Prima Pars
1. Vatican I, Dei Filius: Pius IX's Prologue and Chapter 1 on God in Himself
Class of 2005-12-06
https://berquistcourse.com/course/theology/10-prima-pars/001-vatican-i-dei-filius-pius-ixs-prologue-and-chapter-1-on-god/

[0:00] Council was interrupted by the resorgimento and so on. And in a way, the things, the two documents that were did get out of the Vatican I, were kind of continued and to some extent completed, right, in the Second Vatican Council. So, in the Second Vatican Council, there are what sixteen documents. But of these sixteen documents, four are called what constitutions, which have a certain universality, you know, importance.

[0:33] But of those four constitutions, two are called what dogmatic constitutions, and two are more like pastoral constitutions. So the two dogmatic constitutions are the one on the Church and the one on Revelation, right, Dei Verbum. So Dei Verbum, in a sense, is a continuation of this document right here. The other document came out of Vatican I. They're going to do something broader in the Church, but they're interrupted and just completed the part on the what papal infallibility, right?

[1:06] So that teaching on papal infallibility and so on, was repeated in the what one on the Revelation in Vatican II. But excuse me, not so much there in the one on the Church. I mean, okay. So you can kind of see that the two Vatican I, Vatican II are in a way kind of one council almost, in that regard, just like the Second World War is a continuation of the First World War, as many historians like to present it as being.

[1:38] So this is just the constitution of the Catholic Church. faith, right? But the one Dei Verbum is more on on Scripture, you know. This here takes a little more a broader view of a more fundamental view, you might say, about faith and reason and so on. Now there will be a kind of profession of faith in here in the first chapter, as you know, huh? But there is a before that in an earlier session.

[2:08] There is the what more full profession of faith, huh? It's basically the Constantinople Nicene Creed with some things spread out from Council Trent. Now, of course, they don't look forward to Vatican II here; they look back to what the Council of Trent, huh? So you'll see this in the introductory kind of speech here of Pio Nono, huh? Okay. And let's look at that a little bit, but that's not so much the document we're interested in as the thing that comes afterwards.

[2:46] Pious bishop, servant of the servants of God, with the approval of the Sacred Council for an everlasting record. The Son of God, Redeemer of the human race, our Lord Jesus Christ. Promised when about to return to his heavenly Father, that he would be with this Church militant upon earth all days, even to the end of the world. I suppose that's a reference to the end of the Gospel of Saint Matthew.

[3:14] huh Behold, I am with you all days, right, even until the consummation of the world. Hence, never at any time has he ceased to stand by his beloved bride. This is the Church, assisting her when she teaches, blessing her in her labors, and third, bringing her help when she is in what danger.

[3:44] Now, this redemptive providence appears very clearly in a number of benefits, but most especially is it manifested in the advantages which have been secured for the Christian world by ecumenical councils. Sounds like John Paul II, right? And always goes back to Vatican II.

[4:08] Among which the Council Trent, which is the last council, that for these people requires special mention, celebrated though it was in evil days. Thence came a closer definition and more fruitful exposition of the holy dogmas of religion, and the condemnation and repression of errors. Of course, Thomas begins the Summa Contra Gentiles with the twofold office of the wise man to teach the truth and to refute errors, and this goes back to Aristotle saying the same thing that belongs to wise men to do those two things.

[4:57] Now the councils also have a pastoral aspect. Thence too the restoration and vigorous strengthening of ecclesiastical discipline, the advancement of the clergy and zeal for learning and piety, and I guess the Council of Trent had a lot to do with getting seminaries more strongly, solidly established.

[5:21] The founding of colleges for the training of the young for the service of religion, and finally the renewal of the moral life of the Christian people by a more accurate instruction of the faithful and a more frequent reception of the sacraments.

[5:39] What is more, thence also came a closer union of the members with the visible head, that means with the Pope, I guess, and an increased vigor in the whole mystical body of Christ. And

[5:57] some people see as the best definition of the Church. Right, the mystical body of Christ. Was it Pius XII that did the famous encyclical now? I think so yeah? Thence came the multiplication of religious orders and other organizations of Christian piety. Right, Counter Reformation, as we say. Thence to that determined and constant ardor for the spreading of Christ's kingdom abroad in the world, even at the cost of shedding one's blood.

[6:29] But everything hasn't gone right, as he's going to go on to say. So he's kind of setting the stage for why we have this document. While we recall with grateful hearts, as is only fitting, these and other outstanding gains which the divine mercy has bestowed on the Church, especially by means of the last ecumenical synod, meaning the Council of Trent, we cannot subdue the bitter grief that we feel at most serious evils, which have largely arisen either because the authority of the Sacred Synod was held in contempt by all too many, or because its wise decrees were neglected.

[7:22] That's the joke about the Spirit of Vatican II: is not to read Vatican II. Like that, huh? If you go through, you know, the different Church councils and you see the various disciplinary things, you know, about correcting abuses in the clergy and laity and so on, now, yeah, of course, the next council, the same, you know, abuses are still there. You know, it's like the average guy going back to confession, confessing the same sins over again.

[7:50] You know, you never quite cure us. Everybody knows that those heresies condemned by the Fathers of Trent, which rejected the divine magisterium of the Church, he's freeing now to the Protestant things, and allowed religious questions to be a matter for the judgment of each individual, have gradually collapsed into a multiplicity of sects.

[8:23] Was it Charles Borromeo did the famous thing on the divisions? You know, among them they kept on dividing and subdividing, and because once you give up the magisterium, then everybody goes off in his own.

[8:36] Either at variance or in agreement with one another, and by this means a good many people have had all faith in Christ destroyed. So the devil practices divide and conquer as well.

[8:52] Indeed, even the Holy Bible itself. Which they at one time claimed to be the sole source in judge the Christian faith. And to hear these Protestant ministers who have converted to Catholicism, you know, on EWTN, you know, and they get on the the way home where the program is, it's always a good idea that you can't have the Bible stand all by itself, right?

[9:19] Because how do we get these books, you know, as the books, right? Of course, Vatican II says that the magisterium of the Church and the sacred tradition and the Scripture, right, those three are such that no one can stand without the others, huh? Well it's a good example? of? Three is enough, right? But one is not enough, huh? So they give up. You might say the magisterium, and they give up the tradition, the sacred tradition, right?

[9:49] And they claim the Bible was the sole source in judge the Christian faith, but it was no longer held to be divine, right? with these Scriptural scholars in Germany, et cetera, but they began to assimilate it to the inventions of myth. I think I mentioned how in the the current issue of U. S. News World Report, you know, C. S. Lewis made the cover, and so there's a three or four page article there on him, and not not too bad, you know.

[10:20] It tells some interesting things again about him, but this you know resisting, you know, this somebody trying to get to him, namely God, and how he's trying to reduce, you know,

[10:34] Christian religion to a myth, you know, and he just couldn't quite fit it into a myth, you know, and he's getting more and more frustrated. But this is that way of thinking, huh? Kind of interesting is his conversion.

[10:49] Thereupon, there came into being and spread far and wide throughout the world that doctrine of rationalism or naturalism. I suppose rationalism means what? Solar ratio huh So you're giving up belief altogether, right?

[11:09] And trying to reduce yourself only to what man has by his what human nature, yeah. Utterly opposed to the Christian religion, since this is a supernatural origin,

[11:25] and it spares no effort to bring it about. He says that Christ, who alone is our Lord and Savior, is shut out from the minds of people and the moral life of nations. Interesting, you know. Every Christmas now, you have this desire to get rid of of Christmas, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, and say happy holidays, you know, and not say Happy Christmas. Because uh I thought you got the you know Walmart to back down.

[11:54] You know they wanted to say you know happy holidays and get so much protest going, and so they finally don't need to have Christmas displays. Wow, that's pretty. Yeah, I mean it's a real fight going on every Christmas, you know, for the whole month there that people are talking about this, you know.

[12:15] Thus, they would establish what they call the rule of simple reason or nature. I gave another copy here of the Confessions, right? But you know, if you had a chance to look at that thing by John Paul II on Augustine, right? That's what he was into, right? Huh? The Manichaeans were appealing to him you know you're not you don't have to you know believe these guys. You know, just use your reason instead.

[12:38] You know, we'll we'll do it all by your reason, right? And I think there's certain appeal there to what pride. In in this article on C. S. Lewis, I guess, at an early age, eight years old or something like that, an early age, he realized that he had. Good taste, good taste in literature, right? And all the rest of these guys out there are philistines, right? Well, there's a lot of truth to that, but that's an occasion for pride, right?

[13:11] And then he realized after his conversion how this had been the occasion for his pride, and that's where you get the idea you can do it all by what reason, you know? I guess there's one of his biographies, you know, or autobiography things where he's going across the campus there, and some other guy, you know, who's some kind of a scholar, you know, and he says the evidence for the resurrection is pretty good.

[13:39] It's just those, you know. So I felt that sinking feeling, you know. I mean, the defenses, you know, are breaking down. That's kind of interesting.

[13:52] Thus, they would establish what they called the rule of simple reason or nature. That's going back to the doctrine of rationalism or naturalism. So you can kind of see he's kind of setting the stage for what this document is going to be emphasizing. Talking about faith and reason and the need of both of them and how they help each other and so on, right? This is kind of setting the circumstances of the thing.

[14:15] This Father Hughes, there, I gave those church histories, you know. But I used to have it and lost it. But I used to have another one of his books was on the twenty councils, more or less, and giving kind of historical background leading up to each council. You know, so you kind of see the circumstances for the council. And if you go into the

[14:39] Vatican II, the thing on priestly training and so on, I think I've given you part of that passage there, where you should start with the Bible and then you go to what the church fathers have contributed to the elucidation of this or that mystery, right? And then count should be taken. He says the later church history and what the councils did. Well, maybe the councils less so, but something like the church fathers a bit.

[15:03] It's a kind of ad hoc character about the theological teaching in the church fathers and even in the councils, because if you look at Augustine's work, you know, so many contra, contra, contra, because this heretic has denied this article of the faith, and I got to answer this heretic about that article of faith. There's kind of a little contingent aspect of what you're talking about, right? And to some extent, the councils have usually arisen at a time when somebody has denied something, right?

[15:36] So it might be way back they denied the divinity of Christ, or they might be they denied that Mary was the mother of God, or what it was. And the

[15:47] Council of Trent has a lot of teaching on the sacraments, right? But that's because the Lutherans and so on were. Cutting down the number of sacraments and misunderstanding the ones they kept, and so on, right? So you kind of, you know, we've got to develop the teaching about the sacraments more at what in detail, right? Okay, There's kind of an ad hoc character a bit, right? Okay, and so he's kind of setting the circumstances for why this is kind of important this this time, huh?

[16:26] The abandonment and rejection of the Christian religion and the denial of God and His Christ has plunged the minds of many into the abyss of pantheism, materialism, and atheism. Left runs all the way through the modern philosophers. But Tocqueville right, who's the the teacher of the difference between democratic customs and aristocratic customs? But in the second volume of Democracy in America, he talks about the influence of democratic customs upon religion.

[17:01] Right? This is what he emphasizes: pantheism. It it suggests pantheistic notions to men's minds. He says you can see it in French literature in his time. You can see it in German philosophy. Says, but you go through, you know, the Enchiridion Symbolorum and watch the correction of the Catholic theologians in Germany mainly. They're always being corrected for their somewhat pantheistic ideas, and even Rahner and Kuhn, you know, has kind of these pantheistic ideas.

[17:30] But it's a very characteristic of the modern thing. The force be with you, you know. As I tell the students, that's pantheistic notion of God, huh? Because you become a part of the force, huh? But Einstein's notion of God was pantheistic. He admitted that. Okay, it was this notion of God. Materialism, of course, that's as old as the hills, right?

[17:52] And atheism, huh? But notice, huh? And the consequences that they strive to destroy rational nature itself. Well, in other words, they set out to make reason supreme and end up denying reason. And as they say, you know, the church is the only one who defends reason anymore if it's able to know anything. To deny any criterion of what is right and just, huh?

[18:27] And to overthrow the very foundations of human society. You see the the. I think I spoke a little bit here before about the three major sources of the modern world and its customs.

[18:52] And the first major source of the modern world as customs was the mercantile origin of the modern city. Talked about that before in the late Middle Ages. And the second major source was the mathematical union of natural science and technical science, gave rise to modern experimental science. And this really got going in the 17th, 18th century. Then the third major source was the democratic revolution and the

[19:28] social condition of relative equality, as opposed to the hereditary inequality of aristocratic times. Well, what drives experimental science is the hypothesis, right? And as Einstein says, the hypothesis is freely imagined. So it has no justification by itself because it's freely imagined. But then we deduce the consequences of the hypothesis. Hypothesis, and if experiment or observation agrees with the predictions on the basis of the hypothesis, then that's a kind of confirmation of the hypothesis, right?

[20:14] But if you examine the form of this confirmation, it's not a syllogism. So you are saying if A is so, then B is so. B is so. Well, it doesn't follow necessarily that A is so?

[20:33] If I am a dog, then I am an animal. But I am an animal, therefore I am a dog. You know, I told you my example in logic class. If Burke was dropped dead last night, then I predicted he'd be absent from class today. Okay, he's absent from class today. Therefore, he dropped dead. I say that's wishful thinking, but it's not logical thinking, huh? Einstein says, you know, that Newtonian physics predicted so many things that were shown to be so that men began to think it must be true.

[21:09] And then Einstein, with his theories of relativity, showed he could predict the same things with a different theory, plus some things that Newton couldn't predict. And therefore, it became crystal clear. He said to the physicists that you never know. And that's why Claude Bernard, the famous physiologist, says that doubt is intrinsic to the experimental method. So if you put these two things together, right—that the hypothesis is freely imagined and therefore is not justified by itself, and the confirmation by its consequence is not a syllogism—well, then doubt becomes intrinsic to the experimental method.

[21:49] Well, if that's the only method you think is reliable, the scientific method, then everything is what? Doubtful, right? Yeah. Okay. Now, I was mentioning I was reading this book on Florence and so on, but I mean, especially now, his own opinions out there, right? That everything should be doubted, right? And this is kind of the result of the customs of experimental science. Doubt is intrinsic to the experimental method.

[22:18] So if that's the only method, and it seems to be good, the only method is our custom to it, then everything is doubtful, right? But democratic customs also lead to this too, because democratic customs says we're all equal. So my opinion is as good as yours, and my opinion is different than yours, so everything that is seems doubtful, right? Okay. So now this is very characteristic of the modern world, huh?

[22:56] With this impiety spreading in every direction, it has come about, alas. That many, even among the children of the Catholic Church, has strayed from the path of genuine piety,

[23:12] and as the truth was gradually diluted in them, their Catholic sensibility was what weakened. I always tell the example of my friend who was helping out in the confirmation program or preparation for confirmation program. And part of this is called the review of the faith, right? So he comes into class, you know, with these high school kids, and asks them what the seven sacraments were. He just wanted them to name the seven sacraments.

[23:41] Well, collectively they could not come up with the names of the seven sacraments. And graduation was among the sacraments that people suggested. I mean, seriously, I'm talking about the truth was gradually diluted in them. This is very much any kind of a ceremony as a sacrament or something, you know. And their Catholic sensibility is weakened huh. Yeah.

[24:12] But now he's getting out a little more particular and closer to the to the to the work we're going to be looking at. Led away by diverse and strange teachings. Diverse and strange teachings. And confusing nature and grace, huh? Mixing them up. And mixing up what then human knowledge and divine faith, right?

[24:38] Now, as I often say, the beginning of trouble for our mind is not seeing some distinction, or misunderstanding some distinction, huh? And Pio Nono is talking about not seeing right, or misunderstanding the distinction between nature and grace, and between human knowledge and what divine faith, huh?

[25:05] And they are found to distort the genuine sense of the dogmas which Holy Mother Church holds and teaches, and to endanger the integrity and genuineness of the what faith.

[25:24] At the sight of all this, how can the inmost being of the Church not suffer anguish? For just as God wills all people to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, I guess that's in St. Paul, right? Just as Christ came to save what was lost, and to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad, so the Church appointed by God to be Mother and what Mistress, huh?

[25:54] Mater and Magistra, huh? Of nations, that's the phrase that John, 23 has found Recognizes her obligations to all, and is always ready and anxious to raise the fallen, to steady those who stumble, to embrace those who return.

[26:22] That's the three stages, right? To raise the fallen, to steady those who stumble, to embrace those who return, and to strengthen the good and urge them on to what is better. Thus, she can never cease from witnessing to the truth of God, which heals all, and from declaring it, for she knows that these words are directed to her. My spirit, which is upon you, and my words, which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth from this time forth and forevermore.

[26:57] And so we, following in the footsteps of our predecessors, in accordance with our supreme apostolic office, have never left off teaching and defending Catholic truth, and condemning erroneous doctrines on the two rules of the wise man.

[27:16] But now it is our purpose to profess and declare from this chair of Peter, before all eyes, the saving teaching of Christ, and by the power given to us by God to reject and condemn the contrary errors. This we shall do with the bishops of the whole world as our co-assessors and fellow judges, gathered here as they are in the Holy Spirit by our authority in this ecumenical Council, and relying on the Word of God in Scripture and Tradition.

[27:47] Those are the three things, right? It's very explicitly in Vatican II and David Verbum, right? That these three cannot what. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, as the military academy, you know, we have the the M1 rifles, and you have a little hook like that, right? And you would what hook around like that? You need a third one to hook around, and then you have a kind of tripod, right?

[28:09] You stand up, you know. You need a third one, right? One or two can't stand up. You need three to stand together, right? But that's the way it is. Those three things:

[28:20] sacred tradition, sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium. One cannot stand without the other, so we rely on the word of God in scripture, and tradition, as we have received it, religiously preserved, and authentically expounded by the Catholic Church.

[28:45] Now, this first chapter is kind of different from the other chapters, isn't it? And to some extent, you might say the first chapter is a profession of faith, right? And it seems to me that. The distinction order of this profession of faith, through the first chapter, is kind of different from the other professions of faith I've seen, And perhaps it is somewhat of an ad hoc character that's emphasizing certain things that are going to that are denied in his time, right, or in our time, and need to be emphasized.

[29:26] But in the creeds that I've seen, the most authoritative creeds, there's really two ways that they divide the creed. In the Apostles' Creed, say it in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, which are the ones are perhaps most acquainted with, most familiar with. There you divide what we believe according to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[29:57] So, with the Father, those things that are appropriated. to the Father, right? Although maybe not unique to him, like creation and so on are taught, right? And with the Son, of course, the incarnation, all those things that follow upon the incarnation, and with the Holy Spirit, what's appropriate to him, like sanctification and the last ones, huh? Because that's one way of dividing it, according to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, huh?

[30:22] Um, had the same order in the Apostles Creed and in the Nicene Constantinople Creed, but then, like in the, I think it's in the Athanasian Creed, right? It's called Athanasian Creed, which got great deal of authority, and in the, I think the Creed there the Fourth Lateran Council, right? You have it divided according to the divinity and the humanity of Christ, huh? Okay. And either one of these divisions is is good, right?

[30:54] But it's a different way of dividing it, right? One into three parts, and the other into two, right? The the division into two is followed more in theology. Okay. So you can see, you know, in the Summa Theologiae, huh? In the prima pars, it's all about God, right? And then, start to the tertia pars, you get the incarnation and all those things, huh? So it's more that division, right?

[31:28] Um, you had that in even Thomas's Compendium of Theology. Okay. Well, when Thomas talks about, you know, the in credentia faith, hope, and charity, then he follows the order of Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed, huh? Now here, as you can see in my division, because the small print is mine, right? And and the bold print of dark print that's that's the text, huh? So you can ignore my words if you want, but don't ignore the words of the of the council, right?

[32:02] But seems to me that the order he follows here that, because with one little tiny exception, seems like the order of the Summa Theologiae, I mean, the Summa Contra Gentiles, huh? The order of God in Himself. God is the what? Beginning of things, creator, and then God is the end, where you take up God, the ruler. So if you look at the Summa Contra Gentiles, the first book is about God in Himself.

[32:29] The second book is about God as the Maker, the Creator of the world, and the third about God as the end and the ruler of the world, right? And that seems to be the way this is divided, huh? With maybe one little exception, there, but okay.

[32:48] So first part is God in Himself and His distinction from the what world, huh? Who believes and confesses this, son? Okay, so it says the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church, and I think you've met those four before, right? And that's in the what?

[33:12] Yeah, yeah. Okay, so this this is who is believing and confessing. In case you didn't know, okay, the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church believes and acknowledges, right? What does it believe and acknowledge?

[33:31] Well, in general, that there is one true and what living God, creator, huh? There' a little bit of this. That's a little exception, anyway. His creator is more what the second part, right? Creator and Lord of heaven and earth. Okay, he's a Lord of heaven and earth because he's the what creator, right? Creator.

[34:01] And so, tell people talking about my body belongs to me, right? You know, I always take the simple example. You know, if if you and I are walking along the seashore there, and I pick up a piece of driftwood, right, and I start putting it into a little statue, right. To whom does that statue belong? To you. Yeah, because I really made it, right? But you could say, nevertheless,

[34:31] the the material, the driftwood, I didn't make, right? But nevertheless, you say I have a right to this because I'm the man who transformed it, right? Well, God not only gives things their form, but also their matter. So they belong to him entirely, right? So I don't belong to myself. I belong to God. But you just argue from human things, right? If that statue belongs to me, even though I didn't make the matter, right?

[35:01] A fortiori, I belong to God because he made both my soul and my my body, huh? Okay. So you see the order there: creator and Lord of heaven and earth, right? The Lord is a Lord because he's the what creator, yeah. Okay. And you say one true and living God, huh?

[35:42] Now, true doesn't mean so much we're talking about today in Book Nine, there, right? Okay. But you say God is one. Well, that's going to be. In the Summa Theologiae, that's going to be what the fifth thing says: the substance, right, is one God, and living doesn't come up until you talk about God having what, understanding and willing, right, huh? Okay, so.

[36:10] But notice one refers to something we'd show in the treatise on the substance of God, right? Living, something we'd show in the treatise on the what operations of God, right?

[36:25] Now, as we mentioned before, you have those two parts because you're knowing God from creatures, right? Even though we'll know in theology that God's substance and operation are the same thing, but not the same thought, unless. Why? Because we begin from the creature, right? And that's why I use an example I think is the simplest one to show it, um, where

[36:51] if you represent God by the center of the circle. And creatures by the what, Points on the circumference of the circle, right? Well, what's one in God is many in creatures, right? But then when you know God from creatures, you're going in the what? Reverse order, yeah. And we can quote the great Heraclitus, right? Heraclitus says the way up and the way down are the same, except they're going different directions, right?

[37:23] Huh? And so, when creatures proceed from God, that's the way down. But when we go with our mind from creatures back to God, that's the way up, right? What's the same way, right? Huh? So it's multiplicity at the end of this, right? What's multiple in creatures is one in God, but if I'm knowing God from the creatures, I might say, well, God is the end of this line, and he's also the end of this line.

[37:56] But the multiplicity is only in the creature, not in the end of those two lines, because the end of those two lines is the same point. So we have two thoughts that we start from creatures, but we say they're the same in God, right? Okay, so you have one treatise on the substance of God and the other on the operation of that, huh? Because in you and me, our substance and operation are not the same.

[38:24] My substance and my understanding of the Pythagorean theorem are not the same thing in me, and they weren't always together either. The substance didn't always understand the Pythagorean theorem, huh? Okay.

[38:43] Now, as I say, one is the last thing Thomas shows in the substance of God. Okay. And living is something you see as a result of his understanding and what willing. He's alive. Okay.

[39:03] He's almighty. Huh. Okay. Now eternal. Well, as I mentioned earlier, eternal will come up in the treatise of the Summa Theologiae after we show God is what. Unchangeable. Yeah, unchangeable, right? Okay.

[39:30] Immeasurable is like what infinite, incomprehensible, right? Okay. But since the divine substance and the divine operation are the same, the divine substance and the divine understanding, the divine will are the same thing. if the substance is infinite, then the will and the understanding are infinite, huh? So in a way, in going from immeasurable, I think the Latin word is immensus, but mensurari is forget the the word to measure, huh?

[40:14] And some people say the word mind comes from that, right? Because the mind measures things, huh? Okay. So we use the word mens in Latin for mind, huh?

[40:29] It's going to be infinite in will and in understanding as well, because they're the same thing. And every what perfection, right? Okay. But perfection will be the the second thing that Thomas will take up about the substance of God, right? Okay.