four belong to the
reason, viz. wisdom, knowledge, understanding and counsel, and three
to the appetite, viz. fortitude, piety and fear; they held that the
gifts perfect the free-will according as it is a faculty of the
reason, while the virtues perfect it as a faculty of the will: since
they observed only two virtues in the reason or intellect, viz. faith
and prudence, the others being in the appetitive power or the
affections. If this distinction were true, all the virtues would have
to be in the appetite, and all the gifts in the reason.

Others observing that Gregory says (Moral. ii, 26) that "the gift of
the Holy Ghost, by coming into the soul endows it with prudence,
temperance, justice, and fortitude, and at the same time strengthens
it against every kind of temptation by His sevenfold gift," said that
the virtues are given us that we may do good works, and the gifts,
that we may resist temptation. But neither is this distinction
sufficient. Because the virtues also resist those temptations which
lead to the sins that are contrary to the virtues; for everything
naturally resists its contrary: which is especially clear with regard
to charity, of which it is written (Cant. 8:7): "Many waters cannot
quench charity."

Others again, seeing that these gifts are set down in Holy Writ as
having been in Christ, according to Isa. 11:2, 3, said that the
virtues are given simply that we may do good works, but the gifts, in
order to conform us to Christ, chiefly with regard to His Passion,
for it was then that these gifts shone with the greatest splendor.
Yet neither does this appear to be a satisfactory distinction.
Because Our Lord Himself wished us to be conformed to Him, chiefly in
humility and meekness, according to Matt. 11:29: "Learn of Me,
because I am meek and humble of heart," and in charity, according to
John 15:12: "Love one another, as I have loved you." Moreover, these
virtues were especially resplendent in Christ's Passion.

Accordingly, in order to differentiate the gifts from the virtues, we
must be guided by the way in which Scripture expresses itself, for we
find there that the term employed is "spirit" rather than "gift." For
thus it is written (Isa. 11:2, 3): "The spirit . . . of wisdom and of
understanding . . . shall rest upon him," etc.: from which words we
are clearly given to understand that these seven are there set down
as being in us by Divine inspiration. Now inspiration denotes motion
from