XXIII. THE CATHOLIC DOCTRINE OF SATISFACTION.* FAITH AND WORKS. Harmony of Catholic doctrines-Their scope and influence-The great Physician-His religion medicinal-The Doctrine of Satisfaction intimately connected with that of the Atonement-Standing at the foot of the cross-The center of the religious system-Source of light and heat-The Atonement sufficient-And made for all-Our co-operation necessary for its application to us-Denying ourselves, and entering into the sacrificial spirit of Christ-Scriptural proofs-Practice of the saintsMotive for corporal austerities-The cross ever-present to the Christian mind-The sacrifice of the altar and that of the cross-Protestant view of the Atonement-Faith and works-Halting half way-The more comfortable and the safer way-Caustic passage of Tertullian-Two roads to heaven -Palmer's view-His arguments superficial and captious-Temporal punishment for sin already forgiven-Scriptural examples-Palmer's explanation of them refuted-His paltry quibblingCharge of absurdity answered-Reasons for the temporal penalty remaining-Palmer grows pathetic -Troubling the peace of consciences-Unearthly character of the doctrine-The blessings it has produced. PERHAPS the most beautiful feature in the Catholic religion, and, at the same time, one of the most striking evidences of its divine origin, is the wonderful harmony which pervades its entire system of faith, worship, and morals. One doctrine naturally leads to another, and this again to a third; and the whole series of principles thus forms one unbroken chain of truth, which reaches from earth to heaven, and binds man strongly to his God. Remove but one link, and you break the connection, and destroy the integrity and usefulness of the chain itself. Add but one link to it, and you uselessly cumber its divine simplicity, and greatly diminish its heavenly beauty, if you do not even wholly mar its lofty purpose. Whoever has studied well the philosophy of the Catholic system, and sounded its inmost depths, must have been forcibly struck by the intimate connection of its various parts, and the singular adaptation of the whole to the great purposes of the Christian religion: the purification and regeneration of fallen human nature, the restoration in the human soul of the partially defaced image of God, and the leading of man back to his Creator. To these sublime ends every thing in Catholicity directly tends. Its doctrines enlighten the understanding, dispelling its clouds, and unfolding to it both the origin and the remedy of sin. Its moral principles guide the will and control the emotions of the heart; while its sacraments are the divinely appointed channels of grace, through which flow, in a *LETTERS TO N. WISEMAN, D. D., on the Errors of Romanism, &c. By the Rev. William Palmer, M. A., of Worcester College, Oxford. Baltimore: Joseph Robinson, 1843. Letters II, III, and IV. On the foundation of the doctrine of Satisfaction, Indulgences, &c. and on Satisfaction or Penances. perennial stream, the abundant waters of life eternal, "for the healing of the nations." In this wonderful economy of grace, no want of humanity is left unprovided for, no ill is without its proper remedy. Man, created originally to the image and likeness of his God, and constituted in a state of innocence and sanctification, became, by his fall, a victim of cruel wounds and of deeply seated hereditary infirmities, both of soul and body. Christ came to restore him to the high estate from which he had fallen, and to heal his multiplied, aggravated, and inveterate spiritual maladies. For this purpose He established His religion, which was thus essentially medicinal, both in its character and in its object. It presented a balm for every disease, a panacea for every malady. The blessed Saviour accordingly represents himself as a heavenly physician, divinely sent to heal the sick: "They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are sick."'' The Catholic religion possesses, in a remarkable degree, these distinctive characteristics of primitive Christianity. All its institutions are eminently healing in their nature and influence. They are founded on so deep a knowledge of, human nature; they manifest so clear an insight into the hidden labyrinths of the human heart; they are so unearthly in their nature, so clearly supernatural in their means of action, so far remote from the senses, and so completely at war with the darling passions of fallen man: and, withal, they harmonize together so admirably in all their parts, that man could not, by possibility, have devised such a system ;· it is clearly the work of God. In viewing the sublime character and the beautiful blending together of the various parts composing it, we are forced to exclaim with the royal psalmist: "The judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves. This heavenly system flatters not the pride of man, it panders to no passion of corrupt human nature: it declares war against all that is perverse, and bows down "every height that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God." ---- A striking illustration of this divine harmony and admirable adaptation of the Catholic system to human needs, is presented in its DOCTRINE OF SATISFACTION. This doctrine, besides being the basis of many other Catholic tenets and observances, flows itself directly from the great and cardinal principle of the ATONEMENT. It is but a carrying out, an application, and a perpetual embodiment of this great mystery of redemption; it is but a constant preaching of "Christ and of Him crucified." It is the spirit of the great sacrifice of Calvary still lingering upon earth, in the bosom of Christ's cherished disciples; a spirit, however, not inert or disembodied, but vigorous and displaying itself by constant external acts of heroic self-denial and mortification. The CROSS, the CROSS of Jesus! How many saving truths, how many soul-stirring remembrances, how many thrilling associations, cluster around the cross! To take an enlarged and adequate view of Christianity, we must stand at the foot of the cross, with the blessed Mother of the Crucified, and look 1 St. Matthew ix, 12. 2 Psalms xviii, 10. 3 Corinth. x, 5. abroad from the lofty eminence of Calvary. A new and brilliant prospect will then open before us, and a new light will burst upon our eyes. Then will we be able to view the Christian system in all its length and breadth, in all the wondrous harmony of its parts, and in all its divine adaptation to the wants of man. Then will we see and feel, that the atonement is truly the great center of the Christian system, even as the sun is the center of the universe; that all the other doctrines of Christianity revolve around this central point, even as the planets revolve around the sun; and that, as in the material, so also in the spiritual world, the sun of the system is the living source of light and heat and life. Blot the material sun from the heavens, and how dark and cheerless and lifeless this world of ours would become! All the laws of nature would be arrested in their course; the heavens would no longer send down their dews and rains, the brooks and rivers would cease to flow, vegetation would wither and die, animal life would become extinct, and nature would return to its original chaos. So also, strike out the atonement from the Christian system, and human nature would again become, what it was before the coming of Christ, a dreary, dark, and frightful waste: the dews and rains of divine mercy would cease to distil from the heavens, the streams of grace would be dried up, no fragrant flowers and no luscious fruits of virtue would adorn and enrich the garden of the soul, all spiritual life would be extinguished, and man would descend from his lofty pre-eminence to a level with the mere animal creation. But with the blessed doctrine of the atonement, all is light, and warmth and life. Men no longer sit "in the region of the shadow of death," but they bask in the genial sunshine of heaven. Earth is no longer severed from heaven, but the two have become one; extremes have met; justice and mercy have embraced. By the saving influence of the atonement, man has been reconciled to his God, and "the hand-writing of the decree which was against him has been taken out of the way and fastened to the cross. By the precious blood, which flowed from the wounds of Jesus Christ crucified, has salvation been purchased for all; and "through Him God has reconciled all things unto Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven."" For we have not been redeemed with corruptible gold and silver; . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled." The pages of the New Testament are filled with similar passages, all proving that the blood of Christ, shed on the cross, is the great and only source and fountain-head of redemption, and of the lights, graces, and aids by which salvation can be obtained. "Nor is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved."4 No prayer will be heard which is not uttered in the name of the Crucified; no grace can be obtained which is not asked 1 Colossians ii, 14. 2 Colloss. i, 20. 3 1 Ep. S. Peter i, 18, 19. 4 Acts iv, 12 for through the blood of the cross. Every grace which ever was, or ever will be bestowed upon mankind, from the date of the fall to the end of the world, was or will be bestowed solely in consequence of the blood of the cross, either to be shed or actually shed. There is nothing more certain than this the whole scheme of salvation, whether in its germ under the old law, or in its full development under the new, rests upon this great cardinal truth. Thus the atonement operated both retrospectively and prospectively; and in point of time, as well as in vital importance, it is the great center of the spiritual world. It fully The atonement was amply sufficient for all the wants of fallen human nature. In the prophetic language of the psalmist, it contained "an abundant redemption." It fully atoned not only for original sin, but also for all the actual sins of all mankind. Even one drop of the great Man-God's precious blood, would have superabundantly sufficed to expiate the sins of ten thousand worlds; because it was of infinite value and acceptance with God. The one great sacrifice of the cross 66 obtained an eternal redemption," and "exhausted the sins of many." paid the price of ransom for the sins of all the descendants of Adam. None were excepted from its influence; for "there is no exception of persons with God." All who had sinned in Adam, and had thereby incurred death, were ransomed in Christ.' The arms of the blessed Jesus extended on the cross embraced all mankind without exception: His heart loved all, and his heart's blood was bounteously poured out for all. And the system of belief, which would limit the atonement to a select few, is as unscriptural as it is narrow and unworthy of God. ? By the atonement ample means were thus provided for the salvation of every child of Adam. Whoever therefore is not saved, perishes solely through his own fault. God has fully and superabundantly done His part, and He may still address to the world the plaint formerly uttered against the house of Israel: "What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard that I have not done to it? Was it that I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it hath brought forth wild grapes But man is free, either to use or to neglect these means of salvation; God offers no violence to his free will; he is still "placed in the hands of his counsel," and may choose either fire or water; either the fire of the divine indignation, or the cooling streams of heavenly grace. God will compel none into heaven; He will bestow the crown of immortality only on those who have fought valiantly for it, and triumphed over sin through Jesus Christ. As St. Augustine has somewhere remarked, God, who created us without our consent or aid, will not save us without our co-operation. The abundant merits of the redemption will be applied to us, only on condition that we, on our part, do all that God requires of us, as preliminaries to the application; He Himself freely aiding and assisting us by His 1 Psalm exxix, 7. 4 Isaiah V, 3 See Romans, ch. v. 5 Ecclesiasticus xv, 14. 2 Hebrews ix, 12 and 28. 4. 1 holy grace, both in beginning and perfecting the good work. Of ourselves we can, indeed, do nothing towards our salvation; but without our free cooperation the grace of God will certainly not save us. Salvation is thus the result of two agencies combined: the weakness of man, strengthened and rendered efficient by the grace of God. The same inspired apostle who said, "We are not sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves," also said, "I can do all things in Him who strengtheneth me.” ” With the blessed Saviour himself, the Catholic Church has ever taught, that the merits of the atonement are applied only to those who strive earnestly, with the grace of God, to imitate Christ, in His spirit, in His life, in His death. In the name of her divine Head and Spouse, she has ever addressed His words to all her children, as setting forth the essential conditions of discipleship: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me." With the inspired Paul, she has ever taught that, to be sharers in the redemption, we must be nailed to the cross with Christ; and live, now not we, but Christ in us.' She tells us that "they who are Christ's have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences." She tells us daily that, like St. Paul, we must "chastise our bodies, and bring them into subjection," and must "fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ in our flesh."' She tells us, that we must "do penance in sackcloth and ashes," as the Saviour said Tyre and Sidon would have done, had the works been performed in them that were done in Corozain and Bethsaida. She tells us, what John told the Jews on the banks of the Jordan: "Bring forth, therefore, fruit worthy of penance;" and what Christ said, speaking of John: "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent bear it away." She tells us, that those only are foreknown by God and predestinated to life eternal, who "are made comformable to the image of His Son;"" and that we must "suffer with Christ, if we would reign with Him.” 12 998 9910 994 The whole New Testament abounds with such declarations, all going to show that we cannot expect to share in the merits of the redemption, unless we do violence to ourselves, deny ourselves, mortify our members, imitate the example of Christ, and catch His sacrificial and expiatory spirit. He was innocence itself, and yet was He made the victim of sin; we are guilty, we contributed to nail Him to the cross; we deserve to suffer. "The disciple is not above the master; and, as St. Bernard well remarks, "it is not becoming that, under a head crowned with thorns, the members should be over delicate." No, no. Those deceive themselves, to their own eternal ruin, who think that they may be saved while reclining on a bed of roses, when Jesus entered into His glory by lying on the hard bed of the cross. Those fatally deceive them 1 2 Corinth. iii, 4. 4 Gallatians, ii, 19, 20. 7 Collossians i, 24. 10 Id. xi, 12. 2 Philippians iv, 13. 5 Gallatians, v, 24. 8 St. Matth. xi, 21, and Luke x, 13. 3 St. Matth. xvi, 24. 6 1 Corinthians, ix, 27 9 St. Matthew iii, 8. 12 2 Timothy, ii, 12. |