se are not spiritual, they cannot but be
infernal; they must be one or the other and cannot be spiritual and
infernal at the same time. The lot of these men then is poverty instead
of riches and wretchedness instead of wealth.

[11] By uses not only the necessities of life are meant, such as food,
raiment and habitation for oneself and one's own, but also the good of
one's country, community and fellow-citizens. Business is such a good
when it is the end-love and money is a mediate, subservient love, as it
is only when the businessman shuns and is averse to fraud and bad
practices as sin. It is otherwise when money is the end-love and business
the mediate, subservient love. For this is avarice, which is a root of
evils (on this see Lu 12:15 and the parable on it, verses 16-21).

XII. MAN IS NOT ADMITTED INWARDLY INTO TRUTHS OF FAITH AND GOODS OF
CHARITY EXCEPT AS HE CAN BE KEPT IN THEM TO THE CLOSE OF LIFE

221. It is well known in Christendom that the Lord wills the salvation of
all, and also is almighty. From this many conclude that He can save
everyone and saves those who implore His mercy, especially those who
implore it by the formula of the received faith that God the Father may
be merciful for the sake of the Son, particularly if they pray at the
same time that they may receive this faith. That it is quite otherwise,
however, will be seen in the last chapter of this treatise where it will
be explained that the Lord cannot act contrary to the laws of His divine
providence because that would be acting against His divine love and
wisdom, thus against Himself. There, too, it will be seen that such
immediate mercy is impossible, for man's salvation is effected by means,
and he can be led in accordance with these means only by Him who wills
the salvation of all and is at the same time almighty, thus by the Lord.
These means are what are called laws of divine providence. Among them is
this, that man is not admitted inwardly into truths of wisdom and goods
of love except as he can be kept in them to the close of life. To make
this plain to the reason, it is to be explained in this order:

i. Man may be admitted into wisdom about spiritual things and also
into love of them and still not be reformed.
ii. If he recedes from them afterwards and turns to what is the contrary,
he profanes holy things.
iii. There are many kinds of profanation, but this kind is the worst of
all.
iv. The Lord therefore does not admit man inte