n took place.

Reply Obj. 1: The grace which is an accident is a certain likeness of
the Divinity participated by man. But by the Incarnation human nature
is not said to have participated a likeness of the Divine nature, but
is said to be united to the Divine Nature itself in the Person of the
Son. Now the thing itself is greater than a participated likeness of
it.

Reply Obj. 2: Habitual grace is only in the soul; but the grace, i.e.
the free gift of God, of being united to the Divine Person belongs to
the whole human nature, which is composed of soul and body. And hence
it is said that the fulness of the Godhead dwelt corporeally in
Christ because the Divine Nature is united not merely to the soul,
but to the body also. Although it may also be said that it dwelt in
Christ corporeally, i.e. not as in a shadow, as it dwelt in the
sacraments of the old law, of which it is said in the same place
(Col. 2:17) that they are the "shadow of things to come but the body
is Christ" [Vulg.: 'Christ's'], inasmuch as the body is opposed to
the shadow. And some say that the Godhead is said to have dwelt in
Christ corporeally, i.e. in three ways, just as a body has three
dimensions: first, by essence, presence, and power, as in other
creatures; secondly, by sanctifying grace, as in the saints; thirdly,
by personal union, which is proper to Christ.

Hence the reply to the third is manifest, viz. because the union of
the Incarnation did not take place by habitual grace alone, but in
subsistence or person.
_______________________

ELEVENTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 2, Art. 11]

Whether Any Merits Preceded the Union of the Incarnation?

Objection 1: It would seem that the union of the Incarnation followed
upon certain merits, because upon Ps. 32:22, "Let Thy mercy, o Lord,
be upon us, as," etc. a gloss says: "Here the prophet's desire for
the Incarnation and its merited fulfilment are hinted at." Therefore
the Incarnation falls under merit.

Obj. 2: Further, whoever merits anything merits that without which it
cannot be. But the ancient Fathers merited eternal life, to which
they were able to attain only by the Incarnation; for Gregory says
(Moral. xiii): "Those who came into this world before Christ's
coming, whatsoever eminency of righteousness they may have had, could
not, on being divested of the body, at once be admitted into the
bosom of the heavenly country, seeing that He had not as yet come
Who, by His own descending, should pla