§1Multa et magna sunt, fratres carissimi, beneficia diuina > quibus in salutem nostram Dei patris et Christi larga et copiosa clementia et operata sit et semper operetur, quod conseruandis ac uiuificandis nobis pater filium misit ut reparare nos posset quodque filius missus esse et hominis filius uocari uoluit ut nos Dei filios faceret: humiliauit se ut populum qui prius iacebat erigeret, uulneratus est ut uulnera nostra curaret, seruiuit ut ad libertatem seruientes extraheret.
Many and great, dearest brothers, are the divine benefits by which the large and copious clemency of God the Father and of Christ has both worked and always works for our salvation, in that the Father sent His Son to preserve and quicken us so that He might restore us, and that the Son willed to be sent and to be called the Son of Man so that He might make us the sons of God. He humbled Himself so that He might raise up the people who previously lay prostrate; He was wounded so that He might heal our wounds; He served so that He might draw those serving into liberty.
mori sustinuit ut immortalitatem mortalibus exhiberet.
He endured to die so that He might exhibit immortality to mortals.
multa haec sunt et magna diuinae misericordiae munera.
These are many and great gifts of divine mercy.
sed adhuc qualis prouidentia illa et quanta clementia est, quod nobis salutari ratione prospicitur, ut homini qui redemptus est reseruando plenius consulatur.
But still, what kind of providence is that, and how great is the clemency, that provision is made for us by a salutary method, so that more fully care is taken for the man who has been redeemed by preserving him.
nam cum Dominus adueniens sanasset illa quae Adam portauerat uulnera et uenena serpentis antiqua curasset, legem dedit sano et praecepit ne ultra iam peccaret, ne quid peccanti grauius eueniret.
For when the Lord at His coming had healed those wounds which Adam had borne and had cured the ancient poisons of the serpent, He gave a law to the healthy man and commanded him to sin no more, lest something worse should happen to him if he sinned.
coartati eramus et in angustum innocentiae praescriptione conclusi.
We were constrained and shut up into a narrow space by the prescription of innocence.
nec haberet quid fragilitatis humanae infirmitas adque inbecillitas faceret, nisi iterum pietas diuina subueniens iustitiae et misericordiae operibus ostensis uiam quandam tuendae salutis aperiret, ut sordes postmodum quascumque contrahimus eleemosynis abluamus.
Nor would the weakness and imbecility of human frailty have had anything to do, unless divine piety, coming to help again, by showing works of justice and mercy, had opened a certain way of maintaining salvation, so that we may wash away with alms whatever filth we afterwards contract.
§2Loquitur in scripturis Spiritus sanctus et dicit: eleemosynis et fide delicta purgantur. non utique illa delicta quae fuerant ante contracta: nam illa Christi sanguine et sanctificatione purgantur.
The Holy Spirit speaks in the scriptures and says: "By alms and faith sins are purged." Not indeed those sins which had been previously contracted, for those are purged by Christ's blood and sanctification.
item denuo dicit: sicut aqua ignem extinguet, sic eleemosyna extinguet peccatum. hic quoque ostenditur et probatur quia sicut lauacro aquae salutaris gehennae ignis extinguitur, ita eleemosynis adque operationibus iustis delictorum flamma sopitur.
Likewise He says again: "As water extinguishes fire, so alms extinguishes sin." Here also it is shown and proved that just as by the washing of salutary water the fire of Gehenna is extinguished, so by alms and righteous works the flame of sins is lulled.
et quia semel in baptismo remissa peccatorum datur, adsidua et iugis operatio baptismi instar imitata Dei rursus indulgentiam largiatur.
And because a single remission of sins is given in baptism, let the assiduous and perpetual practice, imitating the likeness of baptism, bestow again the indulgence of God.
hoc et Dominus in euangelio docet.
This also the Lord teaches in the gospel.
nam cum denotarentur discipuli eius quod ederent nec prius manus abluissent, respondit et dixit: qui fecit quod est intus fecit et quod foris est.
For when His disciples were marked out because they ate and had not first washed their hands, He answered and said: "He who made what is within made also what is without.
uerum date eleemosynam, et ecce uobis munda omnia, docens scilicet et ostendens non manus lauandas esse sed pectus et sordes intrinsecus potius quam extrinsecus detrahendas, uerum qui purgauerit quod est intus eum quoque id quod foris est repurgasse et emundata mente cute quoque et corpore mundum esse coepisse.
But give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you," teaching namely and showing that not hands are to be washed but the heart, and filth is to be removed from within rather than from without; indeed, that he who has cleansed what is within has also cleansed what is without, and that, the mind being purified, he has begun to be clean also in skin and body.
porro autem monens et ostendens unde mundi et purgati esse possimus, addidit eleemosynas esse faciendas.
Moreover, warning and showing by what means we can be clean and purged, He added that alms are to be made.
misericors monet misericordiam fieri, et quia seruare quaerit quos magno redemit post gratiam baptismi sordidatos docet denuo posse purgari.
The merciful One warns that mercy be done, and because He seeks to save those whom He redeemed at a great price, when they are defiled after the grace of baptism, He teaches that they can be purged again.
§3Agnoscamus itaque, fratres dilectissimi, diuinae indulgentiae salubre munus [et emundandis purgandisque peccatis nostis, qui sine aliquo conscientiae uulnere esse non possumus medellis spiritalibus uulnera nostra curemus.
Let us therefore acknowledge, dearest brothers, the salutary gift of divine indulgence, [and by cleansing and purging our sins, let us, who cannot be without some wound of conscience, cure our wounds with spiritual remedies.
nec quisquam sic sibi de puro adque immaculato pectore blandiatur, ut innocentia sua fretus medicinam non putet adhibendam esse uulneribus, cum scriptum sit: quis gloriabitur castum se habere cor aut quis gloriabitur mundum se esse a peccatis? et iterum in epistula sua Iohannes ponat et dicat: si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos decipimus et ueritas in nobis non est. si autem nemo esse sine peccato potest et quisque se inculpatum dixerit aut superbus aut stultus est, quam necessaria, quam benigna est diuina clementia, quae! cum sciat non deesse sanatis quaedam postmodum uulnera, dedit curandis denuo sanandisque uulneribus remedia salutaria.
Nor let anyone so flatter himself concerning a pure and immaculate heart that, relying on his innocence, he should think that medicine is not to be applied to his wounds, since it is written: "Who shall boast that he has a clean heart, or who shall boast that he is pure from sins?" And again, John in his epistle poses and says: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." But if no one can be without sin, and whoever says he is blameless is either proud or foolish, how necessary, how benign is the divine clemency, which, since it knows that certain wounds are not lacking to the healed afterwards, has given salutary remedies for curing and healing the wounds anew.