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Objection 1: It would seem that, in this life, perfection consists
in the observance not of the commandments but of the counsels. For our
Lord said (Mt. 19:21): "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell
all thou hast, and give to the poor . . . and come, follow Me."
Now this is a counsel. Therefore perfection regards the counsels and
not the precepts.
Objection 2: Further, all are bound to the observance of the
commandments, since this is necessary for salvation. Therefore, if
the perfection of the Christian life consists in observing the
commandments, it follows that perfection is necessary for salvation,
and that all are bound thereto; and this is evidently false.
Objection 3: Further, the perfection of the Christian life is
gauged according to charity, as stated above (Article 1). Now the
perfection of charity, seemingly, does not consist in the observance
of the commandments, since the perfection of charity is preceded both
by its increase and by its beginning, as Augustine says (Super
Canonic. Joan. Tract. ix). But the beginning of charity cannot
precede the observance of the commandments, since according to Jn.
14:23, "If any one love Me, he will keep My word."
Therefore the perfection of life regards not the commandments but the
counsels.
On the contrary, It is written (Dt. 6:5): "Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with thy whole heart," and (Lev. 19:18):
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"; and these are the
commandments of which our Lord said (Mt. 22:40): "On these
two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets." Now the
perfection of charity, in respect of which the Christian life is said
to be perfect, consists in our loving God with our whole heart, and
our neighbor as ourselves. Therefore it would seem that perfection
consists in the observance of the precepts.
I answer that, Perfection is said to consist in a thing in two ways:
in one way, primarily and essentially; in another, secondarily and
accidentally. Primarily and essentially the perfection of the
Christian life consists in charity, principally as to the love of
God, secondarily as to the love of our neighbor, both of which are
the matter of the chief commandments of the Divine law, as stated
above. Now the love of God and of our neighbor is not commanded
according to a measure, so that what is in excess of the measure be a
matter of counsel. This is evident from the very form of the
commandment, pointing, as it does, to perfection---for instance in
the words, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole
heart": since "the whole" is the same as "the perfect," according
to the Philosopher (Phys. iii, 6), and in the words, "Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," since every one loves himself
most. The reason of this is that "the end of the commandment is
charity," according to the Apostle (1 Tim. 1:5); and the end
is not subject to a measure, but only such things as are directed to
the end, as the Philosopher observes (Polit. i, 3); thus a
physician does not measure the amount of his healing, but how much
medicine or diet he shall employ for the purpose of healing.
Consequently it is evident that perfection consists essentially in the
observance of the commandments; wherefore Augustine says (De Perf.
Justit. viii): "Why then should not this perfection be prescribed
to man, although no man has it in this life?"
Secondarily and instrumentally, however, perfection consists in the
observance of the counsels, all of which, like the commandments, are
directed to charity; yet not in the same way. For the commandments,
other than the precepts of charity, are directed to the removal of
things contrary to charity, with which, namely, charity is
incompatible, whereas the counsels are directed to the removal of
things that hinder the act of charity, and yet are not contrary to
charity, such as marriage, the occupation of worldly business, and so
forth. Hence Augustine says (Enchiridion cxxi): "Whatever
things God commands, for instance, 'Thou shalt not commit
adultery,' and whatever are not commanded, yet suggested by a special
counsel, for instance, 'It is good for a man not to touch a
woman,' are then done aright when they are referred to the love of
God, and of our neighbor for God's sake, both in this world and in
the world to come." Hence it is that in the Conferences of the
Fathers (Coll. i, cap. vii) the abbot Moses says: "Fastings,
watchings, meditating on the Scriptures, penury and loss of all
one's wealth, these are not perfection but means to perfection, since
not in them does the school of perfection find its end, but through
them it achieves its end," and he had already said that "we endeavor
to ascend by these steps to the perfection of charity."
Reply to Objection 1: In this saying of our Lord something is
indicated as being the way to perfection by the words, "Go, sell all
thou hast, and give to the poor"; and something else is added wherein
perfection consists, when He said, "And follow Me." Hence
Jerome in his commentary on Mt. 19:27, says that "since it is
not enough merely to leave, Peter added that which is perfect: 'And
have followed Thee'"; and Ambrose, commenting on Lk. 5:27,
"Follow Me," says: "He commands him to follow, not with steps
of the body, but with devotion of the soul, which is the effect of
charity." Wherefore it is evident from the very way of speaking that
the counsels are means of attaining to perfection, since it is thus
expressed: "If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell," etc., as though
He said: "By so doing thou shalt accomplish this end."
Reply to Objection 2: As Augustine says (De Perf. Justit.
viii) "the perfection of charity is prescribed to man in this life,
because one runs not right unless one knows whither to run. And how
shall we know this if no commandment declares it to us?" And since
that which is a matter of precept can be fulfilled variously, one does
not break a commandment through not fulfilling it in the best way, but
it is enough to fulfil it in any way whatever. Now the perfection of
Divine love is a matter of precept for all without exception, so that
even the perfection of heaven is not excepted from this precept, as
Augustine says (De Perf. Justit. viii [De Spir. et Lit.
XXXVI]), and one escapes transgressing the precept, in whatever
measure one attains to the perfection of Divine love. The lowest
degree of Divine love is to love nothing more than God, or contrary
to God, or equally with God, and whoever fails from this degree of
perfection nowise fulfils the precept. There is another degree of the
Divine love, which cannot be fulfilled so long as we are on the way,
as stated above (Article 2), and it is evident that to fail from
this is not to be a transgressor of the precept; and in like manner one
does not transgress the precept, if one does not attain to the
intermediate degrees of perfection, provided one attain to the lowest.
Reply to Objection 3: Just as man has a certain perfection of his
nature as soon as he is born, which perfection belongs to the very
essence of his species, while there is another perfection which he
acquires by growth, so again there is a perfection of charity which
belongs to the very essence of charity, namely that man love God above
all things, and love nothing contrary to God, while there is another
perfection of charity even in this life, whereto a man attains by a
kind of spiritual growth, for instance when a man refrains even from
lawful things, in order more freely to give himself to the service of
God.
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