Question Two. Whether on Christ’s Soul was in fact Conferred the Highest Degree of Grace that could have been Conferred on a Creature

11. I ask second about the fact of the matter, whether on Christ’s soul was in fact conferred the highest grace that could have been conferred on a creature.

12. That it was not:

Augustine On the Trinity 13.5 n8 says that ‘he is blessed who has what he wills and wills nothing badly’; this remark is not understood only of actual willing, because then some holy wayfarer could be blessed for some instant, because he can have whatever he wills for that instant, and he is also then not actually willing badly. Therefore the remark is understood of possible willing, namely that the blessed has whatever he can rightly will. But [the Archangel] Michael can rightly will to have as much grace as his nature is capable of, because free will is always right when it conforms to a natural will or willing, which is always right; therefore Michael’s natural will is for as much grace as his nature is capable of. But the nature of Christ’s soul is not as excellent [sc. as Michael’s nature], and so it is not capable of as much grace; therefore it does not in fact now have as much grace as Michael has (if Michael is blessed).

13. Further, the amount of grace to be posited in the soul of Christ should only be as great as is required for the blessedness of his soul; but it is perfectly blessed if its whole natural inclination is brought to completion. Now his soul can be perfectly completed even if it does not have the highest degree of creatable grace, for it does not have the highest inclination for it (since it does not have the highest nature [n.12]). An example: water would be blessed [i.e. its natural inclination would be realized] even if it was not in the center, because it does not have the highest degree of heaviness that earth has.

14. Further, the highest nature has not been made; therefore neither has the highest grace. Proof of the antecedent: whatever nature has been made, another can be made that is more excellent, because the former too could be finite. Proof of the consequence: the order of the universe consists more in species than in individuals, for species rather than individuals determine the perfection of the universe; therefore it seems that a thing is superior to other natures in species before the making of the highest grace (which would differ from other graces only numerically).

15. On the contrary:

Augustine On the Trinity 13.19 n.24, “In things that have arisen in time, the highest grace is that man was joined to God in unity of person.”

16. Further, John 1.14, “We saw his glory, glory as of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth,” that is, of the sort that befits the only begotten; but this sort is the highest that it was possible to give;     therefore etc     .

17. Again, John 3.34, “God does not give the Spirit by measure,” and this is understood of Christ, for “of his fullness have we all received etc.” [John 1.16]. Grace that is not ‘by measure’ is the highest possible grace; also a fullness that can be shared in by another grace according to a certain measure, seems to be found only in the highest grace.

18. Again, the Master [Lombard] says in the text, “One must believe that God has conferred on Christ’s soul as much grace as could have been conferred;” God has conferred as much as he could create, as will be proved [infra nn.45-48, 53];     therefore etc     .