第18章 OF THE ENDS OR RESOLUTIONS OF DISCOURSE(2)

Afterwards,men made use of the same word metaphorically for the knowledge of their own secret facts and secret thoughts;and therefore it is rhetorically said that the conscience is a thousand witnesses.And last of all,men,vehemently in love with their own new opinions,though never so absurd,and obstinately bent to maintain them,gave those their opinions also that reverenced name of conscience,as if they would have it seem unlawful to change or speak against them;and so pretend to know they are true,when they know at most but that they think so.

When a man's discourse beginneth not at definitions,it beginneth either at some other contemplation of his own,and then it is still called opinion,or it beginneth at some saying of another,of whose ability to know the truth,and of whose honesty in not deceiving,he doubteth not;and then the discourse is not so much concerning the thing,as the person;and the resolution is called belief,and faith:faith,in the man;belief,both of the man,and of the truth of what he says.So that in belief are two opinions;one of the saying of the man,the other of his virtue.To have faith in,or trust to,or believe a man,signify the same thing;namely,an opinion of the veracity of the man:but to believe what is said signifieth only an opinion of the truth of the saying.But we are to observe that this phrase,I believe in;as also the Latin,credo in;and the Greek,piseno eis,are never used but in the writings of divines.Instead of them,in other writings are put:I believe him;I trust him;I have faith in him;I rely on him;and in Latin,credo illi;fido illi;and in Greek,piseno anto;and that this singularity of the ecclesiastic use of the word hath raised many disputes about the right object of the Christian faith.

But by believing in,as it is in the Creed,is meant,not trust in the person,but confession and acknowledgement of the doctrine.For not only Christians,but all manner of men do so believe in God as to hold all for truth they hear Him say,whether they understand it or not,which is all the faith and trust can possibly be had in any person whatsoever;but they do not all believe the doctrine of the Creed.

From whence we may infer that when we believe any saying,whatsoever it be,to be true,from arguments taken,not from the thing itself,or from the principles of natural reason,but from the authority and good opinion we have of him that hath said it;then is the speaker,or person we believe in,or trust in,and whose word we take,the object of our faith;and the honour done in believing is done to him only.And consequently,when we believe that the Scriptures are the word of God,having no immediate revelation from God Himself,our belief,faith,and trust is in the Church;whose word we take,and acquiesce therein.And they that believe that which a prophet relates unto them in the name of God take the word of the prophet,do honour to him,and in him trust and believe,touching the truth of what he relateth,whether he be a true or a false prophet.And so it is also with all other history.For if I should not believe all that is written by historians of the glorious acts of Alexander or Caesar,I do not think the ghost of Alexander or Caesar had any just cause to be offended,or anybody else but the historian.If Livy say the gods made once a cow speak,and we believe it not,we distrust not God therein,but Livy.So that it is evident that whatsoever we believe,upon no other reason than what is drawn from authority of men only,and their writings,whether they be sent from God or not,is faith in men only.