y be admitted; so, too, neither can that
which asserts that faith is the second part of repentance, since it is
known to all that faith precedes repentance; for unless one believes
he will not repent. Neither is that part admitted which makes light of
pontifical satisfactions, for it is contrary to the Gospel, contrary
to the apostles, contrary to the fathers, contrary to the councils,
and contrary to the universal Catholic Church. John the Baptist cries:
"Bring forth fruits meet for repentance," Matt. 3:8. St. Paul teaches:
"As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, even so now
yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness," Rom 6:19.
He likewise preached to the Gentiles that they should repent and be
Converted to God, bringing forth fruits meet for repentance, Acts 20:21.
So Christ himself also began to teach and preach repentance: "Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," Matt. 4:17. Afterward he
commanded the apostles to pursue this mode of preaching and teaching,
Luke 24:47, and St. Peter faithfully obeyed him in his first sermon,
Acts 2:38. So Augustine also exhorts that "every one exercise toward
himself severity, so that, being judged of himself, he shall not be
judged of the Lord," as St. Paul says. 1 Cor. 11:31. Pope Leo surnamed
the Great, said "The Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
gave to those set over the churches the authority to assign to those who
confess the doing of penance, and through the door of reconciliation to
admit to the communion of the sacraments those who have been cleansed by
a salutary satisfaction." Brose says: "The amount of the penance must
be adapted to the trouble of the conscience." Hence divere penitential
canons were appointed in the holy Synod of Nice, in accordance with The
diversity of satisfactions, Jovinian the heretic, thought, however,
that all sins are equal and accordingly did not admit a diversity of
satisfactions. Moreover, satisfactions should not be abolished in the
Church, contrary to the express Gospel and the decrees of councils and
fathers, but those absolved by the priest ought to perform the penance
enjoined, following the declaration of St. Paul: He "gave himself for
us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works," Tit. 2:14. Christ thus made satisfaction
for us, that we might be zealous of good works, fulfilling the
satisfaction enjoined.

To Article XI