Concerning Faith of Things Not Seen

 1. There are those who think that the Christian religion is what we should smile at rather than hold fast, for this reason, that, in it, not what may

 2. But, say they, those things which are in the mind, in that we can by the mind itself discern them, we have no need to know through the eyes of the

 3. But you say, that you therefore believe your friend, whose heart you cannot see, because you have proved him in your trials, and have come to know

 4. If this faith be taken away from human affairs, who but must observe how great disorder in them, and how fearful confusion must follow? For who wil

 5. But you will say, the good will of a friend towards me, although I cannot see it, yet can I trace it out by many proofs but you, what things you w

 

 6. If this Queen ye see not, now rich also with royal progeny. If she see not that fulfilled which she heard to have been promised, she, unto whom it

 7. “Give heed unto me,” the Church says unto you give heed unto me, whom ye see, although to see ye be unwilling. For the faithful, who were in those

 

 8. But as the wills of friends, which are not seen, are believed through tokens which are seen thus the Church, which is now seen, is, of all things

 9. If they suspect this, let them examine carefully the copies of our enemies the Jews. There let them read those things of which we have made mention

 10. Although, even if there went before no testimonies concerning Christ and the Church, whom ought it not to move unto belief, that the Divine bright

 11. But you, beloved, who possess this faith, or who have begun now newly to have it, let it be nourished and increase in you. For as things temporal

 

6. If this Queen ye see not, now rich also with royal progeny. If she see not that fulfilled which she heard to have been promised, she, unto whom it was said, “Hear, O daughter, and see.” If she hath not left the ancient rites of the world, she, unto whom it was said, “Forget thy own people and thy Father’s house.” If she confesses not every where Christ the Lord, she, unto whom it was said, “The King hath desired thy beauty, for He is the Lord thy God.” If she sees not the cities of the nations pour forth prayers and offer gifts unto Christ, concerning Whom it was said unto her, “There shall worship Him the daughters of Tyre with gifts.” If the pride also of the rich is not laid aside, and they do not entreat help of the Church, unto whom it was said, “Thy face shall all the rich of the people entreat.” If He acknowledges not the King’s daughter, unto Whom she was bidden to say, “Our Father Who art in Heaven;”12    Matt. vi. 9; 2 Cor. iv. 16 and in her saints in the inner man she is not renewed from day to day, concerning whom it was said, “All the glory of that King’s daughter is within:” although she strike upon the eyes of them also that are without with the blaze13    Ben. conj. “fulgente,” for “fulgentes.” of the fame of her preachers, in diversity of tongues, as “in fringes of gold, and raiment of divers colors.” If there be not, now that His fame is spread abroad in every place by His good odor,14    Song of Sol. i. 3 virgins also brought unto Christ to be consecrated, of Whom it is said, and to Whom it is said, “There shall be brought unto the King the virgins after her, her companions shall be brought unto Thee.” And that they might not seem to be brought like captives, into some, as it were, prison, he says, “They shall be brought in joy and gladness, they shall be brought into the King’s temple.” If she brings not forth sons, that of them she may have, as it were, fathers, whom she may appoint unto herself every where as rulers, she, unto whom it is said, “Instead of thy fathers there are born unto thee sons, thou shall set them as princes over the whole earth:” unto whose prayers their mother both preferred and made subject, commends herself, “They shall be mindful of thy name, even from generation to generation.” If, by reason of the preaching of those same fathers, wherein they have without ceasing made mention of her name, there are not so great multitudes in her gathered together, and without end in their own tongues unto her confess the praise of grace, unto whom it is said, “Therefore shall the people confess unto thee for ever, and for ever and ever.” If these things are not so shown to be clear, as that the eyes of enemies find not in what direction to turn aside, where the same clearness strikes them not, so as by it to be obliged to confess what is evident: you perhaps assert with reason, that no proofs are shown to you, by seeing which you may believe those things also which you see not. But if those things, which you see, both have been foretold long before, and are so clearly fulfilled; if the truth itself makes itself clear to you, by effects15    The Prophecy might be called an “effect” as well as its fulfillment; or read “verbis,” for “vobis,” “clear by words going before and effects following after.” For further illustration see St. Aug. on Ps. 45. going before and following after, O remnant of unbelief, that ye may believe the things which you see not, blush at those things which ye see.

6. Si hanc reginam non videtis, jam etiam regia prole fecundam. Si non videt impletum quod audivit esse promissum, cui dictum est, Audi, filia, et vide. Si non reliquit ritus pristinos mundi, cui dictum est, Obliviscere populum tuum, et domum patris tui. Si non ubique Christum Dominum confitetur, cui dictum est, Concupivit rex speciem tuam, quia ipse est Dominus Deus tuus. Si non videt civitates gentium Christo preces fundere, et munera offerre, de quo illi dictum est, Adorabunt eum filiae Tyri in muneribus. Si non etiam superbia deponitur divitum, et ab Ecclesia deprecantur auxilium, cui dictum est, Vultum tuum deprecabuntur omnes divites plebis. Si non agnoscit filiam regis, cui dicere jussa est, Pater noster, qui es in coelis (Matth. VI, 9); et in sanctis suis in interiore homine renovatur de die in diem (II Cor. IV, 16), de qua dictum est, Omnis gloria ejus filiae regis intrinsecus: quamvis et oculos extraneorum fulgentes fama praedicatorum suorum in diversitate linguarum 0176 velut in fimbriis aureis et vestis varietate perstringat. Si non posteaquam diffamatur in quocumque loco odore bono ejus, etiam consecrandae virgines adducuntur ad Christum, de quo dicitur, et cui dicitur, Adducentur regi virgines post eam, proximae ejus adducentur tibi. Et ne quasi captivae in aliquem velut carcerem viderentur adduci, Adducentur, inquit, in laetitia et exsultatione, adducentur in templum regis. Si non parit filios, ex quibus habeat tanquam patres, quos constituat sibi ubique rectores, cui dicitur, Pro patribus tuis nati sunt tibi filii, constitues eos principes super omnem terram: quorum se orationibus mater et praelata et subjecta commendat; unde subjunctum est, Memores erunt nominis tui, in omni generatione et generatione. Si non propter eorumdem patrum praedicationem, in qua nominis ejus sine intermissione meminerunt, tam magnae in ea multitudines congregantur, eique laudem gratiae sine fine linguis propriis confitentur, cui dicitur, Propterea populi confitebuntur tibi in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

CAPUT IV.

Ad credenda quae non vidimus movere debent quae nunc impleta conspicimus. Si non ista ita demonstrantur esse perspicua, ut non inveniant oculi inimicorum in quam partem avertantur, ubi non eadem perspicuitate feriantur, ut ex ea fateri manifeste cogantur: merito fortasse dicitis quod nulla vobis ostendantur indicia, quibus visis credatis etiam illa quae non videtis. Si vero haec quae videtis, et longe ante praedicta sunt, et tanta manifestatione complentur; si se ipsa veritas et praecedentibus vobis et consequentibus declarat effectibus, o reliquiae infidelitatis, ut credatis quae non videtis, iis erubescite quae videtis!