. 7ly Their making this Faith that justifies us a strong fiducia or full assurance that we are justified or if you will that we shall be justified only on those terms if we firmly believe we shall be so Which obliging men of what life soever to believe they are or shall be justified without looking after any requisite thereto save only this full belief renders those who continue still unreformed in their Manners yet by such strong fancy secure of their Salvation whilst none more than they extol the all-sufficiency of Christ's Righteousness nor none so much as they do or have reason to diffide in and dis-esteem their own From which Tenent also it follows that all those that are truly justified are assured or certainly know that they are justified The ordinary effect of which Doctrine is despair in some who find in themselves no such assurance certain presumption in others who are fully assured without just cause 8ly Their holding that a justifying is only a true Faith which breeds a great presumption in those for their being also justified persons who do and have no reason but to take themselves for true believers and who would even give their bodies to be burnt for any Article of the Christian Faith 1. Cor. 13.3 and yet do or may want Charity and so Justification 9ly Their holding good works and the other dispositions that always accompany a justified Faith to be necessary to our Justification or Salvation only as effects and fruits or also signs and assurances to our selves or others of this Faith necessary for their presence indeed but not for their efficiency as causa sine qua non ad salutem non impediendum but not as instruments or conditions required thereto as our Faith is thus destroying obedience it self by taking away the chief motives that men have to it and making them neglect any further pains-taking for the production of those things which they are taught do necessarily grow from Faith or which serve only to justify them not before God but Men. 10ly Their expounding St. Paul not only to exclude Works performed by strength of Nature but done by Grace from any way disposing us or concurring thereto And St. James only to speak of good Works as declaring our Justification before men not obtaining it with God 11ly Their affirming the Promises of the Gospel to be meerly gratuital excepting for Faith and not conditional upon Obedience as those of the Law were denying our Lord to be any Legislator or denying Christian liberty to be so far obliged to the Obedience of the Law as that any account is had of our observing of it in any degree as to obtaining or improving our Justification And that Christians ought now not as tied to it by God's Law but spontaneously and freely to do that Will of his which was formerly made known to them by the Law Which Obedience of our's how little soever and upon such terms we may guess it will not be much yet is accepted by God through the more perfect Obedience of his Son made ours by Faith See Calvin Institutiones 3. l. 19. c. 2.4 § And then we may
Poverty distance of Place Le ts of temporal Magistrate or voluntary also out of some unlawful respect Which Absence of some few in comparison of the whole if it can hinder the necessary Generality of the Council it is probable that there will never want within the Confines also of the Church Catholick now spread thro the Dominions of several Princes of contrary interests some either Bishops or Secular Governours that are averse from the meeting of such Council in respect of some Circumstances belonging to it at least those of time place c. 3. For these reasons therefore 3 such Council seems to be unquestionably General not to say here that none less their such can justly be so where are present in person or by his Legates the Bishop of the Prime Apostolick See without whom no such Council can be held and by their Lieutenants at least all or most of the other Patriarchs such as are in Being and have some considerable part of the Church Catholick subjected unto them It is said most of them for the presence and concurrence of all of them was not thought necessary neither in the third nor fourth of the allowed General Councils And the Representatives of a considerably major part of the Catholick Provinces and more especially the Representatives of the largest and most dignified of these Provinces 4. In the Absence of some Patriarchs or chief Churches in such Council or in the presence there only of a smaller number of Delegates from the greater and more numerous Provinces and of a greater number from other less as five or six Bishops only delegated from the Western Churches were present in the Council of Nice or in any other deficiency of the representment of the greatest part of the Church Catholick in this Assembly yet when the Decrees and Acts of such smaller part being sent and made known to the Absent are both confirmed by the Bishop of Rome the Primate of the Patriarchs and of the universal Church and accepted also by the much major part of the Catholick Provinces tho these be not accepted by some others of them such Council ought either to be received as General or as equivalent thereto and the Acts thereof are obligatory to the whole Church Catholick For seeing that if all the Provinces had convened in one Place and Body the disagreeing votes of some Provinces in such Councils being fewer and lesser could not have justly hindred but that the contrary votes of the other much major part would have stood in force and obliged all to obedience then neither can their dissent out of the Council be rationally pretended to hinder the same And what engagement the several Provinces of the present Age have to such Council the same also all future seem to have for the same reason till an equal Authority to that which established such Ecclesiastical laws reverse them which in matters of necessary Faith will never happen So the Arian Churches of the fifth Age are as much obliged to the Definitions of the Nicene Council as those of the fourth And in any Age what means can there be of Preservation of Unity for matter of Faith in the Church Catholick if a few in comparison will neither be regulated by any one Person or Head Nor yet concluded by the much major part Here by acceptation of the much major part of Catholick Provinces is understood none other necessary then only a peaceful acquiescence in and conformity to the Decrees of such Councils and a not declaring against them tho such Acceptation proceed not so farr as to the passing of an Act to this effect in Provincial or National Synods For this last hath not been done to those Acts of Councils universally held General 5. To go yet a little further Considering the present Condition both of the Eastern Churches and of such Patriarchs as are yet left besides the Roman such now rather in name than in power the paucity poverty and illiterature necessitated by their great oppressions of their Clergy their incapacity to assemble themselves even in lesser Synods for consultation to say nothing here whether any of these Churches have declined from the former Definitions of the Church Catholick and so are become Heretical and so uncapable of sitting in Ecclesiastical Synods in these times a General Council such as ought to oblige may be well apprehended to receive narrower bounds than formerly And such a Council where those who are Catholick in Eastern Churches are wished for invited and if any come not excluded and to which all the Western Provinces yet flourishing in Religion and not obstructed from meeting are called and in which the Representatives of the greatest part of them joined with the Prime Patriarch are assembled such Council I say ought either to receive the denomination of General especially as to these Doctrines wherein the Eastern Churches consent or of the most General that the present times will afford or at least of a Patriarchal and lawful Superiour Council and so in the same measure accepted obligeth all the Provinces of the West to yield obedience thereto and therefore in such an Age for any Person or Church that is a Member of this Western Body to call for a larger Council than can be had is only an Artifice to decline Judgment and for any to Appeal to a future Council which can be no larger than that past to whose sentence they deny Submission what is this but to renounce the Authority they appeal to To which may be added that any Appeal to a future Council concerning such Controversies wherein one knoweth the unanimous Doctrine of the much major part of the present Christian Churches as well Eastern as Western to be against him seems bootless and affording no relief Because such Council can consist only of the Governours and so of the judgments of such particular Churches put to together and therefore such as the present Doctrine is of the major part of these Christian Churches and of the several Bishops presiding in them especially now after the cause reasons pretended demonstrations of the dissenting Party for so many years divulged pleaded considered such we may presume will be that of the Council For what can effect a Mutation of opinion in these Persons joined which altereth nothing now in them severed HEAD IX Concerning the Vnity of the Church and of its Government and Succession in respect of Seculars § 1 1. CAtholicks affirm That the Church and Civil Societies are two distinct Bodies Concerning the Unity of the Church and of its Government and Succession in respect of Seculars subject to their distinct Superiors and that the Church Catholick is but one in many States Again That the Civil State entring into the Body of the Church cannot thereby justly take from it any of its former Rights which are instated upon it by our Lord and which it did or might justly exercise in such Civil State before this State submitted it self to the
Heathen Emperors even against their frequent Edicts yet which could not then have been lawfully so used if any of these had encorached on Civil Rights in any of which Civil Rights the Heathen Prince might claim as much lawful Power as the Christian can And also which we find still continued by the Church under Christian Emperors without asking their leave to Decree such things or substituting their Decrees to their Authority or depending on their consent only with humbly desiring their assistance yet so as without it resolved to proceed in the Execution thereof as under Heathen of which we have many Experiments under the Christian Emperors when these Arian yet which things the Church could not lawfully have done were any of these entrenching upon the Princes Right now at least when Christian For Example the 6th Canon of Nice and 5th Canon of Constantinopolitan Council and 3d 4th 7th 17th Canon of Concil Sardic concerning the Subordinations and Appeals of Clergy would have been an usurpation of an unjust Authority if the Subordination of Episcopal Sees and Erecting of Patriarchs had belonged to the Prince When also we find them excluding Princes tho Christian and Catholick either from the judging in matters of Faith and from prohibiting here that any such Spiritual Food to use Bishop Andrews Expression Resp ad Apol. p. 332. should be set before their Subjects of which themselves first did not like the tast which surely is judging of the good or evil of such food or judging in meerly Ecclesiastical causes in any way of opposition or review of the Churches Decrees I mean the most supreme that may be had in it § 31 For these review the Canons mentioned but now and see that much noted Expostulation of St. Ambrose 2. l. Epist. 13. ad Valentin with the Emperor Valentinian presuming to examine Church Controversies and calling them before his Tribunal Quando audisti Clementissime Imperator in causa fidei Laicos de Episcopo judicasse Not Quando audisti imberbem necdum baptizatum ex matris arbitrio pendentem as Bishop Andrews Resp ad Apol. c. 1. p. 29. and others explain it but Quando auaisti Laicum applicable to any Secular Prince de Episcopo judicasse or if Bishop Andrews will dedisse idoneos cognitores i. e. if they such as Valentinian shall choose for idoneos if these chosen be not Bishops or Bishops of Valentinian's appointment and not his Canonical Superiors but then these Canonical Superiors are given for the Bishops Judges not by Vulentinian but by the Church But else who cannot see clearly that dare idoneos cognitores i. e. such as the Emperor thinks fit which Bishop Andrews pleads for as the Emperors right and ipse Imperator judicare which St. Ambrose denies comes all to one The same Father goes on Quis est qui abnuat in causa fidei in causa in-quam fidei Episcopos solere de Imperatoribus Christianis non Imperatores de Episcopis judicare Pater tuus vir Deo favente maturioris aevi dicebat Non est meum judicare inter Episcopos c. And thus St. Athanasius Ep. and Solitar vitam agent Expostulates with Constantius interposing as to the Churches Definitions about Arianisme and her Canons about judging and censuring of Bishops opposing such Bishops as he took for Enemies of the Divine Truth and countenancing those inferior Ecclesiastical Synods which he fancied to be in the right against the Superior and against the Canons Quando a condito aevo auditum est quod judicium Ecclesiae authoritatem suam ab Imperatore accepit aut quando unquam hoc a small number of Bishops joined with Constantius pro judicio agnitum est Plurimae ante-hac Synodi fuere multa judicia Ecclesiae habita sunt Sed neque Patres â—istiusmodi res Principi persuadere conati sunt nec Princeps se in rebus Ecclesiasticis curicsum praehuit And see his complaints following That he did abrogare Canones in decernendo Principem facere Episcoporum praesidere judiciis Ecclesiasticis which he calls there Abominatio Desolationis And the Reverend Hosius President in the Council of Nice writes to this Prince on the same manner Ibid. p. 456. Reformida diem Judicit ne te misceas Ecclesiasticis neque nobis in hoc genere praecipe sed potius ea a nobis disce Tibi Deus imperium commisit nobis quae sunt Ecclesiae concredidit neque igitur fas est nobis in terris imperium tenere neque tu thymiamatum sacrorum potestatem habes Imperator Nefas est enim as Theodosius see Conc. Ephesin writ to the 3d General Council when he sent Candidianus thither for the Preservation of Peace and Order but not ut cum quaestionibus controversiis quae circa fidei dogmata incidunt quicquam commune haberet qui Sanctissimorum Episcoporum Catalogo ascriptus non est illum Ecclesiastieis negotiis consultationibus sese immiscere § 32 Where note that the Contest of these Bishops with these Emperors is for their judging these Ecclesiastical matters where they had no power to judge not for judging them when having a lawful power not rightly for this later these Princes would easily have denyed as all secular Princes that oppose the Church do but could not so the former And who doth not see which is safer to trust the Bishop or Princes with the last Cognizance of Divine things And how much it concerns Christianity that Princes be not made as Bishop Andrews would have them Resp ad Bell. Apol. p. 332 the Discussers of the Clergy's Definitions whether contra legem Christi and the last Tasters of the Food prepared by the Pastors for Christ's Sheep that as this appears to them sweet or bitter good or bad so they may allow or forbid it to be ministred to their Subjects Constantius was the first of the Christian Emperors that assumed this pregustation and that he took for sweet and good proved very Poison to his Subjects and at last ended in Mahometanisme Mean-while no doubt but Princes may assist all the Churches Consults with their secular power may call them preside in them for keeping of Order restraining the Tumultuous and Refractory and seeing that particulars perform what the whole declares to be their duty as the only Supreme's there and elsewhere of all coactive Power This Right none can deny them Hitherto from § 14. I have collected and considered the Protestant Concessions in Confirmation of the Church's Rights in her Ecclesiastical judgments and other proceedings in pure Spirituals which are declared to be independent on and unrepeable by the secular power and I have given you greater store of them than at first I intended § 33 Now by these their Concessions one would think the door were shut fast enough against any pretended Reformation at any time entring into the Church by the secular Authority opposed to the Ecclesiastical Yet seeing that after this several pretentions are made and that not only
paenitentiae dilectionis in Deum quae opera sunt interna Denique quinto omnem inanem fiduciam operum nostrorum Sive interne sive externe factorum Cap. 5. § 14. Proinde censemus omnem rigidorum Protestantium sententiam a veritate a charitate Christiana alienam esse qui assertionem de sola fide non justificante communiter a Romanensibus defensam citra omnem vel fidei ipsius vel meriti opinionem etiam improprie dicti vel aliorum operum seu actuum cum fide ad justificationem concurrentium non solùm cum sancta Scriptura piis Patribus e diametro pugnare contendunt sed etiam praeter alia innumera justam Protestantibus a Romana Ecclesia secedendi causam praebuisse praebere Dr. Hammond Pract. Catech. 1. l. § 4. p. 75. The necessary qualifications conditions or moral instruments of our Justification are Faith Repentance firm purpose of a new life and the rest of those Graces upon which in the Gospel pardon is promised the Christian And afterwards This kind of Sanctification so he calls the dispositions to Justification wrought in us by God's Grace is precedent in order of nature to Justification i.e. I must first believe repent and return before God will pardon 6. They affirm also that one may have a true faith or belief of all the Articles of our Creed and particularly of this man's Redemption through Christ's Merits or if we take Faith for fiducia may have also a fiducial confidence that he in particular shall obtain or if you will hath already obtained remission of his Sins through the same redemption and merits and yet not by this Faith or fiducia attain Justification if these be not accompanied with Repentance and the other necessary preparations thereto For there are many wicked and irregenerate men who yet do truly believe all the Articles of the Creed and are thereby fully convinced of their duty yet led away with lusts do contrary to what they know they ought and some of them who are also fully tho groundlesly for want of Repentance and the other requisites perswaded that themselves are of the number of the justified ξ ξ. Thorndike Epilog 2. l. p. 28. It is manifest to all Christians that there are too many in the world whom we cannot imagine to have any due title to those promises and yet do really and verily believe the Faith of Christ to be true and him and his Apostles sent from God to preach it And from their belief stand convict that they ought to proceed accordingly yet We see men not always to do that which reasonably from their belief they ought to do c. Again on the other side q Trust and confidence in God through Christ obtains the promises of the Gospel who denies it But is this trust always well grounded and true Is it not possible for a man to imagine his title to the promises of the Gospel to be good when it is not I would we had no cause to believe how oft it comes to pass All which argues these other Acts are necessary concurrents to Justification as well as such Faith For it seems very unreasonable that such Faith when without the other as many times it is is effectless as to attaining Justification and yet when it is with them they effectless and it doing the whole especially if the former Scriptures be reviewed using the same expressions of their concurrence to this effect as they do of Faith 7. Our Justification i. e. remission of Sin and infusion of habitual Grace which Infants also when baptized receive as well as others whereby we are made new creatures and by the infusion of his Holy Spirit born of God and his Seed remaining in us and so made his Sons and Heirs being thus attained upon our Faith and the other forementioned dispositions required in us Next Catholicks grant That the thus justified not only have a right to but may also attain the possession of eternal life before and without external good works issuing from such habitual or inherent Grace or before any justification or merit by them And that their works are not necessary to justification the producing or continuing of it or to the obtaining the reward of it eternal life when either power as in those who as yet have not the use of reason or who are prevented by suddain death or an occasion of such good works is wanting or also when occasion being offered yet the omission of such good works amount not to a mortal Sin by which Sins only man falls from his former Justification ξ. But 8ly They affirm which is also allowed by Learned Protestants π. pgr Dr. Field Append. to 3. l. 11. c. In Answer to Dr. Stapleton's Words That Actions of Virtue and careful endeavour to walk in the Commandments of God are not necessary to our second Justification or the augmentation progress and dayly perfecting of the same more and more is a Calumniation for they the Protestants make the second Justification to consist in two parts 1st The dayly well doing whereby the righteousness inherent is more and more perfected And 2ly the dayly remission of such sinful defects as are found in their actions Dr. Fern Answer to Scripture Mistaken p. 92. If they intend no more by second Justification than is here expressed in the Trent Decree viz. Renovation day by day and yielding up our Members as Weapons of Righteousness to Sanctification and increase in Righteousness we have no cause to quarrel at the thing but only that they will call that Justification which indeed is Sanctification Bishop Forbes de Justificat 4. l. 6. c. Perperam a Protestantibus rigidioribus rejicitur distinctio usitatissima justificationis in primam secundam Nam praeter Justificationem primam necessario etiam agnoscenda admittenda est justificatio secunda quae consistit in progressu augmento complemento pro statis vitae justitiae primum donatae in remissione illorum delictorum in quae quotidie justi incidunt Confirming it there with several Protestant Authorities That this first Justification thus attained before these good Works is in case of longer-life both necessarily continued by good Works or acts of inherent Grace either external or only internal where is some impediment of the external so that he who commits a mortal Sin in omission of such works falls from his former Justification and also is increased or further degrees of Justification or inhabitant Grace or as the Protestants had rather call it Sanctification received or added by the same good works for such acts external or internal do still increase the habit or render the person more holy whereby the already just is still made more just so Abraham tho just before yet was more highly justified by that Heroick act of the Oblation of his only Son Jam. 2. And the future reward also becomes greater to these good Works according to our greater Justification by
eternal save only upon his free and gracious promise made to them or at least in commutative justice do deserve it from any worth in them that equals it and for both these doth not always depend only on the Merits of Christ is held by Catholicks to err from Truth and to be guilty of a most false presumption 2ly For the true concurrence that good Works have by Christ's Merits thro God's free promise for obtaining or meriting life eternal here also as every one ought in general to believe most certainly and infallibly that all who perform such Evangelical Obedience shall obtain life Eternal So they affirm 1st That none is obliged to believe specially that his own Works or Obedience is such as cannot miss of it or that if he have not a full perswasion of the merit of his own Works or of his own Justification or Salvation or of the particular application of Christ's Merits to himself he cannot be justified or saved or partake of his Merits 2ly That by reason of the liableness of the once justified by or in their Baptisme to fall away again by committing Mortal Sin from their Justification and then the difficulty of discerning exactly among their Sins committed what are Mortal and losing the Divine Grace what are not then again by reason of the difficulty of knowing in our regaining a second Justification when we have a sufficient repentance or sorrow and contrition for our former Sins without which the Churches Sacraments do not profit us and a different measure of which is required according to the greatness of our fault and when we have not And 3ly by reason If we were ascertained of our regained estate of the great allay and impairment which our actions in this estate may receive from the mixture of many Venial sins so that our faults do many times equal sometimes exceed our good deeds nay sometimes that which we think a good act is no better than a true tho Venial Sin and is augmented also in our presumption that it is none By reason also of the difficulty to distinguish between Evangelical Counsels and Precepts in respect of which a different observance is required under penalty of falling into some Mortal Sin or only failing of Perfection And lastly by reason of the uncertainty of our perseverance and that our present Merits or Piety may not be all evacuated by some future miscarriages I say by reason of all these Catholicks affirm it the safest course especially for those who have not attained to any great perfection not to put any or much least it should happen to be a mistaken confidence in any merit or sufficiency of their own present works to those ends for which God requireth them of us But rather wholly to trust in and rely on God's mercy both for our present condition that if it be not safe he will through Christ's Merits by improving our Faith and Repentance change and amend it and for our present actions when we are in a safe condition that if they be full of defects and miscarriages he will for Christ's Merits remit these and for the future more sanctify them and give us also perseverance in them We ever remembring that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4.4 Nihil mihi conscius sum sed non in hoc justificatus sum qui autem judicat me Dominus est Of which matter thus the Council of Trent Sess 6. c. 9. Sicut nemo pius de Dei misericordia Christi Meritis Sacramentorum virtute efficacia dubitare potest Sic quilibet dum seipsum suamque propriam infirmitatem indispositionem respicit de sua gratia i. e. of his Regeneration formidare timere potest 7ly Yet lastly they grant That such justified as are eminent in Sanctity both may have by special revelation which God sometimes condescending to a great familiarity communicates unto them an infallible certainty of their present justification and if persevering Salvation and may also without such revelation tho not attain any infallible certainty or perswasion cui non potest sub-esse falsum by reason of the possible defect of their judgment about some of the aforenamed particulars upon which therefore can never be built any Divine Faith the object of which is only Divine Revelation and therefore that only which is absolutely infallible yet have a strong and moral-certain perswasion or faith cui non sub-est dubium or dubitatio may have a fearless and calm security that they are actually justified and consequently if persevering shall be glorified Which is called the Testimony of a good Conscience grounded on their present Obedience as the condition and service required of them for rendring them capable of such a reward and of Christ's most perfect obedience the adequate meritorious cause thereof See 2. Cor. 1.12 1. Jo. 3.18 19 20. c. 24.4.17 2. Pet. 1.10 2. Tim. 4.7 8. To which Testimony of a good Conscience is added also the witness within them of the Holy Spirit Rom. 8.15 tho this witness as also it s other ordinary operations in us most-what is not certainly known by us to be its witness or operation for if it were so this would amount to special revelation Catholicks therefore affirm not a particular application of Christ's Merits to themselves or a confidence of their own Salvation in any justified to be unlawful but only an infallible certainty of these to be except by revelation unattainable and whilst they say that one tho in the state of Justification de sua gratia formidare timere potest yet they say not that every one timere debet ξ. ξ. See the Roman Writers quoted to this purpose by Dr. Field Append. 3. l. p. 318. c. And by Bishop Forbes de Justificat 3. l. 1. c. p. 95. c. Where Communior Romanensium sententia saith he libenter admittit ex vivae fidei sensu seu charitatis bonorum operum experimento certitudinem aliquam minoris inferioris gradus oriri quae conjecturalis probabilis nominari potest quae licet non omnem formidinem pellat tamen tollit omnem anxietatem haesitationem Progrediuntur alii quidam Romani ulterius certitudinem aliquam aliam minorem quidem certitudine fidei divinae Conjecturali tamen majorem quam certitudinem moralem appellandam censent admittunt Ita ut nullam habeant de sua justificatione formidinem deceptionis The Pharisee very confident Luk. 18.11 went home unjustified the Publican very fearful justified and so the Leper believing Christ's Power but doubting his good Pleasure si vis potes yet was cleansed Matt. 8.2 HEAD XVII Concerning Sin Venial and Mortal Concerning Sin Venial and Mortal THE Catholick Doctrine is 1. That all the Baptized are truely Regenerate 2. That a Man falls not from this state of Regeneration or from God's Grace and favour by committing any Sin how small soever nor yet continues still in this State whilst committing any Sin how
per defectum contritionis est valida ita ut non sit iteranda erit eis fructuosa quando ascendent adcor altum ut habeant peccatum pro summo odibili summo vitabili c. See more in the Author Card. Lugo De Sacramentis Disp 9. § 6. Sicut Baptismus ablato obice remittit priora peccata sic Sacramentum Paenitentiae remittit sua ablato obice Nulla certe ratio excogitari potest ad negandum hoc de Sacramento Panitentiae si concedatur de Baptismo supponatur Sacramentum Paenitentiae validum informe Again Licet Sacramentum Paenitentiae sit reiterabile non est tamen obligatio reiterandi illud circa eadem peccata semel valide subjecta clavibus Unde si non daret postea effectum ablato obice illa peccata non dimitterentur directe per claves Ecclesiae neque esset obligatio ea confitendi ad hunc finem quod ex vipraesentis Institutionis videtur absurdum 4ly That therefore where no such worthy Repentance and due Contrition or godly sorrow precedes such Absolution these Penances tho done after Absolution have the self same operation and concurrence to produce such Contrition and to procure our Justification and the forementioned remission of Sin and eternal Punishment and are as necessary for this effect as if done before and till this effected are for this very thing prescribed by the Church or are to be voluntarily undertaken by Sinners as the principal end to which they tend and for which they are imposed or recommended to Christian Practice Therefore the Baptist calls for these digni fructus paenitentiae in order to escaping ira ventura i. e. Hell fire and the eternal punishment of Sin See Matt. 3.7 8. comp 10 11 And as Protestants much urge so Catholicks willingly grant that the Fathers do make frequent mention of the necessity and prevalency with God of our Penances and Satisfactions in relation to these effects χ. χ. Concil Trident. Sess 14.8 cap. Debent Sacerdotes Domini c. See η. Ne si forte peccatis conniveant indulgentius cum paenitentibus agant levissima quaedam opera pro gravissimis delictis injungendo alienorum peccatorum participes efficiantur Now how can the Priest be so if due Penance not required I mean as necessary predispositions and as concurring to effect a due Contrition to Absolution from the Sin Estius 4. Sent. Disp 15. § 10. Quod Satisfactio etiam subsequens absolutionem aliquo modo respicere debeat paenam aeternam ex eo patet quia ipsa est pars Sacramenti paenitentiae instituti ad solvenda vincula mortis aeternae absolutio datur non tantum intuitu contritionis confessionis verum etiam Satisfactionis factae vel faciendae Cum igitur paenitentem absolvat Sacerdos a paena aeterna consequens est etiam Satisfactionem in suo genere atque ordine ad eum effectum valere sicut Contritionem Confessionem licet non omnino aequaliter And so Bellarm. de Paenit 1. l. 5. c. At quae contumelia Christo esse potest si dicamus meritum passionis ejus esse veram atque unicam peccatorum medicinam eamque applicari per verbum absolutionis iis qui per Contritionem Confessionem ac Satisfactionem propositam ad eam medicinam recipiendam rite praeparantur here is praeparatio per Satisfactionem ad applicandum meritum passionis medicinam peccatorum Estius Ibid. Satisfactio Christi per se sufficientissima ad tollendam omnem paenam sed divinitus sic ordinatum ut ista nobis non applicetur ne quidem ad solutionem paenae aeternae nisi ipsiper opera quaedam paenalia Christo compatiamur Again Sunt conditiones quaedam paenales ex parte nostra requisitae ad hoc ut passio mors Christi tanquam plenissima Satisfactio nobis ad tollendum reatum paenae aeternae applicetur Ibid. § 14. Quarta utilitas Satisfactionis propriae est placatio irae divinae super peccatis commissis sive relaxatio paenarum temporalium adhuc debitarum vel etiam paenae aeternae juxta sensum in Superioribus explicatum i. e. per modum conditionis c. applying to this the Apostles words 2. Cor. 7. Quae secundum Deum tristitia est paenitentiam in salutem stabilem operatur Bellarm. de Paenit 4. l. 12. c. Concurrunt prosunt nostra opera paenalia ad culpae remissionem mortis aeternoe liberationem ut dispositiones c. Sicut actus fidei See Ibid. c. 14. § Ad hanc 2. l. 12. c. De bonis operibus 3. l. 3. c. Vere enim ejusmodi eleemosynae now it s the same of other Penal Works Fasting c partim ut dispositiones ad Justificationem peccatum etiam quoad culpam suo modo delent dum gratiam impetrant justificationis partim post acceptam remissionem culpae Satisfaciunt pro poena temporali And Cap. 4. Eleemosyna dispositio est ad gratiam justificationis si fiat ab eo qui paenitentiam agere incipit ex Dei motione auxilio speciali De hoc fructu loquitur Solomon Prov. 16.6 Luk. 11.41 19.8 comp 9. Act. 10 4. Neither since the regained amity of God and remission of eternal torments is infinitely more valuable than the remission of the temporal can it be imagined but that God requires these our Humiliations and Mortifications as well for obtaining of the first as of the second Or that the ancient discipline in requiring the performance of these Penances from lapsed sinners in order to procuring God's favour pardon of their sin and freedome from Hell before the absolving them from such sins and restoring them to the Churches Communion herein mis-applied them Though that must be always remembred which the Council of Trent hath declared Sess 6. c. 14. That in respect of these they are not Satisfactions since they have no proportionable worth at all to them nor yet are the acts of a person by Grace inhabitant rendred acceptable to God but are only conditions and predispositions in us for obtaining the application of Christ's all-sufficient Satisfactions 5ly That therefore though now in later times wherein all the faithful those also persisting in the state of Justification yet do frequently and beneficially repair to Confession not without good causes moving thereto the performance of such Penances from greater sinners is not usually exacted as anciently before Sacerdotal Absolution and admission to Communion yet still where there is greater doubt of some defect in the Penitents Contrition for the perfecting thereof Absolution and approach to the Eucharist is by prudent Confessors for some time suspended and the performance of such Penances discreetly premised λ. λ. Layman 5. l. 6. Tract 4. c. Si Paenitens post duas aut tres Confessiones eandem peccati speciem eodem vel majori numero adferat nullus emendationis conatus ante cessisse videatur hoc casu differenda erit
prescribed and such Penitents have good cause both gratefully to accept and to desire it of their Confessors Both for that such Penances are as necessary now as heretofore to be paid in the same proportion at least by our own supplying such a defect and a less measure of them prescribed is more effectual to such purposes than a greater voluntarily undertaken both for the Sacramental efficacy and the power of the Keys exercised in the one that is not in the other and also for the merit of Obedience when they may happen to be imposed by these our spiritual Superiors in a way less grateful to us ν. ν. Layman 5. l. 6. Tract 15. c. Multo plus valet modica paenitentia a Sacerdote imposita quam magna quae sponte assumitur quia non haec sicut illa vim Sacramentalem habet Estius adds nor meritum obedientiae all Obedience being a kind of Mortification Quamobrem â—ptandum est paenitenti ut non levis ipsi paenitentia imperetur 7. Thus much of Penances and Satisfactions as they relate also to Contrition and the Remission of Sin and eternal torments due thereto in our Justification 7ly Catholicks affirm That after Sin and its eternal punishment thus remitted and after the person restored into God's favour in his Justification yet both after our first Justification by Baptisme as to some temporal sufferings in this life tho not in the next but chiefly after a second by the Sacrament of Penance to those who have relapsed after Baptism into greater sins and who to use the expression of the Council of Trent Sess 6. cap. 14 Gratiae Dei quam acceperunt ingrati spiritum Sanctum contristaverant Templum Dei violare non sunt veriti there many times remains still reserved and so not the Sin always as to all its punishment remitted in our Justification See Conc. Trid. Sess 14. Cap. 4. some temporal punishments besides that common one of a corporal Death to be undergone by them God's justice not admitting so far the application to us gratis or for our former repentance of the all meritorious satisfactions of our Lord as that great sins especially should escape impune and unchastised with some temporal scourges at least in this manner to shew his hate to sin even when he hath taken into favour the sinner Examples of which punishments of the sin after God reconciled to the person and so his offence in this sense removed are found frequent in Scripture See Numb 20.12 27.12 13 14. Numb 14.34 2. Sam. 12.10.13 14. 2. Sam. 24.10.13 2. King 20.6.18 comp 2. Chron. 32.31 2. Chron. 20.37 35.22 23. 1. King 13.22 1. Cor. 3.15 Exod. 32.34 Where the punishment threatned ver 10. being remitted yet are others less than that reserved whensoever their new sins should provoke the Lord also to remember these Josh 22.17 Psal 89.31 c. Prov. 11.31 1. Pet. 4.18 Ecclesiasticus 5.4 Psal 98.8 1. Cor. 11.31 32. Which temporal Sufferings of the already justified Protestants also though some of them had rather call them Chastisements and Corrections than Punishments acknowledge inflicted on them for former Sin and amongst other ends for this to shew God's hate to Sin ξ. ξ. Chemnitius Exam. Conc. Trid. Part. 2. De Satisfact Fide propter Christum accipimus simul remissionem culpae paenae aeternae Sed quod ad paenas temporales in hac vita attinet post acceptam remissionem peccatorum subjiciuntur justificati in hac vita vel communibus calamitatibus vel peculiaribus paenis propter certa seu privata quaedam peccata Ut Adam David populus Israel Miriam Testantur idem calamitates Baptizatorum post baptismam Ostendunt etiam Scripturae exampla Deum aliquando post reconciliationem seu remissionem quibusdam singulares paenas ob peccata in hac vita imponere quanquam hoc non sit universale Scripture etiam dicit de reconciliatis Corpus mortuum est propter peccatum Roman 8. 2. Reg. 12. Quia fecisti hoc c. Non quasi Deus illis nondum satis sit reconciliatus seu aliquid offensae retinuerit etiam post datam remissionem peccatorum sed illis imponuntur ad castigationem sui ad exemplum aliorum Ne accepta reconciliatione obliviscantur quanta sit abominatio peccati quae magnitudo irae Dei adversus peccatum Ut crescat in ipsis odium detestatio peccati timor Dei fides sollicite curans ut gratiam retineat Ut his Exercitiis conservetur confirmetur paenitentia quae perpetua esse debet fides obedientia in Cruse spes petitio expectatio auxilii liberationis seu mitigationis Denique Deus vult in illis tanquam in publico spectaculo conspici Exempla admonentia nos alios de judicio suo adversus peccata c. Daille De Paenis Satisfact 1. l. 3. c. Neque absolute negaverat Calvinus piorum castigationes ad praeteritum referri qui sciret eas piis imponi ob admissa delicta Libenter concedimus ob admissum a Davide peccatum mortuum esse ejus filium Mortem parvuli paenam i. e. impositum in ultionem peccati tho ultio he calls it when man punisheth such Sin See De Christ Pacif. σ. and so doth the Scripture 2. Cor. 7.11 why not when God fuisse admissi a Davide peccati proprie dictam negamus Again Sapientissimus Pater ut grassaturae pesti occurreret tempestiveque tanto malo mederetur sui in ea peccata qualia a Davide admissa erant odii and why not as well suae ultionis which he denies See pag. 5. specimen edendum putavit sublato parentis ante oculos filio So he saith chap. 6. of the punishment of Moses's Sin Ea insigne documentum fuit tum nostrae miseriae tum sanctitatis ac puritatis divinae quae ne minimos quidem vel carissimorum ministrorum naevos sine animadversione transmittit But next Concerning these temporal Punishments Catholicks do not affirm 1. That there always remains a debt of them reserved after remission of the Sin obtained in Justification But that in this one act of Contrition may possibly be so intense and prevalent with his Divine Majesty as to remove at once thro Satisfactions of Christ whatever punishment due thereto ζ. and that after our Regeneration in Baptisme no temporal Punishment at least in the next world of which see Council of Trent Sess 6. c. 14. Conc. Florent de Baptisme where the person being now uncapable of meliorating his condition several former ends of such sufferings cease remains payable for any sins preceding it 2. Again of Punishments that remain they do not affirm the sole end of God's inflicting them to be the Satisfaction of his vindicative Justice upon Sin but many other merciful purposes As for the cure of the remaining stains and bad impressions of such Sin and of the vicious inclinations left in the offenders or also for increasing the merit of the
absolutio nominato aliquo temporis spacio intra quod Paenitens conatum adhibeat ad criminis emendationem postea absolutionem accepturus Bonacina de Paenit Disp 5. § 3. p. 2. Prop. 4. Confessarius potest obligare paenitentem ad paenitentiam ante absolutionem adimplendam quatenus judicaverit expedire ad curationem medicinam paenitentis See Suarez de Paenit Disp 38. § 7. n. 7. See the Rules of Carlo Borrhomeo Acta Eccl. Med. Part 4 in Instruct Confess enjoining Confessors to defer Absolution to persons offending mortally in such sins as are grown to much excess to those who have not quitted the near occasions of their former sins or who they probably gather will quickly return to them for the Contrition of such seems not sufficient till some experience be had of their Reformation And see Xaverius his Instruction to Gaspar Rector of the Colledge at Goa Tursel Vita Xaver 6. l. 17. c. Confessionem non continua sequetur Absolutio sed biduum triduumve dabitur eorum peccatoribus certarum rerum meditatione praeparandis ut interim animorum maculas lachrymis voluntariis eluant paenis Si quid cui debent restituant simultatibus si quas habent depositis redeant cum inimicis in gratiam a libidinis consuetudine caeterisque quibus impliciti sunt flagitiis expediantur Haec omnia absolutionem rectius praecurrunt quam sequuntur Where the space of time mentioned doubtless ought to be prolonged as a longer Mortification seems necessary Lastly In the Pope's Briefs to those who are authorized to absolve in reserved Cases they are enjoined not to absolve any for such great Sins till some part at least of a rigorous Satisfaction first performed See the large Collection of Authorities to this purpose in Arnauld de la Frequen Communion Part. 2. c. 44 45. 6ly That God no Acceptour of Persons or Ages doth in no times require lesser Penances or Humiliations from us for procuring his pardon of our sins or averting either his eternal or his temporal punishment of them than in others So that though such Penances happen not for some good reasons to be so severely now as anciently imposed on Penitents by their Ghostly Fathers according to the true demerit of their sins or being imposed equal to the sin in his judgment yet really are not so yet are they still in the same measure due nevertheless to be performed to God for such sin as well now as in any former times and therefore the Council of Trent endeavouring to correct some modern neglects requires Ut Sacerdotes quantum spiritus prudentia suggesserit pro qualitate criminum paenitentium facultate salutares convenientes Satisfactiones injungant And that Non tantum ad novae vitae custodiam infirmitatis medicamentum sed etiam ad praeteritorum peccatorum vindictam castigationem an Office committed to them by our Lord Jo. 20.23 Ne si forte peccatis conniveant indulgentius cum paenitentibus agant levissima quaedam opera pro gravissimis delictis injungendo alienorum peccatorum participes efficiantur μ. μ. Bellarm. de Indulgent 2. l. 18. c. Et veteres recentiores Episcopi non aliis quam paenitentibus Indulgentias tribuunt nec alias paenas Penances quam in foro paenitentiario debitas relaxant Quod autem ex paenis in â—oro paenitentiario debitis tunc relaxarentur paenae injunctae nunc autem tum injunctae tum injungendae ratio est quoniam tunc injungebantur severiores paenitentiae quae saepe delictis aequases erant nunc autem injunguntur mitiores quae delictis impares sunt sed sive pares sive impares injunguntur omnino pares in hac vita vel in alia perferendae sunt for our defect of performance of due Penance for our Sin nisi misericorditer relaxentur Again 8. Cap. Hoc tempore non injungitur quidem paenitentia tam severa i. e. pluribus annis tamen vere debitores sunt qui peccata gravia commiserunt paenitentiae agendae multis vel annis vel diebus c. And Ut plurimum longe plus est quod expiandum restat per non-injunctas paenitentias quam quod expiatur per injunctas And 7. Cap. § Ex his Imo Sacerdotes cum Paenitentias imponunt hortantur paenitentes ut ipsi etiam sponte assumant alias cum credibile sit impositas non esse aequales criminibus Cyprianus dicat Paenitentia crimine minor non sit quod idem alii Patres docent Again 2. l. 9. c. § tertio Tunc majores paenas Deus exiget quando Paenitentia Canonica injuncta est minor quam par esset sed si injungatur aequalis i. e. as explained below Thes 9. n. 4. ut plane injungi potest ea plene exolvatur nihil in Purgatorio solvendum superesse omnes Catholici docent Estius 4. Sent. dist 15. § 21 Si Sacerdos officio suo desuerit in jungens dans opera levia pro delictis gravibus vel etiam justa quaquam ratione addictus minorem quam pro exigentia delicti Satisfactionem injunxerit omnino videtur paenitens qui eum defectum vel scit velscire debot teneri ad satisfactionem aliquam ultra assumendam â—aque donec tota satisfactio perveniat ad quandam aequalitatem cum paena remporali pro peccatis debita cujus ratio est quia quamdiu nondum fecit fructus dignos paenitentiae nondum satisfecit divino praecepto Matt. 3.8 Card. Tolet. Instruct Sacerd. 3. l. 11. c. Advertendum est quod paenitentia imposita a Confessore quamvis ut diximus magis prosit quam voluntarie assumpta non tamen semper adhuc delet totam paenam sed partem aliquam nisi tam grandis sit ut totam auferat Sed humana fragilitas non patitur tales panitentias Ob id merito indulgentiis omnibus bonis operibus vitae juvamur adhuc in purgatorio solvenda post obitum ferimus Lastly thus Lugo de Paenitent Disp 25. § 2. Non sufficere prudentem existimationem Ministri Prebatur saith he Quia ad causandos alios effectus Sacramentales non sufficit prudens existimatio ministri v. g. in absolutione non sufficit quod sacerdos prudenter judicet paenitentem esse dispositum nec ad effectum Eucharistiae sufficit quod prudenter aliquis existimet se esse in gratia sic de aliis ergo nec ad hunc effectum remissionis paenae sufficiet quod Sacerdos prudenter existimet esse satisfactionem aequalem si revera non sit Dico autem aequalem non mathematice non enim requiritur talis sed juxta regulam dispositionem divinam qua Christus instituit in hoc Sacramento tantam satisfactionem paenitentis cum tali dispositione valere ad tollendum tantum reatum paenae temporalis And That therefore it is more beneficial to the Penitent that these be in case of great and mortal sins in some larger proportion