_, III., ii. 21.

[447] _Ibid._, III., i. 12.

[448] _Of the City of God_, xix. 19.

[449] ii. 1.

[450] Exod. xix. 21.

[451] _Hom._ III., _On Ezechiel_.

[452] _Of Consolation_, v. 2.

[453] _Hom._ III., _On Ezechiel_.

[454] 1 Cor. xii. 31.

[455] _Of the City of God_, xix. 19.

[456] Ps. xlvii. 9, 10, 15.

[457] 2 Cor. v. 15.

[458] Ps. xxvi. 5.

[459] _Moralia in Job_, vi. 18.

[460] _Of the City of God_, xix. 19.

[461] S. Luke x. 40.

[462] _Hom._ III., _On Ezechiel_.

[463] Rom. ix. 3.

[464] _Of Compunction_, i. 7.

[465] 1 Cor. iii. 8.

[466] _Hom._ XIV., _On Ezechiel_.

[467] _Tractat._, 124, _On St. John_, xxi. 22.

[468] _Hom._ XIV., _On Ezechiel_.

[469] _Hom._ XII., _On Ezechiel_.

[470] xxx. 24.

[471] Apoc. xxii. 17.

[472] Wisd. xv. 1-3.

[473] _Moralia in Job_, vi. 17.

[474] _Ibid._

[475] Ps. xlv. 11.

[476] S. Luke x. 41.

[477] _Hom._ XIV., _On Ezechiel_.

[478] S. Matt. xxv. 3, 4.

[479] Heb. x. 20.

[480] S. Luke x. 41, 42.

[481] Ps. cii. 1-15.

[482] _Hom._ III., _On Ezechiel_.

[483] _On the Trinity_, xii. 12.

[484] _Hom._ III., _On Ezechiel_.

[485] _Hom._ XIV., _On Ezechiel_.

[486] ii. 1, 2.

[487] _Moralia in Job_, vi. 17.

[488] _Moralia_, vi. 17.

[489] _Ibid._, vi. 37.

[490] Ps. xvi. 6-9.

QUESTION CLXXXVI

ON THE RELIGIOUS STATE

Are Contemplative Orders superior to Active Orders?

Are Contemplative Orders superior to Active Orders?

The Lord declared that Mary's was _the best part_, and she is the type
of the contemplative life.[491]

Religious Orders differ from one another primarily according to the ends
they have in view, but secondarily according to the works they practise.
And since one thing cannot be said to be superior to another save by
reason of the differences between them, it will follow that the
superiority of one Religious Order to another must depend primarily upon
their respective ends, secondarily upon the works they practise.

And these two grounds of comparison are not of equal value; for the
comparison between them from the point of view of their respective ends
is an absolute one, since an end is sought for its own sake; whereas the
comparison arising from their respective works is a relative one, since
works are not done for their own sake but for the sake of the end to be
gained.

Consequently one Religious Order is superior to another if its end is
absolutely a superior