It is extremely difficult to give any short and clear definition of the doctrine of the Church of Rome upon the subject, for it is a complicated maze, through which her followers are obliged to tread. But the idea throughout is that there must be something in us, as it were, to meet the work of atonement, some satisfaction on the part of the sinner, to qualify him for the reception of the satisfaction of the Lord. In words they would state that the atonement was complete, but in its application of it to ruined souls they neutralize the statement, by demanding something on our part as a condition of our being pardoned through it. It is as though the veil of the temple had been rent from the top almost to the bottom, but still a small fragment left which the sinner must divide, before he can go in before the mercy-seat. It is as though there were a debt of 100_l._, or any other sum, and the creditor said to the debtor, Your friend has paid the whole, and you shall be free, provided that you now pay down 1_l._ It matters not what is the character, or what the amount of the remaining sum, which the debtor is required to pay in order to procure the gift of proffered freedom; the simple fact of any such demand destroys the perfection of the ransom of the substitute. As Hooker said of this same system, “I cannot stand now to unrip this building, and sift it piece by piece,” and I believe there is no occasion to do so, as none who are acquainted with Romish teaching can deny that there is some such demand made on every adult before the Lord’s atonement can be made efficacious for his pardon. In some cases the thing demanded is personal sanctification, according to which a person must be holy before he can be justified in his Lord. “If any man shall say that men are justified either by the sole imputation of the righteousness of Christ, or the sole remission of our sins, and not by grace and charity, which is diffused in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, and is inherent in them, let him be anathema.” {13a} Sometimes it is good works, as in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, which declares that through the atonement we obtain by good works two great benefits, “one that we deserve the rewards of immortal glory—the other that we make satisfaction for our sins.” {13b} The whole, it says, “depends on the merit of our Lord’s passion;” but the good works are represented as acts on our part, through which that atonement is made effectual to our case. Sometimes it is penance, through which mortal sin after baptism is said to be remitted, and of which the Council of Trent decrees, “Whoever shall affirm that the satisfactions by which penitents redeem themselves from sin through Christ Jesus, are no part of the service of God, but on the contrary, human traditions which obscure the doctrine of grace, and the true worship of God, and the benefits of the death of Christ, let him be anathema.” {13c}