, which is a character. For habit and disposition
belong to a power of the soul, since they are ordained to actions of
which the powers are the principles. And in like manner whatever is
ordained to action, should be attributed to a power.

Reply Obj. 3: As stated above, a character is ordained unto things
pertaining to the Divine worship; which is a protestation of faith
expressed by exterior signs. Consequently, a character needs to be in
the soul's cognitive power, where also is faith.
_______________________

FIFTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 63, Art. 5]

Whether a Character Can Be Blotted Out from the Soul?

Objection 1: It seems that a character can be blotted out from the
soul. Because the more perfect an accident is, the more firmly does
it adhere to its subject. But grace is more perfect than a character;
because a character is ordained unto grace as to a further end. Now
grace is lost through sin. Much more, therefore, is a character so
lost.

Obj. 2: Further, by a character a man is deputed to the Divine
worship, as stated above (AA. 3, 4). But some pass from the worship
of God to a contrary worship by apostasy from the faith. It seems,
therefore, that such lose the sacramental character.

Obj. 3: Further, when the end ceases, the means to the end should
cease also: thus after the resurrection there will be no marriage,
because begetting will cease, which is the purpose of marriage. Now
the exterior worship to which a character is ordained, will not
endure in heaven, where there will be no shadows, but all will be
truth without a veil. Therefore the sacramental character does not
last in the soul for ever: and consequently it can be blotted out.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (Contra Parmen. ii): "The Christian
sacraments are not less lasting than the bodily mark" of military
service. But the character of military service is not repeated, but
is "recognized and approved" in the man who obtains the emperor's
forgiveness after offending him. Therefore neither can the
sacramental character be blotted out.

_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 3), in a sacramental character
Christ's faithful have a share in His Priesthood; in the sense that
as Christ has the full power of a spiritual priesthood, so His
faithful are likened to Him by sharing a certain spiritual power with
regard to the sacraments and to things pertaining to the Divine
worship. For this reason it is unbecoming that Christ should have a
characte