ccore/rhetoric-saint-thomas-aquinas · Datasets at Hugging Face

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SIXTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 89, Art. 6]

Whether the Effect of Subsequent Penance Is to Quicken Even Dead
Works?

Objection 1: It would seem that the effect of subsequent Penance is
to quicken even dead works, those, namely, that were not done in
charity. For it seems more difficult to bring to life that which has
been deadened, since this is never done naturally, than to quicken
that which never had life, since certain living things are engendered
naturally from things without life. Now deadened works are revived by
Penance, as stated above (A. 5). Much more, therefore, are dead works
revived.

Objection 2: Further, if the cause be removed, the effect is removed. But
the cause of the lack of life in works generically good done without
charity, was the lack of charity and grace, which lack is removed by
Penance. Therefore dead works are quickened by charity.

Objection 3: Further, Jerome in commenting on Agg. i, 6: "You have sowed
much," says: "If at any time you find a sinner, among his many evil
deeds, doing that which is right, God is not so unjust as to forget
the few good deeds on account of his many evil deeds." Now this seems
to be the case chiefly when past evil deeds are removed by Penance.
Therefore it seems that through Penance, God rewards the former deeds
done in the state of sin, which implies that they are quickened.

Contrary: The Apostle says (1 Cor. 13:3): "If I should
distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my
body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."
But this would not be true, if, at least by subsequent Penance, they
were quickened. Therefore Penance does not quicken works which before
were dead.

Response: A work is said to be dead in two ways: first,
effectively, because, to wit, it is a cause of death, in which sense
sinful works are said to be dead, according to Heb. 9:14: "The blood
of Christ . . . shall cleanse our conscience from dead works." These
dead works are not quickened but removed by Penance, according to
Heb. 6:1: "Not laying again the foundation of Penance from dead
works." Secondly, works are said to be dead privatively, because, to
wit, they lack spiritual life, which is founded on charity, whereby
the soul is united to God, the result being that it is quickened as
the body by the soul: in which sense too, faith, if it lack charity,
is said to be dead, according to James 2:20: "Faith without works is
dead." In this way also, all works that are generically good, are
said to be dead, if they be done without charity, inasmuch as they
fail to proceed from the principle of life; even as we might call the
sound of a harp, a dead voice. Accordingly, the difference of life
and death in works is in relation to the principle from which they
proceed. But works cannot proceed a second time from a principle,
because they are transitory, and the same identical deed cannot be
resumed. Therefore it is impossible for dead works to be quickened by
Penance.

Reply Objection 1: In the physical order things whether dead or deadened
lack the principle of life. But works are said to be deadened, not in
relation to the principle whence they proceeded, but in relation to
an extrinsic impediment; while they are said to be dead in relation
to a principle. Consequently there is no comparison.

Reply Objection 2: Works generically good done without charity are said to
be dead on account of the lack of grace and charity, as principles.
Now the subsequent Penance does not supply that want, so as to make
them proceed from such a principle. Hence the argument does not prove.

Reply Objection 3: God remembers the good deeds a man does when in a state
of sin, not by rewarding them in eternal life, which is due only to
living works, i.e. those done from charity, but by a temporal reward:
thus Gregory declares (Hom. de Divite et Lazaro, 41 in Evang.) that
"unless that rich man had done some good deed, and had received his
reward in this world, Abraham would certainly not have said to him:
'Thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime.'" Or again, this may
mean that he will be judged less severely: wherefore Augustine says
(De Patientia xxvi): "We cannot say that it would be better for the
schismatic that by denying Christ he should suffer none of those
things which he suffered by confessing Him; but we must believe that
he will be judged with less severity, than if by denying Christ, he
had suffered none of those things. Thus the words of the Apostle, 'If
I should deliver my body to be burned and have not charity, it
profiteth me nothing,' refer to the obtaining of the kingdom of
heaven, and do not exclude the possibility of being sentenced with
less severity at the last judgment."
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QUESTION 90

OF THE PARTS OF PENANCE, IN GENERAL
(In Four Articles)

We must now consider the parts of Penance: (1) in general;
(2) each one in particular.

Under the first head there are four points of inquiry:

(1) Whether Penance has any parts?

(2) Of the number of its parts;

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SIXTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 89, Art. 6]

Whether the Effect of Subsequent Penance Is to Quicken Even Dead

Works?

Objection 1: It would seem that the effect of subsequent Penance is

to quicken even dead works, those, namely, that were not done in

charity. For it seems more difficult to bring to life that which has

been deadened, since this is never done naturally, than to quicken

that which never had life, since certain living things are engendered

naturally from things without life. Now deadened works are revived by

Penance, as stated above (A. 5). Much more, therefore, are dead works

revived.

Objection 2: Further, if the cause be removed, the effect is removed. But

the cause of the lack of life in works generically good done without

charity, was the lack of charity and grace, which lack is removed by

Penance. Therefore dead works are quickened by charity.

Objection 3: Further, Jerome in commenting on Agg. i, 6: "You have sowed

much," says: "If at any time you find a sinner, among his many evil

deeds, doing that which is right, God is not so unjust as to forget

the few good deeds on account of his many evil deeds." Now this seems

to be the case chiefly when past evil deeds are removed by Penance.

Therefore it seems that through Penance, God rewards the former deeds

done in the state of sin, which implies that they are quickened.

Contrary: The Apostle says (1 Cor. 13:3): "If I should

distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my

body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

But this would not be true, if, at least by subsequent Penance, they

were quickened. Therefore Penance does not quicken works which before

were dead.

Response: A work is said to be dead in two ways: first,

effectively, because, to wit, it is a cause of death, in which sense

sinful works are said to be dead, according to Heb. 9:14: "The blood

of Christ . . . shall cleanse our conscience from dead works." These

dead works are not quickened but removed by Penance, according to

Heb. 6:1: "Not laying again the foundation of Penance from dead

works." Secondly, works are said to be dead privatively, because, to

wit, they lack spiritual life, which is founded on charity, whereby

the soul is united to God, the result being that it is quickened as

the body by the soul: in which sense too, faith, if it lack charity,

is said to be dead, according to James 2:20: "Faith without works is

dead." In this way also, all works that are generically good, are

said to be dead, if they be done without charity, inasmuch as they

fail to proceed from the principle of life; even as we might call the

sound of a harp, a dead voice. Accordingly, the difference of life

and death in works is in relation to the principle from which they

proceed. But works cannot proceed a second time from a principle,

because they are transitory, and the same identical deed cannot be

resumed. Therefore it is impossible for dead works to be quickened by

Penance.

Reply Objection 1: In the physical order things whether dead or deadened

lack the principle of life. But works are said to be deadened, not in

relation to the principle whence they proceeded, but in relation to

an extrinsic impediment; while they are said to be dead in relation

to a principle. Consequently there is no comparison.

Reply Objection 2: Works generically good done without charity are said to

be dead on account of the lack of grace and charity, as principles.

Now the subsequent Penance does not supply that want, so as to make

them proceed from such a principle. Hence the argument does not prove.

Reply Objection 3: God remembers the good deeds a man does when in a state

of sin, not by rewarding them in eternal life, which is due only to

living works, i.e. those done from charity, but by a temporal reward:

thus Gregory declares (Hom. de Divite et Lazaro, 41 in Evang.) that

"unless that rich man had done some good deed, and had received his

reward in this world, Abraham would certainly not have said to him:

'Thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime.'" Or again, this may

mean that he will be judged less severely: wherefore Augustine says

(De Patientia xxvi): "We cannot say that it would be better for the

schismatic that by denying Christ he should suffer none of those

things which he suffered by confessing Him; but we must believe that

he will be judged with less severity, than if by denying Christ, he

had suffered none of those things. Thus the words of the Apostle, 'If

I should deliver my body to be burned and have not charity, it

profiteth me nothing,' refer to the obtaining of the kingdom of

heaven, and do not exclude the possibility of being sentenced with

less severity at the last judgment."

_______________________

QUESTION 90

OF THE PARTS OF PENANCE, IN GENERAL

(In Four Articles)

We must now consider the parts of Penance: (1) in general;

(2) each one in particular.

Under the first head there are four points of inquiry:

(1) Whether Penance has any parts?

(2) Of the number of its parts;