Cap. VIII Resp. Denique: reprobation ordered to show justice and greater mercy; some mercy even toward the reprobate
Finally: when it is objected that if God reprobated otherwise than from foresight of final and actual demerits, nothing of mercy would appear — that objection seems to rest on a Scholastic rule: in all God's works mercy and justice concur. The sense of the rule is not that every divine action is formally an act of justice or of mercy, but that it is an effect of providence ordained to show justice, or mercy, or both. So this reprobation, which we take as from God's mere will, is ordained to show justice in the damned and greater mercy toward the predestined. Further, some mercy appears even toward the reprobate themselves — not that special excellent mercy which by efficacious grace infallibly ordains to glory, but the many benefits of grace and mercy often granted them, not withdrawn except for abuse and voluntary rebellion against God. Even in their damnation God's mercy appears — not totally relaxing, but somewhat alleviating — while he punishes them short of what is condign (Thomas, ST I, q. 21 a. 4).
Latin
Denique, quando objicitur, Si Deus reprobaret aliter quam ex praevisione finalium et actualium demeritorum, in tali actu nihil misericordiae appareret, Videtur haec objectio niti recepta quadam inter Scholasticos regula, nempe, In omnibus Dei operibus misericordiam et justitiam concurrere. Sed hujus regulae mens est, Non omnem actionem Dei esse formaliter actionem justitiae vel misericordiae, sed esse effectum Divinae providentiae ordinatum ad ostensionem vel justitiae, vel misericordiae, vel utriusque. Atque sic reprobatio haec, quam ex mera Dei voluntate factam supponimus, ordinatur ad ostensionem justitiae in damnatis, et ad ostensionem majoris misericordiae erga praedestinatos. Porro, apparet misericordia quaedam erga ipsos reprobatos, licet non illa specialis et eximia quae per gratiam efficacem infallibiliter ordinat ad gloriam. Nam reprobis conceduntur saepenumero multa gratiae ac misericordiae Divinae beneficia, quae illis non subducuntur, nisi propter abusum eorundem, et voluntariam in Deum rebellionem. Denique in ipsa damnatione horum reproborum apparet misericordia Dei, non quidem totaliter relaxans, sed aliqualiter allevians, dum punit eos citra condignum, ut bene Thomas, Part. 1. quaest. 21. artic. 4.