Whether a Man Can Merit the First Grace for Another?
Objection 1: It would seem that a man can merit the first grace for
another. Because on Matt. 9:2: "Jesus seeing their faith," etc. a
gloss says: "How much is our personal faith worth with God, Who set
such a price on another's faith, as to heal the man both inwardly and
outwardly!" Now inward healing is brought about by grace. Hence a man
can merit the first grace for another.
Obj. 2: Further, the prayers of the just are not void, but
efficacious, according to James 5:16: "The continued prayer of a just
man availeth much." Now he had previously said: "Pray one for
another, that you may be saved." Hence, since man's salvation can
only be brought about by grace, it seems that one man may merit for
another his first grace.
Obj. 3: Further, it is written (Luke 16:9): "Make unto you friends of
the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail they may receive you
into everlasting dwellings." Now it is through grace alone that
anyone is received into everlasting dwellings, for by it alone does
anyone merit everlasting life as stated above (A. 2; Q. 109, A. 5).
Hence one man may by merit obtain for another his first grace.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Jer. 15:1): "If Moses and Samuel
shall stand before Me, My soul is not towards this people"--yet they
had great merit with God. Hence it seems that no one can merit the
first grace for another.
_I answer that,_ As shown above (AA. 1, 3, 4), our works are
meritorious from two causes: first, by virtue of the Divine motion;
and thus we merit condignly; secondly, according as they proceed from
free-will in so far as we do them willingly, and thus they have
congruous merit, since it is congruous that when a man makes good use
of his power God should by His super-excellent power work still
higher things. And therefore it is clear that no one can merit
condignly for another his first grace, save Christ alone; since each
one of us is moved by God to reach life everlasting through the gift
of grace; hence condign merit does not reach beyond this motion. But
Christ's soul is moved by God through grace, not only so as to reach
the glory of life everlasting, but so as to lead others to it,
inasmuch as He is the Head of the Church, and the Author of human
salvation, according to Heb. 2:10: "Who hath brought many children
into glory [to perfect] the Author of their salvation."
But one may merit the first grace for another congruously; because a
man in grace fulfils God's will, and it is congruous and in harmony
with friendship that God should fulfil man's desire for the salvation
of another, although sometimes there may be an impediment on the part
of him whose salvation the just man desires. And it is in this sense
that the passage from Jeremias speaks.
Reply Obj. 1: A man's faith avails for another's salvation by
congruous and not by condign merit.
Reply Obj. 2: The impetration of prayer rests on mercy, whereas
condign merit rests on justice; hence a man may impetrate many things
from the Divine mercy in prayer, which he does not merit in justice,
according to Dan. 9:18: "For it is not for our justifications that we
present our prayers before Thy face, but for the multitude of Thy
tender mercies."
Reply Obj. 3: The poor who receive alms are said to receive others
into everlasting dwellings, either by impetrating their forgiveness
in prayer, or by meriting congruously by other good works, or
materially speaking, inasmuch as by these good works of mercy,
exercised towards the poor, we merit to be received into everlasting
dwellings.
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