GRACE (Fr. grace,

See also:

• LAT

Lat. gratia, from grates, beloved, pleasing; formed from the

See also:

• ROOT (late O.E. rot, adopted from Scand., cf. Norw. and Swed. rot, Dan. rod; the true O.E. word was wyrt, plant, represented in Ger. Wurz or Wurzel; the ultimate root is the same in both words, and is seen in Lat. radix)
• ROOT, ELIHU (1845– )

root cra-, Gr. xav-, cf. xaipw, x6p,ua, Xapts)  , a word of many shades of meaning, but always connoting the idea of favour, whether that in which one stands to others or that which one shows to others . The New English Dictionary groups the meanings of the word under three main heads: (I) Pleasing quality, gracefulness, (2) favour, goodwill, (3) gratitude, thanks . It is in the second general sense of " favour bestowed " that the word has its most important connotations . In this sense it means something given by superior authority as a concession made of favour and goodwill, not as an obligation or of right . Thus, a concession may be made by a sovereign or other public authority " by way of grace." Previous to the Revolution of 1688 such concessions on the part of the crown were known in constitutional law as " Graces." " Letters of Grace " (gratiae, gratiosa rescripta) is the name given to papal rescripts granting special privileges, indulgences, exemptions and the like . In the language of the universities the word still survives in a shadow of this sense . The word " grace " was originally a dispensation granted by the congregation of the university, or by one of the faculties, from some statutable conditions required for a degree . In the English universities these conditions ceased to be enforced, and the " grace " thus became an essential preliminary to any degree; so that the word has acquired the meaning of (a) the licence granted by congregation to take a degree, (b) other decrees of the governing body (originally dispensations from statutes), all such degrees being called " graces " at Cambridge, (c) the permission which a candidate for a degree must obtain from his college or hall . To this general sense of exceptional favour belong the uses of the word in such phrases as " do me this grace," " to be in some one's good graces " and certain meanings of " the grace of God." The style " by the grace of God," borne by the king of Great Britain and Ireland among other sovereigns, though, as implying the principle of " legitimacy," it has been since the Revolution sometimes qualified on the continent by the addition of " and the will of the people," means in effect no more than the " by Divine Providence," which is the style borne by archbishops . To the same general sense of exceptional favour belong the phrases implying the concession of a right to delay in fulfilling certain obligations, e.g . " a fortnight's grace." In law the " days of grace " are the period allowed for the payment of a bill of exchange, after the term for which it has been drawn (in England three days), or for the payment of an insurance premium, &c . In religious language the " Day of Grace " is the period still open to the sinner in which to repent .

In the sense of clemency or

mercy, too, " grace " is still, though rarely used: " an Act of Grace " is a formal pardon or a free and general pardon granted by act of parliament . Since to grant favours is the prerogative of the great, " Your Grace," " His Grace," &c., became dutiful paraphrases for the simple " you " and " he . " Formerly used in the royal address (" the King's Grace," &c.), the style is in England now confined to dukes and archbishops, though the style of " his most gracious majesty " is still used . In Germany the equivalent, Euer Gnaden, is the style of princes who are not Durchlaucht (i.e . Serene Highness), and is often used as a polite address to any superior . In the language of theology, though in the English Bible the word is used in several of the above senses, " grace " (Gr . X&pcs) has special meanings . Above all, it signifies the spontaneous, unmerited activity of the Divine Love in the salvation of sinners, and the Divine influence operating in man for his regeneration and sanctification . Those thus regenerated and sanctified are said to be in a " state of grace." In the New Testament grace is the forgiving mercy of God, as opposed to any human merit (Rom. xi . 6; Eph. ii . 5; Col. i . 6, &c.); it is applied also to certain gifts of God freely bestowed , e.g. miracles, tongues, &c .

(Rom. xv . 15; 1

Cor. xv. so; Eph. iii . 8, &c.), to the Christian virtues, gifts of God also, e.g. charity, holiness, &c . (2 Cor. viii . 7; 2 Pet. iii . 18) . It is also used of the Gospel generally, as opposed to the Law (John i . 17; Rom. vi . 14; i Pet. v . 12, &c.); connected with this is the use of the term " year of grace " for a year of the Christian era . The word " grace " is the central subject of three great theological controversies: (1) that of the nature of human depravity and regeneration (see PELAGIUS), (2) that of the relation between grace and free-will (see CALVIN, JOHN, and ARMINIUS, JACOnus), (3) that of the " means of grace " between Catholics and Protestants, i.e. whether the efficacy of the sacraments as channels of the Divine grace is ex opere operato or dependent on the faith of the recipient . In the third general sense, of thanks for favours bestowed, " grace " survives as the name for the thanksgiving before or after meals .

The word was originally used in the plural, and " to do, give, render, yield graces " was said, in the general sense of the

French rendre graces or Latin gratias agere, of any giving thanks . The close, and finally exclusive, association of the phrase " to say grace " with thanksgiving at meals was possibly due to the formula " Gratias Deo agamus " (" jet us give thanks to God ") with which the ceremony began in monastic refectories . The custom of saying grace, which obtained in pre-Christian times among the Jews, Greeks and Romans, and was adopted universally by Christian peoples, is probably less widespread in private houses than it used to be . It is, however, still maintained at public dinners and also in schools, colleges and institutions generally . Such graces are generally in Latin and of great antiquity: they arc sometimes short, e.g . " Laus Deo," " Benedictus benedicat," and sometimes, as at the Oxford and Cambridge colleges, of considerable length . In some countries grace has sunk to a polite formula; in Germany, e.g. it is usual before and after meals to bow to one's neighbours and say " Gesegnete Malzeit ! " (May your meal be blessed), a phrase often reduced in practice to " Malzeit " simply .