Sunday, February 12, 2017

"presuming to demonstrate what is of faith"

"that the world began to exist is an object of faith, but not of demonstration or science. And it is useful to consider this, lest anyone, presuming to demonstrate what is of faith, should bring forward reasons that are not cogent, so as to give occasion to unbelievers to laugh, thinking that on such grounds we believe things that are of faith."

"Unde mundum incoepisse est credibile, non autem demonstrabile vel scibile. Et hoc utile est ut consideretur, ne forte aliquis, quod fidei est demonstrare praesumens, rationes non necessarias inducat, quae praebeant materiam irridendi infidelibus, existimantibus nos propter huiusmodi rationes credere quae fidei sunt."

     St. Thomas Aquinas, ST I.46.2.Resp., trans. FEDP.  Latin from Corpus Thomisticum.  Cf. Augustine.  Contingency, yes; temporal finitude, no.

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