Summa Theologica

the name of religion is applied to human tradition, as follows in the Gloss. Whence this simulated religion is nothing other than worship exhibited to the true God in an undue manner; just as if someone in the time of grace wished to worship God according to the rite of the Old Law; and the Gloss speaks of this literally.

QUESTION XCIII.

ON THE SPECIES OF SUPERSTITION, DIVIDED INTO TWO ARTICLES.

Next, we must consider the species of superstition: first, concerning the superstition of the undue worship of the true God; second, concerning the superstition of idolatry; third, concerning the superstition of divinations; fourth, concerning the superstition of observations. Concerning the first, two things are asked: 1. Whether there can be anything pernicious in the worship of the true God. — 2. Whether there can be anything superfluous in it.

ARTICLE I. — WHETHER THERE CAN BE ANYTHING PERNICIOUS IN THE WORSHIP OF THE TRUE GOD (1).

To the first, we proceed thus. 1. It seems that there cannot be anything pernicious in the worship of the true God. For it is said (Joel II, 32): Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. But everyone who worships God in any way calls upon His name. Therefore, every worship of God contributes to salvation. Therefore, none is pernicious.

2. Furthermore, it is the same God who is worshipped by the just in every age of the world. But before the Law was given, the just worshipped God without mortal sin, in whatever way it pleased them: whence even Jacob bound himself by a special vow to a particular worship (2), as is contained in (Genesis XXVIII). Therefore, even now, no worship of God is pernicious.

3. Furthermore, nothing pernicious is sustained in the Church. But the Church sustains diverse rites of worshipping God; whence Gregory writes to Augustine, Bishop of the English (Book XII of the Register, Epistle 31, to the 3rd interrogation), who proposed that there are diverse customs of Churches in the celebration of Masses: "It pleases me," he said, "that whether you have found something in the Roman (3), or in the Gallic parts, or in any Church, which might be more pleasing to Almighty God, you should carefully choose it." Therefore, no mode of worshipping God is pernicious.

But contrary to this is what Augustine says (in the Epistle to Jerome, 82, formerly 10, before the middle, and it is contained in the Gloss on Galatians II, interlinear and ordinary, upon that: That us into slavery, etc.), that "legal observances after the truth of the Gospel has been divulged are deadly;" and yet the legalities pertain to the worship of God. Therefore, there can be something deadly in the worship of God.

CONCLUSION. — A worship exhibited to God can be pernicious, not only on the part of the thing signified, but also on the part of the one worshipping.

I answer that, as Augustine says (Book on Lying, ch. 14, at the beginning): "The lie is most pernicious which is made in those things that pertain to the Christian religion." Now it is a lie when someone outwardly signifies something contrary to the truth. And just as something is signified by word, so also something is signified by deed; and in such signification of the deed consists the exterior worship of religion, as is evident from what was said above (Q. LXXXI, art. 7). And therefore, if something false is signified through exterior worship, the worship will be pernicious. Now this happens in two ways: in one way, on the part of the thing signified, from which the signification of the worship disagrees: and in this way, in the time of the New Law, the mysteries of Christ having already been performed, it is pernicious to use the ceremonies of the Old Law, by which the mysteries of Christ were figured as future; just as it would also be pernicious if someone were to confess by word that Christ is about to suffer. In another way, falsehood can happen in exterior worship on the part of the one worshipping; and this especially in common worship, which is exhibited by ministers in the person of the whole Church. For just as he would be a forger who proposed something on behalf of another which was not entrusted to him, so he incurs the vice of falsehood who exhibits worship to God on behalf of the Church against the mode established by divine authority by the Church, and customary in the Church. Whence Ambrose says, upon that (I Corinthians XI): Whoever eats the bread: "He is unworthy who celebrates the mystery otherwise than Christ delivered it." And because of this, the Gloss (ordinary, Ambrose, upon that: Which have a show of wisdom) says (at Colossians II) that "superstition is when the name of religion is applied to human tradition."

To the first, therefore, it must be said that, since God is truth, they call upon God who worship Him in spirit and in truth (1), as is said (John IV). And therefore, worship containing falsehood does not pertain properly to the invocation of God, which saves.

To the second, it must be said that before the time of the Law, the just were instructed by interior instinct concerning the mode of worshipping God, whom others followed; but afterwards, men were instructed by exterior precepts concerning this, which to pass over is pestiferous (2).

To the third, it must be said that the diverse customs of the Church in divine worship do not in any way oppose the truth; and therefore they are to be observed, and it is illicit to pass them over.

ARTICLE II. — WHETHER THERE CAN BE ANYTHING SUPERFLUOUS IN THE WORSHIP OF GOD.

Concerning these matters, see also above, Q. LXXXI, art. 5 ad 1, and Q. XCII, art. 1 corp. and ad 5, and below, Q. CIV, art. 2 ad 2.

To the second, we proceed thus. 1. It seems that there cannot be anything superfluous in the worship of God. For it is said (Ecclesiasticus XLIII, 32): Glorifying the Lord, exalt Him as much as you can, for He will yet surpass. But divine worship is ordered to glorifying God. Therefore, there can be nothing superfluous in it.

2. Furthermore, exterior worship is a certain profession of interior worship "by which God is worshipped with faith, hope, and charity," as Augustine says (Enchiridion, ch. 3). But in faith, hope, and charity, there cannot be anything superfluous. Therefore, neither in divine worship.

3. Furthermore, it pertains to divine worship that we exhibit to God those things which we have received from God. But we have received all our goods from God (3). Therefore, if we do all that we can for the reverence of God, nothing will be superfluous in divine worship.

But contrary to this is what Augustine says (On Christian Doctrine, Book II, ch. 18), that "a good and true Christian repudiates superstitious figments even in sacred letters." But through sacred letters, it is shown that God is to be worshipped. Therefore, there can be superstition in divine worship from some superfluity.

CONCLUSION. — Although one cannot exhibit anything superfluous to God in divine worship according to absolute quantity, yet something can be applied according to some proportion of superfluity that is not ordered to its due end.