J.H. Heidegger's Corpus of Christian Theology: Theology in General: Reason and Revelation, Part 1

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33.  Reason, neither corrupted nor healed, is able to be the principium of revelation.

Moreover, the reason of man is understood as either natural, or illuminated by the light of faith.  The latter undoubtedly subjects itself to faith, does not try to rule over it:  For God by His Spirit gives to man ὀφθαλμοὺς πεφωτισμένους, enlightened eyes, Ephesians 1:18, not so that he might misuse this light to roar against God, but rather so that he might humbly subject himself to His revelation and will; not so that he might be wise in his own eyes, or above that which is written, but so that he might fear God, and depart from evil, Proverbs 3:7; 1 Corinthians 4:6.  I say, through the grace given to me, to every man that is among you, μὴ ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ᾽ ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith, Romans 12:3.  Therefore, judgment is to be made, not according to reason, even reason healed by grace, but according to the first principium, which illuminated reason admits, that is, according to Scripture.  But the former, as far as it belongs to man not yet restored by the grace of God, is corrupted; and natural man is, ἐσκοτισμένος τῇ διανοίᾳ, ἀπηλλοτριωμένος τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ, darkened in his understanding, and alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in him, because of the hardness of his heart, Ephesians 4:18.  The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit; they are foolishness to him, 1 Corinthians 2:14.  For through conscience of his sin man has turned away from God in such a way that he is not able not to hate Him and His Law.[1]  Whence it happens, that he contemplates God only unwillingly, and takes no pleasure in inquiring into His truth; or, if he be compelled to contemplate God, he thinks only things foolish and unworthy of God and His worship, through which the grace of God could be obtained:  and the more he contemplates God and His perfection, the more he is incited to lust against the law of God.[2]  To him true wisdom is foolishness;[3] and true foolishness, wisdom:  light is darkness; and darkness, light:  bitter is sweet; and sweet, bitter:  good is evil; and evil, good, Isaiah 5:20.  In this way, finally, from childhood onward our mind is beset by false idols and notions, and they have put down such deep roots in the intellect, that even to natural truth, much less to spiritual truth, there is hardly any opening.

34.  Which disability of reason the very Theology of Socinus confirms.

And that very thing is especially evident in the Theology of Socinus.  For, if the pronouncements of Philosophy, the principles of reason, and arguments, wherewith he opposes the Trinity, and Christ’s Incarnation and satisfaction, we consider with a clear eye, we will find that generally those things are nothing but the βαχχεύματα/frenzies of blind reason, first contrived by him, to which, merely for appearance’s sake, some testimonies from the Scriptures are subjoined:  or, if any are true, they are incorrectly applied by the same, and twisted.  Finally, they, in such things receding from the genuine sense of the words, illegitimately proceed from possibility to actuality, or from one or another incorrectly abstracted example fabricate universal rules, upon which they then found their preconceived judgments.  But in this spiritual darkness these eminent Theoreticians kindle for themselves a light of themselves, and compass themselves with sparks of their own fire, so that afterwards they might walk into the hearth of the fire that they have kindled of themselves, and perish by their own sparks, Isaiah 50:11.  For just is the ἀντιμισθία/recompense of this sin,[4] so that a stripping bare follows the contempt of Prophecy, Proverbs 29:18; and he that hastens not to the Law and testimony, nor acts according to that word, let not morning light arise upon him, Isaiah 8:20.

35.  Objections in favor of the superintendence of Reason are refuted.

The Christian Religion is certainly θρησκεία λογικὴ, reasonable worship, Romans 12:1,[5] not because it was constructed by reason, or was brought to the norm and standard of reason, in which manner it certainly would have been ἐθελοθρησκεία, will worship, which does not please God, Matthew 15:9; Colossians 2:23:[6]  but because it is not σωματικὴ/bodily, σαρκικὴ/fleshly, of which sort was Israel’s in part, consisting in meats, drinks, washings, ordinances of the flesh, which are ἄλογα, without reason, Hebrews 9:10; but rather internal, spiritual.  In which sense Saint Peter, in 1 Peter 2:2, calls the doctrine of the faith γάλα λογικὸν, rational milk,[7] because it is the food of the spirit, not of the body; since here not the nourishment of the body, but of the spirit, is sought, in wisdom and prudence.  Whence immediately in verse 5 Saint Peter subjoined, that we are made οἶκον πνευματικόν, a spiritual house.  For God is a Spirit, and wills to be worshipped and adored in Spirit, John 4:24.  Moreover, although faith does not exclude reason, since Revelation addresses to the φρονίμοις/wise, 1 Corinthians 10:15, and believers ought to be conversant with religion, not as horses and mules, or ἄλογα ζῶα, brute beasts, animals without reason, but νουνεχῶς/discreetly/prudently and sensibly, Psalm 32:9; Jude 10; Mark 12:34:  yet faith is not subordinate to reason:  but being subject only to faith, man, not being without reason, is thus defined as rational.  Finally, reason is indeed a light, infused by God Himself into our breast; but it does not shine everywhere.  It is able to seize and to comprehend the wisdom of this age, although not without God:  but it, applied to the approval and reception of Divine mysteries, which are the βάθη, deep things, of God,[8] without a director, or rather the subjugating Spirit, is unmixed darkness.  For the light of Christ shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not, John 1:5.  And the Prophetic word, and so whatever revelation, is light shining ἐν αὐχμηρῷ τόπῳ, in a dark/gloomy place, while the day dawneth, and the day star ariseth in our hearts, 2 Peter 1:19.

[1] See Romans 1:30; 8:7.

[2] See Galatians 5:17.

[3] 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:14.

[4] Romans 1:27:  “And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence (τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν) of their error which was meet.”

[5] Romans 12:1:  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν ὑμῶν).”

[6] Colossians 2:23:  “Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship (ἐν ἐθελοθρησκείᾳ), and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.”

[7] 1 Peter 2:2:  “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word (τὸ λογικὸν ἄδολον γάλα), that ye may grow thereby…”

[8] 1 Corinthians 2:10.