When these testimonies of Ambrose are reduced to a summary, it follows—
—that God is so disposed that he rejects no one, casts away no one, and is to absolutely no one the cause of destruction and death. Indeed, this other thing also follows: that God is of his own accord present to all, enters the minds of all, pervades their souls, and grants to all the power by which they may obtain both pardon of sins and the attainment of salvation. For he wills all to be saved, wills no one to perish, and therefore follows all with a universal and active benevolence. Nor for that reason are all saved or does no one perish. For in order that salvation itself may be attained and final destruction avoided, two things are plainly necessary: first, the faculty by which evil can be conquered and that which is right and holy can be performed; and then, free diligence by which the faculty received is employed as is fitting.
But the means and faculty of conquering evil and following what is honorable are supplied to all and are lacking to no one, for the sun of justice illuminates all and warms all; but many fail themselves, close their eyes to the light, and repel the one knocking and calling. Therefore, the reason why many perish lies in the will, but the will of men, not of God: of men, I say, who abuse the benefits received; not of God, who leaves nothing undone that he may show himself the father and pious Savior of all. God indeed punishes, is angry, and condemns; but since he is good to all, he takes notice only of those who resist goodness. But as long as they live the present life, he so takes notice of them that in the penalties inflicted he has their salvation proposed to himself, not their ruin. “God is always good,” says1 Ambrose,
and therefore Paul also says2: “See, therefore, the goodness and severity of God”; for goodness is toward all, severity toward few. Finally, the same Apostle adds3: “Toward those, indeed, who have fallen, severity; but toward thee, goodness.” For if they had not fallen, they too would certainly enjoy the goodness of God. For he is good to thee for this reason, that thou remainest; but if thou wilt not remain in goodness, thou too wilt fall away. God, therefore, does not for that reason cease to be good because thou hast fallen and needest—
—severity. For even the severity of God returns unto goodness, so that each one, having been chastised, may draw his foot back from sins and return to the path of the virtues and to good conduct. Finally, the Apostle teaches concerning those who have fallen4: “For if they do not remain in unbelief, they shall be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again,” so that, just as abandoned shoots, men also, grafted as though into certain trunks of virtue, may bear the fruits of good merits. It is necessary that you accuse a physician of cruelty because he judged that the putrefied fibers of wounds should be cut away with iron; because he burned harmful and creeping ulcers with fire lest the poison creep onward into farther parts; or because a master struck a negligent disciple so that by fear of blows he might put on diligence. For to chastise belongs to one who loves, not to one who execrates; and therefore it belongs to goodness, not cruelty. Rightly, therefore, the Lord is good everywhere, both when he forgives crimes and when he chastises sins. For “the Lord chastises5 him whom he loves.”