Dist. 34, Part 1, Art. 2, Q. 1
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/3/d/34/q/bon-sent-III-d34-p1-a2-q1
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### Article II. *On the gifts in comparison to one another.*

Consequently it is asked concerning the gifts according to the comparison which they have to one another. And concerning this three things are asked. First it is asked concerning the number and distinction of the gifts. Secondly it is asked concerning their order and combination. Thirdly it is asked concerning their evacuation or duration.

### Question I. *On the number and distinction of the gifts.*
#### *Whether the gifts of the Holy Spirit are only seven.*

Concerning the first point one proceeds thus, and it is shown that the gifts are only seven:

1. *First*, by the authority of Isaiah, chapter eleven: *The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding* etc., where seven gifts are enumerated and no more: if therefore all the gifts were perfectly in Christ: therefore it seems that the number of the gifts is complete in the sevenfold.

2. Likewise, on that text of Job, chapter one: *There were born to him seven sons*; Gregory there: «The seven sons of Job, understood spiritually, are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit».

3. Likewise, on that text of Isaiah, chapter four: *Seven women shall take hold of one man*; the Gloss says that by the seven women are understood the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

4. Likewise, by reason of the virtues: for the gifts are for the making-apt of the virtues: therefore since the virtues are only seven, it seems that the gifts do not exceed the sevenfold number.

**On the contrary:**

1. It seems that there should be only *five*: for the gifts correspond to the virtues: therefore since there are only two virtues on the side of the cognitive, namely faith and prudence; therefore there should be only two gifts on the side of the intellective corresponding to them, namely knowledge and understanding: therefore the other two gifts are superfluous, namely counsel and wisdom: therefore it seems that there are only *five*.

2. Likewise, it seems that there should be only *four*: for the gifts are against the sequels or symptoms which are left from sin; but these are only four, namely ignorance and infirmity, malice and concupiscence, as Bede says: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, it seems that there should be only *two*: for in as many ways as good is to be found, in so many ways is evil to be found; but there is only one gift which makes apt against evil, namely the gift of fear: therefore it seems that there should be only one other, which would render apt for good, and thus only *two*. And thus it seems that they are not seven, but rather far fewer.

4. Likewise, it seems that there should be *twice as many*. For if the gifts are for the making-apt of the virtues, and faith has two gifts making it apt, namely understanding and knowledge; it seems that every virtue should have two gifts: therefore since the virtues are seven, the gifts should be *fourteen*.

5. Likewise, it seems that there should at least be *twelve*: for four gifts are concerned with the making-apt of the rational, namely knowledge and counsel, understanding and wisdom: therefore since each of the other two powers needs to be made apt and healed, just as the rational, since each of them is equally or more infirm: therefore each of them ought to have four gifts. And if each of them has four, since they are three: therefore the gifts will be *twelve*.

6. Likewise, it seems that there should at least be *ten*: for, just as fear is necessary for the perfection of penance, so also are shame and grief and joy necessary for this, that a man may be able to do penance perfectly and readily: therefore over and above these gifts it seems that there should be three others. Since therefore the aforesaid gifts are seven, with three others superadded, it seems that there should be *ten*.

It is asked therefore: why are there so many, neither more nor fewer?

### Conclusion

> The gifts of the Holy Spirit are only seven.

**I respond:** For the understanding of the aforesaid it must be noted that the number, distinction, and sufficiency of the gifts is taken in a fourfold way according to the fourfold comparison of the gifts themselves. For the gifts can be compared or considered, first, with respect to the habits annexed; secondly, with respect to their opposites; thirdly, with respect to their proximate ends; fourthly, with respect to their acts and objects.

Through the comparison, then, to the annexed habits the sufficiency of the gifts is taken in a twofold way: in one way, so that each single gift corresponds to some virtue. That we may begin from the highest, wisdom corresponds to charity; understanding to faith; but counsel, on account of this, that it orders to those things which are of supererogation, in which the hope of eternal things is conceived, corresponds to hope itself; fortitude to fortitude; knowledge to prudence; piety to justice; fear to modesty or temperance. — In another way they can be taken according as they are ordered to the making-apt of the theological virtues: for since faith believes things temporal and eternal as regards the articles of the Divinity and the humanity, it has two making it apt, namely understanding concerning eternal things, and knowledge concerning temporal things. Likewise charity has to be affected concerning two things, namely concerning God and concerning neighbor, and according to this it has two making it apt, namely wisdom with respect to God, and piety with respect to neighbor. Hope too can be overturned from its state in two ways, either through being lifted up in prosperity, or through being cast down in adversity; and therefore it has two gifts making it apt, one against prosperity, namely the gift of fear, the other against adversity, namely the gift of fortitude. And that all things may run readily and without error, the

gift of counsel is superadded to these six gifts, that there may at once be in all the aforesaid a making-apt with maturity. And this is the first path of taking the sufficiency of the gifts. — Yet to this path a fault can readily be charged, because there seems to be there only a certain congruity of adaptation.

But the second path of taking the sufficiency of the gifts is with respect to their opposites. And this can likewise be done in two ways, namely with respect to the capital sins, or with respect to the consequent symptoms. With respect to the sins thus: that fear is against pride; piety against envy; knowledge against anger, which disturbs the mind; fortitude against sloth, which casts down the mind; counsel against avarice, which against the divine counsel wishes to retain all things; understanding against gluttony and drunkenness, which suffocate the reason; but wisdom against lust, to which nothing savors but carnal things. — Another manner of taking is against the symptoms, which Gregory assigns in the *Morals* on that text: *A vehement wind* etc.: «The Spirit, who first of all adorns minds with the seven virtues, strengthens that same mind with the virtues against the several temptations». And afterward he adds: «Against folly, wisdom; against dullness, understanding; against rashness, counsel; against pusillanimity, fortitude; against ignorance, knowledge; against hardness, piety; against pride, fear». And note that pride is taken there not for a capital vice, but for proneness. — But this manner of taking, although it is sufficiently fitting, is yet open to charge in both forms. The first is open to charge, because the gifts are not directly against sins. Each is also open to charge, because it is taken as it were from what is posterior; and there is there a certain circularity, because the sufficiency and number of the sins and of those penalties is just as well taken through the comparison to the gifts, as conversely.

The third path of taking the sufficiency of the gifts is through the comparison to the proximate ends; and this can be in two ways. For the gifts, as has been said, are in one way ordered to suffering in conformity with Christ. Now Christ had these seven gifts, according to which he was perfectly disposed to suffering. For what first moved Christ to suffering was complete obedience and subjection with respect to the Father, and as to this there was the gift of fear. But the second thing which moved him was compassion for the human race, and as to this there was the gift of piety. But these two being presupposed, there remained nothing but the undertaking of the passion, and as to this is attended to the gift of fortitude. But after this there was delight in the fulfilling of the Father's will and in our liberation, and as to this there is the gift of wisdom. But for the directing of these things there were necessary other gifts as directive, namely knowledge, which is directive of piety, and counsel, which is directive of fortitude, and understanding, which is the preamble with respect to wisdom.

Another manner of taking along this path is, that the gifts are for making apt and for readily attaining unto the last end, and according to this they are distinguished: for either they make apt against evil, or unto good. If against evil; thus is fear. If unto good; either unto the good which is the end, or unto the good which is for the end. If unto the good which is the end; either by way of one seeing, or by way of one tasting. In the first way is understanding; in the second way wisdom. If unto the good which is for the end; this can be in two ways: either because that good is of supererogation, or of necessity. If of supererogation, this in two ways: for the gift toward that good either stands by way of one directing, and thus is counsel; or by way of one executing or undertaking, and thus is fortitude. But if it be a good of necessity, likewise it is in two ways: for either the gift stands with respect to that good by way of one regulating, and thus is knowledge; or by way of one executing, and thus is piety, whose office is to show forth the works of mercy, as Gregory says in the *Morals*.

The fourth path of taking the sufficiency of the gifts is through the comparison to proper acts. Now the acts about which the gifts themselves are concerned can be distinguished in two ways: either according to the distinction of the powers of the soul, or according to the distinction of the twofold life, namely the active and the contemplative. According to the distinction of the powers of the soul thus. Since there is in us a threefold power, namely the irascible, the concupiscible, and the rational; the concupiscible is impeded in its operation in two ways: either because it does not suffer with another in evil, or because it does not taste good; and thus there is a twofold gift ordered to making apt its act: one, through which it is made apt to taste good, and this is wisdom; another, through which it is made apt to suffer with another in evil, and this is piety. Likewise the irascible is impeded in its right act in two ways: either because it vanishes away in prosperity and is borne up on high, or because in adversity it fails and is cast down to the depths. Fear therefore is given to it, that it may readily run in prosperity: fortitude, that it may readily run in adversity. But the rational is impeded in three ways: either on account of ignorance in things to be known, or on account of rashness in things to be deliberated, or on account of dullness in things to be investigated; and therefore a threefold gift is given to it, namely the gift of knowledge, that it may be made apt in knowing; and the gift of counsel, that it may be made apt in deliberating; and the gift of understanding, that it may be made apt in scrutinizing lofty things.

In another way the distinction of the gifts is taken according to the distinction of the twofold life, namely the active and the contemplative. If as to the contemplative life; thus there is a threefold act corresponding to the hierarchical act, namely to illuminate, to purge, and to perfect, and according to this a threefold gift: one, which disposes to purgation, and this is fear; another, which is attended to according to the act of illuminating, and this is understanding; the third, which is attended to according to the act of perfecting, and this is wisdom. — But according to the active life the acts are distinguished: for some are of necessity, and some of supererogation; and with respect to each there is a gift executing and directing, and thus there are four gifts, which with the other three make seven.

Or otherwise: in the active life it behooves one to share goods with another and to bear evils; and according to this there are two gifts: piety for sharing goods, and fortitude for tolerating evils. And these two have two directive ones, so that thus there are four gifts making apt for the acts of the active life, and three for the acts of the contemplative life, through a certain correspondence to the very being of nature, so that — just as on the side of the body there is found in us a quaternity of principles, and on the side of the soul a trinity of powers, and thus in the sevenfold are understood all the things which constitute man in the life of nature — so also in the sevenfold number are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which make man apt as regards the life of grace, so that three are on the side of the spiritual and interior or contemplative life, corresponding to the three powers of the soul; but four with respect to the active life, corresponding to the fourfold constitutive principle of the body. — And in this same number, on account of perfect integrity, is the number of the virtues and the number of the beatitudes and the number of the petitions in the Lord's Prayer and the number of the Sacraments. And against this is the number of the capital sins and the number of the seven symptoms or sequels which Gregory sets down in the *Morals*. And to prefigure all these things there preceded, in the very beginning of the founding of the whole of being, the number of seven days, on account of the sevenfold illumination of grace, which is in us from the irradiation of that supernal light.

Thus therefore it is plain that the path of taking the sufficiency of the gifts is fourfold, and there are eight modes, among which I know not whether there is any which satisfies the curious investigator. This, however, is established, according to what the authorities say, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are only seven, neither more nor fewer.

**To the arguments:**

*To 1.* As to what is first objected to the contrary, that there should be only five, because only two should regard cognition; it must be said that, as is now plain, the manner of taking the sufficiency of the virtues and the sufficiency of the gifts is one and another. For since the gifts are for making apt; and the making-apt comes about chiefly through those things which direct and show the way: therefore more gifts regard cognition than affection; but conversely it is with the virtues, because they are for setting right; and rectitude consists chiefly about will and affection: and therefore it is not alike on the one side and the other.

*To 2.* As to what is objected, that there should be four against the four things which are inflicted on us for sin; it must be said that although there are only four principal ones, yet there are many symptoms and sequels left from sins in the powers of the soul, consequent upon those four; for reason is not only made infirm through ignorance, but also through dullness and rashness.

*To 3.* As to what is objected, that there should be only two, because there is only one which calls back from evil; it must be said that it is not alike: for there is one manner of fleeing evil, but yet there are many manners of pursuing good.

*To 4.* As to what is objected, that there should be fourteen, since two are making faith apt; it must be said that the proper account of taking the sufficiency of the gifts is not according to the making-apt of the virtues, but rather according to the making-apt of the powers themselves in their acts. — Nevertheless, if we wish to maintain that the gifts are distinguished according to the making-apt of the virtues; then the answer must be given by way of denial, because there are not two making faith apt, but only one, so that to each single virtue there corresponds its own gift according to the manner assigned in what precedes.

*To 5.* As to what is objected, that there should be twelve, because each power of the soul should have four; the answer must be given that it is not alike:

for, since the rational governs itself and the others, more impediments occur to it; and therefore it seems that it has more gifts making it apt.

*To 6.* As to what is objected, that there should be ten on account of three other affections, namely joy, grief, and shame; it must be said that it is not alike concerning those affections and fear. For two of them, namely grief and shame, on account of their imperfection cannot have the account of a gift, but rather regard the Sacrament of penance; but joy, because it says a state and rest, ought rather to be counted among the fruits than among the gifts of the Spirit.