Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that obedience does not belong to religious perfection. For those things seemingly belong to religious perfection, which are works of supererogation and are not binding upon all. But all are bound to obey their superiors, according to the saying of the Apostle (Heb. 13:17), "Obey your prelates, and be subject to them." Therefore it would seem that obedience does not belong to religious perfection.

Objection 2: Further, obedience would seem to belong properly to those who have to be guided by the sense of others, and such persons are lacking in discernment. Now the Apostle says (Heb. 5:14) that "strong meat is for the perfect, for them who by custom have their senses exercised to the discerning of good and evil." Therefore it would seem that obedience does not belong to the state of the perfect.

Objection 3: Further, if obedience were requisite for religious perfection, it would follow that it is befitting to all religious. But it is not becoming to all; since some religious lead a solitary life, and have no superior whom they obey. Again religious superiors apparently are not bound to obedience. Therefore obedience would seem not to pertain to religious perfection.

Objection 4: Further, if the vow of obedience were requisite for religion, it would follow that religious are bound to obey their superiors in all things, just as they are bound to abstain from all venery by their vow of continence. But they are not bound to obey them in all things, as stated above (Question 104, Article 5), when we were treating of the virtue of obedience. Therefore the vow of obedience is not requisite for religion.

Objection 5: Further, those services are most acceptable to God which are done freely and not of necessity, according to 2 Cor. 9:7, "Not with sadness or of necessity." Now that which is done out of obedience is done of necessity of precept. Therefore those good works are more deserving of praise which are done of one's own accord. Therefore the vow of obedience is unbecoming to religion whereby men seek to attain to that which is better.

On the contrary, Religious perfection consists chiefly in the imitation of Christ, according to Mt. 19:21, "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all thou hast, and give to the poor, and follow Me." Now in Christ obedience is commended above all according to Phil. 2:8, "He became obedient unto death." Therefore seemingly obedience belongs to religious perfection.

I answer that, As stated above (Articles 2,3) the religious state is a school and exercise for tending to perfection. Now those who are being instructed or exercised in order to attain a certain end must needs follow the direction of someone under whose control they are instructed or exercised so as to attain that end as disciples under a master. Hence religious need to be placed under the instruction and command of someone as regards things pertaining to the religious life; wherefore it is said (VII, qu. i, can. Hoc nequaquam): "The monastic life denotes subjection and discipleship." Now one man is subjected to another's command and instruction by obedience: and consequently obedience is requisite for religious perfection.

Reply to Objection 1: To obey one's superiors in matters that are essential to virtue is not a work of supererogation, but is common to all: whereas to obey in matters pertaining to the practice of perfection belongs properly to religious. This latter obedience is compared to the former as the universal to the particular. For those who live in the world, keep something for themselves, and offer something to God; and in the latter respect they are under obedience to their superiors: whereas those who live in religion give themselves wholly and their possessions to God, as stated above (Articles 1,3). Hence their obedience is universal.

Reply to Objection 2: As the Philosopher says (Ethic. ii, 1,2), by performing actions we contract certain habits, and when we have acquired the habit we are best able to perform the actions. Accordingly those who have not attained to perfection, acquire perfection by obeying, while those who have already acquired perfection are most ready to obey, not as though they need to be directed to the acquisition of perfection, but as maintaining themselves by this means in that which belongs to perfection.

Reply to Objection 3: The subjection of religious is chiefly in reference to bishops, who are compared to them as perfecters to perfected, as Dionysius states (Eccl. Hier. vi), where he also says that the "monastic order is subjected to the perfecting virtues of the bishops, and is taught by their godlike enlightenment." Hence neither hermits nor religious superiors are exempt from obedience to bishops; and if they be wholly or partly exempt from obedience to the bishop of the diocese, they are nevertheless bound to obey the Sovereign Pontiff, not only in matters affecting all in common, but also in those which pertain specially to religious discipline.

Reply to Objection 4: The vow of obedience taken by religious, extends to the disposition of a man's whole life, and in this way it has a certain universality, although it does not extend to all individual acts. For some of these do not belong to religion, through not being of those things that concern the love of God and of our neighbor, such as rubbing one's beard, lifting a stick from the ground and so forth, which do not come under a vow nor under obedience; and some are contrary to religion. Nor is there any comparison with continence whereby acts are excluded which are altogether contrary to religion.

Reply to Objection 5: The necessity of coercion makes an act involuntary and consequently deprives it of the character of praise or merit; whereas the necessity which is consequent upon obedience is a necessity not of coercion but of a free will, inasmuch as a man is willing to obey, although perhaps he would not be willing to do the thing commanded considered in itself. Wherefore since by the vow of obedience a man lays himself under the necessity of doing for God's sake certain things that are not pleasing in themselves, for this very reason that which he does is the more acceptable to God, though it be of less account, because man can give nothing greater to God, than by subjecting his will to another man's for God's sake. Hence in the Conferences of the Fathers (Coll. xviii, 7) it is stated that "the Sarabaitae are the worst class of monks, because through providing for their own needs without being subject to superiors, they are free to do as they will; and yet day and night they are more busily occupied in work than those who live in monasteries."

Articulus 5

Argumentum 1

Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod obedientia non pertineat ad perfectionem religionis. Illa enim videntur ad perfectionem religionis pertinere quae sunt supererogationis, ad quae non omnes tenentur. Sed ad obediendum praelatis suis omnes tenentur, secundum illud apostoli, Hebr. Ult., obedite praepositis vestris, et subiacete eis.

Ergo videtur quod obedientia non pertineat ad perfectionem religionis.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, obedientia proprie pertinere videtur ad eos qui debent regi sensu alieno, quod est indiscretorum.

Sed apostolus dicit, ad Heb. V, quod perfectorum est solidus cibus, qui pro consuetudine exercitatos habent sensus ad discretionem boni et mali.

Ergo videtur quod obedientia non pertineat ad statum perfectorum.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, si obedientia requireretur ad perfectionem religionis, oporteret quod omnibus religiosis conveniret. Non autem omnibus convenit, sunt enim quidam religiosi solitariam vitam agentes, qui non habent superiores, quibus obediant. Praelati etiam religionum ad obedientiam non videntur teneri. Ergo obedientia non videtur pertinere ad perfectionem religionis.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, si votum obedientiae ad religionem requireretur, consequens esset quod religiosi tenerentur praelatis suis in omnibus obedire, sicut et per votum continentiae tenentur ab omnibus venereis abstinere. Sed non tenentur obedire in omnibus, ut supra habitum est, cum de virtute obedientiae ageretur.

Ergo votum obedientiae non requiritur ad religionem.

Argumentum 5

Praeterea, illa servitia sunt deo maxime accepta quae liberaliter et non ex necessitate fiunt, secundum illud II ad Cor. IX, non ex tristitia aut ex necessitate.

Sed illa quae ex obedientia fiunt, fiunt ex necessitate praecepti.

Ergo laudabilius fiunt bona opera quae quis propria sponte facit. Votum ergo obedientiae non competit religioni, per quam homines quaerunt ad meliora promoveri.

Sed Contra

Sed contra, perfectio religionis maxime consistit in imitatione christi, secundum illud Matth. XIX, si vis perfectus esse, vade et vende omnia quae habes et da pauperibus, et veni, sequere me.

Sed in christo maxime commendatur obedientia, secundum illud Philip. II, factus est obediens usque ad mortem.

Ergo videtur quod obedientia pertineat ad perfectionem religionis.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, status religionis est quaedam disciplina vel exercitium tendendi in perfectionem. Quicumque autem instruuntur vel exercitantur ut perveniant ad aliquem finem, oportet quod directionem alicuius sequantur, secundum cuius arbitrium instruantur vel exercitentur, quasi discipuli sub magistro. Et ideo oportet quod religiosi, in his quae pertinent ad religiosam vitam, alicuius instructioni et imperio subdantur.

Unde et VII, qu. I, dicitur, monachorum vita subiectionis habet verbum et discipulatus.

Imperio autem et instructioni alterius subiicitur homo per obedientiam. Et ideo obedientia requiritur ad religionis perfectionem.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod obedire praelatis in his quae pertinent ad necessitatem virtutis, non est supererogationis, sed omnibus commune, sed obedire in his quae pertinent ad exercitium perfectionis, pertinet proprie ad religiosos.

Et comparatur ista obedientia ad aliam sicut universale ad particulare. Illi enim qui in saeculo vivunt, aliquid sibi retinent et aliquid deo largiuntur, et secundum hoc obedientiae praelatorum subduntur. Illi vero qui vivunt in religione, totaliter se et sua tribuunt deo, ut ex supra dictis patet.

Unde obedientia eorum est universalis.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod, sicut philosophus dicit, in II ethic., homines exercitantes se in operibus perveniunt ad aliquos habitus, quos cum acquisierint, eosdem actus maxime possunt operari. Sic igitur obediendo illi qui non sunt perfectionem adepti, ad perfectionem perveniunt. Illi autem qui iam sunt perfectionem adepti, maxime prompti sunt ad obediendum, non quasi indigentes dirigi ad perfectionem acquirendam; sed quasi per hoc se conservantes in eo quod ad perfectionem pertinet.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod subiectio religiosorum principaliter attenditur ad episcopos, qui comparantur ad eos sicut perfectores ad perfectos, ut patet per dionysium, VI cap. Eccles. Hier., ubi etiam dicit quod monachorum ordo pontificum consummativis virtutibus mancipatur, et divinis eorum illuminationibus edocetur.

Unde ab episcoporum obedientia nec eremitae, nec etiam praelati religionum excusantur. Et si a dioecesanis episcopis totaliter vel in parte sunt exempti, obligantur tamen ad obediendum summo pontifici, non solum in his quae sunt communia aliis, sed etiam in his quae specialiter pertinent ad disciplinam religionis.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod votum obedientiae ad religionem pertinens se extendit ad dispositionem totius humanae vitae.

Et secundum hoc, votum obedientiae habet quandam universalitatem, licet non se extendat ad omnes particulares actus; quorum quidam ad religionem non pertinent, quia non sunt de rebus pertinentibus ad dilectionem dei et proximi, sicut confricatio barbae vel levatio festucae de terra et similia, quae non cadunt sub voto vel sub obedientia; quidam vero etiam contrariantur religioni.

Nec est simile de voto continentiae, per quam excluduntur actus omnino perfectioni religionis contrarii.

Ad 5

Ad quintum dicendum quod necessitas coactionis facit involuntarium, et ideo excludit rationem laudis et meriti. Sed necessitas consequens obedientiam non est necessitas coactionis, sed liberae voluntatis, inquantum homo vult obedire, licet forte non vellet illud quod mandatur, secundum se consideratum, implere.

Et ideo, quia necessitati aliqua faciendi quae secundum se non placent, per votum obedientiae homo se subiicit propter deum; ex hoc ipso ea quae facit sunt deo magis accepta, etiam si sint minora, quia nihil maius homo potest deo dare quam quod propriam voluntatem propter ipsum alterius voluntati subiiciat.

Unde in collationibus patrum dicitur deterrimum genus monachorum esse Sarabaitas, qui, suas necessitates curantes, absoluti a seniorum iugo, habent libertatem agendi quod libitum fuerit, et tamen magis quam hi qui in coenobiis degunt, in operibus diebus ac noctibus consumuntur.