The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-15
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ST. THOMAS AQUINAs.

tian thinkers. This was to be the
second aspect of the mission of st.
Thomas, although not a few of his
predecessors had labored much in
preparing the way After thousand
years of labor, the scattered writings
of the Fathers resembled the confused
mass of material that lies ready for
the builder-a mass, containing, in
deed, many stone artistically
wrought by the finest workmanship,
but awaiting the magic touch of
genius to raise it, with others, to struc-
tural symmetry and architectural
beauty. None so far had succeeded
in the erection of an all-embracing
theological edifice.
Anselm was the first to undertake
the task. With hardihood he laid the
foundation, with erudition he selected
the material After him, Abelard a
man no less conspicuous for his moral
weakness than for his doctrinal errors,
endeavorS to erect an edifice which
soon totters and falls for want of a
solid basis, an edifice the ruin of
which still remains as an eloquent
and enduring memorial of an ill-used
talent. To forestall the wanderings
of such rash speculation and oppose
the rationalistic influence of the ILL
fated Benedictine, Hugh and Richard
of st. Victor seek guidance and in
spiration from Anselm and st. Angus
tine, masters no less brilliant and
more profound. More accurately than
his predecessors, Peter Lombard out
lines the plan and orders the compon-
ent parts of the colossal structure,
which Christian thought will bring
forth in the thirteenth century. This
plan Albert the Great enlarges,
develops, enriches with the most
varied details and gathers for it's COM
pletion large quantities of new mater
ial. Under his direction the edifice
grows; it rises high but in order that
it may attain the summit of perfec-
ton and win for all times the admira-
ton of men, it needs the final touch
of a great master, it awaits the crown
ing dome to be imposed by the hand
of a genius Then, God, who, from
time to time, chooses to grant some
favored soul a deeper insight into
the things of the spirit, God who had
and breadth to embrace in his vision
the thought of four centuries, raised
up a man who could epitomize in an
immense work the fruits of eight
centuries of intellectual labor-St
Thomas of Aquin
St. Thomas Aquinas.
Endowed with keen intellect,
armed with irresistible logic, heir to
the precious treasures of pagan learn
ing, rich with the fruits of centuries
of Christian speculation, possessed of
all the science of his day, we'll
equipped was he for the task. From
Aristotle he had learned that love of
order and accuracy which are the
most conspicuous features of his
Summa; from Plato he caught spirit
uaI elevation, grandeur and majestic
dignity He reveals himself as sub
lime as the great Athenian and more
reliable than the Stagirite.
AS a theologian, the characteristic
method of the Angelic Doctor was to
discover the reason of fitness in every
dogma and in every divine institution;
to detect the analogies of the spiritual
world with the visible and the har-
mony existing between the laws of
nature and the economy of grace;
not to rest satisfied with the fact
but ever to inquire into the how and
why of things. His writing might
be compared to a reservoir wherein
the majestic stream of tradition has
halted for moment before resuming
it's course through the ages. Holy
Scripture, Apostolic teaching, Chris
tan Apologetics, the Fathers of the
Church, Councils, theologians-St.
Thomas sums up all, and what a sum-
ming up! Ess
The Summa Theological.
Is it any wonder, then, that the
Summa should have been compared to
the magnificent cathedrals of the same
age, the highest and purest express
sions of Gothic art? Unable to give
adequate praise l willingly exclaim
with Lacordaire: Shall I attempt to
describe this man and his work? AS
we'll might l attempt to give per-
feet idea of the pyramids by telling
their height and breadth. If you wish
to know the pyramids, do not be con-
tent with listening to a description,
cross the seas, go to the land where
SO many conquerors have left their
footprints, go into the sandy deserts
and there behold standing before you
something solemn, something grand,
something calm, immutable and pro-
foundry simple, the pyramids" Yes,
the Summa of st. Thomas, in its
majestic simplicity, in its adaman-
tine resistance to the corrosive forces
of false PHILOSOPHERS, in its height
and breadth and depth may well be
compared to the most wondrous
among those undying witnesses of a
mighty fore-time.