Whether Christians Are Bound to Obey the Secular Powers?
Objection 1: It seems that Christians are not bound to obey the
secular power. For a gloss on Matt. 17:25, "Then the children are
free," says: "If in every kingdom the children of the king who holds
sway over that kingdom are free, then the children of that King,
under Whose sway are all kingdoms, should be free in every kingdom."
Now Christians, by their faith in Christ, are made children of God,
according to John 1:12: "He gave them power to be made the sons of
God, to them that believe in His name." Therefore they are not bound
to obey the secular power.
Obj. 2: Further, it is written (Rom. 7:4): "You . . . are become dead
to the law by the body of Christ," and the law mentioned here is the
divine law of the Old Testament. Now human law whereby men are
subject to the secular power is of less account than the divine law
of the Old Testament. Much more, therefore, since they have become
members of Christ's body, are men freed from the law of subjection,
whereby they were under the power of secular princes.
Obj. 3: Further, men are not bound to obey robbers, who oppress them
with violence. Now, Augustine says (De Civ. Dei iv): "Without
justice, what else is a kingdom but a huge robbery?" Since therefore
the authority of secular princes is frequently exercised with
injustice, or owes its origin to some unjust usurpation, it seems
that Christians ought not to obey secular princes.
_On the contrary,_ It is written (Titus 3:1): "Admonish them to be
subject to princes and powers," and (1 Pet. 2:13, 14): "Be ye subject
. . . to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be to the
king as excelling, or to governors as sent by him."
_I answer that,_ Faith in Christ is the origin and cause of justice,
according to Rom. 3:22, "The justice of God by faith of Jesus
Christ:" wherefore faith in Christ does not void the order of
justice, but strengthens it. Now the order of justice requires that
subjects obey their superiors, else the stability of human affairs
would cease. Hence faith in Christ does not excuse the faithful from
the obligation of obeying secular princes.
Reply Obj. 1: As stated above (A. 5), subjection whereby one man is
bound to another regards the body; not the soul, which retains its
liberty. Now, in this state of life we are freed by the grace of
Christ from defects of the soul, but not from defects of the body, as
the Apostle declares by saying of himself (Rom. 7:23) that in his
mind he served the law of God, but in his flesh the law of sin.
Wherefore those that are made children of God by grace are free from
the spiritual bondage of sin, but not from the bodily bondage,
whereby they are held bound to earthly masters, as a gloss observes
on 1 Tim. 6:1, "Whosoever are servants under the yoke," etc.
Reply Obj. 2: The Old Law was a figure of the New Testament, and
therefore it had to cease on the advent of truth. And the comparison
with human law does not stand because thereby one man is subject to
another. Yet man is bound by divine law to obey his fellow-man.
Reply Obj. 3: Man is bound to obey secular princes in so far as this
is required by order of justice. Wherefore if the prince's authority
is not just but usurped, or if he commands what is unjust, his
subjects are not bound to obey him, except perhaps accidentally, in
order to avoid scandal or danger.
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