ds only, which were to be employed in the
sacrifices. The tip of their right ear and the thumb of their right
hand, and the great toe of their right foot were tinged with the
blood of the sacrificial animal, to denote that they should be
obedient to God's law in offering the sacrifices (this is denoted by
touching their right ear); and that they should be careful and ready
in performing the sacrifices (this is signified by the moistening of
the right foot and hand). They themselves and their garments were
sprinkled with the blood of the animal that had been sacrificed, in
memory of the blood of the lamb by which they had been delivered in
Egypt. At their consecration the following sacrifices were offered: a
calf, for sin, in memory of Aaron's sin in fashioning the molten
calf; a ram, for a holocaust, in memory of the sacrifice of Abraham,
whose obedience it behooved the high-priest to imitate; again, a ram
of consecration, which was a peace-offering, in memory of the
delivery from Egypt through the blood of the lamb; and a basket of
bread, in memory of the manna vouchsafed to the people.

In reference to their being destined to the ministry, the fat of the
ram, one roll of bread, and the right shoulder were placed on their
hands, to show that they received the power of offering these things
to the Lord: while the Levites were initiated to the ministry by
being brought into the tabernacle of the covenant, as being destined
to the ministry touching the vessels of the sanctuary.

The figurative reason of these things was that those who are to be
consecrated to the spiritual ministry of Christ, should be first of
all purified by the waters of Baptism, and by the waters of tears, in
their faith in Christ's Passion, which is a sacrifice both of
expiation and of purification. They have also to shave all the hair
of their body, i.e. all evil thoughts. They should, moreover, be
decked with virtues, and be consecrated with the oil of the Holy
Ghost, and with the sprinkling of Christ's blood. And thus they
should be intent on the fulfilment of their spiritual ministry.

Reply Obj. 10: As already stated (A. 4), the purpose of the Law was
to induce men to have reverence for the divine worship: and this in
two ways; first, by excluding from the worship of God whatever might
be an object of contempt; secondly, by introducing into the divine
worship all that seemed to savor of reverence. And, indeed, if this
was observed in regard t