2b We Know Because we Trust

If the universal demand of life be for faith, need we be surprised if faith is the first requisite in the life of faith.

The Creed begins with: I Believe! Its condition of salvation is Believe! The sum of its demands rightly interpreted is Believe! Without faith it is impossible to please God. But without faith it is impossible to do anything.

But if faith is the key to knowledge, knowledge is essential to faith.
This paradox is not a contradiction. There is no knowledge without faith, and there is no faith without knowledge.

Faith is an intelligent grace, not an ignorant assumption. Ignorant trust is superstition. Credulity is a very different thing from confidence. Devout ignorance is as disastrous as wilful wickedness.

All trust is personal. We do not trust things, we trust people.
The confidence we place in things is due to the testimony of people we trust. Here again trust is essential to knowledge, and knowledge essential to trust.

The only way to find out the trustworthy is by trusting. Trust for its continuance depends upon knowledge.

A Further Thought: