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St. Thomas replies that this knowledge in Christ was far more
excellent because of its influencing cause, which is the Word; for
the light divinely infused in the soul of Christ is much more excellent
than the natural light of the angels. So this infused knowledge in
Christ was absolutely more certain than was the infused knowledge of
the angels, and extended to many more things, namely, to all things,
even Judgment Day, including everything that pertains to the supreme
judge of the living and the dead, and to the king of the angels.
Nevertheless, in a qualified sense Christ's infused knowledge was
inferior to that of the angels, namely, on the part of the recipient,
which is the rational soul, or as regards the mode of its reception,
for, as we stated, Christ could use this knowledge by turning to
phantasms and by having recourse to the discursive process of
reasoning.
Moreover, as stated farther on[1240] it was connatural for
Christ's soul to receive species not so universal in scope as those of
the angels. This means that the species are in proportion to the human
intellect which is not so perfect as the angelic intellect. But if
St. Thomas taught the contrary,[1241] namely, that the
infused species in Christ's soul were not so universal in scope as
those of the angels, he clearly reversed his opinion in the sixth
article of this question.
But although the infused knowledge of Christ as regards the mode of
its reception is inferior to the angelic knowledge, this does not
prevent it from being absolutely more exalted. Thus St. Thomas
teaches that "faith is simply more certain than wisdom, the
understanding of first principles, and knowledge; but these three, as
denoting evidence, are more certain relatively, that is, for
us."[1242] Similarly it is certain that the faith of the
Blessed Virgin Mary was simply more exalted than the faith of the
angels as wayfarers although she made use of species not so universal in
scope; for the perfection of knowledge depends more on the light than
on the species since the light is the more formal
principle.[1243] For the light or the habit adapts itself to the
faculty in the exercise of its act and especially in passing judgment.
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