Whether for the Justification of the Ungodly There Is Required a
Movement of the Free-will Towards Sin?
Objection 1: It would seem that no movement of the free-will towards
sin is required for the justification of the ungodly. For charity
alone suffices to take away sin, according to Prov. 10:12: "Charity
covereth all sins." Now the object of charity is not sin. Therefore
for this justification of the ungodly no movement of the free-will
towards sin is required.
Obj. 2: Further, whoever is tending onward, ought not to look back,
according to Phil. 3:13, 14: "Forgetting the things that are behind,
and stretching forth myself to those that are before, I press towards
the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation." But whoever is
stretching forth to righteousness has his sins behind him. Hence he
ought to forget them, and not stretch forth to them by a movement of
his free-will.
Obj. 3: Further, in the justification of the ungodly one sin is not
remitted without another, for "it is irreverent to expect half a
pardon from God" [*Cap., Sunt. plures: Dist. iii, De Poenit.]. Hence,
in the justification of the ungodly, if man's free-will must move
against sin, he ought to think of all his sins. But this is unseemly,
both because a great space of time would be required for such
thought, and because a man could not obtain the forgiveness of such
sins as he had forgotten. Hence for the justification of the ungodly
no movement of the free-will is required.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Ps. 31:5): "I will confess against
myself my injustice to the Lord; and Thou hast forgiven the
wickedness of my sin."
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 1), the justification of the
ungodly is a certain movement whereby the human mind is moved by God
from the state of sin to the state of justice. Hence it is necessary
for the human mind to regard both extremes by an act of free-will, as
a body in local movement is related to both terms of the movement.
Now it is clear that in local movement the moving body leaves the
term _whence_ and nears the term _whereto._ Hence the human mind
whilst it is being justified, must, by a movement of its free-will
withdraw from sin and draw near to justice.
Now to withdraw from sin and to draw near to justice, in an act of
free-will, means detestation and desire. For Augustine says on the
words "the hireling fleeth," etc. (John 10:12): "Our emotions are the
movements of our soul; joy is the soul's outpouring; fear is the
soul's flight; your soul goes forward when you seek; your soul flees,
when you are afraid." Hence in the justification of the ungodly there
must be two acts of the free-will--one, whereby it tends to God's
justice; the other whereby it hates sin.
Reply Obj. 1: It belongs to the same virtue to seek one contrary and
to avoid the other; and hence, as it belongs to charity to love God,
so likewise, to detest sin whereby the soul is separated from God.
Reply Obj. 2: A man ought not to return to those things that are
behind, by loving them; but, for that matter, he ought to forget
them, lest he be drawn to them. Yet he ought to recall them to mind,
in order to detest them; for this is to fly from them.
Reply Obj. 3: Previous to justification a man must detest each sin he
remembers to have committed, and from this remembrance the soul goes
on to have a general movement of detestation with regard to all sins
committed, in which are included such sins as have been forgotten.
For a man is then in such a frame of mind that he would be sorry even
for those he does not remember, if they were present to his memory;
and this movement cooperates in his justification.
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