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Objection 1: It would seem that man can rise from sin without the
help of grace. For what is presupposed to grace, takes place without
grace. But to rise to sin is presupposed to the enlightenment of
grace; since it is written (Eph. 5:14): "Arise from the dead
and Christ shall enlighten thee." Therefore man can rise from sin
without grace.
Objection 2: Further, sin is opposed to virtue as illness to
health, as stated above (Question 71, Article 1, ad 3).
Now, man, by force of his nature, can rise from illness to health,
without the external help of medicine, since there still remains in him
the principle of life, from which the natural operation proceeds.
Hence it seems that, with equal reason, man may be restored by
himself, and return from the state of sin to the state of justice
without the help of external grace.
Objection 3: Further, every natural thing can return by itself to
the act befitting its nature, as hot water returns by itself to its
natural coldness, and a stone cast upwards returns by itself to its
natural movement. Now a sin is an act against nature, as is clear
from Damascene (De Fide Orth. ii, 30). Hence it seems that
man by himself can return from sin to the state of justice.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (Gal. 2:21; Cf. Gal.
3:21): "For if there had been a law given which could give
life---then Christ died in vain," i.e. to no purpose. Hence
with equal reason, if man has a nature, whereby he can he justified,
"Christ died in vain," i.e. to no purpose. But this cannot
fittingly be said. Therefore by himself he cannot be justified,
i.e. he cannot return from a state of sin to a state of justice.
I answer that, Man by himself can no wise rise from sin without the
help of grace. For since sin is transient as to the act and abiding in
its guilt, as stated above (Question 87, Article 6), to rise
from sin is not the same as to cease the act of sin; but to rise from
sin means that man has restored to him what he lost by sinning. Now
man incurs a triple loss by sinning, as was clearly shown above
(Question 85, Article 1; Question 86, Article 1;
Question 87, Article 1), viz. stain, corruption of natural
good, and debt of punishment. He incurs a stain, inasmuch as he
forfeits the lustre of grace through the deformity of sin. Natural
good is corrupted, inasmuch as man's nature is disordered by man's
will not being subject to God's; and this order being overthrown,
the consequence is that the whole nature of sinful man remains
disordered. Lastly, there is the debt of punishment, inasmuch as by
sinning man deserves everlasting damnation.
Now it is manifest that none of these three can be restored except by
God. For since the lustre of grace springs from the shedding of
Divine light, this lustre cannot be brought back, except God sheds
His light anew: hence a habitual gift is necessary, and this is the
light of grace. Likewise, the order of nature can only be restored,
i.e. man's will can only be subject to God when God draws man's
will to Himself, as stated above (Article 6). So, too, the
guilt of eternal punishment can be remitted by God alone, against
Whom the offense was committed and Who is man's Judge. And thus in
order that man rise from sin there is required the help of grace, both
as regards a habitual gift, and as regards the internal motion of
God.
Reply to Objection 1: To man is bidden that which pertains to the
act of free-will, as this act is required in order that man should
rise from sin. Hence when it is said, "Arise, and Christ shall
enlighten thee," we are not to think that the complete rising from sin
precedes the enlightenment of grace; but that when man by his
free-will, moved by God, strives to rise from sin, he receives the
light of justifying grace.
Reply to Objection 2: The natural reason is not the sufficient
principle of the health that is in man by justifying grace. This
principle is grace which is taken away by sin. Hence man cannot be
restored by himself; but he requires the light of grace to be poured
upon him anew, as if the soul were infused into a dead body for its
resurrection.
Reply to Objection 3: When nature is perfect, it can be restored
by itself to its befitting and proportionate condition; but without
exterior help it cannot be restored to what surpasses its measure. And
thus human nature undone by reason of the act of sin, remains no longer
perfect, but corrupted, as stated above (Question 85); nor can
it be restored, by itself, to its connatural good, much less to the
supernatural good of justice.
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