Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 52 (1/2)
Reply Obj. 5: As Jerome says on Matt. 1:3: ”None of the holy women are mentioned in the Saviour's genealogy, but only those whom Scripture censures, so that He who came for the sake of sinners, by being born of sinners, might blot out all sin.” Thus Thamar is mentioned, who is censured for her sin with her father-in-law; Rahab who was a wh.o.r.e; Ruth who was a foreigner; and Bethsabee, the wife of Urias, who was an adulteress. The last, however, is not mentioned by name, but is designated through her husband; both on account of his sin, for he was cognizant of the adultery and murder; and further in order that, by mentioning the husband by name, David's sin might be recalled. And because Luke purposes to delineate Christ as the expiator of our sins, he makes no mention of these women. But he does mention Juda's brethren, in order to show that they belong to G.o.d's people: whereas Ismael, the brother of Isaac, and Esau, Jacob's brother, were cut off from G.o.d's people, and for this reason are not mentioned in Christ's genealogy. Another motive was to show the emptiness of pride of birth: for many of Juda's brethren were born of hand-maidens, and yet all were patriarchs and heads of tribes. Phares and Zara are mentioned together, because, as Ambrose says on Luke 3:23, ”they are the type of the twofold life of man: one, according to the Law,” signified by Zara; ”the other by Faith,” of which Phares is the type. The brethren of Jechonias are included, because they all reigned at various times: which was not the case with other kings: or, again, because they were alike in wickedness and misfortune.
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FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 31, Art. 4]
Whether the Matter of Christ's Body Should Have Been Taken from a Woman?
Objection 1: It would seem that the matter of Christ's body should not have been taken from a woman. For the male s.e.x is more n.o.ble than the female. But it was most suitable that Christ should a.s.sume that which is perfect in human nature. Therefore it seems that He should not have taken flesh from a woman but rather from man: just as Eve was formed from the rib of a man.
Obj. 2: Further, whoever is conceived of a woman is shut up in her womb. But it ill becomes G.o.d, Who fills heaven and earth, as is written Jer. 23:24, to be shut up within the narrow limits of the womb. Therefore it seems that He should not have been conceived of a woman.
Obj. 3: Further, those who are conceived of a woman contract a certain uncleanness: as it is written (Job 25:4): ”Can man be justified compared with G.o.d? Or he that is born of a woman appear clean?” But it was unbecoming that any uncleanness should be in Christ: for He is the Wisdom of G.o.d, of whom it is written (Wis.
7:25) that ”no defiled thing cometh into her.” Therefore it does not seem right that He should have taken flesh from a woman.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Gal. 4:4): ”G.o.d sent His Son, made of a woman.”
_I answer that,_ Although the Son of G.o.d could have taken flesh from whatever matter He willed, it was nevertheless most becoming that He should take flesh from a woman. First because in this way the entire human nature was enn.o.bled. Hence Augustine says (QQ. lx.x.xiii, qu.
11): ”It was suitable that man's liberation should be made manifest in both s.e.xes. Consequently, since it behooved a man, being of the n.o.bler s.e.x, to a.s.sume, it was becoming that the liberation of the female s.e.x should be manifested in that man being born of a woman.”
Secondly, because thus the truth of the Incarnation is made evident.
Wherefore Ambrose says (De Incarn. vi): ”Thou shalt find in Christ many things both natural, and supernatural. In accordance with nature He was within the womb,” viz. of a woman's body: ”but it was above nature that a virgin should conceive and give birth: that thou mightest believe that He was G.o.d, who was renewing nature; and that He was man who, according to nature, was being born of a man.” And Augustine says (Ep. ad Volus. cx.x.xvii): ”If Almighty G.o.d had created a man formed otherwise than in a mother's womb, and had suddenly produced him to sight ... would He not have strengthened an erroneous opinion, and made it impossible for us to believe that He had become a true man? And whilst He is doing all things wondrously, would He have taken away that which He accomplished in mercy? But now, He, the mediator between G.o.d and man, has so shown Himself, that, uniting both natures in the unity of one Person, He has given a dignity to ordinary by extraordinary things, and tempered the extraordinary by the ordinary.”
Thirdly, because in this fas.h.i.+on the begetting of man is accomplished in every variety of manner. For the first man was made from the ”slime of the earth,” without the concurrence of man or woman: Eve was made of man but not of woman: and other men are made from both man and woman. So that this fourth manner remained as it were proper to Christ, that He should be made of a woman without the concurrence of a man.
Reply Obj. 1: The male s.e.x is more n.o.ble than the female, and for this reason He took human nature in the male s.e.x. But lest the female s.e.x should be despised, it was fitting that He should take flesh of a woman. Hence Augustine says (De Agone Christ. xi): ”Men, despise not yourselves: the Son of G.o.d became a man: despise not yourselves, women; the Son of G.o.d was born of a woman.”
Reply Obj. 2: Augustine thus (Contra Faust. xxiii) replies to Faustus, who urged this objection; ”By no means,” says he, ”does the Catholic Faith, which believes that Christ the Son of G.o.d was born of a virgin, according to the flesh, suppose that the same Son of G.o.d was so shut up in His Mother's womb, as to cease to be elsewhere, as though He no longer continued to govern heaven and earth, and as though He had withdrawn Himself from the Father. But you, Manicheans, being of a mind that admits of nought but material images, are utterly unable to grasp these things.” For, as he again says (Ep. ad Volus. cx.x.xvii), ”it belongs to the sense of man to form conceptions only through tangible bodies, none of which can be entire everywhere, because they must of necessity be diffused through their innumerable parts in various places ... Far otherwise is the nature of the soul from that of the body: how much more the nature of G.o.d, the Creator of soul and body! ... He is able to be entire everywhere, and to be contained in no place. He is able to come without moving from the place where He was; and to go without leaving the spot whence He came.”
Reply Obj. 3: There is no uncleanness in the conception of man from a woman, as far as this is the work of G.o.d: wherefore it is written (Acts 10:15): ”That which G.o.d hath cleansed do not thou call common,”
i.e. unclean. There is, however, a certain uncleanness therein, resulting from sin, as far as l.u.s.tful desire accompanies conception by s.e.xual union. But this was not the case with Christ, as shown above (Q. 28, A. 1). But if there were any uncleanness therein, the Word of G.o.d would not have been sullied thereby, for He is utterly unchangeable. Wherefore Augustine says (Contra Quinque Haereses v): ”G.o.d saith, the Creator of man: What is it that troubles thee in My Birth? I was not conceived by l.u.s.tful desire. I made Myself a mother of whom to be born. If the sun's rays can dry up the filth in the drain, and yet not be defiled: much more can the Splendor of eternal light cleanse whatever It s.h.i.+nes upon, but Itself cannot be sullied.”
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FIFTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 31, Art. 5]
Whether the Flesh of Christ Was Conceived of the Virgin's Purest Blood?
Objection 1: It would seem that the flesh of Christ was not conceived of the Virgin's purest blood: For it is said in the collect (Feast of the Annunciation) that G.o.d ”willed that His Word should take flesh from a Virgin.” But flesh differs from blood. Therefore Christ's body was not taken from the Virgin's blood.
Obj. 2: Further, as the woman was miraculously formed from the man, so Christ's body was formed miraculously from the Virgin. But the woman is not said to have been formed from the man's blood, but rather from his flesh and bones, according to Gen. 2:23: ”This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” It seems therefore that neither should Christ's body have been formed from the Virgin's blood, but from her flesh and bones.
Obj. 3: Further, Christ's body was of the same species as other men's bodies. But other men's bodies are not formed from the purest blood but from the s.e.m.e.n and the menstrual blood. Therefore it seems that neither was Christ's body conceived of the purest blood of the Virgin.
_On the contrary,_ Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii) that ”the Son of G.o.d, from the Virgin's purest blood, formed Himself flesh, animated with a rational soul.”
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 4), in Christ's conception His being born of a woman was in accordance with the laws of nature, but that He was born of a virgin was above the laws of nature. Now, such is the law of nature that in the generation of an animal the female supplies the matter, while the male is the active principle of generation; as the Philosopher proves (De Gener. Animal. i). But a woman who conceives of a man is not a virgin. And consequently it belongs to the supernatural mode of Christ's generation, that the active principle of generation was the supernatural power of G.o.d: but it belongs to the natural mode of His generation, that the matter from which His body was conceived is similar to the matter which other women supply for the conception of their offspring. Now, this matter, according to the Philosopher (De Gener. Animal.), is the woman's blood, not any of her blood, but brought to a more perfect stage of secretion by the mother's generative power, so as to be apt for conception. And therefore of such matter was Christ's body conceived.
Reply Obj. 1: Since the Blessed Virgin was of the same nature as other women, it follows that she had flesh and bones of the same nature as theirs. Now, flesh and bones in other women are actual parts of the body, the integrity of which results therefrom: and consequently they cannot be taken from the body without its being corrupted or diminished. But as Christ came to heal what was corrupt, it was not fitting that He should bring corruption or diminution to the integrity of His Mother. Therefore it was becoming that Christ's body should be formed not from the flesh or bones of the Virgin, but from her blood, which as yet is not actually a part, but is potentially the whole, as stated in _De Gener. Animal._ i. Hence He is said to have taken flesh from the Virgin, not that the matter from which His body was formed was actual flesh, but blood, which is flesh potentially.
Reply Obj. 2: As stated in the First Part (Q. 92, A. 3, ad 2), Adam, through being established as a kind of principle of human nature, had in his body a certain proportion of flesh and bone, which belonged to him, not as an integral part of his personality, but in regard to his state as a principle of human nature. And from this was the woman formed, without detriment to the man. But in the Virgin's body there was nothing of this sort, from which Christ's body could be formed without detriment to His Mother's body.
Reply Obj. 3: Woman's s.e.m.e.n is not apt for generation, but is something imperfect in the seminal order, which, on account of the imperfection of the female power, it has not been possible to bring to complete seminal perfection. Consequently this s.e.m.e.n is not the necessary matter of conception; as the Philosopher says (De Gener.
Animal. i): wherefore there was none such in Christ's conception: all the more since, though it is imperfect in the seminal order, a certain concupiscence accompanies its emission, as also that of the male s.e.m.e.n: whereas in that virginal conception there could be no concupiscence. Wherefore Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii) that Christ's body was not conceived ”seminally.” But the menstrual blood, the flow of which is subject to monthly periods, has a certain natural impurity of corruption: like other superfluities, which nature does not heed, and therefore expels. Of such menstrual blood infected with corruption and repudiated by nature, the conception is not formed; but from a certain secretion of the pure blood which by a process of elimination is prepared for conception, being, as it were, more pure and more perfect than the rest of the blood. Nevertheless, it is tainted with the impurity of l.u.s.t in the conception of other men: inasmuch as by s.e.xual intercourse this blood is drawn to a place apt for conception. This, however, did not take place in Christ's conception: because this blood was brought together in the Virgin's womb and fas.h.i.+oned into a child by the operation of the Holy Ghost.