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Objection 1: It would seem that attrition can become contrition.
For contrition differs from attrition, as living from dead. Now dead
faith becomes living. Therefore attrition can become contrition.
Objection 2: Further, matter receives perfection when privation is
removed. Now sorrow is to grace, as matter to form, because grace
quickens sorrow. Therefore the sorrow that was previously lifeless,
while guilt remained, receives perfection through being quickened by
grace: and so the same conclusion follows as above.
On the contrary, Things which are caused by principles altogether
diverse cannot be changed, one into the other. Now the principle of
attrition is servile fear, while filial fear is the cause of
contrition. Therefore attrition cannot become contrition.
I answer that, There are two opinions on this Question for some say
that attrition may become contrition, even as lifeless faith becomes
living faith. But, seemingly, this is impossible; since, although
the habit of lifeless faith becomes living, yet never does an act of
lifeless faith become an act of living faith, because the lifeless act
passes away and remains no more, as soon as charity comes. Now
attrition and contrition do not denote a habit, but an act only: and
those habits of infused virtue which regard the will cannot be
lifeless, since they result from charity, as stated above (Sent.
iii, D, 27, Question 2, Article 4; FS, Question 65,
Article 4). Wherefore until grace be infused, there is no habit by
which afterwards the act of contrition may be elicited; so that
attrition can nowise become attrition: and this is the other opinion.
Reply to Objection 1: There is no comparison between faith and
contrition, as stated above.
Reply to Objection 2: When the privation is removed from matter,
the matter is quickened if it remains when the perfection comes. But
the sorrow which was lifeless, does not remain when charity comes,
wherefore it cannot be quickened.
It may also be replied that matter does not take its origin from the
form essentially, as an act takes its origin from the habit which
quickens it. Wherefore nothing hinders matter being quickened anew by
some form, whereby it was not quickened previously: whereas this
cannot be said of an act, even as it is impossible for the identically
same thing to arise from a cause wherefrom it did not arise before,
since a thing is brought into being but once.
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