The spiritual reason for these things is that priests should be entirely free from dead works, i.e. sins.  And they should not shave their heads, i.e. set wisdom aside; nor should they shave their beards, i.e. set aside the perfection of wisdom; nor rend their garments or cut their flesh, i.e. they should not incur the sin of schism. ________________________

QUESTION 103

OF THE DURATION OF THE CEREMONIAL PRECEPTS
(In Four Articles)

We must now consider the duration of the ceremonial precepts:  under which head there are four points of inquiry: 

(1) Whether the ceremonial precepts were in existence before the Law?

(2) Whether at the time of the Law the ceremonies of the Old Law had any power of justification?

(3) Whether they ceased at the coming of Christ?

(4) Whether it is a mortal sin to observe them after the coming of Christ? ________________________

FIRST ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 103, Art. 1]

Whether the Ceremonies of the Law Were in Existence Before the Law?

Objection 1:  It would seem that the ceremonies of the Law were in existence before the Law.  For sacrifices and holocausts were ceremonies of the Old Law, as stated above (Q. 101, A. 4).  But sacrifices and holocausts preceded the Law:  for it is written (Gen. 4:3, 4) that “Cain offered, of the fruits of the earth, gifts to the Lord,” and that “Abel offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat.”  Noe also “offered holocausts” to the Lord (Gen. 18:20), and Abraham did in like manner (Gen. 22:13).  Therefore the ceremonies of the Old Law preceded the Law.

Obj. 2:  Further, the erecting and consecrating of the altar were part of the ceremonies relating to holy things.  But these preceded the Law.  For we read (Gen. 13:18) that “Abraham . . . built . . . an altar the Lord”; and (Gen. 28:18) that “Jacob . . . took the stone . . . and set it up for a title, pouring oil upon the top of it.”  Therefore the legal ceremonies preceded the Law.

Obj. 3:  Further, the first of the legal sacraments seems to have been circumcision.  But circumcision preceded the Law, as appears from Gen. 17.  In like manner the priesthood preceded the Law; for it is written (Gen. 14:18) that “Melchisedech . . . was the priest of the most high God.”  Therefore the sacramental ceremonies preceded the Law.

Obj. 4:  Further, the distinction of clean from unclean animals belongs to the ceremonies of observances, as stated above (Q. 100, 2, A. 6, ad 1).  But this distinction preceded the Law; for it is written (Gen. 7:2, 3):  “Of all clean beasts take seven and seven . . . but of the beasts that are unclean, two and two.”  Therefore the legal ceremonies preceded the Law.

On the contrary, It is written (Deut. 6:1):  “These are the precepts and ceremonies . . . which the Lord your God commanded that I should teach you.”  But they would not have needed to be taught about these things, if the aforesaid ceremonies had been already in existence.  Therefore the legal ceremonies did not precede the Law.