ANSWER.

When God pardons a sinner, he doth it not by way of Ex∣change, or Parcelling, but remitteth all punishment of Maledi∣ction, [ B] or pure Reuenge a: For that which is so forgiuen, as that after pardon it is not mentioned, or remembred, and which is cast behind Gods backe, and throwne into the bottome of the Sea, and which can no where be found, and is blotted out of the Debt-Booke of the Almightie, is not taken away by commutation of a greater punishment into a lesse, but by a free and full condonation of all vindictiue punishment. But the ho∣ly Scripture, and the Primitiue Fathers, teach such a remission of sinnes on Gods part, to the Penitent, Ezech. 18.22. Esa. 38. 17. & ca. 43. 25. & 44. 22. Mich. 7.19. Ier. 50.20. Heb. 8. [ C] 12. & 10. 17. Col. 2. 14. Matth. 18.32. S. Augustine b, If God hath couered sinnes, hee will not obserue, hee will not thinke vpon them, to punish them; hee will not take knowledge, but rather pardon. Gregorie c the Great; Ignoscendo impunita relinquit, By pardo∣ning, he leaueth them vnpunished. Cassiodorus d; Remittere est debitum relaxare, non causae alicuius interuentu sed pietatis intuitu, To remit, is to release the Debt; not by entercourse of any cause (on mans part) but by aspect of Pietie. Neuerthelesse, after great and enormious offences committed by his people, God doth chastise them e with the Rod of Correction, Psal. [ D] 89. 33. 1. Cor. 11. 31, 32. And this Correction, is a paine of Castigation, Lament. Ierem. 3.39. but not a punishment of Malediction f, Galath. 3. 13. a worke of Gods Mercie, rather than of his Iustice.

The difference betweene Pontificians and vs in this Doctrine, is, That we beleeue a remainder of Temporall affliction, after Page  541 remission of the guilt of sinne in this life onely, and that for [ A] chastisement a, erudition, and probation. They maintaine a remainder of temporall punishment, after sinne remitted, not onely in this present life, but after the same, in Purgatorie.

Further we beleeue, That the affliction or paine of Chastise∣ment, [ B] inflicted vpon penitent sinners, may by prayer of Faith, exercise of Vertue, Humiliation, and Mortification, be eyther remooued, or else mitigated, and conuerted to the encrease of grace and glorie in those, which with patience and holinesse en∣dure the same in this life. But wee denie, eyther that any paine followeth iust persons after their decease, or that in this life they can by Prayer, Mortification, or any good workes, merit release of any Temporall Mulct, or satisfie the Diuine Iustice for the least fault or guilt of any sinne, on their owne behalfe, much lesse for others. [ C]

And whereas the Iesuit affirmeth, That he can produce Te∣stimonies of the antient Fathers, in great number, both for our necessitie of suffering voluntarie afflictions, and also for the ef∣ficacitie thereof, to expiate sinne, and to satisfie: I answer,

First, That the Fathers, and holy Scriptures, require workes of Humiliation and Mortification, not as meritorious, but onely as meanes and causes impetrant, or deprecant, to appease Gods wrath for sinne.

Secondly, The Fathers vnderstand not the word Satisfaction strictly, and in rigor, for satisfaction of condignitie, as Romists doe b but improperly and largely, to wit, for satisfaction of de∣precation, [ D] congruitie, or impetration. And according to their acceptation, and vse, the word Satisfaction comprehendeth Contrition and Confession, and not Sacramentall Satisfaction onely. Also they require Satisfaction, as a remedie against the guilt of Mortall sinne, and not onely as a Purgatiue of Veniall sinne, or as a remedie against Temporall paine onely.

But to the end the Reader may euidently perceiue the Popish fraud, in peruerting the Sentences of the Fathers, concerning Satisfaction; I will in this place distinctly compare their Do∣ctrine with the present Romish Tenet.

Page  542 First, It is consessed, That many Fathers vse the word Satis∣faction [ A] a, and require penitent Persons to performe the same to God and men.

Secondly, Within the name of Satisfaction, they include and comprehend contrition to God, confession, and amend∣ment of life b.

Thirdly, they require satisfaction for the fault and eternall guilt of sinne c and not onely for remoouall of temporall pu∣nishment.

Fourthly, the word Satisfaction is taken in two notions: First, strictly for a iust and equall compensation of the iniurie committed against God, which Schoolemen tearme, Satisfacti∣on [ D] of condignitie d. Secondly, for an interpretatiue compen∣sation (as Durand e) tearmeth it, grounded vpon Diuine fa∣uour and acceptation, and not vpon the compleat dignity of the Page  543 action. The Schoolemen tearme this latter, satisfaction of 〈◊〉 [ A] and Impetration (because God in his fauourable indul∣gence 〈◊〉 more on mans part, as necessarie to remission of sinnes, and because he is intreated by the same to release the punishment deserued.) The first kind of satisfaction was made by Christ alone a, both for fault and guilt of sinne. The latter (according to the speaking of sundry Fathers) is performed by penitent Persons b, by their contrition, 〈◊〉, confession, and other penitentiall actions.

Fiftly, repentance may be exercised priuately onely before God, or els openly and before men. The antient Church obser∣ued a seuere discipline, and imposed vpon notorious and enor∣mious sinners open penance c, causing them to make satisfaction to the Church, and to testifie their vnfeigned repentance to God by externall signes, and by actions of humiliation and mortification. Also in the dayes of the Fathers, sinners which had voluntarily confessed their offences to the Pastours of the [ C] Church, were by them inioyned, to a strict manner of humiliati∣on, and exercise of workes of charitie and mortification d. And the fathers stiled these Penitentiall actions by the name of Sa∣tisfaction, partly in respect of men offended e, partly in the re∣gard of Offenders themselues, who because they did that which was inioyned them by their spirituall guides, to appease the in∣dignation of God, were said to make satisfaction. But the Fa∣thers did not hereby exalt Poenitentiall deedes to a sufficiency or equalitie of satisfying Gods iustice (for this effect is proper onely to the actions aud passions of the Sonne of God) but they [ D] tearmed that, satisfaction, which they iudged meet or necessary for sinners to performe, that they might preuent Diuine indig∣nation, and whereby they might repaire the spirituall detri∣ment which they had incurred by falling into sinne.

Sixtly and lastly, Marsilius ab Inguen f a famous Schoolman, ob∣serueth Page  544 〈◊〉, That Satisfaction sometimes importeth all the actions [ A] 〈◊〉 or imperate, which a sinner must performe on his part, that God may be pacified; and thus it containeth Contrition, Confession, &c. Sometimes it noteth onely those Acts which follow Contrationand Confession, and are either voluntarily assumed, or imposed by a Confessour. The Fathers vsed the word Satisfaction in the first notion, and they knew no Sacra∣mentall Satisfaction a, but onely of Discipline, or priuate hu∣miliation.

Now the Romists in their course of Doctrine, haue misera∣bly [ B] 〈◊〉 all this.

First, That which the Fathers speake of the fault and guilt of sinne, they wrest to the temporall paine of mortall sinne, re∣mayning after the remission of the euerlasting guilt b.

Secondly, That which the Fathers stiled Satisfaction impro∣perly, and by way of deprecation c, they make Satisfaction of Condignitie, yea, in rigour of Iustice d; and for veniall sinnes, [ C] more effectuall than Christs satisfaction e.

Thirdly, That which in the ancient Church was a worke [ D] of discipline f, or Christian mortification, they make Sacra∣mentall.

Fourthly, Whereas the Fathers placed Satisfaction in all 〈◊〉 actions, inward, and outward g; and especially in such actions as were commanded by God, as necessarie to ob∣taine remission of sinnes: The Romists restraine the same to externall actions, succeeding Contrition and Confession, and principally to electious, and voluntarie actions h. [ E]

Page  545 Fiftly, The Fathers gaue not absolution to 〈◊〉, vntill such [ A] time as they had accomplished the penitentiall actions inioy∣ned a. Romists set the Cart before the Horse, and absolue, be∣fore satisfaction is made; which is, as one saith, To set Easter before Lent.