Question VII: Whether, as charity grows, fear diminishes

The holy Doctor reports many opinions on this matter. The first is that, as Charity grows with respect to the habit, Fear also grows with respect to the habit, because gratuitous habits are equal; but with respect to use, as Charity grows, Fear diminishes; and the more the use of charity presses forward, the less the use of Fear prevails, and this appears from experience: for at the beginning of his conversion a man does many things out of fear, but when he has tasted the Spirit of devotion and of sweetness, which is in love, as he draws near to the state of perfection he is now drawn more to act well by the generosity of love than he is spurred by the penalty of fear.

Yet in this manner the holy Doctor finds an inconsistency; for if the magnitude of a habit is discerned from the magnitude of its acts, then as the acts diminish, the habit too should be argued to diminish; or if the habit grows, the acts too should be intensified.

The second opinion is that Fear — not merely servile but even Initial — diminishes as charity grows, because that Fear shares with servile fear, operating also through fear of punishments; but filial Fear is not lessened as Charity grows; for the more one loves God, the more he flees offense against Him. This is the opinion of St. Thomas.

But the holy Doctor argues against it: because filial fear, whereby one fears to offend God, has pain, and the soul is much afflicted by that dread. Yet Blessed John chapter 4 says: Perfect charity casts out Fear, on account of its attached penal aspect.

The third opinion, therefore, is that there is a twofold use of gratuitous fear. One is whereby the heart of man is stirred from consideration of his own fragility; the other, whereby he is humbled from consideration of his own smallness and of the divine majesty; and the first use is diminished as charity is perfected, because confidence rises from the perfection of charity, so that man may then say the word of the Apostle: Who shall separate us from the Charity of Christ? But the other use grows as charity grows, like the habit of fear: hence the more one has of the Spirit of love, the more he has of the Spirit of fear.

I assert first, that as charity grows, Fear diminishes with respect to anxiety.

It is proved by the holy Doctor, from that passage of 1 John 4, and by St. Augustine Tractate 9, there.

It is proved secondly by the holy Doctor; for as charity grows in anyone, so much the more does he hope: Therefore he fears less to be separated from God, because he is bound more closely to God.

Finally, as love grows, delight grows: Therefore Pain is diminished.

I assert secondly, that as charity grows, reverential fear grows.

It is proved by the holy Doctor first. When the cause is increased, the effect is increased; but faith and love cause gratuitous fear: Therefore, as faith and charity grow, gratuitous Fear grows. St. Thomas uses this argument too, but St. Bonaventure moderates it, as above.

Secondly. The more one loves, the more tightly he holds a good and esteems it; and if it exceeds, he reveres it.

Finally. The more intense anyone's charity is, the greater his solicitude to serve God, lest he offend the will of God, according to that of Micah 6: I will show thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee. And afterward: and to walk solicitously with thy God; and the greater the solicitude, the greater the fear of losing the good.

The holy Doctor answers that not all solicitude arises from fear: for the solicitude whereby one raises his soul to serve God arises from Charity.

You will say: One is solicitous also lest he offend.

The holy Doctor answers that this is a solicitude of diligence, which in perfected men has fear attached to it not so deeply, except for a time, while they are shaken in soul from consideration of the divine judgments.

From these he draws out another way of answering the question, namely that the use of any habit is said to grow or diminish in two ways: first in intensity; second in the number of acts. Therefore, as charity grows, filial fear diminishes with respect to the number of acts; because the perfected man does not need to be stirred so often as the imperfect man does, who is anxious both on account of a past fault, lest perhaps it still be unremitted, and on account of a future one, lest he relapse through frailty.