Distinction V

GRATIAN. PART I. Augustine teaches in the Book on Penance what things it is necessary for a sinner to consider in penance, saying:

“Let one consider the quality of the crime in place, in time, in perseverance, in the variety of the person, with what temptation one committed it, and in the manifold execution of the vice itself. For it is necessary that one who fornicates repent according to the eminence of one’s status or office, or according to the condition of the prostitute, and according to the manner of one’s deed and how one accomplished one’s baseness: whether in a consecrated place, or with one to whom one owed the eminence of fidelity—as in the houses of lords and of many others—or at a time appointed for prayer, such as the festivals of the saints and times of fasting. Let one consider how long one persevered and lament that one sinned perseveringly, and how great an assault overcame one. There are those who not only are not overcome, but voluntarily offer themselves to sin; they do not await temptation, but anticipate pleasure. And let one discuss with oneself by how manifold an exercise of the vice one sinned pleasurably. All this variety must be confessed and lamented, so that, when one has recognized that the sin is great, one may quickly find God propitious.

§ 1. “In recognizing the increase of the sin, let one consider oneself: of what age, wisdom, and order one was, and the entire state of another who does not sin. Let one linger over each of these things and perceive the measure of the crime, purging with tears every quality of the vice.

§ 2. “Let one lament the virtue of which one was deprived in the meantime. For one must grieve and purge by grief not only the fact that one sinned, but also that one deprived oneself of virtue. For although one hopes to obtain pardon, one can nevertheless grieve because one did not merit that for which one trusts one will be rewarded.

§ 3. “Let one be distressed and grieve that, by now escaping punishment for past things, the wretched person does not expect glory from that time, all of which, because it is exceedingly brief, one ought to have spent contending to attain the reward.

§ 4. “Let one also lament because, by offending in one thing, one has been made guilty of all. For one who, full of virtues, did not altogether fear God proved ungrateful. Each sinner is more culpable in this insofar as one is more acceptable to God. For this reason Adam sinned more, because he abounded in every good. In another manner also, one who offends in one thing is guilty of all, because every virtue suffers loss from one vice. For if someone falls into avarice, one destroys generosity and also diminishes chastity. For from love of money one would either violate chastity or at least love it less. For if there is still so much chastity in one on account of God that one does not wish to lose it, nevertheless one guards it at least with lesser joy and lesser affection where one sees that a loss of money proceeds from it. So also in the other virtues: even if they are not expelled, they are nevertheless diminished greatly or a little through the reception of one vice, or are made worse in intention. Hence every virtue must be lamented in the case of every crime, and indulgence must be sought concerning them all.

§ 5. “It is also necessary to observe and, by observing, to lament the soul of one’s neighbor which the fornicator snatched away from God or confirmed in evil after it had been snatched away; and also that one proved an example of evil in the commission of one’s crime, although it would have profited one more to have been for others a cause of conversion. Therefore, let one groan over the life of others corrupted in one’s own, or preserved incorrupt, and over the benefit to one’s neighbor that one would have given by a good example. Let one grieve over the sorrow that one brought upon good persons by sinning and over the joy that one did not furnish them. And let one consider not only what one did and how, but how unjustly, as we have said, one offended God by sinning. Let one fear that sentence of truth: ‘You cannot serve two masters.’ Therefore, let one fear lest, by persevering in one sin, one has lost through the excommunication of evil all the good things that one did, so that one who served the devil through crime has lost the virtues one offered to God. Nevertheless, it is pious to believe that, once the grace of God has been received—which destroys the former evils in that person—it also rewards the good things, so that, when it has destroyed what it did not find as its own, it loves and cherishes the good that it planted even in a sinner.

§ 6. “Grieving in all things, let one either abandon the world or at least those things that are not administered without an admixture of evil, such as commerce, military service, and other things harmful to those who employ them, such as the administrations of secular powers, unless one employs them by permission of obedience. Let one place oneself altogether in the power of the judge, in the judgment of the priest, reserving nothing of oneself for oneself, so that at his command one is prepared to do, for recovering the life of the soul, whatever one would do to avoid the death of the body; and this with desire, because one recovers life without end, like God. For one who is going to be immortal ought to do with joy what one who is going to die would do to defer death. Let one always supplicate God, certain of pardon, who, if doubtful, would ask an earthly power in every way and without weariness. Let one who committed unlawful things in the freedom of one’s choice abstain from many lawful things.

“Let one always offer God the mind and contrition of heart, and then what one can from one’s possession; then let one securely offer what one offers. ‘For the Lord looked upon Abel and his gifts.’ But Scripture says ‘upon Abel’ before ‘upon his gifts.’ For, accepting the mind that he knew to be humble and pure, he rewarded the gifts of that person’s liberality. But he did not look upon Cain or his gifts. For he did not receive his gifts because he did not acknowledge his mind, which he had seen. Therefore, in the judgment of the heart the alms of the giver is to be considered; one must no longer consider how much, but with what mind and what affection one gives what one can. For the widow, generous with the two small coins that she possessed, put in more than all. Therefore, one who wishes to redeem one’s sins by an offering of temporal things should take care first to offer the mind.

§ 7. “Let one take care lest, led by shame, one divide one’s confession within oneself, so as to wish to manifest different things to different priests. For some conceal from one priest certain things which they preserve to be manifested to another. This is to praise oneself, to tend toward hypocrisy, and always to lack the pardon at which one thinks to arrive whole by fragments.

§ 8. “Moreover, let one whom true penance delights be fearful; let one not approach the Lord’s body before a good conscience strengthens one. But in this separation let one consider the dreadful judgment, where he will separate the impenitent into the fire by a greater and more terrible separation. Let one grieve that one does not yet dare to receive the saving food which one greatly desires. These are worthy fruits of penance, disentangling the captive soul and preserving it in liberty.

§ 9. “Moreover, let one who wishes to attain the perfect grace of remission restrain oneself from games and the spectacles of the world. For if Dinah had restrained herself and remained among her own, she would not have been corrupted by a foreign ravisher. Therefore, let the soul that has often, or even once, been seized and corrupted beware for itself and restrain itself all the more; taught by experience, let it fear what it did not know while a virgin. Let it choose one whom it may imitate; let it not follow one whom its own soul condemns. For one judges oneself who does not distance from oneself a person who lacks the fruits of penance. For one praises and loves those whom one knows to bear fruit worthily. Let one seek worthy fruits, even if they are not worthy fruits of penance. For the fruits of the virtues are worthy fruits, but they do not suffice for penitents. Penance demands weightier fruits, so that the church may thus be appeased and, appeased by sorrow and groans, may obtain life for the dead.”

Likewise Pope Leo, [letter XC, otherwise XCII, to Bishop Rusticus, c. 9]. PART II. The quality of the profit either accuses or indicts the merchant, because gain can be both honorable and base. Nevertheless, it is more useful for a penitent to suffer losses than to be bound by the dangers of commerce, because it is difficult for sin not to intervene in commerce between buyer and seller.

The same, [in the same letter, c. 10]. It is altogether contrary to ecclesiastical rules to return to secular military service after performing penance, since the Apostle says, “No one serving as a soldier for God entangles oneself in secular affairs.” Hence one who wishes to entangle oneself in worldly military service is not free from the snares of the devil.

Likewise from the Council of Nicaea, [c. 11]. But if any, called by God’s grace, first indeed showed their faith by laying aside the military belt, but afterward returned to their own vomit, so that they both gave money and sought again to enter military service, let these spend ten years among the penitents after the first three years during which they were among the hearers. But this is especially to be observed by everyone: that their disposition and the fruits of penance be attended to. For all who with every fear, persevering tears, and good works demonstrate their conversion not by words alone but by deed and truth, when the time established for them has been completed and they have now begun to share in the prayers, it will be permitted to the bishop to consider something still more humane concerning them. But those who have regarded their fall with indifference and judge it sufficient for themselves that they entered the church shall complete the appointed times in every respect.

Likewise from the Council of Orléans, [I, c. 13]. Concerning those who, after undertaking penance, forget the religious obligation of their profession and relapse into secular affairs, it was resolved that they be both suspended from communion and separated from the meals of all Catholics. But if, after the prohibition, anyone presumes to eat with them, let that person also be deprived of communion.

Likewise Gregory, [VII, at the Roman Synod celebrated in 1078, c. 6]. PART III. We call those penances false which are not imposed according to the authority of the holy Fathers in proportion to the quality of the crimes. Therefore, if a soldier, merchant, or person devoted to any office that cannot be exercised without sin comes to penance entangled in graver faults—or one who unjustly retains another’s goods, or bears hatred in the heart—let that person recognize that one cannot perform true penance through which one may be able to arrive at eternal life unless one abandons the business, leaves the office, dismisses hatred from the heart, restores the goods that one unjustly took away, lays down arms, and bears them no longer, except by the counsel of religious bishops for the defense of justice. Nevertheless, lest that person despair, meanwhile we exhort one to do whatever good one can, so that almighty God may illuminate that person’s heart toward penance.

Likewise Gregory in homily XXIV on the Gospels. A business that existed without sin before conversion was also not a fault to resume after conversion. For there are many businesses that can scarcely, or not at all, be carried on without sins. Therefore, the mind must not return after conversion to those things that entangle it in sin.

Likewise Innocent II, [at the Roman Council, c. 22]. PART IV. We admonish our brothers and priests not to permit the souls of laypersons to be deceived by false penances and dragged into hell. It is established that penance is false when, after many sins have been spurned, penance is performed for only one, or when penance is so performed for one that there is no withdrawal from another. Hence it is written: “Whoever observes the whole law but offends in one thing has become guilty of all”—namely, with respect to eternal life; for just as if one were entangled in all sins, so, if one remains in only one, one will not enter the gate of eternal life. Penance is also false when the penitent does not withdraw from a curial or commercial office that cannot in any way be conducted without sins; or if one bears hatred in the heart; or if one does not make satisfaction to anyone one has offended; or if the offended person does not forgive the offender; or if anyone bears arms against justice.