Of God and His Creatures
That Man stands in need of Divine Grace for the Gaining of
Happiness
IT has already been shown (Chapp. CXI - [CXII] - CXIII) that
divine providence disposes of rational creatures otherwise than of
other things, inasmuch as their nature stands on a different footing
from that of others. It remains to be shown that also in view of the
dignity of their end divine providence employs a higher method of
government in their regard. Their nature clearly fits them for a higher
end. As being intelligent, they can attain to intelligible truth, which
other creatures cannot. So far as they attain this truth by their own
natural activity, God provides for them otherwise than for other
creatures, giving them understanding and reason, and further the gift
of speech, whereby they can aid one another in the knowledge of truth.
But beyond this, the last end of man is fixed in a certain knowledge of
truth which exceeds his natural faculties, so that it is given to him
to see the First Truth in itself.* But to behold the First Truth as it is in
itself so transcends the capacity of human nature as to be proper to
God alone (Chap. LII). Therefore man needs
help of God to arrive at such an end.
5. There are many impediments in the way of man's arriving at his end.
He is impeded by the weakness of his reason, which is easily dragged
into error, and so erring he is thrown off the right way of arriving at
his end. He is impeded by the passions of the sensitive portion of his
nature, and by the tastes which drag him to sensible and inferior
things. The more he clings to such things, the further he is separated
from his last end: for these things are below man, whereas his end is
high above him. He is impeded also very frequently by infirmity of body
from the performance of the acts of virtue which carry him on to his
end. Man therefore needs the divine assistance, lest with such
impediments in his way, he fail altogether in the gaining of his last
end.
Hence it is said: No man can come to me, unless the Father, who hath
sent me, draw him (John vi, 44): As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself unless it abide in the vine, so neither can ye unless ye
abide in me (John xv, 4).That it is Lawful for judges to inflict Punishments
3.149 : That the Divine Assistance does not compel a Man to Virtue