Whether the First Precept of the Decalogue Is Fittingly Expressed?
Objection 1: It seems that the first precept of the decalogue is
unfittingly expressed. For man is more bound to God than to his
father in the flesh, according to Heb. 12:9, "How much more shall we
[Vulg.: 'shall we not much more'] obey the Father of spirits and
live?" Now the precept of piety, whereby man honors his father, is
expressed affirmatively in these words: "Honor thy father and thy
mother." Much more, therefore, should the first precept of religion,
whereby all honor God, be expressed affirmatively, especially as
affirmation is naturally prior to negation.
Obj. 2: Further, the first precept of the decalogue pertains to
religion, as stated above (A. 1). Now religion, since it is one
virtue, has one act. Yet in the first precept three acts are
forbidden: since we read first: "Thou shalt not have strange gods
before Me"; secondly, "Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven
thing"; and thirdly, "Thou shalt not adore them nor serve them."
Therefore the first precept is unfittingly expressed.
Obj. 3: Further, Augustine says (De decem chord. ix) that "the first
precept forbids the sin of superstition." But there are many wicked
superstitions besides idolatry, as stated above (Q. 92, A. 2).
Therefore it was insufficient to forbid idolatry alone.
_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of Scripture.
_I answer that,_ It pertains to law to make men good, wherefore it
behooved the precepts of the Law to be set in order according to the
order of generation, the order, to wit, of man's becoming good. Now
two things must be observed in the order of generation. The first is
that the first part is the first thing to be established; thus in the
generation of an animal the first thing to be formed is the heart,
and in building a home the first thing to be set up is the
foundation: and in the goodness of the soul the first part is
goodness of the will, the result of which is that a man makes good
use of every other goodness. Now the goodness of the will depends on
its object, which is its end. Wherefore since man was to be directed
to virtue by means of the Law, the first thing necessary was, as it
were, to lay the foundation of religion, whereby man is duly directed
to God, Who is the last end of man's will.
The second thing to be observed in the order of generation is that in
the first place contraries and obstacles have to be removed. Thus the
farmer first purifies the soil, and afterwards sows his seed,
according to Jer. 4:3, "Break up anew your fallow ground, and sow not
upon thorns." Hence it behooved man, first of all to be instructed in
religion, so as to remove the obstacles to true religion. Now the
chief obstacle to religion is for man to adhere to a false god,
according to Matt. 6:24, "You cannot serve God and mammon." Therefore
in the first precept of the Law the worship of false gods is excluded.
Reply Obj. 1: In point of fact there is one affirmative precept about
religion, namely: "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath Day."
Still the negative precepts had to be given first, so that by their
means the obstacles to religion might be removed. For though
affirmation naturally precedes negation, yet in the process of
generation, negation, whereby obstacles are removed, comes first, as
stated in the Article. Especially is this true in matters concerning
God, where negation is preferable to affirmation, on account of our
insufficiency, as Dionysius observes (Coel. Hier. ii).
Reply Obj. 2: People worshiped strange gods in two ways. For some
served certain creatures as gods without having recourse to images.
Hence Varro says that for a long time the ancient Romans worshiped
gods without using images: and this worship is first forbidden by the
words, "Thou shalt not have strange gods." Among others the worship
of false gods was observed by using certain images: and so the very
making of images was fittingly forbidden by the words, "Thou shalt
not make to thyself any graven thing," as also the worship of those
same images, by the words, "Thou shalt not adore them," etc.
Reply Obj. 3: All other kinds of superstition proceed from some
compact, tacit or explicit, with the demons; hence all are understood
to be forbidden by the words, "Thou shalt not have strange gods."
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