Whether, in This Life, Perfection Consists in the Observance of the
Commandments or of the Counsels?
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 (Matt. 19:21): "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all
[Vulg.: 'what'] 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.
Obj. 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.
Obj. 3: Further, the perfection of the Christian life is gauged
according to charity, as stated above (A. 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 John 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 (Deut. 6:5): "Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with thy whole heart," and (Lev. 19:18): "Thou shalt
love thy neighbor [Vulg.: 'friend'] as thyself"; and these are the
commandments of which our Lord said (Matt. 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 Obj. 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 Matt. 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 Luke 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 Obj. 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 [*Cf. 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 (A. 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 Obj. 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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