Whosoever Shall Speak a Word against the Holy Spirit II

On Matthew 12:32

Whosoever Shall Speak a Word against the Holy Spirit II

21. But this impenitence or impenitent heart may not be pronounced upon, as long as a man lives in the flesh. For we are not to despair of any so long as the patience of God leads the ungodly to repentance, and does not hurry him out of this life; God, who wills not the death of a sinner, but that he should return from his ways and live. He is a heathen today; but how do you know whether he may not be a Christian tomorrow? He is a heretic today; but what if tomorrow he follow the Catholic truth? He is a schismatic today; but what if tomorrow he embrace Catholic peace? What if they, whom you observe now in any kind of error that can be, and whom you condemn as in most desperate case, what if before they end this life, they repent and find the true life in that which is to come? Wherefore, Brethren, let also what the Apostle says urge you to this. Judge nothing before the time. For this blasphemy of the Spirit, for which there is no forgiveness (which I have understood to be not every kind of blasphemy, but a particular sort, and that as I have said or discovered, or even as I think clearly shown to be the case, the persevering hardness of an impenitent heart), cannot be taken hold of in any one, I repeat it, as long as he is still in this life.

22. And let it not seem absurd, that whereas a man who perseveres in hardened impenitence even to the end of this life, speaks long and much against this grace of the Holy Spirit; yet the Gospel has called this so long contradiction of an impenitent heart, as though it were something of short duration, a word, saying, Whosoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. For though this blasphemy be long continued, and made up of, and drawn out at length in very many words, yet it is the manner of Scripture to call even many words a word. For no prophet ever spoke one word only; yet we read, the word which came to such and such a prophet. And the Apostle says, Let the elders be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. He does not say, in words, but, in the word. And St. James, Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. He again does not say, of the words, but, of the word; although so many words out of the Holy Scriptures are read, and spoken, and heard in the Church at her celebrations and solemnities. As therefore, how long a time soever any of us have laboured in preaching the Gospel, he is not called a preacher of the words, but of the word; and how long time soever any of you may have attentively and diligently listened to our preaching, he is called a most earnest hearer not of the words, but of the word; so after the style of the Scripture and the custom of the Church, whoso throughout his whole life in the flesh, to whatever length it may be extended, shall have spoken no matter how many words, whether by mouth, or the thought only with an impenitent heart, against that remission of sins which is granted in the Church, he speaks a word against the Holy Ghost.

23. Therefore not only every word spoken against the Son of Man, but, in fact, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; because where there is not this sin of an impenitent heart against the Holy Ghost, by whom sins are remitted in the Church, all other sins are forgiven. But how shall that sin be forgiven, which hinders the forgiveness of other sins also? All sins then are forgiven to them in whom is not this sin, which shall never be forgiven; but to him in whom it is, since this sin is never forgiven, neither are other sins forgiven; because the remission of all is hindered by the bond of this one. It is not then that whosoever speaks a word against the Son of Man shall be forgiven, but whoso speaks against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven, for that in the Trinity the Holy Ghost is greater than the Son, which no heretic even has ever maintained; but since whosoever he be that resists the truth and blasphemes the Truth, which is Christ, even after such a manifestation of Himself among men, as that the Word who is the Son of Man and very Christ, became flesh and dwelt among us; if he have not also spoken that word of the impenitent heart against the Holy Ghost, of whom it is said, Unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit; and again, Receive the Holy Ghost; whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them; that is, if he shall repent, he shall thereby receive the gift of the remission of all his sins, and of this also, that he has spoken a word against the Son of Man, because to the sin of ignorance, or obstinacy, or blasphemy of whatever kind, he has not added the sin of impenitence against the gift of God, and the grace of regeneration or reconciliation, which is conferred in the Church by the Holy Spirit.

24. Wherefore, neither must we imagine, as some do, that the word which is spoken against the Son of Man is forgiven, but that which is spoken against the Holy Ghost is not forgiven, because Christ became the Son of Man by reason of His assuming flesh, in which respect the Holy Ghost of course is greater, who in His Own Substance is equal to the Father and the Only-begotten Son according to His Divinity, according to which also the Only-begotten Son Himself is equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit. For if this were the reason, surely nothing would have been said of any other kind of blasphemy, that that only might appear capable of forgiveness, which is spoken against the Son of Man, regarded only as man. But forasmuch as it is first said, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; which in another Evangelist is also thus expressed, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewithsoever they shall blaspheme; without doubt, that blasphemy also which is spoken against the Father is included in that general expression; and yet that alone is laid down as unpardonable, which is spoken against the Holy Ghost. What! Did the Father also take the form of a servant, that in this respect the Holy Ghost should be greater than He? No surely: but after the universal mention of all sins and of all blasphemy, He wished to express more prominently the blasphemy which is spoken against the Son of Man for this reason, because although men should be even bound in that sin which He mentioned when He said, If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin: which sin also in the Gospel according to John He shows to be a very grievous one, when He says of the Holy Spirit Himself, when He promised that He would send Him, He shall reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believed not on Me: yet if that hardness of the impenitent heart have not spoken a word against the Holy Ghost, even this which is spoken against the Son of Man shall be forgiven.

25. Here perhaps some one may ask, whether the Holy Ghost only forgives sins, and not the Father and the Son also? I answer, Both the Father and the Son forgive them. For the Son Himself says of the Father, If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. And we say to Him in the Lord's Prayer, Our Father, which art in heaven. And among the other petitions we ask this, saying, Forgive us our debts. And again of Himself He says, That ye may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. If then, you will say, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit forgive sins, why is that impenitence which shall never be forgiven, said to relate only to the blasphemy of the Spirit, as though he who should be bound in this sin of impenitence should seem to resist the gift of the Holy Spirit, because by that gift is wrought the remission of sins? Now on this point, I will also ask, Whether Christ only cast out devils, or the Father and the Holy Spirit also? For if Christ only, what means His saying, The Father that dwells in Me, He does the works. For so it is said, He does the works, as if the Son does them not, but the Father who dwells in the Son. Why then in another place does He say, My Father works hitherto, and I work. And a little after, For what things soever He does, these also does the Son likewise. But when in another place He says, If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, He speaks as if He did them alone. Now if these things are so expressed, as that nevertheless the works of the Father and the Son are inseparable, what must we believe of the Holy Spirit, but that He also works equally with them? For in that very place, from which this question arose which we are discussing, when the Son was casting out devils, He yet said, If I in the Holy Spirit cast out devils, then the kingdom of God has come unto you.

26. And here perhaps one may say, That the Holy Spirit is rather given by the Father and the Son, than that He works anything by His own will, and that this is the scope of the words, In the Holy Spirit I cast out devils, because not the Spirit Himself, but Christ in the Spirit, did it; so that the expression, I cast out in the Holy Spirit, might be understood as if it were said, I cast out by the Holy Spirit. For this is the usual style of the Scriptures, They killed in the sword, that is, by the sword. They burnt in the fire, that is, by the fire. And Joshua took knives of flints, in which to circumcise, that is, by which to circumcise, the children of Israel. But let those who on this account take from the Holy Spirit His proper power, look to that which we read to have been spoken by the Lord, The Spirit blows where It lists. And as to what the Apostle says, But all these works that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will; it might be feared, lest one imagine that the Father and the Son do not work them: whereas among these works he has expressly mentioned both the gifts of healings, and the workings of miracles, in which surely is included also the driving out of devils. But when he adds the words, Dividing to every man severally as He will; does he not clearly show also the Power of the Holy Spirit, yet as plainly inseparable from the Father and the Son? If then these things are so expressed, as that notwithstanding the operation of the Trinity is understood to be inseparable: so that when the operation of the Father is spoken of, it is understood that He does not exercise it without the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and when the operation of the Son is spoken of, it is not without the Father and the Holy Spirit; and when the operation of the Holy Spirit is spoken of, it is not without the Father and the Son; it is sufficiently clear to those who have a sound faith, or who even understand as they best can, both that the words, He does the works, are spoken of the Father, in that from Him is also the first principle of the works, from whom is the existence of the Persons who co-operate in working: for that both the Son is born of Him, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from Him, as the First Beginning, of whom the Son is born, and with whom He has one Spirit in common; and again that when the Lord said, If I had not done among them the works which none other did, He did not speak in reference to the Father and the Spirit, as that They did not co-operate with Him in those works; but to men by whom we read of many miracles having been done, but by none such miracles as the Son did. And what the Apostle says of the Holy Spirit, But all these works that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will, is not said, because the Father and the Son do not co-operate with Him; but because in these works there are not many spirits, but One Spirit, and in His various operations He is not diverse from Himself.

27. And yet it is not without cause, but with reason and with truth said, that the Father, and not the Son and the Holy Spirit, said, You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Nevertheless, we do not deny that the Son and the Holy Spirit co-operated in working this miracle of the voice sounding from heaven, though we know that it belongs to the Person of the Father only. For though the Son bearing flesh, was there conversing with men on earth, He was not the less on that account in the Bosom of the Father also as the Only-Begotten Word, when that Voice came out of the cloud; nor could it be either wisely and through the Spirit believed, that God the Father separated the operation of these audible and passing words from the co-operation of His Wisdom and His Spirit. In the same way when we say most rightly, that not the Father, nor the Holy Spirit, but the Son walked upon the sea, who only had that flesh and those feet which rested on the waves; yet who would deny that the Father and the Holy Spirit co-operated in the work of so great a miracle? For so again we say most truly that the Son only took this our flesh, not the Father, nor the Holy Spirit, and yet he has no true wisdom who denies that the Father, or the Holy Spirit co-operated in the work of His Incarnation which belongs only to the Son. So also we say that neither the Father, nor the Son, but the Holy Spirit only appeared both in the form of a dove, and in tongues as it were of fire; and gave to those to whom He came the power to tell in many and various tongues the wonderful works of God; and yet from this miracle which regards the Holy Spirit only, we cannot separate the co-operation of the Father and the Only-Begotten Word. So also the Whole Trinity work the works of each several Person in the Trinity, the Two co-operating in the work of the Other, through a perfect harmony of operation in the Three, and not through any deficiency of the power to work effectually in One. And since this is so, hence it is that the Lord Jesus cast out devils in the Holy Spirit. Not that He was not able to accomplish this alone, or that He assumed that aid as being insufficient for this work; but it was meet that the spirit who is divided against himself should be driven out by that Spirit, which the Father and the Son who are not divided in themselves have in common.

28. And thus sins, because they are not forgiven out of the Church, must be forgiven by that Spirit, by whom the Church is gathered together into one. In fact, if any one out of the Church repent him of his sins, and for this so great sin whereby he is an alien from the Church of God, has an heart impenitent, what does that other repentance profit him? Seeing by this alone he speaks a word against the Holy Ghost, whereby he is alienated from the Church, which has received this gift, that in her remission of sins should be given in the Holy Ghost? Which remission though it be the work of the Whole Trinity, is yet understood specially to belong to the Holy Spirit. For He is the Spirit of the adoption of sons, in whom we cry Abba, Father; that we may be able to say to Him, Forgive us our debts. And, Hereby we know as the Apostle John says, that Christ dwells in us, by His Spirit which He has given us. The Spirit Itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. For to Him appertains the fellowship, by which we are made the one body of the One only Son of God. Whence it is written, If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit. With a view to this fellowship they to whom He first came spoke with the tongues of all nations. Because as by tongues the fellowship of mankind is more closely united; so it behooved that this fellowship of the sons of God and members of Christ which was to be among all nations should be signified by the tongues of all nations; that as at that time he was known to have received the Holy Ghost, who spoke with the tongues of all nations; so now he should acknowledge that he has received the Holy Ghost, who is held by the bond of the peace of the Church, which is spread throughout all nations. Whence the Apostle says, Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

29. Now that He is the Spirit of the Father, the Son Himself says, He proceeds from the Father. And in another place, For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you. And that He is the Spirit of the Son also the Apostle says, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father; that is, making you cry. For it is we that cry; but in Him, that is, by His shedding abroad love in our hearts, without which whoso cries, cries in vain. Whence he says again, If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. To which Person then in the Trinity could the communion of this fellowship peculiarly appertain, but to that Spirit which is common to the Father and the Son?

30. That they who have separated from the Church have not this Spirit, the Apostle Jude has declared most plainly, saying, Who separate themselves, natural, having not the Spirit. Whence the Apostle Paul reproving those even in the Church itself, who by the names of men, though having a place in her unity, were raising a kind of schism, says among other things, But the natural man perceives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. This shows his meaning, does not perceive, that is does not receive the word of knowledge. These as having a place in the Church, he speaks of as babes, not yet spiritual, but still carnal, and such as are to be fed with milk, not with meat. Even, he says, as unto babes in Christ, have I given you milk and not meat; for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able. When we say, not yet, we must not despair, if that which is not yet tends to be. For he says, you are yet carnal. And showing how it is that they are carnal, he says, For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men? And again more plainly, For while one says, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed? These then, that is, Paul and Apollos, agreed together in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace; and yet because the Corinthians began to divide them among themselves, and to be puffed up for one against another, they are said to be men— carnal and natural men, not able to receive the things of the Spirit of God; and yet because they are not separated from the Church, they are called babes in Christ; for indeed he desired that they should be either Angels, or even Gods, whom he reproved because they were men, that is, in those contentions, They savoured not the things which be of God, but the things which be of men. But of those who are separated from the Church it is not merely said, perceiving not the things of the Spirit of God, lest it should be referred to the perception of knowledge; but it is said, Having not the Spirit. For it does not follow, that he who has it, should also by knowledge perceive what he has.

31. The babes then in Christ who have yet place in the Church, who are still natural and carnal, and cannot perceive, that is, understand and know what they have, have this Spirit. For how could they be babes in Christ except they were born anew of the Holy Spirit? Nor ought it to seem any wonder that one may have something, and yet not know what he has. For to say nothing of the Divinity of the Almighty, and the Unity of the Unchangeable Trinity, who can easily perceive by knowledge what the soul is; and yet who is there that has not a soul? Finally, that we may know most certainly that babes in Christ, who do not perceive the things of the Spirit of God, have notwithstanding the Spirit of God; let us look how the Apostle Paul, when a little while after he is rebuking them, says, Do you not know that you are the temples of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? This surely he would in no wise say to those who are separated from the Church, who are described as having not the Spirit.

32. But neither can he be said to be in the Church, and to belong to that fellowship of the Spirit, who is mixed up with Christ's sheep by a bodily intercourse only in deceitfulness of heart. For the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee deceit. Wherefore whosoever are baptized in the congregations or separations rather of schismatics or heretics, although they have not been born again of the Spirit, like as it were to Ishmael, who was Abraham's son after the flesh; not like Isaac, who was his son after the Spirit, because by promise; yet when they come to the Catholic Church, and are joined to the fellowship of the Spirit which without the Church they beyond doubt had not, the washing of the flesh is not repeated in their case. For this form of godliness was not wanting to them even when they were without; but there is added to them the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, which cannot be given but within. Before they were Catholics indeed, they were as they of whom the Apostle says, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. For the visible form of the branch may exist even when separated from the vine; but the invisible life of the root cannot be had, but in the vine. Wherefore the bodily sacraments, which even they who are separated from the Unity of Christ's Body bear and celebrate, may give the form of godliness; but the invisible and spiritual power of godliness cannot in any wise be in them, just as sensation does not accompany a man's limb, when it is amputated from the body.

33. And since this is so, remission of sins, seeing it is not given but by the Holy Spirit, can only be given in that Church which has the Holy Spirit. For this is the effect of the remission of sins, that the prince of sin, the spirit who is divided against himself, should no more reign in us, and that being delivered from the power of the unclean spirit, we should thenceforward be made the temple of the Holy Spirit, and receive Him, by whom we are cleansed through receiving pardon, to dwell in us, to work, increase, and perfect righteousness. For at His first coming, when they who had received Him spoke with the tongues of all nations, and the Apostle Peter addressed those who were present in amazement, they were pricked in heart, and said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? show us. And Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. In the Church truly in which was the Holy Ghost, were both brought to pass, that is, both the remission of sins, and the receiving of this gift. And therefore was it In the Name of Jesus Christ; because when He promised the same Holy Ghost; He said, Whom the Father will send in My Name. For the Spirit dwells in no man without the Father and the Son; as neither does the Son without the Father and the Holy Spirit, nor the Father without them. Their indwelling is inseparable, as their operation is inseparable; but sometimes they manifest themselves separately by symbols borrowed from the creatures, not in their own substance; just as they are pronounced separately by the voice in syllables which occupy separately their own spaces, and yet they are not separated from each other by any intervals, or moments of time. For they never can be pronounced together, whereas they can never exist, except together. But as I have already said, and not once only, the remission of sins, whereby the kingdom of the spirit which is divided against himself is overthrown and driven out, and the fellowship of the unity of the Church of God, out of which this remission of sins is not, are regarded as the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit, with the cooperation doubtless of the Father and the Son, because the Holy Spirit is Himself in some sort the fellowship of the Father and the Son. For the Father is not possessed as Father by the Son and the Holy Spirit in common; because He is not the Father of Both. And the Son is not possessed as Son by the Father and the Holy Spirit in common; because He is not the Son of Both. But the Holy Spirit is possessed as the Spirit by the Father and the Son in common, because He is the One Spirit of Both.

34. Whosoever therefore shall be guilty of impenitence against the Spirit, in whom the unity and fellowship of the communion of the Church is gathered together, shall never have forgiveness; because he has stopped the source of forgiveness against himself, and deservedly shall he be condemned with the spirit, which is divided against himself, who is himself also divided against the Holy Spirit which is not divided against Himself. And of this the very testimonies of the Gospel warn us, would we with good attention search them. For according to Luke the Lord does not say, That he who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven: in that place where He is answering those who said that He cast out devils by the prince of the devils. Whence it would seem that this was not said once only by the Lord; but we must not carelessly pass over the consideration of the occasion on which this last also was spoken. For He was speaking of those who should have confessed or denied Him before men, when He said, Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the Angels of God. But he that denies Me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God. And lest from this the salvation of the Apostle Peter should be despaired of, he immediately subjoined, And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but unto him that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven; blasphemes, that is, with that blasphemy of an impenitent heart, by which resistance is made to remission of sins which is granted in the Church by the Holy Ghost. And this blasphemy Peter had not, who presently repented, when he wept bitterly, and who after he had overcome the spirit who is divided against himself, and who had desired to have him to harass him, and against whom the Lord prayed for him that his faith might not fail, even received the Very Holy Spirit whom he resisted not, that not only his sin might be forgiven him, but that through him remission of sins might be preached and dispensed.

35. And in the narrative of the two other Evangelists, the occasion of speaking out this sentence of the blasphemy of the Spirit arose from the mention of the unclean spirit, who is divided against himself. For it had been said of the Lord, that He cast out devils by the prince of the devils. In that place the Lord says, that by the Holy Spirit He casts out devils, that so the spirit who is not divided against Himself may overcome and cast out him who is divided against himself; but that that man would abide in his perdition, who refuses through impenitence to pass over into His peace, who is not divided against Himself. For thus runs the narrative of Mark; Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme; but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost has never forgiveness, but shall be held guilty of an eternal offense. When he had delivered these words of the Lord, he then subjoined his own, saying, Because they said He has an unclean spirit; that He might show that the cause of His saying this arose hence, because they had said that He cast out devils by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. Not that this was a blasphemy which shall not be forgiven, forasmuch as even this shall be forgiven, if a right repentance follow it; but because, as I have said, there arose hence a cause for that sentence to be delivered by the Lord, since mention had been made of the unclean spirit whom the Lord shows to be divided against himself, because of the Holy Spirit who is not only not divided against Himself, but who also makes those whom He gathers together undivided, by forgiving those sins which are divided against themselves, and by inhabiting those who are cleansed, that it may be with them, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles, The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. And this gift of forgiveness none resists, but he who has the hardness of an impenitent heart. For in another place also the Jews said of the Lord that He had a devil, yet He spoke nothing there of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit; because they did not so bring forward the mention of the unclean spirit as that he could be shown out of their own mouths to be divided against himself, as Beelzebub, by whom they said that devils could be cast out.

36. But in this passage according to Matthew, the Lord far more plainly explained what he intended to be understood here; namely, that he it is who speaks a word against the Holy Ghost, who with an impenitent heart resists the Unity of the Church, where in the Holy Spirit is given the remission of sins. For this spirit they have not, as has been said already, who even though they bear and handle the sacraments of Christ, are separated from His congregation. For when He spoke of the division of Satan against Satan, and how that He Himself cast out devils by the Holy Spirit, that Spirit, namely, which is not, as the other, divided against Himself; lest any one should think because of those who gather together their irregular assemblies under the Name of Christ, but without His fold, that the kingdom of Christ also was divided against itself, He immediately added, He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathers not with Me scatters abroad, that He might show that they did not belong to Him who by gathering without wished not to gather but to scatter abroad. And afterwards He subjoined, Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven. What is this wherefore? Shall the blasphemy of the Spirit only not be forgiven, because he who is not with Christ is against Him, and he who gathers not with Him scatters abroad? Even so, doubtless. For he that gathers not with Him, howsoever he may gather under His name, has not the Holy Ghost.

37. Thus then has He altogether forced us to understand that the remission of no sin nor blasphemy can be effected anywhere else, save in the gathering together of Christ, which scatters not abroad. For it is gathered together in the Holy Spirit, which is not as that unclean spirit, divided against Himself. And therefore all congregations, or dispersions rather, which call themselves Churches of Christ, and are divided against themselves and contrary one to the other, and hostile to the congregation of Unity, which is His True Church, do not therefore belong to His congregation, because they seem to have His Name. But they might belong to it, if the Holy Spirit in whom this congregation is joined together, were divided against Himself. But because this is not so (for he that is not with Christ is against Him, and he that gathers not with Him scatters abroad); therefore all manner of sin and all blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men in this congregation, which Christ gathers together in the Holy Spirit, who is not divided against Himself. But that blasphemy of the Spirit Himself, whereby in an impenitent heart resistance is made to this so great gift of God even to the end of this present life, shall not be forgiven. For though a man so oppose himself to the truth, as to resist God speaking, not in the Prophets, but in His Only Son (since for our sakes He was pleased that He should be the Son of Man, that He might speak to us in Him), yet shall he be forgiven when in repentance he shall have recourse to the goodness of God, who forasmuch as He wills not the death of the wicked, but rather that he should turn from his way and live, has given the Holy Spirit to His Church, that whosoever forgives sins in the Spirit, they should be forgiven. But whoso stands out as an enemy to this gift, so as not in repentance to seek it, but by impenitence to gainsay it, his sin becomes unpardonable; not sin of any one specific kind, but the contempt, or even opposing of the remission of sins itself. And so a word is spoken against the Holy Spirit, when men never come from the dispersion to the congregation which has received the Holy Spirit for the remission of sins. Unto which congregation if any come without hypocrisy, though it be through the ministry of a wicked clergyman, a reprobate and a hypocrite, so he be a Catholic minister, he shall receive remission of sins in this Holy Spirit. For such is the working of this Spirit in the Holy Church, even in this present time, when the grain is as it were being threshed with the chaff, that he despises no man's sincere confession, and is deceived by no man's false pretences, and so flies from the reprobate, as yet by their ministry to gather together those that are approved. One refuge then there is against unpardonable blasphemy, that we take heed of an impenitent heart; and that it be not thought that repentance can avail ought, unless the Church be kept to, in which remission of sins is given, and the fellowship of the Spirit is preserved in the bond of peace.

38. I have through the mercy and assistance of the Lord handled, as I best was able, this most difficult question, if indeed I have been able to do it in any measure. Nevertheless, whatever I have not been able to apprehend in the difficulties of it, let it not be imputed to the truth itself, which is a healthful exercise to the godly, even when it is hidden, but to my infirmity, who either could not see what others might have understood, or could not explain what I did understand. But for that which perhaps I have been able to discover by force of meditation, and to develop in words, to Him must the thanks be given, from whom I have sought, from whom I have asked, unto whom I have knocked, that I might have wherewithal to be nourished myself in meditation, and to minister to you in speaking.

By Saint Augustine

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