Dist. 16, Part 1
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 16
retur in singulis istis et sentiat modum criminis, purgans lacrymis omnem qualitatem vitii, defleat virtutem, qua interim caruit. Dolendum est enim, non solum quod peccavit, sed quia se virtute privavit. Defleat etiam, quoniam offendens in uno factus est omnium reus1. Ingratus enim exstitit qui plenus virtutibus Deum omnino non timuit. In hoc enim quisque peccator fit culpabilior, quo est Deo acceptior; ideo enim Adam plus peccavit, quia omni bono abundavit. Alio etiam modo offendens in uno factus est omnium reus: quia omnis virtus patitur detrimentum ab uno vitio ».
« Ponat se omnino in iudicio et potestate sacerdotis, nihil sui reservans sibi, ut omnia, eo iubente, paratus sit facere pro recipienda vita animae, quae faceret pro evitanda corporis morte, et hoc cum desiderio, quia vitam recuperat infinitam. Cum gaudio enim facere debet immortalis futurus quae faceret pro differenda morte moriturus: semper deprecetur Deum, offerat Deo mentem et cordis contritionem, deinde et quod potest de possessione; tunc, si quid offeret, securus offerat: Respexit Dominus ad Abel et ad munera eius2; prius dicit ad Abel quam ad munera eius. In iudicio igitur cordis conferenda est eleemosyna tribuentis; nec considerandum est quantum, sed qua mente, qua affectione dat quod potest. Qui igitur sua peccata redimere vult temporalium oblatione prius offerat mentem. Caveat, ne ductus verecundia dividat apud se confessionem, ut diversa diversis velit sacerdotibus manifestare. Quidam enim uni celant quae alteri manifestanda conservant; quod est se laudare et ad hypocrisim tendere et semper venia carere, ad quam per frusta putant pervenire. Caveat etiam, ne prius ad dominicum corpus accedat, quam confortet bona conscientia; et doleat, quod nondum audeat sumere quem multum desiderat cibum salutarem. Cohibeat etiam se a ludis, a spectaculis saeculi qui perfectam vult consequi remissionis gratiam. Isti sunt digni fructus poenitentiae, animam captivam elaqueantes et in libertate servantes ». Et infra3: « Quaerat anima dignos fructus, etsi non dignos poenitentiae. Sunt enim digni fructus virtutum, qui non sufficiunt poenitentibus. Poenitentia enim graviores postulat, ut dolore et gemitibus mortuus impetret vitam ». — Ex his ostenditur, qui sint digni fructus poenitentiae, quibus vera satisfactio expletur, et quod non omnes digni fructus sunt digni fructus poenitentiae; quod de illa poenitentia intelligitur, quae maiorum est criminum. Non enim sufficiunt graviter delinquentibus quae sufficiunt minus vel parum peccantibus.
Cap. III. Quae sit satisfactio falsa.
Et sicut sunt digni fructus poenitentiae ac vera satisfactio, ita et indigni fructus et falsa satisfactio, id est falsa poenitentia. Unde Gregorius4: « Falsas poenitentias dicimus, quae non secundum auctoritates Sanctorum pro qualitate criminum imponuntur. Ideoque miles, vel negotiator, vel alicui officio deditus, quod sine peccato exerceri non possit, si culpis gravioribus irretitus ad poenitentiam venerit, vel qui bona alterius iniuste detinet, vel qui odium in corde gerit, recognoscat, se veram poenitentiam non posse peragere, nisi negotium relinquat, vel officium deserat, et odium ex corde dimittat, et bona, quae iniuste abstulit, restituat. Ne tamen desperet; interim quidquid boni facere potest, hortamur, ut faciat, ut Deus cor illius illustret ad poenitentiam ». Cum sit poenitentia interior et exterior, de utraque per praemissa satis apparet, quae sit vera, et quae sit falsa.
Pars II.
Cap. IV. De tribus actionibus poenitentiae.
Praedictis vero adiiciendum est, quod tribus modis agitur poenitentia: ante baptismum scilicet de prioribus peccatis; post baptismum de gravioribus, quae post committuntur; est etiam poenitentia venialium quotidiana, quae etiam humilium est et perfectorum. Unde Augustinus5: « Tres sunt actiones poenitentiae, quas mecum vestra eruditio recognoscit. Una est, quae novum hominem parturit, donec per baptismum omnium praeteritorum fiat ablutio peccatorum; quia nullus suae voluntatis arbiter, nisi poeniteat eum veteris vitae, novam inchoare potest; a qua parvuli sunt immunes, cum baptizantur, quia nondum possunt uti libero arbitrio, quibus tamen ad remissionem originalis peccati prodest eorum fides, a quibus offeruntur ». « Altera est actio poenitentiae postbaptismum, quae fit pro illis peccatis, quae Legis decalogus continet ». « Agunt ergo homines poenitentiam ante baptismum de peccatis prioribus, ita tamen, ut etiam baptizentur, sicut Petrus ait: Agite poenitentiam, et baptizetur unusquisque vestrum in nomine Domini etc. Agunt etiam poenitentiam, si post baptismum ita peccaverint, ut excommunicari et reconciliari post mereantur ». « Est etiam poenitentia bonorum et humilium fidelium pene quotidiana, in qua pectora tundimus dicentes: Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos etc. Neque enim et nobis dimitti volumus quae dimissa in baptismo non dubitamus »,
Cap. V. De multitudine venialium, quae gravat ut unum grande peccatum.
« Sed illa quae humanae fragilitati, quamvis parva, tamen crebra subrepunt, quae, si collecta contra nos fuerint, ita nos gravabunt et oppriment, sicut unum aliquod grande peccatum. Quid enim interest ad naufragium, an uno grandi fluctu navis operiatur et obruatur, an paulatim subrepens aqua in sentinam per negligentium culpam impleat navim, et submergatur? Ideo ieiunium et eleemosynae et orationes invigilent, in quibus cum dicimus: Dimitte nobis debita nostra etc., manifestamus, nos habere quod nobis dimittatur; et in his verbis humiliantes animas nostras, quotidianam agere poenitentiam non cessamus ».
Cap. VI. De satisfactione venialium.
Quae autem pro venialibus sit satisfactio sufficiens, Augustinus insinuat, ita inquiens in Enchiridio6: « De quotidianis et brevibus levibusque peccatis, sine quibus haec vita non ducitur, quotidiana oratio fidelium satisfacit. Eorum enim est dicere: Pater noster, qui es in caelis etc. Delet omnino haec oratio minima et quotidiana peccata; delet et illa, a quibus vita fidelium etiam scelerate gesta, sed poenitendo in melius commutata, discedit, si7, ut veraciter dicitur: Dimitte nobis debita nostra; ita et veraciter dicatur: sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris, id est, si fiat quod dicitur; quia et ipsa eleemosyna est veniam petentibus omnino ignoscere ». — Ex his aliisque praemissis iam facile est intelligere, quae pro venialibus sit exhibenda satisfactio. Sufficit enim dominica oratio cum ieiunio aliquo et eleemosynis, sic tamen, ut praecedat contritio aliquantula, et addatur confessio, si adsit facultas; de qua confessione post8 tractabitur. Pro gravioribus vero peccatis haec etiam in satisfactione adhibenda sunt, sed multo vehementius atque districtius, quia, ut ait Augustinus9, ad agendam poenitentiam « non sufficit mores in melius commutare et a malis factis recedere, nisi et de his quae facta sunt, satisfiat Domino per poenitentiae dolorem, per humilitatis gemitum, per contriti cordis sacrificium, cooperantibus eleemosynis ».
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— …in each of these things, and let him perceive the measure of the crime, purging with tears every quality of the vice; let him bewail the virtue which in the meantime he lacked. For one must grieve, not only that he sinned, but that he deprived himself of virtue. Let him bewail also, since offending in one he is made guilty of all1. For ungrateful he showed himself who, full of virtues, feared not God at all. For in this each sinner is made the more culpable, by which he is the more acceptable to God; for so Adam sinned the more, because he abounded in every good. In another way too, offending in one he is made guilty of all: because every virtue suffers detriment from a single vice ».
« Let him place himself wholly in the judgment and power of the priest, reserving nothing of himself to himself, so that, at his bidding, he be ready to do all things for the recovery of the life of the soul which he would do for avoiding the death of the body, and this with desire, because he recovers an infinite life. For with joy ought he to do, being about to be immortal, what he would do, being about to die, for the deferring of death: let him ever beseech God, let him offer to God his mind and the contrition of his heart, and then also what he can of his possession; then, if he offers anything, let him offer it secure: The Lord had respect to Abel and to his gifts2; he says first to Abel than to his gifts. In the judgment of the heart, therefore, the alms of the giver are to be weighed; nor is it to be considered how much, but with what mind, with what affection he gives what he can. He therefore who wishes to redeem his sins by the offering of temporal things, let him first offer his mind. Let him beware, lest, led by shame, he divide his confession with himself, so as to wish to manifest different things to different priests. For some conceal from one what they keep to be manifested to another; which is to praise oneself and to tend to hypocrisy and ever to lack pardon, to which by scraps they think to attain. Let him beware also, lest he approach the Lord's body before a good conscience strengthen him; and let him grieve that he does not yet dare to take the saving food which he much desires. Let him also restrain himself from games, from the spectacles of the world, who wishes to obtain the perfect grace of remission. These are the worthy fruits of penance, snaring the captive soul and keeping it in freedom ». And below3: « Let the soul seek worthy fruits, even if not worthy of penance. For there are worthy fruits of the virtues which do not suffice for penitents. For penance demands graver ones, that by grief and groans the dead may obtain life ». — From these things it is shown what are the worthy fruits of penance, by which true satisfaction is fulfilled, and that not all worthy fruits are worthy fruits of penance; which is understood of that penance which is of greater crimes. For those things do not suffice for those grievously offending which suffice for those sinning less or little.
Chap. III. What false satisfaction is.
And just as there are worthy fruits of penance and true satisfaction, so also unworthy fruits and false satisfaction, that is false penance. Whence Gregory4: « We call those penances false which are not imposed according to the authorities of the Saints in proportion to the quality of the crimes. And therefore a soldier, or a merchant, or one given over to some office which cannot be exercised without sin, if entangled in graver faults he comes to penance, or one who unjustly detains the goods of another, or one who bears hatred in his heart, let him recognize that he cannot accomplish true penance, unless he leave the business, or forsake the office, and dismiss the hatred from his heart, and restore the goods which he unjustly took away. Yet let him not despair; meanwhile, whatever good he can do, we exhort that he do it, that God may enlighten his heart to penance ». Since penance is interior and exterior, concerning each it sufficiently appears from the foregoing which is true, and which is false.
Part II.
Chap. IV. On the three actions of penance.
But to the foregoing it is to be added that penance is done in three ways: before baptism, namely, concerning prior sins; after baptism, concerning the graver sins which are committed afterward; there is also a daily penance of venial sins, which is even of the humble and of the perfect. Whence Augustine5: « There are three actions of penance, which your learning recognizes along with me. One is that which brings forth the new man, until through baptism there be made the washing of all past sins; because no one, the arbiter of his own will, can begin a new life unless he repent of the old; from which infants are exempt when they are baptized, because they cannot yet use free will, to whom however for the remission of original sin the faith of those by whom they are offered profits ». « The second is the action of penance after baptism, which is made for those sins which the decalogue of the Law contains ». « Men therefore do penance before baptism concerning prior sins, yet so that they also be baptized, as Peter says: Do penance, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of the Lord etc. They do penance also, if after baptism they have so sinned that they deserve afterward to be excommunicated and reconciled ». « There is also a penance of the good and humble faithful, almost daily, in which we beat our breasts saying: Forgive us our debts, as we also etc. For neither do we wish those things to be forgiven us which we do not doubt were forgiven in baptism »,
Chap. V. On the multitude of venial sins, which weighs as one great sin.
« But those which, though small, yet frequently creep upon human frailty, which, if they be gathered against us, will so weigh down and oppress us, as one single great sin. For what does it matter, as to shipwreck, whether the ship be covered and overwhelmed by one great wave, or whether water gradually creeping in fill the hold through the fault of the negligent, and it be submerged? Therefore let fasting and alms and prayers keep watch, in which, when we say: Forgive us our debts etc., we declare that we have something to be forgiven us; and in these words humbling our souls, we cease not to do daily penance ».
Chap. VI. On the satisfaction for venial sins.
But what satisfaction is sufficient for venial sins, Augustine intimates, thus saying in the Enchiridion6: « For the daily and brief and light sins, without which this life is not led, the daily prayer of the faithful makes satisfaction. For it is theirs to say: Our Father, who art in heaven etc. This prayer wholly blots out the least and daily sins; it blots out also those from which the life of the faithful, though wickedly led but by penitence changed for the better, departs, if7, as it is truly said: Forgive us our debts; so also it be truly said: as we also forgive our debtors, that is, if there be done what is said; because alms itself is wholly to pardon those asking forgiveness ». — From these and the other foregoing things it is now easy to understand what satisfaction is to be exhibited for venial sins. For the Lord's prayer with some fasting and alms suffices, yet so that some little contrition precede, and confession be added, if there be opportunity; concerning which confession it will be treated afterward8. But for graver sins these things also are to be applied in satisfaction, but much more vehemently and strictly, because, as Augustine says9, for doing penance « it does not suffice to change one's morals for the better and to withdraw from evil deeds, unless also for those things which have been done satisfaction be made to the Lord by the grief of penance, by the groan of humility, by the sacrifice of a contrite heart, alms cooperating ».
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- 1Iac. 2, 10. Ed. 8 post omnium addit per ingratitudinem, et superius pro etiam, quoniam cod. D ergo quod. — Seq. locus est cit. libro de Vera etc. c. 10. n. 30. 31, et can. cit.Jas. 2:10. Ed. 8 after omnium adds per ingratitudinem, and above, for etiam, quoniam, cod. D has ergo quod. — The following passage is the cited book On True [and False Penance] etc., c. 10, nn. 30–31, and the cited canon.
- 2Gen. 4, 4. — Superius edd., excepta 1, ante de possessione adiiciunt det, refragantibus codd. et originali; et infra post frusta putant (plurimae edd. putat) originale et can. addunt totam, deinde pro confortet, quod habent codd., plures edd. et originale, Vat. et can. confortetur.Gen. 4:4. — Above, the editions, except 1, before de possessione add det, against the codices and the original; and below, after frusta putant (most editions putat) the original and the canon add totam, then for confortet, which the codices have, several editions and the original, the Vatican edition, and the canon have confortetur.
- 3Loc. cit.The place cited [above].
- 4Gregor. VII., Concil. Rom. V. n. 5; C. Falsas poenitentias (6.), ibid. d. 3.Gregory VII, Roman Council V, n. 5; the canon Falsas poenitentias (6), ibid., d. 3.
- 5Sermo 351. (alias 30. inter 30 Homil.) c. 2. n. 2; C. Tres sunt (81.), ibid. d. 1. Seq. locus ibid. c. 4. n. 7, et in eodem can.; tertius est August., Epist. 263. (alias 108.) ad Seleucianam, n. 7; C. Agunt homines (97.), de Consecrat. d. 4, in quo citatur Act. 2, 38. Quartus ibid. n. 8; C. Tres sunt, supra cit., qui locus se extendit usque in seq. capitulum, ipsa propositione per divisionem capitulorum interrupta.Sermon 351 (otherwise hom. 30 among the 30 Homilies), c. 2, n. 2; the canon Tres sunt (81), ibid., d. 1. The following passage is ibid., c. 4, n. 7, and in the same canon; the third is Augustine, Letter 263 (otherwise 108) to Seleuciana, n. 7; the canon Agunt homines (97), de Consecratione, d. 4, in which Acts 2:38 is cited. The fourth is ibid., n. 8; the canon Tres sunt, cited above, which passage extends into the following chapter, the very proposition being interrupted by the division of the chapters.
- 6Cap. 71. n. 19; C. De quotidianis (20.), de Poenitentia.[Enchiridion] c. 71, n. 19; the canon De quotidianis (20), de Poenitentia.
- 7Edd., exceptis 1, 8, ut sicut, et inferius sic fiat pro si fiat, refragantibus codd. et originali.The editions, except 1 and 8, have ut sicut, and below sic fiat for si fiat, against the codices and the original.
- 8Dist. XVII.Distinction XVII.
- 9Serm. cit. pag. 381, nota 5. c. 5. n. 12.The sermon cited on p. 381, note 5, c. 5, n. 12. ---