THE SECOND BOOK 221 



himself or others in the reprehension of them, they 

 shall make that ancient and patient request, ' Verbera, 

 sed audi ' ; let men reprehend them, so they observe 

 and weigh them. For the appeal is lawful (though it 

 may be it shall not be needful) from the first cogitations 

 of men to their second, and from the nearer times to the 

 times further off. Now let us come to that learning, 

 which both the former times were not so blessed as to 

 know, sacred and inspired divinity, the Sabbath and 

 port of all men's labours and peregrinations. 



XXV. 1. The prerogative of God extendeth as well 

 to the reason as to the will of man ; so that as we are to 

 obey his law, though we find a reluctation in our will, so 

 we are to believe his word, though we find a reluutation 

 in our reason. For if we believe only that which is 

 agreeable to our sense, we give consent to the matter, 

 and not to the author ; which is no more than we would 

 do towards a suspected and discredited witness ; but that 

 faith which was accounted to Abraham for righteous- 

 ness was of such a point as whereat Sarah laughed, who 

 therein was an image of natural reason. 



2. Howbeit (if ve will truly consider of it) more 

 worthy it is to believe than to know as we now know. 

 For in knowledge man's mind suffereth from sense ; 

 but in belief it suffereth from spirit, such one as it 

 holdeth for more authorized than itself, and so suffereth 

 from the worthier agent. Otherwise it is of the state 

 of man glorified ; for then faith shall cease, and we 

 shall know as we are known. 



3. Wherefore we conclude that sacred theology (which 

 in our idiom we call divinity) is grounded only upon 

 the word and oracle of God, and not upon the light of 

 nature : for it is written, ' Coeli enarrant gloriam Dei ' ; 

 but it is not written, ' Coeli enarrant voluntatem Dei ' ; 

 but of that it is said, ' Ad legem et testimonium : 

 si non fecerint secundum verbum istud, &c.' This 

 holdeth not only in those points of faith which concern 

 the great mysteries of the Deity, of the creation, of the 

 redemption, but likewise those which concern the law 

 moral truly interpreted : ' Love your enemies : do 



