J.H. Heidegger's Corpus of Christian Theology: Theology in General: Reason and Revelation, Part 3

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39.  The principal and organic use of reason in Theology is distinguished.

It is not to be despised, therefore, that illuminated Reason has a role in Theology.  And indeed, the principal use of it consists in this, that it constantly draws out of its own treasures arguments for faith.  Which happens in four ways.  For, First, that it is indeed God, revealing the way of salvation, and not an impostor, demon, or man suspected of falsehood, Reason, excited and directed by the Spirit of God, investigates by certain and indubitable criteria, and seals, of Divinity; and, when it has searched into the sayings and testimony of the same Revelation, as a ἀξιοπίστου/trustworthy witness, faith rests securely, and without any hesitation, or further reasoning, and so ἀβασανίστως/uncritically.  And so faith does not exclude λογισμὸν/reasoning, σύνεσιν/understanding, or conscience, but rather supposes them.  For God, as He is, and κατ᾽ εἶδος, with respect to form, no one knows, so that he might be able to boast of such revelation that excludes all λογισμὸν/reasoning, as if he had seen what he believes.  And faith, that is, ἀποδοχὴ[1] or reception of testimony, is ἐξ ἀκοῆς, by hearing, Romans 10:17.  Therefore, it is one thing to hear, and another to believe what has been heard.  Moreover, hearing is by the Word of God, that is, it is perception of the word of God, or, that He who speaks is God.  Therefore, faith rests upon hearing, even indeed upon an attentive hearing, or such to which the mind and conscience is present, judging of the one speaking, and fixing the mind on the word heard in such a way that one gathers συνετῶς, with understanding, what is said from the words of the speaker.  Therefore, that the one speaking, revealing, and testifying is God, we do not now believe, or receive in faith, unless for another reason we previously recognize, perceive, and πληροφορούμεθα, are fully assured, that we are receiving His testimony by faith.  Second, illuminated Reason fetches arguments for the principles of the Christian faith, whereby it shows to unbelievers the ἀξιοπιστίαν or credibility of the things grasped, as not at all impossible, irrational, or contrary to the uncorrupted nature of man, and refutes the sophistries brought by perverse reason to the contrary.  In which manner it serves for the conviction and conversion of the Gentiles, Jews, and Muhammadans.  Indeed, that this very method was readily used by the ancient Apologists and others, who had dealings with the Jews and Gentiles:  and also by more recent men of the most learned kind, Thomas Aquinas,[2] Vives,[3] Mornæus,[4] Grotius,[5] and others, is evident.  Third, Reason sometimes proceeds from its own Principles, by gathering its own arguments for the faith in those matters that are known by both faith and reason, or, having been known by faith, which excites reason in many ways, concerning salvation, are confirmed by reason.  Thus Saint Paul teaches in Acts 14:17.  And finally, Fourth, Reason, developed by use, has the arbitration of words and of the things that are signified by those words, or of natural ideas and reasons, which we have concerning things, and which Revelation presupposes, equally.  For, concerning things, or simple terms, that is, considered without construction or conjunction, reason properly judges:  concerning customary terms, which are not proper and peculiar to revelation:  but concerning the supernatural conjunction and constructions of simple words or terms, which belongs to revelation alone, faith alone judges.  But, that we might rightly make use of reason and usage, and rightly believe, the Holy Spirit alone brings it to pass.  In this way, what God signifies, and what blood; what God is, and what blood, right reason according to its natural ideas, and also usage, determines:  But, that God hath purchased the Church with His own blood, Acts 20:28, faith alone determines.  But in matters that depend upon pure revelation alone, the use of Reason is merely Instrumental, and that again fourfold, that is, δεκτικὸς/receptive of revelation, διακριτικὸς/discriminative, ἀποφαντικὸς/illustrative, and συγκριτικὸς or συμβιβαστικὸς/comparative of the same.  Therefore, First, man humbly receives and assents to Revelation in the bosom of his reason, with the Spirit and His word going before.  By manifestation of the truth we commend ourselves to every conscience, 2 Corinthians 4:2.  The natural man οὐ δέχεται, receiveth not, the things of the Spirit, but rather the spiritual man, 1 Corinthians 2:14.  Second, in the doctrine of religion Reason is the organ of judgment concerning the true and the false, the certain and the uncertain, the consequent and the inconsequent, the ordered and the confused, and that according to the rules or norms of good and necessary consequence, impressed by God on our rational nature; but with the light of the Divine word and the inner illumination of the Holy Spirit going before.  I speak to you as φρονίμοις, wise men.  Judge ye what I say, 1 Corinthians 10:15.  The spiritual man (whose reason the Spirit of God rules and directs by His word) judgeth all things, 1 Corinthians 2:15.  Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding, Psalm 32:9.  Let us be no more children, etc., Ephesians 4:14.  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good, 1 Thessalonians 5:21.  Try the spirits, whether they are of God, 1 John 4:1.  But in these Revelation is after the likeness of a weight in the balance:  illuminated Reason is after the likeness of the eye, weighing the weight in the balance.  Third, Reason illustrates the mysteries, solidly demonstrated previously out of the word of God, with the help of languages and arts, with all their treasures brought there, wherewith in whatever respect it is able to enrich them.  For, thus there is a use for Grammar in understanding and explaining the words, terms, and phrases of revelation:  for Rhetoric in unfolding Tropes and figures, and acquiring sacred eloquence:  for Dialectics in perceiving simple terms or Theological Topics; in distinguishing the true from the false in propositions, the consequent from the inconsequent in Syllogism; in the ordering of the system; in elencho/refutation of the gainsayers, Titus 1:9,[6] ὀρθοτομίᾳ, the art of rightly dividing, the word of truth, 2 Timothy 2:15, and innumerable other things:  of Ethics in recognizing the principles of moral action, acquaintance with virtues and blessedness, civil and moral, the nature of which revelation perfects, to whatever extent it furnishes it:  for Physics in illustrating those things that revelation discusses concerning natural things, as in Genesis, Job, and the Psalms; and also in discerning the invisible things of God, which are shown in some measure in the visible things:[7]  for Mathematics in discerning the computations of the years and times, according to which the sacred histories are distributed; and in determining the situation and distances of places that are mentioned in the sacred writings:  and, finally, there is an especially excellent use for Metaphysics in explaining not a few notions and states of being, of which mention is made in Revelation.  Nevertheless, as the vile from the precious, Jeremiah 15:19, and dross from silver, the salutary use has to be studiously and prudently distinguished from well-known abuse.  Fourth, Reason compares and contrasts one word of God with another word of God, the Old Testament with the New, the springs with the streams, supernatural revelation with natural, one dogma of the faith with another, one text with another, one argument with another, the superstructure with the foundation.  Thus the Blessed Virgin is said συμβάλλουσα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῆς, to have pondered/compared the words of the Angel in her heart, Luke 2:19.  And Saint Paul συμβιβάζων, with arguments collated, deduced, or contended, that Jesus is the Christ, Acts 9:22.[8]  Paul and Timothy συμβιβάζοντες, with all things collated, found that the Lord had called them to Preach the Gospel unto the Macedonians, Acts 16:10.[9]

[1] 1 Timothy 1:15:  “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation (ἀποδοχῆς), that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”  See also 1 Timothy 4:9.

[2] Thomas Aquinas (c. 1224-1274) was perhaps the greatest of the mediæval scholastic theologians.

[3] Juan Luis Vives (1492-1540) was a Spanish classicist.  He wrote de Veritate fidei Christianæ (unfinished), and a commentary on Augustine’s City of God.

[4] Philippe de Mornay (1549-1623), a Frenchman, was a politically active apologist for Protestantism.  His major apologetic work was de Veritate religionis Christianæ.

[5] Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) distinguished himself in the field of international law, but he was interested in many fields of learning, including Christian apologetics, theology, and Biblical criticism and exegesis.  He was a strict practitioner of the historical-contextual method of exegesis, and both his methods and conclusions are on display in his influential Annotationes in Vetus et Novum Testamentum.  He is also remembered for his role in the Arminian controversy, siding with the Remonstrants, and for his governmental theory of atonement.

[6] Titus 1:9:  “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince (ἐλέγχειν/elenchein) the gainsayers.”

[7] Romans 1:20.

[8] Acts 9:22:  “But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ (συμβιβάζων ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός).”

[9] Acts 16:10:  “And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them (συμβιβάζοντες ὅτι προσκέκληται ἡμᾶς ὁ Κύριος εὐαγγελίσασθαι αὐτούς).”