CCXCIX. The origin of the salvific will is disclosed, and its infinite amplitude and singular power are shown

Certainly nothing more evident than these things can be desired by which either the infinite amplitude of the salvific will or its power, efficacy, and altogether sincere character may be disclosed. And indeed the infinite amplitude of the salvific will is disclosed partly a) by negative propositions, by which God is declared not to will the death of the impious and not to will the destruction and perdition of even one; and partly b) by affirmative propositions, by which God is declared to will the penance of the impious, to will the conversion of all, and to will the salvation of all.

But concerning the efficacy, power, and altogether sincere character of the salvific will, there are nearly as many arguments as words. For an argument is 1) that what is neither sincere nor active can be reckoned a false semblance of will, but not a will. An argument is 2) the whole color of the discourse, which exhibits a will not lying but true, not slothful but efficacious. An argument is 3) that God not without an oath denies that he wills anyone’s death and destruction, and not without an oath affirms that he wills the penance and salvation of all. An argument is 4) that to a will of this kind there is attributed both that long-suffering by which God sustains the evil and impious, and that indulgence by which he imparts to the evil and impious time and opportunity for penance. An argument is 5) that a will of this kind is derived sometimes from the fact that God is a Savior, sometimes from the benevolence toward men inherent in him, and sometimes from the fact that nothing is more important to him than to turn the cause of human perdition as far away from himself as possible. Finally, arguments are 6) the most vehement exhortations which God subjoins¹, saying: “Return and live; be converted, be converted from your most evil ways; and why will you die, O house of Israel?” Whence, when supreme destruction threatened them on account of their will hardened in malice—

—the only-begotten Son of God, seeing the city², ἔκλαυσεν ἐπ’ αὐτῇ, wept over it.

He wept because he loved it; he wept because of himself he did not will its destruction; he wept because he willed its preservation; he wept because he saw the cares to be vain by which he labored so greatly, lest through a defect of fruits he should at length someday be compelled to cut down the tree cultivated by him³; and finally, he wept that in him all might behold almost with their own eyes the paternal disposition and the paternal benignity toward men.

For thus Paul⁴, addressing the Jews who placed no limit upon their sins, depicts the mind of God toward them: ἢ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας καταφρονεῖς; ἀγνοῶν, ὅτι τὸ χρηστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς μετάνοιάν σε ἄγει; κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως καὶ δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ θεοῦ; “Or do you spurn the riches and greatness of his benignity and of tolerance⁵ and slowness, and do you not observe that the benignity⁶ of God looks to this, that it lead you to penance? But you, according to your hardness and heart tenacious of malice⁷, heap up wrath for yourself⁸ in the day of wrath, in which the just judgment of God shall be revealed⁹.”

Here, among other things, it must be observed: a) that the words τῆς χρηστότητος, τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας are therefore heaped together, that God’s immense benignity toward the impious may be described more splendidly; b) that this very immense benignity and indulgence of God is expressed when it is called not χρηστότης but πλοῦτος τῆς χρηστότητος; c) that the riches of heavenly benignity are exhibited not as slothful and sterile, but full of fruitfulness and power, and pertaining to this, that God restrain his wrath and endow the impious with internal and external graces by which they may return to a better mind and obtain salvation; d) that the σκληρότητα καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν of men, hardness and a heart tenacious of evil, is the cause why so many and so great benefits of God come to nothing; and finally e) that no one will be damned in the day of wrath and manifestation and of the just judgment of God except him who has repelled τὸ χρηστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, the divine benevolence, and the opportunity of medicine afforded.

There is therefore reason that, with Theodoret leading the way¹⁰, we conclude: “Who will be able worthily to admire the Lord’s goodness? Although he is neglected by those whom he has affected with benefits, who are very ungrateful to him, he nevertheless pursues the most ungrateful with every providence, that he may behold their change. Therefore he subjoins a paternal admonition full of benevolence: ἐπιστροφῇ¹¹ ἐπιστρέψατε ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ ὑμῶν τῆς πονηρᾶς, καὶ ἵνα τί ἀποθνῄσκετε οἶκος Ἰσραήλ; ‘By conversion be converted from your evil way; for why will you die, O house of Israel?’ Ὁ δὲ διπλασιασμὸς τῆς ἑβραίων γλώττης ἰδίωμα, δηλοῖ δὲ τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς τὸ γνήσιον. ‘The duplication is an idiom of the Hebrew language, and declares a genuine conversion’¹².”