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Objection 1: It would seem that the infusion of grace is not what is
naturally required first for the justification of the ungodly. For we
withdraw from evil before drawing near to good, according to Ps.
33:15: "Turn away from evil, and do good." Now the remission
of sins regards the turning away from evil, and the infusion of grace
regards the turning to good. Hence the remission of sin is naturally
before the infusion of grace.
Objection 2: Further, the disposition naturally precedes the form
to which it disposes. Now the free-will's movement is a disposition
for the reception of grace. Therefore it naturally precedes the
infusion of grace.
Objection 3: Further, sin hinders the soul from tending freely to
God. Now a hindrance to movement must be removed before the movement
takes place. Hence the remission of sin and the free-will's movement
towards sin are naturally before the infusion of grace.
On the contrary, The cause is naturally prior to its effect. Now
the infusion of grace is the cause of whatever is required for the
justification of the ungodly, as stated above (Article 7).
Therefore it is naturally prior to it.
I answer that, The aforesaid four things required for the
justification of the ungodly are simultaneous in time, since the
justification of the ungodly is not successive, as stated above
(Article 7); but in the order of nature, one is prior to another;
and in their natural order the first is the infusion of grace; the
second, the free-will's movement towards God; the third, the
free-will's movement towards sin; the fourth, the remission of sin.
The reason for this is that in every movement the motion of the mover
is naturally first; the disposition of the matter, or the movement of
the moved, is second; the end or term of the movement in which the
motion of the mover rests, is last. Now the motion of God the Mover
is the infusion of grace, as stated above (Article 6); the
movement or disposition of the moved is the free-will's double
movement; and the term or end of the movement is the remission of sin,
as stated above (Article 6). Hence in their natural order the
first in the justification of the ungodly is the infusion of grace; the
second is the free-will's movement towards God; the third is the
free-will's movement towards sin, for he who is being justified
detests sin because it is against God, and thus the free-will's
movement towards God naturally precedes the free-will's movement
towards sin, since it is its cause and reason; the fourth and last is
the remission of sin, to which this transmutation is ordained as to an
end, as stated above (Articles 1,6).
Reply to Objection 1: The withdrawal from one term and approach to
another may be looked at in two ways: first, on the part of the thing
moved, and thus the withdrawal from a term naturally precedes the
approach to a term, since in the subject of movement the opposite which
is put away is prior to the opposite which the subject moved attains to
by its movement. But on the part of the agent it is the other way
about, since the agent, by the form pre-existing in it, acts for the
removal of the opposite form; as the sun by its light acts for the
removal of darkness, and hence on the part of the sun, illumination is
prior to the removal of darkness; but on the part of the atmosphere to
be illuminated, to be freed from darkness is, in the order of nature,
prior to being illuminated, although both are simultaneous in time.
And since the infusion of grace and the remission of sin regard God
Who justifies, hence in the order of nature the infusion of grace is
prior to the freeing from sin. But if we look at what is on the part
of the man justified, it is the other way about, since in the order of
nature the being freed from sin is prior to the obtaining of justifying
grace. Or it may be said that the term "whence" of justification is
sin; and the term "whereto" is justice; and that grace is the cause
of the forgiveness of sin and of obtaining of justice.
Reply to Objection 2: The disposition of the subject precedes the
reception of the form, in the order of nature; yet it follows the
action of the agent, whereby the subject is disposed. And hence the
free-will's movement precedes the reception of grace in the order of
nature, and follows the infusion of grace.
Reply to Objection 3: As the Philosopher says (Phys. ii,
9), in movements of the soul the movement toward the speculative
principle or the practical end is the very first, but in exterior
movements the removal of the impediment precedes the attainment of the
end. And as the free-will's movement is a movement of the soul, in
the order of nature it moves towards God as to its end, before
removing the impediment of sin.
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