Chapter 11 [VII.]—They Who Have Not Received the Gift of Perseverance, and Have Relapsed into Mortal Sin and Have Died Therein, Must Righteously Be Condemned.

If, then, these things be so, we still rebuke those, and reasonably rebuke them, who, although they were living well, have not persevered therein; because they have of their own will been changed from a good to an evil life, and on that account are worthy of rebuke; and if rebuke should be of no avail to them, and they should persevere in their ruined life until death, they are also worthy of divine condemnation for ever. Neither shall they excuse themselves, saying,—as now they say, “Wherefore are we rebuked?”—so then, “Wherefore are we condemned, since indeed, that we might return from good to evil, we did not receive that perseverance by which we should abide in good?” They shall by no means deliver themselves by this excuse from righteous condemnation. For if, according to the word of truth, no one is delivered from the condemnation which was incurred through Adam except through the faith of Jesus Christ, and yet from this condemnation they shall not deliver themselves who shall be able to say that they have not heard the gospel of Christ, on the ground that “faith cometh by hearing,”52    Rom. x. 17. how much less shall they deliver themselves who shall say, “We have not received perseverance!” For the excuse of those who say, “We have not received hearing,” seems more equitable than that of those who say, “We have not received perseverance;” since it may be said, O man, in that which thou hadst heard and kept, in that thou mightest persevere if thou wouldest; but in no wise can it be said, That which thou hadst not heard thou mightest believe if thou wouldest.

CAPUT VII.

11. Quae cum ita sint, corripimus tamen eos; justeque corripimus, qui cum bene viverent, non in eo perseverarunt. Ex bona quippe in malam vitam sua voluntate mutati sunt: et ideo correptione ; et si nihil eis correptio profuerit, sed in vita perdita usque ad mortem perseveraverint, etiam divina in aeternum damnatione sunt digni. Nec se excusabunt dicentes, sicut modo dicunt , Quare corripimur? ita tunc, Quare damnamur, quandoquidem ut ex bono reverteremur ad malum, perseverantiam non accepimus qua permaneremus in bono? nullo modo hac excusatione a justa damnatione se liberabunt. Si enim, sicut veritas loquitur, nemo liberatur a damnatione quae facta est per Adam, nisi per fidem Jesu Christi; et tamen ab hac damnatione non se liberabunt qui poterunt dicere, non se audisse Evangelium Christi, cum fides ex auditu sit (Rom. X, 17): quanto minus se liberabunt qui dicturi sunt, Perseverantiam non accepimus? Justior enim videtur excusatio dicentium, Non accepimus audientiam, quam dicentium, Non accepimus perseverantiam: quoniam potest dici, Homo, in eo quod audieras et tenueras, in eo perseverares si velles ; nullo modo autem dici potest, Id quod non audieras, crederes si velles.