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Objection 1: It would seem that the virtues are more excellent than
the gifts. For Augustine says (De Trin. xv, 18) while
speaking of charity: "No gift of God is more excellent than this.
It is this alone which divides the children of the eternal kingdom from
the children of eternal damnation. Other gifts are bestowed by the
Holy Ghost, but, without charity, they avail nothing." But
charity is a virtue. Therefore a virtue is more excellent than the
gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Objection 2: Further, that which is first naturally, seems to be
more excellent. Now the virtues precede the gifts of the Holy
Ghost; for Gregory says (Moral. ii, 26) that "the gift of the
Holy Ghost in the mind it works on, forms first of all justice,
prudence, fortitude, temperance . . . and doth afterwards give it a
temper in the seven virtues", so "as against folly to bestow wisdom;
against dullness, understanding; against rashness, counsel; against
fear, fortitude; against ignorance, knowledge; against hardness of
heart, piety; against piety, fear." Therefore the virtues are more
excellent than the gifts.
Objection 3: Further, Augustine says (De Lib. Arb. ii,
19) that "the virtues cannot be used to evil purpose." But it is
possible to make evil use of the gifts, for Gregory says (Moral.
i, 18): "We offer up the sacrifice of prayer . . . lest wisdom
may uplift; or understanding, while it runs nimbly, deviate from the
right path; or counsel, while it multiplies itself, grow into
confusion; that fortitude, while it gives confidence, may not make us
rash; lest knowledge, while it knows and yet loves not, may swell the
mind; lest piety, while it swerves from the right line, may become
distorted; and lest fear, while it is unduly alarmed, may plunge us
into the pit of despair." Therefore the virtues are more excellent
than the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
On the contrary, The gifts are bestowed to assist the virtues and to
remedy certain defects, as is shown in the passage quoted (OBJ
2), so that, seemingly, they accomplish what the virtues cannot.
Therefore the gifts are more excellent than the virtues.
I answer that, As was shown above (Question 58, Article 3;
Question 62, Article 1), there are three kinds of virtues: for
some are theological, some intellectual, and some moral. The
theological virtues are those whereby man's mind is united to God;
the intellectual virtues are those whereby reason itself is perfected;
and the moral virtues are those which perfect the powers of appetite in
obedience to the reason. On the other hand the gifts of the Holy
Ghost dispose all the powers of the soul to be amenable to the Divine
motion.
Accordingly the gifts seem to be compared to the theological virtues,
by which man is united to the Holy Ghost his Mover, in the same way
as the moral virtues are compared to the intellectual virtues, which
perfect the reason, the moving principle of the moral virtues.
Wherefore as the intellectual virtues are more excellent than the moral
virtues and control them, so the theological virtues are more excellent
than the gifts of the Holy Ghost and regulate them. Hence Gregory
says (Moral. i, 12) that "the seven sons," i.e. the seven
gifts, "never attain the perfection of the number ten, unless all
they do be done in faith, hope, and charity."
But if we compare the gifts to the other virtues, intellectual and
moral, then the gifts have the precedence of the virtues. Because the
gifts perfect the soul's powers in relation to the Holy Ghost their
Mover; whereas the virtues perfect, either the reason itself, or the
other powers in relation to reason: and it is evident that the more
exalted the mover, the more excellent the disposition whereby the thing
moved requires to be disposed. Therefore the gifts are more perfect
than the virtues.
Reply to Objection 1: Charity is a theological virtue; and such we
grant to be more perfect than the gifts.
Reply to Objection 2: There are two ways in which one thing
precedes another. One is in order of perfection and dignity, as love
of God precedes love of our neighbor: and in this way the gifts
precede the intellectual and moral virtues, but follow the theological
virtues. The other is the order of generation or disposition: thus
love of one's neighbor precedes love of God, as regards the act: and
in this way moral and intellectual virtues precede the gifts, since
man, through being well subordinate to his own reason, is disposed to
be rightly subordinate to God.
Reply to Objection 3: Wisdom and understanding and the like are
gifts of the Holy Ghost, according as they are quickened by charity,
which "dealeth not perversely" (1 Cor. 13:4). Consequently
wisdom and understanding and the like cannot be used to evil purpose,
in so far as they are gifts of the Holy Ghost. But, lest they
depart from the perfection of charity, they assist one another. This
is what Gregory means to say.
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