Xi. Of The Unity And Multiplicity In Jesus Christ: As Regards His Being; As Regards His Will; And As Regards His Operati
XI. OF THE UNITY AND MULTIPLICITY IN JESUS CHRIST: AS REGARDS HIS BEING; AS REGARDS HIS WILL; AND AS REGARDS HIS OPERATIONS
(A)
Does Jesus Christ constitute only one being or several?
He is one being only, God and man together; and this by reason of the unity of Person which subsists in both the human and the divine natures (XVII. I, 2).
May one speak of more than one will in Christ?
Yes; for in Him there is the divine will in so far as He is God; and the human will in so far as He is man (XVIII. 1).
Is there in Him as man a multiplicity of wills?
Yes, understanding the word "will" in a wide sense and in so far as it comprises the sensitive as well as the intellective appetite; or again in so far as the word sometimes signifies different acts of these faculties (XVIII. 2, 3).
Had the human nature in Christ a free will?
Yes. Although it was absolutely impossible for Him to sin, His will being always and in every sense conformed to the divine will (XVIII. 4).
(B)
Is there a multiplicity of operations in Christ?
Yes. For although on the part of the Person or the principle to which all operations are attributed there is absolute and perfect unity, on the part of the immediate principles of operation there were as many different operations as there were principles or faculties of operating in His human nature; and, further, the diversity of actions proper to the divine nature and the diversity of those proper to the human nature (XIX. 1, 2).
(C)
In what sense does one speak of theandric operations in Christ, and what does this expression mean?
This expression means that since Jesus Christ is both God and man there is in Him a kind of subordination between all the principles of operation in Him, particularly between those principles proper to the human nature and those proper to the divine; so that the human operations were divinely perfected and superexalted owing to the nearness and the influence of the divine nature; and, on the other hand, the divine operations in some sort were humanized by the concurrence of the human operations (XIX. 1, Obj. 1).
Were the human operations in Christ meritorious as regards Himself?
Yes. It was meet He should merit for Himself all that from which He was separated only temporarily, and such as was not contrary to the excellence and dignity which was His; as, for instance, the glory of the Body and all that referred to His external exaltation in heaven and on earth (XIX. 3).
(D)
Was Christ able to merit for others also?
Yes, and by merit that was perfect or de condigno; and this by reason of the mystical unity between Him and all the members of His Church of which He is the head; and this merit was of such a kind that all His actions were meritorious not only for Himself, but for all those who form part of His Church in general, according to the sense already explained (XIX. 4).
What is necessary that other men might share in the merit of our Lord?
They must be united to Him by the grace of baptism, which is the grace whereby they are incorporated into Christ's Church; but of this we shall speak later (XIX. 4, Obj. 3).