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State of the question. This doubt arises because we read in the
Gospel that Christ as man somehow did not will His own death, yet
He evidently willed it by His divine will. Hence the following words
of Christ: "not as I will, but as Thou wilt,"[1463] must
be reconciled with the above-expounded principles, namely, that
Christ's charity was most perfect, the result of which is that His
will was most perfectly in conformity with the divine will. Christ was
also comprehensor, but comprehensors will only what God wills,
otherwise they would not be blessed.
Reply. The rational will in Christ, considered after the manner of
reason, as the absolute and efficacious will in that it was free,
always was in conformity with the divine will, even in material things
willed; it was not so, however, with either the sensual will, or the
will considered after the manner of nature.
This is also the view of St. Augustine, who is quoted in the
counterargument.
Proof of first part. Our Lord Himself says: "Not as I will,
but as Thou wilt."[1464] Christ, indeed, by His will as
reason, because of His supreme charity that was illumined by the
beatific vision, deliberately, absolutely, and efficaciously willed
the divine will to be fulfilled, that is, He willed to die a violent
death for our salvation.
Proof of second part. St. Thomas says: "Now it was said above
(q. 14, a. I, ad 2) that by a certain dispensation, the Son
of God before His passion allowed His flesh to do and suffer what
belonged to it.... But it is plain that the will of sensuality,
which is called will by participation, naturally shrinks from sensible
pains and bodily hurt. In like manner the will as nature turns from
those things that are against nature,"[1465] which at times are
chosen for a higher end.
Reply to third objection. Christ was still a wayfarer and was
passible in the flesh, although He was enjoying God in the mind.
Doubt. Can it be admitted that in Christ's will as reason, there
were certain inefficacious and imperfect acts not in conformity with the
divine will in material things willed, for example, concerning death
on the cross, yet so that such an act was not a voluntary
imperfection?
Reply. Several Thomists, such as Billuart, see no repugnance in
this: that Christ could by His will as reason, shrink
inefficaciously from death, not precisely as harmful to nature, but
inasmuch as it presupposed several sins of the Jews, and others that
united result therefrom. Thus from supreme charity He inefficaciously
willed the salvation of all men; in fact, these acts can be declared
also to be in conformity with the divine will, that is, to the
inefficacious will.
Thus Christ's efficacious human will was always in conformity with
the divine efficacious will, and Christ's inefficacious human will
was always in conformity with the inefficacious divine will.
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