to atone for it at another time, by a diligent and accurate scrutiny of conscience. In such cases, however, the confessor will proceed with caution. If, after having heard the confession, he is of opinion that the penitent did not want diligence in examining his conscience, or sorrow in detesting his sins, he may absolve him; but if he has found him deficient in both, he will, as we have already said, admonish him to use greater care in his examination of conscience, and will dismiss him in the kind est manner.
But as it sometimes happens, that females, who may have forgotten some sin in a former confession, cannot bring themselves to return to the confessor, dreading to expose themselves to the suspicion of having been guilty of something grievous, or of looking for the praise of extraordinary piety, the pastor will frequently remind the faithful, both publicly and privately, that no one is gifted with so tenacious a memory, as to be able to recollect all his thoughts, words, and actions, that the faithful, therefore, should they call to mind any thing grievous, which they had previously forgotten, should not be deterred from returning to the priest. These and many other matters of the same nature, demand the particular attention of the confessor in the tribunal of penance.
We now come to the third part of penance, which is called satisfaction. We shall begin by explaining its nature and efficacy, because the enemies of the Catholic Church have hence taken ample occasion, to sow discord and division amongst Christians, to the no small injury of the Christian Commonwealth. Satisfaction, then, is the full payment of a debt, for when satisfaction is made, nothing remains to be supplied. Hence, when we speak of reconciliation by grace, to satisfy is the same as to do that which may be sufficient to atone to the angered mind for an injury offered; and thus, satisfaction is nothing more than " compensation for an injury done to another." Hence theologians make use of the word " satisfaction," to signify the compensation made by man to God, by doing something in atonement for the sins which he has committed.
This sort of satisfaction, embracing, as it does, many degrees, admits of many acceptations. The first degree of satisfaction, and that which stands pre-eminently above all the rest, is that by which whatever is due by us to God, on account of our sins, is paid abundantly, although he should deal with us according to the strictest rigour of his justice. This, we say, has appeased God and rendered him propitious to us, and for it we are indebted to Christ alone, who, having paid the price of our sins on the cross, offered to his Eternal Father a superabundant satisfaction. No created being could have paid so heavy a debt for us: " He is the propitiation for our sins," says St. John, " and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." [1] This satisfaction, therefore, is full and superabundant, commen-
- ↑ 1 John ii. 2.
