Texplanation of the Ten Commandments

EXPLANATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

The entire law of Christ depends upon charity. And charity depends on two

precepts, one of which concerns loving God and the other concerns loving

our neighbor.

As we have already said, the

First Commandment forbids us to worship other than the one God. We shall

now consider five reasons for this.God's Dignity.--The first reason is the dignity of God which, were it

belittled-in any way, would be an injury to God. We see something similar

to this in the customs of men. Reverence is due to every degree of dignity

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." However, the

name of God may be taken for a purposes. To confirm something that

is said, as in an oath. In this we show God alone is the first Truth, and

also we show due reverence to God. For this reason it was commanded in the

Old Law that one must not swear except by God. They who swore otherwise

violated this order: "By the name of strange gods you shall not swear."

This is the Third Commandment of the law, and very suitably is it so. For we are first commanded to adore God in our hearts, and the Commandment is to worship one God. God wished that a certain day be set aside on which men direct their minds to the service of the Lord.

Perfection for man consists in the love of God and of neighbor. Now, the three Commandments which were written on the first tablet pertain to the love of God; for the love of neighbor there were the seven Commandments on the second tablet.Now, because we owe our birth to our parents, we ought to honor them more than any other superiors, because from such we receive only temporal things: "He that feareth the Lord honoreth his parents, and will serve them as his masters that brought him into the world. Honor thy father in work and word and all patience, that a blessing may come upon thee from him.

In the divine law which tells us we must love God and...