568. How does holy Scripture speak of the obedience due from servants and serfs to their masters?
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Eph. vi. 5, 6.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, out also to the froward. 1 Peter ii. 18.
569. If holy Scripture prescribe duties towards parents, does it not likewise prescribe duties towards children?
It does.
Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Eph. vi. 4.
570. How does holy Scripture speak of the duty of pastors towards their spiritual flock?
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but willingly, and according to God; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.. 1 Pet. v. 2, 3.
571. How does holy Scripture speak of the duty of them that are in authority, and of masters?
Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven. Coloss. iv. 1.
572. How ought we to act, if it fall out that our parents or governors require of ns any thing contrary to the faith or to the law of God?
In that case we should say to them, as the Apostles said to the rulers of the Jews: Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye; and we should be ready, for the sake of the faith and the law of God, to endure the consequences, whatever they may be. Acts iv. 19.
573. What is the general name for that quality or virtue which is required by the fifth commandment?
Obedience.
On the Sixth Commandment.
574. What is forbidden by the sixth commandment?
Murder; that is, taking away the life of our neighbor in any manner whatever.
575. Is it in all cases murder, and against this commandment, to kill?
No. It is not murder, nor against this commandment, when life is taken in the execution of duty; as, when a criminal is punished with death, by just judgment; nor, again, when an enemy is killed in war, in defense of our sovereign and country.
576. What is to be thought of involuntary homicide, when a man is killed accidentally and unintentionally?
The man who is guilty of involuntary homicide can not be reckoned blameless, unless he took all proper precautions against the accident; at any rate, he needs to have his conscience cleansed according to the Canons of the Church.
577. What cases must be reckoned as murder, and as breaches of this commandment?
Besides direct murder, by whatever means, the same sin may be committed in the following, and in similar cases:
1. When a judge condemns a prisoner whom he knows to be innocent.
2. When any one conceals or sets free a murderer, and so gives him opportunity for fresh crime.
3. When any one can save his neighbor from death, but does not save him; as, when a rich man suffers a poor man to die of hunger.
4. When any one by excessive burdens and cruel punishments wears out those under him, and so hastens their death.
5. When any one, through intemperance or other vices, shortens his own life.
578. What are we to think of suicide?
That it is the most criminal of all murders. For if it be contrary to nature to kill another man like unto ourselves, much more is it, contrary to nature to kill our own selves. Our life is not our own, but God's who gave it.
579. What are we to think of duels, to decide private quarrels?
Since the decision of private quarrels belongs to government, while the duelist, instead of having recourse to law, willfully determines on an act which involves manifest danger of death both to himself and his opponent, it is evident that a duel implies three dreadful crimes-rebellion, murder, and suicide.
580. Besides murder of the body, is there not such a thing as spiritual murder?
A kind of spiritual murder is the causing of offense: when any one causes his neighbor to fall into infidelity or into sin, and so subjects his soul to spiritual death.
The Saviour says: Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matt. xviii. 6.
581. Are there not still some more subtle forms of murder?
To this sin are more or less referable all acts and words against charity; all which unjustly affect the peace and security of our neighbor; and, lastly, all inward malice against him, even though it be not shown openly.
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. 1 John iii. 15.
582. When we are forbidden to hurt the life of our neighbor, what positive duty is thereby enjoined?
That of doing all we can to secure his life and well-being.
583. What duties follow from hence?
Those of--1. Helping the poor; 2. Ministering to the sick; 3. Comforting the afflicted; 4. Alleviating the distress of the unfortunate; 5. Behaving in a gentle, affectionate, and edifying manner to all; 6. Reconciling ourselves with those that are angry; 7. Forgiving injuries, and doing good to our enemies.
On the Seventh Commandment.
584. What is forbidden by the seventh commandment? Adultery.
585. What forms of sin are forbidden under the name of adultery?
The Apostle Paul would have Christians not even to speak of such impurities. Eph. v. 3. It is only of necessity, to forewarn people against such sins, that we shall here name some of them. Such are--
1. Fornication; or irregular carnal love between unmarried persons. 2. Adultery; when married persons unlawfully give that love which they owe each other to strangers. 3. Incest; when near relations enter into a union like that of matrimony.
586. What does our Saviour teach us to think of adultery?
He has said that Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matt. v. 28.
587. What should we do in order to guard against falling into this subtle inward adultery?
We should avoid every thing that may excite impure feelings in the heart; as wanton songs and dances, lewd conversation, immodest games and jokes, immodest sights, and the reading of books which contain descriptions of impure love. We should strive, according to the Gospel, not even to look on that which may cause us to fall.
If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should he cast into hell. Matt. v. 29.
588. Must we, then, literally pluck out the offending eye?
We must pluck it out, not with the hand, but with the will. He who has firmly resolved not even to look upon that which causes him to offend hath already plucked out the offending eye.
589. When the sin of adultery is forbidden, what contrary virtues are thereby enjoined?
Those of conjugal love and fidelity; and, for such as can receive it, perfect purity and chastity.
590. How does holy Scripture speak of the duties of man and wife?
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it. Eph. v. 25. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord; for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church; and he is the Saviour of the body. Eph. v. 22, 23.
591. What motives does holy Scripture set before us to make us flee fornication and live chastely?
It bids us keep our bodies in purity, because they are the members of Christ, and temples of the Holy Ghost; while, on the other hand, he who committeth fornication sinneth against his own body; that is, corrupts it, infects it with diseases, and, further, hurts his mental faculties, such as imagination and memory. See 1 Cor. vi. 15, 18, 19.
On the Eighth Commandment.
592. What is forbidden by the eighth commandment?
To steal, or in any way appropriate to ourselves that which belongs to another.
593. What particular sins are forbidden thereby?
The chief are--
1. Robbery, or the taking of any thing that belongs to another openly, by force.
2. Theft, or taking what belongs to another privily.
3. Fraud, or appropriating to ourselves any thing that is another's by artifice; as when men pass off counterfeit money for true, or bad wares for good; or use false weights and measures, to give less than they have sold; or conceal their effects to avoid paying their debts; or do not honestly fulfill contracts, or execute wills; when they screen others guilty of dishonesty, and so defraud the injured of justice.
4. Sacrilege, or appropriating to ourselves what has been dedicated to God, or belongs to the Church.
5. Spiritual sacrilege; [317] when one sinfully gives and another fraudulently obtains any sacred office, not of desert, but for gain.
6. Bribery; when men receive a bribe from those under them in office or jurisdiction, and for gain promote the unworthy, acquit the guilty, or oppress the innocent.
7. Eating the bread of idleness; when men receive salary for duty, or pay for work, which they neglect, and so in fact steal both their pay and that profit which society, or he whom they served, should have had of their labor; in like manner when they who are able to support themselves by work, instead of so doing live upon alms.
8. Extortion; when, under the show of some right, but really against equity and humanity, men make their own advantage of the property, the labors, or even the misfortunes of others; as when creditors oppress their debtors by usury; when masters wear out their dependents by excessive imposts or tasks; when in time of famine men sell bread at an exorbitant price.
594. When these sins are forbidden, what contrary virtues are thereby enjoined?
Those of--1. Disinterestedness; 2. Good faith in performing engagements; 3. Justice; 4. Mercy to the poor.
595. Does he, then, who is not merciful to the poor sin against the eighth commandment?
Certainly he does, if he have the means of assisting them; for all that we have belongs properly to God, and our abundance is given us by his Providence for the assistance of the poor; wherefore, if we do not impart to them of our abundance, we do in fact thereby rob and defraud them of their right, and the gift of God.
596. Is there not yet a higher virtue contrary to sins against the eighth commandment?
Such a virtue is absolute poverty, or the renunciation of all property; which is proposed by the Gospel not as a duty for all, but as a counsel for them that would be perfect.
If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor; and thou shalt hare treasure in heaven. Matt. xix. 21.
On the Ninth Commandment.
597. What is forbidden by the ninth commandment?
False witness against our neighbor, and all lying.
598. What is forbidden under the words false witness?
1. False witness in a court of justice; when men bear witness, inform, or complain falsely against any one.
2. False witness out of court, when men slander any one behind his back, or blame him to his face unjustly.