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Objection 1: It would seem that faith is not the first of the
virtues. For a gloss on Lk. 12:4, "I say to you My
friends," says that fortitude is the foundation of faith. Now the
foundation precedes that which is founded thereon. Therefore faith is
not the first of the virtues.
Objection 2: Further, a gloss on Ps. 36, "Be not emulous,"
says that hope "leads on to faith." Now hope is a virtue, as we
shall state further on (Question 17, Article 1). Therefore
faith is not the first of the virtues.
Objection 3: Further, it was stated above (Article 2) that the
intellect of the believer is moved, out of obedience to God, to
assent to matters of faith. Now obedience also is a virtue.
Therefore faith is not the first virtue.
Objection 4: Further, not lifeless but living faith is the
foundation, as a gloss remarks on 1 Cor. 3:11 [Augustine, De
Fide et Oper. xvi.]. Now faith is formed by charity, as stated
above (Article 3). Therefore it is owing to charity that faith is
the foundation: so that charity is the foundation yet more than faith
is (for the foundation is the first part of a building) and
consequently it seems to precede faith.
Objection 5: Further, the order of habits is taken from the order
of acts. Now, in the act of faith, the act of the will which is
perfected by charity, precedes the act of the intellect, which is
perfected by faith, as the cause which precedes its effect. Therefore
charity precedes faith. Therefore faith is not the first of the
virtues.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (Heb. 11:1) that "faith
is the substance of things to be hoped for." Now the substance of a
thing is that which comes first. Therefore faith is first among the
virtues.
I answer that, One thing can precede another in two ways: first, by
its very nature; secondly, by accident. Faith, by its very nature,
precedes all other virtues. For since the end is the principle in
matters of action, as stated above (FS, Question 13, Article
3; FS, Question 34, Article 4, ad 1), the theological
virtues, the object of which is the last end, must needs precede all
the others. Again, the last end must of necessity be present to the
intellect before it is present to the will, since the will has no
inclination for anything except in so far as it is apprehended by the
intellect. Hence, as the last end is present in the will by hope and
charity, and in the intellect, by faith, the first of all the virtues
must, of necessity, be faith, because natural knowledge cannot reach
God as the object of heavenly bliss, which is the aspect under which
hope and charity tend towards Him.
On the other hand, some virtues can precede faith accidentally. For
an accidental cause precedes its effect accidentally. Now that which
removes an obstacle is a kind of accidental cause, according to the
Philosopher (Phys. viii, 4): and in this sense certain virtues
may be said to precede faith accidentally, in so far as they remove
obstacles to belief. Thus fortitude removes the inordinate fear that
hinders faith; humility removes pride, whereby a man refuses to submit
himself to the truth of faith. The same may be said of some other
virtues, although there are no real virtues, unless faith be
presupposed, as Augustine states (Contra Julian. iv, 3).
This suffices for the Reply to the First Objection.
Reply to Objection 2: Hope cannot lead to faith absolutely. For
one cannot hope to obtain eternal happiness, unless one believes this
possible, since hope does not tend to the impossible, as stated above
(FS, Question 40, Article 1). It is, however, possible
for one to be led by hope to persevere in faith, or to hold firmly to
faith; and it is in this sense that hope is said to lead to faith.
Reply to Objection 3: Obedience is twofold: for sometimes it
denotes the inclination of the will to fulfil God's commandments. In
this way it is not a special virtue, but is a general condition of
every virtue; since all acts of virtue come under the precepts of the
Divine law, as stated above (FS, Question 100, Article
2); and thus it is requisite for faith. In another way, obedience
denotes an inclination to fulfil the commandments considered as a duty.
In this way it is a special virtue, and a part of justice: for a man
does his duty by his superior when he obeys him: and thus obedience
follows faith, whereby man knows that God is his superior, Whom he
must obey.
Reply to Objection 4: To be a foundation a thing requires not only
to come first, but also to be connected with the other parts of the
building: since the building would not be founded on it unless the
other parts adhered to it. Now the connecting bond of the spiritual
edifice is charity, according to Col. 3:14: "Above all . .
. things have charity which is the bond of perfection." Consequently
faith without charity cannot be the foundation: and yet it does not
follow that charity precedes faith.
Reply to Objection 5: Some act of the will is required before
faith, but not an act of the will quickened by charity. This latter
act presupposes faith, because the will cannot tend to God with
perfect love, unless the intellect possesses right faith about Him.
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