Summa summae S. Thomae, Tomus II

I say : The remission of sins, which is the justification of the sinner, does not take place by extrinsic imputation of the justice by which God is just, or of the justice of Christ, but by true and intrinsic justice, or the infusion of habitual grace¹. It is matter of faith again decided against the Lutherans and Calvinists in concil. Trid., session VI, canon 11.

[There it is read: « If anyone shall say that men are justified either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of grace and charity which is poured forth in their hearts through the Holy Spirit and inheres in them, or even that the grace by which we are justified is only the favor of God ; let him be anathema. »]

It is proved 1° from the Scriptures of the preceding art., prob. 2ª, cited above, in which the sinner is said to be washed, cleansed, renewed, sanctified; for no one can be washed, cleansed, renewed, sanctified, except by something intrinsic whereby he be denominated and be such.

2° Scripture frequently says we have in us grace, charity and justice whereby we are just. Joann., I, 16 : Of his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace. Rom., I, 5 : By whom we have received grace. Ephes., IV, 7 : To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the giving of Christ. Rom., V, 5 : The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to us.

3° The justification of the sinner is an effect of the love of God². But love is not only affective but effective, making the beloved object intrinsically pleasing and just, as we proved above dissert. IV, a. 1.

4° The formal cause is distinguished from the efficient. But the justice of Christ is the efficient cause of our justice. Therefore it is not its formal cause.

It is confirmed. Our justice now grows, now diminishes. But the justice of God and Christ is always equal. Therefore.

They object here Scripture passages attributing to us the justice of Christ. Rom., V, 19 : By the obedience of one many are constituted just. And again, 18 : By the justice of one, unto all men unto justification of life. I Cor., I, 30, Christ is said to be made our justice and sanctification.

I answer. these things and similar ones are not to be understood in the formal sense, but causal, inasmuch as Christ is the efficient and meritorious cause of our justification; in which sense he is called our wisdom in the same place; Joann., XI, 25, the resurrection and the life. And Deuter., XXX, 20, he is called the life of men and the length of days.

[You will ask whether, by the absolute power of God, sin and grace can be together in the same subject.

I answer. Sin, both actual and habitual, and grace cannot be together in the same subject, even by the absolute power of God.

It is proved. Sanctifying grace, from its essence and reason, is justice, holiness and rectitude, whose primary and formal effect is to make him to whom it is given just, holy and right. Sin on the contrary, from its essential reason, is iniquity, uncleanness, recession from rectitude and from subjection toward divine law. But there cannot stand, even by the absolute power of God, justice with injustice, holiness with iniquity and uncleanness, rectitude with recession from rectitude. Therefore grace and sin cannot be together in the same subject.

It is confirmed. Contrary formal effects cannot be together in the same subject, because they are incompossible. But the effects of sanctifying grace and the effect of sin are contrary, and therefore incompossible. Therefore.

Note for the solution of objections. Sin does not expel grace physically, in this sense that by a positive form it destroys grace by acting physically upon it. But it expels it physically, that is, from its nature, by withdrawing from it the subject and introducing a form or disposition incompossible with grace. For iniquity, the casting off of the friendship of God, recession from God, death of the soul, etc., physically, that is from their nature, expel justice, holiness, friendship of God, life of the soul.]