A Potion for This Holy Time of Lent, Part 4
¶ Of Satisfaccion or amēd ment of lyfe.
AS towchīg this word Satisfaccion, whiche hath so longe bene retayned in the Chyrche of Christ, we must gra unt & beleue vndoubtedly, y• christ alone is the omnisufficiēt satysfaccion for all oure synnes vntounto God the father, by the sprynkelyng and effusiō of his moost precious bloud …. Pet. …which abydeth & lasteth for euer so perfect, that he is able at all times to saue them, that are sanctified wt Heb. …that one & omnisufficient oblaciō & Sacrifice of his moost blessed body on the Altare of the Crosse, and that not onlye from the faute, but also from the payne due and belon gynge vntounto the faute. Behold that lambe of God, sayth S, Iohn Bap Ioan. i.tist, which taketh awaye the synne of the worlde. S. Iohn the Euangeliographe …. Ioan. ….sayth also: The bloud of Iesus Christ Gods owne sonne, makethe vsus cleane from all synne. Agayne, yf any mā synne, we hauehave Ioan. ….an aduocate wyth God the father, Iesus Christ that ryghteous one, And he is the satisfaccion for oure synnes, not for our sīnes only, but also for all the whole worlde. By y• Rom. v.death of Christe are we reconcyled to the father. Christ is our wisdom i. Cor. …. Ephe. ….sanctificacion, ryghteousnes & redemcion. Christe is oure peace. By the bloud of Christ hauehave we remission of oure synnes. By Christ are all thynges recōcyled to God, and Colo. …. Esa. ….by Christes bloude are all thynges pacifyed & set at a stay both in heauen & in earth. Christe was broken for oure synnes. Christe bare oure synnes on his body vponupon the tree, by whose stripes we are made hole. i. Pet. ii. i. Ioan. ii.Oure synnes are forgyuen vsus for Christes name. All the Prophetes beare wytnesse, that thorowe the name of Christ, eueryevery one that bele ueth on him, shall receyue remissiō of his sines. Thus se we that there Act. x▪is no satisfacciō perfecte & sufficiēt to God the father for oure synnes, but only the death of Christ so that we maye well say with the Apostle God forbyd, yt we should reioyse in …ala. vi. Note for whos syn nes y• death of Christ i… a satisfaccion.ony thyng, but in the death of our LORDE Iesus Christe. Who so euer repenteth him of his synnes from the very herte, & is sorye for thē, lamenteth his miserye, hongreth for strength to do ye wyl of God, know ledgeth his offenses, labourethe wt all mayne to walke in a newe lyfe, nedeth not to doubte, but y• Christ by his death hath abūdantly satisfyed to God the father for his synnes.
CHRI.
Is ther no more behind concernynge satisfaccion.
PHIL.
Yies verelye. After ye hauehave repented you of your wickednes, ye must thā amend your lyfe, & bryng forth fruytes worthy of Penaūce, as the Mat. iii.scripture commaundeth. Ye muste practyse in your lyuyng all godlynesse & innocency. Factynge, prayer and almes must dilygently be exer cysed of you in your dayly conuersaciō. Psa. l…xxiii Rom. i. Ephe. v.Ye must go frō vertue to ver tue, & frō faith to faith. As ye hauehave walked before in darknes, so must ye walke now in light. Your whole lyfe must nowe be nothing els, thā a perfecte meditaciō of purite and innocencye. Excepte ye laboure to do this, surelye ye hauehave no parte of Christ, neyther is ye death of Christ a satisfacciō for your sinnes, but y• Ioan. iii.wrath of God abydethe styll vponupon you. God hath blessed you in christ Iesus, that eueryevery one of you shuld turne away from his wickednesses as the scripture sayth. God hathe Act. iii. i. Thes. iiii.not called vsus, sayth S. Paule, vntounto vncleannes, but vntounto sanctificacion and holines.
These thinges once done, than remayneth A satisfaccion to our neyghbour.there a true & pepfecte satisfacciō to our neighbour, whome we hauehave offended or hurte either in worde or dede. For a satisfaccion or amēdes must nedes be made to our neyghbour, or els we walke not after the order of Charite, nor accordynge Mat. vii. Luke. ….to the lawe of nature, which commaundeth eueryevery man to do to another, as he would other should do to him. Therfore God in the old lawe commaunded that yf any m… dyd steale from his neyghboure an oxe or a shepe, he should restore and gyue hym agayne fyue oXes for an Exo. x…oxe, & foure shepe for one shepe. We read also in the Gospell of Luke, y• Zacheus sayd vntounto Christ: behold Luke. xix…LORDE I gyue halfe my goodes to the poore people, & yf I hauehave decey ued any man of any thyng, I gyue him four times asmuch agayne for it. These thynges declare manifest lye, that we are bounde to make satisfacciō to our neyghbour, ī what soeuer thynges we hauehave hurte thē.
THEO.
What, if we be not able, shall we then lose the heretage of ye king dome of heauen?
PHIL.
God forbyd Note wellFor than shoulde all they that dye for thefte, & many other be dāned.
But this I say vntounto you, yf we be able by ony meanes to make satisfacciō to them, whome we hauehave offended, hidered or hurte, we ought wtoute doubte to do it. But yf it so be, that by no wyse we are able, thā ought we to come to them, whome we hauehave offended, & desyre them for Christes sake to forgyue vsus. And they agayne ought, yf they wyll be forgyuen of God, to remitte & for gyue theyr offenders.
CHRI.
This is very godly spoken.
PHIL.
Hyther to hauehave I talked with you of ye holy Sacrament of Penaunce, of Cō triciō, Confession, & Satisfacciō ac cordynge to the vayne of the holye scriptures & the mynde of the auncient Doctours.
EVSE.
We remem ber all theyse thynges well, and we thancke you ryght hertely for thē.
THEO.
Neyghboure Philemon, ye promised also to speake somewhat of fastynge, which is very necessary for this present tyme.
PHIL.
Ye saye trueth, & accordyng to my promise I wyll nowe entreate of it.