Grace

The complete theological treatise on grace by Joseph Pohle — covering actual grace, habitual grace, justification, and merit. Pohle-Preuss Dogmatic Theology, Vol. VII.

Defines actual grace through a systematic analysis of seven elements: the general notion of grace, the distinction between natural and supernatural grace, the grace of God versus the grace of Christ, external and internal grace, gratia gratum faciens versus gratia gratis data, actual versus habitual grace, and the twofold causality (moral and physical) of actual grace — arriving at Perrone's classic definition.

The capacity of mere nature without grace, Part 1: against Protestantism, Baianism, Jansenism, and Traditionalism, establishing through two theses that fallen man can know God from reason and perform some naturally good acts — while remaining incapable of any salutary act without grace.

Thesis III of Article 1: that not all acts performed by man in the state of mortal sin are sinful on account of that state — with the full Scriptural, Patristic, and theological demonstration, and treatment of the supernaturalitas of salutary acts.

The necessity of actual grace for all salutary acts: treating Pelagianism, its refutation from Scripture and Tradition, and the theological argument for the metaphysical necessity of grace for every act ordered to eternal life.

The necessity of actual grace for the states of unbelief, mortal sin, and justification — Part 1: treating Semipelagianism, the initium fidei, and three theses establishing that prevenient grace is absolutely necessary for the beginning of faith, for every salutary act of the sinner preparing for justification, and for salutary acts even in the state of sanctifying grace.

Theses IV and V of Article 3: that man in the state of sanctifying grace cannot avoid all venial sin without a special divine privilege, and that no man can persevere in righteousness without the special help of God — with the full theological demonstration from Scripture, Augustine, the Second Council of Orange, and Trent, and treatment of the grace of final perseverance.

The absolute gratuity of actual grace demonstrated through five theses treating merit, prayer, natural disposition, and the famous Scholastic axiom Facienti quod est in se Deus non denegat gratiam.

The universality of God's salvific will demonstrated through three theses: that God wills the salvation of all the faithful, of every human being without exception, and that the lot of unbaptized infants furnishes no argument against this universality.

God's will to give sufficient grace to all adult human beings: that God gives sufficient grace to the just, to ordinary sinners and the obdurate, and to the heathens — with discussion of how God provides for those to whom the Gospel has not been preached.

The predestination of the elect: its definition and dogmatic basis, theological corollaries (immutability, the Book of Life, number of the elect), the motive of predestination — absolute versus hypothetical theories — and an examination of the Thomist theory ante praevisa merita and the Molinist theory post praevisa merita.

The reprobation of the damned: definition, distinction between positive and negative reprobation; the condemnation of heretical Predestinarianism by the Second Council of Orange and Trent; three Thomist sub-theories of negative reprobation critically examined; the incompatibility of negative reprobation with the universality of God's saving will.

The Protestant Reformers and Jansenists denied the freedom of the will under efficacious grace. The Council of Trent and Tradition maintain that the will remains free even when moved by grace. The teachings of Luther, Calvin, and Jansenius are outlined and refuted from Scripture, Tradition, and the Council of Trent.

Exposition and critical estimate of the two systems that conceive efficacious grace as gratia efficax ab intrinseco sive per se: Thomism (Bañez), which explains efficacy through physical premotion (praemotio physica); and Augustinianism (Berti), which explains it through a moral predetermination founded on the delectatio coelestis victrix. Both systems are subjected to theological and philosophical criticism.

The two systems that conceive efficacious grace as efficax ab extrinseco sive per accidens: Molinism (Molina), which explains the distinction between sufficient and efficacious grace through the free consent of the will foreknown by God through the scientia media; and Congruism (Suarez, Vasquez, Lessius, Bellarmine), which adds that efficacious grace is bestowed under circumstances congruous to the recipient. Both subjected to critical estimate.

Introduction to Part II: Sanctifying Grace. Against the Protestant Reformers, who reduced justifying faith to a confident persuasion (fiducia), the Council of Trent defined justifying faith as dogmatic belief in the truths of Divine Revelation. Treats the distinction between fides explicita and fides implicita, necessitas medii and necessitas praecepti, and which dogmas must be believed explicitly for justification.

Against the Lutheran sola fides theory, the Council of Trent teaches that justification requires, besides faith, preparatory acts of the will: fear of divine justice, hope, charity, detestation of sin, and penitence. Refutes sola fides from Scripture and Tradition; surveys Lutheran controversies (Synergist, Pietist, Syncretist); explains the four ordinary stages of justification; and treats the Scholastic distinction between fides formata and fides informis.

Justification has two elements: a negative element (the real forgiveness and blotting-out of sin) and a positive element (interior sanctification through the infusion of sanctifying grace). Against the Lutheran theory of non-imputation and forensic justification, the Council of Trent defined that justification is a true inward renewal, not a mere external imputation of Christ's righteousness — and that sanctifying grace alone is the sole formal cause of justification, requiring no supplementary favor Dei externus.

Sanctifying grace is defined as an unmerited, supernatural gift imparted to the soul by the Holy Ghost, by which we are made just, children of God, and heirs of Heaven. Treats four aspects: sanctifying grace as a permanent quality of the soul, as an infused habit, the controversy regarding its alleged identity with charity, and its character as a participation of the soul in the divine nature.

The four formal effects of sanctifying grace: (1) Sanctity — making the soul just and a living member of the mystical body; (2) Supernatural Beauty — a physical reflection of God's uncreated beauty; (3) Friendship with God — fulfilling all four Aristotelian conditions of true friendship; (4) Adoptive Sonship — making man filius Dei adoptivus, with a claim to the beatific vision.

Sanctifying grace confers supernatural privileges inseparably connected with it: four theses establish that (1) the three theological virtues are infused simultaneously with grace; (2) the supernatural moral virtues are also infused; (3) the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost are likewise infused; (4) justification reaches its climax in the personal indwelling of the Holy Ghost in the soul of the just.

Sanctifying grace has three properties flowing necessarily from its nature: (1) uncertainty — no man knows with certainty of faith whether he is justified; (2) inequality — it admits of degrees and can be increased by good works; (3) amissibility — it is lost by mortal sin. The three theses correspondingly refute the Protestant teaching on the certainty, equality, and indelibility of justification.

Against the Beguins, Beghards, Luther, Calvin, and Michael de Molinos, who in various ways denied the meritoriousness of good works, the Church teaches that the good works of the justified are truly meritorious and that their merit is a meritum de condigno, based on divine justice — demonstrated from Scripture, Tradition, and Trent.

Seven requisites for true supernatural merit: four on the part of the meritorious work (morally good, free, performed with actual grace, supernaturally motivated); two on the part of the agent (wayfarer, in the state of grace); one on the part of God (His acceptance and promise). Treats controversies including whether merit requires the explicit motive of charity.

The Tridentine Council enumerates a threefold reward for merit: increase of sanctifying grace, heavenly glory, and increase of glory — all meritable de condigno. Treats the impossibility of meriting the first grace or final perseverance, and concludes with the meritum de congruo, by which the just may obtain final perseverance, conversion from sin, spiritual favors for others, and temporal blessings conducive to salvation.