Question XXXI: On the gift of knowledge

To faith also pertains the gift of science; since, indeed, faith in itself is obscure, indicating what is to be done, but not in all things how to act, this gratuitous Gift is given by the Holy Spirit, through which faith is begotten, nourished, defended, and strengthened, whose proper act is to render man easily mobile by the Holy Spirit toward judging well and discriminating according to the rules of the eternal law in those things to be done whose manner of acting is not determined, as far as we are concerned, because they do not always come about uniformly. So the holy Doctor, cap. 3. de dono scientiae. Hence there is made known divinely to man the right judgment in his actions, and it extends itself to the things to be believed and done which are proposed to us in Holy Scripture: Of this gift St. Greg. speaks thus, lib. 10. Moral. apud D. Bonav. de dono scientiae, cap. 2., indicating that it is especially cultivated by the reading of Holy Scripture: From earthly desires it invites the heart to the embracing of things above; it aids the mind of the reader with humble words, and raises it with sublime sentences. It stirs the soul especially toward charity, manifesting the many lovelinesses of the Creator, and proposing the many ways in which He may be loved. The rest I shall indicate through certain doubts.