to the body
they act not only as instrumental causes, but also to a certain
extent as exemplars, as we stated above (Q. 56, A. 1, ad 3).

Reply Obj. 2: Christ dwells in us "by faith" (Eph. 3:17).
Consequently, by faith Christ's power is united to us. Now the power
of blotting out sin belongs in a special way to His Passion. And
therefore men are delivered from sin especially by faith in His
Passion, according to Rom. 3:25: "Whom God hath proposed to be a
propitiation through faith in His Blood." Therefore the power of the
sacraments which is ordained unto the remission of sins is derived
principally from faith in Christ's Passion.

Reply Obj. 3: Justification is ascribed to the Resurrection by reason
of the term "whither," which is newness of life through grace. But it
is ascribed to the Passion by reason of the term "whence," i.e. in
regard to the forgiveness of sin.
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SIXTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 62, Art. 6]

Whether the Sacraments of the Old Law Caused Grace?

Objection 1: It seems that the sacraments of the Old Law caused
grace. For, as stated above (A. 5, ad 2) the sacraments of the New
Law derive their efficacy from faith in Christ's Passion. But there
was faith in Christ's Passion under the Old Law, as well as under the
New, since we have "the same spirit of faith" (2 Cor. 4:13).
Therefore just as the sacraments of the New Law confer grace, so did
the sacraments of the Old Law.

Obj. 2: Further, there is no sanctification save by grace. But men
were sanctified by the sacraments of the Old Law: for it is written
(Lev. 8:31): "And when he," i.e. Moses, "had sanctified them," i.e.
Aaron and his sons, "in their vestments," etc. Therefore it seems
that the sacraments of the Old Law conferred grace.

Obj. 3: Further, Bede says in a homily on the Circumcision: "Under
the Law circumcision provided the same health-giving balm against the
wound of original sin, as baptism in the time of revealed grace." But
Baptism confers grace now. Therefore circumcision conferred grace;
and in like manner, the other sacraments of the Law; for just as
Baptism is the door of the sacraments of the New Law, so was
circumcision the door of the sacraments of the Old Law: hence the
Apostle says (Gal. 5:3): "I testify to every man circumcising
himself, that he is a debtor to the whole law."

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Gal. 4:9): "Turn you again to the
weak and needy elements?" i.e. "to the Law," says the glos