I. Reply to the question
JUSTICE AND MERCY
I. Reply to the question 52 Response: in us mercy is a habit or (however one might put it) a form by which we will-against another's unhappiness, such that it first inclines to an act of willingagainst unhappiness in another, whether future unhappiness (in which case one forestalls the unhappiness if one can) or present unhappiness (in which case one alleviates the unhappiness if one can). As a consequence, after this activity it disposes to a passion, namely, displeasure over impending or present unhappiness.
53 Mercy is not in God according to the second aspect, that is, as mercy inclines to this passion. And it is evidently on the basis of this aspect that the word 'mercy' is principally imposed—expounding 'merciful' (misericors) according to its etymology as meaning 'having an unhappy heart' (miserum cor habens), since one who has compassion for another's unhappiness thereby has an unhappy heart, that is, a heart that shares in unhappiness.
54 But in terms of the activity of willing-against unhappiness, whether present or impending, mercy is properly in God.
55 Proof that this is true in the case of impending unhappiness:
Just as no good thing comes about unless God wills it, so too nothing [bad] is prevented from coming about unless God wills-against it. Now many instances of happiness that could come about are prevented from coming about. Therefore, God wills-against them.
And similarly in the case of present unhappiness:
No unhappiness is taken away unless God wills-against it, and it frequently happens that unhappiness is taken away. Therefore, etc.
56 But one could make a distinction concerning God's mercy in the sense of his willingagainst unhappiness. For just as we distinguish God's antecedent and consequent will, in the present case we could also distinguish a twofold willing-against unhappiness. And just as God always has an antecedent will for a creature's good, so too he always has an antecedent willing-against toward a creature's misfortune, a will to prevent or take away that misfortune, in keeping with what the Apostle says in 1 Timothy 2:4: "He wills that all human beings be saved." But just as he does not always have a consequent will for a creature's good, neither does he always have a consequent willing-against toward a creature's misfortune, a will to remove that misfortune. Now it is the second willing-against, not the first, that characterizes one who is merciful.
57 And a further distinction can be made: God wills-against impending misfortune either totally or partially. If he wills-against it totally, this is called "liberating" mercy, which excludes all misfortune, whether impending or already present. If he willsagainst it partially, this is called "sparing" or "mitigating" mercy, which does not exclude all misfortune, but rather some part of the misfortune that is due someone