ual grace,
considered in its relation to free-will, is that into prevenient and
cooeperating grace. All other divisions are based on a difference of
function rather than of nature.(86)

a) The existence of prevenient grace (_gratia praeveniens s. excitans s.
vocans_) may be inferred from the fact that the process of justification
begins with the illumination of the intellect, which is by nature unfree,
_i.e._ devoid of the power of choosing between good and evil. That there
are also graces which consist in spontaneous, indeliberate motions of the
will,(87) is clearly taught by the Council of Trent,(88) and evidenced by
certain Biblical metaphors. Thus God is described as knocking at the gate
(Apoc. III, 20), as drawing men to Him (John VI, 44), and men are said to
harden their hearts against His voice (Ps. XCIV, 8), etc. Cfr. Jer. XVII,
23: "But they did not hear, nor incline their ear: but hardened their
neck, that they might not hear me, and might not receive instruction."

The Catholic tradition is voiced by St. Augustine, who says: "The will
itself can in no wise be moved, unless it meets with something which
delights or attracts the mind; but it is not in the power of man to bring
this about."(89) St. Prosper enumerates a long list of spontaneous
emotions which he calls supernatural graces of the will.(90)

Prevenient grace is aptly characterized by the Patristic formula: "_Gratia
est in nobis, sed sine nobis_," that is, grace, as a vital act, is in the
soul, but as a salutary act it proceeds, not from the free will, but from
God. In other words, though the salutary acts of grace derive their
vitality from the human will, they are mere _actus hominis_ ({~GREEK SMALL LETTER THETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER LAMDA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~}), not
_actus humani_ ({~GREEK SMALL LETTER BETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER LAMDA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~}).(91) "God," explains St. Augustine, "does many
good things in man, which man does not do; but man does none which God
does not cause man to do."(92) And again: "[God] operates without us, in
order that we may become willing; but when we once will so as to act, He
cooeperates with us. We can, however, ours