Summa de Ecclesia

Truly, with the premises attentively considered, we can manifestly know that the very plurality of actions which are necessary in the Church, according to which the distinction of offices, as was said above, is taken, requires that there be several powers necessary in the Christian commonwealth. For since power is of acting, it is necessary that in the Church, in which there are many and various actions, we make there to be many powers. For Aristotle says in On sleep and waking that whose is the act, his also is the potency. Plainly, just as above in ch. 69 we explained that the universality of the faithful embraces in general two orders, namely laymen and clerics, as the two sides of one body, so in general there are in the very universality of the faithful two powers, namely the secular and the spiritual, as master Hugh of St Victor says in the book on the sacraments, part 2. For in the laymen, to whose care and providence those things pertain which are necessary to earthly life, there is earthly power. But in the clerics, to whose care those things belong which are goods of the spiritual life, there is divine power. That power therefore is called secular, this is named spiritual. Of which powers a figure seems to have gone before in the old testament, in 3 Kings 7, where it is said that Solomon set up two brazen pillars in the porch of the temple, of which when he had set up the right pillar he called it by the name Joachim, likewise he erected the second pillar and called it by the name Booz. But for declaring the mystical understanding of these words it is to be known that the Church militant is signified by the court, but the triumphant by the temple of the Lord. The reason of which is that just as through the court entrance is made to the temple, so from the militant Church passage is made to the triumphant. But our Solomon, the most wise Son of God, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Colossians 2, set two pillars, that is two powers, the spiritual namely and the temporal, in the court or in the porch of the temple, that is in the Church militant, by which as by pillars the Christian commonwealth might be upheld and strengthened. But since spiritual things are preferred to temporal, the spiritual power is worthily taken by the right pillar, but the temporal is designated by the left pillar. But rightly to the first pillar, namely to the spiritual power, the name Joachim is imposed, which is interpreted as preparing firmness for others, by which the excellence of the spiritual power is designated: because unless it excelled all in virtues it would not prepare firmness for the other powers. Hence to Peter, who was called to the fullness of spiritual power, it was said by Christ: And thou being once converted confirm thy brethren. Consequently it is to be noted that in such powers, as the aforesaid venerable Hugh of St Victor says, there are diverse grades and orders of powers, yet distributed on either side under one head, and as deduced from one principle and referred to one. For earthly power has as head the king, spiritual power has as head the supreme pontiff. Concerning which powers Pope Pelagius so writes to the Emperor Anastasius in ch. Duo sunt, dist. 86: There are indeed, august Emperor, two things by which this world is principally ruled, the sacred authority of pontiffs and the royal power. But the grades and the different orders in the secular or earthly power are taken both from the old testament and from the new. From the old indeed it is first plain in Exodus 17, where it is said that Moses, from chosen strenuous men out of all Israel, constituted them princes of the people, tribunes and centurions and quinquagenarians and decans, to judge the people of God at all times. From the new testament indeed they are taken first where the apostle says to the Romans 13: Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, where the Gloss says that men should serve even the secular powers good or bad, namely kings, princes, tribunes, centurions, and others of this sort. Second it is taken from that where blessed Peter the apostle says, 1 Peter 2: Be subject to every human creature for God's sake, whether to the king as excelling, or to governors as sent by him. But the grades and orders in the spiritual power are also designated both from the old testament and from the new. From the old indeed it is plain in Numbers ch. 3, where the grade of the high priest Aaron is set down, and of the lesser priests ministering to Aaron, where it is said: And the priests Eleazar and Ithamar were taken before Aaron. Likewise there is set down the ministration of the Levites according to different grades, whence where it is said: Thou shalt give the Levites to Aaron and his sons, to whom they were delivered from the children of Israel for ministry. In the new testament indeed the grades in the spiritual power are also described. First where the grade of the supreme pontiff is ordained, when the fullness of the power of the keys is committed to one singularly, namely to Peter, the Lord saying to him: Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, etc., Matt. 16. Likewise when the care of the universal flock of the Lord is enjoined upon the same, the Lord saying to him: Simon son of John, lovest thou me more than these? Feed my sheep, John last. To whom in the primacy the Roman pontiff succeeds in the Church. Second the difference of the grade of bishops is designated in the apostles, whose place the bishops hold, to whom it is said by the Lord: Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound, etc., Matt. 18. But the grade of priests is taken when the Lord is read to have designated the 72 disciples, who bore the figure of the lesser order of priests, who went before him into every city and place whither he himself was to come, Matt. 10. But under the power of priests the order of deacons, who in archdeacons have judiciary power, is designated by the Apostle in 1 Timothy 3, where after the description of the bishop he says: If deacons minister well they acquire to themselves a good grade.