Grace, in theology, is general or special.—Common or general grace denotes the love which God has to all his creatures, and the light of nature and of conscience which they all enjoy. Special or particular grace is the love which God has for his elect people, and by which he saves them from their sins. Special or saving grace is spoken of as electing, justifying, sanctifying grace; also as imputed grace—the grace of Christ's righteousness imputed to those that believe on him. Grace is further efficacious and irresistible; and elect or believing people are said to stand to God in the covenant of grace, Adam's relation to his Maker before the fall being the covenant of works. When man is said to be in a state of grace, it implies that he is in the enjoyment of this divine love and favour. St Paul draws a sharp contrast (Rom. xi.) between 'grace' and 'works.'
Grace at Meals was the custom of the Jews; and Our Lord 'blessed' or 'gave thanks' before distributing the loaves and fishes, and again before and after the Last Supper. That it was the general practice of the early Christians to give thanks, seemingly at every meal, is evident from the writings of St Paul and of the Fathers. The Gelasian Sacramentary (end of 5th century) contains probably the most ancient graces of the Latin Church now extant. At Clifford's Inn the 'acted grace' consisted in the raising three times, in allusion to the Trinity, of four loaves, representing the four gospels, which the president then propelled along the polished tables to the vice-chairman, to symbolise the spread of the gospel to the heathen. The canon Non Nobis, Domine by William Byrd (q.v.) is often sung in England at public dinners in place of a grace after meat. The old college grace, 'Benedictus benedicat,' and, after dinner, 'Benedicto benedicatur,' may also be mentioned.