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Objection 1: It would seem that without grace man can know no
truth. For, on 1 Cor. 12:3: "No man can say, the Lord
Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost," a gloss says: "Every truth, by
whomsoever spoken is from the Holy Ghost." Now the Holy Ghost
dwells in us by grace. Therefore we cannot know truth without grace.
Objection 2: Further, Augustine says (Solil. i, 6) that
"the most certain sciences are like things lit up by the sun so as to
be seen. Now God Himself is He Whom sheds the light. And reason
is in the mind as sight is in the eye. And the eyes of the mind are
the senses of the soul." Now the bodily senses, however pure,
cannot see any visible object, without the sun's light. Therefore
the human mind, however perfect, cannot, by reasoning, know any
truth without Divine light: and this pertains to the aid of grace.
Objection 3: Further, the human mind can only understand truth by
thinking, as is clear from Augustine (De Trin. xiv, 7). But
the Apostle says (2 Cor. 3:5): "Not that we are sufficient
to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency
is from God." Therefore man cannot, of himself, know truth without
the help of grace.
On the contrary, Augustine says (Retract. i, 4): "I do not
approve having said in the prayer, O God, Who dost wish the sinless
alone to know the truth; for it may be answered that many who are not
sinless know many truths." Now man is cleansed from sin by grace,
according to Ps. 50:12: "Create a clean heart in me, O
God, and renew a right spirit within my bowels." Therefore without
grace man of himself can know truth.
I answer that, To know truth is a use or act of intellectual light,
since, according to the Apostle (Eph. 5:13): "All that is
made manifest is light." Now every use implies movement, taking
movement broadly, so as to call thinking and willing movements, as is
clear from the Philosopher (De Anima iii, 4). Now in corporeal
things we see that for movement there is required not merely the form
which is the principle of the movement or action, but there is also
required the motion of the first mover. Now the first mover in the
order of corporeal things is the heavenly body. Hence no matter how
perfectly fire has heat, it would not bring about alteration, except
by the motion of the heavenly body. But it is clear that as all
corporeal movements are reduced to the motion of the heavenly body as to
the first corporeal mover, so all movements, both corporeal and
spiritual, are reduced to the simple First Mover, Who is God.
And hence no matter how perfect a corporeal or spiritual nature is
supposed to be, it cannot proceed to its act unless it be moved by
God; but this motion is according to the plan of His providence, and
not by necessity of nature, as the motion of the heavenly body. Now
not only is every motion from God as from the First Mover, but all
formal perfection is from Him as from the First Act. And thus the
act of the intellect or of any created being whatsoever depends upon
God in two ways: first, inasmuch as it is from Him that it has the
form whereby it acts; secondly, inasmuch as it is moved by Him to
act.
Now every form bestowed on created things by God has power for a
determined act, which it can bring about in proportion to its own
proper endowment; and beyond which it is powerless, except by a
superadded form, as water can only heat when heated by the fire. And
thus the human understanding has a form, viz. intelligible light,
which of itself is sufficient for knowing certain intelligible things,
viz. those we can come to know through the senses. Higher
intelligible things of the human intellect cannot know, unless it be
perfected by a stronger light, viz. the light of faith or prophecy
which is called the "light of grace," inasmuch as it is added to
nature.
Hence we must say that for the knowledge of any truth whatsoever man
needs Divine help, that the intellect may be moved by God to its
act. But he does not need a new light added to his natural light, in
order to know the truth in all things, but only in some that surpass
his natural knowledge. And yet at times God miraculously instructs
some by His grace in things that can be known by natural reason, even
as He sometimes brings about miraculously what nature can do.
Reply to Objection 1: Every truth by whomsoever spoken is from the
Holy Ghost as bestowing the natural light, and moving us to
understand and speak the truth, but not as dwelling in us by
sanctifying grace, or as bestowing any habitual gift superadded to
nature. For this only takes place with regard to certain truths that
are known and spoken, and especially in regard to such as pertain to
faith, of which the Apostle speaks.
Reply to Objection 2: The material sun sheds its light outside us;
but the intelligible Sun, Who is God, shines within us. Hence the
natural light bestowed upon the soul is God's enlightenment, whereby
we are enlightened to see what pertains to natural knowledge; and for
this there is required no further knowledge, but only for such things
as surpass natural knowledge.
Reply to Objection 3: We always need God's help for every
thought, inasmuch as He moves the understanding to act; for actually
to understand anything is to think, as is clear from Augustine (De
Trin. xiv, 7).
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