Whether the Moral Precepts of the Old Law Justified Man?
Objection 1: It would seem that the moral precepts of the Old Law
justified man. Because the Apostle says (Rom. 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.
Obj. 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.
Obj. 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
(Q. 63, A. 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 Rom. 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 Obj. 1: The Apostle takes justification for the execution of
justice.
Reply Obj. 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 Obj. 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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