A Treatise of Knowledge and Love, Part 1 · Chapter 5
Chap. V.
Of the ſeveral Degrees of Certainty.
1. AS Certainty is taken for Truth of Being, it admitteth of no Degrees: All that is True, is equally True.
2. But Certainty of Evidence hath various degrees: none doubteth but there are various degrees of Evidence: all the doubt is whether any but the higheſt may be called Certainty.
And here let the Reader firſt remember that the queſtion is but de nomine, of the name, and not the thing. And next, the Evidence is called Certain, becauſe it is Certifying aptitudinally. It is apt to certify us.
3. And then the queſtion will be devolved to ſubjective Certainty, whether it have various degrees. For if it have ſo, then the Evidence muſt be ſaid to have ſo, becauſe it is denominated reſpectively from the Apprehenſive Certainty.
And here de re it muſt be taken as agreed, 1. That Certainty is a certain Degree of apprehenſion. 2. That there are various degrees of apprehenſion. 3. That no Man on Earth hath a perfect Intellectual apprehenſion, at leaſt, of things Moral and Spiritual. For his apprehenſion, may be ſtill increaſed, and thoſe in Heaven have perfecter than we.
4. That there are ſome degrees ſo low and doubtful, as are not fit to be called Certainty.
5. That even theſe loweſt degrees with the greateſt doubting, are yet often True apprehenſions: and whenever they are True they are Infallible, that is, not deceived: Therefore this Infallibility, which is but, not to be deceived, is indeed one ſort of Certainty, which is ſo denominated Relatively from the natural Truth or Certainty of the object: But it is not this ſort of Certainty which we enquire after.
6. Therefore it followeth that this ſubjective certainty, containeth this Infallible Truth of perception, and addeth a degree which conſiſteth in the ſatisfaction of the mind.
7. But if the mind ſhould be never ſo confident and ſatisfied of a falſhood, this deſerveth not the name of Certainty, becauſe it includeth not Truth. For it is a Certain perception of Truth which we ſpeak of; and Confident erring is not Certainty of the Truth.
8. As therefore the degrees of doubting are variouſly overcome, ſo there muſt needs be various degrees of Certainty.
9. When doubting is ſo far overcome, as that the mind doth find reſt and ſatisfaction in the Truth, it may be called Certainty. But when doubting is either prevalent, and ſo troubleſome as to leave us wavering, it is not called Certainty.
10. It is not the forgetting or neglect of a difficulty or doubt, nor yet the wills rejecting it, which is properly called Certainty. This quieteth the mind indeed, but not by the way of aſcertaining Evidence. Therefore ignorant people that ſtumble upon a truth by chance with confidence, are not therefore Certain of it. And thoſe that take it upon truſt from a Prieſt or their Parents, or good peoples Opinion, are not therefore Certain of it. Nor they that ſay as ſome Papiſts, [Faith hath not evidence, but is a Voluntary reception of the Churches Teſtimony, and meritorious, becauſe it hath not Evidence: Therefore though I ſee no cogent Evidence, I will believe, becauſe it is my duty.] Whether this mans Faith may be ſaving or no, I will not now diſpute; but certainly it is no Certainty of apprehenſion. He is not Certain of what he ſo believeth. This is but to caſt away the doubt or difficulty, and not at all by Certainty to overcome it. 11. When a man hath attained a ſatisfying degree of perception, he is capable ſtill of clearer perception. Even as when in the heating of water, after all the ſenſible cold is gone, the water may grow hotter and hotter ſtill. So after all ſenſible doubting is gone, the perception may go clearer ſtill. 12. But ſtill the Objective Certainty is the ſame; that is, There is that Evidence in the object which is in ſuo genere ſufficient to notifie the thing to a prepared mind. 13. But this ſufficiency is a reſpective proportion; and therefore, as it reſpecteth mans mind in common, it ſuppoſeth that by due means and helps, and induſtry, the mind may be brought certainly to diſcern this Evidence. But if you denominate the ſufficiency of the Evidence, from its reſpect to the preſent diſpoſition of mens minds, ſo it is almoſt as various as mens minds are. For recipitur ad modum recipientis; and that is a certifying ſufficient Evidence of truth, to one man, which to a thouſand others, is not ſo much as an Evidence of probability. Therefore mediate and immediate ſufficiency and certainty of Evidence, muſt be diſtinguiſhed.
From all this I may infer, 1. That though God be the Original and End of all Verities, and is ever the Firſt in ordine eſſendi & efficiendi, and ſo à Jove principium, in methodo ſyntheticâ; yet he is not the primum notum, the firſt known, in ordine cognoſcendi, nor the beginning in methodo inquiſitivâ (though in ſuch Analytical methods as begin at the ultimate end, he is alſo the firſt.) Though all truth and evidence be from God, yet two things are more evident to man than God is, and but two: viz. 1. The preſent evident objects of ſenſe. 2. Our own internal Acts, of Intellective Cogitation and Volition. And theſe being ſuppoſed the Being of God is the third evident Certainty in the World.
2. If it be no diſparagement to God himſelf, that he is leſs certainly known of us, than ſenſibles, and our Internal acts, (de eſſe) it is then no diſparagement to the Scripture, and ſupernatural Truths, that they are leſs certainly known: Seeing they have not ſo clear evidence as the Being of God hath.
3. The certainty of Scripture Truths, is mixt of almoſt all other kinds of certainty conjunct. 1. By ſenſe and Intellective perception of things ſenſed, the Hearers and Seeers of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, knew the words and Miracles. 2. By the ſame ſenſe we know what is written in the Bible, and in Church Hiſtory concerning it, and the atteſting matters of Fact: And alſo what our Teachers ſay of it. 3. By certain Intellectual inference I know that this Hiſtory of the words and fact is true. 4. By Intellection of a natural principle I know that God is true. 5. By inference I know that all his Word is true. 6. By ſenſe I know (Intellectually receiving it by ſenſe) that this or that is written in the Bible, and part of that word. 7. By further inference therefore I know that it is true. 8. By Intuitive knowledge, I am certain that I have the Love of God, and Heavenly deſires, and a Love of holineſs, and hatred of ſin, &c. 9. By certain inference I know that this is the ſpecial work of the Spirit of Chriſt by his Goſpel Doctrine. 10. By experience I find the predictions of this Word fulfilled. 11. Laſtly, By Inſpiration the Prophets and Apoſtles knew it to be of God. And our certain Belief ariſeth from divers of theſe, and not from any one alone.
5. There are two extreams here to be avoided, and both held by ſome not ſeeing how they contradict themſelves.
I. Of them that ſay that Faith hath no Evidence, but the merit of it lyeth in that we believe without Evidence. Thoſe that underſtand what they ſay, when they uſe theſe words, mean that Things evident to ſenſe, as ſuch, that is, Incomplex ſenſible objects are not the objects of Faith. We live by Faith and not by ſight. God is not viſible: Heaven and its Glory, Angels and perfected Spirits are not viſible. Future Events, Chriſts coming, the Reſurrection, Judgment, are not yet viſible: It doth not yet appear (that is, to ſenſe) what we ſhall be. Our Life is hid (from our own and others ſenſes) with Chriſt in God. We ſee not Chriſt when we rejoice in him with joy unſpeakable, and full of glory.1 Pet. 1.8. Heb. 11.1. Thus Faith is the evidence of things not ſeen, or evident to ſight. But ignorant Perſons have turned all to another ſenſe; as if the objects of Faith had no aſcertaining Intellectual Evidence. When as it is impoſſible for mans mind to underſtand and believe any thing to be true, without perceiving evidence of its truth; as it is for the Eye to ſee without Light. As Rich. Hooker ſaith in his Eccl. Pol. Let men ſay what they will, men can truly believe no further than they perceive Evidence. It is a natural Impoſſibility: For Evidence is nothing but the perceptibility of the Truth: And can we perceive that which is not perceptible?
It's true that evidence from Divine Revelation is oft without any Evidence ex natura rei: But it may be nevertheleſs a fuller and more ſatisfying evidence.
Some ſay there is Evidence of Credibility, but not of Certainty. Not of natural Certainty indeed. But in Divine Revelations (though not in humane) evidence of Credibility, is Evidence of Certainty, becauſe we are certain that God cannot lie.
And to ſay, I will believe, though without Evidence of Truth, is a contradiction or hypocritical ſelf-deceit. For your will believeth not. And your underſtanding receiveth no Truth but upon evidence that it is Truth. It acteth of itſelf per modum naturae, neceſſarily further than it is ſub imperio Voluntatis; And the will ruleth it not deſpotically; Nor at all quoad Specificationem, but only quoad exercitium. All therefore that your will can do (which maketh Faith a moral Virtue) is to be free from thoſe vicious habits and acts in itſelf which may hinder faith, and to have thoſe holy diſpoſitions and acts in itſelf which may help the underſtanding to do its proper Office, (which is to believe evident truth on the teſtimony of the revealer, becauſe his Teſtimony is ſufficient Evidence. The true meaning of a good Chriſtian, when he ſaith, I will believe, is, I am truly willing to believe, and a perverſe will ſhall not hinder me, and I will not think of ſuggeſtions to the contrary. But the meaning of the formal hypocrite when he ſaith, I will believe, is, I will caſt away all doubtful thoughts out of my mind, and I will be as careleſs as if I did believe, or I will believe the Prieſt or my Party, and call it a believing God. Evidence is an eſſentiating part of the Intellects act. As there is no Act, without an Object, ſo there is no object ſub formali ratione objecti, without evidence. Even as there is no ſight but of an Illuſtrated object, that is, A viſible object.
II. The other extream (of ſome of the ſame men) is, that yet Faith is not true and certain if it have any doubtfulneſs with it. Strange! That theſe men cannot only ſee what is inviſible; Believe what is inevident as to its truth, that is, incredible, but alſo believe paſt all doubting, and think that the weakeſt true believer doth ſo too! Certainly there are various degrees of faith in the ſincere. All have not the ſame ſtrength! Chriſt rebuketh Peter in his fears, and his diſciples all at other times, for their little faith: When Peters faith failed not, it ſtaggered, which Abrahams did not:Rom. 4. Lord increaſe our Faith, and Lord, I believe, help my unbelief, were prayers approved by Chriſt. I will call a prevalent belief which can lay down Life and all this world for Chriſt and the hopes of Heaven, by the name of certainty (which hath various degrees.) But if they differ de nomine, and will call nothing certainty but the higheſt degree, they muſt needs yet grant that there is true ſaving faith that reacheth to no certainty in their ſenſe. Yea no man on Earth then attaineth to ſuch a certainty, becauſe that every mans faith is imperfect.
To conclude. Though all Scripture in itſelf (that is indeed the true Canon) be equally true, yet all is not equally certain to us, as not having equal evidence that it is Gods word. But of that in the next Chapter of the uncertainties.