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.' schism, losing the light of Christian charity. In accordance with this principle, the Church of Africa has recognized the Donatists from the very beginning, obeying herein the decree of the bishops who gave sentence in the Church at Rome between Cæcilianus and the party of Donatus; and having condemned one bishop named Donatus,' who was proved to have been the author of the schism, they determined that the others should be received, after correction, with full recognition of their orders even if they had been ordained outside the Church, not that they could have the Holy Spirit even outside the unity of the body of Christ, but, in the first place, for the sake of those whom it was possible they might deceive while they remained outside, and prevent from obtaining that gift; and, secondly, that their own weakness also being mercifully received within, might thus be 49. Let them understand, therefore, that it rendered capable of cure, no obstinacy any is not every sin, but only some sin, against longer standing in the way to close their eyes the Holy Ghost which is incapable of forgiveagainst the evidence of truth. For what ness. For just as when our Lord said, “If other intention could have given rise to their I had not come and spoken unto them, they own conduct, when they received with full recognition of their orders the followers of Maximianus, whom they had condemned as guilty of sacrilegious schism, as their council shows, and to fill whose places they had already ordained other men, when they saw that the people did not depart from their company, that all might not be involved in ruin? And on what other ground did they neither speak against nor question the validity of the baptism which had been administered outside by men whom they had condemned? Why, then, do they wonder, why do they complain, and make it the subject of their calumnies, that we receive them in such wise to promote the true peace of Christ, while yet they do not remember what they themselves have done to promote the false peace of Donatus, which is opposed to Christ? For if this act of theirs be borne in mind, and intelligently used in argument against them, they will have no answer whatsoever that they can make. had not had sin," 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," He immediately added, “WhoseCHAP. 11.-48. But as to what they say, soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto arguing as follows: If we have sinned against them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they the Holy Ghost, in that we have treated your are retained." Whosoever therefore has rebaptism with contempt, why is it that you sisted or fought against this gift of the grace seek us, seeing that we cannot possibly re- of God, or has been estranged from it in ceive remission of this sin, as the Lord says, any way whatever to the end of this mortal Whosoever speaketh against the Holy life, shall not receive the remission of that Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in sin, either in this world, or in the world to this world, neither in the world to come?" 3-come, seeing that it is so great a sin that they do not perceive that according to their in it is included every sin; but it cannot 66 1 The Bishop of Casa Nigræ. 2 The Council of Bagai. 3 Matt. xii. 32. 4 John xv. 22. 5 John xx. 22, 23. be proved to have been committed by any Ghost which is given unto us; "5 but he is one, till he has passed away from life. But not a partaker of the divine love who is the so long as he lives here, "the goodness of enemy of unity. Therefore they have not God," as the apostle says, "is leading him the Holy Ghost who are outside the Church; to repentance;" but if he deliberately, with for it is written of them, "They separate the utmost perseverance in iniquity, as the themselves, being sensual, having not the apostle adds in the succeeding verse, after Spirit."6 But neither does he receive it who his hardness and impenitent heart, treasures is insincerely in the Church, since this is also up unto himself wrath against the day of the intent of what is written: "For the Holy wrath and revelation of the righteous judg- Spirit of discipline will flee deceit."7 If any ment of God," he shall not receive forgive- one, therefore, wishes to receive the Holy ness, neither in this world, neither in that Spirit, let him beware of continuing in alienawhich is to come. tion 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. 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. 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."3 Furthermore, the Catholic Church alone is the body of Christ, of which He is the Head and Saviour of His body. 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 communication with the doctors of the Church. 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 |