1.
There are those who think that the Christian religion is
what we should smile at rather than hold fast, for this reason,
that, in it, not what may be seen, is shown, but men are commanded
faith of things which are not seen. We therefore, that we may
refute these, who seem to themselves through prudence to be
unwilling to believe what they cannot see, although we are not able
to show unto human sight those divine things which we believe, yet
do show unto human minds that even those things which are not seen
are to be believed. And first they are to be admonished, (whom
folly hath so made subject to their carnal eyes, as that,
whatsoever they see not through them, they think not that they are
to believe,) how many things they not only believe but also know,
which cannot be seen by such eyes. Which things being without
number in our mind itself, (the nature of which mind is incapable
of being seen,) not to mention others, the very faith whereby we
believe, or the thought whereby we know that we either believe any
thing, or believe not, being as it is altogether alien from the
sight of those eyes; what so naked, so clear, what so certain is
there to the inner eyes of our minds? How then are we not to
believe what we see not with the eyes of the body, whereas, either
that we believe, or that we believe not, in a case where we cannot
apply the eyes of the body, we without any doubt see?