Theology's dignity appears from its object — above metaphysics, and wide through creatures, ethics, and history

Further, once the nature of theology is known, it is ready to hand to gather what its dignity is, and its excellence above the remaining sciences. And first, indeed, those things already said about the object of theology show it sufficiently. For from the dignity of the object the dignity of the sciences is usually estimated. But the object of theology, as has been said, is God Most High, who surpasses all other things infinitely in dignity, since he himself is of infinite essence and perfection.

First philosophy does indeed treat of God, but concerning so great an object it hands down few and slight things compared with those handed down in this discipline. For theology narrates the nature and attributes of God far more richly and clearly than metaphysics. Then it opens many mysteries about God altogether unknown to the philosophers — as that there are three persons in God though the essence is one, and that the Son of God was incarnate and died for us, and many like things.

Then also, although God is the principal object of theology — because, as we have just taught, it considers nothing except in order and respect to God — still theology treats of many things besides God, and there is no science that extends itself to more things, or whose object lies open so widely. For it discourses on many excellent matters concerning spiritual creatures, namely angels both good and evil, of which human reason can scarcely attain anything. There we have a perfect ethics, and a rule of living well far holier and more sublime than any precepts of the wise of this age. Nor does theology lack political and economic precepts, many of which can be drawn from sacred Scripture.

Add that through this discipline a person is led into a true knowledge of himself, and learns those things about himself which cannot be taught from elsewhere. For this alone opens the origin of the human race, and the various states of man. And since it is easy to notice in human nature a great misery and disturbance, theology alone teaches its cause and remedy, and opens so great a magnitude of the evil. Over which matter philosophy long ago seethed and panted in vain.

Indeed sacred teaching embraces not a few geographical and historical matters, which pour great light on history and geography. And without its torch shining ahead, the beginnings of the world would be unknown, and the origins of almost all nations, nor would chronology have any certain beginning, and the first and most venerable antiquity would lie wholly hidden. Finally sacred Scripture, the fountain of our theology and its first rule, scatters here and there certain physical matters which not lightly assist natural science — as, for example, that saying of Solomon in the first chapter of Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 1:7), concerning the origin of springs and rivers from the sea, and their perpetual return by a circle into the same sea.