Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 105 (1/2)
Reply Obj. 3: If a spiritual thing exist perfectly in something, it contains it and is not contained by it. But, in a sacrament, grace has a pa.s.sing and incomplete mode of being: and consequently it is not unfitting to say that the sacraments contain grace.
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FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 62, Art. 4]
Whether There Be in the Sacraments a Power of Causing Grace?
Objection 1: It seems that there is not in the sacraments a power of causing grace. For the power of causing grace is a spiritual power.
But a spiritual power cannot be in a body; neither as proper to it, because power flows from a thing's essence and consequently cannot transcend it; nor as derived from something else, because that which is received into anything follows the mode of the recipient.
Therefore in the sacraments there is no power of causing grace.
Obj. 2: Further, whatever exists is reducible to some kind of being and some degree of good. But there is no a.s.signable kind of being to which such a power can belong; as anyone may see by running through them all. Nor is it reducible to some degree of good; for neither is it one of the goods of least account, since sacraments are necessary for salvation: nor is it an intermediate good, such as are the powers of the soul, which are natural powers; nor is it one of the greater goods, for it is neither grace nor a virtue of the mind. Therefore it seems that in the sacraments there is no power of causing grace.
Obj. 3: Further, if there be such a power in the sacraments, its presence there must be due to nothing less than a creative act of G.o.d. But it seems unbecoming that so excellent a being created by G.o.d should cease to exist as soon as the sacrament is complete. Therefore it seems that in the sacraments there is no power for causing grace.
Obj. 4: Further, the same thing cannot be in several. But several things concur in the completion of a sacrament, namely, words and things: while in one sacrament there can be but one power. Therefore it seems that there is no power of causing grace in the sacraments.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (Tract. lx.x.x in Joan.): ”Whence hath water so great power, that it touches the body and cleanses the heart?” And Bede says that ”Our Lord conferred a power of regeneration on the waters by the contact of His most pure body.”
_I answer that,_ Those who hold that the sacraments do not cause grace save by a certain coincidence, deny the sacraments any power that is itself productive of the sacramental effect, and hold that the Divine power a.s.sists the sacraments and produces their effect.
But if we hold that a sacrament is an instrumental cause of grace, we must needs allow that there is in the sacraments a certain instrumental power of bringing about the sacramental effects. Now such power is proportionate to the instrument: and consequently it stands in comparison to the complete and perfect power of anything, as the instrument to the princ.i.p.al agent. For an instrument, as stated above (A. 1), does not work save as moved by the princ.i.p.al agent, which works of itself. And therefore the power of the princ.i.p.al agent exists in nature completely and perfectly: whereas the instrumental power has a being that pa.s.ses from one thing into another, and is incomplete; just as motion is an imperfect act pa.s.sing from agent to patient.
Reply Obj. 1: A spiritual power cannot be in a corporeal subject, after the manner of a permanent and complete power, as the argument proves. But there is nothing to hinder an instrumental spiritual power from being in a body; in so far as a body can be moved by a particular spiritual substance so as to produce a particular spiritual effect; thus in the very voice which is perceived by the senses there is a certain spiritual power, inasmuch as it proceeds from a mental concept, of arousing the mind of the hearer. It is in this way that a spiritual power is in the sacraments, inasmuch as they are ordained by G.o.d unto the production of a spiritual effect.
Reply Obj. 2: Just as motion, through being an imperfect act, is not properly in a genus, but is reducible to a genus of perfect act, for instance, alteration to the genus of quality: so, instrumental power, properly speaking, is not in any genus, but is reducible to a genus and species of perfect act.
Reply Obj. 3: Just as an instrumental power accrues to an instrument through its being moved by the princ.i.p.al agent, so does a sacrament receive spiritual power from Christ's blessing and from the action of the minister in applying it to a sacramental use. Hence Augustine says in a sermon on the Epiphany (St. Maximus of Turin, Serm. xii): ”Nor should you marvel, if we say that water, a corporeal substance, achieves the cleansing of the soul. It does indeed, and penetrates every secret hiding-place of the conscience. For subtle and clear as it is, the blessing of Christ makes it yet more subtle, so that it permeates into the very principles of life and searches the innermost recesses of the heart.”
Reply Obj. 4: Just as the one same power of the princ.i.p.al agent is instrumentally in all the instruments that are ordained unto the production of an effect, forasmuch as they are one as being so ordained: so also the one same sacramental power is in both words and things, forasmuch as words and things combine to form one sacrament.
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FIFTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 62, Art. 5]
Whether the Sacraments of the New Law Derive Their Power from Christ's Pa.s.sion?
Objection 1: It seems that the sacraments of the New Law do not derive their power from Christ's Pa.s.sion. For the power of the sacraments is in the causing of grace which is the principle of spiritual life in the soul. But as Augustine says (Tract. xix in Joan.): ”The Word, as He was in the beginning with G.o.d, quickens souls; as He was made flesh, quickens bodies.” Since, therefore, Christ's Pa.s.sion pertains to the Word as made flesh, it seems that it cannot cause the power of the sacraments.
Obj. 2: Further, the power of the sacraments seems to depend on faith. for as Augustine says (Tract. lx.x.x in Joan.), the Divine Word perfects the sacrament ”not because it is spoken, but because it is believed.” But our faith regards not only Christ's Pa.s.sion, but also the other mysteries of His humanity, and in a yet higher measure, His G.o.dhead. Therefore it seems that the power of the sacraments is not due specially to Christ's Pa.s.sion.
Obj. 3: Further, the sacraments are ordained unto man's justification, according to 1 Cor. 6:11: ”You are washed ... you are justified.” Now justification is ascribed to the Resurrection, according to Rom. 4:25: ”(Who) rose again for our justification.”
Therefore it seems that the sacraments derive their power from Christ's Resurrection rather than from His Pa.s.sion.
_On the contrary,_ on Rom. 5:14: ”After the similitude of the transgression of Adam,” etc., the gloss says: ”From the side of Christ asleep on the Cross flowed the sacraments which brought salvation to the Church.” Consequently, it seems that the sacraments derive their power from Christ's Pa.s.sion.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 1) a sacrament in causing grace works after the manner of an instrument. Now an instrument is twofold; the one, separate, as a stick, for instance; the other, united, as a hand. Moreover, the separate instrument is moved by means of the united instrument, as a stick by the hand. Now the princ.i.p.al efficient cause of grace is G.o.d Himself, in comparison with Whom Christ's humanity is as a united instrument, whereas the sacrament is as a separate instrument. Consequently, the saving power must needs be derived by the sacraments from Christ's G.o.dhead through His humanity.
Now sacramental grace seems to be ordained princ.i.p.ally to two things: namely, to take away the defects consequent on past sins, in so far as they are transitory in act, but endure in guilt; and, further, to perfect the soul in things pertaining to Divine Wors.h.i.+p in regard to the Christian Religion. But it is manifest from what has been stated above (Q. 48, AA. 1, 2, 6; Q. 49, AA. 1, 3) that Christ delivered us from our sins princ.i.p.ally through His Pa.s.sion, not only by way of efficiency and merit, but also by way of satisfaction. Likewise by His Pa.s.sion He inaugurated the Rites of the Christian Religion by offering ”Himself--an oblation and a sacrifice to G.o.d” (Eph. 5:2).
Wherefore it is manifest that the sacraments of the Church derive their power specially from Christ's Pa.s.sion, the virtue of which is in a manner united to us by our receiving the sacraments. It was in sign of this that from the side of Christ hanging on the Cross there flowed water and blood, the former of which belongs to Baptism, the latter to the Eucharist, which are the princ.i.p.al sacraments.
Reply Obj. 1: The Word, forasmuch as He was in the beginning with G.o.d, quickens souls as princ.i.p.al agent; but His flesh, and the mysteries accomplished therein, are as instrumental causes in the process of giving life to the soul: while in giving life to the body they act not only as instrumental causes, but also to a certain extent as exemplars, as we stated above (Q. 56, A. 1, ad 3).