1.1 Erat there was in in agrō the countryside Campānō of Campania agricola a farmer quīdam a certain nōmine by name Petrus Peter vir a man probus upright et and simplex simple quī who nūllōs no librōs books lēgerat had read sed but rēctē rightly vīvēbat lived
1.2 Cui to whom cum when dīxissem I had said “unde from where scīs do you know quid what rēctum right sit is et and quid what prāvum?” wrong respondit he answered “nesciō I do not know unde from where —sed but sciō” I know
1.3 Et and vērum true dīxit he spoke —et and ratio the reason cūr why vērum true dīxerit he spoke maximī of the greatest momentī importance est is
2.1 Deus God enim indeed quī who omnia all things gubernat governs habet has ratiōnem a plan in in mente his mind dīvīnā divine quā by which omnia all things ad toward fīnem their end suum their ōrdinantur are directed
2.2 Et and haec this ratiō plan dīvīna divine lēx law aeterna eternal vocātur is called —quam which nōn not plēnē fully cognōscere to know possumus we are able quia because mentem the mind Deī of God compraehendere to comprehend nōn not possumus we are able
2.3 Sed but participāmus we participate eam in it —nam for creatūra the creature ratiōnālis rational quōdam in a certain modō way participat participates in ratiōnem the plan dīvīnam divine —et and haec this participātiō participation lēgis in the law aeternae eternal in in creatūrā the creature ratiōnālī rational lēx the law nātūrālis natural dīcitur is called
3.1 Petrus Peter agricola the farmer dīxit said “ego I nihil nothing dē about lēge the law aeternā eternal audiō do I hear —sed but hoc this sciō I know —bonum good faciendum is to be done est is malum evil vītandum” is to be avoided
3.2 Rēctē rightly —et and hoc this est is prīmum the first praeceptum precept lēgis of the law nātūrālis natural —bonum good est is faciendum to be done et and prōsequendum to be pursued et and malum evil vītandum to be avoided
3.3 Hoc this per through sē itself nōtum known est is —nōn not dēmōnstrātur is it demonstrated sed but statim immediately cognōscitur is known ab by omnibus all quī who ratiōnem reason habent have —sīcut just as prīma the first prīncipia principles speculātīva speculative statim immediately cognōscuntur are known ab by omnibus all
3.4 Petrus Peter hoc this praeceptum precept cognōvit has known nōn not ex from librīs books sed but ex from nātūrā his nature suā his —quia because ratiōnālis a rational creatūra creature est he is
4.1 Ex from hōc this autem moreover prīmō first praeceptō precept alia other praecepta precepts dērīvantur are derived secundum according to trēs three inclinatiōnēs inclinations nātūrae of nature hūmānae human
4.2 Prīma the first inclinatiō inclination est is quam which homo man habet has cum in common with omnibus all rēbus things —inclinatiō the inclination ad toward cōnservātiōnem the preservation suī of oneself —et and secundum according to hanc this pertinet there pertains ad to lēgem the law nātūrālem natural ut that vīta life hūmāna human cōnservētur be preserved
4.3 Secunda the second inclinatiō inclination est is quam which homo man habet has cum in common with animālibus the animals —inclinatiō the inclination ad toward prōcreātiōnem procreation et and ēducātiōnem the education prōlis of offspring
4.4 Tertia the third inclinatiō inclination est is propria proper hominī to man —inclinatiō the inclination ad toward vēritātem the truth dē about Deō God cognōscendam to be known et and ad toward vītam life in in societāte society agendam to be lived
4.5 Petrus Peter dīxit said “haec these things omnia all agnōscō I recognise —vītam life meam my cōnservō I preserve līberōs children meōs my ēducō I educate vēritātem the truth quaerō I seek et and cum with vīcīnīs my neighbours iūstē justly vīvō I live —nōn not quia because lex a law scrīpta written iubet commands sed but quia because nātūra nature mea my inclīnat” inclines
4.6 Rēctē rightly —nātūra nature enim for tua your inclīnat inclines quia because lēx the law nātūrālis natural in in tē you est is —nōn not scrīpta written in on tabulīs tablets sed but in in ipsā the very nātūrā nature ratiōnālī rational
5.1 “Sed” but inquit said Petrus Peter “rēx the king noster our lēgem a law tulit has passed quā by which nōs we cōgimur are forced dīmidium half frūctuum of our crops nostrōrum our dare to give —et and famēs hunger nōs us urget presses —estne is it haec this lex a law vēra?” true
5.2 Hīc here distinguendum we must distinguish est is —lex a law hūmāna human vim force lēgis of law habet has inquantum insofar as ā from lēge the law nātūrālī natural dērīvātur it is derived
5.3 Sī if autem however in in aliquō something ā from lēge the law nātūrālī natural discordet it disagrees iam then nōn not erit will it be lex a law sed but lēgis of law corruptiō a corruption
5.4 Lex a law quae which familiam a family tuam your famē with hunger necat kills contrāria contrary est is prīmae the first inclinatiōnī inclination nātūrālī natural —cōnservātiōnī the preservation vītae of life —et and ideō therefore nōn not est is vērē truly lex a law
6.1 “Quōmodo” how inquit said Petrus Peter “haec these things omnia all scīre to know possum am I able sī if librōs books legere to read nesciō?” I do not know how
6.2 Quia because synderesis synderesis in in tē you est is —habitus a habit prīmōrum of the first prīncipiōrum principles prācticōrum practical —quī which numquam never exstinguī to be extinguished potest is able
6.3 Sīcut just as intellectus the understanding prīma the first prīncipia principles speculātīva speculative nātūrāliter naturally cognōscit knows —ut such as “tōtum the whole est is maius greater suā than its parte”— part ita so synderesis synderesis prīma the first prīncipia principles prāctica practical nātūrāliter naturally cognōscit knows —ut such as “bonum good est is faciendum” to be done
6.4 Tū you Petre Peter librōs books nōn have not lēgistī read —sed but lēgem the law Deī of God in in corde your heart tuō your scrīptam written lēgistī you have read —et and haec this lectiō reading nūllā by no aliā other lectiōne reading prior more fundamental est is
7.1 Petrus Peter rīsit laughed et and dīxit said “ergō therefore plūs more sciō I know quam than putābam I thought —nōn not ex from mē myself sed but ex from nātūrā nature quam which Deus God mihi to me dedit” gave
7.2 Rēctē rightly —et and hoc this est is quod what Apostolus the Apostle dīcit says —gentēs the gentiles quae who lēgem the law nōn do not habent have nātūrāliter naturally ea those things quae which lēgis of the law sunt are faciunt do —hī these sibī to themselves ipsī themselves sunt are lex a law
7.3 Nōn not oportet is it necessary ergō therefore librōs books legere to read ut in order bonum the good cognōscās to know —sed but oportet it is necessary ratiōnem reason tuam your rēctē rightly adhibēre to employ —nam for lēx the law nātūrālis natural nōn is not est is aliud other quam than lūmen the light ratiōnis of reason ā by Deō God in in nōbīs us positum placed
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
1.1 Erat in agrō Campānō agricola quīdam nōmine Petrus, vir probus et simplex, quī nūllōs librōs lēgerat sed rēctē vīvēbat.
1.2 Cui cum dīxissem “unde scīs quid rēctum sit et quid prāvum?” respondit: “Nesciō unde — sed sciō.”
1.3 Et vērum dīxit — et ratio cūr vērum dīxerit maximī momentī est.
2.1 Deus enim quī omnia gubernat habet ratiōnem in mente dīvīnā quā omnia ad fīnem suum ōrdinantur.
2.2 Et haec ratiō dīvīna lēx aeterna vocātur — quam nōn plēnē cognōscere possumus, quia mentem Deī compraehendere nōn possumus.
2.3 Sed participāmus eam — nam creatūra ratiōnālis quōdam modō participat ratiōnem dīvīnam — et haec participātiō lēgis aeternae in creatūrā ratiōnālī lēx nātūrālis dīcitur.
3.1 Petrus agricola dīxit: “Ego nihil dē lēge aeternā audiō — sed hoc sciō — bonum faciendum est, malum vītandum.”
3.2 Rēctē — et hoc est prīmum praeceptum lēgis nātūrālis — bonum est faciendum et prōsequendum, et malum vītandum.
3.3 Hoc per sē nōtum est — nōn dēmōnstrātur sed statim cognōscitur ab omnibus quī ratiōnem habent — sīcut prīma prīncipia speculātīva statim cognōscuntur ab omnibus.
3.4 Petrus hoc praeceptum cognōvit nōn ex librīs sed ex nātūrā suā — quia ratiōnālis creatūra est.
4.1 Ex hōc autem prīmō praeceptō alia praecepta dērīvantur secundum trēs inclinatiōnēs nātūrae hūmānae.
4.2 Prīma inclinatiō est quam homo habet cum omnibus rēbus — inclinatiō ad cōnservātiōnem suī — et secundum hanc pertinet ad lēgem nātūrālem ut vīta hūmāna cōnservētur.
4.3 Secunda inclinatiō est quam homo habet cum animālibus — inclinatiō ad prōcreātiōnem et ēducātiōnem prōlis.
4.4 Tertia inclinatiō est propria hominī — inclinatiō ad vēritātem dē Deō cognōscendam et ad vītam in societāte agendam.
4.5 Petrus dīxit: “Haec omnia agnōscō — vītam meam cōnservō, līberōs meōs ēducō, vēritātem quaerō et cum vīcīnīs iūstē vīvō — nōn quia lex scrīpta iubet sed quia nātūra mea inclīnat.”
4.6 Rēctē — nātūra enim tua inclīnat quia lēx nātūrālis in tē est — nōn scrīpta in tabulīs sed in ipsā nātūrā ratiōnālī.
5.1 “Sed,” inquit Petrus, “rēx noster lēgem tulit quā nōs cōgimur dīmidium frūctuum nostrōrum dare — et famēs nōs urget — estne haec lex vēra?”
5.2 Hīc distinguendum est — lex hūmāna vim lēgis habet inquantum ā lēge nātūrālī dērīvātur.
5.3 Sī autem in aliquō ā lēge nātūrālī discordet, iam nōn erit lex sed lēgis corruptiō.
5.4 Lex quae familiam tuam famē necat contrāria est prīmae inclinatiōnī nātūrālī — cōnservātiōnī vītae — et ideō nōn est vērē lex.
6.1 “Quōmodo,” inquit Petrus, “haec omnia scīre possum sī librōs legere nesciō?”
6.2 Quia synderesis in tē est — habitus prīmōrum prīncipiōrum prācticōrum — quī numquam exstinguī potest.
6.3 Sīcut intellectus prīma prīncipia speculātīva nātūrāliter cognōscit — ut “tōtum est maius suā parte” — ita synderesis prīma prīncipia prāctica nātūrāliter cognōscit — ut “bonum est faciendum.”
6.4 Tū, Petre, librōs nōn lēgistī — sed lēgem Deī in corde tuō scrīptam lēgistī — et haec lectiō nūllā aliā lectiōne prior est.
7.1 Petrus rīsit et dīxit: “Ergō plūs sciō quam putābam — nōn ex mē sed ex nātūrā quam Deus mihi dedit.”
7.2 Rēctē — et hoc est quod Apostolus dīcit — gentēs quae lēgem nōn habent nātūrāliter ea quae lēgis sunt faciunt — hī sibī ipsī sunt lex.
7.3 Nōn oportet ergō librōs legere ut bonum cognōscās — sed oportet ratiōnem tuam rēctē adhibēre — nam lēx nātūrālis nōn est aliud quam lūmen ratiōnis ā Deō in nōbīs positum.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Thomā per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
---