hosoever are servants under the yoke," etc.

Reply Obj. 2: The Old Law was a figure of the New Testament, and
therefore it had to cease on the advent of truth. And the comparison
with human law does not stand because thereby one man is subject to
another. Yet man is bound by divine law to obey his fellow-man.

Reply Obj. 3: Man is bound to obey secular princes in so far as this
is required by order of justice. Wherefore if the prince's authority
is not just but usurped, or if he commands what is unjust, his
subjects are not bound to obey him, except perhaps accidentally, in
order to avoid scandal or danger.
_______________________

QUESTION 105

OF DISOBEDIENCE
(In Two Articles)

We must now consider disobedience, under which head there are two
points of inquiry:

(1) Whether it is a mortal sin?

(2) Whether it is the most grievous of sins?
_______________________

FIRST ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 105, Art. 2]

Whether Disobedience Is a Mortal Sin?

Objection 1: It seems that disobedience is not a mortal sin. For
every sin is a disobedience, as appears from Ambrose's definition
given above (Q. 104, A. 2, Obj. 1). Therefore if disobedience were a
mortal sin, every sin would be mortal.

Obj. 2: Further, Gregory says (Moral. xxxi) that disobedience is born
of vainglory. But vainglory is not a mortal sin. Neither therefore is
disobedience.

Obj. 3: Further, a person is said to be disobedient when he does not
fulfil a superior's command. But superiors often issue so many
commands that it is seldom, if ever, possible to fulfil them.
Therefore if disobedience were a mortal sin, it would follow that man
cannot avoid mortal sin, which is absurd. Wherefore disobedience is
not a mortal sin.

_On the contrary,_ The sin of disobedience to parents is reckoned
(Rom. 1:30; 2 Tim. 3:2) among other mortal sins.

_I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 24, A. 12; I-II, Q. 72, A. 5;
I-II, Q. 88, A. 1), a mortal sin is one that is contrary to charity
which is the cause of spiritual life. Now by charity we love God and
our neighbor. The charity of God requires that we obey His
commandments, as stated above (Q. 24, A. 12). Therefore to be
disobedient to the commandments of God is a mortal sin, because it is
contrary to the love of God.

Again, the commandments of God contain the precept of obedience to
superiors. Wherefore also disobedience to the commands of a superior
is a mortal sin, as being contrary to the love of God, accord