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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's body was not formed in
the first instant of its conception. For it is written (Jn.
2:20): "Six-and-forty years was this Temple in building";
on which words Augustine comments as follows (De Trin. iv):
"This number applies manifestly to the perfection of our Lord's
body." He says, further (Questions. lxxxiii, qu. 56): "It
is not without reason that the Temple, which was a type of His body,
is said to have been forty-six years in building: so that as many
years as it took to build the Temple, in so many days was our Lord's
body perfected." Therefore Christ's body was not perfectly formed
in the first instant of its conception.
Objection 2: Further, there was need of local movement for the
formation of Christ's body in order that the purest blood of the
Virgin's body might be brought where generation might aptly take
place. Now, no body can be moved locally in an instant: since the
time taken in movement is divided according to the division of the thing
moved, as is proved Phys. vi. Therefore Christ's body was not
formed in an instant.
Objection 3: Further, Christ's body was formed of the purest
blood of the Virgin, as stated above (Question 31, Article
5). But that matter could not be in the same instant both blood and
flesh, because thus matter would have been at the same time the subject
of two forms. Therefore the last instant in which it was blood was
distinct from the first instant in which it was flesh. But between any
two instants there is an interval of time. Therefore Christ's body
was not formed in an instant, but during a space of time.
Objection 4: Further, as the augmentative power requires a fixed
time for its act, so also does the generative power: for both are
natural powers belonging to the vegetative soul. But Christ's body
took a fixed time to grow, like the bodies of other men: for it is
written (Lk. 2:52) that He "advanced in wisdom and age."
Therefore it seems for the same reason that the formation of His
body, since that, too, belongs to the generative power, was not
instantaneous, but took a fixed time, like the bodies of other men.
On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. xviii): "As soon as the
angel announced it, as soon as the Spirit came down, the Word was in
the womb, within the womb the Word was made flesh."
I answer that, In the conception of Christ's body three points may
be considered: first, the local movement of the blood to the place of
generation; secondly, the formation of the body from that matter;
thirdly, the development whereby it was brought to perfection of
quantity. of these, the second is the conception itself; the first is
a preamble; the third, a result of the conception.
Now, the first could not be instantaneous: since this would be
contrary to the very nature of the local movement of any body whatever,
the parts of which come into a place successively. The third also
requires a succession of time: both because there is no increase
without local movement, and because increase is effected by the power
of the soul already informing the body, the operation of which power is
subject to time.
But the body's very formation, in which conception principally
consists, was instantaneous, for two reasons. First, because of the
infinite power of the agent, viz. the Holy Ghost, by whom
Christ's body was formed, as stated above (Question 32, Article
1). For the greater the power of an agent, the more quickly can it
dispose matter; and, consequently, an agent of infinite power can
dispose matter instantaneously to its due form. Secondly, on the part
of the Person of the Son, whose body was being formed. For it was
unbecoming that He should take to Himself a body as yet unformed.
While, if the conception had been going on for any time before the
perfect formation of the body, the whole conception could not be
attributed to the Son of God, since it is not attributed to Him
except by reason of the assumption of that body. Therefore in the
first instant in which the various parts of the matter were united
together in the place of generation, Christ's body was both perfectly
formed and assumed. And thus is the Son of God said to have been
conceived; nor could it be said otherwise.
Reply to Objection 1: Neither quotation from Augustine refers to
formation alone of Christ's body, but to its formation, together
with a fixed development up to the time of His birth. Wherefore in
the aforesaid number are foreshadowed the number of months during which
Christ was in the Virgin's womb.
Reply to Objection 2: This local movement is not comprised within
the conception itself, but is a preamble thereto.
Reply to Objection 3: It is not possible to fix the last instant in
which that matter was blood: but it is possible to fix the last period
of time which continued without any interval up to the first instant in
which Christ's body was formed. And this instant was the terminus of
the time occupied by the local movement of the matter towards the place
of generation.
Reply to Objection 4: Increase is caused by the augmentative power
of that which is the subject of increase: but the formation of the body
is caused by the generative power, not of that which is generated, but
of the father generating from seed, in which the formative power
derived from the father's soul has its operation. But Christ's body
was not formed by the seed of man, as stated above (Question 31,
Article 5, ad 3), but by the operation of the Holy Ghost.
Therefore the formation thereof should be such as to be worthy of the
Holy Ghost. But the development of Christ's body was the effect of
the augmentative power in Christ's soul: and since this was of the
same species as ours, it behooved His body to develop in the same way
as the bodies of other men, so as to prove the reality of His human
nature.
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