Christian Classics
‹ Summa Theologica

Thomas Aquinas · 2761 of 3516

Article. 4 - Whether there was need for any sacraments after Christ came?

Objection 1: It seems that there was no need for any after Christ came. For the figure should cease with the advent of the truth. But " and truth came by Jesus Christ" (Jn. 1:17). Since, therefore, the are signs or figures of the truth, it seems that there was no need for any after Christ's Passion.

Objection 2: Further, the consist in certain elements, as stated above (Q[60], A[4]). But the Apostle says (Gal. 4:3,4) that "when we were children we were serving under the elements of the world": but that now "when the fulness of time" has "come," we are no longer children. Therefore it seems that we should not serve God under the elements of this world, by making use of corporeal .

Objection 3: Further, according to James 1:17 with God "there is no change, nor shadow of alteration." But it seems to argue some change in the Divine will that God should give man certain for his now during the time of , and other before Christ's coming. Therefore it seems that other should not have been instituted after Christ.

On the contrary, Augustine says (Contra Faust. xix) that the of the Old Law "were abolished because they were fulfilled; and others were instituted, fewer in number, but more efficacious, more profitable, and of easier accomplishment."

I answer that, As the ancient Fathers were saved through faith in Christ's future coming, so are we saved through faith in Christ's past birth and Passion. Now the are signs in protestation of the faith whereby man is ; and signs should vary according as they signify the future, the past, or the present; for as Augustine says (Contra Faust. xix), "the same thing is variously pronounced as to be done and as having been done: for instance the word 'passurus' [going to suffer] differs from 'passus' [having suffered]." Therefore the of the New Law, that signify Christ in relation to the past, must needs differ from those of the Old Law, that foreshadowed the future.

Reply to Objection 1: As Dionysius says (Eccl. Hier. v), the state of the New Law. is between the state of the Old Law, whose figures are fulfilled in the New, and the state of glory, in which all truth will be openly and perfectly revealed. then there will be no . But now, so long as we know "through a glass in a dark manner," (1 Cor. 13:12) we need sensible signs in order to reach spiritual things: and this is the province of the .

Reply to Objection 2: The Apostle calls the of the Old Law "weak and needy elements" (Gal. 4:9) because they neither contained nor caused . Hence the Apostle says that those who used these served God "under the elements of this world": for the very reason that these were nothing else than the elements of this world. But our both contain and cause : consequently the comparison does not hold.

Reply to Objection 3: Just as the head of the house is not proved to have a changeable mind, through issuing various commands to his household at various seasons, ordering things differently in winter and summer; so it does not follow that there is any change in God, because He instituted of one kind after Christ's coming, and of another kind at the time of the Law. because the latter were suitable as foreshadowing ; the former as signifying the presence of ,