in the original
manuscripts, but it may be gathered from the above.--Ed.)

[*Some editions, however, give the following reply:

Reply Obj. 3: The fact that Christ's manhood was holy from its
beginning does not prevent that same manhood, when it was offered to
God in the Passion, being sanctified in a new way--namely, as a
victim actually offered then. For it acquired then the actual
holiness of a victim, from the charity which it had from the
beginning, and from the grace of union sanctifying it absolutely.]
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THIRD ARTICLE [III, Q. 22, Art. 3]

Whether the Effect of Christ's Priesthood Is the Expiation of Sins?

Objection 1: It would seem that the effect of Christ's priesthood is
not the expiation of sins. For it belongs to God alone to blot out
sins, according to Isa. 43:25: "I am He that blot out thy iniquities
for My own sake." But Christ is priest, not as God, but as man.
Therefore the priesthood of Christ does not expiate sins.

Obj. 2: Further, the Apostle says (Heb. 10:1-3) that the victims of
the Old Testament could not "make" (the comers thereunto) "perfect:
for then they would have ceased to be offered; because the worshipers
once cleansed should have no conscience of sin any longer; but in
them there is made a commemoration of sins every year." But in like
manner under the priesthood of Christ a commemoration of sins is made
in the words: "Forgive us our trespasses" (Matt. 6:12). Moreover, the
Sacrifice is offered continuously in the Church; wherefore again we
say: "Give us this day our daily bread." Therefore sins are not
expiated by the priesthood of Christ.

Obj. 3: Further, in the sin-offerings of the Old Law, a he-goat was
mostly offered for the sin of a prince, a she-goat for the sin of
some private individual, a calf for the sin of a priest, as we gather
from Lev. 4:3, 23, 28. But Christ is compared to none of these, but
to the lamb, according to Jer. 11:19: "I was as a meek lamb, that is
carried to be a victim." Therefore it seems that His priesthood does
not expiate sins.

_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Heb. 9:14): "The blood of
Christ, Who by the Holy Ghost offered Himself unspotted unto God,
shall cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living
God." But dead works denote sins. Therefore the priesthood of Christ
has the power to cleanse from sins.

_I answer that,_ Two things are required for the perfect cleansing
from sins, corresponding to the