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Before we come to explain the article of St. Thomas, we must set
forth what positive theology teaches on the fundamentals of this
treatise. Speculative theology, of course, begins with the articles
of faith as defined by the Church, and concerning these its method of
procedure is twofold. In the first place it gives a philosophical
analysis of the terminology employed in these articles of faith. Thus
it shows the fittingness of the mysteries, the possibility of which can
neither be proved nor disproved. As the Vatican Council says:
"Reason enlightened by faith, when it seeks earnestly, piously, and
calmly, attains by a gift from God some, and that a very fruitful,
understanding of mysteries; partly from the analogy of those things
which it naturally knows, partly from the relations which the mysteries
bear to one another and to the last end of man."[12]
In the second place, speculative theology deduces from the principles
of faith conclusions that are virtually contained in the principles.
In this way a body of theological doctrine is established in which
there is due subordination of notions and truths, some of these being
simply revealed, whereas others are simply deduced from revealed
principles. These latter truths do not properly belong to the faith,
but to theology as a science.
So does St. Thomas proceed, presupposing in the first article of
this third part of his Summa the dogma of the divinity of Christ as
solemnly defined by the Church. The positive theology of St.
Thomas is found especially in his commentaries on the Gospels and on
the Epistles of St. Paul.
It is necessary, however, to begin with a chapter on positive
theology, in order to show that the definitions of the Church express
what is already contained more or less explicitly in the deposit of
revelation, namely, in Sacred Scripture and tradition.
On this point it must be carefully noted, as regards the method, that
positive theology, being a part of sacred theology, differs from mere
history, inasmuch as per se or essentially it presupposes infused faith
concerning divine revelation, as contained in Sacred Scripture and
tradition, and faithfully and infallibly preserved and explained by the
Church.
Thus positive theology differs from the history of dogmas, for this
latter views them solely according to the rational exigencies of the
historical method. Positive theology, under the positive and
intrinsic direction of the faith, makes use of history, just as
speculative theology makes use of philosophy, but in each case as a
subsidiary science.
This means that positive theology, in studying the documents of
Scripture and tradition, presupposes not only rational criticism and
exegesis, as Father Zapletal ably points out,[13] but also
Christian criticism and exegesis, which acknowledges the dogma of
inspiration. It presupposes, too, Catholic interpretation of
Scripture and tradition, which admits not only the dogma of
inspiration, but also the authority of the Church in determining the
true sense of Sacred Scripture and tradition, as also the authority
of the Fathers and the analogy of faith, as Leo XIII explains in
his encyclical Providentissimus Deus. In this encyclical he writes:
"In the other passages, the analogy of faith should be followed, and
Catholic doctrine, as authoritatively proposed by the Church, should
be held as the supreme law.... Hence it is apparent that all
interpretation is foolish and false which either makes the sacred
writers disagree with one another, or is opposed to the doctrine of the
Church."[14] In accordance with the analogy of faith, an
obscure text in Sacred Scripture is to be explained by other texts
that are clearer or more explicit.
This method appears to be most reasonable, since even in human
affairs, if we wish to put a correct interpretation on the historical
documents of any nation or family, their traditions must be
considered, for these are always a living quasi-commentary of these
documents, so that an interpretation of these documents which results
in their being contradictory to the living tradition of the people
should be rejected as false.
Thus not only rational but also Christian and Catholic exegesis must
admit the canon of the books of Sacred Scripture, together with the
text, which have been approved by the Church, and also the documents
of tradition preserved in her archives.
Thus Catholic exegesis considers the books of Scripture not only as
historical works written by certain authors, such as the Gospel
written by St. Matthew, or that by St. Mark, but it also
considers them as divine books that have God as their author, the
preservation of which pertains to the Church; and it reads these books
not only by the light of natural reason but also by the supernatural
light of infused faith. Catholic exegesis, of course, makes use of
the natural branches of knowledge, languages, for instance, but it
subordinates these to a higher light and to the principles of faith.
Hence the Vatican Council, in recalling the decree of the Council
of Trent, says: "In matters of faith and morals... that is to be
held as the true sense of Holy Scripture, which our holy Mother the
Church has held and holds."[15]
Finally, as Father Zapletal remarks,[16] the sacred authors
sometimes did not fully understand the meaning which the Holy Spirit
intended to convey by the words, that is, they did not always
completely grasp the literal and objective sense of the words, as can
be concluded from what St. Peter says about the prophets.[17]
In fact, St. Thomas says: "Sometimes he who is prompted to write
something does not understand the meaning the Holy Spirit intends to
convey by what he writes, as is evident in the case of Caiphas, who
said: 'It is expedient for you that one man should die for the
people.’ Then it is a case more of prophetic instinct than of
prophecy."[18]
This observation may prove useful in connection with the question of
the divinity of Christ as literally expressed in the Synoptic
Gospels. Having completed these preliminary remarks, let us pass on
to consider the testimony of Christ Himself as contained in the
Gospels.
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