in a way of sweetest love and fruition. Nor could nature of itself reach this, for an inferior nature cannot thus unite itself to a superior, but only by his indulgence raising it above itself. This candle of the Lord' may shine here below, it may and doth aspire, and long for happiness; but yet it will not come near it, till He that lighted it up be pleased to lift it up to Himself, and there transform it into a star, that may drink in everlasting light and influence from its original and fountain-light. NOTES. NOTE A.-CULVERWEL AND ROGERS RECONCILED. P. 17, l. 6.—This' (i.e., reason) 'is the first-born, but the other' (i.e., faith) has the blessing.' This is, so far as I know, the only passage in 'the discourse' which has been honoured by being referred to in any literary work of eminence, though even in this instance the reference is made without designating the author otherwise than by calling him' one of our old divines.' Indeed, had the uncouth cognomen of the old Puritan' been uttered, some of the readers of the Edinburgh Review might have been disposed to say ¿évwv δαιμονίων δοκεῖ κατταγγελεὺς εἶναι. 'The image is said to be 'ingenious, and the antithesis striking; but, it is added, nevertheless, the sentiment is far from just.' I demur to this finding. I insert the evidence on which it rests, both because I am glad of the opportunity of enriching these pages with a fine specimen of thought and composition, and also that I may set two clear thinkers and elegant writers at one with each other, which, if I mistake not, may be easily done. 'It is hardly right to represent faith as younger than reason; the fact undoubtedly being, that human creatures trust and believe long before they reason or know. The truth is, that both reason and faith are coeval with the nature of man, and were designed to dwell in his heart together. They are, and ever were, and in such creatures as ourselves, must be, reciprocally complementary; neither can exclude the other. It is as impossible to exercise an acceptable faith without reason for so exercising it—that is, without exercising reason while we exercise faith-as it is to apprehend by our reason, exclusive of faith, all the truths on which we are daily compelled to act, whether in relation to this world or the next. Neither is it right to represent either of them as failing of the promised heritage, except as both may fail alike, by perversion from their true end, and depravation of their genuine Ꮓ nature; for if to the faith, of which the New Testament speaks so much, a peculiar blessing is promised, it is evident, from that same volume, that it is not a faith without reason, any more than a faith without works, which is commended by the Author of Christianity. And this is sufficiently proved by the injunction, “to be ready to give a reason for the hope," and, therefore, for the faith, "which is in us." If, therefore, we were to imitate the quaintness of the old divine on whose dictum we have been commenting, we should rather compare reason and faith to the two trusty spies, "faithful among the faithless," who confirmed each other's report of "that good land which flowed with milk and honey," and to both of whom the promise of a rich inheritance there was given, and in due time amply redeemed. Or rather, if we might be permitted to pursue the same vein a little farther, and throw over our shoulders that mantle of allegory which none but Bunyan could wear long, and wear gracefully, we should represent reason and faith as twin-born; the one, in form and features, the image of manly beauty, the other, of feminine grace and gentleness; but to each of whom, alas! is allotted a sad privation: while the bright eyes of reason are full of piercing and restless intelligence, his ear is closed to sound; and while faith has an ear of exquisite delicacy, on her sightless orbs, as she lifts them towards heaven, the sunbeam plays in vain. Hand in hand the brother and sister, in all mutual love, pursue their way through a world on which, like ours, day breaks and night falls alternate; by day, the eyes of reason are the guides of faith, and by night, the ear of faith is the guide of reason. As is wont with those who labour under these privations respectively, reason is apt to be eager, impetuous, impatient of that instruction which his infirmity will not permit him readily to apprehend; while faith, gentle and docile, is ever willing to listen to the voice by which alone truth and wisdom can reach her." Nothing can be more true and beautiful than all this; and had Nathanael Culverwel lived in our times, no man, I am persuaded, would have more readily acknowledged the truth, or more intensely admired the beauty; but I do not think he would have found anything really antagonistic to his dictum. The two knights are looking at opposite sides of the shield. And what Mr. Rogers says of reason and faith as coeval principles in human nature, is not more true than what Mr. Culverwel says of them, as channels through which truth about God, and the unseen and eternal, enter the mind. Generally, truth on these subjects, as exhibited in the works of God, comes, to some extent or other, through the channel of reason into the mind, before the fuller revelation of the truth in the Scriptures finds its way there through the channel of faith. Truth, as embodied in Nature and Providence, is presented to all men, and is apprehended by reason. Truth, in the Bible, is presented 1 Rogers's Reason and Faith; their Claims and their Conflicts. Essays selected from contributions to the Edinburgh Review. Vol. iii. p 174. |