Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that there should have been no sacraments after sin, before Christ. For it has been stated that the Passion of Christ is applied to men through the sacraments: so that Christ's Passion is compared to the sacraments as cause to effect. But effect does not precede cause. Therefore there should have been no sacraments before Christ's coming.

Objection 2: Further, sacraments should be suitable to the state of the human race, as Augustine declares (Contra Faust. xix). But the state of the human race underwent no change after sin until it was repaired by Christ. Neither, therefore, should the sacraments have been changed, so that besides the sacraments of the natural law, others should be instituted in the law of Moses.

Objection 3: Further, the nearer a thing approaches to that which is perfect, the more like it should it be. Now the perfection of human salvation was accomplished by Christ; to Whom the sacraments of the Old Law were nearer than those that preceded the Law. Therefore they should have borne a greater likeness to the sacraments of Christ. And yet the contrary is the case, since it was foretold that the priesthood of Christ would be "according to the order of Melchisedech, and not . . . according to the order of Aaron" (Heb. 7:11). Therefore sacraments were unsuitably instituted before Christ.

On the contrary, Augustine says (Contra Faust. xix) that "the first sacraments which the Law commanded to be solemnized and observed were announcements of Christ's future coming." But it was necessary for man's salvation that Christ's coming should be announced beforehand. Therefore it was necessary that some sacraments should be instituted before Christ.

I answer that, Sacraments are necessary for man's salvation, in so far as they are sensible signs of invisible things whereby man is made holy. Now after sin no man can be made holy save through Christ, "Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in His blood, to the showing of His justice . . . that He Himself may be just, and the justifier of him who is of the faith of Jesus Christ" (Rm. 3:25,26). Therefore before Christ's coming there was need for some visible signs whereby man might testify to his faith in the future coming of a Saviour. And these signs are called sacraments. It is therefore clear that some sacraments were necessary before Christ's coming.

Reply to Objection 1: Christ's Passion is the final cause of the old sacraments: for they were instituted in order to foreshadow it. Now the final cause precedes not in time, but in the intention of the agent. Consequently, there is no reason against the existence of sacraments before Christ's Passion.

Reply to Objection 2: The state of the human race after sin and before Christ can be considered from two points of view. First, from that of faith: and thus it was always one and the same: since men were made righteous, through faith in the future coming of Christ. Secondly, according as sin was more or less intense, and knowledge concerning Christ more or less explicit. For as time went on sin gained a greater hold on man, so much so that it clouded man's reason, the consequence being that the precepts of the natural law were insufficient to make man live aright, and it became necessary to have a written code of fixed laws, and together with these certain sacraments of faith. For it was necessary, as time went on, that the knowledge of faith should be more and more unfolded, since, as Gregory says (Hom. vi in Ezech.): "With the advance of time there was an advance in the knowledge of Divine things." Consequently in the old Law there was also a need for certain fixed sacraments significative of man's faith in the future coming of Christ: which sacraments are compared to those that preceded the Law, as something determinate to that which is indeterminate: inasmuch as before the Law it was not laid down precisely of what sacraments men were to make use: whereas this was prescribed by the Law; and this was necessary both on account of the overclouding of the natural law, and for the clearer signification of faith.

Reply to Objection 3: The sacrament of Melchisedech which preceded the Law is more like the Sacrament of the New Law in its matter: in so far as "he offered bread and wine" (Gn. 14:18), just as bread and wine are offered in the sacrifice of the New Testament. Nevertheless the sacraments of the Mosaic Law are more like the thing signified by the sacrament, i.e. the Passion of Christ: as clearly appears in the Paschal Lamb and such like. The reason of this was lest, if the sacraments retained the same appearance, it might seem to be the continuation of one and the same sacrament, where there was no interruption of time.

Articulus 3

Argumentum 1

Ad tertium sic proceditur. Videtur quod post peccatum, ante christum, sacramenta non debuerunt esse.

Dictum est enim quod per sacramenta passio christi hominibus applicatur, et sic passio christi comparatur ad sacramenta sicut causa ad effectum.

Sed effectus non praecedit causam. Ergo sacramenta non debuerunt esse ante christi adventum.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, sacramenta debent esse convenientia statui humani generis, ut patet per Augustinum, XIX contra faustum.

Sed status humani generis non fuit mutatus post peccatum usque ad reparationem factam per christum. Ergo nec sacramenta debuerunt immutari, ut, praeter sacramenta legis naturae, alia statuerentur in lege Moysi.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, quanto magis est aliquid propinquum perfecto, tanto magis debet ei assimilari. Sed perfectio salutis humanae per christum facta est, cui propinquiora fuerunt sacramenta veteris legis quam ea quae fuerunt ante legem. Ergo debuerunt esse similiora sacramentis christi. Cuius tamen contrarium apparet, ex eo quod sacerdotium christi praedicitur esse futurum secundum ordinem melchisedech, et non secundum ordinem Aaron, ut habetur Heb. VII.

Non ergo convenienter fuerunt disposita ante christum sacramenta.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Augustinus dicit, XIX contra faust., quod prima sacramenta, quae celebrabantur et observabantur ex lege, praenuntia erant christi venturi.

Sed necessarium erat ad humanam salutem ut adventus christi praenuntiaretur. Ergo necessarium erat ante christum sacramenta quaedam disponi.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod sacramenta necessaria sunt ad humanam salutem inquantum sunt quaedam sensibilia signa invisibilium rerum quibus homo sanctificatur. Nullus autem sanctificari potest post peccatum nisi per christum, quem proposuit deus propitiatorem per fidem in sanguine ipsius, ad ostensionem iustitiae suae, ut sit ipse iustus et iustificans eum qui ex fide est iesu christi.

Et ideo oportebat ante christi adventum esse quaedam signa visibilia quibus homo fidem suam protestaretur de futuro salvatoris adventu. Et huiusmodi signa sacramenta dicuntur.

Et sic patet quod ante christi adventum necesse fuit quaedam sacramenta institui.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod passio christi est causa finalis veterum sacramentorum, quae scilicet ad ipsam significandam sunt instituta. Causa autem finalis non praecedit tempore, sed solum in intentione agentis. Et ideo non est inconveniens aliqua sacramenta ante christi passionem fuisse.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod status humani generis post peccatum et ante christum dupliciter potest considerari. Uno modo, secundum fidei rationem. Et sic semper unus et idem permansit, quia scilicet iustificabantur homines per fidem futuri christi adventus. Alio modo potest considerari secundum intensionem et remissionem peccati, et expressae cognitionis de christo.

Nam per incrementa temporum et peccatum coepit in homine magis dominari, in tantum quod, ratione hominis per peccatum obtenebrata, non sufficerent homini ad recte vivendum praecepta legis naturae, sed necesse fuit determinari praecepta in lege scripta; et cum his quaedam fidei sacramenta. Oportebat etiam ut per incrementa temporum magis explicaretur cognitio fidei, quia, ut Gregorius dicit, per incrementa temporum crevit divinae cognitionis augmentum.

Et ideo etiam necesse fuit quod in veteri lege etiam quaedam sacramenta fidei quam habebant de christo venturo, determinarentur quae quidem comparantur ad sacramenta quae fuerunt ante legem sicut determinatum ad indeterminatum; quia scilicet ante legem non fuit determinate praefixum homini quibus sacramentis uteretur, sicut fuit per legem. Quod erat necessarium et propter obtenebrationem legis naturalis; et ut esset determinatior fidei significatio.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod sacramentum melchisedech, quod fuit ante legem, magis assimilatur sacramento novae legis in materia, inquantum scilicet obtulit panem et vinum, ut habetur Gen. XIV, sicut etiam sacrificium novi testamenti oblatione panis et vini perficitur. Sacramenta tamen legis mosaicae magis assimilantur rei significatae per sacramentum, scilicet passioni christi, ut patet de agno paschali et aliis huiusmodi. Et hoc ideo ne, propter continuitatem temporis, si permaneret eadem sacramentorum species, videretur esse sacramenti eiusdem continuatio.