Part 9 (2/2)
”He believes them, therefore.”
”Certainly.”
”But belief is reason.”
”Certainly; but faith is more than that.”
”No doubt; but he does believe these things.”
”Yes, certainly.”
”And if he did not believe them, he would cease to have faith. If, for instance, he be convinced that his father is mad, or cruel, or unjust, the state of affections which you call faith will diminish, and at last cease.”
”Perhaps so,” said Fellowes.
”Perhaps so, my friend! I really cannot receive your answer, because I am convinced that it does not express your sentiments.”
”Well, I believe that the state of affection which call 'faith' would be impossible under such circ.u.mstances.”
”But belief is reason.”
”Yes.”
”Must we not say, then, that the child's faith depends on the condition of his belief, that is, on his reason, so that the 'faith' is possible when he believes and so long as he believes, that his father is wise and kind, but is impossible when he believes, and as soon as he believes, the contrary?”
”Yes, I admit that.”
”It appears, then, that faith in this,--perhaps the best ill.u.s.tration that could be selected,--so far from being a state of the affections exclusive of the intellect, is not exclusive of it, but absolutely dependent on it, inasmuch as it is absolutely dependent on belief, and that is dependent on reason. It exists in connection with it, and is never independent of it. If the contrary be affirmed, I doubt whether there can be any such thing as 'faith' in the world. Belief becomes reason, and faith, having nothing, you say, to do with the intellect, becomes impossible. But now let it be supposed (as, indeed, I cannot but suppose) that some belief, that is, reason, enlightened or not (generally the last), is involved in every act of faith; you yet affirm most distinctly that it is a state of the affections quite unconnected with the truth or falsehood of any intellectual propositions.”
”I do.”
”It ought to follow, then, that it matters not what is the object of belief, provided there is 'faith'; and this, if you observe: is very much what the language of Mr. Newman would imply, while it is the very essence of Mr. Parker's teaching.”
”You mean Father Newman, perhaps?”
”Why no, I did not; but, to tell you the truth. I now mean either; there not appearing to me much difference between them in this respect.
Whether you wors.h.i.+p an image of a 'winking virgin,' or, according to the other Dromio, the 'ideal' of an idolater,--whether (provided always it be with sincerity and trust!) you adore the Jehovah of the Hebrews, or 'the image which fell down from Jupiter,' ought to make, upon this theory, no great difference.”
”Well, in whatever difficulty the controversy may involve us, can we deny this conclusion?”
”Truly,” replied Harrington, ”I think it does not involve me in any difficulty; it shows me that, if this be the 'faith' to which you attach so much importance, it really is not worth the powder and shot that must be expended in the controversy. For my own part, I do not hesitate to say that I would rather be absolutely dest.i.tute of 'faith' altogether, than exercise the most absolute faith ever bestowed upon a tawdry image of the Virgin, or some misshapen beast of an idol of Hindoo or Hottentot workmans.h.i.+p.”
”Ah! my friend,” cried Fellowes, ”do not thus blaspheme the most holy feelings of humanity, however misapplied!”
”I do not conceive that I do, in declaring abhorrence and contempt of such perversions of 'sentiment,' however 'holy' you may call them.
Hideous as they are, however, they are less hideous than the half-length apologies for them on the part of cultivated and civilized human beings, like our 'spiritual' infidels. Your tenderness is ludicrously misplaced. I wonder whether the same apology would extend to those exercises of simple-minded 'faith' in which it is said that the Spanish and Portuguese pirates sometimes indulged, when they implored the benediction of their saints on their predatory expeditions! And yet I see not how it could be avoided; for the exorbitancies of these pirates were not more hateful to humanity than are the rites practices, and the duties enjoined, by many forms of religion. What delightful, ingenuous 'faith' and genuine 'simplicity'
of mind did these pirates manifest!”
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