Whether the New Law Ought to Prescribe or Prohibit Any External Acts?
Objection 1: It would seem that the New Law should not prescribe or
prohibit any external acts. For the New Law is the Gospel of the
kingdom, according to Matt. 24:14: "This Gospel of the kingdom shall
be preached in the whole world." But the kingdom of God consists not
in exterior, but only in interior acts, according to Luke 17:21: "The
kingdom of God is within you"; and Rom. 14:17: "The kingdom of God is
not meat and drink; but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost."
Therefore the New Law should not prescribe or forbid any external
acts.
Obj. 2: Further, the New Law is "the law of the Spirit" (Rom. 8:2).
But "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Cor.
3:17). Now there is no liberty when man is bound to do or avoid
certain external acts. Therefore the New Law does not prescribe or
forbid any external acts.
Obj. 3: Further, all external acts are understood as referable to the
hand, just as interior acts belong to the mind. But this is assigned
as the difference between the New and Old Laws that the "Old Law
restrains the hand, whereas the New Law curbs the will" [*Peter
Lombard, Sent. iii, D, 40]. Therefore the New Law should not contain
prohibitions and commands about exterior deeds, but only about
interior acts.
_On the contrary,_ Through the New Law, men are made "children of
light": wherefore it is written (John 12:36): "Believe in the light
that you may be the children of light." Now it is becoming that
children of the light should do deeds of light and cast aside deeds
of darkness, according to Eph. 5:8: "You were heretofore darkness,
but now light in the Lord. Walk . . . as children of the light."
Therefore the New Law had to forbid certain external acts and
prescribe others.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 106, AA. 1, 2), the New Law
consists chiefly in the grace of the Holy Ghost, which is shown forth
by faith that worketh through love. Now men become receivers of this
grace through God's Son made man, Whose humanity grace filled first,
and thence flowed forth to us. Hence it is written (John 1:14): "The
Word was made flesh," and afterwards: "full of grace and truth"; and
further on: "Of His fulness we all have received, and grace for
grace." Hence it is added that "grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ." Consequently it was becoming that the grace which flows from
the incarnate Word should be given to us by means of certain external
sensible objects; and that from this inward grace, whereby the flesh
is subjected to the Spirit, certain external works should ensue.
Accordingly external acts may have a twofold connection with grace.
In the first place, as leading in some way to grace. Such are the
sacramental acts which are instituted in the New Law, e.g. Baptism,
the Eucharist, and the like.
In the second place there are those external acts which ensue from
the promptings of grace: and herein we must observe a difference. For
there are some which are necessarily in keeping with, or in
opposition to inward grace consisting in faith that worketh through
love. Such external works are prescribed or forbidden in the New Law;
thus confession of faith is prescribed, and denial of faith is
forbidden; for it is written (Matt. 10:32, 33) "(Every one) that
shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father
. . . But he that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him
before My Father." On the other hand, there are works which are not
necessarily opposed to, or in keeping with faith that worketh through
love. Such works are not prescribed or forbidden in the New Law, by
virtue of its primitive institution; but have been left by the
Lawgiver, i.e. Christ, to the discretion of each individual. And so
to each one it is free to decide what he should do or avoid; and to
each superior, to direct his subjects in such matters as regards what
they must do or avoid. Wherefore also in this respect the Gospel is
called the "law of liberty" [*Cf. Reply Obj. 2]: since the Old Law
decided many points and left few to man to decide as he chose.
Reply Obj. 1: The kingdom of God consists chiefly in internal acts:
but as a consequence all things that are essential to internal acts
belong also to the kingdom of God. Thus if the kingdom of God is
internal righteousness, peace, and spiritual joy, all external acts
that are incompatible with righteousness, peace, and spiritual joy,
are in opposition to the kingdom of God; and consequently should be
forbidden in the Gospel of the kingdom. On the other hand, those
things that are indifferent as regards the aforesaid, for instance,
to eat of this or that food, are not part of the kingdom of God;
wherefore the Apostle says before the words quoted: "The kingdom of
God is not meat and drink."
Reply Obj. 2: According to the Philosopher (Metaph. i, 2), what is
"free is cause of itself." Therefore he acts freely, who acts of his
own accord. Now man does of his own accord that which he does from a
habit that is suitable to his nature: since a habit inclines one as a
second nature. If, however, a habit be in opposition to nature, man
would not act according to his nature, but according to some
corruption affecting that nature. Since then the grace of the Holy
Ghost is like an interior habit bestowed on us and inclining us to
act aright, it makes us do freely those things that are becoming to
grace, and shun what is opposed to it.
Accordingly the New Law is called the law of liberty in two respects.
First, because it does not bind us to do or avoid certain things,
except such as are of themselves necessary or opposed to salvation,
and come under the prescription or prohibition of the law. Secondly,
because it also makes us comply freely with these precepts and
prohibitions, inasmuch as we do so through the promptings of grace.
It is for these two reasons that the New Law is called "the law of
perfect liberty" (James 1:25).
Reply Obj. 3: The New Law, by restraining the mind from inordinate
movements, must needs also restrain the hand from inordinate acts,
which ensue from inward movements.
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