Section — Marc, Institutiones Morales
§ 1. On the Obligations of Servants
By the generic name of servants there is designated by authors a threefold genus of men, of whom some are obliged more strictly than others; and thus someone is also called master in a threefold way. a) There are slaves, who depend on the master perpetually and for all works. b) There are domestics, who freely hire their works for a time to a richer person, and are as though enrolled into the family. c) There are artisans and workers, who freely hire their works for a certain time, but are not admitted among the household.
- Principle. Servants are held to furnish reverence, obedience, and fidelity to their masters. Thus from natural right, from the natural condition of servants, and from a pact freely entered (III, 343 seqq.; H. Ap., VII, 8-11).
Reverence: for the master is the head of the family or workshop. The Apostle says (1 Tim., 6, 1): Let servants judge their masters worthy of all honor. This, proportion being had, must be applied to servants.
Obedience: for the master shines with authority, so that in those things which regard service and good morals the word of the Apostle has force: Servants, obey carnal masters with fear and trembling, ... as Christ: serving not to the eyes, ... but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul (Ephes., 6, 5, 6).
Hence they sin if they resist just and express commands of masters; if by contumacy, indocility, neglect of their offices, they provoke them to anger; likewise, if they obey in illicit things (cf. n. 521).
- Fidelity, and indeed from the contract entered according to civil laws and customs of the place, whence from strict justice: to this end they were hired and receive a stipend, that they may faithfully serve, labor strenuously, care for the master's things, steal nothing, or allow nothing to be stolen by others. Whence the Apostle: Servants ought to be subject to their masters, pleasing in all things, not contradicting, not defrauding, but showing good faith in all things (Tit., 2, 9, 10).
Therefore servants sin, more or less by reason of matter, and are held to compensation of damage: a) If they spend a notable part of the time owed to service in idleness, or divert it to their own utility or that of others. - b) If, without just cause, they depart from their masters before the agreed time.1 Concerning cessation from labor by agreement, strikes, see n. 1154, q. 1. - c) If because of culpable carelessness they bring detriment to domestic things. d) If they betray the secrets of the family. e) If they steal more delicate foods. f) If without the consent of the master, at least presumed, they bestow alms from his goods. g) According to the more common and more probable opinion, if they do not protect the master's things from the theft of outsiders.2 We say outsiders, because it is more probable that a servant is not held from justice to impede the thefts of other domestics, unless he is deputed to this, or unless it is a question of things specially committed to him. h) If, not content with the stipend legitimately agreed, under pretext of compensation, they steal something (III, 344 seq.; ed. G., I, p. 610). Cf. n. 918.
(1) Understand the assertion thus: Of themselves, although servants depart without cause, they have a right to wages according to the quantity of labor completed. Nevertheless the master can, on account of harm brought upon him, by reason of compensation, diminish this wage; indeed, harm very grave having been posited, totally suppress it. Let the servant see whether anything else remains to be recompensed by him. (2) Many judge that the obligation of servants to protect the master's things from the theft of outsiders is not from strict justice. Except if something has been specially committed to the care of this or that servant.
- Practical rules. 1. Care must be taken that servants be content with their lot. For the state of subjection helps much toward obtaining eternal salvation. - 2. Girls are to be turned away lest, on account of a greater stipend, they migrate into cities for the sake of serving; for in cities great dangers for the most part threaten them, especially where they have no one whom they can consult. - 3. It must be strictly forbidden to servants that they hire their work to masters in whose houses they would be exposed to proximate danger of sinning, or to grave harm concerning faith and morals. But if there is question of heretical masters, conditions concerning the laws of the Church to be observed must be expressly added (cf. n. 447, 450, 2). - 4. Servants must be admonished that a right is conferred on them also by law (cf. German Code, § 618, 626) to depart, if the master does not make provision for satisfying the prescriptions of religion or similar things. If they depart from a just cause, they can exact the whole stipend corresponding to the time of service exhibited, and then they are not held to supply the works from which they ceased (H. Ap., VII, 8).