Article — Prümmer, Manuale Theologiae Moralis
Article II. On the properties of infused virtues
Besides the four properties which are common to infused and acquired virtues,78 three are enumerated which are special to infused virtues, namely: 1. infused virtues are intrinsically increased together with sanctifying grace; 2. they perish together with sanctifying grace (except the virtues of faith and hope); 3. they cannot directly be diminished.
78 Cf. above n. 462.
475. 1. Infused virtues are intrinsically increased whenever sanctifying grace is increased.
It is established that sanctifying grace is increased: a) by the worthy reception of the sacraments and b) by any meritorious works de condigno. - That infused virtues truly can increase is manifestly clear from Sacred Scripture. St. Paul writes to the Romans: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope and in the power of the Holy Spirit";79 to the Corinthians: "We have come even as far as you in the Gospel of Christ, ... having hope of your increasing faith";80 to the Philippians: "This I pray, that your charity may abound more and more."81 Hence the Church itself prays: "Almighty everlasting God, give us an increase of faith, hope, and charity."82 For the rest, all theologians agree about the possibility and even about the fact of the increase of infused virtues; but they are by no means in agreement concerning the mode of that increase. Since, however, their disputes are almost of no utility and bring in no certainty, we omit them here.83 If it is already most difficult to say how plants and other natural things grow, how much more difficult will it be to assign how infused virtues, which are supernatural things, are increased.84
79 Rom. 15, 13.
80 2 Cor. 10, 14 and 15.
81 Phil. 1, 9.
82 13th Sunday after Pentecost.
83 Cf. Billuart, De caritate diss. 2.
84 Cf. S. theol. 2, 2, q. 24, a. 4 ad 3, and art. 5 ad 3.
476. 2. All infused virtues are lost (except the virtues of faith and hope) through mortal sin.
Charity perishes through mortal sin, which destroys the very foundation of charity, namely sanctifying grace, concerning which the Council of Trent defined:85 "It must be asserted that not only by infidelity, through which even faith itself is lost, but also by any other mortal sin, although faith is not lost, the grace of justification received is lost." But that, with sanctifying grace lost, the virtue of faith does not yet perish by that very fact, is certain by faith, as is clear from the same Council of Trent.86 The same holds concerning hope, since the same reason is operative for each virtue.87 Hence sinners can have true (although unformed) virtues of faith and hope, which God out of infinite mercy left in their hearts after sin had been committed. For those having faith and hope are converted to God much more easily than unbelievers, who either never had faith or lost it. Nevertheless that faith, because it is dead, by no means suffices for obtaining justification, as the Protestants wished. Hence St. Paul says: "And if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing";88 and St. James asserts: "What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man says that he has faith, but has not works? Shall faith be able to save him?"89 Therefore St. Augustine says beautifully:90 "Without charity, indeed, faith can exist, but it cannot also profit." The virtue of faith is lost through the sin of infidelity, as is clear from the Council of Trent cited above. But the reason is that through voluntary infidelity the formal object by which of faith is destroyed, as will be said more fully below, n. 494. Just as faith is lost by the sin of infidelity, so hope is lost by an act of despair. For the same reason obtains.
That infused moral virtues are lost from the loss of sanctifying grace is the common doctrine of theologians. For these virtues are as it were properties founded upon sanctifying grace. But if the foundation falls, it is necessary that also all things which are built upon it collapse.
85 Sess. 6, c. 15 de iustif. (Denz. n. 808).
86 Sess. 6, can. 28, cited above n. 464 b.
87 Cf. S. theol. 1, 2, q. 71, a. 4. Hence the following proposition of Quesnel was condemned: "Everything is lacking to the sinner when hope is lacking to him; and there is no hope in God where there is no love of God" (Denz. n. 1407).
88 1 Cor. 13, 2.
89 Jas. 2, 14.
90 De trinit. lib. 15, c. 18, n. 32 (Migne, Patr. lat. 42, 1083).
477. 3. Infused virtues cannot directly be diminished.
Thus the most common opinion, to which almost Dionysius the Carthusian alone1 seems to have contradicted. The reason is that such a diminution could not happen except either through venial sin or through cessation from acts of the virtues. For through mortal sin these virtues are not diminished, but taken away, as has been said. Moreover, infused virtues cannot be diminished a) through cessation from acts. For just as these virtues were not caused by human acts, but from divine infusion alone, so neither are they diminished through cessation from acts. Nor also b) through venial sins. For venial sin does not reach those virtues, because venial sin is only a certain disorder about the appetite of temporal good, without the intention of the ultimate end being injured thereby; but infused virtues are occupied about the supernatural ultimate end. - Moreover, if those virtues could be diminished by venial sins, then by many venial sins they would at length sometime be totally consumed, which is certainly false, since nothing except mortal sin can destroy infused virtues.2
Hence it follows that, if two men, e.g. having charity and infused virtues in degree 100, die, one of whom departs without venial sin, the other however with ten venial sins, both obtain the same degree of glory in heaven. Certainly he who passes from this world with ten venial sins must first go into purgatory, but afterward he will enjoy the same beatitude as the other existing without venial sin, because he has the same degree of charity.
Nevertheless in a certain indirect way infused virtues are diminished by venial sins, insofar as those sins heap up many and grave impediments, lest acts of virtues can easily be elicited. For from them arise disordered passions, which darken the intellect and weaken the will in the exercise of good works.3
Scholion. Concerning charity, insofar as it is the mother, queen, and form of all the virtues, and especially insofar as the whole state of perfection or religious state is founded upon perfect charity, discussion will occur below in the appendix on spiritual perfection.
1 In Suarez, De gratia l. 11, c. 8, n. 6.
2 Cf. De Rubeis, De caritate c. 31.
3 Cf. Muller, Theol. mor. I, § 119, and Chr. Pesch, Praecl. dogm. VIII, n. 93 sqq.