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Objection 1: It would seem that no works of man are necessary that
he may obtain Happiness from God. For since God is an agent of
infinite power, He requires before acting, neither matter, nor
disposition of matter, but can forthwith produce the whole effect.
But man's works, since they are not required for Happiness, as the
efficient cause thereof, as stated above (Article 6), can be
required only as dispositions thereto. Therefore God who does not
require dispositions before acting, bestows Happiness without any
previous works.
Objection 2: Further, just as God is the immediate cause of
Happiness, so is He the immediate cause of nature. But when God
first established nature, He produced creatures without any previous
disposition or action on the part of the creature, but made each one
perfect forthwith in its species. Therefore it seems that He bestows
Happiness on man without any previous works.
Objection 3: Further, the Apostle says (Rm. 4:6) that
Happiness is of the man "to whom God reputeth justice without
works." Therefore no works of man are necessary for attaining
Happiness.
On the contrary, It is written (Jn. 13:17): "If you know
these things, you shall be blessed if you do them." Therefore
Happiness is obtained through works.
I answer that, Rectitude of the will, as stated above (Question
4, Article 4), is necessary for Happiness; since it is nothing
else than the right order of the will to the last end; and it is
therefore necessary for obtaining the end, just as the right
disposition of matter, in order to receive the form. But this does
not prove that any work of man need precede his Happiness: for God
could make a will having a right tendency to the end, and at the same
time attaining the end; just as sometimes He disposes matter and at
the same time introduces the form. But the order of Divine wisdom
demands that it should not be thus; for as is stated in De Coel.
ii, 12, "of those things that have a natural capacity for the
perfect good, one has it without movement, some by one movement, some
by several." Now to possess the perfect good without movement,
belongs to that which has it naturally: and to have Happiness
naturally belongs to God alone. Therefore it belongs to God alone
not to be moved towards Happiness by any previous operation. Now
since Happiness surpasses every created nature, no pure creature can
becomingly gain Happiness, without the movement of operation, whereby
it tends thereto. But the angel, who is above man in the natural
order, obtained it, according to the order of Divine wisdom, by one
movement of a meritorious work, as was explained in the FP,
Question 62, Article 5; whereas man obtains it by many movements
of works which are called merits. Wherefore also according to the
Philosopher (Ethic. i, 9), happiness is the reward of works of
virtue.
Reply to Objection 1: Works are necessary to man in order to gain
Happiness; not on account of the insufficiency of the Divine power
which bestows Happiness, but that the order in things be observed.
Reply to Objection 2: God produced the first creatures so that they
are perfect forthwith, without any previous disposition or operation of
the creature; because He instituted the first individuals of the
various species, that through them nature might be propagated to their
progeny. In like manner, because Happiness was to be bestowed on
others through Christ, who is God and Man, "Who," according to
Heb. 2:10, "had brought many children into glory"; therefore,
from the very beginning of His conception, His soul was happy,
without any previous meritorious operation. But this is peculiar to
Him: for Christ's merit avails baptized children for the gaining of
Happiness, though they have no merits of their own; because by
Baptism they are made members of Christ.
Reply to Objection 3: The Apostle is speaking of the Happiness of
Hope, which is bestowed on us by sanctifying grace, which is not
given on account of previous works. For grace is not a term of
movement, as Happiness is; rather is it the principle of the movement
that tends towards Happiness.
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