t Christ's Passion
should have been added for the deliverance of the human race.

Obj. 2: Further, natural actions are more suitably performed than
deeds of violence, because violence is "a severance or lapse from
what is according to nature," as is said in _De Coelo_ ii. But
Christ's Passion brought about His death by violence. Therefore it
would have been more appropriate had Christ died a natural death
rather than suffer for man's deliverance.

Obj. 3: Further, it seems most fitting that whatsoever keeps
something unjustly and by violence, should be deprived of it by some
superior power; hence Isaias says (52:3): "You were sold gratis, and
you shall be redeemed without money." But the devil possessed no
right over man, whom he had deceived by guile, and whom he held
subject in servitude by a sort of violence. Therefore it seems most
suitable that Christ should have despoiled the devil solely by His
power and without the Passion.

_On the contrary,_ St. Augustine says (De Trin. xiii): "There was no
other more suitable way of healing our misery" than by the Passion of
Christ.

_I answer that,_ Among means to an end that one is the more suitable
whereby the various concurring means employed are themselves helpful
to such end. But in this that man was delivered by Christ's Passion,
many other things besides deliverance from sin concurred for man's
salvation. In the first place, man knows thereby how much God loves
him, and is thereby stirred to love Him in return, and herein lies
the perfection of human salvation; hence the Apostle says (Rom. 5:8):
"God commendeth His charity towards us; for when as yet we were
sinners . . . Christ died for us." Secondly, because thereby He set
us an example of obedience, humility, constancy, justice, and the
other virtues displayed in the Passion, which are requisite for man's
salvation. Hence it is written (1 Pet. 2:21): "Christ also suffered
for us, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps."
Thirdly, because Christ by His Passion not only delivered man from
sin, but also merited justifying grace for him and the glory of
bliss, as shall be shown later (Q. 48, A. 1; Q. 49, AA. 1, 5).
Fourthly, because by this man is all the more bound to refrain from
sin, according to 1 Cor. 6:20: "You are bought with a great price:
glorify and bear God in your body." Fifthly, because it redounded to
man's greater dignity, that as man was overcome and deceived by the
devil, so al