_______

SIXTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 66, Art. 6]

Whether Charity Is the Greatest of the Theological Virtues?

Objection 1: It would seem that charity is not the greatest of the
theological virtues. Because, since faith is in the intellect, while
hope and charity are in the appetitive power, it seems that faith is
compared to hope and charity, as intellectual to moral virtue. Now
intellectual virtue is greater than moral virtue, as was made evident
above (Q. 62, A. 3). Therefore faith is greater than hope and charity.

Obj. 2: Further, when two things are added together, the result is
greater than either one. Now hope results from something added to
charity; for it presupposes love, as Augustine says (Enchiridion
viii), and it adds a certain movement of stretching forward to the
beloved. Therefore hope is greater than charity.

Obj. 3: Further, a cause is more noble than its effect. Now faith and
hope are the cause of charity: for a gloss on Matt. 1:3 says that
"faith begets hope, and hope charity." Therefore faith and hope are
greater than charity.

_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (1 Cor. 13:13): "Now there remain
faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is
charity."

_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 3), the greatness of a virtue,
as to its species, is taken from its object. Now, since the three
theological virtues look at God as their proper object, it cannot be
said that any one of them is greater than another by reason of its
having a greater object, but only from the fact that it approaches
nearer than another to that object; and in this way charity is
greater than the others. Because the others, in their very nature,
imply a certain distance from the object: since faith is of what is
not seen, and hope is of what is not possessed. But the love of
charity is of that which is already possessed: since the beloved is,
in a manner, in the lover, and, again, the lover is drawn by desire
to union with the beloved; hence it is written (1 John 4:16): "He
that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him."

Reply Obj. 1: Faith and hope are not related to charity in the same
way as prudence to moral virtue; and for two reasons. First, because
the theological virtues have an object surpassing the human soul:
whereas prudence and the moral virtues are about things beneath man.
Now in things that are above man, to love them is more excellent than
to know them. Because knowledge is perfect