De arte praedicatoria

With these authorities hearers can be instructed toward patience: Christ became obedient for us unto death, even the death of the cross.¹ Samuel also says: Obedience is better than sacrifices.² Likewise the Apostle: Servants, obey those set over you and your masters, not only the good and gentle, but even the difficult.³ And: He who resists authority resists the ordinance of God.⁴ From these authorities one should proceed thus: O man, the Son of God became obedient for us even to the disgrace of the gallows; do you refuse to obey the precepts of the Gospel? Since the angel obeys God in all things, do you, who are mud and ash, contradict God's precept? Insensible things obey God, and do you, who alone are endowed with reason, fight against God's will? The sun does not deviate from its path, the moon does not stray from its course, the stars are faithful to their tasks; at God's nod the field is made pleasant with flowers, the earth is watered with rains, the forest rustles with leaves, the little bird sings in the grove; thus all things obey God; you alone fight against his precepts! Consider, o man, that obedience is better than sacrifices,⁵ because through sacrifices the flesh of another is offered, but through obedience one's own will is put to death. The more, then, each person represses the pride of his own will and offers himself up under the sword of the command, the more quickly he pleases God. But the sin of divination is called disobedience, so that, by contrast, it may be shown how great the virtue of obedience is. Of this obedience Solomon says: An obedient man speaks of victories.⁶ For while we humbly submit ourselves to another's voice, we overcome ourselves in our hearts.

It must also be understood that obedience must sometimes have nothing of its own; for when a higher position is commanded, whoever longs for it out of his own desire empties obedience of its virtue in himself; but sometimes obedience ought to have something of its own, so that, when insults and reproaches are commanded, unless the mind desires these of its own accord, whoever descends to this unwillingly diminishes the good of obedience in himself. Obedience must, then, both have something of its own in adversity, and again, have nothing of its own in prosperity. Hence Moses humbly refused leadership over the people. Paul boldly says: I am ready not only to be bound in Jerusalem, but even to die. But one must be careful not to err in obedience. Know, then, that true obedience is the honorable deliberation of the mind, the carrying out of a just command with discretion. Behold what companions obedience ought to have: namely justice, so that what is commanded is just; whence it is said, the carrying out of a just command; second, that what is deliberated be honorable, as it was said, the honorable deliberation of the mind; third, that it proceed from discretion; whence it is added, with discretion. That obedience, then, which is without discretion is worthless; that which is without honor is base; for whoever obeys in honorable matters through an excessive extension of obedience shows a proud mind. But if it is not accompanied by justice, it is irregular, it is anomalous. It must also be understood that through obedience evil must never be done, but sometimes a good that is being done must be interrupted. For the tree in paradise was not evil, which God forbade man to touch, so that through the merit of obedience blessed man might grow; yet it was fitting that God should keep him from this good. It should be noted, however, that it says there: Eat of every tree of paradise,⁷ etc.; for whoever forbids his subjects one good thing must necessarily grant many others, lest the mind, cut off from everything, perish as though starved. Four things, then, accompany reasonable obedience: discretion, honor, justice, humility. There are, moreover, three kinds of regular obedience: sufficient, by which one obeys a superior; perfect, by which one obeys an equal; abundant, by which one serves an inferior. The first is, as it were, positive, the second comparative, the third superlative. The first is of precept, the second of supererogation, the third of counsel; Christ fulfilled these in himself, obeying a superior, when he obeyed the Father, being inferior to him according to his humanity; and an equal, when equal to the Father according to his divinity; he obeyed an inferior, when he obeyed his mother. Moreover, there is a certain obedience that is direct, which is done with a due end and a fitting office; as when we obey God with good intention. Another is right, but not direct, as when we obey God, but in an unfitting office, such as the obedience the Jew shows to God his creator, but which lacks the proper form of office, that is, the rule of charity and faith. Indirect obedience is when we obey the Creator with an eye to human favor. Retrograde obedience, however, is when demons obey God. For they obey by doing what they do not wish to do.

The first is meritorious, the second introductory, the third mercenary, the fourth pernicious. The first is efficient, the second, effective; the third, deficient; the fourth, infecting.

Oh, how effective is the rule of obedience, which preserves concord among the angels, which nourishes peace in the cloisters, without which neither a state can stand, nor even the smallest household be governed. It is what suggests natural law even to brute animals; it is what an inanimate thing observes as a law. Through it earthly things are bound to heavenly things, human things to divine; this is the ladder by which the ascent to heaven is made. This obedience, moreover, nourishes humility, proves patience, tests gentleness. Let the cloistered man strive to embrace it with the arms of charity, so that he may render to God what is God's, and to his neighbor what is his neighbor's. This is the obedience which, according to the rule of justice, renders to each what is his own; and just as every good proceeds from obedience, so every evil arises from disobedience; namely, when through sin man refuses to obey his Creator.