Whether Grace Is Fittingly Divided into Sanctifying Grace and
Gratuitous Grace?
Objection 1: It would seem that grace is not fittingly divided into
sanctifying grace and gratuitous grace. For grace is a gift of God,
as is clear from what has been already stated (Q. 110, A. 1). But man
is not therefore pleasing to God because something is given him by
God, but rather on the contrary; since something is freely given by
God, because man is pleasing to Him. Hence there is no sanctifying
grace.
Obj. 2: Further, whatever is not given on account of preceding merits
is given gratis. Now even natural good is given to man without
preceding merit, since nature is presupposed to merit. Therefore
nature itself is given gratuitously by God. But nature is condivided
with grace. Therefore to be gratuitously given is not fittingly set
down as a difference of grace, since it is found outside the genus of
grace.
Obj. 3: Further, members of a division are mutually opposed. But even
sanctifying grace, whereby we are justified, is given to us
gratuitously, according to Rom. 3:24: "Being justified freely
(_gratis_) by His grace." Hence sanctifying grace ought not to be
divided against gratuitous grace.
_On the contrary,_ The Apostle attributes both to grace, viz. to
sanctify and to be gratuitously given. For with regard to the first
he says (Eph. 1:6): "He hath graced us in His beloved son." And with
regard to the second (Rom. 2:6): "And if by grace, it is not now by
works, otherwise grace is no more grace." Therefore grace can be
distinguished by its having one only or both.
_I answer that,_ As the Apostle says (Rom. 13:1), "those things that
are of God are well ordered [Vulg.: 'those that are, are ordained by
God]." Now the order of things consists in this, that things are led
to God by other things, as Dionysius says (Coel. Hier. iv). And hence
since grace is ordained to lead men to God, this takes place in a
certain order, so that some are led to God by others.
And thus there is a twofold grace: one whereby man himself is united
to God, and this is called "sanctifying grace"; the other is that
whereby one man cooperates with another in leading him to God, and
this gift is called "gratuitous grace," since it is bestowed on a man
beyond the capability of nature, and beyond the merit of the person.
But whereas it is bestowed on a man, not to justify him, but rather
that he may cooperate in the justification of another, it is not
called sanctifying grace. And it is of this that the Apostle says (1
Cor. 12:7): "And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every
man unto utility," i.e. of others.
Reply Obj. 1: Grace is said to make pleasing, not efficiently but
formally, i.e. because thereby a man is justified, and is made worthy
to be called pleasing to God, according to Col. 1:21: "He hath made
us worthy to be made partakers of the lot of the saints in light."
Reply Obj. 2: Grace, inasmuch as it is gratuitously given, excludes
the notion of debt. Now debt may be taken in two ways: first, as
arising from merit; and this regards the person whose it is to do
meritorious works, according to Rom. 4:4: "Now to him that worketh,
the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to
debt." The second debt regards the condition of nature. Thus we say
it is due to a man to have reason, and whatever else belongs to human
nature. Yet in neither way is debt taken to mean that God is under an
obligation to His creature, but rather that the creature ought to be
subject to God, that the Divine ordination may be fulfilled in it,
which is that a certain nature should have certain conditions or
properties, and that by doing certain works it should attain to
something further. And hence natural endowments are not a debt in the
first sense but in the second. But supernatural gifts are due in
neither sense. Hence they especially merit the name of grace.
Reply Obj. 3: Sanctifying grace adds to the notion of gratuitous
grace something pertaining to the nature of grace, since it makes man
pleasing to God. And hence gratuitous grace which does not do this
keeps the common name, as happens in many other cases; and thus the
two parts of the division are opposed as sanctifying and
non-sanctifying grace.
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