Quotes About Theology

Profound theology doesn't make anyone righteous; what pleases me is an exemplary life. Regret for wrongdoing is better than knowing its definition.

What doth it profit thee to enter into deep discussion concerning the Holy Trinity, if thou lack humility, and be thus displeasing to the Trinity?

A thing is lovable according as it is good. But God is infinite good. Therefore He is infinitely lovable.

Man is closer to God according to his existence in grace than he is according to his existence in nature.

God is not related to creatures as though belonging to a different "genus," but as transcending every "genus," and as the principle of all "genera."

Anger and the like are attributed to God on account of a similitude of effect. Thus, because to punish is properly the act of an angry man, God's punishment is metaphorically spoken of as His anger.

It is possible to demonstrate God's existence, although not a priori, yet a posteriori from some work of His more surely known to us.

There must be must be a first mover existing above all – and this we call God.

It must be said that charity can, in no way, exist along with mortal sin.

The splendor of a soul in grace is so seductive that it surpasses the beauty of all created things.

Reason in man is rather like God in the world.

Angels need an assumed body, not for themselves, but on our account.

Now the maximum in any genus is the cause of all in that genus; as fire, which is the maximum heat, is the cause of all hot things. Therefore there must also be something which is to all beings the cause of their being, goodness, and every other perfection; and this we call God.

Faith presupposes natural knowledge, even as grace presupposes nature, and perfection supposes something that can be perfected.

I answer that, Every being, as being, is good. For all being, as being, has actuality and is in some way perfect; since every act implies some sort of perfection; and perfection implies desirability and goodness, as is clear from A[1]. Hence it follows that every being as such is good.

Thus Dionysius says (Div. Nom. cap. ult.) that "there is no kind of multitude that is not in a way one. But what are many in their parts, are one in their whole; and what are many in accidents, are one in subject; and what are many in number, are one in species; and what are many in species, are one in genus; and what are many in processions, are one in principle." Reply to Objection 3: It does not follow that it is nugatory to say "being" is "one"; forasmuch as "one" adds an idea to "being.

But the perfection of divine goodness is found in one simple thing

The act that anything evil puts forth is due to the strength of goodness, but a deficient goodness. For if there were nothing of good there, neither would there be any being, nor any action: again, if the goodness were not deficient, neither would there be any evil.

Esto es parte de la bondad infinita de Dios, que Él debe permitir que el mal exista, y de él se produzca el bien.

On the contrary, Augustine says (Enchiridion 14) that "evil exists only in good.

We now inquire into the place of the angels. Touching this there are three subjects of inquiry: (1) Is the angel in a place? (2) Can he be in several places at once? (3) Can several angels be in the same place?

Thence it follows that in God essence is not really distinct from person; and yet that the persons are really distinguished from each other. For person, as above stated (Q[29], A[4]), signifies relation as subsisting in the divine nature. But relation as referred to the essence does not differ therefrom really, but only in our way of thinking; while as referred to an opposite relation, it has a real distinction by virtue of that opposition. Thus there are one essence and three persons.

Objection 1: It would seem that there are more than three persons in God. For the plurality of persons in God arises from the plurality of the relative properties as stated above (A[1]). But there are four relations in God as stated above (Q[28], A[4]), paternity, filiation, common spiration, and procession. Therefore there are four persons in God.

This is part of the infinite goodness of God, that He should allow evil to exist, and out of it produce good.