Instruction concerning penance and holy communion the second part fo the instruction of youth, containing the means how we may return to God by penance, and remain in his grace by the good and frequent use of the sacraments. By Charles Gobinet, Doctor of Divinity, of the house and Society of Sorbon, principal of the college of Plessis-Sorbon.

CHAP. I. What Satisfaction is.

IT is the third part of Penance, which consists in doing or suffering something to repair in some manner the offence or injury, which is done to God by Sin.

I say to repair in some manner, because the great reparation for Sin was performed by the Son of God; who by his Precious Blood and Death, hath exactly repaired the injury which Sin did to God, and merited a generall Pardon of all the punishment, which the Divine Justice could require.

This reparation hath opened and facilitated a way to a reconciliation with God after Sin. For as much as the merits of our Saviour being ap∣plyed to us, as they are, by the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance, restore us again to the Grace of God, which we had lost, and make us re∣ceive the remission of the eternall Punishment due to our Sins: All this through the merits of Jesus Christ, and by the vertue of the Satisfacti∣on, which he hath given to God the Father for the same Sins. A satisfaction, without which we should always have remained uncapable of satis∣fying God, and by consequence of ever return∣ing

again into his Grace and Favour.

But as it is in his power, who receives him a∣gain into his favour, by whom he hath been of∣fended, to admit him on such conditions as him∣self shall think sit; and either to remit him all the punishment, or to oblige him to undergo on∣ly part of it; it hath pleased the Divine wisdom in respect of us to make use of both the one and the other of these two ways of reconciliation; tho' more ordinarily of the second.

For in Baptism he receives us into his Grace, and remits us all the Punishment due to our Sins. But in Penance he remits us indeed the Eternall punishment, but still reserves some Temporall pains to be imposed upon the Penitent, to the end he, the Penitent, may satisfy on his part according to his power, and for other reasons, which we shall speak of.

In the undertaking of this Temporall punish∣ment, consists the satisfaction whereof we speak in this place, which is the third part of Penance.