Article — Billuart, Summa Summae · from Schola Thomistica
What is the help of sufficient grace, and of how many kinds?
I say : Sufficient aid does not consist in one single determinate indivisible thing, but in several things concurring to our acts, each one in its own genus and inadequately.
Dico : Auxilium sufficiens non consistit in aliquo uno determinato indivisibili, sed in pluribus concurrentibus ad actus nostros, unoquoque in suo genere et inadaequate.
It is proved. By the name of sufficient aid we understand all that which God grants us so that we can perform a salutary work, in such a way that, not from defect of aid, but from man withdrawing himself from divine aid, the good is omitted or evil is done. Now God helps us in a manifold way toward good: at one time externally by law, by preachings, exhortations, examples, miracles, scourges, benefits, etc.; at another internally, by illuminations of the mind, motions of the will and infused habits of virtue. Therefore.
Probatur. Nomine auxilii sufficientis intelligimus id omne quod Deus nobis concedit, ut possimus facere opus salutare, ita ut, non defectu auxilii, sed hominis se divino auxilio subtrahentis, bonum omittatur aut malum fiat. Atqui Deus nos multiplici modo adjuvat ad bonum, modo exterius per legem, per praedicationes, exhortationes, exempla, miracula, flagella, beneficia, etc.; modo interius, per mentis illustrationes, voluntatis motiones et habitus infusos virtutum. Ergo.
It is confirmed. That is sufficient aid which man resists. Now Scripture sets forth several kinds of graces which man resists, such as those I was just recounting. Therefore.
Confirmatur. Auxilium sufficiens est, cui homo resistit. Atqui Scriptura exhibet plura genera gratiarum quibus homo resistit, qualia sunt quae modo recensebam. Ergo.
Hence you will gather that there are various divisions of sufficient aid.
Hinc colliges, varias esse divisiones auxilii sufficientis.
1° It is divided into external and internal. To the external belong what I have already said: law, preaching, exhortation, example, miracles, adversities, benefits, indeed even a certain disposition of created things directed and ordered by special providence in ordine to salvation. The internal is that which God works within man, to advance him toward good and call him away from evil. It is twofold: one transient, such as are illuminations of the mind and motions of the will; the other permanent, such as are infused habits.
1° Dividitur in externum et internum. Ad externum pertinent quae jam dixi : lex, praedicatio, exhortatio, exempla, miracula, adversitates, beneficia, imo certa rerum creatarum dispositio per specialem providentiam directa et imperata in ordine ad salutem. Internum est quod Deus intra hominem operatur, ad ipsum promovendum in bonum et avocandum a malo. Est duplex : unum transiens, ut sunt illustrationes mentis et motiones voluntatis ; alterum permanens, ut sunt habitus infusi.
2° Sufficient aid is divided into moral and physical. To the moral belong the external aids by which God moves us to good, either by showing the good, or by threatening evil. To it also belong the illuminations of the mind, which although they are physical with respect to the mind, are nevertheless moral with respect to the will, inasmuch as they move it only objectively, by the proposal of good or evil. Physical is that by which God, as efficient cause, moves man, acting upon the will and changing it.
2° Dividitur auxilium sufficiens in morale et physicum. Ad morale pertinent auxilia externa, quibus Deus, vel ostensione boni, vel comminatione mali, ad bonum nos movet. Ad illum etiam pertinent illustrationes mentis, quae quamvis respective ad mentem sint physica, respective tamen ad voluntatem sunt morales, quatenus eam tantum movent objective, propositione boni vel mali. Physicum est quo Deus, ut causa efficiens, hominem movet, operando in voluntate et eam immutando.
3° It is divided into proximate and remote. Proximate is that by which one is said to be able to do a good work in such wise that he is, e.g., proximately able with respect to his acts, as infused habits. Remote is that by which one is indeed not proximately able for the act, but yet can do something more easily, which if he does, he will arrive at the act: e.g., a sinner is not proximately able to overcome grave temptations, but he can pray through grace, which if he does, he will become proximately able to overcome temptations. This difference Trident., session VI, chapter 11 indicates from Augustine, when it says: « God does not command impossibilities, but by commanding admonishes you both to do what you can » — behold proximately sufficient aid — « and to pray for what you cannot » — behold remotely sufficient aid. This distinction is especially useful for resolving many difficulties.
3° Dividitur in proximum et remotum. Proximum est quo quis sic dicitur posse bonum opus facere, ut sunt, v. g., habitus infusi respective ad suos actus. Remotum est quo quis non est quidem proxime potens ad actum, sed tamen potest facere aliquid facilius, quod si faciat, perveniet ad actum : v. g., peccator non est proxime potens ad superandas graves tentationes, sed potest per gratiam orare, quod si faciat, fiet proxime potens ad vincendas tentationes. Hanc differentiam indicat Trid., sess. VI, cap. 11, ex Augustino, dum dicit : « Deus impossibilia non jubet, sed jubendo monet, et facere quod possis : » ecce auxilium proxime sufficiens, « et petere quod non possis : » ecce remote sufficiens. Haec distinctio est apprime utilis ad solvendas plures difficultates.