A TREATISE AGAINST NOVATIAN. 443
sinner thatrepenteth."1 But, on the other hand, they who
do not repent of theirwickedness,letthem know from the
answer of the Lord Himself what remaineth for them ; for
we read in the Gospel, that " certainmen came from the
GalileanstotheLord, tellingHim of thosewhose bloodPilate
mingled with theirsacrifices; to whom the Lord answered,
saying,Think ye thatthoseGalileanshad been sinnersabove
other Galileans,becausetheysufferedsuch things? No ; for
I say unto you, unlessye repent,ye shallalllikewiseperish.
Or thoseeighteenupon whom the tower in Siloam fell,think
ye thatthey were debtorsto death above allmen who dwell
in Jerusalem? No ; I say unto you,"saidHe, " thatunless
ye repent,ye shallalllikewiseperish."*
16. Let us then arouse ourselvesas much as we can,
beloved brethren; and breaking away from the slumber of
indolenceand security,letus be watchful forthe observance
of the Lord's precepts. Let us with allour heartsseek for
what we have lost,thatwe may be ableto find; because" to
him thatseeketh,"saysthe Scripture," itshallbe given,and
to him that knocketh it shallbe opened."3 Let us cleanse
our house with spiritualcleanliness,that every secretand
hidden place of our breast,trulyenlightenedby the lightof
the gospel,may say," Against Thee only have I sinned,and
done thisgreatevilin Thy sight."4 Because the death of
sinners is evil,and in hellthere isno repentance. Let us
have in contemplationespeciallythe day of judgment and
retribution,and what must be believedby all of us, and
firmlymaintained,that " there is no acceptanceof persons
with God ;"s sinceHe commanded in Deuteronomy, thatthe
person must not be accepted in judgment : " Thou shaltnot
accept,"says He, " the person,neithershaltthou judge ac
cording to the leastnor accordingto the greatest."6 Like
words to theseHe alsosaidby Ezekiel: " All souls,"saidHe,
" are mine ; as the soul of the father,so is the soulof the
son : the soul that hath sinned,it shalldie."7 It is then
1 Luke xv.6-10. 2 Luke xiii.1-5. 8Luke xi.10.
4 Ps.1l4. s Rom. n.11. 6Deut.i.17.
7 Ezek.xviii.4.