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Reply. Christ could use this infused knowledge without having to turn
to phantasms. The reason is (1) that by this knowledge He could
know separate substances, such as angels, that cannot be known by
means of phantasms; (2) that Christ was both wayfarer and
comprehensor, and the condition of a comprehensor's soul is for it to
be nowise subject to its body, or dependent on it, but completely to
dominate it. Thus Christ could merit even during sleep.
Reply to third objection. "Although the soul of Christ could
understand without turning to phantasms, yet it could also understand
by turning to phantasms," also by means of infused knowledge. This
means that Christ could, as He chose, use this knowledge either by
not turning to phantasms or by turning to them, forming or not forming
in the imagination pictures of the same object as is known by this
infused knowledge. Thus in the sensible order one may be inspired to
sing the melody of a musical composition, writing or not writing the
score at one's choice. Similarly one is free to think in one
language, and possibly express one's thoughts in another language.
Corollary. We must take care to distinguish between infused
contemplation and essentially infused knowledge, for this normally
functions without having recourse to the imagination, as in the case of
angels and separated souls, as also by very special favor with certain
wayfarers. But infused contemplation, which is the result of living
faith illumined by the gifts of wisdom and understanding, normally
functions with the concurrence of the imagination, which is the normal
manner of sanctification, but it is not infused knowledge.
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