The Three Degrees of the Spiritual Life

551. (b) Let the confessor keep before his eyes that there are three degrees or states of perfection, according to the diverse degrees of charity, namely the state of beginners, of those progressing, and of the perfect; to which correspond the three spiritual ways: purgative, illuminative, and unitive.

Beginners are those who are not only retarded by concupiscences and passions, but also are in danger of sometimes falling into mortal sin. These are in the purgative way, because they purge themselves from sins by mortifying the passions and at the same time fostering charity. - Those progressing, their passions now calmed, more easily devote themselves to the operation of the virtues, especially the moral virtues, and to the increase of charity; hence they are in the illuminative way, because, since they are more immune from vices and concupiscences, they are more often illuminated by God. - But the perfect, their passions having been subdued, become accustomed to the exercise not only of moral virtues, but also theological virtues, and promptly and delightfully devote themselves to the love of God; hence they walk in the unitive way, because they are united to God more intimately and more frequently. - In practice, however, these degrees are not so clearly distinct; and there is no state or degree which does not in some way participate in another degree; therefore in any state one must unceasingly devote oneself to mortification, to the moral virtues, and to the theological virtues; but in the first degree one must insist more on mortification; in the second, on the moral virtues; and in the third, on the theological virtues.

IV. Threefold grade or state in perfection. - In order to perfection, or the progressive ascent of the mind to God, there is distinguished a threefold grade of charity or state of the just, who study to live and advance in charity, namely of beginners, of proficients, and of the perfect.

"First indeed there lies upon man the principal study of receding from sin and resisting its concupiscences, which move contrary to charity; and this pertains to beginners, in whom charity is to be nourished and fostered, lest it be corrupted. But a second study succeeds, that man principally intend to this, that he advance in the good; and this study pertains to proficients, who principally intend to this, that in them charity be strengthened by increase. But the third study is, that man principally intend to this, that he adhere to God and enjoy Him; and this pertains to the perfect, who desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ," II-II, q. 24, a. 9.

In other words, it is necessary 1) to avoid sin and therefore to mortify the passions and repress concupiscence; 2) the passions having been calmed and concupiscence restrained, to be exercised more and to advance in virtue; 3) the passions having been subdued and concupiscence almost extinguished, to enjoy divine union.

Yet these three states are never found so distinct that each of them does not participate in something of the others, ibid., ad 2 and 3; therefore in any state whatever one must unceasingly apply oneself to mortification, to the exercise of virtues, and to divine love; but in the first grade one must insist more upon mortification, in the second upon progress in virtue, in the third upon the perfect exercise of charity. According to the three aforesaid states, three ways of those who study perfection are also customarily distinguished: purgative, illuminative, and unitive. The way of beginners is called purgative because first and of itself it tends to purging the soul from sins and stripping off the old man with his acts by mortifying the passions, so that charity may be preserved. The way of proficients is called illuminative, because of itself it tends to this, that, the passions having been calmed, the mind, more immune from vices and concupiscences, now may be more abundantly illuminated by God concerning Christian virtues, and may manfully apply itself to the operation of virtues and the increase of charity, and through this the new man may be put on. The way of the perfect is called unitive, because, the passions having been subdued and the practice of virtues acquired, and thus internal peace and tranquility of soul obtained, of itself and especially it is ordered to the prompt and delightful exercise of charity and to the closest union of the soul with God.

STATUS (state), as a particular condition of life, and as it were accepted at Tully pro Balbo, can thus be described with D. Thom.: A state is a certain moral, or spiritual condition of life, pertaining to some liberty, or subjection, or servitude, with a certain immobility.

HENCE all conditions of life are states, as that one be rich, or poor. Although states are various, nevertheless we treat only those which look to some particular perfection; and indeed a state properly has perfection, as D. Bonavent. notes in 2. dist. 4. dub. 3. litt.

AND since a state brings immobility, hence, although the state of the married, of virgins, and of widows is everywhere called a state by the Doctors, especially by D. Bonavent., they are nevertheless not properly states, because they lack immobility, except when widowhood, and virginity is a vow. But the state of the married is not now treated; partly because I shall deal with it in part 3 of the Tract. on matrimony, partly because here states having a special perfection are being treated.

IN many ways states are divided. First on the side of actions, and offices, which are various. Whereby one is the state of Bishops; another of Religious; another of Laics, of whom the Saintly Doctor treats most excellently de Ecclesiast. Hierarchia, and lib. 1. Pharetrae. In these there are various offices, and grades.

SECONDLY states are divided on the side of persons, who are constituted in some state pertaining to perfection. Here, indeed, one is the state of Beginners; another of Proficients; another of the Perfect, whom the Saintly Doctor pursues learnedly with the outstanding assertions of the holy Fathers lib. 1. Pharetrae, from cap. 33, and D. Thom. art. 4.

THE state of Beginners consists in continual combat against vices, as D. Bonav. teaches c. 33. l. 1. lib. Pharetrae, from D. Gregory homil. 17. on Ezech., and Bernard serm. 4. on the Assumption of the B. Virgin.

THE state of Proficients is, the impulse of the passions somehow conquered, to toil in the fashioning of virtues. Of which there are marvelous things which the Saintly Doctor reports from the Fathers cap. 34.

THE state of the perfect is that of those who, aflame with the ardor of CHARITY, live a tranquil life with God without great labor. This D. Bonaventure pursues at length with the golden sayings of the saints cap. 35.

But these three states are explained thus by D. Bonavent. c. 36, and D. Thom. art. 4.: spiritual states consist in human endeavor, which, like other things, since they have a beginning, a middle, and an end, require the Beginning of perfection, the Middle, and the Summit, confirmed by proportionate works.

YOU OBJECT first. To begin, to advance, and to be perfected pertain altogether to the same thing: Therefore there is one state of all these. The antecedent is clear from the holy Fathers: Bernard serm. 3. and 4. on the Canticle, Jerome in the Prologue on the books of Solomon, Gregory everywhere in the Morals, especially lib. 24. cap. 7, lib. 25. cap. 3, and homil. 10. and 14. on Ezech., Isidore de summo bono, lib. 2. cap. 7. sent. 7, and others in D. Bonavent. loco cit. of the Pharetra, whom Valentia disp. 10. quaest. 1. puncto 2 cites.

It is answered first with D. Bonavent. cap. 36, from D. Gregory himself, 24. moral. cap. 7, that these are diverse modes, which distinguish the states of spiritual men for diverse times.

It is answered second with the same D. Bonavent. there, from D. Ber. serm. 3. de assumptione, that these three states are enumerated in respect of diverse persons, so that beginners are diverse from proficients; and he distinguishes them by their diverse life, so that Beginners are expressed in Lazarus: Proficients in Martha: the Perfect in Mary. Both answers are good, but the first better, as Valentia notes.

YOU OBJECT second. State implies immobility; but these modes imply it not.

Valentia answers first that immobility is taken not as to mode, but as to the essence of the state; these, however, are three modes of the state. He adds second that these modes are also states, because we do not easily pass from beginners to proficients.

A weighty question confronts us with the heretics concerning the various men of the Church, who constitute various states: for there are first, as I said, the states of Laics, Clerics, and Religious, and of Bishops, which the Saintly Doctor pursues at length lib. 1. Pharetrae.

AGAIN the state of Laics is divided into the married, widows, and virgins. Of these the Saintly Doctor in Pharetra lib. 1. The state of Clerics into those constituted in Minor Orders, Subdeacons, Deacons, and Priests, who are not intersected by various states, but hold various grades, and perform various offices.

THE Episcopal state is divided into Bishops, Archbishops, Primates, Patriarchs, Cardinals, and the Pontiff.

THE state of Religious is various: For some cultivate the active life; others the contemplative; others the mixed. Of those, some busy themselves with corporal works of mercy, others with spiritual. The contemplative either live in solitude, and are called Anchorites, or in society, and the congregation of many brothers, and are called Cenobites. These again either attend properly to themselves alone, nor by institute serve in clerical functions, and are called Monks. Others by force of their institute are assigned to clerical offices, and functions, and are called Clerics. Both again either by institute live on begging, enjoy the privileges of Mendicants, and are called Mendicants: or without begging are nourished from revenues, and are called non-Mendicants. Finally both obtain various appellations according to the reason of their founder: Some Augustinians; others Benedictines; others Franciscans: others Dominicans, and so of the rest, whom Tannetus disp. 6. quaest. 1. dub. 1, and D. Thom. q. 183. art. 2. and 3, and more fully q. 188 recites. More broadly D. Bonav. lib. 1. Pharetrae, and in the Apologies for Religious, and serm. 22. Hexaëm., where he pursues the Institutes of all.

FURTHERMORE the diversity of offices, and so of ministers, arises in the Church from the difference of administrations, and actions, which are necessary by Divine Institution, in order that the faithful be led to beatitude.

AND indeed such actions are three, generally speaking, namely: The dissemination of the word of God through preaching: The administration of the Sacraments; and the Governance, or rule of souls.

WHICH three actions are rightly reduced to those three Hierarchical acts which S. Dionysius c. 5. and 6. de Eccl. Hierarch. has, namely to Purify, to Illuminate, and to Perfect; for the Preaching of the Divine word pertains to purification: Illumination, as Dionysius himself says, to the administration of the Sacraments, by which the splendor of grace is communicated to the faithful: but to Perfect pertains to those who rule, especially to Bishops, whom S. Dionysius calls Perfectors. Of these at length the Saintly Doctor lib. 1. Pharatra, and de Eccl. Hierarch., and serm. 22. Hexaëmeronis.

AND indeed to the office of preaching are destined in a special way the Preachers of the word of God in the Church, of whom I shall treat below, the only sub-question. But to the administration of the sacraments various ministers attend according to the various grades, which are contained in the sacrament of order.

FINALLY the governance is divided into various grades, for among Priests some are Parish priests, others Archpriests, others Provosts, others Archdeacons, others Primicerii, others Abbots. Again the state of Bishops has more, of Bishops, of Metropolitans, of Patriarchates: which grades are recited cap. Perlectis, 25. dist.¹ The supreme Governor, however, is the Roman Pontiff, as I showed p. p. Tract. 1. in the Theological places, from the Saintly Doctor in serm. 20. and 22. Hexaëmeronis. ¹ N. Editor's note: the print reads 'Qui gradus tesenuntur' — a garbled verb (perhaps 'recensentur', 'are recited'); kept as printed in the Latin, corrected from the OCR transcription's 'teseruntur' to the scan reading 'tesenuntur'.

THE end of this whole ordination, and diversity, is the consummation of the saints, according to the Apostle Ephes. 4., that is, the Charity of God, by which the faithful are joined with God, and as Dionysius says lib. Eccl. Hierarch., and D. Bonaventure there, they are perfected, and made like God, as the Apostle expounds, Coloss. 1: Teaching in all wisdom, that we may make every man perfect in Christ Jesus; in which labor, etc.

AGAINST this array of camps rush the phalanxes of heretics. First they detest the state of Religious. Then they give the office of preaching to all. Both errors they ascribe to the Waldenses AEneas Sylvius lib. 1. de origine Bohem., and others. Following them were Wycliffe, John Hus, and Luther, who also denies the variety of grades, and the sacrament of order lib. de capt. Babylonica.

They execrate especially the Ecclesiastical power, which they proclaim tyrannical, and usurped by the Roman Pontiff, and the Bishops.

I refuted these errors Tom. 1. p. p. de locis Theol. and the Tract. on laws. Now let us show the diversity of these states in the Church, most useful.

I ASSERT therefore first: That variety of states in the Church is most congruous, and most pleasing to God.

It is proved first from D. Bonav. serm. 10. Hexaëmer. For the Church is nothing else than an orderly, and harmonious ordination of camps, as is said Cant. 7: What shall you see in the Sulamite, but the choirs of camps? And in camps there is a hierarchical ordination, that soldiers serve under Decurions; these under centurions; those under Leaders, and all serve under one Emperor.

It is proved second from S. Bonav. there, and serm. 21. The Church is as it were a firmament, in which there are various stars; the planets are of six magnitudes, among which are the Moon, and the Sun, from which the others, hanging therefrom, receive greater, or lesser light according to their capacity. Hence it is said Cant. 6: Who is she that goes forth, beautiful as the moon, chosen as the sun, terrible as an army set in array?

It is proved third from the Saintly Doctor serm. 20. and 21. Hexaëmer., and in 4. dist. 24. art. 2. quaest. 1. The Church militant is like the triumphant; for it is said Heb. 9. that these things, which are in the Church, are patterned from those which are in the celestial Jerusalem: but in the triumphant there are Hierarchical orders of various office, and ministry, some preceding others; some teaching, illuminating, and perfecting others: Therefore also in our Church. This argument the whole of serm. 22. pursues at length. Therefore the Church is that woman seen Apoc. 12, clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars, as the Saintly Doctor observes serm. 20. and 22. and 23. loco cit.

But that this city may be recognized as like to the supernal Jerusalem of the Church, that celestial one appeared to John descending from heaven. The corner stone compares, and joins both, and the image of this one is described by D. Paul to the Galatians. See the Saintly Doctor serm. 23. For the Apostle calls these celestial exemplars Heb. 9. and 10., and S. Dionysius cap. 1. de caelest. Hier. says the distinction of the celestial orders is expressed by the Divine goodness in the various priests, and orders of this Church, as the Saintly Doctor demonstrates at length in the sermon cited, and the opusc. de Eccles. Hierarchia.

¶ It is confirmed from the Saintly Doctor in the sermons cited, for the ancient Church was a figure of ours, as the Apostle often discourses 1. Cor. 9. Heb. loco cit.; but in the ancient one there were various orders of men ministering: Therefore.

¶ Moreover Christ instituted the governance of His Church as a Monarchy, that the Apostles, unequal, together with all others be subject to Peter, as is said Matth. 16. Ioan. 21., which I showed most broadly p. p. Tract. 1. disp. 4. and 5., and Turrianus elegantly pursues lib. 1. de Hierarch. ord. cap. 6. and 10. But that this Hierarchy of Orders was instituted, to last until the end of the world, I showed there. For the Church is always one body, as is said 1. Cor. 12. Rom. 12.; but in a body there is a head, from which the other members draw life, and sense; so therefore here, as I discoursed diffusely there, and the Saintly Doctor discourses serm. 22., where it draws its principality of members from the Head, although the heart is called the prince of members by the Philosopher. The same argument he has in 4. dist. 24.

¶ It is proved from the Saintly Doctor in the places cited by the authority of the Fathers, from whom I shall report some: Contemplate what it is to preside over the holy people, and consider how great a thing it is to labor over the divine sacraments. It is adduced in Pharetra lib. 1. cap. 20. from D. Augustine de singularitate clericorum: But it is noted in the margin to be in Pamelius, as a saying of S. Cyprian.

Jerome in Sophoniam cap. 3: He that desires a bishopric, he says, desires a good work. See what he said: work, not dignity. But if he has looked only at dignity, he will quickly fall, from Pharetra, lib. 1. cap. 19.

D. Augustine in Dial. ad Oros. quaest. 65: Let him know that he is not a bishop who desires to preside, not to profit; and lib. 19. de civitate, cap. 19: Bishop is a name of work, not of honor. For Scopos in Greek we can say in Latin to superintend, that he may understand that he is not a bishop who has desired to preside, not to profit, from Pharetra loco citato.

D. Ambrose de dignitate sacerd. cap. 3: As the episcopal grade is higher than the others, so, if it slides through negligence, the fall is graver: from Pharetra, loco citato.

D. Gregory in the Pastoral, part 2. cap. 1: The action of the Prelate ought so to transcend the action of the people as the life of the Shepherd is wont to differ from the flock. For he must studiously strive to measure himself by what necessity of the rectitude to be held he is bound, under whose estimation the people is called a flock.

D. Dionysius lib. de Eccl. Hier. cap. 5: Because the priestly distinctions are images of divine actions, most ornate, and without confusion, indicating the innate splendors of the order of divine operations, they are distinguished into the first, and middle, and last holy actions, and orders by pontifical discretion. The opusc. de Eccl. Hierar. often inculcates this sentiment.