PART I.

DIVINE FAITH AND THE CONTRARY VICES.

FAITH, which the Council of Trent has declared to be "The beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of all justification," is "an infused, supernatural habit inclining the intellect to firmly assent to the truths revealed by God and proposed by the Church, on account of the authority of God, the Revealer." The material object of Faith is God Himself, as the "prima veritas in essendo," and whatever else has been revealed by God. The formal object or motive determining our assent of Faith is God Himself, as the "prima veritas in dicendo," or, in other words, the veracity of God. The habit of Faith, like the habits of the other virtues, must not remain inoperative. It must go forth into act. It must even, as often as the glory of God or our neighbours' good should require it, manifest itself externally. "With the heart, we believe unto justice; but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation."+ The Gifts of the Holy Spirit which correspond to the virtue of Faith are Intellect and Science. The vices opposed to the habit of Faith are Unbelief, Heresy, and Apostasy. The vice opposed to the confession or external manifestation of Faith is Blasphemy.

1 C 2, 4

Ga 1, 1112

1T2, 13

Mt 16, 17

Jn 12, 44

Jn 7, 16

Jn 16, 17

Mk 16, 15

Ro 1, 8

Lu 24, 47

1.-ORTHODOX FAITH RESTS NOT ON HUMAN

CONVICTION.

My speech and my preach- of us the Word of the hear-
ing was not in the persua- ing of God, you received it
sive words of human wis- not as the word of men, but
dom, but in the showing of (as it is indeed) the Word of
the Spirit and power.
God.

For this

1/5, 9

I give you to understand If we receive the testithat the Gospel which was mony of men, the testimony preached by me is not ac- of God is greater. cording to man: for neither is the testimony of God, did I receive it of man, nor which is greater, because He did I learn it but by the re- hath testified of His Son. velation of Jesus Christ. He that believeth in the 1J 5, 10We give thanks to God Son of God hath the testiwithout ceasing: because mony of God in himself.—He that when you had received that hath the Son hath life.

2.-ORTHODOX FAITH RESTS SOLELY ON DIVINE

AUTHORITY.

Blessed art thou, Simon of Myself.

11

Bar-Jona: because flesh and Many other signs also did Jn 20, 30blood hath not revealed it to Jesus in the sight of His

thee, but My Father Who is
in Heaven.

He that believeth in Me
doth not believe in Me, but
in Him that sent Me.

My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me.

disciples, which are not
written in this Book.-But
these are written that you
may believe that Jesus is the
Christ the Son of God: and
that believing, you may have
life in His Name.

31

If any man will do the Believe in the Lord your 2 P 20, 20 will of Him, he shall know God, and you'shall be secure: of the doctrine, whether it be believe the Prophets, and all of God, or whether I speak things shall succeed well.

3.-REVELATION UNIVERSAL AND PARTICULAR,
MEDIATE AND IMMEDIATE.

Go ye into the whole Abraham believed God, Ge 15, 6
world, and preach the Gospel and it was reputed to him
to every creature.

the whole world.

unto justice.

Your faith is spoken of in You shall be witnesses Ac 1, 8 unto Me in Jerusalem, and Penance and the remis- in all Judea, and Samaria. sion of sins must be preached We see now through al C 13,12 in His Name unto all na-glass in dark manner, but then face to face.

tions.

Jn 1, 9

Ro 3, 4

He 6, 18

Dt 32, 4

Mt 24, 35

He 11, 1

2 Pt1, 18

19

Ga 1, 8-9

He enlighteneth every God will have all men to 1 7 2,4 man that cometh into this be saved, and to come to the world. knowledge of the truth.

4.-GOD AS THE FIRST TRUTH.

God is true: and every shall not pass away. man a liar.

May God give unto you Ep 1,17-19 God interposed an oath, the Spirit of wisdom, and of that by two immutable revelation in the knowledge things, in which it is impos- of Him, that the eyes of sible for God to lie, we may your heart enlightened, you have the strongest comfort, may know what the hope is who have fled for refuge to of His calling, and what are hold fast the hope set before the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints:God is faithful and with- And what is the exceeding out any iniquity. He is just greatness of His power toand right. wards us, who believe acHeaven and earth shall cording to the operation of pass away, but My words the might of His power.

us.

5.

-THE NATURE, STABILITY, AND CERTITUDE OF
FAITH.

Faith is the substance of No man hath seen God at Jn 1, 18
things to be hoped for, the any time: the Only Be-
evidence of things that ap-gotten Son, Who is in the
bosom of the Father, He
hath declared Him.

pear not.

Thy testimonies are be- Ps 92, 5 come exceedingly credible.

This voice we heard brought from Heaven, when we were with Him in the Holy Mount.-We have the How shall we escape if we He 2, 3-4 more firm prophetical Word: neglect so great salvation? whereunto you do well to at- which having begun to be tend, as to a light that shin- declared by the Lord, was eth in a dark place, until the confirmed unto us by them day dawn, and the day-star that heard Him :- God also arise in your hearts. bearing them witness by Though we, or an angel signs, and wonders, and from Heaven, preach a Gos-divers miracles, and distripel to you besides that butions of the Holy Ghost which we have preached to according to His own will. you, let him be anathema.- By grace you are saved As we said before, so now through faith and that not I say again: If any one of yourselves, for it is the gift preach to you a Gospel be- of God.

:

Ep 2, 8

sides that which you have I will espouse thee to Me Os 2, 20 received, let him be ana- in faith: and thou shalt

thema.

know that I am the Lord.

Ep 4,5-6

Ga 5, 6

He 11, 6

Ac 4, 11

12

6.

-THE UNITY, NECESSITY, AND UTILITY OF FAITH.
One Lord, one faith, one judgments to Israel. - He
baptism. One God and hath not done in like manner
Father of all, Who is above to every nation: and His
all, and through all, and in judgments He hath not
us all.
made manifest to

them.
In Christ Jesus neither Alleluia.
circumcision availeth any- You are no more strangers Ep 2, 19
thing, nor uncircumcision: and foreigners: but you are
but faith that worketh by fellow - citizens with the
charity.
Saints and the domestics of
Without faith it is impos- God.
sible to please God. For he We cease not to pray for Cl 1, 12-14
that cometh to God must you,-Giving thanks to God
believe that He is, and is a the Father, Who hath made
Rewarder to them that seek us worthy to be partakers of
Him.
the lot of the Saints in light.

This [Jesus] is the stone-Who hath delivered us
which was rejected by you from the power of darkness,
the builders, which is be- and hath translated us into
come the Head of the corner. the Kingdom of the Son of
-Neither is there salvation His love,-In whom we have
in any other. For there is redemption through His
no other Name under Hea- Blood, the remission of sins.
ven given to men whereby The things that were gain Ph 3, 7-8
we must be saved.
to me, the same I have

Ep1,16,19 I cease not to give thanks counted loss for Christ.
for you, making comme- I count all things to be
moration of you in my but loss, for the excellent
prayers, That you may knowledge of Jesus Christ
know what is the exceeding my Lord: for Whom I have
greatness of His power to-suffered the loss of all things,
wards us who believe.
and count them but as dung,

Ba 4, 4

We are happy, O Israel: that I may gain Christ. because the things that are If you had faith as a Mt 17, 19 pleasing to God are made grain of mustard-seed, you known to us. shall say to this mountain:

P's 147, 19- Praise the Lord, Who de- Remove from hence thither, clareth His justices and and it shall remove.

20

Ha 2, 4

Ro 5, 1

Ro 3, 2122

The just shall live in his being witnessed by the Law
faith.
and the Prophets: -Even the
Being justified by faith, justice of God by faith of
let us have peace with God Jesus Christ, unto all and
through our Lord Jesus upon all them that believe in
Christ.
Him: for there is no dis-
tinction.

Without the Law the jus-
tice of God is made manifest, To Him all the Prophets Ac 10, 43

Mk 16, 16

Jn 1, 12

Jn 3, 16

'n 6, 35

Jn 6, 47

Jn 5, 24

Eci 32, 28

Ep 4, 1

Ph 1,27

8.

give testimony, that through taketh heed to the Command-
His Name all receive remis-ments: and he that trusteth
sion of sins who believe in in Him shall fare never the
Him.
worse.

He that believeth and is
baptised shall be saved: but hast faith, and I have works;
he that believeth not shall show me thy faith without
be condemned.
works, and I will show thee
by works my faith.

Some man will say: Thou Ja 2, 18

17

As many as received Him, He gave them power to be What shall it profit, my Ja 2, 14made the sons of God, to brethren, if a man say he then that believe in His hath faith, but hath not Name. works? Shall faith be able God so loved the world as to save him?-And if a broto give His Only-Begottten ther or sister be naked, and Son that whosoever believ- want daily food,-And one eth in Him may not perish, of you say to them: Go in but may have Life Everlast- peace, be you warmed and ing. filled, yet give them not

I am the Bread of Life: those things that are neceshe that cometh to Me shall sary for the body, what shall not hunger; and he that be- it profit?-So faith also, if lieveth in Me shall never it have not works, is dead in thirst.

itself.

43

Amen, amen I say unto Many of the chief men Jn 12, 42
you, he that believeth in believed in Him: but because
Me hath Everlasting Life. of the Pharisees they did
Amen, amen I say unto not confess Him, that they
you, that he who heareth My might not be cast out of the
word, and believeth Him synagogue.-For they loved
Who sent Me, hath Life the glory of men more than
Everlasting, and cometh not the glory of God.

into judgment, but is passed If thou wilt enter into Mt 19, 17
from death to life.
Life, keep the Command-

He that believeth God ments.

.—EXHORTATIONS TO LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF FAITH,

AND TO PERSEVERE THEREIN.

I therefore, a prisoner in ther for the faith of the
the Lord, beseech you that Gospel.

you walk worthy of the voca- We cease not to pray for CZ 1,10
tion in which you are called. you, and to beg that you
Let your conversation be may walk worthy of God in
worthy of the Gospel of all things pleasing, and in-
Christ: that whether I come creasing in the knowledge of
and see you, or being absent God.
may hear of you, that you Pass not beyond the Pv 22, 28
stand fast in one spirit with ancient bounds which thy
one mind, labouring toge- fathers have set.