How to Understand the Homilies

I agree!

 

Me thinks this debate is like that with the Novations.

 

I am willing to admit that I read to much into it. So you say that forgiveness is still possible when sought. I agree also. I am with Augustine. The only unforgivable sin is the one not repented of.

 

That's what I believe of Jesus Christ's great sacrifice. I believe that is the Heart and Soul of the gospel. I am with the ancient Church on this!

 

I just think the word forgiveness is where we all got tripped up, because it carries such a secular mundane connotation... So the question is, who can forgive us, for lying upon the Scriptures? Can people forgive us? We would want to say no... for such a heinous crime we are beyond anyone's forgiveness (except God who has infinite forgiveness)

 

I think we are all in agreement here. Forgiveness is possible. All one has to do is turn to God and ask for it and seek his absolution through a Priest and for Anglicans that would be found in the Service.

 

Yes, His forgiveness is available to all, as long as we are truly repentant.

 

This passage comes to mind:

Mat 23:16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
Mat 23:17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Mat 23:18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
Mat 23:19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Mat 23:20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
Mat 23:21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
Mat 23:22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

From this, one could conclude that swearing by the Bible is somewhat analogous to "swearing by heaven" which in turn is tantamount to swearing by God Himself. Therefore taking an oath on the Bible should be regarded by any Christian as an extremely serious deed. (Of course, an unbeliever would see it as nothing at all.) Back when the homilies were written, this message would have been impressed upon the churchgoers to favorable results.

If any Christian today were to take such an oath lightly, it might be a gauge of his own spiritual 'temperature' but also perhaps a measure of the homilies he's been listening to.

Unforgivable? Nope. Lying, even after swearing on the Bible, can be repented of and forgiveness can be received. I do think that the writer of the homily went too far with his condemnation of lying under oath; no doubt he had good motives and probably it scared some folks into truthfulness (not a terrible thing), but he definitely exaggerated. (It would be ironic if he had taken an oath to write a fully Scriptural homily only to purposely lie in his zeal to achieve greater honesty .)

 

Yes, of course, there is always forgiveness after genuine repentance.