Dist. 15, Part 2, Art. 1, Q. 2
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/4/d/15/q/bon-sent-IV-d15-p2-a1-q2
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### Question II. *To whom satisfaction is to be made.*

Secondly it is asked to whom satisfaction is to be made. And that it is to God, seems to be the case:

1. Anselm defines it thus: «To make satisfaction is to render to God the honor owed»; but satisfaction is made to him to whom we render the honor we render: since therefore we render honor to God, satisfaction is to be made to God.

2. Likewise, satisfaction is made to him who exacts the penalty and the amends; but he who exacts the penalty from the sinner is God; Gregory: «Either man punishes, or God [does]»; therefore satisfaction is made to God.

3. Likewise, satisfaction is made to him to whom injury has been done through fault; but this is God, because «to sin is, with the unchangeable good spurned, to cling to changeable things»: therefore satisfaction is properly made to God himself.

4. Likewise, Christ's satisfaction was the exemplar of our satisfaction, and from it not only an example is drawn, but also the foundation of our satisfaction; but Christ made satisfaction to the Father, because he offered himself as an offering and victim to God: therefore our satisfaction likewise is to be made to God.

5. Likewise, if satisfaction were made only to the Church, it would seem that when the sinner left the forum of the Church, he would not be bound to any penalty: therefore all would fly away: therefore the suffrages of the Church are made in vain, and those err who posit a penalty of purgatory. But this is against the faith: therefore etc.

6. Likewise, if God should forgive the sinner the whole, as often as he is justified, evil would remain unavenged, and to each one would be given the liberty of transgressing against his God; but this is unfitting, because the universe would thus remain disordered: therefore etc.

**On the contrary:** Augustine says, and the Master sets down in the text: «It is the impiety of unbelief, for one who is just, to hope for half a pardon»; but if this is erroneous, to say that he grants half a pardon; therefore if he remits, he forgives the whole: therefore both the fault and the penalty: therefore he himself exacts nothing further, therefore neither is it needful to make satisfaction to him, therefore [satisfaction is made] to the Church alone.

2. Likewise, in contrition God remits the fault and the eternal penalty, which exceeds every temporal penalty disproportionately: therefore since contrition does not exceed confession disproportionately, neither as to penalty nor as to merit; much more strongly is the sinner absolved in confession from all temporal penalty as regards God: therefore God does not exact further satisfaction.

3. Likewise, contrition can be so great that it blots out the whole fault and penalty, and then it is established that God would exact no satisfaction; but if such a one come to penance, a satisfactory penalty is to be imposed: therefore it seems that satisfaction is made not to God, but to the Church, which is his spouse.

4. Likewise, confession beyond contrition is necessary only for the reconciliation to be made to the Church, and therefore is made to man: therefore much more strongly [is this so] concerning satisfaction, which follows upon confession.

5. Likewise, we see that the Church absolves from the greater part of the satisfactory penalty in relaxations of this kind; but no one can relax for anyone except what is owed to himself: therefore it seems that this is owed to the Church: therefore it seems that satisfaction is made not to God, but rather to the Church.

> **Conclusion.** Satisfaction for sin is properly made to God himself, yet through the Church and in the Church.

**I respond:** It must be said that when a sinner sins, he binds himself to eternal penalty. But when

divine mercy justifies [him], it remits all the fault and the guilt of the eternal penalty, which inseparably adheres to the fault. But because mercy cannot prejudice justice, whose office is to punish evils; therefore it so absolves from fault and penalty that he nevertheless remains bound to some small temporal penalty. But since the sinner had offended Him and had also done damage to His Church; the Lord committed the judiciary power over sinners to the rectors of the Church and entrusted [matters] to them as to arbiters, so that thus the will of God might be made known to the penitent through priests, and through them a penalty might be imposed upon sinners, and satisfaction be made to the Lord *principally* and to the Church *consequently*. Hence satisfaction for sin is properly made to God himself, yet through the Church and in the Church. — And I concede the reasons adduced for this.

1. To the objection therefore that half a pardon is not to be hoped for; it must be said that a pardon is then halved when one mortal [sin] is remitted and the rest is retained; and this is unfitting, to posit that God, who is just, could be in covenant and reconciled with a man remaining in his injustice; otherwise He would be at once friend and enemy! But it is not so concerning some small temporal penalty, because the obligation to a penalty does not constitute injustice in one who wills to discharge it.

2. To the objection that in contrition He remits the eternal penalty; it must be said that this is because there relaxing mercy operates principally, but in satisfaction justice, while in confession both, whence it holds, as it were, a middle [place]; in sign of which there occurs there a binding and a loosing. And therefore it is not similar.

3. To the objection that contrition can be so great that the whole is remitted; it must be said that this is true; but because it is not established to the Church, therefore [a penalty] must be imposed by the priest. But if it were established to the priest, he would reckon entire satisfaction to have been made him, and then he would impose no penalty, but would absolve the [already] absolved one. But now in some cases he is deceived, yet the deception is fruitful — because merits are always accumulated — both for the Church imposing [the penalty] and for the one further making satisfaction; for since the Lord does not wish [to exact] beyond the principal, the remainder is held stored up in the treasuries of the Church.

4. To the objection that confession is for the sake of reconciliation; it must be said that it is not only for this, but for arbitrating the penalty between man and God; which being discharged, then a perfect reconciliation occurs.

5. To the objection that the Church absolves from the greater part; it must be said that this is not by remitting, but by paying for it from its treasuries; or because God has fully entrusted [the matter] to those to whom He handed over the fullness of power. But which of these is the more true will be seen below, when relaxations are treated of.