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Objection 1: It would seem that the Blessed Virgin cooperated
actively in the conception of Christ's body. For Damascene says
(De Fide Orth. iii) that "the Holy Ghost came upon the
Virgin, purifying her, and bestowing on her the power to receive and
to bring forth the Word of God." But she had from nature the
passive power of generation, like any other woman. Therefore He
bestowed on her an active power of generation. And thus she cooperated
actively in Christ's conception.
Objection 2: Further, all the powers of the vegetative soul are
active, as the Commentator says (De Anima ii). But the
generative power, in both man and woman, belongs to the vegetative
soul. Therefore, both in man and woman, it cooperates actively in
the conception of the child.
Objection 3: Further, in the conception of a child the woman
supplies the matter from which the child's body is naturally formed.
But nature is an intrinsic principle of movement. Therefore it seems
that in the very matter supplied by the Blessed Virgin there was an
active principle.
On the contrary, The active principle in generation is called the
"seminal virtue." But, as Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. x),
Christ's body "was taken from the Virgin, only as to corporeal
matter, by the Divine power of conception and formation, but not by
any human seminal virtue." Therefore the Blessed Virgin did not
cooperate actively in, the conception of Christ's body.
I answer that, Some say that the Blessed Virgin cooperated actively
in Christ's conception, both by natural and by a supernatural power.
By natural power, because they hold that in all natural matter there
is an active principle. otherwise they believe that there would be no
such thing as natural transformation. But in this they are deceived.
Because a transformation is said to be natural by reason not only of an
active but also of a passive intrinsic principle: for the Philosopher
says expressly (Phys. viii) that in heavy and light things there is
a passive, and not an active, principle of natural movement. Nor is
it possible for matter to be active in its own formation, since it is
not in act. Nor, again, is it possible for anything to put itself in
motion except it be divided into two parts, one being the mover, the
other being moved: which happens in animate things only, as is proved
Phys. viii.
By a supernatural power, because they say that the mother requires not
only to supply the matter, which is the menstrual blood, but also the
semen, which, being mingled with that of the male, has an active
power in generation. And since in the Blessed Virgin there was no
resolution of semen, by reason of her inviolate virginity, they say
that the Holy Ghost supernaturally bestowed on her an active power in
the conception of Christ's body, which power other mothers have by
reason of the semen resolved. But this cannot stand, because, since
"each thing is on account of its operation" (De Coel. ii),
nature would not, for the purpose of the act of generation,
distinguish the male and female sexes, unless the action of the male
were distinct from that of the female. Now, in generation there are
two distinct operations---that of the agent and that of the patient.
Wherefore it follows that the entire active operation is on the part of
the male, and the passive on the part of the female. For this reason
in plants, where both forces are mingled, there is no distinction of
male and female.
Since, therefore, the Blessed Virgin was not Christ's Father,
but His Mother, it follows that it was not given to her to exercise
an active power in His conception: whether to cooperate actively so as
to be His Father, or not to cooperate at all, as some say. whence
it would follow that this active power was bestowed on her to no
purpose. We must therefore say that in Christ's conception itself
she did not cooperate actively, but merely supplied the matter
thereof. Nevertheless, before the conception she cooperated actively
in the preparation of the matter so that it should be apt for the
conception.
Reply to Objection 1: This conception had three
privileges---namely, that it was without original sin; that it was
not that of a man only, but of God and man; and that it was a
virginal conception. And all three were effected by the Holy Ghost.
Therefore Damascene says, as to the first, that the Holy Ghost
"came upon the Virgin, purifying her"---that is, preserving her
from conceiving with original sin. As to the second, he says: "And
bestowing on her the power to receive," i.e. to conceive, "the
Word of God." As to the third, he says: "And to give birth" to
Him, i.e. that she might, while remaining a virgin, bring Him
forth, not actively, but passively, just as other mothers achieve
this through the action of the male seed.
Reply to Objection 2: The generative power of the female is
imperfect compared to that of the male. And, therefore, just as in
the arts the inferior art gives a disposition to the matter to which the
higher art gives the form, as is stated Phys. ii, so also the
generative power of the female prepares the matter, which is then
fashioned by the active power of the male.
Reply to Objection 3: In order for a transformation to be natural,
there is no need for an active principle in matter, but only for a
passive principle, as stated above.
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