Whether the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost Are Suitably Enumerated?
Objection 1: It would seem that seven gifts of the Holy Ghost are
unsuitably enumerated. For in that enumeration four are set down
corresponding to the intellectual virtues, viz. wisdom,
understanding, knowledge, and counsel, which corresponds to prudence;
whereas nothing is set down corresponding to art, which is the fifth
intellectual virtue. Moreover, something is included corresponding to
justice, viz. piety, and something corresponding to fortitude, viz.
the gift of fortitude; while there is nothing to correspond to
temperance. Therefore the gifts are enumerated insufficiently.
Obj. 2: Further, piety is a part of justice. But no part of fortitude
is assigned to correspond thereto, but fortitude itself. Therefore
justice itself, and not piety, ought to have been set down.
Obj. 3: Further, the theological virtues, more than any, direct us to
God. Since, then, the gifts perfect man according as he is moved by
God, it seems that some gifts, corresponding to the theological
virtues, should have been included.
Obj. 4: Further, even as God is an object of fear, so is He of love,
of hope, and of joy. Now love, hope, and joy are passions condivided
with fear. Therefore, as fear is set down as a gift, so ought the
other three.
Obj. 5: Further, wisdom is added in order to direct understanding;
counsel, to direct fortitude; knowledge, to direct piety. Therefore,
some gift should have been added for the purpose of directing fear.
Therefore the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost are unsuitably enumerated.
_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of Holy Writ (Isa. 11:2, 3).
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 3), the gifts are habits
perfecting man so that he is ready to follow the promptings of the
Holy Ghost, even as the moral virtues perfect the appetitive powers
so that they obey the reason. Now just as it is natural for the
appetitive powers to be moved by the command of reason, so it is
natural for all the forces in man to be moved by the instinct of God,
as by a superior power. Therefore whatever powers in man can be the
principles of human actions, can also be the subjects of gifts, even
as they are virtues; and such powers are the reason and appetite.
Now the reason is speculative and practical: and in both we find the
apprehension of truth (which pertains to the discovery of truth), and
judgment concerning the truth. Accordingly, for the apprehension of
truth, the speculative reason is perfected by _understanding;_ the
practical reason, by _counsel._ In order to judge aright, the
speculative reason is perfected by _wisdom_; the practical reason by
_knowledge._ The appetitive power, in matters touching a man's
relations to another, is perfected by _piety;_ in matters touching
himself, it is perfected by _fortitude_ against the fear of dangers;
and against inordinate lust for pleasures, by _fear,_ according to
Prov. 15:27: "By the fear of the Lord every one declineth from evil,"
and Ps. 118:120: "Pierce Thou my flesh with Thy fear: for I am afraid
of Thy judgments." Hence it is clear that these gifts extend to all
those things to which the virtues, both intellectual and moral,
extend.
Reply Obj. 1: The gifts of the Holy Ghost perfect man in matters
concerning a good life: whereas art is not directed to such matters,
but to external things that can be made, since art is the right
reason, not about things to be done, but about things to be made
(Ethic. vi, 4). However, we may say that, as regards the infusion of
the gifts, the art is on the part of the Holy Ghost, Who is the
principal mover, and not on the part of men, who are His organs when
He moves them. The gift of fear corresponds, in a manner, to
temperance: for just as it belongs to temperance, properly speaking,
to restrain man from evil pleasures for the sake of the good
appointed by reason, so does it belong to the gift of fear, to
withdraw man from evil pleasures through fear of God.
Reply Obj. 2: Justice is so called from the rectitude of the reason,
and so it is more suitably called a virtue than a gift. But the name
of piety denotes the reverence which we give to our father and to our
country. And since God is the Father of all, the worship of God is
also called piety, as Augustine states (De Civ. Dei x, 1). Therefore
the gift whereby a man, through reverence for God, works good to all,
is fittingly called piety.
Reply Obj. 3: The mind of man is not moved by the Holy Ghost, unless
in some way it be united to Him: even as the instrument is not moved
by the craftsman, unless there by contact or some other kind of union
between them. Now the primal union of man with God is by faith, hope
and charity: and, consequently, these virtues are presupposed to the
gifts, as being their roots. Therefore all the gifts correspond to
these three virtues, as being derived therefrom.
Reply Obj. 4: Love, hope and joy have good for their object. Now God
is the Sovereign Good: wherefore the names of these passions are
transferred to the theological virtues which unite man to God. On the
other hand, the object of fear is evil, which can nowise apply to
God: hence fear does not denote union with God, but withdrawal from
certain things through reverence for God. Hence it does not give its
name to a theological virtue, but to a gift, which withdraws us from
evil, for higher motives than moral virtue does.
Reply Obj. 5: Wisdom directs both the intellect and the affections of
man. Hence two gifts are set down as corresponding to wisdom as their
directing principle; on the part of the intellect, the gift of
understanding; on the part of the affections, the gift of fear.
Because the principal reason for fearing God is taken from a
consideration of the Divine excellence, which wisdom considers.
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