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There has ever in the Church a distinction been made betwixt secret sins, and those sins which have been pub∣lick and scandalous; in regard of the former, the Church never exercised any authority; for to the end she might act against sinners, it is necessary that they confess their sins, or that they may be convinc'd of them: But be∣cause it may so happen that the sins of a private person may be known to some of the Governours of the Church, and that he may not have scandalized the pub∣lick, * 1.1 in this case he may be censured in the Ecclesiasti∣cal Senate, and if his crime deserves it, may declare to him he is not in a state fit for some time to approach to the holy Communion; which is just what is practised by us. But when the sins are publick and scandalous, we publickly suspend from the Holy Sacrament those which commit them, and leave them in this state, until such time that having given sufficient marks of sincere Re∣pentance, we receive them into the bosom of the Church, by a publick acknowledgment of their offence, which they are obliged to do in presence of all the People.
And herein we follow the Example of the Primitive Church, * 1.2 which only subjected these sort of Sins to the Canons of publick Penance; it is the constant Doctrine of Origen, as appears in divers parts of his Writings; where he formally declares, that there's only great Sins, scandalous Sins, which should be publickly punished; and also he will have it done with a spirit of Charity, and according to the Gospel precept, for so 'tis he ex∣plains himself in his third Homily on Leviticus.
Gregory of Nysse in his Canonical Letter to Letoius, * 1.3 speaks no otherwise; and tho he expresses himself in