saw all the wisdom of
Solomon . . . and the apartments of his servants, and the order of
his ministers . . . she had no longer any spirit in her." Hence the
Apostle says (2 Tim. 2:20) that "in a great house there are not only
vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth."

Reply Obj. 1: The distinction of states and duties is not an obstacle
to the unity of the Church, for this results from the unity of faith,
charity, and mutual service, according to the saying of the Apostle
(Eph. 4:16): "From whom the whole body being compacted," namely by
faith, "and fitly joined together," namely by charity, "by what every
joint supplieth," namely by one man serving another.

Reply Obj. 2: Just as nature does not employ many means where one
suffices, so neither does it confine itself to one where many are
required, according to the saying of the Apostle (1 Cor. 12:17), "If
the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing?" Hence there
was need in the Church, which is Christ's body, for the members to be
differentiated by various duties, states, and grades.

Reply Obj. 3: Just as in the natural body the various members are
held together in unity by the power of the quickening spirit, and are
dissociated from one another as soon as that spirit departs, so too
in the Church's body the peace of the various members is preserved by
the power of the Holy Spirit, Who quickens the body of the Church, as
stated in John 6:64. Hence the Apostle says (Eph. 4:3): "Careful to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Now a man departs
from this unity of spirit when he seeks his own; just as in an
earthly kingdom peace ceases when the citizens seek each man his own.
Besides, the peace both of mind and of an earthly commonwealth is the
better preserved by a distinction of duties and states, since thereby
the greater number have a share in public actions. Wherefore the
Apostle says (1 Cor. 12:24, 25) that "God hath tempered (_the body_)
together that there might be no schism in the body, but the members
might be mutually careful one for another."
_______________________

THIRD ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 183, Art. 3]

Whether Duties Differ According to Their Actions?

Objection 1: It would seem that duties do not differ according to
their actions. For there are infinite varieties of human acts both in
spirituals and in temporals. Now there can be no certain distinction
among things that are infinite in number. Therefore