On the contrary, It is written (Ps. 31:5):  “I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord; and Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.”

I answer that, As stated above (A. 1), the justification of the ungodly is a certain movement whereby the human mind is moved by God from the state of sin to the state of justice.  Hence it is necessary for the human mind to regard both extremes by an act of free-will, as a body in local movement is related to both terms of the movement.  Now it is clear that in local movement the moving body leaves the term whence and nears the term whereto. Hence the human mind whilst it is being justified, must, by a movement of its free-will withdraw from sin and draw near to justice.

Now to withdraw from sin and to draw near to justice, in an act of free-will, means detestation and desire.  For Augustine says on the words “the hireling fleeth,” etc. (John 10:12):  “Our emotions are the movements of our soul; joy is the soul’s outpouring; fear is the soul’s flight; your soul goes forward when you seek; your soul flees, when you are afraid.”  Hence in the justification of the ungodly there must be two acts of the free-will—­one, whereby it tends to God’s justice; the other whereby it hates sin.

Reply Obj. 1:  It belongs to the same virtue to seek one contrary and to avoid the other; and hence, as it belongs to charity to love God, so likewise, to detest sin whereby the soul is separated from God.

Reply Obj. 2:  A man ought not to return to those things that are behind, by loving them; but, for that matter, he ought to forget them, lest he be drawn to them.  Yet he ought to recall them to mind, in order to detest them; for this is to fly from them.

Reply Obj. 3:  Previous to justification a man must detest each sin he remembers to have committed, and from this remembrance the soul goes on to have a general movement of detestation with regard to all sins committed, in which are included such sins as have been forgotten.  For a man is then in such a frame of mind that he would be sorry even for those he does not remember, if they were present to his memory; and this movement cooperates in his justification. ________________________

SIXTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 113, Art. 6]

Whether the Remission of Sins Ought to Be Reckoned Amongst the Things
Required for Justification?

Objection 1:  It would seem that the remission of sins ought not to be reckoned amongst the things required for justification.  For the substance of a thing is not reckoned together with those that are required for a thing; thus a man is not reckoned together with his body and soul.  But the justification of the ungodly is itself the remission of sins, as stated above (A. 1).  Therefore the remission of sins ought not to be reckoned among the things required for the justification of the ungodly.

Obj. 2:  Further, infusion of grace and remission of sins are the same; as illumination and expulsion of darkness are the same.  But a thing ought not to be reckoned together with itself; for unity is opposed to multitude.  Therefore the remission of sins ought not to be reckoned with the infusion of grace.