Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ ought to have assumed all the bodily defects of men. For Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii, 6,18): "What is unassumable is incurable." But Christ came to cure all our defects. Therefore He ought to have assumed all our defects.

Objection 2: Further it was said (Article 1), that in order to satisfy for us, Christ ought to have had perfective habits of soul and defects of body. Now as regards the soul, He assumed the fulness of all grace. Therefore as regards the body, He ought to have assumed all defects.

Objection 3: Further, amongst all bodily defects death holds the chief place. Now Christ assumed death. Much more, therefore, ought He to have assumed other defects.

On the contrary, Contraries cannot take place simultaneously in the same. Now some infirmities are contrary to each other, being caused by contrary principles. Hence it could not be that Christ assumed all human infirmities.

I answer that, As stated above (Articles 1,2), Christ assumed human defects in order to satisfy for the sin of human nature, and for this it was necessary for Him to have the fulness of knowledge and grace in His soul. Hence Christ ought to have assumed those defects which flow from the common sin of the whole nature, yet are not incompatible with the perfection of knowledge and grace. And thus it was not fitting for Him to assume all human defects or infirmities. For there are some defects that are incompatible with the perfection of knowledge and grace, as ignorance, a proneness towards evil, and a difficulty in well-doing. Some other defects do not flow from the whole of human nature in common on account of the sin of our first parent, but are caused in some men by certain particular causes, as leprosy, epilepsy, and the like; and these defects are sometimes brought about by the fault of the man, e.g. from inordinate eating; sometimes by a defect in the formative power. Now neither of these pertains to Christ, since His flesh was conceived of the Holy Ghost, Who has infinite wisdom and power, and cannot err or fail; and He Himself did nothing wrong in the order of His life. But there are some third defects, to be found amongst all men in common, by reason of the sin of our first parent, as death, hunger, thirst, and the like; and all these defects Christ assumed, which Damascene (De Fide Orth. i, 11; iii, 20) calls "natural and indetractible passions" ---natural, as following all human nature in common; indetractible, as implying no defect of knowledge or grace.

Reply to Objection 1: All particular defects of men are caused by the corruptibility and passibility of the body, some particular causes being added; and hence, since Christ healed the passibility and corruptibility of our body by assuming it, He consequently healed all other defects.

Reply to Objection 2: The fulness of all grace and knowledge was due to Christ's soul of itself, from the fact of its being assumed by the Word of God; and hence Christ assumed all the fulness of knowledge and wisdom absolutely. But He assumed our defects economically, in order to satisfy for our sin, and not that they belonged to Him of Himself. Hence it was not necessary for Him to assume them all, but only such as sufficed to satisfy for the sin of the whole nature.

Reply to Objection 3: Death comes to all men from the sin of our first parent; but not other defects, although they are less than death. Hence there is no parity.

Articulus 4

Argumentum 1

Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod christus omnes defectus corporales hominum assumere debuit.

Dicit enim Damascenus, quod est inassumptibile, est incurabile.

Sed christus venerat omnes defectus nostros curare. Ergo omnes defectus nostros assumere debuit.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, dictum est quod ad hoc quod christus pro nobis satisfaceret, debuit habere habitus perfectivos in anima et defectus in corpore. Sed ipse ex parte animae assumpsit plenitudinem omnis gratiae. Ergo ex parte corporis debuit assumere omnes defectus.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, inter omnes defectus corporales praecipuum locum tenet mors. Sed christus mortem assumpsit. Ergo multo magis omnes defectus alios assumere debuit.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod contraria non possunt simul fieri in eodem.

Sed quaedam infirmitates sunt sibi ipsis contrariae, utpote ex contrariis principiis causatae. Ergo non potuit esse quod christus omnes infirmitates humanas assumeret.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, christus humanos defectus assumpsit ad satisfaciendum pro peccato humanae naturae, ad quod requirebatur quod perfectionem scientiae et gratiae haberet in anima. Illos igitur defectus christus assumere debuit qui consequuntur ex peccato communi totius naturae, nec tamen repugnant perfectioni scientiae et gratiae. Sic igitur non fuit conveniens ut omnes defectus seu infirmitates humanas assumeret. Sunt enim quidam defectus qui repugnant perfectioni scientiae et gratiae, sicut ignorantia, pronitas ad malum, et difficultas ad bonum. Quidam autem defectus sunt qui non consequuntur communiter totam humanam naturam propter peccatum primi parentis, sed causantur in aliquibus hominibus ex quibusdam particularibus causis, sicut lepra et morbus caducus et alia huiusmodi. Qui quidem defectus quandoque causantur ex culpa hominis, puta ex inordinatione victus, quandoque autem ex defectu virtutis formativae. Quorum neutrum convenit christo, quia caro eius de spiritu sancto concepta est, qui est infinitae sapientiae et virtutis, errare et deficere non valens; et ipse nihil inordinatum in regimine suae vitae exercuit. Sunt autem tertii defectus qui in omnibus hominibus communiter inveniuntur ex peccato primi parentis, sicut mors, fames, sitis, et alia huiusmodi. Et hos defectus omnes christus suscepit.

Quos Damascenus vocat naturales et indetractibiles passiones, naturales quidem, quia consequuntur communiter totam humanam naturam; indetractibiles quidem, quia defectum scientiae et gratiae non important.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod omnes particulares defectus hominum causantur ex corruptibilitate et passibilitate corporis, superadditis quibusdam particularibus causis. Et ideo, dum christus curavit passibilitatem et corruptibilitatem corporis nostri per hoc quod eam assumpsit, ex consequenti omnes alios defectus curavit.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod plenitudo omnis gratiae et scientiae animae christi secundum se debebatur, ex hoc ipso quod erat a verbo dei assumpta. Et ideo absolute omnem plenitudinem sapientiae et gratiae christus assumpsit. Sed defectus nostros dispensative assumpsit, ut pro peccato nostro satisfaceret, non quia ei secundum se competerent. Et ideo non oportuit quod omnes assumeret, sed solum illos qui sufficiebant ad satisfaciendum pro peccato totius humanae naturae.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod mors in omnes homines devenit ex peccato primi parentis, non autem quidam alii defectus, licet sint morte minores. Unde non est similis ratio.