A. To the Principal Arguments

41. Now if the negative side of the question be maintained, the response to all the authorities for the contrary side [nn.2-11] is that any natural son of Adam is a debtor for original justice and, because of Adam’s demerit, he lacks it; and therefore any such son has a source whence to contract original sin. But if someone is given grace in the first instant of creation of his soul, he would never lack original justice; and this, however, not of himself but from the merit of another if grace is conferred on him because of the merit of another; therefore anyone would have original sin, as far as concerns himself, unless another prevented it by mediation. And thus are the authorities to be expounded, because everyone naturally propagated from Adam is a sinner, that is, all have - from the way they possess nature from Adam - the source whence they would lack owed justice unless it was conferred on them from elsewhere. But just as grace could be conferred after the last instant, so it could be conferred in the first instant.