The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

392 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.It follows, secondly, that forgivenessof sin wasordinarily to be obtained only through the ministryof the Apostles and their successors, just as it wasfrom them that the people were to receive the wordof God and the grace of Baptism. The pardoningpower was a great prerogative conferred on theApostles. But what kind of a prerogative wouldit be, if people could always obtain forgiveness byconfessing to God secretly in their rooms? Howfew would have recourse to the Apostles if theycould obtain forgiveness on easier terms. Godsays to His chosen ministers I : give you the keysof My kingdom, that you may dispense the treasures of mercy to repenting sinners. But of whatuse would it be to give the Apostles the keys ofGod s treasures for the ransom of sinners, if everysinner could obtain his ransom without applying tothe Apostles ?If I gave you, dear reader, the keysof my house, authorizing you toadmit whom youplease, that they might partake of the good thingscontained in it, you would conclude that I had doneyou a small favor, if you discovered that every onewas possessed of a private key, and could enter whenhe pleased, without consulting you.I have said that forgiveness of sins is ordinarilyto be obtained through the ministry of the Apostlesand of their successors, because itmay often happenthat the services of God s minister cannot be obtained.A merciful Lord will not require in this conjuncture more than a hearty sorrow for sin joined with