Of the Contention Between Mercy and Justice, Truth and Peace

This is an excerpt from the book, The Life of Christ:

Mercy said unto the Lord, “Will you, O Lord, cast man away forever, or will you forget to show mercy?”² This was whispered in the ears of the Almighty continuously for a long time. The Lord replied, “Let your sisters be called whom you see ready to oppose you, and let us hear what they say.” The two attributes being summoned, Mercy resumed: “The rational creature stands in need of Divine commiseration, for he has become miserable, yes, full of misery, and the time for mercy has already come and is passing away.” Truth interrupts: “The Lord must keep His word which He has spoken. Let Adam and all his race who were in him die, when through disobedience he tasted the forbidden fruit.” Mercy replied, “Wherefore then, O Lord, have you made me? For Truth itself must own there is reason for this question, if you forbear forever to have mercy.” “On the other hand,” says Truth, “if the transgressor evades your sentence, Truth must perish, and cannot remain forever.” Hence, this contention was referred to the Son, before whom Truth and Mercy repeated their respective claims; and Truth added, “I confess, O Lord, that Mercy may be moved by a good zeal, but not according to Justice, which would rather spare the transgressor than her sister attribute.” But Mercy rejoins, “You spare neither, but are so fierce with anger against the transgressor, that you involve me, your sister, in his destruction.” But Truth, unmoved, urges her cause most strongly: “O Lord, you are involved in this question, and it is for you to hinder the sentence of your Father from being made void.” Peace now began to speak: “Cease this contention; it is not right for attributes to dispute each other’s claims.” The controversy, however, seemed momentous, and the reasons which were urged on both sides valid and powerful. There appeared to be no way of preserving both Mercy and Truth in reference to man. But the King wrote the sentence, which He gave to Peace, being nearest to His throne, to read and deliver. It ran thus: “One says, ‘I perish if Adam does not die;’ the other says, ‘I perish if he does not find mercy.’ Let death become a good thing, and let both have what they ask.”

All were amazed at the wisdom of this decree, and agreed that Adam should die, and so obtain mercy. But how, sought they, can death be made good, seeing that the bare sound of the word conveys horror? The King answered, “The death of sinners is most dreadful, but the death of the saints is ‘precious,’¹ and the gate of life. Let one be found who, though not subject to death, dies out of love. He, not being subject to it, cannot be held by it, but will force his way through death, and make a passage through which those who are freed can follow him.” All acquiesced in this. But “where can such a one be found?” was the question. Then Truth went back to earth, and Mercy remained in heaven. As the Prophet says, “Thy Mercy, O Lord, is in heaven, and Thy Truth reaches even to the clouds.”² And it encompasses the world. But no one was found pure from the stain of sin,³ not even the infant of a day old. But Mercy searched throughout heaven, and found no one who had love enough to undertake this work. For all of us are servants, who, when we have done well, ought to say according to that which is written in S. Luke, “We are unprofitable servants.”⁴ And as none could be found who had such charity as to lay down his life for unprofitable servants, they, Mercy and Truth, returned at the appointed day. Not having found what they sought for, Peace said, “Know you not, or have you forgotten, that ‘there is none that does good, no, not one’?⁵ He alone who gave you this counsel can bring it to pass.” When the King saw this He said, “It repents Me that I have made man.⁶ I must repent on behalf of man whom I have made.” And Gabriel being called He said, “Go, tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes unto you.”⁷ Thus far are the words of S. Bernard. You see, then, how great is the danger which sin causes, and how difficult it is to find a remedy. The before-mentioned attributes were best brought into harmony, it would seem, in the Person of the Son. For the Person of the Father, in a certain way, appeared terrible and powerful, so that Peace and Mercy had cause for apprehension. Then the Person of the Spirit is most benign, and so Truth and Justice had cause for apprehension. Therefore, the Person of the Son was accepted as in the mean between the Two, to work out this remedy. This, however, you must understand not in a literal but in a descriptive sense. Then was that prediction fulfilled: “Mercy and Truth have met together; Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other.”¹   Thus, much we have said of that contention upon which we may piously meditate, and which we may conceive had some real counterpart in heavenly things.^[1]

Mercy, Justice, Truth, and Peace are all accomplished in Baptism.  Because of sin, we die in Baptism.  Therefore, Justice and Truth are accomplished.  We are also raised to new Life in Truth; therefore, Mercy and Peace are also accomplished.  However, a danger exists: Some deem that they things and ways of the world are better than this new Life, and they return to “Egypt.”  In this, they deem the pomps of the devil—which we reject in our baptismal vows--are better than life in Christ.

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² Ps. 77:8, 9.

¹ Ps. 116:15.

² Ps. 36:5.

³ Job 25.

⁴ S. Luke 17:10.

⁵ Ps. 14:3.

⁶ Gen. 6:6.

⁷ Zech. 9:9.

¹ Ps. 85:10.

^[1] Saint Bonaventure, The Life of Christ, ed. W. H. Hutchings, (London: Rivingtons, 1881), 2–5.