Chapter VII.—Of Repentance, in the Case of Such as Have Lapsed After Baptism.

So long, Lord Christ, may the blessing of learning or hearing concerning the discipline of repentance be granted to Thy servants, as is likewise behoves them, while learners,60    i.e., before baptism. not to sin; in other words, may they thereafter know nothing of repentance, and require nothing of it. It is irksome to append mention of a second—nay, in that case, the last—hope;61    [Elucidation I. See infra, this chapter, sub fine.] lest, by treating of a remedial repenting yet in reserve, we seem to be pointing to a yet further space for sinning.  Far be it that any one so interpret our meaning, as if, because there is an opening for repenting, there were even now, on that account, an opening for sinning; and as if the redundance of celestial clemency constituted a licence for human temerity. Let no one be less good because God is more so, by repeating his sin as often as he is forgiven. Otherwise be sure he will find an end of escaping, when he shall not find one of sinning.  We have escaped once: thus far and no farther let us commit ourselves to perils, even if we seem likely to escape a second time.62    [When our author wrote to the Martyrs, (see cap. 1.) he was less disposed to such remorseless discipline: and perhaps we have here an element of his subsequent system, one which led him to accept the discipline of Montanism. On this general subject, we shall find enough when we come to Cyprian and Novatian.] Men in general, after escaping shipwreck, thenceforward declare divorce with ship and sea; and by cherishing the memory of the danger, honour the benefit conferred by God,—their deliverance, namely. I praise their fear, I love their reverence; they are unwilling a second time to be a burden to the divine mercy; they fear to seem to trample on the benefit which they have attained; they shun, with a solicitude which at all events is good, to make trial a second time of that which they have once learned to fear. Thus the limit of their temerity is the evidence of their fear.

Moreover, man’s fear63    Timor. is an honour to God. But however, that most stubborn foe (of ours) never gives his malice leisure; indeed, he is then most savage when he fully feels that a man is freed from his clutches; he then flames fiercest while he is fast becoming extinguished. Grieve and groan he must of necessity over the fact that, by the grant of pardon, so many works of death64    “Mortis opera,” or “deadly works:” cf. de Idol. c. iv. (mid.), “perdition of blood,” and the note there. in man have been overthrown, so many marks of the condemnation which formerly was his own erased. He grieves that that sinner, (now) Christ’s servant, is destined to judge him and his angels.65    1 Cor. vi. 3. And so he observes, assaults, besieges him, in the hope that he may be able in some way either to strike his eyes with carnal concupiscence, or else to entangle his mind with worldly enticements, or else to subvert his faith by fear of earthly power, or else to wrest him from the sure way by perverse traditions: he is never deficient in stumbling-blocks nor in temptations. These poisons of his, therefore, God foreseeing, although the gate of forgiveness has been shut and fastened up with the bar of baptism, has permitted it still to stand somewhat open.66    Or, “has permitted somewhat still to stand open.” In the vestibule He has stationed the second repentance for opening to such as knock:  but now once for all, because now for the second time;67    [See cap. vii. supra.] but never more because the last time it had been in vain. For is not even this once enough? You have what you now deserved not, for you had lost what you had received. If the Lord’s indulgence grants you the means of restoring what you had lost, be thankful for the benefit renewed, not to say amplified; for restoring is a greater thing than giving, inasmuch as having lost is more miserable than never having received at all. However, if any do incur the debt of a second repentance, his spirit is not to be forthwith cut down and undermined by despair. Let it by all means be irksome to sin again, but let not to repent again be irksome: irksome to imperil one’s self again, but not to be again set free. Let none be ashamed. Repeated sickness must have repeated medicine. You will show your gratitude to the Lord by not refusing what the Lord offers you. You have offended, but can still be reconciled. You have One whom you may satisfy, and Him willing.68    To accept the satisfaction.

CAPUT VII.

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Hucusque, Christe Domine, de poenitentiae disciplina servis tuis dicere vel audire contingat, quousque etiam delinquere non oportet audientibus: vel nihil jam de poenitentia noverint, nihil ejus requirant. Piget fecundae, imo iam ultimae spei subtexere mentionem, ne retractantes de residuo auxilio poenitendi, spatium adhuc delinquendi demonstrare videamur. Absit, ut aliquis ita interpretetur, quasi eo sibi etiam nunc pateat ad delinquendum, quia patet ad poenitendum; et redundantia clementiae coelestis, libidinem faciat humanae temeritatis. Nemo idcirco deterior sit, quia Deus melior est, totiens delinquendo quotiens 1240C ignoscitur . Caeterum finem utique evadendi habebit. cum offendendi non habebit. Evasimus semel; hactenus 1241A periculosis nosmetipsos inferamus , et si iterum evasuri videmur. Plerique naufragio liberati exinde repudium et navi et mari dicunt , et Dei beneficium, salutem suam scilicet, memoria periculi honorant. Laudo timorem, diligo verecundiam, nolunt iterum divinae misericordiae oneri esse; formidant videri inculcare, quod consecuti sunt; bona certe sollicitudine iterum experiri vitant quod semel didicerunt timere. Ita modus temeritatis, testatio est timoris. Timor autem hominis, Dei honor est. Sed enim pervicacissimus hostis ille, nunquam malitiae suae otium facit. Atquin tunc maxime saevit, cum hominem plene sentit liberatum ; tunc plurimum accenditur, dum extinguitur. Doleat et ingemiscat necesse est, venia peccatorum permissa, tot in homine mortis opera 1241B diruta, tot titulos damnationis retro suae erasos. Dolet quod ipsum et angelos ejus, Christi servus illi peccator judicaturus est. Itaque observat, oppugnat, obsidet, si qua possit aut oculos concupiscentia carnali ferire, aut animum illecebris saecularibus irretire, aut fidem terrenae potestatis formidine evertere, aut a via certa perversis traditionibus detorquere: non scandalis, non tentationibus deficit. Haec igitur venena ejus providens Deus, clausa licet ignoscentiae janua, et intinctionis sera obstructa, aliquid adhuc permisit patere. Collocavit in vestibulo poenitentiam secundam, quae pulsantibus patefaciat: sed jam semel, quia jam secundo. Sed amplius nunquam, quia proxime frustra. Non enim et hoc semel satis est? Habes, quod jam non merebaris; 1241C amisisti enim quod acceperas. Si tibi indulgentia Domini accommodat, unde restituas quod amiseras, iterato beneficio gratus esto, nedum ampliato: majus est enim restituere, quam dare: quoniam miserius est perdidisse , quam omnino non accepisse. Verum non statim succidendus ac subruendus 1242A est animus desperatione, si secundae quis poenitentiae debitor fuerit: pigeat sane peccare rursus, sed rursus poenitere non pigeat: pigeat iterum periclitari, sed non iterum liberari. Neminem pudeat; iteratae valetudinis iteranda medicina est: gratus in Dominum exstiteris, si quod tibi Dominus offert, non recusaveris: offendisti, sed reconciliari adhuc potes. Habes cui satisfacias, et quidem volentem.