Question I: Whether the state of regular prelacy is necessary in a religious order

It must be noted beforehand that a twofold power can be considered in Praelates: one is of Dominion: the other is of Jurisdiction: the former arises from the power of commanding, wherefore it can exist in the Father of a family with respect to his household, as also in a master with respect to his servant: the latter is born of the reception of that Order which Jurisdiction can follow from the declaration of a superior.

Rursus a Praelatus is taken either broadly, insofar as he presides over some in spiritual things, in which sense the Parish priest is said to preside over those entrusted to his care; or properly, for him who has Jurisdiction in the contentious forum, in which sense Praelatus is now commonly understood.

ASSERO, supposing the institution of the regular life, that some pre-eminence in it is simply necessary, so all hold commonly with Suarez, to be cited below.

PROBATUR by the holy Doctor, loco citato. The institution of the regular life is of beginners tending toward the advance of perfection; but such have need of having a superior, at whose nod they may avoid what is harmful, pursue what is useful, be taught what they are ignorant of, etc., as D. Paul says, Hebr. 5. you have need that you be taught, what are the elements of the beginning of the words of the Lord.

PROBATUR secondly in the same place by the holy Doctor: that some are imperfect, who customarily run the more sluggishly in the stadium of virtues, and have need of someone by whom they are not only allured by examples, but also compelled by precepts to the exercise of virtue; which cannot be done without the power of Praelation; but men very imperfect, affected only with the desire of profiting, are wont to enter Religion from the world; and these are detained from sins at the beginning more by human fear than by the divine precept.

PROBATUR thirdly by the Seraphic Doctor. In every well-ordered government it is necessary that there be someone to correct vices and defects; for, as the holy Doctor observes here, sin is like a fever, or a wound, which unless the skill of physicians forestalls them, pass into a worse state; nor can he who falls into fault of himself rise again, unless he is supported by a stronger and corrected; for fault leaves behind it a certain languor, over which it is necessary that power be obtained; wherefore it is said, Luke 9. he gave them virtue and power, that they might cure languors; but the languor of the infirm man is cured by humbly obeying the command of the physician, as the Seraphic Doctor concludes there; but the physician, unless he be in the same house with the infirm man, can allow him to perish before he knows that he is infirm.

PROBATUR finally by Suarez tomo 4. de Relig. lib. 2. cap. 1. There being one correlative, it is necessary that the other exist: but Praelation and obedience in the regular life are two correlatives; the latter exists necessarily in it; therefore also the former.

From these you have that this power ought to be not only directive, but also coercive; for the former without the latter is for the most part useless, since it cannot be given over to execution.

HABES secondly, that it need not necessarily, but befits it, to be a power of jurisdiction; for although everyone is contained sufficiently in religious observance by the dominative power, as appears now in the Nuns, and formerly in so many convents of Monks, whose Prefect for the most part excelled the others not in the dignity of the priesthood, but in the humility of his ministry, as is clear (omitting other instances) in D. Benedict, of whom we read that he was an Abbot, that is, the Father of Monks, but not a priest, as Suarez notes num. 3. et D. Bonavent. in cap. 7. nostrae Regulae: Nevertheless, since the stronger and more efficacious way of coercing faults is through the power of Jurisdiction, and since it can be exercised excellently together with the Power of Dominion, it was fitting that both be joined in the Praelates of Religions, as now almost everywhere it has grown strong by the usage of the Nations.

But this he urges the more strongly, because now most convents of men are exempted from the Jurisdiction of the Bishops, and it would be arduous to govern these either by the supreme Pontiff alone, or by those whom he delegates, since these delegations, being frequent and extraneous, would be liable to various exceptions, and would hinder rather than help.

HABES thirdly, that the power of regular Praelation ought to be Monarchical; both because the Government of the Church, being the most perfect, is such, as the Seraphic Doctor inculcates so often and everywhere; and the fellowship of Religious is (so to speak) a homogeneous part of the ecclesiastical government, the rather because it continually applies itself to the acquiring of perfection, the attainment of which would be not a little delayed if it depended on a multitude, not on unity: Add that the Praelates of Religions ought to succeed into the place and the paternal affection; but one family cannot have several fathers.