5. Two Corollaries

37. From these points follow two corollaries:

One is that there is someone, worthy of greater glory (speaking of what in glory corresponds to merits, and about worth not proximately but remotely, namely according to right, but suspended right), who is damned, and there is another, worthy of much less glory, who in this way is saved. But this is for the reason that this other is worthy in an accessible way, because he now has right that is unsuspended. He is also worthy of the other element in glory corresponding to grace, of which he who is damned is not worthy; and to no one is what corresponds to merits given without what corresponds to grace, but conversely.

38. Also, if what corresponds to merit is of the same idea as what corresponds to grace, and if what corresponds to merit is by every merit increased in divine acceptation, then to completed merits corresponds as much glory as what corresponds to grace. Since, therefore, he who has grace in a determinate degree would be saved, and he who has all the merits, but dead merits, would be damned, then he who is worthy, but with remote and suspended worth (and is thus worthy of much greater glory), will be damned; and he who is worthy with an accessible worth of much lesser glory will be saved. And it is no wonder that to an enemy, while he is an enemy, all past goods whatever are not sufficient for obtaining reward.

39. The second corollary is that the merits, to which a great degree of glory corresponds, while they are dead, cannot merit the least grace - otherwise he who had fallen from many merits would already have merited to rise from his fall through the first grace that, because of those merits, was to be conferred on him. And yet I do not believe that the dead merits have altogether no effect in divine acceptation for giving first grace to him who has lapsed; because although, in strict justice, this enemy of God is not worthy with worth accessible to any grace and glory, yet the excellent mercy of God, because of that person’s preceding though now dead merits, more quickly gives hum grace for rising up again.

40. Hence, just as I believe that a more perfect man falls, because of his greater ingratitude, more gravely, so I believe that, other things being equal, he rises again more quickly because of the kindness of God, who in some way accepts his past merits for this purpose. Hence, I heard one time of a man, before very perfect and afterwards fallen very deep, who, although he would, because of his evil deeds, have to be adjudged for death, was most mercifully visited, and suddenly the most perfect penitence was breathed into him. This should well attract anyone to act meritoriously as much as he can always, because whether he is going to remain or whether he is going to fall, [his past merits] will not be totally forgotten before God.