became a second Baptism. Man's longing to be once again secure, was complied with: his old sins were effaced, not to rise up again against him: again and again he began afresh: again and again he was told, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," and so the salutary anxiety about past sin, and its fruit "a righteous, godly, and sober life," were in ordinary minds choked and effaced. Perverting the earnest sayings of the Fathers, they turned the hard and toilsome way of Repentance into the easy and royal road of Penance. Let us beware lest by an opposite course we arrive at the same result. The blood of Christ is indeed all-powerful to wash away sin; but it is not at our discretion, at once, on the first expression of what may be a passing sorrow, to apply It. On true repentance It will yet "cleanse men from all sin;" but how much belongs to true repentance! The fountain has been indeed opened to wash away sin and uncleanness, but we dare not promise men a second time the same easy access to it, which they once had: that way is open but once: it were to abuse the power of the keys entrusted to us, again to pretend to admit them thus: now there remains only the "Baptism of tears," a Baptism obtained, as the same fathers said[1], with much fasting, and with many prayers. We are familiar with the striking saying of Tertullian[2] against despair. "God would not threaten the impenitent, unless He forgave the penitent." Would that we equally laid to heart what he says in the same place[3], of the greatness of that penitence! "Thus far, (namely of Baptismal repentance), thus far, O Christ the Lord, may Thy servants hear and learn of the discipline of repentance, to hear which it needs not that [while Thy servants]
- ↑ Clemens of Alexandria, ap. Euseb. H. E. l. 3. c. 23. of the youth who having after Baptism become a robber was restored by St. John.
- ↑ De Pœnitentia, c. 8.
- ↑ C. 7. sqq.
admit a new Sacrament distinct from Baptism, whereby remission of sins may be given. Nor can the adversaries say that Paul only means that the action of Baptism ought not to be repeated, for Paul does not speak of the rite, but of its effect, i.e. renewal. Wherefore, if we cannot have again the effect of Baptism, we must look certainly for some other rite, some other Sacrament."
