Doubt II: What perfection can be had in this life

SINCE essential perfection consists in Charity, and God cannot be loved by us either on the side of the object, as much as He is lovable; or on the side of the power, so as to love Him always and most intensely in act, but He can only be loved so much that He be preferred in estimation to all other things, and indeed things that are an impediment to Charity be avoided by relinquishing them, such as riches, etc., but all venial sins cannot be avoided. Hence the Holy Doctors infer that the highest perfection of Charity cannot be had in this life. The perfection of beginners is to relinquish those things that are opposed to Charity. The same, but more perfect, is also that of the proficient: but that of the perfect and of religious is to relinquish those things that do not allow one to tend freely toward God.

AS TO beginners, it is proved by D. Bonaventure lib. 1. Pharetrae, cap. 33. et 34. from the Fathers.

D. GREGORY lib. 31. moral. cap. 17.: The beginnings of converts are mixed with good morals and bad: because the new life is already being lived by intention, and the old is still retained by habit. And homil. 13. in Ezech.: The way of God is narrow for those who are beginning, and broad for those already living perfectly. And hard are the things which we set before the mind spiritually against custom, and yet the burden of God is light, after we have begun to bear it.

CASSIODORUS in Psalm.: The beginning of perfection is to relinquish carnal vices, etc.

D. BERNARD serm. 4. de Assumpt.: In the first stages of conversion the temptation of an evil habit is wont to rise up more fiercely, and scarcely can the fiery darts of the devil be extinguished.

OF the proficient he brings other authorities of the Fathers, cap. 34.

D. GREGORY homil. 10. in Ezech. says: The more we advance in knowledge, the more we are indignant with ourselves over perverse work.

D. JEROME epist. 4. ad Rusticum monachum: Turn your gaze backward, and anxiously ponder what is past, considering by no means what others do badly, but what good you ought to do. And let not the multitude of sinners lead you astray, but rather imitate the examples of the saints.

THE SAME epist. 14.: Let grace grow in you with the years, let justice grow with age, and let your faith seem the more perfect, the older you are.

S. AUGUSTINE serm. 15. de verb. Apost.: Let what you are always displease you, if you wish to arrive at what you are not yet. For where you have pleased yourself, there you have remained. But if you have said: it suffices, you have perished. See other things there.

OF the perfect, c 35., he brings forth other sayings of the Holy Fathers.

D. GREGORY lib. 19. moral. cap. 8.: Each one is so much the more perfect as he more perfectly feels the pains of others; and lib. 8. cap. 30.: It belongs greatly to the perfect so to seek the glory of the author in the work offended, that they know not how to rejoice in exultation over praise offered to them privately.

And lib. 6. cap. 8.: Each perfect man, when he has conquered vices in himself, at once girds his mind also against the wounds of passion.

And lib. 5. cap. 13.: But he is perfect who is not impatient at the imperfection of his neighbor. For he who, not being able to bear another's imperfection, deserts his neighbor, is himself a witness to himself that he has not yet perfectly perfected.

D. AUGUSTINE lib. de spiritu, et litt. c. 36.: As it seems to me, in that justice which is to be perfected, he has advanced much in this life who has learned by advancing how far he is from the perfection of justice.

THE SAME D. Augustine de vita beata, disp. 3.: No perfect man has need of anyone; and what seems necessary to the body he will take, if it is at hand; if it is not at hand, the lack of these things will not break him.

D. ISIDORE, de summo bono, lib. 2. cap. 29.: As the crime of falsehood is dreaded by the proficient, so idle words are anxiously avoided by perfect men.

THE SAME, cap. 18.: Sins that are light to beginners are judged grave by perfect men.

D. BERNARD epist. 34.: No one is perfect who does not desire to be more perfect.

THE SAME in the life of B. Malachy: Of the just man you have this, that the law of God is in his heart, and not in a code. Nor is this a step of perfection. The perfect man is prepared to lack even necessaries.

THE SAME serm. 57. in Cant.: Everyone is reckoned perfect in whose soul these three things seem to concur fitly and opportunely: namely, that he knows how to groan for himself, and exult in God, and is able to come to the aid of his neighbors' needs, pleasing to God, prudent for himself, useful to his neighbor.

Of these three states, cap. 36., he brings Isidore and D. Bernard.

D. ISIDORE, lib. 2. cap. 7. de summo bono: The progress of every convert is described as threefold: namely, the first, of correcting evil; the second, of doing good; the third, of attaining the reward of the good work.

D. BERNARD, epist. de vita solitaria: The state of beginners may be called animal, of the proficient rational, of the perfect spiritual.

THE SAME, serm. 4. in Cant.: There are, then, these three affections of souls, or advances, sufficiently known and manifest to those alone who have experienced them: namely, when they obtain to behold either indulgence for evil acts, or grace for good deeds to be done, or even the very presence of their granter and benefactor (in that manner, indeed, in which it is possible in a fragile body).

But two extreme errors are found in this matter: one of the Beghards, condemned in the Council of Vienne, Clem. Ad nostram, boasting that the highest Charity can be attained, by which we are rendered impeccable in this life. This error is condemned also in the Council of Trent, sess. 6. cap. 11. can. 23., where it is asserted that all, however perfect, are in this life liable to venial sins, the privilege being set aside.

The other error, directly opposite, is that of the sectarians who deny that mortal sins can be avoided. But these things are confuted Tract. de gratia, disp. 1. prima secundae, and Tract. de Charitate, secunda secundae, disp. 8. quaest. 15.