, 1880-03-28
THOMAS AQUINAS.

"Ono comfort Is, that great men, taken up in
nny way, ore profitable company" says Carlyle.
Sixty years ago Halla1n thought that only four
or FIVE English1ncn valued tho fellowship OF
Thomas Aquinas and rcad much Of his huge
folios. In 1885 Waddington said that the tones
of Aquinas, once read with such avidity, "are
now confined to the shelves Of 4 few profound
students, whence they will never again descend
But the present Pope would have them taken
down and studied by his clergy. He has created
IL new interest i'll the IS Angelical Doctor" BY re-
quiring the Ronish Bishops, priests, and profess
sors to teach his theology and ethics The Jes-
uits arc ordered to lay aside their textbooks and
casuistries for the system of tho medieval St.
Thomas. They would find him to be more prof
liable company than their Molina, Saurcz, and
Peter Dcns. Other Popes have commended
Aquinas, but Leo Kill is SO carnestin his orders
that mnny Protestauts are quite surprised by
his late encyclical. Has he been reading Pas
cal's Provincial Letters with some conviction?
What can be the motive of the Pope? Is it to
resist tho science and skeptical PHILOSOPHERS Of
our day? Thomas might encourage Il scientific
spirit, If not rouse skcptical inquiry, for he was
notless philosopher than theologian. Per-
hups the motive is to lead Romunists from tho
Jesuit theology and ethics to Il system framed
by nn admircr Of Augustine. To know the Papal
intentions we must wait for another refreshing
letter from the Pope; meanwhile it may be well
to keep IN eye upon the man whom he so highly
cornnIends.
Thomas Aquinas was born about ~, Of a
splendid family, probably in the castle Of his
father, who was Count Of Aquino, not far from
one became an abbess. His two brothers were
eminent Generals in the army of the Emperor
Frederick T., that reputed skeptic, fighter s Of
who persisted in having Aristotle translated.
An uncle was abbot Of tho old Denedictine
studied Of Sm9 ffo his cai1S t Il 10Th ySh es
The lnd was then six years IN the Philosophic
University or Naples, steering clear Of the IN
rible Frederick. There be decided which Of the
two monastic orders he would ioin,-the Fran
ciscuns- whose special ain was to preach to the
began to assume the painful charge Of the in
crcasing heretics, and adjust the delicate ma
chincrv OF the newly-improvcd lnQuistton. He
watch dogs-and entered their convent His
parents were angry, especially bis mother,
Theodore, daughter. Of Countess. Various
him back to the world. He was seized and kept
TWO years in the castle OF his father, but he
would not drop the frar.s dress nor cease from from
yielded. If she and his brothers did not plan
bis escape, they connived at It, and by night,
through window, he gained his freedom.
The General Of his Order sent him to Cologne,
where Albert the Great, the most famous teach
or Of his day, was giving new turn to scholastic
system of thought. Albert WIS inquisitive and
daring, eager in pursuit Of what we cali the
physical sciences; IL sort Of Curlnal Wiseman in
wcre living now he would doubtless pry into the
Dnrwinian theories, read Huxley and Hackel
perhaps take the evolution disease BY way OF
experiment, and possibly come through it with
the orthodox health of Joseph Cook. He Ind
the Dominican ego for the church doctrines.
Its new pupil; the serious q as ac
urcs, was soon deristvcly called the dumb or
Of Sicily, But Albert sud, THE bellowing of
this OK will soon fill the world" THOMAS be-
g;inizcr Of materials, tho frnmer OF rudeIy-col-
lcctcd ideas and arguments into system; In
him Scholastcisln, with it's three clements Of
logic, philosophy, and theology, reached its eli
1ntx. He was not only thinker, but also man
Of PRAYER and when preaching on # the love OF
e anq 81 ftS t y o Garist IS
His voice certainly did resound through all
Latin Chrstendom by means OF his lectures in
various cities, his eloquent sermons tn crowded
churches, his commentaries on Holy Scripture,
his writings on wide r11lge Of TOPICS and es-
pccinlly his sim Of theology, which oycrshad-
storchouse Of doctrines until the brighter days
Of Luther, made him the moral master of
ChrstcndoIn for three centuries and lay be-
side tho Bible on the desk ut the Council Of
Trent as the orthodox solvent Of all disputed
questions. Certain dogmas, slowly developing
in the Roman Church such Us transuost anita
tion. seven sacr:ncnts, merit Of good works,
supererogation, saint-~orship, mortal anu ycn1al
sins,-having real foundation in Diving Script,
urc, required tHc support LutlL nny SAullC s11lu
profound mind could give them, and they re-
ceiycd them from the ingenious Doctor II tho
pupes design is to strengthen these dognas by
the authority Of Thomas Aquinas, he confcsscs
that nothing has been gained for them during
six centuries, that they are in peril, and that
papal infallibilityis is not sufficient in their be-
half If that be his confession, We shall be glad
to have more of it.
But underlying these dogmas there were in the
theology OF Thomas the sound old crecdS ana
the main elements Of AugustinlAnls1n, so tnat
he helped to preserve the continuity Of the sys-
tenn with the ages before and after him. and
the two grcat and long enduring parties may be
ranged thus:
Augustniuns, fSeml-Peiaslans,
eafs: ss $Ssss zS$;; ss
If the Pope means to favor this classification,
Calyiuists will he pleased, for he may come torth
8 vigorous Junseuist, and ArIninians will not
regret to find him arTzlycd against the Jesufts.
At all events it may be made clear that ftonlan-
ism has parties and schools as diverse in the.
o1ogy as are the "sccts" OF Professionalism, ana
the next Bossuet muy wisely devote himself 10
the variations in the Roman Church.
Prof Mnurice hoped that the time Is coming
when more good may be derived from Aquinas
than any age has owed to him, and Protestant
Europe may even yet do him justice. II there IS
such Il benefit we arc huppy to see Leo ALL SO
eager to secure it first for his OWL Church, Tor
sh1. greatly needs it. Thomas held that reason
nav be free and still not opposed to faith, and
the Roman Church would be vastly Prohted Dy
right use Of reason and Of private judgments
CARRATH 0BSERV ANCE.