Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that religion has not an external act. It is written (Jn. 4:24): "God is a spirit, and they that adore Him, must adore Him in spirit and in truth." Now external acts pertain, not to the spirit but to the body. Therefore religion, to which adoration belongs, has acts that are not external but internal.

Objection 2: Further, the end of religion is to pay God reverence and honor. Now it would savor of irreverence towards a superior, if one were to offer him that which properly belongs to his inferior. Since then whatever man offers by bodily actions, seems to be directed properly to the relief of human needs, or to the reverence of inferior creatures, it would seem unbecoming to employ them in showing reverence to God.

Objection 3: Further, Augustine (De Civ. Dei vi, 10) commends Seneca for finding fault with those who offered to idols those things that are wont to be offered to men, because, to wit, that which befits mortals is unbecoming to immortals. But such things are much less becoming to the true God, Who is "exalted above all gods" . Therefore it would seem wrong to worship God with bodily actions. Therefore religion has no bodily actions.

On the contrary, It is written (Ps. 83:3): "My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God." Now just as internal actions belong to the heart, so do external actions belong to the members of the flesh. Therefore it seems that God ought to be worshiped not only by internal but also by external actions.

I answer that, We pay God honor and reverence, not for His sake (because He is of Himself full of glory to which no creature can add anything), but for our own sake, because by the very fact that we revere and honor God, our mind is subjected to Him; wherein its perfection consists, since a thing is perfected by being subjected to its superior, for instance the body is perfected by being quickened by the soul, and the air by being enlightened by the sun. Now the human mind, in order to be united to God, needs to be guided by the sensible world, since "invisible things . . . are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made," as the Apostle says (Rm. 1:20). Wherefore in the Divine worship it is necessary to make use of corporeal things, that man's mind may be aroused thereby, as by signs, to the spiritual acts by means of which he is united to God. Therefore the internal acts of religion take precedence of the others and belong to religion essentially, while its external acts are secondary, and subordinate to the internal acts.

Reply to Objection 1: Our Lord is speaking of that which is most important and directly intended in the worship of God.

Reply to Objection 2: These external things are offered to God, not as though He stood in need of them, according to Ps. 49:13, "Shall I eat the flesh of bullocks? or shall I drink the blood of goats?" but as signs of the internal and spiritual works, which are of themselves acceptable to God. Hence Augustine says (De Civ. Dei x, 5): "The visible sacrifice is the sacrament or sacred sign of the invisible sacrifice."

Reply to Objection 3: Idolaters are ridiculed for offering to idols things pertaining to men, not as signs arousing them to certain spiritual things, but as though they were of themselves acceptable to the idols; and still more because they were foolish and wicked.

Articulus 7

Argumentum 1

Ad septimum sic proceditur. Videtur quod latria non habeat aliquem exteriorem actum.

Dicitur enim Ioan. IV, deus spiritus est, et eos qui adorant eum, in spiritu et veritate adorare oportet.

Sed exteriores actus non pertinent ad spiritum, sed magis ad corpus. Ergo religio, ad quam pertinet adoratio, non habet exteriores actus, sed interiores.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, religionis finis est deo reverentiam et honorem exhibere. Sed videtur ad irreverentiam alicuius excellentis pertinere si ea sibi exhibeantur quae proprie ad inferiores pertinent. Cum igitur ea quae exhibet homo corporalibus actibus proprie videantur ad indigentias hominum ordinari, vel ad reverentiam inferiorum creaturarum; non videtur quod congrue possunt assumi in divinam reverentiam.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, Augustinus, in VI de CIV. Dei, commendat Senecam de hoc quod vituperat quosdam qui idolis ea exhibebant quae solent hominibus exhiberi, quia scilicet immortalibus non conveniunt ea quae sunt mortalium.

Sed haec multo minus conveniunt deo vero, qui est excelsus super omnes deos. Ergo videtur reprehensibile esse quod aliquis corporalibus actibus deum colat.

Non ergo habet religio corporales actus.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod in psalm. Dicitur, cor meum et caro mea exultaverunt in deum vivum.

Sed sicut interiores actus pertinent ad cor, ita exteriores actus pertinent ad membra carnis. Ergo videtur quod deus sit colendus non solum interioribus actibus, sed etiam exterioribus.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod deo reverentiam et honorem exhibemus non propter ipsum, qui in seipso est gloria plenus, cui nihil a creatura adiici potest, sed propter nos, quia videlicet per hoc quod deum reveremur et honoramus, mens nostra ei subiicitur, et in hoc eius perfectio consistit; quaelibet enim res perficitur per hoc quod subditur suo superiori, sicut corpus per hoc quod vivificatur ab anima, et aer per hoc quod illuminatur a sole. Mens autem humana indiget ad hoc quod coniungatur deo, sensibilium manuductione, quia invisibilia per ea quae facta sunt, intellecta, conspiciuntur, ut apostolus dicit, ad Rom..

Et ideo in divino cultu necesse est aliquibus corporalibus uti, ut eis, quasi signis quibusdam, mens hominis excitetur ad spirituales actus, quibus deo coniungitur. Et ideo religio habet quidem interiores actus quasi principales et per se ad religionem pertinentes, exteriores vero actus quasi secundarios, et ad interiores actus ordinatos.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod dominus loquitur quantum ad id quod est principale et per se intentum in cultu divino.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod huiusmodi exteriora non exhibentur deo quasi his indigeat, secundum illud psalm., numquid manducabo carnes taurorum, aut sanguinem hircorum potabo? sed exhibentur deo tanquam signa quaedam interiorum et spiritualium operum, quae per se deus acceptat.

Unde Augustinus dicit, in X de CIV. Dei, sacrificium visibile invisibilis sacrificii sacramentum, idest sacrum signum, Est.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod idololatrae deridentur ex hoc quod ea quae ad homines pertinent idolis exhibebant non tanquam signa excitantia eos ad aliqua spiritualia, sed tanquam per se eis accepta. Et praecipue quia erant vana et turpia.