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| Chapter VI.—The Excellence and Utility of Faith.
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Chapter VI.—The Excellence and Utility of Faith.
“Lord, who hath believed our
report?”2212
Isaiah says. For “faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God,” saith the apostle. “How then
shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall
they believe on Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear
without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it
is written, How beautiful are the feet of those that publish glad tidings
of good things.”2213
You see how he brings faith by hearing,
and the preaching of the apostles, up to the word of the Lord, and to
the Son of God. We do not yet understand the word of the Lord to be
demonstration.
As, then, playing at ball not only depends on one
throwing the ball skilfully, but it requires besides one to catch it
dexterously, that the game may be gone through according to the rules
for ball; so also is it the case that teaching is reliable when faith
on the part of those who hear, being, so to speak, a sort of natural
art, contributes to the process of learning. So also the earth
co-operates, through its productive power, being fit for the sowing of
the seed. For there is no good of the very best instruction without the
exercise of the receptive faculty on the part of the learner, not even
of prophecy, when there is the absence of docility on the part of those
who hear. For dry twigs, being ready to receive the power of fire, are
kindled with great ease; and the far-famed stone2214
| 2214 Loadstone. [Philosophy of the second
centure. See note in Migne.] | attracts steel
through affinity, as the amber tear-drop drags to itself twigs, and the
lump sets chaff in motion. And the substances attracted obey them,
influenced by a subtle spirit, not as a cause, but as a concurring
cause.
There being then a twofold species of vice—that
characterized by craft and stealth, and that which leads and drives with
violence—the divine Word cries, calling all together; knowing
perfectly well those that will not obey; notwithstanding then since
to obey or not is in our own power, provided we have not the excuse of
ignorance to adduce. He makes a just call, and demands of each according
to his strength. For some are able as well as willing, having reached
this point through practice and being purified; while others, if they are
not yet able, already have the will. Now to will is the act of the soul,
but to do is not without the body. Nor are actions estimated by their
issue alone; but they are judged also according to the element of free
choice in each,—if he chose easily, if he repented of his sins, if
he reflected on his failures and repented (μετέγνω),
which is (μετὰ
ταῦτα ἔγνω)
“afterwards knew.” For repentance is a tardy knowledge,
and primitive innocence is knowledge. Repentance, then, is an effect
of faith. For unless a man believe that to which he was addicted to be
sin, he will not abandon it; and if he do not believe punishment to be
impending over the transgressor, and salvation to be the portion of him
who lives according to the commandments, he will not reform.
Hope, too, is based on faith. Accordingly the
followers of Basilides define faith to be, the assent of the soul
to any of those things, that do not affect the senses through not
being present. And hope is the expectation of the possession of
good. Necessarily, then, is expectation founded on faith. Now he is
faithful who keeps inviolably what is entrusted to him; and we are
entrusted with the utterances respecting God and the divine words, the
commands along with the execution of the injunctions. This is the faithful
servant, who is praised by the Lord. And when it is said, “God is
faithful,” it is intimated that He is worthy to be believed when
declaring aught. Now His Word declares; and “God” Himself is
“faithful.”2215
How, then, if to believe is to suppose, do
the philosophers think that what proceeds from themselves is sure? For the
voluntary assent to a preceding demonstration is not supposition, but it
is assent to something sure. Who is more powerful than God? Now unbelief
is the feeble negative supposition of one opposed to Him: as incredulity
is a condition which admits faith with difficulty. Faith is the voluntary
supposition and anticipation of pre-comprehension. Expectation is
an opinion about the future, and expectation about other things is
opinion about uncertainty. Confidence is a strong judgment about
a thing. Wherefore we believe Him in whom we have confidence unto
divine glory and salvation. And we confide in Him, who is God alone,
whom we know, that those things nobly promised to us, and for this end
benevolently created and bestowed by Him on us, will not fail.
Benevolence is the wishing of good things to another for
his sake. For He needs nothing; and the beneficence and benignity which
flow from the Lord terminate in us, being divine benevolence, and
benevolence resulting in beneficence. And if to Abraham on his
believing it
was counted for righteousness;
and if we are the seed of Abraham, then we must also believe through
hearing. For we are Israelites, who are convinced not by signs, but by
hearing. Wherefore it is said, “Rejoice, O barren, that barest not;
break forth and cry, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are
the children of the desolate than of her who hath an husband.”2216
“Thou hast lived for the fence of the people, thy children were
blessed in the tents of their fathers.”2217
And if the same mansions
are promised by prophecy to us and to the patriarchs, the God of
both the covenants is shown to be one. Accordingly it is added more
clearly, “Thou hast inherited the covenant of Israel,”2218
speaking
to those called from among the nations, that were once barren, being
formerly destitute of this husband, who is the Word,—desolate
formerly,—of the bridegroom. “Now the just shall live by
faith,”2219
which is according to the covenant and the commandments;
since these, which are two in name and time, given in accordance with the
[divine] economy—being in power one—the old and the new,
are dispensed through the Son by one God. As the apostle also says in
the Epistle to the Romans, “For therein is the righteousness of
God revealed from faith to faith,” teaching the one salvation
which from prophecy to the Gospel is perfected by one and the same
Lord. “This charge,” he says, “I commit to thee,
son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee,
that thou by them mightest war the good warfare; holding faith, and
a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have
made shipwreck,”2220
because they defiled by unbelief the conscience
that comes from God. Accordingly, faith may not, any more, with reason,
be disparaged in an offhand way, as simple and vulgar, appertaining to
anybody. For, if it were a mere human habit, as the Greeks supposed,
it would have been extinguished. But if it grow, and there be no place
where it is not; then I affirm, that faith, whether founded in love, or
in fear, as its disparagers assert, is something divine; which is neither
rent asunder by other mundane friendship, nor dissolved by the presence
of fear. For love, on account of its friendly alliance with faith, makes
men believers; and faith, which is the foundation of love, in its turn
introduces the doing of good; since also fear, the pædagogue of the
law, is believed to be fear by those, by whom it is believed. For, if
its existence is shown in its working, it is yet believed when about to
do and threatening, and when not working and present; and being believed
to exist, it does not itself generate faith, but is by faith tested and
proved trustworthy. Such a change, then, from unbelief to faith—and
to trust in hope and fear, is divine. And, in truth, faith is discovered,
by us, to be the first movement towards salvation; after which fear, and
hope, and repentance, advancing in company with temperance and patience,
lead us to love and knowledge. Rightly, therefore, the Apostle Barnabas
says, “From the portion I have received I have done my diligence to
send by little and little to you; that along with your faith you may also
have perfect knowledge.2221
| 2221
[Clement accepts the Epistle of Barnabus as an apostolic writing. For
this quotation, see vol. i. p. 137, this series.] | Fear and
patience are then helpers of your faith; and our allies are long-suffering
and temperance. These, then,” he says, “in what respects
the Lord, continuing in purity, there rejoice along with them, wisdom,
understanding, intelligence, knowledge.” The fore-mentioned virtues
being, then, the elements of knowledge; the result is that faith is more
elementary, being as necessary to the Gnostic,2222
as respiration
to him that lives in this world is to life. And as without the four
elements it is not possible to live, so neither can knowledge be attained
without faith. It is then the support of truth.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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