Whether the Divine Person Assumed a Man?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Divine Person assumed a man. For
it is written (Ps. 64:5): "Blessed is he whom Thou hast chosen and
taken to Thee," which a gloss expounds of Christ; and Augustine says
(De Agone Christ. xi): "The Son of God assumed a man, and in him bore
things human."
Obj. 2: Further, the word "man" signifies a human nature. But the Son
of God assumed a human nature. Therefore He assumed a man.
Obj. 3: Further, the Son of God is a man. But He is not one of the
men He did not assume, for with equal reason He would be Peter or any
other man. Therefore He is the man whom He assumed.
_On the contrary,_ Is the authority of Felix, Pope and Martyr, which
is quoted by the Council of Ephesus: "We believe in our Lord Jesus
Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, because He is the Eternal Son and
Word of God, and not a man assumed by God, in such sort that there is
another besides Him. For the Son of God did not assume a man, so that
there be another besides Him."
_I answer that,_ As has been said above (A. 2), what is assumed is
not the term of the assumption, but is presupposed to the assumption.
Now it was said (Q. 3, AA. 1, 2) that the individual to Whom the
human nature is assumed is none other than the Divine Person, Who is
the term of the assumption. Now this word "man" signifies human
nature, as it is in a suppositum, because, as Damascene says (De Fide
Orth. iii, 4, 11), this word God signifies Him Who has human nature.
And hence it cannot properly be said that the Son assumed a man,
granted (as it must be, in fact) that in Christ there is but one
suppositum and one hypostasis. But according to such as hold that
there are two hypostases or two supposita in Christ, it may fittingly
and properly be said that the Son of God assumed a man. Hence the
first opinion quoted in Sent. iii, D. 6, grants that a man was
assumed. But this opinion is erroneous, as was said above (Q. 2, A.
6).
Reply Obj. 1: These phrases are not to be taken too literally, but
are to be loyally explained, wherever they are used by holy doctors;
so as to say that a man was assumed, inasmuch as his nature was
assumed; and because the assumption terminated in this--that the Son
of God is man.
Reply Obj. 2: The word "man" signifies human nature in the concrete,
inasmuch as it is in a suppositum; and hence, since we cannot say a
suppositum was assumed, so we cannot say a man was assumed.
Reply Obj. 3: The Son of God is not the man whom He assumed, but the
man whose nature He assumed.
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