Chapter 095 - The Will of Our First Parents in Regard of Grace and Justice

Although some are of opinion that the first man was not created in grace, but received it prior to the Fall, many holy Doctors hold the contrary. For our first parents were created in an upright state in which the body was subject to the soul, the inferior powers to reason, and reason to God, and if such subjection had been merely natural it would have continued after they sinned; hence it was clearly due to the supernatural gift of grace. Thus Augustine says: "After the transgression of the Divine precept, grace being immediately withdrawn, they became ashamed of their nakedness, for in return for their own disobedience they felt the disobedience of the flesh."

And since in man's original state no evil was either present or imminent, nor any good wanting which the will could desire, our first parents were not subject to passions which have reference to evil (fear, grief, etc.), or to good not possessed but presently attainable (such as ardent desire); but only to such passions as may arise from the possession of present good, viz. joy and love; or from some future good to be had in due time, such as desire, and hope, of a nature not distressing. There was this difference, however: that inferior nature being wholly subject to reason, all the passions of the soul followed the judgment of reason, whereas with us the passions sometimes follow the judgment of reason, and sometimes anticipate or hinder it; because the sensitive appetite is not entirely subject.

In like manner the first man possessed all the virtues; for virtues are simply certain perfections, related to God, by which the inferior powers are disposed according to the government of reason. Since, therefore, the integrity of his original state required that man should have all things in due proportion, some virtues, such as charity and justice, which imply no imperfection, would exist in him absolutely and actually; while others, involving imperfection, though not such as to be inconsistent with a state of innocence, might exist actually and habitually. Such would be faith, which regards things not seen; and hope of things not possessed. Other virtues, of which the concomitant imperfections would have been repugnant to a state of innocence, might be present essentially though not according to the act, e.g. penance and mercy; man being so disposed that he would be sorry for sin if it existed, and relieve suffering if he saw it in another.

In regard of grace, the works of our first parents were more efficacious than ours, because, as no obstacle existed in human nature while innocence remained, grace was more abundant. So also if we consider the amount of work in itself; man, being endowed with greater strength, could perform greater works. If, however, we consider the proportional amount, we are conscious of greater merit after the Fall, in consequence of man's weakness; for a small work done with difficulty is more meritorious than a great one done without difficulty. Thus the widow is praised who threw the mites into the treasury.