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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's birth should have been
made known to all. Because fulfilment should correspond to promise.
Now, the promise of Christ's coming is thus expressed (Ps.
49:3): "God shall come manifestly. But He came by His birth
in the flesh." Therefore it seems that His birth should have been
made known to the whole world.
Objection 2: Further, it is written (1 Tim. 1:15):
"Christ came into this world to save sinners." But this is not
effected save in as far as the grace of Christ is made known to them;
according to Titus 2:11,12: "The grace of God our Saviour
hath appeared to all men, instructing us, that denying ungodliness and
worldly desires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in
this world." Therefore it seems that Christ's birth should have
been made known to all.
Objection 3: Further, God is most especially inclined to mercy;
according to Ps. 144:9: "His tender mercies are over all His
works." But in His second coming, when He will "judge justices"
(Ps. 70:3), He will come before the eyes of all; according to
Mt. 24:27: "As lightning cometh out of the east, and
appeareth even into the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of
Man be." Much more, therefore, should His first coming, when He
was born into the world according to the flesh, have been made known to
all.
On the contrary, It is written (Is. 45:15): "Thou art a
hidden God, the Holy of Israel, the Saviour." And, again
(Is. 43:3): "His look was, as it were, hidden and
despised."
I answer that, It was unfitting that Christ's birth should be made
known to all men without distinction. First, because this would have
been a hindrance to the redemption of man, which was accomplished by
means of the Cross; for, as it is written (1 Cor. 2:8):
"If they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of
glory."
Secondly, because this would have lessened the merit of faith, which
He came to offer men as the way to righteousness. according to Rm.
3:22: "The justice of God by faith of Jesus Christ." For
if, when Christ was born, His birth had been made known to all by
evident signs, the very nature of faith would have been destroyed,
since it is "the evidence of things that appear not," as stated,
Heb. 11:1.
Thirdly, because thus the reality of His human nature would have come
into doubt. Whence Augustine says (Ep. ad Volusianum cxxxvii):
"If He had not passed through the different stages of age from
babyhood to youth, had neither eaten nor slept, would He not have
strengthened an erroneous opinion, and made it impossible for us to
believe that He had become true man? And while He is doing all
things wondrously, would He have taken away that which He
accomplished in mercy?"
Reply to Objection 1: According to the gloss, the words quoted
must be understood of Christ's coming as judge.
Reply to Objection 2: All men were to be instructed unto
salvation, concerning the grace of God our Saviour, not at the very
time of His birth, but afterwards, in due time, after He had
"wrought salvation in the midst of the earth" (Ps. 73:12).
Wherefore after His Passion and Resurrection, He said to His
disciples (Mt. 28:19): "Going . . . teach ye all
nations."
Reply to Objection 3: For judgment to be passed, the authority of
the judge needs to be known: and for this reason it behooves that the
coming of Christ unto judgment should be manifest. But His first
coming was unto the salvation of all, which is by faith that is of
things not seen. And therefore it was fitting that His first coming
should be hidden.
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