Chapter XXXIV. Question 49

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Tue Errects or CHRIST'S PASSION AND THE UNIVERSALITY OF REDEMPTION

N this question St. Thomas shows the six effects of Christ’s passion, which are His merits and satisfaction. Since these six articles present no difficulty, it suffices to give a brief recapitulation of the doctrine contained in them, so that we may pass on to discuss the universality of redemption. All the conclusions of this question must be understood as meaning that Christ’s passion is the universal and sufficient cause for the production of these effects; however, that His passion actually produces these effects, it must be applied to us by means of the sacraments and good works.

As regards the definitions of the Church, it has been especially defined in the Second Council of Orange,’ and in the Council of Trent, that Christ so redeemed us that “the nature lost by Adam was repaired by Him.” ? Christ by His death on the cross redeemed us from sins and reconciled us with the Father.’ He satisfied for the sins of the whole world.* Thus He suffered for all,® even for the damned.®

First ARTICLE

WHETHER WE WERE DELIVERED FROM SIN THROUGH CHRIST'S PASSION

By Christ’s passion we have been delivered from sin, in that Christ inasmuch as He is our head, by His passion which He endured for us¹ out of love and obedience, as by the price of His passion, redeemed us as His members from sins. He redeemed us in the same way as if a man by the good industry of his hands were to redeem himself from a sin committed with his feet. We are here concerned with the sufhciency of the Passion as regards all past, present, and future sins,’ but the fruits of the Passion must be applied to us by means of the sacraments, or at least by implicit living faith in Christ.

WHETHER WE WERE DELIVERED FROM THE DEVIL'S POWER THROUGH CHRIST’s PASSION

Conclusion. By Christ’s passion we are freed from the devil’s power, under whose slavery we had fallen through sin.

Reply to second and third objections. “God so permitting it, the devil can still tempt men’s souls and harass their bodies; yet there is still a remedy provided for man through Christ’s passion .. . , namely, a remedy for defending themselves against the wicked snares of the demons, even in Antichrist’s time. But if any man neglect to make use of this remedy, it detracts nothing from the efficacy of Christ’s passion.”

WHETHER MEN WERE FREED FROM THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN THROUGH CHRIST'S PASSION

Conclusion. Sin having been taken away, we are freed from eternal punishment that is due to it.

Reply to second objection. “Hence no punishment of satisfaction is imposed upon men at their baptism, since they are fully delivered by Christ’s satisfaction.”

WHETHER WE WERE RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST'S PASSION

Conclusion. By Christ’s passion we are reconciled to God, in that the cause of enmity against God, which was sin, has been taken away. TCf. ad 3.

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Reply to second objection. The general sense of this reply is that God is said to be placated by a change that is effected not in Him, but in us.

WHETHER CHRIST OPENED THE GATE OF HEAVEN TO US BY HIS PASSION

Conclusion. Christ opened the gate of heaven to us by His passion, in that He removed the obstacle to its entrance, which is sin.

Reply to first objection. Before Christ’s passion no one could enter the kingdom of heaven, because living faith, which sufficed in the Old Testament for the cleansing of the individual, did not suffice for removing the barrier arising from the guilt of the whole human race because of original sin.

Reply to second objection. Elias and Enoch are believed to be living in the earthly paradise until the coming of Antichrist.

WHETHER BY HIS PASSION CHRIST MERITED TO BE EXALTED

Conclusion. Christ by His passion merited to be exalted ê as regards His glorious resurrection, His ascension, His sitting at the right hand of the Father, and His judiciary power.

THE UNIVERSALITY OF REDEMPTION

From what has been said, it follows that Christ’s redemption is universal, inasmuch as, concerning its sufficiency, it included: (1) all men; (2) all sins; and (3) all good things lost by sin.

1. Redemption included all men, or Christ died for all men. This doctrine on redemption and God’s universal will to save are about equivalent in meaning. Luther, Calvin, and the Jansenists, in denying that God wills to save all men, consequently denied that Christ, who came into the world to do His Father’s will, died for all men, and so they said that Christ died only for the predestined.

This proposition of Jansenius was condemned, namely: “It is a Semi-Pelagian heresy to say that Christ died or shed His blood for all men without exception.” ° This proposition, understood in this sense,

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Patristic testimony. The Fathers unanimously assert and explain this doctrine on redemption as shown from the texts quoted by Rouet de Journel.*® St. Augustine, too, says of infants: “Are not infants also men, so as not to belong to those of whom it is said that God wills all to be saved?” ?° He also says: “God does not command what is impossible, but in commanding advises you to do what you can, and to ask for what you cannot do.” °? It is impossible, however, for adults to observe God’s commands without Christ’s grace. Therefore the Council of Quierzy declared against the predestinarians: “Just as there neither is, was, nor will be any man whose nature was not assumed by Christ Jesus our Lord, so there neither is, was, nor will be a man for whom Christ did not suffer, although not all are redeemed by the mystery of His passion . . . , because the goblet of Christ’s blood for the salvation of men, which was prepared . . . has indeed in itself the power to benefit all; but no one is healed except those who drink from this goblet.” 7” Hence Christ’s redemption is universal as regards men, because all are included.

2. Christ’s redemption includes all sins. In other words, Christ truly satisfied for all sins, both original sin and the actual sins of all human beings. The Council of Trent says: “Him [Christ] God hath proposed as a propitiator, through faith in His blood, for our sins,”* and not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world.” **

This second point, namely, that redemption includes all sins, is de fide, for the sins of the faithful, certain for the sins of infidels, commonly admitted doctrine for original sin of infants, as proportionately stated for the first point. Otherwise Christ would not have died absolutely for all men.

Moreover, since Christ’s satisfaction is superabundant and of infinite value, it follows that He freed us not only from guilt, but also from eternal and temporal punishment. But we are de facto freed from punishment only if Christ’s satisfactions are applied to us both by the sacraments, the Sacrifice of the Mass, and by living faith, “which operates by charity.” 7

19 Enchiridion patristicum, no. 422. See especially texts from St. Basil, St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Ambrose, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine.

Christ’s satisfaction is not applied to adults without their cooperation, for our Lord says: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” ° The Prince of the Apostles also teaches that Christ left us “an example that we should follow His steps.” ? Christ the Savior moves us to act and gives us grace, not that our will remain inactive, but that we act by means of the virtues to keep His precepts.

3. Christ’s redemption also includes all good things lost by sin, so that we may be restored to our former state, a work begun in this life and completed in the next.

For, as St. Thomas says,”* by Christ’s passion we are freed from sin, punishment, the power of the devil, reconciled to God, and by it the gate of heaven is opened to us. Thus Christ sufficiently merited for all men habitual grace, actual graces that prepare for or follow justification, and also eternal life. He also merited for us natural good things, inasmuch as these are conducive to salvation. He did not indeed merit that the preternatural gifts of immunity from death, suffering, concupiscence, and error should be restored to us in this life. As St. Thomas explains: “A Christian receives grace in baptism as to his soul; but he retains a passible body, so that he may suffer for Christ therein, . . . and this is suitable for our spiritual training, namely, in order that, by fighting against concupiscence and other defects to which he is subject, man may receive the crown of victory.” °° Yet Christ merited that these defects should not gain the mastery over us in this life,’ and that they be completely eliminated in the next.

Thus Christ’s passion is the sufficient cause of salvation for all, and it is efficacious for those to whom it is applied either by the sacraments, or by living faith, and to those who do not resist sufficient grace. But those who resist it deserve to be deprived of efficacious grace.*’ Thus

81 So St. Thomas has spoken in several places. See the Tabula aurea of his works, under the heading “satisfaction,” no. 36, where he says that Christ satisfied sufficiently for the whole human race, but not efficaciously. Cf. IIIa, q. 79, a. 7, ad 2, where he says: “Christ’s passion benefits all, for the forgiveness of sin and the attaining of grace and glory, whereas it produces no effect except in those who are united with Christ’s passion through faith and charity.” In the Contra Gentes, Bk. IV, chap. 55, ad 7, we read: “There is sufficient power in the divine Incarnation for the salvation of all

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Christ merited all the effects of predestination for the elect, namely, calling, justification, glorification, and also all the efficacious graces that de facto are and will be conferred. As regards the efficacious graces, however, which will not be conferred because of the resistance to sufficient grace, He merited these as offered in the sufficient grace, but not as conferred or to be conferred. God offers the efficacious grace to us in the sufficient grace, as the fruit is contained in the flower; but when the sufficient grace is resisted, then the efficacious grace is not conferred.*”

Therefore Christ’s redemption is universal including all men, all sins, and all natural good things that were lost by sin. This is a corollary resulting from the superabundant and infinite value of Christ’s atonement.

men; but that not all are saved thereby happens because of their disposition, in that they refuse to receive in themselves the fruit of the Incarnation, by not abiding in the incarnate God by faith and charity.” Likewise in De veritate, q. 29, a. 7, ad 4, he remarks: “Christ’s merit was sufficient for the salvation of all men, but it was not efficacious for all, partly because of free will, partly because of divine choice, by which the effect of Christ’s merits is conferred mercifully on some, but on others it is withdrawn by God’s just judgment.” We find the same formula in his Com. on St. Matthew, chap. 20 (end); also in his Com. on I Tim., chap. 2, lect.(1) (end), where he says: “[Christ merited] efficaciously for some, but sufficiently for all, because the price of His blood is sufhcient for the salvation of all, but it is efficacious only for the elect, because of the obstacle.” 82 Cf. IIIa, q. 19, a. 4; q» 21, a. 4.

Footnotes

1. Denz., no. 194. 2 Ibid., nos. 794, 800. 3 Ibid., nos. 286, 993 f. 4 Ibid., nos. 122 f., 286, 319, 323, 462, 794, 799, 809, 820, 1096, 1294 f., 1409. 5 Ibid., nos. 319, 462, 480, 551. 8 Ibid., no. 323. 601 ↩