these doctrines demandeth such chaste conversation, if, after
baptism, I chance to fail in one or two of these commandments,
shall I therefore utterly miss the goal, and shall all my hope be
vain?"

Barlaam answered, "Deem not so. God, the Word, made man for the
salvation of our race, aware of the exceeding frailty and misery
of our nature, hath not even here suffered our sickness to be
without remedy. But, like a skilful leech, he hath mixed for our
unsteady and sin-loving heart the potion of repentance,
prescribing this for the remission of sins. For after that we
have received the knowledge of the truth, and have been
sanctified by water and the Spirit, and cleansed without effort
from all sin and all defilement, if we should fortune to fall
into any transgression, there is, it is true, no second
regeneration made within us by the spirit through baptism in the
water of the font, and wholly re-creating us (that gift is given
once for all); but, by means of painful repentance, hot tears,
toils and sweats, there is a purifying and pardoning of our
offences through the tender mercy of our God. For the fount of
tears is also called baptism, according to the grace of the
Master, but it needeth labour and time; and many hath it saved
after many a fall; because there is no sin too great for the
clemency of God, if we be quick to repent, and purge the shame of
our offences, and death overtake us not, and depart us not from
this life still defiled; for in the grave there is no confession
nor repentance. But as long as we are `among the living, while
the foundation of our true faith continueth unshattered, even if
somewhat of the outer roof-work or inner building be disabled, it
is allowed to renew by repentance the part rotted by sins. It is