Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 25
SECT. XXV. Degrees of falling, and danger.
343. Every degree of Grace that is true, is not to be ſuppoſed pr… portionable to the ſtrongeſt Temptations: But God preſerveth the weak effecttually by keeping them from Temptations too ſtrong for them. And that which a ſtrong Chriſtian overcometh might overcome a weak one, were he aſſaulted by it. Therefore to avoid and pray againſt Temptation, is the way to be delivered from evil.
344. Yet the weakeſt true Chriſtian, in choice, reſolution and trial, forſaketh all for Chriſt, and loveth God, and preferreth Glory in Heaven before his Life, and is a Martyr in reſolution. And yet there are Temptations *What the Grace of perſeverance, and what confirmation is, is a great controverſie among the School-men. Malderus in 12. Tho. q. …9 a. …0. d. 1. mentioneth five Opinions: 1. That they are both one, and conſiſt in extrinſick Divine cuſtody. 2. That the confirmed are neceſſitated to good, but the meer perſevering do it freely. 3. That confirmation is only a more intenſe degree of the ſame Grace. 4. Meer perſeverance is by ordinary Grace with Gods cuſtody, and congruous means: but confirmation is by Grace of it ſelf moſt effectual, though not neceſſitating. 5. That confirmation is by a participation of the Gratia et charitas patriae. Malderus reſteth in this difference, that the confirmed have ſuch a meaſure of Divine help and heavenlineſs, as is ſtronger than the ſtrongeſt Temptations: But the gift of perſeverance only, is with ſuch a degree of Grace, as would not ſerve, if God did not keep ſuch from ſtronger Temptations. So that confirmation is a middle ſtate between meer Perſeverance and Glory.which are too ſtrong for him: For 1. He that habitually preferreth God to the Creature and his life, may yet fall into ſuch an act as Peter did; And by acting contrary to his habitual diſpoſition and reſolution, may weaken the habit, and forfeit Divine aſſiſtance, and deſerve deſertion. 2. And he that valueth Heaven and the love of God before his life, may yet by the nearneſs of an alluring Object, by the violence of ſenſe and paſſion be drawn to a fleſhly ſin, and thinking that he may have the pleaſure of that particular ſin, without loſing Gods love, he may be drawn firſt to leſs, and by degrees to greater. 3. And he that is reſolved for God, and Glory, and Chriſt, and Holineſs, may meet with ſuch ſubtile Arguments of Infidels or Senſualiſts, which he is unable to anſwer, and conſequently unable to overcome. And his Underſtanding being deceived, his Will may follow; ſo that perſeverance muſt be by the avoiding of Temptations.
345. The greateſt ſins after Converſion, which are truly repented of, are pardoned by God: And muſt be pardoned by the Church in order to Communion, if the manifeſtation of Repentance be ſuch as anſwereth the ends (the ſignification of its reality) and the removing of the ſcandal and the diſhonour of Religion, of the Church, and of Chriſt.
346. The Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt ſeemeth unpardonable by the Text, though the Papiſts expound it by [hardly pardonably]. And it is [an obſtinate inſidelity and rejection of Chriſt as a Deceiver, upon a ſetled conceit that he did his Miracles by the power of the Devil, when they are convinced that they were actually done; and ſo a blaſphemous fathering of Gods great atteſtation upon the Devil, and a rejecting his laſt Witneſs to the Truth, which muſt convince thoſe that ever will be convinced.] But I have wrote a Treatiſe of this Sin, and ſo ſhall paſs it by.
347. If a true Believer ſhould be ſuppoſed to fall quite away from the belief of Chriſt, it ſeemeth hard to imagine how he can do it without this blaſpheming the Divine atteſtation of the Spirit, by which before he was brought to believe. And it ſeemeth that therefore, Heb. 6. & 10. this Apoſtacy is made the ſame with the unpardonable blaſphemy of the Holy Ghoſt, which yet proveth not that it ever cometh to paſs, but what it would be if it did.
348. Repentance which cometh from fear alone, without the love of God and Holineſs, is no ſign of juſtification, nor conſiſtent with it: nor is ſuch attrition ſufficient to forgiveneſs: For the heart is not changed to God without love.
349. Though where there is more love to the Creature than to God, there is no true Sanctification (ſpeaking of rational and not of ſenſual love); Yet where there is more fear of God than love to God, there may be Grace, though weak, ſo be it God be loved above the Creature.
350. A Death-Bed, or late Repentance, is then acceptable, and ſufficient to pardon, when it is the Heart or Love that is thus turned from the Creature to God habitually; ſo that if the perſon did recover, he would live to God: otherwiſe it is uneffectual; not becauſe too late, but becauſe unſound: But becauſe fear is uſually the principle of ſuch mens Repentance, it is much to be ſuſpected, though not diſpaired of.
351. The day of Grace is never paſt with any man while life continueth, ſo as that if he truly repent, he ſhall not be forgiven: For that is contrary to the Goſpel-Covenant. But it is ſo far paſt with ſome, as that after their obſtinate forfeiture, the Means, Help, and Grace of Repentance ſhall not be given them, nor brought ſo near them as they were.