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Objection 1: It seems that works of satisfaction should be enjoined
on sinners that have been baptized. For God's justice seems to
demand that a man should be punished for every sin of his, according to
Eccles. 12:14: "All things that are done, God will bring
into judgment." But works of satisfaction are enjoined on sinners in
punishment of past sins. Therefore it seems that works of satisfaction
should be enjoined on sinners that have been baptized.
Objection 2: Further, by means of works of satisfaction sinners
recently converted are drilled into righteousness, and are made to
avoid the occasions of sin: "for satisfaction consists in extirpating
the causes of vice, and closing the doors to sin" (De Eccl.
Dogm. iv). But this is most necessary in the case of those who have
been baptized recently. Therefore it seems that works of satisfaction
should be enjoined on sinners.
Objection 3: Further, man owes satisfaction to God not less than
to his neighbor. But if those who were recently baptized have injured
their neighbor, they should be told to make reparation to God by works
of penance.
On the contrary, Ambrose commenting on Rm. 11:29: "The
gifts and the calling of God are without repentance," says: "The
grace of God requires neither sighs nor groans in Baptism, nor indeed
any work at all, but faith alone; and remits all, gratis."
I answer that, As the Apostle says (Rm. 6:3,4), "all we
who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in His death: for we
are buried together with Him, by Baptism unto death"; which is to
say that by Baptism man is incorporated in the very death of Christ.
Now it is manifest from what has been said above (Question 48,
Articles 2,4; Question 49, Article 3) that Christ's death
satisfied sufficiently for sins, "not for ours only, but also for
those of the whole world," according to 1 Jn. 2:2.
Consequently no kind of satisfaction should be enjoined on one who is
being baptized, for any sins whatever: and this would be to dishonor
the Passion and death of Christ, as being insufficient for the
plenary satisfaction for the sins of those who were to be baptized.
Reply to Objection 1: As Augustine says in his book on Infant
Baptism (De Pecc. Merit. et Remiss. i), "the effect of
Baptism is to make those, who are baptized, to be incorporated in
Christ as His members." Wherefore the very pains of Christ were
satisfactory for the sins of those who were to be baptized; just as the
pain of one member can be satisfactory for the sin of another member.
Hence it is written (Is. 53:4): "Surely He hath borne our
infirmities and carried our sorrows."
Reply to Objection 2: Those who have been lately baptized should be
drilled into righteousness, not by penal, but by "easy works, so as
to advance to perfection by taking exercise, as infants by taking
milk," as a gloss says on Ps. 130:2: "As a child that is
weaned is towards his mother." For this reason did our Lord excuse
His disciples from fasting when they were recently converted, as we
read in Mt. 9:14,15: and the same is written 1 Pt. 2:2:
"As new-born babes desire . . . milk . . . that thereby you may
grow unto salvation."
Reply to Objection 3: To restore what has been ill taken from
one's neighbor, and to make satisfaction for wrong done to him, is to
cease from sin: for the very fact of retaining what belongs to another
and of not being reconciled to one's neighbor, is a sin. Wherefore
those who are baptized should be enjoined to make satisfaction to their
neighbor, as also to desist from sin. But they are not to be enjoined
to suffer any punishment for past sins.
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