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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