St. Thomas Aquinas on the
Extreme Fewness of the Saved
St. Thomas Aquinas
teaches in the Summa that relatively very few people will be saved. He explains that salvation is a good which
is way above the normal human state or ability, and therefore very few will
attain to it. I have had to turn to
the Latin of the Summa Theologica to confirm the full extent of his
teaching about this, as I will explain after I have given the text in
English.
“Reply to Objection 3.
The good that is proportionate to the common state of nature [e.g., not being
disabled, being healthy] is to be found in the MANY; and is wanting in the
FEW [paucioribus]. The good that exceeds the common state of nature is to be
found in the FEW [paucioribus], and is wanting in the MANY. Thus it is clear
that MANY men have a sufficient knowledge for the guidance of life; and the
FEW [pauciores] who have not this knowledge are said to be morons or foolish;
but they who attain to a profound knowledge of things intelligible are MOST
FEW [paucissimi] in respect to the rest. Since their eternal happiness,
consisting in the vision of God, exceeds the common state of nature, and
ESPECIALLY in so far as this is deprived of grace through the corruption of
original sin, there is a SELECT FEW [pauciores] who are saved. In this
especially, however, appears the mercy of God, that He has chosen some for
that salvation, from which VERY MANY [plurimi] in accordance with the common
course and tendency of nature fall short.” (Summa Theologica Part I, Question
23, Article 7; emphasis is mine.)
The key word which St.
Thomas uses is “plurimi”. As
salvation is above the ability of common nature, this would mean that “few”
attain to it. However, he explains
that due to the original sin, man is even less capable of salvation. This is
likened to the “most few” (paucissimi) whom he says attain to what is way
above common nature, such as profound knowledge. He emphasizes the extreme fewness of the saved by comparing it with the “very many”
(plurimi) who are damned. “Plurimi”
is the superlative of “multus” (many).
The Merriam Webster online dictionary defines the “superlative” as
follows:
“1 : of, relating to,
or constituting the degree of grammatical comparison that denotes an extreme
or unsurpassed level or extent
2 a : surpassing all
others : SUPREME”
Related:
http://tradcatknight.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-little-number-of-those-who-are.html
http://tradcatknight.blogspot.com/2015/03/saving-souls-not-dogma-is-heart-of.html
http://tradcatknight.blogspot.com/2015/06/extra-ecclesiam-nulla-salus-part-one.html
http://tradcatknight.blogspot.com/2015/06/extra-ecclesiam-nulla-salus-part-two.html
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