Page:Tracts for the Times Vol 2.djvu/485

Rh him with, and the evil of hypocrisy would strip him of. As when one passes from darkness to darkness through light, the eyes are constantly directed to darkness, but the light cannot but bedew him as he passeth through.'" This of course admits of the same application to want of love as to want of faith; and St. Augustine so applies it: but in so doing, he enters more largely into the subject, and justifies the position itself by the parable of the unforgiving servant, whose debt was once forgiven, though he had not yet forgiven his fellow-servant, but on his unforgivingness was again required of him. "Thus," says St. Augustine, "the grace of Baptism is not hindered, but that it remits all sins, yea, though he to whom they are forgiven continue to hate his brother in his heart. For yesterday, and all before that, and also the very hour and moment before Baptism and in Baptism is remitted. But afterwards, he begins immediately to be guilty, not only of subsequent, but of past days, hours, moments, every thing which was forgiven, again returning;" "and this," he adds, "often happens in the Church." (§ 20.) These cases then St. Augustine clearly puts forth, either that a man may through some defect at the time, whether of faith or love, prevent the effect of the Sacrament of Baptism, or after he have received it, may again extinguish it; which last, unhappily, was a frequent case in the Church. And this he expresses again (§ 24.) most explicitly: "At whatever time then in this life men begin to be such, that though they have been imbued with the Divine Sacraments, according to the dispensation of the times (Eph. i. 10.) they are carnally minded, and hope and desire of God carnal things, whether in or after this life, they are natural men (animales). (1 Cor. ii. 14.) These are not to be despaired of:" but "whether they seem to be within the Church, or are openly without, that which is flesh is flesh: whether they continue on the floor in their barrenness, or on occasion of some temptation, are carried out, as by a wind, what is chaff is chaff." (§ 26.)

These passages fully exhibit St. Augustine's views, as to what characters miss of or lose baptismal grace, as his writings against the Pelagians (above p. 85–89) declare, whom he believed to obtain it, and their privileges; for, as has been observed, whereas the Greek fathers principally regard Baptism with reference to the subsequent life, and so as a birth, St. Augustine regards it mainly with reference to the past condition of subjection to sin (whether by nature or actual transgression), and so comprises all the blessings of Baptism under that one, the remission of all sin, original and actual; he considered Baptism principally as the "death to sin," whereof "the new birth to righteousness," was a part and a consequence, since sin separates us from ; and the death to sin is reunion with : (as Bp. Davenant well says, ad Col. 2. 13. ap. Gat. p. 94.) "With this forgiveness of sins, which restores life to the soul, there