The Person Assuming Human Nature

It is fitting for a divine Person to assume human nature. In this there is no addition to the infinite God. The assumed human nature is perfected, not God who is infinitely and eternally all-perfect. Hence, in assuming human nature, a divine Person exercises a loving and merciful act, and is in no wisedebased or dishonored. Hence, it is fitting for a divine Person to assume human nature.

Nor is there anything derogatory or unfitting to the divine Nature in the fact that a divine Person assumes human nature. For what is becoming to a divine Person is necessarily becoming to the undivided nature of God in that Person.

Even if we mentally focus on the divine Nature, leaving the Persons out of account, we can say that the divine Nature canfittingly assume another nature. There is no conflict or contradiction in the thought of such an assuming, and God is almighty in his divine Nature.

Since all the works of God’s power are from the Trinity itself, the act of assuming human nature is common to the Three Persons. But the union resulting from this act is in only one divine Person, that is, the Person of the Divine Son.

Had it been the will of God (the undivided will of Godin Trinity), the Father or the Holy Ghost might have becomeincarnate.

Indeed, the three Persons of the Trinity, whosubsist in one divine Nature, could also subsist with one human nature, so that then the human nature would be assumed by the Three Divine Persons.

And there is no conflict or contradiction in the thought that one Person should assume a human nature distinct fromthe human nature assumed by the Son. Nor, indeed, is there contradiction in the thought that the Son should assume another human nature distinct from the one he did assume.

It is most fitting, however, that the Divine Son became manto redeem us, rather than the Father or the Holy Ghost. For the Son is the Word in whom is the exemplar of every creature. Now, as a craftsman restores his broken handiwork according to the original model or exemplar, so it is suitable that the restoration of God’s broken human handiwork should be accomplished through and by the Son. Again, to make men the adoptive sons of God, it was suitable that God should “send his Son into the world.”And, finally, since it was man’s inordinate desire for knowledge that brought ruin on himself, it is fitting that the Word of True Knowledge should come to redeem him.