swer that,_ In human acts, those are sinful which are against
right reason. Now right reason requires that things directed to an
end should be used in a measure proportionate to that end. Again,
man's good is threefold as stated in _Ethic._ i, 8; one consisting in
external things, for instance riches; another, consisting in bodily
goods; the third, consisting in the goods of the soul among which the
goods of the contemplative life take precedence of the goods of the
active life, as the Philosopher shows (Ethic. x, 7), and as our Lord
declared (Luke 10:42), "Mary hath chosen the better part." Of these
goods those that are external are directed to those which belong to
the body, and those which belong to the body are directed to those
which belong to the soul; and furthermore those which belong to the
active life are directed to those which belong to the life of
contemplation. Accordingly, right reason dictates that one use
external goods in a measure proportionate to the body, and in like
manner as regards the rest. Wherefore if a man refrain from
possessing certain things (which otherwise it were good for him to
possess), for the sake of his body's good, or of the contemplation of
truth, this is not sinful, but in accord with right reason. In like
manner if a man abstain from bodily pleasures, in order more freely
to give himself to the contemplation of truth, this is in accordance
with the rectitude of reason. Now holy virginity refrains from all
venereal pleasure in order more freely to have leisure for Divine
contemplation: for the Apostle says (1 Cor. 7:34): "The unmarried
woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord: that she may
be holy in both body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh
on the things of the world, how she may please her husband."
Therefore it follows that virginity instead of being sinful is worthy
of praise.

Reply Obj. 1: A precept implies a duty, as stated above (Q. 122, A.
1). Now there are two kinds of duty. There is the duty that has to be
fulfilled by one person; and a duty of this kind cannot be set aside
without sin. The other duty has to be fulfilled by the multitude, and
the fulfilment of this kind of duty is not binding on each one of the
multitude. For the multitude has many obligations which cannot be
discharged by the individual; but are fulfilled by one person doing
this, and another doing that. Accordingly the precept of natural law
which binds man to eat mus