Whether the Blessed Virgin Cooperated Actively in the Conception of
Christ's Body?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Blessed Virgin cooperated
actively in the conception of Christ's body. For Damascene says (De
Fide Orth. iii) that "the Holy Ghost came upon the Virgin, purifying
her, and bestowing on her the power to receive and to bring forth the
Word of God." But she had from nature the passive power of
generation, like any other woman. Therefore He bestowed on her an
active power of generation. And thus she cooperated actively in
Christ's conception.
Obj. 2: Further, all the powers of the vegetative soul are active, as
the Commentator says (De Anima ii). But the generative power, in both
man and woman, belongs to the vegetative soul. Therefore, both in man
and woman, it cooperates actively in the conception of the child.
Obj. 3: Further, in the conception of a child the woman supplies the
matter from which the child's body is naturally formed. But nature is
an intrinsic principle of movement. Therefore it seems that in the
very matter supplied by the Blessed Virgin there was an active
principle.
_On the contrary,_ The active principle in generation is called the
"seminal virtue." But, as Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. x), Christ's
body "was taken from the Virgin, only as to corporeal matter, by the
Divine power of conception and formation, but not by any human
seminal virtue." Therefore the Blessed Virgin did not cooperate
actively in, the conception of Christ's body.
_I answer that,_ Some say that the Blessed Virgin cooperated actively
in Christ's conception, both by natural and by a supernatural power.
By natural power, because they hold that in all natural matter there
is an active principle; otherwise they believe that there would be no
such thing as natural transformation. But in this they are deceived.
Because a transformation is said to be natural by reason not only of
an active but also of a passive intrinsic principle: for the
Philosopher says expressly (Phys. viii) that in heavy and light
things there is a passive, and not an active, principle of natural
movement. Nor is it possible for matter to be active in its own
formation, since it is not in act. Nor, again, is it possible for
anything to put itself in motion except it be divided into two parts,
one being the mover, the other being moved: which happens in animate
things only, as is proved _Phys._ viii.
By a supernatural power, because they say that the mother requires
not only to supply the matter, which is the menstrual blood, but also
the semen, which, being mingled with that of the male, has an active
power in generation. And since in the Blessed Virgin there was no
resolution of semen, by reason of her inviolate virginity, they say
that the Holy Ghost supernaturally bestowed on her an active power in
the conception of Christ's body, which power other mothers have by
reason of the semen resolved. But this cannot stand, because, since
"each thing is on account of its operation" (De Coel. ii), nature
would not, for the purpose of the act of generation, distinguish the
male and female sexes, unless the action of the male were distinct
from that of the female. Now, in generation there are two distinct
operations--that of the agent and that of the patient. Wherefore it
follows that the entire active operation is on the part of the male,
and the passive on the part of the female. For this reason in plants,
where both forces are mingled, there is no distinction of male and
female.
Since, therefore, the Blessed Virgin was not Christ's Father, but His
Mother, it follows that it was not given to her to exercise an active
power in His conception: whether to cooperate actively so as to be
His Father, or not to cooperate at all, as some say. Whence it would
follow that this active power was bestowed on her to no purpose. We
must therefore say that in Christ's conception itself she did not
cooperate actively, but merely supplied the matter thereof.
Nevertheless, before the conception she cooperated actively in the
preparation of the matter so that it should be apt for the conception.
Reply Obj. 1: This conception had three privileges--namely, that it
was without original sin; that it was not that of a man only, but of
God and man; and that it was a virginal conception. And all three
were effected by the Holy Ghost. Therefore Damascene says, as to the
first, that the Holy Ghost "came upon the Virgin, purifying
her"--that is, preserving her from conceiving with original sin. As
to the second, he says: "And bestowing on her the power to receive,"
i.e. to conceive, "the Word of God." As to the third, he says: "And
to give birth" to Him, i.e. that she might, while remaining a virgin,
bring Him forth, not actively, but passively, just as other mothers
achieve this through the action of the male seed.
Reply Obj. 2: The generative power of the female is imperfect
compared to that of the male. And, therefore, just as in the arts the
inferior art gives a disposition to the matter to which the higher
art gives the form, as is stated _Phys._ ii, so also the generative
power of the female prepares the matter, which is then fashioned by
the active power of the male.
Reply Obj. 3: In order for a transformation to be natural, there is
no need for an active principle in matter, but only for a passive
principle, as stated above.
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