Tomas de Lemos
Encyclopedia
Tomás de Lemos (Ribadavia
, 1555 – Rome
, 23 August 1629) was a Spanish Dominican
theologian and controversialist.
. In 1594 he was assigned to the chair of theology in the university of that city.
The intellectual atmosphere of the time was troubled, and theological discussion was rife. The controversy aroused in 1588 by the publication of Luis Molina
's work Concordia liberi arbitrii cum gratiae donis, between the Dominicans and Jesuits, had reached a heated and turbulent stage not only at Valladolid but also at Salamanca
, Cordoba
, Zaragoza
, and other cities of Spain. Disputations, both public and private, showed a tendency to drift away from the hitherto universally accepted teaching of Augustine of Hippo
and Thomas Aquinas
. In 1600 Lemos was chosen to represent his province in the public defence of selected theses before the general chapter of his order held at Naples
.
The propositions embraced the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas and his school on grace
and free will
. In his defence Lemos proved himself as a disputant. No deviation from the works of Augustine would pass him uncorrected; and that he was no less familiar with the writings of Aquinas is evident from his own words:
His success prompted the general of his order to send him to Rome to assist his confrere, Diego Alvarez
, in defending the teaching of his order against the Molinists before the Congregatio de Auxiliis
, established by Pope Clement VIII
to settle the controversy.
Upon his arrival he was given first place in the defence, which he held till the termination of the Congregation (26 February 1606). For four years, in forty-seven public conferences, in the presence of Clement VIII and Pope Paul V
, he defended the teaching of Aqunias with extraordinary skill against five adversaries, the élite of the great Jesuit theologians of the time. Referring to this event he himself writes:
At the conclusion of the commission, Pope Paul V and Philip III of Spain
offered him a bishopric, but he declined the honour, preferring to remain in Rome in the convent Sopra Minerva to devote himself to literary work. Three years before his death he became totally blind.
Ribadavia
The town of Ribadavia is located in the southwest of the province of Ourense, Autonomous Community of Galicia, Spain. The urban area lies on the right bank of the Miño and the last course of the Avia. It is considered to be the capital of the comarca of the Ribeiro...
, 1555 – Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 23 August 1629) was a Spanish Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
theologian and controversialist.
Life
At an early age he entered the Order of St. Dominic in his native town; he obtained, in 1590 the lectorate in theology and was at the same time appointed regent of studies in the convent of St. Paul at ValladolidValladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
. In 1594 he was assigned to the chair of theology in the university of that city.
The intellectual atmosphere of the time was troubled, and theological discussion was rife. The controversy aroused in 1588 by the publication of Luis Molina
Luis Molina
Luis de Molina , was a Spanish Jesuit priest and a staunch Scholastic defender of 'human liberty' in the Divine grace and human liberty controversy of the Renaissance ....
's work Concordia liberi arbitrii cum gratiae donis, between the Dominicans and Jesuits, had reached a heated and turbulent stage not only at Valladolid but also at Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
, Cordoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
, Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, and other cities of Spain. Disputations, both public and private, showed a tendency to drift away from the hitherto universally accepted teaching of Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
and Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
. In 1600 Lemos was chosen to represent his province in the public defence of selected theses before the general chapter of his order held at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
.
The propositions embraced the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas and his school on grace
Divine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
and free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
. In his defence Lemos proved himself as a disputant. No deviation from the works of Augustine would pass him uncorrected; and that he was no less familiar with the writings of Aquinas is evident from his own words:
- nec nos in Hispania aliis armis nisi armis S. Thomae incaepimus hanc doctrinam impugnare (Acta Congreg., disp. ii, col. 176).
His success prompted the general of his order to send him to Rome to assist his confrere, Diego Alvarez
Diego Álvarez
Diego Andrés Álvarez Sánchez is a Colombian footballer. He currently plays for Deportivo Cali.-Club career:Álvarez began his career with Independiente Medellín in 2000. He played for San Luis F.C. of Mexico between 2008 and 2009. In 2010, he returned to Colombia to play for Deportivo Cali.-External...
, in defending the teaching of his order against the Molinists before the Congregatio de Auxiliis
Congregatio de Auxiliis
The Congregatio de Auxiliis was a commission established by Pope Clement VIII to settle a theological controversy regarding divine grace that arose between the Dominicans and the Jesuits towards the close of the sixteenth century...
, established by Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
to settle the controversy.
Upon his arrival he was given first place in the defence, which he held till the termination of the Congregation (26 February 1606). For four years, in forty-seven public conferences, in the presence of Clement VIII and Pope Paul V
Pope Paul V
-Theology:Paul met with Galileo Galilei in 1616 after Cardinal Bellarmine had, on his orders, warned Galileo not to hold or defend the heliocentric ideas of Copernicus. Whether there was also an order not to teach those ideas in any way has been a matter for controversy...
, he defended the teaching of Aqunias with extraordinary skill against five adversaries, the élite of the great Jesuit theologians of the time. Referring to this event he himself writes:
- Fuit ista Congregatio celebris, de qua multi mirati sunt, quod tot ac tantis, ubi fecerunt summum proelium patres Societatis, sic ex tempore fuisset responsum. Sed gratia Dei sum id quod sum (Acta Congreg,, 1231).
At the conclusion of the commission, Pope Paul V and Philip III of Spain
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
offered him a bishopric, but he declined the honour, preferring to remain in Rome in the convent Sopra Minerva to devote himself to literary work. Three years before his death he became totally blind.