FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   931   932   933   934   935   936   937   938   939   940   941   942   943   944   945   946   947   948   949   950   951   952   953   954   955  
956   957   958   959   960   961   962   963   964   965   966   967   968   969   970   971   972   973   974   975   976   977   978   979   980   >>   >|  
ce as paying worship and honor to persons in positions of dignity. Obj. 2: Further, it belongs to justice that we pay what we owe: wherefore this belongs to observance also, since it is a part of justice. Now we do not owe worship and honor to all persons in positions of dignity, but only to those who are placed over us. Therefore observance is unfittingly defined as giving worship and honor to all. Obj. 3: Further, not only do we owe honor to persons of dignity who are placed over us; we owe them also fear and a certain payment of remuneration, according to Rom. 13:7, "Render . . . to all men their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor." Moreover, we owe them reverence and subjection, according to Heb. 13:17, "Obey your prelates, and be subject to them." Therefore observance is not fittingly defined as paying worship and honor. _On the contrary,_ Tully says (De Invent. Rhet. ii) that "it is by observance that we pay worship and honor to those who excel in some kind of dignity." _I answer that,_ It belongs to persons in positions of dignity to govern subjects. Now to govern is to move certain ones to their due end: thus a sailor governs his ship by steering it to port. But every mover has a certain excellence and power over that which is moved. Wherefore, a person in a position of dignity is an object of twofold consideration: first, in so far as he obtains excellence of position, together with a certain power over subjects: secondly, as regards the exercise of his government. In respect of his excellence there is due to him honor, which is the recognition of some kind of excellence; and in respect of the exercise of his government, there is due to him worship, consisting in rendering him service, by obeying his commands, and by repaying him, according to one's faculty, for the benefits we received from him. Reply Obj. 1: Worship includes not only honor, but also whatever other suitable actions are connected with the relations between man and man. Reply Obj. 2: As stated above (Q. 80), debt is twofold. One is legal debt, to pay which man is compelled by law; and thus man owes honor and worship to those persons in positions of dignity who are placed over him. The other is moral debt, which is due by reason of a certain honesty: it is in this way that we owe worship and honor to persons in positions of dignity even though we be not their subjects
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   931   932   933   934   935   936   937   938   939   940   941   942   943   944   945   946   947   948   949   950   951   952   953   954   955  
956   957   958   959   960   961   962   963   964   965   966   967   968   969   970   971   972   973   974   975   976   977   978   979   980   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

dignity

 

worship

 

persons

 

positions

 

excellence

 

observance

 
belongs
 

subjects

 
custom
 

respect


government

 
exercise
 
tribute
 
position
 

twofold

 
govern
 

justice

 
paying
 

Further

 

defined


Therefore
 

repaying

 

faculty

 

benefits

 

commands

 

service

 

received

 

recognition

 
consisting
 

wherefore


rendering

 

obeying

 

compelled

 

honesty

 

reason

 

suitable

 

includes

 

Worship

 
obtains
 
actions

connected
 

stated

 
relations
 
contrary
 

Invent

 
payment
 

remuneration

 

fittingly

 

Moreover

 
reverence