The term "actual grace" first came into common usage after the Council of Trent. Nevertheless, the notion goes back to the Gospel and Apostalic Tradition. It was one of the merits of St.Thomas Aquinas to distinguish clearly between actual and habitual grace (sanctifying grace).
Dr.Feingold explains/defends this assertion in his section on the distinction between sacntifying and actual grace.
I think this insight is significant because I want to make the case that the notion between the sacramental and the sacrament is not only related to this distinction between actual and sanctifying grace but like it, rooted in scripture and tradition only to be more precisely formulated later. Though there doesn't seem to be a particular person behind elaborating this distinction, this is more like, trying to see ordinary magisterium at work...
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