The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-10-03
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineonsidsrsts

God makes known truths to us in two ways: by
natural revelation through the justified of Our
thinking mind, and by Supernatural Revelation in
Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition impaired to
us through the living and active teaching office Of
His Church. The truths about God that may
know by thinking things out, that is, by the use of
our reasoning power, constitute natural religion.
The truths OF natural religion imply laws for
conduct BY clear and steady reasoning, even
without Supernatural Revelation, know
that God exists; that there is only God; that
God is allholy all.perfect, algood, all powerful;
that God is infinite necessary spiritual; that He is
the First Cause and Last Goal of all things Further,
we can know that ourselves special creatures
of God lowered with understanding and will. Out
OF such truths comes tn" knowledge that
meant for God, and that therefore 10 serve
Him in all our thoughts, words, and deeds
Thus natural religion gives us truths and laws
for conduct that 1t may square up to these
truths. The Ten Commandments can be reasoned
out; if they were not supernaturally revealed,
they could be known as the *.5uh of careful thought
and study That is what ST. Paul meant when he said
the pagans were not to be excused for ignoring God
because they had the law of God written in their
hearts" der in their understanding.
Natural religion is not enough for man; he needs
natural Revelation. Supernatural Revelation, in turn,
presupposes natural revelation and perfects it and
builds upon it, Even the most wondrous truths of
Supernatural Revelation fsuch as the truth of the
Holy Trinity of the Incarnation OF the Real Pres
ence) in no wise in conflict with natural revela-
ton, or with reason which is the human Of
natural revelation.
Many of the truths of natural religion arc also
supernaturaily revealed For instance. the Ten Com
4n4YN rIfu
ion, and they are also supernaturally revealed;
God gave them to Moses written upon tablets of
stone, and they recorded IN Holy Scripture The
unity of God and other divine attributes which man
could know by studious reasoning, also divenely
revealed How is this? Is il needless duplication Of
teaching? No, ii is not God does nothing in vain.
The fact is that while man can reason out the
truths of natural religion without the aid of Super
natural Revelation, actually he will not do so. II
these naturally movable truths are to serve man.
they must be known quickly, clearly, and accurately
by everyone for they are the most important of
truths and must serve TO enlighten and guide man
from the dawn of his reason clear through his life
But all men do not as fact know all these truths
clearly quickly and accurately from early youth
Therefore, ii is needfu that these truths be super
naturally revealed, even though in themselves, they
are discoverable by human reason alone.
ST Thomas analyses this matter neatly lie says
that without Supernatural Revelation mot all men
in a short time, and without intermingled errors
would know the truths of the natural religion"
Not all men for some men have not the talent for
the serious and sustained study necessary 10 mani
fest these truths; some men have not the taste for
such study, if they have the talent. and some
men are so completely occupied with the business
of bread-wnning that they actually have not the
time to devote to such study.
Not all men would know these truths nor would
those who devote time and effort TO their study
know them in a short time Yet as has been said
above man needs TO know these truths from early
youth he needs them as the light and guide of his
life from the dawn OF reason onward But
capable and serious mind would require very long
time to think out the truths of the natural religion
and recognize them as certainly true. II would take
years for the work, years during which the truths
studied should be known and followed in the con
duct OF life.
Nor would the men who gave long and devoted
study to the discovery Of the truths of natural
religion escape all errors in their conclusions How
do we know this? The best minds have actually
made such errors; and when tho best minds have
achieved only partial success in their best efforts
we can certainly not expect complete success from
ordinary or average minds.
Therefore il man were left to his own resources
in discovering the truths of natural religion very
few persons would know these truths, and they
would know them only after long and involved
study and even then the results of that study would
be far from perfect Hence. Supernatural Reyela,
tion even Of truths of natural religion is far from
unnecessary, far from a needless duplication of
teaching Supernatural Revelation of these truths
is work of Gods great mercy TO mankind
II is we'll for us to realize two things First, that
the supernaturaliy revealed truths of our holy Faith
are in harmony with reason but not dependent upon
IFS efforts or subjected to its arbitrary decisions
Second, that we are honored and dipnfied beyond
measure in having natural thirst for truth salts
fled by the dviney bestowed Gift of Supernatural
Revelation and reason elorified by sure and
certain recognition of all necessary truths, whether
and above ii.