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Objection 1: It would seem that the New Law should not prescribe
or prohibit any external acts. For the New Law is the Gospel of the
kingdom, according to Mt. 24:14: "This Gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in the whole world." But the kingdom of God
consists not in exterior, but only in interior acts, according to
Lk. 17:21: "The kingdom of God is within you"; and Rm.
14:17: "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but justice
and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." Therefore the New Law
should not prescribe or forbid any external acts.
Objection 2: Further, the New Law is "the law of the Spirit"
(Rm. 8:2). But "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
liberty" (2 Cor. 3:17). Now there is no liberty when man is
bound to do or avoid certain external acts. Therefore the New Law
does not prescribe or forbid any external acts.
Objection 3: Further, all external acts are understood as referable
to the hand, just as interior acts belong to the mind. But this is
assigned as the difference between the New and Old Laws that the
"Old Law restrains the hand, whereas the New Law curbs the will"
[Peter Lombard, Sent. iii, D, 40]. Therefore the New Law
should not contain prohibitions and commands about exterior deeds, but
only about interior acts.
On the contrary, Through the New Law, men are made "children of
light": wherefore it is written (Jn. 12:36): "Believe in
the light that you may be the children of light." Now it is becoming
that children of the light should do deeds of light and cast aside deeds
of darkness, according to Eph. 5:8: "You were heretofore
darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk . . . as children of
the light." Therefore the New Law had to forbid certain external
acts and prescribe others.
I answer that, As stated above (Question 106, Articles
1,2), the New Law consists chiefly in the grace of the Holy
Ghost, which is shown forth by faith that worketh through love. Now
men become receivers of this grace through God's Son made man,
Whose humanity grace filled first, and thence flowed forth to us.
Hence it is written (Jn. 1:14): "The Word was made
flesh," and afterwards: "full of grace and truth"; and further
on: "Of His fulness we all have received, and grace for grace."
Hence it is added that "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
Consequently it was becoming that the grace flows from the incarnate
Word should be given to us by means of certain external sensible
objects; and that from this inward grace, whereby the flesh is
subjected to the Spirit, certain external works should ensue.
Accordingly external acts may have a twofold connection with grace.
In the first place, as leading in some way to grace. Such are the
sacramental acts which are instituted in the New Law, e.g.
Baptism, the Eucharist, and the like.
In the second place there are those external acts which ensue from the
promptings of grace: and herein we must observe a difference. For
there are some which are necessarily in keeping with, or in opposition
to inward grace consisting in faith that worketh through love. Such
external works are prescribed or forbidden in the New Law; thus
confession of faith is prescribed, and denial of faith is forbidden;
for it is written (Mt. 10:32,33) "(Every one) that shall
confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father .
. . But he that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him
before My Father." On the other hand, there are works which are
not necessarily opposed to, or in keeping with faith that worketh
through love. Such works are not prescribed or forbidden in the New
Law, by virtue of its primitive institution; but have been left by
the Lawgiver, i.e. Christ, to the discretion of each individual.
And so to each one it is free to decide what he should do or avoid;
and to each superior, to direct his subjects in such matters as regards
what they must do or avoid. Wherefore also in this respect the Gospel
is called the "law of liberty" [Reply Objection 2]: since the
Old Law decided many points and left few to man to decide as he
chose.
Reply to Objection 1: The kingdom of God consists chiefly in
internal acts: but as a consequence all things that are essential to
internal acts belong also to the kingdom of God. Thus if the kingdom
of God is internal righteousness, peace, and spiritual joy, all
external acts that are incompatible with righteousness, peace, and
spiritual joy, are in opposition to the kingdom of God; and
consequently should be forbidden in the Gospel of the kingdom. On the
other hand, those things that are indifferent as regards the
aforesaid, for instance, to eat of this or that food, are not part of
the kingdom of God; wherefore the Apostle says before the words
quoted: "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink."
Reply to Objection 2: According to the Philosopher (Metaph. i,
2), what is "free is cause of itself." Therefore he acts freely,
who acts of his own accord. Now man does of his own accord that which
he does from a habit that is suitable to his nature: since a habit
inclines one as a second nature. If, however, a habit be in
opposition to nature, man would not act according to his nature, but
according to some corruption affecting that nature. Since then the
grace of the Holy Ghost is like an interior habit bestowed on us and
inclining us to act aright, it makes us do freely those things that are
becoming to grace, and shun what is opposed to it.
Accordingly the New Law is called the law of liberty in two
respects. First, because it does not bind us to do or avoid certain
things, except such as are of themselves necessary or opposed to
salvation, and come under the prescription or prohibition of the law.
Secondly, because it also makes us comply freely with these precepts
and prohibitions, inasmuch as we do so through the promptings of
grace. It is for these two reasons that the New Law is called "the
law of perfect liberty" (James 1:25).
Reply to Objection 3: The New Law, by restraining the mind from
inordinate movements, must needs also restrain the hand from inordinate
acts, which ensue from inward movements.
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