Whether This Man, i.e. Christ, Began to Be?
Objection 1: It would seem that this Man, i.e. Christ, began to be.
For Augustine says (Tract. cv in Joan.) that "before the world was,
neither were we, nor the Mediator of God and men--the Man Jesus
Christ." But what was not always, has begun to be. Therefore this
Man, i.e. Christ, began to be.
Obj. 2: Further, Christ began to be Man. But to be man is to be
simply. Therefore this man began to be, simply.
Obj. 3: Further, "man" implies a suppositum of human nature. But
Christ was not always a suppositum of human nature. Therefore this
Man began to be.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Heb. 13:8): "Jesus Christ yesterday
and today: and the same for ever."
_I answer that,_ We must not say that "this Man"--pointing to
Christ--"began to be," unless we add something. And this for a
twofold reason. First, for this proposition is simply false, in the
judgment of the Catholic Faith, which affirms that in Christ there is
one suppositum and one hypostasis, as also one Person. For according
to this, when we say "this Man," pointing to Christ, the eternal
suppositum is necessarily meant, with Whose eternity a beginning in
time is incompatible. Hence this is false: "This Man began to be."
Nor does it matter that to begin to be refers to the human nature,
which is signified by this word "man"; because the term placed in the
subject is not taken formally so as to signify the nature, but is
taken materially so as to signify the suppositum, as was said (A. 1,
ad 4). Secondly, because even if this proposition were true, it ought
not to be made use of without qualification; in order to avoid the
heresy of Arius, who, since he pretended that the Person of the Son
of God is a creature, and less than the Father, so he maintained that
He began to be, saying "there was a time when He was not."
Reply Obj. 1: The words quoted must be qualified, i.e. we must say
that the Man Jesus Christ was not, before the world was, "in His
humanity."
Reply Obj. 2: With this word "begin" we cannot argue from the lower
species to the higher. For it does not follow if "this began to be
white," that therefore "it began to be colored." And this because "to
begin" implies being now and not heretofore: for it does not follow
if "this was not white hitherto" that "therefore it was not colored
hitherto." Now, to be simply is higher than to be man. Hence this
does not follow: "Christ began to be Man--therefore He began to be."
Reply Obj. 3: This word "Man," as it is taken for Christ, although it
signifies the human nature, which began to be, nevertheless signifies
the eternal suppositum which did not begin to be. Hence, since it
signifies the suppositum when placed in the subject, and refers to
the nature when placed in the predicate, therefore this is false:
"The Man Christ began to be": but this is true: "Christ began to be
Man."
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