effect, as effects in non-univocal causes, for instance,
as things generated are in the sun; but as to a certain instrumental
power transient and incomplete in its natural being, as will be
explained later on (A. 4).

Reply Obj. 1: Grace is said to be in a sacrament not as in its
subject; nor as in a vessel considered as a place, but understood as
the instrument of some work to be done, according to Ezech. 9:1:
"Everyone hath a destroying vessel [Douay: 'weapon'] in his hand."

Reply Obj. 2: Although an accident does not pass from one subject to
another, nevertheless in a fashion it does pass from its cause into
its subject through the instrument; not so that it be in each of
these in the same way, but in each according to its respective nature.

Reply Obj. 3: If a spiritual thing exist perfectly in something, it
contains it and is not contained by it. But, in a sacrament, grace
has a passing and incomplete mode of being: and consequently it is
not unfitting to say that the sacraments contain grace.
_______________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 62, Art. 4]

Whether There Be in the Sacraments a Power of Causing Grace?

Objection 1: It seems that there is not in the sacraments a power of
causing grace. For the power of causing grace is a spiritual power.
But a spiritual power cannot be in a body; neither as proper to it,
because power flows from a thing's essence and consequently cannot
transcend it; nor as derived from something else, because that which
is received into anything follows the mode of the recipient.
Therefore in the sacraments there is no power of causing grace.

Obj. 2: Further, whatever exists is reducible to some kind of being
and some degree of good. But there is no assignable kind of being to
which such a power can belong; as anyone may see by running through
them all. Nor is it reducible to some degree of good; for neither is
it one of the goods of least account, since sacraments are necessary
for salvation: nor is it an intermediate good, such as are the powers
of the soul, which are natural powers; nor is it one of the greater
goods, for it is neither grace nor a virtue of the mind. Therefore it
seems that in the sacraments there is no power of causing grace.

Obj. 3: Further, if there be such a power in the sacraments, its
presence there must be due to nothing less than a creative act of
God. But it seems unbecoming that so excellent a being created by God
should cease to exist as soon