Chapter V.
On the ramification of grace into the habits of the gifts.
Concerning the ramification of grace into the habits of the gifts, these things are to be held: that although the gifts of gratuitously given grace are very many, and generally all habits divinely given can not absurdly be called gifts of God, yet specially and appropriately there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which Isaiah enumerates and names, speaking of the flower that proceeded from the root of Jesse, that is, Christ, of whom he says that the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill him. In this enumeration he proceeds by descending from the highest and by combining, so that at once the distinction, connection, origin, and order of the gifts may be shown.
The reason for understanding the aforesaid is this: since the restorative principle through supreme liberality gives grace not only for rectifying against the crookedness of vices through the habits of virtues, but also for freeing against the impediments of infirmities through the habits of gifts; therefore the gratuitous gifts must be multiplied according to what is necessary for sufficiency of freedom. Since therefore our soul needs to be freed in a sevenfold manner, hence it is that from a sevenfold cause it is necessary that the gifts of the Holy Spirit be sevenfold. For it needs to be freed against the crookedness of vices, with respect to the natural powers and with respect to the superadded virtues, in suffering, in acting, in contemplating, and in both ways.
First, therefore, for most expeditiously repelling the crookedness of vices, there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, namely: fear against pride; piety against envy; knowledge against anger, which is as it were a kind of madness; fortitude against sloth, which renders the mind powerless for good; counsel against avarice; understanding against gluttony; and wisdom against lust.
Second, for freeing the natural powers, the gifts of the Holy Spirit must be seven. For the irascible power needs to be freed for good things both in prosperity and in adversity: in prosperity it is freed through fear, in adversity through fortitude. The concupiscible power needs to be freed with respect to affection toward the neighbor, and this is done through piety; and with respect to affection toward God, and this is done through the taste of wisdom. The rational power indeed needs to be freed in the speculation, choice, and execution of truth: through the gift of understanding it is freed for speculating upon the true, through the gift of counsel for choosing the true, through the gift of knowledge for executing what has been chosen; for through the gift of knowledge we rightly conduct ourselves in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.
Third, for the carrying out of the seven offices of the virtues there must be seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. For fear disposes to temperance, since fear transfixes the flesh; piety to true justice: knowledge to prudence: fortitude to fortitude or patience: counsel to hope: understanding to faith; wisdom to charity. Whence, just as " charity is the mother and consummation of all the virtues ", so wisdom is of the gifts, such that the Wise Man truly says : All good things came to me together with her, and innumerable honor through her hands.
Fourth, for readiness in suffering conformably to Christ, there are seven habits of the gifts. Now Christ was moved to suffer by the paternal will, human necessity and the vigor of virtue. The divine will indeed moved him, as known through understanding, as loved through wisdom, as held in reverence through fear. Our necessity also moved him, for the knowing of which knowledge is necessary, and for the pitying of which piety is superadded. The vigor of virtue moved him no less, as provident in choosing through counsel, as vigorous in enduring through fortitude. And thus the gifts must be seven.
Fifth, for readiness in acting, seven gifts are given by the Holy Spirit. For ready action, we must be made ready to turn away from evil, which is done through fear. We must also be made ready to advance in good of a twofold kind: either of necessity, or of supererogation. Regarding the first, we are made ready through knowledge and piety, such that one directs and the other executes; regarding the second, through counsel directing and through fortitude executing. We must also rest in the best, both as regards the understanding of the true and as regards the affection for the good; the first is done through the gift of understanding, the second through the gift of wisdom, in which there is rest.
Sixth, for readiness in contemplating, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are seven in number. For the hierarchical and contemplative life requires the soul to be purged, illuminated, and perfected . Now it must be purged from concupiscence, from malice, from ignorance, from weakness or impotence: the first is done by fear, the second by piety, the third by knowledge, the fourth by fortitude. Illuminated we also need to be regarding the works of restoration and of the original creation: the first is given by counsel, the second by understanding. Perfected we are to be through approach to the highest, which consists in one, and this through the gift of wisdom; and thus the mystery of contemplation is consummated from the broad, as it were, into a cubit .
Seventh and finally, for readiness in action and contemplation there must be seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. For the contemplative life, on account of its turning toward the Trinity, must have three expediting gifts: with respect to reverence for majesty, fear; with respect to the understanding of truth, understanding; with respect to the savor or taste of goodness, wisdom. The active life, however, which is engaged in doing and enduring, must have four, namely piety for doing and fortitude for enduring; and the directive gifts of these two, namely knowledge and counsel. Whence, because direction is necessary for readiness, there arises a combination of gifts; and more gifts pertain to the intellect, because the light of knowledge greatly avails to direct one's feet into the right path .