which was the passion of the Cross.
6. It acts continually with the unclean to make them clean and with the
unsound to make them sound in mind. Thus it labors incessantly out of
pure mercy.

338. (iii) _Instantaneous salvation by direct mercy is impossible._ We
have just shown that the activity of divine providence to save man begins
at his birth and continues to the close of his life and afterwards to
eternity; also that this activity is continually pursued out of pure
mercy through means. It follows that there is neither instantaneous
salvation nor unmediated mercy. But as many, not thinking from the
understanding about things of the church or of religion, believe that
they are saved by immediate mercy and hence that salvation is
instantaneous, and yet this is contrary to the truth and in addition is a
pernicious belief, it is important that it be considered in due order:

1. Belief in instantaneous salvation by direct mercy has been assumed
from man's natural state.
2. This belief comes from ignorance of the spiritual state, which is
completely different from the natural state.
3. The doctrines of all churches in Christendom, viewed interiorly, are
opposed to instantaneous salvation by direct mercy, but external men of
the church nevertheless maintain the belief.

[2] First: _Belief in instantaneous salvation by direct mercy has been
assumed from man's natural state._ From his state the natural man does
not know otherwise than that heavenly joy is like worldly joy and that it
flows in and is received in the same way; that, for example, it is like a
poor man's becoming rich and from a sad state of poverty coming into a
happy one of plenty, or like a lowly person's being raised to honors and
passing thus from contempt to renown; or like one's going from a house of
mourning to happy nuptials. As these states can be changed in a day and
as there is a like idea of man's state after death, it is plain whence it
comes that instantaneous salvation by direct mercy is believed in.

[3] In the world, moreover, many can join in one group or in one civic
community and enjoy the same things, yet all differ in mind; this is true
of the natural state. The reason is that the external of one person can
be accommodated to that of another, no matter how unlike their internals
are. From this natural situation it is also concluded that salvation is
merely admission among angels in heaven, and that admission is by direct
mercy. It is a