Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's grace is infinite. For everything immeasurable is infinite. But the grace of Christ is immeasurable; since it is written (Jn. 3:34): "For God doth not give the Spirit by measure to His Son , namely Christ." Therefore the grace of Christ is infinite.

Objection 2: Further, an infinite effect betokens an infinite power which can only spring from an infinite essence. But the effect of Christ's grace is infinite, since it extends to the salvation of the whole human race; for He is the propitiation for our sins . . . and for those of the whole world, as is said (1 Jn. 2:2). Therefore the grace of Christ is infinite.

Objection 3: Further, every finite thing by addition can attain to the quantity of any other finite thing. Therefore if the grace of Christ is finite the grace of any other man could increase to such an extent as to reach to an equality with Christ's grace, against what is written (Job 28:17): "Gold nor crystal cannot equal it," as Gregory expounds it (Moral. xviii). Therefore the grace of Christ is infinite.

On the contrary, Grace is something created in the soul. But every created thing is finite, according to Wis. 11:21: "Thou hast ordered all things in measure and number and weight." Therefore the grace of Christ is not infinite.

I answer that, As was made clear above (Question 2, Article 10), a twofold grace may be considered in Christ; the first being the grace of union, which, as was said (Question 6, Article 6), is for Him to be personally united to the Son of God, which union has been bestowed gratis on the human nature; and it is clear that this grace is infinite, as the Person of God is infinite. The second is habitual grace; which may be taken in two ways: first as a being, and in this way it must be a finite being, since it is in the soul of Christ, as in a subject, and Christ's soul is a creature having a finite capacity; hence the being of grace cannot be infinite, since it cannot exceed its subject. Secondly it may be viewed in its specific nature of grace; and thus the grace of Christ can be termed infinite, since it is not limited, i.e. it has whatsoever can pertain to the nature of grace, and what pertains to the nature of grace is not bestowed on Him in a fixed measure; seeing that "according to the purpose" of God to Whom it pertains to measure grace, it is bestowed on Christ's soul as on a universal principle for bestowing grace on human nature, according to Eph. 1:5,6, "He hath graced us in His beloved Son"; thus we might say that the light of the sun is infinite, not indeed in being, but in the nature of light, as having whatever can pertain to the nature of light.

Reply to Objection 1: When it is said that the Father "doth not give the Spirit by measure," it may be expounded of the gift which God the Father from all eternity gave the Son, viz. the Divine Nature, which is an infinite gift. Hence the comment of a certain gloss: "So that the Son may be as great as the Father is." Or again, it may be referred to the gift which is given the human nature, to be united to the Divine Person, and this also is an infinite gift. Hence a gloss says on this text: "As the Father begot a full and perfect Word, it is united thus full and perfect to human nature." Thirdly, it may be referred to habitual grace, inasmuch as the grace of Christ extends to whatever belongs to grace. Hence Augustine expounding this (Tract. xiv in Joan.) says: "The division of the gifts is a measurement. For to one indeed by the Spirit is given the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge." But Christ the giver does not receive by measure.

Reply to Objection 2: The grace of Christ has an infinite effect, both because of the aforesaid infinity of grace, and because of the unity of the Divine Person, to Whom Christ's soul is united.

Reply to Objection 3: The lesser can attain by augment to the quantity of the greater, when both have the same kind of quantity. But the grace of any man is compared to the grace of Christ as a particular to a universal power; hence as the force of fire, no matter how much it increases, can never equal the sun's strength, so the grace of a man, no matter how much it increases, can never equal the grace of Christ.

Articulus 11

Argumentum 1

Ad undecimum sic proceditur. Videtur quod gratia christi sit infinita. Omne enim immensum est infinitum. Sed gratia christi est immensa, dicitur enim Ioan. III, non enim ad mensuram dat deus spiritum, scilicet christo.

Ergo gratia christi est infinita.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, effectus infinitus demonstrat virtutem infinitam, quae non potest fundari nisi in essentia infinita. Sed effectus gratiae christi est infinitus, extendit enim se ad salutem totius humani generis; ipse enim est propitiatio pro peccatis totius mundi, ut dicitur I Ioan. II.

Ergo gratia christi est infinita.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, omne finitum per additionem potest pervenire ad quantitatem cuiuscumque rei finitae. Si ergo gratia christi est finita, posset alterius hominis gratia tantum crescere quod perveniret ad aequalitatem gratiae christi.

Contra quod dicitur iob XXVIII, non adaequabitur ei aurum vel vitrum, secundum quod Gregorius ibi exponit.

Ergo gratia christi est infinita.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod gratia christi est quiddam creatum in anima.

Sed omne creatum est finitum, secundum illud Sap. XI, omnia in numero, pondere et mensura disposuisti.

Ergo gratia christi non est infinita.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut ex supra dictis patet, in christo potest duplex gratia considerari. Una quidem est gratia unionis quae, sicut supra dictum est, est ipsum uniri personaliter filio dei, quod est gratis concessum humanae naturae. Et hanc gratiam constat esse infinitam, secundum quod ipsa persona verbi est infinita. Alia vero est gratia habitualis. Quae quidem potest dupliciter considerari. Uno modo, secundum quod est quoddam ens.

Et sic necesse est quod sit ens finitum. Est enim in anima christi sicut in subiecto. Anima autem christi est creatura quaedam, habens capacitatem finitam. Unde esse gratiae, cum non excedat suum subiectum, non potest esse infinitum. Alio modo potest considerari secundum propriam rationem gratiae. Et sic gratia ipsa potest dici infinita, eo quod non limitatur, quia scilicet habet quidquid potest pertinere ad rationem gratiae, et non datur ei secundum aliquam certam mensuram id quod ad rationem gratiae pertinet; eo quod, secundum propositum gratiae dei, cuius est gratiam mensurare, gratia confertur animae christi sicut cuidam universali principio gratificationis in humana natura, secundum illud Ephes. I, gratificavit nos in dilecto filio suo.

Sicut si dicamus lucem solis esse infinitam, non quidem secundum suum esse, sed secundum rationem lucis, quia habet quidquid potest ad rationem lucis pertinere.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod id quod dicitur, pater non ad mensuram dat spiritum filio, uno modo exponitur de dono quod deus pater ab aeterno dedit filio, scilicet divinam naturam, quae est donum infinitum.

Unde quaedam Glossa dicit, ibidem, ut tantus sit filius quantus et pater.

Alio modo, potest referri ad donum quod datum est humanae naturae, ut uniatur divinae personae, quod est donum infinitum.

Unde Glossa dicit ibidem, sicut pater plenum et perfectum genuit verbum, sic plenum et perfectum est unitum humanae naturae.

Tertio modo, potest referri ad gratiam habitualem, inquantum gratia christi se extendit ad omnia quae sunt gratiae.

Unde Augustinus, hoc exponens, dicit, mensura quaedam divisio donorum est, alii enim datur per spiritum sermo sapientiae, alii sermo scientiae. Sed christus, qui dat, non ad mensuram accepit.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod gratia christi habet infinitum effectum tum propter infinitatem praedictam gratiae; tum propter unitatem divinae personae, cui anima christi est unita.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod minus per augmentum potest pervenire ad quantitatem maioris in his quae habent quantitatem unius rationis. Sed gratia alterius hominis comparatur ad gratiam christi sicut quaedam virtus particularis ad universalem. Unde sicut virtus ignis, quantumcumque crescat, non potest adaequari virtuti solis; ita gratia alterius hominis, quantumcumque crescat, non potest adaequari gratiae christi.