Apologeticae sive Theologiae Fundamentalis, Tomus I: Demonstratio Christiana

Theology excels all other sciences in dignity, because it treats of God; in certitude, because it comes from God; in utility, because it leads to God.

a) In dignity, because it treats of God. The higher the object of a science, the higher the science itself. But the object of theology is manifestly the highest of all. For if you except philosophy, all other sciences treat only of created things. Nay, even that highest part of philosophy which has God as its object considers Him as knowable solely by merely natural light. Theology, however, reaches even to the objects of all the sciences, but under a higher respect, inasmuch as they are referred to God and become, as it were, divine realities.¹ God, however, she considers by supernatural light, by which He is known not only as one God, but as triune, as creating, as incarnate, as redeeming, as sanctifying, as glorifying. Therefore theology surpasses all sciences in dignity or elevation. It is itself the highest of all, the science of sciences, the queen of the sciences.

Nay, it is itself also the highest wisdom. For wisdom is defined as the science that considers the highest causes of things. But theology contemplates the highest cause of all, namely God, and Him in the most perfect manner, namely inasmuch as He can be known through the help of supernatural and divine light. Therefore it deserves to be called the highest wisdom.² "That wisdom alone is perfect which begins from the highest cause, as it is the principle of things caused, where philosophical knowledge terminates, and passes through it, as it is the remedy of sins, and leads back to it, as it is the reward of merits and the end of desires. And in this knowledge there is perfect savor, life, and salvation of souls; and therefore to learn it the desire of all Christians ought to be inflamed."³

b) In certitude, because it comes from God. We already know that theology does not simply offer the absolute certitude of faith, both because it embraces many things which are not formally revealed, and because it apprehends all its objects inasmuch as they are understood by reason, not inasmuch as they are believed by faith. Nevertheless theology is more certain than all the profane sciences. For the certitude of any science is the greater the more certain are the principles from which it derives its conclusions, and the more certain are the reasonings by which it derives them. But the principle or foundation from which theological assertions are derived is divine revelation, whose existence is proven by the invincible arguments of apologetics and is held by the infallible assent of faith; the theological reasoning, however, by which theological assertions are derived from revelation, proceeds not from merely natural reason, but from reason illuminated by faith. Therefore theological certitude, all things considered as to both principles and reasonings, is intermediate between natural and supernatural certitude, between the certitude of the profane sciences and that of faith.

It is evident, however, that this more excellent certitude of theology arises, in a word, from the fact that sacred science proceeds from the science of God revealed to us. Theology "learns from God what is to be understood concerning God, because it is known only with Himself as author"⁴ "The other sciences have certitude from the natural light of human reason, which can err; this one, however, has certitude from the light of divine science, which cannot be deceived."⁵

Hence the theologian ought to adhere as closely as possible to revelation, striving that his assertions be strictly proven from revelation, that his conclusions be always compared with the revealed truths, and that he think with the Catholic Church, the authentic and infallible interpreter of revelation, in all things. As long as he remains in the bosom of this revelation, he is altogether immune from the danger of error; the farther he recedes from it, mingling profane with sacred things, trusting to the natural sciences and to the light of mere reason, the greater the danger to which he is exposed of erring in divine matters.

c) In utility, because it leads to God. And indeed theology leads to God, our last end and eternal beatitude, in a threefold manner: as a means of beatitude, as a foretaste of beatitude, as an increase of beatitude.

As a means of beatitude. The natural sciences pursue by themselves only a natural end. For they impart natural knowledge of creatures and of the Creator, and therefore supply an insufficient means for attaining a supernatural end, such as eternal life is. On the contrary, "the end of this doctrine is eternal beatitude".⁶ For theology, since it is a science of God from revelation, sharpens the intellect by heavenly light and thereby perfects faith. And since the will follows the intellect, theology by its innate office also tends to excite the supernatural love of God. For the theological and the philosophical light are compared to each other as the light of the sun and of the moon. The theological light is sent forth directly by God, the sun of justice; the philosophical light only reflectively. Wherefore, while the pale illumination of the latter chills the night-faring wayfarer, the vivid light of theology sets hearts aflame in the daylight of revelation. "All Scripture is ordered to charity."⁷

And would that both those who teach and those who learn theology never forgot this! Of sacred theology "he alone is the true doctor who can imprint a species and infuse light and give virtue to the heart of the hearer. And hence it is that he has his chair in heaven who teaches hearts within"⁸ Likewise of theological science he alone is the true disciple who, the more he advances in the knowledge of God, advances so much the more in love and piety; for "theological science is the pious knowledge of credible truth"⁹

As a foretaste of beatitude. As a means to beatitude sacred theology is at the same time a certain beginning of beatitude. For beatitude consists in the vision, that is, the contemplation, of the divine essence. There is, however, a certain proportion of the way to the fatherland, of preparation to the crown. Hence the contemplation of the way, or the theology of the wayfarers on earth, is the preparation of the contemplation of the fatherland, that is, of the theology of the blessed in heaven. Wherefore the Seraphic Master: "Scripture not only has a most lofty matter, by which it delights and by which it lifts the intelligence of the mind on high; verily it is also most beautiful, and in a marvelous way it delights our intellect, and so, delighting more and more, it accustoms us to the contemplation of divine spectacles."¹⁰ And the Angelic Doctor: "The act of wisdom [i. e. of theology] is a certain beginning or participation of future happiness."¹¹

As an increase of beatitude. The more one progresses on earth in the contemplation of divine things, the greater the increase of eternal glory he will merit. For theology especially perfects the theological virtues of faith and charity, as has been proven, and therefore also increases the eternal reward due to these virtues. Moreover, the intellectual habit of theology itself, since it is a good habit, nay, radically supernatural, will adorn with eternal beauty the glorified soul and will increase its proper glory. Finally, the distinguished cultivators of sacred doctrine (masters, writers, preachers) will inherit that privileged reward which they call the aureole.¹²

Wherefore, as truly as piously, St. Bonaventure concludes: "The fruit of sacred Scripture is not any fruit whatsoever, but the fullness of eternal happiness ... With this end, then, with this intention, sacred Scripture must be searched, taught, and heard. And that we may arrive at this fruit and term by a right progress along the straight way of the path of Scripture, we must begin from the beginning, that is, that we approach the Father of lights with pure faith, bending the knees of our heart, that He through His Son in the Holy Spirit may give us the true knowledge of Jesus Christ, and with knowledge His love, that so, knowing and loving Him, and being as it were strengthened in faith and rooted in charity, we may be able to know the breadth, length, height, and depth of sacred Scripture itself, and through this knowledge arrive at the fullest knowledge and the exceeding love of the most blessed Trinity, to which the desires of the saints tend, in which is the state and complement of all good and true."¹³