nor did the divine clemency allow, that the Church should be closed against those who knocked, and assistance denied to those, who with tears implored it; for dying thus they would be dismissed to the Lord, without communion and without peace ; when he, who gave the law, had himself permitted, that what is bound on earth should be bound also in heaven, and that should be there loosed, which had before been here loosed in the Church. Matt. xviii.” Ep. L. iv. p. 77.
CENT. IV.
ST. ATHANASIUS, G. C.-“ Let us examine ourselves, whether our bonds are unloosed, that we may make some progress. Should they be still tied, give thyself up to the Disciples of Jesus. They stand ready to unloose thee, by the virtue of that power which they received from Christ. Whatever you shall bind on earth, he said, shall be bound in heaven; and what things you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. And who are the sinners, that must have recourse to their ministry? They are those whose vices were concealed, and whose sins were not subjected to public penance. One is enchained by avarice, another by fornication, this by drunkenness, the other by a vain ambition. There are some who injure their neighbours, and the poor, by taking or withholding from them what belongs to them; others accumulate usury on usury; in fine, we all labour under our respective vices; we all stand in need of being healed by our Saviour, and of the assistance of his ministers, that we may be freed from the captivity of the devil.” Hom. in illud Profecti in Pagum.[1] T. ii. p. 79.
- ↑ The Benedictin editors think this homily is not of Athanasius. It is certainly of some ancient, if not contemporary, author.
