Page:Illustrations of the history of medieval thought and learning.djvu/157

Rh have resolved to answer fools according to their folly, and to destroy their attacks by the same arts with which they attack us. And on this ground alone Abailard declares that he will venture to expound the diversity of the Persons in one, individual, single Divine substance, and the incarnation of the Word, and the procession of the Spirit. But, he says, I do not promise to teach the truth, which neither I nor any man can know; I shall only set forth something probable (verisimile) ''and nigh to human reason, at the same time not contrary to Holy Scripture, against those who boast themselves to attack the faith by human reasons, and find many easily to agree with them, since almost all men be sensual, and very few spiritual. It is enough for us to undermine in whatever way we can the strength of the chief enemies of the holy faith, especially since we can in no other way succeed, except we satisfy them by human reasons.'' Nothing can be more evident than that Abailard adopts in this treatise the strictly orthodox, traditional view of the relation of reason and faith. Revelation is to be believed, not discussed; discussion is only permissible to refute the arguments of adversaries; we may use their own weapons against themselves. The whole passage is repeated substantially without change in the Theologia Christiana; all that Abailard has done is to add some fresh illustrations and arguments, which bring out still more clearly the firmness of his reliance upon authority. In one of these additions he says, ''Where reason is hidden, let authority satisfy us, and let that well-known and principal rule touching the strength of authority be upheld ... 'Quod ab omnibus,' what is approved by all, or by most, or by the learned, is not to be contradicted.''

There is a perceptible difference between Abailard's view in these earlier treatises and that maintained in the Introductio ad Theologiam. One passage indeed has been cited from the latter in a directly opposite sense to those which we have found in the De Trinitate and the Theologia Christiana; but this interpretation rests first