“We are philosophers – not in words – but in deeds. We do not speak great things; we live them.” – Cyprian

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Clement of Alexandria:

“Being very merciful, God has promised a second repentance for those who fall into some transgression yet remain in the faith. In that manner, if anyone is tempted after his calling, and is overcome by force and fraud, he may still receive repentance.  But he must not turn away from that repentance.  ‘For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins.’ . . . But continual and successive repentings of sins does not differ at all from the case of those who have not believed at all.”

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Hermas:

“If you return to the Lord with all your heart, and practice righteousness the rest of your days, and serve him according to His will, He will heal your former sins, and you will have power to hold sway over the works of the devil.”

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Hermas:

“‘I heard, sir, that some teachers maintain that there is no other repentance than that which takes place when we descended into the water and received remission of our former sins.’ He said to me, ‘That was sound doctrine which you heard; for that is really the case.  For he who has received remission of his sins should not sin any more, but should live in purity. . . . And therefore I say to you, that if anyone is tempted by the devil, and he sins after that great and holy calling in which the Lord has called His people to everlasting life, he has opportunity to repent but once.  But if he should sin frequently after this, and then repent, to such a man his repentance will be of no avail.”

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Clement of Alexandria:

“The spiritual man will pray that he may never fall from virtue, giving his most strenuous cooperation in order that he may become unfailing. . . . Now that he has made it his choice to live perfectly, he subjects himself to training, for the attainment of the stability of knowledge on each side. . . . However, this is not apart from the exercise of will, or the force of reason, knowledge, and providence. Rather, it is through them . . .”

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Clement of Alexandria:

“What necessity is there for self-restraint to the one who has no need of it? For to have such desires that one must exercise self-restraint in order to control them is characteristic of someone who is not yet pure.  Rather, he is still subject to lusts.  Now, fortitude is taken on because of fear and cowardice.  It is no longer fitting that the friend of God . . . should fall into pleasures or fears and be occupied with the repression of lusts.”

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Tertullian:

“All these commandments had been given carnally, in previous times, to the people of Israel. So it follows that afterwards there was to supervene a time when the commandments of the ancient Law and of the old ceremonies would cease.  There would come the promise of the new law, and the recognition of spiritual sacrifices, and the promise of the New Covenant.”

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