Inferences from the whole — Some objections answered.
Three things do offer themselves unto consideration from what hath been discoursed:—
1. What is the ground and reason why the meanest and most unlearned sort of believers do assent unto this truth, that the Scriptures are the word of God, with no less firmness, certainty, and assurance of mind, than do the wisest and most learned of them; yea, ofttimes the faith of the former sort herein is of the best growth and firmest consistency against oppositions and temptations. Now, no assent of the mind can be accompanied with any more assurance than the evidence whose, effect it is, and which it is resolved into, will afford; nor doth any evidence of truth beget an assent unto it in the mind but as it is apprehended and understood. Wherefore, the evidence of this truth, wherein soever it consists, must be that which is perceived, apprehended, and understood, by the meanest and most unlearned sort of true believers; for, as was said, they do no less firmly assent and adhere unto it than the wisest and most learned of them. It cannot, therefore, consist in such subtile and learned arguments, whose sense they cannot understand or comprehend. But the things we have pleaded are of another nature: for those characters of divine wisdom, goodness, holiness, grace, and sovereign authority, which are implanted in the Scripture by the Holy Ghost, are as legible unto the faith of the meanest as of the most learned believer; and they also are no less capable of an experimental understanding of the divine power and efficacy of the Scripture, in all its spiritual operations, than those who are more wise and skilful in discerning the force of external arguments and motives of credibility. It must, therefore, of necessity be granted, that the formal reason of faith consists in those things whereof the evidence is equally obvious unto all sorts of believers.
2. Whence it is that the assent of faith, whereby we believe the Scriptures to be the word of God, is usually affirmed to be accompanied with more assurance than any assent which is the effect of science upon the most demonstrative principles. They who affirm this do not consider faith as it is in this or that individual person, or in all that do sincerely believe, but in its own nature and essence, and what it is meet and able to produce. And the schoolmen do distinguish between a certainty or assurance of evidence and an assurance of adherence. In the latter, they say, the certainty of faith doth exceed that of science; but it is less in respect of the former. But it is not easily to be conceived how the certainty of adherence should exceed the certainty of evidence, with respect unto any object whatsoever. That which seems to render a difference in this case is, that the evidence which we have in things scientifical is speculative, and affects the mind only; but the evidence which we have by faith effectually worketh on the will also, because of the goodness and excellency of the things that are believed. And hence it is that the whole soul doth more firmly adhere unto the objects of faith upon that evidence which it hath of them, than unto other things whereof it hath clearer evidence, wherein the will and affections are little or not at all concerned. And Bonaventure giveth a reason of no small weight why faith is more certain than science, not with the certainty of speculation, but of adherence: “Quoniam fideles Christiani, nec argumentis, nec tormentis, nec blandimentis adduci possunt, vel inclinari, ut veritatem quam credunt vel ore tenus negent; quod nemo peritus alicujus scientiæ faceret, si acerrimis tormentis cogeretur scientiam suam de conclusione aliqua geometrica vel arithmetica retractare. Stultus enim et ridiculus esset geometra, qui pro sua scientia in controversiis geometricis mortem auderet subire, nisi in quantum dictat fides, non esse mentiendum.” And whatever may be said of this distinction, I think it cannot modestly be denied that there is a greater assurance in faith than is in any scientifical conclusions, until as many good and wise men will part with all their worldly concernments and their lives, by the most exquisite tortures, in the confirmation of any truth which they have received, merely on the ground of reason acting in human sciences, as have so done on the certainty which they had by faith that the Scripture is a divine revelation: for in bearing testimony hereunto have innumerable multitudes of the best, the holiest, and the wisest men that ever were in the world, cheerfully and joyfully sacrificed all their temporal and adventured all their eternal concernments; for they did it under a full satisfaction that in parting with all temporary things, they should be eternally blessed or eternally miserable, according as their persuasion in faith proved true or false. Wherefore, unto the firmitude and constancy which we have in the assurance of faith, three things do concur:—