161.
. . . OBJECTION 1): St. Paul sometimes attributes justification to faith, without
mentioning any other act. Thus in Rom. 5:1: Therefore, since we are
justified by faith . . .Eph. 2:8: For by grace you have been saved
through faith . . . Therefore it is concluded from that faith alone
justifies. . . . OBJECTION 2): There is opposition between the teaching of Paul
and James. For Paul says that faith justifies without works (Rom. 3:28; 4:2;
Eph. 2:9); but James teaches that faith without works is dead (Jas. 2;14).
I respond that Paul is talking
about the works of the law, as they were understood by the Jews. Therefore, he
teaches that good works, performed by the powers of nature alone, especially
with only the external observance of the law without any change of heart, do
not justify. Surely this is true, and James does not deny it. But James always requires
for justification that, in addition to faith, there be also good works
performed with the help of race; St. Paul himself explicitly agrees with this
(1 Cor. 13:1; Gal. 5:6). (Severino González Rivas, Sacrae Theologiae Summa,
4 vols. [trans. Kenneth Baker; Keep the Faith, Inc., 2014], 3-B: 111)
165. Objections. From
Rom. 3:28: For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works.
And Eph. 2:8f.: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is
not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man
should boast. Therefore in obtaining justification the Apostle excludes
other works, except faith.
I distinguish the consequent.
The Apostle excludes the works of the Mosaic law, conceded; he excludes
other works, I subdistinguish: works done without grace before faith, conceded;
works done from faith with grace, denied. We already answered this
difficult in n. 161.
2. Form Luke 8:50, where Christ
says to Jairus: Only believe, and she shall be well. Therefore Christ,
for salvation, requires faith alone.
I deny the supposition.
For there he is not dealing with justification, but with the re-animation of
the little girl. The faith here that Christ is encouraging is not justifying
faith, but trust in His power.
3. St. Paul in his letter to the
Romans, 3:24, says that we are justified gratuitously. But if good works
disposed one for justification, the words of the Apostle would be false.
Therefore, beside faith, nothing else is required as a disposition for
justification.
I distinguish the major.
To be justified gratuitously, that is, without the causal influx of natural
acts, conceded: that is, without the causal influx of supernatural acts,
I subdistinguish: without physical efficient influx, or morally
meritorious condign acts, conceded; without morally meritorious influx
that is congruous and impetrative, denied. I also distinguish the minor.
The words of the Apostle would turn out to be false, if natural good acts
disposed one for justification, conceded; supernatural good acts, I subdistinguish:
if they disposed for justification by physical efficient influx or morally
meritorious acts condignly, conceded; if only by a morally meritorious
influx that is congruous or impetrative, denied. Consult the explanation
of this Pauline statement given by the Council of Trent, s. 6 ch. 8 (D
1532).
4. St. Hilary openly testifies: “For
faith alone justifies” (St. Hilary, In Mt 8: ML9,961). And Chrysostom: “If
you believe with faith, why do you conclude otherwise, as if faith alone is not
sufficient to justify?” (Chrysostom, In epist. Ad Tit. hom 3 n 2: MG
62,670) Bot Origen says: “And he [Paul] says that justification by faith alone
suffices, so that someone by believing only is justified, even if no work has
been done by him” (Origien, In epist. ad Rom. 3,9: MG 14,952). Therefore
from the teaching of these Fathers, in addition to faith, no other works are
required for justification.
I respond by denying the
consequence, and I will explain each text of the Fathers: opposed to the
Mosaic Law, but not to those dispositions that arise from faith.
But Chrysostom excludes only the
ceremonies of the Old Law. For he adds immediately: “Why do you make yourself a
slave of the law, and so subject yourself to it?”
Origen only excludes eternal works
and holds that man sometimes can be justified even if he does not perform any
external work. But he proves this by citing the examples of the woman taken in
adultery and the good thief. It is not said that they performed any external
works of fasting or almsgiving before their justification. Moreover, Origen
himself, in chapter 4 of the same commentary on Romans, beside faith, explicitly
requires other internal acts. (Ibid., 113-14)
