Chapter 11.—48. But as to what they say, arguing as follows: If we have sinned against the Holy Ghost, in that we have treated your baptism with contempt, why is it that you seek us, seeing that we cannot possibly receive remission of this sin, as the Lord says, "Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come?"2561
—they do not perceive that according to their interpretation of the passage none can be
delivered. For who is there that does not speak against the Holy
Ghost and
sin against him, whether we take the case of one who is not yet a
Christian, or of one who shares in the
heresy of Arius, or of Eunomius, or of Macedonius, who all say that He is a creature; or of Photinus, who denies that He has any substance at all, saying that there is only one
God, the
Father; or of any of the
other
heretics, whom it would now take too long a time to mention in detail? Are none, therefore, of these to be
delivered? Or if the
Jews themselves, against whom the
Lord directed His
reproach, were to believe in Him, would they not be allowed to be
baptized? for the Saviour does not say, Shall be
forgiven in
baptism: but "Shall not be
forgiven, neither in this
world, neither in the
world to come."
49. Let them understand, therefore, that it is not every sin, but only some sin, against the Holy Ghost which is incapable of forgiveness. For just as when our Lord said, "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin,"2562
it is clear that He did not wish it to be understood that they would have been free from all
sin, since they were filled with many grievous
sins, but that they would have been free from some special
sin, the absence of which would have left them in a position to receive
remission of all the
sins which yet remained in them, viz., the
sin of not believing in Him when He came to them; for they could not have had this
sin, had He not come. In like manner, also, when He said,
"Whosoever sinneth against the Holy
Ghost,"or, "Whosoever speaketh against the Holy
Ghost;" it is clear that He does not refer to every
sin of whatsoever
kind against the Holy
Ghost, in word or
deed, but would have us understand some special and
peculiar sin. But this is the hardness of
heart even to the end of this
life, which leads a man to refuse to accept
remission of his
sins in the
unity of the body of
Christ, to which
life is given by the Holy
Ghost. For when He had said to His
disciples "Receive the Holy
Ghost," immediately added, Whosesoever
sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever
sins ye retain, they are retained."
2563
Whosoever therefore has
resisted or
fought against this
gift of the
grace of
God, or has been estranged from it in any way whatever to the end of this
mortal life, shall not receive the
remission of that
sin, either in this
world, or in the
world to come, seeing that it is so great a
sin that in it is included every
sin; but it cannot be
proved to have been
committed by any one, till he has passed away from
life. But so long as he lives here, "the
goodness of
God," as the
apostle says, "is leading him to repentance;" but if he deliberately, with the utmost
perseverance in
iniquity, as the
apostle adds in the succeeding verse, "after his hardness and
impenitent heart,
treasures up unto himself
wrath against the day of
wrath and revelation of the
righteous judgment of
God,"
2564
he shall not receive
forgiveness, neither in this
world, neither in that which is to come.
50. But those with whom we are arguing, or about whom we are arguing, are not to be despaired of, for they are yet in the body; but they cannot seek the Holy Spirit, except in the body of Christ, of which they possess the outward sign outside the Church, but they do not possess the actual reality itself within the Church of which that is the outward sign, and therefore they eat and drink damnation to themselves.2565
For there is but one
bread which is the sacrament of
unity, seeing that, as the
apostle says, "We, being many, are one
bread, and one body."
2566
Furthermore, the Catholic
Church alone is the body of
Christ, of which He is the Head and Saviour of His body.
2567
Outside this body the
Holy Spirit giveth
life to no one seeing that, as the
apostle says himself, "The
love of
God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy
Ghost which is given unto us;"
2568
but he is not a partaker of the
divine love who is the
enemy of
unity. Therefore they have not the Holy
Ghost who are outside the
Church; for it is written of them, "They separate themselves being
sensual, having not the Spirit."
2569
But neither does he receive it who is insincerely in the
Church, since this is also the intent of what is written: "For the
Holy Spirit of
discipline will
flee deceit."
2570
If any one, therefore, wishes to receive the
Holy Spirit, let him
beware of continuing in alienation from the
Church, let him
beware of entering it in the spirit of dissimulation; or if he has already entered it in such
wise, let him
beware of persisting in such dissimulation, in order that he may truly and indeed become united with the
tree of
life.
51. I have despatched to you a somewhat lengthy epistle, which may prove burdensome among your many occupations. If, therefore, it may be read to you even in portions, the Lord will grant you understanding, that you may have some answer which you can make for the correction and healing of those men who are commended to you as to a faithful son by our mother the Church, that you may correct and heal them, by the aid of the Lord wherever you can, and howsoever you can,
either by speaking and replying to them in your own person, or by bringing them into communication with the doctors of the Church.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
