ld seem that the Son of God ought not to have
assumed human nature with defects of body. For as His soul is
personally united to the Word of God, so also is His body. But the
soul of Christ had every perfection, both of grace and truth, as was
said above (Q. 7, A. 9; Q. 9, seqq.). Hence, His body also ought to
have been in every way perfect, not having any imperfection in it.

Obj. 2: Further, the soul of Christ saw the Word of God by the vision
wherein the blessed see, as was said above (Q. 9, A. 2), and thus the
soul of Christ was blessed. Now by the beatification of the soul the
body is glorified; since, as Augustine says (Ep. ad Dios. cxviii),
"God made the soul of a nature so strong that from the fulness of its
blessedness there pours over even into the lower nature" (i.e. the
body), "not indeed the bliss proper to the beatific fruition and
vision, but the fulness of health" (i.e. the vigor of
incorruptibility). Therefore the body of Christ was incorruptible and
without any defect.

Obj. 3: Further, penalty is the consequence of fault. But there was
no fault in Christ, according to 1 Pet. 2:22: "Who did no guile."
Therefore defects of body, which are penalties, ought not to have
been in Him.

Obj. 4: Further, no reasonable man assumes what keeps him from his
proper end. But by such like bodily defects, the end of the
Incarnation seems to be hindered in many ways. First, because by
these infirmities men were kept back from knowing Him, according to
Isa. 53:2, 3: "[There was no sightliness] that we should be desirous
of Him. Despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with infirmity, and His look was, as it were, hidden and
despised, whereupon we esteemed Him not." Secondly, because the
desire of the Fathers would not seem to be fulfilled, in whose person
it is written (Isa. 51:9): "Arise, arise, put on Thy strength, O Thou
Arm of the Lord." Thirdly, because it would seem more fitting for the
devil's power to be overcome and man's weakness healed, by strength
than by weakness. Therefore it does not seem to have been fitting
that the Son of God assumed human nature with infirmities or defects
of body.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Heb. 2:18): "For in that, wherein
He Himself hath suffered and been tempted, He is able to succor them
also that are tempted." Now He came to succor us. Hence David said of
Him (Ps. 120:1): "I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from
whence help shall