Source: St. Remigius, Bishop of Lyons, Council of Valence III (855), Canon 5 (taken from Mansi 15:5-6):
Item firmissime tenendum
credimus, quod omnis multitudo fidelium ex aqua & Spiritu sancto
regenerata, ac per hoc veraciter ecclesiæ incorporata, & juxta doctrinam
apostolicam in morte Christi baptizata, in ejus sanguine sit a peccatis suis
abluta: quia nec in eis potuit esse vera regeneratio, nisi fieret & vera
redemptio: cum in ecclesiæ sacramentis nihil sit cassum, nihil ludificatorium,
sed prorsus totum verum, & ipsa sui veritate ac sinceritate subnixum. Ex
ipsa tamen multitudine fidelium & redemptorum, alios salvari æterna salute,
quia per gratiam Dei in redemptione sua fideliter permanent, ipsius Domini sui
vocem in corde ferentes: Qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit:
alios, quia noluerunt permanere in salute fidei, quam initio acceperunt,
redemptionisque gratiam potius irritam facere prava doctrina, vel vita, quam
servare, elegerunt, ad plenitudinem salutis, & ad perceptionem æternæ
beatitudinis nullo modo pervenire. In utroque quidem doctrinam pii doctoris
habemus: Quicumque baptizati sumus in Christo Jesu, in morte ipsius
baptizati sumus. &: Omnes qui in Christo baptizati estis, Christum
induistis. & iterum: Accedamus
cum vero corde in plenitudine fidei, aspersi corda a conscientia mala, &
abluti corpus aqua munda teneamus spem nostræ confessionem indeclinabilem.
& iterum: Voluntarie peccantibus nobis post acceptam notitiam veritatis,
jam non relinquitur pro peccatis hostia. & iterum: Irritam quis
faciens legem Moysi, sine ulla miseratione duobus aut tribus testibus moritur.
Quanto magis putatis deteriore mereri supplicio, qui Filium Dei
conculcaverit, & sanguinem testamenti pollutum duxerit, in quo
sanctificatus est, & Spiritui gratiæ contumeliam fecerit?
We firmly believe that the whole multitude of the
faithful, regenerated from water and the Holy Spirit, and thereby truly
incorporated into the Church, and baptized according to apostolic teaching into
the death of Christ, has been washed from its sins in his blood; for in them
there could not have been true regeneration unless there were also true
redemption. For in the sacraments of the Church there is nothing empty, nothing
deceptive, but everything is wholly true and supported by its own truth and sincerity.
Yet from that same multitude of the faithful and redeemed, some are saved to
eternal salvation, because by God’s grace they faithfully remain in their
redemption, carrying in their heart the voice of the Lord himself: “He who
perseveres to the end, he shall be saved”; others, because they did not wish to
remain in the salvation of faith which they first received, but chose rather,
by wicked doctrine or by their manner of life, to render the grace of
redemption void instead of preserving it, in no way attain the fullness of
salvation or the reception of eternal blessedness. In both cases, in fact, we
have the teaching of the holy teacher: “All of us who were baptized in Christ
Jesus were baptized into his death”; and: “All of you who were baptized in Christ
have put on Christ.” And again: “Let us draw near with a true heart in fullness
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our
bodies washed with pure water; let us hold fast the hope of our confession
without wavering.” And again: “For those of us who sin willfully after
receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for
sins.” And again: “Anyone who sets aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on
the testimony of two or three witnesses.” How much worse punishment do you
think will be deserved by the one who has trampled the Son of God, and has
regarded the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified as profane, and
has insulted the Spirit of grace?
