Whether the Infusion of Grace Is Naturally the First of the Things
Required for the Justification of the Ungodly?
Objection 1: It would seem that the infusion of grace is not what is
naturally required first for the justification of the ungodly. For we
withdraw from evil before drawing near to good, according to Ps.
33:15: "Turn away from evil, and do good." Now the remission of sins
regards the turning away from evil, and the infusion of grace regards
the turning to good. Hence the remission of sin is naturally before
the infusion of grace.
Obj. 2: Further, the disposition naturally precedes the form to which
it disposes. Now the free-will's movement is a disposition for the
reception of grace. Therefore it naturally precedes the infusion of
grace.
Obj. 3: Further, sin hinders the soul from tending freely to God. Now
a hindrance to movement must be removed before the movement takes
place. Hence the remission of sin and the free-will's movement
towards sin are naturally before the infusion of grace.
_On the contrary,_ The cause is naturally prior to its effect. Now
the infusion of grace is the cause of whatever is required for the
justification of the ungodly, as stated above (A. 7). Therefore it is
naturally prior to it.
_I answer that,_ The aforesaid four things required for the
justification of the ungodly are simultaneous in time, since the
justification of the ungodly is not successive, as stated above (A.
7); but in the order of nature, one is prior to another; and in their
natural order the first is the infusion of grace; the second, the
free-will's movement towards God; the third, the free-will's movement
towards sin; the fourth, the remission of sin.
The reason for this is that in every movement the motion of the mover
is naturally first; the disposition of the matter, or the movement of
the moved, is second; the end or term of the movement in which the
motion of the mover rests, is last. Now the motion of God the Mover
is the infusion of grace, as stated above (A. 6); the movement or
disposition of the moved is the free-will's double movement; and the
term or end of the movement is the remission of sin, as stated above
(A. 6). Hence in their natural order the first in the justification
of the ungodly is the infusion of grace; the second is the
free-will's movement towards God; the third is the free-will's
movement towards sin, for he who is being justified detests sin
because it is against God, and thus the free-will's movement towards
God naturally precedes the free-will's movement towards sin, since it
is its cause and reason; the fourth and last is the remission of sin,
to which this transmutation is ordained as to an end, as stated above
(AA. 1, 6).
Reply Obj. 1: The withdrawal from one term and approach to another
may be looked at in two ways: first, on the part of the thing moved,
and thus the withdrawal from a term naturally precedes the approach
to a term, since in the subject of movement the opposite which is put
away is prior to the opposite which the subject moved attains to by
its movement. But on the part of the agent it is the other way about,
since the agent, by the form pre-existing in it, acts for the removal
of the opposite form; as the sun by its light acts for the removal of
darkness, and hence on the part of the sun, illumination is prior to
the removal of darkness; but on the part of the atmosphere to be
illuminated, to be freed from darkness is, in the order of nature,
prior to being illuminated, although both are simultaneous in time.
And since the infusion of grace and the remission of sin regard God
Who justifies, hence in the order of nature the infusion of grace is
prior to the freeing from sin. But if we look at what is on the part
of the man justified, it is the other way about, since in the order
of nature the being freed from sin is prior to the obtaining of
justifying grace. Or it may be said that the term _whence_ of
justification is sin; and the term _whereto_ is justice; and that
grace is the cause of the forgiveness of sin and of obtaining of
justice.
Reply Obj. 2: The disposition of the subject precedes the reception
of the form, in the order of nature; yet it follows the action of the
agent, whereby the subject is disposed. And hence the free-will's
movement precedes the reception of grace in the order of nature, and
follows the infusion of grace.
Reply Obj. 3: As the Philosopher says (Phys. ii, 9), in movements of
the soul the movement toward the speculative principle or the
practical end is the very first, but in exterior movements the
removal of the impediment precedes the attainment of the end. And as
the free-will's movement is a movement of the soul, in the order of
nature it moves towards God as to its end, before removing the
impediment of sin.
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