Page:Essays on Catholicism, Liberalism, and Socialism.djvu/113

under the former he would assume the privileges of divinity while being man.

Finally, if we attentively consider this grave subject, we shall clearly see, that it is incompatible with the divine excellence to save either angel or man, without anterior merit on their part. All in God is reasonable; his justice as his goodness, and his goodness as his mercy: since, if he is infinitely just, and good, and merciful, he is likewise infinitely reasonable. Consequently we cannot attribute to God, without blasphemy, even one single act of goodness, mercy, or justice, which is not founded on sovereign reason, as the only source of true goodness, mercy, or justice. Goodness without reason is weakness; mercy without reason is condescension; and justice not based on reason is revenge for God is good, merciful, and just, and not weak, condescending, or vindictive. From this it follows, that when we pray for salvation on account of the infinite goodness of God, without regard to anterior merit, our prayers are unreasonable; since we ask for an action. on the part of God without motive, and an effect without a cause. Strange inconsistency! Man asks of God, in virtue of His infinite goodness, what He daily condemns in man, whose reason is limited: and he calls that a just and merciful action in heaven, which on earth he would regard as the caprice of a foolish woman or the extravagance of a tyrant

As regards hell, its existence is in all respects necessary, in order to preserve the perfect equilibrium in which God has placed all things; because God exists in a substantial manner in the divine perfections. Hell considered as a punishment, and heaven as a reward, form a perfect equipoise; the power of man to lose him-