VIII–IX. Theology does not swallow ethics and politics; metaphysics and ethics do not vanish but serve
VIII. Because there is truly nothing in theology that is not referred to the last end, or to means looking to that end, of which kind all things tend directly to practice — does it follow that that practice of life is so perfectly contained in theology that there is no precept of catholic truth in economics, ethics, politics, or jurisprudence looking to living well that does not properly look to theology? Although someone affirms this, we nevertheless do not dare to assent to him in this, because he dangerously confounds and restricts useful — indeed necessary — and in whole kind different disciplines of the light of nature and of grace, as a cook confuses a great cauldron, when it only boils, with a small ladle. Economics, ethics, politics, and jurisprudence are indeed disciplines: even if they contain precepts of catholic truth — or, what is the same, things universally, of themselves, and reciprocally true, and pertaining to living well — yet they were both invented and cultivated under the light of nature, and under the page of this light they attain their proper end: and although they also borrow many things from the sacred letters and under the light of grace and of Christianity attain a greater eminence and are ordered and corrected unto theological perfection: still they are distinguished in whole kind from sacred theology, which under the revealed light of grace promises eternal life above the force and light of nature. The Gospel of Christ does not take away polities, says the pious soul Philip Melanchthon. We in like manner: Theology does not take away philosophy and jurisprudence, but lifts both up and directs them to the service of Christ.
IX. Do metaphysics and ethics, after they have given testimony to the distribution of theology into faith and observance, vanish of their own accord? 1. There is a learned man who publicly teaches that from the remains of those two parts two theologies have sprung up among certain philosophers, metaphysics and ethics, because metaphysics is the faith of the Peripatetics and ethics their observance. Hence, he says, they attribute to each of these disciplines that they hand down the highest human good. About ethics this is known to all; about metaphysics, which they also call theology, Francis Suárez (disputation 1 section 5 number 43): In the most perfect situation of metaphysics, he says, human beatitude consists. It contemplates the highest good and the last end simply. Divine contemplation formally or elicitively pertains to this science.
2. But in truth neither metaphysics vanishes nor ethics, even if both give testimony to sacred theology. For no one of sound mind has accepted that the light of nature is destroyed and extinguished by the light of grace. The natural faculty of reasoning is not killed by supernatural and divine faith but is perfected, ordered to spiritual things, and sublimated. 3. Nor have philosophers properly made two theologies from these disciplines, although they have sometimes called metaphysics theology, because it also treats of the first being, which by the most common concept of all is God. For the rest it supplies principles to dialectical disputations, as the remaining sciences do to analytics and demonstrations: and therefore metaphysics is no more to be called faith than other sciences. 4. The highest moral good that ethics intends with the remaining practical disciplines, and the natural that metaphysics intends with the remaining theoretical disciplines, differs from the spiritual that sacred theology intends, as that which is in a qualified way and in its own kind — that is, in the sphere of nature, in which God as first being and simply highest is known under the light of nature somehow congruently with nature's powers — from that which is absolutely highest, namely God revealed through Holy Scripture or the Gospel, to be most perfectly known and worshiped in the kingdom of grace and glory. 5. From which we gather that sacred theology does not take these noblest parts of philosophy out of the midst, but rejoices in their obedience and service, and feeds, emends, fosters, and sanctifies them into these.
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VIII. An, quia revera nihil est in theologia, quod non ad finem ultimum, aut ad media illum finem spectantia refertur, cujus generis omnia directe tendunt ad praxin, sequatur, praxin istam vitae tam perfecte in theologia contineri, ut nullum sit in Oeconomicis, Ethicis, Politicis aut Juridicis catholicae veritatis praeceptum, ad bene vivendum spectans, quod non proprie spectet ad Theologiam? Etsi hoc non nemo affirmet, nos tamen assentire illi in hoc non audemus, quia utiles, imo necessarias, ac toto genere differentes disciplinas luminis naturae et gratiae periculose confundit et restringit, ut coquus magnum ahenum, cum nisi fervit, paula confutat trua. Oeconomica enim, Ethica, Politica, et Jurisprudentia disciplinae profecto sunt, etiamsi praecepta catholicae veritatis, sive, quod idem pollet, universaliter, per se et reciproce vera, et ad bene vivendum pertinentia contineant, tamen sub lumine naturae et inventae et excultae fuerunt, et sub hujus luminis pagina finem quem proprium consequuntur: et quamvis e sacris literis multa etiam foenerent et sub lumine gratiae et Christianismi eminentiam majorem consequantur et ad perfectionem theologicam ordinentur et corrigantur: tamen toto genere distinguuntur a sacra theologia, quippe quae sub lumine gratiae revelata vitam aeternam supra naturae vim ac lucem promittit. Euangelium Christi non tollit politias, inquit pia anima, Philippus Melanchthon. Nos similem in modum: Theologia non tollit philosophiam et Jurisprudentiam, sed utranque attollit et ad Christi famulitium dirigit. IX. An Metaphysica et Ethica, postquam distributioni Theologiae in fidem et observantiam testimonium praebuerunt, sua sponte evanescant? 1. Est vir eruditus, qui publice docet, e duarum istarum partium reliquiis duas apud philosophos quosdam enatas esse Theologias, Metaphysicam et Ethicam, eo quod Metaphysica sit peripateticorum fides, et Ethica eorum observantia. Hinc, inquit, utrique harum disciplinarum illud tribuunt, quod summi hominis bonum tradant. De Ethica hoc omnibus notum est, de Metaphysica autem, quam etiam Theologiam appellant, Franciscus Suarez. disp. 1. s. 5. num. 43. In perfectissimo, ait, situ Metaphysicae beatitudo hominis consistit. Contemplatur summum bonum, et ultimum finem simpliciter. Divina contemplatio formaliter seu elicitive ad hanc scientiam pertinet. 2. At vero neque Metaphysica evanescit, neque Ethica, etiamsi utraque sacrae Theologiae testimonium praebeat. Nemo enim sano accepit: lumen naturae a lumine gratiae destrui et extingui. Naturalis facultas ratiocinandi a fide supernaturali ac divina non interficitur sed perficitur, ad spiritualia ordinatur et sublimatur. 3. Neque philosophi ex his disciplinis duas Theologias proprie effecerunt, quamvis Metaphysica aliquando Theologiam appellarint, quia etiam agit de ente primo, quod communissimo omnium conceptu DEUS est. Caetera suppeditat dialecticis disputationibus principia, ut reliquae scientiae analyticis ac demonstrationibus: ac proinde non magis fides dicenda est Metaphysica, quam aliae scientiae. 4. Differt summum bonum morale, quod intendit Ethica cum reliquis disciplinis practicis, ut et naturale, quod Metaphysica cum reliquis disciplinis theoreticis, a spirituali, quod intendit sacra theologia, ut id quod est secundum quid et in suo genere, i.e. in sphaera naturae, in qua Deus, ut ens primum et simpliciter summum, sub lumine naturae cognoscitur aliquo modo naturae viribus congruente, et ab eo quod est absolute summum, nempe DEUS per S. Scripturam aut Euangelium revelatus, ut in regno gratiae et gloriae perfectissime cognoscendus et colendus. 5. Ex quibus colligimus, sacram Theologiam non tollere e medio has nobilissimas philosophiae partes, sed illarum obsequio et servitio gaudere, et in has eas alere, emendare, fovere et sanctificare.