Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 99 (1/2)
FIRST ARTICLE [III, Q. 59, Art. 1]
Whether Judiciary Power Is to Be Specially Attributed to Christ?
Objection 1: It would seem that judiciary power is not to be specially attributed to Christ. For judgment of others seems to belong to their lord; hence it is written (Rom. 14:4): ”Who art thou that judgest another man's servant?” But, it belongs to the entire Trinity to be Lord over creatures. Therefore judiciary power ought not to be attributed specially to Christ.
Obj. 2: Further, it is written (Dan. 7:9): ”The Ancient of days sat”; and further on (Dan. 7:10), ”the judgment sat, and the books were opened.” But the Ancient of days is understood to be the Father, because as Hilary says (De Trin. ii): ”Eternity is in the Father.”
Consequently, judiciary power ought rather to be attributed to the Father than to Christ.
Obj. 3: Further, it seems to belong to the same person to judge as it does to convince. But it belongs to the Holy Ghost to convince: for our Lord says (John 16:8): ”And when He is come,” i.e. the Holy Ghost, ”He will convince the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment.” Therefore judiciary power ought to be attributed to the Holy Ghost rather than to Christ.
_On the contrary,_ It is said of Christ (Acts 10:42): ”It is He who was appointed by G.o.d, to be judge of the living end of the dead.”
_I answer that,_ Three things are required for pa.s.sing judgment: first, the power of coercing subjects; hence it is written (Ecclus.
7:6): ”Seek not to be made a judge unless thou have strength enough to extirpate iniquities.” The second thing required is upright zeal, so as to pa.s.s judgment not out of hatred or malice, but from love of justice, according to Prov. 3:12: ”For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth: and as a father in the son He pleaseth Himself.” Thirdly, wisdom is needed, upon which judgment is based, according to Ecclus.
10:1: ”A wise judge shall judge his people.” The first two are conditions for judging; but on the third the very rule of judgment is based, because the standard of judgment is the law of wisdom or truth, according to which the judgment is pa.s.sed.
Now because the Son is Wisdom begotten, and Truth proceeding from the Father, and His perfect Image, consequently, judiciary power is properly attributed to the Son of G.o.d. Accordingly Augustine says (De Vera Relig. x.x.xi): ”This is that unchangeable Truth, which is rightly styled the law of all arts, and the art of the Almighty Craftsman.
But even as we and all rational souls judge aright of the things beneath us, so does He who alone is Truth itself pa.s.s judgment on us, when we cling to Him. But the Father judges Him not, for He is the Truth no less than Himself. Consequently, whatever the Father judges, He judges through It.” Further on he concludes by saying: ”Therefore the Father judges no man, but has given all judgment to the Son.”
Reply Obj. 1: This argument proves that judiciary power is common to the entire Trinity, which is quite true: still by special appropriation such power is attributed to the Son, as stated above.
Reply Obj. 2: As Augustine says (De Trin. vi), eternity is attributed to the Father, because He is the Principle, which is implied in the idea of eternity. And in the same place Augustine says that the Son is the art of the Father. So, then, judiciary authority is attributed to the Father, inasmuch as He is the Principle of the Son, but the very rule of judgment is attributed to the Son who is the art and wisdom of the Father, so that as the Father does all things through the Son, inasmuch as the Son is His art, so He judges all things through the Son, inasmuch as the Son is His wisdom and truth. And this is implied by Daniel, when he says in the first pa.s.sage that ”the Ancient of days sat,” and when he subsequently adds that the Son of Man ”came even to the Ancient of days, who gave Him power, and glory, and a kingdom”: and thereby we are given to understand that the authority for judging lies with the Father, from whom the Son received the power to judge.
Reply Obj. 3: As Augustine says (Tract. xcv in Joan.): ”Christ said that the Holy Ghost shall convince the world of sin, as if to say 'He shall pour out charity upon your hearts.' For thus, when fear is driven away, you shall have freedom for convincing.” Consequently, then, judgment is attributed to the Holy Ghost, not as regards the rule of judgment, but as regards man's desire to judge others aright.
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SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 59, Art. 2]
Whether Judiciary Power Belongs to Christ As Man?
Objection 1: It would seem that judiciary power does not belong to Christ as man. For Augustine says (De Vera Relig. x.x.xi) that judgment is attributed to the Son inasmuch as He is the law of the first truth. But this is Christ's attribute as G.o.d. Consequently, judiciary power does not belong to Christ as man but as G.o.d.
Obj. 2: Further, it belongs to judiciary power to reward the good, just as to punish the wicked. But eternal beat.i.tude, which is the reward of good works, is bestowed by G.o.d alone: thus Augustine says (Tract. xxiii super Joan.) that ”the soul is made blessed by partic.i.p.ation of G.o.d, and not by partic.i.p.ation of a holy soul.”
Therefore it seems that judiciary power does not belong to Christ as man, but as G.o.d.
Obj. 3: Further, it belongs to Christ's judiciary power to judge secrets of hearts, according to 1 Cor. 4:5: ”Judge not before the time; until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” But this belongs exclusively to the Divine power, according to Jer. 17:9, 10: ”The heart of man is perverse and unsearchable, who can know it? I am the Lord who search the heart, and prove the reins: who give to every one according to his way.” Therefore judiciary power does not belong to Christ as man but as G.o.d.
_On the contrary,_ It is said (John 5:27): ”He hath given Him power to do judgment, because He is the Son of man.”
_I answer that,_ Chrysostom (Hom. x.x.xix in Joan.) seems to think that judiciary power belongs to Christ not as man, but only as G.o.d.
Accordingly he thus explains the pa.s.sage just quoted from John: ”'He gave Him power to do judgment, because He is the Son of man: wonder not at this.' For He received judiciary power, not because He is man; but because He is the Son of the ineffable G.o.d, therefore is He judge. But since the expressions used were greater than those appertaining to man, He said in explanation: 'Wonder not at this, because He is the Son of man, for He is likewise the Son of G.o.d.'”
And he proves this by the effect of the Resurrection: wherefore He adds: ”Because the hour cometh when the dead in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of G.o.d.”
But it must be observed that although the primary authority of judging rests with G.o.d, nevertheless the power to judge is committed to men with regard to those subject to their jurisdiction. Hence it is written (Deut. 1:16): ”Judge that which is just”; and further on (Deut. 1:17): ”Because it is the judgment of G.o.d,” that is to say, it is by His authority that you judge. Now it was said before (Q. 8, AA.
1, 4) that Christ even in His human nature is Head of the entire Church, and that G.o.d has ”put all things under His feet.”
Consequently, it belongs to Him, even according to His human nature, to exercise judiciary power. On this account, it seems that the authority of Scripture quoted above must be interpreted thus: ”He gave Him power to do judgment, because He is the Son of Man”; not on account of the condition of His nature, for thus all men would have this kind of power, as Chrysostom objects (Hom. x.x.xix in Joan.); but because this belongs to the grace of the Head, which Christ received in His human nature.
Now judiciary power belongs to Christ in this way according to His human nature on three accounts. First, because of His likeness and kins.h.i.+p with men; for, as G.o.d works through intermediary causes, as being closer to the effects, so He judges men through the Man Christ, that His judgment may be sweeter to men. Hence (Heb. 4:15) the Apostle says: ”For we have not a high-priest, who cannot have compa.s.sion on our infirmities; but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin. Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of His grace.” Secondly, because at the last judgment, as Augustine says (Tract. xix in Joan.), ”there will be a resurrection of dead bodies, which G.o.d will raise up through the Son of Man”; just as by ”the same Christ He raises souls,” inasmuch as ”He is the Son of G.o.d.” Thirdly, because, as Augustine observes (De Verb. Dom., Serm. cxxvii): ”It was but right that those who were to be judged should see their judge. But those to be judged were the good and the bad. It follows that the form of a servant should be shown in the judgment to both good and wicked, while the form of G.o.d should be kept for the good alone.”