annulled, even if it had been performed by heretics, so nobody could be put out of the church by being “de-baptized.” But the church could impose conditions on the reception of the Lord’s Supper, and it did not hesitate to do so when the sins of the prospective communicant appeared to warrant it. Penance was imposed for this purpose, and its nature was determined by what the church thought was appropriate to the gravity of the situation. In extreme cases, a believer could be cut off from grace altogether,