Chapter XVI.

Comparison between the apostles and Novatians. The fitness of the words, “Ye know not what spirit ye are of,” when applied to them. The desire of penance is extinguished by them when they take away its fruit. And thus are sinners deprived of the promises of Christ, though, indeed, they ought not to be too soon admitted to the mysteries. Some examples of repentance.

87. Inasmuch, then, as the Apostle forgave sins, by what authority do you say that they are not to be forgiven? Who has the most reverence for Christ, Paul or Novatian? But Paul knew that the Lord was merciful. He knew that the Lord Jesus was offended more by the harshness of the disciples than by their pitifulness.

88. Furthermore, Jesus rebuked James and John when they spoke of bringing down fire from heaven to consume those who refused to receive the Lord, and said to them: “Ye know not whose spirit ye are of; for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”131    S. Luke ix. 55, 56. To them, indeed, He said, “Ye know not whose spirit ye are of,” who were of His spirit; but to you He says, “Ye are not of My spirit, who hold not fast My clemency, who reject My mercy, who refuse repentance which I willed to be preached by the apostles in My Name.”

89. For it is in vain that you say that you preach repentance who remove the fruits of repentance. For men are led to the pursuit of anything either by rewards or results, and every pursuit grows slack by delay. And for this reason the Lord, in order that the devotion of His disciples might be increased, said that every one who had left all that was his, and followed God, should receive sevenfold more both here and hereafter.132    S. Matt. xix. 29. First of all He promised the reward here, to do away with the tedium of delay, and again hereafter, that we might learn to believe that rewards will also be given to us hereafter. Present rewards are then an earnest of those hereafter.

90. If, then, any one, having committed hidden sins, shall nevertheless diligently do penance, how shall he receive those rewards if not restored to the communion of the Church? I am willing, indeed, that the guilty man should hope for pardon, should seek it with tears and groans, should seek it with the aid of the tears of all the people, should implore forgiveness; and if communion be postponed two or three times, that he should believe that his entreaties have not been urgent enough, that he must increase his tears, must come again even in greater trouble, clasp the feet of the faithful with his arms, kiss them, wash them with tears, and not let them go, so that the Lord Jesus may say of him too: “His sins which are many are forgiven, for he loved much.”133    S. Luke vii. 47.

91. I have known penitents whose countenance was furrowed with tears, their cheeks worn with constant weeping, who offered their body to be trodden under foot by all, who with faces ever pale and worn with fasting bore about in a yet living body the likeness of death.

413 CAPUT XVI.

Novatiani cum Apostolo comparantur. Quam pulchre illis conveniat Domini verbum: Nescitis cujus spiritus estis. Poenitentiae studium ab eis exstingui, dum 0492B ejus fructum e medio tollunt. Hoc pacto Christi promissis privari peccatores; qui tamen non cito admittendi ad mysteria. Denique poenitentium quorumdam exempla proponuntur.

87. Cum igitur apostolus peccatum remiserit, qua vos auctoritate dimittendum negatis? Quis reverentior Christi, Novatianus, an Paulus? Sed noverat Paulus Dominum misericordem; noverat Dominum Jesum severitate magis discipulorum offensum, quam misericordia (II Cor. II, 10).

88. Denique Jacobum et Joannem dicentes quod ignem de coelo peterent, qui consumeret eos, qui Dominum recipere nolebant, confutavit Jesus dicens: Nescitis cujus spiritus estis; Filius enim hominis non venit 0492C animas hominum perdere, sed salvas facere (Luc. IX, 55, 56). Et illis quidem dixit: Nescitis cujus spiritus estis, qui ipsius erant spiritus; vobis autem dicit: Non estis spiritus mei, qui meam clementiam non tenetis, qui meam refutatis misericordiam; qui excluditis poenitentiam, quam ego per apostolos meos praedicari volui in nomine meo.

89. Frustra enim dicitis vos praedicare poenitentiam, qui tollitis fructum poenitentiae (Luc. XXIV, 47). Homines enim ad aliquod studium aut praemiis aut fructibus incitantur: omne autem studium torpescit dilatione. Et ideo Dominus ut praesentium fructu cumularetur devotio discipulorum, 414 dixit quoniam qui dimisisset omnia sua, et Deum secutus 0493A esset, septies tantum reciperet et hic et in futurum (Matth. XIX, 29). Prius hic promisit, ut fastidia dilationis auferret: addidit et in futurum, ut hic disceres credere in futurum quoque solvenda tibi praemia. Remuneratio igitur praesentium, testimonium futurorum est.

90. Si quis igitur occulta crimina habens, propter Christum tamen studiose poenitentiam egerit; quomodo ista recipit, si ei communio non refunditur? Volo veniam reus speret, petat eam lacrymis, petat gemitibus, petat populi totius fletibus; ut ignoscatur, obsecret: et cum secundo et tertio fuerit dilata ejus communio, credat remissius se supplicasse, fletus augeat, miserabilior postea revertatur, teneat 0494A pedes brachiis, osculetur osculis, lavet fletibus, nec dimittat; ut de ipso dicat Dominus Jesus: Remissa sunt peccata ejus multa; quoniam dilexit multum (Luc. VII, 47).

91. Cognovi quosdam in poenitentia sulcasse vultum lacrymis, exarasse continuis fletibus genas, stravisse corpus suum calcandum omnibus; jejuno ore semper et pallido, mortis speciem spiranti in corpore praetulisse.