Doubt IV: Whether the gift of understanding is found in all who have grace, and whether in these alone

I ASSERT first that Understanding is in all who have sanctifying grace.

It is proved from St. Bonav. in Diaeta from that Psalm 110: Intellectus bonus omnibus facientibus eum — a good understanding to all that do it.

It is proved from the holy Doctor de septem donis, cap. 1. from the progress of our conversion, as assigned by the Council of Trent sess. 6. et 14., from which he also deduces the order of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; for, as St. Anselm says, lib. de simil. cap. 130.: First the Holy Spirit makes the mind fear through the gift of Fear; and compassionate with itself through the gift of Piety; and He manifests the things that are to be done through the gift of Science, and carries them out firmly through the gift of Fortitude; these three gifts belong to the appetitive power, and in this they differ from the gift of Understanding, which belongs first to the intellective power, according to St. Thomas, art. 6., and concerning those He makes us consult through the gift of Counsel, whereby there is an application of means to individual works, as St. Thomas says. Then the Holy Spirit kindles the mind to understand why this and that should be done, so that the affection of charity may follow: for this follows the perfect discovery of the truth; and this is from the understanding. Therefore even natural understanding itself is called, 3. de anima, text. 18., a Light penetrating to the innermost essences; nor indeed can the will be rightly ordered to the good unless some knowledge of the truth pre-exists, because the object of the will is the good understood, as is said in 3. de anima, text. 34. et 49. From these things it follows that the gift of Understanding is given together with grace, as the ultimate disposition to wisdom, or the Divine Savor. Therefore St. August., lib. 2. de doctrina christiana, cap. 7., speaking of the seven gifts, says of the gift of Understanding: After the fifth step, namely the gift of Counsel, through which the soul is raised up from the appetite for the filth of lower things, it ascends to the sixth step, that is, to the gift of understanding, where it cleanses that very eye by which God can be seen by those who die to this world; who see insofar as they die to the world.

The holy Doctor observes, however, cap. 4., that a threefold truth is irradiated by the gift of Understanding: the truth of cognition, by showing us the faith of Christ to be most true: the truth of operation, by showing the most perfect operation; and the truth of love, by showing us charity. But the Holy Spirit works this revelation through the gift of Understanding, while He raises up, purifies, and inflames the mind from earthly things. For an earthly and animal affection impedes the understanding from understanding spiritual things, because: The animal man perceiveth not those things that are of the Spirit of God, as is said in 1 Corinth. 2. From these things it follows that the gift of Understanding is in the just, who have a right will through charity, which presupposes a right understanding; and that it is given in the ultimate preparation for charity, but not to sinners in the composite sense; for of these (the holy Fathers say), Psalm 81: They have not known nor understood, they walk on in darkness.

And although the actual gift of Understanding is convertible with Faith, which is also in sinners; nevertheless, as it is a habitual gift, it is only in him who has a right cognition and a direction of the will toward the end, as St. Bonav. says, ad 3.

But that it is given in the ultimate disposition to grace is proved by that John 6: Every one that hath heard of the Father, and hath learned, cometh to me. But we learn this through the Understanding, as St. Gregory teaches, primo Moral. cap. 32. Therefore whoever has understanding comes to Christ through grace that makes one pleasing. Hence this passage is not rightly cited here by St. Thom. art. 5. to prove that this gift of God is not present except in those already established in grace; for these do not come to Christ, but have come.