Universa Philosophia

Sometimes a second intention is predicated of a real being, as homo est species, where the predicate appellates or denominates hominem a species, not man as he is on the side of reality or suppositing distributively, but as suppositing confusedly and simply for all known men. Sometimes something is predicated of things suppositing in the direct case for a supposit, but then the predicate appellates the supposits themselves, as Christus est ab aeterno, for Christ is supposited in the direct case for the divine person, who is eternal. Sometimes something is predicated of the supposit itself that belongs to it in an oblique case, as Deus factus est homo: for the divine person has a humanity united to itself. Sometimes, too, an accident is predicated of the subject itself taken materially, which predicate, because it belongs to the subject, appellates it, as grammaticus est obesus, which predicate does not belong to him by reason of grammar, but by reason of material temperament. Sometimes, however, the predicate does not belong to the subject by reason of itself, but by reason of an accident signified by the name, as Tullius fuit magnus Orator, where that greatness was not Tullius's by reason of himself, but by reason of oratory: for it renders this sense, Tullius habet magnam oratoriam. Therefore that greatness is the excellence of oratory.