F. To the Arguments for the Second Opinion

85. To the arguments for the second opinion, which prove that Christ’s soul cannot see infinites.

To the first [n.51], when it is said that an infinite virtue does not have more power than for seeing infinites, I say that this is not true; for although it does not have power extensively for more than infinite things, yet it has more power intensively and can see more perfectly than any finite virtue; for its act would be more intense according to the proportion and greater virtue of the power.

86. To the next [n.52], when it is said that what sees things ad infinitum would see finite things more distinctly, it can be said that ‘to see more indistinctly ad infinitum in respect of more things’ is not necessarily the case on the part of the intellect as it is receptive, because it could receive from the object visions as distinct of more things as of fewer things. But the indistinctness [of vision] does hold of the intellect as it is efficient cause, and so, if the argument were valid, it would only prove that the intellect has no elicitive power with respect to infinite visions seen distinctly.

87. But it can be said that the argument does not even prove this, for although in fact the intellect in us understands more things less distinctly than fewer things, yet this does not hold of it as it is prior to the elicited act but it follows from something concomitant, namely from its state [sc. the fallen state of human nature, n.123]; and this state need not be posited of Christ’s intellect.

88. To the third argument [n.53] I say that ‘an extensive infinity that extends to infinite things as to receiving their forms’ does not prove an infinity of entity in the receiver (as is plain of prime matter, if it is receptive of infinite forms); on the contrary it proves rather the lowness of the entity; but ‘an extensive infinity that extends to infinite things as to effects it can cause at once’ does prove an intensive infinity, in that the manyness here does prove a greater perfection in that which extends to more things (but it does not prove it of something that is receptive and not causative).

89. But if one posits that the intellect is elicitive of infinite things [n.72], I still say that this infinity too does not prove intensive infinity of the intellect but rather of the object, for the object is principal in respect of the visions and is the principal active cause, but the intellect is not.