Whether a Sacrament Imprints a Character on the Soul?
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
First Part (Q. 23, A. 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.
Obj. 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.
Obj. 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 (Q.
62, A. 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 Obj. 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 Obj. 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 Obj. 3: As stated above (Q. 62, A. 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" (Rom. 4:11).
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