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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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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 (Question 104, Article 5),
when we were treating of the virtue of obedience. Therefore the vow of
obedience is not requisite for religion.
Objection 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 Mt. 19:21, "If thou wilt
be perfect, go sell all 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 obedient unto death." Therefore
seemingly obedience belongs to religious perfection.
I answer that, As stated above (Articles 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 to Objection 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 (Articles
1,3). Hence their obedience is universal.
Reply to Objection 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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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