Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

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.

Objection 2: Further, superiors stand between God and their subjects, according to Dt. 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.

Objection 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.

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.

I answer that, As stated above (Articles 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. Secondly, 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 Rm. 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." Secondly, 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.

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.

Reply to Objection 1: When the Apostle says "in all things," he refers to matters within the sphere of a father's or master's authority.

Reply to Objection 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.

Reply to Objection 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.

Accordingly we may distinguish a threefold obedience; one, sufficient for salvation, and consisting in obeying when one is bound to obey: secondly, perfect obedience, which obeys in all things lawful: thirdly, indiscreet obedience, which obeys even in matters unlawful.

Articulus 5

Argumentum 1

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.

Argumentum 2

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.

Argumentum 3

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.

Sed Contra

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.

Corpus

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.

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.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod hoc quod apostolus dixit, per omnia, intelligendum est quantum ad illa quae pertinent ad ius patriae vel dominativae potestatis.

Ad 2

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.

Ad 3

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. 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.