What is faith? Is it to believe that which is evident? No. It is perfectly1 evident to my mind that there exists a necessary, eternal, supreme2, and intelligent being. This is no matter of faith, but of reason. I have no merit in thinking that this eternal and infinite being, whom I consider as virtue3, as goodness itself, is desirous that I should be good and virtuous4. Faith consists in believing not what seems true, but what seems false to our understanding. The Asiatics can only by faith believe the journey of Mahomet to the seven planets, and the incarnations of the god Fo, of Vishnu, Xaca, Brahma, and Sommonocodom. They submit their understandings; they tremble to examine: wishing to avoid being either impaled5 or burned, they say: “I believe.”
We do not here intend the slightest allusion6 to the Catholic faith. Not only do we revere7 it, but we possess it. We speak of the false, lying faith of other nations of the world, of that faith which is not faith, and which consists only in words.
There is a faith for things that are merely astonishing and prodigious8, and a faith for things contradictory9 and impossible.
Vishnu became incarnate10 five hundred times; this is extremely astonishing, but it is not, however, physically11 impossible; for if Vishnu possessed12 a soul, he may have transferred that soul into five hundred different bodies, with a view to his own felicity. The Indian, indeed, has not a very lively faith; he is not intimately and decidedly persuaded of these metamorphoses; but he will nevertheless say to his bonze, “I have faith; it is your will and pleasure that Vishnu has undergone five hundred incarnations, which is worth to you an income of five hundred rupees: very well; you will inveigh13 against me, and denounce me, and ruin my trade if I have not faith; but I have faith, and here are ten rupees over and above for you.” The Indian may swear to the bonze that he believes without taking a false oath, for, after all, there is no demonstration14 that Vishnu has not actually made five hundred visits to India.
But if the bonze requires him to believe what is contradictory or impossible, as that two and two make five, or that the same body may be in a thousand different places, or that to be and not to be are precisely15 one and the same thing; in that case, if the Indian says he has faith he lies, and if he swears that he believes he commits perjury16. He says, therefore, to the bonze: “My reverend father, I cannot declare that I believe in these absurdities17, even though they should be worth to you an income of ten thousand rupees instead of five hundred.”
“My son,” the bonze answers, “give me twenty rupees and God will give you grace to believe all that you now do not believe.”
“But how can you expect or desire,” rejoins the Indian, “that God should do that by me which He cannot do even by Himself? It is impossible that God should either perform or believe contradictions. I am very willing to say, in order to give you satisfaction, that I believe what is obscure, but I cannot say that I believe what is impossible. It is the will of God that we should be virtuous, and not that we should be absurd. I have already given you ten rupees; here are twenty more; believe in thirty rupees; be an honest man if you can and do not trouble me any more.”
It is not thus with Christians18. The faith which they have for things which they do not understand is founded upon that which they do understand; they have grounds of credibility. Jesus Christ performed miracles in Galilee; we ought, therefore, to believe all that He said. In order to know what He said we must consult the Church. The Church has declared the books which announce Jesus Christ to us to be authentic20. We ought, therefore, to believe those books. Those books inform us that he who will not listen to the Church shall be considered as a tax-gatherer or a Pagan; we ought, therefore, to listen to the Church that we may not be disgraced and hated like the farmers-general. We ought to submit our reason to it, not with infantile and blind credulity, but with a docile21 faith, such as reason itself would authorize22. Such is Christian19 faith, particularly the Roman faith, which is “the faith” par23 excellence24. The Lutheran, Calvinistic, or Anglican faith is a wicked faith.
§ II.
Divine faith, about which so much has been written, is evidently nothing more than incredulity brought under subjection, for we certainly have no other faculty25 than the understanding by which we can believe; and the objects of faith are not those of the understanding. We can believe only what appears to be true; and nothing can appear true but in one of the three following ways: by intuition or feeling, as I exist, I see the sun; by an accumulation of probability amounting to certainty, as there is a city called Constantinople; or by positive demonstration, as triangles of the same base and height are equal.
Faith, therefore, being nothing at all of this description, can no more be a belief, a persuasion26, than it can be yellow or red. It can be nothing but the annihilation of reason, a silence of adoration27 at the contemplation of things absolutely incomprehensible. Thus, speaking philosophically28, no person believes the Trinity; no person believes that the same body can be in a thousand places at once; and he who says, I believe these mysteries, will see, beyond the possibility of a doubt, if he reflects for a moment on what passes in his mind, that these words mean no more than, I respect these mysteries; I submit myself to those who announce them. For they agree with me, that my reason, or their own reason, believe them not; but it is clear that if my reason is not persuaded, I am not persuaded. I and my reason cannot possibly be two different beings. It is an absolute contradiction that I should receive that as true which my understanding rejects as false. Faith, therefore, is nothing but submissive or deferential30 incredulity.
But why should this submission31 be exercised when my understanding invincibly32 recoils33? The reason, we well know, is, that my understanding has been persuaded that the mysteries of my faith are laid down by God Himself. All, then, that I can do, as a reasonable being, is to be silent and adore. This is what divines call external faith; and this faith neither is, nor can be, anything more than respect for things incomprehensible, in consequence of the reliance I place on those who teach them.
If God Himself were to say to me, “Thought is of an olive color”; “the square of a certain number is bitter”; I should certainly understand nothing at all from these words. I could not adopt them either as true or false. But I will repeat them, if He commands me to do it; and I will make others repeat them at the risk of my life. This is not faith; it is nothing more than obedience34.
In order to obtain a foundation then for this obedience, it is merely necessary to examine the books which require it. Our understanding, therefore, should investigate the books of the Old and New Testament35, just as it would Plutarch or Livy; and if it finds in them incontestable and decisive evidences — evidences obvious to all minds, and such as would be admitted by men of all nations — that God Himself is their author, then it is our incumbent36 duty to subject our understanding to the yoke37 of faith.
§ III.
We have long hesitated whether or not to publish the following article, “Faith,” which we met with in an old book. Our respect for the chair of St. Peter restrained us. But some pious38 men having satisfied us that Alexander VI. and St. Peter had nothing in common, we have at last determined39 to publish this curious little production, and do it without the slightest scruple40.
Prince Pico della Mirandola once met Pope Alexander VI. at the house of the courtesan Emilia, while Lucretia, the holy father’s daughter, was confined in childbirth, and the people of Rome were discussing whether the child of which she was delivered belonged to the pope, to his son the Duke de Valentinois, or to Lucretia’s husband, Alphonso of Aragon, who was considered by many as impotent. The conversation immediately became animated41 and gay. Cardinal42 Bembo relates a portion of it. “My little Pico,” says the pope, “whom do you think the father of my grandson?” “I think your son-in-law,” replied Pico. “What! how can you possibly believe such nonsense?” “I believe it by faith.” “But surely you know that an impotent man cannot be a father.” “Faith,” replied Pico, “consists in believing things because they are impossible; and, besides, the honor of your house demands that Lucretia’s son should not be reputed the offspring of incest. You require me to believe more incomprehensible mysteries. Am I not bound to believe that a serpent spoke43; that from that time all mankind were damned; that the ass29 of Balaam also spoke with great eloquence44; and that the walls of Jericho fell down at the sound of trumpets45?” Pico thus proceeded with a long train of all the prodigious things in which he believed. Alexander absolutely fell back upon his sofa with laughing. “I believe all that as well as you,” says he, “for I well know that I can be saved only by faith, as I can certainly never be so by works.” “Ah, holy father!” says Pico, “you need neither works nor faith; they are well enough for such poor, profane46 creatures as we are; but you, who are absolutely a vice-god — you may believe and do just whatever you please. You have the keys of heaven; and St. Peter will certainly never shut the door in your face. But with respect to myself, who am nothing but a poor prince, I freely confess that I should have found some very powerful protection necessary, if I had lain with my own daughter, or had employed the stiletto and night-shade as often as your holiness.” Alexander VI. understood raillery. “Let us speak seriously,” says he to the prince. “Tell me what merit there can be in a man’s saying to God that he is persuaded of things of which, in fact, he cannot be persuaded? What pleasure can this afford to God? Between ourselves, a man who says that he believes what is impossible to be believed, is — a liar47.”
Pico della Mirandola at this crossed himself in great agitation48. “My God!” says he, “I beg your holiness’ pardon; but you are not a Christian.” “I am not,” says the pope, “upon my faith.” “I suspected so,” said Pico della Mirandola.
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1
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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5
impaled
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| 钉在尖桩上( impale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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7
revere
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| vt.尊崇，崇敬，敬畏 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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contradictory
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| adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立 | |
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incarnate
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| adj.化身的，人体化的，肉色的 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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12
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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13
inveigh
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| v.痛骂 | |
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demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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15
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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absurdities
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| n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 )；荒谬；谬论；荒谬的行为 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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authorize
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| v.授权，委任；批准，认可 | |
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par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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24
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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29
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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30
deferential
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| adj. 敬意的，恭敬的 | |
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31
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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32
invincibly
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| adv.难战胜地，无敌地 | |
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33
recoils
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| n.（尤指枪炮的）反冲，后坐力( recoil的名词复数 )v.畏缩( recoil的第三人称单数 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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35
testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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incumbent
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| adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的 | |
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yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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41
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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42
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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43
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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44
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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45
trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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46
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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47
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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48
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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