3. Objection to the Last Statement and its Solution

26. Against this [n.25]: in that case everyone who rises from mortal sin would rise in greater grace than the grace from which he fell, because he would rise in all the now revived goods that he had before; and, besides this, in the act of penitence through which he rises and which he adds to the past ones; and so he would rise in greater grace. But this is unacceptable: first because not everyone who falls always falls more seriously than he fell before, nor does he therefore rise, when he rises, more graced than he was before; second because the first grace can be greater or lesser, and consequently can be least; but the first grace is acquired through penitence; therefore it is possible that sometimes the grace recovered through penitence is the least.

27. To this I say that to have more merits in divine acceptation (merits kept in their order to the reward that is to be rendered for them) is not the same as to have greater grace intensively. For universally, to every merit there corresponds and is due not only some accidental reward but some essential reward. The fact is plain, because if someone had this merit alone [sc. first grace through penitence, n.26], without any other merit, he would be beatified not precisely in the degree in which, without merits, he would be beatified on account of grace alone (as a baptized child is) - for the grace of anyone who has his own merit exceeds the glory of such a child. Therefore, every merit, following other merits already possessed, requires, corresponding to it, its proper essential degree of glory; and yet grace is not at once increased by any merit, nor is he who has more merits always in greater grace.

28. Although therefore grace alone suffice for some glory, yet to merits there corresponds some determinate degree, at least, of glory, though to a greater grace without merits there correspond a greater glory than to a lesser grace. However, in every person the same there is put a merit of grace that is added on, although by it grace is not immediately made more intense. However there does correspond to it a degree of glory beyond the degree that corresponds precisely to the grace.

29. Through this I say to the argument [n.26] that he who rises has more merits in the acceptation of God than when he fell, and consequently, in this respect, he is ordained to a greater glory; but it is not necessary that he rise in greater grace, because a greater or lesser grace is given then to him according to his disposition to detest intensely or weakly the sin he committed.