Article 5 — Whether a habitual grace is required in Christ in order for him to be head

Fifth, it is asked whether a habitual grace is required in Christ in order for him to be head. (Parallel texts: In III Sent., d. 13, q. 3, a. 2, qa. 1–2; ST III.8.5.)

Obj. 1: It seems not, for the Apostle holds the notion of head to be in Christ in Colossians 1:19 from this, that it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell in him, as is clear in the authority quoted above; but every fullness of the divinity dwelt in Christ through union; therefore, in order for him to be head, no grace is required apart from that of union.

Obj. 2: Furthermore, Christ is the head of the Church inasmuch as he acts for our salvation; however, the action of his humanity conferred salvation upon us, as Damascene says, (Cf. John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, bk. 3, ch. 15 (PG 94:1060A); ch. 19 (PG 94:1080B).) inasmuch as the humanity was an instrument, as it were, of the divinity; therefore, since it is not required that a habit exist in an instrument, but only that there be a motion which is moved by the primary agent, it seems that no habitual grace is required to be in Christ in order for him to be the head.

Obj. 3: Furthermore, the action of any man can be salutary for another in two ways: in one way inasmuch as he acts as an individual person; and in this way grace is required in order for his action to be meritorious either for himself or for another; in another way as a common person, and the Church's ministers are of such a kind, who act for the salvation of others by disposing the sacraments and by the prayers which they pour out in the person of the Church; and grace is not required for this, but only power or state: for such are carried out not only by good men but also by bad. However, as being the Church's head, Christ is considered as a common person, whose office all the Church's ministers hold. Therefore, he did not need habitual grace in order to be head.

Obj. 4: Furthermore, Christ was the Church's head inasmuch as his merit was infinite: for he was able to have an influence over all the Church's members for the annihilation of all sins; but his merit was not infinite from habitual grace, which was finite; therefore, Christ was not head by reason of any habitual grace.

Obj. 5: Furthermore, Christ is the Church's inasmuch as he is the mediator of God and men (1 Tim 2:5); but he is the mediator of God and men inasmuch as he is the middle between God and men, having divinity common with God, and humanity with men, which is indeed by the union; therefore, only the union without habitual grace suffices for the notion of head.

Obj. 6: Furthermore, there is one life of one subject, but grace is the soul's life; therefore, there is one grace in one soul; and so it is not necessary that there be habitual grace in Christ by which he is head, apart from that which belongs to him as an individual person.

Obj. 7: Furthermore, Christ is head from the fact that he influences the Church's members; but Christ could not influence them, no matter how much grace he had, unless he were both God and man; therefore, habitual grace is not needed by which he is the head, but he has this from the union alone.

On the contrary (1) is what it says in John 1:16: from his fullness we have all received, grace for grace; and so he did possess some grace by which he poured out grace upon us.

Furthermore (2), the head of the mystical body is similar to the head of a natural body; but it is necessary for the perfection of a natural body that the sensitive power exist in it to the utmost; therefore, it is necessary that the fullness of grace exist in Christ in order for him to be head.

Furthermore (3), Dionysius says in the Heavenly Hierarchy, (It is actually Pseudo-Dionysius, Celestial Hierarchy, ch. 3, para. 3 (PG 3:165D).) that those who illuminate, perfect, and purify others possess in a more eminent way light, purity, and perfection; but Christ purifies, illuminates, and perfects inasmuch as he is the Church's head; therefore, in order for him to be head, the fullness of grace must exist in him, by which he is pure, luminous, and perfect.

I answer that it must be said that as Damascene says, (Cf. John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, bk. 3, ch. 15 (PG 94:1060A).) Christ's humanity was an instrument, as it were, of the divinity, and so his actions were able to be salutary for us. Thus, inasmuch as it was a particular instrument of the divinity, it was necessary that there be a special union of it with the divinity.

However, any substance participates more fully in God's goodness to the extent that it draws closer to his goodness, as is clear from Dionysius in the Heavenly Hierarchy; (It is actually Pseudo-Dionysius, Celestial Hierarchy, ch. 4, para. 1 (PG 3:177D).) and so from the fact that Christ's humanity was more closely and more especially united to the divinity than others, it participated in the divine goodness in a more excellent manner by the gift of grace. Because of this dignity, his humanity not only possessed grace, but he also poured grace upon others by means of it, just as the light of the sun passes to other things by means of more luminous bodily things. And since Christ communicates in some way the effects of grace to all rational creatures, it is for this reason that he is the principle in some way of every grace according to his humanity, just as God is the principle of all existence. Hence, just as the perfection of all existence is gathered together in God, so in Christ is there every fullness of grace and virtue, by which he is not only capable of the work of grace, but also to lead others to grace; and it is for this reason that he possesses the notion of head.

For the sensitive power is not only in a natural head in order that it might sense by sight, hearing, touch, and other such senses; but it is also in it as in a root from which the senses flow into the other members. Therefore, one and the same habitual grace in Christ is called the grace of union inasmuch as it agrees with the nature united to the divinity, and the grace of headship inasmuch as by means of it there is a pouring out into others for the sake of salvation; but it is of the individual person inasmuch as it perfects for the sake of meritorious works.

Reply Obj. 1: To the first it must be said that two kinds of fullness are understood to exist in Christ: one is of the divinity according to which Christ is the full God, another is of grace according to which he is called full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and the Apostle speaks about this fullness in Colossians 1:18; but of the first in Colossians 2:9. However, this second is derived from the first and the grace of the head is completed through it.

Reply Obj. 2: To the second it must be said that an inanimate instrument, such as a saw, does not need a habit; however, a living instrument, such as a slave, (This example is from Aristotle, Ethics 8.11, 1161b4; cf. Aquinas, In III Sent., d. 13, q. 1, a. 1, ad 4.) does need it, and the human nature in Christ is such an instrument of the divinity.

Reply Obj. 3: To the third it must be said that the Church's minister does not act in the sacraments by his own power, but by the power of another, namely of Christ; and so personal grace is not required in him, but only the authority of order, by which he is constituted as a vicar, as it were, of Christ. However, Christ accomplished our salvation by his own power; and so it was necessary that there be a fullness of grace in him.

Reply Obj. 4: To the fourth it must be said that although Christ's merit has a certain notion of infinitude from the dignity of the person, yet it has the notion of merit from habitual grace, without which merit cannot exist.

Reply Obj. 5: To the fifth it must be said that Christ is also the mediator of God and men according to human nature, inasmuch as he shares passability with men, but justice with God, which exists in him by grace; and so besides the union, habitual grace must also be in Christ in order for him to be mediator and head.

Reply Obj. 6: To the sixth it must be said that one and the same habitual grace pertains for different reasons to the head, to the individual person, and to the union, in the manner that was spoken of above.

Reply Obj. 7: To the seventh it must be said that although both natures are required in Christ in order for him to be the head, yet the fullness of grace in human nature follows upon the union itself of the divine nature with the human, from which there is an overflowing into others from Christ the head.