Whether Gratuitous Grace Is Rightly Divided by the Apostle?
Objection 1: It would seem that gratuitous grace is not rightly
divided by the Apostle. For every gift vouchsafed to us by God, may
be called a gratuitous grace. Now there are an infinite number of
gifts freely bestowed on us by God as regards both the good of the
soul and the good of the body--and yet they do not make us pleasing
to God. Hence gratuitous graces cannot be contained under any certain
division.
Obj. 2: Further, gratuitous grace is distinguished from sanctifying
grace. But faith pertains to sanctifying grace, since we are
justified by it, according to Rom. 5:1: "Being justified therefore by
faith." Hence it is not right to place faith amongst the gratuitous
graces, especially since the other virtues are not so placed, as hope
and charity.
Obj. 3: Further, the operation of healing, and speaking divers
tongues are miracles. Again, the interpretation of speeches pertains
either to wisdom or to knowledge, according to Dan. 1:17: "And to
these children God gave knowledge and understanding in every book and
wisdom." Hence it is not correct to divide the grace of healing and
kinds of tongues against the working of miracles; and the
interpretation of speeches against the word of wisdom and knowledge.
Obj. 4: Further, as wisdom and knowledge are gifts of the Holy Ghost,
so also are understanding, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear, as
stated above (Q. 68, A. 4). Therefore these also ought to be placed
amongst the gratuitous gifts.
_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (1 Cor. 12:8, 9, 10): "To one
indeed by the Spirit is given the word of wisdom; and to another the
word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; to another, the
working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the discerning
of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another
interpretation of speeches."
_I answer that,_ As was said above (A. 1), gratuitous grace is
ordained to this, viz. that a man may help another to be led to God.
Now no man can help in this by moving interiorly (for this belongs to
God alone), but only exteriorly by teaching or persuading. Hence
gratuitous grace embraces whatever a man needs in order to instruct
another in Divine things which are above reason. Now for this three
things are required: first, a man must possess the fullness of
knowledge of Divine things, so as to be capable of teaching others.
Secondly, he must be able to confirm or prove what he says, otherwise
his words would have no weight. Thirdly, he must be capable of
fittingly presenting to his hearers what he knows.
Now as regards the first, three things are necessary, as may be seen
in human teaching. For whoever would teach another in any science
must first be certain of the principles of the science, and with
regard to this there is _faith,_ which is certitude of invisible
things, the principles of Catholic doctrine. Secondly, it behooves
the teacher to know the principal conclusions of the science, and
hence we have the word of _wisdom,_ which is the knowledge of Divine
things. Thirdly, he ought to abound with examples and a knowledge of
effects, whereby at times he needs to manifest causes; and thus we
have the word of _knowledge,_ which is the knowledge of human things,
since "the invisible things of Him . . . are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made" (Rom. 1:20).
Now the confirmation of such things as are within reason rests upon
arguments; but the confirmation of what is above reason rests on what
is proper to the Divine power, and this in two ways: first, when the
teacher of sacred doctrine does what God alone can do, in miraculous
deeds, whether with respect to bodily health--and thus there is the
_grace of healing,_ or merely for the purpose of manifesting the
Divine power; for instance, that the sun should stand still or
darken, or that the sea should be divided--and thus there is the
_working of miracles._ Secondly, when he can manifest what God alone
can know, and these are either future contingents--and thus there is
_prophecy,_ or also the secrets of hearts--and thus there is the
_discerning of spirits._
But the capability of speaking can regard either the idiom in which a
person can be understood, and thus there is _kinds of tongues_; or it
can regard the sense of what is said, and thus there is the
_interpretation of speeches._
Reply Obj. 1: As stated above (A. 1), not all the benefits divinely
conferred upon us are called gratuitous graces, but only those that
surpass the power of nature--e.g. that a fisherman should be replete
with the word of wisdom and of knowledge and the like; and such as
these are here set down as gratuitous graces.
Reply Obj. 2: Faith is enumerated here under the gratuitous graces,
not as a virtue justifying man in himself, but as implying a
super-eminent certitude of faith, whereby a man is fitted for
instructing others concerning such things as belong to the faith.
With regard to hope and charity, they belong to the appetitive power,
according as man is ordained thereby to God.
Reply Obj. 3: The grace of healing is distinguished from the general
working of miracles because it has a special reason for inducing one
to the faith, since a man is all the more ready to believe when he
has received the gift of bodily health through the virtue of faith.
So, too, to speak with divers tongues and to interpret speeches have
special efficacy in bestowing faith. Hence they are set down as
special gratuitous graces.
Reply Obj. 4: Wisdom and knowledge are not numbered among the
gratuitous graces in the same way as they are reckoned among the
gifts of the Holy Ghost, i.e. inasmuch as man's mind is rendered
easily movable by the Holy Ghost to the things of wisdom and
knowledge; for thus they are gifts of the Holy Ghost, as stated above
(Q. 68, AA. 1, 4). But they are numbered amongst the gratuitous
graces, inasmuch as they imply such a fullness of knowledge and
wisdom that a man may not merely think aright of Divine things, but
may instruct others and overpower adversaries. Hence it is
significant that it is the "word" of wisdom and the "word" of
knowledge that are placed in the gratuitous graces, since, as
Augustine says (De Trin. xiv, 1), "It is one thing merely to know
what a man must believe in order to reach everlasting life, and
another thing to know how this may benefit the godly and may be
defended against the ungodly."
________________________