that there is no other repentance than that, when we descend into the water, and receive remission of sins: afterwards we must take heed not to sin, but to remain in that purity.' And he said to me, 'Thou hast heard rightly. But since thou inquirest into all things diligently, I will shew thee this also, not giving occasion (of offence) to those who have, or shall, believe in the Lord. For these have (then) not repentance for sin, but remission. But to those who were called before those days, the Lord assigned repentance. Since God knew the thoughts of the heart, and the weakness of man, and the manifold wickedness of the devil, whereby he devises mischief against the servants of God—therefore the merciful Lord had mercy on the work of His hands; and he assigned that repentance, and gave me power over that repentance. And, therefore, I say unto you, that, after that great and holy calling (Baptism) if any be tempted by the devil and sin, he has one repentance. But if he sin again, and repent, it will not profit the man who doth such things, for hardly will he live to God[1].' And I said, 'Sir, I revived, when I diligently heard these commandments. For I know, that if hereafter I add not to my sins, I shall be saved.' And he said, 'Yea, and all who shall do these commandments, shall be saved." This passage of St. Hermas is the more remarkable, since he lays down the principle, upon which more than one repentance after Baptism would probably be very rare, if not altogether hopeless, coinciding with the known teaching of the Apostles, and with subsequent experience, although limiting very awfully what their written teaching has left undefined. And these, and similar Apostolic sayings, were the foundation, doubtless, of that primitive Ecclesiastical rule[2], which, in the case of any grievous offences,
- ↑ See a very practical sermon, in the 1st vol. of Newman's Parochial Sermons, "On the religious use of excited feelings."
- ↑ See Bingham Christian Antiq. L. 18. c. 4., and Morinus de Administr. Sacram. Pœnitentiæ, L. v. c. 27–30., who is the more unexceptionable witness, since this practice of the primitive Church is so greatly opposed to the laxity of the modern Church of Rome. Morinus, with an honesty unusual to his Church on this subject, distinctly asserts, that this discipline flourished in the Latin Church, till about the year 700. "It is certain, moreover, and
