Part Third. On the Religious State

136. • Besides the way of the commandments, by which all men ought to tend toward obtaining eternal salvation, there is given the way of counsels or of special perfection, which is merely of counsel, and is proposed only to a few selected by God Himself, who, bidding farewell to the world, lead life in monasteries.

Christ Himself teaches us this twofold way in many places of the Gospel; for example, Matt. 19:17, He says to the young man inquiring about the way of salvation: "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." And v. 21: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

There is also a certain third way, midway between each of the preceding two, namely the way of chastity, or of continence preserved in the world.

Hence a threefold class of men is established by reason of the means proposed for attaining God, or a threefold state of life, namely 1º the state of matrimony; 2º of celibacy; 3º of religious life. Hence also a threefold grade of perfection; for celibacy, as St. Paul declared and the Council of Trent defined, is more perfect than the matrimonial state; but religious life is, as is plain, the most perfect of all. The sacerdotal state, although in dignity it is the most excellent of all, nevertheless, by reason of perfection, falls far short of religious life. But just as God is wonderful in His saints, so also is He wonderful in the various modes by which He promotes them to sanctity.

We must treat 1º of the nature of the religious state; 2º of religious vocation; 3º of the obligations of Religious by force of vows; 4º of the privileges of Regulars; to which there will be added an Appendix concerning the condition of Religious in France.