“ Faith is a nobler virtue than the moral virtues, seeing that it has to do with nobler matter ”
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1274). copy citation
Author | Thomas Aquinas |
---|---|
Source | Summa Theologica |
Topic | virtue faith |
Date | 1274 |
Language | English |
Reference | |
Note | Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province |
Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19950/pg19950-images.html |
Context
“Hence, if we deny that the Divine thing was not seen, we exclude the very essence of faith. Now from the first moment of His conception Christ saw God's Essence fully, as will be made clear (Q. 34, A. 1) . Hence there could be no faith in Him.
Reply Obj. 1: Faith is a nobler virtue than the moral virtues, seeing that it has to do with nobler matter; nevertheless, it implies a certain defect with regard to that matter; and this defect was not in Christ. And hence there could be no faith in Him, although the moral virtues were in Him, since in their nature they imply no defect with regard to their matter.”
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