Article II: On the Connection of Infused Habits

St. Thomas, I-II, q. 65 and 68, a. 5; De Virt., q. 2, a. 3; q. 5, a. 2.

648. Principle I. Theological virtues according to essence are not connected, but they are connected as virtues. Among the theological virtues:

1. Faith and hope according to their proper essence do not depend on charity, for they are presupposed to charity; whence they can exist without charity, as is clear in a sinner who has not denied faith and hope. This has been defined for faith by the Council of Trent, sess. 6, c. 15 and can. 28; for hope it is certain from the unanimous opinion of theologians.

2. Nevertheless without charity they are not perfect or formed virtues because in fact they are not referred to the ultimate end. For it belongs to the account of perfect virtue not only that we operate good, but also that we operate well; but faith is a voluntary assent, which will not be perfect unless it is done in the due mode and the will is also well disposed through charity; hope is the expectation of beatitude from merits, which will not be perfect unless present merits are had, for which charity is required. Hence charity, by which we are ordered to the supernatural ultimate end, is called the perfection and (extrinsic) form of all supernatural virtues; and faith and hope without charity are unformed (q. 65, a. 4).

3. Faith can exist without hope because it is presupposed to hope according to reason.

4. But charity cannot exist without faith and hope, and hope cannot exist without faith. Hence St. Thomas, q. 65, a. 5: "Just as someone could not have friendship with another if he disbelieved or despaired that he could have some society or familiar conversation with him, so someone cannot have friendship toward God, which is charity, unless he has faith, through which he believes in a society and conversation of this kind with God, and hopes that he pertains to this society."

649. Principle II. Infused moral virtues are connected:

A. Among themselves through prudence: for they incline us to choosing supernatural means well for a good end, or to acting supernaturally well in all circumstances, which is impossible without perfect supernatural prudence; - and conversely perfect prudence cannot exist for ordering means well in all circumstances, unless one is disposed to a particular good end for all circumstances, for which all moral virtues are required. This is in the same way as was said concerning acquired virtues (q. 65, a. 1).

B. They are also connected with charity:

1. They cannot exist without charity. For they cannot exist without supernatural prudence; moreover, supernatural prudence cannot exist without charity, for if for perfect prudence it is required that man be well disposed relative to the due particular ends in such and such matter, which is done through the moral virtues, much more is it required that he be well disposed relative to the ultimate end, which is done through charity: for an act ordering means well to a good particular end but to an evil ultimate end becomes evil. Therefore infused moral virtues are connected with charity (a. 2).

2. Likewise charity cannot exist without infused moral virtues. For a) charity is connected with sanctifying grace, which elevates to supernatural being and is the remote principle of supernatural operations. But infused moral virtues are properties of sanctifying grace, for he who has supernatural being as remote principle must be able to operate supernaturally and have proximate principles for supernatural operations. Therefore - b) grace and charity, insofar as it orders man to the ultimate end, is the principle of all good works which can be ordered to the ultimate end. But no being tends to an end unless it has the power of disposing means to the end, and the principle of certain works is not found in any thing unless those things are found which are necessary for perfecting works of this kind. But moral virtues give the power of choosing means necessary to the ultimate end and of perfecting the individual genera of supernatural good works. Therefore they are connected with grace and charity. Namely, God operates no less perfectly in the works of grace than in the works of nature.

Hence he who receives grace and charity receives supernatural moral virtues; and through any mortal sin whatever, charity and all supernatural moral virtues are lost (a. 3).

3. Likewise the gifts of the Holy Spirit are connected with charity, by which we are united to the Holy Spirit as mover, and therefore they are granted with charity, are increased intensively, and are lost (q. 68, a. 5).

650. Principle III. Natural acquired moral virtues can exist without charity, and conversely, for a sinner who is converted does not on that account have acquired virtues; and he who sins mortally does not on that account lose them (q. 63, a. 2, ad 2).

651. Observation. - St. Thomas says: "Charity is the form of all virtues because it gives and impresses on the acts of the other virtues their form and ultimate perfection, according as it orders them to the ultimate end; it is their root because it nourishes and sustains them; their end because it orders all the other virtues to its end; and their mother because from appetite for the ultimate end it conceives the acts of the other virtues by commanding them" (II-II, q. 23, a. 8). Therefore prudence is the form of the moral virtues because it gives ordination to the particular end according to reason; charity is the form of the theological virtues and of prudence because it gives perfect ordination to the ultimate end; grace is the form of charity because it gives divine being and thus confers upon it dignity and a right to the ultimate end (De Virt., q. 2, a. 3, ad 19).¹

¹ Cf. II Sent., dist. 26, q. 1, a. 4, ad 5.