Chapter 130 — Of the counsels given in the divine law

Since man’s greatest good is that he adhere with his mind to God and divine things, but it is impossible for him to give undivided attention to diverse things, in order that his mind may more freely turn to God the divine law gives counsels, by which men are withdrawn from the occupations of the present life as far as this is possible to one whose life is on the earth. Now, this is not so necessary for man’s righteousness that without it righteousness were impossible, since virtue and righteousness are not destroyed if man make use of things corporal and earthly according to the order of reason. And these admonitions of the divine law are called counsels, and not precepts, inasmuch as man is counselled to forego the lesser goods for the sake of the greater.

Now man’s cares, as regards the general mode of human life, are occupied with three things: first, about his person, as to what he shall do or where he is to live; second, about persons united to him, especially his wife and children; third, about providing himself with those external things which he needs for the support of life. In order to do away with his care for external things, the divine law gives the counsel of poverty, namely, that he should renounce the goods of this world, which are apt to entangle his mind with anxieties. Hence our Lord said: If you would be perfect, go, sell all (Vulgate: what.) you possess and give to the poor . . . and come, follow me (Matt 19:21). In order to remove the care of wife and children, man is given the counsel of virginity or continence. Hence it is said: Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give counsel (1 Cor 7:25). And in order to give the reason for this counsel he adds: The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and he is divided (1 Cor 7:32). In order to remove man’s care of himself, the counsel of obedience is given, whereby he surrenders the disposal of his own acts into the hands of his superior. Therefore, it is said: Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account (Heb 13:17).

And whereas the highest perfection of human life is that man’s mind be occupied with God, and as these three are apparently the best dispositions to that occupation, it would seem that they rightly belong to the state of perfection; not as though they were themselves perfections, but because they are dispositions to perfection which consists in being busy about God. This is clearly indicated by the words of our Lord in counselling poverty, when he said: If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor . . . and come, follow me (Matt 19:21), as though he declared the perfection of life to consist in following him.

They may also be described as the effects and signs of perfection. For when the mind is strongly affected with love and desire of a certain thing, the result is that it thinks less of other things. Therefore, if man’s mind be borne with love and desire towards divine things, in which perfection clearly consists, the result is that he renounces all that may hinder his movement towards God—not only the care of possessions, and love of wife and children, but also love of himself. This is signified by the words of Scripture. For it is said: If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he will reckon it as nothing (Song 8:7); and: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it (Matt 13:45–46); and: Whatever gain I had, I counted as dung for the sake of Christ (Phil 3:7–8). (This quotation combines both verses into one. The Vulgate reads: Quae mihi fuerunt lucra, haec arbitratus sum propter Christum detrimenta . . . Propter quem omnia detrimentum feci, et arbitror ut stercora, ut Christum lucrifaciam.)

Since, then, these three are dispositions to perfection, and the effects and signs of perfection, it is fitting that those who vow these three things should be said to be in the state of perfection.

Now, the perfection to which the things in question dispose a man consists in the mind being occupied with God. Therefore, those who make profession of them are called religious, as dedicating themselves and their possessions as a sacrifice to God: their possessions, by poverty; their body, by continence; their will, by obedience. For religion consists in the worship of God, as stated above. (Ch. 119.)