either by shouting or striking his
breast, or casting up his hands," because the very strangeness draws
people's attention to him. Yet blame does not attach to all strange
behavior that draws people's attention, for it may be done well or
ill. Hence Augustine says (De Serm. Dom. in Monte ii, 12) that "in
the practice of the Christian religion when a man draws attention to
himself by unwonted squalor and shabbiness, since he acts thus
voluntarily and not of necessity, we can gather from his other deeds
whether his behavior is motivated by contempt of excessive dress or
by affectation." Religious, however, would especially seem not to act
thus from affectation, since they wear a coarse habit as a sign of
their profession whereby they profess contempt of the world.
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QUESTION 188

OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF RELIGIOUS LIFE
(In Eight Articles)

We must now consider the different kinds of religious life, and under
this head there are eight points of inquiry:

(1) Whether there are different kinds of religious life or only one?

(2) Whether a religious order can be established for the works of the
active life?

(3) Whether a religious order can be directed to soldiering?

(4) Whether a religious order can be established for preaching and
the exercise of like works?

(5) Whether a religious order can be established for the study of
science?

(6) Whether a religious order that is directed to the contemplative
life is more excellent than one that is directed to the active life?

(7) Whether religious perfection is diminished by possessing
something in common?

(8) Whether the religious life of solitaries is to be preferred to
the religious life of those who live in community?
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FIRST ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 188, Art. 1]

Whether There Is Only One Religious Order?

Objection 1: It would seem that there is but one religious order. For
there can be no diversity in that which is possessed wholly and
perfectly; wherefore there can be only one sovereign good, as stated
in the First Part (Q. 6, AA. 2, 3, 4). Now as Gregory says (Hom. xx
in Ezech.), "when a man vows to Almighty God all that he has, all his
life, all his knowledge, it is a holocaust," without which there is
no religious life. Therefore it would seem that there are not many
religious orders but only one.

Obj. 2: Further, things which agree in essentials differ only
accidentally. Now there is no religious order