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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's Passion did not bring
about our salvation by way of atonement. For it seems that to make the
atonement devolves on him who commits the sin; as is clear in the other
parts of penance, because he who has done the wrong must grieve over it
and confess it. But Christ never sinned, according to 1 Pt.
2:22: "Who did no sin." Therefore He made no atonement by
His personal suffering.
Objection 2: Further, no atonement is made to another by committing
a graver offense. But in Christ's Passion the gravest of all
offenses was perpetrated, because those who slew Him sinned most
grievously, as stated above (Question 47, Article 6).
Consequently it seems that atonement could not be made to God by
Christ's Passion.
Objection 3: Further, atonement implies equality with the
trespass, since it is an act of justice. But Christ's Passion does
not appear equal to all the sins of the human race, because Christ did
not suffer in His Godhead, but in His flesh, according to 1 Pt.
4:1: "Christ therefore having suffered in the flesh." Now the
soul, which is the subject of sin, is of greater account than the
flesh. Therefore Christ did not atone for our sins by His Passion.
On the contrary, It is written (Ps. 68:5) in Christ's
person: "Then did I pay that which I took not away." But he has
not paid who has not fully atoned. Therefore it appears that Christ
by His suffering has fully atoned for our sins.
I answer that, He properly atones for an offense who offers something
which the offended one loves equally, or even more than he detested the
offense. But by suffering out of love and obedience, Christ gave
more to God than was required to compensate for the offense of the
whole human race. First of all, because of the exceeding charity from
which He suffered; secondly, on account of the dignity of His life
which He laid down in atonement, for it was the life of one who was
God and man; thirdly, on account of the extent of the Passion, and
the greatness of the grief endured, as stated above (Question 46,
Article 6). And therefore Christ's Passion was not only a
sufficient but a superabundant atonement for the sins of the human
race; according to 1 Jn. 2:2: "He is the propitiation for our
sins: and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."
Reply to Objection 1: The head and members are as one mystic
person; and therefore Christ's satisfaction belongs to all the
faithful as being His members. Also, in so far as any two men are
one in charity, the one can atone for the other as shall be shown later
(XP, Question 13, Article 2). But the same reason does not
hold good of confession and contrition, because atonement consists in
an outward action, for which helps may be used, among which friends
are to be computed.
Reply to Objection 2: Christ's love was greater than His
slayers' malice: and therefore the value of His Passion in atoning
surpassed the murderous guilt of those who crucified Him: so much so
that Christ's suffering was sufficient and superabundant atonement for
His murderer's crime.
Reply to Objection 3: The dignity of Christ's flesh is not to be
estimated solely from the nature of flesh, but also from the Person
assuming it---namely, inasmuch as it was God's flesh, the result
of which was that it was of infinite worth.
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