Articulus 5 Article 5 Utrum subditi teneantur suis superioribus in omnibus obedire Whether subjects are bound to obey their superiors in all things? Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod subditi teneantur suis superioribus in omnibus obedire. Dicit enim apostolus, ad Coloss. III, filii, obedite parentibus per omnia. Et postea subdit, servi, obedite per omnia dominis carnalibus. Ergo, eadem ratione, alii subditi debent suis praelatis in omnibus obedire. Objection 1: It seems that subjects are bound to obey their superiors in all things. For the Apostle says (Col 3:20): Children, obey your parents in all things, and farther on (Col 3:22): Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh. Therefore in like manner other subjects are bound to obey their superiors in all things. Praeterea, praelati sunt medii inter Deum et subditos, secundum illud Deut. V, ego sequester et medius fui inter Deum et vos in tempore illo, ut annuntiarem vobis verba eius. Sed ab extremo in extremum non pervenitur nisi per medium. Ergo praecepta praelati sunt reputanda tanquam praecepta Dei. Unde et apostolus dicit, Gal. IV, sicut Angelum Dei accepistis me, sicut Christum Iesum; et I ad Thess. II, cum accepissetis a nobis verbum auditus Dei, accepistis illud non ut verbum hominum, sed, sicut vere est, verbum Dei. Ergo sicut Deo debet homo in omnibus obedire, ita etiam et praelatis. Obj. 2: Further, superiors stand between God and their subjects, according to Deut. 5:5, I was the mediator and stood between the Lord and you at that time, to show you His words. Now there is no going from extreme to extreme, except through that which stands between. Therefore the commands of a superior must be esteemed the commands of God, wherefore the Apostle says (Gal 4:14): You . . . received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus and (1 Thess 2:13): When you had received of us the word of the hearing of God, you received it, not as the word of men, but, as it is indeed, the word of God. Therefore as man is bound to obey God in all things, so is he bound to obey his superiors. Praeterea, sicut religiosi profitendo vovent castitatem et paupertatem, ita et obedientiam. Sed religiosus tenetur quantum ad omnia servare castitatem et paupertatem. Ergo similiter quantum ad omnia tenetur obedire. Obj. 3: Further, just as religious in making their profession take vows of chastity and poverty, so do they also vow obedience. Now a religious is bound to observe chastity and poverty in all things. Therefore he is also bound to obey in all things. Sed contra est quod dicitur Act. V, obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus. Sed quandoque praecepta praelatorum sunt contra Deum. Ergo non in omnibus praelatis est obediendum. On the contrary, It is written (Acts 5:29): We ought to obey God rather than men. Now sometimes the things commanded by a superior are against God. Therefore superiors are not to be obeyed in all things. Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, obediens movetur ad imperium praecipientis quadam necessitate iustitiae, sicut res naturalis movetur ex virtute sui motoris necessitate naturae. Quod autem aliqua res naturalis non moveatur a suo motore, potest contingere dupliciter. Uno modo, propter impedimentum quod provenit ex fortiori virtute alterius moventis, sicut lignum non comburitur ab igne si fortior vis aquae impediat. Alio modo, ex defectu ordinis mobilis ad motorem, quia etsi subiiciatur eius actioni quantum ad aliquid, non tamen quantum ad omnia, sicut humor quandoque subiicitur actioni caloris quantum ad calefieri, non autem quantum ad exsiccari sive consumi. Et similiter ex duobus potest contingere quod subditus suo superiori non teneatur in omnibus obedire. Uno modo, propter praeceptum maioris potestatis. Ut enim dicitur Rom. XIII, super illud, qui resistunt, ipsi sibi damnationem acquirunt, dicit Glossa, si quid iusserit curator, numquid tibi faciendum est si contra proconsulem iubeat? Rursum, si quid ipse proconsul iubeat, et aliud imperator, numquid dubitatur, illo contempto, illi esse serviendum? Ergo, si aliud imperator, aliud Deus iubeat, contempto illo, obtemperandum est Deo. Alio modo, non tenetur inferior suo superiori obedire, si ei aliquid praecipiat in quo ei non subdatur. Dicit enim Seneca, in III de Benefic., errat si quis existimat servitutem in totum hominem descendere. Pars eius melior excepta est. Corpora obnoxia sunt et adscripta dominis, mens quidem est sui iuris. Et ideo in his quae pertinent ad interiorem motum voluntatis, homo non tenetur homini obedire, sed solum Deo. I answer that, As stated above (AA. 1, 4), he who obeys is moved at the bidding of the person who commands him, by a certain necessity of justice, even as a natural thing is moved through the power of its mover by a natural necessity. That a natural thing be not moved by its mover, may happen in two ways. First, on account of a hindrance arising from the stronger power of some other mover; thus wood is not burnt by fire if a stronger force of water intervene. Second, through lack of order in the movable with regard to its mover, since, though it is subject to the latter’s action in one respect, yet it is not subject thereto in every respect. Thus, a humor is sometimes subject to the action of heat, as regards being heated, but not as regards being dried up or consumed. In like manner there are two reasons, for which a subject may not be bound to obey his superior in all things. First on account of the command of a higher power. For as a gloss says on Rom. 13:2, They that resist the power, resist the ordinance of God (cf. St. Augustine, De Verb. Dom. viii). If a commissioner issue an order, are you to comply, if it is contrary to the bidding of the proconsul? Again if the proconsul command one thing, and the emperor another, will you hesitate to disregard the former and serve the latter? Therefore if the emperor commands one thing and God another, you must disregard the former and obey God. Second, a subject is not bound to obey his superior if the latter command him to do something wherein he is not subject to him. For Seneca says (De Beneficiis iii): It is wrong to suppose that slavery falls upon the whole man: for the better part of him is excepted. His body is subjected and assigned to his master but his soul is his own. Consequently in matters touching the internal movement of the will man is not bound to obey his fellow-man, but God alone. Tenetur autem homo homini obedire in his quae exterius per corpus sunt agenda. In quibus tamen etiam, secundum ea quae ad naturam corporis pertinent, homo homini obedire non tenetur, sed solum Deo, quia omnes homines natura sunt pares, puta in his quae pertinent ad corporis sustentationem et prolis generationem. Unde non tenentur nec servi dominis, nec filii parentibus obedire de matrimonio contrahendo vel virginitate servanda, aut aliquo alio huiusmodi. Sed in his quae pertinent ad dispositionem actuum et rerum humanarum, tenetur subditus suo superiori obedire secundum rationem superioritatis, sicut miles duci exercitus in his quae pertinent ad bellum; servus domino in his quae pertinent ad servilia opera exequenda; filius patri in his quae pertinent ad disciplinam vitae et curam domesticam; et sic de aliis. Nevertheless man is bound to obey his fellow-man in things that have to be done externally by means of the body: and yet, since by nature all men are equal, he is not bound to obey another man in matters touching the nature of the body, for instance in those relating to the support of his body or the begetting of his children. Wherefore servants are not bound to obey their masters, nor children their parents, in the question of contracting marriage or of remaining in the state of virginity or the like. But in matters concerning the disposal of actions and human affairs, a subject is bound to obey his superior within the sphere of his authority; for instance a soldier must obey his general in matters relating to war, a servant his master in matters touching the execution of the duties of his service, a son his father in matters relating to the conduct of his life and the care of the household; and so forth. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod hoc quod apostolus dixit, per omnia, intelligendum est quantum ad illa quae pertinent ad ius patriae vel dominativae potestatis. Reply Obj. 1: When the Apostle says in all things, he refers to matters within the sphere of a father’s or master’s authority. Ad secundum dicendum quod Deo subiicitur homo simpliciter quantum ad omnia, et interiora et exteriora, et ideo in omnibus ei obedire tenetur. Subditi autem non subiiciuntur suis superioribus quantum ad omnia, sed quantum ad aliqua determinate. Et quantum ad illa, medii sunt inter Deum et subditos. Quantum ad alia vero, immediate subduntur Deo, a quo instruuntur per legem naturalem vel scriptam. Reply Obj. 2: Man is subject to God simply as regards all things, both internal and external, wherefore he is bound to obey Him in all things. On the other hand, inferiors are not subject to their superiors in all things, but only in certain things and in a particular way, in respect of which the superior stands between God and his subjects, whereas in respect of other matters the subject is immediately under God, by Whom he is taught either by the natural or by the written law. Ad tertium dicendum quod religiosi obedientiam profitentur quantum ad regularem conversationem, secundum quam suis praelatis subduntur. Et ideo quantum ad illa sola obedire tenentur quae possunt ad regularem conversationem pertinere. Et haec est obedientia sufficiens ad salutem. Si autem etiam in aliis obedire voluerint, hoc pertinebit ad cumulum perfectionis, dum tamen illa non sint contra Deum, aut contra professionem regulae; quia talis obedientia esset illicita. Reply Obj. 3: Religious profess obedience as to the regular mode of life, in respect of which they are subject to their superiors: wherefore they are bound to obey in those matters only which may belong to the regular mode of life, and this obedience suffices for salvation. If they be willing to obey even in other matters, this will belong to the superabundance of perfection; provided, however, such things be not contrary to God or to the rule they profess, for obedience in this case would be unlawful. Sic ergo potest triplex obedientia distingui, una sufficiens ad salutem, quae scilicet obedit in his ad quae obligatur; alia perfecta, quae obedit in omnibus licitis; alia indiscreta, quae etiam in illicitis obedit. Accordingly we may distinguish a threefold obedience; one, sufficient for salvation, and consisting in obeying when one is bound to obey: second, perfect obedience, which obeys in all things lawful: third, indiscreet obedience, which obeys even in matters unlawful. Articulus 6 Article 6 Utrum Christiani teneantur saecularibus potestatibus obedire Whether Christians are bound to obey the secular powers? Ad sextum sic proceditur. Videtur quod Christiani non teneantur saecularibus potestatibus obedire. Quia super illud Matth. XVII, ergo liberi sunt filii, dicit Glossa, si in quolibet regno filii illius regis qui regno illi praefertur sunt liberi, tunc filii regis cui omnia regna subduntur, in quolibet regno liberi esse debent. Sed Christiani per fidem Christi facti sunt filii Dei, secundum illud Ioan. I, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri, his qui credunt in nomine eius. Ergo non tenentur potestatibus saecularibus obedire. Objection 1: It seems that Christians are not bound to obey the secular power. For a gloss on Matt. 17:25, Then the children are free, says: If in every kingdom the children of the king who holds sway over that kingdom are free, then the children of that King, under Whose sway are all kingdoms, should be free in every kingdom. Now Christians, by their faith in Christ, are made children of God, according to John 1:12: He gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in His name. Therefore they are not bound to obey the secular power. Praeterea, Rom. VII dicitur, mortificati estis legi per corpus Christi, et loquitur de lege divina veteris testamenti. Sed minor est lex humana, per quam homines potestatibus saecularibus subduntur, quam lex divina veteris testamenti. Ergo multo magis homines, per hoc quod sunt facti membra corporis Christi, liberantur a lege subiectionis qua saecularibus principibus adstringebantur. Obj. 2: Further, it is written (Rom 7:4): You . . . are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, and the law mentioned here is the divine law of the Old Testament. Now human law whereby men are subject to the secular power is of less account than the divine law of the Old Testament. Much more, therefore, since they have become members of Christ’s body, are men freed from the law of subjection, whereby they were under the power of secular princes. Praeterea, latronibus, qui per violentiam opprimunt, homines obedire non tenentur. Sed Augustinus dicit, IV de Civ. Dei, remota iustitia, quid sunt regna nisi magna latrocinia? Cum igitur dominia saecularia principum plerumque cum iniustitia exerceantur, vel ab aliqua iniusta usurpatione principium sumpserint, videtur quod non sit principibus saecularibus obediendum a Christianis. Obj. 3: Further, men are not bound to obey robbers, who oppress them with violence. Now, Augustine says (De Civ. Dei iv): Without justice, what else is a kingdom but a huge robbery? Since therefore the authority of secular princes is frequently exercised with injustice, or owes its origin to some unjust usurpation, it seems that Christians ought not to obey secular princes. Sed contra est quod dicitur Tit. III, admone illos principibus et potestatibus subditos esse; et I Pet. II, subiecti estote omni humanae creaturae propter Deum, sive regi, quasi praecellenti; sive ducibus, tanquam ab eo Missis. On the contrary, It is written (Titus 3:1): Admonish them to be subject to princes and powers, and (1 Pet 2:13, 14): Be ye subject . . . to every human creature for God’s sake: whether it be to the king as excelling, or to governors as sent by him. Respondeo dicendum quod fides Christi est iustitiae principium et causa, secundum illud Rom. III, iustitia Dei per fidem Iesu Christi. Et ideo per fidem Christi non tollitur ordo iustitiae, sed magis firmatur. Ordo autem iustitiae requirit ut inferiores suis superioribus obediant, aliter enim non posset humanarum rerum status conservari. Et ideo per fidem Christi non excusantur fideles quin principibus saecularibus obedire teneantur. I answer that, Faith in Christ is the origin and cause of justice, according to Rom. 3:22, The justice of God by faith of Jesus Christ: wherefore faith in Christ does not void the order of justice, but strengthens it. Now the order of justice requires that subjects obey their superiors, else the stability of human affairs would cease. Hence faith in Christ does not excuse the faithful from the obligation of obeying secular princes. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, servitus qua homo homini subiicitur ad corpus pertinet, non ad animam, quae libera manet. Nunc autem, in statu huius vitae, per gratiam Christi liberamur a defectibus animae, non autem a defectibus corporis, ut patet per apostolum, Rom. VII, qui dicit de seipso quod mente servit legi Dei, carne autem legi peccati. Et ideo illi qui fiunt filii Dei per gratiam, liberi sunt a spirituali servitute peccati, non autem a servitute corporali, qua temporalibus dominis tenentur adstricti, ut dicit Glossa, super illud I ad Tim. VI, quicumque sunt sub iugo servi, et cetera. Reply Obj. 1: As stated above (A. 5), subjection whereby one man is bound to another regards the body; not the soul, which retains its liberty. Now, in this state of life we are freed by the grace of Christ from defects of the soul, but not from defects of the body, as the Apostle declares by saying of himself (Rom 7:23) that in his mind he served the law of God, but in his flesh the law of sin. Wherefore those that are made children of God by grace are free from the spiritual bondage of sin, but not from the bodily bondage, whereby they are held bound to earthly masters, as a gloss observes on 1 Tim. 6:1, Whosoever are servants under the yoke, etc. Ad secundum dicendum quod lex vetus fuit figura novi testamenti, et ideo debuit cessare, veritate veniente. Non autem est simile de lege humana, per quam homo subiicitur homini. Et tamen etiam ex lege divina homo tenetur homini obedire. Reply Obj. 2: The Old Law was a figure of the New Testament, and therefore it had to cease on the advent of truth. And the comparison with human law does not stand because thereby one man is subject to another. Yet man is bound by divine law to obey his fellow-man. Ad tertium dicendum quod principibus saecularibus intantum homo obedire tenetur, inquantum ordo iustitiae requirit. Et ideo si non habeant iustum principatum sed usurpatum, vel si iniusta praecipiant, non tenentur eis subditi obedire, nisi forte per accidens, propter vitandum scandalum vel periculum. Reply Obj. 3: Man is bound to obey secular princes insofar as this is required by order of justice. Wherefore if the prince’s authority is not just but usurped, or if he commands what is unjust, his subjects are not bound to obey him, except perhaps accidentally, in order to avoid scandal or danger. Quaestio 105 Question 105 De inobedientia Disobedience Deinde considerandum est de inobedientia. Et circa hoc quaeruntur duo. We must now consider disobedience, under which head there are two points of inquiry: Primo, utrum sit peccatum mortale. (1) Whether it is a mortal sin? Secundo, utrum sit gravissimum peccatorum. (2) Whether it is the most grievous of sins? Articulus 1 Article 1 Utrum inobedientia sit peccatum mortale Whether disobedience is a mortal sin? Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod inobedientia non sit peccatum mortale. Omne enim peccatum est inobedientia, ut patet per definitionem Ambrosii superius positam. Si ergo inobedientia esset peccatum mortale, omne peccatum esset mortale. Objection 1: It seems that disobedience is not a mortal sin. For every sin is a disobedience, as appears from Ambrose’s definition given above (Q. 104, A. 2, Obj. 1). Therefore if disobedience were a mortal sin, every sin would be mortal. Praeterea, Gregorius dicit, XXXI Moral., quod inobedientia oritur ex inani gloria. Sed inanis gloria non est peccatum mortale. Ergo nec inobedientia. Obj. 2: Further, Gregory says (Moral. xxxi) that disobedience is born of vainglory. But vainglory is not a mortal sin. Neither therefore is disobedience. Praeterea, tunc dicitur aliquis esse inobediens quando superioris praeceptum non implet. Sed superiores multoties praecepta multiplicant, quae vix aut nunquam omnia possunt observari. Si ergo inobedientia esset peccatum mortale, sequeretur quod homo non posset vitare mortale peccatum, quod est inconveniens. Non ergo inobedientia est peccatum mortale. Obj. 3: Further, a person is said to be disobedient when he does not fulfill a superior’s command. But superiors often issue so many commands that it is seldom, if ever, possible to fulfill them. Therefore if disobedience were a mortal sin, it would follow that man cannot avoid mortal sin, which is absurd. Wherefore disobedience is not a mortal sin. Sed contra est quod Rom. I, et II ad Tim. III, inter alia peccata mortalia computatur, parentibus non obedientes. On the contrary, The sin of disobedience to parents is reckoned (Rom 1:30; 2 Tim. 3:2) among other mortal sins. Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, peccatum mortale est quod contrariatur caritati, per quam est spiritualis vita. Caritate autem diligitur Deus et proximus. Exigit autem caritas Dei ut eius mandatis obediatur, sicut supra dictum est. Et ideo inobedientem esse divinis praeceptis peccatum mortale est, quasi divinae dilectioni contrarium. I answer that, As stated above (Q. 24, A. 12; I-II, Q. 72, A. 5; I-II, Q. 88, A. 1), a mortal sin is one that is contrary to charity which is the cause of spiritual life. Now by charity we love God and our neighbor. The charity of God requires that we obey His commandments, as stated above (Q. 24, A. 12). Therefore to be disobedient to the commandments of God is a mortal sin, because it is contrary to the love of God. In praeceptis autem divinis continetur quod etiam superioribus obediatur. Et ideo etiam inobedientia qua quis inobediens est praeceptis superiorum, est peccatum mortale, quasi divinae dilectioni contrarium, secundum illud Rom. XIII, qui potestati resistit, Dei ordinationi resistit. Contrariatur insuper dilectioni proximi, inquantum superiori proximo subtrahit obedientiam quam ei debet. Again, the commandments of God contain the precept of obedience to superiors. Wherefore also disobedience to the commands of a superior is a mortal sin, as being contrary to the love of God, according to Rom. 13:2, He that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. It is also contrary to the love of our neighbor, as it withdraws from the superior who is our neighbor the obedience that is his due. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod illa definitio Ambrosii datur de peccato mortali, quod habet perfectam peccati rationem. Peccatum enim veniale non est inobedientia, quia non est contra praeceptum, sed praeter praeceptum. Nec etiam omne peccatum mortale est inobedientia, proprie et per se loquendo, sed solum sicut quando aliquis praeceptum contemnit. Quia ex fine morales actus speciem habent. Cum autem facit aliquid contra praeceptum non propter praecepti contemptum, sed propter aliquid aliud, est inobedientia materialiter tantum, sed pertinet formaliter ad aliam speciem peccati. Reply Obj. 1: The definition given by Ambrose refers to mortal sin, which has the character of perfect sin. Venial sin is not disobedience, because it is not contrary to a precept, but beside it. Nor again is every mortal sin disobedience, properly and essentially, but only when one contemns a precept, since moral acts take their species from the end. And when a thing is done contrary to a precept, not in contempt of the precept, but with some other purpose, it is not a sin of disobedience except materially, and belongs formally to another species of sin.