perfect being," as is said, _De Anima_
iii, text. 28. We must therefore say that Christ had the use of
free-will in the first instant of His conception.

Reply Obj. 1: Existence precedes action by nature, but not in time;
but at the same time the agent has perfect existence, and begins to
act unless it is hindered. Thus fire, as soon as it is generated,
begins to give heat and light. The action of heating, however, is not
terminated in an instant, but continues for a time; whereas the
action of giving light is perfected in an instant. And such an
operation is the use of free-will, as stated above.

Reply Obj. 2: As soon as counsel or deliberation is ended, there may
be choice. But those who need the deliberation of counsel, as soon as
this comes to an end are certain of what ought to be chosen: and
consequently they choose at once. From this it is clear that the
deliberation of counsel does not of necessity precede choice save for
the purpose of inquiring into what is uncertain. But Christ, in the
first instant of His conception, had the fulness of sanctifying
grace, and in like manner the fulness of known truth; according to
John 1:14: "Full of grace and truth." Wherefore, as being possessed
of certainty about all things, He could choose at once in an instant.

Reply Obj. 3: Christ's intellect, in regard to His infused
knowledge, could understand without turning to phantasms, as stated
above (Q. 11, A. 2). Consequently His intellect and will could
act without any action of the senses.

Nevertheless it was possible for Him, in the first instant of His
conception, to have an operation of the senses: especially as to the
sense of touch, which the infant can exercise in the womb even before
it has received the rational soul, as is said, _De Gener. Animal._
ii, 3, 4. Wherefore, since Christ had the rational soul in the first
instant of His conception, through His body being already fashioned
and endowed with sensible organs, much more was it possible for Him
to exercise the sense of touch in that same instant.
_______________________

THIRD ARTICLE [III, Q. 34, Art. 3]

Whether Christ Could Merit in the First Instant of His Conception?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ could not merit in the first
instant of His conception. For the free-will bears the same relation
to merit as to demerit. But the devil could not sin in the first
instant of his creation, as was shown in the First Part, Q. 63, A. 5.
Therefore n