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On Repentance

Tertullian

Chapter 6

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Author: Tertullian

Chapter VI.—Baptism Not to Be Presumptously Received. It Requires Preceding Repentance, Manifested by Amendment of Life.

Whatever, then, our poor ability has attempted to suggest with

‹ Chapter 5 Chapter 7 ›

reference

to

laying

hold

of

repentance

once

for

all

,

and

perpetually

retaining

it

,

does

indeed

bear

upon

all

who

are

given

up

to

the

Lord

,

as

being

all

competitors

for

salvation

in

earning

the

favour

of

God

;

but

is

chiefly

urgent

in

the

case

of

those

young

novices

who

are

only

just

beginning

to

bedew

their

ears

with

divine

discourses

,

and

who

,

as

whelps

in

yet

early

infancy

,

and

with

eyes

not

yet

perfect

,

creep

about

uncertainly

,

and

say

indeed

that

they

renounce

their

former

deed

,

and

assume

(

the

profession

of

)

repentance

,

but

neglect

to

complete

it

.

For

the

very

end

of

desiring

importunes

them

to

desire

somewhat

of

their

former

deeds

;

just

as

fruits

,

when

they

are

already

beginning

to

turn

into

the

sourness

or

bitterness

of

age

,

do

yet

still

in

some

part

flatter

their

own

loveliness

.

Moreover

,

a

presumptuous

confidence

in

baptism

introduces

all

kind

of

vicious

delay

and

tergiversation

with

regard

to

repentance

;

for

,

feeling

sure

of

undoubted

pardon

of

their

sins

,

men

meanwhile

steal

the

intervening

time

,

and

make

it

for

themselves

into

a

holiday

-

time

for

sinning

,

rather

than

a

time

for

learning

not

to

sin

.

Further

,

how

inconsistent

is

it

to

expect

pardon

of

sins

(

to

be

granted

)

to

a

repentance

which

they

have

not

fulfilled

!

This

is

to

hold

out

your

hand

for

merchandise

,

but

not

produce

the

price

.

For

repentance

is

the

price

at

which

the

Lord

has

determined

to

award

pardon

:

He

proposes

the

redemption

of

release

from

penalty

at

this

compensating

exchange

of

repentance

.

If

,

then

,

sellers

first

examine

the

coin

with

which

they

make

their

bargains

,

to

see

whether

it

be

cut

,

or

scraped

,

or

adulterated

,

we

believe

likewise

that

the

Lord

,

when

about

to

make

us

the

grant

of

so

costly

merchandise

,

even

of

eternal

life

,

first

institutes

a

probation

of

our

repentance

.

“

But

meanwhile

let

us

defer

the

reality

of

our

repentance

:

it

will

then

,

I

suppose

,

be

clear

that

we

are

amended

when

we

are

absolved

.

”

By

no

means

;

(

but

our

amendment

should

be

manifested

)

while

,

pardon

being

in

abeyance

,

there

is

still

a

prospect

of

penalty

;

while

the

penitent

does

not

yet

merit

—

so

far

as

merit

we

can

—

his

liberation

;

while

God

is

threatening

,

not

while

He

is

forgiving

.

For

what

slave

,

after

his

position

has

been

changed

by

reception

of

freedom

,

charges

himself

with

his

(

past

)

thefts

and

desertions

?

What

soldier

,

after

his

discharge

,

makes

satisfaction

for

his

(

former

)

brands

?

A

sinner

is

bound

to

bemoan

himself

before

receiving

pardon

,

because

the

time

of

repentance

is

coincident

with

that

of

peril

and

of

fear

.

Not

that

I

deny

that

the

divine

benefit

—

the

putting

away

of

sins

,

I

mean

—

is

in

every

way

sure

to

such

as

are

on

the

point

of

entering

the

(

baptismal

)

water

;

but

what

we

have

to

labour

for

is

,

that

it

may

be

granted

us

to

attain

that

blessing

.

For

who

will

grant

to

you

,

a

man

of

so

faithless

repentance

,

one

single

sprinkling

of

any

water

whatever

?

To

approach

it

by

stealth

,

indeed

,

and

to

get

the

minister

appointed

over

this

business

misled

by

your

asseverations

,

is

easy

;

but

God

takes

foresight

for

His

own

treasure

,

and

suffers

not

the

unworthy

to

steal

a

march

upon

it

.

What

,

in

fact

,

does

He

say

?

“

Nothing

hid

which

shall

not

be

revealed

.

”

Draw

whatever

(

veil

of

)

darkness

you

please

over

your

deeds

,

“

God

is

light

.

”

But

some

think

as

if

God

were

under

a

necessity

of

bestowing

even

on

the

unworthy

,

what

He

has

engaged

(

to

give

)

;

and

they

turn

His

liberality

into

slavery

.

But

if

it

is

of

necessity

that

God

grants

us

the

symbol

of

death

,

then

He

does

so

unwillingly

.

But

who

permits

a

gift

to

be

permanently

retained

which

he

has

granted

unwillingly

?

For

do

not

many

afterward

fall

out

of

(

grace

)

?

is

not

this

gift

taken

away

from

many

?

These

,

no

doubt

,

are

they

who

do

steal

a

march

upon

(

the

treasure

)

,

who

,

after

approaching

to

the

faith

of

repentance

,

set

up

on

the

sands

a

house

doomed

to

ruin

.

Let

no

one

,

then

,

flatter

himself

on

the

ground

of

being

assigned

to

the

“

recruit

-

classes

”

of

learners

,

as

if

on

that

account

he

have

a

licence

even

now

to

sin

.

As

soon

as

you

“

know

the

Lord

,

”

you

should

fear

Him

;

as

soon

as

you

have

gazed

on

Him

,

you

should

reverence

Him

.

But

what

difference

does

your

“

knowing

”

Him

make

,

while

you

rest

in

the

same

practises

as

in

days

bygone

,

when

you

knew

Him

not

?

What

,

moreover

,

is

it

which

distinguishes

you

from

a

perfected

servant

of

God

?

Is

there

one

Christ

for

the

baptized

,

another

for

the

learners

?

Have

they

some

different

hope

or

reward

?

some

different

dread

of

judgment

?

some

different

necessity

for

repentance

?

That

baptismal

washing

is

a

sealing

of

faith

,

which

faith

is

begun

and

is

commended

by

the

faith

of

repentance

.

We

are

not

washed

in

order

that

we

may

cease

sinning

,

but

because

we

have

ceased

,

since

in

heart

we

have

been

bathed

already

.

For

the

first

baptism

of

a

learner

is

this

,

a

perfect

fear

;

thenceforward

,

in

so

far

as

you

have

understanding

of

the

Lord

faith

is

sound

,

the

conscience

having

once

for

all

embraced

repentance

.

Otherwise

,

if

it

is

(

only

)

after

the

baptismal

waters

that

we

cease

sinning

,

it

is

of

necessity

,

not

of

free

-

will

,

that

we

put

on

innocence

.

Who

,

then

,

is

pre

-

eminent

in

goodness

?

he

who

is

not

allowed

,

or

he

whom

it

displeases

,

to

be

evil

?

he

who

is

bidden

,

or

he

whose

pleasure

it

is

,

to

be

free

from

crime

?

Let

us

,

then

,

neither

keep

our

hands

from

theft

unless

the

hardness

of

bars

withstand

us

,

nor

refrain

our

eyes

from

the

concupiscence

of

fornication

unless

we

be

withdrawn

by

guardians

of

our

persons

,

if

no

one

who

has

surrendered

himself

to

the

Lord

is

to

cease

sinning

unless

he

be

bound

thereto

by

baptism

.

But

if

any

entertain

this

sentiment

,

I

know

not

whether

he

,

after

baptism

,

do

not

feel

more

sadness

to

think

that

he

has

ceased

from

sinning

,

than

gladness

that

he

hath

escaped

from

it

.

And

so

it

is

becoming

that

learners

desire

baptism

,

but

do

not

hastily

receive

it

:

for

he

who

desires

it

,

honours

it

;

he

who

hastily

receives

it

,

disdains

it

:

in

the

one

appears

modesty

,

in

the

other

arrogance

;

the

former

satisfies

,

the

latter

neglects

it

;

the

former

covets

to

merit

it

,

but

the

latter

promises

it

to

himself

as

a

due

return

;

the

former

takes

,

the

latter

usurps

it

.

Whom

would

you

judge

worthier

,

except

one

who

is

more

amended

?

whom

more

amended

,

except

one

who

is

more

timid

,

and

on

that

account

has

fulfilled

the

duty

of

true

repentance

?

for

he

has

feared

to

continue

still

in

sin

,

lest

he

should

not

merit

the

reception

of

baptism

.

But

the

hasty

receiver

,

inasmuch

as

he

promised

it

himself

(

as

his

due

)

,

being

forsooth

secure

(

of

obtaining

it

)

,

could

not

fear

:

thus

he

fulfilled

not

repentance

either

,

because

he

lacked

the

instrumental

agent

of

repentance

,

that

is

,

fear

.

Hasty

reception

is

the

portion

of

irreverence

;

it

inflates

the

seeker

,

it

despises

the

Giver

.

And

thus

it

sometimes

deceives

,

for

it

promises

to

itself

the

gift

before

it

be

due

;

whereby

He

who

is

to

furnish

the

gift

is

ever

offended

.

Notes

1
Deut. xxxii. 2.
2
i.e., by baptism.
3
Adulantur.
4
“Commeatus,” a military word ="furlough,” hence “holiday-time.”
5
i.e., repurchase.
6
Adulter; see de Idol. c. i.
7
i.e., in baptism.
8
Luke viii. 17.
9
1 John i. 5.
10
Symbolum mortis indulget. Comp. Rom. vi. 3, 4, 8; Col. ii. 12, 20.
11
Jer. xxxi. (LXX. xxxviii.) 34; Heb. viii. 11.
12
i.e., in baptism.
13
See John xiii. 10 and Matt. xxiii. 26.
14
Metus integer.
15
Metus.
16
Or, “disappoints,” i.e., the hasty recipient himself.