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Objection 1: It would seem that charity can be without faith and
hope. For charity is the love of God. But it is possible for us to
love God naturally, without already having faith, or hope in future
bliss. Therefore charity can be without faith and hope.
Objection 2: Further, charity is the root of all the virtues,
according to Eph. 3:17: "Rooted and founded in charity." Now
the root is sometimes without branches. Therefore charity can
sometimes be without faith and hope, and the other virtues.
Objection 3: Further, there was perfect charity in Christ. And
yet He had neither faith nor hope: because He was a perfect
comprehensor, as we shall explain further on (TP, Question 7,
Articles 3,4). Therefore charity can be without faith and hope.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (Heb. 11:6): "Without
faith it is impossible to please God"; and this evidently belongs
most to charity, according to Prov. 8:17: "I love them that
love me." Again, it is by hope that we are brought to charity, as
stated above (Question 62, Article 4). Therefore it is not
possible to have charity without faith and hope.
I answer that, Charity signifies not only the love of God, but also
a certain friendship with Him; which implies, besides love, a
certain mutual return of love, together with mutual communion, as
stated in Ethic. viii, 2. That this belongs to charity is evident
from 1 Jn. 4:16: "He that abideth in charity, abideth in
God, and God in him," and from 1 Cor. 1:9, where it is
written: "God is faithful, by Whom you are called unto the
fellowship of His Son." Now this fellowship of man with God,
which consists in a certain familiar colloquy with Him, is begun
here, in this life, by grace, but will be perfected in the future
life, by glory; each of which things we hold by faith and hope.
Wherefore just as friendship with a person would be impossible, if one
disbelieved in, or despaired of, the possibility of their fellowship
or familiar colloquy; so too, friendship with God, which is
charity, is impossible without faith, so as to believe in this
fellowship and colloquy with God, and to hope to attain to this
fellowship. Therefore charity is quite impossible without faith and
hope.
Reply to Objection 1: Charity is not any kind of love of God, but
that love of God, by which He is loved as the object of bliss, to
which object we are directed by faith and hope.
Reply to Objection 2: Charity is the root of faith and hope, in so
far as it gives them the perfection of virtue. But faith and hope as
such are the precursors of charity, as stated above (Question 62,
Article 4), and so charity is impossible without them.
Reply to Objection 3: In Christ there was neither faith nor hope,
on account of their implying an imperfection. But instead of faith,
He had manifest vision, and instead of hope, full comprehension
[Question 4, Article 3]: so that in Him was perfect charity.
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