Whether Subjects Are Bound to Obey Their Superiors in All Things?
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.
Obj. 2: Further, superiors stand between God and their subjects,
according to Deut. 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.
Obj. 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 (AA. 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 Rom. 13:2, "They that resist [Vulg.: 'He that
resisteth'] 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 Obj. 1: When the Apostle says "in all things," he refers to
matters within the sphere of a father's or master's authority.
Reply Obj. 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 Obj. 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.
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