be instituted in the law of Moses.

Obj. 3: Further, the nearer a thing approaches to that which is
perfect, the more like it should it be. Now the perfection of human
salvation was accomplished by Christ; to Whom the sacraments of the
Old Law were nearer than those that preceded the Law. Therefore they
should have borne a greater likeness to the sacraments of Christ. And
yet the contrary is the case, since it was foretold that the
priesthood of Christ would be "according to the order of
Melchisedech, and not . . . according to the order of Aaron" (Heb.
7:11). Therefore sacraments were unsuitably instituted before Christ.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (Contra Faust. xix) that "the first
sacraments which the Law commanded to be solemnized and observed were
announcements of Christ's future coming." But it was necessary for
man's salvation that Christ's coming should be announced beforehand.
Therefore it was necessary that some sacraments should be instituted
before Christ.

_I answer that,_ Sacraments are necessary for man's salvation, in so
far as they are sensible signs of invisible things whereby man is
made holy. Now after sin no man can be made holy save through Christ,
"Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in His
blood, to the showing of His justice . . . that He Himself may be
just, and the justifier of him who is of the faith of Jesus Christ"
(Rom. 3:25, 26). Therefore before Christ's coming there was need for
some visible signs whereby man might testify to his faith in the
future coming of a Saviour. And these signs are called sacraments. It
is therefore clear that some sacraments were necessary before
Christ's coming.

Reply Obj. 1: Christ's Passion is the final cause of the old
sacraments: for they were instituted in order to foreshadow it. Now
the final cause precedes not in time, but in the intention of the
agent. Consequently, there is no reason against the existence of
sacraments before Christ's Passion.

Reply Obj. 2: The state of the human race after sin and before Christ
can be considered from two points of view. First, from that of faith:
and thus it was always one and the same: since men were made
righteous, through faith in the future coming of Christ. Secondly,
according as sin was more or less intense, and knowledge concerning
Christ more or less explicit. For as time went on sin gained a
greater hold on man, so much so that it clouded man's reason, the
consequence