Question — Bontempi, Palladium Theologicum V · from Schola Thomistica
Question XXX: On the gift of understanding
Faith is followed by understanding, which penetrates those things which, covered with shadows, are proposed to be believed, and, with the help of reason, makes the things believed in a certain way seen; hence the Holy Doctor quaest. 3. ad 1. says that Understanding is related to Faith as Wisdom to charity; for the latter deals about eternal things according to eternal reasons in order to the vision of truth; the former is occupied about the same things, according to the same reasons too, but in order to the taste of love; science differs from those because it is occupied about creatures through created reasons, as I shall say below.
De DONO INTELLECTUS.
FIDEM consequitur intellectus, qui penetrat ea, quae tenebris offusa, credenda proponuntur, et rationis adminiculo, credita faciat quodammodo visa; hinc S. Doctor quaest. 3. ad 1. dicit, Intellectum se habere ad fidem, sicut Sapientia ad charitatem; illa enim negotiatur circa aeterna secundum rationes etiam aeternas in ordine ad veritatis visionem; Ista vero circa eadem, iuxta easdem quoque rationes, versatur, sed in ordine ad dilectionis gustum; ab illis differt scientia, quod versetur circa creaturas per creatas rationes, ut infra dicam.
But since it is clear that Understanding is implied together with faith, since faith only simply assents, and captivates the mind into its service: but Understanding proceeds further, and is as it were a knowledge by vision, as the Seraphic Doctor says in Diaeta, tit. 6. cap. 3. de Dono Intellectus, therefore I shall treat of this by doubts.
CUM autem implicare pateat, Intellectum simul esse cum fide, cum fides tantum simpliciter assentiatur, et captivet mentem in suum obsequium: Intellectus vero ulterius procedat, et sit quasi cognitio per visum, ut ait Seraphicus in Diaeta, tit. 6. cap. 3. de Dono Intellectus, ideo de hoc per dubitationes agam.
Within this question
- Doubt I: Whether understanding is a gift of the Holy Ghost
- Doubt II: Whether the gift of understanding can coexist with faith
- Doubt III: Whether the gift of understanding consists in the contemplation of the Creator and of the creature
- Doubt IV: Whether the gift of understanding is found in all who have grace, and whether in these alone
- Doubt V: What is the necessity and utility of the gift of understanding
- Doubt VI: Whether the sixth beatitude, Blessed are the clean of heart, corresponds to the gift of understanding
- Doubt VII: Whether faith, among the fruits of the Holy Ghost, corresponds to the gift of understanding