TERTIARY (Lat. Tertiarius, one of the third rank), a name given by church writers to a class in the Roman Catholic church, who, without entering into the seclusion of a monastery, aspire to practice in ordinary life all the substantial obligations of the scheme of virtue supposed to be laid down in the gospel. Whatever earlier traces of this institu tion may be observable, there is no dispute that it was under St. Francis and the mendi cant orders generally that the institute of tertiary, reached its full development. The rules of the institution of tertiary, such as they have since substantially been main taMed, were made public in 1221. The associates must, of course. all be mem Tiers of the church; and it is moreover required that all shall be of good repute and blameless life. The intending members must restore all ill-gotten goods, must renounce all evil practices, and abandon all feuds and enmities with their neighbors. Wives cannot be received without the consent of their husbands. The obligation of tertiary once accepted, is irrevocable, unless the party should be released, or should enter into a more strict religious order. The members are required to renounce luxury of life, profane exercises and amusements, costly or unseemly dress, and the use of arms, -except in the necessity of self-defence. They must frequent the sacraments; hear mass,
if possible, daily; observe the fasts of the church, as well as certain special austerities: avoid contention, litigation, and unnecessary oaths; cultivate charity toward all, with special obligations toward needy, sick, or afflicted brethren, and practice with more than common fervor the great Christian virtues. The tertiary are placed under the authority of superiors elected at intervals, and for a stated period, and are liable to an annual visitation, conducted by a priest appointed for the purpose. It is to be observed, however, that none of these obligations were supposed to bind the members under pain of mortal sin.
Such was the celebrated institute of the tertiary, or the third order of St. Francis_ Similar lay associations were organized in connection with the Dominican, Carmelite, and Augustinian, as well as with certain of the more modern orders; and a brotherhood of the same character had already been formed by the Templars. It ought to be added, that:the tertiary institute, properly so called, is quite distinct from that of the lay " con fraternities" which exist in connection with the several orders, and the objects of which are very similar.