Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 16 (2/2)
Obj. 3: Further, the sacraments of the Old Law are compared to Christ as the shadow to the body, as is written (Col. 2:17). But the fathers of the Old Testament in their day served unto these sacraments, according to Heb. 8:5: ”Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.” Hence they did not pertain to Christ's body, and therefore Christ is not the Head of all men.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (1 Tim. 4:10): ”Who is the Saviour of all men, especially of the faithful,” and (1 John 2:2): ”He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” Now to save men and to be a propitiation for their sins belongs to Christ as Head. Therefore Christ is the Head of all men.
_I answer that,_ This is the difference between the natural body of man and the Church's mystical body, that the members of the natural body are all together, and the members of the mystical are not all together--neither as regards their natural being, since the body of the Church is made up of the men who have been from the beginning of the world until its end--nor as regards their supernatural being, since, of those who are at any one time, some there are who are without grace, yet will afterwards obtain it, and some have it already. We must therefore consider the members of the mystical body not only as they are in act, but as they are in potentiality.
Nevertheless, some are in potentiality who will never be reduced to act, and some are reduced at some time to act; and this according to the triple cla.s.s, of which the first is by faith, the second by the charity of this life, the third by the fruition of the life to come.
Hence we must say that if we take the whole time of the world in general, Christ is the Head of all men, but diversely. For, first and princ.i.p.ally, He is the Head of such as are united to Him by glory; secondly, of those who are actually united to Him by charity; thirdly, of those who are actually united to Him by faith; fourthly, of those who are united to Him merely in potentiality, which is not yet reduced to act, yet will be reduced to act according to Divine predestination; fifthly, of those who are united to Him in potentiality, which will never be reduced to act; such are those men existing in the world, who are not predestined, who, however, on their departure from this world, wholly cease to be members of Christ, as being no longer in potentiality to be united to Christ.
Reply Obj. 1: Those who are unbaptized, though not actually in the Church, are in the Church potentially. And this potentiality is rooted in two things--first and princ.i.p.ally, in the power of Christ, which is sufficient for the salvation of the whole human race; secondly, in free-will.
Reply Obj. 2: To be ”a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle” is the ultimate end to which we are brought by the Pa.s.sion of Christ.
Hence this will be in heaven, and not on earth, in which ”if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,” as is written (1 John 1:8).
Nevertheless, there are some, viz. mortal, sins from which they are free who are members of Christ by the actual union of charity; but such as are tainted with these sins are not members of Christ actually, but potentially; except, perhaps, imperfectly, by formless faith, which unites to G.o.d, relatively but not simply, viz. so that man partake of the life of grace. For, as is written (James 2:20): ”Faith without works is dead.” Yet such as these receive from Christ a certain vital act, i.e. to believe, as if a lifeless limb were moved by a man to some extent.
Reply Obj. 3: The holy Fathers made use of the legal sacraments, not as realities, but as images and shadows of what was to come. Now it is the same motion to an image as image, and to the reality, as is clear from the Philosopher (De Memor. et Remin. ii). Hence the ancient Fathers, by observing the legal sacraments, were borne to Christ by the same faith and love whereby we also are borne to Him, and hence the ancient Fathers belong to the same Church as we.
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FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 8, Art. 4]
Whether Christ Is the Head of the Angels?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ as man is not the head of the angels. For the head and members are of one nature. But Christ as man is not of the same nature with the angels, but only with men, since, as is written (Heb. 2:16): ”For nowhere doth He take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold.” Therefore Christ as man is not the head of the angels.
Obj. 2: Further, Christ is the head of such as belong to the Church, which is His Body, as is written (Eph. 1:23). But the angels do not belong to the Church. For the Church is the congregation of the faithful: and in the angels there is no faith, for they do not ”walk by faith” but ”by sight,” otherwise they would be ”absent from the Lord,” as the Apostle argues (2 Cor. 5:6, 7). Therefore Christ as man is not head of the angels.
Obj. 3: Further, Augustine says (Tract. xix; xxiii in Joan.), that as ”the Word” which ”was in the beginning with the Father” quickens souls, so the ”Word made flesh” quickens bodies, which angels lack.
But the Word made flesh is Christ as man. Therefore Christ as man does not give life to angels, and hence as man He is not the head of the angels.
_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Col. 2:10), ”Who is the head of all Princ.i.p.ality and Power,” and the same reason holds good with the other orders of angels. Therefore Christ is the Head of the angels.
_I answer that,_ As was said above (A. 1, ad 2), where there is one body we must allow that there is one head. Now a mult.i.tude ordained to one end, with distinct acts and duties, may be metaphorically called one body. But it is manifest that both men and angels are ordained to one end, which is the glory of the Divine fruition. Hence the mystical body of the Church consists not only of men but of angels. Now of all this mult.i.tude Christ is the Head, since He is nearer G.o.d, and shares His gifts more fully, not only than man, but even than angels; and of His influence not only men but even angels partake, since it is written (Eph. 1:20-22): that G.o.d the Father set ”Him,” namely Christ, ”on His right hand in the heavenly places, above all Princ.i.p.ality and Power and Virtue and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And He hath subjected all things under His feet.” Therefore Christ is not only the Head of men, but of angels. Hence we read (Matt. 4:11) that ”angels came and ministered to Him.”
Reply Obj. 1: Christ's influence over men is chiefly with regard to their souls; wherein men agree with angels in generic nature, though not in specific nature. By reason of this agreement Christ can be said to be the Head of the angels, although the agreement falls short as regards the body.
Reply Obj. 2: The Church, on earth, is the congregation of the faithful; but, in heaven, it is the congregation of comprehensors.
Now Christ was not merely a wayfarer, but a comprehensor. And therefore He is the Head not merely of the faithful, but of comprehensors, as having grace and glory most fully.
Reply Obj. 3: Augustine here uses the similitude of cause and effect, i.e. inasmuch as corporeal things act on bodies, and spiritual things on spiritual things. Nevertheless, the humanity of Christ, by virtue of the spiritual nature, i.e. the Divine, can cause something not only in the spirits of men, but also in the spirits of angels, on account of its most close conjunction with G.o.d, i.e. by personal union.
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FIFTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 8, Art. 5]
Whether the Grace of Christ, As Head of the Church, Is the Same As His Habitual Grace, Inasmuch As He Is Man?
Objection 1: It would seem that the grace whereby Christ is Head of the Church and the individual grace of the Man are not the same. For the Apostle says (Rom. 5:15): ”If by the offense of one many died, much more the grace of G.o.d and the gift, by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” But the actual sin of Adam is distinct from original sin which he transmitted to his posterity.
Hence the personal grace which is proper to Christ is distinct from His grace, inasmuch as He is the Head of the Church, which flows to others from Him.
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