Part III (Secunda Secundae) Part 251 (1/2)
Obj. 3: Further, our Lord said (Matt. 11:13): ”The prophets and the law prophesied until John”; and afterwards the gift of prophecy was in Christ's disciples in a much more excellent manner than in the prophets of old, according to Eph. 3:5, ”In other generations” the mystery of Christ ”was not known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit.” Therefore it would seem that in course of time the degree of prophecy advanced.
_On the contrary,_ As stated above (A. 4), Moses was the greatest of the prophets, and yet he preceded the other prophets. Therefore prophecy did not advance in degree as time went on.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 2), prophecy is directed to the knowledge of Divine truth, by the contemplation of which we are not only instructed in faith, but also guided in our actions, according to Ps. 42:3, ”Send forth Thy light and Thy truth: they have conducted me.” Now our faith consists chiefly in two things: first, in the true knowledge of G.o.d, according to Heb. 11:6, ”He that cometh to G.o.d must believe that He is”; secondly, in the mystery of Christ's incarnation, according to John 14:1, ”You believe in G.o.d, believe also in Me.” Accordingly, if we speak of prophecy as directed to the G.o.dhead as its end, it progressed according to three divisions of time, namely before the law, under the law, and under grace. For before the law, Abraham and the other patriarchs were prophetically taught things pertinent to faith in the G.o.dhead. Hence they are called prophets, according to Ps. 104:15, ”Do no evil to My prophets,” which words are said especially on behalf of Abraham and Isaac. Under the Law prophetic revelation of things pertinent to faith in the G.o.dhead was made in a yet more excellent way than hitherto, because then not only certain special persons or families but the whole people had to be instructed in these matters. Hence the Lord said to Moses (Ex. 6:2, 3): ”I am the Lord that appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of G.o.d almighty, and My name Adonai I did not show to them”; because previously the patriarchs had been taught to believe in a general way in G.o.d, one and Almighty, while Moses was more fully instructed in the simplicity of the Divine essence, when it was said to him (Ex. 3:14): ”I am Who am”; and this name is signified by Jews in the word ”Adonai” on account of their veneration for that unspeakable name. Afterwards in the time of grace the mystery of the Trinity was revealed by the Son of G.o.d Himself, according to Matt. 28:19: ”Going ... teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
In each state, however, the most excellent revelation was that which was given first. Now the first revelation, before the Law, was given to Abraham, for it was at that time that men began to stray from faith in one G.o.d by turning aside to idolatry, whereas. .h.i.therto no such revelation was necessary while all persevered in the wors.h.i.+p of one G.o.d. A less excellent revelation was made to Isaac, being founded on that which was made to Abraham. Wherefore it was said to him (Gen.
26:24): ”I am the G.o.d of Abraham thy father,” and in like manner to Jacob (Gen. 28:13): ”I am the G.o.d of Abraham thy father, and the G.o.d of Isaac.” Again in the state of the Law the first revelation which was given to Moses was more excellent, and on this revelation all the other revelations to the prophets were founded. And so, too, in the time of grace the entire faith of the Church is founded on the revelation vouchsafed to the apostles, concerning the faith in one G.o.d and three Persons, according to Matt. 16:18, ”On this rock,” i.e.
of thy confession, ”I will build My Church.”
As to the faith in Christ's incarnation, it is evident that the nearer men were to Christ, whether before or after Him, the more fully, for the most part, were they instructed on this point, and after Him more fully than before, as the Apostle declares (Eph. 3:5).
As regards the guidance of human acts, the prophetic revelation varied not according to the course of time, but according as circ.u.mstances required, because as it is written (Prov. 29:18), ”When prophecy shall fail, the people shall be scattered abroad.” Wherefore at all times men were divinely instructed about what they were to do, according as it was expedient for the spiritual welfare of the elect.
Reply Obj. 1: The saying of Gregory is to be referred to the time before Christ's incarnation, as regards the knowledge of this mystery.
Reply Obj. 2: As Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xviii, 27), ”just as in the early days of the a.s.syrian kingdom promises were made most explicitly to Abraham, so at the outset of the western Babylon,”
which is Rome, ”and under its sway Christ was to come, in Whom were to be fulfilled the promises made through the prophetic oracles testifying in word and writing to that great event to come,” the promises, namely, which were made to Abraham. ”For while prophets were scarcely ever lacking to the people of Israel from the time that they began to have kings, it was exclusively for their benefit, not for that of the nations. But when those prophetic writings were being set up with greater publicity, which at some future time were to benefit the nations, it was fitting to begin when this city,” Rome to wit, ”was being built, which was to govern the nations.”
The reason why it behooved that nation to have a number of prophets especially at the time of the kings, was that then it was not over-ridden by other nations, but had its own king; wherefore it behooved the people, as enjoying liberty, to have prophets to teach them what to do.
Reply Obj. 3: The prophets who foretold the coming of Christ could not continue further than John, who with his finger pointed to Christ actually present. Nevertheless as Jerome says on this pa.s.sage, ”This does not mean that there were no more prophets after John. For we read in the Acts of the apostles that Agabus and the four maidens, daughters of Philip, prophesied.” John, too, wrote a prophetic book about the end of the Church; and at all times there have not been lacking persons having the spirit of prophecy, not indeed for the declaration of any new doctrine of faith, but for the direction of human acts. Thus Augustine says (De Civ. Dei v, 26) that ”the emperor Theodosius sent to John who dwelt in the Egyptian desert, and whom he knew by his ever-increasing fame to be endowed with the prophetic spirit: and from him he received a message a.s.suring him of victory.”
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QUESTION 175
OF RAPTURE (In Six Articles)
We must now consider rapture. Under this head there are six points of inquiry:
(1) Whether the soul of man is carried away to things divine?
(2) Whether rapture pertains to the cognitive or to the appet.i.tive power?
(3) Whether Paul when in rapture saw the essence of G.o.d?
(4) Whether he was withdrawn from his senses?
(5) Whether, when in that state, his soul was wholly separated from his body?
(6) What did he know, and what did he not know about this matter?
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FIRST ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 175, Art. 1]
Whether the Soul of Man Is Carried Away to Things Divine?
Objection 1: It would seem that the soul of man is not carried away to things divine. For some define rapture as ”an uplifting by the power of a higher nature, from that which is according to nature to that which is above nature” [*Reference unknown; Cf. De Veritate xiii, 1]. Now it is in accordance with man's nature that he be uplifted to things divine; for Augustine says at the beginning of his Confessions: ”Thou madest us, Lord, for Thyself, and our heart is restless, till it rest in Thee.” Therefore man's soul is not carried away to things divine.
Obj. 2: Further, Dionysius says (Div. Nom. viii) that ”G.o.d's justice is seen in this that He treats all things according to their mode and dignity.” But it is not in accordance with man's mode and worth that he be raised above what he is according to nature. Therefore it would seem that man's soul is not carried away to things divine.
Obj. 3: Further, rapture denotes violence of some kind. But G.o.d rules us not by violence or force, as Damascene says [*De Fide Orth. ii, 30]. Therefore man's soul is not carried away to things divine.