Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the gift of counsel does not remain in heaven. For counsel is about what has to be done for the sake of an end. But in heaven nothing will have to be done for the sake of an end, since there man possesses the last end. Therefore the gift of counsel is not in heaven.

Objection 2: Further, counsel implies doubt, for it is absurd to take counsel in matters that are evident, as the Philosopher observes (Ethic. iii, 3). Now all doubt will cease in heaven. Therefore there is no counsel in heaven.

Objection 3: Further, the saints in heaven are most conformed to God, according to 1 Jn. 3:2, "When He shall appear, we shall be like to Him." But counsel is not becoming to God, according to Rm. 11:34, "Who hath been His counsellor?" Therefore neither to the saints in heaven is the gift of counsel becoming.

On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. xvii, 12): "When either the guilt or the righteousness of each nation is brought into the debate of the heavenly Court, the guardian of that nation is said to have won in the conflict, or not to have won."

I answer that, As stated above (Article 2; 1.2, Question 68, Article 1), the gifts of the Holy Ghost are connected with the motion of the rational creature by God. Now we must observe two points concerning the motion of the human mind by God. First, that the disposition of that which is moved, differs while it is being moved from its disposition when it is in the term of movement. Indeed if the mover is the principle of the movement alone, when the movement ceases, the action of the mover ceases as regards the thing moved, since it has already reached the term of movement, even as a house, after it is built, ceases being built by the builder. On the other hand, when the mover is cause not only of the movement, but also of the form to which the movement tends, then the action of the mover does not cease even after the form has been attained: thus the sun lightens the air even after it is lightened. In this way, then, God causes in us virtue and knowledge, not only when we first acquire them, but also as long as we persevere in them: and it is thus that God causes in the blessed a knowledge of what is to be done, not as though they were ignorant, but by continuing that knowledge in them.

Nevertheless there are things which the blessed, whether angels or men, do not know: such things are not essential to blessedness, but concern the government of things according to Divine Providence. As regards these, we must make a further observation, namely, that God moves the mind of the blessed in one way, and the mind of the wayfarer, in another. For God moves the mind of the wayfarer in matters of action, by soothing the pre-existing anxiety of doubt; whereas there is simple nescience in the mind of the blessed as regards the things they do not know. From this nescience the angel's mind is cleansed, according to Dionysius (Coel. Hier. vii), nor does there precede in them any research of doubt, for they simply turn to God; and this is to take counsel of God, for as Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. v, 19) "the angels take counsel of God about things beneath them": wherefore the instruction which they receive from God in such matters is called "counsel."

Accordingly the gift of counsel is in the blessed, in so far as God preserves in them the knowledge that they have, and enlightens them in their nescience of what has to be done.

Reply to Objection 1: Even in the blessed there are acts directed to an end, or resulting, as it were, from their attainment of the end, such as the acts of praising God, or of helping on others to the end which they themselves have attained, for example the ministrations of the angels, and the prayers of the saints. In this respect the gift of counsel finds a place in them.

Reply to Objection 2: Doubt belongs to counsel according to the present state of life, but not to that counsel which takes place in heaven. Even so neither have the theological virtues quite the same acts in heaven as on the way thither.

Reply to Objection 3: Counsel is in God, not as receiving but as giving it: and the saints in heaven are conformed to God, as receivers to the source whence they receive.

Articulus 3

Argumentum 1

Ad tertium sic proceditur. Videtur quod donum consilii non maneat in patria. Consilium enim est eorum quae sunt agenda propter finem. Sed in patria nihil erit agendum propter finem, quia ibi homines ultimo fine potiuntur.

Ergo in patria non est donum consilii.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, consilium dubitationem importat, in his enim quae manifesta sunt ridiculum est consiliari, sicut patet per philosophum, in III ethic..

In patria autem tolletur omnis dubitatio. Ergo in patria non erit consilium.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, in patria sancti maxime deo conformantur, secundum illud I Ioan. III, cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus.

Sed deo non convenit consilium, secundum illud Rom. XI, quis consiliarius eius fuit? ergo etiam neque sanctis in patria competit donum consilii.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dicit Gregorius, XVII Moral., cumque uniuscuiusque gentis vel culpa vel iustitia ad supernae curiae consilium ducitur, eiusdem gentis praepositus vel obtinuisse in certamine vel non obtinuisse perhibetur.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, dona spiritus sancti ad hoc pertinent quod creatura rationalis movetur a deo. Circa motionem autem humanae mentis a deo duo considerari oportet. Primo quidem, quod alia est dispositio eius quod movetur dum movetur; et alia dum est in termino motus.

Et quidem quando movens est solum principium movendi, cessante motu cessat actio moventis super mobile, quod iam pervenit ad terminum, sicut domus, postquam aedificata est, non aedificatur ulterius ab aedificatore. Sed quando movens non solum est causa movendi, sed etiam est causa ipsius formae ad quam est motus, tunc non cessat actio moventis etiam post adeptionem formae, sicut sol illuminat aerem etiam postquam est illuminatus.

Et hoc modo deus causat in nobis et virtutem et cognitionem non solum quando primo acquirimus, sed etiam quandiu in eis perseveramus. Et sic cognitionem agendorum causat deus in beatis, non quasi in ignorantibus, sed quasi continuando in eis cognitionem eorum quae agenda sunt.

Tamen quaedam sunt quae beati, vel Angeli vel homines, non cognoscunt, quae non sunt de essentia beatitudinis, sed pertinent ad gubernationem rerum secundum divinam providentiam.

Et quantum ad hoc est aliud considerandum, scilicet quod mens beatorum aliter movetur a deo, et aliter mens viatorum. Nam mens viatorum movetur a deo in agendis per hoc quod sedatur anxietas dubitationis in eis praecedens. In mente vero beatorum circa ea quae non cognoscunt est simplex nescientia, a qua etiam Angeli purgantur, secundum dionysium, VI cap. Eccl. Hier., non autem praecedit in eis inquisitio dubitationis, sed simplex conversio ad deum. Et hoc est deum consulere, sicut Augustinus dicit, V super Gen. Ad litt., quod Angeli de inferioribus deum consulunt.

Unde et instructio qua super hoc a deo instruuntur consilium dicitur. Et secundum hoc donum consilii est in beatis, inquantum in eis a deo continuatur cognitio eorum quae sciunt; et inquantum illuminantur de his quae nesciunt circa agenda.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod etiam in beatis sunt aliqui actus ordinati ad finem, vel quasi procedentes ex consecutione finis, sicut quod deum laudant; vel quibus alios pertrahunt ad finem quem ipsi sunt consecuti, sicut sunt ministeria Angelorum et orationes sanctorum. Et quantum ad hoc habet in eis locum donum consilii.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod dubitatio pertinet ad consilium secundum statum vitae praesentis, non autem pertinet secundum quod est consilium in patria. Sicut etiam virtutes cardinales non habent omnino eosdem actus in patria et in via.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod consilium non est in deo sicut in recipiente, sed sicut in dante. Hoc autem modo conformantur deo sancti in patria, sicut recipiens influenti.