Whether the New Law Is More Burdensome Than the Old?
Objection 1: It would seem that the New Law is more burdensome than
the Old. For Chrysostom (Opus Imp. in Matth., Hom. x [*The work of an
unknown author]) say: "The commandments given to Moses are easy to
obey: Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not commit adultery: but the
commandments of Christ are difficult to accomplish, for instance:
Thou shalt not give way to anger, or to lust." Therefore the New Law
is more burdensome than the Old.
Obj. 2: Further, it is easier to make use of earthly prosperity than
to suffer tribulations. But in the Old Testament observance of the
Law was followed by temporal prosperity, as may be gathered from
Deut. 28:1-14; whereas many kinds of trouble ensue to those who
observe the New Law, as stated in 2 Cor. 6:4-10: "Let us exhibit
ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation,
in necessities, in distresses," etc. Therefore the New Law is more
burdensome than the Old.
Obj. 3: The more one has to do, the more difficult it is. But the New
Law is something added to the Old. For the Old Law forbade perjury,
while the New Law proscribed even swearing: the Old Law forbade a man
to cast off his wife without a bill of divorce, while the New Law
forbade divorce altogether; as is clearly stated in Matt. 5:31,
seqq., according to Augustine's expounding. Therefore the New Law is
more burdensome than the Old.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Matt. 11:28): "Come to Me, all you
that labor and are burdened": which words are expounded by Hilary
thus: "He calls to Himself all those that labor under the difficulty
of observing the Law, and are burdened with the sins of this world."
And further on He says of the yoke of the Gospel: "For My yoke is
sweet and My burden light." Therefore the New Law is a lighter burden
than the Old.
_I answer that,_ A twofold difficulty may attach to works of virtue
with which the precepts of the Law are concerned. One is on the part
of the outward works, which of themselves are, in a way, difficult
and burdensome. And in this respect the Old Law is a much heavier
burden than the New: since the Old Law by its numerous ceremonies
prescribed many more outward acts than the New Law, which, in the
teaching of Christ and the apostles, added very few precepts to those
of the natural law; although afterwards some were added, through
being instituted by the holy Fathers. Even in these Augustine says
that moderation should be observed, lest good conduct should become a
burden to the faithful. For he says in reply to the queries of
Januarius (Ep. lv) that, "whereas God in His mercy wished religion to
be a free service rendered by the public solemnization of a small
number of most manifest sacraments, certain persons make it a slave's
burden; so much so that the state of the Jews who were subject to the
sacraments of the Law, and not to the presumptuous devices of man,
was more tolerable."
The other difficulty attaches to works of virtue as to interior acts:
for instance, that a virtuous deed be done with promptitude and
pleasure. It is this difficulty that virtue solves: because to act
thus is difficult for a man without virtue: but through virtue it
becomes easy for him. In this respect the precepts of the New Law are
more burdensome than those of the Old; because the New Law prohibits
certain interior movements of the soul, which were not expressly
forbidden in the Old Law in all cases, although they were forbidden
in some, without, however, any punishment being attached to the
prohibition. Now this is very difficult to a man without virtue: thus
even the Philosopher states (Ethic. v, 9) that it is easy to do what
a righteous man does; but that to do it in the same way, viz. with
pleasure and promptitude, is difficult to a man who is not righteous.
Accordingly we read also (1 John 5:3) that "His commandments are not
heavy": which words Augustine expounds by saying that "they are not
heavy to the man that loveth; whereas they are a burden to him that
loveth not."
Reply Obj. 1: The passage quoted speaks expressly of the difficulty
of the New Law as to the deliberate curbing of interior movements.
Reply Obj. 2: The tribulations suffered by those who observe the New
Law are not imposed by the Law itself. Moreover they are easily
borne, on account of the love in which the same Law consists: since,
as Augustine says (De Verb. Dom., Serm. lxx), "love makes light and
nothing of things that seem arduous and beyond our power."
Reply Obj. 3: The object of these additions to the precepts of the
Old Law was to render it easier to do what it prescribed, as
Augustine states [*De Serm. Dom. in Monte i, 17, 21; xix, 23, 26].
Accordingly this does not prove that the New Law is more burdensome,
but rather that it is a lighter burden.
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