Thursday, May 14, 2009

Q93 A8: Whether the image of the Divine Trinity is in the soul only by comparison with God as its object?

Yes. We refer the Divine image in man to the word conceived by the knowledge of God, and to the love derived therefrom, because it is clear that diversity of objects diversifies the species of word and love. (For the word conceived in the human mind is not the same in species concerning a rock or concerning a horse, nor is the love [for each the same] in species.)

Attenditur divina imago in homine secundum verbum conceptum de Dei notitia, et amorem exinde derivatum, quia diversitas obiectorum diversificat speciem verbi et amoris. (Non enim idem est specie in corde hominis verbum conceptum de lapide et de equo, nec idem specie amor.)

Thus the image of God is found in the soul according as the soul is referred to God, or possesses a nature that enables it to be referred to God.

Et sic imago Dei attenditur in anima secundum quod fertur, vel nata est ferri in Deum.

Now the mind is referred towards something in two ways: directly and immediately; or indirectly and mediately (as, for instance, when anyone sees a man reflected in a looking-glass he may be said to be referred towards that man).

Fertur autem in aliquid mens dupliciter: uno modo, directe et immediate; alio modo, indirecte et mediate (sicut cum aliquis, videndo imaginem hominis in speculo, dicitur ferri in ipsum hominem).

So Augustine says (De Trin. xiv, 8), the "the mind remembers itself, understands itself, and loves itself. If we perceive this, we perceive a trinity; not, indeed, God, but, nevertheless, rightly called the image of God." But this is due to the fact, not that the mind is referred to itself absolutely, but that thereby it can furthermore be referred to God.

Et ideo Augustinus dicit, in XIV de Trin., quod "mens meminit sui, intelligit se, et diligit se; hoc si cernimus, cernimus Trinitatem; nondum quidem Deum, sed iam imaginem Dei." Sed hoc est, non quia fertur mens in seipsam absolute, sed prout per hoc ulterius potest ferri in Deum.

Augustine says (De Trin. xiv, 12): "The image of God exists in the mind, not because it has a remembrance of itself, loves itself, and understands itself; but because it can also remember, understand, and love God by Whom it was made."

Augustinus dicit, XIV de Trin., quod "non propterea est Dei imago in mente, quia sui meminit, et intelligit et diligit se; sed quia potest etiam meminisse, intelligere et amare Deum, a quo facta est."

The meritorious knowledge and love of God can be in us only by grace. Yet there is a certain natural knowledge and love as seen above (Q12, A12; Q56, A3; Q60, A5). This, too, is natural that the mind, in order to understand God, can make use of reason, in which sense we have already said that the image of God abides ever in the soul; "whether this image of God be so obsolete," as it were clouded, "as almost to amount to nothing," as in those who have not the use of reason; "or obscured and disfigured," as in sinners; or "clear and beautiful," as in the just; as Augustine says (De Trin. xiv, 6).

Meritoria Dei cognitio et dilectio non est nisi per gratiam. Est tamen aliqua Dei cognitio et dilectio naturalis, ut supra habitum est. Et hoc etiam ipsum naturale est, quod mens ad intelligendum Deum ratione uti potest, secundum quod imaginem Dei semper diximus permanere in mente, "sive haec imago Dei ita sit obsoleta," quasi obumbrata, "ut pene nulla sit," ut in his qui non habent usum rationis; "sive sit obscura atque deformis," ut in peccatoribus; "sive sit clara et pulchra," ut in iustis, sicut Augustinus dicit, XIV de Trin.

By the vision of glory temporal things will be seen in God Himself; and such a vision of things temporal will belong to the image of God. This is what Augustine means (De Trin. xiv, 6), when he says that "in that nature to which the mind will blissfully adhere, whatever it sees it will see as unchangeable". For in the Uncreated Word are the formal aspects of all creatures.

Secundum visionem gloriae, temporalia videbuntur in ipso Deo; et ideo huiusmodi temporalium visio ad Dei imaginem pertinebit. Et hoc est quod Augustinus dicit, XIV de Trin., quod "in illa natura cui mens feliciter adhaerebit, immutabile videbit omne quod viderit". Nam et in ipso verbo increato sunt rationes omnium creaturarum.