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Objection 1: It would seem that by Penance one sin can be pardoned
without another. For it is written (Amos 4:7): "I caused it
to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city;
one piece was rained upon: and the piece whereupon I rained not,
withered." These words are expounded by Gregory, who says (Hom.
x super Ezech.): "When a man who hates his neighbor, breaks
himself of other vices, rain falls on one part of the city, leaving
the other part withered, for there are some men who, when they prune
some vices, become much more rooted in others." Therefore one sin
can be forgiven by Penance, without another.
Objection 2: Further, Ambrose in commenting on Ps. 118,
"Blessed are the undefiled in the way," after expounding verse
136 ("My eyes have sent forth springs of water"), says that
"the first consolation is that God is mindful to have mercy; and the
second, that He punishes, for although faith be wanting, punishment
makes satisfaction and raises us up." Therefore a man can be raised
up from one sin, while the sin of unbelief remains.
Objection 3: Further, when several things are not necessarily
together, one can be removed without the other. Now it was stated in
the FS, Question 73, Article 1. that sins are not connected
together, so that one sin can be without another. Therefore also one
sin can be taken away by Penance without another being taken away.
Objection 4: Further, sins are the debts, for which we pray for
pardon when we say in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our
trespasses," etc. Now man sometimes forgives one debt without
forgiving another. Therefore God also, by Penance, forgives one
sin without another.
Objection 5: Further, man's sins are forgiven him through the love
of God, according to Jer. 31:3: "I have loved thee with an
everlasting love, therefore have I drawn thee, taking pity on
thee." Now there is nothing to hinder God from loving a man in one
respect, while being offended with him in another, even as He loves
the sinner as regards his nature, while hating him for his sin.
Therefore it seems possible for God, by Penance, to pardon one sin
without another.
On the contrary, Augustine says in De Poenitentia [De vera et
falsa Poenitentia]: "There are many who repent having sinned, but
not completely; for they except certain things which give them
pleasure, forgetting that our Lord delivered from the devil the man
who was both dumb and deaf, whereby He shows us that we are never
healed unless it be from all sins."
I answer that, It is impossible for Penance to take one sin away
without another. First because sin is taken away by grace removing the
offense against God. Wherefore it was stated in the FS, Question
109, Article 7; FS, Question 113, Article 2. that
without grace no sin can be forgiven. Now every mortal sin is opposed
to grace and excludes it. Therefore it is impossible for one sin to be
pardoned without another. Secondly, because, as shown above
(Article 2) mortal sin cannot be forgiven without true Penance, to
which it belongs to renounce sin, by reason of its being against God,
which is common to all mortal sins: and where the same reason applies,
the result will be the same. Consequently a man cannot be truly
penitent, if he repent of one sin and not of another. For if one
particular sin were displeasing to him, because it is against the love
of God above all things (which motive is necessary for true
repentance), it follows that he would repent of all. Whence it
follows that it is impossible for one sin to be pardoned through
Penance, without another. Thirdly, because this would be contrary
to the perfection of God's mercy, since His works are perfect, as
stated in Dt. 32:4; wherefore whomsoever He pardons, He
pardons altogether. Hence Augustine says [De vera et falsa
Poenitentia], that "it is irreverent and heretical to expect half a
pardon from Him Who is just and justice itself."
Reply to Objection 1: These words of Gregory do not refer to the
forgiveness of the guilt, but to the cessation from act, because
sometimes a man who has been wont to commit several kinds of sin,
renounces one and not the other; which is indeed due to God's
assistance, but does not reach to the pardon of the sin.
Reply to Objection 2: In this saying of Ambrose "faith" cannot
denote the faith whereby we believe in Christ, because, as Augustine
says on Jn. 15:22, "If I had not come, and spoken to them,
they would not have sin" (viz. unbelief): "for this is the sin
which contains all others": but it stands for consciousness, because
sometimes a man receives pardon for a sin of which he is not conscious,
through the punishment which he bears patiently.
Reply to Objection 3: Although sins are not connected in so far as
they turn towards a mutable good, yet they are connected in so far as
they turn away from the immutable Good, which applies to all mortal
sins in common. and it is thus that they have the character of an
offense which needs to be removed by Penance.
Reply to Objection 4: Debt as regards external things, e.g.
money, is not opposed to friendship through which the debt is
pardoned. hence one debt can be condoned without another. On the
other hand, the debt of sin is opposed to friendship, and so one sin
or offense is not pardoned without another; for it would seem absurd
for anyone to ask even a man to forgive him one offense and not
another.
Reply to Objection 5: The love whereby God loves man's nature,
does not ordain man to the good of glory from which man is excluded by
any mortal sin. but the love of grace, whereby mortal sin is
forgiven, ordains man to eternal life, according to Rm. 6:23:
"The grace of God (is) life everlasting." Hence there is no
comparison.
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