Summa de Ecclesia

Although the difference of the states pertaining to spiritual servitude or liberty is considered according to beginners, the proficient, and the perfect, as we said above, nevertheless, since beginning and growth do not exist for their own sake but for the sake of perfection, no classes of men are specially assigned to the state of beginners and the proficient; only to the state of perfection are certain men assumed, with a certain obligation and solemnity. We shall therefore pursue our discourse on the state of perfection, to which the other states are ordered, declaring first in what the perfection of the spiritual life consists, and to whom it befits to be in the state of perfection. For the first point it must be noted that the perfection of the spiritual life is to be weighed from charity. This is shown first because, since each thing is called perfect insofar as it attains its proper end, which is the ultimate perfection of the thing, and charity is what unites us to God, who is the ultimate end of the human mind, according to 1 John 4, He who abides in charity abides in God, and God in him, it is manifest that the perfection of the spiritual life is chiefly considered according to charity. Second, one who lacks charity is said to be nothing spiritually, as the Apostle says in 1 Cor. 13: If I should have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith so as to move mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing. It is most clearly established that the perfection of the spiritual life consists in charity. Third, the same is gathered from the fact that John affirms the whole spiritual life to be in love, saying in 1 John 3: We know that we have been translated from death to life because we love the brethren; he who does not love abides in death. From perfection of charity, therefore, one is said to be perfect in the spiritual life simply. Hence in Col. 3 the Apostle says: Above all have charity, which is the bond of perfection. Love has a transforming force by which the lover is in a certain way transferred into the beloved. Hence Dionysius says in the book On the Divine Names, ch. 4: divine love, causing ecstasy, does not allow lovers to be of themselves, but of those whom they love. Since, therefore, the whole and the perfect are the same, as Aristotle says in Physics 3, he has perfect charity who is wholly transformed into God, postponing himself and all things for the sake of God. Hence Aug. says in City of God 14 that, just as love of self even to contempt of God made the city of Babylon, so love of God even to contempt of self makes the city of God. Whoever therefore has his mind so disposed inwardly as to despise himself and all things for the sake of God, according to the Apostle in Phil. 3, What things were gains to me I have counted as dung, that I may gain Christ, is perfect, whether religious or secular, cleric or layman, even joined in matrimony. For Abraham was joined in matrimony and rich, to whom God said in Gen. 17: Walk before me and be perfect. And in Ecclus. 31 it is said: Blessed is the rich man who is found without blemish, and who has not gone after gold. And a little further it is added: Who has been tried therein and found perfect.

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Further, concerning the second point it must be considered that to be perfect is not the same as to be in the state of perfection; for there are some in the state of perfection who are not yet perfect, but sometimes even sinners, and there are some perfect who are not in the state of perfection. To see how this is, it must be noted that, as was said above in the preceding chapter, state properly pertains to the condition of liberty or servitude. Spiritual liberty or servitude can be considered in man in two ways: in one way according to what he does inwardly, in another way according to what is done outwardly. And since, as is said in 1 Kings 16, men see what is outward, but God beholds the heart, it comes about that the condition of the spiritual state in man is taken according to the inward disposition of man in comparison with the divine judgment, in which way the state of grace and the state of guilt can be distinguished. According to what is done outwardly, however, the spiritual state in man is taken by comparison with the Church, and in this way we now speak of state properly, namely from the diversity of states a certain beauty arises. Further, it must be considered that, as far as men are concerned, for someone to obtain the state of liberty or servitude a certain obligation or release is required. For one does not become a servant from serving someone, since free men also serve, according to Gal. 5, Serve one another in charity of spirit; nor does one become free from ceasing to serve, as is clear in the case of runaway servants. Rather, he is properly a servant who is bound to serve, and he is free who is released from servitude. Second, it is required that the aforesaid obligation be made with a certain solemnity, just as in other matters which have a perpetual order among men a certain solemnity is employed for firmness. Thus, then, one is properly said to be in the state of perfection, not from having an act of perfect love, but from being bound perpetually, with a certain solemnity, to the things that belong to perfection. It also happens that some bind themselves and do not keep it, and some fulfill what they did not bind themselves to, as is clear in Matt. 25 concerning the two sons, one of whom, to his father saying Work in the vineyard, answered I will not, and afterwards went, while the other, answering, said I go, and did not go; and therefore nothing prevents some from being perfect who are not in the state of perfection, and some even in the state of perfection who are not perfect.