Whether the Son of God Ought to Have Assumed Human Nature in All
Individuals?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Son of God ought to have assumed
human nature in all individuals. For what is assumed first and by
itself is human nature. But what belongs essentially to a nature
belongs to all who exist in the nature. Therefore it was fitting that
human nature should be assumed by the Word of God in all its
supposita.
Obj. 2: Further, the Divine Incarnation proceeded from Divine Love;
hence it is written (John 3:16): "God so loved the world as to give
His only-begotten Son." But love makes us give ourselves to our
friends as much as we can, and it was possible for the Son of God to
assume several human natures, as was said above (Q. 3, A. 7), and
with equal reason all. Hence it was fitting for the Son of God to
assume human nature in all its supposita.
Obj. 3: Further, a skilful workman completes his work in the shortest
manner possible. But it would have been a shorter way if all men had
been assumed to the natural sonship than for one natural Son to lead
many to the adoption of sons, as is written Gal. 4:5 (cf. Heb. 2:10).
Therefore human nature ought to have been assumed by God in all its
supposita.
_On the contrary,_ Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii, 11) that the
Son of God "did not assume human nature as a species, nor did He
assume all its hypostases."
_I answer that,_ It was unfitting for human nature to be assumed by
the Word in all its supposita. First, because the multitude of
supposita of human nature, which are natural to it, would have been
taken away. For since we must not see any other suppositum in the
assumed nature, except the Person assuming, as was said above (A. 3),
if there was no human nature except what was assumed, it would follow
that there was but one suppositum of human nature, which is the
Person assuming. Secondly, because this would have been derogatory to
the dignity of the incarnate Son of God, as He is the First-born of
many brethren, according to the human nature, even as He is the
First-born of all creatures according to the Divine, for then all men
would be of equal dignity. Thirdly, because it is fitting that as one
Divine suppositum is incarnate, so He should assume one human nature,
so that on both sides unity might be found.
Reply Obj. 1: To be assumed belongs to the human nature of itself,
because it does not belong to it by reason of a person, as it belongs
to the Divine Nature to assume by reason of the Person; not, however,
that it belongs to it of itself as if belonging to its essential
principles, or as its natural property in which manner it would
belong to all its supposita.
Reply Obj. 2: The love of God to men is shown not merely in the
assumption of human nature, but especially in what He suffered in
human nature for other men, according to Rom. 5:8: "But God
commendeth His charity towards us; because when as yet we were
sinners . . . Christ died for us," which would not have taken place
had He assumed human nature in all its supposita.
Reply Obj. 3: In order to shorten the way, which every skilful
workman does, what can be done by one must not be done by many. Hence
it was most fitting that by one man all the rest should be saved.
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