, A. 6, ad 1; Q. 15, A. 1, ad 2).

Secondly, error may occur by attributing the condition of Christ or
of His flesh to that which was actually in the patriarchs: by saying,
for instance, that, because Christ's flesh, as existing in Christ,
was not subject to sin, therefore in Adam also and in the patriarchs
there was some part of his body that was not subject to sin, and from
which afterwards Christ's body was formed; as some indeed held. For
this is quite impossible. First, because Christ's flesh was not in
Adam and in the other patriarchs, according to something signate,
distinguishable from the rest of his flesh, as pure from impure; as
already stated (A. 6). Secondly, because since human flesh is
infected by sin, through being conceived in lust, just as the entire
flesh of a man is conceived through lust, so also is it entirely
defiled by sin. Consequently we must say that the entire flesh of the
patriarchs was subjected to sin, nor was there anything in them that
was free from sin, and from which afterwards Christ's body could be
formed.

Reply Obj. 1: Christ did not assume the flesh of the human race
subject to sin, but cleansed from all infection of sin. Thus it is
that "no defiled thing cometh into the Wisdom of God."

Reply Obj. 2: Christ is said to have assumed the first-fruits of our
nature, as to the likeness of condition; forasmuch as He assumed
flesh not infected by sin, like unto the flesh of man before sin. But
this is not to be understood to imply a continuation of that
primitive purity, as though the flesh of innocent man was preserved
in its freedom from sin until the formation of Christ's body.

Reply Obj. 3: Before Christ, there was actually in human nature a
wound, i.e. the infection of original sin. But the balm to heal the
wound was not there actually, but only by a certain virtue of origin,
forasmuch as from those patriarchs the flesh of Christ was to be
propagated.
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EIGHTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 31, Art. 8]

Whether Christ Paid Tithes in Abraham's Loins?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ "paid tithes" in Abraham's
loins. For the Apostle says (Heb. 7:6-9) that Levi, the
great-grandson of Abraham, "paid tithes in Abraham," because, when
the latter paid tithes to Melchisedech, "he was yet in his loins." In
like manner Christ was in Abraham's loins when the latter paid
tithes. Therefore Christ Himself also paid tithes in Abraham.

Obj. 2: Further, Christ is of the