3: Further, it was stated in the foregoing Article that adultery
is forbidden in the decalogue, because it is contrary to the love of
our neighbor. But inordinateness of outward movements, which is
contrary to modesty, is opposed to neighborly love: wherefore
Augustine says in his Rule (Ep. ccxii): "In all your movements let
nothing be done to offend the eye of any person whatever." Therefore
it seems that this kind of inordinateness should also have been
forbidden by a precept of the Decalogue.
_On the contrary,_ suffices the authority of Scripture.
_I answer that,_ The virtues annexed to temperance may be considered
in two ways: first, in themselves; secondly, in their effects.
Considered in themselves they have no direct connection with the love
of God or of our neighbor; rather do they regard a certain moderation
of things pertaining to man himself. But considered in their effects,
they may regard the love of God or of our neighbor: and in this
respect the decalogue contains precepts that relate to the
prohibition of the effects of the vices opposed to the parts of
temperance. Thus the effect of anger, which is opposed to meekness,
is sometimes that a man goes on to commit murder (and this is
forbidden in the Decalogue), and sometimes that he refuses due honor
to his parents, which may also be the result of pride, which leads
many to transgress the precepts of the first table.
Reply Obj. 1: Pride is the beginning of sin, but it lies hidden in
the heart; and its inordinateness is not perceived by all in common.
Hence there was no place for its prohibition among the precepts of
the Decalogue, which are like first self-evident principles.
Reply Obj. 2: Those precepts which are essentially an inducement to
the observance of the Law presuppose the Law to be already given,
wherefore they cannot be first precepts of the Law so as to have a
place in the Decalogue.
Reply Obj. 3: Inordinate outward movement is not injurious to one's
neighbor, if we consider the species of the act, as are murder,
adultery, and theft, which are forbidden in the decalogue; but only
as being signs of an inward inordinateness, as stated above (Q. 168,
A. 1, ad 1, 3).
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TREATISE ON GRATUITOUS GRACES (QQ. 171-182)
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QUESTION 171
OF PROPHECY
(In Six Articles)
After treating individually of all the virtues and vices that pertain
to men of all conditions and estates, we must now consid
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