Moral precepts in old law

1 passages · search this phrase →

Often appears with: justice as a virtue · holiness and virtue · friendship with god · friendship and loyalty · conversion and faith

Usually: argument (1) · detachment (1)

Quotable

“Now since likeness is the reason of love, according to Ecclus. 13:19: "Every beast loveth its like"; there cannot possibly be any friendship of man to God, Who is supremely good, unless man become good.” Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, Summa Theologica, Part I-II (Pars Prima Secundae) · insight

Summa Theologica, Part I-II (Pars Prima Secundae) primary

Thomas, Aquinas, Saint · c. 1265–1273
PART I-II ("Prima Secundae") > i.e. into imperfect men, "the bottles break, and the wine runneth out," i.e. the precepts are despised, and those men, from contempt, break into evils worse still. (22/91)

In Article 2 of Question 99, Aquinas argues that the Old Law includes moral precepts, since friendship with God requires human goodness and holiness, citing commandments like “not kill” and “not steal.”

on Heb. 12:11: "Now all chastisement (*disciplina*)," etc., says: "Discipline is an exercise in morals by means of difficulties." Therefore the Law which was given by God comprised moral precepts. *I answer that,* The Old Law contained some moral precepts; as is evident from Ex. 20:13, 15: "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt not steal." This was reasonable: because, just as the principal intention of human law is to …