Grace, Actual and Habitual: A Dogmatic TreatisePohle, Joseph
Religion
Grace, Actual and Habitual: A Dogmatic Treatise
Pohle, Joseph
Grace (Theology)
There is a fourth and last division, mentioned by the Council of Trent,
which is also based on the relation of grace to free-will. “Jesus Christ
Himself,” says the holy Synod, “continually infuses His virtue into the
justified, and this virtue always precedes, accompanies, and follows their
good works.”(85) The opposition here lies between _gratia antecedens_,
which is a spontaneous movement of the soul, and _gratia concomitans_,
which coöperates with free-will after it has given its consent. This
terminology may be applied to the good works of sinners and saints alike.
For the sinner no less than the just man receives two different kinds of
graces—(1) such as precede the free determination of the will and (2) such
as accompany his free acts.
Thus it can be readily seen that the fundamental division of actual grace,
considered in its relation to free-will, is that into prevenient and
coöperating grace. All other divisions are based on a difference of
function rather than of nature.(86)
a) The existence of prevenient grace (_gratia praeveniens s. excitans s.
vocans_) may be inferred from the fact that the process of justification
begins with the illumination of the intellect, which is by nature unfree,
_i.e._ devoid of the power of choosing between good and evil. That there
are also graces which consist in spontaneous, indeliberate motions of the
will,(87) is clearly taught by the Council of Trent,(88) and evidenced by
certain Biblical metaphors. Thus God is described as knocking at the gate
(Apoc. III, 20), as drawing men to Him (John VI, 44), and men are said to
harden their hearts against His voice (Ps. XCIV, 8), etc. Cfr. Jer. XVII,
23: “But they did not hear, nor incline their ear: but hardened their
neck, that they might not hear me, and might not receive instruction.”
The Catholic tradition is voiced by St. Augustine, who says: “The will
itself can in no wise be moved, unless it meets with something which
delights or attracts the mind; but it is not in the power of man to bring
this about.”(89) St. Prosper enumerates a long list of spontaneous
emotions which he calls supernatural graces of the will.(90)
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