Second Question: On the Power of the New Law

St. Thomas, I-II, q. 108; q. 106, a. 1, ad 1; a. 4.

319. The new law must order exterior acts (q. 108, a. 1 and 2). - For although it is principally the grace of the Holy Spirit, nevertheless it fittingly hands down certain precepts not only concerning interior acts, but also concerning exterior acts, so that it is a true law (Mt. V, 17; XXVIII, 20; Council of Trent, sess. 6, can. 19, 20 and 21). And indeed it contains:

1. certain ceremonial things concerning the sacraments, for the very reception of grace (e.g., Jn. III, 5): for we have grace through the Son of God visibly made man; whence grace flowing from the incarnate and visible Word must be led down to us through visible signs, which are the sacraments and the sacrifice;

2. also moral precepts concerning acts of virtues both internal and external, which dispose to grace or pertain to its use:

a) precepts concerning acts which are necessary as a disposition for the reception and conservation of grace, whether as to the intellect, such as knowledge of the principal truths of faith or of the preambles concerning the manifestation of the divinity and humanity of Christ; or as to affection, namely those things which pertain to contempt of the world, without which man is not capable of the Holy Spirit (Jn. XIV, 17);

b) precepts concerning acts which are necessary for the right use of grace, not only concerning internal acts, which are the very grace and charity ordering us internally to God and neighbor; but also concerning external acts, which are produced from the impulse of grace: for grace is operative through charity, and therefore it must also manifest itself through external works (Eph. V, 8; Jn. XII, 36; Mt. X, 13), some of which have a necessary fittingness or contrariety to grace, and these are prescribed or prohibited, e.g., confession and denial of faith (Mk. XVI, 16; Mt. X, 32; XXVIII, 19, 20 [the original misprints XXV, 19, 20]; Jn. XVI, 9), and many others handed down in Mt. V, 22 sq.

3. But other works which are not necessary for grace are not prescribed: if these look to each person individually, they have been left to his liberty; if they look to common utility, they have been left to temporal and spiritual superiors. And therefore besides moral and sacramental precepts, no other ceremonial or judicial things were given, but they were left to the Church.

Hence, by difference from the old law, which is called the law of servitude, the new law is called the law of liberty, not only a) because by it we are freed from the servitude of sin (Rom. VI, 18), but also b) because the new law obligates only to those things which are necessary to salvation to be done, or contrary to it to be avoided, and leaves other things to liberty, nor is it like the old law, which determined many ceremonial and judicial things and left few things to the choice of men (Acts XV, 1; Gal. V, 1); c) because it makes us fulfill these precepts freely, not by fear and a servile mind, but insofar as by the interior instinct of grace and love we willingly fulfill them.

320. The new law fittingly orders interior acts, so that men may be totally subject to God (q. 108, a. 3). - For Christ, in the sermon which He gave on the mount, 1) promised beatitude to various excellent works; 2) ordered the interior acts of man as to himself: a) concerning means, that we abstain not only from exterior evil works, but also from interior ones and from occasions of evils; b) concerning the end, that we not establish it in human glory, or riches, or pleasures; whence He proposes three contrary good works: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting; 3) ordered the interior acts of man as to neighbor, lest we judge rashly or unjustly or presumptuously, nor trust the unworthy too much; 4) teaches the mode of fulfilling the law, by imploring divine help, by applying effort toward virtue, and by caution against seducers (Mt. V-VII).

321. In the new law, which is the law of liberty and perfection, counsels are fittingly added concerning those things which are necessary, not for obtaining the end, but so that we may obtain it better and more expeditiously (q. 108, a. 4). For man is placed in the middle between worldly and spiritual goods, so that the more he clings to the one, the more he withdraws from the other; and although it is not necessary for beatitude that man totally relinquish earthly things, because he can use them according to reason, nevertheless he will arrive at it better and more expeditiously by totally renouncing those goods. Now:

1. The goods of this world are of three kinds: a) riches, to which the concupiscence of the eyes excites, and the counsel of poverty proposes that these be relinquished (Mt. XIX, 21); b) the pleasures of the flesh, about which the concupiscence of the flesh is concerned, and the counsel of virginity or continence teaches that these be relinquished (Mt. XIX, 11-12; I Cor. VII, 25-40); c) honors, which the pride of life pursues, and which we relinquish by perfect obedience (q. 108, a. 4).

2. Similarly, the disquiet of secular solicitude is cast upon man especially concerning three things (Lk. VI, 24; IX, 23; XII, 22): a) concerning the management of exterior things, and this solicitude is taken away from man by the counsel of poverty; b) concerning the governing of wife and children, which is cut off by the counsel of virginity; c) concerning the disposing of one's own acts, which is cut off by the counsel of obedience, by which someone commits himself to the disposal of another (cf. C. Gent. III, 130).

3. Finally, man has a threefold good: a) the good of exterior things, which someone offers totally to God by voluntary poverty; b) the good of his own body, which he offers by perfect chastity; c) the good of the soul, which he offers totally by obedience, by which someone gives to God his own will, through which man uses all the powers and habits of the soul (II-II, q. 186, a. 7).

322. The new law is universal (q. 106, a. 4). For:

a) it is imposed on all men (Mt. XXVIII, 18-20; Mk. XVI, 15-16; Rom. I, 16); but some precepts are immediately obligatory, e.g., of believing and receiving Baptism; others mediately, namely on the baptized, e.g., the precept of confession and communion;

b) it is imposed on all subsequent times, because none more perfect can exist, since 1) it immediately joins men to God and introduces them into the last end (Heb. X, 19-20), 2) it causes grace itself through the sacraments, which truly sanctify, and 3) it has a sacrifice of infinite dignity. And surely in this life a more perfect divine law or religion cannot be given, since a greater union of man with God cannot be devised: for here He was made man and by the Incarnation united Himself to us, so that He might make us gods and unite us to Himself through the life of grace; He nourishes and increases this life by uniting His flesh and blood to us in the Eucharist, so that we may be united to Him by perfect vision and intimate possession of Himself in heaven. Thus in the religious order the maximum toward God is attained, than which something greater cannot be devised. Whence

c) the new law can be changed by no one, nor can the Church properly dispense in it, but only interpret it authentically in the name of God; and it is to endure until the consummation of the age. Hence in the Scriptures it is called a stable kingdom (Mt. XVI, 18; XXVIII, 20), the last time (Acts II, 17; I Jn. II, 18), a covenant remaining forever (Jer. XXXI, 40; Mal. I, 10-11; Heb. XIII, 20; Mt. XXVIII, 20), a new and eternal testament (Mt. XXVI, 28; Lk. XXII, 20; Heb. XIII, 20; IX, 20).

Therefore the new law differs from the old law: 1) by reason of the efficient cause, because it is from Christ not only as He is God but also as man (Heb. I, 1); 2) by reason of the formal cause, because principally it is grace and charity, which it gives ex opere operato, while the old law gave knowledge of precept and of sin, but not help; 3) by reason of the material cause, because it was borne for all and in perpetuity, declares the precepts perfectly, adds counsels, imposes few external things, but many internal things which nevertheless are easy to fulfill from grace; 4) by reason of the final cause, because it immediately procures eternal happiness.