calf
was a means of investigating the hidden murder. This was brought
about in three ways. In the first place the elders of the city swore
that they had taken every measure for safeguarding the roads.
Secondly, the owner of the heifer was indemnified for the slaying of
his beast, and if the murder was previously discovered, the beast was
not slain. Thirdly, the place, where the heifer was slain, remained
uncultivated. Wherefore, in order to avoid this twofold loss, the men
of the city would readily make known the murderer, if they knew who
he was: and it would seldom happen but that some word or sign would
escape about the matter. Or again, this was done in order to frighten
people, in detestation of murder. Because the slaying of a heifer,
which is a useful animal and full of strength, especially before it
has been put under the yoke, signified that whoever committed murder,
however useful and strong he might be, was to forfeit his life; and
that, by a cruel death, which was implied by the striking off of its
head; and that the murderer, as vile and abject, was to be cut off
from the fellowship of men, which was betokened by the fact that the
heifer after being slain was left to rot in a rough and uncultivated
place.

Mystically, the heifer taken from the herd signifies the flesh of
Christ; which had not drawn a yoke, since it had done no sin; nor did
it plough the ground, i.e. it never knew the stain of revolt. The
fact of the heifer being killed in an uncultivated valley signified
the despised death of Christ, whereby all sins are washed away, and
the devil is shown to be the arch-murderer.
________________________

THIRD ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 105, Art. 3]

Whether the Judicial Precepts Regarding Foreigners Were Framed in a
Suitable Manner?

Objection 1: It would seem that the judicial precepts regarding
foreigners were not suitably framed. For Peter said (Acts 10:34, 35):
"In very deed I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons, but
in every nation, he that feareth Him and worketh justice is
acceptable to Him." But those who are acceptable to God should not be
excluded from the Church of God. Therefore it is unsuitably commanded
(Deut. 23:3) that "the Ammonite and the Moabite, even after the tenth
generation, shall not enter into the church of the Lord for ever":
whereas, on the other hand, it is prescribed (Deut. 23:7) to be
observed with regard to certain other nations: "Thou shalt not abhor
the Edomite