Ethical Handbook

[...various names] occur, such as Virtue, Grace, and the (so-called) Divine Life; yet if anyone looks more deeply into these things, they will find them to be exactly the same. Indeed, this perfection of the Mind is called the Life of God insofar as it is a living image of Him within us—not a light and superficial notion or imagination of Virtue, but rather a solid and persistent sense and embrace of the most beautiful things. It is called Grace, however, insofar as it is a free gift of God. Finally, it is called Virtue, as it is a certain power of the Mind by which we so master the bodily Passions that in every matter we constantly pursue what is absolutely best, just as we have defined it in the following Treatise. I certainly thought it worthwhile to give this warning, so that I might here confront the foul and ruinous error of certain people who, while Uprightness is exiled original: exsulante Probitate. The author is criticizing those who claim to be "spiritual" or "saved" while behaving immorally., nevertheless think they can keep the Divine Life at home with them, and who, under the pretext of Grace, cast Virtue out of doors.

Given from my Study, on the day before the Kalends of May April 30th., in the Year of Salvation 1667.