1 Objection 1: It seems that by grace a higher knowledge of God is not obtained than by natural reason. For Dionysius says De Mystica Theol. i) that whoever is the more united to God in this life, is united to Him as to one entirely unknown. He says the same of Moses, who nevertheless obtained a certain excellence by the knowledge conferred by grace. But to be united to God while ignoring of Him what He is, comes about also by natural reason. Therefore God is not more known to us by grace than by natural reason.
1 Ad decimumtertium sic proceditur. Videtur quod per gratiam non habeatur altior cognitio Dei, quam ea quae habetur per naturalem rationem. Dicit enim Dionysius, in libro de mystica theologia, quod ille qui melius unitur Deo in hac vita, unitur ei sicut omnino ignoto, quod etiam de Moyse dicit, qui tamen excellentiam quandam obtinuit in gratiae cognitione. Sed coniungi Deo ignorando de eo quid est, hoc contingit etiam per rationem naturalem. Ergo per gratiam non plenius cognoscitur a nobis Deus, quam per rationem naturalem.
2 Objection 2: Further, we can acquire the knowledge of divine things by natural reason only through the imagination; and the same applies to the knowledge given by grace. For Dionysius says Coel. Hier. i) that it is impossible for the divine ray to shine upon us except as screened round about by the many colored sacred veils. Therefore we cannot know God more fully by grace than by natural reason.
2 Praeterea, per rationem naturalem in cognitionem divinorum pervenire non possumus, nisi per phantasmata, sic etiam nec secundum cognitionem gratiae. Dicit enim Dionysius, I cap. de Cael. Hier., quod impossibile est nobis aliter lucere divinum radium, nisi varietate sacrorum velaminum circumvelatum. Ergo per gratiam non plenius cognoscimus Deum, quam per rationem naturalem.
3 Objection 3: Further, our intellect adheres to God by grace of faith. But faith does not seem to be knowledge; for Gregory says Hom. xxvi in Ev.) that things not seen are the objects of faith, and not of knowledge. Therefore there is not given to us a more excellent knowledge of God by grace.
3 Praeterea, intellectus noster per gratiam fidei Deo adhaeret. Fides autem non videtur esse cognitio, dicit enim Gregorius, in Homil., quod ea quae non videntur fidem habent, et non agnitionem. Ergo per gratiam non additur nobis aliqua excellentior cognitio de Deo.
4 On the contrary, The Apostle says that God hath revealed to us His spirit, what none of the princes of this world knew 1 Cor. 2, 10), namely, the philosophers, as the gloss expounds.
4 Sed contra est quod dicit apostolus, I Cor. II, nobis revelavit Deus per spiritum suum, illa scilicet quae nemo principum huius saeculi novit, idest philosophorum, ut exponit Glossa.
5 I answer that, We have a more perfect knowledge of God by grace than by natural reason. Which is proved thus. The knowledge which we have by natural reason contains two things: images derived from the sensible objects; and the natural intelligible light, enabling us to abstract from them intelligible conceptions. Now in both of these, human knowledge is assisted by the revelation of grace. For the intellect's natural light is strengthened by the infusion of gratuitous light; and sometimes also the images in the human imagination are divinely formed, so as to express divine things better than those do which we receive from sensible objects, as appears in prophetic visions; while sometimes sensible things, or even voices, are divinely formed to express some divine meaning; as in the Baptism, the Holy Ghost was seen in the shape of a dove, and the voice of the Father was heard, This is My beloved Son Mt. 3, 17).
5 Respondeo dicendum quod per gratiam perfectior cognitio de Deo habetur a nobis, quam per rationem naturalem. Quod sic patet. Cognitio enim quam per naturalem rationem habemus, duo requirit, scilicet, phantasmata ex sensibilibus accepta, et lumen naturale intelligibile, cuius virtute intelligibiles conceptiones ab eis abstrahimus. Et quantum ad utrumque, iuvatur humana cognitio per revelationem gratiae. Nam et lumen naturale intellectus confortatur per infusionem luminis gratuiti. Et interdum etiam phantasmata in imaginatione hominis formantur divinitus, magis exprimentia res divinas, quam ea quae naturaliter a sensibilibus accipimus; sicut apparet in visionibus prophetalibus. Et interdum etiam aliquae res sensibiles formantur divinitus, aut etiam voces, ad aliquid divinum exprimendum; sicut in Baptismo visus est spiritus sanctus in specie columbae, et vox patris audita est, hic est filius meus dilectus.
6 Reply to Objection 1: Although by the revelation of grace in this life we cannot know of God what He is, and thus are united to Him as to one unknown; still we know Him more fully according as many and more excellent of His effects are demonstrated to us, and according as we attribute to Him some things known by divine revelation, to which natural reason cannot reach, as, for instance, that God is Three and One.
6 Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, licet per revelationem gratiae in hac vita non cognoscamus de Deo quid est, et sic ei quasi ignoto coniungamur; tamen plenius ipsum cognoscimus, inquantum plures et excellentiores effectus eius nobis demonstrantur; et inquantum ei aliqua attribuimus ex revelatione divina, ad quae ratio naturalis non pertingit, ut Deum esse trinum et unum.
7 Reply to Objection 2: From the images either received from sense in the natural order, or divinely formed in the imagination, we have so much the more excellent intellectual knowledge, the stronger the intelligible light is in man; and thus through the revelation given by the images a fuller knowledge is received by the infusion of the divine light.
7 Ad secundum dicendum quod ex phantasmatibus, vel a sensu acceptis secundum naturalem ordinem, vel divinitus in imaginatione formatis, tanto excellentior cognitio intellectualis habetur, quanto lumen intelligibile in homine fortius fuerit. Et sic per revelationem ex phantasmatibus plenior cognitio accipitur, ex infusione divini luminis.
8 Reply to Objection 3: Faith is a kind of knowledge, inasmuch as the intellect is determined by faith to some knowable object. But this determination to one object does not proceed from the vision of the believer, but from the vision of Him who is believed. Thus as far as faith falls short of vision, it falls short of the knowledge which belongs to science, for science determines the intellect to one object by the vision and understanding of first principles.
8 Ad tertium dicendum quod fides cognitio quaedam est, inquantum intellectus determinatur per fidem ad aliquod cognoscibile. Sed haec determinatio ad unum non procedit ex visione credentis, sed a visione eius cui creditur. Et sic, inquantum deest visio, deficit a ratione cognitionis quae est in scientia, nam scientia determinat intellectum ad unum per visionem et intellectum primorum principiorum.