Ii. Of The Fittingness And Necessity Of The Incarnation
II. OF THE FITTINGNESS AND NECESSITY OF THE INCARNATION
(A)
Is this coming on earth of the Son of God by His Incarnation in harmony with what we know of God?
Yes. For we know that God is goodness itself; on the other hand, we know that goodness endeavours to communicate some of its perfection to others. Now God could not communicate Himself to His creatures in a way more marvellous than by His Incarnation (I. 1).
Was the Incarnation of the Son of God necessary?
No; considered in itself the Incarnation was in no way necessary; but given the fall of the human race by the sin of Adam, and that God wished to reinstate the human race in the most perfect way, and that above all He desired to exact the most complete satisfaction for the first sin, then it was necessary that a God-Man should take upon Himself this sin and make reparation for it (I. 2).
It is then by reason of man's sin and for the reparation thereof that the Son of God became incarnate?
Yes, it was for this precise reason (I. 3, 4).
Why then did not the Son of God become incarnate immediately after the fall of Adam?
The reason was because God wished the human race to know fully its misery, and the need it had of a God-Saviour; and also as was meet for so great a coming in order that a great line of prophets might precede and foretell the advent of the Saviour (I. 5, 6).
(B)
In what does the Incarnation of the Son of God consist, considered in itself?
It consists in this, that the divine nature and a human nature, each preserving what was proper to each, were substantially and indissolubly united in the unity of the one and same divine Person, which is the Person of the Son of God (II. 1-6).
Why did this union take place in the Person of the Son rather than in that of the Father or the Holy Ghost?
The reason is because the properties of the Son, who in God, has the nature of the Word, and to whom belongs by way of appropriation all that refers to wisdom through which God created all things, make the Son to be especially fitting for the restoration of the fallen human race; and also because proceeding from the Father, He could be sent by the Father, and He, in His turn, could send us His Spirit as the fruit of His Redemption (III. 8).