Commentaria in Summam contra Gentiles, Liber III

After St. Thomas has shown what the divine law intends by way of the necessity of precept, he wishes to determine concerning its intention with respect to the counsels ¹. Now concerning this he does two things: first, he shows the fittingness of certain counsels, to which all other counsels seem to be reduced; second, in the following chapters, he disputes against those who attack the observance of these counsels.

Concerning the first, he does three things: first, he introduces the counsels of the law themselves and their fittingness; second, he shows how the things that are counseled relate to perfection ²; third, he infers certain corollaries ³.

I. As to the first, this conclusion is laid down: Fittingly in the divine law is counsel given concerning poverty, Matt. 19; concerning chastity, 1 Cor. 7; and concerning obedience, Heb. ult.

It is proved as follows. Fittingly are counsels given in the divine law by which men, while leading an earthly life, are drawn away as far as possible from the occupations of the present life ⁴. Therefore the aforesaid counsels are fittingly given.

The antecedent is proved. Fittingly are those counsels given to man by which he may be more freely vacant for God, since his best good is to adhere to God and to divine things. Therefore those counsels also are fittingly given by which they may be drawn away from the occupations of the present life, since it is impossible for a man to be intensely active about diverse things.

The consequence is proved. For men are occupied, according to the common manner of human life, about their own person—what they should do or where they should dwell; about persons joined to them, especially about wives and children; and about procuring external things, which man needs for the sustenance of life. Now occupations of this kind are cut off by the three aforesaid things: the first indeed by obedience, through which man commits the disposition of his acts to a superior; the second by virginity or continence, through which man, according to the Apostle, is solicitous for the things of the Lord; the third by poverty, through which man casts away human goods, by which the soul is usually entangled in some solicitude.

Now St. Thomas notes that these are called counsels and admonitions, inasmuch as man is urged to omit lesser goods for the sake of better things. But they are not called precepts, because the observance of them is not so necessary to man for righteousness that without it righteousness cannot exist.

II. Secondly, he shows how the aforesaid relate to perfection ⁵. And he posits a twofold mode. The first is that they pertain to the state of perfection, not as perfections, but as dispositions toward perfection. — It is proved. For the highest perfection of human life consists in this, that man's mind be vacant for God. Now the aforesaid three seem especially to dispose toward this. Which is shown when the Lord, urging poverty, says: If you wish to be perfect.

Notice that the Lord, in that text, when he says, If you wish to be perfect, go and sell etc., gives us to understand that poverty is not perfection itself, but a certain disposition toward it. But when he says, Come and follow me, he gives us to understand that perfection consists in the following of him, which namely is through the love of charity.

2. The second mode is that they can pertain to perfection as effects and signs. It is explained. For when the mind is vehemently affected with love for something, the consequence is that it sets other things aside. And thus, when the mind of man is carried forth fervently by love and desire into divine things, in which perfection consists, it follows that he casts away all things that can retard him from being borne toward God. — This is confirmed by the authority of Cant. 8, Matt. 13, and Philip. 3.

III. Thirdly, St. Thomas infers two corollaries ⁶. One is that those who vow the aforesaid three to God are fittingly said to be in the state of perfection. — It is proved. Because these three are dispositions toward perfection, and effects, and signs.

The second is that professors of the aforesaid things are fittingly called religious, as dedicating themselves and their goods to God in the manner of a certain sacrifice. — It is proved. The perfection toward which the aforesaid things dispose consists in the mind's being vacant for God. Therefore etc. — The consequence is proved. For religion consists in divine worship.

IV. Concerning what is said, ⁷ that these are not perfections, but dispositions toward perfection, it should be considered, from the doctrine of St. Thomas, II-II, q. 184 ⁸, that the perfection of a thing can be taken in two ways: in one way, simpliciter and primarily; in another way, secundum quid and secondarily. Perfection simpliciter and primarily consists in the fulfillment of the substance and nature of the thing, just as that is called a perfect animal which lacks nothing of those things that belong to the nature of an animal. But perfection secundum quid and secondarily consists in those things that are adjacent to the substance, for instance in color or something of this kind. Therefore, because the Christian life consists especially in charity, for that reason the perfection of the Christian life is considered simpliciter and primarily according to a certain fulfillment of charity. But perfection secundum quid and secondarily is considered also according to the other virtues. Therefore the aforesaid three are said not to be perfections, not because they are not some good of the Christian life, but because the perfection of the Christian life—according to which a man is called perfect simpliciter in the Christian life—does not primarily and simpliciter consist in them, but only secundum quid and secondarily, inasmuch as through them man is disposed to that which is the perfection of the Christian life simpliciter, namely toward this: that the mind be totally carried into God through affection.

V. Concerning the first corollary, ⁹ it must be observed, from the doctrine of St. Thomas in the place cited above, ¹⁰ that one is properly said to be in the state of perfection, not from the fact that he has an act of perfect love, but from the fact that he binds himself with a certain solemnity to those things that are of perfection. Therefore, because those who vow—especially by a solemn vow—obedience, continence, and poverty bind themselves with a certain solemnity to the things that are of perfection, namely as disposing toward perfection, it was fittingly inferred, from the fact that these are dispositions toward perfection, that those who vow them are in the state of perfection.

2. Concerning the second corollary, it must be observed, from the doctrine of St. Thomas in the same book, q. 186, ¹¹ that religion is that, as was also said above, ¹² through which one renders something to the service and worship of God. Therefore, by a certain excellence, those who surrender themselves totally to the divine service, offering as it were a holocaust to God, are called religious. On this account St. Thomas rightly infers that those are fittingly called religious who profess the aforesaid three, from the fact that they dispose toward perfection, which is placed in the mind's being vacant for God. For from the fact that they profess these things, it is clear that they offer their whole selves to God so as to adhere totally to him, in which religion consists.