Section — Billuart, Summa Summae · from Schola Thomistica
The state of integral nature
The state of integral nature consists in perfect subjection of the body to the soul and of the sensitive appetite to reason; consequently it imports immunity from ignorance, concupiscence, death, and passions altering nature. Because nature is said to be integral while between its parts there is no division or defection from its perfection, while inferiors are perfectly subjected to superiors; consequently, while the body is perfectly contained under the power of the soul, so that by no alteration or corruption does it fall short of its dominion, and the sensitive appetite holds nothing repugnant to reason. But if only one or other of these subjections existed, either of the body alone to the soul, or of the sensitive appetite alone to reason, the state of integral nature would not be perfect, but its perfection only partial.
Status naturae integrae consistit in perfecta subjectione corporis ad animam et appetitus sensitivi ad rationem: proindeque importat immunitatem ab ignorantia, concupiscentia, morte et passionibus naturam alterantibus. Quia natura dicitur integra, dum inter ejus partes nulla est divisio aut defectio a sua perfectione inferioraque perfecte subduntur superioribus, consequenter dum corpus perfecte continetur sub potestate animae, ita ut nulla alteratione aut corruptione ab ejus dominio deficiat, et appetitus sensitivus nihil habet rationi repugnans. Quod si esset tantum alterutra subjectio, vel solius corporis ad animam, vel solius appetitus sensitivi ad rationem, non foret perfectus status naturae integrae, sed partialis ejus perfectio.
2° In that integrity of nature Adam was created: and this integrity arose in him from sanctifying grace; because, as we said from SS. Augustine and Thomas, treating of original sin, so long as the superior reason was subject to God — which subjection was held through sanctifying grace — the body was perfectly subject to the soul and the sensitive appetite to reason; yet it was distinguished from that original grace, because they were of different order; for integrity is a form perfecting nature in the natural order, not elevating it to the supernatural order, nor constituting man adopted son of God, partaker of the divine nature and heir of the heavenly kingdom : all which sanctifying grace bestowed. Whence nothing stood in the way but that God could have created man in the state of integral nature without justice or original grace; yet because these two states were united in Adam, they are often confounded by the Fathers and theologians.
2° In ea naturae integritate fuit creatus Adam: et haec in illo oriebatur a gratia sanctificante, quia, ut diximus ex SS. Aug. et Th. dum de peccato originali, quamdiu ratio superior subdebatur Deo, quae subjectio habebatur per gratiam sanctificantem, corpus perfecte subdebatur animae et appetitus sensitivus rationi; ab ea tamen gratia originali distinguebatur, quia erant diversi ordinis; integritas enim est forma perficiens naturam in ordine naturali, non elevans ipsam ad ordinem supernaturalem, nec constituens hominem filium Dei adoptivum, participem divinae naturae et haeredem regni coelestis: quae omnia praestabat gratia sanctificans. Unde nihil obstabat quin potuerit Deus creare hominem in statu naturae integrae absque justitia seu gratia originali, quia tamen isti duo status in Adamo fuerunt adunati, saepe a Patribus et theologis confunduntur.