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Objection 1: It would seem that anyone may merit perseverance. For
what a man obtains by asking, can come under the merit of anyone that
is in grace. Now men obtain perseverance by asking it of God;
otherwise it would be useless to ask it of God in the petitions of the
Lord's Prayer, as Augustine says (De Dono Persev. ii).
Therefore perseverance may come under the merit of whoever has grace.
Objection 2: Further, it is more not to be able to sin than not to
sin. But not to be able to sin comes under merit, for we merit
eternal life, of which impeccability is an essential part. Much
more, therefore, may we merit not to sin, i.e. to persevere.
Objection 3: Further, increase of grace is greater than
perseverance in the grace we already possess. But a man may merit an
increase of grace, as was stated above (Article 8). Much more,
therefore, may he merit perseverance in the grace he has already.
On the contrary, What we merit, we obtain from God, unless it is
hindered by sin. Now many have meritorious works, who do not obtain
perseverance; nor can it be urged that this takes place because of the
impediment of sin, since sin itself is opposed to perseverance; and
thus if anyone were to merit perseverance, God would not permit him to
fall into sin. Hence perseverance does not come under merit.
I answer that, Since man's free-will is naturally flexible towards
good and evil, there are two ways of obtaining from God perseverance
in good: first, inasmuch as free-will is determined to good by
consummate grace, which will be in glory; secondly, on the part of
the Divine motion, which inclines man to good unto the end. Now as
explained above (Articles 6,7,8), that which is related as a
term to the free-will's movement directed to God the mover, falls
under human merit; and not what is related to the aforesaid movement as
principle. Hence it is clear that the perseverance of glory which is
the term of the aforesaid movement falls under merit; but perseverance
of the wayfarer does not fall under merit, since it depends solely on
the Divine motion, which is the principle of all merit. Now God
freely bestows the good of perseverance, on whomsoever He bestows it.
Reply to Objection 1: We impetrate in prayer things that we do not
merit, since God hears sinners who beseech the pardon of their sins,
which they do not merit, as appears from Augustine [Tract. xliv in
Joan.] on Jn. 11:31, "Now we know that God doth not hear
sinners," otherwise it would have been useless for the publican to
say: "O God, be merciful to me a sinner," Lk. 18:13. So
too may we impetrate of God in prayer the grace of perseverance either
for ourselves or for others, although it does not fall under merit.
Reply to Objection 2: The perseverance which is in heaven is
compared as term to the free-will's movement; not so, the
perseverance of the wayfarer, for the reason given in the body of the
article.
In the same way may we answer the third objection which concerns the
increase of grace, as was explained above.
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