Solemnity of St. Thomas Aquinas: March 7, 2006 A.D.

Here at the Scholasticum, we are celebrating today as the Solemnity of the Angelic Doctor. Today, is the 731st Annivesary of St. Thomas' transitus to Eternal Glory. For this purpose, here is a new English translation of the Saint's Summa contra Gentiles, Bk. 4, ch. 56: On the Necessity of the Sacraments.

1. However, because, just as has been said, the Death of Christ is the quasi universal cause of human salvation; moreover, it is opportune [oportet], that one apply a universal cause to each single effect: it was necessary that there be exhibited to men certain remedies through which the benefice of Christ's Death would be in a certain manner conjoined to them. But the Sacraments of the Church are said to be of this kind.

2. Moreover, it was opportune that remedies of this kind be handed down [tradi] with some visible signs. First, indeed, because just as to all other things, so also to man, does God provide according to his condition. But such is the condition of man that he is lead forth to grasp spiritual and intelligible (things) naturally through sensible ones. Therefore, it was opportune that spiritual remedies be given to men under sensible signs. Second, because it opportune that instruments be proportioned to the a first cause. But the first universal cause of human salvation is the Incarnate Word, as appears out of the aforesaid. Therefore it was congruous that the remedies by which the virtue of the universal Cause pertained to men, would have a similitude to that Cause: so that, namely, the Divine Virtue be worked in them invisibly under visible signs. Third, because man had fallen into sin by clinging to visible things in an undue manner. Therefore, lest visibles out of their own nature be believed to be evil, and on this account those clinging to them sin, it was congruous that through visibles themselves they remedy of salvation for men be employed: so that in this manner it appear that visibles themselves are out of their own nature good, as (things) created by God, but that they become noxious to men, according to which they cling to them in an inordinate manner, but, salutiferous, according to which they use them in an ordinate manner.

3. Moreover, form this there is excluded the error of certain heretics, who want that all visibiles of this kind be removed from the Sacraments of the Church. Nor is this to be wondered ad, because the same opine that all visibiles are evil out of their own nature, and have been produces by an evil author: which we have repoved in the second book.

4. Nor is it unfitting that through visibile and corporal things a spiritual salvation be ministered ; because visibles of this kind are a certain quasi intrument of the Incarnate and Suffering God ; but an instrument does not work out of the virtue of its own nature, but out of the virtue of the principal agent, by whom it is applied to work. Therefore in this manner visible things also work spiritual salvation, not out of the property of their own nature, but out of the institution of Christ Himself, out of which they obtain [consequuntur] (their) instrumental virtue.