Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1. It would seem that the ceremonies of the Old Law are unsuitably divided into "sacrifices, sacred things, sacraments, and observances." For the ceremonies of the Old Law foreshadowed Christ. But this was done only by the sacrifices, which foreshadowed the sacrifice in which Christ "delivered Himself an oblation and a sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2). Therefore none but the sacrifices were ceremonies.

Objection 2. Further, the Old Law was ordained to the New. But in the New Law the sacrifice is the Sacrament of the Altar. Therefore in the Old Law there should be no distinction between "sacrifices" and "sacraments."

Objection 3. Further, a "sacred thing" is something dedicated to God: in which sense the tabernacle and its vessels were said to be consecrated. But all the ceremonial precepts were ordained to the worship of God, as stated above (Article 1). Therefore all ceremonies were sacred things. Therefore "sacred things" should not be taken as a part of the ceremonies.

Objection 4. Further, "observances" are so called from having to be observed. But all the precepts of the Law had to be observed: for it is written (Deuteronomy 8:11): "Observe and beware lest at any time thou forget the Lord thy God, and neglect His commandments and judgments and ceremonies." Therefore the "observances" should not be considered as a part of the ceremonies.

Objection 5. Further, the solemn festivals are reckoned as part of the ceremonial: since they were a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16-17): and the same may be said of the oblations and gifts, as appears from the words of the Apostle (Hebrews 9:9): and yet these do not seem to be inclined in any of those mentioned above. Therefore the above division of ceremonies is unsuitable.

On the contrary, In the Old Law each of the above is called a ceremony. For the sacrifices are called ceremonies (Numbers 15:24): "They shall offer a calf . . . and the sacrifices and libations thereof, as the ceremonies require." Of the sacrament of Order it is written (Leviticus 7:35): "This is the anointing of Aaron and his sons in the ceremonies." Of sacred things also it is written (Exodus 38:21): "These are the instruments of the tabernacle of the testimony . . . in the ceremonies of the Levites." And again of the observances it is written (1 Kings 9:6): "If you . . . shall turn away from following Me, and will not observe My . . . ceremonies which I have set before you."

I answer that, As stated above (1,2), the ceremonial precepts are ordained to the Divine worship. Now in this worship we may consider the worship itself, the worshippers, and the instruments of worship. The worship consists specially in "sacrifices," which are offered up in honor of God. The instruments of worship refer to the "sacred things," such as the tabernacle, the vessels and so forth. With regard to the worshippers two points may be considered. The first point is their preparation for Divine worship, which is effected by a sort of consecration either of the people or of the ministers; and to this the "sacraments" refer. The second point is their particular mode of life, whereby they are distinguished from those who do not worship God: and to this pertain the "observances," for instance, in matters of food, clothing, and so forth.

Reply to Objection 1. It was necessary for the sacrifices to be offered both in some certain place and by some certain men: and all this pertained to the worship of God. Wherefore just as their sacrifices signified Christ the victim, so too their sacraments and sacred things of the New Law; while their observances foreshadowed the mode of life of the people under the New Law: all of which things pertain to Christ.

Reply to Objection 2. The sacrifice of the New Law, viz. the Eucharist, contains Christ Himself, the Author of our Sanctification: for He sanctified "the people by His own blood" (Hebrews 13:12). Hence this Sacrifice is also a sacrament. But the sacrifices of the Old Law did not contain Christ, but foreshadowed Him; hence they are not called sacraments. In order to signify this there were certain sacraments apart from the sacrifices of the Old Law, which sacraments were figures of the sanctification to come. Nevertheless to certain consecrations certain sacrifices were united.

Reply to Objection 3. The sacrifices and sacraments were of course sacred things. But certain things were sacred, through being dedicated to the Divine worship, and yet were not sacrifices or sacraments: wherefore they retained the common designation of sacred things.

Reply to Objection 4. Those things which pertained to the mode of life of the people who worshipped God, retained the common designation of observances, in so far as they fell short of the above. For they were not called sacred things, because they had no immediate connection with the worship of God, such as the tabernacle and its vessels had. But by a sort of consequence they were matters of ceremony, in so far as they affected the fitness of the people who worshipped God.

Reply to Objection 5. Just as the sacrifices were offered in a fixed place, so were they offered at fixed times: for which reason the solemn festivals seem to be reckoned among the sacred things. The oblations and gifts are counted together with the sacrifices; hence the Apostle says (Hebrews 5:1): "Every high-priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices."

Articulus 4

Argumentum 1

Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod caeremoniae veteris legis inconvenienter dividantur in sacrificia, sacra, sacramenta et observantias.

Caeremoniae enim veteris legis figurabant christum. Sed hoc solum fiebat per sacrificia, per quae figurabatur sacrificium quo christus se obtulit oblationem et hostiam deo, ut dicitur ad Ephes. V.

Ergo sola sacrificia erant caeremonialia.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, vetus lex ordinabatur ad novam. Sed in nova lege ipsum sacrificium est sacramentum altaris. Ergo in veteri lege non debuerunt distingui sacramenta contra sacrificia.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, sacrum dicitur quod est deo dicatum, secundum quem modum tabernaculum et vasa eius sacrificari dicebantur.

Sed omnia caeremonialia erant ordinata ad cultum dei, ut dictum est.

Ergo caeremonialia omnia sacra erant.

Non ergo una pars caeremonialium debet sacra nominari.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, observantiae ab observando dicuntur. Sed omnia praecepta legis observari debebant, dicitur enim Deut. VIII, observa et cave ne quando obliviscaris domini dei tui, et negligas mandata eius atque iudicia et caeremonias.

Non ergo observantiae debent poni una pars caeremonialium.

Argumentum 5

Praeterea, solemnitates inter caeremonialia computantur, cum sint in umbram futuri, ut patet ad colos. II.

Similiter etiam oblationes et munera; ut patet per apostolum, ad Heb. IX.

Quae tamen sub nullo horum contineri videntur.

Ergo inconveniens est praedicta distinctio caeremonialium.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod in veteri lege singula praedicta caeremoniae vocantur. Sacrificia enim dicuntur caeremoniae Num. XV, offerat vitulum et sacrificia eius ac libamenta, ut caeremoniae eius postulant.

De sacramento etiam ordinis dicitur Levit. VII, haec est unctio Aaron et filiorum eius in caeremoniis.

De sacris etiam dicitur Exod. XXXVIII, haec sunt instrumenta tabernaculi testimonii in caeremoniis Levitarum.

De observantiis etiam dicitur III Reg. IX, si aversi fueritis, non sequentes me, nec observantes caeremonias quas proposui vobis.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, caeremonialia praecepta ordinantur ad cultum dei. In quo quidem cultu considerari possunt et ipse cultus, et colentes, et instrumenta colendi. Ipse autem cultus specialiter consistit in sacrificiis, quae in dei reverentiam offeruntur.

Instrumenta autem colendi pertinent ad sacra, sicut est tabernaculum, et vasa, et alia huiusmodi. Ex parte autem colentium duo possunt considerari. Scilicet et eorum institutio ad cultum divinum, quod fit per quandam consecrationem vel populi, vel ministrorum, et ad hoc pertinent sacramenta. Et iterum eorum singularis conversatio, per quam distinguuntur ab his qui deum non colunt, et ad hoc pertinent observantiae, puta in cibis et vestimentis et aliis huiusmodi.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod sacrificia oportebat offerri et in aliquibus locis, et per aliquos homines, et totum hoc ad cultum dei pertinet. Unde sicut per sacrificia significatur christus immolatus, ita etiam per sacramenta et sacra illorum figurabantur sacramenta et sacra novae legis; et per eorum observantias figurabatur conversatio populi novae legis.

Quae omnia ad christum pertinent.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod sacrificium novae legis, idest eucharistia, continet ipsum christum, qui est sanctificationis auctor, sanctificavit enim per suum sanguinem populum, ut dicitur ad Heb. Ult..

Et ideo hoc sacrificium etiam est sacramentum. Sed sacrificia veteris legis non continebant christum, sed ipsum figurabant, et ideo non dicuntur sacramenta. Sed ad hoc designandum seorsum erant quaedam sacramenta in veteri lege, quae erant figurae futurae consecrationis. Quamvis etiam quibusdam consecrationibus quaedam sacrificia adiungerentur.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod etiam sacrificia et sacramenta erant sacra. Sed quaedam erant quae erant sacra, utpote ad cultum dei dicata, nec tamen erant sacrificia nec sacramenta, et ideo retinebant sibi commune nomen sacrorum.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod ea quae pertinebant ad conversationem populi colentis deum, retinebant sibi commune nomen observantiarum, inquantum a praemissis deficiebant.

Non enim dicebantur sacra, quia non habebant immediatum respectum ad cultum dei, sicut tabernaculum et vasa eius.

Sed per quandam consequentiam erant caeremonialia, inquantum pertinebant ad quandam idoneitatem populi colentis deum.

Ad 5

Ad quintum dicendum quod, sicut sacrificia offerebantur in determinato loco ita etiam offerebantur in determinatis temporibus, unde etiam solemnitates inter sacra computari videntur. Oblationes autem et munera computantur cum sacrificiis, quia deo offerebantur, unde apostolus dicit, ad Heb. V, omnis pontifex ex hominibus assumptus, pro hominibus constituitur in his quae sunt ad deum, ut offerat dona et sacrificia.