Volume III, Treatise V, Chapter V

Of the Third Degree of Obedience

Tre third degree of obedience consists in a conformity of our judgment to that of our superior in such sort that, as our will must be one with his, so our judgment also ought to be the same; so that we ought to look upon all his commands as reasonable and just: and lastly, we must submit our understanding to his, as to the rule of our actions. To perceive the necessity of this third degree, you need only call to mind, what has already been said, namely, without this, obedience can never be perfect and entire. This doctrine is conformable to the opinion of holy men, who term obedience a perfect holocaust, in which the whole man, by the hands of those whom God has put in authority, is entirely offered up to God in the fire of charity. We find this difference in the old law, between a holocaust and other sacrifices:—in a sacrifice one part of the victim was burnt to God’s honour, and another part was kept for the use of the priests and of such as served in the temple; but in a holocaust, the whole victim was burnt and totally consumed, without any reserve. In like manner, your obedience can never be a holocaust, unless you submit your understanding as well as your will; nor can it be entire or perfect as long as you fail to sacrifice your judgment, which is the noblest power of the soul. This made St. Ignatius say, that those who submit their will, but not their judgment, to the superior’s orders, have only one foot in religion.

St. Bernard, in his first sermon upon St. Paul’s conversion, is very copious in laying down and declaring what this obedience of the understanding ought to be; and for this effect, assigns it different qualities, which he applies according as different circumstances require. When St. Paul, struck with a light from Heaven, and seized with fear, cried out, ‘‘ Lord, what wouldst thou have me do?” it was answered him, “go into the city, and there thou shalt receive thy orders” (Acts 9:7) You came to religion, says St. Bernard, to know what you are to do. It was for this end that divine Providence so disposed that you should be struck with a fear and dread of God’s judgments, which created an earnest desire in you of serving him, and inspired you with a design of entering this holy city of religion, the school of virtue and piety. Here it is that you may learn his will and pleasure in all things. The Scripture adds, says St. Bernard, that St. Paul “saw nothing, though his eyes were open, when he entered the town, and that those who were with him led him by the hand” (Acts 9:8) ‘Here, brethren”, continues the same saint, “you have a lively figure of a true conversion” and an exact model of religious obedience, which chiefly consists in seeing nothing, though your eyes be opened, and in not determining any thing by yourselves, but giving yourselves totally up into the hands of your superior, and letting him lead you where he pleases. Take care lest you see too clear, like Adam and Eve, whose eyes being opened as soon as they had sinned, saw themselves naked, and were ashamed. Some may ask me if they were not naked, or did not see clear before their fall. I answer in the affirmative; but they were not concerned about their being naked, because they lived in the purity and simplicity of. original justice. Now, the purity and simplicity which they forfeited by disobedience, we should endeavour to acquire by our submission; so that we should never have our eyes open to see the faults of our neighbour, though they be ever so visible; and always have them shut in everything that relates to obedience.;

St. John Climacus, speaking of the necessity of restraint in this point, says, “that we must behave ourselves, when we have | thoughts and sentiments contrary to obedience, just as we would do in temptations against chastity or our holy faith; that is, not dwell upon them, but take occasion from them the more to abase and humble ourselves”. St. Jerom, writing to a religious concerning his conduct in religion, recommends this submission of mind very particularly to him. Do not concern yourself, says he, in judging of the orders which your superior gives out, nor in examining the reason why they lay such commands upon you; it is your duty to obey and execute their orders, as Moses declares: “Hear, Israel, and be silent”—Epist. ad Rustic. Monach. St. Basil proposes to religious the example of an apprentice, whilst he learns his trade under his master, as a pattern of their obedience. He has his eyes continually upon his master, he obeys him in everything without contradicting, without interposing his judgment, or without ever inquiring the reason of this or that command, and by so doing, in a little time he becomes a master himself. Pythagoras’ scholars had so much respect for him, that his bare authority was so convincing a reason to them, that all controversy was silenced by an “he said it”. How much deference then onght religious to have for their superior, who is far above Pythagoras, and holds the place of Christ! Ought they not, when there is question of obedience, to think they have a sufficient reason to submit their judgments, and believe whatever is commanded them is most convenient for them?

Eusebius the historian tells us of a very good law amongst the Lacedemonians, which forbade all young people to meddle with the government of the commonwealth, or to examine whether their laws were good or bad, or to inquire into their inconveniencies; showing by this, that the veneration they had for their ancestors who had handed these laws down to them, sufficed to make them believe them as just and holy as if the gods themselves had made them. And in case any of the old men should judge anything to stand in need of reformation (because forms of government change frequently with the times), the law ordained that this proposal should only be made before the old senators, who were to be the only Judges of it; thereby to take away all occasion of young men’s losing their respect and veneration for the laws, which, should it once happen, might give a dangerous blow to their “commonwealth. If these wise heathens wished all people to have respect and esteem for the laws of their forefathers, which were only grounded upon natural reason, and looked upon only as a means to preserve their government, with how much more reason ought we Christians and religious have the highest veneration and respect for the commands of our superior, which are not founded upon bare natural reason, but upon the light of faith and the holy Gospels! St. Ignatius, in the admirable letter which he wrote on obedience, proves clearly, that without this obedience of the understanding, the will can never perfectly or long obey, nor perform a command with that exact perfection which obedience requires. He also sets down several inconveniencies, which arise from a want of this obedience of our understanding and submission of our judgment.

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