Question II: What obedience is promised in religion

NOTE from St. Bonavent. ad cap. 1. Regulae Min. and l. 2. de profectu Religiosi, cap. 39. whom all Theologians imitate with St. Thom. 2. 2. quaest. 104. art. 2. ad 1. that obedience and disobedience are twofold. One is called material, or general. The former is the execution of whatever virtue is commanded. The latter is the omission, or transgression, of any precept; nor does it induce any other sin; just as neither does the former induce another virtue. The other is called formal and special, inclining the subject to carry out the commands of superiors as they are commands, and it is a special virtue; just as the opposite disobedience is a special vice, and sin.

THEREFORE only those things that are commanded are the object of this virtue, as St. Bonaventura admonishes lib. 2. Profec. cap. 41. and lib. 2. Pharetrae, cap. 43. and the holy Fathers, D. Thom. quaest. 186. art. 9. and quaest. 104. art. 2. Valentia d. 7. quaest. 8. puncto 1. Azor. tom. 1. lib. 12. cap. 13. quaestio 1. Less. de inst. lib. 2. cap. 46. d. 4. Sanchez tom. 2. lib. 6. cap. 1.

St. Bonavent. also INFERS, prima pars, Centil. sect. 18. et opusc. Declaratio term. Theol. that formal disobedience is to be unwilling to obey the command, as it is a command, and that contempt consists in this: So also D. Thom. loc. cit. ad 1.

I ASSERT that under the vow of obedience issued by Religious only the commands of superiors are included. So D. Bonavent. lib. 2. de profec. Relig. cap. 41. D. Thom. quaest. 186. art. 9. whom the rest follow.

It is PROVED by the holy Doctors, because by this vow we subject ourselves to the Prelate to the end of Religious governance: Therefore only that which, at the Prelate's bidding, is put forth to this end, is the object of religious obedience. So Less. lib. 2. cap. 46. d. 4. num. 23. Valent. quaest. 3. puncto 1. and Bass. V. Obed. 2.

AMONG Prelates the supreme is the Roman Pontiff, the Father of the Religious, whom we are bound to obey, especially we Friars Minor, because St. Francis cap. 1. Regulae professes this.

Yet we are NOT bound to obey from the formal motive, because it is commanded; for it is an act of virtue even from the motive of Religion; nor can the Prelate command this internal act. So Sylv. p. 2. quaestio 100. art. 9. Vasquez ibi, num. 5. Lessius cited d. 6. num. 42. Sanch. lib. 1. mor. cap. 13.

They enumerate certain CONDITIONS, that Obedience may be pleasing to God. The first is that it be prompt, as St. Bernardus says lib. de praec. etc.

SECOND, that it be done without complaint, as St. Bernardus says, ubi supra.

THIRD, that it be Cheerful, from the same St. Bernard ad Fratres de monte Dei, as at Tambur. tom. 2. d. 21. quaest. 4. Bass. num. 7.

FOURTH, that it persevere, from St. Benard. ad milites templi, cap. 13. see others touched on above.

These St. Bonavent. rehearses in octo collationib. coll. 3. saying, that the obedience of Religious may be acceptable to God, it ought to be prompt without delay, devoted without disdain, voluntary without contradiction, simple without discussion, persevering without cessation, ordered without deviation of end, joyous without disturbance, strenuous without pusillanimity, and universal without exception. See the holy Doctor loc. cit. and 1. part. speculi disciplinae ad novitios, cap. 4. and 1. part. de Instit. novit. cap. 2. where he dissects the anatomy of obedience item by item, and in Regula novitiorum, cap. 13. where he elegantly weaves the praises and merit of obedience; and de profectu Religiosi cap. 39. et seq. where he distinguishes all obediences and climbs the degrees of true obedience, In Bibliis pauperum, where he heaps up examples of obedience from scripture; and in Pharetra, lib. 1. cap. 43. where he describes it from the Fathers. And in Diaeta salutis, tit. 3. c. 2. where thou shalt peruse splendid things, especially the encomia, and those that animate to obedience. and in formula aurea, cap. 1. where the degrees of obedience: And part. 3. stimuli divini amoris, cap. 11. where wondrous things. And serm. 3. Dom. inf. oct. Epiph. and serm. 3. Epiph. where the conditions of obedience; and ad cap. 4. Eccles. I do not translate these, that you may not each run to the Fountain.