e a pedagogue of children, as the
Apostle says (Gal. 3:24), whereas the New Law is the law of
perfection, since it is the law of charity, of which the Apostle says
(Col. 3:14) that it is "the bond of perfection."

Reply Obj. 1: The unity of faith under both Testaments witnesses to
the unity of end: for it has been stated above (Q. 62, A. 2) that the
object of the theological virtues, among which is faith, is the last
end. Yet faith had a different state in the Old and in the New Law:
since what they believed as future, we believe as fact.

Reply Obj. 2: All the differences assigned between the Old and New
Laws are gathered from their relative perfection and imperfection.
For the precepts of every law prescribe acts of virtue. Now the
imperfect, who as yet are not possessed of a virtuous habit, are
directed in one way to perform virtuous acts, while those who are
perfected by the possession of virtuous habits are directed in
another way. For those who as yet are not endowed with virtuous
habits, are directed to the performance of virtuous acts by reason of
some outward cause: for instance, by the threat of punishment, or the
promise of some extrinsic rewards, such as honor, riches, or the
like. Hence the Old Law, which was given to men who were imperfect,
that is, who had not yet received spiritual grace, was called the
"law of fear," inasmuch as it induced men to observe its commandments
by threatening them with penalties; and is spoken of as containing
temporal promises. On the other hand, those who are possessed of
virtue, are inclined to do virtuous deeds through love of virtue, not
on account of some extrinsic punishment or reward. Hence the New Law
which derives its pre-eminence from the spiritual grace instilled
into our hearts, is called the "Law of love": and it is described as
containing spiritual and eternal promises, which are objects of the
virtues, chiefly of charity. Accordingly such persons are inclined of
themselves to those objects, not as to something foreign but as to
something of their own. For this reason, too, the Old Law is
described as "restraining the hand, not the will" [*Peter Lombard,
Sent. iii, D, 40]; since when a man refrains from some sins through
fear of being punished, his will does not shrink simply from sin, as
does the will of a man who refrains from sin through love of
righteousness: and hence the New Law, which is the Law of love, is
said to restrain the will.

Nevertheless the