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90. The Essence of Law

1. Law is an ordinance of reason. The word lawderives from a Latin word which means to bind. Now, therule or measure of human acts is reason; what binds a man inreference to human acts pertains to reason.

2. Law is an ordinance of reason for the common good ofpersons in a society. Law is not directly for the benefit ofindividual persons as such, although it binds individual persons.Law is primarily for the benefit of individuals in a group, in asociety.

3. A law is thus an ordinance of reason for the commongood. A law is made either by the society which it binds, or it isimposed on that society by the public personage who has charge ofthe society and authority to rule it.

4. A law must be promulgated. That is, it must besufficiently announced and made known to those upon whom it laysobligation. Without knowledge of a law, a person cannot be guidedby it in his human acts. The full definition of law is: anordinance of reason, made and promulgated for the common good byone who has charge of a community or society.

"It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides. "
Thomas á Kempis

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"Whom do you seek, friend, if you seek not God? Seek him, find him, cleave to him; bind your will to his with bands of steel and you will live always at peace in this life and in the next."
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. "
Thomas á Kempis

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