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Objection 1: It would seem that grace does not imply anything in the
soul. For man is said to have the grace of God even as the grace of
man. Hence it is written (Gn. 39:21) that the Lord gave to
Joseph "grace in the sight of the chief keeper of the prison." Now
when we say that a man has the favor of another, nothing is implied in
him who has the favor of the other, but an acceptance is implied in him
whose favor he has. Hence when we say that a man has the grace of
God, nothing is implied in his soul; but we merely signify the
Divine acceptance.
Objection 2: Further, as the soul quickens the body so does God
quicken the soul; hence it is written (Dt. 30:20): "He is
thy life." Now the soul quickens the body immediately. Therefore
nothing can come as a medium between God and the soul. Hence grace
implies nothing created in the soul.
Objection 3: Further, on Rm. 1:7, "Grace to you and
peace," the gloss says: "Grace, i.e. the remission of sins."
Now the remission of sin implies nothing in the soul, but only in
God, Who does not impute the sin, according to Ps. 31:2:
"Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin." Hence
neither does grace imply anything in the soul.
On the contrary, Light implies something in what is enlightened.
But grace is a light of the soul; hence Augustine says (De Natura
et Gratia xxii): "The light of truth rightly deserts the
prevaricator of the law, and those who have been thus deserted become
blind." Therefore grace implies something in the soul.
I answer that, According to the common manner of speech, grace is
usually taken in three ways. First, for anyone's love, as we are
accustomed to say that the soldier is in the good graces of the king,
i.e. the king looks on him with favor. Secondly, it is taken for
any gift freely bestowed, as we are accustomed to say: I do you this
act of grace. Thirdly, it is taken for the recompense of a gift given
"gratis," inasmuch as we are said to be "grateful" for benefits.
Of these three the second depends on the first, since one bestows
something on another "gratis" from the love wherewith he receives him
into his good "graces." And from the second proceeds the third,
since from benefits bestowed "gratis" arises "gratitude."
Now as regards the last two, it is clear that grace implies something
in him who receives grace: first, the gift given gratis; secondly,
the acknowledgment of the gift. But as regards the first, a
difference must be noted between the grace of God and the grace of
man; for since the creature's good springs from the Divine will,
some good in the creature flows from God's love, whereby He wishes
the good of the creature. On the other hand, the will of man is moved
by the good pre-existing in things; and hence man's love does not
wholly cause the good of the thing, but pre-supposes it either in part
or wholly. Therefore it is clear that every love of God is followed
at some time by a good caused in the creature, but not co-eternal with
the eternal love. And according to this difference of good the love of
God to the creature is looked at differently. For one is common,
whereby He loves "all things that are" (Wis. 11:25), and
thereby gives things their natural being. But the second is a special
love, whereby He draws the rational creature above the condition of
its nature to a participation of the Divine good; and according to
this love He is said to love anyone simply, since it is by this love
that God simply wishes the eternal good, which is Himself, for the
creature.
Accordingly when a man is said to have the grace of God, there is
signified something bestowed on man by God. Nevertheless the grace of
God sometimes signifies God's eternal love, as we say the grace of
predestination, inasmuch as God gratuitously and not from merits
predestines or elects some; for it is written (Eph. 1:5): "He
hath predestinated us into the adoption of children . . . unto the
praise of the glory of His grace."
Reply to Objection 1: Even when a man is said to be in another's
good graces, it is understood that there is something in him pleasing
to the other; even as anyone is said to have God's grace---with
this difference, that what is pleasing to a man in another is
presupposed to his love, but whatever is pleasing to God in a man is
caused by the Divine love, as was said above.
Reply to Objection 2: God is the life of the soul after the manner
of an efficient cause; but the soul is the life of the body after the
manner of a formal cause. Now there is no medium between form and
matter, since the form, of itself, "informs" the matter or
subject; whereas the agent "informs" the subject, not by its
substance, but by the form, which it causes in the matter.
Reply to Objection 3: Augustine says (Retract. i, 25):
"When I said that grace was for the remission of sins, and peace for
our reconciliation with God, you must not take it to mean that peace
and reconciliation do not pertain to general peace, but that the
special name of grace signifies the remission of sins." Not only
grace, therefore, but many other of God's gifts pertain to grace.
And hence the remission of sins does not take place without some effect
divinely caused in us, as will appear later (Question 113,
Article 2).
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