retical Rigours of the Montanists and Navatians, is abundantly evident from the Writings of the Fathers. St. Ferom obferves, That the Montanifts and the Orthodox Chrifti. ans p difagreed in the Rule of Faith, or in the Creed, and particularly in the Article of the Forgiveness of Sins, for they but the Church-doors for every Fault almoft; but we, faith he, read every Day, I rather defire the Repentance than the Death of a Sin ner. p In fidei regula difcrepamus clefiæ obferant fores, nos quotiilli ad omne pene delictum Ecdie legimus, malo pœnitentiam Peccatoris quam mortem. Tom. 2. ad Marcel. Epift. 54. p. 193. -The Author of the Explanation of the Creed to Damafus, wrongfully fupposed to be St. Jerom, imagined by Bellarmin and Launoy to be Pelagius, thus explains this Clause against the forementioned Severities, That if a Man falls after Baptifm, we believe that he may be faved by Repentance. Hominem fi poft baptismum lapfus fuerit, per pœnitentiam credimus poffe falvari. Inter. per. Hieron. Tom. 9. p. 71. But above all, St. Austin in fundry places thus interprets it, as in his Enchiridion to Laurentius, where, after he hath mentioned the precedent primary Sense thereof, he adds this fecondary Сс * Sed neque de ipfis crimini bus quamlibet magnis remitten dis in fancta Ecclefia, Dei despe tum Deus non fpernit: verum condary one, That, as for great Sins to be remitted in the Holy Church, the Mercy of God is not to be defpaired of by those who repent ac randa eft mifericordia agentibus poenitentiam fecundum modum fui cujufque peccati, in a&tione autem pœnitentiæ, ubi tale crimen commiffum eft, ut is qui commi- cording to the measure of fit à Chrifti etiam corporefepare tur, non tam confideranda eft, menfura temporis, quam doloris; cor enim contritum & humilia qui plerunque dolor alterius cordis occultus eft alteri, neque in aliorum notitiam nifi per verba vel quæcunque alia figna proce dit, recte conftituuntur ab iis qui Ecclefiæ præfunt tempora poe nitentiæ, ut fiat etiam fatis Ecclefiæ, in qua remittuntur ipfa peccata. Tom. 3. Enchirid. ad Lau rent. c. 65. p. 230. their Sin; but, in the Action of Repentance, where fuch a Crime is perpetrated, as that the Committer thereof is fe parated from the Body of Chrift, the measure of Time is not so much to be confidered as the meafure of Sorrow; for God defpifeth not a contrite and humbled Heart: But, because the Sorrow of one Man's Heart is hid from another, and cannot be known by others, except by Words and other external Signs, therefore Times of Penance are appointed by the Ecclefiaftical Gover nours, that the Church may be fatisfied, in which their Sins are emitted. And in another place, where he cautions his Readers particularly against those feveral Hereticks who denied the feveral Parts of the Creed, he directly levels this Article against the Novatians, faying thereon, Le us not hear those who de Nec eos audiamus, qui negant Ecclefiam Dei omnia peccata ny, that the Church of poffe dimittere. Tom. 3. de Agone God can forgive all Sins. Christian, p. 31. p. 1032. And elsewhere, where he largely profecutes this fecundary Explication of the Article before us, He wonders that any Miror autem quofdam fic ob ten, A ftinatos effe ut dandam non pu fbould be fo obftinate, as tent lapfis poenitentiam, aut poe- mento unde excideris, & age pœ per delictum poftmodum furrepfit, &c. Tom. 10. Serm. de Temp. 181.p. 538. Cc 2 Baptifm, were upon an unfeigned and fincere Repentance, remiffible both by God and the Church, So that from all that hath been said, we may conclude, that by this Article of the Creed, it was intended to be profeffed, That all Sins committed before Baptifm, are at that time, for the fake of Chrift, completely forgiven to all penitent Believers; and that all Sins committed after Baptism, though never so scandalous and offenfive, are upon the renewal of Faith and Repentance, pardonable both by God and the Church. Both which Explications whereof were given by the Bishops to Conftantine the Great, as it is reported by Zozomen, who relating the Hiftory of the famous Cross, which our Saviour impreffed on his Fancy, commanding him to make one in the Form and Likeness thereof; farther adds, That the next Morning the Chriftian Bishops expounded unto him the meaning thereof, and from thence took an occafion to recommend unto him feveral of the Articles of the Creed; the laft whereof was, the Forgiveness of Sins, delivered by them in this brief Periphra " fis, fis, u That there is hope. of Salvation and remis fion of Sins, to Perfons in this Life ; to thole who have not yet been initiae ted in the Mysteries of the Church, by receiving that faid Initiation, but to thole who have been initiated, not to fin again: auto, & #ç1 But, as the faid Hiltorian continues to write, because there are but few Men, and thofe moft Holy and Divine, who can fo do, therefore the Bishops far ther inftructed the Emperour, that there was a fecond Expiation appointed by Re pentance; for, God being merciful and kind, will pardon those who have finned, provided they repent, and confirm their Repentance by good Works. anna doosulwowκ. Εἶναι μύτοι καὶ τοῖς λα Ineias, nabagus apuaκαθαρμὸν ἀμβλημά των, αμυήτοις με μυήσιν και τ νόμον ἢ ἐκκλησίας, τοῖς ους μυημθύοις τὸ μὴ πάλιν αμόρ. her, ne TTO Barthes on[ων και θείων ἀνδρῶν ἐςὶ κατορ θαρμόν τετάχθαι ἐκ μετανοίας. θῶσαι, ἐδίδασκον δεύτερον και φιλάνθρωπον νὰ ὄντα - Θεὸν à√ασυγνώμων νέμειν τοῖς ἑπτακόσιν θους, μεταμέλειαν βεβαιώσεσι. Ecclef. Hift. lib. 1. c. 3. p. 404. ἐπεὶ δ τέτο πανῶς Having thus dispatch'd the Article of the Forgiveness of Sins, the next that must be enquired into, is the Refurre&tion of the Body; which in the Creeds of Ferom, and several: X others is the last Article thereof; Life everlafting being not expreffed, but fuppofed in the Refurrection. But, Cc 3 In Symbolo fidei omne Chriftiani dogmatis Sacramentum, carnis refurrectione concluditur. Tom. 2. adverf. Error. Foban. Hierofol, Epist. 61. e. 9. P. 219. seeing |