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Objection 1: It would seem that it does not belong to Christ as man
to be Head of the Church. For the head imparts sense and motion to
the members. Now spiritual sense and motion which are by grace, are
not imparted to us by the Man Christ, because, as Augustine says
(De Trin. i, 12; xv, 24), "not even Christ, as man, but
only as God, bestows the Holy Ghost." Therefore it does not
belong to Him as man to be Head of the Church.
Objection 2: Further, it is not fitting for the head to have a
head. But God is the Head of Christ, as man, according to 1
Cor. 11:3, "The Head of Christ is God." Therefore Christ
Himself is not a head.
Objection 3: Furthermore, the head of a man is a particular
member, receiving an influx from the heart. But Christ is the
universal principle of the whole Church. Therefore He is not the
Head of the Church.
On the contrary, It is written (Eph. 1:22): "And He . .
. hath made Him head over all the Church."
I answer that, As the whole Church is termed one mystic body from
its likeness to the natural body of a man, which in divers members has
divers acts, as the Apostle teaches (Rm. 12; 1 Cor. 12),
so likewise Christ is called the Head of the Church from a likeness
with the human head, in which we may consider three things, viz.
order, perfection, and power: "Order," indeed; for the head is
the first part of man, beginning from the higher part; and hence it is
that every principle is usually called a head according to Ezech.
16:25: "At every head of the way, thou hast set up a sign of
thy prostitution"---"Perfection," inasmuch as in the head dwell
all the senses, both interior and exterior, whereas in the other
members there is only touch, and hence it is said (Is. 9:15):
"The aged and honorable, he is the head"---"Power," because
the power and movement of the other members, together with the
direction of them in their acts, is from the head, by reason of the
sensitive and motive power there ruling; hence the ruler is called the
head of a people, according to 1 Kgs. 15:17: "When thou wast
a little one in thy own eyes, wast thou not made the head of the tribes
of Israel?" Now these three things belong spiritually to Christ.
First, on account of His nearness to God His grace is the highest
and first, though not in time, since all have received grace on
account of His grace, according to Rm. 8:29: "For whom He
foreknew, He also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of
His Son; that He might be the first-born amongst many brethren."
Secondly, He had perfection as regards the fulness of all graces,
according to Jn. 1:14, "We saw Him . . . full of grace and
truth," as was shown, Question 7, Article 9. Thirdly, He has
the power of bestowing grace on all the members of the Church,
according to Jn. 1:16: "Of His fulness we have all
received." And thus it is plain that Christ is fittingly called the
Head of the Church.
Reply to Objection 1: To give grace or the Holy Ghost belongs to
Christ as He is God, authoritatively; but instrumentally it belongs
also to Him as man, inasmuch as His manhood is the instrument of His
Godhead. And hence by the power of the Godhead His actions were
beneficial, i.e. by causing grace in us, both meritoriously and
efficiently. But Augustine denies that Christ as man gives the Holy
Ghost authoritatively. Even other saints are said to give the Holy
Ghost instrumentally, or ministerially, according to Gal. 3:5:
"He . . . who giveth to you the Spirit."
Reply to Objection 2: In metaphorical speech we must not expect a
likeness in all respects; for thus there would be not likeness but
identity. Accordingly a natural head has not another head because one
human body is not part of another; but a metaphorical body, i.e. an
ordered multitude, is part of another multitude as the domestic
multitude is part of the civil multitude; and hence the father who is
head of the domestic multitude has a head above him, i.e. the civil
governor. And hence there is no reason why God should not be the
Head of Christ, although Christ Himself is Head of the Church.
Reply to Objection 3: The head has a manifest pre-eminence over
the other exterior members; but the heart has a certain hidden
influence. And hence the Holy Ghost is likened to the heart, since
He invisibly quickens and unifies the Church; but Christ is likened
to the Head in His visible nature in which man is set over man.
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