iator of God and
men," as is written, 1 Tim. 2:5; and hence it behooved Him to have
grace which would overflow upon others, according to John 1:16: "And
of His fulness we have all received, and grace for grace."

Reply Obj. 1: Christ is the true God in Divine Person and Nature. Yet
because together with unity of person there remains distinction of
natures, as stated above (Q. 2, AA. 1, 2), the soul of Christ is not
essentially Divine. Hence it behooves it to be Divine by
participation, which is by grace.

Reply Obj. 2: To Christ, inasmuch as He is the natural Son of God, is
due an eternal inheritance, which is the uncreated beatitude through
the uncreated act of knowledge and love of God, i.e. the same whereby
the Father knows and loves Himself. Now the soul was not capable of
this act, on account of the difference of natures. Hence it behooved
it to attain to God by a created act of fruition which could not be
without grace. Likewise, inasmuch as He was the Word of God, He had
the power of doing all things well by the Divine operation. And
because it is necessary to admit a human operation, distinct from the
Divine operation, as will be shown (Q. 19, A. 1), it was necessary
for Him to have habitual grace, whereby this operation might be
perfect in Him.

Reply Obj. 3: The humanity of Christ is the instrument of the
Godhead--not, indeed, an inanimate instrument, which nowise acts, but
is merely acted upon; but an instrument animated by a rational soul,
which is so acted upon as to act. And hence the nature of the action
demanded that he should have habitual grace.
_______________________

SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 7, Art. 2]

Whether in Christ There Were Virtues?

Objection 1: It would seem that in Christ there were no virtues. For
Christ had the plenitude of grace. Now grace is sufficient for every
good act, according to 2 Cor. 12:9: "My grace is sufficient for
thee." Therefore there were no virtues in Christ.

Obj. 2: Further, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. vii, 1), virtue
is contrasted with a "certain heroic or godlike habit" which is
attributed to godlike men. But this belongs chiefly to Christ.
Therefore Christ had not virtues, but something higher than virtue.

Obj. 3: Further, as was said above (I-II, Q. 65, AA. 1, 2), all the
virtues are bound together. But it was not becoming for Christ to
have all the virtues, as is clear in the case of liberality and
magnificence, for these have to do with riche