Article 1 — Whether there is created grace in Christ

The question is on Christ's grace. First, it is asked whether there is created grace in Christ. (Parallel texts: In III Sent., d. 13, q. 1, a. 1; ST III.7.1; Commentary on John, ch. 3, lect. 6; Compendium theologiae, cc. 213–14.)

Obj. 1: It seems that there is not: for man is called an adoptive son by created grace; but according to the saints, (Cf. e. g. auctoritates apud Peter Lombard, Sentences, bk. 3, d. 10, ch. 2 laudatas.) Christ was not an adoptive son; therefore, he did not possess created grace.

Obj. 2: Furthermore, where there is a conjoining of things by essence there does not have to be a conjoining by likeness; as for example, in order to know, there needs to be a union of the knower with the thing known; and yet when there are things within the soul by their own essence, it is not necessary in order for them to be known that they exist in it by likeness; but God is really united to Christ's soul by essence in a unity of person; therefore, it is not necessary that he be united to it by grace, which is a union by likeness.

Obj. 3: Furthermore, we do not need grace for what we are capable of by our natural capacities; but Christ was able to attain glory by what was natural to him, for he is a natural son, and if a son then an heir; (Cf. Galatians 4:7.) therefore, since grace is infused in minds for the sake of achieving glory, it seems that Christ did not need created grace.

Obj. 4: Furthermore, a subject can be understood without an accident; but if grace was in Christ, it was an accident; therefore, Christ can be understood without grace; thus, understood in this way, either eternal life was owed to him or not: if it is, then grace will be added to no purpose; but if not, then since eternal life is owed to adoptive sons by the fact that they are sons, it seems that the sonship of adoption would outweigh natural sonship, which is untenable.

Obj. 5: Furthermore, what is good by essence does not need a participated goodness; but Christ is good by essence, for he is true God; therefore, he does not need grace, which is a participated goodness.

Obj. 6: Furthermore, uncreated goodness exceeds the goodness of grace more than sunlight exceeds candlelight; but the one to whom sunlight is present does not need candlelight; therefore, since uncreated goodness was present to Christ by means of the union, it seems that he would not have needed grace.

Obj. 7: Furthermore, the union of the divinity was either sufficient for Christ or it was not: if not, the previously mentioned union will be imperfect, but if it is sufficient, then the addition of grace would be superfluous: but nothing is found to be superfluous in God's works; therefore, Christ did not have created grace.

Obj. 8: Furthermore, whoever knows something by a more noble knowledge, namely by a demonstrative means, does not need to know the same thing with a less noble knowledge, that is by a probable means; but Christ was good by a most noble goodness, namely by an uncreated goodness; therefore it was not necessary that he be good by a less noble goodness, namely by a created goodness.

Obj. 9: Furthermore, an instrument does not need a habit for its activity, especially if the agent whose instrument it is has a perfect power; but Christ's humanity is like an instrument of the divinity, united to it, as Damascene says in book 3; (John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, bk. 3, ch. 15 (PG 94:1060A); ch. 19 (PG 94:1080B).) therefore, since divine power is most perfect, it seems that Christ's humanity would not have needed grace.

Obj. 10: Furthermore, it is not necessary that anything be added to one possessing the fullness of every good thing; but Christ's soul possessed the fullness of every good thing by the fact that the Word was united to it, in which is the treasure-house of all goodness; therefore, it was not necessary that there be added the goodness of grace.

Obj. 11: Furthermore, that by which something becomes better is nobler than it; but no creature is more noble than the soul united to the Word; therefore, Christ's soul cannot become better by any created grace; thus it is pointless for created grace to be in him.

Obj. 12: Furthermore, there is a double image of God in us, as it seems from the Gloss on Psalm 4:7: the light of your countenance, O Lord, and so on; (Glossa ordinaria, at Psalm 4:7, 3.463 (PL 113:849); Peter Lombard, Commentary on the Psalms, at Ps 4:7 (PL 191:88B).) there is one of creation, which consists in the mind with respect to its one essence and three powers; and another is of re-creation, which is understood with respect to the light of grace: therefore, either the image of grace is more similar to God than the image of Christ's mind or else it is not; if it is more similar to God, then grace is a more noble creature than Christ's soul; but if it is not more similar, then Christ's mind would not come closer to conformity with God by means of it, for which reason alone grace is infused in the mind; therefore, grace would be placed in Christ's soul in vain.

Obj. 13: Furthermore, if effects are incompatible with one another, they will have causes incompatible with one another; for just as gathering and scattering seem to be incompatible with each another, so also are black and white; (sicut...nigredo: cf. Aristotle, Metaphysics 10.9, 1057b8; Topics 3.5, 119a30–31; 7.3, 153a38–b1.) but natural sonship, the beginning of which is eternal birth, is incompatible with adoptive sonship, the beginning of which is the infusion of grace; therefore, infused grace is also incompatible with eternal birth. Hence, since an eternal birth belongs to Christ, it seems that grace is not infused into him.

On the contrary (1), in John 1:14 it says: we have seen him full of grace and truth; (John 1.13.) but created knowledge was in Christ, to which truth pertains; therefore, so also was created grace.

Furthermore (2), merit requires grace; but Christ merited both for himself and for us, as the saints say; (vide e. g. auctoritates laudatas apud Peter Lombard, Sentences, bk. 3, d. 18, ch. 1.) therefore Christ possessed created grace, for it does not pertain to the Creator to merit.

Furthermore (3), Christ was simultaneously a wayfarer and a possessor; but the perfection of a wayfarer is created grace; therefore, Christ possessed created grace.

Furthermore (4), there was no perfection lacking in Christ which was in others, since he was most perfect; but the other souls of the saints not only possessed the perfection of nature but also of grace; therefore, both perfections were in Christ.

Furthermore (5), as glory is related to a possessor, so is grace to a wayfarer; but there was created glory in Christ, who was both a wayfarer and a possessor, for he enjoyed the divinity by a created act; therefore, there was created grace in him.

I answer that it must be said that it is necessary to hold that there is created grace in Christ. The reason for this necessity can be understood from this, that there can be two kinds of union of the soul with God: one according to existence in one person, which belongs to Christ's soul in a unique way; and another according to activity, which is common to all those knowing and loving God. Indeed, the first union is not sufficient for beatitude without the second, for not even God himself would be blessed if he did not know and love himself; (Cf. ST I-II.4.1.) for he would not take delight in himself, which is required for beatitude. Therefore, in order for Christ's soul to be blessed, there is required a union of operation besides his union to the Word in the person, such that he sees God essentially and enjoys him by seeing. But this exceeds the natural capability of any creature, though it is only applicable to God according to his own nature. Therefore, it is necessary that something be added beyond the nature of Christ's soul by which it is ordered to the previously mentioned blessedness; and we call this grace. Hence, it is necessary to hold that there is a created grace in Christ's soul.

From this is clear the uselessness of the opinion of some which holds that habitual grace is not in the higher part of Christ's soul, but that it is immediately united to the Word, and that grace flows into the lower powers from such a union. For if one is speaking of the union in the person, then not only is the higher part of Christ's soul united to the Word, but so is the entire soul; however, if one is speaking of the union by activity, then habitual grace is needed for this, as has been said.

Reply Obj. 1: Therefore, to the first it must be said that the things which are naturally apt to belong to the person by reason of its very self cannot be said of Christ, if they are incompatible with the properties of an eternal person, which is in him alone; as is clear with the name "creature"; but the things which are not naturally apt to belong to a person except by reason of the nature or else of a part of nature can be said of Christ, even though they are incompatible with the eternal person; and this is because of the duality of natures; as is the case with suffering, dying, and the like. However, sonship regards the person first of all, whereas grace does not regard the person except by reason of the mind, which is a part of nature; and thus adoptive sonship does not belong to Christ in any way, yet it does belong to him to possess grace.

Reply Obj. 2: To the second it must be said that that argument follows when the union by essence and by likeness is ordered to the same thing: however, this is not the case in the matter at hand, for the real union of the deity with Christ's soul is ordered to the unity of the person, however the union by a likeness of grace is ordered to the enjoyment of blessedness.

Reply Obj. 3: To the third it must be said that blessedness is natural to Christ with respect to the divine nature, but not with respect to human nature, and so he needs grace for this.

Reply Obj. 4: To the fourth it must be said that if one holds that Christ's soul does not possess grace, then uncreated blessedness would belong to Christ inasmuch as he is a natural Son, but not created blessedness, which is due to adoptive sons.

Reply Obj. 5: To the fifth it must be said that Christ is essentially good according to divine nature, but not according to human nature; and in this respect he needs a participation of grace.

Reply Obj. 6: To the sixth it must be said that sunlight and candlelight are ordered to the same thing, but not the union of the divinity with Christ's soul with respect to the person and by grace, and so there is no parallel.

Reply Obj. 7: To the seventh it must be said that the union of the divinity with Christ's soul is sufficient for its purpose; yet it does not follow that the union of grace is superfluous, for it is ordered to something else.

Reply Obj. 8: To the eighth it must be said that a more noble and less noble knowledge are ordered to the same thing, namely to the knowledge of the thing; however, this is not the case in the matter at hand, and so the argument does not follow.

Reply Obj. 9: To the ninth it must be said that there are two kinds of instruments: (This example is from Aristotle, Ethics 8.11, 1161b4; cf. Aquinas, In III Sent., d. 13, q. 1, a. 1, ad 4.) one is inanimate, which is acted upon and does not act, such as an ax, and this does not need a habit: but another is animate, such as a slave who acts and is acted upon, and this needs a habit; the humanity of Christ is such an instrument of the divinity.

Reply Obj. 10: To the tenth it must be said that the fullness of every good was united to Christ's soul from the union itself of the personal Word, though not formally but personally; and so he needed to be informed by grace.

Reply Obj. 11: To the eleventh it must be said that no creature is better than the soul that is personally united to the Word, simply speaking, but nothing prevents this from being the case in a certain respect; for just as a color is more noble than its body in a certain respect, namely, inasmuch as it was its act, so also is grace better than Christ's soul inasmuch as it is its perfection.

Reply Obj. 12: To the twelfth it must be said that grace is more similar in a certain respect, inasmuch as it is compared to Christ's soul as act is to potency: and in this respect Christ's soul was conformed to God by grace; but his mind is more similar with regard to other things, namely with respect to its natural properties in which it imitates God.

Reply Obj. 13: To the thirteenth one must respond in the same way as to the first.