become its pattern of penitence. And after his holy resurrection
Christ made good this three-fold denial with the three-fold
question, `Peter, lovest thou me?', the Apostle answering, `Yea,
Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.'

"So from all these and many other examples beyond count we learn
the virtue of tears and repentance. Only the manner thereof must
be noted it must arise from a heart that abominateth sin and
weepeth, as saith the prophet David, `I am weary of my groaning:
every night will I wash my bed and water my couch with my tears.'
Again the cleansing of sins will be wrought by the blood of
Christ, in the greatness of his compassion and the multitude of
the mercies of that God who saith, `Though your sins be as
scarlet, I will make them white as snow,' and so forth.

"Thus therefore it is, and thus we believe. But after receiving
the knowledge of the truth and winning regeneration and adoption
as sons, and tasting of the divine mysteries, we must strive hard
to keep our feet lest we fall. For to fall becometh not the
athlete, since many have fallen and been unable to rise. Some,
opening a door to sinful lusts, and clinging obstinately to them,
have no more had strength to hasten back to repentance; and
others, being untimely snatched by death, and having not made
speed enough to wash them from the pollution of their sin, have
been damned. And for this cause it is parlous to fall into any
kind of sinful affection whatsoever. But if any man fall, he
must at once leap up, and stand again to fight the good fight:
and, as often as there cometh a fall, so often must there at once
ensue this rising and standing, unto the end. For, `Turn ye unto
me, and I will turn unto you,' saith the Lord God."