Question III: Whether religious are bound to obey prelates in all things

NOTE from St. Bonav. in corp. that the Religious by the vow of obedience adds to himself a new obligation of obeying the Prelates, who for this have a coercive right over those things that we have promised, as Vasq. says prim. 2. disp. 154. cap. 4. Indeed religious are bound in those things which are according to the rule, whether directly, or indirectly, as the holy Doctor says ad cap. 1. Reg. Now the question is: whether they are bound also in the rest.

The FIRST opinion is that they are bound to obey also in those things which are outside, and above, the rule: So Archidiac. cap. Qui iustus, 11. quaest. 3. Abb. cap. super eo de Regular. Praep. c. ad nostram, num. 9. de appell. To this Sanchez lib. 6. cap. 1. num. 14. draws the doctrine of the Seraphic Doctor ad cap. 1. Reg. But the holy Doctor speaks of us not by reason of the vow, but of a precept added of obeying in all things that are not sins.

The SECOND opinion denies that the subject, by reason of the vow, is bound in those things which are outside, or above, the rule. So D. Thom. 2. 2. quaest. 104. art. 5. ad 3. et quodlib. 10. art. 10. and thirty-five other Doctors, to whom Sanch. lib. 6. cap. 2. subscribes, adducing St. Bonav. here as confessing that he is not well alleged for the former opinion. I add Balthasum V. Obedientia, num. 1.

I ASSERT that the vow of Obedience is restricted within the Rule.

It is PROVED from the holy Doctor first from St. Bernard. de praecepto, cap. 8. where he says: He who makes profession indeed pledges obedience, yet not unlimited obedience, but determined, according to the Rule; nor any other than that of St. Benedict, so that he who presides must know that he may not loosen the reins of his own will over his subjects, but has a measure fixed for him out of the Rule; and thus at last moderate his commands around that only which is established to be right, nor any right thing whatever, but that only which the aforesaid Father instituted, or certainly what is according as he instituted.

HENCE St. Bonavent. elicits the reason in corpore. The Prelate has jurisdiction over the subject, commensurate in correlation with the pledge given in profession: But the subject did not promise every good, nor every Rule, but this Rule or that, and accordingly the good that is in it; otherwise he could be compelled by the Superior to keep all other rules stricter and higher, as St. Bernard argues. Sanchez uses this reasoning with Valentia quaest. 4. puncto 5. Therefore St. Bernardus says: Let not the Prelate command me what I did not promise.

You will OBJECT first from Matth. 24. Jesus says: All things whatsoever they shall say to you, do and observe. Nor does he understand this only of Divine precepts, for in Lucae 9. he says: He that heareth you, heareth me.

The holy Doctor answers that these things are understood of those that pertain to the Chair, and of precepts. In the latter he speaks of those things which the Apostles command by Christ's mandate, or themselves impose for necessary instruction: In the rest, he says, their sayings are not to be despised.

You will OBJECT secondly from Coloss. 3. Sons, obey your parents in all things.

The holy Doctor answers that obedience is owed by precept in those things which are according to the precepts of God and the Church, which the son is gravely bound to carry out; by a new command of the father, especially what pertains to the fourth precept, they are bound to these out of piety. In the rest, however, it is an admonition.

You will OBJECT thirdly, from St. Benedicto in Regula. If the Prelate commands the impossible, it must be attempted. Likewise from St. Hieron. ad Rust. Fear the Prepositus of the Monastery as the Lord; love him as a father; believe whatever he shall say to be wholesome; and judge not the sentence of one greater, whose office it is to obey, and to fulfill commands, Moses saying: Hear, O Israel, and be silent, Numer. 6. And from Hug. in sent. de Obed. Obedience is a virtue which embraces all things enjoined, to be necessarily fulfilled, unless the authority of the Commander stand in the way.

It is answered that they speak of the perfection, not of the necessity, of obedience. So also D. Ignatius in Constitut. Soc. part. 3. cap. 1. §. 23. and part. 6. cap. 1. says, Obedience is to be given in all things, where no manifest sin is seen.

You will OBJECT fourthly. Vows are of equal right: But poverty forbids all ownership of external things. Chastity all delight of the flesh: Ergo Obedience also all proper willing.

The holy Doctor answers that it is not a par; for the object of the will is exceedingly ample, which expands to the transcendent good; therefore it must be restricted to the institute which I take up.

HENCE thou hast that the objects of Obedience vary according to the variety of the Institutes. Thus the order of Minors has joined to the vow cap. 10. Regulae the precept of obeying in all things which are not against God, the soul, or the rule, as the Expositors commonly note, and this from other externals, Lessius lib. 2. de iust. cap. 41. d. 9. num. 77. who says the same of the Rule of the Society as related. Although Sanchez resists num. 16. saying such an institute, so expounded, to be impossible. Wherefore also Corduba, cap. 10. quaest. 2. Sanchez lib. 6. cap. 2. num. 16. Layman. lib. 4. cap. 9. endeavor to reduce both to the common precept.

Yet they are DECEIVED; for in the Rule of the Minors there is an express precept, as the Pontiffs declare, and Sanctes, Politius, Corilianus, and the rest. Indeed the precepts ought to be laid down with discretion in order to the Evangelical perfection, which we have vowed in the Rule. Therefore the precepts must be consonant to natural, divine, and human law, and discreetly coercive, that they may be valid according to the mind of the holy Founder.

Hence the Prelate, and the General, cannot make laws commanding the actions of life; for they must be received by each one to whom they pertain, according to the reg. Quod omnes, de reg. iuris in 6. Nor indeed have the subjects transferred their will to the Prelate, as St. Bonavent. notes in corp. and ad ultimum, for indiscretion is against the soul, and against the rule, which does not intend to burden above one's strength, as St. Bonavent. admonishes the Provincials at the end.

Many indeed say the Pontiff can do this from cap. unic. in principio, de regular. in 6. where Boniface VIII. imposed enclosure on all Nuns.

Others however deny it, because the precept of obeying the Pope arises from profession, which binds this most exalted religion. So Sanchez lib. 6. cap. 12. numero 22. with Oldrado consil. 96. Sylvester V. Religio, quaestio 6. Corduba in Regular. cap. 15. quaest. 2. Lessius lib. 2. de Iustitia, cap. 41. dub. 9. Yet such a decree would bind those who afterward made profession.

If the Rule in the essentials of the vows is not kept, they are bound to return to observance; for without the vows it cannot stand, as Sanchez notes numero 26.

As to the other commanded observances, Sanchez says they are prescribed by custom. He alleges St. Thomas 4. dist. 38. q. 1. art. 4. quaestiunc. 1. ad 5. Carthus. quaest. 2. Azor tract. 1. cap. 11. quaestio 15. Manuelem 2. tract. cap. 95. and others.

The truer opinion however denies that these non-observances can be introduced from any prescription. So Maior dist. 38. quaest. 10. Cordub. in reg. cap. 10. quaest. 15. Anton. cap. Cum causam de elect. numero 14. It is the view of St. Bonavent. in epist. ad Provinciales, where, having gravely set forth the relaxations in buildings, familiarities, costly expenses, wanderings, the idle life of some, and the imprudent dispensing of offices, he subjoins: Although indeed very many are found who are not culpable in any of the aforesaid, yet this malediction involves all, unless by those who do not do these things resistance is offered to those who do them; since clearer than light all the things said above tend to the maximum detriment of our order, and in no way to be dissembled, although to the tepid, and undevout, and those wise according to the flesh, considering the custom, and alleging the multitude, as it were easy and excusable, they may even seem irremediable: Thus the holy General; where he does not say that excuse is gathered from custom, as he says habit, but from prescribed custom, as the learned, and those wise according to the flesh, assert.

The reason of St. Bonavent. is, because the precepts bind from profession, or promise made to God, which, since it binds by divine law, does not admit prescription.

Sanchez answers numero 26. that these precepts are reduced to the vows, as laws annexed. Wherefore they bind only as long as they have the force of law; and this force they lose by prescriptive custom.

But he begs the principle; for since I showed that it pertains to divine law, it is already established that it is not prescribed.

It is confirmed, for the Religions have need of their precepts and observances for the end, and without them they are a scandal, and a mockery.

He presses: dispensations are made.

I say they are not general, and that they are made only for grave causes impending on the end of the Religions at the time.

He presses: these men promised to keep the rule in such a state.

Contrariwise, for if knowingly these things are precepts, if deceitfully he does not promise, while he vows to keep the rule, he promises these also. But if he is ignorant, he is bound to know; and knowing afterward, he ought to betake himself to another rule, where these are kept in this way with impunity, as Angel. says V. relig. n. 32. Corduba in Regul. cap. 2. quaest. 16.

There arises indeed the doubt, whether the General with the Chapter can reform a lapsed rule, and whether the subjects are bound to assent.

Having set aside the various opinions at Sanchez from num 31. the truer is the opinion asserting they can, and it is that of St. Bonavent. epist. ad ministros, et Custodes, in which he orders the reformation of the order, protesting that he will not assent with those resisting. Twenty Doctors follow him with Sanchez numero 35. The reason of the holy Doctor, which the others use, is the one he brings at the end of the letter. For those who have vowed religion assuredly promised the means to the perfection of its institute: But these are the precepts.

Nevertheless the subject would be excused, if he were so infirm that he could not sustain such rigor.

Hence rightly Boniface VIII. cap. unic. in princip. de statu regul. imposed perpetual enclosure on Nuns, even if many had not professed it. The Council of Trent innovates this decree sess. 25. cap. 5. because it imposes no new austerity, but the means to keeping the former one safe and intact. Thus twenty-three Doctors teach ad cap. cit. And it is de fide that this can be done by the Pope.