10. To the objection that the impression of the natural law moves toward what is arduous: it must be said that there is the arduous of honor and the arduous of virtue: the arduous of honor belongs to the soul according to the state of the fatherland, the arduous of virtue according to the state of the wayfaring life. For one is honored and praised with excellence because he merited this through an arduous and excellent and difficult work of virtue; and because such a work is a work of humility and obedience, which to proud minds is arduous and inaccessible: therefore it is consonant with the law of nature and of grace that man be raised up through the work of humility and obedience to the summit of honor and eternal happiness.
ARTICLE II.
Whether it is consonant with evangelical perfection that one bind himself by vow to obey another.
Second, it is asked whether it is consonant with evangelical perfection that one bind himself by vow to obey another. And it seems that it is not.
1. For the evangelical law is a law of liberty; but to subject oneself to a man by vow pertains to necessity: therefore to bind oneself by vow to obey a man is repugnant to the liberty of the evangelical law.
2. Again, Anselm, in the book Why God Became Man: "God willed to redeem man through Himself, so that He might recall man to his pristine liberty"; but in the state of pristine liberty no one was bound to obey another: therefore one restored to pristine liberty through the Redeemer ought not to be bound to obey anyone.
3. Again, Gregory: "Services, the less they are owed, the more pleasing they are." Therefore, from opposites, the more they are owed, the less pleasing they are; but one who binds himself by vow to obey a man is obligated to obey him: therefore such a one is less pleasing to God. But that through which a man is made less pleasing to God is contrary to evangelical perfection: therefore, etc.
4. Again, the evangelical law is a sweet yoke and a light burden: but it is burdensome for a man to comply in all things: therefore to bind oneself to obey a man does not accord with the lightness of evangelical perfection.
5. Again, the evangelical law, because it is a light burden, does not suffer alongside itself the burden and servitude of the written law: therefore since it is more burdensome to obey indiscriminately the commands of a man than to comply distinctly with the ceremonies and precepts of the old law, it seems that to bind oneself to obey a man cannot coexist with evangelical perfection.
6. Again, it is burdensome to obey divine commands; therefore it is much more burdensome to obey divine and human commands equally. But he who by vow subjects himself to a man binds himself to that man's commands; therefore, etc.
7. Again, Luke 6: Everyone will be perfect if he is like his master. But it is not read of Christ that he was under another by vow; therefore to subject oneself to another by vow is not perfect, but, as it seems, rather superstitious.
8. Again, if the vow of obedience increases the perfection of the virtue of obedience, since this degree was not in Christ, it seems that one fulfilling this degree would be more perfect than Christ. But this is absurd and unfitting; therefore it is also unfitting to say that subjecting oneself to another by vow increases the perfection of the virtue of obedience.
9. Again, the Apostles possessed evangelical perfection in the highest degree; but they vowed obedience to no one; therefore, etc.
10. Again, it seems that to do this is presumptuous: because either such a person considers himself sufficient to fulfill divine commands, or he does not. If not, then he acts foolishly, since being already bound to divine precepts he obligates himself to fulfill human commands. But if he considers himself sufficient to fulfill divine commands, he is presumptuous; therefore to obligate himself further to the commands of a man seems a greater judgment of presumption.
11. Again, if to vow this pertains to perfection, then he who professes this professes himself to be perfect. But this is presumptuous; therefore, etc.
12. Again, to wish to rule over a just and perfect man is pride and presumption; therefore to consent to another and cooperate so that he may rule is to consent to pride and presumption. But he who binds himself to obeying another consents and cooperates with him so that he may rule; therefore, etc.
13. Again, this seems to be dangerous: because to commit oneself to a man whose knowledge and conscience one is ignorant of is a danger. But he who binds himself by vow to obeying a man frequently does not know whether he is wise or good, or about his knowledge and conscience; therefore, etc.
14. Again, the more and greater things a man is bound to, the greater dangers he is placed in. But he who vows obedience to a man is bound to more things than he was previously bound to; therefore he is exposed to greater dangers; therefore, etc.
15. Again, the evangelical law discourages oath-taking on account of the danger of perjury. But he who vows obedience to a man is in danger of transgressing the vow; therefore such a person offers himself to peril.
16. Again, it is shown that this is imperfect. For he who sins at the suggestion of another sins less than he who sins at the instigation of his own impulse; therefore similarly he who obeys at the command of another merits less than he who acts spontaneously, or at God's command alone. Therefore he who binds himself by vow to obeying another acts less perfectly than he who does not bind himself. But what diminishes perfection is discordant with the evangelical law; therefore, etc.
17. Again, the more immediately one is borne toward God, the more perfectly one is moved; but he who obeys God alone is borne more immediately toward God than he who subjects himself to a man: therefore, etc.
18. Again, the best kind of monks is that of anchorites, according to what blessed Benedict says at the beginning of his rule; but such men were not bound by vow to obey a man: therefore to subject oneself to another by vow is not of evangelical perfection.
19. Again, he who closes off the way to health for one who is sick does not attend to perfection but recedes from perfection; but he who binds himself by vow to obey another closes off many ways to salvation for himself, since such a person before the vow could be saved in many other ways, which he cannot after the vow: therefore such a person acts most imperfectly.
20. Again, the more persons one is subjected to, the more humbly and perfectly one acts; but he who vows obedience to many acts wrongly: therefore to vow obedience to another is not of humility nor of perfection.
But against this it is objected as follows. 1. Matthew 3: Thus it befits us to fulfill all justice: The Gloss: "Perfect humility has three degrees: the first is to subject oneself to a superior, the second to subject oneself to an equal, the third to subject oneself to an inferior, in which is all justice: and this Christ fulfilled": therefore if perfect justice is to subject oneself to another, and this is done most fully through the vow of obedience, it seems that this is most consonant with evangelical perfection.