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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's grace is infinite. For
everything immeasurable is infinite. But the grace of Christ is
immeasurable; since it is written (Jn. 3:34): "For God doth
not give the Spirit by measure to His Son, namely Christ."
Therefore the grace of Christ is infinite.
Objection 2: Further, an infinite effect betokens an infinite power
which can only spring from an infinite essence. But the effect of
Christ's grace is infinite, since it extends to the salvation of the
whole human race; for He is the propitiation for our sins . . . and
for those of the whole world, as is said (1 Jn. 2:2).
Therefore the grace of Christ is infinite.
Objection 3: Further, every finite thing by addition can attain to
the quantity of any other finite thing. Therefore if the grace of
Christ is finite the grace of any other man could increase to such an
extent as to reach to an equality with Christ's grace, against what
is written (Job 28:17): "Gold nor crystal cannot equal it,"
as Gregory expounds it (Moral. xviii). Therefore the grace of
Christ is infinite.
On the contrary, Grace is something created in the soul. But every
created thing is finite, according to Wis. 11:21: "Thou hast
ordered all things in measure and number and weight." Therefore the
grace of Christ is not infinite.
I answer that, As was made clear above (Question 2, Article
10), a twofold grace may be considered in Christ; the first being
the grace of union, which, as was said (Question 6, Article
6), is for Him to be personally united to the Son of God, which
union has been bestowed gratis on the human nature; and it is clear
that this grace is infinite, as the Person of God is infinite. The
second is habitual grace; which may be taken in two ways: first as a
being, and in this way it must be a finite being, since it is in the
soul of Christ, as in a subject, and Christ's soul is a creature
having a finite capacity; hence the being of grace cannot be infinite,
since it cannot exceed its subject. Secondly it may be viewed in its
specific nature of grace; and thus the grace of Christ can be termed
infinite, since it is not limited, i.e. it has whatsoever can
pertain to the nature of grace, and what pertains to the nature of
grace is not bestowed on Him in a fixed measure; seeing that
"according to the purpose" of God to Whom it pertains to measure
grace, it is bestowed on Christ's soul as on a universal principle
for bestowing grace on human nature, according to Eph. 1:5,6,
"He hath graced us in His beloved Son"; thus we might say that the
light of the sun is infinite, not indeed in being, but in the nature
of light, as having whatever can pertain to the nature of light.
Reply to Objection 1: When it is said that the Father "doth not
give the Spirit by measure," it may be expounded of the gift which
God the Father from all eternity gave the Son, viz. the Divine
Nature, which is an infinite gift. Hence the comment of a certain
gloss: "So that the Son may be as great as the Father is." Or
again, it may be referred to the gift which is given the human nature,
to be united to the Divine Person, and this also is an infinite
gift. Hence a gloss says on this text: "As the Father begot a full
and perfect Word, it is united thus full and perfect to human
nature." Thirdly, it may be referred to habitual grace, inasmuch as
the grace of Christ extends to whatever belongs to grace. Hence
Augustine expounding this (Tract. xiv in Joan.) says: "The
division of the gifts is a measurement. For to one indeed by the
Spirit is given the word of wisdom, to another the word of
knowledge." But Christ the giver does not receive by measure.
Reply to Objection 2: The grace of Christ has an infinite effect,
both because of the aforesaid infinity of grace, and because of the
unity of the Divine Person, to Whom Christ's soul is united.
Reply to Objection 3: The lesser can attain by augment to the
quantity of the greater, when both have the same kind of quantity.
But the grace of any man is compared to the grace of Christ as a
particular to a universal power; hence as the force of fire, no matter
how much it increases, can never equal the sun's strength, so the
grace of a man, no matter how much it increases, can never equal the
grace of Christ.
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