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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ was not sanctified in the
first instant of His conception. For it is written (1 Cor.
15:46): "That was not first which is spiritual, but that which
is natural: afterwards that which is spiritual." But sanctification
by grace is something spiritual. Therefore Christ received the grace
of sanctification, not at the very beginning of His conception, but
after a space of time.
Objection 2: Further, sanctification seems to be a cleansing from
sin: according to 1 Cor. 6:1: "And such some of you were,"
namely, sinners, "but you are washed, but you are sanctified."
But sin was never in Christ. Therefore it was not becoming that He
should be sanctified by grace.
Objection 3: Further, as by the Word of God "all things were
made," so from the Word incarnate all men who are made holy receive
holiness, according to Heb. 2:11: "Both he that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all of one." But "the Word of
God, by whom all things were made, was not Himself made"; as
Augustine says (De Trin. i). Therefore Christ, by whom all are
made holy, was not Himself made holy.
On the contrary, It is written (Lk. 1:35): "The Holy
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God"; and
(Jn. 10:36): "Whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into
the world."
I answer that, As stated above (Question 7, Articles
9,10,12), the abundance of grace sanctifying Christ's soul
flows from the very union of the Word, according to Jn. 1:14:
"We saw His glory . . . as it were of the Only-Begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth." For it has been shown above
(Question 33, Articles 2,3) that in the first instant of
conception, Christ's body was both animated and assumed by the Word
of God. Consequently, in the first instant of His conception,
Christ had the fulness of grace sanctifying His body and His soul.
Reply to Objection 1: The order set down by the Apostle in this
passage refers to those who by advancing attain to the spiritual state.
But the mystery of the Incarnation is considered as a condescension of
the fulness of the Godhead into human nature rather than as the
promotion of human nature, already existing, as it were, to the
Godhead. Therefore in the man Christ there was perfection of
spiritual life from the very beginning.
Reply to Objection 2: To be sanctified is to be made holy. Now
something is made not only from its contrary, but also from that which
is opposite to it, either by negation or by privation: thus white is
made either from black or from not-white. We indeed from being
sinners are made holy: so that our sanctification is a cleansing from
sin. Whereas Christ, as man, was made holy, because He was not
always thus sanctified by grace: yet He was not made holy from being a
sinner, because He never sinned; but He was made holy from not-holy
as man, not indeed by privation, as though He were at some time a man
and not holy; but by negation---that is, when He was not man He
had not human sanctity. Therefore at the same time He was made man
and a holy man. For this reason the angel said (Lk. 1:35):
"The Holy which shall be born of thee." Which words Gregory
expounds as follows (Moral. xviii): "In order to show the
distinction between His holiness and ours, it is declared that He
shall be born holy. For we, though we are made holy, yet are not
born holy, because by the mere condition of a corruptible nature we are
tied . . . But He alone is truly born holy who . . . was not
conceived by the combining of carnal union."
Reply to Objection 3: The Father creates things through the Son,
and the whole Trinity sanctifies men through the Man Christ, but not
in the same way. For the Word of God has the same power and
operation as God the Father: hence the Father does not work through
the Son as an instrument, which is both mover and moved. Whereas the
humanity of Christ is as the instrument of the Godhead, as stated
above (Question 7, Article 1, ad 3; Question 8, Article
1, ad 1). Therefore Christ's humanity is both sanctified and
sanctifier.
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