Stapleton's seventh proposition: what is lacking is pardoned
Thesis XLVI. In chapter 8 he sets out to prove and illustrate this seventh proposition: 'The righteousness of good works in faith is true righteousness before God, however much it is mixed with sins and imperfect, both as to the full range of commandments to be fulfilled and as to the manner of fulfilling them; and it truly and plainly satisfies God's law.
It does so not only because it comes as close as possible to full and perfect righteousness, or because it is at least free of the graver crimes, or even because it strives, advancing day by day, to be free of all sin and to satisfy the law fully.
It does so also because whatever it lacks for a full and perfect fulfilment, whether through leaving commandments undone and often sinning venially, or through imperfection in the manner and way of fulfilling, Christ's mercy and grace wholly overlooks and forgives; and by pardoning it, that mercy and grace makes us just as righteous before God as if we had done every one of the commandments exactly, and done them most perfectly.'
Latin
XLVI. Capite octavo probandam & illustrandam suscipit, septimam hanc propositionem. Justitia bonorum operum in fide est vera coram Deo justitia, utcunque mixta peccatis & imperfecta, tum quoad universa mandata implenda, tum quoad modum implendi, vereque & plane legi Dei satisfacit: non solum quia quam proxime accedit ad plenam & perfectam justitiam: aut quia gravioribus saltem criminibus caret: aut etiam quia id agit proficiendo de die in diem ut omni prorsus peccato careat, & plene satisfaciat: sed adhuc praeterea quia quicquid deest illi ad plenam & perfectam adimpletionem mandata praetermittendo, & frequenter venialiter peccando, sive propter imperfectionem in modo & ratione implendi, id totum Christi misericordia & gratia indulget atque ignoscit; facitque indulgendo ut perinde simus coram Deo justi, ac si universa ad amussim omnia mandata, eademque perfectissime fecissemus.