Summa de Ecclesia

Although we have spoken at great length in the preceding chapters, in ch. 7 and 36, concerning the unity of the Church, nevertheless for a fuller understanding of the sacrament of the unity of the Church we shall dispute certain things concerning the quality of the union of its members with one another and concerning the mode of the union of the members with the head. That the union of the members with one another is a union of essence, or essential, is argued thus.

¹

A certain Gloss lays it down as a rule on that of 1 Cor. 7: He who adheres to God is one spirit with him, that when it is said of two that they are one, and it is not added in what respect they are one, it is to be understood that they are of one essence; but it is said absolutely in Cant. 6: My dove is one; therefore the Church itself is one with unity of essence.

²

Likewise in John 17 it is said: The glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one as we also are one; but the Father and the Son are of one essence; therefore the members of the Church are also one with one another with unity of essence.

³

Third, it is argued that faith cannot have the character of a mean by which the members of the Church are said to be one body, thus: faith has no respect to another, but is absolute in its subject, hence it does not compare its subject to another under the aspect of identity or diversity; therefore it does not seem to have the character of uniting.

⁴

Fourth, a mean ought to be common to the extremes; but faith does not befit the head of the Church, as is evident; therefore it seems that through faith there is no unity of the Church, neither among themselves with one another nor with the head.

⁵

Fifth, in natural understanding, to be is prior to being one, and being one prior to being alive; but through faith life is said to be in the members of the Church according to that of Rom. 1: The just lives by faith; therefore unity preceded faith; therefore through faith there is no unity of the Church. The consequence is evident, because a cause precedes and does not follow its effect.

⁶

Sixth, it is argued that charity too is not the mean of the union of the members of the Church, because charity differs in diverse subjects, and since from things diverse in number there is not properly union, it seems that through charity the Church cannot be called one in number. The consequence is evident, and the antecedent too.

⁷

On the contrary are the things we have said above, and especially in the aforementioned chapters. There is also that of Aug. saying on Ps. 36: We are in his body if our faith in him be sincere, and our hope certain, and our charity enkindled; thus we are in his body and are his members. Likewise the blessed Hilary in the notes on the Psalms, expounding that of Ps. 121, Jerusalem which is built as a city, says thus: The body of the Church is one, not mingled by some confusion of bodies, nor its individuals united into an indiscriminate heap and formless mass, but by unity of faith, by fellowship of the head, by concord of works and will, by the one gift of the sacrament in all, we are all one — unto which the Apostle exhorts us, saying: I beseech you, brethren, that you think the same thing, having the same charity.

For the unfolding of the present difficulty it is to be noted that, as St. Thomas says in the third book of the Sentences, dist. 13, in a natural body a fourfold unity of its members with one another is found. The first is according to conformity of nature, because all the members consist of like parts and are of one character, as hand and foot of flesh and bone, and thus the members are called one in genus or species. The second is by their binding to one another by nerves and joints, and thus they are called one by continuity. The third is that according to which the vital spirit and the powers of the soul are diffused through the whole body. The fourth is that according to which all the members are perfected by the soul, which is one in number in all the members. And these four unions are found in the mystical body. The first, inasmuch as all the members are of one nature, whether in species or in genus. The second, inasmuch as they are bound to one another through faith, because thus they are continued in one object believed. The third, according as they are given life through grace and charity. The fourth, according as the Holy Spirit is in them, which is the ultimate and principal perfection of the whole mystical body, as the soul in a body. The first of the said unions is not union simply, because that in which there is union is not one in number, as is the case in the three following, because through faith and charity they are united in one object believed and loved. Likewise the Holy Spirit, one in number, fills all men — thus St. Thomas.

With these points, as sufficiently declaring the quality and mode of the union of the members of the body which is the Church, established, answer must be made to the arguments raised to the contrary.

⁸

To the first, where it is said and objected that the Church is called one absolutely, it is answered that it is not so, but its unity is determined in this, that it is said: My dove is one, and my perfect one is one. In the name of the dove, according to the Gloss, is noted the unity of the simplicity of the Church; for the Church is one with the unity of simplicity, since it is without spot or wrinkle of perfidy or error, in which the unity of faith is designated. In this, however, that it is called one perfect, its unity is determined to the unity of perfection; for the unity of the Church is not that of indivisibility, such as is the unity of a point, nor that of continuity, such as is the unity of a line, but that of perfection, by which something is constituted one in perfection out of many, as is found in Metaphysics 5.

⁹

To the second, which is objected from that of John 17, etc., it is answered that the saying of John is understood according to the Gloss thus: that they may be one in their own manner through participation of a certain likeness of the unity of nature. Hence “as” does not express equality but the proportion of a participated likeness of the divine unity. Hence the unity between the Father and the Son is twofold: one is of nature, concerning which John 10: I and the Father are one; the other is the unity of love in the Father and the Son, which is the unity of the Spirit; and each is in us, not indeed by equality but by a certain likeness. The Father and the Son are of the same nature in number, and we are one in nature according to species. Likewise they are one through love, not participated from the gift of another, but proceeding from them, for the Father and the Son love each other in the Holy Spirit, while we are one through love participated from a higher gift.

To the third¹⁰ it is answered that to unite is said in two ways. In one way by mode of bond and connection, and thus it seems that only charity, which is a connection and a certain bond, is said to unite, whence the Apostle: Above all things have charity, which is the bond of perfection. In the other way to unite by mode of assimilation, and in this way every virtue is said to unite one thing to another in which a like disposition is found, and in this way faith is said to unite, and consequently to have the character of a mean. Hence Master Alexander of Hales says in the third book that the body of the Church is called one from one perfection and from a like disposition. For there is one perfection in the head and in all who believe and love Christ, namely the Holy Spirit. Hence the Apostle: One body and one spirit, that is, from one spirit there is one body, in Eph. 4. Likewise it is called one from a like disposition, because in all the saints there is one like disposition in the participation of one perfection, of the Holy Spirit. And this like disposition is considered in four respects. First, as to the knowledge of reason, and this through faith: all believe the same. Second, as to the desire of the concupiscible power, and this through one charity: for all love the same, the highest goodness. Third, it is considered as to the expectation of the irascible power, and this through one hope, because all expect the same, namely heavenly blessedness. Fourth, as to imitation in work, and this through the exhibition of work: for all the just imitate the same, namely our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus four points are touched in the Gloss on Col. 2, on that: From whom the whole body is joined together, as was said above. Thus therefore it is evident that the mystical body is called one both from one perfection, which is the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the whole body of the Church and perfects and unites it, and from a like disposition. For all the faithful are alike in faith, hope and charity, and in the exhibition of holy works.

To the fourth¹¹ it is answered that what is a mean by mode of bond is common to the extremes, but not what is a mean by mode of assimilation, of which kind is all faith which is infused in us, which is nothing but a flash or ray or participation of the divine perfection, and therefore the argument does not proceed.

To the fifth¹² answer can be given in two ways. First, that through faith in itself the body is not properly said to be made alive except by reason of the charity perfecting it, but it does unite the body. Hence Hugh of St. Victor says in the book on the sacraments that through faith we receive union, and through charity vivification. When therefore it is said, The just lives by faith, it is understood of faith formed in charity. Second, it is answered that in natural being, to be and to live are other in reality and in character, as is evident because many things have being which do not live, and even in the same thing they are of one character and of another, but in the being of grace to be and to live are the same in reality: for where there is no spiritual life, there is no being of grace. Since therefore to be and to live are the same, it is manifest that to live and to be alive do not differ in spiritual or gratuitous being, although they differ in natural being.

To the sixth¹³ it is answered by denying the consequence, since, as was adduced above, just as in a natural body the powers diffused through all the members differ in number according to essence and proper perfection, but agree in one root in number, and besides this have one ultimate form in number, so also all the members of the mystical body have for their ultimate complement the Holy Spirit, who is one in number in all, and charity itself diffused in them through the Holy Spirit, although it differ in diverse subjects according to essence, yet agrees in one root in number. The proper root of an operation is its object itself, from which it draws its species. And therefore inasmuch as what is loved and believed by all is the same in number, according to this the faith and charity of all are united in one root in number, not only the first, which is of the Holy Spirit, but also the proximate, which is the proper object.