Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume I › Book I. On the General Principles of the Christian Life › Treatise II. On Motion in Order to the Final End, or on the Human Act, Considered according to Moral Being › Dissertation II. On Human Acts Considered according to Moral Being › Part I. On Morality in General › Section III. On the Rules of Morality › Chapter I. On Law › Article VII. On the Effect, or on the Obligation, of Law › § II. On the Obligation of Some Laws in Particular

point — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Point I. On Affirmative and Negative Law

150.

An affirmative law is one which imposes an act; a negative law, one which prohibits an act. Furthermore a negative law obliges always, insofar as it is never licit to do what is absolutely prohibited. An affirmative law does not always oblige, but only at the time at which the act must be placed according to the law. Hence the saying: an affirmative law obliges always, but not to always; a negative law obliges always and to always.

LawThe obligation of a lawThe Manner of Fulfilling Obligation