committed against him on account of some pleasing act of
homage shown him. Hence it is written (1 Kings 26:19): "If the Lord
stir thee up against me, let Him accept of sacrifice." And in like
fashion Christ's voluntary suffering was such a good act that,
because of its being found in human nature, God was appeased for
every offense of the human race with regard to those who are made one
with the crucified Christ in the aforesaid manner (A. 1, ad 4).

Reply Obj. 1: God loves all men as to their nature, which He Himself
made; yet He hates them with respect to the crimes they commit
against Him, according to Ecclus. 12:3: "The Highest hateth sinners."

Reply Obj. 2: Christ is not said to have reconciled us with God, as
if God had begun anew to love us, since it is written (Jer. 31:3): "I
have loved thee with an everlasting love"; but because the source of
hatred was taken away by Christ's Passion, both through sin being
washed away and through compensation being made in the shape of a
more pleasing offering.

Reply Obj. 3: As Christ's slayers were men, so also was the Christ
slain. Now the charity of the suffering Christ surpassed the
wickedness of His slayers. Accordingly Christ's Passion prevailed
more in reconciling God to the whole human race than in provoking Him
to wrath.
_______________________

FIFTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 49, Art. 5]

Whether Christ Opened the Gate of Heaven to Us by His Passion?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ did not open the gate of
heaven to us by His Passion. For it is written (Prov. 11:18): "To him
that soweth justice, there is a faithful reward." But the reward of
justice is the entering into the kingdom of heaven. It seems,
therefore, that the holy Fathers who wrought works of justice,
obtained by faith the entering into the heavenly kingdom even without
Christ's Passion. Consequently Christ's Passion is not the cause of
the opening of the gate of the kingdom of heaven.

Obj. 2: Further, Elias was caught up to heaven previous to Christ's
Passion (4 Kings 2). But the effect never precedes the cause.
Therefore it seems that the opening of heaven's gate is not the
result of Christ's Passion.

Obj. 3: Further, as it is written (Matt. 3:16), when Christ was
baptized the heavens were opened to Him. But His baptism preceded the
Passion. Consequently the opening of heaven is not the result of
Christ's Passion.

Obj. 4: Further, it is written (Mic. 2:13): "For He shall go up that
sh