years of their lives in idleness, seeking one amusement after another, and utterly ignoring and forgetting God: they believe in an eternal hell. Those people who sacrifice their souls for a wretched gain, or to gratify some evil passion or inclination: they believe in an eternal hell. Those sinners who go to confession only at Easter time, who never make a good confession, who never truly repent of their sins, nor amend their lives: they believe in a hell, in an eternal hell, in the everlasting fire of hell. But how is that possible? “Why do you believe,” I ask them all with Salvianus; “why do you believe what God says if you do not fear what He threatens?”[1] Are you then able and willing to endure the terrible fire of hell for all eternity? No, they all answer; we have neither the power nor the will to do that. But the infallible Son of God assures you, the fundamental truths that God has revealed, the laws and ordinances of the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ, the apostles and prophets of Christ, all tell you that the life you are leading can bring you no other way but straight to the eternal fire of hell. Let each one go in spirit down to hell and see what is to be seen there. Behold that vast multitude of damned souls; who are they? Are they not the unchaste? Yes; then out with the truth at once and say: I am just like them, and am immersed above the ears in the same filth. Who are those others? The vindictive, who during their lives refused to forgive or be reconciled to their enemies. And I too am full of hatred and anger against those who offend me; I cannot and will not bring myself to pardon them according to the Christian law. Who are those? Perhaps some who, after having done penance, have relapsed into their former sins. That is exactly the way in which I act; ah, how often have I not on the very day on which I sought to be reconciled to God fallen back into the sins that I had repented of and confessed! What great crowd of souls is that? Perhaps those who, devoured by avarice, have stretched forth their hands to seize unjustly the goods of others for their own advantage and that of their friends, making use for that purpose of all kinds of underhand dealings, lies, and deceit. I too am guilty of injustice; my hands too are stained with ill-gotten gains. Who are these? Perhaps those who have deferred repentance till the end of their lives, and have gone into eternity unprepared. Even I have risked that too, and am still risking it; for I am now actually in such a state
- ↑ Cur credis quod Deus dixit, et non times quod Deus minatur?
