Section CXXXII

There was reason, therefore, for the Gallican bishops who, under the presidency of Caesarius¹ of Arles, assembled in the year of Christ 529 at the Second Council of Orange, fortified by the approval² of Boniface—

—first indeed to define³:

This also we believe according to the Catholic faith: that, grace having been received through baptism, all the baptized, with Christ assisting and cooperating, can and ought to fulfill the things which pertain to the salvation of the soul, if they are willing to labor faithfully⁴.

And then immediately to add⁵:

But that some have been predestined to evil by divine power we not only do not believe, but even if there are those who will to believe so great an evil, with every detestation we say anathema to them.

For this divine predestination to evil, whether of guilt or of penalty, whether of many, of fewer, or even of one, is most vehemently abhorrent both a) from the universal salvific will of God and the order of universal reparation through Christ, and b) from that law which God most sacredly prescribed to himself to be observed in inflicting penalties.

For if the discourse concerns eternal penalties, God enacted this law for himself: that he should punish no one with so great an atrocity of penalty who has not kindled the fire for himself by impenitence prolonged even unto the end. On this matter Alcimus Avitus, answering King Gundobad, has thus⁶:

That the repentance which you have properly called momentary⁷—

—that is, received in illness as though beneath the moment of death—profits nothing or no one is a definition contrary to truth and exceedingly harsh. For before divine mercy even the humility itself of one confessing ought not to be said to lack fruit. Because, when we read that the quality of the preceding life is abolished—since it frequently happens both that the just sin and that sinners come to their senses—and that each one is judged in the way in which he is found at the time of his death, it must be believed without hesitation that even the will of correction itself is pleasing, if it is true. But everything before heavenly clemency is weighed by the quality of faith. Hence also among those laborers whom you read in the Gospel to have been hired⁸, even those who came later, on account of the ardor of devotion, obtain a wage made equal to that of the first. So also the very brief repentance of the Ninevites, purchasing the whole sum of indulgence by a fervent three days, blunted by the bar of consonant satisfaction the sword impending over the necks of the sinful city, which the appointed day had already brandished by the hand of the prophet Jonah⁹ for the destined stroke. But let those contradict examples of this kind whom pride sought renders swollen more truly than an inviolate conscience renders secure.

Caesarius of Arles teaches things consonant with these¹⁰ when, explaining the manifold modes of repentance, he says:

The second mode is that, even if anyone, for as long as he has lived, has committed not only small but perhaps even capital sins, and nevertheless has done those evils ignorantly, as though in hope of repentance, and does not for that reason relax his soul toward sins so as to reserve himself for that sudden repentance, and at his passing asks for that repentance with great humility and contrition of heart, with roaring or groaning, and most definitely resolves this in his heart: that if he escapes, for as long as he lives he will do fruitful repentance with his whole heart and all his strength, and will restore in full whatever he recognizes that he has taken wickedly—

—so that, according to that prophetic saying, he restores plunder, and wholly forgives all his enemies from his heart, and from his substance makes one portion for Christ and for himself together with his children, and in his illness itself orders that liberal alms be distributed insofar as he is able; if he wills faithfully to fulfill these things with a humble and contrite heart, we both can and ought to believe that the Lord deigns to forgive him all his sins, according to that prophetic saying¹¹: “On whatever day the sinner is converted, all his iniquities will be delivered to oblivion.” And that saying: “On whatever day, having been converted, thou groanest, thou shalt be saved.”

But if, as was the other member of the division, the discourse concerns those penalties which are called temporal, by these indeed God takes counsel for his justice and provides for the laws enacted by him, but he equally has proposed the amendment and salvation of those whom he punishes. For as often as, according to the affirmation of the Gallican Fathers, he takes notice of us by temporal penalties, so often, after the manner of a most loving father and most skillful physician solicitous for our salvation, he chastises that he may correct, rebukes that he may awaken, and burns that he may bless eternally.