Chapter II

Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life?

The moral virtues are directed towards external actions, and S. Gregory says[324]: "It belongs to the contemplative life to abstain from all external action." Hence the moral virtues do not pertain to the contemplative life.

A thing may pertain to the contemplative life either essentially or by way of disposition towards it. Essentially, then, the moral virtues do not pertain to the contemplative life; for the goal of the contemplative life is the consideration of truth. "Knowledge," says the Philosopher, "which pertains to the consideration of truth, has little to do with the moral virtues."[325] Hence he also says[326] that moral virtues pertain to active, not to contemplative happiness.

But dispositively the moral virtues do belong to the contemplative life. For actual contemplation, in which the contemplative life essentially consists, is impeded both by the vehemence of the passions which distract the soul from occupation with the things of the intellect, and divert it to the things of sense, and also by external disturbances. The moral virtues, however, keep down the vehemence of the passions, and check the disturbance that might arise from external occupations.

Consequently the moral virtues do pertain to the contemplative life, but by way of disposition thereto.

* * * * *

But some maintain that the moral virtues do pertain to the contemplative life, thus:

1. S. Gregory says[327]: "The contemplative life means keeping charity towards God and our neighbour with our whole soul." But all the moral virtues--acts of which fall under precept--are reduced to love of God and of our neighbour; for _Love is the fulfilling of the Law_.[328] Consequently it would seem that the moral virtues do pertain to the contemplative life.

But, as we have already said, the contemplative life is motived
by the affective faculties, and consequently love of God and of
our neighbour are required for the contemplative life. Impelling
causes, however, do not enter into the essence of a thing, but
prepare for it and perfect it. Hence it does not follow that the
moral virtues essentially pertain to the contemplative life.

2. Again; the contemplative life is especially directed towards the contemplation of God, as S. Gregory says: "The soul, trampling all cares underfoot, ardently yearns to see its Creator's face." But no one can attain to this without that cleanness of heart which the moral virtues procure: _Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God_,[329] and again: _Follow peace with all men with holiness, without which no man shall see God_.[330]

But holiness--that is, cleanness of heart--is produced by those
virtues which have to do with those passions which hinder the
purity of the reason. And peace is produced by justice--the
moral virtue which is concerned with our works: _The work of
justice shall be peace_[331] inasmuch, that is, as a man, by
refraining from injuring others, removes occasions of strife and
disturbance.

3. Lastly, S. Gregory says[332]: "The contemplative life is something beautiful in the soul," and it is for this reason that it is said to be typified by Rachel, for _She was well-favoured and of a beautiful countenance_.[333] But the beauty of the soul, as S. Ambrose remarks, depends upon the moral virtues and especially on that of temperance.[334]

But beauty consists in a certain splendour combined with a
becoming harmony. Both of these points are radically to be
referred to the reason, for to it belongs both the light which
manifests beauty, and the establishment of due proportion in
others. Consequently in the contemplative life--which consists
in the act of the reason--beauty is necessarily and essentially
to be found; thus of the contemplation of Wisdom it is said:
_And I became a lover of her beauty_.[335] But in the moral
virtues beauty is only found by a certain participation--in
proportion, namely, as they share in the harmony of reason; and
this is especially the case with the virtue of temperance whose
function it is to repress those desires which particularly
obscure the light of reason. Hence it is, too, that the virtue
of chastity especially renders a man fit for contemplation, for
venereal pleasures are precisely those which, as S. Augustine
points out, most drag down the mind to the things of sense.[336]

* * * * *

_S. Augustine:_ While it is true that any one of these three kinds of life--the leisurely, the busy, and the life commingled of them both--may be embraced by anybody without prejudice to his faith, and may be the means of leading him to his eternal reward, it is yet important that a man should take note of what it is that he holds to through love of the truth, and should reflect on the nature of the work to which he devotes himself at the demand of charity. For no man should be so addicted to leisure as for its sake to neglect his neighbour's profit; neither should any man be so devoted to the active life as to forget the thought of God. For in our leisured life we are not to find delight in mere idle repose, but the seeking and finding of the truth must be our aim; each must strive to advance in that, to hold fast what he finds, and yet not to grudge it to his neighbour. Similarly, in the life of action: we must not love honour in this life, nor power; for _all things are vain under the sun_. But we must love the toil itself which comes to us together with such honour or power if it be rightly and profitably used--as tending, that is, to the salvation under God of those under us.... Love of truth, then, seeks for a holy leisure; the calls of charity compel us to undertake the labours of justice. If no one lays on us this burden, then must we devote our leisure to the search after and the study of the truth; but if such burden be imposed upon us, we must shoulder it at the call of charity; yet withal we must not wholly abandon the delights of the truth, lest while the latter's sweetness is withdrawn from us, the burden we have taken up overwhelm us (_Of the City of God_, xix. 19).

"O expectation of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of
trouble: why wilt Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a
wayfaring man turning in to lodge? Why wilt Thou be as a
wandering man, as a mighty man that cannot save? but Thou, O
Lord, art among us, and Thy Name is called upon us, forsake us
not."[337]