Fulgentius of Ruspe

“Therefore let us hold that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are by nature one God; neither is the Father the one who is the Son, nor the Son the one who is the Father, nor the Holy Spirit the one who is the Father or the Son. For the essence, that which the Greeks call the ousia, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is one, in which essence the Father is not one thing and the Son a second thing and the Holy Spirit still a third thing, although in person the Father is different, the Son is different, and the Holy Spirit is different. All of this is demonstrated for us in the strongest fashion at the very beginning of the Holy Scriptures, when God says, "Let us make human beings in our image and likeness." When, using the singular number, he says "image," he shows that the nature is one, in whose image the human being was made. But when he says "our" in the plural, he shows that the very same God in whose image the human being was made is not one in person. For if in that one essence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit there were one person, "to our image" would not have been spoken but "in my image." Nor would he have said "let us make" but "I shall make." If in reality in those three persons three substances were to be understood or believed, "to our image" would not have been said; rather, "to our images"; for there could not be one image of three unequal natures. But while the human being is said to be made according to the one image of the one God, the divinity of the Holy Trinity in one essence is announced. Then and shortly thereafter, in place of what he had said above, "Let us make human beings in our image and likeness," Scripture thus told of the making of the human being by saying, "And God created humankind in his image; in the image of God he created them."”

“In the first commandment of the Decalogue, just as the worship and service of the one Lord God is most clearly commanded, so for adoration and service to be shown by the faithful to any creature is most vehemently forbidden. For it is said there: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me." If this is taken as spoken simultaneously by the Father and the Son, the Father and the Son are believed to be one Lord God. But if either the Father is believed to have said this without the Son or the Son without the Father, it is necessary that the Father or the Son be denied to be the Lord God. Concerning this he said, "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me."”

“Therefore, in whatever place you may be, because you know that you have been baptized in the one name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, according to the rule promulgated by the command of our Savior, retain this rule with your whole heart, from the start and without hesitation: the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. This means the holy and ineffable Trinity is by nature one God, concerning whom it is said in Deuteronomy, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one God," and "You shall adore the Lord your God and him alone shall you serve." Indeed, … we have said that this one God who alone is true God by nature, is not the Father only, nor the Son only, nor the Holy Spirit only but is at one and the same time Father, Son and Holy Spirit. [Thus] we must be wary that while we say in truth that as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God, insofar as this is a unity of nature, we dare not say or believe something altogether blasphemous. [Such a blasphemous saying would be] that he who is the person of the Father is the same as either the Son or the Holy Spirit, or that he who is the person of the Son is the Father or the Holy Spirit. Or [it might be] that we dare to say or to believe that the person who is properly called the Holy Spirit in the confession of this Trinity is either the Father or the Son, something that is altogether wicked.”

“Therefore, the one God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, fills up the whole, contains the whole; as the whole is in each thing, so the whole is in everything; as the whole is in small things, so the whole is in the largest creatures. This is true of nature but not of grace. When it creates human beings, it does not by the same act save them. While it makes them, it does not by the same act remake them. While it makes that sun to rise over the good and the evil, it does not do the same when the sun of justice rises on those on whom the light, not of the flesh but of the heart, is poured by the gift of prevenient mercy. As it belongs to all to be born through nature, it does not in the same way belong to all to be reborn through grace. Since the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit by nature are one God, eternal and infinite, there is nothing in heaven, nothing on earth, nothing above the heavens, nothing in any nature that he made that has not been made, where the same one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, could be missing. In God, just as there is no mutability of times, so there is no spatial capacity. As Solomon truly said at the dedication of the temple in these words: "Even heaven and the highest cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built."”

“If a murderer is one who hates his brother, what is he who, loving iniquity, hates his own soul? And if the one who hates his brother does not have eternal life remaining in him, how will he who ends this life in the love of iniquity and hatred of his own soul be able to attain the forgiveness of sins through which one attains life?”

“Eternal life will be given in the future only to the one to whom forgiveness of sins has been given in this world. Only he will receive the forgiveness of sins here who renounces his sins and hastens to the highest and true God with true conversion of heart. For that will not be a time of forgiveness but of retribution. There mercy will not justify the sinner, but justice will distinguish the just and the sinner. This is written in the psalm: "The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked." And, so that he might show that in iniquity lies the destruction, not the salvation, of the soul, he goes on the say, "He who loves iniquity hates his own soul." Lest they who persist in iniquity to the end of the present life promise themselves mercy, it is said subsequently concerning God: "On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulphur; a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face." … Whoever, hearing these things, is unwilling to seek the mercy of God through conversion in the present time, will never be able to find it in the future life.”

“The word cup is to be understood as the perfect grace of charity by which the strength for undergoing suffering for the name of Christ is infused. This is given in such a way that even if the opportunity by which anyone may undergo suffering for Christ is lacking, there is still such great strength in the heart by a divine gift that nothing is lacking for putting up with punishment, scorning life and undergoing death for the name of Christ. This is well understood in that text in the psalm where it is said, "My cup overflows," and he had just said before, "You anoint my head with oil." What must be understood by "head anointed with oil" except a mind strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit? The shining quality of this oil is the unconquerable fortitude of spiritual grace by which the holy drunkenness is poured into the inner depths of the heart so that every affection of the heart, overcome, is consigned to oblivion. Filled with this drunkenness, the spirit learns to rejoice always in the Lord and to consign to contempt whatever he loved in the world. We drink this drunkenness when, having received the Holy Spirit, we possess the grace of perfect charity that drives out fear.”

“The grace of justification is given in the present time, but the grace of glorification is saved as a future grace. The one is of faith, the other of sight. Paul says that now "we walk by faith, not by sight." What the saints believe now, then they will see.… The just person living by faith says with trusting faith, "I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living." This, therefore, is the order of divine redemption and reward in humankind so that, having been justified, he believes now what, having been glorified, he will receive then.”

“In your zeal for good works and your contempt of human praise, be careful lest you wish to assign the good that you do, not to the grace of God but to your own strength. Hold firmly that there can be no ability in you for good will or good works unless you received it by the free gift of divine mercy. Know, therefore, that it is God working in you both to will and to do, for a good will. Accordingly, work out your salvation in fear and trembling. Humble yourself in the sight of God that he may exalt you. Ask from him the beginning of a good will. Ask from him the effects of good works. Seek from him the gift of perseverance. Do not think at any time that you can either will or do anything good, once his assistance has ceased. Ask him to turn away your eyes lest they see vanity; ask him to show you the way in which you should walk; petition him to direct your steps according to his word and let no wickedness rule over you. Pray to him that he direct the works of your hands for you. "Be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord."”

“There is no thought in him that varies with the passing of time nor, like human beings, did he think one way before he made the world, nor does he think another way after he made the world, nor will he think still another way after the appearance of this world has passed away; for the "counsel of the Lord stands forever."”

“God gives a new heart so that we may walk in his justifications that pertain to the beginning of a good will. He also gives that we may observe and do his judgments that pertain to the doing of good works. Thus we know both the will to do good and the ability to do good from God. David agrees completely with this, showing that by the command of divine generosity the grace of a good will is granted.”

“Let not earth and ashes glory because in its life it has abandoned its inmost thoughts; wounded, let it not exult as if healthy concerning that which it thinks healthy in itself. But with the humility of an afflicted heart, let it meditate on the rottenness of its wounds in order that, crying out with the prophet, "My wounds grow foul and fester because of my foolishness," it can receive healing from the divine piety, not of its own merits but by a free gift. For what does a person have that he has not received? But if he has received, why is he glorying as if he had not received? Therefore, God alone can give to all to whom he wishes the means by which true salvation can be acquired. He alone is able to safeguard what he has given in the one receiving.”

“Those boast of the abundance of their riches who love their riches in such a way that they place their ultimate happiness in them. They trust in their own strength who scorn riches in such a way that they attribute this contempt to their own strength. Both types are proud; the former, because they trust in their wealth, not in God; the latter, because they wish to attribute the fact that they spurn riches to themselves, not to God; the former, because they love badly that which cannot be loved well; the latter because they do not spurn well that which can be spurned well; and for this reason, the former do evil badly, the latter do good badly.”

“Finally, holy David successfully gained divine mercy because, having been converted by the humility of a contrite heart, he condemned the evil he had done by acknowledging it and did not put off punishment by doing penance for the lust of the evil deed he had fallen into; because, if he had not punished the cause of the guilt in which he was held, without a doubt he would have been punished. Having been converted to penance, he acknowledged his crime, fearing lest he would have to acknowledge the penalty by being condemned. By doing penance, he punished himself by acknowledging what he wanted to be overlooked by the Lord in himself. Finally, since he said, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." Immediately following this he added, "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me." He acknowledged his sin, not that by sinning he might increase it the more, but that by repenting, he might wash it away; and so the domination of sin, which blameworthy enjoyment had brought in, true conversion removed. And because David, converted with all his heart, groaned, he was immediately saved and thus in him was fulfilled what is commanded through the prophet: "If you are converted and groan, you will be saved."”

“Just as the most holy David blames the stubbornness of miserable and unhappy people who decline to be changed from evil to good during the course of this life, so he announces the coming punishment of divine retribution, saying, "For them there is no change, and they have not feared God." And lest they who were not willing to be changed vainly promise themselves that they will receive the forgiveness of sins at the end of their earthly life, he then added, "He extended his hand in retribution." The beginning of this retribution starts when the wicked person, receiving the reward that his error demanded, by a just judgment is allowed to remain in his wickedness. The completion comes when, for these same iniquities, he will be tortured by eternal fire. Nor should this retribution be considered small by which the wicked person, deprived of the light of justice, is permitted to wander in his darkness, prejudged not by blindness of the flesh but of the heart. This also is relevant to the accumulation of retribution, if the blind person not only is unable to perceive the light but also with pleasure seeks to increase the darkness of his blindness.”

“For the Spirit of the Lord did not say, he who does the truth, that his works be clearly seen as done in the Holy Spirit but "as done in God," which we say are done not in the Father alone, or in the Son alone or in the Holy Spirit alone. But we confess that the truth is done by a human being in the holy Trinity itself, which is one God, in whom the blessed David indicates is the power of what is done by the faithful, saying, "With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes." For he is the one God concerning whom the blessed apostle says, "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever."”

“Thus to those who wish to have happiness in the goods of present things, the psalm says, "How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?" And in another text, "Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them." The blessed James does not cease to reprove such people, saying, "Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter." He commanded that the laughter and the joy of such people be turned to mourning and dejection, saying, "Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."”

“Therefore, because we have been speaking of the nature of marriage as the Lord has given it, consequently, this must be examined with the greatest care, namely, what you devoutly willed beforehand (if there could have been anything). Because the use of things conceded by God is not forbidden to human beings, one should not conclude that therefore one need not render to God what he has vowed. It is written: "I will pay you my vows, those that my lips uttered." And lest anyone seek to use tribulation as a reason for excusing himself, in order to gain the freedom to evade a promise or to think of himself as free from what he has vowed, by saying that he was forced to vow something not by his own will but because of tribulation, the blessed David teaches that everything that was legitimately promised, even in tribulation, must be given back to God, when he says to God, "I will pay you my vows, those that my lips uttered." And he added immediately, "my mouth promised when I was in trouble." But in Deuteronomy, it is also written, "If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not postpone fulfilling it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you would incur guilt. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not incur guilt. Whatever your lips utter, you must diligently perform, just as you have freely vowed to the Lord your God with your own mouth." And Solomon says, "When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; … Fulfill what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it."”

“Therefore we know both the will to do good and the ability to do good come from God. David agrees completely with this, showing that by the command of divine generosity the grace of a good will is granted: "Our steps are made firm by the Lord when he delights in our way." We have no good works in us unless they come from God, and we bear witness that it is done in God, saying, "Show your strength, O God, as you have done for us before." And in another place: "With God we shall do valiantly," that is, the work of virtue. So here in the place of the work of virtue, he said "virtue" just as John, for the work of justice, spoke of doing justice. For he says, "The person who acts in righteousness is righteous." Paul also wants us to do the will of God, saying, "May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will."”

“Therefore, let them [Arians] say that the Father and the Son are not two lord gods but their one Lord God, if they wish to hold to the truth of the faith and are unwilling to be found in rebellion against the commandments of the law and the gospel. For thus they will be able to preserve equally the understanding and the obligatory force of that text where it is said, "The Lord your God you shall adore, and him alone shall you serve." Nor is it right for anyone to adore the Father as God in such a way that he does not adore the Son as God, for indeed it has been written about the Son in Deuteronomy: "Praise, O heavens, his people; worship him, all you gods." Concerning him as well, the blessed David says in the psalms, "May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service."”

“Therefore, the human being began to sin in the matter by which he departed from God. For it is written that "the beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord." And in another place, "Indeed those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you." Therefore, they who are far from God and are false to him indeed perish by sinning through their evil will that is not from God. God will destroy them by his just judgments as is proper to God. For God would not destroy them by his judgment, unless they had perished through their iniquities. For it is written, "How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors."”

“We find the name of God in the holy Scriptures, as many as now come to mind, spoken of in four ways. For God is spoken of according to the truth of [his divine] nature, that the holy Trinity is one, true and unchangeable God, who says, "See now that I, even I, am he; there is no God besides me." And concerning whom David says, "For who is God except the Lord? And who is a rock besides our God?" This is the one and only God who alone is God by nature. From this one true God, certain ones, in order that they might be gods, did not have the name by nature but received it by the gift of grace. Concerning such gods, it was Moses to whom that one true God said, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh." Of such people are also those to whom it is said, "I said, 'You are gods, children of the most High, all of you.' " Therefore, these gods received that grace to be gods so that they might become the children of God. The Evangelist says that "to those who did accept him, he gave power to become the children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not by natural generation, or by human choice or by a man's decision, but of God." Likewise, to them it is said, "I said, 'You are gods, children of the most High, all of you.' "”

“In heart, let us migrate from living in this world, from which we are rapidly going to migrate in the body, that that heavenly dwelling may receive us, concerning which the apostle says that we have an eternal dwelling from God, a house not made by hands, in the heavens. Concerning this dwelling it has been written: "Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise." There, just as there is an eternal dwelling, so there is eternal praise. Those who live there always praise God because they are always exulting about God and in God; and just as for those who give praise, there is the sweet eternity of a holy dwelling, so the eternal sweetness of giving praise remains for those who dwell there.”

“Indeed, no one should continue longer time in his sins out of hope for the mercy of God, since no one wishes to be ill for a longer time in the body because of the hope for future health. Those who decline to give up their sins and vices and promise themselves forgiveness from God are thus frequently visited beforehand by the sudden fury of God, so that they find neither time for conversion nor the blessing of forgiveness. Therefore, holy Scripture mercifully forewarns each one of us when it says, "Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come on you, and at the time of punishment you will perish." Blessed David also says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." The blessed Paul agrees that we should not continue in our sins in these words: "Take care, brothers, that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God. Encourage yourselves daily while it is still 'today' so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sins."”

“Hold most firmly and never doubt that the holy Trinity, the only true God, just as it is eternal, is likewise the only one by nature unchangeable. God indicates this when he says to his servant Moses, "I am which I am." Hence, it is said in the psalms, "In the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you endure."”

“Who does not see how impious and how sacrilegious it is if a person, who has been converted to good things through penance for his past evils, believes that there can be no forgiveness for any sin? What else is being done with these words than that the hand of the all-powerful physician is being pushed away by the vice of despair, from effecting human salvation? For the physician himself says, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do." If our physician is an expert, he can cure all maladies. If God is merciful, he can forgive all sins. A goodness that does not conquer every evil is not a perfect goodness, nor is a medicine perfect for which any disease is incurable. It is written in the sacred writings, "Against wisdom, evil does not prevail"; and the omnipotence of our physician is made known by such words in the psalm: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." What, I ask, do we think cannot be forgiven us when the Lord forgives all our iniquities? Or what do we think cannot be healed in us, when the Lord heals all our diseases? Or how is there anything still lacking to the healed and justified person whose desire is satisfied with good things? Or how is he not believed to gain the benefit of complete forgiveness to whom a crown is given together with love and mercy? Therefore, let no one despairing of the physician remain in his infirmity; let no one, downplaying the mercy of God, waste away in iniquities. The apostle calls out that "Christ died for the ungodly."”

“He is the one about whom the psalm says, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are far above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him." In all of these great, good things that the Lord gives to the wicked, what else is being sung than undeserved mercy? What else other than free piety is being proclaimed? For in this, that "he does not deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities," the free justification of the impious is displayed. And in this that "as a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him," the free adoption of children shines through by the same justification by faith. For not as a father has compassion on his children unless becoming our father through grace, he deigned to make us his children. "To those who did accept him, he gave power to become children of God."”

“The shepherd's most certain knowledge of merits, by which the sheep will be separated from the goats, is so great that no goat will be placed on the right, just as no sheep will be located on the left. Those merits with which people go forth from this life will remain ceaselessly and unchangeably with them in that other life, whether they are good merits that here divine piety has bestowed or demerits that human wickedness has procured here below. And for this reason, there will be no removal of evil demerits, although there will be an advancement for good merits. The former will remain for punishment; the latter will be perfected in glory. Therefore, that is the time in which God, as it is written in the psalm, "does not deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us."”

“Hence it is that the true faith asserts that the Holy Spirit as well is the Creator, not created. How is the Spirit to be denied as Creator, by which the power of the heavens has been strengthened, as David says, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made and all their host by the breath of his mouth." And in another text: "When you send forth your spirit, they are created." Indeed it is the Creator of all things who is the maker of human beings. Concerning it, the blessed Job says, "The Spirit of God has made me." The Holy Spirit, then, as it has created all things, so, as infinite, it fills all things. And the one who fills all things is by nature true God. It is written that "the Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world." The blessed David as well bears witness that the Spirit of God is everywhere, saying to God, "Where can I go from your Spirit, or where can I flee from your presence?" How do the Arians deny that the Holy Spirit is God since we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, just as we are the temple of the Father and the Son? For the apostle says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy." The apostle asserts that we are the temple of God in such a way that in the same letter he also says that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. For he says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?" And in order that he may show that the Holy Spirit is God, he immediately added, "Therefore glorify God in your body."”

“Therefore, there is no falseness in God's promises because for the all-powerful there is no problem about doing things. And so the effects of the will are never lacking because the will itself is nothing other than power. Whatever God wills, he can do; he can do as much as he wishes.So it is rightly said of him alone, "He does whatever he pleases." And again, "For you have power to act whenever you choose." So we have said that there is as much power of will there as there is will itself for the power. Since for the one to whom it is subject, when he shall will, he can, willing being nothing other than power.”

“Hold most firmly and never doubt that God the Trinity is unbounded in power, not in mass; and that every creature, spiritual and bodily, is bound by his power and his presence. For God the Father says, "I fill the heavens and the earth." For it is said of the Wisdom of God, which his Son is, that "it reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other and orders all things well." Concerning the Holy Spirit we read that "the Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world." And David the prophet says, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there."”

“But if someone asks why God predicted all the things predestined and still did not promise all the predestined things, we answer that it cannot be called a promise unless when it is predicted that something is going to be done, what is done can be of use to the one to whom it is promised. What is promised is always something of a gift but not always something of a judgment, since the gift of what is promised always brings happiness while the severity of a judgment sometimes saddens.As the prophet, fearing something of this sort, pours out his prayer to God: "Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you." For he knew that all would have to be restrained by the equal chain of punishment unless God, in those whom he willed, made mercy surpass judgment. Justification and glorification that do not exist in a human being from a human being, but from God, have been both predicted and promised because they were to be of great benefit to the saints.”

“If there are any who are even in the catholic church and live evil lives, before they finish this life, let them hasten to give up the evil life, and let them not think that the catholic [Christian] name is enough for salvation, if they do not do the will of God. For our Savior says, "not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." In the book of Psalms as well, it is written that "the Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them." Wherefore also in Proverbs each one of us is commanded both to fear the Lord and to depart from evil. There it is said, "fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body."”

“Hold most firmly and never doubt that the holy Trinity, the only true God, is the Creator of all things, visible and invisible—concerning which it is said in the psalms, "Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them." Concerning this the apostle too says, "For from him and through him and in him are all things. To him be glory forever."”

“The church is not truly called the "pillar and foundation of truth" if it is found unsound in the most basic mystery of human salvation. But because it is truly called the "pillar and foundation of truth" by the apostle, whatever according to the canons of the church itself is given and received within it, among the holy mysteries of human redemption and reconciliation, is given with firm truth and received with firm truth.It is so commanded in Proverbs: "Hear, my child, your father's instruction and do not reject your mother's teaching," so that we may never reject the general canons of holy mother the church, that is, those which the most harmonious assent of all the bishops confirms.”

“If there are any who are even in the catholic church and live evil lives, before they finish this life, let them hasten to give up the evil life, and let them not think that the catholic name is enough for salvation, if they do not do the will of God.… In Proverbs each one of us is commanded both to fear the Lord and to depart from evil. There it is said, "Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body."”

“"For my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips." Therefore, they who do not hold the truth of the faith in heart and mouth do not receive salvation in baptism. Because of this, although they have the appearance of piety which consists in the sacrament of baptism, by refusing the power of piety they receive neither life nor salvation.”

“Conversion from both impiety and iniquity is commanded. For both provoke the wrath of God against one, because God detests and condemns both, as Paul says, "The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and human wickedness." And Solomon says, as the blessed Peter had also inserted among his own words, "And if the righteous one is barely saved, when will the godless and the sinner appear?"”

“The proud and recalcitrant who despair of the forgiveness of sins repudiate forgiveness. Not only do they with pitiable blindness reject the care for their own salvation, but they also do not rest from upsetting other faithful souls with deadly words, if they are unable to pervert them. Often, either the frightfulness of their sins or the length of a wicked life takes away from them the hope of salvation and drives them to perpetrate even worse things in such a way that in such people that statement of holy Scripture is fulfilled: "When wickedness comes, contempt comes also."”

“What is called the prince of flies is shown to be prince of the wicked; another text of Scripture refers to him by saying, "Dead flies destroy the perfumer's sweet ointment." Who destroy except those who grieve the Holy Spirit either by the crime of infidelity or by the filthy obscenity of unclean deeds, while befouling themselves either with a false faith or an evil way of life?”

“He who forgives sins is proclaimed to be just and merciful; we know with the greatest of ease that the forgiveness of sins is granted only to the converted, and the punishment of eternal damnation is inflicted only on those who remain in sin.…In Isaiah is found a similar declaration from the divine Word against the recalcitrant who scorn the divine clemency. In this declaration it is made known that one obeys the divine commands not without reason and that one does not remain in evil without punishment.… Who, I ask, is so hard and altogether inert that, in these words of the highest admonition, if he is not called to conversion out of the pleasure of what is promised, he is not at least compelled by the fear of punishment? Salvation will not accept the one who scorns the divine words, but the sword will devour him.”

“The prophet Isaiah did not keep silent about this Trinity of persons and unity of nature revealed to him, when he says he saw the seraphim crying out, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts." Therefore, where the triple "holy" is repeated, there is the Trinity of persons; where "God Lord of hosts" is said but once, we recognize the unity of the divine nature. Therefore, in that Holy Trinity—and I keep on saying it so that it may be fixed in your heart the more firmly—the Father is one, who alone by his nature has generated the one Son from himself; and the Son is one, who alone has been born from the nature of the one Father; and the Holy Spirit is one, who alone proceeds from the essence of the Father and the Son. All of this is not possible for one person, that is, to generate oneself and to be born of oneself and to proceed from oneself. Therefore, because generating is different from being born and proceeding is something different again from generating and being born, it is obvious that the Father is different, the Son is different, and the Holy Spirit is different. The Trinity, therefore, refers to the persons of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; unity, to the nature.”

“That the Holy Spirit also proceeds from the Son, the prophetic and apostolic teaching shows us. So Isaiah says concerning the Son, "He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked." Concerning him the apostle also says, "Whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth." The one Son of God himself, showing who the Spirit of his mouth is, after his resurrection, breathing on his disciples, says, "Receive the Holy Spirit." "From the mouth," indeed, of the Lord Jesus himself, says John in the Apocalypse, "a sharp, two-edged word came forth." The very Spirit of his mouth is the sword itself that comes forth from his mouth.”

“Therefore faith can neither be conceived nor augmented in the human heart unless it is infused and nourished by the Holy Spirit. For we are reborn from the same Spirit from which Christ was born. The Spirit by which Christ is formed according to faith in the heart of each believer, therefore, is also the Spirit by which he was formed bodily in the womb of the Virgin. For this reason, it is in the person of the believer that the prophet cries out to the Lord: "Out of reverence for you, Lord, we conceived in the womb and brought forth; we have brought the spirit of your salvation upon the earth."”

“God cannot be separated from his creatures by time or space but only by their iniquities. Of the iniquitous, therefore, he said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." He also said, "I am a God who draws near, not a God who remains far away. If a man tries to hide, will I not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?" Nevertheless, blessed David himself said, "Those who distance themselves from you will perish."”

“So useful are trials for Christians that through them, our spirit becomes a sacrifice to God. For it is written in the psalm: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Enlightened by this and innumerable other texts of this type, let us hasten as rapidly as possible to be converted to God absolutely.… Converted, let us never despair of the forgiveness of sins, holding on to the faithful promise of the Lord who says, "In returning and rest, you will be saved." Let us put up with the pressures and trials of the present time with patient courage, and let us never depart from the fear of the Lord. For the apostle commands us to "endure in affliction." He bears witness that the correction of the present time is of great avail to us for avoiding the punishment of the future judgment, saying, "But since we are being judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world."”

“"He who made the things that will be," therefore, the things that were to be done, he willed them to be spoken of as if done, because these things which come about changeably in time, he has made firm with the unchangeable eternity of his plan. Therefore, in those things as well, in which the effect of the work has not yet come to be, the plan of the Creator remains firm from eternity.”

“With these and innumerable other texts of the same kind, in which the Lord our God is proclaimed as merciful and just, is shown how much his mercy must be loved and how much his justice must be feared.… Therefore, if there are those whom the pious goodness of God does not free from the domination of sin in this present world, his just severity condemns them in the future. From this it comes about that the evil ones are tirelessly admonished for their salvation by the divine words lest they remain in the servitude of sin, but they are exhorted rather to seek the mercy of a just God while they are in this life.… Therefore, his mercy must be loved and his justice feared by both the good and the wicked, lest either the good, loving the mercy of God, do not fear his justice and fall into the traps of the devil who seduces, or the wicked, considering only the severity of his justice, do not seek the blessing of his mercy when they can find it in their life, and so hardened, not only reject the forgiveness of sins but also do not cease to multiply sins.”

“The blessed Paul knew the distance between the present world and the world to come. He knew that only in the present world could the blessing of salvation be acquired but that only in the world to come could a just reward be given to individuals according to the quality of their work, good or wicked. So, when he had repeated the prophetic testimony that God speaks, "In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation, I helped you," he immediately followed it up by adding, "Behold, now is a very acceptable time; now is the day of salvation."”

“Therefore, it is good for us if we flee to the mercy of him whose justice we are incapable of escaping. The justice of God is such that it condemns those who turn away and saves those who turn to him. So he says, "Be converted to me, and I will save you." [God] is always delighted by our conversion, nor has he set a time for a human being, so long as he is in this life, at which time he cannot be merciful to the one who turns to him; on the contrary, the whole time of the present life is known to have been destined for our conversion. For the blessed Peter says, "The Lord does not delay his promise as some regard 'delay,' but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."”

“Let the wicked forsake his own way, in which he sins; let the unrighteous abandon his thoughts with which he despairs of the forgiveness of sins and according to the prophet's statement, "return to the Lord, for he will abundantly pardon." In this "abundantly," nothing is lacking. Here mercy is omnipotent and omnipotence is merciful. For so great is the kindness in God that there is nothing that he is unable to loose for the converted person.”

“Therefore, since bodies that cannot exist without a place cannot be spatially separated from God, without a doubt neither are the spirits that God created spatially separated from God.For every spirit that God created exists in some place, and God is there. [God], through the grace by means of which he grants to whom he wishes a holy and blessed life, is not in evil spirits; still he is always in all his creatures through his natural power. Thus there is no creature than can be found in whom God is not present through his power. Therefore, that nature can be separated from God that was or is able to be subject to sin. There is no other thing that can go away from God except that substance that is able or has been able to sin with its own will. For Isaiah says, "See, the Lord's hand is not too short to save or his ear too dull to hear. Rather, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God."”

“But afterward [the Spirit] came on him as he was baptized … and Jesus returned to Galilee. Considering all those things, we remember and acknowledge the Holy Spirit, who is one like the Father and the Son, without measure, and one who fills every creature and does the works that only God does, since one such cannot be sent from place to place since he is one who, we are taught, is immeasurable by nature.”

“In all these things, whatever has been predicted only, not promised, pertains to the persons of the wicked. Nor should that which because of the merit of wickedness, severity threatens to be inflicted, be said to have been promised by the generosity of goodness. If there are things that pertain to the persons of those who serve God, these have been both predicted and promised.This is also the point of the words of our Savior where he says, "And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." He predicted and promised the reward that the just would enjoy, but he did not promise but predicted the torments with which the unjust would be punished. Not so he predestined the saints to receive justice, because the "merciful and just Lord" could freely deliver from depravity whomever he wished. But he was never the doer of the depravity, because no one was ever depraved except insofar as he went away from God. Nor did God predestine anyone to go away, even though by divine knowledge he foreknew that he would go away.”

“God through Jeremiah reproaches the evil of the human will in such a way that he teaches that it is foreign to him. He says, "Yet I planted you as a choice vine.… How then did you turn degenerate and become a wild vine?" He says that the vine is foreign to him not because of some defect in the divine creation but by the avoidance of his own will, which is justly blamed because it brought forth bitterness, something God did not produce in it. It had the bitterness not from God's predestination or from God's work but from the evil of its own will. Because of that bitterness, God rebukes it a second time through the prophet mentioned above: "Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God: the fear of me is not in you." Since, therefore, it is evil and bitter for a person to have left the Lord and not to have in him a fear of God, who is contrary to the truth in such a way that he thinks it comes from a good and kind God.”

“Just as there is no illness that is incurable for our physician, so the heavenly medicine cannot be powerless in any wound or for any length of time. Therefore, the physician testifies that he is always able to restore health to the one converted. He says, "In returning and rest, you shall be saved." Hence God, through Jeremiah, does not cease to reprove the hardheartedness of certain ones. Instead he says in this way: "When people fall, do they not get up again? If they go astray, do they not turn back? Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They have held fast to deceit. They have refused to return." God does not punish the sins in the sinner, if the neck of the sinner is not stiffened.”

“Accordingly, we must consider that one and the same nature of the Trinity fills the whole in such a way that there is no place where it is not. So, it is everywhere complete and in no way contained in a place. It is complete in individual spirits and bodies and complete at the same time in all creatures. Now we are not speaking about grace by which God with a free gift of his mercy offers himself to human beings for their salvation, but about nature by which God both fills and contains all the things which he made; according to this, he says, "Do I not fill heaven and earth?"”

“"When the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live. They shall not die." Each statement is true because each is divine, whether it is that the just person when he will have turned away from his righteousness, all his righteous deeds will be consigned to oblivion, or whether it is that the wicked person, when he will have been converted from wickedness to righteousness, will be saved, and all his wicked deeds will not be remembered.”

“How well does the holy prophet teach that the seeds of good works must be watered by a river of tears! No seeds germinate unless they are watered; nor does fruit come forth from the seed if deprived of the aid of water. Accordingly, we too, if we wish to keep the fruits of our seeds, let us not stop watering our seeds with tears that must be poured out more from the heart than from the body. Therefore it is said to us through the prophet that we rend "our hearts and not our garments," something we can do when we recall that we ourselves, even if not in deed, frequently sin at least in thought. Because the "earthly tent burdens the thoughtful mind" and our land does not cease to produce thorns and thistles for us. We are unable to get to eating our bread, unless we will have been worn out by weariness and the sweat of our brow.”

“If we believe this, it is necessary that that proclamation of the blessed John the Baptist, which attributed to Christ a singular gift of the Spirit and one without measure, be interpreted. I refer to the statement "[God] does not ration his gift of the Spirit." Since our ancestors too in us receive a measure of this gift, they profess that in Christ there abides the fullness of the Holy Spirit. For the blessed Ambrose, in the first book on the Holy Spirit, among other things, says, "I will pour out of my Spirit." He did not say "my Spirit," but "of my Spirit," for we cannot take the fullness of the Holy Spirit, but we receive so much as our master divides of his own according to his will. Therefore, Saint Ambrose, showing that we receive not the fullness but of the fullness of the Spirit, that he may show that Christ has received the entire fullness of the Spirit, a little while after this says, "So too, the Father says that he pours out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh; for he did not pour him forth entirely, but what he poured forth abounded for all."”

“And the prophet Habakkuk proclaims the ascension of Christ and the strength of the ecclesiastical order under the titles of the sun and the moon: "The sun raised high its hands; the moon stood still in its exalted place." So the heart of each of the faithful is not improperly called a spiritual sun terrace, because it is illumined for its salvation by the rays of that sun above. Therefore Rahab the harlot hid those spies of Joshua on the terrace of her house. That is, she kept them in the upper parts because of the deep love of a heart illumined by spiritual knowledge so that she might sing this prophetic word by the truth of her deed: "I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you."”

“Nevertheless, lest under the cover of abundance anyone think that we are concealing a lack of defense, we shall bring forward one testimony from the prophets, by which it can clearly be shown that they are holy prophets, divinely inspired. They predicted with a certain and most faithful prophecy that in the time of New Testament, spiritual sacrifices were to be offered not to the Father only but also to the Son by the faithful. For Zephaniah says, " 'Therefore wait for me,' says the Lord, 'for the day when I arise as a witness. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them my indignation, all the heat of my anger; for in the fire of my passion, all the earth shall be consumed. At the time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my suppliants, my scattered ones, shall bring my offering.' "”

“Those who do not believe in the equality of the Father and the Son completely reject the coming of the Son from God the Father. Coming to the one who loves them, the Father and the Son make a single dwelling with him. Now, there cannot be a single dwelling for them both, if they are loved in different ways. And if they are not equal, they will inevitably be loved in an unequal way. It is therefore not possible to prepare a single dwelling for them in a simple heart if they are not equal. Yet Scripture admonishes us to do so, saying, "Think of the Lord with uprightness, and seek him with simplicity of heart." How can one seek God with simplicity of heart if he makes a distinction in his love for God the Father and God the Son? Or how can one have a simple love for God if he is convinced that there is a diversity in the Divinity? One loves with a simple heart that Divinity whose nature he believes to be simple. But if he adores the Divinity making distinctions, this is not simplicity but duplicity of heart. And this is not true faith but false.”

“In the book of Wisdom it is clear that what separates people from God is not the distance of place but evil thoughts and wicked actions. It says, "Perverse thoughts separate people from God; the excellence of virtue banishes fools, because wisdom will not enter a heart that does evil or dwell in a heart enslaved to sin. The Holy Spirit of instruction flees deceit and departs from foolish speech." Who cannot see that this alludes to the Trinity of persons, each according to their properties? In fact, it is said that "perverse thoughts separate people from God," using a name by which the person of God the Father can be recognized. Then it adds that "wisdom will not enter a heart that does evil"; by this name Christ is indicated, whom Paul calls "the power of God and the wisdom of God." Then it says, "The Holy Spirit flees from deceit, and departs from foolish speech." Moreover, in order that no one would think that an evil or godless person could distance himself, spatially, from this holy Trinity who is the one, true and good God, Scripture then says, "Wisdom is a spirit that is a friend of people; but he will not leave unpunished one who blasphemes, because God is witness of his inmost feelings and a true observer of his heart, and he hears the words of his mouth. In fact, the Spirit of the Lord fills the universe."”

“The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit come and go in their own, incomprehensible way. One cannot speak of a "change of locality" of the Father or of the Son or of the Holy Spirit. They come and go in such a way that, physically, they neither go to a place nor depart from it. Consequently, this coming of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit does not demonstrate the mobility of God but his piety. It is said in fact that the unique divinity of the Trinity, who fills all things and contains all things, comes to the one to whom he deigns to manifest himself, and he distances himself from the one to whom he hides the light of his love. But this does not mean a local absence, when he justly abandons one who is unworthy; nor does he make himself present in a place if he visits with his mercy one whom he has made worthy. Therefore, even though God says, "I fill heaven and earth," of some it is said, "God is not with them." And though the Father fills all things, the book of Wisdom says, "Perverse thoughts separate human beings from God." And if it also says of the Son—that is, of the wisdom of God, "she reaches from end to end with power and orders all things well," the same Wisdom says of itself, "The perverse will seek me, but they will not find me." And again, "Wisdom does not enter a soul who does evil or dwell in a body enslaved to sin." And of the Holy Spirit, of whom it is said that he is immense in every way, it is said, "The Holy Spirit flees from deceit and departs from foolish speech."”

“Let no one hold that the three persons are separable, since he would not be able to find any one of the persons existing or acting before another or after another or without another. Just as by nature there can be no separability of action, in the same way there remains, by nature, an immutable unity of the will. We will now consider in what way both angels and human beings have been separated from God, in order to enable us to grasp without a shadow of doubt that the Trinity is inseparable. For holy Scripture says, in fact, that "perverse thoughts separate people from God," and that "wisdom does not enter into a malignant spirit, nor does it dwell in a body given over to sin" and that "the Holy Spirit of discipline flees from deceit and distances himself from thoughts lacking in reason." In effect, Isaiah also proves that iniquities dig a trench between God and humanity. The holy Trinity, therefore, is the same faithful God in whom no wickedness can exist: "The Son of God came to take away sins; there is no sin or iniquity in him."”

“The true faith asserts that the Holy Spirit also is creator, not created. Indeed, how can one deny that he is creator, about whom it has been proven that he established the array of the heavens? David says, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the Spirit of his mouth their entire array." And elsewhere, "Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created." The one who made humanity is in fact the creator of all. Blessed Job calls him "the divine Spirit who made me." Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit created all things, in the same way he pervades all things, without limit. And one who pervades all things is true God by nature. It is written, "The Spirit of the Lord fills the world." And even blessed David attests that the Spirit is everywhere, saying precisely of God, "Where will I go, far from your Spirit, and where will I flee from your face?" Then how can the Arians deny that the Holy Spirit is God, given that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, just as we are the temple of the Father and the Son? Indeed, the apostle says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. In fact, the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." In the same letter, the apostle asserts that we are the temple of God in such a way as to say that we are also the temple of the Holy Spirit. He says, "Do you not know that your members are the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?" And precisely to show that the Holy Spirit is God, he adds, "Glorify and keep God in your hearts."”

“Divinely inspired, he speaks thus of the Holy Sprit: "Because the Spirit of the Lord fills the world, he embraces all things and knows what is said." One understands, moreover, that here the Scripture refers to the voice of the heart, not of the body. That is, not to the voice of speech among living beings, but that of one's most hidden thoughts, that resounding voice that only God hears, since he alone sees the one who ponders secretly. Thus he continues, "Therefore, no one who utters unrighteous things can remain hidden, nor will he be spared his chastening judgment." To show further in what this wicked speech consists, so that it would be understood more as the expression of the conscience than of the tongue, the holy Scripture then explains, "There will be an inquiry into the reflections of the godless." I have said this because it says of the Holy Spirit, "because he encompasses all things, he knows what is said." Given that he encompasses all things, the Holy Spirit is not inferior to the Father or the Son. And because he has knowledge of hidden thoughts, he is recognized as the true God.”

“Every human being is so corrupted by the voluntary sin of the first man that only God, if he wills, can heal a person's will by his good will. In fact, it is written, "He created all things that they might exist, and the creative forces of the world he made wholesome." Still, lest human beings would ever think the beginning of their healing derived from themselves, the divine word immediately adds, "And there is no purging medicine in them." Therefore, though the devil had deprived the first man of faith, he nevertheless did not deprive God of the power to give again what he had first given. Nor could the devil corrupt human nature to such a degree that it could not receive once again what it had lost, thanks to the generosity of God. In fact, the Almighty, who was capable of forming human nature, can also reform and preserve it, healing its fragility through grace.”

“Our thought, which originates and is formed in the memory, is rightly called an interior word. Indeed, what is thought, if not an interior discourse? Thus it is written, "What you speak in your hearts on your bed, reflect on and be silent." In fact, in the Gospel, when the Lord said to the paralytic he had healed, "Your sins are forgiven you," Luke the Evangelist adds, "The scribes and the Pharisees began to ask themselves, 'Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?' But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, responded, 'What are you thinking in your hearts?' " Whereas Luke said, "the scribes and the Pharisees began to ask themselves," Matthew says, "Then some scribes began to think, 'This man blasphemes!' But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, 'Why do you think evil things in your hearts?' " The book of Wisdom also says of some, "They spoke among themselves, reasoning unsoundly." It is therefore clear that to think is the same as to speak within oneself. Thus, thought is invisible. That is, thoughts are said without the sound of the voice of the body, but they reach another's hearing only through bodily speech.”

“Believe with the firmest faith, not doubting in any way, that Christ, the Son of God, will come to judge the living and the dead. With his coming he will raise, glorify and, according to his promise, make equal to the holy angels those who in this life are freely justified by faith through the gift of his grace. To these same justified ones he gives perseverance until the end in the faith and love of holy mother church. He will lead them to the state in which they are perfectly good, in the measure in which God grants to each. After this they will no longer be able to lose that perfection in which the glory of the saints will differ, but the eternal life of all will be the same. The devil and his angels, however, Christ will send into the eternal fire, where they will never be free of the punishment prepared for them by the divine justice and with the devil godless and wicked people, of whom Scripture says, "Those who are of his party imitate him." They have imitated him in evil actions and have not done adequate penance before the end of this life—those godless and wicked people who are destined to burn in the torment of the eternal flames, after reassuming their bodies.”

“What person, might I ask, who is living badly and hears the apostle say, "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him," if he is not converted in this life, could dare to assure himself of a hope of future pardon? Who would not fall trembling to the ground? Who would not hasten to penitence with a humble spirit, before the end of this present life? The apostle cries out, "If someone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him," and the vain person seduces himself with an extremely perverse thought, saying, "Even if I violate God's temple and live badly until the end, I will be saved." Is not the apostle speaking of such people when he says, "Let us do evil that good may result (and their condemnation is just)"84? It is not these that sacred Scripture calls unhappy and their hope completely vain when it says, "The one who disdains wisdom and discipline is unhappy. Their hope is vain, and their labor without fruit." Salvation will not be given, therefore, to the wicked but to the righteous, that is, to those who have corrected themselves and converted before the end of this life. Salvation will be given to the good who, by conversion, have pursued friendship with God. It will not be given to the bad who, remaining friends of the world, rightly deserve to be called enemies of God, in the words of the apostle's reproach. Blessed James in fact rebukes them, saying, "Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with this world is enmity with God? If, therefore, one wants to be a friend of this world, he makes himself an enemy of God."”

“Far be it from us to think or to say, according to the error of those without faith, that the young Christian "stole the black day and overpowered bitter death." In fact, according to the words of the apostle John, the black day sweeps away those who "are in darkness and walk in darkness, not knowing where they are going, because the darkness has blinded their eyes." The black day carried away those whom the true light himself judges severely. "This is the judgment," he says, "because the light came into the world, and people preferred darkness to the light: their works in fact were evil." Those who live in this way are in such a state that when they hear the voice of the Son of God, they will not be called to life but to judgment. The Lord says, "The hour will come when all those who are in their graves will hear his voice. Those who did good will go to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." And because neither a brief nor a long life is of any use to them, the book of Wisdom says of such persons, "Even if they have a long life, they will be held of no account, and in the end their old age will be without honor. If they die young, they will have neither hope nor comfort in the day of judgment."”

“The Christian who has lived in the fear of God, at whatever age he dies, is not swept away by a bitter and untimely death but crosses over supported by a maturity approved by God. Indeed, in the book of Wisdom we read, "Old age is not honored for length of time or measured by number of years. Wisdom, rather, is a person's gray hair, and a blameless life is old age. Having become dear to God, this one was loved by him."”

“We should not think that your bishop, our brother, has departed here early and that he lived only a little while. It is right to say that he did not live only a little while if we realize that, as much as we may say of him, there is still more to say (even if, being finite, what is much here will be judged as though it were nothing). And he has not lived so little, if, instead of counting the years, we think of his works. Who knows how many people, though living many years, have not done even half of what he did in a few years? To want to keep him here, then, is nothing other than to envy him his happiness. Now, as human beings, we are saddened for the man. What would we do if we did not act like human beings? We are sad in a human way, therefore, for a man's departure. But as we heard in the divine lesson, "In a short time, he fulfilled a long career." But, then, let us count those times as one counts a day. All that he did among you, exhorting, speaking, offering himself for your imitation—preserve it so as to praise and adore God, and you will be his most splendid memorial. Indeed, what matters for him is not that he be hidden in a marble tomb but that he be built up in your hearts—that he who has been buried would live in living sepulchers. Indeed, your memory is his tomb. He lives near to God, to be happy. He lives near to you, so that you would be happy.”

“"His soul in fact was pleasing to God, because he hastened to take him away from iniquity." Precisely with these words the sacred Scripture teaches us that in this world, it is not a long life that matters but a good life. To know the merits, as much as we can, of a deceased person, you must closely observe not how long he lived but how he lived. In fact, just as in a wicked life, the longer one lives the more punishments are multiplied for the one who lives in sin, so in a good life, though it is over in a brief period of time, a great, unending glory is gained for the one who lives well. A wicked life, then, leads to increasing ill temper in bitter, immature old people, whereas a good life leads young people, who die mature, to the kingdom of God.”

“"His soul in fact was pleasing to God, because he hastened to take him away from iniquity." Precisely with these words the sacred Scripture teaches us that in this world, it is not a long life that matters but a good life. To know the merits, as much as we can, of a deceased person, you must closely observe not how long he lived but how he lived. In fact, just as in a wicked life, the longer one lives the more punishments are multiplied for the one who lives in sin, so in a good life, though it is over in a brief period of time, a great, unending glory is gained for the one who lives well. A wicked life, then, leads to increasing ill temper in bitter, immature old people, whereas a good life leads young people, who die mature, to the kingdom of God. - "Letters 2.7.4"”

“No one, when reading that the wicked will marvel at the sudden appearance of an unexpected salvation, should think that for those who end the present life in sin, salvation will sooner or later be conferred on them by divine gift. It in fact calls the salvation of the righteous unexpected, because if the wicked do not hope that it will be given to them, it nevertheless remains for the righteous, who do hope for it. Thus blessed David, in a psalm, sang of the hope and of the salvation of the righteous as a single reality, saying, "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord, their refuge in time of distress. The Lord comes to their help and rescues them. He frees them from the godless and saves them, because they have taken refuge in him."”

“This is the unexpected salvation: they considered the life of the righteous madness, and though insane, they believed themselves to be sane and did not expect the retribution of divine justice. They therefore neglected to correct their lives. In fact, they delighted to live here in luxury for a brief time, not believing that after a little while they would be tormented with eternal punishments. For this reason, seeing the righteous in the glory of the children of God, that glory about which blessed Paul says, "We live in it, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God," the wicked will be amazed at the glory of the righteous, that is, of the children of God, because the righteous are children of God.”

“The unhoped-for salvation, that is, not hoped for by the wicked, will surely be given to the righteous, not to the wicked. Indeed, it will not be given to those who, not hoping for it, live badly, but to those who, justly hoping for it and abstaining from carnal desires, observe the salutary precepts of blessed Peter, who says, "Beloved, I exhort you, as strangers and pilgrims, to abstain from the desires of the flesh that war on the soul. Let your conduct among the pagans be irreproachable."”

“The psalm sings truthfully, "Great is the Lord our God, almighty, his wisdom has no limit." And to show the limitless immensity of this infinite eternity, it says elsewhere, "Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise; his greatness cannot be measured." Indeed, it is necessary that he who is by nature eternal also be proclaimed immeasurable by nature, since what always exists cannot be measured, and what is everywhere cannot be enclosed in a place. Thus finally another testimony of Scripture says, "By her purity she pervades all things." And a little later, "She reaches mightily from one end to the other, and governs all things well." And if now we hear that wisdom reaches from one end to the other, we must understand that if she reaches from one end to the other, she surpasses both ends by the immensity of her infinite nature. Indeed, only one who cannot be enclosed within creation can reach the entire creation, since, if in filling the heavens she is immeasurable, she is likewise infinite in reaching from one end to the other.”

“The Arians clearly show themselves to worship two gods when they deny that the Son is equal to the Father. And they declare him less, not regarding the assumption of the flesh (which the truth of the faith teaches) but with respect to the nature of the immeasurable divinity, even though it is said of him who is the wisdom of God that he is "a reflection of the eternal light." It is also said of him, in the letter to the Hebrews, "that he is the radiance of his glory and the imprint of his being." They should look at the "reflection of the eternal light" and recognize that, as that eternal light is infinite, so its reflection is in no way secondary or inferior by nature. Its eternity, rather, is identical to its infinity and its infinity to its eternity.”

“So as to show that the Son is infinite along with the Father, the sacred Scripture was careful to say of wisdom, "It is the reflection of the eternal light, a spotless mirror of the majesty of God and an image of his goodness." In this testimony are shown the oneness of nature, the distinction of persons and the infinite equality of the Father and the Son. No one can doubt that in this passage the Father is called the light and the Son the reflection. About this, the apostle also says authoritatively, "He is the radiance of his glory and the imprint of his being and sustains all things with the power of his word." See that it is said that the Son is the reflection and governs all things. If someone thinks that the Father is infinite but that the Son has limits, let him show us in what way the light and its reflection could be different beings, when, even if they are differentiated by name, they are not distinct in kind, nor do they differ in extension. In fact, the light and its reflection do not have the same name, but neither do they have different natures.”

“If our physician is an expert, he can heal every infirmity. If he is our merciful God, he can forgive every sin. A goodness that does not prevail over every evil is not perfect, nor is a medicine perfect if some disease cannot be cured by it. Indeed, it is written in the sacred texts, "Evil does not prevail over wisdom." Our physician's omnipotence is proclaimed in the psalm with these words, "Bless the Lord, my soul, and all my being bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all his benefits. It is he who pardons all your sins, who heals all your weakness, who rescues your life from the grave, who fulfills your desires with good things, who crowns you with mercy and goodness. Your youth will be renewed like the eagle's." I ask you: What should we think cannot be forgiven us, since the Lord is kindly in all our misdeeds? Or what should we suppose cannot be healed in us, since the Lord heals all our weaknesses? Or how is it possible that one who is whole and righteous would still have some lack—one who is content to desire good things? Or up to what point do we think that one could not avail himself of the benefit of the full remission of sins—one who has been crowned with goodness and mercy? Let no one, therefore, remain in his infirmity, despairing of the physician. Let no one destroy himself in sins, belittling the mercy of God. The apostle declares that "Christ died for the godless." And he likewise says, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners."”

“The true Father sent the Truth he had generated, he sent the Wisdom in which he had made everything, he sent the Word that he had conceived in his heart. In this mission, therefore, the coming must not be thought of as a change of place, as if the Son of God were sent from heaven to earth or that he was not on earth before taking flesh. Or, as if he abandoned heaven when he assumed flesh for our salvation, since he is the Wisdom of God of which it is said, "He extends powerfully from one end of the earth to the other, governing all things well." That divinity that by nature is one, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, is not in a place, just as it is not in time. It is not enclosed in a place, just as it does not change with time. That divinity that by nature is infinite and eternal had no beginning and is not contained in a place. Therefore the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, fills all: he is entirely in everyone, entirely in all, entirely in small creatures, entirely in those that are bigger. This occurs by nature, not by grace. It happens when he creates human beings, not when he saves them; when he forms them, not when he restores them; when he makes this sun rise on the good and on the wicked, and not when the Sun of righteousness rises on those in whom life is infused—not that of the flesh, but of the heart—by the gift of his anticipatory mercy.”

“The Scriptures are accustomed to speaking of opinion in two ways. They in fact speak of opinion both when someone thinks something that is not true and when he knows with all certainty that something is true. Blessed Stephen, in the Acts of the Apostles, speaks of an opinion concerning uncertain knowledge when he says of holy Moses, "He thought that his countrymen would have understood that God was offering them salvation through him." But, to show that this was an uncertain opinion, he adds, "But they did not understand." Similarly, it is said in the same book when the angel brought blessed Peter out of the jail, "he still did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real: he thought he was having a vision." In the book of Wisdom an utterly certain knowledge is given as an opinion, in the place where wisdom itself says, "And if one desires wide experience, she knows what is past and infers what is to come." What does it mean that wisdom infers, if not that it knows with all certainty? Thus also Paul, who had the mind of Christ, spoke of thinking something that he knew with certainty, saying, "I consider, in fact, that the sufferings of the present moment are not to be compared with the future glory that will be revealed in us." And neither in this case can it be said that Paul had an uncertain knowledge of these things. In fact, he had a certain knowledge of them. Similarly, blessed Jeremiah said of Christ, "He is our God, and he will not be compared with another." Does "he will not be compared" perhaps not mean that another will not be known? Thus blessed Isaiah says, "Lord, beside you we have known no other. We have invoked your name."”

“What we think within ourselves we remember in our hearts, since mentioning both things, that is, a thought and a memory, has shown that they are not exterior but interior. It is said also in the book of Proverbs, "Son, do not let evil thoughts ensnare you, thoughts that abandon the teachings of youth and forget the divine covenant. Their dwelling is near death, and their paths with mortals, alongside the netherworld." If evil thoughts, which have made their dwelling near death, are outside of death and not in it, they are certainly alive. And if they are near, but not in, the netherworld, the only remaining possibility is that what is not in death or in the netherworld would have life in heaven. For this reason it is said to God, "You have rescued my soul from death," because, through faith, he has given life to the soul, saying, "My righteous one, through faith, will live." And thus it is also said to him, "From the depths of the netherworld you have rescued my soul," since souls are rescued from the netherworld by the grace of God, so that they would live in heaven. Thus the apostle says, "Our homeland is in heaven." Moreover, how was the soul, which was near death because of evil thoughts, freed from death, if it was not dead? And how was it taken from the netherworld, if it was near the netherworld but not in it? If in fact it was not in death, it was not dead. But who does not know that the soul dies through an evil will—that is, through sin—since God says, "The soul that sins will die." It is therefore certain that the soul that thinks wickedly, being near death, is in death, and being near the netherworld is in the netherworld. And what does the Savior say? "What is impossible for human beings is possible for God."”

“"And our reflections are uncertain." Foresight is uncertain with regard to things that are uncertain, and those things of which we do not have secure possession are uncertain. Every day, without wanting to, we can lose what we cannot possess forever. Thus the reflections of mortals are uncertain when their souls remain enthralled by things, the possession of which can be taken from the possessor without his consent or from which the possessor can be deprived without him wishing it. - "On the Truth of Predestination 2.12.20"”

“"The reasonings of mortals are timid," not with a praiseworthy fear but blamable, a fear that is not good but evil. We have been freed from such fear by the one who "through death destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, thus freeing those who, through fear of death, were held in bondage all their life long." Our Redeemer clearly manifested this bondage from which he freed us and the freedom that he freely gave us, saying "If you remain faithful to my word, you will truly be my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." To the response of the Jews, who were descendents of Abraham and had never been slaves to anyone, by his response he showed at one and the same time both the condition, portending death, of their bondage, and the truth of the freedom that he had brought to his own, saying, "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever, but the son remains there forever. If, therefore, the Son frees you, you will be free indeed." Thus, those thoughts are called "timid" by which sin is served, in those who are subject to bondage their entire lives. Paul teaches us that we have been set free from this bondage by the grace of God. "When in fact you were in bondage to sin, you were free with respect to righteousness. But what fruit did you harvest then, from things that you are now ashamed of? In fact, they lead to death. Now, however, freed from sin and made servants of God, you gather fruit leading to sanctification, with eternal life as your end." See what the grace of God has given us! It has freed the timid, of whom Scripture says, "The reasonings of mortals are timid." - "On the Truth of Predestination 2.11.18-12.20"”

“Tears that spring from compunction of heart defeat the enemy and gain for us the gift of a victorious happiness. In fact, those who "go out weeping, scattering their seeds, will return rejoicing, carrying their sheaves." How wisely the holy prophet teaches that the seeds of good works must be watered with rivers of tears! And in fact, no seed germinates without being watered. Nor does a seed bear fruit if it has been without the benefit of water. Thus we also, if we wish to harvest the fruits of our seeds, should not cease watering them with tears, which should spring from the heart rather than the body. This, in fact, is why we are told through the prophet to rend our hearts, not our garments. And we can do this only if we recall that we often sin, if not in deeds, at least in our thoughts. Since "the earthly tabernacle oppresses the mind, which stirs up many thoughts," and our earth does not cease to germinate thorns and difficulties for us, in the end we cannot eat our bread if we have not endured the sweat of our brow and hard work.”

“We must think that in any case heretics are carnal and earthly and therefore incapable of spiritual things. The apostle says of them, "The animal person, however, does not understand the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because they can be judged only through the Spirit." Thus the apostle's authority affirms that heretics are above all carnal and earthly. In fact, blessed Paul also numbers heresy among the works of the flesh. And the blessed apostle Jude also calls those who separate from the church earthly, saying, "These are those who provoke divisions, natural people, devoid of the Spirit." This is precisely what we saw the apostle Paul say: "The animal person, however, does not understand the things of the Spirit of God." We must not be surprised, then, that those who do not have the Spirit of God are incapable of comprehending divine things. In fact, it is written in the book of Wisdom, "Who has known your thoughts, if you have not granted him wisdom and sent him your holy spirit from on high?" Therefore the holy apostle further states that the things of God are revealed only by the Holy Spirit when he says, "But God revealed these to us by his Spirit." And a little later he continues, "Now, we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, to know all that God has given to us."”

“We read that it is written of wisdom, "Its memory is immortal, by the fact that it is recognized by God and by human beings." How can it be recognized by human beings if it is not interior to them, but exterior? It cannot be recognized if it does not enter the soul of the person. It is said of wisdom, "Though remaining in itself, it renews all, and through the ages it enters holy souls." And so that we should not think that to move into souls is something different than to enter them, the text of Scripture refers to it again with these words, "It freed a holy people and a blameless race from a nation of oppressors. It entered the soul of a servant of the Lord and withstood fearsome kings with wonders and signs." This entry into souls is also proclaimed in the Apocalypse of John: "See, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone listens to my voice and opens to me, I will come to him, I will sup with him, and he with me." By this same movement the Father and the Son enter the one who loves them, and they establish their dwelling in him, as the Son says: "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and the Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." And if this coming of the Father and the Son to the one with whom they make their dwelling were exterior and not interior, we would then like to know: where will they come to, and where will they make their dwelling with him? Moreover, we have seen that Christ dwells interiorly in his faithful ones, as Paul proclaims, saying, "That Christ would dwell in your hearts through faith."”

“It is written that "wisdom opened the mouth of the mute and loosed the tongues of infants." Wisdom indeed opened the mouths of the mute, so the incredulous might believe, and loosed the tongues of infants, so that they might preach what they believed. Therefore, not without reason does Paul attribute his faith and his ability to speak to the gift of the Holy Spirit, saying, "Moved by that same spirit of faith of which it is written, "I believed, therefore I spoke," we also believe, and therefore we speak." A person believes with the will, and with the will speaks. The human will, however, cannot possess these things of its own if they are not given by God, "because wisdom opens the mouth of the mute and loosens the tongue of infants." - "On the Truth of Predestination 2.6.9"”

“This uncreated Trinity put some indications of the Trinity in its creation. As it is written, "You arranged all things with measure, number and weight." In fact, any body, small or large, can be quantified according to the number of its parts, can be measured and has weight. And quantity cannot exist without weight, nor measure without weight and quantity. None of these properties can exist without the other two. It is easy, however, to observe weight, quantity and measure in material objects; let us see if they can be found in incorporeal objects. In the human soul one finds memory, thought and will. In fact, you think what you want, and this is what your memory contains. Your will is your love. That is, you remember what you bear with love in your thoughts. Memory, intellect and will (which we have said is love) are three inseparable aspects—one of these cannot exist without the others. A certain Father once elegantly mentioned how all three are in the soul when praying to God: your memory, your intellect and your desire, and in this the image of God has been shown. The human soul is therefore an image of God: not born but created, not equal but similar.”

“With respect to existence and power, the Trinity is everywhere, wholly one God, filling all things with his power, not by his mass but wholly in each creature, and simultaneously wholly in all creatures. Regarding our thoughts, it is said that God descends to our level when he divinely moderates his word in such a way that he condescends to communicate his knowledge and love to us, speaking to us in a human way. Conversely, he rises in us when we ascend in charity and knowledge of the divinity, learning not to look for anything local in him who is infinite, or think that there is anything lowly in him who is sublime, or believe that there is anything changeable in God or think that there is anything temporary in him who is eternal.This is the way we are to understand the manifestation of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it is said that God rested in the beginning after having finished the creation of the world, although he was not fatigued by his work, because he accomplished everything solely by his will. To him it was said, "You exercise power when you wish," as we hear in the psalm, "Whatever the Lord wishes he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the depths."”

“Abraham, "father of us all," as the apostle says, "did not doubt God's promise in unbelief but was strengthened in faith and gave glory to God, fully convinced that what he had promised, he was also able to do." There is therefore no falsehood whatsoever in God's promises, since no obstacle can stand before the action of the Almighty. And consequently, the effect of his will can ever fail, since we discover that his will itself is nothing other than his power. He who can do whatever he wants can want anything. Only of him, then, can it be truly said, "Whatever he wanted, he did." And further, "You exercise power when you wish." For this reason we said that in him there is as much power of the will as there is the will itself of the power. Since "power always accompanies his will," in him will and power are one. In fact, just as God is not constrained by any necessity to promise what he does not want to do, so he is not impeded by anything in doing what he has promised to a lesser degree than he wants to or to delay its realization.”

“If the Arians say that God the Father is not created and God the Son is, then, as the natural creation of the innate Father makes known the unity of nature in the Father and in the Son, so eternity by nature of the Father does not allow one to attribute a beginning to divine creation. Therefore, the Father and the Son are without beginning, and the Father and the Son are one single and true beginning. For this reason God the Father speaks to his Son in the psalm: "With you the beginning, on the day of your power, among the splendors of the saints; from the womb I have created you before the dawn." What is "with you the beginning," if not that which is said elsewhere of wisdom, "It comes forth from the Lord our God and has always been with him and is before the beginning of time"? Therefore, rightly so, the Son affirms himself to be the beginning since he knows that he is coeternal with the Father from the beginning, just as he knows that he by nature is one single beginning with the same Father. And affirming himself to be the alpha and the omega, that is, the beginning and the end, the Son confirms himself to be without beginning and without end. Just as, in fact, no letter exists before the alpha, in the same way no nature could possibly exist before the Son. Therefore, the Son says he is the alpha in order to demonstrate that he is the beginning of all things, before which there can be no other beginning. This is the reason why the Evangelist, wanting to express the eternity of the Word without beginning, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has found nothing more suitable or more congruous to say than, "In the beginning was the Word."”

“Know that God is working in you both to will and to do, according to a good will. Therefore, attend to your salvation with fear and trembling. Humble yourself before the Lord so that he may exalt you. Ask him for the beginning of a good will, seek from him the effects of good works, ask him for the gift of perseverance. Do not believe that when his support has stopped you can want or do anything good. Ask him to turn your eyes somewhere else so that they do not see vanity; beseech him to show you the way you should go, pray, so that he may direct your steps according to his Word and so that you will not be dominated by sins; call on him so that he can direct the work of your hands for you. Therefore, "be strong and take heart." "Entrust your concerns to the Lord, and he will provide for them."As he told you, you must not ascribe anything to your own strength, for you must not distrust divine power and devotion in anything. For, "The Lord is faithful in his words and holy in all his works." He will not deny you his help in this world, nor will he withhold your reward in that life which is to come. He has shown you the right way and is himself the guide that will lead you to your heavenly home. "Trust, therefore, in the Lord, and do good." Do not believe you will fail if he has agreed to have you under his protection. It is indeed written, "Has anyone trusted in the Lord and been put to shame? Or, has anyone persevered in the Lord and been abandoned? Or, has anyone called upon him and been neglected by him?" Therefore, do not lose your confidence which will have a great reward. Be strong and steadfast, knowing that your work shall not prove fruitless in the Lord.”

“Faith competes with human nature—something for which the Creator has taken a great deal of care in ensuring that even the very hairs on our head are counted—such that it is obvious that only when human nature senses that it is loved by God does it love God who loves it and then binds itself to him by means of pure-hearted faith. Faith is the way that carries us to blessedness; lack of faith brings great misery. Because of this you will be rightly punished when you do not believe in the Son of God, because your infidelity is your vice, just as faith is your strength—although it not the kind of strength one discovers in evil spirits but the kind God gives to his saints that triumphs over their wickedness. It is the same "faith that works through love." In fact, "the evil spirits believe and tremble," but they do not love him from whom they are far removed because of pride. The first man was made to fall in pride through the counsel of the devil, through which he lost humility, through which he lost faith. And when he lost his faith, he lost divine protection. It is in fact written, "The one who does not believe in God will not be protected by God." From that moment the one who was earth and ashes began to be proud because he threw away what was innermost in his life. The Word of the Lord, thus, does not stop calling humanity to return to its most intimate longing, saying: "Return, you rebels, to the heart."”

“He receives the never-ending share of the heavenly inheritance who, guarding the unity of brotherly love within the catholic church, before finishing the present life gives up the lethal hardness of the impenitent heart and does not despair that within the one and truly catholic church the remission of all sins will be given by the Holy Spirit to those who have converted. Our Savior demonstrates as much. Indeed, after the resurrection, breathing on his disciples and giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit, he gave them the power to forgive sins, saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they shall be forgiven; if you retain them, they will be retained." Therefore, they do not close the door of mercy—an action that would create a desperation that leads to death—on those who, separated from the catholic church, are tied to the error of whatever heresy or schism. Those heretics or schismatics will give up their hard-heartedness if they do not want to be punished with evils that will have no end. It is indeed written that "the stubborn mind will be afflicted at the end, and whoever loves danger will perish by it." What is there that is more dangerous than not offering obedience to the divine Word and disdaining the will of God who calls? Therefore, in the book of holy Job, just as eternal glory is promised to those who convert, the impious are denied the gifts of salvation because they do not obey. If indeed it is written, "Those who return from iniquity, if they listen and obey, will fill their days with blessings and their years with honor. But he does not preserve the ungodly because they are not willing to know the Lord and because when reproved they were disobedient," they therefore ought not to disdain the time dedicated to obedience but ought to return to the catholic church in which alone, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, "love covers a multitude of sins."”

“Therefore the Savior warns each one of us ahead of time, saying, "Make friends quickly with your adversary, while you are going with him to court, lest your adversary hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny." People turn the Word of God into their adversary when they do the very things that the word of God prohibits. In the Psalms they are told, "You hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you." If someone will not consent to this divine Word until he is on his way, that is, if he does not consent soon in this life, then once he is thrown into prison, into the eternal fire, there will be no more peace. In fact, the best adversary is the one who is hostile toward us in keeping us away from the hostility of sin that is the bearer of death. We learn from another passage of Scripture that we should repent soon because the more we delay our repentance, the more chance death has to lead us to damnation instead of salvation. And so Scripture says, "Do not delay turning back to the Lord or put it off from day to day; for suddenly his wrath will come, and in the time of vengeance he will destroy you." The Word of God reveals that when the time of vengeance arrives, our repentance will certainly not deliver us from the pain of punishment; rather, God's vengeful wrath will give us the sentence we deserve. This, in fact, will not be a time of forgiveness or of indulgence but of vengeance. It is deferred due to the long-suffering of God as he waits for the full number of saints to be completed. The blessed John recalls in the Apocalypse that the saints have in fact asked for this vengeance when they cry out, "O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And in order to teach that the time of vengeance is deferred, by divine disposition, because of those who still must join this gathering, John continues, "Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete."”

“If some people are in the catholic church but live badly, let them hurry to distance themselves from their evil life before concluding this life. Do not let them think that the catholic name is sufficient for their salvation if they do not do the will of God. In fact, our Savior says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." Indeed, also in the book of Psalms it is written that "the Lord is close to all who call on him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him, and he will hear their prayers, and he will save them." Therefore also in Proverbs each one of us is ordered both to fear the Lord and to distance ourselves from evil. There you can read, "Fear the Lord and turn away from all evil, and your body shall have peace and your bones rest." In fact, also in Ecclesiasticus, all the faithful are warned not to do evil with these words: "Do not perform evil deeds, and they will not seize you. Distance yourself from evil, and evil will distance itself from you. Do not sow evil deeds in the furrows of injustice, and you will not harvest them multiplied seven times." In the same book again, because no one, adding sin to sin, wants to deceive himself with a vain thought regarding the mercy of God, the doctrine of salvation meets us with words of this kind: "Do not … add sin to sin. Do not say, 'His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins,' for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger rests on sinners." Again, saint Job says, "Does not calamity befall the unrighteous and disaster the workers of iniquity?" It is written in Proverbs, "The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is caught in the toils of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is lost."”

“The New Testament must be held in veneration in such a way that the Old Testament not be neglected in any way. This is what Ecclesiasticus seems to me to recommend under the guise of old and new friends when it says, "Forsake not an old friend, for a new one does not compare with him." From the mouth of Jeremiah, the divine Scripture anticipates the difference that is found in the mysteries of the two Testaments, saying, "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new testament with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not according to the testament that I made with their ancestors." For the other, that is, the New Testament comes, not like the Old Testament which was brought to an end by the Lord, but as the one in which the Lord has given the fulfillment of the commandments, and after he had removed the old mysteries, he instituted the different mysteries of the revealed truth. Therefore, what he promised in the Old he has brought to fulfillment in the New. Since therefore the knowledge of the mysteries of the New Testament can be truly salutary and joyful only if one acknowledges that the promise that went before in the mysteries of the Old Testament is true, when the Scriptures says, "Do not leave an old friend because the new one will not be like him," there is immediately added, "A new friend is like new wine; when it has aged, you will drink it with pleasure." What does "aged" mean except that the type of the New Testament appears in the Old Testament? This new wine is thus drunk with joy if its meaning and promise are acknowledged in the Old Testament.”

“We should not think of God as the author of good works as if only at the dawn of creation he provided human nature the possibility of doing good in such a way that, after his help was taken away, human nature on its own could want or do anything good on its own. In reality, on its own initiative, human nature could not have realized such a possibility, not even in the first man even while he was still not yet wounded by sin. Therefore, how can human nature restore its own health without the aid of a physician since, while it was healthy, it could not even succeed in safeguarding its health then? Therefore, earth and ash should not get puffed up because it has abandoned its most visceral thoughts in this life; nor should the wounded act as if he were healthy because he thinks he has healed that part of himself. Rather, he should reflect with the humility of a wounded heart on the putridness of his wounds so that, proclaiming with the prophet, "My wounds grow foul and fester because of my foolishness," he can obtain healing not because of his own merit but because of the free gift of divine mercy. In fact, what does a person possess that he has not already received? But if he has received it, then why does he glory in himself as if he had not received it?”

“The impious and sinners who have no intention of repenting of their impiety or iniquity will be condemned at the end to eternal torments, while to those who have repented God will lavish his mercy. This is what is written in the book of Ecclesiasticus: "The Most High has mercy on the penitent and will inflict punishment on the impious and sinners." Further, in the same book it is said, "Remember that wrath will not be late in coming. Humble yourself to the utmost, because fire and worms fill up the punishment of the ungodly." Again, Isaiah says that "their fire shall not be quenched, and their worm shall not die." It is also written in Ecclesiasticus, "A synagogue of sinners is like a bundle of oak, and their end will be the flame of fire. The way of sinners is full of offenses, and, at the end, there will be the fiery pit, darkness and pains."”

“Therefore, the blessed hope, the sure expectation, the future happiness is for those who, having rejected the secular ungodliness and desires, have lived soberly and with justice and piety in this world. Therefore, sobriety, justice and piety must be very carefully guarded by Christians. The one who guards his sobriety harmonizes his customs with his life. The one who lives with justice does not bring evil on his neighbor and, in so far as he can, offers aid with good works. The one who lives with piety neither believes or says anything perverse in regard to God. Whoever, therefore, wants to reach the kingdom of heaven must live soberly, practice justice with his neighbor and persevere in piety toward God.These virtues then will be of help in the future life if they are a reality in the life of this present world. This in fact is what the blessed apostle knew and taught when he ordered us "to live soberly and with justice and piety in this world," teaching that those who before the judgment have led a just life in this world will receive mercy in the judgment. Therefore divine Scripture warns us in the book of Ecclesiasticus, "Procure justice before the judgment, and you will find propitiation in the presence of God." Therefore, anyone who wants to find propitiation in the presence of God must prepare justice for himself here. In fact, whatever one has not begun to procure in the present world, he will not have at the time of future retribution.”

“Penance can be useful to every person in this life. Whenever one does it, however evil he was, however burdened with years of life, if with all his heart he has renounced the sins of his past and poured out tears in the presence of God, not only for the body but also for the soul, and he has taken care to wash the stains of his evil works with good works, he will receive the forgiveness of all his sins. This, in fact, is what the Lord promises to us with the words of the prophet, saying, "If you will be converted and weep, you will be saved." Elsewhere it is also said, "My child, have you sinned? Sin no more, but ask forgiveness for your previous sins so that they may be forgiven." Prayer for sins would not have been commanded of the sinner if forgiveness of sins would not have to be granted to the one praying. But penance is fruitful for the sinner if it takes place in the catholic church; to the church, God in the person of Peter granted the power to bind and to loose, saying, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Therefore, at whatever age an individual makes true penance for his sins and corrects his life through the gift of illumination that God gives to him, he will not be deprived of the gift of forgiveness because God, as he asserts through the prophet, does not desire the death of one dying but rather that he be converted from his perverse way and that his soul live.”

“When it is said to a sinner who desires to receive the benefit of salvation that if he converts and groans he will be saved, one must also understand that if he groans but is not converted, he will not be saved. Indeed, not in vain did the Word of God unite both these elements, that we might know that both are necessary, conversion and groaning, to attain salvation. Some, in fact, humiliated by the consideration of their offenses, groan in prayer over their iniquities, but, this notwithstanding, they do not distance themselves from their bad actions. They recognize they have behaved badly but do not want to put an end to their wicked actions. They humbly denounce before God the sins that oppress them but obstinately pile up in their perverse heart the same sins they denounce with their humble speech. The indulgence that they ask for with tearful groanings, they take away by their bad actions. They ask the doctor for medicine and give sustenance to the sickness, to their ruin. And thus vainly they seek by their words to placate the just judge, who they incite to greater fury by wicked actions. Such people will never purify their sins with groanings, because they do not stop sinning after their groaning. They groan for their misdeeds, and after they groan, they return to them. In Ecclesiasticus, the sacred Scripture speaks of such persons thusly: "The one who purifies himself after having touched a dead person and touches him again, what good did it do him to have been purified? Likewise, the person who fasts for his sins and again does the same actions, what advantage does he gain from humiliating himself? Who will listen to his prayers?" Fine, says God to such a person, "If you convert and groan, you will be saved." With the severe and good God, when one has turned to God with the humility of a contrite heart, then the prayer of the one who groans will be heard, the request made with tears will be attended to, salvation will be granted to the one who weeps. Certainly God will pardon the sinner and have mercy on him if the sinner acknowledges his iniquity by conversion.”

“We defeat the adversary only if we fight with tears and with prayers, in continual humility of heart. It is written, in fact, that "the prayer of the humble penetrates the clouds and is not withdrawn from God until it is answered." The weeping of the humble is therefore a great antidote against carnal concupiscence. Tears that spring from compunction of heart defeat the enemy and gain for us the gift of a victorious happiness. In fact, those who "go out weeping, scattering their seeds, will return rejoicing, carrying their sheaves." How wisely the holy prophet teaches that the seeds of good works must be watered with rivers of tears! Indeed, no seed germinates without being watered. Nor does a seed bear fruit if it has been without the benefit of water. We also, therefore, if we wish to harvest the fruits of our seeds, should not cease watering them with tears, which should spring from the heart more than from the body. This is why we are told through the prophet to rend our hearts, not our garments.”

“Not the Trinity but Christ, who is God above all things, who ascended to heaven in the flesh under the gaze of the disciples and who will come from heaven in the flesh. He who did not leave heaven when he took on flesh on earth and did not leave his own on earth when he ascended into heaven in the flesh, because of his divinity. Indeed, he promised this, saying, "See, I am with you all days, until the end of the world." He is that God, therefore, who according to the prophecy of blessed Jeremiah "is great and without limits, sublime and immense" in the divine nature and of whom a little later the same prophet says, "He is our God, and no other can be compared with him. He has searched every way of knowledge and has given it to Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved." It is this God who made himself for a little while lower than the angels, taking on the nature of a servant, as the same prophet says, "After these things he appeared on the earth and lived among human beings." The faithless thought he was a mortal and changeable human being, but he is precisely the same one that those who truly believe in him will see—now that their hearts have been cleansed from sin—as the immortal and unchangeable God according to his own nature.”

“Hence it is that any creatures, that is, of the same nature, can be separated from one another because each one individually cannot be everywhere in its entirety; for when, through the grace of faith it happens that they have "one heart and soul of the multitude of believers," still in their persons they can be separated by being in different places even though they are not separated by the affection of the heart; and some of the faithful can become unbelievers and be severed from the fellowship of that one soul.”

“These animals accomplish their life and purpose in this world according to the incomprehensible will of the Creator. They render no account of their deeds because they are not rational. "Is God concerned about oxen?" Human beings, however, because they have been made rational, will render an account to God for themselves and for all the things which they have received for use in this present life.”

“The word cup means nothing other than the new covenant in the Lord.… The grace of suffering was intended by the Lord when the word cup is used. For what did he wish to be understood when he said to the sons of Zebedee, "Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" … and "Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?" A stone's throw from his disciples he is torn away to die for the sins of humanity. This is his cup of suffering. He shows his feelings of human weakness, saying … "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me.".”

“The diversity of corporeal natures demonstrates that each one of them is not what it is because of what it could always have had all by itself. Rather it is what it is because of what it has received from the plan and working of the one omnipotent, unchangeable and all-wise Creator. If any corporeal creature whatsoever were of one and the same nature as the holy Trinity, which is the one God, it would not exist in any place locally, nor would it ever undergo change because of passage of time, nor would it move from one place to another, nor would it be circumscribed by the fact of its mass.”

“In this debt which you demand from us and you repay, do not doubt that I am assisted, so that God, who works in us both to will and to bring to completion the work of the good will, himself gives that I may worthily think and worthily speak. For in good thoughts, "Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather our qualification comes from God." And for this reason we do not fail for want because by a free gift our sufficiency is from him in whom there is no want. Just as he does not need our goods, so he always abounds in giving, nor does he become needy by giving who gives that by which he is always filled; nor is there any pleasing gift of thought, word or deed offered by us to him which he himself has not given with free kindness. Wherefore the holy giving of God is always free because no demand based on human merits has ever preceded, because even if a human being has any good merit, it comes from him from whom comes "every good and perfect gift.".”

“Nor can any human being be fit either for thinking or for doing anything good unless he is first helped by the free gift of divine assistance. "For God is the one who, for his own good purpose, works 'in them' both to desire and to work," as the vessel of election [Paul] affirms; also by his teaching, we know that "we of ourselves are not qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather our qualification comes from God." Therefore, he supplies us with all the sufficiency of good, and his fullness is not lessened when he gives who kindly shares every good with us that we may have them.… Everything which is created, just as before it was created it did not exist, so before it receives was unable to possess; and just as it cannot subsist without the working of him who made it, so it is unable to will or to do good unless God continuously deigns to help. For from him is the beginning of a good will, from him the ability to do good works, from him perseverance in a good way of life, from him in the present age is given true humility of heart and in the future the happiness of eternal reward, that they may be without end happy who now without falsity are humble.”

“Paul the apostle says that he has the same spirit of faith which the blessed David had, which the holy Moses received, just as he himself testifies, saying, "Since then we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written: 'I believed, therefore, I spoke.' We too believe and therefore speak." How did they have the one spirit of faith, if they believed differently concerning the faithful God? For the difference in belief is great if what Paul says, "There is no injustice with God," differs from what Moses and David say, "There is no iniquity in God." And if, as Paul says, he has the same spirit of faith which the prophets also had and yet his belief is different from their faith, let the apostle be declared a liar (God forbid), he who testifies that Christ speaks in him. "You are looking for proof of Christ speaking in me?" But since Christ has truly spoken in Paul, Paul is not a liar. And when he says that he has the same spirit of faith, he does not lie; the belief of each is in agreement so that what Moses and David have said.… This is also what Paul says.”

“Nevertheless, when we hear at the same time of the justified and the glorified, let us not assign both the work of justification and glorification to the same moment in the present time. For the grace of justification is given in the present time, but the grace of glorification is saved as a future grace. The one is of faith, the other of sight. Paul says that now "we walk by faith, not by sight." What the saints believe now, then they will see.”

“Human beings … because they have been made rational will render an account to God for themselves and for all the things which they have received for use in this present life and, according to the nature of their works, will receive either punishment or glory. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or bad." … Therefore, eternal life will be given in the future only to the one to whom forgiveness of sins has been given in this world. Only he will receive forgiveness of sins here who renounces his sins and hastens to the highest and true God with true conversion of heart. For that [judgment] will not be a time of forgiveness but of retribution. There mercy will not justify the sinner, but justice will distinguish the just and the sinner.”

“For the blessed Paul also knew the distance between the present world and the world to come. He knew that only in the present world could the blessing of salvation be acquired but that only in the world to come could a just reward be given to individuals according to the quality of their works, good or wicked. So, when he had repeated the prophetic testimony which God speaks: "In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation, I helped you," he immediately followed it up by adding, "Behold now is a very acceptable time, now is the day of salvation." But concerning the future he says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil." Therefore, eternal life will be given in the future only to the one to whom forgiveness of sins has been given in this world. Only he will receive the forgiveness of sins here who renounces his sins and hastens to the highest and true God with true conversion of heart. For the future will not be a time of forgiveness but of retribution. There mercy will not justify the sinner, but justice will distinguish the just and the sinner.”

“There they will be tortured endlessly, not only with the hellish punishment of soul together with body but also by the very darkness of the will set in evil. Here for such people there will be the evil will itself for a heaping up of punishment, because of which there remains for them torment without end. They now scorn the opportunity offered by the acceptable time and on the day of salvation; they do not seek to be helped by God. God has conveyed this time to us in the words of the prophet, saying, "In an acceptable time, I heard you and on the day of salvation, I helped you." When the blessed apostle inserted this testimony in his letter, he immediately added, "Behold, now is the very acceptable time; behold now is the day of salvation."”

“Therefore, it is proper to the Son alone mercifully to have received the form of a servant. That taking up of the form of a servant pertained to the person of God the Word. It did not with resulting confusion pass into the divine nature. Therefore, that taking up of the form of a servant, according to which the Son of God, who is the Lord of all things and in whom dwells all the fullness of divinity, became a true and complete human being, took away from him nothing of his divine fullness. It took away nothing of the power, because in that one person remained without confusion a divine nature and a human nature. Hence it is that in one and the same Christ both the truth of the human nature shone forth and the eternal immutability of the divine nature remained. Neither was anything diminished in him at all or changed which he had by nature from eternity, through that which he received from time. In his exterior aspect, he became a servant, but he did not cease to be by nature the Lord of all things. According to the flesh, he became poor; nonetheless, according to his divinity, he remained rich. Hence it is that the blessed apostle asserts that Christians have been enriched by his poverty, saying, "For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich." He would in no way have made us rich by his poverty if, having become poor, he did not have in himself the riches of his divine nature. He became poor according to the form of a servant; he remained rich according to the form of God.”

“As often as you think of the perfection of the virtues, do not consider what others have less than you have but what you have less than you ought to have. You should not think that you are perfect in virtue if you see other women given over to sins; nor consequently should you credit yourself with any greater speed if you see some women either backsliding or walking feebly. Nor, therefore, must one with watery eyes be proclaimed to have healthy eyes because a blind man seems thoroughly closed off from the light, nor must someone be declared healthy who lies half-dead with a serious wound, if another is found dead because of a more serious wound. Nor must anyone lay claim to glory as a victor who, although not killed by the enemy, still is being held captive by the enemy. Therefore, do not compare yourself to others but to yourself. Hear the apostle doing this and salutarily warning us to do the same. For, writing to the Corinthians, he says, "Not that we dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding."”

“Concerning those who though within the church persisted in their evil deeds, he spoke thus to the Corinthians with these words of comfort: "I fear that when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, immorality and licentiousness they practiced." The apostle would not be saddened or humiliated in mourning over them if he believed that the forgiveness of sins would be granted to sinners and the wicked who continue to exasperate the divine justice without conversion of heart. The forgiveness of sins has no effect except in the conversion of the heart. We refer to those who have been converted by divine aid through the exercise of their own freedom of choice and whose lives are genuinely changed for the better. These converts will still occasionally sin, either through ignorance or through the stubbornness of a will that is knowingly lured by evil. They do not, however, stop asking for the forgiveness of their sins.”

“The eternal firmness and firm eternity of God's predestinating will consist not only in the ordaining of works. God also knows in advance the number of the elect. No one of that full number may lose his eternal grace, nor may any outside that total attain the gift of eternal salvation. For God, who knows all things before they come to pass, is not confused about the number of the predestined, any more than he doubts the effectiveness of the works he has ordained.”

“The blessed Paul argues that we are saved by faith, which he declares to be not from us but a gift from God. Thus there cannot possibly be true salvation where there is no true faith, and, since this faith is divinely enabled, it is without doubt bestowed by his free generosity. Where there is true belief through true faith, true salvation certainly accompanies it. Anyone who departs from true faith will not possess the grace of true salvation.”

“Any soul that cleaves faithfully to Christ is like a wife living faithfully with her husband. Even in chaste wedlock she may grieve the mind of her husband. But she preserves the faith of the marriage bed with chaste purity. Prudently and temperately she orders the husband's household. Even while she falls short of meeting his needs she lives chastely and faithfully with him. Though human infirmity often causes her to transgress against him, conjugal chastity makes her cleave with pleasure to her husband.”

“While the whole Word came to us when "the Word was made flesh," the whole remained with the Father in Spirit, equal to the Father, from whom he is eternally begotten yet made less by the gracious assumption of flesh so that he could be visible to us. And by this the Lord from the Lord remained Lord "in the form of God." In order that he might come to slaves he received "the form of a slave" from his handmaid.”

“This love, which is from God and is God, cannot be separated from the being of God, because God and love are one. For since love, itself inseparable from its source, not only possesses human beings who can be separated from one another, but from many hearts and souls makes one heart and one soul, what madness is it to say that love which is accustomed to join separated minds in an inseparable love can be separated from the human beings who express it? Hence it is that Paul said, "For even if I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing as I observe your good order." And in the Acts of the Apostles, it is written that the "community of believers was of one heart and mind" … something that was not brought about except by the Spirit of faith and love.”

“In all good works, be careful lest you be stirred by desire for human praise. You ought to be praised in your good works, but insofar as you do them, you ought not to expect human praises. The human tongue may praise you, but desire praise from God alone. And thus it may come about that while you do not seek human praise, God may be praised in your deeds. Recall how much the Lord forbids us to do our righteous works to garner human praise, saying, "take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father." Therefore, when he says that we should look out lest we do our righteous deeds before human beings, that we may be seen by them, and again he commands that our light shine before human beings, is he not commanding contrary things? Certainly not, but he commands that good deeds be done in such a way that we wish, not that we ourselves but that God be praised in our works. For the apostle too avoided human glory in his works but sought God's glory. So he says, writing to the Thessalonians, "Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed—God is witness—nor did we seek praise from human beings, either from you or from others."”

“There must remain in our heart a distinction between a beneficial and a harmful sadness. The benefit of the distinction is that we see that a spirit given over to eternal things does not collapse because of the loss of temporal solace. Rather it is able to feel a salutary sadness concerning those things in which it considers that it acted either below, or apart from, the standard which it ought to have observed. So Paul teaches that each type of sadness is different, no less in deed than in word. Finally, he shows that in one there is progress toward salvation but in the other an ending in death, saying, "For godly sorrow produces a beneficial repentance without regret, but worldly sorrow produces death."”

“Sometimes by the hidden and incomprehensible judgment of God, the bad angels are permitted to make certain things to test the good and seduce the evil. Now the bad angels themselves do not create what they produce, but they are permitted to bring forth certain things, because these already exist hidden in the heart of God, things which we cannot see. Similarly, the devil was not able to create serpents or frogs, although with God's permission he produced them, just as he was not the creator of the fire when, to test Job, he, with fire falling from heaven, consumed his sheep together with the shepherds. Nor was he the creator of the wind, when a wicked wind blowing out of the desert, struck the four corners of the house and crushed all the children of holy Job in one simultaneous ruin. The omnipotent God alone created the various natures, that is, the elements of this world. In secret and hidden places, God places certain seeds of things, hidden to us but visible to the angels. From these, as the nature of the work and its own proper time require, by the hidden counsel of his wisdom, God either commands that certain things be produced by the good angels or permits them to be shown through the bad angels. By permitting these latter things, God shows how much power he has given to the holy angels when he has given the ability to do certain things in the material creation even to the wicked angels.… So it is [that] the blessed apostle, speaking of the Antichrist, says, "And thus the lawless one will be revealed."”

“In the ark and in the house, one and the same church was prefigured. As for those who perished outside the ark in the flood and in those who died by the sword outside that house, a twofold mystery can be considered: In the flood the baptism of Christians is prefigured. So it seems to me to apply now for the current time, and not unfittingly. Heretics, if they remain outside the church, by their baptism, deserve punishment, not life. Those who, denying Christ, leave the church catholic, will perish in eternal punishment. For blessed Peter expounds the mystery of the ark in these words, … "while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water: this prefigured baptism, which saves you now; it is not a removal of dust from the body but an appeal to God for a clean conscience." With similar intent the apostle Paul teaches, "The aim of this instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith."”

“We know through the grace of God that the holy church is called a virgin, as the apostle says, "I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ," but in that one virgin herself, virgins in the plural are also named. For we read, "Virgins will be brought to the king after her." Nor is there any doubt that there is one church which is spread throughout the whole world which is called by the apostle "the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth." Still this is one church in such a way that in it many are called churches.”

“He therefore will attain life who keeps the commandments. But who keeps the divine commandments except the one who, converted to God before the end of this present life, has departed from his earlier sins? So the blessed Peter warns us, "Let everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord avoid evil." He said this, knowing that penance is done fruitfully in this present world in which forgiveness is given to penitents. But in the future world the penitence of the wicked will bear no fruit because there will be no conversion of the wicked. They will be sent into the exterior darkness where there will be wailing and the gnashing of teeth.”

“The sins of the wicked come about in three ways. Either they are bound up with sacrileges or vices or crimes. For they commit sacrilege when they do not believe rightly concerning God and depart from the true faith either because of fear of temporal misfortunes or desire for temporal advantages or by blindness or perversity of heart alone. They sin by vice when unrestrained or obscene in themselves; they live in a shameful fashion. Then they sin by crimes when they cruelly harm others, either by damages or some kind of oppression. The blessed apostle calls both of them reprobate whether sinning capitally in faith or in works, saying about those who contradict the true faith, "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so they also oppose the truth, people of depraved mind, unqualified in the faith."”

“Concerning the coming judgment of human beings, living and dead, the blessed Paul says this, "I bear witness in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power." At his coming, from the body of the first man which God fashioned from the earth, up until the bodies of all human beings which began to live when they were infused with a soul, all will be raised by him by whose action they were created. In the resurrection, individual bodies will be restored to their individual souls, which they began to have in the wombs of their mothers, in order that they might begin to live—in order that, in the examination of the just judge, souls might receive in their very same individual bodies their reward, of the kingdom or of punishment, in those bodies in which they had led a good or evil life in this world.”

“The apostle Paul exclaims in a similar way: "Be imitators of God as his dear children." What will we reply to these words, brethren, or what excuse will we be able to have? If someone tells you that you should imitate the powers which our Lord exercised, there is a reasonable excuse for you, because not everyone is given the grace to exercise those powers and to work miracles. But to live piously and chastely, to preserve charity with all men, with God's help is possible for everyone.”

“Hold most firmly and never doubt that the Word made flesh always has the same truly human flesh with which God the Word was born of the Virgin, with which he was crucified and died, with which he rose and ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God, with which he will come again to judge the living and the dead. For this reason, the apostles heard from the angels, "He … will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven," and the blessed John says, "Behold, he will come amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will see him."”

“Hold most firmly and never doubt that the same Holy Spirit, who is the one Spirit of the Father and the Son, proceeds from the Father and the Son. For the Son says, "When the Spirit of Truth comes, who has proceeded from the Father," where he taught that the Spirit is his, because he is the Truth. That the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son, the prophetic and apostolic teaching shows us. So Isaiah says concerning the Son: "He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked." Concerning him the apostle also says, "Whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth." The one Son of God himself, showing who the Spirit of his mouth is, after his resurrection, breathing on his disciples, says, "receive the Holy Spirit." "From the mouth," indeed, of the Lord Jesus himself, says John in the Apocalypse, "a sharp two-edged word came forth." The very Spirit of his mouth is the sword itself which comes forth from his mouth.”

“This then is done in them through grace so that the change brought about by divine gift may begin in them here. The change begins first through justification, in which there is a spiritual resurrection, and afterwards, in the resurrection of the body, in which the change of the justified is brought to completion; the perfected glorification, remaining for eternity, is not changed. To this end, first the grace of justification, then the grace of glorification changes them so that the glorification itself remains, unchangeable and eternal in them. For here they are changed through the first resurrection by which they are enlightened that they may be converted. That is, they change from death to life by this, from iniquity to justice, from infidelity to faith, and from evil acts to a holy way of life. Therefore, the second death has no power over them. Concerning such people, it is said in the Apocalypse: "Blessed is the one who shares in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them." Again it is said in the same book: "The victor shall not be harmed by the second death." Therefore, just as the first resurrection is found in conversion of the heart, so the second death is found in eternal punishment. Let every person who does not wish to be condemned by eternal punishment of the second death hasten here to become a participant of the first resurrection.”

“The kindness of God leads us to penance. He afflicts us with trials, he corrects us with infirmities, teaches us with cares, so that we who have sinned in the health of the body may learn to abstain from sins in infirmity. We who scorned the mercy of God in frivolity, corrected by the lash of sadness should fear his justice. Thus it comes about that we who by abusing health have begotten infirmity for ourselves, through that infirmity may again procure the benefits of health. And we who through frivolity have fallen into trials, through these trials may regain happiness. Holy Scripture bears witness that God's love for us is shown more by the lash and correction. For it says, "My child, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproofs, for the Lord reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights." And the Savior himself says that he loves those he reproves, saying, "Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise." The teaching of the apostles does not cease to proclaim that "it is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." The Lord himself also says that the road which leads to life is constricted and the gate narrow.”

“The Word of God shows that when the time of vengeance comes, conversion will not then help the evil person evade punishment but avenging wrath will destroy him with due damnation. For that will be a time not of remission but of retribution, not of forgiveness but of revenge. This is put off by the divine patience so that the number of the saints can be filled up. The blessed John in the Apocalypse recalls that it is the saints who asked for this vengeance in these words, "How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?" And to teach those who are joined to this company that the time for vengeance is being put off by the highest ordinance, he adds right away. "Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers."”

“[In evil persons] God begins his judgment with desertion and ends with anguish. For in this present time as well in which God deserts the evil ones who go away from him, he does not work in them what displeases him but works through them what pleases him. Afterwards, he is going to give them what they deserve from his justice.… Such people God has fitted for destruction as punishment that the just judge by his just predestination has decreed for the sinner.… Concupiscence, conceiving, has given birth to sin, but the mature sin has begotten death. The wicked, therefore, have not been predestined to the first death of the soul but have been predestined to the second, that is, to the pool of fire and sulphur. … He calls the second death that which follows from the sentence of the just judge, not that which went before in the evil concupiscence of the sinner.… Therefore, the first death of the soul, which a person inflicted on himself, is the cause of the second death. And the second death, which God has rendered to the person, is the punishment for the first death.”

“It is recognized that there is no forgiveness of sins if penance is not done at this moment; nor is penance in this time of any avail for those who despair of the forgiveness of sins. But in the future time, there is to be no conversion for the wicked, and the penance of such people will be endless as well as useless. Just as forgiveness will never be given to them, so their penance will never be ended. For they neglect the time in which penance is fruitfully done by sinners and in which divine pity grants the forgiveness of sins. Because of this the Lord himself in the Apocalypse of John, consoling his faithful and directing the attention of the wicked to the penalty of future punishment, speaks thus.… In order that we may more fully recognize that only the time of this present world is allotted for conversion, let us pay attention to those workers whom the Lord called to his vineyard. Although he called for them at various hours, still at the eleventh hour he ended the call, that is, just before the end of the day. In those hours at which the call went out for workers are recognized the ages of the world, in which God has called to a good work those whom he converted to himself by a free justification.… Then the eleventh hour came in the first coming of Christ, in which he came in humility in mortal flesh, in which he, the immortal one, deigned to be killed for the sin of the world.… After the end of this hour, the Lord does not call workers to the vineyard, but he will come to render to each one the reward for his work, as he himself says, "Behold, I am coming soon; I bring with me the recompense."”