mon good in
view; imprudent, if he ignores the reasons for granting
dispensations. Hence Our Lord says (Luke 12:42): "Who, thinkest thou,
is the faithful and wise dispenser [Douay: steward], whom his lord
setteth over his family?"

Reply Obj. 1: When a person is dispensed from observing the general
law, this should not be done to the prejudice of, but with the
intention of benefiting, the common good.

Reply Obj. 2: It is not respect of persons if unequal measures are
served out to those who are themselves unequal. Wherefore when the
condition of any person requires that he should reasonably receive
special treatment, it is not respect of persons if he be the object
of special favor.

Reply Obj. 3: Natural law, so far as it contains general precepts,
which never fail, does not allow of dispensations. In other precepts,
however, which are as conclusions of the general precepts, man
sometimes grants a dispensation: for instance, that a loan should not
be paid back to the betrayer of his country, or something similar.
But to the Divine law each man stands as a private person to the
public law to which he is subject. Wherefore just as none can
dispense from public human law, except the man from whom the law
derives its authority, or his delegate; so, in the precepts of the
Divine law, which are from God, none can dispense but God, or the man
to whom He may give special power for that purpose.
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QUESTION 98

OF THE OLD LAW
(In Six Articles)

In due sequence we must now consider the Old Law; and (1) The Law
itself; (2) Its precepts. Under the first head there are six points
of inquiry:

(1) Whether the Old Law was good?

(2) Whether it was from God?

(3) Whether it came from Him through the angels?

(4) Whether it was given to all?

(5) Whether it was binding on all?

(6) Whether it was given at a suitable time?
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FIRST ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 98, Art. 1]

Whether the Old Law Was Good?

Objection 1: It would seem that the Old Law was not good. For it is
written (Ezech. 20:25): "I gave them statutes that were not good, and
judgments in which they shall not live." But a law is not said to be
good except on account of the goodness of the precepts that it
contains. Therefore the Old Law was not good.

Obj. 2: Further, it belongs to the goodness of a law that it conduce
to the common welfare, as Isidore says (Etym. v, 3). But the Old Law
was not salutary; rather w