A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

§ 42. The Penitential Discipline 209O blessed ones, grieve not the Holy Spirit, who has entered withyou into the prison; for if He had not gone with you there, youwould not be there to-day. Therefore endeavor to cause Him toremain with you there; so that He may lead you thence to theLord. The prison, truly, is the devil's house as well, whereinhe keeps his family.… Let him not be successful in his ownkingdom by setting you at variance with one another, but let himfind you armed and fortified with concord; for your peace is war [188]with him. Some, not able to find peace in the Church, have beenaccustomed to seek it from the imprisoned martyrs. Thereforeyou ought to have it dwelling with you, and to cherish it andguard it, that you may be able, perchance, to bestow it uponothers.(f) Tertullian, De Pudicitia, 19. (MSL, 2:1073.)The distinction between mortal and venial sins became of greatimportance in the administration of penance and remained as afeature of ecclesiastical discipline from the time of Tertullian.The origin of the distinction was still earlier. See above, anextract from the same work.We ourselves do not forget the distinction between sins, whichwas the starting-point of our discussion. And this, too, for Johnhas sanctioned it [cf. I John 5:16], because there are somesins of daily committal to which we are all liable; for who isfree from the accident of being angry unjustly and after sunset;or even of using bodily violence; or easily speaking evil; orrashly swearing; or forfeiting his plighted word; or lying frombashfulness or necessity? In business, in official duties, in trade,in food, in sight, in hearing, by how great temptations are weassailed! So that if there were no pardon for such simple sins asthese, salvation would be unattainable by any. Of these, then,