sons; thus a teacher is said to have an office,
and so is a judge, and so forth. Wherefore Isidore says (Etym. vi,
19) that "to have an office is to be officious," i.e. harmful "to no
one, but to be useful to all."

Reply Obj. 3: Differences of state, offices and grades are taken from
different things, as stated above (A. 1, ad 3). Yet these three
things may concur in the same subject: thus when a person is
appointed to a higher action, he attains thereby both office and
grade, and sometimes, besides this, a state of perfection, on account
of the sublimity of the act, as in the case of a bishop. The
ecclesiastical orders are particularly distinct according to divine
offices. For Isidore says (Etym. vi): "There are various kinds of
offices; but the foremost is that which relates to sacred and Divine
things."
_______________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 183, Art. 4]

Whether the Difference of States Applies to Those Who Are Beginning,
Progressing, or Perfect?

Objection 1: It would seem that the difference of states does not
apply to those who are beginning, progressing, or perfect. For
"diverse genera have diverse species and differences" [*Aristotle,
Categ. ii]. Now this difference of beginning, progress, and
perfection is applied to the degrees of charity, as stated above (Q.
24, A. 9), where we were treating of charity. Therefore it would seem
that the differences of states should not be assigned in this manner.

Obj. 2: Further, as stated above (A. 1), state regards a condition of
servitude or freedom, which apparently has no connection with the
aforesaid difference of beginning, progress, and perfection.
Therefore it is unfitting to divide state in this way.

Obj. 3: Further, the distinction of beginning, progress, and
perfection seems to refer to _more_ and _less,_ and this seemingly
implies the notion of grades. But the distinction of grades differs
from that of states, as we have said above (AA. 2, 3). Therefore
state is unfittingly divided according to beginning, progress, and
perfection.

_On the contrary,_ Gregory says (Moral. xxiv, 11): "There are three
states of the converted, the beginning, the middle, and the
perfection"; and (Hom. xv in Ezech.): "Other is the beginning of
virtue, other its progress, and other still its perfection."

_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 1) state regards freedom or
servitude. Now in spiritual things there is a twofold servitude and a
twofold freedom: for t