all show great signs and wonders."
Therefore it would seem that the working of miracles does not belong
to a gratuitous grace.

Obj. 3: Further, miracles are divided into "signs," "wonders" or
"portents," and "virtues." [*Cf. 2 Thess. 2:9, where the Douay
version renders _virtus_ by "power." The use of the word "virtue" in
the sense of a miracle is now obsolete, and the generic term
"miracle" is elsewhere used in its stead: Cf. 1 Cor. 12:10, 28; Heb.
2:4; Acts 2:22]. Therefore it is unreasonable to reckon the "working
of miracles" a gratuitous grace, any more than the "working of signs"
and "wonders."

Obj. 4: Further, the miraculous restoring to health is done by the
power of God. Therefore the grace of healing should not be
distinguished from the working of miracles.

Obj. 5: Further, the working of miracles results from faith--either
of the worker, according to 1 Cor. 13:2, "If I should have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains," or of other persons for whose sake
miracles are wrought, according to Matt. 13:58, "And He wrought not
many miracles there, because of their unbelief." Therefore, if faith
be reckoned a gratuitous grace, it is superfluous to reckon in
addition the working of signs as another gratuitous grace.

_On the contrary,_ The Apostle (1 Cor. 12:9, 10) says that among
other gratuitous graces, "to another" is given "the grace of healing
. . . to another, the working of miracles."

_I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 177, A. 1), the Holy Ghost
provides sufficiently for the Church in matters profitable unto
salvation, to which purpose the gratuitous graces are directed. Now
just as the knowledge which a man receives from God needs to be
brought to the knowledge of others through the gift of tongues and
the grace of the word, so too the word uttered needs to be confirmed
in order that it be rendered credible. This is done by the working of
miracles, according to Mk. 16:20, "And confirming the word with signs
that followed": and reasonably so. For it is natural to man to arrive
at the intelligible truth through its sensible effects. Wherefore
just as man led by his natural reason is able to arrive at some
knowledge of God through His natural effects, so is he brought to a
certain degree of supernatural knowledge of the objects of faith by
certain supernatural effects which are called miracles. Therefore the
working of miracles belongs to a gratuitous grace.

Reply Obj. 1: Just as prophecy ex