VER. 8— 12. ST.LUKE. 437
Son,sinnethagainsttheFatheralso,and againsttheHoly
Spirit.But holyBaptismisgiveninthename oftheFather,
and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.And so theythatsin
afterbaptismcommit blasphemyagainstthe Holy Trinity.
But ifthePhariseeshad not receivedbaptism,how didHe
condemnthem as iftheyhad spokenblasphemyagainstthe
HolySpirit,ofwhich theywere notyetpartakers,especially
sinceHe did not accusethem simplyof sin,but of blas
phemy? But thesediffer,forhe who sinstransgressesthe
Law, but he who blasphemesoffendsagainstthe Deity
Himself.But again,if to those who sin afterbaptism
thereis no remissionof the punishmentof theiroffences,
how does theApostlepardon the penitentatCorinth? but2Cor.11,
hetravailsin birthof the backslidingGalatiansuntilChrist4 ig.*'
beformedagaininthem.
And why alsodo we opposeNovatus,who doesaway with
repentanceafterbaptism? The ApostletotheHebrews does
notthusrejecttherepentanceofsinners,but lesttheyshould
supposethatasaccordingtothe ritesoftheLaw, underthe
veilof repentancetherecouldbe many and dailybaptisms,
hethereforewarnsthem indeedtorepent,but tellsthem that
therecouldbe onlyone renewal,namely,by Baptism. But
withsuchconsiderationsI returntothedispensationwhichisoimvopfa*
inChrist,who beingGod was made man ; asveryGod raised
thedead;asclothedwiththeflesh,thirsted,laboured,suffered.
When any then,lookingtohuman things,seetheLord athirst
orin suffering,and speakagainsttheSaviouras ifagainst
aman, theysinindeed,yet may speedilyon repentancere
ceivepardon,allegingas excusetheweaknessofHis body.
And againwhen any,beholdingtheworks of Deity,doubt
concerningthe natureof our Lord'sbody, they alsosin
grievously.But thesetoo ifthey repentmay be quickly
pardoned,seeingthattheyhave an excuseinthe greatness
oftheworks. But when theyrefertheworks ofGod to the
Devil,justlydo theyundergo the irrevocablesentence,be
causetheyhave judgedGod to be theDevil,and the true
God tohavenothingmore inHis worksthantheevilspirits.
To thisunbeliefthen the Phariseeshad come. For when
theSaviourmanifestedtheworks of the Father,raisingthe
dead,givingsightto the blind,and such likedeeds,they