Breviloquium

Concerning the branching of grace into the habits of gifts, these things are to be held: although there are very many gifts of grace freely given, and in general all habits divinely given can not absurdly be called gifts of God, nevertheless, specifically and properly, there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which Isaiah enumerates and names¹, speaking of the flower that proceeded from the root of Jesse, that is, Christ, of whom he says that the Spirit of the Lord will 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 will fill him. In this enumeration he proceeds by descending from the highest and by combining, so that the distinction, connection, origin, and order of the gifts may be shown at once.

The reason for understanding the foregoing is this: since the reparative principle, through its supreme liberality, gives not only grace for rectifying against the crookednesses of vices through the habits of virtues, but also for expediting against the impediments of symptoms², through the habits of gifts, therefore the gratuitous gifts must be multiplied according as is necessary for the sufficiency of expedition. Since, then, our soul needs to be expedited in a sevenfold manner, hence it is that, from a sevenfold cause, the gifts of the Holy Spirit must be sevenfold. For it needs to be expedited against the crookednesses of vices, both as to the natural powers and as to the superadded virtues, in suffering, in acting, in contemplating, and in both modes.

First, therefore, because the crookednesses of vices must be repelled most expeditiously, there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: fear against pride; piety against envy; knowledge against anger, which is as it were a certain madness³; fortitude against accidia, which renders the mind powerless toward good; counsel against avarice; understanding against gluttony; and wisdom against luxury.

Second, because the natural powers must be expedited, the gifts of the Holy Spirit must be seven. For the irascible power needs to be expedited toward good both in prosperity and in adversity; in prosperity it is expedited through fear, and in adversity through fortitude. The concupiscible power needs to be expedited as to affection in relation to one’s neighbor, and this is done through piety; and as to affection in relation to God, and this is done through the taste of wisdom. The rational power, however, needs to be expedited in the contemplation of truth, in choice, and in execution; through the gift of understanding it is expedited to contemplate the true, through the gift of counsel to choose the true, and through the gift of knowledge to execute what has been chosen; for through the gift of knowledge we conduct ourselves rightly in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation⁴.

Third, because the offices of the seven virtues must be expedited, there must be seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. For fear expedites toward temperance, for fear pierces the flesh⁵; piety toward true justice; knowledge toward prudence; fortitude toward fortitude or patience; counsel toward hope; understanding toward faith; and wisdom toward charity. Hence, just as “charity is the mother and consummation of all the virtues,” so wisdom is the mother and consummation of the gifts, so that the Wise Man truly says⁶: “All good things came to me together with her, and innumerable riches through her hands.”

Fourth, because of expedition in suffering in conformity with Christ, there are seven habits of gifts. Christ, however, was moved to suffering by the paternal will, human necessity, and the strenuousness of virtue. The divine⁷ will moved him, as known through understanding, as loved through wisdom, and as held in reverence through fear. Our necessity also moved him, which requires knowledge in order to be known and to which piety is superadded in order to be pitied. Nevertheless, the strenuousness of virtue also moved him, so that he was provident in choosing through counsel and vigorous in enduring through fortitude. And thus the gifts must be seven.

Fifth, because of expedition in acting, seven gifts are given by the Holy Spirit. For, for expedited action⁸, we necessarily need to be expedited to turn away from evil, which is done through fear. We also necessarily need to be expedited to progress in good in a twofold way: either out of necessity or by supererogation. In the first matter we are expedited through knowledge and piety, so that one directs and the other executes; in the second, through counsel directing and fortitude executing. We also necessarily need to rest in the best, both as to understanding the true and as to 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 expedition in contemplating, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are seven in number. For the hierarchical and contemplative life, it is necessary that the soul be purged, illuminated, and perfected. It must be purged of concupiscence, malice, ignorance, and infirmity or impotence; fear accomplishes the first, piety the second, knowledge the third, and fortitude the fourth. We need to be illuminated in the works of reparation and of the first condition; counsel gives the first, understanding the second. We must be perfected 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 broad to narrow, as it were in a cubit⁹¹⁰

Seventh and finally, for expedition in action and contemplation, there must be seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. For the contemplative, because of its conversion toward the Trinity, must have three gifts that expedite: as to reverence for majesty, fear; as to understanding of truth, understanding; as to savor or taste of goodness, wisdom¹¹. The active, however, which is occupied in things to be done and endured, must have four, namely piety for acting and fortitude for enduring; and the directives of these two, namely knowledge and counsel. Hence, because direction is necessary for expedition, the combination of gifts is made; and there are more gifts pertaining to the intellect, because the light of knowledge greatly expedites the directing of the feet into the straight way¹².