Whether God Alone, or the Minister Also, Works Inwardly Unto the
Sacramental Effect?
Objection 1: It seems that not God alone, but also the minister,
works inwardly unto the sacramental effect. For the inward
sacramental effect is to cleanse man from sin and enlighten him by
grace. But it belongs to the ministers of the Church "to cleanse,
enlighten and perfect," as Dionysius explains (Coel. Hier. v).
Therefore it seems that the sacramental effect is the work not only
of God, but also of the ministers of the Church.
Obj. 2: Further, certain prayers are offered up in conferring the
sacraments. But the prayers of the righteous are more acceptable to
God than those of any other, according to John 9:31: "If a man be a
server of God, and doth His will, him He heareth." Therefore it stems
that a man obtains a greater sacramental effect if he receive it from
a good minister. Consequently, the interior effect is partly the work
of the minister and not of God alone.
Obj. 3: Further, man is of greater account than an inanimate thing.
But an inanimate thing contributes something to the interior effect:
since "water touches the body and cleanses the soul," as Augustine
says (Tract. lxxx in Joan.). Therefore the interior sacramental
effect is partly the work of man and not of God alone.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Rom. 8:33): "God that justifieth."
Since, then, the inward effect of all the sacraments is
justification, it seems that God alone works the interior sacramental
effect.
_I answer that,_ There are two ways of producing an effect; first, as
a principal agent; secondly, as an instrument. In the former way the
interior sacramental effect is the work of God alone: first, because
God alone can enter the soul wherein the sacramental effect takes
place; and no agent can operate immediately where it is not:
secondly, because grace which is an interior sacramental effect is
from God alone, as we have established in the Second Part (I-II, Q.
112, A. 1); while the character which is the interior effect of
certain sacraments, is an instrumental power which flows from the
principal agent, which is God. In the second way, however, the
interior sacramental effect can be the work of man, in so far as he
works as a minister. For a minister is of the nature of an
instrument, since the action of both is applied to something
extrinsic, while the interior effect is produced through the power of
the principal agent, which is God.
Reply Obj. 1: Cleansing in so far as it is attributed to the
ministers of the Church is not a washing from sin: deacons are said
to "cleanse," inasmuch as they remove the unclean from the body of
the faithful, or prepare them by their pious admonitions for the
reception of the sacraments. In like manner also priests are said to
"enlighten" God's people, not indeed by giving them grace, but by
conferring on them the sacraments of grace; as Dionysius explains
(Coel. Hier. v).
Reply Obj. 2: The prayers which are said in giving the sacraments,
are offered to God, not on the part of the individual, but on the
part of the whole Church, whose prayers are acceptable to God,
according to Matt. 18:19: "If two of you shall consent upon earth,
concerning anything whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to
them by My Father." Nor is there any reason why the devotion of a
just man should not contribute to this effect. But that which is the
sacramental effect is not impetrated by the prayer of the Church or
of the minister, but through the merit of Christ's Passion, the power
of which operates in the sacraments, as stated above (Q. 62, A. 5).
Wherefore the sacramental effect is made no better by a better
minister. And yet something in addition may be impetrated for the
receiver of the sacrament through the devotion of the minister: but
this is not the work of the minister, but the work of God Who hears
the minister's prayer.
Reply Obj. 3: Inanimate things do not produce the sacramental effect,
except instrumentally, as stated above. In like manner neither do men
produce the sacramental effect, except ministerially, as also stated
above.
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