After a general consideration of virtues, vices, and other things pertaining to moral matters, it is necessary to consider each of them in particular. For universal moral discourse is less useful, since actions are singulars. Particular moral matters can be considered in two ways: first, with respect to the moral matter itself, for example, this virtue or that vice; second, with respect to the special states of men, for example, subjects and prelates, people in active or contemplative life, and so one for other differences of men.

Therefore, first we will consider in particular everything that pertains to people of whatever state, second, what pertains to people in special states of life. It should first be remarked that, if we were to treat virtues, gifts, vices and commandments separately, we would have to say the same thing many times over. For, if you were adequately to treat the commandment Do not commit adultery, you would have to examine adultery, which is a particular sin, and to understand it you must understand the opposite virtue. Therefore, it will be a briefer and quicker to treat together the virtue and the gift corresponding to it, along with the opposite vices and the affirmative and negative commandments. This is the most convenient procedure for treating vices in their proper species, for it was shown above that vices and sins differ in species according to their matter or object, not according to other factors differentiating sins, such is by thought, word and deed, or by way of weakness, ignorance or malice, and other such differentiations. But virtues act correctly with regard to the same matter as the opposite vices deviate from. Therefore, as all moral matters are reduced to the consideration of the virtues, all the virtues are furthermore reduced to seven: of which three are theological, which will be treated first, and the other four are cardinal, which will be treated afterwards.

As for intellectual virtues, one is prudence, which is included and numbered among the cardinal virtues. Art which has to do with making things, does not pertain to morals, as was said above. The other three intellectual virtues, i.e., wisdom, understanding and knowledge, share names with some gifts of the Holy Spirit. So they will be treated along with the gifts corresponding to virtues.

All the other moral virtues are somehow reducible to the cardinal virtues, as was shown previously. So along with each cardinal virtue we will treat also all the virtues that are in some way related to it, as well as the contrary vices. In this way nothing pertaining to morals will be omitted.

After a general consideration of virtues, vices, and other things pertaining to moral matters, it is necessary to consider each of them in particular. For universal moral discourse is less useful, since actions are singulars. Particular moral matters can be considered in two ways: first, with respect to the moral matter itself, for example, this virtue or that vice; second, with respect to the special states of men, for example, subjects and prelates, people in active or contemplative life, and so one for other differences of men.

Therefore, first we will consider in particular everything that pertains to people of whatever state, second, what pertains to people in special states of life. It should first be remarked that, if we were to treat virtues, gifts, vices and commandments separately, we would have to say the same thing many times over. For, if you were adequately to treat the commandment Do not commit adultery, you would have to examine adultery, which is a particular sin, and to understand it you must understand the opposite virtue. Therefore, it will be a briefer and quicker to treat together the virtue and the gift corresponding to it, along with the opposite vices and the affirmative and negative commandments. This is the most convenient procedure for treating vices in their proper species, for it was shown above that vices and sins differ in species according to their matter or object, not according to other factors differentiating sins, such is by thought, word and deed, or by way of weakness, ignorance or malice, and other such differentiations. But virtues act correctly with regard to the same matter as the opposite vices deviate from. Therefore, as all moral matters are reduced to the consideration of the virtues, all the virtues are furthermore reduced to seven: of which three are theological, which will be treated first, and the other four are cardinal, which will be treated afterwards.

As for intellectual virtues, one is prudence, which is included and numbered among the cardinal virtues. Art which has to do with making things, does not pertain to morals, as was said above. The other three intellectual virtues, i.e., wisdom, understanding and knowledge, share names with some gifts of the Holy Spirit. So they will be treated along with the gifts corresponding to virtues.

All the other moral virtues are somehow reducible to the cardinal virtues, as was shown previously. So along with each cardinal virtue we will treat also all the virtues that are in some way related to it, as well as the contrary vices. In this way nothing pertaining to morals will be omitted.