ancient fathers both believe and teach, that the keys of the priests were given, not to loose only, but also to bind. But not, therefore, did they suppose that the sacrament of Penance is a court[1] of wrath or of punishments; even as no Catholic ever thought, that, by this kind of satisfactions on our part, the virtue of the merit and of the satisfaction of our Lord Jesus is either obscured, or to any extent lessened: which, while the innovators wish to understand, they in such wise teach that a new life is the best penance, as to take away the entire virtue and use of satisfaction.
CHAPTER IX.
Concerning Works of Satisfaction,
[This synod] teaches furthermore, that so great is the liberality of the divine munificence, that we are enabled through Jesus Christ to make satisfaction with 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 the greatest proof of love, by the temporal scourges inflicted of God, and endured patiently by us.
ON THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION.
It hath, moreover, seemed good to the holy synod, to subjoin to the preceding doctrine on penance the one following touching the sacrament of Extreme Unction, which was regarded by the Fathers as the completion, not only of penance, but also of the whole Christian life, which ought to be a perpetual penance. First, therefore, concerning its institution, it declares and teaches, that our most clement Redeemer, who would have his servants at all times provided with salutary remedies against all the weapons of all their enemies, like as, in the other sacraments, He prepared the greatest aids, by the which, during life, Christians may preserve themselves whole from every more grievous evil of the spirit, so did He guard the close of life by the sacrament of Extreme Unction, as with a most firm defence. For although our adversary seeks and seizes opportunities throughout our
- ↑ Forum.
