Page:The kernel and the husk (Abbott, 1886).djvu/389

Rh xii. Hope

xiii. Faith

The following Definition appears to me to be the basis of all theology. It is no more than an emphatic restatement of the old saying, "Faith is the assurance of (or giving substance to) things hoped for." Since hope is but a weaker and more hesitant form of desire, the imaging forth of (or giving substance to) things earnestly hoped for must imply the vivid imagination of the fulfilment of things desired.

"Faith in a friend" means a desire—as well as a belief—that he will do what you think he ought to do. "Faith" should never be used to express a belief that something undesirable or wrong will happen, e.g. "I have great faith that the boy will go wrong." "Faith" in the uniformity of Nature implies a desire that Nature should be uniform, and a feeling that it is God's will. In moments when we dread the uniformity of Nature we should say that we have a "conviction" or "expectation" of it, not that we have "faith" in it.

"Putting doubt at a distance is intended to include the different degrees of faith: in the highest faith, the "distance" is infinite.