Book — Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology
Book Third. On Laws
105. Law is called the remote external rule of moral actions, and conscience the proximate and internal rule of the same. For we have seen which actions are in general morally good and meritorious of eternal life; now which good and meritorious actions we must perform in order that we may attain the ultimate end is determined by the divine will, which is made known to us through divine law. Therefore divine law directs our actions to the ultimate end. But divine law cannot direct our actions unless it is made known to us through conscience and applied through it to individual actions. Therefore human actions must be conformed to divine law and conscience in order that they be apt for the end.
1 St. Thomas, I-II, q. 90-108. St. Alphonsus, l. 1, n. 99-208. Suarez, De legibus, a classic work consisting of ten books. Laymann, Theologia moralis, l. 1, tr. 4. Reuter, Theologia moralis, pr. 1, n. 118-262. Sporer-Katzenberger, Supplementum, c. 1. Wernz, Ius decretalium (Rome: Typographia C. de Prop. Fide, 1898), I, n. 80-173. Wildmuller, Uber das Sittengesetz (Wurzburg: Woerl, 1878).
Within this book
- First Question. On The Nature Of Lawnn. 106–110
Second Question. On Divine Lawnn. 111–126
- First Article. On Eternal And Natural Lawnn. 111–117
- Second Article. On Positive Divine Lawnn. 118–122
- Third Article. On Counselsnn. 123–126
Third Question. On Human Lawnn. 127–141
- First Article. On The Author Of Human Lawnn. 127–135
- Second Article. On The Object Of Human Lawnn. 136–141
Fourth Question. On The Subject Of Lawnn. 142–152
- First Article. On The Subject Itself Of Lawnn. 142–150
- Article Second. On Ecclesiastical Domicile.nn. 151–152
- Question Fifth. On the Promulgation and Acceptance of Law.nn. 153–156
- Question Sixth. On the Interpretation of Law and Epikeia.nn. 157–160
Question Seventh. On the Obligation of Law.nn. 161–174
- Article First. On the Obligation of Law in General.nn. 161–163
Article Second. On the Obligation of Special Laws.nn. 164–170
- § 1. On Penal Law.nn. 164–165
- § 2. On Invalidating Law.nn. 166–168
- § 3. On Law Founded on Presumption.nn. 169–170
- Article Third. On the Manner of Fulfilling Obligation.nn. 171–174
Question Eighth. On the Cessation of Obligation.nn. 175–197
- Article First. On Causes De-obliging from Law.nn. 175–178
Article Second. On Dispensation from Law.nn. 179–191
- § 1. On the Power of Dispensing.nn. 181–184
- § 2. On the Causes of Dispensation.nn. 185–187
- § 3. On the Cessation of Dispensation.nn. 188–191
- Article Third. On Privilege.nn. 192–197
- Question Ninth. On the Cessation of Law.nn. 198–199
Question Tenth. On Custom.nn. 200–205
- Article First. On Derogatory Custom.nn. 202–203
- Article Second. On Obligatory Custom.nn. 204–205