Natural Knowledge of God in the Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquina

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.11 b.ing. Still man'l knowl.dg. ot God h •• it. root, it. origin:' in the
thingl ot •• ns •• l
God' •• xistence ii, tor St. 1homas. demon.tr.ble, it 11 not, in it-
•• It •• elt-.vident ~.!!.. JIan, in his pre.e~t .tate, can know with c.r­
tainty th.t God i., but thil knowledge is not iJaaedi.telY' .vident to hi.,
becau •• his knowl.dg. i •• cquired, not dir.ctlY'. bY' mean. ot knowledge ot
..;
God's ••• enc., but indir.ctlY', by- .. ana ot kD~ledg.
ot Hi •• ttects. Becaus.
man can not oomprehend the •••• noe ot God. h. oan tormul.te no propod
tion conoerning God in whioh the pr.dic.t. i •• vid.ntlY' included in the
es •• nc. ot the subj.ot.2
Neith.r i. the id.a ot God'. exi.t.no. iDD&t., in the true •• n •• ot
th.t word.
'!'h. human intell.ct iI naturallY' po ...... dot no r.ad,.-aad.
1St• !bo .... au... Contra Gentil.s, tranal.t.d by- Inglish Dominic.n
Father. trom the l.teat Leonin •• d1 tion, Burns Oates • Washbourn. Ltd ••
London, 192f, Vol. I, ch.p. xii. p. 23t •••• lthough God tr.n.c.nd •• 11
•• n.ibl.s and a.n.ea, Hia .tt.ot. trom whioh we t.k. the proot th.t God
.xist., are sen.ible obj.ot.. H.no. our knowledg., even ot things which "..
tran.cend the •• n ••• , originate. trom the •• n ••••
St. !boma., Summa !beologic., tran.l.t.d by- Father. ot Inglish
Dominioan ProTinc., S.cond and R.vi.ed Edition, Burn. Oates. Washbourn.
Ltd., London, 1920, I a, q. 12, .rt. 12, cor.:
Our natural knowl.dg. begins trom •• ns.. Henc. our natural knowl­
.dg. oan go as tar a. it oan b. l.d bY' .ensible thing ••
I
2St. !boma., Summa '!'heologioa. I a, q. 2, art. 1, oor.s
How becau •• we do not know the e ... nce ot God the proposi tlon •
'God 1.' is not •• It-.vid.nt to u., but n •• d. must b. demonstrated bY'
thing. that are more known to us, though lesl known in th.ir natur.,-­
namelY', by- .ttects.
Contra Gent., I, chap. xii, p. 21s ••• b.caus. we are unable to se.
Hi. e ... nce, weo .. to )mow His .xist.nc. not in Hims.lt but in His
.ttects.