Whether Religion Directs Man to God Alone?
Objection 1: It would seem that religion does not direct man to God
alone. It is written (James 1:27): "Religion clean and undefiled
before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows
in their tribulation, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world."
Now "to visit the fatherless and widows" indicates an order between
oneself and one's neighbor, and "to keep oneself unspotted from this
world" belongs to the order of a man within himself. Therefore
religion does not imply order to God alone.
Obj. 2: Further, Augustine says (De Civ. Dei x, 1) that "since in
speaking Latin not only unlettered but even most cultured persons ere
wont to speak of religion as being exhibited, to our human kindred
and relations as also to those who are linked with us by any kind of
tie, that term does not escape ambiguity when it is a question of
Divine worship, so that we be able to say without hesitation that
religion is nothing else but the worship of God." Therefore religion
signifies a relation not only to God but also to our kindred.
Obj. 3: Further, seemingly _latria_ pertains to religion. Now
"_latria_ signifies servitude," as Augustine states (De Civ. Dei x,
1). And we are bound to serve not only God, but also our neighbor,
according to Gal. 5:13, "By charity of the spirit serve one another."
Therefore religion includes a relation to one's neighbor also.
Obj. 4: Further, worship belongs to religion. Now man is said to
worship not only God, but also his neighbor, according to the saying
of Cato [*Dionysius Cato, Breves Sententiae], "Worship thy parents."
Therefore religion directs us also to our neighbor, and not only to
God.
Obj. 5: Further, all those who are in the state of grace are subject
to God. Yet not all who are in a state of grace are called religious,
but only those who bind themselves by certain vows and observances,
and to obedience to certain men. Therefore religion seemingly does
not denote a relation of subjection of man to God.
_On the contrary,_ Tully says (Rhet. ii, 53) that "religion consists
in offering service and ceremonial rites to a superior nature that
men call divine."
_I answer that,_ as Isidore says (Etym. x), "according to Cicero, a
man is said to be religious from _religio,_ because he often ponders
over, and, as it were, reads again (_relegit_), the things which
pertain to the worship of God," so that religion would seem to take
its name from reading over those things which belong to Divine
worship because we ought frequently to ponder over such things in our
hearts, according to Prov. 3:6, "In all thy ways think on Him."
According to Augustine (De Civ. Dei x, 3) it may also take its name
from the fact that "we ought to seek God again, whom we had lost by
our neglect" [*St. Augustine plays on the words _reeligere,_ i.e. to
choose over again, and _negligere,_ to neglect or despise.]. Or
again, religion may be derived from _religare_ (to bind together),
wherefore Augustine says (De Vera Relig. 55): "May religion bind us
to the one Almighty God." However, whether religion take its name
from frequent reading, or from a repeated choice of what has been
lost through negligence, or from being a bond, it denotes properly a
relation to God. For it is He to Whom we ought to be bound as to our
unfailing principle; to Whom also our choice should be resolutely
directed as to our last end; and Whom we lose when we neglect Him by
sin, and should recover by believing in Him and confessing our faith.
Reply Obj. 1: Religion has two kinds of acts. Some are its proper and
immediate acts, which it elicits, and by which man is directed to God
alone, for instance, sacrifice, adoration and the like. But it has
other acts, which it produces through the medium of the virtues which
it commands, directing them to the honor of God, because the virtue
which is concerned with the end, commands the virtues which are
concerned with the means. Accordingly "to visit the fatherless and
widows in their tribulation" is an act of religion as commanding, and
an act of mercy as eliciting; and "to keep oneself unspotted from
this world" is an act of religion as commanding, but of temperance or
of some similar virtue as eliciting.
Reply Obj. 2: Religion is referred to those things one exhibits to
one's human kindred, if we take the term religion in a broad sense,
but not if we take it in its proper sense. Hence, shortly before the
passage quoted, Augustine says: "In a stricter sense religion seems
to denote, not any kind of worship, but the worship of God."
Reply Obj. 3: Since servant implies relation to a lord, wherever
there is a special kind of lordship there must needs be a special
kind of service. Now it is evident that lordship belongs to God in a
special and singular way, because He made all things, and has supreme
dominion over all. Consequently a special kind of service is due to
Him, which is known as _latria_ in Greek; and therefore it belongs to
religion.
Reply Obj. 4: We are said to worship those whom we honor, and to
cultivate [*In the Latin the same word _colere_ stands for "worship"
and "cultivate"] a man's memory or presence: we even speak of
cultivating things that are beneath us, thus a farmer (_agricola_) is
one who cultivates the land, and an inhabitant (_incola_) is one who
cultivates the place where he dwells. Since, however, special honor
is due to God as the first principle of all things, to Him also is
due a special kind of worship, which in Greek is _Eusebeia_ or
_Theosebeia_, as Augustine states (De Civ. Dei x, 1).
Reply Obj. 5: Although the name "religious" may be given to all in
general who worship God, yet in a special way religious are those who
consecrate their whole life to the Divine worship, by withdrawing
from human affairs. Thus also the term "contemplative" is applied,
not to those who contemplate, but to those who give up their whole
lives to contemplation. Such men subject themselves to man, not for
man's sake but for God's sake, according to the word of the Apostle
(Gal. 4:14), "You . . . received me as an angel of God, even as
Christ Jesus."
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