Page:Stalphonsuspraye00ligu.djvu/13



E are  perfectly  inexcusable  if  we  neglect prayer, for the grace  of  prayer  is  given  to even*  one. It is  always  in  our  power  to pray  if  we  only  wish  to  do  so. God will  have  all  nun to be  saved  (1   Tim.  ii.  4). Luther and  Calvin  asserted therefore a  blasphemy  when  they  said  that  since Adam's sin  the  observance  of  God's  law  is  impossible to mortals;  and  Jansenius  was  equally  guilty  when  he asserted  that  we  have  been  deprived  of  that  grace which would  have  rendered  the  fulfilment  of  the divine precepts  possible  to  us. The Church  has  condemned these  doctrines;  the  holy  Council  of  Trent has declared  that  God  commands  nothing  that  is impossible,  but  that  He  tells  us  to  do  our  best  aided by ordinary  grace,  and  to  ask  of  Him  the  increase  of grace  which  is  necessary  to  enable  us  to  accomplish that which,  without  that  help,  we  could  not  perform;  and  then  by  making  up  for  our  weakness  He renders  all  things  possible  to  us. Hence it  ensues that God  gives,  or  at  any  rate  offers,  to  all  men either the  proximate  grace  necessary  for  the  observance of  His  Commandments,  or,  at  any  rate,  the  remote grace,  i.e.,  the  grace  of  prayer,  by  means  of which  each  person  can  obtain  the  proximate  grace of which  he  has  need  to  fulfil  the  duties  imposed upon him  by  the  law  of  God.

However, it  cannot  be  doubted  that,  in  the  present state of  our  corrupt  nature,  the  observance  of  the divine law  is  very  difficult,  and  even  morally  impossible, without  the  special  help  of  God  and  a greater  help  than  was  necessary  when  we  were  in  a state  of  innocence. Now, this  special  help,  God,