Article — Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology
First Article. On The Moral Order Itself
35. What it is. The moral order consists in the essential relations by which man is referred to God, to himself, and to other creatures. These relations demand of man several and diverse operations, by which, according to the will of God, he must strive toward his end. For this reason the moral order also consists in the operations by which man tends to his end. Finally, there is added the order of means to the end, by which God helps man so that he may come to his end. Therefore the moral order, considered completely, comprises the ultimate end, God, in whose possession man obtains perfect happiness; the relations by which man is referred to God, to himself, and to others; the operations which are consonant with the essential relations of man; and finally the means which, by divine institution, serve for obtaining the end. Therefore the moral order instituted by God is the way by which we tend to the end, and the means by whose observance we attain our end; whence St. Augustine teaches: "Order is that which, if you hold it in life, will lead you to God."1
a. Since order in general is the relation of one thing to another, in order to constitute the moral order one must first consider the relations by which man is referred to another. Now there are three relations of this kind founded in human nature itself: the religious relation, the individual relation, and the social relation. For man is referred to God, his first principle and ultimate end; he is referred to himself, since he is furnished with several and diverse inclinations and powers, which by their nature are so arranged that the lower are referred to the higher and, conversely, the higher to the lower; finally man is referred to other creatures, whether rational or irrational. For man, as part of the universe, is on the one hand ordered by his nature to forming society with other men, and on the other hand is furnished with the right of using material things insofar as this is required for attaining his end. It is clear that the moral order by its nature is a final order, since the whole nature of man with all its relations is ordered to God, the ultimate end: the religious relation immediately, but the individual and social relation mediately. From this, namely, is understood the dignity and excellence of rational nature, which alone has an immediate relation to God; on the contrary, irrational creatures are referred immediately to man and mediately through man to God.2
b. Since man by nature is referred to God as creature to Creator, as servant to Lord, order requires that man acknowledge his Creator and Lord, revere Him, serve Him, and love Him. Since the body is related to the soul as instrument to the principal agent, order requires that the lower powers be subjected to and serve the higher, and that the higher direct the lower. Therefore St. Gregory the Great calls reason the mistress of a large household.3 Finally, since man is referred to other men as to companions and fellow-servants, participants of the same nature and destined to the same end, order requires that he love others as himself and observe justice in social life.
1 De ordine l. 1, c. 9, n. 27.
2 Cf. St. Thomas II-II, q. 2, a. 3.
3 Moralia in Job l. 1, c. 30, n. 42.
36. The natural and supernatural order. Order depends upon the end for the obtaining of which it was instituted, and must be consonant with it as to nature. Since there is a twofold ultimate end, there is also a twofold moral order: the natural, which is founded in human nature and corresponds to its capacity, powers, and demand; and the supernatural, which is instituted by the free will of God and transcends the capacity, powers, and demand of human nature. It is established that in the present order of providence man, through sanctifying grace, is constituted an adoptive son of God and heir of eternal and supernatural happiness: "When the fullness of time came, God sent His Son, that we might receive the adoption of sons."1 "As many as received Him, He gave them power to become sons of God."2
a. Therefore in this order man is referred to God as son to father; the body, which is a member of Christ and temple of the Holy Spirit,3 is referred to the soul as a sacred instrument to a sacred principal cause; and man is referred to other men as a brother of Christ and heir of eternal life to brothers in Christ and heirs of the same divine life. These relations are indeed altogether different from the relations which constitute the natural order. The supernatural order demands other and nobler operations, all of which Christ comprehended in the two precepts concerning the charity of God and neighbor.4 By observing these, man obtains the supernatural beatitude of eternal life. Finally, the means of this order also are supernatural (n. 33).
b. The natural order is instituted by the very fact of creation. But it pleased the supremely good God in creation itself to elevate man above nature to a higher order, plainly supernatural. The supernatural order is instituted by the very fact of adoption, or of the elevation of human nature to the state of adoptive sonship.
1 Gal. 4:4-5.
2 John 1:12.
3 1 Cor. 6:15, 19.
4 Matt. 22:37 ff.