Summa Theologica Quotes

“The human mind may perceive truth only through thinking, as is clear from Augustine.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“Nothing which implies contradiction falls under the omnipotence of God.”
― St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“God Himself is the rule and mode of virtue. Our faith is measured by divine truth, our hope by the greatness of His power and faithful affection, our charity by His goodness. His truth, power and goodness outreach any measure of reason. We can certainly never believe, trust or love God more than, or even as much as, we should. Extravagance is impossible. Here is no virtuous moderation, no measurable mean; the more extreme our activity, the better we are.”
― St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“Thus the sun which possesses light perfectly, can shine by itself; whereas the moon which has the nature of light imperfectly, sheds only a borrowed light.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“to make peace either in oneself or among others, shows a man to be a follower of God,”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“I answer that, As Augustine says (De Moribus Eccl. vi), "the soul needs to follow something in order to give birth to virtue: this something is God: if we follow Him we shall live aright.”
― Thomas Aquinas, The Summa Theologica: Complete Edition

“The truth can be perceived only through thinking, as is proven by Augustine.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“nothing can be known, save what is true;”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“The science of mathematics treats its object as though it were something abstracted mentally, whereas it is not abstract in reality.”
― Saint Thomas Aquinas, The Summa Theologica: Complete Edition

“The Philosopher, too, says of the wicked (Ethic. ix, 4) that "their soul is divided against itself . . . one part pulls this way, another that"; and afterwards he concludes, saying: "If wickedness makes a man so miserable, he should strain every nerve to avoid vice.”
― Thomas Aquinas, The Summa Theologica: Complete Edition

“In the old law, God was praised both with musical instruments, and human voices. But the church does not use musical instruments to praise God, lest she should seem to judaize.”
― St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“Hence it is written (Wis. 9:14): "The thoughts of mortal men are fearful, and our counsels uncertain." Thus man needs to be guarded by the angels. Reply”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“If our opponent believes nothing of divine revelation, there is no longer any means of proving the articles of faith by reasoning, but only of answering his objections--if he has any--against faith. Since faith rests upon infallible truth, and since the contrary of a truth can never be demonstrated, it is clear that the arguments brought against faith cannot be demonstrations, but are difficulties that can be answered.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“Jerome says (Ep. ad Nepot. lii): "Shun, as you would the plague, a cleric who from being poor has become wealthy, or who, from being a nobody has become a celebrity.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“Honor is due to God and to persons of great excellence as a sign of attestation of excellence already existing; not that honor makes them excellent.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“the intention of every man acting according to virtue is to follow the rule of reason, wherefore the intention of all the virtues is directed to the same end, so that all the virtues are connected together in the right reason of things to be done, viz. prudence,”
― Thomas Aquinas, The Summa Theologica: Complete Edition

“Further, nothing, except sin, is contrary to an act of virtue. But war is contrary to peace. Therefore war is always a sin.”
― Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“God is not, like creatures, made up of parts. God is spirit, without bodily dimensions. Firstly, no body can cause change without itself being changed. Secondly, things with dimensions are potential of division. But the starting-point for all existence must be wholly real and not potential in any way: though things that get realized begin as potential, preceding them is the source of their realization which must already be real. Thirdly, living bodies are superior to other bodies; and what makes a body living is not the dimensions which make it a body (for then everything with dimensions would be living), but something more excellent like a soul. The most excellent existent of all then cannot be a body. So when the scriptures ascribe dimensions to God they are using spatial extension to symbolize the extent of God's power; just as they ascribe bodily organs to God as metaphors for their functions, and postures like sitting or standing to symbolize authority or strength.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae: A Concise Translation

“Pipes are not to be used for teaching, nor any artificial instruments, as the harp, or the like: but whatsoever will make the hearers good men.”
― St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“But there are more wicked men to be found than good; according to Eccles. 1:15: "The number of fools is infinite.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“I answer that, Every being, as being, is good. For all being, as being, has actuality and is in some way perfect; since every act implies some sort of perfection; and perfection implies desirability and goodness, as is clear from A[1]. Hence it follows that every being as such is good.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“I answer that, It was necessary for man's salvation that there should be a knowledge revealed by God besides philosophical science built up by human reason. Firstly, indeed, because man is directed to God, as to an end that surpasses the grasp of his reason: "The eye hath not seen, O God, besides Thee, what things Thou hast prepared for them that wait for Thee" (Is. 66: 4). But the end must first be known by men who are to direct their thoughts and actions to the end. Hence it was necessary for the salvation of man that certain truths which exceed human reason should be made known to him by divine revelation. Even as regards those truths about God which human reason could have discovered, it was necessary that man should be taught by a divine revelation; because the truth about God such as reason could discover, would only be known by a few, and”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“Now in matters of action the reason directs all things in view of the end:”
― Thomas Aquinas, The Summa Theologica: Complete Edition

“For it is essential to opinion that we assent to one of two opposite assertions with fear of the other, so that our adhesion is not firm: to science it is essential to have firm adhesion with intellectual vision, for science possesses certitude which results from the understanding of principles: while faith holds a middle place, for it surpasses opinion in so far as its adhesion is firm, but falls short of science in so far as it lacks vision.”
― Thomas Aquinas, The Summa Theologica: Complete Edition

“But the vision of the Divine Essence fills the soul with all good things, since it unites it to the source of all goodness;”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“Hence it is written (Prov. 17:16): "What doth it avail a fool to have riches, seeing he cannot buy wisdom.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“Reply to Objection 3: It is not erroneous to say that men are transferred to the penalty of demons; but some erroneously stated that the demons are nothing but souls of the dead; and it is this that Chrysostom rejects.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“Objection 3: Further, Gregory says (Moral. ii): "God speaks to the angels by the very fact that He shows to their hearts His hidden and invisible things." But this is to enlighten them. Therefore, whenever God speaks, He enlightens. In the same way every angelic speech is an enlightening. Therefore an inferior angel can in no way speak to a superior angel.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“yet so that envy is not to be taken for a passion, but for a will resisting the good of another.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

“On the contrary, The Philosopher says (Ethic. ix, 8): "Love for others comes of love for oneself.”
― Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica