Whether Obedience Belongs to Religious Perfection?
Objection 1: It would seem that obedience does not belong to
religious perfection. For those things seemingly belong to religious
perfection, which are works of supererogation and are not binding
upon all. But all are bound to obey their superiors, according to the
saying of the Apostle (Heb. 13:17), "Obey your prelates, and be
subject to them." Therefore it would seem that obedience does not
belong to religious perfection.
Obj. 2: Further, obedience would seem to belong properly to those who
have to be guided by the sense of others, and such persons are
lacking in discernment. Now the Apostle says (Heb. 5:14) that "strong
meat is for the perfect, for them who by custom have their senses
exercised to the discerning of good and evil." Therefore it would
seem that obedience does not belong to the state of the perfect.
Obj. 3: Further, if obedience were requisite for religious
perfection, it would follow that it is befitting to all religious.
But it is not becoming to all; since some religious lead a solitary
life, and have no superior whom they obey. Again religious superiors
apparently are not bound to obedience. Therefore obedience would seem
not to pertain to religious perfection.
Obj. 4: Further, if the vow of obedience were requisite for religion,
it would follow that religious are bound to obey their superiors in
all things, just as they are bound to abstain from all venery by
their vow of continence. But they are not bound to obey them in all
things, as stated above (Q. 104, A. 5), when we were treating of the
virtue of obedience. Therefore the vow of obedience is not requisite
for religion.
Obj. 5: Further, those services are most acceptable to God which are
done freely and not of necessity, according to 2 Cor. 9:7, "Not with
sadness or of necessity." Now that which is done out of obedience is
done of necessity of precept. Therefore those good works are more
deserving of praise which are done of one's own accord. Therefore the
vow of obedience is unbecoming to religion whereby men seek to attain
to that which is better.
_On the contrary,_ Religious perfection consists chiefly in the
imitation of Christ, according to Matt. 19:21, "If thou wilt be
perfect, go sell all [Vulg.: 'what'] thou hast, and give to the poor,
and follow Me." Now in Christ obedience is commended above all
according to Phil. 2:8, "He became [Vulg.: 'becoming'] obedient unto
death." Therefore seemingly obedience belongs to religious perfection.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (AA. 2, 3) the religious state is a
school and exercise for tending to perfection. Now those who are
being instructed or exercised in order to attain a certain end must
needs follow the direction of someone under whose control they are
instructed or exercised so as to attain that end as disciples under a
master. Hence religious need to be placed under the instruction and
command of someone as regards things pertaining to the religious
life; wherefore it is said (VII, qu. i, can. Hoc nequaquam): "The
monastic life denotes subjection and discipleship." Now one man is
subjected to another's command and instruction by obedience: and
consequently obedience is requisite for religious perfection.
Reply Obj. 1: To obey one's superiors in matters that are essential
to virtue is not a work of supererogation, but is common to all:
whereas to obey in matters pertaining to the practice of perfection
belongs properly to religious. This latter obedience is compared to
the former as the universal to the particular. For those who live in
the world, keep something for themselves, and offer something to God;
and in the latter respect they are under obedience to their
superiors: whereas those who live in religion give themselves wholly
and their possessions to God, as stated above (AA. 1, 3). Hence their
obedience is universal.
Reply Obj. 2: As the Philosopher says (Ethic. ii, 1, 2), by
performing actions we contract certain habits, and when we have
acquired the habit we are best able to perform the actions.
Accordingly those who have not attained to perfection, acquire
perfection by obeying, while those who have already acquired
perfection are most ready to obey, not as though they need to be
directed to the acquisition of perfection, but as maintaining
themselves by this means in that which belongs to perfection.
Reply Obj. 3: The subjection of religious is chiefly in reference to
bishops, who are compared to them as perfecters to perfected, as
Dionysius states (Eccl. Hier. vi), where he also says that the
"monastic order is subjected to the perfecting virtues of the
bishops, and is taught by their godlike enlightenment." Hence neither
hermits nor religious superiors are exempt from obedience to bishops;
and if they be wholly or partly exempt from obedience to the bishop
of the diocese, they are nevertheless bound to obey the Sovereign
Pontiff, not only in matters affecting all in common, but also in
those which pertain specially to religious discipline.
Reply Obj. 4: The vow of obedience taken by religious, extends to the
disposition of a man's whole life, and in this way it has a certain
universality, although it does not extend to all individual acts. For
some of these do not belong to religion, through not being of those
things that concern the love of God and of our neighbor, such as
rubbing one's beard, lifting a stick from the ground and so forth,
which do not come under a vow nor under obedience; and some are
contrary to religion. Nor is there any comparison with continence
whereby acts are excluded which are altogether contrary to religion.
Reply Obj. 5: The necessity of coercion makes an act involuntary and
consequently deprives it of the character of praise or merit; whereas
the necessity which is consequent upon obedience is a necessity not
of coercion but of a free will, inasmuch as a man is willing to obey,
although perhaps he would not be willing to do the thing commanded
considered in itself. Wherefore since by the vow of obedience a man
lays himself under the necessity of doing for God's sake certain
things that are not pleasing in themselves, for this very reason that
which he does is the more acceptable to God, though it be of less
account, because man can give nothing greater to God, than by
subjecting his will to another man's for God's sake. Hence in the
Conferences of the Fathers (Coll. xviii, 7) it is stated that "the
Sarabaitae are the worst class of monks, because through providing
for their own needs without being subject to superiors, they are free
to do as they will; and yet day and night they are more busily
occupied in work than those who live in monasteries."
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