« Ch. I. Q.4. Natural Law | Main | Ch. I. Q.6. Theological Sources »

July 06, 2005

Ch. I. Q.5. Reason and Faith

THE study of Theology and every serious consideration of spiritual reality require a free exercise of reason and faith. Faith is a department of reason, although dependent upon supernatural grace for its successful exercise, and in its highest development secures knowledge of Divine things.1

2. Reason may be defined as an intellectual process making for the acquisition of truth. But reason is invariably conditioned in its exercise by the will and affections. Without purpose and desire to know, and to submit to the conditions suitable to each sphere of knowledge, there can be no successful exercise of reason. Every psychical faculty is required, therefore, in the acquirement of theological knowledge.2

3. Faith, πίστις, is a term having various uses. It may mean (a) belief in the credible as credible3; (b) the truths necessary to be believed in the Church for salvation—"the Faith";4 (c) the faith which works miracles, a supernaturally imparted confidence which involves power over nature;5 (d) justifying faith, a virtuous disposition and right belief which issues in good works and holiness;6 (e) the spiritual faculty by which we discern spiritual things.7

4. This last meaning is the one here employed. It is a faculty of the reason; and man has but one reason by which to discern truth, however diverse may be the methods and directions of its exercise. But it is reason as directed upon spiritual things, and with supernatural illumination.8

5. The exercise of faith is therefore intellectual, although conditioned, as is every intellectual process, by the volitional and emotional exercises which pertain to its peculiar sphere. It results in various degrees of certainty. The laws of human reason hold good, and the same fundamental assumption is present in all cases, viz., that the faculty employed is trustworthy. It is of course, possible to arrive at mere opinions through the supernatural intelligence, as well as through the natural; but knowledge can be distinguished from opinion in one case as well as in the other.9

6. The energizing principle of an accurate faith is the supernatural life of grace. This is given in Baptism, and nourished and developed in the Catholic Church. Yet a measure of faith is imparted to all who respond to the motions of prevenient grace, whether they are afforded the opportunity of enjoying any or all of the benefits of God's Kingdom or not.10 Failure to respond to Grace involves a lack of faith, and those who do have faith possess it in various degrees. Scepticism as to its reality and trustworthiness cannot be removed so long as the sceptic refuses to exercise it.11

7. There is a substantial unity of belief in all the widely sundered Communions of the Catholic Church. This unity is so close that Greek, Latin, and Anglican alike employ three common Creeds, with but slight verbal variations and with the same meaning, to express their faith — the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian symbols. Such a "common consent" is significant, in view of the diversity of races and usages which exists, and the age-long mutual hostility which has prevailed. Such consent is not to be found elsewhere.12

8. The supernaturally assisted reason which we call faith is to be exercised to its full. True authority is to be accepted because reasonable, and addresses its testimony to the spiritually enlightened reason. Rationalism does not consist in the amount of reason exercised upon spiritual realities; but in a wrong use of reason, in which the authority of Scripture and the Church is disregarded, and the other assistances and conditions of spiritual knowledge are neglected.


1 Flint, Agnosticism, ch. ix.; Moberly, Reason and Re¬ligion; Fisher, Faith and Rationalism; Gladstone, Church Prins., pp. 40-54; Newman, Grammar of Assent.

2 Flint, Theism, pp. 68-71, 351-355; McLaren, Cath. Dogma, ch. ii.; Moberly, Reason and Religion, pp. 16-47, 131; Lacey, Elem. of Doctrine, pp. 45-50; Romanes, Thoughts on Religion, pp. 140-147; Illingworth, Reason and Revela¬tion, pp. 44-54.

3 Pearson, On the Creed, Art. i.

4 Jude 3.

5 Matt. xvii. 20.

6 Rom. iii. 28; cf. Rom. vi. 17-19; James ii. 14-26.

7 I. Cor. ii. 5-16; Heb. xi. 1; I. Cor. xiii. 9-12; Col. i. 9, 10. On the New Test. uses of πίστις see Lightfoot, Epis. to the Galat., p. 154; Forbes, Creed, p. 15.

8 Blunt, Dic. of Theol., "Faith"; Forbes, pp. 15-18; Flint, Theism, pp. 356-358.

9 Moberly, pp. 47-58; Caird, Fund. Ideas, Vol. I., ch. ii.; Ewer, Holy Spirit, pp. 103-106; Flint, Theism, pp. 85, 86; Weidner, Theologia, pp. 14-16; Calderwood, Philos. of Infin., ch. iii. and pp. 121-131; Denny, Studies, pp. 2-17. Many biblical passages assert or assume belief in God to be knowledge or wisdom: e.g., I. Cor. xiii. 12; ii. 6-16; II. Cor. iv. 6; iii. 18; Ephes. i. 7-9; 16-18; iii. 17-19; iv. 17, 18; v. 15-19; I. John ii. 21-23; iii. 2; iv. 2-6, 7, 13-16; v. 20.

10 Liddon, Some Elements, p. 71; Ewer, pp. 27-31; 125-149; Stanton, Place of Authty., p. 105, cf. I. Cor. ii. 11-15.

11 Lux Mundi, 1st paper, pp. 7-11; Hooker, Eceles. Polity, V. Ixiii. 2. cf. John vii. 17; Acts xix. 9; II. Cor. iv. 3, 4.

12 Cf. Q. xi. 2, 3.

Posted by Debra Bullock at July 6, 2005 03:26 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://disseminary.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/407

Comments