Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle instructed Titus what sort of ministers he should appoint to keep out heretics; here he teaches what he himself should do concerning them. And first he sets this forth in general; second he distinguishes it through its parts, at *elders*. He says therefore: I have said that it is necessary to appoint bishops, but lest you believe that you are on this account excused from care, rather your solicitude for teaching ought to be greater. Therefore, *but you, speak the things that befit sound doctrine*, namely, the things through which faith is built up uncorrupted. Above I, 9: *that you may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, and to refute those who contradict.*

Then he shows the same thing through its parts; and first sound doctrine is set forth against perversity of life; second against heretics and errors, at *but foolish questions*. Concerning the first he does two things: for first he instructs the individual conditions of men; second, all in general, chapter III, 1, at *admonish them*. Again, the first is divided into two: for first he shows how he should instruct the free; second how he should instruct servants, at *servants*. Likewise, first he shows how he should instruct the free by word; second by example, at *in all things yourself*. Concerning the first he does two things: for first he shows how he should instruct the old; second how he should teach the young, at *young women*. Likewise, the first is divided into two: for first he shows how he should instruct old men; second how old women, at *old women*.

Now it must be known that there are certain goods to which old age disposes, which he sets down first; second, certain goods to which old age is contrary, and these he sets down second, at *sound in faith*. Now among the goods to which old age disposes, one is contempt of pleasures; another is the perfection of wisdom and prudence.

Old age indeed disposes to contempt of pleasures. For the bodies of the young are hot with natural heat, from which youth is stirred up to bodily pleasures, which consist especially in foods, and drinks, and venereal acts. But old age disposes to avoiding these. For old men are mortified. II Kings XIX, v. 35: *do my senses still have vigor to discern the sweet or the bitter?* And therefore he says *that they should be sober*, as regards foods and drinks, and *chaste*, as regards venereal acts. Genesis XVIII, 12: *after I have grown old, and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?*

But if old age disposes to this, why does he give this admonition? I answer. Sometimes it happens, from great perversity, that an old man is brought back to childish sins. Isaiah LXV, 20: *the child of a hundred years shall die: and the sinner of a hundred years shall be accursed.* And there is a twofold reason why this happens. For the old man is moved to this in one way, the young man in another. For the young man is incited to these things by the instinct of passion; but the old man by choice, on account of two things. For no one wishes to be without pleasures, and the more troubles he feels, the more he desires them. But the old man suffers many discomforts and defects of nature. And therefore when he does not have spiritual pleasures, he seeks bodily ones. The second reason is that the young man is sometimes restrained by shame; but old men, according to the Philosopher, are shameless, because they are ancient and have experienced many things; but the young are naturally vain and capable of shame: and therefore they are restrained, but not old men.

Likewise old age disposes to prudence, on account of the experience of a long time. Job XII, 12: *in the ancient is wisdom, and in length of time prudence.* Ecclesiasticus XXV, 7: *how beautiful is wisdom for the aged, and understanding and counsel for the glorious. The crown of old men is much experience.* Hence he adds *prudent*. Yet it happens sometimes that an old man is foolish. Ecclesiasticus XXV, 4: *an old man foolish and senseless.* And this is from two causes, that an old man is foolish: for prudence is acquired through practice; when therefore in youth they do not occupy themselves in good things, they are imprudent in old age. Ecclesiasticus XXV, 5: *the things you did not gather in your youth, how will you find them in your old age?* Likewise another reason is that in youth they sometimes overflow with pleasures, and especially with excess of foods; and therefore their brain is dried up. Proverbs XX, 1: *wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness tumultuous; whoever delights in these will not be wise.*

Then he sets down those things to which old age is contrary: and the first is faith; the second, love; the third, patience.

As to the first, he says *sound in faith*, because without it, *it is impossible to please God*, Hebrews XI, 6. But that some are not sound in faith, especially in some new thing that is proposed to old men to be believed, happens from two causes. First, that old men are not firm in anything new, on account of presumption of wisdom, and therefore they do not believe others. Job XII: *and the aged are among us.* Likewise because it is a natural vice of old men that they are incredulous; because they have experienced themselves to have been deceived rather often. And therefore they always speak with "perhaps" or "almost," with adverbs of a qualifying and doubtful mode. But incredulity is opposed to faith. Isaiah I: *he who is incredulous acts unfaithfully.*

As to the second, he says *in love*. And this is because the fullness of the law is love. And he admonishes to this on account of two things. First, because in old men there is little friendship, because love is nourished through living together. But no one wishes to live long with the sorrowful. But old men are sorrowful, and therefore there is no friendship with them. Likewise, because old men love only on account of usefulness, just as the young on account of the pleasurable; for the old man needs support.

As to the third, he says *in patience*, and he admonishes to this on account of three things. First, because many evils or discomforts beset old men; and therefore they need patience against disturbances. Another reason is: for old men live in the memory of many things, whence they always speak of old things; but the young live in the hope of great things; and from this old men are moved to impatience in two ways: on account of the goods which they had and now lack — whence Boethius: *the greatest misery is to have been happy.* Lamentations I, 7: *Jerusalem remembered the days of her affliction, of the transgression of all her desirable things, which she had had from the days of old.* Likewise, because they live in memory, it happens that some, who now despise them, were once worse; and therefore they are troubled. Job XXX, v. 1: *but now those younger in time deride me, whose fathers I did not deign to set with my dogs.* The third reason is that the more an old man approaches the end of life, the more he desires to live; hence, seeing himself failing, he is more saddened.

Then, when he says *old women*, he teaches how old women should be instructed. And first he teaches how old women should be instructed in life; second in doctrine. Likewise, first as to dress; second as to way of living; third as to speech.

As to the first, he says *in holy attire*, that is, lacking wantonness and display. And this befits every woman. I Peter III, 3: *whose adorning let it not be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold, or the array of apparel and garments, etc.* I Timothy II, 9: *likewise also women in adorned attire, adorning themselves with modesty and sobriety, not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly clothing, etc.* But old women especially ought to observe this; because it belongs to young women to adorn themselves modestly on account of their husbands; which is understood simply of every movement of the body. Ecclesiasticus chapter XIX, 27: *the attire of the body, and the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of a man declare of him.*

As to the second, he says *not slanderers*. For there are two things in an old person. One is common to old people, namely that they are suspicious, because they have seen many evils, which they likewise presume about others. Likewise in women, who are especially jealous — and both happen in an old woman, because by reason of age she is suspicious, by reason of sex she is jealous. Ecclesiasticus XXVI, 9: *in a jealous woman is the scourge of the tongue, communicating with all.* And therefore *not slanderers*.

As to way of living, he says *not enslaved to much wine*. And of men he said *that they should be sober*. And he says, *not much*, because sometimes they use it on account of their coldness.

As to doctrine he says *teaching well*. Against this, I Corinthians XIV, 34: *let women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject.* I Timothy II, 11: *let a woman learn in silence with all subjection: but I do not permit a woman to teach.* I answer. It must be said that public teaching, which is done before the people, is forbidden to a woman; but private teaching, by which someone teaches their household, is granted to her. Proverbs XXXI, 1: *the vision wherewith his mother instructed him, etc.* Proverbs IV, 3: *for I also was a tender son, and only-begotten before my mother, and she taught me, and said, etc.* And he well says that they should teach prudence, more with respect to old women than to men, because sometimes they teach old wives' tales rather than profitable things, and also because they themselves associate more with children and with the household than men do.

Then, when he says *young women*, he shows how he should instruct the young, and first he shows how he should instruct young women; second, young men, at *young men likewise*. Likewise, the first is divided into three: for first he shows how they should conduct themselves toward persons joined to them; second, toward themselves; third, toward those subject to them.

As to the first, he says *that they should love their husbands*. For love is owed to a husband. Proverbs XII, 4: *a loving woman is a crown to her husband.* Ecclesiasticus XXV, 1: *in three things my spirit is well pleased, etc.*, and below: *a man and a woman agreeing well together.* Or thus: that they should teach prudence to young women and to husbands, etc. But the first exposition is better. And *that they should love their children* — this is natural. Isaiah XLIX, v. 15: *can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb?* And note that he says that they should *love* (*ament*) their husbands, and *love* (*diligant*) their children, because toward husbands the love is more fervent, but toward children more natural.

But as to themselves, he says three things: one as to reason, namely *prudent*. Proverbs XIX, 14: *house and riches are given by parents, but properly a prudent wife is from the Lord.* And this is necessary, because their youth and sex are contrary to prudence. The other is as to the concupiscible appetite, namely when he says *chaste*. The third indeed as to the irascible appetite, when he says *sober*. Ecclesiasticus XXVI, 19: *grace upon grace is a holy and modest woman.*

But as to those subject to them, first he sets down their care; second the manner; third he assigns the reason. Of the first he says *having care of the house*. Proverbs XIV, 1: *a wise woman builds her house; but a foolish one will destroy with her hands even one already built.* But in care there are two things to be observed by a woman; for they are for the most part prone to anger. Ecclesiasticus chapter XXV, 23: *there is no anger above the anger of a woman.* And therefore he says *kind*, as if to say: let them rule with gentleness. The other is that when a woman has power, she strives against her husband. Ecclesiasticus XXV, 30: *if a woman have the upper hand, she is contrary to her husband.* Therefore it is said *subject to their husbands*. Hence it is said, Genesis III, 16: *you shall be under the power of your husband, and he shall have dominion over you.* And this is so *that the word of God may not be blasphemed*, that is, that you may not give occasion for blaspheming. And all these things are noted in Tobit X, 13, where it is said that Raguel and Sara admonished their daughter to honor her parents-in-law, to love her husband, to rule the household, to govern the house, and to show herself irreproachable.

Consequently he shows how he should teach young men, namely *that they should be sober*, which he repeats, because drunkenness is the beginning of vices. I Peter V, 8: *be sober, etc.*