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Article XII: Of Repentance.
Of
Repentance they teach that for those who have
fallen after Baptism there is remission of sins whenever they are
converted and that the Church ought to impart
absolution to those thus
returning to repentance. Now, repentance consists properly of these two parts: One is
contrition, that is, terrors smiting the conscience through the knowledge of sin; the other is
faith, which is born of the Gospel, or of absolution, and believes that for
Christ's sake,
sins are
forgiven, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terrors. Then
good works are bound to follow, which are the fruits of repentance.
They condemn the
Anabaptists, who deny that those once justified can lose the Holy Ghost. Also those who contend that some may attain to such perfection in this life that they cannot sin.
The
Novatians also are condemned, who would not absolve such as had fallen after
Baptism, though they returned to repentance.
They also are rejected who do not teach that remission of sins comes through
faith but command us to merit grace through satisfactions of our own.