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 spared and  pardoned  David  and  Ezechias,  and Manasses and  Achab. So accustomed,  indeed,  were God's chosen  people  to  regard  man's  repentance  and God's mercy  as  the  essential  elements  in  every  reconciliation of  the  Creator  with  His  creatures,  that  we find  them  in  to-day's  Gospel  taking  exception  to Christ's  apparently  blasphemous  words  and  sharply demanding: "Who  can  forgive  sins  but  God?" Their idea  was  that  the  forgiving  of  sins  demanded omniscience and  omnipotence;  omniscience,  to  know the worthiness  of  the  penitent's  disposition,  and omnipotence, to  obliterate  his  fault. But Christ, though they  knew  it  not,  was  God,  and  He  had  come not to  destroy  but  to  perfect  the  law,  by  raising  the virtue of  penance  to  the  dignity  of  a  sacrament. That Christ  as  God  had  the  power  of  forgiving  sins needs no  demonstration;  it  is  evident  from  the  very definition of  sin. That Christ  as  man  enjoyed  the same authority,  is  equally  clear,  for  He  says  of  Himself: "All  power  is  given  to  me  in  heaven  and  in earth,"  and  in  to-day's  Gospel  He  rebukes  the  unbelief of  the  bystanders  by  healing  the  man  sick  of  the palsy, that  from  His  ability  to  cure  bodily  ills  they might learn  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  also  power  on earth  to  forgive  sins. This power  in  its  fulness  He imparted  to  His  Apostles. " As  the  Father  hath  sent Me,"  He  says  to  them,  "  so  also  do  I  send  you,"  that is, with  all  necessary  faculties  for  the  continuance and accomplishment  of  His  earthly  mission. To Peter first,  and  later  to  all  the  Apostles,  He  said: " I  will  give  to  you  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of