15. “Forgiveness of sins.” Ye have [this article of] the Creed perfectly in you when ye receive Baptism. Let none say, “I have done this or that sin: perchance that is not forgiven me.” What hast thou done? How great a sin hast thou done? Name any heinous thing thou hast committed, heavy, horrible, which thou shudderest even to think of: have done what thou wilt: hast thou killed Christ? There is not than that deed any worse, because also than Christ there is nothing better. What a dreadful thing is it to kill Christ! Yet the Jews killed Him, and many afterwards believed on Him and drank His blood: they are forgiven the sin which they committed. When ye have been baptized, hold fast a good life in the commandments of God, that ye may guard your Baptism even unto the end. I do not tell you that ye will live here without sin; but they are venial, without which this life is not. For the sake of all sins was Baptism provided; for the sake of light sins, without which we cannot be, was prayer provided.42    Inventus What hath the Prayer? “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.”43    Matt. vi. 12. [See R.V.] Once for all we have washing in Baptism, every day we have washing in prayer. Only, do not commit those things for which ye must needs be separated from Christ’s body: which be far from you! For those whom ye have seen doing penance,44    “Agere pœnitentiam.” have committed heinous things, either adulteries or some enormous crimes: for these they do penance. Because if theirs had been light sins, to blot out these daily prayer would suffice.

CAPUT VII.

15. Peccata etiam immania dimittuntur in Baptismo; et venialia, in oratione dominica. Poenitentiae publicae actio propter immania peccata, non 0636 propter levia. Remissionem peccatorum. Habetis Symbolum perfecte in vobis, quando baptizamini. Nemo dicat: Illud feci, forte non mihi dimittitur. Quid fecisti? quantum fecisti? Dic immane aliquid quod commisisti, grave, horrendum, quod etiam cogitare horres: quidquid vis feceris, numquid Christum occidisti? Non est isto facto aliquid pejus, quia et Christo nihil est melius. Quantum nefas est occidere Christum? Judaei tamen eum occiderunt, et multi in eum postea crediderunt, et biberunt ejus sanguinem: dimissum est illis peccatum quod commiserunt. Cum baptizati fueritis, tenete vitam bonam in praeceptis Dei, ut Baptismum custodiatis usque in finem. Non vobis dico quia sine peccato hic vivetis; sed sunt venialia, sine quibus vita ista non est. Propter omnia peccata Baptismus inventus est; propter levia, sine quibus esse non possumus, oratio inventa. Quid habet oratio? Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris (Id. VI, 12). Semel abluimur Baptismate, quotidie abluimur oratione. Sed nolite illa committere, pro quibus necesse est ut a Christi corpore separemini: quod absit a vobis. Illi enim quos videtis agere poenitentiam, scelera commiserunt, aut adulteria, aut aliqua facta immania: inde agunt poenitentiam. Nam si levia peccata ipsorum essent, ad haec quotidiana oratio delenda sufficeret.