Chapter 13.—18. But as regards the remission of sins, whether it is granted through baptism at the hands of the heretics, I have already expressed my opinion on this point in a former book;1286
| 1286 Above, Book I. c. xi. sqq.
|
but I will shortly recapitulate it here. If
remission of
sins is there conferred by the sacredness of
baptism, the
sins return again through obstinate
perseverance in
heresy or
schism; and therefore such men must needs return to the
peace of the Catholic
Church, that they may cease to be
heretics and schismatics, and deserve that those
sins which had returned on them should be cleansed away by
love working in the
bond of
unity. But if, although among
heretics and
schismatics it be still the same
baptism of
Christ, it yet cannot
work remission of
sins owing to this same foulness of discord and
wickedness of dissent, then the same
baptism begins to be of avail for the
remission of
sins when they come to the
peace of the
Church,—[not]
1287
| 1287 Non ut jam vere dimissa non retineantur. One of the negatives here appears to be superfluous, and the former is omitted in Amerbach’s edition, and in many of the Mss., which continue the sentence, "non ut ille baptismus," instead of "neque ut ille," etc. If the latter negative were omitted, the sense would be improved, and "neque" would appropriately remain.
|
that what has been already truly remitted should not be retained; nor that
heretical baptism should be repudiated as belonging to a different
religion, or as being different from our own, so that a second
baptism should be
administered; but that the very same
baptism, which was working
death by reason of discord outside the
Church, may
work salvation by reason of the
peace within. It was, in fact, the same
savor of which the
apostle says, "We are a sweet
savor of
Christ
in every place;" and yet, says he, "both in them that are
saved and in them that
perish. To the one we are the
savor of
life unto
life; and to the other the
savor of
death unto death."
1288
And although he used these words with reference to another subject, I have applied them to this, that men may understand that what is good may not only work life to those who use it aright, but also death to those who use it wrong.
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