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The Precepts of the Church : the God-Given Laws

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The Precepts of the Church : the God-Given Laws the PRECEPTS Of the CHURCH . the GOD- GIVEN laws Why the Knights of Columbus Advertise Catholic Faith The reason is simple. We Catho- Despite the plainly stated will lics want our non-Catholic friends of the Good Shepherd that there and neighbors to know us as we be "one fold and one shepherd,” really are and not as we are some the differences in the understand- times mistakenly represented. ing of Christ’s teaching are plainly evident. It has rightfully We are confident that when been called "the scandal of a our religious Faith is better un- divided Christianity.” derstood by those who do not If there is anything which will share it, mutual understanding gather together the scattered will promote the good-will which flock of Christ, it is the nation- is so necessary in a predominant- wide understanding of the ly Christian country whose gov- Savior, what He did and how He ernment is designed to serve all intended mankind to benefit by the people— no matter how much the Redemption. their religious convictions may To this end, we wish our differ. fellow-Americans to become ac- American Catholics are con- quainted with the teachings of vinced that as the teachings of Christ as the Catholic Church Christ widely and firmly take has faithfully presented them, hold of the hearts and conduct since the day the apostles in- of our people, we shall remain vaded the nations of the world free in the sense that Christ in willing and courageous obedi- promised (John VIII, 31-38), ence to Christ’s command: "Go, and in the manner planned by therefore, and make disciples of .” the Founding Fathers of this all nations . (Matt. XXVIII, republic. 19). SUPREME COUNCIL KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Religious Information Bureau 4422 LINDELL BLVD. ST. LOUIS 8, MO. © Knights of Columbus, 1961 "Let everyone be subject to Encyclical, Immortale Dei). the higher authorities, for These two societies exist there exists no authority ex- for different purposes. The cept from God” (Romans Church exists for man’s sanc- 13:1). All authority, whether tification and eternal happi- ecclesiastical or civil, has for ness. "Whatever, therefore, its final sanction the divine in human things is of a sacred law. All authority of Church character, whatever belongs and State ultimately comes either of its own nature or from God. And, as everyone by reason of the end to which knows, if any law given by it is referred, to the salva- Church or State is to be true and just, tion of souls, or to the worship of it must conform with the mind of God, is subject to the power and God. These are the two perfect so- judgment of the Church. Whatever cieties which exist in this world: the is to be ranged under the civil and civil society, which goes by the name political order is rightly subject to of the State, whether it be a nation the civil authority. Jesus Christ has or a sovereign federated commu- Himself given command that what nity, and the Catholic Church. is Caesar’s is to be rendered to Cae- In the words of Pope Leo XIII, sar, and that what belongs to God is "The Almighty, therefore, has ap- to be rendered to God” (Encyclical, pointed the charge of the human Immortale Dei). race between two powers, the eccle- The goal of the State is to make siastical and the civil, the one being it possible for men to live together set over divine, the other over hu- in this life, to protect them in their man things. Each in its kind is su- lives and property, to smooth out preme, each has fixed limits within conflicts of interest, to judge dis- which it is contained, limits which putes, to advance prosperity and are defined by the nature and spe- public morality, to safeguard its peo- cial object of the province of each, ple’s position among the nations. All so that there is, we may say, an orbit this is what we call the temporal traced out within which the action welfare of man, because it begins of each is brought into play by its and ends with time, with this life. own native right” (From the famed To ensure the temporal welfare of 1 men the State exists. For this it must sinned apart from the written Law make laws. of Moses shall perish or be judged What, then, is law? A law is a by the natural law, written on every reasonable ordering of things for the man’s heart. general good, made by the supreme Thus, simply stated, a natural authority in a sovereign community. moral law is one that is evident in In the past this supreme authority the nature of man, and evident to was a monarch; now it is commonly, his own reason and understanding. at least in theory, a legislative as- Examples of such natural moral laws sembly. But it is well to bear in are the basic commands: adore God mind the idea of a monarch, for the only; honor your father and mother; One Who gives the first and most you shall not kill; you shall not mis- essential laws, on which all others use the faculty of generation; you rest, is a Monarch—God. shall not steal; you shall not lie. All God in creating must intend or- these laws, and the primary conclu- der in what He creates, and thereby sions that can be drawn from them, He becomes the author of the nat- are written into man’s nature in such ural law. This natural law can be a way that so long as he possesses determined simply by examining human nature he is bound by these things as they are, just as we can laws. determine the order an automobile Of course God did more than designer imposes on his product by write these laws into man’s nature. examining the machine. He also put them into words and into positive teaching, as through God Will Judge the commandments He gave to Paul in his Epistle to the Romans Moses for the Chosen People, and points out that the Gentiles could through the frequent repetitions of have known God by the light of natural laws that came from the lips natural reason (Romans 1:18-23). ot Christ. Over such laws the Cath- Furthermore, Paul says, "When the olic Church has no authority other Gentiles who have no law do by than that of manifesting how clearly nature what the Law prescribes, they stand out in human nature and these having no law are a law unto repeating them to the end of time. themselves. They show the work of The Divine Law the Law written in their hearts. Their conscience bears witness to When God speaks directly to them, even when conflicting mankind through revelation and thoughts accuse or defend them. thus makes known His will, He be- This will take place on the day when, comes the author of the divine posi- according to my gospel, God will tive law, that could not necessar- judge the hidden secrets of men ily be determined simply by reason. through Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:- An example is the law that Baptism 14-16). The Gentiles will be judged is necessary in order to enter the by God according to the natural Kingdom of Heaven. A positive law law: for the Gentiles or nations who is always one that you have to be 2 told about to know, while a natural sufficient. For everything that has law is one that you could learn about to do with directing people in refer- by using your reason. Christ told us ence to their interests here and now, many things that we must do for the State is the supreme authority our salvation that we could never and for that purpose it is sovereign. have learned except through His When we speak of the State as words. The Catholic Church never concerned with the here and now, has changed, does not assume that we do not mean to say that it has she can change, and never will no interest in furthering man’s high- change the positive divine laws laid er destinies. The State, being an on mankind by Jesus Christ. outgrowth of man, is, like man, a The thought bears repeating that creature of God and owes Him hom- since it is of the essence of law to be age and obedience, and the State is reasonable and productive of order, bound to do all in its province that it follows that no law made by man will help man along his road to the can be really law unless it corre- other life. The State is bound to pro- sponds to the will of God, Who is tect the whole man, and therefore it Supreme Governor and Orderer. must uphold public morality and put Generally there is no difficulty in no blocks to man’s spiritual pursuit, distinguishing laws from other rules not precisely in order to get man to for the guidance of life. Laws are heaven, but for its own welfare; for distinguished from mere precepts the State cannot flourish unless it chiefly by two things: they are made has the protection of God and the for a sovereign community, and in support of citizens of moral fiber. themselves laws are permanent or But its laws are never directed to the stable. They last beyond the author- other world, in and for itself. ity of the lawgiver, at least until such time as lawful authority sees Authority of Church fit to repeal them.
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