§1Paenitentiam hoc genus hominum, quod et ipsi retro fuimus, caeci, sine domini lumine, natura tenus norunt passionem animi quandam esse quae veniat de offensa sententiae peioris.
This class of men—whom we ourselves once were, blind, without the light of the Lord—know, only as far as nature goes, that repentance is a certain passion of the mind which comes from the offense of a worse judgment.
Ceterum a ratione eius tantum absunt, quantum ab ipso rationis auctore.
But they are as far from its reason as they are from the very author of reason.
Quippe res dei ratio; quia deus omnium conditor, nihil non ratione providit, disposuit, ordinavit, nihil non ratione tractari intellegique voluit.
For reason is a thing of God; since God, the creator of all things, has provided, disposed, and ordered nothing without reason, and has willed nothing to be treated and understood without reason.
Igitur ignorantes quique deum rem quoque eius ignorent necesse est, quia nullus omnino thesaurus extraneis patet.
Therefore, it is necessary that those who are ignorant of God should also be ignorant of His thing, because no treasure at all is open to strangers.
Itaque universam vitae conversationem sine gubernaculo rationis transfretantes imminentem saeculo procellam vitare non norunt.
And so, crossing the entire course of life without the rudder of reason, they do not know how to avoid the storm hanging over the world.
Quam autem in paenitentiae actu irrationabiliter diversentur, vel uno isto satis erit expedire, cum illam etiam in bonis factis suis adhibent.
But how irrationally they conduct themselves in the act of repentance can be sufficiently explained by this one thing alone: when they apply it even to their good deeds.
Paenitet fidei, amoris, simplicitatis, patientiae, misericordiae, prout quid in ingratiam cecidit.
They repent of faith, love, simplicity, patience, and mercy, whenever something has fallen into disfavor.
Semetipsos exsecrantur, quia benefecerint, eamque maxime paenitentiae speciem quae optimis operibus irrogatur in corde figunt, meminisse curantes, ne quid boni rursus praestent; contra paenitentiae malorum levius incubant.
They curse themselves because they have done good, and they fix in their hearts especially that form of repentance which is imposed upon the best works, taking care to remember not to perform any good again; on the other hand, they dwell more lightly upon the repentance of evils.
Denique facilius per eandem delinquunt quam per eandem recte faciunt.
In short, they commit sins more easily through it than they do right through it.
§2Quod si dei ac per hoc rationis quoque compotes agerent, merita primo paenitentiae expenderent, nec unquam eam ad argumentum perversae emendationis adhiberent; modum denique paenitendi temperarent, quia et delinquendi tenerent, timentes dominum scilicet.
But if they acted as possessors of God, and thereby of reason too, they would first weigh the merits of repentance, and would never apply it as an instrument of perverse correction; finally, they would moderate the measure of repenting, because they would also hold the measure of sinning, through fearing the Lord, of course.
Sed ubi metus nullus, emendatio proinde nulla: ubi emendatio nulla, paenitentia necessario vana; quia caret fructu suo cui eam deus sevit, id est hominis saluti.
But where there is no fear, there is consequently no correction; where there is no correction, repentance is of necessity vain, because it lacks its fruit, for which God planted it, that is, the salvation of man.
Nam deus post tot ac tanta delicta humanae temeritatis a principe generis Adam auspicata, post condemnatum hominem cum saeculi dote, post eiectum paradiso mortique subiectum, cum rursus ad suam misericordiam maturavisset, iam inde in semetipso paenitentiam dedicavit, rescissa sententia irarum pristinarum, ignoscere pactus operi et imagini suae.
For God, after so many and such great offenses of human rashness begun by the first of the race, Adam, after man was condemned along with the dowry of the world, after he was cast out of paradise and subjected to death, when He had again ripened toward His mercy, from that very moment dedicated repentance in Himself, rescinding the sentence of His former anger, having covenanted to forgive His work and image.
Itaque et populum sibi congregavit, et multis bonitatis suae largitionibus fovit, et ingratissimum totiens expertus ad paenitentiam semper hortatus est, et prophetando universorum prophetarum emisit ora: mox gratiam pollicitus, quam in extremitatibus temporum per spiritum suum universo orbi illuminaturus esset, praeire intinctionem paenitentiae iussit, si quos per gratiam vocaret ad promissionem semini Abraham destinatam per paenitentiae subsignationem ante componeret.
Therefore, He both gathered a people for Himself, and cherished them with many bounties of His goodness, and having so often experienced them as most ungrateful, always exhorted them to repentance, and sent forth the mouths of all the prophets to prophesy; soon, promising grace, which in the last times He would illuminate the whole world through His Spirit, He commanded the baptism of repentance to go before, so that if He should call any through grace to the promise destined for the seed of Abraham, He might first prepare them through the sign of repentance.
Non tacet Ioannes, Paenitentiam initote, dicens, iam enim salus nationibus appropinquabit, dominus scilicet, afferens secundum dei promissum. Cui praeministrans paenitentiam destinabat purgandis mentibus praepositam, uti quicquid error vetus inquinasset, quicquid in corde hominis ignorantia contaminasset, id paenitentia verrens et radens et foras abiciens mundam pectoris domum superventuro spiritui sancto paret, quo se ille cum caelestibus bonis libens inferat.
John is not silent, saying, "Begin repentance, for now salvation will approach the nations, namely, the Lord, bringing it according to the promise of God." Ministering before Him, John destined repentance, which was set over the purging of minds, so that whatever the old error had defiled, whatever ignorance in the heart of man had contaminated, repentance, sweeping and scraping and casting it out, might prepare a clean house of the breast for the Holy Spirit who was to come, into which He might gladly enter with His heavenly blessings.
Horum bonorum unus est titulus, salus hominis, criminum pristinorum abolitione praemissa.
The title of these blessings is one, the salvation of man, with the prior abolition of former crimes.
Haec paenitentiae causa, haec opera negotium divinae misericordiae curans.
This is the cause of repentance, this is its work, caring for the business of divine mercy.
Quod homini proficit, deo servit.
What profits man serves God.
Ceterum ratio eius, quam cognito domino discimus, certam formam tenet, ne bonis unquam factis cogitatisve quasi violenta aliqua manus iniciatur.
But its reason, which we learn having known the Lord, holds a certain form, so that no violent hand is ever laid upon good deeds or thoughts.
Deus enim reprobationem bonorum ratam non habens, utpote suorum, quorum cum auctor, et defensor sit necesse est, proinde et acceptator, si acceptator, etiam remunerator.
For God, not holding the rejection of good things as valid, inasmuch as they are His own, of which He must be the author and defender, is consequently also the accepter, and if the accepter, also the rewarder.
Viderit ergo ingratia hominum, si etiam bonis factis paenitentiam cogit.
Let the ingratitude of men see to it, then, if it forces repentance even upon good deeds.
Viderit et gratia, si captatio eius ad benefaciendum incitamento est, terrena, mortalis utraque.
Let favor also see to it, if the courting of it is an incitement to do good; both are earthly and mortal.
Quantulum enim compendii, si grato benefeceris? vel dispendii, si ingrato? Bonum factum deum habet debitorem, sicuti et malum, quia iudex omnis remunerator est causae.
For how small is the gain if you do good to the grateful, or the loss if to the ungrateful? A good deed has God as its debtor, just as a bad one does, because every judge is a rewarder of the cause.
At cum index deus iustitiae carissimae sibi exigendae tuendaeque praesideat, et in eam omnem summam disciplinae suae sanciat, dubitandum est, sicut in universis actibus nostris, ita in paenitentiae quoque causa iustitiam deo praestandam esse? quod quidem ita impleri licebit, si peccatis solummodo adhibeatur.
But since God as judge presides over the demanding and defending of justice, which is most dear to Him, and establishes in it the whole sum of His discipline, is it to be doubted that, as in all our actions, so also in the matter of repentance, justice must be rendered to God? Which indeed can only be fulfilled if it is applied to sins alone.
Porro peccatum nisi malum factum dici non meretur, nec quisquam benefaciendo delinquit.
Furthermore, sin deserves to be called nothing but a bad deed, nor does anyone err by doing good.
Quodsi non delinquit, cur paenitentiam invadit, delinquentium privatum? Cur malitiae officium bonitati suae imponit? Ita evenit, ut, cum aliquid ubi non oportet adhibetur, illic ubi oportet neglegatur.
But if he does not err, why does he invade repentance, the private property of those who err? Why does he impose the duty of malice upon his own goodness? Thus it happens that, when something is applied where it ought not to be, it is neglected there where it ought to be.