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Objection 1: It seems that a sacrament does not imprint a character
on the soul. For the word "character" seems to signify some kind of
distinctive sign. But Christ's members are distinguished from others
by eternal predestination, which does not imply anything in the
predestined, but only in God predestinating, as we have stated in the
FP, Question 23, Article 2. For it is written (2 Tim.
2:19): "The sure foundation of God standeth firm, having this
seal: The Lord knoweth who are His." Therefore the sacraments do
not imprint a character on the soul.
Objection 2: Further, a character is a distinctive sign. Now a
sign, as Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ. ii) "is that which
conveys something else to the mind, besides the species which it
impresses on the senses." But nothing in the soul can impress a
species on the senses. Therefore it seems that no character is
imprinted on the soul by the sacraments.
Objection 3: Further, just as the believer is distinguished from
the unbeliever by the sacraments of the New Law, so was it under the
Old Law. But the sacraments of the Old Law did not imprint a
character; whence they are called "justices of the flesh" (Heb.
9:10) by the Apostle. Therefore neither seemingly do the
sacraments of the New Law.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (2 Cor. 1:21,22):
"He . . . that hath anointed us is God; Who also hath sealed
us, and given the pledge of the spirit in our hearts." But a
character means nothing else than a kind of sealing. Therefore it
seems that by the sacraments God imprints His character on us.
I answer that, As is clear from what has been already stated
(Question 62, Article 5) the sacraments of the New Law are
ordained for a twofold purpose; namely, for a remedy against sins;
and for the perfecting of the soul in things pertaining to the Divine
worship according to the rite of the Christian life. Now whenever
anyone is deputed to some definite purpose he is wont to receive some
outward sign thereof; thus in olden times soldiers who enlisted in the
ranks used to be marked with certain characters on the body, through
being deputed to a bodily service. Since, therefore, by the
sacraments men are deputed to a spiritual service pertaining to the
worship of God, it follows that by their means the faithful receive a
certain spiritual character. Wherefore Augustine says (Contra
Parmen. ii): "If a deserter from the battle, through dread of the
mark of enlistment on his body, throws himself on the emperor's
clemency, and having besought and received mercy, return to the
fight; is that character renewed, when the man has been set free and
reprimanded? is it not rather acknowledged and approved? Are the
Christian sacraments, by any chance, of a nature less lasting than
this bodily mark?"
Reply to Objection 1: The faithful of Christ are destined to the
reward of the glory that is to come, by the seal of Divine
Predestination. But they are deputed to acts becoming the Church
that is now, by a certain spiritual seal that is set on them, and is
called a character.
Reply to Objection 2: The character imprinted on the soul is a kind
of sign in so far as it is imprinted by a sensible sacrament: since we
know that a certain one has received the baptismal character, through
his being cleansed by the sensible water. Nevertheless from a kind of
likeness, anything that assimilates one thing to another, or
discriminates one thing from another, even though it be not sensible,
can be called a character or a seal; thus the Apostle calls Christ
"the figure" or charakter "of the substance of the Father" (Heb.
1:3).
Reply to Objection 3: As stated above (Question 62, Article
6) the sacraments of the Old Law had not in themselves any spiritual
power of producing a spiritual effect. Consequently in those
sacraments there was no need of a spiritual character, and bodily
circumcision sufficed, which the Apostle calls "a seal" (Rm.
4:11).
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