VII. The proper subject of sacred theology is the kingdom of God, and man as subject to God unto beatitude
VII. What is the proper subject of sacred theology? Answer. 1. In the schools Thomas (part 1 question 1 article 7) makes God the subject, not taking the word practically, as Lord, prince, and king of the universe, but theoretically, so that the first being is signified: but he rests on the false hypothesis that theology is rather theoretical than practical. Nearer the truth among Gregory of Valencia (disputation 1 question 1 point 3 paragraph 5) are Hugh of St. Victor, who makes the works of reparation the subject; Durandus, who makes God as Savior; Bonaventure, who makes the mystical body of Christ with its head — that is, Christ himself and the Church; and the Riminese, who makes God as glorifier or as rewarder. But they restrict the subject too much. For Bonaventure assigns only the object of evangelical doctrine: the rest act as if someone constituted the prince rather than the commonwealth the subject of politics.
2. But from the sayings (Mark 1:14–15; Matthew 4:23; Luke 9:2; Acts 28:23, 31; Matthew 13:11) it is gathered that most simply and most fittingly to the Scriptures the subject of theological doctrine — what they call the subject of treatment — is said to be the kingdom of God in general, as the kingdom of grace in species is the subject of the Gospel, which Jesus Christ, the fountain of all theology, taught and commanded his Apostles to teach.
3. So the material object is all things that can in any way be reduced to the kingdom of God. 4. But the subject is considered otherwise in practical than in theoretical disciplines: in these its principles and affections are sought for the sake of science; in those, insofar as it is laid under some operation. 5. The formal reason of the object, which is primarily considered in theology, is the same with the form of the kingdom, and they are the very moral acts by which the kingdom of God consists — of which sort are, on God's side, creation, redemption, and sanctification; from which also arise faith, hope, and charity on the human side, and what can be reduced to those, as helping or instrumental causes, as the Church, the magistrate, the sacraments. Whence also the formal reason is sought from the determination of the theological habit or knowledge, so that the object is the kingdom of God: (1) insofar as it is revealed from heaven, which determination is from the principle or efficient cause of knowledge; (2) insofar as it is revealed unto human salvation, which determination is from the end of revelation and knowledge. From which it is concluded that not all things are taught in theology that pertain in any way to the kingdom of God, but those useful to human beings for piety and eternal life (Titus 3:1 and following; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; Isaiah 48:17).
6. But since sacred theology has been granted to us that it may lead a human being under God's rule to the simply highest good and most absolute beatitude, it is clear that its subject also is the human being insofar as he can be subjected to God, made God-minded (θεοῦνουν), conformed to the divine will, and come to eternal life. 7–9. As in theoretical disciplines restriction of the subject is sought from the mode of considering, so in practical ones from the end; and not whatever can be known about the subject need be handed down, but only what makes for attaining the end. 10. Therefore since here the subject is the human being as to be subjected to God his king, conformed to the divine will, and saved, it contributes nothing to the end if he is considered as a natural body endowed with natural principles and affections: but here it is taught how, blessed at the beginning by God Most High unto eternal life, he was deprived of it by the fraud and malice of Satan, what he wholly was after the fall, and into what miseries he was cast headlong, so that we may more easily and clearly know by what means he is freed and saved by God's grace from the dominion of sin and eternal ruin.
11. Therefore, to conclude at last, the proper subject of theology is the human being insofar as he is subjected to God his king, conformed, and beatified by him: but the primary yet partial subject is the human heart or intellect and will, in which God reigns, because the life of God is the spiritual act of the whole human being by which he is borne to God rightly known as his king to be held and to be acted according to his will. That this act is proper to the will freed by the grace of Christ from the slavery of sin is agreed (Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 23:26; Psalm 110:3).
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VII. Quodnam sit sacrae theologiae proprium subjectum? R. 1. In scholis Thomas p.1. q.1. a.7. Deum subjectum facit non practice vocem accipiens, ut Dominum, principem et regem universi, sed theoretice, ut primum ens significetur: Verum is nititur falsa hypothesi, quod Theologia theoretica potius sit, quam practica. Ad veritatem propius accedunt apud Gregorium de Valentia d.1. q.1. puncto 3 paragrapho 5. Hugo Victorinus, qui opera reparationis: Durandus, qui Deum, ut Salvatorem: Bonaventura, qui corpus Christi mysticum cum suo capite h.e. Christum ipsum et Ecclesiam: Ariminensis, qui Deum ut glorificatorem sive ut remuneratorem, subjectum Theologiae facit. At illi subjectum nimis restringunt. Nam Bonaventura doctrinae Euangelicae objectum duntaxat assignat: caeteri vero perinde agunt, ac si quis principem potius quam remp. politicae subjectum constitueret. 2. Verum ex dictis Marc. 1.14.15. Matth. 4.23. Luc. 9.2. Act. 28.23.31. Matth. 13.11. colligitur, simplicissime et scripturis convenientissime dici subjectum doctrinae Theologicae, quod tractationis vocant, esse regnum Dei in genere, ut regnum gratiae in specie est subjectum Euangelii, quod Jesus Christus, fons Theologiae omnis, docuit et Apostolos suos docere jussit. 3. Sic objectum materiale sunt res omnes, quae quoquo modo ad regnum Dei reduci possunt. 4. Subjectum vero aliter consideratur in practicis, quam theoreticis disciplinis: in his enim ejus principia et affectiones quaeruntur propter scientiam; in illis vero, quatenus alicui operationi substernitur. 5. Ratio formalis objecti, quae in Theologia primario consideratur, eadem est cum forma regni et sunt ipsi actus morales, quibus constat regnum Dei, cujusmodi sunt ex parte DEI, creatio, redemtio et sanctificatio: e quibus oriuntur quoque fides, spes et charitas ex parte hominis, et quae ad illa reduci possunt, ut causae adjuvantes vel instrumentales, ut Ecclesia, magistratus, sacramenta. Unde et ratio formalis petitur ex determinatione habitus sive notitiae theologicae, ut objectum sit regnum Dei. 1. quatenus divinitus revelatum est, quae determinatio est a principio seu causa efficiente notitiae; 2. quatenus revelatum est ad salutem hominis, quae determinatio est a fine revelationis et notitiae. Ex quo conficitur, non omnia doceri in Theologia, quae ad regnum Dei quoquo modo pertinent, sed quae sunt utilia hominibus ad pietatem et vitam aeternam, Tit. 3. et 2. Tim. 3.16.17. Es. 48.17. 6. Quoniam vero sacra theologia nobis concessa est, ut hominem sub regimine Dei ad bonum simpliciter summum absolutissimamque beatitudinem perducat, clarum est, illius quoque subjectum esse hominem quatenus DEO subjici, theounoun, divinae voluntati conformari, et ad vitam aeternam pervenire potest. 7. Sicut enim in theoreticis a modo considerandi, ita in practicis a fine restrictio subjecti petitur. 8. Sicut modus considerandi in theoreticis, ita finis in practicis maxime attenditur, ita ut quae doctrina de subjecto proponitur ad finem habeat ordinem et proportionem. 9. Non enim necessarium est, ut de subjecto in practicis tradantur, quaecunque sciri possunt, sed tantum ea, quae faciunt ad consequendum finem. 10. Quapropter cum hic subjectum sit homo, ut DEO regi suo subjiciendus, divinae voluntati conformandus et salvandus, nihil ad finem confert, si consideretur, ut corpus naturale et naturalibus principiis et affectionibus praeditum: sed hic docetur, quomodo ad vitam aeternam principio a Deo Opt. Max. beatus, ea per fraudem et malitiam Satanae privatus fuerit, qualis totus post lapsum exstiterit, et in quas miserias praecipitatus sit, ut eo facilius et clarius cognoscamus; quibus mediis, a peccati dominio et aeterno exitio per Dei gratiam liberetur et servetur. 11. Ergo, ut tandem concludamus, subjectum Theologiae proprium est homo in quantum Deo regi suo subjicitur, conformatur, et ab eo beatur: primarium vero sed partiale subjectum est hominis cor sive intellectus et voluntas, in quibus Deus regnat, quia vita Dei est spiritualis actus totius hominis, quo fertur ad Deum recte cognitum ut regem suum habendum et secundum voluntatem ejus agendum. Hunc actum proprium voluntatis per gratiam Christi a servitute peccati liberatae esse constat, Prov. 4.23. Supra omnem observationem custodi cor tuum: nam ex eo prodeunt actiones vitae. et cap. 23.26. Cedo, fili mi, animum tuum mihi: et oculi tui vias meas studiose custodiant. Psal. 110.3. Populi tui oblationes voluntariae die copiarum tuarum in decoris sanctitatis inde ab utero.