Philosophy the Handmaid of Theology · §54

That theology is like all the Aristotelian habits, and especially like prudence

Article XXVII. That theology resembles every Aristotelian intellectual habit — and prudence most of all.

1. Taken broadly, theology is compared to Aristotle's five intellectual habits (understanding, science, wisdom, art, prudence). The point is analogy of office in theology's own order, not identity with those habits.

2. The closest likeness is prudence. Prudence steers human action toward an end; theology steers mind and life toward the supernatural end — God's glory and eternal salvation — by the norms God has revealed.

Latin

ART. XXVII. Theologiam esse similem omnibus habitibus Aristotelicis; praecipue vero prudentiae. 1. Theologia (lato modo) assimilatur habitibus intellectualibus Aristotelis: intelligentiae, scientiae, sapientiae, arti, prudentiae — non quod sit eadem cum illis, sed quod analogice eorum munera in suo ordine impleat. 2. Praecipue assimilatur prudentiae: quia sicut prudentia dirigit actiones humanas ad finem, ita Theologia dirigit intellectum & vitam ad finem supernaturalem — DEI gloriam & salutem aeternam — secundum normas a DEO revelatas.

About this text

Robert Baron — Philosophia theologiae ancillans from the 1658 Oxford Latin. Exercitatio Prima Art. I-XII On Being and Essence; Exercitatio Secunda Art. I-XV On the origin of the soul and the propagation of sin. Later Exercitationes / remainder of 213 pp remain.

English follows locked 1658 Oxford Latin. Prima Art. I-XII from IA PDF leaves ~15-53. Secunda Art. I-XV from PDF leaves 56-107 / printed pp.54-105 (tess+pdftotext+DjVu). No modern English copied. Exercitatio Tertia+ remain.

Catalogue & scope

Wing B887. IA bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_philosophia-theologi-an_baron-robert_1658. Exercitatio Prima Art. I-XII; Exercitatio Secunda Art. I-XV (De origine animae & propagatione peccati). Not whole Philosophia (213 pp). Exercitatio Tertia+ remain.

Witnesses

This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.