Dist. 24, Part 2, Art. 2, Q. 4
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/4/d/24/q/bon-sent-IV-d24-p2-a2-q4
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### Question IV. *Whether the orders are seven, or more, or fewer.*

Fourthly it is asked, whether the orders are seven, or more, or fewer. And that there are only seven:

1. This the master Hugh expressly says; the Master also says [it] in the text.

2. Likewise, it seems by reason: because a sign ought to correspond to the truth; but in this Sacrament the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit is given: therefore it seems that, if grades are assigned in the order, they ought to be seven.

But that they ought to be only three, it seems:

1. By the authority of Dionysius, *On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy*, where he posits only three grades, namely ministers, priests, and bishops.

2. Likewise, this seems by reason: because the distinction of grades ought to be according to the hierarchical acts; but these acts are only three, namely «to purge, to illuminate, and to perfect»: therefore it seems that there are only three grades or orders.

But that there are more, it seems:

3. Because the Church militant imitates the [Church] triumphant, according to what is said in Exodus twenty-five: *Look, and make [it] according to the exemplar, which was shown to you* etc.; but in that [Church] there is distinction and grade among the Angels according to the ninefold number: therefore etc.

4. Likewise, the greater the withdrawal from the principle, the more it is stretched out into multitude; but the ecclesiastical hierarchy is farther distant from the principle of all, the most high God, than the angelic: therefore it ought to be distinguished by more grades and orders than the angelic: therefore there ought to be more orders than nine.

There is therefore a question: on account of what in this Sacrament is there a distinction of grades more than in another; and on account of what in the sevenfold number?

> **Conclusion.** The orders are seven and ordained to one priesthood.

**I respond:** It must be said that all agree in this, namely that a distinction of grades befits this Sacrament, whether on account of this, that in it the members of the Church are ordered in the mystical body according to diverse operations and graces, according to what the Apostle says in the first to the Corinthians, chapter twelve; or on account of this, that according to this Sacrament the beauty of the Church militant is configured and conformed to the beauty of the Church triumphant; or on account of this, that this Sacrament in its highest [grade] sets and disposes man toward the grace of perfection, and perfect grace consists in the plurality of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; or on account of this, that this Sacrament ordains toward the most worthy ministry, which is the consecration of the Lord's body, to which one is not to hasten at once, but to ascend little by little through grades, since this Sacrament, on account of its nobility and reverence, ought to have many lower ministries. — In all these ways the ground of plurality in the grades of the orders is taken; and according to the regard to these grounds of multiplying, the sufficiency of the ecclesiastical grades is derived in diverse ways by diverse [authors].

For some take [it] according to the distinction of the members of the Church, which is attended to according to the *gifts of graces*, which the Apostle determines in the first to the Corinthians, chapter twelve, saying: *To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom* etc.; and these say that there are *nine* orders according to the kinds of graces which are there posited, which are nine. Whence they adapt [it] thus: *To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom*, namely to the bishop; *to another the word of knowledge*, namely to the priest, who ought to know how to bind and to loose; *to another faith*, namely to the deacon, who ought to announce the Gospel, in which our faith is contained; *the working of powers* to the subdeacon, who undertakes the works of perfection; *the interpretation of discourses* to the acolyte, whose [task] is to illuminate others and to put darkness to flight; *the grace of healings* to the exorcist; *the kinds of tongues* to the psalmist; *prophecy* to the lector; and *the discernment of spirits* to the doorkeeper, who admits the good and repels the evil. — But this way of taking [it] is not altogether fitting, since these gifts of graces do not belong to the same, but to diverse members; whereas all the orders are given to the same [persons], though successively.

The second [group] take [it] somewhat more fittingly according to the *conformity of the copy to the exemplar*; for they say that just as in the angelic hierarchy there is a distinction of orders according to *purging, illuminating,* and *perfecting*, so also in the ecclesiastical. Whence there are *nine* orders, according as it took these three acts tripled. For to the first act, of *purgation*, three correspond: since one must be purged either *exteriorly*, or *interiorly*, or *partly thus, partly thus*. If *exteriorly*, by bodily segregation from the evil; thus is the doorkeeper, who admits the good and excludes the evil. If *interiorly*; thus is the last among the lower [ones], namely the acolyte, since such a one does not purge bodily darkness, since he bears the light by day, but spiritual [darkness]. If *partly thus, partly thus*; thus the exorcist, who purges from the diabolical vexation, which is in a certain way *within* with respect to the body, in a certain way *without* with respect to the soul, since the demon does not glide into the soul, although he besiege the body. — Likewise, as regards the act of *illumination*, three orders are received, according as the light is threefold, namely *full, subsequent,* and *antecedent*. The *full* light is in the evangelical teaching, namely the teaching of Christ, which pertains to deacons; the *subsequent* light in the apostolic teaching, which pertains to subdeacons; the *preceding* light in the prophetic, which pertains to lectors. — Likewise, according to the work of *perfection* or consummation the order is threefold: since there is a *first* consummation, as [that] through the grace of baptism and of penance, this is owed to priests; another *more excellent*, and this to bishops, whose [task] is to ordain and to consecrate abbots and virgins; another *most excellent*, as [that] to consecrate bishops and archbishops, and this pertains to the Supreme Pontiff, since he is «father of fathers», in whom is the fullness of authority. And thus the state of this ordination is *consummated* in unity and *descends* through nine grades, so that it may thus be conformed to the heavenly Jerusalem. And this ninefold [number] is reduced to the ternary act, so that it may thus ascend and be configured to the most blessed Trinity: for *purgation* [is directed] to goodness, *illumination* indeed to wisdom, but *consummation* to power. And thus the kingdom of the Church is *handed over to God and the Father* through the Holy Spirit and the Son, while it is reduced to that supreme and paternal unity, beyond which no ascent can be thought. — And this way is probable enough; yet it still withdraws somewhat from propriety, since the distinction of orders is not taken according to that which is proper and intrinsic to it.

The third [group] still take [it] somewhat more fittingly according to the *grace* to which the order ordains. For since it ordains toward perfect grace, which is sevenfold, therefore it befits that there be seven of the ecclesiastical orders: as
grades, so that the order of doorkeeper corresponds to the gift of *fear*, through which man withdraws from evil; the order of priesthood to the gift of *wisdom*, since he tastes and administers the very tree of life, the very heavenly bread, in which is all savor; the intermediate orders correspond to the *intermediate* gifts. — And this way too is probable enough and attains more to the sufficiency of the orders to be truly assigned than any of the aforesaid.

But although all these ways are drawn from the sayings of the masters — for the first from the sayings of Isidore, the second from the sayings of Dionysius, the third from the sayings of Hugh and the Master — yet still it seems that something more reasonable can be said, if we attend to the fourth way of taking [it], which is according to that to which the order is ordained; and this indeed is toward the dispensing of the true body of Christ for the benefit of the mystical body of Christ. Whence in the priesthood there is the state in which is the consummation of power, and each power concurs in it, namely of *confecting* the true body of Christ and of *absolving* the mystical [body]. This most noble order, however, ought to have orders subministering to it according to the exigency of this twofold power. Whence some minister with respect to the *true* body of Christ; and these are the orders nearer to the priesthood itself. For it is to minister in two ways: either by receiving the hosts from the people, and this is [the office] of the subdeacon; or by offering to the priest, and this is [the office] of the deacon and that is their principal office, as Isidore expressly intimates; and hence it is that they are so named: whence the deacon [is] as it were a *minister*, and the subdeacon as it were a *subminister*. — Others, lower, subminister or subserve by preparing the *mystical* body of Christ to the end that it may be able to be led to the true [body] to be worthily received; and to this [end] there are four orders, according as one can be prepared for this in fourfold manner: in the first way by admitting to the sacred place: and this is [the office] of doorkeepers; in the second by furnishing instruction, and this is [the office] of lectors; in the third by rendering aid, and this [the office] of exorcists; in the fourth by showing a good example, and this [the office] of taper-bearers or acolytes, to whom it pertains, *that their light may shine before men, that they may see* etc.

And thus it is clear that the order proceeds in a wonderful way from multitude into unity. For the principal grade is *one*, to which those subserving ought to be *two* — since indeed they fall short of the first, they fall into duality — and again those subserving the two are *four*, since they fall short also of those. — And thus is clear the perfection and consummation of the orders and the distinction in the sevenfold number according to the grades of powers, which are essential to the order; whose number and sufficiency is taken according to that to which they are directed. — These things seen, the objections are sufficiently clear with ease. For what is objected, that they are seven, is to be conceded.

1. But as to what is objected, that they are three, through Dionysius; it must be said that Dionysius comprehends under the ministers seven grades, which all administer to the priest.

2. To that which is objected concerning that threefold act, it must be said that the distinction of orders is not taken according to that threefold act, but rather according to the act of ministering; and even if it were taken [thus], it still would not hold, since those are multiplied, as is clear in the Angels.

3. To that which is objected, that it imitates the heavenly Jerusalem; it must be said that it is true, according as it befits its state. But in that heavenly Jerusalem the orders are assigned as supreme, lower, and middle according to *diverse* regards, as is clear in the distinction of the angelic hierarchies; but the ecclesiastical orders are taken by comparison to *one* principally, since they are [directed] to this; and hence it is that they are neither multiplied in that way nor into as many members as [there are] angelic orders.

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