S. Th. I-II, q. 67 ; q. 68, a. 6 ; De Virt., q. 5, a. 4.

654. Principle. In the blessed there remain those infused habits which include no imperfection repugnant to their state. — Whence :

1. Faith and hope do not remain, which include imperfection because they are about the unseen and the not yet possessed ; whence when vision and possession come, they are emptied away.

2. Charity remains, because love by its nature includes no imperfection ; it can be about what is possessed and not possessed, about what is seen and not seen.

3. The supernatural moral virtues remain according to essence, but they will have other acts conformed to the heavenly life, as was said of acquired virtues ; before the resurrection however the virtues which are about passions will exist only in root, because they are in the sensitive appetite, which cannot exist without a body.

4. The gifts of the Holy Spirit according to essence remain in the other life because the blessed perfectly follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and are most perfectly subjected to Him ; but they will have other acts befitting the heavenly life.

655. Observation. — In the souls of purgatory there remain besides faith and hope because they do not yet see nor possess God. In the damned no supernatural habit or virtue can exist, because they are no longer destined for the supernatural life.

SPECIAL MORAL THEOLOGY.

On the Matter, Method and Order of Special Moral Theology.

656. Matter. — After general moral theology, which comprises the treatises on the last end, on human acts in themselves, on their rules namely conscience and laws, on sins, and on habits and virtues, considered in general, we begin special moral theology which treats in particular

1° of the individual good acts, and of the evil or sins opposed to them,

2° of the individual habits, virtues or gifts of the Holy Spirit, and of the vices opposed to them,

3° of the individual precepts whether affirmative, which pertain to good works and virtues, or negative, which pertain to sins and vices.

Moreover, among all these, some pertain to the state of all men, some to a determined state, namely clerics, religious, bishops, etc.

657. Method. — Now however all the aforesaid things can be explained separately, or even several of them together, as many modern authors do, who with S. Alphonsus divide moral theology according to precepts. But the scientific and more perfect method of S. Thomas, as being more complete at the same time and more compendious, is to consider all these together so that in the same treatise we examine both the virtue with its proper acts, and the vices and sins opposed, and the gift of the Holy Spirit corresponding to this virtue, and the affirmative or negative precepts pertaining to all these.

« It must be considered, says S. Thomas¹, ... that if we determined separately about virtues, gifts, vices and precepts, we would have to say the same thing many times... The way of consideration will therefore be more compendious and expeditious, if under the same treatise consideration proceeds together about the virtue and the gift corresponding to it, and about the opposite vices, and about the affirmative or negative precepts. This mode of consideration will however be more fitting for the vices themselves according to their proper species. For it has been shown above that vices and sins are diversified in species according to their matter or object... It is however the same matter about which both the virtue operates rightly, and the vices depart from rectitude in the opposite way ».

In reality the order of precepts does not favor a scientific exposition, by which all things are logically joined together among themselves and reduced to principles. For

a) there are many acts, which are reduced to precepts in a rather arbitrary and very remote way, e.g. imprecation, anger, even gluttony and drunkenness, which are born to harm the body, to the 5th precept ; all the sacraments to the 3rd ; the obligation of alms to the 4th or to the 5th ; humility to the 8th ;

b) there are acts or virtues, which must be reduced to several precepts, e.g. charity to the 1st for the love of God, to the 5th for the love of neighbor, to the 4th or 5th for the duty of almsgiving ; likewise restitution to justice, fortitude and temperance to diverse precepts according to various matters ; — and thus many things are mixed whose morality proceeds from very diverse reasons, or conversely things are separated which pertain to the same virtues ;

c) moreover the said method gives place to an incomplete treatment : those treating expressly about the acts of precepts omit those which are of counsel and which pertain to perfection, and more or even uniquely consider sins, not virtues.

Whence the division according to virtues is altogether to be preferred.

658. Order of division. — There are seven virtues, to which all others are reduced : three theological and four cardinal. Special moral theology therefore comprises seven treatises : on faith, on hope, on charity, on prudence, on justice, on fortitude, on temperance, which pertain to all states ; to which is added an eighth : on particular states²].

We begin to speak about the theological virtues.

ON THE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES.

ON DIVINE FAITH.