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Objection 1: It seems that Christians are not bound to obey the
secular power. For a gloss on Mt. 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 Jn. 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.
Objection 2: Further, it is written (Rm. 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.
Objection 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 Pt.
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 Rm. 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 to Objection 1: As stated above (Article 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 (Rm.
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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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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