Question 186 — Those Things in Which the Religious State Properly Consists

We must now consider things pertaining to the religious state: which consideration will be fourfold. In the first place we shall consider those things in which the religious state consists chiefly; second, those things which are lawfully befitting to religious; third, the different kinds of religious orders; fourth, the entrance into the religious state.

Under the first head there are ten points of inquiry:

(1) Whether the religious state is perfect?

• (2) Whether religious are bound to all the counsels?
• (3) Whether voluntary poverty is required for the religious state?
• (4) Whether continency is necessary?
• (5) Whether obedience is necessary?
• (6) Whether it is necessary that these should be the matter of a vow?
• (7) Of the sufficiency of these vows;
• (8) Of their comparison one with another;
• (9) Whether a religious sins mortally whenever he transgresses a statute of his rule?
• (10) Whether, other things being equal, a religious sins more grievously by the same kind of sin than a secular person?