302 GIORDANO BRUNO PART 



always a sphere within which Faith only was available, 

 to which neither reason nor intellect could penetrate. 

 We remember that he ridiculed Lully for attempting 

 to demonstrate some of the particular doctrines which 

 " are revealed to the worshippers of Christ (Christicoli} 

 alone, are contrary to all reason, philosophy, other 

 faiths or superstitions, and are capable of no demonstra- 

 tion, but admit of faith only." * It is improbable that 

 any ironical meaning should be read into the words ; 

 for the distinction between faith and knowledge or 

 science, between theological and philosophical discussion, 

 between the supernatural light and the light of nature 

 or reason, occurs again and again, not only in Bruno's 

 replies to the Inquisitors of Venice, but in the published 

 works. Here and there he deprecates the taking of 

 his statements, should they conflict with or tend to 

 weaken the accepted faith, as " assertively " made, 

 and claims, like Copernicus, the right of arguing for 

 any thesis which is " more in harmony with our sense 

 and reason, or at least less out of harmony with them 

 than the contradictory thesis," however high the 

 authority of the latter may be. 2 Discreet theologians 

 would fix no limit to natural reasonings, however far 

 these went, provided they did not determine against 

 the divine authority, but subordinated themselves to it. 3 

 Even the Heroici Furori disclaims any supernatural 

 reasoning or revelation. " If there is another order, 

 above the natural, which either destroys or corrects the 

 latter, I believe in it, and may not dispute about it, for 

 I do not reason in any other than a natural spirit." 

 He is dealing with Philosophy, not Theology. 4 In 

 other words, Bruno refuses to dogmatise, just as he 



1 Comp. Arch. art. Lull., Op. Lat. ii. 2. 42. 



2 Op. Lat. ii. 2. 78 (preface to Triginta Sigilli) j cf. i. i. 82 (Acrothmus), and the 

 Spaccio (supra, p. 253). 3 Causa, Lag. 267. 7. 4 Lag. 693. 22. 



