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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's body was not animated in
the first instant of its conception. For Pope Leo says (Ep. ad
Julian.): "Christ's flesh was not of another nature than ours:
nor was the beginning of His animation different from that of other
men." But the soul is not infused into other men at the first instant
of their conception. Therefore neither should Christ's soul have
been infused into His body in the first instant of its conception.
Objection 2: Further, the soul, like any natural form, requires
determinate quantity in its matter. But in the first instant of its
conception Christ's body was not of the same quantity as the bodies of
other men when they are animated: otherwise, if afterwards its
development had been continuous, either its birth would have occurred
sooner, or at the time of birth He would have been a bigger child than
others. The former alternative is contrary to what Augustine says
(De Trin. iv), where he proves that Christ was in the Virgin's
womb for the space of nine months: while the latter is contrary to what
Pope Leo says (Serm. iv in Epiph.): "They found the child
Jesus nowise differing from the generality of infants." Therefore
Christ's body was not animated in the first instant of its
conception.
Objection 3: Further, whenever there is "before" and "after"
there must be several instants. But according to the Philosopher
(De Gener. Animal. ii) in the generation of a man there must
needs be "before" and "after": for he is first of all a living
thing, and afterwards, an animal, and after that, a man. Therefore
the animation of Christ could not be effected in the first instant of
His conception.
On the contrary, Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii): "At the
very instant that there was flesh, it was the flesh of the Word of
God, it was flesh animated with a rational and intellectual soul."
I answer that, For the conception to be attributed to the very Son
of God, as we confess in the Creed, when we say, "who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost," we must needs say that the body
itself, in being conceived, was assumed by the Word of God. Now it
has been shown above (Question 6, Articles 1,2) that the Word
of God assumed the body by means of the soul, and the soul by means of
the spirit, i.e. the intellect. Wherefore in the first instant of
its conception Christ's body must needs have been animated by the
rational soul.
Reply to Objection 1: The beginning of the infusion of the soul may
be considered in two ways. First, in regard to the disposition of the
body. And thus, the beginning of the infusion of the soul into
Christ's body was the same as in other men's bodies: for just as the
soul is infused into another man's body as soon as it is formed, so
was it with Christ. Secondly, this beginning may be considered
merely in regard to time. And thus, because Christ's body was
perfectly formed in a shorter space of time, so after a shorter space
of time was it animated.
Reply to Objection 2: The soul requires due quantity in the matter
into which it is infused: but this quantity allows of a certain
latitude because it is not fixed to a certain amount. Now the quantity
that a body has when the soul is first infused into it is in proportion
to the perfect quantity to which it will attain by development: that is
to say, men of greater stature have greater bodies at the time of first
animation. But Christ at the perfect age was of becoming and middle
stature: in proportion to which was the quantity of His body at the
time when other men's bodies are animated; though it was less than
theirs at the first instant of His conception. Nevertheless that
quantity was not too small to safeguard the nature of an animated body;
since it would have sufficed for the animation of a small man's body.
Reply to Objection 3: What the Philosopher says is true in the
generation of other men, because the body is successively formed and
disposed for the soul: whence, first, as being imperfectly disposed,
it receives an imperfect soul; and afterwards, when it is perfectly
disposed, it receives a perfect soul. But Christ's body, on
account of the infinite power of the agent, was perfectly disposed
instantaneously. Wherefore, at once and in the first instant it
received a perfect form, that is, the rational soul.
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