Whether There Can Be Any Science of Divine Truths Which Are Matters of Faith


Whether There Can Be Any Science of Divine Truths Which Are Matters of Faith
For Aquinas, since the essence of science consists in this, that from things known, knowledge of things previously unknown is derived, and this may occur in relation to divine truths, evidently there can be a science of divine things. Knowledge of Divine things for Aquinas, can be thought in two ways: firstly, according to our mode of knowledge, in which knowledge of sensible things serves as the principle for coming to a knowledge of divine; and it was in this way that the philosophers handed down a traditional science of divine things, calling first philosophy a divine science. Secondly, according to that of divine things themselves as they are understood in themselves. This is, indeed, a mode of knowledge which we cannot possess perfectly in this life; but there is for us, even in this life, a certain participation and assimilation to such a cognition of divine truth, inasmuch as through the faith which is infused into our souls we adhere to the very First Truth on account of Itself. Hence, divine science is of a higher order than that which the philosophers traditionally termed divine, since it proceeds from higher principles.

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