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Objection 1: It would seem that a man may merit for himself the
first grace, because, as Augustine says (Ep. clxxxvi), "faith
merits justification." Now a man is justified by the first grace.
Therefore a man may merit the first grace.
Objection 2: Further, God gives grace only to the worthy. Now,
no one is said to be worthy of some good, unless he has merited it
condignly. Therefore we may merit the first grace condignly.
Objection 3: Further, with men we may merit a gift already
received. Thus if a man receives a horse from his master, he merits
it by a good use of it in his master's service. Now God is much more
bountiful than man. Much more, therefore, may a man, by subsequent
works, merit the first grace already received from God.
On the contrary, The nature of grace is repugnant to reward of
works, according to Rm. 4:4: "Now to him that worketh, the
reward is not reckoned according to grace but according to debt." Now
a man merits what is reckoned to him according to debt, as the reward
of his works. Hence a man may not merit the first grace.
I answer that, The gift of grace may be considered in two ways:
first in the nature of a gratuitous gift, and thus it is manifest that
all merit is repugnant to grace, since as the Apostle says (Rm.
11:6), "if by grace, it is not now by works." Secondly, it
may be considered as regards the nature of the thing given, and thus,
also, it cannot come under the merit of him who has not grace, both
because it exceeds the proportion of nature, and because previous to
grace a man in the state of sin has an obstacle to his meriting grace,
viz. sin. But when anyone has grace, the grace already possessed
cannot come under merit, since reward is the term of the work, but
grace is the principle of all our good works, as stated above
(Question 109). But of anyone merits a further gratuitous gift
by virtue of the preceding grace, it would not be the first grace.
Hence it is manifest that no one can merit for himself the first
grace.
Reply to Objection 1: As Augustine says (Retract. i, 23),
he was deceived on this point for a time, believing the beginning of
faith to be from us, and its consummation to be granted us by God;
and this he here retracts. And seemingly it is in this sense that he
speaks of faith as meriting justification. But if we suppose, as
indeed it is a truth of faith, that the beginning of faith is in us
from God, the first act must flow from grace; and thus it cannot be
meritorious of the first grace. Therefore man is justified by faith,
not as though man, by believing, were to merit justification, but
that, he believes, whilst he is being justified; inasmuch as a
movement of faith is required for the justification of the ungodly, as
stated above (Question 113, Article 4).
Reply to Objection 2: God gives grace to none but to the worthy,
not that they were previously worthy, but that by His grace He makes
them worthy, Who alone "can make him clean that is conceived of
unclean seed" (Job 14:4).
Reply to Objection 3: Man's every good work proceeds from the
first grace as from its principle; but not from any gift of man.
Consequently, there is no comparison between gifts of grace and gifts
of men.
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