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Objection 1: It would seem that wisdom ought not to be reckoned
among the gifts of the Holy Ghost. For the gifts are more perfect
than the virtues, as stated above (FS, Question 68, Article
8). Now virtue is directed to the good alone, wherefore Augustine
says (De Lib. Arb. ii, 19) that "no man makes bad use of the
virtues." Much more therefore are the gifts of the Holy Ghost
directed to the good alone. But wisdom is directed to evil also, for
it is written (James 3:15) that a certain wisdom is "earthly,
sensual, devilish." Therefore wisdom should not be reckoned among
the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Objection 2: Further, according to Augustine (De Trin. xii,
14) "wisdom is the knowledge of Divine things." Now that
knowledge of Divine things which man can acquire by his natural
endowments, belongs to the wisdom which is an intellectual virtue,
while the supernatural knowledge of Divine things belongs to faith
which is a theological virtue, as explained above (Question 4,
Article 5; FS, Question 62, Article 3). Therefore wisdom
should be called a virtue rather than a gift.
Objection 3: Further, it is written (Job 28:28): "Behold
the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil, that
is understanding." And in this passage according to the rendering of
the Septuagint which Augustine follows (De Trin. xii, 14;
xiv, 1) we read: "Behold piety, that is wisdom." Now both fear
and piety are gifts of the Holy Ghost. Therefore wisdom should not
be reckoned among the gifts of the Holy Ghost, as though it were
distinct from the others.
On the contrary, It is written (Is. 11:2): "The Spirit of
the Lord shall rest upon Him; the spirit of wisdom and of
understanding."
I answer that, According to the Philosopher (Metaph. i: 2),
it belongs to wisdom to consider the highest cause. By means of that
cause we are able to form a most certain judgment about other causes,
and according thereto all things should be set in order. Now the
highest cause may be understood in two ways, either simply or in some
particular genus. Accordingly he that knows the highest cause in any
particular genus, and by its means is able to judge and set in order
all the things that belong to that genus, is said to be wise in that
genus, for instance in medicine or architecture, according to 1
Cor. 3:10: "As a wise architect, I have laid a foundation."
On the other hand, he who knows the cause that is simply the highest,
which is God, is said to be wise simply, because he is able to judge
and set in order all things according to Divine rules.
Now man obtains this judgment through the Holy Ghost, according to
1 Cor. 2:15: "The spiritual man judgeth all things," because
as stated in the same chapter (1 Cor. 2:10), "the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God." Wherefore it is
evident that wisdom is a gift of the Holy Ghost.
Reply to Objection 1: A thing is said to be good in two senses:
first in the sense that it is truly good and simply perfect, secondly,
by a kind of likeness, being perfect in wickedness; thus we speak of a
good or a perfect thief, as the Philosopher observes (Metaph. v,
text. 21). And just as with regard to those things which are truly
good, we find a highest cause, namely the sovereign good which is the
last end, by knowing which, man is said to be truly wise, so too in
evil things something is to be found to which all others are to be
referred as to a last end, by knowing which, man is said to be wise
unto evil doing, according to Jer. 4:22: "They are wise to do
evils, but to do good they have no knowledge." Now whoever turns
away from his due end, must needs fix on some undue end, since every
agent acts for an end. Wherefore, if he fixes his end in external
earthly things, his "wisdom" is called "earthly," if in the goods
of the body, it is called "sensual wisdom," if in some excellence,
it is called "devilish wisdom" because it imitates the devil's
pride, of which it is written (Job 41:25): "He is king over
all the children of pride."
Reply to Objection 2: The wisdom which is called a gift of the
Holy Ghost, differs from that which is an acquired intellectual
virtue, for the latter is attained by human effort, whereas the latter
is "descending from above" (James 3:15). In like manner it
differs from faith, since faith assents to the Divine truth in
itself, whereas it belongs to the gift of wisdom to judge according to
the Divine truth. Hence the gift of wisdom presupposes faith,
because "a man judges well what he knows" (Ethic. i, 3).
Reply to Objection 3: Just as piety which pertains to the worship
of God is a manifestation of faith, in so far as we make profession of
faith by worshipping God, so too, piety manifests wisdom. For this
reason piety is stated to be wisdom, and so is fear, for the same
reason, because if a man fear and worship God, this shows that he has
a right judgment about Divine things.
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