Whether Any Good Works Are Necessary That Man May Receive Happiness
from God?
Objection 1: It would seem that no works of man are necessary that he
may obtain Happiness from God. For since God is an agent of infinite
power, He requires before acting, neither matter, nor disposition of
matter, but can forthwith produce the whole effect. But man's works,
since they are not required for Happiness, as the efficient cause
thereof, as stated above (A. 6), can be required only as
dispositions thereto. Therefore God who does not require dispositions
before acting, bestows Happiness without any previous works.
Obj. 2: Further, just as God is the immediate cause of Happiness, so
is He the immediate cause of nature. But when God first established
nature, He produced creatures without any previous disposition or
action on the part of the creature, but made each one perfect
forthwith in its species. Therefore it seems that He bestows
Happiness on man without any previous works.
Obj. 3: Further, the Apostle says (Rom. 4:6) that Happiness is of the
man "to whom God reputeth justice without works." Therefore no works
of man are necessary for attaining Happiness.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (John 13:17): "If you know these
things, you shall be blessed if you do them." Therefore Happiness is
obtained through works.
_I answer that,_ Rectitude of the will, as stated above (Q. 4, A. 4),
is necessary for Happiness; since it is nothing else than the right
order of the will to the last end; and it is therefore necessary for
obtaining the end, just as the right disposition of matter, in order
to receive the form. But this does not prove that any work of man
need precede his Happiness: for God could make a will having a right
tendency to the end, and at the same time attaining the end; just as
sometimes He disposes matter and at the same time introduces the
form. But the order of Divine wisdom demands that it should not be
thus; for as is stated in _De Coelo_ ii, 12, "of those things that
have a natural capacity for the perfect good, one has it without
movement, some by one movement, some by several." Now to possess the
perfect good without movement, belongs to that which has it
naturally: and to have Happiness naturally belongs to God alone.
Therefore it belongs to God alone not to be moved towards Happiness
by any previous operation. Now since Happiness surpasses every
created nature, no pure creature can becomingly gain Happiness,
without the movement of operation, whereby it tends thereto. But the
angel, who is above man in the natural order, obtained it, according
to the order of Divine wisdom, by one movement of a meritorious work,
as was explained in the First Part (Q. 62, A. 5); whereas man obtains
it by many movements of works which are called merits. Wherefore also
according to the Philosopher (Ethic. i, 9), happiness is the reward
of works of virtue.
Reply Obj. 1: Works are necessary to man in order to gain Happiness;
not on account of the insufficiency of the Divine power which bestows
Happiness, but that the order in things be observed.
Reply Obj. 2: God produced the first creatures so that they are
perfect forthwith, without any previous disposition or operation of
the creature; because He instituted the first individuals of the
various species, that through them nature might be propagated to
their progeny. In like manner, because Happiness was to be bestowed
on others through Christ, who is God and Man, "Who," according to
Heb. 2:10, "had brought many children into glory"; therefore, from
the very beginning of His conception, His soul was happy, without any
previous meritorious operation. But this is peculiar to Him: for
Christ's merit avails baptized children for the gaining of Happiness,
though they have no merits of their own; because by Baptism they are
made members of Christ.
Reply Obj. 3: The Apostle is speaking of the Happiness of Hope, which
is bestowed on us by sanctifying grace, which is not given on account
of previous works. For grace is not a term of movement, as Happiness
is; rather is it the principle of the movement that tends towards
Happiness.
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