Part II (Pars Prima Secundae) Part 108 (1/2)

Objection 1: It would seem that the fruits of the Holy Ghost, enumerated by the Apostle (Gal. 5:22, 23), are not acts. For that which bears fruit, should not itself be called a fruit, else we should go on indefinitely. But our actions bear fruit: for it is written (Wis. 3:15): ”The fruit of good labor is glorious,” and (John 4:36): ”He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life everlasting.” Therefore our actions are not to be called fruits.

Obj. 2: Further, as Augustine says (De Trin. x, 10), ”we enjoy [*'Fruimur', from which verb we have the Latin 'fructus' and the English 'fruit'] the things we know, when the will rests by rejoicing in them.” But our will should not rest in our actions for their own sake. Therefore our actions should not be called fruits.

Obj. 3: Further, among the fruits of the Holy Ghost, the Apostle numbers certain virtues, viz. charity, meekness, faith, and chast.i.ty.

Now virtues are not actions but habits, as stated above (Q. 55, A.

1). Therefore the fruits are not actions.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Matt. 12:33): ”By the fruit the tree is known”; that is to say, man is known by his works, as holy men explain the pa.s.sage. Therefore human actions are called fruits.

_I answer that,_ The word ”fruit” has been transferred from the material to the spiritual world. Now fruit, among material things, is the product of a plant when it comes to perfection, and has a certain sweetness. This fruit has a twofold relation: to the tree that produces it, and to the man who gathers the fruit from the tree.

Accordingly, in spiritual matters, we may take the word ”fruit” in two ways: first, so that the fruit of man, who is likened to the tree, is that which he produces; secondly, so that man's fruit is what he gathers.

Yet not all that man gathers is fruit, but only that which is last and gives pleasure. For a man has both a field and a tree, and yet these are not called fruits; but that only which is last, to wit, that which man intends to derive from the field and from the tree. In this sense man's fruit is his last end which is intended for his enjoyment.

If, however, by man's fruit we understand a product of man, then human actions are called fruits: because operation is the second act of the operator, and gives pleasure if it is suitable to him. If then man's operation proceeds from man in virtue of his reason, it is said to be the fruit of his reason: but if it proceeds from him in respect of a higher power, which is the power of the Holy Ghost, then man's operation is said to be the fruit of the Holy Ghost, as of a Divine seed, for it is written (1 John 3:9): ”Whosoever is born of G.o.d, committeth no sin, for His seed abideth in him.”

Reply Obj. 1: Since fruit is something last and final, nothing hinders one fruit bearing another fruit, even as one end is subordinate to another. And so our works, in so far as they are produced by the Holy Ghost working in us, are fruits: but, in so far as they are referred to the end which is eternal life, they should rather be called flowers: hence it is written (Ecclus. 24:23): ”My flowers are the fruits of honor and riches.”

Reply Obj. 2: When the will is said to delight in a thing for its own sake, this may be understood in two ways. First, so that the expression ”for the sake of” be taken to designate the final cause; and in this way, man delights in nothing for its own sake, except the last end. Secondly, so that it expresses the formal cause; and in this way, a man may delight in anything that is delightful by reason of its form. Thus it is clear that a sick man delights in health, for its own sake, as in an end; in a nice medicine, not as in an end, but as in something tasty; and in a nasty medicine, nowise for its own sake, but only for the sake of something else. Accordingly we must say that man must delight in G.o.d for His own sake, as being his last end, and in virtuous deeds, not as being his end, but for the sake of their inherent goodness which is delightful to the virtuous. Hence Ambrose says (De Parad. xiii) that virtuous deeds are called fruits because ”they refresh those that have them, with a holy and genuine delight.”

Reply Obj. 3: Sometimes the names of the virtues are applied to their actions: thus Augustine writes (Tract. xl in Joan.): ”Faith is to believe what thou seest not”; and (De Doctr. Christ. iii, 10): ”Charity is the movement of the soul in loving G.o.d and our neighbor.”

It is thus that the names of the virtues are used in reckoning the fruits.

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SECOND ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 70, Art. 2]

Whether the Fruits Differ from the Beat.i.tudes?

Objection 1: It would seem that the fruits do not differ from the beat.i.tudes. For the beat.i.tudes are a.s.signed to the gifts, as stated above (Q. 69, A. 1, ad 1). But the gifts perfect man in so far as he is moved by the Holy Ghost. Therefore the beat.i.tudes themselves are fruits of the Holy Ghost.

Obj. 2: Further, as the fruit of eternal life is to future beat.i.tude which is that of actual possession, so are the fruits of the present life to the beat.i.tudes of the present life, which are based on hope.

Now the fruit of eternal life is identified with future beat.i.tude.

Therefore the fruits of the present life are the beat.i.tudes.

Obj. 3: Further, fruit is essentially something ultimate and delightful. Now this is the very nature of beat.i.tude, as stated above (Q. 3, A. 1; Q. 4, A. 1). Therefore fruit and beat.i.tude have the same nature, and consequently should not be distinguished from one another.

_On the contrary,_ Things divided into different species, differ from one another. But fruits and beat.i.tudes are divided into different parts, as is clear from the way in which they are enumerated.

Therefore the fruits differ from the beat.i.tudes.

_I answer that,_ More is required for a beat.i.tude than for a fruit.

Because it is sufficient for a fruit to be something ultimate and delightful; whereas for a beat.i.tude, it must be something perfect and excellent. Hence all the beat.i.tudes may be called fruits, but not vice versa. For the fruits are any virtuous deeds in which one delights: whereas the beat.i.tudes are none but perfect works, and which, by reason of their perfection, are a.s.signed to the gifts rather than to the virtues, as already stated (Q. 69, A. 1, ad 1).

Reply Obj. 1: This argument proves the beat.i.tudes to be fruits, but not that all the fruits are beat.i.tudes.

Reply Obj. 2: The fruit of eternal life is ultimate and perfect simply: hence it nowise differs from future beat.i.tude. On the other hand the fruits of the present life are not simply ultimate and perfect; wherefore not all the fruits are beat.i.tudes.

Reply Obj. 3: More is required for a beat.i.tude than for a fruit, as stated.

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