Despising that remedy, no hope of salvation remains.
Hold fast to this strongly, brothers. For anyone who renounces this antidote, no hope of salvation remains for them whatsoever. Whoever tells me, "I do not forgive the sins that people might commit against me," there is no way I can promise salvation to them. For I cannot promise what God does not promise. For I would not be a steward of the word of God, but a steward of the serpent. The serpent promised good to the sinner, but God threatened death. For what happened to them but what God threatened? And what the serpent promised is far from what occurred. Do you want me, brothers, to tell you: Even if you sin, even if you do not forgive the sins of others, you will be absolutely saved when Christ Jesus comes and gives forgiveness to everyone? I do not say this, because I do not hear it; I do not say what is not said to me. God indeed promises forgiveness to the sinner, but forgiving all past sins to those who convert, believe, and are baptized. This is what I read, this is what I dare to promise, this is what I promise, and what I promise is promised to me. And when it is read, we all hear it: for we are fellow students, and there is one teacher in this school.
Grave sins, which demand more intense labor of penance. Light sins overwhelm by their multitude, unless they are forgiven by God.
Therefore, all past things are forgiven to those who are converted: but there are certain grave and deadly sins of this life, which are not relaxed except through the most vehement distress of the humiliation of the heart, contrition of the spirit, and the tribulation of penance. These are forgiven by the keys of the Church. For if you begin to judge yourself, if you begin to displease yourself; God will come to have mercy. If you are willing to punish yourself, He will spare you. But he who does penance well, punishes himself. He must be severe towards himself so that God may be merciful to him: as David says: Turn your face away from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. But by what merit? He says in the same psalm: For I acknowledge my iniquity, and my sin is always before me. If you acknowledge, then He forgives.
There are, however, light and small sins, which cannot be entirely avoided, which indeed seem smaller, but through their multitude weigh you down. For a heap of wheat is collected from the smallest grains, and yet ships are loaded from it: and if they are overloaded, they sink. One lightning bolt strikes someone down and kills them: but if there is excessive rain, even small drops in multitude kill many. One stroke slays, but the multitude extinguishes. Great beasts kill a man with one bite: however, many small creatures when gathered together often kill, and bring such destruction that the proud people of Pharaoh deserved to be judged with such plagues. Therefore, if these sins, although small, are so many that accumulated they make a heap which weighs you down; God is good, who even forgives those, without which this life cannot be led. But how does He forgive if you do not forgive what is committed against you?
Bail out, by forgiving the debts of our debtors.
This saying is in the heart of man, like a bilge cask, from which the ship is pumped out at sea. For it can only admit water through the cracks of its joinery. Gradually, however, by applying a thin liquid, it makes a large accumulation, so that if it is not pumped out, it will overwhelm the ship. So also, in this life, we have certain cracks of mortality and fragility through which sin enters from the waves of this world. Let us seize this saying, like a bucket, to pump out the bilge, lest we be submerged. Let us forgive our debtors, that God may forgive our debts. By this saying (if it is truly done as stated), you pump out whatever had flowed in. But be cautious: for you are still at sea. For when you have done this once, it is not enough, unless you traverse the sea to that solidity and firmness of the homeland, where you are shaken by no waves, nor do you release what is not admitted into you, nor wish to be forgiven what you do not admit.
Hatred must quickly be set aside, lest it corrupt the heart.
I believe I have sufficiently commended this to your Charity, and I commend it because of these waves in which we are in danger, so that we may hold on to a saving remedy. And see also how much he sins, who strives to harm the innocent; since he can no longer be endured, who does not forgive what has been harmed against him. Let our brothers, therefore, take heed, and see against whom they have had any bitterness of hatred. If they have not yet forgiven them, at least in these days they should see what they can do about these in their hearts. Or surely, if they think themselves safe, let them put vinegar in the vessels in which they have been accustomed to keeping good wine. They do not put it in, and they are cautious, lest the vessel be spoiled: and they put hatred into their heart, not fearing that some corruption may work there? Keep therefore, brothers, that you harm no one, as much as you can: and if any excess of this permitted use of things has crept in due to the weakness of human life, since it pertains to the corruption of the temple of God; hold and turn it, so that what has been committed in you, you quickly forgive people, so that your Father who is in heaven may forgive you your sins.