; fifthly, of those who are united to Him in
potentiality, which will never be reduced to act; such are those men
existing in the world, who are not predestined, who, however, on
their departure from this world, wholly cease to be members of
Christ, as being no longer in potentiality to be united to Christ.

Reply Obj. 1: Those who are unbaptized, though not actually in the
Church, are in the Church potentially. And this potentiality is
rooted in two things--first and principally, in the power of Christ,
which is sufficient for the salvation of the whole human race;
secondly, in free-will.

Reply Obj. 2: To be "a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle" is
the ultimate end to which we are brought by the Passion of Christ.
Hence this will be in heaven, and not on earth, in which "if we say
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves," as is written (1 John 1:8).
Nevertheless, there are some, viz. mortal, sins from which they are
free who are members of Christ by the actual union of charity; but
such as are tainted with these sins are not members of Christ
actually, but potentially; except, perhaps, imperfectly, by formless
faith, which unites to God, relatively but not simply, viz. so that
man partake of the life of grace. For, as is written (James 2:20):
"Faith without works is dead." Yet such as these receive from Christ
a certain vital act, i.e. to believe, as if a lifeless limb were
moved by a man to some extent.

Reply Obj. 3: The holy Fathers made use of the legal sacraments, not
as realities, but as images and shadows of what was to come. Now it
is the same motion to an image as image, and to the reality, as is
clear from the Philosopher (De Memor. et Remin. ii). Hence the
ancient Fathers, by observing the legal sacraments, were borne to
Christ by the same faith and love whereby we also are borne to Him,
and hence the ancient Fathers belong to the same Church as we.
_______________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 8, Art. 4]

Whether Christ Is the Head of the Angels?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ as man is not the head of the
angels. For the head and members are of one nature. But Christ as man
is not of the same nature with the angels, but only with men, since,
as is written (Heb. 2:16): "For nowhere doth He take hold of the
angels, but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold." Therefore Christ
as man is not the head of the angels.

Obj. 2: Further, Christ is the head of such as belong to the Church,