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Summa Theologiae · Suppl., q. 95, a. 2

Whether the dowry is the same as beatitude?

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Supplement, question 95, Of the Gifts of the Blessed, article 2. About 3 min.

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From the Supplement, compiled after Aquinas’s death from his Commentary on the Sentences and transcribed here from the 1917 to 1922 printings. About the Supplement.

Text: Summa Theologiae, Supplement to the Third Part (Supplementum Tertiae Partis), transcribed from Internet Archive scans, translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The Supplement, compiled after Aquinas’s death from his earlier Commentary on the Sentences, in the same English Dominican translation as the Gutenberg Parts. Transcribed by Bibliotheca Catholica from the OCR of four Internet Archive scans of the pre-1931 printings (Questions 1 to 33 from the 1917 Washbourne and Benziger volume, 34 to 68 from the 1922 volume, 69 to 86 from the 1921 volume, and 87 to 99 from the 1922 Benziger volume), with OCR errors corrected and doubtful passages marked, not rewritten. 99 questions and 446 articles. The two appendices printed after Question 99 are not included. Sources, SHA-256 of each OCR file, and the method are in the source record. Rights: Public domain (US)

The Supplement is not a Project Gutenberg text. It is Bibliotheca Catholica’s transcription of public-domain scans at the Internet Archive; obvious OCR errors were corrected, and passages marked “OCR uncertain” could not be confidently corrected, so check them against the linked scan page.

3 passages on this page are marked “OCR uncertain”; check them against the scan.

Objection 1: It would seem that the dowry is the same as beatitude. For as appears from the definition of dowry (A. 1), the dowry is the everlasting adornment of body and soul in eternal happiness. Now the happiness of the soul is an adornment thereof. Therefore beatitude is a dowry.

Obj. 2: Further, A dowry signifies something whereby the union of bride and bridegroom is rendered delightful. Now such is beatitude in the spiritual marriage. Therefore beatitude is a dowry.

Obj. 3: Further, According to Augustine (De Trin. i.) vision is the whole essence of beatitude. Now vision is accounted one of the dowries. Therefore beatitude is a dowry.

Obj. 4: Further, Fruition gives happiness. Now fruition is a dowry. Therefore a dowry gives happiness and thus beatitude is a dowry.

Obj. 5: Further, According to Boéthins (De Consol. iii.), beatitude is a state made perfect by the aggregate of all good things. Now the state of the blessed is perfected by the dowries. Therefore the dowries are a part of beatitude.

On the contrary, The dowries are given without merits: whereas beatitude is not given, but is awarded in return for merits. Therefore beatitude is not a dowry.

Further, Beatitude is one only, whereas the dowries are several. Therefore beatitude is not a dowry.

Further, Beatitude is in man according to that which is principal in him (Ethic. x. 7): whereas a dowry is also appointed to the body. Therefore dowry and beatitude are not the same.

* Cf P. 1.Q. XL eA. viedas LAL cOprvarAes [OCR uncertain: eA, viedas, cOprvarAes. Check the scan, image 125.]

1r7 THE GIFTs OF THE BLESSED 9.95. Arr.2 [OCR uncertain: 1r7. Check the scan, image 126.]

I answer that, There are two opinions on this question. For some say that beatitude and dowry are the same in reality but differ in aspect: because dowry regards the spiritual marriage between Christ and the soul, whereas beatitude does not. But seemingly this will not stand, since beatitude consists in an operation, whereas a dowry is not an operation, but a quality or disposition. Wherefore according to others it must be stated that beatitude and dowry differ even in reality, beatitude being the perfect operation itself by which the soul is united to God, while the dowries are habits or dispositions or any other qualities directed to this same perfect operation, so that they are directed to beatitude instead of being in it as parts thereof.

Reply Obj. 1: Beatitude, properly speaking, is not an adornment of the soul, but something resulting from the soul's adornment, since it is an operation, while its adornment is a certain comeliness of the blessed themselves.

Reply Obj. 2: Beatitude is not directed to the union but is the union itself of the soul with Christ. This union is by an operation, whereas the dowries are gifts disposing to this same union.

Reply Obj. 3: Vision may be taken in two ways. First, actually, z.e. for the act itself of vision; and thus vision is not a dowry, but beatitude itself. Secondly, it may be taken habitually, z.c. for the habit whereby this act is elicited, namely the clarity of glory, by which the soul is enlightened from above to see God: and thus it is a dowry and the principle of beatitude, but not beatitude itself. The same answer applies to 00y. 4. [OCR uncertain: 00y. Check the scan, image 126.]

Reply Obj. 5: Beatitude is the sum of all goods not as though they were essential parts of beatitude, but as being in a way directed to beatitude, as stated above.

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Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, Supplement to the Third Part. Internet Archive scans: Third Part, Fourth Number (QQ. LXXXIV to Suppl. XXXIII), 1917, Third Part (Supplement), QQ. XXXIV to LXVIII, 1922, Third Part (Supplement), QQ. LXIX to LXXXVI, 1921, and Third Part (Supplement), QQ. LXXXVII to XCIX and Appendices, 1922; two curled pages of the 1921 volume are read from another scan of the same printing. Public domain in the USA. Printed in 1917, 1921, and 1922, before 1931. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Transcription, OCR file checksums, and method: source record.