Produced by Michael Madden
[by Henry Rogers]
[Volume 90] No. CLXXXII. [Pages 293-356]
Art.I—1. Historic Doubts relative to Napoleon Buonaparte Eighth
edition, pp. 60. 8vo. London. 2. The Nemesis of Faith. By J. A. Froude,
M. A., Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. 12mo. London: pp. 227. 3.
Popular Christianity, its Transition State and Probable Development. By
F. J. Foxton, B. A.; formerly of Pembroke College, Oxford, and Perpetual
Curate of Stoke Prior and Docklow, Herefordshire. 12mo. London: pp. 226.
'Reason and Faith,' says one of our old divines, with the quaintnesscharacteristic of his day, 'resemble the two sons of the patriarch;Reason is the firstborn, but Faith inherits the blessing. The image isingenious, and the antithesis striking; but nevertheless the sentimentis far from just. It is hardly right to represent Faith as youngerthan reason: the fact undoubtedly being, that human creatures trust andbelieve, long before they reason or know. But the truth is, that bothreason and Faith are coeval with the nature of man, and were designed todwell in his heart together. In truth they are, and were, and, in suchcreatures as ourselves, must be, reciprocally complementary—neithercan exclude the other. It is as impossible to exercise an acceptablefaith without reason for so exercising it,—that is, without exercisingreason while we exercise faith*,—as it is to apprehend by our reason,exclusive of faith, all the truths on which we are daily compelled toact, whether in relation to this world or the next. Neither is it rightto represent either of them as failing of the promised heritage,except as both may fail alike, by perversion from their true end, anddepravation of their genuine nature; for it to the faith of which theNew Testament speaks so much, a peculiar blessing is promised, it isevident from the same volume that it is not a 'faith without reason' anymore than a 'faith without works,' which is approved by the Author ofChristianity. And this is sufficiently proved by the injunction 'tobe ready to give a reason for the hope,'—and therefore for thefaith,—'which is in us.'
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* Let it be said that we are here playing upon an ambiguity in theword Reason;—considered in the first clause as an argument; and in thesecond, as the characteristic endowment of our species. The distinctionbetween Reason and Reasoning (though most important) does not affect ourstatement; for though Reason may be exercised where there is no givingof reasons, there can be no giving of reasons without the exercise ofReason.
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If, therefore, we were to imitate the quaintness of the old divine, onwhose dictum we have been commenting, we should rather compare Reasonand Faith to the two trusty spies, 'faithful amongst the 'faithless,'who confirmed each other's report of 'that good land which flowed withmilk and honey,' and to both of whom the promise of a rich inheritancethere was given,—and, in due time, amply redeemed. Or, rather, if wemight be permitted to pursue the same vein a little further, and throwover our shoulders for a moment that mantle of allegory which none butBunyan could wear long and successfully, we should represent Reason andFaith as twin-born beings,—the one, in form and features the image ofmanly beauty,—the other, of feminine grace and gentleness; but to eachof whom, alas! was allotted a sad privation. While the bright eyes ofReason are full of piercing and restless intelligence, his ear is closedto sound; and whi