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Objection 1: It would seem that the fruits are unsuitably enumerated
by the Apostle (Gal. 5:22,23). Because, elsewhere, he
says that there is only one fruit of the present life; according to
Rm. 6:22: "You have your fruit unto sanctification."
Moreover it is written (Is. 27:9): "This is all the fruit .
. . that the sin . . . be taken away." Therefore we should not
reckon twelve fruits.
Objection 2: Further, fruit is the product of spiritual seed, as
stated (Article 1). But Our Lord mentions (Mt. 13:23) a
threefold fruit as growing from a spiritual seed in a good ground,
viz. "hundredfold, sixtyfold," and "thirtyfold." Therefore one
should not reckon twelve fruits.
Objection 3: Further, the very nature of fruit is to be something
ultimate and delightful. But this does not apply to all the fruits
mentioned by the Apostle: for patience and long-suffering seem to
imply a painful object, while faith is not something ultimate, but
rather something primary and fundamental. Therefore too many fruits
are enumerated.
Objection 4: On the other hand, It seems that they are enumerated
insufficiently and incompletely. For it has been stated (Article
2) that all the beatitudes may be called fruits; yet not all are
mentioned here. Nor is there anything corresponding to the acts of
wisdom, and of many other virtues. Therefore it seems that the fruits
are insufficiently enumerated.
I answer that, The number of the twelve fruits enumerated by the
Apostle is suitable, and that there may be a reference to them in the
twelve fruits of which it is written (Apoc. 22:2): "On both
sides of the river was the tree bearing twelve fruits." Since,
however, a fruit is something that proceeds from a source as from a
seed or root, the difference between these fruits must be gathered from
the various ways in which the Holy Ghost proceeds in us: which
process consists in this, that the mind of man is set in order, first
of all, in regard to itself; secondly, in regard to things that are
near it; thirdly, in regard to things that are below it.
Accordingly man's mind is well disposed in regard to itself when it
has a good disposition towards good things and towards evil things.
Now the first disposition of the human mind towards the good is
effected by love, which is the first of our emotions and the root of
them all, as stated above (Question 27, Article 4). Wherefore
among the fruits of the Holy Ghost, we reckon "charity," wherein
the Holy Ghost is given in a special manner, as in His own
likeness, since He Himself is love. Hence it is written (Rm.
5:5): "The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the
Holy Ghost, Who is given to us." The necessary result of the love
of charity is joy: because every lover rejoices at being united to the
beloved. Now charity has always actual presence in God Whom it
loves, according to 1 Jn. 4:16: "He that abideth in charity,
abideth in God, and God in Him": wherefore the sequel of charity
is "joy." Now the perfection of joy is peace in two respects.
First, as regards freedom from outward disturbance; for it is
impossible to rejoice perfectly in the beloved good, if one is
disturbed in the enjoyment thereof; and again, if a man's heart is
perfectly set at peace in one object, he cannot be disquieted by any
other, since he accounts all others as nothing; hence it is written
(Ps. 118:165): "Much peace have they that love Thy Law,
and to them there is no stumbling-block," because, to wit, external
things do not disturb them in their enjoyment of God. Secondly, as
regards the calm of the restless desire: for he does not perfectly
rejoice, who is not satisfied with the object of his joy. Now peace
implies these two things, namely, that we be not disturbed by external
things, and that our desires rest altogether in one object. Wherefore
after charity and joy, "peace" is given the third place. In evil
things the mind has a good disposition, in respect of two things.
First, by not being disturbed whenever evil threatens: which pertains
to "patience"; secondly, by not being disturbed, whenever good
things are delayed; which belongs to "long suffering," since "to
lack good is a kind of evil" (Ethic. v, 3).
Man's mind is well disposed as regards what is near him, viz. his
neighbor, first, as to the will to do good; and to this belongs
"goodness." Secondly, as to the execution of well-doing; and to
this belongs "benignity," for the benign are those in whom the
salutary flame [bonus ignis] of love has enkindled the desire to be
kind to their neighbor. Thirdly, as to his suffering with equanimity
the evils his neighbor inflicts on him. To this belongs "meekness,"
which curbs anger. Fourthly, in the point of our refraining from
doing harm to our neighbor not only through anger, but also through
fraud or deceit. To this pertains "faith," if we take it as
denoting fidelity. But if we take it for the faith whereby we believe
in God, then man is directed thereby to that which is above him, so
that he subject his intellect and, consequently, all that is his, to
God.
Man is well disposed in respect of that which is below him, as regards
external action, by "modesty," whereby we observe the "mode" in
all our words and deeds: as regards internal desires, by
"contingency" and "chastity": whether these two differ because
chastity withdraws man from unlawful desires, contingency also from
lawful desires: or because the continent man is subject to
concupiscence, but is not led away; whereas the chaste man is neither
subject to, nor led away from them.
Reply to Objection 1: Sanctification is effected by all the
virtues, by which also sins are taken away. Consequently fruit is
mentioned there in the singular, on account of its being generically
one, though divided into many species which are spoken of as so many
fruits.
Reply to Objection 2: The hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold
fruits do not differ as various species of virtuous acts, but as
various degrees of perfection, even in the same virtue. Thus
contingency of the married state is said to be signified by the
thirtyfold fruit; the contingency of widowhood, by the sixtyfold; and
virginal contingency, by the hundredfold fruit. There are,
moreover, other ways in which holy men distinguish three evangelical
fruits according to the three degrees of virtue: and they speak of
three degrees, because the perfection of anything is considered with
respect to its beginning, its middle, and its end.
Reply to Objection 3: The fact of not being disturbed by painful
things is something to delight in. And as to faith, if we consider it
as the foundation, it has the aspect of being ultimate and delightful,
in as much as it contains certainty: hence a gloss expounds thus:
"Faith, which is certainly about the unseen."
Reply to Objection 4: As Augustine says on Gal. 5:22,23,
"the Apostle had no intention of teaching us how many [either works
of the flesh, or fruits of the Spirit] there are; but to show how
the former should be avoided, and the latter sought after." Hence
either more or fewer fruits might have been mentioned. Nevertheless,
all the acts of the gifts and virtues can be reduced to these by a
certain kind of fittingness, in so far as all the virtues and gifts
must needs direct the mind in one of the above-mentioned ways.
Wherefore the acts of wisdom and of any gifts directing to good, are
reduced to charity, joy and peace. The reason why he mentions these
rather than others, is that these imply either enjoyment of good
things, or relief from evils, which things seem to belong to the
notion of fruit.
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