Western Mysticism

Extract

In this new edition of Abbot Butler’s book there is a two-fold change. The text itself is the same as in the first edition, except that the Epilogue is placeid at the end of the first part of the book instead of at the end of the second part. But for this minor change of distribution the text of this second edition is a reprint of the first.

There is, however, a valuable addition to the book of some eighty pages, which is called ‘Afterthoughts,’ and with this addition the book opens. These ‘Afterthoughts’ are due to further reading and reflection, and in some degree are due to criticisms of the first edition.

I. The Text.

In the March number of Blackfriars, 1923, we reviewed the text of the book. We made certain criticisms which still hold good; in brief they are the following:

(1) St. Augustine’s theory of the Divine Illumination (text 49-55). The theory that God is the intellects agens was most certainly not admitted by St. Thomas to be tenable and quite probable. This is a question of fact; in the Summa I, Q 77, Art. 4, St. Thomas says: ‘It is impossible . . . .’ Wherever then St. Augustine speaks of ideas being perceived in the light of God, in order to have a right meaning, such passages must be explained according to the doctrine of St. Thomas.

In the Summa I, Q 79, Art. 4, St. Thomas says : ‘According to the documents of our faith the intellects agens separatus is God Himself .... whence from Him the human soul participates intellectual light, and this is the intellectus agens.’