Whether Christ Was a Perfect Comprehensor in the First Instant of His
Conception?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ was not a perfect comprehensor
in the first instant of His conception. For merit precedes reward, as
fault precedes punishment. But Christ merited in the first instant of
His conception, as stated above (A. 3). Since, therefore, the state
of comprehension is the principal reward, it seems that Christ was
not a comprehensor in the first instant of His conception.
Obj. 2: Further, our Lord said (Luke 24:26): "Ought not Christ to
have suffered these things, and so to enter into His glory?" But
glory belongs to the state of comprehension. Therefore Christ was not
in the state of comprehension in the first instant of His conception,
when as yet He had not suffered.
Obj. 3: Further, what befits neither man nor angel seems proper to
God; and therefore is not becoming to Christ as man. But to be always
in the state of beatitude befits neither man nor angel: for if they
had been created in beatitude, they would not have sinned afterwards.
Therefore Christ, as man, was not in the state of beatitude in the
first instant of His conception.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Ps. 64:5): "Blessed is he whom Thou
hast chosen, and taken to Thee"; which words, according to the gloss,
refer to Christ's human nature, which "was taken by the Word of God
unto the unity of Person." But human nature was taken by the Word of
God in the first instant of His conception. Therefore, in the first
instant of His conception, Christ, as man, was in the state of
beatitude; which is to be a comprehensor.
_I answer that,_ As appears from what was said above (A. 3), it was
unbecoming that in His conception Christ should receive merely
habitual grace without the act. Now, He received grace "not by
measure" (John 3:34), as stated above (Q. 7, A. 11). But the grace of
the "wayfarer," being short of that of the "comprehensor," is in less
measure than that of the comprehensor. Wherefore it is manifest that
in the first instant of His conception Christ received not only as
much grace as comprehensors have, but also greater than that which
they all have. And because that grace was not without its act, it
follows that He was a comprehensor in act, seeing God in His Essence
more clearly than other creatures.
Reply Obj. 1: As stated above (Q. 19, A. 3), Christ did not merit the
glory of the soul, in respect of which He is said to have been a
comprehensor, but the glory of the body, to which He came through His
Passion.
Wherefore the reply to the Second Objection is clear.
Reply Obj. 3: Since Christ was both God and man, He had, even in His
humanity, something more than other creatures--namely, that He was in
the state of beatitude from the very beginning.
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