Whether the Precepts of the Decalogue Are Suitably Distinguished from
One Another?
Objection 1: It would seem that the precepts of the decalogue are
unsuitably distinguished from one another. For worship is a virtue
distinct from faith. Now the precepts are about acts of virtue. But
that which is said at the beginning of the decalogue, "Thou shalt not
have strange gods before Me," belongs to faith: and that which is
added, "Thou shalt not make . . . any graven thing," etc. belongs to
worship. Therefore these are not one precept, as Augustine asserts
(Qq. in Exod. qu. lxxi), but two.
Obj. 2: Further, the affirmative precepts in the Law are distinct
from the negative precepts; e.g. "Honor thy father and thy mother,"
and, "Thou shalt not kill." But this, "I am the Lord thy God," is
affirmative: and that which follows, "Thou shalt not have strange
gods before Me," is negative. Therefore these are two precepts, and
do not, as Augustine says (Qq. in Exod. qu. lxxi), make one.
Obj. 3: Further, the Apostle says (Rom. 7:7): "I had not known
concupiscence, if the Law did not say: 'Thou shalt not covet.'" Hence
it seems that this precept, "Thou shalt not covet," is one precept;
and, therefore, should not be divided into two.
_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of Augustine who, in
commenting on Exodus (Qq. in Exod. qu. lxxi) distinguishes three
precepts as referring to God, and seven as referring to our neighbor.
_I answer that,_ The precepts of the decalogue are differently
divided by different authorities. For Hesychius commenting on Lev.
26:26, "Ten women shall bake your bread in one oven," says that the
precept of the Sabbath-day observance is not one of the ten precepts,
because its observance, in the letter, is not binding for all time.
But he distinguishes four precepts pertaining to God, the first
being, "I am the Lord thy God"; the second, "Thou shalt not have
strange gods before Me," (thus also Jerome distinguishes these two
precepts, in his commentary on Osee 10:10, "On thy" [Vulg.: "their"]
"two iniquities"); the third precept according to him is, "Thou shalt
not make to thyself any graven thing"; and the fourth, "Thou shalt
not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." He states that there
are six precepts pertaining to our neighbor; the first, "Honor thy
father and thy mother"; the second, "Thou shalt not kill"; the third,
"Thou shalt not commit adultery"; the fourth, "Thou shalt not steal";
the fifth, "Thou shalt not bear false witness"; the sixth, "Thou
shalt not covet."
But, in the first place, it seems unbecoming for the precept of the
Sabbath-day observance to be put among the precepts of the decalogue,
if it nowise belonged to the decalogue. Secondly, because, since it
is written (Matt. 6:24), "No man can serve two masters," the two
statements, "I am the Lord thy God," and, "Thou shalt not have
strange gods before Me" seem to be of the same nature and to form one
precept. Hence Origen (Hom. viii in Exod.) who also distinguishes
four precepts as referring to God, unites these two under one
precept; and reckons in the second place, "Thou shalt not make . . .
any graven thing"; as third, "Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain"; and as fourth, "Remember that thou keep holy
the Sabbath-day." The other six he reckons in the same way as
Hesychius.
Since, however, the making of graven things or the likeness of
anything is not forbidden except as to the point of their being
worshipped as gods--for God commanded an image of the Seraphim
[Vulg.: Cherubim] to be made and placed in the tabernacle, as related
in Ex. 25:18--Augustine more fittingly unites these two, "Thou shalt
not have strange gods before Me," and, "Thou shalt not make . . . any
graven thing," into one precept. Likewise to covet another's wife,
for the purpose of carnal knowledge, belongs to the concupiscence of
the flesh; whereas, to covet other things, which are desired for the
purpose of possession, belongs to the concupiscence of the eyes;
wherefore Augustine reckons as distinct precepts, that which forbids
the coveting of another's goods, and that which prohibits the
coveting of another's wife. Thus he distinguishes three precepts as
referring to God, and seven as referring to our neighbor. And this is
better.
Reply Obj. 1: Worship is merely a declaration of faith: wherefore the
precepts about worship should not be reckoned as distinct from those
about faith. Nevertheless precepts should be given about worship
rather than about faith, because the precept about faith is
presupposed to the precepts of the decalogue, as is also the precept
of charity. For just as the first general principles of the natural
law are self-evident to a subject having natural reason, and need no
promulgation; so also to believe in God is a first and self-evident
principle to a subject possessed of faith: "for he that cometh to
God, must believe that He is" (Heb. 11:6). Hence it needs no other
promulgation that the infusion of faith.
Reply Obj. 2: The affirmative precepts are distinct from the
negative, when one is not comprised in the other: thus that man
should honor his parents does not include that he should not kill
another man; nor does the latter include the former. But when an
affirmative precept is included in a negative, or vice versa, we do
not find that two distinct precepts are given: thus there is not one
precept saying that "Thou shalt not steal," and another binding one
to keep another's property intact, or to give it back to its owner.
In the same way there are not different precepts about believing in
God, and about not believing in strange gods.
Reply Obj. 3: All covetousness has one common ratio: and therefore
the Apostle speaks of the commandment about covetousness as though it
were one. But because there are various special kinds of
covetousness, therefore Augustine distinguishes different
prohibitions against coveting: for covetousness differs specifically
in respect of the diversity of actions or things coveted, as the
Philosopher says (Ethic. x, 5).
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