Tractatus de Gratia Divina Actuali
Domenico Palmieri (1829–1909)
First published 1885
Dominicus Palmieri, S.J.'s Tractatus de gratia divina actuali (Gulpen, 1885) is a systematic Roman-school treatise on actual grace. After defining grace and its divisions, Palmieri examines its effects, necessity for fallen humanity, gratuitous character, efficacy, distribution, and relation to predestination, engaging Augustine, the Fathers, councils, Jansenism, and the scholastic disputes over physical predetermination. The sixty-two-thesis format exemplifies late nineteenth-century neo-scholastic dogmatic method: historical authorities are gathered into tightly argued theological conclusions. Schola presents the Latin work from the 1885 edition.
Prolegomenon I: Prolegomenon. De notione et partitionibus praecipuis gratiae divinae
Thesis I: Gratia, prout dicitur de bono aliquo alteri collato, definitur: beneficium ex benevolentia collatum citra exigentiam eius, cui confertur: ad quam definitionem redit illa communis Scholasticorum: donum gratis datum.
Thesis II: Gratia creata tum in donum naturale tum in donum supernaturale dispesci potest: supernaturale tamen donum potiore iure et magis proprie gratia dicitur; ita ut ea dona in ipsa ratione gratiae specifice differant.
Thesis III: Ratione habita tum status sive integritatis sive lapsus creaturae rationalis, tum principii meritori, quod proprium est alterius status, gratia supernaturalis distinguitur in gratiam Dei et gratiam Christi.
Thesis IV: Gratia supernaturalis alia est externa, alia interna.
Thesis V: Rursus gratia supernaturalis dividi debet in gratiam gratis datam, et gratiam gratum facientem, quae potior est illâ.
Thesis VI: Gratia gratum faciens alia est in habitu sita et permanens, alia actualis et transiens.
Caput I: De Gratiae actualis natura
Articulus I: De iis, quibus gratiae actualis ratio competit
Thesis I: Ad gratias actuales spectant mentis illustrationes tum quae tantum ab extrinseco excitantur in nobis, tum potissimum quas operatur quoque immediate Spiritus in mente nostra.
Thesis II: Ad gratiam actualem spectant quoque inspirationes voluntatis tum mediatae tum immediatae atque inspirationes immediatae inter gratias actuales enumeratas principem obtinent locum.
Thesis III: Gratiae actuales illustrationis et inspirationis continentur certe actibus vitalibus intellectus et voluntatis.
Thesis IV: Actus vitales, quibus continetur gratia actualis illustrationis et inspirationis, quae principium est deliberati actus et operis boni, sunt primo quidem actus indeliberati utriusque facultatis tum vero etiam actus deliberati.
Thesis V: Ex quo corollarii instar consequitur inter auxilia, quibus voluntas adiuvatur, aliqua exsistere, quae sint per se efficacia.
Thesis VI: Ratio gratiae actualis extendi potest etiam ad actus indeliberatos sensus et appetitus sensitivi.
Thesis VII: Ratio gratiae actualis ad universam quoque providentiam externam tum positivam tum negativam, qua ad opera salutaria et ad beatitudinem homines promoventur, extendi debet. 1.
External providence is said to be that which disposes those things which are around us or around our soul, effecting nothing in it really. Of this there are several effects. Of those effects which immediately and of themselves look to this, that our intellect be illuminated and the will be excited to act rightly, of which sort are the preaching of the word, the examples of Christ, etc., we have already spoken when we treated of the grace of illumination. But there are also other effects which, although in themselves indifferent, nevertheless by the disposition of divine benevolence and with the circumstances in which man finds himself considered, can conduce to promoting his supernatural good, of which sort are, e. g., either fortunate events or calamities themselves, association with certain persons, having been born among Catholics, infirmities, premature death, the removal of occasions of sin, and the like. From these things it is clear that this providence can be distinguished by reason of its term into positive, insofar as it does something, and into negative, insofar as it removes something. It is to be supposed that all these things which happen to us are ruled by divine Providence, and that it loves us and ordains us to the last end.
II. Now indeed it cannot be denied that this external providence, which works so much and so manifoldly around us, is a certain actual grace. It is grace, for these are benefits proceeding from the love of God which, considered individually, are not owed to the individuals to whom they are conferred; besides the fact that the whole economy of Providence, since it is supernatural at least by reason of its end, is, insofar as it is such, unowed to the whole of nature. But they are benefits which of themselves conduce to the eternal salvation of men and are conferred to this end. To how very many have adversities and infirmities profited, and also honors and riches, and likewise death anticipated for some, but for others a prolonged life? It is actual grace; because it consists in a transient operation of God, which works this and that for our benefit.
This doctrine is implanted in the minds of the faithful; the Fathers commend it cf. the testimony of Augustine cited in Th. IV. n. IV. and Scripture teaches it both in many other places and also when it refers to the grace of God (Sap. IV, 12) that the just man was taken away lest malice change his understanding, as the Fathers explain, about which matter we shall have to speak when the grace of perseverance is to be discussed.
Providence of this sort, or the execution of this providence, is supernatural by reason of its end, and is likewise also supernatural according to its effects, namely when miracles are wrought.