§ II. On the Obligations of Servants

383. • Servants are bound to furnish to masters:

1. Reverence; for thus the Apostle, 1 Tim. 6. 1: Let servants reckon their masters worthy of all honor. From this they can sin even gravely who deride their masters, scorn them, or manifest their hidden defects.

2. Service and obedience in all those things to which they have bound themselves by force of the contract, and in those things which look to good morals; thus Ephes. 6. 5: Servants, obey carnal masters with fear and trembling in the simplicity of your heart, as Christ. - And 1 Pet. 2. 18: Servants, be subject in all fear to masters, not only to the good and modest, but also to the froward.

Hence by reason of the matter they sin more or less who, when something is commanded to them, murmur, answer insolently, waste time uselessly, neglect to perform the prescribed labor, or work for themselves with damage to the master; and in one word, all those who do not furnish such service as ordinarily is accustomed to be demanded and furnished by such persons.

3. Fidelity; according to the words of Paul to Titus 2. 9: That servants be subject to their masters..., not defrauding, but showing good faith in all things. Hence they sin, and often gravely, against justice who do not have care of things entrusted to them, who through their own fault allow them to become worse, who steal costly victuals, or those not accustomed to be given to them, whether for eating or for giving or selling to outsiders.