Article — Billuart, Summa Summae · from Schola Thomistica
Whether for the remission of sin, which is the justification of the ungodly, an infusion of grace is required?
I say : The remission of sins, which is the justification of the sinner, does not take place by extrinsic imputation of the justice by which God is just, or of the justice of Christ, but by true and intrinsic justice, or the infusion of habitual grace1. It is matter of faith again decided against the Lutherans and Calvinists in concil. Trid., session VI, canon 11. 1 Here q. 113, a. 2, c.
Dico : Remissio peccatorum, qua est justificatio peccatoris, non fit per imputationem extrinsecam justitiae qua Deus justus est, aut justitiae Christi, sed per veram et intrinsecam justitiam, seu gratiae habitualis infusionem1. Est de fide iterum contra Lutheranos et Calvinistas decisa in concil. Trid., sess. VI, can. 11. 1 Hic q. 113, a. 2, c.
[There it is read: « If anyone shall say that men are justified either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of grace and charity which is poured forth in their hearts through the Holy Spirit and inheres in them, or even that the grace by which we are justified is only the favor of God ; let him be anathema. »]
[Ibi legitur : « Si quis dixerit homines justificari vel sola imputatione justitiae Christi, vel sola peccatorum remissione, exclusa gratia et charitate quae in cordibus eorum per Spiritum sanctum diffundatur atque illis inhaereat, aut etiam gratiam qua justificamur esse tantum favorem Dei ; anathema sit. »]
It is proved 1° from the Scriptures of the preceding art., prob. 2ª, cited above, in which the sinner is said to be washed, cleansed, renewed, sanctified; for no one can be washed, cleansed, renewed, sanctified, except by something intrinsic whereby he be denominated and be such.
Probatur 1° ex Scripturis art. praecedenti, prob. 2ª, laudatis, quibus peccator dicitur lavari, purgari, renovari, sanctificari ; nemo enim potest esse lotus, purgatus, renovatus, sanctificatus, nisi per aliquid intrinsecum quo denominetur et sit talis.
2° Scripture frequently says we have in us grace, charity and justice whereby we are just. Joann., I, 16 : Of his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace. Rom., I, 5 : By whom we have received grace. Ephes., IV, 7 : To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the giving of Christ. Rom., V, 5 : The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to us.
2° Scriptura frequenter dicit nos habere in nobis gra tiam, charitatem et justitiam qua justi sumus. Joann., I, 16 : De plenitudine ejus nos omnes accepimus, et gratiam pro gratia. Rom., I, 5 : Per quem accepimus gratiam. Ephes., IV, 7 : Unicuique nostrum data est gratia secundum mensuram donationis Christi. Rom., V, 5 : Charitas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum sanctum, qui datus est nobis.
3° The justification of the sinner is an effect of the love of God1. But love is not only affective but effective, making the beloved object intrinsically pleasing and just, as we proved above dissert. IV, a. 1. 1 Ibid.
3° Justificatio peccatoris est effectus dilectionis Dei1. Atqui dilectio non est affectiva tantum, sed effectiva, efficiens objectum dilectum intrinsece gratum et justum, ut probavimus supra dissert. IV, a. 1. 1 Ibid.
4° The formal cause is distinguished from the efficient. But the justice of Christ is the efficient cause of our justice. Therefore it is not its formal cause.
4° Causa formalis distinguitur ab efficiente. Atqui justitia Christi est causa efficiens nostrae justitiae. Ergo non est ejus causa formalis.
It is confirmed. Our justice now grows, now diminishes. But the justice of God and Christ is always equal. Therefore.
Confirmatur. Nostra justitia modo crescit, modo minuitur. Atqui justitia Dei et Christi est semper aequalis. Ergo.
They object here Scripture passages attributing to us the justice of Christ. Rom., V, 19 : By the obedience of one many are constituted just. And again, 18 : By the justice of one, unto all men unto justification of life. I Cor., I, 30, Christ is said to be made our justice and sanctification.
Objiciunt hic Scriptura loca tribuentia nobis justitiam Christi. Rom., V, 19 : Per unius obedientiam justi constituuntur multi. Et iterum, 18 : Per unius justitiam, in omnes homines in justificationem vitae. I Cor., I, 30, Christus dicitur factus justitia et sanctificatio nostra.
I answer. these things and similar ones are not to be understood in the formal sense, but causal, inasmuch as Christ is the efficient and meritorious cause of our justification; in which sense he is called our wisdom in the same place; Joann., XI, 25, the resurrection and the life. And Deuter., XXX, 20, he is called the life of men and the length of days.
Resp. haec et similia non intelligenda esse in sensu formali, sed causali, quatenus Christus est causa efficiens et meritoria justificationis nostrae ; quo sensu ibid. dicitur sapientia nostra ; Joann., XI, 25, resurrectio et vita. Et Deuter., XXX, 20, dicitur vita hominum et longitudo dierum.
[You will ask whether, by the absolute power of God, sin and grace can be together in the same subject.
[Petes utrum, de potentia Dei absoluta, peccatum et gratia possint esse simul in eodem subjecto.
I answer. Sin, both actual and habitual, and grace cannot be together in the same subject, even by the absolute power of God.
Resp. Peccatum, tam actuale quam habituale, et gratia non possunt, etiam de potentia Dei absoluta, esse simul in eodem subjecto.
It is proved. Sanctifying grace, from its essence and reason, is justice, holiness and rectitude, whose primary and formal effect is to make him to whom it is given just, holy and right. Sin on the contrary, from its essential reason, is iniquity, uncleanness, recession from rectitude and from subjection toward divine law. But there cannot stand, even by the absolute power of God, justice with injustice, holiness with iniquity and uncleanness, rectitude with recession from rectitude. Therefore grace and sin cannot be together in the same subject.
Probatur. Gratia sanctificans, ex sua essentia et ratione, est justitia, sanctitas et rectitudo, cujus primarius et formalis effectus est efficere eum cui datur justum, sanctum et rectum. Peccatum e contra, ex essentiali sua ratione est iniquitas, immunditia, recessus a rectitudine et a subjectione erga legem divinam. Atqui stare non potest, etiam de potentia Dei absoluta, justitia cum injustitia, sanctitas cum iniquitate et immunditia, rectitudo cum recessu a rectitudine. Ergo gratia et peccatum non possunt esse simul in eodem subjecto.
It is confirmed. Contrary formal effects cannot be together in the same subject, because they are incompossible. But the effects of sanctifying grace and the effect of sin are contrary, and therefore incompossible. Therefore.
Confirmatur. Effectus formales contrarii non possunt esse simul in eodem subjecto, quia sunt incompossibiles. Atqui effectus gratiae sanctificantis et effectus peccati sunt contrarii, et ideo incompossibiles. Ergo.
Note for the solution of objections. Sin does not expel grace physically, in this sense that by a positive form it destroys grace by acting physically upon it. But it expels it physically, that is, from its nature, by withdrawing from it the subject and introducing a form or disposition incompossible with grace. For iniquity, the casting off of the friendship of God, recession from God, death of the soul, etc., physically, that is from their nature, expel justice, holiness, friendship of God, life of the soul.]
Nota pro solutione objectionum. Peccatum non expellit gratiam physice, hoc sensu quod per formam positivam destruat gratiam agendo physice in illam. Expellit autem eam physice, id est, ex natura sua, subtrahendo ei subjectum et introducendo formam seu dispositionem incompossibilem cum gratia. Iniquitas enim, abjectio amicitiae Dei, recessus a Deo, mors animae, etc., physice, hoc est ex natura sua, expellunt justitiam, sanctitatem, amicitiam Dei, vitam animae.]