the Church. For it is written (1 Kings 15:17): "When thou wast a
little one in thy own eyes, wast thou not made the head of the tribes
of Israel?" Now there is but one Church in the New and the Old
Testament. Therefore it seems that with equal reason any other man
than Christ might be head of the Church.

Obj. 2: Further, Christ is called Head of the Church from His
bestowing grace on the Church's members. But it belongs to others
also to grant grace to others, according to Eph. 4:29: "Let no evil
speech proceed from your mouth; but that which is good to the
edification of faith, that it may administer grace to the hearers."
Therefore it seems to belong also to others than Christ to be head of
the Church.

Obj. 3: Further, Christ by His ruling over the Church is not only
called "Head," but also "Shepherd" and "Foundation." Now Christ did
not retain for Himself alone the name of Shepherd, according to 1
Pet. 5:4, "And when the prince of pastors shall appear, you shall
receive a never-fading crown of glory"; nor the name of Foundation,
according to Apoc. 21:14: "And the wall of the city had twelve
foundations." Therefore it seems that He did not retain the name of
Head for Himself alone.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Col. 2:19): "The head" of the
Church is that "from which the whole body, by joints and bands being
supplied with nourishment and compacted groweth unto the increase of
God." But this belongs only to Christ. Therefore Christ alone is Head
of the Church.

_I answer that,_ The head influences the other members in two ways.
First, by a certain intrinsic influence, inasmuch as motive and
sensitive force flow from the head to the other members; secondly, by
a certain exterior guidance, inasmuch as by sight and the senses,
which are rooted in the head, man is guided in his exterior acts. Now
the interior influx of grace is from no one save Christ, Whose
manhood, through its union with the Godhead, has the power of
justifying; but the influence over the members of the Church, as
regards their exterior guidance, can belong to others; and in this
way others may be called heads of the Church, according to Amos 6:1,
"Ye great men, heads of the people"; differently, however, from
Christ. First, inasmuch as Christ is the Head of all who pertain to
the Church in every place and time and state; but all other men are
called heads with reference to certain special places, as bishops of
their Churches. Or with refere