Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 150

126

§ 46.

FAITH

[Div. II

against Scepticism which the subject provides, can prove no benefit to our science, except

it is

evident that this defence

bears no individual-subjective character

;

but that in

real significance it belongs to the subject as such,

therefore be called subjective in a general and

And

sense.

its

and may

communal

faith exhibits this character.

In the explanation of this two difficulties present themThe selves, which we must not allow to overshadow us. first difficulty is, that faith is a conception which has been introduced into our common speech, especially from the New Testament, and has received thereby a religious, and in a

more

restricted sense a soteriological, stamp.

Thus under-

no place in our Erkenntniss-theorie, and the appearance is given that faith bears no universal The second difficulty is, that profane character at all. literature almost never uses the conception of faith techThe nically, and hence attaches no definite meaning to it. old philosophy, for instance, never deals with faith as with It appears, however, as if a special function of the soul. Pythagoras attached something more to this conception and stood, this conception has

that he classified

how

it,

as

we

learn in Tlieol. Aritlim. X., p. 60,

the Pythagoreans "in their mystical explanations called

one time the Avorld at another, the heavens then again, fate and eternity and, "; yet this appears to be the necessity yet again, might, faith, since of this Trto-ri? at only, case in a very superficial sense once this more exact explanation is given in Theol. Arithm., it (i.e. irCarL^^

still

at

;

again, the universe

p. 61:

;

;

;

The number Ten indeed is called belief (or faith), by (the number) Ten, and its which have to do primarily with realities, we have a "

since according to Philolaos parts,

clear idea of Belief."

It

may

not be denied that Philolaos

some instances faith stands on a line with avdyKj) (necessity) but he makes no mention of a general applica-

saw that

in

;

tion of this conception.

Neither of these two difficulties, however, should prevent us from making a more general application of this conception. derived from the Holy Scriptures, since

Not the

difficulty

Heb.

1 anticipates our wish to restore faith to

x'i.

its

more

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