Page:Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent Buckley.djvu/68

36 efficacy of the sacraments, so each one, when he regards himself, and his own peculiar weakness and indisposition, may entertain fear and apprehension concerning his own grace; inasmuch as no one can know with a certainty of faith, which cannot be subject to mistake, that he has obtained the grace of God.

Having, therefore, been thus justified, and made the friends and of the household of God, advancing from strength to strength, they are renewed, as the Apostle says, day by day; that is, by mortifying the members of their own flesh, and by yielding them as instruments of righteousness unto holiness they, through the observance of the commandments of God and of the Church, faith co-operating with good works, increase in the justice received through the grace of Christ, and are still more justified, as is written,—He that is righteous, let him be made righteous still; and again, Be not afraid to be justified even to death; and also, Ye see how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only, And this increase of justification, the Holy Church begs, when she prays, "Give unto us, O Lord, increase of faith, hope, and charity."

But no one, how much soever justified, ought to think himself free from the observance of the commandments; no one ought to make use of that rash saying, prohibited by the fathers under an anathema; that the commandments of God are impossible for one that is justified to observe. For God commands not impossibilities, but, by commanding, admonishes thee both to do what thou art able, and to pray for what thou art not able, and aids thee that thou mayest be