Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that before the public denunciation witnesses ought not to be brought forward. For secret sins ought not to be made known to others, because by so doing "a man would betray his brother's sins instead of correcting them," as Augustine says (De Verb. Dom. xvi, 7). Now by bringing forward witnesses one makes known a brother's sin to others. Therefore in the case of secret sins one ought not to bring witnesses forward before the public denunciation.

Objection 2: Further, man should love his neighbor as himself. Now no man brings in witnesses to prove his own secret sin. Neither therefore ought one to bring forward witnesses to prove the secret sin of our brother.

Objection 3: Further, witnesses are brought forward to prove something. But witnesses afford no proof in secret matters. Therefore it is useless to bring witnesses forward in such cases.

Objection 4: Further, Augustine says in his Rule that "before bringing it to the notice of witnesses . . . it should be put before the superior." Now to bring a matter before a superior or a prelate is to tell the Church. Therefore witnesses should not be brought forward before the public denunciation.

On the contrary, Our Lord said (Mt. 18:16): "Take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two," etc.

I answer that, The right way to go from one extreme to another is to pass through the middle space. Now Our Lord wished the beginning of fraternal correction to be hidden, when one brother corrects another between this one and himself alone, while He wished the end to be public, when such a one would be denounced to the Church. Consequently it is befitting that a citation of witnesses should be placed between the two extremes, so that at first the brother's sin be indicated to a few, who will be of use without being a hindrance, and thus his sin be amended without dishonoring him before the public.

Reply to Objection 1: Some have understood the order of fraternal correction to demand that we should first of all rebuke our brother secretly, and that if he listens, it is well; but if he listen not, and his sin be altogether hidden, they say that we should go no further in the matter, whereas if it has already begun to reach the ears of several by various signs, we ought to prosecute the matter, according to Our Lord's command. But this is contrary to what Augustine says in his Rule that "we are bound to reveal" a brother's sin, if it "will cause a worse corruption in the heart." Wherefore we must say otherwise that when the secret admonition has been given once or several times, as long as there is probable hope of his amendment, we must continue to admonish him in private, but as soon as we are able to judge with any probability that the secret admonition is of no avail, we must take further steps, however secret the sin may be, and call witnesses, unless perhaps it were thought probable that this would not conduce to our brother's amendment, and that he would become worse: because on that account one ought to abstain altogether from correcting him, as stated above (Article 6).

Reply to Objection 2: A man needs no witnesses that he may amend his own sin: yet they may be necessary that we may amend a brother's sin. Hence the comparison fails.

Reply to Objection 3: There may be three reasons for citing witnesses. First, to show that the deed in question is a sin, as Jerome says: secondly, to prove that the deed was done, if repeated, as Augustine says (in his Rule): thirdly, "to prove that the man who rebuked his brother, has done what he could," as Chrysostom says (Hom. in Matth. lx).

Reply to Objection 4: Augustine means that the matter ought to be made known to the prelate before it is stated to the witnesses, in so far as the prelate is a private individual who is able to be of more use than others, but not that it is to be told him as to the Church, i.e. as holding the position of judge.

Articulus 8

Argumentum 1

Ad octavum sic proceditur. Videtur quod testium inductio non debeat praecedere publicam denuntiationem. Peccata enim occulta non sunt aliis manifestanda, quia sic homo magis esset proditor criminis quam corrector fratris, ut Augustinus dicit.

Sed ille qui inducit testes peccatum fratris alteri manifestat.

Ergo in peccatis occultis non debet testium inductio praecedere publicam denuntiationem.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, homo debet diligere proximum sicut seipsum.

Sed nullus ad suum peccatum occultum inducit testes.

Ergo neque ad peccatum occultum fratris debet inducere.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, testes inducuntur ad aliquid probandum.

Sed in occultis non potest fieri probatio per testes.

Ergo frustra huiusmodi testes inducuntur.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, Augustinus dicit, in regula, quod prius praeposito debet ostendi quam testibus.

Sed ostendere praeposito sive praelato est dicere ecclesiae. Non ergo testium inductio debet praecedere publicam denuntiationem.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dominus dicit, Matth. XVIII.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod de uno extremo ad aliud extremum convenienter transitur per medium. In correctione autem fraterna dominus voluit quod principium esset occultum, dum frater corriperet fratrem inter se et ipsum solum; finem autem voluit esse publicum, ut scilicet ecclesiae denuntiaretur. Et ideo convenienter in medio ponitur testium inductio, ut primo paucis indicetur peccatum fratris, qui possint prodesse et non obesse, ut saltem sic sine multitudinis infamia emendetur.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod quidam sic intellexerunt ordinem fraternae correctionis esse servandum ut primo frater sit in secreto corripiendus, et si audierit, bene quidem. Si autem non audierit, si peccatum sit omnino occultum, dicebant non esse ulterius procedendum. Si autem incipit iam ad plurium notitiam devenire aliquibus indiciis, debet ulterius procedi, secundum quod dominus mandat.

Sed hoc est contra id quod Augustinus dicit, in regula, quod peccatum fratris non debet occultari, ne putrescat in corde.

Et ideo aliter dicendum est quod post admonitionem secretam semel vel pluries factam, quandiu spes probabiliter habetur de correctione, per secretam admonitionem procedendum est.

Ex quo autem iam probabiliter cognoscere possumus quod secreta admonitio non valet, procedendum est ulterius, quantumcumque sit peccatum occultum, ad testium inductionem. Nisi forte probabiliter aestimaretur quod hoc ad emendationem fratris non proficeret, sed exinde deterior redderetur, quia propter hoc est totaliter a correctione cessandum, ut supra dictum est.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod homo non indiget testibus ad emendationem sui peccati, quod tamen potest esse necessarium ad emendationem peccati fratris. Unde non est similis ratio.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod testes possunt induci propter tria.

Uno modo, ad ostendendum quod hoc sit peccatum de quo aliquis arguitur; ut Hieronymus dicit.

Secundo, ad convincendum de actu, si actus iteretur; ut Augustinus dicit, in regula. Tertio, ad testificandum quod frater admonens fecit quod in se fuit; ut chrysostomus dicit.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod Augustinus intelligit quod prius dicatur praelato quam testibus secundum quod praelatus est quaedam singularis persona quae magis potest prodesse quam alii, non autem quod dicatur ei tanquam ecclesiae, idest sicut in loco iudicis residenti.