Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that human nature is not more capable of being assumed by the Son of God than any other nature. For Augustine says (Ep. ad Volusianum cxxxvii): "In deeds wrought miraculously the whole reason of the deed is the power of the doer." Now the power of God Who wrought the Incarnation, which is a most miraculous work, is not limited to one nature, since the power of God is infinite. Therefore human nature is not more capable of being assumed than any other creature.

Objection 2: Further, likeness is the foundation of the fittingness of the Incarnation of the Divine Person, as above stated (Question 3, Article 8). But as in rational creatures we find the likeness of image, so in irrational creatures we find the image of trace. Therefore the irrational creature was as capable of assumption as human nature.

Objection 3: Further, in the angelic nature we find a more perfect likeness than in human nature, as Gregory says: (Hom. de Cent. Ovib.; xxxiv in Ev.), where he introduces Ezech. 28:12: "Thou wast the seal of resemblance." And sin is found in angels, even as in man, according to Job 4:18: "And in His angels He found wickedness." Therefore the angelic nature was as capable of assumption as the nature of man.

Objection 4: Further, since the highest perfection belongs to God, the more like to God a thing is, the more perfect it is. But the whole universe is more perfect than its parts, amongst which is human nature. Therefore the whole universe is more capable of being assumed than human nature.

On the contrary, It is said (Prov. 8:31) by the mouth of Begotten Wisdom: "My delights were to be with the children of men"; and hence there would seem some fitness in the union of the Son of God with human nature.

I answer that, A thing is said to be assumable as being capable of being assumed by a Divine Person, and this capability cannot be taken with reference to the natural passive power, which does not extend to what transcends the natural order, as the personal union of a creature with God transcends it. Hence it follows that a thing is said to be assumable according to some fitness for such a union. Now this fitness in human nature may be taken from two things, viz. according to its dignity, and according to its need. According to its dignity, because human nature, as being rational and intellectual, was made for attaining to the Word to some extent by its operation, viz. by knowing and loving Him. According to its need---because it stood in need of restoration, having fallen under original sin. Now these two things belong to human nature alone. For in the irrational creature the fitness of dignity is wanting, and in the angelic nature the aforesaid fitness of need is wanting. Hence it follows that only human nature was assumable.

Reply to Objection 1: Creatures are said to be "such" with reference to their proper causes, not with reference to what belongs to them from their first and universal causes; thus we call a disease incurable, not that it cannot be cured by God, but that it cannot be cured by the proper principles of the subject. Therefore a creature is said to be not assumable, not as if we withdrew anything from the power of God, but in order to show the condition of the creature, which has no capability for this.

Reply to Objection 2: The likeness of image is found in human nature, forasmuch as it is capable of God, viz. by attaining to Him through its own operation of knowledge and love. But the likeness of trace regards only a representation by Divine impression, existing in the creature, and does not imply that the irrational creature, in which such a likeness is, can attain to God by its own operation alone. For what does not come up to the less, has no fitness for the greater; as a body which is not fitted to be perfected by a sensitive soul is much less fitted for an intellectual soul. Now much greater and more perfect is the union with God in personal being than the union by operation. And hence the irrational creature which falls short of the union with God by operation has no fitness to be united with Him in personal being.

Reply to Objection 3: Some say that angels are not assumable, since they are perfect in their personality from the beginning of their creation, inasmuch as they are not subject to generation and corruption; hence they cannot be assumed to the unity of a Divine Person, unless their personality be destroyed, and this does not befit the incorruptibility of their nature nor the goodness of the one assuming, to Whom it does not belong to corrupt any perfection in the creature assumed. But this would not seem totally to disprove the fitness of the angelic nature for being assumed. For God by producing a new angelic nature could join it to Himself in unity of Person, and in this way nothing pre-existing would be corrupted in it. But as was said above, there is wanting the fitness of need, because, although the angelic nature in some is the subject of sin, their sin is irremediable, as stated above (1, Question 64, Article 2).

Reply to Objection 4: The perfection of the universe is not the perfection of one person or suppositum, but of something which is one by position or order, whereof very many parts are not capable of assumption, as was said above. Hence it follows that only human nature is capable of being assumed.

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod humana natura non fuerit magis assumptibilis a filio dei quam quaelibet alia natura.

Dicit enim Augustinus, in epistola ad volusianum, in rebus mirabiliter factis tota ratio facti est potentia facientis.

Sed potentia dei facientis incarnationem, quae est opus maxime mirabile, non limitatur ad unam naturam, cum potentia dei sit infinita. Ergo natura humana non est magis assumptibilis a deo quam aliqua alia creatura.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, similitudo est ratio faciens ad congruitatem incarnationis divinae personae, ut supra dictum est.

Sed sicut in natura rationali invenitur similitudo imaginis, ita in natura irrationali invenitur similitudo vestigii. Ergo creatura irrationalis assumptibilis fuit, sicut humana natura.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, in natura angelica invenitur expressior dei similitudo quam in natura humana, sicut Gregorius dicit, in homilia de centum ovibus, introducens illud Ezech. XXVIII, tu signaculum similitudinis.

Invenitur etiam in Angelo peccatum, sicut in homine, secundum illud iob IV, in Angelis suis reperit pravitatem.

Ergo natura angelica fuit ita assumptibilis sicut natura hominis.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, cum deo competat summa perfectio, tanto magis est deo aliquid simile, quanto est magis perfectum. Sed totum universum est magis perfectum quam partes eius, inter quas est humana natura.

Ergo totum universum est magis assumptibile quam humana natura.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dicitur Prov. VIII, ex ore sapientiae genitae, deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum.

Et ita videtur esse quaedam congruentia unionis filii dei ad humanam naturam.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod aliquid assumptibile dicitur quasi aptum assumi a divina persona. Quae quidem aptitudo non potest intelligi secundum potentiam passivam naturalem, quae non se extendit ad id quod transcendit ordinem naturalem, quem transcendit unio personalis creaturae ad deum. Unde relinquitur quod assumptibile aliquid dicatur secundum congruentiam ad unionem praedictam. Quae quidem congruentia attenditur secundum duo in humana natura, scilicet secundum eius dignitatem; et necessitatem. Secundum dignitatem quidem, quia humana natura, inquantum est rationalis et intellectualis, nata est contingere aliqualiter ipsum verbum per suam operationem, cognoscendo scilicet et amando ipsum. Secundum necessitatem autem, quia indigebat reparatione, cum subiaceret originali peccato. Haec autem duo soli humanae naturae conveniunt, nam creaturae irrationali deest congruitas dignitatis; naturae autem angelicae deest congruitas praedictae necessitatis. Unde relinquitur quod sola natura humana sit assumptibilis.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod creaturae denominantur aliquales ex eo quod competit eis secundum proprias causas, non autem ex eo quod convenit eis secundum primas causas et universales, sicut dicimus aliquem morbum esse incurabilem, non quia non potest curari a deo, sed quia per propria principia subiecti curari non potest. Sic ergo dicitur aliqua creatura non esse assumptibilis, non ad subtrahendum aliquid divinae potentiae, sed ad ostendendum conditionem creaturae quae ad hoc aptitudinem non habet.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod similitudo imaginis attenditur in natura humana secundum quod est capax dei, scilicet ipsum attingendo propria operatione cognitionis et amoris. Similitudo autem vestigii attenditur solum secundum repraesentationem aliquam ex impressione divina in creatura existentem, non autem ex eo quod creatura irrationalis, in qua est sola talis similitudo possit ad deum attingere per solam suam operationem. Quod autem deficit a minori, non habet congruitatem ad id quod est maius, sicut corpus quod non est aptum perfici anima sensitiva, multo minus est aptum perfici anima intellectiva. Multo autem est maior et perfectior unio ad deum secundum esse personale quam quae est secundum operationem. Et ideo creatura irrationalis, quae deficit ab unione ad deum per operationem, non habet congruitatem ut uniatur ei secundum esse personale.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod quidam dicunt Angelum non esse assumptibilem, quia a principio suae creationis est in sua personalitate perfectus, cum non subiaceat generationi et corruptioni. Unde non potuisset in unitatem divinae personae assumi nisi eius personalitas destrueretur, quod neque convenit incorruptibilitati naturae eius; neque bonitati assumentis, ad quam non pertinet quod aliquid perfectionis in creatura assumpta corrumpat.

Sed hoc non videtur totaliter excludere congruitatem assumptionis angelicae naturae. Potest enim deus producendo novam angelicam naturam, copulare eam sibi in unitate personae, et sic nihil praeexistens ibi corrumperetur. Sed, sicut dictum est, deest congruitas ex parte necessitatis, quia, etsi natura angelica in aliquibus peccato subiaceat, est tamen eius peccatum irremediabile ut in prima parte habitum est.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod perfectio universi non est perfectio unius personae vel suppositi, sed eius quod est unum sub positione vel ordine. Cuius plurimae partes non sunt assumptibiles, ut dictum est.

Unde relinquitur quod solum natura humana sit assumptibilis.