Whether the Gifts Are Set Down by Isaias in Their Order of Dignity?
Objection 1: It would seem that the gifts are not set down by Isaias
in their order of dignity. For the principal gift is, seemingly, that
which, more than the others, God requires of man. Now God requires of
man fear, more than the other gifts: for it is written (Deut. 10:12):
"And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but
that thou fear the Lord thy God?" and (Malachi 1:6): "If . . . I be a
master, where is My fear?" Therefore it seems that fear, which is
mentioned last, is not the lowest but the greatest of the gifts.
Obj. 2: Further, piety seems to be a kind of common good; since the
Apostle says (1 Tim. 4:8): "Piety [Douay: 'Godliness'] is profitable
to all things." Now a common good is preferable to particular goods.
Therefore piety, which is given the last place but one, seems to be
the most excellent gift.
Obj. 3: Further, knowledge perfects man's judgment, while counsel
pertains to inquiry. But judgment is more excellent than inquiry.
Therefore knowledge is a more excellent gift than counsel; and yet it
is set down as being below it.
Obj. 4: Further, fortitude pertains to the appetitive power, while
science belongs to reason. But reason is a more excellent power than
the appetite. Therefore knowledge is a more excellent gift than
fortitude; and yet the latter is given the precedence. Therefore the
gifts are not set down in their order of dignity.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says [*De Serm. Dom. in Monte i, 4]: "It
seems to me that the sevenfold operation of the Holy Ghost, of which
Isaias speaks, agrees in degrees and expression with these" (of which
we read in Matt. 5:3): "but there is a difference of order, for
there" (viz. in Isaias) "the enumeration begins with the more
excellent gifts, here, with the lower gifts."
_I answer that,_ The excellence of the gifts can be measured in two
ways: first, simply, viz. by comparison to their proper acts as
proceeding from their principles; secondly, relatively, viz. by
comparison to their matter. If we consider the excellence of the
gifts simply, they follow the same rule as the virtues, as to their
comparison one with another; because the gifts perfect man for all
the acts of the soul's powers, even as the virtues do, as stated
above (A. 4). Hence, as the intellectual virtues have the precedence
of the moral virtues, and among the intellectual virtues, the
contemplative are preferable to the active, viz. wisdom,
understanding and science to prudence and art (yet so that wisdom
stands before understanding, and understanding before science, and
prudence and synesis before eubulia): so also among the gifts,
wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel are more excellent than
piety, fortitude, and fear; and among the latter, piety excels
fortitude, and fortitude fear, even as justice surpasses fortitude,
and fortitude temperance. But in regard to their matter, fortitude
and counsel precede knowledge and piety: because fortitude and
counsel are concerned with difficult matters, whereas piety and
knowledge regard ordinary matters. Consequently the excellence of the
gifts corresponds with the order in which they are enumerated; but so
far as wisdom and understanding are given the preference to the
others, their excellence is considered simply, while, so far, as
counsel and fortitude are preferred to knowledge and piety, it is
considered with regard to their matter.
Reply Obj. 1: Fear is chiefly required as being the foundation, so to
speak, of the perfection of the other gifts, for "the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Ps. 110:10; Ecclus. 1:16), and not
as though it were more excellent than the others. Because, in the
order of generation, man departs from evil on account of fear (Prov.
16:16), before doing good works, and which result from the other
gifts.
Reply Obj. 2: In the words quoted from the Apostle, piety is not
compared with all God's gifts, but only with "bodily exercise," of
which he had said it "is profitable to little."
Reply Obj. 3: Although knowledge stands before counsel by reason of
its judgment, yet counsel is more excellent by reason of its matter:
for counsel is only concerned with matters of difficulty (Ethic. iii,
3), whereas the judgment of knowledge embraces all matters.
Reply Obj. 4: The directive gifts which pertain to the reason are
more excellent than the executive gifts, if we consider them in
relation to their acts as proceeding from their powers, because
reason transcends the appetite as a rule transcends the thing ruled.
But on the part of the matter, counsel is united to fortitude as the
directive power to the executive, and so is knowledge united to
piety: because counsel and fortitude are concerned with matters of
difficulty, while knowledge and piety are concerned with ordinary
matters. Hence counsel together with fortitude, by reason of their
matter, are given the preference to knowledge and piety.
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