Pars 1, Cap. 1
Breviloquium · Pars I: De Trinitate Dei
Capitulum I. De illis septem, de quibus est theologia, in summa.
In principio intelligendum est, quod sacra doctrina, videlicet theologia, quae principaliter agit de primo principio, scilicet de Deo trino et uno, de septem agit in universo, scilicet primo1, de Trinitate Dei; secundo, de creatura mundi; tertio, de corruptela peccati; quarto, de incarnatione Verbi; quinto, de gratia Spiritus sancti; sexto, de medicina sacramentali, et septimo, de statu finalis iudicii.
Ratio autem2 huius veritatis haec est: quia, cum sacra Scriptura sive theologia sit scientia dans sufficientem notitiam de primo principio secundum statum viae, secundum quod est necessarium ad salutem; et Deus non tantum sit rerum principium et exemplar effectivum in creatione, sed etiam refectivum in redemptione et perfectivum in retributione: ideo non tantum agit de Deo creatore, sed etiam de creatione3 et creatura. Et quia creatura rationalis, quae est quodam modo finis omnium, non stetit, sed suo casu indiguit reparari; ideo agit de corruptela peccati, medico, sanitate et medicina et tandem de curatione perfecta, quae erit in gloria, impiis proiectis in poenam. — Et ideo ipsa sola est scientia perfecta, quia incipit a primo, quod est primum principium, et pervenit ad ultimum, quod est praemium aeternum; incipit a summo, quod est Deus altissimus, creator omnium, et pervenit ad infimum, quod est infernale supplicium.
Ipsa etiam sola est sapientia perfecta, quae incipit a causa summa, ut est principium causatorum, ubi terminatur cognitio philosophica4; et transit per eam, ut est remedium peccatorum; et reducit in eam, ut est praemium meritorum et finis desideriorum. Et in hac cognitione est sapor5 perfectus, vita et salus animarum; et ideo ad eam addiscendam inflammari debet desiderium omnium Christianorum.
Ex his patet, quod licet theologia sit de tot et tam variis, est tamen scientia una, cuius subiectum ut a quo omnia, est Deus; ut per quod omnia, Christus; ut ad quod omnia, opus reparationis; ut circa quod omnia, unicum caritatis vinculum, quo caelestia et terrestria connectuntur; ut de quo omnia in libris canonicis comprehensa, credibile ut credibile; ut de quo omnia in libris expositorum, credibile ut intelligibile, secundum Augustinum, de Utilitate credendi6, quia « quod credimus, debemus auctoritati, quod intelligimus, rationi ».
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Chapter I. On the seven things with which theology deals, in summary.
At the outset it must be understood that sacred doctrine, namely theology, which deals principally with the first principle — that is, with God, three and one — deals with seven things in all: namely, first1, with the Trinity of God; second, with the creation of the world; third, with the corruption of sin; fourth, with the Incarnation of the Word; fifth, with the grace of the Holy Spirit; sixth, with the sacramental medicine, and seventh, with the state of the final judgment.
Now the reason2 for this truth is this: since sacred Scripture, or theology, is the science giving sufficient knowledge of the first principle according to the state of the way, according as it is necessary for salvation; and since God is not only the principle and exemplar of things, effective in creation, but also refective in redemption and perfective in retribution: therefore it deals not only with God the creator, but also with the creation3 and the creature. And because the rational creature, which is in a certain way the end of all things, did not stand, but by its fall needed to be repaired; therefore it deals with the corruption of sin, the physician, health and medicine, and at last with the perfect cure, which will be in glory, the wicked having been cast into punishment. — And therefore it alone is perfect science, because it begins from the first, which is the first principle, and arrives at the last, which is the eternal reward; it begins from the highest, which is God most high, the creator of all, and arrives at the lowest, which is the infernal punishment.
It alone is likewise perfect wisdom, which begins from the highest cause, as it is the principle of things caused — the point where philosophical knowledge comes to its end4; and passes through it, as it is the remedy of sins; and leads back into it, as it is the reward of merits and the end of desires. And in this knowledge there is perfect savor5, the life and salvation of souls; and therefore the desire of all Christians ought to be inflamed to learn it.
From these things it is clear that, although theology is about things so many and so various, it is nevertheless one science, whose subject, as that from which all things are, is God; as that through which all things are, Christ; as that toward which all things are, the work of reparation; as that around which all things are, the single bond of charity, by which things heavenly and earthly are joined together; as that of which all things are as comprehended in the canonical books, the credible as credible; as that of which all things are as in the books of the expositors, the credible as intelligible — according to Augustine, On the Usefulness of Believing6, because « what we believe, we owe to authority; what we understand, to reason ».
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- 1Ex omnium antiquiore cod. S cum E supplevimus numeros ordinales primo etc.From S, the most ancient of all the codices, together with E, we have supplied the ordinal numbers primo etc.
- 2Contra fere omnes codd. edd. addunt ad intelligentiam; pro huius veritatis T et 2 praedictorum. Inferius pro secundum quod est necessarium A B D E F H K M iuxta quod expedit, et vocibus rerum principium I interserit primum.Against nearly all the codices, the editions add ad intelligentiam; for huius veritatis T and 2 have praedictorum. Further below, for secundum quod est necessarium A B D E F H K M have iuxta quod expedit, and between the words rerum principium I inserts primum.
- 3Ita B C D F G H K L P Q et 2, E omittit de creatione et, aliae edd. legunt de creatore. Subinde plures codd. omittunt quae est quodam modo finis omnium (cfr. supra pag. 204, nota 2.).So B C D F G H K L P Q and 2; E omits de creatione et, other editions read de creatore. Thereupon several codices omit quae est quodam modo finis omnium (cf. above, p. 204, note 2).
- 4Vide supra pag. 120, nota 11. — Voci causatorum S praemittit causarum vel etiam.See above, p. 120, note 11. — Before the word causatorum S places causarum vel etiam.
- 5Sapientia enim idem esse dicitur ac sapida scientia; cfr. tom. III. pag. 773, nota 5. — Mox pro et ideo A R S ac per hoc et pro addiscendam E adipiscendam.For sapientia [wisdom] is said to be the same as sapida scientia [savory knowledge]; cf. tom. III, p. 773, note 5. — Shortly after, for et ideo A R S have ac per hoc, and for addiscendam E has adipiscendam.
- 6Cap. 11. n. 25. — Cfr. supra pag. 205, nota 7. — De praenotatis cfr. Prooemium in I. Sent. — Superius pro reparationis C M reparativum, plures alii codd. reparatorium.Chapter 11, n. 25. — Cf. above, p. 205, note 7. — On the terms noted above, cf. the Proemium to the Commentary on Book I of the Sentences. — Earlier, for reparationis C M have reparativum, several other codices reparatorium. ---