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Objection 1: It would seem that the moral precepts of the Old Law
justified man. Because the Apostle says (Rm. 2:13): "For
not the hearers of the Law are justified before God, but the doers of
the Law shall be justified." But the doers of the Law are those who
fulfil the precepts of the Law. Therefore the fulfilling of the
precepts of the Law was a cause of justification.
Objection 2: Further, it is written (Lev. 18:5): "Keep
My laws and My judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in
them." But the spiritual life of man is through justice. Therefore
the fulfilling of the precepts of the Law was a cause of
justification.
Objection 3: Further, the Divine law is more efficacious than
human law. But human law justifies man; since there is a kind of
justice consisting in fulfilling the precepts of law. Therefore the
precepts of the Law justified man.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (2 Cor. 3:6): "The
letter killeth": which, according to Augustine (De Spir. et
Lit. xiv), refers even to the moral precepts. Therefore the moral
precepts did not cause justice.
I answer that, Just as "healthy" is said properly and first of that
which is possessed of health, and secondarily of that which is a sign
or a safeguard of health; so justification means first and properly the
causing of justice; while secondarily and improperly, as it were, it
may denote a sign of justice or a disposition thereto. If justice be
taken in the last two ways, it is evident that it was conferred by the
precepts of the Law; in so far, to wit, as they disposed men to the
justifying grace of Christ, which they also signified, because as
Augustine says (Contra Faust. xxii, 24), "even the life of
that people foretold and foreshadowed Christ."
But if we speak of justification properly so called, then we must
notice that it can be considered as in the habit or as in the act: so
that accordingly justification may be taken in two ways. First,
according as man is made just, by becoming possessed of the habit of
justice: secondly, according as he does works of justice, so that in
this sense justification is nothing else than the execution of justice.
Now justice, like the other virtues, may denote either the acquired
or the infused virtue, as is clear from what has been stated
(Question 63, Article 4). The acquired virtue is caused by
works; but the infused virtue is caused by God Himself through His
grace. The latter is true justice, of which we are speaking now, and
in this respect of which a man is said to be just before God,
according to Rm. 4:2: "If Abraham were justified by works, he
hath whereof to glory, but not before God." Hence this justice
could not be caused by moral precepts, which are about human actions:
wherefore the moral precepts could not justify man by causing justice.
If, on the other hand, by justification we understand the execution
of justice, thus all the precepts of the Law justified man, but in
various ways. Because the ceremonial precepts taken as a whole
contained something just in itself, in so far as they aimed at offering
worship to God; whereas taken individually they contained that which
is just, not in itself, but by being a determination of the Divine
law. Hence it is said of these precepts that they did not justify man
save through the devotion and obedience of those who complied with
them. On the other hand the moral and judicial precepts, either in
general or also in particular, contained that which is just in itself:
but the moral precepts contained that which is just in itself according
to that "general justice" which is "every virtue" according to
Ethic. v, 1: whereas the judicial precepts belonged to "special
justice," which is about contracts connected with the human mode of
life, between one man and another.
Reply to Objection 1: The Apostle takes justification for the
execution of justice.
Reply to Objection 2: The man who fulfilled the precepts of the
Law is said to live in them, because he did not incur the penalty of
death, which the Law inflicted on its transgressors: in this sense
the Apostle quotes this passage (Gal. 3:12).
Reply to Objection 3: The precepts of human law justify man by
acquired justice: it is not about this that we are inquiring now, but
only about that justice which is before God.
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