Dissertation I. On the Cultivation of Faith

¶1.

(St. Thomas, II-II, qq. 1-16; St. Alphonsus, Theologia moralis, book II, nn. 1-19; Homo Apostolicus, tr. 4, nn. 1-15.)

Faith

487.

Faith is a supernatural virtue "by which, with the grace of God inspiring and assisting, we believe that the things revealed by Him are true, not on account of the intrinsic truth of the things, seen by the natural light of reason, but on account of the authority of God Himself revealing, who can neither be deceived nor deceive."¹ (n. 354)

The material object of faith is truths revealed by God, whether explicitly or formally implicitly, but not truths revealed only virtually implicitly (n. 356).

The formal object of faith is the authority of God, arising from His truthfulness and wisdom (n. 356); all these things have been explained more fully in the places cited.

These things recalled to memory, we shall speak first of the necessity of faith, then of sins against faith, and finally of dangers of faith.

¹ Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution De fide, chapter 3.

Faith

Within this part

Part I. On the Necessity of the Act of Faithnn. 488–490
- Section I. On Necessity of Meansn. 488
- Section II. On Necessity of Preceptnn. 489–490
  - Chapter I. On the Precept of the Internal Actn. 489
  - Chapter II. On the Precept of the External Act, or Profession of Faithn. 490
Part II. On Sins Against Faithnn. 491–510
- Section I. On Sins Against the Precept of the Internal Actnn. 491–495
- Section II. On Sins Against the Precept of the External Actnn. 496–503
  - Scholion. On Penalties Against Heretics, Apostates, and Schismaticsnn. 501–503
- Section III. On Dangers of Faithnn. 504–510
  - Scholion. On the Propagation of Faithn. 510