PART II 

 THE MEANS OF GRACE 



CHAPTER I 



THE CAUSES OF MORAL REGENERATION 



SECTION i 



THE SUPERNATURAL PRINCIPLE OF MORAL 

 REGENERATION 



The moral order originally established by God 

 was, as we have seen, disturbed by the sin of our 

 first parents and restored by Jesus Christ. The 

 principle of its restoration in general, and of the 

 moral regeneration of each human individual in 

 particular, is supernatural grace. 1 



i. We can acquire no supernatural merits 

 without grace. 



a) Reason enables man to perceive the truths 

 of the natural order. For the knowledge of 

 the supernatural truths, however, he needs a 

 stronger light. 2 "The human intellect," says 

 St. Thomas, "has a form, namely, intelligent 



l Cfr. John I. 17; Rom. V, 20 sq.; Cfr. Pohle-Preuss, Grace, 2nd ed., 

 2 Cor. V, 19-21; Eph. II, 8-10. St. Louis 1017. 



2 1 Cor. XIII, 3; 2 Cor. Ill, 5. 

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