Collations on the Ten Commandments

Collation VI

Outline of Collation VI I. Theme: “You shall not kill . . . commit adultery . . . steal” (1a) II. Protheme: “Then I will not be disordered . . .” (1b) III. Review (2) IV. The next three commandments in general (3) V. Fifth commandment A. Literal interpretation: prohibitions (4a) 1. Ruin of natural life 2. Ruin of a safe life 3. Ruin of an honorable life B. Spiritual interpretation: ways of breaking the commandment (4b) 1. Anger 2. Calling someone ‘raca’ 3. Calling someone ‘you fool’ C. Criticisms of the Manicheans (Albigensians) (5) D. Answer to the criticisms (6-11) 1. Killing of a man by the law 2. Killing of a man by a man as an individual 3. Killing of a man interpretively VI. Sixth commandment A. Introduction (12) B. Sins against kinds of chastity (13a) 1. Conjugal—Adultery 2. Common a. Umarried person—Fornication b. Prostitute—Harlotry 3. Privileged a. Defloration—Deflowering b. Consecrated woman—Sacrilege C. Sin against nature (13b) D. Conclusion, with example (14-16) VII. Seventh commandment 82 / Collations on the Ten Commandments A. Kinds of stealing (17-18) 1. Pure deceit 2. Violence a. Open—Plundering b. Hidden—Robbery 3. Fraud a. Fraudulent agreement—Business b. Sinful agreement—Usury c. Sacrilegious agreement—Simony B. Usury (19) C. Simony (20) [The nos. in parentheses refer to section nos. in the text] VI On the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Commandments Theme 1. “You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal.”1 Protheme “Then I will not be disgraced when I will have regarded all your commandments.”2 Blessed James says: “He who keeps a l l the law but offends in one thing has been made guilty of all.”3 It is not as though a person would be punished with the same degree of pain of the senses for one transgression as he would be for the transgression of all. But one is punished with the pain of damnation, but again not so sharply for one as for all.4 So if someone wishes to attain true life, it is necessary to attend to all of the commandments of God in heart, word and deed. And so it says: “When I will have regarded . . . ,” that is, when I will have completely examined and considered the commandments, and then in accordance with this have carried them out, then I will not fear being disgraced. It is not a great thing to be disgraced in the present age, but rather being disgraced eternally. Such disgrace is absolutely abhorrent. But we cannot avoid that disgrace, unless we regard all the commandments of God. So at the start let us ask God to open our eyes to the consideration of the commandments. 1Exodus 20:13-15. 2Psalms 118:6. The ‘disgrace’ of this verse is the idea of being “fallen from grace.” This disgrace is shown by there not being the proper “order” in our relationships with God and our neighbor. The proper ordering comes from following the commandments. 3James 2:10. 4The two pains associated with hell are the physical pain of the senses (poena sensus), and the psychological pain of damnation (poena damni). This last pain is the sense of despair and loss felt from being eternally separated from God and His blessings. Bonaventure suggests that there are levels to both of these pains. 84 / Collations on the Ten Commandments Review 2. “You shall not kill,” etc. I said to you that the commandments of God are to be distinguished in two tables. On the first table are contained three commandments according to the law of justice and ordering us to the Trinity according to three attributes appropriated to the three persons of the Trinity. On the second table are contained commandments ordering us to our neighbor, and this according to a twofold division of justice; namely, kindness and blamelessness. But the whole of justice is made up of three things: that we ought to show the reverence due to God by prayer, by praise and by penance; that we ought to show kindness to a father; and that we ought to show blamelessness with respect to all others.5 I have spoken to you of the three commandments which order us to God. I have spoken to you also of the fourth commandment , which is to be taken as belonging to the part of justice which is kindness. Here it is commanded that we should...