ated that "without grace men can
do no good whatever," adds: "Not only do they know by its light what
to do, but by its help they do lovingly what they know." Beyond this,
in both states they need the help of God's motion in order to fulfil
the commandments, as stated above (AA. 2, 3).

Reply Obj. 1: As Augustine says (De Spir. et Lit. xxvii), "do not be
disturbed at his saying that they do by nature those things that are
of the Law; for the Spirit of grace works this, in order to restore
in us the image of God, after which we were naturally made."

Reply Obj. 2: What we can do with the Divine assistance is not
altogether impossible to us; according to the Philosopher (Ethic.
iii, 3): "What we can do through our friends, we can do, in some
sense, by ourselves." Hence Jerome [*Symboli Explanatio ad Damasum,
among the supposititious works of St. Jerome: now ascribed to
Pelagius] concedes that "our will is in such a way free that we must
confess we still require God's help."

Reply Obj. 3: Man cannot, with his purely natural endowments, fulfil
the precept of the love of God, as stated above (A. 3).
________________________

FIFTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 109, Art. 5]

Whether Man Can Merit Everlasting Life Without Grace?

Objection 1: It would seem that man can merit everlasting life
without grace. For Our Lord says (Matt. 19:17): "If thou wilt enter
into life, keep the commandments"; from which it would seem that to
enter into everlasting life rests with man's will. But what rests
with our will, we can do of ourselves. Hence it seems that man can
merit everlasting life of himself.

Obj. 2: Further, eternal life is the wage of reward bestowed by God
on men, according to Matt. 5:12: "Your reward is very great in
heaven." But wage or reward is meted by God to everyone according to
his works, according to Ps. 61:12: "Thou wilt render to every man
according to his works." Hence, since man is master of his works, it
seems that it is within his power to reach everlasting life.

Obj. 3: Further, everlasting life is the last end of human life. Now
every natural thing by its natural endowments can attain its end.
Much more, therefore, may man attain to life everlasting by his
natural endowments, without grace.

_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Rom. 6:23): "The grace of God is
life everlasting." And as a gloss says, this is said "that we may
understand that God, of His own mercy, leads us to everlasting life."

_I answer t