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Objection 1: It would seem that the order of the theological virtues
is not that faith precedes hope, and hope charity. For the root
precedes that which grows from it. Now charity is the root of all the
virtues, according to Eph. 3:17: "Being rooted and founded in
charity." Therefore charity precedes the others.
Objection 2: Further, Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ.
i): "A man cannot love what he does not believe to exist. But if
he believes and loves, by doing good works he ends in hoping."
Therefore it seems that faith precedes charity, and charity hope.
Objection 3: Further, love is the principle of all our emotions,
as stated above (Article 2, ad 3). Now hope is a kind of
emotion, since it is a passion, as stated above (Question 25,
Article 2). Therefore charity, which is love, precedes hope.
On the contrary, The Apostle enumerates them thus (1 Cor.
13:13): "Now there remain faith, hope, charity."
I answer that, Order is twofold: order of generation, and order of
perfection. By order of generation, in respect of which matter
precedes form, and the imperfect precedes the perfect, in one same
subject faith precedes hope, and hope charity, as to their acts:
because habits are all infused together. For the movement of the
appetite cannot tend to anything, either by hoping or loving, unless
that thing be apprehended by the sense or by the intellect. Now it is
by faith that the intellect apprehends the object of hope and love.
Hence in the order of generation, faith precedes hope and charity.
In like manner a man loves a thing because he apprehends it as his
good. Now from the very fact that a man hopes to be able to obtain
some good through someone, he looks on the man in whom he hopes as a
good of his own. Hence for the very reason that a man hopes in
someone, he proceeds to love him: so that in the order of generation,
hope precedes charity as regards their respective acts.
But in the order of perfection, charity precedes faith and hope:
because both faith and hope are quickened by charity, and receive from
charity their full complement as virtues. For thus charity is the
mother and the root of all the virtues, inasmuch as it is the form of
them all, as we shall state further on (SS, Question 23,
Article 8).
This suffices for the Reply to the First Objection.
Reply to Objection 2: Augustine is speaking of that hope whereby a
man hopes to obtain bliss through the merits which he has already: this
belongs to hope quickened by and following charity. But it is possible
for a man before having charity, to hope through merits not already
possessed, but which he hopes to possess.
Reply to Objection 3: As stated above (Question 40, Article
7), in treating of the passions, hope regards two things. One as
its principal object, viz. the good hoped for. With regard to this,
love always precedes hope: for good is never hoped for unless it be
desired and loved. Hope also regards the person from whom a man hopes
to be able to obtain some good. With regard to this, hope precedes
love at first; though afterwards hope is increased by love. Because
from the fact that a man thinks that he can obtain a good through
someone, he begins to love him: and from the fact that he loves him,
he then hopes all the more in him.
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