Whether Christ's Flesh Was First of All Conceived and Afterwards
Assumed?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ's flesh was first of all
conceived, and afterwards assumed. Because what is not cannot be
assumed. But Christ's flesh began to exist when it was conceived.
Therefore it seems that it was assumed by the Word of God after it
was conceived.
Obj. 2: Further, Christ's flesh was assumed by the Word of God, by
means of the rational soul. But it received the rational soul at the
term of the conception. Therefore it was assumed at the term of the
conception. But at the term of the conception it was already
conceived. Therefore it was first of all conceived and afterwards
assumed.
Obj. 3: Further, in everything generated, that which is imperfect
precedes in time that which is perfect: which is made clear by the
Philosopher (Metaph. ix). But Christ's body is something generated.
Therefore it did not attain to its ultimate perfection, which
consisted in the union with the Word of God, at the first instant of
its conception; but, first of all, the flesh was conceived and
afterwards assumed.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Fide ad Petrum xviii [*Written
by Fulgentius]): "Hold steadfastly, and doubt not for a moment that
Christ's flesh was not conceived in the Virgin's womb, before being
assumed by the Word."
_I answer that,_ As stated above, we may say properly that "God was
made man," but not that "man was made God": because God took to
Himself that which belongs to man--and that which belongs to man did
not pre-exist, as subsisting in itself, before being assumed by the
Word. But if Christ's flesh had been conceived before being assumed
by the Word, it would have had at some time an hypostasis other than
that of the Word of God. And this is against the very nature of the
Incarnation, which we hold to consist in this, that the Word of God
was united to human nature and to all its parts in the unity of
hypostasis: nor was it becoming that the Word of God should, by
assuming human nature, destroy a pre-existing hypostasis of human
nature or of any part thereof. It is consequently contrary to faith
to assert that Christ's flesh was first of all conceived and
afterwards assumed by the Word of God.
Reply Obj. 1: If Christ's flesh had been formed or conceived, not
instantaneously, but successively, one of two things would follow:
either that what was assumed was not yet flesh, or that the flesh was
conceived before it was assumed. But since we hold that the
conception was effected instantaneously, it follows that in that
flesh the beginning and the completion of its conception were in the
same instant. So that, as Augustine [*Fulgentius, De Fide ad Petrum
xviii] says: "We say that the very Word of God was conceived in
taking flesh, and that His very flesh was conceived by the Word
taking flesh."
From the above the reply to the Second Objection is clear. For in the
same moment that this flesh began to be conceived, its conception and
animation were completed.
Reply Obj. 3: The mystery of the Incarnation is not to be looked upon
as an ascent, as it were, of a man already existing and mounting up
to the dignity of the Union: as the heretic Photinus maintained.
Rather is it to be considered as a descent, by reason of the perfect
Word of God taking unto Himself the imperfection of our nature;
according to John 6:38: "I came down from heaven."
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