And when they ask, whether we received the scripture of them? 1 answer, That they which come after receive the seripture of them that go before And when they ask, Whether we believe not that it is God’s word, by the reason that they tell us so?” I answer, That there are two { manner faiths, an historical faith, and a feeling faith.”. The historical faith hangeth of the truth and “honesty of the teller, or of the common fame and consent of many: as if one told
[nihil a vobis prolatum temere credere. Quzero ergo qui sit iste Ma-]
[niehzeus? Respondebitis, apostolus Christi. Non credo. Quid jam]
[dicas aut facias, non habebis; promittebas enim scientiam veritatis, et]
[nunc quod nescio cogis ut credam. Evangelium mihi fortasse lecturus]
[es, et inde Manichsi personam tentabis asserere. Si ergo invenires]
[aliquem, qui evangelio nondum credit, quid faceres dieenti tibi, Non]
[credo? Ego vero evangelio non crederem, nisi me catholicze ecclesise]
[commoveret auctoritas. Quibus ergo obtemperavi dicentibus, Crede]
[evangelio; cur eis non obtemperem dieentibus mihi, Noli eredere Ma-]
[nichs;is? Elige quid velis.—Aug. Op. Tom. viu. col. 153. E. Lib. 1.]
[cap. 5. Contra epist. Manichei quam Fund. vocant.]]
me that the Turk had won a city, and I believed it, moved with the honesty of the man; now if there come another that seemeth more honest, or that hath better persuasions that it is not so, I think immediately that he lied, and lose my faith again. And a feeling faith is as if a man were there present when it was won, and there were wounded, and had there lost all that he had, and were taken prisoner there also: that man should so believe, that all the world could not turn him from his faith. Then, even likewise, if my mother had blown on her finger, and told me that the fire would burn meI should have believed her with an historical faith, as we believe the stories of the world, because I thought she would not have mocked me. And so I should have done, if she had told me that the fire had been cold, and would not have burned; but as soon as I had put my finger in the fire, I should have believed, not by the reason of her, but with a feeling faith, so that she could not have persuaded me afterward the contrary. So now with an historical faith I may believe that the scripture is God’s, by the teaching of them; and so I should have done, though they had told me that} Robin Hood had been the scripture of God: which faith is but an opinion, and therefore abideth ever fruitless; and fall- eth away, if a more glorious reason be made unto me, or if the preacher live contrary.
But of a feeling faith it is written (John vi.), They shall be all taught of God.” That is, God shall write it in their hearts with his Holy Spirit. And Paul also testifieth (Rom. viii), The Spirit beareth record unto our spirit, that we be the sons of God.” And this faith is none opinion; but a sure feeling, and therefore ever fruitful. Neither hangeth it of the honesty of the preacher, but of the power of God, and of the Spirit: and, therefore, if all the preachers of the world would go about to persuade the contrary, it would not prevail; no more than though they would make me believe the fire were cold, after that I had put my finger therein. Of this we have an ensample (John iv.) of the Samaritanish wife, which left her pitcher, and went into the city, and said, Come, and see a man that hath told me all that ever I did. Is not he Christ?” And many of the Samaritans believed, because of the saying of the woman, how that he had told her all that ever she did; and went out unto him, and
desired him to come in. Which faith was but an opinion; and no faith that could have lasted, or have brought out fruit. But when they had heard Christ, the Spirit wrought, and made them feel. Whereupon they came unto the woman, and said: We believe not now because of thy saying, but because we have heard ourselves, and know that he is Christ, the Saviour of the world.” For Christ’s preaching was with the power and spirit, that maketh a man feel, and know and work too; and not as the scribes and Pharisees preached; and as ours make a man ready to cast his gorge, to hear them rave and rage as mad men. And therefore, saith the seripture, Cursed is he that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm;” that is to say, his strength. And even so, Cursed is he that hath none other belief, but because men say so. Cursed were he that had none other why to believe than that I so say. And even so cursed is he that believeth only because the pope so saith; and so forth throughout all the men in the world.
The faith that dependeth of another man’s mouth is weak.
If I have none other feeling in my faith than because a man so saith, then is my faith faithless and fruitless. For if I have none other feeling that lechery is sin than that the ~~ pope so preacheth, whom I see before my face set up in Rome a stews of twenty or thirty thousand whores, taking of every piece tribute yearly; and his bishops with all other his disciples following the ensample mightily; and the pope therewith not content, but to set up thereto a stews of young boys, against nature, the committers of which sin be burnt at a stake among the Turks, as Moses also commandeth in his — law; and the pope also to forbid all the spiritualty, a multitude of forty or fifty hundred thousand, to marry, and to give them licence to keep every man his whore, who so will: if, I say, I have none other feeling in my faith, that lechery is sin, than this man’s preaching, I think my faith should be too weak to bear much fruit. How could I believe a man that would say he loved me, if all his deeds were contrary? 1 could not believe God himself, that he loved me, if in all my tribulations I had of him none other comfort than those bare words.
And in like manner, if I had none other feeling in my faith that covetousness were sin, than that the spiritualty so saith, my faith could be but weak and fainty, when I see how the pope with wiles hath thrust down the emperor; and how the bishops and prelates be crept up on high, in all regions, above their kings; and have made them a several kingdom, and have gotten into their hands almost the one half of every realm, which they divide among themselves, giving no layman any part with them; and heaping up bishoprick upon bishoprick, promotion upon promotion, benefice upon benefice, with unions and tot-quots, robbing in every parish the souls of their food, and the poor of their due sustenance; yea, and some preaching that it were less sin to have two wives than two benefices, but while they be yet young and hot, and therefore think covetousness greater sin than lechery; which same, when they be waxed elder, and their complexion somewhat altered, think that covetousness is as small a sin as lechery, and therefore take all that cometh; and if any man cast their preaching in their teeth, they answer that they be better learned, and have seen farther: if, I say, I have no other feeling that covetousness is sin than the preaching of these holy fathers, my faith were built but upon a weak rock, or rather on the soft sand. And therefore our defenders do right well to foam out their own shame, and to utter the secret thoughts of their hearts. For as they write, so they believe. Other feeling of the laws of God and faith of Christ have they none, than that their God the pope so saith. And therefore as the pope preacheth with his mouth only, even so believe they with their mouth only whatsoever he preacheth, without more ado, be it never so abominable; and in their hearts consent unto all their father’s wickedness, and follow him in their deeds as fast as they can run.
The Turks, being in number five times more than we are, knowledge one God, and believe many things of God, moved only by the authority of their elders; and presume that God will not let so great a multitude err so long time: and yet they have erred and been faithless these eight hundred years. And the Jews believe this day as much as the carnal sort of them ever believed, moved also by the authority of their elders only; and think that it is impossible for them to err, being Abraham’s seed, and the children of them to
δά ANSWER TO SIR THOMAS MORE’S DIALOGUE.: whom the promises, of all that we believe, were made: and yet they have erred, and been faithless, these fifteen hundred years. And we, of like blindness, believe only by the authority of our elders; and, of like pride, think that we cannot err, being such a multitude.” And yet we see how God, 10 the old Testament, did let the great multitude err; reserving alway a little flock, to call the other back again, and to testify unto them the right way.