Part III (Secunda Secundae) Part 86 (2/2)

Obj. 3: Further, the saints in heaven are most conformed to G.o.d, according to 1 John 3:2, ”When He shall appear, we shall be like to Him.” But counsel is not becoming to G.o.d, according to Rom. 11:34, ”Who hath been His counsellor?” Therefore neither to the saints in heaven is the gift of counsel becoming.

_On the contrary,_ Gregory says (Moral. xvii, 12): ”When either the guilt or the righteousness of each nation is brought into the debate of the heavenly Court, the guardian of that nation is said to have won in the conflict, or not to have won.”

_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 2; I-II, Q. 68, A. 1), the gifts of the Holy Ghost are connected with the motion of the rational creature by G.o.d. Now we must observe two points concerning the motion of the human mind by G.o.d. First, that the disposition of that which is moved, differs while it is being moved from its disposition when it is in the term of movement. Indeed if the mover is the principle of the movement alone, when the movement ceases, the action of the mover ceases as regards the thing moved, since it has already reached the term of movement, even as a house, after it is built, ceases being built by the builder. On the other hand, when the mover is cause not only of the movement, but also of the form to which the movement tends, then the action of the mover does not cease even after the form has been attained: thus the sun lightens the air even after it is lightened. In this way, then, G.o.d causes in us virtue and knowledge, not only when we first acquire them, but also as long as we persevere in them: and it is thus that G.o.d causes in the blessed a knowledge of what is to be done, not as though they were ignorant, but by continuing that knowledge in them.

Nevertheless there are things which the blessed, whether angels or men, do not know: such things are not essential to blessedness, but concern the government of things according to Divine Providence. As regards these, we must make a further observation, namely, that G.o.d moves the mind of the blessed in one way, and the mind of the wayfarer, in another. For G.o.d moves the mind of the wayfarer in matters of action, by soothing the pre-existing anxiety of doubt; whereas there is simple nescience in the mind of the blessed as regards the things they do not know. From this nescience the angel's mind is cleansed, according to Dionysius (Coel. Hier. vii), nor does there precede in them any research of doubt, for they simply turn to G.o.d; and this is to take counsel of G.o.d, for as Augustine says (Gen.

ad lit. v, 19) ”the angels take counsel of G.o.d about things beneath them”: wherefore the instruction which they receive from G.o.d in such matters is called ”counsel.”

Accordingly the gift of counsel is in the blessed, in so far as G.o.d preserves in them the knowledge that they have, and enlightens them in their nescience of what has to be done.

Reply Obj. 1: Even in the blessed there are acts directed to an end, or resulting, as it were, from their attainment of the end, such as the acts of praising G.o.d, or of helping on others to the end which they themselves have attained, for example the ministrations of the angels, and the prayers of the saints. In this respect the gift of counsel finds a place in them.

Reply Obj. 2: Doubt belongs to counsel according to the present state of life, but not to that counsel which takes place in heaven. Even so neither have the theological virtues quite the same acts in heaven as on the way thither.

Reply Obj. 3: Counsel is in G.o.d, not as receiving but as giving it: and the saints in heaven are conformed to G.o.d, as receivers to the source whence they receive.

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FOURTH ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 52, Art. 4]

Whether the Fifth Beat.i.tude, Which Is That of Mercy, Corresponds to the Gift of Counsel?

Objection 1: It would seem that the fifth beat.i.tude, which is that of mercy, does not correspond to the gift of counsel. For all the beat.i.tudes are acts of virtue, as stated above (I-II, Q. 69, A. 1).

Now we are directed by counsel in all acts of virtue. Therefore the fifth beat.i.tude does not correspond more than any other to counsel.

Obj. 2: Further, precepts are given about matters necessary for salvation, while counsel is given about matters which are not necessary for salvation. Now mercy is necessary for salvation, according to James 2:13, ”Judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy.” On the other hand poverty is not necessary for salvation, but belongs to the life of perfection, according to Matt.

19:21. Therefore the beat.i.tude of poverty corresponds to the gift of counsel, rather than to the beat.i.tude of mercy.

Obj. 3: Further, the fruits result from the beat.i.tudes, for they denote a certain spiritual delight resulting from perfect acts of virtue. Now none of the fruits correspond to the gift of counsel, as appears from Gal. 5:22, 23. Therefore neither does the beat.i.tude of mercy correspond to the gift of counsel.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Serm. Dom. iv): ”Counsel is befitting the merciful, because the one remedy is to be delivered from evils so great, to pardon, and to give.”

_I answer that,_ Counsel is properly about things useful for an end.

Hence such things as are of most use for an end, should above all correspond to the gift of counsel. Now such is mercy, according to 1 Tim. 4:8, ”G.o.dliness [*_Pietas,_ whence our English word _pity,_ which is the same as mercy; see note on II-II, Q. 30, A. 1] is profitable to all things.” Therefore the beat.i.tude of mercy specially corresponds to the gift of counsel, not as eliciting but as directing mercy.

Reply Obj. 1: Although counsel directs in all the acts of virtue, it does so in a special way in works of mercy, for the reason given above.

Reply Obj. 2: Counsel considered as a gift of the Holy Ghost guides us in all matters that are directed to the end of eternal life whether they be necessary for salvation or not, and yet not every work of mercy is necessary for salvation.

Reply Obj. 3: Fruit denotes something ultimate. Now the ultimate in practical matters consists not in knowledge but in an action which is the end. Hence nothing pertaining to practical knowledge is numbered among the fruits, but only such things as pertain to action, in which practical knowledge is the guide. Among these we find ”goodness” and ”benignity” which correspond to mercy.

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QUESTION 53

OF IMPRUDENCE (In Six Articles)

We must now consider the vices opposed to prudence. For Augustine says (Contra Julian. iv, 3): ”There are vices opposed to every virtue, not only vices that are in manifest opposition to virtue, as temerity is opposed to prudence, but also vices which have a kind of kins.h.i.+p and not a true but a spurious likeness to virtue; thus in opposition to prudence we have craftiness.”

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