to that which is according to nature; because
that which is beside nature is an exception to nature." Therefore the
free-will of a creature can be moved to good meritoriously in the
first instant of its creation, but not to evil sinfully; provided,
however, its nature be unimpaired.

Reply Obj. 2: That which man has at the first moment of his creation,
in the ordinary course of nature, is natural to him; but nothing
hinders a creature from receiving from God a gift of grace at the
very beginning of its creation. In this way did Christ's soul in the
first instant of its creation receive grace by which it could merit.
And for this reason is that grace, by way of a certain likeness, said
to be natural to this Man, as explained by Augustine (Enchiridion xl).

Reply Obj. 3: Nothing prevents the same thing belonging to someone
from several causes. And thus it is that Christ was able by
subsequent actions and sufferings to merit the glory of immortality,
which He also merited in the first instant of His conception: not,
indeed, so that it became thereby more due to Him than before, but so
that it was due to Him from more causes than before.
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FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 34, Art. 4]

Whether Christ Was a Perfect Comprehensor in the First Instant of His
Conception?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ was not a perfect comprehensor
in the first instant of His conception. For merit precedes reward, as
fault precedes punishment. But Christ merited in the first instant of
His conception, as stated above (A. 3). Since, therefore, the state
of comprehension is the principal reward, it seems that Christ was
not a comprehensor in the first instant of His conception.

Obj. 2: Further, our Lord said (Luke 24:26): "Ought not Christ to
have suffered these things, and so to enter into His glory?" But
glory belongs to the state of comprehension. Therefore Christ was not
in the state of comprehension in the first instant of His conception,
when as yet He had not suffered.

Obj. 3: Further, what befits neither man nor angel seems proper to
God; and therefore is not becoming to Christ as man. But to be always
in the state of beatitude befits neither man nor angel: for if they
had been created in beatitude, they would not have sinned afterwards.
Therefore Christ, as man, was not in the state of beatitude in the
first instant of His conception.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Ps. 64:5): "Blessed is he whom Thou