Chapter 24 — Other arguments used to show that parish priests are in a state of greater perfection than religious

After I had finished writing that upon which I have just been engaged, certain objections to my arguments came to my ears made by men who are too fond of disputing to bestow much reflection either upon what they say or what they hear. (Cf. Gerard of Abbeville, Quodlibet XIV (vat. XVIII), a. 1.) In order to confute their arguments, I must return to what has already been said.

First, these objectors endeavor to prove by diverse arguments that archdeacons and parish priests are in a higher and more perfect state than are religious.

1. For if a priest fall into sin, he is ordered by the canons to be deposed from his state (Decretals 16.81, 4.14.4). (Gratian, Decretum, P. 1, D. 81, ch. 16, "Si quis amodo episcopus" (Friedberg, 1:285); P. 2, C. 14, q. 4, ch. 4, "Si quis oblitus" (Friedberg, 1:736).) Hence he must have been in a certain state or he could not be deposed from it.

2. Now ‘state’ can be used in a threefold signification. First, it implies uprightness of life, for the elect are spoken of as standing in justice; hence St. Gregory says: they who sin by mischievous words fall from the state of rectitude (Moral. 7). (Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job 7.17.59 (CCSL 143; CPL 1708; PL 75:800C).) Again, ‘state’ conveys an idea of permanence and stability as we see from the words of St. Gregory: it is the care and protection of our Creator that keeps us in a state of being (Moral. 8). (Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job 223.27.53 (CCSL 143B; CPL 1708; PL 76:286A).) Again, in the second part of his ninth homily on Ezechiel: a stone is square; and by means of each of its four sides, it is kept in such a state that it will not fall, howsoever its position may be altered. (Gregory the Great, Homiliae in Hiezechihelem prophetam 2.9.5 (CCSL 142; CPL 1710; PL 76:1044D).) ‘State,’ which derives from ‘stando,’ also signifies greatness or length. Now archdeacons and parish priests have a certain spiritual greatness since, on account of their zeal, they undertake the care of souls. Likewise, they give proofs of stability, for they remain firm and constant in the midst of dangers. They are further upright in intention and just in their dealings. Why, then, should we deny that they are in a state of perfection?

3. Again, the establishment of religious orders cannot be to the detriment of deacons and priests who have the care of souls. But before religious orders were founded, those in charge of souls were in the state of perfection. Thus, the Apostle writes to Timothy: let the priests who rule well, namely by good life and doctrine, be esteemed worthy of a double honor (1 Tim 5:17); that is, let them be obeyed in spiritual matters and be provided for in their temporal wants. (Peter Lombard, Commentaries on the Psalms and St. Paul, on 1 Tim 5:17 (PL 192:354B).) If, then, before the existence of religious orders, priests were in a state of perfection, the same must also be the case since the religious life has been established.

4. It is further said that in the days of St. Jerome, the titles ‘bishop’ and ‘priest’ were synonymous, in proof of which they quote the words of St. Jerome commenting on the epistle to Titus: formerly bishop and priest were one and the same, but now it is decreed throughout the whole world that one man should be set over priests in order that the seeds of schism may be extirpated. (Jerome, Commentaria in Epistolam ad Titum, ch. 1, on 1:5 (CCSL 77C; CPL 0591; PL 26:562C); Also found in Gratian, Decretum, P. 1, D. 95: "Olim," ch. 5 (Friedberg, 1:332).) If, then, the episcopate be a state of greater perfection than the religious life, why is not the priesthood also a state of greater perfection?

5. Again, the more sublime and important the ecclesiastical office to which a man is appointed, the higher his state is accounted. Now archdeacons and parish priests exercise a more exalted office than do religious. For although the contemplative life be the safer, the active life is by far the more fruitful of the two. (Liber extravagantium decretalium (Decretales Gregorii Papae IX), bk. 1, tit. 9, ch. 10, sect. 11 (Friedberg, 2:111).) It follows, therefore, that parish priests are in a state of greater perfection than religious.

6. Further, our Lord says: greater love than this has no man, that a man lay down his life for his friend (John 15:13). Now good parish priests do sacrifice their lives for their flocks and make themselves the servants of their people. In this they imitate the Apostle, who says: for whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all (1 Cor 9:19). It would seem, then, that theirs must be the greater merit, since theirs is the greater toil. I have labored more abundantly than all they, says the Apostle (1 Cor 15:15). And again he writes: every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labor (1 Cor 3:8). Hence, parish priests should be regarded as in a more perfect state than religious.

7. The same must be said of archdeacons; for the seven deacons elected by the apostles were in a state of eminent perfection. We are told: wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of good repute, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business (Acts 6:3). On which words Venerable Bede says in his Gloss: the Apostles designed that the churches should establish seven deacons who should be in a superior position to others and who should stand round the altar like columns. (Venerable Bede, Expositio in actus apostolorum, ch. 6, at Acts 6:3 (CCSL 121; CPL 1357; PL 92:956D); Also found in Glossa ordinaria 6, 1041, at Acts 6:3.) If they were to be superior to others, and if they were to be set apart as columns round the altar, they must have been in a state of perfection. Now according to the same Gloss, their representatives are the archdeacons, who themselves minister and who also superintend the ministry of others. (Glossa interlinearis, at Acts 6:3 (in Glossa ordinaria 6, 1041-42).) Hence it would appear that archdeacons are in a state of higher perfection than are the parish priests over whom they are set; and that they are, consequently, in a more perfect state than are religious.

8. Again, it would be absurd to say that the holy martyrs and deacons Stephen, Lawrence, and Vincent were not in a state of perfection.

9. Again, parish priests and archdeacons resemble bishops rather than monks and religious, who are in the lowest rank of subjection. Hence priests are sometimes called by the name of bishops as appears from Acts 20:28: take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Spirit has placed you bishops, to rule the Church of God. These words are considered by the Gloss to have been addressed to the priests of Ephesus. (Venerable Bede, Expositio in actus apostolorum, ch. 20, at Acts 20:28 (CCSL 121; CPL 1357; PL 92:986A); Also found in Glossa ordinaria 6, 1201, at Acts 20:28.) This is, consequently, a still further proof that parish priests are in a state of perfection.

10. Again, as we know from Gratian that the administration of the goods of the Church is not detrimental to the state of perfection, since these goods are common property (Decretals 13.12.1), (Gratian, Decretum, P. 2, C. 12, q. 1, ch. 13, "Expedit" (Friedberg, 1:681).) it is clear that neither parish priests nor archdeacons fail in perfection because they have the management of ecclesiastical revenues.

11. Again, both parish priests and archdeacons are bound to exercise hospitality (Decretals 1.42), (Gratian, Decretum, P. 1, D. 42, arg. by Gratian before ch. 1 (Friedberg, 1:151).) which a monk cannot do since he possesses nothing of his own. Therefore, a parish priest gains more merit than does a monk.

12. Again, St. Gregory says: there is no sacrifice so agreeable to God as zeal for souls (In Hiezech. 1.12). (Gregory the Great, Homiliae in Hiezechihelem prophetam 1.12.30 (CCSL 142; CPL 1710; PL 76:932C).) And St. Bernard, likewise, says that the love of God is strongest in him who draws most souls to God. (The text is falsely attributed to Bernard (possibly his Liber de diligendo Deo, para. 26, ln. 20) by Gerard of Abbeville. The text is in reality found in Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job 14.48 (CCSL 143A; CPL 1708; PL 75:1068A).) This saying applies to an archdeacon or parish priest, but not to a monk, who has no duty of leading souls to God.

13. Again, a patriarch rules in his patriarchate and a bishop in his see. In the same manner, an archdeacon governs in his archdiaconate and a parish priest in his parish. But what, with the exception of ordinations, does a bishop do that a parish priest does not likewise do? (Decretals 14.93). (Gratian, Decretum, P. 1, D. 93, ch. 24, sect. 1, "Legimus" (Friedberg, 1:328). Note: Where the quote has "curatus," as Gerard has in his Quodlibet XIV 469, the original text in the Decretum has "presbyter.") And everything that is said about bishops or bishops elect according to the thirteen chapters of the Regula apostolica is equally applicable to parish priests and archdeacons (Decretals 1.81). (Gratian, Decretum, P. 1, D. 81, arg. by Gratian before ch. 1 (Friedberg, 1:281).) If, then, a bishop be in a state of greater perfection than a monk, the same fact must be true of a parish priest and also of an archdeacon.

14. Again, it is appointed in Gratian that a lapsed priest or deacon is to be banished from his office and imprisoned in a monastery to do penance (Decretals 8.81, 10.81). (Gratian, Decretum, P. 1, D. 81, ch. 8 and 10 (Friedberg, 1:283).) Hence it would appear as though the condition of an archdeacon or parish priest is truly to be called a state; where entrance into religion is not a state but rather a degradation or downfall.

These are the chief objections, though placed in a somewhat different order, which I have been able to gather from the writings of those who argue against me.