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[297] Wisd. viii. 16.
[298] De Anima, III., vii. 1.
[299] Of the Divine Names, IV., i. 7.
[300] For a commentary on this passage of S. Denis, see Qu. CLXXX., Art. 6, pp. 203-210.
[301] Ps. xv. 5-6.
[302] Moralia in Job, vi. 18; and Hom. XIV., On Ezechiel.
[303] Ethics, I., v. 21.
[304] Of the City of God, xix. 2 and 19.
[305] Col. iii. 3-4.
[306] 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
[307] 1 John iii. 2.
[308] Exod. iii. 14.
[309] S. John xvii. 3.
[310] 1 Cor. iv. 5.
[311] Ps. v. 5.
[312] Ps. xv. 11.
[313] S. John xiv. 8.
[314] Acts xv. 9.
[315] Ps. xxiv. 6-11.
I. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect,
or does the Will enter into it?
S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii.
ad 3m
II. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life?
S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. 19
III. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts?
S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. 18
Ep., cxxx. ad probam
IV. Does the Contemplative Life consist solely in the
Contemplation of God, or in the Consideration
of other Truths as well?
S. Augustine, Sermon, CLXIX., xiv. 17
Ep., cxxx. ad probam
V. Can the Contemplative Life attain, according to the State of
this Present Life, to the Contemplation
of the Divine Essence?
S. Augustine, Of the Sermon on the Mount, II.,
ix. 35
VII. Has Contemplation its Joys?
VIII. Is the Contemplative Life lasting?
S. Augustine, Sermon, cclix., On Low Sunday
[Pg 179]
S. Gregory the Great says[316]: "The contemplative life means keeping of charity towards God and our neighbour, and fixing all our desires on our Creator." But desire and love belong to the affective or appetitive powers; consequently the contemplative life is not confined to the intellect.
When men's thoughts are principally directed towards the contemplation of the truth, their life is said to be "contemplative." But to "intend" or direct is an act of the will, since "intention" or direction is concerned with the end in view, and the end is the proper object of the will. Hence contemplation, having regard to the actual essence of it, is an act of the intellect; but if we consider that which moves us to the exercise of such an act, then contemplation is an act of the will; for it is the will which moves all the other faculties, including the intellect, to the exercise of their appropriate acts.
But the appetitive faculty—the will, that is—moves us to consider some point either sensibly or intellectually, that is, sometimes out of love for the thing itself—for Where thy treasure is there is thy heart also,—and sometimes out of love of that very knowledge which follows from its consideration. For this reason S. Gregory[317] makes the contemplative[Pg 180] life consist in the love of God, since from love of God a man yearns to look upon His beauty. And since we are delighted when we obtain what we love, the contemplative life consequently results in delight, and this resides in the affective powers, from which, too, love took its rise.
Some, however, urge that the contemplative life lies wholly in the intellect, thus:
1. The Philosopher says[318]: "The end of contemplation is truth." But truth belongs wholly to the intellect.
But from the very fact that truth is the goal of contemplation it derives its character of a desirable and lovable and pleasing good, and in this sense it comes under the appetitive powers.
2. Again, S. Gregory says[319]: "Rachel, whose name is interpreted 'the Beginning seen,' signifies the contemplative life." But the vision of a principle, or beginning, belongs to the intellect.
But it is love of God which excites in us desire of the vision of the First Principle of all—viz., God Himself—and hence S. Gregory says[320]: "The contemplative life, trampling underfoot all cares, ardently yearns to look upon the face of the Creator."
