Reply Obj. 4:  All worldly goods may be reduced to three—­honors, riches, and pleasures; according to 1 John 2:16:  “All that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh,” which refers to pleasures of the flesh, “and the concupiscence of the eyes,” which refers to riches, “and the pride of life,” which refers to ambition for renown and honor.  Now the Law did not promise an abundance of carnal pleasures; on the contrary, it forbade them.  But it did promise exalted honors and abundant riches; for it is written in reference to the former (Deut. 28:1):  “If thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy God . . .  He will make thee higher than all the nations”; and in reference to the latter, we read a little further on (Deut. 28:11):  “He will make thee abound with all goods.”  But the Jews so distorted the true meaning of these promises, as to think that we ought to serve God, with these things as the end in view.  Wherefore Our Lord set this aside by teaching, first of all, that works of virtue should not be done for human glory.  And He mentions three works, to which all others may be reduced:  since whatever a man does in order to curb his desires, comes under the head of fasting; and whatever a man does for the love of his neighbor, comes under the head of alms-deeds; and whatever a man does for the worship of God, comes under the head of prayer.  And He mentions these three specifically, as they hold the principal place, and are most often used by men in order to gain glory.  In the second place He taught us that we must not place our end in riches, when He said:  “Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth” (Matt. 6:19).

Reply Obj. 5:  Our Lord forbade, not necessary, but inordinate solicitude.  Now there is a fourfold solicitude to be avoided in temporal matters.  First, we must not place our end in them, nor serve God for the sake of the necessities of food and raiment.  Wherefore He says:  “Lay not up for yourselves,” etc.  Secondly, we must not be so anxious about temporal things, as to despair of God’s help:  wherefore Our Lord says (Matt. 6:32):  “Your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things.”  Thirdly, we must not add presumption to our solicitude; in other words, we must not be confident of getting the necessaries of life by our own efforts without God’s help:  such solicitude Our Lord sets aside by saying that a man cannot add anything to his stature (Matt. 6:27).  We must not anticipate the time for anxiety; namely, by being solicitous now, for the needs, not of the present, but of a future time:  wherefore He says (Matt. 6:34):  “Be not . . . solicitous for tomorrow.”

Reply Obj. 6:  Our Lord did not forbid the judgment of justice, without which holy things could not be withdrawn from the unworthy.  But he forbade inordinate judgment, as stated above. ________________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 108, Art. 4]

Whether Certain Definite Counsels Are Fittingly Proposed in the New
Law?