dissecting its meaning and throwing into relief
the orderly sequence of ideas. In his other works, he develops the germs
of thought which he had gathered from the Stagirite, and makes them the
groundwork of his philosophical and theological speculations.

With the subtlety of a metaphysician St. Thomas combined a vast
erudition. Quotations from the Fathers appear on nearly every page of
his writings, serving either as a keynote to the discussion which
follows, or as an occasion for solving objections. Toward St. Augustine
he shows the deepest reverence, though their methods differ so widely,
and his brief but lucid comments throw light on difficult sayings of the
great Doctor. His familiarity with patristic theology is shown
particularly in the 'Catena Aurea,' where he links with passages from
the Sacred Text numerous extracts from the older commentators.

His respect for these interpretations did not prevent him from making a
thorough search of Scripture itself. With characteristic clearness and
depth he interpreted various books of the Bible, insisting chiefly on
the doctrinal meaning. The best of his work in this line was devoted to
the Pauline Epistles and to the Book of Job; but his mastery of each
text is no less evident where he takes the authority of Scripture as the
starting-point in theological argument, or makes it the crowning
evidence at the close of a philosophical demonstration.

The materials gathered from Philosophy, Tradition, and Scripture were
the fruit of analysis; the final synthesis had yet to be accomplished.
This was the scope of the 'Summa Theologica,' a work which, though it
was not completed, is the greatest production of Thomas Aquinas. In the
prologue he says:--

"Since the teacher of Catholic truth should instruct not only
those who are advanced, but also those who are beginning, it
is our purpose in this work to treat subjects pertaining to
the Christian religion in a manner adapted to the instruction
of beginners. For we have considered that young students
encounter various obstacles in the writings of different
authors: partly because of the multiplication of useless
questions, articles, and arguments; partly because the
essentials of knowledge are dealt with, not in scientific
order, but according as the explanation of books required or
an occasion for disputing offered; partly because the
frequent repetition of the same t