Grace, Actual and Habitual: A Dogmatic Treatise — A Reader’s Guide

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Authors: Pohle, Joseph, 1852-1922, Preuss, Arthur, 1871-1934 [Editor] Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2009 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Grace (Theology) Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 126,791

Reading time 552 min

Text sections 31

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A dogmatic treatise examining actual and sanctifying grace through scriptural analysis, patristic citations, and theological systems like Thomism and Molinism, structured around the nature, necessity, and effects of grace.

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Chapter I. The Nature Of Actual Grace Section 1. Definition Of Actual Grace Section 2. Division Of Actual Grace Chapter II. The Properties Of Actual Grace Section 1. The Necessity Of Actual Grace Article 1. The Capacity Of Mere Nature Without Grace Article 2. The Necessity Of Actual Grace For All Salutary Acts Article 3. The Necessity Of Actual Grace For The States Of Unbelief, Mortal Sin, And Justification Section 2. The Gratuity Of Actual Grace Section 3. The Universality Of Actual Grace Article 1. The Universality Of God’s Will To Save Article 2. God’s Will To Give Sufficient Grace To All Adult Human Beings In Particular Article 3. The Predestination Of The Elect Article 4. The Reprobation Of The Damned Chapter III. Grace In Its Relation To Free-Will Section 1. The Heresy of The Protestant Reformers And The Jansenists Section 2. Theological Systems Devised To Harmonize The Dogmas Of Grace And Free-Will Article 1. Thomism And Augustinianism Article 2. Molinism And Congruism Part II. Sanctifying Grace Chapter I. The Genesis Of Sanctifying Grace, Or The Process Of Justification Section 1. The Necessity Of Faith For Justification Section 2. The Necessity Of Other Preparatory Acts Besides Faith Chapter II. The State Of Justification Section 1. The Nature Of Justification Article 1. The Negative Element Of Justification Article 2. The Positive Element Of Justification Section 2. Justifying Or Sanctifying Grace Article 1. The Nature Of Sanctifying Grace Article 2. The Effects Of Sanctifying Grace Article 3. The Supernatural Concomitants Of Sanctifying Grace Section 3. The Properties Of Sanctifying Grace Chapter III. The Fruits Of Justification, Or The Merit Of Good Works Section 1. The Existence Of Merit Section 2. The Requisites Of Merit Section 3. The Objects Of Merit Index Footnotes

_Sti. Ludovici, die 18 Jan. 1919_

_F. G. Holweck,_ _ Censor Librorum_

_Sti. Ludovici, die 21 Jan. 1919_

_Joannes J. Glennon_ _ Archiepiscopus_ _ Sti. Ludovici_

_Copyright, 1914_ _ by_ _ Joseph Gummersbach_

_All rights reserved_

_Printed in U. S. A._

BECKTOLD PRINTING & BOOK MFG. CO. ST. LOUIS. U. S. A.

Humanity was reconciled to God by the Redemption. This does not, however, mean that every individual human being was forthwith justified, for individual justification is wrought by the application to the soul of grace derived from the inexhaustible merits of Jesus Christ.

There are two kinds of grace: (1) actual and (2) habitual. Actual grace is a supernatural gift by which rational creatures are enabled to perform salutary acts. Habitual, or, as it is commonly called, sanctifying, grace is a habit, or more or less enduring state, which renders men pleasing to God.

This distinction is of comparatively recent date, but it furnishes an excellent principle of division for a dogmatic treatise on grace.(1)

Actual grace is a transient supernatural help given by God from the treasury of the merits of Jesus Christ for the purpose of enabling man to work out his eternal salvation.

We shall consider: (1) The Nature of Actual Grace; (2) Its Properties, and (3) Its Relation to Free-Will.

GENERAL READINGS:—St. Thomas, _Summa Theologica_, 1a 2ae, qu. 109-114, and the commentators, especially Billuart, _De Gratia_ (ed. Lequette, t. III); the Salmanticenses, _De Gratia Dei_ (_Cursus Theologiae_, Vol. IX sqq., Paris 1870); Thomas de Lemos, _Panoplia Divinae Gratiae_, Liège 1676; Dominicus Soto, _De Natura et Gratia_, l. III, Venice 1560; *Ripalda,(2) _De Ente Supernaturali_, 3 vols. (I, Bordeaux 1634; II, Lyons 1645; III, Cologne 1648).

*C. v. Schäzler, _Natur und Übernatur: Das Dogma von der Gnade_, Mainz 1865; IDEM, _Neue Untersuchungen über das Dogma von der Gnade_, Mainz 1867; *J. E. Kuhn, _Die christliche Lehre von der göttlichen Gnade_, Tübingen 1868; Jos. Kleutgen, S. J., _Theologie der Vorseit_, Vol. II, 2nd ed., pp. 152 sqq., Münster 1872; R. Cercià, _De Gratia Christi_, 3 vols., Paris 1879; *C. Mazzella, S. J., _De Gratia Christi_, 4th ed., Rome 1895; *J. H. Oswald, _Die Lehre von der Heiligung, d. i. Gnade, Rechtfertigung, Gnadenwahl_, 3rd ed., Paderborn 1885; *D. Palmieri, S. J., _De Gratia Divina Actuali_, Gulpen 1885; *Heinrich-Gutberlet, _Dogmatische Theologie_, Vol. VIII, Mainz 1897; *S. Schiffini, S. J., _De Gratia Divina_, Freiburg 1901; G. Lahousse, S. J., _De Gratia Divina_, Louvain 1902; Chr. Pesch, S. J., _Praelectiones Dogmaticae_, Vol. V, 3rd ed., Freiburg 1908; G. van Noort, _De Gratia Christi_, Amsterdam 1908; E. J. Wirth, _Divine Grace_, New York 1903; S. J. Hunter, S. J., _Outlines of Dogmatic Theology_, Vol. III, pp. 1 sqq.; Wilhelm-Scannell, _A Manual of Catholic Theology_, Vol. II, 2nd ed., pp. 227 sqq., London 1901; A. Devine, _The Sacraments Explained_, 3rd ed. pp. 1-43, London 1905.—L. Labauche, S. S., _God and Man, Lectures on Dogmatic Theology II_, pp. 123 sqq., New York 1916.—J. E. Nieremberg, S. J., _The Marvels of Divine Grace_, tr. by Lady Lovat, London 1917.

On the teaching of the Fathers

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The treatise opens by distinguishing two kinds of grace—actual and habitual—and immediately anchors its argument in the Redemption as the source of all grace. Pohle proceeds through a tightly organized schema: Part I treats actual grace, its definition, properties, and relation to free will; Part II examines sanctifying grace, justification, and merit. Each chapter is subdivided into articles that systematically address objections, particularly from Protestant and Jansenist positions.

The work’s structure mirrors a scholastic disputation: a thesis is stated, scriptural and patristic evidence is marshaled, opposing views are refuted, and conclusions are drawn. This methodical movement from definition to defense gives the treatise a forensic rhythm, as each section builds on the previous one.

Scriptural Argumentation and the Forensic Dispute

Pohle’s method relies heavily on close reading of biblical texts, often contrasting Catholic interpretations with Lutheran or Calvinist readings. For instance, he examines St. Paul’s phrase “new creature” in Galatians 6:15 and 5:6 to argue that justification involves an inward transformation, not merely a forensic declaration. He rejects the Lutheran appeal to “putting on Christ” (Galatians 3:27) as an outward cloak, insisting that the Pauline simile indicates an interior cleansing.

The treatise also engages with the Fathers, citing the Epistle of Barnabas and St. John Chrysostom to support the regenerative nature of baptism. Chrysostom is quoted as saying baptism “not only remits our sins … but accomplishes all this in such a way as if we were born anew.” This patristic evidence is used to counter the Reformation claim that justification leaves the sinner inwardly unchanged.

The Division of Grace and the Role of Free Will

Pohle devotes an entire chapter to the relationship between grace and free will, surveying theological systems—Thomism, Augustinianism, Molinism, and Congruism—that attempt to harmonize divine causality with human freedom. He presents these systems not as speculative options but as responses to the heresies of the Protestant Reformers and Jansenists.

The discussion is structured around the necessity of actual grace for all salutary acts, including the states of unbelief and mortal sin. Pohle argues that grace is both necessary and gratuitous, and that God wills to give sufficient grace to all adults. This leads into a treatment of predestination and reprobation, where the treatise maintains a careful balance between divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

Justification as a Process: Negative and Positive Elements

Part II opens with the genesis of sanctifying grace, or the process of justification. Pohle distinguishes between the necessity of faith and other preparatory acts, then analyzes justification into negative and positive elements. The negative element is the remission of sins; the positive element is the infusion of sanctifying grace, which makes the sinner a “new creature” and a child of God.

The treatise emphasizes that justification is not merely a legal pardon but an interior renewal. Pohle cites St. Ambrose’s reference to the white robe of baptism as a symbol of innocence, reinforcing the idea that grace effects a real change in the soul. This section also addresses the Lutheran objection that “justify” can mean “declare righteous,” arguing that the biblical usage in contexts like Isaiah 5:23 does not undermine the Catholic doctrine of inward sanctification.

Merit and the Fruits of Justification

The final chapter of Part II examines the merit of good works, a topic that directly engages Reformation controversies. Pohle asserts the existence of merit, its requisites, and its objects, grounding his argument in the scriptural principle that good works performed in a state of grace are meritorious for eternal life.

The treatise’s structure here mirrors its earlier pattern: a thesis is stated, objections are answered, and evidence is drawn from Scripture and tradition. The discussion of merit serves as the culmination of the work’s argument, showing how actual and habitual grace cooperate with human freedom to produce salvific acts. The index and footnotes provide a roadmap for readers navigating the dense theological terrain.

Readers approaching this treatise should note its scholastic architecture: each section is a self-contained argument that contributes to a cumulative case. The frequent citations of Scripture and the Fathers are not decorative but integral to the reasoning. For those unfamiliar with the theological systems discussed, the footnotes offer essential context. The work rewards careful, sequential reading, as later chapters presuppose the distinctions established earlier.

Years among these shelves taught me that Grace, Actual and Habitual holds a quieter warmth than its title suggests—a patient tracing of how mercy finds us. Beside it, I often set that old handbook, its plain definitions like familiar footsteps. There is a kinship there, two friends nodding to each other across centuries. The Church Handy Dictionary — Inside the Classic remembers what the treatise lived, and both, somehow, whisper the same gentle truth.