Whether Divine Truths Ought to Be Treated of by the Method of Inquiry

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Whether Divine Truths Ought to Be Treated of by the Method of Inquiry
According to Aquinas, since the perfection of man consists in his union with God, it is right that man, by all the means which are in his power and in so far as he is able, mount up to and strive to attain to divine truths, so that his intellect may take delight in contemplation and his reason in the investigation of things of God, according to the saying of Ps. 72:28, “It is good for me to adhere to my God.”[1] Aquinas, referred to Aristotle’ Ethics which says: “One ought to be wise in regard to man, however, not according to those treating of human affairs alone, as a mortal knowing only mortal things; but, inasmuch as it is fitting for a mortal man to do so, he ought to do all things according to the best of those powers that are in him.”
 For Aquinas, there are three possible ways man may err in inquiring about divine truths. Firstly, by presumption, since one might enter upon such investigation as if he could attain a perfect comprehension, and it is this kind of presumption that is denounced in Job 11:7: “Do you think you can comprehend the steps of God, and find out the Almighty perfectly?” secondly, error arises if, in matters of faith, reason has precedence of faith and not faith of reason, to the point that one would be willing to believe only what he could know by reason, when the converse ought to be the case. Thirdly, error results from undertaking an inquiry into divine things which are beyond one’s capacity. Wherefore it is said in Rom. 12:3, “Not to be more wise than it behaveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety and according as God hath divided to everyone the measure of faith.”[2]

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