Part I (Prima Pars) Part 95 (1/2)
Reply Obj. 2: Every form inclines the subject after the mode of the subject's nature. Now it is the mode of an intellectual nature to be inclined freely towards the objects it desires. Consequently the movement of grace does not impose necessity; but he who has grace can fail to make use of it, and can sin.
Reply Obj. 3: Although in the order of nature grace comes midway between nature and glory, nevertheless, in the order of time, in created nature, glory is not simultaneous with nature; because glory is the end of the operation of nature helped by grace. But grace stands not as the end of operation, because it is not of works, but as the principle of right operation. Therefore it was fitting for grace to be given straightway with nature.
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FOURTH ARTICLE [I, Q. 62, Art. 4]
Whether an Angel Merits His Beat.i.tude?
Objection 1: It would seem that the angel did not merit his beat.i.tude.
For merit arises from the difficulty of the meritorious act. But the angel experienced no difficulty in acting rightly. Therefore righteous action was not meritorious for him.
Obj. 2: Further, we do not merit by merely natural operations. But it was quite natural for the angel to turn to G.o.d. Therefore he did not thereby merit beat.i.tude.
Obj. 3: Further, if a beatified angel merited his beat.i.tude, he did so either before he had it, or else afterwards. But it was not before; because, in the opinion of many, he had no grace before whereby to merit it. Nor did he merit it afterwards, because thus he would be meriting it now; which is clearly false, because in that case a lower angel could by meriting rise up to the rank of a higher, and the distinct degrees of grace would not be permanent; which is not admissible. Consequently the angel did not merit his beat.i.tude.
_On the contrary,_ It is stated (Apoc. 21:17) that the ”measure of the angel” in that heavenly Jerusalem is ”the measure of a man.”
Therefore the same is the case with the angel.
_I answer that,_ Perfect beat.i.tude is natural only to G.o.d, because existence and beat.i.tude are one and the same thing in Him. Beat.i.tude, however, is not of the nature of the creature, but is its end. Now everything attains its last end by its operation. Such operation leading to the end is either productive of the end, when such end is not beyond the power of the agent working for the end, as the healing art is productive of health; or else it is deserving of the end, when such end is beyond the capacity of the agent striving to attain it; wherefore it is looked for from another's bestowing. Now it is evident from what has gone before (AA. 1, 2; Q. 12, AA. 4, 5), ultimate beat.i.tude exceeds both the angelic and the human nature. It remains, then, that both man and angel merited their beat.i.tude.
And if the angel was created in grace, without which there is no merit, there would be no difficulty in saying that he merited beat.i.tude: as also, if one were to say that he had grace in any way before he had glory.
But if he had no grace before entering upon beat.i.tude, it would then have to be said that he had beat.i.tude without merit, even as we have grace. This, however, is quite foreign to the idea of beat.i.tude; which conveys the notion of an end, and is the reward of virtue, as even the Philosopher says (Ethic. i, 9). Or else it will have to be said, as some others have maintained, that the angels merit beat.i.tude by their present ministrations, while in beat.i.tude. This is quite contrary, again, to the notion of merit: since merit conveys the idea of a means to an end; while what is already in its end cannot, properly speaking, be moved towards such end; and so no one merits to produce what he already enjoys. Or else it will have to be said that one and the same act of turning to G.o.d, so far as it comes of free-will, is meritorious; and so far as it attains the end, is the fruition of beat.i.tude. Even this view will not stand, because free-will is not the sufficient cause of merit; and, consequently, an act cannot be meritorious as coming from free-will, except in so far as it is informed by grace; but it cannot at the same time be informed by imperfect grace, which is the principle of meriting, and by perfect grace, which is the principle of enjoying. Hence it does not appear to be possible for anyone to enjoy beat.i.tude, and at the same time to merit it.
Consequently it is better to say that the angel had grace ere he was admitted to beat.i.tude, and that by such grace he merited beat.i.tude.
Reply Obj. 1: The angel's difficulty of working righteously does not come from any contrariety or hindrance of natural powers; but from the fact that the good work is beyond his natural capacity.
Reply Obj. 2: An angel did not merit beat.i.tude by natural movement towards G.o.d; but by the movement of charity, which comes of grace.
The answer to the Third Objection is evident from what we have said.
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FIFTH ARTICLE [I, Q. 62, Art. 5]
Whether the Angel Obtained Beat.i.tude Immediately After One Act of Merit?
Objection 1: It would seem that the angel did not possess beat.i.tude instantly after one act of merit. For it is more difficult for a man to do well than for an angel. But man is not rewarded at once after one act of merit. Therefore neither was the angel.
Obj. 2: Further, an angel could act at once, and in an instant, from the very outset of his creation, for even natural bodies begin to be moved in the very instant of their creation; and if the movement of a body could be instantaneous, like operations of mind and will, it would have movement in the first instant of its generation.
Consequently, if the angel merited beat.i.tude by one act of his will, he merited it in the first instant of his creation; and so, if their beat.i.tude was not r.e.t.a.r.ded, then the angels were in beat.i.tude in the first instant.
Obj. 3: Further, there must be many intervals between things which are far apart. But the beatific state of the angels is very far remote from their natural condition: while merit comes midway between. Therefore the angel would have to pa.s.s through many stages of merit in order to reach beat.i.tude.
_On the contrary,_ Man's soul and an angel are ordained alike for beat.i.tude: consequently equality with angels is promised to the saints. Now the soul separated from the body, if it has merit deserving beat.i.tude, enters at once into beat.i.tude, unless there be some obstacle. Therefore so does an angel. Now an angel instantly, in his first act of charity, had the merit of beat.i.tude. Therefore, since there was no obstacle within him, he pa.s.sed at once into beat.i.tude by only one meritorious act.
_I answer that,_ The angel was beatified instantly after the first act of charity, whereby he merited beat.i.tude. The reason whereof is because grace perfects nature according to the manner of the nature; as every perfection is received in the subject capable of perfection, according to its mode. Now it is proper to the angelic nature to receive its natural perfection not by pa.s.sing from one stage to another; but to have it at once naturally, as was shown above (A. 1; Q. 58, AA. 3, 4). But as the angel is of his nature inclined to natural perfection, so is he by merit inclined to glory. Hence instantly after merit the angel secured beat.i.tude. Now the merit of beat.i.tude in angel and man alike can be from merely one act; because man merits beat.i.tude by every act informed by charity. Hence it remains that an angel was beatified straightway after one act of charity.
Reply Obj. 1: Man was not intended to secure his ultimate perfection at once, like the angel. Hence a longer way was a.s.signed to man than to the angel for securing beat.i.tude.