Lecture 7 Lectio 7 Against homicide Contra homicidam ^5:20 For I say to you, that unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. [n. 478] ^5:20 Dico enim vobis, quia nisi abundaverit iustitia vestra plus quam scribarum et Pharisaeorum, non intrabitis in regnum caelorum. [n. 478] ^5:21 You have heard that it was said to those of old: you shall not kill. And whoever will kill, will be liable to the judgment. [n. 482] ^5:21 Audistis quia dictum est antiquis: non occides; qui autem occiderit, reus erit iudicio. [n. 482] ^5:22 But I say to you, that whoever is angry with his brother, will be liable to the judgment. And whoever will say to his brother: raca, will be liable to the council. And whoever will say: fool, will be liable to hell fire. [n. 485] ^5:22 Ego autem dico vobis, quia omnis qui irascitur fratri suo, reus erit iudicio. Qui autem dixerit fratri suo: racha, reus erit concilio. Qui autem dixerit: fatue, reus erit gehennae ignis. [n. 485] ^5:23 If therefore you offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has anything against you; [n. 494] ^5:23 Si ergo offers munus tuum ad altare, et ibi recordatus fueris quia frater tuus habet aliquid adversum te, [n. 494] ^5:24 Leave there your offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to your brother: and then coming you will offer your gift. [n. 494] ^5:24 relinque ibi munus tuum ante altare, et vade prius reconciliari fratri tuo, et tunc veniens offeres munus tuum. [n. 494] ^5:25 Be in agreement with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast in prison. [n. 497] ^5:25 Esto consentiens adversario tuo cito dum es in via cum eo; ne forte tradat te adversarius iudici, et iudex tradat te ministro, et in carcerem mittaris. [n. 497] ^5:26 Amen I say to you, you will not go out from there until you repay the last farthing. [n. 501] ^5:26 Amen dico tibi, non exies inde, donec reddas novissimum quadrantem. [n. 501] 476. For I say to you, that unless your justice abound. Above, the Lord shows that it was not his intention to do away with the law, but to fulfill it; wherefore, here he begins to fulfill it. In the law there are four things: namely, moral precepts, judicial ones, figures, and promises. Three of these, namely, the moral precepts, the promises, and the judicial ones, the Lord fulfilled by his words, i.e., he teaches us to fulfill them. But he fulfilled the figures by his deed in his passion. 476. Dico autem vobis: nisi abundaverit. Supra ostendit Dominus quod non erat sua intentio solvere legem sed adimplere; unde hic incipit adimplere. In lege quatuor erant: quaedam scilicet praecepta moralia, quaedam iudicialia, quaedam figuralia et quaedam promissa. Tria istorum Dominus adimplet verbis, scilicet moralia, promissa et iudicialia, id est docet ea adimplere; figuralia autem adimplevit facto in sua passione. Hence this part is divided into three: Unde pars ista dividitur in tres: in the first, he fulfills the law as to the moral precepts, in prima adimplet legem quantum ad praecepta moralia, in the second, as to the promises, in secunda quantum ad promissa, in the third, as to the judicial precepts. in tertia quantum ad iudicialia. 477. There are two kinds of moral precepts: some are prohibitive and some permissive; first he fulfills the first kind, then the second kind, at it has been said: ‘whoever will put away’ (Matt 5:31). 477. Moralia sunt duorum generum: quaedam prohibitiva, quaedam permissiva; primo adimplet prima, secundo secunda, ibi dictum est super: ‘quicumque dimiserit’. Concerning the first, he does two things: Circa primum duo facit: first, he prohibits homicide; primo prohibet homicidium; second, adultery, at you have heard . . . ‘do not commit adultery’ (Matt 5:27). secundo adulterium, ibi audistis etc. ‘Non mechaberis.’ Concerning the first he does two things: Circa primum duo facit: first, he sets down the necessity; primo ponit necessitatem; second, the fulfillment, at you have heard. secundo adimpletionem, ibi audistis. 478. Therefore he says but I say to you. Note that justice is taken in two ways: for sometimes it is a certain particular virtue, one of the four cardinal virtues, and it has a certain determinate matter, namely, commutable goods useful for life. At other times, it refers to a general virtue that is a common virtue, which the Philosopher calls legal justice, which has to do with the keeping of the law: and it is taken this way here. 478. Et dicit ergo dico autem vobis. Nota quod iustitia dupliciter sumitur: quandoque enim est quaedam particularis virtus, una de quatuor cardinalibus, et habet materiam determinatam, scilicet bona commutabilia quae veniunt in usum vitae; aliter dicitur virtus generalis quae est communis virtus, quam Philosophus vocat iustitiam legalem, quae est quantum ad impletionem legis: et ita accipitur hic. More than that of the scribes. And he says of the scribes and Pharisees, for they were superior in the justice of the law because they added on certain observances; therefore in order to indicate the excellence of the New Testament, he shows that it transcends even their justice. Therefore it is said whoever is less in the kingdom of heaven, i.e., the Church, is greater than they are. Therefore, this is the sense: unless your justice abounds, that is, unless your justice is more perfect than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter. Et plusquam Scribarum. Et dicit scribarum et Pharisaeorum, quia illi erant potiores in iustitia legis quia etiam superaddebant quasdam observantias; ut ergo designet excellentiam Novi Testamenti, ostendit quod etiam illorum iustitiam transcendit. Ideo dicitur qui minor est in regno caelorum, id est Ecclesia maior est illo. Est ergo sensus: nisi abundauerit, id est nisi perfectior sit vestra iustitia quam scribarum et Pharisaeorum, non intrabitis etc. 479. And it should be known that the state of the Gospel is a middle one between the state of the law and that of glory, and this is clear from Galatians: the Apostle compares the state of the law to a child, and the Gospel to advanced age, hence he says, when we were children (Gal 4:3), and afterwards, the law was our pedagogue (Gal 3:24), and when I was a child, I spoke as a child (1 Cor 13:11). Therefore, it is a middle state, and this is natural, for no one can arrive at the end without crossing through something else; for no one can arrive at old age unless he passes through childhood. In this way the Lord says one cannot arrive at the state of the kingdom of heaven unless he climbs through all the rest. 479. Et sciendum quod status Evangelii est medium inter statum legis et gloriae, et hoc patet quia Gal. IV, 3: Apostolus comparat puero statum legis et Evangelium perfectae aetati, unde dicit quamdiu eramus parvuli etc., et post lex pedagogus noster fuit in Christo etc., et Cor. XIII: cum essem parvulus loquebar ut parvulus etc.; ergo est medius status. Et hoc naturale est quod nullus potest pervenire ad terminum unum nisi transcendat alium: nullus enim potest pervenire ad senectutem nisi transcendat pueritiam; ita dicit Dominus non posse pervenire ad statum regni caelorum nisi transcendat etc. Likewise, a better reward is gained by greater labor: he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly (2 Cor 9:6); but in the law, temporal and earthly things are promised: If you be willing and listen to me, you will eat of the good things of the land (Isa 1:19). But here heavenly goods are promised, therefore, the justice in us must exceed, for a greater reward is expected. Item maiori labori acquiritur melior merces, Cor IX: qui parce seminat parce et metet; in lege autem promittebantur temporalia et terrena, Is. I, 19: si volueritis et audieritis, bona terrae comedetis; sed hic promittuntur caelestia: ergo iustitia debet in nos abundare quia maior expectatur merces. 480. But it is objected against the Lord’s saying unless your justice abounds, that the justice of the law consists in observing the decalogue; but anyone who fulfills the precepts of the decalogue will have eternal life: if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments (Matt 19:17). And it is solved in two or three ways. First, because observers of the decalogue could never enter except in faith and by the redemption of the blood of Christ, for if justice comes by the law, then Christ died in vain (Gal 2:21). And thus it must be said that that passage, but if you will enter into life (Matt 19:17), should be understood as assuming faith; but the scribes and Pharisees did not have faith; but Israel, by following after the law of justice, did not arrive at the law of justice. Why not? Because they sought it not by faith but of works (Rom 9:31–32). And this is a good enough solution. 480. Sed obicitur contra hoc quod Dominus dicit nisi abundaverit, quia iustitia legis consistit in impletione decalogi; sed qui adimplet praecepta decalogi habebit vitam aeternam, infra si vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata. Et solvitur dupliciter vel tripliciter. Primo quia observatores decalogi nunquam potuerunt intrare nisi in fide et per redemptionem sanguinis Christi, si enim per legem iustitia ergo Christus gratis mortuus est. Et ideo dicendum quod illud si vis ad vitam ingredi intelligendum est supposita fide; Scribae autem et Pharisei non habebant fidem, Ro. IX, 31: Israel vero sectans legem iustitiae, in legem iustitiae non pervenit. Quare? Quia non ex fide, sed quasi ex operibus etc. Et est ista satis bona solutio. Another is that of Augustine, who says that all these observances that Christ makes are each contained in the old law, for there anger is also prohibited: you shall not hate your brother (Lev 19:17). Therefore, what did the Lord add to this? It should be said that he adds something with respect to the corrupt understanding of the scribes and Pharisees, for they believed that in that precept you shall not kill, they were not forbidden from anything except out of fear of an act, the act of homicide. Hence the Lord explains this and thus he does not simply say: unless your justice is greater than the law, but greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees. Alia Augustini, qui dicit quod omnes iste impletiones quas Christus facit continentur omnes in veteri lege, quia ibi et ira prohibetur, Levi. XVIII: ne oderis fratrem tuum in corde tuo. Ergo quid Dominus superaddit? Dicendum quod addit quantum ad pravum intellectum illorum, Scribarum scilicet et Pharisaeorum, quia credebant quod in illo praecepto non occides non prohiberentur nisi ex timore actus, actus homicidii; unde Dominus hoc exposuit, et ideo non simpliciter dicit: nisi abundaverit iustitia super legem, sed plusquam scribarum et Pharisaeorum. 481. Still another solution, with Augustine: for Christ had said but he who will do and teach, (Matt 5:19), and, who will break (Matt 5:19); but Pharisees and scribes do not do and teach, as it says later: for they say, and do not (Matt 23:3). Therefore, unless your justice abounds, that is, what you say, you must also do, or you will not enter in. 481. Alia etiam solutio, cum Augustino: Christus enim dixerat qui fecerit et docuerit etc., et qui solverit etc.; Pharisaei autem et scribae non faciunt et docent, infra XXIII dicunt enim et non faciunt etc.; ergo nisi abundaverit etc., id est: quod vos dicitis et faciatis. Non intrabitis etc. But there remains another question, for the Lord said he therefore who will break . . . will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:19), and whoever does not abound will not enter; therefore, whoever breaks the law will enter. Sed remanet alia quaestio, quia Dominus dixit qui ergo solverit: minimus vocabitur in regno caelorum, et qui non abundat non intrabit; ergo qui solvit erit. Et solvit And Chrysostom resolves this by saying it is one thing to be in a kingdom and another thing to enter it: for properly speaking, those enter who have a part in the rule of the kingdom, but those are in it who dwell in it somewhere; hence, even those who are kept in prison are said to be in the kingdom. So also it is of heaven, for those who are almost condemned are in the kingdom, but they do not participate in ruling. Chrysostomus quod aliud est esse in regno et aliud intrare: illi enim propriae intrant qui in dominio regni partem habent, illi sunt qui in quibuscumque morantur; unde etiam illi qui detinentur in carcere dicuntur esse in regno; ita etiam est caelorum, quia addicti paene sunt in regno sed non participant regnum. Augustine says otherwise, that by this we can understand that the kingdom of heaven is said in two ways: one in which no one enters unless he has justice, and this is eternal life; another in which those enter who break the commandments, and this is the present Church. Augustinus aliter, et dicit quod ex hoc possumus intelligere quod dupliciter dicitur regnum caelorum: quoddam in quod non intrant non habentes iustitiam, et haec est vita aeterna; aliud in quod intrant solventes, et haec est praesens Ecclesia. 482. You have heard that it was said to those of old: ‘you shall not kill.’ Here is set forth the fulfillment of the precept. And concerning this he does three things: first he sets forth the precepts, second he fulfills them, third he warns about observing the fulfillment; the second is at but I say to you, the third at if therefore you offer. Concerning the first, he does two things: first he sets down the precepts about the prohibition of homicide, second, the penalty for homicide. 482. Audistis quia dictum est antiquis: ‘non occides.’ Hic ponitur adimpletio praecepti. Et circa hoc tria facit: primo ponit praecepta, secundo adimplet, tertio monet ad observantia impletionis; secundum ibi ego autem dico, tertium ibi si ergo offers. Circa primum duo facit: primo ponit praecepta de prohibitione homicidii, secundo poenam homicidii. Therefore he says you have heard that ‘you shall not kill’ (Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17); and he says to them of old because, according to Chrysostom, just as if a teacher says to one of his disciples: for a long time I have taught you these basics, the time has come that you learn greater things; so with the Lord, since the time is coming when you will be teachers, you need to be taught (Heb 5:12). Dicit ergo audistis istud Exo. XX, 13 et Deut. V, 17; et dicit antiquis quia, secundum Chrysostomum, sicut si magister alicui suo discipulo: diu est quod elementa docui te, tempus est quod maiora discas, ita Dominus, Hebr. V: et enim cum deberetis magistri esse propter tempus, rursum indigetis ut vos doceamini quae sint elementa exordii sermonum Dei etc. 483. And it must be noted that in this precept a threefold error was made, for certain men said that it was not permitted to kill even small animals; but this is false, for it is no sin to use the things that are subjected to the power of man, for it is the natural order that plants be for the nourishment of animals and certain animals be for the nourishment of others; and all things are for the nourishment of man: every moving thing that lives will be food for you, just as I gave you the green plants (Gen 9:3). And the Philosopher also says in the Politics that hunting is like just war. 483. Et notandum quod in isto praecepto fit triplex error, quia quidam dixerunt quod non licebat occidere etiam animalia minuta. Sed hoc falsum est quia non est peccatum uti illis quae subdita sunt hominis potestati: est enim naturalis ordo quod plantae sint in nutrimento animalium et quaedam animalia in nutrimentum aliorum; et omnia sunt hominis nutrimentum, Gen. IX, 3: quasi holera virentia tradidi vobis omnia. Et Philosophus etiam in Politicis dicit quod venatio est sicut iustum bellum. Second, there is an error of certain men who said: ‘you shall not kill’ means men; hence they call it homicide when secular judges sentence people according to the laws. Against this Augustine says that God did not remove from himself the power of killing, hence I will kill and I will make live (Deut 32:39); therefore it is permitted to those who kill by the command of God, for God is the one who does it. But every law is a command from God: by me kings reign (Prov 8:15); he does not bear the sword in vain for he is God’s minister (Rom 13:4). Therefore ‘you shall not kill’ is to be understood by proper authority. Secundum, est error quorumdam qui dixerunt: ‘non occides’, hominem scilicet; unde dicunt homicidas omnes iudices seculares qui condemnant secundum leges aliquas. Contra quod Augustinus dicit quod Deus non abstulit sibi potestatem occidendi, unde ego occidam et ego vivere faciem etc.; ergo licitum est illis quod mandato Dei occidunt, quia tunc Deus facit. Omnis autem lex mandatum Dei est, Prov. VIII, 15: per me reges regnant, Ro. XIII, 4: non enim sine causa gladium portat. Dei enim minister est. Ergo intelligendum ‘non occides’, auctoritate propria. 484. The third error is that some believed ‘you shall not kill’ someone else, but to kill oneself is permitted, for this is found in the story of Samson, and also Cato and certain virgins who threw themselves into a fire, according to Augustine. But Augustine answers that whoever kills himself, kills a man, for one cannot kill another except by God’s authority, nor oneself except by the will of God or the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and in this way he excuses Samson. 484. Tertius error est quia aliqui crediderunt ‘non occides’ alium, sed licitum est occidere se ipsum, quia invenitur hoc de Samsone, et etiam Catone et de quibusdam virginibus quae iniecerunt se in flammam, secundum quod recitat Augustinus. Sed respondit Augustinus quod qui se occidit hominem occidit, quia alium non debet occidere nisi auctoritate Dei, nec se ipsum nisi a voluntate Dei vel instinctu Spiritus Sancti, et ita excusat Sampsonem.