Question III: Whether unbelievers can be compelled to hear the faith

We now speak of Infidels who are without, not baptized.

The Saintly Doctor proves this power admirably, first on 14. Lucae, where the King commands: Go out into the highways and hedges: and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. There those ministers are the preachers, who are commanded by Christ to seek the gentiles outside the city, in the highways and hedges, according to the exposition of St. Gregory in the Gloss. in cap. 14. Lucae, et homil. 36. in Evang.; but by the ways, however, of the city they seek the Jews, who were known to keep the law under urban conversation. And He commands them to compel these by terrors of eternal punishments, not by the torments of war, as the Saintly Doctor notes, but by most efficacious reasons, as St. Thomas also notes, quaest. 22. de ver. art. 9. et alii.

The Saintly Doctor shows the same at the end of Lucae, on those words of Christ: Sic oportebat Christum pati, et resurgere a mortuis: et praedicari in nomine eius poenitentiam, et remissionem peccatorum in omnes gentes — Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead: and that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all nations. And He shows this right from Genesis 22: Benedicentur in semine tuo omnes gentes — In thy seed shall all nations be blessed. Genesis 49: Ipse erit expectatio gentium — He shall be the expectation of nations. Psalm 2: Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes — Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations. Ego autem sum Rex ab eo constitutus, praedicans praeceptum eius — But I am a king set up by him, preaching his command. Isaiah 49: Dedi te in lucem gentium — I have given thee for a light of the nations.

The Saintly Doctor confirms this, in 3. dist. 14. dub. 4., on that word of Matthew at the end: Data est mihi omnis potestas in caelo, et in terra. Euntes ergo docete omnes gentes — All power is given to me in heaven and on earth. Going therefore, teach all nations. Having premised this, he shows it from this place in 4. dist. 3. p. 2. quaest. 1. ad quintum.

And the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 5: Posuit in nobis verbum reconciliationis: Pro Christo ergo legatione fungimur — He hath placed in us the word of reconciliation: for Christ therefore we are ambassadors.

Since, therefore, with his divine power He has sent preachers as Legates to announce the Gospel, they have the right of coercing those who would wish to hinder this preaching; for such power belongs to a King for coercing those who would wish to hinder his own Legates, as is clear ex l. 2. ff. de his, quibus mandata est iurisdictio, C. Praeterea de officio delegati. Thus the Doctors commonly hold, as in Tanner 2. 2. disp. 1. quaest. 9. dub. 1. num. 10. et sequent.

There are, however, several questions about these.

The first is: To whom belongs the authority of sending preachers to the Infidels.

The Saintly Doctor answers, in opusculo. Quare fratres minores praedicent, that it belongs to the Pope and to the other Pastors, from Lucae 10. Hence Innocent, on that word of Rom. 10, Quomodo praedicabunt, nisi mittantur — How shall they preach unless they be sent, cited in cap. cum ex iniuncto de haereticis, says that no one ought to usurp the office of preaching for himself indiscriminately. This the Saintly Doctor proves from those words of Christ: Rogate ergo dominum messis, ut mittat operarios in messem suam — Pray therefore the lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest. Matthew 9.

But it belongs to Princes to defend the Missionaries, not directly by reason of their own jurisdiction, but as they are ministers of the Pontiff. Thus Alexander VI divided the Provinces of the Indies between the Kings of Castile and Portugal, so that they might defend the preachers and those sent into them.

That they may be accompanied by armed armies, so that they may go in safety, is taught by Maior 2. dist. 44. quaest. 2. et newly by Joannes Solorzano in Diana, 6. p. tract. 4. resol. 15.

The opposite, however, is held by Lugo disp. 19. sect. 2. §. 1., together with Suarez disp. 18. de fide.; Hurtado disp. 75.; Castro Palao Tom. 1. tract. 4. disp. 2. p. 5.

They prove it from that Matth. 10., where Christ sends the Apostles: Sicut agnos inter Lupos, sine baculo, etc. — As sheep among wolves, without staff, etc. But now our question is: Whether, if the preaching of the Gospel is offered peacefully and the Infidels refuse to hear it, they can be compelled by force of arms to hear it.

The first opinion is the affirmative one of Maior loc. cit.

The second is negative. So Valencia quaest. 10. p. 6. et, as Salmeron indicates, T. 12. tract. 38.; Coninck disp. 18. dub. 14. num. 24.; Cajetan, Bannes, Aragon 2. 2. quaest. 10. art. 8. et others commonly, as in Tanner disp. 1. quaest. 9. dub. 1. It seems also to be St. Bonaventure's, ad 9. Lucae, on those words: Nescitis cuius spiritus estis — You know not of what spirit you are.

The third, middle opinion asserts that unbaptized infidels are subjects of Christian Princes only. So Suarez disp. 18. sect. 2.; Hurtado disp. 75. sect. 3., who prove it from the Bull of Gregory XIII, compelling the Jews to hear our faith every week, only from a sermon. The same holds Scotus, 4. dist. 4. quaest. ult.; Castro lib. 2. de haeret. punit. cap. 14.

I assert this opinion with St. Bonaventure. It is proved from him. For Christ rebuked the disciples wishing to punish the Samaritans who refused to receive Christ, Lucae 9; and they are rebuked because it did not belong to the Apostles to coerce with punishments, since it had been said to them: Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos — As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. He Himself, when sent, was to announce to the gentle, anointed with the unction of love, as is said Isaie 61. et .42.: Dedi spiritum meum super eum: Calamum quassatum non conteret, et linum fumigans non extinguet — I have given my spirit upon him: the bruised reed he shall not break, and the smoking flax he shall not extinguish. Hence He answered the disciples there: Nescitis cuius spiritus estis. Filius hominis non venit animas perdere, sed salvare — You know not of what spirit you are. The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save. For this advent was not of justice, but of mercy, Ioan. 3: Non misit Deus Filium suum, ut iudicet mundum, sed ut salvetur mundus per ipsum — God sent not his Son to judge the world, but that the world be saved by him; whence from this He took the name JESU, Matth. 1., not Alexander's, not Caesar's. And therefore whoever has the Spirit of God ought not to seek vengeance, but to show patience, as Ambrose says in the Gloss there: Perfecta virtus non habet studium ultionis. Nec ulla est iracundia charitatis, sed plenitudo — Perfect virtue has no zeal for revenge. Nor is there any anger in charity, but fullness. Therefore it is said, Rom. 12. Non vosmetipsos defendentes charissimi, etc. — Not defending yourselves, most beloved, etc. These things, St. Bonaventure, locis citatis.

From which I see that he inclines to the opinions denying that any coercion whatsoever can be inflicted upon Infidels.

Nor does the power of preaching given by Christ entail the power of compelling to the sermon; otherwise a Preacher sent by a Bishop could compel hearers to the sermon.

The common opinion, therefore, is that outside infidels cannot be compelled to hear the faith; for no power for this given by Christ is found, as Lugo notes, loco citato, num. 65.