Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that temporal goods fall under merit. For what is promised to some as a reward of justice, falls under merit. Now, temporal goods were promised in the Old Law as the reward of justice, as appears from Dt. 28. Hence it seems that temporal goods fall under merit.

Objection 2: Further, that would seem to fall under merit, which God bestows on anyone for a service done. But God sometimes bestows temporal goods on men for services done for Him. For it is written (Ex. 1:21): "And because the midwives feared God, He built them houses"; on which a gloss of Gregory (Moral. xviii, 4) says that "life everlasting might have been awarded them as the fruit of their goodwill, but on account of their sin of falsehood they received an earthly reward." And it is written (Ezech. 29:18): "The King of Babylon hath made his army to undergo hard service against Tyre . . . and there hath been no reward given him," and further on: "And it shall be wages for his army . . . I have given him the land of Egypt because he hath labored for me." Therefore temporal goods fall under merit.

Objection 3: Further, as good is to merit so is evil to demerit. But on account of the demerit of sin some are punished by God with temporal punishments, as appears from the Sodomites, Gn. 19. Hence temporal goods fall under merit.

Objection 4: On the contrary, What falls under merit does not come upon all alike. But temporal goods regard the good and the wicked alike; according to Eccles. 9:2: "All things equally happen to the just and the wicked, to the good and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him that offereth victims and to him that despiseth sacrifices." Therefore temporal goods do not fall under merit.

I answer that, What falls under merit is the reward or wage, which is a kind of good. Now man's good is twofold: the first, simply; the second, relatively. Now man's good simply is his last end (according to Ps. 72:27: "But it is good for men to adhere to my God") and consequently what is ordained and leads to this end; and these fall simply under merit. But the relative, not the simple, good of man is what is good to him now, or what is a good to him relatively; and this does not fall under merit simply, but relatively.

Hence we must say that if temporal goods are considered as they are useful for virtuous works, whereby we are led to heaven, they fall directly and simply under merit, even as increase of grace, and everything whereby a man is helped to attain beatitude after the first grace. For God gives men, both just and wicked, enough temporal goods to enable them to attain to everlasting life; and thus these temporal goods are simply good. Hence it is written (Ps. 33:10): "For there is no want to them that fear Him," and again, Ps. 36:25: "I have not seen the just forsaken," etc.

But if these temporal goods are considered in themselves, they are not man's good simply, but relatively, and thus they do not fall under merit simply, but relatively, inasmuch as men are moved by God to do temporal works, in which with God's help they reach their purpose. And thus as life everlasting is simply the reward of the works of justice in relation to the Divine motion, as stated above (Articles 3,6), so have temporal goods, considered in themselves, the nature of reward, with respect to the Divine motion, whereby men's wills are moved to undertake these works, even though, sometimes, men have not a right intention in them.

Reply to Objection 1: As Augustine says (Contra Faust. iv, 2), "in these temporal promises were figures of spiritual things to come. For the carnal people were adhering to the promises of the present life; and not merely their speech but even their life was prophetic."

Reply to Objection 2: These rewards are said to have been divinely brought about in relation to the Divine motion, and not in relation to the malice of their wills, especially as regards the King of Babylon, since he did not besiege Tyre as if wishing to serve God, but rather in order to usurp dominion. So, too, although the midwives had a good will with regard to saving the children, yet their will was not right, inasmuch as they framed falsehoods.

Reply to Objection 3: Temporal evils are imposed as a punishment on the wicked, inasmuch as they are not thereby helped to reach life everlasting. But to the just who are aided by these evils they are not punishments but medicines as stated above (Question 87, Article 8).

Reply to Objection 4: All things happen equally to the good and the wicked, as regards the substance of temporal good or evil; but not as regards the end, since the good and not the wicked are led to beatitude by them.

And now enough has been said regarding morals in general.

Articulus 10

Argumentum 1

Ad decimum sic proceditur. Videtur quod temporalia bona cadant sub merito. Illud enim quod promittitur aliquibus ut praemium iustitiae, cadit sub merito. Sed temporalia bona promissa sunt in lege veteri sicut merces iustitiae, ut patet Deut. XXVIII.

Ergo videtur quod bona temporalia cadant sub merito.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, illud videtur sub merito cadere, quod deus alicui retribuit pro aliquo servitio quod fecit. Sed deus aliquando recompensat hominibus pro servitio sibi facto, aliqua bona temporalia.

Dicitur enim Exod. I, et quia timuerunt obstetrices deum, aedificavit illis domos; ubi Glossa Gregorii dicit quod benignitatis earum merces potuit in aeterna vita retribui, sed pro culpa mendacii, terrenam recompensationem accepit.

Et Ezech. XXIX dicitur, rex Babylonis servire fecit exercitum suum servitute magna adversus tyrum, et merces non est reddita ei; et postea subdit, erit merces exercitui illius, et dedi ei terram Aegypti, pro eo quod laboraverit mihi.

Ergo bona temporalia cadunt sub merito.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, sicut bonum se habet ad meritum, ita malum se habet ad demeritum. Sed propter demeritum peccati aliqui puniuntur a deo temporalibus poenis, sicut patet de sodomitis, Gen. XIX.

Ergo et bona temporalia cadunt sub merito.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod illa quae cadunt sub merito, non similiter se habent ad omnes. Sed bona temporalia et mala similiter se habent ad bonos et malos; secundum illud Eccle. IX, universa aeque eveniunt iusto et impio, bono et malo, mundo et immundo, immolanti victimas et sacrificia contemnenti.

Ergo bona temporalia non cadunt sub merito.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod illud quod sub merito cadit, est praemium vel merces, quod habet rationem alicuius boni. Bonum autem hominis est duplex, unum simpliciter, et aliud secundum quid. Simpliciter quidem bonum hominis est ultimus finis eius, secundum illud Psalmi LXXII, mihi autem adhaerere deo bonum est, et per consequens omnia illa quae ordinantur ut ducentia ad hunc finem. Et talia simpliciter cadunt sub merito. Bonum autem secundum quid et non simpliciter hominis, est quod est bonum ei ut nunc, vel quod ei est secundum aliquid bonum. Et huiusmodi non cadunt sub merito simpliciter, sed secundum quid. Secundum hoc ergo dicendum est quod, si temporalia bona considerentur prout sunt utilia ad opera virtutum, quibus perducimur in vitam aeternam, secundum hoc directe et simpliciter cadunt sub merito, sicut et augmentum gratiae, et omnia illa quibus homo adiuvatur ad perveniendum in beatitudinem, post primam gratiam. Tantum enim dat deus viris iustis de bonis temporalibus, et etiam de malis, quantum eis expedit ad perveniendum ad vitam aeternam.

Et intantum sunt simpliciter bona huiusmodi temporalia.

Unde dicitur in Psalmo, timentes autem dominum non minuentur omni bono; et alibi, non vidi iustum derelictum.

Si autem considerentur huiusmodi temporalia bona secundum se, sic non sunt simpliciter bona hominis, sed secundum quid. Et ita non simpliciter cadunt sub merito, sed secundum quid, inquantum scilicet homines moventur a deo ad aliqua temporaliter agenda, in quibus suum propositum consequuntur, deo favente. Ut sicut vita aeterna est simpliciter praemium operum iustitiae per relationem ad motionem divinam, sicut supra dictum est; ita temporalia bona in se considerata habeant rationem mercedis, habito respectu ad motionem divinam qua voluntates hominum moventur ad haec prosequenda; licet interdum in his non habeant homines rectam intentionem.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut Augustinus dicit, contra faust., libro IV, in illis temporalibus promissis figurae fuerunt futurorum spiritualium, quae implentur in nobis.

Carnalis enim populus promissis vitae praesentis inhaerebat, et illorum non tantum lingua, sed etiam vita prophetica fuit.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod illae retributiones dicuntur esse divinitus factae secundum comparationem ad divinam motionem, non autem secundum respectum ad malitiam voluntatis. Praecipue quantum ad regem Babylonis, qui non impugnavit tyrum quasi volens deo servire, sed potius ut sibi dominium usurparet. Similiter etiam obstetrices, licet habuerunt bonam voluntatem quantum ad liberationem puerorum, non tamen fuit earum recta voluntas quantum ad hoc quod mendacium confinxerunt.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod temporalia mala infliguntur in poenam impiis, inquantum per ea non adiuvantur ad consecutionem vitae aeternae. Iustis autem, qui per huiusmodi mala iuvantur, non sunt poenae, sed magis medicinae, ut etiam supra dictum est.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod omnia aeque eveniunt bonis et malis, quantum ad ipsam substantiam bonorum vel malorum temporalium.

Sed non quantum ad finem, quia boni per huiusmodi manuducuntur ad beatitudinem, non autem mali.

Et haec de moralibus in communi dicta sufficiant.