4. If this faith be taken away
from human affairs, who but must observe how great disorder in
them, and how fearful confusion must follow? For who will be loved
by any with mutual affection, (being that the loving1656
itself is
invisible,) if what I see not, I ought not to believe? Therefore
will the whole of
friendship perish, in that it consists not
save
of mutual
love. For what of it will it be able to receive from any,
if nothing of it shall be believed to be shown? Further,
friendship
perishing, there will be
preserved in the
mind the
bonds neither of
marriages, nor of kindreds and relations; because in these also
there is assuredly a friendly union of sentiment. Spouse therefore
will not be able to
love spouse in turn, inasmuch as each believes
not the other’s
love, because the
love itself cannot be seen. Nor
will they long to have sons, who they believe not will make them a
return. And if these be
born and grow up, much less will the
parents themselves
love their own
children, whose
love towards
themselves in those
children’s
hearts they will not see, it being
invisible; if it be not praiseworthy
faith, but blameable rashness,
to believe those things which are not seen. Why should I now speak
of the other connections, of
brothers, sisters, sons-in-
law, and
fathers-in-
law, and of them who are joined together by any
kindred
or affinity, if
love is uncertain, and the will suspected, that of
parents by sons, and that of sons by
parents, whilst due
benevolence is not rendered; because neither is it thought to be
due, that which is not seen in another not being thought to exist.
Further, if this caution be not a mark of ability,
1657
but be
hateful, wherein we believe not that we are
loved, because we see
not the
love of them who
love, and
repay not them, unto whom we
think not that we owe a return; to that degree are human affairs
thrown into disorder, if what we see not we believe not, as to be
altogether and utterly
overthrown, if we believe no wills of
men, which assuredly we cannot see. I omit to mention in how
many things they, who find fault with us because we believe what we
see not, believe
report or history; or concerning places where they
have not themselves been; and say not, we believe not, because we
have not seen. Since if they say this, they are obliged to confess
that their own
parents are not surely known to them: because on
this point also they have believed the accounts of others telling
of it, who yet are unable to show it, because it is a thing already
past; retaining themselves no sense of that time, and yet yielding
assent without any doubting to others speaking of that time: and
unless this be done, there must of necessity be incurred a
faithless impiety towards
parents, whilst we are, as it were,
showing a rashness of belief in those things which we cannot see.
Since therefore, if we believe not those things which we cannot
see, human society itself, through
concord perishing, will not
stand how much more is
faith to be applied to
divine things,
although they be not seen; failing the application of which, it is
not the friendship of some men or other, but the very chiefest bond
of piety
1658
| 1658 “Religio,” (toward
parents). |
that is
violated, so as for the chiefest misery to follow.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
