Article 3 — Whether the gifts of the Holy Spirit are habits?

Objection 1: It would seem that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not habits. Because a habit is a quality abiding in man, being defined as a quality difficult to remove, as stated in the Predicaments (Categor. vi). Now it is proper to Christ that the gifts of the Holy Spirit rest in Him, as stated in Is. 11:2–3: He upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, He it is that baptizeth; on which words Gregory comments as follows (Moral. ii, 27): The Holy Spirit comes upon all the faithful; but, in a singular way, He dwells always in the Mediator. Therefore the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not habits.

Obj. 2: Further, the gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect man according as he is moved by the Spirit of God, as stated above (A1–2). But insofar as man is moved by the Spirit of God, he is somewhat like an instrument in His regard. Now to be perfected by a habit is befitting, not an instrument, but a principal agent. Therefore the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not habits.

Obj. 3: Further, as the gifts of the Holy Spirit are due to Divine inspiration, so is the gift of prophecy. Now prophecy is not a habit: for the spirit of prophecy does not always reside in the prophets, as Gregory states (Hom. i in Ezechiel). Neither, therefore, are the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

On the contrary, Our Lord, in speaking of the Holy Spirit, said to His disciples (John 14:17): He shall abide with you, and shall be in you. Now the Holy Spirit is not in a man without His gifts. Therefore His gifts abide in man. Therefore they are not merely acts or passions but abiding habits.

I answer that, As stated above (A1), the gifts are perfections of man, whereby he becomes amenable to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Now it is evident from what has been already said (Q56, A4; Q58, A2), that the moral virtues perfect the appetitive power according as it partakes somewhat of the reason, in so far, to wit, as it has a natural aptitude to be moved by the command of reason. Accordingly the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as compared with the Holy Spirit Himself, are related to man, even as the moral virtues, in comparison with the reason, are related to the appetitive power. Now the moral virtues are habits, whereby the powers of appetite are disposed to obey reason promptly. Therefore the gifts of the Holy Spirit are habits whereby man is perfected to obey readily the Holy Spirit.

Reply Obj. 1: Gregory solves this objection (Moral. ii, 27) by saying that by those gifts without which one cannot obtain life, the Holy Spirit ever abides in all the elect, but not by His other gifts. Now the seven gifts are necessary for salvation, as stated above (A2). Therefore, with regard to them, the Holy Spirit ever abides in holy men.

Reply Obj. 2: This argument holds in the case of an instrument which has no faculty of action but only of being acted upon. But man is not an instrument of that kind; for he is so acted upon, by the Holy Spirit, that he also acts himself, insofar as he has a free-will. Therefore he needs a habit.

Reply Obj. 3: Prophecy is one of those gifts which are for the manifestation of the Spirit, not for the necessity of salvation: hence the comparison fails.