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Objection 1: It would seem that there was some other more suitable
way of delivering the human race besides Christ's Passion. For
nature in its operation imitates the Divine work, since it is moved
and regulated by God. But nature never employs two agents where one
will suffice. Therefore, since God could have liberated mankind
solely by His Divine will, it does not seem fitting that Christ's
Passion should have been added for the deliverance of the human race.
Objection 2: Further, natural actions are more suitably performed
than deeds of violence, because violence is "a severance or lapse from
what is according to nature," as is said in De Coelo ii. But
Christ's Passion brought about His death by violence. Therefore it
would have been more appropriate had Christ died a natural death rather
than suffer for man's deliverance.
Objection 3: Further, it seems most fitting that whatsoever keeps
something unjustly and by violence, should be deprived of it by some
superior power; hence Isaias says (52:3): "You were sold
gratis, and you shall be redeemed without money." But the devil
possessed no right over man, whom he had deceived by guile, and whom
he held subject in servitude by a sort of violence. Therefore it seems
most suitable that Christ should have despoiled the devil solely by
His power and without the Passion.
On the contrary, St. Augustine says (De Trin. xiii): "There
was no other more suitable way of healing our misery" than by the
Passion of Christ.
I answer that, Among means to an end that one is the more suitable
whereby the various concurring means employed are themselves helpful to
such end. But in this that man was delivered by Christ's Passion,
many other things besides deliverance from sin concurred for man's
salvation. In the first place, man knows thereby how much God loves
him, and is thereby stirred to love Him in return, and herein lies
the perfection of human salvation; hence the Apostle says (Rm.
5:8): "God commendeth His charity towards us; for when as yet
we were sinners . . . Christ died for us." Secondly, because
thereby He set us an example of obedience, humility, constancy,
justice, and the other virtues displayed in the Passion, which are
requisite for man's salvation. Hence it is written (1 Pt.
2:21): "Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example
that you should follow in His steps." Thirdly, because Christ by
His Passion not only delivered man from sin, but also merited
justifying grace for him and the glory of bliss, as shall be shown
later (Question 48, Article 1; Question 49, Articles 1,
5). Fourthly, because by this man is all the more bound to refrain
from sin, according to 1 Cor. 6:20: "You are bought with a
great price: glorify and bear God in your body." Fifthly, because
it redounded to man's greater dignity, that as man was overcome and
deceived by the devil, so also it should be a man that should overthrow
the devil; and as man deserved death, so a man by dying should
vanquish death. Hence it is written (1 Cor. 15:57):
"Thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ." It was accordingly more fitting that we should be
delivered by Christ's Passion than simply by God's good-will.
Reply to Objection 1: Even nature uses several means to one
intent, in order to do something more fittingly: as two eyes for
seeing; and the same can be observed in other matters.
Reply to Objection 2: As Chrysostom [Athanasius, Orat. De
Incarn. Verb.] says: "Christ had come in order to destroy
death, not His own, (for since He is life itself, death could not
be His), but men's death. Hence it was not by reason of His being
bound to die that He laid His body aside, but because the death He
endured was inflicted on Him by men. But even if His body had
sickened and dissolved in the sight of all men, it was not befitting
Him who healed the infirmities of others to have his own body afflicted
with the same. And even had He laid His body aside without any
sickness, and had then appeared, men would not have believed Him when
He spoke of His resurrection. For how could Christ's victory over
death appear, unless He endured it in the sight of all men, and so
proved that death was vanquished by the incorruption of His body?"
Reply to Objection 3: Although the devil assailed man unjustly,
nevertheless, on account of sin, man was justly left by God under the
devil's bondage. And therefore it was fitting that through justice
man should be delivered from the devil's bondage by Christ making
satisfaction on his behalf in the Passion. This was also a fitting
means of overthrowing the pride of the devil, "who is a deserter from
justice, and covetous of sway"; in that Christ "should vanquish him
and deliver man, not merely by the power of His Godhead, but
likewise by the justice and lowliness of the Passion," as Augustine
says (De Trin. xiii).
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