Exegesis Summa Theologiae 1.1.5
Whether sacred doctrine is nobler than other sciences?
Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod sacra doctrina non sit dignior aliis scientiis. Certitudo enim pertinet ad dignitatem scientiae. Sed aliae scientiae, de quarum principiis dubitari non potest, videntur esse certiores sacra doctrina, cuius principia, scilicet articuli fidei, dubitationem recipiunt. Aliae igitur scientiae videntur ista digniores.
Objection 1: It seems that sacred doctrine is not nobler than other sciences; for the nobility of a science depends on the certitude it establishes. But other sciences, the principles of which cannot be doubted, seem to be more certain than sacred doctrine; for its principles—namely, articles of faith—can be doubted. Therefore other sciences seem to be nobler.
It seems that sacred science is not nobler than other sciences, because the nobility of a science corresponds with the degree of certainty it attains. The human sciences, such as geometry, arithmetic, & physics, attain a high degree of certainty, because their principles are self-evident to human reason and cannot be doubted. But the sacred science is based in the principle of faith, which can be doubted. The principles of the sacred science are established on principles that are not self-evident. And yet here, St. Thomas is attempting to make them more self-evident, by the seamless combination of faith & reason. He is to harmonize as closely as possible the higher truths of the divine reason, with the limited capacity of human reason. Therefore, the human sciences appear more noble because they seem more certain.