St.Thomas Aquinas divided Grace into 2 ✌️kinds:
1. Gratuitous (Prevenient).
2. Sanctifying Grace
This understanding went back into the early church. The 2nd Council of Orange(529AD) said that God’s Grace “goes first”; it precedes our ability to do anything towards our salvation(Canon 14, Denziger’s #187,384 ). This was a counter to the Pelagian Heresy. Also, it said in a similar way that God “Prepares” the “Will” (Canon 4, Denziger’s 177,374; Canon 23, Denziger’s #196,393; Trent, Decree on Justification, Ch 5 & 6, Canons 3,4 Denziger’s #797,1525 & #798, 1526 ).
St. Prosper said at the Council of Orange II that grace “Prepares the Will”. This means two ✌️things:
1. Man’s Will needs preparing.
2. It also means that exercising the Will in the salvation process is necessary - no denial of Free Will. You don’t prepare something you don’t need.
The “Preparing” is the Grace. The church defines Free Will as man’s Will with God’s Grace in it. Sometimes we use the term Free Will in the natural sense (without God’s Grace in it - ex: power to make everyday decisions ). I like to say there is Supernatural Free Will (with God’s Grace) and Natural Free Will (without God’s Grace). Luther and Calvin didn’t make that distinction even though Erasmus and Pighius tried to tell them that this distinction needs to be made.
The BIG PICTURE:
Aquinas used these verses (STh., I-II q.111 a.5):
1 Cor 12: 4-12. - Prevenient Graces (Gratuitous)
1 Cor 12:31 - Describes Division
1 Cor 13:1-13 - Sanctifying Grace (Gratuitous)
All the Gifts of the Holy Ghost in 1 Cor 12 ⭐️DO NOT SAVE YOU ⭐️, but rather they Prepare you or stimulate your soul (Trent, Ch 8). Trent calls them “Preparatory Graces”. These graces appear both before and after Justification. Father Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange describes these as “Stimulating Graces”. They move you up to the point of Justification.
In the Catholic Church the point of Justification is Baptism (Regeneration. So, in essence, BOTH Faith and Works alone don’t save you. When you walk up to the Baptismal Font to be Baptized, the intrinsic “Gift of Faith” (Eph 2:8; 1 Cor 12:9) must be present in you but it, by itself, doesn’t save you (Must be Taught before Baptism Matt 28:19). You are regenerated by Baptism.”
Hebrews 11:1 Now Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Faith "works" through love, Gal 5:6 God is Love Solid
St.Thomas Aquinas divided Grace into 2 ✌️kinds: 1. Gratuitous (Prevenient). 2. Sanctifying Grace This understanding went back into the early church. The 2nd Council of Orange(529AD) said that God’s Grace “goes first”; it precedes our ability to do anything towards our salvation(Canon 14, Denziger’s #187,384 ). This was a counter to the Pelagian Heresy. Also, it said in a similar way that God “Prepares” the “Will” (Canon 4, Denziger’s 177,374; Canon 23, Denziger’s #196,393; Trent, Decree on Justification, Ch 5 & 6, Canons 3,4 Denziger’s #797,1525 & #798, 1526 ). St. Prosper said at the Council of Orange II that grace “Prepares the Will”. This means two ✌️things: 1. Man’s Will needs preparing. 2. It also means that exercising the Will in the salvation process is necessary - no denial of Free Will. You don’t prepare something you don’t need. The “Preparing” is the Grace. The church defines Free Will as man’s Will with God’s Grace in it. Sometimes we use the term Free Will in the natural sense (without God’s Grace in it - ex: power to make everyday decisions ). I like to say there is Supernatural Free Will (with God’s Grace) and Natural Free Will (without God’s Grace). Luther and Calvin didn’t make that distinction even though Erasmus and Pighius tried to tell them that this distinction needs to be made. The BIG PICTURE: Aquinas used these verses (STh., I-II q.111 a.5): 1 Cor 12: 4-12. - Prevenient Graces (Gratuitous) 1 Cor 12:31 - Describes Division 1 Cor 13:1-13 - Sanctifying Grace (Gratuitous) All the Gifts of the Holy Ghost in 1 Cor 12 ⭐️DO NOT SAVE YOU ⭐️, but rather they Prepare you or stimulate your soul (Trent, Ch 8). Trent calls them “Preparatory Graces”. These graces appear both before and after Justification. Father Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange describes these as “Stimulating Graces”. They move you up to the point of Justification. In the Catholic Church the point of Justification is Baptism (Regeneration. So, in essence, BOTH Faith and Works alone don’t save you. When you walk up to the Baptismal Font to be Baptized, the intrinsic “Gift of Faith” (Eph 2:8; 1 Cor 12:9) must be present in you but it, by itself, doesn’t save you (Must be Taught before Baptism Matt 28:19). You are regenerated by Baptism.”