Part II (Pars Prima Secundae) Part 171 (1/2)
3:27): ”Where is ... thy boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith”: for he calls the grace itself of faith ”a law.” And still more clearly it is written (Rom. 8:2): ”The law of the spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, hath delivered me from the law of sin and of death.” Hence Augustine says (De Spir. et Lit.
xxiv) that ”as the law of deeds was written on tables of stone, so is the law of faith inscribed on the hearts of the faithful”: and elsewhere, in the same book (xxi): ”What else are the Divine laws written by G.o.d Himself on our hearts, but the very presence of His Holy Spirit?”
Nevertheless the New Law contains certain things that dispose us to receive the grace of the Holy Ghost, and pertaining to the use of that grace: such things are of secondary importance, so to speak, in the New Law; and the faithful need to be instructed concerning them, both by word and writing, both as to what they should believe and as to what they should do. Consequently we must say that the New Law is in the first place a law that is inscribed on our hearts, but that secondarily it is a written law.
Reply Obj. 1: The Gospel writings contain only such things as pertain to the grace of the Holy Ghost, either by disposing us thereto, or by directing us to the use thereof. Thus with regard to the intellect, the Gospel contains certain matters pertaining to the manifestation of Christ's G.o.dhead or humanity, which dispose us by means of faith through which we receive the grace of the Holy Ghost: and with regard to the affections, it contains matters touching the contempt of the world, whereby man is rendered fit to receive the grace of the Holy Ghost: for ”the world,” i.e. worldly men, ”cannot receive” the Holy Ghost (John 14:17). As to the use of spiritual grace, this consists in works of virtue to which the writings of the New Testament exhort men in divers ways.
Reply Obj. 2: There are two ways in which a thing may be instilled into man. First, through being part of his nature, and thus the natural law is instilled into man. Secondly, a thing is instilled into man by being, as it were, added on to his nature by a gift of grace. In this way the New Law is instilled into man, not only by indicating to him what he should do, but also by helping him to accomplish it.
Reply Obj. 3: No man ever had the grace of the Holy Ghost except through faith in Christ either explicit or implicit: and by faith in Christ man belongs to the New Testament. Consequently whoever had the law of grace instilled into them belonged to the New Testament.
________________________
SECOND ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 106, Art. 2]
Whether the New Law Justifies?
Objection 1: It would seem that the New Law does not justify. For no man is justified unless he obeys G.o.d's law, according to Heb. 5:9: ”He,” i.e. Christ, ”became to all that obey Him the cause of eternal salvation.” But the Gospel does not always cause men to believe in it: for it is written (Rom. 10:16): ”All do not obey the Gospel.”
Therefore the New Law does not justify.
Obj. 2: Further, the Apostle proves in his epistle to the Romans that the Old Law did not justify, because transgression increased at its advent: for it is stated (Rom. 4:15): ”The Law worketh wrath: for where there is no law, neither is there transgression.” But much more did the New Law increase transgression: since he who sins after the giving of the New Law deserves greater punishment, according to Heb.
10:28, 29: ”A man making void the Law of Moses dieth without any mercy under two or three witnesses. How much more, do you think, he deserveth worse punishments, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of G.o.d,” etc.? Therefore the New Law, like the Old Law, does not justify.
Obj. 3: Further, justification is an effect proper to G.o.d, according to Rom. 8:33: ”G.o.d that justifieth.” But the Old Law was from G.o.d just as the New Law. Therefore the New Law does not justify any more than the Old Law.
_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Rom. 1:16): ”I am not ashamed of the Gospel: for it is the power of G.o.d unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” But there is no salvation but to those who are justified. Therefore the Law of the Gospel justifies.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 1), there is a twofold element in the Law of the Gospel. There is the chief element, viz. the grace of the Holy Ghost bestowed inwardly. And as to this, the New Law justifies. Hence Augustine says (De Spir. et Lit. xvii): ”There,”
i.e. in the Old Testament, ”the Law was set forth in an outward fas.h.i.+on, that the unG.o.dly might be afraid”; ”here,” i.e. in the New Testament, ”it is given in an inward manner, that they may be justified.” The other element of the Evangelical Law is secondary: namely, the teachings of faith, and those commandments which direct human affections and human actions. And as to this, the New Law does not justify. Hence the Apostle says (2 Cor. 3:6) ”The letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth”: and Augustine explains this (De Spir. et Lit. xiv, xvii) by saying that the letter denotes any writing external to man, even that of the moral precepts such as are contained in the Gospel. Wherefore the letter, even of the Gospel would kill, unless there were the inward presence of the healing grace of faith.
Reply Obj. 1: This argument holds true of the New Law, not as to its princ.i.p.al, but as to its secondary element: i.e. as to the dogmas and precepts outwardly put before man either in words or in writing.
Reply Obj. 2: Although the grace of the New Testament helps man to avoid sin, yet it does not so confirm man in good that he cannot sin: for this belongs to the state of glory. Hence if a man sin after receiving the grace of the New Testament, he deserves greater punishment, as being ungrateful for greater benefits, and as not using the help given to him. And this is why the New Law is not said to ”work wrath”: because as far as it is concerned it gives man sufficient help to avoid sin.
Reply Obj. 3: The same G.o.d gave both the New and the Old Law, but in different ways. For He gave the Old Law written on tables of stone: whereas He gave the New Law written ”in the fleshly tables of the heart,” as the Apostle expresses it (2 Cor. 3:3). Wherefore, as Augustine says (De Spir. et Lit. xviii), ”the Apostle calls this letter which is written outside man, a ministration of death and a ministration of condemnation: whereas he calls the other letter, i.e.
the Law of the New Testament, the ministration of the spirit and the ministration of justice: because through the gift of the Spirit we work justice, and are delivered from the condemnation due to transgression.”
________________________
THIRD ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 106, Art. 3]
Whether the New Law Should Have Been Given from the Beginning of the World?
Objection 1: It would seem that the New Law should have been given from the beginning of the world. ”For there is no respect of persons with G.o.d” (Rom. 2:11). But ”all” men ”have sinned and do need the glory of G.o.d” (Rom. 3:23). Therefore the Law of the Gospel should have been given from the beginning of the world, in order that it might bring succor to all.
Obj. 2: Further, as men dwell in various places, so do they live in various times. But G.o.d, ”Who will have all men to be saved” (1 Tim.
2:4), commanded the Gospel to be preached in all places, as may be seen in the last chapters of Matthew and Mark. Therefore the Law of the Gospel should have been at hand for all times, so as to be given from the beginning of the world.
Obj. 3: Further, man needs to save his soul, which is for all eternity, more than to save his body, which is a temporal matter. But G.o.d provided man from the beginning of the world with things that are necessary for the health of his body, by subjecting to his power whatever was created for the sake of man (Gen. 1:26-29). Therefore the New Law also, which is very necessary for the health of the soul, should have been given to man from the beginning of the world.
_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (1 Cor. 15:46): ”That was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural.” But the New Law is highly spiritual. Therefore it was not fitting for it to be given from the beginning of the world.
_I answer that,_ Three reasons may be a.s.signed why it was not fitting for the New Law to be given from the beginning of the world. The first is because the New Law, as stated above (A. 1), consists chiefly in the grace of the Holy Ghost: which it behoved not to be given abundantly until sin, which is an obstacle to grace, had been cast out of man through the accomplishment of his redemption by Christ: wherefore it is written (John 7:39): ”As yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” This reason the Apostle states clearly (Rom. 8:2, seqq.) where, after speaking of ”the Law of the Spirit of life,” he adds: ”G.o.d sending His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, of sin* hath condemned sin in the flesh, that the justification of the Law might be fulfilled in us.”
[*St. Thomas, quoting perhaps from memory, omits the ”et” (and), after ”sinful flesh.” The text quoted should read thus: ”in the likeness of sinful flesh, and a sin offering (_peri hamartias_), hath,” etc.]