Chapter III. The Pontiff is informed as to what are the Things above him and how they are to be considered

Perchance thou wilt tell me here that I have explained clearly enough by what way thou art to ascend, and that it now remains to say what is the term of the ascent. Thou art deceived if thou hopest to obtain from me any information concerning this, because it is ineffable. Dost thou think that I shall be able to describe what " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man " (2 Cor. ii. 9) ? " But to us," as the Apostle goes on to say, " God hath revealed it by His Spirit " (ibid.). Consequently, the things that are above thee cannot be described in words but must be revealed by the Spirit. Seek, then, by consideration for that which thou canst not learn from language, solicit it in prayer, merit it by thy life, attain to it by thy purity. But when I exhort thee to consider the things above thee, thou surely canst not suppose that I am speaking of the sun, moon, and stars, or of the firmament and " the waters that are above the heavens " (Ps. cxlviii. 4), and that I counsel thee to contemplate these. For all such objects, although above thee as regards position in space, are yet below thee in value and natural dignity. They are corporeal in all respects, whereas thou art in part a spirit. Now, thou shalt seek in vain for anything superior to a spirit, and which is not itself spiritual. God is a Spirit, and spirits too are His holy angels, and everyone of these is above thee. But whilst God is superior to thee by nature, the angels are only so by grai For that which is most excellent in man and

' Sed Deus natura, Angeli gratia te superiores sunt." Similarly St. Augustine : " Animas rationales superioribus potestatibus esse officio impares, natura vero pares " (de Lib. Arbit., 1. iii. c. ii. ) ; " nihil est melius rationali anima nisi Deus " (Quaest. liv.). According to Suarez {de Anqelis, 1. i. c. i), these expressions of the holy Doctors are to be understood with reference to the intellectual grade common to angels and men, both being endowed with finit i and accidental knowledge faculties, and, in the view favoured by the same Doctors, in the angels is the power of understanding common to both ; but we may not speak of anything most excellent in God, since all that He is is one supreme indistinguishable Excellence. There are three means or ways by which God and the blessed spirits who dwell with Him may be made the object of our consideration, and they are opinion, faith, and understanding. As to these, understanding depends upon evidence, and faith upon authority, whilst opinion has no other support than the mere similitude of truth. Both faith and understanding possess certain truth, yet with this difference, that in the former it is veiled and surrounded with obscurity, whereas in the latter it appears naked and manifest. In opinion there is no certainty at all, and we may say of it that it does not take hold of, but rather seeks out the truth by probable signs and indications.

We must be particularly on our guard against confounding any one of these with another, lest, for instance, we should attribute the certainty of faith to what is only matter of free opinion ; or, on the other hand, should look upon as open to opinion what faith has ratified and fixed. This also is worth remembering : that whilst opinion is guilty of rashness as often as it makes an assertory pronouncement, hesitancy is evidence of weakness on the part of faith. Understanding likewise deserves to be considered an intruder and a " searcher of majesty " (Prov. xxv. 27) if ever it attempts both being also rational animals. Angels and men are also equal in their relation to God as their last end, in their immediate subjection to Him as their Legislator, in their membership of His family, and in their capacity for grace and glory, - which capacity is not really distinct from their intellectual natures . — (Translator. )

to break open what has been sealed by faith. Many have fallen into error by mistaking their own opinion for understanding. And in truth it is very possible to believe that to be understanding which is really only opinion : but understanding can never be mistaken for opinion. How is this ? Because whilst the latter may be deceived, the former is infallible. Consequently, if that which we have looked upon as understanding shows itself liable to error, it is thereby proved to be not understanding at all, but only opinion. For real understanding implies both certainty of the truth known and certainty of the knowledge of the truth. Accordingly, we may thus define these three modes of consideration : faith is the certain but voluntary assent to a truth not yet evident ; understanding is the certain and evident knowledge of any supersensible object ; and opinion consists in holding as true whatever is not manifestly false. Hence, as I have already remarked, faith admits of no uncertainty, and wherever uncertainty is found, there we have not faith but opinion, f But in what does faith differ from understanding ? In t So Newman denies that Protestants have any faith, because they do not claim to be infallibly certain of the truths they believe : their religion is but a set of opinions. Cf. Sermon on Faith and Private Judgment, amongst the Discourses to Mixed Congregations. — (Translator.)

154 0N CONSIDERATION this, that whereas all uncertainty is excluded from both, the former, unlike the latter, holds the truth wrapped up in mystery. For that which thou understandest thou hast no further need to investigate, or if thou hast, this is a proof that thou dost not yet fully understand. But there is nothing we more ardently desire to investigate than what we already know by faith. And when those truths which are certain to us now with the certainty of faith shall become also and equally evident, nothing more will be wanting to our happiness.