2. Faith and reason, what, as contradistinguished.
I find every sect, as far as reason will help them, make use of it
gladly: and where it fails them, they cry out, It is matter of faith, and above reason. And I do not see how they can
argue with any one, or ever convince a gainsayer who makes use of the same plea, without setting down strict
boundaries between faith and reason; which ought to be the first point established in all questions where faith has
anything to do.
Reason, therefore, here, as contradistinguished to faith, I take to be the discovery of the certainty or probability of
such propositions or truths which the mind arrives at by deduction made from such ideas, which it has got by the
use of its natural faculties; viz., by sensation or reflection.
Faith, on the other side, is the assent to any proposition, not thus made out by the deductions of reason, but upon
the credit of the proposer, as coming from God, in some extraordinary way of communication. This way of
discovering truths to men, we call revelation.
