in age and authority, but
also in probity; according to Num. 11:16: "Gather unto Me seventy men
of the ancients of Israel, whom thou knowest to be ancients . . . of
the people." But if by sinning openly they turn the authority of
their years into an instrument of wickedness, they should be rebuked
openly and severely, as also Daniel says (Dan. 13:52): "O thou that
art grown old in evil days," etc.
_______________________

THIRD ARTICLE [III, Q. 42, Art. 3]

Whether Christ Should Have Taught All Things Openly?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ should not have taught all
things openly. For we read that He taught many things to His
disciples apart: as is seen clearly in the sermon at the Supper.
Wherefore He said: "That which you heard in the ear in the chambers
shall be preached on the housetops" [*St. Thomas, probably quoting
from memory, combines Matt. 10:27 with Luke 12:3]. Therefore He did
not teach all things openly.

Obj. 2: Further, the depths of wisdom should not be expounded save to
the perfect, according to 1 Cor. 2:6: "We speak wisdom among the
perfect." Now Christ's doctrine contained the most profound wisdom.
Therefore it should not have been made known to the imperfect crowd.

Obj. 3: Further, it comes to the same, to hide the truth, whether by
saying nothing or by making use of a language that is difficult to
understand. Now Christ, by speaking to the multitudes a language they
would not understand, hid from them the truth that He preached; since
"without parables He did not speak to them" (Matt. 13:34). In the
same way, therefore, He could have hidden it from them by saying
nothing at all.

_On the contrary,_ He says Himself (John 18:20): "In secret I have
spoken nothing."

_I answer that,_ Anyone's doctrine may be hidden in three ways.
First, on the part of the intention of the teacher, who does not wish
to make his doctrine known to many, but rather to hide it. And this
may happen in two ways--sometimes through envy on the part of the
teacher, who desires to excel in his knowledge, wherefore he is
unwilling to communicate it to others. But this was not the case with
Christ, in whose person the following words are spoken (Wis. 7:13):
"Which I have learned without guile, and communicate without envy,
and her riches I hide not." But sometimes this happens through the
vileness of the things taught; thus Augustine says on John 16:12:
"There are some things so bad that no sort of human modesty