ment, and a sacrament in regard to the ultimate effect.
Consequently, something can be attributed to a character in two ways.
First, if the character be considered as a sacrament: and thus it is
a sign of the invisible grace which is conferred in the sacrament.
Secondly, if it be considered as a character. And thus it is a sign
conferring on a man a likeness to some principal person in whom is
vested the authority over that to which he is assigned: thus soldiers
who are assigned to military service, are marked with their leader's
sign, by which they are, in a fashion, likened to him. And in this
way those who are deputed to the Christian worship, of which Christ
is the author, receive a character by which they are likened to
Christ. Consequently, properly speaking, this is Christ's character.

Reply Obj. 3: A character distinguishes one from another, in relation
to some particular end, to which he, who receives the character is
ordained: as has been stated concerning the military character (A. 1)
by which a soldier of the king is distinguished from the enemy's
soldier in relation to the battle. In like manner the character of
the faithful is that by which the faithful of Christ are
distinguished from the servants of the devil, either in relation to
eternal life, or in relation to the worship of the Church that now
is. Of these the former is the result of charity and grace, as the
objection runs; while the latter results from the sacramental
character. Wherefore the "character of the beast" may be understood
by opposition, to mean either the obstinate malice for which some are
assigned to eternal punishment, or the profession of an unlawful form
of worship.
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FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 63, Art. 4]

Whether the Character Be Subjected in the Powers of the Soul?

Objection 1: It seems that the character is not subjected in the
powers of the soul. For a character is said to be a disposition to
grace. But grace is subjected in the essence of the soul as we have
stated in the Second Part (I-II, Q. 110, A. 4). Therefore it seems
that the character is in the essence of the soul and not in the
powers.

Obj. 2: Further, a power of the soul does not seem to be the subject
of anything save habit and disposition. But a character, as stated
above (A. 2), is neither habit nor disposition, but rather a power:
the subject of which is nothing else than the essence of the soul.
Therefore it seems that the charact