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Objection 1: It seems that not in every work of God are mercy and
justice. For some works of God are attributed to mercy, as the
justification of the ungodly; and others to justice, as the damnation
of the wicked. Hence it is said: "Judgment without mercy to him
that hath not done mercy" (James 2:13). Therefore not in every
work of God do mercy and justice appear.
Objection 2: Further, the Apostle attributes the conversion of the
Jews to justice and truth, but that of the Gentiles to mercy (Rm.
15). Therefore not in every work of God are justice and mercy.
Objection 3: Further, many just persons are afflicted in this
world; which is unjust. Therefore not in every work of God are
justice and mercy.
Objection 4: Further, it is the part of justice to pay what is
due, but of mercy to relieve misery. Thus both justice and mercy
presuppose something in their works: whereas creation presupposes
nothing. Therefore in creation neither mercy nor justice is found.
On the contrary, It is said (Ps. 24:10): "All the ways of
the Lord are mercy and truth."
I answer that, Mercy and truth are necessarily found in all God's
works, if mercy be taken to mean the removal of any kind of defect.
Not every defect, however, can properly be called a misery; but only
defect in a rational nature whose lot is to be happy; for misery is
opposed to happiness. For this necessity there is a reason, because
since a debt paid according to the divine justice is one due either to
God, or to some creature, neither the one nor the other can be
lacking in any work of God: because God can do nothing that is not in
accord with His wisdom and goodness; and it is in this sense, as we
have said, that anything is due to God. Likewise, whatever is done
by Him in created things, is done according to proper order and
proportion wherein consists the idea of justice. Thus justice must
exist in all God's works. Now the work of divine justice always
presupposes the work of mercy; and is founded thereupon. For nothing
is due to creatures, except for something pre-existing in them, or
foreknown. Again, if this is due to a creature, it must be due on
account of something that precedes. And since we cannot go on to
infinity, we must come to something that depends only on the goodness
of the divine will---which is the ultimate end. We may say, for
instance, that to possess hands is due to man on account of his
rational soul; and his rational soul is due to him that he may be man;
and his being man is on account of the divine goodness. So in every
work of God, viewed at its primary source, there appears mercy. In
all that follows, the power of mercy remains, and works indeed with
even greater force; as the influence of the first cause is more intense
than that of second causes. For this reason does God out of abundance
of His goodness bestow upon creatures what is due to them more
bountifully than is proportionate to their deserts: since less would
suffice for preserving the order of justice than what the divine
goodness confers; because between creatures and God's goodness there
can be no proportion.
Reply to Objection 1: Certain works are attributed to justice, and
certain others to mercy, because in some justice appears more forcibly
and in others mercy. Even in the damnation of the reprobate mercy is
seen, which, though it does not totally remit, yet somewhat
alleviates, in punishing short of what is deserved.
In the justification of the ungodly, justice is seen, when God
remits sins on account of love, though He Himself has mercifully
infused that love. So we read of Magdalen: "Many sins are forgiven
her, because she hath loved much" (Lk. 7:47).
Reply to Objection 2: God's justice and mercy appear both in the
conversion of the Jews and of the Gentiles. But an aspect of justice
appears in the conversion of the Jews which is not seen in the
conversion of the Gentiles; inasmuch as the Jews were saved on
account of the promises made to the fathers.
Reply to Objection 3: Justice and mercy appear in the punishment of
the just in this world, since by afflictions lesser faults are cleansed
in them, and they are the more raised up from earthly affections to
God. As to this Gregory says (Moral. xxvi, 9): "The evils
that press on us in this world force us to go to God."
Reply to Objection 4: Although creation presupposes nothing in the
universe; yet it does presuppose something in the knowledge of God.
In this way too the idea of justice is preserved in creation; by the
production of beings in a manner that accords with the divine wisdom and
goodness. And the idea of mercy, also, is preserved in the change of
creatures from non-existence to existence.
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