Whether Charity Can Be Without Moral Virtue?
Objection 1: It would seem possible to have charity without the moral
virtues. For when one thing suffices for a certain purpose, it is
superfluous to employ others. Now charity alone suffices for the
fulfilment of all the works of virtue, as is clear from 1 Cor. 13:4,
seqq.: "Charity is patient, is kind," etc. Therefore it seems that if
one has charity, other virtues are superfluous.
Obj. 2: Further, he that has a habit of virtue easily performs the
works of that virtue, and those works are pleasing to him for their
own sake: hence "pleasure taken in a work is a sign of habit" (Ethic.
ii, 3). Now many have charity, being free from mortal sin, and yet
they find it difficult to do works of virtue; nor are these works
pleasing to them for their own sake, but only for the sake of
charity. Therefore many have charity without the other virtues.
Obj. 3: Further, charity is to be found in every saint: and yet there
are some saints who are without certain virtues. For Bede says (on
Luke 17:10) that the saints are more humbled on account of their not
having certain virtues, than rejoiced at the virtues they have.
Therefore, if a man has charity, it does not follow of necessity that
he has all the moral virtues.
_On the contrary,_ The whole Law is fulfilled through charity, for it
is written (Rom. 13:8): "He that loveth his neighbor, hath fulfilled
the Law." Now it is not possible to fulfil the whole Law, without
having all the moral virtues: since the law contains precepts about
all acts of virtue, as stated in _Ethic._ v, 1, 2. Therefore he that
has charity, has all the moral virtues. Moreover, Augustine says in a
letter (Epis. clxvii) [*Cf. Serm. xxxix and xlvi de Temp.] that
charity contains all the cardinal virtues.
_I answer that,_ All the moral virtues are infused together with
charity. The reason for this is that God operates no less perfectly
in works of grace than in works of nature. Now, in the works of
nature, we find that whenever a thing contains a principle of certain
works, it has also whatever is necessary for their execution: thus
animals are provided with organs whereby to perform the actions that
their souls empower them to do. Now it is evident that charity,
inasmuch as it directs man to his last end, is the principle of all
the good works that are referable to his last end. Wherefore all the
moral virtues must needs be infused together with charity, since it
is through them that man performs each different kind of good work.
It is therefore clear that the infused moral virtues are connected,
not only through prudence, but also on account of charity: and,
again, that whoever loses charity through mortal sin, forfeits all
the infused moral virtues.
Reply Obj. 1: In order that the act of a lower power be perfect, not
only must there be perfection in the higher, but also in the lower
power: for if the principal agent were well disposed, perfect action
would not follow, if the instrument also were not well disposed.
Consequently, in order that man work well in things referred to the
end, he needs not only a virtue disposing him well to the end, but
also those virtues which dispose him well to whatever is referred to
the end: for the virtue which regards the end is the chief and moving
principle in respect of those things that are referred to the end.
Therefore it is necessary to have the moral virtues together with
charity.
Reply Obj. 2: It happens sometimes that a man who has a habit, finds
it difficult to act in accordance with the habit, and consequently
feels no pleasure and complacency in the act, on account of some
impediment supervening from without: thus a man who has a habit of
science, finds it difficult to understand, through being sleepy or
unwell. In like manner sometimes the habits of moral virtue
experience difficulty in their works, by reason of certain ordinary
dispositions remaining from previous acts. This difficulty does not
occur in respect of acquired moral virtue: because the repeated acts
by which they are acquired, remove also the contrary dispositions.
Reply Obj. 3: Certain saints are said not to have certain virtues, in
so far as they experience difficulty in the acts of those virtues,
for the reason stated; although they have the habits of all the
virtues.
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