Whether the Moral Precepts of the Law Are About All the Acts of
Virtue?
Objection 1: It would seem that the moral precepts of the Law are not
about all the acts of virtue. For observance of the precepts of the
Old Law is called justification, according to Ps. 118:8: "I will keep
Thy justifications." But justification is the execution of justice.
Therefore the moral precepts are only about acts of justice.
Obj. 2: Further, that which comes under a precept has the character
of a duty. But the character of duty belongs to justice alone and to
none of the other virtues, for the proper act of justice consists in
rendering to each one his due. Therefore the precepts of the moral
law are not about the acts of the other virtues, but only about the
acts of justice.
Obj. 3: Further, every law is made for the common good, as Isidore
says (Etym. v, 21). But of all the virtues justice alone regards the
common good, as the Philosopher says (Ethic. v, 1). Therefore the
moral precepts are only about the acts of justice.
_On the contrary,_ Ambrose says (De Paradiso viii) that "a sin is a
transgression of the Divine law, and a disobedience to the
commandments of heaven." But there are sins contrary to all the acts
of virtue. Therefore it belongs to Divine law to direct all the acts
of virtue.
_I answer that,_ Since the precepts of the Law are ordained to the
common good, as stated above (Q. 90, A. 2), the precepts of the Law
must needs be diversified according to the various kinds of
community: hence the Philosopher (Polit. iv, 1) teaches that the laws
which are made in a state which is ruled by a king must be different
from the laws of a state which is ruled by the people, or by a few
powerful men in the state. Now human law is ordained for one kind of
community, and the Divine law for another kind. Because human law is
ordained for the civil community, implying mutual duties of man and
his fellows: and men are ordained to one another by outward acts,
whereby men live in communion with one another. This life in common
of man with man pertains to justice, whose proper function consists
in directing the human community. Wherefore human law makes precepts
only about acts of justice; and if it commands acts of other virtues,
this is only in so far as they assume the nature of justice, as the
Philosopher explains (Ethic. v, 1).
But the community for which the Divine law is ordained, is that of
men in relation to God, either in this life or in the life to come.
And therefore the Divine law proposes precepts about all those
matters whereby men are well ordered in their relations to God. Now
man is united to God by his reason or mind, in which is God's image.
Wherefore the Divine law proposes precepts about all those matters
whereby human reason is well ordered. But this is effected by the
acts of all the virtues: since the intellectual virtues set in good
order the acts of the reason in themselves: while the moral virtues
set in good order the acts of the reason in reference to the interior
passions and exterior actions. It is therefore evident that the
Divine law fittingly proposes precepts about the acts of all the
virtues: yet so that certain matters, without which the order of
virtue, which is the order of reason, cannot even exist, come under
an obligation of precept; while other matters, which pertain to the
well-being of perfect virtue, come under an admonition of counsel.
Reply Obj. 1: The fulfilment of the commandments of the Law, even of
those which are about the acts of the other virtues, has the
character of justification, inasmuch as it is just that man should
obey God: or again, inasmuch as it is just that all that belongs to
man should be subject to reason.
Reply Obj. 2: Justice properly so called regards the duty of one man
to another: but all the other virtues regard the duty of the lower
powers to reason. It is in relation to this latter duty that the
Philosopher speaks (Ethic. v, 11) of a kind of metaphorical justice.
The Reply to the Third Objection is clear from what has been said
about the different kinds of community.
________________________