The arguments which Bellarmine has produced in favor of this enumeration of parts.
The arguments which Bellarmine has produced in favor of this enumeration of parts.
§ 58. Let us see the arguments with which Bellarmine defends his opinion. In the first place he cites “the passages and examples of Scripture.”
We respond. The passages concerning confession are clearly speaking about a general confession made in the presence of God but not about a specific enumeration of individual sins made before a priest, as is clear to anyone at first glance and as will be shown later in greater detail [§ 104]. The passages which are cited to establish satisfaction will have their own place below [§ 130]. Bellarmine cites four examples of Scripture which we shall set forth in his very words:
When David (2 Sam. 24[:1]) had commanded that the people be counted, and since he had sinned because of an elevation of his spirit, Scripture says in describing his repentance: “David’s heart smote him.” Behold the contrition! “And he said to the Lord: ‘I have sinned greatly.’ ” Note the confession! “But now, Lord, I pray You, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly” [v. 10]. And a bit farther along: “I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand be against me, I pray!” [v. 17]. And a little later: “He offered a sacrifice, and thus the Lord was appeased” [v. 25]. Satisfaction appears here through prayer and subjection to punishment and, finally, through the offering of an oblation. The repentance of the Ninevites is described in Jon. 3[:7–8]: “Let every man turn from his evil way.” Behold contrition! “And let them cry mightily to the Lord.” Behold the confession! “Let neither men nor beasts taste anything. Let them not feed nor drink water, and let men and beasts be covered with sackcloth.” Behold the satisfaction! In Luke 18[:9–14] the penitent publican is described. He, as a sign of contrition, did not dare to lift his eyes to heaven and was confessing his sin and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” [v. 13]. And finally he struck his breast, which pertains to satisfaction. Similar to this is the example of the prodigal son, who first comes to his senses, loathes his condition, and then confesses, saying, “Father, I have sinned before heaven and in your sight” [Luke 15:21]. Finally, he subjects himself to punishment to be inflicted by his father. “I am unworthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your servants” [v. 19].
We respond. (1) The first two examples were taken from the Old Testament, in which the sacrament of penance had not yet been instituted. In the latter examples, there is no word of absolution. Therefore there was no sacramental penance.
(2) In both instances, confession was made to God, not to the priest; the works of satisfaction were assumed voluntarily but were not enjoined by a priest. Therefore these examples are unrelated to this question.
(3) The striking of the heart in David was inner contrition, but the question here has to do with outward signs of contrition. Confession was the effect of contrition, as was also his subjection to the punishment of the Lord, which is an indication of true and serious humbling. His prayer and sacrifice were not works of satisfaction but exercises of true and saving faith.
(4) The same judgment must stand concerning the rest of his examples. The fasting of the Ninevites, the breast-beating of the publican, subjection to a punishment to be inflicted by his father in the case of the prodigal son: these were signs of genuine contrition but not works of satisfaction undertaken to atone for sins, since they bear witness with both words and gestures that they despair of all their own works, merits, and satisfactions and that they have placed all their refuge in the free mercy of the heavenly Father.
§ 59. The statements of the ancients will be treated later on [§ 92; cf. §§ 71–72]. The arguments which Bellarmine provides are these:
(1) Repentance is the loathing and punishment of sin when it is an offense against the majesty of God and when it is undertaken so as to take away sin and restore friendship with God. The first thing required for this is that the person who has sinned is grieved to have sinned and to have violated that friendship. Then it is required that he subject himself to the will of God, whom he has offended. Because God acts through His ministers, the sinner might subject himself voluntarily to the person who holds God’s place, but this cannot be done unless he disclose his faults to him through confession and accept the penalties which he has prescribed. The three parts of repentance spring from this.
(2) In the reconciliation of children with parents, of servants with masters, of wives with husbands, we see that these three things are present naturally: that those who are about to be reconciled show signs of grief, that they confess their sin, and that they subject themselves to chastisement. But now, God is our Father, Lord, and Husband. Therefore these three things are also necessary in reconciliation with God.
(3) As there are three instruments of sinning—heart, tongue, and hand—and as we sin in heart, word, and deed, so also it is right that there should be three instruments, so to speak, of repentance and that we fight against sin with contrition of the heart, confession of the mouth, and the satisfaction of works. In this way, according to the apostle (Rom. 6[:19]), just as we showed that our members were in service to uncleanness from iniquity unto iniquity, so now let us show that our members serve righteousness unto sanctification.
We respond. (1) Articles of faith must be proven from the manifest statements of Scripture, not from human reasoning.
(2) We admit that repentance requires the loathing of sin, as it offends the majesty of God, but we deny with all our might that the merit of contrition and our satisfactions wipe away sin and reestablish friendship with God. Christ is the “Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) and “has reconciled us to God” (2 Cor. 5:19). Through faith He makes us partakers of the benefits obtained with such great effort and at so great a price, as the prophetic and apostolic writings testify with one consent: “To Christ all the prophets give testimony that by His name all receive forgiveness of sins, who believe in Him” (Acts 10:43). If we can take away sin and be reconciled to God by our own works and satisfactions, Christ died in vain (Gal. 2:21). In its own place [§ 121] we shall discuss the vain attempt to evade the issue by saying that this power descends into our own works and satisfactions from the merit of Christ.
(3) Therefore the way that human beings are reconciled with God is different from how they are reconciled with each other. Sins with respect to God, whom we offend with them, since they turn against the infinite Good, are infinite evil and deserve infinite punishments. Dr. Luther writes (Latin ed., vol. 4, fol. 532): “Sin truly is as great as the One who is offended by sin; and heaven and earth cannot contain Him.”10 Granatensis (Dom. 11. post Pentec.): “Since man loses God through lethal sin, and since God is the incomprehensible Good, the consequence is that no one can recognize the gravity of the situation by which the incomprehensible Good is lost, for it is necessary that the evil which deprives one of the incomprehensible Good be incomprehensible. Therefore only God, who comprehends Himself fully, comprehends the evil of sin.” Those are his words, and they are utterly correct. Therefore since sin is an offense against an infinite God, to remove sin and to extinguish God’s wrath requires an infinite price which the God-man, Christ alone, offers in our place. True faith anxiously seeks and hungrily embraces His benefits in genuine torments of conscience. In this way people who are truly penitent and believe in Christ receive forgiveness of sins and are reconciled to God. But to wipe away the mutual offenses of people and to reconcile them to each other does not require the satisfaction of an infinite price, because the person offended is not infinite.
(4) Moreover, at times a bare confession of fault and a request for pardon are enough for the reconciliation of human beings with each other, so that satisfaction is not always required; this opposes Bellarmine’s hypotheses, who requires satisfaction among the integral parts of repentance.
(5) He claims that sins are wiped away by contrition of the heart, confession of the mouth, and the satisfaction of works; this is claimed not only outside of but even contrary to the Scriptures, as will become clear from a specific examination [§§ 62–131]. The statement of the apostle (Rom. 6[:19]) mentions no satisfaction but very beautifully describes the new obedience, the salutary fruit of repentance.