he sickness
which he suffered in his body.

Reply Obj. 2: These words of Augustine should be understood thus: "So
great is the stain of that sin, that man is unable to humble himself
in prayer," i.e. it is not easy for him to do so; in which sense we
say that a man cannot be healed, when it is difficult to heal him.
Yet this is possible by the power of God's grace, which sometimes
turns men even "into the depths of the sea" (Ps. 67:23).

Reply Obj. 3: The word or blasphemy spoken against the Holy Ghost is
final impenitence, as Augustine states (De Verb. Dom. xi), which is
altogether unpardonable, because after this life is ended, there is
no pardon of sins. Or, if by the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, we
understand sin committed through certain malice, this means either
that the blasphemy itself against the Holy Ghost is unpardonable,
i.e. not easily pardonable, or that such a sin does not contain in
itself any motive for pardon, or that for such a sin a man is
punished both in this and in the next world, as we explained in the
Second Part (III, Q. 14, A. 3).
_______________________

SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 86, Art. 2]

Whether Sin Can Be Pardoned Without Penance?

Objection 1: It would seem that sin can be pardoned without Penance.
For the power of God is no less with regard to adults than with
regard to children. But He pardons the sins of children without
Penance. Therefore He also pardons adults without penance.

Obj. 2: Further, God did not bind His power to the sacraments. But
Penance is a sacrament. Therefore by God's power sin can be pardoned
without Penance.

Obj. 3: Further, God's mercy is greater than man's. Now man sometimes
forgives another for offending him, without his repenting: wherefore
our Lord commanded us (Matt. 5:44): "Love your enemies, do good to
them that hate you." Much more, therefore, does God pardon men for
offending him, without their repenting.

_On the contrary,_ The Lord said (Jer. 18:8): "If that nation . . .
shall repent of their evil" which they have done, "I also will repent
of the evil that I have thought to do them," so that, on the other
hand, if man "do not penance," it seems that God will not pardon him
his sin.

_I answer that,_ It is impossible for a mortal actual sin to be
pardoned without penance, if we speak of penance as a virtue. For, as
sin is an offense against God, He pardons sin in the same way as he
pardons an offense committed against Him. Now an off