Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the New Law is a written law. For the New Law is just the same as the Gospel. But the Gospel is set forth in writing, according to Jn. 20:31: "But these are written that you may believe." Therefore the New Law is a written law.

Objection 2: Further, the law that is instilled in the heart is the natural law, according to Rm. 2:14,15: "(The Gentiles) do by nature those things that are of the law . . . who have the work of the law written in their hearts." If therefore the law of the Gospel were instilled in our hearts, it would not be distinct from the law of nature.

Objection 3: Further, the law of the Gospel is proper to those who are in the state of the New Testament. But the law that is instilled in the heart is common to those who are in the New Testament and to those who are in the Old Testament: for it is written (Wis. 7:27) that Divine Wisdom "through nations conveyeth herself into holy souls, she maketh the friends of God and prophets." Therefore the New Law is not instilled in our hearts.

On the contrary, The New Law is the law of the New Testament. But the law of the New Testament is instilled in our hearts. For the Apostle, quoting the authority of Jeremias 31:31,33: "Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord; and I will perfect unto the house of Israel, and unto the house of Judah, a new testament," says, explaining what this statement is (Heb. 8:8,10): "For this is the testament which I will make to the house of Israel . . . by giving My laws into their mind, and in their heart will I write them." Therefore the New Law is instilled in our hearts.

I answer that, "Each thing appears to be that which preponderates in it," as the Philosopher states (Ethic. ix, 8). Now that which is preponderant in the law of the New Testament, and whereon all its efficacy is based, is the grace of the Holy Ghost, which is given through faith in Christ. Consequently the New Law is chiefly the grace itself of the Holy Ghost, which is given to those who believe in Christ. This is manifestly stated by the Apostle who says (Rm. 3:27): "Where is . . . thy boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith": for he calls the grace itself of faith "a law." And still more clearly it is written (Rm. 8:2): "The law of the spirit of life, in Christ Jesus, hath delivered me from the law of sin and of death." Hence Augustine says (De Spir. et Lit. xxiv) that "as the law of deeds was written on tables of stone, so is the law of faith inscribed on the hearts of the faithful": and elsewhere, in the same book (xxi): "What else are the Divine laws written by God Himself on our hearts, but the very presence of His Holy Spirit?"

Nevertheless the New Law contains certain things that dispose us to receive the grace of the Holy Ghost, and pertaining to the use of that grace: such things are of secondary importance, so to speak, in the New Law; and the faithful need to be instructed concerning them, both by word and writing, both as to what they should believe and as to what they should do. Consequently we must say that the New Law is in the first place a law that is inscribed on our hearts, but that secondarily it is a written law.

Reply to Objection 1: The Gospel writings contain only such things as pertain to the grace of the Holy Ghost, either by disposing us thereto, or by directing us to the use thereof. Thus with regard to the intellect, the Gospel contains certain matters pertaining to the manifestation of Christ's Godhead or humanity, which dispose us by means of faith through which we receive the grace of the Holy Ghost: and with regard to the affections, it contains matters touching the contempt of the world, whereby man is rendered fit to receive the grace of the Holy Ghost: for "the world," i.e. worldly men, "cannot receive" the Holy Ghost (Jn. 14:17). As to the use of spiritual grace, this consists in works of virtue to which the writings of the New Testament exhort men in divers ways.

Reply to Objection 2: There are two ways in which a thing may be instilled into man. First, through being part of his nature, and thus the natural law is instilled into man. Secondly, a thing is instilled into man by being, as it were, added on to his nature by a gift of grace. In this way the New Law is instilled into man, not only by indicating to him what he should do, but also by helping him to accomplish it.

Reply to Objection 3: No man ever had the grace of the Holy Ghost except through faith in Christ either explicit or implicit: and by faith in Christ man belongs to the New Testament. Consequently whoever had the law of grace instilled into them belonged to the New Testament.

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod lex nova sit lex scripta.

Lex enim nova est ipsum evangelium.

Sed evangelium est descriptum, Ioan. XX, haec autem scripta sunt ut credatis.

Ergo lex nova est lex scripta.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, lex indita est lex naturae; secundum illud Rom. II, naturaliter ea quae legis sunt faciunt, qui habent opus legis scriptum in cordibus suis.

Si igitur lex evangelii esset lex indita, non differret a lege naturae.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, lex evangelii propria est eorum qui sunt in statu novi testamenti. Sed lex indita communis est et eis qui sunt in novo testamento, et eis qui sunt in veteri testamento, dicitur enim Sap. VII, quod divina sapientia per nationes in animas sanctas se transfert, amicos dei et prophetas constituit.

Ergo lex nova non est lex indita.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod lex nova est lex novi testamenti.

Sed lex novi testamenti est indita in corde.

Apostolus enim, ad Heb. VIII, dicit, inducens auctoritatem quae habetur Ierem. XXXI, ecce dies venient, dicit dominus, et consummabo super domum Israel et super domum Iuda testamentum novum, et exponens quid sit hoc testamentum, dicit, quia hoc est testamentum quod disponam domui Israel, dando leges meas in mentem eorum, et in corde eorum superscribam eas.

Ergo lex nova est lex indita.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod unaquaeque res illud videtur esse quod in ea est potissimum, ut philosophus dicit, in IX ethic..

Id autem quod est potissimum in lege novi testamenti, et in quo tota virtus eius consistit, est gratia spiritus sancti, quae datur per fidem christi. Et ideo principaliter lex nova est ipsa gratia spiritus sancti, quae datur christi fidelibus. Et hoc manifeste apparet per apostolum, qui, ad Rom. III, dicit, ubi est ergo gloriatio tua? exclusa est.

Per quam legem? factorum? non, sed per legem fidei, ipsam enim fidei gratiam legem appellat.

Et expressius ad Rom. VIII dicitur, lex spiritus vitae in christo iesu liberavit me a lege peccati et mortis.

Unde et Augustinus dicit, in libro de spiritu et littera, quod sicut lex factorum scripta fuit in tabulis lapideis, ita lex fidei scripta est in cordibus fidelium.

Et alibi dicit in eodem libro, quae sunt leges dei ab ipso deo scriptae in cordibus, nisi ipsa praesentia spiritus sancti? habet tamen lex nova quaedam sicut dispositiva ad gratiam spiritus sancti, et ad usum huius gratiae pertinentia, quae sunt quasi secundaria in lege nova, de quibus oportuit instrui fideles christi et verbis et scriptis, tam circa credenda quam circa agenda. Et ideo dicendum est quod principaliter nova lex est lex indita, secundario autem est lex scripta.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod in Scriptura evangelii non continentur nisi ea quae pertinent ad gratiam spiritus sancti vel sicut dispositiva, vel sicut ordinativa ad usum huius gratiae. Sicut dispositiva quidem quantum ad intellectum per fidem, per quam datur spiritus sancti gratia, continentur in evangelio ea quae pertinent ad manifestandam divinitatem vel humanitatem christi. Secundum affectum vero, continentur in evangelio ea quae pertinent ad contemptum mundi, per quem homo fit capax gratiae spiritus sancti, mundus enim, idest amatores mundi, non potest capere spiritum sanctum, ut habetur Ioan. XIV.

Usus vero spiritualis gratiae est in operibus virtutum, ad quae multipliciter Scriptura novi testamenti homines exhortatur.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod dupliciter est aliquid inditum homini. Uno modo, pertinens ad naturam humanam, et sic lex naturalis est lex indita homini.

Alio modo est aliquid inditum homini quasi naturae superadditum per gratiae donum. Et hoc modo lex nova est indita homini, non solum indicans quid sit faciendum, sed etiam adiuvans ad implendum.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod nullus unquam habuit gratiam spiritus sancti nisi per fidem christi explicitam vel implicitam. Per fidem autem christi pertinet homo ad novum testamentum. Unde quibuscumque fuit lex gratiae indita, secundum hoc ad novum testamentum pertinebant.