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Objection 1: It would seem that it is lawful to desire the office of
a bishop. For the Apostle says (1 Tim. 3:1): "He that
desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." Now it is
lawful and praiseworthy to desire a good work. Therefore it is even
praiseworthy to desire the office of a bishop.
Objection 2: Further, the episcopal state is more perfect than the
religious, as we have said above (Question 184, Article 7).
But it is praiseworthy to desire to enter the religious state.
Therefore it is also praiseworthy to desire promotion to the episcopal
state.
Objection 3: Further, it is written (Prov. 11:26): "He
that hideth up corn shall be cursed among the people; but a blessing
upon the head of them that sell." Now a man who is apt, both in
manner of life and by knowledge, for the episcopal office, would seem
to hide up the spiritual corn, if he shun the episcopal state, whereas
by accepting the episcopal office he enters the state of a dispenser of
spiritual corn. Therefore it would seem praiseworthy to desire the
office of a bishop, and blameworthy to refuse it.
Objection 4: Further, the deeds of the saints related in Holy
Writ are set before us as an example, according to Rm. 15:4,
"What things soever were written, were written for our learning."
Now we read (Is. 6:8) that Isaias offered himself for the
office of preacher, which belongs chiefly to bishops. Therefore it
would seem praiseworthy to desire the office of a bishop.
On the contrary, Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xix, 19):
"The higher place, without which the people cannot be ruled, though
it be filled becomingly, is unbecomingly desired."
I answer that, Three things may be considered in the episcopal
office. One is principal and final, namely the bishop's work,
whereby the good of our neighbor is intended, according to Jn.
21:17, "Feed My sheep." Another thing is the height of
degree, for a bishop is placed above others, according to Mt.
24:45, "A faithful and a wise servant, whom his lord hath
appointed over his family." The third is something resulting from
these, namely reverence, honor, and a sufficiency of temporalities,
according to 1 Tim. 5:17, "Let the priests that rule well be
esteemed worthy of double honor." Accordingly, to desire the
episcopal office on account of these incidental goods is manifestly
unlawful, and pertains to covetousness or ambition. Wherefore our
Lord said against the Pharisees (Mt. 23:6,7): "They love
the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues,
and salutations in the market-place, and to be called by men,
Rabbi." As regards the second, namely the height of degree, it is
presumptuous to desire the episcopal office. Hence our Lord reproved
His disciples for seeking precedence, by saying to them (Mt.
20:25): "You know that the princes of the gentiles lord it over
them." Here Chrysostom says (Hom. lxv in Matth.) that in these
words "He points out that it is heathenish to seek precedence; and
thus by comparing them to the gentiles He converted their impetuous
soul."
On the other hand, to desire to do good to one's neighbor is in
itself praiseworthy, and virtuous. Nevertheless, since considered as
an episcopal act it has the height of degree attached to it, it would
seem that, unless there be manifest and urgent reason for it, it would
be presumptuous for any man to desire to be set over others in order to
do them good. Thus Gregory says (Pastor. i, 8) that "it was
praiseworthy to seek the office of a bishop when it was certain to bring
one into graver dangers." Wherefore it was not easy to find a person
to accept this burden, especially seeing that it is through the zeal of
charity that one divinely instigated to do so, according to Gregory,
who says (Pastor. i, 7) that "Isaias being desirous of profiting
his neighbor, commendably desired the office of preacher."
Nevertheless, anyone may, without presumption, desire to do such
like works if he should happen to be in that office, or to be worthy of
doing them; so that the object of his desire is the good work and not
the precedence in dignity. Hence Chrysostom says: "It is indeed
good to desire a good work, but to desire the primacy of honor is
vanity. For primacy seeks one that shuns it, and abhors one that
desires it" [Opus Imperfectum in Matth. (Hom. xxxv)].
Reply to Objection 1: As Gregory says (Pastor. i, 8),
"when the Apostle said this he who was set over the people was the
first to be dragged to the torments of martyrdom," so that there was
nothing to be desired in the episcopal office, save the good work.
Wherefore Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xix, 19) that when the
Apostle said, "'Whoever desireth the office of bishop, desireth a
good work,' he wished to explain what the episcopacy is: for it
denotes work and not honor: since skopos signifies 'watching.'
Wherefore if we like we may render episkopein by the Latin
'superintendere' [to watch over]: thus a man may know himself to be
no bishop if he loves to precede rather than to profit others." For,
as he observed shortly before, "in our actions we should seek, not
honor nor power in this life, since all things beneath the sun are
vanity, but the work itself which that honor or power enables us to
do." Nevertheless, as Gregory says (Pastor. i, 8), "while
praising the desire" (namely of the good work) "he forthwith turns
this object of praise into one of fear, when he adds: It behooveth .
. . a bishop to be blameless," as though to say: "I praise what
you seek, but learn first what it is you seek."
Reply to Objection 2: There is no parity between the religious and
the episcopal state, for two reasons. First, because perfection of
life is a prerequisite of the episcopal state, as appears from our
Lord asking Peter if he loved Him more than the others, before
committing the pastoral office to him, whereas perfection is not a
prerequisite of the religious state, since the latter is the way to
perfection. Hence our Lord did not say (Mt. 19:21): "If
thou art perfect, go, sell all thou hast," but "If thou wilt be
perfect." The reason for this difference is because, according to
Dionysius (Eccl. Hier. vi), perfection pertains actively to the
bishop, as the "perfecter," but to the monk passively as one who is
"perfected": and one needs to be perfect in order to bring others to
perfection, but not in order to be brought to perfection. Now it is
presumptuous to think oneself perfect, but it is not presumptuous to
tend to perfection. Secondly, because he who enters the religious
state subjects himself to others for the sake of a spiritual profit,
and anyone may lawfully do this. Wherefore Augustine says (De
Civ. Dei xix, 19): "No man is debarred from striving for the
knowledge of truth, since this pertains to a praiseworthy ease." On
the other hand, he who enters the episcopal state is raised up in order
to watch over others, and no man should seek to be raised thus,
according to Heb. 5:4, "Neither doth any man take the honor to
himself, but he that is called by God": and Chrysostom says: "To
desire supremacy in the Church is neither just nor useful. For what
wise man seeks of his own accord to submit to such servitude and peril,
as to have to render an account of the whole Church? None save him
who fears not God's judgment, and makes a secular abuse of his
ecclesiastical authority, by turning it to secular uses."
Reply to Objection 3: The dispensing of spiritual corn is not to be
carried on in an arbitrary fashion, but chiefly according to the
appointment and disposition of God, and in the second place according
to the appointment of the higher prelates, in whose person it is said
(1 Cor. 4:1): "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers
of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God." Wherefore
a man is not deemed to hide spiritual corn if he avoids governing or
correcting others, and is not competent to do so, neither in virtue of
his office nor of his superior's command; thus alone is he deemed to
hide it, when he neglects to dispense it while under obligation to do
so in virtue of his office, or obstinately refuses to accept the office
when it is imposed on him. Hence Augustine says (De Civ. Dei
xix, 19): "The love of truth seeks a holy leisure, the demands
of charity undertake an honest labor. If no one imposes this burden
upon us, we must devote ourselves to the research and contemplation of
truth, but if it be imposed on us, we must bear it because charity
demands it of us."
Reply to Objection 4: As Gregory says (Pastor. i, 7),
"Isaias, who wishing to be sent, knew himself to be already cleansed
by the live coal taken from the altar, shows us that no one should dare
uncleansed to approach the sacred ministry. Since, then, it is very
difficult for anyone to be able to know that he is cleansed, it is
safer to decline the office of preacher."
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