Frequent Forgiveness

Ὁ μὲν οὖν, ἐξ ἐθνῶν, καὶ τῆς προβιότητος ἐκείνης ἐπὶ τὴν πίστιν ὁρμήσας, ἂπαξ ἐτυχεν ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτιῶν· ὁ δὲ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἁμαρτήσας, εἶτα μετανοῶν, κἂν συγγνώμης τυγγχάνῃ, αἰδεῖσθαι ὀφείλει, μηκέτι λουόμενος εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Δεῖ γὰρ οὐ τὰ εἴδωλα μόνον καταλιπεῖν, ἂ πρότερον ἐξεθείαζεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ προτέρου βίου, τὸν ὀυκ ἐξ αἰμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, ἐν πνεύματι δὲ ἀναγεννώμενον· ὅπερ εἴη ἂν τὸ μὴ εἰς ταυτὸν ὑπενεχθέντα πλημμέλημα μετανοῆσαι· καὶ ἐπιτηδειότης εἰς εὐτρεψίαν ἐξ ἀνασκησίας. Δόκησις τοίνυν μετανοίας, οὐ μετάνοια, τὸ πολλάκις αἰτεῖσθαι συγγνώμην, ἐφ' οἶς πλημμελοῦμεν πολλάκις· Δικαιοσύνη δὲ ἀμώμους ὀρθοτομεῖ ὁδοὺς, κέκραγεν ἡ Γραφή. Και πάλιν αὖ, Ἡ τοῦ ἀκάκου δικαιοσύνη κατορθώσει τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ.   Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Στρωματεων, Λογος Δευτερος, Κεφ ΙΓ'

He, then, who from the Gentiles and from that former way of life has taken to the faith, has obtained forgiveness of sins once, but he who after this has sinned, on his repentance, though he gain pardon, should be fearful, being no longer washed to the forgiveness of sins. For not only the idols which he formerly thought divine, but also the works of that former life, must be abandoned by him who has been, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, 1 but by the Spirit born again; which consists in repenting by not giving way to the same fault, and prone to frequent changing is lack of practice. It is then but the appearance of repentance, not repentance itself, to often ask forgiveness for those things in which we often transgress, 'But the righteousness of the blameless cuts straight paths,' 2 proclaims Proverbs. And again, 'The righteousness of the innocent will make right his way.' 3 Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 2, Ch 13.  1 Jn 1:13 2 Prov 11:5 3 Prov 13:6