Christian Classics
‹ Summa Theologica

Thomas Aquinas · 2754 of 3516

Article. 5 - Whether determinate things are required for a sacrament?

Objection 1: It seems that determinate things are not required for a . For sensible things are required in for the purpose of signification, as stated above (A[4]). But nothing hinders the same thing being signified by divers sensible things: thus in Holy Scripture God is signified metaphorically, sometimes by a stone (2 Kings 22:2; Zech. 3:9; 1 Cor. 10:4; Apoc. 4:3); sometimes by a lion (Is. 31:4; Apoc. 5:5); sometimes by the sun (Is. 60:19,20; Mal. 4:2), or by something similar. Therefore it seems that divers things can be suitable to the same . Therefore determinate things are not required for the .

Objection 2: Further, the health of the soul is more necessary than that of the body. But in bodily medicines, which are ordained to the health of the body, one thing can be substituted for another which happens to be wanting. Therefore much more in the , which are spiritual remedies ordained to the health of the soul, can one thing be substituted for another when this happens to be lacking.

Objection 3: Further, it is not fitting that the salvation of men be restricted by the Divine Law: still less by the Law of Christ, Who came to save all. But in the state of the Law of nature determinate things were not required in the , but were put to that use through a vow, as appears from Gn. 28, where Jacob vowed that he would offer to God tithes and peace-offerings. Therefore it seems that man should not have been restricted, especially under the New Law, to the use of any determinate thing in the .

On the contrary, our Lord said (Jn. 3:5): "Unless a man be born again of water and the , he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

I answer that, In the use of the two things may be considered, namely, the worship of God, and the of man: the former of which pertains to man as referred to God, and the latter pertains to God in reference to man. Now it is not for anyone to determine that which is in the power of another, but only that which is in his own power. Since, therefore, the of man is in the power of God Who , it is not for man to decide what things should be used for his , but this should be determined by Divine institution. Therefore in the of the New Law, by which man is according to 1 Cor. 6:11, "You are washed, you are ," we must use those things which are determined by Divine institution.

Reply to Objection 1: Though the same thing can be signified by divers signs, yet to determine which sign must be used belongs to the signifier. Now it is God Who signifies spiritual things to us by means of the sensible things in the , and of similitudes in the Scriptures. And consequently, just as the decides by what similitudes spiritual things are to be signified in certain passages of Scripture, so also must it be determined by Divine institution what things are to be employed for the purpose of signification in this or that .

Reply to Objection 2: Sensible things are endowed with natural powers conducive to the health of the body: and therefore if two of them have the same virtue, it matters not which we use. Yet they are ordained unto not through any power that they possess naturally, but only in virtue of the Divine institution. And therefore it was necessary that God should determine the sensible things to be employed in the .

Reply to Objection 3: As Augustine says (Contra Faust. xix), diverse suit different times; just as different times are signified by different parts of the verb, viz. present, past, and future. Consequently, just as under the state of the Law of nature man was moved by inward instinct and without any outward law, to worship God, so also the sensible things to be employed in the worship of God were determined by inward instinct. But later on it became necessary for a law to be given (to man) from without: both because the Law of nature had become obscured by man's sins; and in order to signify more expressly the of Christ, by which the human race is . And hence the need for those things to be determinate, of which men have to make use in the . Nor is the way of salvation narrowed thereby: because the things which need to be used in the , are either in everyone's possession or can be had with little trouble.