Chapter 71 — That a man who has sinned after receiving the grace of the sacrament can return to grace

It follows from what has been said in the preceding chapter that a man who falls into sin after receiving sacramental grace can be restored to grace.

As already stated, as long as we live here below, the will is changeable as to vice and virtue. Consequently, just as man can sin after receiving grace, so too, seemingly, he can return to virtue.

Again. It is evident that good is more powerful than evil, since evil does not act save by virtue of a good, as we proved above. (Bk. 3, ch. 14.) Hence, if a man’s will is turned away from the state of grace by sin, much more can he be recalled from sin by grace.

Further. As long as he is a wayfarer, man’s will is not unchangeable. Now, as long as he is here below, a man is on the way to his last end. Therefore, his will is not so unchangeably turned to evil, as to be unable by divine grace to return to that which is good.

Moreover. It is evident that sacramental grace delivers a man from the sins committed by him before he received the grace of the sacraments. For the Apostle says: Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers . . . will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:9–11). It is also clear that the grace bestowed in the sacraments does not lessen, but increases the good of nature. Now it is part of the good of nature that a man can be restored from the state of sin to the state of righteousness, since the possibility for good is a good in itself. Therefore, if a man happen to sin after receiving grace, he can still return to the state of righteousness.

Again. If those who sin after baptism cannot return to grace, they lose all hope of salvation. Now despair is the road to greater liberty in sinning: for it is said of some that they have despaired and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness (Eph 4:19). Therefore, the above is a most dangerous opinion, since it leads man into a very sewer of sin.

Further. We have proved (Ch. 70.) that the grace which man receives in the sacraments does not render him impeccable. Consequently, if after receiving sacramental grace the sinner were unable to return to the state of righteousness, it would be dangerous to receive the sacraments: and this is clearly unreasonable. Therefore, a return to justice is not denied those who sin after receiving the sacraments.

This is confirmed by the authority of Scripture, for it is said: My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins (1 John 2:1–2); and it is evident that these words were addressed to the faithful who were already baptized. Paul also writes (in reference to the Corinthian who had been guilty of fornication): For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough; so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow (2 Cor 2:6–7). Again, he says further on: I rejoice not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting (2 Cor 7:9). It is also said: You played the harlot to many lovers: nevertheless, return to me, says the Lord (Jer 3:1); and: Convert us, O Lord, to you, and we shall be converted: renew our days, as from the beginning (Lam 5:21). From all these texts it is evident that if the faithful fall after receiving grace, the way back to salvation is still open to them.

Hereby we exclude the error of the Novatians, who refused forgiveness to those who sinned after receiving baptism.

In support of their error they quoted Hebrews 6:4–6: It is impossible to renew again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy.

But it is clear from the context in what sense the Apostle says this, for he continues: They crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt (Heb 6:6). Hence the reason why those who fall away after receiving grace cannot be renewed again unto penance is that the Son of God is not to be crucified again. Consequently, that renewal unto penance is denied by which man is crucified with Christ—namely, by baptism: All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death (Rom 6:3). Therefore, just as Christ is not to be crucified again, so he that sins after baptism is not to be baptized again; yet he can be restored to grace by penance. Hence the Apostle did not say that it is impossible for those who have once fallen to be ‘recalled’ or ‘converted’ to penance, but to be renewed, which expression is generally applied to baptism: He saved us . . . in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).