THE STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF UNIVERSITIES: ABELARD
186: 15. Abelard. Born in Brittany, 1079. He was a contentious, arrogant, but brilliant and fascinating rationalist. He triumphed over William of Champeaux, but was defeated in a theological contest by St. Bernard.
187: 29. Heresy of (a) Tertullian, (b) Sabellius. (a) Modified Montanism; belief in rigid asceticism, the Montanists being, according to their doctrine, "Pneumatics," the Catholics, "Psychics," i.e. men of heaven, men of earth. (b) A heresy which attempted to explain the Trinity, and which denied the Personality of Jesus Christ.
188: 28. Scholastic philosophy. A constructive system founded by Aristotle, Christianized by Boethius, amplified by St. Anselm, Albert the Great, and others, perfected as a school, in its being harmonized with theology, by St. Thomas of Aquin. Love of subtilizing and of display, and barbarity of terminology, caused its decline after the thirteenth century. Political and religious strife also accelerated decadence, until the Council of Trent restored philosophy to its true position as queen of human sciences and handmaid of Religion. The chief feature of Christian scholastic philosophy is the harmonizing of natural and supernatural truth, i.e. the unifying of philosophy and theology, or the perfect conciliation of reason with faith—distinction without opposition.
192: 10. The Seven Arts. The Trivium and Quadrivium: Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric; Music, Arithmetic, Astronomy, and Geometry,—these seven comprising the Liberal Arts.
193: 19. John of Salisbury. Noted English scholar of the twelfth century. In disfavor with Henry II, because of his defense of St. Thomas á Becket.
196: 21. Samson and Solomon. Type of bodily and of spiritual strength—strength forfeited by folly. One of Newman's striking comparisons.
199: 18. Heu, vitam.... Alas, I have wasted my life by doing nothing thoroughly.