That determined and confirmed adulterers make no account of
the holy things of the church and religion, may be seen above, n.
490-493, and in the two MEMORABLE RELATIONS, n. 500, 521, 522: it is a
similar case, if any one, from purpose or confirmation, acts against any
other precept of the decalogue; he also acts against the rest because he
does not regard anything as sin.
529. The case is similar with those who are principled in good from the
Lord: if these from will and understanding, or from purpose and
confirmation, abstain from any one evil because it is a sin, they
abstain from all evil, and the more so still if they abstain from
several; for as soon as any one, from purpose or confirmation, abstains
from any evil because it is a sin, he is kept by the Lord in the purpose
of abstaining from the rest: wherefore, if unwittingly, or from any
prevailing bodily concupiscence, he does evil, still this is not imputed
to him, because he did not purpose it to himself, and does not confirm
it with himself. A man comes into this purpose, if once or twice in a
year he examines himself, and repents of the evils which he discovers in
himself: it is otherwise with him who never examines himself.
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