After this the decree explains the nature and eft'ects of jusiitication, saying that it does not consist merely in the remission of sin, but also in sanctilication and inward renewal. That Vne final cause of jnstitication is the glory of God and of Jesus Christ and eternal life; the eficieiit cause is God himself, who, of his mercy, freely washes and sanctities by the seal and unction ofthe Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance ; the mevitoriniis canse is our Lord Jesus Christ, his beloved and oidy Son ; the iiistrmiietital cause is the sacrament of baptism, without wliich no one can be justified; and, tinally, the farvial cause is the righteousness of God g\veu to each, not that righteousness by which he is righteous in him.-elf, bnt that by which he makes ns righteous; i. e. with which be- ing endued by him, we become renewed in oiir hearts, and are not merely accounted righteous, hut are made really so by receiving, as it were, rigliteousiiess in ourselves, each according to the measure liiven to us at the will of the Holy Spirit and iu proportion to the proper dispo- sition and co-operation of each. Thus the sinner, by means of this ineflable grace, becomes truly righteous, a friend of God, and an heir of everlasting life; and it is the Holy Spirit who works this marvellous change iu him by forming holy habits in his heart — habiis of faith, hope, and charity— wliich unite him closely to Jesus Clirist and make of him a lively member of his body; but no man, although jusiitied, is to inia<riiie himself exempt from the observation of God's c.-miuandmeuts. No man may dare, under pain of anathema, to utter such a rash notion as that it is impossible for a man, even after justification, to keep God's commandments; since God commands nothing impossible, but wiih the commandment he desiies us to do all that we can, and to seek for aid and grace to enable us to fulfil that which iu our natural siieugth we cannot do.
The deciee further tenches upon this subject that no man may presume upon the mysterious subject of predes- tination so as to assure himself of being among the num- ber of the elect and predestinated to eternal life, as if, having been justified, it were impossible to commit siu a^ain, or, at least, as if, falling into siu after justification, he nnist of necessity be raised again; that, without a special revelation from God, it is impossible to know who are those whom he has chosen. It also teaches the same of perseverance, concerning which it declares that he who perseveres to the end shall be saved ; that no one iu
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this life can promise himself an absolute assnraiice of per- severance, akhoiij;li all oii^'ht to put entire coiitidence in God's assistance, who will tinish and comidete the good W'orlv which he has begun iu us by working in us to will aud to do, if we do not of ourselves fail of his grace.
Further, they who by sin liave fillen from grace giv- en, and justilicalion, may be justified again when God awakens tliem ; and this is done by means of the sacra- ment of penance, iu which, through ttie merits of Jesus Christ, they may recover tlie grace which they have lost; and this is the proper metliod of recovery for those who have fallen. It was for the benefit of those wlio fall into sin after baptism that our Lord Jesns Christ instituted the sacrament of penance, saying, "Receive yc the Holy Ghost ; whosesoever sins ye remit, they aie remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retain- ed." Hence it follows that the repentance of a Christian fallen into sin after baptism is to be clearly distinguish- ed from the repentance required at holy baptism ; for it not alone requires him to cease from sin, and to view his vileness with horror — i. e. to have an humble and contrite heart — but it also implies the sacramental confession of ills sin, at least in will, and the absolution of the priest, together with such satisfaction as he can make by means of fasting, alms-giving, prayer, etc. Not that anytliing that he can do can help towards obtaining the remission of the eternal punishment due to sin, wliich is remitted together with the sin by the sacrament <if penance (or by the desire to receive that sacrament where it cannot be had), bnt such satisfacticm is necessary to attain remission of the tevipnral penalties attached to sin, which are not always remitted in the case of tliose who, ungrateful to God for the blessing which they have received, have grieved the Holy Spirit and iirofaned the temple of God.
This grace of justification jnay be lost, not only through the sin of infidelity, by which faith itself is lost, but also by every kind of mortal sin, even though faith be not lost.
These chapters were accompanied by thirty -three canons, which anathematize those who hold the opin- ions specified in them contrary to the tenor of the doc- trine contained in the chapters.
Besides this decree, another was published in this ses- sion, relating to the Kel'ormation, containing five chap- ters upon the subject of residence.