s of basal religious ideas. It
is no longer a mere expression of inward feeling, confession to God and
the brethren, but is essentially performance. It is the actual
attestation of heartfelt sorrow, the undertaking to satisfy God by works
of self-humiliation and abnegation, which he can accept as a voluntarily
endured punishment and therefore as a substitute for the penalty that
naturally awaits the sinner. It is thus the means of pacifying God,
appeasing his anger, and gaining his favour again--with the consequent
possibility of readmission into the Church. I say the _possibility_, for
readmission does not always follow. Participation in the future kingdom
may be hoped for even by him who in this world is shut out from full
citizenship and merely remains in the ranks of the penitent. In all
probability then it still continued the rule for a person to remain till
death in a state of penance or _exhomologesis_. For readmission
continued to involve the assumption that the Church had in some way or
other become _certain_ that God had forgiven the sinner, or in other
words that she had power to grant this forgiveness in virtue of the
Spirit dwelling in her, and that this readmission therefore involved no
violation of her holiness." In such instances it is first prophets and
then martyrs that appear as organs of the Spirit, till at last it is no
longer the inspired Christian, but the professional medium of the
Spirit, viz., the priest, who decides everything.]

[Footnote 228: In the 2nd century even endeavours at a formal repetition
of baptism were not wholly lacking. In Marcionite congregations
repetition of baptism is said to have taken place (on the Elkesaites see
Vol. I. p. 308). One can only wonder that there is not more frequent
mention of such attempts. The assertion of Hippolytus (Philos. IX. 12
fin.) is enigmatical: [Greek: Epi Kallistou proto tetolmetai deuteron
autois baptisma].]

[Footnote 229: See Tertull., de pudic. 12: "hinc est quod neque
idololatriae neque sanguini pax ab ecclesiis redditur." Orig., de orat.
28 fin; c. Cels. III. 50.]

[Footnote 230: It is only of whoremongers and idolaters that Tertullian
expressly speaks in de pudic. c. I. We must interpret in accordance with
this the following statement by Hippolytus in Philos. IX. 12: [Greek:
Kallistos protos ta pros tas hedonas tois anthropois synchorein
epenoese, legon pasin hup' autou aphiesthai hamartias]. The aim of this
measure is still clear fr