Whether All Are Bound to Offer Sacrifices?
Objection 1: It would seem that all are not bound to offer
sacrifices. The Apostle says (Rom. 3:19): "What things soever the Law
speaketh, it speaketh to them that are in the Law." Now the law of
sacrifices was not given to all, but only to the Hebrew people.
Therefore all are not bound to offer sacrifices.
Obj. 2: Further, sacrifices are offered to God in order to signify
something. But not everyone is capable of understanding these
significations. Therefore not all are bound to offer sacrifices.
Obj. 3: Further, priests [*_Sacerdotes:_ Those who give or administer
sacred things (_sacra dantes_): cf. 1 Cor. 4:1] are so called because
they offer sacrifice to God. But all are not priests. Therefore not
all are bound to offer sacrifices.
_On the contrary,_ The offering of sacrifices of is of the natural
law, as stated above (A. 1). Now all are bound to do that which is of
the natural law. Therefore all are bound to offer sacrifice to God.
_I answer that,_ Sacrifice is twofold, as stated above (A. 2). The
first and principal is the inward sacrifice, which all are bound to
offer, since all are obliged to offer to God a devout mind. The other
is the outward sacrifice, and this again is twofold. There is a
sacrifice which is deserving of praise merely through being offered
to God in protestation of our subjection to God: and the obligation
of offering this sacrifice was not the same for those under the New
or the Old Law, as for those who were not under the Law. For those
who are under the Law are bound to offer certain definite sacrifices
according to the precepts of the Law, whereas those who were not
under the Law were bound to perform certain outward actions in God's
honor, as became those among whom they dwelt, but not definitely to
this or that action. The other outward sacrifice is when the outward
actions of the other virtues are performed out of reverence for God;
some of which are a matter of precept; and to these all are bound,
while others are works of supererogation, and to these all are not
bound.
Reply Obj. 1: All were not bound to offer those particular
sacrifices which were prescribed in the Law: but they were bound to
some sacrifices inward or outward, as stated above.
Reply Obj. 2: Though all do not know explicitly the power of
the sacrifices, they know it implicitly, even as they have implicit
faith, as stated above (Q. 2, AA. 6, 7).
Reply Obj. 3: The priests offer those sacrifices which are
specially directed to the Divine worship, not only for themselves but
also for others. But there are other sacrifices, which anyone can
offer to God for himself as explained above (AA. 2, 3).
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